The next day, Mom, Aunt Marissa, and Melanie decide to drive a few towns over and go to the
nail salon. They did invite me, but I decided to pass. I’m still a little sore and used that as my
excuse, but mainly, I just didn’t want to be trapped in a car wit h my mom and then at a nail
salon for god knows how long. Sounds like hell itself, really. I don’t even know why I came this
week. We don’t get along, we haven’t for a long time, and now that I’m an adult, there are no
concrete obligations to one another. Aunt Marissa is more of a mom to me than anything
anyways. Uncle Tom and Ty decided to head out onto the lake and do some fishing, so that just
left Logan and me. I’m sitting on the couch catching up on my latest read when a large figure
st eps in front of me. Glancing up from my book, I set it down to see Logan staring down at me
with a frown. “What?” I ask. He’s quiet for a moment before his de ep voice rumbles. “You can’t
be with him.” I lift an eyebrow at him. “Ty?” “No, the Easter bunny, yes, fucking Tys on.” I slip my
bookmark into my page, standing to my feet as I go toe to toe with him. He may be taller,
stronger, and all - around more intimidating than me, but I’ve had enough of his disrespect. “I
don’t know who you think you’re talking to, Logan, but I don’t respond well to commands.”
“That’s not what I remember, Sparrow.” A bolt of electricity zips through my body, and I feel
myself flush out of anger or arousal, does it really matter? Doing my best to navigate the
conversation back, I release a heavy exhale. “You have been so disrespe ctful to me since we got
here. About everything. I’m not your property. I’m not your child. You don’t get to bark orders
and make demands of me.” He tightens his lips like he’s holding himself back from speaking
before he shakes his head. “I apologize. I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I just...” He blows out
a ragged breath, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them. That chocolate color is
rich, swirling with a million emotions as his voice pierces into my soul. “I’m worried about him
with you. He’s not the type to settle down, and he’s so goddamn irresponsible. Look what
happened yesterday! He’s not known to take care of anyone but himself.” “I don’t need anyone
to take care of me,” I say. He pauses for a moment before carefully lifting his hand to cup my
face. At first, I’m ready to shove him away, but when I feel his palm against my cheek, I can’t
help but enjoy the feeling, too much, probably. “You deserve it, though. You deserve a man that
will care for you as much inside the bedroom as out. You deserve someone who will let you be
free but take control when you need it, someone who can ke ep you safe and protected while
also bringing you to heights you couldn’t have even dreamed were possible.” His words are like
a drug, laced with the strongest dose of arousal, all - encompassing, ad dicting, and leaving me
desperate for each new syllable. I feel myself staring up at him, silently begging for all of that.
Goddamnit, what is it about him about... this? He makes everything seem so simple, so
intoxicating. This is what first drew me in at th e club, it’s what made letting go of the idea of him
so challenging, and it’s what makes this moment so fucking hard. “What makes you think Ty
can’t offer me all of that?” I ask, my voice sounding far too breathy
for how unaffected I should be right now. The soft look in his eyes hardens as his jaw clenches. I
feel his hand tighten against my cheek as his growl reverberates through my body. “Trust me, he
doesn’t have what it takes. Not for someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” I counter. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He stares at me for so long, I
think he’s going to ignore me completely. “He’s not what you need, Arianna. He’s going to hurt
you.” I shrug, hyper focused on the way Logan’s thumb is slowly rubb ing against my cheek. “I’m
not exactly looking for my one true love at this point in my life, as you know.” He frowns at that.
“Meaning?” Shaking my head, I manage a sarcastic smile. “Come on, Logan, I was in that club
for the same reason you were. No stri ngs attached hookup.” “Yeah? Is that what you were
looking for when you came back the second time?” My mouth parts, and my next response dies
on my tongue. “I know you feel like this is wrong, and morally speaking, it is, but you can’t tell
me you don’t fe el this.” Of course I do. But nothing can come of it, so what’s the point in
admitting it? Torturing us both with some forbidden taboo tryst we both want but can never
have? “I feel like there is another woman in this house who is desperate for your attenti on. I
have my vacation fling set up, maybe you should do the same.” His face hardens as his hand
drops from my face. He quickly takes several st eps away from me as his posture goes rigid. “You
know what, maybe I will,” he says before storming off. The ins tant the words slipped out, I
regretted them. I recognize that it’s stupid that I’m lusting after him, hence why I ke ep pushing
him away. But pushing him towards my mom? The very thought of it makes me sick. Seconds
later, a bright, warm smile pops into th e room, grinning at me as he runs a hand through his wet
hair. “There you are! I thought you were gonna go into town with the girls?” I smile at Ty as he
drops a kiss on my cheek. “Didn’t feel like it.” “Well fuck, if I’d have known I had a choice
between knee boarding or taking you to bed, we’d be naked right now,” he teases. A grin
spreads across my face as I shrug. “No time like the present.”
Excitement lights up his eyes, and before I know it, I’m up and over his shoulder as he takes the
st eps two at a time. When we make it to my room, Ty opens the door quickly, kicking it shut
before dropping me onto the bed. I land with a bounce, and by the time I push my hair out of
my face, he’s already half naked. I laugh at his efficiency before he reaches for my pants,
unzipping them as he pulls them down my legs. Piece by piece, he strips me down until I’m
completely naked. Climbing between my legs, he runs his tongue through me before circling my
clit. “Fuck! Ty!” I moan, louder than I probably should but not giving a fuck. “Feel good?” he
murmurs against me. I dig my hand into his hair as I grind against his face. “Uh huh,” I gasp as he
begins sucking on my clit. I feel my orgasm begin to cre ep up on me when he pulls away. I
whimper in protest as he lines himself up to me, his head pushing inside. “Shit. Don’t think I’ll
ever get used to you,” he hisses as he pulls out and pushes back in. “Fuck!” I groan. “Fuck me,
Ty. Fuck me hard.” “You got it, baby.” Ty begins a steady rhythm that hits just the right spot for
me. It feels amazing, and he definitely knows what he’s doing, but I can’t help but fight the
feeling of missing... something. I couldn’t tell you what it is because this feels incredible, and I
know I’m seconds from coming. It just feels... routine, standard. Gross, that sounds awful to
even think. It’s true, though. There are no butterflies, no rush of excitement at pushing
boundaries and exploring limits. It feels as good as any other sex I’ve had with boyfriends and
hookups at the bar. It’s great, but it’s not... epic . Closing my eyes, I do my best to get out of my
head and be in the moment. I feel Ty lean down to kiss me, and I do my best to return it with as
much passion as he is pouring into me. I
don’t know what my problem is. I’ve had a thing for Ty for years, and on top of him being
fucking gorgeous, he’s the nicest guy. I’m being stupid. I feel his hand circle my clit as his tongue
wraps around mine, a moan es caping me as I arch into his touch. “More,” I beg.
He responds perfectly, applying just the right amount of pressure as he quickly moves his hand,
pressing into me just hard enough to send me shattering apart. I let my orgasm crash over me,
my moans echoing through the room despite Ty’s mouth covering mine . I feel him follow right
behind me, his cock pulsing inside me as he fills me with his cum. The moment is hot and
perfect as he slumps down over me, attempting to catch his breath before he rolls off of me and
moves to the bathroom. He comes back seconds later with a warm washcloth, gently wiping the
leaking cum from between my thighs before laying down next to me. He lifts his arm in
invitation, and I curl into him, resting my head on his chest. We lay there in silence for several
seconds before he speaks . “What’s going on in that pretty little head?” I turn to look at him,
trying to sink into this moment. “Nothing. I’m good.” He’s quiet for a moment, his eyes tracing
over me like he’s trying to memorize me before he speaks. “You know this isn’t just sex f or me,
right? We’re friends. I care about you, which means I care about what’s bothering you.” See
what I mean? Seriously, the nicest. Unlike his asshat of a brother. “Logan pissed me off earlier,
it’s nothing.” I try to look away when Ty catches my face, his hand slipping beneath my chin to
bring my eyes to him. He’s frowning with concern as he looks down at me. “What did he do?”
“Nothing, it was what he said. He just... he said that we shouldn’t be hooking up. That you’d hurt
me.” Among other things. His exp ression tightens, what looks like hurt splashing across his
features before he holds me tighter. “You know that’s not true, right? I’ve been a fucker in my
past, I won’t deny it. You’re not just anyone, though. You’re Ari, you’re... more, you know?” I
smile softly at his sincerity. “And we’re just having fun. We agreed to a casual fun thing.”
“Yeah, exactly,” he says, his smile slipping slightly, his tone coming across more hollow than
before. “He’s just jealous,” he says, rebounding before I can respond. I shrug. “Don’t really care
what he is, as long as he stays away from me.” “Yeah. You one hundred percent sure there isn’t
some lingering tension or desire or something?” he asks. No. “Yeah. I still can’t believe he even
came. I mean, what the fuck did he think was gonna happen?” Ty shrugs his shoulders. “He’s
impulsive. Always has been. He see s something, he wants it, he takes it. Nothing else to it. He’s
always been that way, hence why he’s so successful. He’s a goddamn shark.” “Well, hopefully,
he’s gotten the hint that I don’t want him,” I shrug. “As long as you’re sure it’s what you want,”
Ty says carefully. Glancing up at him, I can see he’s watching me carefully, almost like he’s testing
me. I give him my most convincing smile as I press a soft kiss to his lips. “Trust me, right here is
the only place I want to be.” A genuine smile spreads across his face as he leans down, capturing
my lips with his and holding me there for so long, I begin to forget why I was irritated in the first
place.