“Thrand.” She poked him with her foot.
He raked a hand over his short hair in obvious agitation, then finally glanced at her.
“Life sucks, but it is what it is,” she said.
“It shouldn’t have been for you.” He hopped up. “Going to the garage. Watch whatever you want.”
She frowned at his departure. Did he blame himself for everything? She didn’t see how he could. Hell, he’d been a kid, too, and his parents were asshats. She shook her head in confusion. She had to be misreading him because he had his life together.
“Cassie, get back down in the truck,” Thrand yelled and tugged on her leg.
She stood in Thrand’s seat, her torso up through the sunroof. Her arms spread wide and she hollered, loving how she could barely hear her own words. The wind lashed at her hair and left a tingle on her skin. The sky was slowly turning pink as the sun set. She closed her eyes and ignored Thrand.
She loved this feeling.
Free.
It was the most awesome thing in the world.
Then he swerved over and slammed it in park. “Get your ass back down, woman.”
She slid in laughing. “That was awesome. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Windblown and alive, she inhaled his musky scent. He frowned at her and she was positive crawling into his lap would agitate him further. But that’s exactly what she wanted to do.
“No more, okay?” Thrand pushed the button to slide the sunroof closed and put the truck in gear.
Cassie pouted, but didn’t say anything and studied him. His jaw tensed, his strong hands tight on the wheel, she got the feeling she was the reason he was uptight.
They turned off the road, went through an open gate, and bounced across a rough pasture toward a circle of trucks with tailgates down. Thrand backed in next to a red pickup. A bonfire was lit in the center and Cassie couldn’t keep the grin off her face, even if Thrand looked like he’d swallowed a bad apple.
They’d barely parked when a guy pulled open the driver side door.
“About time you got here. Why—” The guy stopped mid sentence when Cassie leaned forward. “Dammit, Thrand. You’ve been holding out on me.”
She stifled a giggle. He appeared rumpled with sandy blond hair sticking up like he’d run his hand through it or just rolled out of bed. But he owned a lady-killer smile and light brown eyes.
*
Thrand was still trying to get his bearings from Cassie’s revelations at the house. Just how bad had it been? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Then she pulled that little stunt with the sunroof. His mood wasn’t what you’d call great when he saw Ryan’s face as he spotted Cassie.
“Ryan, this is Cassie. Cas, this is my best friend.”
“Hi,” she said, and waved before she scooted out her door.
He looked at Ryan. “Dude, you’re gonna catch bugs with that thing.”
Ryan’s eyebrows shot up. “Where the hell did you find her?”
Thrand got out and leaned against the side of his truck. “Remember me telling you about Cameron?”
“Yup. Your high school buddy, right?”
“She’s his sister.”
Ryan whistled low. “She found you?”
“No. Coincidence, man.” Thrand never talked about his hometown but, one night, on the anniversary of Cam’s death, he’d drunk too much and spilled his guts to Ryan. He was the only person he’d ever told. “Ran into her on Broadway Wednesday night. She was headed to New York when her bus broke down.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
Thrand rubbed the back of his neck. “Seven years.”
He dropped his hand and straightened when he spied Cas and Lila walking toward them. Cassie wore a loose tee that barely skimmed the top of her worn, low-rise jeans. Her golden hair slid past her shoulders in waves. So simple, but she had already gotten the attention of every male here.
He might have to kill somebody.
It wasn’t long before someone had the music cranked, and red cups filled with alcohol were passed around. He knew everyone here, but he was a bit detached tonight.
Memories of the past echoed in his mind and the more he was around Cassie the more the present tangled with the past.
He was talking to a few of his buds, when the girls started a line dance. Something they always did, but all he saw was Cassie. The girl had moves that matched her curves. Sheer disregard for anything or anyone. Like no one watched or stared when everyone watched and stared. He grit his teeth while several guys took turns dancing with her.
After guy seven—yes, he was fucking counting—Thrand’s patience snapped. He glared at guy eight who thought he was next. Thrand took her free hand and spun her. She gasped, then grinned up at him as he moved her into a two-step, dust kicking up around them.
“Having fun?” he asked.
“You know I am.” She scooted in closer when a slow song hit the radio.
With his hands on her waist—he didn’t dare move them lower—he kept space between them. “Bonfires suit you.”
They did. A little too well. Her tanned skin and golden hair glowed in the light of the orange flame.
“Really? This is my first one.” She clasped her hands casually behind his neck.
“Let me guess. You’ve always wanted to go to one?”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “How’d you know?”
“I’m seeing a pattern.” He barely resisted kissing her. She was so fucking cute when she did that. But everything she did stirred his blood in a way that no other girl ever had. She inhaled life at warp speed and he was learning quick, this girl didn’t hold back. She drew him in like a moth to flame.
When the song changed, Lila grabbed her arm and dragged her off for more line dancing. This time, Ryan joined the group of girls, making them laugh. Thrand propped a hip against his tailgate and nursed a beer, that’s when Trina walked up to him.
He glanced at her but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to talk to her and had no intention of doing so.
“So how long is this gonna last?” Her high-pitched voice had him cringing.
He sighed and closed his eyes briefly. Why could this girl not get the hint? He turned to her. “Should I pretend to know what you’re talking about?”
“You knew I would be here. Just rubbing my face in it?”
“I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. And no, I didn’t know you’d be here, nor did I care. Lady, you don’t fuck some guy you just met and expect more than just that.” He hated being so blunt, but damn, he was tired of her shit. She reared back her hand to slap him, but Cassie shoved the girl to the ground before it hit.
“Don’t you dare touch him,” Cassie yelled.
Thrand was so shocked all he could do was stare.
Trina shrieked and came after Cassie with her nails but Cassie slugged her, knocking her to the ground. It was obvious who knew how to fight. Thrand encircled Cassie’s waist when it looked like she wasn’t finished. All Trina did was lie in the dirt and cry.
“Whoa, tiger. I think you made your point.”
Cassie’s eyes flashed in a way he recognized. It never boded well. She jerked out of his arms and stomped off away from the fire. He shoved his drink into Ryan’s hand and took off after her.
“Cassie.” Thrand reached for her arm and she whirled around. Cameron and Cassie’s eyes matched and it was like seeing Cam all over again. That angry fire all the same.
She gripped his shirt and pulled him in close. Her stare hot. “Tell me she was only a one night stand.”
His body reacted instantly to hers, which made his voice nothing but air. “You know it was.”
She nodded, stepped back and released him. Her lips twitched. “I’ve always wanted to do that. Fight for someone I cared about.”
“Glad I could be of assistance.” Unlike Cam, Cassie’s anger disappeared in a flash and it left him floundering, trying to keep up with her moods.
He clenched his hands to keep them to himself. She tilted her head, leaned up on tiptoes, and touched her lips to his. So brief he might have imagined it, except her nails raked down the front of his shirt before she skipped off back to the party.
His body on fire from her nearness, he struggled for air. She wound him up so tight he couldn’t think straight. His mind whirled with everything he shouldn’t be thinking about that girl.
Cam’s sister…Cam’s sister.
Maybe, if he repeated it enough, he’d keep his senses from scattering. Her distant laughter tickled his oversensitive nerves. He could pick her voice out of the chatter and he rubbed his neck. She’d only been here a few days and his world had been turned upside-down.
It was several minutes before he was able to make his way toward the bonfire. He needed to get his emotions, and libido, under control first.
The rest of the party passed without incident. Most of the guys got the hint and kept their distance from Cassie. He knew he was being an ass and probably growling at every male who got near her. It was all fucked up because she wasn’t his.
Knew she couldn’t be his.
That realization didn’t stop his over protectiveness but she didn’t seem to care. Matter of fact, she made a point of touching him every time she got close. Casual, but oh-so-nerve-wracking to his internal battle.
Several hours later, they packed up to leave.
On the way home, silence reigned. Her head was in his lap with one foot on the floorboard, the other on the seat. Her green eyes stared up at him only a few moments before she’d fallen asleep.
Unable to resist, he slid his hand into her silky hair. Her contented sigh made him leave it there. He was so tied up in thoughts of her, Cam and the past, he couldn’t remember how he’d gotten to his driveway.
For the second time since he’d run into her four days ago, he carried her into his house. He laid her in her bed, pulled off her boots, and covered her up. He didn’t trust himself to do more.
He watched her curl a hand under her chin. That glimpse of innocence he’d seen before was back. Totally relaxed, she reminded him of the kid he’d left. But only partially. Those lips were too full. She’d proved that when they had grazed his earlier tonight. The curves under the blankets belonged to a woman.
He turned and left before his thoughts ran away with him and he tested just how far she would let him go.
*
Cassie woke, then winced as she looked at her hand. It was a bit sore as she flexed her bruised knuckles but it had been so worth it. Too bad Thrand stopped her. She would’ve loved to finish what the bitch had started.
She licked her lips, recalled the taste of beer on his and the way his body moved as they danced. She sighed and stretched. She didn’t regret a single thing that had happened so far.
She rolled out of bed and took a long, hot shower. It was one of her favorite things and it helped her relax. At least it usually did. This morning, her mind was too wrapped up in what Thrand might be thinking. Would he still be tense?
They spent the day around the house, and she couldn’t help but notice he was quiet. And definitely tense. He didn’t have a lot to say and made sure they didn’t touch. At all. Honestly, it amused her. She knew she was a lot different than he remembered. Every once in a while, she would catch him staring at her as though he couldn’t figure her out. Other times, his eyes were dark, giving her a good idea what was on his mind.
They were sitting at the island, eating grilled burgers that evening when she asked, “Anything I need to know about Boosey’s before my first day tomorrow?”
He shrugged. “Not really. Dana and Mick are a couple. Angel is their kid. She works the bar, too. Mick is pretty protective of his girls, so if you have trouble, let him know.”
“Good to know.”
“Where did you learn to fight?” His expression was wary as he asked.
She dropped her chip and peered up at him. “Necessity.”
“Fuck.” He shoved off the stool and paced into the living room.
She frowned. “Cam showed me a few moves before he died. For just in case. You had to know I would need it.”
His fists clenched. “There is no way you could fight Willie.”
She snorted. “You’re right. I avoided my old man at all costs. I fought the kids at school.”
That brought him up short.
“Stop thinking you could have protected me from everything. While you guys were in school with me, yeah. It helped. But even if y’all had been around after you graduated, it wouldn’t have stopped most of it.”
He grimaced and narrowed his eyes.
“Everyone in that town was trash, but I was on the bottom rung. You know that. They took stuff out on me.” She shrugged. “It came in handy last night.”
“Last night wasn’t necessary.” He shot a glare at her then rubbed between his eyes. “I’m glad you got out of that shit-hole.”
“Me, too.”
He sat on the couch and flipped through channels when Cassie went to her room to get her camera. The drum set that took up most the space in the bedroom caught her attention. She bit the inside of her cheek, remembering how he banged on those drums, how lost he would get in his music, and how enthralled she would get.
She wanted to hear him play.
Needed it.
Her body tingled in anticipation of the rush his playing gave her. Years couldn’t erase the memory.
She spun around and headed back into the living room.
“Thrand, play me something.”
Chapter 4
Thrand considered her as she stood beside the couch. He wasn’t shocked by her request but by her demeanor. He caught a flash of the girl who used to ask him to play in just the same way. Eager, yet hesitant and shy.
“Sure. What do you want to hear?” He got up, then stilled.
Her smile lit up the room.
If she smiled like that every time he told her yes, there was no way in hell he would ever tell her no.
“You know which one.”
Of course. He should have known. She’d always asked him to play that old 90’s metal tune.
“You got it, Buzzkill.”
He sat behind the kit and knocked his sticks together three times before he hit the first note. He usually got lost playing this song. So many memories of him and Cam rocking it out. But this time, he was more interested in the girl sitting on the bed, her eyes bright with anticipation.
It wasn’t long before she stood on the bed, belting out the chorus. Her blond hair flew as she jammed. Blood pumped hotly through his veins and sweat slid down his spine as he watched her total abandon.
Shy and hesitant was gone.
Trouble was back.
After the wild song, the quiet was almost deafening. She fell back on the bed. Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths. But she grinned from ear to ear, and she laughed as she sat up and focused on him.
“Damn. I missed hearing you play that.” She shoved hair out of her face and walked to him, a gleam in her eye. She scooted herself between him and the snare, and straddled his lap.
He went still, sticks frozen in his hand.
“Cas,” he muttered, words barely choked out. “What the hell are you doing?”
She slid her arms around his neck, her fingers curling into his nape. Only inches separated their bodies.
She leaned in and her breath tickled his ear. “Do you really have to ask?”
It was like a head-on collision when her lips branded skin right below his ear. Desperately, he grasped for reason, some way to stop this disaster.
“You’re Cameron’s kid sister,” he whispered before she moved a hair’s breath away from his lips.
“Yes.” Her green gaze bored into his. “And I want to kiss you.”
One touch of her lips on his and he was gone. She tasted
of heaven, sweet and pure. He dropped his sticks and wound his hands into her mass of silken hair. She bit at his lips, and he tilted her head so he could delve deeper. Her groan of appreciation had him slipping further under her spell.
She gripped his shoulders then pushed off his hat and scraped through his short hair while he kissed down her neck. He wanted—no needed—her closer. As though she read his mind, she arched her body into his. Seared and marked him like a hot iron.
Her hips ground into him…searching. He cupped her ass and pulled her in.
Her yes was drawn out into the sexiest sound he’d ever heard. Her nails slid under the neck of his tee, leaving marks as she rocked against him.
He was lost in the way she moved and clung to him. Hands on her hips, he helped her grind into him. Her full breasts flat against his chest, he nipped at her neck. Her hips rolled, just like she had last night while dancing, making him harder than he already was. He wanted this girl.
Naked and writhing under him.
She grabbed his head and crushed her lips to his. Her tongue swept along his and her little pants let him know just how close she was to the edge. He wanted her over that fucking edge. He shoved his hand up her shirt. Under her bra. Her skin hot beneath his hand as she flung her head back.
“Thrand,” she moaned and shuddered in his arms.
Shock rippled through his head.
Oh, hell.
He had just gotten Cameron’s little sister off.
He jerked his hand out from under her shirt just as those heavy lidded eyes landed on him. It took all his self-control to think and not feel.
“Cassie. We have to stop.” He gripped her shoulders to push her back.
She blinked and grimaced. “What?”
“We can’t do this.” Guilt ate at his gut, because when he looked at her, he didn’t see Cam’s little sister. He saw a woman who was ready to take on the world.
And him.
She pursed her lips, and it was all he could do to not capture them again. Hastily, he pushed off the drum stool and backed up, stopping only when he hit the wall.
“I’m not fourteen anymore, Thrand.” Anger laced her words. “And you damn sure noticed that.”
FUEL (DirtSlap Series Book 1) Page 4