Beautiful Illusions (21 page)

“All my things, huh? You weren’t allowed in my room.” I give her ribs a quick tickle as we make our way onto the blacked trail that leads to the cabin. I wince when I spot Dad’s car parked next to mine. A part of me wishes he were down the hill, getting his rocks off with all the local MILFs—anything but this.

“Yeah, well, that’s what made it so fun—knowing that we weren’t allowed.” Reese looks up at me from under her lashes, her eyes siren out like stars. “Sometimes it’s the forbidden things that I want the most.” She hikes up on the balls of her feet and kisses me hot over the lips, but her words swirl through my mind like a flying hatchet. Is that the draw? The fact she knows her father—most everyone in Loveless wouldn’t approve? “Anyway”—she rubs her hand over my chest—“I loved the giant blue one you had. It was the exact shade of your eyes.” She looks down a moment. “I used to hold it and stare at it for hours.”

She noticed the shade of my eyes way back when?

“So what you’re really saying is that you want to gouge out my eyes and hold them hostage for hours.” I lean my head over hers as we make our way to the porch.

“That would make me sick and disgusting, and you’re equally sick for thinking it up.” She steals a kiss as we make our way to the porch. “Thanks for making my skin crawl.”

“I’ve got about another dozen scenarios designed to do just that.” I plant a kiss just shy of her lips. “In a good way, of course.”

“Well, then”—she pulls me in as if she’s trying to meld our bodies together—“you’re welcome to make my skin crawl anytime you like.”

I pause just shy of the door and give a sad smile into her. Reese is perfect. She has everything, and her future sparkles like gold, even I can see that. I don’t get what she wants with me, but I’m glad I’m the one holding her right now and not Warren.

“Come here.” I pull her in gently by the cheeks and land my lips over hers. My body shakes, my insides detonate, and I lose it. I plunge my tongue into her mouth in a hungry bout of passion. Maybe I am the forbidden fruit, but at this point, Reese is too, and if all we get is this one quick burst in our lives, I plan on enjoying the hell out of it.

“Take me to the boathouse,” she whispers directly into my ear, and my dick ticks like a bomb.

“That’s the plan.” I skim her cheek with my lips. “But first I need to get something. I’ll be quick.” I turn around and spot Dad heading to his room from the murky screen. “Maybe wait here. I should probably tell him about Neva.”

“Shit.” She covers her mouth.

“It wasn’t your fault.” I brush my thumb over her cheek.

“But it was.” Her forehead breaks out in a series of worry lines, and her mood takes a nosedive.

“Neva is always asking for it. I’m sure you wouldn’t hit her unprovoked. Hang out one second, I’ll be right back.” I land a careful kiss over her lips. “I want to make sure tonight at the boathouse is memorable.”

She pulls me back in by the chin. “What’s the game plan?”

“I’ll give you a hint, it involves strategic body placement.”

Her tongue touches over her lip. “I like the sound of that.”

“I figured you would.” I pull another kiss off her, and my stomach bottoms out just thinking of the ways I plan on loving Reese on the Fourth. “And trust me, you and I will both be winners tonight.”

Her face breaks out in a hotter-than-hell smile with a promise in her eyes. I don’t want to let her down. If a good time is what she wants, that’s what I’m going to give her.

I dart into the house to hunt down Dad and give a brief knock at his door. The sound of mumbling penetrates through the wall, so I walk in. The light from the TV illuminates the room a dull grey while he nurses a beer in bed.

“Neva fell. She hurt her jaw.”

“Aw, shit.” He wipes his face down with his hand. “She out there?” He hops out of bed and jumps into his jeans.

“No. A friend took her to the E.R. to get cleaned up. She should be home any minute.”

“Sounds good.” He fishes his phone off the nightstand. “I’ll see how she’s doing.”

I head to my room and snatch the jar of marbles that have been sitting on the top shelf of my desk for the better part of a decade and blow off a thick layer of dust. The last time I messed with these was the week Mom took off. I spent the rest of that year moping in front of the TV, and, after that, they just sat and rotted. An entire slew of memories rush at me as I head back out to Reese. I give a wry smile. I knew she and Neva used to sneak into my bedroom the second I turned my back.

A quiet rumble of voices emit from the front, and I see Reese standing there looking defensive. I whip open the screen to find Neva and Warren glaring at her.

“Oh, hi.” Reese startles when she sees me. “I was just coming to see if Neva was all right, and they pulled up as soon as I got here.”

Nice save. Still not sure why she feels the need to lie. It’s just Warren. Neva already knows.

“What happened?” I step into my sister, but all I can make out is the giant bag of ice, covering her mouth.

Warren pats her on the shoulder. “She’ll live. Nothing but a bruise.”

“Thank God.” Reese lets out a breath of relief, and her chest expands in that skintight dress of hers.

“Like you care.” Neva bumps into her hard with her shoulder before barreling into the house. Looks like Neva is ready to take their rivalry to a physical level, not that Reese didn’t, but I’m sure it was warranted.

Warren shakes his head after Neva.

I take him in with his lavender Polo—the collar popped out, his plaid shorts, his penny loafers with the penny shiny side up, and I want to deck him for no reason.

“Let’s get out of here.” He wraps an arm around Reese and starts leading her off the porch.

And, there they go. I place the stupid jar of marbles on the railing as the moonlight prisms through them like a bunch of dying fireflies.

Reese turns around. There’s a look of longing in her eyes, and I’d like to think it’s because she’d rather be with me.

“Um”—she chews on her lip, not budging a single step further—“I’m not really up for Kennedy’s madhouse right now. It’s a little noisy for me.” She never takes her eyes off mine.

“You want to hang out and watch TV?” I offer. “I could put on a movie. We could eat popcorn—maybe play monopoly.” Warren cuts me a death ray of a stare. “You could hang out, too, if you want.” I extend the offer, and my gut flinches. Fuck. Way to bring the awkward to the table.

“Actually I’m having some people over at my place.” Warren nods me in the direction of his house. “Gavin’s there doing his best to get laid. Who knows, you might get lucky, too.”

Reese gives a little wink. “I’m sure there are tons of girls that would practically beg for you to take them. Come with us.”

Take them? Come with
us
?

A blistering heat rushes through me, and this time it’s because I’m more than a little pissed—only it’s not at Reese—it’s at me for ever thinking we could be anything more than a summer fling.

“Yeah, sounds good.” I pull out my keys as Reese hops willingly into Warren’s truck. I wait until they’re clear down the street before I even start the engine.

Looks like Neva was right all along.

Suddenly it sucks to be “just friends” with Reese Westfield.

I wish the whole world knew how I felt about her.

Hell, I wish Reese knew, and something tells me it wouldn’t really make a difference.

The last time I was at the McCarthy’s house was over two years ago during another similar socially awkward event I got roped into. And, if I remember correctly, the reason I was there that night was also because of Reese. The only reason I’ve ever gone to any of their parties was to see her. There’s something seductive about Reese in her element. She outshines the crystal, her smile sparkles, her entire person gleams. Only seeing her in Warren’s house tonight is going to be about as pleasant as peeling off my skin. She’ll be far from my arms, and it makes my dick and me both want to weep.

Gavin nods into me as I walk into the great room. His hair is slicked to perfection, and he’s got his trolling for hoes douchebag shirt on. But I’m not interested in Gavin and whether or not his dick is going to find a nice tight place to call home for the night. I’m too busy taking in the mega estate that the McCarthy’s not-so-humbly call home.

“Crap,” I whisper. “I forgot how huge this place is.” From the outside it’s mammoth in size with the appeal of an oversized chalet, but inside, it feels like two solid football stadiums could sit nicely in here.

“Yeah, well, Reese doesn’t strike me as a size matters kind of girl.”

“Watch it.” I turn to find her sitting on the floor with Brylee and a few other girls while Warren and his friends hit the hard stuff at the bar. I’m still not sure what I’m doing here other than helping Reese cover for being on my porch to begin with.

A group of girls bombard us and set in on the small talk. A blonde with a ponytail and pink bikini glides her shoulder up against mine. She’s sending all the right signals, but too bad for her because I’m not in the market for a good time. The only good time I want to have is with Reese, and it looks as if that’s being denied, too.

“So where you from?” She flutters her fake, moth-like lashes and grazes my chest with her boobs. I can feel her nipples right through the fabric, and it feels like I just cheated on Reese, right here in the open.

I take a step back, but she charges at me again. “From here—from the lake. Actually, I don’t live on the lake, I live near it—well, pretty near it. And you?” Shit. I look past her at Reese, and she’s still twisted in the other direction while Brylee glares at me from over her shoulder.

The blonde goes on and on, and I nod politely without understanding a single word that speeds from her lips. I try to revert my focus to Gavin who seems to be holding the attention of every other girl in our circle with a story of a bear.

“All right.” Warren gives a loud celebratory hoot. “Let’s get something on the fucking boob tube.” He cuts out the lights, and the oversized television blinks to life. Everyone finds a spot to sit and relax, and lucky for me, the blonde bounces away with her friends.

“Over here!” Brylee waves at Gavin and me, and we head toward the back where she and Reese are sitting against the wall. Warren is taking up an entire couch on his own while pouring a steady stream of beer down his throat. He’ll be knocked out in less than ten minutes at the rate he’s going. It doesn’t look like he’s all that concerned about where Reese is sitting or if she even has a chair.

“Right here.” Reese pats a spot next to her on the floor, and I readily comply. We lean against the wall as the lights go out.

The movie starts, some stupid sci-fi flick about a town that gets eaten by flying sharks. I’ve already seen it about a dozen times and enjoyed it each and every one.

Gavin reaches behind him and tosses a blanket to us then chucks one over to a group of girls who have been complaining the AC is on too high.

“Suck it up.” Warren barks from the front.

“Nice.” Reese rolls her eyes while covering herself to her neck. “Here.” She throws it over my knees, and I scoot into her, effectively making a tent between us. “Sorry about this,” she whispers. “I bet you had great things planned.” Her teeth graze over her lips as if she were hungry for those very things.

I give a quick nod. “Damn straight, I had great things planned.” I give a dirty grin. And in just a few days I plan on unleashing them all.

Reese takes up my hand under the blanket, and I rub soft circles in her palm until her eyes roll to the back of her head as if that’s all the affection she needed to set her off. I let go and run my hand up along the inside of her thigh. It’s so fucking dark in here, especially in the back, I doubt anyone would notice if we went at it full throttle—not that I plan to. Half-throttle maybe. I run my fingers under her dress, and she scratches at my thigh in approval. Her knees open for me just enough, and my hand glides south into her wet slick.

Shit.

I cut a quick glance to her.

No fucking underwear. A slow-spreading smile crops up on my face. Looks like she had a surprise of her own tonight. My chest thumps with a dull laugh as I continue to look straight ahead. I bury my finger, in her, and brush my thumb up over her folds until she’s digging her nails into my leg. I take my time, just staring straight ahead as if I were immersed in the low-budget flick Warren decided to regale us with. I work over Reese, slow and easy, for several more minutes until Reese bucks beneath the blanket and strangles my arm in the process. I can feel her body vibrating beneath me, her heated breath as she pants to completion. I tug her dress down and warm her knee with my hand until that oversized shark on the screen eats the entire damn town.

Reese rolls her head into me, her lips twitching with a smile she’s too shy to give. “Thank you,” she mouths, and I can see the color rising to her cheeks even in this dim light.

I cut a glance to the front, and nobody moves, every single person is either nodding off or transfixed on the oversized screen.

I lean over and steal a kiss right off her lips, easy as pocketing a precious McCarthy heirloom. But Reese was never meant to be Warren’s. She was meant to be mine. I can feel it.