The Wrong Girl

by M. Piper

  “Is Finley going to be okay here, son? Have you seen the news?”

  “I don’t know, Dad,” I mutter, shaking my head as I start to pace.

  “Well, all signs are pointing to us coming back down after the storm, but there’s no use us staying. We can’t work during it anyway.”

  “Yeah,” I huff. “Alright.”

  Fuck.

  “I’ll let the boys know.” He pats my shoulder on his way out and I groan. He’s right. And any other year we would have done the same thing, but this year isn’t the same. I have something here. And I can’t leave her behind.

  My mind’s swimming, so at nine, as I walk down the back steps and see her in her t-shirt and shorts with no shoes, It’s like I’m looking at her through a haze. I’ve had to leave girls before; leave relationships behind with little notice. It’s never been this hard.

  Because I’ve never been leaving Finley.

  I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her tight, inhaling her shampoo and burying my face in her neck.

  I can’t leave this girl. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

  “Hey you.” She giggles when I push my lips to her neck. God, I needed this.

  “I’ve missed the hell out of you.” I push my lips to her neck, trailing kisses along her jaw and finish at her mouth. Tasting her. Breathing her in. Memorizing everywhere my hands roam, praying this week isn’t our last week together.

  She sighs and her body melts into mine as her fingers lace into my hair. She deepens the kiss and grinds against me, right out here on the fucking beach, and all I can do is continue to take it another step further.

  “Inside?” she pants, pulling back the slightest.

  “Fuck yes,” I groan. I grip her hand and pull her up the steps to the back deck with me, then through the kitchen and down the hallway, slamming and locking my door behind me. “Fuck walks on the beach. I need you tonight.” I don’t want to think about leaving. I don’t want to think about the look on her face when I tell her.

  I want this. Now.

  Her.

  “Are we crazy?” She giggles, grinning at me as she shoves her shorts off and drops them on my floor. Her shirt is gone next and all she’s left with is this bright pink bra and panty set that makes my dick rock solid.

  “For?” I step over to her and her hands go to the hem of my shirt before swiftly pulling it over my head.

  “Craving each other this much?” She roams her hands on my abs and lets her fingertips dip below the waistband of my sweats.

  “I don’t think so.” I push her body against the door and slide my hands into her hair. “I think we’ve both been holding back for all these years. And now that we can have each other it feels so goddamned amazing.”

  “I can’t get enough,” she whispers, pushing my pants off and sighing when I slam my lips to hers.

  “So don’t.” I pull the cups of her bra down, freeing her tits and latching my lips around her hardened nipples. Her back arches and she moans, twisting her fingers in my hair and trying to grind against my dick.

  “Fuck me, Levi. Hard.” She tugs on my hair and I growl, pulling her off the door and carrying her to the bed. My dick’s so fucking hard one touch from her could send me over the edge but I need to savor this moment. I push her knees apart and dip my tongue inside her, pulling a long trail all the way up to her clit.

  “Fuck,” She groans, her fist tightening in my hair. “Yes.” She pivots her hips to meet my face.

  I taste, suck, lick, nip, and finally plunge my fingers into her, making her scream out and there’s nothing in the world that would make me stop this.

  “Goddamn, Finley, you taste better every fucking time,” I growl and lick her clit in tight circles then wrap my mouth around her and suck gently, making her back arch and her pussy tighten around my fingers. She’s so goddamn wet and tight as hell, so when she clenches around me I twist my fingers slightly, curling them up in a steady rhythm and making her scream so loud I slap my free hand over her mouth. “There’s a house full of people that now know what we’re doing.” I chuckle, teasing her with my fingers as I pull them out then dip them back in.

  “Let them hear.” She growls, then sits up and pulls my lips to hers. “Fuck, I taste good.” Twisting us in a move I’ve only ever seen in the movies, she shifts her leg over me and in one movement slides down on my dick and pushes her hands through her hair.

  Holy fuck this girl is putting on the sexiest goddamned show.

  With her eyes locked on mine, she starts pivoting her hips and moans, letting her hair fall back, then grips her tits tightly, not taking her eyes off me as she fucks me. Teasing me.

  “You’re fucking beautiful, Squirt.” I rest my hands on her hips, holding back taking over because she’s so hot right now I don’t want to miss any of this.

  “God, your dick feels perfect,” she moans, thrusting her hips back and forth and driving me absolutely mad. “Fuck, Levi.” She gasps when I bring my thumb to her clit and her movements speed up. “Oh fuck.” She pivots her hips faster, back and forth, riding me and letting my thumb press harder into her, circling around her tight ball of nerves, ready to explode.

  “Come on my cock, Finley,” I growl, gritting my teeth and holding back for her. “I want to watch you make yourself come on my fucking dick.”

  “Ah shit,” she hisses, arching her back and pumping harder and faster. Her pussy’s so fucking hot and when she starts to come I can feel her pulsing around me. She creams all over my dick and her legs quake through the orgasm. “Fuck!” She falls to my chest but her hips are still pivoting, teasing me.

  “Hold on, baby.” I twist us and grip her hands tight in mine, bringing them above her head then slam into her. I start to see spots from the overwhelming sensation of being buried balls deep inside her, and just the image of her underneath me, hair messy and cheeks pink from her own orgasm make my spine start to tingle. Every fucking thrust is like heaven on earth. Being buried inside Finley Reeves is the best goddamn feeling ever.

  Nothing will ever compare to her.

  “Shit!” I belt, my orgasm coming from deep within making sweat drip down my chest as I fuck her hard, her moans twisting with mine in a symphony of the best fucking orgasm I think I’ve ever had. “Fuck, fuck,” I huff, letting myself go; letting myself fall off that cliff and dive head first in love with this damn girl.

  Sweaty, trying to catch my breath, I push my lips to hers then lie next to her and wrap my arms around her. She’s quiet for a moment before her lips connect with my forearm.

  “We didn’t use a condom,” she whispers and the panic starts to rise.

  “Oh shit.” I sit up and look down at her. She’s smiling like the panic on my face is amusing. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s fine.” She pats my cheek. “I’ve got an IUD. I’m good. And I trust you don’t have any disease?”

  “I’m clean, I swear.” I push my forehead to hers. “That felt amazing, Finley.”

  “Yeah.” She rakes her fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp. “I’m scared, Levi.”

  “Why?” My eyebrows furrow as she looks up at me with those big, beautiful eyes.

  “Because I feel things for you that terrify me. And you’ll be leaving soon and I’m not sure if I’m ready for that heartbreak.”

  Her eyes look up at me to make it all better, but I can’t. I fear I’m about to make it all worse.

  “About that.” I clear my throat and shift to sitting next to her. She brings the sheet with her as she sits to mimic my stance. “We’re heading out before the storm, Finley.”

  Her face falls and she stares at me, those big beautiful puppy dog eyes making my gut turn in ways that feels like I could vomit.

  “So…”

  “This weekend.” I curse to myself. “My dad’s insistent and it’s his house so I can’t really go against him. Plus we can’t work during the storm, anyway.”

  “Yeah… I mean that makes sense.” She’
s nodding and her eyes have left mine while she thinks over the news that although this relationship feels perfect… I’m leaving. And other than ‘Daddy said so’, I really don’t have a good reason. I’m a grown goddamned man. What the fuck is wrong with me?

  “I can stay,” I blurt. “I mean I’d probably have to help my dad get everything home. But… I can come back for you.” I’m stammering trying to get that look off her face that’s breaking my heart. The look that says she’s not prepared to be heartbroken yet.

  Neither am I, Squirt. Neither am I.

  “No. No, you should go. It’s not going to be safe here.”

  “What are you going to do?” I bring her hand to my mouth and push my lips against her skin. She watches me carefully and finally shrugs.

  “I don’t know. They haven’t called off the tours yet but from what I hear they probably will. Then hunker down and make sure I don’t get blown away.” She lets out a laugh but it’s not as carefree cute as I’m used to. “Who knows, maybe I’ll get blown all the way home.”

  “Don’t joke about that, Finley.” I shake my head. “I can stay and help.”

  “You need to help your dad. I appreciate it, though.” She leans over and kisses me. “People do long distance relationships all the time, right?” She grins and shrugs. “It’ll be fine.”

  Fine. I’ve always read that when a woman says something will be fine it’s actually anything BUT fine. It’s not fine. And it won’t be fine until I figure this out.

  “Finley, I can’t let you ride this storm out alone.”

  “I have people here that have been through tons of bad storms in their lifetime. Alexa will walk me through it. Bran’s here and he’s done this a ton.” She smiles. “I’ll be ok with them, I promise.” Her arms wrap around me. “I need to get back home before my sister starts worrying.”

  I grunt and pull her back down to the bed with me, a horrible feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. Back home we get tornadoes and shit all the time and it never bothers me. Never have I been scared for a storm before. But this? A hurricane that could wipe this whole city and my girl off the map? It’s terrifying.

  She pulls out of my embrace and stands, heading over to where she dropped her clothes and starts pulling them back on.

  “We’re still on for tomorrow?” She looks over at me and I nod.

  “Yep. I wouldn’t miss it.” I want to bring her back to the bed and make her stay. I don’t want her to leave, especially without knowing how she’s feeling. Because for the first time in my life, I know exactly how I feel. I think I’ve known it for years.

  I love this girl.

  Chapter 9

  Finley

  “You’re staying here? On the water?” I glare at Alexa who’s preparing her house to ride out the storm. I’m having a hard time believing we’re about to get hit with the storm of the century since it’s just days away and right now the sun is blaring down on us like it’s the middle of summer.

  “I stay through each storm. Right here. And the minute the worst is over I go out to help where I can.”

  I cross my arms in front of my chest and lean back against her counter. She’s lifting shit off the floor, boarding up doors and windows, and carrying anything and everything she can upstairs to keep it out of the flood waters that are bound to fill the main floor living space.

  “I’ve never been in a hurricane,” I mutter, walking over to the only window she hasn’t boarded up yet. Alexa’s house is in the heart of the everglades. Full foliage around her, the water butting up to her back door practically. She invited me over before work today since we’re going in late to do the evening tour with Levi and his friends. I was happy to get out of the apartment when she texted because my sister’s been weird ever since that night. She’s been clingy. Sweet. And when she doesn’t know I’m looking she’s crying her eyes out. Like last night when I thought she was asleep and I came in through the front door finding her in tears on the couch. She swore it was because of the movie she was watching but the TV wasn’t even on.

  Guilt’s been creeping in on me that I took the man she was meant to be with, but I’m trying not to let it happen. I’m trying not to feel bad about it. I’m also trying to figure out how to tell her about us.

  “Well. Hurricanes are scary as fuck, but if you’re smart about it it’s fine. I’ve never been in one this strong but I can’t think it’d be much different than a level four which is what we had two years ago. I survived that. I can survive this. My house isn’t in the direct path and the trees seem to lessen the impact.” She shrugs and I shake my head. “I’ll be fine.”

  Right. Famous last words.

  “Well, finish up. We’ve got a tour to prepare for.”

  “I can’t believe Bran’s letting you take his boat out without him.” She laughs and tosses her hammer on the counter.

  “He trusts me.” I laugh. “Unlike you.”

  “Last time I took his boat out I buried the motor in the swamp, killing it and costing him a couple days work to get the new one up and running.” She laughs. “He has full reason not to trust me.”

  Alexa is a hell of a tour guide on land, but when it comes to the boats we use for the tours she’s shit at it. Put her on a speedboat or something smaller like a jet ski and she’s amazing. But a floating house? Nope. She can talk your ear off about the area, though, so with me at the helm and her tour expertise tonight’s bound to be an adventure.

  We make it into work and I’m a ball of nerves and I don’t know why. More than likely it’s the fact that I have three days to figure out this thing with Levi or I have to let him walk away and not expect anything from him, and that thought alone is the hardest pill to swallow.

  “Have you ever been in love?” I ask Bran as we finish up the second afternoon tour.

  “I have.” He nods, finishing the post tour checklist. “Why?”

  “What was it like?” I pick at the chipping paint on the dock and watch him finalize the list, sign it, and toss it back into the compartment on the boat. He sighs as he steps onto the dock.

  “It was like…” He hums. “Crazy.” He laughs. “It didn’t last long. We were from two different worlds and I didn’t belong in hers.” He shrugs. “But I gotta tell you. That was the best summer of my life. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. And when it was over I didn’t regret it for a minute.” He smiles at me and nudges my arm as he walks. “Me thinks you’ve got a lot more going on in that head than curiosity.”

  “I think I love him,” I whisper, swallowing back emotions.

  “I think you’ve loved him a long time, Finley.”

  I told him and Alexa all about Levi’s and my past last week. I needed someone to talk to and since I couldn’t talk to my sister about it I had to spill to them.

  “Yeah. But it’s crazy, right? I mean we haven’t been dating that long.”

  “Finley, you’ve known that boy since you were a kid. You’ve had eyes for him since high school. And you’ve loved him since college.” He laughs. “If this is ‘too soon’ for you then you’ve got a problem, girl.”

  Staring at the ground as we walk, I start to think that maybe he’s right. I think I’ve loved him for longer than just recently. I think deep down I’ve always had incredibly strong feelings for the man I could never have. And now that I can have him… I can’t keep him.

  “I can’t tell him.” I shake my head. “He’s leaving in three days, Bran. It’ll screw everything up.”

  “You’re leaving in three days, too, girlie. This storm is nothing to joke around with.”

  “I have to work! I can’t leave because of a storm,” I blurt as we head back into the building.

  “Actually you don’t.” DJ walks over to us. “We’re closing shop. Locking everything up. After the storm a few years ago killed a park employee that was on the clock they’re pretty strict on us being out here during the storms.” He pats my shoulder and I grimace.

  Don’t touch me.

  “
So when do we come back? Are we paid for this?”

  “I’m working on pay right now, but you’ll need to be back once everything passes. We’ll need you here.” He nods at Bran. “Have a good one, man. And Finley, don’t be stupid. I know you don’t like to listen to me but you’ve never been through one of these before. It’s not something to try and battle. Get out before you can’t.”

  I watch him walk away with wide eyes then look over at Bran.

  “Is he serious?”

  “’Fraid so. He lost a girlfriend in that storm he talked about. She was the other park ranger on duty that day and…” He grimaces. “Well, the winds were blowing shit around pretty terrible that day. She was trying to take cover when a pole happened to snap nearby and…” He makes a noise while hitting his fist against his chest and I frown.

  “Impaled?” I whisper and he nods.

  “It’s part of the reason DJ’s such an ass. He saw the whole thing happen. Fucked him up pretty good.”

  “Shit.” I breathe. “Wow.” I kind of feel bad for the guy now.

  “So. Like we’ve both said now, you’re leaving too.”

  I look at him, wondering if maybe I should leave. Alexa’s dead set on staying and sees no reason to fear it. But these boys are acting like it’s the end of the world. And I don’t know who to trust!

  The doorbells ding, announcing another tourist, so when I spin with the polite smile pasted on my face and my eyes hit Levi’s, my work smile melts into a real smile. When Levi smiles back? Butterflies take flight in my stomach and I bite my lip, trying to tamp down the excitement.

  “Damn,” I hear Bran mutter and I look over at him.

  “What?”

  “Oh nothing. But I think you know exactly how you’re feeling about him.” He glances at Levi and raises his eyebrow a bit.

  Yeah. I do.

  “Hey.” I smile. “You’re a little early.”

  “That ok?” He shoves his hands into his pockets and shrugs. “I was kind of hoping we could talk.”

  “Uh…” I glance at Bran and he’s beaming at me.

  “I think I can hold down the fort.” He winks at me.