Strung

by Victoria Ashley

It’s just the two of us, alone, in this room, lost in what we love to do. I find something oddly comforting about it.

  We’re connecting in a way I’ve never connected with anyone before and I find myself wanting to learn more about her.

  I set my guitar down and run to grab two more beers, placing one down in front of her, before I take a seat on the stool again.

  “Tell me something about yourself.”

  She looks up from her laptop and laughs. “What?”

  I sit up straight, saying the words firmer this time. “Tell me something I don’t know about you. You tell me something and I’ll continue to play. Unless you don’t want me to, of course. I can stop anytime.”

  She keeps her eyes on me while reaching for the bottle in front of her and taps the side of it, lost in thought. “Well, when I was five a neighbor’s dog bit a small hole in my face and I had to get six stitches. I’m pretty sure I cried for two days straight.”

  I don’t like the feeling I get inside when I picture her as a small girl hurt and crying. All it does it make me wish I were there to protect her.

  “Tell me something else. Something happy. I don’t want to picture you hurt while I’m playing.”

  A small smile forms on her face, but she quickly hides behind her bottle as if she doesn’t want me to see it. “I don’t know. I used to write these cheesy love poems when I was like twelve and one of them got published in a book. I remember being so excited and thinking that someday I’d be a famous writer. That’s what made me want to become an author. It took me a while to get brave enough to self-publish one of my recent stories, but I finally found the courage last year and so far it’s the happiest I’ve ever been. I love everything about it.”

  The proud look on her face has me smiling. “Has your family read your first book?”

  “Oh god, no!” She turns red in the face. “I can’t allow them to read the stories I write. They’re . . . uh . . . I don’t know . . .”

  “Dirty and erotic,” I answer for her. “That’s not something to be ashamed of, Tegan. Everyone loves a good dirty book once in a while.”

  “Even you?” she asks.

  I keep my eyes on her as I tilt back my beer. “Even me. Words are sometimes better than pictures, because then you can imagine the person you want to do those things to.”

  My answer seems to have her squirming a bit in her seat. She’s likely getting where I’m going with this. Yes, I’ve jerked off to my fair share of erotic books and I’m not afraid to admit it. The thought that she likely has too has me hardening.

  “Is that right?” She reaches for her beer and takes a quick swig. “When was the last time you read a book?”

  I wipe my arm over my mouth, absorbing the excess beer, before tossing the bottle into the trash beside me. “The night I came into your room and helped you relieve a little frustration. You weren’t the only one needing a release.”

  “How did I know this conversation with you would turn into something sexual?” She shakes her head and shuts down her computer, showing me that she’s done writing for now.

  I jump down from the stage and grip the table, moving in close enough to almost kiss her, wanting to see what me being close to her does now that she’s had me inside of her. “Because everything turns sexual with me. You know this, yet you still came here, Tegan. We both know that was a mistake, yet I let you stay.”

  Her breathing picks up against my lips and I know without further confirmation that my body still has the same effect on her as before. Maybe even more now.

  Shit, how that turns me on.

  But being the asshole that I’m supposed to be to keep her at a distance, I decide to push her and see if I can piss her off.

  “How was your little date? Did he make you want him inside of you as much as I do? Is that why you gave him your number?”

  “You’re so full of yourself, Micah.” She palms my face, pushing it away. “I’ve already had you inside me once and that was more than enough.”

  “That didn’t answer my question.” I walk after her as she tries to get away. Before she can reach the door I back her up against the wall and brush my lips over hers, causing her eyes to close and her heartbeat to race against my chest. “Did he?”

  “It’s none of your damn business,” she breathes. “We’re not supposed to give a shit what each other wants, so let’s stick to that. From what I’ve heard it’s something you’re good at.”

  She opens her eyes, allowing them to lock on mine for a quick second, before she pushes me away and walks out the door.

  I’m not sure why hearing her say out loud how much of a piece of shit I am when it comes to women has me all worked up, but it does.

  I haven’t touched another woman since the day she walked through her brother’s door. Well, at least not since I sent Denise home as soon as I was finished with her.

  “Shit.” I run over and grab my keys, not bothering to clean the place up, before I rush outside and lock up behind me.

  There’s no way I’m letting her walk away from me in the middle of the night.

  She’s barely made it through the parking lot before I pick her up and begin carrying her toward my truck. “Put me the hell down, Micah.”

  Even though she continues to bark orders at me, I don’t set her down until I’m standing beside my truck. “I’m sorry I’m an asshole. We don’t have to talk on the way home, but I need you to get in so I can drive you.”

  She looks me over, hesitating for a moment, before she climbs inside and slams the door shut behind her.

  I guess being an asshole to keep her away is going to be harder than I expected, because I hate the way it felt just now watching her want to get away from me.

  Everything inside of me was screaming to go after her, and that’s exactly what I did. Now I have to manage this drive home, pretending that I don’t want anything more than to kiss her and make sure she wants me and not Parker.

  I want to be inside of her, reminding her of how it felt to have me take her.

  Parker will never be able to make her feel the way I can, both mentally and physically.

  He’s the good guy who will open doors for her and buy her flowers to make her smile.

  I’m the asshole who will fuck her good and hard to show her how much I want her, and I’ll kick another guy’s ass for getting too close.

  That’s exactly why I’m the one she should be staying away from.

  A few minutes into the drive she looks over at me and speaks. I can tell from the tone of her voice that she’s trying to stay mad at me. “Why don’t you play any of the songs you’ve written when you perform? Or have you?”

  “Just doesn’t feel right performing them anywhere other than a place I put a lot of heart and dedication into. I thought about playing one for the audience at Vortex during my first real performance way back, but the thought had me too anxious, so I chose a few random songs to get me through the night.”

  “Understandable. Tell me about Sebastian.”

  “You sure are asking a lot of questions for someone that’s pissed at me,” I say with amusement.

  “Yeah, well, oddly I need to know. I’m not sure why, so please don’t make me feel like an idiot.”

  “Okay.” I grip the steering wheel, because I hate talking about Sebastian’s problems. Mostly because he reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger. “He came into Vortex about two years ago, looking like a tween with an ID that said he was twenty-one. I took one look at the shit-job some idiot sold him and tossed him out on his scrawny ass. He kept coming back and eventually I started looking out for him because I knew no one else would. He’s seventeen going on eighteen now and I’m still kicking him out of the bar weekly. He’s got some balls. That’s for sure.”

  “Where are his parents?”

  “Not taking care of him like they damn well should be. The kid doesn’t even know where they are right now.”

  “That’s sad and entirely messed up. No kid that young
should have to be on their own.”

  Just as expected, she doesn’t speak to me the rest of the ride back to Alexander’s, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t catch her looking over at me whenever she didn’t think I would notice.

  It seems I bring out her creeper tendencies and I can’t deny that it gets me somewhat excited.

  The fact that she feels the need to look at me whenever she can means that I’m most likely on her mind just as much as she’s been on mine.

  Fuck me, I need to get out of here.

  That shit is messing with my mind, and I’m two seconds away from pulling her into my lap so she can ride me long and hard to show her I’ve been thinking about her too.

  And now that she’s showing interest in my bar and Sebastian it’s only messing with my head more, confusing me.

  “Goodnight,” I say as she’s opening the truck door.

  She’s about to jump out but stops to look back at me. “You’re not staying here tonight?”

  “No.” I grip the steering wheel and give her a quick glance. “I’ll wait here until you get inside. Lock the doors so I know you’re safe.”

  Without another word, she jumps out of the truck and shuts the door behind her, walking away.

  Just as I do with Sebastian, I wait until she gets inside before I drive off and head to my small apartment.

  It’s not much, but it’s the best I could afford while putting all my money into Express.

  Once I get upstairs and pour myself a drink, I text Sebastian on the phone I picked up for him earlier today to check on him.

  As soon as I get the confirmation that he’s home safe in bed, I allow myself the pleasure of drinking until I pass out, because I know that’s the only way I won’t make the mistake of changing my mind and ending up inside Tegan’s room.

  IT’S BEEN THREE DAYS SINCE Micah has come around the house, and even though I want to see him I’ve been avoiding Vortex because I know it’s the best thing to do.

  It seems whenever he’s around I can’t control my mind or body and all I want is for him to touch me. I want him to push me with his dirty mouth like he always does, because it’s become exciting and something I crave now.

  As much as I hate to admit it, being around Micah is a rush and he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.

  I just haven’t figured out if that’s a good or bad thing yet, and maybe it’s best if I never do.

  “There you are!” I sit up at the sound of Jamie’s voice and open my eyes to see her running through the sand toward me, dressed in a white bikini top and a pair of cut-off shorts. “I’ve been calling you all day. What the hell have you been doing?”

  “Sorry.” I reach for my sunglasses and remove them, before laying back down on my towel and looking up at my friend as she hovers above me. “I just needed some peace and quiet for a bit so I could think. I left my phone on the charger in my room because I didn’t feel like dealing with it today. My parents have been calling nonstop to check on me, as if they think I’m not coming back when I already told them it’s only for the summer.”

  “Because they’re right and we both it. There’s no way you’re going back home once the summer is over. Not after seeing what it’s like here. Oh, and by the way, I went to the house looking for you there first and your brother answered the door, wet, only wearing a towel. Ooh wee.” She begins fanning herself, before throwing a towel down beside me and taking a seat. “He offered me this towel once I told him I was looking for you. I was hoping he’d give me the one he was wrapped up in, but he totally gypped me by giving me this clean one.”

  “I haven’t made any plans past summer, so please don’t be like my parents. And stop it, I’m completely disturbed by that,” I admit with a scowl. “Please tell me you didn’t come here to blab about your fantasies in regards to my brother, because if so you can find somewhere else to lay that is nowhere near my immediate vicinity. My ears can’t handle that mess today.”

  She laughs and lays back, getting comfortable as she reaches for my bottle of water and takes a drink. “I wasn’t planning on it, but I am sort of having fantasies after seeing the way he looked in that towel. It was hard to keep my eyes away from his . . .”

  “Don’t even say it, Jamie.”

  She sits up and smiles down at me playfully. I hate that smile because I know it well, but unfortunately, I’m not quick enough to cover my ears before she can say it. “Bulge.”

  “That’s so gross.” I sit up and give her a dirty look, wishing I could slap her for that one. “You’ve ruined my whole day with that one little word.”

  “Oh, it wasn’t little, sweetie.”

  “Okay, my whole damn week! You’ve ruined my whole week now. I did not need to know that.”

  “You act like you haven’t had bulges on your mind lately. I’m pretty sure I caught you checking Micah Beck’s out last week during his performance.”

  “His guitar was covering it,” I say defensively. “I couldn’t check it out.”

  “Exactly,” she points out. “But you looked for it and that’s how you know it wasn’t visible.”

  “I’m here to relax, so let’s not talk about my brother or Micah please. Can we move on from bulges now, sheesh?”

  She shrugs and lays back at the same time I do. “Alright, fine. I’ll let you tell me what’s going on when you’re good and ready.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” I ask, quicker than I probably should’ve.

  “You tell me.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You can.”

  “It was a mistake.” I sit back up and run my hands through my hair, because this conversation is anything but relaxing.

  “Um, what?” She shoots back up and slaps the sand excitedly. “I knew it! I knew the moment I saw the two of you in the backseat of my car that something had either already happened or was going to soon. I could just feel it.”

  Something happened between me and Micah alright, but just the idea of saying it out loud has my heart kicking into overdrive.

  I’m so nervous that it feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest and it’s making it hard to breathe.

  This is ridiculous.

  “You can’t say anything to anyone, got it? Because Xan will lose his shit if he finds out and I can’t do that to their friendship.”

  She nods excitedly while reaching for the hair tie wrapped around her wrist and pulling her light hair into a quick ponytail. “I won’t tell a soul. I swear. Especially Alexander because I know how he is when it comes to you and boys. I promise.”

  The fact that someone else other than Micah and I is about to find out that we’ve had sex makes it feel so much more . . . real. I almost can’t handle it, but it’s too late to turn back now.

  “We had sex . . . outside . . . against his truck . . . in the dark . . . outside my brother’s house.”

  The moment the words leave my mouth my whole body ignites into flames at the reminder of how hot and exciting the moment was.

  Micah’s hard body against mine . . . the V of muscles leading down to his long, thick dick . . . and most of all the way he felt inside of me as he fucked me hard, as if he wanted me to feel him inside of me for days. I never knew being backed against a truck could be so damn hot.

  I can’t even pay attention to Jamie’s reaction because I’m too busy jumping to my feet and rushing over to the water to cool off. I’m so worked up by the pictures flashing through my head that my skin is scorched.

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  You’ve had your one night, Tegan.

  That’s all it was and all it can be.

  I hear Jamie splashing in the water behind me, trying to get to me. When I turn around to begin making my way back to the sand, her mouth is hanging open.

  “Holy shit, Tegan,” she begins following behind me, almost falling to keep up. “You can’t just tell me things like that and then run away. That’s crazy hot.”

  “That’s the probl
em,” I say quickly. “It was hot and amazing and I can’t stop thinking about the way he made me feel, Jamie. It never should’ve happened and now I can’t help but want it to happen again, even though it could very well mess up his and Xan’s relationship. I hate it. I don’t want to be that girl.”

  “Do you really think your brother would be that pissed if he found out you two hooked up? I mean, if it’s more than just a random hookup then I’m sure he’ll understand and be happy for you two.”

  “It was only a random hookup.” I don’t bother looking at her as I reach for my towel and shake off the sand before drying off with it. “So, yes, he’d be livid. You know Micah’s reputation with women. He’s a man-whore. Everyone knows he never commits to being in a relationship. My brother warned him to stay away from me for that very reason and he went behind his back and slept with me anyway. We went behind his back and I feel like total shit for it. He’ll never trust him again if he finds out and he’ll probably kick my butt and send me home early.”

  “Okay,” she says calmly. “Then don’t tell him and never let it happen again. You just admitted it was only a random hookup; just one ‘anything goes’ night. Problem solved.”

  She has no idea how much harder that is than it sounds. “How the hell am I supposed to just forget that he was inside of me and act normal when we bump into each other around my brother? Have you seen Micah?”

  I begin making my way up to my brother’s house and Jamie quickly grabs her towel to join me. “Good point. You’re fucked.”

  I stop and give her an annoyed look. “You’re not making this any better, so thanks for that.”

  “I’m sorry, but it’s true. The only option is to avoid him at all cost for the rest of the summer. You don’t want to end up being one of those girls that he’s been with who becomes obsessive and can’t stay away from him so he has to hide just to get them off his nuts. I’ve seen it and so has Alexander. It’s happened to pretty much every girl he’s touched.”

  The thought of all the girls Micah has randomly hooked up with for one night of the hottest sex of their lives has me feeling uptight and jealous. This is not how I’m supposed to feel. “How am I supposed to manage that when he works and stays with my brother almost ninety percent of the time?”