Breathless (Meadowlarks) (2 page)

When have I ever had trouble speaking? What is this kid doing do me? My heart
was racing and I knew it wasn’t from the anticipation of my chicken fighting debut.

Alex rushe
d over to Dan with me on his shoulders, and Addison and I locked our fingers together. The boys shouted something at us playfully and we laughed, both toppling off and falling under the water. I came up for air, and saw that Dan already had Addison back up on his shoulders, ready for their next competitor.

My eyes lock
ed on Alex's. He was submerged in the pool, his mouth and nose under the waterline, leaving only those freaking sexy blue eyes—staring me down.

I breathe
d, not getting enough air in my lungs as my body needed, but it's all I could do right then. I was paralysed with scorching hot lust.

Alex slowly
moved over to me; completely ignoring the commotion that surrounded us on all sides, and he put his hands on my hips.

“Looks like you'll need to find another partner, I am
obviously not cut out for the chicken fighting circuit,” I joked, and smirked at him nervously.

He
was within inches of me, and even though the water was cool, I could actually feel heat coming from his body. It was penetrating, tingling, and tantalizing me right to my core.

I move
d my hands down to his arms, and bended my toes as far as I could, so I was touching the bottom of the pool. His arms were tight and muscular, but surprisingly soft.

When my fingers touch
ed him his eyes flared, and for a second I forgot where I was. The song that played over the outdoor speaker changed to a really fast techno number, and when everyone around us started to sing with the lyrics and bounce in the water, I got momentarily distracted.

Alex's hand touche
d my cheek and turned my face back to his. “What did you get me for graduating?” He asked slyly.

“Didn't you get enough presents?”

“I don't remember seeing one from you.”

“Well, you'll have to email me your registry. Still shopping at Toys R' Us?”
I grinned.

He raise
d an eyebrow and it looked almost menacing. The water between our bodies was rushed out as he pulled me right into him, crushing me against his tight chest and stomach. My breasts pushed against him and I lost my breath.

For a split second I
felt two strong emotions; one, being that I should have run for my life if Addison were to see me. And two, that I couldn't give a shit if anyone witnessed what was about to happen.

Oh, damn.

The impressive ridge in his shorts pressed against me so hard I thought I was going to scream. I had officially lost my mind and temporarily checked into a mental ward. I kissed Alex with all the passion I could muster. My lips devoured his, and my tongue ravaged his mouth like a junkie nervously scouring a floor looking for their lost needle.

He taste
d slightly like beer, but mostly like some delicious forbidden fruit. His tongue was big and powerful, and while I thought I had control in the beginning I quickly lost it when he took my bottom lip between his teeth and pulled it.

Oh, fuck me.

Tiny lightning bolts shot through my lips and ignited every cell in my body. I got lost in that kiss, lost in that eighteen year old mouth and his hands on my body. His body pushing against mine.

Chapter Two

“Earth to Riley.” Alex snapped me from my delicious dream, and when I opened my eyes he was on top of me, between my legs and he had a quizzical look on his face. “Wanna tell me what you were dreaming about? You were making some pretty
hot
noises.”

“Oh you know, just some guy. The usual.” I grin
ned and licked my bottom lip, remembering all those years ago when he clamped down on it with his pearly white teeth. “Just some hot and freshly graduated meat.”

“That
. Damn. Bikini. Oh God, Riley...” Alex closed his eyes and pushed himself hard against my pulsating heat. When he opened them again he glared at me, and I lifted my body into him, willing him to make love to me.

“Do you have any idea what went through my head when you walked out of my house wearing that scrap of material?”

“Don't tell me.
Show
me.” I growled.

Alex
took the hem of my t-shirt and pulled it up over my head, my breasts swelled when he touched them, filling his hands; and his mouth greedily tasted every inch. When there was finally nothing left between us, no barrier of clothing, he pushed into me as slightly as he could. Teasing me, taunting me, turning me on like I was some desperate animal.

My body scream
ed at him and I lifted myself up, begging him to push in deeper.

He chuckle
d quietly, amused at himself, I am sure. He loved to see me worked up. I moaned loudly and pushed him off of me. He laughed and fell back onto the bed.

I
bit tenderly down his side, over one hip and straight across to the other. He breathed heavily and pulled my hair, twisting it in his hands.

“Get up here,” he whisper
ed.

I climb
ed up his legs and straddled myself across them. The muscles in his thighs clenched as he tried to lift me up higher on his body.

Now who is teasing whom?

I end the torture. Because really, in the end, I am just prolonging my own satisfaction too. I eased down on him and he gripped my thighs with his strong hands. I have to give props to Blaine for hiring Alex. He was muscular before, but now after working on that farm he has bulked up and he is all rugged and sexy and taut.

Scarlett's cries from her bedroom down the hall stop
ped me, and I looked down at Alex and frowned.

He pushe
d his head back into the mattress and groaned with frustration.

I look
ed over at the clock; it's two in the morning. I should have known she'd be up since it's her usual time. I wrapped a robe around myself and quickly used the bathroom before making her a bottle.

She
was sitting in her little bed, with her purple silk blanket curled in her fingers. “Mama...bubba,” Scarlett whimpered and reached for me.

I pull
ed her into my arms. “Hi, my beautiful baby girl.” I rocked her in the chair by her window, humming the same melody my mother used to use to put me to sleep as a child.

She close
d her eyes when she was nearly finished her milk. Her long lashes whispered on her chubby cheeks; she is absolutely perfect.

I could gaze on her beautiful face all night long.

When she was done, I gently took the bottle from her and set it on the dresser beside the rocking chair. Her little mouth still making a sucking motion, and it made me smile.

Alex
was sleeping when I climbed back into bed. He snored softly, and had wrapped himself up like a cocoon in all the blankets.

I pull
ed at one of them, barely getting enough to cover myself, so I snuggled into his body and snaked my arm around him tightly.

***

In the morning Addison call
ed and asked if I want to go for coffee.

“Umm, yes! Get me out of here!” I laugh
ed into the phone.

Scarlett and I watch
ed while Isaac caught the bus to school, and we waited on the porch for Addison to pick us up.

“I'll have a large vanilla latte, please!” I smile
d at the cute girl behind the counter. “Whaddaya want, Cole?”

“Medium coffee, please,” Addison
said to the barista. “Black.”

“Boring.” I smirk
ed. “Can we have two cherry cheese danishes too, please?”

We s
at at a table for four. Addison set Seth's car seat down and unbuckled his straps, pulling him up into her arms.

Scarlett's eyes widen when she
noticed the baby and she started babbling excitedly.

I grab
bed a high-chair for her to sit in and broke off half of my danish for her to eat. She mainly just picks out the cherries and rips apart the rest.

“So, we didn't get to talk because of Blaine and Alex being there, but...” I stare
d at Addison. “How was the date?”

She smile
d and blushed. “Good.”

“
Good
?”

“Well.” She smile
d again. “It was much needed and very overdo. Thank you
.
”

“Spill. You know I love details.”

“Well, we went for a ride. Jax is awesome. You should take him out sometime...”

I look
ed at her with a raised brow. “I wasn't talking about those details.”

“Riley!”

“Oh please, you know everything about me, and I know everything about you. Details! Sexy ones...now!”

She look
ed around to see if anyone was within earshot of us, and thankfully, it's seemed like everyone else was immersed in a book, laptop, or their companions so we were all good to talk dirty.

“We did it again on the gr
ass. Riley, I am telling you...I am probably going to die from having sex with that man.”

I gape
d.

“He's so intense. It's so raw and carnal and mind blowing.” She grin
ned. “Here lies Addison Blackstock. Death from over-sex.”

I laugh
ed, picturing her humorous headstone. “Well, that'll make one of us.”

She frown
ed. “Anything you want to talk about?”

I
shook my head. “Not really anything
to
talk about. We're good. Alex is good. Just the odd weirdness every now and then.”

“Jeremiah.” Addison
half-smiled, sympathetically knowing what I was talking about. “I know, Blaine still has his days when he's moody and distant. I give him space. I know he needs it. I don't know how I would be if I lost you like that.”

I reach
ed across the table and held her hand. “I don't ever want to find out.”

“I'll never forgive myself, Riley.” Addison frown
ed, and I could see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. “Reid was all my fault.”

“Addy, no!” I inhale
d sharply. “In no way was that your fault. You don't ever think that. Please!”

“Deep down I know that. But
, it's still hard to deal with. Jeremiah's gone and he left such a gap in our lives.”

“I was thinking the same thing yesterday. I am having a hard time living in that house. But
, don't get me wrong, I’m grateful we have it.”

“I know what you mean. Have you talked to Alex about making it more
your
home now?” Addison smiled understandingly, and rocked Seth in her arms. He was sweetly nodding off, tenderly curled in his mother's arms.

“I don't know if he's ready.” I shrug
ged.

Scarlett reache
d for the other half of my danish with sticky little fingers; I handed it to her and smiled.

“That looks yummy, Scar!”

After coffee, Addison and I window shopped in the lovely town of Sheridan and I thought about how much I miss Maine. I miss my parents, and even the girls; Leah, Camille and Zoe.

Addison stopped
in front of the window at a small kids clothing store. We looked at the reflection staring back at us, and I almost didn’t recognize myself.

Here we
are—thirty is creeping up at our heels and we are toting around babies. For most people this is normal, but it's not how we pictured our lives if you had of asked us when we were sixteen years old.

We would have told you we were going to live in New York, or California. Living lifestyles we only read about in Cosmo, or Glamour magazine. Each marrying a Wall Street-type or
Leonardo DiCaprio (we could have learned to share).

But, here we
were in the great state of Wyoming; babied and barely hanging on to our twenties.

I h
eld Scarlett closely, her hands again played with my hair. I noticed a cute dress in the window and told Addison we should look inside.

Back to reality.

***

Alex was absolutely miserable when he came home from work. He tore in the driveway in the Dodge and flung open the door before charging through the living room.

Isaac and I look
ed at one another while we sat at the kitchen table, where I was helping him with his homework.

“Hey, babe,” I sa
id, wondering what his problem was.

“Hi.”

“How was your day?” I got up and walked over to him.

He
was standing in front of the refrigerator with the door wide open. He grabbed a carton of juice and twisted off the cap, put his mouth to the opening and drank right from the spout.

“Eww, you know I hate
when you do that.” I winced.

He gulp
ed the juice obnoxiously at me and drank some more.

I cro
ssed my arms, annoyed, and waited for an answer.

“It was fine,” he snap
ped, and tossed the empty juice carton on the counter. “What's for dinner?”

I smile
d at Isaac. “Honey, how about you take your homework to your room and I'll come help you with it in there. Okay?”

“Okay, m
om.” Isaac didn’t hesitate to close his textbook and grab his pencil to leave the room.

Once he has gone, I turn
ed back to Alex.

“Alex, what's going on?” I glare
d at him; angry for Isaac having to witness the tension.

“Nothing, okay?” He groan
ed. “I’m just tired.”

“Right.”

“I'm sorry, babe. I had a shitty day.” Alex frowned and hugged me hard, burying his head in my shoulder.

I squeeze
d him tightly in my arms and breathed in his scent of sweat, dirt and wood. His usual musk as of late.

He ease
d in my embrace and breathed deeply into my hair with exhaustion. “How was your day?” he asked, and then stood up to look at me.

“Good,” I answer
ed. “Addison and I had coffee. I bought the kids some clothes.”

He smile
d—a beautiful sight, and I welcomed it greatly.

“Yeah, I saw her with bags when she got home so I figured you had been shopping too.”

“Why was your day shitty?” I asked.

He shrug
ged. “Just was. It's harder with only two. Don't know how they did it for so long. Then again, I am not Jer—”

“Alex, stop.” I grip
ped his shoulders. “You and Blaine have to let Jeremiah go. You will never forget him, but you have to move on with your life! He wouldn't want this for either of you.”

Then Alex
did something I have only ever seen twice—when Scarlett was born, and again when we were standing at the cemetery watching Jeremiah's casket being lowered into the ground.

Alex broke down and cried.

“Fuck, Ry... I’m trying so hard,” he sobbed. “Jer helped me when I didn't deserve it. He changed me. He didn't deserve to die like that.”

I ha
d no idea what to say to Alex, so all I could do was hold him and let him know he was okay to let it out. I hugged him tightly again, and he pulled me against him so hard I almost couldn’t breathe.

“I love you. I love you so much. I love Scarlett and Isaac, and if anything ever happened to you guys I would die.”

“Alex, babe. I love you too, but you're starting to scare me now.”

He inhale
d a sharp breath, and steadied himself as he pulled away from me. “Sorry, babe. I'm sorry.”

Alex start
ed to walk away from me, pulling off his hoodie and then his t-shirt. “I'm gonna take a shower, and then I'll help Isaac with his homework.”

“You don't have to do that, Alex.”

“Haven't you smelled me?” He laughed.

I smile
d. “I meant about the homework, I'll do it. Scarlett's sleeping any way.”