Audrey — Chapter 6: Trip

Heads up: This chapter gets a little wild... heavy adult content ahead (18+).

Author’s Note: For the full vibe, play Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield while reading this scene. Link’s below, or just search the song if it doesn’t open.

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So here I am. Evans’s shiny, ridiculously expensive car humming down the highway like it owns the road. Where are we going? Still no clue. Apparently “surprise” is his favorite word.

“At least give me a hint,” I say, leaning back in the seat.

“Nope,” he says, grinning at the wheel. “Trust me.”

“You know I’m terrible at trusting people.”

“Then think of it as practice.”

I roll my eyes, but he’s already laughing.

The radio clicks into Pocketful of Sunshine and fills the car with light, breezy energy. Evans groans. “Too upbeat.”

“Don’t you dare,” I say, reaching for the volume knob. “I love this song.”

He side-eyes me, amused. “Figures.” But he doesn’t turn it off.

The road stretches out in front of us, endless gray ribbon against a sky so blue it almost hurts to look at. Green trees line both sides, blurring past like they’re racing us. Wind whips through the open windows, carrying the song out into the world.

I close my eyes for a second and let it sink in, the music, the sky, the air. It feels different. Not Miller’s, not Ashford Hollow, not the same four walls I’ve been stuck in forever. Just… free.

When I glance over, Evans is watching me instead of the road for a moment. That lazy smile softens into something else, something almost gentle.

And I can’t help it. I smile back.

Take me away, Evans.

~

The road dips into a wide valley, and suddenly the whole world feels bigger. Evans flies past a couple of trucks, his grin cocky, the wind whipping through the windows. And me? I’m actually enjoying it.

A little later he pulls off near a cliff and kills the engine.

“Out,” he says, already opening his door.

I frown. “Out where?”

“Here. Trust me.”

Against my better judgment, I follow him to the edge. And then I see it.

Ashford Hollow stretched out below us, rooftops scattered around a lake that shines like glass, the sky painted across it in perfect reflection. My hometown—the place I’ve spent years hating—suddenly looks like something out of a postcard.

“Holy shit,” I breathe.

“I know.” He’s grinning, eyes on me more than the view.

“This is… wow. I don’t even have words.”

“First time I found this place, I said the same thing.” His voice softens. “Whenever I need to calm down, I come here. Reminds me there’s still something worth loving about this town.”

And for once, I get it. I hate Ashford Hollow with everything in me, but standing here? I can’t. Not right now.

“Not bad, huh?” he says.

“Not bad at all,” I admit.

The view should’ve kept my eyes glued to the horizon, but then Evans leaned in and kissed me.

It started soft, almost hesitant, like he was giving me a chance to pull away. I didn’t. His lips brushed mine once, then again, slower this time, and my body leaned into his before my brain caught up.

The next kiss was deeper. His hand slid around my waist, tugging me closer until my chest pressed against his. Heat spread through me fast, and when his tongue traced against mine I let out this small sound I didn’t even mean to. He caught it, smiled into the kiss, then tilted my head back with his fingers in my hair so he could kiss me harder.

I melted. Completely. His mouth moved against mine with this mix of urgency and control, like he’d been waiting for this exact moment. My hands found his shirt without thinking, clutching at the fabric as if that could anchor me.

The song from the car stereo still drifted faintly through the open windows. Take me away, a secret place… The words wrapped around us like they belonged here, like they’d been written for this exact kiss.

His other hand slid lower, gripping me with no hesitation. I gasped into his mouth, and he swallowed the sound, pulling me tighter against him. And yeah, there was no mistaking the way his body responded. He wanted me, badly, and the knowledge made my whole face heat even as I kissed him back harder.

The world shrank to this cliff, this kiss, the taste of whiskey still on his tongue and the pressure of him against me. Ashford Hollow lay glittering below, but I couldn’t care less. My guard was gone, stripped away one kiss at a time, and it terrified me how good it felt.

When he finally broke away, both of us were breathless. His forehead rested against mine, his lips still grazing.

“Let’s get out of here,” he whispered, voice low and rough, his grin dangerous. “I know a place nearby.”

I should’ve laughed it off, made some sarcastic jab. But with his mouth still hovering over mine and my pulse going wild, all I managed was a shaky, “Yeah… okay.”

We walked back to the car, my lips tingling, my legs unsteady, and the song still echoing in my head.

~

Author’s Note: Another song for the vibe. Zero 7: Home.

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The air inside the car was stifling, even with the AC blasting. Sweat clung to me, nerves coiled tight. The sunset stretched wide across the road, but all I could think about was Evans, his hand, his body, the heat rolling off him like a second sun.

His hand slid onto my thigh, fingers stroking circles higher and higher. I should’ve told him to stop. Instead, I spread my legs the slightest bit, breath catching when he pressed harder. His arousal was obvious, straining against his jeans, and the thought of it made my stomach twist in the dirtiest way.

Then he pushed further. His hand slid beneath my skirt, settling right against the damp lace of my panties. I gasped, sharp and loud in the quiet hum of the car, but didn’t push him off. He didn’t even glance at me, eyes on the road, jaw set, while his fingers teased over the thin barrier, slow and deliberate.

“Fuck,” I whispered, too low for him to miss.

He smirked but kept driving, his touch growing bolder. When his fingers slipped past the fabric and found me, my whole body jolted. Heat flared everywhere at once, and a helpless sound tore from my throat. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“Evans,” I panted, hips shifting against his hand. “Stop teasing me.”

He didn’t. He curled his fingers deeper, stroking until I was clutching at the seat like it was the only thing keeping me upright. Wetness coated his hand, slick and shameless, and every movement sent me spiraling closer. The song pulsed from the speakers, distant, as if the world outside had vanished.

I couldn’t hold it back. The climax ripped through me in sharp, uncontrollable waves, my voice breaking with it. My thighs shook around his hand, body betraying me, and he kept going until I was trembling against the leather.

Finally, he pulled his fingers free, glistening, dripping with me. And then, without a word, he slid them into his mouth and sucked them clean, slow and deliberate, eyes cutting to mine with that wicked grin.

It should’ve embarrassed me. Instead, it sent another rush of heat straight through me, my chest heaving, skin burning. I shut my eyes, too overwhelmed to look at him, while the music played on like nothing had happened at all.

~

The door clicked shut and Evans was on me, lifting me into his arms like I weighed nothing. He carried me straight to the bed, set me down, and tore off his shirt in one smooth motion. My eyes raked over him, broad chest, that cocky grin, the hungry way he looked at me.

Then he pounced. His mouth crashed onto mine, hot and demanding, and I melted, my body arching into him. His hands roamed everywhere, claiming me like I was already his. In a single tug, he pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it aside.

The way his eyes widened when he realized I wasn’t wearing panties made me flush. His gaze trailed over me slowly, lingering on every curve like he wanted to memorize it. My skin burned under the weight of his stare, but I didn’t cover myself, I wanted him to see.

He smirked. “If you’re trying to kill me, it’s working.”

I gave him a shaky laugh. “Enjoying the view?”

“Who wouldn’t?” His tone was shameless.

I arched my chest toward him, daring him, and his hands immediately found my hips, fingers pressing hard enough to leave marks. I reached down, brushing over the thick strain in his jeans, and he groaned, a sound so rough it made me wetter instantly.

Our lips crashed together again, harder this time, tongues tangling, teeth clashing. I clawed at him, desperate, while he squeezed my ass in both hands, lifting me so I was on my toes, forcing me to grind against him.

The words slipped out before I could stop them. “I think I’m falling for you, Evans.”

He pulled back just long enough to smirk. “Good. Because I love you too.”

My face burned. “That’s not what I said.”

“Doesn’t matter. I heard it anyway.” Then his mouth was back on mine, stealing my breath.

I pressed my thigh against him, and he groaned deep in his chest, rutting harder against me. His hand slid under my skirt, fingers finding me without hesitation. The shock of it ripped a moan from my throat, and I buried my face in his shoulder, grinding down onto his hand like I’d lost control. He didn’t stop, if anything, the way I shook against him only made him go harder.

“Evans…” My voice broke. “Feels so fucking good.”

“I know,” he rasped against my ear. “But I want more.”

Heat shot through me, and I dropped to my knees before I could think twice. My eyes widened when I saw how badly he was straining against the fabric, the outline obscene. I bit my lip, looking up at him, teasing as I palmed him through his boxers. His breath caught, his composure cracking, and it made me smile.

“You want this in me?” I asked, voice low and deliberate.

“Fuck, yes.”

I freed him slowly, torturing him with my touch, enjoying every groan, every twitch of his jaw. Then I leaned back onto the bed, legs spreading wide, waiting for him.

He crawled over me, eyes dark, lips crashing onto mine as he lined himself up. “I need to be inside you.”

“Then stop talking,” I whispered.

And he did. He pushed into me, slow at first, then deeper, until he bottomed out. I cried out loud, back arching, clutching at him as my body clenched around his. I was soaked, and every thrust slid deeper, harder, pulling another moan from me.

He set a rhythm, rough and relentless, and I matched it, meeting him stroke for stroke, nails raking his back. The sound of our bodies filled the room, wet, desperate, unashamed. My sarcasm, my walls, all of it shattered as he fucked me harder, kissed me harder, bit at my neck until I was trembling beneath him.

But it wasn’t just sex. Every thrust was tangled with feeling, every kiss was something more. My body knew it, my heart knew it, even if my head tried to deny it. Making love. The words I’d never say out loud, but couldn’t ignore.

When he groaned my name against my skin, I let go completely. My body, my breath, my control, all his. And for once, I didn’t care.

To Be Continued