Just A Kiss

by Elks, Carrie

  The sweetness of their desire, in contrast to the ache of her anxiety, was like a balm to her soul. She gave herself to him again and again, letting him kiss her before kissing him back, until their lips were moving as one. She didn’t want it to stop, not ever.

  It felt unbelievably perfect.

  16

  Breck kissed her like there was no tomorrow, desperate to feel every part of her against him. Her lips were soft and yielding, her breath warm against his mouth. With every slide of his hand, he could feel himself falling deeper. She was the kind of woman men like him dreamed about. Soft, yet tough. Beautiful, but she didn’t know it. Kissing her was like coming home, and it made his heart ache.

  Caitlin Russell. How many times had he thought about her as his best friend’s little sister? But she wasn’t so little any more. She was a woman; the way she was responding to his touch was enough to tell him that.

  He kissed her like she was the oxygen he needed, loving the way she kissed him back. Her touch was hesitant at first, growing bolder as she ran her fingers down his spine. When she reached the base and found the sensitive nerves clustered there, his back arched.

  His whole body was aching for her. Blood rushed to his groin, pulsing through him, as she pressed her hands against his back. He lowered himself down and kissed her again, careful not to rest all of his weight against her. Caitie’s hands slid around to the back of his shorts, urging him against her, until his desire was hard against her core. Wrapping her legs around him, she hooked her ankles at his thighs, rocking until the friction was almost unbearable.

  Minutes passed as they kissed wordlessly, neither of them willing to break this sensuous spell. Everything about her excited him, yet calmed him at the same time. She was a whirlwind that somehow set everything right with the world, and he wanted more.

  When he caught her eye, she nodded, letting him know she wanted it, too.

  Grabbing the hem of her sweater, he tugged it off, over her head. Beneath it, her skin was pale, almost translucent, her breasts swollen beneath a pale-blue lace bra. He cupped them, feeling her nipples harden beneath the fabric. Pinching her swollen flesh between his thumb and forefinger, he made her writhe and moan. The friction they created, the teasing, the delicious movement of their rocking – it was enough to blow his mind.

  Lowering his head, he brushed his lips across her bra, loving the way her nipples pressed against his flesh. He sunk his mouth onto her, sucking her through the lace, until she moaned loudly, her body bucking beneath his.

  She was beautiful, perfect, everything he wanted.

  She’s also your best friend’s sister.

  Hell no, he wasn’t going to think about that. Not then.

  He moved his head up until he was kissing her again, his hands reaching around her back to unclasp her bra. The only sound in the room was his harsh breaths and her deep moans, drowning out the distant hum of the waves.

  Until the sound of his phone broke their spell.

  It was still in a waterproof pouch inside his board shorts. He could feel it vibrating against his skin. Caitie froze beneath him at the sound, her desperate cries fading to nothing. For a moment, he frantically tried to figure out how to recapture the moment.

  “Do you think you should get that?” she asked, pulling back from him.

  “It’s not important.” He immediately missed the warmth of her body.

  “It could be,” she said. “You really should answer.”

  Sighing, he pulled the plastic pouch from his shorts, unzipping it. A name was written across the screen for them both to see. Breck felt his stomach fall.

  Rachel Foss.

  * * *

  Those two words felt like a bucket of ice water being poured over her. Her muscles – so relaxed only moments before – tensed up until they felt almost painful. A feeling of shame washed over her. She was half-naked beneath Breck, and the girl he was dating was calling him.

  What the hell had she done? She wasn’t that kind of girl.

  Caitie sat up quickly, wrapping her arms around her chest. Frowning, Breck pressed the end call button and threw it on the table beside the couch. It started to ring again. Breck sighed, sitting up to grab it.

  “You should answer her.” Caitie sat up and grabbed her sweater from the floor. “I need to go, anyway. I’ve got so much work to do.” God, how the heck had she ended up like this? She felt sick at the thought of Rachel. Even if what Harper had said was true, you still didn’t do this to another woman.

  It was the girl code. And she never broke it.

  “I can call her back later. You don’t have to go yet, do you? I can make us coffee and we can sit out on the deck—” He stopped short. “Shit, bad idea. I can still make the coffee. Or we can drive out to some place. Whatever you prefer.” His voice was thick, as though he had something to hide. She could detect more than a note of panic in it.

  She pulled back, mortified. “I’ve got these big meetings starting on Tuesday. I really need to work on my presentation. Thanks for the offer, though.” The air was buzzing with awkwardness, she could almost taste it. What the hell had they been thinking?

  Or maybe they hadn’t thought. That was the problem. They’d listened to their bodies instead of their good sense.

  Breck sat up, rubbing his face. “When do you leave?”

  “I drive to L.A. tomorrow afternoon.” She couldn’t quite meet his gaze, too ashamed for him to see her heated face.

  “And after that? When are you going back to New York?”

  “Friday. I’m catching a morning flight with Harper. I’m hoping by then I’ll know if I’ve got this contract or not.”

  “But you’ll be back here soon? You’ve got the wedding to organize. It’s less than a month away.”

  “Yes, I’ll be back. I have to meet with the suppliers at the hotel in mid-December, then I’ll fly back for the wedding at Christmas.”

  “That’s a lot of travel.”

  “I’m used to it. I’ve been working on this proposal on and off for six months, plus I have other clients in L.A.. I can do a lot by Skype and email, but sometimes face-to-face is the only way.”

  “I hear you.” Breck tugged a t-shirt over his head. He took a deep breath in. “Look, Caitie, what happened …”

  She couldn’t talk about this now. “It’s okay,” she answered quickly. “It was a mistake, I know it was. Just a reaction to my panic attack. I was hyperventilating and you were trying to help me, it was nothing more than that.”

  “You think I kissed you to stop you from panicking?” He frowned.

  “No, I think you kissed me because we were in a heightened situation. I’m grateful you were here. I really am, but we both know it shouldn’t have happened.” She rubbed her neck, glancing over at the hallway door. She was desperate to get out of there before she made an even bigger fool of herself than she already had.

  Breck frowned, his lips parted as though he was trying to find the right thing to say.

  “I won’t say anything to Rachel,” she told him quickly. “I know you’re not that kind of guy.”

  “What kind of guy?” Breck frowned, wiping a bead of water from his brow. His wet hair was hanging over his forehead, eclipsing some of the lines there.

  God, she wished her heart would slow down. It was hammering against her chest as though it was desperate to get out. “It doesn’t matter.” She attempted a smile. “Thank you for taking care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself.”

  “Cait…” He was still frowning.

  “You won’t say anything either, will you?” she quickly added. “I don’t want things to get awkward between any of us. Not when Lucas and Ember’s wedding is getting so close. They deserve to have their big day without any drama.”

  “Drama?” he repeated. “What kind of drama? And of course I won’t say anything. Not if you don’t want me to.”

  She let out a mouthful of air. “Thank you.” She could see herself in his living room mirror. Her hair
was a mess, tangled and knotty. Her face though – that was glowing, in spite of the tears and shock from earlier. Her lips were swollen from their kisses, her skin flushed from the exertion.

  “Are you sure you don’t want some coffee?” he asked. “Or a soda? I’ve got a full fridge if nothing else.” He looked anxious, as though he didn’t want her to leave.

  “I’m fine, honestly. I’ve been working all morning, and I really need to get back to it. I only left the house because Mom made me… oh, I brought your sweater back. You left it at our place on Thanksgiving.”

  “I saw it on the deck outside. I’ll grab it later. Thanks for dropping it off.”

  “It was a good holiday, wasn’t it?” She changed the subject, hoping it would help.

  “Yeah, it was.” A ghost of a smile passed his lips.

  She’d stood to make her way to the door. “And it was so nice to see Daniel again. Has he gone back to Boston?” If she kept talking, she wouldn’t have to think about what she’d done. And wouldn’t that be a good thing? She walked into the hallway, Breck following close.

  “Yeah,” he said from behind her. “He and Dad left yesterday. Dad was desperate to get back to his girlfriend, and Daniel wanted to get back to his research.”

  They’d reached the front door. “Hey. Are you sure you can’t stay?” Breck asked as she reached for the handle.

  “I really can’t.” She opened her mouth then closed it again, unable to find the right words. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to look him in the eyes. “Thank you. I’m so sorry I interrupted your day. I’m sure this was the last thing you wanted to deal with.”

  His jaw twitched. “You didn’t interrupt anything.”

  “Well, enjoy what’s left of the day. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

  He opened the door, stopping halfway. “Look, Cait…”

  “Knock knock!” The door was pushed from the other side, revealing Rachel standing there in cut-offs and a cropped sweater. “Oh, you’re home. I tried calling you. I was in the area and thought I’d stop by.”

  “Oh, yeah, I missed your call. I was talking to Cait.” He looked back at Caitie, the strangest expression on his face.

  “And I was just leaving.” Painting a smile on her lips, Caitie tried to walk past him, but his muscled frame was blocking her way. “I came by to drop his sweater off. Mom asked me to. He’d left it at our house on Thanksgiving.” She was aware how stupid she sounded, babbling and making excuses. Maybe if she kept talking for long enough a hole would open up and kindly swallow her.

  Rachel stared at her. “Hi, Caitlin.” She looked confused. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

  “Only for a second,” Caitie told her, wishing she was anywhere but here. “I need to go. I’ll leave you guys to it. Have a great afternoon.”

  This time Breck let her pass, moving back against the wall as her body slid against his. For a second their gazes met. His eyes were cloudy, unreadable, and they made her feel worse than ever.

  She turned away and took a deep breath, determined not to look back as she walked onto the porch. Not because the ocean lay beyond his bungalow, with the waves and sand and everything else that made her want to cry. No, it was Breck himself it hurt to look at.

  Breck and Rachel.

  So why was it that as soon as she got into the car and turned the ignition, she glanced at him through the Honda’s window? He was staring right at her, ignoring Rachel and the way she was trying to grab his attention. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark, and his gaze unwavering. Something about it made her whole body start to tremble.

  She’d always thought Angel Sands was bad for her. Now she knew it was. The sooner she got out of there the better, before she ended up making a bigger fool of herself than she already had. Tearing her gaze away from his, she moved the car into reverse and began to pull away. As far as she was concerned, she couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

  17

  “You need to call him,” Harper said as they let themselves into their suite. Caitie had arrived in L.A. earlier that afternoon, and picked her assistant Felix up from the airport, where he’d flown in from New York. They’d travelled onward to meet Harper at the studio where she’d been in meetings all day in the costume department, and finally they’d checked in and been shown to their rooms.

  “I can’t,” Caitie said, glancing along the corridor to make sure Felix hadn’t heard. Luckily he was already in his room, hopefully oblivious to her problems. “What would I say? Sorry I kissed you before your girlfriend showed up.” She shook her head. “I think I’ve humiliated myself enough already.”

  “She’s not his girlfriend,” Harper said, pulling her case through the door.

  Caitie blinked. “You said there was something between them on Thanksgiving. Look at how much time they spent together. And why would she turn up unannounced at his door if they weren’t dating?”

  The door closed behind them as they walked into the huge living area. At the far end large glass windows overlooked the sprawling city, full of high rise buildings and intersecting roads. In the center of the room were two cream leather sofas, facing each other with a polished glass coffee table between them.

  “Well this is nice,” Harper said, grinning. “I could get used to this.” She walked over and sat on the nearest sofa. “And there’s no way they’re dating if he kissed you. He’s not the kind of guy who’d ever cheat on a woman, I know enough to tell you that.”

  “I wish I could feel certain.” Caitie slumped in the sofa opposite, leaning her head back on the cool leather. She hadn’t been able to get their kiss out of her mind. The way he’d touched her, kissed her, set her on fire. Her chest ached every time she thought about him. In spite of herself, she’d fallen for him all over again.

  And it hurt.

  “I’m certain enough for the both of us,” Harper told her. “I know people. And a kiss that hot needs to lead to something more. So call him and put us all out of our misery.”

  “What about Rachel?” Caitie asked, her mouth dry.

  “What about her?” Harper shrugged. “Look, it’s obvious she has a crush on him, but that’s all it is. If he isn’t interested then he’s free to kiss whoever he wants.” She grinned. “And he wants you.”

  “This is so messed up. I liked it better when he was a fantasy.”

  “Did you really?” Harper tilted her head to the side, a smile playing at her lips.

  “No.” Caitie couldn’t help but smile back. Because her fantasies were nothing compared to that kiss. She could still feel his lips against hers, still taste him on them. And when she closed her eyes, she could feel his strength as he held her, touched her, made her needy in a way she’d never been before.

  “Are you sure they’re not dating?” Caitie asked, hope blooming in her chest.

  “I’d stake your life on it,” Harper said, her eyes twinkling. “But there’s only one way to find out. Call him. Ask him. Don’t let this chance slip away.” She leaned forward and pulled Caitie’s phone from her purse, holding it out to her.

  Caitie looked at it for a moment. Harper was right, dammit. She was a grown, strong, intelligent woman, not a teenage girl with a crush. Tomorrow she’d be pitching for a multi-million dollar deal. Surely she could call Breck and ask him how he felt.

  “Okay,” she said, letting out a mouthful of air. “I’ll call him.”

  “Yes!” Harper pumped her fist. “God this is romantic. He’s the first boy you kissed. I’m melting here, thinking about the two of you.”

  “Don’t count your chickens,” Caitie warned her. “It’s just a call. And if it turns out he really is dating Rachel Foss, it’ll be all your fault.” She took the phone from Harper’s grasp and turned on her heel, heading for the bedroom. “Wish me luck.”

  “You won’t need it,” Harper shouted. “You’ve got this, my friend.”

  * * *

  “I’ll never get bored of this view.” Lucas leaned back in the wooden chair o
n Breck’s deck, staring out at the ocean. Breck passed him a bottle of beer, and Lucas leaned forward to take it, before leaning back on his Adirondack chair.

  He’d spotted Breck from the beach as he’d run along it, and had stopped to shoot the breeze with him. Breck welcomed the distraction. For the past day and a half his head had been a mess of thoughts.

  Of Caitie. Of that kiss. Of how holding her in his arms had made him feel. If he closed his eyes he could still smell the sweet scent of her. His fingers tingled with the memory of how soft her skin had been. For ten minutes he’d been in heaven, his need to taste her overwhelming every sense he had.

  And now? He was beyond confused.

  It was Caitie he couldn’t stop thinking about. His best friend’s little sister. She was under his skin in a way he’d never expected, and his body itched with a need he couldn’t shake off.

  If it was anybody else maybe he’d scratch it. But not her. You didn’t have a fling with your buddy’s little sister, everybody knew that. Especially when you weren’t a relationship kind of guy.

  But the thought of not touching her again. Not feeling her soft lips against his… it was driving him crazy. God, he needed to get her out of his mind.

  “You okay, man?” Lucas asked, bringing him out of his reverie.

  “Yeah.” Breck nodded. He needed to be careful. Lucas wasn’t stupid. He already knew something was up. What had he been saying? Oh yeah, he’d been admiring the beach.

  “The view’s what sold me on this place,” Breck said, keeping his voice even. He could get through this. “The inside isn’t much to look at, but who cares when you have this on your doorstep? You don’t get this back east.”