20. Ashton
Chapter 20
Ashton
I’m so angry the room around me darkens.
As usual, Kendall is un-fucking believable. Of all the things she could’ve done, she had to crash my swamp getaway and then give me that attitude. Like this clusterfuck is my fault.
If anything, she was the one who let the lovebirds get away. If I thought even for a second that Bubba had planned to leave for his proposal, I would’ve stopped him, with fists if necessary.
A booming clap of thunder rattles the cabin.
Shit. I guess the room didn’t darken because of my anger.
Heavy raindrops start drumming on the wooden roof.
Just perfect. Now I can’t even take a stroll around this stupid island.
As I fume, the rain intensifies, and the visibility worsens so much I have to light the candles that are sitting in the candelabra on the table.
Shit. Kendall must be freaking out.
The urge to go check on her is strong, but I resist because if she wanted my company, she would be here. At least that’s what I tell myself for the next hour or so, but then a bolt of lightning illuminates my room, followed by an immediate thunderclap.
Fuck. I’m not an expert, but I seem to recall that if you see lightning and hear thunder soon after, the hit was nearby.
What if it hit Kendall’s cabin?
Leaping to my feet, I open the door.
Wow. I thought we were in the middle of a swamp, not the depths of Mordor.
I strain to make out if there’s smoke coming from Kendall’s cabin as wind and rain pelt my face, but I can’t see shit.
I need to get closer.
Abandoning the dry safety of the cabin, I propel myself into the storm, my sneakers squelching and my instantly soaked clothes clinging to my body like leeches.
As I get closer to Kendall’s cabin, I see that the lightning didn’t strike it, but she needs a rescue anyway.
Crossing the distance, I knock on the door.
Kendall opens it, looking pale. “What do you want?”
“Come. Quick.”
“Where?” she demands. “And why?”
“My cabin,” I tell her. “Because flash flood.”
Her eyes widen. “Where?”
I point at the rising water near the shore.
Assessing the situation, she turns even paler. “Let me get my stuff.”
“I’m not sure how much time you have.” The muddy muck is just a few feet away from us and approaching fast.
Without reply, she disappears into her cabin.
Fuck.
I go after her, just in time to see her put a plastic bag with socks into her backpack.
“Take only the necessities,” I snap, then grab a heap of nearby clothing and shove it into her bag.
“Fine.” She shoulders the backpack. “Let’s go.”
Working on pure instinct, I grab the blanket on the bed and cover her with it as best as I can, then grip her hand. “Let’s run.”
To punctuate my words, water seeps from under the door to the cabin.
Kendall must comprehend the urgency of our situation because she doesn’t jerk her hand away or say anything as we do our best to run.
The going is tough as we wade through water up to our ankles near her cabin, but it gets easier once we’re more uphill.
“Do you think the water will reach here?” Kendall pants as we burst into my cabin.
“I doubt it.” But just in case, I locate the stairwell to the attic. “If anything, we go up there,” I tell her.
“And what if?—”
“I’m a great swimmer,” I say as reassuringly as I can. “I’ll get us to that boat. Even without the keys, the thing floats, so we should be okay.” Hopefully.
She looks me over. “You’re dripping.”
“So are you.” I gesture at her backpack. “Do you have anything you can change into? Or do you want to borrow something of mine?” Even if that something are the only dry items I have left.
She takes her backpack off her shoulders. “I’ve got pajamas.”
“Good. I’ll turn around and go change in that corner while you change here.” I grab my stuff and do just that, then loudly ask if she’s decent.
“Yeah. You can turn back.”
When I do, she’s wearing a black silk slip that reveals enough of her milky flesh for me to get hard instantly despite the apocalypse raging outside.
Her feet are bare, with a neat taupe-colored nail polish that looks to have been painted two seconds ago, and she’s wearing two silvery toe rings and a golden anklet. Said jewelry aside, hers are the prettiest feet I’ve ever seen, and I’ve never been into feet—until this moment, that is. I want to suck on her?—
She shivers, making me feel like an insensitive asshole.
“Are you cold?” I ask gently, coming toward her. This being Florida, the inside of the non-air-conditioned cabin feels pretty balmy, but I have more of my skin covered—especially in the leg area.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She walks over to the wooden bed and sits on the edge. “Can you… hold me?”
“Of course.” Even if that means my balls become bluer than a Smurf’s.
Moving softly so I don’t spook her further, I sit and gently wrap my arm around her trembling shoulders.
“We’re going to be okay,” I whisper.
A violent thunderclap chooses that very moment to crack angrily in the distance.
Kendall jerks in response. “How can you know that?”
I pull her closer. “Nothing is going to happen to you.” I won’t let it.
“I guess. But… just in case… can we take a break?”
I face her, forehead furrowing. “What do you mean?”
Her hazel eyes gleam in the candlelight. “Can we not hate each other? Just for a few minutes.” She dampens her soft lips. “If we’re going to die?—”
“We’re not.”
“But if,” she insists. “I don’t want?—”
“I don’t hate you,” I say truthfully. “I might’ve been disappointed when you ghosted me, but?—”
She puts a finger to my lips. “That. Let’s take a break from all that… in case…”
I feather-kiss that finger. “There’s no ‘in case,’ fashionista. I promise you.”
“Not arguing is part of the proposed break,” she mutters. “Please.”
“Okay.”
She stares at me, her finger still hovering over my lips, and on impulse, I lean in and suck it in. She gasps, her eyes widening, but then her other hand lands on my thigh and moves just a fraction to brush against my aching cock.
I bite back a groan and gently release her finger.
“Kendall…”
She swallows, and her hand moves more decisively, rubbing over my erection.
I can’t hold back the groan this time. “Fuck… are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Because if this is just because she’s scared, I don’t want her to hate me even more for taking advantage. That is, I badly want to take advantage, but?—
“I think so,” she whispers, eyes darkening. “Do you have a condom?”
Fuuuck. “No. But… I’m clean.” I dare not even hope she’s on the pill and willing to?—
“I’m clean too and have an IUD,” she says breathlessly. “Not that it matters if?—”
“If you say we’re about to die, I will not fuck you,” I say thickly, though it’s a huge bluff.
I’d fuck her even if the swamp were currently engulfing us—and I’d drown a happy man.
“Okay.” She bites her lip and flinches as another clap of thunder shakes the cabin. Her voice is husky. “Then do it as a distraction. Make me forget.”
“That I can do.” I pull her to me, growling into her ear, “In fact, I will fuck you so hard you’ll think the sun is shining.”