Chapter 6
Elijah
I sat outside in the yard, drinking a cup of coffee and watching out of the corner of my eye as Kennedy came out and sat on a chair on the porch.
She waved when she saw me, and I smiled, waving back.
Jasper chuckled softly.
"What?" I asked, knowing him well enough to know there was something behind it.
"If you try any harder, you might pop a vein," he said.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I murmured, taking a sip of my coffee.
Jasper scoffed. "You don't have to play coy with me. I know you, remember?"
I turned to him. "And what exactly do you know?" I challenged.
"That you want her in your bed, although in this case, on your couch," he grinned.
I huffed out a breath and shook my head. "I'm not an asshole like you, remember?"
Jasper grinned. "Right, I forgot. You're the gentleman." He shook his head.
"Tell me what's wrong with that."
"Oh, nothing. I just know you look at her and imagine her in your bed. She's attractive, after all."
He wasn't wrong. Kennedy was exactly what I was drawn to. But admitting that to Jasper would only encourage him.
"Oh, and she isn't yours?" I shot back.
"I didn't say she wasn't, but unlike you, I'm not afraid to tell it like it is. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to fuck her."
"There's no opportunity here, Jasper."
He scoffed. "Really? Because all I see is opportunity. I bet she's even thinking about it."
I frowned. "Thinking about what?"
"Being with us. You heard about the things she wrote in her diary."
"That doesn't mean she wants to fuck every guy she sees," I argued.
"I know, but it means the possibility exists." He raised a brow.
"The possibility of what? Us taking advantage of a woman who's in a vulnerable place right now?"
"Taking advantage?" Jasper leaned back. "Man, you're making it sound dirty."
"It is if she's not ready."
"And if she is ready?" He grinned. "What then?"
I sighed. "I don't know, man. I think she genuinely came out here to find peace."
And she deserved that. After everything she'd told us about her family, the last thing Kennedy needed was two men pressuring her into something she wasn't ready for.
"Obviously, but nothing's wrong with having a little fun too."
I clenched my teeth.
"Look," Jasper said, his tone shifting. "I'm not saying we push her into anything. I'm just saying... don't pretend you don't want this."
"Want what?"
"Her. With us. The way we've done before."
"Don't pretend this isn't the type of thing you're into. We do threesomes all the time," he pointed out.
"This is different."
"How?"
"Because she is."
Jasper studied me for a moment. "You actually like her."
"Let's not forget that for any of this to happen, we have to get consent from Kennedy first."
That was the line I wouldn't cross. Not with her. Not with anyone, but especially not with Kennedy.
Jasper gripped my shoulder. "Of course, but I can see the fire in her eyes. I have a feeling she'll ask for it before it's even suggested." He patted me on the shoulder and then walked toward the porch.
"Movie night tonight?" he called to Kennedy, who immediately agreed.
I sighed, losing my appetite for the rest of my coffee. From the very moment I saw Kennedy in that grocery store, I knew she was something special. After leaving, I regretted not asking for her number, but I had no idea fate would come into play and I'd see her again, same day.
Now here she was, under the same roof as me, and she was perfect.
Appearance-wise, she could be a model, with long legs, a slender figure, delicate features, and brown eyes that reminded me of honey.
But she wasn't only stunning; she was smart too.
A lawyer. She was the full package, and how could I forget, she desired the same things in the bedroom that I did.
It was like she'd fallen right into my path as the perfect match. The attraction had been instant.
But it was more than attraction. She was ashamed of desires that should never carry shame, running from a family that clearly didn't appreciate who she was.
I didn't want to admit it to Jasper, but it couldn't be any clearer to me. I wanted her, wanted her to live out her fantasies through me, and I hoped this trip would give us the opportunity to do so.
It was up to her to decide in the end.
Jasper went for a run later that evening, saying he'd be back right in time for us to watch a movie. I showered and went to the living room to sit, staring outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I watched the darkening skies and the trees outside, knowing it was about to rain soon.
"Is Jasper back yet?"
I turned to find Kennedy standing there, her arms folded in a cardigan that brushed her knees. She was in cotton shorts and a top that showed just a glimpse of her smooth belly.
I shook my head. "Not yet, and it's about to rain."
"Did he take his camera?" she asked.
"You know he can't live without that thing."
"That's probably why he isn't back yet."
I nodded. "You're right."
"Should we be worried?"
"About Jasper? Never. He knows these trails."
"If you say so."
She tucked a few loose strands of her blonde hair behind her ear and slowly walked toward me.
The movement was unconscious, natural. She had no idea how beautiful she was.
"We could pick a movie in the meantime," she said as she came and sat beside me.
She glanced at me when she realized I was sorting through a stack of DVDs.
"The signal is spotty up here. There's no internet, so we're gonna have to do it old school. I found these in the drawer below the TV."
"I can't remember the last time I saw these, probably at my grandma's place."
I chuckled. "I grew up on these."
Kennedy scoffed. "You make it sound like you're a decade older than me."
"Almost," I said, raising a brow.
She snorted. "Not even close."
"Six years is a lot."
"Six years is nothing."
"Says the twenty-four-year-old."
"Exactly. I'm an adult."
"Never said you weren't."
"Then stop treating me like I'm a kid."
"I'm not."
"You are." She picked up a DVD. "With the whole 'I grew up on these' thing."
"That's just facts, Kennedy."
She rolled her eyes.
I watched her while she skimmed through the small stack. Her skin was pristine, pale, not a single blemish. I could tell just by looking that her skin was soft. My fingers itched to touch her, just to prove myself right.
"What about this one?" She held up a romantic comedy.
"If that's what you want."
"What do you want?"
The question hung in the air. She wasn't just asking about the movie.
"I'm flexible," I said carefully.
"That's not an answer."
"What do you want me to say?"
She bit her lip. "The truth."
She turned to me, and our gazes held. After catching me staring at her, her cheeks flushed.
Her lips parted slightly, her breathing heavier as her chest rose and fell.
The longer I sat there captivated by her beauty, I picked up on her perfume.
Vanilla mixed with something floral that made me want to lean closer.
My pulse thudded faster, and I felt a faint stirring in my groin.
The rain suddenly came down in a shower that blasted against the roof. My gaze shifted for a moment before coming back to Kennedy. Her throat bobbed gently.
I should pull back. Give her space. Let her make the first move.
But I couldn't. Not when she was looking at me like that. Not when I could see the want in her eyes matching my own.
I leaned in, pulling in more of her scent. My gaze was glued to her peach-colored lips, desperately wanting to taste them.
When my lips grazed hers, her breath hitched. I brushed my lips across hers so she knew I was willing to take it slow. I held the base of her neck, feeling her soft skin and hair beneath the pads of my fingers, and that's when I captured her mouth with mine.
I took it slowly, knowing just by our conversations and Kennedy's mannerisms that she didn't have a lot of experience. She was a sheltered girl who wanted new and exciting experiences, and I'd picked up on that since day one.
Feeling her soft lips on mine set off pure lust in me. A surge that consumed my body and ignited a need inside me I knew wouldn't be tamed anytime soon.
I caressed her lips with my tongue, sucking and tugging, tasting the faint sweetness of whatever she'd been drinking earlier. The moans that came from her throat made me want to pull her closer, to take more.
I broke the kiss. Only because I knew that if I continued, I didn't know if I could stop myself.
And Kennedy deserved better than being ravaged on a couch. She deserved care, patience, someone who would show her what she'd been missing.
Kennedy's eyes were still closed even after I pulled back. Her lips were still slightly parted, flushed from kissing. When she finally opened her beautiful brown eyes, her face became flushed.
"Wow, I—"
"Wow?"
"I mean... that was..." She touched her lips.
"Good?"
"Really good. I... I wasn't expecting that."
"Did you want me to stop?"
"No." The word came out fast. "No, I... I wanted it."
"Next time, all you have to do is ask. Don't be afraid to."
She swallowed hard. "Ask?"
"For what you want. From me. From us."
Her eyes widened slightly at the word 'us.'
"Fuck! It's raining cats and dogs out there!"
Our gazes swiveled toward the front door after hearing Jasper's voice. He came storming through the door, drenched from head to toe, breathing heavily.
"Jesus," I said. "You look like you swam back."
"Feels like it," Jasper said, pulling off his shirt. "It came out of nowhere."
I glanced at Kennedy as she stared at his wet body.
"I'm gonna shower," Jasper said, wringing out his shirt. "Don't start the movie without me."
"We won't," Kennedy said quietly.
He grinned at her before heading to the bathroom.
She didn't just want me. She wanted Jasper too.
And instead of jealousy, I felt anticipation. Because if Kennedy wanted both of us, I'd make damn sure she got exactly what she desired.