Faded Cotton (Erotic Romance) (22 page)

His lips were strong on hers, yet soft,
sweet, wet. His tongue flicked at her lips asking for entrance; she
gave it to him, allowing him that intimacy. He tasted so good to
her. They traded teasing flicks of tongues. He kissed her lips once
more and then trailed to her jaw. No longer able to keep her
arousal in check, Laurel moaned as she stepped against him, his
hands on her hips, her legs straddling his thigh. Jake felt the
brush of her against him and closed his eyes slipping into a world
where only the two of them existed. He breathed her in.

He pushed away gently. Still holding her
face, he searched her gaze. She saw that he bore a smile of pained
pleasure. He spun her around, pulling her back to nestle against
him. His breath hitched as her rear grazed against the front of his
slacks. She gasped to feel the erection she’d caused—strong, so
strong, pushing hard against her. Laurel grasped his hands, which
rode low on her hips.

She chuckled a little low, throaty laugh,
turning her head over her shoulder, “Looks like you have a problem
there, soldier.” She wiggled gently against him, “So I still do
that to you?”

Jake leaned to her ear and drew her up close,
closing his arms around her, “Stop, before I throw you to the sand
and take you here in front of God and everybody.” Her head turned
over her shoulder; he captured her lips once more, softly, and then
threw his head back and laughed.

“You’re still Laurel. Don’t ever change,
sweetheart, you are spectacular.” He held her for a moment more and
listened behind him. Catcalls, whoops, and hollers were now
interrupting their embrace. “Walk with me to the water so I can
return to the party without getting, umm...noticed.” He chuckled.
They separated and walked side-by-side to the water, slipping off
their shoes, stepping in to cool their feet and distract their
minds.

Returning, he had the same dilemma, “Hey,
walk beside me would you? If you walk in front of me, I’m going to
be in trouble again.” The CO rejoining the party with a raging
hard-on would not be good, they agreed, and the two shared a laugh
before returning to the group.

__________________________

Several of the party crowd had spied Jake and
Laurel down the beach. After a little harassment, they left them
alone, not really wanting to interrupt.

Sharing a story and a drink without Jen
Delaney between them at the time, Jess and Adam enjoyed the moment.
They were shooting the breeze, relaxing as friends and brothers.
“Do you think they’ll figure it out?” Jess questioned. He really
wanted his father to be happy after going through life alone for so
long.

“I hope so. I just want to see them enjoy the
rest of their lives,” Adam replied. “You realize a family reunion
is going to be a little weird though, right? Mr. Doe, please meet
my friend’s mother, my friend is also my brother, and my friend’s
dad is my mother’s husband. However, my dad is not her husband, but
my father is.” The two laughed heartily, shared a guy-style,
backslapping hug, and studied the couple once more.

A girly giggle interrupted them. “Jess! Jesse
James LeGrande, how are you?!” Only one person was ever allowed to
call him that and get away with it. He picked her up in a big
hug.

“Hey sweet pea, how are you? I haven’t had
the chance to spend much time with you the last several days,
sorry.” Jess grinned at Shannon MacClain and then bustled her into
another huge hug, picking her up, her toes dangling in the sand.
He’d been friends with Shannon as long as he could remember.

Adam grumbled for Jess to put her down,
kissed his baby sister on the cheek, hugged her, and then walked
away to visit with other guests. Once Jess and Shannon were
together, he could rarely get a word in edgewise. If anyone needed
to get a room, it was the two of them. He chuckled to himself
thinking how weird it would be for his brother to be his
brother-in-law and wondering if the two would get together. If Jess
was in love with Shannon, why was he interested in Jen? He’d
watched Jess trail Shannon around like a lost puppy for years. He
shook his head a little confused.

“Wow, you look great, Shannon!” Jess had
tried not to watch her bountiful chest jiggle inside her party
dress as she had bounced in her greeting. He wondered if she meant
as much to her “friends” as she did to him. It just wasn’t fair to
have something so fantastic dangled in front of him not be able to
have it. Shannon was who he wanted, who he dreamed about, and who
wasn’t available.

“Thanks Jess. I didn’t figure you ever
noticed.” She did a girly flip of her hair and tucked her head to
her shoulder in a flirty giggle, teasing him.

“Geez, Shannon. You actually look like a
girl.” No, that was a lie, she looked amazing.
Damn. Beautiful.
Shit.
His head was spinning. How could she give him that hurt
look, it was offhanded, but surely, she knew it was a complement.
Her sandy blonde hair had been naturally highlighted gold by the
island sun.

Her dress was barely containing things with
her giddy, girly actions. He wasn’t used to seeing her like this.
Why did she have to do that? Why did his unavailable best friend
have to be so damn sexy and smart? She was perfect for him. He
shook his head trying to shake the thoughts he was having of the
two of them together out of his head. It happened a lot lately,
being around Jen had made the thoughts of Shannon go away only
temporarily, he realized.

“Dance with me!” Shannon was still bouncing.
Someone had put an iPod mix on the sound system and the air was
filled with upbeat music.

“Uh...,” he looked at Jen who was dancing
with another one of the guys. Shannon couldn’t help but notice the
direction of his gaze, but didn’t give up, insisting again.

He relented, wanting to dance with Shannon,
but knowing he wasn’t going to get the dance he wanted. He’d really
rather dance with her for the rest of his life; this was pure
torture, he thought. Shannon couldn’t give him that. Here he was
again with his freight train of thoughts. The two were booty
shaking to some popular songs with Jess keeping his distance when
at all possible. Shannon kept backing up against him,
shimmy-shaking. He knew what would happen if he was right up
against her.

They were nearly out of breath when the music
changed and a slow country song came on. Shannon wasn’t about to
let him go and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him to her. Jess
was confused. The look in her eye said she wanted more than a
dance.

Her green eyes danced in the flickering torch
light. Jess couldn’t help being drawn to her again. She pulled him
close, with his hands around her waist and her arms around his
neck. Jess was surprised, gave a short shake of his head and
narrowed his eyes at her giving her a half-cocked grin. “What’s
this about, Shannon?” He lifted his arms a little against hers
indicating his question about their position.

“I can’t dance with my best friend?” It came
out a little breathless, she knew, and not breathless from the
previous dances.
He
took her breath away. Always had, but he
never seemed interested. She wasn’t sure if he would ever see her
as anything more than a childhood friend.

Jess pulled her close. Perhaps he could
entice her somehow. The two locked gaze and began to sway together.
No one was more surprised than each of them.

Shannon had been lost in his eyes. She
remembered the kiss he’d planted on her sweaty cheek after she had
pitched the high school softball state championship as a senior.
Jess LeGrande had sauntered up to the ball diamond in his dress
whites. He picked her up and swung her around getting his uniform
sweaty and sandy. All of the girls on the team had been envious for
one reason or another. There wasn’t a head that didn't turn that
day. They were only a couple of years apart, were still best
friends and perfect for each other.

She was losing any restraint, looking into
his eyes, she wanted to taste his kiss so badly it made her ache.
She rested her head on his chest, she could hear his heart pound,
but wasn’t sure why. The words soaked into her, “—all the crazy
things we’re gonna do—,” she sang along quietly.

She was doing it to him again. Jess pulled
apart a little from her, forcing his attention over her shoulder,
“So, where have you been all week?”

“Helping in the little hospital here. A
couple of the guys got hurt in a practice run with some new
equipment. I can use it for my nursing degree. I’m almost done and
the doctor here said he could write a letter for me that will work
for school. —Jess, did you hear me?”

He did, but he was watching Adam dance with
Jen and it was making him mad.

“Yeah, I heard you.” He pulled her arms from
his neck slowly, finally dropping them and storming off.
It—
she
, was just too much to handle any more. Shannon’s
teasing was bullshit.

__________________________

“Ben.”

“Brian.”

The exchange was friendly. They had learned
to get over each other’s differences, and it had bonded them,
thanks to Laurel. The two weren’t the best of friends, but they had
each other’s backs, regardless.

“What do you make of all this, my man?” Brian
had been watching Shannon act like a girl for a change.

“You mean Shannon or Laurel?” Ben was glad he
was married to Ellia and not in the middle of an emotionally
charged exchange like what he’d been watching. Ellia was intense
enough at times, and he was glad he no longer had to fight for her
affection. The ring on her left hand said so. Brian laughed,
“Both.”

“Well the stress of being in seclusion and
under watch can get to a person. I’ve studied it quite a bit. I
don’t think we are seeing anything we won’t see back in Missouri,
though. They are gonna key up even more tomorrow, everyone will.
Getting back home to see what happens next is gonna put everyone on
edge. Who is going to the farm?”

“Me for one. I owe that woman my life. I
wouldn’t be the man I am today if it wasn’t for Laurel.” Brian was
serious, and Ben knew he owed her that same debt.

“Ellia and I will be there too. I’m guessing
everyone here will be. I’m going to be investigating the barn fire
and the brakes going out on Laurel’s truck while trying to keep the
rest of this under wraps.” Ben’s consideration of the subject
matter had a serious tone.

“I’m with you, man.” Brian pulled Ben into a
guy hug; the teddy bear and the movie star as Laurel had
affectionately called them.

__________________________

Shannon was shaking, tears running down her
face. Ellia had run to Shannon after seeing Jess walk away from
her. She put her arm around her. “Come on, girlfriend; let’s go
stick our feet in the water.” She tugged her toward the rippling
waters of the cove.

Ellia had her own man of few words and she
certainly knew the problems that could come of it. Men just didn’t
get it sometimes, she chuckled to herself. Ellia pulled Shannon
down in the sand to commiserate about problems with the opposite
sex. Letting the tide get them wet and sandy, they enjoyed the
surf.

“Uh, oh boy, we are getting company.” Ellia
jumped up.

“Jen, I don’t think this is a good time for
you to be here.” Shannon had jumped up behind Ellia.

“I need to talk to Shannon for a minute.” Jen
stated cautiously.

Shannon shoved Ellia aside.

“I’ve got this, Ellia.” Shannon was furious,
her jaw set and eyes narrowed, she was ready to pounce on the woman
who threatened everything she knew.

“Stay the fuck away from Jess LeGrande, you
bitch. You stay away from my brother, too! Who the hell do you
think you are?” Shannon shoved her hard. Jen backed off a couple
steps. Jen leveled her eyes on her, but held her temper.

She shook her head, “Shannon, I came to talk
to you, not start trouble. You need to hear me out. Can we please
talk about this?”

“You’re not walking in, stealing the two most
important men in my life and fucking them over. Okay? You slut!
What is the plan exactly? Fuck them both and then take your pick?”
Shannon exploded, rushing Jen. She went after her full force and
knocked her to the sand.

Laurel and Rachel had seen the escalation and
were now running full tilt down the beach toward them. Ellia yelled
at the brawling pair to stop, but hesitated to get in the middle of
the flailing arms and legs.

“Stop it, Shannon! I have something to tell
you!” Jen was on top of her now, straddling her, holding her down,
both breathing hard. Shannon wriggled out, kicking and swinging.
Sand, legs, and arms where flying again. Shannon’s punches were
missing their mark as Jen deftly avoided the attack. They rolled
down the beach a little more until the other women pulled the brawl
apart.

“Let go!” Shannon struggled against Laurel
half-heartedly not wanting to hurt her mother or Rachel. “Damn it,
Mom!” Laurel had a firm hold on Shannon. Laurel and Rachel held her
tight until she started to relax, and walked her up the beach to
distance her from Jen.

“What the hell is going on between you two?”
Ellia asked as Jen attempted to get the sand out of her long hair,
and off her face, away from her eyes. She shook her head.

“It’s my fault. I let something happen that I
shouldn’t of. It’s not her, I can see why she’s upset, but I need
to explain to her.”

“You know she lost her dad when she was still
in school, right?” Ellia questioned her, wanting her to understand
Shannon’s fury.

Down the beach, Shannon was still struggling.
“Mom, let go!” Shannon gave Laurel a hate-filled look, mad that she
had interrupted her fight.

“We’ll let go when you calm down, Shannon.”
Laurel relaxed her hold on her, tried to calm her and get her to
refocus.