Dream (Rosewood Bay Series Book 4)

by Carly Phillips

  But everything with Kyle was all of that and more. He focused on her, also a first for her. Now it was their turn together.

  He aligned himself at her entrance. She was wet and ready, she knew, and though he slid into her easily at first, she was tight and he paused before thrusting inside. She gasped, feeling her body soften and adjust, and almost immediately, she felt a quickening that had her tightening herself around him.

  “Damn, that feels good. Do it again.”

  With a grin, she squeezed her inner muscles and he let out a low groan that vibrated through his body and affected hers.

  “Yeah, like that.” He braced his hands on either side of her shoulders and glided out of her, then thrust back in deep, the sheer width and length of him causing shudders all through her.

  She gripped his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin as he began a steady glide, lifting her hips as he pumped in and out, filling her up. And with each successive collision of their bodies, she soared higher, sensations gathering low in her belly and building, growing stronger and more powerful.

  He slipped a hand between their bodies, his fingertip gliding back and forth over her clit, pressing down as the first tremor hit.

  “Oh God.” She moaned and he began to rub harder, holding her in place as he played with her clit until the sensations became overwhelming and she bucked against him, nipping at his shoulder as she came, stars sparkling behind her eyes, warmth and beautiful sensation filling her.

  Suddenly he groaned, removed his hand, braced himself, and began to pound his body into hers, immediately hitting the right spot, as if he knew her intimately already. She felt him inside her, staking his claim, marking her indelibly, showing her a side of sex she hadn’t known existed.

  Over and over he slammed into her, and each time she came closer to another climax. It didn’t take long for a second orgasm to take hold, her body flying, the sensations unlike anything she’d felt before. As if he’d waited for her and now had permission, he stilled, his big body shaking above her as he followed her over the edge.

  He pushed himself to the side, collapsing beside her, his body warm and hard where it aligned with hers. After a few silent minutes when they each caught their breath, he rolled to his side, facing her.

  “Okay?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair off her face.

  “Yeah. I’m good.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek before admitting, “Better than good. I’m great.”

  He studied her with his intense gaze, prompting her to continue.

  “It’s just… I’m not used to someone taking care of me first. And during. It was an enlightening experience.” Despite the intensity of the conversation, she felt comfortable admitting these truths to Kyle.

  His face hardened at the admission. “That’s a damned shame. You should always come… first, second, and during,” he said, his expression softening thanks to a teasing grin lifting his lips.

  She laughed, appreciating his attempt at lightening the conversation.

  “Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

  In the silent moments that followed, while he disappeared into the bathroom, she wondered if she should get dressed and go. She wanted to keep this casual and she had no business assuming he’d want her to stay longer.

  She rolled toward the edge, and he stepped out of the bathroom just as she was lowering her legs to the floor.

  He walked out, his naked body a sight to behold, and slid back onto the bed, pushing himself to her side. His arm snaked out and yanked her back. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

  “Home?” It came out as a question instead of an answer.

  “Nope. Unless you have to get back for Nicky?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “He’s at my brother’s, but…”

  “No buts. You’re staying. Who knows when we’ll have another night alone.”

  Her shoulders relaxed as she released a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. She couldn’t argue with his reasoning nor could she deny the fact that she wanted to stay here with him.

  “Okay,” she said.

  He pulled her to him, slid a leg over hers, and they rolled together into a comfortable position on the bed.

  “Hang on.” He reached over to his side and shut off the lamp.

  She closed her eyes, his body solid and sure against hers. She breathed in and out, reassuring herself that just because she spent the night with Kyle didn’t mean she was getting in too deep.

  * * *

  Andi woke up alone in an unfamiliar bed. She stretched, awareness coming to her as she remembered she’d stayed with Kyle. After having slept with him. More than once, since they’d woken up in the middle of the night and shared sleepy sex that had been incredible and felt more intimate than the first time.

  The slow way he’d entered her, the easy glide of his body in and out of hers. The warmth of his hands on her breasts, his mouth on her lips. She shivered at the memory, her nipples puckering and her body softening, as she wished he was in bed with her now. Instead she climbed off the mattress and headed for the bathroom to wash up. She noticed he’d left her a towel and she took a much-needed shower, getting lost in the musky scent of his body wash, another reminder of the night they’d shared.

  She dressed in last night’s clothes, stretched-out jeans, her top, and the sweater, and headed downstairs, where she heard noises from the kitchen. As she came closer, she smelled something delicious cooking and her stomach grumbled loudly.

  She stepped into the room and the sight she viewed took her breath away. Kyle stood in front of the stove, wearing a pair of faded jeans and nothing else. Bare feet peeked out from beneath the hems and muscles flexed in his back as he worked at the stove, spatula in hand.

  She swallowed hard. “Smells delicious. What are you cooking?” she asked, stepping into the small but obviously newly renovated kitchen.

  “French toast.”

  “Oh wow. That’s quite the treat.”

  “I figured you don’t get a chance to have someone cook for you.” He glanced over his shoulder and treated her to a sexy smile, causing her stomach to tumble over with warmth and sexual desire.

  “Thank you,” she said in a hoarse voice.

  “My pleasure.” He turned back to the stove in time to flip the cooked bread off the frying pan and onto a plate. “Ready. Can you grab the syrup from the fridge?”

  “Sure.” She took out the maple syrup along with the orange juice and placed them on the table, while he grabbed glasses and silverware, then joined her.

  She had to move aside what looked like exam papers with a red pen on top to make room for them to eat. She glanced at the red pen and grinned, remembering something from their teenage years. “What happened to the guy who hated red ink?”

  To Kyle, the red had always represented mistakes and failure. He’d disliked how the color called attention to his errors.

  He laughed. “He grew up and became a teacher.”

  “A good, caring teacher.” She put a forkful of French toast into her mouth and moaned at the delicious taste.

  At the sound, his gaze shot to hers.

  “You’re also a great cook.”

  He grinned. “I just like to eat and I didn’t want to spend every meal at a restaurant, so I taught myself.”

  He could make her come and fuck her like a rock star, as well as cook. He really was a keeper, she mused, then pushed aside the thought. “Well, I’m impressed. I do the best I can to feed Nicky and me.” She shrugged. “So far he hasn’t complained.”

  Kyle folded his arms in front of him on the table. “You’ll have to feed me sometime so I can see for myself.”

  She blinked in surprise. “Was that a request for an invite?” she asked.

  He met her gaze with an intent one of his own. “Would you extend me one?”

  At this point she was afraid she’d let him have anything he asked for. She popped another piece of French toast into her mouth and merely grinned. No
need to let him know how much he was getting to her. When they were finished eating, she wiped her mouth and put the napkin on the table.

  “I really need to pick up Nicky from my brother’s,” she said after she had helped him clean up. She wiped her hands on a dish towel.

  He walked her to the bedroom to collect her purse, and before she could say goodbye and walk out, he spun her around, pulled her into his arms, and sealed his lips over hers. She moaned, reservations about how serious she was feeling about him slipping away in the wake of his kiss.

  He tasted syrupy sweet with a hint of cinnamon and she dove in for more, their tongues mating, her fingers threading through his hair and holding on as he assaulted her mouth. He obviously wasn’t letting her leave without a thorough goodbye and she couldn’t bring herself to mind.

  He slid his hands into the back pockets of her jeans and hauled her against him, his cock thick and hard against her sex.

  He lifted his head from hers and took a deep breath. “If I have to let you go, I need to get my fill,” he said, and dove into her once more. His lips were hard and demanding against hers while he ground himself against her, want building inside her.

  Before she knew what was happening, he stepped back. “There,” he said, his lips wet from their kiss. “You’ll definitely remember how good we are together,” he said, sounding satisfied. “Now let me drive you back to your place.”

  Dazed from the sensual assault, she still managed to recall suddenly that she didn’t have her car here and that she needed to change into fresh clothes so she didn’t roll into her brother’s house doing the walk of shame. Not that she was ashamed of what she did with Kyle.

  She was just overwhelmed and worried that she could fall for him hard at a time when she needed to stand on her own two feet.

  Chapter Six

  Andi was surprised when Phoebe called and asked her to make time in her busy schedule for a quick lunch. Knowing her friend wouldn’t ask her to take time from work unless it was important, Andi requested that one of her employees cover the shop and met Phoebe at Grace’s Coffee Shop in town.

  She walked into the familiar restaurant and saw Phoebe’s white-blonde hair in the back corner. Andi joined her, sliding into a booth.

  “Hi,” she said, putting her purse down next to her.

  “Hi, yourself. Thanks for meeting me.”

  Andi glanced at Phoebe, dressed in a cream-colored suit, her hair in a twist, looking like she’d come from a Realtor appointment. She was always the epitome of put together and beautiful.

  She was also a good friend. “So what’s going on?” Andi asked.

  “Let’s get some coffee and order lunch. I’d rather enjoy ourselves first.”

  “Okay then.” Andi ordered a chicken salad sandwich, Phoebe a tossed salad, which they ate while talking about their kids, school, their activities, and how busy it was being a working mom.

  “How’s Jake?” Andi asked.

  “The great part about coming home at night is that he’s there,” Phoebe said, sounding like a happily married woman.

  Andi smiled. “I’m truly happy for you.”

  “What about the rumors I hear about you and Kyle Davenport?”

  “Rumors?” Andi asked, surprised.

  “Don’t look so shocked. It’s a small town. People talk. You two seem to be getting closer again. Except a different kind of close than just best friends?” Phoebe folded her arms and leaned forward, blatantly pushing for information.

  Andi might not be used to talking about her personal life, but this wasn’t something she had to hide. Not like when she’d been with Billy and she’d had to disguise bruises and sadness behind long sleeves and a fake smile.

  “Kyle and I… Back when we were kids, we were close. Good friends. If he felt something more, he never let on. If he’d said something, if I’d known he was interested, I might have chosen differently.” She shook her head, knowing it did no good to look back. “But now he’s confident and he goes after what he wants.”

  “And he wants you.” Phoebe grinned. “You could do a lot worse than a hot teacher,” she said, laughing. “And a good man like Kyle.”

  Andi toyed with the unused fork on the table. “Here’s the thing. I’m back on my feet. I have a good life. I can support my son and I don’t have a man telling me what to do and when to do it.”

  “Kyle doesn’t strike me as that kind of man,” Phoebe said, her eyes sad at Andi’s implication.

  “I don’t think so either. I just need to be independent. I need to know nobody has power over me anymore.”

  Phoebe blew out a long breath. “Look, in the right kind of relationship, there is no power play. There’s just two people looking out for each other, loving each other. You’ve never had that. But something tells me with Kyle, you could.”

  Andi swallowed hard. What Phoebe described sounded like heaven. Did she want that for herself? For her son to see a normal, healthy man-woman relationship? Of course she did. And never in a million years did she think Kyle would hurt her or try to tell her what to do or punish her when she didn’t listen. But she lived in fear of giving up the cherished independence that had been hard-won.

  Before she could respond, Phoebe went on. “And now I have to tell you why I called to meet and I really don’t want to. In fact, I’d give anything to get up and walk out before we have this conversation.”

  Fear raced over Andi and through her veins. “What is it?”

  Phoebe reached across the table and grasped Andi’s hand. “One of my brokers got a new listing. There’s no easy way to say it, so here goes. Billy came in when I was out of the office and he put his mother’s house on the market. Which means–”

  “He’s back in town.” The food she’d eaten threatened to come back up and she wished Phoebe hadn’t insisted on a meal before imparting this information. “Thank you for telling me.” She appreciated the heads-up, although if she’d listened to her instincts, the feeling she’d had last Saturday night at the Blue Wall, she’d have realized she already knew Billy was back.

  She blew out a shaky breath. “At least I know.”

  “You aren’t alone this time,” Phoebe said. “You have friends who aren’t going anywhere. Jake, Kane, and Kyle would love to have a word with the bastard. Make sure he stays away from you.”

  She shook her head. “No. I have to handle this myself. I can’t be afraid of him anymore and he has to know that.”

  Phoebe shook her head. “You handled it alone last time.”

  “No, last time I didn’t handle it at all. I let him walk all over me. That’s not happening this time.” She felt her spine stiffen along with her resolve not to let him rule her by fear this time around.

  “There’s a good chance he won’t want anything to do with me. He doesn’t want responsibility for his son, and Nicky and I are a package deal.” But even as she spoke, she knew she was wishing for the impossible.

  Billy got off on threats, and as far as he knew, it was easy to make Andi cower in fear. He wouldn’t come back to town and ignore her. She wouldn’t be that lucky.

  “I need you to promise me that you’ll ask for help this time. If things get out of control, you’ll tell Kane or Kyle.”

  “Sure. Yes. I won’t put Nicky at risk.”

  Phoebe narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I’m stupid, Andi. You didn’t say you’d take care of yourself.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I won’t let that bastard hurt me again.”

  * * *

  With the specter of Billy hanging over her head, Andi went about her daily life. She dropped Nicky off at school, went to work, jumped when the door to the floral shop opened throughout the day, and headed back to the school to pick her son up when his day ended or his tutoring sessions were over. She’d even called Janie Hudson and had lunch with her one day, taking a step toward renewing the friendship.

  Kyle gave her space during the day. He worked, so did she, and she didn’t hear from him during school h
ours. So she was surprised to come home and find she had a floral delivery one evening, along with a card. I know you love flowers, but I didn’t want you to have to work to enjoy them.

  She glanced at the colorful bouquet set in a pink-tinted vase from a floral shop the next town over. They were gorgeous and she appreciated the sentiment, knowing he’d chosen flowers not because they were easy but because they meant something to her personally.

  She smiled and sent him a text, thanking him for the beautiful arrangement.

  His answer came immediately. No way they’re as beautiful as you.

  Warmth spread through her at his words. The man knew how to get to her on an emotional level and her heart squeezed tight in her chest.

  “Mom! I’m starving!” Nicky called from his room.

  She gave the flowers one last glance and refocused on the things she needed to do. “A few more minutes!” she called up to him.

  They ate dinner, Nicky talking about his science project and the kids in his class who were his partners. Her son was a happy, well-adjusted boy who had nothing more to worry about than school and friendships and that’s just the way she wanted it. He hadn’t always been this way. When his father had been in the picture, he’d been a shell of himself, and she didn’t ever want to see him that way again.

  Part of keeping him healthy was maintaining her own strength. When he finished his homework and turned in for the night, she opened her laptop and began to look for self-defense classes. She wanted to be able to handle herself with Billy if the need arose. Never again did she want to be cowering in front of him.

  To her surprise, the Rosewood Bay Police Department offered a free crime-victim prevention class to educate women about realistic options to help them avoid, escape, and survive assaults. The focus was on mental and physical preparedness, giving women techniques to incorporate into their everyday lives that would increase awareness and reduce the risk of becoming a victim. The two-hour class, offered this Saturday, started with an instructional video and progressed into a hands-on self-defense preparation taught by two law enforcement officers.