Up for Grabs (Up For Grabs #1)

by Heather Young-Nichols

  I expected some sort of mansion on the beach. Their house was pretty big, especially considering our cracker-jack box of an apartment, but it wasn’t ostentatious. Going inside put me at ease with the décor and homey warm feeling. I wanted to fall into the oversized brown couch and stay there with a book for the week or maybe two. After pulling Cain aside to ask about the restroom, I headed there because I’d been holding it since we left Michigan.

  On my way back to the front room, Cain’s voice caught my attention. He and his mother were in the kitchen and I could see the far end from my vantage point. I don’t know why I didn’t go right in, but I didn’t and I know it’s wrong to eavesdrop. I don’t know why I did that either.

  “Jesus, Mom, we just go here.”

  “Cain, I’m making it clear. I like Flannery but our rules are our rules, and you know I hate saying the ‘when you live under our roof’ thing. Don’t do anything stupid.” It sounded like Linda had started pulling things from the cupboard. Maybe starting dinner.

  “Stupid, huh? I don’t know … ” I knew that voice. He planned on messing with her. “I think I’d do just about any stupid thing she’d let me.” The sound of a wooden spoon hitting his arm made me stifle a giggle. “Ow.” His chuckle meant I hadn’t hurt him.

  “No sneaking in her room at night or any of that stuff. I know all your tricks Cain Dorsey.”

  “Not all of them, Mom.” That wooden spoon flew out the door at my face level a few seconds before he almost knocked right into me. We both laughed as he threw an arm around my shoulders to lead me away.

  He said he’d show me to my room. As we passed through the entryway, the one with at least a twenty foot ceiling, he flung my bag over his shoulder and up the stairs we went. At the top we could’ve gone left or right. To the right, he said were his parent’s room along with the one his sister and her husband took when they came down. To the left, on one side was a guestroom then the one I would be using. On the other Jackson’s and then Cain’s right across from mine. Wonder who decided on that set up?

  So, the house had six bedrooms. I could hardly imagine growing up in something with so much room and for them it was where they vacationed. It had me imagining what their actual home looked like.

  I also had to comment that, after looking up and down the hall I didn’t see a bathroom, which seemed weird to me. Cain said each bedroom had its own. His dad had the house completely remodeled when Cain was a baby so that everyone would have their own space. They’d owned this house and been coming there for a few decades.

  “So, this is where you’ll be when I’m trying to convince myself to stay in my own room.” He flung the door open, dropping the duffle at the foot of the bed. I started to notice something. People with money bought large items. I think our whole apartment could’ve fit inside their living room, entryway and kitchen. I wasn’t sure I liked it better.

  “Yes, Linda was pretty clear about not doing something stupid.”

  His face twisted. “You heard everything?”

  I shrugged. “Don’t know. Hey, did she slap you with a wooden spoon?”

  “Sure did.”

  “The same one she threw after you?” He nodded. “Nice.”

  We left my room to go across the hall to his. It looked like him. Actually, it was pretty similar to the one in his apartment. For sure he had the exact same comforter here as back there. While I looked around, the door click shut. Smooth, Cain, real smooth. I wanted his room. He had a view of the ocean and it went on for forever. Beautiful. Comforting listening to the waves lap at the sand.

  Cain’s arms circled my waist pulling my back to his chest, his chin resting on my head. I was…warm…safe even. Three leggy blondes ran out onto the beach, laughing and putting their feet into the water.

  “Sam’s sisters,” he said, pulling my hair away from my neck. I tilted giving him better access so his lips could press against my skin and tried not to think about having to be in a bathing suit near the triplet models. Bleh. No need to think about that. He dropped soft, barely there kisses. My eyes closed allowing myself to be in the present. I hadn’t seen Sam since we arrived. And I didn’t care if I ever did again. Not in that moment.

  Before I knew I’d even moved, Cain spun me around, lifted me off the ground and put me on top of the desk next to the window using his hips to push my knees apart. His lips were on mine. Hands on either side of my neck with his thumbs tracing a line back and forth along my jaw and his mouth worked his magic. I didn’t think before I acted. I only reacted. I pulled my shirt up and over my head so quickly it even surprised Cain. He took in a sharp breath but his hands moved lower, grabbing my cotton covered breasts. Whoa, the week with his family surrounding us was going to be harder than I thought.

  The door flung open, hitting the wall, making me jump so hard Cain had to brace himself on the desk to keep from falling over. He didn’t move though, only glancing over his shoulder to see who’d come in.

  “Well you work fast.” Jackson leaned against the doorjamb smirking our way. Cain moved in and to the left slightly ensuring that his brother wouldn’t see anything he shouldn’t. I didn’t have my shirt on after all.

  “Get out.”

  “Hey, I was sent for you. The Allen’s are here and Abs is dying to meet your friend.”

  I still needed to figure Jackson out. He seemed nice most of the time. Yet, he was supposed to be thirty and acted fifteen. Cain hadn’t given up any particular dirt on the guy. I didn’t know what his deal was.

  “I’ll go down in a minute.”

  A slimy grin smeared across his face. The one I’d seen on the plane. “I think I interrupted that.”

  “Out!” Cain yelled.

  I couldn’t help but laugh after he left and the door had been shut again. I mean, it was a dick thing to say to your brother in front of his girlfriend but it was funny. Cain went over, locked the door, and picked my shirt up off the floor on his way back to me. His fists fell next to my thighs on the desk and wouldn’t give up my shirt when I tugged at it.

  “Sorry,” he said, not looking like he meant it. “I would’ve locked that but…

  “I get it. You just can’t resist me,” I teased. “No big deal.”

  “I know you’re trying to be funny. But, Flannery, I really can’t resist you.”

  Tugging my shirt again, he finally relented. Instead of handing it over, he helped me put it on, running his hands down my sides as the shirt covered me. Oh, momma.

  All the horror stories about families hating the girlfriend didn’t seem to apply. Sam had a great family, too. His sisters were nice although overly chipper to the point I asked Cain if they were on something. He said no, but I wasn’t convinced.

  We spent our first night in Florida with the two families, eating, talking, and laughing. As the new girl, I, of course, got to answer a million questions about myself, some of which I evaded like a champ. It’s not like I’d tell them everything and only Cain had access to some of the details of my life.

  The next morning, Cain crept into my room to wake me up. Apparently the Dorsey’s had breakfast together every morning they were together like the Cleavers. He said I didn’t have to get up but thought I’d be pissed if he let me sleep through it. How well he knew me. First, because I didn’t want to sleep a week in Florida away and secondly, as their guest, I didn’t want to be rude. Then we spent the day on the beach with little to no interruption. Cain and I walked up and down the beach right where the water met the sand. If I hadn’t loved it, I would have said we look like a tampon commercial.

  After spending the next day shopping with all the girls, including Sam’s sisters, Aislynn, Abby, and Alaina, I fell asleep early and didn’t have a chance to tell Cain good-night. Though I was fairly certain he probably came in and kissed my forehead, careful not to wake me.

  On the fourth day, the parents went out for the evening and Cain’s house turned into a party. The four Allen kids, Cain, Jackson, and I cranked the music and broke out the
beer. Though I’d become used to being the only one not drinking. At that point, I didn’t have the taste for it. Cain, the sweet man, had a beer then switched to pop. He’d done that since the day I picked him up because he was too drunk to drive. It wasn’t something he was proud of.

  “So.” Aislynn plopped her butt on the coffee table in front of me. I sat on the couch, legs folded underneath while Cain went to get us another drink. “What makes you special?”

  “Come again?”

  “Oh, I don’t mean it in a bad way. You’re pretty.” She started petting the side of my head like one would a dog. She was definitely on the ramp to Drunkville. “But Cain brought you here.”

  I rolled my eyes. This was one of the things I hated about drunk people. The need to have deep conversation.

  “I’m sure I’m not the first.”

  “Oh, but you are,” Alaina interjected wobbling when she tried to take a step. I was sort of sorry to see her in that state. At seventeen, she reminded me of my mother, but at least no one would be taking advantage here.

  “What?”

  Her overenthusiastic nod was kinda cute. I looked around until I found Cain who had been listening to the conversation while leaning against the wall.

  “I guess I’m just awesome.” Cain snorted at the shocked look on Alaina’s face. She thought I was serious, that I’s be so conceited. Sometimes girls can be too easy a target. “I’m kidding.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah,” Jackson decided to join us. “He didn’t even bring that chic Kylie and she was a firecracker.”

  What an ass. I knew he’d already had too much to drink but he’d been making comments the whole night. Even if he only intended to mess with his brother, and I didn’t think it was, he was being a dick. I thought he was trying to stir up jealousy. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t that girl.

  “Jackson, why don’t you go to bed?” Cain hadn’t made an attempt to move but his gaze continued to burn into me, watching for any sign of my discomfort.

  “What? She was. You said she was anyway. I guess I don’t know what you were comparing her to.”

  Cain’s face caught on fire as he tried to keep his temper in check. The tightening of his knuckles, the grind of his teeth were all his tells that shit was about to get real.

  “It’s fine.” I finally spoke. “I have been kind of curious where you honed all your mad skills. I quite enjoy them.”

  Cain snorted again. It was my way of letting him know his brother wasn’t getting to me with talk of ex-girlfriends for lack of a better word. Which would be stupid anyway. I waited for Jackson to come back with something else, but he didn’t. I think he was struggling to form some words. Instead, I stood up, yawning and stretching before saying I had to head to bed. As I passed by Cain, my hand clasped the back of his neck pulling him into a wholly inappropriate kiss.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Not quite ready to sleep, I fell to my knees resting my chin on the window-sill taking in the night air. It felt good and I could hear the music lofting up from downstairs. It was nice. I thought someone yelled but I couldn’t make out what was being said. They were all mostly drunk by then so it wouldn’t have surprised me if they were trying to talk. I could get used to being in Florida. Maybe after graduation I should look for jobs in a warmer climate. Then again, I’d be leaving my mom behind.

  I knew that’s what I did when I left for school but I don’t think either of us thought it would be a permanent thing. At least she had Larry, the guy she’d been dating for over a year. I met him when I went home over the summer and he seemed nice enough. He wasn’t one of those “father-figure” guys. The ones who tried to push their way into our lives and be the authority. The ones I worried Mom would find. And Larry must have been something special because he was only the second I’d ever met. Mom dated from time to time but they weren’t allowed into our inner-sanctum until things were serious.

  Mom told me that while I was away at school, he spent the night sometimes, but when I came home, he dropped her off before eleven every night and never stayed. Given all that, I sort of liked him.

  My door burst open scaring the shit out of me making me jump to my feet. It wasn’t the kind of thing where Cain was sneaking in trying not to wake me. Either he wanted me up if I were asleep or he knew I wasn’t yet. Either way it was a hell of an announcement. My hand pressed against my chest, maybe because I thought I needed to keep my heart inside. It thumped erratically against my ribs.

  “Shit, you scared me.”

  Cain didn’t apologize, didn’t say anything actually. He slammed the door and took me roughly in his arms as I stood there completely dumbfounded.

  He kissed me hard and deep. All tongue and wetness but not so much that it got messy. His hands released my face to move down my arms to my hips grabbing tightly to pull my body against his as he moved us to the bed. This was different. When we’d first arrived it’d been all desire mixed with need and now it was … angry. Like he was using me to work something out. And I’d let him. My shirt was off my body before I noticed him lift it. His lips pushed back against mine until his fist grabbed the back of his shirt yanking it off in one movement. We were skin to skin with only my bra between us.

  Cain’s mouth trailed across my collarbone to my shoulder, sucking gently. Then he was up on his knees unbuttoning my shorts, breath ragged, eyes wilder than I’d ever seen.

  His mouth kissed down my stomach, making a pit stop at my very ticklish belly button and continued until he got to the absolute lowest point on my stomach. The spot where any lower things would get NC-17. The spot no man had ever been before even him. Holy mother he was getting me hot. The entire inside of my body turned into pliable putty. And I didn’t want him to stop.

  It wasn’t how I’d imagined losing my virginity but no way would I stop him. I didn’t have to.

  With the full weight of his body on top of me, he stopped himself. His head rested in the crook of my neck and his hard rasping breath sent goose bumps across my chest. My own breathing sounded as bad. All those kisses had taken it away.

  I had no idea how long we stayed like that but eventually he rolled off either because he realized how hard it became for me to breathe or he calmed down enough to be able to. Either way, my lungs were very grateful. Although he still felt fully hard against my hip. Even if it was the completely wrong time, I still got giddy that he desired me so obviously. I’d felt it before, yet every single time it made my stomach hum.

  “Sorry,” he whispered into the dark room.

  Before answering, I turned on the side lamp, put my shirt on, and buttoned my shorts back up. I also positioned myself against the headboard looking down at him. He didn’t move. My hand ran slowly over some nicely defined abs that I couldn’t get enough of.

  “Don’t be sorry.”

  “I wouldn’t have…I mean, I intended to stop before we got too far but I wouldn’t have gone any further.”

  “What’s going on?”

  Cain scraped his hands over his face then bounced up to sit beside me so he could take me in his arms and pull me into his side. My favorite place to be.

  “Just my asshole brother.”

  “I thought you guys get along.” Back home most of the people I knew bitched about their siblings incessantly. Cain never did, although the glimpses I’d had of Jackson didn’t highlight any assets.

  “We do, mostly. Look, it’s stupid. He knows how to push my buttons when he wants to. I shouldn’t let it get to me.”

  I moved myself so I could see his face as we spoke. He glanced at me then away a couple of times.

  “So he kept it up after I left?” He nodded. “Was any of it about me?” Because I assumed I would be the one thing to get to him over all the others. At least by his reaction when I’d been down there. He ignored the question.

  “I hope I didn’t freak you out.” I answered with a reassuring kiss. Nothing like the ones we’d just shared but good in its own right. Enough tongue to
taste him and make sure he knew how not freaked out I was.

  “It’s fine. I kind of felt like you were trying to claim me or something.”

  Cain’s beautiful face filled will guilt. “I think I was.”

  My giggles couldn’t be helped. My poor boy. Sometimes he could be completely clueless. But then he looked like I’d kicked his puppy. I wasn’t laughing at him … well, I was but not how he thought.

  “I’m sorry, Cain. About laughing.” I needed to explain before it turned into something else. “It’s funny that you think you need to claim me in some way.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I kinda thought you already did. Actually, I think you did that first day you gave me your coffee.”

  He melted. Those brown eyes turned liquid with desire. Though I knew, because of what just happened, he wouldn’t act on it.

  “I love you, Flannery.” Once again, his whisper caressed places it had no way of reaching. He loved me. I’d never known words to hit my core like that. His did.

  “Well, I am pretty awesome.” The best smirk I could muster while my insides swirled with an imaginary tornado brought out his best smile. Man, we were good together.

  Instead of more words, he grabbed me up and tossed me back down on the bed, grazing my most ticklish spots. I laughed to the point of not being able to breathe. Once I called uncle, he curled back into me on the bed.

  “Hey, why don’t you get changed,” he said, yawning.

  “Are you going to leave if I do?” I wanted to get into my pajamas, get comfortable, but not if it meant he’d leave. It was past midnight. He could’ve been tired. I didn’t care. I’m selfish like that.

  He shook his head. “Not yet.”

  I did change as quickly as I could. Since the room was already dark, I didn’t bother going into the bathroom. And honestly, I wouldn’t have anyway. My shorts and tank top were on and I crawled back into his arms before he knew it.