“It’s like she remembers you were the one who helped rescue her that night,” I say to him. “Okay, Karma.” I give her a pat. “Give Colton a little room, baby.”
Colton kisses her head, melting my closely-guarded heart at the same time. When he stands up with her in his arms, I resist the urge to hurl my own body against his.
As if to distract me, River is cautiously making her way to freedom. With a frustrated huff in my direction, she emerges from her carrier and takes a quick scan of her surroundings. Before Colton can pat her, she bolts for the nearest high perch she can find. It happens to be the top of Colton’s bookshelf next to the TV in the living room. She settles there comfortably and glares down at us.
I laugh. “River’s angry I took her out of her comfort zone. She doesn’t like her world to be upset.”
“Like kitty, like owner?” Colton teases me.
His dimple flashes. He looks like a little kid right now, and I feel like he would seriously pull on my braids, if I had braids. I glare at him. “Maybe. Maybe not. I could be okay with pushing my boundaries.”
The air around us goes from suppressed sexual tension to electric in an instant. Colton steps closer to me, and I inhale a sharp breath.
God, please kiss me.
Karma abruptly starts bouncing in Colton’s arms, breaking the moment. He lets her down and clears his throat.
And I try to put my tongue back in my mouth.
“Let me show you which guest room I think you’ll like.” Without letting me protest, he leads me down the hall and into a bright, airy room. A king bed is positioned in front of the window facing the ocean, and the room’s walls are painted a pale yellow.
“This is really nice.” I twirl around and then catch him watching me with bright eyes. “Where’s your bedroom?”
“Right across the hall.” He puts down my bag in the guest room, and I follow him a few steps to the master suite. We have to walk up a short set of stairs, before turning the corner and entering the bedroom.
I let out a squeak. “Wow. This is incredible, Colton.”
His bedroom is enormous, but like every other room in his house, it’s warm and inviting. A chocolate-colored loveseat in the corner would make the perfect reading nook, and the California king bed is covered in dark plush blankets. The headboard is soft but masculine, and I can see an enormous marble bathroom around the corner.
I smile when I spot Sparky the Pink Pig sitting on the nightstand.
“Sparky’s very close to you while you sleep,” I say teasingly.
“Just the way I like it.” He lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “Personally, I’d like the real Sparky to be a lot closer than that, but the little pig is a good substitute for now.”
He succeeds in making me laugh, but I know how quickly we could shift into far more dangerous territory, so I spin around his room and take the rest of it in.
The highlight is definitely the double-glass doors, which lead out to a balcony on the ocean side.
“Is that as unbelievable as I’m imagining?” I point to the glass doors.
“Come see for yourself.”
He walks over and swings open the doors so we can step outside. The warm evening breeze of Los Angeles hits me as I walk over to the balcony railing and rest my arms on top. The sun is hanging lower in the sky, but hasn’t dropped into the ocean yet. And the view is stunning: the peaks of the mountains juxtapose with the blue sea, and the pale blue California sky frames the entire picture.
I let out a contented sigh. “This. Is. Amazing.”
Colton’s arm goes around my shoulders. “I’m glad you like it.”
My gaze shifts from the ocean to Colton’s backyard patio directly below us. We walked past it so quickly the one time I was here that I didn’t get a really good look.
“You have an infinity pool,” I say in awe.
The palm trees frame the patio, giving it complete privacy from every angle but Colton’s house.
“We can go skinny dipping later.” He says it nonchalantly, but he can’t keep the smoldering tone out of his voice. “But first, dinner’s waiting.”
“You cooked?” I follow him back inside his bedroom and down the hall, with Karma close on my heels.
“I love to cook,” he says over his shoulder as we head for the backyard. “I especially enjoy grilling.”
His tone is tinged with sadness. I wonder if grilling is something he used to do with his dad.
We step outside onto the back patio, and I immediately walk over to the infinity pool.
“I always dreamed of having one of these,” I say wistfully as I kneel down and gently run my fingers underneath the cool water. “I don’t even know where I got the idea. It just always seemed so relaxing. So the opposite of…”
I cut off, but Colton finishes my sentence for me. “Of what you were living as a kid?”
I wave him off with a flick of my wrist. “It’s stupid.”
“Sky, it’s not stup…”
“Let’s change the subject, please?” I force a laugh. “I have a great life, Colton. I don’t need anybody’s pity. The loss you suffered with your father was far worse than what I’ve had to deal with.”
He comes closer and bends down so we’re nose to nose. “Measuring grief isn’t a game anyone should have to play, Sky. And you may not have lost your father the same way I did, but just because someone’s still alive, doesn’t mean they’re actually present and with you.”
He always gets to me. Right in my chest, where I’m aching suddenly. He makes me feel, and that’s something I haven’t wanted to do for so long. But Colton has this way of making me talk about things I never even allow myself to ponder in my head most of the time.
My laugh comes out shaky. “Seriously, I need a timeout from all this sad talk.”
“Okay. I’m sorry.” He smiles shyly, and then he leans closer.
His lips brush mine unexpectedly. Even more unexpectedly, I kiss him back, with more passion than he probably intended for this moment to go. He gives a low groan and cups the back of my head with his hand. His tender action just spurs me on, and I part my lips so his tongue slips inside my mouth.
And oh, God, I’m on fire.
Back up, Sky. Back up. You’ve only been here for ten minutes.
I jerk backward from Colton, my fingers going to my lips.
He lets me go, but keeps his eyes lasered on me. His cheeks are flushed as he takes a deep breath, looking like he’s trying to control his emotions.
“Sky—”
“Did you say the food was ready?” I interrupt him as I stand up. “It’s probably getting cold.”
He nods slowly, like he doesn’t want to end this moment, but he stands up and takes my arm. “Let’s eat.”
* * *
Colton
Sky fidgets all through dinner. She says she loves the meal— when we talked on the phone, I remember her mentioning that good old-fashioned American food was her favorite—and in that spirit, I grilled hamburgers and potatoes. And Sky cleans her plate. But she averts my gaze whenever we make eye contact for more than a few seconds. And she rambles, about anything and everything. So I let her, and enjoy the fact that she’s here with me. With the amount of nerves she has over being at my house, I’m amazed she agreed to come. All afternoon, I waited for her “I can’t make it after all, because…” text, with some excuse or another. When none came by five, I started the dinner I had planned, but I kept my phone nearby. Then I wondered if she just wouldn’t show.
When her car pulled into the driveway, the level of relief I felt was a little unnerving. I like her too much already ran through my mind. I’ve never been in love, but I’ve done my share of dating. I just didn’t feel much when the dating ended. I missed the companionship, but not the woman. I wanted to feel something, but that click just never happened.
It’s only happened for me twice. And both times it was with the same person, who happens to be sitting across from me right now. The woman w
ith the blazing hair pulled high on top of her head, in a sexy-ass bun that I want to take down while I strip her of her clothes, and all her barricades she’s fighting so hard to protect herself with. I want her to see that not all men are like her bastard of a father. But I don’t know how to do that if she won’t let me in even a little.
“How about we take Karma for a walk on the beach?” I suggest as I bring our plates into the kitchen.
“That would be nice.” She joins me at the sink. “I can do the dishes for us first.”
But I set the plates down on the counter and hand her a chocolate kiss from the glass bowl. “I’ll do them later. Have some chocolate with me and let’s walk before the sun sets.”
The sun is hanging over the ocean as we leave my gated backyard and turn left down the beach. And out where it’s windy and just a vast body of water next to us, Sky lets go. I see it in her body first. The way her jaw unclenches. How her shoulders relax. When she turns her head to me with a smile, I pull her close to my side. She has Karma on a leash, but the lead is long, and she’s having a ball barking at the waves and racing along the sand.
“Why’d you name her Karma?” I ask.
“Because I believe in it, I guess.” She lets the lead out further as the dog barks at a seagull overhead. “She had a rough life before I found her. And I want to believe that despite a bad start, karma’s with her for a happily ever after.”
Kind of like you, I want to say, but I refrain from making her uncomfortable.
“I’m glad you came, Sky,” I say in a low voice.
A slight pause. And then—
“Me, too.” She leans her head on my shoulder.
We walk until the red sun is just about to drop below the horizon, and the only sounds are the waves lapping on the shore near our feet. We don’t talk, but the silence isn’t awkward, and I’m grateful for it, because my thoughts are all over the place.
“You’re unusually quiet, Colt.” Skylar’s voice is soft next to me. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Um, I didn’t think about it beforehand, but my dad’s birthday would have been tomorrow. Sometimes the memories just hit me, you know?”
She lets out a small sound of sympathy, and then reaches over to slip her hand into mine. Her skin is smooth, and comforting. And I can’t hold back any longer. I’ve wanted her the entire walk, so as soon as we step back inside the safety of my backyard and she’s unleashed Karma, who tucks herself under the table for a nap, I cup Sky’s face in my hands.
“Skylar, let me kiss you without interruption this time,” I say in a gruff voice. “Please.”
She tilts her head up to meet me. The desire in her eyes is obvious, and her lips part as she watches me move closer to her.
I touch my mouth to hers gently. But like our other kisses, the level goes from calm and tender to heated and electric in an instant. I stop thinking about anything except her mouth on mine. She tastes like chocolate and a hint of strawberries. I briefly wonder why, when our meal had no strawberries in it, and then I return my attention to her tongue sliding around my mouth. When she presses her breasts against my chest, I put my hands on her hips and lift her into my arms. She wraps her legs around me, and I carry her over to the chaise lounges by the pool.
Even though the sky is dark overhead, the overhead pool lights let me see her clearly. I lay her down on the lounge chair, never taking my mouth off of hers. I don’t want to lose our connection, even for a moment. Her hands slip underneath my shirt, running up and down my torso, and I drop my head to the crook of her neck.
“Jesus, Sky.” I lick and nibble at her soft skin. “The way you fucking touch me, it’s…”
Her fingers slide over my nipples, and I groan. I shift so I can lift her shirt up and over her head, and then I slowly drag her bra strap off her shoulder. With my eyes on her closed ones, I pull down the cup of her bra so I can taste her again. Her nipple is a tight bud of desire, and I suck at it lightly with my lips. Her eyes fly open, and for a moment, all I see is panic.
Then her emerald eyes turn liquid as desire replaces the panic, and she sighs as she rocks her head back against the chair.
“I’m not going to hurt you, Sky,” I say in a whisper. “If you can trust me, I promise I’ll make you come undone.”
Her breath comes in short bursts. “Please, Colton. Please make me come undone.”
“Keep looking at me.” Being careful to gauge her reaction, I shift one hand to the buttons of her jeans. “Is this okay?”
A quick nod. “Yes. More than okay.”
My hand is trembling as I undo the top button. And then the next, and the next. She lifts her hips so I can slide her jeans down and off her legs, along with her sandals, and then I kiss my way up her body. Over the inside of her calf, skimming up the inside of her soft thighs. I run my tongue over her panties, feeling how damp they are. I curse and breathe out her name in a hoarse tone.
I never thought I’d get a second chance to touch her. To make her mine. To be hers. And I don’t want to screw this up. I slip one finger inside the lace fabric. When I feel how wet she is, I rest my forehead against her hip and try to catch my breath.
“You’re perfection,” I murmur into her skin. You’re everything I’ve missed for the last ten years.
The lace comes off her hips easily, and I slide the fabric down and off her body.
I kneel in between her thighs and press one light kiss to her wet center. She moans. And bucks her hips. And says the thing I love to hear out of her mouth:
“Colton, don’t stop.”
I let my tongue give her one lick. She tastes like honey and rapture.
“Christ.” Another longer lick. “You’re so fucking sexy.”
I put my tongue back on her swollen, sensitive skin, and slide one finger gently inside her. She writhes against my hand, and my mouth, and this time, instead of pulling back, I go for it.
I lick and suck and kiss my way through her wetness, holding her thighs down as she moves faster and faster. She throws her head back and cries out as I feel her come against my tongue. And come. And come.
When I finally feel her stop pulsing, I slowly lift my head to meet her half-closed eyes.
“Holy shit, Colton. I’ve never…”
I wait in anticipation for her to finish the sentence. But she goes radio silent on me.
“Never what?” I prompt her as I crawl up next to her and kiss her shoulder.
“Felt like that before.” Her eyes open fully and lock onto mine.
Her emerald gaze is shining with an aliveness she usually keeps hidden from the world. I’ve only seen that look once before, when we were alone and spilling secrets ten years ago by a lonesome creek at the base of a Colorado mountain. Back then, I recognized the emotion in her eyes, because I was feeling the same way. For the first time in ages, I didn’t feel completely alone. And I wanted to keep that look on Sky’s face forever. So I lamely picked up a stone from the edge of the water and gave it to her. I told her it was a piece of the mountain watching over us, and that she could hold onto the rock so she’d know that someone always had her back. I’m sure she lost that stone long ago—how could someone hold onto something for ten years?
She turns and reaches for her shirt, but I catch her wrist.
“Not yet. Let’s go swimming first.”
I take her hand and lead her over to the steps leading into the pool. Then I pull off my jeans and shirt and dive in, boxers on.
“Hey! You’re cheating!” she says with a laugh. “I’m completely naked, and you’re not.”
“I don’t want to ruin the moment when you take my clothes off me for the first time,” I say in all seriousness as I splash around in front of her.
Skylar’s emerald eyes darken, but then she blinks. When she refocuses on me, she’s shut down. All she does is give me a business-like nod as she dives into the water headfirst.
What the fuck just happened?
When sh
e resurfaces, I swim straight up to her and put my hands on her hips. “I lost you again,” I say bluntly.
She blinks, like I’ve surprised her. I get the feeling she’s not used to being called out on her ability to shut people out when they’re right in front of her face.
Then she lets out a heavy breath. “Colton.” She says my name like I’m a pesky child pushing her to do something she’s already said no to.
“What?” I brush her lips with mine, earning a gasp from her. “Why are you shutting me out again? I just tasted you for the first time”—I nibble her earlobe—“I felt you fall apart on my tongue”—Sky lets out a moan at my words—“and I want to be inside you so badly I’m shaking.” I don’t mean to let that truth slip out, but my biceps are trembling as I hold fast to her waist, and my heart’s a twisted-up mess. “So what’s going on in your head?”
Chapter Twelve
Skylar
I wrap my legs around Colton’s waist and feel his hardness pressing into my bare core. I’m desperate for him. Desperate in a way I’ve never been about anything before, except maybe my career goals. But this is different. Duh. Obviously it’s different. This is personal, and it’s vulnerable, and I would sooner sit across the greatest asshole on the planet and put him in his place in an interview before I’d dare to let down my guard in the world of relationships.
Except I just did. On that chaise lounge a few feet away from where we are, I dropped every protection I have and opened up to Colton Wild. At night, no less. Sure, he’s got plenty of lighting out here and that makes me feel safe, but I let him take me somewhere I’ve never been, with anyone. Not even myself. I’ve never had an orgasm like that before, not even with my own hand. It was so earth-bending that I felt like I might break right in front of him. Shatter into a million pieces, where all those dark places within myself that I always keep hidden will just jump out for him to see. I put my feelings aside as fast as I could, but I know Colton. He won’t stop at one hot moment like that, not when he has a chance to feel more.
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