by Anna Brooks
“Hey, who’s that guy over there in the blue polo and gold chain?” I ask him.
He looks around me and laughs. “That’s Johnny. He moved here a few months ago and got a membership to the gym. Dude’s funny as shit. I invited him… why?” His laughter is fading, and his protective instincts are kicking in.
“No reason, I’ve never seen him before.” If Pierce invited him, he must be a good guy. I’m sure I’m overreacting. “Need any help?”
“Actually yeah, wanna go run in the house and grab the stuff to make s’mores?”
“Sure.” I walk into the kitchen and search the pantry for everything I need. I grab a huge box of graham crackers, two bags of marshmallows, and a stack of king-size Hershey bars. I kick the door shut behind me and head back outside. When I round the corner, I almost drop everything in my arms.
Travis is standing by Pierce with a beer in his hand and a girl hanging off his arm. She reminds me how out of his league I am. Big boobs, big hair, long legs, mature; everything I’m not. She has on shorts so short they look like underwear, and you can see her black bra through the little white halter top. I look down at my frumpy sundress and sigh. The fantasy was fun while it lasted. As I’m walking up, I see Travis remove her hand from his arm and turn his back to her while he continues talking to Pierce.
I snicker under my breath and drop all the stuff by Pierce. “Here ya go.” I turn around and walk away, avoiding Travis. I don’t know what in the hell I was thinking… that he would ever be interested in me. Stupid.
“Hey.” His voice stops me around the corner, and I take a deep breath before turning around.
His eyes scan me from head to toe and back up again before stopping at my eyes. I see his Adam’s apple move before he speaks again. “How are you?”
“Good. I’m good.” I awkwardly shift my feet. “How are you?”
“Good. I had to work today so I just got here.”
“Cool. Did you eat yet?” He shakes his head. “Come on.”
Without thinking, I grab his hand and pull him toward the garage. My mom always said, ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’. On the way, he shifts his fingers so they’re intertwined with mine. The butterflies that were in my stomach have dissipated into something else, something bigger. This guy touches me, and everything inside me melts. Once inside the door, I let go of his hand and make a grand gesture toward the buffet.
“Damn. That’s a lot of food.” He grabs two plates and hands me one.
“Oh, I already ate.”
“You don’t want anything?”
“Nah, I’m okay,” I insist.
“Not even cake?” He angles his head toward the dessert table.
“Fine. For you, I’ll eat cake.”
I’m rewarded with a panty-melting smile, and I follow him around the makeshift buffet. He waits for me as I grab a couple of pieces of dessert. His plate is bending, it’s so full, and I laugh as I follow him out to a picnic table. Their yard is so big we’re practically alone.
“Hungry?”
He holds up his finger while he chews. “You have no idea. So, what did you do this week?”
“Not much.” I’m about to ask him the same question when Meara and Liam walk up. So much for privacy.
“Hey, hoochie!” she yells. I don't think I’ve ever heard her speak in an ‘indoor voice’.
“Hey, Meara. Hi, Liam.” I scoot over so she can sit down, and my leg rubs against Travis. I get goosebumps at the contact and start bouncing it up and down.
“Hi, Travis.”
“Meara.” He smiles at her and gives Liam a chin lift.
Travis puts his hand on my thigh and gives a gentle squeeze. I stop bouncing, but his hand remains on my bare skin. His fingers start to make random patterns on the sensitive area on my inner thigh. My skin is on fire, and I shudder under his touch.
“How’s the band?” I ask Liam, desperate to get my mind off what Travis is doing. His fingers start to make their way north, and my lips part as my breaths come out in short bursts. Travis chuckles but doesn’t stop his assault.
“Great. I’m so excited to go on tour. I’ll miss the hell outta this girl,”—he grabs Meara in a mock chokehold and kisses the top of her red head—“but this is a huge dream come true for all of us.” I can tell how passionate he is about his band with all of his crazy hand gestures and animated voice.
“Pierce has the fire going; let’s go make a s’more.” Meara pulls Liam in the direction of the fire, where pretty much everybody is now. It’s dark except for the decorative lights twinkling and citronella candles.
“You want a s’more, sweetheart?” he asks continuing his travel up my leg. I look over at him and see his chest rise and fall with every breath, nostrils flaring slightly. Is he turned on, too? No way, not from me. This isn’t right. I shouldn’t feel lightheaded from one touch.
Frantically, I stand. “Umm, maybe in a bit. I have to go to the bathroom.” Why the hell did I tell him that?
“You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m great.”
I rush inside and lean against the bathroom door. My sister’s words ring through my mind. She was so young when she died in the car accident, but she was also very wise for her age. I was starting to realize that boys weren’t gross, and while we were rocking on our front porch swing, I asked her how to tell if a boy likes you. What she said has stayed with me, and up until Travis, I didn’t understand what she meant.
‘It’s about how you feel. He should make you feel dizzy, like you want to faint, but is there to catch you when you fall.’
It’s so wrong, though; I’m only seventeen. And he’s older, although I don't know how old exactly. I’m leaving in a little over a month. I guess he could be a summer fling. People do that, right?
With new resolve, I walk outside and become a new type of dizzy when I see Travis straddling Johnny, beating the shit out of him.
Chapter 4
Travis
I WATCH CHARLOTTE WALK into the house and shake my head. I don’t know what the hell it is about this girl, but when I see her, all I want to do is throw her over my shoulder and lock her in my bedroom. I haven’t felt like this about anyone… ever. Not even Tammy, and that scares the shit out of me. I know she’s leaving in a few weeks, and I don’t want to start something I can’t finish, but damn if she isn’t all I’ve thought about this week.
“You hit that yet?” My thoughts are interrupted, and I look up to see Johnny with a cocky smile on his face. I’ve seen him at the gym before and can’t stand the prick. He’s one of those guys who make loud-ass grunting noises when he lifts.
“Come again?” I want to make sure I heard him correctly. Because I know he didn’t just say what I thought he did.
“I said, did you hit that yet? Man, that girl’s got an ass on her.” He laughs and makes a round shape with his hands.
I stand from the table and step so I’m face to face with him. “I’m giving you one pass. One. Now shut your fucking mouth and walk away.” I have to clench and unclench my fists to keep from pounding his face.
“Whoa. Whoa. She’s hot, you can’t expect a guy to see her in those cowboy boots and not picture her riding—” He stops talking when I land a right hook to his jaw. He stumbles back, and the cocky grin is replaced with a sneer.
“It’s like that, huh? I thought we were cool, man.” He charges at me, and I land on my back. He gets a couple of hits to my ribs before I flip him.
“Yeah, motherfucker. It’s like that.” I connect with his face and block his shots. Anger like I’ve never experienced before rips through my veins, and all I can think of is this dirty fucker talking about my girl.
“Stay the fuck away from her.”
Fuck, she’s not even mine. I’m so lost in my annihilation of Johnny that I don’t see Pierce until he grabs me in a headlock and yanks me away.
“Chill, man. What the fuck?” Pierce yells, pulling me away from Johnny and gripping my shirt so
I don't go after him again. I look around to see everyone has stopped what they were doing and is staring me; masks of confusion, pity, and fear on their faces. I hate people looking at me like that.
“Fuck!” I yell, ripping out of his grasp.
I pass Charlotte on my way out. Her eyes are wide, and I can see her hands shaking as they cover her mouth. I can’t talk to her right now. I need to cool the fuck off. This is not me. Not anymore. I don’t allow myself to care about women like that. I got burned once, and I’ll never fucking do it again.
I’m about to pull away when there’s a soft tap at my window. I drop my head to the steering wheel. I’m not ready to see her yet. She doesn’t know why I got so pissed, and I don’t want to explain it. She won’t understand this need I have to protect her; hell, I don't even understand it. The interior light flashes, and the passenger side door closes. Her tiny hand on my shoulder makes me feel like even more of a jackass that she’s seeing me like this.
“Are you okay?” Her voice is hesitant, scared.
I look over and cup her face in my hand. She flinches; it’s a tiny movement, and unless I was looking for it, I might have missed it. “Yeah. I’m fine. Don’t be scared of me. I’d never hurt you.”
“I’m not. I’m worried about you.” She nods her head, like she’s encouraging herself. “I don’t know why, but I feel different around you.”
I lean back in the seat and tilt my head up, shutting my eyes. I really need to get away and clear my head. “You’re not alone, sweetheart.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing for you to worry about. Listen,” I turn and look at her, “I gotta get outta here.” I really need to be alone right now so I can figure out what the fuck is going on with me.
She looks confused for a minute then shakes her head. “Oh, yeah… duh. Well, I’ll see you around, I guess.”
I put my hand on hers before she gets out. Fuck it. “I do want to see you again.” I lean over and give her a soft kiss. “Put your number in here.” I hand her my cell and curse myself for forgetting about hers. “Did you get a new phone?”
“Yeah, I did.” She laughs. “I said I accidentally dropped it in the toilet, thank you very much.”
She hands it back and when our hands touch, I pull her a little closer and give her another kiss. My phone slips from my fingers, and I pull her over the center console. She grips my arms and sucks my tongue in her mouth.
Hesitantly, I pull back. I can’t rush her, rush this. She got flustered when I was touching her at the picnic table, so I know I need to tread lightly. “I really have to get out of here.” If she stays any longer, I’ll end up fucking her in the backseat, and she deserves so much better than that.
“Okay,” her reply comes so soft, so innocent.
I watch as she walks back to the party. I’m not worried about her safety with Pierce there, so I drive away.
Once I get home, I head for the shower instead of the bottle, and let the freezing cold water pour down over me. I haven’t lost it like that in a while. All I could see was red. That fucker deserved so much more than he got. I was willing to let him walk away, but then he mentioned her boots, and I knew exactly what he was thinking, because it’s the first thing I thought when I saw her. What she would look like naked, in nothing but them, riding me. Fuck, that doesn’t make me any better than him. Except I’d never disrespect her like he did.
I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist. Fucker got me good; there’s a bruise on my ribs, and my knuckles are a little swollen. It was worth it, though. I pull on a pair of boxers and hop into bed. As I’m about to fall asleep, there’s a light knock at my door. I get up and open it without looking to see who it is, because I know it’s her.
Charlotte
My heart is pounding out of my chest as I wait for him to answer the door. The look he had on his face when he was hitting Johnny reminded me so much of what he looked like the first night I met him. Sad and angry at the same time. But still hot. I’m embarrassed to think that, but it’s lingering in the back of my mind.
He said he wanted to see me again, and even though it’s only been about an hour, I want to check on him before I go home.
I’m about to walk away because I think this might be a mistake, when the knob turns. He opens the door and neither of us says anything. I can’t help but check out his almost naked body. He’s so solid, so strong. We look at each other, question obvious in his eyes. I’m sure he wonders why I’m here. I’ve only known him for a week, but it feels like an eternity. And I can’t stop thinking about how I feel when I’m with him.
“Hi.” I twirl my fingers in front of me out of nervousness.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” He stands up straight and continues, “Not that I’m not glad to see you.” His lips tip up in a smile, instantly relaxing me a little bit.
“Umm, I guess I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Yeah, I’m good.” His eyes travel down my body again and when they stop on my boots, his jaw clenches, and he quickly averts his gaze by looking at the floor. After he takes a deep breath, he lifts his head and asks me, “Do you want to come in?”
I bite my lip in contemplation, remembering how out of his league I am. I really should walk away, but there’s a magnetic pull, and even though my mind is telling me no, my feet answer the question by putting one in front of the other.
The click of the lock makes me jump, and I set my purse down on the coffee table. He follows me into the living room and gestures to the couch. I sit and play with the hem of my dress, not knowing what to say. I shouldn’t have come here.
“Do you want something to drink?” His voice interrupts my nervous thoughts.
“No, thanks. I’m good. You sure you’re okay? When I went in the house you were fine, then I came out, and you were punching that creepy guy.”
His forehead wrinkles, and he gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Why is he creepy?”
“Oh, umm. I ran into him earlier, and he creeped me out.”
“Why? Did he say something to you?”
“No. Well, I mean, I bumped into him and apologized. He said it was okay.”
His brows now furrow, and he tilts his head so our eyesight is even. I can’t look anywhere but at his amazing blue eyes.
“Did he touch you?” The words come out slow, controlled.
“No, I don’t think so.” The ring around his eyes darkens, and I know I made a mistake.
“You don’t think so?”
“Umm…” He said honesty, right? “Well, maybe he held on a little longer than necessary when I ran into him, and maybe he touched my butt.”
“Fuck me,” he says as slow as before.
His eyes remain unblinking and locked on mine. I see his lips moving, counting down from ten. When he reaches one, he lifts my hand and kisses the center of my palm.
“Okay,” he states.
“Okay? What’s okay?”
“Nothing, I’ll take care of him later.”
“Travis, it’s fine. You don't need to do anything.” I laugh a little. “Anything more than you already did.”
“No, I didn't know he made you uncomfortable and put his hands on you. Don't worry about it.” He blows it off like it’s nothing, but there’s more meaning behind his actions. You don’t do that for someone you don’t care about.
“Why did you hit him anyway?”
He begins tracing a figure eight pattern from my wrist to the center of my hand. “He said something that pissed me off.”
“What did he say?” I ask, mesmerized by the softness of his bruised hands.
“Nothin’. You wanna watch a movie or something?”
“Not really.”
“What do you want to do then?” he whispers.
I look down and see him growing inside his boxers. I gasp because I’ve never actually seen one before. Sure, in movies and stuff, but in real life, no. All I’ve ever done is make out with a few b
oys, but I’ve never felt with them what I do with Travis. I know I shouldn’t be here.
I feel a tingling between my thighs and shift uncomfortably on the couch. This is not why I came here, but kissing him the other day felt so good and so right. I want to do it again but don’t know how to tell him.
When I don’t answer, he asks again in a husky voice, “What do you want to do, sweetheart?”
“I…” I stop and look at his mouth. He smirks.
“You what?”
“I want you to kiss me again.” I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and shut my eyes. He tips my chin up at the same time telling me, “Open your eyes.” I look into his, and see the dark ring is back, but this time it’s not anger, only desire looking back at me.
“Don’t be embarrassed around me. All I ever want is honesty. If you want me to kiss you, all you have to do is ask. Okay?”
“’Kay,” I whisper. He pulls me on top of his lap so I’m straddling him. I feel his hardness and involuntarily grind my hips into him. I’ve never felt anything like it before so I do it again and again, gasping every time. He grabs my hip with one hand and the other goes to the back of my head, pulling my face down to his. Our tongues explore and our teeth nip and crash together in a kiss that consumes every part of my body. He releases my head and grabs my other hip, pressing me harder onto him.
“Oh, God.” I moan into his mouth. Is this normal? I begin to get dizzy and pull my head back, sucking in some much needed oxygen while my body experiences a new high.
I drop my head onto his shoulder. Words can’t describe how I feel right now. Light, dreamy, happy. My body lax and satisfied, I smile on his shoulder. Oh. My. God. That was better than I’d ever imagined. After the tremors fade away and I’m able to think straight again, I sit up and look at him. He’s breathing deep, as if he’s trying to calm down, and his handsome face is flushed. He smiles at me and kisses my shoulder.
I smile back and get off his lap to get some water. It’s better if I don’t say anything right now. I’ll probably end up putting my foot in my mouth. When I return with a bottle for him, he’s still hard and adjusting himself. I immediately feel guilty because even though I’m inexperienced, I know I need to do something for him.
