by Claire Adams
Cora glanced up from leaning over to take a bite of the taco and gave me a look as she cleaned up the sauce running down the side of her mouth.
"What's that for?" She took the flower as I handed it to her and took my seat.
"You. I thought you might like it." I poked the straws into the drink and sat back, watching her. "You're making quite a mess with lunch. Am I supposed to eat the other half of that after you've mangled it?"
She laughed and pulled the flower to her nose, breathing in deeply. "No, I got two so we could each have one."
I took the other one from her and glanced out to the water. "It's soon to be the Fourth of July, huh? How much longer are you here after that?"
"Thank you...for this." She sat the flower down and leaned back. "I don't know. I was supposed to be her until the end of August, but my parents are asking that I come back early. Like in two weeks."
"Two weeks?" I was a little louder than I wanted to be. Two weeks? I only had two weeks to make a lasting impression on her? A lasting impression? What the fuck was happening to me?
She laughed. "Yeah, if we're going to have a fling, you need to come on with it."
"A fling? Is that what you want?" I took a bite of the taco and licked at my fingers.
"Is there anything else to have with a good-looking stranger that you might never see again?" She picked at the contents of her taco, nibbling on bits and pieces of it.
"I thought you swore off men thanks to your rotten-ass ex hurting you." I hated to bring it up, but if she was just down for a fling, I needed to figure out how to redirect my thoughts. For the first time in my life, I was trying to figure out how to get her to like me...like, really like me. Not just find me attractive enough to take me to bed, but actually want to know more about me, to invest in me emotionally.
"I did." She wiped her fingers and glanced out toward the water. "Man, he fucked me up good. Before him, I had a lot of fun just dating and doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, but then I found him."
"And?" My heart constricted in my chest. I'd yet to find a woman that made me want to turn in my wanton ways, but something told me that the beautiful girl in front of me would be quite capable of doing it to me.
"And he seemed like everything I could want in a man." She shrugged, the movement lifting her breasts and drawing my eyes down to covet her. I'd seen enough of her in the moonlight the night before to know that I wanted to see all of her, stretched out, eyes closed with a look of ecstasy on her face.
"How long did you guys date?" I finished my taco and reached for the drink at the same time she did. I pushed it toward her as she turned her attention back toward me.
"Two years." She shrugged again. "It's over now. I wasn't good enough, but it's okay. He wasn't, either."
"You had to have been good enough." I reached across the table and touched her hand. "It was him. Men are fucking stupid most days of the week. We always think we're going to find something better around the corner. Some great high that awaits us."
"And, maybe it does." She stood up and handed me the drink.
I took a quick sip as I stood. "No, we're just dreamers who sometimes lose our sense of reality."
"Aren't you getting deep?" She walked with me to the trashcan and stiffened as I tossed the trash and turned, pulling her into a tight hug before leaning down and brushing my lips past hers.
"I wanna get deeper. You up for an afternoon romp in the sheets, Miss Non-committal?" I kissed her again, just a peck, but I could tell she wanted more. So much more.
Funny enough, I couldn't imagine her wanting as much as I wanted. Maybe I was wrong. I could only hope I would find out soon. Two weeks would be over before I could blink twice.
"There's the guy I was starting to like." She laughed and pushed at my chest. "Come on, let's go see what everyone else is up to."
"And then we can get deeper?" She popped me in the chest, and I laughed. "Alright. Shit. I had to try. I'm that guy, remember?"
"No, I don't think you are." She took my hand, most likely not realizing that her comment was one of the nicest things she could have said to me.
Chapter 23
Cora
Holding hands with Brody shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but I just couldn't shake the idea that he really wasn't the kind of guy who held hands with just anyone. It made it special...made me feel special, which was dangerous, but I was done fighting for a little while. We would part ways after we slept together, I had no doubt. I wanted to hang on until then and enjoy the intensity of the physical attraction that sat between us.
"Why are we going to hang out with everyone else?" He glanced over at me, pulling me back as we stopped at the red light.
I glanced down the road to see a bus flying toward us and backed up. "What's with me lately?"
"You're just relaxed. Enjoy it. I'll be your knight in shining armor and keep you from getting hit by the next bus coming toward us."
"Yeah, and you'll expect something in return." I smiled over at him before we moved across the road.
"Just a kiss, and from the way things have been going the last day or so, I'm thinking you might enjoy it more than me." He wagged his eyebrows.
"So cocky." I pulled my hand from his and slipped my hands back into my pockets. "How much longer are you out here at the lake?"
"Probably another month or so?" He moved a little to his right, away from me, before cupping his hand over his eyes. "Really? Shit."
"What?" I jogged behind him as he took off across the street and raced toward the water. A kayak sat just off the shoreline upside down. I couldn't help but wonder what he was up to. Whatever it was, it seemed serious. Surely, there wasn't someone in the kayak. I stopped short of reaching the water as horror rushed over me. Brody's frantic movements said that he believed someone to be in it.
He flipped it over and worked to get the small boy out of the thing before wading through the water. "Come here and help me."
I ran toward him, dropping on my knees and tugging at the little guy’s life vest and t-shirt as Brody laid him down. His skin was pasty, and he wasn't breathing.
"Holy shit." I glanced up at Brody.
"You know CPR?" He tilted the little guy’s head up. "Just get ready to breathe in his mouth. Long puffs of air. Ready?"
"Yeah, I know it." I bent over and worked alongside him, listening to his commands. The fact that he was so incredibly calm left me a nervous wreck. The little boy started to cough a few long seconds later, and I moved back and watched Brody pick him up and turn him over.
"That's it. You got it, buddy. Get it all out." He rubbed the little boy's back, completely attentive to the child.
A warmth rushed through me that left my eyes filling with tears. My tough facade in front of my friends was no different than him pretending to be the alpha asshole. I needed to run fast and hard away from him because I wasn't the kind of girl that fell for someone easily, but once I did...I wanted forever. It had only happened once in my life, and I was still recovering from the mess Brandon made of things. Would Brody be any different? Could he?
It's been a week or so. Slow your roll.
But thanks to Emily needing me to stay behind a few weeks, and my mom and dad wanting me to leave a few weeks early, I only had a short time left.
A short time to relax and have fun. To meet new people. Not to fall for some random guy.
Definitely not this guy.
"Oh my God," a girl yelled from across the street as she jogged toward us. It was the blonde from the day before that Brody had in his lap in the boat. "Is he..."
"He's okay. He was in the kayak again." Brody turned the boy over to the blonde and moved over toward me. I rose to my feet and reached out, wrapping him in a hug from the side before I could think too much about it.
"Shit. Thank you so much, Brody. I shouldn't have left him." The poor girl was shaking, but we all were.
"It's no problem, but I wouldn't leave him alone in the lake again. He doesn'
t weigh enough to keep that thing upright when the wind blows as hard as it does out here." He wrapped his arms around me, but continued to focus on her.
"Okay. Thanks." She didn't comment on the two of us or really even look my way, which was a little strange, but the trauma of almost losing her brother was most likely too much as it were.
"You okay?" He rubbed my back and pressed his lips to the top of my head.
"Yeah. Damn, that was scary." I pulled back a little to look up at him. "You totally saved that kid's life."
"For the second time in a weekend, actually." He rolled his eyes. "That's why Veronica was with me on the boat. I saved the kid yesterday morning and she wanted a ride out to the island after that."
"What kind of ride?" I gave him a cheeky grin, trying my best to pull us from thinking about the horror of the kid almost dying.
"On the boat. I already told you that you've fucked up my curiosity for other women." He touched the side of my face and smiled. "Come on; we just had a horrible experience. We should make out all afternoon to burn it from our minds."
I laughed. "I've ruined your curiosity? So, now what? You steal my heart by working my body and then move onto the next victim?"
Some part of me was only teasing him, but there was validity to my question, as well. I'd not be the needy, clingy girl that wanted more of him should he walk away from whatever was starting between us, but I wasn't climbing in bed with him just yet—or I hoped I wasn't.
"I wish it worked like that." He leaned down and kissed me hard, opening his mouth and sliding his hands down my back slowly.
He tasted like mango. I licked at his mouth as he deepened the kiss, causing the world to fade and my mind to wander into dark corners filled with lusty expectations.
"See?" He pulled back, breathing hard. "I'm feeling better already."
"Me, too." I glanced across the street. "No sex. I'm not ready for that yet."
"What are you, a virgin?" He smirked and took my hand, tugging at it as we jogged across the road and headed for his cabin.
"You wish." I moved up beside him as he opened the door and we walked in.
Daniel and Derek were laid out on the couch asleep, and Clay was standing in the kitchen with his back to the counter, laughing as he spoke to someone on the phone.
I had one guess for who it might be.
He glanced over at me. "Yeah. She's here. She's still alive and actually looks happy."
"Come on. Show me your room." I looked back at Brody and smiled.
"Yeah?" He moved past me and pulled me down the hall with him.
Clay walked up behind us and stopped at the door, pressing his hand to it. "What are you guys doing?"
"Making out." Brody pushed at the door as I sat down on the edge of his bed, breathing in the smell of him. Every cell in my body lit on fire. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to lay in his bed and hope that all we were going to do was make out. I already wanted more and we'd yet to start.
"No." He shook his head and walked into the room. "Emily said no."
"Get out." Brody moved up and pushed at Clay as I got up.
"I'm good." I put a hand on Clay's chest. "Tell her that I'm good and get out."
Brody moved back as I pushed Clay one last time and closed the door.
"What the fuck was that?" He locked the door before pressing me to it. "Are your friends always so protective?"
"Yeah. Sort of." I reached up and pulled him against me, tugging at his shirt so I could feel his skin underneath my fingers.
He pulled it off and pressed himself against me, grinding slowly as his tongue brushed by my neck. I groaned and arched my back.
"Take your shirt off. I wanna see you, Cora." He moved back and tugged at it.
I pulled it over my head and pushed at his chest, backing him up toward the bed.
"So beautiful." He sat down and reached for me as I crawled into his lap, straddling him. He went straight for my breasts, his tongue and lips working to move across my sensitive skin.
I rolled against him, wanting to tear at my shorts and force him to do all the things I promised myself we would do. "Go slow. I'm not sleeping with you."
He chuckled and turned us, pinning me to the bed as he rocked against me. He ran his hands up my thighs, tugging my shorts with him as his breathing got off. "What's the deal with you and taking a nap? All you've talking about lately is sleeping together."
"Shut up." I smiled and pulled at the waistband of his pants.
He fell over, catching himself and rolling his hips to rub against me before pressing himself on top of me and brushing my hair back.
"I've not wanted a woman in a long time the way I want you. Fuck...not ever." He pressed his lips to mine, and though I was sure he'd said the same thing to a million girls, I wanted to hear it again and again. His hands ran down my sides, over my hips and slipped between me and the bed to squeeze my ass softly. "Let me make love to you. We both want it. It's stupid to deny ourselves anything."
"No," I whispered roughly, arching my back to intensify the pressure of him between my thighs. "I'm not ready for the fling to end."
He growled and nipped at my chin before moving down my body and pressing his mouth to my nipple over my clothes. He sucked hard, and I cried out, losing myself in the moment. I'd had a few make-out sessions that left me considering sex, but this one was off the charts. Maybe it was about me not letting anyone touch me for two months, or maybe it had very little to do with me and everything to do with the sexy man working me into a needy mess.
He stopped all of a sudden and glanced up. "Wait. Did you just say you weren't ready for our fling to end?"
"Yeah." I reached up and touched the side of his face, running my fingers down his cheek and over his mouth to feel the softness of his lips. "I don't want it to end yet."
"Why the hell would sleeping together end it? I would think that's just the beginning, right? Unless I suck completely and you think another man would please you more." He rolled his eyes, causing me to laugh. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Another man pleasing you better than I could? That's not possible."
"God, you're cocky." I gripped his shoulders as he turned us over and forced me on top of him. I sat up and rolled my hips, working myself over the thick press of his arousal. I dug my fingers into his chest and closed my eyes, knowing that I needed to slow down or I'd come. It didn't take much for me, thank God, but seeing that we were just in the middle of a hot make out session and not dancing along the lines of foreplay, I needed to calm down a little.
"You're close." He reached up and squeezed my breasts over my bra before dragging his hand down my tummy and smiling. "I can almost smell you."
"Fuck. I should go." I started to get up as he gripped my thighs.
"Hell, no. Don't you leave before letting me see you lose yourself. Don't do that to me." He licked at his lips as his eyes widened. "Don't stop. Please."
I watched him intently for a minute, finding myself enamored with need for the man beneath me. The decision to stay wasn't a hard one seeing that the pulse beating against my center had taken over my thoughts.
He lifted his hips and rocked against me as his fingers slid up my thighs and rolled to my center, moving into my panties from both sides and opening me up.
"Brody." I groaned and reclined against his knees as he lifted them and pressed them into my back. "Don't."
"You’re so wet, Cora." He licked at his lips. "Let me taste you."
"No. No!" I started to move, but he brushed his thumb over my clit and electricity raced through me.
"Alright. Soon then." He pulled one hand from my shorts and ran it up my chest to cup my face softly. "Stop being shy and fuck me."
I cried out as he pressed a finger deep into me and moved the pad of his thumb around in circles until my hips bucked.
"Oh God," I groaned and let my head drop back as I rode his fingers and listened to the soft grunts he let out as he rubbed himself against my ass.
"Shit. I'm gonna come if you don't stop." He released his grip on my face and tugged at my bra, freeing one of my breasts. The warmth of his hand combined with the strong press of his fingers into my flesh left me tumbling over the edge again.
"Don't stop," I groaned and pressed my hands to his chest, rocking against him and letting myself go for the moment. I didn't care what I looked like. He had the ability to light me on fire, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn't moving away from that warmth.
"Cora." His voice was tight, questioning.
I opened my eyes and nodded. "Good. It's good. Come with me."
"Yeah." His entire body stiffened as he cried out. I couldn't remember ever seeing something more beautiful.
I shouldn't have come into his room.
Those few moments had the power to change everything.
Chapter 24
Brody
Intense would be the word.
I let my mind wander back to the day before as I laid out on the boat and let the sun beat down on me. Fourth of July was finally here, and the whole town was buzzing about it. I could not have cared less. It was just an opportunity to see Cora again, and one that would let me remain under the guise of just looking for a good time with my friends.
The way she enjoyed herself on top of me the previous afternoon was fucking hot. I hadn't expected our make-out session to go as far as it did, but I wanted it again...wanted her. Emily and Clay had come and rescued her before I could turn her over and strip her out of her clothes, and much to their dismay, we were both pissy with them over it.
"It's for the better. Denial makes it sweeter." I stretched and glanced over at Daniel who was sitting on the boat beside me, watching me. "What?"
"Do you always talk to yourself when you think no one is watching?" A smirk lifted his lip as he reached up and adjusted his glasses.
"Do you always stare at your friends while they are sunbathing?" I smiled and lifted my hands to cover my face as he splashed me with cold lake water. The other two guys were somewhere on the island taking a piss, but there was no way in hell I was fighting the insane crowd that was gathered there that day. I'd pee off the side of the boat without a thought about it.