by Anna Scott
Could I be her friend if she was dating someone else? Fuck, that might just kill me. If I didn’t get my shit together and figure out how to get past her barriers, to get closer to her, would I be destined to watch her fall in love with someone else? To have his children, to wear his ring? That thought was too much. I needed a plan. I had to do better.
After taking Dawn home, I sat in my truck for a few minutes and thought. I’d wanted to go inside, to spend more time with her, but she’d said she was tired from working and being out late the night before, so I hadn’t pushed it. Looking down at my watch, I saw it was only eight-thirty. After doing another scan of the surrounding area, I headed toward Luke’s. I needed to talk to Aurora.
Shooting off a quick text to Luke, I let him know I was headed that way, just in case they were naked or something. We’d all caught them, at one time or another, in a compromising position.
I knew that Aurora was closer to Dawn than Hope was, and after all that had happened between Jake and Hope lately, they needed their space. I needed Aurora’s insight. Maybe she’d know something and would be willing to share it with me.
When I pulled up, Luke swung the door open and chuckled at my irritated expression.
“Come on in,” he laughed, as I walked past him.
Aurora was just rounding the corner, coming into the living room, from the kitchen, holding three bottles of beer in her hand as Luke shut the front door. Getting a look at my face, she smiled.
“Looks like you could use one of these.”
“Thank you,” I grumbled and took the bottle from her hand.
“I think I’ll let you boys talk, I can go into the office and get some work done.” She offered, as she handed Luke a beer and turned to walk out of the room.
“No, wait.” I called, “I need to talk to you.”
Luke raised his eyebrows in question at that, but motioned to the couch. We sat and they waited expectantly for me to talk. I didn’t miss the amused looks they gave each other.
“Is Dawn seeing someone?” Deciding to just get this shit over with, then I sat nervously for her answer, and for Luke to wipe that smug-ass grin off his face.
“Besides you?” She asked, knowingly. Damn woman was too smug for her own good.
“Yeah, I mean, no, she’s not really seeing me. She’s, we’re, I, I think we’re just friends.”
“Then, no, she isn’t dating anyone. Is that what you want to know?”
“Who was the guy she went out with after work last week? Luke saw them when they walked back to her car.” I was fidgeting, rolling the beer bottle nervously between my hands.
She paused, seeming to think back for a few seconds, before her, she smiled wide and looked at me again.
“Tyler?” She asked, like I knew.
“Who’s Tyler?” I asked, shrugging uncomfortably, almost not wanting to know.
“They went to school together; didn’t you go to school with her too?”
“No, I graduated before her, I was in the Marines when she was in high school.”
Luke had begun to smile now too. I wish I knew what the fuck was so funny.
“Wait, is that the guy she went to prom with?” I asked, not sure if Aurora would know that. I remembered seeing pictures of them together when I’d been home on leave. We were still close then. I thought she’d spent a lot of time with some guy, but couldn’t recall him, didn’t know if I’d met him before.
“That sounds about right, they’re really close.” Aurora confirmed.
“Are they dating?” I asked, completely pissed off now. If I was thinking of the right guy, he was decent looking, played football I thought. Why were they still friends? No way I would have been able to hold off and not be more with her after all that time.
“He’s really great, they lived together in Los Angeles.” Aurora offered, unhelpfully.
Fucking shit, she’d lived with the guy? Why didn’t I know any of this? Did they break up?
“Why are you here asking me this stuff? Didn’t you have dinner with her tonight?” Aurora asked, switching from amused to protective.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, dropping my head to look down at the floor.
“What are your intentions with my friend?” She asked, sounding like an over protective parent.
I had to chuckle at the tone of her voice, shook my head and laughed as I met her eyes.
“I wish I knew. I can’t get her to drop her guard.”
Aurora just nodded, seemingly thinking about something.
“You were good friends when you were younger, right?”
“We were.” I looked away, not wanting to go there with Aurora.
“So, I’m assuming that something happened to change that.” I nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“Well, since you’re here, I imagine that you are looking for some guidance?”
“I am; I don’t know what to do.”
“You need to talk to her, you need to come clean about whatever happened in the past and tell her what you want now.” She reached over and clasped Luke’s hand as she continued. “I had a huge crush on Luke for years, but until he was honest with me about his feelings, I had no idea he felt the same. We didn’t have a chance until he told me, bluntly, what he wanted. Even then, there were some misunderstandings and I convinced myself that I’d gotten it all wrong.”
Aurora looked at me for a long time, allowing that to settle in before she went on. “She can’t read your mind, Gavin. I think she has feelings for you, but she’s afraid. I don’t know of what, but she’s afraid of something.”
“You’re right. Thanks.” I said, standing up. “I gotta go.”
I needed to know what was going on with this, Tyler, and I had to tell her what I wanted. Without doing that, she’d never know the truth.
Fifteen minutes later, I was standing on Dawn’s front porch, pounding on the door. The house was dark, I hated to wake her, but not enough to stop me. After a few minutes, the porch light switched on.
“Dawn, open up, it’s me.” I called through the door, wanting to alleviate any worry she might have about a strange man pounding on her door.
“Gavin?” She asked as she pulled the front door open.
I took her in, from the tips of her pink painted toes, over those long as hell, sexy legs, barely there sleep shorts, tiny, tight tank top and her long hair loose and messy. She was a vision. Dawn could have been every pin up girl, every fucking calendar model I’d ever seen. Her curves were rocking, her body, fucking perfect. She was the embodiment of every wet dream I’d ever had.
“What’s wrong?” Her confused eyes met mine about two seconds before I reached out, grabbed her around the waist and lifted her. Pulling her hard into me, I slammed my mouth down on hers.
I let the screen door slam and shoved the front door closed with my foot. Dawn’s arms had encircled my neck and she kissed me back. Fuck, did she ever kiss me. Her plump lips were soft and warm, just the right amount of wet. She tasted like mint and smelled like oranges. Jesus, my dick was throbbing from just a kiss.
My entire body moved, pushing her against the wall, wanting, needing leverage, so I could touch her, feel her, explore her, experience everything. Dawn was in my arms; my body was on fire. She was perfect.
Leaving her lips, I kissed her jaw, trailed to her neck and her ear as she shuddered against me.
Her fingers laced in my hair, she pulled my head down, pressing my lips into her, encouraging me.
“Gavin,” she moaned when I found the soft spot just behind her ear.
With one hand, I reached down and lifted her leg around my waist. Automatically, she lifted the other and I pressed my denim covered erection into her soft warmth. I’d craved this woman for longer than I would admit, certainly longer than she’d been legal.
Dawn pressed herself into me, rubbing over me. Realization set in, her breathing had quickened, and with each pass over my hard as fuck dick, she let out a little moan.
Pullin
g up from her neck, I stared deep into her eyes, moved one hand from her ass to her sweet pussy. I rubbed one finger over the noticeable wet spot on her shorts and up to her clit.
Dawn’s quick intake of air, told me just how much she liked the friction. I found the open leg of her shorts and slipped inside. My fingers ran over her slick heat, and I reveled in the feel of her snug, wet pussy as one digit filled her.
She threw her head back and moaned loudly, pressing her chest into me. I watched her as I pumped her over and over, swiping her tight clit with my thumb. After a few minutes, she flew apart in my arms. I held her as she trembled and gasped with pleasure. It was the best thing I’d ever felt in my life. She was true, honest and absolutely beautiful. Dawn Adams was my every dream come true.
I couldn’t help but think of her eighteenth birthday. If I’d allowed her to seduce me that night, would it have been like this? Would we have been this explosive? I’d have probably gone AWOL and spent the next year in her bed, instead of in the Middle East.
My dick throbbed in my pants, just begging to get out and press into her, I tried to remind myself that I’d come over here to talk to her, to explain what I wanted with our relationship and to clear up the past.
As Dawn came back to herself, he met my eyes. I could see a question brewing in her eyes. I reluctantly pulled my hand from under her shorts and studied her. Unable to resist, I leaned in and kissed her lips. She smiled and it lit up her entire face. She was breathtaking.
“What are you doing here?” She asked after a little while.
“I needed to talk to you.” I smirked, at the ridiculousness of that.
“Then, I guess we should, um, talk?” She asked, motioning toward the sofa.
I took her hand and twined our fingers together. Symbolically, I needed her to feel connected to me, before we talked about the other guy.
“Who’s Tyler?” I asked, needing to get it out.
“What?” She asked, clearly confused by my blunt question.
“Tyler, who is he?” My voice was quiet, almost as if I was afraid to hear the truth, which, I was.
“Tyler Nevins?”
“I don’t know, how many Tylers do you know?”
“Just the one, he’s my best friend.”
I took in a deep, calming breath, relieved, maybe, but still nervous.
“Only friends?”
“Yeah, well, we’ve been close since high school. Why?”
“You’re not dating him?” I had to clarify, had to know the full extent of their relationship.
“Dating him? Um, no, not anymore.”
“Good,” Wait, what? Not anymore, is that what she’d just said? Okay, let that one go; I let that hang in the air for a few minutes, allowing the knowledge that they were just friends to settle over me.
“Why are you asking about Tyler?”
“Is that who you were with last night?” I asked, without answering her. Part of me didn’t want to tell her that Zach had seen her with him twice. I didn’t want her to worry about Zach’s behavior like I was.
“Yes, we had dinner, then went to a pub near his place and Marc joined us.”
“Who the fuck is Marc?” I snarled. This shit was driving me crazy.
“Jesus, Gavin, what’s with the questions?” She snapped back.
“Just answer me.” I tried hard to calm myself, she was picking up on my mood.
“Marc is Tyler’s boyfriend.”
In total relief, I allowed my head to rest back on the couch and I laughed. The weight that had been pressing down on my chest since I’d first heard about her seeing the other guy was gone. I felt lighter, hopeful again.
“That’s good.” I said as the laughter subsided. I reached over and tried to pull her over me, but she put her hands out and resisted me.
“What’s with all the questions, Gavin?” She sounded pissed, I’d better fix this shit.
Deciding it was time to put it all out there, I told her everything. About how Zach had called me, taunting me, that he’d seen her out with him twice, how Luke had seen her in the parking lot, and how it had been eating at me that she was seeing another guy.
I noticed Dawn’s brows rise at the news, she seemed confused about Zach and thought it odd, as I did, that he’d seen her out, but she bristled when I’d told her I was worried about her seeing someone else.
“What’s that about?” I asked, needing her to explain.
“What?”
“I hated the thought of you dating someone, is that so strange for you to believe?”
“Well, yeah. Since we’re not, you know, together.”
“Maybe not, but I want to be. After what just happened,” I said, motioning toward the wall where I’d had her pressed, my fingers up inside her tight, wet pussy.
Dawn’s face pinked and she looked down. Was she embarrassed about what we’d done?
“Hey,” I said, lifting her chin so I could meet her eyes. “There’s no shame in enjoying me touching you.”
She shook her head, but lowered her eyes.
“What is it?” I asked, wondering what was going through her mind.
“We shouldn’t have done that, we, I’m not that kind of girl.”
There was no doubt that she wasn’t, I knew the ones who used sex, who were practiced and seductive, Dawn wasn’t like that. She wasn’t like any of the women I’d known. Part of me wished that she’d still been a virgin, though that was ridiculous, at twenty-six, I was sure she’d slept with a few men. Hating that thought, I focused on her face once more.
“I know that, but I want you, and I think that you want me too. We’ve been friends most of our lives, we’re not strangers.”
She flushed and looked embarrassed, but I didn’t know why.
“We should talk about what happened on your birthday.”
Abruptly, she pulled away and looked toward the front window. Okay, she didn’t want to, but I was pretty sure it was important that we cleared the air.
“Dawn, what I said that night, how it came out, it’s haunted me for years. I wanted you so bad, but I couldn’t, I was about to be deployed and I couldn’t do that to you.”
Her face snapped up and she looked at me in confusion.
“But, you said that you didn’t think of me like that. How could I have misunderstood?”
“No, I said that I couldn’t think of you like that, I meant right then, at that time. Fuck, the timing was all wrong. It wasn’t you, it was the uncertainty of my future. I knew I’d be gone at least a year, it ended up being fourteen months, then I was deployed again and again, I couldn’t do that to you, no matter how much I wanted to.”
Dawn took a deep breath and seemed to calm, her embarrassment and confusion cleared and I could tell that she was trying to think back and recall the events of that time.
“I tried to talk to you after, but I couldn’t find you, I wanted to explain things, but it wasn’t fair for me to ask you to wait for me, not then.”
“I went to Tyler’s; I was either working or hiding out at his house those two weeks before you left.” She admitted, seemingly saddened by her choice to flee.
I understood it though, now, seeing things more clearly, from her perspective, I could understand why she’d done it. Regret swamped me, talking to her now just confirmed that I should have called or written after I’d left. We couldn’t have been a couple, but we might not have lost those eight years.
“I should have done more to find you. It was so fucked up over there, it was hard, but I should have written or something, I should have explained. I hate that you’ve thought that I didn’t want you all these years. I hate that we’ve lost so much of our friendship, so much fucking time.”
“Me too,” she replied quietly. “What do you want now?” She asked, finding her courage and strength once again.
A smile crossed my face and I almost laughed when I answered; “I want you, I want to see what we could have now.”
“Okay,” she said, simply.
We stayed like that on the couch for another hour, holding each other, kissing and talking. She told me about working and going to the local community college after high school, how she’d taken a little longer to transfer to Austin, because she was paying her own way. I was immensely proud of her, of her accomplishments.
She explained about her friendship with Tyler, how she’d moved to L.A. after college and about the dream job she’d landed, which turned into a nightmare. It all made sense, why they’d lived together, and even how she’d ended up back here.
I told her a little about the Marine Corps, about Trent, who she’d met when we were younger, and about becoming close to the other guys. We talked a little about Nolan and Dylan and some other friends I’d lost over there.
It was almost two in the morning when she nodded off in my arms. I kissed the top of her head, lifted her and carried her to her bedroom. Not taking the time to look around, I forced myself to lay her in the soft, rumpled bed and leave. I found a key hook with a spare key on it, so I was comfortable leaving her with a tightly locked up house.
Every part of me wanted to stay, I craved her, but I knew that she wasn’t ready for that yet. It was new for me, to resist a woman, but for Dawn, I would do it. This wasn’t just sex for me, and I would prove that to her.
As I stepped out of her house, I heard the rumble of Harley pipes rev down near the trail. I hadn’t noticed a bike at any of those houses, though most people kept them in the garage. Pausing after locking up, I watched as a lone rider moved slowly down the deserted street. As he passed by Dawn’s house, he seemed to slow even more and I could have sworn that he turned and looked right at me as he passed by.
It was dark, but as he rode away, I tried to catch sight of the back of his cut in the light from a street lamp. We had quite a few MC’s in the area, some were social clubs, riders having fun and player biker, then there were the serious outlaws, the ones no one would want to fuck with, and we had every kind of club in between. I couldn’t read the patches, but I’d gotten a decent look at the images, so I had an idea which club this guy was from. It wasn’t the worst one out there, but it sure as hell wasn’t the best either. I didn’t want to, but I figured I’d better talk to Dawn about this guy and see if she knew who he was.