The Choice - A Small Town Love Triangle by Piper Phoenix

with someone like me. I tried. I really tried,” he said standing and walking towards her. She couldn’t help herself from noticing how tight his boxers fit him and hugged him in all the right spots. “I haven’t even been with another woman since,” he said as if that were some kind of amazing accomplishment.
    Traci wondered if that had meant there had been someone after the first time they’d been together. Not that it should matter but she couldn’t stop herself, “So there was someone after the first time?”
    “Sweetheart,” he said his voice icy.
    “Never mind I don’t want to know,” she said realizing he had.
    “That’s when I was certain you’d done something to me,” he said his tone warming. He leaned down and cupped her face with his rough hands tilting her face to his. Cash put his lips to hers and kissed her. It was sweet and sensual, and different from all their other kisses.
    “I uh….” Traci felt as though her mind had been erased. All her thoughts gone as if he’d hit a delete button.
    “It doesn’t matter Jane.” Only now, at this moment, had it struck her odd she still hadn’t told him her real name. It had just been easier not to. “I know you can’t sit and wait for me, so I didn’t even ask no matter how much I wanted to. It’s tearing me apart. I wanted to beg you to come with me, but my life on the road is, well, it’s miserable. I couldn’t ask you… I wouldn’t even allow you to. Some nights I sleep in my truck. It’s boring and I’m barely making ends meet the way it is.
    “Even my own brother is getting more and more pissed every time I come into town and crash here. We’re family and even though we haven’t gotten along in a very long time, I can tell his hospitality is wearing thin. You should have seen him tonight.” Traci shifted uncomfortably when Cash talked about Sawyer. He must not have noticed her parked car at Sawyer’s, which meant he didn’t know she’d spent time with him either. He sighed, “But I keep thinking about you. And I couldn’t wait to see you again,” he said kissing her again.
    “Cash,” she whispered against his lips as he pulled her to her feet. Her body reacted almost instantly as he held her against his warm, naked skin. There was no way she could even begin to process the fact he had some kind of feelings for her right now. Ever since having spent that first night with him she’d been trying to accept how short term Cash would be in her life. This declaration wasn’t something she expected. Not even a blip on the radar.
    “Jane,” he moaned pressing himself against her, “stay… tonight. I need to have you, just once more, if that’s all you can give me.”
    He started kissing her neck, and her fingers twirled into his hair as she leaned her body into his. His kissing was slow as if he was trying to memorize everything about the feel of her skin against his lips. His hand pressed a trail down the curve of her back moving lower and lower. It was as if something inside her brain clicked on, and it was flashing Sawyer’s name in neon lights.
    “Wait, wait, wait,” she said trying to make her body respond to her brain. It was as if her body was so desperate to have him, it wouldn’t listen to her. There was some miscommunication going on between her brain and her body. “I… I can’t stay tonight,” she said forcing her limbs to listen to her commands.
    There was no way she could stay even if she wanted to. Her car was parked out in the ditch. She couldn’t leave it there and risk Sawyer seeing it. Besides that, she needed time to think. Cash having feelings for her changed everything, at least she thought it did. Or that it might. It had taken her by surprise and she didn’t know what to do about anything. If she stayed here she wouldn’t be thinking clearly and for her sake, she had to have a clear mind to sort it all out.
    “Please… please stay,” he was almost begging her now, “I can’t even