Scorched

by Jennifer Armentrout

  I pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and tried to force myself to pay attention to the conversation, but honestly, I didn’t give a fuck.

  Sydney straightened and turned around, frowning. “Where is Andrea?”

  “Taking a nap.” My hand tightened on the water bottle until it crackled.

  Her brows rose. “I think I’ll go check on her.”

  I raised the bottle to my mouth, having no idea what Andrea was going to say to Sydney. God only knew. After her steps faded, Kyler eyed me from where he stood. “What’s up?”

  “The sky,” I replied.

  He rolled his eyes. “Did we miss anything interesting today?”

  Like I was going to go there with Kyler. “We hung out in the pool for a while, before it stormed.”

  “Uh-huh.” A knowing look crossed his face. “I guess Andrea was just worn out from the exertion of hanging out in the pool?”

  “Guess so,” I muttered, finishing off the water. “I’ve got to get out of these wet clothes.”

  Kyler said something, but I wasn’t paying attention. I headed upstairs as the thunder continued to rumble outside. I almost started toward Andrea’s bedroom, but figured Sydney was with her. Stripping off the swim trunks, I grabbed a pair of shorts and dragged them on. I sat on the edge of the bed, blowing out an aggravated breath.

  Rubbing my temples, I closed my eyes. Maybe I was off when it came to Andrea. Yeah, she wanted me, and today proved that, but it didn’t mean she wanted more. Wait a second. Did I want more? I already knew the answer to that.

  “Fuck,” I muttered.

  That was pretty much the only word that summed it all up.

  Andrea

  The storm subsided briefly and then came back with a vengeance. Rain pounded the roof and the pool was starting to overflow. Water lapped over the edges, seeping through the deck boards. Lightning cut through the black sky and thunder shook the cabin.

  I stood by the window, watching the sky light up like someone was setting off fireworks from the cusp of Seneca Rocks. I blew a breath out and watched it fog the window.

  Of course not.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to shake those three little words off. At no point had I ever entertained the idea that Tanner’s sudden interest in me had anything to do with long term. He was a…virile man, and I’d turned to putty in his hand—literally. I shouldn’t feel any regrets, but I did.

  I always did.

  Because for once, I wanted to be…I wanted to be something more than just a hookup. I wanted to be…worth more. I wanted to not feel the need to sneak downstairs and get a drink. I wanted to not be feeling this way. Resting my head against the cool glass, I sighed.

  Truth was, I wanted to be with Tanner. I wanted to lose myself in him, give away a little piece of myself and not to think past that moment.

  Dinner hadn’t been too awkward as Tanner pretty much seemed to forget that I was sitting in the same room as everyone else, and afterward, we’d all gone down into the media room. The boys had had an epic air-hockey death match, and about an hour ago, I’d left, claiming to be exhausted. I hadn’t looked to see if Tanner had watched me leave, because I was pretty sure he hadn’t.

  I’d thought my little speech in the kitchen about it not being a big deal would’ve smoothed things out, but I had the distinct feeling I’d made it worse. And I had lied. It was a big deal. The way he’d handled me, how he touched me, had erased every incident I’d ever had with a guy before. He’d made me forget. Everything. One could not put a price on that. One could not pass up that kind of opportunity.

  But I had a feeling that I had without realizing it.

  Moving away from the window, I sat on the edge of the bed and stretched my legs out. I had that habit—a habit of making things worse without really even trying. Like when I’d changed my majors. I could’ve gone with a nursing degree, then at least it wouldn’t have been like I was tossing away nearly four years of education. There were more examples I could give myself, but I really didn’t want to travel down that depressing road tonight. I stood and headed for where I’d left my purse on the dresser. Opening it up, I poked around the red bottles until I found the one with the sleeping pills in it. I’d just started to pop the cap when there was a soft knock on the bedroom door.

  I guessed it was Syd, so I dropped the bottle back in my purse and padded over to the door, opening it. My eyes widened.

  So not Syd.

  Tanner stood in the doorway, his hands planted on the frame, head bowed. A moment passed before he lifted his chin. His eyes were a cobalt blue, intense as they immediately latched onto mine. My breath caught in my chest.

  “I lied,” he said.

  “What?”

  His hands slipped off the frame as he straightened. “I lied earlier. While we were in the kitchen. What happened between us in the pool? It did mean something to me.”

  Chapter 10

  Tanner

  The moment those words came out of my mouth, I knew how true they were and there was no taking them back.

  When I’d come upstairs, I hadn’t planned on stopping at her bedroom, but it was like my brain had shut the hell down and I found myself standing in front of her door. There was no way I could go to sleep with her thinking I didn’t give two shits.

  And now I was here and Andrea was staring at me like she’d never seen me before. I had no idea what to make of that, but a tense second passed, and then she took a step back, and then another.

  I took that as an invitation.

  Stepping into her room, I held her gaze. “Tell me it meant nothing to you, and I’ll pretend like nothing happened. Just say the word, Andy. We can forget it ever happened, but if it did—if it meant anything—then there is no way in this fucking world I’m going to act like nothing happened.”

  Her chest rose sharply as she lifted her hands, tucking the wild curls back behind her ears. “Tanner, I…it…” Her eyes closed briefly. “It did mean something to me, but—”

  “There doesn’t need to be a ‘but’ right now,” I cut in, feeling like I’d just won the damn lottery. How desperate was that? “Okay? We don’t have to—”

  “Think past now?” she whispered so quietly I almost didn’t hear her. Her lashes lifted. “I can’t think past now.”

  I honestly didn’t know what she meant by that, but then she reached down, wrapping her fingers under the hem of her loose T-shirt. My fucking heart stopped as she lifted the shirt over her head. The material dangled from her fingers and then slipped to the floor.

  Andrea wore a white bra, with delicate lace that framed the cups and a tiny bow in the middle. I’d seen her in a bathing suit before, so it should’ve been no big surprise to see her like this now, but it was different. More intimate. Meant more.

  I closed the door behind me, breathing heavily¸ as if I’d just run two miles. Unable to pull my gaze from her, I thought I’d probably see nothing more beautiful than right here, right now—seeing her standing there like she was. As much as it killed me, I had to tell that coming to her tonight wasn’t about getting between her legs. “Andrea, I didn’t—”

  “Don’t.” Her chest rose with another deep breath, straining the cups. “I don’t think we need to talk.”

  “I think we do.” My voice had deepened, turned rougher.

  Shaking her head, she walked up to me, each step slow and purposeful. I was rooted where I stood. She stopped when her feet brushed mine. “I don’t remember kissing you before.” Her eyes met mine as she tilted her head back. “And you didn’t kiss me earlier.”

  “I didn’t.” I barely recognized my own voice.

  Andrea placed her hands on my chest and I felt the fine tremor coursing through them. “I want to remember kissing you.”

  Damn. “I want you to remember that too.”

  She leaned in, her breasts pressing against my chest. The centers of her cheeks flushed pink. “Will you kiss me now?”

  Oh man, I’d really had no intenti
ons of any of this when I’d come up here. I had just wanted to talk to her. To clear the air and put it out there—where I stood when it came to us. But I wasn’t a saint. On a good day I didn’t have much willpower, and right now, my restraint snapped like a rubber band pulled too tight.

  One hand landed on her hip, and I curled the other around the nape of her neck, tilting her head back further. I lowered my mouth to hers, and this time—yeah, this was a real kiss.

  Her mouth was soft under mine, and when her lips parted there was no lingering taste of liquor on that mouth. Hell no, it was a hundred percent all Andrea and she still tasted sweet. She slipped one hand up to my shoulder, her fingers curling into my shirt as I ran my tongue along the seam of her mouth.

  She parted her lips, and I delved in. Fuck. Her hot mouth was consuming me. The way she flattened her body against mine was driving me to the edge. And the feel of her warm, bare skin under my hand as I trailed my fingers up the side of her waist was undoing me.

  Stretching up on the tips of her toes, she lined up our hips and when she rolled hers against mine, I groaned into the kiss. Like a haze had clouded my thoughts, I was brimming with the need to bring her to pleasure again, to hear those soft cries in my ears and to feel her body break in such a beautiful way once more.

  I walked her backward, right up to the bed, and then I guided her down. Cheeks flushed, she stared up at me, her chest rising and falling heavily as she watched me. Reaching around the neck of my shirt, I tugged it over my head and then tossed it behind me.

  Andrea’s gaze dipped, and I stood, letting her look her fill. I liked it—fuck, I loved the way she looked at me like she could possibly get off just by staring at me. That was one hell of a boost to the ego right there.

  I came to her, planting my knees on either side of her hips and then I slipped my hands along her waist. Lifting her up, I moved her so her legs didn’t dangle off the edge. And then I swallowed her surprised gasp with a kiss as I settled onto my side next to her.

  Cupping her cheek with my hand, I turned her face toward me, dragging out the kiss until we both needed to come up for air. “Damn, Andrea, I could live on the taste of your mouth.”

  “You’re so full of it,” she whispered, lifting her mouth to mine.

  Tightening my grip on her chin, I pulled her mouth from mine. “I’m not full of it.” I smoothed my thumb along her bottom lip. “I’m going to prove it.”

  She swallowed. “Then do it.”

  One side of my lips kicked up. “Listen to you. All bossy and shit.”

  “You’re not proving anything when you’re talking.”

  A chuckle rumbled out from me. “Oh, you are so fucking in for it.”

  Before she could respond, I claimed her mouth once more, harder and rougher than before, and there was no mistaking that I was claiming her. Our lips mashed together, teeth clinked. I would’ve worried if it weren’t for the way her hand curved around my neck, pulling me down harder.

  My pulse pounded throughout me as I slid my hand away from her chin, down the delicate arch of her throat and between her breasts. My hand kept going until I reached the waistband of her jeans. I flicked the button free. Then I reached up, dragging the strap of her bra down on one arm and then the other. As my tongue swirled along hers, I grabbed the center of her bra and yanked it down. She made this lovely little sound that I fucking ate right up.

  I was on fire as I lifted my head, breaking the kiss. My gaze dropped. Fuck. Every possible time I’d imagined what her breasts looked like bare did not even compare to the real thing. Her breasts were heavy and perfect, the swells rosy and the tips hard. I ran my thumb over her nipple, wanting to shout when her back arched and a soft whimper parted her lips.

  “You’re beautiful, so fucking beautiful,” I told her as I flicked that tight little nub, my body tightening as she made that sound again. I lowered my mouth, circling the peak with my tongue, wanting to pummel my chest with my fists when she cried out and clenched the back of my neck, holding me to her breasts.

  I suckled her deep and hard, reveling in all the delighted moans and gasps coming from her. I was in heaven as I moved my mouth to her other breast and felt the weight of the other in my hand, but I wanted to use my fingers for so much more.

  Reaching up, I wrapped my hand around her wrist and brought her hand down, to her breast. I watched her eyes darken as I closed her fingers over it.

  “Tanner,” she whispered, her cheeks heightened with color.

  I wet my lips. “Look at you.” I closed my hand over hers, using her hand to knead her own breast. “I will never forget the way you look right now.”

  She was breathing heavily as I moved her fingers, using them to toy with the tip. “What…what are you doing?” she asked.

  “Living out a fantasy.” I watched the tip of her breast harden further and then I bent my head, flicking my tongue over it. “Don’t stop doing this. Promise.”

  “I…”

  My gaze flipped to hers. “Promise me.”

  Her body trembled. “Promise.”

  I brought my mouth back to hers, rumbling with approval when she kept her hand on her breast. Her touch was hesitant at first, but she didn’t stop as I slid my hand down her soft belly and then under the band of her jeans. It was nothing to slip under her panties, and when I felt the first brush of wetness gathering between her thighs, I almost fucking lost it.

  “Don’t stop touching yourself,” I ordered a second before I slipped a finger through her softness. “God damn, don’t stop.”

  Her breathing hitched. “I won’t if…if you don’t.”

  “Nothing in this world could make me stop.”

  And that was the damn truth. Nothing. Not a damn thing. I shifted my hand so my palm pressed down on that area that I knew drove her crazy. I feasted on her lips and tongue like a man starved, and I fucked her with my fingers. She was so tight and wet and perfect, there was a good chance I was going to spill without even getting my pants off.

  I don’t even think I’d care if I did.

  When I eased another finger into her, the movements at her breast picked up, and I lifted up, looking down. “Holy fuck,” I grunted. This was a dream. Had to be.

  My fingers pumped in and out of her, and I felt her start to shake, and I wanted to taste her cry when she came. I moved my mouth over hers as her hips rose, matching the thrust of my fingers. The rise and fall became frenzied as she tightened around my fingers. The first spasm I felt around my fingers had me grinding against her thigh. Her hips were coming clear off the bed and her body began to shake. I shoved a leg between hers, my hips riding her, mimicking her movements.

  I was lost in her.

  Andrea’s back arched and her hips stilled when she came, her inner muscles clenching my fingers. I caught her cries with my tongue, but I felt them in every cell. I nursed her down, slowing my fingers as she fell back to the bed, her hand falling away from her breast, lying limply on the bed beside her thigh.

  Easing my fingers out of her, I kissed her gently. Fuck—tenderly. Yeah, this was a tender kiss. A slow sweep of my lips against hers despite the fact my blood was boiling and I was so hard it actually hurt. But as I rose and stared down at her flushed face, I soaked in her parted lips and those thick lashes that fanned her cheeks. I knew in that moment that I could never get enough of her. I knew, that no matter how crazy it sounded, there was no girl like her.

  And as barbaric as it sounded, it was still true. Andrea was mine.

  Andrea

  I came back to my senses slowly, my muscles weak and my skin buzzing. The peace, the calmness that invaded every cell was better than any drink or pharmaceutical could ever provide.

  Tanner kissed the corner of my mouth and then he trailed a stream of tiny, hot kisses down my throat, across my shoulder. If I wasn’t careful, I could get addicted to this.

  Blinking my eyes open, I looked down at me—at us—and lost whatever air was in my lungs. Beyond him, I could see the tip o
f one of my breasts, the slope of my belly, and my eyes then tracked his arm—his hand. He was now just sliding it out from between my legs. I swallowed hard. Good Lord, the image of us was branded forever in my mind.

  Caressing my stomach and waist, he shifted, and I could see quite plainly that he was aroused—very aroused. I’d felt it earlier, in the pool, and when he was pressed against me just now. He was thick and hard, and this was the second time he’d brought me to the greatest heights of pleasure without really seeking his own.

  I hadn’t been able to think past the fact he’d been in my room and he’d been saying those things. When he looked at me like that, when he touched me like that, I didn’t feel like I was barely holding onto everything by the tips of my fingers. I felt confident, sophisticated, worldly and beautiful. I felt happy and in control, and most of all, I felt normal.

  But part of me knew this was so dumb and dangerous. Just because he’d said what happened between us meant something to him didn’t mean that once he discovered more about me that he’d hang around. I knew he wouldn’t. I didn’t expect him to, not after he’d peeled back a few more layers. My head was messed up sometimes, and the last thing anyone needed was to get tangled up in that crap.

  However, all that common sense was absent as I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him onto his back beside me.

  “What are you doing?” he asked in that deep, sexy voice.

  “Returning the favor.” I sat up and swung one leg over his.

  His hands settled lightly on my hips. “You don’t need to.”

  Glancing down at the hard line clearly visible through his nylon pants, I lifted a brow. “I think I do.” I bit down on my lip as I straddled his legs. “Unless you don’t want me to.”

  “Babe, I want to do whatever the fuck you want to do,” he said, eyes heavily hooded. “And trust me, I want you to do whatever it is you’re planning, but I just want you to understand you don’t have to.”

  Oh dear, I felt the back of my throat burn as I ducked my chin.

  “I don’t expect that from you,” he said.