Page 3 of It’s Only Love (Citrus Pines #1)

Dean chuckled as Christy flipped him off. Messing with her was the most fun he’d had in a long time.

“ Cabrón! ” Justine chided as she punched him on the arm. He turned to face her, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

“What?” he asked, all innocent, eyes flicking back and forth between her and Taylor.

Taylor shook her head at him. “What did you do that for? Why couldn’t you have been the decent guy that’s hidden deep, deep, deep, deeeeep down inside?”

“Come on, she knows I’m kidding,” he said, chuckling again as Christy’s enraged face filled his mind.

“We’re trying to keep her here, Dean. You gotta be nice to her, we want this visit to be as positive as possible, ignoring the obvious of course. Just be friendly and welcoming, make her feel at home. We want her to think about settling down here again,” Justine explained.

He looked at their disapproving faces and shook his head, holding up his hands in surrender.

“Fine, next time I see her, I’ll apologize.” He smiled sweetly at them.

“Good!” Justine said emphatically. “She’ll be back in a minute.”

“Ah, but I’m leaving. The usual please,” he said to Taylor. She rolled her eyes and headed through the door behind the bar that led to the back office. She came back and tossed a set of keys to him over the bar.

“Are you gonna stay up all night talking again?” Taylor teased. He shot her a withering look. “Just be out by 10 am, stud,” she added.

“Yes, Mom,” he joked, dropping a friendly peck on Justine’s cheek and he blew a kiss to Taylor before heading towards the door where his date was waiting. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and grinned down at her.

“Ready?” he asked, steering her out the door and into the warm, country evening, the scent from the citrus trees wafting on the air.

He guided her around the back of the bar and over to the row of cabins situated next to Taylor’s private one.

He headed to the first cabin. Darcy, his date, started rubbing her hands over his shoulders and down his back.

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cringing as her sharp nails poked him.

When she launched herself at him in the bar, forcing her tongue into his mouth, it hadn’t particularly turned him on, and as their evening progressed, the idea of any intimate contact between them made him a little uncomfortable.

He twisted away and grabbed her hands, maneuvering her in front of him and through the door .

He followed her inside and flicked the light switch.

The antique wall lights came to life, bathing the room in a soft, peachy glow.

The log aesthetic continued inside the room with the walls and main living room furniture made from varnished wood.

The couch was in front of a log burner and the furnishings were decorated in different colored plaid patterns adding to the rustic feel.

On the other side of the room was a small modern kitchenette and the bathroom.

He shut the front door and felt Darcy press herself up against his back.

He side-stepped again and turned to face her, watching as she schooled her features into what she probably believed was her come hither look.

“I’m going to freshen up a bit,” he said, stalking towards the bathroom door.

“Hurry back,” she replied in a breathy voice that made him want to do the opposite.

Why did he suddenly wish he were anywhere else?

When he shut the door and flicked on the light, the harsh yellow beam made him squint.

He took a deep breath, leaned against the sink, and looked at himself in the mirror, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Christy fricking Lee, what a blast from the past .

Sure, he heard about her all the time from Taylor and Justine, but he hadn’t seen her in over a decade.

Damn that decade had been good to her, she was even more stunning than he remembered.

He shook his head, oh no, you don’t! Don’t even think about it.

Don’t you remember how holier than thou she was?

She always thought she was so much better than everyone else.

Her image popped into his head, her sparkling baby blue eyes that reeled in him.

Her short, blond curls flirting with her cherub cheeks and those plump lips painted hot pink.

Oh, that mouth, he groaned inwardly, all the things he could do with that mouth.

His cock twitched in his jeans, an unfortunate reminder that he had been celibate for years.

Stop thinking about her mouth, you idiot!

Think about something else...like her body? His brain supplied unhelpfully.

She filled his mind, her figure so dangerously curvy.

Round, full breasts, a tiny nipped-in waist that flowed into the wide flare of her hips.

He could hold onto those hips for dear life as she rode him perfectly, moaning in his ear.

His cock started lengthening beneath the denim, which he really didn’t need right now.

He jabbed on the faucet and splashed some water on his face trying to rid himself of her image.

It’s just been a while for you, that’s all, it has nothing to do with Christy. Any man would feel the same.

He splashed his face two more times until her image was gone and replaced with memories from his high school days.

The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him.

He thought back to ‘the incident’, one of the worst memories from his stupid adolescence.

He’d humiliated Christy in front of a group of his friends, had lashed out at her out of his own hurt and embarrassment, and she hadn’t forgiven him.

Afterwards her disdain for him had been so obvious, so visceral every time they interacted, right up until she left town.

She thought he was an idiot, he had acted like one, and she treated him like one until they just avoided each other altogether.

Dean’s mom had married Taylor’s dad when they were fourteen years old. Their parents had been together a few years before Taylor’s dad cheated, and he and Dean’s mom had split up. Although it wasn’t a happy ending, those years were responsible for some of his best memories.

Growing up and living with Taylor, they became a family, the only time he really felt like he had one.

They looked out for each other and developed a strong bond that surprised them both.

He considered her his sister, still did even though there were no blood or legal ties between them.

They had special dinners every couple of weeks where he had her over and would cook for her, or she would get the night off and cook for him.

She would tease him about the parade of women he brought through the cabins in his quest to find Mrs. Right.

Then he gave her shit about all the douchebags she continued to date, never wanting to settle down with a nice, decent guy.

He thought back to when they lived together, that fateful night when she had a sleepover with Justine and Christy.

His best friend, Beau, had come round to hang out one night.

They ended up talking about the girls and decided to eavesdrop on them like idiot teenage boys did.

They snuck down the hall and hovered outside Taylor’s room, careful to be quiet as the door was slightly ajar.

He peeked in and saw Taylor and Justine sitting on the floor, thumbing through magazines.

Christy was bent forward at the waist brushing her blond curls forward.

She bolted upright, flipping them back and as they fell around her face, she reminded him of one of the most iconic women of all time.

The name came to him, and he had whispered it as he watched her.

“What did you say?” Beau hissed. Dean waved at him to be quiet, his cheeks flushing from embarrassment, and he turned his attention back to the conversation the girls were having.

“What do you think about Beau, Justine?” Christy asked.

Justine giggled. “He’s cute and seems super sweet,” she said shyly.

“No, you don’t want to get involved, trust me,” Taylor interrupted sharply.

“Why? You jealous?” Justine teased.

“Oh please,” Taylor muttered, rolling her eyes. “ Bobby is so much better than him, why would I even bother with Beau when I’ve got the sexiest, most popular guy in school?”

Dean flinched hearing Taylor talk about his best friend that way; it really wasn’t like her. He flicked his gaze over to Beau, whose ears had turned red, and he wouldn’t meet Dean’s eyes.

“Fine. Christy what about you?” Justine asked. “Let me guess, who could you like?”

“What about Dean? He’s cool and he’s single,” Taylor said quietly. Dean’s stomach had flipped. He’d had a crush on Christy forever, but she intimidated him and whenever he tried to talk to her, he always said something stupid.

“Are you serious?” Christy spluttered. “He’s an idiot.

I would like someone with some intelligence or at the very least someone able to hold a normal conversation.

He’s clearly got brawn instead of brains.

If I need someone to burp the alphabet, I’ll give him a call. ” Disdain dripped from her words.

“Don’t be a bitch, that’s not like you. He’s really smart, you know, and has some great qualities,” Taylor defended. A spark of brotherly affection for her filled him, replacing the embarrassment he felt at Christy’s cold dismissal.

“I’m not being a bitch. How is that worse than what you said about Beau? I’m just saying Dean sort of reminds me of the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz ,” Christy laughed.

“Christy, that’s harsh!” Justine scolded, but she giggled.

“Let’s change the subject, shall we?” Taylor said, and they started talking about Ryan Reynolds, which was boring.

Dean had motioned to Beau to leave. They didn’t talk about what they’d heard on the way back to Dean’s room.

Maybe they should’ve never eavesdropped.

Thanks to instant karma, he was pretty sure neither of them came away feeling good about themselves.

To be honest, it wasn’t anything Dean hadn’t heard before.

Being called stupid was something his old man used to say and was normally followed by a slap.

He was actually happy when his dad had done a runner and left them.

Taylor’s dad hadn’t been much better, they’d never bonded.

He had shouted and been a mean sonofabitch, but at least he never hit him.

After that night, every time he saw Christy, he was reminded of his humiliation.

Reminded that she didn’t find him attractive, she just thought he was stupid.

Which is why he said what he said later on, as a childish act of revenge for her insulting him.

He instantly regretted that he tried to show off to the guys, behaving like someone he wasn’t, and she overheard him.

Since then, she never wanted to talk to him, she even avoided eye contact.

When they were involved in the same conversations, she spit barbs of venom at him, insulted him, and talked down to him.

He knew she was hurt by what he’d said, just like her words hurt him, but when he tried to apologize, she wouldn’t listen.

So, he started trying to purposely get under her skin.

Like tonight. I guess I’ve not grown up much after all.

The idea sobered him, pulling him out of the memories from all those years ago and back into the present.

He turned off the still running faucet and dried his face on the towels hanging on the wall.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been in the bathroom.

He went back out ready to face Darcy to see if she had the potential to become his future partner.

He knew the town gossiped, most of the people thought he brought women back to the cabin for sex, but he actually just wanted to get to know them.

He wanted to settle down and start a family soon.

He had visions of the partnership he could have with someone, something he never witnessed before but was convinced was out there somewhere.

His mission was to find his match, his soulmate, the mother of his children.

He wouldn't settle for anything less than forever.

He didn’t want to take these women back to his home, that was his sanctuary.

He never felt like he had a home when he was growing up, so now he had one, he was very protective of it.

Only Taylor and Beau, the people closest to him, had ever seen it.

He needed to know he was letting the right person in, and so far, no one had come close.

Darcy was perched on the end of the bed and smiled when she saw him, patting the spot next to her on the mattress.

“Want a drink?” he asked, avoiding her bedroom eyes and heading over to the minibar.

“Uh, sure.” she replied, sounding a little disappointed.

“Something to eat?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Something to eat?” she repeated back, confused.

“Yeah, some chips? Chocolate?”

“Got any nuts?” she asked, and he cringed at her tone. He didn’t think she meant cashews. He grabbed two beers and a bag of chips. He handed a beer to her. She tried to grab his hand as well as her beer, and she huffed in annoyance as he dodged out of her reach.

“Wanna watch TV?” he asked, heading over to turn it on and sitting on the couch, dropping the bag of chips on the coffee table.

“Surprisingly, no, I don’t want to watch TV, Dean. I want to get back to what we were doing in the bar and see what happens next,” she pouted, and came around to stand in front of him.

Dean sighed. He was upfront with the women he dated, they knew he was looking for something serious and not to jump into bed. They knew when he brought them here it was to get to know them without the whole town watching them, butting in and spreading gossip.

“Darcy, this is what happens next. I want to get to know your mind first, not just your body because you’re not a piece of meat.”

“I’m honestly fine if you want to get to know my body, I definitely want to get to know yours.” She sat down next to him and placed her hand on his thigh and squeezed.

“Well, I’m not a piece of meat either. Don’t you want to see if this could really go somewhere?”

Darcy had a strong start, but she looked defeated. She sighed, reaching down and pulling off her heels. He grabbed the chips and opened them; he offered her the bag as he pulled her into his side.

“Now then, tell me about your family.”