Where I Belong

My phone beeps on my nightstand and I grab it with my free hand, taking the other off my dick. It’s a good thing, actually. I’m about to rub myself raw if I don’t get a f*cking grip. Other than the one I’ve had for the last hour.

Luke: Everyone’s going down to Rocky Point today. You in?

Luke is my best friend and has been since we met in the Academy. I’d usually be all for going to Rocky Point for the day with him. But I’m exhausted from another sleepless night of sexual activity, this time self-inflicted.

Me: Pass. I’m f*cking exhausted.

Luke: Are you sure? I hear there’s some hot piece of ass staying with your sister and they’ll both be there. You know anything about that?

F*ck sleep.

Me: I’ll meet you there. And don’t call her that again.

Well, my mind is made up now. It really didn’t take much persuasion on Luke’s part. Or any at all. Where Mia goes, I’m going. I hop out of bed and begin rummaging through my drawers for my swim trunks. I don’t care that she most likely won’t want me there. I am f*cking going.

My phone beeps again as I’m walking out the door to my truck.

Tessa: I must be delusional for giving you this information, or maybe I just have a soft spot for my big brother. We’re headed to Rocky Point today, and I think you should be there. I don’t think she’ll hate you forever, Ben. But if you make her cry, I’ll feed your dick to the gators.

Me: I’m already on my way. Don’t tell her I’m coming.

Tessa: Do you think I have a death wish?

She can’t hate me forever. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving myself to her if I have to. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’ve done things that I regret. But what Mia and I shared two nights ago wasn’t one of them. I just need to somehow make her see that for herself.

**

I didn’t see Tessa or Mia’s car when I parked in the grass at Rocky Point. And I was happy about that. I wanted to beat them here, that way Mia didn’t get to do anything without me. Even though I probably didn’t deserve it, I wanted all of her time. I was a greedy bastard when it came to her and I wasn’t ashamed of it. I wanted everything. Every smile, every orgasm, every f*cking noise that came out of that pretty mouth. And I’d need as much time as she’d give me if I was going to make up for being such a shit to her when we were younger. She wasn’t going to let go of all the hate she had stored up for me easily. That hate ran deep.

Luke is seated at a picnic table with Reed, a friend of Tessa’s. I walk over to them, throwing my stuff down on the bench and keeping my eyes out for a familiar vehicle.

“Why do you have two towels, man?” Luke asks as he searches through my stuff. “Oh wait, does this have anything to do with that hot piece of ass?”

I pick up my towels and move them out of his reach. “What the f*ck did I say about calling her that? Her name’s Mia, and that’s what you’ll call her. Nothing else. Got it?”

He holds his hand up, leaning away from me. “Sorry. Jesus.”

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I need to calm the hell down. I’ve never felt this anxious about seeing someone before. And for f*ck’s sake, I just saw her yesterday. I scan the line of cars that head down the dirt path. No sign of them yet.

“This is the girl that used to live here, right?” Reed asks, moving to stand off the bench.

“Yeah,” I reply, not prying my eyes from the vehicles. “She moved to Georgia a while back and is here for the summer.” I still can’t believe it myself. This is the same girl that used to have sleepovers every weekend at my house with Tessa. I’d f*cking kill for a sleepover with her now. A red jeep comes up over the small hill, and I suddenly find it difficult to take in a deep breath. “I’ll be right back,” I choke out with a shaky voice. Get it the f*ck together, Kelly.

“F*ck that. I’m coming with you,” Luke states, getting to his feet.

We both walk toward the jeep as it pulls in between two other cars. As soon as Mia locks on to me through the windshield, her jaw drops open and those chocolate brown eyes widen. I can see her hands tightening on the wheel as she leans over, saying something to Tessa with a tight jaw.

“She looks thrilled to see you.” Luke laughs before walking over to Tessa’s door.

I ignore him and the look Mia is giving me and open her door for her. “Hey. I’m really glad you came.” I feel calmer now but my heart is still beating like I’ve just taken a shot of adrenaline. She is in a tank top, her bikini straps poking out, and tiny white shorts barely cover those legs that I want to be buried between. I pry my eyes off her lap to give her a smile.

“Someone failed to mention that you’d be here.” She ignores the hand I hold out for her and steps out of her jeep, pulling the seat back to get her bag. I close the door and move to walk next to her.

“I warned you of my persistence. This just proves that I’m a man of my word. If I find out you’re going to be somewhere, there’s a pretty damn good possibility that I’m going to show up.” She tries to ignore my comment, but I don’t miss the way her cheeks flush at my vow. That has to mean something. Her mind and its memories of the guy I used to be might hate me, but her body doesn’t seem to. I take the duffle bag off her shoulder without a fight, slipping it on my arm. “I brought you a towel in case you needed one.”

She stops in her tracks, causing me to double back. “I don’t need you to do things for me, Ben. I don’t need you bringing me towels and carrying my bags.” She reaches for her bag but I step back. F*ck that. I’m carrying her bag. “Fine. Whatever. But just know that this nice act doesn’t wipe out all the shitty things you’ve done to me.” She steps closer, brushing her body against mine. I freeze, completely unprepared for this type of contact from her. She tilts her head up and looks into my eyes while I use every ounce of strength in me to keep myself from getting hard. “That shit is still very raw. And no amount of bag carrying is going to make me forget it.” I watch her ass as she walks away, realizing now that I’m going to need to step up my game to knock down the walls she’s building up around her. Which is fine. I’m all for a challenge. Especially one where getting close to Mia is the reward.

By the time I reach the rest of the group, Mia is talking to Reed while Luke and Tessa dive into the dam. I place her bag on the bench, bunching up the beach towel I brought for her and stuffing it into her duffle. I walk up to the two of them, drifting in on their conversation and not giving a shit if I’m interrupting anything.

“You wanna get in the water with me, Mia?” I ask, pulling off my T-shirt and tossing it onto the bench. I don’t miss the way her eyes run down my body, and mine do the same to hers once she pulls off her top and slides down her shorts. Christ, she is breathtaking. Her long dark hair and the way it frames the delicate features of her face. That face that I can’t get out of my head. Deep brown eyes and full lips that’ll form a knock you on your ass smile if you’re lucky to see it. The curve of her breasts. Her tiny waist that leads to those hips that sway with each step she takes. Her perky ass and those never ending toned legs that I want wrapped around me at all times. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful before.

She glances from Reed to me, not taking nearly as long to look at Reed as he shrugs off his shirt. “I want to get in the water,” she replies curtly. She leaves off the ‘with me’ part, but that’s fine. I watch as she dives into the dam and I don’t take long to jump in after her.