Love Crushed

by Toshia Slade

  My phone pings, and for a moment, I think about ignoring it. If I don’t know what he says, then there’s nothing to fight or resist.

  Then again, if I ignore him, he’ll just keep texting, eventually calling, and possibly stopping by. Cam and Gabby are gone, but there’s no telling when they’ll be back.

  That’s the last thing I need, for everything to blow up in my face tonight because he shows up pissed at me.

  Josh: Who’s acting 40? Where’s my loud crazy girl that talks about adventures and not working your ass off all the time? Call in and let’s go!!

  I’ll regret saying that to him until the day I die. He’s thrown it back at me countless times, and I want to kick myself whenever he does.

  What could he have planned this time? It’s a whole weekend.

  Tiffany: Where we going?

  Josh: Road trip! I’m not giving anything else away.

  Josh: You’ll need a swimsuit. :)

  Infuriating man! He never tells me anything. My curiosity wins out, and excitement bubbles up inside of me.

  I call into work and tell them I’ve had a family emergency and can’t make it in tomorrow. My boss is extremely cool, and it’s not a big deal because there are other college students like me who will eat up the extra hours and money. So finding someone to replace me will be easy.

  Tiffany: I’m in. Packing, then I’ll be there.

  Josh: 20 minutes, or I’m coming to get you.

  Tiffany: No way I can pack and be there in 20. Give me an hour, please.

  Josh: 30. That’s it. 10 mins to pack and 20 to get here.

  Tiffany: Fine!! If I look bad all weekend, it’s your fault! ;(

  A whole weekend of Josh-planned surprises? I’m in. I’m sick of fighting it, and I can’t say no to him. My heart and mind both are cheering for him, but I’m not going to tell him that just yet. I think I’ll soak up this spoiling a bit longer.

  Nine

  *Tiffany*

  Once we drove through London and Corbin, Kentucky, I knew for sure we were headed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It’s been so long since I’ve been down there, and I’m bouncing with excitement.

  “We’re going to Gatlinburg, aren’t we?” I twist in my seat, bending one knee and tucking my foot under the other.

  Gosh, he’s so handsome. His normally hard face softens with his answering grin, and it’s enough to tell me I’m right. Josh has always been good-looking, but this happy on him makes him downright sexy, and oh, the things it does to his eyes. Even in his loose-fitting hoodie, he’s the most attractive guy I’ve laid eyes on. It helps that I know what hides underneath that hoodie—all hard muscle and panty-melting ink.

  There’s so much to see and do in Gatlinburg that no matter how many times I go back, I can never do it all. Even just walking the streets lined with shop after shop, I never get bored. It’s filled with art places, some of the best fudge money can buy, and endless clothing stores. Some of the best ones are hidden on back alleys. I once discovered a place that was like stepping into a fairy tale. Cobblestones covered the walking paths, and the small buildings are also made of stone, with small wooden signs hanging above the doors.

  A small sigh escapes me. I kind of wish Gabby were here, because Josh is a man and not going to want to shop all day. But then again, there’s an underlying romantic side to Gatlinburg, too, so I don’t think I’ll regret getting some alone time with Josh.

  “We’ve got a long drive. Whaddya say we make it interestin’?” That devil-may-care smirk is back, and his eyes alight with challenge.

  He’s discovered a whole new side of himself, each time becoming more carefree, less tense, and more fun. Nothing surprises me with Josh anymore. My curiosity always trumps my fear of what he might do—or make me do, for that matter. Plus his ideas always end with both of us naked, and that’s a different kind of fun.

  Oh yeah. I am game!

  “Whatcha got in mind, stud?” I chew on my bottom lip, anticipation stirring low in my belly.

  “Get your mind out of the gutter, perv. I was talking about playing the alphabet game. You know, find every letter on a license plate, see who can get them all first?” He laughs then winks. “But if you wanna strip, I ain’t gonna stop ya.”

  There’s not much I would say no to when it comes to this fun-loving, playful man sitting beside me, but that doesn’t stop me from denying it.

  “I’m not a perv. I was only asking what you were thinking.” I cross my arms over my chest and hope it shows my indifference. Who am I kidding? Josh reads me like an open book and doesn’t hesitate to call me on it.

  “Tiffany, your eyes caught fire and your breathing increased, just like it does every time you want me.”

  Point proven, but how the hell did he know my breathing increased?

  “Whatever.” I’m not going to fight with him because it’s a battle I know I’ll lose.

  ***

  “Why the heck are there no Ys on license plates?” I’ve been stuck for the past thirty minutes, but I’m still ahead of Josh on his q.

  “I should get some kind of help. It’s not fair that I’m driving and can’t look like you can.”

  “Oh, suck it up, you big baby. So it wasn’t helping you when you would speed up and slow down to keep me from seeing any? You’re such a cheater.” I scoot closer to the edge of my seat, hoping I can beat him, but it’s dark now and impossible to make out the letters. At least I’m winning.

  Josh pulls into a hotel and ends my useless search.

  “Hang tight. I gotta check in and grab the keys.” Leaving the truck running, he hops down and heads inside.

  I was wrong, and we’re not in Gatlinburg. We are smack dab in the middle of Pigeon Forge. Bright neon lights are shining on all of the attractions and buildings, and everything is covered in Christmas lights. No matter how old people are, this place always makes them buzz with excitement. I’m not sure whether it’s because there’s so much to see and do or simply because of the atmosphere.

  I remember coming here as a kid. It wasn’t uncommon for my family and Gabby’s to vacation together. As much time as the two of us spent together, our families didn’t have much choice but to become fast friends. Our parents rented a huge cabin. We spent our days roaming the streets of Pigeon Forge and our nights playing in the hot tub and attempting to learn to play pool. One whole day was spent at the mini race track, each of us trying to beat the other on go-carts. Josh won every time, and I swore his cart was faster than ours. Gabby and I even ganged up on him by bumping our carts into his, but nothing fazed him. There’ll be no rematch this time since all of that is shut down.

  My trip down memory lane stops when Josh returns.

  “We’re all set.” He throws some papers on the dash and puts the truck in drive. He shocks me yet again by pulling out of the lot and back onto the main road.

  “Aren’t we going to the room to unpack and get settled first?”

  “Yeah.” He looks over at me with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile stretched across his face.

  “In case you didn’t notice, it’s back that way.” I jab my thumb back in the direction we came from.

  “No, it’s not.” He laughs at my pinched brows and confusion.

  What’s he up to now? “Smug bastard,” I grumble.

  *Josh*

  Tiffany helps me navigate the rest of the way, reading from the directions on the papers from the cabin rental office. I’ve learned the hard way to forget the GPS and follow their directions, once having driven miles past where we needed to go. These cabin resorts up in the mountains aren’t picked up well on GPS.

  My ears are still ringing from the scream she let out once she realized where we were going. The perma-smile lights her face and makes something shift inside me again. Every time I make her smile like that, something in me comes alive. A profound need burns deep within for me to keep that look on her, to make her the happiest she’s ever been, and I love riding the high from her excitement.

 
“There it is!” Tiffany unsnaps her seat belt and jumps to the edge of her seat. “It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to see the inside.”

  She’s not lying. The outside is covered in dark wood with hunter-green shutters and roof, and the same dark wood is used in a deck that wraps down the side and, I’m sure, continues on to the back.

  “Let’s go look. I’ll come back out and grab the bags later.” A nervous excitement buzzes through me. I really hope she likes it and doesn’t laugh in my face. When I called and set this up, they asked if I was interested in a Romantic Getaway Package. Since the whole point of me bringing her here was to romance her and hopefully give her that last little push to finally make her mine, I immediately jumped on the deal.

  Helping her down from the truck, I scoop her hand in mine and walk her to the door. Tiffany gasps when I flip on the lights then releases my hand and slowly walks in. Though the outside of the cabin is dark wood, the inside has a light and rustic look. It’s an open floor plan with floors of light oak, walls and furniture of light oak logs, and a giant rock fireplace taking up one whole wall in the living room. The wall beside it is nothing but picture windows, which I know will be a sight all its own when the sun starts to rise over the Smokey Mountains. It’s amazing what they do with these cabins, and every one I’ve stayed in is completely different from the last.

  Taking small, tentative steps, Tiffany continues through the kitchen into the living room. I follow her as she continues into the bedroom.

  “Josh.” Her voice is barely above a whisper as her hand grips her throat.

  I’m a man, and even I have to admit it’s breathtaking. The huge king-sized bed made of logs is covered in deep red and bright pink rose petals. Two champagne flutes sit on the nightstand along with a bucket and bottle of sparkling grape juice. I laughed when the woman told me over the phone what they served—not only because it was grape juice but also because Tiffany drinking sparkling anything is hilarious. The girl turns her nose up at wine and champagne as if they’re not good enough for her. No, my girl is a Jack and Coke kind of girl.

  “You like it?”

  “Like it?” She spins to face me. “I love it, but this is too much. Josh, it’s the second week in December, so I know the cost for a cabin right now is double our rent at the townhouse. Add in all of this”—she gestures around the room—“the roses and wine.” There it is, the nose crinkle, and it makes me want to kiss every inch of her face. “I would have been happy with just a cheap hotel.”

  Doesn’t she realize by now that I would give every last dime to make her happy? You can’t put a price on the smile that lights up her face when she’s happy or excited about something. Like right now. Even with her long hair piled in a sloppy mess on top of her head and wearing plain jeans, cowgirl boots, and a hoodie, she’s a dream come true. My dream come true.

  “That shit doesn’t matter.” No longer able to bear the distance between us, I close in on her, grabbing her hips and pulling her body to mine. “I wanted to come here. I wanted the seclusion.” Sweeping back a few strands of her hair that have fallen in her face, I dive into her neck, raining kisses up and down. I’m breathing her into my lungs and sending my senses spiraling. “Nobody deserves to be kept up all night from the girl’s screams next door.” Her breathing becomes shallow, and my cock throbs behind my zipper. Four days of not being with her is entirely too long. “So you see, this was all to benefit me.”

  She releases a breathy moan when my hand moves up her side to cup her tit over her shirt. Yeah, my girl’s missed me, too.

  “And oh God, did you see the tub?” She fists my hair in her hands and crashes her mouth to mine.

  As much as I love wild and fiery Tiffany, I want to take it slow and savor her, enjoy her. Not that it’s not amazing and better each time, but there’s something about taking her slowly, feeling every inch of her wrapped so tight around me.

  I break the kiss, laughing, and cup her cheeks in my hands, slowly gliding my thumbs along her jaw.

  “Had I known you would react this way, Kitten, I would have done this a lot sooner.”

  “Why do you call me that?” Her voice is soft and hesitant, as if she’s afraid of my answer. She chews her bottom lip and waits.

  “Because you’re my Kitten. So feisty and vicious one minute, then the next you’re all soft and purring.” Her face goes soft, and she leans into me more. “And you’re afraid of your own shadow. Just like a kitten.”

  “Just had to throw that in there, didn’t you? I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be afraid of things that can eat you.”

  “What about the time you called me because Gabby was gone with Cam and there was a spider in your tub?” I quirk a brow, and my lips twitch. “That little spider sure was going to eat you, huh?”

  “Spiders kill people. So no, it might not have eaten me, but it could have killed me.”

  “I know, baby. I’m only teasing.” I don’t want her getting upset and starting to think about the black bears surrounding us. She would shit if she knew how many times I’ve spotted them trying to get in the trash when I’ve been here.

  She starts to say something smart in return, but I easily cut her off by sealing my mouth over hers. Softly sweeping my tongue over her bottom lip, I savor the taste of her cherry lip gloss, dying to get back inside where I can drown in the taste of her.

  The kiss is slow, each of us exploring the other’s body with soft strokes of our hands, matching the movements of our tongues. We slowly undress each other, piece by piece, until all that’s left is her bra and panties and my boxer briefs. And the sight of Tiffany in white silk outlined with black lace has my mouth watering and my dick twitching.

  “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Her cheeks warm further from my compliment. I would swear this girl standing in front of me wasn’t the same one who would hand me my balls on a silver platter.

  She can spit comebacks at me all day long and hang with the best when it comes to insulting someone, but feed her the smallest compliment, and she turns shy and unsure.

  “You’re not so bad yourself, babe.” She grins, and my heart stops, then starts to gallop. She’s never called me anything but Josh. Something insulting or a teasing name like stud? All the time.

  A growl rumbles in my chest and up my throat, then I’m on her. While our mouths and teeth are crashing, I cup her ass in my hands and pick her up. Striding over to the bed, I drop her, and petals fly everywhere. She starts ripping at her bra and panties, trying to get them off.

  I step back and take a calming breath while dropping my boxers and stepping out of them.

  Take your time, Josh. Savor her. This is your big chance to show her what she means to you. Your weekend to finally make her yours for good.

  Going over to my jeans, I retrieve the condoms from my pocket. Walking back to the bed, I drop them on the nightstand, soaking up the image before me.

  Her face is flushed with arousal and want, making her even more beautiful. She’s one of those girls people look at and think, Damn, she’s gorgeous. I’ll be one lucky man to have this woman by my side for the rest of my life, and one day I’ll ask her, but I don’t see that happening for a long time. Most girls dream of their big day, but I don’t think Tiffany dreams of much, just living happy and carefree.

  Taking one of the condoms off the stand, I open it and sheath myself. Climbing over her, I kiss, suck, and lick my way up her body.

  “Josh.” She groans and pulls at my shoulders. “Can’t take the torture right now. I need you.”

  Ah, fuck it. Isn’t that what this is all about? Passion so intense you can’t get enough of one another? Can’t get that connection fast enough. The burning need so deep, I feel I’ll die if I don’t touch her. We always have later for slow, maybe tomorrow morning when she’s all cute and drowsy. I’ll sink into her and slowly rock in and out of her. Right now, she needs me hard and fast, and I plan to give her exactly what she needs.

  “Hang
on tight, Kitten.” I lean back on my knees, scooping her ass up in my hands and tilting her pelvis up to me. She’s glistening, and her essence permeates the air around me.

  Fighting the need to taste her, to sink my tongue into her, I position myself at the juncture of her thighs then slowly start to push in, groaning at how hot and tight she is. I can never get enough of this. Pure paradise. Home.

  She claws at my back and ass, trying to pull me deeper, lifting her hips. I let her. As bad as she wants me there, I want her, too.

  “Josh.” She whimpers.

  Once buried balls deep, I slowly glide back out, enjoying the way her pussy clinches around me, trying to suck me back in. I slam back in with a roar, and she arches off the bed.

  “Oh God, yes!”

  It’s hot, hard, and fast, and the harder I give it to her, the tighter she hangs on. The room’s filled with the sounds of our smacking flesh, Tiffany’s sharp cries of pleasure, and my groans.

  “So fuckin’ tight, Kitten.” I thrust and grind into her hard, hitting her clit and making her arch off the bed.

  She reaches up and yanks at my hair, bringing my mouth down to hers. Once close enough, her teeth latch onto my lower lip, and she shifts sideways.

  Oh, hell. I know what she wants, and I also know that I’m done for.

  “My Kitten wants to ride?”

  She doesn’t reply but only lifts and swivels her hips, grinding against me, letting out that sweet sound of hers, a mix between a purr and a moan.

  I roll, taking her with me, making sure not to break the connection. She sits up, bracing her hands on my chest, and I sink into her further, even after I thought I couldn’t get any deeper. Her head falls back, and she circles her hips on a groan.

  Reaching up, I tug her hair loose, wanting the feel of it brushing my chest and thighs as she rides me. It’s the hottest sight ever to have Tiffany straddling my body, her hair cascading down her back and her face painted in ecstasy, head back and mouth open in pleasure.