TY to Cherry and Mia as usual. Don't know how Rowdy would be so rowdy without you! :D
Happy Monday cotton babies. Hope you had a fab cupcake-filled weekend!
Chapter Sixteen: Secrets & Singing
Rowdy is mesmerizing. He's dark-green-hooded-secrets that make me blush. I can't help but glance away. I try to focus on the beige colored walls, but Rowdy's having none of it.
"Love with me," he murmurs, leaning over me and pulling my chin back towards him. I'm flat on my back as he hovers over, one leg in between mine. My fists clutch his rough bed sheets and they are my anchor, the only thing holding me still.
I fight to keep my eyelids open as his fingertip slides between my center, making me jump. "I am," I lie. I can't love with him when he's in me like this. My love is selfish, all consuming feels that works its way up from my toes. He's not the only one who goes numb.
Rowdy kisses my jaw and my head tilts back as he sprinkles kisses all along my neck. I don't think he knows what he's doing to me; how my heart is beating out my chest and how my skin feels like it's on fire. He rubs me in slow, taunting circles. I'm embarrassed when my back arches. Am I supposed to feel like this? This I-could-die-kill-me-now good?
There's an ache in my belly, building and burning. My mouth slacks open as my head falls back on the pillow. I fight the need to yell and scream and moan. Rowdy kisses, bites, and licks my neck. I drag one bare foot up and down his leg, silently begging him to stop.
I silently beg him not to as well.
"Kiss me, Cottonseed." Rowdy is demanding as usual, but it's a request I will always give in to. His kiss is rough, needy, and different as he bites my lower lip. He pulls with his teeth and I grip the sheets tighter, twisting them around my knuckles.
His fingers circle faster and my desperate attempt to breathe is long gone. I feel hot, hot, hot.
"Look at you blooming," Rowdy says huskily. He's wrong. I'm dying. I'm parched, suffocating, and over-heating. I'm bundles of knots and layers of Hell Baptists don't even believe in.
My mouth parts and a guttural sound escapes. Rowdy moves downward and his fingers keep moving as one descends, plunging into me.
I moan blasphemy as he pushes with ease, licking one pert nipple at the same time. My hands shift over to his hair, pulling, tugging, and yanking as he works me with his mouth.
"More," I beg, and it doesn't sound a thing like me. I roll in and out of consciousness as he speeds up his thrusting inside of me. His head moves to my other breast and I feel close to something.
I don't know what it is, but I feel like I'm going to explode. Parts of me will scatter all over this room and I won't be able to pick myself up.
"I love you," Rowdy groans between flicking my nipple with his tongue.
My legs stretch outward and my hips rise off of the bed. I am a ball of tightened nerves as Rowdy drives into me faster.
"Oh God, I love you I love you I love you." I can't take breaths between my words. I'm too busy flying, falling, and descending. The knot unravels as I finally burst, his name leaving my lips in breathless moans.
A final whimper escapes and Rowdy kisses me up, up, up. His lips find mine and his fingers are out of my panties, but they don't leave my skin. I feel a trail of wetness up my tummy and then higher above my chest.
It stops when his hand reaches right near his face. He pulls back away from our kiss, slipping his finger in his mouth.
"You're sweet," he murmurs. I'm in shock that he would do such a thing, but he grins and whispers. "Just wait until I taste you down there."
"Please?" I don't know how my thoughts escaped my lips but Rowdy chuckles.
"Next time, Cottonseed." He rolls over and I see a bulge in his shorts. He notices me glancing down, but he pulls the cover over him and kisses my cheek.
"Get dressed," he says, trying to divert my attention. I know I need to. I can hear the squeals of Emmett and Jessie roughhousing in the hall, but I don't care. I want next time to be this time.
I sigh feeling weightless and light, but my feet are as heavy as lead when I scoot them towards the edge of the bed. My gown is in a bundle on his shaggy carpet, but before I stand, I glance back at him.
"Rowdy?"
"Hmm?" He's propped up on his pillow, smoking a cigarette, and he's inhaling harder than usual.
"How did you know how to do that?" I need to know where he learned how to touch and caress like that. Rosedale is hours away from Forks County, but Rowdy's past is even further.
"I didn't," Rowdy answers honestly. "But when you love someone as much as I love you, you learn."
Even though my feet hit the floor, I fall even more.
.
.
.
"I don't want no taters, Ma!" Jessie screams and kicks her chair, pouting and crossing her arms. I hate when she gets like this, throwing tantrums and such.
Gettin' too old to be acting like a fool, I think.
"Jessie Beth, you stop that nonsense right now. Do what your mother told you, you hear me?" Papa tells her sternly.
Ma plops down another big ol' spoonful of mashed potatoes right on Jessie's plate and even though she's crying up a storm, she chews slowly between her hiccups and sobs.
AJ tries to be sly and steals a bite here and there just so Jessie doesn't have to eat so much.
"How's your trapping going, Charlie?" Ma asks as I bite into my meatloaf.
"Kickin' my ass, that's how it's going," Papa complains. "I have to keep buying supplies! Two of my rods are broke, my good harpoon is missing, and I've got a whole set of hooks that somebody stuck in a bucket of bait. Them Masen boys been over here lately?"
Ma glances at me from across the table and I put my head down.
"No," Ma fibs right through her teeth. Thank you, Ma. I don't know why she's protecting them, but I'm grateful she is.
Rowdy ain't stealing nothing but breaths these days and Jasper and Emmett could care less.
"I'm installing a security system," Papa continues. "Can't trust nobody these days!"
"I'm sure you've just misplaced something. Or maybe those raccoons have been running through again," Ma says. "You know how bad they were last year."
"Yeah, maybe," Papa mutters, but he doesn't believe it for a second.
"When's the dance, Ma?" AJ asks, changing the subject.
"Oh! At the end of this month! I can't wait. Betty Hale and Maggie Weber and I've been thinking of a 50s theme. Lord knows the choir needs more robes. We're inviting folks from all over the state. Should be a grand time!"
I'm excited as can be and even Papa grins.
"A dance?" Papa questions. "I bet Jacob could go with you, Cotton. He'd love something like that."
I wouldn't. I'd rather get eaten by a gator.
"Why, we ain't had a good shindig in years! You remember how we used to get down, Renee?"
Ma blushes and turns away. "I sure do. It was before all you babies came along."
Gross. I don't care what they were getting down to and why.
Papa tosses down his napkin and walks into the foyer where we keep an old record player. A minute goes by and then we hear the scratching, sweet sound of Marvin Gaye singing through the house.
Listen, baby, ain't no mountain high
Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough, baby
Papa strolls back in, holding his hand out to Ma. She giggles and takes it, swinging into his arms.
If you need me, call me, no matter where you are
No matter how far, don't worry, baby
Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry
AJ and Jessie and I clap as Ma and Papa sway right across the kitchen floor. So my sisters and I stand on our chairs, holding up spoons and belt out the lyrics.
'Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you, baby
We laugh and twirl and dance that Saturday night. Papa picks up Jessie to dance with him and Ma, while AJ and I take turns taking the lead.
The meatloaf gets cold, Jessie never does finish her taters, and somewhere in the barn someone steals Papa's bundle of nets.
But it's all right, 'cause we're a family acting like families do. I suppose even Baby Jesus is looking down on us smiling. I know that 'cause Jessie says so, right when the North Star shines into our kitchen window.
So we count our blessings, sing the blues, and we don't have a care in the world.
Until the next day, that is.
Esme has a child come into the world and another that's on his way out.
All those mountains become high, the valleys get too low and that river?
It's wide enough to sink Forks County until there isn't a single soul left.