HARDPRESSED (Ocean Falls Trilogy Book 1) Page 12

  Her mouth crushed against my own, and I let her in with zero hesitation. I wasn’t quite sure where Presley intended to take things, but wherever she was headed, I would follow. I cringed at the sound of her back hitting the wall when we dropped against her entry table. It wasn’t built to carry her weight, let alone mine, but Pres didn’t seem to mind.

  I braced my hands against the wall on either side of her head when her mouth slid from mine. Her warm, wet tongue danced along my jawline and down the side of my neck. The woman would surely be my undoing. My hips jerked forward when her tongue took a slow drag up the center of my throat. Playtime was over.

  From that point, it all happened so quickly. I don’t remember lying her across the bed and can barely register her nails scraping along my back as she pulled my shirt over my head. Those teeny tiny shorts of hers had to go, and as I slid my fingers inside her, I’d never before been so homesick. I continued to draw more from her, and her words became incoherent. Her ramblings only drove me deeper. She just barely managed my name. The hitch in her voice told me she was close, so close.

  “Carter.”

  Well, fuck me. It was like a boulder right to my fucking gut. No. No. No fucking way had I heard her correctly. But when she scrambled off the bed and covered herself in shame, there was no more second-guessing. Carter. She’d actually called out his fucking name.

  The squeezing sensation in my chest intensified as I followed her lead and leaped from the bed. I could faintly hear her calling from behind me, but no fucking way would I turn back to her. My vision blurred, my eyes stung, and fuck me, I had to get out of there. She would not see me broken.

  My rapid blinking would only work for so long, and if I didn’t get out soon, the whole fucking house of cards would come tumbling down. The front door was locked. A silent plea was finally granted, and once I heard the click, I all but ripped the door from its hinges. Air, I needed air and a flight out of that fucking hellhole town.

  I dug deep into my pockets in search of keys to the truck and came up empty. Fuck it, I’d pound the pavement barefoot. Before I could take off, her pained pleas were too much for me to ignore. Part of me needed to turn back to her for comfort, the other part needed to see her hurting, too. Ultimately, it came down to my inability to deny her.

  Presley

  I don’t know what had gotten into me. He’d stayed the night, watched over me, and then wanted to take care of me, to make sure I was alright. Having him so close had brought back memories, and the familiarity was something I could no longer resist. The sound of his voice, his scent, his touch. What had happened in my garage had been pure animal instinct. We had an itch that needed scratching. This? This felt different, more intimate, and personal.

  He no longer seemed so out of place in my home, but I refused to let my mind drift towards the thought that maybe, just maybe he belonged. Something else stirred within me. Something too strong to be ignored. He’d taken absolute control in the garage, and I had been at his mercy. Now, it was my turn.

  I wanted to taste every inch of him, to consume him completely. I felt hesitation when my mouth met his, but it was brief, fleeting. His initial intentions had been good, of that I was sure. It was to be a simple dance, and the lift was just to keep my gimpy ass from worsening my injury. But it was a moment that I refused to let go of.

  Greyson had always been hypersensitive to my touch. His neck was the most vulnerable. A flick of my tongue along the center, and he’d surrender to me each and every time. My gentle giant no more. His heavy steps echoed down my hallway, and I held tight, clawing at his back along the way. The knob on my bedroom door slammed and bounced off the drywall behind it. I’d later discover he’d left a dent, his mark, and soon, he’d leave the same on me.

  I loved the weight of him hovering over me even though he was careful, gentle, and made sure to keep me safe and cradled underneath. His fingers and hands were calloused from years of playing ball. On the outside, the sensation trickled along my skin, but once he was inside, my hands dropped from his back. I squeezed the soft linen sheets between my fingers, and my back arched. Just a little bit closer…

  As the pressure built, my mind started to pull away from the moment, away from him. It was Greyson, not some random guy I could have a little bit of fun with, a hook up with from time to time. I told myself he’d be leaving town soon anyway and that I could give myself, us, that one time. When his hand rocked harder against me, and his teeth grazed just below my ear, any and all doubt vanished. Or so I thought. Hoped.

  I caught a glimpse of Paisley’s favorite stuffed animal, a one-eared bunny sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of my room. It had been an Easter gift from her dad a couple years prior. She’d sat it there just a couple of days ago when she insisted on helping me make my bed. My mind became cloudy, but one thing was certain. I had more to think about, but she came first, always. And Carter. God, I’d have some explaining to do.

  I hadn’t meant to think out loud. Greyson must have been so confused. Only he wasn’t. He’d heard me loud and clear.

  We both pulled away and scrambled from one another. I covered myself the best I could. I was ashamed. Ashamed of my indecisiveness, ashamed that I’d let things go too far. Ashamed that despite everything, I still wanted him close.

  I chanced another glance at him, and what I saw was something that would stay with me always. He tried but couldn’t bring himself to look at me. He clutched the center of his chest as though he were struggling to breathe. His other hand ran back and forth over his dirty blonde locks. His lips moved, but whatever it was, it wasn’t meant for my ears.

  “Greyson.”

  He flinched at the sound of my voice and brought his glossy gaze to mine, but he couldn’t hear me. He only wanted one thing, to escape. I called out to him, but he didn’t slow his stride. He couldn’t get away from me fast enough.

  “Greyson.”

  I tried again, but with his head down, he worked the lock until he could finally break free. It felt so familiar. We’d been here before, and if history held true, if I let him leave, he would. He would disappear from my life and never look back.

  Back then, I never believed he could walk away so easily. Okay, easily may not be the best word, but he did it nonetheless. I had but seconds to decide if I would let him succeed. Again. Was I really prepared to watch him walk away from me a second time? No. No, I wasn’t. My neighbors had always wanted a show, and by God, they were about to get one.

  “Greyson! Stop! Wait!”

  Please came out as a whisper that he no way would have heard yet still, he turned. Silence. I suddenly lost my nerve and was at a complete loss for words. Greyson, on the other hand, had plenty.

  “So that’s it? A set up? This whole fucking thing?”

  He was seething. I tried my best to make him understand that it wasn’t how it seemed. I knew how it looked, but his words still stung. He was convinced it had all been my way of getting revenge. I’d be lying if I said I’d never thought about it over the years. He hurt me, and for the longest time, I wanted to return the favor. What had just happened, or what was about to happen, had absolutely nothing to do with revenge.

  “You hate me, don’t you?”

  His voice cracked as he hurled one accusation after another. He paused briefly, looked to the sky, and once again rubbed the center of his chest. He was self-soothing. I remembered the days when it was my hand that warmed his skin, calmed his storm. That had been a long time ago, and now, standing before me, he struggled to keep his composure. What had I done?

  “How far, huh? How far were you going to take it? ‘Till I was balls deep maybe? Or did you want me on my knees professing my love to you, begging for your forgiveness? Jesus fucking Christ, Presley.”

  It broke my heart to hear where his mind had led him, but it was bull shit, and I was done taking one hit after another.

  “Yo
u know what Tack, fuck you. Go! Just fucking go! It is what you’re best at after all.”

  I spun on my heels and stomped my way back towards my porch. I had never intended to hurt him, but I was done allowing him to stay stuck in his own head and draw his own conclusions. I would neither beg nor plead. He would either see me or he wouldn’t. I’d lost him before, and while it had ripped my heart out, I survived then, and I’d survive now.

  Paisley was my life, everything that I worked for, lived for. Could he ever accept her? I wasn’t sure, and if he couldn’t, we had nothing to fight about. Nothing to fight for.

  I could feel eyes on us, but fuck if I cared. My nosey ass neighbors would peek through their window blinds just to see what brand of toilet paper I pulled from the trunk of my car after a trip to Target. Single mom, small town? If only that were the end of it. They knew my history, I was sure of it. The shit show that formed between Greyson and I must have been a treat. Maybe once they got their fix, they’d leave me the hell alone for a minute or two.

  Once my hand landed on the door handle, my sole intention was to shower, drag the covers over my head, and sleep away that day as though it had never happened. Only he skipped all four steps to reach me.

  “Please! Stop!”

  His plea was desperate, hungry. He caught me by my wrist and spun me around to face him. His warm, labored breath ignited my senses. His eyelids fluttered as he leaned into me, and I held my breath, not knowing what he would do next. The words that followed came through gritted teeth.

  “Say it.”

  He tipped my chin and leaned in closer. His lips gently brushed against my own as he spoke.

  “Yes or no, Presley. Are you with him?”

  Before I could speak a word, he reached behind me to open the door. His hand slipped up the hem of my top as he walked me backward. Despite the light tingling sensation that drifted down the center of my spine, it dawned on me that he already knew the answer. Or worse, that it never should have been a question in the first place. Deep down, he knew I wasn’t with Carter.

  So why all the theatrics? Why the huge fucking scene in my driveway? Why not just give me the chance I’d asked for, a chance to explain?

  The realization was like a cold splash to the face. Who the hell did he think he was?

  His tongue tickled the roof of my mouth, and God help me, it would have been so easy to just give into him. Instead, I caught his lip between my teeth, bit down, and shoved against his chest with all my might. It was barely a nip but enough to get his attention. His eyes went wide with shock, but a quick tap to his lip confirmed I hadn’t drawn blood. That hadn’t been my intention anyway.

  “Baby?”

  He began to step back to me, only with each step forward, I took a step back.

  “Don’t you dare baby me. You can’t just kiss it and make it better. You can’t guilt trip me either. Always making things bigger than they are. I know you, Greyson Ty Thomas! If you truly believed he and I were together you’d—”

  He cut me off, eager to defend himself. “I don’t know anything, Pres. Not anymore. I still have you on the tips of my fingers, yet it was him on your mind? “

  The nerve on this one.

  “Don’t be crass!”

  A slow smirk spread across his face. “You used to like it,” he challenged

  “That is neither here nor there. Be straight with me, Greyson, or you can leave.”

  He took a deep breath, hunched his shoulders, and agreed. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly. To hear his name on your lips at any time is enough to put me on edge. I’m just a petty dick who apparently needed some kind of validation or some shit. Fuck if I know.”

  He’d done it, in his own Greyson kind of way. He’d actually said the words instead of deflecting. I made my way back to the couch and dropped my face into my hands. I could feel his approach but stopped him cold and nodded towards the recliner, the same one he’d slept on. Having him close wasn’t what I needed at that moment. I had something to say.

  Chapter 18

  Greyson

  I bit my tongue for as long as I possibly could. She had stopped me dead in my tracks, yet no explanation came. In my head, I knew they weren’t together. He never would have left me alone with her, not so easily at least. And it wasn’t like Presley to stoop so low. She just wouldn’t.

  The possibilities bounced around inside my skull, the ache in my chest intensified. I had felt backed into a corner, and my only option was to come out swinging. I’d said things I shouldn’t have, things I didn’t mean. Tit for tat, pain for more pain. That’s how it’s always been with me. How had she ever loved me?

  I was hurting, and misery fucking loves company. I didn’t even believe half the shit that spewed from my mouth. Truth was, the big man needed his ego stroked. Once I fully realized what I had done, that I’d gone too far, I panicked. It was that same-attention seeking ego that kept me from dropping at her feet. Instead, I took off in order to reach her before she slammed the door in my face for good.

  I took a chance that maybe, just maybe she’d still receive my touch and grant me an honest answer though I’d proven time and time again that I didn’t deserve either one. Presley agreed. She showed me a different side of her. The days of her putting up with my shit were long gone. I was in awe of her, who she’d become.

  I’d never wanted her more.

  Every single word she spoke was true. She knew me better than I knew myself, no point in denying it. I sat my ass down where she directed and took everything she had to unleash. When she demanded I explain my actions, why I had to go low as she put it, I stumbled over my words. I’d rather choke on them than admit how much she’d hurt me. Only she saw through that as well and knew that deep down, it wasn’t the hurt of that one day. Our past ran deep and was just as ugly as it was stunning, and, like her, it never failed to take my breath away.

  “You left me. It really is that simple. You broke me. There are things I could tell you that you wouldn’t even be able to wrap your head around.”

  Wait. What did she mean by that? My lips parted, but she wasn’t finished, and so I filed it away for another time.

  “At the end of the day, while I may have lost a boyfriend, I gained a family,” she continued.

  And I was on the outside looking in. In my absence, he’d grown to mean more to her than I ever could and gave her the one thing she would cherish for the rest of her life. Teen pregnancy was nothing new, but leave it to Carter. He would be the one to break the statistics and become Father of the Year.

  God, I was a selfish bastard. That cute little girl had hit the jackpot where parents were concerned, yet there I sat, bitching and moaning about having been left out.

  I had so many questions, though. Why did they live so far apart? Why didn’t he have Pres and his daughter set up on the rich side of town, in that gated community? I still have the scar on my inner right thigh from jumping the fence one summer for a pool party.

  He was loaded, so why did he let them live in such a small, quaint home? Don’t get me wrong, it was nice, homey, and had Presley’s touch all over it. She’d made it a home. He had Texas money, though, oil money, so it just didn’t add up. Presley still had dance in her heart, obviously. Why wouldn’t he shell out a few bucks for a nanny so that she could pursue her dream? My questions were endless, but I didn’t dare speak them out loud.

  “Are you even listening to me, Greyson?”

  My eyes shot to hers, and I hoped she knew I wasn’t blocking her out, my mind was just all over the place. Plus, I was wary of what else she would say. The more she talked, the more I realized just how much she truly needed it, the chance to completely unload on me. She needed to get it all out, everything she’d been attempting to bury for the past few years.

  Underneath it all, was her love for me still there? I held little hope, but reg
ardless of the outcome, I’d be damned if I would rob her of that moment. Her bottom lip began to quiver, and when she looked away in what appeared to be shame, I couldn’t stay silent any longer.

  “Pres, look at me. Please.”

  I reached out to her, and when the backs of my fingers brushed against hers, she didn’t pull away, but she didn’t turn back to me either. I wouldn’t push. Instead, I stepped closer behind her, rested my chin on the top of her head, and waited.

  We stood like that, in complete silence for God knows how long, but to my surprise, it was nice, comforting, and the chaos in my head eased a bit. Once she was ready, she slowly turned to me, tipped her head back, and I braced for more. Her eyelids fluttered but only for a second. She stepped back, her chin jutted forward in defiance before she announced that she was hungry. Following her lead, I said the first thing that came to mind.

  “Dry rub?”

  Her eyes flashed as she stepped back, almost tumbling over her discarded sandals. “Umm, I beg your fucking pardon?”

  It took me a second to understand, but once I did, it took everything I had to keep a straight face.

  “Wings, Pres. You know, cluck-cluck, get in my gut? I was gonna order your usual, large pepperoni and chicken wings.”

  Her cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink as she stepped around me, padded her way down the hallway, and slammed the bathroom door behind her. A smile stretched across my face as I dug my phone out of my pocket.

  “Okay Google.” But before I could finish my request in search of a local pizza joint who delivered, she came barreling back down the hall with a few choice words.

  “And just who told you you could stay? I don’t remember inviting you, nor do I remember saying one damn word about ordering pizza.”

  “Pan or hand-tossed?”

  I was willing to go another round with her, but we needed to refuel first.