Authors: Sydney Lane
I need to get things with Corrine squared away. I invited her here, so I feel responsible for her, even if she did see right through me. Hoping she’s not pissed, but knowing I deserve it, I head down to the
bonfire to find her. If she were any other girl, I wouldn’t give a damn.
Seth is standing by the fire, posing as if he’s in an Iron Man competition. He rolls his arm up, making a muscle, and turns to the side. “Take a look at this. What girl
could resist this?” Corrine and her friends are laughing, and I’m glad her night wasn’t ruined after all. “Girl, you don’t know what you’ve been missing.” Seth growls for effect.
I walk up behind him and clap him on the shoulder. “Seth, you wouldn’t be trying to steal my girl, would you?”
“Only if she were yours, Brody.” He drops his arm and stands up straighter. His eyes crinkle as he grins. “Too bad she isn’t.” He may be crazy, but this is why he’s my friend.
“Since I’m sitting right here, I can safely say I don’t belong to anybody.”
Corrine rolls her eyes at our banter. Yeah, I really like her. Seth pulls his shirt up over his stomach, posing. “Really, Corrine? After I showed you my fine physique and everything?” All of the girls burst out laughing at his antics, and I would be surprised if he didn’t end up with at least one of them tonight.
“Well, girls, it’s been fun. Glad you all could make it.” This is when I’d usually choose a girl and take her back to the house. “
I’ve got to go mingle and take my ass to bed. We’re hiking early tomorrow morning.” They beg me to stay, and I wonder if a few more drinks could convince me to do just that. I get a hug from each girl, and even the feel of their breasts against me does nothing. I hate this.
Chapter 13
A few beers later, when things start to get fu
zzy, I decide to call it a night. I’m already going to feel like shit in the morning. The walk to the cabin is short, but it still gives me too much time to think. Why didn’t I stay with Corrine and her friends? Why didn’t I just grab a random and willing girl from the party? I know the reason, and it’s eating me alive to know that she's in my cabin, in one of my beds, sleeping.
At the top of the stairs,
I feel drawn down the hall. I walk to my sister’s bedroom door, but I don’t reach for the knob. If I turn it and it opens, I won’t be able to keep myself from going inside. Instead, I rest my forehead on the door, taking deep breaths, willing myself to do the right thing.
After brushing my teeth, I take one last glance at the door down from mine. Shaking my head, I open the door to my room and step inside. In the dark, I
quickly shed my pants and pull my shirt over my head. It’s not until I’m standing by the bed, with the moon shining through the window, that I see the outline of a slumbering angel. I can just make out the curve of her neck and the shape of her lips. It’s Quincy, and even sleeping, she is ridiculously sexy.
“Aw, hell
,” I say out loud, the perfect ending to this shit day. The girl I want but can’t touch is in my bed. I just don’t have the heart, or the sense, to wake her and tell her she's in the wrong room. Instead, I pull back the blanket and crawl in behind her.
With my back to her, I lie awake for a long time. Quincy sighs in her sleep, her breathing even and soft as
it whispers across her pillow. Every time she moves, my body hums with awareness. It fuels the wood I’ve been sporting all night. With no end in sight.
Fortunately, the alcohol i
n my system muddles my thoughts and makes it difficult to keep my eyes open. I imagine rolling over and planting myself firmly between her thighs, running my hands up her body. But the last vision I see before drifting off to sleep is her eyes, those big, brown eyes, watching me through the flames and wet with tears.
What is she running from?
Quincy’s body is pressed against my back, and I can feel her breath on my neck. Arms encircle me from behind, and small hands with pink nails begin exploring my body. Across my chest, down my stomach, to the waistband of my boxer briefs. When her lips graze the back of my neck, my eyes fly open. I’m not dreaming. Little Miss Perfect is molesting me in my sleep.
“Quince, please. There is only so much I can take before I do something we’ll both regret.”
Her hand stills at my waist, but she doesn’t pull away like I expect her to. Instead, she keeps her arms wrapped around me, pulling me tighter.
I began the night with the intention to get her in my bed
, but not like this. She’s been drinking, and I know something upset her earlier. When I take her, I want all of her. And I want her sober.
I roll over to face her
, our bodies aligned and our lips only a breath away. “I want you, Quince. But I don’t think you’re ready for this.” Her breathing quickens, and I feel her body shivering against me. When her tongue darts out, running across her bottom lip as she closes her eyes, it breaks me. “Open your eyes, Quince. I want you to see who you’re kissing. I want you to know it’s me, and I want you to see me every time you close your eyes.” Slowly, so slowly, she opens them… and I see it written there. She wants me. She wants this too.
“Are you sure about this? Because I might lose all control if I kiss you
,” I whisper in her ear, breathing her in. I hold back as I savor the moment. She doesn’t answer. She doesn’t need to. Her body is doing the talking for her. She leans into me, her lips slightly parted, waiting for me to make the next move. She’s giving me the control, letting me know that she trusts me. Only I know I’m not trustworthy.
Rolling over on top of her, I press my body into hers. She may be small, but we fit together as if she were made just for me.
Lying between her legs, I look into her eyes as my lips graze hers. She takes a deep breath, holding it, as if she’s gaining courage right before she jumps over the ledge.
M
y lips crash into hers, taking control of my mind and body. When her lips part, my tongue explores her mouth. She tastes sweet and smells like heaven. I feel the exact moment her resolve disappears, when she lets her walls down. She relaxes against me, and her tongue meets mine, igniting a fire inside of me that I’m not sure I would put out if I could.
My hands find thei
r way to her thighs, pushing her t-shirt above her waist. I wrap my hand around her thigh and lift it up to her chest. Rolling my hips into her, I realize there are only two pieces of thin cloth separating us. A low moan in her throat vibrates across my lips as I kiss down her neck, driving me as crazy as it does her. Her hand traces soft patterns over my shoulder and down my back. My body begs for release.
When her hips
drive into me, I allow my fingers to travel up her thigh to her hip, blazing a trail wherever they touch. I pull back from her, just enough to press my hand to her, between our tangled bodies. She arches her back, and her hips rise off the bed. My god, she's beautiful like this, eyes closed, riding my hand.
I don’t realize how close she is until she clenches her thighs and bucks against me. As she continues to move against my hand,
I know this is what I needed. It is the only thing that’s going to stop the ache inside me.
I'
m looking down, into her face, when she opens her eyes. Her face is flushed, her lips swollen, and she's so fuckin’ exquisite that she takes my breath away. I want to dive back into her, but she pulls back and turns her head, looking away.
“No, Quince. Look at me.” When she raises her eyes to me, even in the dark, I can see her insecurities hiding. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Quince. That is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
I linger, staring into her eyes so she will see that I mean it. When I roll off of her, I pull her into my side. It just feels so right to lay with her like this. But deep down inside, I know I’ve crossed the line. No going back.
“But I want you to remember what just happened. No matter what happens after this, I want you to remember how good we are together.”
If I never touch her again, that image will never leave me. I’m on a roller coaster here. One minute, I'm willing to do anything to get her, even betray my brother. The next, I have one foot out the door, ready to run.
“Brody? Shouldn’t I do something for you?”
Her voice sounds so small, so far away. Maybe she’s still embarrassed. Maybe she thinks I expect something from her, or maybe she’s less experienced than I thought.
“No, baby. I’ll be thinking about that for a long damn time.”
I rub her back, unable to take my hands off her body. “Besides, if you touch me, I will take something I have no right to take.” She inhales sharply, freezing beside me.
“What do you mean?”
A simple question without a simple answer. There are so many reasons this is wrong. Reckless.
In my mind, I see Declan reaching for her hand, offering her
the comfort that I couldn’t. “Declan is my friend, my roommate. No matter what you say, he thinks you’re interested. And I have no right to get in his way. What just happened was wrong.” I take a deep breath and let it out. Reality bites. “Quince, he’s my
brother
for crying out loud!” I try to push her away, but she holds on, wrapping her arms and legs around me. It’s a fine time for my guilty conscience to kick in.
“Brody, I told you I’m not dating him. What do you want me to do?”
That’s what she says, but I saw the way she looked at him tonight. There is something there, and I can’t ignore it. If she doesn’t really like him, then she’s leading him on. Leading us both on.
I should have just fucked her and walked away when I had the chance.
“Sleep, Quince. Just go to sleep. We’ll talk about this in the morning.” With our legs entwined, she rests her head on my chest. I realize this is the first time I’ve ever taken care of a girl without taking care of myself.
I’m not going to be able to walk straight tomorrow.
Chapter 14
I wake up early, before Quincy. I know I’ve got to get out of here before anyone finds her asleep in my bed, so I gently slide out and stand up. Looking down at her, I almost say to hell with it and crawl back in beside her. Long dark hair spread across my pillow. Smooth, creamy skin begging to be touched. Lips that tempt me to stay. I won’t think about anything else all day.
Seeing her face relaxed in sleep makes me
realize that she normally looks anxious. Gone is the line between her brows and the worry in her eyes. All of this tells me that there is more to her story than she’s willing to share. With me. There is more to her story than she’s willing to share
with me
. Do I even want to know? Do I even care? Of course I do, and that is the problem.
I reach into the closet and grab a pair of shorts. As I’m sliding them over my hips, the door bursts open, and Seth barges in.
I jump, and my heart freezes in my chest. “You ready, Bro…..” The words fall from his lips when he notices Quincy in my bed. His eyes widen in shock, and he shakes his head. “No, man….” I didn’t know Quincy was in here last night, so I didn’t even think to lock the door behind me.
I put my hand up
and hold a finger to my lips to silence him. “Out, Seth. Now.” His eyes linger on Quincy as he backs out the door. I look at her to make sure she’s covered. I don’t want anyone seeing what I saw last night.
What the fuck am I gonna do now?
All I had to do was make it out of here this morning without anyone seeing her. Shit. I have a brother’s girl in my bed, and instead of worrying about myself, I’m worried about her. I had better not hear anyone talking shit about her. End of story.
I quickly pull a shirt over my head and put m
y shoes on. At the door, I risk one last glance over my shoulder. So, so tempting. But when I step out into the hall, I find Seth waiting for me. He's leaning against the wall, with his head in his hands. At the sound of the door clicking into place, his head snaps up.
“What the hell, man? What were you thinking?”
he whispers loudly. His words are angry, but his eyes beg me to tell him he didn’t see what he thought he did. He still wants to believe in me.
“I wasn’t
,” I reply, not wanting to explain myself, but I do have to protect her. “Look. Nothing happened. Someone must have taken her room, and I found her asleep in my bed when I got back last night.” He still looks suspicious, knowing that 'nothing' is not what usually goes on in my room.
“Seth. It was nothing
. You didn’t see anything. You got it?” He nods, clearly torn. When he opens his mouth to say something, he quickly snaps it shut. “Let’s go. We have to get going.” I nod toward the stairs. The faster we get out of here, the better.
He walks in front of me, his back straight and his shoulders tight
, as if the weight of the world rests on him. My problem just became his problem.
Downstairs, Eric and some of the others are waiting for us. If he’s down here, and Quincy is upstairs, that means Jenna is still
here somewhere. At least Quince will have a way back to town. I clap him on the shoulder and smile. “Lose the bet yet?” The look on his face speaks volumes.
“Fuck you, Brody.” Seth and I howl with laughter while his eyes shoot
darts at us. The longer he glares at us, the harder we laugh. Eventually, a smile breaks out across his face, and he chuckles with us. “This is so not funny. It’s seriously messin’ with my mojo.” His smile becomes devious. “But there are so many other things you can do that aren’t included in the bet.”
“Hell, yeah! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Seth agrees and gives Eric a high-five. Instantly, my mind
is drawn to Quincy. She was so damn responsive, so easy to please.
Yeah, I think I can get into the alternatives.
Eric’s face suddenly turns serious. “
Bro, Jenna will be leaving soon. Did Quincy end up staying last night?” I choke on my own saliva, and Seth’s eyes almost pop out of his head.
Coughing, I manage to say, “I don’t know. I told her she could have my sister’s room. I assume she stayed in there
,” I lie smoothly, hating how easily it flows from my lips.
“I guess she would have told Jenna if she went back to Knoxville.” Shrugging his shoulders, he
quickly forgets about Quincy as we discuss which trail we’re going to take, but Seth isn’t ready to let it go. He slowly shakes his head at me, showing his disappointment. I don’t know why, but that bothers me.
I lied for her. It had nothing to do with me. If the other
guys found out, they would view her as just another notch on my bedpost. They’d never respect her or take her seriously again, and she’s the kind of girl that would crush. What I did would eventually be forgotten, but she’d be the one to pay. Yeah, it’s a fucked up double standard, but that’s the way it works. So, yeah. I can justify the lie, even as I lie to myself.
This hike doesn’t provide the relaxation it usually does. My
nerves are on edge, my goal to keep the guys gone long enough for the girls to get out of the cabin without being seen. I wander from the group when we reach the lake. Standing on the dock overlooking the water, I hear footsteps behind me. I don’t even bother turning around. I know it’s Seth.
He takes a deep breath before asking,
“Why, Bro? Why her?”
Turning around
, I meet his gaze head-on. I don’t speak, but he sees the answer in my eyes. Raking his fingers through his hair, he groans. “Aw, fuck. No.”
I tell him more in that look than I’m even willing to admit aloud
. To myself.
“But why her? You could have any girl you want. Why the girl Decla
n is head over heels for?” He’s just trying to understand, but sometimes, there is no explanation. It just
is
.
“She’s the only one I want.”
“Well, you really know how to stir up a shit storm, Brody.”