Where It All Began (Phoenix Falls Series)

I need to be tranquilised.

It’s a fucking miracle that we don’t leave the cave looking like two victims of a zombie apocalypse given how close I was to ripping her tight red cami apart so that I could finally get my mouth on those sweet little tits.

When I finally set her down on the dry stone floor her legs give way like a newborn lamb, and I have to re-orientate her with my knee hitched between the apex of her thighs. She gives me a desperate look, another plea for me to take her right here in the middle of the forest, and I grind my teeth together, forcing my eyes away from her so that I don’t end up doing exactly that.

She pulls my shirt away from my abs and runs her fingers up them. I shiver because her body’s freaking freezing. I guess that that’s a tiny-girl problem. Not enough inside of her, so she has poor circulation.

I can fix that.

Mind spiralling to somewhere that it definitely shouldn’t be I plant my foot back on the ground and then give her one last kiss before I start walking us into the open sunlight. She grips her hands around my neck like a coconut crab, begging me to keep going even though we both know that I’m not gonna. I’m gonna do the gentlemanly thing.

And then, when the time is right, I’m gonna get real ungentlemanly.

I pull away from her and she whines like a spoiled princess. My cock jerks aggressively in my boxers. I love it when she’s a brat.

“Start walking,” I manage to huff out, chest heaving like I’ve been doing cardio all afternoon. Very nearly was the case.

“You’re a tease,” she puffs out angrily, brow furrowed down to her toes. I can’t help but smile as she starts stomping up the incline, giving me the perfect view of her ass and a nice reminder that soon enough I’m gonna have those boots leaving imprints all the way up my back.

I readjust my shaft and then start following after her.

“Kitty,” I call out to her, trying to catch up.

She starts speed-walking.

“Princess,” I say instead. Her footing pauses momentarily but then she continues her military march.

I jog the small distance between us and then hook my forearms just underneath her ribcage, somehow still towering a foot above her even though she’s ahead of me on the slope.

I press a hard kiss into her exposed shoulder, tasting her sweet skin, warm and salty from the sun. I can’t taste any sun lotion though, which explains her intergalactic array of cinnamon freckles.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, rubbing my chin back and forth over her skin. She shivers a little and I tug smugly at my lip-ring. Yeah, she likes it when I rub her up with my stubble. Noted, princess. “You know I’m gonna make it up to you when the right moment comes.”

I lean over her so that I can watch her face and she pouts disappointedly, sulking like a kid.

“What if the right moment never comes?” she asks.

Is she implying that she thinks I won’t ever get her into bed? I will literally murder her brother if I have to.

I decide not to admit that, instead saying, “It will, baby. I promise.”

She huffs loudly, then holds up her pinkie. I immediately envelop it with my own.

“Blood oath next,” she says, and I dip my head into her neck, laughing.

We probably only have one more minute of alone time as we make our way back to the others. It’s mid-afternoon so there’s plenty time before the campfire becomes the social hub and the fireworks start going off, but even so I know that I’m going to have to keep my distance.

I just need to think of a way to get Kaleb out of the house for a night.

I shove that thought to the back of my mind and bring up one of my hands so that I can play with her hair. She’s got a series of tiny braids plaited amidst her onyx waterfall, so I take the one that’s tied with a red ribbon and twirl it around my finger.

“How’re your roses?” I ask, leaning down again so that I can kiss her jaw, my groin resting hard and heavy in the arch of her back.

She turns her head slightly so that she can face me and she gives me a sly smile.

“Pink,” she says, tone coloured with amusement.

I scrunch up my nose, face flushing with embarrassment. “Uh, yeah, sorry about that, I…” I tug at my metal and then shake the thought away. “I’m a moron. It’s all they had. Sorry.”

My heart stills in surprise when she reaches her hand up to my face and gently strokes at my stubble. Then my shaft revs to life again.

“No, I love them, they match my room perfectly.”

That catches my attention. Baby pink roses… match her room? I run my eyes over her, checking to see that she’s still dressed like a little emo, and then my mind goes into hyper-drive as I start mentally detailing her room. I would’ve bet good money that it was a red and black crypt, metal posters on the wall but with a cool cowgirl twist. Now my body’s growing extra hard because I’m picturing the exact opposite.

Pink walls, pink sheets, frilly curtains…

The roses that I got for her right next to her bed.

She smiles as she watches me, reading my every thought.

“Wanna come in my room?” she asks sweetly, but her eyes are twinkling like a demon.

I make a rough unintelligible sound. “Uh, fuck, yeah, I wanna…”

She tinkles out a light laugh and it shoots straight through my heart like an arrow.

I swallow and smile back at her, trying to retain some level of composure.

“You eat your cookie?” I ask, pressing us cheek to cheek.

She nods. “Yeah.”

I press both of my hands back down to her belly, rubbing her gently as my muscles swell.

She can sense it. “What is it?” she asks, laughing slightly.

I close my eyes briefly, a heavenly feeling washing over the front of my brain.

I mutter against her neck what I’m feeling but she doesn’t quite catch it.

“What?” she asks again, tone still light with amusement.

“I like filling your belly,” I repeat.

I like taking care of you. There aren’t any women in my life and I know that, once I’ve got you, I’m gonna take care of you better than anyone else ever could have. I’m never letting anything bad happen to you, ever.

I feel her body grow woozy and I grip her tighter in my arms.

Now it’s my turn to breathe out a laugh.

“No, princess. No getting limp again out here, we’ve gotta-”

I move to the other side of her neck, brushing her hair over her shoulder, little red bow and all, but my stomach plummets when I look down.

Oh shit.

Oh shit.

“Kitty.” I swallow hard.

Hearing the dread in my voice she twists to look at me, face questioning. “Yeah?” she asks, brow twitching.

I can’t take my eyes off her throat. There’s a huge, darkening mark right up the side where I was sucking on her and I don’t know if I should feel like a terrible piece of shit or if I should allow myself to be turned the hell on.

“What is it?” she probes, more nervous now.

“It’s…” I don’t know how to say it. Maybe something along the lines of, I’m an animal, you’re softer than a peach, and now you’ve got my calling card on your neck to show everyone who you belong to.

Including your brother.

I tug roughly at my hair.

“You’re gonna have to – if you don’t want Kaleb to know – you’re gonna need to…” I meet her scared eyes and press us forehead to forehead, praying that she’ll forgive me. “I’ve covered you in hickeys, baby. I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”

Her hand flies up to her neck, feeling the side that I just exposed.

I close my eyes, expecting a knee to the balls.

Instead she presses a gentle kiss against my skin.

“I’ll cover it with my hair,” she whispers. Relief runs down my chest, the dark fog in my mind clearing a little.

I lean down so that I can kiss the purpling area, a mixture of guilt and pleasure pulsing in my groin.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur again. They’re my new favourite words apparently. I can’t seem to stop saying them.

She strokes her fingers through my hair and gives me an encouraging smile.

“I can’t wait to see it when we get home,” she says, voiced so hushed that I almost don’t catch it.

My eyes fly open.

The twin dimples in her cheeks are out to play and her face is more calm than a summer’s evening.

This girl.

I give her a deep appreciative kiss and then step back, jerking my chin at the clearing up ahead, knowing that our alone time is over now.

I watch her turn and walk ahead, one of my hands still running through my hair.

Thank God for this girl.

*

Kitty decides to stay for the whole ordeal which means that, as her self-assigned chauffeur, so do I.

Newly freed of her vocal constraints she spends the whole evening prodding at the campfire kindling and trying out various different songs, naturally capturing the attention of way too many guys. I try not to go too psycho, knowing that if this is her dream then I’m gonna do everything in my power to help her achieve it.

After the food’s been shared out Kaleb lumbers my way, eyes glued on his sister because she’s gathered a bit of a crowd. He slips a roll-up into his mouth and takes a long pull. I raise my eyebrows when I catch the scent.

“I don’t like it,” he says on an exhale, eyes narrowed as he watches the scene unfold.

I’m not a big fan of the current set-up either. Tyler’s strumming out his acoustic nonsense again because apparently he has a death wish, and Kitty’s bikini strings have unfastened, meaning that they’re only holding on by a prayer.

My prayer.

I sigh, palm rubbing up my forehead. “Yeah, well.” There’s not much to say. Not much that he’d probably understand right now either.

He grumbles something that doesn’t sound human and I can’t help but choke back a laugh.

Kitty Hanson Lu, literally trilingual.

Kaleb Hanson Lu, barely capable of English.

Unfortunately my snicker goes a long way and Tyler glances over to us like an on-duty Doberman.

Great.

He passes his guitar to Kitty and then gets to his feet, stretching luxuriantly right next to her head. My jaw ticks. Kaleb stands to attention.

“What’s his deal?” Kaleb asks, his attempt at inconspicuousness about as subtle as a police car. He’s scanning Tyler with about as much displeasure as I am.

“Got a crush,” I mutter back, hoping to sound more protective brother than jealous boyfriend.

Kaleb cracks his jaw. “Think he’ll be a problem?”

You’re talking to your biggest problem right now.

I shake my head. “She’s a big girl, she knows what’s good for her.”

Kaleb shoots me an irate look. I give him a grounded palm-up gesture in response.

“Tyler’s been your buddy for years. I’m sure if anything was brewing he’d talk to you about it.” Which gets me thinking – am I supposed to be talking to Kaleb about this? Should I be telling him my intentions?

My faux-composure seems to settle Kaleb and he nods briefly before pointing his lasers back to Tyler, who’s sat back down with a less than pleased expression on his face.

Probably because Kitty’s no longer next to him.

“They’re setting off the fireworks in a minute.”

I startle slightly and then turn around. Kitty’s standing between the two of us, a cherub-cute expression glowing on her face. Kaleb pulls her under his arm and smushes a kiss to the top of her head. I try to not feel too jealous, eyes locked in with Kitty as she accepts his display of ownership. I shift closer to her as Kaleb turns to talk to someone on his other side, and I quickly interlace my fingers with the palm that she’s splayed out behind her back. I rub her skin gently and watch as her cheeks blush darker.

An echoing pop and then eardrum-shattering canon fire sounds somewhere way ahead, and all of us turn to face the scene, the girls around the fire laughing with shock and someone to our rear turning up the music on their cell.

A cacophony of fireworks – blue, red, and sparkling white – shoot up and explode overhead. The sky’s a deep navy, not black, but it’s dark enough to make the show crystal clear.

With everyone fully distracted, I step closer to Kitty and give her hand another squeeze.

She looks up at me with wide eyes, the shimmer from above sparkling in her irises.

Soon, princess. I promise.