“Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Are you ready for the rest of what I have planned for you?”
“There’s more?”
Paisley looks around once more and spots the two baskets I have to the side of us. She sits up, and I’m almost sorry I brought up my plans. I already miss her body against mine. But I lean away and drag one basket closer to us. I refill each of our glasses and then start pulling stuff out and setting it between us. I’ve got cheese and crackers the guy at the store said paired with the wine for us to start with. One Tupperware holds some sort of cold pasta, and another has chocolate-covered strawberries. I open up the second basket, grab everything inside, and gently drop the contents onto the blanket. With everything in place, I return to my seat beside Paisley and hand her a napkin before unwrapping the cheese and crackers.
“I want you to know me, Paisley. You’ve asked me before to open up to you. I hope it’s not too late for that. I want to share everything about my world with you. I’m hoping it’ll help you trust me again. I messed things up between us before. I won’t repeat my mistakes.”
She winces, and the lines of her forehead crease together. “You didn’t mess things up, Burke. It was me. I’m sor–”
I lean in to touch my lips to hers in order to silence her apology. I don’t want an apology from her and certainly not before I finish my night. My mouth grazes hers slowly at first to assess her reactions. She responds, and I deepen the kiss but keep it slow.
My lips move against hers in a teasing rhythm. I lightly suck on her full bottom lip and then pull back slightly.
I whisper against her lips, “Don’t apologize, Paisley. We’ve all been through a lot lately. We can only handle things as they come, and there will be more bumps, but we’ll figure them out. I won’t lose you. I’ll make sure of it. Besides, I have a lot more planned for tonight we need to get to.” Releasing my hold on her, I grab the objects I set to the side. “I want you to know me. To trust me. To eventually love me. We’ll build that tonight. Right now.”
Paisley
Burke says he wants me to love him eventually. I don’t think he understands how far I’ve already fallen. If he wants this for us, does it mean he’s en route, too?
“What has gotten into you? Romantic beach picnics aren’t your style. I love this, but before today, I would have laughed at the picture of the two of us cuddled up on the beach with cheese, crackers, and wine. Are we here, so you can tell me bad news? Do you need me to donate a kidney? Is Florida breaking off and drifting out to sea? Did you find out you’re actually my biological brother? Don’t leave me hanging here.”
Burke stares out at the waves, leaving my questions unanswered for the moment. The day’s heat has cooled off some since the sun left the sky, and the light wind coming from the Gulf helps relax my mind and body. I only halfheartedly question his behavior, but a part deep within me is looking for the catch.
Sand faintly coats my skin even though I’m resting on the blanket, and the aftertaste of cheese and wine lingers on my tongue. Everything about this feels decadent. I dig into the delicious pasta salad, and Burke joins me while he chuckles at my absurd questions. We eat straight out of the container with our forks sharing the space. Our night is special but unpolished—like us. It was planned well, but we’re still who we are, drinking from disposable cups and eating straight from the plastic container. This couldn’t have been a better distraction from the day I’ve had. At some point, I’ll have to deal with it and tell Burke about what happened, but for now, I’m happy to have my mind taken off the meeting from earlier while I process the information.
Finally, he speaks, “No, nothing like that. I’m definitely not your brother. No thought I’ve ever had about you has ever been remotely brotherly. Florida is safe for now, and my kidneys are in working order. We’re here because I now know what it’s like to lose you, and that’s not okay with me. If you have doubt, then I need to work harder. If you’re scared, then I’ll be brave for you. I won’t back down when it comes to us. I’ll be your partner for whatever you need through this.”
Burke sets down his plastic fork and watches me with warmth in his eyes. His stare causes my insides to clench, and I can’t help the way my mouth transforms into a bright smile. What in the hell was I thinking, pushing him away?
“I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve you.”
“You deserve more than life could ever give you.” It’s clear he believes his own words, but I’m not so sure.
Silence settles between us, and I take in his words. I’ve never felt more cared for in my life. While that isn’t saying much, the effort Burke is putting in to win me over touches emotions I didn’t even know I was capable of. He sees me through an untainted filter that pushes me to be better, challenges me to grow.
“I’m not a sentimental guy, but I’ve kept a few things throughout my life. I did it mostly for Teagan to have if she ever had questions about our parents or so she could have shit from her childhood. I brought everything I could find because I want to share it with you.”
Burke pulls out a small rusted box and flips the latch to open it. “I don’t have much from my own childhood. Keeping mementos wasn’t on my radar, and my parents never kept anything either. We cleared the house after they died, but it wasn’t like I found a box full of my little league awards and report cards. To be fair, I never fucking played little league or had a report card worth keeping, but they just weren’t the type of people to keep that shit if that had been the case. I did keep a few things over the years though.”
Burke pulls out an odd key, which is attached to something plastic.
“Neither Kai nor I had ever been to that water park, Sun Splash. Our parents just never took us, and we never went to things like summer camp where the kids would go as a group. So, one day, we went. We spent the entire day there, sliding down slides and using the lazy river as a jungle gym. We each got a wicked sunburn and could hardly walk for days. It’s stupid, but that day was one of the few times I felt like a normal kid. For a little while, I wasn’t a kid hanging around the wrong crowd or the one my teachers constantly sent out of class for bad behavior. I was a kid with my best friend, acting like any other boy there that day. You know, minus the fact that we’d jumped the fence to get in.”
Burke passes me the key, and I hold it up to get a closer look. The plastic is spiraled into a bracelet and attached to a thick gold key. There’s a small chain connected to a circular medallion. Its red coloring is faded with the number six hundred twelve stamped in white.
“This is the key to the locker we used, which was about the only thing we could afford in that place. Back then, they didn’t require you to hand over your license or anything to get the key. When we left, I kept it. I didn’t do it on purpose, but now, I’m glad I did.”
“I’ve never been there. Did you and Kai keep going back?” I palm the key, trying to imagine a younger version of Burke. Then, I hand it back to him.
“We never went back as kids. We crossed it off our list and were on to the next thing. I’ve gone back as an adult though. Kai and I took Teagan a few times but paid our way inside during those visits. Going there was one of the first things we did with Teagan when she came home.”
He places the key back into the box and pulls out a folded piece of paper. It looks like a newspaper clipping. He opens it and studies it himself. His forehead creases while his eyes linger on whatever he’s about to share next. He said most of the things he saved were for Teagan, but the first story was pretty much all Burke. His friendship with Kai means a lot to him. The small bit of normalcy they gave each other while growing up is something that brings him happiness. That’s why he saved the key even if he doesn’t want to admit it aloud.
Without a word, Burke passes me the weathered paper scrap. It’s his parents’ obituary. My eyes scan the paper, and I find the section titled, “Dan and Marie Hensley.” The final words about them are short and mostly contain simple fac
ts about their lives and deaths. Dan worked for a construction company. Marie was a receptionist at some business I don’t recognize. They were married for nineteen years when they passed and left behind two children. Those are about the full details of the passage with the exception of the funeral information. I set the article down and bring my attention back to Burke. I patiently wait for what he wants to share with me about his parents and their passing.
“They were in a car accident. My dad was killed on impact, and my mom died in transport to the hospital. I’ve always told myself my parents weren’t bad people. I could’ve had it a lot worse. But they weren’t great either. They didn’t care. Like legitimately gave zero fucks. A parent who isn’t overly involved probably still cares if their child is getting into trouble. They care if their kid is getting into fights at school or even barely showing up to school. Mine didn’t. That made them more than careless. It showed their indifference and neglectfulness toward us. We could’ve been doing great or royally fucking up, and they couldn’t have given two shits either way.”
Listening to him and knowing that he’s letting me in overwhelms me. All I can see is the little boy who thought he couldn’t complain or ask for more because others had it worse. Needing to be closer to him, I crawl onto Burke’s lap and wrap my arms around him.
“Is it wrong that I’m angry at your parents for not seeing the two incredible people they gave birth to?”
“You don’t need to be angry because I’m not. I don’t want to dwell too long on my parents. I didn’t experience sleepless nights over their disinterest in me. I accepted it a long time ago, but it’s part of what shaped me into who I am today, and I wanted you to know where I came from.”
I need to kiss him. The force pulling me to him is stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s like, if I don’t have his lips on mine, I’ll combust. It’s completely irrational, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is this night Burke planned for me. What matters is the emotion inside me for this man who is supposed to be every shade of wrong for me.
I touch my lips to his in a slow, rhythmic manner. I want more. My legs straddle his hips, and I hook my ankles together behind him as my hands cling around his neck. With force, I continue our kiss. It’s been too long since we’ve held each other like this. Since we’ve connected. Our bodies move hungrily to get closer. Our lips move against one another with harsh emotion.
It’s brutal, and it’s beautiful.
Burke
Paisley presses her body against mine, making it hard for me to shut this down. I thought she would be resistant and hardheaded. I didn’t expect her to try to jump me. I have more to share with her, but when her hands slip under my shirt and run up my chest, my intentions are briefly forgotten. She moans into my mouth while she takes more control and grinds her lower half against me. Her hands move to take my shirt off, but I catch her wrists before she’s successful. Never. Never before have I willingly walked away from sex, but that isn’t what tonight is about. At least, not yet.
What the hell has happened to me? What has this girl done to me? I’m stopping her to finish our heart-to-heart?
Fucking hell . . .
With my hands still grasping Paisley’s wrists, I bring them down between us while I’m still mentally kicking my own ass. Her lip juts out, the bottom sticking out far enough to be comical. I free one of my hands from hers and bring it to her lip, giving it a tug. With her lip between my thumb and pointer, she narrows her eyes. She tries to free herself by pulling back and ends up knocking herself backward and off my lap, which causes both of us to crack up.
“I’m not done sharing,” I say when I finally get myself under control.
“Fine. Proceed,” she huffs between breaths as she settles herself next to me on the blanket before crossing her legs.
I pull out the brightly colored photo album. The front and back covers are decorated with Teagan’s drawings, and the inside is filled with her artwork and pictures of us throughout the years.
I haven’t looked through it in years, but sharing it with Paisley is important.
I pat the blanket next to me, and she scoots closer so that we can flip through the pages together. I want to watch her look through the memories of my life. I want to see her eyes scan the pages while I share my world with her.
“Here.” I lay the photo album in Paisley’s lap while encouraging her to open it.
Her fingers slide over my sister’s artwork as she takes it in. “This isn’t your artwork.”
She has a good eye. Teagan and I are each good in our own ways, and we have distinct styles. I am actually a little flattered that Paisley has paid that close of attention to my work.
“No. It’s Teagan’s. I may have collected all the pictures, but Teagan made this book. I’d had them collecting dust in an old shoebox.”
She opens the cover, and we navigate our way through the documented years.
“Oh, hell. Look at little Teagan!”
“That’s permanent marker all over her. Kai and I had ink, so she wanted ink, too. We got a strongly worded letter home after she showed up to school like that. Uptight bastards.”
She’s invested in the old photos like there will be a quiz after our viewing. I tell her stories about family vacations and one about scaring Teagan’s first boyfriend so badly, she didn’t talk to me for a month. Paisley smiles and laughs while I tell tales of long ago.
Finally, she closes the album, and a comfortable quiet takes over our night. We sit, with Paisley in my arms, as she takes in all the information I’ve shared with her. But it isn’t long before I look down and see silent tears quietly rolling from her eyes.
“Hey, why are you crying?” I try to be soothing, but I’m terrified I’ve done something wrong, and she’s upset about something I did.
She closes her eyes tightly, and more tears spill out. My fingers brush across her face to wipe the tears.
“Paisley—”
She cuts me off before I can find out what’s going on, “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“What’re you talking about? What’re you sorry for?”
Paisley reaches out and rubs her hand against my cheek. Her skin is warm, but her hand shakes as she looks up at me with remorse brimming behind her tears.
“I’m sorry for purposely pushing you away. We’ve been through so much in such a short period of time, and when things became difficult, I acted like a child. I made you think I blamed you. I never believed that. I used your guilt against you. You’ve done everything to keep me safe. You’ve been amazing to me. Even when I couldn’t get over my own foolish need to do everything on my own. I didn’t even try. Yet you’re still here fighting for me. I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve any of this.”
Paisley hiccups and tries to look away from me, but I catch her chin, stopping her and planting a soft kiss on her lips. She gasps as I lay her back on the blanket, covering her body with mine and pinning her hands above her head.
“Don’t apologize to me. This has been a lot for all of us. We’re doing the best we can. Just promise not to lock me out anymore. You don’t have to do anything alone anymore. You’re a part of all of us, Paisley. We’ll survive this together. We’ll get our answers together. We’ll end this together,” I say, my lips hovering over hers.
Then, I feather light kisses along her cheek and chin and eyelids. I taste the saltiness on her skin from her tears as I place slow, lingering kisses everywhere. My mouth moves back to hers, and I suck on her bottom lip until she’s whimpering for an entirely different reason. She clings to me like I could disappear at any second. I’m not going anywhere. She can be sure of that. We take our time tasting one another. I worship her with my touches.
Paisley scratches my back under my shirt, and I lose my head. Her touch fuels me, and I feel feral. I nip and lick every inch of her skin while removing her clothes. I’m unhinged with the idea of taking her here, out in the open under the orange glow of the torches surroundi
ng us. Paisley moans, wiggling and arching under my attack. Before long, she’s completely free from her clothing. I sit back to admire her. Her skin is flush, and I can still see more than a couple of spots where my teeth marked her skin. She has never looked more stunning than she does in this moment.
She’s beautiful, and she’s mine. She gives herself to me so easily. Her stubbornness is gone. Her knees spread, and my eyes land between her legs. She doesn’t show one sign of hesitation while she opens herself up to me right here, on the abandoned beach. I want to taste her. I want her to come with my mouth attached to her delicious pussy. I want her juices coating my taste buds. I want to hold her still while she unravels for me.
I’m done wanting.
Time to take.
She’s mine—her pussy, her mind, her heart . . . everything. I’ll make sure of it.
Paisley yelps as I lower to the heat between her legs, but she doesn’t try to stop me. Instead, her hands find the back of my head and urge me on. I suck on her clit, which pulls a moan from her.
I love that sound.
My hands go under her ass, so I can hold her against me. She squirms, but I don’t relent. I lick down her sweet cunt, humming my approval. She grows wetter by the second. I lose my mind between her legs. I become a crazed beast, and I can’t get enough of her.
Her sounds.
Her taste.
Her body.
Paisley does something to me that can’t be explained. It’s primal. It’s as if I become manic to have more of her. To be closer to her. I’m an unbalanced man when it comes to this woman. Her legs lock around my head while I nibble on her clit, but I force them apart again. I want her to come like this before I take her. Right here, outside in the open. It’s been too long since I’ve been inside her, and the masochist in me wants to torture myself some more with prolonging it. I want her to scream so loud, boats off in the distance will know what we’re up to. I want to hear her chanting my name like I’m her fucking savior.
Vengeance in Bloom (The Love Unauthorized Series Book 2) Page 9