by Holly Jaymes
“Hey, who you calling loser?” My brother teased.
“Compared to Mitch, y’all are slackers.”
“Too true,” my brother held up his beer bottle in salute to my statement.
Mitch laughed and clicked his bottle with my brothers. “Well, if any of you slackers need a job, let me know. Of course, you need to know computer programming.”
“I know how to find Porn Hub online,” my brother said, laughing at his own joke. Clearly, he was already past tipsy.
I rolled my eyes.
Mitch frowned. “Jeez, Parker, are you having that much trouble with the women?” Then he grinned.
“You cut me, Mitch,” my brother said. “In truth, internet sex is less tough on the old heart, if you know what I mean.” My brother cut a look at Tina, who was still standing so close to Mitch that her boobs were rubbing against his sizable arm.
“No, I don’t know. My heart is completely intact.” He glanced at Tina too.
I snickered, but Tina seemed oblivious. “I bet you can have anyone you want, can’t you, Mitch?” she said.
He seemed to think about it. “Oh, I don’t know.”
You could have me, I thought. Cripes, I was as bad as Tina. Not wanting to come off looking desperate for Mitch’s attention, I excused myself and went inside. I wasn’t much of a beer drinker so I invaded my parents’ wine cooler instead.
“Was it something I said?” Mitch said as he leaned against the doorway to the kitchen.
I jumped, startled at his voice.
“Oh shit, sorry Hope, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I laughed. “I just wasn’t expecting you. I figured you and Tina would be halfway naked by the riverbank by now.”
He rolled his eyes. “Not gonna happen.”
I poured my wine and leaned against the counter since he blocked my exit. “I don’t think she knows that.”
He shrugged. “So, what are you up to? You graduated, didn’t you?”
I nodded. “Last week. You didn’t make it to my blow out.”
He quirked a brow. “You didn’t invite me.”
Mitch and I were friendly, but he was friends with Parker. It didn’t occur to me to invite him. “Would you have come?”
“Sure.” He took a swig of his beer.
“It wasn’t a blowout. It was a small gathering.”
“If you invited me, I would have come.”
“You’d have been bored,” I said, taking a sip of wine.
“I’ve been bored before. Sometimes these parties bore me.”
I studied him. “Have you grown out of your frat-boy stage?”
He laughed. “Maybe I have. I’ve got a company to run, and people who rely on me to feed their families or pay their student loans.” He frowned. “Shit, I hope that doesn’t mean I’m boring.”
“I think that you being boring would be impossible.”
“Really?” He seemed to like that statement.
There was a massive crash and an “Oh sorry,” in the other room. I could only imagine what vase or other item some drunken guest had broken of my mother’s.
“I do understand about the party thing though. I’d rather be sitting on the riverside than at this raucous event.”
“So, let’s go.” Mitch straightened from the doorjamb.
“You’re here to hang with Parker.”
“Who is now probably naked with Tina.”
I rolled my eyes. “Are you kidding me?”
He shook his head. “Your brother was always easy.” He nodded his head toward the back. “Come on.”
I grabbed the bottle of wine, and a throw blanket off the couch, and followed Mitch out the back door. “Let’s go up the river a little bit. It will be quieter.” Our parents’ weekend home was at the end of the road, which meant there was no property next to it on one side. Over the years, my brother and I had worn a trail to a place along the river where there was a little beach with soft sand. The water there was shallow and slow enough to wade to the tiny island in the middle.
Mitch and I walked in silence along the path, using the bright full moon to light the way. When we reached the beach, I spread the blanket out and lay back on it.
“You know you can’t see the stars as well at home,” I said.
He lay beside me. “The best place to see the stars is in the mountains. It’s almost like you’re closer to them.”
I thought about that. “In some ways, you are.”
We lay again in silence for a few moments.
“So, what’s your next step, Hope?” He turned his head to look at me. His face was so close, and I could smell his cologne or soap. It was very manly like him.
“I’m going to work for my dad.” I turned away from Mitch, not wanting him to see how much I didn’t want that.
“I thought you wanted to be a designer or something?”
I shrugged. “I need to be realistic.”
“So that’s it? You’re giving up on your dream at twenty-one?”
“No.” God, I hoped not. “But I need business experience, and I’ll get that from working with my dad.” I sat up, needing to end the conversation about how my life was starting to veer off the path I’d wanted. “I’m going swimming.”
“What?”
I took my shirt off.
“Ah, Hope?”
“What?” I stood and looked down on him as I pushed my skirt down.
“Maybe that’s not a good idea.”
“Oh, for goodness sake,” I said. “A bra and underwear are like a swimsuit. You’ve seen me in a swimsuit.” I tried not to be disappointed that he wasn’t turned on by me. I had all the bits men liked, but perhaps because I was Parker’s sister, Mitch wasn’t interested.
Not waiting for him, I waded into the water. “It’s still a little cold.”
He sat on the sand, watching me, but it was too dark to make out what he might be thinking. Finally, he stood, and I thought he was going to leave. Instead, he pulled his shirt over his head.
“Oh my,” I said softly to myself. Mitch was ripped. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his torso. I had the strangest desire to run my tongue over his chest and down his abs. I wanted to trace the intricate design of the tattoo that covered his shoulder.
Then he undid his pants, and despite the cool water, my body felt with wild heat. He pushed down his jeans and stood in a pair of dark boxer briefs. His legs were long, lean, and muscular. I squinted, wanting to get a better look at his groin. He had to be impressive there as well. Not that I’d know impressive from ordinary, but still.
He strode toward the water, and as he got closer, I had to force myself to not stare at his crotch.
“You’re right. It’s cold.”
I wanted to ask if cold water really shrank a man’s penis, but that was probably not appropriate.
He came and stood next to me. The water came up to just below his belly button, while my waist was underwater.
“Now that we’re here, what next?” he asked.
I wanted to squeeze his pecs next. I clasped my hands together to stop myself from doing it.
His eyes drifted down to my chest. I looked down to make sure I was still covered and saw that my nipples were sticking out. I crossed my arms.
“Why is it, do you suppose, that cold water makes a dick shrink, but tits get hard?” he asked.
Thankfully he thought it was the water that made my nipples poke out, because I wasn’t sure. Mitch radiated sexuality and getting hot and bothered around him was pretty standard for me.
“So that’s true about men in cold water?” I asked.
“Yep.” He pulled out the waistband of his underwear and looked down. Curious, I leaned over. His waistband snapped back in place.
I jerked my gaze up to his as I realized what I’d been doing.
He smirked. “Trying to sneak a look at my junk?”
I swallowed. “I didn’t see anything.”
He frowned. “Well, that’s because of the cold w
ater. It’s there.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“Now that’s just mean.” But he said it with humor.
We stayed in the water until I could barely feel my legs from the cold. Back on the blanket, the warm, humid June air took away the chill.
We finished off the bottle of wine and then lay back on the blanket. In the distance, I could hear my brother’s party, but it felt like it was in a different world. Or maybe that was the fog from the wine.
I looked over at Mitch. He lay next to me, his hands under his head, and his eyes closed.
I rolled to my side, pressing my hand on his chest to help me get leverage to look down on him. “Are you asleep?”
“Nope.” His eyes remained closed.
I blamed the wine for impeding my impulses as I traced the outline of his muscles on his chest.
“What are you doing?” he asked, still keeping his eyes closed.
“Have you ever thought of modeling? You’d make a great model.”
“Nope. I like what I do.”
“Well if that tech thing doesn’t work, you could model,” I said.
“If you make the clothes, maybe I will.”
My hand stilled and looked at him, feeling all warm inside that he was still holding on to my dream even as I was letting it slip away.
“You say nice things, Mitch.”
“I’m a nice guy.”
I trailed my finger between his pecs and lower between the packs of his abs toward his belly button.
“Hope.” His hand covered mine as his eyes snapped open.
“Hmm?”
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
I looked at him, not sure what he was getting at. He nodded downward. I followed his gaze and noticed the bulge in his underwear. Even more fascinating was the tip of his penis sticking out from his waistband.
My body heated, and more than anything, I wanted to pull his shorts down. I would have liked to learn everything there was to know about his body.
Slowly I turned my gaze to meet his. “It’s true about the water.”
He nodded. “And it doesn’t take much for him to come out.”
“So, if I were Tina…”
He shook his head. “Tina wouldn’t get this close.”
I wanted it to mean something that he let me get this close. My rational mind told me he trusted me as a friend, so of course, I could be near him. The problem was, I wanted to cross the line. Would he let me? Would he go with me?
I tested the waters by pulling my hand free and continuing my finger’s journey downward until I reached his belly button.
He hissed in a breath. “You’re playing with fire, Hope.”
“I like the heat.”
His eyes filled with desire.
Taking a chance, I continued to move my finger lower and lower until I brushed gently over his tip.
He groaned. “We shouldn’t do this.”
He didn’t say “you should do this,” he said, “we” as if he was participating.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Fuck no.” His eyes closed, and his face contorted into frustration as if he was battling within himself. Finally, he opened his eyes. “You got a peek at me, now how about you share?”
The center between my thighs filled with pressure. I wasn’t sure how far this would go, but I was ready to go all the way.
“It’s a front clasp,” I told him.
His eyes narrowed slightly as his hand reached over toward me. His fingers flicked the fastener so adroitly that it was clear he’d done it many times before. My breasts stayed in their cups, so he gently pushed one away, flicking over my hard nipple as he did. God, it felt good.
He cupped the breast and then looked up at me. “You have perfect tits, Hope.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
He surprised me by getting up and putting my nipple in his mouth. It sent a delicious sensation straight to my core. I moaned and held his head to me, wanting to keep there. Never stop doing that, I thought.
He pushed the other cup of my bra away, and then sucked on the other nipple while his hand pinched and kneaded my other breast.
“So good, Mitch,” I managed to say as my breath began to come in harsher gasps.
He took my hand and brought it to his groin. “Return the favor, Hope.”
I couldn’t figure out how people touched each other simultaneously. With Mitch’s mouth on me, I couldn’t make my body do anything, and my mind was lost of all thought.
I worked to focus. I managed to slip my hand under his boxer briefs to touch him. He was long and thick. The skin was soft like silk, and underneath it was hard as a rock.
“Harder,” he said, squeezing my hand around him. “Ah yeah, just like that.”
I wondered if I should tell him I’d never done this before. I’d heard that men like virgins. But then his finger slipped inside my panties and once again, all thought flew out of my brain. I hunched over his hand, wanting more from his fingers although I wasn’t sure what that was.
He growled and rolled us until I was under him, and then he kissed me, and I felt like every fairy tale dream I’d ever imagined had come true. He tasted like I’d expected him to; dangerous yet sweet.
His hand groped beside me until he found his pants. He rose up, his knees straddling me as he dug into his pants for something. His penis lay long and hard on my belly. A pearl of wetness dripped from its tip.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said as he took something out of his pocket.
I stroked a hand over his hard length to keep him from changing his mind.
He groaned and then rolled a condom on. He shifted, moving between my legs, widening my thighs. His mouth went to my breasts again, and I arched as pleasure filled me again.
I stilled when I felt his tip at my entrance.
“Tell me you’re ready.” His fingers stroked through me.
“Yes,” I gasped, arching again.
He pushed in, and my fingers dug into his shoulders as I prepared myself for his invasion. I’d heard first times could hurt. It was hard to believe because so far, what we were doing felt so good.
He adjusted his hips, sliding deeper. “God, you’re so fucking tight.”
In my mind, he was just big, but what did I know.
He withdrew slightly and then pushed in again, and this time, I felt like my insides were splitting open. I cried out as a sharp pain speared deep inside.
“Ah, fuck…are you okay?” He started to withdraw, but I hooked my legs around him, holding him to me. “You aren’t a virgin, are you.”
“Don’t stop, Mitch.” I tilted my hips, and he slid in deeper. He growled, in response. He held still for a moment and then he began to move.
At first, I was worried I was going to be disappointed because all those delicious feelings I’d had earlier were gone. But with each stroke inside me, pleasure started to build.
Soon my hips were rocking to meet his as white-hot need coiled tighter and tighter.
“Ah fuck yeah…Hope, Christ, I’m going to come.”
More than my wanting my own pleasure, I’d wanted to give it to him. I looked up into his face, a mixture of torment and need.
“Come on, Hope,” he shifted, and his fingers slipped between our bodies. He rubbed my sensitive nub, and all of a sudden, my world exploded and spun out of control. My entire body went taut and then convulsed in sweet ecstasy.
Mitch let out a feral yell, then plunged in, grinding his hips against mine. He did it again and again until he collapsed on me.
His breath was harsh in my ear. I was breathing pretty hard too.
“You okay?” he asked, his body still pinning mine onto the blanket.
“Yes.”
A second later, he rolled off. “Fuck.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Jesus Hope.”
The tone in his voice suggested he wasn’t feeling as good as I was. Did he not like it?
&nb
sp; “Fucking hell, your brother would kill me if he found out about this.”
“Really? You’re thinking about him now?” I might be a virgin, but I wasn’t naïve, and I wasn’t my brother’s responsibility.
“He’s my best friend, Hope and I just betrayed him.”
All of a sudden, I felt vulnerable and stupid. I reached over to get my clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m leaving,” I said.
“Hope.” He reached for me, but I pulled away.
“Do you know how you just made me feel?”
“I just gave you an orgasm. A good one by the sound of it.”
I wanted to slap him. “And then you ruined it.”
“I’m sorry,” he shook his head as if he regretted his words. “It should have never happened.”
I felt tears spring to my eyes. “And now you’re ruining it more. But no worries, Mitch. Your friendship is still intact with Parker.” I finished dressing as Mitch scrambled to get dressed as well.
“I’m handling this all wrong, Hope. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Too late.” I picked up the blanket and started back to the house. “Perhaps you should wait a minute. You wouldn’t want people to think we were fucking along the river.” I never used that word, and up until a few minutes ago, I would have used “making love” or maybe “sex.” But Mitch’s response to what happened made everything clear to me. He might like me as a friend, but this was just a hookup. It was a hookup that shouldn’t have happened because he was my brother’s friend. At least that was how he felt. For me, it had been a beautiful moment with a man I’d cared for. I was an idiot. I wouldn’t ever let that happen again.
.
Book 3: Chapter 1—Stranded
Stranded
Hope
I wasn’t a country girl, but I had to admit that I felt like I could breathe when I finally left the congestion of Northern Virginia as I headed west to the Blue Ridge Mountains. I also felt free. It was like I was finally moving toward my life’s goal. For nearly a decade I’d been working for my father, and while I’d learned a lot, my own dreams eventually faded.
Now I had the opportunity to finally get back to my goals. I was excited, even as the move for me was bittersweet. The chance was here because my father’s business had taken a turn for the worse. Both my brother and I had warned him that the investments he wanted to make could turn out badly. But my father was anxious to retire early, mostly to appease my mother, who wanted to move out of Northern Virginia and head further south. She was now acutely aware of the statement, “be careful what you wish for,” because my father’s plan failed tremendously and now they had to sell everything. They could move south, but not with the money they’d wanted.
