Tagged & Ashed (The Sterling Shore Series #2)

by Owens, C. M.

  He purses his lips, and then he leans back and rests his body fully on the lounge chair while staring up at the sky.

  “This will probably make you hate me, but, last year a girl I had messed with came to me. She claimed to be pregnant. She showed me doctor statements, ultrasounds... everything.”

  I hold my breath. I’ll definitely get over him if he has a child out there he isn’t taking care of in some way. Asshole.

  “And?” I prompt softly.

  “And I believed her at first. I always wear a condom. But I thought something might have gone wrong. So, I gave her money, paid for the entire pregnancy, and when the child was born, I was there the way I was supposed to be.

  "The thing is, the amount of money I have affords me a lot of lawyers with good advice. They insisted on a paternity test, and I went along with it. It took a court-order to force her to oblige. Come to find out, I had been duped. I cut off her financial aide from my account, obviously, and I cut her out of my life.

  “I never planned on getting back with her, but I was coming over regularly, keeping contact with Rick - the little boy - and talking to her like a person instead of some random girl I screwed. I can say now she’s the person in this world I hate the most.”

  He looks a little heartbroken, and I want to go over, wrap my arms around him, and comfort him.

  “That’s pretty shitty on her part, but I don’t get why I would hate you, or why you feel guilty. It’s not like the child was your responsibility.”

  He studies the air above him, not meeting my eyes.

  “If a kid has that sort of woman for a mother, think of the shit he’ll be put through growing up. He’ll be a joke at school, he’ll have stepfathers who don’t give a damn about him because they’ll be groping bastards getting some for cash, and he won’t ever have anyone to help him out when he needs it.”

  I’ve never looked at anyone the way I am him right now. My heart has damn near stopped beating, and I’m almost aching. This wasn't supposed to get real.

  ***

  Tag

  After a few seconds of silence, I turn to see if I’ve scared her off. She’s not gone. She’s staring at me in a way I’ve never had anyone look at me before. It’s almost as if she’s in… awe? But not because she’s marveling at my body.

  I don’t really get that, but I rise up to face her. I can’t believe I just told her that.

  “I’d appreciate silence on this. Wren doesn’t even know.”

  She nods, and then she wipes a tear away while lowering her eyes to the ground.

  “You okay?"

  “Yeah... It just... caught me by surprise. I almost wish that kid was yours.”

  My heart jumps in my chest when her stormy eyes rise up, glistening with adoration seeping through. The way she’s looking at me - it’s not something I'm used to. It's not something I deserve.

  “Sometimes I wish it, too, but I’m not father material. That's the part I feel the worst about - I wasn't ready to be a dad. I doubt I ever will be.

  "I did, however, set up a trust fund for him. He won’t know about it until he’s twenty-four, and by then, I’m hoping he won’t have any ties to his mom. I also have someone who will be checking in on them - covertly of course - to make sure he’s not being neglected or abused in any way.”

  Another tear falls free, and then she gets up to come sit beside me. Her body brushes against mine as the fresh, fruity scent of her hair catches me and makes me breathe in deep.

  “Your turn,” I murmur softly while nudging her a bit. “Same question.”

  She winces slightly, and then shakes her head.

  “After you having shared that, I hate to deny you an answer, but my guiltiest moment doesn’t have such a good spin.”

  How could this girl have something in her past that makes her face distort in shame?

  “No judgment. I have no right.”

  As bad as I want to see her lose her top or bottoms, I also want to know what jaded secrets she has. I need her to not be so perfect.

  “Well, remember the first guy I had sex with?” she asks while cringing. “He was married.”

  Whoa. Even I draw the line at engaged or married chicks.

  “Um, wow. So… I don’t know what to say.”

  She leans over and grips her head.

  “That’s the same way I felt when I found out. I was young, naïve, and too damn trusting.”

  Oh thank fuck. She didn’t know he was married.

  “How did he keep it from you?”

  A bitter, possibly self-loathing sigh tears out of her lips.

  “Like I said, I was young. He was my first real boyfriend, so it’s not like I knew any better. I was going to college and had just started my own business in my apartment that Billy helped me get. He kept telling me Dyllan was bad news, but I thought he was just being overprotective.

  “After we had sex the first time, I asked him to stay the night. He said he wanted to, but couldn't because he had an early meeting. He was six years older than me, had a job outside of Sterling Shore, and he claimed to work late hours, so I didn’t question it. I went out after he left to sort of celebrate my moment of deflowering with Billy - though I didn’t tell him that.

  “While we were at the bar, I saw Dyllan walking in with a woman on his arm. She was blond, pale, elegant… everything I wasn’t. I stared in shock, and then I saw the ring on his finger along with the two rings on hers. From there, I remember throwing up, Billy carrying me out, and Dyllan chasing behind us as he promised to leave his wife.

  “I’ll never forget the heartbroken tears that fell from her eyes as she stared in as much shock as I was in. Before I hyperventilated to the point of passing out, I remember Billy punching Dyllan in the face and leaving him in the street like the piece of shit he was."

  I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever had a conversation this deep with anyone, and from the tears in her eyes, I’m assuming this isn’t something she normally shares. It makes me want to find this guy and beat the hell out of him.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmur while slipping my arm around her waist and pulling her to me.

  She shrugs, never letting the first tear fall, and then she sits up, trying to look composed and unscathed by her truth.

  “Name the most scared you’ve ever been in your life,” she says, changing the subject.

  “When I thought I was going to be a father,” I say through a nervous chuckle, and she frowns a little, realizing she just wasted a turn.

  “What about you?” I ask while brushing her hair from her face.

  “I was afraid you were going to ask that,” she sighs. “Um, it actually happened a few months ago. I kept having someone call me from a blocked number, threatening me, watching me. They knew everything I was doing at all times of the day. I thought it was Evan - my last boyfriend - so Billy went over to his house and started a fight.

  “Unfortunately, Billy got his ass kicked, then got arrested, and while he was there, I got another call proving it wasn’t Evan. I bailed Billy out, changed my number, and changed my apartment as well. Evan dropped the charges against Billy when he found out what was going on. He even offered to help me find out who it was.

  “The calls stopped, though, and so did all the weird flower deliveries, notes, and other creepy things. I suppose whoever it was grew bored.”

  “That’s a little fucked up. Are you sure it’s over?”

  She shrugs, hiding her true anxiety. “I hope so. My turn again. What's the best date you’ve ever had?”

  I have to think about that. I can’t remember having an actual date in the traditional sense, but I don’t want to tell her that.

  I stand up, smiling, and my shorts fall to the ground to bring a devilish grin to her face.

  “That’s sort of cheating, since you’re not actually showing any new skin.”

  She's cute when she's irritated.

  “My turn," I say while sitting back down. "What’s the most intense orgasm you’v
e ever had?” I ask, knowing she’ll shy away from the question now that I’ve learned about her a little more.

  She blushes, just as I knew she would, and she stands up to turn her back on me as she pulls the strings to loosen her bikini top. She looks over her shoulder to give me a taunting gaze, and then she drops the top to the ground before walking over to the pool and diving in.

  ***

  Ashiara

  I could have answered that, but I want to fuck him at this point. This game was supposed to end our flirtation and help me distance myself from the superficial guy I’ve been so inexplicably drawn to. Instead, I want him more now than ever.

  “Nice,” he says with an excited grin before standing up and diving in beside me.

  I smile as drops of water splash me in the face, and I watch his slow ascent. He shakes his head to free his brow from his hair before running his hand through the wet strands.

  “I think it’s my turn now,” I murmur with a sweet grin, feigning innocence.

  “Only if I get a kiss first. You’re hiding the good stuff under the water, disrupting the view. I think it’s only fair I get at least a kiss.”

  Take more than a kiss.

  “No kissing until you win the game,” I murmur through a shaky breath, and he smiles as he takes a step toward me, his body looking just as perfectly clear through the water as it did on land.

  He can see my chest just fine.

  “Fine, next question,” he says with mock frustration.

  “Why did you want to spend so much time here?”

  He sighs hard, and then his eyes fall back down to my chest. He looks torn at first, but then determination comes to life in his eyes as he takes another step towards me.

  “My mom ran off when I was still in diapers, my dad is a drunken asshole, and Melanie was my savior. Dad’s favorite thing to do when I was younger was get drunk, invite his friends over, and jam out until the early hours of the morning. So, I would put myself to bed, block out the drunken music with my pillow, and then wake up on my own to get ready for school.

  “With Melanie, she cooked me supper, laid my clothes out for me, and woke me up for school in the mornings. She even combed my hair for me when I was really young. Breakfast was always waiting. She’d help me with my homework. She even taught me how to drive. If it hadn’t been for her, my life would have gone a lot differently.”

  My heart sinks to the ground as I wade over to be closer to him. Without thinking, I pull him down to meet my lips, and he responds by gripping me tightly around the waist, pulling at the strings on my bottoms.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmur against his lips while moving back.

  His breath is shaky, but he lets me withdraw without protest.

  “My turn. Tell me how you really feel about me,” he murmurs while tugging me back to him in a rough motion.

  How do I feel? Like I want to spend the rest of the weekend repeating the same mistakes.

  Without letting my mind work, I pull the strings on my bikini bottoms and pull it to the surface to throw it over the side of the pool.

  A daring, triumphant grin spreads over his face, and his lips crush mine as my legs wrap around his waist. For right now, I’m his to do with as he pleases.

  ***

  Tag

  Her breath is hot, her grip is needy, and she's finally mine. I know she wants me now, and she’s had her fun. Now it’s my turn to fuck with her, make her have to have me, and take away her power so I can get back to being me instead of this pile of mush she has turned me into.

  “Turn around,” I command, and she does as I say. “Put your hands on the side of the pool.”

  She does it, and her tiptoes hold her in place as she grips the edge. She’s going along with this almost too well, and my hard-as-fuck cock is begging me to reconsider what I’m about to do.

  “Whatever you do, don’t move,” I murmur while taking a breath and going under the water to pull her legs around my neck, putting myself between her body and the wall of the pool.

  I press my lips to her most sensitive spot, and then I flick my tongue over her hardened little nub, making her tremble. I work faster, making harder strokes, and alternating between sucking, nibbling and licking as the chlorine takes away the taste I’m sure would be delicious.

  I pick her up before I run out of air, and she clings to me when I turn us and lay her on the side of the pool. Her legs tense around my head as I work harder, my deliberate strokes owning her.

  I feel her legs trembling more, and then I feel her body tighten as she grips my hair. As I feel her body’s reaction and taste her a little more without the obnoxious chlorine overwhelming me, I work harder. She lets out a breath just before a beautiful moan, gasping as she finds her release. I bring her back into the water, pushing myself against the wall, and holding her to me.

  Her arms wrap around my neck, and her soft lips find mine with more need as her bare body presses against mine. As bad as I want to fuck her, I know I should stop - leave her desperate for more. I don’t know if I can, though. I don’t even have a condom with me right now.

  She frees my cock from my trunks without giving me a chance to think further, and her body disappears under the water as her mouth finds the tip. I know I should pull her up, but I can’t.

  Her lips slide over, her tongue twists and turns, but she doesn't take me fully. She’s fucking with me. I tug at her head, and her lips slide to the base as she takes me in her mouth completely, making an ungodly moan rumble deep in my chest.

  My eyes roll back in my head as I revel in her wonderful ability to make me forget the world, but I jerk her up from her underwater-oral-assault and bring her wet lips back to mine.

  She moans as she grabs my cock in her hand, and her legs wrap around me as she pushes the top of it into her opening, inviting me to fuck her.

  Our gentle kiss becomes more ravenous as I shove her back into the wall of the pool, and before I think too much, I surge in, feeling her tightness as I swell inside her.

  Oh damn. She feels too fucking good.

  ***

  Ashiara

  I wanted to fuck him, and then he gave me an orgasm - one which definitely climbed the charts to be my best ever. Apparently experience makes a guy pretty damn incredible.

  “Harder,” I breathe as he takes his time, but he pulls out instead of going deeper.

  My head pops up as confusion strikes, but then I hear the voices he must have already heard.

  “Hey, Ash. You up?” Billy calls from just inside.

  “Shit,” I whisper, and Tag laughs while jerking up his shorts and pulling himself out of the pool to grab my shorts and shirt. He shoves them under the cushions of the lounge chair. Then he quickly tosses my bikini to me.

  I duck under the water when I see Billy coming toward the pool, and I hold my breath, praying I can stay under long enough.

  ***

  Tag

  Being inside her was the best feeling I think I’ve ever had. I couldn’t just fuck her poolside because of a stupid bet. I can’t fuck her without a condom either. I got lucky Bity showed up.

  “Tag,” Bity grumbles under his breath.

  “What’s up?” I murmur, heading away from the pool and drawing him inside so Ash can come up for air.

  “I’m looking for Ash. You seen her?”

  I prop up on the island in the kitchen as I pop a grape in my mouth from the fruit basket dressing the center.

  “She’s-”

  Before I can finish, Rene pops in with a bit of a sour look.

  “I didn’t realize everyone was going to be gone today. Have you two been here alone all day?” she almost whimpers, showing her frigging obsession with me.

  Shit. Fuck her already, Bity.

  “Yeah, we went for a swim, and we were going to see about going to the beach,” I murmur as I see Ash walking toward us with a towel wrapped around her.

  “Hey,” she murmurs softly, her eyes meeting mine briefly.

 
“Hey,” I say back, knowing it wasn’t me she was talking to.

  She smiles, and I can see Bity’s face distorting with anger.

  “Ash, you could have went to town with Mom and Wren,” he almost scolds.

  “Actually, I thought I’d stay here - take in the view.”

  “I bet you did,” Rene sardonically releases, jealously oozing out.

  “Um. I’ll see you guys later. I think the others should be back soon, and I need to grab a shower and change,” I murmur as I walk by Ash, discreetly grabbing her ass through the towel as I pass behind her.

  She bites back a smile while clinging to her towel.

  “Me, too. Catch you later, Billy?” Ash mutters so innocently.

  “Yeah,” he says dully.

  I walk out and wait beside the wall for her to follow me.

  She emerges, and I swirl her into my arms while bringing her in for a deep kiss as her body pushes against mine.

  “Your room or mine?” she murmurs against my lips, and I smile in response.

  “Neither. Rene is about to start stalking me again, and I’m sure Billy is going to come to your room to bitch. Let’s meet up in a while, and I’ll take you somewhere.”

  She almost pouts, which excites me to no end. She wants me bad now, almost as bad as I want her.

  “Okay, so, later?” she asks awkwardly.

  “Definitely later.”

  She finally smiles for real, and I kiss her again while taking her hand in mine. I lead her up the stairs, hoping I have the strength to let her go while she still wants me.

  Chapter Four

  Biding Time

  Ashiara

  So later obviously meant much, much later.

  I’ve been waiting all damn day on Tag to show up and end this sexual frustration, but he hasn’t made a move. The only thing he has done is be swarmed with wedding stuff. Who knew the best man had to be so involved?

  The rehearsal dinner is going on right now, so I just stayed in my room. I’m not part of the wedding party, and I’m too wound up to sit down. I'd be squirming in my seat if I had to watch Tag stand beside the groom while they ran through a mock ceremony.