Page 3 of It's Only Love

Chapter 2

Dean chuckled as Christy flipped him off, messing with her was the most fun he’d had in a long time.

“Cabrón!” Justine chided as she punched him on the arm. He turned to face her, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

“What?” he asked all innocent, eyes flicking back and forth between her and Taylor.

Taylor shook her head at him. “What did you do that for? Why couldn’t you have been the decent guy that’s hidden deep, deep, deep, deeeeep down inside?”

“Come on, she knows I’m kidding,” he said, chuckling again as Christy’s enraged face filled his mind.

“We’re trying to keep her here, Dean. You gotta be nice to her, we want this visit to be as positive as possible, ignoring the obvious of course. Just be friendly and welcoming, make her feel at home. We want her to think about settling down here again,” Justine explained. He looked at their disapproving faces and shook his head, holding up his hands in surrender.

“Fine, next time I see her, I’ll apologize,” he smiled sweetly at them.

“Good!” Justine said emphatically, “She’ll be back in a minute.”

“Ah, but I’m leaving. The usual please,” he said to Taylor. She rolled her eyes and headed through the door behind the bar that led to the back office. She came back and tossed a set of keys to him over the bar.

“Are you gonna stay up all night talking again?” Taylor teased. He shot her a withering look, “Just be out by 10 am, stud,” she added.

“Yes, Mom,” he joked, dropping a friendly peck on Justine’s cheek and he blew a kiss to Taylor before heading towards the door where his date was waiting. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and grinned down at her.

“Ready?” he asked, steering her out the door and into the warm, country evening, the scent from the citrus trees wafting in the air. He guided her around the back of the bar and over to the row of cabins situated next to Taylor’s private one. He headed over to the cabin at the start of the row and unlocked the door. Darcy, his date, started rubbing her hands over his shoulders and down his back, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cringing as her sharp nails poked him.

When she launched herself at him in the bar, forcing her tongue into his mouth, it hadn’t particularly turned him on, and as their evening progressed, the idea of any intimate contact between them made him a little uncomfortable. He twisted away and grabbed her hands, maneuvering her in front of him and through the door to the cabin.

He came in behind her and flicked the light switch. The antique wall lights came to life, bathing the room in a soft, peachy glow. The log aesthetic continued inside the room with the walls and main living room furniture made from varnished wood. A log burner was located in front of the couch, and the furnishings were decorated in different colored plaid patterns creating a rustic feel. On the other side of the room was a small, modern kitchenette and the bathroom. He shut the front door and felt Darcy press herself up against his back. He side-stepped again and turned to face her, watching as she schooled her features into what she probably believed was her ‘come hither’ look.

“I’m going to freshen up a bit,” he said, stalking towards the bathroom door.

“Hurry back,” she replied in a breathy voice that made him want to do the opposite. Why did he suddenly wish he were anywhere else? When he shut the door and flicked on the light, the harsh yellow beams made him squint. He took a deep breath, leaned against the sink, and looked at himself in the mirror, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Christy fricking Lee, what a blast from the past. Sure, he heard about her all the time from Taylor and Justine, but he hadn’t seen her in over a decade. Damn that decade had been good to her, she was even more stunning than he remembered. He shook his head, oh no, you don’t! Don’t even think about it, don’t you remember how holier than thou she was? She always thought she was so much better than everyone else.

Her image popped into his head, her sparkling baby blue eyes that reeled in him. Her short, blond curls flirting with her cherub cheeks and those plump lips painted hot pink. Oh, that mouth, he groaned inwardly, all the things he could do with that mouth. His cock twitched in his jeans, an unfortunate reminder that he had been celibate for years. Stop thinking about her mouth, you idiot! Think about something else...like her body? His brain supplied unhelpfully.

She filled his mind, her figure so dangerously curvy. Round, full breasts, a tiny nipped in waist that flowed into the wide flare of her hips. He could hold onto those hips for dear life as she rode him perfectly, moaning in his ear. His cock started lengthening beneath the denim, which he really didn’t need right now. He jabbed on the faucet and splashed some water on his face trying to rid himself of her image. It’s just been a while for you, that’s all, has nothing to do with Christy. Any man would feel the same, he reasoned.

He splashed his face two more times until her image was gone and replaced with memories from his high school days. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him. He thought back to “the incident”, one of the worst memories from his stupid adolescence. He humiliated Christy in front of a group of his friends, had lashed out at her out of his own hurt and embarrassment, and she hadn’t forgiven him. Afterwards her disdain for him had been so obvious, so visceral every time they interacted, right up until she left town. She thought he was an idiot, he had acted like one, and she treated him like one until they just avoided each other altogether.

Dean’s mom married Taylor’s dad when they had been fourteen years old. Their parents had been together a few years before Taylor’s dad cheated and he and Dean’s mom had split up. Although it wasn’t a happy ending, those years were responsible for some of his best memories.

Growing up and living with Taylor, they became a family, the only time he really felt like he had one. They looked out for each other and developed a strong bond that surprised them both. He considered her his sister, still did even though there was no blood or legal ties between them. They had special dinners every couple of weeks where he had her over and would cook for her, or she would get the night off and cook for him. She would tease him about the parade of women he brought through the cabins in his quest to find Mrs. Right. Then he gave her shit about all the douchebags she continued to date, never wanting to settle down with a nice, decent guy.

He thought back to when they lived together, that fateful night when she had a sleepover with Justine and Christy. His best friend, Beau, had come round to hang out one night. They ended up talking about the girls and decided to eavesdrop on them like idiot teenage boys did. They snuck down the hall and hovered outside Taylor’s room, careful to be quiet as the door was slightly ajar. He peeked in and saw Taylor and Justine sitting on the floor, thumbing through magazines. Christy was bent forward at the waist brushing her blond curls forward. She bolted upright, flipping them back and as they fell around her face, she reminded him of one of the most iconic women of all time. The name came to him and he whispered it as he watched her.

“What did you say?” Beau whispered. Dean waved at him to be quiet, his cheeks flushing from embarrassment and turned his attention back to the conversation the girls were having.

“What do you think about Beau, Justine?” Christy asked, Justine giggled.

“He’s cute and seems super sweet,” she said shyly.

“No, you don’t want to get involved, trust me,” Taylor interrupted sharply.

“Why, you jealous?” Justine teased.

“Oh please,” Taylor muttered, rolling her eyes. “Bobby is so much better than him, why would I even bother with Beau when I’ve got the sexiest, most popular guy in school?”

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