Текст книги "Levitate"

Автор книги: Kaylee Ryan

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Текущая страница: 4 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

I SHOULD HAVE never got close enough to smell her, to taste her. I couldn’t resist taunting her when I walked up on her saying she thought I was sexy. My cock was instantly hard, begging to take her. The gentle kiss of her neck just about had me blowing a load in my pants. I need to fuck this girl out of my system. I’ll need to be careful so I don’t piss off Bright’s girl. I don’t want to mess things up for him. He’s really into her and was even talking about making things more permanent. Why he would want that, I will never know. He saw what happened to my dad, but he’s still falling for the feminine charms. At least he can’t say I didn’t warn him. I did, just this morning. He took it well as he laughed at my warning. He then proceeded to tell me how one day I would fall to those charms and he was going to sit back and enjoy the show when it finally happened.

I need to come up with a plan to get her under me, or on top of me, I’m not picky. I just need to work her out of my system. I watch her face as Bright pulls Nicole’s chair out for her. I could swear I see longing on her face, but it’s gone before I can really study her. My feet are moving on their own accord and I find myself beside her, pulling out an empty seat for her. The wind picks up and I get a scent of her, her sweet flowery scent with a hint of coconut.

I quickly take the seat next to her so I don’t embarrass myself with my rock-hard dick standing at attention. Fuck! I reach for the bowl of salad that Bright is offering and quickly place some on my plate. I sit the bowl in front of her and reach in to grab a steak and baked potato. I busy myself adding butter and sour cream, dousing my steak in A1. I shift in my chair to try and get more comfortable. Nothing is working. Shit, my mind races for a distraction, and that’s when my dad runs through my mind. He loved my mother with everything in him and she killed him. He used to tell me I would find the one and just know. That nothing would be able to keep me from her. I used to believe him. I used to believe in that fairy tale he talked about. That all ended the day he ended his life, because of her. The anger I feel toward my mother does the job. My dick is effectively deflated.

Both of the girls thank us for dinner and say how great the steak is. I can grill a mean steak, if I do say so myself. They insist on helping us clean up since we took care of dinner. Bright and I both protest, but they want no part of it. Cleanup is fast with the four of us working together. I take every chance I can get to rub against or touch Kensington during the process. I need to work on wearing her down.

Bright asks the girls if they want a tour of the property. I watch as he grabs a sweatshirt off the back of the chair and I know what he’s doing. He’s taking every opportunity to get his girl close. He’s being a gentleman. I decide this is my best bet. Kensington seems to like Bright as does Nicole. Maybe I need to change up the game to get this girl in my bed. I run down the hall to the laundry room and grab a hoodie from the dryer. I meet back up with them as I slip it over my head. The girls don’t seem to notice that he and I are both prepared for the night air, but didn’t offer them the same. They are too busy admiring the landscaping. Once we reach the pond, Bright takes them across the bridge to the gazebo. He leads Nicole to the other side and I watch as she shivers and he wraps her up in his arms. I’m thrown off by this behavior. He and I have always been the same. Take us like we are, you don’t like it, move on. There are plenty out there that do. This is not what he’s doing with Nicole.

Kensington remains on the same side as me. I watch her as she leans against the railing and looks out over the water. She rubs her bare arms and I watch as she shivers. I move next to her. Gripping her hips, I turn her to face me. I expect her smart mouth to unleash on me, but she doesn’t. Her eyes follow my movements as I lift my sweatshirt over my head. I turn it around and pull it over her head. She immediately places her arms in the sleeves. My eyes never leave her and she leans down and inhales deeply. She’s sniffing my fucking shirt! She’s smelling me, and from the look on her face, she likes it. My cock is again standing at attention for this girl.

I step closer to her. She peers up at me and smiles. “You smell fucking edible,” she says and I cannot contain the smile that crosses my face. She fucking gives it right back to me and that only makes me want her sassy smart mouth even more. Makes me want to bury myself deep inside of her. Makes me want to worship every inch of her until I’ve got her out of my system.

She looks away, a slight blush against her cheeks. I bend my knees so I’m more her height. Placing my index finger under her chin, I lift her face so she’s looking at me. My left hand moves to her hip. I stand to my full height and tug her close to me. My right hand slides behind her neck. I caress her cheek with my thumb as her eyes find mine. I’m just about ready to make my move. I lean in, closing the distance, when I hear footsteps against the creaky boards. I’ve been meaning to get out here and fix that, but with the remodel, I just haven’t had the time. I’m thankful and pissed all at the same time. I’m glad I stopped before our best friends were witness to what I would have done, witness to how bad I want her. I’m pissed off because my fucking mouth is watering at the thought of tasting her.

HOLY SHIT! WHAT am I doing? He was going to kiss me and I was going to let him. My heart is racing as Nicole bounds up to me, wearing Brighton’s sweatshirt. She smiles at me and tugs on the sleeve of Maxton’s. I thought for sure, me throwing his words back at him would set off his cocky attitude. Instead, it had the opposite effect. I could see the heat in his eyes. He wanted to devour me and I wanted to let him.

I link arms with Nic and we walk back across the bridge. “That man looks like he’s going to eat you alive. What the hell did I miss?” she whisper-shouts.

“I lost my head for a minute, that’s all. He was… close and smells… amazing and it threw me off. Just a minor lapse in judgment that will not happen again,” I tell her.

“Uh huh. Anyway, Brighton is… I can’t even describe it. I really like him,” she says.

She doesn’t need to tell me this. First of all, she has said this before, and second, any fool could see that the two of them are smitten. “He seems like a great guy. I’m happy for you.”

The guys catch up to us, but stay behind. “Now, let’s give you a tour of the house,” Brighton says. You can tell he’s not ready for the night to end. Nicole didn’t think this through. If I had not ridden over here with her, she could be curled up in his bed. We all know it’s going to happen.

Nicole stops and turns to face them. “Sounds good,” she tells him. He steps forward and reaches for her hand; he gently pulls her toward the house. This leaves me trailing behind with Maxton, yet again.

We try our best to ignore each other, at least I try my best. I follow along and ooh and ahh at the right places. It’s not a hardship. This house is amazing. I’m again reminded of my initial thought when we arrived earlier. This does not feel like the house of two confirmed bachelors; this feels like a home. Something I miss more than I realized.

We stop at a door. It’s at the end of the hall. I realize Nicole and Brighton are in the room directly across. I feel him come in close behind me. “This is mine,” he says as he slaps me on the ass with one hand and reaches over my shoulder with the other to push the door open.

Once we are in the room, he walks around me and sits on the edge of the bed.

“You couldn’t handle me,” I mumble under my breath as I walk further into the room. Taking it all in. It appears that Maxton has supersonic hearing. He stands and stalks toward me. Two steps and he’s right in front of me, once again invading my personal space. My body reacts to him as my nipples harden and I press my legs together. Suddenly, his “this is mine” statement means something completely different.

He bends down and his shoulder hits my belly as he picks me up. I protest by beating my fists on his back. It’s a short ride with his long legs and I find myself sitting on the bed, Maxton between my legs leaning over me. I lean my head back to look at him and he takes advantage of my exposed neck. He runs his tongue from my collarbone to my ear. “I can handle you, sweetheart. The question is… can you handle me?” I can feel my legs quivering; apparently, so can he. He places his big hands on my thighs and runs them up and down. “You’re quaking for my touch.”

I realize I’m sitting on his bed, two seconds away from letting him seduce me. I’m about to become another one of many, something I said I would never be. What is it about him that reduces my brain to mush?

Placing my hands against his chest, I push with all of my strength and he doesn’t move. He’s a big guy, but I’m not afraid of him. “Maxton, please,” I say. I thought maybe, if I was nice, he would relent and let me up.

Instead, his eyes flame with lust as he moves in closer. I can now feel his erection against my center and I want to moan at the simple contact. Jesus! What is he doing to me? “Are you begging for me, pretty girl?” His voice is deep and laced with the same desire I see in his eyes.

“No! Please, let me up. This is not happening,” I tell him, pushing again on his chest. This time he steps away from me. He runs his fingers through his hair, and for a split second, I think he might be just as affected. I know he wants me. I could feel the evidence, see it in his eyes. But for that one split second, I thought I could see that it might be more than that. However, the look on his face is gone just as quick as it arrived.

It’s just my mind playing tricks on me. I want him; he’s sexy as hell—tall, muscles in spades, strong jaw line, all that thick dark hair, the scruff on his face, and let’s not forget about those eyes! He has my hormones working overtime, and I need to keep my head clear. I know he sees me as a challenge. He just needs to realize I’m one challenge he is not going to win.

Taking a deep breath, I rise from the bed and walk out of his bedroom. I hear Brighton and Nicole across the hall. I just keep walking until I’m back in the kitchen. I sit myself down on a stool at the island and wait. I pull my phone out of my back pocket and tap on the Facebook app. I leisurely scroll through my newsfeed. I’m not really paying much attention, just trying to look busy.

I hear footsteps as Maxton joins me. He reaches into the fridge and pulls out two bottles of water. He sets one in front of me as he downs the other.

“Thank you.”

He nods before taking the stool next to me. He too pulls out his phone. I assume he’s doing the same thing as me. Trying to look busy. Trying to avoid the elephant in the room. Trying to avoid the chemistry that sparks between us. I will admit to that, but I want more. I know from my body’s reaction to him that even one time with Maxton and I would be destroyed when he walks away.

I DOWNED THE entire bottle of water, trying to cool my shit down. I had to stay back in my room for a few minutes to talk my dick down. Fuck, the sight of her leaning back on her elbows, her legs around my hips. I want nothing more than to sink inside her and stay there… for days.

I noticed when I came in that she was on Facebook. I take the stool beside her and pull out my phone. I tap on the search button and search for her name. Immediately, I see her picture pop up.

Kensington James.

I click the button to send her a friend request. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her phone vibrate on the counter with a notification, I assume. I watch as she picks it up and slides her finger across the screen. A small smile plays on her lips. My phone dings with a notification. Looking down, I see “Kensington James has accepted your friend request.”

I lean over and bump my shoulder against hers. No words are said as we sit and play with our phones. The silence is comfortable. I scroll through her friends list and see Nicole. I send her a request as well. Brighton is head over heels for her, and maybe if I get to know her better, I can find out what it’s going to take to crack my new friend Kensington.

After I’ve exhausted my daily dose of Facebook, I close out the app and slide my phone back in my pocket. “Why don’t we go start a fire? It’s hard to tell what they’re doing in there,” I suggest.

“Sounds good. I love bonfires,” she says, standing. Her eyes glance back at the hallway. “She really likes him,” she states as she turns to head outside. I grab a blanket from the back of the couch, as well as my sweatshirt, which she folded and placed on the table by the patio door.

Once we are outside, I make my way down to the patio and throw a few logs on the fire before lighting a match. The blaze starts a slow burn. I take the lounger next to Kensington and hand her the sweatshirt. She happily slides back into it and burrows her arms in front of her. Once she seems to be settled, I stand and shake out the blanket. I drape it over her legs and tuck it around her. I don’t want her getting cold.

Once I have her covered and wrapped in a cocoon, I sit back on the lounger and watch as the flame starts to grow. “He really likes her too, just so you know. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him the way he is with her.”

“How long have you guys been friends?”

“Since kindergarten. We met on the first day and we’ve been inseparable ever since. How about you and Nicole?”

Her face lights up at the mention of her best friend. “Our freshman year at college. I was in a rough place and Nicole… she saved me.”

I wait for her to elaborate, but she doesn’t. I want to know more about her. What had her in a bad place and what did she mean by Nicole saved her? I have a million questions running through my mind.

“Bright and I have been through some shit together, that’s for sure,” I offer that little tidbit, hoping she’ll elaborate. She doesn’t. “So Bright said you are both seniors this year?” I inquire. I want to keep her talking.

“Yeah. I’m kind of sad about it, if you want to know the truth. I don’t know where life is going to take us. I hate the thought of losing touch with her.”

“Sounds to me like the two of you are tight. It’s hard to break that bond,” I tell her.

“So you own Cooper’s? I’ve been there a few times, but I’ve never seen you.”

“Yeah.” I hesitate to tell her more. I decide to go with it and skip over the details. “My dad passed away a few years ago. He and my mom were divorced and he left the business and this place to me.” I point toward the house.

“This place is amazing. Honestly, when I first walked in, I was shocked. It’s not what I expected for two bachelors,” she says sheepishly.

I throw my head back and laugh at her assessment. “You’re right.” I shrug. “I just… I grew up here and construction was my thing, what I was doing before I inherited the bar. I just wanted a nice place to come home to. Dad and I always worked on projects together. In a way, it felt like each time I fixed up something else that he was here with me. Sounds crazy, huh?” I’m an idiot. I want this girl in my bed and she’s fighting it. Then I go and tell her the crazy shit bouncing around in my brain. She’s really going to run from me now.

I sit up on my lounger and study her. Her head is tilted back and her eyes appear to be closed. She’s so fucking beautiful bathed in the moonlight. A gust of wind blows and a shiver runs through me. I look at Kensington all cozied up in my sweatshirt and blanket. She’s on the double lounger, so there’s room for me. Decision made, I stand up and walk to the other side. Her eyes pop open when she feels my weight beside her.

“What are you doing?” she asks. Her voice is soft as she watches my every move.

“It was starting to get cold, so I thought we could share.” I point toward the blanket. I hold my hands up in front of her. “No funny business, I promise.”

She chews on her bottom lip, debating. “I promise,” I repeat. She gives me a slight nod of her head and reaches for the cover and lifts it. I scoot in beside her and she drops it on my lap.

We sit there in silence, both watching the night sky. After several minutes, she takes a deep breath and starts to talk. “It doesn’t sound crazy. My mom, she umm… she passed away a few years ago, and I like to think that she’s here with me, you know?”

She’s still looking at the sky and I’m looking at her. I watch as a lone tear slips over her cheek. I reach over and gently wipe it away with my thumb. “We have something in common,” I whisper. It’s then that her sad eyes meet mine. The devastation I see guts me. Leaning over, I place a tender kiss against her temple.

Leaning back against the lounger, I return my gaze to the night sky. I feel Kensington tilt her head against my shoulder. “Yesterday was her birthday. It’s a hard day for me. I’m sorry if I came across as a bitch. I just… I’m a mess.”

I reach over and link my pinky with hers. “I’ve never seen a mess more beautiful,” I tell her. I have no idea where the words come from, but I believe them with all that I am. I’ve never been that guy, the one who passes out compliments or sits with a girl and watches the stars. Tonight, I am. The game is changing and I’m in uncharted waters.

I FEEL HIS pinky link with mine and my heart melts. Maxton Cooper has just shocked the hell out of me. I was sure he wanted to sit with me to make his move, but he didn’t. Instead, he offered me comfort. Something that no one other than my father and Nicole have ever offered. I’ve never given anyone else the opportunity. I don’t know if it’s the dark of night, sitting with him under the moonlight. Maybe it was his confession about feeling like his father is here. I can’t pinpoint exactly, but I allowed him to learn more about me tonight than anyone else.

I hear the patio door open. Finally! I love my best friend, but shit is getting too… just too much for me right now. I feel a tug on my hand as Maxton pulls it to his lips and places a soft kiss against my palm, then releases me. He folds his hands behind his head as I sit there with my mouth hanging open.

What the hell was that?

“Hey, you two.” Nicole’s chipper voice rings throughout the night. Brighton sits down on the lounger that Maxton was using before he invaded mine. He pulls Nicole onto his lap. “You two look cozy,” she says to me.

“We’ve been out here for over an hour. It got cold, so we shared the blanket,” Maxton explains, pointing to the blanket.

The wind picks up as soon as the words are out of his mouth and Nicole sinks back against Brighton. “Brrr. It’s freezing. I guess we should go.” She’s talking to me, but looking over her shoulder at Brighton.

“I’ll walk you out,” he says, allowing her to pull him up from the lounger. I stand and fold the blanket, then hand it to Maxton. “Thank you.” I lift my arms to take off his sweatshirt, but his hand on my arm stops me.

“Keep it. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again with the way those two are acting. I’ll get it another time,” he tells me.

I turn and follow Brighton and Nicole out to the car. As I reach the passenger door, I feel his hand on the small of my back. Maxton reaches around me and opens the door. I didn’t even know he was behind me. “See you soon,” he says.

“Thanks again for the sweatshirt,” I tell him before climbing into the passenger seat. Maxton leans in the door and fastens my seat belt. He looks over to Nicole who is already sitting in the driver’s seat.

“Drive safe,” he says. Then he’s gone. He pulls his big frame out of the car and gently shuts my door. He taps twice on the roof and walks back toward the house. My eyes follow him all the way. I hear Brighton tell Nicole to text him when we get home, another quick kiss and her door is shut, too. The blast of the heater immediately warms the inside of the car. Nicole reaches over and turns it down.

“Sorry I left you for so long. Brighton… his kisses.”

“It’s fine. Maxton built a fire and we just sat and talked.”

“You too looked pretty close when we walked up.”

“Not really. He had only been beside me maybe ten minutes. He was on the other lounger the rest of the night. At first, I thought he was trying to make his move, but he didn’t. He just sat beside me and we kept talking,” I tell her.

“What did you all talk about?” she questions.

I debate on telling her. Nicole will read more into this than what it really is. I can’t, however, lie to her, even by omission, more than I already have. Someday soon, I need to sit her down and tell her everything with my mom. Someday. “He just talked about how he lost his dad a few years ago and he left him the house and the bar. I told him that I lost my mom a few years ago as well.” I keep my answer simple. It doesn’t feel right telling her Maxton’s thoughts about his dad being near. She already knows I feel that way about Mom, especially when I go to the stables.

“Wow,” she whispers. “I can’t believe you told him. Kens, that’s a huge step for you. Do you like him?”

“Yeah, I guess. First impression, he’s a player with a cocksure attitude. Today he was… not. At least, not like he was at the bar last night. He seems like an all right guy.” An all right guy who has my hormones in overdrive and makes my heart race, but it’s whatever. I know he’s still that first impression guy. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. “I just… I don’t know… something about how he was telling me about his dad. The words just came out before I could really think about them.” That is the honest truth. I was thinking it over, contemplating if I should say anything when the words just spilled out. Telling him was not as bad as what I had imagined. Only one lone tear escaped, but Maxton took care of that.

“They both seem like great guys. He has to be for you to open up like that.” She doesn’t say anything more. I know she wants to. She wants to talk about how great we would be together, but she knows better. She knows that if and when that happens, it will take time.

“Classes start Tuesday,” she says, changing the subject. This girl knows me so well.

“Senior year, here we come! What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” I ask her. I’m sure she and Brighton have something planned.

“Nothing right now. You?” she asks.

“I got nothing,” I tell her. “I figured you and Brighton would take full advantage of an extended weekend.”

We pass under the street light close to our apartment and I can see her happiness has faded a little. “He didn’t mention it. I didn’t either. I didn’t want to sound needy or clingy.”

I laugh aloud at her comment. “First of all, I’ve never known you to be either. Second of all, the guy is freaking crazy about you. Maxton even said that he’s never seen Brighton act this way about a girl. He’s into you, just as much as you are him. Trust me,” I tell her.

She pulls the car into our complex and shuts it off. Turning her head to face me, she demands, “You have to tell me everything.”

I chuckle at her excitement. “I already told you. Maxton just said that Brighton really likes you and that it’s the first time he’s seen him like a girl this much. That’s it, I promise,” I tell her.

“I know it’s too soon to like him this much. I’m not in love with him or anything, but he’s just… gah! His kisses…” She touches her lips as if she can still remember the feel.

I run my fingers over my palm as I remember the tender touch of his lips there. That wasn’t the only time his lips touched my skin tonight. It also wasn’t the only time I wanted them to. I wanted him to kiss me in the gazebo. Hell, I wanted him to kiss me in his bedroom. I’m glad he didn’t. I’m not sure I would have found the will power to resist his hard body. I need to be very careful around one Maxton Cooper.

Nicole and I end up sitting in her car, just listening to the radio and talking. We eventually decide that ice cream sounds good, so we drive to McDonalds and get a McFlurry. When we get back to the apartment, we grab our treats and head inside. Just as we are getting out of the car, a big black truck roars into the parking lot. We both freeze as we watch Maxton climb out of the driver’s side and Brighton the passenger.

“Where in the hell have you been?” they say in unison.

Brighton is beside Nicole within a few strides of his long legs. Maxton is on his heels, rounding the car and pulling me into his chest. I feel him release a shuddering breath and kiss the top of my head. I step away from him and look over the car to see Brighton with his hands on both sides of Nicole’s face.

“You were supposed to call. You said you would call when you got home and you didn’t. I tried calling your cell, but there was no answer. I didn’t have Kensington’s number.” He pulls her into his chest and wraps his arms around her. I can tell by the look on his face that he was worried sick about her.

Maxton tucks a loose hair behind my ear. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. The embrace when he got here tells me he was worried as well.

“Sorry, we sat in the car talking, and then decided to go for ice cream,” I say, holding up my McFlurry.

Maxton grabs my spoon and takes a big bite, returning the spoon as if nothing happened. I ignore the move and walk around the car to join Nicole and Brighton, Maxton right behind me.

“You want to come in?” Nicole asks Brighton.

“No, babe.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “I was just worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He leans in and kisses the top of her head, then turns to me. “Can I please have your cell number, so the next time my girl forgets to call me and her cell dies, I can at least try you before I freak the fuck out?” he says.

I smile at Nicole as I recite my number to him. Maxton places his hands on my shoulder as he tells Brighton to text him my number. I roll my eyes at his request, but I don’t argue.

I hear Maxton’s phone beep behind me and he gives my shoulders a gentle squeeze. “All right, let us walk you to the door and then we’ll go,” Brighton says.

“Bright, we can—” he places his finger up to her lips to shush her.

“I need to know you’re safe and sound. I’m already here; there is no reason for me not to make sure of that,” he says, pulling her toward the entrance of our apartment.

Maxton turns me by my shoulders and I lead him to the door. I take my time, letting Bright and Nic have a minute. They are pulling out of a lip-lock when we reach them. Maxton leans in; his lips are next to my ear and his hot breath sends shivers throughout my body. “Goodnight, Kensi,” he says. His hands leave my shoulders, and just like that, he’s gone.