Fail to Trust (The Casteel Trust Series Book 2)

by Scarlet Wolfe

  This is how to take your mind off of troubles.

  Everett

  I’m buried so far deep in Reese’s pussy. The sensation of it tight around my hard cock has me fighting the urge to drive into her like an animal.

  My dick’s always working overtime, staying hard for her almost twenty-four-seven. I can never get enough, especially when I’ve been watching her hips sway for hours in skimpy, tight shorts, over those long legs of hers.

  My fingers press against her firm ass, and I thrust into her over and over. The water is swooshing around us, and she’s gripping my wet hair.

  “Fuck, you feel so good,” I murmur in her ear.

  She whimpers and tries to grab hold of more of my hair. It’s time to grow it out a little longer so she can get a better grip.

  The pleasure is building, and my swollen dick is eager to unload in her. With a long moan from her lips, her muscles clamp down on me, squeezing my cock repeatedly as she comes.

  It’s my undoing, and I come, too, pulsing into her. The intensity of the pleasure I feel is insane, and I wish I could bottle it.

  Instead, I’ll continue to wear Reese out with my insatiable appetite for her. So far, she’s been able to keep up with me.

  “Lord, I knew the pool was going to be fun, but I had no idea how much so,” she says as she leans her head back and looks to the sky, trying to get her breath.

  “Too bad it’s Labor Day and we won’t get much more use out of it.”

  “We’ll have it next summer … after we’re husband and wife,” she says. As she grins, I admire her. Long eyelashes have droplets of water on them, and even in the evening light, her blond hair is shiny, and her green eyes are glistening.

  “You’re so damn beautiful.” Suddenly bashful, she circles my neck with her arms and rests her head on my shoulder.

  “I love you and the life you’re giving me,” she murmurs.

  I turn my head and kiss her neck. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

  “I want Becca and Travis to have this–together.”

  Sighing, I pull her back so I can look into her eyes.

  “I want that, too, Reese, but it might never happen, and we have to accept that. They’re young, and they might meet someone else down the road who’s a better match for them.”

  She shakes her head no. “They’re supposed to be together. They were perfect for each other, both of them so full of life.

  “Then, their passionate personalities caused a dumb fight to totally derail them, but I believe they can get that train back on the tracks, Everett. I feel it in my heart.”

  “As much as I believe that, too, maybe we shouldn’t interfere.”

  She groans. “It’s time, and I’m going to talk to Becca. Maybe she’ll go to him, and Trav will see how well she’s healing and realize he doesn’t have to carry so much guilt.”

  “OK, but he hasn’t even said her name since she miscarried. I don’t know if he’ll handle it the way you’re hoping he will. His self-loathing is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

  I wave my hand toward the dirt bike track. “Hell, I think he was trying to get himself killed earlier on his bike.”

  “Exactly, so we have to intervene and help them. I can’t take seeing their pain any longer.”

  “You’re sweet; you know that?”

  “I’m learning from the best.” She smiles and tilts her eyes up at me. “I think we need a shower to wash off this chlorine, and you can fuck me in there, too.”

  I growl at her. “Damn, so sweet yet naughty.”

  “Like I said … I have an extraordinary teacher.” She winks, and fuck I’m like a servant at her feet. I’d follow this woman anywhere.

  “Let’s get out. I’ll chase your naked ass to the house. We know how much you like to be chased,” I say.

  “I only love it because I know you’ll catch me.”

  Chapter Four

  Becca

  “Come on, Becca. You’ve been through worse, so get it together and go inside,” I mutter to myself as I sit in my car outside Casteel Motorsport.

  Reese told me Travis would be here alone closing up the store tonight.

  It’s time … We’re going to have to see each other in February for Reese and Everett’s wedding, and I don’t want to be anticipating seeing him for that long.

  I have to know we can be in the same room together without causing a scene. I want my sister’s wedding to be perfect. I guess I also want to know why … Why didn’t he reach out to me?

  Upon exiting my car and locking it, I notice my trembling hand. I take a deep breath and stride toward the front door of the store, psyching myself up to face him.

  I lift my hands before me and take a look at my scars. They remind me that I’m brave enough to handle this.

  Without hesitation, I swing open the door and step inside. Most of the spacious store is dim. Only one row of lights cast a glow over the long service counter to the right.

  “We’re closed,” Travis says as he begins to look over his shoulder from where he stands behind the counter. “I just forgot to lock—”

  “Hi,” I say meekly.

  His head swings back forward, and he drops the cash bag he’s holding in his hand. It hits the floor, and the loud noise echoes inside the building.

  As I approach the front of the counter, he’s breathing hard, and I wonder if his heart is like mine, pounding as fast as a stallion race horse.

  “Travis, how are you?”

  He swallows and steadies his shaking hands.

  “What are you doing here?”

  I cock my head to the left and give him a look over. I can only see him from the waist up, but he looks different … older and rougher.

  His forearms have a couple of tattoos that weren’t there only two months ago. It’s odd how he could change so much in such a short time.

  Mostly, he looks sexier, yet he’s not giving me the soft charming grin I remember.

  “I came to see you. Our siblings are getting married, so I felt it was time we speak.” I look away and drag my teeth over the corner of my bottom lip. “Honestly, I thought I would hear from you first after what happened.”

  I glance back, and his shoulders are crumpled inward, his gaze to the floor, but then he straightens, his muscles becoming rigid, his expression hardening the same. He looks right at me as if he’s found his weapon.

  “I didn’t know if you would want me to contact you, especially when you ended things between us.”

  “Travis, our breakup is not what I wanted. It was a rash decision that I regretted in an instant. I had every intention of contacting you after I returned from my trip, thinking the space would heal us.

  “But then I was inflicted with much greater pain and loss, and I didn’t know if you would even want me again.”

  His hands grip the counter, and I’m close enough to see his knuckles turning white.

  “It’s in the past.” He squats down to retrieve the bag he dropped. “I’m sorry about Molly, and I wish you the best in the future, but I have work to do. Please leave.”

  Floored by his words and demeanor, my body stiffens, and I hold my breath. He continues working like I’m not even here, and ugly emotions fester inside me.

  “If you ever cared an ounce for me, you would wonder how I’ve been after what I endured. You would’ve checked on me.” My eyes well up with tears, but it’s more out of anger than sadness.

  He points to his chest and narrows a spiteful gaze at me.

  “You think I don’t care? Do you believe what happened to you had no effect on me?”

  “I wouldn’t know since I never heard from you,” I say, biting back at him.

  “You weren’t the only one who lost something this summer.”

  “Do you think what happened to our baby was my fault? Because more than one doctor assured me it wasn’t.” Tears begin to fall, so I swipe them from my eyes. His gaze follows my hand, zeroing in on my scars, and a pain he can’t hide sur
faces.

  “God, Becca, I know it wasn’t your fault. It was mine, and I’ll never get past that.” His head drops. “I haven’t contacted you because I haven’t deserved to. I never will, so you need to leave.” His fist smacks the countertop and I jump.

  “How could you think that? And why are you so angry? You were never this way while we were dating.”

  “I’m not the man you knew two months ago. Now for the last time, please leave.”

  My scarred hands shroud my face as I fight back tears. The wall Travis built between us is made of steel, and he’s not going to break it down. Instead, he stands cemented to his spot behind the counter.

  He’s not going to come over to comfort me, either, and he made it clear he’s certainly never going to love me again. The realization of that truth overwhelms me, causing me to sob into my hands.

  “Fuck! Get the hell out of here, Becca!” he shouts.

  Startled, I jerk and cry harder. My hands fall to my sides, and I run for the door.

  Molly’s heart isn’t the only one that stopped beating this summer; Travis’s did, too.

  Travis

  My hands grip the counter tighter, and my head falls over. Tears come, and then a cry from deep in my chest is exhaled.

  I growl from the shame of it, and grabbing a stapler next to me, I launch it across the room, hitting a display. Its contents fall to the floor, creating a loud crashing noise.

  A heavy black hole puncher is next, and grabbing one item after another, I throw them across the store, knocking shit to the ground everywhere.

  Pissed that I’m crying, my growl is now a roar. I turn around and charge toward the concrete wall behind me. My fist connects with it, and blood squirts and gushes from my knuckles.

  I slump to the floor and bring my knees up. My head buries inside my hands as I ask myself how I could be so cold to her. How could I hurt her again?

  Reaching over my back, I pull off my t-shirt and begin wrapping it around my bleeding fingers. I stand and tear out of the store, barely stopping long enough to lock up.

  After marching to my truck, I peel out of the parking lot. My mind races, the encounter with Becca replaying in my head, each time clearer and more painful than the last.

  I don’t remember driving when I pull into the liquor store parking lot outside of Marietta, close to where Everett lives in Kennesaw.

  I find myself near there often since it’s the home I grew up in. It’s also farther away from the bustling city of Atlanta that doesn’t ever seem to stop growing.

  Rooting through a pile of shit on the passenger side of my truck, I grab a dirty t-shirt and manage to get it over my head.

  It wasn’t hard to find something to wear since I practically live out of my truck. I hate staying in Reese’s old apartment where Becca and I were supposed to live together.

  I mostly get drunk and find a chick to fuck, crashing at her place until the next morning, or I end up at Franklin’s, acting pathetic.

  Hell, I drink alone and sleep in my truck, too, if I’m more in the mood to be alone where I can wallow in my misery.

  I go inside the liquor store and grab a case of beer. The old man at the register spots the t-shirt wrapped around my hand. The blood has seeped through, and I can hardly get my wallet out to pay.

  “You should get that looked at. You might need stitches.”

  I don’t reply as I hand him the money. “Be safe,” he adds. I grab my beer and tread to the door.

  Once I’m inside my black truck, I scroll through my phone contacts and try to decide which girl might put out and also put up with my drunk ass tonight.

  Mindy.

  “Hey, it’s Travis. Want some company?”

  “Sure, but you can only stay a few hours. My brother will be back then, and he’ll be pissed if I have a guy here.”

  “No problem. I’ll see you in a few.”

  Chapter Five

  Travis

  I chug a beer as I drive to Mindy’s dumpy trailer. She has asshole parents, so when she turned eighteen, she moved into her brother’s place. He’s not much less of an asshole, but he at least doesn’t beat on her like her piece-of-shit father used to do.

  She’s twenty now and going nowhere in life, working a minimum-wage job at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but for all those reasons, she doesn’t expect much from me.

  She’s also sweet and has a nice body. Mindy has been my first go-to escape ever since a certain someone left me to travel around Europe.

  I pull into her driveway, and she’s smiling as I walk up to her screen door. I’m trying to hold the beer in my left hand and open the door at the same time, so she opens it for me.

  “What the hell happened to your hand? Did you get into a fight?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  She grabs the beer from me and goes to the fridge. When she turns back, she’s holding two cans in her hand.

  “Fine, but you’re at least gonna let me doctor it.”

  I call Mindy “Goth Girl.” She looks the exact opposite of Becca. Her hair is short and black, unlike the long and shiny blond waves Becca possesses. She also has eyes the color of midnight. They don’t light up like someone else’s blue irises.

  Her body is not as petite, and her nails are painted black instead of a soft pink like Becca often wore. God, I’m saying her name in my head again. Why the hell did she have to come see me and stir up all that shit?

  “Sit,” Mindy orders. She hands me an open beer before she pads down the narrow hallway of her trailer.

  I take a lengthy drink, and she returns holding a shoebox. “My first-aid kit,” she says with a smile. She unwraps my hand and raises an eyebrow. “Wow, you did a number on it. Wall or face?”

  “Wall, but I said I didn’t want to talk about it.”

  “You’re lucky that my brother does this often. I actually have steri-strips in here. You need to replenish my supply, though. These buggers are expensive.”

  “Sure.” I close my eyes and drink my beer as she cleans my hand and applies the strips. We both know I need stitches, but I’m not spending the night in a hospital ER when I can be here drinking beer and fucking.

  Once she’s worked her magic, she plops down on the couch next to me and grabs her beer. She props her bare foot up on an old wooden coffee table. Her leg is bent at the knee, and I can see the slenderness of it.

  She’s in black shorts and a low-cut purple tank top that shows off her big tits. This time, her fingernails and toenails are painted a deep purple to match her shirt.

  “Damn, it’s fucking hot in here,” I say, wiping sweat from my brow.

  “Yeah, my brother already turned off the air conditioning for the fall. He said our electric’s getting cut off soon from the bill being so high this summer. I’m going to pick up a few extra shifts this week to see if I can help.”

  Pulling my wallet from my back pocket, I toss a handful of twenties on her table. “There … for the bandages. Maybe it will help with the electric bill, too.”

  She doesn’t argue over the money, which indicates how badly she needs it. Instead, she leans over and kisses on my neck.

  “Thank you, Travis. You are one confusing man.”

  “Why do you say that?” I lean my head back against the couch cushion and rest my eyes again as she moves her lips along my skin.

  She’s going to talk about feelings, and I’ve already had my fill of that shit tonight.

  “You’re super sweet and thoughtful at times, but mostly you’re in another world, closed off and somewhat cold.”

  “That sounds about right.”

  “Who caused you to be this way?” She’s sitting up now, and when I open my eyes, she stares into them.

  “Me.” Sliding my injured hand over her cheek, I lean in and kiss her to shut her up. It’s time for that escape.

  Our kiss grows hot fast, so I set my beer on the coffee table and take hers from her hand to do the same.

  Laying her over
on the sofa, I waste no time getting under her tank top. I shove it upward and yank down the cup of her bra. I suck hard on her tit, and she hums her appreciation.

  Her hips lift next, letting me know she’s a sure fuck. I kinda feel like a dick for using her, so I decide to take my time and make her feel good first.

  Rising to my knees, I strip off her shorts and black panties. I fall forward and hold myself up with my injured hand, even though it hurts like hell, and I use the other one to finger her. Pumping in and out, it’s not long until I have her unraveling beneath me.

  “Fuck, that’s hot.” I undress and put on a condom. “Turn over.” She gives a little eye roll but does it for me. I pull her up to her knees and drive right into her from behind. I hold still deep inside her cunt, and Becca’s face pops into my head.

  Worried I’ll lose my hard-on, I begin to move, thrusting into Mindy aggressively. I release some of my frustration from the night, and the sound of my body slapping against her ass fills the room.

  I see Becca again in my mind, and this time she’s sobbing before me, her scarred hands covering her face.

  Fuck.

  I pound into Mindy harder and faster, wanting to orgasm so I can get back to my beer. She’s not going to be enough tonight to numb my pain.

  My head slings back as I get seconds of reprieve, an exhilarating high, but it’s nothing like the ones I felt when Becca and I were together and happy.

  Mindy drops to her stomach, and I hear her panting for air.

  “Angry much?” she snaps.

  I lean over and kiss the back of her head.

  “I’m sorry. It was a rough evening.”

  “It’s fine. Just get off of me.”

  We both clean up, and after I dispose of the condom, I sit back on the couch. I don’t want her touching me, and I’m relieved when she grabs us more beers and tucks her legs beside herself on the couch, putting them between us.

  The guilt eats at me, so I pat her leg.

  “I’ll be gentler next time.”