Complicated Relationships (The Southern Devotion Series Book 3) (7 page)

They both nodded without letting go of the bottles. "Why don’t we go check into the cabin and get some lunch? We can also swim at the pool or maybe fish if you'd like. Your dad brought his fishing equipment." She said to Katelyn before turning her attention to me. "Tristan, do you fish?"

"I've never tried fishing but I've always wanted to."

We hauled ourselves up the two flights of stairs back to the parking lot. The walk down wasn’t too bad; the walk up was a lot more difficult. At the top, I pulled Lanie aside. "If this weekend becomes uncomfortable to you, at any point, we'll leave. OK?"

"I'm fine, Tristan. Derrick and I went out once; it's not like we had this long term relationship or even feelings for each other."

"Alright. I wanted to make sure."

"And that's one of the things I like about you, you're very considerate." She kissed my lips softly then took my hand and pulled me toward the car to catch up with the others.

Chapter Eleven

Southern Comfort

We spent the rest of the day letting the girls swim at the pool with Mary Jane keeping watch while Derrick, Lanie, and I fished from the deck of the cabin. The three of us couldn't have had a more awkward past together but if you walked up you'd never have known we weren’t the best of friends. Any discomfort had passed not long after we left the Cascades area.

The inside of the cabin was very simple but had all the amenities of home. Two bedrooms, two baths, a full-size kitchen, and a pull-out couch in the living room. Derrick and I carried all the luggage to the different rooms to get everyone settled for the night.

"Can we roast marshmallows before we go to sleep?" Katelyn asked, pulling on Derrick's arm.

"Kid, we didn't bring marshmallows."

Timidly, Lanie spoke up, "Um, I did." We all seemed taken aback, so she shrugged her shoulders and said, "I love roasted marshmallows. When Tristan told me we were coming this weekend, it was the first thing I bought. If it's ok with you, Derrick, I'd be glad to roast them with the girls."

"Sure. I can start a fire out in the pit outside," Derrick offered.

"No need. We can use the stove." She led the girls over to the stove and flipped on one of the eyes. "We'll turn it up to high and you roast it the same. Oh, is there a hanger or something we can use?"

I searched through the drawers of the cabin and found a large cooking fork. "How about this?"

"Perfect." She speared two large marshmallows on the fork, held them above the glowing orange eye of the stove, and we watched as they began to brown. One caught fire, and she turned it slowly letting the flame spread along the fluffy treat to coat it evenly. Once it was sufficiently toasted, she extinguished the flame with a quick breath and handed the first two treats to Katelyn and Macy.

"Tristan, we now must have marshmallows at the house so I can do this more often." Macy had a mouthful of the toasted sticky treat as she mumbled these words.

"Sure, why not," I said laughing.

"I need one or four of those marshmallows please, for the baby, of course," Mary Jane said with a wink.

"Yes ma'am, let's get the pregnant lady what she wants." I grabbed the fork from Lanie and began to toast two more.

For the next hour, we filled up with the sugary goodness of burnt gooey marshmallows. It seemed like bad parenting to send the kids to bed all hopped up on sugar but at least they had a TV to keep them occupied.

It was midnight when we went to our separate rooms to sleep. Lanie and I took the bedroom that had two double beds after Macy and Katelyn begged to be able to sleep on the pull-out couch so they could watch television. I certainly didn't argue. Lanie seemed perfectly content sharing a room and immediately claimed the bed closest to the window. I wanted to be closer to the door in case Macy needed me. She's fourteen going on thirty, but I still felt like she's a little girl sometimes.

“Goodnight, Lanie.”

“Goodnight, Tristan.”

We both said before turning the light out. The bed was soft, too soft. Tossing and turning drove me to the brink of insanity. I'd never be able to sleep this way. At one point, I glanced over at Lanie’s bed, and the moonlight illuminated her body. Her back faced me, and she wore nothing but a tank top and short shorts that allowed me to see the line of her dark lace panties.

The dull murmur of the television from the living room was the only sound I could hear. I needed to think of something besides Lanie's body. My mind wandered through different scenarios; each one grew dirtier than the next. The bed springs whimpered from Lanie shifting in her bed. The tank top inched up exposing her lower back. The top of a tattoo dipped down beneath her shorts, and I wanted to know what it was. I groaned out loud without intention. She rolled over and said, “Are you having trouble sleeping?”

I sighed, “Yeah, what about you?” Instead of answering my question she stood up and moved next to the bed I occupied. She pulled the covers up and slid underneath then wrapped her arm around my stomach with her head against my chest. “Is this too forward?” she asked.

“No. I promise to keep my hands to myself.”  I said through clenched teeth as my body began to respond to her closeness. All the fantasies I had a moment ago came flying back into my mind making it hard to concentrate.

Her bottom lip poked out then she whispered, “I was hoping you wouldn’t.”

And now she had offered the invitation to proceed with my desires. Am I dreaming? "Are you sure, it's like our third date?" I stuttered, overwhelmed at the thought that I could do things to this woman that I'd been envisioning since I laid eyes on her.

"Tristan, when a woman is of sound mind and body, completely sober, and asking you to touch her, don't ask questions." She cupped her hand behind my neck and pulled me forward into a fiercely passionate kiss, slipping her tongue gingerly between my lips. There would be no more arguments from me.  Only she could stop us now, my engine is on go and full speed ahead. My hands moved up inside her shirt relishing the feel of her silky skin. My lips moved to her neck tasting the coconut and pineapple scent of her skin.

She lifted up onto the bed and pushed me down on my back. Straddling my waist she slowly lifted her shirt exposing a little skin at a time, all the while seductively teasing with her hips gyrating against me. My hands follow hers as I helped push her shirt further up. Tracing the underside of her breasts with my thumbs, I harden instantly beneath her. She gasped as she felt me between her legs. Pushing her shirt over her breasts, I begin to rub my hands over her taut nipples, rolling them between my fingers. She tossed her head back and bucked her hips against me until I couldn't take it anymore.  I yanked the shirt over her head and rolled her over. Together we pulled our shorts and underwear off in a rush before I thrust inside her causing her to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

She pushed me over onto my back to straddle me again. As she rode me, I tossed my head back against the pillow in pure ecstasy enjoying the feel of being inside this amazingly beautiful woman. When we came together in perfect unity, I also came to my senses. "I'm sorry; that wasn't very romantic."

"Tristan, stop acting like I'm a virginal school girl that needs her first time to be perfect and romantic. We're both adults; we've both had sex before, and we both were hot for each other tonight. Am I right?"

"Yes, but I don’t want you to be a one-night stand. I want us to be more than that." I pulled her face to mine, kissing her softly. "If you're up for it, I can show you the romantic side now."

"Oh, I'm up for it."

Starting at her jaw line, I begin to trace soft kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, and atop the swell of her breasts. When I took her nipple in my mouth, she arched her back with a moan of pleasure. There was a glass of water beside the bed; I reached over to grab an ice cube from it. She gasped in shock as I touched it to her breast, then relaxed as my mouth trailed the ice to gather up the moisture. Moving down her body, I allowed the frozen cube to melt against her abdomen, dripping trails of water in different directions over her skin. My tongue darted out to catch the drop running towards her core before dipping down to taste her. She arched up again and let out a deep moan before covering her mouth to stay quiet. I wanted to hear her moans, but I knew that we had to keep from waking the others. Her legs rested against my back. Each time I hit the right spot I felt her toes curl against my spine.

She flailed around, and I knew she was close. I climbed above her and moved between her legs, teasing her until she begged me to be inside her.

Afterward, she pressed up against me with her head against my chest, legs thrown over mine. "That was definitely more romantic," she sighed.

Kissing her forehead I said, "I hope this doesn’t sound cheesy or weird, but I really like you Lanie."

She smiled up at me, "I really like you too."

I awoke in the morning, the night before feeling like a dream until I noticed the beautiful naked woman lying in my arms.  Her auburn hair fell over her eyes, and her lips were in a pout as she slept. It would be easy for me to fall in love with this woman. In fact, I felt as though I'd already begun my descent.

Chapter Twelve

Giving in to Trust

Once she gets to sleep, it seemed Lanie could sleep through anything. I'd spent the last hour staring at her, planting kisses along her skin, and even sucking on her neck trying to wake her. She moaned but never stirred awake. "Lanie," I whispered against her ear, flicking my tongue against the lobe.

The door opened, and Macy said, "Good Morning, Tristan."  I tossed the blanket over Lanie quickly and sat up keeping myself covered. "Oh. Sorry!"

Macy closed the door quickly with a giggle. Embarrassment crept up my face with what she would relay to MJ and Derrick. I sighed and slid on my boxer briefs and then a pair of jeans before going to greet them. I kissed Lanie's head and tried to wake her once more with no luck.

Closing the door quietly, I stepped into the living room area where Mary Jane and Derrick glanced up at me with the same knowing smile on their faces. "Sleep well?" Mary Jane asked.

"Locks on these doors would've made it better," I said ruffling Macy's hair.

"Where's Lanie? Derrick's got breakfast ready which is why we sent Macy to wake you up."

"She's a heavy sleeper. I've tried everything to wake her."

"She must have been exhausted," Derrick said with a smirk before MJ smacked him playfully.

"Mature, Derrick. Can we act like adults now?" I knew I'd never live this one down. They would use it against me for life.

"What fun would that be?" Derrick asked. He tipped his head toward the kitchen, "Go grab you some breakfast. We'll save her a plate."

Lanie stepped from the bedroom looking as beautiful as ever. Her dark auburn hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and the sweet aroma of her perfume drifted into my nose as she approached. "Good Morning," she said before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"I tried to wake you up."

"I'm practically dead to the world when I sleep." She turned her attention to MJ and Derrick. "Good Morning. Did you sleep well?"

Mary Jane grinned, "Yep. Tristan said you two had no troubles either."

It had taken a moment before Lanie looked up at me with shock. I held my hands up in surrender. "I don't kiss and tell. Macy barged in this morning and saw us in the bed together." Lanie sighed with relief. I could see that some of that distrust came to the surface again for a moment.

Mary Jane gathered up a tote bag with some snacks and cold waters from the fridge. She turned to me and suggested, "Why don't Derrick and I take the girls to hike down to the falls and give you two some alone time?"

Before I can say that sounds like a good idea, Lanie piped up and said, "I'd like to walk down to the falls too." She moved away before I could touch her and the rejection stung a bit. "I'll be right back; I'm going to change."

When she went into the bedroom, I turned back to Mary Jane. "Can you guys go on so I can talk to her. I'm not sure what's wrong."

Mary Jane placed her hand on my shoulder, kissed my cheek, then nodded as she helped get everyone out the door. Lanie came out of the bedroom a moment after they'd left. She looked around the room and asked, "Where did everyone go?"

"They went to do their hike. I asked them to so we could talk. Why are you avoiding me this morning?"

Lanie's eyes welled up as she pushed through the door and went out to the deck overlooking the lake. She stared out at the water without speaking when I stepped up behind her. Her body shook as I wrapped my arms around her. It wasn't from being cold; it was from the emotions taking over. When I moved to look at her face, it was soaked in tears. With my thumb, I wiped away a few then kissed the spot where they'd fallen. She closed her eyes with a sigh of release.

"Why are you crying, Lanie?" 

She pulled away from me and sat on a wooden bench next to the door. She patted the seat next to her. Once I sat down, I wrapped my arm around her again. "I've never had much to be happy about in life, Tristan. My parents were never around for me. My dad has never been in my life because they never married. My mom has been a drug addict for as long as I can remember. The only people that ever cared about me were my older brothers, but they all have their families now, and I rarely see them. When I turned eighteen, I qualified for a full scholarship to college, and I worked my butt off to graduate with honors in childhood education. Teaching children had been my dream because I had a teacher that had been better to me than my parents ever had, and I wanted to pay that forward to another child. Falling in love had never been in the plans."

Falling in love? Oh no, she is in love with Derrick, and this weekend made that even clearer for her it seems. I moved my arm away from her and put a little space between us. What a disaster; I could feel the anger bubbling inside me. Lanie would be the second girl that I lost to Derrick Collins. It isn't his fault, but it still hurt.

"After college I found a job with a local elementary school. I was the youngest teacher they had at only twenty-two.  They started me out with another teacher, Bradley, which I shadowed for my first year. During that year, we grew closer and then one day…"

Her words trailed off, and I tried to make sense of everything in my head. "Wait, so Bradley is the one you fell in love with, not Derrick?"

Lanie's head whipped around, "What? Tristan I told you, Derrick and I went out one time. There are no feelings there."

"I'm confused. I still don't understand why this story is making you cry?"

"I'm getting to the point," she promised sincerely. "I fell in love with Bradley, head over heels. He seduced me then trashed me to the principal afterward. He told them that I came to him and offered my body in exchange for help during the year. They fired me for fraternizing with a colleague and said I needed more time to mature. The next year I took a job at Katelyn's school. You'd think I'd learned my lesson about mixing business and pleasure, but I still asked Derrick out. The reason I'm upset is that I like you."

"Women are confusing," I said shaking my head. "I'm so lost."

"The one time I've been in love, he demolished me, Tristan. He trashed my dreams and broke my heart at the same time. After my date with Derrick, I knew that it was a bad road to go down again, and part of me was glad that he didn’t want to go out a second time. Now I'm falling in love with one of his best friends. I can't let the fact that I dated a parent get back to my school, or I could lose my job again."

"I don’t think you'd have to worry about losing your job for dating a parent. Is it in the rules?"

"They say it's frowned upon. There was another teacher who fell for a student's parent, and she quit to marry him. I'm not sure if they would've fired her or not but…Tristan it scares me. For the first time in my life, I'm happy, and if we don’t work out, I can't have you use this information against me."

Tracing my thumb across her cheek, I said, "I'd never use it against you. That's not who I am." Pausing I thought about everything she said and something dawned on me. "You're falling in love with me?"

"I think so." She bit her lip as a smile spread across her face. With my hand behind her neck, I pulled her close capturing those sweet cherry lips with mine. I pushed my fingers through her hair as she moaned against my mouth. She lifted herself up and straddled my waist on the bench.

"Do you want to go back inside?"

"Yes."

That was all I needed. We stood with our hands clasped as she pulled me into the cabin and straight to our bedroom.