Allure

by C. A. Harms

  “I’m good, just getting a little cold.” I could tell he didn’t quite believe my excuse, but instead of pressuring me by asking question after question and forcing me to tell him what was truly on my mind, he smiled. It was a forced smile, but it was a smile nonetheless, and I took it as my way out.

  “Come on.” I hooked my arm through his, looking away from him, because looking at the questions that lingered in his gaze were too hard. “Let’s go get cozy by the fire.” I practically dragged him along, still looking everywhere but at him.

  Once we were back with our friends, warm by the fire, me resting between his parted legs, I felt a little less nervous. That was until he leaned in and whispered near my ear, making me fully aware that he had not forgotten about my sporadic escape. “You don’t wanna talk about it now, and I understand that. We aren’t alone, and something tells me whatever it is that’s on your mind isn’t something that will be easy to discuss, let alone with an audience. But so you know, later we will be revisiting it. I like you entirely too much to allow you to slip away from me now.”

  I shouldn’t feel satisfied with the fact that he just told me whether I wanted to or not I would share what was on my mind. Truthfully, it was what he’d said after that had me smiling like a fool.

  He wasn’t willing to let me go—that part, it meant the world. Because the last thing I wanted was for him to let go.

  Chapter Eight

  Rhett

  “Where exactly are we going?”

  Still holding AJ’s hand in my own, I lead her up the stairway in the back corner of the barn. “I wanna show you something.” My place above the barn was coming along faster than I had anticipated.

  Stepping onto the platform above, I moved to the side and allowed her to join me.

  “What is this place?” AJ asked as she scanned her eyes over the open space that showed remnants of walls going up and wiring and plumbing being put into place.

  I looked around, unable to contain my smile. It was a large area with one big opening at the opposite end which would later provide the perfect view of the sunset each morning.

  “This is going to be my place.”

  I chuckled when she whipped around and peered up at me like I’d lost my mind.

  “What?”

  It didn’t look like much at that point, but I knew when me, Dad, Uncle Gavin, and Uncle Colton got done with it, it’d be amazing. Ben had already offered his help, and with all of us working together it wouldn’t take any time at all to make this place a home. “This barn used to be the place where Reed and his friends hung out. They’d work on cars down below, hang out and drink, whatever. It hasn’t been used in so long, other than for me to park my truck below.”

  “This is where you’re gonna live?” she asked again, still sounding unconvinced.

  She was so fucking adorable with that confused look on her face—her nose crinkled, her forehead creased.

  “It won’t look like this when we’re done.” I let go of her hand and moved toward the open area. “It’ll have a kitchen, bathroom, and over here,” I pointed toward the large opening at the opposite end, “my uncle said something about floor-to-ceiling windows to make it all seem more open, maybe a sliding door onto a patio. Look at this view I’ll have.”

  Hesitantly, she moved to my side, and I saw the moment wash over her face when she took in the view. “Wow, that’s so beautiful, peaceful even.”

  The lake that I grew up fishing on was way off in the distance, and just off the east bank was a tree house dad had built for me when I was just a toddler. We’d camped in that tree many times; it held so many memories for me and Grace.

  I pulled an old blanket off the rafter and laid it out before us, motioning for her to have a seat. “What’s this?” she asked as she eyed me suspiciously.

  “This is me finding us a quiet place to talk.” I watched her face closely and registered the moment my intentions became obvious. “The other night, you pulled away, and though you said it was nothing, I know it was something.”

  AJ began to bite at her lip nervously as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  I sat down, tapping the empty space next to me. “Let’s talk.”

  “It was nothing,” she assured me, “really.”

  I tapped the space again and chose to say nothing until she sat on the blanket next to me.

  After a few seconds passed, I could almost see the defeat wash over her and the inner battle she’d been fighting fade. She looked as if she gave up as her shoulders sagged and she moved closer to take a seat next to me.

  I didn’t miss the way she attempted to hide her face with her hair as it fell around her. Reaching out, I hooked the strands with my finger and tucked it behind her ear, which caused her to look over at me. “Can you just be honest with me, please?” I couldn’t stand this feeling, one of panic that was inflicted by the idea of her withdrawing from me, backing away from us and what I felt we were creating.

  AJ took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Do you know that I’ve watched you for longer than I care to admit? I’ve watched you pining after a girl that I’m still not sure you’re over.”

  My stomach instantly tensed as I reached out for her hand with my own.

  “Now here we are, and I want to believe that I’m not here to serve as a fill-in for what she was to you, but—”

  I didn’t give her a chance to finish her sentence before hooking her around the back of her neck and pulling her in close, her lips pressing to mine.

  “You’re not a fill-in, AJ,” I whispered, my lips still gently pressed against hers. “I promise you that. There’s something here between us, something that I know you feel too. I’ve grown to love the times we have together, each one of them. Whether it’s with a group or alone, I feel like with you is exactly where I am supposed to be.”

  I wasn’t just saying that; I meant it. Every moment I spent with AJ, I realized what I was holding on to in the past was the idea of being with someone and not really Harley herself. I knew that Harley would always hold a place in my heart; she was the first of many things for me. I also knew that our time was over, what we had was gone, and I was okay with that now. I wanted to let go of it and move on with my life. I wanted these times with AJ.

  “I just don’t know if I could take you deciding one day that everything we’re creating was nothing special.”

  I remained close, with my forehead to hers and my hand firmly holding the back of her neck. My eyes closed, I gave it a moment before I replied. I wanted what I said to make an impact. I wanted AJ to understand that while I couldn’t make any promises on where we’d be in a year, or hell even two, I did know that I wanted to give this thing between us a real shot. I wanted to let go of any fears we felt and just feel what the other had to offer.

  “I can assure you that waking up one day and deciding that everything you and I are sharing meant nothing won’t happen. You’re special, AJ, and the more time I spend with you, the more I see that.” I loved the way her tension seemed to fade, and the weight of her body seemed to sag against me. “I’m here with you because I wanna be, not because I feel like I need to be. You’re not who I thought you were, Allison Jo, you’re so much more. I wanna know everything there is to know about you. I want you to be the girl I call first with anything, whether it’s big or small, and I wanna be that guy for you in return.”

  I opened my eyes just in time to see her smile. “I hate when people say my full name,” she confessed, her own eyes focusing on mine. “But when you do it, it only makes my heart race.”

  She moved forward, placing her lips against mine, and the moment her tongue trailed along my lip, I groaned. She always tasted like mint, and until AJ, I never cared much for that flavor.

  Now I craved it.

  Rising on my knees, I allowed my body to hover over hers as I lowered her to the blanket beneath us. Instantly she parted her legs and I rested my hips between her thighs. Her chest rose, her breasts pushed firmly agai
nst my own chest.

  We’d taken things slowly over the last few weeks, and I didn’t mind it at all. It gave me the chance to get to know AJ. But I’ll be honest, moments like this made it real hard to control my urges.

  “Why does this always feel so good?” she said while hooking her legs around my waist and using them to hold my body to her own. “The way you kiss me.” She again held me close, circling her arms around my neck, and I allowed her to lead. My head was already spinning from the rush of arousal her hips moving beneath me was triggering. A guy could only take so much before he lost it, and I was trying my damnedest to remain in control.

  “Rhett?”

  I froze, yet AJ continued to shift her hips against mine, seeking the friction it was causing.

  “Rhett, are you up there?”

  This time AJ went rigid beneath me, and when our gazes locked on one another, I chuckled. She looked terrified. “Who is that?”

  “My mother.” Her eyes widened and suddenly she was doing her very best to move out from beneath me. “Babe, it’s okay.”

  “It is not okay.” She managed to slide out, and her horrified stare was now focused solely on the stairway. The entire thing was hilarious.

  “Oh, shoot, I didn’t realize you had company up here.” Blonde hair piled high on her head, her face flushed from the heat, my mother stepped up onto the platform. “I was looking for you because Uncle Colt had the plans drawn up for the rest of this project, and he wanted to know when you all wanted him to go over them.”

  When she walked toward us I could see the moment it dawned on her what she may have interrupted. I looked over at AJ and wanted to laugh at the flushed look on her face. Her lips were red and swollen from our kisses. There was no way to hide the evidence.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

  “You didn’t,” AJ blurted out. “There was nothing going on, we were just…” she paused and looked around as if in search of an excuse, “…looking at the lake.” Her hand shot outward to her side, pointing out the window to her right, but her eyes were still locked on my mother. I tried not to laugh, but the second I saw my mom’s lips curl up on the side, I knew she too was fighting her smile, and I lost it.

  A deep chuckle escaped me, and my mom joined quickly after with her own laughter.

  “The lake?” I say, and AJ’s mouth fell open, her forehead scrunched up. “That would almost be believable if your hair wasn’t sticking up all over and your lips weren’t swollen.” AJ instantly narrowed her eyes at me, an attempt to show her frustrations.

  “I’m just gonna let you two finish viewing the lake.” My mother turned around and began walking back toward the stairway. “I’ll let Colt know that later this afternoon will work just fine.”

  I offered a wave, but AJ continued to stare at me as if the moment my mother disappeared she might kill me.

  “She is gonna hate me.” Her hands covered her face and I tried to pull them away. “I’ll be the girl she caught doing it with her precious son in the barn.”

  I tried to hold back my laughter, really, I did, but come on—that shit was funny.

  “We weren’t doing it.”

  When she shoots me another nasty look, that laughter I attempted to hold back spilled from me. “What? We weren’t.”

  “But she doesn’t know that.” She ran her hands over her face, exasperated. “I’ll never be able to look her in the eyes.

  “A bit dramatic, don’t you think?"

  A heated glare came my way, and the humor was gone. It would seem my sweet girl had a demonic side. “You are gonna take back that comment you said earlier about every moment being special if you keep acting like that last five minutes was no big deal.”

  I moved quickly, and within seconds AJ was pinned beneath me, her arms held securely above her head. She was thrashing around, trying to fight me, but I saw the humor in her eyes. “We’re adults, not kids. She’s not gonna hate you. I can guarantee that, because she already knows how I feel about you.”

  “Oh yeah?” Her body wiggled against mine, only she was getting nowhere. “How would she know that?”

  I let her continue to try and fight my hold, waiting for her to calm. I moved her left hand closer to her right and used just one of mine to hold hers together. Taking my now free hand, I glided it along her arm, over her shoulder, and along her side, feeling her body shiver from my touch.

  When her eyes locked with mine, I moved in closer and kissed her gently. “She knows because I told her. I got nothing to hide.”

  “You’re dangerous, Rhett Jackson,” she whispered breathlessly as her eyes remained linked on mine.

  “And how exactly would that be, sweet girl?”

  She relaxed beneath me, her eyes lingering on mine. A shimmering look filled them that made my chest ache and my stomach clench. “Because you could so easily break my heart, but there’s nothing I can do to stop it. It’s already too late.”

  Releasing the hold I had on her hands, I lowered mine to cup her cheek, and her eyes closed as she leaned into my touch. “I promise you, I won’t break your heart, AJ. I’ll take care of it the best way I know how, and that’s to cherish it.”

  A tear rolled over her cheek and gathered where my hand still held her face. Fuck, just the sight of it made me feel so raw.

  What she didn’t seem to understand was that it was far too late for me too. She’d managed to weasel her way into my heart more and more every day.

  Chapter Nine

  AJ

  I lifted my hand to scratch away the itch from my nose, then relaxed once again, getting back to my dream. Rhett and I were down by the lake, lying on a blanket much like we were weeks ago in the barn. His body hovered above mine as he looked down at me with those intense eyes of his. Dark piercing eyes that never, not even once, neglected to make my heart race.

  I could get so lost in his eyes; they held so many promises.

  His lips brushed over mine, and I felt that place hidden deep and low inside me tense. “Are you sure?” he asked, and I nodded, unable to form the words.

  I was getting to the good part once again when my nose began to tickle, pulling me again from my dream. This time when I lifted my hand to scratch it, I came into contact with something or someone. My body jerked in surprise as my eyes opened and I saw April, my best friend, sitting on the edge of my bed with a big smile on her face.

  “You better be glad it was me waking you up and not your sister.” Her eyes widened just a bit. “Or your dad. That could have been bad.”

  “Why?”

  “Rhett, yes,” she said in a breathy voice, “right there, don’t stop.” She fanned her face. “Even I was starting to get a little hot and bothered by your thrashing around and those soft pleas for more.”

  I rolled away from her humored stare and climbed out of bed on the opposite side. I could almost feel her eyes boring into my back.

  “So that’s all I get?” Again, I ignored her as I reached for my shorts. “Not even a small little snippet of Rhett Jackson and his abilities to soothe?”

  I snickered at her choice of wording.

  “Seriously, with the sounds that were spilling from you, I’d guess the guy has got himself some magical powers.”

  “You’re insane.” I shook my head as I slipped one foot followed by the other into the shorts I pulled from atop my dresser. “It’s not like that,” I assured her.

  “Not like what?”

  I finally turned around to face her and she continued to smile wide. “It was just a dream.”

  “Triggered by some really great memories.”

  “Or fantasies,” I added before I could stop myself. April wrinkled her brows up, and I knew at that moment I had only given her ammo to interrogate me for more information.

  “Are you trying to tell me that you and Rhett have been dating for over a month now and you haven’t…” She let the question die as she widened her eyes in curiosity. I shook my head to answer her silent question. “Seriously?�
�

  I shook my head.

  “Wow.”

  Wow was right, but it wasn’t for lack of opportunity. There had been plenty of those. I was ready, or at least my body was. It was my heart that kept getting cold feet. I knew it would change everything, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that to happen yet.

  I moved toward the bed and sat next to April as she watched me closely. “Do you think he’s still holding out hope that she’ll come back?” It didn’t take a genius to figure out who I was talking about; everyone in Brooklet knew Rhett and Harley were a big thing at one time. I could almost guarantee that everyone thought the two of them would grow up and get married someday. They were inseparable, or so I’d been told more times than I cared to hear. Until she left, I don’t think the two of them spent more than a day apart since they’d met.

  “Is that what you think?” April leaned in so she could get a better look at me, and our eyes locked on one another’s.

  “He says he’s not, that her time in his life is over, but part of me still wonders, ya know?”

  “You do know that continuing to question what’s going on between you two is going to eventually come between you, right?” I looked down at my lap because I knew she was right, and I couldn’t look at her when she was telling me how stupid I was. “I’m not saying run off and sleep with him, but I am saying that you need to stop letting the ‘what if’s’ control the now. He’s with you. He doesn’t have to be. The guy didn’t commit to anyone after she left, not even once, and now he’s with you. There’s a reason for that, and no part of me thinks it’s to pass the time or fill some void he’s feeling.”

  I finally looked up and met her stare.

  “He cares about you, anyone that sees the two of you together could figure that out. Just stop questioning it and enjoy it.”

  ***

  I slowed to a stop next to Rhett’s truck, and with a deep breath I climbed out of my car. Next to his big blue Chevy, my Cruz looked like a clown’s car. The comparison made me laugh remembering his comment a few days before about being able to fit my car into the bed of his truck. His truck truly was a monstrous thing that looked slightly intimidating.