Make Me Stay (13 page)

“Loud and clear, Kitty.” I bent over to fix my belt and zip up my jeans. I retrieved my shirt, putting my arms through the holes. I paused before putting my head through. “All right, you can’t do that,” I said, taking her off guard.

“Can’t do what? I’m not doing anything,” she shrieked, clearly embarrassed that I had just called her out.

“You can’t look at me like that anymore, like you’re trying to decide which part of my body you want to lick first. That can’t happen, because
this
happens when you do that,” I said, gesturing to the bulge in my pants, after I pulled my shirt all the way on. My cock was straining against my jeans again. This was going to be a long fucking month and a half.

***

“It’s got to be 100 degrees out here,” JJ said wiping the sweat off his brow.

We had just finished up working for the day and were packing up when JJ’s phone rang.

“It’s Kitty,” he said, looking over at me. “What’s up, Cuz?’ he asked. “Yeah, I know where that is...You want us to come?...Oh yeah, she is...Count us in. I’ll be by to pick you up in twenty, that good?...All right, see ya.”

I stared at him from across the truck. His face had lit up like a freaking light bulb. “What was that about?” I asked, dumping a bottle of water over my face.

“Kitty wants us to take her to the lake. You up for it?”

Hell, yeah, I was up for it.
Sitting back in a chair, watching her fine ass frolic along the shoreline? Wouldn’t miss it for the world. “Yeah man, I’m all about watching her walk around in a bathing suit, dripping wet,” I replied, running my hand through my soaked hair.

“Bad news, Nate’s meeting her there for a date, with his sister and her friends. Supposedly, they are big fans and just turned my favorite kind of eighteen.”

She would do that, go on a date with him, and drag us along?

“Whatever. Doesn’t mean I can’t look.” I jumped in my truck. JJ did the same. He called the rest of the guys, telling them to meet us there. We headed for the bar to pick up Kitty, so we could escort her on a date.

The weeks that had followed our sex-capade in the hallway were pretty normal. We went right back to the way things were. She never brought it up and neither did I--because I liked my balls. She was gone for two days, for her interview. B didn’t take it too well. He was in a pissy mood from the moment she told him she was still leaving at the end of summer. She came back, hopeful and rejuvenated, so it must have gone well. She informed us that they’d be calling her in the next week or two. It was now the second week and her perky disposition had deflated--big time. I was currently sporting a new bruise on my shoulder and poor Reece almost got his ear ripped off.

I still didn’t understand why she thought being with me was going to make her think she was her mother. From what I had learned from JJ in casual conversation, her mother had given up her career to raise Caroline. B was working late nights and was always tired, and they drifted apart. By the time anyone started noticing, Caroline’s mother was already on loads of meds. One night she made a lethal decision and put herself to sleep. No one saw it coming, not B, not Caroline, not even her mom’s close friends. Total blindside.

For this reason, and this alone, I could see why Caroline was so pissed. But to disappear for four years, not even visit her father, and from what I could tell, she acted like her mother never existed. She wasn’t dealing with it the right way, but I was not a fucking psychiatrist, so who the fuck knew?

“You really got a thing for her, don’t you?” JJ asked, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the cab of my truck. His out of the blue question put me on edge.

“Nah, man, I just hate that she won’t give it up.”

JJ adjusted himself in his seat, so he could get a good look at me. “You’re my best friend. I know you, and I know you’re fucking into her. It’s painfully obvious. You’re constantly watching her. You get in a pissy mood if you don’t see her, and I swear I hear you calling her name in your sleep, unless of course, you know someone else by the name of Kitty.”

Shit, I’d been had.
“It’s not--ah fuck, it is. She’s got me by the fucking balls, dude. Do the other guys think the same?” I asked, secretly praying they didn’t. I didn’t need Reece knowing and giving me shit for the rest of my life.

“Secret’s safe with me. They don’t have a clue. Have you even gotten close?” he asked.

I wanted to shout it from the roof, that yes I had, and yes it was fucking amazing, but I didn’t, because, again, I liked my balls. “Kissed her twice, but she’s holding out on me still, felt up her ti--”

“Enough!” he shouted, cutting me off. “I don’t need to know anymore. Go easy on her. She’s been through a lot of shit.”

Sadly, I knew that already.

We stopped by the house, got our swimming shorts, chairs, and a cooler filled with beer. When we pulled up to the back of the bar, Caroline was sitting under the patio waiting for us. She was wearing the same dress she had on the night she finally let me in, in more ways than one. Stopping the truck, we both jumped out, slamming the doors closed behind us.

“So you have us chaperoning now? What the hell is that about?” I asked, with a snicker to my voice.

“I just didn’t want to go alone. You guys are like brothers and I’d like to have you there for backup.”

Backup? What the hell does she mean by that? What the fuck does she mean by brothers? If that’s the case, and she thinks of me like a brother, then we have committed a disgusting crime, and I still want to fuck my sister.

“What do you mean by backup?” JJ asked, taking the words out of my mouth.

“Nothing. I just want you guys to come and have a good time, plus he’s bringing his sister and her friends.”
There she goes again scrunching her nose up--liar.

“Whatever, I gotta piss, then we can go,” JJ said, walking in the bar and leaving us standing there alone.

“So, what’s really going on? I know you’re lying about why you want us there. Is Nate bothering you?” I asked.

I had ignored it as much as I could, but she was hanging out with Nate a lot. Seeing them kiss the Fourth of July had nearly given me an aneurism. I hated the guy and I hated the fact that he was free to date her and kiss her, but I wasn’t. I was one jealous SOB.

She was gathering her book and towel in her hands as I spoke. An anxious looked washed over her face, and I thought that she was going to be honest with me, but she quickly recovered and hid behind her wall. I’ll say it again. I never liked Nate Rodgers. He was a year older than us and was creepy as hell with his whole I’m-a-cop-you-can-trust-me act.

“Kane, it’s fine. Nate’s a guy, and just like you, he’s looking for
more
. I’m not going down that road with him, so things have been a little awkward. I just want to go, have a good time, and get my mind off everything.”

“Okay, don’t be surprised if I’m sporting a raging hard on while you prance around in a bikini, I’m warning you now. Try to contain yourself,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

Her laugh was music to my ears, and her vicious punch to my already sore arm was painfully pleasurable.

“All right, you ready?” We turned to JJ and nodded, smiles plastered on both our faces.

“I’m going to grab some wood for a fire,” I said, turning to do just that.

“Shot gun!” she yelled, running to the truck, passing JJ and hopping in the front seat.

“Fuck no, Kitty, get out! In the back with you,” JJ said leaning through the open window.

“Aww, please,” I heard her beg.

I glanced over at the truck, JJ was talking quietly to her. Her smile faded. She opened the door, jumped out, and got in the back.

Tossing some wood in the truck bed, I jumped in. Peeking in the rear view mirror, I saw that Kitty was sitting in the middle, her arms crossed, and a confused look on her face. JJ must have said something to the effect that he knew about us, that’s the only thing I could think of. She didn’t say a word the whole way there, seeming deep in thought. I’d glance in the mirror every so often and caught her quickly adverting her eyes.

This whole situation was fucked up. She clearly had issues, but to completely shut me out, just because she didn’t want to turn into her mother, was fucking ridiculous. The past three weeks she flirted with the guys, snuggled up with Trent--she’d do anything to put me out of her mind, that even included stringing along Robo-Cop. I hadn’t
fully
gone back to my ways, but every night I saw her, I’d come home horny as hell, and if there happened to be an extra laying around, I’d indulge. Was it good? Fuck no--it was just enough to get me off, cure a little itch to a big fucking rash.

As I pulled up, I saw Nate’s car and Trent’s truck. They had a bunch of chairs set up around a fire pit that had yet to be lit. About six girls in barely there bikinis were splashing in the water.

“Jesus Christ, these girls are here to get laid and I might have to indulge. You sure they are all eighteen?” I asked, leaning closer to the window to get a better look.

“Christ, I hope so,” JJ added, grinning in pleasure.

“You guys are fucking gross,” she yelled, getting out of the truck.

She slammed the door closed. I watched as she stalked over to Nate, wrapping her arms around his neck. She practically swallowed his face. I knew exactly what she was doing, and it wasn’t going to work.
She thinks she’s going to make me jealous. She’s playing with fire.
By the end of tonight, she was going to wish she hadn’t started this war with me.

CHAPTER 23

Caroline

Third beer, in thirty minutes. If I kept that up, I wasn’t going to be able to walk to the car. Under the cover of my black sunglasses, I sat on the beach, watching as Kane and the other guys made asses of themselves. They were chasing these barely there eighteen-year-olds up and down the beach and through the water. Nate was sitting next to me, our chairs butting up to one another’s. His fingers were playing with mine, and I was about one second away from ripping them away, when I caught Kane grabbing one of the girl’s ass.

Clenching my fists, I narrowed my eyes on him, still shielded by my sunglasses. He looked right at me while he did it, a stupid grin spread across his face. I instantly unclenched my fists and stood from my chair. I turned to face Nate, knowing my ass was facing the water, and knowing full well that Kane still had his eyes glued to me. I bent over painfully slow, leaning over Nate and resting my hands on the arms of his chair. I kissed his nose, wiggled my ass, then stood back up. Turning to the side so I could get a peek at Kane, I stretched my arms over my head, pushed my chest out, and arched my back. I heard a huge splash in the water and turned to it. Kane stood back up from under the water, his hands covering what I knew was his violent erection.
Don’t mess with the Queen, because you’ll lose.

The night was winding down. We grilled some hot dogs, roasted some marshmallows, and just hung out. I knew I shouldn’t have cared, that I said it wouldn’t bother me, but fuck! Did he have to have her sit on his lap? It was painfully obvious she was grinding her ass on his dick. I squeezed Nate’s hand a little tighter, I was sitting in-between his legs on a blanket, as I watched Kane kiss on some brunette who was giggling all over herself. I finished my sixth, or was it seventh beer. I went to stand, using Nate’s knees to help myself up. I stood then stumbled forward, almost falling into the fire. Thanks to Nate’s quick reaction, he managed to grab me around the waist, before I set myself on fire.

When I gained my balance and looked up, all the guys had tossed their new lap ornaments to help me. All but JJ, he was still snuggled up with Piper, Nate’s younger sister.

Kane brushed off the brunette. “Kitty, you all right?” he asked, truly concerned as he walked around the fire and closer to me.

My head spun, my legs felt like rubber, and I couldn’t see straight. No, I wasn’t all right, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him.

“She’s fine,” Nate answered for me, pulling me tighter to him.

Blinking my eyes a few times, I shook my head, which wasn’t the smartest idea, and finally looked up at Kane.

“I wasn’t asking you, Rodgers,” Kane said with loathing from beside me. “Kitty. Look at me. You all right?”

Was I all right?
I had a lot of beers but I had built up my stamina since working at a bar where the drinks were free.

Nate’s hand held the back of my neck, rubbing it soothingly. I again focused on Kane. I also focused on the brunette walking up next to him. Slipping her hand in his, she tugged him closer and I nearly vomited. Reaching up on her toes, she nibbled at his ear. It was that precise moment that it went from repulsion to me wanting to fucking slap her, then slap him. But honestly I wanted to slap, Nate for fucking touching me right then.

“I’m fine Kane. You can go put your pretty ornament back on your lap.” I shook off Nate’s hand, turned from the camp fire, and started walking down the beach.

“What’s your problem, Kane? Back off. She doesn’t want you. Hasn’t she made that perfectly clear?”

I heard Nate provoking Kane behind me and realized that I had to get out of there. Kane was right. I was leading Nate on, and I needed to let him know where I stood.

Swaying as I walked down the beach, I turned and headed to the thick line of trees that lead back to the state park. I broke through the edge of the woods and stumbled my way back, deeper into the dark trails. My vision was going in and out and things started getting fuzzy. The crack of a branch behind me stilled my movements. Squinting my eyes, I tried to find the culprit of the noise. Hearing and seeing nothing more, I continued on and quickly realized that I had gone off the path
. Fuck! I don’t need this right now.

On top of being lost in the woods, everyday it was getting harder to watch Kane. It was getting harder to remember his taste, to remember how it felt to be in his arms, and of course it was making me rethink
things
. I was banking on the job interview that I had over two weeks ago. I was praying that I’d get it and that I’d soon be on my way out of this fucking town, but they hadn’t called yet. Maybe they weren’t ever going to call. I needed to come up with another plan. The only way I was going to get over Kane was distance, out of sight out of mind...just like my mother.