I’d never laughed so hard in my life. Maebh, Waylynn, and I were sitting on a float in Amelia’s pool listening to Waylynn tell the story of how Mrs. Hopkins walked in when she and Jonathon first did the deed.
“What did she do when she walked in on y’all?” I asked, giggling.
“And tell me you had finished, and she didn’t ruin it for you!” Maebh added.
“Oh, I was yelling out Jonathon’s name, and he was grunting like a stallion letting his shit go. When we finally came down from our orgasms, I looked to see Old Lady Hopkins standing there, her hand over her heart in shock. So shocked, she didn’t move the entire time Jonathon zipped his junk back into his pants.”
I laughed harder, holding my cramping side. “I can’t…even…” I said between laughs.
Waylynn smiled and winked at me. “It was worth it, even with all the shit she caused me afterwards.”
“I’d say so,” Maebh replied, wiping a laughing tear away.
Waylynn turned to me. “So tell me, Scarlett. Is my brother Trevor as well-endowed as he makes everyone believe?”
I nearly choked on my drink. “Wh-what?”
“Come on. We want to hear details,” Paxton said, giving me a wink.
“Um.”
“Holy smokes, look at her cheeks turning pink!” Corina gasped.
Maebh gave me a sweet smile and then nodded.
“He’s certainly not lacking anywhere,” I said.
A fit of giggles hit everyone, me included.
“That doesn’t say much. Is he big or not?” Paxton asked, taking a long drink of her cosmo. Waylynn and Paxton were on their way to tipsy, with Corina and Maebh not far behind. Harley, Amelia, and I were not drinking, but Amelia was making me and her virgin drinks, and no one else was any the wiser.
I felt my cheeks heat. “Trevor is very big.”
“It’s in the Parker blood, I’m telling you!” Paxton said.
“Gross!” Amelia shouted, splashing Paxton.
All eyes went to Corina. “Mitchell?” I asked with a raise of my eyebrows.
She smiled and took a sip of her drink. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“What the heck!” I shouted. “I told y’all about Trevor! You have to tell us about Mitchell.”
“Steed’s name fits him, that’s all I’m saying,” Paxton added, then hiccupped, clearly buzzed.
Waylynn groaned and then laughed. Amelia looked horrified.
“Fine, Mitchell is big. Thick and big.”
A round of hollers came across the pool as Waylynn splashed Corina. “Okay, big is one thing, but don’t describe my brother as being thick. The visual makes me gag!”
Harley laughed and everyone looked at her. She grinned and that was all the answer we needed.
Then all eyes went to Maebh.
“I have no problem saying Cord has a big dick.”
Laughter erupted again, and this time Amelia and Waylynn laughed. Something about Maebh’s Irish accent made her stress the word a little bit more. I’d never felt more at ease with a group of women than I did with these ladies. They made me feel so welcomed, like I had been in their little group for years.
“It’s a damn good thing Aunt Vi took Chloe to her place,” Waylynn said, finishing off her drink.
Paxton tapped my foot with hers. “I heard a rumor about you, Scarlett.”
My entire body froze. “A rumor?” I hated that my voice cracked.
“You were quite the dancer in high school.”
Amelia laughed. “I told you that, Paxton!”
My eyes darted to Amelia with a puzzled look.
“Okay, so I remember a party I went to once. You and Trevor were seniors and your girlfriends did a group dance. Y’all had practiced it all summer when you were home from school in Boston, and you performed it at Brad’s end-of-the-summer party.”
I covered my face and laughed. “The one to ‘Dirrty’?”
“Yes!” Amelia said, pointing to me.
Waylynn headed over to me, grabbing my float and pulling me toward the steps. “Wait, what is this dance? I need to see it.”
“No way, Waylynn! It was just some silly thing the girls and I did. We made up two dances to Christina Aguilera songs.”
“I want to see!” Maebh said, pushing me out of the water.
“Maebh!” I exclaimed.
“Hurry, me man will be here soon to pick me up and I want to see this.”
Groaning, I let Waylynn drag me over to the deck that was just a bit higher than the pool.
“Amelia, can I connect my phone to your Bluetooth speaker?” Waylynn yelled.
“Yes!” Amelia called out. She was now acting a bit tipsy, only because Corina had asked her how come she wasn’t feeling the drinks with how many she’d had. I played it safe and only had two drinks and mixed a lot of water in between, so no one questioned that I wasn’t feeling tipsy.
Waylynn wore a huge smile as the notes to Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty” started playing.
“Get it, gurl!” Paxton yelled.
It didn’t take me long to get into the vibe of the song. As soon as Christina started singing, my hips started moving, and the dance moves instantly came back to me. I couldn’t believe I remembered it all from the music video.
I decided to have fun with it. It was just the girls and me, and for the first time in a long time, I was having fun.
Waylynn quickly joined me. Her body was amazing, and moved in perfect sync with mine. Of course, alcohol made her a little more brazen as she got super close, and I wasn’t sure if I should go along with it, but when Maebh and Amelia yelled out, I knew it was okay to let loose.
Soon we were for sure dirty dancing with each other. Waylynn even slapped my ass, making me laugh. It was nice to let myself get lost in the music and fun. Soon the rest of the girls were dancing with us.
Maebh was the only one not dancing, only because she had decided this needed to be recorded. Then her face dropped and her eyes looked past us and then quickly back to our little group. She made a little motion with her finger across her neck, as if saying we needed to stop. I turned and froze. Six men were watching us. My gaze landed on a set of blue eyes that had haunted my dreams for six years.
“Trevor,” I whispered.
“Holy fucking shit. That was the hottest damn thing I’ve ever seen,” Wade said before Mitchell smacked him on the head.
“That’s my wife you’re staring at, asshole,” Mitchell replied, making his way over to Corina and pulling her into his arms. “You’re doing that dance for me later tonight,” he whispered loudly to her.
My cheeks heated as I watched Wade walk over to Amelia and kiss her passionately.
I turned and made my way over to the chair that had my wrap on it. I could feel Trevor’s eyes on me. Burning into me.
“Hey, I feel like I was cheated since my girl was recording that!” Cord shouted, walking up to Maebh and gently kissing her lips. The way he looked at her, like she was his everything, made my stomach drop. They were adorable. I wanted a man to look at me like that.
“What’s Trevor doing here?” I asked, as Cord and Maebh came closer to me.
Cord cleared his throat and said, “My bike wouldn’t start, so he offered to give me a ride and take us home.”
I tried not to look his way, but I couldn’t help the pull. Whenever Trevor was around, it felt like I was a moth to a flame. He could both destroy me and give me life.
But when he started our way, I held my breath, quickly looking around for an escape. Maebh saw what I was doing and wrapped her arm around mine, keeping me rooted in place.
Walking up to me, Trevor smiled and my knees went weak. Damn it. Stop reacting to him, stupid, betraying body. “I remember that dance. A few of your friends did it at Brad’s party that one summer.”
Trevor had been there? I hadn’t even seen him at that party. He was probably off messing around with some girl.
“I didn’t know you were there,” I said, lifting my chin and tryin
g to relay my thoughts to him with the power of my eyes.
“I only stopped by to get Amelia. I got there in time to see the dance, then dragged my sister away.”
Trying not to smile, I simply nodded.
His eyes traveled over my body, and I realized I still had my cover open. Trevor was looking at me greedily and I hated the way it made my lower stomach pull with desire.
“Do you need a ride home, Scarlett?” Cord asked.
When I glanced over at Wade and Amelia, they were lost in each other. Even though Amelia said they’d give me a ride home, I hated asking.
“I hate to bug Amelia.”
Cord hit Trevor on the shoulder, pulling his eyes off of me.
“Mind dropping off Scarlett?” Cord asked.
“Not at all,” Trevor replied, a crooked smile on his face.
I wanted to argue, but how else would I get home? I could call Eric, but I was beginning to depend on him a little too much and didn’t want to give him the wrong idea about our friendship. Maebh had already warned me Eric had feelings for me, even before we had become friends.
“Are you sure?” I asked, chewing on my bottom lip. Trevor reached over and pulled my lip from between my teeth, causing my entire body to zip with electricity.
Damn him. Damn him. Damn him.
I wanted to hate him. A part of me did. He had played around so much with my feelings, I wasn’t sure I was ready to be alone with him. Maybe he’d drop me off first, and then Cord and Maebh.
“Good. I want to talk to you,” Trevor stated, giving me a slight smile.
Looking away, I gathered my things and turned to the three of them. “Do y’all mind if I change really quick?”
“Good idea!” Maebh stated, following me into the house. When we were in the guest bedroom, I tried to pull in a few deep breaths.
“Are you okay?” Maebh asked.
“No,” I replied. “I’m not sure I’m ready to be alone with Trevor. I’m not ready to tell him.”
She took her hands in mine. “Scarlett, he deserves to know. The longer you put it off, the harder it will be, lass.”
Nodding, I fought the tears that threatened to spill. “I know… I’m just not ready for how he’ll react.”
With a frown, she let out a breath. “Don’t wait too long. If he finds out from someone else, it will destroy him.”
“Like who?” I asked.
Maebh shrugged but didn’t answer.
Sitting in the truck it hit me how exhausted from being out in the sun and all the activity at Amelia’s place. Trevor and Cord were talking about the ranch in the front seat, and Maebh had fallen asleep not five minutes after we left. It didn’t take me long to feel my eyelids growing heavy as I drifted off to sleep in the back of the truck.
A gentle movement lulled me back as I inhaled deeply. His smell filled my senses, causing me to relax even more.
Trevor.
He was carrying me.
His cologne engulfed me, instantly making me press into him. My body was exhausted. I didn’t even have the energy to open my eyes. When I felt him climbing the stairs, I knew he had carried me into my house.
When he placed me on the bed, I grabbed my pillow and snuggled into it. Then the bed dipped, and I felt his presence. I didn’t move, except to continue my slow breathing.
Barely cracking my eye open, I found Trevor sitting on my bed staring straight ahead. His shoulders sagged. He looked defeated and an ache grew deep within my chest. The urge to sit up and hold him was strong, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep opening myself up to him. I gave and he took. I couldn’t take any more of that.
Trevor dragged his hands down his face and let out a soft exhale, then he spoke so softly, I struggled to hear his words.
“I don’t know what to do. I love you, Scarlett. You deserve someone better than me. I’m so fucking scared and confused.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I had to force myself to close my eyes and breathe.
Oh. My. Goodness. Trevor said he loved me. He loves me!
I wanted to scream out. Why could he only say this when he thought I was asleep? What was keeping him from telling me how he truly felt?
“Please, God. I just need one more chance here to get this right.”
His voice sounded desperate. I opened my eyes and went to talk, but the bed moved and Trevor stood. For some reason, I shut my eyes again, making him think I was still asleep. I needed to process his words before I did or said anything.
I felt a blanket on top of me. He gently kissed my forehead and butterflies took flight in my stomach like they did every single time this man touched me.
“Sleep good, angel.”
I immediately felt the loss of warmth when he walked out of my room. My eyes stayed shut as I listened to him go down the steps. When the front door clicked shut, I sat up in bed, hugging my stomach. I stared at the now-empty doorway, trying to wrap my head around what I’d just heard. Trevor said he loved me.
My head dropped back, and I stared at the ceiling. Tears quickly pooled in my eyes and released in a rush down my face.
The push and pull of Trevor Parker was taking its toll on me, and I wasn’t sure how much more of it I could take.
I needed to tell him about the baby, and I needed to do it soon.
Cord’s Place was packed, and I couldn’t seem to keep up like normal. My mind was all over the damn place. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Scarlett. Scarlett dancing in that damn two-piece bathing suit. Scarlett walking into Lilly’s for breakfast. Scarlett running down Main Street as I walked into the bar. She was fucking everywhere.
I called her earlier to see if we could talk. This time she answered her phone and said she had something to tell me, but that she already had plans for this evening. We made arrangements to meet for breakfast tomorrow, and I was counting down the hours until I could see her. I needed to tell her how I felt about her…how she scared the living shit out of me. I needed her to know about the stupid voice in my head that told me I wasn’t good enough for a woman like Scarlett.
“Trevor Parker.”
My head snapped up to see two girls I went to high school with standing on the other side of the bar.
“Well, if it isn’t Channing Jones and Sydney Moore. What are you two doing in Oak Springs?” I asked with a polite smile.
“Causin’ trouble,” Channing said with a wink. “Want in on it?”
I laughed. Channing and I had hooked up once, the summer after my freshman year of college. We’d been drunk at the time and even though it was fun, it had been a mistake. Hell, all of my hook-ups felt like mistakes looking back.
“Nah, not interested.”
Her lower lip jetted out. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your ways, Trevor. I was sort of hoping for a repeat of the last time we had…fun.”
I wasn’t surprised by my lack of interest in Channing. My cock didn’t jump for anyone anymore but the dark-haired beauty who consumed my every thought.
“A party for three, maybe?” Sydney added. That should have caught my attention, but all it did was turn my stomach. The thought of being with any other woman besides Scarlett actually made me feel sick.
What in the living fuck is wrong with me?
Scarlett Littlefield was what was wrong.
She was the only woman I wanted. The only woman I’d ever loved. That realization hit me like a brick wall. Even though I said it to her last night in her room while she was sleeping, I needed to tell her to her face. I needed to make her see it in my eyes.
I loved her. I fucking loved her.
And I needed to see her, tell her how I felt. Beg her to forgive me for being a complete idiot.
There was no way I was waiting until tomorrow morning. I’d waited long enough.
“Ladies, if you’ll excuse me, there’s someone I need to see.”
“Who could possibly be more important than a threesome, Trevor?” Channing asked, a smirk on her face.
> “I didn’t even realize exactly how important she was until just now, so thank you for that, Channing.”
Her eyes widened in surprise while Sydney’s jaw dropped.
“She?” Channing spit out.
I nodded, then turned from them, making my way over to Cord. Slapping him on the back, I leaned in close and said, “I’m leaving.”
He laughed and looked at me. “You’re leaving?”
“I need to talk to Scarlett. Now.”
A smile moved across my brother’s face. “It’s about fucking time.”
My hand landed on his shoulder, and I gave it a squeeze. “You okay here if I leave? It’s packed.”
“Yeah, Ross is coming in. He asked to work some overtime, so he can bartend. Go do what you need to do,” Cord shouted over the music.
I jumped over the bar, ignoring the looks from women who clearly wanted something from me. I’d probably fucked at least half of them if they were locals. Hell, I couldn’t even remember, which really made me realize what a complete dick I was.
Once I was outside, I jogged to my truck. I’d parked across the street and just down from the bar earlier today. When I got into the cab, I glanced across the street and saw right into Aisling. The small sitting area had a few people there, and when I saw Scarlett, I smiled. There was a girl sitting to her right and someone to her left.
Jumping out of my truck, I started across the street but stopped when I saw who was sitting on the other side of Scarlett.
Eric.
He leaned in so that both women could hear him as he spoke. Whatever the jerk said, they both laughed. Scarlett put her hand on his shoulder, and I saw red. And I kept walking toward the restaurant, trying to see if anyone else was with them. Another guy sat across from Scarlett, his hand laced with the other girl’s hand on the table.
Eric leaned in closer to Scarlett to speak, clearly only wanting her to hear what he had to say. She shook her head, and Eric stood. When he leaned down and kissed her cheek, I froze in place. Scarlett watched him walk away and then turned her head and looked straight out the window, as if she could feel my presence.
Our eyes met and her smile fell. I took a few steps back and I thought for a moment she was going to come outside, but she didn’t move. Turning, I quickly jogged over to my truck and got in. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it as I pushed the button and started my truck.
Reckless Love Page 4