Craving You (TBX #2)

by Ashley Christin

  Brad’s face sports a lazy grin before I take off up the stairs without a response. My anger flares to a level I didn’t even know existed. The last step comes within reach when Parker casually tells Tim he will play in the next pool game, as if I don’t matter, as if we don’t matter; I lose all the control I was clinging to. With all my strength, I charge him hands held out from my body and shove with all my might.

  “I hate you!” Although my voice is loud, it isn’t believable; the pain evident in the crack. All eyes in the room land on us. He quickly grabs my arm pulling me into his bedroom. How fucking convenient.

  “No, you don’t.” His voice is commanding and all knowing. I try to hold back the tears that threaten to fall at any moment. My eyes burn and begin to blur.

  “I just wanted you to know that I hate your guts, and I’m going to fuck Brad tonight. Do you hear me? I’m going to fuck you right out of my system!” An emotional scratch invades my throat with my shaky declaration. Turning on my heel, I leave before the tears fall.

  “The fuck you are!” His voice strong with authority booms through the room and vibrates through me.

  My body stills before I yell, “Watch me!” and begin back down the stairs. “You better fuckin’ not!”

  His threat is void.

  After another thirty minutes of flirting and faking interest in Brad, we make our way up to my room. I’ve refilled full of alcohol, so I’m hoping this goes smoothly. I feel every bit of the slore I look like walking up the stairs hand in hand with him. Eyes follow me and I dismiss it and allow Brad into my room.

  Once we pass the threshold, I move to shut my door and miss. Damn, am I that drunk? Whirling around, I see that my door is completely missing. Stomping out of my room like my father just grounded me by removing my door, I have one target in mind. Sitting with a cocky smile on the side of the pool table is Parker perched on a barstool, pool stick in hand. I get right in his face, fuming.

  “Give me my door back, you lunatic!” I ground out.

  I can smell the mint and alcohol mixing on his breath when he leans in and says, “No.” The whisper of his words against my skin further pissing me off and turning me on at the same time.

  “Fine, I’ll fuck him in the closet or … the bathroom.” I’m hoping my low tone was only heard by him. In a jolt, he’s left the barstool and stands just inside my room.

  “Get the fuck out of my house!” His anger shocks me.

  “He’s my guest! He doesn’t have to leave. Don’t leave.” I glare at Brad, trying to freeze him in place.

  “Fine. He can stay and watch me fuck the stubbornness out of you!” My mouth falls open at his crassness. And Brad’s face drains of color before he exits my room. I just stand there dumbstruck at Parker’s outburst.

  “I’m fuckin’ done. I’m done watching you suck face with that asshole. I’m done trying to avoid you and pretend nothing is going on between the two of us. I’m. Fuckin’. Done. Sweetness.” He crowds my space enveloping me in his arms. I try to ignore how good it feels, but it’s hard. Really hard.

  Everyone saw our exchange and is still aware considering I no longer have a door. Looking up at his serious face, his breath tickles my earlobe. “Tell me what I want to hear and I promise to fuck you sweet, just how you like it.” My knees go weak at his admission. Being in his arms causes my heart to think up all kinds of nice things, things I know will never actually happen or even be true, but I can’t help it. When his strong arms surround me, all rational thought flies out the window. I begin to think of how nice he feels, how safe I feel with him, and one of the scariest things I feel is cherished. So when I reply back to him, I blame my stupid, careless heart. She should know better.

  “I crave you,” I whisper with an amount of need I never knew existed. It’s consuming me. He’s consuming me.

  “Thank fuck.” Strong arms hug tightly around my waist lifting me in the air. My legs encase his slim hips. His nose rubs up and down my throat, inhaling my scent before tracing slow, sweet kisses. My eyes scan the room and the door that’s still missing. Before I can start my worry list of people who can see us, he carries me through the Jack and Jill bathroom, and then into his room.

  Parker

  We’re not forever and I know that, but we’re right now. I crave everything about her, down to that shit talking mouth of hers. We’re just two people who enjoy each other’s company sexually. Her thighs grip my hips like a vise as I rush us into my room, only the moon lighting the bed.

  She nuzzles into my neck inhaling deeply. When her body relaxes into me, I know she’s given up the fight. The fight to resist me, and the drive she holds onto like a damn anchor. Small hands rub through my hair instantly messing it up. She knows I hate that, and I know she loves it. Gray eyes line up with mine as a small smile tugs on her lips. I kiss her quick and hard.

  As our lips meet, she sighs. Easing her down onto my bed, her brown hair fans out around her flushed face. She’s been drinking too much. The glaze has distanced from her eyes, but it still lingers.

  “Parker…” Her needy hands pull me to her lips as mine run over every inch of her body that was built for me. We’re normally in too big of a hurry or hate fuckin’ each other to pay much attention to anything else but connecting. Tonight, tonight will be different.

  I didn’t expect the events of the party to go down the way they did, but if it got us here, I’m okay with it. Pressing my lips against her neck and further down her chest as my hands pull her shirt up and off, out of my way. The plan is to take my time with her tonight.

  Kelsey’s body trembles with want, but her muscles relax while I trail kisses over her skin. Digging my fingers between the fabric of her shorts and hipbones, I tug them down past her ankles with ease. Her hooded stare watches my every movement with rapt attention. My calloused hands run at a tender pace up her legs to the last piece of clothing separating me from her.

  Placing a soft bite to her hip, she moans. When the dainty blue fabric slides off, my eyes land on a scar inside her groin. It’s not very big, but it’s still a mar to her beautiful skin. A lump forms in my throat and I run my finger over the tiny imperfection. How have I never noticed before? Probably because most of the time we’re fuckin’ like animals.

  “Don’t.” The plea in her voice causes me to pause. I see so much pain in that second that it hits me deep and hard, causing the air to leave my lungs. It crashes full force into my soul so fast that I physically feel it.

  “Wha-” What happened to her?

  “Not going there.” The tone of her voice is nonnegotiable when she cuts me off. Thankfully, physically she’s still with me, even if she has shut down on me mentally.

  Pulling away from her to stand she looks at me with a worried stare. Unbuckling my pants, she relaxes—as if she thought I was going to walk away from her.

  I’m not a strong enough man to do that tonight.

  Kelsey

  Most of the feeling has returned, but it just feels different. That piece was forcefully taken from me and I’ll never get the full feeling back because it’s lost. When he runs a lone finger over the center and for the first time in years, I feel more than I ever have from that spot. I can’t tell you how many times I used to run my fingertip over the line, praying that I’d feel again. That it’d help heal the crack inside me.

  Parker’s brows wrinkle with confusion and my heart rate skyrockets. I don’t - can’t go there with him. It’s already hard enough to pretend it doesn’t exist.

  Is he disgusted by it? I am. Every time I see it, the events of that night come rushing back in full clarity.

  “Wha-”

  “Not going there.” I cut him off before his assault of questions begins. He wants to fuck me so that’s what he needs to do. I didn’t ask to be emotionally fucked, which, if I go into detail with him, is exactly what will happen. And in the end, he won’t want me anyways. He stands, and for a second, I’m scared he’s done with me. Now that he’s seen the ugly. When he unbu
ttons his jeans, I relax back onto my elbows.

  It’s dark, but the moonlight shines through the blinds, lighting the room enough for sex. ‘Cause that’s all this is going to be. Not sure if I’m trying to convince myself that or not, but I do know that I need to get my emotions in check. The bed dips as Parker climbs over me and his arms press against the bed beside my head.

  “Tell me again, Kelsey.” Passion clogs his throat, causing his voice to sound rough. His length rubs against my core, waiting for me to confess my need for him.

  “No.” I breathe. “You tell me, Parker.” My hands knead over his biceps. I need to hear how much he wants me, especially after what he just found …

  Parker leans his face down and places a slow kiss to my mouth. When he pulls away and opens his eyes, the flame I see burning sends a jolt of want through my body, lighting my skin on fire with desire.

  “I fuckin’ crave every. Single. Inch. of your body, sweetness.” Kiss. “I crave you all the damn time. Your smartass mouth, this bangin’ body, and that blinding smile of yours.” He trails his kisses to my neck. My breath picking up speed. “I want you to be mine, Kelsey. I don’t want anyone else touching you but me.” His mouth encases my nipple, sucking. When he releases me, he demands, “Say you’re mine.”

  Am I ready to be his? I thought this was just sex? If I’m his, then he’s mine, and I won’t tolerate acts like what happened tonight. Damn, I do want to be his. I want to belong to him. That terrifies me. I can keep this surface level and just have fun—monogamous fun. Then when we’ve had our fill, we can go on with our lives. Sounds like a plan. My ache for him overpowers me.

  “Y-” At the sound of a yes, he thrusts into me as if he couldn’t wait one second more. “Yes!” He pulls back and in again.

  My heart is beating so loud that I’m sure Parker can hear it. His thumb brushes over my bottom lip and when our eyes meet, it scares the shit out of me. A swarm of emotions fights for view through his brown irises – desire being the one I focus on. I can’t handle the rest. Not now, not ever. His lips crash down to mine, my body hypersensitive to his touch. Trailing my hands over the hard muscles of his back, I close my eyes while he continues his sweet torture.

  “Kelsey,” he growls low, “look at me.” And I do without hesitation. Our bodies move in slow motion. “This. This is what I crave the most,” he confesses as he caresses my cheek. There is so much emotion in this one moment that I’m not sure my heart will survive it. Breathing out a shaky sigh, I try to rein in my thoughts and emotions. So much for surface level.

  My body rises higher and higher with each thrust he makes. Deciding I’m done with trying to think my way through this, I wrap my arms around his neck for the moment and pull him in tight. My lips crash against his, and I kiss him with all of me, each of us fighting to consume the other. When we part, I moan out, “You’re all I ever crave.” That confession fuels him, each of us on the edge of a cliff begging to fall.

  The crash hits us both head-on. “Fuck, sweetness,” he gasps out as his name tumbles from my lips over and over, we fall.

  Parker

  The smell of summer envelops me, gripping my senses. I lay still as if to soak up the sun. Coconut with a hint of vanilla is my new favorite scent. Opening my eyes, I take in the sight wrapped up in me. A brown tangled mess of hair tickles my face before I lean down to kiss her sun-kissed shoulder. The fact that she didn’t make up some shit ass excuse to leave last night shocks me; however, maybe it finally means she’s going to give into this. Whatever it is, I never stood a chance against it. The pull she has on me or more accurately, my dick.

  I’d seen her around campus with Brealynn, but she was always so elusive. Anytime I was in her presence, my whole body took notice; it still does. So when I ran into her looking for Colt that night, I had to take a shot at her. Who knew when the opportunity would present itself again? What I didn’t plan on was being so fuckin’ overtaken by her. When I’m with her, it doesn’t matter that I’m Parker Taylor. The way she looks at me- really sees me. Damn, that never happens. It’s like she’s trying to figure out the passcode to my soul and keeps trying to crack it. Every time she’s a little more successful.

  “Hi.” Fuck, even her sleepy rasp is sexy.

  “Mornin’, beautiful.” Pink takes over her face before she sits up, the covers wrapped around her chest.

  “We- um- better get dressed.” Not once does she look my direction.

  Lifting my hand to her chin easing her face toward me, I ask, “What’s the rush?”

  A smile tugs at her lips. “You have work to do today.” I wrinkle my brows at her in confusion. “My door. You need to put it back on its hinges.” Fidgeting with the sheets around her, I can tell she’s nervous being here with me. I don’t like it. My hand still resting against her chin, with the other I tug down the sheets she’s holding to her like a shield.

  Nothing can save you from me now, baby.

  Her upper body exposed; her eyes find mine. “What are you doin’?” Her voice is uneven with nerves.

  “Lookin’ at my new addiction.” Passion pouring out of my voice, she’s fuckin’ gorgeous.

  “Parker ...” Laughing, she shoves at my chest playfully. I catch her wrist pulling her toward me and our lips play. Soon, fingers roam through my bed head and my hands are exploring her body again.

  Her lips are red and swollen when we part.

  “What happens now?” It takes me a moment to realize she wasn’t talking about sex happening next.

  “We just be us.” I shrug.

  “Are you going to mess with other girls, Parker?” Her stare is serious, but I see the insecurities lying just inside of them.

  “No.” I gaff out. “I want to do this thing with you. Only you.” I intertwine my hands with hers.

  “I don’t know about this. Relationships – they aren’t my thing.”

  “Mine either. I meant what I said last night, about you being mine.” She’s pulling away, I can feel it. “I want to know you.” A quick grimace crosses her beautiful face before it’s replaced with a small smile.

  “Yeah.” She sighs. “Okay.”

  Our lips meet again to seal the deal.

  Kelsey

  “So you guys are dating now?” Brealynn questions from the driver’s seat. We’re on our way to meet Colt and Parker’s sister, Jamie. She’s been going through a lot since she lost her mother. We thought she could use some new friends. Friends who won’t let her get alcohol poisoning.

  “I guess. We’re not having sex with anyone else. So yeah, we’re dating. That’s weird, huh?” My hair whirls around the Jeep since we took the doors off before we left. It’s a nice ninety degrees and here in the Texas summer, it feels amazing.

  “It’s about damn time. Y'all have been playing games for too long.”

  “Brea, you know how I am.”

  “Yeah, I do. I also know you need to venture out. How can you downgrade something you’ve never had? Look at Colt and me. Doesn’t that make you want to fall in love?” Her smile is blinding me, so I look out toward the road.

  “I’m happy for you. I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen for me.” Falling in love is not an option for me. It’s just a hopeless dream people chase.

  “You never know,” she singsongs.

  “Well, I know for sure it won’t be Parker I fall in love with and vice versa.”

  When we pull into a parking spot, Brealynn looks over at me. “Whatever you say, Kels.” But she really means, like we say here in the Texas, ‘hide and watch.’

  “Let’s go eat, loser. I’m tired of talking about the love life I never want anyways.”

  We chose our favorite Mexican restaurant, The Table. It’s locally owned and has been in business for over two decades. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere, has queso like they do. Mmmmmm. Jamie waves us over to where she’s sitting in a booth to the far right side of the restaurant with two of her new friends. They were at the party last night, as well; I just neve
r had a chance to introduce myself.

  Brealynn and I scoot in over the worn green vinyl of the seats. “Hey, Jamie.”

  “Hey! I’m so happy you wanted to meet for lunch. We didn’t get to hang out much last night.”

  “What can I get you girls to drink?” I’m tipping the waitress big time for saving me from having to reply to what Jamie just said. We all order waters and a large queso with corn tortillas. You can’t come here and not order it. And if you do, we can’t be friends.

  “So.” Jamie levels her stare at me and cocks a brow. “What’s new?” Shit.

  “My mom’s getting married.” It’s the first thing that came to my mind to help distract from the obvious.

  Brealynn barks out a laugh. “That and she and your brother are-wait for it … dating!” I’m re-evaluating the meaning of best friend right now.

  “That’s great!” Jamie claps her hands together in excitement.

  “He’s sexy,” Jamie’s friend adds eyeing me.

  “Sorry- this is Melanie.” She points to her left. Melanie’s smile is a bright contrast to the dark waves that frame her tanned skin. “And this is Candis.”

  “Hi!” Candis beams. Her curly blonde hair bounces against her milky skin. She seems to have a vibrant personality. I’m so glad to see Jamie surrounding herself with decent looking people. The ones before, from what Colt says, were questionable.