“Shit! I’d have loved to see his face when you shut that door.”

“I know,” I laugh. “It felt kind of good to leave him stunned for once rather than the other way around.”

“See, I told you!” she says, pushing on my knee.

I look at my watch. It’s seven o’clock and I’m mentally trying to calculate the time difference, to know if I should worry yet that Tanner hasn’t texted me of his safe landing.

“You have about twelve more hours,” she tells me, knowing that I fret about his safety like a mother hen. “Besides the testosterone-fest with Colton, did you Tanner have a nice visit?”

“Yes,” I smile softly. “It was so good to see him. I don’t realize how much I missed him until-“ a knock on the door interrupts me. I look over at Haddie, my eyes asking her who could be knocking on our door at seven o’clock on a Friday night.

“No clue,” she shrugs getting up to answer it since I have a slew of work papers strewn across my lap and on the couch beside me.

Moments later I hear laughter and voices and Haddie exclaiming, “Well look what the cat drug in!”

Curious, I start to clear my papers to stand when Haddie enters the family room, a broad smile on her face. “Someone’s here to see you,” she says, a knowing look on her face.

Before I can ask her who it is, Colton comes barreling into the room in a less than graceful stride with a laughing Beckett right behind him. Something’s amiss with Colton, and I’m not sure what it is until he sees me. A goofy grin spreads across his face and it looks out of place against the intensity of his striking features. Luckily I’m shuffling up my papers because he plops down right beside me. “Rylee!” he shouts enthusiastically as if he hasn’t seen me in weeks. He reaches out to haul me onto his lap, and all I can do is laugh because I realize that Mr. Cool and Always in Control is a tad bit drunk. No, make that well on his way to being drunk. Before I can even respond to his sudden appearance, Colton’s mouth closes over mine.

I resist at first because I’m laughing, but once his tongue delves into my mouth and I taste him, I’m a goner. I groan in acceptance and lick my tongue against his. It’s only been a few days but god I missed this. Missed him. I forget that other people are in the room when Colton tangles his hand in my hair and takes possession of me, holding me so that all I can do is react. He tastes of beer and mints and everything I want. I bow my back so that my chest presses to his, my nipples tingling as they brush against the firm warmth of his chest. Colton swallows the moan he’s coaxed from me when his arousal pushes up through my thin pajama pants and rubs against me.

“Should we clear the room?” I hear Haddie say and then she clears her throat loudly, shocking me back reality.

I pull my head back from Colton, but his hand remains fisted in my hair. He rests his forehead to mine as we both draw in ragged breaths of need. After a beat, he throws his head back on the couch and laughs loudly, his whole body shaking from its force, before choking out, “Shit, I needed that!”

I start to scramble off his lap, suddenly aware that I’m wearing a very thin camisole tank with some very aroused nipples sans bra, and Beckett, whom I’ve only met once, is sitting across from me. Before I can even cross my arms over my chest, Colton’s arms grip me from behind and pull me back against him. “Hey!” I shout.

“You’re coming with us,” Colton announces loudly.

Haddie raises her eyebrows at me, amusement on her face at my flustered expression. “Colton, let me go!” I sputter loudly in between laughs, trying to wriggle out of his iron tight hold on me. He simply holds me tighter, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Nope! Not until you agree that you’re going with us. You and Haddie are going on a little road trip with Becks and I.” I start to wiggle again, and I feel Colton’s free hand slip up to cup my breast through my shirt, his thumb brushing over my nipple. I suck in a breath at his touch and embarrassment floods my cheeks.

“Uh-uh-uh,” he teases, his breath feathering over my cheek. “Every time you fight me baby, I’m gonna cop a feel.” He nips at the skin between my shoulder and my neck, his arousal thickening beneath my lap. “So please Rylee,” he begs, “please, fight me.”

I roll my eyes at him and laugh loudly, Haddie and Beckett joining in. Drunken Colton equals a very playful Colton. I like this side of him.

“Typical male,” I tease. “Always misguided and thinking with the head in his pants.”

He pulls me tighter against him; one arm around my shoulders while the other is around my waist. “Well then, don’t be afraid to blow my mind,” he murmurs, a low, seductive growl in my ear that has me laughing from the corniness of the line all the while tensing at suggestion of it.

“So get your asses up pretty ladies and get ready!” he suddenly orders, breaking our connection, pushing me to my feet, and swatting my backside.

“What are you talking about?” I ask at the same time Haddie pipes up asking where are we going?

Beckett laughs out loud at Haddie’s all-in reaction before bringing a bottle of beer to his lips. “Hey!” Colton shouts. “Don’t be drinking my beer you bastard or I’ll take you down.”

“Chill out Wood,” he chuckles. “You left yours on the table by the front door.”

“Shit!” he grumbles, “I’m a man in need of a beer and of women to get their asses moving. Time’s a wasting!”

“What in the hell are you talking about Ace?” I turn to him, arms across my chest.

A slow, roguish grin spreads across his lips as he stares at me. “Vegas baby!”

Mysterious text solved.

“What?” Haddie and I shout, but both with different meanings. There is no possible way I am going to Las Vegas right now. What in the hell?

Colton holds up his phone, biting his lip as he tries to concentrate on its screen, and I realize he’s trying to tell the time. “We’ll be back in the morning, but wheels up in one hour Rylee so you better get that fine ass of yours moving!”

What? We’re flying? What am I even thinking? I’m not going anywhere. “Colton, you can’t possibly be serious!”

He pushes himself up from the couch, and looks a little wobbly before getting control. He looks down at me, an errant lock of hair falling over his forehead with his shirt untucked on the right side. “Do I need to pick you up over my shoulder and haul you to your bedroom to show you just how serious I am sweetheart?”

I look over at Beckett for some kind of help. He just shrugs his shoulders, silently laughing at our banter. “I’d just give in Rylee,” he drawls winking at me. “He doesn’t give up when he’s in this mood. I suggest you go get changed.”

I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. I look over at Haddie who has excitement dancing in her eyes. “C’mon Ry.” She prompts, “It couldn’t hurt to escape with everything that’s going on tomorrow,” she murmurs. “Have a little fun and forget a little.” I nod at her and her smile widens. She whoops loudly, “We’re going to Vegas baby!”

Beckett stands from the chair asking for the bathroom. Haddie offers to show him while she goes and gets ready. I turn to face Colton but am caught off guard as he swoops me up and over his shoulder, swatting my butt as he carries me rather unsteadily toward the hallway.

“Colton stop!” I shriek, smacking his ass in turn.

He just laughs loudly. “Which room is yours?” I squeal as he tickles my feet. “Tell me woman or I’ll be forced to torture you some more!”

Oh, I definitely like drunk and playful Colton!

“Last door on the right,” I screech as he tickles me some more before throwing me unceremoniously onto my bed. I am out of breath from laughing and before I can even speak, Colton’s body is flanking mine, pressing me into the mattress. The feeling of his weight on me, pressing intimately against me, creates a crack in my resolve. So much for being aloof.

His mouth captures mine and his tongue plunders into my mouth. I slide my hands up and under the hem of his shirt and run my hands up the planes of his back. The kiss is full of greed, angst, and passion, and I know I’m losing myself in it. To him. His hands roam, touching every inch of my bare skin he can find as if he needs this connection to tell him everything is all right between us. There is a change I can feel, but cannot describe in the way he’s kissing me. As if our union is reassuring him. Confirming that whatever’s between us, is still there. And I can’t help but wonder if this is what he feels when I kiss him.

I freeze when I hear a knock on the doorjamb. “C’mon loverboy,” Beckett chuckles uncomfortably, “Rein it in. You can do that later. Right now we’ve got a plane to catch.”

Colton rolls off of me groaning as he adjusts his arousal in his jeans. “You’re such a buzz kill Becks!”

“That’s why you love me brother!” he laughs as he retreats down the hall giving me some privacy to get ready.

Colton props his hands behind his head and crosses his feet at the ankles as I scoot off of the bed to get ready. “God you look sexy right now,” Colton says, his eyes focused on my nipples pressing against the think cotton of my tank.

“She’ll look sexier in about twenty minutes if you can get the hell out and let her do her thing,” Haddie says unabashedly as she breezes in my room holding a handful of barely-there dresses on hangers for me to look at.

“Well shit,” Colton says pushing himself up off of the mattress, “I guess I’ve been told. Time for another beer.”


Fueled

Coming August 2013