“There you are.” Making sure it was loaded, I held the gun in my left hand and crept up the stairs and down the hall, freezing when saw a familiar back and short raven hair. “What are you doing Colt?”
He looked up wearing a smile but all I could see was that thin white undershirt, moist with the sweat of hard work. Tools were everywhere giving me a brand-new repair man fantasy. He frowned at the sight of my gun but said nothing.
“I figured you’d want your bed set up today.”
My shoulders relaxed and I grinned at his thoughtful gesture. This grown-up Colt was hell on a woman’s resolve.
“I do. Thank you Colt. I’d planned on sleeping on the sofa until I could get around to it.”
“Now you don’t have to. I’m happy to help Jay-Jay.”
The sound of my childhood nickname made me freeze as a hurt I hadn’t felt in years grabbed hold of my heart and squeezed until I was breathless. Without another word, I turned to go back downstairs and get my shit under control.
While Colt assembled the bed, I set up my smart TV and gaming console that doubled as an entertainment system, happy that internet was ready to use. After ordering more food and unpacking more kitchen stuff I heard a noise and paused the music.
“Jaya come here!”
Unsure if he was hurt or goofing around I jogged up the stairs and stopped at the door. The bed wasn’t just assembled, Colt had put on sheets and pillowcases too.
“You work fast.”
“Hop on,” he patted the pillow top mattress and sat down.
I glared despite my gratitude. “Get your dirty butt off my clean sheets!” He knew damn well I had a thing about dirty, outside clothes on my bed. It had been the source of many arguments during the last year of our relationship.
“Sorry,” he said not sounding sorry at all as he stripped out of his dust covered jeans and sweaty undershirt, standing there looking like a Roman god in a pair of red pinstriped boxer briefs that hugged his muscular thighs and cradled an impressive—and hard—bulge.
I shouldn’t remember that bulge. Not how long and hard it was, or how well it filled me up. But with him standing there like that, how could I not. “Better,” I told him in a low and breathy voice I couldn’t control. With a growl, I picked up his clothes and took them with me as I walked down the stairs. “Look in the box labeled ‘Gym Stuff’ and put something else on. Though honestly none of my stuff would fit his big body.
“I’m good,” he called from behind me in the laundry room where I added his clothes to finish off a load to wash. I turned and, yelped, he stood there in nothing but the boxer briefs and socks.
My gaze raked over his body once again, making me mentally lick my lips at the mouthwatering sight of him. “I ordered dinner,” I told him as I pushed past him, ignoring the heat his body produced. “We have water, pop and beer to drink.”
“You don’t have to feed me Jaya.”
“And you didn’t have to put up my bed.” But I was so grateful he had because the thought of all that room on my soft cotton sheets, was enough to make me smile as I took a seat and put my feet up.
Moments later Colt joined me on the sofa, sitting so close our arms and legs touched. “What are we watching?”
I shrugged and handed him the controller to stroll through the options. “No shoot outs, otherwise you can choose. I probably won’t last more than an hour after I take my painkillers, which I’ll take when dinner gets here.”
He was silent for a moment before turning to me. “Are they helping Jaya?”
I shrugged because it was better than the truth. “The pain is lessened enough that I can get restless sleep for a few hours each night.”
Colt found a comedy for us to watch and when the food arrived we ate in companionable silence, laughing so much it was hard not to think of other times we’d spent just like this. Not making love, but just being together and enjoying that simplicity of it.
I wanted to push him away because he smelled too good with that hint of sweat on his body, but leaning against him was comfortable and I was exhausted. The half-eaten lasagna sat on the table with three bottles of beer and my glass of iced tea while the movie played and my lids began to grow heavy. I knew I had minutes at best before sleep claimed me but I couldn’t move off Colt, couldn’t move at all as my body became one with the sofa.
Then I fell asleep with the sound of Colt’s steady heartbeat in my ear, lulling me into a dreamless sleep.
It was the best damn sleep I’d had in five months.
***
“You don’t have to do this Colt.”
“I know. I want to.”
He showed up at my door an hour ago with coffee and strudel. And a plan to tackle some of my household shopping because according to him I couldn’t live in an empty house.
“Why? Most men have to be dragged kicking and screaming to go shopping and you’re volunteering for it.”
“I’m a renaissance man sweetheart.” His hands swiftly worked the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road but his attention fully fixed on me. “Plus, this is a way to spend time with you that I know you won’t object to.”
I tried not to smile. I really did. But when Colt focused on a goal, he achieved it. “So what you’re saying is you’re holding me hostage and using my furniture as bait?”
He laughed and that sound shot straight to my pussy, clenching and dripping before noon on a Saturday. “If that’s how you want to look at it, sure.”
“You really did this just to hang out with me?” He nodded, checking the mirrors instead of looking at me. “You could try asking Colt.”
“Interesting. Maybe I’ll try that next.”
Next? This was the second weekend straight we’d spent together and his plan was working. The more time we spent together, the more I liked him. Again.
“So where are we going next?”
“Since we already picked up big furniture, I think we should get kitchen stuff. I hope you have an idea what you want or else we’ll be at it all day.”
I laughed. “Seriously? We’re not even there yet and you’re already rushing me.”
Furniture shopping had been fun though, maybe a little too fun with all the laughing and flirting. Despite his hand holding, arm caressing and heated looks, I was trying to keep it platonic. I really liked Colt and I obviously was still very attracted to him. But there was one major problem. I didn’t trust him.
Still, Colt was a great shopping companion. “I think you should get red appliances for the kitchen. Like mixer, toaster, blender and all that jazz.”
“Do you have all of this in your kitchen?”
“Me? Hell no! I have a toaster, a blender, a fridge and a stove.” He looked at me like I was crazy. “But you cook and mix up cocktails and I expect all that when I visit.”
“You expect it, do you? Well I expect visitors to chip in with the cooking and cocktail mixing.”
The smile he flashed told me I had just walked into a well laid trap and when his big, warm hand landed a little too high on my thigh I bit back the moan threatening to escape.
“Well if you insist Jay-Jay, then yes I will occasionally cook and make drinks when I come over. And I’ll even wait until you’re off the pills before making my best drinks.”
Yep walked right into that one. “Arite, let’s go get me some appliances and whatchamacallits. I’m thinking of mixing and matching colors.”
“I don’t think so babe. Let’s go with red.”
Red did sound nice but he’d be smug for all of eternity if I went with his suggestion. “Nah, I’m thinking purple or maybe a nice Kelly green. Brighten the place up a bit.”
“You’re killin’ me, you know that?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his thoroughly exasperated look as we went in and chose a combination or purple and green kitchen appliances. And towels. And oven pads.
“I have to admit it’s not as bad as I thought.”
“Now that I have your approval, I can
die a happy woman.” Hands clutching my chest I grinned and batted my eyelashes.
“Smartass,” he groaned and then smacked me right on my ass. “All I need to do is accessorize, and as much as you’ve been helpful in all this, I am damn sick of shopping.” His arm went around me again and, no lie, I leaned into his embrace. I inhaled his earthy woodsy sandalwood cologne and that scent that was uniquely Colt.
“I’ve been helpful? Damn Jaya you really know how to make a guy feel special.”
“How about this for special? I’ll even buy you lunch.”
He stopped, confusing the sales guy pushing the cart to load everything up. “That’s sweet. And for that, I’ll make you dinner tonight. You buy the groceries, though.”
“You’ll make whatever I buy?” He nodded and I grinned. “Deal. Now let’s go because I could eat a seal.”
He froze and gave me a heated look across the top of the SUV that I felt all the way to my toes.
“This SEAL is happy to be your meal sweetheart.”
“There’s a great little sandwich shop around the corner.”
Colt grabbed my hand and somehow turned that into his hand around my waist, not that I was complaining, and we made the short trip to Stillman’s Deli. “If you get sauerkraut then I’ll get extra garlic and we don’t have to worry about it later when we make out.”
“Duly noted.”
“Colt Sharpe, is that you?”
We both looked up and found a voluptuous redhead tottering on black stilts as she headed our way. “Girlfriend of yours?”
“Nope. Two dates in she was talking about commitment.”
Damn. I took a step away when it became clear she had blinders on where other women were concerned.
“Colt I have missed you!” She cooed and pressed up to him, raking long red nails down his chest.
Colt, nice guy that he was, took a step back and grabbed my hand, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. “Brie I’d like you to meet my fiancée.”
Two emotions registered on her face. Shock and anger. “I thought you said you never wanted to get married!” Her voice got louder and louder, reaching screeching levels. “All that talk of your long lost high school love who still held your heart was just a lie, right? You rat bastard liar! Oh I screwed up with Jaya so bad and no one else will do,” she mimicked him using a whiny high pitched voice.
I didn’t know how to feel about the fact Colt had used me and our relationship to get out of making a commitment to other women. It felt sleazy. It felt like he diminished what we had.
“Brie,” he shouted to interrupt her never ending tirade. “This is Jaya.”
Instantly Brie softened and all the anger left her. “Really, you’re Jaya?”
“According to my driver’s license.”
“Oh my god!” Just like that her whole demeanor shifted from angry and hurt to happy and hopeful. “That is so great, I’m so happy for you!” She wrapped us both in a hug, squeezing a little too hard.
“Thanks for that Brie but I’m still recovering from being shot,” I told her and extricated myself from her embrace.
“Oh no, are you okay? Colt I hope you’re taking good care of her now that you finally got her back.” She leaned in for another, gentler hug and whispered in my ear, “What a lucky girl you are to have a love like that.”
I stood there, completely stunned, watching the curvaceous bombshell walk away. I turned my gaze up at Colt, who stared back at me with a look I didn’t want to identify. That look was too damn real. Too intense. Too much.
“Weird.”
Slowly, as though time stopped, he cupped my jaw and kissed me long and slow until I felt his emotions pouring into me, infusing me so that I couldn’t ignore them. Couldn’t deny them.
He tasted every inch of my mouth, swiping in and licking my tongue. Mating with my mouth until I clung to him. He swallowed my moans and tightened his grip on my ass, kissing me until nothing around us existed.
When he broke the kiss, he grinned. “Told you so.”
Colt
Holy fuck is it hot in here! I can’t ever remember being so hot in my life. Not even in the hottest places on the planet, suited up with fifty pounds of gear have I ever been so overheated, and I knew for damn sure I wasn’t in the desert. Slowly I opened my eyes to make sure the house wasn’t on fire, or that my own skin wasn’t bubbling and crisping under flames. Only my eyes are open and I can’t see shit except a curtain of blonde hair draped across my whole face. Wait…blonde hair? That’s when I felt it, the weight of another person’s body pressed into my side. The sweet honeysuckle scent found its way into my nose and I knew without a doubt.
Jaya.
I don’t know how the hell we ended up like this and I damn sure wasn’t complaining, but curiosity won me over. Moving her hair away from my face, I looked around and noticed we were on the couch. Fully dressed, which disappointingly meant the all-night fuck fest I’d fantasized about hadn’t happened. But I’d like to remember it when it finally does happen.
Right now though, with her plump breasts smashed against me, nipples hard, revealing her braless state, all I could think about was having her. Our legs were tangled up, one strong but delicate hand rested low on my belly, blonde hair everywhere. I had woken up like this many times with Jaya, usually naked, but shit this time felt as good as the first time.
A phone buzzed on the coffee table we bought yesterday, but the sofa was too far away to reach it without waking Jaya. So I laid there with her in my arms, enjoying everything about this moment. Though she hadn’t given me any real indication that she was softening towards me, I could tell. I could feel it happening. She stopped fighting my kisses and threw herself fully into that kiss last night. She didn’t complain about me dropping by, and pretty much forcing her to spend time with me. That was all good, but I wanted more.
A lot more.
The room was silent except for the low hum of the TV and fridge, so I heard it crystal clear. The sound of a key turning in the lock, the door knob twisting and the door opening. Instincts kicked in, but I knew deep down it wasn’t an intruder, and I needed to be careful of Jaya’s shoulder. But that meant the person walking through the door right now could only be Sharon. And I knew, without her having said a thing, she would not want her mom to find us like this.
Unfortunately, time wasn’t on our side and I couldn’t move without doing it quickly and jostling her. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes at the sound of footsteps drawing near.
“Good morning Sharon.”
She gasped and I tilted my head back as her gaze spun to where we lay, bodies wrapped around one another.
“Colt.”
“Good morning son.” Shit that voice did have me panicking and wiggling, not enough to hurt but enough to wake Jaya.
“Hey ma,” I groaned as Jaya began to move against me.
“What did you say?” She looked at me and down at our bodies entwined on the sofa, completely oblivious to the other two people in the room. “I fell asleep on you again? Damn Colt, sorry.”
“Don’t be sweetheart. At least not yet. First say hello to our mothers.”
I shouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did when those sleepy green eyes looked up at me and then over the arm of the sofa, widening at the sight of them at the same time her body froze in confusion. I could read Jaya like a book. She wanted to scramble off the couch and put ten feet of distance between us, but her shoulder wouldn’t allow it.
“Mom.? Mrs. Sharpe. What are you guys doing here?”
“Brunch,” Ma answered with a grin that looked far too damn delighted. “And now we don’t even have to invite Colt over.”
Sharon grinned as they both disappeared into the kitchen, whispering and giggling like little girls. I shook my head at them, dreading what they had planned. Instead of focusing on that I turned to Jaya.
“How’s the shoulder?”
“Stiff as shit. I’m not even sure I can move it right now.” Her expres
sion was pinched and her skin paled as evidence of her pain.
Moving off the sofa cautiously, I scooped her into my arms and climbed the stairs, not stopping until we were in her bedroom.
“You need any help getting undressed?” We both knew she did need my help, so I waited, watching as indecision played on her beautiful face.
Finally, she let out a long breath and nodded. “Yes, but please, try not to enjoy it too much.”
With a sly grin, I stepped toward her. “I make no promises.” Not like I could even if I wanted to. Jaya at twenty had been gorgeous, firm and supple. Now she was breathtaking. Perky tits that were a perfect handful with peach tipped nipples that never failed to make my mouth water. Her shirt went off, revealing a chest, shoulders and back covered in light freckles and calling back memories of tracing them with my fingers. My tongue. Small, nipped in waist with visible muscles in her midsection that led to long, lean muscular legs. She was absolutely perfect. “Fuck me Jaya, you are still the most beautiful thing I ever saw.”
I couldn’t help it, not with her standing there in just a small scrap of red lace, chest heaving gently and eyes riveted on mine. Leaning forward I licked a nipple before pulling into my mouth, sucking gently and rolling my tongue around the sweet plump fruit. Her body shook, trembled as I loved her tits, one of her hands speared through my hair to hold me close while she arched towards me.
The sweet fucking sound of her moans had my cock so hard I knew I’d need a long cold shower when we were done.
“Colt.” The sound of my name moaned in passion was something I never thought I’d hear again, and right now it meant she wanted me, wanted this as much as I did. “Yes.”
My hands slid up her hips, cupping her ass and sliding up her slender waist before sliding one hand into those sexy little panties. She was so swollen and wet for me, her slit dripping down my fingers as I thrust in and out of her. Two fingers and then three, coated with her desire, doing all the things my cock wanted to do to her. Soon.
Seal'd to Her: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance Page 4
