Singularity (Stars Align Book 2) Read online

  When the bartender announces last call, I know without a doubt that I’m not ready to let her go. It doesn’t matter that it’s two in the morning and I’ve known her less than a few hours. It doesn’t matter that I have to be up early to catch my flight home. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know a single “real” detail about her. My draw to her is as real as it gets, and I want more.

  Desire for her courses through my veins, amplified by the flirty banter, lust-filled looks, and teasing touches we’ve shared all night. None of it is enough—I need more.

  It’s need that drives me to invite her back to my room even though I know I shouldn’t. Need burning so hot it threatens to consume me.

  And when she accepts my invitation in that shy, sweet, sexy way of hers...it only stokes the fire, igniting the spark that’s sure to set us both ablaze.

  I wait by the exit while Gorgeous lets her friend know she’s leaving. The bartender says something to which she shakes her head. I can’t say I’m not curious about who he is to her, but tonight isn’t about those questions.

  She makes her way over to me and slips her hand into mine like it’s the most natural thing to do. Funny thing is...it feels like it is. Natural. Right.

  Shaking off the thought, I look at her and tip my head toward the bartender. “Everything okay?”

  “Yep. Everything’s great. Let’s get out of here.”

  Seems she’s as eager as I am. Good.

  We catch a ride over to the Bed & Breakfast where I’m staying—it’s the only place to stay in this town—and we practically race to my room.

  Once we’re both inside, I close the door behind us and turn to her, pulling her soft, lush body against my hard frame. The lust between us is palpable, electricity sparking across our skin. Now that we’re alone, I can truly focus on her. Her body, her sounds, her movement. My world becomes her pleasure.

  Leaning in, I rest my forehead against hers and close my eyes tight for a brief moment. I need a minute to breathe, to gather some semblance of self-control.

  Opening my eyes, I stare into hers, needing to see her. “I need to know you want this,” I say in a low rumble, my voice rough and gravelly with want.

  “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

  Her words are all it takes for my control to snap. Spinning us around, I pin her against the door and take possession of her mouth. Cradling her face in my hands, I tilt her head back, giving me better access. Her lips part and I know I need no further permission.

  I steal her mouth. Her breath. Her kiss.

  There’s nothing sweet about this kiss. It’s ravenous, a frenzy of lips, teeth, and tongue that leaves us both gasping for air.

  I take.

  And take.

  She lets me have it all.

  My hands leave her face, riding down the length of her body, taking in every dip and soft curve along the way. My mouth remains locked to hers as I use her hips to pull her with me, moving backward toward the bed.

  Sliding my rough, calloused palms down the smooth skin of her thighs, I grip the hem of her sexy little dress in my hands and lift. Tearing my lips from hers, I hoist the dress over her head, dropping it in a pool of cotton and lace at our feet. My eyes roam her body, cataloguing every delectable inch and branding it to memory. Panting heavily as I take her in, my tongue darts out to wet my lips. She’s utter perfection.

  She stands before me in nothing more than a few scraps of white lace. I expected something darker, something dirtier. But I’m not at all disappointed because she looks like an innocent, a virgin sacrifice. Smooth, creamy skin. Curves in all the right places. Her body was made for pleasure, and I’m gonna be the one to give it to her.

  “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”

  My words bring a smile to her face, drawing my attention to the rosy flush of her cheeks. The same hue colors her throat down to the tops of her breasts. The contrast of white lace on rosy, pink skin makes my cock twitch behind my zipper. Releasing a groan, I move forward, grasping her hips in my hands. Her eyes never leave mine as I trace the lines and curves of her body upward, bringing my palms to the top of her ribcage, thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts. Her breath hitches, and her eyelids drift closed when my thumbs move up to tease her nipples through the lacy bra. They harden to stiff little peaks under my touch and I revel in the way her head drops back with a whimper.

  Running my nose up the delicate curve of her throat, a groan reverberates through my chest when her mouthwatering scent invades my senses. She smells like perfectly ripened strawberries, and I’m dying to know if she tastes just as sweet.

  “Gorgeous,” I whisper in her ear before sucking the lobe between my lips, nibbling with my teeth. “You’re gonna be fucking delicious, aren’t you?”

  Her only answer is a sexy little mewl that has me grinding my body against hers in search of relief. I wanted to take this slow, to savor her, but I can’t. My teeth graze her shoulder as I undo the clasp of her bra and slide the straps down her arms, letting it fall to our feet. Her hands slide beneath my shirt, fingernails digging into my abs. Reaching behind me, I pull it over my head, discarding it onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

  “Wrap your legs around me,” I tell her as I grip her thighs and lift.

  Placing one knee on the bed, I move forward, dropping her on the pillows as I crawl between her thighs. With no warning, I suck one of her pretty pink nipples into my mouth and bite down lightly. Her back arches as she cries out, pressing more of her warm, bare skin against mine. Wrapping my hand around one of her thighs, I pull it up against my hip and grind my cock into her center. She’s fucking drenched, her juices soaking through the lace and denim between us.

  Slipping my hand between our bodies, I slide my fingers down, pushing her panties to the side. Without warning, I sink two fingers inside her wet pussy, curling them, raking hard over her g-spot. Her eyes widen, mouth falling open with a moan that I feel everywhere. Crashing my mouth to hers, I continue to stroke that sweet spot as she rakes her nails down my back, hard enough to break skin. I smile against her mouth, knowing I’ll feel those marks later, a welcome reminder of the way she responds to my touch.

  She urges me to give her more with the most delicious little whimpers.

  Despite the way she was dressed like a vixen, there’s an innocence to her, to the way she moves, to the way she responds so perfectly to my touch. It gives me a high I’ve never felt before.

  My thumb moves to her clit, circling as I fuck her with my fingers. The sounds she’s making, the way her chest rises and falls with heavy breaths, the tightening of her muscles around my fingers. I know it won’t be long.

  Licking and nibbling along her jawline, my mouth moves to kiss the tender spot just below her ear. “I need you to come for me, Gorgeous.”

  I sink my teeth into her neck and suck.

  Gorgeous girl screams, her muscles clamping down on my fingers, body shaking with tremors. She’s flying high and I don’t wait for her to come down. I undo my jeans, pushing them down just enough to pull out my cock. I’m so fucking hard it hurts. Within seconds I’m sheathed and pressing into her with one hard thrust. She comes again, pussy contracting in waves around my dick.

  I drop my mouth to hers, desperate for contact, desperate for something to tether me to her. She may not be a virgin, but she’s deliciously tight. I fuck her in long, hard strokes until I can barely take anymore. Pulling out, I flip her over to her stomach, her body flat against the sheets. Jerking her panties down her thighs, I straddle her legs and slip back inside, growling at the overwhelming sensation of her tight heat wrapped around my hardness. I didn’t think she could feel any better, but I was fucking wrong—this position makes her even tighter. Pure fucking bliss.

  Laying my body fully on top of hers, I stroke into her, biting and nipping at her ear and neck. “Nothing has ever felt as fucking good as you, baby. Nothing.” I grit out, and it’s the truth.

 
; I never want to leave her body. She’s so tight, so perfect, I’m desperate to feel this pleasure for as long as possible. But the sound of our flesh colliding, the grunts and moans she makes as I continue slamming into her—it makes me lose myself completely. One hand tightens to a bruising grip on her hip. The other moves to the back of her neck, holding her down while I drive into her until my rhythm grows choppy and irregular. A few long, deep strokes and I’m emptying into her with a growl.

  “Fuck!” I shout, biting into her shoulder as she comes again, heat pulsing in long waves around my over-sensitive cock. My body is suspended in a state of nirvana as intense pleasure courses through my veins, a second orgasm crashing through me.

  Christ! I didn’t even think that was fucking possible for guys.

  I collapse on top of her, breathing hard, body still trembling.

  A second later, I roll to the side—somehow conscious of my heavy weight being too much for her—but I pull her with me, unwilling to release her just yet. Her back to my chest, she turns her head to look at me, eyes still hooded with pleasure.

  She smiles.

  I’m fucking speechless, so I say nothing and slant my lips over hers. A long, lazy kiss that’s too passionate, too intimate for two people who just met.

  I don’t give a fuck. Nothing is more intimate than what we just shared. It would be easy to say it was the best sex of my life, but there aren’t words to explain the things I’m feeling. I completely lost myself in this girl. In more ways than one, something that both terrifies and excites me. Somehow, I want more.

  Breaking away, she turns over and brings her lips back to mine. We kiss lazily, hands roaming each other’s bodies, and in no time, we’re beginning again. Slower this time, until we’re both boneless, breathless, and sated. We fall asleep wrapped in each other.

  And hours later when I wake up to catch my flight…

  She’s gone.

  THREE

  Camille

  No matter how much I love them, my family is crazy.

  Who else has bonfires in the middle of winter when the temperature is somewhere in the thirties? It’s cold as hell outside, but that hasn’t stopped any of us from enjoying ourselves. It’s not snowing. And we have boozy hot chocolate. So at least there’s that.

  Honestly, there’s no other way I could imagine spending Christmas Eve. The annual bonfire became tradition after Madalyn and Jaxson finally got their shit together. I haven’t missed one yet. There’s no better way to start this year, even when I’m fairly certain my nipples are hard enough to cut glass and have been for hours. Family time is important. My nipples will forgive me later.

  The only downside to tonight is my best friend’s absence. Macy left town for the holidays, which is unusual for her, but I didn’t know she was going until she was already gone. She’s been acting kinda strange lately.

  Everyone else is here, having a good time, as usual. My entire family, a couple of Hailee’s friends, and of course the guys from the bar. They’re practically family anyway.

  We’ve got Drake and Jaxson’s trucks backed up side-by-side near the fire. Mads and Hailee on Drake’s tailgate. Presley and me on the tailgate of Jaxson’s yellow monstrosity. We’re all about our girl-talk. Catching up on all the latest gossip.

  Hailee keeps looking over her shoulder at Drake. The way they can’t keep their eyes off each other, the way he watches her even when she’s not looking—they can’t get enough of each other and it kinda makes me sick. Only because I’m green with envy. I want that. A guy who looks at me like I’m all the stars in his sky. That’s how he looks at Hailee. The same way Jax looks at my sister. I may not say it out loud, but I want it so bad.

  I haven’t had a relationship since high school. My first and only. One stupid boy ruined me for all others, but it’s not something I really want to think about tonight. Or ever. Unfortunately, my mind doesn’t really care what I want, and I zone out on the conversation, thinking about all the ways that immature asshole broke my heart.

  Presley nudges me with her elbow, bringing me back to the conversation. Madalyn and Hailee are going on and on about Drake, of course. I stop myself from rolling my eyes, but that petty, bitter part of me takes control of my mouth.

  “Maybe he’s amazing, or maybe Hailee’s just dick-whipped.”

  I’m known for speaking my mind, so no one bats an eye at my comment. In fact, I’m surprised when Presley mutters, “Don’t be mad just because Hailee’s actually getting some.”

  “Hey!” I scoff, “I get some.”

  Damn it. I need to learn how to control my mouth. It’s been a few weeks since that unforgettable night and I had no intention of telling anyone about it. Talking about my private life isn’t something I typically do. I’d rather let people think what they want and draw their own conclusions about me, but no, I had to open my big, stupid mouth. Now they’re gonna ask questions because my sisters don’t know how to leave anything alone.

  Presley laughs. “Oh yeah? When was the last time you brought a guy home?”

  “I never said I brought anyone home,” I argue, taking a drink of my boozy peppermint hot chocolate. We share an apartment; she would know if I came home with a guy. “But I didn’t say anything about spending a night with someone at the B&B.”

  Her eyes widen, and our conversation grabs Madalyn’s attention. Presley goes quiet, in that way she does, her big brain working to piece together clues.

  “That night after Thanksgiving. When you went out with Macy and didn’t come home until the sun was already up.”

  It’s not a question, but my silence confirms it anyway.

  It didn’t take long for her to figure it out. Presley’s always been the smart one of the three of us, something that’s always made me jealous. She’s also the calm, silent one, often only speaking when she has something important to say. Words are never meaningless for her. While Madalyn and I are the fun, outgoing sisters—even if it’s all an act on my part—Presley is completely introverted and keeps everything close to her chest. I’m sure she has her own secrets, we all do.

  My most recent one was just brought to light.

  As long as it’s the only one, I can live with it.

  Hopping down from the back of the truck, I stretch my legs and move closer to the girls, so I don’t have to talk loudly to be heard. I don’t need everyone here knowing my business, especially not this.

  “C’mon, Cami! Give us all the dirty details!” Madalyn pushes.

  “No way,” I laugh. “It was just some guy I met at the bar. It really wasn’t a big deal.”

  It really was a big deal.

  Especially for me. Contrary to popular belief, one-night stands aren’t my thing. Neither are relationships but hooking up with random bar guys isn’t something I do. Ever. That night was a one-time thing, never to be repeated. Even if it was the best night I’ve ever had.

  “Gah! Look at that smile! It must have been one hell of a night!” Mads gasps as I duck my head to hide my blush. I hadn’t even realized I was smiling. She leans forward, slinging her arm across my shoulders, almost falling off the tailgate. “Don’t hold out on us!”

  Reaching over, I slip the mug from her other hand. “No more booze for you.”

  She pouts. “You won’t talk about getting the D, and now you’re taking away my drink? Killjoy.”

  “Fine, fine.” I concede. “What do you wanna know?”

  “Who was he?” Presley asks.

  Blowing out a breath, I take a second to decide how much to tell them. Fuck it, I have nothing to lose. “I have no idea. I’d never seen him before, and we didn’t exchange names. In fact, I left before he even woke up to avoid the whole awkward morning after scene.”

  The three of them stare at me, wide-eyed, mouths hanging open.

  Mads is the first to speak. “That’s...”

  “Actually, kinda hot.” Presley finishes.

  We burst into peals of laughter.
She’s the last person I’d expect to say something like that. The look of shock on her face only makes it more amusing. She obviously surprised herself with that one.

  “God, it really was!” I admit. “Not knowing his name, the whole mysterious vibe. So freakin’ hot!”

  “Well...how was it?” Mads asks. Hailee and Presley are both listening, waiting for my response.

  “It was…” I trail off, not knowing how to describe how incredible it was.

  “That good, huh?”

  Nodding rapidly, I laugh again. “Indescribable. Unforgettable. Utterly mind-blowing.”

  And it was.

  Truth be told, I don’t have that much experience. But a single night of sex with my mysterious stranger is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’ve never felt so much from someone’s touch alone. One night between two strangers shouldn’t have been so damn good. So life changing. I have a feeling any and all future guys will be compared to him. I hate the thought that I might not ever find anyone that makes me feel the way he did.

  I’m saved from any more questions, at least for now, when Drake makes his way over to stand in front of Hailee. Something sizzles in the air surrounding them and I back up. She must feel it, too, because she turns to him, love shining in her eyes.

  He drops to one knee and my stomach drops along with him.

  I watch in silence as the emotions play across Hailee’s face. Her eyes well up with tears and I find mine doing the same. I’m frozen, watching as Drake proposes to her. Watching as she says yes, as their lips lock together, as their bodies come together. God, does she have any idea how lucky she is?

  Drake’s eyes never leave her as she turns to show us the beautiful ring. Pure joy radiates from the newly engaged couple, and I’m happy for them. I am. But my heart and mind riot. A flare of jealousy sparks inside and I find myself wanting to get away. I refuse to ruin their moment with my internal struggles.