Authors: Hilary Storm
I wake the next morning alone in bed. I can smell a hint of coffee aroma in the bedroom and I
eagerly get dressed and attempt to make myself presentable. I turn into the kitchen to find Talon and Holden making breakfast.
“Mornin’ beautiful. Would you like some coffee or OJ?” Talon approaches me and I surrender to his usual ‘good morning’ groping and kiss that makes my knees weak.
“Coffee please.” I say as I lean my forehead against his lips as he finishes his attack.
“Get a fucking hotel room! Shit! How am I supposed to sleep with your sex sounds vibrating through my room! I had to jack off three times last night listening to your girl here moan.” Taron looks straight at me and winks.
I could die right now. Bury me in the back yard because I am going to die of embarrassment. I don’t have any words to say.
“Shut the fuck up, asshole.” Talon comes to my rescue. I am sure everyone can see that I am humiliated. I sit down and stare into my coffee, hoping for an escape. My face is hot and it feels like my heart is in my throat as I struggle to swallow.
“Chill out lil
’ brother. It’s all good!” Taron replies putting his hands up in a surrender position. “I am fucking happy your bitch ass finally got laid. Now maybe you won’t be such a downer all the fucking time.”
Talon can tell I am still mortified and he begins gripping my shoulders massaging the tension out of them.
“You are just jealous you haven’t found what I found!” Talon tells his twin, causing me to smile.
“You are dead on there.” Holden finally speaks.
“Nah! I can get a different flavor every night if I want. Why would I want vanilla every time?”
I finally get a little burst of nerve and decide to defend myself. If I am going to be here often, I am going to have to learn to deal with Taron and his abrupt comments.
“Well now I know you didn’t hear us last night. Because if you did, you would know I am not just plain vanilla. I am a damn hot fudge sundae with whip cream and a fucking cherry on top. Bet you wish you could have a bite!”
Ok, where did that come from? I swear Ivy is rubbing off on my ass. That was all out before I could stop myself. Taron’s face lifted in a full smile as he raised his eyebrows at me. I
am working really hard to keep my eyes focused on him and my head held high.
“Well when you put it that way, I guess I do wish I could find what you have lil
’ brother! She is fucking feisty! I like her. Can we keep her?”
“Ok
jackass, leave her alone. I don’t need you running her off with that vulgar mouth of yours.” Talon warns him one last time.
We eat breakfast and I sit back and watch the three brothers interact with
one another. They tease each other, but you can tell there is a loyalty there that only comes from brotherly love. I know enough about Taron to know he has been there for Talon during his darkest days and for that I have to like him. Not only that, I would never want to come between the bond that those two share. I am actually not sure I would come out on top if I tried.
“What do you say we head to the lake for the day?” I hear Holden talking to his brothers.
“Let’s do it!” Taron looks at Talon to get an answer.
Talon
turns to look at me for an answer.
“I don’t care if you go. Have fun.” I say
, truly hoping he has a fun day with his brothers.
I have plans to work on the photos from last night. I want to go through them and put together a poster for the band. I know some of my pictures are really good and I am excited to show them to Talon.
“You should come with us.” Talon surprises me. I figure he would want to hang out with his brothers for a change.
“Ok, can I bring Ivy?” Everyone looks at Taron for an answer. He presses his lips together like he is holding in his words. I didn’t even think about how Taron would feel about Ivy coming with me.
“Whatever you decide. If you want to hang with a bitch all day, then by all means load her up!” Taron acts like he is indifferent, but everyone can tell he isn’t. Holden and Talon bust up with laughter.
“You are just upset that there is a female version of you out there and she hates your ass!” Holden says between his laughter. Taron stands up quickly and leaves the kitchen.
“Are we going to sit around and laugh all day or get to the water?” Taron yells from the hallway after he exits.
“I need to go home and change clothes.
I will call Ivy on the way, so she will be ready.” I say to Talon. He agrees and quickly gets his own stuff for the day. I call Ivy and she jumps at the chance to spend the day with me at the lake.
Chapter Eleven
Talon
I drop off Eaven at her house then make my way to the gas station and the grocery store. I have this routine down. I buy the same lake food we always do. Beer and cold hotdogs it is. I get water for the girls just in case they don’t want beer all day. I am looking forward to teaching Eaven how to water ski. My family has practically lived on the water my entire life. My brothers and I can all slalom, which is when you only ski with one ski. Taron and I are the only ones crazy enough to barefoot as well. We only do this when the water is as smooth as glass. The tiniest ripple in the water feels like you are flying over a speed bump and jars the crap out of your knees.
I notice my phone ringing. Glancing at the number, I don’t recognize it.
I answer and my entire body freezes at the sound of the voice on the other end of the line.
“Talon.” Her voice is nervous and unsure. I end the call and throw my phone across the dash in disgust. She is fucking stupid to call me after what she did.
I have nothing to say to her and I don’t want to hear any of her shit either. Nicole can rot in the hell that she created for herself.
I find myself in the parking lot of Eaven’s apartment letting my mind rehash the last few years of my life. I thought Nicole was my future.
As I think of Eaven, I realize that I am much happier with the thought of her in my future than I ever was with Nicole. I decide right now that I will not allow Nicole’s call to ruin my day with Eaven.
I look out the window and see my girl headed towards me with her arms full of bags.
“We are only going for the day. You packed like you are moving in.” I tease her.
“Most of it is Ivy’s. She wanted to have options, whatever that means.
I just agreed and stuffed her stuff in bags.” Eaven quickly explains. I help her with the bags and I wrap her in my arms and enjoy the wait for Ivy to make her way to the truck as well. She is wearing a red cover up and I can see red and orange on the bikini strings around her neck.
“I’m going to teach both of you girls how to water ski today.” I say once we get on the road just outside city limits.
“Oh you are?” Eaven says smiling at Ivy.
“That should be fun.” Ivy seems like she is looking forward to it.
“Yes. My family has been skiing for as long as I can remember. It is really pretty easy. You just need to keep a good grip and stiffen up at the right time as you are lifted out of the water. I will be in the water with you. I will have Holden drive the boat.”
“Oh can Taron teach me? Maybe we can both learn at the same time.
Do you have two of those rope thingies for us, so we can try at the same time?”
I smile because there is no way these two are going to go at the same time. That will be chaos. “We will have to see what Taron says.”
The ride to the lake goes quickly with these two girls. I notice they even finish each other’s sentences sometimes. They have inside jokes and hidden meanings left and right. It is great that they have each other.
Holden and Taron are at the marina when we arrive. They have the boat ready to pull out of the dock.
We struggle down the dock with our arms loaded like we are going on some National Lampoon’s Vacation. I catch hell from the guys about the crap the girls are stuffing in the cubby holes in the nose of the boat. What can you do? I just smile and shake my head.
As we pull into the cove the girls take off their cover ups. My jaw drops as I see her in her bikini. Shit. I’m not ready to share the view of her with anyone.
“Fuuuuuck,” Taron says as his eyes pop out. I notice he isn’t looking toward Eaven though. His eyes are planted on Ivy in her hot pink bikini.
Ivy looks over at Taron and squeezes her breast
s together. “Like what you see?” She is enjoying taunting my twin. This day could get interesting.
Once we get to smooth open water we stop the boat. Taron has agreed to teach Ivy to ski at the same time I am working with Eaven. Holden preps the ropes and skis. The girls take time to put sunscreen on and Eaven even rubs me down. We probably should do that every hour. We wouldn’t want to get burnt.
We each put on a life jacket and get in the water. We just float near the boat while we put the two skis on each of the girls. Holden tosses each of us a rope. He idles the boat even after the slack has all been pulled out of the rope.
“Stay in a rocking chair position until you lift out of the water. Then stand up slightly. Remember to keep your knees bent
some to help with the roughness of any waves that may come.” I am holding on to Eaven as the boat tugs us through the water until they are ready. “When you are ready, give a thumbs up to Holden. Make sure you are both ready.”
“Oh
, I hope I can do this.” She says unsure.
“Are you ready to give this a shot?” Ivy says. “Ready to drop when you are.”
“Let’s do this.” Eaven says. I notice one of the skis float into the water. I lean over to reach for it and see both girls give Holden a thumbs up.
“Holy Shit!” Taron yells over at me. I look up and see them both up skiing, each on one ski. Taron is left holding Ivy’s other ski. I can’t help but laugh. I under
estimate her all the time.
Each set of skis has one that has a back boot. The girls knew which one to drop. They have definitely done this before. The only problem is tha
t we didn’t really think they would get up at the same time and Holden doesn’t have a spotter in the boat to watch for their safety. Holden circles pretty quickly and the girls are going in and out of the wake. As they pass by us, Eaven pulls far left and practically lays down causing both of us to get drenched in her spray. I might have just fallen in love with her.
Holden circles again and as the boat passes the girls let go of the rope and glide toward us. Eaven la
nds near me and I attack her in the water.
“That was messed up! You let me think you didn’t know how to ski.” I say as I dunk her. She comes up laughing.
“I never said either way. You just assumed we couldn’t. You aren’t the only one who spent summers at the lake.” This explains why our first date was so easy. I can’t believe I never asked about this.
Holden circles back around and kills the engine. He stands on the back of the boat and bows his head and arms at the girls. “Well played
, ladies.”
We spend most of the day switching off skiers and drivers. I
squeeze Eaven’s hand when I notice her looking at the spot in the boat where we first kissed. I know she is thinking about it too because her face blushes just a little when I do.
We anchor down in the middle of the lake late afternoon and swim the rest of the day. Yet again
, another easy day goes by with Eaven. We have been teasing each other under water. I was about to lose my mind several times throughout the day.
Taron and Ivy have even been decent to each other. I think Taron has learned not to pull his shit on her. She will throw it right back at him. They are both extremely funny and quick to keep us entertained the entire day.
We finish the day and I drive the girls back to their apartment. Thinking back I realized that I only had two beers all day. Sadly we usually drink all day and I don’t have near as much fun as I did today. I help them carry their bags into the apartment.
Eaven thanks me for the day and I bend over and throw her over my shoulder. I walk like a caveman with his woman to her bedroom and lock the door.
“Talon! Seriously? You can use your words and you would have gotten your wish.” She yells at me from over my shoulder. I don’t set her down until I get into the bathroom.
“Yea, well this is more fun!”
“Says the barbarian!” She says slapping my chest. I grab her and lift her onto the counter. Our tongues and hands get entangled instantly. I finally get to pull the strings to her bikini that I have been thinking about all day. I push down her cover up and let her bikini top drop to the ground. She battles to get my shirt over my head as I am busy devouring her gorgeous body.
She slides off the counter and we both drop the rest of our clothes in a pile on the ground. All thoughts in my mind are heading to the same place. Shit. I don’t have a condom.
“Babe, we have to stop.”
“What? Are you crazy? Why?” She says confused.
“I didn’t think to grab protection this morning. We were in such a hurry.”
“I’m on the pill.” She continues to nibble on my chest and stomach.