Invisible Strings

Chapter Twenty-Four

I was just finishing up when mama yelled from downstairs, telling me that Brantley was here. I took a second to give myself one last look to make sure I looked fine –and to calm my racing heart– before I headed downstairs.

As I reached the top of the stairs, I had to hold tight to the railing because my knees were suddenly weak. Brantley stood at the bottom of them wearing black dress slacks, a slate gray button up that was rolled up his arms to the elbow, his facial hair was trimmed to perfection, and his hair was perfectly styled. The only thing missing was the hat that was almost always on his head. And that was probably a good thing because had he been wearing it, I wouldn't have been responsible for my actions –innocent or indecent.

And apparently he thought the same about me if the look he was giving me as I made my way down the stairs was any indication. There was a whole "She's all that" vibe around us with each step I took; all that was missing was the music that movies like to pipe in during scenes like this. But even if that wasn't a real thing, it didn't mean that my mind wasn't playing 'Kiss Me' when I stepped off the last step and he instantly wrapped me in his arms.

Uncaring that my mama, daddy, and probably the kids were somewhere watching our interaction, I moaned softly as his lips landed on mine and he pulled me tight against his chest. I knew that my lipstick would be smeared, but ask me if I care. I knew that there would be a whole lot more that was messed up or ruined before the night was over.

When we finally pulled away from one another, I was lust-drunk and it looked like Brantley was too. But when I went to move, to put some space between us since we were standing in my parents home, he wouldn't let me. Instead, he looped an arm around my waist and held me partially in front of him. When I settled into his hold and felt his cock pressing into the small of my back, I knew why he insisted on me standing like this.

Wanting to torture him just a tad bit, I gave a gently wiggle as if I was situating my dress or adjusting my stance. It was almost imperceptible, but I heard the growl that came from him as I rubbed against his cock. The fingers of the hand on my waist tightened slightly –enough that I could feel it but not so noticeable that anyone looking could see.

"Well, don't you two look like the perfect little picture?" asked Mama, pulling her phone from her pocket.

Before either of us could respond, we were blinded by the flash on the camera phone.

"Got it." she said proudly, putting her phone away.

"Well, we won't hold you two up. Have fun tonight. But not too much fun." said Daddy. I caught his unspoken warning to Brantley in his tone and it made me smile.

Oh daddy, if you only knew...

As I had that thought, the voice in my head chose that moment to chime in with "you might be calling someone daddy for a whole different reason tonight...". Her words caused a blush to creep over my skin about the same time Brantley urged me to head towards the door.

"She's in good hands, Nick," said Brantley as he walked us through the door.

I expected to see his truck sitting in the driveway since he was dressed so nicely but instead, his completely restored white 1968 Cougar sat gleaming in the evening light. I remembered the car from when we were in high school, but it looked nothing like it did today.

"You still have that?" I asked, stepping closer to the car. I let my fingers trail over the fender, not feeling even the slightest imperfection in the paint or body work.

"Yep." he said, opening the passenger door for me. "Don't want to kill the vibe here by bringing up–"

"You can talk about her, Brantley. She's a major part of your life." I said, cutting him off.

"Just wanted to give you a little warming." he said, pulling me into him. Both his hands landed on my hips and he looked down into my eyes. "The restoration of this car was a gift from Amber. She got tired of me working on the damn thing all the time and never making any real progress."

"That's amazing." I whispered.

"Yeah, it is now. At the time I didn't think it was." he replied. I looked at him curiously and he smiled. "I was out on the road when she called me and told me that she sold the Cougar. I remember being so mad that I couldn't even form words. But then when I'd gotten back home and the Cougar was sitting in the driveway looking as if it had just come off the showroom floor, all that anger went away. Aside from Barrett and Braylin, it was the best gift she ever gave me."

"I guess if I want to give you a gift, I'll have to step up my game then huh?" I asked, the words falling from my mouth before I realized it.

"Sweetheart, you giving me a chance to make up for what I did is all the gift I need."

Brantley dipped his head then, giving me a kiss before pulling away. I sank down into the buttery soft leather seats of the car and swung my legs in so that Brantley could shut the door. Once he did, he made his way around the car while I flipped the visor down and checked my lipstick in the mirror. By some miracle, my face wasn't smeared with lipstick.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Been ready, B." I said, giving him a smile before boldly placing a hand on his thigh. "Time for you to keep your promise to have me screaming your name."