Just A Step Away (Closer) (9 page)

Chapter 12

~Lanie~

I hadn’t wanted to move that morning. Lucas had felt so good. Being wrapped up in his arms felt even better.

A cheeky grin stretched across my face at the sight of him lying next to me. I had let my eyes roam slowly over his bare skin. He was a sinful sight, hard body and all man.

My mind wandered back to last night. Thinking about the way he touched me made my skin prickle with goose bumps. His touch felt like a burning fire that consumed every one of my senses. His mouth was sweet torture as he kissed his way over every inch of my exposed skin.

“Hello? Lanie?” My eyes flickered up to see Jasmine standing before me, holding up two plates with a slice of cake on each of them. “Ya gonna help me, or what?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“What’s wrong with you? You’re here, but you’re not here.” Jasmine looked at me, curious. “What the hell?”

“I’m good. Just got a lot on my mind right now. ” I shook my head. There was no way that I was going to talk to her about what happened last night. “You know, with the wedding and all.”

“You’re telling me. I feel like I’m going nuts with everything going on.” Jasmine brought a healthy size piece of cake up to her mouth and inhaled it. “So, have you let that juicy piece of man meat have a lick?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play with me, Lanie.” Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” she mumbled under her breath and rolled her eyes. “I see the way that man looks at you. He’s smitten stupid and, if you don’t see it, you’re just as stupid. If Mitchell looked at me like that, even a fraction close to that, I’d melt ten times over.”

My mind went into overdrive. What did she mean by “if”? She was marrying the bastard, for shit sake. Why would she marry him if she felt like this? “Are you having doubts, Jasmine? You know, about marrying him?”

She waved me off and went to take a seat in front of me. Her expression turned solemn as she sucked in a breath. I was paralyzed, not knowing what to do. I’d never seen her look so vulnerable before.

“You okay, Jas?” I hadn’t called her that since we were kids, but I couldn’t help it. She looked so broken.

She nodded her head, and I was shocked when I saw a tear slide down her cheek. The need to comfort my cousin was overwhelming. And surprising. This girl had made it her mission to make me and my brother miserable once upon a time. Yet, I wanted to help her out.

Instead, I remained quiet, waiting to see if she would let me in.

“I need to get out of here, Lanie. This place is suffocating and I feel like the walls are closing in on me. There’s so much more out there than Silver Springs, and I want to see it.”

Jasmine had always loved that place, or so I had thought. She was the queen of the country bumpkins, and what she was saying confused the hell out of me.

“I love him. Believe me, Lanie, I do.” She looked down at her hands, her fingers lacing together and her knuckles going white. “I just wonder sometimes if he’s truly in love with me.”

I shook my head because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She was marrying this guy just to leave Silver Springs?

And him? She didn’t know if he loved her?

All of it was so unlike Jasmine, the one with more self-esteem in her little pinky than most would have in a lifetime. She had always been the stronger one, never letting a single damn thing bring her down. And she exuded confidence like a swarm of locusts flying out of her ass in droves.

Not that I ever knew why, but she’d always believed herself the best. The most beautiful. Lord help her, the
smartest.
To see her experiencing doubt was odd. Even if I had wanted to turn my back on her, I couldn’t have.

“Jas.” I scooted my chair closer to her, cringing when I heard it scrape against the floor. The store owner turned around and gave me the stink eye. I lifted my brows at her, daring the woman to say something at a time like this. Satisfied when she didn’t, I turned to my cousin and continued, “…that isn’t a reason to marry him.”

I knew I was wrong putting my two cents in where they didn’t belong. Especially considering how our relationship usually was. But fuck, she was my cousin and I didn’t see any other way around it. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try to be that voice of reason.

I placed my hand on top of hers and smiled gently. “I know that you want to leave this place, explore the world, but is this the right way to do it? Having doubts about the person you’re going to marry isn’t good, Jasmine. It could ruin your marriage in the long run.”

I had seen the very same thing happen in my line of work too many times over. How many marriages were planned for the wrong reasons, only to collapse later? I believed in Karma, but in the end, no matter what, Jasmine was my family. I kind of didn’t want to see that happen to her.

Jasmine lifted her chin and swiped away tears from her cheeks that I hadn’t realized were there. She pulled in a long breath through her nose and then lifted her head to look at me. Her expression was stubborn and full of determination. She quickly stood up and ran her fingers through her long blonde hair.

“I’m doing this, Lanie. I’m going to marry Mitchell and even if he’s not in love with me, there’s always time for that.” Jasmine looked down at me. “If you breathe a word about this conversation to anyone, I’ll deny it. You left on bad terms. Nobody will believe you.”

My heart squeezed and I felt it plummet to my belly at her words. Not only that, but for two seconds there, no matter how stupid, I had felt close to her. If I hadn’t already felt like an ass hat for leaving Silver Springs and hurting my family, her words solidified that feeling to the nth degree. Reigning in my guilt and the hurt she’d just caused me, I watched my cousin walk toward the exit of the building without so much as picking out the cake. The thought that she was hurting right then bothered me, but there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing.

She and I weren’t really close. And even if I kept trying to voice my opinion, she’d never hear it anyway. In Jasmine’s word, she was never wrong. Ever.

I had no choice but to order and pay for the wedding cake on my own. As soon as I was done, I then ran out of the store quickly, trying to catch up to Jasmine.

Chapter 13

~Lucas~

Warm skin. Wet skin. Perfect heart shaped mouth. Tight plump ass with the cutest dimples right above her...

“Son, you better have a good reason for being naked in my barn, sportin’ tent without the…um…tent.”

I shot straight up. Everything was blurry and my eyes were still heavy from sleep. My chest tightened as my head whipped from the left to the right. Lanie was gone. Like really, really gone. And—

Oh shit!

“Yep,” her dad drawled out, tipping the bill of his ball cap back a fraction.

I reflexively threw both of my hands over my dick and wished for instant death. Anything other than that—Lanie’s dad standing there and staring right at me.

Perhaps instant death would be on the menu for the day.

“Easy there, son.” Bucky’s palm gently landed on both of my dick encasing hands, and I jerked back like a fucking loony fuck, pulling my dick way too far away from my body.

Yeah, instant fucking death.

“Well, it’s too damn late now, son. I was gonna tell ya to relax until your little fellow went back to normal. No need now. Ya probably crushed your nuts.”

I was still in a shit storm of embarrassment when, after ten minutes and a deflated dick later, I rolled over to my side. I wanted to puke or punch something. Not only that, but I was surprised that Bucky wasn’t punching me right about now.

In all of my years that I have been with women, I have never once been caught by their parents. Never. And not only was I being stared at by Lanie’s dad, the man was staring at my naked ass.

Literally.

Bucky pursed his lips and his brows shot up. “You know, son, if you’re into animals,” he said like it wasn’t the most vomit-inducing thing to be accused of, “I guess I can…overlook that. But how’s about ya leave mine alone, huh? Old Man Cotter from up the road, now I don’t care whatcha do with his. He’s a cranky ol’e son of a bitch that—”

“Wait! Huh? Oh hell no!” My palms flew in the air and I shook my head. “I am in no way into that kind of shit, dude. Animals just aren’t my thing.”

“That’s good to know, son. I was beginning to think I was gonna have to shoot ya just for being a freaky fur pervert.”

Covering my face with my hands, I continued to shake my head in major disbelief at his accusation, and I was no doubt going to give Lanie a piece of my fucking mind for at least not waking me up and leaving me in this position.

“Well lookie there!” I dropped my hands and glanced up at Bucky who was fixated on my package. My face heated up again. “Looks like your little fella decided to take a breather. Good thing, too. Thought I was gonna have to call Ethel out here to take a look at ya. That wouldn’t have been good, son.”

When I heard footsteps getting closer, I started to throw straw on my “little fella”. And when they stopped, I realized that I was never going to live down the position I was in.

“Hot damn, Hoss, what the fuck ya doin’ naked out here?” Willard stood at the entrance of the horse stall, looking between me and his dad. When his eyes landed on my dick that was now on full display, his eyes shot over to his dad. “Ya got somethin’ to tell me there, old man?”

“Nope,” Bucky responded, waving his hand toward me. “I was just tellin’ our boy here that it was okay if he liked playing with the furry creatures. Ya know, that kinda stuff your friend Jeb was into. Nasty guy, that one. Shoulda’ shot him.”

I ground my teeth together. “I am not—”

“Hey, Hoss…” Willard started to pat my head and raised his brows. A knowing, sympathetic expression on his features. “…it’s absolutely okay if you’re into that kinda stuff. Jeb made it work for him and his family—well, they came to accept him just the way he was. We will accept you, Hoss.”

“Was that before or after he got stuck to that furry—”

“Enough! Fuck me, enough!” I couldn’t stand it anymore. “Please…just stop already.”

“Look, Hoss,” Willard said in a soothing man voice. He continued to pat the top of my head like I was a fucking dog. “It’s okay if ya do like that kinda stuff, even though it’s damn disgusting if you ask me.”

“Well I’m not
askin’ ya
!” My neck felt like it was going to explode as I stood up, blood rushing to every one of my extremities. I looked at both of them, giving major stink eye and attitude…right after I literally stomped my foot like a whiny kid. “I do
not
like animals.  I do not like messing with animals. And I do not want to hear anymore fucking shit about it! Do both of you understand?” I shot a pointed look over to Bucky. “And I
do
not
like dudes.”

Willard and Bucky looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders as if nothing was off kilter.

“Welp.” Bucky said, slapping his hands together and turning to his son. “I guess we’re good here.”

“Yeah, I need to get shit ready for the barbecue tonight.” Willard rubbed his hefty stomach and smacked his lips. “I’m gonna eat the shit outta them dogs and burgers.”

I just stood there naked and well, naked, looking at those two fools talk about eating as if this whole embarrassing shit storm hadn’t happened. While I previously thought that Willard was the only one a few screws short of a complete tool box, I was beginning to think it ran in the family.

“Cover your pecker, Hoss!”

“Yep, better get a move on, son, before Ethel comes out here. And ya don’t want that ol’e horn dog catchin’ an eyeful of your little fella.”

“He’s not little!”

Chapter 14

~Lanie~

A whole day of shopping with Jasmine was the equivalent to sticking an enema up a rhinoceros’ butt. Something that should never, ever be attempted. Ever.

She was complaining about everything under the sun. From the fit of her dress, to the hem, Jasmine was not a happy camper. I, however, thought it was beautiful, looked beautiful on her, and was even better than I thought she would have ever picked out for herself.

When I think wedding dresses and Jasmine, I instantly think camouflage and chew, boots and mud wrestling.

I laughed inwardly at the thought.

Lunch was another deal all together. I had told Jasmine that I wanted to treat her for lunch, seeing as she opted to not have a bachelorette party–apparently Mitchell is a damn prude–Jasmine chose a barbecue joint. Not only did I watch my cousin, bride-to-be, inhale ten large beef ribs slathered in thick barbecue sauce.

Oh, and she topped off the afternoon with a ride on the mechanical bull.

“You’re next, Lanie! Woo-Hoo! Giddy Up, baby!”

Embarrassed was not the correct word to describe how I felt. I was mortified and very, very uncomfortable. My eyes scanned the joint and I soon realized that Jasmine and I were the only women in that place besides the waitresses that literally looked like something straight out of a big titty jack-off magazine, that is. “I’m gonna go to the restroom!” I yelled out to Jasmine over the music. “Be right back!”

Jasmine waved at me, somehow holding onto that bull with one hand. “You got it!”

Shaking my head and smiling at the ridiculousness of my cousin, I headed for the nearest bathroom. I passed a small group of men gathered off to the side of the dimly lit long narrow hallway leading to the restrooms, keeping my eyes diverted.

The last thing I needed was to give any one of them a reason to make conversation with me. As I neared the restroom door, a familiar voice rang out. I instantly went into panic mode as one large hand slapped against the wall, effectively stopping me from entering. Without looking up, I went to move to my left and another large hand grabbed me by my arm and whipped me around.

“Well lookie what we got here.” The strong pungent stench of tobacco and cow manure surrounded me like a thick fog of ugly. I wanted to puke. It was almost like being in a bathroom, suffocating with all the windows up while the hot water was running. Only I was trapped between two very muscular arms, unable to go anywhere. “Peachy, Peachy, Peachy, I was hopin’ that I’d run into you, sweetheart. And might I say that you are lookin’ fine enough to eat, baby girl.”

I had my eyes closed, hoping that he’d leave but he didn’t and when I looked up, I instantly wished that I hadn’t. It was the cowboy from the airport, the same one with the gnarly tobacco breath and creepy looking handlebar mustache.

This would’ve been the perfect time for that hole I wished for to open up and suck me in. It wasn’t enough that I’d had to sit through fifteen minutes watching my cousin rock her vagina all over the mechanical bull, but now I had to deal with the cowboy that looked at me like he was ready to eat me for dessert.

“Were you planin’ on ridin’ that bull, baby, ‘cause I got a ride for ya that’ll make your rear tingle, sweetness.” I almost threw up. He flashed a cocky smile. “And I don’t see that man of yours. Finally figured out that ya needed someone that can handle that pretty little ass of yours?”

“As a matter of fact,” I muttered, trying to slowly maneuver my way out of his encasing arms, “he’s on his way right now. So, if you’ll excuse me.”

His smile grew sinister, and he pushed his weight against me. “C’mon, darlin, playin’ hard to get don’t look good on you. I saw you two on that plane. Ain’t no way he’s your old man. Ya didn’t act like it. So let’s not play, huh?”

I cringed when I felt hot, nasty tobacco breath waft across my nose. We were mere inches apart from one another, and I could’ve sworn that he was salivating. He had one hand securely cemented to the wall behind me and the other still gripping my arm. When I flinched, turning my head to the side, he got even closer and ran his nose up the shell of my ear.

I fucking froze.

“C’mon, Peach, I ain’t no good at beggin’.” He gripped my arm to the point of severe pain. “And I sure as fuck know a tease when I see one. So, why don’t ya give it up already, girl? ‘Cause I ain’t gonna ask again.”

“You’re hurting me,” I whimpered, and he was. I could feel the circulation being cut off at my fingertips. He was trying to bend me and I was losing the fight. “Please just let me go.”

“Now what fun would that be?” A dark, throaty chuckle slithered up the asshole’s throat. He gripped my other arm and held me flush against the wall. “So whad’ya say, darlin’, ya gonna let ol’e Trever get a taste of that sweet pie?”

A million things ran through my mind, and when I saw the douche nozzle spread his legs, a fire lit under my ass. I smiled up at him and in return he licked his fat, ugly, chapped lips. I choked back the idea of buttering him up, making him feel confident before I lifted my leg with all the strength I could muster.

“Son of a wild hairy bitch!”

And with that, I watched the douche nozzle hit the ground with a hard, earth shattering thud. The last time I dick-checked someone, I had felt horrible because it was Lucas, but this guy? Well, he fucking deserved a solid knee to his junk.

I leaned down and stared at the asshole. “And that, dickhead, is exactly why you never mess with a southern girl who’s been trained in kickboxing.”

“Jesus, Lanie!” Jasmine came to a stop in front of the asshole’s limp body and pointed. “What the hell did ya do?”

“Nothing,” I said, linking arms with my gaping cousin and walking away from him. “He just needed to learn how to treat a woman with respect, is all.”

Jasmine snickered and swung her head to stare behind us. “By the way, ya do realize who that was, right?”

“No.”

“Remember Trever Miller from our Senior Prom? The same Trever Miller that tried…well, you know.” Jasmine’s face sunk at the memory.

No way.
That
had been Trever Miller?

Trever Miller had been the supreme asshole jock from Silver Springs High. All the girls wanted him because of his stature, and all the guys hated him because of it, and for some reason they all flocked around him like flies on shit. He was also Jasmine’s date to our prom. Later that night, I found out that he’d tried to take advantage of her. “Thanks, Lanie, even though you didn’t know that was him.” Jasmine looked over to me with soft eyes, catching me by surprise. “I’ve wanted to do that for years.”

I laughed at that. “By the way, where the hell were you back there? I could’ve used some help.”

“Well.” Jasmine’s eyebrows rose and she shrugged her shoulders. “I wanted to go for another ride. And damn if that thing doesn’t give ya the biggest camel toe in creation.”

I laughed again and shook my head, not believing the day we’d just had. “C’mon, we have a barbecue to get to.”