by LK Collins
“No noises,” he whispers, and I nod. He lets go of my mouth and together—frozen—we just sit. His cock is pulsating, making me wild. I need him to move. I need to feel what it’s like to be with Roan again. So I start to arch my body up and down as he matches my movements, filling me so completely I could cry.
God, I’ve missed this.
My body buzzes with intemperance, and he pulls my lips to his, kissing me, a tender yet powerful connection. I don’t think there is anything better than the feeling of his mouth on mine and his dick inside me. I whine, clenching his shaft with my pussy muscles as my orgasm knocks on my door.
His hands slide to my ass cheeks, and he takes both of them in his palms.
“Harder,” I whisper, and he spreads me wider, slamming me just the way I love. Just the way he did all those years ago. I fight my orgasm with everything I have, but it’s a lost cause. It crashes over and through me, hard and soft and violent all at once. Moaning into his neck as every single muscle in my body tenses, I ride the orgasm. Roan doesn’t stop what he’s doing. He continues stroking and fucking me like only he knows how, and I fall far from this world. On my way out, I’m rewarded with a little more satisfaction as I feel him come inside me. Connecting our bodies in a way I never dreamed would be possible again.
Chapter 15
Roan
Mia and I stayed up all night talking. Not about anything in particular either, just talking about everything and anything. By the time the sun broke the horizon, washing everything in a gorgeous sunrise, I knew I wanted my future to include Mia.
She’s so amazing. Truly, in every way possible, she is perfect. It’s all too much to fight any longer. I never thought I’d have the chance to sleep with her again, or that if I did, I’d be ready. But last night with Mia gave me hope. She made me see that maybe I can move on, in my own way and on my own time. There isn’t a single doubt that I’m ready to take that step forward with Mia by my side, helping me every step of the way. She won’t pressure or push me. We will learn to be whatever it is that we are meant to be.
“What about Chandler and the girls,” she asks, her eyes shining in the morning light.
“I don’t know what we should do.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Let’s wait to tell the girls. They love you and Chandler so the transition could be rough on them. But we should tell Chandler now,” I tell her, not wanting to lie to my best friend. I cup her beautiful face, and she rests her head against my chest. I hold on to her the same way I have all night long—reverently.
“When you say now, do you mean like this weekend?”
“Or when we’re home, so the girls aren’t around in case he flips out.”
“I don’t think he’ll understand either way.”
“He will, trust me.”
“I do, but I know my brother better than anyone.” Her brother’s ears must’ve been burning because as soon as the words leave her mouth, he starts calling our names. “Really? He’s up this early?”
I shrug. I have no idea how early he normally gets up. “Just trust me. He’ll be okay.” She nods, but the fear of confessing to Chandler that something is going on between us is apparent.
“God, I’m gonna miss those lips all day.” She giggles and stands just as Chandler rounds the bend, and we both laugh at his pathetic appearance. Camping does not suit him at all.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” Mia asks him. He is hunched over, and his face is pinched in pain.
“What the fuck does it look like?” he yells and shakes his head, barely able to stand all the way up.
“What happened?” I ask him.
“Sleeping on the ground fucked my back up.” He glares at me as if it’s my fault the ground is hard. I chuckle at him. “What?” he yells at me, clearly wanting to take his frustrations out on someone.
“Nothing.”
“What the fuck is up with the smirk then?” He finally straightens and stretches his arms, trying to relieve that pain in his back.
“Just woke up happy, that’s all.”
He rolls his eyes at me and then turns to Mia. “What about you? I didn’t even hear you come to bed.”
“I was in late and out early. The ground does suck.” She’s all innocent excuses, and I force myself not to pull her into my arms again.
“Fuck, I don’t think I can do it again.”
“I have an air mattress in the car, we’ll blow up for tonight.” The look on his face when she tells him that is priceless. I’m sure she’d planned to sleep on it last night, but seeing as we got carried away and never slept, that didn’t happen.
“Fuck, why you holding out on me?” he gripes, and she cracks up again.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Whatever, what are you fuckers doing up this early anyway?” The pain in his back must be working itself out because his snark is back in full swing.
Mia and I glance at each other. She waits for me to say anything, and right as I consider telling him, the girls round the bend, so I wait.
“We watched the sunrise together.”
“Wow, how fucking lame is that?”
Mia slaps his shoulder, and he flinches as I stifle a yawn. The exhaustion of staying up all night is beginning to creep up on me. I can feel it in my body as we walk back to camp.
“Morning,” I tell Rianna and Maisy once we are close enough to camp.
“Hey,” they call out, and I stack a few logs on the fire in preparation for cooking breakfast and making coffee, but before I can proceed, Rianna asks me, “Can I help?” And I swear to God I heard her wrong. The kid is still barely talking to me, much less offering to help me with anything.
“Sure. Grab the matches and lighter fluid from that table.” I point across camp, and she heads off to collect them.
After the wood is stacked, Rianna drenches the fire, and I walk her through each step to make sure she understands how to stay safe when lighting a fire with lighter fluid. Times like this really make me miss the days when she would allow me to teach her.
Maisy watches as Rianna strikes the match and tosses it on the wood. A huge ball of flames billows into the air above the stack of wood. I glance at Rianna, who has a satisfied smirk on her face. Even though I’m through the roof about Mia, this is why I came camping, after all, to be with my girls. I can’t forget what’s most important.
The flames are warm, and I wrap an arm around each of them. Maisy sniffles and I glance down at her, worried. She’s holding the picture of Georgia.
“She’s not ever coming back, is she?” I know she misses her mother terribly, but I can’t lie to her.
“No, baby, she’s not.”
Maisy tosses the picture into the flames. The orange embers quickly melt away the image, and together, the three of us stand in silence, watching the last of the picture turn to ash.
Chapter 16
Mia
After listening to Chandler bitch all morning about how bad his back hurt, I finally go and buy him some Aleve. Rianna and Maisy come with me, and I hope they can’t sense how nervous I am to be alone with them. But with their chatter in the background, I’m sure they haven’t.
“You want some?” Maisy asks, sticking some bag of sugary candy next to my head. “No thanks,” I tell her as I pull up to camp, my mind on one thing and one thing only—Roan.
God, being with him last night was a dream come true. The way his hands ignited my body from the inside out and how his lips made me hum with pleasure was almost too much. It was all so mind-blowing. I can’t imagine what sex with him in a bed is going to be like again.
“Thanks for taking us,” Rianna says as we get out of the car.
“Of course,” I tell her, only half paying attention to them as we walk deeper into camp. Roan’s heated eyes are on me, making me blush a dozen different shades of red.
“Finally!” Chandler complains and reaches for the medicine. I hand it to him, and he tears the box open.
; “You find the place okay?” Roan asks.
“We did.”
“Took ya long enough,” my brother grumbles, and I wish I would’ve bought him the PM version.
“Good,” Roan says, ignoring Chandler.
“What’d you guys do?” I ask and take a seat.
“Just this,” Chandler says in a condescending tone. He’s seriously cranky, which is ironic considering I was the one who stayed up all night.
“Maybe you need a nap,” I tell him, and he waves me off. I let out a sigh and focus on Roan. My sexy and gorgeous Roan.
He’s lacing a fishing pole, his hands working the line so perfectly that it makes my tummy clench a bit. After he ties the last knot, he asks Chandler, “You sure you don’t want to come with us?”
“Nah, I guess I’m gonna take a nap on the air mattress my sister was holding out on.”
“Mia?” The way he says my name makes me squirm a bit as I stand.
“Sure.” I try to sound cool. The four of us venture off toward the water, but cool is the last thing that I am.
“You want another beer?” Roan asks me, the fire crackling as we sit around it.
“Please,” I respond and can’t help but stare at him as he gets up and goes to the cooler. It’s been a long day as I try to keep my hands to myself. Knowing I can touch him and he wants it makes it almost impossible. Almost.
The girls have long since passed out, too tired from fishing and swimming to keep their eyes open. I, however, have reached the point of being so tired I’m wide-awake.
“Why do you keep staring at each other like that?” Chandler’s question comes completely out of left field, but he is drunk after all.
“What are you talking about?” I ask him.
“I’ve noticed it all day.”
“You’re just drunk.” Now is not the time to tell my brother about Roan and me.
“So? I’m not blind.”
Roan hands me my beer and then takes his seat, I glance at him for help with this. When he speaks, I swear I haven’t heard him right. “You’re right, man, something is going on between us.”
Chandler doesn’t speak as he gives him a what-the-fuck look, and his whole body seems to sober.
“Don’t fuck with me like that.”
“I’m not.”
“Mia?” Two sets of eyes land on me, and I swallow hard.
“It’s true,” I tell him and shrug. I know how my brother is. He will never be okay with this. He doesn’t think Roan—or anyone, really—is ever going to be good enough for me.
“Stop fucking with me, it isn’t funny,” he says and slams the rest of his beer before tossing the empty can in the fire.
“I’m not,” Roan tells him. And he stands, looking between the two of us.
“How long?” Chandler asks, swaying as he stares at me.
“It just happened,” I tell him.
“No, come on.”
“It’s the truth,” Roan tells him, and my brother waves Roan off, glares at both of us, and then stumbles to his tent. We both watch a bit shocked that what we just told him caused him to basically walk off and ignore us.
I’m not sure how I expected him to respond. Maybe yell and scream and threaten Roan. Never did I think he would just . . . walk away.
Chapter 17
Roan
“You guys have fun?” I ask the girls as we drive home from camping. Mia is particularly quiet next to me, and I know she’s thinking about her brother.
“It was great, thank you, Dad,” Maisy says, bringing me back to the present.
“Of course,” I shoot her a smile in the rearview mirror and am rewarded with one right back. Maisy turns her attention to the scenery.
Mia glances at her phone, and I ask her, “Did he text you yet?” Chandler wasn’t there when we woke up this morning, and he isn’t picking up his damn phone.
She shakes her head, and I have no clue what to do. If being with her means I lose him as a friend, then it’s a risk I’ll take. It doesn’t mean I want her to be miserable or feel guilty about anything, though.
“Why did Chandler leave so early?” Rianna asks.
“His back was bothering him.” I lie, and I hate it. How can I demand honesty from the girls when I’m sitting here lying to them?
“It was uncomfortable sleeping on the ground,” Maisy says, and I nod even though I don’t actually know. Sleep was the last thing that Mia and I did all weekend.
“Are you girls cool if I drop you off? Then I’m gonna help Mia unload her stuff and take Chandler’s to him.”
“Sure, that’s fine. So, when do you wanna get our nails done, Mia?” Rianna asks her, surprising me. My eyes flick to Mia next to me, and she smiles.
“Whenever you want, your dad has my number so just have him text me.”
“Okay,” she happily answers just as I pull up to my house. The girls get out and give us a wave as they walk up the driveway. I watch until they are inside before pulling off.
“They like you,” I tell Mia, but victory with the girls doesn’t help. Chandler has her so upset.
“What are we gonna do?” she asks me.
“Give him some time and hope he gets over it?”
“I don’t think he will. He raised me, so who I choose to be with is a big deal in his eyes.”
“Then let’s go talk to him and make him see why we want to be together.”
“Are you sure this is what you want, Roan?”
“What do you mean?” I ask her, confused.
“I just mean, before we make a big ordeal about everything, are you sure you want to do this, to be with me?”
“I don’t know what has gotten into your head since the other night, Mia, but I’ve never been more sure about anything in all my life. Please don’t question us ever again.”
“But we’re gonna face a lot of challenges. My brother is just one of them.”
“You think I’m scared of challenges? My whole life has been nothing but a fucking challenge, and now that you’ve finally made me see what I want and that I can have it, I’m not giving that up—no matter what or who stands in my way. Like that ex of yours, you better make it fucking clear to him that I’m in the picture now.”
“Who? Tobias?”
“Yeah, if that’s his name.”
“Oh my God, Roan, you’re crazy! I told you, he’s gay.”
“But at one time he was unsure and slept with you, right?”
She moans and says, “It was a mistake. I promise you have nothing to worry about with him.”
“Better not,” I grumble.
“You know, he’s the only person I ever told about you.”
“You did?”
“I did. I met him after we hooked up, and I moved away for college. He could see there was something really bothering me, so I confided in him. He is a good friend. He’s been rooting for you and me all along.”
“I still don’t trust him; he’s a guy.”
She giggles a little, and I fall a little deeper for her.
Chapter 18
Mia
Chandler wasn’t home. We banged on the door and waited outside forever but didn’t get a response. “His phone is still going to voice mail,” Roan says.
“He needs to understand where we are coming from, and in order to do that, I think I may need to talk to him alone.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“I can be there with you if you want.”
I laugh. “It wouldn’t be me talking to him alone if I brought you with me.” He nods, understanding, and I stand on my tiptoes so I can give him a peck on the cheek. He clearly doesn’t like it and grabs my face in the palms of his hands holding me in place.
“Call me as soon as you’re done.”
“Okay.” Very possessively Roan leans down and kisses me just the way he wants to. I melt in his hold, feeling so weak in my knees I think I may fall. Far too soon, he pulls away. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
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After we load Chandler’s stuff into my car, we go our separate ways. I dial Chandler one more time on the drive, hoping he’ll pick up. He doesn’t, and I don’t bother leaving another voice mail. If he’s not home, I’ll just wait at his house as long as I need to.
I really don’t get why he is acting the way he is. It’s not as if Roan is a bad guy or anything. He’s Chandler’s best friend and business partner for Christ’s sake. Maybe that’s what I should make him realize: that out of everyone in the world, Roan is exactly the guy he can trust with my heart.
With that decided, I park on the street and walk up to the front door. All it takes is one knock for Chandler to answer.
“What’s up?” he asks a bit blasé.
“Why are you ignoring me?”
“I’m not ignoring you.”
“Uh, seeing as I had to come to your house twice now to talk to you, I’d have to beg to differ.”
“I dropped my phone in the fucking toilet when I got home, it’s in a bag of rice. He points to the kitchen counter and steps aside so I can come in. “I went to get a new one, but of course, they have to order it.”
“So, you’re not mad at me.”
“Oh, Mia.” He closes the front door and takes a seat on the sofa, patting the cushion next to him. “I’m not mad, I just don’t want to see you make a mistake.”
“I appreciate you looking out for me, you know that. You’re the only family I have. But this is Roan we’re talking about, not some random guy.”
“I know, that’s why I’m acting the way I am.”
“What do you mean?” My brother is quite possibly the most confusing man in the entire world.
“If he hurts you, I’ll have to kill him. Then what? I’ll lose my best friend, too.”