Rebel (#3): The Riptide Series

by Brooke Page

  “What are we going to do?” she whispered, her fingers drawing circles on my chest.

  “I’m going to take care of it,” I assured, rotating so I was lying on my side and could look into her eyes. She was afraid, more so than I’d seen her since coming to Harris. It was as if I were staring at the lost girl I’d met at The Shore seven years ago. “You and Tessa are safe with me. I won’t let anything happen to you or her.”

  She touched my cheek, then gently kissed my lips, her hot tears melting into my skin. I kissed her back, wanting to take all of her fears and doubts. “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere,” I hushed against her lips.

  Both of her hands found their way around my chest, clutching the fabric of my t-shirt. Her mouth molded more firmly with mine, a hunger I had craved for her to have toward me. I hugged her close, and she rolled until she was straddling me.

  I grunted into her skin, kissing along her neck, my hands finding the hem of her cotton t-shirt. She pulled on my hair, forcing me to look at her when I almost had the shirt over her breasts.

  “Friendly reminder, I’m not nineteen anymore.”

  My brows furrowed, my breath heavy. “I’m not in my twenties anymore.”

  She ran her hands along my stomach. “Yeah, but you didn’t have baby.”

  My eyes softened, and I gave her a chaste kiss. “You’re beautiful, and your body is amazing, a temple I’ve been dying to worship for a very long time.”

  She let me continue removing her shirt, freeing her luscious tits. I kissed each pert nipple, curious why she was self-conscious. If anything, her breasts were sexier. They were full and supple.

  She giggled when I nuzzled between them. “They’re not as perky as they used to be,”

  “They’re bigger, fucking beautiful, and I’ve been eager as hell to taste them.”

  She held onto my head while I sampled them, letting out a low groan when I sucked. The sound of her pleasure went straight to my cock, and it strained against my shorts.

  She clawed at my back, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it on the ground. We were skin on skin, and I breathed her in, trying to convince myself that this was all real.

  She stopped kissing me and broke away long enough to wiggle out of her shorts and underwear, then worked at the button on my shorts.

  I grabbed her wrist, then stroked her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, baby.”

  Her shoulders fell, and a smile formed on her lips. “I know.”

  For the first time, I knew she believed me.

  I climbed off the bed and removed the rest of my clothing, enjoying watching the pupils of her eyes widen with each piece of clothing I dropped, and she purred when I was completely naked in front of her. She was bold and confident, and it was sexy as hell. So sexy that I fell to my knees, pulling her calves so she was on the edge of the bed. She wasn’t afraid like the times I’d done this before, but she was ready, spreading her legs for me and guiding me to help myself.

  “I’ve craved for this day,” I mumbled against her thigh, kissing along her smooth skin, eager to press my lips against the most intimate part of her body. “To taste you again.”

  “Me too,” she hummed, throwing her head back once I found her mound.

  I ran my tongue along the seam of her luscious lips, dipping further between them on my way back up to her sensitive bud. I circled it slowly, re-acquainting myself with what she liked and didn’t. I was prepared to drive her wild, and once her legs began to quiver and she palmed the top of my head, I knew I’d figured her out.

  She bit her forearm while her body spasmed and the subtle grunts that escaped through her teeth made my cock throb. It was aching to fill her, to finally be connected as one again. I had to claim her, remind her how perfect we were together, and that she’d never need to experience the fear of losing each other again.

  I crawled up her quaking body, clutching her to my chest. I kissed her cheeks, waiting for her breath to catch and her eyes to open. She was sated, but when the tip of my dick ran through her damp folds and rested at her entrance, passions arouse in her eyes, and the fire reignited.

  “Do you have a condom?”

  Her face fell. “Shit. No, I don’t, I’m not on birth control either.”

  I didn’t care, but it wasn’t my decision, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to pressure her into having sex with me without protection. I kissed her nose and moved my hips backward. Smoothing a sweaty strand of hair from her forehead, I gave her a smile. “That’s okay. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

  She frowned, her hands finding my waist. “You can pull out, unless you’re not comfortable.”

  I settled back between her legs. “I’m perfectly fine with that, I didn’t want to pressure you. I know it’s been a while since we’ve been together.”

  “I haven’t been with anyone since Colby died,” she confided, caressing down my back. Her eyes diverted from mine. She didn’t want to ask, but I answered her unspoken question.

  “I haven’t in a few years,” I admitted, kissing her sweetly. “I tried after us a few times, but it just wasn’t the same.”

  Her gaze flew back to mine. “Really?”

  I held back a laugh. “Don’t sound so surprised, it hurts my ego.”

  She ran her fingers along the back of my neck.

  “Women throw themselves at you.”

  “There’s only one woman I want to catch.”

  She bit her lip, eyes blazing. “I’m so turned on right now.”

  I kissed her again, my balls aching. I had many opportunities to fuck women in all the places of filth and hookers I went undercover in, but I kept my distance and never slept with them.

  Swallowing, I settled myself, Lauren’s heart racing as fast as mine when I pressed an inch inside. Taking a sharp inhale, I kept myself from slamming into her like my cock was chanting. I wanted to savor her. Slowly, I filled her until our pelvis’s touched. She gasped, her fingers digging into my back. I didn’t move at first, only stayed still.

  “Fuck, baby, we’re going to have to take this slow.” I was going to need to focus and not blow my load in seconds.

  “I’m okay with that,”she squirmed underneath me in search for more friction. “But,” she held my face, “I would like to move some.”

  Her grin was broad, and I matched it, kissing her chastely before I began to move. It was slow, probably agonizing, but I didn’t care. I was basking in this feeling of euphoria. I’d waited too damn long, and I was going to eat up this moment for as long as my balls would let me.

  Lauren adjusted, making slight movements against me, her hands never leaving my skin. Our breaths mingled, creating such intensity that I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep it together. My emotions were running wild. She was finally here, underneath me, looking into my eyes the same way when she told me she loved me.

  Even though I thought I was broken beyond repair.

  She loved me because I saved her from the darkness that surrounded her.

  She still loved me.

  “I love you, Lauren,” I breathed, keeping my eyes on her. “I’ve always loved you. I’ve loved you since I followed you onto the beach with all the wrong intentions.”

  I rammed into her deeper as if that would make her understand the depths of my feelings.

  “Oh, Vance,” she moaned, her legs and arms clinging to me. “I’ve never stopped loving you either.”

  I sighed against her lips, her words like heaven to my ears.

  My heavy pants passed into her mouth, completely consuming her, and she clenched around me while I swallowed her moans. Her orgasm was my undoing, and when I went to pull away, her legs and arms caged me, her hands palming my ass and shoving my pelvis into hers. I was too lost in passion to fight her, so I gave in, claiming her primitively.

  Our chests beat rapidly, our sweat blending together while I laid heavily on top of her. I shuffled to move, but she kept her body wrapped around mine.

  Her hands slin
ked around my ribcage and to my face, palming my jaw and holding my head so our gazes would meet. “That was pretty amazing.”

  I chuckled against her lips, unable to resist kissing her. “Did you think I’d be rusty?”

  She laughed with me, and when I tried to move off of her again, she clung to me. “Not yet.” She trailed her fingers along my cheeks.

  “Aren’t I squishing you?”

  She shook her head, our noses rubbing together in the process. I was still inside of her, and if I didn’t move soon, I’d get hard again. Maybe that’s what she wanted.

  Her sated expression faded. “I didn’t let you pull out.”

  “I noticed.”

  She bit her lip. “Are you mad?”

  Now I was scowling. “Why would I be?”

  “You do remember me telling you I wasn’t on birth control, right?”

  I shrugged. “I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” I loved her, and if I was afraid of another little Tessa running around, I’d have overpowered her and came on her stomach.

  She smiled, the tension falling from her face. She trusted me, and my heart swelled for her.

  My cock twitched, and a delicious rumble emerged from her throat. “That’s what I was waiting for.”

  I raised a brow, slowly thrusting forward. “This?”

  She squirmed, then rolled me to my back, straddling my hips and sitting up straight. Her hair was lush around her face, falling down her shoulders and to the tops of her breasts.

  I couldn’t resist cupping each heavy globe with my hands. “Oh yes, this,” I repeated, urging her to move her hips how she desired.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lauren

  I finally understood what true happiness was. Vance and I had been inseparable the past few weeks, and nothing could come between us. We even snuck in a few kisses at work, and one very inappropriate session in the back shed. It made me flush just thinking about it.

  I was excited to spend the day away from work with Vance and Tessa. He’d spend the night occasionally, always moving to the couch before Tessa woke. I didn’t even have to ask him. I loved that he took her feelings into concern, and was still cautious with how much affection he showed me in her presence.

  Vance was sitting on a stool next to Tessa, asking for her opinion on what colors he should paint the go-karts at the arcade. He would agree, then say a gross color to get her to laugh.

  The grin on my face wouldn’t disappear while I flipped pancakes, and every time I’d look at Vance, he was wearing the same smile.

  We were what each other had been searching for, and although we’d lost our way, he fought to come back to me, and I wouldn’t let anything come between us again.

  “I almost forgot, I have a present for you and your momma,” Vance said, standing from the stool and jogging toward my room. He came back with two small packages, handing one to Tessa, then came to me, his eyes big with excitement as he handed me mine.

  “What’s this for?” I asked, my eyebrows scrunching.

  “Open it and find out.”

  He didn’t need to tell Tessa twice, her little hands ripping open the package and opening the small box. “A bracelet!”

  She pulled out a string of shells, her eyes as wide as her smile. “It has the same shells as yours, Mommy!”

  “That’s so cool, what do you say to Vance?”

  “Thank you!” she squealed, throwing her wrist toward Vance to help her put it on.

  Vance chuckled at her enthusiasm. “You are very welcome.” He took the bracelet and wrapped it around her little wrist, worry marring his brows at first, but then they smoothed over once he got it to snap. “Is it too tight?”

  “It’s perfect!” Tessa giggled, holding her hand in the air and gawking at the pieces of cut up white shells.

  Vance’s smile was broad, his focus moving to me. “Your turn.”

  I smiled and turned off the stove, removing the last pancake then tore open the wrapping paper, revealing a similar box to Tessa’s. Opening it, a leather strand with shells attached on either side of a silver plate. “Follow your heart,” I read, holding up the necklace.

  “Mommy, it’s like your bracelet!”

  Vance took a step closer to me, gently taking my wrist with the bracelet in his hand. “Trust the sea, and follow your heart,” he murmured, stroking his thumb along the inside of my wrist.

  My heart hammered and my throat became thick.

  I cleared away the lump, not wanting to sound emotional when I spoke. “It’s beautiful.” I shifted so we were facing each other. “Thank you.”

  The corner of Vance’s lip quirked upward, and he took the necklace from me. He wrapped it around my neck, clasped it, then rotated it until it was in place. Touching my chest with the tips of his fingers, he examined it, then his eyes found mine. “I’m glad you like it.”

  “I love it,” I breathed, my eyes settling on his mouth.

  “Are you going to kiss?” Tessa giggled, then spun on the barstool.

  “No, of course not. I was going to come and tickle you,” he teased, then slipped back to Tessa, grabbing a hold of her sides. She snickered, letting out a fit of laughter when he picked her up and spun her. The interaction made my heart fill with warmth. He loved Tessa as much as he loved me.

  “Tessa, have you ever been surfing?” Vance asked, flipping her so she was sitting back on the stool.

  “What’s that?”

  Vance scowled at me. “She doesn’t even know what it is?”

  I shrugged. “Nope. Not something people from Michigan do.”

  “Tessa, I think it’s time you learn the most epic sport there is.”

  Tessa’s little brows pinched together. “I thought soccer was?”

  “Kite surfing is way better than soccer,” Vance corrected.

  I took the spatula and pointed it at him. “Tessa is not going kitesurfing.”

  Vance crossed his arms and took a seat on the stool next to Tessa. “The lake is perfect for beginners, and besides, I wouldn’t let her go out there alone. We’d ride tandem.”

  “How about we go to the beach,” I suggested, wanting to get the idea of Tessa soaring twenty feet in the air at the winds mercy out of my mind.

  “Yes!” Tessa cheered.

  Vance gave me a lopsided grin. “All right, it’ll probably be too busy on the water today anyway.”

  ***

  We packed for the beach, and after a quick stop to Vance’s house for him to change, we made our way to the lake.

  Tessa was thrilled, and she hadn’t mentioned the incident at the Fair since it had happened a few weeks ago. Hopefully, it would fade from her memory. I knew I wouldn’t be as lucky. That day would haunt me until the day I died.

  When Vance took off his shirt to go in the water with Tessa, all of the beach goers stared, jaws dropping at his physique. My God, I knew he was sexy. I’d had every inch of him inside of me, but seeing him in the bright sun and in his element, then watching him lift Tessa in the air…sweet baby Jesus… I wouldn’t be able to make it the whole day keeping my hands to myself. He was so tan, and his muscles were tight and toned on his stomach. The broad smile that hadn’t left his face all day only made him more attractive.

  I could watch him playing in the lake with Tessa for hours. Thankfully between holding open my book and wearing sunglasses no one would notice how much I was staring at him.

  “Are you going to join us?” Vance asked after a while, water dripping from his arms onto my thigh.

  “Yeah, come on, Mom!” Tessa encouraged. “Wait, I need to go to the bathroom.”

  I set down my book and brushed off my legs. “I’ll take you.”

  “It’s okay, you finish your chapter, and I’ll take her. Come on, Tessa. When you’re done we’ll get your mom in the water.”

  Tessa giggled, putting her flip flops on then took Vance’s hand, heading to the pavilion near the beach entrance.

  I leaned back on the sheet, mak
ing myself comfortable and finding the page I left off on in my book. Between the warm sun tickling my skin, and the happiness that filled my heart, I didn’t think anything could bring me down.

  I soon got lost in my book, and after finishing a chapter and a half, I looked up from the pages, surprised Vance and Tessa hadn’t come back yet. There was a playground nearby. Maybe Vance took her there. I smiled and shook my head. knowing Tessa had him wrapped around her finger.

  Rolling to my front, I set the book down and kept reading, my eyes popping up more often toward the stone stairs that led to the pavilion. People were mewling around, but still no Vance or Tessa. The anxious feeling was becoming stronger with each passing minute that they weren’t back. Not able to wait any longer, I stood from the sheet, leaving my book and slipping on my sandals. I was probably being stupid, but my gut was telling me to go look for them.

  “Tessa?” I called into the bathroom, but only an older woman and her granddaughter were getting out of the stalls.

  I searched around the pavilion, my heartbeat beginning to quicken after each place I searched turned up empty. Did they go back into the lake and I not realize it? Maybe they walked down the path to our favorite spot on the lake?

  Vance wouldn’t do that, not with what happened two weeks ago. He would tell me if they were going somewhere else. I marched to the front of the pavilion, and my heart sunk. This part of the park was deserted, and only elevated my worry. It was hidden by trees.

  A pair of feet was peeking out from behind the bushes, only one flip-flop on one foot.

  “Oh my gosh!” I ran to them. “Vance!”

  I knelt down in front of him, slouched over with an open wound to his temple. I yanked on his arms to pull him flat, feeling for a pulse. He was still breathing, just passed out.

  “Tessa!” I shouted, searching all around, staying on my knees.

  This wasn’t good, this wasn’t good at all. Pulling my phone from the inside of my bathing suit, I dialed 911.

  “I need an ambulance to the State Park, by the beach Pavilion. I have an unconscious man, and a missing six-year-old.”

  “She’s not missing.”