The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories

by Brina Courtney

  “Makes sense.” I frowned. “I was just wondering... see there,” I pointed to the other side of the Lake, “all the homes are close together, but right around here, there aren’t any residences close to your cabin. How is that possible?”

  “I own a large chunk of the waterfront here. If I wanted to parcel it and sell it off, there could be at least two more houses and no privacy.”

  I gulped. That was a lot of land and for sure worth a fortune, since it sat right on the beach.

  Ethan must have read my mind, because he chuckled and said, “The family helped. My parents are well off, and although I didn’t want to accept any money from them, they convinced me to do just that. I agreed only after I persuaded them to put their names on the deed to actually co-own the property with me.”

  “That was generous of them,” I commented.

  “Yes, but it’s also an investment for them, so I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise. They know I’m stubborn and won’t take handouts.”

  Ethan’s cell phone chimed again. He pulled it out and looked at the screen. “Text from Jack,” he announced. “Another one checking on us,” he added, typing a response. “If they all knew what’s going on, I would be getting phone calls and texts nonstop. No, actually, the whole clan would charge in here, ready to take on anyone who might try to stand in their way.”

  “You’re lucky to have such a caring family.”

  He nodded.

  I thought about calling Jessica, my lawyer. But I didn’t want her to question me again about where I was. She would also try to convince me to reenter the FBI witness protection plan. And that was out of the question. Although, I really needed a plan.

  Where would I go and how would I survive after leaving Ethan’s cabin? He had to return to work and his life. His furlough was ending in three days from now. Even if he offered for me to stay somewhere else with him, I wouldn’t accept it. I already put him in enough danger by coming with him here. He didn’t owe me anything.

  I patted my pocket, making sure the phone was in there. It was powered off though. I needed to check for messages. Maybe Jessica had some new facts that would make my situation easier.

  I was about to pull the phone out and turn it on when Ethan stood up and held his hand out to me. “Let’s eat breakfast and then we’ll go hiking.”

  Without thinking, I took his hand. That was a mistake. A warmth spread from his skin through mine, rushing in my veins, getting hotter, spreading into all those places of my body that it shouldn’t spread into. I stood up and jerked my hand back, but the longing stayed.

  “Sounds good?” he asked.

  “Uhm... yes. Breakfast... I would love to go for a hike.” I tried to put as much enthusiasm into my words as I could muster. Keeping my mind on the beautiful outdoors was a much better idea than getting more confused over Ethan. “What can I help with in the kitchen?”

  “Come with me.” He motioned with his head for me to follow. “I will show you.”

  Now I just had to figure out how to get the picture of his beautiful, half-naked body out of my mind. Oh, that was going to be hard.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ETHAN

  I couldn’t quite discern Lisbeth. One moment she seemed easy going and focused, and then she would become skittish like a shy schoolgirl, cowering with her head drawn between her shoulders. But then again, was I expecting too much from her? From what I’ve learned, she went through the horrors in the past two weeks. It was a miracle she hasn’t turned into a complete nutcase.

  PTSD, or the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder must have come as the result of watching her friend being raped and murdered. I’ve seen too many of my Marine buddies go through that. We witnessed the terrors; we lived through the nightmares, through excruciating fear, and a complete doubt in the existence of human goodness. The fortitude could only go so far.

  I was a lucky one—or maybe the unusually strong one, who was somehow well equipped to handle the dreads that came with my previous job. Although, let’s face it—Najia’s death was the last drop that forced me to leave the service. That’s when I decided to become the firefighter. Jack insisted it was because I chased after an adrenaline-inducing career, but that was bullshit.

  I poured more coffee into our mugs. Lisbeth washed her hands and asked what she could make for breakfast.

  “Let’s have eggs,” I decided. “I like scrambled. You?”

  “Scrambled are good.”

  “Okay then.” I got the eggs out of the fridge together with bacon, bread, peanut butter, and strawberry jam.

  “Mmm, I love peanut butter with jam.” Lisbeth’s eyes shone with anticipation.

  “On bread?” I asked and then immediately realized that such an innocent question could be understood as an insinuation.

  “Of course. What else?” she asked indifferently.

  I wasn’t about to go there. If she was any other woman, I would have answered: On my stomach—spread thinly from my navel, all the way down for you to taste. But she wasn’t like the other women in my life. She would never be.

  The peanut butter fantasy set my sexual dial to “half-ready”. My cock hardened a little as if that fantasy was actually happening. To get distracted, I bent down to check on the firebox. The wood inside was burning nicely. It would provide enough heat to cook our breakfast.

  Lisbeth was already busy with breaking the eggs into a bowl and sprinkling salt and pepper into the mixture. I took care of the bacon, laying it carefully in the heated pan.

  My kitchen wasn’t huge, and cooking together on my wood-burning stove didn’t warrant much space between us. The hairs on my arm stood up on end, sending a hot shiver down to my groin whenever our arms brushed against one another. This was such a sweet torment. I wasn’t sure how long I was able to withstand that nagging need that kept building inside me.

  “These are ready,” Lisbeth announced, meaning the eggs. They looked delicious.

  “Great. Get the plates from there,” I pointed to one of the cupboards, “and set them on the table. The silverware is in that drawer,” I pointed to another spot. She took the pan and carried it away, turning her back to me. I needed a very cold shower. Or very hot sex.

  “Just ask,” she said, while standing on her tippy toes and reaching for the plates.

  “What?” I looked at her questioningly. Did she mean... no, better not. I hoped not. She wouldn’t tease me, would she?

  Lisbeth turned to me and raised one eyebrow. She held the pan with eggs in one hand and a plate in the other.

  “What do you mean exactly?” I was getting even more confused.

  “Do you ever say ‘please’, or do you only tell people what to do?”

  Ah, that’s what she meant. I exhaled a bit disappointed. A part of me was relieved, because no matter how much I wanted her, I resolved not to touch her. The other part... well, I wouldn’t even let that part get any votes in.

  I smirked and shook my head, returning to my bacon pan.

  “You know, a ‘please’ and a ‘thank you’ is usually very helpful. It opens a lot of doors.” She put the plate down and slid some of the scrambled eggs onto it.

  I shot her a dubious look, more to annoy her than anything else. I was inwardly chuckling at how easily I pushed her buttons.

  “I’m just saying.” Lisbeth reached for the second plate, still holding the pan with eggs with her other hand. Her shirt rose up a bit over the waistband of her shorts, revealing a narrow patch of skin. My gaze clung to that spot as if it was the most delicious thing in the world. And maybe it was.

  I removed the pan with bacon from the hot plate of my stove and walked to the table, where Lisbeth was already arranging the eggs on the second plate, leaving some space for the bacon.

  “Do you care for a few slices of bacon? If so, please move your fork off the plate. Thank you,” I said mockingly.

  She didn’t miss a beat. “Much better.”

  I rolled my eyes at her.

&n
bsp; “Adorable,” she said, looking at me.

  “Adorable?”

  “Yes. Men who aren’t afraid to roll their eyes are totally adorable. Rolling eyes is more of the women’s domain.”

  And just like that she totally messed with my manhood and me. She made me say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, with just one short comment. And then she called me freakin’ adorable, because I did what was a woman’s thing to do. Great, just great.

  I knew exactly what I wanted to do with her now—I wanted to put her across my knee and spank that shapely butt of hers. Hard, leaving red handprints on it, branding her to be mine. I regretted not having my sex toys in the cabin, but what would be the point? I’ve never invited women here. This was my solitude, my escape, and so all the fun items were back at my house. But if I could only have my flogger or one of the black leather riding crops. Hah.

  That thought made me smile. It wasn’t a pretty smile, but she took it for something else entirely, because she said with a definite appreciation in her voice, “See? It wasn’t so hard, was it now?”

  I would like to show you hard. In so many ways.

  “Let’s eat. I’m starving.” I pulled the chair out and sat down.

  She stood with her hands on her hips, eyebrows elevated.

  “Please,” I added derisively.

  This time she rolled her eyes, and I grinned through the mouthful of eggs. I’ve never had so much fun with a woman. Except for Chris, but she was a completely different story, being homosexual and my best female friend.

  Lisbeth slowly shook her head.

  “What?” I asked, while biting on a piece of bacon.

  “Nothing.” Lisbeth made an innocent face.

  I squinted at her skeptically.

  She sighed and chuckled. “Nothing. It’s okay. I’ve never spent a lot of time around guys, so...”

  “So?” I prompted.

  There was another sigh. She put her fork down and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Well, you’re such a... a... guy.”

  I almost choked on my food. “What did you expect?”

  “No, it’s not that.” She laughed nervously. “Just... I’ve never spent much time around men. I guess, I’m not used to... ah, let’s just drop it.”

  I laughed. “Okay, I promise not to burp loudly or fart or any of such. If that’s what you mean.”

  She went completely red in the face. That made me chuckle again. Wow, I couldn’t recall ever meeting a girl like this one. It was actually very refreshing.

  “Okay?” I asked.

  She shrugged, smiling shyly.

  I reclined in my chair and, tilting my head to one side watched her. That made her act even more uncomfortable. I motioned to her coffee mug and asked, “I’m getting more. Do you want a refill?”

  “Sure, thank you.”

  “You bet. No, wait—you’re welcome.”

  “You’re just making fun of me,” she complained while getting the milk jug from the fridge.

  “How would I even dare?” I poured the fragrant, dark liquid into her cup, and then some into mine as well. So,” I changed the subject, “there are some cool hikes in this area. Let’s get going soon. Have you ever hiked before?”

  “I sure have. I enjoy the outdoors. Let me change into some long pants and put my boots on. I wouldn’t want to pick up any ticks on the way.”

  I nodded with approval. Smart thinking. Ticks were a nasty business.

  About half an hour later, we were on a rather easy, short hike. I chose one of the simplest hikes, not knowing the level of Lisbeth’s fitness. While hiking by myself or with any of my brothers, I would, most likely, choose a more demanding trail. But this time, I took my companion to a near-by, flat walk that wound close to Devil’s Lake.

  Lisbeth kept glancing to the sides and taking in the surrounding area, her eyes wide-opened in awe. The scenery was beautiful: the Lake, the thicket of the greenery, the cloudless sky. The air was warm but still felt refreshing.

  I took a deep lungful and asked, “What do you think? Is this okay?”

  Her eyes smiled. Her whole face smiled! “Are you kidding? What a fantastic place. I love it!”

  That was uplifting. I couldn’t remember any woman I knew to be so upbeat about the outdoors.

  “A couple of miles down this way,” I pointed to our left, “is a great climbing wall. People come from all over the area to climb it, no matter the season.”

  “Do you rock climb?” she asked.

  “Yeah. All of us do. I mean my brothers and cousins. Have you ever tried?”

  “No. I don’t think I could. I’m really afraid of heights.”

  I nodded. Many people were scared of heights, and there wasn’t much to do about that.

  “This view is breathtaking.” Lisbeth put her hand on the trunk of a large oak tree, looking down at the Lake.

  It sure was. Every time I went hiking near Devil’s Lake, I felt as if seeing the beauty of this place from a new, never-before-discovered angle.

  We continued on, when Lisbeth slipped on a patch of mud, hidden under a layer of leaves. She squealed as she started to fall, arms flailing. I tried to grasp her quickly around her waist, but she slid down and my hands closed over her breasts. Fuck, just what I needed to keep myself in check. But at least I saved her from falling.

  I moved my hands away in a hurry, as if she burned me. In a sense, she did. “Sorry, I didn’t want you to fall and hurt yourself. Are you okay?”

  Mortified, she kept her eyes cast down. She gulped and said, “Whoa! That was close. Thanks for catching me. How embarrassing.”

  “Nothing to be embarrassed about.” I playfully nudged her, hoping to lighten the mood. But damn, she had some nice, full breasts. One more thing to keep me up at night, I though, not at all upset about it. “Next time warn me, so I can be prepared.”

  “Smart ass,” she murmured quietly, but I heard it nevertheless. She walked faster ahead of me.

  Naturally, my eyes immediately slid to her butt. In my defense, I was a guy. God, I wanted to spank that butt so badly. My riding crop came to mind again. She would love it, or I would teach her to do so.

  With a great level of difficulty, I wrestled my mind away from these naughty thoughts. I caught up with Lisbeth and glanced at her. A tiny smile danced on her lips. She noticed me looking and bit on her lower lip. I wondered what she was thinking.

  Chapter Eighteen

  LISBETH

  I was mortified. And mad at myself too! How could I be so clumsy? Like some helpless damsel in distress. Ugh, I was sure Ethan thought about me just that. Great. On the other hand, why was I so obsessed with what his opinion of me was? I didn’t try to make an impression. I only needed to remain calm and focused. But that wasn’t happening. Calm—maybe, at least more than I was yesterday, but focused? Not so much.

  There was also that nagging feeling that I couldn’t shake off. Sure, Ethan was really good looking, but that’s not what caused it. From the very moment we met, he emanated some strange energy that made my heart beat faster. I recalled how I wanted to stay close to him after climbing out from the panic room, because he made me feel safe. How impossibly weird was that? I didn’t know anything about him then, but despite of that I immediately found solace in him.

  And then, there was the kiss... it wasn’t a real kiss. Ethan only did that to keep our cover. Now, thinking about the reason for that fake kiss made me strangely sad and disappointed. I shouldn’t have felt that way. I simply shouldn’t. His arms around me and his hands on my breasts didn’t help it either. Of course that incident was purely accidental. I knew he didn’t grab my boobs on purpose. That didn’t seem like Ethan. He just reacted to me losing my balance, and my breasts kind of got in the way.

  I shifted my attention to the surroundings. The hike was wonderful. I adored the view of the Lake, the purity of the air, and the serenity of the woods. I had to admit—this was precisely what I needed in order to clear my head and relax. It was working wonders. So far, Et
han always knew what would be the best for me. That was weird of course, since he hardly knew me.

  “Ethan,” I started.

  “Mhm?” He appeared deep in thought.

  “Thank you.”

  He looked at me as if awoken from a dream, blinked, and frowned. “What are you thanking me for?”

  “For this.” I swept my arm around, indicating the area. “This makes me happy. I feel more relaxed; mentally refreshed.”

  Ethan smiled. “I know that feeling. I’m glad you enjoy being here. Now watch out.” He pointed to a huge, fallen tree, blocking the path.

  He jumped on top of it and extended his hand to me. I accepted it without hesitation. He helped me climb the trunk, his fingers clasping mine.

  “It might be a bit slippery down there, so careful.” Ethan indicated the damp soil by the collapsed tree.

  That little rasp in his voice was distracting. It stirred something in me. Again. Something I shouldn’t have felt now. And his touch—his large, long-fingered hand, grasping mine. He emanated some raw power and decisiveness. This was too much to handle, too confusing. Maybe it was just me? No doubt I was confused and weirded-out by all that had happened recently in my life. How could I even think straight anymore?

  With a long breath, I concentrated on stepping down from the log. I didn’t want to think about that soothing warmth surging from Ethan’s skin into mine. As soon as I was back on the ground, I pulled my hand back and put both of my hands in my pockets. I looked up at the blue sky visible between the treetops. A few white wisps of clouds were stretched over our heads. They were slowly shifting and reshaping, some of them breaking into smaller pieces.

  A distant, sweet memory resurfaced: ten-year-old me, lying in a warm grass, watching similar, wispy clouds constantly change shapes. There was a rabbit, a boulder, a flower, or a jumping cow. I recalled how happy that made me, but now I knew it was only because my imagination took me away from reality of my sad, lonely childhood. Nevertheless, watching the clouds slow-dancing in the sky above me brought those beautiful memories back. And I was thankful for remembering them.