Wednesday (Timeless Series #3)

by E. L. Todd

  ***

  Hawke got dressed then grabbed his satchel. “Alright. I’ll probably be working for most of the day. But tomorrow, we have the whole day to do whatever you want.”

  “Can we go snorkeling?” I stood in my pink bikini with a towel tucked under my arm. I applied as much sunscreen as my skin would absorb so it wouldn’t dry out in the sun.

  “Sure.” He hooked his arm around my waist and gave me a slow kiss. “What are you doing while I’m gone?”

  “Hitting the pool.”

  He gave me a fond look before offering up another kiss. “All the guys at the poolside are going to have a hard-on because of you.”

  “Oh, whatever.” I grabbed my beach bag and shoved my things inside. “I’ll see you later.”

  He gave my ass a playful smack. “Alright, Muffin.”

  ***

  I spent the entire day by the pool. Other people rested under the cabanas with their pretty drinks, and a few kids were in the kiddie pool. I brought a few books to read, something I’d neglected after I opened my shop. Since then, I didn’t have time to read or lounge around anymore. My life was devoted to my bakery.

  While I missed Hawke, I was okay on my own. I ordered lunch at the poolside and even took a nap. Not once did I go into the water because I was too relaxed on the beach chair.

  The sun started to set and I looked at the time. Hawke was still working, and I couldn’t believe he’d been at it all day. How long could people talk about money? At least I would have him all day tomorrow. I really wanted to give those jet skis a whirl.

  I set my book down because I couldn’t read anymore. The dying light hurt my eyes, and if I kept squinting like that, I would have premature wrinkles. Just when I looked up, I noticed Hawke coming down the ramp in my direction. He left the line of cabanas and reached the main resort.

  And then I saw his client.

  It was a woman about his age, and she had pretty blonde hair that trailed past her breasts. It was curled at the ends and shined with a distinct softness. Her features were abnormally perfect, so I could only assume she was a model or an actress.

  The first thing that came to mind was jealousy. Hawke spent the entire day with that woman, a perfect ten. I wasn’t wearing any make up and my hair was tied up in a bun.

  I felt hideous.

  Hawke spotted me then came my way, the woman by his side. She had a snooty look to her, like she didn’t like me before she even met me. “Hey, Muffin.” He leaned down and gave me a kiss like he always did. “Have fun today?”

  “Yeah. I chilled by the pool and drank all day. It was heaven.” I looked at the woman and waited to be introduced.

  “Francesca, this is Olivia.” Hawke stepped away slightly so we could shake hands. “We’re almost finished. We’re just going to wrap up a few things at dinner.”

  He was still working? With her? “Okay. I’ll see you later then.”

  Hawke gave me another kiss before he stepped away.

  “It was nice meeting you, Olivia.”

  She gave me a cold look. “You too.”

  ***

  I sat on the deck of the cabana and waited for Hawke to return. Jealousy was eating me alive and I judged myself for it. Just last week, Hawke and I got into a fight over Kyle, and I told him he needed to calm down.

  Now I needed to take my own advice.

  It didn’t matter how pretty she was or how rich she was. Hawke and I were meant to be together, and no one could take him away from me. I was worried over nothing, and I knew I needed a reality check.

  After a few minutes of convincing, the jealousy finally left my body. Hawke could be with anyone he wanted, even supermodels. If I weren’t enough for him, he would have left long ago.

  An hour later, Hawke returned to the bungalow. “Got tired of the pool?”

  “I started wondering how many kids peed in it.”

  He smiled slightly then removed his shoes and socks. He sat beside me on the deck and let his feet dangle in the water. He kept his back perfectly straight as he stared across the black ocean. The sun was nearly gone and the stars started to come out. The warm breeze moved through his hair, making it shift slightly.

  I could stare at him forever and never grow tired of it. The distant light from the stars reflected in his blue eyes, looking like a private galaxy that I got to enjoy. His rugged features made him hard and a little intimidating, but underneath that brick and mortar was a man with a soft heart. He reminded me of myself in so many ways. “How did the investment go?”

  “Good. She gave me a large amount.”

  I was curious to know how much money he used on transactions but I didn’t ask. He probably didn’t mind sharing the information, but his client might. “Have you worked with her before?”

  “Many times. Her family owns Thick Whiskey.”

  Damn, she was stupid rich. “Good for her.”

  “She doesn’t appreciate it. She grew up with money and doesn’t understand the value of a dollar.”

  Sounded like every rich person I met. “At least she’s investing it instead of spending it.”

  “I guess.” He looked up at the stars and kicked his feet slightly in the water.

  The fact he worked with her before was a dead giveaway to my greatest fear. More than likely, he slept with her. The idea of him being with such a beautiful woman made me sick, but I forced myself to stop thinking about it.

  Hawke turned his gaze away from the sky and watched me. “Did you have a good day?”

  “That’s a stupid question.” I forced a chuckle and hoped it sounded sincere. “I sat under a cabana while people waited on me hand and foot. Yes, it was a good day.”

  Hawke knew me well enough to see through my mask. He could tell I was trying to hide something, and within a few seconds, he figured out what it was. “It happened a few times but it never meant anything—to either one of us.”

  I looked away in embarrassment. He could read the pain on my face so easily despite how hard I tried to hide it.

  “She wanted to have another fling on this trip, but I told her I was off the market. She didn’t like that answer so I asked you to come along. Now she knows I’m being serious.”

  I looked out into the water, watching it grow darker with every passing second. “I’m bug repellent?”

  He chuckled under his breath. “I guess, if you want to put it that way.”

  Actually, I was pretty concerned that he had to bring me along anyway. Did that mean she wouldn’t give up until she got what she wanted?

  His hand moved to mine. “You’re the one who told me I have nothing to worry about. The same thing applies to you.”

  “I never said I was worried.”

  “Muffin, I can see it in your eyes.”

  The women in his life before I came along didn’t matter. But the ones that came after did. They never should have been with him in the first place. He should have been mine for the past two years. They took something that didn’t belong to him. Together or apart, he was always mine. “It just bothers me sometimes. I’m not worried you’re going to run off with someone else, and I honestly don’t blame women for wanting you. I just regret that time we lost. She got to have you when you should have been mine.” The last thing I wanted was to hurt him, but I had to speak the truth.

  He kept his eyes glued to me, never blinking. “I understand.”

  I finally looked him straight on, seeing the remorse on his face.

  “I feel the same way about Kyle. Except, that was entirely my fault.”

  It was but I didn’t gloat.

  His thumb moved across my knuckles. “We’re together now and that’s all that matters. Nothing will keep us apart—ever again.”

  When he said beautiful things like that, it was impossible for me to be upset. I got lost in those dark eyes and drifted away in the form of a dream. Whenever we were together, it seemed like we were in an entirely different place, living in an alternate world where no one else could follow.


  I removed my dress then slid into the water in my bikini. The water was a little cold but it felt good against my skin. Slowly, I untied the top of my bikini and let it float in the water.

  Hawke’s eyes were trained on me. He watched every movement, seeing my top drift across the surface.

  I untied my bottoms then gathered them with the bikini top and placed them on the deck. My hair was still in a bun so I pulled it loose and let it fall around my shoulders. The ends fell into the water and immediately became soaked.

  Hawke stared at me for minutes, appraising my body through the water. He watched my nipples harden from the cold. Then he slowly undressed himself, tossing aside his shirt and pants. When he pulled down his boxers, his hard cock fell out, proving he was pleased by what he saw.

  He slid into the water then walked through it until he was right in front of me. The water level only reached the bottom of his chest, but for me it was almost to my chin.

  He dug his wet hands into my hair before he gave me a slow kiss, the kind that wasn’t meant to be lustful. It was slow and careful, treasuring my lips like it might be the last time he ever felt them. He didn’t use his tongue at first. By the time he gave it to me, I was already writhing in the water. No matter how many times he made love to me, I was always desperate for more.

  He gripped my ass then lifted me until my legs were around his waist. Without breaking the moment, he continued to kiss me until my back was pressed against the glass of the plunge pool.

  His lips left mine and he looked me in the eye, the desire and endless love burning like a candle. “We need to be quiet.”

  “Okay.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and tightened my knees around his hips, wanting him inside me.

  His mouth was on mine again as he tilted my hips and inserted his cock into me. It made a slow entrance, stretching me in the best way possible. He moved until he was completely inside me. Then he remained still, my back pressed to the glass. “Sometimes, I want to stay like this forever.” He sucked my bottom lip while he remained idle.

  Anytime he was inside me, I was a different person. I was impatient, passionate, and aggressive. When I had him, I always wanted more. There were no words to express how I felt about this man. I told him I loved him before, but those words weren’t enough to show my meaning. Nothing in the English dictionary would suffice. I’d never been with a man and felt this way, like my heart might give out because I’d given him everything. He didn’t just have my heart, but my entire soul.

  My hand scratched down his back, feeling the prominent muscles underneath the skin. My fingers traveled down his spine until I felt the hard curve of his ass. He had such a nice behind. I loved gripping it when we made love. “Come with me.”

  He pressed his face to mine and slowly thrust inside me, making the water rock against the glass in the form of waves. We normally kissed during sex but now we just stared at each other, looking into each other’s eyes. He always made me crumble within minutes, and not just because he was good in bed. When he opened his heart to me like this, when I could see through his eyes and into his soul, that’s when I tightened around him and felt myself explode. “Hawke…”

  He watched my face light up in ecstasy while he struggled to hold on. He was purposely holding himself back, not wanting to end this too soon.

  “Come on.” I gripped his ass and pulled him farther into me, wanting to feel the weight of his release. He was the only man I allowed to come inside me, because he was the only one who deserved the honor.

  His body tensed under my grasp and he dug his fingers into my ass as he released. His eyes held mine the entire time, and for a moment, his look glazed over, like he traveled to the same place I’d been just a moment before.

  He winded down and kept himself buried inside me, my back still pressed to the glass.

  I wanted to stay this way all night until the sun rose the next morning. My arms returned around his neck, and I kissed him slowly, wanting to feel our bodies rub together under the light of the moon and the stars. I wanted to do this forever, until the end of time.

  Sunny Day

  Hawke

  Leaving paradise and returning home wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. But I knew that was because Francesca was with me. It didn’t matter where we were or what we were doing. As long as we were together, I was happy.

  The leaves started to turn red and gold, and Central Park’s typical green landscape had faded away. Before the winter months even arrived, it was clear it was going to be one hell of a winter.

  “I miss the Bahamas.” Francesca pouted her lips as she picked at a muffin.

  “We’ll go again some other time.” I sat beside her at the table in the break room next to her office. On days when neither one of us had much time for lunch, we had something small from her bakery.

  “I just can’t believe such beautiful places exist. I know you see them in magazines and everything, but I just assumed they were photoshopped and everything.”

  I’d been there before and thought the same thing. But when she accompanied me on the trip, it had a magical feel to it. When we go on our honeymoon, I’ll make sure we go somewhere really nice—not that we’ll be leaving the bedroom much. “I’m glad you liked it.”

  “Maybe I should quit and become an investor. That way I can travel the world.”

  “Or you can tag along with me everywhere I go.” I’d prefer that. I used to be a lone wolf, preferring solitude instead of company. But when I found Francesca, all of that changed. She was the only person I wanted to spend time with, to live my life with.

  “I don’t want to cramp your style.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I want you to cramp my style.” I broke off a piece of the muffin and ate it. My will power diminished, and I had to take a bite.

  She ate the last piece and sighed like she regretted it. “Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?”

  I always spent the holidays alone. Sometimes, one of my regulars would be in town for business so we drank and screwed all day, both trying to fight off the loneliness and forget about the people we truly missed. “No.” I was surprised Francesca asked me that. She should have figured that out on her own.

  “Want to spend it with us?”

  The holidays were the most difficult time of the year for me. It reminded me how alone I was. While everyone was having their perfect day with their perfect family, I was drowning myself in the biggest bottle of scotch I could find. As a child, the holidays were the worst. Dad seemed to drink more often because of the pressure, and he took it out on Mom and I. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  “Great. It’ll be a nice Thanksgiving.”

  “Where will we be having it?”

  “Yaya’s place.”

  The last time I saw Yaya was at the wedding. She smiled at me from across the room, clearly happy that Francesca and I were back together. She was such a sweet lady and had always been so good to me. I felt guilty for hurting her granddaughter. “Where does she live now?”

  “In a townhouse a few blocks away.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Francesca and I hadn’t talked about it. We were too invested in each other to think about anyone else.

  “Yeah, she really likes it. There’s a small backyard so she can have a garden. I know coming to the city was a big change for her, but that was the best Axel and I could do.”

  “You picked it out for her?”

  “Yeah. Axel and I decided to split her rent down the middle so it doesn’t burden either one of us too greatly.”

  I never knew that either. “You and Axel pay her rent?”

  “Of course,” she said. “Yaya isn’t going to work.”

  When I really thought about it, the knowledge didn’t surprise me. Francesca and Axel were generous people, and they always looked after their own. After losing people they cared about, their bond only became stronger. “That’s sweet of you.”

  “Well, she’s Yaya. She raised us
and took care of us. We’ll always do the same for her.”

  It reminded me of myself. I kept depositing money into Mom’s account even though she refused to use it. If she just took off, she’d have enough to live for the rest of her life.

  Francesca caught the sadness in my eyes. “Have you talked to your mom lately?”

  “Not since Axel’s wedding.” I remembered the phone call and how strange it was. She said she dropped her phone in the sink but how certain could I be?

  “Is she doing well?” Francesca always tiptoed around this subject, knowing how much it pained me just to talk about it.

  “I’m not sure. If she weren’t doing well, she wouldn’t tell me. But we had a strange conversation.”

  “What did she say?” Her full focus was on me.

  “She called and sounded panicked, like something was wrong. I tried talking to her but the line went dead. I assumed the worst, that she was being beaten with an iron, so I was just about to call the police. But she called back and said everything was fine, that she dropped her phone in the sink.”

  Francesca felt a strand of hair near her ear, something she did when she was nervous.

  “To this day, I still don’t know if she was telling the truth. And I have a feeling I never will.”

  Her hand moved to mine on the surface of the table. “I’m sorry.” The sincerity in her voice pained my heart. She felt exactly what I felt at any given time. She shared the load with me, making sure I was never alone in my shadow.

  “I know.”

  She brushed her thumb across my knuckles. Her hands were petite in comparison to mine, probably half their size. “One day, we’ll have our own family. We’ll be the parents we never had, and our lives will be full of laughter and love. It’ll heal the scars we both carry and give us something to live for besides each other.”

  My fingers interlocked with hers. I wasn’t ready for kids at the moment, but the idea of Francesca being pregnant and swollen with my child gave me a strong sense of joy. “You’re right.”