Delicate Promises

by Kelly Elliott

  “Seriously, though, I did come over to tell you about the party. You in? I sort of mentioned to Trey we were dating.”

  I smiled. “I don’t mind at all. We are dating, and there is no reason to pretend like we’re not.”

  “I like this new attitude of yours.”

  “Me too,” I answered honestly. “Where’s the party?”

  “It’s a field party.”

  “A field party?” I repeated. “What are we, still in high school? Whose idea was it to have a field party?”

  He shrugged. “Mine. In my field. Like old times.”

  “Y’all seriously want to have a field party?”

  “Yeah, I think it will be fun.”

  A part of me thought it would be fun, another part of me dreaded it. I had always hated field parties. Miles usually made out with a girl while I had to act like it didn’t bother me. Of course, I knew that wouldn’t happen now, yet I was more into small dinner parties these days. Not sitting around bonfires and drinking beer. But maybe this was something Miles wanted to do, since it had been his suggestion after all.

  “I guess I’ll head on home and change,” I said.

  Miles and I stood. I turned off my computer, got my purse and laced my fingers with his outstretched hand.

  “It will be just like old times,” Miles said.

  I groaned. “Let’s hope not. The last field party you snuck off with some little tramp from Llano, and I’m pretty sure y’all had sex in the back of your truck bed.”

  He laughed. I had been insanely jealous at the time. So jealous that I even made out with Trey as a payback. Not that Miles had known that, of course. He was too busy with the chick from Llano. Oh yeah, this should be a lot of fun.

  “I didn’t have sex with her. We messed around, then I saw you making out with Trey and got pissed off. Told her it wasn’t going to happen. I made my way back to you and shot my old best friend a warning look.”

  Drawing in a quick breath, I stopped walking and faced him in the middle of the store. “Is that why Trey stopped feeling me up?”

  Miles looked horrified as he glanced around the store. “Mother of God, Kynslee, keep your voice down!”

  He grabbed my elbow and pulled me to the door, then outside. He stopped and faced me, anger etched not only on his face, but in his eyes. “He was feeling you up?”

  I drew my brows in tight. “What?”

  “Trey, he was feeling you up? Where?”

  “Um, what?” I asked, staring, confused. Why was he getting bent out of shape?

  “Where did he touch you, Kyns?”

  Shaking my head to make sure I heard him right, I repeated, “Where?”

  “Yes. Where?”

  I shrugged. “Miles, I don’t remember, it was so long ago. Does it really matter?”

  “Fuck yes, it matters. I warned the asshole you were off limits. It was bad enough I saw y’all kissing. I had no idea he was feeling you up, too!”

  Taking a step back, I let his words sink in. “You warned him I was off limits?”

  “Yes.”

  “How many other guys did you issue this warning to?”

  Miles looked away, slipping his hands into his pockets. The answer was written all over his face.

  “You bastard! That was why no one ever asked me out! And if they did, no one went past kissing.”

  He looked back at me. “Who else kissed you?”

  “Ugh! You are just so…ugh!”

  Pushing past him, I stormed to my car. I could hear Miles behind me.

  “Kyns, stop. Why in the hell are you mad about something that happened so long ago?”

  Spinning around, I placed my hands on his chest and gave him a good push.

  “Do you hear yourself, Miles? You’re mad about Trey kissing me so long ago!”

  “Feeling you up.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “You made sure that while you were gone, no guy would ever want me. Was that your plan all along? I’d be so wound up and ready for you by the time you got back you’d be a shoe in?”

  He lifted a brow. “Not every guy.”

  “Jack? He didn’t even graduate with us!”

  He had the nerve to smirk.

  “You could sneak off and have your fun times with girls, but I couldn’t enjoy myself?”

  “I never did anything with any of them. It was all a show. And why are we even talking about this? It was high school.”

  “You started it by getting mad about Trey touching me.”

  His eyes turned angry. “That is different. He was my best friend, and he knew better than to touch you. There’s a bro code.”

  “I’m going home.”

  Without giving him time to respond, I slipped into my car, started it, and drove off. Miles Warner was going to drive me insane.

  Miles

  I WATCHED AS Kynslee peeled out, a smile on my face that I couldn’t wipe off if I had wanted to.

  There was something about Kynslee angry that turned me on.

  Pulling out my phone, I sent Trey a text.

  Me: Dude, you touched Kynslee?

  He responded right away.

  Trey: WTF are you talking about? I haven’t seen her in a few years and if I do see her we exchange a friendly hello, that’s it.

  Me: The last field party, senior year, you touched my girl?

  Trey: LOL. Oh hell, dude, seriously? That was so long ago.

  Wrong thing to say, asshole.

  Me: I get a free shot.

  Trey: If it will make your pussy ass feel better. You can try.

  I smiled. I wouldn’t need to try. But first, I needed to get to Kynslee; I owed her at least one orgasm.

  When I parked in front of Kynslee’s place, I froze inside my truck.

  “Oh no, she didn’t.”

  Rowdy, Kynslee’s demon-possessed rooster, was staring me down from across the way.

  “You think I’m afraid of you?” I yelled, watching the damn thing spread out his wings. “Bring it on, you little bastard.”

  I opened the truck door and stared at the beast.

  Show. No. Fear.

  He didn’t move, so I walked around the truck and made my way toward Kynslee’s porch. When the little punk showed no signs of moving, I smiled.

  “That’s right, motherf’er.”

  The moment I looked away, I heard him make his move. In one swift sprint, he raced across the drive, his beady little fucking eyes targeting me.

  “Stop!” I yelled out, holding my hand up. He made a horrible sound like someone dying. That was my cue to run.

  “Kynslee!” I screamed, tripping over my own damn feet.

  “What is going on?” I heard her yell before she cried out, “Get him, Rowdy! Peck the living shit out of his eyes!”

  “What!” I screamed. “Why?”

  As I ran past Kynslee, who was now leaning on the porch post, I pointed to her. “No orgasm for you!”

  Turning the corner, I headed to the only place I knew to go, the barn. Surely the beast wouldn’t follow me all the way to the barn!

  I was wrong. He did. And he barned me. No, not treed me like the demon goose had. The little bastard had me stuck up in the hay loft as he circled below like one of those velociraptors from that movie about dinosaurs. I would win, though, I could stay up here for days. Weeks if I wanted to. I knew how to survive.

  “Miles?”

  “I’m up here, traitor!”

  Kynslee glanced up. My heart felt like it skipped a beat when I looked down the steps at her. God, she was beautiful. Just the sound of her voice did weird things to my body.

  “The last time you were up there we did some naughty things,” she said.

  I laughed. “Get your demon beast of a rooster away from me, and I’ll do even more naughty things to you.”

  Kynslee folded her arms across her chest. “Nah, I think I’ll pass. I’m mad at you.”

  “And I’m pretty sure I have ways of making that anger go away.”


  I could practically see her body tremble.

  “Do you have some weird fetish about having sex with me in my folks’ barn, Miles?”

  Laughing, I called down, “What if I do? Does that turn you off?”

  “Just the opposite. But I’m not really in the mood to have sex in a tiny bed, so please stop being a pussy and come down here. Seeing you run around like that really got to me. I’m desperate here.”

  “I thought you were mad?”

  “I’m that, too. Mad and horny can be a good combo. I’m also a woman and can multitask with the best of them.”

  My heart raced in my chest, and my cock grew hard. “Get the devil out and I’ll come down.”

  Laughing, Kynslee scooped up the rooster and headed out of the barn. “Meet me back at my house, puss!”

  “You better wash yourself after you’ve touched that thing! It might be contagious,” I called out as I climbed down out of the loft.

  “You know if you called him by his name, he might actually like you,” Kynslee said as she headed toward the chicken coop.

  “Bullshit!” I said, taking off in a sprint back toward her house. I didn’t stop running until I got up the porch steps. A couple minutes later, Kynslee came walking down the path. She looked beautiful. The afternoon sun lit up her blonde hair, causing it to sparkle. She had it piled on top of her head in one of those messy buns she liked to wear. Looking at her took my breath way. I honestly couldn’t believe she was mine. Now I just needed to make it official.

  “Mine,” I whispered, as if the wind would take that proclamation and spread it around to every man in Texas. A warning to stay away from her.

  She walked up the steps and stopped. Making the most adorable scrunched-up face. “I’m sorry I acted like a child earlier, but so did you.”

  “And I’m sorry I threatened all the guys in school.”

  A smile spread over her face. “I guess it’s sort of romantic, if you really think about it. A little mean, but romantic.”

  I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her to me, dropping a kiss to her forehead. “It is, isn’t it?”

  Her hands slid slowly up my chest. “I want you, Miles.”

  Her voice was heavy, and I was more than happy to fulfill that need.

  Reaching down, I picked her up in my arms, causing her to let out a slight squeal.

  “Let’s hope I can make it to your bedroom this time.”

  She was curled up next to me, her hand resting on my chest while she softly snored. I felt a peace within that I hadn’t felt in years. She had taken a piece of my soul and tucked it right next to her own. She’d taken my heart, as well. My whole heart. When I laid under the stars in some foreign country, praying I would make it out of the mission, I dreamed of a moment like this. A moment where she would be back in my arms. Where I could openly tell her I loved her, plan a future with her. But life seemed to always throw me a curve ball. None of it mattered anymore. All that mattered was that we were together, and I could now concentrate on making Kynslee’s dreams come true.

  But I couldn’t shake the strange feeling of guilt that suddenly hit me right in the middle of my chest. Kynslee stirred.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” she purred, throwing her leg over my body.

  “That I’m here with you, lying in bed wanting you to wake up so I can make love to you once more.”

  I could feel her smile against my skin. She rested her chin on the back of her hand that laid on my chest.

  “The last few days have felt like a dream. I wanted so desperately to be with you that I think I buried it so far inside me, I never thought it would come true. I’m worried the floor is going to be ripped out from under us and you’ll leave again.”

  Kissing her forehead, I said, “I’m never leaving you.”

  “Promise me, Miles?”

  Frowning, I said, “I promise, Kyns. Why do you think I’m going to leave you?”

  She stared at me for a few moments. “I don’t know why I have that fear. I think because you’ve done it to me a few times already.”

  A strangled laugh fell between her words.

  “I’m sorry,” I softly said.

  “Don’t be. We can explain and talk, and analyze all we want, but the fact of the matter is, I have always loved you, Miles. I’ve always wanted this, and I’m not afraid to admit it anymore.”

  “I’m sorry I messed things up when I came back to town. I wish I could have a do-over. Hell, I wish I could have a few of them.”

  My voice faded and guilt hit me in the center of my chest once more for acting like a complete asshole that first day. And on her birthday.

  Kynslee gave me a sympathetic smile. “I think we can agree the way you went about it was totally messed up.”

  I laughed.

  “But, Miles, the moment I saw you standing there, I cannot even begin to explain how my heart felt. How relieved I was to see you in one piece, a stupid grin on your face. My prayers were answered in that moment.”

  My fingers ran lightly over her bare back, inching down to that perfect ass. I grabbed it and moved her, so she straddled me.

  “Fuck me, Kynslee.”

  With a wide smile, she rubbed herself against me, working both of our bodies up in anticipation. She leaned up and positioned my cock at her entrance and slid down, pulling a moan out of both of us.

  “God, that feels so damn good, Kyns.”

  My hands landed on her waist, and I watched as she moved her body up and down. She played with her hard nipples, making my cock grow harder inside of her, if that was even possible. He was already hard as a fucking rock. When she reached down with her hand and rubbed her clit, I nearly lost it.

  “Jesus, I’m not going to last watching you touch yourself.”

  “Miles,” she panted, her body beginning to tremble. “Yes. Oh, yes.”

  Then she lost control and cried out my name as I followed right behind her, pouring myself into her and then holding her tightly in my arms. That had to have been a record for the fastest I’d ever come. God, this woman was going to end up killing me.

  I wrapped my arms tightly around her. “I love you, Kynslee.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Kynslee

  MILES AND I walked into the pasture hand in hand. Most of these people were friends we went to high school with. A few were new to me. Of course, Hunt wasn’t a very big town, and I was positive some of these folks had come in from Austin or San Antonio. Field parties weren’t something we did often anymore, but when they were thrown by the right people, word got out to the friends who had moved to the city and that always seemed to lure them back. Once word got out Miles was home, and the party was on his farm, no doubt people came simply out of curiosity.

  “There’s Trey,” Miles said, nearly dragging me over to his former best friend. Trey barely turned when he went flying back and stumbled right to the ground. I gasped as I looked between him and Miles.

  “You punched him!” I cried out.

  Miles smiled and reached his hand out for Trey to take it. “You didn’t even try to make it a challenge.”

  Trey wiped the blood from his mouth and laughed. “It’s all that damn special ops training you got, bro. You snuck up on me, asshole.”

  Throwing his head back and laughing, Miles shook his head, then pulled Trey in for a quick bro hug.

  I will never understand men. Ever.

  Trey glanced at me and a wider grin appeared. “Damn, you haven’t changed since the last time I saw you, Kynslee. I would give you a hug, but I’m afraid your beast of a boyfriend might punch me again.”

  He reached his hand out and shook mine as I said, “It’s good seeing you, Trey.”

  With a nod, he focused back on Miles. “Dude, you’re finally home. How’s it feel to be a civilian?”

  Miles wrapped his arm around my waist and looked directly into my eyes. “It feels good. Really good.”

  I felt my cheeks heat because I knew what he was referring to
.

  “You don’t miss the Marines?” he asked.

  Shrugging, Miles replied, “Sometimes, but nothing worth talking about. I’m home now and ready to start a new adventure. Build a future.”

  Miles glanced back down to me and winked. I smiled.

  Trey laughed. “Oh hell, that means marriage and kids are around the corner.”

  My stomach dropped slightly. Not because I didn’t want to have kids, I wanted that very much, but I hadn’t realized how much until that moment.

  I looked around, afraid that I had just sent out a signal to everyone in this pasture that I, Kynslee Maxwell, wanted to pop out a baby or two with the man currently holding onto me. And I wanted it more than I had ever dreamed possible.

  Swallowing hard, I tried to remember how to breathe properly.

  Miles leaned over and placed his mouth against my ear. “You okay, princess?”

  I nodded. “It’s really hot out tonight.”

  “Want a beer?” Miles asked.

  “I would love one.”

  “Beer?” Miles asked Trey.

  “In the cooler next to the red Ford F-250.”

  Miles gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

  I nodded and glanced around the party. I knew Rich and Lana wouldn’t be here. Rich had given up on this scene years ago, and Lana had just had a baby, so I’m sure a welcome home party outside in this heat wasn’t high on her list.

  Heather and Patty, on the other hand, would be here. My eyes caught on a guy moving in my direction. He looked familiar, and I tried to place him. When he grew closer I wanted to groan.

  “Lucas.”

  “Hey Kynslee, how are you?”

  I smiled politely. Lucas was a friend of a guy Heather had dated months back. She had begged me to go on a double date, and I had agreed. If you looked up the word redneck in the dictionary, this guy’s photo would be there. It was something he was damn proud of, too.

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “Good. Heather told James about this, and we had to come see how y’all in Hunt do a party in the country.”

  I gave a fake laugh. “I’m sure no different than y’all in… Where are you from again?”

  He grinned. “Bishop, down the road yonder.”