Second Sets Omnibus

Fourteen - Rad

Nothing gets my blood pumping more than riding my dirt bike up and down the dirt hills at Raccoon Run, nestled deep in the woods, and hidden from the authorities. If they knew what we were up to out here, they’d haul us all in and slam the book in our faces. I’m too pretty to go to jail.

But out here, it’s just me, five solid acres of woods, winding dirt paths, and the privacy to compete against the other fools stupid enough to go up against me. Pfft. Like they’d ever win.

Throwing my head back, I cackle despite the heavy helmet weighing on my head and threatening to send me off my rapidly accelerating bike. This is the fucking time to be alive! The wind in my hair. The stiff competition. And the hottest girl in town is waiting for me on the sidelines. Since she wore me as a gag, I haven’t gotten her out of my head. She’s like this sexy little bug living in my brain, constantly screaming at me to follow her around and be her damn boyfriend.

Adrenaline pours through my veins when I peek behind me, hearing the telltale sign of the other assholes gaining. Their engines whine and rev up, steadily coming around the last turn I came around three seconds ago. Whenever I think I’ve taken the lead and relax, they catch up. Someone’s upping their game, and we can’t have that. I’m the reigning champion and intend to keep it that way. They’ve been a pain in my ass for the last three laps, and now it’s time to smoke their asses.

“Eat my tires, assmunchers!” I shout, holding the clutch; I lightly use my left foot and change gears, darting further away from the competition.

Looking back, I grin. Suckers. They always think they can take on the great Rad, but they never can. I haven’t lost a race in two years and don’t plan on losing today. Especially not in front of my Pretty Girl—my girlfriend.

As ridiculous as it seems, I have to remind her a lot that she’s mine. Fuck. I guess ours. Right? I mean, we made a deal to share her affection and gain her interest. I don’t know how I will pound it into her head more…maybe pound her pussy? God, I can’t wait to have that girl again. Shit. Now is not the time, Little Rad. We have important things to do, like win this race so I can claim my prize and my girl.

Speaking of…

I grin, rounding another turn and climbing the last rocky hill. Every bone in my body jostles at the dangerously high speed I’m rolling with. Pushing it faster and harder than before, I make it to the top, overlooking the trees and people waiting along the rocky dirt road. As soon as I come down the hill, there she is with a grin a mile wide, jumping up and down with excitement at the bottom of the valley. Cal grins down at her like the love-sick dope he is and hoots when I pass with his fist into the air, cheering me on. After so many months of moping around and feeling guilty, I finally see Callum’s joy return. And it’s all thanks to the bouncing Central girl beside him.

When I cross the finish line—first as always—I turn circles with my bike, kicking up the dust around the losers, finally trickling in.

“Holy shit!” my pretty girl says when she walks forward with a smile. God damn. That tight, lacy, black top I had her wear makes her boobs jiggle with every step. The stark image of my face, motorboating her titties, comes to mind, and I know what I’m doing tonight.

That and teaching Cal a little thing or two in the bedroom. Tonight, I’ll cook dinner on the grill like a sophisticated gentleman and then motorboat my girl. Hashtag—goals. Hashtag—adulting.

“You were amazing!” she shrieks again, jumping up and down with a beautiful smile.

My pride blooms even bigger at her compliment, and I grin, pulling her close once she’s in grabbing distance. If I had my way, I’d ride off into the sunset with her clasped behind me, holding my waist tight. But I rarely get my way, so holding her against my body is as good as it will get.

“I had a good luck charm here today,” I say, throwing my helmet off and into Callum’s unsuspecting arms. He grunts, narrowing his eyes at me with a shake of his head, securing the helmet on the bars of my bike. “It was all you, Pretty Girl. Oh, and the panties I stole from your drawer this morning. I’ll keep them forever in your honor,” I chuckle, tapping my pocket where a black, lacy thong sits like a good luck charm.

“He’s never lost. Don’t let him fool you with those pant-panties,” Callum says, turning beat red at the prospect of her panties being in my pocket.

Her brows furrow. “You actually stole my panties, you psycho?” She gapes at me, staring at the bulge in my pocket, which I’d love to say is little Rad happy to see her.

You know, I’ve tried for years to get Callum in on my shenanigans and to loosen up. But the man is like a brick wall and never wants to play. Such a pity before, but now seeing him with our girl, well—things are changing in Callum’s world. Actually, in our world. I know Kieran is fully invested in this River thing, and now we are, too. The only person sitting on the bench is Asher. He’ll continue to fight with himself until he gives in and sinks his teeth into our girl. And boy, I can’t wait for that day. Not only will he loosen up and get the large stick out of his ass, but he’ll also finally get laid.

Callum is finally opening his horizons and seeing how easy it is to talk to her. When I walked into River’s bedroom this morning after breaking in through her sliding glass door—which reminds me, I need to punish her for leaving her door unlocked. A wicked grin splits my lips. I guess that’s what my handcuffs are for.

Anywho, the image of them snuggled so closely and the peace on his face I hadn’t seen in over a year was heart-stopping. So, I took a picture. And backed it up several times. If they ever get ahold of it, they’ll castrate me. She more than him. But I like my family jewels and would prefer them intact. I’ve seen what she can do with a knife, and I’m good.

“Once again, you’re unbeatable,” comes a deep voice behind me, causing River to stiffen against my body.

No, damn it, she was just warm and pliable against me. Now she’s as stiff as a board, glaring at Van with so much hate. Finally, she relaxes in my hold, rolling her eyes toward the sky in annoyance at his presence.

Van eyes River like a prize he wants to claim, but too bad for him. She’s fucking mine. Stupid, jealous idiot. It’s like if he can’t have River to himself, then no one can. But I have news for him.

I almost forgot old Donnie Boy started coming down to the track after he had to dump his Central girl into the gutter. Too bad for him. I scooped her right up, and now she’s mine and onto bigger—yeah, bigger—and better dicks. Except we have much nicer personalities, too. We’re the whole damn package, and Donnie is the trash panda begging for scraps.

“Ah, Donnie Boy,” I greet with a smile, pulling a resistant River further into my side.

I frown when she’s still stiff, barely breathing in this toxic idiot’s presence. Don’t resist my love, Pretty Girl. Go with the flow. I’ll never let this idiot touch you ever again or hurt you.

“Fancy seeing you here.” I grin again, tilting my head when his jealous eyes turn to River, who frowns at him with unease.

His eyes light up, jealousy taking him over. If he were a monster, he’d turn green with envy, snatch her out of my arms, and carry her to his kingdom. I’d be the gallant knight with sword in hand, ready to defend my girlfriend’s honor.

“Rivey,” he whispers, furrowing his brows. “You’re here?” His voice dips low in warning, like he’s secretly trying to tell her something.

“Yes, my girlfriend is here. With me,” I say, goading him with a friendly grin.

His eyes widen a smidge, and his head jerks back. Hook, line, and sinker, fucker.

Keeping my hands on her waist, I squeeze her into me, loving how her body feels against mine. God, I can’t get enough of her. I’d eat her… WAIT… I will eat her all up. But later. Maybe I’ll tie Van down and force him to watch as he kicks and screams, and I give River the best orgasm ever.

I love the way Van’s jaw ticks when he glares at her in disappointment and shakes his head.

“How much of a wager did you put on this one?” I ask, once again, poking the Van bear for my entertainment.

His jaw ticks, telling me all I need to know. He’s squandering away what his daddy paid him to step away from River and stay in college. I bet he never told River a thing. I wonder how he did it? Did he just walk away from the precious jewel in my arms like she was nothing more than toilet paper? I bet he did.

His nostrils flare, and I want to cackle at his stupid fucking face. “Callum,” he greets, ignoring me entirely while still watching River with an interested eye.

“Van,” Callum says in a deep voice, inclining his head in greeting, taking a step closer to River. The back of his fingers lightly skims against hers, drawing her into him.

“Congrats on the win. I guess I’ll see you at the neighborhood cookout next week,” Van says, thinning his lips. His beady, evil eyes fall on Callum and River’s pinkies hooking together.

I grin triumphantly when he balls up his fists. I live to piss this juvenile prick off. Nothing grinds my gears more than some idiot laying down and doing what their mommy and daddy told them to do. You know what mine told me to do? They told me no tattoos and piercings, and the moment I turned into an adult, the band was done. Fat chance is what I told them. No one takes away my band. They’re more family to me than the people who raised me.

In turn, they raised their haughty eyebrows at me like I was still their sweet little Rad. The son who didn’t move a toe out of line. Little did they know I had plans for freedom. The night of my eighteenth birthday, Cal brought me to his tattoo guy and helped me celebrate with the musical notes on my chest.

“I’m home!” The door slams behind me, louder than necessary, announcing my arrival.

“It’s ten-thirty!” my mother hisses, drying her hands on a towel in the kitchen.

“It’s Friday,” I retort without an ounce of emotion and grab a drink from the refrigerator.

The cold liquid slides down my throat, giving me the necessary courage. Throughout the entirety of my tattoo, regret sat in the back of my mind. My father’s words constantly played on a loop as I lay there, suffering through the pain of the needle. But it was what I wanted. I’ve been subjected to my father’s iron fist for so long. He may not have ever hit me, but I was done being subjected to something I didn’t quite believe.

Locking everything inside, I turn to face the man of the house. Wrinkles mar his older-looking face, tinting with disapproval. His dark eyes, similar to mine, rove over my neck, covered in protective plastic, and his entire body locks up.

You know, I could have gone the safe route and gotten music notes behind my ears or hell on my ass. My parents wouldn’t have seen those. At least, not right away. But why go small when you can go big and all the way? For years, my parents have warned me time and time again that every inch of my body is God’s temple. Every scar or scratch, they’d tsk me into being ashamed of falling off my bike or breaking my damn arm.

“Your body’s a temple, Ashton. Treat it like one. No tattoos or piercings are allowed under our roof.” Yeah, right. Okay. Sure.

“What did you do?” he shouts, inching closer with a snarl lining his wrinkly face.

I hold my breath in my lungs when he inches down, eyeing my tattoo closely.

“Ashton!” my mother yelps, coming to inspect my newest piece. “What have you done?”

I shrug. “What I wanted to do,” I say in a low, warning voice. “This is my body; I wanted something to represent myself through.”

It’s the only piece of me I have. My parents have restricted every ounce of everything I’ve ever taken an interest in. Video games, TV, and even the band—limiting my time with each. They’ve thrown them to the wayside when it became too much. Hell, I couldn’t even watch The Wizard movie I wanted to when I was twelve because of magic. Their entire logic makes my eyes roll into the back of my head.

With this tattoo, I took back a little piece of what made me, me.

“What you wanted to do? Do you know how expensive that is to get removed?” my father spits, standing straight.

“I’m not getting it removed,” I tell him simply, staring straight into the abyss of his darkening eyes.

“Then you’re not staying here,” my father spits, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his chin.

“Ashton,” my mother begs my father with pleading eyes. “He’s only eighteen. You can’t just kick him out.” She swallows hard when his burning gaze turns to her, and she shakes her head. I swear I’ve never seen my mother cry, but in this instant, tears stream down her cheeks. But she should have seen this rebellion from a mile away.

“Get out of my house until that abomination is peeled from your skin,” my father says, waltzing toward the front door and throwing it open.

“Call me,” my mother whispers, kissing me on the cheek. “Don’t hesitate.” I nod when I only want to scoff at her hypocritical face. How can a woman stand by while her husband throws out their only son?

As the door slams behind me and all the lights disappear from the house, I realize how fucking alone I am. It isn’t until Callum’s mom steps out from the shadows and offers me her hand.

“Callum may have spilled what you two have been up to today,” she whispers, leading me across the street toward their house.

I swallow hard, on the verge of tears when she pulls me into the lively house and sets me down on the couch.

“You have a home here for as long as you need, Rad. Okay?” I nod with gratitude, washing away the tears from my cheeks.

“Thank you,” I whisper, receiving the tall glass of water she hands me. Silently, I promise myself that I will never let another person stifle my wants and needs. I will never live under a cloud of bullshit.

I swallow hard, coming out of the memory with a shaky breath. There’s nothing like winning a race and immediately being thrown into the wolf’s den. My parents and I aren’t exactly on speaking terms, especially my father. Occasionally, I talk to my mom and update her on my life. But for the most part, they’re living their life, and I’m living mine. I guess that’s why Callum was so surprised when I called my mom asking for any home nurses in the area.

“The cookout?” Callum groans quietly, shaking his head. “I hate that tradition.”

Yeah, me too, buddy. It’s the one day a year our parents all get together with mimosas, margaritas, and catered barbeque ribs, all in the name of neighborhood unity. We’re forced to stand in the scorching sun, watching as they gossip and flitter around while stuffing our faces with the catered food that they were too lazy to make themselves. Fucking Gloria and Nigel Montgomery and their ridiculous traditions of unity. Unity, my ass. They want to wave their money around for the world to see in the form of social events and rub their neighbor’s noses in it.

“Me too,” Van grumbles. “But they make us go.”

Van is so fucking hopeless. I snicker when I lean down, plant a kiss right on River’s lips, and overtake her in front of him, shoving my tongue down her throat. He curses under his breath, huffing and puffing. There’s nothing this idiot can do to stop this from happening. Nope.

Instead, he walks away with his pride bruised and his dick hard—hopefully. I want him to drown in the misery River has felt all this time; we’ll build her back up and take her away from this place.

Her breaths heave frantically, and her hand swats at my chest over and over like she wants me to stop shoving my tongue down her throat. I pull back, squeezing my eyes shut as I catch my breath. Her mouth tastes as good as I remember, and I want to live inside it for eternity.

“That was my prize,” I murmur, nudging my nose against hers, fluttering my eyes open, and staring into the abyss of her green eyes. “Think we have some time to play before practice?” I wiggle my brows at Callum, who turns beat red, averting his eyes to the fallen sticks around us.

“It’s only three,” he murmurs, looking at his phone. “They don’t get out of class for a few more hours.”

Right. Kieran and Asher were forced into university after high school. So, while they are suffering while getting their degrees, Callum and I make the cash for our band. One day, we’ll save enough and hightail it out of here. But first, we need to secure as much as we can. With their college degrees in hand, we’ll safely be on our way to the top, far away from here.

“All right, Pretty Girl. We’ll take you back to our house and handcuff you to the bed. It’s about time Callum learned a little something about cunnilingus.” I grin, rolling my extra-long tongue out, creating waves with it.

Her eyes widen at the length, and she nearly chokes, staring at it when I scoop her up and force her legs around my waist. Digging my fingers into her pert ass, I grin, mounting my bike with her wrapped around me. Those delectable fingernails dig into the back of my neck, breaking through the skin.

Trembling, her eyes dart around as she pales.

“Rad,” she hisses, staring frantically into my eyes.

Furrowing my brows, my heart rate doubles at the sight of her distress. Yeah, I’m not fond of that at all. I want to ease her tension, not cause it.

“You good?” I ask Callum, and he nods with a roll of his eyes.

“I’ll see you at the house,” he confirms, waltzing into the woods with his hands in his pockets.

Before he passes a large tree, he stares back at us with longing. A small smile touches his lips, and then he’s gone—lost to the trees surrounding us.

“I gotta get my prize, and then… it’s tongue town for you, Pretty Girl. I’m going to suck your clit so hard you’re going to cum in my mouth,” I murmur in her ear, starting up the bike. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

She shivers against me and shakes her head. “Rad, I’ve never been on a bike.”

Anxiety sparks in her voice when her worried eyes find mine again. A drum pounds in my ears and my brows furrow as a deep-seated need to keep her safe overtakes me. I tighten my grip on her waist and kiss her cheek, lingering longer than necessary. She shudders against me, clinging tighter to my body.

“You’ll never have to worry with me, Pretty Girl. I’ll fight off the monsters and keep your brains in your head,” I murmur, shoving the helmet over her head.

She grunts when I fasten the strap under her chin and wiggle the helmet to ensure it’s secured properly. Like her, I’d rather she not get injured on our ride home through the woods.

She side-eyes me and probably frowns under the helmet. “I’d appreciate it if my brains didn’t hit the pavement,” she says in a shaky voice, looking toward the ground.

“Have no fear. Your Rad boyfriend is here,” I whisper, starting the loud bike as the sound fills the woods, and she scoots closer to my front.

People wave and cheer as we slowly make our way through the small crowd, lingering against trees and discreetly drinking out of flasks. Down in Raccoon Run, no one seems to follow the rules. It’s the one place we can disappear and hide from expectations. We drink, have races, party, and have a fun time.

“Good race, bro.”

I grin, stopping in front of my most trusted track manager—Reese. We met him a few years back in school. He’s always been a financial god and a trustworthy individual—well, for a drug dealer. Now, he helps around the track, taking bets and selling what he wants. You’d never guess his parents lived in Lakeview, and he did, too. For a time, that is. Then he found his crowd in Central City and moved there to continue growing his empire.

“Thanks, man,” I say, taking the plastic bag filled with a mixture of crisp and crinkled bills. AKA—my winnings for being the badass I am. “How much?” I ask, cocking a brow when he grins.

“Eight hundred,” he says, side-eyeing the surrounding people, and I nod. We exchange a few more words before he returns to handing out more winnings to the people who put their money on the safest bet—me.

“All right, Pretty Girl. Let’s go to my house,” I say, revving up the engine again and kicking off with a cackle.

I peek behind me, meeting Van’s steel gaze, and flick dirt in his stupid face, laughing with glee when he sputters and bends at the waist. Asshat. You can stare at me like you want to kill me all you want, but it’s not going to happen. River will never be yours again.

River is mine.

Okay, fine. She’s ours. I mean, I’ve never had to share before. But what can I say? I’m a marvelous and caring lover who enjoys sharing. Just this once.

After a five-minute drive through the woods using my trails, I pull up to my backdoor with a grin. Looking down at my girl, I smile; she lights up my whole damn life. Not once did she try to jump off the bike or yell at me or smack me again. Instead, she pulled herself closer and closer to me, pushing her center against my raging hard-on.

I set both feet on the ground, balancing the bike and shutting it off. I rub my hands up and down her back, slowly working toward the helmet, weighing her down. She huffs when I gently pull it off her head and hang the strap on the bar where it sways in the light summer wind.

“If you enjoyed that ride, I’ll give you an even better one in the next twenty minutes,” I say, grinning with a wink.

“I did not enjoy the ride,” she huffs, running a hand through her wild long strands and blowing some out of her face.

Moving some hairs from her face, I stare down at her again. I’m so fucking smitten with this damn girl, and my damn heart flutters out of control. Even when she gives me the stank eye, probably plotting my death.

“How about another one? Maybe on my bed as we roll around on eight hundred bucks?” Her pretty, pouting lips pop open, and her green eyes bounce to mine in shock. I grin more, holding up the plastic bag I had shoved in my pocket. Her eyes dance across the multiple crinkled bills. “After we pour this on the sheets, I’m going to lay you down,” I rasp, nipping at her jawline.

Her breaths pick up, her chest heaving against mine. The feel of her fingernails ripping into my flesh has me grinding myself against her center, begging to rip through her shorts and fuck her until she says my name.

“And then what?” she whispers when my tongue swirls down her neck, and I suck her flesh between my teeth.

She groans, letting my hand wander between our bodies to the soaked, promised land I can’t wait to live in. Do you think she’d let me sleep with my cock buried inside her—hard or not? I shiver at the thought, moving her tiny shorts and panties aside with my fingers.

“You good, Pretty Girl? Can I stick my fingers in your pussy and make you come on my bike?”

What I don’t tell her is I want her to christen my winning bike with her pussy juices so I can continue to win fat stacks of cash to fuck her on.

Shit. My dick rages inside my jeans, begging to punch through and fuck her right here. But If I fuck her first, I can’t show our precious Callum how to use his tongue correctly. Soon, he’ll be an expert. First, though, I need to prime her and get her juices flowing, so he has a juicy fruit to sink his teeth into.

“Yes,” she moans as I shove my fingers inside her, basking in the feel of her contracting inner walls seizing around my fingers.

“Good girl,” I whisper, slowly pumping my fingers in and out. “You’re so goddamn wet, Pretty Girl. Did you really not like the ride? Was it the vibrations that got you going?” I murmur, nipping at her neck again and leaving my marks behind on her flesh.

Mine. Fucking mine.

“Shut. Up,” she gasps, hiding her face in the crook of my neck. “Harder, Rad.”

Well, she doesn’t have to tell me twice. Grunting, I pick up the pace, enjoying my name on her lips. Her moans ring in my ears like music until she cries out into my neck, squeezing around my fingers as she comes so hard her damn body trembles.

“You are fucking exceptional,” I whisper, kissing her cheek.

Her warm breath brushes across my skin when she pulls back, staring at me with glossed-over green eyes—a small smile tugs at her lips when she looks my face over. Dare I say, she seems impressed and likes what she sees.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” she murmurs in a daze, leaning her forehead against mine.

Her breath picks up again when I wiggle my fingers, still nestled inside her. I contemplate leaving them inside her but decide against it. Bringing my soaked fingers to my mouth, I suck them in. Her taste explodes on my tongue. And yup. I’m keeping her forever. There’s no doubt about that. I’ll lock her on my bed or tie her up in my closet.

“God, you taste so damn good. I want to put this in a jar and keep it forever and…” River puts a hand over my mouth with a shake of her head.

“You’re really disgusting sometimes, but I’ll forgive you just this once because you gave me an orgasm,” she huffs, but my damn pride blooms, and I lick her hand.

“The best one ever, right?” I say with a grin, lifting her off the bike and setting her on her wobbly feet. I jump off, kicking the kickstand down so the bike rests. “Now, let’s throw some cash around and teach Callum a thing or two.”

“Teach him?” She raises a skeptical brow but still follows me through the back sliding glass door into the spotless kitchen—my domestic work of art. “What would we teach him?” Her skeptical voice echoes through the room, turning to me, awaiting an answer.

“Well, definitely not science or math, Pretty Girl. I’m talking…” I stick out my long tongue again, loving the way her eyes dilate at the sight, and wiggle it around. “Butt stuff, pussy stuff, tongue stuff… Any type of stuff, really.” I shrug, walking further into the house with wild ideas running through my mind.

Ideas like River sprawled out with her pussy in the air and my mouth on it while he fucks her mouth, and then we take turns fucking her until my cock can sleep inside her. Shit. I discreetly adjust my cock inside my pants, watching her from the corner of my eyes.

Her nose wrinkles. “Butt stuff? Really? What are you, an alien?” Her eyes roll toward the ceiling.

“I could dress up as one if you wanted! I could paint my skin blue and probe you all night long.” My grin spreads when she shoots me a scathing look, shaking her head. “Well, in that case, welcome to Casa Callum and Rad,” I offer, spreading my arms wide and highlighting the beautiful house we own together.

“You two?” she asks, running a finger over the countertops. “You weren’t kidding about your domestic duties, were you?”

“I am the man of this house,” I proclaim with a grin, pulling my pants up further on my hips.

“Second man,” Callum mutters, moseying into the kitchen with his hands in his pockets. The telltale sign that he’s nervous as fuck, having a chick in the house. But not just any chick, our River.

His eyes light up when she turns toward him and grins, offering him a little wave.

“Did you like your ride?” he asks quietly, never lifting his head. His eyes drift over the floor, studying the damn tile like it’s more interesting than the beautiful girl standing before us.

She side-eyes me, mischief sparkling in the depths of her green eyes, and shrugs. “Meh, it was okay.” I nearly sputter at her but decide to bite my tongue.

He smiles softly, finally lifting his eyes and meeting hers. Hearts explode over his head at the sight of her. “So, you hung- hungry?” he asks, taking a deep breath. I’ve never seen him so damn flustered before, let alone talk to a girl.

She shrugs again, once again looking around our place. “I could eat…” she trails off, looking off toward the small living room. “This place is nice,” she murmurs, offering him a warm smile. “How did you two?” I jerk my gaze to Callum, who looks off toward the small living room again, getting lost in his head.

“After my parents kicked me out, I came here,” I say, fondly looking around. I’ve only lived here for three years, but this has been more of a home for me than my other one ever was.

The environment my parents cultivated behind their four walls was more than toxic; it was downright deadly. My father, the beloved pastor of the Lutheran church, ruled that house with an iron fist. They placed rules upon rules on me, their only child, for years. No one ever knew the moment he stepped into the church, a firm mask fell into place. He became the man he thought the world wanted to see. Father of the year, if I say so myself. The moment I could escape, I did.

“Why’d they kick you out?” she asks, brows furrowing in concern. Her fingers work up my arm, eventually stopping to massage my shoulder. I lean into her touch, taking comfort in her.

“They’re assholes,” I say with a big breath. “I got some tats, and they didn’t approve, so I moved in here with my boy Callum.”

“My parents invited him to stay after they did-did that,” Callum whispers, peeking at us. “They were the best. They really liked him.”

“How?” River laughs. “Seriously? They liked him?” My mouth opens at her insult, and she giggles, making Callum’s face light up.

“Somehow,” he quips, “but yeah, they did. He lived here with us when…” My heart falls into my ass when the ghosts of his past, grab hold of him, but before I can do anything, River’s on him with a giant hug.

“You don’t have to say it,” she murmurs into his chest, rubbing her hands up and down his back. Relaxing in her hold, he puts his cheek on the top of her head, sighing with contentment. Every worry leaks out of him with her in his arms.

Shock takes me over at her words. My jaw hits the ground. He fucking told her the tragic story of his parents and sister. Callum doesn’t tell anyone what happened, instead keeping it bottled up and reliving it every day in his genius mind. I never thought I’d see the day when he opened up to someone besides us. River’s done the fucking unthinkable and grabbed his attention.

He whispers something in her ears until she pulls away, staying at arm’s length. His fingers run through her hair, curling it behind her ear. Love emanates from his gray eyes, pouring out to her. It would break his fucking heart if we had to leave her behind in this shit town. And we won’t.

River West is ours to keep.

Leaning down, Callum tentatively presses his lips into hers with uncertainty. Tangling her fingers in his blond locks, she holds him there until their tongues dance together, and they’re left breathless. Callum groans into her mouth when his shaky hands find her ass, and he squeezes it, pulling her closer.

“All right,” I say, wrapping my arms around the both of them as they pull away from each other with swollen lips, eyeing me like I’m up to something. “I’m feeling a little left out of the fun. Let’s teach our boy some tongue tricks.”

Callum sucks in a breath. A blush takes over his entire head, turning him into a strawberry. I expect River to give me sass, but that cute smile she loves to toss around crosses her lips. She shrugs, getting to her tippy toes. Her soft lips kiss the edge of his, trailing down his neck. He groans, running both hands through her hair and holding her there.

“You-you don’t have to,” Callum stutters through the tremors shaking his body. “I…” He loses himself in the feel of her fingers roaming over his chest, slowly guiding down to the bulge growing in his jeans. She squeezes him, earning a full-blown moan from him.

That’s right, Callum. Let loose. Let our River guide you into a den of sin.

“So, shall we go?” I say, wiggling my eyebrows, and gesture to the bedroom.

“Lead the way,” River rasps, holding out her hand.

We stare at Callum, waiting for him to decide. Because ultimately, it’s up to him whether he wants to participate.

“You—you’ll teach me?” he asks softly, refusing to look at her.

“I’m fine with it,” River proclaims with a shrug. “You, him, and me? Hell, yes.”

And that’s all Callum needs. With as much confidence as he can muster, he grabs her arm and leads her to my bedroom down the hallway. Dare I say there’s a little pep in his horny step and pride swelling his chest.

“Well, this should be fun!” I whoop, ripping off my shirt and tossing it on the couch when I pass, heading down the hallway.