Because of You (6 page)

I’d seen Parker dropping off Riley a few nights this week, and it made me hate him even more knowing that he was spending time with her instead of me. Yes, I had been that creeper who peeked out the window hoping to get a glimpse of her.

Fortunately, today is Friday and she’s all mine for the weekend. I made reservations for a few things I hope she’ll enjoy. I’m hoping Parker wasn’t smart enough to take her to these places already. I’ll find out soon enough.

I’d just finished setting up for the bonfire when that tugging feeling started in my chest. I turn around slowly to see her standing about ten feet away from me, her hair blowing gently in the breeze, and a smile brushing her lips. Rushing over I pick her up and spin her around. I stop suddenly and slide her slowly down my body, crushing her mouth to mine. I hear her moan as my tongue enters her parted lips, exploring what’s
mine
.

“I missed you so much,” she breathes into me as her hands caress my back.

“I missed you more,” I whisper, holding her tight against me.

“I had fun this week but I would have given that all up if I could have spent it with you. ” She grabs my face and pulls me down to hers as she devours my mouth. Clutching her ass I lift her up so she can wrap her legs around me, while my hands wander under the hem of her shorts.

“Why don’t you guys get a room already?” Alex calls out.

Pulling away from her sexy mouth I lean my head against hers. When she tries to get down I hold her in place. “Please don’t move now or they’ll see how excited I am to see you. ” She nods while nuzzling my neck, which doesn’t make things any better.

“Let’s get this party started!” Grayson yells out. “Put her down, Hunter; we’ve all seen hard-ons before.” Everyone roars with laughter.

Busted. I’ll never live this one down.

“Come over here Riley, and tell us all about your week. What did Parker show you?” Zoe yells out as I glare at her. She smiles, then shrugs her shoulders.

Riley looks back at me, winking as she heads over to have some girl time. I know she didn’t have many friends growing up, so I want her to have this experience. I’ll gladly share my friends with her if that’s what makes her happy.

I love being out here with my friends on a Friday night. Especially since Riley’s sitting between my legs with her head resting on my chest. With my arms wrapped around her I could stay like this forever, she feels so damn good.

“Well I have to go. ” Connor stands up, fist bumping all of us before heading out. It was great that he was able to come without Beth tagging along.

Emma’s the next to leave. After she heads out, the party starts breaking up so I tell everyone it’s my turn to clean. They can take off. After putting out the fire it takes Riley and me two trips to lug everything back to the house.

“I had a great time tonight. Thanks for inviting me.” She walks over, snuggling into my chest.

“If I didn’t invite you my friends would have been pissed. They really like you and so do I. ” Looking down into her stormy blue eyes I brush my lips gently against hers. Her hands tangle in my hair as she deepens the kiss, exploring my mouth as she nips at my top lip. If I allow this kiss to continue I won’t be able to control myself.

“It’s getting late; I’ll see you first thing in the morning. ” When I try to grab her hand, she pulls away. She feels rejected.

“I don’t know what more I need to do for you to want me. ” Her eyes fill with tears that are ready to spill over any second. It suddenly hits me like a slap in the face; this beautiful woman has no self-confidence.

Taking her hand in mine I lead her to the backside of the bar, pushing as many bottles out of the way as I can. Immediately her eyes widen as she sees her reflection in the mirror. Standing behind her my arms wrap securely around her. Her tears are streaming down her face, but I don’t wipe them away.

“I don’t know what you see when you look in the mirror, but I see a woman who’s beautiful, loving, courageous, forgiving, selfless, and so damn sexy she takes my breath away. I promise you when the time is right, we will be together and it will be explosive. ” When I let go of her arms she buries her face in her hands, shaking uncontrollably. I take her in my arms, curving her into my chest. When she stops crying I take her hand, kiss her on the cheek and walk her as far as the kitchen, then slap her on the butt. I tell her to be ready by seven, because she’s all mine for the weekend. When Riley smiles as she walks away, my heart soars.

To say I didn’t sleep well last night would be an understatement. I can still see my reflection in the mirror and it makes me wonder what he sees in me. I’m just a plain Jane compared to the gorgeous women he knows, Emma, Zoe and Grayson. If I had to place a bet I’d say Emma really likes him. She hangs on his every word, and the way she looks at him; it’s like she could eat him up. The thought of the two of them together just breaks my heart.

Jumping as my alarm goes off I reach over and send it flying.

I’m not sure whether I need a coffee or a shower to wake me up. As I’m standing under the warm flow of water I realize I made the right choice. It feels so good that I don’t want to leave but then I think of a steaming cup of coffee, so I’m dressed and ready in fifteen minutes.

Heading down to the kitchen I can’t help smiling when I see Rosie by the stove. “Do you ever go home or are you here twenty-four seven?” I ask as she spins around.

“Well you’re up early for a Saturday. ” She pours me a cup of coffee.

“This coffee is just what I needed, thanks. Do you ever get a day off?” She places a warm blueberry muffin in front of me.

“What would I do with a day off?” she asks.

“So you can do all the fun things I have planned for Riley and me today. ” Hunter saunters over, kissing me gently on the lips while holding my gaze. I suddenly feel like he can see right through me, which causes me to blush.

He chuckles, “Rosie I would love to have a cup of coffee before we start our day. ”

“You never told me where we’re going. Am I dressed okay?” When his eyes glide over me he breaks out in a devilish grin. By the look on his face I would say he likes my short shorts and crop top that I picked out.

“You’re dressed perfectly, but you better have a bikini under that outfit. ” Shaking my head, he cups my face and whispers in my ear, “You are going to spend the day being hot, wet and excited, so go put it on, now. ” Feeling my whole body quiver as he releases me, I run upstairs.

This man tells me we need to wait, but the sexual tension that exudes from his body is heady. I’m hoping with every fiber of my being that he keeps his promise because I want him with an ache I never knew existed. Hunter is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs, with to-go coffee cups in each hand. He’s so wonderful…

As I slide into the Jeep he hands me the coffees so I can put them in the holders.

“So where are you taking me?” I give him a playful smile.

“You will see soon enough. Just sit back and drink your coffee. ” He grabs my hand, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss.

When she gets close enough to read the signs she squeals with excitement. She now knows we’re going jet skiing. Once I park the Jeep she jumps out and flings herself into my arms.

“How did you know this is on my bucket list?” she questions me.

I shrug my shoulders. “Isn’t a bucket list for people who are dying?” Suddenly I have this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

She shakes her head quickly when she sees the fear in my eyes. “No, it’s a list of things you want to do
before
you die, not necessarily because you’re dying. ” I’m glad that’s cleared up.

Making my way to the rental office I see Craig sitting behind his desk. “Hey, I saw your name down here for reservations. Haven’t seen you in a long time. ” He stands, shaking my hand.

Pulling Riley close to me I introduce her. “Riley, this is Craig—we go to USC together. Craig, this is my girlfriend, Riley. ” Well that just flowed out of my mouth, shit.

Craig’s eyebrows lift up in surprise. That’s understandable because I’ve never had a “girlfriend” since I’ve lived in South Carolina. “All you have to do is show me your driver’s licenses to make things legal and I’ll see you in an hour. ”

Riley’s shoulders slump as I take out my license. “I forgot to tell you to take yours. We’ll go back and get it. ”

“I don’t have a license. ” she whispers so softly only I can hear.

“She can ride with me, no big deal. ” Bending down I look into her eyes. “That way you can put your arms around me and hold me tight. ” As I’m grinning down at her she punches my arm.

She strips off her clothes to reveal a sexy black bikini underneath. My hands are sweating as I help put on her vest. It takes every bit of self-control I possess to step away and not run my hands up and down her body.

I give her a quick lesson before we get on the skis. When her arms snake around me, they are pressed so close to my groin that I have to concentrate on driving this thing. I wanted to stick close to the coast so I could show her the sights, but I feel her breasts rubbing up against my back with every wave I take. I’ll actually be glad when this hour’s up, she’s so fucking tempting.

As I turn around so we can head back I feel her hands skimming over my hips and stroking back up my thighs. My dick comes to life. If I had to guess I’d say payback’s a bitch for all the times she was turned on and I put the brakes on. Little does she know that I can flip this situation in a heartbeat? I stop the ski jet so fast she bumps into my back. Spinning sideways I wrap my right arm around her waist and have her straddling me in less than thirty seconds. Her eyes open wide and her mouth is shaped in a perfect “O. ” It’s an open invitation so I pull her mouth to mine, thrusting my tongue inside. My hands automatically slide down to her breasts, rubbing my thumbs over her very erect nipples. When I hear her moan my hand glides slowly down her tight stomach until I find her center.

The next thing I know we’re flying through the air as we plunge into the ocean. We don’t go under too far because of our vests. Looking around I see Riley about five feet away from me. She looks pissed. After swimming over to her I take her in my arms; when she looks up at me we both crack up laughing.

After swimming back to the jet skis and climbing back on, she whispers in my ear. “I hope we can pick up where we left off. ”

I’m suspecting someone might have seen us getting down and dirty so they decided to cool us off. I don’t know how I feel about that at the moment but I do know Riley expects me to finish what I started, that’s for certain.

After the “jet ski” incident, Hunter takes me parasailing. I’m afraid of heights, petrified. Let me rephrase that: I’m downright, pee-in-my-pants scared shitless. I told him there’s no way I was going up alone so he checked all my straps and bindings to make sure I was safe, and once we were both in the air it felt amazing!

After we finished all our water adventures he looks at me and asks, “I do remember telling you earlier that you would spend your day, hot, wet and excited. So did I keep my promise?” I look at the smirk on his face.

I punch him lightly in the arm. “You’re an ass, but a sexy one. ” Standing on my tiptoes I pull his mouth down to mine so I can ravish that smirk off his face. His hands slide down my arms, stopping on my waist. As he pulls me closer to him his thumbs skim gently under my breasts.

Placing my hands on his chest I give him a little shove and his eyes snap open. “Are you all right?”

“Just a little dizzy, that’s all,” I say as I lean my head on his chest.

“I’ve been told I have that effect on women. ” I hear the laughter in his voice. “Seriously, let’s go change, then we’ll grab some lunch. You might just need something to eat and drink to make you feel better. ”

I don’t need food. I need
him
. His touch ignites a fire in my belly that can only be smothered by him inside of me. He’s either too blind to see this or he’s stalling, big time. I’m only eighteen and I’m sexually frustrated already, go figure.

We decide to eat at The Lobster Pot. Hunter says the food is to die for. The waitress seats us on the back deck and we have a perfect view of the breakers. We place our order at the same time, without even seeing the menus. We both order the cold lobster rolls and fries with sweet tea.

“I’ll be right back with your drinks. ” She gives Hunter a wink as she struts off.

I’m looking out the window when Hunter cups my chin, turning my head to meet his gaze. “You’re awfully quiet today. Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. I guess I’m not used to being hot, wet and excited all in one day. ” The minute it’s out of my big mouth I regret it.

“Riley, I like to tease you or flirt with you; that’s who I am. If it bothers you then I’ll try to back off. ” He stops speaking the minute the waitress comes with our drinks.

“I’ve already placed your orders so they’ll be ready in a bit. Is there anything else I can get you?” She looks directly at Hunter. She’s old enough to be his grandmother for God’s sake!

“We’re all set, thanks. ” He places his hand on top of mine.

When she finally leaves, Hunter picks up where he left off. “I know I got a little carried away on the jet ski today. If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize. ” I see the regret in his eyes.

“It didn’t make me uncomfortable, that’s the problem. I know you keep telling me we need to wait, but the more I’m around you the more I want you. ” Someone clears their throat and I don’t have to look up to know it’s our waitress. Damn!

“Here you go, enjoy. ” She places our plates in front of us as she tiptoes away. Great.

We eat in complete silence.

When we finished lunch yesterday I decided to call it a day and bring her home. After she admitted to wanting me I knew I was in trouble because I want her just as bad, so what’s stopping me? My shrink would say it’s because I’m afraid of loving her, of getting close to her, because I’m afraid she’d leave me just like everyone else did. And she’d be right.

I’m going to stop by and see if Riley will go out with me today. I have a surprise for her. She told me yesterday she didn’t have her license so I want to teach her how to drive. I’m thinking she would look really hot driving my Jeep, with her hair blowing in the wind.

As I head downstairs I decide to go by the front door instead of the kitchen; hopefully she’ll answer. Ringing the bell I hold my breath…

The door slowly opens and Riley’s standing there in a pair of yoga pants and a tight black shirt to match. Damn she’s sexy!

“Why didn’t you come through the kitchen?” she asks with one hand on her hip and a frown on that gorgeous face.

“Because I wanted to bypass Rosie this morning to see if you’d like to take a drive with me?” Bending down I kiss the corner of her mouth, and she shivers.

“Where are we going?” I hate it when she doesn’t trust me.

“I’ll show you as soon as you go put some shoes on and get your pretty little ass out here. ” Pulling her to me I brush my lips against hers. “Please come with me,” I whisper against her mouth.

She pulls away, frowning. She shakes her head as she turns around and runs up the stairs. I’m guessing she’s still hurt about yesterday. I can’t blame her. I’m always sending her mixed signals and it’s not her fault she misinterprets them. I’m such an ass…

As I get into my Jeep I hear the front door slam. As I glance up I see Riley running down the walk.

“Now are you going to tell me where we’re going?” She slides into the seat and I can’t hide the stupid grin on my face.

“We’ll be there in less than five minutes, be patient.” Taking her hand in mine I bring it to my lips for a quick kiss.

When I pull into an old supermarket parking lot she looks at me like I’m crazy. “Is this some kind of joke? Why are we here?” She looks pissed!

“Yesterday you told me you didn’t have your license, so I want to teach you how to drive. ” Hopping out of the Jeep I sprint over to open her door and she’s glued to her seat. I hold out my hand after I unbuckle her. When she slides out she folds her arms around my waist, burying her face in my chest. Shit, she’s crying.

“I won’t make you do anything you’re not ready for, baby. Don’t cry. ” I’m rubbing my hands up and down her back to comfort her, when she looks up at me with tear-stained cheeks.

“Wanting to teach me how to drive is the sweetest thing you could have done for me. I’m not crying because I’m sad, I’m happy. ” She places a salty kiss on my lips, then squeals as she runs around to the other side, slipping in and buckling up.

The next three hours I patiently teach her how to drive. She’s actually very good; I’m not surprised because she’s like eighteen going on twenty-five. I’m going to stop by the DMV tomorrow to pick up her driver’s manual so she can study while I’m working.