Chapter Twenty-Two
Mateo
Teague is laughing at something her dad said. Her smile reaches somewhere in another dimension, making it impossible not to smile with her. She’s fucking gorgeous, and I’m in serious jeopardy of screwing two things up—my relationship with her and my job.
I know how to read women. Know what they’re thinking and know how to anticipate their next move. I’ve learned what makes them want to rip their clothes off and pose spread-eagled and what makes them keep their legs tightly crossed. I’m an expert at reading their signals. I know when it’s just sex and when it’s something more.
Or at least I used to know all that shit. With Teague, I’m completely off my game. I can’t trust my instincts. Have no clue if I’m reading into things that aren’t there because I want them to be or because they truly are. Both are problematic. But it’s the stolen glances and brief touches over the past three days, not to mention the nights with her snuggled in my arms to sleep, that have got me to my breaking point.
Yet I’m still here.
We’re sitting at the kitchen table in her parents’ house, eating breakfast. The best egg-white omelet I’ve ever eaten.
Her dad came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon. They put a stent in, no problem, and from the looks of him he’s not feeling any lingering discomfort. He starts cardiac rehabilitation next week.
When Teague first introduced us, he shook my hand like a man who embraces others without question. And like a father who trusts his daughter’s judgment.
What the hell happened to me being the guy fathers warned their daughters about?
I thought about telling Teague I was taking off today. She’s got her dad home, her family around her. Friends have called and stopped by with food. But I can’t bring myself to say the words. I don’t want to leave her. Don’t want to leave this. This simple sitting around and seeing her happy.
She does something to me that makes me happy.
“Your father and I have a date with the couch and Netflix, so why don’t you take Mateo out and do something fun today?” Paula says to Teague. “He should see more than the inside of a hospital while he’s here.”
Teague turns her head to look at me. “Want to see my hometown?”
Definitely not leaving now. “Absolutely.”
“Okay. I have an idea.”
Her idea is bike riding. We grab a couple bikes out of her garage, and she leads me around Cascade. It’s sunny but cool outside, so perfect for getting some exercise and seeing the sights.
We ride around her neighborhood, by the beach, and through the quaint downtown area. Every time we pass someone he or she shouts “hello” and waves to Teague. It’s clear she’s well liked, and I’m glad I’ve gotten to see her here. She slows to a stop outside Crem’s Bakery, hops off her bike, and leans it against a light post.
“Wait here,” she says. “I’ll be right back.”
I watch her walk away. Her black leggings do great things to her ass. As soon as the door closes behind her I get a text. I pull my phone out of my pocket. It’s my mom—yet again—asking me to call her. She’s pissed I’m in Oregon with her employee and she wants to know what the hell is going on with Teague and me. I text back a quick, Everything is good here. Will be home Sunday. I’ll tell Teague you asked about her.
Another text comes through the second I hit send. This one is from Trina. Need you here tomorrow morning for a meeting with the GM and program director. 10 a.m. Thx.
Shit. I stare at the text with a mix of excitement and dread.
“Hey,” Teague says, bouncing out of the bakery. I love the natural spring in her step when she’s especially happy. She’s returned with a backpack that she slips onto her back. “Everything all right?” She smiles up at me and yup, everything is more than all right when she’s smiling at me.
“Yeah.” I tuck my phone away, not sure how to respond yet. “Can I carry that backpack for you?”
“It’s okay. I’ve got it. Come on.” She climbs onto her bike and takes off toward the mountains. We hit a dirt trail and start climbing. The air is clean, restorative. Green vegetation surrounds us. When she slows, I pass her.
“You’re not getting tired are you, Knox?” I tease.
“Nope. Thought you’d like to lead is all.”
“So you can check out my ass, right?” I stand as I pedal to give her a better view.
She laughs. “You’re incorrigible.”
A few more hundred feet and the deserted trail evens out and widens, so I slow until she’s beside me. Her cheeks are slightly pink, her ponytail windblown. She steers us toward a bluff that overlooks the ocean.
“Tomorrow is my mom’s birthday, and my whole family is coming to the house for dinner. She hates making a big deal of it, but we feel like really celebrating this year because for the first time in a while we’re all here. I was hoping you’d help me do some decorating and shopping.”
“Tomorrow, huh?”
She glances over at me. “You know what? Never mind. Erin and I can handle it.”
Shit. My tone must have shared my uncertainty. I’m not sure how to answer her yet, so I don’t. I can’t tell her I’ve got an important meeting at the radio station and might have to leave tonight if I don’t reschedule it. But also, I’m not sure spending more time with her family is a good idea.
We hop off the bikes to take in the amazing view, then she unzips the backpack. She pulls out a blanket, lays it on the ground, and sits. I join her.
“Thanks for being here with me,” she says. “This isn’t near enough of a thank-you, but it’s one of my favorite things, so I wanted to share it with you.” She pulls out a plastic take-out container with a cupcake inside it. She flips open the top and presents it to me. “It’s chocolate-banana and only has eight thousand grams of sugar in it,” she deadpans.
She’s fighting a smile. Fighting it, fighting it, fails. Busts out with laughter. “It really is my favorite. I got one, too.” She pulls out a second cupcake. “And don’t worry, I got us something to wash it down with.”
Two Yoo-hoo chocolate drinks. “You love these, right?” she asks.
I love that she’s joking around with me. After the seriousness of the past few days, this is a welcome change. And thank fuck she’s not getting sentimental with her thanks. I’m not sure I’d be able to handle that. I didn’t do any of this for her gratitude. I did it because I physically and mentally couldn’t not do it.
“How’d you know?” I say.
“Lucky guess.”
I’m feeling damn lucky right now. She takes a bite of her cupcake while I take a bite of mine.
“It’s yummy, right?” She’s got a bit of chocolate frosting on her top lip, so I put my cupcake down, put hers down, and get on testing that theory. I can’t fucking help myself. Not when she’s this close, and her scent is all I can smell.
“What are you—?”
I stop her question with a kiss. I’ve been a good boy while here, and I can’t last another second without tasting her. Her lips meld to mine seamlessly, and she kisses me back without hesitation. So I deepen the kiss, slip my tongue inside her mouth. She purrs her approval, wraps her arms around my neck.
I snake my arm around her middle to guide her to her back and angle my body so I can run the fingers of my free hand over her torso. Her breath hitches when I lightly graze my thumb over her stiff nipple.
I’m completely taken with this girl. Her kiss. Her body. Her humor, intelligence, and genuine sweetness. She’s the kind of air I want to breathe in every single day.
The thought makes me pull back. Things have already gone way too far. I don’t spend so much time with one girl.
Her eyes slowly open to meet mine. “I like the way you say thank you,” she says, breathless.
Her bringing me home with her, while not her idea at first, means more than I thought it would. More than I’m ready to handle.
I help her sit up before I show her how big and hard my thanks is. We’re alone up here, and I’m tempted to do more than kiss her. “Is that…is that a wishing well?” I ask, noticing the round stone well for the first time.
Teague turns. “That’s Cascade’s famous wishing well.”
“It grants wishes?” I joke.
She picks up her cupcake, darts her tongue out to lick a bit of frosting off the top. She’s killing me. “It does. Half the time, anyway. ”
I chuckle. “Explain.”
“The tradition goes that the guardian of the well grants wishes if the wisher pays a price.”
“Throws a penny in?” I take a bite of my cupcake. It’s really good. Not too sweet.
“If you want to have your wish come true, it’s got to be at least a quarter. Hence the ‘half the time’ speculation. Both my sisters wished on it with four quarters to up their chances, and their wishes were granted.”
“Have you ever tried it?”
She shakes her head. “No.”
I stand up and give her my hand. “Come on. Let’s go make a wish.”
“You want to try it?” She puts her small, warm hand in mine. I hold it and lead her to the well.
“Sure.”
“Do you have any quarters?”
“Shit.” I’ve got my wallet in my shorts pocket, though. “Can we toss in a dollar bill?”
“I don’t think the well will toss it back,” she says cutely.
I grin. “Excellent.” I grab a dollar for each of us. “Ladies first.”
She folds the bill neatly into a square, holds her arm over the opening of the well, and closes her eyes. Her wish must be big, because she holds still for several seconds. I’m fascinated by her, stuck on the softness of her slightly parted lips, the way her lashes meet the curve of her cheek.
I want her right up against this wishing well.
The second her eyes open, I drop my bill inside the well, not bothering with a wish. Because what could be better than having this incredible girl look over at me like maybe I’m what she wished for.
Without thinking, I take her face in my hands and kiss her. It’s not until we reach the point of needing to catch our breath that we separate. Then things take a turn I didn’t see coming.
Teague slips her hand underneath the elastic of my basketball shorts and dips inside my boxer briefs. She curls her fingers around my cock. And boom. I’m hard as fucking steel, and a few more strokes from her will see me embarrassing myself.
“I want you inside me,” she murmurs.
I look around. We’re still alone. If I place her right, the wishing well will block us from the waist down to anyone who comes up the trail. “Here?”
“Yes.” Her eyes glitter with challenge.
Am I going to stop this?
Hell no. Instead of questioning whether or not this is a good idea, I let my mind go blank. This thing with Teague and me is headed toward disaster. I know that at the end of this road there isn’t anything good, but I still want to travel all the way down it.
“Turn around,” I tell her. She quickly complies.
I scoot her a little to the right, then tug down her leggings and underwear. The cotton material doesn’t have a lot of stretch, so I can’t spread her legs as far apart as I’d like, but it’s good enough.
She hisses out a breath when I reach between her thighs and slide my hand along her pussy. “Jesus,” I mutter. She’s so damn wet. Swollen. “You really want this.” She likes being outside. Likes the possibility of being caught.
This makes my cock swell further. I like it, too.
I bury my face in the crook of her neck, suck and nibble the delicate skin, work my way to her earlobe. I lightly bite it before I whisper, “Hold on to the stone.”
Her hands grip the edge of the well. She grinds against my palm. “You’re so unbelievably sexy,” I add before pushing two fingers inside her. The way she grips my fingers is so fucking hot I’m about to lose my fucking mind. I’m desperate to get my cock inside her.
Patience, Gallagher.
I cup her jaw with my free hand and tilt her head up, giving me access to the fine, sensitive skin underneath her chin. I kiss her tenderly. Relish the way she’s completely surrendered to my touch.
I work her with my fingers until she pants my name. Then I slowly withdraw, grab the condom out of my wallet, roll it on, and drive inside her.
It’s fucking bliss. She’s so tight but smooth as silk, and for those first few moments, my eyes roll to the back of my head.
“Faster,” she moans.
I grip her hips and quicken my thrusts. My balls slap against her skin. Outside, where anyone can discover us, I pound into her. I want this to last. I don’t want this to last. My orgasm is barreling down on me and I need Teague to come first.
Trying to keep myself in check, I reach around her and rub circles over her clit. Her legs start to shake. Her moans grow louder. She lifts up on her tiptoes. I pull back, push in, pull back, and push in one last time.
We go over the edge together. We’re flying, we’re falling, we’re touching down.
Teague’s neck glistens with perspiration. My back is slick with sweat. I keep us connected through every tremor until we’re completely still. I withdraw slowly, right Teague’s clothing, and gently turn her around.
She watches me get rid of the condom and pull my clothes back into place.
I trap her between my arms against the wishing well and kiss her. “I bet no one’s done that here before.”
Her smile is priceless. “Probably not. God, that felt good. I love having sex with you.”
I’m about to say, “You feel better than good, Knox” but the words get stuck on the tip of my tongue. Thankfully, the harsh reality of our situation hits me not a moment too soon. It hits like a knockout punch, actually, and I take a step back. She’s not supposed to love anything about us. The L-word isn’t allowed. It means I’ve far exceeded my dating parameters.
Like you didn’t know that a long time ago, you asshole.
Fuuuckkk.
I knew Teague was the kind of girl who felt things deeply. And not to sound smug, but I knew she’d get attached. And I let it happen. I let it happen because I wanted to be selfish with her. I ignored the signs because I liked her reaction to me. I didn’t walk away because I lov—liked the attention and how she filled my heart in a way it never had been filled before.
“Bike ride again tomorrow?” she asks, the innuendo adorable and sexy but slightly strained. She hasn’t taken her eyes off me. She’s gauging my reaction to her comment, and the more seconds that tick by, the more she regrets saying it. The more the sudden tension grows between us. “Or not. It’s not a big deal.”
“I wish I could, but I have to fly home today. That text earlier was from work. I’ve got to be at an important meeting in the morning.” Not a lie, but it fucking feels like one.
“Oh.” The after-sex glow painting her face and sparkling in her eyes instantly vanishes.
My chest takes another punch. I realize my colossal mistake too late. I was just buried deep inside her and now two minutes later I tell her I’m leaving. Like what just happened between us doesn’t matter. It’s not like that. Not at all. But I can’t explain. I can’t tell her how a meeting with the radio station executives is a big fucking deal and could mean bigger and better things for my career.
My timing here sucks.
“Okay. We should hurry back then so you can make your flight reservation.” She keeps her distance as she steps around me. “I hope you don’t mind calling an Uber for a ride to the airport. Erin invited us—me—to a thing on the beach later.”
“I don’t mind.”
She picks up our cupcakes and tosses them in the trash. Haphazardly folds the blanket and stuffs it in the backpack.
“And Mateo?” she says, straddling the bike. She takes a deep breath and grips the handlebars like she needs them to keep her steady. “I didn’t mean to put any pressure on you or make you feel like I wanted a commitment from you or anything. You could have just told me you were ready to go home instead of making up an excuse.”
“I didn’t make it up.”
“Right. Soccer meetings are super important.”
I put my hand on her arm to halt her riding off. I hate that she thinks I’m lying, even though I am withholding certain information. “This meeting is.” She shakes free of my hold, and it hits me that maybe this is for the best. She’s giving me an out. The truth is I can’t commit to her and keep my job. “And while I admit my timing sucks, we both knew this couldn’t go anywhere. I was clear about that from the start.”
“You have a funny way of showing indifference.”
“Knox.”
“Please don’t call me that anymore. After today, please don’t call me ever again. I need to stay away from you, Mateo. It hurts too much otherwise.”
She pedals away.
I’m the biggest fucking douche on the planet right now. The embarrassed look on Teague’s face and her unsteady voice feel like cuts to my heart. Her feelings mean more to me than she’ll ever know, and I stomped on them.
I follow her home. Pack my stuff. Say good-bye to her parents. Wish her father well. And leave.
Teague hates me right now. But not more than I hate myself.