“Fuck.” He sucks in a breath through his teeth when he bottoms out inside of me. My fingers dig into his muscled shoulders at the pinching fullness, and I squeeze my eyes shut. Preston grips my hips lightly, slowly guiding me up and down his shaft. The discomfort subsides and soon all I’m feeling is the pleasure he’s building inside.
Our lips clash, teeth mashing against soft skin. He hungrily deepens the kiss; I breathe in his every exhale. Where he ends, I begin but the longer we battle for dominance the more intertwined and one we become. My core tightens as he picks up his pace, hitting the most intense spot in this position. My toes curl as electric bolts of pleasure spark the beginning of my orgasm.
“You’re squeezing the life out of me Clara. I can’t hold on much longer,” Preston pants into my mouth. “Are you with me?” I moan my answer and as my clit rubs against him in the most delicious way, the added sensation jolts me over the edge, sending fire up my spine. My vision blurs, multicolored stars rimming the edges. Preston pushes down on my hips keeping himself seated deep inside me as he pulses his release. We both slump against the futon, pulling in deep breaths of air.
Our chests heave against each other as my heart rate returns to normal. I peel my sweaty frame from his, standing up and shifting awkwardly away. He discards the condom in the trash next to Damion’s desk. I make a mental note to retrieve it before I leave this room. I reach down for my clothes when Preston wraps a thick arm around my waist pulling me down onto the futon to lay next to him.
My small frame fits perfectly into his like a Russian nesting doll, his broad bicep the perfect pillow for my head. I feel the gentle pressure of his lips on the back of my head before my eyes fall close and the room fades away.
ChapterTen
Iwake to an inferno at my back, a stickiness between my thighs. I pull away gingerly, extricating myself from his hold. Peering over my shoulder, the rise and fall of his chest and the soft sounds of snoring confirm that I didn’t wake him.
Slipping his shirt over my head, I gather up my clothes and make a tiptoed dash for my room. Luck isn’t on my side when I hit the kitchen. It must be later than I assumed from the darkness of the office and garage. There they sit, happily enjoying their morning breakfast and coffee. My entire family turns their eyes on me as I come to a screeching halt in the hall. Crap.
Things go from bad to worse as Damion takes in my clothes or lack thereof and overnight just-been fucked hair. My brother was blessed with our mom’s olive-skinned complexion, intensifying the red rising in his face. I cringe from his gaze, averting my eyes to the floor, “I’m just going to go get changed,” I murmur and make a break for it.
Stomping and whispered curses trail my escape. Rushing through my door I try to shove it closed behind me, but it slowly pushes back open. I flip around and stare him down, “Damion, don’t. Whatever you’re going to say, I don’t want to hear it.”
“Well, that’s too damn bad, Clara. I moved him out there for a reason. I thought you respected us enough to acknowledge that. I mean, Jesus, you’re only here for a couple of weeks, you couldn’t wait that long.”
“Oh my god, Damion, stop! I’m not talking about my sex life with you. I’m sorry if you feel like I disrespected you and Natalie. I’ll apologize to her. But don’t stand there and act all high and mighty like this is about respect and not about the fact that you don’t like Preston.”
“That’s not it,” he sputters.
I steady my breath. “Yes, it is. You know damn well Robert and I weren’t always studying up here, but it was never an issue then, and I was in high school.” There’s judgment in his eyes, but I’m not backing down, though confrontation doesn’t come naturally to me unless it’s in a debate class. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get dressed.” I step back into my room and close the door in his face, my heart pounding so hard I feel it ringing in my ears. He’s always been protective, but this is next-level paternal.
After jumping in the shower and rinsing off, I clumsily pull on a pair of leggings over my damp legs and slide on thick fuzzy socks. Snuggling back into Preston’s oversized long sleeve shirt, I grab my jacket before heading back down the stairs. Shoving my feet in the boots sitting by the door, I fling my bag over my shoulder. “Clara, wait. Where are you going?” Nat asks as my hand rests on the doorknob.
“I just need some space. I’ll be back later. And I’m sorry, for what it is worth.” Nat’s face twists in confusion.
“What about Preston? You’re just going to leave him here with us?”
I take a deep breath. “I’ll text him. He can meet up with me later when he gets up.”
She walks over and wraps me in her arms, calming a fraction of my irritation. “I love you. Damion shouldn’t have gone after you like that. He’ll calm down in a while, and I’ll talk to him.” She drops a kiss on my cheek and ushers me out the door.
* * *
The library’s a ghost town this morning. The only person I see is the elderly librarian pushing a loaded book cart for reshelving. Strolling to the back corner near the young adult section, my favorite reading spot is open. Finally, my luck is turning. The window bench seat looks out to an open field covered in snow. A group of young kids hide behind icy walls throwing snowballs back and forth. Their laughter penetrates faintly through the windows.
My beat-up copy ofA Christmas Carolkeeps me company in the quiet space. It doesn’t dawn on me that I’ve been here for a few hours until my stomach growls. Dog-earing the page, I look up to find his piercing blues taking me in. I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips.
“You know, I didn’t take you for a hit-it-and-run type of girl,” he jokes, settling in next to me on the bench.
“How’d you find me?” I realized then that I never texted him like I told Nat I would. Oops.
“Natalie told me you might be here. Or the diner. I passed the diner first and didn’t see you, so here I am.” Of course, she did, I love that woman. “She also mentioned what happened this morning. You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m over it. I just hope he is too. I don’t want the rest of our vacation to get awkward, especially for you. I mean if you want me to drive you back to school I totally can. I just need to let them know and then I can…” Preston grabs my hands, steadying them in his hold.
“I’m a big boy, I can manage it. But if you want me to go, just say so, and I’ll head back to campus.”
“No, I don’t want you to go.” I freeze, what the hell has gotten into me? One night together and my brain seems to have forgotten that this is all a hoax he willingly agreed to. He’s probably happy it came with some unforeseen perks. I need to get a grip, there’s no way he’s thinking the same thing, and I can’t afford to let my heart get broken into a million tiny pieces again like it did with Robert.
Preston gazes at me and I know what I need to do. “We’re in this deep, why stop now? Just have to keep it up another week and then you’ll be free of me and my crazy brother.”
His eyebrows draw down in confusion, “Yeah, right.” He drops my hands and stands up from the bench running a hand through his hair. “We should go.”