Sparks Fly (Davis Brothers Book 1)

by Nicole Douglas

  I find nothing. Buying the cheapest tent available was proving to be a huge mistake.

  It takes us about thirty minutes, a shit ton of patience and some cursing but I manage to get the tent assembled. Whether or not it will collapse on us in our sleep remains to be seen.

  “It looks a little…funky.” Lacey comments, tilting her head in appraisal.

  I pat the top as gently as I can. “It’s good to go. See? There’s no way it’s coming down.”

  I hope that doesn’t end up being a lie. I’m sure this wobbly tent will be falling apart if the wind blows too hard tonight.

  Lacey shoots me a skeptical look but grabs the sleeping bag from the trunk and unzips it from the package. She steps hesitantly inside the tent, tossing me a look over her shoulder on the way in, and rolls the sleeping bag out.

  No sooner does it touch the ground and I have her wrapped in my arms. I missed the taste of her lips and devour them like a starving man now that I have her here.

  The phone drops from her hand onto the soft pillow of the sleeping bag. It illuminates the tent with the bright glow of the flashlight app that she hadn’t turned off. Heat ignites the longer we consume each other.

  I feel like I’m falling down the rabbit hole with Lacey, letting myself take a leap and not know where this thing is going. But it’s going somewhere. We’re going somewhere. I can feel it deep in my muscles as they squeeze around her waist, unable to pull her close enough for satisfaction.

  I ease her down on the sleeping bag and split my attention between showering her with more kisses and yanking down the zipper on the side of the bag. When we’re both inside I zip us in. We’re flush against one another and I rub my hardness against her to make my plans for the evening well known.

  She smiles and reaches down between us to undo her shorts. It takes her a while in the limited space but she kicks the material down to the bottom of the sleeping bag and wraps her legs around my waist.

  She leisurely shifts her hips upward, impaling herself inch by inch on me. I hold my breath until I’m fully inside and release it slowly.

  “I missed being inside you.”

  “Mmmm. It’s only been a couple days.” She slides back down painfully slow until I nearly pop out. She stops just in time and repeats the motion.

  “Too long.”

  Several measured strokes later and my self-control snaps. I have her on her back in seconds pinned to the ground beneath me.

  What started as slow and sweet morphs into a hot fuck. I pound into her relentlessly and judging by the noises she’s making she loves every second of it.

  Her pussy grips around me tightly and I know she’s reached her peak. The tell-tale sensation pulsates through me from head to toe as she pushes me to finish with her.

  We both call out our pleasure loudly, not having to worry about anyone being close enough to hear. Even if there was I doubt either of us can stop ourselves.

  I know I can’t.

  Sated into contentment, we stay pressed against each other in the warm sleeping bag, sticky from sweat. But I don’t care. I just lay there, enjoying the feel of her pressed against me. She doesn’t make an effort to clean herself up, letting my seed stay inside her as she snuggles into my neck.

  Pride and possessiveness fill me at the idea.

  The energy in the air when she’s around shifts in the best way. I can’t explain it. But that doesn’t mean I can’t lay back and take pleasure in it. I let the feeling crash over me and bask in it like it’s the sun.

  I readjust my position, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to a more comfortable position. The crickets sing us a lullaby, chirping their song outside the tent and we let ourselves be lulled to sleep.

  Chapter 19

  Lacey

  Clocking out of the coffee shop for the last time felt bittersweet. I put my two week notice in two weeks ago so it wouldn’t make much sense to try staying longer. I would be singing at Blue’s every Friday and Saturday night before they opened the stage for karaoke.

  I loved coffee but I loved singing more. Plus I needed the income boost. It was a paid gig. Between singing and waitressing I made enough money in tips my first night at Blue’s than a week’s pay at the coffee shop.

  So I quit.

  Singing cover songs at a bar might not be a dream come true to most people. But for me it felt nice to have other people hear me sing. I was never going to be a professional musician but just having a crowd cheering for me and showering me with praise felt amazing.

  When I get home I find a folded paper on my kitchen table. I open it and smile at the familiar writing.

  Cheer up angel. Left you some Chinese in the fridge.

  Max.

  He knew I was moping around the past two days with my time at the coffee shop coming to an end. Amy had become the closest friend I had anymore with Reina distancing herself from me to the point of no contact whatsoever.

  The close of one chapter was the beginning of another but it felt bittersweet clocking out for the last time and hanging up my apron knowing I wouldn’t be back the next day.

  I smile at his sweet gesture and open the fridge to find a white to-go box filled with shrimp fried rice and orange chicken as promised. My favorite. It smells absolutely delicious.

  I heat it up in the microwave and gorge, savoring every last bite. When I’m stuffed to the point of worrying my stomach might split open I text Max my thanks.

  Max: You’re welcome. I know how you get when you’re hungry.

  Lacey: Are you accusing me of getting hangry?

  Max: You have been known to bite my head off if I don’t feed you fast enough. So yeah.

  Lacey: You’re making me sound like a walrus.

  Max: More like a Chihuahua.

  Lacey: LOL what?!

  Max: You’re cute, small and feisty.

  I catch myself grinning like a goofball as I type out a response.

  Lacey: I’ll show you feisty.

  Max: I like the sound of that.

  Lacey: You coming over tonight?

  It takes him a moment to respond and I know the answer will be no.

  Max: Wish I could. Chris is still here though.

  Another pause. The three little dots eventually pop up, indicating he’s typing something.

  Max: You should come here tonight.

  Now it’s my turn to hesitate. I know he’s not quite comfortable with me spending time at his apartment with his brother around. I hadn’t pushed the issue.

  Lacey: Are you sure?

  Max: Yeah. I want you to come.

  That’s all the reassurance I need to start packing a small overnight bag. I still have clothes and a toothbrush at his house but I’ll need something cute to wear tomorrow night for my shift at Blue’s. It didn’t take more than one shift for me to pick up on the fact that low cut tops equaled bigger tips when waitressing.

  When I get there and let myself inside the guys are deeply engrossed in a video game. Sounds of machine guns fill the living room as the two shout at each other on opposite ends of the couch.

  I drop my bag in the hallway and stand behind the couch watching the action in amusement. It’s nice to see Max having fun with lighthearted laughter flowing from him with ease. He seems comfortable right now. The tension that often simmers under the surface is nowhere to be seen at the moment.

  They each have a beer in front of them on the coffee table. I open the fridge to grab three more, popping the tops off with the bottle opener sitting on top of the counter.

  They both jump in surprise at my presence when I set the bottles on the table in front of them. The noise from the game had hidden my arrival. Chris is the first to recover from his shock and leans forward to grab one of the cold beers.

  “Thanks Lacey. You always know just what I need.” He winks and slowly rakes his gaze over me without even trying to make it a secret. Laughing, I roll my eyes. Chris is a hopeless flirt but it’s harmless. He just enjoys pissing off Max too much to pas
s up a chance when it presents itself.

  Max takes the distraction as an opportunity and slaughters Chris in the game.

  “Man, what the hell was that?” Chris shouts, tossing his controller onto the cushions and takes a long swig from the bottle.

  “That’s what you get for eye fucking my girl.”

  His girl.

  My insides flutter to life. I try to remind myself that he doesn’t mean it the way I want him to. And it’s dangerous to my heart to hope for such things. Especially when my mind is smart enough to know better.

  “Maybe your girl is here to distract me with those legs.” His gaze roams back down my legs pointedly before turning his attention back to the TV screen. “You know damn well that’s the only way you can win.”

  “Keep looking at her legs like that and you’ll end up homeless.”

  “You wouldn’t do that to me. Nice try.”

  “Keep pushing your luck.”

  Max sets his controller on the coffee table and picks up our beers. He hands mine over to me and lifts his to his mouth for a drink.

  “Come on, Lace.” He gently presses his free hand in my back to steer me down the hall to his bedroom.

  “What’s wrong baby brother? Don’t want to get your ass kicked in front of your girl?” He says the last part tauntingly.

  Max shakes his head but otherwise ignores him as we walk away.

  “Goodnight Chris.” I call out over my shoulder on my way down the hall.

  “Night sweetheart. You kids have fun.”

  I assume he switches the game to one player because before we shut the door gunfire erupts again from the surround sound speakers. The door clicks shut and Max leans down to plant a chaste kiss to my lips.

  “Alright. Alone at last.”

  I focus on the green and brown specks in his eyes. The details in his iris are stark. Being lost in someone’s eyes now has meaning. I can see where the term came from, as goofy as it may sound. I used to roll my eyes at romantic comedies that waxed poetic. Now If I wasn’t careful I would end up being just like one of those characters.

  Only life didn’t work that way. Max certainly didn’t work that way, despite calling me his girl. It was a verbal hiccup. It had to be.

  Thinking it was more was a setup for immense hurt. Letting my thoughts and heart head down that dead in path was a heartbreak waiting to happen. And I had enough heartbreaks to last me through the rest of college at least. Probably even longer than that.

  “Alone at last.” I repeat back, lost for any other words.

  “How you feeling?”

  “Fine.”

  “Uh oh. Fine? That’s never good.”

  I giggle and flop down on the edge of his bed with a bounce. “I’m fine. Really. I just hope I made the right decision to leave the coffee shop.”

  “Why do you say that? You didn’t just quit without a new job. You love to sing. Plus you make more money now. Sounds like a win-win.”

  I sigh and lay on my back, legs hanging off the side of the bed. He sits next to me and does the same.

  “I just hope this is stable work. The coffee shop might not be much but at least I always knew I had a check coming. I don‘t want to end up homeless.”

  He scoffs and shifts closer to me until our arms brush. “There’s no way that would happen. Your parents would let you go back home if you needed to. Right?”

  “At risk of saying I told you so? Maybe. They told me it would be stupid to quit and I did it anyways.”

  “Well…you could crash here if that happened. With no I told you so.”

  I laugh. “I can crash on the couch Chris isn’t using?”

  “Hell no.” He rolls on top of me and attacks me with kisses. “In my bed.”

  “You’re going to turn this place into a shelter if you don’t watch it.”

  He lets out a chuckle and kisses my neck. I giggle at the tickle of his stubble and push him back far enough to look at him.

  “You have a big heart, Max.”

  Discomfort is obvious in his features. He doesn’t know how to respond to the compliment so he changes the subject instead.

  We talk well into the night about nothing and everything. Plot twists in The Walking Dead. Girl Scout cookie flavors and his inability to resist stocking up on boxes last week when he was caught by a troop in front of AutoZone when he took his car in for an oil change. The classes we both registered for this semester and which ones we’re less than excited to start.

  Sex is off the table tonight with his brother within earshot. It’s unspoken but we both just know. It’s the first night we’re spending together without it. It feels very domestic to get ready for bed, climb under the sheets and hold each other as we fall asleep.

  It dawns on me as I drift into REM that I’ve never stayed the night with a guy without sex. Either the act itself or the pressure to do it was always looming over me. The expectation.

  But not here. Not tonight. And not Max.

  He seemed as content as I was with our companionable plans for the evening.

  ✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

  I wake early to make the guys breakfast the next morning. Bacon and eggs. Toast. Coffee.

  Chris is eternally grateful and spends at least half an hour complimenting my cooking skills. Max spends the entire time glued to my side and shooting dirty looks to his brother when he thinks I’m not looking.

  Little does he know, I’m always looking.

  I hate to admit it but jealousy looks pretty hot on him. Even though he has nothing to be jealous of. Chris is just goading him.

  And even if he was serious in his comments I was all about Max. My affection wasn’t dividable. Each passing day solidifies that more, growing my feelings with each heated kiss, each gentle touch and sweet smile.

  “You’re cute when you’re jealous.” I whisper in his ear when Chris gets up to put his plate in the sink.

  “Shut up.”

  I fight a smirk that matches his. He doesn’t even bother denying it.

  Chris returns to the living room and we start a game of Halo, switching players each round since there’s only two controllers. I can tell each of them take it easy on me when my turn comes up, holding back their curses and the intensity they have when they play each other.

  Enough of that. I didn’t want to be handled with kid gloves.

  Next time I play against Max I unleash. He isn’t expecting me to be a decent opponent and gets obliterated pretty quickly. Chris rolls in a fit of laughter, pointing at Max.

  “God damn she got you good.”

  I smirk at him victoriously as Max passes the controller to him. “You’re next.”

  That stops the laughter and we start the next game. The gloves are off and he doesn’t hold back like he had been doing. We both jump to our feet, shouting profanities as Max sits back in shock.

  When I win this round I spin around to face him, lifting a brow in challenge.

  “You ready to go again?”

  He shakes his head incredulously and laughs. “Hell yeah I’m ready. You’re going down this time, angel.”

  “You wish I would go down, Max.”

  Chris roars in laughter again at the double entendre. Max’s eyes widen in surprise and he lets out a choked laugh.

  He beats me by two measly points. Chris plays him next in my place and I talked shit about each of their techniques throughout the game, happy the tip-toeing around while I was involved in the game had died.

  They were as competitive against me as they were each other and we played for hours. I excused myself from the game to cook us lunch. Avocado, tomato and chicken Panini’s with seasoned fries. I jump back in after we pause to eat and we spend the rest of the day together this way.

  Snacking. Gaming. Laughing.

  “I need to get ready for Blue’s tonight. I have to be there at five.” I announce as the time approaches for me to head to work.

  “Blue’s? The bar?” Chris asks as he powers down the PlayStat
ion. Max picks up dirty napkins and empty coke cans from the coffee table and disappears into the kitchen to toss them in the trash.

  “Yeah. Do you guys want to come? You could see me perform.”

  “Perform? Hate to tell you but it ain’t that kind of place sweetheart.”

  I roll my eyes and snicker, something I find myself doing often around Chris. Under his rough exterior he’s pretty funny. In a dry and sarcastic way.

  “Singing. I sing on Friday and Saturday nights.”

  “No shit?”

  “No shit.”

  “There’s a lot of hot girls there, huh?”

  “I guess.”

  “I’m in.”

  Max walks back in the room at the end of the conversation. “In what?”

  “We’re going to Blue’s tonight. Your girl’s singing and I haven’t been laid in weeks. My dicks gonna fall off if it doesn’t get some action.”

  “We wouldn’t want that.” Max mumbles.

  The three of us part ways to get ready. I use Max’s bathroom to change my outfit and put make-up on. My face is devoid of it so I have to start from scratch and it takes me a few extra minutes. I end up in a busty black top with fitted dark wash distressed jeans and black platform pumps.

  I finish the look off with soft curls, winged eyeliner and my favorite hot pink matte lipstick.

  Both guys look up when my heels clack down the hallway. Chris gives me a cursory glance and returns his attention to the TV.

  Max stares, unable to look away. I smile shyly at him, internally hoping this getup isn’t too much. It seemed casual enough when I picked it but his reaction is making me nervous.

  “What do you think?” I ask, shifting my weight from one foot to the other.