Chapter Three

Cage

Those damn cows came running when I showed up with the feed. They actually knew it was chow time and I had the goods. It was also scary as shit to have those sons of bitches running at you like they were going to trample you. Wiping my forehead with the towel Wilson had left me this morning saying I’d need it soon enough, I sat down on the tailgate of the truck and reached for the thermos of ice water he’d also brought me. It was almost gone. It had to be at least ninety-five degrees already today and it wasn’t even lunchtime. I’d been hoping the little blonde with the boots would show up today and give me a brief distraction. She seemed like the easy kind. The no strings attached sort. I needed to blow off some steam. Especially if I was going to have to watch Eva Brooks strut around in a bikini top and tiny shorts all damn day. Reminding myself that she was completely off limits was difficult.

Eva wasn’t the first girl I’d had to refuse myself. I’d refused to touch Low but for different reasons. She was my best friend. I respected her. I wanted to know that when we moved into a relationship, which included sex, that she would be my only one. That never happened. Honestly, I doubted it ever would have. Even if Marcus hadn’t come along. I just wasn’t a one-woman guy.

The difference with Eva was that the only reason I wasn’t touching her was because her daddy would hang me up by my nuts then fire my ass and I could kiss my scholarship goodbye. Well, that and the girl really didn’t seem to like me much. But, I wanted a taste of her. Bad. Real bad. She had such a hot little temper it would be fun to see what she was like during sex. Shaking my head, I stood up and reached for my towel to tuck into my back pocket. I wondered if I’d even be thinking about her if she wasn’t so off limits. The whole ‘want what you can’t have’ thing always did bug the hell out of me.

“You ready to go bale some hay?” Jeremy asked as he walked up beside the truck.

“Not really but I don’t think I get a choice,” I replied with a grin. He was a nice guy. Eva probably led him around by his nose because he was too damn nice for someone like her. She needed a strong hand. Someone she couldn’t push around. Someone who wasn’t afraid to tie her ass up and stop! I had to quit thinking about her. She was the “do not touch” toy.

“It ain’t all that bad. Besides, we can always go jump in the lake and cool off. It’s the only way to make it all day in this heat.”

I’d seen the lake yesterday when Wilson had taken me around in his truck showing me the property. The lake was man-made and ran along the back of three properties. The Beasley’s, which were Jeremy’s folks, this one and the Blevin’s. Hot little Becca Lynn’s family. I could think of some fun activities Becca Lynn and I could entertain ourselves with in that lake.

“I’m out of water. I need more before we go.”

Jeremy glanced back at the house then at me, “Mind if I go get it for you?”

I could hear the apologetic tone in his voice. That was weird. Was he sorry that his girl disliked me so much? Most guys would be thrilled.

“Not at all. I’m sure Eva would prefer you go get it.”

Jeremy sighed, “Yeah, she would.”

These country folks were weird and oddly polite. I thought I’d handled Eva well yesterday afternoon in the kitchen.

Jeremy chuckled and snapped me out of my Eva thoughts. “Looks like you got company anyway.”

Becca Lynn was strutting towards us in another tight tank top. This one was pink. Pale pink. And the girl didn’t have on a bra. Wow. She wasn’t playing around. Yeah, Becca Lynn and I would get along just fine.

“I’ll be back in a few,” Jeremy said before heading up toward the house.

Becca Lynn stopped in front of me and cocked her hip to one side placing her hands in the back pockets of her cut off jean shorts. That stance made her tits poke out and the imprint of her nipples was right there for my viewing pleasure.

“So, you getting a break anytime soon?” she asked, staring up at me with a ‘fuck me now’ grin on her face. I was real damn tempted. I could have those tight little shorts off and her bent over my bed in no time. But something was stopping me. Maybe it was the innocent way her blonde curls floated around her big brown eyes or maybe it wasn’t something that moral at all. Maybe it was the fact she’d be harder to get rid of out here in the country once I’d finished with her.

“I’m heading out to bale hay. Jeremy just went to get us some water,” I explained, making sure she understood just how disappointed I was that I wouldn’t get to see exactly what those perky little titties looked like bare.

“Oh… well, maybe tonight you would like to come down to the lake? I’m having a bonfire and inviting over a few friends. My parents are out of town…” she trailed off. Not getting some sexual relief from this pretty little number was going to be hard. But I wasn’t going to turn down her offer at something to do tonight. I was already bored as shit.

“I’m in need of a nice cold beer. Any chance that’ll be available?” I asked.

Becca nodded her head and bit down on her bottom lip teasingly. Yeah, she was hoping for more tonight. Maybe if I just enjoyed having a female in my arms for a little while. No sex, just some playtime. I fucking needed something.

I checked to see if Eva or her dad were standing around anywhere watching us before closing the little bit of distance Becca Lynn had left between us. “That sounds like a real nice offer,” I lowered my voice and placed a hand on her hip. Her mouth made a small little round O as I pulled her up against me. “Do you think you might could sit on my lap while I drink that beer?”

Her breathing was accelerating and the tits she wanted me to notice were bobbing against my chest. I slid my hand up her ribs until my thumb grazed the underside of her soft heavy breast. Yeah, that was nice. I needed to get fucking laid. She managed to nod her head as she stared up at me. Her brown eyes were pretty but not enough to put up with a clingy female the rest of the summer. That reminder had me slipping my hand away and taking a step back.

“I’ll see ya tonight then,” I replied, suddenly thankful that Jeremy was headed our way.

“Okay,” she sighed and flashed me one last smile before turning and running up toward the house. Shit. I wondered if she was going to go tell Eva about this. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Maybe Eva wouldn’t go running off to her daddy to tell him that I was playing with Becca Lynn’s tits. But somehow… I seriously doubted it.

Eva

My face felt hot. I stepped away from the bathroom window and closed my eyes tightly. When I’d seen Becca strutting up to Cage I should have stopped washing my hands and turned away from the window. No. When I’d realized Cage was shirtless and pouring the last of his water over his bare chest I should have stopped looking. But I hadn’t. I couldn’t. It had been fascinating. I’d never seen a chest or arms like his. They were so… so… so sculpted and muscular. I fanned my face glad I had a moment to recover before Becca found me in here.

Becca had been real close to that naked chest. Those large tanned hands had touched her waist and from what I could tell he’d touched a little more than that. I was surprised Becca hadn’t crumpled to the ground. The girl didn’t even have on a bra! Did she have no shame? I was torn between disgust and jealousy. Yes, I might as well admit it. I was jealous. The guy was gorgeous and Becca was free to enjoy just how gorgeous he was. I was jealous of that. Because I knew I wasn’t. I’d never be free.

Even if my daddy were to approve of someone like Cage, I could never move on with someone less than worthy of filling Josh’s shoes. Josh wanted me to move on and I wasn’t sure I ever could. If I did… If I ever attempted to— it would have to be with a guy Josh would approve of. Cage York would never be that guy.

“EVA! WHERE ARE YOU?” Becca Lynn’s voice called out down the hall as she got closer to the bathroom door I knew she would bang on any second. Taking one deep breath I wiped my hands on the hand towel and opened the door.

Becca had just stopped outside the door and had her fist up ready to knock.

“There you are! Ohmygod Eva! I think I’m gonna kiss your Uncle Mack next time I see him. I swear my body hasn’t gone this crazy over a boy ever. Cage makes me feel like I’ve just had the world’s best orgasm when he hasn’t done anything more than smile at me with those delicious full lips of his. DEAR LORD HAVE MERCY his thumb touched my boob and I’m more than positive I DID have an orgasm right there in your yard,” Becca pushed past me, closed the toilet lid, flopped down on it and began fanning herself. “I am so going to do him tonight. I don’t care that I just met him. I want that boy naked! Did you see him out there with his shirt off?”

Yes, I’d seen him.

“Don’t have sex with him, Becca. He probably has STDs. He will screw you today and move on to someone else tomorrow. Don’t give him that part of you.”

Because I was pretty sure I’d die of jealousy at having to hear her relive it over and over again.

Becca Lynn rolled her eyes, “Whatever Eva. He does not have STDs. That’s silly. It isn’t like he screws prostitutes. The boy can pick and choose. Besides, I will make sure we use a condom. Anyway, who else is he going to move onto? He’s stuck here all summer. Other than you and me, no one else is coming around here for him to move on to.”

I thought about the girls who would be at the lake party tonight and wondered if that had ever crossed her mind.

“Deedee and Farah are coming tonight, aren’t they?” I asked, leaning a hip against the sink.

Becca frowned for a moment then lifted her gaze to meet mine, “Deedee is back with Brett and Farrah is seeing Hayden Morris, you know the boy who was quarterback at Sea Breeze our junior and senior years. Josh outplayed him during the championship game and we…” she trailed off like she always did when she mentioned Josh’s name. It was as though she was afraid I’d burst into tears and fall to the ground. I couldn’t blame her. I had been a major recluse for over eight months after Josh was killed. Other than Jeremy I had closed everyone else out during those months. Becca had been away at college most of that time so it hadn’t been difficult to hide from everyone. Jeremy had dropped out that semester and I’d been so wrapped up in my pain that I hadn’t thought about how my grief was affecting him. When I’d heard my dad talking to Jeremy one night after he thought I’d gone to bed, I realized what I was doing to him. Dad had been telling him that he needed to go back to school that fall. He couldn’t stay here with me forever. Jeremy had refused to leave me.

I’d done everything I could to prove to him that I was better. That I could make it without him. In the end it had been pointless. He’d enrolled at a local college and he commuted. By the winter semester I’d enrolled too. We commuted together. It had worked.

This was our last summer together. Things were changing. Jeremy wanted to go to LSU. He had family in Louisiana and he wanted to get an apartment with his cousin. He had no idea I knew all this. But I did. I was doing everything I could to prove to him that he could tell me his plans. I would be okay. It was time he lived his life and stopped holding my hand.

“I didn’t mean to…” Becca’s voice broke into my thoughts and I realized she thought my quietness was because of her mentioning Josh.

I smiled, “It’s okay to say his name. I don’t want to pretend he didn’t exist. I can hear his name now and not fall apart. Josh was the biggest part of my life for eighteen years. I like remembering things about him,” I assured her and reached out to squeeze her shoulder.

“He was awesome that game. We were the ones picked to lose and he dominated that field. He showed all those college scouts that the hot shot quarterback Hayden Morris wasn’t so big and bad after all.”

Becca’s smile was sad. “Yeah, he did, didn’t he? Why didn’t he take that scholarship to South Carolina for football?”

My chest tightened. I wasn’t ready for that just yet. Shaking my head, I straightened up from my relaxed stance. “Because he said life was more than football. He wanted his life to mean something more.”

That was all I could manage. I turned and walked out the door. I needed a moment. I thought back to that day he’d left for boot camp and I’d cried my eyes out begging him not to join the army. I had promised him I would go to South Carolina with him. We wouldn’t have to be apart and he’d be safe. Away from guns and bombs.