by J. H. Croix
“Good to know,” I said gruffly, and I meant it. Even though I thought Daphne’s mother had been harsh, I’d been through enough in life to know people were messy and complicated. You could do shitty things and still love a person.
My hand found its way to Daphne’s as I drove through the darkness. The silence between us felt comfortable. As the miles passed, the air around us began to feel charged. Emotions were bouncing around inside my chest, and there was so much I wanted to say. There was one small problem: words had never been my strong suit. I was definitely an action kind of guy.
The depth of how much I missed Daphne twined like a vine within my unexpected feelings for her. That vine tangled even more strongly around the powerful and unrelenting need I felt for her. I wasn’t even thinking when I hastily turned off the highway to an overlook through a small copse of trees.
“Where—?” Daphne’s question cut off abruptly when I stopped the truck and put it in park.
For the first time ever, I was annoyed at the presence of the console between the two front seats in my truck. Given my height, my seat was already as far back as it could go. The moment Daphne’s eyes caught mine, I saw the answering flare of desire in hers. It felt as if we created our own electricity, so blazing hot that it heated the space around us.
Leaning over the console, I slid my hand roughly in her hair and claimed her mouth in a fierce kiss. I growled in my throat. Daphne didn’t hesitate to open her mouth and glide her tongue against mine. There was nothing graceful or controlled about the next few minutes as I pulled her over onto my lap.
Her head bumped against the roof, and I murmured, “Sorry,” against her throat when her elbow hit the driver’s side window.
“You should wear skirts more often,” I gasped as my head fell against the seat, and I slid my palms up her thighs. Goose bumps pebbled over the surface of her skin. “Baby, you’re cold.”
“It wasn’t cold when I got on the plane.” Her words ended on a little moan as I reached her panties and dragged a knuckle over the damp silk.
She gasped again when I push the silk out of the way to find her hot and slick with arousal.
“Flynn,” she murmured into my throat when her forehead fell to my neck and her hips rocked into my touch.
“Yeah, princess?”
She reached between us and boldly dragged her palm over the hard ridge of my arousal. My cock was so swollen that I could feel the tines of my zipper pressing against it.
Then I was groaning when she unzipped me quickly and shoved my jeans just far enough out of the way that my cock bounced free. “Daphne,” I groaned, my voice a guttural, rough sound.
We fumbled, and then my cockhead was pressing at her entrance, and I slid home in one stroke.
I might not have the words, but I knew how to love Daphne with my hands, with my mouth, with my lips, my tongue, my teeth, and all of me. The moment I was buried to the hilt inside her and felt the ripple of her around me, I pressed an open-mouthed kiss against her neck. I tugged roughly at her blouse, snapping a few buttons. I savored every little sound she made.
Chapter Thirty-One
Daphne
Flynn filled me, and the slick fusion where we were joined created friction that already had me teetering on the edge of release. He nudged into me with subtle rolls, controlling the motion of my hips as I rose up and sank down.
My pulse was galloping, and I felt drunk with pleasure. My unexpected, emotional reaction to seeing him in the airport was rushing through me and tangling up with sensation. I felt as if I were going to burst into flames from the intensity of it all.
Like always, Flynn knew exactly what I needed. Right as I began to feel desperate, chasing for the release that was just out of my grasp, his hand slid down my back and gripped my hip tightly. I could feel his fingers pressing into my flesh when he muttered, “Come on, princess. Give it to me.”
He pressed a hot kiss on the sensitive skin behind my ear. He adjusted our angle, and the slippery friction over my clit sent me flying apart as I cried out. My climax crashed through me roughly. I heard myself gasping his name and felt the heat of his release filling me. He growled my name against my throat.
We stayed like that for several long moments. Our cheeks were pressed together where I’d buried my face against his neck. I was almost in a stupor and boneless from the force of our coupling. I felt the soft press of his lips on the side of my neck before he lifted his head and rested it against the seat.
It took an effort to lift my head. When I met his now-familiar gaze, my heart started racing, and my entire body shuddered from the emotion that slammed into me like an earthquake.
“I missed you,” Flynn said, surprising me with his words and the gravity in his tone. “In case that wasn’t obvious.” His lips kicked up at the corner with a wry smile.
I wanted to tell Flynn I’d fallen in love with him, but somehow this didn’t seem like the right moment for that. I lifted a hand and smoothed his mussed hair. “I missed you too. In case that wasn’t obvious.”
His smile stretched to the other corner of his mouth when I repeated his words.
“Do we need to worry about anybody driving up?” I asked as I only now took stock of where we were. I looked out into the darkness to see the moon rising over the mountains in the distance.
“If it was summer, yes. But then if it was summer, it would be daylight, and there would be a lot more tourists. I suppose we should go.”
I couldn’t bring myself to move yet. Flynn looked at me and traced his thumb over my lips before leaning forward for a quick, hard kiss.
“I’m contemplating whether it’s safe to drive with you in my lap,” he added when he leaned back.
“It’s definitely not.” I laughed and felt my channel convulse slightly around him with it.
I reluctantly disentangled myself from him and crawled back into my seat with a little assist from him. After we put our clothes back to rights, Flynn leaned over and gave me a lingering kiss, sending my heart into overdrive.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Daphne
“No, I’m done with him,” Cat said with a little huff. She reached up and tightened her ponytail. “What next?”
It was six in the morning, and Cat had shown up in the kitchen an hour earlier, announcing she wanted to learn to cook better. I’d been back for four days now and hadn’t yet had an opportunity to actually talk to Cat as Flynn had hoped. He understood it wasn’t something I could force, but he’d also asked me about it every night. It made my heart squeeze a little every time because he loved his little sister, and he was worried. He wore his confidence and typical grumpiness with such ease that it was almost endearing to witness his uncertainty about how to handle his teenage sister.
Flynn and I had settled into the routine we had before, late nights together, usually in my room. Although we weren’t hiding that there was something between us, I still wasn’t comfortable spending the night in the private quarters he shared with Cat here at the resort.
I’d largely come to terms with my feelings for him, but I could feel the sliver of distance Flynn kept between us. Except when we were naked. Then everything was vulnerable and bare. If our bodies could talk, we’d be all set.
The sex was still incredible, but it didn’t seem a good message to send to Cat that we were having wild sex without any commitment, especially at her age. I didn’t think Flynn was ready to acknowledge the feelings between us, and I was remarkably at peace with that. For now.
I gestured toward two onions I’d set on the counter earlier. “We need to chop those for the scrambled eggs.”
“Onions in the eggs?”
“Yes. Onions make everything better, Cat. You probably haven’t even noticed the sautéed onions in other things I’ve made. The knife on the cutting board I already set out is the best one. Cut the ends of the onion off, and then slice them in half. Then you can peel off the skin and start chopping.”
Cat followed my instruc
tions precisely and didn’t ask anything further as she began chopping them. Meanwhile, I put a large sauté pan on the stove and drizzled olive oil in it before turning the burner on low. “Give it a sec, and then you can start putting the onions in the pan.”
Cat kept chopping as she looked up briefly and nodded.
I decided to take my chances. “I’m sure you can guess Flynn is wondering why you might’ve gone back to Jonathon’s house.”
Cat kept her eyes down when she answered, “Well, duh. Of course, I knew that.”
“I did say I thought you would guess that,” I countered.
Cat snorted a laugh when she placed the knife down. I lifted the pan to swirl it and make sure the olive oil was coating the entire surface before setting it back down. “Go ahead and add the onions.” I gestured to the pan.
“I don’t know why I went,” Cat began as she carefully scraped the onions from the cutting board into the pan. “Jonathon said he was sorry, and it wasn’t like I didn’t enjoy kissing him. I just didn’t want things to go further. Since he apologized, I thought he understood.”
“And he didn’t?” I prompted.
I was discovering cooking was just as convenient as driving for potentially difficult conversations. We were both occupied doing tasks that didn’t require too much concentration, so we could chat without looking directly at each other. I didn’t mind the eye contact, but I knew Cat would squirm under too much focused attention.
Cat let out a sigh as she turned to rinse the cutting board. “Flynn kind of said boys are dumb and just want to have sex.”
I laughed. “They kind of are, especially at that age. If Jonathon won’t respect your boundaries twice, then he’s shown you he won’t respect your boundaries. It’s that simple.”
Cat’s sigh was hefty this time. “Right. He told me I’m a prude. It’s so stupid.”
Now came the hard part. Without me asking, Cat had already started to stir the onions. “Have you heard that he said anything? I know rumors are like a brushfire in high school.”
“Not yet. Even though he’s a jerk, he knows I have plenty of friends.”
“You do. Because you’re a good friend,” I said firmly. “Do you mind if I ask another question?”
“Uh, no,” she replied uncertainly.
I forged ahead. She hadn’t shut me out yet. “Did he push too hard? Is it something Flynn should talk to his parents, or the school, or even someone else about?”
Cat was really quiet, and I stole a quick look at her to see that she didn’t look overly upset. After a moment, she looked over at me. “That’s kind of heavy.”
“It is. This is a serious question, and it’s important.”
Cat looked back at the onions and stirred them idly. “No, he didn’t do anything where Flynn should talk to his parents, or the school, or the police. I guess that’s who you mean by someone else.” She set the spatula down so she could add air quotes to “someone else.” “He just pressured me really hard. I told him to fuck off. I cried because I felt like an idiot for believing him again. I didn’t cry in front of him this time. I waited in the driveway for Flynn to pick me up. Let me tell you, I wish you hadn’t been out of town,” she offered emphatically.
I was grating cheese. I set the grater down before turning and pulling Cat into a quick hug. “You’re just fine. I’m actually glad it was Flynn instead of me.”
When I stepped back and slid my palms down her arms, I was surprised to see the tiniest hint of a sheen of tears in her eyes. She wrinkled her nose and turned to check on the onions again. “Why would you say that? He grounded me,” she muttered.
“Didn’t he ground you for a few days the first time?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“But what? You need to be crystal clear that I will not keep things like this from Flynn. Ever.”
Cat cast me a faux glare and then burst out laughing. “I can always hope.”
At that moment, the door from their apartment swung open, and Flynn came striding into the kitchen. He glanced at us as he made a beeline for the coffee pot. “What are you doing up so early, Cat?”
“Daphne’s teaching me how to cook better.”
Flynn’s gaze caught mine for a moment, lingering just long enough to send a flush of heat racing over my skin. He tore his eyes from mine, turning to focus on his task as he poured coffee in a mug. “Seeing as she’s the best cook I’ve ever met, you’re in good hands.”
Turning, he sipped his coffee and paused beside Cat to tweak the end of her ponytail. “You have a half hour before I need to take you up to meet the bus.”
“I know,” she replied quickly.
At that moment, Elias passed through to snag his own cup of coffee. While he and Flynn briefly conferred about the day’s flight schedule, I encouraged Cat to go take her shower. I’d learned she had a tendency to wait until the absolute last moment to get ready for school.
Between her racing off to get ready for school and Elias moving on out, Flynn and I were alone in the kitchen for a few minutes. He set his coffee mug on the counter. Stepping behind me, he pressed hot kisses on the side of my neck, and it felt like drops of warm honey on my skin.
“How come you won’t sleep with me every night?” he murmured. “What do I have to do to convince you?”
I turned in his arms, resting my hips against the counter as I looked up at him. “You don’t have to do anything to convince me. I just don’t think it’s a great idea for Cat.”
“She knows we’re together,” he replied.
I lifted a hand and smoothed an errant lock of his hair. “I know she does, but we’re not quite on the same page, and I don’t want to make things complicated.”
Flynn looked confused, so I simply decided to tell the truth. That always tended to clear the air. “I have no expectations, but I love you. I’m pretty sure that’s not where things are for you.”
Flynn looked shell-shocked. He stared at me and opened his mouth to speak before giving his head a little shake as if to clear his thoughts. “Daphne, I—” He closed his eyes, his forehead falling to mine. “You surprised me,” he finally murmured.
“I noticed,” I said dryly. “It’s okay, Flynn. But like I said, I don’t think we’re on the same page.” Shimmying out from his arms, I leaned up to press a kiss on his lips, just as Gabriel appeared in the kitchen. “I need to make breakfast.”
I hurried into the pantry to the refrigerator. I needed eggs and lots of them. I also needed not to think too hard about what I’d just done. My heart was racing, and I felt a little breathless. Feelings. The very thing I’d thought I was well over had come roaring back, and all because of a cranky man who stole my heart when I least expected it.
As the day passed in a blur, every time Flynn and I encountered each other, I could sense the tension and concern emanating from him. I wanted to tell him to stop worrying. I really was okay with him not being where I was with us. Don’t get me wrong, my heart, battered and not particularly trusting, wanted him to love me, yet if I’d learned one thing after having a marriage built on a paper foundation, it was that it wasn’t worth it to try to make more out of something than there was.
That only laid the foundation for heartbreak.
What Flynn and I had was honest, and I wanted it to stay that way. Even if it hurt a little.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Flynn
Daphne’s words played on a repeating loop in my mind. My schedule was nonstop. The stolen hours I had with her at night were something I didn’t want to give up. At all. I felt like a coward. Because I did love her, and somehow, I was stumbling over just getting the words out. It all felt so permanent. I feared I might ruin what we had by labeling it.
Between replaying her words, I recalled Gabriel tapping his fist over his heart and reminding me what was true and right. I was terrified I was going to let Daphne down. I was also terrified she would suddenly wake up one day and realize she just didn’t want a man like me and the
life I had.
Daphne—because she was a bigger person than me at heart—didn’t turn me away at night. Three more nights passed until everything went wrong within the span of three minutes.
I was flying across the bay to pick up some tourists. Elias had tagged along because we had a large delivery to a village on the way. The sky was blue, and the wind was down. It was three in the afternoon because we needed to be back in time to land before sunset. Considering that it was October, that needed to happen soon.
Lucky for us, we were over land and not the ocean when a bird flew straight into the engine. I knew we were fucked right away when the engine sputtered and quit. I radioed our location immediately and stayed calm, just hoping like hell I could manage some sort of controlled crash landing.
“Hang on,” I said to Elias over the rush of sound.
As I steered the wobbly plane, we hit the trees first and then landed with a loud crunch against a hillside. Blessedly, we were at a low enough elevation that there wasn’t any snow. I just prayed the rescue crews could get here before darkness fell.
There was a thud in my side, enough to take my breath away as the plane settled into the ground. I closed my eyes, letting out a sharp gasp. Once I could breathe, I opened my eyes again and looked around, taking stock of our situation. My eyes sought Elias immediately. He was knocked out with a trickle of blood running down his forehead. My heart thudded in a sick beat, and worry rolled through me. I quickly confirmed he had a pulse.
A branch had punctured the window beside him. Beyond the blood on his forehead, I couldn’t see if he had any other injuries from here, but his position implied it. He didn’t reply when I called his name several times.
