Vanished

Before

10 years earlier

"Where is your sister again?" Austin asked from where he sat on my very pink bed, surrounded by books and notebooks. It was a Tuesday night, and we were studying for our finals.

"Out with Vicky."

"And your parents?"

I rolled my eyes. "At the movies. I told you this already."

Tuesday night was half price at the movie theater in our town. My parents called it their date night, although they didn't go as much as they wanted to. Usually because my dad was busy with work.

He chuckled. "When are they coming back?"

"I don't know. An hour maybe?" I glanced at the clock. They'd left about an hour before Aubrey did. She, however, wouldn't be back until way after midnight.

"Your sister too?"

I snorted. "Please, she won't be back until the early morning. She's celebrating that she graduated nursing school."

Austin laughed. "Hasn't she celebrated that already?"

"Yeah, like five times."

Every time one of her friends came back home from college, they went out to celebrate. This time it was with one of her best friends, Vicky. She had just gotten back from New York, where she'd received a degree in accounting.

"So come here, babe," Austin said and closed the book he had in his lap and put it to the side. "It's just us." He wiggled his eyebrows, and I broke out laughing.

Austin was so damn cute. Actually, he was more than cute. He was strikingly handsome. His brown hair, that curled out at the ends, had some natural highlights from his surfing escapades, which gave him a very carefree look. He was athletic and had picked up how to both surf and play golf despite having moved here from Alaska right before our junior year. His warm, brown eyes, which normally twinkled with mischief, were currently staring at my mouth.

"Austin," I warned when he reached for me.

We were supposed to study for our finals, but with the way Austin looked at me, like I was the most delicious thing he'd ever seen, I had no problem closing the biology book.

I licked my lips as I got up from the chair and made my way over to him.

"We studied already, and we're alone. That never happens."

That was also true. My parents were almost always home, and if they weren't, Aubrey was.

I barely got to sit down on the bed before he was on me. His kisses were soft yet demanding and succeeded in making both my toes curl in and my clothes fall off.

"Damn, babe, you're beautiful," he said as he caressed my blushing skin.

I kind of felt beautiful because of the way he looked at me. His eyes darkened with desire, and the part of him he couldn't hide when he got excited created a serious bulge in his shorts.

I knew where we were heading. It wasn't our first time doing it, but we rarely had the luxury of taking our time or access to a bed. Most of our sex life had involved rushed encounters or the backseat of Austin's car. Not that I was complaining. Austin knew what to do, even in tight spaces.

"You are overdressed," I said and reached for his t-shirt. He smiled that perfectly imperfect, slightly crooked smile of his, and together we pulled the shirt over his head, leaving his tanned upper body on full display.

He was beautiful.

Austin had muscles, but he was still a bit gangly. My mom used to say that sometimes boys my age needed to grow out of the puppy stage. I'm pretty sure Austin had, at least for the most part, but he didn't have the same kind of muscles the guys Aubrey hung around with had. Not that I cared about that. To me, Austin was the most handsome, best-looking guy in the world. I loved him. Everything about him.

Austin shifted, so that I ended up on my back, with him hovering over me. His mouth was on mine. Soft and warm and so full of promises.

"I want you, babe," he said, his voice hoarse and full of need. As to prove his point, he pushed his erection against my thigh. I didn't even bother trying to hold back a moan. There was nobody around but us.

I was so ready for him. That was the effect he had on me. Just a few kisses of his amazingly talented mouth and I was ready to go.

"Austin..."

His hand caressed slowly across my stomach.

"Mm, babe..."

I lost my train of thought when his fingers trailed down into my panties...