The line, p.18
The Line, page 18
“Mmm, you showered,” I hummed. She smelled like me, and despite how many times I’d had her last night, I wanted her again. I wanted her now.
“Yep,” she popped out. “I made breakfast, too,” she said proudly, holding her hand out to the almost-done bacon in the pan and the toast she’d buttered. “You didn’t have much, but I did what I could.”
“Looks delicious,” I mumbled distractedly, dragging my mouth down her neck, but I wasn’t talking about the food.
She tilted her head back to give me her eyes. “You hungry?”
Using my hands at her hips, I spun her body towards me. My gaze traveled from the toes of those ridiculous but too-sexy-for-their-own-good socks up her body, all the way to the damp hair falling over her forehead. “Starving.”
A shudder ran through her as I reached behind her and turned the stove off. Then I lifted her and set her on the counter beside the stove. A breath whooshed out of her as I pushed her legs apart and ran my hands up the outside of her thighs.
I grinned when my fingertips hit her bare hips. “You don’t have on any panties, Eve.”
“I don’t,” she confirmed on an exhale, pride in her voice.
I laughed. “You’re a bad, bad girl, baby,” I accused playfully, placing my palm at the center of her chest and pushing her back to lie down across the counter like my own personal buffet. I moved her feet up and out, placing her heels at the edge of the counter and far apart so that she was spread out for me.
I stood back, looking her over, counting all of my damn blessings.
“Now, be a good girl and let me have my breakfast.” I leaned over and lightly raked my nose over her pussy, breathing her in. “You smell delicious.”
And she did. My body wash and a sweet scent that was uniquely her filled the air.
She whimpered and brought her knees together a bit.
I tapped her leg with my finger and mumbled across her pussy, making her spread herself again, “Uh uh, baby. I told you I was starving. Now, let your man eat.” Then I took a long lick from the bottom of her pussy up to her clit before running my tongue around it a few times.
Arching off the counter, she gritted out a, “Fuck!” that had me pushing the zipper of my jeans down so that I could reach in and grip the length of my cock.
I rubbed my fingers over the wetness clinging to the tip. God, I couldn’t believe how ready I was for her all the time.
I brought her legs over my shoulders and pulled her pussy even closer to me, until my face was buried in it. She tasted like all of my favorite things.
I stroked myself hard with one hand and pushed her shirt up with other, past her quivering belly to her round, full breasts. Rolling her nipples, I devoured her, licking and sucking at her like she was my favorite damn meal. Every groan, every whimper, every sound that came from Eve’s lips struck me like lightening, driving me mad.
After letting my cock go, I slipped one finger deep and hard into her, and that was all it took. Her hands pushed my head close to her heat, pulling the strands of my hair, creating the most magnificent fucking sting in my scalp. Her thighs closed around my head, squeezing. Her body arched off the counter and trembled as she came on my tongue, in my mouth, down my chin.
I slowly ate at her until she came down and relaxed. Sitting up, I drank up the length of her body draped over my kitchen counter. Her pussy bare and open, her dark-pink nipples peeking out from beneath the hem of my black shirt, all of that tan, creamy skin on display for me. It was too much. I placed my hand to my cock, giving it a long stroke and groaning. I could come just like this—watching her, smelling her, her taste still in my mouth.
It appeared that Eve had other plans though. She watched me too, my hand moving up and down my length seeming to captivate her. Sitting up, she slid off the counter and hit her knees in front of me.
I warned, “I won’t last long.” I was beyond worked up. I had a feeling that, with one touch of those kiss-bruised lips, I’d explode.
She slipped her fingers into the sides of my jeans and pushed them down to my knees before running one finger from the base of my cock to the head. It jerked at the attention. She smiled up from her spot on the floor, and, God, I wanted to tell her that I loved her. That I wanted her for forever. That, if she ever left me, I’d waste away on this farm until there was nothing left of me. But she leaned forward, taking my entire cock in her mouth, and all of my words of love evaporated into the air around us.
“Yes.” I threw my head back and swallowed hard to keep from instantly coming down her throat. Fuck. I was overwhelmed.
I could still smell her, taste her, feel her all around me. I braced my hands on the counter on either side of her head to keep from fucking her beautiful face. Because, God, I wanted to. I wanted to grab her head and surge into that gorgeous mouth over and over. I wanted to feel the head of my dick at the back of her throat. I breathed through my nose, trying to calm myself, gripping the damn counter for dear life.
“That’s it. Just like that,” I gritted out between clenched teeth.
Fuck, she was beautiful on her knees, my cock between those fucking lips I adored. Her gaze fixed on my face, daring me to come.
It was her eyes that did it. I lost all control, grabbed the back of her head, and pumped harshly into her mouth. She moaned around my dick, it jerked against the top of her mouth. Christ.
“I’m gonna come, baby.” I stepped back and released her head, but Eve wasn’t having that.
She grabbed my ass in both hands and pulled me forward and into the back of her throat again.
“Fuck,” I grunted. “I’m coming. That’s it. Take it all, baby,” I whispered, watching her swallow me. My knees trembled. My hands shook against her head as I emptied myself into her throat on a long groan.
She sucked down every bit of me.
“Jesus Christ,” I breathed out as she licked me clean. Fuck, this woman. So unexpected and everything I hadn’t known I’d wanted.
I didn’t know where I found the energy, but I picked my beautiful girl up and hoisted her up and over my shoulder before giving her ass a firm slap. I ran down the hallway, my jeans still around my knees.
“Wait!” she yelled. “We didn’t eat breakfast.” She slapped my ass back, giggling.
“I’m not hungry for food,” I said, throwing her in the middle of the bed and crawling over her, thinking I’d never get enough of her.
“Oh,” she said softly, smiling and blushing.
“Yeah. Oh.” I grinned, pulling her bottom lip into my mouth and running my tongue across it. “Unless you’re hungry?” I raised my eyebrows at her.
She laughed. “No, I think I’m good.” She wrapped her arms around my neck.
I didn’t go to work. I didn’t leave the house. I didn’t eat. I made love to Eve in the soft sheets of my bed, her smell surrounding us. I fucked her bent over the bathroom counter, watching her reflection in the mirror as she came over the sink. I took her up against the tiles in my bathroom shower, the steam so thick around us that I could barely breathe. And then I laid her on the kitchen table and ate her for dinner too.
In the orchard beneath the trees. On the haystack in the stables. Along the side of the creek bed. On top of the four-wheeler in the little shed out back. And in the small cottage Cole called home. He took me everywhere and in every way imaginable. My cowboy was insatiable. And I couldn’t say I was much better, because if I wasn’t with Cole, I was thinking about him.
I ran down the steps and into the kitchen, grabbing an apple off the counter. I’d helped pick peaches in the fields, and Cole had been busy doing other things, so I’d hardly seen him at all, except for at dinner. After that, I’d showered and dressed at warp speed, eager to spend the night at Cole’s like I did most nights now.
It had only been days since our first night together and we hadn’t spent a night apart since. Cole and I had settled into our new relationship just like we had our friendship: easily.
I turned around, headed for the back door, but Joe appeared in front of me, cutting me off.
“You headed to Cole’s?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“Yeah, what’s up?” I sat at the kitchen table. I didn’t like that look on Joe’s face. He had seemed happy about me and Cole taking things to the next level, and I was worried he wasn’t so happy about it anymore.
“Nothing, really,” he said, joining me at the table. “I just wanted to have a talk with you and you haven’t been around much lately.”
“We can talk now,” I said, and I meant it. I’d always make time for Joe. He and I had forged an incredible bond this summer, one I’d thought impossible to have with any man.
“Nah, you go on to Cole’s and we’ll talk later. Missy and I are headed into town tonight, so I won’t be home for a couple of days.” He swallowed uncomfortably.
“Something wrong?” I asked, curious why he was leaving town for a couple of days.
His soft smile eased me somewhat. “No, sweetheart. Just typical doctors’ appointments and such. The appointments are super early both tomorrow and Thursday, so we’re gonna stay over.” His face fell a bit. “Being like this requires a ridiculous amount of appointments.”
Nodding, I got up from the table. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk now, Joe? It’s okay, ya know? I don’t have plans with Cole. I was just going over there to hang out.”
He pursed his lips for a moment before answering. “No, we’ll talk when I get back. You go have fun with our boy.”
“Okay. If you’re sure?” I made my way towards the front door, looking over my shoulder at him for confirmation and grinning.
He smiled back at me. I was hoping Joe wanted to talk to me about staying on longer or permanently. The summer was almost over. My time was almost up.
“Y’all drive safe now,” I threw over my shoulder on the way out the door.
“Keep our boy in line while I’m gone,” Joe called out as I ran down the steps of the big house.
I laughed because there was no way I was keeping him in line. That man had a mind of his own, and more times than not, I followed his lead. In fact, I’d follow him pretty much anywhere.
I was so eager to see Cole that I practically skipped across the field. I’d seen him at dinner, but I wanted to be alone with him. I wanted to see him without the prying eyes of others.
When I approached the small cottage, I noticed an unfamiliar blue car out front. My stomach dropped at the sight of it. I wasn’t the type of girl who believed in premonitions, but I did have intuitions, and right there, while standing in front of Cole’s house, staring at that old, dirty, blue car, I knew. Something wasn’t right, and when I grew closer to the house, I walked right past the car. The car seat in the back sent my already dropping heart plummeting.
Part of me wanted to turn around and skip my ass right back to the big house, but my pride wouldn’t let me. Cole was mine.
I usually didn’t knock on the door, but the car in the driveway possessed me to do it before turning the doorknob and yelling, “Hey, hey!”
After pushing open the door the rest of the way, I entered the house feeling like my heart was in my throat. I hadn’t felt this way in Cole’s house since the first time I’d been there, when I’d been snooping and shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Before I could think about that too much more, a woman appeared in the small foyer, a big smile on her face.
“Hey there,” she said, seemingly at home in Cole’s space.
I clenched my teeth and grinned back.
Her hand shot out to take mine, and I obliged because, even though I didn’t have a momma, I still knew my manners.
“You must be Everly,” she gushed. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
I knew who she was. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the owner of that old, blue car and baby seat was none other than Marla. And the first thing I noticed about her was the set of white pearls draped on her lovely neck. Because those pearls sat delicately on her neck, just like they had on Cole’s momma in the photo I carried around in my back pocket. But it wasn’t just the pearls that made my stomach feel sour. No. It was her gorgeous, blue eyes. Her silky, perfectly styled, blond hair. Her impeccable makeup. Her pretty yellow sundress that complemented her hair to a T. She was stunning, this woman, and nothing like I’d expected.
In my head, Marla was the bad guy in our story, and bad guys didn’t look like Southern beauty pageant queens. But she did. And, to make matters worse, she seemed genuinely nice. Not the kind of nice that was forced. No, this girl was happy to meet me. And me? I was thrown for a damn loop.
She pulled her hand back, and I realized mine was still hanging out there, so I snatched it back as well.
“I’m Marla.” She smiled again, and I wanted to throw up. How could she be so perfect?
I nodded. I forced a weak smile back, which I knew looked that way. “Nice to meet you,” I mumbled, but it wasn’t. It was terrifying. She wasn’t supposed to be so beautiful. So damn perfect. So fucking nice.
“Eve,” Cole said behind Marla.
I stepped around her and found my cowboy standing there, his eyes unbelievably soft on mine. A baby sat perched on his hip, Cole’s arm wrapped protectively around his tiny body.
Lord have mercy, but the sight of my cowboy holding a sweet baby made my ovaries ache. It made me think of our babies, Cole’s and mine. It made me think of making a family with him. Only this wasn’t my baby.
I stared at Grey, thinking how much he looked like Cole. And I thought that Austin must resemble Cole pretty darn closely for his child to look so much like him.
“This is Greyson,” Cole explained, walking over to me.
No explanation was needed. I was all caught up on what was happening here, but what I didn’t understand was why. Why were Marla and Grey there?
One chubby, tiny hand pressed against Cole’s cheek, and he grinned at the baby before turning his face towards Grey’s palm and buzzing his lips on it. Grey gave a hiccupping giggle, and Cole laughed right along with him.
My heart lurched in my chest, their connection playing on all of my insecurities.
“Hey, Grey,” I said, taking his small fist in my hand and giving it a squeeze. I felt awkward, like maybe Marla wouldn’t like me touching her baby, but she only grinned over at me, which only made me want to scowl at her.
She had the decorum of the Queen of fucking England, and I wanted to launch myself across the room and tear her hair out in jealousy. I took a deep, calming breath, reining my crazy in.
Not today, Satan, I coached myself.
Grey gripped my finger in his hand, garbled some words, and smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but grin back at him. He was gorgeous and sweet and so innocent.
“Marla brought Grey over for a visit,” Cole explained, his eyes imploring me to understand.
And I did understand, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. Because I didn’t. Not one fucking bit.
I wanted Cole to see Greyson; I just didn’t want him to see beauty pageant Marla. I felt an odd ache I’d never experienced before in my life behind my ribs. I could feel that ache coiling inside me like some kind of vicious snake ready to strike. Envy. Jealousy. I hated myself for feeling that way, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop it.
“I didn’t realize they were coming by,” I said, my forced smile still on my face.
I was blindsided. Maybe if he had warned me, then I wouldn’t have this hot emotion pulsing through me, trying to get out.
Cole’s understanding eyes fixed on mine. “I know. I was going to tell you earlier today, but I was so busy I didn’t have a chance to.”
I nodded back, trying not to be the crazy lady I was.
“Do you mind if I come by the big house to get you after they leave?” he questioned, and I felt my stomach plummet to my feet.
God, I was intruding. There they were, doing family stuff, and I was an outsider.
I swallowed hard. “Yeah, of course.” I barely got those words out.
I rushed to the door on swift feet, eager to get the hell out of there.
“Nice to meet you,” Marla called out.
I gave a quick wave without turning around and choked out a, “Yep.”
But I didn’t stop. I couldn’t, because if I did, that perfect woman with her gorgeous, sweet baby would see me break, and for the first time all summer, I didn’t want to be Eve. I wanted to be Everly Woods. Tough as nails. Non-crier. No-bullshit Everly. Because Eve cared too much.
“Eve,” Cole called out.
I stopped in the middle of Cole’s yard, my back to him, my mouth thick and dry. Bitterness. That’s how it tasted. I couldn’t look at him, either, so I didn’t turn around.
“I’ll be over in a little while, okay?” He sounded resigned.
My throat ached. I nodded, but still, I didn’t dare turn around.
And then I ran. I ran as fast as I could through the space that separated the homes, straight into the house, and up the stairs to my room, thankful Joe and Missy were gone for the night, relieved I wouldn’t have to answer their questions.
I paced around the room. Why had Cole sounded like that? What were they talking about? Why had he asked me to leave?
I wanted to pick the phone up and call Momma Lou. I wanted to ask her what I should do. If I should do anything. I wanted to cry and tell her how much I loved Cole. How devastated I’d be if he went back to Marla. Only I couldn’t make myself pick the phone up. I couldn’t bring myself to be so emotionally vulnerable. I’d already put myself out there over the summer with Cole and look at me. I was about to have my heart smashed to smithereens. So I did what I’d done time and time again in my life. I rummaged through my duffel bag in the bottom of my closet until I found the shirt that always brought me comfort when nothing else could, not even Cole’s momma’s photo.
I slipped the old, patched-up shirt over my tank top, buttoning it up and rolling the sleeves almost to my elbows. I peered down at it, studying the patches and running my hands over the seams, praying that this worn piece of cloth that was older than me comforted me in the same small way it had my entire life.
