Unapologetically (Brighton Academy Series Book 4)

by Cala Riley

  I would go anywhere he wanted to take me. I easily slide into his passenger seat, loving the way it feels like I fit here perfectly, like the seat was made for me. My thoughts are cemented even more when Finley reaches over, grabbing my hand just after he puts the car in drive.

  The entire drive, we listen to music, but I can’t tell you a single song that’s played. Finley sings lightly, often looking over to me to sing the lyrics to me. I don’t hear them.

  Instead, I feel.

  I feel the butterflies in my stomach attempting to burst their way out with each heated look in my direction.

  I feel the way my heart beats faster with every stroke of his fingers on mine.

  I embrace the way my heart stops when he brings my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles as he continues to sing against them.

  In one car ride, I fall further in love with the only man who has ever had my heart. In this one car ride, all the anxiety from the call with my father melts away. I know I made the right decision.

  These feelings I have for Finley are worth it.

  “If you keep looking at me like that, babe, we won’t make it to our destination,” Finley’s teasing voice warns.

  Damn it if I don’t want to continue to stare at him. Make him pull over and do all the things his eyes are promising.

  Instead, I smile shyly, looking away.

  I hate that I’m not experienced and he is. It makes me feel insecure. How can I measure up to all the women he’s had before?

  He tugs on my hand, regaining my attention. “I changed my mind. I only ever want your eyes on me. When your eyes are on me, you make me feel like I can take on the world. Never doubt that, Tinsley.”

  He kisses my knuckles once more, making my stupid heart stutter to a stop once again.

  Before I can form a response, he stops the car and lets go of my hand to put the car in park.

  “We’re here.” He gestures out the windshield.

  I smile, turning back to him. “Your house? Last time I came here, you told me I wasn’t allowed to come back.”

  He turns to me, meeting my eyes, his holding a serious look. “I didn’t know how to handle anyone knowing about her. I didn’t mean it. I want you here. Only ever you, Tinsley.”

  “What about other girls?” The involuntary question slips out.

  “Don’t you get it, Tin?” His eyes are pleading with me.

  I shake my head, not understanding what he is trying to tell me.

  “Those other girls? All those women I walked away from you for? They were distractions. A way for me to deny what I thought was wrong. I used every single one of them to forget the way I feel about you.”

  His words hang in the air, the silence tense as he waits for me to process his confession.

  “You used those girls?” I whisper.

  His head hangs in shame. “Every single one of them. A very poor replacement for the one girl I wanted more than anything but who was so far off-limits I could never fathom being able to have. Wrong, I know.”

  I know I should feel bad for those women, maybe even disgusted with Finley for using them and being able to admit it to me. I should chastise him for his treatment, but I don’t, I can’t, and I won’t.

  As sick and twisted as it is, I’m relieved. I feel the smile on my face as I let his words find their way into my blood.

  My body is humming now. He wants me. He has wanted me. My feelings all these years? They weren’t unrequited.

  “You’ve wanted me? For how long?”

  My flirty tone has his eyes fly up to meet mine. His eyes widen as he takes in the smile on my face.

  “Since we were thirteen. It was a boat day. You came out of the house as we were loading up the boat. Reed had taken you and Keaton on a trip somewhere, and I hadn’t seen you for a couple of weeks.” He shakes his head as he smiles. “Anyway, you walked out of the house in a bright red bikini. Do you know how awkward it was for me to get a boner at thirteen? Pretty damn awkward. Add in the fact that it was my best friend’s sister? Jesus, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Your dark hair was pulled up in a bun on top of your head, allowing me to take in every inch of your body.”

  As he gets lost in the memory, a memory of my own pops in my head. “That’s the day you kissed Christy Lewison, right?”

  His eyes meet mine. “I panicked at the unfamiliar feelings I had towards you, so I spent the day talking to her. When you jumped into the water and your top came up, I got a glimpse of your chest. I did the first thing I could think of to hide my reaction. I kissed Christy.”

  That was the first time my heart broke. My crush on Finley had developed two years earlier. I thought I had to grow into my body before he would see me. I felt good that day, pretty with my new bathing suit—nothing too revealing, but it was a two piece that I had to beg Reed to let me have.

  I remember purposely trying to get Finley’s attention, but he was so far up Christy’s ass. When I jumped off the boat, I was hoping to grab his attention, only to surface and find him locking lips with her.

  I spent the rest of the day with Victoria, sunning on the other end of the boat.

  “I had no idea,” I whisper, seeing that day in a new light now.

  “No one did. I wanted it that way. Reed told both Sterling and me you were off-limits when we hit middle school. At the time, it seemed stupid. I thought girls were gross, but then I hit puberty and it made sense. I don’t think it truly hit me until that day though. I can’t even look at a red bikini without thinking about you now.”

  “Wow.”

  He grabs my knee, squeezing. “That doesn’t matter anymore. Know that no one before you matters and there won’t be an after. Let’s go. I have an idea.”

  He exits the car and comes around to pull my door open before helping me out. Then he picks me up, fireman style, and runs around the side of the house. I can’t help the laughter.

  “Shh, you’re going to wake my mom up,” he teases, slapping my ass once.

  A zing from his touch is sent straight to my core. I giggle again, but slap my hand over my mouth to drown it out.

  When we round the back of the house, the smell of chlorine hits my nose. He slowly pulls me from over his shoulder, allowing my body to slide down the front of him. Once my feet hit the ground, he leans in closer to me, his lips a breath away from my own.

  “Hi,” he whispers, his breath causing a shiver down my spine.

  “Hello.” I don’t miss the way my tone sounds breathless.

  Neither does he, if the smirk on his face is any indication.

  “Want to take a dip with me?” His eyes are daring me.

  “It’s cold,” I lie.

  It may be cooler out, but it’s not quite cold. Besides, my body is warm. I feel the heat from his body seep into mine with every touch.

  “Hot tub then? Come on, have some fun with me.” He’s using his boyish charm to break down my walls.

  It’s working.

  “I don’t have a bathing suit,” I whisper, knowing that’s not going to stop me.

  “You have a bra and panties. I’ll even wear my boxers. Come on,” he pleads.

  Feeling bold, I press a quick kiss to his lips before stepping back.

  The shocked look on his face is worth it. He didn’t expect me to make the first move.

  What he doesn’t realize is that I’m tired of waiting for him.

  I pull my shirt over my head quickly, leaving myself in my black lace bra.

  His eyes take me in as my fingers trail down my stomach before starting to unbutton my pants.

  I smile as I watch his chest rise and fall at a rapid pace. I finish undoing my pants, then lean down to unzip my boots before kicking them off. Once off, I turn and peel my jeans down my legs, purposely bending over, giving Finley the perfect view of my ass.

  “Fuck,” I hear whispered almost to himself.

  I smile as I straighten back up, placing my pants with my shirt on the closest lounger.

  “
I showed you mine, now show me yours,” I tease.

  I laugh as he makes quick work of stripping down to his boxers, almost tripping over his discarded shoes.

  “In a hurry, baby?” I quirk my eyebrow at him.

  His heated eyes meet mine. “If you saw yourself the way I see you, you would be in a hurry too.”

  I gulp past the sudden lump in my throat. The way his eyes are devouring me render me speechless. His eyes hold the promise of heat that I’ve never experienced before.

  He takes several steps until he is standing in front of me. His hands reach out, caressing my sides, right under where my bra ends. He trails his fingers lightly down my sides, causing me to take a sharp breath in at the sudden tingles spreading through my body. Once his hands reach my hips, he grabs them and squeezes.

  “Hot tub or pool?”

  Suddenly, the pool doesn’t seem like such an awful idea. I need to cool down before my hormones take over and make me do something silly, like lie down and spread my legs open wide for this man—not that I don’t want that, but I don’t know if I could recover if he rejected me.

  “Pool.” My voice is so low, I don’t think he heard me.

  A smirk curves his lips. “Pool it is.”

  He reaches out, taking my hand in his and leading me towards the shallow end. Once we get to the steps, he makes his way into the pool, stopping a couple down to turn and wait for me, his hand still firmly in mine.

  I take a tentative step in, shivering at the cool water. Deciding to do what I always did as a child, I immerse myself in the water quickly, dunking my head, letting the cold hit me all at once.

  When my head breaks the surface, I find Finley only a few feet from me.

  “Damn, babe. You look like a wet fucking dream.” He reaches out and pulls me closer to him.

  My teeth chatter as I get used to the cool water. Finley doesn’t hesitate. One minute I’m chattering, the next I’m in his arms, his hands caressing my body while his hot breath is on my neck.

  “I’ll keep you warm,” he whispers, pressing his hand to my lower back, encouraging me to come closer.

  Without a second thought, I wrap my legs around his waist while my arms find a new home around his neck. An unfamiliar heat takes over my body at the new closeness.

  “Fuck, Tin. You feel so fucking good.” He presses a kiss to my neck.

  “Show me.” The huskiness in my voice surprises me. “Show me how good I feel, Fin.”

  He pulls back, meeting my eyes. “You want to know how good you feel to me? How good you make me feel?”

  I nod. He grips my hips, thrusting his prominent, hard dick into my core, causing me to gasp.

  “You feel what you do to me? This water is cold as fuck. I should be shriveled up like a damn scared turtle, but I’m rock-hard. You do that to me. The feel of your soft-as-fuck skin does that to me. The sight of every fucking delicious curve of your body does that to me. Fuck, babe, the lilacsmell that is uniquely you turns me the fuck on. I’m only ever this hard for you.”

  My thighs squeeze him, causing his hardness to press against my core again.

  “You feel good too, so good. Make me feel good, Finley,” I breathe out, rocking against him lightly.

  “Fuck,” he grounds out. “You’re going to make me embarrass myself if you keep this up.”

  I rock harder against him and moan at the sudden blast of electricity that shoots through me as the tip of his dick hits my clit.

  The moan barely presses my lips before his lips are on mine, capturing my sounds. I’m vaguely aware of him moving in the water as his tongue slips past my lips. My back presses against the side of the pool moment later as he thrusts forward, hitting my clit once again, making me moan into his mouth.

  His hands move from my back, sliding down my body. One grips my hip as he continues thrusting against me, causing me to break the kiss, my head falling against the side of the pool as my breaths come faster.

  His lips, now free, fall to my neck, nipping and licking every inch of my skin he can reach. His hand that’s not on my hip trails up my side, ghosting over my left breast up to my collarbone.

  Finley pulls back. “Is this okay, Tin? Are you okay?”

  I meet his eyes, a smile on my face. “God, yes. Please, Finley. I want to feel good. Please.”

  His eyes darken before his lips find the skin of my neck again, his hand dipping beneath my bra.

  At first, he swipes his finger across my nipple once, teasing me. Then he pulls the cup of my bra down before rolling my nipple between his fingers. I arch towards him as he thrusts against me while also playing with my nipple and sucking and nipping harder on my neck.

  The sensations flood my body. The slight shock of a nip that’s soothed immediately by his tongue. The pinch of his finger in tune with the jolt from his dick pressing against my clit. I feel myself growing wetter with each of his ministrations on my body. My body is coiling, ready for release, but I don’t want release like this.

  I want him. I feel myself clenching, aching for sometimes inside me. Not something. Someone.

  “Finley,” I moan.

  He pulls back, his eyes meeting mine. “Yes, babe. What do you need?” His teasing smile helps ease my uncertainty.

  “I need you.”

  His smile brightens. “You have me, baby.” He leans in to kiss me.

  I let him kiss me a moment before backing off. “No. I need you. Inside me. Please, Finley.”

  He freezes, looking at me. “We shouldn’t.”

  I tighten my legs, pulling him closer, needing him to touch me again.

  “I have only ever wanted this with you, Fin. Please. Don’t make me wait. I need you. I love you.” I cringe as the words slip out.

  This could push him away, but I can’t help it. I love him. I always have.

  “You’re going to be the death of me, babe. You can’t say things like that. I’m not strong enough to say no.” His eyes are tortured, but his dick jerks against me.

  “Then don’t. Stop saying no. Stop denying this. Please, baby.”

  He pulls back, breaking my hold on him. As my feet touch the bottom of the pool, my heart drops.

  He grabs my hand, leading me towards the stairs. I try to hide my disappointment, but I know it’s written all over my face.

  “Baby, don’t look at me like that.” He pulls me back into his arms. “This isn’t a no. It’s a not here. Let’s go to my room.”

  My heart stops.

  ✽✽✽

  Finley

  What the fuck am I doing?

  I glance back to Tinsley as she wraps the towel I handed her around her body. I’m about to remind her about how bad of an idea this is, but then she gives me a heated smile.

  Fuck, this woman will be the death of me.

  If Keaton and Reed don’t kill me when they find out, she’s going to kill me with how fucking gorgeous she is. I’m a fucking goner.

  All my chivalrous ideas flew from my head as she begged me to slip inside her. I barely had enough self-control to take this somewhere else. I almost took her right there against the pool wall.

  She deserves so much more than that for her first time.

  If I was a better man, I would take her home now. Let us both cool down. Let her come to her senses.

  Tinsley walks towards me, slipping her hand in mine, her clothes a pile in her arm.

  I’m not a better man. Hell, I don’t even think I’m a good man.

  Sneaking in through the back door, I glance around to make sure my mother’s not around. Once I’m sure the coast is clear, I lead Tinsley up the back staircase to the second floor. At the top, I press her against the wall, unable to resist taking a nip at her bottom lip.

  When she moans as my hands slide down her body, I know I need to get her to my room quickly.

  After pulling her inside, I slam the door shut, locking the door behind me.

  I should be worried someone heard, but fuck if I can care right now.

 
As soon as the door is closed, Tinsley’s on me. She takes the lead, dropping her towel and pushing me backwards until I’m sitting on the edge of the bed. In the next instant, she climbs onto my lap, sinking down against me. I growl at the sudden feel of her.

  “Careful, babe. You’re playing with fire,” I whisper against her ear before I nip it.

  “Fire has never been more appealing than it is right now.” She gasps as she rocks her hips against mine, rubbing herself all over my dick.

  Fuck if it isn’t sexy as fuck to watch her take what she wants from me. I give her another minute of fun as I take her bra off. Once off, I take one nipple into my mouth, sucking and nibbling. I don’t miss the way her hips jerk, rocking out of rhythm. Each hiccup in her movements related directly to the movement of my mouth against hers.

  I flip her over quickly, settling between her spread legs.

  “No fair,” she breathes out. “I was having fun.”

  I give her a wicked smile. “Oh, baby, that was just the beginning. The real fun’s about to begin.”

  She goes to respond, but it’s cut off as I take her nipple in my mouth, biting down. I suck it once before kissing my way down her stomach, loving the way her body trembles below me.

  My fingers find their way into the side of her panties, pulling them down as I press a kiss to each hip. I drag the panties lower on her legs, my lips following them down to her ankle before I pull them completely off.

  My lips at the inside of her ankle, I place a kiss before mirroring it on the opposite leg as I make my way back up her body. When I kiss the inside of her thigh, her legs involuntarily clench. I smile, loving the way her body reacts to mine.

  Knowing I’m the only man to do this should remind me of why I shouldn’t be doing it, but it spurs me on.

  I have a one-way ticket to hell, but this memory will make it worth it.

  Once at the apex of her thighs, I press a kiss right above where I know she wants me. Then, slowly, I use my fingers to spread open her lips, taking in the scent that is uniquely Tinsley. I can’t resist a moment longer. Leaning in, I lick her.

  The taste of her explodes on my tongue, making us both moan. Running my finger through her wetness, I slip one down to her entrance, allowing it to slip inside as my tongue works her clit.