by KB Winters
I shifted onto my side, captured her fingers, and pressed them to my lips. “I need a reason to come home and fuck my insanely hot fiancée?” I playfully arched a brow in her direction.
She laughed again. “No…I guess not…but that wasn’t entirely what I meant.”
Her eyes danced as they scanned the ceiling and in the space of a heartbeat, something clouded them.
I reached for her hand. “Baby?”
“Hmm?” She dropped her gaze back to mine.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” I said, not entirely sure why.
She held my eyes for a minute before fixing her smile back in place and nodding. “I know that.”
Before I could say anything else, she pushed forward and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. Then, just as fast—she was gone. Streaking across the bedroom, heading for the bathroom. Seconds later, the shower kicked on and she was humming. I rolled to my back and let out a heavy sigh. We’d been swept up in a swirl of heat and passion and fire. But it had evaporated all too quickly and revealed that our problems were still there waiting for us.
Aaron’s advice echoed in the back of my mind. I knew he was right, but he didn’t have all the facts. He didn’t know I was trying to find my way. He was content, hell, he was ecstatic with his life. He loved his job and besides Gemma, there was nothing he loved more than running the air museum. He would happily share that dream and pursuit with me. The problem was that I didn’t want that.
The bigger problem was…I didn’t know what the fuck I wanted instead.
The plume of steam seeping into the bedroom caught my attention and I pushed out of the bed. Lying around analyzing and picking at it wasn’t going to solve my problems. My bare feet slapped the stone tiles, and Holly turned to look over her shoulder from under the spray of hot water. I rocked back onto my heels and drank her in. God, she was gorgeous. Her hair was wet, and looked darker than normal, as it lay against her bare back. She combed her fingers through the thick strands and smiled at me. “You coming in?”
A smile tugged at my lips and I let my eyes linger on her perfect peach of an ass. “How could I resist?”
I was hard again by the time the glass door slid shut behind me. Holly laughed softly when she glanced over. “Didn’t get enough?” she asked playfully.
I grabbed her bare hips, relishing the way my fingers slid over her wet skin, and dragged her against me. My cock rested against her, hard and pulsing. “I can never get enough of you, lover.”
She opened her mouth to reply but whatever she was about to say got lost as I reached around and slipped a finger between her perfect ass cheeks. I stroked the tight bud between them and Holly gasped loudly. “Jack!”
I smiled darkly as her admonishment turned to a delirious moan when I slipped inside her tight little ass. I stroked and teased her until she was grinding her hips against my cock, pleading for me to fuck her. I spun her around and teased her with the tip of my cock. She was so damned slippery and wet. Her hands were flat against the tile wall and the way her body was bared to me had me right on the verge of coming without even getting inside her yet.
I kept my hands on her hips and leaned forward. “Bend over for me, baby. Show me that pretty, pink pussy.” I growled in her ear.
Holly moaned at the word and immediately did as I asked. She widened her feet and bent forward. I slid my hands up her slick curves and cupped her full breasts. She gasped as I squeezed her pert little nipples. I tweaked them slightly and she cursed under her breath, the shower nearly drowning it out. “Damn you,” she panted. “Please…I want you. So bad.”
One hand on her tits, I reached down and stroked her with my cock. She arched her back and ground her ass back against me. A sweet thrill raced through me at her desperation and I buried myself inside her, taking her all the way to the hilt in one thrust.
Holly’s yelp turned to a low, guttural moan as I fucked her hard and fast against the shower wall. Her fingers curled into tight fists as she groaned and begged for more. I slipped my finger back into her ass and she shuddered, already coming undone.
Her pussy swallowed me whole and as she moaned and panted through her own release I lost myself and came inside her. We stilled, together against the wall, the hot water still raining down on us, and heaved and sputtered, catching our breaths until we could speak again.
“Jack…” she finally said, her voice thick. “That was…so fucking good.”
I slipped from her and kissed her on the shoulder. “Make-up sex always is.”
She laughed, the sound throaty. “Make-up sex? I thought this was congratulations on the interview sex?”
I grinned and dropped my lips to her ear. “No, my love, that would be a completely different experience.”
She twisted around and smiled up at me, stars still floating in her eyes. “Well, sexy man, I’d be very interested in what that might entail…”
****
The next day at work, Aaron found me after doing his morning rounds with his ever-present assistant, Lana, and asked if I wanted to go get a cup of coffee. He said he wanted to talk about some new plane he was eyeballing but we both knew that wasn’t the real reason for the invitation. Or, at least, it wasn’t the only reason. Knowing Aaron, he’d slip in the shop talk at some point.
He left Nick in charge and we headed out the side door into the morning sunshine.
“You seem like you’re in a better mood,” Aaron commented, barely waiting until we were ten feet from the museum. “Dare I say you look like you got a little tail last night?”
I grimaced at him. “I’m not sure we can still call it tail when referring to our respective fiancées.”
Aaron chuckled. “Hey, I gotta hold onto some of my wild ways.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t bother arguing the point. “Holly and I had a nice night. Thank you very much.”
“I’ll just bet…” Aaron laughed. “So, no more of this breakup nonsense?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I wasn’t thinking straight when I said that.”
“Glad to hear it. ’Cause I’ll tell ya, man, if I have to get dragged through all this wedding planning shit, you need to be able to commiserate.”
I laughed. “Maybe I should ask you what your hang-up is. Weren’t you and Gemma planning a summer wedding?” I gave a pointed look around. It was hard to tell in this part of California, but locals recognized it as winter.
Aaron rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “That was on me. I got tangled up with the second location and time slipped away. Gemma’s not too pissed about it. She said it just means we’ll have more cash to spend when the time does come.”
“Oh boy.”
“Tell me about it. Have you seen the price tags attached to the dresses in those glossy magazines they cart around everywhere?” He waited for my answer and I shook my head. I hadn’t been tuned into wedding plans. He scoffed. “Well, I went peeking through one of them and damn near had a heart attack. I mean, fuck! What’s the point? I’m just gonna be tearing it off her at the end of the night?”
I laughed. “She’d murder you, Player.”
He flashed a wicked grin. “Oh no she wouldn’t.”
I laughed and we wandered down the hillside on foot to Carly’s coffee shop. It was quick, convenient, and had the best damn coffee in town. Hell, if anyone asked, I’d say in the state. Besides, Carly’s would always have a soft spot in my heart as it played an instrumental part in Holly and me getting together in the first place. I usually had a smile on my face as I walked through the doors.
Today was no exception. Aaron pulled the door open and I went inside. The memories all came back as if they’d been made days, weeks before, instead of years. Holly and I were timeless.
“Well now, look what the tide dragged in,” Carly hollered over the front case. She gave us each a knowing smile and folded her arms atop the glass. “You two look like you’ve been up to something.”
“You always say that,” Aaro
n replied, still grinning.
Carly eyed him. “That’s because it’s usually true.”
I laughed. Carly was like a little sister to each of us and although she was barely over five feet tall, she more than made up for it with sheer sass. “How’s business?” I asked as I glanced up at the chalkboard menu. Carly was always coming up with new drink combinations. She was half barista, half mixologist. Or, at least, that’s what it felt like. Every few weeks she’d change the menu and highlight her favorite new creations. On top of that, she was constantly tinkering with the recipes for her melt-in-your-mouth pastries and always had something new to share.
Carly gave a slight shrug. “We’re chugging along.”
She was being modest. It was a well-known fact that every morning, right at opening, she’d have a line that poured out the front door. And lunch hour was another blitz.
I reached into my back pocket for my wallet and stepped up to the register. “I think I’ll try the mocha cinnamon scone and a large house roast, black.”
Carly sprang into action. As she put together my order, Aaron rattled off his own.
Minutes later, we had our coffee cups and pastries in hand and were heading for a corner table. The dining area wasn’t too full. The morning rush had likely just dissipated. Aaron dropped into one of the two chairs and I took the other. The warm scone fell apart in my fingers. I popped a large bite into my mouth and tried not to groan out loud.
Aaron smirked at me. “The woman is a damned genius. It’s a wonder Nick doesn’t weigh six-hundred pounds.”
I laughed and nodded in agreement. “So, tell me about this plane.”
Aaron launched into his explanation, verbally weighing out the pros and cons of the potential addition. It was apparently in rough condition and would need a shit ton of man hours to get it together but it was a hell of a price and would be a hell of a find at the end of the day. As we started winding down, having mutually decided it was worth the trouble, Aaron paused. His eyes darted over my shoulder and his face fell. I craned around to see what had him frozen—figuring it was some ex-lover back in town as that was a fairly common occurrence for the once upon a time Holiday Cove Casanova—but instead found a tall man in a pretty nice suit. “Who is—” I didn’t finish my question as the answer hit me mid-sentence.
Noah Scoville.
“That’s him?” I said, turning back around to face Aaron.
He nodded and gave the guy a surly once over. “Yep. He’s trouble.”
I drew in a quick breath. I wasn’t going to let paranoia get me riled up. Who cares if he was tall and good-looking? Holly could have any man on the planet and she’d picked me. I had nothing to be worried about.
“Player,” I hissed. “Chill out.”
It was too late. Aaron was already in protective-brother mode and he wasn’t about to back down. He leaned back in his chair and kicked one heel to the opposite knee. I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, we get it, you’re Mr. Cool. I don’t even know why you’re so upset right now. Who cares if he likes to fuck around? Need I remind you that was your MO for…oh I don’t know…a good decade?”
“It’s not that,” he insisted with a shake of his head. “It’s all this shit with those properties.”
“What about them? You of all people should be happy that something is finally going to happen. And it’s not O’Keefe’s gaudy high rise.”
Aaron’s jaw tensed. “I don’t trust guys like him. Never did. But especially not now.”
I sighed. “All right, well, right now you look a little unhinged. Can you at least stop snarling in his general direction?”
Aaron flashed one more dark look and then turned his attention back to me. “I know Holly wants this job, but I gotta say, I kinda hope she finds something else. She doesn’t need to be working for someone like that.”
“Let’s just drop it, okay?”
Aaron nodded and took a sip of his coffee. Carly had given us to-go cups so we got up from our table and stacked the two small dessert plates together. Aaron dropped a five-dollar bill on the table and we headed out. As we snaked through the tables, Aaron veered right and before I could grab his arm, he wandered over to the table Noah was standing beside. He was consulting his phone while he waited on his order and didn’t realize Aaron was approaching him until he was standing right beside him. He gave him a friendly smile. “Hey, Aaron. How are you?”
I’d forgotten Aaron had mentioned they’d already met. I moved to stand beside Aaron. Mostly to hold him back in case he started swinging. Aaron was like a brother to me, but he could be a real prick when someone rubbed him the wrong way.
“I’m just dandy. How about you, Scoville?”
I stepped in. “Jack McGuire,” I said, offering him my hand.
His lips quirked and his eyebrows creased together. “Jack McGuire? Have we met before?”
“Nope.”
“Oh! I know. You’re Holly Parker’s fiancé.” He rocked back onto his heels and smiled. “Nice to meet you. Holly spoke very highly of you.”
She’d talked about me during her interview?
“You know,” Noah continued, “I was actually meaning to call her later today. I’m going to offer her the position.”
“Oh? Well, that’s great,” I replied, trying to muster up some enthusiasm.
The man smiled widely. “I think she’ll be a wonderful addition. She’s the total package. You’re a lucky man.”
Total package? Total package of what? My jaw flexed and tightened. I smiled but it was through clenched teeth. “That I am.”
“When do you break ground on your beachside monstrosity?” Aaron asked sharply.
Noah’s smile flickered as he met Aaron’s gaze—bordering on glare. But his tone was cool and unruffled as he answered. “We start in April.”
“Noah, here’s your mocha,” Carly called from the counter.
All three of us swiveled in her direction and Noah smiled and raised two fingers. “It was nice to meet you, Jack. And Aaron, I was serious about my offer. Give my office a call and we’ll set something up. My assistant knows you go right to the top of my schedule.”
He wandered toward the front of the shop before either one of us could reply, but as soon as he was out the door, I turned to Aaron. “What offer?”
Aaron stiffened. “It doesn’t matter. He’s just another rich bastard who thinks he can carve out the rest of the world using his wallet as a shovel.”
I wasn’t sure what was going on, but one thing was clear—I didn’t want Holly messed up in any of it.
Chapter Eight
Holly
My cell phone rang as soon as I reached the front door. I fumbled with my keys and the two vinyl leashes in my hands as I reached for the phone in my jacket pocket. Princess and Hunter, eager to get inside, starting tugging and I dropped the phone onto the front steps. “Guys! Chill!” I muttered, bending to retrieve my phone.
I didn’t recognize the number, but the area code was local so I answered. “Hello?”
“Is this Holly?”
I stiffened. It was Noah Scoville. I recognized his voice. How could I forget it? Princess tugged forward and I lost tabs on her leash. “Shit!”
“Excuse me?”
Fuck!
“Sorry—” I grimaced and snagged the leash. I shot Princess a dirty look and looped both dog leashes around the door handle. They could wait a minute. “I’m so sorry, Noah. I was out walking the dogs and just dropped a leash.”
My cheeks felt like they were on fire and I was relieved we weren’t having the conversation face-to-face. I knew I was red as a tomato.
Noah chuckled and I drew in a silent—but relieved—breath. “No worries, Holly. Did your fiancé spill the beans?”
“Beans?”
“I ran into Jack this morning at the coffee shop. I told him I was going to offer you the job. I figured he’d have told you the good news before I got a chance to call.”
My heart raced. “Oh! Wow. No. No, he didn
’t.”
“Oh? Well, now I feel like I should have made you sweat it out a little,” he teased, the smile audible in his honey-smooth voice.
I tried to laugh but it came out sounding strangled.
“So, what do you say?” Noah asked. “Still interested in the position?”
“Yes! Yeah, I’m definitely still interested. I would be—I am—very happy to hear the news.”
“Excellent. Why don’t you swing by the office anytime tomorrow and we’ll get the paperwork out of the way and then you can pick your start date. Since it’s a new position, it’s pretty flexible.”
“Okay. Great. Yeah.” I nodded along as I tried to reshuffle my thoughts into intelligible sentences. “I can stop in around two o’clock tomorrow. Would that work?”
He paused and I pictured him at his sleek desk, consulting his schedule. “Works just fine for me. Check in with my assistant and I’ll get you all taken care of.”
“Great! Thank you so much, Noah. I’m really excited to be given the opportunity and I know we’ll make a great team.”
“I don’t have any doubts, Holly. I’ll see you tomorrow. That is, if the dogs don’t run off with you before then.”
I laughed. “They won’t. See you then.”
We ended the call and I slipped the phone back into my pocket. “Woohoo!” I pumped my fist in the air. “You hear that, babies? Mama’s got a new gig!”
Neither of the oversized dogs looked terribly impressed. I waved a hand at them and went to untangle their leashes. Once inside, I changed out of my workout gear, rinsed off in the shower, and bundled into a soft, terrycloth robe. I padded downstairs and found my cell phone. I dialed Jack’s number but got sent through to voicemail. I frowned but quickly dismissed my own disappointment. He was just busy at work. I called Rachel, my best friend, who lived in Newport Beach. Despite having a full-time job and crazy active social life, she always answered my calls.
“Holly!” she squealed as soon as she picked up. “I miss you!”
