Page 50 of Beneath the Stands (Sugarlake 2)

“Admit you were jealous.” His voice is a deep rumble.

My stomach flips.

He curls his fingers and pumps them once, his palm grazing my throbbing clit.

My body burns in its need, but I bite my lips to keep from saying the words.

“Three little words, Rebecca, and I’ll make you come so hard you can’t think.” His fingers press deeper.

I moan, my eyes rolling back.

He moves, starting to retreat from my body, but my hands wrap around his wrist, holding him inside me. He chuckles, palming the back of my neck, leaning in and trailing his tongue from my throat to my ear.

My body trembles against him.

“Give me what I want, baby girl, and I’ll give you what you need.”

I blow out a breath as his head moves back, our eyes locking.

“I was jealous,” I whisper.

His face blooms into a blinding smile. “I know.”

It’s a simple flick of his thumb, and I shatter into a thousand pieces around him, shockwaves of pleasure rippling through my body. My walls tense and release until I black out from the sensation.

I collapse against him, my breath coming in pants and my brain in a fog. He cradles me in his arms, his big hand smoothing down my curls and bringing me in tighter.

“Never be afraid to tell me how you feel, Becca.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’ll always be here to catch you in the end.”

My chest swells with warmth, and I smile up at him. His eyes are deep and crystal blue, begging my heart to surrender. And I almost do. But a flash of strawberry-blonde in his arms, and the whisper of Momma’s words make me pause.

All men are liars.

Reality crashes through my body, my soul free falling to the floor.

It’s a long drop, reminding me of how bad things can break when they land.

Love is a fairy tale, and fairy tales don’t exist.

26

Becca

Three weeks. Twenty-one days. Five-hundred and four hours. That’s how long it’s been since I found out Sabrina wasn’t staying in Florida, throwing all of my carefully laid plans out the window.

I haven’t figured anything out. I haven’t told anyone, either. I don’t need them trying to swoop in and solve my problems, and it will be a dark day in Hell before I admit to Papa I’m not sure I can hack it on my own.

I’ll figure somethin’ out.

But whatever it is, I need to figure it out quick because my folks get in town this weekend for graduation. I envisioned the joy I’d feel watching defeat settle into Papa’s eyes when he realized I have all my ducks in a row. Now, the reality is bleak. No jobs, even though I’ve been looking. No renewal of a lease. No money even if I wanted to renew it. And absolutely no sense of direction. In fact, the only thing that does feel right is being with Eli, which is another issue in itself because I promised myself a long time ago I’d never depend on a man to make me happy. It only leads to disappointment in the end.

“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Jeremy asks.

I peek at him from the couch. He’s inhaling two foot-long subs like it’s his last meal.

“You gonna take a breath between bites? You’re lucky you’re not chokin’ to death.”

He sets down his sub, wiping a speck of mayo from the corner of his mouth, and points at me. “Don’t change the subject. You’re mopey, and I want to know why.”

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