For All The Right Reasons

by Brownell, Rachael

  Basically, I'd claimed my fair share of orgasms.

  Then Jade and I fell in bed together, and everything I thought I knew was out the window. That woman... she’s like an electric current.

  "Want to finish that conversation now?" I ask, leaning against her open bedroom door. Jade's sitting on the floor in front of a full-length mirror, applying her makeup. She’s holding a Pop-Tart between her lips as she slowly, steadily, draws a thin black line over her left eye to match the eyeliner she's already applied to her right.

  Putting the cap back on the marker-looking product, she pulls the crumbling pastry from her mouth, taking a large bite, and stares at me in the reflection of the mirror.

  "Pretty sure I was clear the other day."

  "But we were interrupted."

  "You mean when Quinn showed up and saved the day? I prefer to think of it as him saving you from being kicked in the balls."

  Sass. Always so sassy. I like it. It makes me want to rip her clothes off even more.

  "Sounds like I owe him a beer," I retort quickly, moving to sit on her bed before she can protest my intrusion into her room.

  Not that I’d listen to her. I've showered in here the last two days. She's met me on the other side of the door, arms crossed, eyes attempting to shoot daggers through me. And me? All I do is smile at the fact I'm getting under her skin. Slowly breaking down the walls she's attempting to erect between us.

  Because the only thing I want erect between us is—

  "What do you want, Nathan?"

  "You," I state firmly.

  "That's not going to happen."

  "Are you sure about that? Because I see the way you look at me."

  Now I'm fucking with her. I've been stealing glimpses in her direction any chance I've had, and I have yet to catch her once checking me out. Not that we've been able to spend that much time together. She and Gabby have become inseparable since they first met.

  "I try not to," I hear her mumble under her breath.

  "And why is that?" As I inch closer to her, she watches me in the mirror but doesn't say a word.

  "What do you want me to say, Nathan?" she practically screams as she whips her head in my direction. "That you're attractive? Fine, you're hot. That seeing you naked affected me? That every time you walk in the room, I'm strangely aware of your presence? Check and check. None of those things mean anything. We are not sleeping together."

  This is my chance. My one opportunity to change her mind. If I don't act now, I'm not going to win this battle. We'll end up being friends, and I'll resort to jerking off to the sounds of her voice. The low grumble when she's angry that causes my dick to stand at attention. The deep rumbles that boom from her chest when she's laughing uncontrollably.

  But my favorite sound is the one she's making right now. The way her voice raises an octave and cracks when she's attempting to lie. Not just to me, but to herself.

  I make my move, sliding the remaining few feet across the end of her bed and onto the floor next to her. Her physical reaction is visible as she sucks in a deep breath and holds it.

  "I'm going to kiss you, Jade. If you feel nothing, fine. I'll drop this. But you have to be honest."

  I don't wait for her to respond. I gave her fair warning. Three seconds, in fact. Then my lips capture hers, and I can feel her resolve melt as my tongue begs for entrance.

  Jade moans, and I lose all self-control. Pushing her onto her back, I cover her body with mine. Our lips never part as I hesitantly place my hands on her hips, my thumb gently caressing the sliver of skin that's exposed. Goosebumps pebble her skin, and a shiver follows their arrival.

  I want more. So much more.

  And then it happens. She pushes against my chest, and I'm forced to end what may have been the most earth-shattering kiss I'd ever experienced.

  "No one can ever know about this." Her words come out ragged as she attempts to catch her breath.

  "Did I just win the war?" I ask, needing confirmation that I have, in fact, changed her mind.

  "No, but you won the first battle."

  Her sass is back, and I like it.

  "I can't promise you flowers and chocolates, but I can promise you the best summer of your life and more orgasms than you'll be able to count."

  "Such a romantic."

  "I'm not. That's the problem." Pushing off her because I don't feel right having this conversation when my dick is currently attempting to break through my zipper, I sit cross-legged on the floor. She mimics my actions. "I'm bad at saying how I feel. I'm bad at showing that I care. And the last thing I want to do is hurt you on purpose."

  "What does that mean? You just want sex? Are you serious?"

  "Yes, I want to sleep with you. As much as I can, as often as I can. I won't lie. You're fucking hot, Jade. And that smart mouth of yours does things to me that should be illegal. But you're also fun to be around. I'd like to think of it more as a beneficial agreement."

  "So fuck buddies. No need to sugarcoat the situation."

  "We could say we're friends-with-benefits," I suggest, not liking the detest I hear in her voice when the word fuck slipped past her lips.

  "Call it what you want, but no one is allowed to know about this. I'm serious. Not even Gabby and Quinn. And it's only for the summer. Once we go home, it's over. Capiche?"

  I think about that morning a lot. The way her lips gently caressed the Pop-Tart hanging from her mouth while she concentrated on her eyeliner. The feel of those same lips against mine. The way she responded to the electric current that buzzed between us.

  But my favorite memory of that morning was when she locked her bedroom door and let me take all her clothes off. The view of those lips around my cock. The way she stared at me as she took every inch of him in her mouth, even when I was sure she wouldn't be able to. The look on her face as I took that first orgasm from her. The taste of her skin as I sucked on her perfect tits.

  And yeah, the earth-shattering feeling inside me as my own release rocked my body.

  I knew then she would either be the death of me or I would be the death of her. I was ready for the challenge. And today, I still stand ready. Ready to fight for more even though she was perfectly clear about this ending when summer did.

  I just need to figure out how to change her mind. I’ve done it once. I can do it again. Right?

  Chapter Three

  JADE

  Two Months Later

  * * *

  I'm sitting in the booth, waiting for my friends to arrive. Praying Gabby shows up first so I can talk to her. I've been contemplating telling her about Nathan and me, about what happened over the summer, but every time I try, I lose my nerve. Not because I think she'll be angry or look down on me, but because if I tell her what happened between us, she'll be able to hear how much I'm hurting now.

  The idiot girl who went and fell for the boy that was supposed to be a summer fling.

  God, it sounds like a bad romance novel.

  If nothing else, it was a horrible decision. But that's the thing about decisions, you make the best ones you can. You can't predict how things will turn out. You don't know if you're making the right one or the wrong one. You listen to your gut and pray it leads you down the right path.

  And therein lies the problem.

  I didn't listen to my gut. I listened to the ache in my panties. I let my hormones dictate my actions, and that is never a good idea. It's always led me to trouble in the past, and look where it got me this time.

  Lusting after Nathan.

  Wishing I'd told him how I felt that last night on the island when we all promised to keep in touch.

  Thinking about him all day and dreaming about him at night.

  I don't actually mind that part. The dreams are pretty hot, filled with passion, roaming hands, and throaty moans. Nathan, smirking at me as he takes control. Driving into me and drawing out my please.

  But then I come crashing back to reality on days like today. Our monthly lunch with Quinn a
nd Gabby. The little bit of time we all spend together, reminiscing about the summer. Our way of keeping in touch, of staying close. We have a dynamic that’s hard to explain.

  Quinn’s the silent but strong type. Gabby’s the sweetheart. Nathan’s the goofy one who likes to act like a player. And me? I’m the female version of Quinn. Strong but not so silent. Everyone knows what I’m thinking, and that’s fine.

  We stick to our roles. Play our parts. It works for us. Our personalities complement each other.

  Today’s lunch, however, is going to be an especially hard slap across the face.

  Gabby's bringing her boyfriend Gavin. We've all met him before. He came to visit her for a weekend, and we got to know him a little bit.

  But the coup de grâce is that Nathan is bringing his new girlfriend. Heather. The same girl who broke up with him shortly before we met, according to Gabby.

  Apparently they're back together.

  Good for him.

  Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I can’t help but wonder if I made the right decision. Nathan’s beside me, snoring lightly. The man can sleep anywhere, anytime, and he’s hard as hell to wake up after a long night of drinking.

  Like last night.

  Not that I drank much less than he did. Gabby and Quinn both worked later than expected and met up with some friends down at the pub, giving us some much-needed alone time. It’s been a little over a month since we met and I agreed to this fling, to Nathan’s no stings attached proposal, and it feels like things have gotten riskier by the day.

  Not that anyone expects anything.

  Hell, yesterday Gabby was telling me all about Nathan’s ex-girlfriend. How she broke his heart right before the start of summer. She says he was in love with her. That he confided in Gabby how hurt he was.

  And she told me.

  Because she has no idea that we’re involved.

  So I played it cool, but now I can’t help but feel like a rebound. I guess that’s better than feeling like his fuck-buddy. I mean, we said no strings attached, so what does it really matter if he was heartbroken when we met? It shouldn’t.

  Still, for some reason, knowing he was with someone else right before me is irritating. It hurts, and I don’t want it to.

  “Why are you awake?” Nathan asks as his hand snakes across my bare stomach. Pulling me close, he tucks my body against his and lets out a sigh.

  “Just thinking.” It’s not a lie, more an omission.

  “About me?”

  Unsure if I really want to have this conversation, I nod. He may not be able to see my face with the shadow of night surrounding us, but he can feel my movements. My body tenses as I wait for him to say something else.

  I’m expecting a joke. Maybe something about waking him if I’m in need. He’s always joking about sex, even in front of other people. I’ve realized it’s just who he is. He wants people to think he’s a player when he’s actually anything but.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  If I tell him what’s really on my mind, he’ll know where I heard about his ex. If I don’t, this weight on my chest will never be lifted. It’s not an easy decision, but I’m well aware of what I have to do.

  “Did she break your heart?”

  Nathan’s silent. He doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe. After a few minutes, I wonder if he’s fallen back asleep when he finally speaks.

  “She did. I thought I loved her. I was ready to tell her, but as you know, I’m not that great with words or emotions. She broke up with me to save herself from a broken heart. I get it. I would have done the same if the situation were reversed.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I’m starting to realize that I wasn’t honestly in love with her. I was letting society dictate our relationship. It was time to tell her I loved her. Time to take the next step. Time to do this and that. I wasn’t ready. I’ll never let that happen again. I’ll be the one who decides how I want my relationship to go.”

  “So basically you felt pressured to love her? That kind of makes sense.”

  I get where he’s coming from. I’ve been there. People always think your relationship should look like theirs—when you move in together, how long before you get married, start a family. There’s no one right time for anything to happen for anyone. You have to feel it.

  “Basically but I’m not interested in talking about Heather anymore. She’s in my past, and I prefer to live in the present, ya know?”

  Nathan’s hand slides lower, cupping the most sensitive area of my body. All thoughts of anyone outside this room are lost as he takes me on yet another amazing ride.

  I'm staring at the entrance, waiting for my friends, reliving the memory of that night, when in walks a petite brunette with a cute pixie cut.

  I admire how adorable her hair is and how it frames her face perfectly, knowing I could never pull off a cut that short. Watching her as she waits for the hostess, I don't notice who walks in behind her. It's not until she turns toward me and our eyes meet that I realize who I'm looking at and who is now escorting her to our table.

  Damn it.

  I was hoping she would be ugly. No such luck.

  Standing to greet them, Nathan embraces me in a hug, wrapping his arms around me like it's the most natural thing he's ever done and whispering hello in my ear. My body takes notice, goosebumps instantly covering my arms.

  Maybe she'll be a bitch. That would make it easier to not like her.

  Again, I'm wrong. She greets me with a sweet smile, a warm embrace, and her thick southern accent is like butter on toast.

  Damn it, Nathan. I hate you right now for the simple fact I can't not like her.

  Thankfully, Gabby and Quinn burst through the doors a few minutes later, Gavin following behind them with an irritated look on his face. They're laughing hysterically and pushing each other like children as they race to the table.

  "I win!" Gabby shouts, slapping her hand on the menu in front of me.

  "You cheated," Quinn retorts between deep breaths. "You didn't even wait for me to put the truck in park before you jumped out and started running."

  "You two are ridiculous," Gavin mutters to himself as he takes the seat at the end of the table.

  "Sorry, babe," Gabby states, kissing him gently, lowering herself into the seat between myself and Gavin.

  Nathan takes the opportunity to introduce Heather to everyone else as Quinn takes his seat. Gabby turns towards me and is about to say something when the waitress interrupts to gather our drink order, asking for ID from everyone when the guys all order beers.

  This feels unnatural.

  It should be just the four of us. That's what we agreed on that night. To keep our friendships intact. Boyfriends and girlfriends were never discussed. They don't have anything to do with that summer. Hell, relationships come and go, but true friendship is forever.

  You never know, Heather and Nathan could break—

  Nathan's foot taps mine under the table, breaking into my thoughts. I'm twisting the napkin in my hands, practically shredding it, and everyone is staring in my direction.

  "Can I get you a drink?" the waitress asks, and I have a feeling it's not the first time.

  "Vodka soda. Double please," I reply, digging through my purse for my license.

  "It's barely noon, and you're ordering a double? What's up with you today?" Gabby whispers in my direction.

  "Nothing," I reply quickly, directing my attention to my lap so I don't accidentally make eye contact with Nathan. Gabby may have been oblivious to what was going on between us at the time, but she'd be able to see right through my lies now.

  Dismissing my answer with a squeeze to my thigh, she joins the conversation Quinn and Nathan are having. They're telling Heather and Gavin about one of the nights we played truth or dare and they had to run down the road in their underwear.

  I remember that night like it was yesterday.

  I remember being thankful there were no streetlights so Gabby couldn't foll
ow my eyes as I salivated over Nathan's firm body. We'd only been sneaking around for a few weeks at the time, and I still wasn't comfortable looking in his direction sometimes. I assumed my dirty thoughts were written all over my face.

  They probably were on occasion.

  I know his were. Hell, Quinn called him out one night. Thankfully he hadn't put two and two together that those dirty thoughts were about me.

  "Remember that, Jade?" I hear Quinn ask. I've been attempting to look engaged in the conversation as I stir my untouched drink with the tiny straws.

  "Yeah," I reply enthusiastically.

  He tilts his head and shoots me a quizzical look. Shit! What were they talking about?

  "Leave her be," Gabby interjects. "Just because she didn't have fun that night doesn't mean she can't laugh about it now. We've all had to have our hair held back a time or two. I seem to remember one night where you and Nathan both puked in the bushes."

  Fuck!

  Which night are they talking about? I only puked twice this summer. At the Fourth of July event after eating a bad burger. That's what I think caused it anyway. And the other time was after the first time Nathan and I slept together. That night I was so nervous Gabby and Quinn were going to catch on to what we were doing I pounded a fifth of vodka.

  Gabby held my hair back both times. I was able to repay the favor when she happened to wake up sick a few weeks after we arrived.

  It's amazing what a bonding experience puking can be. It's the grossest sound and smell yet it brings you closer after it's all over. You know what the other person sacrificed to make sure you were okay. A real friend doesn't let you puke alone, or in your hair.

  "I have no idea what you're referring to," Nathan quips, taking a sip of his beer. The entire table turns in his direction and stares at him with a variety of doubt in our eyes. "Fine. Once. Whatever."

  The conversation remains light as Heather and Gavin are filled in on a variety of our summer adventures. Bonfires in the backyard and on the beach. Camping at the state park. The weird people we worked with. The scandal at the hotel.