0597092001436358459 eveline vine Read online

  “Alec and Mary are naked in the kitchen,” I whispered, before covering my face with my hands to hide a deep red blush.

  I peeked through my fingers at Stone, alarmed to find him scowling. “You saw him naked?!” he demanded. He looked towards the kitchen window and I had the sudden impression that he was going to barge in there and confront Alec. Not quite knowing what to do, I slipped my hand into the back of his jeans and smiled up at him.

  “Your ass is much better,” I whispered.

  I saw interest flicker in his eyes, so I continued along that path, hoping to distract him as I gently trailed my hand up his back. “Your back is the sexiest I’ve ever seen,” I added, walking around behind him, so I could touch it better.

  “I like your abs too,” I kept my voice low as I walked back to face him. Slowly, he backed me toward a shadowed corner of the house. I ran my hands over him, brushed my lips against the bare skin of his chest and congratulated myself for diverting him. His hands slipped beneath my shirt, caressing my stomach as he leaned down to place soft kisses along my neck. His hands moved upward as he reached my ear with his mouth and he paused when he realised I wasn’t wearing a bra.

  “Bad girl,” he growled in my ear, chuckling when my knees gave out at the erotic, deep grumble of his voice. He grabbed me by the thighs to support me, pushing me back against the wall as he slid his hands higher up my thighs.

  “I told you to wear jeans,” he murmured against my lips. I shook my head, making are lips rub sensually as I tried to breathe calmly.

  “You ordered me to wear the boots and I did,” I said smugly. He raised an eyebrow, but was distracted as, at that moment, his hands reached my bare ass and encountered no string. He backed up a step in shock and eyed the short hem of my skirt.

  “Evelyn,” he growled, running a hand over his short hair, “Fuck!”

  I giggled nervously and grabbed the waistband of his jeans, tugging him back to me. He came willingly, but his eyes kept drifting back and forth between my breasts and my groin, his eyes glittering silver in the darkness. I slipped my hand inside his jeans and gently squeezed the hard erection I found. His eyes closed and he sighed, before he firmly grasped my wrist and shook his head. Gently, he eased my hand out of his pants and pressed a kiss to my slack lips.

  “Later,” he said with a very small wink. Then he frowned, “Go put some pants on.”

  He turned abruptly and left, striding purposefully back to the stage as Alec and Mary exited the house and followed after him.

  With a sigh, I obeyed, slipping back into the house to put both a bra and panties on.

  Not because Stone told me to…but because I’d seen Briar gearing up to dance.

  ***

  The night went on for hours and little by little, people either headed for bed or passed out on the grass. The band were the last people standing, Jamie about to fall over and Donny pacing back and forth with a frown. Jenny and Fredi turned in first and Alec and Mary followed, leaving Donny and Briar to stare after them with identical looks on their faces. It would have been kinda funny if it hadn’t been so sad.

  Briar sighed and enlisted Donny’s help in getting Jamie to bed, but Stone held me back as I moved to follow them in. I looked at him quizzically. The sun would rise very soon and I wanted to get some sleep after a very long night.

  Trust me, his eyes commanded as he tugged me towards Jenny’s ute, pulling a set of keys from his pocket – telling me that he’d planned this. I curiously jumped into the passenger seat and fidgeted anxiously as he drove down a dirt road, deeper into the heart of the property and then further, towards the far end. Finally, he came to a stop, parking beneath a huge, native gum tree and shucking his white shirt. He climbed out and moved around the front of the vehicle to reach my door. He held his hands out, a small smile of anticipation on his face. I let him help me out, expecting him to lower me to the ground, but instead he walked to the tray and deposited me over the side. I squeaked with alarm, but landed on soft foam.

  I sat up and stared at it, noticing for the first time that the entire tray had been lined with a thick foam mattress and covered with a soft picnic blanket. I looked up at him in surprise and he climbed into the tray with me, lying next to me. He pulled me down with a grin – an absolutely gorgeous grin – and pointed upward. I followed his finger, looking up into the surprisingly plush greenery above me, wondering what I was supposed to be looking at.

  Then I got it.

  My favourite picture. The one hanging above my bed.

  My heart warmed…and so did other parts as I wondered if he was going to recreate the entire scene.

  I was nestled against his body, snuggled up, watching the sunrise around and through the tree, and the thick, grey clouds. He stoked my back beneath my shirt, tickling me, arousing me. When I looked back at him with a blush, his eyes glittered wickedly. He rolled to his side and kissed me, pulling my body close against him, so that I could feel his arousal.

  I gave my head a shake and tried to think rationally.

  “But,” I mumbled, “The sun is rising. We’re out in the open. What if someone catches us?”

  “Doesn’t that make it more exciting?” he whispered, capturing my lips again and smothering any more protests. I relaxed into him and he started to ease over me, a hungry noise bubbling up from deep with in his chest.

  And then…it started to rain.

  Fat droplets landed on us, splattering on our faces and along his bare back.

  Stone’s groan was harsh, filled with disappointment and frustration. He flopped back onto his back and glared hatefully up at the sky. He cursed beneath his breath and started to sit up, but I pressed a palm to his chest and pushed him back down, rising myself to look down at him.

  He blinked up at me with confusion. I smiled. “It’s only a little sun shower,” I whispered, playing with the drops of rain on his stomach. He’d put so much effort into this. I wasn’t going to let a little rain stop us now. He opened his mouth to protest, but I took a page out of his book and kissed him.

  I kissed him with all the longing I felt and I experienced a small thrill of power when I felt him slowly give in. We kissed and kissed, as if starving for one another and my clothes began to soak through. Stone noticed as well, pulling my shirt off in a hurry, then my bra, dumping them to one side, before flipping me onto my back. I wriggled beneath him, savouring the way our slick chests slid against each other.

  He fitted his erection snugly against me, his broad, slick shoulders shielding my face from the rain as he propped his arms beside my head. He started slow and sweet as rain pitter-pattered against the vehicle, but I didn’t want slow and sweet. I wedged a hand beneath his dampening jeans and grabbed his ass, rubbing myself against him and biting his lower lip. That spurred him on.

  He groaned, licking his injured lip even as he roughly grabbed my hands and bracketed them above my head. He held them there with one hand, using the other to push up my skirt and tug of my panties. With quick, jerky movements, he unbuckled his jeans, easing down the zipper and quickly freeing himself. He let go of my arms and started kissing down my neck, licking up the droplets of rain and sucking at all my most sensitive spots.

  I nibbled my bottom lip and stared at the water droplets in his buzzed hair, watching rain drizzle over his impressive back and feeling more droplets travelling down my arms and face. I touched his warm, wet skin and raised a bare leg over his lower back, loving the way the slick skin slid. I tugged impatiently at his jeans, wanting the rough fabric off so that I could slide against him everywhere.

  He bent his head toward my nipple, taking it into his mouth and shaking his head at me. I tugged harder, silently demanding he lose the pants.

  His lips left my breast and he looked up at me with stormy grey eyes. “I won’t be able to put them back on wet,” he growled between clenched teeth, his face tight with what I thought might be lust. I groaned and released the fabric, letting my hands move over his abs instead.

 
; I watched his face as it returned to my boobs, loving the way the water made it look. His thick eyelashes were darker as drops clung to them, softening his harsh features. He slipped a finger inside me and growled harshly. His head came up again to give me another hard, hot and hungry look.

  “Now,” he hissed quickly, his eyes shouting that he couldn’t wait one more minute.

  Hell yes now!

  I nodded in agreement, taking a condom from his pocket and ripping it open. He stole it from me, rolling it on quickly as I hungrily watched his movements, my hips thrusting upwards in response. He grabs my ass with one hand before it could hit the foam and used his hold to thrust hard inside of me.

  We cried out in unison and he gently lowered me to the mattress, following me down without pulling out. He waited a moment, keeping himself deep inside of me as I adjusted and we both caught our breaths. When he finally moved, he started steadily, rapidly getting faster and harder. His shoulders were back over my face, his arms crowding around my head, still trying to protect me from the gloriously cool rain.

  He bent his head awkwardly and kisses me, letting me taste him. I savoured the mixed flavours of rain and chocolate from the Smarties, as well as a faint hint of cigarettes and rum. His pace picked up as he groaned into my mouth and he grabbed my right hand, sliding it between our bodies. I blushed, suddenly incredibly shy despite all we’d done together. I didn’t know if I could touch myself in front of him.

  “Help me get you there,” he commanded, his gruff voice sounding strained, as if he was trying to hold back, to wait for me. Sensing his desperation, I hesitantly swirled a wet finger over my clit, the rain slicked skin easing the abrasion and feeling Oh. So. Good.

  I gasped and quickened the movement, arching into Stone’s hard thrusts and feeling my inner muscles clench and flutter in appreciation. Stone must have felt it too, because he growled his approval, picking up the pace, the truck bouncing with the force of his thrusts. That quick, I was there. I lost it, crying out for everyone to hear.

  Stone rode it out, holding on as I started to calm. “Grant,” I whispered with pleasure, shivering as erotic waves still rocked my body. That was all he needed. He let go, muffling his hoarse shout by biting my neck gently and thrusting wildly as he came. I gripped his shoulders hard for support, glancing over his shoulder and up into the tree, suddenly aware that we were in the exact same position as the photo…

  …and I came again.

  ***

  We lay there panting, our chests moving rapidly as our brains slowly started to work again. Stone moved off me, then tucked me into his side, still trying to shield me from the most of the rain. He disposed of the condom and we lay there, content to just listen to each other breathe and the soft pings of the rain. I shivered a little and he frowned, running a hand over my cool body as a light breeze swept over us.

  “Time to go,” he murmured, and though soft, his tone brooked no argument.

  I glanced at my drenched clothing and blushed, wondering how the hell I was going to get into house. Stone followed my gaze and grinned like a little boy, catching me by surprise. He yanked off my wet skirt and jumped out of the truck, reaching back in to pull me out after him.

  “Grant!” I hissed, looking around fretfully. I tried to cover myself, aware that I was standing out in the open with not a stitch on. He opened my door and lifted me in, walking around to the other side and sitting beside me. He picked his white shirt off the dashboard and thrust it at me, watching me with a hint of a smile as I eagerly slipped into the warm fabric and button it up. He eyed my slick, naked legs and I blushed again, grateful that this shirt was made for the extra tall man and covered my bare ass.

  “Sexy,” he said, pushing some of my wet hair out of my face. He started the car and drove back toward the house, staring at the dirt road in front of him as the sun continued to rise. I inhaled, breathing in the scent of Stone from the collar of the shirt. I smiled into it, looking forward to snuggling in bed with him.

  The rain pounded down by the time we reached the house, so I sprinted inside, the white shirt only getting a little wet as I barged through the door and ran smack into Donny.

  “What are you doing awake?” I spluttered.

  He looked me up and down and raised an eyebrow. With a low whistle, he asked, “What have you been up to this morning?”

  Stone chose that moment to stroll casually through the door, dripping wet in just his jeans, my soaked clothes dangling from his hands, my lacy underwear clearly visible. Donny grinned and looked back at my shirt. I paled, crossing my arms over my chest and raising a knee slightly.

  “We went for a walk?” I squeaked.

  Donny started laughing and Stone wrapped his arms around me, making sure I was covered. His look at Donny must have spoken volumes, because he turned and scurried away.

  A kiss on my temple settled my nerves and we walked quietly down the hall to our room, climbing into bed and snuggling under the covers. Exhausted, we both quickly fell asleep.

  TWENTY-NINE

  Everyone rose late that day. Jamie cuddled up to the toilet bowl and the rest of us helped clean up the mess outside. It took us forever. Jamie did eventually emerge and helped the rest of the band pack up their instruments.

  Mary and I were the only ones with smiles on our faces. Everyone else either looked ill, tired, grouchy or lost in thought. We were a sober bunch as we piled into the cars and drove home.

  Home? I grinned at the thought. I hadn’t realised the university had become home to me. I looked around at my friends and chuckled at my eclectic new ‘family’. Fredi with her unique appearance, head-banging as she listened to her iPod; Jamie, though lacking tact and a bit of an ass, was fun-loving and wild…and currently hugging Briar’s pillow like a poorly little boy; Briar, usually mischievous and bright, but looking pensive as she kept sneaking looks at the band van behind us; and Stone. I cocked my head to the side and studied him.

  Him I hadn’t worked out yet.

  He drove in silence, eyes on the road, face blank…but the usual tightness of his features had relaxed, his body less tense as well. I turned my face away to hide a smile, hoping that I was the reason he felt good today.

  When we went to bed that night, I snuggled into his side and propped my chin on his chest, staring up into his eyes. He raised an eyebrow and waited.

  I closed my eyes and smiled nervously. “Was this morning your kinky payback?” I whispered into the dark, “Is it my turn to come up with something?”

  I felt his head snap up a bit further and opened my eyes. He shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. My breath caught as my mind whirled with all the possibilities. Stone chuckled and slid down the bed a bit to line his face with mine (his knees probably hanging off the bed!). Slowly, he kissed me, drawing it out for so long, that my head nearly exploded with the need to breathe…but I didn’t want to break the kiss. Eventually, he pulled away, pecking my forehead and rearranging our bodies more comfortably on the single bed.

  “This bed is too small for us,” I murmured sleepily. He chuckled, pulling me on top of him and spreading out over my bed, covering the whole thing. I frowned at him. Where was I supposed to sleep?

  Stone chuckled again and gently eased my head down to his chest, guiding my arms to his sides and wrapping his own around me. Stone became my own personal mattress – though admittedly, a very hard one – and mmm, I thought as I snuggled in and sprawled my legs across his, he was damn comfy.

  ***

  The events of the next two weeks were bizarre in my opinion. Logan had started to call me twice a day, actually asking me for girl advice. I’d dropped the phone the first time, when he tried to casually ask how to placate an angry girlfriend. Since when did Logan need help with any woman? The very idea was laughable.

  He refused to tell me what the problem was, so it was hard to give him any solid advice and he sounded increasingly desperate each time he called and my previous advice hadn’t worked.
I didn’t know what to tell him. I didn’t know Ivy. I didn’t know what he’d done.

  I winced. He better not have cheated on her. Typical man!

  Stone was acting strangely too. At first, he had seemed suspicious and aggravated by how many calls I was receiving from my brother (though he probably assumed I was talking about Jake) but then, after a heated talk I saw him have with Briar, he started acting unusual…and he wasn’t the only one of the group.

  On the Wednesday – after having had the discussion with Briar the night before – Stone came to my room earlier than usual. Much earlier. I hadn’t been expecting anyone and had been so engrossed in my project that I’d squealed in fright when he barged through the door without knocking. Luckily, I didn’t get any paint on the bedspread.

  He stopped and stared at me, taking in my startled face, the paintbrush paused in mid-air and the easel in front of me. Raising a curious brow, he moved quietly towards me, kneeling on the bed to look over my shoulder at the nearly complete picture.