Off Beat (Forgotten Flounders Series Book 1)

by J. C. Hannigan

  We shifted until we were sitting side by side, with our backs against the headboard. Harper tugged the blanket around her stomach, running her hand through her tangled hair and wrapping it in a messy bun atop her head. My fingers twitched, itching to touch her, to play her body like the strings of my guitar.

  Instead, I opened the second container and started eating and let her do the same. I kept stealing glances at her as I ate, feeling a little bewildered that I was here, in this place, with her, and that it all felt so fucking right.

  “The coffee might be crap, but the food is pretty good at that diner,” I remarked when over half my food was gone. She finished chewing and laughed.

  “I forgot to warn you,” she said sympathetically. “Your poor, sensitive, rich man’s palate.”

  “It’s not that sensitive,” I shot back, tweaking her nipple between my fingers. She laughed again, the cadence filling my soul. “Your dad invited me to dinner next Sunday.”

  “When did he do that?” her smile faltered a little.

  “This morning, when I took the trash out.”

  “Oh, crap! I forgot about garbage day,” she sighed. “Someone distracted me.”

  I stared pointedly at her bare chest. If anyone was a distraction…

  She twisted, leaning to set the Styrofoam container on the end table beside her. My gaze dropped to the curve of her hip, then slid to her ass—my hand following. I gave her a playful squeeze. “I’m not at all sorry about that.”

  “I know you aren’t.” She laughed, gently swatting my hand away so she could shift closer. Her bare leg slid out from the sheet and over my denim-clad ones while her left hand slid up my torso to grip my right shoulder, her other arm slipping behind my back, beneath my shirt. I put my arm around her, drawing her closer, and kissed the top of her head.

  I hadn’t held someone like this in years—since I’d last held her.

  “So…?”

  “So what?” I asked, moving a little so I could look at her. She rolled her eyes.

  “What did you tell my dad?”

  “That I would be there,” I lifted my shoulder, taking her hand along for the ride. “It’s something you guys often do, right?”

  “The day alternates, but yeah. We try to get together once a week. It was really hard on my parents when we moved out. They were so used to seeing Asher all of the time.” She explained, her fingers toying with the collar of my shirt.

  I nodded in understanding, the movement jarring her from her thoughts. “I get it. I’m just glad he wants me there. Or…will tolerate me being there.” I frowned. I didn’t know if I was completely forgiven in Jack Morrison’s eyes.

  Harper’s fingers gripped my shoulder as she pulled herself up to straddle me. My hands went to her hips. The sheet had tangled around her thighs, hiding her nakedness from my perusal, but I could feel her warmth.

  “I want you there. I want you everywhere.” She told me, rolling her hips to drive her point. I took one perfect breast in my hand, massaging it while I held her gaze with mine.

  “Is that so?”

  Harper

  A hot shower followed breakfast—and a whole lot of touching. Cal couldn’t seem to keep his hands off me, and I wasn’t any better. He joined me in the shower, washing me tenderly, his lips paying homage to every inch of my skin while his fingers massaged and eased the ache in my muscles. He was rock hard against my hip, but he kept from entering me again—he’d said he could feel how swollen I was.

  I did ache, and knew he was right—marathon sex was something my body definitely wasn’t used to. When we were younger, we hadn’t gotten many opportunities to be completely alone for longer than a half-hour. Our entanglements were always extremely satisfying, but quick. Except for the occasional weekend when Calum’s parents and sister were out of town for one of her piano recitals.

  Now, we had the luxury of time, and Calum put it to his full advantage. Although he didn’t penetrate me, he still made it a very enjoyable experience, right up until the hot water ran out.

  We finally stumbled out of the house around eleven, stopping at the bookstore long enough to grab the last two boxes of books and some coffees for the road. With Calum’s help, it didn’t take us long to drop off the rest of the donations at the local schools.

  I got to see him in action again. His charisma, his boyish grin—his easy nature with everyone we encountered on our brief stops. He politely declined photo requests and redirected attention to me, claiming he was simply the help.

  With the last of the boxes dropped off, we were on the road traveling east, paper cups of coffee from Books & Brews in the console beside us. I’d scarcely had a sip of mine, but I was wired for sound—and widely awake.

  Cal parked near the boardwalk and we sat in the quiet of the vehicle for a moment, looking at each other. I wondered if the memories were trickling through his mind, too.

  I’d taken Asher to this beach a hundred times over the years, but the last time the two of us had been here together, we’d been…well, together.

  And here we were, together—again. He reached across the seat and brushed a calloused thumb across my lips, his blue eyes so focused on me, so full of emotion—and I had my answer. The memories were with him too, but his eyes were focused on me, on the present.

  “You’re so goddamn beautiful.” His voice was gravel and grit. His eyes searched mine, a smile tugging the corners of his lips up. He shook his head, like clearing it before he spoke again. “I haven’t been myself without you.”

  “What do you mean?” I whispered. He moved his thumb down along the side of my jaw.

  He let out a breath he’d been holding. “I’ve always felt like I left everything behind when I walked away from you. And I know why…because I did.”

  He followed that raw confession with a kiss, his hand slipping to tangle the hair at the nape of my neck as he closed in. My fingers gripped his leather jacket, tugging him closer, greedy for the minty taste of him. Rapacious for his tongue on mine.

  I dropped my right hand, purposely letting it fell onto his lap, right onto the jean-clad bulge of his erection.

  Calum broke the kiss with a grin and a slight chuckle, his hand dropping cover mine. “You’re insatiable.”

  “So are you.” I retorted. “At least I can conceal my arousal a little easier.” Pulling away from him with a smirk, I opened the door. Gravel crunched beneath my boots as I slipped out, closing it and silencing Cal’s tortured groan.

  It was colder near the ocean. The salty breeze carried a stronger bite as it whipped at my hair. I slipped my hands into my jacket pocket to warm them, thankful I’d thought to wear my hat, the cream-coloured slouchy beanie cable hat, crocheted by a local crafter. It was as warm as it was cute and would keep most of my hair in place during the hike to Gaff Point.

  Calum took a moment to get himself under control before joining me, which was just as well—I needed a few seconds, too. Closing my eyes, I drew in a lungful of fresh air, letting myself soak in everything that I was feeling.

  Well, almost everything. I was trying not to give my worries and anxieties any more power. Life was unpredictable, and often unfair. I didn’t doubt that Calum loved me, and I knew that he’d go back and change our history if he could—just as I would.

  The happiness I felt around him now was genuine. Being with him felt right. I could worry about the thousands of unknown factors, or I could let go and trust in him, and let us finally be the family it already felt like we were.

  I turned my head when I heard his door open, watching as he climbed out and closed the door. He grinned at me, his eyes light and happy—carefree, warm, and open. A stark difference from the icy glaciers that had graced the Internet and celebrity tabloids over the last nine years. He’d always looked so…severe in those photos. Focused. The fans loved it—he made brooding look incredibly sexy, but this easy-smiling Calum was one that I remembered, which made my belly swoop and my spirit soar.

  I understood what he
meant when he said he wasn’t himself without me because I hadn’t really felt like me, either. At least…not the complete version of me. Something was always missing. Or it had been, anyway.

  He took five purposeful steps around the front of the Jeep, and then he was behind me. I could feel the warmth radiating from his solid body. He placed his hand on the side of my hip and dropped a devout kiss to the side of my temple before guiding me forward.

  My boots thudded against the wooden boardwalk, and Cal’s hand dropped away from my hip to take hold of mine, his fingers sliding comfortably between mine. We walked at a leisurely pace, hand in hand. The wooden boardwalk ended, and we stepped out onto the smooth rocks, walking between the tufts of grass and down to the sandy beach.

  It was a short trek down the beach to the trail. Piping plovers walked along the edge of the water, a group of them taking flight when a couple and their puppy, a reddish retriever-looking ball of fluff, got a little too close.

  The young puppy barked with excitement at the birds, and the couple laughed, doing their best to reign him in. The man had a hold of his leash, and the woman was snapping a picture of them with her phone.

  Puppies were my kryptonite, and I couldn’t help the squeal that escaped my lips. It didn’t matter where I was or who I was with; if I saw a dog, I had to pet it. “Oh my gosh! He’s so adorable! How old?”

  “Three months this Tuesday! We’re still working on his recall.” The woman replied, laughing a little. Her gaze moved from me to Cal, and her jaw dropped. She nudged her boyfriend, who was already staring at Calum with wide eyes.

  “Can we pet him?” Cal asked, squeezing my hand gently when I stiffened with apprehension.

  “Yeah, sure!” The guy said, and Calum moved toward them, bringing me along with him. I glanced down at the puppy, dropping Calum’s hand and crouching before him. He came to me instantly, his fluffy tail wagging. I held my hand out to him before stroking his soft ears. “What’s his name?” I asked.

  “Oscar,” The man answered. “He’s a duck tolling retriever.” The puppy barked when he heard his name and jumped up, placing his paws on my knees. He tried to lick my mouth, but I laughed and turned my face. He licked my neck instead, his entire bottom half moving with each excited wag of his tail.

  Calum crouched beside me, his left hand going to the small of my back as his right came around to stroke the fur along the back of Oscar’s head. The puppy immediately shifted both paws to my right leg to get closer to him, too.

  After a few moments of letting us love on their dog, the woman spoke up timidly. “Do you think we could take your picture? It’s Oscar’s first time meeting a musician, and one of his dad’s favourites.” She said, her cheeks going a little pink with embarrassment, but her kind eyes were hopeful. “We sort of run an Instagram account for him. It’s for fun, more than anything, but…” she trailed off, biting her lip and looking hopeful.

  Calum glanced at me, reading me for a moment, before he looked back at them and answered. “Sure. That sounds cool.” He grinned, moving his body closer to mine. The woman snapped a couple of pictures, and in the final shot, the puppy jumped up onto my leg and threw me off balance.

  We toppled like dominos, the puppy jumping all over us, smothering our faces in kisses while we laughed.

  “Oscar! Come!” The man called while tugging gently on the puppy’s leash to get his attention. Hearing his name again, the puppy trotted over to his master and sat, peering up at him expectantly, waiting for his treat.

  “I’m so sorry about that,” the woman apologized as Cal got to his feet, lifting me with him. He had done his best to prevent me from hitting the damp sand, but we were both a little dirty.

  “It’s all right,” Calum laughed, wiping the mud off his jaw from one of Oscar’s exuberate kisses. “He’s forgiven. Just don’t try to kiss my girl again.” He said in jest the puppy, who barked and wagged his tail in response.

  She smiled with relief and laughed as her boyfriend scooped the puppy up and moved to stand beside her. “Madelyn, we’re going to be late for our appointment if we don’t get moving soon.” He said to her lightly, sending an apologetic smile to us, the puppy letting out an exhausted yawn in his arms.

  Madelyn’s eyes brightened. “Right, well. We better get going then. Enjoy the rest of your walk. Bye!” They moved around us quickly, heading toward the parking lot.

  Alone again on the beach, Calum’s gaze slid to me, and he smiled slowly, stepping forward to close the distance between us. He cupped my face in his hands, cradling it as his thumb slid across the side of my face, clearing away the mud. He ran his fingers down my neck, settling on my collarbone while his ice-blue eyes bore into mine with intention. He drew in a breath, his lips parting with all the words that sat on his tongue.

  Whatever he had on his mind was heavy, but the longer he looked at me, the lighter his eyes got. He smiled again, this one stealing the breath from my lungs.

  “We should get a dog.”

  “What?” I asked with a laugh, thrown off by his statement.

  “A dog. You’ve always wanted one. I’m kind of surprised you don’t have one already.”

  “We’re not home a lot during the week. It’s not very fair to a dog. I can’t exactly bring it to work with me. It’s a health code violation.”

  “I think we could make it work.” He lifted a shoulder. “I want to give you everything you need, and everything you’ve ever wanted.”

  “That’s sweet, Calum.” I managed over the lump of emotion that welled in my throat. “But I’m still getting used to the idea of moving in with you.”

  He grinned, this smile stealing the very breath from my lungs. “So, you’re thinking about it?”

  I rolled my eyes and huffed. “Of course, I’m thinking about it. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. But it’s a huge step, Cal.”

  “It is.” He nodded with solemn agreement, his fingers sliding up the base of my neck. His touch was searing, yet I shivered beneath it, goosebumps erupting on my flesh. It wasn’t the bite of the wind at my back that did it. It was the molten desire in his eyes. “I’m ready for it. I want to be a family, Harper. Like we always should have been.”

  Looking into his earnest eyes, I smiled. I reached out to him, my hands slipping into his open leather jacket and sliding along his rib cage. “I know you do, and I want that, too.”

  “Yeah?” He asked, the note of vulnerability detectable in not only his voice, but his eyes too.

  I nodded, biting down on my lip. “The little sleepover we’ve been having has shown me some serious benefits to taking you up on your offer.”

  “Has it now?” he asked, cocking a brow and tilting his head.

  “Mmm.” I purred, splaying my fingers across his chiseled abdomen. “The orgasms especially.” His muscles tightened beneath my cold touch, and he drew me close, the pads of his fingers, applying just the right amount of pressure to my neck as he guided me to him.

  Pulling my hands away from his abdomen, I brought them up to grip the lapels of his jacket, standing on my tiptoes to meet his lips with mine. Cal’s tongue darting out to dance with mine in sure, slow strokes.

  I couldn’t help but press my pelvis against his, an unavoidable—and not at all unpleasant—consequence of his kiss and his touch. I’d starved for it over the years, and now that I had it back…I couldn’t seem to get enough.

  Clearing his throat, his smile transformed into a devilish one. “I brought you on this little venture so we could talk, not get arrested for public indecency.”

  “You started it.” I teased, arching a brow at him. I let my arms drop to my sides, and his hand slipped through mine. We walked in silence for a few moments, until it got to be too much for me. “What did you want to talk about?” I couldn’t hide the vulnerability from my voice, and he detected it. His eyes moved from the horizon to me. His sculpted lips pulled into a reassuring smile. The calm serenity in his gaze eased the wave of unsettling worry I’d f
elt moments before.

  “Nothing bad, love. Just…don’t be surprised if you get a few heavy cheques in the mail from my lawyer.”

  “Uh, excuse me?” I stopped suddenly, and Calum turned with me—still clasping my hand.

  “Well—I owe you eight years of child support, for one. My lawyer figured out what it would be based on my income over the last several years. And…it turns out Gramps left Asher money and his Steinway piano.”

  The first part made sense to me, although I didn’t want a penny of his. I’d survived without it and didn’t need it now. I was more hung up on that second part, about his grandfather.

  “What? How did he know?”

  “I don’t know,” Calum admitted, his shoulder rising in an unconcerned shrug. He didn’t seem bothered by it. “He probably figured it out on his own. He knew Asher’s piano teacher, and the Watsons. He spent years telling me to come home, but he never said anything about Asher directly.” Cal’s expression darkened for a moment, and I knew he was internally berating himself for not listening.

  I looked past him and shook my head, still processing this new information, still processing my guilt. Calum’s eyes softened. He released my hand, moving a little closer to me, and cupped the sides of my face in his hands, his eyes boring into mine.

  “Hey—it’s all right. It’s just Gramps’s way of looking out for everyone. He left his house to Connor, his Steinway piano to Asher, and split his life savings three ways. It all goes to my mom, Connor, and Asher, and I’ve scheduled movers to bring the piano to the new house next week.”

  “Holy crap. That’s a lot, Cal. All of it.” Now that I’d somewhat accepted the news of Cal’s grandfather knowing about Asher, I’d circled back to what he’d said about the child support.

  “Raising a child on your own for eight years is a lot, too. I know your parents helped, Harp—and I know I’ll never be able to make up for the years I wasn’t here, but I can make it easier now. You can put it all in an education fund for Asher, or you can use some of it for your store—whatever you want, whatever you need. It’s yours. You’re entitled to every penny of it. Okay?”