When Two Becomes One Read online

  When we finally reached the lake, I stretched out my back. “Geez, that took forever.”

  “Someone’s out of shape,” Axel said.

  “At least I don’t sound like a girl,” I mumbled under my breath.

  Hawke shot me a smile.

  “Damn, I’m never going to live that down.” Axel approached the dock where our small boat bobbed. “Let’s do this.”

  “You’ll catch more fish near the shore,” I said.

  “How do you figure?” Axel asked.

  “Because there’re tons of boats in the middle of the lake. Fish will go to the coolest and least populated area.” Dad taught us this a long time ago. Axel never remembered anything.

  Axel didn’t seem convinced. “Or maybe we should get in a boat because everyone else is doing it.”

  “There’s a pipe just around the lake where the freshwater comes in. I’m telling you, that’s where they’ll be.”

  Axel still seemed unsure.

  “You know a lot about fishing.” Hawke said it like it wasn’t a question or a statement.

  “I was a tomboy growing up,” I answered.

  Hawke nodded but said nothing else.

  “I’m sticking with the boat,” Axel finally said. “And I’m not letting you go off by yourself so get in here.”

  “Let me?” That was one of my biggest pet peeves. I refused to be bossed around—by anyone. “You don’t let me do anything. I’ll go wherever I damn well please.”

  Hawke didn’t react overtly, but there was a look of approval in his eyes.

  Axel rolled his eyes. “We’re going to be in the boat so wouldn’t it make more sense for you to join us?” He backpedaled because he knew I was a loose cannon when it came to stuff like this. I would take off and head back to the house by myself if he pissed me off enough. “Come on. It’ll be more fun this way.” He stared at me and waited for an answer.

  I put my hands on my hips.

  Hawke intervened. “Don’t leave me alone with him. He’ll start singing—and you know what that means.”

  Axel gave him a murderous look.

  “Fine. I’ll come along.” I walked down the dock and approached the boat.

  Axel breathed a sigh of relief then climbed on.

  Hawke stayed behind and offered his hand to help me on board.

  “No, thanks.” I hopped into the boat without any problems and sat down.

  Hawke stared at me with an unreadable expression. Then he climbed on and sat in the row behind me.

  “Alright.” Axel grabbed both oars. “Off we go.”

  ***

  By late morning, I’d caught the most fish—by far. My brother barely caught one. Hawke did better by catching three, which was impressive since he hadn’t fished in ten years.

  “It’s your poles,” Axel said. “They’re better.”

  “And the fish can tell?” I said sarcastically.

  Axel splashed water on me.

  “Gross.” I splashed him back.

  Hawke remained in the back and looked across the lake with a peaceful expression on his face.

  “Knock it off,” I said as I shielded my face. “You’re going to tip the boat.”

  “Not when your fat ass is sitting in it,” Axel snapped.

  “My ass is beautiful!” I splashed him a final time.

  The boat reached the dock and Hawke jumped out. “You guys keep acting like toddlers. I’ll wait here.”

  Axel held up his hands. “Truce?”

  “You owe my ass an apology,” I said.

  “How about a kick?” Axel asked.

  I smacked him playfully with the oar then climbed onto the dock without taking Hawke’s extended hand.

  Hawke leaned toward me while Axel tried to climb out of the boat. “You really do have a beautiful ass.” He gave me a playful wink before he turned back to Axel.

  I walked past him so he couldn’t see my reddened cheeks. I tried to brush off the compliment, but since it came from Hawke, it hit me in a sensitive spot.

  Axel got out of the boat then grabbed all his gear. We had more to carry back than we did on the way up. At least the hike would only be thirty minutes or so.

  We headed back, and Axel took the lead like usual. This time, I walked behind him with Hawke behind me. I wondered if he was staring at my ass just the way I was staring at his not too long ago.

  Halfway into the hike, Axel looked at me over his shoulder. “Frankie, come here.”

  I didn’t like taking orders, but I did as he asked just in case it was something important. I sped up my pace until I was at his side. “What’s up?”

  “Have fun today?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Just curious.” He glanced at Hawke over his shoulder then turned back to me. “What do you think of him?”

  What kind of question was that? “He’s nice…”

  “You aren’t into him, right?”

  Why was he asking? Was I making it that obvious? “No.”

  “Good.” He looked relieved. “Then I don’t have anything to worry about.”

  What? “Anything to worry about?”

  “Well, I know you had a thing with my friend Michael.”

  “Like a million years ago. And what does that have to do with Hawke?”

  “Well, Michael is a good guy. Hawke…not so much.”

  My heart slammed hard in my chest, and I felt light-headed. Hawke made a similar statement, and now my brother was agreeing with him. What did that mean? “He’s not a good guy? I don’t understand. Why are you friends with him then?”

  “Well, he’s a great person. He’s one of my closest friends. But he’s not the kind of guy you want to date your sister. You catch my drift?”

  “Does it look like I catch your drift?” I snapped.

  He glanced over his shoulder again to make sure Hawke couldn’t eavesdrop. “He’s a player. He doesn’t do the girlfriend thing. He’s…you know what I mean. I thought I detected some kind of…I don’t know…connection between you two. I just didn’t want you to waste your time with him. I know I tease you a lot, but I don’t want you to get hurt. You’ve been through enough as it is.”

  He’s a player? He doesn’t do the girlfriend thing?

  “I just wanted to give you a heads up. You know I don’t stick my nose in your business but…I thought I should say something. All the girls like him so I’m sure you think he’s cute or whatever.”

  My heart fell into my stomach. “Well…thanks.”

  Axel didn’t detect the disappointment in my voice.

  Now everything made more sense. I was looking for something serious—eventually—and he was looking for something fun that would never go anywhere. That was why he didn’t sleep with me. He thought I wanted a meaningless fling when I asked him out and kissed him in front of his truck, and I honestly couldn’t blame him. But when I made the comment about breakfast and wanting to take things slow, he must have understood I wanted something more than a single night. He could have accepted my invitation to come inside and then blew me off the following morning after he got what he wanted, but he didn’t.

  So how could I possibly hate him?

  A Night Out

  Hawke

  Axel knocked before he came into my bedroom. “You busy?”

  “No.” I locked the screen to my phone and shoved it into my pocket. “What’s up?”

  “Want to go out tonight?”

  “Go out where?” Last time I checked, we were in the middle of nowhere.

  “There’re a few bars in town. And Thanksgiving weekend is the best time to pick up girls. They’re depressed about being alone and crap.”

  Francesca’s face immediately came into my mind even though I wasn’t sure why. “Maybe we should stay here so you can spend time with your family.”

  “We would leave late after dinner. Yaya will be asleep and so will Francesca.”

  It still didn’t feel right.

  “And there’re cheap motels ne
arby so we can bring the girls there. Maybe we can swap like last time.”

  It was one thing to stop dating Francesca and decide to be friends, but it was another matter to parade my personal life around her. I really did like her, and spending time with her over the weekend just made my fondness grow. She was different than other girls. She was smart, confident, and strong. She took care of herself and didn’t need a man to help her out of a boat or carry her pack on a hike.

  And that was why I couldn’t be with her.

  When she came on to me, I thought she just wanted a fling. Like all the others, we would spend a night fucking before I got bored with her and kicked her aside. But when she said she wanted to cultivate a relationship before sex, I realized I’d completely misread her.

  And I felt like an idiot.

  I didn’t want to walk away the way I did. But I didn’t want to give her a reason to call me. I pushed her away so she wouldn’t want anything to do with me.

  Because I knew I would struggle to stay away from her.

  The Grind didn’t serve the best coffee. It was mediocre and overpriced. But I went just to see her. I liked talking to her, flirting back and forth. She had a warmth to her that immediately pulled me in.

  I loved the curves of her body and the way her lips tasted. I’d thought about fucking her for the entire date. I fantasized about all the different ways I’d make her come around my dick.

  I still wanted to fuck her.

  But I never could. She was unattainable. She would ask me for something I could never give her, and not just her but anybody. It could never happen, not unless she suddenly changed her mind about what she wanted.

  But that would never happen.

  I respected her, and I really liked her. I suspected that fondness would never go away. There was a connection between us, one I couldn’t deny no matter how hard I tried. And because of that, I couldn’t go out with her brother when she would know exactly what I was doing. It made me feel guilty in a way I’ll never be able to explain. “Let’s stay here. We can go out any other time.”

  Axel stared at me suspiciously because I’d never said anything like that in my life. “What?”

  “It’s Thanksgiving, man. It can wait.”

  “I said we would go after dinner.”

  “It’s still rude.”

  Axel caught on to my thoughts. “Do you have a thing for my sister?” His friendly attitude completely evaporated. My friend was replaced by a territorial and protective brother. His nostrils flared and his horns emerged. “My sister isn’t the kind of girl you’re looking for. She’s not an easy lay. She actually has some class. And I’ll punch your teeth out if you try anything.”

  I could never tell him that I already dated her. “No, I don’t have a thing for her.”

  “Then why don’t you want to go?”

  “I just don’t think it’s a good idea. Let’s go out later.”

  “Why are you being a pussy right now?”

  He wasn’t going to let this go until he got his way. “Fine. We’ll go.”

  “Good.” He clapped my shoulder. “I need to get laid tonight. It’s been like a week for me.”

  “Good to know,” I said sarcastically.

  ***

  Yaya and Francesca cooked Thanksgiving dinner and refused to let Axel and I help. When Axel talked to me at the table, I found myself tuning him out and watching Francesca move around the kitchen. She wore skinny jeans and a loose green sweater. It fit the contours of her body, and I remembered the way her tits felt in my hands.

  She had a nice rack.

  My eyes struggled to pull away because she kept my focus even when she didn’t do anything to get it to begin with. She was a natural.

  We finally sat around the table and Yaya said grace. Then we dug in. The food was amazing like I expected it to be, and I couldn’t tell whether Yaya or Francesca was responsible for it. Probably both.

  Francesca sat across from me, so I was forced to look at her beautiful face even though I probably would have looked anyway. Her green eyes were constantly bright, and they reflected her mood. They reminded me of the trees just outside the window, thick and green. Her pale skin didn’t seem tinted by the sun, but it was beautiful nonetheless. My eyes kept moving to her lips. I wanted to part them with my tongue and get her to say my name.

  After dinner was finished, we all helped with the dishes and put the leftovers away. When we tackled everything as a team, it wasn’t difficult to complete. Francesca and I brushed up against each other numerous times, and every time that happened, my cock twitched.

  I wanted her.

  We sat in the living room and watched TV in comfortable silence. Francesca read the book she was reading the night before. It was something from Oprah’s book club. Whenever she was deep in the story, her facial expressions would change slightly. Her eyebrows would move, and sometimes, the corner of her lips would rise. She turned the pages quietly, licking her fingers as she did it.

  I didn’t watch the TV once.

  At some point in the evening, Yaya went to bed. Then Axel followed afterward. Before he left, he gave me a warning look that clearly said his sister was off limits.

  I nodded my understanding.

  Axel went upstairs and shut his bedroom door.

  Francesca kept reading like she didn’t notice that her family went to bed.

  “Do you like it?”

  Her eyes darted to mine like she’d just been pulled from a faraway place. “Sorry?”

  “Your book. Do you like it?”

  “Oh…” Her flustered look disappeared. “Yeah, I do.”

  “How far along are you?”

  “About halfway. I don’t have time to read as much as I would like so this is a great opportunity.”

  “I’m surprised you can stay awake with all that turkey we just ate.”

  She chuckled. “Reading puts some people to sleep. It has the opposite effect on me.”

  I didn’t read much. It was never a hobby of mine. “I’ll have to hit the gym twice as hard on Monday.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah…you really need it.”

  When I came out of the bathroom with just a towel around my waist, Francesca practically drooled all over me. Her eyes were glued to my chest, and she lost her train of thought as she continued to pound on her brother’s door. “If I want to make an impression, I have to keep it up.”

  Her eyes moved back to her book. “You make an impression anyway, Hawke.” Her brown hair moved over one shoulder, and it shined as the light from the fire fell on it.

  The TV faded to the background. I wasn’t even sure what was on. “Thank you for dinner. You did a great job.”

  “You’re welcome. I wish I could cook all day instead of going to class.”

  “Then why don’t you?”

  She shrugged. “I’m almost done with school anyway. I might as well get my money’s worth and finish.” She closed the book and set it aside like she didn’t intend to read for the rest of the night. Her nails weren’t painted like most other girls I knew. They were plain.

  “I suppose.”

  She rose from the armchair then sat on the sofa next to me. “Are you having a good time?”

  “I am.” I was suddenly aware of how close we were to each other. All I had to do was lean over and pull her jeans down slightly, and I would get what I wanted. Francesca was an innately sexy woman. She was beautiful without even trying. “Are you?”

  “Yeah. Anytime I’m home with my family I’m happy.”

  There were some obvious people missing. It was clear her parents were no longer in the picture, but I wasn’t sure what happened to them. Axel never mentioned it, and of course, I never asked. Sensitive feelings weren’t discussed between two dudes. “What happened to your parents, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  Her expression didn’t change at all. She kept the same calmness like I didn’t hit a nerve. “They passed away when I was young. Yaya took over and raised us
.” She didn’t elaborate further.

  “Yaya did a great job.”

  “Yeah, she’s pretty amazing. She’s lost so many people, but she’s so happy all the time. She’s been a good influence on Axel and me.” She still didn’t tell me what happened to her parents so I assumed she didn’t want to talk about it. She turned her green eyes on me, and there was hesitation deep within. “Did your parents pass away as well?”

  I held her gaze as I tried to think of a response. I didn’t like talking about my personal life or myself. It went against everything I believed in. It was easier to keep everyone at bay than to let them in and see who I was and where I came from. “No. They went on vacation together.”

  “Oh…” Francesca couldn’t hide her surprise. “Well, that’s nice. Where did they go?”

  “The Caribbean. Axel invited me along so I wouldn’t be alone.”

  “I’m sure you’d rather be in paradise instead of here.” She released a quick laugh.

  “No, not at all.” I held her gaze as I said it. Being there, hidden away from everything else, was exactly what I wanted. Going fishing in the morning and experiencing that quiet companionship was a nice break from my life of solitude. Francesca was the closest thing I’ve ever had to a girl friend.

  Axel’s footsteps were heard on the stairway, and a moment later, he appeared in the living room. He stared at both of us on the couch, and accusation moved into his eyes.

  “I was just telling Francesca that my parents are in the Caribbean.” When it came to Axel’s protective side, it was best to speak first.

  He relaxed slightly as he adjusted the watch on his wrist. “Ready to go?”

  I forgot about our plans.

  “Where are you two going?” Francesca asked.

  “Out.” Axel didn’t look at her. “Let’s go.”

  “Can I come?” Francesca asked.

  No. That would be more awkward.

  “No, brat,” Axel said. “We’re headed to the bar and don’t need a crow to scare all the sparrows away.”

  “I’m not a crow,” Francesca hissed.

  “You sound like one,” Axel shot back.

  I didn’t know how to get out of this. The guilt was eating me alive. If I went out with Axel, Francesca would know how much of a pig I was. I had every right to do whatever I wanted but…I didn’t want to do it. Not in front of her. “Axel, I’m not feeling well…” I rubbed my temple like I had a migraine. “Go ahead without me.”