“I can see why you’d be so high-strung. Making sure the festival went off without a hitch is a big responsibility.”
No, Lawrence. The festival had nothing to do with why.
“Do you take milk and sugar in your tea?” Lawrence goes to the refrigerator and promptly shuts it. “Forgot. No milk. Sugar only then?”
“That’s fine.”
She puts a spoonful of white granules in one cup and stirs. “You don’t drink tea, do you?”
“Not this kind.”
She looks at me and sighs. “I would have been happy to make coffee for you.”
Another dose of caffeine could do me in. “I’ve already had two cups. I didn’t need a third.”
We move into the living room with her leading the way. She takes a seat on one end of the couch and I sit next to her.
I watch her dip her teabag up and down by the string and I mimic her. “I feel so dainty.”
She laughs. “Well, I must admit that it’s entertaining to watch you dipping your teabag.”
This isn’t the kind of teabagging I’m accustomed to, Miss Thorn.
Lawrence uses her spoon to press the bag and I follow her cue. I tilt the damn cup over so far that my tea spills onto my lap and I spring up from the couch, tugging the fabric away from my skin. “Oh, mommy fucker, that is hot.”
Lawrence leaps up from the couch and sprints into the kitchen, quickly returning with a towel in hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“No reason for you to be sorry. I’m the one who made the damn mess.” I take the towel from her and wipe the crotch of my jeans. “I think we can agree that I don’t have enough grace to be a tea drinker.”
“I concur.”
The hot tea on my crotch turns cold quickly. “Do you mind if I grab a pair of Oliver’s pants so I can put my jeans in the dryer for a few minutes? I don’t think it’ll take long for them to dry.”
“Sure. I’ll grab some for you.”
Lawrence returns a moment later holding elastic-waisted pants. “Are these okay?”
“That works. Thanks.”
I go into the bathroom and strip out of my jeans, finding that my boxer briefs took a nice hit as well. Shit. Those’ll have to go into the dryer too.
I come out of the bathroom free-balling beneath really thin white linen pants.
Lawrence holds out her hand. “I’ll put those in the dryer for you.”
“I can do it.”
She holds out her hands. “I don’t mind.”
I guess I don’t have a choice. She’s going to handle my skivvies. “Thanks.”
She comes back to the living room wearing a grin. “You doused yourself pretty good.”
“Allow me to tell you a little something about me. I don’t halfway do anything. I go all the way.”
She giggles as she plants herself on the opposite end of the couch from me a second time. “I believe I’ve heard that line used before.”
“Yeah. I may have stolen it from a pretty girl I drank beer with once.”
Lawrence takes a sip of her tea. “She sounds like a fun girl.”
“I enjoy her company very much. And she’s hot.”
She giggles again and nearly spills her tea. “Hot like this tea?”
“Hotter. And she’s a great kisser.”
Her brow lifts. “How many times have you kissed this girl?”
“Only once but it was amazing.” Truth.
“Why only once?”
“Because I was an idiot. I said things that I didn’t mean, and now I’m afraid I may have fucked up with her.”
Lawrence scoots to the edge of the sofa and places her cup of tea on the coffee table. “Maybe you should kiss her again and see what happens.”
I slide closer, reaching out to grasp her face, and I rub my thumb over her bottom lip. “You think this beautiful girl would let me kiss her again? Maybe let me take her breath away?”
I hear her breath moving coarsely in and out of her chest. “I think you are already taking her breath away.”
This won’t be like last night. “If I start, I won’t stop this time.”
She licks her lips and rubs them together. “Don’t make promises you don’t plan to keep.”
I lean in and suck her bottom lip, something that I’ve wanted to do since I watched that dribble of beer fall from the corner of her mouth last night. I taste a patch of sweetness left over from her tea.
Now, this kind of chai tea I like. “So sweet.”
I move my mouth over hers and our tongues fall into a rhythmic wave. It’s a seductive swirl of soft, wet velvet. My God. I don’t know how I had the strength to pull away from her last night. In this moment, I’m powerless to stop.
The rhythm of our kiss is no longer slow and smooth. It’s erratic and she pulls away from me, panting. “Breath successfully stolen.”
“I’m not done yet.”
I drag my mouth along her jawline toward her ear, leaving kisses in its path, and she squirms when I kiss the sensitive spot below her earlobe. “Oh, that gives me chills all over.”
Physical reactions beyond a woman’s control are such a turn-on because they can’t be faked.
Moving my mouth down her neck, I kiss her shoulder. She’s such a squirmer that she’s nearly worked her way beneath me. Maybe she meant to do that.
I want to go further but I don’t know where her head is. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No.” She places her hands on each side of my face and drags her fingers through my facial scruff. “Keep going.”
She doesn’t indicate the lines that I can’t cross, yet I suspect she has some. Every woman does. “I need you to tell me what we’re doing so there’s no confusion.”
“You promised you wouldn’t stop this time. So don’t.”
Ah, the beauty of being with a bohemian girl? They don’t have rules.
I grasp the backs of her knees, and she gasps when I give her a quick yank to move her beneath me. Lacing her fingers through the back of my hair, she pulls my mouth down to hers and kisses me deeply.
“Despite what most people believe about a person like me, I don’t make a habit of freely giving my body away. It’s been a while for me.”
No man hates hearing that. “How long?”
“Over a year.”
Shit, that’s a long time to go without sex. And all the more reason to make this spectacular for her. “I’m going to make you come so hard.”
“I don’t think it’ll take much.”
I stroke the back of my fingers down her cheek. Soft. Smooth. Delicate. “You’re beautiful.”
She strokes my face, running the tips of her fingers through my facial hair. “You’re beautiful.”
Hovering over her, I press my lips to the side of her neck. I grasp the back of her thigh and bend it at the knee. That’s it, baby. Wrap it around me. Pull me close.
I glide my hand up the back of her smooth leg until it’s inside her shorts. And panties. I dig my fingertips into the fleshy part of her ass.
I wonder what she’d do if my fingers left the safety of her ass cheek and moved to that sensitive place between her legs. I think we should find out.
I want Lawrence naked and in bed beneath me. These clothes and this couch aren’t working for me. I need to be unrestrained for everything I want to do to her.
“Are you okay with moving this to the bedroom?”
She nods. “Yes.”
I get up from the couch and take her hands, helping her to her feet. We’re eye to eye, and I can’t stop myself from cradling her face and planting a slow, deep kiss against her mouth.
I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. This girl is Oliver’s sister. Forbidden fruit. He told me so. I said I wouldn’t touch her but I did anyway. My promise has become a lie—another fucking lie. Deceit has never been in my nature but I can’t help myself. And now I don’t want to stop.
Lawrence jolts and I do too when we hear sounds at the front door. “Someone’s here.”<
br />
We break apart like guilty teenagers caught doing dirty things. At least five feet of distance separates us. Maybe six. Too much.
It’s probably Porter coming by to issue an official cockblock. He was pretty pissed off about the time I spent with Lawrence yesterday. I wouldn’t put it past him. Bastard.
I only have a few seconds to mentally prepare for whatever he is going to say. Porter, she’s going home. I told you I was picking her up and taking her to her car this morning. Remember?
My mental preparation is all in vain when I see who opens the door. What the hell is he doing here?
“Ollie,” Lawrence yells as she runs to him and throws herself into his arms, “I’m so happy you’re back.”
He looks at me with wide eyes over his sister’s shoulder and mouths, “What the fuck?”
I’ve had no communication with Oliver in a week. He had no idea his sister was here. He’s completely in the dark concerning what I’ve told her about his alibi. This could mean trouble for him. And me. I don’t think Lawrence is the kind of woman who tolerates lies.
“Look at you. Back from Memphis so soon?”
He looks like a deer in headlights. “Yes, but only briefly.”
“I guess your friend must be doing better? No longer threatening to do anything stupid after the divorce?”
Oliver clears his voice. “He’s better, but I’m going back. I just drove down so I could be at the festival for a little while today.”
I guess he took a cab from the rehab. I hope she doesn’t decide to ask questions or snoop in regard to the company car, which doesn’t exist.
“We’re glad to see you. Especially Lawrence. She was pretty disappointed when she showed up Friday to surprise you but found out you’d left town to see Raleigh.”
She hugs Oliver again. “You are such a good friend to give up being at the festival for your friend’s welfare.”
“Are those my pants?”
I cup my hand over my softening hard-on, praying that Oliver doesn’t notice.
Lawrence spins around. “Lucas spilled tea on his so I gave him those to wear while his jeans are in your dryer. I hope that’s okay.”
“I guess.”
Oliver has two duffel bags on his shoulder.
“Dirty clothes?” Lawrence asks.
“Yeah. A lot.”
“Why so much?”
He looks at me and then back to Lawrence. Sorry. Can’t help you with that one, dude. “I just threw a bunch of shit in there. Some clean, some dirty. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be gone.”
“Ugh, Ollie. You’re such a guy. The dirty is going to make the clean stink. All of it will need washing now.” She holds out her hands. “Give it to me. I’ll get a load started for you.”
Oliver kisses the side of Wren’s face. Right where I just kissed her but in a much different manner. “Thanks, sis.”
I sit on the couch and try to remember all the things that I need to tell him about his alibi. And about mine.
He stands over me, hands on hips. “What the hell has gone on here while I’ve been away?”
I lower my voice. “She showed up at the festival yesterday to surprise you. I came up with a bullshit story about a suicidal friend in Memphis. Not my best work.”
“That’s dumb as hell.”
“Forgive the fuck out of me. I had maybe three seconds at best to come up with something to cover your ass.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to seem ungrateful. I’m just sort of freaking out because I wasn’t expecting her to be here.”
Just like I wasn’t expecting him to walk in at the exact moment I’m on the way to his guest room to fuck his sister.
“It’s okay.”
“What the fuck are you doing with her in my apartment?”
I bet his mind is spinning like a damn hamster in a wheel right now.
“She was planning to go back to Savannah this morning. That’s why I’m here. To drive her to her car.” Half-truth. I came to drive her but not before I fucked her.
“Where’s her car?”
“Still parked at the festival. The service drove her home because she’d had some beer. We don’t need two DUIs in the family.”
“Lawrence never has more than a few beers.”
I might as well tell him the truth. “She helped me judge the home-brew comp. She got a little tipsy but don’t worry. I took care of her.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “You took care of her in what way?”
“I saw her home safely.”
Oliver’s eyes grow large and his mouth forms a tight line. I know what he’s thinking. “I did not fuck your sister. I swear.”
But I was damn sure about to when you came home just now.
“Give me my phone.”
He’s going to see last night’s texts. Fuck, that means I’m going to have some explaining to do.
“What is this bullshit about her wanting you to kiss her?”
“I guess she likes me.” And I like her too.
“Yeah. She likes you all right. She says so right here in this message.”
I didn’t take advantage of my position. I ignored that devil sitting on my shoulder, whispering in my ear. “I replied to her just as you would have—that I’m not good enough for her.”
“It’s not about being good enough, Lucas. The fact is that you have fucked around with a lot of women. I don’t want my sister to become the most recent name on that list.”
“And you don’t fuck around with a lot of women?”
“This has nothing to do with what I do. We’re talking about my sister and what you’re not going to do with her.”
“I would never mistreat Lawrence.” I wouldn’t. I mean that.
“Maybe you wouldn’t as long as she met your needs. But what about when you no longer want her for a piece of ass?”
“I don’t know why we’re having this conversation. She lives four hundred miles away. It’s not as though we’re going to start dating or something.”
“You’re right.”
“Why are you here? I thought you had two more weeks in rehab.”
“I do but I got a day pass. I have to be back by six, which really sucks because I want longer with Lawry. I haven’t seen her in six months.”
“I’m gonna take off so you can spend some time together.”
“Sorry I was such a hard ass when I got here.”
“Forget about it.” I gesture toward the laundry room. “I’m gonna grab my jeans out of the dryer and go.”
Lawrence is shoving clothes into the washer when I sneak up behind her. Wrapping my arms around her, I kiss the side of her neck. “Hey. I’m gonna go so you can spend time with Oliver before he leaves.”
She turns in my arms and kisses my chest. “Will I see you later?”
“I certainly hope so.” I gesture to the jeans folded on top of the dryer. “Mine?”
“Yeah.”
I push the waistband of the linen pants down and step out of them. “Can these go in that load?”
She bites her bottom lip to unsuccessfully suppress her mischievous grin. “Throw ’em in.”
I pull on my boxer briefs and then my jeans, her eyes watching my every move. “Were you checking out my junk?”
“Maybe.”
“Do you want to get together later?”
“Yeah.”
“Will you text me after he leaves?”
“I will.”
I hold her face and kiss her until she’s breathless. Again. I stop when I hear Oliver rambling in the kitchen on the other side of the wall.
“See you later, Boho girl.”
10
Lawrence Thorn
I can’t believe Ollie walked in on Lucas and me as we were going to the guest bedroom. Damn, that was a close one.
And it left me with such a throbbing clit-hanger.
I don’t care what Ollie says. If I want to hook up with Lucas while I’m in Birmingham, I will. My brother doesn’t get a say
about my sex life.
But if we hook up and Oliver finds out, that could mean problems for Lucas at the company. And I don’t want to stir up trouble between business partners.
I flop on the couch next to Ollie and he puts his arm around me, squeezing tightly. “To what do I owe this surprise visit?
“You were right when you said that it had been too long since I’d been to see you. I thought it was time.”
“This feels like more than just a surprise visit.”
“Guilty. I wanted to check up on you. You’ve been weird lately, but the last two weeks have been the topping on the proverbial weird cake.”
He chuckles. “You, Lawrence Thorn, have the audacity to call me weird? That’s a new one.”
“I know but it doesn’t feel like my Ollie on the other end answering me. You sound like a complete stranger sometimes.”
“I’m sorry about that. Things have been a little crazy lately. Let me get through the next couple of weeks, and I promise everything will be back to normal again.”
“I want things to be back to normal again. I miss my little brother and I want to get together more often. Six months is too long to go without seeing each other.”
“Yes, it is.”
Who knows? Maybe Lucas Broussard can be an additional incentive for me to come back to Birmingham more frequently.
“Tell me what’s going on at home.”
I’m not sure now is the right time to bring this up, but I feel I don’t have a choice. “Christie called.”
“What does she want now? More money?”
I wish. It would be much easier to part with money rather than what she’s asking for.
I don’t answer and Ollie slams his fist into the couch cushion. “Dammit. I knew we shouldn’t have given her anything. It only encourages her to keep coming back for more, which means we’ll never be rid of her now.”
“It wasn’t about money this time. She’s in end-stage renal disease.”
“Well boo-fucking-hoo. She did that shit to herself, so she’s getting what she deserves if you ask me.”
Our birth mother was an addict and noncompliant diabetic. She wanted heroine more than insulin. Her kidneys simply couldn’t handle all those years of abuse and unstable blood sugars. It’s a miracle she’s still alive.
Southern Girl Series Bundle: Bohemian Girl, Neighbor Girl, Intern Girl Page 10