Bound (Bound Hearts #1) (7 page)

“Let me guess. By that mischievous smile on your face, it’s a he?”

“Yes. I saw Courtland last night.”

Gram chuckled. “And how did that go?”

I couldn’t contain the blush that stole across my cheeks.

“Oh. My. That well? What happened?”

“He kissed me.”

I hadn’t been at The Town Ba
r for anything, but to get drunk, or at least obtain a good buzz. If I would’ve gotten too drunk I knew I would’ve just stayed at the motel across the street. I hadn’t really felt like dancing, but one cute cowboy, maybe a few years younger than me, wanted a spin, and he was kinda gangly and kinda wet behind the ears, so I knew he wouldn’t have tried anything. I went ahead and danced. I had that last double and I was feeling really good. We danced to a fast song, than a sexy Chase Rice song came on and I was still feeling so relaxed that I hadn’t realized when the hands changed on my hips. I felt them get firmer and when I felt the guy behind me place his mouth on my neck, I didn’t care. Those hands felt amazing. Then, he had to open his damn mouth.

Ugh.

I shouldn’t have liked it as much as I did. But I loved it. I’ve never been kissed like that. Dammit. A good year and a half of not having sex, or even thinking about getting with a guy, was destroyed when he bit me.

I raised my hand to where I could still feel the indents of the markings. They felt absolutely delicious. I have never liked it
when guys left hickeys. I belonged to no man. Not even when drunk. Susie took me out plenty of times. Every time I got onto the bestsellers list, we celebrated by going out on the town. I never got wasted, but I danced with plenty of guys. When their mouths ever got too close, I stopped them and danced with someone else. No one was claiming this chick, but I let Courtland mark me.

I never thought I would be attracted to him as
a woman. I mean as kids-well, when I was seventeen, he wasn’t really a kid since he was twenty-two-I never pictured he’d ever be interested in a girl as young as me. Or attracted to me in any other way, but as a kid sister. Of course, I thought he was hot when I was younger. I mean what girl wouldn’t have a little or mega crush on him? He had bad boy written all over him. As in tattoos. I know a lot of women thought he was just some white trash country boy, but he had a heart of gold and saved me from myself so many times, I couldn’t count them. He was so sweet and good to me. Never teased me or taunted me for being a good girl and a pastor’s daughter. He was just there. So, he got my loyalty and friendship. That was before he left without a good-bye. Then, I felt just a bit different. Angry.

H
e had the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. They’re the color of evergreen. Just light enough to almost be the color of fresh grass. Last night, I had seen them darken with desire and I got lost in them. Damn. I really wanted to kiss him again.

“Yoo-hoo! Adelaide.”

I was shaken out of my daydream as Gram had waved her hand in front of my face, trying to get my attention.

“Who? What?”

“I lost you there. Must’ve been quite a kiss.”

“Yeah. Quite a kiss. The best.” I looked at Gram and started laughing. “Crazy
, but true. I never thought I’d be attracted to him like that. I mean as kids, he was a best friend. But Gram,” I was swooning. Shit. I even laid my head on my hand and leaned against the table. “Gram. It was leg-popping perfect. Passionate, sweet and melt my insides deliciously perfect.”

“Why don’t you go see him? Have some fun before you have to work all week?”

Could I do it? I knew if I saw Courtland again, I might end up smacking him, then kissing him until I ripped off his clothes and took all that man for myself. Abandoning me be damned. I felt his erection against me last night and I wanted it so bad.

Hey
! A seriously long time without real sex would put any girl in a hurry with a hot body laid out before them.

“I couldn’t Gram. I don’t even have his number anyways. I don’t plan on seeing him until the BBQ probably.”

“You have JR’s number. Call him and get it.”

Ugh. Couldn’t argue with that.

“Why are you so, I don’t know. Wanting me to see him?”

“You should have some fun with people your own age. Go hangout with him or JR. It’s early girl. Live a little.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure it’s a great idea.”

“Hmm. Maybe you’re right. May I borrow your phone real quick?”

“Yes, of course.”

Thinking nothing of it, I handed her my phone and I continued eating. The burger was so good and I finished up the las
t bite when I heard her say, “No, sorry. This is Adelaide’s grandmother, but you can call me Gram, dear.”

What the hell!

“Gram! What are you doing? Gimme my phone!”

“I need Courtland’s number. Or you could always come get your cousin and take her out. She’s in desperate need to hang out with kids her own age.”

Face plant.

I’m gonna kill her.

“GRAM! Gimme that damn phone! Now!”

“Yes, please have him call her at his earliest convenience.”

“GGGRRR! Gram!”

She reached out of
the way when I tried grabbing the phone away from her.

“Yes, please have him give her a call. That would be ever so sweet of you JR. I hope to meet you Saturday at the BBQ. Bye-bye sweetie.”

She extended her arm to give me my phone, when I snatched it out of her hand.

“Gram. That was wrong on so many levels. If he calls me, I’m not gonna know what to say. I don’t talk to people on the phone. I don’t know how! I text. I’m a texter.”

“Well, dear. Maybe he is, too.”

“Gram.”

“Adelaide. You need some fun.”

“I doubt he calls me. He might have kissed me, but I doubt I’m his type. He probably goes for the tall, dumb and easy.”

What was I saying? If I wasn’t having abandonment issues with him, I’d totally be short, dumb and easy. He sure grew up to be one hot sexy-

‘You’re shakin’ that money maker like a college major’

My Thomas Rhett ‘Get Me Some of That’ ring tone played and I stared at Gram with wide opened eyes!

“No!”

I looked down and the number was a 281 area code and unknown. I didn’t have this number in my phone!

“I-

Before I knew it, Gram snatched the phone from my hand and answered it.

“Hello, Adelaide’s phone. Gram speaking.”

I knew I looked like a deer caught in headlights. Frozen with fear.

Please don’t be Courtland. Please don’t be Courtland.

“Oh. My. Yes, it is. Of course dear. It’s for you Addy-dear.”

I looked up at Gram and her blushing cheeks. WTF? I heard myself growl in irritation. Taking the phone back, I put it to my ear. “What?”

I was feeling prickly. And irritated. And aroused.

Then
, he spoke. Oh yeah. Definitely short, dumb and easy.

He wanted to see me.

“Yeah, why not?”

Courtland

When JR called me trying to tell me Adelaide wanted to talk to me, I laughed.

“JR, trust me, she doesn’t wanna gimme her damn number. She sure got stubborn over the years. But it doesn’t matter. I got her number. I was gonna let her cool down. We had an argument.”

“Ha. Of course she got stubborn. She grew up, bro. Besides, it wasn’t Addy who told me to tell you to call her. It was her grandmother. Who insisted on me calling her Gram. Strange lady. So, who gave you her number?”

“After she bailed on me last night, I called a buddy from the Marines and got him to get me her info.”

“Holy shit, dude. That’s kinda illegal ain’t it?”

“O’ damn well. I needed it and I
wanted to know everything I could about her. You know she’s a writer? Pretty big one too. Writes romance and shit.”

I was sitting at home watching a baseball game when he called.

“No shit? Wow. Well, if you don’t wanna see her, I do. I haven’t talked to her yet. Or seen her since she left ten damn years ago. You weren’t the only one she left behind. She was like a best friend to me, too. Family of course, but if I recall, we were probably her only friends, too. I wanna see her.”

“No, JR. I’ll call her.”

I got off the horn with JR and I called her number. “Hello, Adelaide’s phone. Gram speaking.”

Using the low husky southern drawl I knew would melt any woman’s heart, I said, “Hello. Gram
, is it?”

The older woman’s breathing hitched as she said
, “Oh. My. Yes, it is.”

“Nice to speak to you. Maybe we’ll meet soon. May I speak with Adelaide, please ma’am?”

“Of course, dear. It’s for you Addy-dear.”

Got the Grandma wrapped around my finger. Nothing like a southern drawl to get a girls heart pumping.

“What?” She growled into the phone.

I laughed. I knew she di
dn’t want me having her number, but I sure as hell was gonna get her to come see me. “Adelaide. Come see me. I live off Crisper Pike. Remember where that is? It’s a few roads from Chet’s place.”

I was waiting in anticipation for her answer. She would probably say no. In which I would call her out and call her a coward. She couldn’t back down from that. Just as I was gonna say something, she said, “Yeah. Why not?”

“Alright. Where you staying?”

“Ha. I’m not telling you. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Not that I needed her to tell me. Bryan gave me plenty of info. Well, everything. Down to her phone and address in Hankerton, to how much she loves cupcakes and her author name. I thought I’d give her a chance to open up, but it seems like she’s not going there. Well, yet anyways. I’d get her to let me in.

It took Bryan six hours to get what I needed
, and when he told me she wrote from Young Adult to ‘Romantica’. (Yeah that was a genre, romance and erotica.) I went down to Barnes & Noble to see if I could find a book with Phoenix Houston. Interesting pen name. The fire bird she had branded on her back came to mind. I really wanted to see that tat again. If I got extremely lucky. I would tonight. If I was
very
lucky.

I bought her latest book, ‘Come to Me’, it was a
n erotic romance. The clerk at the register looked to the cover of the half-naked guy with tattoos all over him, then back to me. Then the book, and back to me. She tilted her head as her eyes flickered a few times between the cover and myself.

“Yes. I wanna buy it.”

She then smiled and rang me up. She bagged it and leaned over the counter until I had to back up an inch. She whispered, “It’s really good. One of the steamiest reads I’ve read in a long while.” She backed up and with a funny look on her face, she said, “Enjoy.”

Yeah. It was high time to tail the fuck outta there. I wasn’t embarrassed to be buying a damn chick book, but when a chick looked at me like I was a goddamn meal, and she was starving, was time for me to beat feet. Besides when I looked to see how many books she already had out, she had a lot. I was damn fucking proud of her. I always saw her writing when we were younger.

I had gotten home and started reading it. I was about half way when I had to stop. Holy shit. This girl had some wicked fantasies. Dominance and submission? Being tied up? Bikers? How did this girl learn about all this shit? Damn. First romance book I’ve ever read. Had no idea books like these could be in public. Of course I’ve heard about this whole ‘Fifty Shades’ stuff, but what was that really? One chick I hooked up with told me about the book and how maybe we should try something from it. I was like WTF? No. I left during the bang and shot out of there. Crazy chick.

This book
had some wicked sex kinkery to it. Did women feel all hot and bothered after reading one of these? She actually did a really amazing job at the action. The hero was a Marine and he had to rescue the heroine from the jungles of an African rebel camp. There was special attention to the detail and I was happy it wasn’t about some virgin. The heroine could kick ass if she had the ability to do it. But after she was rescued and they got stateside their ‘passion’ or whatever, sparked or whatever. I had to stop after the first sex act. It was
waaay
too much for my first time.

The fact Adelaide could write something like this
, amazed me. I couldn’t wait to see her.

After waiting an hour and a half for her, there was a knock on the back door. Back door? I walked through the house and I had the porch light on
, when I saw her waiting nervously, but when she saw me coming, she lifted her chin with confidence.

Damn. She was one hot number. Jeans feathered with worn thin spots
, where I could see her skin and a Georgia University Bulldog shirt that looked so worn, it was thinned out and tight on her breasts. It was barely there, but I saw the tips of her nipples pebbling through the red material of her shirt.

I opened the back door and swept my hand to let her in.

“Back door huh? Like old times?”

She laughed and walked passed me. “Yeah, something like that. Nice home. Did you buy or build?”

She had a wine bottle clutched tight in her hands, and a small purse thingie around her wrist.

“I built it. Just finished putting the last touches. So there’s not much here
, except for the living room, my bedroom and just a few items in between.

Her eyes caught on mine, “
You
built this? Like, own two hands built this?”

“Well
, yeah. I mean JR helped a lot. Wanna glass for that, or do you plan on sipping from the bottle?”

She looked down to the bottle, smirked, looked back at me while rolling her eyes. “What-the-fuck-ever
, Phillips. I’ll only drink from the bottle if you don’t have glasses. But, I’m sure you have something we could drink these out of. So don’t be an ass and get us some.”

Walking over to the glass cabinet
, I asked, “Is this a new development? Or have you really always been so damn bitchy?”

She burst out laughing. “I guess I deserved that. After storming away like a five year old last night. No, I won’t apologize. My reasons are my own. Nothing to concern yourself with.
Let’s just start over.”

“No. Can’t do that.”

Exasperated, she sighed huffily, “Why the hell not?”

“Okay. Rule number one. You’ve gotta stop cursing at me. That’s rude. And no, I can’t do that because I had my mouth on yours and it was the best fucking lip lock I’ve ever had so
, I’d rather not forget about it.”

Her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped with awe. I grabbed two glasses while still looking at her and walked over. I put them down, opened the island drawer to bring out the wine opener and popped the bottle’s cork.

“Cat got your tongue, babe?” She nodded. I laughed. I took our small glasses of wine in one hand walked around the island until I could place my free hand at the small of her back, and I led her into the living room. She looked around at the bare essentials. Couch. Coffee table. Entertainment center. Stacks of DVDs piled next it.

I directed her to the couch, set
our drinks down on the coasters and asked her to sit. She sat at the edge of the couch. Almost not knowing what to do with herself or her hands.

“You okay?”

She nodded, still speechless. I shook my head and went to go grab a movie. I didn’t know what she might like, but I took out an old Bruce Willis movie.

“Hope you don’t mind
, but I’m gonna put in Die Hard.”

I moved to
put the Blu-ray disc in, when I heard her gulp and say, “Yeah. Great…ass” that last part was whispered so low that if I wasn’t trained in the Marines to listen to detail, I probably wouldn’t have heard it. I steeled myself, so I wouldn’t burst out laughing. I knew I wasn’t the only one effected, or attracted. She felt it. She just had no idea what to do with it. I would love to show her how to harness all that attraction.

I stood up and walked back to the couch. Her eyes were glued to my crotch. Fuck me. She was something else. At the last moment, she grabbed her snifter glass of wine and swallowed the contents in one full sweep.

“You okay?”

She shook her head to clear the dirty ass cobwebs and
images out of her head I guess, and said with more confidence than she had, “Yes. Why wouldn’t I be? Can I have more wine?”

I nodded,
turned and just before I walked out the room, I turned, looking over my shoulder, and damn if she was staring at my ass. “Up here, Adelaide.”

She coughed and turned her head back to the TV.

‡

We were half way through the movie and she had
finally
relaxed back, when I started playing with her hair. I was still paying attention to the TV, but when she felt my hand twirl a few locks, she stiffened and straightened her back just enough to not be too noticeable. I could see her breathing start to accelerate and I could see the pulse in her neck flaring wildly. I slowly untwined my hand from her hair and played it off to drink some wine. I really didn’t care for wine. Too bitter for my taste, but it had seemed to calm Adelaide down, until now.

I sipped slowly and she relaxed
again. Maybe she had a thing for when people touched her hair. Hmm. I didn’t try touching her hair again, but I laid my arm on the back side of the couch and she relaxed enough that the motion let her curl into my side. When she went to move, I put my hand on her shoulder.

“Stay. It’s okay. Relax.” I wanted her to feel safe with me. I didn’t know how else to tell her. She took off a hair tie from her wrist and toppled her hair into a messy bun on the crown of her head and she curled
back into my side. I loved feeling her there.

She fit just right in the crook of my shoulder. Like she belonged there. She
did
belong there. I was
not
going there. Nope.

She was nestling more into me when I heard her whisper, “You still wear that?”

I looked down at her. Her diamond blue eyes full of questions. “Still wear what?”

Her hand reached up and traced the shells of the necklace she gave me years ago. Her eyes were stuck on it when I reached my knuckle to tip her chin up
so she could look up at me. “Why wouldn’t I wear it? Adelaide, it’s the first present I ever got. Besides JR you were my best friend Adelaide. The only times I ever took it off is when I shower or when I was in the Marines. Couldn’t wear it while on active duty. I kept it with me though. In my inside pocket. I’ll wear it until it falls apart and when it does, I’ll keep it on me until the day I die.”

Tears had fallen from her face at my confession and now that I said it, I wasn’t taking it back for nothing. It was the stone cold truth. No one had ever given me anything before then. Chet always gave me baseball caps. Or guy gifts.

“Really, Courtland?”

I knew she needed reassurance
, but the only thing I could do was lift her face up to mine and plant an easy kiss to her lips.

“Really, really.”

She hugged me tight and snuggled into me. “I remember making it. I had no idea how, until the woman at Hobby Lobby told me. For some reason I was so adamant in making you one. I had a shell obsession phase. I loved them. I would never have thought you would have kept it all these years. It does look really good on you. Especially with all those tattoos you sport.” She started laughing.

“Laughing at me? I think the beach boy in me is appalled at your mockery.”

“Beach boy? HA! My ass. There is no beach boy in you.”

She was right, but I couldn’t resist in tickling her sides
in retaliation.

She started laughing and squirming and trying to wrestle away
, but I was having none of that. Her body turned and I ended up crawling over her, one hand on the sofa kept me from crushing her, as I tickled her with the other.