Rock Candy Kisses(21)

       
           



       

My hands cup the side of his face as I rub over his stubble with my thumbs.

"Blake Daniels," I whisper. "I love you."

His lips tremble. His eyes flood with tears as he comes at me with a  kiss. His mouth falls over mine, hot and weighted. His tongue gently  slips next to mine before we engage in a familiar dance we've been  spinning in for weeks. Kissing Blake is a high all its own. His juicy  kisses linger before he runs his fiery mouth down my neck. Blake hikes  me over his hips as his mouth finds a home over my left nipple, and I  give an aching gasp, struggling to breathe, struggling to get my  bearings.

Oh, God. I can't think or move or catch my next breath. My lids flutter  as I glance down at his dark hair moving slowly over my chest. This,  right here, is enough to push me over the edge. A pent up energy  envelops me all at once, and my body demands to explode. In a minute I'm  going to embarrass myself and orgasm right over his lap. Should girls  have orgasms while their boyfriend's mouths are getting familiar with  them? Definitely a question for Kaya-or Marley for that matter. For now I  evict the thought from my mind. My voice box trembles out a moan as I  try to put a cap on it.

Blake grows in his jeans, and I can feel his hardness beneath my thigh. I  slip my legs around his back and touch my hand over him there. I want  him-every last inch of him tonight. There's not a thing he could  possibly do in the future to make this moment any more special. His  mouth speeds back up my body as he licks a line from my neck to my  temple. A soft series of puffs emit into my ear, and I can tell he's  whispering, forgetting all about my inabilities because Blake, unlike  the rest of the planet, seems to see right through them. I pull back and  take him in with his lustful gaze, those seductive tired eyes, glassy  with red tracks.

"I love you," he mouths it plain as day, and, in a remarkable way I hear him right in my heart where it really counts.

I pull back and sign with all my might. I love you, too.

Blake takes up my hand and kisses each and every one of my fingertips.  Blake and I have started a fire. I don't see how we can possibly put it  out.

I lean into his ear and whisper, "Let me stay the night."

Four vibratory thumps rattle through me, and Blake turns sharply to look  at the door. I don't need my ears to tell me what's going on, so I  throw on my sweater and tuck my bra under his couch. Blake tosses on his  T-shirt and heads over to see who's there. He peers through the  peephole before opening it wide.

Bryson stands there wild-eyed and pale.

Shit! I jump up and force a smile as I speed to the door.

Everything okay? I sign, even though the only thing I'd like to do with  my hands right now is knock a vase over my brother's head.

I heard you hurt yourself. He signs aggressively as if he's about to hurt someone himself-namely Blake. What the hell happened?

Wait-how did you know I got hurt? How did you know where to find me?

I glance at Blake, embarrassed that he has to witness the exchange.

Bryson's ears burn a bright red the way they do when he's about to blow a gasket. Little does he know, I am, too.

That tutor of yours came into the bar. He mentioned it to Cole while he  was getting a drink. I know what you're thinking, but he wasn't  tattling. This is important, Annie. You need to tell us when things like  this happen.

Look at me! I want to scream. I want to claw at my skin and pull my hair  out because obviously my brothers are insane. I am fine! Why are you  trying so hard to ruin my life?

I'm not ruining your life, Annie. He reels me toward him until I'm  standing out in the freezing night air. You're doing that just fine on  your own. Say goodnight. I'll drive you back to school.

Blake steps outside with us, cradling both my phone and sling in his  hand. "Text me." He nods before wrapping his arms around me. He rubs my  shoulders, soft and smooth, his fingers strumming up and down my back  like the keys on a piano before letting go.

Bryson leads me to the truck and helps me get inside.

I watch in the rearview mirror as Blake shrinks into the distance. He stands in the freezing night air until we're out of sight.

I don't look at my brother. I don't say goodbye when he drops me off in front of my dorm.

I don't care if I speak to either Bryson or Holt ever again.





Blake





The sun breaks through the clouds on this early morning as I wait for  Annie outside of Prescott Hall. She left her book bag at my place last  night, and I wanted to give it to her myself. After Bryson dragged her  out of the carriage house by the hair, I took a nice long shower to  relieve the pressure. I could have taken her last night. I'm not sure  why this scares me, but it does. Was Annie right? Am I treating her  differently because of the fact she can't hear? I'd stake my life that  I'm not. If I didn't know better, the thing that scares me most is  letting someone into my life again so completely, especially so soon  after losing Benji. But the truth is there wasn't a cognitive choice  regarding letting Annie into my life. She seeped into my heart that  first night at the Black Bear. The moment I laid eyes on her, I was  infatuated, and that night at the coffee shop I was all in whether or  not I wanted to be. There's not a second that goes by that she's not on  my mind. And on the other side of the coin is Benji. He's infiltrated my  thoughts since the second he left our apartment that night. Little did I  know I'd never get a chance to speak to him again-that the shouting  match which took place-those last hateful words, would be all we'd ever  exchange again on this planet. It hurts like a rotary blade in the gut.  Each second I think of the pain I caused him, that he caused me, twists  those serrated blades just a little bit deeper. The heart wrenching  lesson is love carefully, at any moment the ones you care about can  evaporate like smoke.                       
       
           



       

Annie walks out of the building and waves. Her smile lights up this  whole dreary landscape. She outshines the sun with its meager show of  affection and pushes Benji back under the surface for just a little  while longer.

"Annie." I race over and pick her up, kissing her on the lips for all to  see. I hope her brothers are taking note. I didn't approve one bit of  the way Bryson manhandled her last night like some fucking caveman. But I  wanted to give Annie a chance to say her peace. I know she's perfectly  capable of telling him off. Besides, it hurts a hell of a lot more  coming from the one you love. I should know. "Your books."

I texted this morning and let her know I'd be bringing them by.

"Thank you," she mouths, trying to take them from me, but I pull them back.

"Let me walk you to class." I motion to the English building. I feel  like an ass for not being able to speak to her the way her brothers do.  "Will you teach me to sign?"

She bites down on a smile. Her brows furrow a moment as she reaches for  her phone. Only if you want to. I think we communicate just fine. In  fact, I love reading your lips.

I hold out my hand and nod toward the phone. My lips are grateful you love reading them, but I would very much like to learn.

She takes back the phone. OK. I'll teach you one day. If you're good. ;)

I raise a brow at her humor. I think Annie knows that every last part of  me wants to be very, very bad where she's concerned-at least in the  bedroom.

Annie happily leads the way to her next class, holding my hand, twisting  my fingers with hers, her chest bubbling with her silent brand of  laughter. My fingers, my hand, my entire arm electrifies from her touch.  An entire series of pinpricks travel up my body from the excitement of  having this gorgeous girl by my side. It's funny because this is  normally when you would engage in small talk about the lousy weather or  our upcoming plans for Halloween night this Friday, but instead we're  swallowed in silence, and as long as I'm with Annie, holding her hand, I  don't mind one bit. It feels golden, satiating. Every moment with her  feels like enough.

She stops in front of the English building and nods to the bodies bustling through the door.

"I guess this is where we part ways." I carefully place the book bag  into her arms. "Did everything go okay with your brother last night?"

Her gaze dips to the concrete as she gives a slight nod. She pulls out  her phone and starts typing. He's threatening to pull the band from the  Black Bear. He's being unreasonable. I reminded him that I'm part owner.  He thought I was being cute. Anyway, you're fine. I think all we need  is for my brothers to get to know you a little better. Would you mind  coming to my house next Saturday night for dinner? I promise, my mother  is harmless. If I can get her to see how wonderful you are, I just know  my brothers will back off.

"Meet the family?" I grin like a fool. "I would love to."