by Piper Rayne
After what I did to her with my mouth, I know what she needs, and reach down with my thumb to swirl her clit—gently at first.
Her hips give a little tremble, her thighs squeezing around me.
I arch faster, our bodies finding a rhythm. Her breaths move faster, louder, and her eyes are closed. But I need more control.
“Sit up and touch yourself for me,” I say, pulling off her nipple.
She blinks her eyes open. “What?”
I sit up with her so she’s fully upright and give her a reassuring kiss. Then I take her hands and place them on her breasts, my fingers on top of hers.
That blush blooms up her chest. “I … can’t,” she says, tugging her hands away.
“Come on, Adventure Girl, do this for me.”
“For you?” she asks, a skeptical look on her face.
I chuckle and lay back so I can get a full view. “Yeah, for me.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s crazy hot,” I say, and toggle her slippery clit.
She inhales a sharp breath, her face tightening with desire.
I place her hands on her again. “Show me,” I growl.
Her expression tells me her mind and fingers are having a little war. Her mind wants to suppress what it thinks is naughty, but her desire is in charge of her fingers. Slowly, she feathers her hands over her nipples.
I grip her hips and rock her firmly. “Good girl,” I praise.
Her lashes flutter closed against her flushed cheeks. I move us faster, arching deep into her. A shudder pulses through her and she squeezes me.
“Fuck,” I groan. “Yes, like that.”
She squeezes me again.
I suck in a breath. Jesus, this girl.
A look of desperation pinches her face. I move us faster, taking one hand off her hip to stroke her with my thumb.
She’s pinching herself harder; getting lost in her need. Fuck if it isn’t a turn-on, watching her let go like this, watching her learn to trust her desires, trust me.
She so aroused right now that everything is slick and hot and the sounds our bodies are making blend with our breaths to make a playlist I’d like on repeat.
Her walls squeeze me tighter. An anguished look crosses her face. She’s so close. She just needs to let it come, let it consume her.
I pinch her clit while she tugs at her nipples and suddenly, her mouth opens in pleasure. “I’m coming, oh my God,” she pants, her head dropping back, and her mouth opens, releasing a series of soft cries. Her fingers fly to my wrists while her walls tighten around me with her release.
Her soft, pale breasts swing as we rock, and I cradle them firmly, rising up to suck and bite.
Lori yelps, her hips grinding against me. She cries out again, louder, her climax exploding. I arch into her harder, faster, my mind narrowing to nothing.
Lori shudders into me but I don’t stop, my own release like a runaway train. I grab her hips again and thrust, filling every inch of her. With a groan, I come, pumping hard until I’m empty and spent.
Lori collapses on top of me, her chest heaving into mine, our moist bodies touching everywhere.
Lazily, I caress her skin as the details of the room slide back into focus.
“See?” I say, giving her now-salty shoulder a wet kiss. “Worth the do-over.”
She nuzzles closer. Though I can’t see her face, I feel her smile against my collarbone.
10
Lori
Caleb falls asleep almost instantly, his arm wrapped across me twitching, but I just lay there blinking at the ceiling.
Come on, Adventure Girl, do this for me.
A shudder shakes my limbs. Adventure Girl.
Am I that girl? I certainly was tonight.
It’s weird being in someone else’s bed. Shea and I made out in his room plenty of times, but he always took me home. I know I could probably call Annika, ask her to come get me, but I have a feeling it’ll start some kind of family feud.
I tell myself that it’s fine. Just … weird. But what’s going to happen in the morning? Will he take one look at me and wonder what the hell I’m still doing here?
As if to mark my point, a door creaks open somewhere in the house, followed by low murmurs, then footsteps pass outside Caleb’s door. A moment later, the front door shuts.
Does Caleb expect me to leave like Grady’s companion? Is there some hookup etiquette I should have studied before coming to Idaho?
* * *
I wake to pale light sneaking in under the blinds. Caleb’s body is curved against my back like a spoon, with his arm around my waist. It’s incredibly sweet, how he wants me close, even in sleep.
After slipping from his embrace, I put on my clothes, but the room is chilly, giving my skin goose bumps. From the back of a chair, I grab a thick, plaid flannel shirt and slide it on, wrapping myself up. It smells like Caleb: river mist and pepper. I stand there reliving his kisses and the way he felt moving inside me for a long moment before forcing my feet to move.
Rounding the corner to the kitchen, I stifle a gasp. Did the partygoers really consume this much alcohol last night? Empty bottles and cans are everywhere. The trash can is overflowing. The counters are coated with something that looks sticky even from this distance.
I start with collecting all of the recyclables, trying not to wake anyone, and fill two garbage bags. Then, I collect all the garbage and half-eaten food and add it to the trash bin against the side of the house. When I’m outside, a faint pop sounds from somewhere and I grin in wonder that somewhere, the party’s still in full swing.
Will I ever think of fireworks without Caleb again? Without remembering this incredible night?
Back in the kitchen, I start on the countertops, then tackle the sink. I’m sweeping the floor when Caleb steps into the room, looking half-asleep and sexy as hell.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” I say.
He shakes his head. “You did not have to clean my house.”
“I was awake.”
He crosses his arms. “So. You okay?”
A tickle weaves through my belly. Am I? “Yeah.”
He steps close enough to touch me. “Sore?”
I try to stifle my blush, but it heats my neck anyway. “A little.”
He beams like he’s won some kind of prize.
I can’t help but smile.
“You know the perfect remedy, don’t you?” he asks, pulling me into his arms. His body feels warm and soft and he smells remarkably good despite the hour.
He kisses me then steps back for a giant yawn, and coupled with the way he’s shirtless, wearing only a pair of faded jeans, the tingle in my belly turns molten.
“Hey, so, Grady and I are gonna ride Sunbeam Valley today, before the carnival.” His eyes turn hopeful. “You wanna go?”
“Ride, as in bike?” I ask.
“Dirt bike. You can ride on the back of mine.”
I’ve never been dirt biking and though I’m not opposed to trying it, I’m not crazy about the idea of being the third wheel. “Maybe another time?” I say. “I … need to wash my hair.”
He chuckles at my joke, then walks slowly toward me, his eyes smoldering. “Maybe you should let me do that.”
I raise an eyebrow. “It’s an extremely complicated process. There’s the shampoo, then the conditioner. Brushing it too. There’s a fine balance between being firm and gentle.”
“Ah,” he says, stepping close enough so his heat radiates through me. “I think we found that balance last night,” he adds, brushing a lock of hair over my shoulder and planting a soft kiss right below my ear.
My body reacts instantly—thighs clenching, breath hitching.
Oh boy did we.
He steps back, watching me with a kind, knowing look. “I’m happy to take you home, if that’s what you want.”
“I think that’s best,” I say, heaving a breath to calm the sudden throbbing in my blood.
“Have you been to Growly Bear Bakery
yet?” he says with a twinkle in his eyes.
I shake my head. “Why would I need to with Annika always bringing me treats?”
He chuckles. “Annika doesn’t make bear claws, or good coffee.”
My stomach rumbles.
“I’ll just grab a shirt,” he says, and disappears down the hallway.
Why is he taking me to breakfast?
Moments later we’re leaving his front door, his hand reaching for mine. It’s still early, with dew coating the grass. To my surprise, he leads me to a motorcycle parked on the other side of a black truck.
“Is this yours?” I ask, then bite my lip because…duh.
He chuckles. “Yes, it’s mine.” He lets go of my hand and straddles the bike.
“I’ve never been on a motorcycle,” I say, still standing there.
“It’s easy. Just hold on tight and do what I do. If I lean, you lean. If I slow down, try not to slam into me.”
He hands me a helmet, tucks into his, then he starts the bike and backs it up so we’re facing the street.
A little thrill shoots through me as I climb on the back, tucking in the hem of my dress so I don’t flash half the town as we ride. The position makes my soreness intensify. I wrap my arms around him and try to savor the way his body feels against mine.
Caleb accelerates onto the road, turning right, toward the center of town. A few turns later, we’re pulling up in front of a handsome log house, the honey-colored wood glossy in the sunshine. It’s barely eight o’clock and the place is buzzing. Hikers, mostly, with their zip-off nylon pants, trekking poles, and hiking boots, but there’s also a few old guys who look like fishermen here to top up their thermoses before heading out for the morning.
After Caleb parks in front, we leave our helmets with the bike, and climb the weathered plank steps to an order window.
Caleb nods to several people—a waiter and one of the old dudes. One waitress—stick-thin with long, blonde hair—seems to frown at me, and I wonder what I’ve done.
“You want to eat outside?” Caleb asks, running a hand through his bedhead hair. “Or we can go inside, order in there,” he adds, pointing to where a line of people extends onto the porch from an open door.
“Outside,” I say. It’s sweet that he’s being so thoughtful.
He steps up to the window and chats with the woman, who proceeds to ask him questions about the guiding business and if he’s ready for the Fourth of July carnival.
I’m impressed by his patience, answering each question thoughtfully. I get the feeling this is part of everyday life in a small town, especially with his big family.
“Your ma doin okay? I haven’t seen her around much,” the woman asks.
Caleb’s face tightens. It’s so quick I almost miss it.
“She’s all right, thanks.”
“Well, tell her I’m keeping her in my prayers. Now, what can I get you two?” she asks.
Moments later, I’m wrapping my fingers around a thick ceramic mug of steaming hot coffee and shuffling to a table on the side of the bakery, tucked beneath a fabric canopy.
“Sorry, Claudia’s always chatty.”
“It’s okay,” I say quickly, adding cream to my coffee.
Caleb squeezes a blob of honey into his.
The comment about his mom is stuck in my mind, but I’m not sure if I, the slumber party guest, have the right to pry. “In a town of five thousand people, it’s probably impossible for people not to know your business,” I say, stirring my coffee.
“You got that right,” he says with a sigh.
The waitress who glared at me arrives with our bear claws on two mismatched plates, her clogs clomping on the wooden planks.
Caleb seems startled to see her.
“Hey, Del,” he says in a voice I’ve never heard from him, strained and tense. “I didn’t know you were working here.”
“Why would you?” she answers in a huff, then plunks our plates on the table and stomps off.
Caleb looks worn out. “Sorry,” he says weakly.
“Old flame?” I tease, pulling off a corner of the pastry.
He lifts his coffee cup to his lips, eyeing me across the top. “No flame, just … a mistake.”
“Did something happen?” I ask, nibbling a bite. It’s heaven—thick and buttery and loaded with almondy sweetness.
I expect some kind of cocky reply, something to make light of this girl’s reaction, but his eyes are dark. “We grew up together.” He chews a bite of his bear claw, then slurps a sip of coffee.
“She turned up at Boise State this year. Transferred in.” He shakes his head. “She always had a crush on me, growing up. I knew getting together with her was a bad idea, but…”
“Hey, it’s not my business. You don’t have to explain.”
His face is troubled. “No, it’s okay. I think I was just really missing home, you know? But I had to break it off. She’s sort of nuts.”
I cringe. “That must have been hard.”
“You have no idea.” He takes another bite. “I wouldn’t have brought you if I knew she was working here.”
“It’s fine,” I say, surprised that he cares so much. I mean, I’m just a fling, right?
“I love this place,” he says, looking around with a wistful gleam in his eye. “I grew up coming here. It’s home.”
“I love that you shared it with me,” I say, wanting to touch him but not sure PDA is a good idea here. “Thank you.”
His eyes brighten. “You’re welcome.”
After lingering on our breakfast where he entertains me with stories from his childhood—family outings, how he fell in love with music, and how he and Grady became friends—he drives us to the highway, then up the gravel road to camp. I feel a little bit like royalty pulling up outside the entrance on my motorcycle chariot, and this sensation only strengthens when he parks the bike and dismounts in order to kiss me goodbye.
“You’ll be at the carnival, right?” he asks, after pulling back from a kiss that makes my thighs clench.
I nod, shy from how easily my body reacts to him. This is supposed to end, right? We had our little fling, and now we’ll go back to being what we were. Only I’m not sure what that is, except a lead up to this.
“I’m going to warm up my pitching arm so I can get you wet,” I say. I’ve never flirted like this with a boy and it’s intoxicating.
His gaze sears me with a dagger of heat. “That’s my job.”
I can’t contain my giggle and slap my hand over my mouth.
He tugs on my waist, making me sway toward him. “You have a very dirty mind, Adventure Girl.”
“No, I really don’t!” I protest.
He grins at me. “I think maybe you do. I think I bring it out in you.”
“Maybe,” I say, trying to hide my smile.
He kisses me again, and this time it’s longer, deeper. His lips are so soft and warm, and I drift lazily along on a gentle current.
“See you later,” he says after stepping back.
Still trying to catch my breath, I stand and watch him drive down the gravel road, unprepared for the ache in my heart when he dips out of sight.
11
Lori
The camp is practically deserted, so I take a long shower without worrying about using up the hot water. Annika texts me as I’m getting dressed:
Annika: Girl you are in so much trouble.
We exchanged a glance last night as she left without me, but we haven’t talked.
Me: With you?
Annika: First, are you okay? That’s what matters.
And then what, I wonder? Will we still be friends?
Me: Yeah. I’m fine.
More than fine, I don’t add.
Me: Are you mad?
Annika: No, silly. Where are you now?
Me: Back at camp.
Annika: Be there in 10
I brush out my long hair and tuck into my flip flops, then hurry across camp to the parking area. The dust
trail from Annika’s car rises up from the road below. I can practically time her arrival to the second.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” I say when I jump into her little car.
Her brows knit together in worry as she scrutinizes me with a long look. “Without giving me details…was he an asshole?”
“No!” I protest.
“Whose idea was it to stay the night?” she asks. “My phone’s been blowing up ever since. Everyone’s wondering what the heck is going on.”
My eyes widen. I hadn’t counted on starting a scandal. Is this just small-town dynamics or is Caleb the reason?
“Wait, before you answer that, have a cookie,” Annika says, pointing to the small glass jar filled with a stack of half a dozen peanut butter cookies.
I take one out and bite into it, the rich flavor returning me to that evening in Rogue Canyon and where my feelings for Caleb went off the rails.
“Yum,” I say.
“My brother’s a one and done kind of guy,” Annika says. “But somehow you stayed all night.”
“He asked me to.”
Her eyes widen. “Interesting.” She nibbles on the edge of a cookie. “But then what?”
“We agreed to stay friends.” At least, that’s what I think happened.
Her eyes narrow in disbelief. “Oh-kay,” she sings. She engages the clutch, and we set off down the road.
“This is probably weird for you, but we’re good. I had a good time.”
Annika stops me with her hand. “Stop there. I don’t need to know anything else.”
“Just so you know, I don’t normally do that. We just sort of hit it off.” Hit it off? A zip of heat tingles through my core, calling my bluff.
“I’m not judging you,” Annika says. A breeze scented with dry sage blows through the cab. “Just worried he’s going to break your heart.”
I gather my hair to keep it out of my face and take another bite of cookie. “He won’t,” I reply with certainty. No way am I falling for Caleb or anyone else this summer.
