Chapter 2 #2
When I look back at Silver, she’s standing beside the picnic table listening to Lacey.
Her dark hair is as wild as she is, falling to her shoulders.
Her cheeks are pink like she’s been in the sun today.
A clingy shirt and jeans show every curve of her body.
The urge to drag her off into the woods and pin her to a tree is almost overpowering. She’s fucking gorgeous.
Maybe she feels me watching because she looks over at me, grins, then runs her gaze slowly downward and back up until she’s looking me in the eye. The second I get her alone, we’re going to see whether she wore panties or not.
Lacey spots me, and I head over to them. Her expression is full of caution as she introduces me to her boyfriend. “Nick, this is my brother, Lee. Lee, be nice.”
Calli and Silver smile at her warning as Nick shakes my hand and says, “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. Where are you from?” His lack of an accent is instantly noticeable.
“California. I moved here about a year ago.”
“And this is Trinity,” Lacey says, nodding to the thin blonde. We trade perfunctory greetings, but Nick is the one I’m focused on.
“Is that your work truck out front?” I ask as the others walk a few feet away from us to talk to Arlow’s mom.
“It’s a company truck. I had to come straight from work.”
“You’re an electrician?”
“Apprentice, at least for another year.”
I drain the last of my beer. “What the hell brought you to Kentucky from California?”
He laughs and accompanies me to the cooler. “Lower cost of living and a good union job. My dad’s side of the family live in Paducah.”
“Beer?” I offer, pulling two out of the cooler. He accepts it and I spend the next few minutes throwing questions at him. He doesn’t seem bothered by it, and none of his answers concern me when it comes to Lacey’s safety.
There’s a pause in the conversation for a moment. He takes a drink and looks over at me. “So, did I pass the dating my sister test or do I need to watch my back?” There’s an edge of amusement in his voice, but he isn’t completely kidding.
Neither am I when I reply. “As long as you’re good to her, we have no problems. If you start trying to control her or hurt her, I have more than enough land to hide what’s left of you.” He bursts out laughing while I stare at him, stone faced. “What’s so funny?”
“Lacey doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do and she can throw hands like a felon. If I mistreated her, there wouldn’t be anything left of me to hide.” He glances over at her. “She’s amazing.”
“Fair enough.” He isn’t wrong.
“Just a heads up, she’s hoping to set you up with Trinity.”
“I saw that coming. Not interested.”
It doesn’t appear that Trinity’s interested in me either as the evening progresses. Lacey keeps trying to draw us back together for conversations as we finish grilling and everyone eats. Trinity is polite, but not flirty.
Once it’s dark, Arlow starts a bonfire behind the little cabin, and everyone gathers around it. “Not my usual bonfire spot, but it’s close enough so Alicia can put the twins to bed and listen with a baby monitor,” he explains. “I need to go grab the other four lawn chairs from the new shed though.”
Silver sidles up beside us. “This is a better spot to hang out.”
“You’re just afraid of the graveyard,” I say.
Her eyes narrow at my accusation. “I’m not afraid of it. I just have no desire to wander around it at night.”
“We’ll go grab the other chairs,” I volunteer, resting my hand on Silver’s shoulder. “Since you aren’t afraid.”
She shrugs my hand off and gives me a look before regarding Arlow. “Fine, but if he trips and falls into an open grave, I’m filling it in.”
Finally, I have her alone. We’re out of sight of the rest of the party by the time we get to Arlow’s backyard and enter the old cemetery. The sky is clear, and the moonlight illuminates our way, drawing long shadows from the crumbling gravestones.
Silver jerks when my elbow brushes hers, and I can’t help but chuckle as I slide my arm around her. She really doesn’t like it out here at night. “You can close your eyes, and I’ll guide you through. Or I can carry you.”
“You just want to feel me up.”
“Good idea.” Before she can react, I scoop her up and throw her over my shoulder.
“Lee!” My name comes out through her surprised laughter. “Put me down.”
She clutches the back of my shirt as I run my hand over her ass, squeezing it. “Tell me whether you wore panties.”
“Been thinking about it all night, haven’t you?” She yelps when I swat her ass hard enough to sting.
“That’s okay. I’ll see for myself.” She squirms in my arms while I open the small metal shed and duck down to carry her inside. There are no lights, only the thin moonlight shining in to outline a few lawn chairs and garden tools in the corner. An empty workbench runs along the wall.
“You aren’t going to be able to see anything in here,” she says as I place her on her feet.
I pull the shed door shut, plunging us into complete darkness.
“All I need are my hands, sweetheart.” I pull her against me and her breath shudders when I brush my lips just under her ear.
She melts in my arms, and I love that she reacts this way to my touch.
I suck at her skin, kissing down her neck, and the little hum she lets out is only the beginning of the noises I want her to make for me.
Her hands delve into my hair, and she slips her tongue into my mouth. Fuck. When she reaches down to caress my hardening cock, I break the kiss and growl into her ear. “Do that again and I’m going to bend you over this workbench.”
“We aren’t having sex out here.”
There’s amusement in her voice, but her words aren’t very convincing, especially since she’s squeezing my ass and pressing her body to mine. She doesn’t object when I unfasten her pants. Smooth hot skin meets my fingertips as I slip my hand under her waistband.
“Disappointed?” she asks when I run my finger along the top of her panties.
“No. I’m looking forward to taking them off you later.” I back her up two steps until her ass touches the workbench. “Are you wet?” She doesn’t get a chance to answer before my fingers travel down to see for myself. Hot breath tickles my neck when my fingertip brushes her clit.
“You are. Look at you.” Her pussy clenches around my finger when I press it inside, and she moans, flexing her hips. “So worked up. Are you thinking about the last time my cock was inside you?”
“Lee, fuck,” she gasps as I finger her while rubbing her clit in steady circles.
“See what happens when you tease me?” I tug her pants down a little more, so my hand has enough room to move, then work two fingers in her and use my thumb on her clit.
“Oh, yes, right there.” The urgency and pleading in those low, breathy words tell me she’s already close. It doesn’t take long before her hands fly to my biceps, gripping them tightly.
I lean down to nip at her ear and lower my voice. “I’m going to make you come, and you’ll have to wear those wet panties until I take them off you to fuck you all night.”
The cry she lets out as she pulses around my fingers goes straight to my cock.
It takes all my restraint not to turn her around and fuck her over this workbench.
Instead, I kiss her again and tug her underwear back in place.
I haven’t quite withdrawn my hand from her waistband when the door pops open and we’re hit with a blinding light.
Trinity stands there with her mouth open, a flashlight in hand. “Shit, sorry!”
The bright light lowers, revealing my sister standing behind her. Silver curses and scrambles to fasten her pants. She wasn’t really exposed but it’s clear what we were doing.
“We were coming to help with the chairs,” Lacey explains. “Didn’t mean to…interrupt.” Oh, I’m never going to hear the end of this.
Silver lets out a small laugh, grabs a chair in each hand, and starts walking back to the party. Trinity glances at Lacey, then me, and quickly rushes to catch up with Silver.
They’re barely out of earshot when Lacey turns to me, raising her eyebrows. “You should’ve told me you’re seeing Silver! I wouldn’t have brought Trinity to meet you.”
“I’m not seeing her.”
Lacey grins, crossing her arms. “You stick your hand down everyone’s pants, then?
” Without answering, I hold out a chair to her and tuck the other under my arm.
My glare doesn’t discourage her from talking my ear off on the walk back.
“Fine. Be a grouch. But I think it’s great.
I like Silver. I should hang out with her more.
Maybe she’d like to get together for margaritas sometime.
And Calli can come too. Does she know you two are involved? ”
“We aren’t involved.”
It’s like I’m talking to myself as she rattles on. “Of course she does. She’s Silver’s best friend. And you’re Arlow’s best friend. It’s so perfect!” she gushes.
“Are you done?” I ask, exasperated, as we exit the graveyard and head toward the others.
Lacey beams up at me. “We both know I’m not. But I’ll let it go for now. Just know that I’m so happy for you. Oh, it could be a double wedding.”
Good god.
Nick sees us walking up and rushes over to take the chair from her before she can start naming my future children. He’d better be good to her. Her rosy view of relationships sets a high bar for him, one I’m not sure any man could live up to, but he damn well better try.
Silver gives me a mischievous look from the opposite side of the bonfire as she takes a shot with Calli. All I want to do is drag her out of here now. One hour. I’m counting it down, then I’m going to finish what I started.
The party livens up once Arlow’s mom takes the twins inside to bed. Calli turns on some music, and everyone does a shot for Arlow’s birthday. Afterward, I hand him a hundred dollar bill. He accepts it quietly, with a smile and nod.
“Men are ridiculous,” Lacey announces. I hadn’t even realized she was standing nearby. “Cash isn’t a gift. You could’ve at least bought a gift card.”
“That just limits where you can spend the cash,” Nick points out.
It starts a whole friendly argument over whether gift cards are a scam, but I’m not listening.
It’s clear Arlow has tuned out too, since he’s looking back toward his barn.
The hundred dollar bill is a tradition between us.
I’m not sure if he’s told Calli what it’s about and I wouldn’t be upset if he did.
She isn’t the type to gossip. All three of us share some dark secrets.
Silver pours another shot, and I lean down to talk into her ear before she can drink it.
“Don’t get too wasted to finish what we started.
” I love how she shivers at the sound of my voice.
Nobody’s paying any attention to us. They’re all talking and laughing, except for Trinity who has been typing on her phone a lot since we returned from the shed.
Silver grins up at me, the alcohol shining in her dark eyes. “You’d better finish it multiple times.”
“Something’s moving back there,” Arlow exclaims, still staring into the dark. It draws everyone’s attention.
“What? Did you see someone?” Lacey asks nervously, grabbing Nick’s hand.
Silver moves closer to me, peering into the darkness.
“No, I heard something and I think—” His words are interrupted by a loud bleat, quickly followed by another.
“The goats are out! I told you that one section of the pen needed to be fixed!” Calli scolds as everyone relaxes and laughs.
“Come on,” I tell him. “Let’s go see what they did.” Arlow and I built that pen and the shelter with it. We head over to check it out while the others go back to the bonfire. There’s no point in rounding up the goats until we patch the problem.
It turns out only one section has been knocked down.
Arlow grabs some tools, and it takes us about thirty minutes to get it secured.
“That’ll do for tonight,” he says. “I’ll get a better look at it in the light tomorrow.
I know which goat did it. It’s that stupid one with the white stripe on his face,” he says.
“Don’t talk about yourself like that.”
“Fuck off,” he snorts. “Calli beat you to that joke. She calls it Arlow Junior. Little bastard loves to headbutt everything.”
When we return, Nick, Lacey, Calli, and her sister sit by the fire. “Where did everyone go?” Arlow asks.
“Your dad went to bed. Trinity gave Silver a ride home,” Calli says.
What? I pull out my phone to text her and see a message waiting for me.
Silver
Key is under the ceramic cat on the porch.
It’s followed by a picture of her submerged in a bath. A candle burning on the edge of the tub provides the only light, taunting me with all I can’t see.
Five minutes later, I’m in my truck. My thoughts are filled with everything I want to do to her and in a blink, I’m turning onto her road. Ugh, I smell like the bonfire. At least, that’s what I assume the scent is until it worsens when I roll down the window.
It isn’t until I park behind Silver’s truck that I see it. One of her windows glows orange and smoke pours from the others.
No! Pure fear and adrenaline take over. Retrieving her key never enters my mind. I’m prepared to knock the door down, but the knob turns easily, and the room belches out a glut of smoke when I pull it open.
“Silver!”