Redneck Romeo (The Culture Blind Book 1) Read online

  “What?!” The two shout in tandem.

  My mouth barely moves before Cody is swiftly popping me upside the head.

  “Ow!”

  “You’re lucky I’m not closer or it would’ve been my foot to your balls,” Lynette bites.

  Knowing I deserve it and worse my head falls forward. “I was out of line.”

  “Past the line, Dusty,” my brother scolds. “The line was more like a speck to you.”

  “How could you do that?” His wife hisses.

  “I was upset.” The dejectedness in my voice deepens. “Whole damn day started off wrong. Carly and I had to skip our mornin’ call ‘cause I was needed to go in early. Then I go outside to see my fuckin yard had trash all across thanks to those damn raccoons again. My fuckin’ truck needs new tires and brake pads, but I had to give momma the money to get their air conditioner fixed and pay down a credit card. And when I finally did get to my job, my boss was up my ass about unfinished paperwork. Not to mention, he all but called me a fuckin’ moron over some minor spellin’ mistake. The only thing I wanted to do was spend the night talkin’ to the only person in the world I knew would make me feel better, but instead she wanted to go out drinkin’ with her friend again. I jus’…handled the whole thing poorly.”

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Lynette snips.

  “I just….” Sadness swells my vocals chords. “Y’all know it’s hard enough I can’t physically come home to her every evenin’. And since I can’t have that, I feel like I should at least get to have her to myself on the phone every night.”

  “She gets to have a life, Dusty,” Cody reprimands.

  My eyes drag themselves up to his.

  “And as much as that’s gonna drive you crazy, it’s the truth. She can’t and shouldn’t waste all her time sulkin’ about missin’ you any more than you should waste all your time doin’ the same. You knew distance would be hard. We talked about this shit on the plane. We talked about it again after a week passed by and you were makin’ yourself sick. Remember that?” He leans onto his elbows. “You told me then it was all worth it to have a little piece of her rather than none at all. Either that’s still the truth or you need to let her go, because she shouldn’t have to basically be a prisoner in order for you to be happy.”

  His words land on my shoulders like steel beams.

  “Cody’s right,” Lynette agrees, though her tone is softer than his. “How would you feel if she threw a hissy fit every time you came over for dinner? Or to watch the girls? Or grabbed a beer with your brother?”

  “Like she didn’t trust me.”

  Cody gives me a pointed look.

  “But I do trust her!”

  “Then act like it,” he grunts and grabs his beer. “Give her the respect she deserves ‘til she doesn’t deserve it anymore.”

  “And never tell a woman how to dress,” Lynette tsks at the same time she grabs the girls’ dirty plates. “That’s a sure fire way to delay seeing her naked for at least three days.”

  I grumble my displeasure over the possibility.

  It’s fuckin’ hard enough seein’ her naked and not feelin’ her. Can’t imagine being completely cut off….

  “She ain’t lyin’. Accidentally called ‘Nette fat once, and she didn’t touch my dick for a week.” Cody cocks a smirk. “Plus, she didn’t wear underwear that entire time and made sure I knew it.”

  She snickers and leans down to grab our plates too. “Learned your lesson, didn’t you?”

  He winks and gives her a good grab on the ass.

  A small chuckle leaves me just as there’s a buzz in my pocket. I pull it out and the sight of Carly’s picture causes my heart to nearly pound out of my chest.

  Hastily, I answer, “Hey, baby….”

  “Hey.” The lack of anger in her tone provides me with the first true moment of relief I’ve felt since she hung up on me. “You busy?”

  “Jus’ finishin’ dinner at Cody’s house. Everything alright?”

  “Well…I could use a ride.”

  Her words pinch my eyebrows together. “What do you mean you could use a ride?”

  “I mean I need a ride from the airport to my hotel.”

  Disbelief and joy race through me.

  “Should I call a cab or-”

  “Are you here?” It seems impossible, but it’s the only conclusion I can gather. “Baby, are you in Dalvegan?”

  “At the international airport,” she coos. “Now should I call a cab or-”

  “Don’t you dare! I’m on my way.”

  “I’ll be waiting….”

  Hitting the end button, my eyes meet my brother’s. “I gotta go. Carly’s in town.”

  Lynette strolls over and leans against Cody’s chair. “Guess she isn’t too mad after all.”

  “Or she would rather dump your ass in person.”

  His comment receives a swat to the shoulder but not before it’s had a chance to sneak under my skin.

  She wouldn’t really hop on a flight jus’ to end us, would she?

  She’s not endin’ this….

  At least not without a helluva fight.

  I quickly kiss my nieces goodbye, hop into my truck, and haul ass to the airport. It’s typically about a twenty minute drive, but the unsafe speeds I take save me a few. As soon as I pull into the pickup/drop off area, my heart locates Carly before my eyes do.

  Practically able to feel her, I haphazardly park, and race towards her.

  Despite security’s shouting over protocols, my body doesn’t stop moving until it’s yanking hers against mine. There’s no time for Carly to give me a second glance or speak. Her mouth is serving my demanding kiss and my hand is wound so tightly around her waist I should fear I’m going to break her in half. She desperately moans and I echo. Our tongues fervidly curl. Collide. Crash until we’re literally gasping for air.

  “Sir! You have to move your vehicle! We will tow it!” The security guard shouts.

  Carly pulls back and smiles. “That would not be a good way to spend our time together.”

  I grin, give her lower back a small stroke, and nod my agreement.

  In an effortless action, I yank her tiny suitcase into my possession. “This it?”

  She promptly nods.

  We walk back to my truck, where I gently toss the luggage into the bed of my Chevy before opening her door and helping her in. After giving security my sincerest apologies, or at least as sincere as I can make them, I hop back into the front seat, and lead us away from the airport.

  Astonishment still reigns supreme in my voice. “Can’t believe you’re really here.”

  “Can’t believe we’ve been apart this long.” The on ramp for the highway appears in our vision and she announces, “I’m staying at The Frost Luxury Hotel downtown. Do you know where that is or should I Google it?”

  My brother’s haunting teasing becomes much realer. “You’re not.…You’re not stayin’ out at my place?”

  “I’m here on business,” she begins to explain. “I’ve got a client meeting in the morning and it seemed to be wiser to stay closer.”

  “But just for tonight, righ’? This weekend-”

  “I’m only in town tonight.”

  Her words wrap tightly around my lungs.

  “As much as I wish I could stay longer, Dusty, and believe me I do, I can’t. I’ve got meetings Friday morning I can’t push back.”

  My lips press together while I nod my understanding.

  “But I needed to see you, so I had my assistant fly me in tonight and book me a hotel.”

  I steal a glance at her smiling face.

  “Because I do miss you as much as you miss me, Dusty.”

  Hearing her confession almost causes me to wreck my truck.

  “And I get it. It’s hard being away from each other. And it’s hard only having the moments we have created to tie us over until the next time we’re in one another’s arms, but that doesn’t give you the right to be an asshole, Dustin
.”

  The apology is instant. “I’m so sorry, baby. I really didn’t mean it. I was jus’-”

  “Taking a bad day out on me.”

  This time my nod is sheepish.

  “I honestly don’t mind being there for you, but you have to make it clear that’s what you need. I would’ve cancelled on Cordie if I would’ve known you needed your girlfriend to be your ear. I would’ve left the office early and spent the rest of the night on video chat with you doing everything I possibly could to make your day better. I wanna be there for you like that.” Her hand slides onto my thigh and once more, I almost lose control of my truck. “But I’ll be damned if I sit around and let you accuse me of being a cheating slut.”

  “I-”

  “Never again, Dustin. It’s bad enough you make me feel guilty for going out, but I will not stand to be treated that way. I deserve better.”

  “You’re damn right you do,” my seconding of her feelings takes her by surprise. “I was wrong for what I said. For the way I treated you. For constantly implying I don’t trust you, baby. I’ve come to realize it’s not that I don’t trust you….” Pulling into downtown, I sigh, “It’s that I’m scared out of my mind of losin’ you.”

  Carly’s hand gives my leg a comforting stroke. “The only way you’re gonna lose me is if you push me away, Dusty. Nothing else can take me away from you.” We come to a red light and my attention finally lands on hers. “I love you.”

  I can’t stop myself from reaching over and tugging her to me by the nape of her neck. “You have no idea how good it feels to hear those words in person, baby.”

  She teases, “Why don’t you give me a clue by saying them back.”

  My lips lower to feather hers. “I love you, too.”

  Her tongue steals a swipe seconds prior to the light going green.

  The moments from our stop to the one where we’re stumbling into her hotel room are blurry. Our hands are wandering, anxious to touch every little edge we’ve missed during our distance. Our mouths continuously gravitate together, like there are magnets embedded in our tongues. Our words are exchanged for overheated breaths. Everything outside of consuming one another is nonexistent and I couldn’t be happier about it if I tried.

  Carly pushes me down onto the edge of the mattress. “Brought you a little special treat. Think you should unwrap it now.”

  My cock bumps against my zipper in disagreement. “Can it wait, baby? I kinda had other plans in mind.”

  She shakes her head slowly.

  A sigh shoots out, and I toss my hands up in surrender.

  Her smile shifts to a seductive one as she turns her back to me.

  My gaze immediately roams down the beautiful backside I’ve missed so much.

  Carly taps the top of her dress. “Unzip me.”

  There’s not a shred of hesitation to follow the command. I shoot to my feet and clasp the object tightly, letting my face linger right over her shoulder. The heat of my uneven breath litters goosebumps across her flesh. I let a teasing smile hit my lips before they brush against her ear, “Cold, baby?”

  Carly peers up at me through her dark lashes. “You’ll warm me up in a minute.”

  A low growl festers in the back of my throat as I lower the zipper to the skin tight black dress.

  She does possess quite a high number of these types of dresses, but if I’m bein’ honest with myself, the majority are on the classy side rather than the cheap. Carly rarely displays more skin than necessary for work, and the little numbers she squeezes into for dancin’ are far from the extreme nature I made ‘em out to be. I’m jealous. Extremely jealous I’m not the one helpin’ her out of ‘em before bed every night.

  When it reaches the end of the line, she motions her head back towards the bed. “You can sit back down.”

  I do.

  Slowly, she peels off the quarter sleeves, lets the dress drop, and steps out of it, leaving her high heels on. Her entire backside is exposed, revealing a bright red thong that has a large bow resting at the top, as if her ass is a gift.

  Which it absolutely is. The perfect shape. The way it was made for my hands to palm it and spank it. It’s firm, yet soft….

  Hunger gets the better of my actions. My hands yank her backwards, wobbling her balance. I steady her frame by the hips and drag my teeth along the curve of her right cheek, growling during the process. A shiver tears through her, and I glide my hand up Carly’s back to push her top half over. With her body now bent, I trail my tongue towards the silky red fabric barrier. Her breath hitches when I snake my tongue underneath the thong, but my name falls freely from her lips during the delivery of my first lick. The taste is sweeter than I remember. Stronger than my sanity can handle. My mouth latches itself on and harshly sucks. I curl my tongue around her clit and relentlessly roll it. Sounds of panting reverberate around the room and it only accelerates my actions. I bury my face deeper, determined to drown, determined to die between the walls of heaven. Carly cries out yet bumps her body back towards me allowing her pussy to ride the undulating waves of my tongue. Endless wetness pours from her pussy and with every devoured drop, I find myself turning into a fiend.

  Carly is better than any drug, any back road, any perfect night under the stars. She is the epitome of ecstasy, and I’m not sure if I can go another day in my life without her.

  “Coming,” her strained voice claims.

  Tremors tear through her and across my tongue. Each pulse squeezing my tongue ignites jealousy in my dick. With one hand clutching her to me, I use the other to hastily undo my jeans. The moment I’ve managed to spring my cock free, I wrap my arm around her waist, tug her down, and drive myself to her hilt.

  Carly’s body arches. “Ohmygod!”

  Her moans meld into mine. However, instead of letting me pound away, she begins ferociously bouncing, proving once more she’s just as greedy as I am. My hands anchor themselves to her hips while my stare struggles to soak in the sexy sight in my lap. I sharply slam into her again and again, loving the way she’s no longer moaning but screaming with both sets of lips. Having her soaking wet pussy bathing my uncovered cock brings the difficulty of holding my orgasm at a bay to all-star levels. The ability to feel every single little shudder is like having her continuously coming.

  She dips her head back, our bucking now so brazen we should worry about breaking the bed. “So…so…close.”

  One hand reaches up to tug the wavy hair that’s gotten longer since we’ve been apart. The simple gesture is all it takes to shatter her. Carly gasps at the same time her body quivers. My forehead drops against her back unable to resist the rapid throbbing tempting me to come with her. I screw my eyes shut. Try to focus on my breathing. Calm the calamity of thoughts commanding I let her lead.

  All of a sudden, the sweetest sigh graces my ears. “Dusty….”

  The shred of restraint I had at my fingertips is robbed. Groan after groan pours from me as burst after burst fills her. Our bodies continue a slow grind, mixing our satisfactions, blending our bliss. Both of my arms lock around her midsection, and I finally exhale the doubt I’ve been gripping onto since we left the island.

  This woman is mine. I’ll be damned if I let fear get in my head like that again.

  Chapter Seven

  Carly

  “I look ridiculous!” Dusty shouts from the other side of the bathroom door.

  After one last look at my reflection, I swing it open to see him tugging at the collar of his white dress shirt. “Stop that.”

  He continues pulling at it. “Haven’t worn a suit since my brother’s weddin’ five years ago.”

  A soft smile expands across my lips as I approach him. “You look handsome, but if you stretch your collar out you’re gonna look like you’ve had weight loss surgery on just your neck.”

  “People don’t do that.”

  My head tilts to one side.

  “Do they really?”

  “People do all sorts of crazy things, especially
when they think they’re in love.”

  Like contemplate giving up their high paying job to move across the country to be with the man they can’t live without. At least twice a week since we saw each other in Dalvegan almost two months ago. Initially, I thought popping by and being together for a few hours would ease some of the agony of being apart. I was completely wrong. It somehow managed to magnify the pain exponentially. What terrifies me is how it broke me to have to walk away from him after less than twenty four hours together. How can I expect myself to just let him go after spending an entire weekend wrapped up in each other?

  I push away the unpleasant thoughts. “So, how do I look?”

  Dusty’s eyes drink in my attire. His green gaze caresses the sleeveless black lace top before dropping down to the fluffy bright red skirt underneath. He glares at the tiny line of midriff, but his tongue snakes across his bottom lip giving me a clear indication to which thoughts are actually winning.

  He clears his throat. “You look like I am gonna spend most of the night losin’ my damn mind whenever you’re not in sight.”

  A small snicker escapes at the same time I reach for his hand. “Then I guess you better not lose sight of me.”

  “Damn sure don’t plan on it,” he states and slips a soft kiss onto my lips.

  Our tongues briefly touch knowing the consequences of an over extended meeting.

  I pull us apart, reach for my clutch off of my queen sized bed, and sigh, “We should get going before we’re late.”

  “You’re the birthday girl. You’re allowed to be late.”

  Another smile crosses my face. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I should.”

  The two of us promptly exit my apartment hand in hand.

  Dusty’s very uncomfortable in my living space. Between the oddly shaped furniture pieces and my unusual choices in art décor, including a modernized abstract statue of Aphrodite, he has difficulty making himself at home. He tried to explain despite seeing it during our chats, it’s not anything he’s used to, but he’d do his absolute best to adjust. So far, the couch and my low to the ground bed he’s slightly too large for, are where he resides. Watching him stand next to the bar stools because he refused to sit in repurposed barber shop chairs had me laughing so hard I nearly choked on my breakfast this morning.