A Tall Drink of Water

He stands a staggering 6'4, blond curly hair that falls just to his shoulders and frames his face like a halo. Bright green eyes find my dull brown ones and his gaze is penetrating, seeking out something more and setting my body on fire in the process. If just his gaze could do this to me, I wonder what the rest of him can do. A chill runs down my spine as I think of his long fingers dragging down my skin, his lips slowly following while tasting every inch his fingers caressed. A smile crosses his face, and as if he were reading my mind he slowly crosses the room to stand a mere foot away from me at the bar.

Close enough to touch yet far enough away to be respectful. His jeans and t-shirt fit him snugly and he smells amazing, like rain and freshly chopped wood. I peer up at him from my bar stool and smile sweetly before taking a small swig of my beer. His eyes snap to my lips as they press against the bottle and I could swear I heard him groan. I force my eyes away from his lithe form, cursing myself for caving into his rugged beauty.

You don't live in this town and not at least know of the man that stands beside me now. No, he is definitely the talk of the town ninety-five percent of the time, and ninety percent of that ninety-five is usually about something bad he'd been caught doing in the past. He doesn't talk much, but his lack of verbal communication is made up for by his tell-all eyes which have let me see a few things that make me believe that not everything you hear is true.

This place has been my home since I was nine years old and in those fifteen years, Damien Clearwaters has become the quintessential bad boy here in Round Rock, Texas. Growing up in Williamson County, everyone knew who you were and what you were doing so having a private life without your parents finding out wasn't necessarily an easy task but we survived. At nine years old, I was afraid of meeting new people and was shy to a fault. Damien Clearwaters was a quiet and sweet boy who lived in the house next to mine and when summer officially came, I would invite him to swim in my backyard with me. June nineteenth came around two months after my move and brought his tenth birthday with it, his parents held a large party in the backyard of his house and everyone he knew from school came, which allowed me to make new friends in preparation for the upcoming school year at Fern Bluff.

On the twenty-second, Damien sneaked over to my house and knocked softly on the window just after dark. This was new for us, I watched worriedly as he climbed into my room, praying he wouldn't make a sound that would alert my parents to his arrival. He closed the window and put his forehead to the glass. I had never seen Damien cry in all of the time we had played together, not even when he cut his knee open on the sidewalk, that night I hugged him as he fought back the tears silently. He filled me in on how his parents had told him his grandmother had passed away and I held him close as long as he would let me.

Just after his thirteenth birthday, Damien Clearwaters' world was turned upside down. Damien's mother left his father while everyone was gone for their daily routines. She left a note for his father saying she was leaving them because she didn't want to be a wife and mother anymore. Instead, she wanted the exciting life she had dreamed of as a young girl so she packed her things and headed for Houston. But things didn't quite work out that way; she made it just outside of Round Rock before being hit by an eighteen wheeler whose driver had fallen asleep at the wheel, she was killed instantly. Damien's father received the call about his wife while still at work, only to return home to find her note which ultimately broke him and drove him to drink.

Following the funeral, Damien and I sat in his bedroom floor sitting so close that our shoulders touched as I let him tell me all the good things about his mom that he could remember. Everything changed after that day, Damien's father Greg drank more than ever and Damien's secret trips to my house increased tenfold as did his father's anger. He silently wore the evidence of his father's mood swings, ignoring the looks of pity from teachers. By the end of the year, Damien slept on the floor next to my bed every night to get away from his father's cruel words and anger.

When Damien's fourteenth birthday came around, he had stopped talking to everyone including me and started acting out against his father. He landed himself in juvenile hall more times than I can count for fighting or destruction of property. I recall one time in particular when he was put into juvenile for beating up a seventeen year old boy that had been taunting him about his mother's decision to leave his "worthless ass" but couldn't even do that right. The boy ended up in the hospital with a few broken ribs and some other minor injuries, but I don't recall anyone else talking about Damien that way again, at least not out loud.

Although he was wild and seemingly dangerous, his ways calmed down dramatically when his father died of alcohol poisoning the month before Damien's nineteenth birthday. He sold his childhood home and all of its contents before moving two hours away to Fort Hood for military training. After completing a five year tour with the Army, he returned home to Round Rock looking amazing, not that he left looking bad. He bought an old ranch house and many of the women were swooning over his body as he repaired the old home.

With the almost two years he's been home, his hair has grown out to the length that makes you want to dig your fingers into it and pull. The Army put some meat on his bones making him lean but so muscular you could grate cheese on his abs, or so I've heard from local gossip going around. He was always gorgeous, and at more than one point in my childhood I was convinced we would get married and live happily ever after with two green eyed boys and a sweet little girl running around our home. I thought I gave up that dream when he left, which led me to decide to attended Texas State and exclusively date a local football star that led our team on to be state champions. We planned to marry and move to Dallas, but those plans died when I caught him in bed with one of the linebackers from his team. That was definitely a surprise to say the least, but we're still good friends and I plan to attend their commitment anniversary party next month.

I graduated shortly before opening my own bookstore here in town, offering new and used books to the community, where we had to drive out of town for a bookstore beforehand. My shop is decently sized, has a large selection, a small cafe and has a window that spans the entire front of the store where I have set up a sitting nook for reading and enjoying beverages. Being the only bookstore actually in town, my shop is fairly popular and even after being open for three years I still get a solid flow of customers daily.

Even with Damien back in Round Rock, I never really expected to see him face-to-face again. I was going over the list of books that had been specially ordered by customers when the bell to the door chimed and alerted me to a new customer. To say I was shocked at who was browsing the shelves of the store would be an understatement. I'm not exactly sure what I expected of our first meeting in years, but it wasn't what actually happened. Damien browsed the aisles for a good thirty minutes before bounding up to the counter with an armful of books in tow and a blank stare on his face. I skipped idle conversation and rang up his purchases before I finally broke and asked him how long he'd been back home and if he were staying.

"Do I know you? He looked for a name tag but I wasn't wearing one."Look, just because I grew up here doesn't mean you people know me. You know what I was and what you thought of me, but you never knew me. So stop trying to pry into my life."

His voice was pure acid and I almost wanted to cry from the hatred it held but I stood firm.

"Listen up Damien Ray Clearwaters, you speak to me like that again and I'll castrate you, you understand? I think all those nights you crawled through my bedroom window to get away from your father allows me the privilege of saying that I at least knew you at one time. And just in case you're still lost on who I am, it's Gabby and I don't appreciate your tone and I will NOT be spoken to like that in my own damn store!"

He stared at me with his mouth open, then rightfully looked ashamed as he nodded solemnly.

"I'm so sorry Gabby; I didn't know it was you."

My heart broke as I watched him walk out the door and disappear into the street without turning around. It was then that I knew I was still in love with the jackass that's had my heart since I was nine years old.

We haven't really spoken much since that day two years ago, but shortly after the incident at my store I found a beautiful leather bound journal wrapped up on my front porch. Even though it didn't have a note of any kind, I knew exactly who it was from and cherish it as I contemplate what to fill the empty pages with one day. Even though there hasn't been much communication, there is definitely sexual tension between the two of us, hell the whole town wants a piece of him and I'm not too proud to say I do too, but that's not all I want of course. I catch brief glimpses of him in town while I'm shopping or working at my shop and I still catch myself daydreaming about two miniature copies of Damien and a miniature version of myself running around us happily, I quickly chastise myself for longing after him still after all these years even after he has pushed me away from him so many times.

Which brings me to now, where I sit drinking my beer at the local bar Quinn's and my body is literally vibrating with want for him. I watch from the corner of my eye as he summons the bartender and orders a beer. The band is a local tonight and is actually pretty decent, so I lean back against the bar as I watch them play and gather my wits and courage. I feel his eyes on me and I know they've been on me the entire night since he walked in the door. I summon all of my courage and finish off my beer as I turn toward him.

"Are you just going to stare at me all night or you going to say something cowboy? Because let me tell you, I'm no eye candy but you look like you're going to pounce on me any second. So here's my question, should I play coy and act like I don't want it or should I just pounce your ass myself instead?"

I watch with an amused look as he chokes down the mouthful of beer he had just taken a drink of and coughed a few times before staring at me with shocked eyes. His mouth moves like he's trying to talk but nothing is coming out. Before I could let myself run for the door and cry myself to sleep at home, I stand up and get real damn close to him. I run my nose along his jaw line and stop at his ear.

"Listen cowboy, I'm tired of playing games so if you want me I'll be on the dance floor. You have two minutes to make up your mind before I walk out that door with your last opportunity. I hope like hell to see you out there."

Then I do something that shocks even me and I know its a good thing I'm not ordering another beer, I graze his earlobe with my teeth and walk away before he could see the shock in my own face. I don't make it three steps away before I feel hands on my hips, a five o'clock shadow rubbing against the back of my neck and a warm hard body pressed against me. I distinctly feel the outline of something large pressing into my lower back and by god my body shivers in delight. Lifting my arms above me, I seek out his gorgeous long locks and dig my fingers in deep, pulling his lips closer to my skin as I dance against him. He guides my hips with his hands as we grind together in perfect rhythm to the band's music that is more than long forgotten. Whiskers skirt across my shoulder and up behind my ear, my skin burns in their wake until his lips meet my ear.

"Let's get out of here," his voice husky and rough with want. Unable to trust my voice, I nod and allow him to lead me out of the crowded bar hand in hand. Reaching the parking lot, he leads me to his truck and stops only to pin me against it with a searing and demanding kiss that makes my core ache.

Ten minutes later and we are in his bed, hands roaming over naked flesh and leaving trails of fire everywhere they touch. A shrill sound coming from somewhere in the room distracts me from the heavenly torture of his lips brushing against my hard nipples.

"Ignore it. They'll call back if it's important."

My mind returns to mush as his fingers graze my swollen clit, only to be ripped back out of the moment by my cell phone ringing yet again. His forehead rests against my chest as he sighs, he grabs my phone from his bedside table and hands over the offending object.

"What?!"

"Ma'am, is this Gabriella Houston the owner of 'Books Revisited'?"

"...Yessss, and who is this?"

"Ma'am, I'm Officer Christians with the Round Rock Police Department. It seems your bookstore was vandalized and broken into just after ten pm tonight. I'm going to need you to come down to your store please, as soon as possible."

Already up and getting dressed, I notice I'm putting my jeans on backwards before fixing them and hanging up the phone. Sensing the drastic change in mood, Damien dresses and ushers me to his truck only speaking long enough to ask where we are headed. My body is broken out in a cold sweat; the bookstore is the only thing I have left of my parents and now it has been damaged by hoodlums no doubt. The ride to Main Street is silent and quick as Damien speeds through town to our destination. My heart stops cold in my chest as we draw closer and I could make out the damage done to my store. The window that completely made up the storefront from floor to ceiling is busted, and what's still there is covered in graffiti. The antique wooden front door is split straight down the middle and when I step inside, I see most of the inventory lying in the floor haphazardly. I feel lightheaded and my chest constricts painfully; I can't catch my breath and feel myself falling towards the floor but stop when caught by two strong arms before impact. I turning into his chest, let go and crying harder than I have since my parents' funeral. My body shakes like an earthquake as Damien's arm squeezes me and holds me close as he soothingly runs his fingers through my hair.

I'm completely drained, emotionally and physically, by the time the police allow me to leave the scene. Damien helped to board up the front of the store with sheets of plywood and promised to help me clean up the glass and books tomorrow morning. I vaguely remember being carried to Damien's truck, only briefly waking up when Damien's arms pull me closer to his chest in his sleep.

****

I awake to the soft snoring of the big bear next to me. The sunlight is streaming through the break in the curtains of his bedroom window and I know instantly that there's no way I'm going back to sleep. I stretch out and think back to what was interrupted last night and my body heats up in that familiar way almost immediately. I skim my fingers over the small chest hairs that lightly cover his muscular chest. His soft snores are replaced with a purring sound of contentment as I kiss my way up his chest and move to straddle him, all without waking him fully. I run my hands up his chest slowly and grind my hips into his rather large and prominent erection, his hands grab my bare hips as he presses up into me a little.

"Mmm fuck, promise me you'll wake me up like this again sometime."

I bite back a giggle and lift myself enough to slide him inside me, I throw my head back as a moan escapes my parted lips. He's big but it feels so amazing to be stretched tight around him as I slide down slowly. I grind my hips in small circles, causing my swollen clit to grind into his body pushing me closer to the brink. His fingertips dig into the flesh of my hips as he pulls me down harder on him, sending waves of pleasure through my body with every thrust. Our pants and moans fill the room as our bodies collide, sweat lightly coating our bodies. His voice rough with passion as he tells me to touch myself and come for him pushes me over the edge and leaves my body shaking in delight. I throw my head back as I scream out and shudder my release on top of him. His hands grab my hips roughly as he thrusts upwards into me one last time and I feel him fill me with his release.

I listen to his rapid heart beat as we catch our breath, his fingers running through my messy hair. I feel his chest rumble with laughter and I look up at him with a weird look.

"I swear to god woman, you can wake me up any damn time if you do it just like that. The army has nothing on you with it's wake up calls!"

His booming laughter fills the room and he kisses my bare shoulder. His laughter fades off as we look into each others eyes and I watch as a smile spreads across his face, making me smile in return.

"I've waited so long for that Gabby, you have no idea."

I feel him twitch inside me as he readies for round two. I smile as I think to myself, 'guess cleaning up my store will just have to wait 'til later.'