by Jenika Snow
But things could never happen between them, not anything more than what they had done last night. For one thing her father would string him up by the balls if he even found out the filthy fucking thoughts he had had about Tarren before they even did anything. But now, now that Lucas had been in her tight, hot, and wet fucking body, yeah, Dallas would definitely take pleasure in beating his ass to the ground.
“Yeah, it does have to be that way, Lucas, because it already is that way.” She stared at him, and he swore that her expression broke his damn heart, She looked sad, and that had him feeling like the worst piece of shit in the world.
“We are still just as close as ever, Tarren. I don’t want things to change.” Even though they already have.
“Yeah.”
She said that, but he could hear in her voice that she didn’t really believe that.
“You should have stopped the fight from escalating, Lucas.”
He stared at her, felt his brows knit, and then shook his head at the complete one-eighty in conversation. “What? How in the hell did we get on this?”
Tarren glanced at him, her eyes red-rimmed and glossy from the pot. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m just really high right now.”
He stared at her for several seconds, and then before he could think about what he was doing he cupped the back of her head and leaned in to kiss her. For a moment she grew tense, but then softened for him. Her lips worked over his, and when he stroked his tongue along hers she made this breathy little moan. But before he could deepen the kiss she was placing her hands on his chest and pushing him away.
“Last night was it, Lucas. If we really want to try to have this be like it was before all this weirdness crashed own, then I think we shouldn’t do this.” She touched her lips with her fingers, turned away from him, and then brought her knees up on the boulder and wrapped her arms around them.
“You want a ride home?” Lucas didn’t like this, didn’t like that she was distant now, and that all of this shit had gone down because he hadn’t been able to keep his dick in his pants. And he couldn’t even say he had been drunk. Buzzed, yes, but he had been conscious enough that when he had looked at Tarren last night, he hadn’t seen the girl he had grown up with, but the woman she had become. She was all curves, thick and round in all the right places. He remembered girls from high school calling her fat, thick and overweight, but to Lucas she was all lush and soft, and her wide hips had him picturing gripping onto them while he fucked her. He knew she didn’t think of herself as fat or thick, not in the bad way. She loved the way she looked, had told them enough times that if she were stick thin like the girls in their high school then she would be on a strict high-calorie diet until she looked healthy. They had laughed at her when she had said those things, but now, knowing what she looked like, had him realizing that thick was good ... really fucking good.
“No, that’s okay. I called my dad and said I’d just be sleeping at the cabin tonight.”
“You want me to stay with you?” The way she looked at him was an “are you serious right now” kind of expression. “Hey, I just meant so you’re not alone, not that I wanted to, well, you know.” He shrugged.
“I know.” She started chuckling, looked over at him, and gave him this smile that had him thinking that maybe the fact he couldn’t control his desire hadn’t ruined anything. “You can walk me back to the Cabin?”
He nodded, stood, and held his hand out to her. She took it, and together they walked down the path toward the cabin. She stopped at the front door, but held onto his hand as she stared at the darkened, shadowed building.
“Maybe we can hang out for a little while longer?” Tarren looked at him. “You’re high, and driving home probably isn’t safe.” They stared at each other for several long minutes, and although he could have driven the few miles down the mountain to his father’s place, hell, he could have even walked it, the truth was he wanted to spend this time with Tarren, because a part of him knew that things wouldn’t be the same.
“Yeah, okay, Tarren.” He gave her hand a squeeze. They walked up the steps, and she got her keys out to unlock the door. Inside the scent of age and of the interior being closed off from the fresh air assaulted him. The furniture that was still in the house was covered with sheets, and dust covered the once white material.
Tarren pulled him toward the couch, let go of his hand, and pulled the sheet off. Dust flew into the air. They both coughed, and then they started chuckling. When Tarren sat down and pulled him close to her, he didn’t resist. He wanted to be next to her, wanted to be close to her. He watched as she looked down at her hand that covered his, smoothed her fingers along his, and he wanted to ask her what was on her mind. Lucas hadn’t ever felt these things for another person, let alone a girl. He had always been one to spend a few hours between the sheets during high school, using his reputation, and anything else, to his advantage to have the girls falling for him. And it was easy. They were easy. But Tarren was so different from any other female, so special to him. It was strange to look at her and wish things could be different, wish he could just tell her that he wanted more with her. But he couldn’t, because of many different factors. It was easier this way, easier to just push things aside, go back to the way they were, and hope with time things smoothed out. Her father being overly protective of her, Lucas’s reputation, and the sweetness that was Tarren was not a combination that made a good relationship.
He sat back, kept her hand in his, and closed his eyes. “Everything will be okay, Tarren,” he said, and then let himself relax into the couch. But what he really wanted to do was kiss her, remove their clothing, and be with her again like he had last night.
Chapter Four
One year later
Tarren shoved her book in her backpack, grabbed it off the ground, and headed out of the community college in Steel Corner. Her phone buzzed. She grabbed it and saw it was Alexis saying she’d be home this weekend, and a smile spread out across her face. But it was the sound of a Harley close by that had her glancing up and seeing the gleaming metal flash under the sunlight. And then she saw Lucas sitting on it, pulling close to the curb, only a few feet from her, and her heart started racing.
For the last year she had been keeping herself busy with school, and although she really didn’t have an idea of what she wanted to do in terms of a degree, because she was just taking courses here and there, she still felt like she was being productive. She and Lucas hadn’t spoken as much as they used to after they had spent the night at her father’s cabin last year. He had been working off and on for the past year at other charters, and when they did see each other they hadn’t even kissed, let alone had sex. She felt like there was now this brick wall between them. It was for the best though, or so she kept telling herself, because getting involved with Lucas wasn’t good for either of them. For one thing, she knew he had been with more women than she could probably count, and she hadn’t been with anyone since him. It was a sad combination, and better if they just stayed friends.
She smiled when he came to a stop and glanced up at her. Even when he was just sitting on the bike his frame was massive. He wasn’t even twenty, yet he was nearing six and a half feet tall, with muscle definition that rivaled any male she had ever seen.
He wore a skullcap helmet with the decal of a brain exposed plastered to the top. His shades were of the aviator variety, and her reflection shone back at her through them. He had a few days’ worth of scruff on his cheeks, making him seem even more masculine than usual. Tarren moved closer to him, adjusted her backpack, and her smile widened when the corner of his mouth kicked up.
“Damn, you make going to school look good.” His smirk turned into a full-blown grin.
“Still with the remarks and definite cockiness going on.” She chuckled, eyed his bike, and whistled low. “I guess spending time at those other charters for the last year has made you big-time now, huh?”
He took off his helmet and sunglasses, and eyed her u
p and down. Of course her body heated immediately. Even one year after she had slept with Lucas, and the weirdness that she still felt every time she saw him, there was the love she felt, and of course the arousal that simmered beneath the surface.
“Well, my pops wanted me to get a feel for all of the charters in the area, and see how things are run.” He shrugged, glanced at the main office behind her, and then looked back at her face. “So you decided to go with the whole college thing, huh?”
Tarren nodded. “Yeah. What else was I going to do in Steel Corner?” She shifted on her feet, feeling like she hadn’t seen Lucas in forever even though they had seen each other off and on for the last year. It felt like she was on a date or something, talking to a guy for the first time, and reliving the mortification that he knew what she looked like naked. He didn’t respond right away, just stared at her, and making her feel like she was under a microscope. Licking her lips, and trying to call upon that hard edge she lived by, she gave him a cocky smile of her own. “So, playing with the big boys now with the club?”
He actually looked down, and for a second she thought maybe he was embarrassed. But when he looked back at her she knew he was just playing like he was coy. He smiled wide. “Well, what else am I going to do in Steel Corner?” He threw her statement back at her, and she chuckled. It felt good to tease with him.
“Touché.”
He scrubbed a hand over his short dark hair, and stared at her with those piercing blue eyes of his. “Wanna go for a ride?” He winked, and she swore that her panties damn near caught on fire.
“Seriously?” She eyed the bike. “That thing looks fierce as hell, and besides, I brought my car.”
“I can have one of the guys pick it up and bring it to your old man’s house.” He grinned. “But come on. Beats the truck doesn’t it.” He stated it without asking it like a question, and then it was like this weird silence descended between them. All she could picture was exactly what they had done in the back of that truck.
He cleared his throat, and turned to pat the backseat. “Come on, one ride home, and maybe a beer afterwards.” He grinned, flashing his straight white teeth at her. “For old times’ sake. I feel like we haven’t really sat down and talked, ya know?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I know.” Breathing out and telling herself nothing had changed, and that they were just friends, she put the other strap of her bag over her shoulder. Taking the helmet he offered, she climbed on the back, and a zing of electricity slammed into her when he reached around and took hold of her hip, helping her on. And when she had her arms wrapped fully around his waist he started the engine and took off. Soon they were heading away from the college and onto the main road. But then instead of staying in the main street that would take them right into Steel Corner, Lucas turned off and drove on the back roads. It was an isolated strip of asphalt, one that took double the time to get into the square of town, but bypassed all of the businesses that made up their town.
The mountains and forest were on either side of them. She wrapped her arms tighter around his waist, and her heart picked up when she felt him place a hand over both of hers, and give them a light squeeze. The wind blew her hair in a wild blonde mess around her face, and she closed her eyes to absorb it all.
This wasn’t the first time she had been on a bike, obviously, since her dad was in a biker club, and all of the men she had grown up around had all been heavy into the motorcycle lifestyle. But this was different from being on the back of her father’s Harley. This was about feeling the strength come from the vehicle beneath her, and the male in front of her. She curled her fingers round his, inhaled the scent of his leather jacket, and smiled.
Ten minutes later and they were pulling into a small sandwich and soup shop that had been in Steel Corner for as long as she could remember. They were led to one of the small wrought iron patio tables out front. The sun was starting to set, and the conversation was so easygoing and comfortable. It made her feel as though they were back before the sex between them had happened and this weird vibe had settled over their relationship.
Half an hour later and they were leaving the café and getting back on his bike. It wasn’t very long before he was pulling into her dad’s driveway. Her parents’ SUV was gone, but then again it was Friday evening, and that was usually when they went out into Denver for their alone time. Tarren did admit that even though her parents were older they still had the same intense love they had always had. It was something she had always admired, and something she wished she could have one day for herself.
Tawny came out of the house with her overnight bag in hand, and her cell between her ear and shoulder as she riffled through her purse. She stopped when she noticed them on Lucas’s bike in the driveway. She said something to whoever she was on the phone with, but Tarren couldn’t hear what was being said because the engine of the bike was still going. And then as if Lucas heard her thoughts he cut the engine and glanced over his shoulder at her, a grin on his face. He climbed off the Harley, and before she could do the same he had his hands on her waist and hauled her off the bike. She took the helmet off, handed it to him, and forced herself not to blush at the way he smirked at her. God, a male should not look so good cocking the corner of his mouth.
“Thanks.” Tarren felt herself blush at the kind act, but she felt her arousal come on full force, and cursed internally. “Where are you off to?” Tarren asked Tawny, and then cleared her throat.
Tawny moved closer to them, stopped and turned to look at Lucas, and then at Tarren. “Moira and I have a test on Monday that we need to study for. We are doing an all-weekend cram course.”
She nodded, but before Tarren could say anything in response Tawny was speaking again.
“Mom and Dad already know, and they won’t be back until tomorrow morning.” She eyed Lucas again, and smiled. Tawny might be a couple of years younger than Tarren, but she was wilder, especially when she seemed to enjoy tormenting their dad and bringing home bad boys. Tawny moved past them and to her little Honda. Tarren turned and stared at Tawny as she opened her car door and tossed her bag in the front seat. She climbed in, gave them the peace sign, and then started her car and backed out.
“Come on,” Tarren said to Lucas, and then led them up the front steps and into the custom made cabin her father and the other bikers had all helped build. Compared to the small cabin she still went to when she wanted to clear her thoughts, this place she called her home for her entire life was ten times the size. Rustic furnishing, dark wood, and a massive fireplace in the living room, it brought the word “country” to a whole new meaning.
He shut the door once he was in the cabin, and she walked into the kitchen. The floor plan was open, with the living room and kitchen one massive area and the bedrooms upstairs. The loft was opened as well, with a thick oak banister wrapping around the second level. She looked over at him, saw that Lucas was checking out the pictures on the bookshelf, and asked, “You want a beer?”
“Yeah, that’d be great,” he said without turning and facing her.
She grabbed the beers and a roll of cookies out of the fridge. Setting the bottles on the island in the center of the kitchen, she opened the roll of cookies and cut them into circles before placing them on a baking pan. Not that she was especially hungry for cookies right now, but the truth was she was trying to keep herself busy because she was nervous as hell. Once the pan was in the oven and she had it turned on, she headed into the living room to stand beside him. For several seconds they just stood there staring at the pictures. There were ones of Tawny and her as babies, ones of her mom and dad before they had either of them, and pictures of the club members during get-togethers with their families.
“Those were good times.” He pointed his beer toward the few pictures of the club members and their families.
“Yeah, but that seems like it so long ago,” she said, thinking about the last time they had all been together like that, which had been during their graduation.
&n
bsp; “Seems like longer than a year.”
Tarren nodded.
He turned, and the way he stared at her, as if he wanted to say something, or hell, do something, flashed across his face. She swallowed, feeling her pulse beat faster, her dormant animal rise up, and her arousal increase.
“I’ve been thinking about you, Tarren … a lot,” he said and looked at her lips. She licked them involuntarily, a soft moan leaning her when his eyelids dropped low and he stared at the act.
God she hated and loved her reaction to him. It was dangerous, tempting, and as much as she wanted to say fuck it all and just let her emotions take over, she knew that this would totally ruin the last year of trying to mend their once strong friendship. Hell, Tarren hadn’t even said anything to Alexis or anyone else for that matter.
And then the air changed between them. She lifted her beer and chugged the rest of it as she watched him over the rim. This wasn’t a friendly look he gave her, but one that was filled with heat and intensity, and it was directed right at her.
Chapter Five
Lucas moved toward her, staring at the way her chest rose and fell, and the way she was retreating from him, maybe thinking she could escape. Maybe this wasn’t the best laid plan, but having her in front of him again, smelling the sweet, floral scent of her perfume, and the fucking mega curves that he could see beneath her clothes, had his cock harder than fucking steel. The truth was over the last year she was all he thought about, all he envisioned when he jerked off. He couldn’t even get hard for another female. He remembered the tight, wet heat of her pussy around his cock. God, just thinking about it had him getting harder.