Just One Kiss (Oh Tequila Series Book 4)

by C. A. Harms

  “You and Brent are going riding together?”

  “Yeah,” I kicked out the stand and climbed off my bike.

  “Does Ma know about this new bike?” Clayton arched a brow and I tried not to show that his question affected me. Our mother was a force to be reckoned with; she scared both of us. “I take that as a no.” Before he even finished the sentence, he was on his way toward the house, pulling his phone from his back pocket.

  “Is he seriously calling your mother?” Isaac and I stood side by side, him wearing a smile and me, well, let’s just say my stomach was rolling.

  “Hey Ma,” I heard Clayton announce as he looked back over his shoulder with a gleam in his eyes. “You’ll never guess what Corbin just bought himself.”

  “Dude, you are fucked,” Isaac mumbled. “She’ll be in her car on her way here or better yet, she’ll grab the fastest plane ticket she can find.”

  “He’s such a douche,” I said before hurrying after my brother. “Don’t listen to him, Ma.” I hollered out as I jumped onto Clay’s back. “He’s lying, it’s a scooter, only goes at most thirty miles per hour.”

  Clayton shifted from side to side, trying to clear me off his back all while telling my mom detail for detail about the bike. The speeds it could reach and the fact I didn’t have a helmet when I pulled up on it. The asshole was going in for the kill.

  I slid off his back, knowing at that point she knew all she needed to know. Clay turned around with a fucking pleased smile on his face.

  “She wants to talk to you.” He held the phone out in my direction and I simply stared at him. Very few times had I ever wanted to punch my brother, but this was one of those times.

  I took the phone from him and as I lifted it to my ear, I could already hear our mom’s irritated tone.

  “Corbin Eugene Powell.”

  I hung my head and knew at that point it was going to be a long and exhausting conversation, because Momma was pissed.

  ***

  I opened my eyes and was immediately met with a set of big brown ones staring back at me. Ethan, my brother’s girlfriend’s boy, stood at the edge of my bed, his fingers buried in his mouth. “Hey bud,” I said through my sleep-filled haze. “You lost?”

  Suddenly he lifted his hand from his mouth and traced his finger over my cheek. I’ve seen him do that a number of times to Clayton and Emelie and should have felt blessed that he offered me the same gesture. But I couldn’t get past the slimy spit that was now pooled on my jaw.

  “Ethan,” I heard Emelie holler, and I moved quickly to ensure I was fully covered. My brother would kill me if I so graciously flashed his girl. Hell, he about ripped my head off my shoulders the first time I met her, and she kissed me, when she mistakenly thought I was him. That was a mess, not the kiss part but his reaction. His girl was quite the kisser, but I’d never bring that up to him again.

  “I’m sorry,” Emelie apologized as she snatched up her son. “He’s looking for Clayton and I guess it doesn’t help matters that the two of you look alike.”

  “Ah now, come on, Em,” I teased her while casually wiping the goo from my face. “We all know that you secretly think I’m the better looking one.” She rolled her eyes. “I see the way you look at me.”

  “What? Completely lost? Because that is the only thing that seems to cross my mind when you are near, Corb. As in I am at a loss for words because you are a puzzle.”

  “How sweet.”

  “It’s not a good thing,” she deadpanned as she shifted her son higher on her hip. “You confuse the hell out of me, and if I attempted to figure you out, half the time I would walk away with a migraine.”

  “So, you think about me?” I placed my hands behind my head and gave her a grin. I was playing with fire, but it was so much fun to taunt her and get my brother fired up.

  “Is there a reason why you are standing in my brother’s room?” I looked toward my door, much like Emelie did, and found Clayton with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t look amused.

  “She decided she likes me better.”

  “No,” Emelie interjected as she walked toward my brother, giving him her best doe-eyed look. “Ethan wandered in here and I came to rescue him. There is no doubt in my mind that if he is left with Corbin long enough, he will be forever affected, and not in a good way. I’m talking life corruption, prison time in his future, or even worse.”

  Clayton wanted to smile but I was still getting his “I’m about to beat your ass” look.

  Emelie rose onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his jaw. I swear almost instantly I could see him melt before my eyes. He was a pussy, a straight-up chump.

  I was envious of what he had, though; Emelie adored him. The guy was lucky as fuck.

  Chapter Three

  Palmer

  “How are you and Emelie coming along?” I held the phone pinned between my shoulder and ear while attempting to dig my backpack out of my backseat. “Rent and food?”

  “We’re good,” I assured my dad for the third time that week.

  “You know that I just worry about you girls and that boy.”

  My parents had pretty much adopted Ethan and Emelie as their own. After Emelie’s father wrote her off, because he was a pathetic loser, they picked up after him and now they hovered. Emelie’s parents believed she ruined her life when she got pregnant and gave birth to Ethan. She had somehow shamed them by doing so, and they chose to remind her of that often. Like I said, they were losers.

  “We are covered in rent through the end of next month, and the food you all had delivered last week was more than enough.” I smiled, still remembering Clayton’s face when he opened the apartment door and in walked the courier service from the local super market. “You do realize Ethan is only a little boy? He doesn’t eat that much.”

  “That will change one day,” my father added with a chuckle. “Besides, I know that Emelie’s boyfriend is over often and you two girls are far too thin.”

  “Tell that to my ass that can’t fit into my running shorts,” I mumbled as I climbed out of my car and shut the door behind me.

  My parents did decently for themselves. My mother owned and operated her own daycare that she started when I was a baby. She refused to go back to work and allow strangers to raise me, so instead she decided to offer that service herself. It started out small, a few kids at most, but became the largest daycare in Clearwater. She loved it and prided herself on ensuring that each child was taken care of perfectly. If they couldn’t be with their own mothers, then mine was the next best thing. She was a dream, so loving and affectionate. My father was a big bear with a heart of gold. He owned and operated a business handed down for generations. He had four different locations, filled to the brim with furniture, carpeting, flooring, and more. You name it, if it belonged in or outside of a house, he sold it.

  “You promise me if anything changes, you’ll call?”

  “Yes, Dad.” I knew I’d be going through this same conversation tomorrow or the day after. “But I promise you we are good.”

  We talked for a few more minutes as I walked toward the building that held my first class of the day. I had left early after Ethan came rushing into my room early, looking for his favorite truck. Only with his little squeaky voice accompanied by the cutest lisp, it sounded more like he was in search of his “fuck.” I couldn’t control my laughter each time I heard it.

  I ended the call just as I reached the stairs and tucked my phone into my bag. Reaching out I went to grasp the railing and was pulled back against something firm.

  “Good morning, Palmer.” That damn southern drawl sent shivers through me every time. I was never into the country boy thing until this mess of a man showed up in my life. Lord, help me.

  Remain unaffected, that was my mantra. If only it were that easy.

  “Damn, you smell good.” He buried his nose in my hair and I pushed my ass back toward him. The motive I had was to gain space, but he took it as something completely differe
nt. He held me tighter against him and pushed his own hips forward.

  “I say we should skip class and find a dark corner.”

  “I say that I’ve been down that road already and have no intentions of wasting any more of my time. That was five minutes I will never get back.”

  “Again, it was more than five.”

  I stepped forward and turned around to look at him. Taken aback by his appearance, I think I even blinked a time or two. Leather jacket, open with a grey v-neck t-shirt beneath. Jeans, snug and highlighting the one area I shouldn’t be focused on.

  “Taking a trip down memory lane?” I shifted my gaze upward and found him smirking knowingly.

  “No,” I said defiantly. “I was trying to figure out why you are dressed like some bad boy biker guy. I would hardly call your Explorer a bad boy mobile.”

  “I didn’t drive the Explorer.” He looked back over his shoulder and pointed toward a silver bike parked a few hundred feet away. “I’m riding that.”

  “Are you crazy?” The question flew out of my mouth before I could stop it. “Where is your helmet?”

  “Now you sound like my mother.” He still held that same grin.

  “Because your mother is a smart woman, I take that as a huge compliment.”

  It was my turn to challenge him. “So again, where is your helmet?”

  “You’re worried about me, Palmer.” He stepped closer, his lips coming even closer to mine. “You like me, don’t you?”

  “No.” I pushed against his chest, causing him to stumble back and laugh. “I just like your brother and parents, and I would hate to see them sad over you getting hurt because you were an idiot.”

  Corbin didn’t buy the act I was throwing at him one bit.

  “If you say so.” He lifted his hand and pushed my hair back from my face. “I won’t make you admit you feel something for me. I can see it in your eyes though, so that’s enough.”

  “All you see is irritation and annoyance.”

  “Okay, sweetheart.” Every time he said that, accompanied by that damn accent, I swear I felt my heart lurch in my chest. “You can rest easy knowing my helmet is hanging on the side of my bike.”

  I glanced in its direction once more and he took that opportunity to hook my waist and pull my body against his.

  “I’m gonna wear you down, Palmer.” I turned my face away from his because seeing his eyes staring back at mine made my ability to remain level-headed even harder. “And when I do, I’ll remind you of how good we are together.”

  Corbin took my silence as his invitation to continue.

  His lips brushed over the side of my neck and my body shivered from their impact. “You taste so good.” Damn him. “You feel incredible and all I can think about, all I’ve been able to imagine, is feeling your body move with mine once more. I’ve never felt anything better.”

  I was seconds from caving and telling him to find that dark corner he mentioned when a deep familiar voice shook me from the haze.

  “Well, what is it we have here?”

  I jerked away from Corbin, almost like I’d been burned. Gripping the strap of my bag I did my best to calm my racing libido. Actually, I just needed something to do with my hands to hide the way they were trembling from a mixture of lust and nervous energy. Clayton stood a few feet away, his gaze shifting between his brother and me.

  “It would appear nothing, now that you’ve managed to fuck it all up.” Corbin sounded suddenly much grumpier than he had only seconds ago. I shot him a warning glare and Clayton chuckled.

  “I need to get to class.” I practically shouted the statement and wanted to just disappear when both of them looked directly at me with matching stares: eyebrows crinkled, mouths both pressed in tight lines. Oh my god, just kill me now. I thought about saying more, I was running a million things through my mind, but the deathly silence was only making my stomach twist and churn. So instead I spun around and practically ran away from the two men who had to have thought I’d lost my marbles. I was such a mess.

  Number one reason why I needed to stay far away from Corbin: he made me lose my ever-loving mind.

  Chapter Four

  Corbin

  “So, what’s going on with you and that brunette I saw you with yesterday?” I turned around on the couch and looked at Jay, who’d just entered through the front door of the fraternity. “Looked pretty intense.”

  “Nothing,” I grumbled, still sore at Clayton for interrupting my moment. I was wearing Palmer down, I could see it in her eyes. She was seconds away from throwing caution to the wind and joining me for a ride. As in more than just on the back of my bike. “I got cock blocked by Clayton.”

  This only made Jay laugh as he rounded the end of the couch and flopped down in the recliner. “So, what are you going do about it?”

  “What can I do?”

  “You could give it another go, or you could piss Clay off by messing up his hair. You know how he is when it comes to his appearance.”

  A flashback of the time Blake and Jay were responsible for dying Clay’s hair pink and mine purple hit me. My brother was practically in tears; he was so devastated he was on the verge of shaving his head.

  “How about we fuck up his hair, then when he’s distracted, I give it another go?”

  “I’m game,” Jay says happily, sliding forward in the recliner and rubbing his hands together excited with the idea. “Let’s do this. I’m always down for harassing your brother. It’s gotten more exciting now that he’s off his game. He’s not so on guard since he has two people distracting him.”

  True, very true.

  “We gotta think up something good, though, not the original dye his hair or glue his hand to his dick or something expected. We’ve overplayed that in this house. Do you think we can recruit Blake to help us come up with something?”

  “That woman is always itching to terrorize someone, especially Clay. She can be a little scary at times.”

  That was no doubt, that woman had found her calling. I thought the guys in this house were bad, but the minute she stepped foot in this place it was like an inner devil had been shaken awake. Elijah, since he no longer had the bushy afro, we’d stopped calling him Red because the name just didn’t fit, had found a gem. Blake was like family, just like Morgan and Emelie. This house was like one big ass group of crazies and it only continued to grow.

  The front door burst open and in came Brent, looking pissed. “Who the fuck decided to Bedazzle my bike?” My eyes widened at the mention of bike. “Fucking sparkly fake ass jewels, glitter, and goddamn stickers all over the tank.” I heard Jay chuckle, yet I was still frozen, staring back at him unable to respond. My stomach felt empty and my heart was beating rapidly. “It has pink tassels and faux fur.”

  Finally, I was able to make my body move as I stood up and took a step toward Brent.

  “Before you decide to make some smart-ass remark, just know they fucking pulled the same shit on yours, too.”

  And there it was. I think I already knew it was coming but the moment he said it, my feet started to move. I was through the front door, down the steps, and around the side of the house before I had a chance to register, I was moving, and immediately came to an abrupt halt. What was once silver now sparkled with pink and blue little girl jewels, rainbow-looking stickers scattered throughout, and instead of pink tassels, mine were a bright yellow with matching furry shit.

  “What the hell?”

  They’d even spelled out “Momma’s Boy” along the side of my gas tank in what appeared to be fake rhinestones.

  “Thought I would glam up the bikes for ya, boys.” Isaac sat on the lounger at the side of the pool, with a beer in one hand and his dark shades covering his eyes. Generally, Isaac was the laid-back guy who did his best to keep the rest of us in line. He wasn’t one to pull pranks, only tried to tame us all when we got out of hand—which was a full-time job with the clowns in our fraternity. “They look pretty,” he added with a grin. “I thought t
he colorful array might attract the ladies, because we all know it ain’t the pansies riding the bikes that will interest the females.”

  “You’re a dick.” Brent was the first to speak. Though I wanted to fly back at Isaac with some type of dig, I had nothing. Honestly, I was proud of the guy for this stunt; it was so out of character for him. I walked over to the lounger next to his, reached inside the cooler, and pulled out a beer.

  After having a seat, I kicked back and rested one hand behind my head, admiring his handy work. “That’s impressive.” I tilted the beer back, taking one long pull and Brent’s movements caught my eye.

  He threw his hands up in the air, spun around on his heels, and stomped away like a child throwing a tantrum.

  ***

  I slowed to a stop near the coffee shop just off campus, maneuvering my bike into the empty parking space along the curb. I killed the engine before kicking out the stand and sliding off. Pulling off my helmet, I placed it onto my seat as I pulled my phone out of my back pocket.

  Checking the time, I realized I still had over an hour before I had to be in class. Grabbing my helmet, I tucked it under my arm and turned around toward the café when I came face-to-face with none other than Candy, a frequent hook-up of mine in the past. Hook-up pre-Palmer, of course.

  Candy was a sweet girl, a bit on the ditzy side, but quite frankly I thought it was mostly an act. Almost like she felt if she showed guys, she was intelligent, the attention she received wouldn’t be what she hoped for.

  “When did you get a bike?” she asked as she stepped forward and placed her hand at my side, gliding it downward over my hip. “And why haven’t I been offered a ride yet?”

  Before I could answer, I heard someone clearing their throat and looked back over my shoulder to see Palmer standing there. Instead of moving away from Candy, I arched a brow and relished the fact that Palmer was looking at our closeness with distaste. Jealousy…she wouldn’t admit it, but I could see it in her eyes.