NORTH, page 14
“And he’ll pay for them because he has his daughter in his bed.” She tossed her head back and laughed. It all was wrong.
Her laugh.
Her assumptions.
Everything.
“You are running an amazing game on Daddy dearest, North, I’ll give you that. All this time I thought you left Delta to spite me. Now I see you were trying to secure a better life at the expense of your father.”
“It’s not like that!” My voice exploded, bouncing off the surfaces in the truck’s interior. It was enough to finally render Sierra quiet for a few minutes. My lips flattened into a line as I ordered my thoughts. “The relationship I have with Kane isn’t for money. I love him. He’s the only person who never left me.”
“He left you when he divorced your mother, North or are you forgetting about that?”
“He wanted me to come with him but I refused. He was always there when I needed him though.” I flexed my fingers so I didn’t break the steering wheel in half.
“He was there when you needed him but where was he when you were hungry? I was the one who helped you. I feel like you’re letting dick blind you to who was really there.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You and me are not in the same league as Kane and me. Not even the same fucking stratosphere. You’re my best friend. He’s…”
“Your father. Look, I’m not here to judge. If you want to fuck him then fuck him. Just don’t pretend he’s the only one who never left you.”
Her pointed words dented my exterior. I drove along in silence for a while before I was calm enough to speak.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings, Sierra,” I finally said. Mending my friendship with her meant more than me trying to explain a relationship she wouldn’t understand. She didn’t need to know the depth of my love for Kane. She didn’t need to know how much he’d helped me overcome in the past year or how he proved himself when she went silent on me.
All of that would surface in due time. Right then, I just didn’t want to lose someone else I loved. Especially not if I could ease her hurt feelings with an apology.
“I know you think you’re better than me now but don’t forget who’s always had your fucking back, North.”
I remained silent until I could figure out exactly how I felt. I could never forget the way Sierra and I were there for each other when we were younger but since I moved to Telluride she’d changed. I wish I understood her anger and why it was always aimed toward me.
Our conversation was strained the rest of the ride into Delta and when I pulled up at her apartment, the energy didn’t magically rebound.
“You wanna come up?” She asked. It felt obligatory and not hospitable at all.
“No thanks. I have to head back to Telluride. I work today.” I tucked my hair behind my ear and forced a small smile. I knew it didn’t translate to my eyes though.
“Right. Of course you do. Go back home to your daddy dick,” she laughed. She tried her best to make it sound like a joke but it didn’t. “I want to come over again so come pick me up this weekend.”
“I’ll see what Kane’s schedule looks like. I don’t know if he’ll need the truck or not.”
“North, it wasn’t a suggestion. Come scoop me up this weekend. I’ll see you later.” Once she walked up the steps and disappeared into her building, frustration mounted, collecting under my skin and prickling my scalp. No matter how much I tried to be a good friend, it seemed something always pulled Sierra and me backward.
I drove home without any music because my mind was too cluttered to enjoy it. Instead, I let the sound of tires on pavement serve as my song.
When I got home everything was quiet. Not my mind though. That was on full blast. I couldn’t stop thinking about Sierra.
I’d spent most of my life trying to piece my mother back together from broken fragments she’d littered my childhood with. I’d spent countless years doing everything I could to make things right. I just wanted a mother but I never got one. Not in the sense that most kids have one.
I did have a best friend though. Sierra had been my rock through most of the bullshit thrown at me. The blatant anger and bitterness she kept spewing at me left me feeling hurt and confused. It reminded me so much of how I felt trying to pick up Mom’s pieces only to have her turn on me.
Anger bubbled in my gut. Hot and unforgiving. I wanted my friend back, not this angry person in her place. Not the person who’d sink fangs into my white flag rather than accept it.
Shit, at this point I didn’t even know what I was waving a white flag for. I only knew if it made her happy and if it made things the way they were between us, I’d keep waving it.
I got dressed for work then drove over to the gallery so Kane could have the truck. I always took the gondola to work and back into Telluride.
I walked in and breathed in the smell of paint then smiled at the laughter coming from Elijah and Kane. They were the perfect cure for my hurt feelings. Both men greeted me with wide smiles when they saw me. Kane walked over with outstretched arms and pulled me into him. He knew I fed off his proximity and thrived on his warmth.
“Did Sierra get home okay?” He asked before kissing the top of my head.
“Yeah, she did.” I folded my arms across my middle and stared at nothing in particular.
“Uh-oh, what happened?” Kane asked, sitting in the chair beside Elijah. I shrugged leaning against the counter. I didn’t know how to explain the way the drive to Delta made me feel. I also didn’t want to hear Kane’s speech about how he didn’t have a good feeling about Sierra.
“Nothing. I’m still trying to figure out why she’s always so angry.”
“She’s angry because she hates to see you happy, North,” Elijah said.
“Bingo,” Kane put his index finger in the air and looked at me. “I know I sound like a broken record but unless she can bring you down to a place where she feels above you, she’s not going to be happy.” His words burned like holy water in the hands of a non-believer. I cast my stare down at the counter, studying the grain of granite.
“I’m trying to be patient. Sierra needs someone to understand her. I’m trying to be with her through whatever this is.”
“There’s no being patient through this. I’m not going to talk a hole in your head though, baby girl,” Elijah said. “You know I got love for you. If you need to talk, I’m here.”
The fact that Elijah was sincere burned even more. I started wondering if they were right. Maybe I was pouring too much into Sierra. The way she reacted to finding out about my relationship and the things she said before she went home had me bubbling over with resentment and annoyance.
I traced a swirl of sparkly black on the countertop and sighed. “I think I’m gonna go to work early. I’ll take to you guys later. E, are you and Mel coming over for dinner? I’ll make scones for dessert.” I flashed him a smile hoping to make the energy between us lighter. I adored Elijah and I was head over heels for Kane. I didn’t want either of them to think I wasn’t taking their advice into account. They just didn’t know how much my friendship with Sierra meant.
Maybe she didn’t know how much it meant either.
“I’ll be there. You said my favorite word, scones.”
“I thought your favorite word was mocha,” I teased.
“Second favorite word.”
“Noted,” I laughed. “I’ll see you guys later.”
“Don’t stress over this shit with your friend, North. I know you. Your mind is going to be wrapped up all day.” Kane did know me well. I was going to stress and it was going to make the day drag on. I locked eyes with him for a bit before promising him I wouldn’t spend all day worried about Sierra.
I couldn’t clock in when I got to work early because there was no way they’d give me overtime. I didn’t have anyone to talk to because I kept to myself so much. I knew people well enough to strike up a conversation but not enough to hang out with them for a couple of hours.
All the more reason for me to patch things up with Sierra.
“Hey, North,” a familiar voice tugged me out of my own thoughts. I’d been sitting at a table in the corner mindlessly scrolling on my phone until it was time for me to clock in.
“Hey, Mel. What are you doing here?” We hugged and I invited her to sit with me.
“I came in to grab a cup of coffee. I’m kind of off today but I’m still going over case notes. Why are you here so early?”
“I had some things on my mind so I came to sit with my thoughts,” I told her with a one-shouldered shrug.
“Anything you wanna talk about? I know we didn’t get along that much at first.” She looked down at her clasped hands then into my eyes with an apologetic smile. “Doesn’t mean I haven’t grown and learned.” Melanie was right. Since she got with Elijah and stopped trying to fuck Kane around every corner, she was actually cool.
Elijah must have had something special with him to make her calm down.
“It’s cool, Mel. I’m trying to crawl inside someone’s head and that’s never an easy thing.”
“It’s never a smart thing, North. If someone isn’t forthcoming with information about how they feel then they don’t want you to know.”
My knee bounced under the table as I chewed on my bottom lip. “How am I supposed to help the friendship if the person won’t tell me what’s wrong? I twirled a lock of red hair around my pointer finger and looked to Mel for advice.
I was sorely lacking a female influence in my life and so far Melanie was the only woman I felt remotely comfortable with. I craved sisterhood the same way I craved love.
She rubbed the back of my hand and smiled softly. Her kindness drew me in even more. I relaxed my shoulders and waited to hear what she had to say.
“You can’t help everyone, North. If you know you’ve done everything in your power to make things work but the other person still won’t budge…maybe it’s time to walk away.” With a short exhale she stood to her feet. “I’m gonna grab a latte. You want anything?”
“I’ll use my discount,” I chirped. We walked to the counter together and ordered venti lattes, my treat. When we sat down, Mel pierced me with her gray eyes.
“I know you said to walk away if the other person won’t budge but I’d hate to throw so much time away.” The thought of no longer calling Sierra my best friend choked me. I swallowed a gulp of my hot latte and toyed with the cardboard sleeve on the cup.
“Listen, North one of the best lessons I ever learned was; don’t cling to a mistake because you spent a lot of time making it.” Those words struck something. The realization washed over me in ripples, splitting me in two.
One side of me understood I couldn’t cling to Sierra just because we’d been friends since fourth grade. The other part of me needed a little more time to fix our broken bond.
“You’re right,” I said after another sip. “I think I need more time. I want to give it one more try.” I heard myself and I hated how needy I sounded. What was wrong with wanting to save a good friendship though?
“Take whatever time you need but don’t force a friendship.”
“I’m guessing you can tell this is about Sierra.” There was no use trying to hide it and the longer I was around Mel the more I trusted her.
“Yeah, I had a hunch. To be honest, she was pretty bitchy towards you last night. If she’s like that in front of people then I can’t imagine how she treats you when you’re alone.” Her eyes flashed sympathy and it drove home another wave of realization.
I had some serious reflecting to do, which meant the workday would crawl by.
…
CHAPTER 14
“Honey, I’m home,” I chuckled. Coming home to North was always the best part of my day. I walked into the kitchen and paused to stare at her. Long red hair swept her lower back, drawing my eyes to her perfect ass. My hands were on her in an instant.
“You’re so corny,” she giggled while I kissed her neck.
Last night when we crossed the line, I thought I’d feel more regret. I thought shame would eat me alive.
I only felt relief.
Something was broken in my head for loving her the way I did. I raised North. I was married to her mother for years. We were in uncharted territory though. She wasn’t the little girl I raised.
“Corny huh?” I bit her shoulder then spun her around to face me. “Was I corny last night when you were full of my dick?” I slapped her ass and she roared with laughter. Her tongue was painted red from the cherry lollipop in her mouth.
“No, you weren’t corny last night.” The twinkle in her eyes tugged on my heart and stiffened my cock. I could tell something was on her mind though so as much as I wanted to bend her over the counter and own her with my dick, I pulled back.
“Hey, Shortcake, what’s on your mind?” I sat down and pulled her onto my lap.
“You can tell something is on my mind just from looking at me?”
“And kissing you,” I said tipping her chin up and kissing her lips. They were cherry sweet “So what’s up?” I poked her stomach and waited for her to tell me.
“I told Sierra about us when I drove her home this morning.” Her voice was quiet but it set my ears on fire.
“You told her?”
“She’s my best friend, Kane I was trying to be open with her but…”
“She’s not your fucking best friend, North. She’s malicious.” I couldn’t be too pissed at her but I didn’t trust Sierra as far as I could throw her conniving ass.
“I know I need to stop trusting her so blindly and reevaluate our friendship. Now I regret telling her about us because she was so fucking negative.” Her arched ginger brows bunched together and her plump pink lips fell into a frown. “You’re pissed aren’t you?” Her throat dipped and she nibbled on her lip.
I freed her bottom lip from her teeth and slid my thumb across slowly before tugging on the lollipop stick. “No, Shortcake, I’m not mad. I can’t be mad at you because I told Elijah about us a while ago.” Her eyes went wide and she punched my shoulder with as much force as she could muster.
“You told E about us? Oh my god!”
“He hasn’t let on all this time so it’s not a big deal,” I laughed, rubbing my shoulder. North packed a damn punch.
“Does Melanie know too?”
“Nah, he hasn’t told her yet. My point is, I’m not mad at you. You used your judgment. I don’t trust Sierra though and that’s never going to change. I want you to be careful around her.”
“Okay, Dad.” She rolled her eyes and tried to stand up in a huff.
“What did I tell you about that shit, North?” I watched the beautiful flush of her cheeks then tracked it with hungry eyes as it crept toward her throat.
“I can only call you that when you’re inside me.”
“Exactly.” I spread her thighs, slipped under her tiny track shorts, and pushed her panties to the side. She was already slick for me. “You’re being such a bad Shortcake.” I squeezed her clit with enough pressure to make her yelp. It turned my dick to steel.
“Hop up there on the table for me,” I instructed.
I did my dick a favor and freed it from my pants, shoving them down my legs and kicking them to the side. I needed to stroke my cock while I watched my sweet girl.
“Take your shirt off. I want to see those pretty tits.” With the cherry lollipop tucked in her cheek, she pulled the stretchy black shirt over her head and her full breasts bounced out. Pink nipples stared at me, beckoning to my hungry mouth. “Shorts too,” I grumbled, wetting my lips with my tongue. “Leave the panties.” They were yellow and white with tiny pineapples all over them. They were incredibly sexy to be so damn simple.
“You want me to leave my panties on, Daddy?” She batted those long lashes at me and I groaned at how fucking beautiful she was.
“Yes, Shortcake. I want to see how soaking wet I can make them before I peel them off.” Goosebumps covered her porcelain skin at my words. “Now take that sticky sweet lollipop and roll it over your stiff nipples. I want you to make them sweet for me while I eat your pussy.” I knelt in front of her and pressed my nose to the already wet fabric between her legs. I needed to smell her like a rose. Her scent blossomed as I breathed in deep.
When I glanced up at her, I saw she was doing as I asked, rubbing the Dum-Dum pop over her nipples one at a time until they were cherry-red and shiny with sugar. “Such a good girl,” I grumbled against her pussy. I teased her stiff clit with the tip of my nose and she gasped at the jolt.
I couldn’t contain my hunger anymore. I tugged her panties to the side and sucked on her pussy until my name poured from her pouty lips. She was so fucking wet I thought I would drown between her thighs and die a happy man.
When I finally pulled away, her thighs were quivering and sweat dotted her brow. Droplets of her clung to my beard and chin. I stared at her pussy like was an original work of art. It was bright pink and swollen from the hungry way I sucked and bit on her.
“You are so perfect, North.” I stood and kissed her, letting her tongue explore all the delicious flavors she held between her legs mixed with the cherry lollipop dissolving in her mouth. While she sucked on my tongue, I pushed two fingers inside her pussy. Nice and slow. I curled my fingers upward and stroked her g-spot until I felt her grip my fingers between her walls. She panted against my mouth pulling a devilish grin from me.
“Kane, please fuck me,” she begged. “I need to feel you inside of me.
“I love how fucking horny you sound right now.” I kept working her pussy until her eyes squeezed shut and an orgasm dripped from her. “Look at the mess you made all over my fingers.” I held up my hand so she could watch me lick my fingers clean. “I want you to make another mess on my dick.”
She nodded quickly then braced the heels of her feet on the edge of the table, granting me full access to her pussy. I grabbed hold of her hips and sank my cock inside her. North’s body was going to take some getting used to. She was so damn hot and tight. I was ready to explode within minutes. It was the same way last night.
