Forever Red

by Carina Adams

  And he didn’t pretend around me. We talked candidly about our time together before. Five years may not be a big deal when you’re twenty-three and twenty-eight, but it’s a huge gap when you’re sixteen and twenty-one. Craig never once made some pathetic excuse about his actions, and he never made me feel like I’d done something wrong. Even though I was the one that had initiated the entire affair, he insisted it was all his fault and that he should have known better. We agreed that we’d both been stupid kids playing with fire.

  Eventually, we moved on. We had a blank slate. I was Ms. CeCe Foster, American History teacher, not Lia Merrill, the sad student with daddy issues. He was brilliant Mr. Knightly, not Craig, the young, cocky student-teacher and assistant coach.

  Mikey hated every single second of it. I’d been afraid to tell him, but we’d promised to be honest with each other, even if we had to hide from the rest of the world. There was no hiding that my oldest friend felt I was sleeping with the pedophile that had cost me my relationship with Neil.

  We’d dated for almost five years. Right up until the day he told me he wanted to marry me. It became real that moment.

  Craig was not the monster Mike thought he was. He was a dedicated teacher, had a kind heart, and had worked his way up to be a pillar in our community. The only flaw the man had was that he didn’t have the willpower to turn a half-naked student away years ago, and he’d fallen in love with a girl he shouldn’t have had the chance to know.

  Even with all his amazing attributes, I couldn’t stay with him after that day. I adored Craig. Loved the time we spent together. But I didn’t love him. I would never love him. He deserved someone that would worship the ground he walked on.

  I looked at him now and just shook my head. Lowering my voice so Monica didn’t hear me, I told him the only thing I could. “I slept with Neil this weekend.”

  The shock on Craig’s face was almost laughable. He masked it quickly, but not quite fast enough. “Neil? Wow.” He cleared his throat. “I… ugh… wow. Didn’t expect that.”

  “Neither did I.” I shook my head, smiling at more of my students as they trickled in. “The girls took me to his concert for my birthday.”

  “Oh.” He said the word slowly as if it was finally dawning on him. Then he stood, giving me his brilliant smile. “We’ll talk later. Yeah?”

  I nodded, almost sad as I watched him leave the room, shoulders drooping. I closed my eyes, turned back to my desk, and pulled on the front of my blouse. Today was going to be longer than I had thought.

  *****

  The week actually flew by. My friends didn’t pester me for details about Nathaniel, which shocked the shit out of me. My students were on their best behavior, including Justin, even though we were headed into their last long holiday weekend and they were getting antsy. Every time I ran into Craig, we exchanged pleasant chitchat as if nothing had changed.

  Surprisingly, I talked to Nathaniel every night. I still wasn’t sure what to call him, even though he had programmed his number into my phone as Neil. He’d also managed to upload his entire tour schedule into my calendar so I knew where he was and where he was going for every concert. And he’d assigned “Sweet Home Alabama” as his ringtone. All things I thought were incredibly sweet. Annoying, but sweet.

  Each night that he didn’t have a show, we spent hours talking about nothing at all. The nights he had a show, he’d call me as soon as it was over. I would tell him about my day, he’d tell me about his. Just two people getting to know each other. It was amazing.

  Friday night, I walked out of the high school much later than I’d planned and stopped short. There was a very large, very attractive, very happy looking man leaning against my car with his legs crossed at the ankle and his arms over his chest. I shook my head, smiling, and then walked straight to him.

  “Mikey?” I asked cautiously. “Whatcha doing here?”

  Mike stood straight and slid his black sunglasses up onto his head. “Probly should check your phone Lee.”

  I never had my ringer on during the day and I blindly searched through my bag looking for it. Pulling it out, I squinted at the screen and the messages that Kelly had sent.

  “I thought he had a concert in Virginia.”

  Mike grinned. “He does. Tonight. But he’s flying home as soon as it’s over.” He pushed himself off the car. “I’ve been sent to grab you.”

  I gaped at him. “Grab me?” I repeated.

  He nodded. “I was supposed to go to the apartment and get you some clothes, but I decided to come here and get you first.” His lips twitched with laughter, making my eyes narrow. “As much as I’m dying to get my hands in your panties—” His wicked thought was cut off by my annoyed growl. He held up his hands in surrender, barely containing his laughter. “Drawer. Get my hands in you panties drawer. Figured you’d want to pick out your own lingerie.”

  “Do you expect me to thank you for that?” I was extremely grateful, though. I kept more than undies and teddies in my top drawer, and did not want Mike to even know about my toys, let alone see them. Or touch them. Oh, God! The thought made me shiver. Pulling out my car keys, I unlocked the doors and dumped the handful of files on the backseat. Resting my hands on my hips, I sent a glare in my friend’s direction. “So he sent you to get me so that I’d be what? Waiting for him in Mass when he got back?”

  Mike walked around to my passenger side, staring at me over the roof. “Nope. He sent me to grab you so I can fly with you and then drive you out to his farm.”

  “His farm? The one in Alabama?” I asked and Mike only nodded. I tried to ignore the little sparks of excitement in my belly. “Why?”

  Shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe I was actually asking him that question, he sighed. “Because he wants to see you, that’s why. Because it’s a long weekend and he usually doesn’t get any weekend off. Because he wants to spend the next three days with you. He thought you might want to spend it with him, too.”

  I did. But I wasn’t giving in that easy. “And if I say no?”

  Fighting another smile, he shrugged. “Then I actually grab you.”

  Even though Mike looked like he thoroughly enjoyed that idea, I knew he wouldn’t actually force me to go if I didn’t want to. My mind was still caught up on the idea that Nathaniel would send Mike up here to get me, and then fly us to Alabama just to spend a few days with me. I smiled at the thought of having him all to myself. “Guess we should hurry then, huh?”

  *****

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Cort’s hands were on her barely-there hips and she was giving me her angry eyes. “You’re fucking with me right now. Right?”

  Mike glanced from me to her and then back to me before mumbling something about needing a beer and abandoning me to the firing squad. Coward. All that muscle was obviously just for show.

  I smiled at my friend before turning back to the pile of clothes on my bed. Picking up a pair of jeans, I folded them into my suitcase. “I’m not.”

  Cort groaned, throwing her hands in the air. “You, Cecelia Marie, do not run to a man when he demands you go to him.”

  I laughed at that. “That is so not what I’m doing.”

  “Uh, yeah. It kinda is.” She pointed to my bed. “You are standing here at six o’clock on a Friday night, packing your shit. Because a man told you to.”

  “It’s Memorial Day weekend, Cort. Half the country is packing right now.” I sent her a lopsided smile, shrugging. “We weren’t doing anything, anyway. If we were, I wouldn’t bail on you.”

  “We did have plans! Our asses should be planted on the couch, stuffing our faces full of lo Mein, over indulging in cheap beer, and binging on Scandal. But noooo. Some ass sent you a booty call and now you’re running to him as fast as you can.”

  I dropped the tee shirt I was holding into my bag and turned back to her. “Sweetie, you’re going out with your girls tomorrow night and you probably won’t be home until Monday. This is not about me leaving you. What is goi
ng on?”

  She met my eyes and twisted her lips before pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. “I’m worried about you.”

  I only raised an eyebrow.

  She turned, closing my door before sitting on my bed. Whatever she needed to say, she didn’t want Mike to hear. “This whole thing is really fucked. You must realize that.” When I didn’t respond she continued, “He’s Nate fucking Kelly, CeCe. Nate Kelly! Did you know he dated Miranda Kerr before she married Orlando Bloom?”

  I actually didn’t know who in the hell she was talking about, but definitely needed to Google her. I seriously loved me some Will Turner, and Legolas was arguably the hottest thing that came out of Middle Earth, so his wife must be equally hot.

  Courtney kept talking. “He’s been linked to Katy Perry and that skinny chick from Vamp Diaries.”

  Now I was getting irritated. I knew all about Nate’s sexcapades and really didn’t need them thrown back in my face right now. Why in the hell was she telling me, anyway? That was before. It’s not like he was dating them while fucking me on the side. Then it hit me. “You’re saying I can’t compete because I don’t look like them.”

  Courtney’s face softened and I knew instantly that was exactly what she’d been hinting at but that she didn’t want to say it. “No. I’m saying you can’t compete because you aren’t like any of them. You and me, we’re normal. Those women aren’t normal. Nate Kelly isn’t normal. He’s so far from normal it isn’t funny.”

  She sighed. “It was sweet that you and an old flame hooked up. It’s been awesome to hear laughing half the night and see you smiling every morning. But”—she reached out, snagging my hand—“now you’re acting like some teenager with a crush instead of someone sensible. You’re in over your pretty little head because all you can see is the kid you used to love and would give anything to have back. But, honey, this is only a goddamn booty call. You are thirty, not seventeen. Thirty-year-old women do not giggle and run when a man tells them to. So tell me why instead of telling him to fuck off, you’re packing?”

  “You’re right.” I squeezed her hand, trying to offer comfort. “This whole thing is fucked. But, Cort, when Nate Kelly asks you to spend the weekend with him, no matter who he dated last, you spend the fucking weekend with him. It is a booty call. I’m packing my best undies and matching bras because I know exactly why he invited me. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to have amazing sex. And I really, really need to have some great sex.”

  “That’s all this weekend is to you? Great sex?”

  I nodded, hating that I was lying to her. This weekend was so much more than great sex. I didn’t know what, but I was already in over my head.

  “Fine.” She stood up, grabbing a shirt off the pile. “If you’re sure, let’s get you packed. You need to go get fucked hard so I can live vicariously through you.”

  *****

  There was no fucking that night, though. Birmingham, Alabama was a four and a half hour flight. The drive to the Kelly Family Farm, once we were loaded into a Jeep, was another two and a half. By the time Mike drove me up a long dirt road to an adorable old cape that had every light on, it was after three. I was exhausted.

  Neil pushed open a screen door, stepping out onto a farmer’s porch and smiled in welcome. It may have been the way the light behind him gave him a dangerous shadow or the fact that I was in desperate need of some shuteye, but the man was downright sinful looking. I could only stare in return.

  The loud bark, followed by a beast of a dog pushing its owner out of the way and barreling down the stairs, drew my attention away from him. I braced for impact, but the brute came to a stop right in front of me, sitting back on its haunches, tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. I offered my hand, hoping that I’d get it back in one piece.

  A cold nose sniffed me and then I was given a sloppy kiss, and a head nudge. “Linc?” I asked, awed. She’d gotten bigger and had gray around her mouth and over her eyes, but she still had the heart of a puppy. She whined in answer, nudging me again. I laughed, reaching over to pat the soft yellow head. “Well, hello, pretty little girl. Do you remember me?”

  “Of course she does,” her owner answered for her, coming down the steps slowly. “She has the memory of an elephant.”

  I turned my full attention to the dog, giving her a full belly rub before Mike called her over to him. “Huh. Isn’t that typical. A hot guy calls and I suddenly don’t exist.”

  Neil smirked, scooping the handle of my bag out of my hands, and drew me into a hug. “I didn’t think you’d ever get here.”

  With my face pressed into his chest, he was all I could smell. I sighed happily. “I didn’t think we would, either.”

  He tucked me into his side, resting an arm over my shoulder as he led the way into the house. “Bed or tour?” he asked and it took every ounce of energy I had to lift my head and stare into his eyes. He nodded with a chuckle. “Bed it is.”

  Without turning off a single light, he steered me up a set of stairs and into a bedroom, only calling a quick “goodnight” to Mike over his shoulder. The room was exactly what you’d assume to find in a house like this; simple, clean, and uncluttered. A patchwork quilt covered the bed; there were a few dressers and a chair. The only thing that told me it was Neil’s room was the guitar propped in the corner.

  As soon as the door was closed, my shirt was tugged over my head and hands were working on my belt. “Hey!” I snapped, pushing them away. “I’m happy to see you, too, but I need to get some rest.”

  A familiar chuckle, more like a deep rumbling than anything, filled the room. “Red, I barely stayed awake waiting for you to get here. I need you naked so I can feel you against me while we sleep. Now get your clothes off and get in my bed, woman.”

  He didn’t have to tell me twice. In seconds, I was bare, my clothes forgotten on his floor as I climbed into the middle of the bed. He crawled in right behind me, pulling me into him – one hand under my head, one hand over my stomach, and one leg nestled between both of mine. I smiled into my pillow as I relaxed into the familiar embrace.

  Yeah. Whatever this was, it was so much more than just great sex to me. I just couldn’t bring myself to admit it. Because once I did, I’d have to admit how I felt. Cort was right. I needed to get my head out of my ass and start acting my age. Neil could have anyone he wanted; hell, he already had. This was a booty call to him, nothing more. I’d let us have this weekend. We’d enjoy each other every way we could. Then, first thing Tuesday morning, I’d face reality.

  Chapter Thirty

  ~ Nathaniel~

  The early morning sun streaming in my window made her skin glow so much she almost looked like a mirage. The scent of lilacs tickled my nose when I inhaled, making me smile. Only my girl could make an old lady scent sexy as hell. I loved having Lia in my bed. I loved waking up to her. If I could have, I would have laid in bed watching her sleep.

  But a farm didn’t run itself. When I was here, it didn’t matter what my last name was, how many albums I’d sold, or how many people came to see us in concert. The only thing that mattered was that I had a strong back and pulled my own weight. Farm life didn’t discriminate.

  I silently groaned, not wanting to leave her. But I’d already lost twenty minutes and needed to get moving. I didn’t need an alarm clock; my body instantly knew that I had to get up with the sun and do chores. Mike was probably already out in the barn mucking stalls with Cash, the manager that kept everything running in my absence. They’d have plenty to say about my absence.

  I pulled away from her and rolled out of bed, creeping soundlessly across the cool mahogany, pausing only to grab my jeans, shirt, and boots off the floor. I tapped my thigh, signing to Lincoln that it was time to come with me and she hopped off the bed. I clicked the door shut behind us, hoping we hadn’t woken Lia. Then I pulled on my clothes and hurried down the stairs and out into the day.

  I was wrong. They weren’t in the barn but, instead, out in the south ve
getable field. It had been an extremely mild winter and we’d been able to plant some crops a few weeks early. That meant that our onions, broccoli, and lettuce plants were well on the way, and our tomatoes, peppers – hot and sweet – and sweet potatoes were looking good. But that meant the real backbreaking work had just begun.

  The sun was beating down on us and I’d already shed my shirt when a beauty in short jean shorts, a simple blue tank top, and flip-flops came strolling into the yard carrying three cups. I did a double take, surprised. When she turned to me and pushed the hat up onto her head enough for her eyes to meet mine, a giant smile lit her face.

  “There you are!” She walked straight for me, holding out one of the cups. “Breakfast is ready if you guys want to take a break.”

  She gave me a wink and then handed one of the mugs to Mike. Then, she handed the last one to Cash. “We haven’t met.” She offered him her hand. “I’m Lia,” she supplied with a shrug. “I hope you like cream and sugar.”

  Cash assured her that he did, emphasizing it by taking a long sip and then thanking her.

  I was still staring at the sexy vision in front of me when I realized she had said she made breakfast. “You cooked?” I asked and she glanced over her shoulder, smiled, and nodded. My eyebrows rose. “You burn boiling water. That’s why you ate takeout all the time.”

  She laughed, turning back to me with hands on her hips. “No. I used to burn water. Then I became a poor teacher and it was either learn how to cook or starve. So, I learned to cook.”

  Mike clapped me on the back. “Her meatballs are something you’d kill for.”

  Lia nodded. “They are.” Turning back to the house, she hollered, “Food’s ready when you are.”

  Cash drove his pitchfork into the ground and followed her. Mike turned and grabbed his shirt off the fence before glancing my way. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “When in the fuck did you have Lia’s meatballs?” I spit out, moving toward him without thinking.