Just One Kiss (Oh Tequila Series Book 4)

by C. A. Harms

  Candy didn’t falter as she stepped closer and pressed her body to mine. “It been too long, Corbin,” she cooed, and I almost laughed when Palmer rolled her eyes.

  “I never took you for a guy that was into glitter.” Palmer ran her finger over the remaining specks of blue glitter I wasn’t able to completely get off my silver paint. Then she lifted her gaze from my back and looked between Candy and me once more. “I did, however, suspect you to be that kind of guy.” She used her hand to motion between the small space remaining between Candy and me.

  Before I could say anything, she walked across the street toward the small red car that waited and climbed into the passenger seat. The sound of the door slamming felt like it echoed through the space. The guy who was driving looked over, and though he seemed familiar I couldn’t quite place him. I was the one left with an ugly green monster on my shoulder and that fucker was laughing at me.

  “Who was that?” I looked away from the retreating car back at Candy, who still stood very close. She was smiling up at me, all sweet and alluring. Don’t get me wrong—Candy is an attractive girl and though most of our time in the past was spent with our clothes off, she did sometimes make me laugh. She came from a small town just outside of Houston, Texas, and was one of seven kids. We’d talked about life, home, and family, and she understood the country life. But there was never that strong pull that made me want to be all-in with her.

  Fearful of hurting Candy’s feelings, I chose the coward’s way out. “That is Clayton’s girl’s best friend.” What I decided to leave out was that she was the one girl responsible for making my insides feel like they were tied in fucking knots.

  “When is your next class?”

  “Not until two.” She smiled wider. “Why?”

  “What do you say I take you for a little ride?” Candy looked over my shoulder and I could see the excitement in her eyes. “But you’ll have to wear this.”

  I held out the helmet, only having the one. I had no intentions of going fast, or even leaving campus, but I suddenly felt like I had to move instead of sitting in a café.

  “I’m in.” Candy bounced happily as she grabbed the helmet and placed it on her head. “I used to ride dirt bikes with my brothers and loved it.” I stared at her while she positioned the helmet and tightened it. I found myself wondering why I couldn’t feel for her what I felt for Palmer. After all, Candy liked me, and Palmer…well, I seemed to annoy her at every turn.

  Chapter Five

  Palmer

  “Dare I ask who that was?”

  I ignored Dalton’s questioning look and instead stared at the windshield ahead. If I looked at him directly, I knew he’d see right through me. Part of the perks of knowing me since I was two—he could read me like a book.

  “Just a typical college guy,” I mumbled, not really wanting to get into it but Dalton never let me slide on these things.

  “A guy that got beneath your skin in two seconds flat.”

  I ignored him again, this time turning to look out the passenger window.

  Six four, dark tanned skin, big blue eyes, and hair that almost matched my own, any girl would feel a draw toward the guy at my left. If only he was into women, which he was not. His long-time boyfriend Phil was away on business and to my surprise, Dalton decided he and I would spend the day together. We rarely got the chance anymore, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got a phone call last night that he would be making the three-hour drive today.

  “So, give me the dirt.” I felt him nudge my shoulder and rolled my eyes. “Before you say he is annoying and nothing worth talking about, you should know that it will only be a waste of time for you to even consider that line of crap.”

  “You are such a gossip queen.” I turned to look at him and instantly regretted it. He’d parked in an open space near my apartment and was turned toward me with an eager look on his face. “Really?”

  “We can sit here all day,” he challenged me. “I got nothing else to do.”

  “You are impossible,” I said. He didn’t budge. “I’m gonna call Phil and tell him that you’re harassing me.” Dalton shrugged.

  “Fine,” I huffed in defeat, already knowing there was no possible way to get out of the situation I was in. If I got out, he would follow. If I locked him out, he’d used the damn key I’d given him right after Emelie and I first moved in. “It’s Emelie’s boyfriend’s twin brother.” I knew he’d not gotten a good look at Corbin or he would have figured that out already.

  “Corbin is the complete opposite of Clayton. He is impulsive, ridiculously immature, and thinks with his dick instead of his brain. He drives me insane, always making vulgar comments, staring at my tits or my ass instead of my eyes, and he is a manwhore.” I was letting it all flow from me without pause. But Dalton only had himself to blame; he had been the one to open up the flood gates.

  “He is arrogant and demanding. I don’t think the guy has a serious thought in his head. He constantly acts like he is twelve. Wait, forget that, twelve-year-olds are more mature.” I took in a deep breath. “He thinks he’s this ladies’ man, saying all the wrong things at all the wrong times, throwing out that smile, and giving off that sultry look.”

  “And there it is.” I blinked a few times and brought my lifelong friend back into focus after my irritation had temporarily blinded me.

  “What?”

  “You hooked up with him.” Dalton smiled knowingly. “Didn’t you?”

  “You don’t know what you are talking about.” I reached for the door handle, but he quickly hit the lock button. “Let me out,” I demanded, yanking on the handle and hitting the button on the door, trying to outwit him.

  “You like him.” Dalton’s chuckle struck me wrong and I glared at him. “Okay, more than like him.”

  “I used to like you, you arrogant ass,” I fired back. “But I’ve decided you are no longer one of my favorite people. You can go now.” I crossed my arms over my chest and just stared at him.

  There we sat in Dalton’s BMW, the doors still locked. He stared at me, I stared at him, only he still wore the smile I suddenly wanted to wipe off his face, preferably causing him to squeal in pain in the process.

  “Are you pissed off because he was with that other girl, or because you can’t admit that you’d much rather be the one he is with now? Maybe both?”

  “I am not having this conversation with you.” I flopped back in my seat, having a toddler-sized meltdown. “You didn’t drive all this way to hound me about who I may or may not choose to have meaningless sex with. We are supposed to be having fun, Dalton, and just so you know,” again I glared at him, “this is not fun.”

  “I’m having a blast.” He tilted his head, offering a little shrug.

  “Dick,” I mumbled, causing him to laugh his deep, chest rumbling roar.

  “Palmer, I’ve known you far too long for you to attempt to convince me that guy isn’t more than some one-night mistake. So why can’t you just admit you like the guy?”

  “Because he is not worth the effort it would take. I don’t have the time to put into a guy like him.” Dalton was an ass for making me admit the things that had been rolling around in my mind were nothing more than a ridiculous afterthought of some really decent outdoor sex. “Corbin is not trustworthy. He is someone I would spend half my time worrying whether he was doing something stupid to hurt himself and the other half I’d be wondering if he was pinning a random girl to some tree in the middle of the woods with his pants around his ankles.”

  “That sounds adventurous.” Dalton arched his brow and I couldn’t help but smile at him in return.

  “I don’t recommend it. Sure, during it you aren’t focused on the bark scratching into your ass and back, but later it’s not so pleasant.”

  Dalton’s eyes lit up like he thought I was gonna give him more than just that, and I took it as my opportunity to hit unlock, jerk open the door, and exit before he could stop me.

  As I hurried off toward my apartment
with a proud grin, he chased me. The demands to know more than what I’d given him echoed around me. He didn’t stop when I paused to unlock my apartment door or when I pushed it open and stopped inside.

  “Girl, you better spill the beans about your romp in the forest with the sexy motorcycle boy or I’ll go ask him all about it myself,” Dalton hollered out loudly as he rushed in after me.

  I froze, causing him to bump into me from behind. My gaze locked with Clayton’s as he looked up from the couch, holding Ethan in his lap. Ever so slowly a smirk pulled at his lips just before he arched his brow.

  “Motorcycle boy? Anybody I know?”

  I didn’t have to answer him; I could see he definitely knew. What made it worse was that he had confirmation of what I thought he and Emilie had known all along. I did bang his brother in Kentucky, in the woods, against a tree.

  I hung my head, gave it a little shake, then looked back toward Dalton who was now leaning against the door he’d finally shut. “Real smooth, Gabby.” I slugged Dalton, causing him to huff as he attempted to shield my fisted hand from coming into contact with his gut. Just for good measure, I used my opposite hand to smack him upside the head when he least expected it.

  As I walked off toward my bedroom, I heard Clayton laugh, followed directly by Ethan’s giggles. That little boy laughed at everything, and if I hadn’t been so worked up, I would have found his laughter infectious.

  Just as I reached my bedroom door, Emelie came out of her bedroom and paused. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m okay, they’re okay.” I waved my hand toward the living room where the comedians were still enjoying my discomfort far too much. “We’re all okay, and before they decide to tell you all about it, I’ll tell you the latest news myself. I did, in fact, have sex with Corbin in Kentucky. There it is, out there. No, I don’t want to date him or do it again.” The last part was a huge lie. “Hell, I don’t even think I can tolerate him for longer than ten minutes without nut punching him, so there you have it.” I was breathing hard, madder at myself than anything else for getting so worked up. “It is over, and quite frankly it never should have happened in the first place. I should have kept my happy ass here in Florida where country boys don’t make me lose my goddamned mind and drop my pants before thinking over the consequences first.”

  “Palmer,” Emelie said in a soothing tone, “I’m a little concerned.” You and me both, sister, I wanted to shout. Only I kept my lips pressed firmly together; I had already said more than enough. “That vein in your forehead,” Em added, “the one that slightly protrudes when you get angry?” She traced over it and I narrowed my eyes at her. “It looks like it may burst.”

  And there you have it—I had lost it for sure. I needed a do-over, dating back to the day I decided it was a good idea to let down my defenses and give in to the fucked-up Powell twin.

  Chapter Six

  Corbin

  “How long does it take you to get ready?” I beat on the bathroom door with my fist. “Move it, Brent, you’re almost as bad as Clayton. Fucking pansy boys, worried about their hair in the perfect spot.”

  I walked away from the bathroom and toward the stairs. “Like that shit ain’t gonna get all fucked up with the helmet and the wind.” I was well aware I was mumbling to myself, but for the last hour I had waited for Brent to shower, shave, and do his hair so we could take off for our planned road trip.

  I wanted to get away to clear my head, and maybe figure out how in the hell I could reach Palmer. For a short time, she was into me. Or maybe it was just because I was the only available guy at the time, but I wanted to think it was more. It felt like more.

  I knew I should have just let it go. Most guys would have already given up after being shot down so many times. Except even when she was telling me to fuck off, I could see the hesitance in her expression. The way her body reacted to mine when I touched her, even just a simple touch, was a sign itself.

  I spent two hours with Candy after I gave her a ride on my bike, both of us skipping our classes. I could tell she wanted more than just hanging out, but I wasn’t into it. I knew at that moment I was fucked up over Palmer. I’d never once denied myself a willing girl since I arrived at college. I mean, that is what it’s about right? Being wild and living spontaneously, which is exactly what I’d been doing every day.

  Even when Candy kissed me goodbye, I just let my hands hang loosely at my sides. I can’t even remember if I responded; I just let it happen. The whole time my mind envisioned Palmer as she looked up at me that day in the woods through those hooded eyes of hers. If I responded at all to Candy’s kiss, I knew without a doubt it wasn’t because of her. It was because of Palmer. Which I knew was unfair.

  “Let’s move.” Brent caught me off-guard when he walked past me and flicked the side of my head. “You’re so slow,” he taunted me before walking out the front door and leaving me behind.

  I sent a quick text to Clayton, letting him know Brent and I were taking off before I followed him outside.

  Just as I reached my bike and lifted the helmet to my head, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

  Clayton: Wear your helmet, watch for other people. Remember they don’t always watch for you. Serious man, I may get annoyed by you but if you let yourself get hurt I may have to beat your fucking ass.

  “Aw,” I said, turning my phone to Brent when he looked at me with a confused expression. After he read the text, he shook his head and laughed. “Clay’s gone all soft on us since he packaged up his balls and gave them over to Em.”

  There was no doubt about that, but in his defense, Clay had always been a little more cautious than me.

  I let Brent lead as I rode a few feet back and to the side. He knew the roads more than I did, since he was from this area. The plan was to take Archer Road to US Highway 19, then head south past Crystal River, Florida, to ride the Ozella Trail before heading back to stop at Brent’s parents’ house. I’d never met them; Brent didn’t share too much about his family. They were expecting us and from what he said, his mom already planned a feast.

  Afterward we would drive straight back up US 19 before heading back to Gainesville. He’d talked about how nice the ride was, and it was the first trip we’d decided to take after I told him I was buying a bike.

  The weather was nice, sunny with blue skies. I’d hoped it would clear my thoughts and give me something other to think of than a certain brunette. But the quiet and serene feeling our ride provided only gave me time to analyze all my fuck-ups. The comments I continued to throw at her before, hell—during and even after our time in Kentucky. I’d let the college boy act take over, and it had never played with my head until then.

  I understood why she didn’t want anything more then what we’d shared. I was the guy to burn off steam with, the guy to hook up with and never look back. I wasn’t the long-term guy you could see yourself with years down the road. I had become “that guy.” I fell into the role of the unpredictable brother who was nothing but a cut-up, and I was fine with being that half of the Powell boys.

  I saw Brent point toward the gas station up ahead and when he flipped his signal on, I followed. We’d been on the road for close to an hour and stretching my legs sounded like a good idea.

  Side by side we fueled up and Brent was fairly quiet, which I found odd. The guy was much like me and even when he didn’t have much to say, his mouth was still flapping. Shit shooters, that’s how I would refer to us.

  “You good?” I asked as I placed the nozzle back into the groove on the pump. I waited for him to place his back against the pump, then watched him secure the lid on his tank before he looked up at me. I could tell he had something on his mind; he was almost nervous.

  “Listen, um…” He paused, lifting his hand up and running it through his hair. “There are…ah,” again he paused, shifting around on his feet, “some things I’ve never really told anyone at school about. Things I don’t generally talk about.”

  “Okay.” I didn’t want t
o say anything that might have caused him to feel like he couldn’t continue.

  “I have a kid.” Brent may as well have kicked me in the head, which felt like it was already spinning. “I was sixteen, and the girl was fifteen.”

  What the fuck?

  “Wendy and I were too young to be doing the things we were, I knew that. But I was a teenage boy with raging hormones and at that point, nothing else mattered.” Brent was twisting his hands in front of him, I think just to keep his body moving in some way. “Wendy wanted to give the baby up for adoption, her parents wanted her to get an abortion, me—I just wanted my child. It was a fucking mess for months, fighting back and forth until at one point her parents kicked her out and she came to live with us. By that point she was already over four months and we spent a lot of time talking to agencies, doctors, going over all our options.”

  I stood still, completely floored by the information he was sharing with me.

  “Wendy gave birth to our daughter three days before my seventeenth birthday, and she gave her over to me without even truly looking at her. I was so lost in the realization that I was a father that I didn’t hear her tell the nurses or my mother that she didn’t want her.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah.” He finally looked at me. “I was so lost in the eyes of my daughter that I didn’t even notice her imperfection because to me she was the most beautiful, perfect angel I’d ever seen.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “My daughter was born with one of her legs undeveloped. An anatomical abnormality with a cause that can’t be pinpointed, but she has it. Wendy looked at her as defective, and never in my life have I ever wanted to strangle a woman before or since. I think it was the fact that she never really wanted her and that was her way of dismissing her, but she acted like my daughter was less of a person because of it.”