The Gardener 15

Crystal was fuming. She paced back and forth beneath the impressive ivy archway, the white stone path behind her leading to the church where her best friend Emily was soon to be married. She faintly heard the choir commence singing, and threw her bouquet to the ground in anger. "How am I supposed to get home now?" she cried out loud, to no one in particular. Crystal, as the bride's best friend and maid of honour, had arrived in a limo with the official wedding party. "There's no way Emily's going to give me a ride home," she sighed bitterly.

Hearing carefree whistling from behind her, she turned apprehensively. A young man was walking cheerfully towards her down the driveway with a wheelbarrow. She considered her options for a moment, before taking a deep decisive breath. "Desperate times, Crystal," she thought to herself. She walked towards the gardener carefully, making sure she didn't trip on the cobbled stone in her expensive heels. She knew she wouldn't have to ask twice to get a ride home with this man. She was used to getting her way, and was an expert at using her looks to her advantage. "Let's just hope his car's not too dirty," she thought to herself.

"Hi," she called out to him sweetly when he was just a few meters away. "I was wondering whether you could help me, I need a --"

The man suddenly stopped and cocked his head to the side like a puppy. He dropped his wheelbarrow and slowly started chuckling. Crystal glanced down at her outfit hastily, wondering what could possibly be funny. The man shook his head in disbelief, wheeling the wheelbarrow the remaining distance between them before straightening up.

"Crystal Green asking me for help. Never thought I'd see the day."

Crystal was shocked. She considered him for a few seconds, and suddenly it hit her.

"Jared Parker! ....Of course it just had to be you," she added angrily.

"Geez Cris, I know it's been a long time, but I didn't think you'd be this happy to see me," he chuckled, clearly amused by the situation. "What can I help you with?"

"You know what, forget it! The last thing I need right now is three hours in a car with you."

"Wow that does sound horrid" he said in mock sympathy. "I guess you'll just have to wait for your limo Princess. If you can manage it."

"I'm not going back in the limo, obviously," she seethed, narrowing her eyes at him dangerously.

"What, not classy enough for you?"

Crystal spun around angrily. "Actually Jared, Emily - you remember Emily, my best friend?" She continued heatedly, not waiting for an answer. "Well she kicked me out of her wedding! And it's all because of her disgusting, man-whore of a fiancé. No wait... husband!" she cried, visibly upset.

Jared took an instinctive step back and proceeded cautiously. "Umm, what did he do?"

She looked at him defensively, trying to decide whether or not to tell him.

Finally she swallowed, raised her chin slightly, and adamantly said, "well, he hit on me."

"He, WHAT?" Jared replied, his mouth edging into an uncontrollable smirk. "Crystal hasn't changed at all" he thought to himself incredulously.

"He hit on me!" She repeated. Not noticing his amusement, she was glad now to have someone to listen to her.

"Are...are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"Maybe he... was just being friendly?" Jared offered with a shrug. "The guy must've been pretty nervous after all."

"Wait, are you seriously sympathising with him?" Crystal was outraged. "Christ Jared, you haven't changed at all! I think I know when a guy's flirting with me...After all you gave me plenty of practise when we were growing up, remember?... Not that it ever worked for you," she added coldly.

"Yeah, right, well what actually happened then?" Jared asked.

Crystal sighed in exasperation and started walking briskly away towards the road.

"Well if you must know, he was acting all weird, saying all this stuff about how he wasn't sure Emily was 'The One' and how he still thought about other women. I was totally shocked, you know? I mean Emily's my best friend. I was trying to reassure him it was just pre-wedding jitters, but he kept going on about the 'other women' thing." Jared's wheelbarrow was bumping dangerously over the rough stones as he hurried to keep up with her. "Eventually I asked him who on earth he could possibly be thinking about, when he had such a perfect fiancé. And then he just did it. He just came at me! Next thing I know he's got me pressed up against a church wall, slobbering all over my face like some kind of starved Labrador!" She was walking faster and faster, gesturing wildly with her arms. Eventually she came to a stop, once again under the ivy archway, and turned to face him.

"It wasn't my fault. I had no idea what was happening." Jared noticed her eyes were full of tears, suddenly recognising in her the innocent little girl he'd grown up with.

"What did you do?" he asked solemnly.

"I told Em. I told her she couldn't marry him. She deserves so much better."

"And how'd she take that?" Jared already knew what the answer would be.

Crystal looked away and sighed. "She called me a jealous slut, and told me to get the hell out of her wedding."

Jared considered her for a second, and she stared right back at him, her eyes stubbornly daring him to make a joke, or call her a princess.

He started walking away down the road. "Well c'mon then Princess, my van's this way."

***

Jared glanced across at Crystal in the passenger seat, trying to figure out whether she was really asleep or not. They'd been driving for almost an hour, and had hardly spoken a word to one another. After having spent most of their childhood together, Jared and Crystal had barely seen each other since they were 16 and Crystal's parents sent her off to a prestigious boarding school. Jared's father had been the landscaper for the Green's extensive property, and they had lived in a small neighbouring house. Jared considered the now 27 year old woman next to him. She was still just as beautiful as he remembered her. Her thick wavy chocolate brown hair was longer now, reaching down to the middle of her back. Her big brown eyes and long eye lashes were the same, as were her full pink lips and dainty nose. Her skin was lightly tanned and he noticed her finger nails were painted pink to match her dress and the rose pinned in her hair. As he looked at her he couldn't help but laugh at their current situation.

"I have no idea what you think is so funny," Crystal muttered darkly, her eyes still closed. "I don't find your broken air-con particularly amusing at all."

"So you're awake then." Jared observed, rolling up his window. "It's a nice day, stop complaining." Glancing at her somewhat nervously, he pulled into a wide gravel driveway and turned off the car.

"What, where are we?" Crystal asked, sitting up straight. "This isn't the city!"

"Correct," Jared assented. "That high education of yours paid off I see."

She continued to stare hostilely at him and he sighed. "Look, I've just got a quick job to do for a client. We're halfway home; it's not going to take long. I promise."

"Urghh," she moaned, leaning back in her seat and looking at him wearily. "Can't you do it tomorrow?" She pleaded. He shook his head, but she was just as stubborn as he remembered her. "Pleaseeee Jared," she begged sweetly, "can't you just take me home?" She looked so cute sitting there fanning herself with his Dire Straights CD case that Jared almost relented.

"Fraid not Cris, c'mon, get out of the van, you'll overheat. And it's a really nice garden," he added proudly. Scowling at him, she opened the door and made to climb out.

"Leave your heels in the car, would you?" Jared called exasperatedly.

They walked through the garden, Jared pushing his wheelbarrow full of gardening tools and seedlings that needed planting with Crystal skipping along beside him, clearly happy to be out of her shoes. He smiled at her. As much as Crystal infuriated him, he was glad they were just as comfortable with each other as they'd been when they were kids. Jared knelt down by the flower bed he needed to fix up. He examined the little green shoots coming up through the soil. "Crystal, could you pass me my spade please?" She wrinkled her nose at him, and picked it up as though it was contaminated. He watched her with amusement. "What, scared to get your hands dirty?" he asked, gazing mischievously at her delicate hand grasping the spade handle.

"No!" she declared stubbornly, anxious not to let him get the better of her. "I'll get as dirty as you want me too." She blushed immediately, but Jared just chuckled and continued digging.

"How much longer is this going to take anyway?" she moaned, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"Ah shouldn't be too much lon- " Glancing up from his crouched position on the ground, Jared caught a brief glimpse of Crystals hot pink G-string as her short dress flowed in the wind directly above him. He gulped as Crystal glared down at him. "So, how long exactly?!" she demanded, the sun's glare fortunately masking Jared's dazed expression as he averted his eyes from her long, slender legs.

"Um, another thirty minutes or so," he called out, and internally corrected himself, "Ok, so maybe it's not exactly the same as when we were kids."

Back at the van an hour later, Jared noticed Crystal was very subdued. "What's up Crissy?" he nudged her playfully and she almost fell over as she walked beside him.

"Hey!" she shoved him in the rib cage, noticing with some admiration how muscular he'd become.

"Gotta try harder than that!" he teased. "But seriously, what's going on?"

Crystal sighed and glanced up at him.

"I'm really worried about Em. She's just married the wrong guy. I should've tried harder to stop her."

"Don't beat yourself up, she was never going to listen. Em's half as stubborn as you are. Which is a lot," he added cheekily. She looked at him angrily, but he noticed she was trying to hide a smile.

"Anyway, maybe it was just a test?" Jared asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well maybe he came onto you to see if he was still passionate about his wife."

Crystal scoffed. "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard for a guy cheating!" Still laughing she added, "what, so you don't think he actually wanted me?"

"That comes as a huge shock to you doesn't it! He said incredulously.

"..No, of course not" she replied in a less than convincing voice.

"A man not wanting Crystal Green - surely not!" he said mockingly. "Have you ever considered that perhaps you're not as desirable as you think you are?"

He'd put his tools into the van, and turned to face her as he said it. Immediately he knew it was redundant. Crystal was undoubtedly stunning, by anyone's standards. "But still," he thought, "the girl needs taking down a notch."

"Are you saying you're not attracted to me?" She asked, slightly hurt, but suddenly curious.

"No I'm not saying that, what I'm saying is-"

"So you are then!" She declared smugly.

"That's not the point." He was flustered now, and starting to forget what this argument was even about as she folded her arms, drawing his attending to her cleavage.

She smiled at him, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking about. "Urgh, way to let her win Jare," he growled internally.

He bent to load a pot plant into the van. "You're an attractive woman Crystal, there's no denying it." He straightened up, dusted off his hands and shrugged, "But you're just not my type."

Crystal, although taken aback for a second, recovered quickly. "Well good, you're not my type either."

"I know," he replied. "People like you and I just aren't suited, Princess. I'm outdoorsy and adventurous, and you're-"

"What? Not adventurous? I'm sick of you acting like you've got me all figured out Jared. You haven't known me well since we were 16! I'm very adventurous."

Jared paused for a second and considered her wearily. Suddenly a little grin appeared on his face. He took a step towards her, and then another little one so that their bodies were nearly touching. She was startled, but trying to hold her ground, looking up at him apprehensively. He opened his mouth and bent his face downwards slightly so he could look her in the eyes. "How adventurous?"

He could feel how tense her body had become by his close proximity, and thought he sensed her quiver slightly. She made to push him away, but her hands lingered on his chest as she became aware of the well developed muscles beneath his shirt. She shook her head groggily.

"You need to stop."

"Stop what exactly?" He teased, wondering what would happen if he placed his hands on her slender waist. She looked up at him, and he could've sworn her eyes were almost daring him to do it. As they stood there silently, her hands on his chest, some kind of electric charge passing between them, he slowly and cautiously moved his hands to her waist, and when she didn't move away, slid them slowly down to rest upon her hips. They stood like that for a few intense seconds, in confused and exciting silence, each waiting for the other to do something.

Suddenly desperate to feel her body pressed against his, Jared pulled her to him, picked her up roughly in his strong arms, and carried her back through the rose garden towards a small, walled gazebo whilst she gasped and clutched his neck. He could sense the anticipation in her body and setting her down on the bench inside, ran his hands firmly over her goose bump covered legs. "Cold?" he asked her, rubbing his hands up and down her thighs, pushing her dress slightly higher each time.

"Not at all," she replied with a soft moan, looking at him with desperation.

Now that all hesitation had left them, he knew he was torturing her by keeping at a distance, but he was enjoying watching her grow desperate for him.

She was sitting on the cushioned bench which extended all the way around the inside edge of the gazebo, her hips level with his as he stood in front of her. She closed her eyes and moaned as he pushed her dress up around her stomach, exposing her pink G-string. He rubbed her upper thighs, and slid his thumbs beneath the silk fabric of her underwear, stroking her pussy gently. She felt smooth and wet, just as he'd imagined she would.

"Are you hard?" She asked him, gazing as his crotch longingly and reaching out for his zip.

"Crystal, I'm so hard for you," he responded loudly, hardly believing that Crystal Green was asking him that question. He pushed her hand away with one of his, the other still rubbing her pussy. He wanted to explore her body first.

She groaned as he moved his hands to her neck, pulling her towards him, and leaning down, he kissed her hard on the lips. She responded passionately, her warm mouth allowing him to think of nothing but her lips around his cock. Their tongues met, and he pushed her thighs apart with his legs, moving to stand between them, his body pressed against hers. She could feel his swollen cock through his jeans, pressing against her inner thigh and she moaned into his mouth with longing, their lips still moving together. She sucked his tongue gently, and he became very aware of her breasts pressing against his chest. He moved his mouth to her neck, and sucked and kissed it repeatedly until she cried out. She was gripping his hair with one hand, the other rubbing his crotch and fumbling with his zip. His competitive spirit kicking in, he pulled her forward, and unzipped her dress. She stopped and raised her arms for him to pull it off over her head. Jared obliged, tossing it to the ground besides them. He stopped moving for a moment, and gazed at the almost naked woman in front of him.

Her large round breasts were just begging to be freed from her pink satin bra. She looked back at him slyly, and knowing that he was admiring her figure, parted her lips slightly and moaned, squeezing her breasts with her hands.

"Alright, that's it!" He said, shaking his head in wonderment and pulling her roughly towards him. He unclipped her bra at the back, sliding the straps off her arms, and let her soft breasts fall into his hands. They were supple, yet firm, her large pink erect nipples poking into his palms. He squeezed her breasts gently, and began massaging them harder and harder, waiting for her reaction. She panted and moaned, watching him rub and pluck her nipples. Unable to resist any longer, she grabbed the back of his neck, and pulled him down towards her. He knew what she wanted, and kissed her deeply before drawing a line with his tongue down to her breasts. Rubbing her left nipple with his hand, he started sucking and licking the right, loving the feel of it against his tongue.

After listening to her frenzied moans for a while, he switched, sucking hard on her left nipple.

"Mmm you're boobs are so perfect," he murmured to her, leaning back slightly and squeezing them both hard. She looked dazed, and he tugged her nipple playfully with his teeth, grinning as she responded by pulling his hair. She tugged on his shirt and he moved his lips from her breasts long enough to let her remove it, before again licking them senselessly. He just couldn't get enough of her body.

Kneeling down between her thighs, he moved his hands to her pussy, and whilst continuing to flick her nipples with his tongue, he rubbed her clit gently in circles slowly, getting faster and harder and she sighed deliriously. Eventually he stopped touching her, and she sat on the bench in front of him with her legs outstretched, completely naked and quivering with excitement. She moved to the edge of the bench, pushing her breasts against his stomach and dragging her hands over his muscular chest and arms.

"Do you want to be inside me Jared?" She asked him sensually. She knew he'd been teasing her before and it had worked...she was now desperate to feel his hard cock in her hands, and watch it slide between her legs.

Jared nodded, too captivated by her delicious body to even form words. He let her unzip his fly and push his jeans down until they fell around his ankles. She raised her hands to his boxers pulling them gently over his erect penis and down his legs. He stepped out of them, moving even closer to her, as she began rubbing him with her soft hands.

"Mmm do you like that Jare?" She whispered sexually. "Do you like me rubbing your big hard cock like this?"

"Oh my god, yes!" He almost shouted in response, hardly remembering the last time he'd felt this good. He pushed two of his fingers into her mouth and she sucked on them as she continued to rub him, faster and faster. After a few more intensely pleasurable seconds, she stopped.

"Noo what are you doing?" He whined, opening his eyes and looking disappointed. Crystal laughed at him.

"Be patient, I just don't want you to finish yet, that's all."

"Trust me, I don't think I'll ever be finished with you."

Crystal giggled, "That's not what I mean silly," she said, whilst holding onto his torso and pulling herself up.

Standing in front of him, she rubbed her breasts against his chest, leaning up to kiss him. As their tongues moved against each other she turned him around and pushed him down on the bench so that now he was sitting in front of her. He watched her in anticipation, and she grinned cheekily at him, knowing it was her turn to tease him now. She placed her hands on her breasts, squeezing them before moving them slowly down her body. When they reached her pussy, she returned one to continue massaging her nipples, whilst she stroked her outer lips with the two fingers of the other. Unable to resist she ventured within, rubbing softly back and forth with her fingers, gently stimulating her clitoris. She was extremely aroused, and wanted to put on a good show for him. She could tell he was disbelieved at how naughty she was being. She looked hungrily at his extremely erect penis, and realised that she was also shocked at what he'd been hiding from her all this time.