All About Hope

by Ashley Erin

  “Sounds fun.” Lia’s voice is tight, her legs shaking, her body tensing as she tries to hold back her orgasm.

  “Eight o’clock.” Dane walks back across the room, the door shutting behind him.

  Lia collapses onto her arms on the desk as I suck on her clit, her cries muffled as her release wracks her body. When she quiets, I push her chair back, and crawl out from under the desk. She leans back weakly, watching me. Bending down, I brace myself on the arms of her chair, caging her in. Capturing her lips with mine, I kiss her with the pent up desire I’ve been holding in for the past six months.

  Her hands grip my shoulders as she opens up to me, allowing my tongue to fuck her mouth until we’re both gasping for air.

  “Okay, let’s try this. No strings. No one knows but us. If it gets too complicated, we just end it. No harm, no foul.” Searching her eyes for any hesitation, relief floods me when all I see is heat. “We’re friends first and I don’t want to lose that, or hurt you any more than I have.”

  “Agreed.” She tilts her head up, kissing me one last time before pushing me away. “Okay, I really do have work I need to finish. See you tonight.”

  Winking at her, I can’t wipe the smile off my face as I untie Chandler and swing up into the saddle.

  Ryan and I let ourselves into Emma’s house, following the sound of laughter to her kitchen. The granite counter is covered with finger foods, the island made into a bar, but our appreciation of the delectable array before us is short-lived when we both see Dane.

  His face is covered in whipped cream, while Alex and Emma laugh at him.

  “Did we miss a food fight?” Ryan chuckles as Dane scowls at him. Grinning, I grab a towel and run it under the tap. I need time to compose myself before I face him.

  “Emma thought it would be fucking hilarious to smash whipped cream all over me.”

  “I wish I had my camera.” Laughing, I regret leaving my cell at home.

  He takes the damp towel I hand to him, wiping his face off with a scowl that is completely nullified by the laughter in his eyes.

  Taking the goblet Emma hands to me, I pour myself a glass of red wine.

  Sipping it, I glance at Alex over the rim, smiling when he winks at me. He looks delicious in jeans and a plain black t-shirt that hugs his muscles. I haven’t gotten to explore them thoroughly yet, our previous dalliance hot and rushed, but I’ve been fantasizing about all the dirty things I plan on doing to him. Licking my lips, I run my eyes over him once more before returning his heated gaze with a sly smile.

  “It’s just us tonight. Ashton has a date and Jesse is sulking at home.” Dane sits down at the table, a deck of cards sitting in the center and begins shuffling. “He got pretty pissed off at me when I tried to help.”

  “Telling him he needs to pull his head out of his ass isn’t helping.” Emma looks over at me, “Men, right?”

  Chuckling, I nod. “Yeah. Sometimes you can’t fix things, big brother.”

  Alex, Ryan, and Dane all scowl at the implication they can’t fix any problem. Em and I burst out laughing, they kind of look like petulant children who aren’t allowed a second scoop of ice cream.

  Leaning over the counter, I chew on my lip as I decide what to start with. The puff pastry spinach cheese swirls look to die for, so I place a few on my plate before loading the rest with veggies and a homemade ranch dip.

  With one last look at the food, I sit at the table on the empty seat next to Alex as Dane deals out the cards. Alex brushes his hand over my hip before picking up his cards, leaving a trail of tingles.

  “Who wants to bet on their ability to beat me today?” Peeking at the front two cards, I look around the table.

  “Nah.” Ryan shakes his head as he arranges his cards on the table.

  Smirking, “Aww, poor big brother doesn’t want to empty his wallet again?”

  “Not really, I just dropped fifteen grand today so I just don’t have that much left over to spare.” We all gape at Ryan as he snatches a carrot from my plate. He looks around at our faces and grins.

  “On what?”

  “It’s always been the plan for you to keep the main house, Dane’s stuff is all moved over here now, so I thought it was time to build my own home. I’ve been meeting with contractors and signed the papers this morning. We’re breaking ground as soon as possible.”

  I feel the familiar prick of tears and drop my head so no one sees them. I’m so used to having my brothers around all the time, hearing them in the house moving around, that the idea of being there alone fills me with a sense of emptiness.

  Everyone is moving forward with their lives, and I’m in the same place I have been for the past two and a half years. Too stubborn to move forward with anything other than my business.

  “Oh.”

  Ryan turns me to face him. “Hey. What’s this?”

  Shrugging, I blink a few times until my sight clears. “I guess I just like having you around. Who would’ve thought that was possible?”

  “You’re stuck with me for a while yet, besides it’s not like I’m going far. I’m building next to the clinic, where I’ve always planned.” He pinches my chin and grins at me. “I love you, too, sis.”

  Leaning into him, I shove aside my moment of weakness, glancing at the man on my other side. The warmth of his gaze as he smiles at me holds a promise for later. That thought makes me feel better, so I straighten and shake off the moment of doubt.

  “Okay, so how do we play this game?” Alex chimes in, bringing us back to why we’re here.

  “It’s called Golf. The point of the game is to get to zero points. Arrange your four cards in a square, face down, two on top and two on the bottom. You can look at the bottom two cards now, but memorize them because you can’t peek again. Kings are zero, Aces are one, and the rest follow their numbers.

  “At the beginning of your turn you draw a card, or take the one the person before you discarded. The goal is to swap cards until your overall score is a zero or as low as you can get it. If you get a pair, they cancel each other out to create a zero. When you hit a low number, or zero, knock and then on your next turn everyone has to flip their cards.” I explain the game as I look at the bottom two cards before me. Fighting a grin when I see a King and a two.

  “Don’t let that innocent face fool you.” Dane points at me with a potato chip in his hand. “Lia has ridiculous luck with this game. I started with two Kings once, so I figured I had a good chance of winning. I bet Lia a hundred bucks I would beat her. I lost.” Dane shakes his head, grimacing when he recalls counting out five twenties as I danced around the kitchen.

  Alex grins at me, his eyes dancing with humor. “A bit of a card shark are you?”

  Shrugging, “I played during the lunch hour with my friends when I was in school. One time . . .”

  “At band camp?” Emma interrupts, laughing.

  “At Tony Zimmerman’s, we were playing strip poker.”

  Dane and Ryan groan, glaring at me. Smirking, I continue my story.

  “Anyways, by the time the game finished, I was the only one fully dressed. It was fantastic.” Leaning back in my chair, I wink at Emma. “Do you remember meeting Tony?”

  “Is he the one with . . . ?”

  “Yep.” We burst out laughing as the guys shake their heads.

  “We don’t want to know.” Ryan and Dane say in unison.

  We’re going around the table, drawing cards and swapping. Two rounds in and I’ve already reached zero, but I hold out a couple rounds to let them get their hopes up.

  Alex leans into me. “What did he have?”

  “A magic tongue. Well, that’s what rumor mill said anyways, and by the size and length of his tongue I can believe it.” Alex looks like he regrets asking as he draws a card and swaps out one of his top two cards.

  When it’s finally my turn, I look around the table and knock. A chorus of groans erupts around me as we circle the table one more time.

  “Can’t we play Picti
onary? At least we all have a fighting chance with that one,” Dane grumbles when we all turn over our cards. I’m impressed to see Alex only has two points.

  “Don’t be a sore loser.” My tone is smug, causing him to throw popcorn at me with a ridiculous pout on his face. “I’m guessing we’re going the full eighteen holes?”

  “Like you would agree to any less,” Dane mumbles. Chuckling, I roll my eyes at him.

  Ryan gets up to grab some food and pour himself a drink while Emma shuffles the cards. Alex shifts in his seat, his movement causing his arm to brush against mine, sending tingles straight to the ache in my lower belly.

  My whole body has been on high alert since I came at my desk this afternoon. Being near him has my body begging for more, my panties are wet and my pussy is aching to feel him inside me again.

  Clenching my thighs, I arrange the cards and look at the bottom two. This hand isn’t a good start, but I have no doubt I can make it work in my favor.

  Several rounds in, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. After washing my hands, I open the door to see Alex leaning against the wall. He pushes me back into the small room, shutting the door behind me.

  Our bodies crash into each other, his lips moving against mine. When he lifts me, I wrap my legs around him and press my center into him.

  His lips trail from my lips to my neck, sending fire through my veins.

  Reluctantly, he lowers me to the ground.

  “Crap, we better get back out there.” He runs a hand over his jaw, looking at me like he wants to carry me upstairs and finish what we’ve started. “Too bad you’re set on playing the full game.”

  He kisses me once more, before leaving the bathroom.

  By the time we call it a night, I’m on fire. Accidental touches here and there kept my body extremely aware of Alex. That and the promise of what’s to come, I’m so distracted I’ve almost lost a couple of rounds.

  Ryan and I close the door to the house, heading upstairs in silence.

  With a goodnight, I watch the door to his room close before shutting myself in my bedroom. I quickly grab my phone to text Alex.

  Me: Be here in 30 minutes.

  Alex: Nothing can stop me.

  Ryan’s door is closed, his lights out. Creeping down the stairs, I open the door to Alex. He’s changed into sweats, causing my heart to flutter wildly when I see how aroused he is. Grabbing his shirt, I yank him inside and shut the door a little too hard.

  Alex freezes, but I know Ryan is out like a light for the night. Lifting onto my toes, I brush my lips against his, pulling away before he can deepen the kiss.

  Turning on my heel, I saunter up the steps, looking over my shoulder at him as I pull my tank top over my head and throw it at him.

  His eyes heat, and he starts taking the stairs two at a time, stalking me into my bedroom. We make quick work of our clothes, tumbling onto my bed in a tangle of limbs and desperate passion.

  Alex pins my arms above my head, leaning down to nip my lips. I hate being restrained. It’s something I used to love, giving up control to someone you trust implicitly, but Alex hasn’t earned that trust yet, maybe never. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I grind against the head of his cock, using his surprise to free my arms.

  Tightening my legs, I grip his ass and pull him into me, reveling in the way my body stretches to accommodate him.

  “Fuck, Lia, you’re so tight. You feel amazing.” Alex’s voice is raspy with need, his arms tight from where he braces above me trying to hold himself back.

  “I need you to move. Now.” Shifting my hips, I dig my fingers into the hard muscles of his ass, silently begging him.

  He smirks down at me, moving slowly out of me before thrusting back in. Hard.

  “God, yes,” I moan. “Harder.”

  I lift my hips to meet each thrust, loving the way the pleasure borders on painful, but in a way I didn’t know I needed. He drops to his elbows, kissing me as he twists his hips into mine causing me to clench around him. I can feel my orgasm building, my body overwhelmed with all of the sensations. His tongue strokes mine as he deepens the kiss before pulling away and reaching down to circle my clit with two fingers.

  “Let go, baby.” He pulls out and thrusts into me as he increases the pressure on my clit. My body shatters into a million different sensations as I pulse around him. He stills inside me as he finds his own release, the force of our orgasms is overwhelming and if I could, I would look anywhere but into his eyes. His hands hold my head still as he looks down at me, before softly brushing his lips over mine.

  Alex moves to lay next to me, his hand drawing soft circles on my stomach, his lips trailing soft kisses over my neck and shoulders. I can’t stop the shivers his teasing causes, and feel him grin against my skin.

  “I couldn’t wait to be inside of you, the past six months have been brutal. But now I’m going to worship every inch of your gorgeous body until you’re quaking beneath me and begging me to let you come.” He lowers his head and wraps his lips around a nipple, sucking hard. My back bows up off the bed, whispery moans escaping from my throat.

  He has no idea what his touch does to me, my body is already begging him for more.

  Pacing my clinic, I stare at my cell phone, the text I’ve typed out is taunting me. Flipping it so it’s face down, I go back to cleaning my already spotless office. It’s been two days since game night at Emma’s. Two days since Alex and I spent the night familiarizing ourselves with each other.

  We’ve seen each other since then, our easy friendship returning, but I’ve resisted the temptation to summon him for some much needed friends-with-benefits action. We never really established any rules, aside from not telling anyone and not allowing it to interfere with our friendship.

  Just press send.

  Staring at where I left my phone, I walk over and send the text. No turning back. Nothing has changed, but I chew on the inside of my cheek as doubt fills me.

  “Everything will be great. Positivity, Lia. You’re good at that.” Oh great, now I’m talking to myself. We’ve agreed to this arrangement, it doesn’t matter who initiates, but I can’t help the knot in my stomach. This is asking more of him than just sex, this is giving him the power to see me vulnerable, and I hate losing control.

  The sound of horses whinnying outside distracts me from the swirling vortex of doubt I’m being sucked into. Shutting down my computer, I lock up and head outside, grateful for a distraction. I need to get out of my head.

  Alex greets me from where his sits atop Chandler, his lips breaking into a wide smile as I gape up at him, shocked that he is here to see me. “Want to go for a ride?” Following the gesture of his hand, I see Ollie is already saddled and ready to go.

  Searching his face, I’m relieved to see he’s relaxed and happy, the heat in his eyes as he scans them over my body unravelling the tightness in my stomach and replacing it with a delicious ache. Figures, I worked myself up over nothing. Relaxing, I walk over to Ollie.

  “What would you do if I said no?” Sliding my foot into the stirrup, I step up into the saddle and grin at him.

  Shrugging, he teases back. “I guess you will have to say no to find out.”

  He turns Chandler and leads the way down one of the many trails crisscrossing throughout my family’s ranch.

  “How was your day?” Sinking into the saddle, I lose myself in the comfort of being on horseback. I have been on horseback since I was an infant, riding with my parents, and then by myself as soon as I was capable of staying in the saddle. Being here feels as natural as breathing.

  “Good, I finished updating the website for Dane. I had no idea he was going to sell so many of the foals. It makes sense, I guess, but I would have a hard time choosing.” He’s been learning a lot from Dane as they build the ranch’s website. He built mine and Ryan’s from scratch, and they’re absolutely perfect. He took what Dane had for the rest of the ranch, and made major changes so it is now user friendly and easy to find.

&nb
sp; “That’s why Dane is in charge of the sales aspect of the ranch. I would keep them all and that’s not realistic.” Falling silent, the wind rustles the new green of the leaves. I love the spring. The shift in the weather from freezing to cool to warm. The new growth of plants, and the freshness in the air. There is something beautiful in how Mother Nature goes through her cycles, each one bringing renewal to the earth.

  The bright green of new leaves creates a vibrant background as we ride. Breathing deeply, I focus on Alex leading the way through the trails. Change has been a huge part of our lives this year. Emma returned home and the change in her has been substantial.

  The man in front of me has grown more comfortable with ranch life, his enjoyment of horses and eagerness to learn shining through. He is always so cheerful and up front, it’s refreshing. When I think about his smile and how contagious it is, it hurts my heart to know that beneath it is a man scared to attach to people. Emma told me about when he used to sneak into her room, covered in bruises and burn marks.

  How anyone, especially the woman who gave birth to him, could do that to him is beyond me. He is the type of person that warms those around him. He’s the type of man I used to dream about when I was a teenager.

  He cares so deeply once he allows himself to. I wonder if that’s why he didn’t respond to my text. It’s asking him to care more than he’s ready for.

  Watching him as he rides, my stomach clenches at the way the muscles in his back flex as he shifts in the saddle. It’s a testament to how vulnerable I feel, that I’m not more distracted by how sexy he looks sitting in the saddle with a confidence that wasn’t there not too long ago.

  “Dane offered to let me choose one of the yearlings. I thought maybe you could help me pick.” Alex looks over at me, his question hanging in the air as I return from my thoughts. “If you’re not too worn out from my phenomenal sex skills that is.” He smirks as I roll my eyes.

  “I’m going to ignore that and focus on the first part of your statement. Let me think on the horses so I pick the right one. Dane and I can help you train it, I want you to do the work, but we will be there.” His smile lights up his face.