Complicated Relationships (The Southern Devotion Series Book 3) Read online

  “You sure about that, Tristan?” she asked without a hint of jealousy, only curiosity in her tone. Part of me wished there had been a little jealousy. It's hard to read this girl sometimes, and I'm not even sure she's feeling the same attraction as I am. We had only been on two dates, but we had been flirty with each other over a span of two months. We felt more established as a couple than we may have looked.

  “Positive. Are you going to be alright spending the weekend with them?” She entwined her fingers in mine pulling me in for another kiss.

  “I’m here to spend the weekend with you and I’m excited about it.” That convinced me enough for us to drop the subject and move on. We started our trek down to the Cascades swimming hole. The wooden staircase was at least two stories long. At the bottom, it stepped off onto rocks, and you had to climb the rest of the way down. There were only about five feet of rocks to climb down, but I still had to act chivalrous. I jumped down first then turned to help Lanie. Placing my hands on her hips I lifted her into the air and brought her to the lowest level.

  At the bottom, Mary Jane had a towel laid out on the rocks, and she wore a tank top and shorts. You could see she was beginning to show now. “She’s pregnant?” Lanie asked.

  “Yep, isn’t that awesome?” I couldn't contain my smile as I stared at MJ's barely swollen belly remembering the last time she was pregnant and everything we went through with it.

  “It is.” She sounded a bit distant in her response. If she had seen me staring at MJ, she might have jumped to the wrong conclusion. I spoke the truth to her before; my feelings for Mary Jane were in the past. It didn't mean I couldn't be happy for her as my closest friend.

  Glancing around I noticed Katelyn and Macy were already using the natural rock slides to go into a swimming hole. They seemed to be taking care of each other pretty responsibly. Derrick sat on a rock not far from them taking photos of the falls and surrounding area.

  “Mind if we sit with you?” I asked MJ.

  She patted the ground next to her, “Of course not. Lanie I apologize for the shock today.”

  “No worries,” Lanie answered sincerely. Lanie stood up and removed her shirt and shorts to reveal a bikini that was tasteful yet sexy as hell. My heart immediately began to race as my eyes raked over her body. Her breasts were perky with her nipples noticeable beneath the light blue bikini top. I couldn’t think straight as I stared at them. My eyes moved down her body to her long smooth legs. I imagined her legs wrapped around my waist. Her porcelain skin would feel like silk against mine. The images that went through my mind at this moment were practically pornographic.

  Lanie turned around and bent over to get into her bag where she pulled out a bottle of lotion. The position she stood in made things quite painful for me in a certain area. Mary Jane reached over to smack my leg getting my attention and letting me know she noticed my ogling. I adjusted my shorts and cleared my throat.

  “Can you put some lotion on me before I go in swimming?” she asked handing me the bottle of suntan lotion. I stammered out a yes before squirting a large drop in my hands then methodically rubbing it over her back. While I lathered her up, she pulled her hair from the ponytail it was in, ran her fingers through it then tied it up in a bun on top of her head. My fingers massaged her shoulders, and I zoned out into a fantasy again.

  “Thanks, Tristan. I’m going to swim with the girls for a few minutes if you don’t mind?” Lanie brought me out of my x-rated fantasy again, and I shook my head to clear myself of any more inappropriately timed thoughts.

  “No problem.” She leaned forward to give me a quick peck before taking her turn down the rock slide. She swam over to join Macy and Katelyn as they played.

  “You two are cute together,” Mary Jane said as she watched me observe Lanie.

  “I like her a lot. Is that weird for you?”

  Mary Jane sat up. “We made peace a long time ago, Tristan. She’s a sweet woman. We had a rocky beginning, but Katelyn loves her, and it looks like Macy does too.” She pointed out to the water where Lanie and Macy were laughing and playing around together. Katelyn must have done the introductions for me. I wished I could've had them meet before the trip, but it didn't seem to matter.

  “Is it weird for Derrick?”

  Derrick stepped up behind us at that moment. “Is what weird for Derrick?”

  “Lanie and me?”

  He shook his head, “Not in the least. It doesn't seem weird to you either based on that hot lip lock we interrupted. Do me a favor though, Katelyn doesn’t know I went out with Lanie once so don’t tell her, please.” It was a promise I could easily keep. I didn’t want Macy to know either because it seemed a bit weird to think about even.

  Lanie swam over and stepped out of the water; I looked to see if Derrick noticed her, but he didn’t. He only had eyes for MJ as he bent to kiss her belly and spoke to their unborn child. I stood up to engulf Lanie in her Minion covered beach towel. Her lips quivered with the cool breeze hitting her wet body. She took a seat between my legs, and I took the opportunity to wrap my arms around her to warm her up. She leaned her head back, “Thank you for inviting me this weekend. Macy’s great.”

  “How long have you two been dating?” Derrick asked.

  “Not long, we met at a club downtown; it’s new…” her voice trailed off as recognition hit. She covered her mouth and said, “Oh my gosh. You own A Shot in the Dark?”

  Derrick laughed, “Yep. My brothers Ashton and Gavin and my brother-in-law Cameron all run it together.”

  “What about your sister?”

  He seemed confused, “I don’t have a sister.”

  Lanie was equally confused now, “Oh sorry, I guess he's your brother-in-law because he's MJ's brother?" We all tense up worried that she may have an issue with same-sex marriage, and that is something that could break this from going anywhere else for me.

  “He’s married to my brother Gavin.”

  Light dawns in her eyes, but there was no disgust or even surprise. “Duh, sorry that was stupid of me to ask.”

  “They had a dual marriage ceremony in New York with Ashton and Gracie,” I added trying to ease the awkward moment. Mary Jane had told me all about the ceremony after we met. She hadn't been able to attend because of her internship, but they sent her a video and several pictures of the event. I felt as though I had attended myself.

  Lanie smiled, “That’s neat. I’m hoping they legalize it here in Tennessee soon as well, but it’s great that so many states recognize it.”

  Macy shouted, "Tristan!" causing me to tense up until my eyes landed on her at the top of a rock slide. She held up her hands and mimicked taking a picture then pointed to the water. Derrick handed me his phone so I could snap a few pictures of her as she slid down into the creek below.

  She began her swim over to me, and I yelled out, "Bring Katelyn in too!" Macy turned to grab Katelyn and together they swam over to us.

  Mary Jane opened her backpack and pulled out bottled waters for the girls. They downed them as though they hadn't had water in days. "You girls hungry?"

  They both nodded without letting go of the bottles. "Why don’t we go check into the cabin and get some lunch? We can also swim at the pool or maybe fish if you'd like. Your dad brought his fishing equipment." She said to Katelyn before turning her attention to me. "Tristan, do you fish?"

  "I've never tried fishing but I've always wanted to."

  We hauled ourselves up the two flights of stairs back to the parking lot. The walk down wasn’t too bad; the walk up was a lot more difficult. At the top, I pulled Lanie aside. "If this weekend becomes uncomfortable to you, at any point, we'll leave. OK?"

  "I'm fine, Tristan. Derrick and I went out once; it's not like we had this long term relationship or even feelings for each other."

  "Alright. I wanted to make sure."

  "And that's one of the things I like about you, you're very considerate." She kissed my lips softly then took my hand and pulled me toward the car to ca
tch up with the others.

  Chapter Eleven

  Southern Comfort

  We spent the rest of the day letting the girls swim at the pool with Mary Jane keeping watch while Derrick, Lanie, and I fished from the deck of the cabin. The three of us couldn't have had a more awkward past together but if you walked up you'd never have known we weren’t the best of friends. Any discomfort had passed not long after we left the Cascades area.

  The inside of the cabin was very simple but had all the amenities of home. Two bedrooms, two baths, a full-size kitchen, and a pull-out couch in the living room. Derrick and I carried all the luggage to the different rooms to get everyone settled for the night.

  "Can we roast marshmallows before we go to sleep?" Katelyn asked, pulling on Derrick's arm.

  "Kid, we didn't bring marshmallows."

  Timidly, Lanie spoke up, "Um, I did." We all seemed taken aback, so she shrugged her shoulders and said, "I love roasted marshmallows. When Tristan told me we were coming this weekend, it was the first thing I bought. If it's ok with you, Derrick, I'd be glad to roast them with the girls."

  "Sure. I can start a fire out in the pit outside," Derrick offered.

  "No need. We can use the stove." She led the girls over to the stove and flipped on one of the eyes. "We'll turn it up to high and you roast it the same. Oh, is there a hanger or something we can use?"

  I searched through the drawers of the cabin and found a large cooking fork. "How about this?"

  "Perfect." She speared two large marshmallows on the fork, held them above the glowing orange eye of the stove, and we watched as they began to brown. One caught fire, and she turned it slowly letting the flame spread along the fluffy treat to coat it evenly. Once it was sufficiently toasted, she extinguished the flame with a quick breath and handed the first two treats to Katelyn and Macy.

  "Tristan, we now must have marshmallows at the house so I can do this more often." Macy had a mouthful of the toasted sticky treat as she mumbled these words.

  "Sure, why not," I said laughing.

  "I need one or four of those marshmallows please, for the baby, of course," Mary Jane said with a wink.

  "Yes ma'am, let's get the pregnant lady what she wants." I grabbed the fork from Lanie and began to toast two more.

  For the next hour, we filled up with the sugary goodness of burnt gooey marshmallows. It seemed like bad parenting to send the kids to bed all hopped up on sugar but at least they had a TV to keep them occupied.

  It was midnight when we went to our separate rooms to sleep. Lanie and I took the bedroom that had two double beds after Macy and Katelyn begged to be able to sleep on the pull-out couch so they could watch television. I certainly didn't argue. Lanie seemed perfectly content sharing a room and immediately claimed the bed closest to the window. I wanted to be closer to the door in case Macy needed me. She's fourteen going on thirty, but I still felt like she's a little girl sometimes.

  “Goodnight, Lanie.”

  “Goodnight, Tristan.”

  We both said before turning the light out. The bed was soft, too soft. Tossing and turning drove me to the brink of insanity. I'd never be able to sleep this way. At one point, I glanced over at Lanie’s bed, and the moonlight illuminated her body. Her back faced me, and she wore nothing but a tank top and short shorts that allowed me to see the line of her dark lace panties.

  The dull murmur of the television from the living room was the only sound I could hear. I needed to think of something besides Lanie's body. My mind wandered through different scenarios; each one grew dirtier than the next. The bed springs whimpered from Lanie shifting in her bed. The tank top inched up exposing her lower back. The top of a tattoo dipped down beneath her shorts, and I wanted to know what it was. I groaned out loud without intention. She rolled over and said, “Are you having trouble sleeping?”

  I sighed, “Yeah, what about you?” Instead of answering my question she stood up and moved next to the bed I occupied. She pulled the covers up and slid underneath then wrapped her arm around my stomach with her head against my chest. “Is this too forward?” she asked.

  “No. I promise to keep my hands to myself.” I said through clenched teeth as my body began to respond to her closeness. All the fantasies I had a moment ago came flying back into my mind making it hard to concentrate.

  Her bottom lip poked out then she whispered, “I was hoping you wouldn’t.”

  And now she had offered the invitation to proceed with my desires. Am I dreaming? "Are you sure, it's like our third date?" I stuttered, overwhelmed at the thought that I could do things to this woman that I'd been envisioning since I laid eyes on her.

  "Tristan, when a woman is of sound mind and body, completely sober, and asking you to touch her, don't ask questions." She cupped her hand behind my neck and pulled me forward into a fiercely passionate kiss, slipping her tongue gingerly between my lips. There would be no more arguments from me. Only she could stop us now, my engine is on go and full speed ahead. My hands moved up inside her shirt relishing the feel of her silky skin. My lips moved to her neck tasting the coconut and pineapple scent of her skin.

  She lifted up onto the bed and pushed me down on my back. Straddling my waist she slowly lifted her shirt exposing a little skin at a time, all the while seductively teasing with her hips gyrating against me. My hands follow hers as I helped push her shirt further up. Tracing the underside of her breasts with my thumbs, I harden instantly beneath her. She gasped as she felt me between her legs. Pushing her shirt over her breasts, I begin to rub my hands over her taut nipples, rolling them between my fingers. She tossed her head back and bucked her hips against me until I couldn't take it anymore. I yanked the shirt over her head and rolled her over. Together we pulled our shorts and underwear off in a rush before I thrust inside her causing her to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

  She pushed me over onto my back to straddle me again. As she rode me, I tossed my head back against the pillow in pure ecstasy enjoying the feel of being inside this amazingly beautiful woman. When we came together in perfect unity, I also came to my senses. "I'm sorry; that wasn't very romantic."

  "Tristan, stop acting like I'm a virginal school girl that needs her first time to be perfect and romantic. We're both adults; we've both had sex before, and we both were hot for each other tonight. Am I right?"

  "Yes, but I don’t want you to be a one-night stand. I want us to be more than that." I pulled her face to mine, kissing her softly. "If you're up for it, I can show you the romantic side now."

  "Oh, I'm up for it."

  Starting at her jaw line, I begin to trace soft kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, and atop the swell of her breasts. When I took her nipple in my mouth, she arched her back with a moan of pleasure. There was a glass of water beside the bed; I reached over to grab an ice cube from it. She gasped in shock as I touched it to her breast, then relaxed as my mouth trailed the ice to gather up the moisture. Moving down her body, I allowed the frozen cube to melt against her abdomen, dripping trails of water in different directions over her skin. My tongue darted out to catch the drop running towards her core before dipping down to taste her. She arched up again and let out a deep moan before covering her mouth to stay quiet. I wanted to hear her moans, but I knew that we had to keep from waking the others. Her legs rested against my back. Each time I hit the right spot I felt her toes curl against my spine.

  She flailed around, and I knew she was close. I climbed above her and moved between her legs, teasing her until she begged me to be inside her.

  Afterward, she pressed up against me with her head against my chest, legs thrown over mine. "That was definitely more romantic," she sighed.

  Kissing her forehead I said, "I hope this doesn’t sound cheesy or weird, but I really like you Lanie."

  She smiled up at me, "I really like you too."

  I awoke in the morning, the night before feeling like a dream until I noticed the beautiful naked woman lying in my arms. Her auburn hair fell
over her eyes, and her lips were in a pout as she slept. It would be easy for me to fall in love with this woman. In fact, I felt as though I'd already begun my descent.

  Chapter Twelve

  Giving in to Trust

  Once she gets to sleep, it seemed Lanie could sleep through anything. I'd spent the last hour staring at her, planting kisses along her skin, and even sucking on her neck trying to wake her. She moaned but never stirred awake. "Lanie," I whispered against her ear, flicking my tongue against the lobe.

  The door opened, and Macy said, "Good Morning, Tristan." I tossed the blanket over Lanie quickly and sat up keeping myself covered. "Oh. Sorry!"

  Macy closed the door quickly with a giggle. Embarrassment crept up my face with what she would relay to MJ and Derrick. I sighed and slid on my boxer briefs and then a pair of jeans before going to greet them. I kissed Lanie's head and tried to wake her once more with no luck.

  Closing the door quietly, I stepped into the living room area where Mary Jane and Derrick glanced up at me with the same knowing smile on their faces. "Sleep well?" Mary Jane asked.

  "Locks on these doors would've made it better," I said ruffling Macy's hair.

  "Where's Lanie? Derrick's got breakfast ready which is why we sent Macy to wake you up."

  "She's a heavy sleeper. I've tried everything to wake her."

  "She must have been exhausted," Derrick said with a smirk before MJ smacked him playfully.

  "Mature, Derrick. Can we act like adults now?" I knew I'd never live this one down. They would use it against me for life.

  "What fun would that be?" Derrick asked. He tipped his head toward the kitchen, "Go grab you some breakfast. We'll save her a plate."

  Lanie stepped from the bedroom looking as beautiful as ever. Her dark auburn hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and the sweet aroma of her perfume drifted into my nose as she approached. "Good Morning," she said before giving me a kiss on the cheek.

  "I tried to wake you up."