Southern Pleasure (Southern Heart 1)

t feels like my first breath since she walked out of my house earlier tonight. I was sure our friendship, or whatever it is you want to call what we have, was ruined. I tried hard to regret it, but I will never regret a single fucking second I get to spend with her.

I rest my chin on the top of her head and pray the band drags this song out, or plays another slow one. Hell, they could slow it down for the rest of the night if it means I get to hold her like this. I know I shouldn’t. Aaron is out here on this same dance floor and he could see me—-see us. I assume that’s why Kinley led us to the darkest part of the dance floor. I know I should care, but with her in my arms like this, I can’t find any fucks to give.

The song comes to an end and Kinley raises her head. Instead of pulling away, she stands on her tiptoes and hugs me tight. Leaning down, I bury my face in her neck. “Please don’t go out with him,” I beg her.

Her lips touch my ear as she whispers, “I don’t want him.”

Relief.

All consuming relief washes through me. I’m still holding her and I know I have to let her go, but I don’t want to. I want her like this, with me like this always.

Kinley steps out of my embrace and our bodies are no longer touching. I study her face to see how she’s feeling, but she gives nothing away. Turning, she starts to walk back to the bar. It takes about two seconds for me to catch up to her. Placing my hand on the small of her back, I guide her. She may not be mine, but hopefully, all these drunk fucks won’t be able to figure that out and will keep their distance.

At the bar, Mike’s attitude has changed. He’s no longer offering Kinley drinks and he spends the majority of his time at the other end of the bar. That means he was watching us, witnessed me holding her. I can’t help but feel a little smug at the thought.

“Olivia’s tanked. I told Mike we would take her home,” Aaron explains.

Olivia is sitting on a barstool slumped over the bar. She was three sheets to the wind when we got here, so I’m not surprised this is the outcome. “Did you drive?” I ask Kinley.

“Yeah, I met her here.”

Digging in my pocket, I pull my keys out and hand them over to Aaron. “Take my truck. I’ll just have Kinley drop me off. I can get my truck tomorrow.”

Aaron looks over at Kinley and she nods in agreement. “Yeah, I’m thinking she’s going to need most of the bench seat in your truck. There’s no keeping her up.”

“Good luck, my man.” I clap Aaron on the shoulder. He grumbles a reply that I can’t make out, but I’m pretty sure he’s calling me a dick.

Aaron lifts Olivia off the stool, nods to Mike that he has her, and heads toward the door. Kinley and I follow, me with my hand on the small of her back. Mike will be able to see us; Aaron will not. It’s intimate, yet a gentlemanly gesture. I’m not doing anything wrong; at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

Kinley opens the truck door, allowing Aaron to place a passed out Olivia in the seat. He buckles her in and shuts the door. “See you at the house,” he says to Kinley. “I’ll bring your truck by tomorrow, man,” he says to me. It’s not lost on me that Aaron wanted to get a drink tonight, and he had only one. He stopped drinking as soon as he saw how wasted Olivia was getting.

We watch as Aaron pulls out of the lot before heading to Kinley’s Durango. She pulls the keys out of her pocket and hands them to me. “You can just drop me off and take my car. I have two sessions tomorrow in the studio, so I won’t need it anytime soon.” The last is said through her yawn.

I take the key from her hand and kiss the top of her head. “Let’s get you home, beautiful.” The words slip off my tongue as if it’s something I’ve said to her multiple times. My reward is a sleepy smile before she climbs into the passenger seat. I make sure she’s buckled in before closing her door.

When I pull up to her house, it’s dark. I know Aaron mentioned his parents going out tonight. I turn off the SUV and look over to find Kinley is still sleeping soundly. Her body is angled toward mine, her soft breaths causing a gentle rise and fall of her chest. I turn so I’m facing her and rest my head against the seat. I memorize her in this moment. I don’t ever want to forget how peaceful she looks.

I wish things were different. I wish, instead of driving us here, I could take her home. I could carry her up to my room and curl my body around hers. I need to find a way to block these feelings she evokes in me. I know I do, but for tonight, when it’s just me watching her, I don’t want to.

Glancing at my phone for the time, I see I’ve been sitting here way longer than what I should have. I’ve gone into the creeper category. There is a physical ache in my chest because I know I have to wake her up. I have to end my time with her and that pisses me off.

Raising my hand to her cheek, I softly run my fingers along her jawline. “Kinley, you’re home.”

Her eyes flutter, but she doesn’t wake up. Leaning closer, my lips graze her ear. “Time to wake up, beautiful.” That’s the second time tonight the endearment has fallen from my lips, and I can only hope she’s too sleepy for it to register.

Finally, her eyes leisurely open. I pull my lips away from her ear, which brings my mouth closer to hers. “Hey.” Her voice is raspy and laced with sleep.

“Hey.” I tuck a loose hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry to wake you.” If she only knew how true that statement is.

“It’s fine. Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

I’m not. “You were tired.” I want to kiss her.

“Yeah, I guess I was. Thank you for driving.” She makes no effort to move from the car.

“Aaron will be back soon,” I say. I know he will be wondering what the hell I’ve been doing, sitting outside with her for so long. Reluctantly, I back away and remove her keys from the ignition. “Let’s get you inside.”

Kinley meets me at the front of her Durango and surprises me when she places her arm through mine and leans against me. She has no idea how hard she’s making it for me to leave her.