Disclaimer: Nothing that you recognize here belongs to me except for the characters of Ben, Travis, Charlie, and Annie as well as the companies Fleurs and Green Thumb Planters

Warnings: Slash, Nonrelated, Language, Implied Abuse, Hand Job, Graphic Sex, Blowjob

~*Chapter Fourteen: Because of You*~

Sunlight dances across my eyelids.

Moaning in protest, I crack an eye open and squint till the blurry clock numbers clear.

7:30 AM.

With another groan, I yank the sheets over my head and bury my face farther into my pillow. It's too early. Unfortunately my sleepy mind is already waking up and that's when I become aware of arms tightening around my waist and hear soft snores in my ear.

Slowly I glance over my shoulder and grin. Tyler lies spooned against me, his hair tussled and a small trail of drool dripping from his mouth. Sometime during the night, my blanket fell down to his hips and left me with a front row view of his toned muscles. My smile widens as images of last night flicker through my memory.

Rolling over so we're chest to chest, I snuggle closer. Although corny and cliché, the previous evening was the best night of my life. Unlike them, Tyler handled me so lovingly and gently, giving me plenty of opportunities to back out while encouraging me to fight whenever painful memories resurfaced and threatened to consume me. Someone must really be looking out for me to have sent me an angel like him. As I continue watching him, my heart swells with an unfamiliar but welcome sensation. Is this what it's like to feel truly happy?

"See something you like, baby?" a sleep-thick voice asks.

My gaze snaps up and locks with Tyler's. When did he wake up? Recovering, I smile and nod. "Yes, actually I do. You," I say, leaning forward and capturing his lips.

Lazily he rolls onto his back and pulls me on top of him. Straddling his hips, I whimper as his cock sinks deeper inside me. When we separate, he caresses my face. I lean into his touch and kiss the inside of his wrist before closing my eyes and sighing.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, his fingers traveling through my hair, his eyes staring into mine with a touch of concern. "Are you sore at all?"

I shake my head. "Last night," I say, my voice breathy, "…was amazing."

His eyes brighten. "No regrets?"

"No regrets." I lie down and nuzzle his neck. His arms encircle me and his fingertips rub small circles into my lower back. "What would I do without you?" His skin muffles my rhetorical question and part of me hopes he doesn't hear it.

Unfortunately, he does.

"Crash and burn," he says, but then his grip tightens. I glance up curious and tense at his serious expression. "I'm not going anywhere, you know that right?" I bite my lip and give a slow nod. At least I hope he isn't going anywhere. I need him, more than I've ever needed or wanted anyone in my entire life. "Then I guess that means you're stuck with me," he says with his usual goofy grin.

Although uttered in a teasing manner, his words carry an unspoken question. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. After everything we've experienced, how could he even consider the possibility that I'd want someone else?

As I prop myself up on my elbows, our gazes lock. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

He smiles in relief and tugs me down into another heated kiss.

Switching off the shower, I push open the door, grab two towels, and hand one to Tyler. After drying my upper body, I step out of the stall, pad over the mirror, and wipe a clear path across the steamed surface. As I rub my hair dry, Tyler moves behind me and places his hands on my hips.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he asks, nibbling on my ear.

Laughing softly, I lean back and hook my arms around his neck in a backwards hug. "It's all for you, baby because I'm all yours."

"Good," he says. "I don't share well with others."

Lightly I push him away. "You're such a goofball."

I knot my towel around my waist and go to open the bathroom door, but Tyler catches me around my middle and drags me back against his chest; his awakened erection presses against my thigh.

"But I'm yours."

"That's right and don't you forget it." When I go to move away again, his grip doesn't loosen. "Tyler, I need to get dressed."

"Why?" he asks, bending down, sucking, and biting my neck. "It's just you and me here. What's to stop us from spending the entire day in bed?"

Shivering, I lean back and tilt my head to the side, giving him more access. "As fun as that sounds, I heard Elena leaving a message earlier about wanting to hang out later as she has something to tell us."

He whines in disappointment. "I was hoping to have you all to myself today."

I laugh. "Careful, Tyler. Sounds like you're getting possessive."

"I've always been possessive of you, baby boy. Can you blame me?"

Sighing, I shake my head. "No but they were possessive too and…I just don't want our relationship to be similar."

Flipping me around, Tyler lifts my chin. "Jere, do you really think I'd do that to you?"

My throat tightens at the note of hurt in his voice and I shake my head. "It's just that's how everything started."

"No, it started with that bastard raping you."

"You and I had sex yesterday."

He stiffens and pulls out of my grasp. "So you do regret it."

Before I can protest, he yanks open the bathroom door and slams it behind him. For a moment, I stand there and stare at the empty space behind me, stunned. What prompted me to say that when it isn't how I feel? Quickly I open the door and when I don't find him in the bedroom, I race down the hallway and spot him on the couch, his shoulders hunched and his head buried in his hands.

"Tyler?" I take a hesitant step towards him. When he doesn't respond, I move closer. "Tyler…" Sighing, I rub the back of my neck at his lack of acknowledgement—not that I can blame him. "I'm sorry. What I said earlier…I don't and could never regret last night." My gaze drops to the carpet. "I know you're not…them and that you would never hurt me like that…it's just…that's the only kind of relationship I've ever known. When you were talking about keeping me all to yourself, a part of me knew you were teasing, but that's exactly what they did: kept me away from others." I press my lips together and swallow, my mind flashing back to the early days of his abuse. At first, as long as I didn't anger him, the rapes occurred maybe two or three times a week, despite his insistence that I sleep in his room; however, two months later, he cornered and coerced me into having sex more often. Regardless of whether he was drunk, pissed, or in a good mood, he took what he wanted whenever he wanted it—no ifs, ands, or buts allowed. Shaking aside my memories, I refocus on Tyler. "I'm trying here, Ty, but I'm so fucked up, it's gonna take time to straighten me out."

"Are you saying we shouldn't be together?" His strained voice startles me.

His question hits hard and with no control over my body, I lunge at him, throwing my arms around his neck and clinging tight. "No! You can't leave me. You promised you wouldn't!"

"Jeremy, Jeremy," his voice sounds like a moan as he seizes my hands, pries them loose, and kisses my knuckles repeatedly, "I already told you that I'm not going anywhere. Yes, what I said about wanting to keep you here with me was partly teasing, but mostly serious too. I've seen too many bad things happen to you in the recent weeks and I don't want to see anything else happen to you."

"You can't always protect me, Ty."

"Watch me," he says, his eyes flashing. "Look, Jere, I'm sorry about walking out on you earlier, but when you compared me to Matt—"

"I never said that!"

"It was implied, Jere," he says quietly.

I close my eyes and clench my fists. "That wasn't what I meant. I only meant that I don't want anything like that ruining our relationship too. When I heard what you said, my mind translated it into something different and…but that didn't give me the right to react the way I did and I'm sorry."

Tyler places his fingers over my lips. "Shh. I understand. Looks like both you and I both need to work on our communication skills."

I press my lips together and nod. Communication—that's the only way our relationship will survive and mature. "Ty, if you really want today to be just the two of us—"

"No, it's fine. We haven't hung out with the gang for awhile and I think it would be good for you to see your friends. However, we will need to have a long overdue conversation soon."

Tackling him, I press our lips together; he gasps and I take the opportunity to slip my tongue inside his mouth. His tongue meets mine, dueling briefly before he overpowers and dominates the kiss. Flipping us over, he presses me into the couch and rubs his hips against mine. I throw my head back, moans and whimpers escaping. I entangle my fingers in his hair, tugging on the strands and hooking my legs around his waist.

One of his hands eases its ways between our bodies, unties our towels, envelopes both our erections, and jerks them together. Gripping his shoulders, I squeeze my eyes shut and cry out in pleasure, my hips thrusting in sync with his movements. Tyler's lips travel down my chest and once he reaches my erect nipples, he gives each a long lick before taking one in his mouth, sucking and grazing it with his teeth. My back arches and I push my chest more into his mouth.

"Tyler…please, I'm…ah yes, I'm close…"

He glances up at me, his eyes a milk chocolate color, and pumps his hand faster. "Me too, baby."

At the familiar tightening in my stomach, my nails dig into his back; as waves of pleasure crash through me, I cum with a shout before my body goes slack. Seconds later Tyler, his hips still rutting against mine, releases. Chest heaving, I blink my eyes open and stare up at him and his cum-covered stomach. With a mischievous wink, he bends forward and laps it all up. Stunned, I lie there and pant hard, unable to help whimpering at the slow, wet slide of his tongue. After a moment he pulls back and hovers over me: the intensity of his stare more than I can comprehend.

Then his lips cover mine.

As I respond, my chest tightens from the swell of love, desire, tenderness radiating off him. I clutch his shoulders and kiss back in hopes of mimicking those emotions and conveying everything that he means to me. Tugging me closer, his tongue taps against my mouth and I relax my jaw, coaxing him inside and tasting the mixture of his and my cum. While I've always considered the taste of my own spunk to be disgusting, when it's combined with Tyler's, it's an addicting flavor.

"Damn, baby boy, you taste good," he says, his voice husky as we separate.

I grin up at him lazily. "Another shower?"

His smile turns wicked as he scoops me up and hurries towards the shower. "Definitely."

Finishing our second shower, Tyler texts Elena and says we'll meet everyone at Starbucks at a quarter passed noon. Because of me though, Tyler and I arrive fifteen minutes later than expected and as a result, everyone's already there with their preferred drinks. While Tyler waits in line, I head towards the back table to join our friends. The moment Elena and Bonnie spot me, they scramble out of their seats and tackle me with hugs.

"It sure took you long enough," Bonnie says and ruffles my hair.

"Hey!" I move away and pretend to fix my hair. "No one touches my hair."

Tyler slips up behind me and drags his fingers through my hair in an exaggerated caress. I shiver, but do nothing to push him away. Elena's eyebrows shoot up as she suppresses her giggles and Bonnie crosses her arms with an affectionate smirk. "Oh is that so? No one touches your hair, huh?"

"Boyfriend privileges," I say, my cheeks flushing.

Chuckling, the girls usher me back to where Luca, Stefan, and Charlie are waiting while Tyler collects our drinks when the barista announces the order. I greet the guys and take my seat. Moments later, Tyler snags the chair beside me and hands me my Caffé Mocha. I shoot him a grateful look and take a sip, before scooting closer.

For the next half hour, Bonnie recounted how she spent the last two weeks in Connecticut visiting with her grandma, whom she has wanted to see but couldn't due to her restrictive schedule at Fleurs. Because his father wanted quality father-son time, Luca requested time off from his gardening position at Green Thumb Planters and drove up to the mountains where he learned how to fish and improved his archery skills during a weekend camping trip. Charlie, not in a talkative mood, only volunteered vague details about bussing tables at Mystic Gill while a new waiter shadowed him and learned the shift routine. In the evenings, Charlie either retired to his home and caught up on missed TV shows or hung out with another friend.

Although I comment on my friends' stories, for the most part I stay quiet and enjoy the aroma of fruity and Frappuccino blends coupled with fresh-baked cookies, candied pastries, and gourmet sandwiches permeating the air. Behind me, a barista rings up several customers' orders before passing them over to another coffee-maker to brew and prepare. Nearby I catch fragments of other patrons' conversations while also straining to hear the faint, background music playing overhead. It's moments like this where I'm grateful to have more socializing time with my friends without the overshadowing fear of them plaguing me.

As my attention returns to my friends, Elena launches into a story about Stefan surprising her with an invitation to go dancing. I frown and tilt my head to the side while Bonnie coos about how "jealous" she is; the guys, although surprised at Stefan's actions, remain nonchalant. Yet, no one comments on the rarity of them hanging out and acting civilized towards each other. Am I the only person who finds that odd? Elena continues to gush about Stefan teaching her several Fifties dance steps. Unconsciously, my gaze wanders over to his. Used to their hot and cold show of affection, I brush off their quick but affectionate banter exchange and brace myself for the infamous return of their bickering. That's probably why no one's said anything. However, when I glimpse Elena leaning towards Stefan and stealing a kiss, I choke on my mocha.

That's not normal.

Instantly, six pairs of eyes snap in my direction.

"You okay there, Jere?" Tyler asks and rubs my back.

Ignoring his question, I gesture towards Stefan and Elena. "So…how long have you two been dating, Elena?"

Instead silence.

Elena's face reddens as Bonnie's head jerks towards her, her eyes wide and her expression screaming "how dare you not tell me this!" while Luca and Charlie chuckle and nudge Stefan in the ribs, hooting, whistling and wiggling their eyebrows. Conflicted, Stefan glances around unsure of how to react while Elena fiddles with her cup, her gaze avoiding mine.

"Oh would the two of you relax?" From the way everyone's acting, you would think Stefan's broken some sacred taboo in order to date Elena. "I'm fine with you together…actually I'd say it's about time." Everyone else nods and voices their agreement. "Seriously, I was getting whiplash from watching the two of you arguing one moment and then flirting with each other the next," I say, flashing them a teasing smile.

Stefan slumps in relief. "I asked her out after the hospital discharged her. We went on a few dates to see if we could handle each other in a romantic sense. When that was a success, I got up the courage to ask her out officially yesterday and she said yes."

"I wasn't hiding this from any of you," Elena says her voice quiet and timid, shying away from Bonnie's indignant look. "I wanted to tell all of you in person."

Pushing my chair back, I approach and kneel beside her seat. Hesitantly her eyes meet mine. "I'm not mad. I'm happy for you actually. All of us have been waiting for you to get together." Inwardly, I recall how a few of us even started a bet to see how long before one of them confessed, but Elena and Stefan don't need to know about that.

Elena stares at me with her mouth dropped. "You have…really?"

I nod and lightly kiss the top of her head before meeting Stefan's gaze. "You may be my friend too, Stefan, but Elena's my best friend, next to Tyler. If you hurt her then I'll break your face."

He scoots his chair closer to Elena's. "I have no intentions of hurting her," he says, fitting her against his side and tucking her head beneath his chin. As his arm locks around her waist, she snuggles closer and shuts her eyes when he bends down and pecks her nose. I smile at the exchange before returning to my seat and laying my head my boyfriend's shoulder.

Elena couldn't have found a better guy.

When we leave Starbucks, since it's still early enough in the afternoon, we all decide to spend a few hours at the local beach, which thankfully isn't crowded during the afternoons. After parking and claiming our spot, the six of us pair off to play a game of Frisbee. Tiring of that, Charlie suggests a few rounds of Truth or Dare. For the most part the dares and truths are pretty tame, until Charlie's Truth choice leads to the discovery of a secret love interest. Unfortunately, no matter how much the girls beg, he refuses to elaborate.

Out of the whole group, Charlie's the one I could never figure out. His personality varies to the point where just when I think I've figured him out, he pulls some random prank that reveals another layer to his character. Though we've tried, none of us could pinpoint his type; however, learning that he's found someone perks my curiosity and I run through a mental list of potential partners.

None of them fit.

After Charlie's adamant refusal to disclose his "love interest's" identity, Stefan, Tyler, and Luca abandoned the game in favor for some bodysurfing. Elena and Bonnie grabbed their towels and lay down, in hopes of improving their tans. I stretch out on my own towel and enjoy the warmth of the waning sun on my skin. Sensing someone's gaze, I open my eyes, expecting to find an unapologetic Tyler but am startled to see Charlie shooting me uneasy looks. That's odd. I'm not his "love interest"…am I? At that thought, I shift my attention to a cluster of nearby rocks. Waves crash against them, water spraying upward and coating them with white foam. Against my will, my gaze returns to Charlie's. Anxiety and nervousness swell in the pit of my stomach. Neither of us considers the other as anything more than a friend…right?

Tyler must've noticed Charlie's unwavering attention and my growing discomfort as he emerges from the sea, water dripping from his muscles and hair; gravitating to my side, he secures an arm around my shoulders, his territorial actions all but shouting "mine, back off!"

"Stefan Salvatore, don't you dare!"

Elena's shriek shatters the tension and I turn in time to see Luca and Stefan each seizing their respective girlfriends, racing down the sand, and dumping them into the water. Both girls come up sputtering. With narrowed eyes, they charged after their snickering boyfriends. Unfortunately that leaves Tyler, Charlie, and me alone. After a few moments, Tyler stands and stalks towards Charlie. I go to follow but my body refuses to respond. Lips pursed, Tyler says something and jabs a finger in my direction. Although too far away to hear their conversation, I catch the shock playing across Charlie's face as he hastily shakes his head. Whatever he said in response causes Tyler's expression to melt into a grin and he shoots me a wink. I heave a sigh of relief.

Crisis averted...for now.

Grumbling, Elena flops down beside me, sand immediately clinging to her soaked bathing suit and wet skin; clumps of dark hair cluster around her face.

"Don't you dare laugh," she says, wagging a warning finger in my direction. I press my lips together; the corners of my mouth twitch, but somehow I manage—barely—to keep from laughing. She offers me another threatening look as she retrieves her towel, scrubs away the sand, and rubs her hair dry. Distracted, I glance over at Tyler and chuckle as he gains the upper hand in a water wrestling match with Charlie. "You really do love him, don't you?"

I jump at her unexpected question. "Who Tyler?" She nods. "More than I ever thought possible. Elena, if I ever lost him I don't know what I'd do."

She nudges my shoulder with a playful grin. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? He isn't going anywhere, not unless you tell him to."

As if sensing our conversation shift, Tyler's gaze locks with mine. Smiling he waves while gripping Charlie in a headlock. "It's pretty crazy everything that's happened to us lately," I say, waving back and shaking my head as he fights in vain to free himself.

She sighs and sits back, propping her arms behind her for support and stretching her legs out in front of her. "Hey, Jere, I never did apologize for reading your journal."

I glance at her in surprise. "Elena, that was five years ago. What brought that up?"

"Stefan told me about your breakdown in the hospital after I was attacked." She takes my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Telling everyone took a lot of courage. Anyway, I've been thinking about what you said and probably none of this would've have happened if I hadn't snooped and read your journal."

"Elena, we don't know that." I catch her chin and turn her face towards mine. "They were both twisted and deranged psychopaths. There's no way you could've foreseen what was gonna happen; hell, all this time I thought it'd just been M-Matt raping me and then I found out about Klaus."

"That maybe be true but if I'd just left you alone instead of trying to befriend you—"

"Elena, stop. No matter what happens, I've never regret becoming your friend. Sure, at times I worried it would lead to your death and it almost did, but we're all alive and they're dead. Just let it go."

She raises an eyebrow at me. "Have you?"

I stare at my feet; damn she knows me well enough to see through my speech façade. "I'm trying," I say softly. "It's not easy and I do still feel pretty guilty about what almost happened, but, with Tyler, you, and everyone else around, I think I'll recover."

She smiles and kisses my cheek. "That's what friends are for."

Just then a pair of arms surrounds my waist and I feel my back connect with a solid, damp chest. Without looking I know it's Tyler.

"Hey there, baby." I tilt my face up and meet his lips in a kiss.

"Hi." He nuzzles my nose before he looks at Elena. "Mind if I borrow him for a bit?"

She grins and shakes her head. "Not at all. In fact I still need to repay a certain someone for dumping me in the ocean." With that, she rises and stalks towards an unsuspecting Stefan.

Part of me feels bad but not enough to warn him. After all, he awakened his girlfriend's wrath and now it's only fair that he deals with the consequences.

Hand in hand, Tyler and I walk along the beach shore, a long stretch of white, gleaming sand littered with half-buried shells. Reflected sunlight stretches across the water surface. Closing my eyes, I feel the stinging, salty breeze brush against my skin and blow my hair about my face. Overhead, the soft cries of seagulls echo while waves splash against the rocks, the retreating tide stroking their coarse surfaces.

"So where are we…?"

Before I can finish speaking, Tyler drags me inside a little cavern and shoves me back against the wall, his lips seeking mine. I groan, fisting his hair and tugging. One of my legs wraps around his waist as I thrust our hips together. His eyes roll back into his head as he pulls away only to reattach his lips to my throat. I lean back against the rocky wall; the jagged edges scratch my back.

"Are you up for a quick round?" He peers at me, his eyes dilated with want.

I swallow, suddenly very aware of the exposure of our "hideout." "Tyler, anyone could walk in and see us here."

He teases his body over mine; my head drops back and I moan, almost able to feel the heat radiating off him. "That's part of the thrill. So, think you're up for it, baby boy?"

I hook my hand around his neck and crash our lips together. "I've very up for it, Tyler. The question is can you keep up?"

My eyes meet his challengingly and he growls, flipping me around and pressing me face first against the wall. His hands quickly unbutton and unzip my jeans, letting them pool around my ankles while he works on getting his own pants undone.

"Tyler, please," I say, my voice a breathy moan, "I need you in me right now."

"Hang in there, baby boy." His rubs his hips into mine, his wet tip probing my entrance.

I dig my nails into the rock and bite my lip. "Tyler, please don't tease."

Apparently he can't wait anymore either because I hear him spit in his hand before shifting closer, widening my legs, and angling his cock. I shiver at the feel of his saliva-slick and hard tip. My own cock twitches and precum bubbles out. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he eases his way inside me. My body stretches and welcomes his presence. With his chest braced against my back, he slides his palms over my shoulders and down my chest, alternating between a pseudo deep-tissue massage and teasing my nipples. My eyes roll back and my head dips backwards as moans erupt from my throat. Capturing my lips, he works himself in deeper and swallows my cries as he develops a steady rhythm. I gasp and lean forward, my hands scrapping against the wall, seeking something to hold on to; his pace grows faster, harder, deeper. I struggle to stay quiet, but Tyler feels so good inside me.

"Fuck you feel good, Jere." As his hands grip my waist, his speed quickens even more.

Unable to form a coherent response, I press back, eager for more, and my eyes close as Tyler's hips dig into mine, his cock sliding out only to thrust back in farther and farther. My head hangs between my arms as my breath escapes in a mixture of pleasure cries and heavy puffs. Angling his body to the left, his cock grazes against a bundle of sensitive nerves and a jolt ripples through my body that leaves me in a quivering mess. As Tyler targets that spot, my cries grow louder in pitch. Placing his lips against my neck, he bites and sucks at the skin while his hand reaches down, seizes my throbbing dick, and pulls. Arching up, I cry out.

"Tyler, please, I'm so close. Please harder, fuck me harder."

Grunting and breathing hard, he slams into me once, twice, three more times before my stomach clenches, toes curl, and my release pulses through me. As I come down from my high, Tyler's warm liquid spills inside me. We stand there for several moments to calm our shaking bodies and racing hearts.

"Are you all right, Jere?" he asks as he pulls out. I wince, missing his presence instantly. He notices my grimace and misinterprets it. "Fuck, I hurt you, didn't I?"

I shake my head, turn to face him, and pull him into my arms. "I just felt empty when you pulled out." He grins and dips his head, intent on kissing me.

His lips never reach mine.

"Hey guys." I gasp at Elena's unexpected interruption. Tyler's body covers mine and presses us into the shadows, shielding me from sight. "If you're finished, could you please clean yourselves up? The rest of us are hungry and want dinner." She's quiet for a few moments before continuing, "Oh, and Damon called to say he'll be joining us at Rob's."

Once her footsteps retreated, Tyler and I dissolve into a chuckling fit. "I guess you were too loud, baby," I say, drawing him in for another kiss.

"Speak for yourself. I'm surprised your neighbors haven't complained yet."

Pulling up my pants, I tuck myself back inside and button up my shirt. "This is only the second time we've had sex, Ty, third if you count our morning couch session."

He glances over at me, his grin mischievous. "Planning on regulating our love making?"

"Why Mr. Lockwood, whatever gave you that idea?"

"Boy, you are so getting it later."

"Is that so? What if I have other plans for you?"

He shakes his head. "Jere, you couldn't catch me off guard even if you tried."

Eyebrows raised, I sink to my knees and smirk at his startled expression before leaning forward and engulfing his cock with my mouth; bobbing my head, I establish a steady rhythm, hollowing my cheeks and sucking harder. Tyler's grip on my hair tightens as he grits his teeth, his body pulsing with excitement, tension, and sensitivity. After a moment, I peer up at him and wink, my tongue flickering out and curling around his length.

"Oh fuck yes, Jeremy!" His head falls back as his hips jerk upward, his cock smacking the back of my throat. Gagging from the force, I place my hands on his thighs and ease him back, sucking on the tip before releasing him with a wet pop and climbing to my feet. His eyes flash open. "What? What are you…I wasn't finished!"

"If you want more, Tyler," slowly, I step backwards, "then you'll have to catch me!"

I take off, shrieking with laughter as he scrambles to redress and then stumbles after me. Since it's not easy running on sand, I make sure to stay on the smooth, wet surface. Unfortunately, this allows Tyler the upper hand as he gets closer. When I can practically feel his breath on my neck, I urge my legs to go faster. Not too far away I spot our friends but I only have enough time to register one of them pointing at us before I face plant into the sand as Tyler tackles me. Playfully, we roll back and forth wrestling, but eventually he pins me down, straddling my hips and trapping my arms above my head.

"So…I caught you," he says, his voice breathless as he hovers above me.

I smile. "That you did. Do you want your prize now or later?"

He winks and kisses my forehead. "Nah, I'll collect it later…after we've explored what else that mouth of yours can do."

At his implication, I squeeze my eyes shut and suppress a shudder of excitement, focusing on calming my reawakened cock. Thankfully it goes away after a few minutes, but I fully plan on exerting my revenge when Tyler least expects it. With a knowing smirk, he climbs to his feet, offers me his hand, and lifts me onto his back; hooking his arms around my legs and securing me in place, he jogs the rest of the way back to where our friends wait. Once we're ready, everyone piles back into their respective vehicles and caravans over to Rob's for dinner.

Author's Notes: Hey everyone!

Yes, I am alive and I am so sorry for the long delay for posting this chapter. There's been A LOT of crap going on in my family: the bulk of it is my mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer about a year ago. Then she went to remission and was declared cancer free but when she had a CT scan to have her port removed, the doctors found her cancer hadn't left but had metastasized further. Last month she was given 2-5 months to live. So needless to say tensions are running high in my household. But I will be continuing my stories—just fair warning that updates probably won't be very frequent.

On a brighter topic, I want to thank all of my readers for your previous reviews, both signed and anonymous. They all mean a lot to me and I'm thrill that everyone is enjoying this story. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and am pretty happy with its content as there's something for everyone: romance, drama, angst, humor, and of course Jyler! ;)

Hopefully this chapter was worth the unplanned, brief hiatus and I look forward to reading your comments on this second to last (yes, you read that right ) chapter.

Take care, my readers and I love you all.