by Cora Brent
His arms were suddenly there, crossing in front of my chest, holding me securely.
“You avoiding me?”
“No,” I breathed, leaning back into his muscled heat. He felt so good. He smelled so good. I could feel his rigid arousal pressing into my back.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Soon,” I promised, meeting his blue eyes in the mirror.
Creed kissed my neck and then returned to his table. I started to hustle to get everything done. Saylor came around and bumped my hip.
“Go ahead,” she said. “How many times have you stuck around here pulling double cleanup duty for me? Get lost.” She swatted me with a towel.
Cord kicked Creed in the shin when I approached. Creed stood and gave me a good long look, his gaze settling on my chest. He smiled.
“Cut it out,” I complained.
He seemed confused. “What?”
“Quit molesting me with your eyeballs.”
“Okay,” he shrugged and made a blatant grab for my breasts.
Cord started laughing. When I glared at him he only laughed harder. “Well, he wasn’t using his eyeballs.”
“Stop teasing her,” Saylor shouted from across the room.
Creed reached his hand into my purse. “We’ll take your car.”
I watched as he withdrew my keys. “I suppose you’re driving again?”
“Always, honey.”
Creed waited until we were out of the building and around the corner before seizing me for a deep kiss. No man could ever get me worked up this quickly. I figured Creedence Gentry could likely do whatever he pleased with me and I wouldn’t object in the slightest.
“I’ve waited hours for that,” I whispered as my arms went around his shoulders.
He pressed his forehead against mine. He held me like that with his eyes closed.
“Something wrong?” I asked, thinking of what Saylor had said about tension between the brothers.
“Not when I’m here,” he answered then kissed me quickly before turning to open the door to the car.
As I climbed into the passenger seat I couldn’t help but wonder what he meant by that. Creedence wasn’t a man who explained himself so I doubted he would elaborate even if I asked. But I wondered just the same. It seemed too much to hope for that he meant nothing was wrong when he was with me. It sounded like romantic overkill and that certainly wasn’t his style.
It wasn’t until Creed turned on the ignition that I remembered what song I’d plugged in. I had wanted to listen to it on the way to work. I wanted to think about the important moment I’d heard it last. I blushed, hoping maybe he wouldn’t remember.
Creed paused though and listened to Mr. Alan Jackson’s voice.
“I know this song,” he said.
“Yes.”
He shot me a curious look. “This was playing that night at The Hole.”
“When I asked you to dance-“
“And I told you we were gonna dance all night.”
“Yes sir. And that’s exactly what we did.”
Creed’s blue eyes were thoughtful as he listened to the music. “What’s it called again?”
“Between the Devil and Me.”
Creed backed the car up. “It’s a good song.”
I cleared my throat. “When can I hear you sing?”
He didn’t answer right away. I figured he wasn’t going to.
“Soon,” he finally said.
I felt a smile break out across my face. Creed glanced at me. He laughed a little.
“What?”
He brushed his hand against my cheek. “You’re easy to please, Truly.”
Creed’s words made me blush even though they weren’t delivered in a sexual way. I was feeling more and more like there might be more between us than bedroom gymnastics. I just couldn’t make up my mind if that was a good thing or not.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Don’t know. Where do you want to go?”
“We could go take a walk by the lake.”
Creed moved into the left lane. “I like that idea.”
It wasn’t a true lake. It was an enormous reservoir that had been dammed up around a portion of the dried up Salt River and artificially filled. Still, there was something calming about a large body of water, particularly one in the middle of the desert. There were a few cars parked nearby and a handful of people strolling around but it was mostly quiet.
“You want to walk up to the bridge?” I asked.
Creed was already starting down the path leading closer to the water. “Maybe in a few minutes. You coming?”
His arm went around my shoulders when I joined him. We stared out at the serene stillness of the lake.
“I miss water,” I said. “This is nice but it’s not the ocean.”
“You know the ocean?”
“Quite well. And you?”
He chuckled. “Not a whole lot of ocean in Emblem.”
The lights of the bridge reflected on the motionless expanse of the water. I leaned over the wall and looked down.
“I think my favorite home as a child was this tiny Gulf town in the Florida panhandle. The place we were living in barely had standing walls but it was just a few hundred yards from the beach. We were there for a whole sweet summer. Mama was always gone, looking for men and for mischief. The four of us girls wore the same ragged swimsuits every day for two months and we damn well owned that beach. It was our private kingdom. Best thing was searching the tide pools every evening for the little sea critters that would find themselves caught there. We would carry them back to the wider ocean cupped in our palms and my sister Mia would cry over the futility of not being able to get them all. We figured we were saving them. Anyway, the hurricane that swept through there in late summer was one of the big ones. Took away the house we were living in and a fair amount of the beach too.”
I glanced over at Creed. He was still staring out at the lake.
“Sorry,” I blushed. “I tend to run on at times.”
“Am I complaining?”
“No. But long winded tales of my wacky childhood might not be very interesting to you.”
Creed turned to face me. I wasn’t petite but I barely reached the top of his shoulder. He stared straight down into my eyes and then said something that nearly knocked me over.
“I think everything you say is interesting, Truly. That’s why I’m here.”
That boy was turning me into a puddle of dreamy syrup. If I didn’t guard my heart more carefully then it just might become lost in Creed Gentry’s blue eyes.
I didn’t want to talk anymore for now. I just wanted to kiss him. We started out softly, sweetly, then quickly grew more intense. I reached under his shirt and felt his hard chest muscles. Creed’s big hands moved over my back and into my hair. He left my mouth and pushed his face into my breasts. I pulled back a little, long enough to undo the first few buttons of my shirt. Creed liked that a lot. I could tell by the way his breathing grew ragged and certainly by the way he moved his hand to casually stroke himself.
“Creed,” I breathed as his tongue went wild over my skin. Then I bit off my own objection as his mouth first found one nipple and then the other.
A certain bastard from long ago had bad intentions but he could have been right about something. I might have been born to this shit because, heaven help me, nothing ever felt so good as having this big man suck my tits and know that soon he was going to enter my body.
“Got to have you,” Creed groaned as his hands dove between my legs.
I tried to pull my senses together. We couldn’t very well screw right here on the banks of Tempe Town Lake.
Creed saw my sudden hesitation. He jerked his head to the nearly empty parking lot. “Car?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He kept a firm arm around me as we walked back to my car. Creed took his shirt off and got in the backseat. I climbed in after him and he pulled my legs around his waist
while yanking his pants down at the same time. He whipped out a condom and had it unwrapped and rolled on within seconds. The speed with which he managed to get it done was almost poetic.
“That’s some talent you’ve got,” I told him, impressed yet at the same time trying not to think about why he was such an expert at condom application.
Creed reached down and pushed the fabric of my panties aside. He was so hard and he was right there.
“I’ve got a better talent,” he growled and then pushed into me.
I swiveled my head around, looking out the windows to make sure no one was around.
“Hey.” Creed gently turned my head back to him. “Just look at me. There’s nothing else you need to see.” He pushed my skirt over my waist and clutched my bare hips.
“Oh shit,” I moaned as he went deeper. “Goddammit to hell and everywhere above, I need to ride you Creed!”
“Damn right, baby. So do it.”
Creed helped me get the rhythm. My hips screamed from the effort but I didn’t let up. He pushed my shirt up impatiently and unhooked my bra. I could feel the frame of the car shaking as our bodies moved together. When I came it was to the feel of my bare breasts sliding up and down his hard chest.
“Creedence,” I moaned as I was overcome by the explosion.
“One minute, honey. Keep going strong. Aw fuck yeah, like that.”
I held him to me, kissing his forehead, his cheeks, his lips, as he shuddered to a stop. After he withdrew he leaned back with a sigh and smiled. My hair was damp with sweat and he pushed it behind my ears as he lazily stared at me.
“What?” I asked, feeling a bit self-conscious that once again Creed was able to bust right through any wall of propriety I tried to put up.
“Nothing. I don’t need to ask permission to look at you.”
I rolled my eyes. My hands fumbled over the buttons of my shirt as I got everything back where it was supposed to be. I looked outside but saw only empty darkness beyond the steamed up windows. My legs were a little cramped. Creed watched as I climbed off him and smoothed my skirt out. His pants were still wide open. He didn’t seem to mind.
“You want to know something?” I blurted.
“About you? Yes.”
I bit my lip. “There was a time in my life when it wouldn’t have bothered me at all to climb into the backseat of a car the way we just did.”
He frowned slightly. “Does it bother you now?”
I shook my head. “No. I mean, not with you. But I’ve done some things that weren’t very bright. I’ve trusted men I shouldn’t have. And sometimes I paid mightily for those risks.”
Creed was silent.
I took a deep breath. “What am I risking, Creed? With you?”
He pointedly slid the condom off. “Nothing.”
It was like pulling teeth. He just stared at me with a flat expression and kept his thoughts to himself. Saylor had once described Creed as impenetrable. It was a good word for him. With a hiss of disgust I started to climb into the front seat. Creed grabbed me and pulled me back into his lap.
“Don’t go,” he whispered. He held me tightly. “Tell me more about the ocean.”
“What for?”
He sighed into my hair. “Because I’ve only ever seen it once. And because I like the sound of your voice.”
I closed my eyes and allowed him to cradle me against his chest. It was hot in the car but we stayed there for a long time. I told him about the perpetual music of the seagulls and the sharp pain of stepping on a broken seashell. Then I talked about falling sleep in a sand dune and awakening to my sisters’ screeching terror as the tide rolled through the darkness and found the lot of us.
Creed lightly ran his fingers up and down my arm. I knew he heard every word I said. At one point he turned my head and kissed me with such gentle sweetness it brought tears to my eyes. I rested my head on his shoulder and tried to quiet the private scream inside my head so he wouldn’t know what I was really thinking just then.
Damn you, Creedence. What are you doing to me?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CREED
When Truly shyly asked me to come back to her place I was glad. She wasn’t sure if her roommate would be around but even if she was that was still far less people to deal with than at my apartment.
When she had started in on a heavy topic earlier I wasn’t prepared. I’d never spoken a word about the shit hanging over my head with the fight and all. Since she hadn’t brought it up I figured Saylor didn’t tell her either.
Even aside from all that, I didn’t know what kind of conversation she wanted to have. Whatever was going on here was new to me. That’s where I sensed a wide difference between us. Truly had been hurt. I understood that much. She’d given her heart away and then suffered for it. I’d never given my heart to anyone other than my brothers. I wasn’t sure I could.
But I did know one thing; when I was with her the bottle stopped calling to me so loudly. Chase had been right to bawl me out about that. Drinking had become too much of a crutch. If I didn’t put an end to it then someday I’d awaken to the sad reality that big patches of my life had been lost to the fog.
“You hungry?” Truly asked with a smile as she opened the door to her apartment.
“Always,” I answered with my hand on her back.
I’d forgotten about that cat of hers. It was sitting on the arm of the sofa. I could swear the thing was pissed to see me again.
Truly called to it softly. “Hey Dolly girl.” The black cat mewed and crept beneath her open hand.
“A guest. That’s unusual.”
The voice was female. For a horrifying second I thought it came from the cat.
The girl walked into the living room and leaned against the far wall with her arms crossed. From the silent way she sized me up I guessed she didn’t cut anyone too many breaks.
“Steph,” said Truly with some surprise. “This is Creed Gentry. Creed, this my roommate, Stephanie.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, trying to be polite. I extended my hand.
She stared at my outstretched hand for a few seconds. Then she laughed, tossing her curly blonde hair over her shoulder before she shook my hand gruffly.
“You couldn’t give a hot damn about meeting me,” she said but there was amusement in her voice. She had a clipped eastern accent. New York maybe, or New Jersey.
“Be nice,” Truly warned but she was chuckling softly.
“I was nice to someone yesterday,” Stephanie yawned. She was good looking. Her clothes were sloppy and her face was free of makeup, but I could tell she really turned into something if she made the effort. Even so, she could never have competed with Truly.
But then, as far as I was concerned these days, no girl could compete with Truly.
“I’ve seen you before,” this Stephanie person said to me. “On campus.”
“I work security at events sometimes.”
“I don’t go to fucking events. No, that’s not it.” She snapped her fingers. “You’re in my Psych 101. You’re always lounging in the back with your sunglasses on and skinny chicks hanging all over your shit.”
I glared at her. “That’s not me. That’s my brother.”
“Oh,” she shrugged. She didn’t seem particularly interested either way.
“You heading out?” Truly asked as Stephanie shouldered a black backpack.
“Yeah,” Stephanie muttered with a troubled look. “So I’m afraid we’ll have to continue this stimulating discussion another time.” She shoved me aside as she made her way to the door. “I’ll see you guys.” She shut the door behind her before either of us could say a word.
“I know,” Truly said in response to my raised eyebrows. “I can’t figure her out either. I think she prefers it that way. I’m actually surprised she greeted you at all.”
“If you can call that a greeting.”
“It is for Stephanie.”
Truly slipped her heels off and walked to the kit
chen. “You like gumbo?”
“I don’t know. What is it?”
She let out a fake gasp of horror and poked her head around the corner. “You’re kidding! Oh honey, we’ve got to pop that cherry tonight.” She disappeared around the corner again and I heard her opening the fridge.
I found her stirring some ghastly looking shit inside of a big plastic container. She set the timer on the microwave and pushed the whole thing in. I’d never known another woman able to do that; turn every move into something so totally beautiful that I just couldn’t stop staring.
Truly noticed. “What?”
I rested one hand on the fridge door and traced the neckline of her blouse with the other. “I like your fridge. I remember now just how much I like it.”
She squirmed, breathing hard as my fingers enjoyed the silky feel of her skin. She wanted me to touch her more. I wanted to touch her more. But then the microwave beeped and she slipped away. “Sit down. I’ll bring you a bowl.”
She wouldn’t have objected if I’d ignored her, if I’d pulled her clothes away and started making demands. I didn’t though. I liked being here with her like this. I liked watching her fill a chipped soup bowl and bring me a pile of food, even though it didn’t look particularly tasty.
“Smells good though,” I admitted. “What did you call it?”
“Gumbo,” she smiled. “You have to eat it. I insist. It’s got sausage, shrimp, vegetables and everything but the kitchen sink mixed in. My sisters and I used to live on nothing but this for months at a time. I could make it in my sleep.”
I picked up the spoon she had given me. “I thought you told me you didn’t cook.”
Truly shrugged. “And I thought you were being a caveman at the time so I lied.”
She watched me carefully as I took a bite. It kind of tugged at me a little, how badly she wanted me to like this stupid bowl of food. I chewed slowly and swallowed.
“It’s good,” I said honestly.
She grinned and went back to the fridge. “Congrats. You have lost your creole gumbo virginity and now nothing else will ever taste as good again. You want a beer?”
I hesitated. I could drink casually. I’d done it plenty. But sometimes I went too far even if I hadn’t meant to. Sometimes I fell into the black hole and started kicking away ancient grudges. I didn’t want Truly to see that. Hell no.