Where I Found You (Heart's Compass Book 1)

by Brooke O'Brien

  “I didn’t expect for this to happen either, Ellie,” I say, taking a step toward her again. I don’t move to touch her, only feeling the closeness from her proximity.

  “What do you keep running from?” I whisper. Looking up at me, she meets my eyes, and I can see it all laid out in front of me. The question wasn’t intended as the past but rather the connection that we have between us. However, seeing the look in her eyes now, I know there is more there. Since meeting her, I’ve picked up bits and pieces of something that she keeps buried so deep.

  “Do you trust me?” I ask, staring into her eyes. I wait for her response, searching her eyes for what I see when she finally answers the question.

  “More than I probably should,” she responds so quietly that if I hadn’t been standing this close to her, I probably would’ve missed it over the loud noise coming from down the hall.

  She must read the question on my face as my eyebrows bunch together trying to piece together what she means. Reaching up between us, her hand wraps around the pendant of her necklace while her other wraps around her middle.

  “I have a lot of scars that you can’t see. Ugly scars,” she whispers, pausing for a second, her lips parted slightly. “Ugly scars, Callum. I’m scared if you ever saw them, you’d never look at me the same way again. I don’t think I could bear for you to look at me differently than you do now.” She looks lost as tears fill her eyes.

  Closing the distance between us, I move my arm, so it’s once again positioned at her hip, drawing her to me. Placing my other hand against the wall just near her head, leaving a little room between us, she comes to me easily without any argument, grabbing onto the bottom of my t-shirt holding me to her.

  Moving my hand to frame her face, pushing away the pieces of hair, I slowly rub my thumb along her cheekbone, wiping away an escaped tear sliding down her face. I hate seeing her like this. I can’t help the heavy weight of her words bearing down on me.

  “Ellie, there is nothing you could tell me that could change the way I see you.” My finger continues to stroke along her soft skin. “I want you to show me every part of you that you don’t love. Every scar, every bruise, every tear. When you’re done, baby, I’m going to show you all the ways life tried to break you down but never won.”

  She doesn’t respond to me, only nods her head acknowledging she heard me. Moving my right hand, so they are both framing her face, I brush the hair back from her face. My thumb traces along her bottom lip, tugging it free from where she’s biting down nervously on it.

  Even in the dimly lit hallway, I can see and feel her body, the warmth of her skin beneath the palms of my hands. The deep inhale of breath tells it all, I know she’s affected by this connection just as much as I am. I’m right here with her as my breath comes out in thick pants at the emotions coursing through me.

  Looking up from her mouth, I meet her eyes, and I see it. Her walls are coming down again as she lets me back in. I know it’s going to take more than just words to get through to her. I’m going to have to prove to her how I feel about her and only time can do that. I am going to be here to prove to her I’m not going anywhere and that I mean what I said.

  “I’m going to kiss you now,” I whisper, slowly bringing her mouth to mine.

  She is hesitant at first, but it doesn’t take long before she opens herself up to me, my tongue eagerly seeking hers out. A moan escapes me from somewhere deep within my chest, and I hear Ellie whimper as she uses the front of my shirt to pull me closer to her. Pressing my forehead to hers, I meet her eyes as we both struggle to breathe. It’s like all the oxygen escaped me the second my lips found hers.

  “I am not going anywhere, Ellie. You may not believe it now but I’ll prove it to you.”

  The next day, Callum stopped by Hudson’s after he got off work to say hey. I’m confident Callum would look sexy in anything he wears, but just seeing him standing there in a plaid button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up below his elbows had me nearly drooling.

  Arm porn.

  I’ve never been one to admire a man’s forearms, but damn. The way his muscles flexed as he moved had me staring. I had to remind myself that not only were we in public, but I was at my job no less.

  The smartass he is, he knew what he was doing.

  “You can’t look at me like that right now. Not unless you want me to come over this counter and do something about it.” The harsh whisper was quiet enough so only I heard him, but it was laced with so much promise. If I had been anywhere else, I wouldn’t have done a damn thing to stop him.

  That wasn’t the only time he’s stopped by to see me. Last night after I got home from having dinner with Kinsley, he stopped by my house. I could tell he was tired, but the smile on his face when I opened the door had a warm feeling coursing through me.

  He didn’t stay long, just said he wanted to see me and asked if he could still take me out on our date. Not letting myself second guess it again, I told him “yes” and he promised to pick me up later this afternoon. My mind trails back to what he said before he left.

  “Don’t wear clothes you don’t want to get ruined,” he murmured. The way his gravelly voice came out was like a direct line to my nervous system.

  My breath caught in my throat as thoughts of what he had planned raced through my mind. Seeking some relief, I rubbed my thighs together needing the friction. Growling, he closed the distance between us.

  Wrapping his hands around my waist, he pulled me close to him until I was flush against his chest. Taking a deep inhale of breath, I looked up to meet his eyes as desire flowed through me, grabbing onto his strong forearms to hold me still.

  My eyelids were heavy, the need burning through me was too much. The feel of my nipples pressed against Callum’s chest had me struggling to find a breath. I could feel his arousal pressed against my stomach which had me squeezing my legs together, seeking relief of my own.

  Leaning down, he brushed the hair away from my face as he whispered in my ear.

  “I want nothing more than to touch you, to alleviate the burn I know you feel baby.” He groaned, leaning back to meet my stare. “It’s not because I don’t want to, because it’s killing me not to touch you. I just want to be real clear with what you want because once I’m finally inside you, I’m never letting you go.”

  I struggle to keep myself busy for most of the day. I run through possible outfits to wear. Callum said not to wear anything I wouldn’t want to get ruined. Still, I want to look good when I see him, which makes it difficult considering I don’t have much of a wardrobe selection.

  Taking a quick shower, I freshen up and pull my hair into a messy bun. I know how much Callum likes kissing along my neckline, and I don’t want anything to obstruct his access to me.

  It’s a few minutes after three o’clock when I hear his pick-up truck pull into my driveway. After doing a quick check in the mirror, I open the door to greet Callum.

  Once again, there are no words to explain how handsome he looks dressed casually in a black t-shirt, jeans, and his Chucks. Taking a minute, I let my eyes wander over his body. Admiring the way his hair is pulled back beneath his backward baseball cap, how the cotton showcases his incredible chest, and his muscular arms fill out the sleeves as my eyes roam back up to meet his stare.

  His eyes are bright with amusement, appreciating how I just blatantly checked him out. He doesn’t even try to hide his smile.

  “You ready, sweetheart, or do you need a minute for a second look?” He chuckles.

  Smart ass.

  “I mean, you won’t see me objecting,” I retort, raising my eyebrow as I flash him a smirk of my own. I can tell by the smile on his face he is enjoying our banter just as much as I am.

  “As much as I’d love to see that delectable look of desire on your face again, baby, I have plans for you. C’mon!” he says, holding his hand out, ushering me onto the porch as he takes the keys from my hand.

  After he safely locks up the house, he takes my
hand again and leads me out to his truck. Helping me into the passenger seat, he leans over and secures the seat belt.

  After double checking that I’m safely buckled in, he leans back to meet my eyes again. Searching my face, I wait for him to say whatever he so clearly wants to say. My eyes trace along his sharp jaw down to his lips as I peer back up to him, hoping he feels this pull between us and will finally put me out of my misery.

  “There will be plenty of that later. Just you fucking wait,” he says as if reading my mind, grunting as he steps back down to the ground and slams the passenger door shut. Letting out a heavy sigh, I follow him as he walks around to the driver’s side and quickly climbs into his seat.

  Leaning over, he turns on the radio as he backs out of the driveway. It doesn’t take me long to realize we’re heading out of town. The excitement sets in, wondering where he could be taking me.

  “You going to tell me where we’re going or what our plans are when we get there?” I ask, looking over at him.

  For a minute, I think he is ignoring me until he looks over at me. He smiles smugly, and I know without a doubt it’s his way of telling me, “not a chance.”

  The song changes to a tune that I know so I turn it up and settle back into the seat with a huff, hearing him chuckle to himself. The lyrics of the song are about a girl teasing a man by making him want her and it spurs something inside me.

  Turning my head to Callum, I let my eyes roam over the side of his face, down his chest to the slight bulge in his pants. Seeing how his body reacts to me has me fighting my own arousal. Making the path back up to his face, I can see his jaw clench, resisting the urge to look at me, his eyes focusing hard on the road.

  The tension in the cab of the truck has quickly changed. The air charged with the connection between us strong, it’s pulling us together. Resting my elbow on the center console, I lean in closer so we are touching, causing Callum’s arm to tense as I use my index finger of my right hand to trace along the inside of his forearm.

  That sexy fucking arm.

  Leaning in closely, I release a slow breath along his jaw until my mouth is just next to his ear.

  “You look so sexy driving this truck, Callum,” I whisper softly as I run my tongue along the shell of his ear, nipping softly on his ear lobe. It’s an action so very unlike me, but I can’t hide the way he makes me feel.

  Slowly blinking his eyes, I watch for a second as he closes them just before he forces them open as if forgetting where he was. Smothering a smile, I remove my arm from around his, leaning back against my seat.

  Grunting to himself, he quickly moves his right hand down to his lap, working to conceal his reaction to me, grumbling, “Just you wait, sweetheart, I’ll get you back for that. Just wait!”

  I swear this woman is going to be the death of me. The way she ran her tongue along my ear had me struggling against pulling this truck off to the side of the road and pull her and her smartass mouth into my lap.

  Picturing her straddling me, rubbing her warm heat against my aching cock while covering her mouth with mine floods my mind. It took all my inner strength to avoid closing my eyes right then and letting the thoughts evoking me take over. Everything about this woman consumes me.

  Moving my hand to where Ellie is sitting, I trail my fingers down the inside of her arm, over her wrist, sliding my hand into hers. Lifting her hand to my mouth, I kiss along her knuckles, running the top of her hand against my lips before setting our joined hands in my lap.

  A few minutes later, we approach the gravel road leading us toward our destination. I know Ellie has no idea where we are going, and I can see her staring at me once again, waiting for me to give something away. I could tell by what she was wearing when I picked her up she wasn’t expecting this.

  Growing up in a small town doesn’t offer a lot of options when you’re a teenage boy without looking for trouble. Wes’s love of adrenaline and anything fast had us spending a lot of our time here. The Big Dirty is a 500-acre off-road park full of 4x4 trails and two motocross tracks. The trails range from beginners to extreme riding.

  As soon as we pull into the entrance of The Big Dirty, I can only imagine what she is probably thinking while reading the sign. Looking over at her, I try to gauge her reaction, but nothing could’ve prepared me for what I found.

  “Is this what I think it is?” she asks, with a mix of surprise and excitement.

  You can hear engines revving in the distance through the windows. Spotting Wes parked off to the side, I drive down to the gravel parking area and pull into a spot next to his truck and trailer.

  “And Kinsley is coming with us? That little brat! I saw her earlier today, and she said nothing about this!”

  “Yeah, baby, I asked her to keep quiet about it so I could surprise you,” I say with a hint of a smile. “Stay right there,” I say as I slide out of my truck, hurrying around to the passenger side.

  Opening the door, I step up onto the running board and lean over Ellie.

  I’m a few inches from her face as I slide my hand up her thigh toward where the seat belt buckles her in, looking her directly in the eye.

  “Thank you for bringing me today. I’ve never done anything like this before,” Ellie whispers. There is a joyfulness in her tone that has the sides of my mouth turning up.

  “You don’t have to thank me, sweetheart. I’ll do just about anything to put a smile like the one you’re wearin’ on your face.” I grin, leaning forward to press my lips against her forehead.

  Grabbing her hand, I help her climb down out of the truck.

  I hear the shriek of excitement from behind me, turning to see Kinsley dressed in a black tank top and jeans with her hair pulled high on top of her head.

  “You’re here!” she shouts, jumping up and down, clapping her hands.

  “Of course I am,” Ellie says, shaking her head as she crosses her arms. She doesn’t like being kept in the dark, but I know she’s excited just the same. “I told you I was going out with Callum when we were together earlier today.”

  Letting go of Ellie’s hand, I leave her and Kinsley to chat as I head over to where Wes is unloading the two four-wheelers. I own one of my own but knowing I wanted to surprise Ellie; he offered to load up both of his.

  “What’s up, bro? Here, let me help with that,” I say, unbuckling the straps securing the four-wheelers to the trailer. We work together to remove the belts, backing the ATVs down the ramp.

  Grabbing two helmets from the back of the trailer, I head over to where Ellie and Kinsley are perched on the tailgate of my pick-up. Their legs swing as they lean close to each other, laughing. It makes me happy to know Ellie has someone like Kinsley in Arbor Creek looking out for her. Even when Ellie and I weren’t talking, Kinsley would often send me texts filling me in on how my girl was doing.

  My girl.

  When Kinsley sees me approaching, I can hear her shush Ellie as she whispers not to tell me. Raising my eyebrow to Ellie in question, she bites down her lip to cover the small smile that appears on her face, shaking her head saying she’s not telling a soul.

  Standing in front of Ellie, she opens her legs so I can move between them. Setting my helmet on the truck bed next to her, I grab hers in both of my hands turning it so it’s facing her.

  “Ready, sweetheart?”

  Her small smile turns into a full-on grin as she nods her head impatiently. Brushing back the pieces of hair blowing across Ellie’s face, I lean forward to press a soft kiss against her mouth. I can hear Kinsley mumble about us getting a room as Ellie leans back, letting me slide the helmet on. Lifting her head, I raise the face shield up so I can see her eyes.

  “You good, baby?” I ask.

  “Yep!” she declares, giving me two thumbs up.

  Kinsley hops down from the tailgate and heads over to where Wes is getting his gear together. Helping Ellie slide down, I grab my helmet and lead her to where the four-wheelers are parked.

  Wes has two custom built Polaris Sp
ortsman quads. One of them he had built as an upgrade to the one his uncle bought him growing up. They’re nearly identical. He favors his first one more for sentimental reasons.

  Stepping on the footrest, I swing my right leg over, taking a seat. Looking over at Ellie, I can tell she is anxious as her hands are twisted together in front of her.

  “Don’t be nervous, baby. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” I reassure her. I know she can hear me as she nods her head.

  Pulling the helmet over my head, I put the key in and turn over the ignition. The roar of the engine vibrating beneath me has always had a calming effect on me. Riding is something I’ve enjoyed doing since I was young and now sharing this with Ellie, I can feel the excitement pumping through me.

  Holding my hand out to Ellie, she places her palm tentatively in mine. Even with the vibrations below me, I can feel her hand shaking with nerves. Placing her left foot next to mine, she swings her right leg over positioning herself behind me.

  Once she is seated, I grab the outside of her thighs and pull her closer so her legs are fitted to me like a second skin. Taking her hands from resting on her knees, I wrap them around my middle so she’s holding onto me. She could also hold onto the metal bars on the back, but I’m not going to mention that.

  I want her close to me.

  “You ready, baby?” I shout over the sound of the engine.

  Giving me another thumbs-up, I turn my head back to where Wes and Kinsley are loaded up and starting his engine. With a nod of my head, I rev the engine and venture out toward the trails. Having been out here hundreds of times, Wes and I have the paths memorized like the back of our hands.

  It’s another warm day in Arbor Creek with the sun shining down on us. The breeze feels good against my skin. Making our way toward the back of the park, we follow behind Wes and Kinsley through the trails. It rained most of the night and early into this morning, making the park extra muddy.

  I can’t wait to see how sexy Ellie looks covered in mud.

  Knowing Ellie isn’t expecting this, she is going to be shocked when we hit some of the puddles, covering her with muddy water. Going up the first hill, I speed up and rev the engine. Mud and dirt fly over us as Ellie lets out a shriek followed by a laugh.