The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (396 page)

“Harder!” I breathed as I bent over more and he obliged. I angled my body so that there would be a curve in my back, tossing my head back. We went on for minutes pushing each other’s limits until I couldn’t continue. My climax was rushing through my veins and when it reached the surface my body’s tension released and I almost fell onto the floor. Luke caught me and held me standing, breathing heavily against my neck.

“Why is sex so damn good with you?” He asked me.

“I could ask you the same question.” I said smiling.

He let me go and I turned around taking in his disheveled appearance. “How did I not know you were the one for me the minute I met you?” I immediately put myself so I was touching him once more.

He shrugged, my arms hanging lazily over his shoulders. “Too busy being you I guess.”

I nestled myself against his hard body. But as I looked around the hay room I saw my jeans lying on the ground. Chewing on my lower lip I thought about the phone in the pocket.

“I have to talk to Collin,” I said it no louder than a whisper because I thought that by saying it any louder that would make it true, even though I knew I had to.

“Yeah I know,” he said with a sigh.

“I don’t want to hurt him. This isn’t his fault.”

“I know that too. You just have to be honest with him.”

Pulling away I shook my head, watching my hair fall into my face. “Why did I do this to him? To you?”

He shrugged, “It’s just something that happened. We can’t control how we feel.”

“I have to make this right.” I grabbed my underwear and jeans and put them on. Then I searched through the hay for my shirt. Luke pulled up his pants and got himself together while I put my shirt on. When he turned back to look at me, he pulled a piece of hay from my hair.

“How do I look?”

“A little like you just got laid in a barn.”

I laughed, “Sounds about right. I’ll be back later.”

He kissed me hard on the mouth before letting me go. Just a reminder of why I chose him instead of Collin. He supported me, in everything.

I crossed the yard again and got into my black Escalade. It was a half hour ride to Collin’s estate and it gave me time to think about what I was going to say. We had been friends for so long that I hoped he would understand. Get that I found someone I truly loved. I had never believed in love at first sight until I met Luke. I could only hope that Collin would see that.

When I pulled into his wraparound driveway the lights were on in the main atrium and living room. I always pulled around to the back, it’s the key he had given me. I let myself into the double French doors and called for him, but there was no answer. I sat down for a moment on a stool at the counter in the kitchen.

I put my phone on the counter and removed my gloves to put my hands on the cool granite. I waited patiently, and considered texting him to find out where he was when I heard voices in the next room.

“Must have the TV on watching some game.” I shook my head and walked over the closed wooden doors to enter the den. When I pulled on the handle of the pocket door I saw something completely unexpected.

Standing in front of the television, which was on, was a beautiful Latina woman about my age. Collin was standing behind her pulling on the strap of her short black dress. He kissed her neck as he continued to remove the strap. She was giggling and speaking to him in Spanish. Her dark brown ringlets just barely touched her now bare shoulder and her caramel skin glowed in the soft light. She was beautiful, and she was everything I wasn’t. I held my breath as he spoke to her.

“Mi amor...”

My eyes widened. Here I was panicked about telling Collin the truth about Luke and I when he was with... whoever the hell she was.

I watched as she turned around and let her dress slip off her body. She had on a set of white lace underwear that barely covered her ass. She had bigger hips than me, and I assumed larger breasts. Collin licked his lips taking in her appearance. Before I could watch what happened next I pulled the door the rest of the way open.

The woman spun around and quickly pulled up her dress. “What the hell?”

“That’s exactly what I was going to say.”

Collin’s moth dropped open. “Cheyenne! What are you doing here?”

I shook my phone, “I guess you forgot that you asked me to come here. To talk. I think we have a lot to talk about Collin.”

“Lo siento, lo siento,” the woman said hurriedly as she held up her dress and ran past me.

Collin backed up and leaned against the sofa. He was facing me in his black pants and a black jacket looking anxious and overwhelmed. As he should. Bastard. He shook his head back and forth not meeting my eyes.

“How long?’ I asked quietly.

“What?” He looked up for the first time, but looked past me.

I entered the room. “How long has this been going on?” I demanded.

He shrugged, “A couple months I guess.”

The color was draining from his face. I knew this conversation was taking a toll on him.

“What’s her name?”

“Lupita. She’s someone I met through work.”

I stepped further into the room. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

“What? That I don’t love you?” He finally looked at me. “Like you didn’t know.”

It hurt, but he was right. I was going to use this past weekend to make our relationship something I could hold onto. Before that it had been minimal, not much more than friends. But you tell your friend when you’re sleeping with some girl from work.

I sighed deeply. “I did know. I knew you didn’t love me. But I thought it could be something, and then I met Luke.”

Concern etched into his skin around his eyes. “You’re with him, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “I’m sorry.”

He clutched the back of the sofa. “I should have known.” He turned away shaking his head. “Do you care about him?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s settled. We’re over.” I could hear the hurt in his gravelly voice but above that, I heard something else, astonishment.

“I know. We were over the minute you didn’t come to the cabin. Why didn’t you come? Were you with her?’

“Yes. But that’s not why I didn’t come. I had meant to cancel the whole weekend before you ever left. I don’t know why I didn’t. I guess I was just scared.”

“I can’t believe this. You’re such an ass.”

He turned back to look at me, anger showing on his face. “Oh and you’re so perfect Cheyenne, really. That’s calling the kettle a bit black isn’t it?”

“Don’t do this. I don’t want to fight.” I moved around him and sat down gingerly on the couch. He didn’t speak and I felt the leather under my fingers.

He sat down next to me. “How did we get here?”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head.

We sat in silence for another few minutes both contemplating our choices, our indiscretions. “So where do we go from here?” I asked.

He shrugged, “I guess we tell the families.”

“Oh that will be super fun.”

He laughed. “For you and me both. Did you know my mother picked out China for us? Wedding present.”

“Awesome, that makes me feel good.” I sighed, “I should go.”

As I stood, he took my hand. “We could have been great together you know. If we had really given it a chance.”

“Yeah.” I wasn’t sure I believed it, but it was what he needed to hear.

I left my key on the counter and drove back to my father’s house. When I arrived there were no lights on in the house but I saw some light coming from the barn. I walked through the freezing cold over to the barn door and opened it. The barn was warm and smelled of the horses, smelled like home. I saw Luke standing and rubbing down one of the yearlings. He had his shirt back on, a navy colored long sleeve t-shirt and his jeans. He didn’t notice my arrival and I stood watching him for a few moments taking in his rugged appearance. I wasn’t sure how my life had changed so dramatically in the past few days, but I was ready to face the music.

“Luke.”

He looked over his shoulder before taking the reins in his hand. “What did he say?”

I walked over to him and patted the horse on the back. “He’s been seeing someone else for months.”

“What?” His eyes went wide. “Are you sure?”

“Caught them red handed.”

He pulled the horse into a stall. Closing the gate he came over to me and put his hands on my shoulders before pulling me in for a hug. “I’m sorry.”

“He said what we did was similar. Is he right?”

“Maybe. You guys were together, that wasn’t fair to him. I should have manned up about that and put my foot down.” He brushed a hair from my face. “But you’re just too hard to say no to.”

“It doesn’t feel like the same thing.” Somewhere deep down I knew it was. Collin had looked as hurt as I felt.

“It might not, but it’s the truth.”

“He’s been with her for months!” His indiscretion seemed more serious than mine, more real somehow.

“And you only have been with me for a few days... what does it matter? It’s not the sex, it’s the betrayal, the feelings of the people involved that matter.”

I set my lips into a thin line. He had a point but I wasn’t ready to admit that.

“Which is why I’m going to do something else,” he said looking firm.

“What’s that?”

“Tell your father about us, before Collin does.”

I looked into his deep gray eyes. This hadn’t been the plan, but here we were.

“I’m sorry,” I said honestly.

“Why?”

“Because I should have talked to Collin right away. Because I should have a better relationship with my father. One where this wouldn’t be so difficult. I should be able to just talk to him. Not be so afraid all the time.” I walked away feeling the crunch of hay under my boots.

“You can’t apologize for things you can’t change.”

I touched the rough wooden frame of a stall collecting my thoughts. “But I can change this. I can make it right.” I looked over my shoulder at him. “It’s my turn to talk. I need to tell my dad, not you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He came forward and took my hands in his. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“In the morning?” I asked.

“Yes, first thing.”

I nodded. He took my hand and opened the barn door. I felt the bite of the cold on my cheeks. This winter certainly would be one I wouldn’t soon forget.

Chapter 7

I looked out the window surveying the snowy grounds in front of my home. The sun was barely rising over the mountains but I could already see the clouds rolling in, and that meant another storm was brewing. There was storm brewing inside the four walls that protected me from the elements as well. How would I dodge that one? I watched and waited for Luke to come dutifully walking across the snow from his loft in the guest quarters. But he hadn’t arrived yet. I was beginning to worry he wouldn’t show up at all. I mean was I really worth all of this nonsense? Was I worth him possibly losing his job? I could only hope he thought I was.

I scanned my phone but still no messages from Collin. I had hoped he would at least reach out just to apologize for last night, give me the chance to do the same as well. But he hadn’t. Perhaps I was expecting too much of him, especially after everything that happened. We were both with other people now, not that I thought that he loved that girl but I was certain that he didn’t love me. Luke on the other hand, with his stoic exterior, was warm and the mysterious on the inside. Over the last few days I had completely uprooted my life in order to make him happy and make whatever it was that we had work. Now it was time for the two of us to stand together and tell my father our plans. Not that we really had any stable plans to tell him, we hadn’t really figured any of that out yet. After we left the barn last night Luke walked me to my door and then went to his space inside the guest quarters. It was far too cold to stand outside and discuss our future together. Last night I had watched from a window as he made his way back to his room. Most of the staff stay on the grounds, nine or so of the people who work at the farm.

Watching him in the dark, I had contemplated our future. I didn’t know what to expect of our relationship, would we get married one day? I could only hope. But there was still so much more that I had to learn about Luke before I made any of those drastic decisions.

I watched as he walked across the snowy yard looking back at the guest house, perhaps contemplating if it would be the last time he would see it. What if my father fired him? Where would we go? Why the hell hadn’t I thought about any of this? Jesus, some adult I was.

I raced to the back of the house and flung the door open. As soon as he saw me, a smile that lit up his face told me that I wouldn’t have to worry. We would figure this all out somehow.

He called to me, “There’s a storm coming Cheyenne. Are you ready for it?”

I laughed, “I’m just happy not to be up in some cabin in the woods this time.” As soon as he got close to the patio I stepped outside and flung my arms around him. He lifted me so that my feet dangled above the doormat on the patio. He whispered hotly in my ear, “Are you sure that’s not where you wish we were?”

As I pulled away slowly he looked at me knowingly, referencing our moment of passion in the cabin. A moment I wouldn’t soon forget. A moment I wanted to repeat as soon as possible.

“I guess you’re right, the cabin wasn’t such a bad idea after all.”

He smiled at me, his eyes glowing as he did. “I thought it was a good weekend.”

“Well,” I said slowly, “this Monday morning is about to slap you in the face.”

He shrugged, “Yeah so much for an interesting start the work week. I told Fred and Linda what we’re going to do. You can imagine how Linda felt about it.”

Linda had become like my mother over the years, and she wasn’t very excited about my choice in lover. But somewhere deep down I knew that she understood, you don’t choose the person you love, sometimes love just comes and finds you.

I chewed on my lower lip, “I’m sure she’ll understand. It might not be today, but someday.”

“I just hope your father’s reasonable.”

If there’s anything my father is, it’s reasonable. A logical businessman who spent most of his life putting time and effort into his career and taking care of the family he had left. We’ve always been well off, but not really in the love department. Maybe that’s why my attraction to Luke was so strong. I never felt this way about anyone else, such a connection. And then there was the fact that he was damn sexy, that certainly didn’t hurt.