He says nothing, his chest rising and falling with breaths too perfect and controlled as if each one is an effort to stay calm.

His fists are balled as they rest on his lap, and I glance at him, our eyes meeting. A shiver runs through me. I like that he’s scared.

I get closer out of spite, dabbing far more ointment than he needs.

“You didn’t shoot that guy yesterday, did you?” I joke.

I glance over, and he’s still silently watching me.

But to my surprise, there’s amusement in his gaze.

My heart skips, and my insides feel like a warm puddle. It’s not a smile, but it’s soft. Like how I felt with him the other night for a few seconds. Like I could sink into someone.

I clear my throat and stand up. “Alright.” I recap the tube and hand it to him. “Here.”

He takes it, not once blinking as he stares at me.

“Reapply before bed,” I tell him.

But he doesn’t nod or do anything that acknowledges he heard me except continue to gawk.

“Lunch!” Noah calls.

I startle, looking across the yard to see him heading for the other truck.

“Wanna drive with me?” he asks. “I’m going to get cheeseburgers.”

I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or his brother, but I look back down at Kaleb and see him still looking at me.

And I’m not…confident about being left here alone with him.

I should go with Noah.

“Coming,” I say, holding Kaleb’s eyes as I walk away, the look he’s giving me telling me I’m right.

I shouldn’t be left here alone with him.

Noah

Her arm whips out, knocking pieces off my Harry Potter Wizard Chess board, some tumbling to the floor.

I wince.

“Noah, get up!” I hear my father shout on the other side of my bedroom door. His footfalls fade as he descends the stairs.

Fuck. The chick on top of me leans down, grabs the headboard, and rolls her hips up and down my cock. Come on… The hard flesh pulses with heat, but I can’t seem to get there. I grip her hips, guiding her faster and faster.

“Am I hotter?” she gasps.

“Yeah.”

“And my tits?” She cradles the back of my neck, shoving her breast in my face. “You like them better?”

I manage half an eye roll, but I give her nipple a bite for good measure. She does have nicer tits than Rory, but at least Rory knew what foreplay was. This chick trying to jump on my cock at six in the morning and expecting it to be immediately standing at attention is just downright offensive.

Luckily, I was able to conjure a sordid memory from high school to get me ready.

Leaning back up, she runs her hands over her body, squeezing her breasts as her blonde hair falls all around her. Then she slams the wall next to the bed with her hand and groans in pleasure.

Jesus, fuck. If Tiernan wasn’t awake in there, she is now.

I pull Remi’s hand down from the wall and sit up, kissing her to shut up her moaning. Being loud at night is one thing. Loud in the morning reminds everyone I’m late for work, because I’m fucking my ex’s eighteen-year-old sister in here.

“Noah!” my dad bellows again from downstairs.

Yeah, yeah... Just come already. Come on…

My head swims. I’m not into this.

But I don’t want to leave the room and deal with my father, either. I move my body faster, kissing her neck, pulling her hair, and fuck her from the bottom, her moans getting louder.

Come on, baby. Come.

“I love fucking you,” she croons.

I nod. Yeah, okay.

“I’m glad I got my turn up here.”

Your turn…

“Go hard,” she pants. “I’m daddy’s little whore.”

Ew. What the fuck? I close my eyes, my stomach rolling.

“You won’t hurt me, Noah,” she says.

Shhhhh…ut the fuck up.

“I dare you to try.”

That’s it. I grit my teeth and circle her waist, flipping us both around and pinning her on her back. I cover her mouth with my hand as I push her knees wide, spreading her open.

I fuck her hard and fast as my bed rocks, the floorboards creak, and I stare out the window behind my headboard. I just want this to be over.

I clench my jaw, the feel of her sweat making me feel like the walls are closing in. I want it off me.

I close my eyes.

I need out of this room.

Out of this house.

Out of the woods.

Off the mountain.

I don’t care if I ever see another fucking tree in my life, because maybe now that I’ve fucked every woman within fifty miles and can’t look at myself in the mirror anymore, I’ve reached the end of my rope and won’t be so chicken shit that I can’t stand up to my dad.

Nights are better. When I’m tired, and I just want some ass before I go to bed, but in the morning… I don’t wake up wanting to be where I am and looking forward to doing shit I don’t want to do. I’m bored.

In another minute, I feel her moans vibrate on my palm, her pussy contracts, squeezing my cock, and I grunt as I finish her off, forcing hard breaths in her ear, so she thinks I finished, too.

My skin itches where it touches her.

I remove my hand.

“I love the feel of your cum inside me,” she breathes out.

I didn’t come. And I’m wearing a condom, Dunderhead.

“Noah!” And I hear the baseball bat hit the log column downstairs. “Get up!”

I wipe my face with my hands and roll off Remi.

Fucking prick. A cool sweat covers my body, and I stand up and pull off the condom, tossing it. I pull on my jeans as I throw her T-shirt to her, but I can feel her eyes on me as she sits up. I need some goddamn air and some space to wallow in my shame.

If I can’t come even once, that’s unacceptable. I’m good in bed, goddammit. Women leave my room happy.

Not like the Boulevard of Broken Dreams that’s my father’s bed when they realize he only wants sex and not a relationship or Skid Row upstairs in Kaleb’s room where women are lucky to leave alive.

I, on the other hand, am really good at this shit.

Remi stares at me, a flirty smile on her lips like we’re supposed to make plans for next time or something, but I just dip down and give her a quick peck on the lips that hopefully says, “bye.”

And please, please be gone when I get back from the shower.

I turn around, grab a Bud from my little fridge, and leave the room, shutting the door behind me.

I twist off the top and slide it into my pocket. I’m gonna need a buzz this morning.

Carrying the beer across the hall, I hear footfalls to my right and look over to see Tiernan stomping up the stairs.

She sniffles, not really looking sad but frustrated. “So nasty,” she growls to herself, her voice thick with a sob. “I have… like chicken shit under my fingernails. So gross. Why is he so weird? Just buy your chicken at the store like everyone else, you know?”

My snort almost escapes, but I keep quiet. She hasn’t noticed me yet, and I don’t want her to. She’s too damn funny, and I like watching her get pissed off. My only little ray of sunshine in this big ol’ shithole.

Although, I do sympathize with her. Cleaning out the chicken coops is no party.