The Bucket List (44 page)

"Yeah," Corey answered easily.

"You have my blessing, kid," he smiled, lightly punching his arm and giving Rae a wink before he turned to walk away again.

She had missed something, she was certain of that.

"Um
.. do you want to come by the pool for a drink or something?" she asked.

She was kind of hoping he'd say no, then pick her up and take her upstairs to ravish her.

"Sure," he said instead.

She picked her flowers up and led him to the kitchen, which was now as spotless as Shane had promised.

"I'll just find a vase for these. I'll be with you in a minute."

As he walked away from her, she couldn't help looking at his butt. Some would argue that there was a definite lack of butt, but that was the sexiest derriere she'd ever laid her eyes on. She had to bite her bottom lip to stop herself from groaning out loud.

Shit, this friend thing was a lot harder than he'd first thought. If he was to take her upstairs right now and make love to her, would she really say he hadn't courted her? He'd bought the flowers, wasn't that enough?

He was only a man, damn it! He wasn't designed for such
self control!

As he stepped out, a loud laugh caught his attention, followed by Drew and Timmy's delighted squeals.

No! No! Noooo! The fuck was Nate doing there? He wasn't supposed to be anywhere in the picture. He broke her heart... he left her... why the fuck had she let him talk his way back?

His eyes narrowed angrily as he stopped in his tracks. He'd made all these big plans, and none of them had taken into account the fact that
Nate could pop up any time. Why the hell had Irving let him go through what he had, when he'd known what lay on the other side of the kitchen door all along?

"
Corey, come on," John called out. "I've got a cold beer here just for you."

John's bellowing brought attention he really didn't need, not since he couldn't take his eyes off the man who'd ruined his life. He still wanted to kill him.

What would his chances with Rae be if he maybe drowned the freak in the pool? Would he still be able to win her over? Probably not.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

"Corey, are you all right?"

It was
Mandy this time. He dragged his eyes away from Nate's to give her a fake smile.

"Of course," he lied.

Rae came out just then to stand next to him with the biggest smile on her face. She'd already been in a good mood before she'd noticed him standing with her dad. Now he knew why.

He looked away from her quickly to look over the faces around him. John,
Mandy, Matt and Shane were sitting together, just looking at him. Matt seemed worried but John had the stupidest grin on his face. Irving sat in the shade close to where his little boys were playing with Nate. All he did was raise his beer at him.

Swallowing hard, he turned away. They were all making a fool of him, punishing him. He should never have come.

How the hell had he thought he could overlook the fact that the woman he was in love with loved another? He wanted all of her; mind, body and soul. He had no room in his life for Nate as well. He couldn't share, not this time. So it had come down to all or nothing. And by the little scene in front of him, he guessed he'd picked the card with nothing.

"I can't do this," he whispered hoarsely before walking back into the house.

What other option was he left with now? He'd already confirmed he couldn't live without her. And he certainly couldn't kill Nate like he wanted to.

He was already by the door when he stopped himself, when he let his anger take him over.

He'd been to hell and back without Rae, he'd be damned if he was going to let some face-paint loving freak send him back there again. And he'd be damned if the last half hour he'd spent with the terrifying Crusher’s had been all for nothing.

He was going to take his shit back, whether
Nate liked it or not.

Angrily, he stormed back down the hall and into the kitchen. Through the windows he saw Rae standing exactly where he'd left her less than a minute before; it only took him a second to turned her around and crush her body to his.

"If you think for one second, that I'm going to let you walk out of my life again, you've got another thing coming," he growled, just before he crushed his lips to hers.

"Eeewwww!" both Timmy and Drew screeched, covering their mouths before falling into a fit of giggles at their dad's feet.

Their dad watched them for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his daughter. He had no doubt in his mind that the stupidity that had covered both Rae's and
Corey's eyes like a wet blanket was about to be lifted very, very soon. This movie was about to have a very indecent ending. Not that he wanted to witness that punk violating his daughter. He probably would have stopped it if the punk in question hadn't just spent an enlightening half hour or so with him. And he had to say, Corey begging was quite a sight. And he'd quite possibly acquired a babysitter for as long as he wanted and a nice new car. What? He'd got carried away. The boy had literally offered his soul, damn fool. All for nothing, as well. Rae was Corey's, whether he approved or not.

"Sara," he called quietly, beckoning his wife from where she stood with a smile on her face right by the table they had set the drinks on. "Maybe you should take the boys out for ice-cream or something."

"Maybe I should," Sara giggled, probably having come to the same conclusion as he had. "Come on, boys."

The boys jumped to their feet eagerly and followed their mother to the house, stopping only briefly to let out another, "Eeeewww," as they passed by the still kissing couple.

Of course, Rae and Corey didn't even hear them. He put his drink down and wondered if he had to go over to them and prize them apart. They seemed to have forgotten that there were other people there with them.

Nate
sat himself on the lawn right next to his chair, looking on. His face was expressionless, so he couldn't quiet tell what the young man was feeling. It couldn't be easy, but he knew the boy was a lot stronger than he thought he was. Nate had let go of his love for Rae a while ago, he just hadn't realised it yet. And if he could find a way to look past their time together, he would be the best kind of friend for his daughter. Nate had proved himself invaluable, even to him, over the past few weeks.

"You
all right, Nate?" he asked.

"Yeah,"
Nate answered. "But maybe I should go. I'm feeling a bit awkward now; I mean, Rae did kinda put me in the middle of all this."

He just waved that off.
Nate being there was a good thing. Who knew what kind of horrors were going through Corey's mind because of it? He knew Corey wouldn't have made a move like that if he hadn't seen the Enigma there, not if the carefully laid out plan he'd told him about earlier was anything to go by. Courting Rae? While that was a good plan for other couples, he thought that ship sailed a long time ago when it came to Corey and Rae. They had shared a bed and God knew what else for years before they had finally got together in every sense of the word, they knew everything about each other. While courting would be a good way to get the talking again without the complication of sex, he knew that the moment they did talk and they realised the truth, that horny little bastard would drag her to his bed as soon as he could.

Well, everyone knew what
they said about the best laid plans.

"Stay. Grab a drink," he said to the younger man. "If we're lucky, this shit ends today."

"You think Corey will do the right thing?" Nate asked.

He could only smile at that as he brought his cold drink to his lips.

"I know Corey will do the right thing," he said finally.

Nate
's eyes widened as he looked back at the couple.

"Good for
Corey," Nate said genuinely. "He's a good guy; he'll take care of her."

"I know. I just wish he'd take his tongue out of her damn mouth and get on with it, already."

"I knew I should've made popcorn," John muttered as he watched the steamy kiss his friends were sharing.

"I know you're happy for your friends and all, but I don't really feel like watching a make-out session so soon after breakfast," Shane chuckled.

"This is more than a make out session, my friend," John stated, raising his beer in salute to the couple even though they'd probably forgotten they had an audience. "It's the day we all get to breathe again. He bought her flowers."

"He bought her flowers?"
Mandy asked. "Wow."

"How is that a big deal?" Shane asked.

The other occupants of the table looked at him as if he'd grown a couple of horns.

"Have you met
Corey?" Matt chuckled.

"He just stays well clear of stuff like that; just in case the girls get the wrong idea," John explained.

"Plus the fact that he finds it completely unnecessary," Mandy added.

"Yeah. He thinks he doesn't need any help getting himself into any woman's bed," John chuckled.

"Well, he obviously did this time," Matt stated, looking on at the couple.

John shook his head.

"He didn't do it to get into her bed. He's courting her."

"People still do that?" Shane laughed.

"If they're trying to do it by the book."

"Do what?"

John just smiled.

He broke off the kiss before it sent him completely over the edge, fighting the urge to just carry her upstairs. Rae's eyes were still closed; her face upturned to his and her breathing was heavy. Her hands were holding onto his shirt as if, if she let go she would fall, or float away.

She'd worn a little white wife beater and hipster jeans, and his hand had found its way under her top, up her naked back. He trailed his fingers over the smooth skin and turned her into a quivering mess in his arms.

He smirked a little, getting some of his confidence back because of her reaction to his simple touch.

Just wait till I get you alone, sweetheart, he thought, just as those big blue eyes slowly opened to look up into his.

She wanted him. Real bad. The way he wanted her. His grip tightened around her as he fought the urge again. He had a lot to put right before he touched her the way he wanted.

"Tell him to go," he whispered.

He had to make Rae choose. This ended today, one way or another. He couldn't do it anymore.

"What?" she whispered, still dazed by his kiss.

"
Nate. I don't want him here," he explained.

That seemed to get through to her because she frowned a little before shaking her head.

"What? Why?"

"Because he shouldn't be here. He had his chance and he blew it," he growled.

"Corey, Nate is welcome here whenever he wants," Rae stated.

He let her go to slowly turn around to the man in question, who was watching the proceedings along with everyone else. Damn nosy bastards! And the man hadn't even said a word in objection to him kissing his woman. What a pussy. If... no, when Rae was his, if another man touched her like that, he'd go Bruce Lee on their ass.

"I don't want him here," he repeated firmly, his eyes still on Nate.

"No," Rae answered easily.

Too easy for his liking.

He saw
Nate's lips lift in a smirk when he heard this and his anger got the best of him.

"What do you mean, no?" he snapped, twirling around to face her again.

"You can't just ask me to kick my friend out for no reason," Rae stated.

Friend? Was that what they were calling each other now?

"Why is he even here? He doesn't see you for a month and all of a sudden, now of all times, he just waltzes back in here?"

"You've done exactly the same thing! And he was just passing through...
Corey, what the hell is this?" Rae asked. "I don't need your permission to have anyone here. Especially not now, since you practically threw your half of the house at me."

"Yeah, I get that," he said with a frustrated sigh. "But if he's here, I can't... "

He'd been about to admit he couldn't think straight with the anger clouding him, the hot rage caused by Nate. He couldn't think past that to say what he needed to say to her.

"Just tell him to go. Please," he pleaded in almost a whisper.

"No. Nate was there for me when you weren't. I'll never turn my back on him."

That simple statement brought his guilt flooding back, so much so he had to look away from her.

"Look, I'm sorry about that. I know I can't make it up to you, but I need you to understand what I was going through__"

"And of course, everything, even my finding out I didn't have cancer, my surgery, was all about you, wasn't it?" Rae cut in, shaking her head.

Where the hell was that coming from? His eyes narrowed on her face and he realised whatever ground he'd gained by that kiss he had completely lost by opening his mouth. How could she just turn around and call him selfish after the shit she'd pulled on him? Getting with him because she thought she was dying? Toying with his feelings? You couldn't become any more selfish than that!

"Listen... maybe you should leave. I have guests, I can't really do this now," Rae said, avoiding his eyes the entire time.

Was she feeling guilty? Was she looking at the monster she'd created and wondering why the fuck she'd bothered?

"No, I want to do this now."

She gave him a shallow meaningless smile, something she'd never ever done before.

"It still is all about you, isn't it?" she asked. "I'll call you later. Just leave before I lose my respect for you."

Respect? Was she really going to throw that at him and expect him to walk away?

"Says the girl who thinks she gets respect by opening her legs wide open," he sneered.

Of course, he knew even as the words were coming out of his mouth how he would never be able to take them back. Dammit!

Rae gasped, and he was sure he heard a few more gasps in the background, but the other people didn't matter to him at that moment. Then he felt a sharp sting on his face as her palm connected with his cheek. Hard.

"Baby... I'm sorry. I didn't mean__"

He took a step towards her but she stepped back, obviously not even wanting him near her.

"I don't know where that came from. I didn't mean it. I think we just need to sit down and ___"

He tried to hold her again, but this time she flinched. It speared him right through his heart. He didn't want her disgusted with him; he didn't want her to throw him out. He loved her, dammit! He was supposed to be making her love him back, instead these ugly words were coming from his mouth of their own violation, making her hate him.

"Please..." he tried again. "I'm so sorry baby."

"Just go,
Corey. I get it. You've just made everything perfectly clear to me," she whispered.

He saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears as she avoided his eyes again. It was all going so wrong. He'd been walking on air only a short time before, now his desperation had probably cost him the one thing he wanted the most in the world.

He ran his hands through his hair, getting frustrated. He'd just blown his only chance. He could tell. Even her demeanour had changed, like she thought putting distance permanently between them was probably the only thing she could do.

"I didn't mean it. I respect you a whole lot, more than I respect anyone else. You know that."

Rae shook her head, putting her hand up to indicate she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Leave."

She looked him straight in the eye this time and he saw that she really meant that. She was kicking him out. And he didn't see a chance in hell of getting back together with her again.

His anger reared its ugly head again, completely ignoring the fact that he had brought this on himself as he narrowed his eyes on her. Who did she think she was to push him away like that, to willingly condemn him to a fate worse than death? He couldn't survive without her. He'd tried. It wasn't possible. Fuck her if she thought he'd go down without a fight!

"You're choosing Nate?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm.

"Yes," Rae snapped.

He could tell she was also getting angry. Her eyes darkened, turning a very cold blue and he was certain she was dying to punch him in the face. He deserved that, but did she really need to throw Nate in his face like that, knowing how he felt? Choosing Nate? Well, they'd see about that.

He stepped closer to her again, the muscles in his neck twitching as his vein popped out; and smirked when he realised she'd backed herself up against the wall. He placed his hands on the wall behind her, on either side so she had nowhere left to run.

"Well, guess what... sweetheart," he whispered with his trademark evil smirk. "It really doesn't matter what you want. I've given you what you want for a whole fucking month and I'm sick of it. So from now on, it's what I want that counts."

Did ice burn? Rae's eyes narrowed angrily on him and the icy daggers they threw at him seemed to burn. His psycho persona had never really worked on her. She always got her way whether he got angry about it or not. Well, not this time.