Embracing Series Box Set #1-6

by Delisa Lynn

  “I think we’ll be good tonight. We have some snacks in the car,” Abby says as she opens her door.

  “Okay. Just follow me, then.”

  I slide in my car. When I look into my rearview mirror, I see that Alyssa’s still upset and crying. I just want to pull over and wrap my arms around her, hold her, and tell her everything will be all right. I will not let her suffer any more. From this day on, I will always be a part of her life.

  ***

  After pulling in the driveway of one of my most popular properties, I get out of my car and walk back to their car. I open Alyssa’s door. Her eyes are still swollen and red. I want to hug her, but I don’t want to overstep any boundaries. I pray that Seth and Josie won’t haunt my ass for wanting to be with her. I’m sure he would want her to be happy. Believe me, I can make her happy.

  I grab her hand and walk to the steps with her. I unlock the door. As we walk through the door, she still holds on to me. I show them around. This house sits directly on the beach. It has six bedrooms as well as a huge game room with a pool table and a few arcade machines.

  “This house is one of the best on the beach. This master suite here has a deck that leads out onto the beach,” I say as I walk through and show the girls the room.

  “I want this room, if that’s okay, Abby?”

  “That is more than fine with me,” Abby tells Alyssa.

  “Alyssa, can I talk to you in private? Maybe walk out on the beach with me?” I say as I give Abby a sympathetic look.

  “Of course you can. Just let me change really quickly,” she says as she grabs her bag and goes into the bathroom.

  “Heath, please be patient with her. She has so many scars, but she will open up to you. I think you are what she needs,” Abby says, hugging me before she walks into the other room. I stand there, running my hands through my hair. Then I see the bathroom door open.

  “Hey, sorry. I thought, since we were going to the beach, I would put on my swimsuit so I can enjoy the water. Ready?” she says as I take her hand in mine.

  She looks amazing. She was beautiful back then, but now…? She’s a woman. “So, how is New York City? I’ve been there a few times over the years,” I ask, making small talk as we walk alongside the beach water. The air is perfect.

  “It’s good. It’s been home for eight years.” She smiles.

  “How was school? Tell me everything. I want to know about you and your life.”

  She tenses a little. “Ahh, my life. Well, it hasn’t been roses and butterflies, that’s for sure. I did what I had to do to get over Seth and things that happened after him.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. After losing Josie, I wasn’t sure that I could manage.”

  “How did you do it? I mean, you seem okay…Now.”

  “It wasn’t easy. Things were rough at first. Then I realized that she’d want me to be happy.” Hell, I fought with myself daily after she died. I wasn’t always ready to move forward.

  “I get that. When I started college, I waited for six months before I was intimate with anyone. I felt I had to. It helped me move on. I was so in love with Seth. He was my first of everything. Then he left me. We were supposed to be together forever. Every day since he left, I’ve been so mad.”

  “He loved you, I know that. I also know he would never want you to be unhappy. I get you wanting to heal and doing things that you thought would help.” I walk out into the water. I look up at the sky. It’s just as perfect as the air. I laugh. “Hell, I think we have more in common than we knew.”

  “I know he did. Life changed so much without him. Being with a different guy was never my intention. It just happened that way. I haven’t told a lot of people this…” She closes her eyes. “I was…raped. I was leaving a party and two guys stopped me. They wouldn’t stop. I begged…” She turns her face away from me. My fist turns white from how hard I’m clenching them.

  I run my hands down my face, trying to hide my anger. “I’m so sorry, baby. I hope the bastards are in jail.” I’d love to go find them and beat the fuck out of them.

  “It was a long time ago. They aren’t in jail. I didn’t report it. They did get what they deserved, though. One of my friends was in medical school at the time and he actually tortured the both of them. Let’s just say, they won’t be having sex…ever.”

  “Why wouldn’t you report it? They took something from you that you can’t get back. They had no right to do what they did. I’m glad your friend took care of them.” The more I think about what they did to her, the angrier I become.

  “I didn’t want my parents finding out. Only two people knew for the longest time. I finally told Abby a few years ago. My father would have been so disappointed in me for not fighting them off. You know, now that I’m older and wiser, I take on rape cases, and sometimes I wish I’d gone to the police, but I was young and didn’t know any better at the time.”

  I push a strand of hair behind her ear and lift her chin. “You are a brave woman. You’ve been through so much and you’re still in one piece.”

  “Please, I’m in a million pieces. I have more pieces than a jigsaw puzzle.” She tries to laugh. “Come on, let’s go for a swim.”

  “Let’s go,” I say, throwing my wallet and phone into the sand.

  The water is warm. The moon is shadowing the sand and reflecting onto the water. As we run farther into the water, I see her smiling. God, she is fucking beautiful—her smile, her laugh. I want her. I need to know her, the real her. All I know is the young girl that my brother was in love with. I want to know the woman she’s become.

  “Other than running into me, how do you like it here so far?”

  “I’m really glad I ran into you. Thank you for this,” she says, throwing her arms in the air. “This beach is amazing. I say we get some drinks after this.”

  “Sounds good to me. There is a little tavern that’s open all night, or we could go to the liquor store.”

  “I could go for some dancing. We could see if Abby would like to join us.”

  “I’m going to go get changed. Then I’ll pick y’all up in about an hour?”

  “Works for me.” As I walk back onto the sand, I see Alyssa’s beautiful silhouette. I smile as she skips through the sand. Although she has been damaged, she is still as bright as the sun.

  “Okay, we will see you soon,” she says, running up on the deck.

  “Oh, and the bar is just a little hole in the wall, so you can dress comfy.”

  ***

  Alyssa

  “Hey, sister of mine, get your ass ready. We are going to a honkey tonk.” I laugh. She’s sitting in the middle of the bed, reading. “Come on, he’ll be back in an hour.”

  “Who said I wanted to go? You can go alone. I just started this book and it’s amazing. Not sure I can put it down.”

  “Seriously, you’d rather read than hang out with me.” I bat my eyelashes at her. “Just a few drinks. Please.”

  “Fine, just a few. I’m sleepy.” She yawns.

  “Woman, we’re on vacation. No sleeping.”

  “Yeah, we will see about that.” She snorts. “Is it wrong that I want you and Heath to go alone?”

  “No, we can. Are you really that tired?” I ask, knowing that we’d both made the same damn trip. It wasn’t like I slept the entire way. Well, maybe I did.

  “I love you, but I just want to sleep. I know he will keep you safe.” She smiles before kissing my cheek. “Now, have fun!”

  I walk into the bedroom and look for something casual to wear. I put on a pair of jean capris and a tank top. It’s like a hundred degrees here. While refreshing my makeup, I notice that my eyes are a little bloodshot. I dig through my bags and find some eye drops. I lean my head, drip some in each eye, and blink a few times.

  I finish getting ready and realize that Heath is probably here. I walk out onto the patio and sure enough, he is standing next to his car.

  “Hey,” I say, slowly walking toward him. “Abby is ditching us.” I
laugh. “How about coffee instead of booze?” I ask, although I would love to get drunk and confess my life sins to him for some unknown reason. I think a nice latte would be the better drink for the night.

  “Coffee is good. We can take my car.”

  “This is a nice car.” It’s some sort of sports car. I don’t get these people and their expensive cars. I have a Chevy Impala, but it is the newest model.

  “Thanks. This was my dad’s and I fixed it up. I have a fetish for cars.” He buckles his seat belt. “I guess it’s a man thing.”

  “Must be. I own a car, but I use the subway or a taxi. The city is so busy.”

  “Oh, I bet. There is no way I’d drive if I lived there.”

  “It can get pretty bad. So, tell me about yourself. What made you want to sell homes?”

  “I live alone, no pets. I love to golf. I was a business major, but then I just wanted something different. Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Of course you can.”

  “I wanted to be a pro golfer. I knew my dad wouldn’t go for that.”

  “Well, if that’s what you wanted to do, why would it matter?”

  “I tried to make him proud of me. I know he would have been even if I were to play golf for a living, but I wasn’t sure it would pay my bills.”

  The coffee shop is small and well-lit, probably too well-lit. I swear there are a million lights in this place. That means he is going to be able to see all the bags under my eyes. I’ve been so stressed lately with work and with Ev—nope, not even going to think about him tonight. This is me starting over. I know he was never mine, but that didn’t stop him from coming to my bed every night.

  We sit at a small corner table. Heath smiles before pulling my chair closer to his. “I want to get to know you tonight. I see a beautiful woman with so much love to give,” he says, rubbing his thumb over my hand.

  “You are something else, Mason, you know that?” I wink.

  “So I’ve been told, but never by someone as pretty as you.” Hot damn, he is laying it on thick. I’m so damn nervous, I can feel my legs sticking to the inseams of my jeans. I can guarantee I have sweat rolling down my spine.

  “I’ll be honest, I thought my sister was crazy. No way did I want to meet one of Brett’s friends.” I laugh “But…I’m glad I did. Thank you for this.”

  “Lys, no need to thank me. I wasn’t up for it either. I kept thinking you would be one of three things: Married, old, and/or the mother of ten kids.”

  “Not a fan of old married chicks with kids?”

  “They’re okay, just not what I’m looking for right now.” He chuckles.

  We talk for what seems like hours. He tells me about his childhood and about when he moved here and had to leave his mom and Seth behind. I knew he and his brother were really close, and I always wondered why they were separated. Now I know it’s because Heath and his mom don’t get along. I can’t blame him. She is a royal bitch. I haven’t seen her much since Seth’s death, but I would love to punch her a few times.

  After noticing it’s past two in the morning, we drive back to the beach house. Saying goodnight was odd. When he hugged me, I thought he was going to kiss me. I walk into the house and Abby is sound asleep. I change into a pair of pajamas and climb in the oversized bed. As I drift to sleep, I wonder what it would be like to kiss Heath.

  ***

  Heath

  Not kissing Alyssa goodnight was so damn hard. We definitely hit it off. She is one of a kind, that’s for damn sure. Everything about her makes me want to know more. I would have given anything to pull her into my arms and hold her all night. I didn’t want to scare her away, so I went home. Now I’m lying here in bed, all alone.

  I push the blankets to the bottom of the bed, grab an extra pillow, and place it next to me. The extra pillow trick has soothed me ever since I was a child. Usually, all I have to do is place the pillow next to me and I’ll go straight to sleep, but not tonight. I keep thinking about the black-haired beauty.

  I flip the TV on and see an infomercial for some hair product that doesn’t lather. What the hell? Who would want to wash their hair with something that doesn’t have suds? I flip the channel and stumble across the Food Network. The guy with spikey blond hair is at a pizza place in Chicago. The pizza looks good, that’s for sure. I flip the channel again and stumble across one of my all-time favorite movies—The Water Boy, with Adam Sandler. I could watch this movie over and over. I watch it until I fall asleep.

  ***

  When I wake up, Alyssa is the first thing that comes to my mind. I’m sure she’s already had breakfast, but I decide to grab some coffee and bagels to take to her and Abby. Shit, maybe I should have called first, but I didn’t even think about that. All I can think about is seeing that smile of hers.

  I pull in front of the house and gather up the food and drinks. I get a weird feeling in my stomach when I knock on the door. When she opens the door, I feel like all the wind has been knocked out of me. I can’t speak. She’s wearing a towel on her head, and her makeup is fresh and light. The black shorts she’s wearing show all of her curves and the thin white shirt isn’t leaving much to my imagination.

  “Good morning. Sorry to come over before calling, but I hope y’all are hungry,” I say, holding the bag up.

  “Aren’t you in a chipper mood today,” Abby says from behind Alyssa as she grabs the drinks from my hand.

  “Thanks, Heath. I was actually getting ready to call you and see if you wanted to hang out. My sister seems to want to sleep the entire time we are here,” Alyssa says, taking the bagels. “You are a saint. How did you know I liked cinnamon sugar bagels with cream cheese?”

  “Ahh, it was a guess, but I’m glad you do. They are my favorite too.”

  “Shit. Sorry, I totally forgot I had this towel on my head. Please excuse me while I brush my hair.”

  “Of course, take your time.”

  I watch as she walks into the other room. Abby catches me. “Hey, I see the way you look at her. Don’t hurt her.”

  “Never. I want to be the one to protect her from it all.”

  And I do. She deserves more than she thinks she does. I drink my coffee and eat a bagel while I wait for Lys.

  ***

  We’ve had an amazing day. We went sightseeing and snorkeling. Now we are walking along the beach, and I can’t hide my feelings any longer.

  “Alyssa, this may sound too forward, and if I’m out of line, please tell me, baby, but I’m going to kiss you. Please tell me now if you don’t want me to,” I say as I place my finger under her chin, tilting her head up a little.

  “That would be really nice right now.”

  She licks her lips. I lean forward and lick my lips as well just before placing them on hers. Once my tongue pushes through her lips, her tongue finds mine and dances circles around it. She pulls back, breathless, and looks into my eyes. I want to take all of her pain away, everything bad anyone has done to her, and make it all better.

  “I don’t know what this is, but I want you so fucking bad. I want all of you, and just not right now, but for as long as you’ll have me. I know you may think this is crazy because of Seth, but I want to heal you. I want to make you whole again. Please don’t think I’m crazy. Tell me you feel it too.” I pull her into my arms and hug her as tight as I can.

  “I feel it too. I thought I was crazy, but the minute you smiled at me, my fucking panties were soaked. I know that some people will think it’s crazy because you’re Seth’s twin, but I’ve been so broken over the years…”

  “Tell me you want me, Alyssa.” I slide my hand around her waist. “Let me take you right here, in the sand.”

  “Not here. Is there another house that’s empty,” she says, looking around.

  “I know the perfect place.” I lead her to the empty house next to the one they’re occupying.

  “I’ll be honest, I’ve been with a lot of guys, but I’m clean. I get tested yearly,” she says with a frown.


  “I don’t care about your past. All I care about is being a part of your future. All of the guys you were with? Leave them in the past. It’s just you and me now, okay?”

  Hand in hand, we run to the vacant house. I close the door behind us.

  “Okay. Please touch me so I know this is real,” she says. I kiss her again. I know this is fucking crazy. I just caught up with her and I’m already making love to her. “Oh, Heath…Yes, right there,” she says as I kiss her neck.

  I make my way down to her breasts and take her bikini top off. I pull one hard nipple between my teeth and nip at it. Then I take the other in my hand. My dick is so hard I don’t know how long I will last since I haven’t been with anyone in a few months.

  “Bed, now,” I say as I pull my pants down.

  She pulls her shorts and bikini bottoms down. “Hmm, commando. I like.”

  “Fucking gorgeous.” She’s lying in the middle of the bed and she looks absolutely breathtaking. “I’m going to taste every inch of you and I won’t stop until you’re breathless.”

  ***

  Alyssa

  As I lie here with Heath kissing me all over, I feel a relief wash over me, and not just because he has just given me the best orgasm of my life, but because I feel so safe with him. I actually feel whole again, although it hasn’t even been twelve hours since I reconnected with him. Maybe he is what I’ve needed all this time?

  “It’s my turn now,” I say as I take his length in my hands. I kiss his lips, then lower my mouth to his very hard chest. He has abs of fucking steel.

  As I lick my way down, I wrap my lips around his large cock. I lick him from the base all the way back to the tip. He’s larger than most of the guys I’ve been with. He tastes so good, so fucking sweet. Once his pre-cum touches my tongue, I come instantly. The taste of him is amazing.

  “Fuck, baby, I need you. I want to be buried in that sweet pussy when I come,” he says as he pulls me up and flips me to my back.