by Casey Hagen
He drove in hard, and she clenched around him, pulling him in deeper. Her fingers squeezed his tight, as she cried out his name. Locking his fingers over her hip, he gave three hard thrusts before his own orgasm gripped him. He poured himself into her with everything he had. Inhaling the lingering smell of vanilla and sex, he nuzzled her neck, burying his face in the soft spot behind her ear.
He wanted to tell her he loved her. He planned to keep her and never let her go. He hoped to hell life didn't manage to get in the way of all of his plans, because for once, he’d found a woman he knew he couldn't live without.
"You're mine," he whispered into her hair.
"I am." She turned over and curled into his chest, dragging those sexy, kiss-swollen lips over his collarbone and chest.
Grabbing a fistful of hair, he pulled her head back. She gazed at him through the narrow slits of her heavy lids, and an aroused smile played over her lips. So, she liked having her hair pulled. He'd remember that. "It's our last day," He kissed the underside of her jaw. "As much as I would love nothing more than to stay in this bed…in you…we should make the most of it." He closed his eyes on a groan when she scraped a nail over his nipple.
"I love this bed."
He laughed. "You're insatiable, Angel." He swatted her on her ass. "Come on. I'll make breakfast while you shower.”
He made them omelets with sautéed onions, mushrooms, peppers, and lots of cheddar cheese. She ate it all, as well as three pieces of toast. Ravenous after making love most of the night, she didn't care how she looked consuming so much food. Her mother would have tsked her for not leaving at least half of her omelet on her plate. And eating bread? Corrine could see her mother's disapproving finger waving in her mind.
She'd done well to put her mother out of her head for most of the trip, but every once in a while, she would revert to her mother's judgment, causing her pause in what she was doing. Frankly, she had grown tired of it.
She didn't hear her mother's censure in the bedroom, though. Everett managed to banish every thought from her mind the minute he touched her. Remembering the way he played her body, the way he pulled her outside of herself, to lose her in a world of sensation, had her laughing at the other interludes she’d previously called experience. She might as well have come to him a virgin, given the difference.
Would she have had this with Jordan? No. Of that she was sure. When Everett was rough and forbidden or gentle and devouring, he held her enthralled, exercising powerful control over her body, generously making sure she experienced pleasure several times over before ever taking his own. She was pretty sure she was walking around with a goofy smile on her face, but damned if she cared.
In deference to the heat, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She opted for shorts and faded Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt. She would change if necessary when they generated their adventure.
She found Everett in the living area working on his tablet. After a few more swipes of his finger, he discarded the device, grabbed his cell, and patted the spot next to him on the couch. She took the offered seat, sliding her hand to the inside of his thigh. She had always wanted a man she could feel free to touch, to be affectionate with. Everett welcomed it all, as evidenced by the way he took her wandering hand and cupped it against him.
"Yeah," he ground out before kissing her. "Keep your hand right there."
He deepened the kiss, swallowing her giggle. She relished the feel of his strong arms around her. "We're getting distracted again."
She sighed when he sucked the sensitive skin on the side of her neck. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, his harsh breaths the only sound in the room. Her fingers flexed over the ridge of him, making him groan.
"You're going to be the death of me, but what a way to go."
Removing her hand from him, she patted his thigh. "Let's see what we're doing today."
He ran his hand through his hair. "Fine."
"Don't worry, you'll be rewarded later." She smiled.
"I should hope so. I'm being very good."
"You've been the best. I promise! I have plans for you."
Those sexy blue eyes darkened and his jaw clenched. "I can't wait," he replied huskily.
He broke eye contact to pull up the app. They waited for their next adventure to pop up when the screen flashed…
Hiking
"Do you like hiking?" he asked.
"I do. I don't go often, but I've enjoyed it in the past."
"Okay, let's hit the sunscreen and head out. The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back and you can show me your plan."
"You're like a dog with a bone."
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm like," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
They packed a cooler with cold drinks and loaded up a backpack with snacks in case they missed lunch. They spent ten minutes driving along the winding coastline, holding hands, before they pulled into a dirty parking area on the inland side of the road with trails of all different fitness levels branching off. They chose a rather aggressive trail, setting out a steady pace. Within minutes they wove through thick foliage and tall plants.
Several sections proved tricky when the spongy earth tried to swallow their sneakers. Laughing and falling over each other, they meandered through the thick tropical growth. When they finally arrived at a clear area, the terrain became steep. As they climbed, they used their hands to scramble for purchase and keep their balance.
"Do you need me to slow down, Angel?"
Everett asked to take the lead when they hit soft spots. He had been directing her and helping her navigate ever since, keeping her out of the most precarious areas.
"You're good." She smiled. "I'm enjoying the view."
"I have to admit it's gorgeous."
"I wasn't talking about the scenery."
"Why, Corrine Anderson, you’re dirty." He winked at her.
Their flirty banter continued to the summit, where the thick foliage opened into wide, captivating views of the ocean, and other islands dotting the sea of blue. Sailboats and speedboats glided across the water. In the distance, parasailers cruised high in the sky.
She wrapped her arm around his waist. "I'm so glad you talked me through parasailing."
Curling his arm around her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head. "Give yourself some credit. You've got nerves of steel. You're so much braver and stronger than you give yourself credit for."
"You think so?"
"I know so. You're going to go home and make your own jewelry line a reality."
She didn't dare hope. Every time she had gotten her hopes up, reality came crashing down, knocking her for a loop. Fate reminded her often of what she couldn't have. How long before fate stepped in and made a mess of this thing with Everett? There was no denying their connection. They liked each other, they had fun together, and they wanted each other with a burning intensity. How would she explain such an unexpected, yet serious, relationship to her parents? How would they treat him when she introduced them? She cringed at the thought.
Her father would quietly assess Everett. His clothes, his car, his career, all to determine Everett's long-term capability of supporting a family.
Her mother would make her contempt obvious. She would sprinkle dinner conversation with thinly veiled insults. Lanelle Anderson didn't assess. She judged. And she would find Everett lacking. His lack of social status. His middle-class upbringing. His lack of career with a successful company. She cringed at the thought of her physical assessment. She would find his hair too long and too wavy. His posture too laid-back. And the glasses…Lanelle would have an issue with the glasses.
"Hey, where did you go just now?" he asked.
Plastering a smile on her face, she shook her head. "Do you hear that?"
He glanced around. "What?"
"Sounds like water. Running water. Listen."
"I think you're right. Come on."
They continued on past the plateau and followed a narrow, rocky t
rail past an outcropping of rocks. The sound of rushing water grew as they advanced. Picking their way down a steep hill, they pushed through a thick section of palms. They stepped into a clearing at the base of a gorgeous waterfall at least thirty feet tall spilling into a crystal-clear swimming hole.
"Wow!"
"Yeah. I wonder why it wasn't on the sign."
"The trail was pretty aggressive in places. Maybe they didn't want less-experienced hikers trying to get up here for a waterfall. The brochures I read show several in the area. They're probably a lot easier to access."
Everett crouched down to skim his hand over the water. "I can't believe how clear the water is. It's warm too," he said, grinning up at her.
"What's going on in that handsome head of yours?"
He took her hand, pulling her up against him so they touched from thigh to chest. "You think I'm handsome?"
"Oh please!" she scoffed. "Like you didn't know how great looking you are."
"Even with the glasses?”
Her eyes slid closed as she relished the soft glide of his fingers in her hair. "Especially with the glasses."
His touch set her heart racing. Her voice came out husky and breathless. It was ridiculous how the slightest touch rendered her completely enthralled. She craved him all the time. His touch, his kisses, for him to take away the constant, swollen ache inside her he’d created from the first moment he touched her.
"I feel you wanting me," he said as his lips hovered over hers. Needing him, his heat, she sealed her lips over his, running her tongue along his bottom lip. Feeling bold at the shudder she felt move through him, she curled her fingers over his thin T-shirt and dragged it over his head.
"Always." She brazenly dispensed of her own T-shirt. Her skin tingled where his hands cradled her neck. He pulled her to him, tilting her head back, and kissed her deep, long, and wet.
With every kiss, every tangle of tongues, and every discarded piece of clothing, she stopped thinking about where they were. They might as well have been in the bedroom of their bungalow. She knew they could get caught, but she wanted him enough, wanted this, so much that she didn't care.
Hooking an arm under her knees, he lifted her in his arms and carried her into the water. She locked her hands in his hair, slanting her mouth over his, kissing him deep, as he walked them into the shallow pool. The cool water rose between her legs, intensifying the sensations Everett created in her.
The minute he got them behind the waterfall, she wrapped her legs around him. He wasted no time sliding inside her. Stretching her. Tears sprang to her eyes as sensations overwhelmed her.
She sighed when his lips moved over her eyelids and his thumbs brushed away the tears. "You make me a better person, Corrine Anderson."
There, tucked behind one of nature's most beautiful features, with Everett buried deep inside her, she realized she had never been in love before. She thought she had. She thought she loved Jordan. Oh, how wrong she had been.
She loved Everett in ways she didn't know possible. She could see a life with him. Children with him. Growing old with him. She could see their future, and for once, she didn't care about the obstacles. She wanted him. She wanted them.
"Love me," she whispered over his lips.
"I do."
It was as close as they had come to the words, and it was just enough. She held on tight as he plunged into her over and over. Her eyes never left his, not even when he drove her over the peak and she cried out. He took his pleasure with a lusty shout, crushing her to him as his hips jerked over and over.
20 One Last Night
They air-dried as best as they could before pulling on their clothes again. They shared snacks and drinks before making their way back down the trail. By the time they reached the car, they were covered in sweat and both ready for showers.
"Go ahead first, Angel." He kissed her soundly and sent her off with a playful pat to her behind.
When he heard the shower come on, he dialed Dustin's number.
"Hey, Ev, what's up, man? It's been a while."
They’d met in college, where Dustin double majored in Business and Marketing. Dustin came from money, but wasn't stupid with it. When he received his inheritance at twenty-five, he invested his money. He had vision. He kept his emotions in check. He handled business responsibly. There was no one Everett trusted or respected more.
"Yeah, sorry about that, Dustin. I have a six-month waiting list of clients. It's made it damn near impossible to keep in touch with anyone."
"Man, you work way too hard. Sounds like it's time to start making your money work for you."
His money had worked for him. That was how he afforded his father's care. In another six months to a year, he would be replenished financially. Not that he was hurting now. Not by any means, but knowing how life could turn at any moment, it took a much larger nest egg for him to be comfortable.
"That's actually the reason for my call. I met someone who's looking for an investor for her jewelry line."
"Is she any good?"
This was awkward territory. He never mixed business with pleasure. Until now. "She has over twenty full sketchbooks. Brilliant designs."
"If she's so good, why aren't you investing yourself?"
He knew Dustin would cut to the chase. "I'm still trying to get back to my financial comfort zone after my dad's treatments."
"And?"
"And I'm too close to the investment, if you know what I mean."
"Nice, Ev! She must be something, if you're willing to go out on a limb for her."
Confident in his feelings for her, he didn't beat around the bush. "She's everything."
"It's that serious?"
"It's that serious. The one serious."
His longtime friend's hearty laugh sounded over the line. "You don't waste any time, do you?"
"Not this time around, no. So are you interested?"
"I'll be back in town in a week. I'll have Jen set up a dinner meeting. Listen, I have to run—Kylie's lounging on the sun deck. It seems her clothes are falling off. Don't want to miss an opportunity. I'll talk to you soon."
Everett laughed. Kylie and Dustin had married a year earlier, and with no kids on the horizon they were still firmly ensconced in the honeymoon stage. "Thanks, Dustin. You won't regret it."
When Corrine stepped out about ten minutes later wearing a sexy yellow sundress, Everett lost his train of thought. She’d skipped the bra. The outline of her nipples drew his eye and had him swallowing hard. Her knowing smile gave away the fact she knew what he was looking at, and what she was doing to him.
His phone chirped, distracting him from the moment. An email. From Dustin's assistant, Jen. She’d made reservations at an upscale Italian restaurant, Quince, a week from the Monday after they returned.
"What's that smile on your face for?" she asked.
"I got confirmation for your dinner reservations, in a little over a week, with your potential investor."
The towel she used to dry her hair fell to the floor. "When did you—"
"I called a good friend from college. He's an investor and he's interested."
She dropped in the chair across from him. "Is he only doing this as a favor to you?"
He narrowed his eyes. "He doesn't invest on favors. He agreed to meet you because he's interested. Whether or not he invests depends on you." Irritated at the way she always suspected an angle, he paced. "Do I strike you as the kind of guy who calls in favors for women?"
Her eyes slid away. "Well, no, but—"
"No buts! Jesus, why are you so suspicious?"
"Over this past week, I've come to realize some of the closest people to me used me to make themselves look good. I don't want to do that anymore, so I had to ask." She laid a hand over his rigid shoulder. "I've been hurt. If you did it…"
Dropping his head, he blew out a breath. "If I did it, what?"
"It would destroy me."
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
"I would never use you. Never."
She kept her head buried against his chest and nodded.
After he showered, they brought up their last adventure on the generator app.
Fire Dance Show
"Our first real date night," he murmured over her soft lips.
"I better go get beautiful, then." She smiled against his mouth.
"You're always beautiful."
"Even when I have nightmare bed head?"
"Especially then." Dipping his finger in her cleavage, he went on, "That's when you look thoroughly loved. My favorite look.”
They arrived at the venue a good thirty minutes before the show was to begin. People milled about getting drinks. They had their choice of sitting in the seats center stage or on blankets laid over the soft sand on either side. Corrine chose a blanket on the sand. Standing at the bar, Everett turned to sneak a peek at her, and found her with her pretty knees together, her legs off to the side, and she turned back, watching him. He winked, loving the blush that stained her cheeks when he did.
Carrying over a local specialty called Fijian Passion, he handed her a glass before sitting behind her. She scooted back, pressing her behind against his insatiable cock, and sighed. Wrapping his arm around her, he discreetly grazed her nipple, satisfied when she whimpered.
"Now we're even, Angel." Kissing that sweet spot on the back of her neck, he inhaled her warm scent. When he got home, his first priority was to get his work schedule under control. Now that he’d found Corrine he had no idea how he would go the entire day without seeing her, without touching her, and without burying his face in her sweet-scented skin.
