Always Yours

by Kari March

  Cara had my mind racing all over the damn place and I had only seen her twice. Last night I wanted to rip her clothes off right here in this parking lot and I would've if her damn friend hadn't interrupted us. The rest of the night, I thought about her, and only her. It was the first time in over two fucking years I had kissed a girl without thinking about Amber. Maybe Cara was going to be my cure—the one girl that would help me move on and get over my past.

  God only knew how many times I've tried this same thing with different women and failed. There was something rare about Cara though; she was feisty, and it turned me on in ways no woman ever had before. When I kissed her last night nothing else mattered. Not my past, not Amber, nothing. The only thing that I could see was Cara— she was right in front of me and crystal clear.

  I hadn't really thought things through when I asked her to meet me here today. I just knew that I needed to see her again and this seemed like a good place. Honestly, until I pulled up five minutes ago I had no clue what we were going to do when she got here. But when I started thinking back on our conversation last night everything clicked. I just hoped she liked it.

  When I saw her white Ford Fusion pull into the parking space next to me, I jumped out of my truck and held the door open for her as she got out. This was the first time I was seeing her out of her work uniform, and she looked gorgeous. Her dark hair fell just short of her shoulders, and the bright orange tank top she had on clung to her curvy frame perfectly.

  "Thanks," she said as she shut the door and locked her car.

  "No problem, firecracker, and let me take this opportunity to thank you as well."

  "Why are you thanking me? I didn't even do anything." She looked at me with confusion.

  "Actually, I just made a hundred bucks, thanks to you." I placed my hand on the small of her back and started to lead her to the passenger side of my truck. The look of confusion on her face turned to apprehension and I decided to clarify. "Blake bet me a hundred dollars that you wouldn't show up. So, thank you for proving him wrong."

  "Well, I'm glad I could help. Especially since it made Blake suffer a little," she said as I opened the door for her.

  I chuckled. "You really don't like him, do you?" I asked as she climbed up into my truck.

  "It's not him personally; it's the way he comes across. That cocky attitude and the way he treats women. I'm sure he's a good guy, I've just dealt with his type before and always seem to get burned." Her gaze fell to her hands and I could tell she didn't like talking about whatever it was that happened to her. Not knowing what to say, I shut the door, walked around to the driver's side and got in.

  "Are you ready to go?" I asked her as I started up the engine.

  I could tell the change of topic relieved her a little when she looked up and nodded at me. I could still see a hint of pain in her eyes and I detested it. The thought of anyone hurting her, physically or emotionally, irritated me.

  Reaching my hand out, I placed it on her leg just above her knee. "I don't know who he was, or what happened," I admitted to her while giving her leg a reassuring squeeze. "But he was a complete jackass for letting you go."

  My words, like magic, instantly melted the anguish from her features and the corners of her mouth turned upward. She placed her small, soft hand on top of mine and held on. "So, where are we going?" she asked me, her voice cheerful.

  "Wherever you take us, firecracker," I said as I put my truck in reverse. I knew she was going to be confused by my answer and when she looked at me puzzled, I just smiled as I backed out of the parking spot.

  "Ookaayyy," she pondered, her voice heavy with unease. I couldn't help but laugh. She was just too fun to mess with.

  "We won't know where we're going until we get there," I told her, adding to her already confused state. I drove out of the parking lot and pulled up to the stop light. "Right or left?" I asked her. She looked at me like I was crazy, and maybe I was.

  "Ummm...right, I guess," she replied, her brow furrowed. I turned right and started heading down the road.

  "Seriously, Cam, I am so confused right now. What the hell are we doing?" she screeched. She was starting to sound nervous.

  "We're driving," I said matter-of-factly.

  She gave me a dirty look. "No shit, Sherlock, but where are we going?"

  "I told you I don't know, we're just drivin'," I chuckled.

  "Just driving?" She didn't sound amused.

  "Yes, haven't you ever just driven around and ended up somewhere new?" I asked her.

  "Not really, not unless I was lost or something," she admitted.

  "Oh, that's good. Because we'll probably get lost." I laughed.

  "What?" she exclaimed. She probably really thought I was crazy now.

  "Don't worry, firecracker. I almost always find my way home." I winked at her as I continued to drive down the busy street we were still on.

  With her thumb pressed up against her mouth, all of her anxiety and concern vanished and she smiled shyly at me. That look shot straight to my dick and all I could think about was how amazing those soft lips felt last night.

  I have to kiss her again.

  Looking around I spotted a gas station and decided to pull over. Not the most romantic spot, but I didn't give a shit. Plus, we were going to need fuel if we planned on driving further than twenty miles.

  I pulled up to the pump and took out a twenty dollar bill from my wallet and handed it to her. "Do you want to grab us some drinks and food while I fill up? That way we won't have to stop again later?"

  "Sure, any preferences?" she asked as she pushed open the passenger door.

  "Not really, can you just grab me a bottle of water?"

  "Sure thing," she said, heading inside.

  Just as I finished filling up, Cara was headed back with a bag full of stuff. "So, what did you get?" I asked as I walked around to the other side of the truck so I could open the door for her.

  "Well, since I barely know you, let alone know what you like to eat, I got a little of everything—chips, pretzels, two Snickers bars, some beef jerky, a couple bottles of water, and my favorite, cinnamon bears."

  She handed me the bag. Opening it I peeked inside. "Is that it?" I teased her as I placed the sack on the floor of the truck.

  She narrowed her eyes at me. "You're such a dick."

  Swatting at my chest playfully, she struck me. Before she could pull away, I caught her hand, startling her. I tugged on her arm, pulling her close and when our bodies collided I heard her inhale a sharp breath. The sound made my dick jump. I loved the way she surrendered to me as if I owned her, and all it took was a single touch. Wrapping my arm around her waist I could feel her tense up, her mind was trying to fight her body's natural reactions to me again. I could tell it was hard for her to just let go. Whoever hurt her really did a number on her and I could tell she didn't trust men easily.

  "Cara," I whispered into her ear and she slowly looked up at me through her long lashes. "Just feel it."

  She closed her eyes and gradually exhaled the breath she was holding in. Reaching up, I ran my finger down her jaw line, little by little, until I reached her chin. With a gentle nudge, I titled her face upward before leaning down, pressing my lips to hers. This time, I didn't wait for her to grant me access, I fucking took it. Forcing my tongue inside her mouth, I assaulted her and she didn't fight it. I wanted to lay her down, right here, and fuck her until she screamed but I knew I couldn't. She grabbed the hem of my black t-shirt and balled it into her fists, pulling and tugging at it as if she were begging me to take it off.

  I knew we needed to get ourselves under control. With a bit of luck we would have time to explore each other later, in private and not in the middle of a crowded gas station. Breaking the kiss, I slowly peeled myself away from her and looked down into her striking green and brown eyes. Her breathing was heavy and she looked a little frazzled. "Shall we?" I asked her as I motioned towards the truck and she nodded in agreement. Holding out my hand I helped he
r up into the seat.

  Once I was behind the wheel it was her turn to be in control. We pulled up to a stop light and I looked over at her. "Which way?" I asked and she looked back at me. "We came from the left, so should we go right again, or straight?"

  "Straight," she said with a smile.

  "Sounds good to me, firecracker, let's go get lost."

  One dead-end, four right turns, three left turns, and two hours later we were lost and in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by dirt roads, open fields, and rolling hills, I knew we were somewhere out east but where exactly, I had no clue, and really, I didn't give a shit. All that mattered to me tonight was the incredibly sexy woman sitting beside me.

  Since the moment we started driving there hadn't been one second of silence between the two of us. We talked about everything—her jobs, her friends, her family—she even told me about her father and how he walked out on her and her mother when she was just eight years old. That was the only part of the night that upset me. Hearing the pain in her voice was almost unbearable and I was actually grateful I was driving so I didn't have to see the distress on her face.

  While she was entrusting me with all the details of her life, I couldn't help up think how horrible it was that I was getting off just by listening to her, but I was. Every time she laughed it was music to my ears that rhythmically traveled through my body straight to my dick. I was squirming around in my seat from having to readjust my jeans every five minutes, and I'm sure she thought I was a fucking nut job with a twitch.

  As we rolled over the top of another hill, the sun was sitting just above the horizon, waiting to set, and she fell silent for the first time all evening. Peering over at her I could tell she was in awe of the bright orange and blue sunset that was in front of us. I knew she had probably witnessed plenty of Colorado sunsets, seeing as how she lived here her whole life, but something about this one seemed different, even to me.

  Noticing an old 4x4 trail that led uphill even further, I slowed down and turned onto it. The truck bounced vigorously as we drove up the rough path. Cara squealed out in amusement from the rough ride and out of the corner of my eye I couldn't help but observe her tits jumping around robustly. They were calling to me, asking me to grab them, but I managed to somehow keep both hands on the wheel. My balls on the other hand were not happy with me—the low cut tank top she had on was revealing and the boys were turning blue from all the torture.

  When we reached the top of the dirt trail I parked the truck, facing west, so we could watch the sun dip below the horizon. The view from the top of this hill was spectacular and from the look on Cara's face I could tell she approved. Off in the distance you could see an old farm house and a large barn that was surrounded by white fences. Cattle and horses were grazing in the field below. Beyond that you couldn't see anything for miles. No cities, towns, or civilization anywhere. It was peaceful and surreal—exactly what I looked for when I took these drives. We sat in the truck, watching the sky turn dark, neither of us making a sound until the sun was out of sight.

  "I haven't done that in so long," she said to me so softly, it was almost a whisper.

  "Done what?"

  She looked over at me. "Watched a sunset. It was beautiful."

  No you're beautiful.

  Smiling at her, I reached for the radio and for the first time since we had gotten in the truck I turned it on. "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry came drifting through the speakers and I cringed. Quickly, I changed the station. I couldn't stand listening to that song. It was mine and Amber's song and every time I heard it, it brought back all the fucking memories I'd been trying to forget.

  "Hey, that's a good song! What do you have against Katy Perry?" she scolded me.

  "Nothing against her, she's really hot, I just hate that song," I said as I turned in my seat a little. I knew this was going to be a long conversation so I decided to get comfortable.

  She looked at me with a puzzled expression. "Why do you hate it?"

  "I guess I don't actually hate it, I just don't like listening to it. It was me and my ex's song," I told her.

  "Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she looked down.

  "It's okay. It just brings back some bad memories, ya know?" She nodded her head.

  "Let's talk about something else," she said softly. "I've been talking about myself all night. I think it's your turn to answer a few questions." She looked up at me.

  "What do you want to know?" I couldn't believe I had just said that. I knew she was going to ask about my family and my past and I wasn't ready to tell her who my father was. Not that I thought she was the type that would use me just to get to him, but I wanted her to know me for me. People always seemed to change how they treated me after finding out my father was Mitchell Greer.

  "First of all, what's your last name?" she asked with a shy smile on her face.

  Shit!

  That was the one question I didn't want her to ask. For a split second I thought about making something up but when I looked into her eyes I couldn't. "It's Greer," I told her, gauging her reaction. I could see the wheels in her head spinning and my heart stopped.

  Tilting her head she looked at me, her brow furrowed. "Greer....where do I know that name from?"

  Rubbing my hand on the back of my neck I diverted my eyes from hers. "I don't know. It's a pretty popular last name."

  "Wait....."

  Oh, shit, here it comes.

  "Greer as in Greer Talent Agency?" she speculated, her eyes wide. I didn't even have to answer her. The look on my face told her everything. "Is your dad Mitchell Greer?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

  "Yep," I murmured, looking out the windshield.

  "Holy shit, Cam, your family is like....famous!" she shrieked. "Why aren't you in LA or Nashville, living the high life, like your sisters?"

  "The lifestyle never really appealed to me, I guess. Plus, I'm not like anyone else in my family—I'm not talented like my sisters. My father tried for years to get me to be something I wasn't. Acting classes, voice lessons, guitar lessons. That was my life and I hated every fucking minute of it." Gripping the steering wheel tightly I continued, "Most kids would have been on cloud nine doing what I did as a child but that just wasn't me and my dad just couldn't accept it. It took me running away when I was fifteen for him to finally realize that I was never going to be like my sisters. As pissed off as he was at me for doing what I did, it brought us closer in the long run. He quit forcing me into a life I despised and I got to explore things that actually interested me." I shrugged my shoulders.

  "Is that when you decided you wanted to be a firefighter?" she asked.

  "No," I replied and she looked at me like she wanted me to continue. "Martial arts, kick boxing, and krav maga became my way of life. For two years I trained almost every day after school and the day I turned eighteen I entered into my first amateur MMA fight, and won it."

  "You were a fighter? Cam, that's amazing." Her eyes lit up with the new knowledge. "Do you still fight?"

  "Nope, I quit." I really didn't want to explain any more to her but I knew she was going to ask.

  "Why?"

  "Injury." Even I could hear the pain in my voice when I said the words.

  "How did it happen?" she asked cautiously.

  "After six months of non-stop competitions, I was undefeated and well on my way to becoming a professional fighter. It was a dream come true." I paused for minute, contemplating if I should continue. I hated the next part of the story. "And by my side was Amber, my ex. She had come into my life just after we started our senior year in high school. She came to every one of my fights, except one. When she didn't show up that night, I knew it was over—she had left. When the bell rang, signaling the start of the fight, I wasn't in the correct state of mind to be fighting. She was all I could see, all I could think about, and I messed up. The last thing I saw was a fist heading straight for me. All it took was one hard hit to the head and my whole world came crashing down on top of me, crushing my
dreams and my reality with a single blow."

  My chest tightened around my lungs as memories of that night raced through my mind. The two most important things in my life were taken from me, and the pain from the loss was just as strong as it was that night. I had spent years trying to get over what happened but I couldn't. As much as I hated Amber for what she did, I wasn't mad at her. She was chasing her castle in the sky, but what killed me the most was that in the flight for her dream, she crashed mine.

  That was my past; a big train wreck of events that made me who I was today—an untrusting disaster of a man that barely had his shit together. Slowly, I was trying to rebuild the broken pieces of my life one step at a time. I quit fighting people and decided to start fighting fires instead. As much as I loved MMA, the memories it brought to the surface were too much for me to handle. Firefighting was becoming a passion I never knew I had, until I started training and most importantly, it kept my mind off Amber.

  Much like MMA you had to be disciplined, physically fit, and good under pressure to be a firefighter, all of which I was. The only difference was, with firefighting you worked as a team. A team of brothers that would lift you up and carry you to safety in the event of disaster, they would put their lives on the line to save yours and while this was all still new to me, I would willingly return the favor to each and every one of them if the time came.

  Cracking my knuckles I avoided all eye contact with Cara. She hadn't said a word since my long winded story and even though the silence between the two of us was becoming awkward, there was no way I was going to look at her and let her see how much talking about my past upset me.

  Turning my attention to the darkness outside, I stared out my window. The sun was completely gone now and the moon and stars were high in the sky. I thought about starting up the truck and heading home until I felt the warmth of Cara's body touching mine.

  Her hand ran across my chest slowly, then up my neck to my face and every muscle in my body became alert—especially one. She gave my face a little nudge and I turned and looked at her. She was kneeling next to me in the center of the bench seat, her eyes fixed on mine with looks of empathy, as if she knew how it felt to have everything you ever wanted slip through your fingertips. The light from the moon was illuminating her face, and I noticed the sad glossiness in her eyes.