FLAME (Spark Series)

by Cumberland, Brooke

He thinks for a moment before answering, “Alright. But we will talk.”

  We continue engaging in the wedding festivities—bouquet toss, garter fetch, and cutting the cake. It’s absolutely amazing. I can really see how happy Velaney is, but even better is that I know how happy she’ll be here.

  I grab Drew’s hand and lead him out away from the loud music and dancing. Laney and Eric have already escaped for the night, so mostly the drunks are left partying.

  “Where are we going?” he asks as we brush through the fields.

  “Not sure. Somewhere quiet.” I continue leading him, using only the moonlight as my guidance. A few more steps, and I’m lifted off my feet and crashing down to the ground. “What are you doing?” I yelp as Drew lies atop of me.

  “I’ve been dying to get on top of you all night,” he growls.

  “Oh my god!” I laugh. “We’re in the middle of a field.”

  “I know. Fucking hell, I couldn’t wait any longer.” He crashes his mouth against mine. I submit, opening my body to him. He spreads my legs apart with his knee, leaving it to rub against my pussy and adding pressure.

  I find myself grinding against it, craving more of his touch. Public sex and outside sex all in one has to be one of the most exhilarating experiences, and I’m going to be enduring them both at once.

  “Tell me what’s on your mind,” he whispers as he grinds his body on top of me.

  “Now?” I gasp. “I’m thinking I want you naked right about now.”

  “No…” He pauses, repositioning himself, grinding himself harder against me as his mouth assaults my neck. “Tell me what was on your mind earlier. You said it was something personal. I want to know,” he continues.

  I pant, unable to focus on his request. I moan and beg him to give in to me, but he doesn’t. He keeps begging me to talk to him, which is abso-fucking-lutely impossible when I’m throbbing between my legs.

  “If you want me to talk, you cannot keep doing that,” I remark, lifting my dress up.

  “Oh, I think you can talk. You’re very good at multi-tasking.” I hear the amusement in his voice. He thinks he’s going to get me to talk by sexually torturing me.

  “You first. Tell me something,” I plead.

  “Alright,” he mumbles in between kisses as he assists in getting my dress over my head. “No matter how much I see you…or how much I’m with you…it’s never enough. I always want more.”

  My eyes pop open at his confession. I wasn’t expecting something so…honest. And deep. And heart wrenching all at once.

  “Stop,” I demand, pushing him away from me. “Why?”

  “Why what?” he breathes out.

  “Why do you say stuff like that? Why do you always know what to say?”

  He barely shakes his head as he answers, “I’m just being honest, Carissa. I’ll never be anything but honest with you.”

  “Don’t you know it hurts when you tell me those things? It hurts because I know it’s just temporary.”

  He gives me a sympathetic look. Almost like he pities me for not wanting to give my heart over to him completely.

  He brings his body back down to mine, closing the gap I previously made. “Let go.” He kisses my neck. “Let go and just live in the moment.” He kisses my lips, not giving me the chance to respond.

  Perhaps he’s right. If I don’t think about it too much, I have nothing to get upset over. As long as I remain reserved and keep our relationship the way it is, I’ll be fine.

  I’ll be fine…

  I push him over, straddling him. Loosening his pants, I never break eye contact with him as I release his throbbing cock from his briefs. I pull his pants down all the way and slam on top of him, not wanting to wait another second.

  “Bloody hell, it’s amazing when you do that,” he yelps. I ride him slowly, making sure to feel every solid moment between us. It’s much more intimate than ever before as we link hands and continue eye contact as we both scream out in ecstasy.

  * * *

  “I can carry something,” I whine as he insists on carrying all of our luggage to the cab.

  “I have it.” He smirks, throwing it all in the trunk. If there’s one thing I’m not used to, it’s Drew always being a perfect gentleman. He insists on carrying everything, paying for everything, opening doors, and always making sure I’m taken care of before he worries about himself.

  Most men wouldn’t get away with the shit he does. But Drew’s become more than just a flame for me. Over the months, he’s become like a best friend, too. With Velaney’s life rapidly changing, I clung to Drew for support. I wanted Laney to know I was happy as long as she was happy, so I never questioned her decisions. However, I was sad as hell to be losing her.

  “So…do I get to see your frat house finally?” I grin.

  “Yes, Doll. However, I’m warning you right now. It’s not pretty.”

  “Oh trust me…I know,” I spit out without thinking, but he doesn’t say anything. I’ve been to my fair share of frat houses before, so I know what they’re like.

  We walk in, him holding all the luggage as he barges through the front doors. It’s like a zombie attack occurred, shit everywhere, but no one in sight.

  “They must all be pissed still.” He laughs. “Er…I mean, drunk.” He catches himself. It’s funny when he tries to use the American slang—adorable even.

  “Probably hungover,” I suggest, shutting the door behind me. I never asked to see where he stayed before because it always seemed too personal for me. Drew is more than just a one-night stand, and to keep those boundaries set in place, I needed us to be in my room, with my rules. However, Drew is very good at breaking the rules and testing every boundary I’ve ever had.

  “So, are there any notches on your bed post?” I tease as we stand in front of his bedroom door.

  He laughs as he sets the luggage down. “If my plan goes right, there’ll be one tonight.” He shuts the door behind him.

  “Hmm…you sound pretty sure of yourself.” I lean against the back of the door as I watch him.

  “I’m always sure of myself.” He winks, closing the space between us. “I’m glad you’re here.” He leans in and sweetly kisses me.

  “I have pictures of my mum if you want to see?”

  “Definitely.” I smile back.

  I help him unpack, throwing most of it in his laundry basket. I leave mine by the door. I’ll deal with it later.

  “Want me to throw these in the wash for you?” I offer. I laugh at myself for how domestic I sound.

  “Sure. It’s on the lower level, through the kitchen.”

  “Okay, be right back.” I grab the basket and follow his directions, ending up in the laundry room. I sort and start the machine.

  I grab the empty basket to take back upstairs with me. I turn around and am greeted with a hard chest.

  “Oh, excuse me,” I say immediately.

  I hear, “Oh shit,” accompanied with a laugh.

  What the fuck?

  I look up and see a very recognizable face. He’s aged some, not much. He’s definitely more muscular, probably from working out, since I last saw him.

  “What in the fucking world are you doing here?” he asks with amusement and curiosity.

  “It’s none of your damn business, Tanner.”

  I push against his chest, demanding him to move but he doesn’t flinch. “Move.”

  “Or what?” he counters, crossing his arms against his chest.

  “Seriously? How old are you? Move out of my way!”

  “If I recall, the last time you were begging me for more.” He laughs. “So, baby, today’s your lucky day.” He smirks.

  “Oh god, gross,” I spit out. “Not in a million years.” I walk past him, pushing him out of my way. He begins following me as I go up the stairs. I spin around a few doors before I get to Drew’s door. “Stop following me, creep. It’s not happening.”

  “Oh, you’re here for Drew, huh?” He nods his head toward his door.
“I’m sure he won’t mind sharing with another mate.” He cocks a smile, making me want to slap the ever-living shit out of him.

  “Don’t worry about what I’m doing.” I turn back around and aim for Drew’s door, but Tanner reaches out and grabs my wrist before I have a chance to walk away.

  “Don’t you fucking walk away from me, you little slut,” he spits out, grabbing me by the neck and forcing me against the wall. “I’ll fuck you against this wall if I have to. So you better fucking listen and do as I say.”

  I try to scream, but his fingers are pinching my throat, not allowing any sound to come out. “That’s a good girl.” He grips harder on my neck and wrist. I take my other hand and try to push him away, but it’s useless. He’s planted securely on the floor as I attempt to set myself free.

  I pray Drew walks out and catches him in the act, but his door is two doors down and Tanner is whispering so quietly, he won’t be able to hear us.

  “Now as I recall…you wanted me to kiss you on the mouth, right?” He chuckles quietly. “However…I’m thinking of another pair of lips that could use some attention.”

  He begins lowering his mouth to my neck. I shake my head, slamming my jaw against his hand, but he only presses his hands tighter into me.

  “Fighting just turns me on, baby. The more you wiggle, the harder I get.”

  As soon as the words come out of his mouth, my knee meets his hard on. He’s down in less than two seconds, giving me time to run. But I don’t just yet.

  “You mother fucking asshole!” I scream loud enough for the entire house to hear me. He’s cupping his hands over his dick, so I slam my high heel into his face.

  I don’t hear Drew behind me, but he suddenly grabs me and pulls me away. “What the hell?”

  “You’re friend needs an ice pack and some ibuprofen for the pain. I’m getting out of here.” I yank my body out of his hands and walk back down the stairs.

  “Carissa, wait!” he calls, but I don’t turn back. I make it out the front door before he has time to stop me.

  I grab a cab right away, telling the driver to step on it before Drew can catch up to me. I turn my head to look back just as he’s running out onto the sidewalk trying to stop me.

  A million thoughts run through my mind on the way back to my apartment. Fortunately, my neighbor has a spare key for me to get in. She’s an old lady, and Laney thought it was a smart idea to give one of our neighbors a spare just in case. Turns out she was right. God, I miss her.

  I force the tears to stay in until I’m alone at home in my room. I will not admit defeat.

  * * *

  I know it’s not Drew’s fault what happened. I’m sure if I had told him, he’d have kicked Tanner’s ass with no questions asked. However, it scared the shit out of me. I’ve made so many mistakes, it was bound to catch up to me at some point. I never imagined it’d be him, though. He was the one guy I let under my skin—to break down my walls for a split second, thinking that I had the upper hand when in reality, he grabbed the rug right out from under me.

  How can I tell Drew about Tanner? They’re roommates. Friends probably. And for him to know I fucked him first? God. I can just see his face in my mind when he finds out—hurt, rage, jealously.

  Drew knows I have a past. A past of one-night stands, hook ups, and flames. But I never went into detail. We agreed it was best to leave that out. I never asked about his previous flings, either. It was just not something that I felt was appropriate to discuss. All that he ever asked me was if I was seeing other guys besides him. And truthfully, I wasn’t.

  I toss and turn all night in bed. I can’t get the image of Tanner’s hungry look in his eyes out of my head. The fucking bastard. I might’ve looked worn out from the flight and tired from the whole trip, but I was not about to let a guy, especially Tanner, control me.

  I wake up to loud banging at my front door. Startled, I jump out of bed and run to the door without grabbing my clothes.

  “Drew?” I gasp, opening the door. He’s leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed with a cocky grin on his face. His eyes do a once over, taking my half-naked body in.

  “What are you doing here?” I leave the door open, but not wide enough to let him in.

  “I’ve come to see you.”

  It’s not until he adjusts himself that I notice the blood patches on his knuckles. I immediately rush to him and grab his hands.

  “What happened?” It catches me off guard that I care, but I do.

  He grabs both my hands and brings them to his mouth where he gently kisses my knuckles.

  “You honestly thought I’d let that wanker walk away after what he did to you?” I can’t help the nervous laugh that escapes me as he speaks.

  “Isn’t this where you’re supposed to say, ‘You should see the other guy?’” We stand in the doorway, holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes and that’s when I know.

  I’m actually falling for him.

  I swallow at the revelation and ask if he wants to come in. I widen the door for the both of us to walk through and shut it quietly behind me. I’m not sure what to do with these feelings, but I can no longer deny that I have them. They’re real. Being with Drew has never made me happier, and yet, I want to run away as fast as I can, knowing I’ll eventually lose him.

  “I’m liking your…attire.” He looks me over again, noticing my hard nipples peeking through my nighty.

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah…” He moves in closer, making me walk backward into the wall behind me. “In fact, I think I like it a lot.” He brings his hand up and cups my face as the other one forcefully lands on the wall, holding us up as he crashes his lips to mine.

  I completely sink into his kiss. I love the familiar taste and scent as our lips mesh together.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner,” he says, breaking the kiss. “I saw red the instant I saw him near you.”

  I inhale and exhale slowly as my heart continues beating out of my chest. “It’s not your fault. I have a past. And unfortunately, he’s a part of that.”

  “It’s never an excuse for a man to touch a woman like that. Trust me, he won’t be doing that again.”

  I look up and our eyes meet. I see the sincerity in his eyes, but I also notice something else…fear?

  “What did you do?” I reluctantly ask.

  “Well…after I pounded his face into the floor, I told our resident advisor and got him kicked out of the house. He’s also losing his scholarship.”

  My eyes widen at his words. “Wow…they took your word for it?”

  “Apparently, a few other guys witnessed it, too. Which makes for an uncomfortable situation at the house because I’m pissed none of them stopped him.”

  “I didn’t see anyone else.”

  “They were watching from below the stairs. They backed up my story, but I’m still pissed they didn’t say anything.”

  I place a hand on his chest. “I’m so sorry. I feel awful I caused all this weird tension for you there.”

  “Seriously, Doll, don’t worry about.” He smiles, brushing strands of my hair back. “I’d rather be here with you anyway.”

  He leans in and kisses me once more.

  I laugh as he swiftly changes the subject. “Are you going to let me make you breakfast now?”

  “I’d love breakfast.”

  14

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask, unable to see a damn thing as he has blindfolded me.

  “We’re almost there,” he says as he continues leading me. I try to take in my surroundings by listening, but it’s eerily quiet.

  “Ready?” he asks. I feel him behind me now, squaring my shoulders in the direction I’m supposed to look.

  “Yes.” He slips the blindfold off, and I immediately take in the view. We’re on the roof of a tall building and the view is incredible. The city lights brighten up the sky. White lights and candles decorate the area where a table for two is set
. “Oh my god!” I squeal as I turn around to face him. “This is beautiful.”

  “I wanted it to be special for you. For us.” He grabs my face in his large hands and places a tender kiss on my lips. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  “You know this makes us an official couple now.” I snort. “Doing the whole Valentine’s routine and all.”

  He chuckles. “Official or not. You’ve been my girl this whole time, whether or not you knew it.” He winks. “C’mon, let’s sit.” He grabs my hand and ushers me to the table, pulling my chair out for me. Always a gentleman.

  A waiter greets us and begins pouring wine in our glasses. We clink glasses and watch each other as we enjoy tasting it.

  “You have excellent taste in wine,” I say, admiring the bottle the waiter left for us.

  “My grandparents own a vineyard,” he says, putting his glass down. “My dad wasn’t around, but when I was younger, I’d go to their house in the summertime and visit them. They paid for me to travel to Italy until I was old enough to work during the summers. Then I stopped going so I could help my mother out.”

  “They never gave your mother any money?” I ask curiously.

  “I’m not really sure. My mum didn’t accept help easily. She has always preferred to do things on her own and prove to herself that she can do it. I don’t know why, but she’s not good at taking handouts.”

  “Independent,” I clarify. “I can respect that. Not all women want to be taken care of by a man. Some want to do it by themselves and have their dignity to show for it.”

  He smiles. “I can see you two getting along very well.”

  I laugh. “No wonder you chased me. I remind you of your mother.” I make a face, teasing him.

  “I didn’t chase you. I was drawn to you. And if anything, you chased me.”

  “Ha! I never chase a man. Wishful thinking.”

  He puts a finger to his head, pretending to be deep in thought. “I’m pretty sure I remember you chasing me down at the bar and assaulting me in the hallway.” He grins.

  My head falls back as I laugh with him. “Okay fine. You got me there. But it was the only time I’ve ever done that!”

  “Oh…so I’m your exception?” he muses, looking thrilled.