Hope Falls: The Perfect Lie (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5

  Josh glanced over his shoulder as he followed Steph into the cute little cabin that she was renting out. Even though they were both consenting adults, he still felt as if someone was going to pop out any second and start asking what he thought he was doing.

  The cabin was out behind JT’s, so it was relatively secluded, but Shelby or Levi would be able to see the entrance from the windows of the upstairs apartment they shared. He didn’t think they were gossips, but he was still protective of this new relationship.

  Would he mind if word got out that he was messing around with the new girl in town? Everything about Steph was awesome. Maybe he should just go to the top of the nearest rooftop and shout to the world that she was his now.

  Once he was inside, she pushed the door shut and immediately locked and bolted it. Even though he was almost a hundred percent sure he was about to get lucky, the idea of her making sure they weren’t going to be interrupted had his cock hardening in his jeans.

  And Steph, who looked amazing on a normal day, wore this deceptively evil dress that wasn’t tight anywhere on her body but stopped mid-thigh. He was obsessed with running his fingers up those thighs to the warm heat in the center…

  “So…” she said finally. “What kind of food is good to order in here?”

  “Well,” he said as he approached. “There’s Chinese and Chinese.”

  “Then Chinese it is, I guess.” Her words faded as he got closer.

  He leaned in until his nose touched hers. “Chinese sounds good.”

  “Good.” Her lips brushed his now.

  And then they gave up any pretense of talking about food and he bent in for a kiss. For a second, the only part of them that touched was their lips as they started the gentle exploration. Then Josh cupped her face and tilted her head, his tongue demanding more access as Steph leaned her body into him, her belly pressing against his hard erection.

  A need like he’d never known took over as he savored every second. Even though he’d had her just a few hours ago, this still felt like the first time. He might never get enough of this intoxicating woman and right now he was a hundred percent okay with that.

  He reached down with one hand and gave in to temptation as he ran his fingers up the back of her thigh, pushing the hem of her dress up higher and higher until he grazed the lacy edge of her panties.

  She curled her fingers in his shirt and pulled him closer as their kiss blazed hotter, but right now Josh had other ideas. His free hand moved down between the valley of her breasts and once it was flat against her stomach, he pressed her firmly against the door. He moved to kiss her earlobe and gave her one playful bite that had her sucking in a breath. “You’re all mine now,” he breathed next to her ear.

  With her pressed against the door, he started to tug the dress higher until it was bunched around her waist. He hooked his fingers in her panties and pushed them over her hips until they fell to the ground.

  She stood utterly still and he could see the spot where she was biting the inside of her cheek. “Step out of them,” he ordered and immediately she obeyed, lifting one foot and then the other, kicking the black lace out of the way. He had to hold himself back for a few seconds to keep from lifting her up and fucking her against the door right then and there. No, they’d already done that this morning. Now he was going to take his time.

  He reached between their bodies and cupped her mound. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands came to his shoulders, but she didn’t push him away. More holding onto him in anticipation of what was going to happen. And if he had his way, her knees were going to give out sooner rather than later.

  He adjusted his hand to run his fingers along the seam of her opening; she was already so wet and ready for him. He had to fight the urge to smile. But when he pushed a finger in and felt her body contract around his finger, he wasn’t smiling any more. He was pure concentration as he started to work against her. His thumb brushed her clit and she jumped against him.

  “Josh,” she moaned. “It feels…”

  He pushed another finger in and she gasped for breath and seemed to forget that she was speaking. “Feels what, babe?”

  “Good,” she murmured before she was taken over by a moan.

  She was getting even wetter. As his hand was coated with her juices, it took every ounce of control he had to keep himself back and focus on giving this to her. But as her moans increased, he pushed forward like a single-minded demon focused solely on getting this goddess to come for him.

  And then she was spasming in his arms. She leaned forward to press her mouth against his shoulder as though to stop herself from screaming as her nails bit into his arms.

  He wanted to stand there and bask in the glow of her orgasm, but he couldn’t hold back any longer. “Bedroom,” he said, incapable of forming full sentences.

  She pointed but because she pointed behind him, he didn’t see which direction. Hell, he’d have to guess and wherever they ended up, that was where they were going to stay. He lifted her against him and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and let out a giggle. “You really do like to carry me,” she said into his ear before she gave the lobe a little lick, causing him to walk a little faster.

  He had apparently guessed right and seconds later, they were in the bedroom, she was on the bed, and he was pressing himself fully between her legs. If he weren’t still in his jeans, he’d be buried to the hilt.

  When Steph kissed him, it was as though she was putting all of her into the kiss. If they hadn’t had their little talk already, he would know for certain right now that this would never be a one-night stand. This was more. This was once-in-a-lifetime.

  Her hands roamed over his back and then pushed at his jeans, apparently wanting his jeans off just as much as he did. He managed to pull himself away from her long enough to shuck off his shoes and jeans. He was just pulling off his shirt when he remembered the stupid condom and cursed as he had to grab one from his back pocket.

  But when he stood back up, Steph had taken her dress off and was reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. His mouth went dry as he looked at the pure perfection. There were few men as lucky as him and he never thought he’d ever feel that way…

  She held out her hand. It took a second for him to realize what she wanted and then it clicked. He gave her the condom wrapper. She moved to her knees on the bed and tore at the wrapper. “I’ve never done this before, so don’t laugh at me,” she warned.

  If she had any idea how fucking turned on he was right now, she’d know that there was no way he’d ever laugh at her. She tentatively put the condom over the head of his cock and he reflexively jerked at the first touch. Her eyes jumped to his and she had to realize when she looked at him that it was a compliment because she gave him the sexiest smile he’d ever seen as she started to unroll the condom over his shaft, guiding it until it reached the base.

  Once it was on, there was no stopping. She started to fall back, but he stopped her, instead motioning her to go on her knees facing away from him. She started to lean onto her elbows, but he wrapped an arm around her stomach and pulled her back against him. His cock pressed insistently against the crack of her ass as his nose ran up her neck, taking in the scent and feel of this woman he was about to have.

  “You’re perfect,” he breathed into her ear as his hands came up to cup her breasts. She let out a sensual moan as she rubbed up against him in approval. He lowered himself just enough while one of his hands ran along her stomach and into the warm, wet folds of her sex to part her for him. There was no more waiting now. He needed to be inside her this second or he was going to lose his mind.

  And then he was nudging at her entrance and sliding in with one smooth stroke. They both caught their breath at the invasion. As he started to pull out and push back in again, she fell forward with her palms flat on the bed and he followed; one hand braced himself on the bed while the other hand went to her waist and held her steady as the thrusts came faster. He wanted to be gentle with her
, but before he knew it, he was going harder and harder until the only thing he could do was find her clit and hold his palm steady there so with every thrust she was jumping in his arms and convulsing around his cock. And when her second orgasm ripped through her, he followed her right over the edge.

  He came even harder than that morning as spasm after spasm ripped through him, every single muscle going tense until there was nothing left in him.

  It was all he could do to hold himself above Steph to keep from crushing her as they both caught their breath. He rested his forehead against her shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to her soft skin. She let out a breathy laugh. The motion caused her to tighten around his still sensitive cock and he bit out a curse, which caused her to laugh once more.

  “Sorry,” she muttered very insincerely.

  Well, that was probably his cue. He pressed one more kiss to her shoulder before he pulled out and immediately mourned the loss of the warmth. “I’m going to go clean up. You stay naked,” he said, causing her to laugh once more as he retreated to the bathroom.

  When he came back, he crawled back in bed with Steph and held her tightly. They stayed like that for a few moments before his stomach started to growl. After she spent a good thirty seconds giggling about it, they finally got the Chinese food ordered. Normally he hated to lie in bed without a television on, but he didn’t mind it as much with Steph in his arms.

  They talked about small things for a while. She described her apartment in the city and he told her about some of the characters he worked with over at Mountain Ridge. But then she fell silent and he knew she was about to ask him something more serious.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Tell me about it. What did you go to jail for?”

  “Prison,” he corrected. She was quiet and he decided to just get it over with. “I’ve never had a lot. My dad was never around and my mom worked two jobs to support me and her drinking. Back then, I thought I was the biggest sob story in the world but I know better now.”

  “That sounds pretty bad to me.”

  “Maybe, but it’s not unique. There are thousands of kids going through the same shit and they don’t end up getting arrested.”

  “Did you hurt someone?”

  “No. Thankfully, things never got that far. One of my buddies robbed a store and I was the driver. He used a knife, which made it armed robbery, and since I was the driver, I got the same charges.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “I knew better.” He didn’t think it was fair for a long time, but he was older now. He was sure as hell smarter than the dumbass in that ’97 Mercury Sable. “My mom had died the week before I did it. I think that’s the reason the judge was lenient and I got the minimum sentence.” He didn’t like talking about it. He knew that the robbery wasn’t in response to grief. It was from him not knowing any better. It was from him thinking he could beat the system. After her death, he’d gotten a small chunk of life insurance, but to him it was more money than he’d ever had before. And after getting out of prison with no skills and a record, that money was probably the only thing that kept him from being in the high percentage of inmates who ended up right back in prison.

  “After a few years of taking odd jobs here and there, I ended up here and I never left.”

  “It’s so nice here.” Steph looked over her shoulder to study him. “Do you think you’ll ever leave?”

  “I haven’t thought much about it. I’ve been living day-to-day for so long. Hard habit to break.”

  She rolled over so she faced him. “It’s strange how we have so little in common, but you’re kind of the same as me.”

  He had his doubts about that, but didn’t say anything. He ran his fingers over her shoulder and savored the feel of her. “What about you? Are you going to live in Chicago forever?”

  “I don’t know. My parents are… I can’t even tell you how crazy they are right now. They haven’t really liked each other for years and now it’s all-out war and they’re impossible. It’s like two children. Two annoying children.”

  “And do you want kids?” Her eyes widened and he cursed himself for asking the question. It was hardly the kind of thing he normally asked a woman right after sleeping with them, let alone the first day they were dating. But once again, Steph tended to make him forget things like how to be normal. “You don’t have to—”

  “No. It’s a fair question,” she said hesitantly. “I, um, I do want kids. I want them really bad, actually.”

  All of the sudden, a tear escaped the corner of her eye and he brushed it away. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut, as though willing the tears to stop. “This is so stupid. I guess I never talk about this. I’m just so…unhappy. How can I think about starting a family when I don’t even know how to take care of myself? And it’s not like I’ve had a good example. Which is why I left Chicago. I needed to get out.”

  “Well, you found Hope Falls,” he said.

  She looked through her lashes at him and he held his breath. Was that him asking her to stay? They’d only known each other for a few days, but if she at that moment said she was going to move here to be with him, he would’ve thought it was a completely sane, rational decision.

  But before she could say anything, there was a knock on the door. “Food,” she mumbled as she reached for her dress and pulled it over her head and ran her fingers through her hair. “You stay there,” she said as he started to reach for his pants. “I’ll be right back.” She ran out of the room and he sat back on the bed.

  Chinese food in bed and sex. This might be the best date ever.

  Except thoughts of a relaxing evening were dashed when he heard her sharp gasp from the hall. “AJ?”

  Chapter Six

  “AJ?” Steph stared in shock at her brother in the doorway of her perfect little bed-and-breakfast getaway and tried to figure out whether she was hallucinating. Were hallucinations a side effect of really good sex?

  But AJ proved that he was, in fact real, when he pushed past her and into the cabin. “I’ll invite myself in,” he muttered under his breath.

  Her mouth fell open but no words came out. She was torn between apologizing for not being a more pleasant hostess and yelling at him for just showing up at her doorstep. But he was annoyed enough to keep talking before she needed to figure out how to respond.

  “I’ve been calling you for days, Steph. You can’t just run off without a word when I’m dodging bombs at home.” He strode to the living area and collapsed on the couch, the exhaustion obvious on his face. She really didn’t want to know what he’d been dealing with at home. That was why she left.

  “I have been texting,” she said weakly.

  AJ’s head fell back and he rubbed at his temple. Right then, Josh appeared from the bedroom, wearing only a pair of jeans because this situation needed to get even worse.

  There was a long silence as each man stared the other down. Even though Josh was standing and his formidable chest was in full view, AJ didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. After a few seconds, his gaze bounced to Steph. “You little whore.”

  A look of rage crossed Josh’s face and he started for the couch, but Steph ran between the two men and held out a hand to Josh. “Don’t,” she warned. “He means it as a compliment. AJ is always trying to get me laid.”

  “It’s true,” said AJ in a much more cheerful tone than he had when he walked in. “If I knew all it would take to get Steph to lighten up was a redneck, I would’ve brought her out of the city ages ago.”

  Josh narrowed his eyes and Steph seriously debated punching AJ in the face. “Josh,” she said between clenched teeth, “this is my twin brother, AJ. AJ, this is Josh.”

  Josh shifted his weight a bit, signaling that he was no longer about to pounce, but he by no means looked relaxed. “Funny. She never mentioned a brother.”

  Instead of looking offended, AJ looked positively deligh
ted by Josh’s balls. “Ha!” he barked. “Come on, Steph. You know I’m the most interesting part of your life. And that’s not an insult to your life. It’s a compliment to me.”

  “Your modesty never fails to impress me,” she said dryly.

  “I’m a very impressive person.” He winked. “But seriously, I’ve come to take you home, so kick out your boy toy and start packing.”

  “She’s not going anywhere,” said Josh, finally taking a step forward.

  The amusement suddenly faded from AJ’s face. “Look, I’m probably happier than Steph about what is going on here. But we have real world problems to get back to. Dad wants to sign over the Caribbean and French properties over to us so Mom can’t get to them and Mom’s trying to subpoena us to talk about affairs Dad might have had. I support running from problems more than anyone, but some things have to be dealt with. So, pack up and let’s go.”

  His words cut her deeper than he would ever know. If anyone understood how she was feeling, it was AJ. He had been getting pulled into the middle of the divorce even more than she had ever since it started. Because he worked with their father, each parent had expected him to spy for the other. And when he refused, he was pissing off their father—his boss—or their mother.

  He’d channeled his frustration into his vices of alcohol and women, but Steph, who had always been the more conservative of the two, didn’t have any vices to escape into. Which was why she’d run. She’d run far and fast until she hit Hope Falls.

  Her few days here were the first time in forever that she had felt able to breathe. To relax and really be herself instead of guarded or waiting for the next bomb to drop at home.

  Except home had apparently followed her here.

  As frustrating as it was to have AJ show up unannounced, she couldn’t kick him out. If he had traveled across the country to track her down, he at least deserved a few minutes to relax. Steph tightened her lips as she met Josh’s eyes and moved out of the living room and for the bedroom. Josh followed her and she tried to figure out what she was going to say.