by Emily Snow
“Easy. That’s a bowl of mac and cheese.”
“Mac and cheese, huh? I think it’s clearly a dog chasing a squirrel.”
“A squirrel? That’s not a squirrel, Aiden. Clearly, you need more practice at this. That is a chocolate chip cookie.”
“Mac and cheese and a chocolate chip cookie, you say? Well, I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one. What about that?” I ask, pointing to a small cluster directly overhead.
“That’s a vanilla milkshake with caramel on the top.”
“You might be right, but I’m sensing a pattern here. Are you hungry?”
“Apparently, I could go for something sweet,” she says with a chuckle.
“One more,” I state, looking up at the night Kentucky sky. “There.” I point to a large group with the subtle blinking light of a jet flying high in the middle.
“A rainbow.”
That one word brings back every memory I’ve ever had in bright Technicolor. Her nickname. The one I gave her after our first round of stargazing when she insisted that the first cluster of stars resembled a rainbow. As a young man–shit, I was a horny teenager–she was my happiness, even through the darkness or the rain. She was there, beckoning me like a dazzling rainbow. My rainbow.
“A rainbow,” I confirm, though I’m not sure how I get the words out through my parched throat.
Turning, I find her eyes on me. I don’t know who moves first–her or me–but the next thing I know, my lips taste hers. Eight years evaporate into thin air. Time stands still. My heart lurches wildly in my chest.
We’re both timid at first, both fearful to move, but lust takes over automatically as I slide my rough lips over her much softer ones. Colbi turns and my arms wrap around her, pulling her closer. My tongue slips out, running along the seam of her mouth. She opens for me instantly. Colbi tastes like honey and temptation. She tastes like fucking heaven, and it takes every ounce of control I can muster to not grind my rigid dick against her stomach.
When my tongue slips inside the warmth of her mouth, my entire body flares to life with something I haven’t felt in a long time. It’s so much more than sexual. It’s familiarity. It’s as if my body is recognizing its equal. Its partner.
My hands seem to have a mind of their own when they spear roughly into those long blond locks I used to love so damn much. Hell, who am I kidding? I still love her hair. The silky softness. The smell. It’s my favorite damn smell in the entire world.
Gently anchoring her to me by gripping her head, I move her slightly to give me better access, and then I go in for the kill. My tongue plunders, my lips devour, my body craves. Her. Only her. I’m alive and hungry, consumed for the first time in so long.
Colbi’s hands wrap around me, clawing and gripping at my shirt. When her fingers come in contact with hot skin, I all but come in my pants like a teenager. The deep moan I swallow with my mouth does nothing to ebb my desire for her as she strokes my heated flesh with those long fingers.
Trailing open-mouthed kisses down the column of her neck, I inhale her scent. Fresh cotton and jasmine. My dick is so damn hard in my pants that I could hammer nails. Throwing her leg over my hip, Colbi grinds her core against my hardness, emancipating a deep groan of pure torture from my throat.
“You’re killing me, Rainbow,” I tell her as I lick and suck the wildly beating pulse point on her neck.
“Aiden.” That single word a tortured groan–a plea.
“Stay still,” I say, removing my lips from her neck only long enough to find the button and zipper on her shorts.
As I open the denim, I’m greeted by the smallest pair of blue cotton panties. If I wasn’t already on the ground, the sight would have brought me to my knees. The material is wet and so damn arousing. Cotton has never looked so fucking good.
Sliding my hand into the open V of her shorts, I risk a glance back up at her beautiful face. Her breathing is erratic and her eyes cloudy with desire. Her blond hair is splayed out across my arm and the blanket, and I’m sure I’ll never forget the way she looks right now.
With my eyes glued to hers, I slip my hand into her shorts. Gently stroking the wet material, Colbi practically jackknifes off the blanket. No one has ever responded to my touch the way she does. Within seconds, she’s throwing restraint out the window and grinds against my fingers, seeking out any ounce of relief she can find.
It’s a tight fit with her shorts still around her hips, but I’m able to slide my hurried fingers underneath the front panel of her panties. When I’m met with smooth, slick skin, I have to fight against the release my own body is craving. Colbi purrs as my fingers slip between the hot folds of her pussy. The look in her eyes is one of pure abandon.
I return my lips to her neck, sucking and kissing her skin, while my pointer finger slips inside her wetness. Heaven. Fucking heaven on earth right here. Her breath catches loudly in the night as I slide a second finger inside.
Years ago, I was Colbi’s first everything. First kiss. First love. First lover. She was always so ungodly tight I almost blew my load the moment I was seated deep inside her. And right now, I’m transported right back to those first few times. Her tightness surrounds me, gripping me and refusing to let go.
Colbi rides my hand as I move my fingers steadily in and out of her body. I know she’s close without looking at her because her body is latching onto mine with everything it has.
“Let go,” I whisper against the softness of her neck. The scruff of my chin scours her skin as she lets go, coming fiercely on my fingers.
As she rides the waves of euphoria, I pepper her neck with soft, sensual kisses. The kind of kisses reserved for your love. The kind I always bestowed upon her.
Colbi shivers against me as I remove my fingers from her shorts. Her body is placid in my arms, just the way I always liked her. Spent. Exhausted in the best sort of way. Of course, the throbbing in my pants is a painful reminder that I have yet to join her in the sexual haze of pure orgasmic bliss.
But I won’t be joining her. Not tonight.
“What did we just do?” she whispers. Looking up, I see her eyes closed tightly, fighting the tears that are no doubt bubbling at the surface.
“Nothing either one of us didn’t want to do,” I remind her.
Tear-filled blue eyes slam into mine with the force of a punch. She looks completely torn between heaven and hell. Torn between a post-orgasm stupor and worry about what happens next. What this means for either of us. Both of us.
“Don’t worry about anything right now, Rainbow. Just enjoy this moment.”
I pull her against me, her back to my front. My dick is still rigid in my pants and probably will be for some time. There aren’t enough cold showers in Kentucky to offer the relief I need for this hard-on. No doubt, I’ll be spending a fair amount of alone time in the shower this evening.
Tucking her against my body, I position her so that her ass isn’t rubbing against my pants, and I hold her. It takes a few minutes before I hear the telltale sign of crying. The Colbi I knew wasn’t a crier. The Colbi I remember was fierce and determined. But this Colbi has been rocked to the core. First with the loss of her brother, and now with the dozens of unanswered questions at the hands of me–no pun intended. Questions that I don’t have answers to.
“I’m sorry I upset you,” I whisper into her hair.
“It’s not you, Aiden. It’s me,” she replies through her tears. Huh, where have I heard that line before?
“Let’s not let anything that happened tonight get to us. We’re friends, Colbi. Always have been and always will be. What happened tonight isn’t something for you to worry about. I care about you. Let’s just look at it as a friend helping a friend,” I say with a smile.
Her soft chuckle is music to my ears. “A friend helping a friend, huh? Well shouldn’t a friend return the favor for her friend?” she asks, scooting back until her sweet ass is pressed tightly against my throbbing erection.
“No, the friend
doesn’t need to return the favor,” I tell her as I kiss the side of her head and scoot back. Fuck, I’m still just a man. A very horny man. “Your friend just needs to go take a cold shower. A lot of cold showers,” I add, laughing.
Colbi flips over quickly so that she’s facing me. Her ocean blue eyes are filled with contentment and wonder. “Thank you,” she says moments before her lips gently graze mine. It’s a soft kiss, a friendly kiss.
“It was my pleasure,” I tell her with another quick peck.
“No, I’m pretty sure it was mine,” she says, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
My laughter comes from deep in my gut, and I realize I haven’t laughed like this in a while. A long while.
I decide right then and there to hold Colbi for as long as she’ll let me. She fits perfectly against me, her head resting just beneath my chin. I’ve forgotten how much I like her hair tickling my nose as I inhale her fragrance.
“I should go,” she whispers without moving. I grunt in response.
She pulls away slowly and sits up, still facing me. “Can…can I still come over to dinner tomorrow night and get that tour and stuff?” she asks hesitantly, as if the things we’ve shared in the last hour have somehow changed the course of our weekend.
“Mom would be disappointed if you didn’t,” I say. “And I would be too.”
Her smile is small but still lights up the night. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” I confirm.
Colbi leans forward and places a tentative kiss on my lips. While I’d give anything to deepen the kiss, pull her back down to the blanket, and do all the dirty things flashing through my sex-deprived mind, I remain perfectly still.
The chaste kiss ends way too soon, but the look in her eyes tells me all I need to know about what is going through her mind. I see it all: her confliction, her desire, and even her love. She still feels everything I’m feeling. And I’m no longer in any position to deny or fight it.
As she walks back up the path, still wearing my shirt, I know without a doubt that I love her. I’ve always loved her and I always will.
But the question remains: what will I do about it?
Chapter Five
Colbi
“I’m so full, you might have to wheelbarrow me out of this room,” I groan, looking down at what’s left of my second helping of manicotti.
“Girl, I think you can afford a few more meals like that. Do they not feed you in New York City?” Aiden’s Mom, Becky, says with a cheeky grin.
Becky looks exactly the same as she did eight years ago. Her brown hair is cut in a short bob and doesn’t show any signs of gray. Her short frame is nothing like her son’s, proving that Aiden got his size from his father. And as always, her smile is warm and motherly. Yearning takes root deep in my chest as the realization of what I’ve missed these past several years sets in.
“I eat plenty,” I tell her. “In fact, when I got to New York, I think I gained fifteen pounds the first month. It didn’t take me long at all to realize that my suddenly too-small pants were a result of eating takeout from every corner café or bistro in the neighborhood. Clearly my newly acquired eating habits weren’t being kind to my hips.”
“Well, I’m just teasing you, sweet girl. You look amazing. Doesn’t she look amazing, Aiden?” Becky asks, her face anything but innocent.
Aiden clears his throat, clearly not amused with his mother for putting him on the spot. “She looks breathtaking. Like always.” The look he gives me sends heat flooding to my core and my breath stalling in my throat.
“I suppose you’re both too full for dessert?” Becky smirks as she gets up to start clearing the table.
“I couldn’t even eat another bite,” I mumble as I throw my napkin on my plate.
“Well, how about you go take that tour and when you come back, you can have some warm apple dumplings over ice cream.”
My mouth instantly starts to water as I picture the warm, gooey dessert that I used to love so much. In fact, it was Jack’s favorite dessert too. It was one of the things that bonded me so quickly to Aiden’s father. We were both huge fans of her homemade apple dumplings served over freshly churned ice cream.
I glance over at the empty chair at the head of the table and my gut clenches. It still doesn’t seem possible that Aiden’s father isn’t going to be joining us for dessert. It’s as if I still expect the robust man to burst through the door any minute, offering a kiss to his wife as he explains that a colt was misbehaving and that’s why he was late.
Slow movements draw my attention away from the empty chair. Aiden’s warm hand wraps around mine, offering a gentle squeeze of comfort. The look in his eyes lets me know he feels the exact same way. Even though he’s had years to deal with his father’s sudden death, it still doesn’t get any easier. And I know that we’ll both feel the same way in regards to Marcus. I’ll feel his unexpected loss for the rest of my life.
Blinking back tears, I stand up and grab the remaining plates. “Let me help with the dishes,” I offer as I follow her into the kitchen.
“Absolutely not. You are my guest,” she says while taking the plates from my hands and setting them down on the countertop. “Besides, Aiden mentioned that he was going to give you a tour of the farm. So, go. Enjoy.”
Her eyes smile at me as she clasps my hands. Aiden comes in a few moments later and sets the rest of the dishes in the sink. “I’ll just run and use the restroom, and then we can go,” he says.
“It’s so good to have you back here,” she says, pulling me tightly into a hug after her son leaves the room. I don’t have the heart to tell her that I’m only around for another week. And then I’m off again. Back to New York City. Back to my lonely little apartment where no one knows me. Back to the life I’ve found myself questioning more and more just recently.
“It’s good to see you again,” I tell her honestly as I choke on an unexpected onslaught of raw emotions.
“Sweet girl, sometimes the best thing you can do is spread your wings and fly. For you, you needed to experience a life that you couldn’t have in Pleasureville. We all knew that, especially Aiden. That’s why he didn’t fight you when you left. But every once in a while, those wings carry you back to where you belong. Dreams change. Sometimes, love is right where you left it.”
Her eyes, so warm and caring, are shining brightly as she stares up at me. Each word was like a lightning strike, a direct hit straight to my heart.
“Ready to go?” Aiden asks as he returns to the kitchen. I’m sure he can feel the shift in the room. The air feels emotionally charged, and no one speaks for several heart-pounding seconds.
Becky offers a friendly, knowing smile as she squeezes my hand once more. It’s as if she can see the turmoil brewing deep in my gut. “You two enjoy the night,” she says before turning her attention to the dishes in the sink.
Aiden holds the door open for me as we slip out the back. We make our way through Becky’s flower garden as we head towards the largest of four horse barns. The garden looks better than I remember. Large Adirondack chairs and a two-person swing are positioned within the beautiful blooms in bright reds, oranges, yellows, and purples. I used to love coming over here and helping her weed the garden, soaking up every ounce of motherly time she would give me. When I left for New York, I didn’t just leave Aiden. I left his parents, my parents, my brother, and friends too.
“Everything all right back there?” he asks as we approach the barn.
“Yeah. You’re mom was just giving me one of her famous pep talks,” I say with a small smile.
“Ahh, infamous insight from one Becky Hughes. I’m sure you’ve missed that.” Aiden laughs, but it sounds hollow.
“I have. Missed it, I mean. I always loved spending time with your mom. She seemed to know just what to say to me, exactly when I needed to hear it.”
“And did she this time? Say what you needed to hear?” His golden eyes are so clear as he stands before me, hand poised on
the handle of the sliding door.
“I’m not sure yet,” I answer honestly.
There are so many things to consider right now. I feel a bit like a boat lost at sea. I’m going through the motions, but I know that I can’t continue to do it for much longer. Sooner or later, I’m going to have to sit down and really think about what I want. Not what my parents want. Not what Aiden wants. What I want. I did that once before and it took me a thousand miles away to New York City.
But suddenly, that dream isn’t front and center in my mind. That dream is looking like something I see in the rearview mirror as opposed to something lying on the road ahead.
And that’s the most confusing part of it all.
Is it just being here–in my hometown–with Aiden so close? Is that why my dream of being a famous wedding dress designer holds less appeal than it did just a few short weeks ago? Is it the hours I continually put in and the rabid boss I endure? The fact that I have few friends and less free time to enjoy them?
There is so much to consider, and right now, as I inhale Aiden’s muskiness, along with the strong scent of horses, I’m left reeling.
“Come on,” Aiden says as he grabs ahold of my hand and leads me into the massive barn. “I want you to meet my other girl.”
* * *
As we approach the John Deere Gator parked beside the garage, I instantly know: I want to drive it. It’s sitting there, beckoning me, with all of its green and yellow shininess. The bed of the UTV is filled with chopped wood and the keys are hanging from the ignition.
“What?” Aiden asks when he realizes I stopped a few feet back.
“I want to drive.”
His eyes fill with surprise first, but it’s quickly chased away with heat. Giving me that arrogant smile, he says, “I don’t think so, Rainbow. This girl is brand new, and has too much power for you.”
“I can handle whatever you throw at me, Aiden Hughes. This baby is begging to be driven,” I say as I glide my hand over the sleek metal of the utility vehicle. I feel empowered as I watch his Adam’s apple bob. “I have a feeling you just don’t give her what she needs. And what she really needs is to be driven.” And then, as I lean forward until I’m a mere breath away from his lips, I go in for the kill. “Hard.”