The Curse Of Spring (Book Two of The Seasons Trilogy)

Chapter 8

Cole

I don't know what the hell came over me to make me kiss Harley. One moment I was laughing and launching water in her direction, the next our bodies were pressed together and my lips were glued to hers like velcro.

I wanted to step back, I really did, I just couldn't. Okay, so maybe I didn't really want to pull away from her, but I knew I'd feel like s**t once the fog of passion lifted.

Harley wasn't April. And I knew April was my soulmate, the tattoo between my shoulder blades said as much.

And yet I couldn't deny the pull I felt toward Harley. She was everything I could ever want in a girl; fun, clever, sexy as heck! But it was absolutely stupid to assume anything would ever come of it.

I'd tried the girlfriend thing before though and it ended up really badly - Sam had been awesome in the beginning, possessive but awesome. Almost overnight, she turned into some psychopath, wanting to know every step I took. She even put a tracker on my cellphone and absolutely freaked when I met up with Emily. When she attacked Em it was the last straw and I ended it, promising myself I wouldn't get into a relationship unless I found April and at least tried with her.

And yet, there I was, tongue deep in the mouth of a nymph who had zero knowledge of her s*x appeal. Dammit man! Get a grip!

With a groan, I pulled myself away from her, my arms on her shoulders to steady her. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she stepped away, putting enough distance between us that I could no longer touch her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," I admitted honestly, running my fingers through my damp hair.

She didn't respond initially and I really thought she might burst into tears for a second, instead she laughed and I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

"No harm done," she said with a flick of her hand. "I'm heading back to the workshop, will see you there."

Something felt off as she emerged from the water, her blonde hair like a golden waterfall as it ran down her back and almost touched her hips. I swallowed hard as some uncouth thoughts ran through my head, dunking myself under the water to rid my mind of the mental images.

"What the f**k is wrong with you, Wynter. Get a bloody grip!"

I felt a surge of power rush through my blood again, almost like it was being turned to ice - which I guess it was. Slowly, the water beside me began to drop in temperature and I immediately began to move toward the shore as water droplets froze on my skin. The last thing I needed was to be stuck in the middle of a frozen lake, forced to wait for it to thaw while my own body kept it at chilling temperatures.

I chuckled to myself in memory of the first time I'd shown any true powers, both utterly embarrassing and completely inopportune.

I'd been given the news that the military were doing a sweep of the area again, looking for April. It had been almost a year since her disappearance, and I'd spent the day practising some of the physical drills Emily’s new boyfriend was teaching me. She had the opinion that knowing how to defend myself physically would pay off in the battle against my sperm-donor of a father.

After three hours of pushing myself to my limit and beyond, my body ached and Em had suggested a warm bath to ease my muscles. She’d also very conveniently told me about the military’s presence just as I was about to follow her advice. Weird powers plus teenage angst plus worry equals me stuck frozen in a bath until Emily got worried and came to look for me. I’m not sure who was more embarrassed; me for being seen frozen naked or her as she tried to melt the ice with her hairdryer.

In retrospect, it was bloody hysterical but at the time I certainly wasn’t laughing.

With a chuckle at my younger self, I put my shoes back on and trod through the forest after Harley. I found her and Jay in the garage together, softly talking together. When they saw me approach they immediately straightened and a large, obviously fake smile was plastered on Jay’s face.

“You keen to go to a rally, kid?” he asked, his eyes shining with a hint of mischief.

“Never been to one before, but there’s a first time for everything. I just don’t have a bike.”

A slow smile spread across Jay’s face and I could almost see the cogs in his mind start turning with some sort of master genius plan. “You can borrow my Yamaha R1.” He gestured to the beast covered with a dust sheet. “Unless you’re scared and would rather ride b***h with Harley.”

I barked out a laugh and agreed to ride the Yamaha, swallowing hard. Jay saw my action and laughed again, thinking I was scared of the 150 horsepower bike. I let him think that, not wanting to admit the real reason for my dry mouth. The mere thought of having Harley sitting between my thighs made my d**k harden and I had to mentally force it down.

“We’re done here for the day, anyway. I’m going to meet the guys at Jacky’s for an early dinner and a beer. You kids be good, I won’t be home too late.”

Jay scrubbed his hands at the washbasin outside the garage and gave Harley a kiss on the cheek before he got onto his chopper and roared out of the driveway, leaving the two of us staring after him somewhat awkwardly.

“Soooo… pizza?” Harley eventually drawled, ending the silence.

“Yeah, I could eat.” I agreed, my stomach growling loudly as it remembered we hadn’t had any lunch. “Is Jay alright?”

“He’s fine, just some personal stuff he’s dealing with at the moment. He will be alright, he’s been through worse in his lifetime.”

It sounded as if she were trying to convince herself more than me, so I let her yabber on about how big and brave Jay was while I started making the pizza dough. She clearly was an utter daddy’s girl. By the time the oven was hot enough to put my pizza masterpieces in it, I’d heard so much praise about the older man that I was even starting to hero worship the guy. He’d done so much for the community that I think they no longer saw the fact that he’d done time behind bars - saving kittens from trees and working in the soup kitchen seemed to add up.

“Shux, listen to me! I’ve been talking in circles!” she exclaimed, pressing her hands to her inflamed cheeks. “I’m just slightly worried about him.”

I laughed and pulled her into a hug. “It’s alright to be worried, he’s your dad.”

She smiled up at me then giggled as she raised her hand and brushed it against my forehead. “You have flour all over you.” She ran her hand down my cheek, her thumb brushing against the corner of my lip.

My head came down faster than my mind could stop it, and my lips found her soft ones. Her arms wound around my neck and she sighed softly into my mouth, allowing my tongue to dart out and claim hers. She pulled at me, urging me to deepen our kiss as the flames between us burst into a raging inferno. I lifted her onto the kitchen counter, settling myself between her legs as they wrapped around me. My hands rested on her hips, pulling her core tight against me before they found their way beneath her shirt, trailing up her silky skin. I felt the barrier of her bra and trailed my fingertips below the band to where I knew the clasp would be.

April hadn’t yet been wearing bras when I had kissed her - puberty hadn’t really hit her like it had hit me.

April.

Fuck, what the hell was I doing?

I pulled back like I had been burned, stumbling backward and almost tripping over myself. Bewilderment was obvious on Harley’s face, her lips rosy and begging to be kissed again, her eyes glassy with passion. It took a few seconds to realise that I had pulled away from her, her mouth opening and closing once again.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled before I took off in a jog, making a hasty escape from the house.

The need to clear my head was overwhelming. I’d made out with Harley again! I’d almost taken our friendly intimacy to a whole new level. It felt like I was cheating on April and I hated myself for it. f**k, I was an arsehole!

Grateful that I still had my trainers on, I jogged all the way back to the lake and plunged myself into the cool water. Not cold enough for my liking, I released some of my power until a mist seemed to hover above the water. I stayed there for hours, practising turning water I threw up into the air into ice. I’m not sure how that would ever help me in the long run, but it gave me something to think about other than Harley. And April.

When I eventually dragged up enough nerve and self control, I made my way back to the house where I found that Harley had locked herself in her room, music blaring loudly from behind the closed door.

That evening, I went to bed hating myself more than I ever had before.