Live For You (Boys of the South ~ Book 1)

by Marquita Valentine

  “Ohmygod,” she cries out and I cover her mouth with mine, drinking in the sounds of her orgasm as she comes on my hand and coats it with her juices.

  As she calms down, I remove my fingers and lick them, making sure she’s watching. “Taste so good, I’ll be coming back for second and thirds.”

  “What about you?” One of her hands finds my dick and I thrust into her with a groan.

  “Later.” I kiss her again, mouth open and tongue plunging inside. She sucks my tongue and I nearly come undone. She’s tasting herself on me and it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever felt.

  A throat clears and Rae tenses in my arms. I stop kissing her and look down into her wide eyes. Luckily my back is to our intruders and I use it to shield her so she can pull her shirt down and fix her shorts.

  I turn around, facing Wyatt, who has a smirk on his lips. Lacey’s staring, her big brown eyes going from one of us to the other. Her hand falls from his and so does the smirk from his face.

  Shit. I don’t know how or why, but I’m sure that my fault.

  “Guess you two are getting to know each other?” Lacey asks.

  Wyatt crosses his arms. “I think they know a lot about each other. Right, Cole?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Violet

  I can’t believe we got caught. More importantly, I can’t believe what I allowed Cole to do to me. My body is sated but wanting more. I want Cole inside of me, with his promise to take me home with him, but I’m not with him right now. This night is for Lacey, not my raging hormones.

  The cold night air hits me as we walk to the restaurant from the parking lot. I rode with Lacey over here while Wyatt caught a ride with Cole. I rub my arms. A warm coat covers my shoulders. I breathe deeply, relishing the smell of Cole.

  “Won’t you be cold?”

  He shoves his hands into his pockets. His black hair sticks out from beneath his knit cap. “I’m fine.”

  Lacey and Wyatt walk ahead of us. I catch pieces and parts of their conversations.

  “So today in class we were discussing that worms have both male and female parts, yet still need another worm to mate.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, but some worms are asexual and use their own—.”

  Were they really talking about the mating habit of worms?

  “Lacey’s going to school to be a vet’s assistant. She loves animals, even the not so attractive kinds,” Cole says, as if reading my thoughts. Or he’d caught pieces of their conversation, too.

  “Wyatt likes to hear about that?”

  “Lacey could talk about the mating habits of sloths and he’d be enraptured. God help him if she ever talked about human mating habits. He’d probably go nuclear.” Cole laughs and Wyatt glances over his shoulder, flipping him off.

  “They’re a couple? I thought—”

  “They’re friends, nothing more. Well, there can never be anything more,” he says, lighting a cigarette. He offers one and I decline. Cigarettes and healthy vocal chords don’t play well together.

  “Why—her parents don’t like Asian guys?”

  “No, his parents only want him dating Japanese girls from the right side of the tracks. Ones with ambition, and don’t work as a hostess at their steakhouses.”

  “Oh.”

  We head inside the pizza joint, hot air and the smell of garlic hitting me all at once. My stomach growls.

  Lacey turns to me. “Booth or table?”

  “Booth,” I say, feeling just a little more than exposed standing here, but no one’s even looking our way. I’m still safe from prying eyes. A shaky breath leaves me.

  Cole grabs my hand and squeezes.

  The hostess walks us over to a booth. I sit beside Lacey instead of Cole, because I know I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself. He smirks at me, sitting with Wyatt.

  “Dude. Personal space,” Cole complains.

  “I got over personal space while sharing a hole in ground.”

  I stare at Wyatt. “What would you share a hole?”

  He glances at Lacey, her eyes are wide. He’s concerned for her, for her reaction. “It was my bed for fifteen months.”

  “You don’t have to talk about it,” Lacey says, her hand tightening around the glass of water the waitress just bought her.

  He flashes her a smile. “I don’t mind, sweetheart.”

  Her lashes flutter rapidly and she frowns. Maybe she doesn’t like terms of endearment? She turns to me, all serious. “Wyatt hasn’t been home that long and I don’t think we should talk about what he’s been through. He could be suffering from PTSD and have flashbacks.”

  Even I know what that is. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The therapist I saw for a couple of months after the wreck claimed I was suffering from it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Lace, calm down.”

  Cole taps his fork against his knife. “Attention, please. I’d like to get down the business of ordering pizza, not psychoanalyzing why we’re attracted to the color blue.”

  We laugh, the tension that had been slowly bleeding into our conversation stopped.

  “The color blue? Seriously?” Wyatt shakes his head and drinks some beer.

  Cole winks at me and shrugs. “Best I could come up with on the fly.”

  After the waitress takes our order, the guys get caught up with the football game on the television at the bar and wander over.

  Lacey turns to me again. “I want to apologize for snapping at you.”

  She thought she’d snapped at me? Clearly she’s never been in a screaming match before. My former best friend and I could screech at each other for hours before we calmed down. I’m pretty sure it was an art we perfected over time.

  “It’s okay.”

  “I had a very nice time with you this evening. It was nice not riding alone to the rally. And I wondered if you’d like to do something tomorrow, after church service?”

  She’s so formal and so stilted that I’m not sure if she’s trying to put me off so that I never want to spend time with her again. Take a chance, Rae, I remind myself.

  “Sure.”

  A smile curves her lips, shy and pretty. Apparently, the only place she really feels confident is when she’s skating. I totally get that. Performing is where I feel confident, too.

  The pizza arrives and the waitress sets the big silver pan on a matching silver stand. She serves me and Lacey a slice each since the guys are still at the bar, cheering for their teams.

  “He’s a nice guy, you know,” Lacey says.

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “And you’re pretty nice, too, despite what they say about you on the internet.”

  My pizza slides from hands and onto my plate. “Excuse me?” I croak. Panicking, I search for Cole, but he’s not at the bar with Wyatt anymore.

  “You know, when you crashed your car into a tree? I’m sorry about the miscarriage. But most women who have one usually get pregnant right away when they try again,” she says, focusing on rearranging the pepperoni on her slice. “That’s a good thing, huh.”

  She can’t be serious. She can’t know about my secret. No one but Jaxon and Nana does. And for damn sure, Nana hasn’t told anyone.

  The sound of rushing water fills my ears. I lurch to one side in the booth, then begin to shove against Lacey. I’m trapped and I can’t breathe. “Let me out…please. Let me out.”

  She scrambles out of the booth, a look of genuine concern on her face. “Are you okay?”

  “No, I am not okay, you…you heartless bitch,” I snap at her, then lower my voice. “Do you really think any woman who has a miscarriage is reassured by the—” I make air quotes. “—fact she’ll get pregnant right away?”

  Blood drains from her face. “I’m sorry. Sometimes, I say things and I’m…” She pauses, fat tears sliding from her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I swear it. I’m not normal.” Then she runs out of the restaurant.

  Wyatt shoots me a glare, the
chases after her, calling her name.

  I sag against the booth, very aware that a few people are watching me. I have to go. I start for the door, but strong arms come around me. “Where is everyone?”Cole asks, then kisses me on the cheek.

  “I made Lacey cry,” I whisper as Wyatt reappears, his face drawn tight.

  “What did you say to her?” Wyatt demands.

  I smash my lips together. I’d rather take the accusations of being a bitch than reveal what either of us said. I shake my head, break free of Cole’s hold and rush outside.

  *** *** ***

  Cole

  I watch in disbelief as Rae runs out of the restaurant.

  “Remind me to never leave our dates for the bar again.” Wyatt says and punches my shoulder, a little harder than necessary. “Lacey’s taken off, wouldn’t talk to me…Damn, I should go after her. Make sure she gets home okay.”

  “Rae will need a ride home.” I stare at the pizza, grab some money from my wallet and leave enough to cover it and a tip. Then head for the door.

  Shit. It’s freezing outside and the only thing keeping Rae warm is my coat. I hear a muffled sob and turn around. Rae’s crouched down, leaning against the brick wall. Her phone is in her hand. Thumbs flying over the screen.

  I cross the distance between us and crouch down beside her. “Want to tell me what happened back there?”

  “No,” she sniffs, still staring at her phone. She smacks it. “Piece of—”

  I take the phone from her and she looks up at me. The street light illuminates her face. It’s streaked with tears and mascara. My heart turns over in my chest.

  “Go on; read it,” she says, rubbing the corner of her eye with a knuckle. “Find out the truth about me.”

  The temptation to read whatever’s on her phone is there, like picking fruit from a low hanging branch when you’re starving. Instead, I turn off her phone without looking at the screen, then slip it in my pocket. “The only truth I want to find out is from you, not second hand sources and sure as hell not from a gossip site. When you’re ready to tell me, I’m listening.” I stand, holding out my hand to her. “Until then, let’s get you out this nut-freezing cold.”

  She sniffs, then laughs, just a little, but it’s enough to make me smile. Her small hand slips into mine. “Can you drive me home? My ride’s left me.”

  “Yeah, let me drop off Wyatt first though.”

  We walk to my Jeep, where Wyatt is waiting. His hands are shoved in his pockets, but at least he has on a coat. I glance at Rae, smiling wryly. The things we do for women.

  After driving in total silence back to the parking lot where Wyatt’s truck waits and dropping him off with a promise to text him later, I head out of town.

  The engine has finally warmed up enough for me to turn on the heat. As soon as it starts to blast, Rae holds her hands out in front the vents, turning them this way and that.

  “Does that offer of yours still stand?” she asks as I downshift into fourth gear.

  Anticipation jumps through me, meeting up with lust and desire. My dick gets hard. My fingers tighten around the gear shirt. “Which one?”

  “About going home with you.”

  “Yeah.” I’ve gone all monosyllabic on her. Nice, Morgan, real nice.

  “Take me then.”

  She wraps her arms around her middle and I’m not sure if she should come home with me at all. There’s a reason I don’t sleep with girls who are drunk or high. But I never thought I’d have to add emotionally compromised to that list.

  Reluctantly, I pull into the driveway. I’m nervous as hell, my leg threatening to shake. Braking, I roll to a slow stop and cut the engine. “Are you sure about this?” I stare out the windshield, at the stars and the moon hanging low in the sky. I can’t look at her; I’m too afraid of what I’ll see in her eyes.

  “I’m sure I don’t want to be alone.” Her hand slides across my thigh and I can’t help but look her way then. Her eyes are soft and her lips are close. “Let me stay.”

  I nod, then unlock the door and get out. She’s out of the Jeep before I can even get on her side. A part of me wants to sweep her up in my arms and start things now. But she seems so fragile at this moment that I opt for taking her hand in mine again.

  The connection between us hums to life.

  I can barely unlock the front door, but I do and pull her inside after me. She reaches for me, her hands on my face and then her lips on my throat. I groan, pulling her up and around me, my hands under her thighs, as I stagger to my bedroom. I manage to cut on the light with my elbow.

  She nips at my chin, my jaw and—holy hell—my earlobe. I lean into her bites, wanting more and craving skin to skin contact.

  “Are you sure?” I make myself ask, another attempt at being noble, at doing the right thing and not being a selfish bastard who only wants to bury himself inside of her and get off. Only I know tonight, it won’t be like that between us. I’m not using her to fight my inner demons.

  I just want to touch and feel her, be inside of her and take her breaths as my own.

  In answer, she shoves her hands down the front of my jeans and grips my dick. She’s not gentle about it at all and I fucking love it. “I want you inside of me, Cole,” she says echoing my thoughts.

  I kiss her then, hungry for her taste. Dumping her on the mattress, I make quick work of getting both of us out of our clothes.

  Condoms are in the nightstand by my bed, and I root around the drawer and grab a couple, slinging them on the wood grain top. One overshoots and falls behind the bed.

  Dammit.

  I’m nervous as hell. I’ve never had a girl here before, always hooking up at their place. Not because I think my room is sacred, but I do have a little sister to think of and her waking up to breakfast with some random girl doesn’t sit right with me. But tonight, Kelly’s gone, staying at a friend’s house.

  Thank God for sleepovers, I think, before Rae’s hands are once more around my dick. Suddenly, her tongue swirls around the head and I gasp, “Holy shit.” I watch her mouth move on me, her body golden. No tans lines evident anywhere. She takes me deep and it’s all I can do not to come right then.

  I allow her to torture me a bit longer, then push her back on the bed. Placing a knee on the mattress, I look her over. Her chest is heaving, breasts with pink nipples hard and begging for my mouth.

  She’s not shy about her body, not this time, and I smile, tracing an invisible line from her throat to the bluebird tattoo on her hip then down to her blonde curls. Her pussy is soft, smooth and extremely wet. My fingers dip between her lips, finding her swollen clit and she moans.

  Her legs part and I slowly sink two fingers inside. “Like that?” I growl.

  “Yes.”

  I give a hard thrust and her back arches. “And that?”

  “Stop playing around, Cole.”

  I lean over her, kissing a hard nipple and biting it. Hard. She squeals and grabs my hair. I slide my tongue lower, over that damn scar she’s so ashamed of, and right to wear I’m going to put my dick in a few minutes.

  I flick my tongue over her clit and she lets go of my hair to clutch the comforter. “You like that, too?”

  “Yes,” she says again. And I take a long, slow lick.

  “Want me to stop?” I ask against her delicate skin. I suck her clit in my mouth, gentle enough to not hurt her but hard enough to make her scream.

  “No, no…don’t.”

  My dick is hard enough to crack anything open and I’m nearly out of my mind with wanting her, but teasing her, drawing it out…watching her come undone is a heady thing.

  I stop, looking up at her. She glares at me, her mouth pouting.

  “Now, I don’t believe you actually like it as much as you say.” That glare of hers turns murderous. “How about you tell me what you want me to do?”

  “Lick me,” she orders, her face coloring beyond the flush of sexual arousal.

  “Lick you where?”

 
; Her fingers glide down, with a practice ease that I find extremely hot, and show me. Soon I’m not sure what turns me on more, watching her work her clit or the noises she’s making. I grab a condom and shove it on, then push her hands out of the way.

  “Last chance, baby. Tell me no and we stop, turn out the lights and go to sleep.” Well, I’d spend the night in the shower, cold water as my blanket. But I want the option out there. She always has a choice with me.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Violet

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks again, as if I need yet a third time to think about the decision I’d made as soon as I’d gotten in his Jeep.

  I gaze into his dark blue eyes. They’re filled with lust, desire and tenderness, mirroring my inner emotions. Smiling, I let my gaze drift lower and lower as I admire him. Tattoos follow the contours of muscles and skin. Lines of poetry that I’m familiar with and some I’m not. I touch him, splaying my fingers wide over his hard abs.

  He’s beautifully hard, muscled, and soon to be mine.

  I need him inside of me. I want to forget that my conversation with Lacey ever happened. I only want to remember what happened in the old gym. His fingers inside of me, making me come. My orgasm so hard and amazing I’d forgotten who I was in that moment.

  “Rae?” he pants.

  I spread my legs wider in invitation. “Yes,” I say and he covers me, his chest pressed to mine. I close my eyes, reveling in the feel of him. So strong and hard in my arms. The crisp hair on his legs rub against my sensitized skin. And I can’t help but moan. I grip his shoulders, kiss his chest and scrape my teeth over his nipples.

  He groans, then raises up slightly and rubs his cock against me, where I’m wet and exposed. The blunt head of him eases inside of me and my eyes open wide at his invasion. His hips roll and he’s stretching me. My nails dig into his shoulders and he hisses. A sound of pure pleasure to my ears.

  “This good?”