Unspoken Rules (Rules 2)

He spins me around and my back hits the freezing wall. I can’t believe how turned on I am by his dirty mouth. I should’ve expected this from him. I should’ve known he’d be very blunt after passing the initial “I don’t want to hurt you” period.

He circles my thigh with his arm, carelessly lifting one of my legs up and kissing the corner of my mouth. Then, he smiles and fills me again. My eyes automatically close. Wow. He bites his lip in pure bliss, and I know I like this position a lot more than the previous one because it allows me to see the look on his face.

“You feel… so fucking… amazing.” He groans between each word, breathing heavily, and cups my breast with his hand.

“We’re so going to be late to the beach,” I pant.

He nuzzles his face into my neck and plants hot kisses all over my collarbone. Then, he grips my ass and pushes harder, deeper.

“Oh, I plan on it.”

Just like that, I’m reminded of why I could never take the “out” even if I wanted to. I’m reminded that I couldn’t walk through the wide-open door even if I tried. I’m reminded that I couldn’t dodge the bullet if I saw it coming.

And I’m terrified.

Because deep down…

I know it’s coming.

18

True Colors

Haze slowly turns into the parking lot situated near the shore, finds a spot, and stops the car. The engine dies in a low grumble, and he lets go of his hold on my thigh. He always holds it when he’s driving. It’s become a habit of ours. Kendrick insisted on tagging along, which annoyed Haze to the extreme. He can’t stand having him around. Says it’s like having a second child.

I have to agree. All Kendrick does is watch TV, empty the fridge, and provide us with unwelcomed remarks about Haze and Riley. But, even after all of this, deep down, I’m thankful that Kendrick’s here. I feel supported, sane. He’s the only one, apart from me, noticing Riley’s behavior, and I’d lose my mind if I was alone with Haze and his incessant unawareness. I’d probably let him convince me that I’m imagining things.

I know Kendrick secretly came with us to watch over me. He won’t admit it, but he’s worried about me getting hurt.

I am, too.

I glance at the quiet and distant beach. Riley and Jacob have been waiting for us for a while now. Haze texted her a shitty apology about being late when we got out of the shower.

I mean… it’s only five minutes.

Okay, fine, it’s thirty.

What can I say? We got a bit carried away.

My gaze shifts to the calm sea, and I smile. I might hate the girl, but she was right about one thing: getting up early means having the beach to ourselves.

“You do know that your crazy ex’s trying to ruin your relationship, right?” Kendrick casually says to Haze as we walk.

“Let me guess, you’re the one who got that idea inside Winter’s head.” Haze locks the car doors with the remote.

“Me? Are you really that dumb, Adams?” Kendrick mocks, and I capture Haze’s hand in mine as guarantee that he won’t use it to punch Kendrick. His clenched fist relaxes under my fingers, and he takes a breath, trying so hard to control himself for me.

“Remind me why I’m letting your douchebag of a cousin live in my house again?” he asks me.

“Because I need to be there for when you fuck this up and Winter leaves your ass,” Kendrick says with a smug face.

“She’s just trying to be a good mom. You’re both looking too far into this.” Haze shrugs.

“Yep, he’s really that stupid,” Kendrick adds.

When Haze sees Jacob sitting on a towel with sand all over it, his face lights up. This… this right here is one of the reasons why I can’t be mad about this. He’s not here for Riley. He’s here for his son.

“About time.” Riley smirks at Haze, completely dismissing Kendrick and me standing behind him.