Page 42 of Inseverable (Carolina Beach)

For the love of all that's holy. Her arms are practically tied, she’s draped over my shoulder, and she’s still talking like she’s standing right in front of me. Does this woman ever shut up? No, of course not.

“Hmm. You seem to be walking funny,” she points out. “Everything all right down there, big boy?”

I know she’s playing with me and having fun doing it, but my steps slow anyway and I mutter a curse.

“What’s wrong?” she teases. “You sound ah, frustrated.”

Here’s the thing. I’m not quite sure if she knows I’m harder than that stand of trees we pass as we head toward my back door, or if she’s pretending like I could be. One way to find out.

I set her down in front of the sliding glass doors. She hurries to thread her hands through the shirt holes, freezing in place when I lock my eyes on hers and my right hand cups her face.

With my other hand, I push the strands of her wet hair behind her shoulder, taking care to be gentle while I continue to hold her stare. “Maybe I am frustrated,” I say, my voice rough. “But there’s this little brunette who I bet can help me out with that.”

At first she doesn’t say anything, but when she does her voice barely registers. “Who might that be?”

I move in close, real close, like I’m about to kiss her. Trin lifts her chin higher, closes her eyes, leans forward, and ?

I drop my hands so quick, Trin stumbles forward “I don’t know her name,” I tell her, clasping her elbow to steady her. “She’s back at the bar.” I turn and head into the house. “Let’s get you some pants so we can head back and I can find out.”

The door slams shut as I reach the small hall leading to my bedroom. Quick steps echo behind me half a second before a couch pillow nails me in the back of my head. I turn around, laughing my ass off.

Trin’s standing in the middle of my living room fit to be tied. “You-you?”

“Panty-loving stud?” I offer.

“That’s not funny,” she says, stomping her feet.

Damn, she’s cute.

I stroll up to her, grinning. “Now, Trin, what’s got you all worked up?”

She crosses her arms. “What do you think?”

“Can’t say I know,” I say, stopping directly in front of her.

“Yes, you do,” she tells me, her voice quieting. “You know I really like you.”

I straighten. It’s one thing to suspect it, but it’s a whole other thing to hear her say it.

She shifts her gaze to the floor. “I don’t?” She lets out a breath and meets my eyes. “It would kill me to see you with someone else. But if that’s what you want, don’t expect me to sit around and wait for you.”

I catch her elbow when she tries to leave, realizing what an ass I am. I wasn’t thinking about her ex, or how he cheated on her with her friend, or hell, how they both showed up tonight. The way she came out of the water, looking like she did, wearing what she was, all I thought about was her, and how much I wanted to touch her. But she hasn’t forgotten them or how they made her feel.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

Her face crumbles a little. “It’s okay if you’re interested in someone else. I’d rather know now than—”

I pull her to me. This time when I lock my eyes with hers, I mean to do more than tease. My stare flickers down to where my erection is trying to tear its way through my jeans. “Does it look like I’m interested in anyone else?”

Her eyes widen. “Oh, my . . .”

I’m not sure who moves first, but we’re suddenly on each other, kissing like this is our last goodbye. The shirt she’s no longer wearing falls to the floor as my hands slide beneath her panties to cup those silky round globes. I wrench her up and carry her to the couch, lowering her on top of me in a straddle.

Her mouth tears away from mine to find my throat, licking and sucking, making me want to do the same except not to her throat.

I strip her out of her bra, my lips latching onto a very stiff nipple.

“Oh,God,” Trin gasps, clutching my head.

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