Evelyn Vine Be Mine (44 page)

“Did you like it?” I stammered self-consciously.

He chuckled and hitched me up his body for a long kiss. “Amazing,” he growled against my lips, kissing me softly again, before adding, “But maybe not every day…”

I looked at him quizzically and he raised an eyebrow, still panting for breath, “I don’t think my body could survive it.”

I blushed and giggled a little, wriggling back down his body to snuggle against his still heaving chest. Suddenly I remembered his wrists.

“I can’t believe you broke free,” I whispered with awe, sitting up to stroke the red marks around his wrists, “They weren’t plastic.”

His silver eyes met mine, the hot, focussed intent in them making me blush as I realised how crazy I’d made him…and then I frowned when I realised he’d known he could break free at any time.

No wonder he agreed so easily, part of me grumbled, but I simply cuddled against his side and fell asleep, not even bothering to remove my high heels.

TWENTY-SEVEN

Stone and I had a quiet weekend while the others went to Sydney for the ball. The next week was hectic too as I tried to cram every bit of study and assignment work I could before we went to Jenny’s that weekend. Stone hadn’t tried to pay me back yet, and I was becoming anxious with anticipation, my dreams riddled with scenario after scenario. Would he do it this weekend? He hadn’t exactly told me he was going to return the favour, but I just knew that, after tying him down and torturing him…Stone would want to have his own fun. I shivered. Stone was more experienced than I…just what did he have planned?

Candy groaned as she flopped onto the bed beside me. “I can’t believe you are all going away this weekend and leaving me here with nothing to do!” she complained with a pout.

I raised an eyebrow at her, “Surely you and Mason can find things to do…”

Candy grinned and shook her head at me, “You bad girl, Miss Vine.”

“You’ve taught me well,” I giggled, resting my head against her shoulder and closing my eyes.

“How are things with Stone?” Candy asked me quietly.

I shrugged, not sure how to answer. “Nice, I guess…”

She stuck her tongue out at me. “Just nice?”

“Well,” I whispered, “The sex is incredible.”

She laughed for a few seconds, before frowning at me thoughtfully, “How’s everything else though?”

“What else?” I whispered uncertainly, “That’s all there is.”

“Don’t you talk? Cuddle? Do non-sex things together?”

“Stone talk?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

Her lips twitched, “Good point.”

I sighed. “The cuddling is nice,” I admitted, “But we don’t do much of that outside the bedroom unless he’s holding me possessively at a club.”

“Have you tried cuddling up to him in public?” she asked knowingly.

I flushed, “No.” Stone and I got enough stares as it was.

“Stone’s never seemed like the touchy-feely type to me,” Candy said slowly, “Especially if he’s surrounded by other people.”

I nodded my agreement.

“What about non-sex activities?” she asked curiously.

I shrugged. “We do our study at the same time, we sleep together, we go for a run in the morning, we go to the clubs…”

“Have you ever gone out, just the two of you?”

“What, like a date?” I scrunched up my face, “No.”

“Hmm,” Candy said flatly, then smiled at me and moved to her own bed, “Have you talked about your family yet?”

I shook my head and got up to turn off the light.

“It hasn’t come up,” I said with a yawn.

“So bring it up,” Candy suggested quietly.

“Maybe,” I said sleepily, “Night.”

“Night.”

***

When I woke the next morning, I found myself wrapped in Stone’s arms. He’d obviously crept in while I was asleep. I snuggled against him and gasped softly when I realised he was only wearing boxers. After so long sleeping with him fully dressed, I still hadn’t become used to waking up beside his bare body. Splaying my fingers, I started to explore the warm, smooth flesh of his chest, revelling in the feel of the soft, delicious-smelling hair there. I played with his nipples, tested the strength of the muscles in his arms and slid my bare thigh against the satiny fabric of his boxers and the hard ridge growing inside. He usually wore those sexy Calvin Klein boxer-briefs, but today he was wearing a pair of satiny, black boxers…and they were even sexier. They felt damn good too.

I slid my hand down to better feel him through the soft, slinky fabric, but jumped in surprise as Stone’s hand slid down the back of my sleep shorts to cup my ass. He was awake. He pulled me that little bit closer, crushing my hand between us, even as he nudged my leg over his hip. He pressed light kisses to my forehead and I shivered, freeing my hand gently to slide my arm around him and hug him close.

“Mmmm,” I couldn’t help but purr as I squirmed even closer.

I felt Stone’s chuckle vibrate through his chest, but the deep, low sound was even better.

The alarm on his phone interrupted our peace, the shrill sound annoyingly loud in the quiet room. Candy groaned from across the room and shoved a pillow over her head as Stone reached over me to turn off the alarm.

“Time to go,” he said, pecking my cheek and slipping from the bed to pull on his jeans. I caught Candy peeking at him from under the pillow and shot her a glare. She grinned at me and rolled over to face the wall.

I sat up tiredly and blinked at Stone. Go where?

Oh right, Jenny’s.

I crawled from the bed and headed for the shower, disappointed that Stone had already left, heading for the shower in his own room.

I would have shared mine, I thought moodily. I stopped and frowned at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I was getting too attached. Too possessive. Too vulnerable. This was sex, nothing more, and I needed to remember that.

I sighed and let my forehead drop against the cool glass. It was damn difficult to remember that when Stone held me the way he did this morning.

I straightened and forced a smile at my reflection. Enjoy yourself Evie, I told my bedraggled reflection.

While it lasts…

***

We took both Stone’s car and the band van out to Jenny’s. I sat in the front with Stone, whilst Fredi, Briar and Jamie sat in the back. Donny and Alec rode in the van, along with Mary, Alec’s new girlfriend (yes, I’d finally found out her name). Briar hadn’t brought Dean and it looked like the two of them were over.

Jenny met us at the gate and greeted everyone enthusiastically. Donny glared at her briefly, before giving her a small smile and kissing her cheek. The glare returned though when Fredi hopped on the back of Jenny’s quad bike and wrapped her arms around Jen’s waist. We piled back into the cars and drove up to the house, a large rambling thing with a huge wrap-around porch and a large water tank at the side.

Inside, the house was surprisingly cool despite the mid-day spring warmth. The furniture was made from solid oak and soft, brown leather. A fire place stood against one red brick wall and the kitchen was old-school, but obviously well-maintained. The hardwood floors creaked as we walked through the large house and Jenny showed us to our rooms.

“There are five guest bedrooms down here,” she told us, “And my rooms are upstairs.”

“Everyone else will be camping out at the bunkhouse,” she added with a smile, throwing open the first door.

“We’ll take this one,” Alec said briskly, gently pushing Mary forward and juggling the large suitcase she’d packed. He closed the door softly behind them.

Stone promptly marched to the next door and threw our stuff in on the bed. Jenny laughed and shook her head, eyeing Briar, Jamie, Donny and Fredi. “I have three rooms left,” she said speculatively, “Fredi, you’re welcome to sleep upstairs with me.”

Fredi grinned back at her and Donny scowled. “Great!” Jamie said, “That leaves us a room each! I don’t know about Bri and Don…but I’m looking to get lucky tonight.”

Briar glared at Alec’s door for a moment, before picking up her own heavy suitcase and taking the room across from it. Donny stormed into his room too and Fredi winced as he slammed the door. Jamie, as oblivious as always, clapped his hands together enthusiastically, “So what are we doing this afternoon?”

Jenny smiled at him and raised an eyebrow. “What do you want to do?”

Jamie grinned back at her and raised his own eyebrow, “What else? Where are the bikes?”

“Bikes?” I perked up, suddenly more interested in the weekend, “Dirt bikes?”

He smiled at me with surprise in his eyes and nodded. “Jenny has a dirt track set up and a shed full of gear,” he told me, “Want to come watch?”

Watch? I mentally scoffed, but slowly shook my head. “I’d like to try a bike,” I said quietly, just as Stone reappeared in our doorway, frowning at me. He’d obviously expected me to hurry inside the room with him, but I’d wanted to be a polite guest.

“Do you want to hit the track?” Jenny asked Fredi, taking her hand, as well as mine.

“Hell yes!” Fredi replied, slinging her arm around Jenny and tugging Jamie with her as she headed back down the hall, “Stone, you coming?”

I looked back at him as Jenny dragged me along with her, hoping he’d come out too. He must have seen my enthusiasm, because he chuckled and closed the door, taking long strides to catch up with us and snatch me from Jenny’s grasp.

***

My eyes widened at the size of the bike shed. Sure, I’d been on properties before, and I’d even been in a few sheds, but I’d never seen one completely devoted to bikes and four-wheelers. There were shelves and shelves of parts and maintenance products and still more shelves and cupboards filled with helmets and protective gear.

I’d eschewed the jeans today due to the warm weather, but my feet were safely encased within my brown hiking boots. My small denim shorts and black singlet wouldn’t stain from the red desert dust and dirt, but they’d be no protection if I came off the bike.

Dirt-biking was one of those things my older siblings had barred me from doing. It was too dangerous for me. I was too fragile – too delicate and feminine. I mentally snorted. They didn’t know that Cooper had snuck me out to teach me how to ride. Sure, he’d padded me up something fierce, but he’d spent hours for several weekends teaching me before he left home. Then, once the triplets and I hit high-school, they let me tag along to the track with them as long as I promised not to tell Paul or the others.

I walked through the isles of machines, looking for a bike to suit me. Already I had a helmet tucked under my arm and Jenny and Fredi were hovering near a quad with their own helmets. Stone grabbed the nearest quad and forced a helmet on his head, drawing the visor down and not bothering with a jacket. It was harder to come off quads. Jamie suited up in bright green and grabbed a matching bike. I smothered a laugh at his colour co-ordination and shoved a helmet on my head.

“Hurry up and jump behind Stone,” he told me, kicking his foot down to start his bike. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a hot pink bike that looked right for my size and quickly pushed it toward the nearby exit. I quickened my pace as Stone got off his quad and Jenny started to say something. With practiced ease, I flipped down the visor, swung a leg over the seat and kick started the powerful beast beneath me. I grinned at Jamie in challenge and sped off out the door.

“Evelyn!” I heard Stone shout, even as Fredi called after me in alarm. Jamie was right behind me though and I giggled as I hit the track, taking the first corner a little too fast and getting hit by a few loose rocks as I leaned with the bike. I winced, wishing I’d taken the time to cover myself properly.

Jamie had slowed down for the corner, but now he gunned it, gaining on me. I let him catch up, flicking up my visor in time with him and grinning at his surprised, but thrilled expression.

“Are you crazy?” he shouted over the roar of the engines, laughter softening his outburst.

I laughed back and , without answering, slammed down my visor and took the next corner a little more carefully, allowing a fully-protected Jamie to pass me as he turned so fast he nearly touched the ground. I chuckled with appreciation. He was good. I caught sight of the jumps up ahead and sped back up, over taking Jamie as he slowed ever so slightly to take the first jump.