by Anthology
He turns back around, focusing his attention on the door again. "That’s what they all say. I’m your savior one minute, and the enemy the next."
Finally, he pries the door open, and I push around him, looking for Sophie. But it’s pitch black, and I can’t see a damn thing. "Where are you?"
She scurries toward my voice, her body shaking. "That was the longest fifteen minutes of my life."
"Are you okay? I lost my shit when I heard you screaming. What happened?"
"A spider. And then another. That was when the bulb burned out and left me in the dark – with the spiders. I’m so itchy, I can’t stand it."
I sigh in relief. She’s fine. "I thought you were hurt."
"I could have died, Kipton."
"They’re just spiders. They’re more afraid of you than you are of them."
"Do you speak spider? You didn’t see how big they were." She stalks past me toward the car before I have a chance to say anything else.
We still have twelve hours of driving to go, and I don’t want this stop to ruin the entire trip for her. Jogging to catch up to her, I grab her elbow before she takes another angry step. She spins around, but I don’t wait for her to rip into me. Instead, I lean forward, silencing her anger with my mouth.
I can tell she has things to say to me. She even fights me for a second, but once I pull her closer, deepening the kiss, she melts into my arms. We kiss twice more before I peck her softly on the tip of her nose. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stopped here."
Her fight is gone, and she nods her head, accepting my apology. "It’s over with. I just want to change my clothes and get back on the road. We’re wasting time."
"I don’t consider kissing you a waste of time."
She reaches for my hand, linking our pinkies together. "I don’t either."
We walk hand in hand to the trunk of the Buick. She waits patiently on the curb while I dig out her suitcase. When I have it, I lay it in a spot she can open it up without anything falling onto the ground below. "Here you go."
"Thank you."
She pulls out a pair of her tight yoga pants that she never actually does yoga in. I couldn’t care less either way, her ass is banging in them. I can’t keep my hands off her when she has them on.
The place is deserted, and it’s dark out, so she changes next to the car near the bushes, completely out of view. I try to give her space, but as she bends over to slide her leg into her pants, I lose the battle. The lacy scrap of fabric she calls underwear is challenging my self-control.
Stepping closer, I run my hands up her thighs, cupping her ass in my palms.
"What are you doing, Kipton?"
"This ass, beautiful."
"What about it?"
"Nothing, just admiring the view," I tell her, as I kiss the soft skin on her neck.
She tilts her head to the side, soaking up every kiss. "That feels so good, but we can’t do this here."
"Why don’t we get a room for the night? I’m sure the next exit has a couple places to stay. We can shower and get some sleep."
"You don’t really seem like a guy who wants to sleep right now."
I slide my hand down the front of her stomach, inching my fingers underneath her panties. "No, I don’t want to sleep, beautiful. I just want you." Her breathing increases, and I for a moment, I think I have her right where I want her.
"I want to, Kipton, but that’s less time to spend in New York. And, there’s so much I want to see."
"But I could take the rest of these clothes off you."
She hesitates for a second before asking, "Then what?"
"Then, we take a warm shower, and I wash every inch of this gorgeous body."
She turns around in my arms. "I want all of that – in New York. Please, Kipton."
I can’t say no to her even if I wanted to. "Okay."
She finishes getting dressed, ruining the best view I’ve had all day. "I don’t want you to be mad."
"I’m not mad."
"I don’t like saying no to you, Kipton. Especially when you look at me the way you are right now."
I smile, loving how easy it is to turn her on. "That makes two of us."
"Maybe we should stop at the hotel. It’ll be okay."
I trace the outline of her lips with my finger, leaning her back against the car door. "Just okay? Because nothing about being with you is ever just okay."
She blinks slowly - twice. "Maybe a little more than, okay. A lot more."
"Kippy, I still have to pee. Can we get out of this joint before someone gets murdered by the barefoot bandit?"
I rest my forehead against Sophie’s, wishing we could bypass the rest of the driving and get lost in each other instead. "I’m only stopping because she’s going to drive me crazy if I ignore her. Plus, the faster I get you to New York, the sooner I can get you naked."
Sophie leans her head back, smiling with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "You wanted an adventure. I think we’re getting a pretty good one so far."
"I did say that, didn’t I?"
"You did. I just hope you can handle what I have planned." She gives me a sexy wink before climbing into the back seat with her hot, little ass in the air.
I have no idea what plans she has, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
Chapter Five
Kipton
The last five hours have been smooth sailing. We eventually came across the rest stop we were shooting for in North Carolina. Not one complaint came from my sister after the debacle back in South Carolina. Maybe stumbling across the little nightmare of a town was a blessing in disguise. Now that she’s seen how bad it can get, she’s thankful for the luxuries of a normal rest stop.
Drew’s been behind the wheel with Cara as his co-pilot. I have Sophie curled into my side with her head resting on my shoulder. This is how a road trip should be – no drama. We shed North Carolina a little while back, and now we’re somewhere around Richmond, Virginia.
Sophie shivers, so I reach for the fleece blanket she brought with her, pulling it up to her shoulders. I laughed at her when she got into the car with both a pillow and a blanket, but my girl’s a planner, and now I see why. The farther north we travel, the colder it gets. The temperature has already dropped ten degrees since we left Alabama.
She snuggles closer when she feels the blanket against her, but her one eye pops open while the other stays squinted shut. "I can’t sleep if I know you’re watching me."
"I watch you sleep all the time."
"That’s a little creepy," she says, with an adorable grin on her face. "What do you think about?"
"How beautiful you are. How lucky I am that our paths crossed."
"I think about that, too."
"Is that what pretty people do?"
She smacks my chest with the back of her hand. "I meant about our paths, smartass. Sometimes I get sad though. If I wasn’t Cara’s roommate this year, I wouldn’t know you."
"We would have found a way no matter what."
"You believe that?"
"I have to. There’s no doubt in my mind I would have met you one way or another. Maybe I would have found a couple more wrong ones first, but if we’re meant to be together forever, which we are, it would have happened regardless."
Sophie leans up, kissing me on the cheek. "I love your love."
"You’re the only one whose ever had all of it."
She reaches for my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. "I didn’t think I was even capable of loving someone the way I love you. But you fixed me."
"You were never broken, Sophie. You were surviving. There’s a difference."
She squeezes my hand, letting my words sink in. It took her a long time to let go – to let me protect her instead of fending for herself. Now that she’s invested her trust in me, we have a real future. The one we deserved all along.
"How long until we’re in New York, Kipton?"
"About five and a half hours. Give or a take a little." This time
I’m the one smirking. "Why? Are you ready to tell me about the plans you have for us?"
She shrugs her shoulders. "That depends."
"Tell me what you’re thinking. It’ll make the time go faster."
"I kind of like to torture you a little bit. Plus, you’ve never had a problem with my suggestions before. Like the time we tried that one thing – the one with the whipped cream. Do you remember?"
I nod my head. How the hell could I possibly forget. A guy doesn’t forget when his girlfriend surprises him with sexy lingerie and dessert – especially when she’s part of the dessert.
"Yeah? Well, maybe we can try that again. That’s if we have time."
"Baby, you’re killing me."
"Am I?" She questions coyly as she slides her hand up and over my thigh, stopping only to pull some of her blanket over my lap. Before I can ask what’s she’s doing, her hand’s on my dick. Her tiny fingers squeeze me, and I have to adjust the way I’m sitting.
Sophie’s a sweet girl, even unexpectedly sexy at times, but right now, she’s seductively innocent. It’s the perfect combination I can’t resist - and she knows it.
I should probably stop her, but I’m too curious to see how far she’ll go. I let her pop the button on my jeans before her hand inches my zipper lower, a centimeter at a time, while looking up at me through her thick lashes.
"What are you doing?" I whisper.
"Playing."
"You’re not playing fair, beautiful."
"I never said I was."
When she hits just the right spot, I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stay quiet. Whoever said Buick’s were boring, never rode in one with Sophie.
* * *
The next time I open my eyes, we’re in traffic in D.C. Sophie’s still passed out next to me, and Cara’s asleep in the front seat. I didn’t intend to sleep that long.
"Drew, stop at the next exit. I’ll drive for a while."
He nods his head, and I can tell the long hours have caught up with him. Six hours behind the wheel can easily feel like an eternity considering the view never changes along the interstate - trees upon miles of trees.
Just as Drew pulls into a fast food restaurant parking lot, Cara snores so loudly, she wakes herself up. "Where are we?" she asks, groggily.
"Washington, D.C," he tells her, before opening the door and getting out to stretch. He peeks his head back inside. "Now’s a good time for a food and bathroom break. This is probably the last stop until New York."
Cara doesn’t have to be told twice as she hops out the car, and runs to catch up to Drew. But, he’s not expecting her to jump onto his back piggyback style. I can see the end result before it even happens, and I grit my teeth as I watch Cara take a header over Drew’s shoulder.
That’s gonna leave a mark. Thankfully, she’s laughing, so I figure she can’t be hurt too bad.
Sophie’s so peaceful I hate to wake her up, but she has to be hungry by now. While she’s a peaceful sleeper, I’ve learned not to wake her unexpectedly unless I want a black eye. My girl wakes up swinging.
"Baby," I whisper.
Her lips twitch the slightest bit. "Hmm."
"Do you want something to eat?"
Her eyes stay closed, but she nods her head – the only clue she heard me.
"What do you want?"
"Panmuffin," she mumbles, almost incoherently. She has a little drool on her chin, and smudges under her eyes, yet she’s still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Waking up next to her, whether we’re in a bed or in the back seat of a car, will never get old.
"Okay, I’ll be right back."
When I open the car door, the coldness of the nation’s capital slaps me in the face before kicking me in the head. I haven’t felt coldness like this in years. But it means we’re closer to getting out of this damn SUV with each degree the temperature drops.
Cara’s sitting in a booth with ice on her chin when I jog into the restaurant. "Are you okay, Hercules?"
"I scraped my chin when I fell, but I’m fine. I think I broke my boyfriend, though."
Drew can’t stop yawning long enough to give his order to the girl working the register. He’s also holding his side like he’s in pain. "Is he hurt for real?" The last thing we need is to tack on a trip to the hospital.
"He’s okay. Just tired, mostly. I’ll screw it out of him later."
I rub my hand over my face, wishing I could remove the image from my mind. There are just some things a brother should never, ever know or have to hear about. My sister’s sex life being number one on the list. "Seriously, Cara. Filter."
"I broke my filter long ago, Kippy, or maybe I never had one in the first place."
"Don’t I know it." I move to get in line, but I still have no idea what to order for Sophie. "What’s a panmuffin?"
Cara smiles. At least it’s not gibberish to her. "Sophie’s new thing is to put eggs between two pancakes and eat it like a burger. We saw it in a movie, and she was hooked instantly. She’s finally eating something other than her bird food granola."
"Hmm, it doesn’t sound half bad. Thanks."
Drew sits down next to Cara as I’m walking away. I’m in the middle of ordering enough food to make a couple of these world famous panmuffins when I hear Cara’s squeal. Usually I ignore her dramatics, but when actual tears are involved, I know she’s not playing around.
Carrying my tray, I slide into the booth on the other side of the table. "I have to go get Sophie, but what happened?"
She pulls a napkin away from her mouth with a look of pure horror on her face. "Look at me! I took one bite of my sandwich and chipped my front toof."
"I think your fall chipped it, not the sandwich. It’s not that bad though."
She tosses her napkin on top of the cardboard container. "I’m hideous. I look like I belong in the sticks of South Carolina with that creepy gas station man."
"It’s really not as bad as you think. I’m sure you can get it fixed before you go back to school."
"I guess I haven’t seen Dr. Travis in like six months, anyway. And he’s so hot, I don’t even mind going to the dentist."
Drew clears his throat, giving her a chance to take it back.
"Not as hot as you, babe, " she added, not even skipping a beat.
He nods his head, "That’s better."
"I need to go look at the damage. I’ll be back."
Cara scoots out of the booth, and by the time she’s rounding the corner, Sophie’s walking inside the restaurant. Cara grabs her arm, forcing her to go with her. I’ll never understand why chicks always have to go in pairs.
"Why is it every time we stop something bad happens?" I ask Drew, as I open a breakfast sandwich.
Drew runs his hand over his face, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Probably because Cara’s with us, but I’m so tired, I don’t give a shit what happens as long as I’m asleep. And no more hand jobs in the back seat while I’m driving."
"Sorry, man."
"Eh, don’t be. Somewhere in Georgia, Cara did the same thing." He pauses to take a bite of his food before laughing. "There’s just something about a Buick."
Chapter Six
Kipton
"Who has the keys? I want to drive the rest," Cara says, as we’re tossing the trash from breakfast.
I shake my head. "I don’t think so. I’ll drive."
She sticks out her bottom lip, pretending to sniffle. "Drew’s going to sleep. I’ll be sitting in the back by myself - bored. Either I get to sit with Sophie in the back, or let me drive."
"Just get in the back. Your sad, pathetic faces don’t work on me. You should know that by now."
Cara tosses her hands in the air. "This is so typical, Kippy. You’re being unfair."
"No, I’m not."
"Pfft, you are! If Sophie wanted to drive, you’d let her without giving her a hard time, but I’m your sister, so of course, you don’t see my side of anything."
"Sophie doesn’t want to drive, so it
’s a moot point. Now, get inside and stop whining."
Before I can say anything else, Sophie tugs on my arm. Maybe she does want to drive, and I’m the asshole for not asking her because Cara’s right, I’d let Sophie drive if she wanted to. "What is it, beautiful?"
"Let Cara drive, we can rest," she says, giving me one of her sexy winks before climbing into the back seat of the car.
My entire argument goes down the drain in a matter of seconds. I practically shove the keys down Cara’s throat in an effort to get to Sophie faster.
Sophie giggles when I climb into the backseat, and I’m on top of her in two seconds, tackling her so she’s flat on her back. "Maybe we should make them wait outside for a few minutes."
She scratches her fingernails down my chest. "I wish."
"Beautiful, I can make just about anything happen. Just say the words."
"We’re close to the city. We can make it."
Maybe she can. I was done about six hours ago. "If you say so."
The first couple miles, Cara’s driving isn’t that bad. Drew helps her find her way back to the interstate before he dozes off. As soon as we merge onto the interstate, I learn something new about my sister. She is one crazy ass highway driver with a serious case of road rage.
"Cara, if you’re going to drive like an asshole, pull over."
She adjusts the rearview mirror, smirking at me. "There’s nothing wrong with my driving. I’ve never had a ticket, or an accident. Plus, I kept my mouth shut when you were driving. Didn’t I?"
I nod my head. "You did, but you better find some wood to knock on after that statement."
"The only wood I need is from my boyfriend, Kippy."
She changes lanes abruptly, without her turn signal. I latch onto the door handle, my knuckles already turning white. "Cara, that little stick on the side of your steering wheel - - flick it before you change lanes, okay?"
"That’s the turn signal, but I’m not turning. This is a highway, I can only go side to side."
"Like a damn pinball machine," I grumble.
Again, she jerks the wheel to wiz around another slower driver. Well, if you consider going the speed limit slow.