It’s time for Wednesday Briefs again! This is a group of writers/bloggers who on Wednesdays post a piece of flash fiction, between 500-1000 words, based on a prompt list sent out by the moderator. This week I decided to use the prompt “Use Popcorn in some way” I really had fun writing this short. Aber and Colt give in to something that’s between them. As always the other blogs will be linked below, so once you’ve finished with my piece, go ahead and check out the others!

Week One Week Two

The kitchen was large for the size of the cabin, and Colt had made himself right at home. Aber watched him as he tackled the sink filled with dirty pots and pans. He had rolled his sleeves up to the elbows, hints of tanned skin combined with the lines of his tattoos and the muscles of his forearm made it very difficult to concentrate at her own task.

She had spent most of the day cleaning and rearranging the cabin and Colt had shown up early. His motorcycle was parked next to her dingy beat up Jeep, his black leather boots next to her muddy hiking boots. Something pulled in the back of her mind, something that sounded suspiciously like her mother asking why she wasn’t focused more on obtaining a good husband–rather than ‘traipsing around in the woods’.

“You’re frowning.” Colt said, and placed the last pan in the dish drain. “What’s on your mind?” He wiped his hands on the back of his jeans, and faced her.

“Mom issues.” Aber said with a half hearted shrug. “She doesn’t understand my research.” She liked the way Colt listened to her, his head tipped slightly, eyes on her face, his hands in his pockets, posture relaxed.

His hair brushed his collar, and she once more swallowed the urge to reach out and touch it. Reacting purely on base instinct would go against everything that she stood for, defy all the walls she had built around her. She treasured their friendship, despite the newness and the foreign feeling of connecting with someone outside of her academic circle.

“I’ve tried everything to get her behind me. I’ve taken her on observations, taken her to Wolf Haven, but she just thinks I should focus on other things.” Aber pulled a heavy bottomed saucepan from the cabinet, and a container of popcorn kernels from the freezer. She added a spoonful of Crisco to the pan, let it melt on the stove before shaking in a handful of unpopped kernels.

“That’s tough.” Colt said. “I’m sorry,” He paused, shifted his weight. “Can I come on an observation?”

“You’re interested in my research?” She shook the pot as the popcorn began to cook. She tipped the fluffy white goodness into a paper bag and started over.

“I like wolves, they’re big dogs right?” Colt said. His lips twitched up into a smile.

“At the base level yes,” Aber said. “But there’s so much more to it.” She took a breath, and steadied herself. Rather than winding up in an impromptu lecture she grinned at him. “In answer to your question, I would love the company.” She dumped more popcorn into the paper bag and refilled her pot for a third time.

While she was occupied with the stove, her back was to him. Though she couldn’t see him, she was innately aware of his movements. It took him six steps to cross the kitchen. The heat from his body washed over her, the hairs at the nape of her neck standing on end.

“I was thinking we were just going to open bags of microwave stuff.” His voice did in fact make his chest vibrate when he spoke. Color rose on her cheeks, and she took a calming breath. One arm circled her waist, the other appeared in her line of sight to snag a handful of popcorn from the bag. Each point of contact was a almost too warm to handle, his chest to her shoulders, the press of his fingers against her side, all in all making it really hard to concentrate.

“Heathen,” Aber muttered. “Don’t eat it all like that. I have to put salt and butter on it.” She dumped a fourth load of popcorn into the bag which filled it. She turned the stove off, moved the pot to a cool element and leaned back, allowing herself to be engulfed in Colt’s hold. It was something that she had wanted after their first meeting. His scent overwhelmed her, intoxicated her, spicy and warm–earthy, something completely masculine and unforgiving.

She traced the fading lines of his tattoo, the skin prickling into goose-bumps under her touch. She felt his breath quicken, his hold tightening on her. Aber shifted her weight slightly, the movement bringing them flush together. The press of Colt’s hips against the small of her back made her heart pound frantically in her chest. The solid strength of the man behind her, holding her ever tighter, ever closer. Nervous laughter bubbled up and she tipped her head back to look up at him. He moved when she did, head lowering, his fingers at her chin, tipping her head back even more, capturing her mouth with his.

His kiss was firm and demanding, Aber rising on her toes to grant him better access. Time passed in heartbeats, the brush of his fingers against the skin of her hip when her shirt rode up slightly, her fingers finding purchase in his hair, tugging him closer. Colt’s moan moved through her, his kiss growing more possessive, claiming, and she responded in the like, wanting it, wanting him. The rational side of her shrieked for caution, only to be blindsided by the warmth of his hand skimming the flat of her stomach. She tugged his lower lip with her teeth as they separated, his eyes dark and heavy lidded.

“Party foul, Hunter.” Ryann said from the doorway. Aber scrambled to break the hold and step away from the man her body was screaming for.

“You’re supposed to make out during the movies. Not before.” She too entered the kitchen, plunking a case of beer on the counter. “Make yourself useful and stick those in the fridge for us, Colty. I’ll go get the pizza. Try to behave.” She said, waving a hand in greeting at Aber as she left as quickly as she came.

~~

I hope you enjoyed this week’s short. If you’d like to leave a comment please go ahead and do so. I’m going to continue with this story for a few more weeks at least as I world build some more. I’ve been bitten by this muse and it might end up being pulled and turned into something much bigger. But for now, please enjoy the weekly installations.

Please check out the other authors and show them some support!

Tali Spencer
Cia Nordwell
MA Church
Victoria Adams
A.R. Von
Elyzabeth VaLey
Julie Lynn Hayes
Rob Colton
Andrew Gordon
Lily Sawyer