by Jess Bryant
“Starting the conversation that I couldn’t start. I promised her I wouldn’t and I didn’t. But you did and now you know and there’s no going back from that. I love her. She’s mine, Dare. She’s mine and I’ll fight any man that tries to keep her from me, including you, from here on out. Do you get that?”
“Of course.” His friend nodded. “Of course I do.”
“I’ll fight her too if I have to. God knows it wouldn’t be the first time.” He managed a smile and Derek chuckled.
“Somehow I don’t think you two are done fighting with each other, not by a long-shot. You enjoy it too much. So does she.” Derek gave a soft smile, “She lights up for you. Maybe you don’t see it but she does.”
Connor smiled but remained quiet because of course he saw that. It was one of the things he loved about her so much. He loved the fire that lit her up from the inside out. The way she matched him smartass remark for smartass remark. She was witty and funny and biting when she had to be. He loved how beautiful she looked with her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide and a snarl on her lips as she yelled at him.
Total masochist that he was, he loved fighting with her.
Derek shrugged, “With me she’s always tried to keep herself soft, gentle and accepting but with you she’s not afraid to be strong and fierce. I like that side of her but she’d never tell me to go fuck myself the way she does you.”
Connor laughed a little, “True. Guess I’m just lucky.”
“You are.” Derek agreed, “We both are.”
Connor traded a smile with his best friend the likes of which they hadn’t shared in years. All this time he’d spent being jealous of Derek, of secretly pining for the one woman that he wanted more than any other, the same woman that was in love with his best friend, had driven a wedge between them. It had been hard to see with it there. He’d chalked it up to growing up and growing apart. They were still best friends, always would be, but a distance had grown between them since Connor went to the Academy and Derek went to college. They met up for drinks down at the bar occasionally but they didn’t talk like they used to. He hoped that this was the beginning of them getting back to the kind of friendship that verged on brotherhood, the kind they’d had when they were younger.
Derek was happy with Aubrey and Connor finally had Lulu to himself. They could stop the mad whirlwind dance they’d been doing around one another. No more hiding or lying or secrets, they could just live and love and all be friends again.
“So are we heading back?” Connor asked when his friend continued to watch the others swinging their clubs.
“Yeah. Sure. Let’s go.”
“You gonna tell everybody else we’re leaving?”
“I already told Dad and Mr. Dixon. They want to stay and finish the round.” Derek shrugged.
“And the others?”
Derek grinned mischievously, “I don’t know about you, but I could use a little break from the wonder trio and their epic quest to bed a bridesmaid.”
Connor laughed, “A-fucking-men.”
“Speaking of which…” Derek narrowed his eyes and Connor raised his hands up in a show of innocence.
“I only agreed to be part of that bet so they’d leave her the hell alone. This thing with Lulu isn’t about that. Not at all. But when they started making bets and picking girls I had to keep them away from her, Dare. I had to.”
“I get it.” Derek shrugged, “I love my little brother but if he laid a finger on Lulu I’d beat him to a pulp. He’s a womanizing asshole with an ego problem and she deserves better.”
“Don’t think Dean is going to be a problem.” Connor grinned, “I threatened to cut off his favorite appendage if he so much as looked at her too long.”
“Nice.”
“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
“Hell yeah he does.” Derek confirmed with a nod, “And right now? We’re ditching these assclowns and going after our girls. Hit the gas and get us out of here before one of them comes to see what we’re talking about.”
“If that’s what the groom wants…” Connor flipped the golf cart into reverse, “That’s what the groom gets.”
He punched the gas and they flew backwards across the path. Every head at the hole spun to face them. Dean yelped, jumping out of the way when Connor put the car back into drive and careened dangerously around them all.
“What the hell?” Dean yelled after them.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Reed added, “We’re not done here!”
“Better things to do, boys. Keep the Dads company and we’ll be sure to tell the girls hi for you.” Derek laughed as Connor bumped them around the course at top speed and they whipped back towards the resort.
Over their laughter Connor thought he heard Dean complaining about being left behind but he couldn’t be sure. He thought Reed said something about them forfeiting their scores. He didn’t care and neither did Derek. Let the little Harper’s play their stupid game of golf. Connor and Derek had beautiful, sexy, incredible women waiting for them back at the resort. They’d been stupid to stay away as long as they had.
It took almost ten minutes for them to get back to the resort. They turned in the keys to the golf cart and headed straight for the pool. Aubrey being madly in love with her soon to be husband, of course she’d text Derek back when he asked where the girls were. Lulu remained unresponsive to Connor’s messages, which set his teeth on edge and had him glaring at Derek when his friend asked if he wanted to swing by his room to change.
Fuck no he didn’t want to take the time to change. He’d go to the pool in his slacks and polo like a fucking douchebag so long as it meant he got to see Lulu now. Screw dress codes, the only way his clothes were coming off at this point was if Lulu was undressing him.
He didn’t want to waste another minute. He was on a mission. He intended to track Lulu down and find out exactly why she hadn’t been returning his messages. Then, if or rather when, her explanation failed to appease him, he intended to spank her cute little ass until it bore his handprint and she remembered that she was his now.
He and Derek headed out to the big pool near their bungalows side by side. Several of the women in the vicinity turned their heads to watch them pass but Connor ignored them all. He couldn’t even muster his usual carefree smile for them. He kept his eyes straight ahead because as soon as he spotted Lulu, he couldn’t have torn them free if he wanted to.
She wasn’t wearing anything but that ridiculously tiny little string bikini again. All of her honey colored skin was on display as she lounged on a chaise. Her dark hair was in a messy bun on top of her head and big sunglasses covered her eyes. She was holding a book in one hand, the other thrown over her head and with her leg cocked upwards, all he could think was that she was the sexiest damn dance instructor the world had ever seen.
He didn’t know whether to fall to his knees and worship her or wrap her in a blanket so the rest of the world couldn’t see what was his and his alone now.
“Dare!” Aubrey’s high-pitched squeal rent the air as soon as she spotted them and in a split second she was up.
She raced towards them and Derek stopped, knowing what was coming. He braced himself and caught his fiancé when she launched herself into his arms. He held her close as she wrapped herself around him and kissed him hard on the mouth.
Connor caught all of it out of the corner of his eye because he certainly didn’t stop walking. He met Lulu’s eyes as her head came up and the book came down. Behind the sunglasses it wasn’t easy to read her expression but from the way she licked her bottom lip nervously and shimmied upright, squaring her shoulders to face him, he knew his own expression must be thunderous. Which was fine, because they were about to have a fight and he knew it.
He stopped directly in front of her chair, his big body casting her in his shadow, “Where’s your phone, Lu?”
She tipped her sunglasses up on top of her head to look at him directly, “Dunno. Maybe in my room
?”
“Maybe in mine you mean?” He glared back at her when her lips pursed, “You had it this morning in my room before we split up. Did you leave it there?”
Her eyes darted past him and heat pumped into his bloodstream. He could see the way her breathing sped up. Nervousness but something else too. There was a fire building in her eyes but there was a warning in her tone when she said nothing but his name in a low, hushed voice.
“Connor…”
“Don’t bother. He already knows.”
“You told him.” She snorted, shaking her head as she dropped her book and swung her legs over the side of her chair, “I should have known. You just couldn’t help yourself could you?”
“Lu…” He growled but she wasn’t done yet and she spoke right over him.
“I asked you to do one thing, one damn thing to give this thing between us a chance to work, but you went and blew it just like I knew you would.”
“I told you I wouldn’t tell him and I didn’t.” He stepped closer when she stood to her full height and she craned her neck to look up at him.
“Oh, so he just guessed then?” She rolled her eyes and started to step past him but he blocked her way.
“No. He didn’t guess. He flat out told me he’s known for years.”
That pulled Lulu up short and she stared at him for a long moment. Her dark brows furrowed over her equally dark eyes and that lush mouth he loved so much fell into a solemn line. He watched her steal a glance back at the happy couple, still twined together but talking animatedly to each other as if nobody else in the world existed.
When she looked back up at him her voice was softer, the anger of a moment ago all but gone, “He knew?”
“He knew.” Connor confirmed.
“He knew how you felt about me?” Her bottom lip trembled slightly and he hated that they were having this conversation here and now but he nodded and she bit her bottom lip, “He knew how I felt about him?”
“Lu…” He softened his voice as well and when she winced he pulled her into his arms and lowered his forehead to hers. “It doesn’t matter now. None of it matters. Can’t you see that? See me. Focus on me. I’m right here with you.”
Her dark eyes had taken on that faraway look she sometimes got when she was thinking or when she was dancing and got caught up in the music and drifted off to somewhere only she knew.
Connor slid his hand to her ass. He had to distract her. Had to. He couldn’t let her get lost in wondering what Derek had known and when and for how long. He wouldn’t let her wonder why Derek still hadn’t chosen her. Connor had. He’d chosen her today and every day before even if she didn’t know it. He’d distracted her plenty of times with his words but now that he’d felt the magic of having her in his arms, he wanted to distract her with his body.
Lulu let out a small gasp as he palmed her ass and her eyes refocused on him, “Connor!”
“What?” He feigned innocence as he cupped a small little round cheek and used the handful to pull her closer, her body up against his.
Another little gasp came from her when her stomach rubbed against the erection he’d been sporting since the moment he saw her, “We’re in public.”
She was trying to get him to stop. Supposedly. Her words were telling him not to make a scene. But the way her lips curved upwards, the way she slid her hand to the small of his back, keeping him close, the way she didn’t even try to push him away, told a different story altogether.
“And?” He slid his other hand to her ass, holding her tight against him as he gave a roll of his hips, rubbing his length against her.
“And…” The word came out breathless as her back arched and she tangled her hands in his hair, pulling him down towards her. She met his eyes when she whispered, “And you’re making me want you.”
“It’s about fucking time.” He growled a moment before he took her mouth right there in the middle of the resort with Derek, Aubrey, God and everybody watching.
Chapter Eleven
Lulu moaned as Connor swept his tongue into her mouth. He didn’t take it slow or try to keep it chaste. He hit her with a full-on onslaught of passion and the tidal wave swept her up, leaving her clinging to him, holding on for dear life as he kissed her senseless.
God, how was it possible that she’d missed this today? Missed him? It was ludicrous considering he’d taken her multiple times this morning, given her a half dozen orgasms and then kissed her silly before going off to meet the boys for golf. But in just the handful of hours she’d been without him, her body had begun to ache for his touch, to miss his taste, to need the reminder of what it felt like being in his arms.
Bliss. It was absolute bliss. He made her head swim and her body hot and desperate for more.
She didn’t care that they were in broad daylight, standing in the middle of the resort, groping each other like horny teenagers. She didn’t care that the other girls were there, no doubt watching with gaping mouths and wide eyes and, at least in Amber’s case eyes green with envy. She didn’t even care that Derek and Aubrey were there somewhere because Derek had forfeited his right to have any say in who she kissed or when and where; it was only as Connor’s quiet words had sunk in, telling her that Derek had known how they both felt and said nothing, done nothing, that she’d finally, ultimately, put him out of her mind for good.
He didn’t deserve her. Not her attention. Not her longing. Not her heart. Connor had been right all along.
Connor was the one that had been there for her when she was down. He was the one that had distracted her from her pain and loneliness. He was the one that annoyed the hell out of her and made her laugh and smile and want more than she’d allowed herself to hope for in a really long time. Connor wanted her and he’d proven it time and time again, choosing her, focusing on her, and making her feel wanted, beautiful and desired.
It was Connor. Oh God, maybe it had always been Connor. In one way or another, even when he’d pissed her off he’d always been the one that was there for her.
And now there was this… this need that he’d awoken inside of her, not created out of thin air because a part of her had always been attracted to him, he was too gorgeous to deny that. A part of her had always wondered what being with him would be like after seeing the one night stands that fell dreamily for him. She’d hidden it down inside herself so deep that ignoring it had become easy but he’d woken that fire inside of her and now it burned so hot and bright that she was only scared it would burn out and she’d be left cold and lonely all over again when he was done with her.
Lulu tiptoed up as he used his big hands on her ass to pull her body flush against him. Her breasts rubbed against his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She sucked his tongue causing him to groan in that deep, full-chested way that made her core clench. The kiss turned wild as he pressed harder against her, rubbing her against the erection she could feel through his pants and she moaned right back into his mouth. It was only when he wrenched free, sucking in a gulp of air, that she saw the amazement that lit up his beautiful blue-green eyes.
She smiled softly and nuzzled their noses together, sweetly dropping a small kiss on his upturned mouth. He hadn’t expected her to kiss him back so openly. He’d kissed her but he hadn’t expected her to kiss him back, not so wantonly, and she found that she liked surprising him even as a small piece of her heart went slippery soft at the thought of all the times he must have wanted to do that, wanted to kiss her, but had known she wouldn’t react to it so eagerly.
God, she’d hurt him and she hadn’t even known.
“Lu…” His voice was rough but before he got another word out there was a wolf whistle followed by a thick drawl.
“I’m gonna need a cold shower if you two keep that up.” Sierra was fanning herself dramatically from her chair a few feet away when Lulu glanced at her and blushed. “Don’t y’all have a room because I’m pretty sure they frown on live porn at the public pool in these kind of places.”
/> Lulu giggled a little when Sierra winked at her knowingly and then turned her face back up to Connor, “She has a point.”
“Mmm, she does.” He rubbed her against his erection again, “Get that cute ass moving and stay in front of me so I don’t give these kids a fright with the flagpole in my pants.”
She giggled again as he spun her by the hips, keeping her tight in front of him as he guided them out of the pool area. She left everything behind, knowing Sierra or one of the other girls would grab her book, towel and cover-up for her. She enjoyed the feel of Connor’s big hands on her naked skin and stomach as they walked but when he turned them into the nearest building she frowned and balked a little.
“I thought we were going to our room?”
“I can’t fucking wait that long.” He growled near her ear as he pushed her into the public locker room and then grabbed her hand and all but dragged her towards the back where the showers were located, “I want you now.”
“Connor, I…”
“Don’t you dare tell me no right now, Lu.” He glared at her as he snapped the plastic sheeting of the last shower aside and pushed her in, flipping on the hot water to drown out their voices as he backed her under the spray, “You’ve had me on edge all day. Ignoring my texts. Ignoring me.”
“I wasn’t.” She yelped as he wrapped a hand in her hair and tugged her ponytail free, sending her hair cascading down, “I forgot my phone.”
“I thought you were brushing me off and then…” He groaned as he ripped his polo over his head and dropped the soaked material to the ground behind him, “Then you go and kiss me like that in front of everyone. You fucking claimed me, Lu and I’m goddamn sure going to claim you right back.”
She shivered at the dark look in his eyes as much as the husky tone of his voice. Oh, she’d known she surprised him out there but she hadn’t known this would be his reaction. She bit her lip as he kicked off his shoes and then began to unbutton and unzip his pants. She had thought she’d experienced the depth of how much Connor wanted her when he’d taken her this morning but this…
