The Duet(63)

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop trying to pry into your love life,” she whispered before letting me go.

I smiled and turned around so I could hug her back. “I’m sorry, too. Let’s just not talk about it anymore.” I almost added a please but I didn’t want her to know how desperately I wished we could drop the subject forever.

She nodded, and then together, we made a chocolate cream pie. Life was always better with my sister by my side, even when she tried to push issues that I didn’t want to talk about.

“That pie smells so good,” LuAnne said just before she tugged on a pair of oven mitts and pulled out a roasted chicken from the oven. The kitchen was instantly filled with the most delicious smell of rosemary and thyme. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled and the boys flew through the front door.

“Go shower, dinner’s ready in ten!” LuAnne yelled out to them. They grunted back with what I assumed were actual words before I heard their feet clamber up the stairs.

Jason was inside the house.

He was about to be naked and in the shower.

Why were my hands so freaking sweaty all of a sudden?

“I’m just going to go use the restroom really quick,” I said to Cammie and LuAnne as I stepped out of the kitchen. There was a small bathroom downstairs that sat just below the staircase, set back into an alcove, and it was the perfect place to give myself a tiny pep talk before dinner. I straightened out my blouse and fluffed up my hair. Good news: I smelled like chocolate cream pie. Or maybe that wasn’t a good thing? Shit, what if Jason hates chocolate?

I rolled my eyes at how ridiculous I was being and then pushed off the bathroom sink. As I turned to leave, I heard a light tap on the bathroom door, and then a second later, the door handle turned and Jason pushed his way into the small space. I didn’t even have time to offer up a timid “Someone’s in here!” because he was already “in there” invading my space and pushing my back to the sink’s countertop.

“What are you—”

Before I could get the question out, he kissed me senseless, sealing his body to mine. His lips were demanding, and his kiss was impossible to keep up with. He was sweaty; I could smell the musk from his day of hard labor, but the heavy blend silenced my questions even more.

When he pulled away and I fluttered my eyes open, I knew I looked as flustered as I felt.

“Someone could hear us,” I whispered.

He kept his hand tucked beneath my hair, just at the base of my neck as he shook his head. His gaze was pinned on my lips, filled with blood from his kiss. “You looked so sexy earlier but I couldn’t do a damn thing about it with Cammie and Derek around.”

“So now you’re…”

He smirked. “Doing something about it.”

With that little cooler-than-cool statement, he unbuttoned my jean shorts and pushed them down my legs. He started working on his jeans, but I couldn’t find words as I realized that we were about to have a standing-up bathroom quickie. I stared at him as he slid his boxer-briefs down. Kept staring as his fingers slid gently up my inner-thighs. Then suddenly, I wasn’t looking at anything. I clamped my eyelids closed and pressed back against the cold bathroom counter as he gripped me tighter.

His attentive fingers were more than enough to prepare me and it was impossibly hard to remain quiet as he slid into me. I bit down on his neck as he fisted my hair. My nails scratched his back and he scraped his teeth along my skin, teasing me, but never biting. The sex was rough and carnal and I couldn’t help but feel a little used.

My head fell back against the bathroom mirror as I came hard, just moments before he whispered my name against my lips as his own release followed.

As soon as we were finished, he zipped up his jeans and pulled my shorts back up so that he could button them for me. Without a word, he turned and exited the bathroom like he hadn’t just taken a blowtorch to my heart.

I squeezed my eyes shut, surprised to find a tear trickling down my cheek.

…



“So what do you two have planned for your visit, Cammie?” LuAnne asked as the five of us sat down at the table for dinner. Jason had placed himself across from me, but I prided myself on not looking at him at all during dinner, especially after what had just happened in the bathroom. My eyes followed a strict fork-plate-chicken-fork-plate-chicken route so that I wouldn’t stray and glance up at him. Although I think I just looked like a cyborg.

“I’m not sure. I think we’ll go explore the town tomorrow. Brookie told me there’s a few shops that are worth checking out,” Cammie replied.

“That prom thing is tomorrow,” Jason said casually.