by Jacie Lennon
“Coming right up,” Marni says before heading back inside.
Corbin taps one hand against the table as I look back out over the ocean.
“What are we doing here?” I ask, still not looking at him.
He doesn’t answer for a moment, the silence stretching between us until I finally turn my head, making sure he didn’t suddenly leave me.
“I told you, I’m hungry,” he repeats, his hand still drumming.
“You know that’s not what I mean,” I say, crossing my legs and pulling my skirt over them. “Why did you bring me here? What is this?” I gesture between us. As much as I don’t want this to be nothing, I have to hear him say what he’s thinking. I can’t sit here and second-guess everything all the time. When he doesn’t speak, I continue, “I know you are smart. You are a scholarship student, which means you have brains. So, you have to know this is weird for both of us.”
Marni comes back out, halting the conversation as she sets our drinks and straws down. “Food should be out shortly,” she says with a smile and then leaves.
Corbin takes a long pull of his water, looking out at a few seagulls lazily circling in the sky.
“Corbin?” I prompt.
I need answers, and he’s clammed up. Green eyes find mine as he turns his head, and I don’t look away.
“I want to get to know you, Landry,” he says. There’s something in the way he’s looking at me, almost like he doesn’t believe himself, but at least he’s talking now.
“Why?”
“Why does anyone want to get to know another person?”
“You aren’t anyone. You are Corbin, friends with Brock and Bodhi, and I want to know why you specifically want to get to know me.”
“I guess I fuckin’ like you,” he says, finally not beating around the bush.
My heart stops. I wasn’t expecting that answer. I don’t know what I was expecting but not an admission of like. It would have made more sense if he’d told me he was only trying to get between my legs. And let’s face it; I probably would let him do that pretty quickly.
“You like me?” I ask, dumbfounded.
He worries his bottom lip again—that full fucking bottom lip—as he reaches up to rub the back of his neck.
“Yeah. I mean, I think so. I want to see what we have.”
Ah, there it is. The maybe I was looking for in his answer.
“Why would you want to see with me? You could have anyone you want at Almadale, but you’ve picked the one girl your friends hate?”
Something isn’t adding up.
“I don’t make the rules. Can’t help who you like and who you don’t.”
That’s for damn certain.
“Okay. I’ll buy that,” I say, reaching out to twirl my straw around the cup. “Let’s find out then.”
“Find out what?”
“If you like me.” I grin and watch as one corner of his mouth tilts up into a smirk.
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Secrets,” I say, sitting back. “You wouldn’t tell just anyone a secret, right?”
“I don’t know that telling you a secret would mean that I like you.”
“Would you tell someone you didn’t like a secret?”
He cocks his head to the side, studying me. “No.”
“My point exactly. Now, make it a good one.” I kick one leg back and forth, letting it dangle atop the high chair as I lean forward, propping my elbows on the table.
Corbin’s eyes don’t leave mine as he squints, thinking hard. “I want to get custody of my brother, Abe, when I turn eighteen.”
“You already told me that,” I say, pouting.
“No, I want to get custody and take him away from here.”
I stop, realizing the implications of what he said.
“How old is your brother?”
“Seven.”
“You want to take on the responsibility of caring for your seven-year-old brother when you are only eighteen?” I can’t fathom being the one that a young child would look up to right now. I don’t even have my own life figured out.
“I never had someone looking out for me, but I’ll be damned if I’m not there to look out for him.”
“Can you even do that? Would you be able to get custody?”
“I don’t know.”
My heart hurts for Corbin. His life hasn’t been sunshine and roses. Whose life is? But he wears the scars of someone who has been hurt and beaten down. It’s touching that he wants to take on the care of his young brother. You don’t see love like that much, and it melts my heart.
“Wow,” I murmur as his cheeks heat.
“What?”
“I think it’s incredibly sweet that you feel like that.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Afraid your big, bad king persona will get dragged through the mud if people find out you are a softie?”
“I’m not a softie.”
I hum a little and take a drink of my water, smiling up at him through my eyelashes.
“It’s your turn,” he says, leaning forward.
I raise my eyebrows. “My turn for what?”
“To tell me a secret,” he says, pausing as Marni lays our food in front of us.
I inhale, my stomach growling as I realize how hungry I am.
“Thanks, Marni. It looks delicious,” I say, and she grins.
“I’ll be sure to give compliments to the chef,” she says, sauntering back inside.
“I didn’t agree to tell you a secret.” I look back at Corbin.
“That’s not fair. I told you one, so you tell me one.”
“Is that how it works?” I wrinkle my nose, and he chuckles.
“Generally, yes.”
He has a strange look on his face, like he’s warring with himself, but the look passes as quickly as it came. I frown a little at the sudden change in him, popping a chip in my mouth.
“How about this? Next time we go on a date to see if you like me, I’ll tell you a secret.” I wink and take a bite of my grilled cheese. The inside is melty and gooey, warming my mouth.
Corbin has yet to touch the burger he ordered, and I eye it. His phone starts to vibrate on the table, but he doesn’t touch it, only taps his fingers up and down. I can’t figure him out. One second, he’s joking with me, being playful, and the next, he’s back to his broody, closed-off self.
My stomach sinks when I think that this might be a game again. Maybe he’s playing with me, waiting until I let my guard down, and then he and my jackass stepbrothers will go in for the kill. I know I shouldn’t trust him, but my traitorous body hasn’t gotten the damn memo.
“You going to answer that?” I glance at his phone as it starts ringing for the second time.
“Nah, I’ll call them back.”
“Who is it?” I ask.
He raises an eyebrow. “You know what happened to the cat?”
“What cat?” I furrow my brow at the sudden change of conversation.
“The one curiosity killed.”
Point taken.
13
Corbin
Fuck, I knew this wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t think it would be this hard.
My phone goes off a third time, Brock’s name flashing on the screen. He and Bodhi don’t know where I am, but I’m doing what they want. Fuck, I’m doing what I want. My head and my dick are at war with each other.
Get in, get the information, and get out, is what I should be doing, but my dick is telling me to seduce, to break down her walls, to do anything I can to sink inside her wet heat.
I stand abruptly, grabbing my phone from the table, and walk to the opposite end of the deck to answer.
“What?” I ask, annoyed but having no reason to be annoyed.
“Where are you?” Brock asks, and I can hear laughing in the background.
“With Landry,” I say, keeping my voice down but I can feel her eyes on me, watching me.
“Ah, look at you, gett
ing an early start.” His voice holds a joking tone, and I frown, not used to hearing this side of Brock.
“Who are you with?” I ask after another bout of laughter.
“Bodhi has some girls back at the room. I’m about to leave.”
“Wait, girls?”
“Yeah, plural. Nothing is safe.”
I chuckle at his dry words, not surprised in the least about Bodhi. He is the most outgoing of the three of us, and he has no shortage of fun times with girls. It’s been a while since he’s had multiple at once though. Usually, that means he’s amping up the destructive behavior, and we need to watch out. He can be a loose cannon at times, but he’s my brother, and I love him.
“Good for him. I need to get back to this, um, date,” I say, awkwardly shuffling my foot.
I’m enjoying myself, and I find that I am eager to sit back down across from Landry, much to my chagrin. I thought I could keep my feelings out of it.
“Talk later,” Brock says, and then the phone beeps, letting me know he hung up.
I stare at it for a moment. I hate this conflict. I wish things in life were black and white, but they aren’t, and I know better than the twins how many different types of gray there are.
I turn, catching Landry’s gaze, and suck in a breath. Those blue eyes pull me in, keeping me hostage, and in the sunlight, they are almost the same color as the ocean behind her. Deep and dark but vibrant. I don’t want to believe she’s hiding things, that she’s lying to us and being shady, but I can’t refute what I saw on the email.
I square my shoulders, walking back to her, and try to erect a wall around my heart. I can’t get in any deeper. This is something that has to be done.
I repeat my earlier mantra to myself, Get in, get out.
Maybe get it in in the process.
“Sorry about that,” I say, wrapping my hands around my water, trailing a finger through the condensation as I stare at her.
This is torture. I’m putting myself in a position where the one hurt will be me because, apparently, I don’t have any self-control where this girl is concerned.
“It’s okay,” she says, smiling, and it twists the knife deeper in my gut.
Fuck.
This was a bad idea.
“You done?” I eye her half-eaten plate, and she glances down at it.
“Um, yeah,” she says.
I stand, throw some money down on the table, and jerk my head back toward the building.
“Come on,” I say, walking off.
I clench my fists at my sides, mad at myself for the emotions rolling through me. The easiest thing to do is keep her at arm’s length. Let some of her in, but not all. But the way we were talking so easily sends fear through me.
“Hey, wait up,” she says, reaching me before I walk into the dive bar. She comes around my front and stands there, looking up at me. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Yes. No. Everything.
I remain silent.
“I thought we were having a good time back there,” Landry says, placing a hand on my chest, letting the sentence trail off.
I fight the urge to flinch at her touch. We were having a good time, and that’s the whole issue. To Brock and Bodhi, this is a job, a problem to be solved. But for me, I’ve already let my feelings get involved. I’m going to get burned in this, so I need to steel myself on the front end.
“It was a good time,” I say with a nod, and she wrinkles her nose.
“But that’s all it was?” She sounds dejected, and it makes me want to wrap my arms around her.
“Yeah,” I tell her, confirming her suspicions even though that’s not all it was to me. That’s all it can be though.
“Okay,” she says, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and I track the motion. “I’m ready to go.”
We walk back to my motorcycle in silence and put our helmets on without saying a word. But when she climbs up behind me, wrapping her arms around my middle, pressing her front to my back, my resolve weakens. I reach up, running one finger along the back of her clasped hands, and I can feel her shiver against me.
“Hold on,” I tell her as I rev the engine, peeling out of the parking lot and heading back toward Almadale. Simultaneously happy and sad.
I think of Abe, of what he needs. Focus on him, on my goal. No distractions.
No long brown hair and creamy skin to distract me. No blue eyes and pink full lips to occupy my mind.
I feel her arms tighten even more around me, and she scoots closer.
Fuck.
If I thought the ride here was torture, now, after having such a good time with her, it’s hard to keep myself under control. As we start to pass the marina on the way back to school, I make the executive decision to give in. My warring thoughts finally have a victor, and I pull off the road, whipping sideways as the motorcycle responds to my touch. I can hear a shriek behind me before the wind carries it away, and I chuckle to myself as her thighs clench around me. Fuck if I don’t want those thighs clenching around my face.
I pull down the long road, bypassing the boats until I find what I’m looking for. A small piece of parking lot shaded by trees and a few bushes shielding us from prying eyes. This time of the day, it’s practically deserted even though the weather is beautiful. Everyone who wants to take a boat out has or has packed up for the night.
I shut the motorcycle off and push out the kickstand. Ripping my helmet off, I wait for her to dismount, and then I get off the bike, stalking away a few steps as I run a hand through my hair. I stand there, staring at the trees as I brace both hands on my head.
Then, I turn, seeing her leaning against the side of my motorcycle, helmet in hand as she stares at me. I know I have to look half-crazy, and I am. I crack, walking back toward her, running a hand across her cheek and ear, fisting it in her hair at the back of her head. I pull her face to mine, taking in the sight of those beautiful eyes, wide and focused on mine. Her lips part, and she exhales, the warmth of her breath tickling my skin. We are nose to nose, breathing heavy, and she watches me to see what I’ll do next.
“I want you,” I whisper, and the tension she’s holding goes out of her as she blinks slowly, looking up at me under her eyelashes.
“But—”
I cut her off, crashing my lips to hers. It’s not a sweet kiss, but one born of desperation and desire. Unable to hold back, she pushes into me. I can feel her confusion slowly morph into pleasure as she returns my kiss with enthusiasm. I bring my other hand up, pushing it into the hair on the other side of her head as I tilt it, deepening the kiss. My tongue probes her lips, and she opens, giving me access to sweep in and devour her.
Her hands move, pulling the hem of my shirt up, and her fingertips tickle the skin at the top of my pants. I press my hips into hers, my hardening cock needing friction.
“God, you taste good,” I say, pulling back, looping my hands under her legs and picking her up. I turn her, sitting her on the top of my bike, and I grip her thighs. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” I squeeze with each word, laying a trail of kisses along her neck as she throws her head back.
“Oh my God,” she says as I suck on the bottom of her neck, right on her pulse point. She kicks out, wrapping both legs around me as she balances on the thin seat. “How is this even happening right now?” she asks.
I pull back, looking at her. “What do you mean?”
“I was fantasizing about this earlier, and now, it’s happening,” she says, a shy smile on her face.
I grin. “You were fantasizing about this?”
She nods, and I grin wider.
I lean forward and place my lips right by her ear. I run the tip of my tongue around the outside, my hands drifting further up her thighs. “Tell me, are you a dirty girl, Landry?”
I can hear her breath catch as my thumbs dip into the crease of her thighs, right by her core but not touching. She nods slightly, tilting her head to give me better access to her ear.
“What exactly ha
ppened in your fantasy?” I softly bite down on her earlobe.
She brings one hand up, curling it around my neck as she twists her fingers in the short hairs at the nape.
“Don’t be shy,” I say when she doesn’t answer.
She takes a deep breath and lifts her head, looking me in the eyes. A smile tilts her mouth where she nibbles on her bottom lip. “I was lying back on the seat, and you were eating me out,” she says quickly, nervously.
I narrow my eyes on her, taking her in, and her words make my dick even harder.
“Anything else?” I hook a finger in her panties, running it along her seam as she squirms underneath me. “You’re so fuckin’ wet,” I murmur, and a blush runs up her neck, blooming across her cheeks. I grab back under her legs, turning her and pushing her up toward the handlebars. “Lie back.”
She does, and I hook a leg over the seat, crouching in front of her. I lift her legs, her skirt falling back and putting her panties on display for me. I run a finger down the side, pulling it over so I can see her, wet and glistening for me.
“What do you want me to do?” I look at her, pausing as I wait for her answer.
Her leg twitches where my hand rests on it.
“I want you to taste me,” she says, lifting her head and watching as I lower myself, holding her ass to keep her steady. She props her feet on my shoulders as I nuzzle her, breathing in her scent. “Oh my God, Corbin.”
She runs one hand through my hair as I flick my tongue out over her clit before running it down her, tasting and licking. She writhes under my mouth, riding my face, her thighs tense around my head.
God, if this isn’t fourteen-year-old Corbin’s wet dream. A hot-as-fuck woman splayed out around me on my motorcycle. I will never regret the hours spent working to make money so I could purchase this bike.
I shift my tongue back up to her clit, working her into a frenzy, as I bring one finger up, slowly inserting it into her wet heat. Her back arches, and I watch as she raises both arms above her head, grabbing on to the handles behind her.
Fuck.
“Yes, just like that,” she moans as I pump my finger in and out, turning my palm up so I can hook it up and drag it along her wall as I’m pumping. “Another,” she says, and I comply, inserting another finger, wrapping my lips around her and sucking.
