Once they were out the front door, Caleb looked to Josh. “Since
when did he become such an annoying ass?” he asked.
Josh was too focused on Liv to answer. Her hands worked
under my black T-shirt, her legs positioned over my lap to hide the fact that
she was stroking my dick through the thickness of my jeans. I pressed my lips
to her shoulder, my eyes moving to Josh’s.
“Another hand, Josh?” Caleb asked, still unable to pull
Josh’s angry gaze away from Liv.
His jaw worked under his skin as he watched us. I held a
straight face and took Liv’s head in my hands, dipped her back, and slowly
placed my mouth on hers. Her lips parted and her tongue sneaked out to meet
mine.
She tasted like beer and honey. I wasn’t one to waste
time kissing—it was too intimate for my usual purposes—but the show it
presented was worth it. She wasn’t bad. I slid my finger through her hair,
deepening the kiss until she pulled back, her lips bright red and swollen.
She squirmed in my lap, which told me she wanted to take
things to a more private setting. I kissed her hand and smirked when she stood
up, adjusting her short flower-print dress.
Josh was in the game for a lot, so he didn’t have any
choice but to continue. There was no way he had that kind of money.
“You out, or we going another hand?” Caleb asked again.
“I’m still in.” Josh’s head dropped finally, the cards he
shuffled in his hands taking the brunt of his fury.
“Well, I’m out for the night,” I said just as he was
about to deal to me.
The moment of relief that crossed his features was short
lived.
“Why don’t you show me around, beautiful?” I readjusted
myself, not yet fully hard, and collected the few winnings I’d made. When I
finally stood, taking Liv’s hand in mine, I looked to Josh with a smug grin. “Good
luck.”
Josh flew up, knocking his chair backward. The loud crash
stirred everyone’s attention. “You’re not going with him, Liv!”
“Seriously? Mind your business, Josh,” Liv replied,
blowing him off.
She started walking away, her hand tightening around mine
when Josh made a move to run around the table. Caleb already had No-Pants Girl
off his lap and shot up, pushing Josh back.
“You’re gonna want to calm down,” Caleb suggested.
“I’m not going to let her get fucked by that pretty boy,”
Josh roared.
I smirked, pulling Liv against me, my hand slipping from
hers and encircling her waist.
“I believe your girl there has made other plans for the
night, so unless you plan on folding, we have a game to continue.” Caleb took
his seat, still holding his cards.
“What?” Josh’s hands flew to his wobbling head, stilling
it. He released a breath, failing to regain his composure. “Yeah, I fold. I’m
out, all right!?” He slapped the chips in the center of the table and pushed
them toward Caleb. “Come on, Liv. Let me take you home.”
He moved toward her and she sighed, her shoulders
falling. “How many times have I told you? I’m not interested. Go back to your
game. I came by to have some fun, and that’s what I plan on doing.”
“And I’m not fun? You seemed to enjoy yourself just fine
the other day.”
I released a heavy breath, not interested in watching a
lovers’ quarrel. I looked over to Caleb, who was focused on calculating Josh’s
loss.
Liv groaned. “I told you already: It’s not happening
again.”
Completely over their little back and forth, I moved my
arms from her waist and took her hand again. “There you have it, Josh. Now
excuse us—I believe you have some debt to settle with Caleb, and I’d hate to
leave this pretty little thing waiting any longer.”
Josh’s pitiful expression turned to worry when he looked
to Caleb, who said, “It’s one hell of a number you’re owing here.”
“Come on, Caleb, we’re not in high school anymore. I’ll
get you the money.”
I’d already started walking out the back door with Liv
when I heard Caleb tell him, “I might have a compromise we could discuss.”
Isolation
D
arkness surrounded us the moment Liv and I
stepped outside, the half-moon providing barely enough light to help my vision
adjust. The moment the door slammed shut behind us, she was on me, fervent and
rough—exactly how I liked it when I was out in nature.
I maneuvered my head to the side when her soft lips slid
over my stubble, anxious to meet mine. She didn’t seem to mind the snub, moving
her attention back down my jaw, her hands clawing under my shirt and up my
back.
She clung to me as I skimmed my tongue over her neck,
tasting the saltiness of her skin. No perfume. That was a change, and a
welcomed one.
The door opened and another couple stumbled out, kissing
wildly around their laughter, completely oblivious of their audience.
“Here,” I said, walking us farther away to the side where
the quads were housed. A spotlight flickered on above, better illuminating the
area.
The neighboring houses were all shielded by massive rows
of dead trees and overgrown weeds. I gave little thought to someone walking up,
though it wouldn’t be the first time.
Liv tugged my shirt up, her tongue flicking over my
nipple as I inhaled the crisp, cool air. Caleb was right: Few things were as
sweet. I found myself intrigued more with the atmosphere than the girl raking
her nails up and down my stomach.
“You must work out…a lot.” She panted, her lips
descending over my abs.
“Do you want to talk…” I slid my hands up the back of her
thighs and over her prickled gooseflesh, caressing her ass. “…or do you want
this?” My hand dipped inside her panties.
“That! I want that!” Her fingers curled into my shirt,
her mouth sucking at my neck.
“Of course you do.” I tore myself from her grasp and
moved behind her. “Bend over.”
She jolted up when I smacked her ass and, without further
instruction, placed her hands on the seat of the nearest quad. She lifted her
ass high, wiggling it.
I traced my thumb over my bottom lip, admiring her
uninhibited arousal and fearlessness.
“Please,” she begged, peering back over her shoulder at
me. Anticipation was the best part. I had no reason to rush, since I had the
night free.
“Shhh,” I whispered.
My hand caressed up her spine until my fingers were
curving around her neck. The other hand slithered under her dress, caressing
her smooth stomach, then slid down the front of her damp panties.
My thumb brushed over her nub. The heat of her center warmed
me, casting off the chill in the air. She inhaled a sharp, ragged breath when
my fingers parted her lower lips and slid into her sweltering, moist channel.
Her ass ground against my cock.
I slipped in a second finger, angling both digits just
right to hit her sweet spot. I knew when I’d succeeded—not from the lurid
scream that rushed from her lungs, but from memories of all the other women
those fingers had pleasured.
“Like that,” I stated firmly, driving my fingers deep
then pulling back to thrust in again.
Like a machine, I found myself getting her off while
staring up at the clear night sky, savoring the moment and silence instead of
another woman falling apart in my arms. There was no unnecessary commotion
filtering in through my crowded head—only the hissing of the wind, the distant
chirping of nature, and the heavy panting of the girl grinding against my hand.
A calmness settled over me, satisfying something deep
inside. Aside from my time at the lake house, which I hadn’t visited since I’d
taken Oliver when he turned one, I didn’t find myself out in nature much. My
life was scheduled and strategic in every way, and vacations rarely fit in.
The longer I was out there, the more I missed the lake house
and the peace I’d felt there. To my disappointment, that tranquility was
interrupted by the creak of the back door, but I was too relaxed to care—so
relaxed I wasn’t even hard.
The door closed, and immediate footsteps followed. But Liv
was lost in her moment, and I wasn’t about to disappoint. I slid in a third
finger, her tight ripples of flesh expanding around my fingers, and watched the
dark figure approach. It wasn’t until he stepped into the lit area that I
recognized Caleb.
I hadn’t expected him so soon. Josh had either ponied up
or was making some desperate calls. Caleb’s eyes were on Liv, feasting on the
view.
She continued fucking my hand until he stepped closer,
the crack of a stick breaking through her fog, alerting her of his presence. Startled,
she jerked forward on the seat, ripping my hand away as she struggled to
readjust her dress.
I held back my chuckle, running my damp fingers over my
lips for a taste. When she wedged out from between the quad and me, she flew
forward, and Caleb was there to catch her in his arms.
“You seemed to be enjoying yourself. Sorry for
interrupting. It looks like I now owe you a favor,” Caleb told her with a
wicked gleam in his eye I’d seen often. He’d be keeping her busy the rest of the
night, but I didn’t mind.
She looked back at me, unsure of herself until my brows
lifted. “Don’t refuse pleasure on account of me, gorgeous.”
Caleb spun her around, her back colliding with his chest.
“Well, Josh cleared his debt,” he began explaining to me while holding two fingers
to her lips. “Suck.”
Her blazing eyes locked with mine as she drew them into
her mouth. A grin sharpened her features when he popped them back out. I leaned
back against the quad, watching her eyelids flutter shut and her head rest back
against his shoulder as he slipped his fingers under her dress.
“How’d he come up with the cash so fast?” I asked.
Caleb focused on Liv, my question left hanging around us.
“Is that how you like it?” he asked, smoothing her hair to the side to better
see her face. She’d already been worked up, and now, after only a second of his
touch, she was trembling. Her breath hitched, becoming nothing more than rapid
gasps spilling out as she struggled to answer.
“These fingers can pleasure you as good as his,” he told
her, nibbling her ear.
“Josh is broke,” Caleb continued, his eyes moving to me. “The
diner’s draining everything he has.”
“Not surprised. Looks like he never bothered to invest a
dime in maintaining it.” I huffed out a bored sigh, waiting to hear where he
came up with the money, and shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans.
“Yes…yes. Good!” Liv spit out. “Don’t stop.”
I pulled my phone from inside my coat and turned the
volume I’d silenced back to the ringer. No missed calls. “So then how did Josh
manage that kind of money?” I asked, tucking the phone away.
“Left pocket,” he said, understandably not wanting to
remove his hold on the wanton vixen.
I noticed the sheet of white paper protruding from his
coat pocket and pulled it out. When I unfolded it, my lip quirked up: It was
the deed to the diner. I shook my head, ignoring the girl screaming incoherent
pleas from Caleb’s arms.
“You’re fucking crazy. That place needs a lot of work.” I
tucked the deed back in his pocket. “We’re talking tear-down-and-rebuild type
of work. Plus, what do you know about running a business?”
He shrugged, unconcerned. “Not much…but you do.”
My hard gaze held his. “I don’t think you realize how
much time and money it’s going to take to turn that place around. Yes, I agree
there’s a profit to be made eventually, but not without a lot invested up front.
The commute alone to keep up with the contractors will be enough to bore you with
the project before the place is ready to reopen.”
“I don’t plan on commuting.”
“Hate to break it to you, but even with top contractors,
you’re going to need to keep an eye on the renovation.”
He said nothing, his gaze on me and his mouth on Liv’s
neck as his hand quickened its motion. Realization hit me quickly but took a
moment to sink in.
“You want to move back here?” I puffed out. I hadn’t seen
that coming. “Since when?”
“It’s time I settle down and build something of my own,
and it feels right here. You should think about—”
“Not happening. This place isn’t for me,” I spit out.
Where the hell was this coming from? Was there something going on between him
and Julia? I couldn’t fathom it.
“Does Julia know you’re planning this?” I asked
carefully.
“No, of course not. I decided tonight, when Josh kept
adding to the pot. How many times I gotta tell you? I’m not into your little
sister. That girl gets on my nerves.” He gave a half smile.
“Good.”
“Harder, please, there…right there,” Liv moaned.
Caleb tightened his grip around her stomach and tugged
her back slightly. The action had her squirming with pleasure.
“This may not be your type of town, but what about Julia?
You okay with her out here all alone? Where do you think all the new college
girls end up, huh?” He ran his mouth over Liv’s ear. She looked barely twenty-one.
“My sister’s a smart girl,” I growled.
Caleb smiled, lifting Liv’s dress to give me a full view.
“Are you a smart girl, baby?”
She nodded, high on the pleasure his hand was providing
between her legs.
“You go to college here?”
She nodded again, her breaths turning into harsh pants
with every question.
“But you still plan on getting on those knees for me,
don’t you?”
She ran her tongue over her lips and bobbed her head
eagerly. “There’s no shame in that, baby.” He moved his gaze back to me.
Rage coursed through me at his implication. My sister
wouldn’t be another Liv.
The thought drove me mad. Even if I wanted to keep an eye
on her, protect her from the perverse pricks like Caleb and me, I couldn’t.
“I have a business to run in the city—a life there.
Oliver has Katherine. I can’t uproot our life and move here all because my
sister made a careless decision.”
“Fine, don’t. But consider my offer.” He lowered his head,
silent in thought for a while, then looked back up with a determined stare. “I’m
done with the city, Logan, and I could use a partner in this. Whether you’re
here or there, I want you to be a part of it. There’s no other restaurant or
bar in this town. No competition. You know Oliver would love it here, and—”
“Don’t mention my son when you’re knuckle-deep in pussy!”
I snarled.
How was he done with the city? I easily understood why on
a superficial level, but to move to Harmony? Caleb had a family there, but he wasn’t
close to them. I had no one except a sister who needed to focus on school. It
didn’t make sense for me.
Unsure what my thoughts were on the changes crashing
toward me, I pushed off from the quad and approached Liv steadily, her eyes
wide with desire. Without warning, I yanked the top of her dress down, freeing
her round, perky breasts.
“Very nice,” I croaked, running my fingertips over her
supple flesh. I grabbed her breasts in my hands, kneading and squeezing,
uncaring and rough.
“You want my mouth?” I asked.
“Please. So close,” she moaned.
I dipped my head down, sucking her stiff nipple into my
lips and circling it with my tongue. My touch grew harsher while Caleb’s hand
played below. The double sensation was all it took.
She cried out as she unraveled in his arms, slumping back
against him after her final hard moan, her body buzzing visibly. I pulled back,
leaving the top of her dress lowered. Her breasts glistened where my tongue had
roamed.
“I’m going for a walk,” I said, stepping back.
“Wait,” Liv’s meek, breathless voice called out. “I
thought…I mean...” She looked up at Caleb, then back to me. “I want you both,” she
blurted out. I could tell by the blast of pink to her cheeks that she’d
surprised herself with the request.
Was this what happened to girls in Harmony? Maybe there
was something in the water, or served at the foul diner, that flipped their
carnal switch. Where the hell was my sister moving?
“Of course you do.” Caleb chuckled darkly, running his
hands over her blush. “You game tonight? She looks up for anything, and I have
a few ideas we could test out on this sweet ass.”
I wasn’t in the mood, surprisingly. “She’s all yours.” I
shot a crooked smile her way. “Don’t worry. He’ll take good care of you and
that ass.”
Liv didn’t seem to mind, as only mild disappointment
flashed over her soft features. She turned in his arms and balanced up on her
toes to give him a kiss. I chuckled when he held her back by the shoulders.
“Josh tells me you’re a tease. Let’s see if that’s true. I
want those panties off,” I heard him tell her as I walked away, strolling back
around the front and heading toward the driveway.
The night air was pleasant enough. I strode past my car
and followed the sidewalk into town. The football game must have ended, because
the streets were littered with college kids in vehicles honking and hanging out
passenger windows, as well as crowding the streets.
My sister was moving, and there was no changing her mind.
I either had to deal with it, or risk ruining our relationship. She was a large
part of my life, and of Oliver’s. I couldn’t push her away because I didn’t
agree with her choice.
I stopped outside the diner and saw a few older gentlemen
inside, sipping coffee and playing cards. The place was a wreck, but when Caleb
set his mind to something, he saw it through. It would be good for him. I’d
known for a while that he was searching for the right thing to settle into. If
that was what he wanted, I’d be on his team. I could buy in, and together we’d
build a restaurant worth visiting—one with a bar, so my sister could meet
friends there rather than at some ratty building in a guy’s backyard. It was a
college town; we needed to give the students a place to go. And if we did it
right, there was plenty of money to be made.