by CC Monroe
Kayla blushes as I stand over her, watching her under me like a mirage. This woman isn’t real; there’s no possible way. “If you are really quiet, I can make it good for you, leave you waiting for me to come to you again.”
With a few moments of trepidation, she finally concedes. “Please.”
And I do as promised, leaving us both wanting more. And if I don’t get back to her soon, I may combust. She falls asleep instantly after our round of lazy fucking, and I leave her with a kiss on her forehead and a note on a magazine I find in one of her unpacked boxes.
§
“Daddy! Good morning!” Avery’s voice is welcomed. I hate whole weekends away from her. She’s my best friend, and I don’t like not being with her whenever I can. But she loves weekends with her grandma, and my mother would have my head if I didn’t let her have her.
“Morning, angel. You being good for Nana?” I ask, turning down Harlen’s street.
“Sure am! I even woke up early to help her cook breakfast.”
I feel guilty, suddenly, knowing I was with a woman who wasn’t her mother and missing out on calling her, regardless whether if I knew she was awake or not.
“You could’ve called me.” I pull up behind Harlen, who is cleaning his bike. He gives me a chin lift and gets back to it, while I finish up my call.
“I forgot. I was too excited. Nana made waffles, and I wanted to help!” She’s cheerful and carefree, and it lessens the guilt.
“I love her waffles. That was my favorite growing up.”
“That’s what Nana said. I guess we are just the same, Daddy.”
“I guess so, love bug. Well hey, listen, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow afternoon, but you make sure to call me in the morning, and don’t give Nana any hassle, okay?”
I hear her huff, and I swear I won’t survive her. Sassy and undoubtedly gonna be the death of me. “I know, Daddy. You tell me that all the time.”
“Don’t be sassy. Now go help your grandma around the house and call me tomorrow. I love you.”
“Love you too.” We end the call and I take a deep breath, because I know what’s waiting when I face Harlen.
As I shut the door to my truck, he starts in on me instantly. “Well, well, what an ugly fucker on his walk of shame.”
“Piss off, Harlen.”
“Yeah, lay off him, baby.” Harmony comes out with some drinks for us. I give her a kiss on the cheek and Harlen a fist bump.
“So, do you like her?” Harmony doesn’t waste any time.
“I can’t give him shit, but you can ask him twenty-one questions? I see how it is, babe.”
“Exactly, and don’t forget it.” She gives me a wink, knowing she is always going to be Harlen’s pain in the ass. What I wouldn’t give to make Kayla my pain in the ass.
“She’s something, all right.” I rub at the back of my neck.
“My dad says it’s the boom.”
“Explain that to me. You’re always saying that,” I remark, grabbing one of the boxes with a piece of furniture inside from Harlen’s truck next to his bike.
“My dad had it the day he saw my mom, said he felt this weird pull toward her, and instantly, without so much as a few words, he knew he wanted her in his life, in his home, and most definitely in his bed. All my uncles say this too. I thought they were all freaking mental until I met Harlen. I got that exact feeling when I met him.” She blushes, and you would think this was the first time they met when they share a look and he grabs her wrist to pull her to him.
“Damn right. Now, don’t you forget that shit, baby.” Grabbing her ass, he lays a long, wet kiss on her, his free hand grabbing her jaw and holding her where he wants her.
“All right, savages, break it up. We have work to do.”
They pull away, and Harmony places her hands on her hips knowingly. “You seeing her again tonight?”
“Yeah, I am. I’m going to take her to the lake up by my cabin. Let her see real Tennessee beauty.” I rip open the box, getting to work on finishing fast so I can get to her sooner.
“Oh boy, this is going to be fun.” She rubs her hands together, and I just shake her off.
I suddenly don’t want to talk about how I feel about Kayla, because I’m still working it out in my head. That, and if I’m being honest, I don’t want to share one detail about my girl. Because she’s mine. All mine.
Chapter Seven
Kayla
“Holy hell! That is hot! I have never had a one-night stand like that,” Kate hollers, slamming her hand down on my kitchen counter as we sip coffee. I explained in vague detail what happened between Jase and me last night, and she and Sadie hung on every word.
“You’re telling me. It was a first everything for me, and I still can’t believe I did it.”
Sadie hasn’t said much. She just keeps eyeing me with this knowing smirk.
“What?” I giggle, wanting to know why she’s looking at me like she heard a secret about me that I haven’t.
“You are in trouble.” Her sweet southern drawl comes out.
“And how is that?”
“I married Ben just three weeks after meeting him. I knew by day three of hanging out with him that I loved him. The Ben Cooper effect is what I call it—well, Ben’s smart butt is the one who says it.”
I chuckle. She never curses because of her hardcore Christian faith. How she married the bad boy rock star still shocks me.
“I’m not marrying Jase. I don’t even know his last name,” I say matter-of-factly, picking up a grape and eating it. I feel my body ache with the sudden movement, my core tightening. I can still feel him. He never stopped touching me, and he only did when I begged him to, because my body couldn’t handle it.
I feel alive and aware of myself, and it’s a surreal, bittersweet type of feeling. I feel less empty inside than I did yesterday morning. Tennessee is already bringing me that change I so badly needed. I woke up for once not thinking about how I was going to stomach the day and make it through without hurting. I woke up feeling renewed and profound, and I’m finally living on the edge of excitement for whatever comes next. The shadows of my sadness are becoming less painful.
“You say that now, but we’ll see where y’all end up,” Sadie adds, taking one last sip of her coffee.
I roll my eyes, and Kate steers the conversation elsewhere. “Well, kid, we have to head back home.”
I have dreaded their goodbye, knowing I will now be by myself on this new journey. “You can just stay with me, and I won’t tell anyone where you are.”
“Yeah, right. Ben would send Nick to come and round us up.” Kate blushes when she mentions Nick, but I bite my tongue. She may be with Eric, but she loves Nick, and one day, she will realize it and leave her turbulent relationship with Eric and dive in heart-first with Nick.
“True that. Ben can’t go more then two days without me being in his bed. Loses his darn mind.”
“Fine, but promise you guys will come visit me, bring me little pieces of home.” My heart grips tight for a second as I realize I’m not in Portland anymore, and my parents home is not just emotionally distant; it’s now physically far away.
“Don’t look so sad, little bug. We will FaceTime every day. Now, you put your chin up—and those tits—because you have a hot date tonight, and you are going to call and tell me all about it!” Kate pulls me in with her hand on the back of my neck, bringing our foreheads together. “They are here, and that is the realest, most important thing.” She drops the humor and brings her hand to my heart for a private moment. “That’s your home; that is where they will always be.” I feel the tears start to come, and I see hers too. We’ve been inseparable since we were little, and now I’m suddenly aware of how much I’m going to miss her. “You got this, kiddo. Now go and have a night you won’t regret.” Giving me a kiss on the cheek, we share soft goodbyes and prolonged hugs before I send them both on their way.
Back inside, I take a moment to look around my new home, to gather
my thoughts. Just when I feel more tears coming, my phone in my back pocket distracts me. Thinking it’s Kate texting me to tell me to stop crying, because she knows me too well, my stomach flips when I see Jase’s name.
Jase: I programmed myself in your phone. I can’t stop thinking about us and what last night was. You are fucking eating me alive right now, Kayla. I’m drowning in you. The ball is in your court.
I smile, a small tug of my lips, as I wipe away my last few tears.
Me: Speak for yourself. You started this.
I head toward my room, deciding I better finish the last of the unboxing so I can be ready for school next week and not be completely cluttered with too much to do.
Jase: Nope. Baby, that shit was all you. I didn’t stand a chance when you looked at me like you did.
Me: Well, I didn’t stand a chance when you touched me the way you did. I guess we are both to blame.
Jase: I guess so.
He responds again, instantly.
Jase: Is this the part where we play twenty-one questions? I think that’s how people are doing the dating thing these days. That, or dating app questionnaires.
I chuckle.
Me: No, we don’t have to force it. Just like we didn’t have to force last night. How about we just talk like we already know each other? What are you up to?
And just like that, we text on and off for a few hours, and not one moment of awkward radio silence happens.
§
I shaved every part of my body as if I were skinning a wildebeest. I went over every spot until I was sure every speck of hair was gone. I changed a total of five times, and I have gone back and forth from putting my hair in a curly ponytail and down in loose curls enough times to run out of fingers to count on.
My makeup is light. A soft shimmer on my eyes with winged liner and mascara, and set with some gold highlight and bronzed cheeks. I finally decide to leave my hair down and settle on a pair of distressed tight-fitted jeans and a white silk top, a black bralette playing peekaboo out the top. I throw on some black over-the-knee boots and a black leather jacket. My stomach is a ball of nerves, but at least I’m content with what I see in the mirror for the final look.
“Here we go,” I whisper to myself just as the doorbell goes off. Grabbing my clutch off my dresser and spritzing myself with some fancy perfume, I hurry along to the door, eager to see him again. And just like I knew he would, he looks irresistible. His hair is styled in a messy crew cut, and his blue jeans and dark grey long-sleeved Henley fit him like a dream.
“Am I gonna lose my breath every damn time I see you?” he asks, pulling me into his body, his arm banding tight around my lower back. His other hand grips my chin and brings me in for a kiss. I go weak, never experiencing such fire and passion with another soul like I have with this handsome, familiar stranger.
“Are you always going to make me breathless with your kisses?” I whisper when we part, his breath warm against my face, the strong scent of mint and him filling my lungs.
“If you let me.”
I push back a little and give him a teasing shoulder lift, my face pinching in amusement. “Hm, maybe. We will see how you do tonight.”
“Sassy. So damn sassy.” He shakes his head and helps me lock the door before taking me to his truck.
“Have you and Kate always been close?” he asks, the sound of country music playing in the background.
“Yeah, we were best friends growing up, not just because we were family, but because I always wanted to be her. I thought the sun rose and set in her ass.” I chuckle, and he lets out a throaty laugh that causes me to shiver. Holy hell, that sounded like thick, non-watered-down whiskey.
“She seems like a good time. Sadie doesn’t seem like the first candidate to be best friends with her.”
“Oh, trust me, it’s like the start of a really bad joke. A Christian walks into a Kate Beckett….” I trail off, and he laughs again. I blush when he tightens his hand on my thigh and gives me a compliment.
“Sassy, funny, beautiful, sexy—insatiable. I’m in more trouble than I thought.” Shooting me a wink, I bite my lip, trying to calm the tight coil in my stomach.
“It’s a God-given gift to be this cool, I guess.” I shrug. “Now, what about you and Harlen? How did you two end up being friends?”
“We grew up together. He had a rough go at life, and I was there through it all. We may seem like opposites, but that’s my buddy and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Opposites attract in all things, they say. So your daughter, is she with her mom?” I decide to go for it, rip the Band-Aid off.
“No, she’s with my mother for the weekend. My wife passed away a few years ago.”
“Oh, Jase.” I should slap a hand over my mouth. I should know better, seeing as I’m usually the one on the other end having to awkwardly answer a similar question. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You didn’t know.”
I recall saying that to him nearly twenty-four hours ago. “What do you do for work?” I drop the heavy and hope this is a much safer question to help relieve the awkwardness around us. Death is never anything but heavy.
“I’m a architect for homes, condos, apartments, sometimes even office buildings.” We start slowing down on the highway as he pulls off onto a dirt road.
“That sounds incredible. I can barely color between the lines, so kudos to you for being talented enough to design things,” I tell him, and he laughs as we drive deeper into the dark woods, trees thick around us. “I knew it was too good to be true. This isn’t the part where Prince Charming turns out to be a serial killer, is it?” I tease...slightly. I realize I’m in the car with a man I barely know, no matter how much my heart tells me otherwise.
“Only if you run.” My head whips and my jaw drops as my eyes land on him. He squeezes my thigh again. “I’m kidding, Kayla. Calm down, baby. You are going to love it. I’m about to show you the real perks of living in Tennessee.
“Is it a male strip club? Like those Magic Mike guys?” I tease, and I watch his jaw tic.
“Cute. Nice try smartass. No. I guess I will add smartass to your list.”
Leaning in to soothe his bruised ego, I kiss his cheek. “If it makes you feel better, Jase, I would only want to be your smartass,” I whisper.
“That’s a dangerous promise,” he growls.
“Good. Because you make me feel dangerous.” With that, we share body heat and the car fills with desire.
“We’re here.” He breaks the silence, and I finally take my eyes off him. Looking out the windshield, I see the glistening water.
“Oh my gosh, that’s beautiful.” At some point in my admiration, Jase climbed out and opened my door. I take his hand, and he leads me out, grabbing a cooler and a blanket from the back of his truck.
“A picnic on the lake? And I thought all those southern love stories were all just made up.”
“Those were always false representations of men like me.” He takes the lead as I peer up at him.
“How so?”
“Because those men didn’t know how to really lay down a lady like I can.”
Holy smokes, this man isn’t real. I’m about to melt like putty in his hand on a summer day. “Cocky.”
“You would know. Very cocky.”
I gently nudge my shoulder into him, and we share a laugh. Walking us to the edge of the water, I watch, mesmerized, as he sets up a late-night picnic equipped with two lanterns. I have never had anyone do something so kind for me. This man is really the ultimate, a jack-of-all-trades, a well-rounded, sexy, and generous man.
“It ain’t much, but this view is the best part.” He takes a seat and holds out his hand to me. “Come here, beautiful.” He brings me between his legs, and I snuggle in close. I feel young again, as if this were my first date.
“I used to come out here a lot when I was younger. My dad and I fished all the time.”
“I’ll be honest. I’ve never fished in m
y entire life.”
His hand has found its way onto my stomach under the silk fabric where he rubs soft circles. “I can teach you. It’s surprisingly calming.”
“I will take you up on that.”
Giving me a soft kiss to my temple, he opens the cooler and pulls out some drinks and fruit. We spend some time eating in the quiet night, no words being shared just yet. Instead, we enjoy the comfortable silence. He made some delicious chicken we both devoured. My eyes shut and my head rolls back onto his shoulder, the sudden urge to relax into him hitting me.
I hear it then, a sound I know all too well and once loved but now despise, because it holds all the painful memories that haunt me. I hear a sound of thunder, and instantly, I go numb. Please don’t let this happen now.
Chapter Eight
Jase
A bolt of lightening lights up the sky, followed closely by a crack of thunder, and I feel Kayla go tense in my arms, her body nearly turning to brick. “Hey, it’s all right. Just a little lightening. We may get some rain. I’ve got you though, beautiful.” Suddenly, she wiggles her way from between my legs and arms and stands abruptly. Panic is all over her face, and her neck has gone beet red. “Kayla, what’s wrong?” I stand quickly and grab her face. A cool breeze hits us, and I see a drop of rain land on her cheek. Her eyes begin to well with tears as her hair blows in the rainy wind, and immediately, something changes in her. Fear. She’s afraid, and I worry it was me who did something wrong.
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she goes more and more into her own head, and I panic. “Baby, what the hell is going on?” And as if the clouds heard me and felt my worry, they open up and we drown in rain, as it comes down harsh and heavy. “Fuck, come on. Let’s get out of here.” I grab her hand and leave everything behind. I will come back for it later. Pulling her and setting her cemented feet into motion, she follows me. I swing open her door and help her in before hurrying to my side. Once there, I start up my truck, putting it in Reverse, but I stop at the sound of shrill panic.
“No! Don’t we can’t drive!”
