A tightness sinks from my throat to my stomach. I reach to twist the cap of my soda quickly before gulping a few sips down. “This better be a joke, Mark,” I growl.
“Far from it,” he says as he looks me over. “He’s down here—on the beach actually.”
My heart sinks. “Did he bring Sara?” I whisper.
“Yup.”
I cringe, just from the thought of them two holding hands while walking along the shore of the beach. My fingers tremble around my bottle of Coke as I think back on how Bryson and I used to walk the shores at sunset. “Okay well I think I’m just gonna head out now,” I mutter as I grab for both sodas. “It was great seeing you, Mark, but please do me a favor and don’t tell Bryson that you ran into me. I don’t want anything to do with him.”
As I step around the table to get to the door, Mark catches me by the arm. I look over my shoulder at him with a scowl but he smiles casually as he steps out into the heat with me. He drags me toward a tunnel that is around the corner of the shack and as we meet in the center of it, almost surrounded by darkness, he pushes me against the wall while leaning his head down.
“Mark, what in the hell are you doing?” I hiss.
“Natalie, all of this time I’ve been thinking.” He presses his body in, making sure that his groin is against me the most. “And I’ve been wondering why you chose Bryson over me. You know I could have done you so much better.”
“We’re friends, Mark.” I grunt as I try to shove him away but it’s impossible. He’s huge. “Nothing is going to change about that.”
“Well how about I change the status of our friendship right now?” My eyes widen with horror and in only and instant, his lips are crushing mine. I drop the sodas out of my hand to try and push him away but his grip is too strong. His hands trail from my face, to my neck, to the curve of my breasts.
“Mark, get off of me!” His lips continue to trail down and even though Mark is attractive, I hate that he’s doing this. He’s supposed to be my best friend. The only explanation is that he’s drunk. There is no other way around it. As my friend, Mark would never do this.
“I think I’ve been delusional since I couldn’t have you. Kissing you feels too fucking good to stop.” Of course I was right. Now I can smell the alcohol on his breath.
“Mark.” My voice goes hoarse as I struggle to crane my arms between us. “Are you drunk?”
“It’s my vacation, Nat. What do you think?”
“I think you need to get the hell off of her,” says a deep voice from the light of the tunnel. Mark pulls away quickly and I gasp out of relief as I spot the familiar silhouette.
“Who the fuck—”
Nolan marches down the tunnel to shove Mark away. Mark lands flat on his back while Nolan grabs for my hand to storm towards the light. As he continues to drag me out, it isn’t too long before Mark comes charging towards us with hardened features.
“You think you can just push me and get away with it?” Mark’s eyebrows stitch together furiously but before he can reach up to yank Nolan around by the shoulder, Nolan releases my hand to spin and punch him in his jaw.
“Nolan!” I wail as his grip releases from around me. I rush to help Mark up but Mark is too out of it. On top of being drunk, his composure is completely worthless. “Stop. He’s drunk. It was an accident,” I say but just as I turn to look at Nolan whose grey eyes are glaring down at us, Mark hops to his feet. Mark swings his arms while aiming to reach his fist towards Nolan but the alcohol in his system isn’t allowing his actions to happen quickly enough. Nolan ducks out of the way then punches Mark in the mouth again.
Blood spills as Mark stumbles back. Nolan pounces forward but before he can hop on top of Mark to beat the living shit out of him, a large man from the shack barges through the doors to pull him off. “That’s enough. Stop it!” the man says as he holds Nolan by his firm upper arms. Nolan jerks away while breathing through his nose like an angry bull. He’s been tempted by the red sheet. There’s probably no stopping him now.
He looks at me and for a moment his eyes are apologetic but that sincerity turns into a look of pure disgust as he whirls around and hits the hot sand. His hunched shoulders are all I can see as he continues to drift and right now, I’m stuck on who to go for. Mark is my friend. I can’t just leave him lying on the ground drunk and out cold. But then again, he did deserve to be stopped.
I stare off at Nolan’s creased back for a few moments before looking at the large man that is staring down at Mark. “His face’s gunna be sore in the morning, huh?” he says. I ignore his comment as I reach down to grip Mark by the wrists.
“Help me carry him inside?”
The man grabs Mark by the ankles. “Sure thing. Count of three. One. Two. Three,” he counts then lifts. I lift as well and even though Mark is the weight of twenty bowling balls, we manage to carry his body inside and lie him down in a booth. “Don’t worry,” the man says, his thick Italian accent a bit too gleeful. “He deserved it. Coming onto a pretty lady like you has its consequences. I’ll stick around and wait for him to wake up and when he does, I’ll let him know what he did to you.”
I nod quickly as I fold my arms. “Thanks.”
“What’s ya name, sweetheart?”
“Natalie.”
“Well, Natalie, this young man right here will feel like shit later on. Go back out and find the other guy before he starts even more turmoil.”
“Great idea,” I breathe as I unfold my arms and spin for the door.
“Oh, hold on!” I roll my eyes before turning around. Damn it. Will he ever shut up? “Free sodas. I see you don’t have yours anymore.” He marches behind the counter to open the mini fridge and take a few out.
My attitude disappears rapidly as I step up to the counter to take them from him. “Wow, thank you.”
“Not a problem, sweetheart. Go ahead. Catch your man.”
I nod and fight the urge to tell this guy that Nolan isn’t my man. “Thank you so much!” I call as I spin around before tumbling out of the door.
I begin to rush for the beach but my heart slows in progress as I watch Nolan stalking the sand while looking directly at me. His shoulders are still hunched and his eyes are still blazing with anger. His fists clench as he meets up to me, slinks his arm around my waist, and leads the way towards the dock. Instead of stepping onto the dock, he makes his way to his right to go beneath it. We pass by the large wooden columns until we are so far back that no one can see us.
“Nolan, I can explain,” I say, feeling the need to defend myself. By the look in his eyes, I know that he has something terrible in mind.
“There is no need to,” he grumbles as he takes the sodas and my wallet out of my hands to place them in the sand. He steps in closer and I take a few steps back until my back hits the curve of the smooth collections of stones behind me. “I seriously can’t believe that just happened, Natalie! Who was he?” he growls.
“He’s a friend of mine! I told you he didn’t mean it. He was drunk!”
One of his eyebrows shoots up. “Is he your ex?”
“No! Mark is one of my best friends—”
“Friends don’t come onto friends, Natalie. I’m sorry to tell you, but it’s nearly impossible to have a best friend of the opposite sex. There are always feelings. I know this.”
“Of course you know,” I mutter as I fold my arms. Suddenly, I’m not so glad to have wanted to chase after him.
“Look, I can sit here and complain all day and night, but I won’t. I can’t tell you what to do because you’re not mine yet. And that’s only because you don’t want to be.”
Sighing, he rakes a hand through his hair. I gaze down at his white and green swimming trunks and the bulge that sits between his legs. My eyes then drift up to his lean chest before I look into the clear pool of grey.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble. Nolan chuckles without humor and my eyebrows draw in as I watch his shoulders shake. “I’m not sure what else to say to you, No
lan. If you aren’t going to take me seriously then just leave me alone already.” I reach down to grab for my wallet and the sodas then storm around him but he catches me by the strap of my bikini top. I gasp as my top falls and I fall into his arms quickly.
“I believe one of those are mine,” he says before looking at the sodas that I’ve just dropped to try and cover my bare chest. He looks at me again as his lips inch closer. “And even though you don’t think so, I believe that you’re still mine as well.”
Wrapping his lips around my nipple, he sucks it greedily. My legs quake as he pulls me up and wraps my legs around his waist. My back presses against the smooth stone wall behind me and he groans as I suck in a sharp breath. His lips finally meet mine and he attacks them as he grips onto my ass.
“Nolan, what are you doing?” I ask raggedly. Although this is enjoyable, I would never do it in public like this. We’re beneath the dock but anyone could walk by at any moment.
“I’m taking back what’s mine,” he growls against the crook of my neck before reaching his hands down to yank my bottoms off. I gasp as moist heat slides its way down. He pushes a gentle finger inside of me and I groan before he pulls out. “I think you need to be punished for making me get crazy like that over you.” He spins me around so that my back can face his chest. My palms press against the stone wall as Nolan’s erection digs into me. I bite at my lower lip and finally give in. I want this so damn bad.
I try to turn around and take initiative by pulling his pants down but he stops me before I can turn completely. “No.” His voice is stern as he pushes against me and my stomach molds around the stones. “This is for me.” His breath caresses my ear and I swallow as I hear muffling and then a soft whooshing noise. I push my hips back, wanting to feel him inside of me already but he only presses himself against me. He’s teasing me, like always. Pushing my hair aside, he trails kisses from the lobe of my ear, to the crook of my neck, and then down to the crease between my shoulders. I tingle sensationally, feeling myself getting wetter and wetter. This buildup between us is truly becoming unbearable.
I want to grip onto something because the tension is hard to take. I can’t control myself when he gets me like this. All I want to do is be on top of him for hours, maybe forever. After a few moments of debating on whether I should look over my shoulder to see what the holdup is, I finally turn my head to look but Nolan shoves himself inside of me from behind.
A grunt slides through my teeth as my hands try to grip onto the stones. Somehow my fingers manage to find a few crevices.
Nolan pumps into me with heavy grunts as I moan and groan and call his name. His hands wrap around my waist but his hips don’t stop from burying into me. I clamp myself around him as he pulls me away from the wall to place me on my knees. He’s out of me for only a slight second but as he cups my ass, he pushes himself into me again and begins his quick strokes.
“This. Is. Mine. Natalie,” he grunts through his teeth. I can hear the growl in his voice. This is angry sex. And this angry sex is the best angry sex I’ve had yet. “I meant what I said.” He continues to pump into me, gripping his hands around my thin waist as a loud clapping noise fills the silence. One of his hands reach around to cup my entire womanhood and then one of his fingers begins to circle the flesh between.
The sand grazes against my knees and a spiral of pain and pleasure burns between my legs. His hips move at the same speed as his finger that is still circling around me. “Oh, shit, Natalie!” he groans then slaps my ass with his free hand. Pulling his hand away from my sweet flesh, he begins to pound into me without any hands at all.
“Oh, Nolan!” I moan through clenched teeth.
“Yeah, baby. Call my name,” he says as he leans forward to place his lips against my ear. “I want my name to be the only name you call like this from now on.” One of his hands cup around one of my breast while the other glues to my hip, only causing the strokes to get deeper.
“Holy, shit!”
“Nolan!” I screech at the same time.
The clapping noise continues for another few seconds as my juices pour. I tense around him just as he sucks in a low breath then lets out a slight hiss. “Shit,” he grumbles pleasurably. He smashes against me once more before finally pulling out and twisting me around. He lies on top of me, making sure that he doesn’t squish me as his eyes remain hard. His entire face is dripping with sweat as he pants heavily. Leaning in, he places a kiss on my lips.
“I believe you, babe,” he breathes.
“About what?”
“About him being your friend.”
“Good,” I mumble with what is left of my energy. “But why were you so mad?”
“I didn’t like the fact that he had his hands on you.”
I nod with twisted lips.
“I swear I was about to kill him, though,” he adds on. “I saw him drag you around that corner and I . . . I couldn’t help myself.”
“How did you know where I was?”
“I saw Harper lying on the beach and she told me you went to the shack to grab some drinks. I thought I would surprise you but when I saw that guy twirl you around in his arms, I turned and walked away immediately.”
“Why?” I ask as I reach up to push the hair away from his forehead. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“I know but . . . I thought he was your ex or something. I got jealous and I let the jealousy get the best of me, which is why I came back when I saw him take you down the tunnel.”
“No, trust me,” I say as I push myself up on my elbows. “Mark will regret what he did to me when he’s sober. He’ll try to apologize but things won’t be the same between us. He’ll know it.”
Nolan nods before he finally pulls away and helps me to my feet. I reach for my bikini top and he helps me put it on. “Is he from your school?” he asks.
“We went to high school together, yeah.”
“What’s he doing down here?”
I pause as I stare ahead at the columns of thick, dark wood that is ahead. Good thing my back is facing him because as soon as I think about why Mark is here, Bryson appears in the thought bubble of my head and my face twists with disgust. “He said he’s on vacation with a few friends.” I will not tell Nolan that Bryson is down here. I just have to stay clear of this beach for a week.
“What do you say we go to the pool? I could cool down after sex that hot.” His lips spread to grin as he grabs my hand.
“Yeah, that would be great,” I breathe as I fan my hair to get rid of the specks of sand. Nolan grabs for the sodas and my wallet and we make our way through the columns of wood until we’re close enough to the edge of the dock to come out.
I can’t believe that Bryson is down here. What in the hell is he trying to do to me? I feel like he’s trying to purposely ruin my life. I will never take him back. What part does he not realize about that? I seriously hope that I don’t run into him. I don’t need the drama and I definitely don’t need to see Sara. I know that if I see her, it’s automatically going to ruin me. She’ll do nothing but rub it in my face. But my only hope is that if we do happen to run into them, Nolan is with me. At least they’ll know that I’ve moved on with someone hotter and ten times better in bed than Bryson.
My lips quirk up as I think about how their reaction will be when they see Nolan. Nolan is fit to be a model. It still surprises me that he wants to be with me.
When you give your all
And in the end, receive nothing
When it so happens that you fall
And your knees scrape while burning
Why do you allow him to let the alcohol pour?
Why do let him cause you pain?
How can you ask for more
When all that person has done
Was cause the burning in vain?
You want to take the blame
Even when you know that it’s not your fault
You want to call his name
But calling his name is like
/> Trapping yourself in a cult
But as time moves on
You begin to forget
As time carries on
You begin to let go
As the days go forward
That’s when he realizes
That he stepped backwards
When you finally find the will to release him
That’s when you can smile joyously without
A single word
Chapter Twenty
“What in the hell is this?” Harper screeches as she pulls out a gold sequined tunic with blue flowers and green polka-dots. I choke on a laugh as I watch her twirl it by the hanger with a face full of horror. It’s as if she’s watching someone throw up all over her shirt. “I mean, really. Who would wear this monstrosity?” She shoves the hanger back on the rack before picking through the clothes again. “Are you done shopping?” she asks as I slide a scoop of chocolate flavored Dippin’ Dots ice-cream into my mouth.
“Yeah,” I say with my mouth half-full. I place my container of ice-cream on the bench as I reach for my shopping bags by the wall. “Six shopping bags full of clothes is way too many. I wasn’t expecting to shop this much.” I place my bags on the bench, replacing the straps with my ice-cream.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Daddy gave me seven-hundred bucks today and I’m going to use every last penny. As a matter of fact,” she says, reaching for her phone from the back pocket of her pink shorts. There is a brief intermission as she touches her screen a gazillion times while I stuff my face with more ice-cream. “Yep. Still got three-hundred bucks left in the account.” She flashes a broad smile as she tucks her phone into her back pocket again. I shrug as I flop on the bench while she continues to pick through the rack of clothes.
“So what was up with Nolan yesterday?” She pulls out a red blouse to scan every aspect of it. “He came back kind of pissed after I told him where you were.” Her eyes finally meet mine as I swallow my last clump of ice-cream.
“Let me ask you a question,” I say.
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