I read it over; once, twice, three times. Each word sticks out like it’s ready to jump off the page at me. Our own precious space. I look out at the water and remember the secret place shared. It was somewhere I’d found for when I needed some time to think. I kept it to myself for the longest time, until I didn’t. I brought McKenna there for the first time on the Fourth of July. It’s hidden away enough but provided an amazing view of the ocean. We spent that night with her wrapped in my arms, watching the fireworks – it was pure bliss.
The likelihood of it being a coincidence are high. It could be song lyrics or a poem she saw that she liked, but the small possibility that it’s a message meant for me has me standing up and pulling out my wallet. Layla returns to the table just as I’m tossing down a couple $20 bills.
“What’s going on?”
I put on my best fake smile. “I’m sorry, something came up so I need to go.”
“Oh, okay. Well, call me and we’ll plan for another night.”
“Will do.”
I head out of the restaurant, not caring at all that I don’t even have her number. I’m sure she’ll realize it and try to get my contact info from Roman. I make a mental note to tell him not to give it to her as I climb in my car.
THE WOODS I HAVE to walk through are dark. Usually, I’d be able to navigate this area like the back of my hand, but I haven’t been here since McKenna left for college. I couldn’t bring myself to come back to this place where we spent so many moments. It was too hard.
When I get to the point where everything opens up, I notice I’m not alone. The moon is bright, shining just the right amount of light over the giant rock and providing her with the perfect silhouette. I stand there for a minute, just letting myself admire her beauty and remember all the times we spent here. We were always happiest when we were away from prying eyes – free to just enjoy each other.
“I was hoping I’d find you here.” I say, making myself known.
My voice startles her but she recovers well. “What happened to your date?”
“I left early.”
“Why?”
I walk over to the rock and lean against it, right next to where she’s sitting. “Well, for starters, she kept calling me Colt.”
“Like, a baby horse?” I nod and bask in the giggle that leaves her mouth. “Oh god, that’s horrible. What was the other reason?”
“She wasn’t my type.”
“Oh.” The gears turn in her head until finally she speaks again. “What is your type then?”
I turn my attention away from the water and over to her. “I’m looking at it.”
For the first time since I got here, she looks directly at me. It’s then that I notice her eyes are wet. She’s been crying? I reach out and place my hand on her face, using my thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek. She brings her hand up and rests it on my own as she leans into my touch.
“Why is it that no matter how hard I try to not want you, it only makes me want you more?”
Her words make me laugh. “I know what you mean.”
“Do you?”
“More than might you think.”
Mossy green eyes stare into mine, searching them as if they hold the key to everything she’s trying to uncover. Her gaze drops down to my lips and a shiver runs down her spine. I don’t move an inch, too afraid to ruin the moment. If I’ve learned anything lately, it’s that any wrong move can send her running in under five seconds flat.
She slides her hands up my chest, to my neck, then onto my face. Her thumb rubs over my bottom lip and I have to resist the urge to playfully nip at it. Clearly, she’s looking for something, and I’ll be damned if I get in the way of her finding it.
When her fingers settle in my hair, I can’t help the way my eyes flutter closed and I whimper slightly. She massages my scalp and pulls me just a little bit closer. It’s so sensual, so intimate, and so right. I force my eyes to open again and they meet hers instantly.
“Fuck it.”
McKenna pulls me toward her and presses her lips to mine in a heated kiss. It’s the first time she’s initiated it on her own, and hell if I’m not loving it. I place one hand on the back of her head as I lay her down slowly. As soon as I climb on top of her, she drags her fingernails across my back and arches her hips up. The club may not have been the right place for this, but here – here is perfect. Here is ours.
Still, I need to be sure she isn’t going to shut me out again. I don’t think I could handle it if I got to have her tonight, only for her to be gone again tomorrow. I break the kiss and rest my forehead on hers, rubbing soothing circles into her hip so she knows I’m not stopping anything just yet.
“I need you to promise me something.”
Her brows furrow as she sees the seriousness on my face. “What?”
“That you’re not going to run. That I won’t wake up tomorrow morning to find out that you’re avoiding me again. I know things are complicated, and I know it won’t be easy, but I want the chance to fight for this – for us. I have a lot to make up for, and I don’t expect you to trust me right away or leave Parker tomorrow, but I’m willing to do the work. So, tell me you’re not going to disappear again, because there are a lot of things I can handle, but I’m damn sure that’s not one of them.”
She smiles in a way that makes my knees weak and puts one hand on each side of my face. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”
The relief that runs through my body feels like the weight of the world has been lifted. That was all I needed to hear. I reconnect our kiss, pouring all my emotions into it – all the fear and want and need. It’s raw and it’s overwhelming, but it’s real and I’m done pretending with her.
She kisses me harder, as if I’m everything she needs to survive. Her hands slip under my shirt to grab at my back. The feeling of her cold hands against me is a reminder that this is actually happening. I pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the side. Her movements pause momentarily and for a second I think I did something wrong, until I see where she’s looking.
I follow her eyesight to my collar bone and the dark ink that’s permanently embedded in my skin. She brushes over it with her finger, almost like she’s expecting it to wipe away with her touch. When she presses her lips against it, my breath hitches. I’ve never regretted getting that tattoo, and because of that, I never will.
I slide my hands up her sweater, relishing the way my touch makes her shiver. My fingers trace the bottom of her bra before I reach behind and unclip it. She lifts herself up just enough for me to pull the articles of clothing over her head. When she lies back down, she’s naked from the waist up and panting hard.
“Please.” She begs.
I smirk. There’s nothing that makes me happier right now than knowing I still have the same effect on her. “Please what? What do you want, Princess?”
“You. All of you, everywhere.”
Rolling her nipple between my thumb and index finger, I skim my touch down over her stomach until I reach the top of her leggings. I hook into both sides of them and slowly pull them down her legs. Seeing the black lace panties she’s wearing is enough to make me cum on the spot. I bite my lip in an attempt to control myself.
I spread her legs a little more and kiss the inside of her thigh. She whimpers, which only motivates me more. My mouth grazes over her skin, leaving a trail of light kisses in my path. When I get to the place she wants the most, I breathe over it before moving to the other leg and repeating the same motions.
Using the smallest amount of pressure, my fingers press lightly over the only clothed part of her body. Her panties are already soaked. I slide my palms to her hips and grip the underwear before slipping them down her legs – finally exposing the most intimate part of her. Being the only one to see her like this was something I prided myself on for the longest time. Vulnerability looks so damn sexy on her.
The second my tongue connects with her clit, she screams out. Her hand moves to the top of my head and s
he laces her fingers into my hair. I repeat the action, loving the way her grip tightens. It may have been years since I’ve gotten my hands on her, but I’ll never forgot the things she loves.
I slip two fingers inside her and bend them to find the little bundle of nerves. As soon as I find it, she arches her hips up, pushing harder against my mouth. She tastes so good and I would be completely content if the only sounds I heard for the rest of my life, were the breathy moans she’s letting out.
My hand turns, using my thumb to apply pressure right where she needs it while I fuck her with my tongue. She uses her hold on my head to pull me closer. My name comes out in incoherent mumbles until she tenses. An orgasm rocks through her body as she cums. I don’t stop until she releases my hair and lets out a sigh.
Standing up, I undo my belt buckle and release my cock from my pants. I’m harder than I’ve been in the longest time, the angry red color looking like it could explode from the simplest touch. I look up at McKenna to see her watching me, nibbling on her bottom lip the same way she did when I took her virginity. Her eyes meet mine and she nods, silently giving me the permission I was looking for.
I push inside her and groan out as her warm, wet heat encases me. She’s so tight that I have to stop myself from blowing my load right then and there. As I bottom out, she moans loudly – exactly like she used to. I lean down to kiss her, not caring one bit that she can taste herself on my tongue. I pull out before thrusting back in, slow but deep. Her nails run down my chest and over my abs.
“Fuck, you feel so good.” I murmur as I start to speed up my pace.
Seeing the way her hair is messily spread across the rock, and how she wraps her legs around my waist to try to fuck herself on my dick – there can’t be anything better than this. I’m holding her hips so tight I’m afraid I might leave bruises, but she doesn’t seem to care so I don’t either. As my pace quickens even more, I know I’m getting close.
“Mac, I don’t have a condom.”
She doesn’t stop for a second, grabbing my wrists and putting my hands on her breasts. “I’m still on the pill.”
With that, I fuck into her – hard. My body rocks in a messy, chaotic motion as I chase my own release. I roll her nipple between my fingers while I slide my other hand down to press my thumb onto her clit. She lets go for the second time, clenching around me and sending me into oblivion. I explode inside of her, claiming every inch of her body for my own.
Maybe, one day she really will be.
I WAKE IN THE morning to the sound of Maverick accidentally setting off the alarm as he leaves the house. While usually I would be irritated, the memories of last night playing in my head cause a smile to spread across my face. I didn’t end up getting in until almost two in the morning, after making sure McKenna made it home safe. It sucked to watch her walk into a house I know she shares with someone else, but baby steps.
I grab my phone from my nightstand and compose a quick text to her.
Good Morning Beautiful.
My morning picks up quickly as I make some coffee and get a call from my contractor. He has some questions about the house I’m having built for myself, and he knows better than to make his own judgement calls on any of them. I designed that house with very specific views in mind and I won’t settle for it being anything less than perfect.
After I get out of the shower, I throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I run my towel over my hair then toss it into the laundry basket in the corner of my room. My phone lights up on my bed but when I grab it, my excitement dissipates.
It’s not McKenna. It’s 11 AM, and she still hasn’t answered. An uncomfortable feeling sits like a rock in the pit of my stomach.
So much for promises.
12
MCKENNA
I throw the cushions onto the floor, frantically searching the couch. Nothing. I grab my purse for the third time this morning and scour through it. Again, nothing. My hands go into my hair, pulling on it frustratedly.
“Where the fuck is it?!”
When I woke up this morning, Parker had already left for Boston. While normally I’d be a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to see him, this time I was relieved. I know that the minute I have to face him, I’m going to feel guilty.
I had reached to grab my phone off my nightstand, but it wasn’t there. I looked for it in the bed, on the floor, in the pockets of the sweater I wore yesterday, but it’s nowhere to be found. If I’m going to talk to Ivy about what happened last night, which I desperately need to do, I need to find my phone.
The feeling of Colton’s hands on my body are burned into my mind. Every time I move, the soreness from him stretching me open reminds me of the ecstasy of having him inside of me again. I can’t remember the last time I orgasmed that hard, not just once, but twice. I’m not saying Parker is bad in bed – he’s not. He’s just repetitive. He sticks to the same movements and the same pace, which feels good, but it’s nothing like sex with Colton.
Colton doesn’t just put my pleasure before his own, he gets off on it. The louder I get and the better I feel, the more he loses control. He knows exactly what my body likes because he took the time to learn it. Even after spending so much time apart, he still manages to make my whole body tingle.
When I realize that my phone is nowhere to be found, I decide to go for a run. I slip into workout gear and lace up my sneakers before fishing my old iPod out of a drawer in the entertainment center. It hasn’t been updated in over a year, but it’ll do.
I lock the door behind me with the hideaway key and take off down the street. The songs blasting into my ears are a straight shot of nostalgia. As I focus on pacing my breathing, I think about what Colton said last night.
“I want the chance to fight for this – for us.”
While it was exactly what I’ve wanted to hear come out of his mouth for years, I don’t know what it means. Our past has been so rocky and chaotic that I don’t know which way is up with him. He used to have moments like this during the summer we spent together - moments where he would make me feel like I was the only girl he had eyes for. But despite how strongly he made me believe he felt, he still walked away like it was the easiest thing in the world.
A couple miles into my run, I stop to take a breather. It takes me a second to realize where I am but when I spot the familiar gray house, I can’t help but laugh. Colton’s car sitting in the driveway tells me he didn’t go to work today. Before giving myself a chance to overthink it, I walk up the steps and ring the bell.
The door opens less than a minute later and the breath is sucked out of my lungs when I see Colton standing there in only a pair of gray sweatpants. His perfectly defined torso is on full display and the way the pants hang loosely on his hips gives me just the right view of the V on his lower abdomen. Normally when I check him out so blantantly, he makes some sarcastic comment, but when my eyes meet his he’s looking at me like my presence is completely unexpected.
Great. Here we go again. The only thing that attracted him to me again was knowing he couldn’t have me. Now that he’s had me again, he’s no longer interested.
My thoughts are completely cut off as Colton grabs my wrist and pulls me inside. As soon as he shuts the door, my back is pressed against it and his mouth covers my own. The kiss is heated, and desperate, and makes it hard to concentrate on anything but him. I don’t think I could ever get tired of this feeling.
Everything starts to go a bit hazy as I run low on oxygen. Colton must feel it too because he breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against my own. The feeling of his breath on my lips is dizzying as we’re both left panting.
“I thought you were gone again.” He whispers.
Oh crap. I hadn’t even thought about if he would try to get in touch with me. He’s never been someone who’s had to worry about me not coming back to them, until now. Now I’ve given him a reason to get scared when I don’t answer. Though, in a twisted way it makes me happy. The way he got scared that I was
going to avoid him again only shows me that he cares.
“I can’t find my phone.”
All the tension leaves his body and he presses his lips back to mine. This kiss isn’t like the one when I got here – it’s slower and more calculated. He runs one hand up my side while the other goes to my face, brushing over my cheek with his thumb. Unlike all the one’s before this, there’s no intentions behind it. Him and I both know that nothing is going to happen in the foyer of Maverick’s house, nor would either of us want it to. We’re kissing for the sole reason being that any distance between us is too much.
The sound of someone clearing their voice has Colton groaning before forcing himself to pull away. Neither of us need to look to know who’s standing there. He gives me one of his heart-stopping smiles and I have to remind myself to breathe.
“I’ll meet you in my room.”
With one more chaste kiss, he turns around and heads toward Tatum – who’s standing there with her arms crossed.
“Cock-block.” He teases, earning a playful elbow from her.
Just before he goes up the stairs, he glances at me once more and grins. I bite my lip as I watch him until he’s out of sight. When he’s gone, I turn my attention to Tatum. She gives me a knowing look and I sigh. There is no getting out of the talk I know is coming.
“Walk me to my car.” It’s not a question, it’s an order. I follow her out the door and as soon as it shuts she scoffs. “So much for nothing to worry about.”
“I know.”
“Do you though? Do you know how dangerous this is? How messy it could get?” She’s not even looking at me as she fishes her keys from her purse and heads toward her convertible.
“Yes, but what do you want me to do? Any time I’m around him, it’s like I can’t control myself.”
“Well, for starters you could stay away from him.”
Returning to Rockport: A Brother's Best Friend Romance Page 13