I sit forward, ready to chase her but decide against it. She marches through the door to her pool house but in seconds she returns with a zip-up hoodie over her shoulders. Apparently, I’m the only one who thinks it feels like summer.
I run my eyes down her body as she makes her way back over to me.
“What?” she barks.
“N-nothing.” I swallow how disappointed I am that she’s covered herself up, I don’t think she’d want to hear it right now anyway.
“I hope you’ve got the hangover from hell,” she mutters, sitting beside me and folding her arms over her chest.
“Not as bad as I deserve.”
She looks over at me but quickly averts her gaze when she finds me staring back at her.
“That’s a shame.”
“I’m sorry, Chels.”
“Really? That’s all you got?”
“Uh… yeah. I was pissed at you for continually sending me away. I wanted to hurt you back. It was stupid. But when Zayn dared me, I couldn’t think of anything else but making you admit that this is… something.”
“Fucking Zayn,” Chelsea mutters to herself.
“He knows about… us—”
“There is no us, Shane.”
“Yeah, no, yeah… I know. I meant, he knows we slept together, and he knew I was pissed. He thought he was doing us a favor.”
“Great. So the whole team knows by now then,” she huffs.
“He hasn’t told anyone.”
“Pfft. It doesn’t matter. Everyone already thinks we probably have anyway.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.
“Nothing.” She sits back and stares ahead. “Anything else?”
I’m silent for a moment as I consider what I want to say to her. When I don’t respond she turns her eyes back on me. My mouth waters as I take in her flawless beauty. “I… uh… I like you.” Unable to hold her eyes, I glance down at my feet.
She gasps as she moves to sit on the edge of the lounger like me, our knees are only a breath apart.
Reaching out, she gently touches her fingers to my chin and I have no choice but to look up at her. I didn’t intend to say those words, the admission just kind of fell out, and now I’m feeling like an idiot.
Our eyes connect, her chocolate to my green, and something crackles between us.
She shakes her head, a small smile playing on her lips.
“What you did last night. I deserved it. I deserved it and so much more for everything I’ve done to you and the others.”
“Maybe so, but I shouldn’t have done it. I hate myself for setting out to hurt you. It’s not who I am, Chels.”
“I know, you’re the sweet one.” One side of her lip twitches.
“Oh yeah, real nice.”
“If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
Pushing to stand, I have no choice but to look up at her once she’s at full height.
“Mom made smoothies. You want one?”
“Um… sure.”
Before I have time to blink, she’s making her way to the kitchen. I blow out a long breath, chastising myself for being such an idiot. I know I said I wanted to talk, but I didn’t want to come across like a total pussy.
“Fuck,” I bark into the quiet of the back yard, dropping my head into my hands.
“Everything okay?” Her soft voice flows through me and my spine stiffens. Fucking hell, there’s no way I’m leaving here today without convincing her that I’m a total fucking idiot.
“Yeah, everything is fine.” I turn to look at her, she’s holding two fancy glasses with straws sticking out the top with the front of her hoodie wide open. Just that bit of skin makes my mouth water. I already know that she’ll be sweeter than whatever is in those glasses.
“Uh… here.” Heat hits her cheeks, and I relax for a moment. Is she as unsure about this as I am?
I watch her as she moves to her seat and lowers down. I have no idea if she’s aware of my attention or not but at no point does she look my way. Instead she takes the straw between her lips and sucks.
My cock swells as I remember just how hot and smooth those lips feel wrapped around my cock. Fuck. I came here to apologize not to sit here with a raging hard-on.
“You weren’t that drunk then?” Chelsea asks suddenly, startling me from my little trip down memory lane.
“Uh… w-what?”
“I can read you, Shane. I know exactly where your thoughts are at.”
“Can you blame me, you give good—”
“I’m off now,” Honey’s voice cuts through what I was about to say and my face flushes with color while Chelsea barks out a laugh.
Honey appears in the kitchen doorway and looks between the two of us.
“Have a good day, you two.” She smiles at Chelsea and then me before turning and disappearing.
Silence stretches out between the two of us until the sound of an engine revving hits our ears and a car backs out of the driveway.
“So… we’ve got the whole house to ourselves,” Chelsea says, putting her now empty glass down on the side table and looking to me. “What shall we do?”
22
Chelsea
My heart thunders in my chest as Shane’s honest eyes stare back at me. I was not expecting him to apologize, let alone admit that he does feel something for me.
I should fall back to my usual protective measure and send him away for fear of him getting too close and finding out the truth but the thought of spending time with him like two normal people who aren’t constantly fighting is too tempting.
I don’t deserve his apology, especially when I’m the one lying to him right now. I should confess, tell him everything that I’m hiding. But the words get stuck on my tongue.
If I drop that bomb then everything is going to change again, and this right now, it feels… right. And I crave a normal day more than anything.
Should I forgive him so easily for that stunt he pulled yesterday? Maybe not. But after all the times I hurt him, I can’t really say that he was wrong for doing it. I deserved it.
Pushing from my lounger, I stand beside Shane’s. He’s still holding his full smoothie in his hands and staring up at me with desire in his eyes.
I know he was watching as I drank my own drink and I know exactly what he was thinking. I don’t need to see the shape of his cock beneath his pants to confirm it. And I also can’t deny that it turned me on too.
I have no idea what it is about Shane. I’ve had guys in this position time and time again, but I’ve never wanted to climb them like I do him right now. Every single part of my body craves him, craves his touch, his kiss, his caress.
Fuck.
“I-I just came here to talk, Chels.” He swallows, the tendons in his neck strain and his Adam’s apple bobs.
“And we have. You told me you’re sorry, I told you I deserved it and you admitted you like me. What else is there to discuss?” The question tastes bitter on my tongue. There is so much more we need to discuss but I can’t do it right now. I need this. I need him.
“Um… e-everything. We’ve barely scratched the surface. Chels?” he asks as I straddle his lounger and lower myself to his lap.
His eyes darken as I settle myself and place my hands on his shoulders.
“We’ve got plenty of time. You heard Mom, she’ll…” I place a kiss to his jaw. “Be.” Kiss. “Gone.” Kiss. “All.” Kiss. “Day.” My final kiss is to the corner of his mouth and seems to be the end of his restraint because his hand slides up my back and his fingers thread into my hair as his tongue sweeps into my mouth.
I whimper above him because being close, having his hands on me is just that good.
His kiss is addictive, all-consuming, and as I hand myself over to him completely, I don’t ever want to stop.
My hands roam around his chest, desperate to find his bare skin. After a few seconds, I slip my hands under the hem of his shirt and brush my fingertips up his abs. His entire b
ody flinches at my contact.
“Fuck, Chelsea. What are you doing to me?” he groans against my lips, sending red hot lust straight through my veins.
His hands grip on to my ass, pulling me down harder onto him. His length presses against me and the temptation to take what we both clearly need is almost unbearable.
Torturing both of us, I reluctantly stand and back away from him.
As my heart races, I run my eyes down the length of him. His hair is a disheveled mess, his eyes are unbelievably dark, his lips swollen and his chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath. He looks incredible and makes me wonder how I’ve managed to turn him away so many times.
“Ches?” he asks, panic starting to set in that I’m about to end this once again. Fortunately for him, he couldn’t be more wrong. I couldn’t send him away now even if I wanted to.
“I was wondering,” I say, slipping the hoodie down my arms so it falls to the floor at my feet. He sits forward, eager to hear what I’ve got to say next.
I lift my hands to my bra and as smoothly as possible pull it over my head.
Shane’s eyes drop and he swallows as he stares at my swollen breasts.
“If you wanted…” I shove my thumbs into the waistband of my yoga pants and panties and push them down my thighs. “A swim.”
Before he has a chance to respond, I turn and dive into the warm water behind me.
I have no idea how he sheds his clothes so quickly but I’m still under the water when I sense him join me.
Just as I break the surface, his arms slip around my waist and he pulls me up against his hard, naked body.
Opening my eyes, I find his green ones staring back at me.
“Hey,” I say, nerves assaulting me from somewhere.
A wide smile spreads across his face. “Hey.”
I wrap my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his waist. His already hard cock teasing my entrance and reawakening the desire that was coursing through me not so long ago.
He walks me backward until my back hits the pool wall.
When he drops his head, I lower my eyelids, preparing to resume our earlier kiss but his lips don’t find mine, instead they brush my ear.
“I thought we were done with the games.” A shudder runs through me as his breath tickles my sensitive skin.
“Mind games, yeah,” I breathe. “Sex games, I’m all in.”
He growls in response and his mouth latches on to my neck. My head falls back, giving him all the access he needs. But he doesn’t continue long enough before he speaks again.
“If we’re doing this…” Just the thought of this being a thing has my stomach somersaulting. “I need you to promise me something.”
“And what’s that?” I ask, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
“I’m the only member of the team that gets to touch you, look at you, have you. You want me. You give them all up.” It’s hardly the demand of the century. I’ve used them over the years, just like they have me. Jake was the only one I ever thought I wanted more with. Not playing games with them isn’t exactly a hardship, especially if I can have Shane.
Gripping on to his hair, I pull his head from the crook of my neck so I can look into his eyes. So he can see the honesty in my words.
“I don’t want them. I’ve never wanted them.”
His eyes bounce between mine as he thinks about my words. “So, what do you want?” His voice cracks slightly as his nerves creep in.
“You.”
“Fuck.”
His lips find mine once again as he pins me back harder against the wall. His kiss is bruising, but I can’t get enough. Our teeth clash as our tongues duel, desperately trying to get enough of each other but both knowing that we’ll never achieve it.
He lifts me higher before lining his cock up with my entrance.
“Okay?” he mumbles against my lips before pushing inside.
“Yes, Shane. Always.”
I love that he’s sweet enough to ask. That he doesn’t just take like so many of the others. But he needs to know that he already owns me. He can take exactly what he likes and I’ll meet him move for move.
“Fuuuuck,” he grates out as he stretches me open.
“Oh god.”
The water laps around us as we move together. His hands grip on to my ass almost painfully as he thrusts up into me, taking what he needs and giving me exactly what I’m craving.
Seeking out my lips, his tongue plunges into my mouth, mimicking what’s happening below the water as my body starts to race toward the end. I don’t want this to be over. This connection, I want to feel it forever.
“You feel so good, baby.”
“Yeah,” I moan as he brushes his lips across my neck.
“So tight, so hot, so perfect.”
One of his hands leaves my ass in favor of roaming over my body. He squeezes each breast, pinching each nipple and sending shockwaves of pleasure racing through me. Then he brushes his fingertips down my stomach to find my clit.
“Oh shit,” I moan, my eyes closing as pleasure explodes within me.
“Look at me, Chelsea. Don’t hide. Don’t run.”
I do as I’m told, and my eyes fly open. It’s the first time I accept that he’s as vulnerable as me right now. He’s laid on the line how he feels, what he wants, and just like me, he’s terrified that I’ll reject him. Fuck, what I’ve been doing since I came back. Continually walking away, or sending him away like I don’t care.
Admitting that I want him, that what we have here means something to me terrifies the shit out of me. What if I tell him the truth and he walks away from me? From us? The thought alone has a lump forming in my throat.
People always abandon me. Leave me. Why should I believe that he’d be any different? The only people who’ve stuck around are Honey and Derek and even all these years later, I have no idea why they chose me.
“Jesus, fuck, Chelsea.” Shane’s low, husky voice drags me from my inner turmoil and brings me back to the here and now. He stares at me, his eyes telling me more than his lips do and I can only hope that mine are doing the same. That he can read everything I’m too scared to put into words.
“Come, Chelsea.” As he says it, he pinches my clit and thrusts up higher.
“Oh fuck,” I cry not two seconds later, following his order.
I just register his smirk of achievement before I have no choice but to slam my eyes closed and ride out the waves of pleasure.
Shane thrusts three more times before his grip on my hips becomes almost painful as his entire body stills. A groan of pleasure rumbles up his throat as his cock twitches violently inside me.
His arms wrap around me and he holds me tight, our chests crushed together as we fight to gain control of our racing hearts.
After long silent minutes with my ear pressed against his chest listening to his heart thunder, he releases me slightly.
Reluctantly, I pull my face away and glance up at him.
Reality comes crashing down that this is over now. Every other time we’ve been together, things have gone very wrong from this moment on.
Biting down on the inside of my cheek, I risk a glance up at him. His eyes are soft, full of something I’m not used to seeing on the guys I’ve spent time with in the past.
Reaching out, he brushes a wet lock of hair from my cheek and tucks it behind my ear.
“Stop waiting for something to go wrong,” he murmurs.
“But… it always does.”
“Not today. Today, we just enjoy.” He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine. “No games, no bullshit. Just… us.”
A smile curls at my lips. “Yeah?” I ask, hopeful that we could at least attempt to do this.
“Yeah. If you want me.” That little bit of vulnerability I saw earlier creeps back into his eyes.
Cupping his cheek in my hand, I sigh when he leans into my touch.
“I do.”
“Perfect,” he says before dro
pping his hands to my waist and scaring the shit out of me when he lifts and launches me into the pool. I squeal before I go under but can’t help laughing once I come back up.
It’s been too long since I let go of everything and just had some fun.
With my past and bad decisions weighing me down, it’s easy to forget that I am only eighteen and that I can have this.
We play around in the pool for the longest time. Our hands barely leave each other’s bodies as we enjoy ourselves and laugh like we’ve got no worries in the world. It’s incredible and although we don’t go any farther than a few naughty gropes and the odd kiss or two, I’m desperate for him to pull me to him once again so he can consume me. But he never does. I know it’s not because he doesn’t want to. He’s been hard almost since he pulled out of me earlier, but he’s made no move to take me again.
“We should probably get out,” I say when our splashing comes to a stop. I hold my hands up above the water and inspect my wrinkled fingertips.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m hungry,” he says, crowding me into the corner.
“O-okay, we can shower and order food.”
“Food? Hmmm…” he mumbles into the crook of my neck. “I wasn’t talking about food.”
Heat floods my body as his front presses against me, his cock prodding me in the stomach.
“Then we definitely need to get out so you can get what you need.”
His hands slide up the sides of my body before tucking under my arms and lifting me from the water as if I weigh no more than a feather.
Water runs down my bare body as his eyes follow its movement.
The cool air and his stare have my nipples pebbling.
“Oh yeah, I’m definitely starving.”
Feeling brazen under his attention, I part my knees. His eyes immediately drop to my core and he licks his bottom lip. My muscles clench as I remember exactly how it feels with his tongue against me.
He leans forward. My fingers dive into his hair, halting his movement.
“Shane?”
“Lie back,” he demands, pulling at my legs so my ass slides toward the edge of the pool.
I glance around at the houses surrounding us. None of them directly overlooks our back yard, but that doesn’t mean they can’t see what’s going on right now.
FIERCE: A High School Enemies to Lovers Romance (Rosewood High Book 4) Page 18
