Because of You (3 page)

When I walked through the gate and saw her sitting by the pool in that skimpy blue bikini, I had to do extra laps just to get my shit together. Her breasts were spilling out over the top of her suit and her long dark hair was secured in a ponytail atop her head. All I wanted to do was lick my way down her throat to the silky flesh bursting out of her top.

She didn’t notice me as I was walking through the gate because her eyes were closed like she had fallen asleep. But when I dove in, I could feel her staring at me with every stroke I made as I pulled myself through the water. I won’t lie, it felt exhilarating.

When I stepped out of the pool to introduce myself, I was mesmerized by her eyes. They are the same stormy shade of blue as her bikini and they were scrutinizing every inch of me. Her long, shapely legs are even more amazing up close and personal.

I hated leaving her just standing there, but when she asked me if she could get me anything my dick responded instantly. That’s when I remembered I had fantasized about Riley’s legs wrapped around me last night and it had been the most explosive orgasm I’ve ever had.

How was I going to have dinner with them on Sunday night if she has that kind of effect on me? When I held her small hand in mine there was this connection that I hadn’t felt in so long. I have to keep this on friendly terms no matter what her touch does to me. Riley’s way too young and innocent for the likes of me.

After I shower, I jump into my Jeep so I can head down to Jake’s. They have the best burgers in town. I’m meeting Connor and a few friends for lunch and I’m hoping he didn’t ask Beth to tag along. That would definitely put a damper on my perfect day so far.

As I walk in I see everyone sitting at a corner table so I head over. Beth is here, fuck. She’s sitting so close to Connor she’s practically in his lap.

“Hunter it’s so nice of you to show up. What took you so long?” Emma asks as she tries to suppress a smile. Every time I’m late they assume I’m getting laid.

“I did a few more laps in the pool than I normally do, and it put me behind. You didn’t have to wait for me to order. ” I feel like an ass once again.

“You could be a bit more considerate, Hunter. I’m eating for two now and I try to keep on a schedule. ” Beth rubs her belly as everyone’s eyes widen. I’m guessing Connor didn’t tell anyone but me.

Connor puts his hand on Beth’s leg; he might be pinching it for all I know because she’s giving him a look that could kill.

Connor clears his throat. “I was going to wait until after we had lunch to tell you guys the news, but I think Beth just did. ”

I look at all their faces, Emma, Zoe and Grayson look like they’re about to cry. And Alex—the only other male at the table besides me and Connor—looks pissed.

Alex speaks up. “Beth, have you ever heard of birth control? In this day and age no one gets pregnant unless they want to, so I’m guessing you wanted to. ”

Beth stands up so fast she bumps the table as everyone’s drinks spill over. We hurry to grab our napkins so we can try to clean up the mess before we wear it. Shit; too late. “I should have known this would be the reaction I would get from all of you. Bro’s before ho’s, right Alex?”

Beth grabs Connor’s hand, pulling him out of his chair. But he follows her right out the door like a little puppy dog, without as much as a goodbye.

The waitress walks over, helping to clean up the mess. We apologize a hundred times as she waves her hand telling us not to worry about it. She sets down more napkins just in case, as she takes our orders.

“What the hell just happened?” Grayson asks, she’s pale, her bottom lip trembling.

Customers are still staring at us as I decide to tell them what I know. “Connor just told me she was pregnant last night. He needed to let it sink in before telling everyone, but he should have known bringing Beth here would fuck that all up. ”

“Well let’s talk about something else. If Connor needs us, he knows where we are. This is between him and Beth. ” Emma has always been the voice of reason.

So we talk about work which was what brought us all together to begin with. This is our third summer working together, and we’ve been friends ever since. I’ve had to console Emma and Zoe through some major break-ups. Grayson had a death in the family, which was the hardest for me to deal with and the only thing I had to do for Alex was cover for him a few times with his girlfriend, who is now an ex. But I had no idea how I was going to deal with Connor’s problem. Nothing I can say or do could fix this.

Picking up a cold bottle of water from the fridge before I head upstairs, I decide to call Ashley to tell her about the eye candy I had the privilege of gawking at this morning.

The phone rings for a bit and I think for sure it will go to voicemail. “I miss you like crazy already,” I hear Ashley yell in the phone as she catches her breath.

“Where were you?” I had a vision of something naughty and prayed I didn’t interrupt anything. `

“Just getting out of the shower. Me and Mom are going shopping in a bit; hold on while I put my clothes on. ” I hear her giggle. “How are things going with your dad?” she asks.

“Oh Ash, we had a talk last night and it was my mom’s fault, not mine. He told me she had cheated on him and that’s why he left. All these years he never knew that she blamed me for his leaving. He feels terrible about it. ” I can feel the tears streaming down my face.

“He should feel bad; this went on for twelve years! You were just a kid and had to deal with this shit all by yourself. ” Ashley sounds pissed.

“I know it was you and your mom that have been there for me and I’ll always be grateful. But it would be wonderful to have the love of a parent. I have to give my dad a chance. ” I’m sobbing uncontrollably.

“Riley, I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to make you cry. You deserve to be happy more than anyone else I know.”

“I’ll let you go, Ash; I have to shower and get my shit together before Dad gets home. ” I’m trying so hard not to sound angry.

“Please don’t be mad at me Riley. ” When she ends the call I feel let down.

After talking with Ashley I’m so annoyed that I decide to go for a run. Changing into a pair of shorts, tank top, and running shoes, I twist my hair up into a ponytail as I head downstairs. Since I’ve never run on the beach before I opt out of taking my iPod, hoping the sounds of the ocean will calm me down.

Standing by the back gate I do a few stretches before I take off running down the beach. The salty air licks at my face as my feet find a rhythm with the crashing of the surf. My lungs expand with each breath I take and it feels exhilarating.

As I slow down I can see the lifeguard towers up ahead letting me know I’ve gone too far. When I bend over to catch my breath that’s when I realize I’d forgotten to take a water bottle with me. I’m sure I must be well past the private beach so I decide to head home anyway. I’m dying of thirst.

But by the time I get home my tank top’s soaked with sweat, so taking off my socks and shoes I dive into the cool ocean. As I ride the waves, a feeling of déjà vu causes me to giggle one minute and burst into tears the next. A feeling of such loneliness consumes me that I can’t catch my breath so I start to hyperventilate as a wave crashes over me.

Suddenly, I feel strong arms wrap around my waist as I look up to see Hunter staring down at me. He scoops me up, holding me tightly against his chest as my arms circle around his neck. When he’s back onshore he sits down, cradling me in his lap. I can feel him trembling as he lifts my chin with his fingertips. “I gotcha; you’re okay now. ” He uses the pad of his thumb as he wipes away my tears. “I thought you were drowning,” he whispers as he leans his head against mine.

“I was crying so much I couldn’t catch my breath… I guess I started hyperventilating. That freaked me out.” It feels so good with his arms wrapped around me that I don’t want to move. Then I realize no one has ever held me, comforted me the way Hunter is right now. I feel safe snuggled up in his lap with his arms secured around me.

“There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you. ” My dad says as he makes his way towards us.

Hunter stiffens at the sound of my father’s voice. When he stands up he places me on my feet as he rubs his hands up and down my arms. “Are you all right now?” I nod my head as he bends down, leaving a warm lingering kiss on the corner of my mouth, now I’m going to faint.

All I wanted to do was go for a swim and follow it up in the Jacuzzi with a bottle of beer. I’m fucking twenty-one years old and alone on a Saturday night.

That’s when I see Riley in the water laughing hysterically, then in the same instant this beautiful woman is sobbing uncontrollably. Without hesitating I dove in, reaching her just as a wave crashed over her, ready to drag her under. When I grabbed her around the waist and our eyes connected for a split second, my heart shattered. I know that look very well, because it’s the same one I see every time I look in the mirror—forsaken.

Suddenly I’m so angry that I want to punch the wall or scream until I lose my voice. I feel my demons about to drag me under again. I need to get the hell out of here. Grabbing the keys to my Jeep I bolt out the door.

I’m driving with no clue as to where I’m going, destination unknown. A bar or anyplace that requires a shirt and shoes is out of the question because I still have my shorts on. Before all this happened I was going for a swim and I can’t call anyone because I left my damn phone at home.

After I’ve driven around aimlessly for about an hour, I decide to head home. I’m thinking the only thing that’s going to help me recover from this night is to get shitfaced. My only dilemma is, should I do that before or after the Jacuzzi?

First I sprint upstairs to grab a six pack before heading back down to take off the cover and start it up. As I slip in I let the heat from the bubbles envelope me before twisting off a cap and tipping it back. When I feel my body relaxing I close my eyes, but all I see is Riley’s sad face looking back at me.

Hearing a shuffling noise behind me I tighten the grip on my bottle as I whirl around. Riley’s standing there, wide-eyed, clutching a towel to her chest. She turns to walk away.

“There’s plenty of room in here for the both of us. I don’t bite. ” It comes out desperate instead of teasingly.

“I don’t mean to intrude. I couldn’t sleep. ” She smiles, walking over.

“You’re not intruding; in fact, if you’d like to be alone I can leave. ” When I stand up she places her hand on my arm.

“Please stay; I’ve been alone enough to last me a lifetime. ” Riley leans back as a sigh escapes that perfect mouth before she says, “I wanted to thank you for today but my dad interrupted us. When I came back from my run I was so hot I jumped in to cool off, but it must have been a shock to my body. ” She laughs nervously.

She’s staring directly into my eyes; there’s so much I want to say but I don’t know her well enough. She’s only been here for twenty-four hours and she’s already crawled under my skin. Her eyes are the darkest blue, like storm clouds rolling in off the ocean. Her hair’s the color of melted chocolate and she has the face of an angel. She’s smoking hot and I’m fantasizing about her body quivering underneath me, screaming my name.

“You’re more than welcome, but let’s not have an encore performance any time soon. ” When I wink her cheeks take on a healthy blush.

Riley moves closer. She’s staring at my chest. “I don’t remember seeing that tattoo earlier; it’s beautiful. ” My hand immediately tries to cover it as she pulls my hand away. “Whoever did this is a true artist. The details are incredible. Who’s Brady, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“When I’m working I can’t have any tattoos showing so I use actor’s makeup to cover it up. ” I’m stalling, I’m not ready to answer her question.

She looks up at me confused. “Earlier today your tattoo wasn’t covered?” When I shake my head no, she says, “I must have been really out of it because I never noticed it. ”

This is a good time to leave. When I stand up, Riley reaches out to grab my arm trying to stop me. “So you never told me who Brady is. ”

“It’s late; I should get going. Do you want me to put the cover back on?” I see the hurt in her eyes as she gazes up at me.

“You can put the cover on; I’m tired now. ” She starts to walk away.

Reaching out to grab her hand, my thumb sweeps the inside of her wrist. It feels like silk. “Riley please don’t be angry. I promise I’ll answer all of your questions, but not tonight. It’s too complicated to get into right now. ”

“I hope you’re not the kind of guy who makes promises he doesn’t keep. ” She lays her hand on my chest over my tattoo. Putting my hand on top of hers I lean into her so that our foreheads are touching. “I never make promises that I don’t keep; I’m not like other guys. ” Why did I say that, because I so am one of those guys! Bending down I lightly brush my lips against hers. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight. ”

When I watch her walk away I breathe a sigh of relief; it’s only a matter of time before I have to answer all of her questions and I’m dreading it already. The last thing I need is for her to feel sorry for me; I’ve been on my own for three years. However, there’s a difference between need and want. I
want
Riley Hamilton.

When I try to fall asleep there’s a slideshow being played out on my eyelids. Hunter’s in the Jacuzzi with a beer in his hand, his head’s tipped back, lips parted and he looks like he’s in ecstasy. I felt like I was intruding on a private moment and that had me wondering if he was alone.

Then I heard him say that there was plenty of room for the both of us, so I joined him.

As I sat down my eyes roamed over every inch, of exquisite inch, of his tanned and chiseled body. I could never get tired of looking at him. He’s perfection. Then I noticed the tattoo over his heart—a picture of a young boy, and he’s laughing. It’s done in black ink so it makes me wonder what color his eyes are. His hair looks like it would be wavy, not straight. The details are incredible; it looks like a photograph that was stuck permanently to his skin. The name “Brady” is curved underneath. Who could it be and why doesn’t he want to talk about him?

When I asked him about it, he immediately shut down. One minute we were flirting with each another and the next minute he’s dismissing me. I’ve run into him three times in one day and every time I meet a different Hunter. One is flirty and sexy as all hell, then there’s one who is gentle and loving, and the last one is sad and guarded. I’m not liking that one much.

The last boy who made me promises he didn’t keep was the one I gave my virginity to, back when I was sixteen. I wanted someone to love me so desperately that I believed anything he told me. I was so gullible. He never told me he was moving to Colorado with his parents, and three weeks later he was gone. It happened all most two years ago and I promised myself I would never be that stupid girl again.

But when I felt Hunter’s heart pulsating underneath the palm of my hand as his lips brushed against mine, I became that stupid girl again. There’s a connection between Hunter and I; I feel it every time his eyes meet mine, especially when he touches me. It’s like the air surrounding us is electrically charged, like after a storm. His lips brushing mine is the last thought I have before finally drifting off to sleep.

Someone’s knocking on my bedroom door, waking me up from the best dream I’ve ever had. Now I’ll never know if the girl gets the guy or not. Damn.

“Come in. ” It comes out kind of raspy.

Dad walks in looking embarrassed. “Morning Riley, we were worried since we hadn’t seen you since last night. Why don’t you get dressed and Rosie will make you anything you want. I’ll see you downstairs in a bit. ”

After he leaves I throw on some clothes, brush my teeth and run a brush through my hair. I check my phone to see several missed calls from Ashley. I’ll call her back later when I have more time to talk. Right now I’m starving!

The smells that are coming from that kitchen are amazing! Rosie must be cooking something Italian because the smell of onions and garlic are wafting through the air. As I round the corner I see several pots simmering on the stove.

“Good afternoon, Riley. ” Rosie calls out from over her shoulder while stirring a pot. “There are last night’s leftovers, unless you would like me to make you something. ”

“Leftovers are fine. ” Heading over to the fridge I grab some cold fried chicken and pasta salad. After fixing my plate I sit at the island so I can talk to Rosie.

“So what are you making that smells so delicious?” I ask.

“I’m making my famous lasagna and garlic bread. Your dad requested it for dinner tonight. ” She looks up at me smiling.

“Rosie, can I ask you a question?” I hope she won’t think I’m prying.

“Sure, anything you want, Riley. ” She turns around, leaning against the sink.

“Do you know the boy who’s tattooed on Hunter’s chest?” I can’t believe I’m putting her on the spot like that.

“Why don’t you ask him?" Her brows pinch together.

“He wouldn’t tell me. ” When I finish eating I place my dishes in the sink.

Why doesn’t anyone want to tell me who Brady is? Now what the hell am I supposed to do with the rest of my day?