The Things We Crave

Chapter Ten

They both are wearing a sheepish grin as they approach the crowd that has gathered for the race event the bride and groom planned. Vincent takes Catherine’s hand and leads the way through the group to where Brad and Tammy are. Catherine notices his hand was soft, but his grip is firm. Her father always said you can tell a lot about a man by his hands; reflecting what kind of work he does and the type of man he is.

A firm grip tells her that the man is confident, dominate, and strong-willed. That he is either hot or cold, never subtle about anything and won’t back down. Soft hands tell her that his job doesn’t require physical labor, which she already knew; he co-owned the business with Brad, so it didn’t surprise her.

Tammy’s flush face lights up when she sees them coming. “Where have you two been? You missed the first race; they’re starting to set up for the next one.” Her voice suggestive.

Catherine realizing they were still holding hands, she lets go of it and begins twirling a strand of hair as her cheeks heat up. “I guess we got into the games and lost track of time.”

“Oh, really?” Tammy says coyly, “What games you play?” She crosses her arms.

“Oh, well we went into the arcade played some air hockey and eight ball.” Catherine replies. She looks at Vincent who just smiles back.

“Vincent is really good at eight ball; we usually play to unwind after work at a bar just down the street from the office. Is she any good, Vincent?” Brad asks jabbing him in the ribs with his elbow.

Vincent chuckles as Catherine’s mind goes back to the photo booth. She could feel her cheeks heat up again as Vincent pulls her close to him by her hip. “Surprisingly, she plays very well. She had me stumped a couple times, she even won. Let me just say, I underestimated her. I enjoyed every minuet of it.” He looks to Catherine and winks.

Oh, God! Is he referring to the game or the photo booth? Both maybe? She thought.

“Anything else?” Tammy asks. She knows her sister too well. There is always something else.

Before she could answer, Vincent pulls out the strip of pictures from the inner pocket of his jacket and hands it to Tammy. “We went into the photo booth. Your sister is clearly photogenic. I especially like the second one.”

Catherine wanted to climb in a hole and die. Why would he show her those pictures? She thought, mortified.

“There’s only four pictures here, where are the rest of them?” Tammy asks him as perplexity washes over her face.

“I threw them out, they were blurry or out of focus. These are the best ones.”

Vincent was the one who had grabbed the strip of picture while Catherine went to throw the purple top hat in the trash. The first four were casual, however the last pictures were his favorite. The one he had told Tammy he like was the one where his nose was behind her ear. It was a good picture. The look on her face was priceless. It was an expression of surprise and joy.

His favorite though was the one when he had grabbed her ear lobe with his teeth. The camera captured her laughing. He could hear it when he looked at it. Her eyes were closed, and you could see her beautiful white teeth. Her nose scrunched up and her head tilted to resist his grip. Vincent was captured in a profile pose, hooded eyes, a cocky smile, while he held her body close. It was a moment in time he never wanted to forget.

There was one of them kissing and the rest were just of her back. He put his favorite pictures in his wallet. When Catherine returned, he showed her the first four. She also like the second picture. Vincent planned to get a copy of that one to give to her later.

Catherine looks at Vincent relieved. Wow, he really is something. I thought for sure he was going to brag; he didn’t seem the type to kiss and tell. And…he didn’t. The butterflies in her stomach start to act up again, so Catherine looks away. She couldn’t understand why he made her feel this way. The last time she felt this way was with Dan. She had really fallen for Him and that backfired. That jerk wasted her time and now broke her heart, she still felt the pain as she fought to push the memory to the back of her mind.

Catherine shakes her head, changing the subject she asks, “So which race did we miss?”

Tammy hands back the pictures to Vincent, he puts them back in his inner pocket of his jacket.

“It was the three-legged race. It was to represent how Brad and I had become one and we now walked through life together facing new challenges as one. There was a wonderful parable about it read before we started. I have it recorded; I will show it to you later. The next race is the obstacle course. This race represents how the groom accepts the baggage of the bride and supports her through all obstacles to come in our new life together.” Tammy explains.

“What does he carry that represents the ‘baggage’ in the race?” Catherine asks.

“Me. The other couples who join in on the race, the man is to carry the woman. To make it more interesting, they hung up balloons along the course. The women are supposed to grab them as they race. The one with the most balloons at the end wins the prize. Fun right?” Tammy pats her shoulder.

“So, if we want to join this race, Vincent would have to carry me? I don’t know, sissy, I’m a lot heavier than I look.” Catherine says twirling her hair nervously.

“Don’t even go there, Kit-Kat! You are not that big and give Vincent a chance. He can handle it, he’s a lot stronger than you realize.” Tammy say scowling.

Vincent could see her anxiety; she didn’t look that heavy and besides he had been working out at the gym. He could already feel the difference. Her thickness didn’t change his attraction at all. He still thought she was sexy, and he really enjoyed her company. The thought of her legs wrapped around his waist made his groin quiver. He looked forward to squeezing those thighs and feeling her breast pressed against his shoulder blades. He had to encourage her to join the race.

Vincent takes Catherine’s hand and kisses the back of her hand. “I’ve got this, sugar. We’ll make them eat our dust. Let’s go get in line, it will be fun, I promise not to drop you.”

She gestures for him to get closer. He leans down and she whispers in his ear, “Eagar to have my legs wrapped around you?” her voice playful and suggestive.

He slowly moves his hands and cups her face to keep her from pulling back. With his nose behind her ear he whispers, “Perhaps. Although, I suggest you don’t tease me, or I may have to take you to my room sooner than I planned. I can only handle so much temptations before I take what I want. That is your only warning, sugar.” He turns and takes Catherine’s hand. He looks to Brad and Tammy. “Are you ready to lose?”

“Oh yeah?! Well see you at the finish line!” Tammy exclaims as she drags Brad to the starting line.

Vincent and Catherine laugh as they follow. Vincent and Brad squat and Tammy and Catherine climb on to their backs. They hook their arms under the lady’s knees as they grip the men’s shoulders for balance. The men stand, adjusting the ladies to get comfortable for the race.

“It’s a good thing I wore shorts under this dress.” Catherine laughs.

“Why is that?” Vincent asks.

“Because I think my butt would be hanging out, otherwise.” She coos in his ear.

They both laugh as his grip on her thighs tightens. He starts to count in his mind. This girl is sexy as hell! Her lips near my ear and her breath on my skin turns me on. What is it about her that makes my hormones surge and desire her so strongly?