Small town romance boxed set

by Goodwin, Emily

“Haley?” I grind my erection against her. It’s straining against my trousers so hard it’s starting to hurt. I need to be inside her.

  “It’s ugly and gross, and I’m sorry.” I sit up to look, but she pulls me back down, shaking her head. “You don’t want to see it, trust me.”

  I press a kiss to her forehead. “Haley,” I pant. “Nothing about you is ugly or gross.” Our eyes lock, faces just inches from each other. “I have scars too.”

  “I know,” she whispers, gently running her finger over the jagged line above my eye. “I like your scars.”

  “Let me like yours.”

  Still looking into my eyes, she moves her head up and down. I rock back and gently move her shirt up. Rough, raised skin stretches tightly along her side. It’s pink and rippled, mapping a web of pain from the curve of her hip up to the side of her breast. A knot forms in my stomach, but it’s not from the sight of her. It’s from knowing that her flesh has been melted, that she has felt so much pain and was left with this as a reminder she has to live with every day.

  “It’s hideous, isn’t it?” she asks, unable to look at me. “Like Freddy Kruger.”

  “No, not at all like him.” I move down and gently press my lips to her scar. “You’re beautiful, Haley.”

  She trembles under me, and I kiss her scar one more time. “I’m glad you think so,” she says, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  I wipe the tears away. “Don’t be sorry.” She closes her eyes and nods, pushing her shirt down and covering the scar on her side. I tip my head and push up her sleeve. The scar on her shoulder isn’t as bad. The skin is flat and shiny, and not as pink. I sweep my finger over it and then press my lips against that scar too.

  “I wish you could see you the way I do. You’d see that you are beautiful.”

  “Aiden,” she says as tears roll down her face. Then she’s pulling me on her again, and we kiss in a fury of passion. The same tightness plagues me, and I have to turn away to cough again. I bury my face in her breasts, trying to catch my breath. “Are you feeling okay?” she asks.

  No, I’m not. But I’m so turned on, so wrapped up in her, it doesn’t matter. “I’m good enough.” She smiles and everything is right in the world again. “I want you,” I confess.

  “I want you too,” she says.

  I grin and put my lips to her neck, softly sucking on her skin. She lets out a moan. I hold myself up on my elbows and take her hands in mine, pushing them above her head. She squirms underneath me, rubbing herself against my erection.

  I trail kisses down her neck, over her soft breasts and onto her stomach. She lifts her hips, and I slip her jeans over her arse and pull them down to her knees. She kicks them off and wraps her legs around me, bringing me in.

  Her phone rings. “Ignore it,” she pants, and she lifts her head up to kiss me. She doesn’t have to tell me twice. Her fingers run through my hair again, and I can hardly take it. The phone stops ringing and she reaches for me, fingers hovering over my belt.

  Then her phone rings again. “It’s probably Lori,” she tells me as she undoes the buckle. Her hands are so close to my cock. She’s moving slow on purpose, teasing me, and I love and hate her for it at the same time. “She’ll leave a message if it’s important.”

  “Okay,” I rush out, holding my hips up. She pulls the belt through the loops and lets it drop to the floor. She takes hold of my zipper and runs her hand over me through the outside of my trousers. Fuck, I need her.

  Tantalizing, she moves her hands back up, fingernails running over the skin on my sides. I’m about ready to take off my own fucking trousers. Her hands sweep back down and unbutton my jeans. The zipper comes down on its own, unable to hold back my erection. I yank them off. She sticks her hand inside my boxers, fingers curling around my cock, and I melt at her touch.

  Then her phone rings again. Three calls in a row—that’s never a good sign. She freezes, my cock in her hand. My lips are against hers, my tongue in her mouth, and I think about how good it would feel if my dick went in there.

  She shakes her head and starts pumping her hand. I want inside of her. I want to connect as one, feeling physically how she makes me feel inside. I don’t want to just fuck her. I want to make love to her.

  I’ve never, ever wanted that before.

  She tugs my boxers down, and I’m overcome with want. I take my mouth off hers and remove her shirt, staring at her large breasts for a few seconds before moving back down. Both of her hands are on my arse, and she’s pulling me down, pressing me into her, the thin material of her knickers keeping us apart. She’s so warm, and I know she wants me as badly as I want her.

  “Do you want to go upstairs?” she breathes, sliding her hand around my thighs.

  I don’t care where we go, as long as I’m with her. “This is fine,” I say, only because letting her go isn’t something I can do right now. We’re cramped together on the couch and a bed would be better, especially for our first time. Though the passion between us is unlike anything I’ve felt before, and I know no matter where we are, making love to Haley is going to be transcendent.

  Her heart is racing against mine. She nods and widens her legs. I slip my hands behind her and unclasp her bra, slowly rolling each strap down until her breasts come free.

  “You are so fucking beautiful,” I whisper before I press my mouth to her, flicking my tongue against her erect nipple. She moans again and takes hold of the hem of my shirt. I hold my arms up and she pulls it off, dropping it on the floor next to us. Her eyes sweep over me.

  “So are you,” she says, and her eyes land on my cock. It turns me on to see her staring at it with hunger and lust in her eyes. I dive back down, moving to the side just enough to run my hand over her stomach and inside her knickers. My breath catches when I feel her wetness, and my want intensifies. I put my lips on the soft skin inside her neck, kissing her as I stroke my fingers over her core.

  She props her leg up, eyes closed and head back, as I touch her. I circle my finger around her, taking my time to explore her body and know what she wants. She lifts her hips, bringing herself to me. I suck hard at her neck and push a finger inside. Her hands go to my face, and she brings my lips to hers. We kiss as I work my fingers, slowly pushing against her inner walls. Her body tenses and relaxes as pleasure winds its way inside. I circle my thumb over her clit, and she holds me tighter, fingers pressing into my skin. When she’s close to the edge, I stop and pull her knickers off.

  I’m naked and on top of her, feeling the heat of her skin against mine. Her smooth legs curl around me and I press into her, about to push inside, when she asks if I have protection. I’m too carried away, too wrapped up with her to even think about it. I feel disoriented as I sit up and lean away, coughing as I reach for my trousers and get my wallet from the back pocket. There are two condoms in there, and I have a flash of panic that it won’t be enough. I can never have enough of her.

  I roll it on and move back, falling into her arms once again. She brushes my hair back, looking into my eyes. She smiles softly before closing her eyes. I kiss her as I adjust our position, squished together on the couch. Her arms wrap around me and she holds on, her body tight with desire.

  She opens her legs, pulling me in. My heart speeds up, fluttering in my chest. I hold her close for one more kiss then slide inside of her, feeling the warmth and wetness of her center. She lets out a breath as I thrust in and out, moving slowly and gently. She feels so fucking good, a perfect fit, and I’ve never felt so deeply during sex before.

  It’s more than physical, and each time I pull back and push in, the façade chips away, and all that’s left is raw, unbridled passion. I can’t help myself but to push in deeper and deeper, harder and faster. Her mouth falls open and she moans, raking her nails up my back. I’m close to coming, and I don’t want to stop, don’t want to pause or slow down.

  She grinds her hips into mine, and I know she’s close too. I kiss her, my tongue pushing into her mouth in rhythm with ea
ch thrust. Her legs tighten around me and her fingernails dig into the flesh on my back. She stops kissing me, head falling to the side. I slit my eyes open to see her face as she comes. Another moan escapes her lips, and her body goes rigid for a few seconds. I reach down, rubbing her clit in slow circles to draw it out for her. Her body shudders and she clings to me. The moment she’s done, I move my mouth to hers, kissing her deeply as I finish. I never want to let her go. I never want a night to go by that I’m not making love to her. I cling to her as I climax, the pleasure rippling through my entire body.

  Panting, I lay on top of her, feeling the lingering pulses of ecstasy go through me. She keeps her arms around me, gently running her fingers through the ends of my hair. We stay like that for a few minutes before I sit up and pull her to me, flipping us over so she’s resting on my chest. I haven’t let her go, and I don’t intend on it anytime soon. She grabs a blanket from the arm of the couch and covers us up.

  I have the urge to tell her I love her, which is completely insane since we aren’t even together officially. Well, not yet. I keep my lips pressed together, not trusting myself to keep those three words inside. I don’t love her—yet. But I just had the most intense sex in my life, which is weird since it was just missionary on a couch. I didn’t even go down on her before, and my dick wasn’t anywhere near her mouth. Yet there was so much to it, so much more I never knew I could feel other than plain lust.

  I kiss her forehead and carefully touch the burn on her shoulder. She shivers and moves closer. I turn my head, coughing, and am reminded that I’m sick. She holds onto me, and neither of us speaks. What do you say after something so raw like that? Words fail in comparison to how my heart feels.

  All I want to do is keep her safely wrapped in my arms until the sun comes up tomorrow morning. Then I want to make love to her again.

  Her phone rings again, jolting us back into reality.

  “I should get that now,” she groans.

  “You should,” I say.

  She twists, her hand landing on my face, and kisses me before getting up. I bite my lip and watch her walk out of the room, admiring her bare arse. She picks up her knickers and shirt on the way out. I take a few breaths before grabbing my boxers and going into the bathroom to throw the condom away.

  I catch a glimpse of Haley’s face as I walk through the kitchen. She’s holding her clothes in one hand, and the phone pressed to her ear with the other. Her eyebrows are pushed together and her jaw is tight.

  “Okay,” she says. “Where?”

  I go into the bathroom, peel the condom off, and glare at the toilet. I hate taking a piss with a boner, but I have to pee. When I’m done, I step into my boxers and come back out. Haley has her panties and shirt on and is leaning over the counter, writing something down. I step behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

  She straightens up, putting one hand over mine and melting into me. “I can be there in two hours,” she says into the phone. “Okay. I’ll see you there.” She hangs up, sets the phone on the counter, and twists in my arms.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, looking into her green eyes.

  “That was one of my mom’s friends. There’s a horse…” She trails off and puts her arms around my neck. “It’s wrapped in barbed wire and needs to be taken away now. It might not last much longer. She was going to go get it but can’t get her truck to start.”

  “So she asked you.”

  Haley nods and closes her eyes, looking guilty. “Aiden,” she starts. “I know this isn’t how you wanted to spend your night, and I—”

  I lean down, resting my forehead against hers. “Haley,” I counter, interrupting her. “Let’s go save it.”

  Haley

  I put on my pants and look at Aiden. “You’re sick. Stay here.”

  He bends over and picks up his shirt. It surprises me how much I don’t want him to put it on. “I’m fine,” he says then flashes a grin. “As you know.”

  I just smile back. I can still feel him between my legs, and my heart skips a beat when I think about it. There was so much passion, so much emotion in it. It wasn’t just sex. It was something more, and for that time I felt everything good again. Making love to Aiden was better than I thought possible. I lay before him, soul as naked as my body, and surrendered completely. He filled me in more than one way, and I wanted him again. Everything was perfect, everything felt right. It was crazy how a kiss hello turned into so much more in just seconds. I need time to process all of this.

  “I don’t want you to risk getting in trouble.”

  He raises an eyebrow and pulls his shirt over his head. His dark hair is a mess around his handsome face. It is perfect. “Trouble?”

  I pop the button of my jeans in place. “Technically, I’m stealing this horse.” His look lets me know he’s not following. “Legally, the horse still belongs to the original owner. It’s not that easy to get them taken away, and when you go through the legal system, it’s often too late, and the horses die before we get them. So we go in, usually at night or when the owner is away, and take them.”

  Aiden stares at me. “You can go to jail for that, right?”

  I nod and put my bra on, slipping the straps through the sleeves of my t-shirt. “Yes, you can. But when the full story is exposed, things tend to work in our favor. I’m more worried about getting the horses out before it’s too late, though. I can get out of jail, but if it’s too late, well…”

  A smile pulls up his lips, and he looks at me like he wants to lay me down and have his way with me—again. “Then we should get going.”

  I smile back, heart fluttering again. I’ve felt more in the last half hour than I have in months. “Yeah. I need to feed my guys dinner then hook up the trailer.” Aiden coughs, hunching his shoulders forward. I hook my bra and go to him, taking his face in my hands.

  I can’t help it; I stand on my toes and kiss him. “Stay here and rest.”

  He brings me in. “I never do what I’m told,” he says with a smirk. His hands run down my body and our fingers link. I grab the truck keys, put on boots, and step into the garage. My eyes land on the navy blue Chevy and I freeze.

  “Haley?” Aiden asks.

  I part my lips and let out a shaky breath. “I haven’t been in it since…since that night.”

  Aiden’s fingers close around mine, and it’s all I need. I press the unlock button and walk to the driver’s side door. I inhale and open the door.

  Everything is exactly the same, and I’m hit with a flashback. Mom and I are talking about graduation. It seems so long ago, even though it wasn’t. I’ve aged so much in the short time she’s been gone.

  Then the smoke surrounds me and I’m suffocating. Flames rise in front of me. I twirl around, heart racing. I’m trapped and gasping for air. There is no way out and I’m going to die.

  “Haley!” Aiden’s hands land on my shoulders. I blink and suddenly he’s there, in front of me. The fire retreats, and I feel the warmth of Aiden’s skin on mine. My eyes are full of tears and I’m gasping for air.

  “Don’t leave me,” I rush out, reaching for him. My trembling fingers curl around his arms.

  Then he presses his lips to mine. “I’m right here, Haley. I’ll always be here.”

  His words hit something inside me and the smoke fades. I can breathe again. I close my eyes and wrap my arms around him. He won’t always be here. He’ll go back to L.A., back to his lifestyle of the rich and famous, back to some other set in some other location, and do the same thing with another girl.

  Or maybe he won’t.

  He will leave. He has to leave. But maybe his heart will stay with me. Maybe.

  “How can I help you?” he asks me, fingers gently stroking my hair.

  “Just hold my hand,” I whisper.

  He links his fingers through mine, and I tighten my grip on his hand and open the door. It’s like a time capsule. Mom’s half-empty Pepsi sits in the cup holder. Her jacket is hanging on the driver’s seat. The
wrappers from the candy bars I snacked on as we drove to the barn are still there on the floor.

  Aiden takes the keys from me and leans in, starting the truck. “It should run for a few minutes if it hasn’t been driven in a while,” he says, and I nod. I open the garage door and walk to the barn, fingers still locked with Aiden’s.

  He pets and cuddles Aurelia as I feed the others, and he comes with me when I have to give Phoenix her medication. I draw up her pain medicine in a syringe, holding the needle down when I step into her stall.

  “You’re giving her a shot?” he asks.

  “Yeah,” I say, holding out a peppermint. Phoenix’s nostrils flare. She wants it, but she doesn’t want to come by me even more. “She hasn’t been eating well and isn’t getting her pain meds. Then the pain makes her not want to eat…it’s a mess. So we’re trying this. It was working for a while.” I sigh.

  Aiden puts his hands on the metal bars of the stall, watching. “I don’t think I could give a shot.”

  “It’s not that bad,” I tell him as I move closer to Phoenix. I put the peppermint under her nose. She lips it but doesn’t take it, as if it’s too much energy to eat a tiny mint. My heart sinks. “The fur covers up the needle actually going into the skin,” I continue. “But you do have to push sort of hard to get past the thick skin.”

  “Yeah, couldn’t do it. Needles and spiders,” he starts, “are two things I can’t handle.”

  I hold the mint closer so that it’s touching her mouth. Finally, she takes it, and I pet her neck. Her fur smells like smoke. I close my eyes. No, it doesn’t. Not anymore. I inject Phoenix with her pain meds, spend another minute talking to her, and leave.

  “How long has she not been eating?” Aiden asks. He’s being so nice, taking an interest in what I care about. It’s everything I wanted…yet I want him to stop. I want him to stop making me feel so strongly for him, stop making me want him so badly it hurts because that’s how it will end. With hurt. More hurt.

  Stop being so perfect, Aiden. Stop making me fall in love with you.