15. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

RILEY

I stared at the wall, eyes unfocused as I thought about our lake outing a few days ago. Ever since we got back, it had been playing on repeat in my mind. Okay, falling off the side of the boat had been embarrassing but that's not what I was thinking about. It's what happened after.

After they helped me back onto the boat, Colton started a splash war that had me diving for cover while he and Justin rough-housed. I almost fell into the water again, I was so distracted by their bronzed skins and muscles with water trickling down every groove. But more than my physical attraction was the obvious signs of physical attraction between the two of them. Lingering touches while wrestling in the water and long looks that I recognized having been on the receiving end of them from Colton.

After my conversation with Jessica the day before, her words played on a loop in my head the rest of the afternoon. They were perfect together, complimenting each other in a way that I would never be able to. They deserved to be together and I was just getting in the way. Even if floating between them in the lake felt so good I forgot about what I couldn't see beneath me. But maybe I could help out by giving them a little push.

A loud ringing startled me and I jumped slightly on the couch. From the corner of my eye, I could see Justin frowning at me while Colton fished his phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?" He put the phone to his ear and stood up, walking to the back door and opening it for the dogs before stepping out. It must be a client call as he only did that when it was work. I thought Vicky was their receptionist but she apparently didn't like taking client calls or didn't always write down the appropriate details.

I bit my lip, rolling it between my teeth as I watched the door close behind Colton. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to Justin. I was going home in two days and I needed to get this resolved before I left. Or before I fell further in love with Colton or into a more complicated mess with Justin.

I decided to just rip the bandaid off when I turned to Justin and I saw him staring at the door that Colton had just walked out of with that longing look in his eyes.

"I see the way you look at him, you know." I said quickly. "And the way he looks at you."

Justin's eyes snapped to mine and his eyebrows shot up his face. "What–? No–"

I held up a hand to stop him, wanting to get this out before Colton came back in. "I know y'all dated in college and I would never judge you for that but I see the way you two look at each other and I don't want to come between you or take Colton away from you." I smiled sadly rushing out my words before Colton came back or Justin could deny them, "I can see the love in your eyes when you look at each other even if you won't cop to it. The years of history you have together… no one can compare to that and I don't want to stand between that."

Justin shifted so he could face me. His face was a riot of emotions that I had a hard time deciphering. "Colton… he doesn't se e me like that anymore. And he's so happy with you."Justin's quick denial had my heart clenching. He was a good guy and I appreciated him not wanting to hurt me but it wasn't just me who saw it so I knew he was in denial.

"I–" The back door opened and both our eyes snapped to Colton.

"What y'all talking about?" Colton wasn't an idiot and I'm sure that we looked like we had been caught with our hands in the cookie jar even if we hadn't moved from our spots on the couch.

"Oh, ya know, just fulfilling my promise to Riley about those stories. So anyways… it was third grade and we were at recess and Colton had gotten angry at our PE teacher for some reason so he was determined to make him a mud pie and make him eat it but it had to look realistic…"

Colton groaned and then laughed as he pretended to put Justin in a chokehold as Justin continued the story of little Colton picking the leaves that looked like spinach leaves all over the schoolyard until he presented their gym teacher with a mud pie that looked like a spinach pie and the man had actually taken a bite out of it.

Although Justin's tone was lively, I could see the relief in his eyes and it didn't surprise me that he made an excuse to leave not long after. Colton refilled my wine glass and grabbed another beer from the fridge before sitting down next to me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

He pressed a kiss to the side of my head and I gave into the urge to melt against him, letting out a little sigh as he squeezed my shoulders. "I'm glad the two of you are getting along so well, even if it's ganging up on me," he murmured.

My breath caught in my throat. This would be the perfect time to bring this up with Colton but should I? Justin seemed to be sure there was nothing between them but I recognized one of the wild emotions that had flashed in his eyes. Fear. Fear of being caught out or fear of my reaction I didn't know, but he didn't deny that he still felt that way about Colton. Only that Colton felt that way about him.

"Of course," I said carefully. "The two of you are such good friends. I don't want to come between that." I chickened out of actually saying the words and instead chose to test the waters.

"We are, but I think Justin would be yours too if you wanted." My what? Friend? Surely Colton wasn't suggesting what I thought he was. No, he wouldn't do that. He definitely meant friend.

"I don't know if I could compare to all those years of history." I forced my tone to be light even as I voiced one of my fears out loud.

"Then we create new history together. The three of us." The way he said that almost had me caving and asking what he meant but I stayed silent. I wasn't sure I wanted clarification. In the past, more details hadn't always made me feel better. Maybe he just meant the three of us as friends. He nuzzled the side of my head. "Now that I have you, I don't want to lose you. Either of you."

I didn't know what to say. I should tell Colton what I told Justin. That the two of them were meant to be together. But my heart ached when I even thought of the words because saying them meant losing Colton and I selfishly wanted a little more time. But before I left I would say something. I could enjoy these next few days and then I would talk to Colton. The two of them deserved each other and if I could help make that happen I would be happy. But until then I would take advantage of any time I could.

I turned my head and brushed my lips against his in a soft kiss. Once, twice. On the third time, he cradled the back of my head with one hand and brought me closer, deepening the kiss. Our lips moved against each other in almost a lazy way, savoring each touch. Without breaking our kiss, he shifted to lay me down on the couch, covering my body with his. I let one leg fall to the floor, letting him settle in the cradle of my hips and groaning when his hardness pressed against my core.

He traced my face with his fingers, trailing those whispery touches down my neck and across my collarbone until I shuddered into the kiss. That same hand ran up and down my side until it caught the hem of my shirt. He broke the kiss to tug my shirt up and over my head, groaning when he realized I wasn't wearing a bra underneath. My hands tugged at the hem of his own shirt and he quickly got rid of it, lowering back down until our bare skin pressed together. He kissed me again, slow and sweet and I ran my hands over his shoulders and down his back, fingertips digging in in an effort to bring him closer. He pulled back to give himself room to cup one of my breasts, thumb strumming across my nipple till I gasped. He placed a trail of kisses down my neck until his lips replaced his thumb. He alternated licks and nips until I squirmed underneath him. Every nip seemed connected straight to my clit and I ground against him for relief.

He tugged down my shorts and I lifted my hips so he could drop them on the floor next to my shirt. He sat back on his knees, eyeing the silky underwear I slipped into earlier today. He lightly ran a finger across my hip bones to the growing wet patch on the fabric. I tried to lift my hips to get him to increase pressure but he kept his touch infuriatingly light. Without warning, his thumb pressed down on my clit through the fabric and I cried out, bucking my hips. He dropped to his knees on the floor and yanked my hips to him. I groaned when he pressed his lips to the soaked fabric and inhaled. Tugging the material to the side, he covered my center with his mouth in long licks. The pressure was exquisite but it wasn't enough to drive me over the edge. I fisted my hands in his hair, trying to drag him where I needed and he chuckled against my skin.

"Patience, baby girl, we're not rushing this, not tonight. You're going to lay there and take what I give you."

I groaned. "That sounds like torture."

"The sweetest kind," he murmured, pressing a kiss to each hip bone before dropping his mouth back to my center. His long slow licks were punctuated with small nibbles on my most sensitive area and before I knew it, I could feel my orgasm rising inside me. Before it could crest though, he pulled away and sat up, ignoring my dismayed groan. He shoved his shorts and boxers down his hips and ran his hands up and down my inner thighs.

"Flip over onto your knees, baby girl. Hands on the back of the couch." My insides clenched at his demanding tone but I did as he asked. I looked over my shoulder at him after I settled onto the couch and he stood there staring at me with a soft look in his eyes. I swallowed against the lump in my throat. Choosing to hide my vulnerability with sass, I wiggled my hips at him.

"Are you just going to stand and stare or actually do something?"

He laughed and reached out a hand to palm one of my hips. "Define something," he said, letting a hand fall to my ass in a soft spank. I yelped at the sting but it faded into a warm heat.

"Well fucking me for starters."

He laughed, smacking the other cheek and I only jumped slightly this time. "Haven't you ever heard that some things are worth the wait."

"Patience has never been my strong suit."

He laughed but stepped closer to me until I could feel the heat from him on the back of my thighs. Whatever sassy retort I was going to say next faded away when he pressed a finger inside of me unexpectedly. I gasped and then moaned when he withdrew it and one finger turned to two.

The orgasm that had previously faded came roaring up again with a vengeance and when he curled his fingers to brush against my g-spot, I cried out as my legs shook. Before I could reach that peak again, he withdrew his fingers. I whipped my head around ready to cuss him out and he smacked my ass again, the words dying on my lips. Before I could catch my breath again, he had grabbed my hips and was sliding into me.

The first thrust left me breathless but the second had a moan slipping out of my lips as he slid deep inside me. This position allowed him to go so much deeper and he set a pace that had me gasping and moaning into the couch cushion. He leaned forward, changing the angle and I cried out, the sound muffled by the couch. One hand threaded in my hair and he used that to pull my head up.

"Let me hear you, baby girl," Colton panted, showing I wasn't the only one affected by his teasing.

He picked up the pace, hammering into me harder and when his finger came around to press small tight circles on my clit, I shattered. Curses and moans fell from my lips as he fucked me through my shaking orgasm. I whined and twisted my hips as my walls became oversensitized.

"Easy there," he murmured in my ear. "Give me one more."

"I don't know if I can," I panted out. The force of just that one orgasm had my insides liquefied.

"You can," he pulled back and grabbed my hips with both hands. He slowed down the pace but went impossibly deeper each time and I groaned as I could feel my orgasm building again. He slipped a finger down to gather some of the wetness leaking out of me and brushed against my back door. I stiffened and he pressed a soft kiss to my shoulder blade. "Is this okay?" he murmured and I nodded. I hadn't done anal in a long time but I knew Colton would be careful.

Gathering some more of my wetness, he worked his thumb into my ass, massaging the tight muscle till it gave way. I groaned loudly when he started moving his thumb in time with the thrusts of his hips. The orgasm that had been building inside me came raging back and for a few breaths I was almost scared of its intensity but Colton didn't relent. For a breath I hung suspended in time and space and then the force of my orgasm slammed into me so hard I lost my breath. My muscles shook and I almost blacked out for a moment, distantly aware of Colton roaring his own release and collapsing on top of me, his chest against my back a welcome weight tying me to this world. Tears burned in my eyes both from the force of my orgasm and from the wave of emotion that threatens to overwhelm me. I didn't want to lose Colton but I had the sinking feeling I was on borrowed time after I had the conversation about Justin with him.