by Cathryn Fox
“You are so beautiful,” he whispers, and slides a strong arm around me to unhook my lace bra. It too falls to the floor and he dips his head to take a nipple into his mouth. My body spasms with pleasure as his lips close around one hard nub. He licks and sucks and drag his tongue over my flesh, swirling back and forth until I’m whimpering in bliss. I cry out, and reach for him when he breaks the connection.
“I need to taste all of you.” I nod as he kisses a path downward and sinks to his knees. The warmth of his breath elicits a shiver from deep within me. He goes back on his heels, and I brush my fingers over his face. He leans into my hand, and my entire world turns inside out. We’ve had sex, been together intimately numerous times, but I’ve never felt a connection to this man like I’m feeling right now. He reaches up, touches my mouth, then brushes his fingers over my neck, between my breasts, and my stomach, stopping when he reaches the button on my pants.
“I need you,” he murmurs, the soft warmth of his voice covering me like a protective blanket as the hiss of my zipper sends little shivers along my spine. “I need you so fucking much.”
“Please,” I say, opening myself to him completely. He slides my pants to my ankles, and the key that has been pretty much permanently attached to me since I opened the lockbox Dad gave me, falls out of my back pocket and clangs on the wood floor. Sean looks at it for a moment, but says nothing as he picks it up and places it on the nightstand.
I kick off my pants, and with exquisite gentleness, he removes my panties, his caresses are slower, softer than ever before, the drag of his fingers touching me in places so deep, I know I’ll never be the same again.
Once I’m naked he stands, removes his shorts, and presses his mouth to mine. He kisses me with such passion it leaves me gulping for my next breath. His hands span my waist. Honest to God, I’ve never felt such an easy intimacy with anyone before. Heat pours from his body to mine and back again as we hold one another like our lives depend on it. Strong arms circle my body and he pulls me to him, cocooning me in a bubble of safety and warmth.
With emotions ruling, I step back and fall onto the bed. I crook my finger, inviting him to join me. He growls and stands there for a moment longer, his gaze roaming my naked body. My breath catches. God, the needy way he looks at me nearly stops my heart.
He crawls over me, pins me with his weight as he takes my hands and holds them over my head, like he wants me at his mercy. He presses openmouthed kisses to my body, and slides between my legs. He pushes a finger into me as he laps at my clit. I rock into him and whimper, desperate for him to fill me.
“Please, Sean . . .”
He grips my hips, falls on top of me and slides into me, making me feel so gloriously full, I cry out in ecstasy. He pushes deeper, taking his time. Slow and steady, that’s my Sean. My hands skim his sinewy muscles, explore his body, unable to touch enough, get him close enough. I wrap my legs around him as he pumps, changing the depth and penetration—the perfect combination of rough and tender.
“Yes,” I cry out. Lost in sensations, I tremble and pant, barely able to hang on as I teeter on edge of ecstasy. I lift my hips, meeting and welcoming each thrust and as we come together, join as one, it occurs to me that what we’re doing feels like a whole lot more than just two people fucking.
He buries his face in my neck. “You feel so good,” he whispers, his tone low and husky. His voice vibrates through me, and my body lets go. I clench around his hard cock, my legs squeezing his punishing hips, as I tumble into a powerful orgasm. I claw at his back, each clench taking me higher and higher, until I’m soaring and Sean is soaring with me. He splashes high inside me, the long length of him throbbing and pulsing as he releases. I squeeze around him, lost in this moment, in Sean, and he moans. He presses kisses to my forehead, my nose, my chin and lips. His breath scorching my skin as we both fly high and free-fall back to earth. I hold him to me never wanting to let him go as our spasms stop. He eventually pulls out of me and rolls onto his back.
“Come here,” he whispers, the soft warmth of his voice pulling me back. He breathes a sign of contentment, and with a great deal of tenderness, he pulls me to him, pressing his lips to my temple as he settles me against his chest. As he holds me, kisses me, possesses me, the things I feel for him rush over me like a windstorm. No matter how many times we make love, there is nothing he can do to douse the need, the flames inside me. When it comes to Sean, there is no way I can ever get enough.
“I’m in love with you, Summer,” he says quietly, softly, and then drifts off to sleep.
My heart crashes as his words yank me back from fairy-tale land. The love I feel for him gathers like a knot in my gut, and worry eases itself into my bones.
I can no longer pretend this is just sex for me—or for him. It never was. Ever since I was a little girl, Sean represented safety, comfort, kindness, and compassion. All along he’s known who I was, yet kept my secret. He’s everything I want in a man and I’m in love with him and his family. But I’m in danger and that means I’m putting all of them in danger, too. Jack has many connections, a brotherhood of men on his side. The Owens boys might be tough and rough but they can’t go up against a brotherhood—I would never ask them to—and what would I do if anything ever happened to one of them, to Gram, because of me.
I swallow. Hard. I made a mistake, a fatal flaw, by letting my guard down and letting Sean deep inside. The full impact of what I did, the danger I put this family in, hits like a blow. Jack could find me here, and hurt them. My last hope of finding the ledger died at the bus station. It’s just not here—and neither should I be. As I mull that over, I draw a breath, knowing exactly what I need to do.
Chapter Fourteen: Sean
For the first time in a long time, I wake without a huge fucking knot in my stomach. These last two weeks have been a bitch, but last night with Summer, I can’t even explain it. Making love to her helped chase my demons away. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Dad had recorded all my races, and watched and rewatched them. If it wasn’t for Summer I might never have learned that my dad was proud of me. My heart squeezes as I shift to my back and put my arm on my forehead. All this time, I had no idea he cared so much, was so proud of me. I might have fled Blue Bay with bad blood between us, but I think deep down he knew I loved him. Yeah, it sucks that I didn’t make it back in time to tell him personally, but there is a part of me that believes he’s looking down on us all, and maybe even smiling a bit—for once.
He would have liked Summer. Would have taken her in and treated her like the daughter he never had. A smile tugs at me. Gram sure loves her, and I’m not sure what they talked about when they went antiquing, but I’m guessing it has something to do with giving her grandkids.
I never thought I’d ever drive a minivan and have children. A sound catches in my throat. Jesus, I can’t even believe that I’m caving and actually considering it now. What the fuck has Summer done to me? I’m not sure but I do know that if a minivan full of kids is what Summer wants, then that’s what Summer gets.
I stretch and some part of me registers that the other side of the bed is dead quiet. I turn and when I find it empty, I sit up and wipe the sleep from my eyes. Where the fuck did Summer go? I check the clock, and while I’m surprised that it’s nearing ten, I probably shouldn’t be. The last few weeks have taken their toll on me and my weary body finally crashed hard.
I kick off the covers and stretch, expecting to find Summer in the shower, or kitchen, sucking back dishwasher coffee as she gets ready for work. Unless, of course, she’d already left. I pad through the quiet house, and Scout stirs in her bed and comes racing toward me. I pick her up and rub her behind the ears the way she likes.
“Hey, girl, where’s your mom?” I go still, and play the word “mom” over and over in my head. Summer a mom. I kind of like the sound of it, actually. I laugh, a new lightness about me. How fucking crazy is it that I’m thinking about being a dad? I pull open the curtains, and don’t real
ly give a shit that I’m naked. I scan the beach, but Summer is nowhere to be found. She must have left for work already. I check the coffeepot and it’s still hot.
“I guess I missed her, girl,” I say to the squirming pup. “Okay, okay, let me just get my coffee and I’ll take you out.” I pour a big mug, tug on a pair of jeans, and open the front door. Scout darts for the grass, and as she sniffs around, I pull my cell from my back pocket and give Jared, one of the twins, a call. He’s a master carver, a skill only he seemed to pick up from great-granddad when he was young, and I want him to make me something special for Summer, something that will help us move past the secrets and start fresh.
Scout finishes her business and darts inside. I follow her and check her bowls. There is still fresh water one of them, so I’m assuming Summer had fed her before going to work. I look around for a note, but don’t find one. I’m a bit bummed by that. I sip my coffee and step into the living room. With Dad’s funeral, I hadn’t finished the floor yet. The new boards are still sitting in the box. I walk up to the damaged wall, and push the couch out of the way. My glance goes to the heater vent behind it, to the loose screws specifically.
I don’t bother tightening them, the vent will have to be removed before I can plaster anyway. Scout scurries to the vent and sniffs like there’s a fresh turkey cooking in there. Her tail wags double time.
“What’s up, girl? Is there a mouse in there or something?” I set my coffee on the table, and work the loose screws with my fingers. They come out easily, which surprises me. The place has been locked up for years, and by rights these screws should have been seized in place. The knot in my stomach begins to tighten again, alarm bells jangling in the back of my brain as I remove the screws. I set them on the floor and ease the grate out. I lay it beside me, and Scout barks and sniffs the metal as I grab my phone from my back pocket and turn on my flashlight app. I peer inside the hole and what I see has my heart crashing and my buzzing brain coming to an abrupt halt. “No. Fucking. Way.” I go back on my heels, and Scout darts for the hole. She puts two paws inside and starts barking.
I slide my hands around her chubby body, and pull her away. “It’s okay, girl.” I reach inside the hole, and pull out what looks like a small safe. I wince and press my nose to the crook of my arm to ward off a sneeze as I disturb the dust inside. “I think someone must have been here, not too long ago,” I say to the dog, even though she has no idea what I’m talking about.
I bet Summer does.
Phone still in hand, I dial her cell, even though she told me not to. But I need to talk to her, now. My call goes to voicemail, instantly, and my gut clenches.
Jesus Christ, my mind starts working overtime, playing out every worst-case scenario that doesn’t end well. I call Beck, a desperate sort of fear taking hold.
“Beck here,” he says.
“Beck, it’s Sean.”
“Hey Sean, what’s up?”
I try to keep my voice neutral. No sense in worrying everyone at this point. “I can’t get hold of Summer. I tried her phone, but she must not have it with her. Can you grab her for me, ask her to call.”
A moment of hesitation, then, “She didn’t show up for work today, Sean.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Is everything okay?” he asks.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and work to calm myself. “Yeah,” I say, and end the call. My hands are shaking as I carry the safe to the kitchen counter. I check the lock, examine the keyhole. Goddammit, wouldn’t you know it. Looks to me like that fucking key Summer carries fits in this lock. Fuck that. I walk to my toolbox. Grab a hammer and beat that fucking lock until it’s broken.
Inside I find a manila envelope. I take it out and fold back the metal fastener. There appears to be a book of sorts inside. A noise sounds in the distance, and I go still, take in the quiet of the place. Every nerve I have is alive, my body tense, ready for a fight. I breathe deep, pull out the black book and flip through the pages. It’s a ledger, with numbers—huge numbers—along with dates and names. I have no idea what I’m holding, but my guess is Summer does.
I try her number again, panic exploding inside me. I need to find her and I need to do it now. I set Scout on her bed, shove the file into the back of my pants, jump into my truck and head through the city. When her big-ass truck is nowhere to be found I drive straight to Gram’s. I hurry up the step and enter the house to find everyone sitting at the table. As soon as they see my face, every brother and cousin goes deadly still.
“What’s wrong?” Jamie asks.
“Have you seen Summer?” I clench down hard enough to nearly break my back teeth, and drag my hand through my hair when all eyes stare at me, confused. “I mean Jenna.”
Gram wipes her hands on her dishrag and steps up to me. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”
“Yes.”
Chairs scrape and boots scuff as the guys climb to their feet and pile out of the house. “We’ll help you find her,” Ty says, and grabs his helmet. “Everyone spread out,” he instructs.
I look at my own bike, and decide to take it instead of the truck. It will help me get around town easier. Town? Maybe she’s already left town, is headed down Highway 2 on her way back to SoCal, and that’s why I can’t find her truck.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Beads of sweat trickle down my back as I jump on my bike and tear through the streets. Fucking Walker will be all over me, but I don’t give two shits right now. I need to find Summer. She’s in trouble. Every instinct I have warns of it. As the guys search Blue Bay, I head toward the highway, leading to the next town. I wish I could convince myself that she went to Hope Falls for coffee, but that’s bullshit and I know it. I hit the throttle, drive like the devil himself is chasing me and for all I know he is.
I round a sharp corner, and without warning I see Summer’s truck, the front end steaming and crushed from a lethal, head-on collision with a guardrail. Momentarily paralyzed with terror, my heart punches into my throat. The soul-chilling sight sends a rush of adrenaline to my brain, and prompts me into action. Moving with breakneck speed, I jump from the bike, and bolt across the hot pavement at inhuman speed, terrified of what I might find inside. A pungent coppery scent clogs my nostrils when I reach the driver’s side door, window crashed open. I look inside, and the sharp cry I hear is mine when I find her in the driver’s seat—alive—rubbing her head, and fighting against the air bag. I touch her damp skin, needing the contact, to make sure I’m not imagining things.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been afraid of anything. Heck, I’m all about taking risks, have a shit load of broken bones in my body, and skidded around hairpin turns that kill, but for the first time in my life, I know what real fear is.
“Summer,” I say, and she shakes her head, then stills, and holds her hands to her ears like she’s trying to get the world to stops spinning. Barely able to breathe, my chest begins to rise and fall in a panicky rhythm I can’t seem to control. I open the door, and reach for her. “Summer, it’s me, Sean,” I say and she looks at me with confused eyes, blood dripping from her nose. “You were in an accident.” I reach across her, grab a tissue from the box on the floor of the passenger side. “You hit the guardrail.”
I hand her the tissue and she presses it to her nose. She blinks once, twice, then her eyes go wide as she looks behind us. Her breathing grows heavy, labored and her pulse jumps at the base of her throat. “You shouldn’t . . . be here.”
What the fuck?
She grips the steering wheel. “I need to go.”
I crouch down to check on her, then hold my hand out. She eyes it tentatively. “You’re not going anywhere. Your airbag has been deployed and you can’t drive in the state you’re in.”
“You don’t understand.”
“What I don’t understand is where you’re going or what happened.”
She looks down like she’s trying to remember. “I was driving, then I tried to break for the corner, and I couldn’t. T
hen I . . . I have to go, Sean.” Full-blown panic edges her voice, bordering on hysteria.
I scan the ground, the trees hugging the highway. Anger, replaces worry. Why would she just take off? Yeah, I get she’s in trouble, but she should have talked to me, asked me for her help. What, was I just a distraction, someone to occupy her time during her stay in Blue Bay? I thought we had more going on than that. Old fears rear their ugly head. Fuck, maybe she thought I wasn’t good enough, that I’d only end up disappointing her.
“Sit here, don’t move.”
I walk to the front of the vehicle and drop down on to my back to look underneath. When I see the cut brake line, I jump to my feet. “We need to go. Now,” I say and help her from the truck but when we turn, a car is slowing down behind us.
“Oh, God,” Summer cries.
“What?”
“It’s Jack.”
“The ex?”
“Yes.”
“What do I need to know, Summer?” I bite out, my voice harsh—dead fucking serious. The time for playing games is over. I need to know everything. “Tell me right now.”
“Jack is a United States naval lieutenant. He worked under my dad for years and I think he might have been responsible for his death,” she says quickly. “He’s after something, Sean. A ledger. I think the key I found in the lockbox Dad gave me opens something, but I couldn’t find it.”
“I could,” I say and push her behind me to shield her with my body.
“Well isn’t that sweet,” Jack say as he steps from the car and points a gun at us. “Looks like Summer went and found herself a bodyguard.” He angles his head to take me in, his gaze traveling from my head to my boots, and I stand to my full height to square off against him. “Easy there, big guy. I’m not looking for trouble.”
I breathe through the dread taking hold, needing to neutralize the situation before Summer gets hurt. “Then put the fucking gun down.”
