Holding You

  “Lauren, you’re so wet, baby.”

  Her chest heaved up and down as the look in her eyes intensified. “I want you, Colt. Please don’t make me wait any longer.”

  Lifting off of her, I reached into the drawer of the side table and grabbed a condom. Ripping it open, I slipped it over my dick. It was pulsing with need as I looked back at Lauren’s glistening wet pussy. I’d never wanted anything so much in my life.

  “Lauren, promise me if I hurt you, you’ll tell me.” Nodding her head, she wet her lips in anticipation. “Baby, I just want to fuck you.”

  Closing her eyes, she said, “Yes! Colt, yes!”

  Moving over her, I teased her entrance with my tip as Lauren placed her hands on my shoulders. “Now, Colt. I’m so ready.”

  In one swift move, I pushed into Lauren. She called out my name and I tried like hell to control the animal in me. Each thrust went deeper as she dug her nails in my back.

  Fighting to keep my orgasm at bay, I continued to push in deeper . . . trying to find her sweet spot. The sight of her body reacting to the coming orgasm was fueling me on.

  Just as the orgasm hit her, she gripped my dick and I about poured myself into the condom. Lifting her limp, sedated body, I carried her into the shower. Wrapping her arms around me, she buried her face against my neck.

  “Are you okay, baby; do you want to keep going?” I asked as I stepped into my bathroom.

  “Yes . . . please don’t stop, Colt.”

  The smell of our sweat and sex filled the air. It was a scent I wanted to smell every single day for the rest of my life. Never letting her out of my arms, I reached into the shower and turned it over to hot. Giving it a few seconds to heat up, I stepped into the shower and slowly let Lauren slide down my body. “Mmm . . . feels so good. Watching her head drop back, the hot water soaked her hair as it fell past her shoulders. Running my fingers through her hair, I grabbed a handful.

  “I’m not done with you, Lauren.”

  Her eyes snapped open, and I was overcome by the seductive look she gave me. “Good,” she whispered.

  Lifting her up, I pushed her against the shower wall and pushed my dick back into her.

  The feel of my dick slipping in and out of her combined with the hot water falling on us was heavenly. “Don’t stop, Colt. So . . . close.”

  It wasn’t long before Lauren began screaming out my name as I came hard right along with her. Still holding her in my arms, Lauren and I sank to the floor of the shower as we fought to pull air into our lungs.

  “That. Was. So. Hot,” Lauren said between breaths.

  I nodded and whispered, “Very hot. So fucking hot.” My heart dropped when I looked into Lauren’s eyes. They were beckoning for me to be lost in them.

  “Lauren, never in my wildest dreams did I think my heart could be so in love with one person. I’m captivated by everything about you. Your soft lips, I long to kiss. Your blue eyes, I find myself getting lost in every time I look into them. Your touch sends an instant bolt of electricity to my heart. But I think what I love the most is your heart. It is so pure and full of life.” Closing my eyes, I whispered, “I pray to God it belongs to me.”

  Lifting her hand and placing it on the side of my face, I leaned into it as I opened my eyes. “My heart is filled with love for you, Colt. Only you.”

  Slowly standing, I lifted Lauren up as we stood under the steaming hot water. Moving my lips to hers, I gently kissed her as I held her face within my hands. Pouring my love into her, I kissed her with every raw emotion I had. Life stopped in that moment as Lauren and I were lost in that kiss.

  Brushing my lips gently across Lauren’s, I smiled as I was overcome by the love I had for her. Smiling in return, Lauren giggled. “Think of all the showers we missed out on.”

  Chuckling, I pulled her to me. “Sweetheart, I’m never going to be able to take a shower alone again. You know this, right?”

  Lauren’s face softened as she gazed lazily into my eyes. “I love that you call me, sweetheart. It makes me feel . . . special to you.”

  My heart dropped into my stomach as Lauren’s words filled my mind. Reaching over, I shut off the water. Walking Lauren out of the shower I took in her perfect body. Grabbing a towel, I slowly dried her body off. Starting from her feet up to her hair. Lauren looked completely relaxed as she dropped her head back and let out a contented sigh. Quickly drying myself off, I wrapped the towel around my waist and picked Lauren up. Carrying her back into the room, I pulled the covers back and gently placed her down. Lauren in my bed did crazy things to my heart. She stretched and my stomach did that thing where it flutters at the sight of her.

  Covering her up, I kissed her forehead and spoke in a hushed tone. “Sleep, my beautiful princess.”

  “Hmm, Colt.”

  Lauren quickly drifted off to sleep. Knowing my name was the last thing to be whispered from her lips was amazing. The last twenty-four hours had been amazing.

  Taking a few steps back, I sat in the chair that was in my room. Watching Lauren sleep so peacefully in my bed, I knew things in my life would never be the same. Nothing else on Earth mattered except for her.

  She was my life. My dreams. My entire world.

  REACHING UP WITH my hand, I rubbed my nose.

  Tickles.

  Something kept tickling me. Not wanting to move, I swept my hand under my nose again.

  Stretching, I let out a soft moan as I felt every single muscle in my body. Smiling at the knowledge of why I was so sore, I slowly opened my eyes. Expecting to see Colt, I was met by something far less pleasurable.

  Grace and Alex.

  Closing my eyes tightly, in hopes to erase them and make Colt appear, I slowly opened one eye and then the other.

  Nope. Still Grace and Alex. “What are you two freaks doing in my room?”

  Alex attempted to hide her smile as Grace lost it laughing.

  “Bitch, please. You are nowhere near your room. Your ass is laying naked in Colt’s bed.”

  Sitting up quickly, I pulled the covers with me and looked around. The memory of yesterday flooded my mind as I smiled. Turning back to Alex and Grace, I couldn’t help but bite down on my lip and smile bigger.

  Grace gaped her mouth open. “Oh. My. God. The cherry has been popped, and by the look of things, I’d say Mr. Mathews did a good job of it.”

  Alex smacked Grace. “Eww. Really? I didn’t need the visual thank you very much.”

  Covering my mouth, I attempted to hide my laughter. Alex and Grace both looked at me with beseeching eyes. Finally, Alex said, “So. Tell us everything that happened. I’m dying to hear about how y’all went from hating each other to Colt walking downstairs with the biggest smile on his face I’d ever seen.”

  Grace interrupted Alex with, “And you laying up in Colt’s bed naked! Looking rather well-fucked, I might add.”

  “Grace!” Alex and I said at once.

  Grace looked at Alex and then me with a smug look on her face. “What? Tell me she doesn’t look . . . satisfied!”

  Feeling my cheeks burn, I reached over and pushed Grace. “Shut up, you bitch!”

  Alex laughed and handed me her robe. “Get up, I’m dying to talk girl talk. We’ll be downstairs.”

  Both Alex and Grace gave me a warm smile that said they both knew how I was feeling. I was so blessed to have my friends in my life. Before they walked out the door, I called out. “Wait. Where is Colt?”

  Alex looked over her shoulder. “He went for a run with Will. I overheard him telling Will he needed to get out of the house because all he wanted to do was wake you up, but he knew you were . . . tired.”

  Grace made some weird growl sound and wiggled her eyebrows. Rolling my eyes, I looked away. Once they shut the door, I climbed out of Colt’s bed. Each movement reminded me of yesterday. I was sore, but deliciously sore. Walking into Colt’s bathroom, his smell surrounded me. Seeing one of his shirts, I reached for it and brought it up to my nose and inhaled deeply.

&
nbsp; Mmm, how I loved the smell of Colt. Who was I kidding? I loved everything about Colt. He had cut his dark wavy brown hair short, and I loved running my hands over it. It felt so soft. His sky-blue eyes that sparkled when he looked at me. His body . . . oh my, his body. Smiling, I closed my eyes and pictured Colt naked.

  Dear God. I craved his body like nothing I’d ever experienced before. He was like the stick to my corn dog. Sliding my hand down between my legs, I gasped at how sore I really was.

  Shaking my head to clear it, I set Colt’s shirt back down. Realizing I didn’t have anything to brush my teeth with, I headed out of Colt’s room and into mine. After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I changed into some yoga pants. Wanting more of Colt, I skipped back into his room and began going through his drawers, looking for a T-shirt to wear. My eye caught something tucked under his shirts. Reaching for it, I sucked in a breath of air as I stared at the picture. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. My heart hammered in my chest as tears formed in my eyes. My hands shook gently as I attempted to wipe the tears from my eyes. Colt had a picture of me in his drawer. It was taken probably about three years ago when we were all playing football. I was standing with the football in my hand with it lifted above my head. Closing my eyes, I let the memory from that day engulf me.

  TURNING AROUND, I waited for the signal from Colt. He gave it to me and I quickly cut back across the makeshift field. Colt threw the ball and I jumped. Catching it, I screamed with delight, only to see Luke and Alex running toward me. Spinning around, I took off for the goal line. Crossing over it, I began jumping as I held the ball up.

  “We won! Holy sheets! I scored the winning touchdown!” Grace, Maegan and Taylor came running over as they tackled me to the ground. After they each congratulated me, I looked up. The sun was somewhat blinding, but I knew the person standing over me was Colt. Reaching down, he helped me up. His smile caused my stomach to flop around like a fish out of water. Reaching up with his hand, he brushed something off of my face. “I’ll never forget that smile, Lauren. You sure were happy when you made that touchdown.”

  Nodding my head, I said, “Couldn’t have done it without you, superstar.”

  Winking, Colt leaned down and kissed my cheek before turning and yelling for his team to huddle up.

  I’m never washing this cheek again.

  I COULD ALMOST smell the fresh-cut grass from the field we played on. Or the smell of the bluebonnets that were in full bloom. Every time I smelled either one of those two things I thought about that simple kiss on the cheek. It had meant the world to me. Never would I have imagined Colt had taken my picture and had it printed out.

  Clutching the picture to my chest, I whispered, “Please don’t ever let me hurt him. Please.”

  Slipping the picture back under Colt’s T-shirts, I took a shirt from the top. Slipping it over my head, I felt a warm rush run through my blood. Colt’s smell surrounded me as I smiled, shut the drawer, and made my way out of the room and downstairs.

  Walking into the kitchen, Alex and Grace stopped talking and stared at me. Glancing back and forth between the two I asked, “What’s wrong with you two?”

  Grace tilted her head and gave me one of her famous, what in the hell are you talking about, looks. “Yeah, no, Lauren Ashley Reynolds. You’re talking. We want all the good shit. Like how both your parents showed up on your doorstep. Will told us how y’all had to beat it home before your parents.”

  Alex sat down and placed her hands on her chin. “I want to hear about the hotel in Rockport.” Scrunching her nose, she gave me a small little nod of her head. “I’m dying to know, is my baby brother romantic?”

  Leaning against the counter, I let out a contented sigh as his words flowed through my memory.

  “Lauren, I’ve never experienced such bliss as I am being with you right now. The taste of you was sweeter than I could have ever imagined.”

  Grinning until my cheeks began to hurt, I looked away from Alex and Grace.

  “Holy hell. Look at how her cheeks are flushed. I’d dare say Mr. Mathews made our little Lauren blush a time or two.”

  Smiling bigger, I whispered, “Or three . . . or four.”

  Alex and Grace both let out yelps of happiness as they bounced around. “How do you feel this morning, Lauren? Was he gentle?” Alex asked with a look of concern on her face.

  Dropping my shoulders and nodding, I said, “Oh, yes. He was gentle, romantic, caring, big . . . oh my gosh is he big.”

  Grace busted out laughing as Alex sucked in a breath of horror. “No, no, no, no! You don’t ever say stuff like that, Lauren! Ohmygod! I have to bleach my ears.” Alex’s body shuddered as she kept sticking her tongue out like she was going to puke.

  Grace wiggled her eyebrows and smiled with a Cheshire cat smile. “So he’s packing, huh? Are you sore?”

  Alex rolled her eyes. “Ugh.”

  Peeking back at Grace, I nodded my head. “Yes. To both.”

  Alex jumped off the stool. “I’m out. I’m so over this conversation. I can’t handle this. He’s my baby brother, y’all!”

  Giggling, I turned and poured a cup of coffee. Turning back to Alex and Grace, I smiled and winked. “Let’s just say he is the cream to my coffee.”

  Alex’s face dropped and Grace busted out laughing. “Oh . . . oh man did I teach you good,” Grace said as she walked up to me and pulled me into her arms. Pushing me back out, she gave me a once-over. “Seriously though, I’m happy for you and Colt, Lauren. You two were the only fools who couldn’t see the truth. I’m glad you asked him to dance.”

  If it hadn’t been for Grace, none of this would have happened. Looking into her eyes, I couldn’t help but notice how they looked lost. Empty almost. As if she longed for what I was experiencing right now. I wasn’t sure why Grace never dated anymore. She was beautiful. Her long brown hair fell in waves across her chest as her chocolate-brown eyes gazed into mine. Her body was killer and she had a ton of guys constantly asking her out.

  Giving her a warm smile in return, I barely spoke the words. “I’m glad I asked him to dance, too.”

  The front door opened and just like that . . . the air in the room became charged. It wasn’t anything new . . . it had been like this for the last three years. Anytime he walked into a room, I felt him before I even saw him. The scent of sweat and Colt swept around me as he walked up to me. Leaning into me without a care in the world, he pressed his lips to mine and kissed me as if he hadn’t seen me in weeks. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  “Good morning,” I softly spoke against his lips. My insides were going nuts as I internally fist pumped myself again for walking up to Colt yesterday and getting him away from that girl.

  “You look amazing in my T-shirt.”

  Blushing, I placed my hand on my face. “It smells like you and I missed you this morning.”

  Colt his eyes were on fire while he searched my face. “Do you have plans for today?”

  My heart had never beat so loudly in my chest. Raising his eyebrow as if he could hear it, Colt slowly calmed my beating heart with one smile.

  Barely able to speak, I said, “To be with you are the only plans I have.”

  Grace made a gagging sound as Colt and I both turned to her. “Yuk. I think I liked it better when y’all were at each other’s throats.”

  Giving her a smirk, I turned back to Colt. “What were you thinking?”

  Placing a quick kiss on my nose, he said, “It’s a surprise. I’m going to go take a shower and then take you for some lunch. Get dressed and meet me back down here.”

  My insides became inflamed when Colt mentioned taking a shower. Would it look obvious if I followed him up to his room? Then into the bathroom, then attacked him in the shower?

  Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I smiled. Get yourself together, Lauren. Gesh. Within the last twenty-four hours you’ve turned into a horn dog. “Okay, meet you back here in a few.”

  Colt dropped his hold on me and headed
to the stairs. I missed his touch almost immediately. Flopping against the counter, I let out a long breath.

  Waving her hand in front of my face, I looked at Grace. “Holy hell. You have it bad. Really bad.”

  Laughing, Will pushed Grace out of the way as he leaned down and kissed my cheek. “You were all he could talk about during our run, Lauren. That boy is head over heels in love with you.”

  Wrapping my arms around me, I grinned from ear to ear. “It feels like a dream. Like, something I’ve been wanting for so long but was so afraid to take that step for fear it would slip away again.”

  The smell of something sweet caught my attention as I turned to see Alex was making a fruit salad. Her eyes caught mine. “It’s not a dream, sweetie. With the way my brother looks at you I would say he has been wanting this for as long as you.”

  Remembering the photo, my stomach dropped like I had just been on a roller coaster.

  “I’m headed to the shower,” Will said as he took off and ran upstairs.

  Turning to Alex and Grace, I cleared my throat. “I found something in Colt’s drawer when I was looking for a shirt of his.”

  Alex glanced up and asked, “What was it?”

  The colors of the fruit salad were beautiful. I wasn’t sure why everything seemed different to me today. Smells, sounds, colors. It was as if everything was clearer. “A picture of me from a few years ago. That day we all played football and I scored the touchdown.”

  Grace’s head looked up from where she was cutting bananas. “He had a picture of you in his drawer?”

  Alex’s shoulders slumped and the goofiest smile spread across her face. “Oh my. How adorable is that? Lauren, he kept a picture of you.” Looking at Grace, Alex smiled bigger. “I have goose bumps!”