Inseverable: A Carolina Beach Novel (20 page)

I cover my mouth, a little shaken by what she has to say, and how she phrased it. It’s one thing to think someone likes you. It’s another thing for someone who knows you―as well as Becca knows me―to flip it in a way that demonstrates what you’ve failed to see.

She sighs, her beautiful face heartbreakingly sad. “Trin, you’re leaving in September. Now’s not a good time to fall in love,” she says.

“I―”

She shakes her head, cutting me off, and returning her attention to that sea none of us ever want to know life without. “Don’t tell me you won’t go, because you will. It was always your plan to travel the world and help those in need. It’s what your parents instilled in you, and what you were born and bred to do.” She swallows hard, surprising me by wiping away a tear. “You’re not going to give up helping villages full of people to help one man, no matter what you feel. I know you better than that.”

I lean in close and wrap my arms around her. “Why are you crying?”

“Because I wish you were that selfish, Trin―to stay behind and be with all of us who love you. But you’re not. Why do you think this summer is so important to us? Why do you think we’re working for a few dollars an hour instead of using our hard-earned degrees to make real money? We want to be with you, Trin—me, Hale, Sean, and Mason—the five of us together one last time.”

“You act like we’ll never see each other.” I say it to make her feel better, but it’s a fear that’s crossed my mind too many times. Growing up often means moving on, and far away from those who know and love you best.

She wipes another tear. “You may not be going to war, girl, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. Something can happen to you out there. Something bad. But that won’t stop you, will it? You’ll still go.”

“I
have
to,” I say, my tone splintering. “Look, I’ve always had my heart set on volunteering all over the world—just like my parents did. But I’ll admit, now that I’ve met Callahan, it’s like my life is imploding around me. I don’t want to go—not like I did before. But I can’t back out. There’re people with worse problems than me who need help.” 

“So you’ll go?” she asks. “No matter who you leave behind?” She shakes her head again when I don’t answer. “Trin, if that’s the case, I don’t know what to tell you.”

I rest my cheek against her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Leaving us? Or leaving him?”

I’m seconds from losing it, and barely manage to answer. “All of it.”

She sniffs, squaring her shoulders as she tries to rein in her emotions. “Have you even told him yet?”

My hands slip off her shoulders. “No.”

“
Why
?”

“Becks, I’m the only one he has to talk to. And he’s been through a lot. If I tell him I’m leaving, he’ll close up. I have to be there for him for as long as I can.”

“Until you up and leave him,” she says, slowly.

I don’t answer, not right away. Mostly because she’s right. “Do you think I shouldn’t be with him?” I finally ask.

“I don’t see how either of you will be able to stay apart. Not given what he means to you, and what you seem to mean to him.” She embraces me, holding me tight. “Trin, I don’t know what’s going to happen. All I can tell you is I don’t think it’s going to end well. For either of you.”

Chapter Eighteen

Callahan

Jed flips over the last chair so the afternoon crew can clean the floors before they open the bar. The only chair still perched on its legs is the one Trin’s sitting on. I asked her to wait for me after Jed announced closing and she started to pile out with her friends. She seemed hesitant to stay, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if she would. But she did. And I’m glad.

Except for Lindsey, all the waitresses hurry out the second they’re done counting their tips. Jed glances from Lindsey and Trin before meeting me with a smirk. I’m not sure what he’s thinking until I see Lindsey walk toward the door. She stops beside Trin and turns around, smiling in a way I know means trouble.

“Hey, Callahan. If you ever want a real woman, instead of a little girl, be sure to give me a call.”

I train my glare on her, pissed she’s insulted Trin. “What the
hell
―”

“He has a real woman,” Trin says sweetly, as if I didn’t say anything. She rises, her smile fading when she pegs Lindsey with a hard stare. “Watch your mouth around me, and your hands around him. He doesn’t belong to you.”

I’m already to them, but something in the way Trin’s watching Lindsey flat out shows that my girl’s not playing around. Lindsey sees it too, and backs away. Trin keeps her attention on her and all the way out the door until she speeds away in her rusty pick-up.

Trin’s riled. And even though she has nothing to worry about, I have to admit her claim over me gets me hot.

Jed moves forward, chuckling and starts to lock the front door. “I’ll take care of it if you want to head out,” I tell him.

He turns to Trin and smiles knowingly. “All right, fine by me.”

I lock the door behind him and switch off most of the lights, except for the ones over the dance floor. Trin, so confident seconds before, seems skittish.

“Do you have a lot more to do?” she asks.

“Just one more thing,” I say.

I move to the jukebox, scanning through the songs until I find one that works and fish out a dollar. The first chords from Jason Aldean’s remake of
Heaven
ring out as I make my way back to my girl.

“Will you dance with me?” I ask her.

Ah, and there’s that smile I’ve missed all night. “I’d love to,” she whispers.

My arms immediately circle her waist. I bend forward so she can slip her hands around my neck. Listening to the lyrics, and how the acoustic guitar builds the melody, I want so bad to kiss her. But as our bodies settle in closer, I know once I start, I won’t want to stop.

We sway back and forth. I’m not much of dancer, but the beat and everything about Trinity seems right. We fall into a perfect, natural rhythm. And while her sweet perfume, and how soft she feels, only make me want to pull her closer, I keep my hold gentle. At least at first.

Halfway through song, I draw her closer and curl around her, using the whiskers on my chin to tickle her bare shoulder.

I mean to tease her, and make her laugh. Instead she sighs softly, her small frame melding with mine. As close as she is, I can feel her heartbeat, and how fast it’s racing.

“Do I scare you?” I ask.

She takes her time answering. “Yes.”

“I’d never do anything to hurt you,” I promise against her skin.

She moans barely above a breath, moving her lips close to my ear. “It’s not what I’m afraid of.”

“Then what is it?” My hand travels up beneath her hair, to trace slow circles between her shoulder blades.

She shudders, her cheeks flushing with heat. “
That
,” she says. “You make me feel so good. I want to be able to do the same to you.”

I take in her delicate features, how they’re intermixed with that same desperation and longing she met me with last night. “I don’t want you to be afraid of anything. Not with me.”

She glances down briefly. “Can I ask you something?” I nod. “Will you let me know if I do something wrong?”

“What?” I can’t believe what she’s asking. I can practically
taste
how bad I want her.

Her lashes flutter and she draws in a breath of air when my short nails settle over the base of her skull. “I want you to tell me if I do something you don’t like,” she repeats, her voice quivering.

“Trinity, there’s nothing you’ll do that I won’t like.” I choke the words out, because it’s taking all I have not to strip her out of hers clothes when the song ends and our bodies still against each other. “Come home with me, and spend the night, and I’ll show you how good we can be . . .”

I’m trying to be a gentleman. I am. I start off by holding Trin’s hand as we walk along the sand. But the closer we near my place, the more the space between us dissolves.

We both carry our shoes in our free hands, but my other hand―the one now snaked around her waist―is tightening against her hip. We’re not speaking, allowing our bodies to feel that warmth and closeness surging from our close contact.

Trin leans heavily into me, her breast rubbing against my chest with each step.

The gesture might be purposeful. It might be accidental. Right now I don’t care. I only know my yearning for her grows.

When she tilts her head, and I see my heat reflecting in her eyes, that kiss I’ve been holding back starts faster than either of us are prepared for. Our mouths open wide to receive each other, and steal a taste of what’s to come. I bend her back with how hard I press against her. I’m being too aggressive. I know I am. Except when I try to pull back, her small nails dig into my shoulders, keeping me in place.

My lips leave hers to drag along her neck. She moans when my teeth find the base of her throat, similar to the way she did that morning I pushed my fingers inside of her. The memory of that day gets me harder. Damn. We’re not even naked yet―or alone―and I’m ready to thrust inside of her.

It takes some effort, but gradually I ease away from her. Her breath, like mine, leave in a rush, making it hard for her to speak. “We have to get inside,” she says.

“Oh,
hell
yeah.”

I bend to retrieve my shoes. The moment she has hers, I snag her hand and we take off in a run. She laughs as she lifts her skirt and we sprint along the beach. Like a fool, I can’t stop that grin the sound of her laughter invokes.

We reach my house and hop onto the deck, our laughter ceasing as we slip inside.

I toss my shoes aside. As I turn to lock the door and close the shades, I hear her sandals fall softly behind me. I walk away from the door to find her washing her hands in the kitchen. She seems nervous, maybe even a little frightened, so I wait by the door and give her some space.

It’s only when she dries her hands that she glances up. With a shy smile, she leaves the kitchen, stopping in the center of the room to face me. As I watch, she crosses her arms in front of her and lifts the edge of her top.

Each pull of the tight fabric exposes more of her tan skin. I’m almost disappointed when she reveals the strapless black bra covering her breasts. Almost. No matter what, it’s coming off next.

Her long hair falls along her back and shoulders in waves of silky black ink as she finishes removing her top. She meets me with another shy smile, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Should we turn off the lights?” she asks.

I shake my head, drilling my stare onto hers. “No. I want to see all of you.”

Her smile vanishes as a spark of desire lights her face. “I want to see you, too,” she tells me, her voice soft and husky. She motions with a subtle lift of her chin. “Your turn,” she says.

I prowl forward, stripping out of my shirt. It hits the floor as I reach her. Only inches remain between us. I can feel her heat, and hope she can feel mine.

“Hey, beautiful,” I tell her.

Her gentle smile squeezes my heart. “Hey.”

My fingertips trail up her arms while I take in every inch of her gorgeous features: those soft pink lips, the thick lashes veiling her brown eyes, and the damn cute freckles lightly sprinkling her nose and cheeks.

I lift a hand, taking my time to pass it along her cheek and down the base of her throat until it skims above her breasts. My focus never leaves her face, but hers stays trained on my motions. I know she’s nervous and take care to be gentle.

“I want to touch you so bad,” I tell her. “Will you let me?”

It’s then her focus leaves my hands. “I want you to do more than touch me,” she murmurs.

Her fingers hook the waistband of her skirt. My hands clasp hers, keeping them in place. “Let me,” I say, leaning in close to speak in her ear. “I’ve been waiting to do this all night.”

Her body trembles when I claim the curve of her neck with my mouth, drifting kisses down to the swells of her breasts. I reach behind to unclasp her bra, but not before I tug on each nipple through the fabric with my teeth.

The bra falls away and her head snaps back when I seize the first breast to suck. My tongue circles the stiff center while my hands get busy ridding her of her skirt. Trin stumbles backward with a grunt. My arms snatch her waist, keeping her from falling and keeping her close.

I edge her over to the back of the couch, my movements neither graceful nor slow―they’re staggered, clumsy―so out of my mind with how good she feels in my arms and how she tastes on my tongue. My knees smack against the floor as my mouth continues downward until my hot breath releases against the crotch of her panties.

“
Shit
,” Trin gasps, her hands shooting out.

My teeth snag the thin lace. Just as I promised, this is the way her panties are coming off. My fingers pinch the sides, helping me easily tug the tiny piece of fabric until it falls at her feet.

She watches me, barely breathing. She knows what’s coming. And as I catch a glimpse of that sweet spot between her legs, I can’t wait to start.

In one motion, I hook my elbows beneath her knees and stand, stealing a moment to kiss her as I settle her on the ledge of the couch. My teeth nibble her bottom lip as I slowly withdraw. “Keep your legs open for me, okay?” I rasp.

She manages a nod, but that’s all she seems capable of doing. I reach for her fingers and pull two in my mouth. Her eyes round when I slide them out and flick them with tongue.

I kneel in front of her, taking her wet fingers and placing them where I need them.

“You want me to touch myself?” she stammers.

I squeeze my eyes shut and pause, my mind flooding with images of her reaching between her legs to please herself. “Only if you want to,” I rumble.

Instead of waiting for a response, I slide her fingers further down and use them to spread her folds. Now that I see her―see her completely―no way in hell can I stay in control.

Trin screams in total bliss when I shove forward and devour her. My motions should be slow, gentle. They’re not. My tongue and mouth are frantic, licking, sucking,
tasting
.