Spar (Sweetbriar Lake)

by Rebecca Jenshak

  “Sweetbriar isn’t so bad. It’ll be fun to have you back. I’m sure Chris and Charlie will be happy, too.”

  Travis snorted.

  “They just like having me here so they can boss me around. Makes them feel better to have the screw-up brother near.”

  Tori nodded. She understood feeling like the screw-up. She’d felt that way for years, growing up behind Ryan. He’d been the perfect athlete, perfect student, all-around good guy. The town had loved and adored him, and she’d resented being the overlooked Calloway kid.

  After not quite living up to Ryan’s big footsteps in any aspect, she’d spent years acting out — hanging with the wrong crowd, the wrong boys, dabbling in cheap thrills wherever she could find them.

  Claire had been a grounding force, always pulling Tori back, reminding her who she was and what was important.

  “Where will you go next?” Tori asked.

  He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the TV. “I don’t know yet.”

  “You still play Chinese Checkers?” Tori asked, eyeing the game on a shelf across the room.

  Travis smiled, the first hint of his old self resurfacing. “Not in years. Why?”

  “I noticed Chris had a board on the shelf.” She pointed at the game. “Feel up to it? I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you in your wounded state.”

  She set the board up on the coffee table, propping several thick books underneath to make it easier for him to reach without bending, and she pulled up a chair on the opposite side of the table.

  They had an ongoing rivalry at Chinese Checkers, dating back to a particularly snowy winter where they’d all spent several days out of school and holed up in her parents’ basement playing board games and eating Doritos and guzzling Pepsi.

  Tori studied Travis across the board. He needed a haircut and a shave, his unruly copper hair was falling into his face. But even his long hair couldn’t hide the bags and lines around his eyes. He looked older than thirty-three. She felt bad for him, but not bad enough to let him win Chinese Checkers, though.

  “You’re killing me,” he said, after losing a third game. “I give. I need to spend some time strategizing before I try to play you again.”

  “Any time. I’m always happy to school you.” She placed the board and marbles back into the box.

  When she stood, she found Chris watching her from the entryway.

  “I should get to bed,” she said to the room, unsure who to direct it to. “Night.”

  She started up the stairs. She could feel Chris’ eyes on her, and she couldn’t resist adding a little extra sway in her hips.

  When she reached the top step, she could hear Chris and Travis talking downstairs but couldn’t quite make out the words. Hopefully, Chris was listening instead of throwing his weight around and bossing Travis like he had her.

  The bedroom door had barely closed behind her when Chris swung it open and stepped inside.

  She turned, watching his large form stand just inside the doorway.

  “Thank you,” he said quietly.

  Chris didn’t move, but she could feel his eyes on her as she walked through the room to the bed. She felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Was he just here to thank her, or was he waiting for an invitation to stay? They’d muddied the line last night, and she wasn’t sure how to move forward.

  “No need to thank me. I like Travis, always have,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s a good guy. He’s just lost his way a bit.”

  Chris let out a breath and let his shoulders fall. It was the closest she’d ever seen him to looking defeated. A tiny crack in his otherwise impenetrable façade.

  He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the ends until they stood straight up. “I don’t know what to say to him or how to help. I feel helpless.”

  She stepped closer, surprised by his admission. It felt like an offering of sorts, a glimpse into the emotions of a man who never came across as anything less than in control.

  “You don’t have to say anything. Not yet. Just be there for him. When he’s ready for more, you’ll know it.”

  “I hope you’re right. I meant to talk to you about him staying here,” Chris said, a guilty looking crossing his face. “If you’re not comfortable with it, I’ll set him up with Charlie.”

  “You’ll do no such thing,” Tori said more harshly than she’d intended. “Travis is going to need you. He’s going to need both of you, and I’m going to make sure you two hear him out and stay by his side until he figures his shit out.”

  He smiled and reached out to her. He ran a thumb over her lips.

  “Micromanaging me, huh?”

  “If that’s what it takes.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He reached up and grabbed her wrists then held them together with one hand above her head.

  She felt his need for control and gave it over to him willingly.

  “Slide your feet apart,” he rasped in her ear.

  She obeyed him without hesitation, and he rewarded her by crashing his lips down on hers and claiming her mouth.

  He moved a leg between hers and pushed her back against the wall. His kiss alone could set her on fire, but she wanted more — needed more.

  She arched her body, using his leg to press against her aching core.

  He chuckled quietly. “Impatient, sweetheart?”

  She answered by rubbing against his leg and deepening the kiss.

  Chris slid a hand up under her shirt and teased a nipple through her bra.

  She tried to move her hands, desperate to get them on his body, but he tightened his grip. Her strength was lacking when compared to his.

  He continued to explore her underneath her shirt, one nipple at a time until she thought she might come just from the sensation alone.

  “Open your eyes,” he said.

  When she did, she found his gaze hooded and needy, a far cry from the confident and demanding way he commanded her body.

  “You belong to me.”

  She started to argue, to let him know that she belonged to no one but herself. She’d spent the better part of her adult years proving to everyone that she could take care of herself.

  But maybe she wasn’t as autonomous as she wanted to believe. She wanted to tell him yes. To scream it.

  He looked at her, obviously waiting for acknowledgment, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know how long this would last, and if she gave even a tiny piece of her heart away, she wouldn’t survive it when she returned to her apartment and life went back to normal.

  She did her best to communicate her feelings with a look before she moved her mouth back to his.

  They fumbled until the backs of her legs touched the side of the bed. He let go of her hands long enough for her to slide his shirt up over his head, revealing his hard-earned body. She hurried her hands at his jeans, releasing the button and sliding the zipper down around his bulge.

  She looped her thumbs into the band of his boxers and pulled both them and his jeans down in one fell swoop as she kneeled before him.

  Tori took him into her mouth, feeling oddly liberated on her knees in front of him. He let her take control, only guiding her by the faint pressure he placed on both sides of her temple as he worked his hands through her hair.

  He moaned through clenched teeth and pulled her up to her feet. He lifted her onto the bed. He pulled at her pants, one leg at a time, kissing her calf and up to the apex of her thighs.

  When he finally reached her soaked panties, she cried out and bucked beneath his touch.

  “Say it. Say you belong to me,” he demanded through gritted teeth.

  Tori bit down on her lip, afraid of the words that might tumble out of her mouth if she didn’t.

  “Say it.” Chris growled, nipping at her inner thigh.

  When she still didn’t respond, he moved up and hovered over her. She stared at the gorgeous man surrounding her. He was propped up on two large arms, sweat beading on his forehead. What in the h
ell was she waiting for? This big, beautiful man wanted her to belong to him. Who was she to deny him? Especially when it was so obvious she did. Every fiber in her obstinate body was his.

  “You. I belong to you,” Tori whispered.

  He grinned down at her. That mischievous, mocking grin was back. “Don’t you forget it, sweetheart.”

  His mocking tone frustrated the hell out of her, but damn, if it didn’t turn her on, too. She reached up with her mouth and clamped down on a nipple, earning a startled yip followed by a deep chuckle. He released his weight down on top of her and took a nipple in his mouth biting down like she had done before easing back and sucking gently.

  Tori relaxed into the bed, letting him explore her body. He left a warm trail of hot kisses and bites from her breasts to her navel, drew her legs up and shifted between them.

  She was impatient for more, wanting to feel him inside her, consuming her every sensation and thought. She squirmed beneath him as he pushed a finger inside followed by the flick of his tongue.

  His pace infuriated her, and she could almost feel the smile on his lips as he kept on at the slow speed that was driving her mad. She was playing a dangerous game with her heart, but her body was pushing forward carelessly, ready to tumble headfirst wherever he was leading.

  She cried out his name on the brink of exploding, just as he entered her hard, taking her by surprise.

  “Say it, Tori. Tell me again,” he whispered in her ear so faintly she second-guessed whether she had heard him right.

  The look on his face was intense. No trace of the sardonic smile.

  She no longer hesitated, giving in to his demand as if it was the most natural instinct.

  “I belong to you, Chris.” She moaned and shattered beneath him.

  They lay in silence afterward, only their ragged breathing filled the room.

  He broke the silence first, pulling her against him. “I have to take Travis to the doctor first thing in the morning, so I won’t be here when you wake up, but I was thinking we could go out after work tomorrow.

  She nuzzled into his chest, looking up at him. “Like a date?” she asked with a mocking tone.

  Chris squeezed her tighter. “Yes, like a date.” He growled in her ear.

  “Are you going to bring me flowers and try and kiss me good night?”

  “You’re mocking me,” he warned.

  Tori placed a hand to the center of her chest in dramatic shock. “I would never.”

  Chris brushed his lips against hers and rolled to the side of the bed.

  “Get some sleep. I need to go talk with Charlie and Travis. I’ll be home at six tomorrow night to pick you up,” he said as he rose from the bed. “And Tori, I’m gonna try and do a lot more than kiss you afterward.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Chris followed behind his brothers, thinking about all the doctor had said. Travis had been lucky this time. This time. The idea that this had happened before and would happen again was not sitting well with him. How had he failed his brother? He knew things were bad and that Travis had been in and out of trouble and still he hadn’t done everything he could to help.

  Sure, he had called and texted. He’d used the good-cop-bad-cop routine. He had even offered to step in and settle Travis’ debts and get him back on his feet.

  Tori’s words replayed in his head. “Just be there for him.” Chris wasn’t sure how to do that. He was a man of action. He took care of things and people. Hanging around and waiting for his brother to reach out to him was going to be torture.

  Charlie helped Travis into the truck and shut the back door. “I’ve got a meeting downtown. Can you drop me off?” he asked. His face mirrored the concern that Chris felt. The carefree, fun-loving Charlie was gone and instead stood the protective big brother that hadn’t made an appearance in a while.

  Chris walked around to the driver’s side and lifted himself into the seat. When they were all settled in the truck, Chris responded so that Travis could hear the plan, too.

  “I’ll drop you off, and then I need to swing by a work site. Travis and I will pick you up when we’re done.”

  Travis was quiet from the back seat, but Chris caught his sulking grimace in the rearview mirror. He was prepared to wait him out and “just be there,” but that was going to have to include bringing Travis along to job sites. The apartment complex fixes were underway and other sites needed to be checked on as well.

  Travis finally spoke up as they pulled into the apartments. “This ol’ dump is still standing?” he asked peering out the window.

  “Barely. There was an electrical fire in one of the units last week.”

  They exited the truck, Travis hopping down to the ground with only a small groan. He motioned toward the crowd of men bustling around the lot. “You have all these guys working on one unit?”

  Chris headed for the office with Travis on his heels. “We uncovered a lot more damage throughout the apartments when the inspector did a walk-through.”

  “Seems like it would be easier to just tear this dump down and start from scratch.” Travis eyed the place over.

  Chris scoffed at the remark. He wasn’t wrong, but Travis seemed to forget how things were done in Sweetbriar. Change didn’t come easily to the majority of its residents. This place had been around as long as most of them could remember. It was in need of some repairs, but to tear it down would be putting fifty people out of a home — some of them families with small children. His brother had been gone for over ten years, but it seemed ironic that a man without a place to call his own was dismissing this place so easily.

  “Easier for whom?” Chris asked as he opened the door to the trailer.

  “There he is!” Dax said, meeting them at the door and giving Chris a warning look.

  Chris spotted Benny rising from a chair across the trailer. He furrowed his brow as he wondered what Benny was doing in Sweetbriar. And, furthermore, how had he tracked him down to the worksite?

  “Benny, what a surprise,” Chris said, crossing the room to the old man.

  Benny raised both arms at his side. “In the flesh.”

  Chris extended his hand and then motioned for Benny to take his seat again.

  “Please sit. To what do I owe this honor?” Chris asked.

  He noticed Travis still hung in the doorway and realized Benny hadn’t met his middle brother.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t think you’ve met my brother Travis,” he said and gestured toward the doorway. “Travis, this is Benny.”

  “Ah, another White brother. Does this one box too?” Benny asked, circling Travis and looking him over. “A bit small, but you look tough. I’d guess you’ve been in a street scrap or two. You let me know if you ever want to try your luck in a real fight.”

  Travis glanced from Benny to Chris with a surprised look on his face.

  “As for you…” Benny said, approaching Chris. “…you’ve been avoiding my calls.”

  “I’m sorry. I meant to call you back. Work has been busy. Besides, I think I might be done with all that,” Chris said. His emotions were split. He loved fighting. It would always be a part of him. Fighting and the hours he spent training for it made up such a huge piece of his past. It wasn’t easy to imagine a life without it.

  “Nonsense. You just need a good challenge,” Benny argued.

  Travis stepped forward. “Wait, you’re still fighting?”

  Chris kept quiet, unsure how to explain the fights he’d been a part of. He had kept it secret from everyone in his life, but he felt an odd comfort that if anyone would understand, it would be Travis.

  “Some unsanctioned events in Carroll,” he said as he met Travis’ confused stare.

  “I have the event you’ve been waiting for,” Benny said, handing Chris a flyer from his pocket.

  Chris unfolded the paper and read it, speaking the name of the title fighter out loud in shock. “Louis Kay!” He looked up to see Benny grinning back at him. “You got Louis?”

  �
��That’s right. This Saturday. It’s your fight if you want it, but I need an answer today.”

  Chris stared back down at the paper. He’d been waiting years for a chance to fight Louis again.

  “Why does that name sound familiar?” Travis asked, snatching the flyer from Chris.

  “He won the Junior World Boxing Championship in 1999,” Benny said, not taking his eyes off Chris.

  Travis nodded, giving Chris an understanding look.

  Chris grabbed a hardhat from his desk and took off out the door, not looking back as he spoke. “I’ve got to get to work. Thank you for coming down, Benny, but I’m not interested in fighting anymore.”

  Tori browsed through her closet, thankful that Chris had gone to the trouble of unpacking her things. She needed an outfit that would stun him, a feat not easily obtained when she thought of all the times he’d already seen her dressed up for formal events or nights out. Finding something to wear that would wow him in a way she hadn’t before seemed an impossible task.

  She threw another outfit on the bed, dismissing it as an option for tonight. Their first date. Considering all they had been through, it seemed silly to be so nervous and excited, but she was both as she whirled around the large room, the scent of him still clinging to the walls. Every paint color, every piece of furniture had been chosen, or at the very least signed off by him. The effect was beautiful and mesmerizing.

  Tori waited until she heard Chris pull up outside before leaving the comfort of her bedroom. Her bedroom. It had started to feel like home in such a short amount of time. The butterflies in her stomach nosedived.

  She stopped at the bottom of the stairs just as the front door opened.

  “I said, drop it.” Annoyance colored Chris’ voice as he stormed through the door.

  Charlie and Travis were right on his heels, sharing a perplexed look. Charlie spoke up first. “I don’t understand why you didn’t tell us.” He sounded hurt, almost regretful.

  Tori felt like an intruder. She tried to sneak back up the stairs unnoticed, but at the click of her heels on the stairs, all three men turned in her direction.

  Chris looked at her with fire in his eyes. She held on to the banister, afraid the weight of his stare would throw her off-balance. She wasn’t sure if the look in his eyes was due to his annoyance with his siblings or because of her, but she was choosing to believe the latter.