by Tess Summers
“You have a son.”
He blinked at her like she was speaking a foreign language, then repeated, “I have a son? Since when?”
“I heard you. On the phone just now. You’re meeting him tomorrow.”
He sat there silently for a moment, then started chuckling. Reaching for his phone, he swiped a few buttons then brought up a picture of a good-looking couple just a little older than her who appeared to be in their wedding apparel.
“If he’s my son, I had him when I was about five or six.”
She could feel the heat from her embarrassed cheeks.
“But you said… you said that kid was going to be the death of you.”
“Baby girl,” he said, still laughing. “I never said my kid. Mason may only be five years my junior, but sometimes he acts much younger. That’s why I called him kid.”
“Oh,” she said, looking at the floor. This is what happens when she goes off half-cocked and doesn’t think things through. If she’d stopped to think about it, of course it wouldn’t have made sense he’d talk to his son like that.
“Maybe you need to be taught a lesson about eavesdropping.”
****
Jacob
Her blue eyes flew to his, opening wide at the realization of his meaning.
“No, really, I learned my lesson. I’m very embarrassed at my mistake.”
He shook his head with an empathetic smile. “Not good enough, Tink.”
Lifting her off him, he stood and took her hand to lead her back inside the cabin, where he sat down on the bed.
“I’m glad you don’t have any panties on,” he growled as he patted his lap. “Come on.”
Taren reluctantly laid her ass across his thighs, her upper body resting on her forearms supported by the bed as she looked back at him.
“Eyes forward,” he demanded and began to rub her bottom with both hands. God, he loved this little ass of hers. He couldn’t wait to see it pink.
She squeaked when the first blow came down on her left cheek, followed by a series of whacks to her right, then back to her left, until her ivory skin was marred a deep shade of pink.
He could smell her arousal and slipped his finger between her legs to find her pussy slick with desire.
“Naughty girl,” he admonished with a grin as he delivered swats to her center. “You’re not supposed to like your punishment.”
She let out a muffled whimper, and he slid two fingers inside her, finger fucking her with one hand as he delivered a rain of blows to her ass with the other. The next thing he knew, her pussy was milking his fingers.
He grabbed her hair and tugged her head back. “Did you just fucking come while getting a spanking, you dirty slut?” he scolded harshly.
Although he secretly loved it. His little sprite had a kinky side. Jacob was going to love exploring this with her.
“I’m sorry, Sir!” she cried out.
“On your knees,” he commanded roughly, dragging her off his lap as he stood, then undoing his pajama bottoms and tugging them down to his ankles. She was on her knees with her hands on her thighs looking up at him with her big eyes now the color of the ocean during a storm. Jacob grabbed a fistful of her hair and used it to direct her mouth to his cock, which she dutifully began to suck. He started thrusting into her throat until she made small gagging sounds, then he pulled her off his cock. She looked up at him, her eyes watery from being gagged. It was so fucking hot.
Letting go of her hair, both hands came around to frame her face under her chin, and he began to slam into her mouth like a jackhammer. She made noises from her throat as she took her face fucking like a trouper.
“Oh, yeah. That’s it. Take my cock,” he snarled. His balls started drawing up with his impending orgasm. He would have loved to hold off, this was so fucking hot, but she probably needed to work up a tolerance to having her throat violated.
Yanking out of her mouth, he started jerking his cock, aiming the head at her face as he unleashed his load onto her cheeks and mouth.
Her face looked absolutely tantalizing glazed with his cum, and he smiled at his handiwork. Then the little temptress put his cock back into her mouth and sucked him dry with a devilish grin.
“You are so fucking sexy,” he said with a smile as he caressed the clean side of her face.
Taren popped his cock out of her mouth, still grinning. “So are you.”
“Let me get you a towel, baby.”
She stood up and shook her head. “I’m just going to go jump in the shower.” As she walked toward her cabin, she called out over her shoulder, “Do you want to go to breakfast?”
“Yeah. I just need to finish a few things but I think I can be ready by the time you are.”
“Okay.”
He heard her shower turn on and smiled to himself.
Wasn’t he supposed to be the one serving a penance? If this was making amends to her, he was going to spend the rest of his life atoning: happily.
Chapter Eleven
Taren
One thing she knew for sure, they were definitely compatible in bed. Because, holy hell, she’d loved every minute of their naked time together.
But as far as everything else… the jury was still out.
While she accepted his apology and explanation, wounds that are seven years deep don’t just heal in two days’ time. And when they did heal, they were going to leave a scar. Could she get past that?
The truth was, she didn’t know. And even if she could, she wasn’t sure how she felt about being in a relationship with someone whose job could put her life in danger. She wanted to have children someday; being an independent ‘troubleshooting consultant’ for the CIA and their allies probably didn’t make him a good daddy candidate.
Sitting on the deck over breakfast, Taren watched him carefully. His smile was easy, the lines around his eyes were new, but other than that, he was her old Jake.
“How did we go three years together, and I never had a clue—not one? I feel stupid.”
He sat up straighter and reached for his orange juice. “First of all, don’t feel stupid.” He took a sip and then continued. “I’m pretty good at what I do, but more importantly, it didn’t have anything to do with our relationship—why would you have known?”
“How can you say it didn’t have anything to do with our relationship, and then give it as the reason why you broke up with me?”
His eyebrows drew together and he nodded his head for a second, as if contemplating what she’d said. Finally, he looked at her and sighed. “That’s a good point. You’re right. But at the time, keeping that part of my life separate from you seemed easy, which I was grateful for because, honestly, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I wasn’t permitted to tell you. I was trained to compartmentalize everything, including my job and my personal life. But knowing I was going to be seeing you soon was sometimes what kept me focused on getting the job done. I knew the sooner it was complete, the sooner I could get back to you.”
“Were you ever unfaithful, when you were working? Did your job demand it?”
His reply was out of his mouth before she even finished the question. “Never.”
“Were there times you wanted to tell me?”
“No.” His answer surprised her and it must have shown on her face because he offered an explanation. “I was so fucking in love with you, Taren, I didn’t want you to know; not only for your safety—and mine—but I was afraid you’d leave me if you knew. Maybe it was selfish, but I was grateful for the directive that I couldn’t tell you.”
She didn’t know how to respond.
“And, baby, let’s face it. You were twenty years old when you met me; that would have been really unfair of me to burden you with something like that when you were so young.”
“You’re right. I get it.” And she did. Logically, anyway. Emotionally, not so much.
“I’m sorry, Tink. I wish I could sit here and tell you that if I had to do it all over again, I would have to
ld you, but we agreed to tell each other the truth from now on, so I can’t. I regret like hell how I ended things, but other than that… I don’t regret a minute of our time together.”
Neither did she. She’d never been happier in her life than when she’d been with Jacob, which was probably why she’d been so destroyed when things ended.
“I’m scared to love you again, Jake,” she said softly, looking up at him. “I can’t go through that heartache again.”
“Tink, I swear—”
She held her hand up. “I want babies. Can you honestly sit here and tell me that our kids wouldn’t be in danger because of your job?”
His expression was sad, and he slowly shook his head. “I can’t. I promise I’d do everything in my power to keep them safe, but you’re right, there would always be that possibility.” He grabbed her hand. “But nothing in life is guaranteed, Taren.”
“I just think…”
He put his fingertips to her mouth to keep her from finishing her thought.
“Don’t make any decisions yet. We’ve got a whole week to get to know each other again. Maybe we’ll discover we don’t even like each other anymore and will be happy to go our separate ways at the end of the cruise.”
Fat chance.
“Or maybe I’ll be so head over heels in love with you, that I won’t think straight and will follow you anywhere.”
He sat back in his chair and winked at her. “That’s what I’m counting on, baby.”
****
Jacob
“Damn you, Jacob Preston Smith.”
He smiled, both at her scolding him with the use of his full name, and at the memory of when she’d learned his middle name. He’d been lying on a blanket on the campus lawn, his head in her lap, trying to convince her to spend the night with him at his hotel for the first time instead of him staying in her dorm room until the early morning hours.
“And you promise you won’t try anything?”
“Cross my heart, I’ll be an absolute gentleman,” he’d said, making an ‘X’ over his heart with his finger. “Your dorm room tends to get a little crowded; that’s the only reason I’m suggesting it.” That and he was tired of sharing her attention. Okay, maaaybe him being sick of getting cock blocked by her roommate might have had something to do with his suggestion, but he really would be a gentleman—unless it was her idea to go further.
Not that he wasn’t above helping her come to that decision. He’d flown in for two weekends in a row to be with her. Every time they were making out on her bed, her roommate would bound in, usually with people in tow, and they’d never leave.
“How do I know Jacob Smith is even your real name?”
He’d pulled out his Florida’s driver’s license, intending to put his thumb over everything but his photo and his name, but she snatched it from his hand and turned her body so he couldn’t easily retrieve it.
“Preston!” she’d squealed. “Jacob Preston Smith. I like it.” She then gasped and looked up at him, horrified. “Oh my god. You’re thirty?” She’d said thirty like it was a curse word.
He’d nodded smugly as he snatched the license back. “I’m thirty. You’ve been dating a man a whole decade older than you—and you didn’t even know it.”
“What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you dating women your own age?”
He’d tucked the ID in his wallet, returning the leather billfold to the back pocket of his jeans.
“I normally do date women my own age, but then a couple of weeks ago—almost in this very spot, some little blonde in a pink sundress sprinkled some fairy dust on me, and I’ve been smitten ever since.”
It was true—the second he’d seen her, he was under her spell. He’d never felt that way before. It was like he’d been drawn to her by some invisible force.
“I’ve always been defenseless against your charms,” she continued, bringing him back to the present.
“But I only use my charm for good, Tinkerbell,” he teased.
“Your own good, you mean.”
“Ouch, that hurts.”
“Truth usually does,” she grumbled under her breath and looked away.
He frowned when it dawned on him.
“You’re serious.”
“Yes, I’m serious! You’re going to be charming all week, and even though I’ll know better, I’ll be right back in love with you, despite it only being to my detriment.”
She might have bruised his ego a little just then. But more importantly, he’d been willing to push if he thought she just needed a gentle nudge, but if she seriously didn’t want to be with him…
“I don’t want to talk you into something you don’t really want to do, Tink. I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the cruise if you truly want that. I can get off tomorrow in Ensenada and let you enjoy your remaining time by yourself.”
Her look of panic helped ease his mind, then she dropped, “Maybe that’s for the best.”
Well, shit. Did she just call my bluff? He honestly hadn’t thought he was bluffing when he’d said he’d leave, but damn, he really didn’t think she’d take him up on it.
He nodded his head with a sad smile, then stood up.
“Take care of yourself, Tinkerbell. And please don’t let me being in New Orleans keep you from that job, if that’s what you really want. I’m hardly ever there anyway. And I promise, even when I am, I’ll leave you alone.” He couldn’t help but add, “If that’s what you want.”
“No, it’s not what I want, you big stupid jerk! What I want is for you to have never left me in the first place, and for you to have a normal job, like an engineer or something, so I know I could have babies with you someday and not have to worry about someone harming them.”
Jacob pulled his chair right next to hers and sat back down, then reached for her hands, gripping them tight while looking into her eyes.
“There’s a lot of things you could wish for that I have the ability to make come true, unfortunately, that’s not one of them. I can’t go back in time, although believe me, I would if I could. Just know being without you hurt me as much as it did you. And no, our lives will never be normal—not like if I worked a traditional job. But I promise you, I’ll do whatever it takes for you and our babies to be happy and safe.”
Her eyes were filled with confusion.
“I don’t know what’s right, Jake.”
His gut was telling him the right move here was to back off and let her decide on her own.
“I can’t help you with that. Just know, I’ll abide by whatever you decide.”
“Can I wait and make a decision tomorrow?”
“Sure.” He released her hands and stood up. “Just let me know in the morning so I know whether or not to take my luggage when I get off the ship tomorrow.”
“You don’t want to spend the day with me?”
This woman was going to be the death of him.
He sat back down again. “Of course I do. I just assumed you’d want to be alone so…” His bruised ego was now in charge. “I didn’t charm you into doing something you didn’t want to do—to your detriment.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said with a sly grin. “You’d never do something like that. Would you?”
He cocked his head, trying to figure out what she was up to.
“Not to harm you, no. Never.”
“Okay then,” she stood up with a smirk, like she knew she was confusing him. “Let’s go hang out at the pool.”
****
Taren
She had no idea what the hell she was doing. One minute, she’d convinced herself she couldn’t be with Jake, the next, she was beside herself thinking she wasn’t going to see him again.
Good grief, woman. Pick one.
She knew deep down in her heart there was only one option. Regardless of the past hurt and the fearful future, the idea of not being with him when she’d been given another chance turned her stomach in knots. While the thought of being with him again? That filled her
with joy.
Still. She couldn’t make it too easy for him. Right?
Chapter Twelve
Jacob
By midday, he’d figured out she’d thought she’d given in too easily and was going to make him work for her forgiveness.
Not a problem. He’d been planning on doing that from the beginning—looking forward to it, actually.
When she took off her cover up at the pool and revealed her black bikini, his jaw almost hit the floor.
Along with every other male in viewing distance.
She was a damn knockout. She’d definitely filled out nicely over the last seven years. Her ex-husband was a fucking moron for cheating on her; instead of fucking her friends, the dumbass should have been home worshipping her body every damn night. That’s what Jacob was planning on doing for the rest of his life, so, in a way, he was grateful to David Graham for not realizing what he had.
He supposed the same argument could be made about himself—except Jacob knew what he’d had, and he’d mourned it from the minute he walked out her door. There was no way in hell he was squandering this second chance with her. He’d grovel and play her game—whatever it took.
The waiter arrived with his Scotch and a fruity frozen drink with an umbrella for her.
“I didn’t order that,” she said as the man handed it to her.
“The gentleman did, ma’am.”
Jacob shrugged. “I saw you eyeing it when the girl across the pool ordered it.”
A small smile escaped as she put the straw between her lips and took a sip.
“Thank you. It’s as delicious as I imagined it would be.”
“Are you hungry? Do you want to get lunch poolside or something to snack on?”
She surprised him by leaning over and kissing him softly on the lips before replying, “No, not yet. But if you are, get something.”
He furrowed his brow with a smirk. “What was that for?”
“For everything. The cruise, your company… I’m having fun. Are you?”
“I couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
