The McEllis Boys

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

Bethany shivered against the cool morning air and pulled the blanket tighter around her as she snuggled against the hard, warm body next to hers. She breathed in the scent of wildflowers and then opened her eyes to see the misty morning dawning in the mountains. She turned her head and looked at Andrew's sleeping face, then down at his bare chest. It was broad and muscled and there was that mole on his collarbone.....

Wait just a second! Why wasn't he wearing clothes and why did she find that mole familiar!? Exactly what the hell had happened last night?! Oh God, her papaw was going to KILL her!!!

Andrew's brown eyes opened and he smiled sleepily at her, "Good morning, beautiful," he mumbled as he slid her hair behind her ear.

Bethany jumped to her feet, keeping the blanket tight around herself, which of course left Andrew lying there naked in all his glory. And boy was his glory something.....

She shook her head to clear that thought! This man had gotten her drunk and had all but raped her! He had taken advantage of her, gotten what he'd wanted and now he'd just see her as a whore he could get into bed whenever he wanted! What had she done? She'd been saving her innocence for love and Andrew had taken it!

"What did we do?!" she demanded, forcing her eyes back to his face. Andrew looked hurt as he stood up and quickly found his pants, "You don't remember?" he asked as he pulled them on.

Oh Bethany remembered alright. It had been hot. It had been intense. It had felt better than anything she'd ever felt in her life. But she had also been drunk and he had known that and he had taken her anyway. She would never have given into him so quickly if he hadn't given her that whiskey. If he hadn't insisted that they go swimming while wearing next to nothing....

"I remember you giving me whiskey and getting me drunk so that you could have your way with me," she snapped.

Andrew shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. What was she talking about? He hadn't done anything in hopes of taking advantage of her. Sure he had hoped the whiskey would loosen her up some but she was the one that had practically thrown herself at him and said 'I want you, Andrew.' He had even asked her if she was sure and she had said yes. He hadn't done a damn thing wrong.

"Bethany, I don't understand why you're so upset. Why don't you lay back down here now. It's still early and we have plenty of time to enjoy the morning together." For the first time that Andrew could ever remember he had woken up peaceful. He hadn't felt a single bit of restlessness. There hadn't been any urge to get up and run like he always felt every single second of the day. Holding her warm body, feeling her breath on his skin, he had been completely content for the first time in his life.

And then she had shot out of his arms like a bullet from a gun and taken that feeling away.

"You don't understand?!" Bethany demanded, wishing he'd put his shirt on so she could focus on something other than that damn body. She'd never seen a body like his except for on television and hadn't known that 'regular' men could have one.

"No," he replied as he rubbed his palms over his thighs and began to pull on his boots.

"Do you always get innocent girls drunk so you can have your way with them? I am not some common whore, Andrew!"

Bethany was taken aback by the anger that flashed across his face. Hadn't he told her that he didn't have a temper? "You're gonna stop talkin' like that right now!" he exclaimed as he started toward her with his finger pointed. "Just so you know you were my first innocent woman and you wanted me just as bad as I wanted you and you weren't that drunk. You could have said no and I would have stopped because I ain't the type of man that would take advantage of a woman!"