by L. P. Dover
Grayson jerked back, as if I’d slapped him. “You’ve always trusted me. I’ve never given you a reason to doubt me, but Luke did it time and time again. He’d come in here, flaunting other women in your face just to get a rise out of you. All you had together was a one night stand.” He grabbed my hands again. “We had a whole, wonderful year together, topped with a beautiful engagement. Not to mention, we had a couple years before that of being friends. That’s worth a lot more than just one night.”
Swallowing hard, I couldn’t stop the burn behind my eyes. Was one night really all Luke and I had together? When we’d talked, it felt like there was so much more. There were no words that came out of my mouth, only tears from my eyes.
Grayson pulled me into his arms and rubbed my back. “Dammit, Lara, I didn’t mean to upset you, but you needed to know the truth. Your best bet is to stay away from him. I know for a fact Collins isn’t going to be honest with you. It’s not in his blood.”
That was the one thing I was going to find out for myself, when Luke picked me up for our date. Whoever was lying had to stop. One way or another, I would find out the truth.
All night, I couldn’t help but wonder if Lara was still with Grayson. The thought of him touching her, them being together, made me goddamn sick to my stomach. The fucker was lying to her, knowing she was in a vulnerable state. I’d waited for a text or phone call to come through, saying she didn’t want to have anything to do with me. Since I never received a call, hopefully it meant she still wanted to see me. There was no telling, with the garbage Grayson was no doubt feeding into her head.
With my boat hitched up to my truck, I pulled out my phone to text Lara.
Me: On my way. Ready to go?
Mostly, I just wanted to see if she’d reply. If she didn’t, I had no clue what I was going to do. Luckily, my phone beeped with a returning text.
Lara: Fixing our lunches now. :)
Breathing a sigh of relief, I started on my way to her house. It didn’t look as if Grayson had managed to turn her away from me yet. Although, it was only a matter of time before he played dirty. I was willing to do the same, but not at Lara’s expense.
When I pulled into her driveway, her door was open. “Hello?” I called out.
“In here,” she answered from the kitchen.
I saw her silhouette and lost my breath at the sight of her. Her long, blonde hair was braided to the side, and she had on a pair of denim shorts that showed off her tanned legs, not to mention the light green tank top covering her pink bikini. She was so fucking beautiful.
“All right, I think I’m done,” she said, shutting the lid to the picnic basket. When she turned around, I would’ve given anything to scoop her into my arms and kiss her, but I had to keep my distance.
“You look beautiful,” I murmured.
Her smile lit up her face. “Thanks. It’s my last day off before I have to go to work, so I want to make the most of it.”
My gut clenched. Once she went back to work, she’d be with Grayson every hour of every day. I didn’t like it at all. I reached for the basket and said, “I’ll be sure to make it memorable.” We made our way to the door and I waited as she locked it behind us. Hopping in the truck, I pulled down the street, on our way to the boat landing. “What all did you pack us to eat?”
“Some sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies, and the last piece of red velvet cake. I’m not big on sharing that, so you’ll just have to settle for the box of cookies.”
I winked at her. “Not if I throw you in the lake and eat it first.”
Gasping, she smacked me on the arm and laughed. “You better not.”
I had no intention of eating her favorite cake, but it was fun to joke with her. It was nice to banter with her like we did back in the day. When we got to the boat landing, I lowered my boat into the water and we loaded it up with our things before I parked my truck. I could’ve easily gone to Summer and Evan’s house to drop the boat in, but I didn’t want to flaunt our time together in her sister’s face. If Summer didn’t believe my part of the story, that was fine. The only person who mattered was Lara.
I started up the boat and Lara took the seat beside me. The wind whipped through our hair, and the sun warmed our skin as we raced through the rough water. It wasn’t a smooth ride, since there were so many people out, but that was to be expected on a perfect Sunday morning.
There was a cove where I liked to anchor down; it was usually quite secluded. I was happy to see no one was there when we arrived.
“It’s so peaceful here,” Lara gushed. She took off her tank top and shorts and laid down on the row of seats behind her. My dick got hard and I adjusted it under the waistband of my board shorts, hoping like hell it’d go down. Lara wasn’t ready for that.
I laid down on the opposite side of the boat and closed my eyes. “This is where I like to come to think.”
“About what?” she asked.
I glanced over at her and she lifted her sunglasses so I could see her eyes. I leaned on my elbow so I could face her. “Lots of things. You, for the most part. Are you excited about going back to work?”
She put her head back down and gazed at the sky. “I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure I’ll love it, but I can’t help but wonder where I’d be if I’d done something with my degree.”
“It was for marketing wasn’t it?” She never really talked about it, so I wasn’t sure.
She nodded and turned to look at me, a sad smile spreading across her lips. “I got my masters in marketing research. I wanted to be a PR manager for someone famous.”
“Like who?”
She bit her lip and giggled. “Let’s see . . . a sexy actor maybe? No wait, a badass band with a drop dead gorgeous drummer. It doesn’t matter, as long as my client’s hot.” Snickering, she waved me off. “I’m just kidding. Those dreams are long gone. I’m sure running a restaurant for the rest of my life will keep me happy.”
The words left her lips, but I didn’t believe them. It made me wonder if it was really how Lara felt for the past five years, or if it was a completely new feeling. “What if you worked for someone like me?” I asked in all seriousness. “Would you ever consider it?”
Her breath caught and she sat up. “Seriously?”
Nodding, I sat up too. “I don’t have my own PR manager, but it probably wouldn’t hurt.”
She looked bemused, but not unhappy. “I don’t know what to say.”
I held out my hand. “Say you’ll work for me. No obligations, no commitments. If you decide you can’t do it, you can leave.”
She shook my hand and it felt so good to touch her, I didn’t want to let go. “It might take me a while to get started. Is that okay?”
“Take all the time you need, Lara. If you want to wait until your memories come back, you can do that as well. You knew a lot about my profession and the people in it.”
“And if I don’t get my memories back,” she replied sadly, “I can always do my research.”
I nodded. “Yes, you can. Have you said anything to Summer about this?”
She snorted. “That’s the last thing I need to do right now. I don’t want to hurt her feelings. I think she’s become even more emotional since my accident.”
“We all have,” I answered honestly. “Losing you would’ve devastated so many people. In a way, we did lose a part of you. We’re all praying we get it back.”
“So am I,” she murmured.
I glanced down at the picnic basket and my stomach growled. “How about some lunch?”
Lara stared down at the basket and I couldn’t contain my smile. When she looked over at me, she could tell I was steadily sliding closer to the food. “Luke,” she warned.
“What?” I said, inching closer.
“Don’t you dare.”
As fast as I could, I bolted to the basket. She grabbed my shorts in effort to hold me back, but I turned and wrapped my arms around her waist, only to lose my footing and send us toppling
over the side of the boat into the water. Lara squealed and all I could do was laugh.
“You are such a pain in the ass,” she shouted, splashing water at my face.
“Hey, I was just trying to get to that piece of cake. I can’t help it you made us fall into the water.”
She splashed me again and giggled. “It was not my fault.”
I climbed back into the boat and helped her in. Her skin was wet and her nipples poked out from underneath her top. I wanted to put them in my mouth and hear her scream like that night many months ago. For us only to have slept together once, I could still remember every single curve of her body.
Hurrying over to the picnic basket, she lifted it in her arms and sat down. With a wide grin, she opened the basket and pulled out the red velvet cake, only there were two pieces. She tossed me one, along with a ham sandwich and pack of chips.
“You liar!”
She smiled devilishly. “It was more like a dirty little fib.”
“Why did you make me think there was only one?” I asked, taking a bite of my sandwich.
She looked down at her food as she unwrapped it. “I just wanted to see what you’d do.” Her gaze lifted and she bit her lip. “It’s kind of sexy you wanted to fight for it.”
“I always fight for the things I want.”
The day went by quick and I hated that I had to take Lara home. I didn’t want the day to end, but the sun was already setting. Once the boat was loaded up and on the trailer, I headed down the road. “Are you ready for me to take you home?” I asked her.
Her skin was a little red from the sun, but by tomorrow it’d be a golden brown. She looked over at me and pursed her lips. “Actually, do you mind if we stop by your house? I’d love to see your track.”
“Sure,” I agreed happily. Any time she allowed me to spend with her was fine with me.
When we got to my house, I backed into the driveway and to the side of my garage, so I could drop off my boat. Once Lara got out of the truck, her eyes went wide, taking in the track behind my house.
“Wow, that’s amazing. I can’t believe you have your own supercross track.”
I followed behind her and smiled. “I designed it.”
“You did?” she gasped excitedly.
Over the past few years, I’d gone through different track designs. It just so happened she’d helped me with the last one. I hadn’t changed it since. “I did,” I replied, “but you helped me too. You see that jump over there in the third corner?” I pointed to it and watched her face light up. “It was your idea to make it that high. I think you wanted to kill me.”
“Oh, I don’t believe that’s true.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Wow. I can’t believe I helped you with the design.”
Evan had helped too, but I didn’t want to burst her bubble. I loved seeing the way she beamed when she was excited. The sound of a motorcycle revved down the street and it sounded closer by the second. “I think someone’s here,” I said.
I grabbed Lara’s hand and she willingly let me hold it. With the day we’d had, I was feeling more comfortable with where we were headed. When I turned the corner of my house, Chance pulled up and parked, taking off his helmet.
“What’s up cocksucker?” he called out. However, when he lifted his head, he spotted Lara right beside me. “Excuse me, sweetheart. I didn’t know you were going to be here. Do you remember me?”
She shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m sure I’ve met you, but the last five years are kind of a blank for me.”
He snapped his fingers. “Dammit, I was hoping I’d be the one you’d remember. I heard about the accident. It’s good to see you made it through okay.” He held out his hand to her. “I’m Chance Harris. I ride with this dirtbag,” he said, pointing at me.
They shook hands and she smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. And thank you. I’m lucky to be here.”
“So what’s up?” I asked, drawing his attention to me. Chance was my friend, but I had no doubt he’d put the moves on Lara if he could. He’d done it once before, the night she and I slept together.
“I was going to come by and see if you wanted to go riding, but I can see you’re busy.” He slipped his helmet back on and waggled his brows. “But I will tell you about my party. It’s next Saturday, so bring your girl. We missed you at the last one.” He waved at Lara and sped out of my driveway.
I turned to look at her, brows lifted. “Interested in going?”
She shrugged. “Sure. It might be kind of fun.”
“All right, we’ll go. Just do me a favor and stay away from Chance. I don’t want to have to kick his ass.”
Giggling, she turned and headed toward the back of my house. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not attracted to him.”
“Oh yeah? Who are you attracted to then?”
The sun had fully set and there was nothing but darkness above. The only thing lighting up the sky was the stars and the moon. Lara walked out into the field to a grassy bank and laid down on her back, patting the ground beside her. “Lay down and I’ll tell you.”
Lara was always different from the rest of the girls I’d met. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. And a little bit of dirt never hurt her, whereas other girls I’d fucked would scream if they got anything on their clothes or under their nails.
I laid down beside her and peered up at the sky, the grass warm against my back. Only she would find joy in looking up at the stars.
“I’m attracted to honesty, Luke. It’s hard to find it in today’s time.”
I turned my head, her eyes glistening in the moonlight. “What are you trying to say?”
“I want you to tell me what happened between us. I don’t care how upset you think it’ll make me; I need to know. With everyone avoiding my questions, I’m assuming what went on was bad. The only person eager to tell me anything is Grayson; although, I do have to question his motives.”
I scoffed. “You think? The guy’s determined to get you to turn on me.”
She nodded. “I know, which is why I’m talking to you. I’ve wanted answers all day, but I wasn’t ready until now.”
Swallowing hard, I focused back on the sky. If she wanted the truth, I was going to give it to her. It was probably going to kill any chance I had, but she needed to hear it from me. “The whole story?” I asked to be sure.
She nodded. “Everything.”
I thought back to that day that changed everything. “Over a year ago now, I found you on the side of the road because your car ran out of gas. You were walking all alone on the street and I wasn’t about to leave you there. You were so mean to me, but I threatened to chase you down if you didn’t hop on my bike so I could take you to get gas.”
She snorted. “I bet I didn’t like that.”
“You didn’t,” I chuckled, “but you had no choice. Anyway, later on that weekend I asked you to one of Chance’s parties. I’d been interested in you for a long time by this point, but I always ignored those feelings. Over time, you grew to hate me because I kept my distance, filling my time with skanks, as you called them. I knew you had feelings for me, but I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t think I was capable of love.”
“Is that because of your parents?”
My stomach clenched and I jerked my head toward her. “Who told you about them?” It wasn’t something I talked about to anyone, other than Evan.
She moved closer to me. “Evan did. Please don’t be mad at him. I’m glad he told me.”
It hurt to talk about my parents, but there was nothing I could do to change the way they were. They were too self-involved to think about anyone else. I grabbed her hand and brought it to my lips. “I’m not mad, Lara. It’s just a sore subject. Don’t get me wrong, they gave me all the money I needed. But by the time I was sixteen, I was living in my own house. Evan’s parents were the ones who kept watch over me. I guess you can say I never really experienced love, until them. But even then, they weren’t my real parents.”
&nb
sp; “I’m sorry,” she murmured.
I shook my head. “Don’t be. I’m happy with my friends . . . with you.”
“Tell me about our one night stand. Was that all it was between us?”
Fucking Grayson. I was hoping to tell her everything before that bastard could. I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. Clenching my jaw, I bit down so hard I could feel my muscles shake. “No, it wasn’t. We were only together that one night, but it had been building for years. It was that night I knew I was in love with you. And it scared the fuck out of me.”
“Does it now?” she asked.
Turning on my side, I reached over and tucked a strand of her golden locks behind her ear. “Loving you doesn’t scare me, but losing you does. I’d just gotten you back the night of the accident, then you were torn away again. I believe it’s my punishment for everything I did to you.”
“What did you do?”
By the look on her face, she already knew. No doubt Grayson told her. “After our night together, I freaked out. I couldn’t be what you wanted, so I went back to my normal life. I didn’t call you after our night together, and a couple of days later, you saw me with another girl. I was flirting with her, trying to convince myself I wasn’t in love with you. Nothing worked. Unfortunately, you saw me with her and ran away. Being the most stubborn and grudge-holding person I know, you never forgave me.”
She laughed but there was nothing humorous about it. “I don’t like being made a fool of.”
“Yes, I know. And you evaded me time and again. I never got the chance to be alone with you to explain. Even Evan wouldn’t allow me to be anywhere near you.”
“Evan’s turned out to be pretty amazing. My sister got lucky with him,” she said with a smile.
I nodded. “He’s my best friend; although, we did fight a lot when it came to you. What made me furious was that you acted like nothing ever happened between us. The times I came into the restaurant, you walked around with a smile on your face, like you were the happiest woman in the world. I didn’t want to believe it didn’t mean anything to you. I wanted you so fucking bad, and it killed me when you didn’t feel the same way.”