Chapter 8

As I’d scrambled to gather myself back together again, a keen sense of jealousy had sent them blasting all over the place again as the blonde had landed flush against Declan. And unable to look away, I’d watched in a morbid, painful curiosity as her hands had slid possessively across the pectoral muscles exposed by his unbuttoned shirt.

Metaphorically down on my hands and knees, I’d tried once again to gather the scattered pieces, however, when I thought I had them all, I found I was wrong, a piece had been missing: my common sense.

I’d begun stomping in their direction. Fuck that bitch! How dare she... How dare she touch what’s mine! As I came up next to them, I’d reached out and grabbed her by her hair, then jerking her away from Declan, I’d snarled, “Fucking twat! Don’t you ever touch him again!”

Doubling my fist, I made to swing at her, but before my balled hand had made contact, I’d found a set of arms wrapped around me so tight, I could hardly breathe as Declan put distance between me and Barbie as he’d hissed, "What the hell are you doing, Sydney?"

"She… I… you—" Words cutting off, I’d finally whispered, "You have to know how I feel about you!"

Several seconds passed, as he stood silent, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he convulsively swallowed. Then, closing his eyes, he gave a groan before with a visible shudder wracking his frame, he opened them again stating, “I want a real woman, Sydney, not a child! I told you, I’ll never fuck you,” then releasing me, he’d walked away and returned to the other woman’s arms.

Emotions had swirled strongly within me. A sense of helplessness had overtaken me and my eyes had filled with tears. I was totally, hopelessly, one hundred percent in love with him and he had just rejected me: made it more than clear he in no way returned my feelings.

Turning, I’d begun walking away, my cheeks hot with embarrassment. I’d made such a fool out of myself, yet, like the love sick idiot I was, I’d glanced over my shoulder in his direction. My breath had ripped from my lungs, a flare of hope igniting within me, for gazing after me, a look of desire had burned hotly within Declan’s eyes. Involuntarily, I’d turned, then taken two stumbling steps in his direction, only to come to a stumbling stop again, as the woman, cuddling up against him, had nibbled up the masculine arch of his neck, and her hands had worked the buttons of his fly.

Declan jerked his eyes away from my own, as turning his head, he cupped the other woman’s jaw, then lowering his head to hers, he’d laid claim to her mouth with his own.

After a few minutes, he’d lifted his head, then murmured something in her ear, before dropping his hand to her back, he’d assisted her back inside his pickup.

Face crumbling with the misery I’d felt in my heart, I’d turned away. The inexplicable jealousy I’d been bathed within shattered into a surge of rage, snarling up like a snake from the pit of my stomach when I heard his truck start up and pull away.

Though I’d never experienced the pleasure of making love myself, I wasn’t so innocent I didn’t know what was about to happen between them.

Cheeks still tinted the stain of green from the ugly snarl of jealousy and the anger that had eaten away at my insides, I’d huffily stomped back to the others where I’d picked up another bottle of beer. Then, having unscrewed the top with a quick twist, I’d swallowed half its contents before taking a breath.

Two more had followed that one, and I’d finally felt a little cooling of my cheeks. After the fourth one, I’d set aside the fantasy that it was Declan making love to me instead of the woman in his pickup. The thought of him as my lover was not unfamiliar territory; I’d had similar thoughts many, many times before.

Now, I tossed my troubled thoughts back and forth, playing ball with my confusion, unaware as I did so I was being watched from within the trees by narrowed and observant eyes. With a decision made and a quick nod to itself, the observer assumed the form of a party-goer who had made the mistake of stepping near to relieve a full bladder.

Feeling through the brain of the form it had assumed, the observer found what it was looking for and with the knowledge of its host’s name, and that its host and its prey were good friends, the observer exited the foliage. Wiggling a little within its new frame, the intruder adjusted to the smaller size, even as its senses alerted it to the fact an enemy had recently been nearby.

###

Oblivious of anyone’s approach, or that danger moved through the night as I stared off into space, I swirled the almost empty bottle of beer in my hand. A small squeal of surprise left me and I gave a startled jump as Seth Tremaine bent toward me, a mere inch between his lips and my ear.

With a laugh at my reaction, Seth grinned at me, then reaching out, he took a hold of my arm, softly running his fingers upon the inner flesh of my wrist. Nothing he hadn’t done hundreds of times over the years, having known me since I’d transferred to his school my eighth-grade year.

Now, tugging at my hand, he shouted above the music. “There’s a bunch of us going swimming. Come join us!”

I opened my mouth to say I wasn’t in the mood, then changed my mind. I was up for anything to help distract myself from thoughts of Declan.

Nodding, I shouted, “Sounds like fun, and maybe what I need.”

Seth, a satisfied look crossing his features, ran his fingers across my wrist one last time, then after tapping his bottle against mine, he murmured, “Here’s to us getting what we need tonight,” as he released my arm.

Carrying my drink to my lips, I swigged the rest of its contents, then setting the empty bottle on the ground beside me, I straightened. Brows drawing down in a slight frown, I rubbed at my wrist where a tingling sensation irritated it. After a few seconds of rubbing, I gave a shrug then reached out to take Seth’s hand.

A slight burning had replaced the irritation, but after giving my wrist a quick glance, and seeing no visible sign of irritation, I gave another shrug, thinking it odd, but not too worrisome. With my hand clutched in Seth’s, we began stumbling our way among the ever-increasing rowdy bunch, and as my bare feet sank into the cooling sand, I remembered at some point earlier in the evening, I’d kicked off my sandals. Pulling at Seth’s hand, I shouted, “Hang on, I need to find my shoes!”

For an instant, something like irritation flashed across his features, then was gone. After lifting a shoulder and a slight shake of his head, he began asking if anyone had seen my misplaced footwear. When we’d received half a dozen negative replies, I gave up on the hunt and gestured at Seth that we should carry on without them.

Almost an hour and a half had come and gone since my moment of idiocy and Declan’s departure, yet I glanced toward where his pickup had been parked earlier.

Darkness had fallen with the forward movement of time, and the moon, now showing its face upon the horizon, glinted off a pickup further up the sands and peering a little closer at it, I found my eyes widening, a slight huff of surprise escaping from between my lips.

Though I’d seen Declan leave the tributary earlier, I’d obviously missed his return. Confusion marred my brow though as I gazed toward his pickup, noting him hunkered on its tailgate like a gargoyle upon its perch and staring in our direction, however, within seconds, my view became obscured as Seth pulled me into the tree line.

Only twenty feet into the trees, I began to feel myself flush with an internal heat of desire. My breasts became heavy, my nipples hardened, and an ache of arousal flared to life between my thighs: a pulsing that remained with me even as we went deeper into the purple shadows beneath the canopy of the trees.

I heard the melodious ring of the water before I ever saw it, and I gave a grateful sigh for I was not only horny, my flesh was on fire.

Coming to a sudden stop, Seth turned to face me, then leaning forward he pushed the hair away from my face before sliding his hand down to cup my chin. Tipping my head up, he brushed his lips across mine.

The sense of desire had grown by leaps and bounds as we’d moved through the trees, and now his touch was only increasing the feeling. The throbbing ache within me was unsatisfied and caused me to crave more of his advances. Leaning into the kiss, lightly flicking my tongue across the bottom curve of his lip, I found I still wasn’t satisfied, and moved closer.

Bodies now flush against each other, I felt his erection pressing against me, causing the growing hunger within me to damn near overwhelm my senses.

*What the hell was wrong with me?*

Though part of me was ashamed of what I was doing and feeling, I couldn’t control what was occurring, and shifting, I began squirming against Seth, trying to ease the drumbeat that had set up home between my legs. I couldn’t stop, an unquenchable need was running rampant throughout me, and shifting our bodies, I reached between us, stroking the hard bulge through his jean shorts.

At the action, Seth quivered and drew a sharp breath, then pushing his hand under the t-shirt I wore, he began squeezing and pulling at my distended nipple, bringing a low moan from my lips. Moisture pooled between my legs and dampened my panties, and I began helping him lift my shirt over my head.

I was burning, wanting badly to be fucked: a staggering need filling me. I ached to feel the glide of his hands and tongue across my bare breasts, my naked thighs.