by Taryn Quinn
My heart tripped as he filled the space. More of that soft soap scent hit me, from his hair this time. He braced his arm around me on top of the sleeping bag and took a bite of my sandwich.
Frowning, I pulled my quarter of sandwich out of reach. “What is with you sharing food?”
He shrugged. “We shared a lot more than spit not twenty minutes ago. What’s the difference?”
“There’s a difference,” I said stubbornly. I knew I sounded ridiculous, but I do did not care.
He laughed, then collapsed beside me.
Now that my feet were nice and toasty, I kicked them out, hoping that he’d catch a hint. He did not. He simply propped his head up on his hand and watched me eat. With the other, he played with my hair.
“Mind if I fix this?”
I frowned down at him.
He nudged me forward and sat up. “Looks all knotted.” Gently, he tugged out the elastic I’d used to tie the braid then unwound the pieces.
I kept munching on my sandwich, unsure how this was going to go.
I wasn’t used to people in my space. A hug here and there with family was about the extent of it. And okay, the occasional forced hug from Luna, which I didn’t know how to handle.
But this was…something else. Intimate in a way that made my skin tingle. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was uncomfortable or because I liked it.
Maybe both.
He massaged my neck and shoulders. “So tense. After what we just did, I figured you’d be as loose as spaghetti. I know I am.”
“I am.” I hunched my shoulders.
He laughed. “Sure, you are. But you will be by the time I’m done.” He rummaged through his bag and came out with a comb.
“You don’t have cooties, do you?”
“Just eat your sandwich.” He shucked his jeans and sat cross-legged behind me.
“Why do you need to remove your pants to fuss with my hair?”
“A dude needs to breathe.”
“Which dude are we talking about here? Big or little?”
He chuckled. “Both are big, honey.”
I didn’t know what else to do so I picked at the triangle of sandwich I had left. Bacon first because it was the best part then the tomato. All the while, he unwound the tangled mess of my hair. I shivered as he lightly combed it with his fingers before he used his thumbs to massage the base of my neck.
“So tight. I’m sorry today was so hard.”
My chin fell forward as he worked his fingers all the way up my scalp. On the return trip, he used his short nails to give my skin a little extra buzz. I couldn’t say I was exactly getting relaxed, but it felt delicious.
Then he brought out the comb.
The to go container slid off my lap as I braced my hands beside my hips. If someone had told me yesterday that my hair was an erogenous zone, I would have laughed.
No laughing here now though. Not in the least.
My eyes closed to slits as the gentle tugs from his wide-toothed comb drew me closer to him. Full dark had come over our little patch of the park or wherever he’d brought me. The fact that I hadn’t really questioned him either made me insane or…
That or wasn’t something I wanted to speculate about right now.
For once, I was just going to live in the moment. I’d try to forget the shattered eyes of my brother, the slice in my chest that had reopened, and the past I wasn’t ready to dissect.
All of that was for another time.
It was a clean, cool night with the hearty crickets and night birds as our soundtrack. The Tiki torches gave off just enough light to push the imagined monsters away.
I tipped my head back when he found a snarl. But he didn’t pull, just carefully attacked it without causing any pain.
While he worked, I took in the sky and the spray of stars above. I never really sat still enough to watch the sky at night just because.
Even as a kid, I’d always been looking toward my future to the plans I had. I’d spent my free time in the shop I couldn’t stay out of, figuring out how to pull things apart and put them back together. There was no time to sit when I could be doing something.
Then here was this man behind me. From the bonfire to the plans for my house, Lucky proved how meticulous he was. And he lived a balanced life. He worked and played with equal energy.
Even as busy as he was, he’d come with me to figure out the clusterfuck of my past without a second thought. He’d understood I needed someone and simply volunteered.
Wanting to get horizontal with me didn’t include this kind of bullshit. So, why was he sticking around?
I just didn’t understand any of it. Truthfully, I was afraid to.
But I realized I’d dropped my shoulders and was leaning back against his knees. I couldn’t stop the shiver as he gathered my hair into a tail.
His voice rumbled as if playing with my hair had affected him just as much. “I’m no expert on the intricate braids, but I can do the simple kind.”
He parted the long, thick mass into three pieces then twined them together with no fanfare. Just neat and a little loose.
Somehow knowing my hair wasn’t quite so crazy smoothed out some of my edges. He’d coaxed out some secret oasis of calm deep inside of me I hadn’t known existed.
His fingers slid along my waist as he shifted us farther up the mattress. He tucked me back against him, his legs outstretched to cup me in his endless source of heat. “Warm enough now?”
“I’m okay.”
“You were shivering.”
“Not from being cold.”
He slid his arms around my middle and tucked his chin on my shoulder. “Is that a good thing?”
Tipping my head closer, I folded my arms over his. His warmth and comforting scent and whatever other mojo he had created a perfect cocoon. “It’s…nice.”
He chuckled. “Gee, thanks.” I tried to wiggle away, but he stopped me. “Nice is a good start.”
“Look, I’m no good at this stuff. Fucking? Yeah, sure. I’m down for some sweaty sex to release tension but…”
He tightened his hold. “We’ll figure it out together. I’m no maestro when it comes to this shit either, Ruby. I just know it’s different with you.” He pressed a kiss to that spot between my shoulder and neck he couldn’t seem to resist. And I couldn’t deny those kisses were rapidly becoming my favorite thing.
I wasn’t sure I was brave enough to ask what that meant.
“I think we should curl up and watch a scary movie.”
I twisted my head to look at him. “What?”
“C’mon. We’re in the dark. In the middle of nowhere. It’s definitely time to watch a scary movie.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’ll protect you, Ruby.”
“Shut up. I’m more likely to protect you.”
“Okay. I’ll let you.” He inched us farther down on the mattress and rolled us over so he was the big spoon. He reached back for his bag and pulled out a beat-up iPad. “I have a few movies downloaded on here. Let’s see what we find.”
When I tried to pull away, he flattened his hand over my middle. “Relax. You’re as skittish as a feral cat.”
I elbowed him. “I like space.”
“Yeah, well, you need a good—”
“If you say fucking, I’m going to belt you one.”
He laughed and tucked my braid out of the way. “I was going to say a good cuddle, you perv.” His hand slid under the tail of the dress-slash-shirt I was still wearing. But instead of aiming between my legs, or even toward my boobs, he just rested his hand over my belly. “Haven’t you ever spooned and watched a movie?”
“No.”
“Then we need to change that.” He settled behind me, twisting my ass to fit against the curve of his very hard stomach and boxers-clad dick.
Which was getting a little happy.
“Uh-huh. Cuddle. Right.”
“That’s just a reaction to your perfect ass. I am not a slave
to my dick, Ruby. No matter what the people of the Cove like to say.”
“I didn’t—”
He curled his arm under his head, creating a pillow for me. “Believe me when I tell you I could easily slip inside you right now and rock this truck until sunrise.” Absently, he brushed his thumb against my ribs before slipping away to set up our mini-theater.
I couldn’t say I was opposed to that idea.
He propped the iPad on the side of the truck bed, then opened his movie app and flicked through a startling number of movies and shows. I couldn’t even catch up, but he seemed to know just where to go.
“Do I get a say?”
“Sure. Do you like Rob Zombie-level gore?”
“God, no.”
“Good. Me neither. Now a good jump scare is classic. But I was thinking of another kind of classic.”
“Like what? Halloween?” I glanced out into the darkness just beyond the torches. Not sure I’d get any sleep with that in my brain.
“Nah.” He pushed play and the old 20th Century Fox logo came up, including trumpets. Then the black faded revealing Donald Sutherland in some medieval get-up handing a blond whose name I couldn’t remember a stake.
A giggle tumbled out of me. “Are you for real?”
His hand slid back under my shirt. “Damn right. Buffy is glorious.” This time, his fingers inched higher to stroke just below my breast. “Watch the movie.”
The campy movie was indeed just what I’d needed. I found myself drifting off with the 90s soundtrack in my head and a giant heater at my back.
Sometime in the night he did, in fact, slip inside me. The torches had gone out, and the only witnesses to our lovemaking were the stars and crickets. But the sweet, rocking climax wasn’t enough.
It only whetted my appetite for more.
For a connection to someone and something. The vastness of our little spot in the middle of nowhere gave me a freedom I wasn’t aware I needed.
I turned and rolled him over. His eyes shone in the darkness. The moon was close to full and gave me just enough light to be brave.
Climbing onto his thighs, I undid each button on my borrowed shirt. The cool breeze coasted over my skin like mist as I peeled it open. While he watched me, he slid his hands up my hips and his cock lengthened against his lower belly to curve slightly to the right.
Patience warred with need as he waited me out, letting me take the reins this time.
Slowly, I trailed my fingertips up my belly to my ribs and finally to tease the tips of my tight nipples. His grip on my naked hips tightened, but he didn’t move. Just the harsh rise and fall of his massive chest alerted me to his response.
I lifted my arms to untie my braid. That day in the suburbs flashed in my memory. When I’d leaned over him to help free Butch, he’d reacted to my hair. Reacted to my closeness.
Here and now, I shook out my hair as he swore darkly.
I leaned over him to press a finger to his lips. I didn’t want him to speak. The magic of the night was enough for us.
I brushed my breasts against his mostly smooth chest. Just a little dusting of hair along his abs led to the muscular vee ending in the thick girth of his cock. I nipped his bearded chin, then his neck as I opened my thighs wider to slide my still wet cleft along his shaft. His fingers slid farther back to cup my ass and gently guide me to rub harder.
Resting my hands on his chest, I rolled my hips to tease the tip of his cock with the hood of my pussy. My eyes closed as pleasure flared between us.
I fumbled above his head to dig through his condom stash. I should have been mad that he’d prepared for this possibility, but I didn’t care right now. I just wanted him inside me.
Finding my prize, I leaned back to take him in hand.
His jaw was tight in the faint glow of the moonlight. I rolled down the latex and shimmied up to take him before I could overthink the whole damn thing. The fact that I wanted him inside me more than to ride to the orgasm I knew he could provide made me pause.
But then he was sitting up, those ridiculous arms lifting me. “Ruby.”
I reached between us and guided him home.
No. Just inside. Home implied something else.
I rolled my head back, but I couldn’t lie to myself. He did feel like home. As if he was part of something bigger I’d never known I was missing.
As if I was too. Together we were just…more.
He gripped my hair before hauling me against him. Chest to chest, face to face, every inch of skin pressed close. He filled me up so completely that I couldn’t hold back my broken sob.
Slanting his mouth over mine, he swallowed my cries. If he hadn’t, they would’ve echoed into the darkness. I couldn’t suppress them.
He braced his other hand against my back as he rocked himself deeper inside me. We flowed together, a rushing current against an endpoint neither of us wanted to reach.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, then buried my face between his neck and his shoulder. The tears sideswiped me. All the pain of the day, the stress of keeping quiet about a betrayal I’d thought I buried, and this man who’d bulldozed his way into my life crashed into the wall of pleasure.
He stiffened under me, and his choked groan of release activated my own.
Even if the messy emotions tried to strangle the passion between us, they were there under it all. Refusing to be denied. They flattened me as my groan of surrender ended in a sob.
“Shh.” His arms tightened around me. “Shh. It’s okay.”
The torrent of tears horrified me. I tried to scramble away, but he wouldn’t let me. He crushed me tighter and pressed his cheek against mine. The murmur of acceptance and the comfort of his immovable strength soothed me, there for the taking.
I just had to reach for them.
“Tish, I’m not going anywhere.”
My hands fisted against his back, but he didn’t let go. Finally, I relaxed against him, silent tears replacing the storm.
Gently, he rocked me until the sky started to lighten. Then he simply laid down, taking me with him.
His fingers were a tender brush along my naked back. And again, I fell asleep.
Except this time, I was wrapped around him.
Thirteen
The ride home wasn’t exactly what I expected. After the previous night, I’d thought we were past one of the blocks between us.
I was very wrong.
She didn’t say much more than five words to me. Three of them declaring her need for coffee. McDonald’s saved the day again. After a belly full of coffee and tasty McMuffin sandwiches, we spent two and half hours listening to Asher Wainwright scare the crap out of us with his podcast.
I turned onto her road. We’d been halfway home to start, and she’d nudged me to leave barely past dawn. It was early enough that mist was still clinging to the lake. My eyes were gritty from lack of sleep, but my body was charged on truly excellent sex and Mickey D’s.
I drove around to the barn. Before I even came to a stop, she was unclipping her belt and grabbing her bag.
“Gonna jump out before I put her in park?”
She shot me a guilt-filled look over her shoulder. “I’m tired and need a shower and a real bathroom.”
I turned toward her. “I’m ready to find a shower too, but you don’t think we should talk about last night?”
This wasn’t my usual role. Typically, I was the one strolling away before a woman could ask if I wanted to talk about “where we are.” I never did.
Overnight, I’d become a man eager to discuss feelings and crochet tea cozies.
Or beer cozies. Was that a thing? I could start the trend, assuming I could figure out how to crochet. There was always YouTube.
“It was what it was.”
I knew she was still embarrassed about crying. Didn’t make her words any less of a direct hit. “It was more than just a tumble and you know it.”
Her shoulders hunched.
“Didn’t take you for a
coward, Tish.”
She swung open the door and slid out. “You don’t know me.” She shook back all that viking red hair. “Let’s just keep it business.”
The jab cut deep. “You got it.”
She’d barely closed the door before I was reversing and kicking up gravel in my haste. My fingers throbbed with my grip on the steering wheel, and my tires chirped as I turned onto Lake Street. I fishtailed, gunning my engine to get away from her place.
If I’d been paying fucking attention, I would have caught Crescent Cove’s finest before blasting by. The whoop-whoop of a siren was followed by red and blue lights flashing in my rearview. “Goddammit. Just what I need.”
Throwing on my blinker, I pulled over to the curb. I slapped open my glove box and Ruby’s trail mix tumbled out. I tossed it in my backseat with a growl and dug out my registration and insurance.
When I straightened, the newest addition to Crescent Cove’s police department was standing by my window.
Deputy Brady McNeill’s usually affable expression had been replaced with stern lines. We’d hung out a few times on the rooftop of Caleb’s place, but a job was a job. I was driving like an asshole, and that was on me.
“Any idea how fast you were going, Lucky?”
“Nope.” I stared straight ahead, my paperwork crushed in one hand.
“Hmm.” He tapped his hand on his gun, then relaxed. “Girl trouble.”
My hand tightened on the wheel again.
“Definitely girl trouble.” He glanced at his watch. “Wanna grab a beer?”
I frowned. “What? It’s not even ten.”
He shrugged. “It’s a little after nine. Means I’m off shift. I pulled the overnight.”
“There’s an overnight shift in Crescent Cove?” Shock had me sitting back in my seat.
“There is when the hayrides have started. Not much to do in a small town but get drunk. I confiscated a twelve pack of microbrew.”
My eyebrow shot up. “In my day we bought Budweiser or worse—”
“The Beast,” Brady finished for me. “Come on. The rooftop is pretty toasty this time of day. Good time to get drunk.”