“We’re nearly there I promise” he chuckles as we turn down a dirt track lined with thick forest on either side, the headlights of the truck bouncing off the surrounding trees.
We carry on down the track for a while before Riot suddenly turns onto another track, so well hidden between the trees that I didn’t even see it. We drive for about five more minutes before the small track suddenly opens up into a large clearing. The headlights of the truck bounce off a large mass of water at the end of the expansive place as Riot drives straight across the clearing and then backs up against the shore of the large lake.
“What is this place?” I ask, not remembering ever having come here before when I was a kid.
“In the summer it’s used for parties and swimming in the lake but in the winter it’s perfect for what I have planned. No one ever comes out here at this time of year” he grins. “Wait there” he says as he climbs out of the truck and walks around the front.
I wonder what on earth he’s doing but then he opens my door for me and holds out his hand, my heart stutters in my chest.
“Come on Sunshine” he says softly.
Holy shit, he wanted to open my door for me. I read about this sort of thing but never in a million years did I think someone would do it for me.
I melt completely, again. At this rate I’m just going to permanently be a puddle.
I unclip my seatbelt and place my hand in his, a wide grin on my face. As soon as my feet hit the ground I bounce back up into his arms. His eyes widen in surprise as he catches me and I grin before kissing him. My tongue runs across the seam of his lips and he instantly opens, allowing me to control the kiss for mere seconds before his shock wears off and he backs us up against the side of the truck. His hands grip my ass in a tight grip as my hands dive into his hair, he groans as my fingers lightly scratch his scalp and he nips my lip causing my hips to buck and me to release my own moan. The kiss starts to slow before he pulls away, still holding me, my legs wrapped around his waist as he buries his head in my neck.
“What was that for Sunshine?” He asks quietly once our breathing has gone back to normal.
I hop down before answering him.
“Just for being you.”
“You’re amazing” he says chuckling when he sees my cheeks heat even in the low light.
He left the headlights on but facing away from the lake, so it’s not completely dark out here.
“Come on” he says leading me towards the back of the truck.
I watch him curiously as he lets down the back and reveals the bed of the truck filled with cushions and flattened sleeping bags. I glance over at him only to see that’s he’s scratching the back of his head like he’s nervous. Once he sees my smile though his entire posture relaxes. He grabs me by the hips and hoists me up perching me right on the edge of the tailgate, my legs open automatically as he steps forward. His gaze runs over my face before he lifts his palm to my cheek, smiling as I lean my face into it. His throat bobs nervously as he swallows and I eye him curiously, sensing that whatever has him tied up in knots he needs to get there without me prompting him. So, I just sit and wait patiently, happily studying his handsome features.
He clears his throat roughly before he starts.
“Everleigh, I need to ask you something.”
I can’t help but tense. This is it, he’s going to ask me to be exclusive and I’m going to have to tell him I can’t because I like the others just as much as I like him.
Oh god.
Oh fuck.
“Will you go to the Winter Formal with me?” He asks nervously, despite the fact that Luc already asked for all of them and I agreed.
My tension melts from my body and I throw my arms around his neck.
“I’d love to” I kiss him softly and his eyes light up.
“Thank fuck” he chuckles.
“Hey, is this going to be a thing with you guys?” I ask suddenly.
“Oh yeah Sunshine. They’ve all got their own plans” he grins as my smile widens and my heart starts to pound in my chest.
Wow, they’re so fucking awesome.
I scoot backwards in the truck bed and settle against the pillows leaning against the cab of the truck. Riot hops up with ease and settles down next to me, tugging one of the flattened sleeping bags up over our legs before scooting further down until he’s lying down next to me. I raise my eyebrow at him in question.
“Look up, Sunshine” he chuckles.
I tip my head up and gasp.
There’s no light pollution this far out and you can see so many beautiful stars glittering in the night sky.
“It’s beautiful” I say my voice hushed with awe.
“Come here Sunshine” Riot says quietly.
Without taking my eyes off the sky I start to shuffle down. Riot chuckles as he guides me until my head is cushioned on his arm, our faces tipped up towards the night sky. We’re quiet for a while just appreciating the mesmerising view.
“You hungry?” Riot asks quietly after a while of us just watching the stars and trying to remember the names of the different constellations. We even saw a shooting star.
“Always” I grin.
He chuckles as he sits up and I follow suit, he pulls a cooler over from his side of the truck that I hadn’t noticed before and a couple of electric lanterns that he sets up so we aren’t eating in the dark. He pulls out sandwiches, chips, strawberries, chocolate and large flask with two cups.
“I know it’s not much” he starts, and I silence him with a kiss.
“It’s awesome” I grin. “What’s in the flask?”
“Rafe’s hot chocolate, I got him to make us some” his features soften as he smiles.
I decide to take a gamble.
“You like him huh?” I smile softly.
Just like Rafe did when I guessed how he felt about Riot, he freezes as he studies my face before relaxing slightly.
“I’m not ready yet” he admits quietly. “Besides, I like you.”
“There’s no reason why you can’t like us both, at the same time” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively trying to lighten the mood and hoping he caught my inuendo.
He bursts out laughing before his gaze lands on me and he realises I wasn’t entirely joking, his eyes blaze into an inferno. I grab a strawberry and take a bite smirking.
“We’re going to have our hands full with you aren’t we Dragonfly?” he says huskily.
“I sure as fuck hope so” I wink at him.
He chokes on the sip of hot cocoa he’s just taken, and my smirk widens. I like shocking the guys. It might have to become my new game.
He smirks back.
“That’s not such a bad idea Ever” he grins.
I wiggle in my seat; I didn’t think he would agree with me not yet anyway. He chuckles quietly at my obvious reaction to his words and then changes the subject.
“So, Rylie and Darcy then?” he asks taking a bite of his sandwich.
“Oh yeah, that’s totally going to happen they are so caught up on each other, it’s really cute” I answer him after I’ve managed to control my pulse.
“Good. Rylie deserves someone better than that dickweed Josh” he scoffs.
“Yeah Jensen said something along the same lines. I haven’t even met him, but I didn’t like him purely on the fact that he wouldn’t sit with her at lunch because she sits with you guys” I shrug.
“Yeah that’s a dick move” he grunts. “Although to be fair we aren’t the friendliest of guys” he chuckles darkly.
“You are to me and Rylie” I point out.
“Ever, you are the exception not the rule” he growls, “and Rylie is your friend, so we make an effort” he shrugs.
“Fair point” I chuckle. I’m not sure that should make my pulse race as much as it does so I change the subject. “So, do you still want to be an astronomer?” I ask. When we were kids, he loved the stars.
“Yeah that’s what I’m aiming for. I love that there’s still s
o much that we don’t know about the universe” he tells me his face lighting up.
“That’s so awesome Riot.”
“Have you got any idea what you want to do?” he asks, “I remember when we were kids it changed pretty much every other day. One day it would be a princess, the next you’d want to be a knight because and I quote, girls can rescue and protect boys too” he chuckles looking at me expectantly, I join in before answering him.
“Hey! You laugh but I stand by that, girls can protect boys!” I actually ended up protecting just as many guys as girls back in Fresno. “Honestly though, I haven’t thought about that for a really long time. I’ve just been trying to survive each day and trying to get out of the shitty situation I was in. I never actually thought about what I would do once I actually got out of it. I guess it seemed too much like a dream.” I sigh.
Riot pushes all the food out of the way and pulls me into his arms, I snuggle down and he gently kisses the top of my head.
“Get thinking Sunshine. We’ve got you now, you’re safe to be whatever the fuck you want to be, and we will all support you” Riot says softly.
My throat clogs with emotion, seriously this guy is absolutely amazing.
“Thank you Riot” I say softly, pleased my voice doesn’t crack but I know Riot hears the emotion anyway as he squeezes me tighter.
“Anytime Sunshine” he says gruffly. “So, are you looking forward to coming to the cabin?”
“You’re kidding right?” I chuckle, “I’ve been using the trip to the cabin to stop me from going stir crazy at school. I literally cannot wait to go.” I grin, “I’m looking forward to meeting Atlas too, you guys make him sound pretty awesome and I know you all care about him, so I can’t wait to meet him” I say.
“Yeah I’ve been doing the same thing to be honest” he chuckles, “and I know we warned you, but he really is a scary mother fucker. You are right though; he is so fucking awesome and once you have his loyalty you’ve got it for life” He tells me.
“Oh, I have no doubt that he’s a scary motherfucker, he’d have to be to hang out with you guys” I grin poking him in the side.
“That’s true but he’s got this intensity about him that literally sucks all the air out of any room he walks into.”
Atlas is becoming more intriguing the more I learn about him.
For the rest of the evening we talk about anything and everything, relearning things about each other and learning new things too. I’m glad he hasn’t changed too much. We talk for another hour before packing up and hopping back into the truck.
It’s quiet on the way back to Trick’s place, each of us enjoying the companionable silence, my hand wrapped up tight in his as his thumb runs back and forth along the back of it causing little tingles to shoot up my arms.
“Fuck” I curse suddenly in the quietness of the truck as Riot pulls onto Trick’s street.
“What?” Riot asks concerned.
“I forgot to ask permission to go out” I groan, “that’s something normal teenagers have to do right?”
Riot just chuckles as we pull into Trick’s drive.
“Don’t laugh at me” I grumble although I’m not really mad. “Am I going to get grounded now?”
“Sorry, sorry” Riot chuckles as I shoot him a glare for laughing again, “don’t worry Trick took care of it, he figured you’d forget.”
“Oh, thank fuck, I would not have done well being grounded” I sigh in relief.
The cab is quiet for a minute neither one of us making a move to get out, Riot shifts to face me and I do the same, happy to prolong our date now I know I’m not going to be grounded for forgetting to ask in the first place.
“So, how was your first date Sunshine?” Riot smirks at me but I can see nervousness swimming in the depths of his unusual amber eyes.
“Perfect” I sigh happily.
His answering grin is blinding and my heart stutters in my chest.
“Are you sleeping here tonight?”
“Do you want me to?” He ask’s softly, gently brushing a strand of my hair, that’s escaped my braid, out of my eyes.
“Yes, I hate sleeping alone” I admit quietly. Something about the dark cab making me braver, making it ok to admit out loud something I normally wouldn’t.
“Me too Sunshine” he replies. “Come on let’s go to bed, I’m shattered, and we’ve still got school tomorrow” he groans.
We quietly get out of the cab, Riot making me wait until he can open my door again. When we get to the front door, he holds it open for me and then smacks my ass as I walk past him and into the house, I squeak and turn to see him smirking, his eyes on my ass. I chuckle quietly as we go up the stairs. Now that’s my kind of gentleman.
I grab my pyjamas off the bed, grateful that past me set them out and turn towards the closet following the usual routine when one of the guys is here and getting dressed inside. I hear rustling as I’m getting changed and know Riot is doing the same in the other room. When I come out Riot’s already in the bed, his glorious chest on show, his arm up behind his head with his phone balanced on his chest watching something. He looks up and smirks sinfully.
“I love the silk pyjamas, Sunshine” he compliments me his eyes running down over my form clad in silk shorts and a cami. His look heating my insides. “Are you getting into bed?” he questions when I just stand by the closet.
“I just want to go and thank Trick for covering with Rob and Jenny” I say biting my lip worriedly, hoping Riot isn’t going to be pissed.
“Sure thing Sunshine” he smiles leisurely before going back to watching his phone.
Thank fuck.
I quickly make my way out of my bedroom, quietly tip toeing past the bathroom and down to Trick’s door, hoping he’s still awake. I knock quietly and wait for him to open the door. When he does, I’m suddenly struck dumb. Trick stands before me in nothing but tight black boxers, my eyes travel up his muscular thighs and snag on the impressive package hidden behind the tight material of his boxers. I reluctantly pull my eyes away knowing that if I stare for too long I might do something ridiculous like drop to my knees and take his dick in my mouth, and I promised myself no sex with any of them before we’ve had that talk. I know I’ll thank myself later but right now I kinda hate me for being sensible.
My greedy eyes take in his defined abs and that delectable ‘V’ which is like an arrow pointing towards his dick and further encouraging me to drop to my knees. Fuck I would love to lick chocolate off him, wait no, fuck. I drag my eyes up his wide chest, over his strong jaw and then collide with a pair of heated yet amused grey eyes.
“What? You’re fucking hot” I smirk. “I wanted to come and say thank you for covering for me with Rob and Jenny. I’m not used to thinking of that stuff.”
“It’s no problem Sweetheart” he shrugs as he crosses his arms over his wide chest and leans against his door frame. “How was your first date?”
I briefly wonder if it would be weird to talk to him about it but he did bring it up in the first place, so I decide to just go with it.
“It was awesome” I grin happily. “Riot’s in my room, want to come sleep in there too?” I ask.
Before realising it might be super weird. In fact in almost any other situation it definitely would be super weird to ask another guy if they want to sleep in your bed with you and another guy. Before I can fall into a full-blown panic Trick swoops down and plants a soft kiss against my lips, effectively shutting that shit down.
Wow that’s like magic.
“I’d love to Sweetheart” he says grabbing my hand and closing the door behind us as we quietly make our way back to my room.
“You alright man?” Riot asks Trick.
His greeting affectively snuffing out my fear that he might have a problem with me asking Trick in here before the fear even really had a chance to take root.
“How was gaming at Jensen’s?” he asks.
“Yeah, it was fucking awesome, Rich kicked our asses
” Trick chuckles. “What are you watching?” he asks.
My mind momentarily trips, wondering who on earth Rich is before I remember that Jensen’s dad is called Rich. I scoot into the bed next to Riot and Trick slides in behind me, barely settling down before he gets back up again, completely unworried about being only boxers in front of his friend. To be fair though they’ve been friends since they were toddlers and they’re football players so they’re used to not wearing much in front of each other when they get changed to play.
“Riot, man help me grab my TV?” Trick says already walking out the door.
Riot grumbles but gets up anyway and I thoroughly enjoy the view of his delectable ass in bright red boxers. He turns as he gets to the door catching me staring at his ass, but I just shrug and blow him a kiss. He chuckles as he goes to help Trick.
It’s not long before they come back, hauling Trick’s massive TV between them. They set it up and we briefly argue about to watch, I honestly don’t know why I weigh in my opinion. My eyes are already heavy with sleep, I’ll be gone as soon as they both settle down and I can snuggle. If you asked me a week ago if I was a snuggler I would’ve laughed in your face and then promptly punched you for even suggesting something so ludicrous. Then again if you had told me I would be snuggled up between my boys and had kissed all of them, I probably would’ve done the same thing.
We finally settle on How I Met Your Mother and the guys settle down beside me. I was right as soon as they snuggle down next to me, I’m out like a light.
The next morning, I kick a grumbling Riot and Trick out of my room so I can get dressed and go in the search of painkillers. What can I say I’m a grumpy bitch before coffee. I pull out some jeans and stare at them in what I’m sure anyone would recognise as hate. Jeans fucking suck when you’re on and bloated and in pain and just urgh.
I rummage through my boxes from Victoria Secret, that I really need to sort out and pull out some khaki green slim fit joggers and a black slouch tee that will go together nicely. Comfy as fuck but not hobo-esque, that’s a word.
I’ll take it.
My Doc’s don’t really go but what the fuck ever I have no other shoes, I should probably get some at some point. I pull on my outfit deciding to wear a comfy non underwired bralette instead of a bra, since my girls are hurting like a bitch right now.
Home (Finding My Home Book 1) Page 33