Shooting For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Suspenseful Bad Boy Neighbor Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #2)

by Naomi Niles

  “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too.”

  Clearly, she wasn’t going to listen to me about not keeping in touch. Taylor had her own mind and she was going to be an amazing woman when she grew up. She was already pretty cool. I did miss her. We’d begun to spend so much time together, I was almost having withdrawal symptoms from not seeing her.

  “You still in uniform?”

  “I am.” I stood in my bedroom. “I’m going to put you on speaker so I can get out of these clothes. They smell like gasoline.”

  “Yuck.”

  “Tell me about it. This trailer now stinks.”

  “Do you have a washer and dryer?”

  “No. It’s a trip to the laundromat for me.”

  “How do you get there?”

  “I walk. It isn’t far.”

  “Damn, Dylan. That sucks.”

  Tell me about it. I was the one who had to do the walking. Tomorrow, I’d have to do it. I had the day off from the gas station and after school would be laundry time. At least I could bring the laptop and get some homework done since the laundromat had Wi-Fi.

  “Yep, but it is what it is.”

  “I’d be pissed.”

  “I think you’re mad enough for both of us,” I said.

  She laughed “I guess so.”

  “I’d love to talk, sweetie, but I can’t stand how I smell and I can’t take the phone into the shower.”

  “Wow. You should send me a pic of you in the shower.”

  I laughed. “You’re using Helena’s phone. I’m not sending her a naked picture of me.”

  “Good point.”

  “I need to sort through the mail your dad dropped off,” I said.

  I’d noticed come college envelopes in there. Maybe they were acceptances.

  “One more minute, Dylan? Please. Helena has to go soon,” she said.

  “Okay, but we both have homework.”

  “Why are you so practical?”

  “I’ve had to be, Taylor. I’d love to be frivolous, but I can’t be. Life is serious now.”

  She sighed. I knew that she was never going to really understand what I was going through. I almost hoped she’d get bored with me, that way she’d move on and I would have to see or hear her.

  It hurt. Truly, it hurt. Maybe I was in love with her. I didn’t know. I was eighteen and suddenly had to grow up and take care of myself. She didn’t have to.

  “I’m really sorry. I haven’t figured out a solution to our problem, but Helena is helping me.”

  I sat on the bed in my underwear, sorting through the mail. “How was your day?”

  I didn’t want to hear about a non-existent solution to this problem. I’d done this to myself, and I had to man up and deal with the consequences.

  “It was okay. Barbie quit cheerleading.”

  “What was her reason?”

  “She said it was because of her grades, but I think it is her new boyfriend.”

  Guess she’d moved on from me, not that I was hurt or surprised. The girl had the attention span of a toddler. I’m sure I’d only been a blip on her radar, despite the stink she’d made.

  “Yeah, us guys distract you.”

  I opened a large envelope from Penn State. It said: “Congratulations.” I scanned the letter while Taylor chattered on. When she took a breath, I said, “I got into Penn State.”

  “Nice, Dylan, congrats.”

  I was pretty stoked. It was number one on my list. I just needed to know what kind of financial aid they were going to give me. That was the key. I clearly couldn’t afford college on my own. I’d probably have thousands of dollars of debt when I got out if I didn’t get grants.

  A problem for another day. The next two envelopes were acceptances also. So far, I’d gotten into every college that I wanted to.

  Now to pay for it.

  I sighed. Taylor talked on as I said non-committal things at the right moment. Guess that was enough. I was suddenly very tired. I laid down on the bed, missing the comfortable one at the Dean house.

  “You still there?” Taylor said.

  “I am. I have to get into the shower and get my homework done before I fall asleep. I better go. Thank Helena for letting you use her phone.”

  “She’s a good friend, I know.”

  “Yes, she is, Taylor. Keep her close.”

  “That sounded ominous.”

  “No. It isn’t.”

  We hung up finally about ten minutes later. I wanted to close my eyes for a moment, but I knew if I did, the next thing I knew, it would be morning and my homework would not be done. That would be bad.

  Now that I had tasted the good life, I wanted it. I was determined to make myself better and to get out of this trailer. I was never going to be poor again.

  College would do that for me and I had to finagle a way to pay for it. If it killed me, I would graduate and make something of myself.

  I would have that big house.

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Taylor

  Since I wasn’t grounded anymore, I told my mother that I was staying at Helena’s house. My girl was covering for me. I had no intention of being at her house, but she was a good friend.

  No, I was heading to Dylan’s house. He was working, but I knew when he’d be home. I also knew where his spare key was. I had a surprise for my man.

  Me.

  The place smelled, but I’d probably get used to it. He was a guy and notoriously they weren’t as clean was women. At least, from my experience. Dylan’s room had always been messier than mine, but the trailer was not messy.

  It just smelled of gasoline. Guess he couldn’t help that unless he undressed outside.

  I knew which room was his bed and he’d made it that morning. I undressed and slid into the sheets. They smelled of Dylan and I was already turned on when he came in. He flicked on the light.

  “Hi,” I said, trying to act like I surprised my lover all the time.

  He put a hand on his chest. “Taylor, you scared me.”

  “That wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for.”

  He laughed. He stood there in his boxers and a t-shirt. If it was up to me, he wouldn’t be wearing them. But I suddenly felt shy. This didn’t seem as cool as it had in my head.

  “Hi,” he said finally.

  “Come on in. The covers are warm.”

  “I need to shower first, Taylor. I smell like a gas station.”

  “I’ll wait. I have all night.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “All night?”

  “My parents think that I’m at Helena’s,” I said.

  He nodded and strode to the bathroom. The water turned on then he was back a few minutes later, a towel wrapped around his waist. Just when I thought he couldn’t look any sexier, he did.

  He dropped the towel, then slid under the covers. His hair was damp and messy. I didn’t care. I wanted to be with Dylan again.

  “You sure?” he said.

  “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure,” I said.

  He kissed me and my body was already on fire or him. When he stopped, he lifted up the covers to look at me. His smile said it all, which sent a thrill through me.

  He nibbled at my neck as I ran my hands down his back. Then he took one of my breasts in his mouth. My fingers were jammed into his hair, my body writhing as he kissed down my stomach.

  Where was he going? “Dylan?”

  “Trust me.”

  He ended up between my thighs.

  “Spread your legs a little more.”

  I did as he asked, not sure what was happening, but going with it. I did trust Dylan. He wouldn’t hurt me. He licked me down there. My butt would have come off the bed from the sensation, but his hands were holding me down.

  Then another lick. His tongue flicked at me, and I didn’t know what to do with the sensations. I felt as if I were about to explode. A tension tightened in my gut. This was a far more intense feeling than when I took care of my own needs. />
  “God, Dylan.”

  I could feel the vibrations of it up my body when he chuckled. His whiskers scraped my thighs, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. None of it was bad. I was happy there were no houses close because this wasn’t going to happen quietly.

  I moaned as his tongue danced across my center. My back arched. I fisted the sheets in my hands. And then it let loose – my orgasm and a high keening noise. I don’t know how long it lasted, but when it stopped, I wanted to cry. I’d never felt so relieved in my life.

  Dylan wiped his face on the sheet and slid back up my body, a grin on his face. “I love doing that.”

  “You like it?”

  “I could spend the day down there if there was a fridge.”

  I laughed. “That was amazing.”

  “Yeah, it was.”

  I took his penis in my hand. He was hard and long, and I knew where I wanted him. But it was my turn.

  “Roll over.”

  He shifted onto his back. I saw a condom on his nightstand and snagged it. I opened it with my teeth while I sat on his thighs. I was still weak from my climax, but I was going to do this. I wanted to be on top. I wanted to be in control.

  I rolled the condom onto him, then poised my body above his erection. “Ready?”

  “Holy shit, Taylor. Yes.”

  I laughed then slid myself onto him. Slowly. It was torture as I wanted to take him whole. He gritted his teeth, then grabbed my hips to push me on further. I laughed. He’d lost control.

  I slid up and down his length, my body igniting again. All of a sudden, I was racing to the finish line. I knew the orgasm was close. He arched his body into mine. We met at every thrust until I was falling over the edge. Dylan thrust a few more times as my body had stopped being mine.

  He let out a low growl as I slumped onto him. He rubbed my back, which was the only part of me that wasn’t numb. Our chests heaved.

  He eventually nudged me. “I have to get the condom off before it leaks.”

  I slid off of him. He went to the bathroom, then returned to snuggle up next to me.

  “We really have all night?”

  “All night, Dylan.”

  “Damn. Glad I don’t work until later tomorrow. I’m going to need some sleep after this.”

  “Right now?”

  “No, not right now, but before I go to work. Right now, I only need a few minutes before we do it again.”

  My body tingled with the thought.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Dylan

  I had dozed off. When I woke, Taylor was still there. The clock told me it was after midnight. This had been the best evening of my life. I had had no idea when I walked in from work that she’d be here.

  Hopefully, this wouldn’t blow up in her face. I didn’t want her to get in any more trouble.

  I could go another round, but I wanted to talk to her first. Her head rested on my shoulder. I didn’t want to move ever, but I did need to get some food since I hadn’t eaten when I go home.

  “Hey, Taylor?”

  “Mm?”

  “I need food. You want some?”

  “Let’s get pizza.”

  I didn’t have the money for that. No take out for me for a long while.

  As if reading my mind, she sat up and said, “I’ve got cash.”

  I smiled. “Okay. If you’re paying.”

  “I am.” She grabbed my phone off the nightstand. “I’m ordering, too.”

  There she was – the most beautiful girl in school and she was naked in my bed, about to buy me pizza. How did I get this lucky? I tucked my hands behind my head, feeling like the biggest stud in school.

  I knew I’d pleased her and now she was buying me food.

  “What do you want?”

  “Something with meat.”

  “Okay.”

  She ordered the pizza to be delivered. I told her the address. She hung up and dropped my phone on the nightstand, reaching across me to do it. Her breasts grazed my stomach. Oh, God. I was ready again.

  She rested her chin on my chest, her eyes looking up at me. That meant her breasts were still against my stomach. What better place to be, other than between her legs. She tasted like honey to me.

  I knew some guys who didn’t like that, but I certainly did.

  As much as I wanted to have her again, we needed to talk about the future. Or maybe, I needed to talk about the future.

  “What should we do? The pizza will be here in forty minutes,” she said.

  “We should talk.”

  Her pout was adorable. “Aw.”

  I laughed. “We’ll do it again, Taylor, but I want to hear your plans and I want to tell you mine.”

  She cocked her head. “I’ve applied to some schools for January enrollment. I haven’t heard back from any. After I graduate, I’m going to look for a full time job and work there until I go to school. Most of the schools are a few hours away.”

  “What kind of job do you want to get?”

  “In healthcare. Maybe working at the hospital. I might as well be in that environment,” she said.

  I was proud that she’d thought it out. Her parents would like that she had a plan.

  “I’ve been accepted to four places. I’m still waiting on hearing about financial aid for each. Then I’ll choose which one. I have to go to the one that gives me the most money.”

  “Makes sense. Where are they all?”

  “They are all a few hours away. We aren’t going to be able to be together. That’s the reality of our future.”

  She frowned. “I know. And, I know you have to be the realist, but I still want to wish it would be different.”

  I liked that she wasn’t giving up on me, on us, but I knew that it was going to get harder and harder to be together. I didn’t want her to feel daunted, but I had to remember our situation. Tonight was a fantasy, a lovely moment in time that I loved, but this wasn’t real. We weren’t playing house. We were in high school and her parents didn’t want us together. This wasn’t a teen movie, it was reality.

  And my reality was different from hers. She’d always have a home to come to. I wasn’t sure what my future held in terms of my living arrangements. My uncle could decide to sell this place.

  “I don’t want to think about any of that tonight.”

  She slid up my body, arousing me, then kissed me on the lips. I could do the deed before the pizza guy was here, but I really needed food. Besides, my best work was done with patience and care. Taylor didn’t know any different since I had been her only lover, but still. I wasn’t going to shortchange the girl.

  I thought I loved her.

  As much as I wished I didn’t, I did. I couldn’t say it. She might run the other way. I brushed a hair out of her eyes. “I better get dressed so I can greet the pizza man. I don’t want to be naked. You stay here.”

  She crawled of off me, grabbing her purse from the floor. She handed me cash to pay for the food. I pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, then I sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m really glad you came here tonight, Taylor.”

  She smiled, her head on my pillow and curled up on her side. I wanted to crawl back in there with her.

  “Helena is a great friend for covering for me.”

  “She is.”

  She looked so right in my bed. I wanted this all to be true, but she’d go back to her house tomorrow and I’d be stuck here. Someone knocked on the door.

  “Pizza man. Stay here.”

  She smiled and nodded. I grabbed the cash and met the man at the door. The pizza smelled great and my stomach rumbled.

  “Coast is clear, Taylor,” I called after the delivery man left.

  She walked out of the bedroom wearing one of my shirts. God, she looked sexy. Down boy, I told myself. I needed food before we went at it again. We sat at my kitchen table like a poor, married couple. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. This was the best night ever.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Taylor
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br />   Dylan looked stressed when I saw him at school a few days later. He’d been out of class, but he’d assured me it was just work. He wasn’t sick. I hoped he was keeping up with his school work. I hated to see him get behind. He had such potential, and now, he had ambition.

  I stopped him before math class. “What’s wrong?”

  “My uncle is selling the land and the trailer I’m living in. In a few months, I’m going to be homeless. I can’t afford rent.”

  “Oh, Dylan. That’s terrible.”

  He frowned. “I know, but don’t worry. I’ll figure it out.”

  “You shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”

  “But I am alone, Taylor.”

  I shook my head. “You have me.”

  “What can you do?”

  “I’m sure I can figure this out. Trust me, Dylan. Don’t do anything drastic until I’ve exhausted all possibilities,” I said.

  I would fix this. I can’t imagine that my father would let Dylan be homeless. I had to appeal to him. Dylan smiled down at me. “Thanks for being on my side, Taylor.”

  The day couldn’t go fast enough. I really wanted to talk to my dad.

  “I don’t think he’s going to change his mind and he might be mad that you still talk to Dylan,” Helena said at lunch.

  “I have to risk it. Dylan will be homeless.”

  “Won’t his uncle take him in?”

  “No, and his uncle doesn’t live here. He lives somewhere else and wants nothing to do with Dylan because of his mother.”

  “I wonder where Dylan’s father is. He should be stepping in.”

  “Dylan doesn’t know. He’s never seen his birth certificate.”

  “Maybe he should find it and find out who his father is. The man needs to step up and take care of his son.”

  I nodded. “I’ll suggest that to him, but in the meantime, I’m going to talk to my father. I have to make him see that Dylan needs us. That he took responsibility for him once and needs to do it again.”

  “Boy, when you get on a subject, you are unstoppable,” Helena said. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

  “I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about Dylan.”

  “Oh?”

  “I think I love him, Helena.”

  “Wow. That’s deep. And, sort of cool. I can’t say I’ve ever loved a boy.”