So, I was flying solo tonight. It was probably for the best because I wouldn’t have been great company.
I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to dance.
I just wanted to watch—which I could admit was creepy as hell.
When the bartender set my drink in front of me, I put five dollars on the bar and slid it his way.
“Hey,” I said, catching his attention before he could walk away. I pointed toward the brunette. “What’s that girl’s name?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. We’re not supposed to give out that information.”
Disappointment weighed down on me and I frowned. “It’s just that she looks really familiar and I can’t put my finger on it,” I explained, hoping he would let her name slip.
“She gets that a lot. She’s a dead-ringer for that Kelly Kapowski chick on that old show, ‘Saved by the Bell’.”
Cocking my head to the side, I studied her and I had to admit he was right. Maybe that was it. I turned back toward the bar.
“I just want to know her name.” I held up a twenty-dollar bill and set it in front of him, wondering if he would take the bait.
He looked at it for a beat before grabbing it and stuffing it into the back pocket of his jeans. “Her name’s Bree.”
Bree.
I smiled and nodded my thanks, but also glared at him as he walked away. While I was satisfied that I got her name, I was also a little pissed that it was so easy to get the bartender to give me information about her.
I found a high-top table that wasn’t too far from Bree’s cage and sat down to nurse my beer.
This time I knew where she would be headed after she got out of that cage.
When the time came, I made my move. Like a total stalker, I waited by the wall with the door to the hallway. Right on the dot, a couple minutes after 1am she walked in my direction.
I moved toward her, intending to meet her before she was out of sight but the bouncer must’ve seen me coming. His large body appeared in front of me and his meaty hand landed on my chest, stopping me from going any further. I had to crane my neck to look up at the face of the brute who stood in my way. He had at least six inches of height on me and I wasn’t stupid enough to try to get around him.
I caught a flash of brown hair and tan skin as the dancer passed by. She was less than ten feet from me but getting farther away with every step. The thought of not getting to talk to her caused me to panic.
“Bree!” I shouted out of complete desperation.
Yeah, she didn’t really know me and there was a chance she would just flip me off and keep walking.
But it was a risk I was willing to take.
When she turned my way, her gaze collided with mine. Her eyes got so wide, they looked like they were in danger of popping out of her head.
Damn.
That wasn’t the reaction I’d been hoping for. I wanted to see a smile—not the shock that was clearly written all over her face. Just like the other night, I tried not to feel offended. To my relief, she slowly walked over to where I was standing.
“It’s okay, Carl.” She nodded her permission at the security guard and he reluctantly backed away while giving me a look that said ‘I’m watching you’.
“Bree,” I breathed out, grinning wide. Now that I had her in front of me, I didn’t know what to say. I went with the lamest approach possible. “Hi.”
Her lips tilted up. “Hey.”
“Listen, I know you don’t know me, but—”
“How did you know my name?” she interrupted, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“Ah, I kinda paid the bartender for the info,” I said guiltily.
She huffed and muttered something that sounded like that jackass. Her brown eyes swung up to mine. “How much did he charge you?”
“Gave him twenty bucks,” I said and she huffed again. I shrugged. “I would’ve paid more.”
Her small smile returned and she glanced down, almost as if she was shy. It was amazing to me how someone as sexy as her could be timid.
Tonight she had on some kind of black boy-shorts with a lace trim. The black corset top matched, and my eyes followed the light purple ribbons woven up the sides. A tiny purple bow was strategically placed in the trim, smack dab in the middle of her ample cleavage.
Now that she wasn’t in the cage anymore, I had the urge to cover her and as I looked around, I noticed the leers she was getting from all the men. I took my Carhartt jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
She looked up at me in surprise. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to hold a conversation with you when you look like that is distracting,” I joked so she wouldn’t be offended by my sudden possessiveness. “But really… I wanted to ask you what you’re doing after you get off work tonight.”
“Oh,” she said, looking surprised again. “Well, I usually go straight home. It’s late…” She shrugged while pulling my jacket more snugly around her shoulders, almost as if she was wrapping herself in a hug.
“It’s New Year’s Eve. We had a good time the other night, right?” I didn’t wait for her to answer the question. “I just want to spend time with you. Hang out and talk,” I told her with complete honesty.
Yeah, my dick liked her now—the stiffy I was sporting was evidence of that. But once the pressure was on? I had no idea what would happen. I didn’t want my issue to be a disappointment to her or me.
Hanging out was good. Talking was safe. No pressure.
Don’t say no. Please, don’t say no.
“Okay,” she said reluctantly, after thinking about it for a few seconds. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and smiled at her. “But just for a little while. I have to get up early in the morning,” she added.
I nodded, unable to contain my excitement over the fact that she actually agreed. “My place or yours? Or do you want to go get something to eat?”
“Not my place,” she blurted out. “Where do you live?”
“Tolson. It’s about 20 minutes from here.”
“I have an idea of where that is, but I’ve never been there. I can just follow you, if that’s okay.”
“Yeah, that’s perfect,” I said, still grinning a mile wide. She started to shrug off my jacket and I put out a hand to stop her. “You can wear it.”
She shook her head. “It’s cold out there. I’ll meet you outside around back. Wouldn’t want you to freeze your tushy off.”
I laughed because she said tushy.
“Fine,” I relented and took the coat from her.
As she walked away I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her ass until she disappeared into the hallway.
What I was doing was bad. Very, very bad.
I never went home with strangers. I never went home with anyone, period. And I never would have agreed to go home with Colton if I didn’t know who he was, but he didn’t know that.
As I drove through the darkness, I followed Colton’s truck and stared at the red taillights while scolding myself for making such a reckless decision.
At first, when I saw him at the club again, I thought maybe he’d had some kind of epiphany and realized who I was.
Then he kept calling me Bree. Colton had never called me that.
Despite my initial protest when we were kids, he’d affectionately given me the nickname Ellie. I hated it, but every time I told him not to call me that, he’d just grin and my insides would turn to mush. Eventually, I learned to love it.
I should’ve fessed up and told him who I was before agreeing to go back to his place. It would have been the right thing to do.
But I didn’t want him to stop looking at me the way he was—like he wanted me.
I was afraid that if he found out who I was, the desire in his eyes would go away. That I would go from someone sexy and mysterious to just being his long-lost friend.
Colton said he just wanted to hang out and talk. Once I got comfortable, I could tell him the truth. It might be awkwa
rd at first, but then we’d probably laugh about it.
Then I’d be placed in the friend zone and life would make sense again.
After driving for twenty minutes and only seeing empty fields and a few farmhouses, I started to wonder where the hell I was. But then a little green sign that said ‘Welcome to Tolson, Illinois’ came into view. As I passed it, I saw it said ‘Population 320’.
Wow. Small town.
I passed a few blocks of quaint little houses and two lively taverns before following Colton’s truck into a parking lot next to a small apartment complex. Just a block away, I saw a big sign hanging over a garage that said ‘Hank’s Auto Shop’.
It was surreal seeing the place Colton had lived for the past fifteen years. I’d often wondered what Tolson was like and if he was happy here.
After parking my car next to his truck, I took a deep breath, readying myself for the uncomfortable conversation that was about to take place.
I’d spent the whole drive trying to figure out what to say once I got to his place, and I had it scripted in my mind.
However, once I got there the words wouldn’t come out.
After Colton opened his apartment door, I followed him inside. He flipped on the light and I looked around at what was a small, but clean, living room and kitchen. The floorplan was open, but a breakfast bar separated the galley kitchen from the dining area, which held a tiny card table and three chairs. A newer-looking brown couch and chair lined the walls of the living room and there was a large flat-screen TV mounted to the wall.
“It isn’t much, but it’s home,” he shrugged, and took off his jacket.
“Hey, at least you don’t still live with your parents,” I told him and inwardly cringed for opening up with that information. I wasn’t embarrassed by my parents, but the fact was that most people my age had their own place.
“Ah, so that’s why you didn’t want to go back to your house.” He smiled. “Do you want something to drink?” he asked, heading toward the fridge. After opening it, he frowned and glanced my way. “Well, we only have beer and water, so, not many choices.”
He nervously tapped his fingers on his jeans as he waited for my answer.
“Water is fine,” I said, enjoying the way he seemed to be so flustered around me.
He grabbed two bottles of water then handed one to me on his way over to the couch. After sitting down next to him, an awkward silence ensued.
“So,” I started, “the Tolson sign on the way in said 320 people. That’s pretty small.”
“That sign is outdated. It might be closer to 325 now.” He chuckled. “It’s nice and quiet. Except for when the taverns get busy, like tonight. You’d be surprised how many people in this town like to party.”
“So that’s it? Just some houses and a couple taverns?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.
“There’s a church, too,” Colton added. “And the auto shop down the street. I work there. Hank’s my dad.”
I know.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to muster up the courage to tell Colton my name—my full name. Instead, nonsensical rambling spewed from my mouth.
“Is this microfiber?” I asked, running my hands back and forth over the smooth material of the couch cushion. “I’ve always thought microfiber is way better than real suede. It’s easier to clean and way cheaper. Your apartment smells good. A lot better than I thought it would. Not that you look like you’re stinky or anything…”
Stop stalling. Tell him.
Just as I was about to open my mouth, he spoke.
“Bree,” he said quietly.
Just one word.
Somehow he made my name sound like a plea and I turned to look at his face. I’d never seen anyone look at me that way. His silver eyes held lust and desire, but also a hint of pain.
His expression was so raw it took my breath away.
“Colton.” My voice cracked.
Before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine. I wasn’t even sure who made the first move, but I didn’t care.
I opened my lips and our tongues met at exactly the same time. Slowly.
I moaned into his mouth as we matched each other stroke for stroke. Colton kissed like he danced—in control, yet somehow letting me take the lead. He wasn’t dominating our kiss and neither was I.
So much for small talk.
Colton’s hands came up to grasp my face. When he pulled back enough to break our kiss, I made a sound of protest. He looked at me with wonder and awe while shaking his head.
“Fuck,” he muttered quietly before diving back in.
His teeth scraped over my bottom lip before he bit down lightly and tugged. When I sucked on his tongue, a moan reverberated in his throat and the sexy sound sent a jolt of lust straight to my core.
My mouth left his to trail kisses down his jaw and when I got to his neck I sucked lightly at a place under his ear. His hands, which were fisted in my hair, tightened and the slightly painful pull on my scalp only turned me on more.
My hands traveled down his chest and when my fingernails scraped over his nipples, he let out a half-gasp, half-moan.
Interesting. Was it weird to think a guy’s nipples were sexy?
Wanting to see if I could push him further, I did it again, scraping in a circular motion over the fabric of his shirt. He moaned again.
I guess he felt it was his turn because his hands left my hair and he ran his thumbs back and forth over my breasts. My nipples were already painfully hard, and every swipe had me biting back a whimper.
His mouth attacked my neck and I literally started panting.
My fingers fisted in his shirt and I pulled his face back up to mine. I fell back against the arm of the couch and Colton came over me. The position was awkward because my legs were still hanging off the front and I squirmed, wanting my body closer to his.
“Bedroom?” Colton asked, breathing hard.
“Yes.”
He placed his hands under my ass, then picked me up. Winding my legs around his waist, I let out an unattractive squeal as he practically sprinted down the hallway.
After shutting the door to his room, he leaned back against it with me still fully attached to his body.
“We probably shouldn’t have sex,” he said, causing the lust-fog my mind was in to clear a little. “We don’t know each other that well. Or at all.” He huffed out a laugh.
“I don’t normally do this,” I told him honestly as I ran my hand over his short hair. “Actually, I never do this.”
“Neither do I,” he admitted, and I felt relief at the fact that he wasn’t in the habit of taking girls home, not that it was any of my business.
I had no claim on Colton. Not tonight and not fifteen years ago.
But just for one night I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to pretend that he desired me, that he loved me.
And it was in that moment I made the very selfish decision not to tell him who I was.
Living in the moment wasn’t a luxury I was accustomed to. I hadn’t felt loved by a man in so long, and not just in the physical sense. My very limited experience with the opposite sex had taught me one thing—that they only wanted one thing.
And once they got it, they were gone.
I’d had offers for the occasional one-night stand, but casual hook-ups had never been something I was interested in. For the past few years, I’d denied men and, in doing so, I’d also denied myself.
So tonight I decided to pretend. To live in the moment. To put myself first, even if it meant doing the wrong thing.
One way or another, Colton would get what he wanted, and in the morning I would leave knowing I got what I wanted, too—even if it was just for one night.
I pushed off the door and carried Bree over to my bed. Since we’d agreed we shouldn’t have sex, the pressure was off.
Mental pressure, that is.
The other kind of pressure I was experiencing in my jeans was a different story. I wanted this girl. B
adly.
However, I was still afraid I might not be able to perform when the time came, so I settled for touching her. Kissing her.
Everywhere.
Not having sex didn’t mean we couldn’t do other things.
I didn’t know why I was so drawn to Bree or why I felt so comfortable around her. Even before I ever talked to her, I felt some kind of connection.
And I couldn’t believe she’d agreed to come home with me, but I wasn’t going to question it. I just wanted to let it be what it was—which was fucking awesome.
Once I put Bree down, I settled on top of her, my elbows on either side of her head. The feeling of her soft, warm body beneath mine was heaven. It’d been so long since I’d been physically close to someone.
Too long.
In the grand scheme of things, six months without sex wasn’t that big of a deal. But I was a 22-year old guy. So, yeah, it seemed like it’d been forever.
Warm eyes gazed up at me as I lowered my mouth to hers. Her lips parted for me instantly and I pushed my tongue inside. Her tongue pushed back.
Our mouths melded together perfectly and I brought my hand up to her face, finally doing something I’d thought about way too much over the past couple days—I ran my thumb over the cleft in her chin. Then I pulled down, opening her mouth wider, giving me more access.
As we kissed she slipped her hand underneath my shirt to feel my stomach, and my muscles quivered at her touch. Her hand went higher, fingernails grazing my skin.
A strangled sound escaped me when she brought her fingers up to my nipple and pinched. Hard.
It kinda fucking hurt. It also turned me the fuck on. Lifting my head, I looked down at her.
Playful. Mischievous. Naughty. That was the kind of smile she gave me.
I had no idea what kind of kinky shit this girl was into, but I was game. Honestly, I’d never been into nipple play before. This girl was pushing buttons I never even knew I had.
I shifted lower down her body until my face hovered over her right breast. With heated eyes, she watched me as I brought my mouth to where I knew her nipple would be and bit down.
She moaned and arched her back. Suddenly, I had the uncontrollable need to get her naked. I wanted to tease her, drive her wild, see how far I could push the limits—her limits and mine.
The Good Guys Box Set: TRUCKER, DANCER, DROPOUT, and A Trucker Wedding Page 28