by C. A. Harms
“What do you think?”
“It’s amazing, so peaceful.”
He killed the engine and reached around to place his hand on my thigh. “I know we’ve gotta go back to school.” I leaned in closer and rested my chin on his shoulder. “But promise me that when we do, this thing between us isn’t gonna change.” He looked concerned, his eyebrows furrowed, his lips worried as he bit at the inside of his cheek.
“I promise.” I didn’t even hesitate.
Corbin twisted, hooking my waist the best he could, and started to pull my body around to his front of his. I positioned my foot on the peg, using it as leverage to crawl around and straddle him from the front. Stretching my arms out, I placed one on each of his shoulders. “Nothing changes,” I assured him as soon as I was looking him directly in his eyes. “Except the fact that when I wake up snuggled against you, it will be in my bed or yours instead of on the ground.”
He seemed pleased with that, leaning in to press his lips firmly to mine.
We stayed there perched on a hill, with me in his lap on a four-wheeler, just kissing for what felt like hours. My lips felt raw from his stubble, yet I didn’t want to stop.
“I told my mom that we’d be back in time for lunch at the pit.” I may have groaned because he chuckled before kissing me once more. “True, I’d rather stay right here doing this all day, and night too, but Ma gets pissed when we don’t hold up our end of a deal.”
“Seeing you relaxed makes her happy,” I told him, kissing along his jaw. I knew I was starting something we couldn’t finish but I loved getting him worked up. “It makes me happy too.”
“You make me happy,” he added without hesitation. When he gripped my ass and pulled my body closer to his, it was my turn to moan. Shifting against me he lifted his own body, creating the perfect amount of friction.
“We used the only two condoms I had.”
I pouted instantly. “Then we need to get more.” Part of me wanted to say, “to hell with protection,” but the logical side of me knew that was a risky choice.
“We should get going,” he spoke, with his lips still pressed firmly to mine. Then my stomach decided to growl loudly and Corbin grinned. “It’s time to eat.”
“Fine,” I said, still pouting, and his reaction was nothing more than a huge smile. “But I get to drive us back.”
“Darlin’, my momma will kill us both if we come back home battered and bruised.” I shoved him and he laughed. “Okay, spin around, you can drive us back.”
***
Looking up ahead I could see the peak of the Powell’s home sticking up between the trees. I’d taken a wrong turn or two on the way back, but lo and behold, we’d made it back unscathed. I blamed our delays on Corbin because he had roaming hands and lips. It was difficult to concentrate while being fondled and caressed.
I wasn’t complaining, believe me.
With his arms wrapped around me from behind, each hand rested on my thighs, I felt so relaxed and carefree. Corbin remained as close to me as he could.
As we rounded the corner and began down the small incline that led to the driveway, I felt Corbin instantly tense behind me. Looking toward the house, the Explorer that Clayton and Corbin shared was parked alongside my car. Leaning against the porch railing was Clayton and at his side stood Emelie. I was both happy to see them and fearful that Clayton’s presence was too soon. I worried that Corbin would be set back and hide again from the things he was feeling.
Slowing the four-wheeler down to a gradual crawl, I watched as Clayton turned around and walked down the first couple of steps then paused. Part of me wanted to turn around, climb right back up the hill, and get lost in the woods again. “I’m good,” Corbin offered, squeezing my thigh as he whispered the reassurance near my ear. He must have picked up on my hesitance.
I drove around the cars, stopping in front of the garage before turning off the ATV. I took in a deep breath and waited for Corbin to climb off so I could join him. Only he remained seated, his arms still around my body. Leaning closer, he placed his chin on my shoulder and I sighed.
“I know he’s worried about you,” I said, without looking over my shoulder at him.
“I’m okay, Palmer,” he assured me once more before pressing a gentle kiss to my jaw. I loved when he did that; it was such a sweet gesture, one that gave me the most secure feeling about who and what we were. “To be honest, I’m surprised he held out this long. One step at a time, right?”
I shifted in the seat and looked back at him. Seeing him with a smile made my heart race. “Exactly.”
He didn’t waste another second before covering my jaw with one hand and kissing the corner of my mouth. “I know I’ve said it over and over, but I’m so glad you’re here with me. Thank you, for today, for the last few days, for standing beside me. I know it couldn’t have been easy.”
“There’s nowhere else I want to be.”
For a few passing seconds we just stared at one another, until I heard the shuffle of boots along the gravel drive.
Looking to my right, I saw Clayton standing a few feet away with his hands tucked in his pockets. His gaze was averted, as if he’d realized that Corbin and I needed just a few more seconds alone. “I’m gonna go say hi to Emelie and Ethan.”
Corbin nodded, kissing me once more and then guiding me up and off the four-wheeler. As I stepped past Clayton, he reached out and grabbed my hand, offering a gentle squeeze. I looked up to find him watching me, and the evidence of worry etched in his eyes made my chest tighten.
With a nod, I squeezed his hand in return and continued to move toward my best friend who sat on the porch with her son in her lap.
“There was no way to keep him away any longer.” I sat down at her side and leaned my shoulder to hers. “He talked to his mom last night and once he hung up, he told me to pack.”
“It’s okay.”
“Is it?” Emelie tried to smile, but just like Clayton I could sense her worry.
“He’s getting there.” I looked out toward the garage to see Corbin still sitting on the four-wheeler as Clayton remained standing in the same place I’d left him. “He’s faced it. Now he just needs to move forward and find ways to live with it.”
Emelie took in a deep breath and together we sat in silence as we watched the two guys we adored try to find a way to move past what had happened.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Corbin
I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to apologize for all the shit I had put my brother through, but I couldn’t get the words out. Instead I remained seated, staring down at the seat where Palmer sat only moments ago. Her face was the only thing I saw, her words of reassurance. We’ll get through this together.
“She finally faced the fact that she liked ya, huh?” I looked up to find my brother smiling at me, and I knew it was his attempt at testing the waters.
“I said it from the start, I just had to wear her down.”
He seemed pleased as he pulled his hands from his pocket. I finally climbed off the four-wheeler and stood a little closer. We stared at one another without saying a word. That familiar anxiety I’d felt over the past few weeks started to return, only it was for entirely different reasons. My brother and I had always been able to talk, able to work things out simply. There was never a point in time when the other didn’t know how to make things right…until then.
“Listen…” I finally gave it a shot, only to freeze when Clayton began to shake his head. The guy never got emotional; he got pissed more times than I could count, but never had he hung on the edge of control. Yet there he was, his eyes glossy with impending tears, his nostrils flaring as he fought to hold his shit together.
Before I had time to register what was happening, Clay moved forward and wrapped his arms tightly around me. I felt his body shake against my own, and my throat felt restricted as I too found it difficult to hold back.
“I need you to be okay, Corbin,” he confessed, and I took in one calmin
g breath after another. “Whatever it takes.” His body shuddered. “It kills me to see you hurting so badly.”
“I know.” I’d been selfish, thinking I was the only one hurting. I’d run from reality thinking I could drown the pain, and in the process, I’d hurt those who love me. That was over.
I hugged my brother tighter, and together we stood in the center of the driveway. Neither of us spoke any more, just gained the reassurance we needed in silence.
***
Tonight was our last night in Kentucky. Ethan was staying at the house with our parents and the four of us were camping out one last time on the hill. We opened the end of the tent, leaving only the screen secured. This allowed us to not only watch the sun set, but in the morning, we would watch it rise.
Clayton and Emelie took one of the sleeping bags and Palmer and I took the other. It was snug but gave me the closeness I needed from her.
I was at the point I was because of this beautiful girl and I couldn’t have been more grateful. Side by side, her body tucked securely against mine, I curled my arms around her and buried my nose in her hair. My heart felt healed, maybe not completely whole, but well on its way.
“I love this,” I confessed, unsure if she was even awake. “Having you in my arms, it feels right.”
I felt her shift, then slowly turn in my arms the best she could in our snug space. With her body now facing mine, she looked up at me through the darkness. “Feels more than just right,” she whispered, arching her neck, seeking out my lips. I didn’t hesitate as it felt like forever since I’d last kissed her.
A simple kiss quickly turned to more and I could feel myself growing hard as she rubbed against me. “Palmer,” I groaned, causing her to smile, “we need to slow down.” It was the last thing I wanted, but tonight we were not alone.
“No, we don’t,” she protested.
“Yes, you do.” My body froze when a soft voice filled the space. A voice I knew was not Palmer’s. Looking back over her shoulder, I saw Emelie covering her eyes with a smile on her face.
“Yeah, this coming from the hooker that screwed her boyfriend on the bedroom floor while I slept in the bed above.” Palmer tried to wiggle around to look at her friend, but I held her body to mine.
“What?” Now I was intrigued.
“We didn’t know you were awake,” Clayton chuckled, and it made me smile.
“Okay, so pretend to be asleep now,” Palmer complained, hooking her arms around my neck and attempting to pull me back in for another kiss.
“It doesn’t work that way,” Emelie added with a laugh. “I can watch porn, but I refuse to watch or listen to my best friend have sex with my boyfriend’s brother. Sorry, nope, not doing it.”
“No, you aren’t doing it,” Palmer interjected. “We would be the ones doing it.”
“Oh, my hell,” Emelie groaned, “just no.”
“So, wait,” I finally spoke, still holding onto Palmer’s waist, “when did you nail Em while Palmer was in the room?”
“Last time we were here,” Clayton said with a gleam in his eyes. “I snuck into the bedroom that night she was upset with me and made it right.”
“Nice,” I nodded, and Palmer tried to push against my chest. “What?”
“Are you forgetting that I had to hear the moans, heavy pants and whimpers?”
“You whimpered?” I asked Emelie and she buried her head in her hands.
“Can we please stop talking about this?” Poor girl was so easy to embarrass.
“Back to the point of this entire topic,” Palmer growled.
“The answer is still no,” Emelie announced loudly, which triggered a chuckle from both Clayton and me.
“Fine.” Palmer began wiggling free from the sleeping bag.
“Where are you going?” She didn’t answer my question only continued to climb out of the blanket. “Babe?”
Once she was free and standing, she reached her hand out for me. “Come on.” She wiggled her fingers. “Move it.”
“Where are we going?”
“Back to the woods.” She cocked her hip, still holding her hand out to me. “If they can’t plug their ears then we’ll go for walk. Won’t be the first time I have scratched on my ass on bark or had leaves in my hair.”
For a few seconds I just stared up at her, a little surprised by her demanding ways. Okay fine, I wasn’t surprised.
I began kicking at the covers in a hurry, before reaching out and grabbing the box of condoms we’d bought yesterday out of the duffle bag. I slapped her on the ass, she squealed, and I hurried to unzip the tent. “Move it,” I hollered over my shoulder, “we gotta be back before sunrise and we have twelve of these suckers to use up.”
Clayton laughed, Palmer’s eyes grew wide, and Emelie mumbled something that sounded like “eww” as I rushed through the grass toward Palmer’s and my spot. It felt damn good to be me again. And I had this pretty brunette with killer eyes to thank for it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Palmer
“Ethan, where is your Pull-Up?” He paused in the hallway, looking back over his shoulder, still baring his naked ass, and smiled wide. “Ethan,” I repeated in my best mom tone. Yet he offered only a little shake of his rump before taking off toward his bedroom. I stood there in the hall, feeling exhausted. Emelie had the night shift all week, I was on babysitting duty because Clay and Corbin were spending some much-needed time together, and Ethan was testing my limits.
I loved the boy, in fact I cherished his little baby face, but I was seconds from duct taping his pants on him. Naked…that was the form he took every single time I watched him. It was like he knew how to push my buttons and he stopped on those, bitching as hard as he could.
The doorbell rang. I hung my head, wondering what the hell was next as I spun on my heel and jerked open the door. There on the opposite side stood a freshly showered and shaved Corbin, looking all appealing in his fitted jeans and v-neck sweater.
“Hi.” The way he said that, like he was cautious, made me laugh. I imagined it was because of my appearance. Pajama pants, big baggy ones that I found to be comfy were paired with a baggy t-shirt that hung off one shoulder, and my hair was up in a ratted pony tail. I couldn’t remember if I had even brushed it in the previous twenty-four hours. But I was too tired to care.
Just then a loud squeal broke out, and I turned just in time to see a still naked Ethan barrel past me and launch himself into Corbin’s arms. “Hey buddy,” he said, looking down at the boy with an arched brow. “Why are you streaking, little man?”
“Because he thinks it’s funny,” I interrupted, crossing my arms over my chest. “Every single time I watch him he takes off his pants.”
“You must have that effect on men.” Corbin wagged his brows. “Because I seem to lose mine in your presence, too.”
“Are you trying to be funny?”
“Absolutely not.” He cleared all humor from his face. “Nope.” He shook his head and Ethan giggled. What the hell was with this boy? He fell right into the Powell charm. Much like Emelie and I did too.
“I need a shower,” I stated as I turned around, leaving Corbin holding a naked little boy.
“Need any help?”
“Yes.” I glanced over my shoulder to find him with a gleam in his eyes and a matching smile. “You can get him dressed and feed him lunch.” His smile fell as he looked down at Ethan just when I rounded the corner and stepped into the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I flipped the water onto hot and for the next twenty minutes I washed away the grime.
When I exited the bathroom, I was met with the ramblings of Ethan and Corbin as they echoed down the hallway.
“You gotta eat all of that,” Corbin directed, “then you can have this.”
“Cookie,” Ethan demanded, and I laughed. You never, ever showed him the dessert before he finished his food.
“After you finish this.” I peeked around the corner to see Corbin push the small plate closer to Ethan. Immediatel
y he began shaking his head and kicking his feet while reaching out for the cookie.
“No.”
“Yesh!” Ethan yelled back.
Corbin lifted his hand and scratched his head, which made me laugh. I tried to cover my mouth, but it was a second too late. He looked back at me with a perplexed look on his face.
“How are things going?”
“He’s demonic,” Corbin said, looking defeated. “He looks all cute and innocent, then bam, it’s like the exorcist.”
I bit my lip and he shook his head.
“Clayton’s on his way over,” he added. “He called and said he was staying here tonight. So pack your bag.”
“What?”
“You are staying with me.” Corbin broke the cookie in half and tossed one side onto the plate. Ethan grabbed for it and began chomping it down like he was a starved animal. “The second that door opens, you and me are outta here. This dude,” he waved at Ethan, “he is all Clay’s.”
I should have been fearful of spending the night in a fraternity that Emelie referred to as the Zoo, but frankly a break sounded great. Without another word, I hurried down the hall and started tossing clothes and anything else I might need into my bag.
***
“What the hell?” It’s the first thing I heard when Corbin opened the front door to the frat house. “Who did it?”
Corbin paused, his head shifting from side to side like he was looking from one thing to the next. I stepped forward and placed my hand on his shoulder, looking up and over.
The guy they called Red, but I’m unsure why, stood in the entryway. He held a bag of Oreos in one hand and a half eaten one in his other. His nostrils flared and his teeth looked black—I assumed from eating the cookie.
“What smartass thought that filling my fucking cookies with toothpaste was a good idea?” It was my turn to wrinkle my nose. Now I was looking around at all the stunned faces that watched this big, huge, burly guy, like at any second he was going turn into a big green monster and start tearing them to pieces.
