There’s a small basket on the table, holding various items. Her remote is in it, but it’s the 4 x 6 photo on top that I’m interested in.
Right away, I recognize the girl in the picture as Reese. She looks to be maybe sixteen or seventeen. I could spot those green eyes and that sweet smile anywhere.
It’s ridiculous since it’s obvious the photo is old, but I’m jealous of the guy she’s hanging on. Her arms are snug around his neck, and his are around her waist.
They are both looking sideways at the camera, cheeks against each other’s and smiles wide. I can’t help but wonder why she has the photo out.
“That is Preston.”
I jerk my head around to Reese. Her eyes are on the picture. She’s wearing a short pink robe that I’d love to remove, but I’m curious about this damn Preston guy, and I have to feed her first.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help but notice it.” Putting it back in the basket, I stand and approach her. She’s biting on her lip and fidgeting with her hands.
Her hair is up in the back and messy, and damn, even with a canopy of worry over her face, Reese is beautiful. Holding the sides of her arms, I kiss her forehead and breathe in her enticing scent.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask.
“I smell food. Let’s eat.”
“I brought pasta. I know I’m a dude, but I’ve learned when it’s a carbs kind a day for a chick.” She chuckles and hugs me. “There’s my girl. I even brought chocolate cake, and if you give me a kiss, I will let you have the butter.”
Reese can’t help but snicker as she hits me in the chest. “Making fun of me will not earn you a kiss but bringing me carbs will.”
She throws her arms around my neck and smacks her lips to mine. My hands wander under the back of her robe and over the silky panties she’s wearing.
Asshole, feed her first!
After filling our plates, Reese tucks her legs under her butt on the couch and digs in to her noodles. Once she’s had a few bites, she stares at me, gnawing on the corner of her lip.
“I’ll tell you about Preston if you tell me how Krystal died.”
I should’ve seen that coming. As much as I don’t want to discuss it, maybe it will help put the past even further behind us. Taking a glimpse at the table, I notice our slips of paper.
“If you tell me about him and agree to play a game with me after, I will share about Krystal.”
“I think game show host was more of a calling for you, but everything you want to play would have to be shown on pay-per-view.” She gnaws a little harder, wearing out her lip. “OK.”
Reese eats a few more bites of her food and sets her plate on the table. “Preston was my first serious boyfriend. I was sixteen when we got together. He was all male and reckless, and I was drawn to him because of his fearless personality.
“That free spirited part of me has always been there. I guess you like to call it the devilish side. But boy did we ever fight. Our strong-willed personalities clashed. He took my virginity, and I thought it was the forever kind of love.”
It’s irrelevant how old she was. I’m already hating this conversation.
“Anyway, he and his buddies liked to drink, and the longer we were together, the worse their behavior became. We had been dating over a year when one of our friends had a party at this abandoned house.
“I was sick of him being trashed every weekend, so I asked him to refrain from drinking that night, hoping it would help our relationship. Preston didn’t want anyone telling him what to do, and he saw my request as just that.
“He ended up the most wasted I had ever seen him, so I stayed like always, trying to care for him. Everyone had left the party except for me and five of his friends.
“I tried to get him to let me take him home, but he became a royal asshole, humiliating me in front of the guys. I’d had all I could take, so I told him his ass could stay there.”
Reese turns her head completely away from me and stares out the window. The sun is still shining in, but there is nothing bright and cheerful about where this story is going. I feel it.
“Our parting words were nasty. Flat out mean and ugly.” She shakes her head as if she’s shaking the terrible thoughts away, too. “Anyway, I’d been in bed about thirty minutes when I got a call to go to the hospital.
“Preston had fallen off the dilapidated porch of the old house, hitting is head on the concrete steps below. His friends were not in any better shape from drinking, so they thought he passed out from the alcohol. When they finally realized it was more serious, it was too late.”
I watch as the tears own her eyes, and I can’t stand the thought of the pain she endured. I know what it feels like. Setting my plate down, I reach over and pull her into my lap before placing her head to my chest. Wiping her eyes, she regains her composure.
“There was no brain activity, so after a couple of days, the doctor’s convinced his parents to shut off life support. It was the longest few days of my life.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”
She straightens up and looks at me. A deep-seated anxiety floods the surface of her face as she takes my hand. “Everett, I don’t love him anymore. Actually, I rarely think of him.
“The thoughts have been more frequent since meeting you, but I believe that’s because you bring the risk-taker out of me.
“Except for the partying during college, which numbed me from the pain of losing Preston, I’ve played it safe, never being with anyone who pushed boundaries, but it’s been impossible to resist you.”
She takes hold of my hand and rubs it with her thumb, the look of anxiety only worsening. “Please believe me when I say I’m not still grieving for him.
“It was puppy love, and we didn’t have a healthy relationship. I came across the picture when I was cleaning out my parents’ basement.”
“Baby, stop. It was a long time ago, and you were young.” I clasp her hands between mine to still her. “Look at me, Reese.”
Her eyes slowly lift to mine as if she’s afraid to see what’s inside of them. “Our stories are different yet eerily similar. It wasn’t your fault. You know that, right?”
“I know his poor choices are the reason he died, but I was the sober one. I should’ve made sure he was safe.”
I frame her face and hold it steady to mine.
“You were seventeen. It was not your responsibility.”
“I said awful things to him. He was drunk when the ugly words came out of his mouth, but I was sober and meant every one of mine. That is hard to live with.”
“You cared about him, Reese. It sounds like you were always trying to save him. It was his time, and it wasn’t your fault. Do you believe me?”
“Yes, but once in a great while, the guilt creeps in.”
I press my lips to hers and hold them there for several seconds. Touching her comforts me, and I’d like to believe it does the same for her.
“But it’s not the way to live, and we’re finding that out together.”
A single tear falls and hits the corner of her smile.
“I love the way we’re participating in life.”
Placing my lips on the corner of her mouth, I kiss away her tear. “So do I, and we’re not slowing down this train.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Reese
I don’t know how Everett does it, but like Becca, he puts everything into a rational perspective.
He manages to turn my mountains back into molehills. He also keeps giving me more reasons to love him. “How are our stories similar?”
Everett sighs and pulls me back to his chest. He doesn’t want me to see his pain, and that’s OK.
“Krystal and I had been out for drinks and dinner. We weren’t getting along, either. We hadn’t spent time alone together in months, so we were making an effort, but looking back, I see it was forced from both sides.
“That’s something I didn’t want to acknowledge until meeting you. Anyway, we both had
been drinking. I’d had three and she drank two. She insisted on driving since she’d had less.
“All the way to her car we argued over it, so I finally caved and let her drive. I shouldn’t have. I weighed double what Krystal did and tried to get her to see that I wouldn’t be any more affected by the alcohol, but she wouldn’t listen, so I dropped it.”
Everett’s body tenses, and he squeezes me tighter, as if he’s holding on for safety.
“The short story is that another vehicle crossed the center line on our way home and crashed into us. The driver’s side took the brunt of the impact. She was ejected from the car, and I sat on the side of the road, holding her while she died.”
Holy shit. I shove my arms around his waist and push myself as close to him as possible.
“I’m so sorry, Ev.”
“The last thing she said while gurgling blood was I’m sorry. She was dying, yet she apologized for driving. It seemed so ridiculous at the time.
“The hospital ran a toxicology test, and she wasn’t over the legal limit, but I believe her reaction time was slower. I might’ve been able to dodge the other vehicle.
“I should’ve made her let me drive.” He kisses the top of my forehead. “Like you were saying, there are times the guilt creeps in.”
I sit up, needing him to absorb the same words he said to me. “It wasn’t your fault. Preston would’ve argued with me until the end of time. It sounds like she would’ve done the same. You were trying to keep the peace.”
“I know that. Your story helped me see it even more. You shouldn’t carry guilt and neither should I. However, it doesn’t seem to make the memory less vivid. My hope is that it continues to appear less frequently.”
“We’re taking its power away by talking about it,” I say. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
He covers my mouth with his. It’s a passionate kiss, more urgent than any other as he feeds me his appreciation for what we have. Laying me over on the couch, he blankets me with his warm body, giving me a sense of safety and comfort.
His skilled mouth prowls to my neck, each brush and graze a sip for my unquenchable thirst, leaving me ravenous, longing for more of him.
“Everett.”
“No, baby, I’ll make you feel better than butter or cake,” he says muffled against my skin.
I giggle loudly beneath him as he attempts to thwart the serious moment. The grin I feel against my neck warms my heart further, and I can’t wait any longer.
“Everett, I’m serious,” I try to say without laughter.
“OK, I’ll let you finish eating first.” He mutters something under his breath as he lifts his head.
“I’m finished with dinner, and I want you for dessert, but I have to tell you this first.”
He’s struggling to be patient as his erection pushes against me. His fingers slip into the sides of my hair, and he massages my scalp. Oh, I’m nervous.
“I love you.”
His hands stop moving, eyes grow rounder, and I feel his heart thundering against my chest. He smiles and gently kisses my cheek.
“God, I love you, too, Reese.” His fingers roam through my thick strands again, and lips skim across mine, easily persuading my mouth to open.
A slip of his tongue has my legs falling open to feel more of his bulging shaft. He’s leisurely exploring and stroking, sampling all of my mouth in a deliberate slow dance.
“I’m carrying you to bed and making love to you,” he whispers against my lips, but I don’t want this song to end. His flavor is delicious and addicting, and his calculating kiss has my devilish side commanding attention.
“We can do that later. I want to play your game.”
Using the couch, he does a push up and holds it. His mouth shows humor, but his eyes exhibit his blazing desire. “My naughty girl; I love her.”
“She’s growing on me, too.”
Everett is off of me speedily. He picks up the strips of paper we used for our first game and begins putting them into two stacks. Neatly, he sets them side by side on the table.
“You’re going to draw one of the strips that tells something we haven’t done together, and then we’re going to fulfill it.”
My mind begins racing, reliving our game and remembering each act. “Um, we ruled out the threesome, I seriously doubt you want to leave to have sex in a public bathroom, and I already told you the one I’m not doing, not yet anyway.”
Everett’s eyes are instantly blistered with heat, his focus now overshadowed by my statement.
“Shit, Reese, I’m never going to get anything done now. The image of fucking your ass is all I’m going to be able to focus on.”
“Shameless,” I say.
“It’s your fault. You created this animal.” I can’t help but snicker as he blows out a frustrated breath.
I stare at the strips. “OK, um, that only leaves a few things. We will have to think up more. I like this game.”
Ev’s elbows are resting on his knees as he reaches up with both hands and lightly pulls on his hair.
“You’re killing me, Reese. Pick one already.”
“I will, but I’m not reading it off. I’ll surprise you.”
“Hell yes. I’m down with that. Left stack–now.”
After reading the slip of paper, I lay it back down and think of the brave stripper at the club. If she can dance naked in front of total strangers, I can do this in private with Ev.
Embarrassed but excited, I lead him to my bedroom by the hand, and never taking my eyes off of his, I reach for his shirt.
He lets me pull it over his head, and now his hair is messy the way I like it. Unbuttoning his jeans, I reach in and stroke his erection outside of his boxers, but he has run out of patience, so my hand is nudged out of the way, so he can strip down, revealing his exquisite nakedness.
“Lie on the bed,” I order before exhaling loudly and reaching for the ties on my robe.
Everett
Smirking, I do as Reese commands. It’s exciting, but I can’t help but find her newfound bravery amusing, too. She nervously swallows as she reaches for the ties on her robe.
It drops to the floor, and I soak in the sight of her. Sensuous curves have my fingers itching to touch, and her ample breasts need to fill my mouth.
Hooking her thumbs around each side of her pink panties, she slips them off and undoes her hair band. Lustrous strands cover her shoulders, wayward pieces sexy around her stunning face.
“Come here, Reese. I have to touch you–now.”
“Close your eyes, and place your arms to the side.”
“I want to be able to see you when I touch you.”
“You’ll get to do more than see and touch me. Close them.”
She’s driving me insane, but I do it before feeling her climb onto the bed. She straddles me far up my chest, but something feels different.
The erotic touch of her hands as they slide down my thighs, past my knees and onto my shins has my dick twitching against my stomach, especially when I feel it wedged between her tits. Holy shit. What’s happening hits me about the time she speaks.
“Open your eyes.”
“Fuck. Yes. Baby.” Her tantalizing body is laying over mine, and I would love a side view, but I will take her ass in my face any day.
Desperate hands clutch the side of her thighs before I’m yanking them to me. I breathe in the scent of her wet pussy before my tongue is on it.
Her whimpers are instantaneous as I give a long, languid stroke down the middle, spreading her open. A primal urge is clawing at me from the provocative scent that is only intensifying from her wet juices being drawn to the surface.
The salacious, obscene images of what I want to do to her ass and pussy have me growling loudly, the insatiable craving steering me to the cusp of losing my restraint.
I find her clit, and my tongue begins flicking, I’m consumed with the desire to pleasure her when the feel of her mouth around my straining cock brings me back to the ot
her part of this equation.
It’s all too much to my senses, and I want to come from the erotic thoughts alone. The humming sensation from her moans increases the pleasure to my dick.
Her ass shoves farther back against me, and with another growl, I bury my face in her cunt, unleashing a fervent appetite, a need like nothing I’ve ever felt in my life.
My dick slips from her mouth as the pleasure I’m delivering seizes her ability to do anything other than scream my name. She groans after, in agonizing euphoria, from the overwhelming act of giving and taking.
Her wet, hot mouth soon takes me in again, causing my own focus to falter briefly. She sucks me off, and I lick her mad until her hold shatters, moans vibrating against my cock.
I come apart as our bodies tense, my dick pulsing in her torrid mouth. I lap her up like a bear desperate for honey as the ecstasy charges through me.
Groaning wildly, my fingers clench her skin, her body a lifeline from the lonely darkness. The cataclysmic force between us makes me want to scream both from fear and happiness. It’s inconceivable.
Reese rolls off onto her back and closes her eyes as we grasp for the same air. Her feet are by my head, so I pick up the closest one and kiss it.
“Holy hell, your tongue, and damn, an orgasm feels amazing in that position,” she says.
“You’re amazing, and it’s terrifying me.” It’s quiet for a few seconds before Reese is lifting her head from the bed to see my face.
“You’re not joking,” she says.
“No, I’m not. I thought I had a shred of control left to what was happening between us, but fancy face, you blew all that to hell today.”
Her hand reaches over and entwines with mine.
“I love you, and I’m scared, but I trust you not to break my heart. I hope you trust me, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Reese
After no luck scouring the internet for a Castle Clean and an unsuccessful call to information for a number, I take a break to think. How can I show absolute proof?
Trust Game Page 18
