by K. L. Jessop
“What do you do when someone has made you swear to keep a secret but the person you can’t tell is one you never want to lie to?”
Sitting down on the sand beside me, he exhales. “I guess you just got to do what you feel is right. You’re going to hurt one of them either way. You just have to work out who is more important in the long run and go from there.”
I know already who is more important, but the idea of being disloyal to my best friend makes the whole decision even harder. “Yeah, I’ll figure it out.” I blow out a heavy breath, not wanting this to dampen my mood any more than I’ve let it. “Sorry, ignore me. I’m good.”
“Thank fuck for that because I didn’t come down here to give you therapy. I want information.”
I frown. “On what?”
“On the woman you’re fucking. There has to be someone who’s got your moody ass to smile again. So, who is she?”
I laugh, my eyes still on Nora. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Bullshit. I can tell by the look on your face that I’m right. There is someone isn’t there.”
I’ve never been able to hide the truth from Mark. I’m surprised he hasn’t caught me out before now.
“My girl is down there.”
Following my line of sight, his eyes widen when he realizes. “Oh my God. You’re fucking Nora?”
I don’t know why but his comment is like a blow to the chest. “You make it sound like she’s just a quick fuck to pass the time.”
“Is she?”
“No!” I bite back, causing him to hold his arms up in surrender. “It’s serious. We are serious.”
Silence falls as I look straight ahead. I can feel his eyes on me, waiting to dive in and question me more.
“I should give you some sort of fucking shit for this because not only is she Pete’s daughter and the poor guy can’t string a sentence together, but he also can’t beat your ass either.”
He’s pissed, or at least I think he is, but I don’t care—not now that Pete knows and that I have his blessing.
“Not to mention, she’s the same age as my daughter. And as a father, I would not be happy if Makenna brought home a granddad, especially if the cocky fucker was better looking than me.” A smile tugs his lips.
“Asshole,” I laugh.
“Sorry, couldn’t help it. But seriously, though. What the fuck? How long has this been going on?”
It’s only been a matter of weeks, but it feels like I’ve been with her forever. There’s not a day that goes by now when I’m not smiling—not left feeling uneasy or anxious like I was before. Everything that has changed within me has been because of her. “A few weeks, but if I’m honest, she’s had me hooked since she turned seventeen.”
“Jesus.”
“I tried, Mark. I tried to not want her because of who she is—because of Asher—but I can’t, and the truth is, I don’t want to either. And after everything with Mom, Nora’s helped me breathe when I’ve been suffocating in silence for too long. Working twenty-four- seven without a break was what I thought a single guy with no family had to do to get over his grief and to stop the pain I faced each day. But the longer it went on, the more I hated the man I’d become but didn’t know how to turn back.”
“Jesus, Gray. I knew things had been tough, but I didn’t know they were that bad for you.”
“Neither did I. Not until Nora made me realize.”
“You should have come to me. Talked to me.”
I shake my head. “I couldn’t. I didn’t have the words back then.”
“But you’re better now?”
“I’m getting there. And I have my little lady to thank for that.”
“Well, I never saw that coming,” he chuckles. “So, you said it’s serious?”
“I’ve never wanted anything more than I want her. I’m falling for her hard.”
“Does Pete know?”
I grin like an idiot. “Yeah, he knows. We had a man-to-man conversation about it not long ago. It was short, but I could read between the lines of what he was saying. “He’s happy for us.”
“So, there’s just Asher who needs to find out.”
“It’s not going to go well,” I sigh, pushing my toes deeper into the cool sand.
“I take it he’s the one you were talking about—the one who told you not to say anything about the real reason he headed out.”
I look at him. “You know, too?”
“Not at first. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Jackson, too, has mentioned that he’s not himself out there.”
“Running away from your problems isn’t the right thing to do.”
“But how do you know what the right thing to do is if you’re so head deep in your own thoughts and problems? You of all people should understand that.”
He has a point. I hadn’t realized I was a mess until Nora pulled me out of the hole I’d been swallowed by. “I guess you’re right.”
“I tried everything to keep him in Virginia, but you know Asher: when he’s on a mission of any kind—”
“He thinks with his guns and not his head.” I sigh. “Meanwhile, I’m having to lie to Nora when she asks when he’s home and goes to bed every night wondering if her dad will have another seizure or stroke and how bad it will be if he does.”
“So tell her. If she means that much to you, then tell her.”
“I can’t. Look at her.” I look down at the water. The beam on her face is brighter than the sun. As Wade pushes Pete toward her in a game of cat and mouse, her laughter bursts free as she tries to get away, right before turning to flick water back at them both. I can’t take these precious moments from her. I can’t have her knowing that she is in this on her own until Asher comes back because he’s decided to take the cowards way out and leave her to deal with Pete’s illness on her own. I can’t take that happiness from her.
“She was so scared of Pete coming home, and she hides her anxieties by putting on this brave face, filling her days with fun activities for her and Pete while she’s home for the summer. How can I tell her Asher couldn’t cope with watching his father, so he ran for the hills? It’s killing me lying to her, Mark, but each time I want to tell her the truth, I hear her laugh or see her smile.” I pause. “Although, regardless of what I do or don’t tell her about him, Asher’s still going to kill me when he finds out I’m sleeping with his sister.”
“So, in that case, go with your gut.” He grips my shoulder in a tight squeeze. “It’s not going to be easy when he finds out, but whatever happens, I’m right beside you. You may feel like you have no family now, Gray. But you’ll always have a brother in me.”
His words unexpectedly hit home, causing a lump to form in the back of my throat. Not wanting to lose control of my emotions, I sniff and say, “Have I ever told you that marriage has turned you into a pussy?”
He laughs. “And have I ever told you that you’re a cocky fucker.”
“Are you two coming back with us for dinner?” Fiona asks as she packs away the beach towels when I return from my truck having put mine and Nora’s things in there. We’ve been at the beach longer than we’d all anticipated, and now Pete looks exhausted. As much as I would like to go back and spend time with them all, I’m wanting to have some time with Nora alone.
“I was planning on taking Nora to get some food.”
“You were?” She turns to me, confusion on her face as she brushes the sand from the backs of her thighs, her skin now more golden than this morning after a day in the summer sun.
“I was, but we don’t have to if you want to go home.”
She glances over at Pete, and I can see in her eyes that she’s torn. It’s the last thing I want.
“Charlie and I can help out if you guys want to head off some place?” Mark says, casting a glance at me.
“Thanks, Mark, but there’s really no need,” Fiona says. “Nora you go, honey. Wade is here to help.”
I look back at her,
but I want to do what makes Nora happy. “It’s your call, Shortcake. I’m happy if you want to be at home.”
“No. No it’s fine. Like Mom says, she has Wade to help her out with Pop anyway. Where are we going to eat?”
I step closer, lowering my voice as desire runs through me. “We’re not. I want to take you over to Lynnhaven pier.”
“Why?”
“You’ve teased me enough all day in this bikini. Now I’m taking you there so I can push you against the pier and fuck you in the water.”
“Oh.” Her eyes turn liquid as a flush colors her cheeks.
Fuck I can’t wait to kiss her.
“Any objections, little lady?”
“Hell no. Dinner sounds perfect,” she grins, moving past me to head over to her dad, but not before brushing herself against me and causing my dick to twitch.
Once packed up, we say our goodbyes and I make my way over to Pete. Gripping his hand as he reaches out to me, I bend my knees to give him eye contact. “Catch you later, old man. Hope you’ve had a good day.”
“B-best. D...” He can’t even finish his sentence because he’s so tired, and it causes me to smile.
“It’s not often I see you speechless.”
“Ass.”
I laugh, kissing him on the head. “Go home and rest. I’ll take care of Nora.”
He responds with just a nod before his eyes finally drift close and Wade covers him with a blanket.
“He’s out of it.”
“That’s what meds, sea air and a hyperactive daughter does to you.”
“Heard that, asshole,” Nora says to Wade, coming back to kiss Pete on the head. “You boys wouldn’t want me any other way.”
“Quieter would be good,” Wade quips.
She gasps, throwing a towel at him. “A little harsh.”
“But necessary.”
I chuckle. “When you two have finished. Are you ready, Shortcake?”
“Starving.”
The wicked look in her eyes sends all the right signals to my pelvis. The need to get her on my own so I can devour her mouth and body is immense.
When we are finally alone, I waste no time in gripping the back of her neck and pulling her against me, crashing my mouth to hers and kissing the absolute shit out of her. It’s fast, it’s hungry and it drives me fucking wild with the moans that seep from the back of her throat.
“Oh wow. That kiss tells me you’ve missed me,” she pants.
“That kiss was just the start.”
“And as eager as I am. There’re still people around.”
“Has the heat got to you that much that you forgot I kissed you this morning?”
“No, but that was a little different to what you apparently have planned.”
I trail my hands down her hot-toffee hair. “You getting all chicken shit on me?”
She pulls away, and that devilish look is back on her face. “No. I just hope you know what you’re letting yourself in for. Indecent exposure is not a good thing to have against our names.”
“But the sun is setting soon and there are not that many people in the water. We won’t get caught if we’re under the pier.”
“Maybe.” Lifting her hands behind her neck, she unties the straps of her bikini top for it to fall down and expose her breasts. “Maybe not.”
Before I have a chance to say or do anything, a wicked grin flashes across her face and she shouts, ‘Catch me,’ before she bolts, heading toward the pier with her arms flying high and her laughter once again filling the air.
“Fuck me,” I laugh to myself, letting her have her fun and freedom before I sprint on the sand to catch up. The closer I get to her, the further toward the water she runs, her hair and the straps to her swimsuit riding the wind behind her.
She screams when I grab her by the waist, a deep belly laugh that hits my ears as I lift her, spinning her around for her to wrap her legs around my waist.
“Have I ever told you that you’re a fucking tease.”
“Many times, but I fear you enjoy it, Mr. Bennett, and you keep letting me get away with it without punishment.”
Taking a few steps out so the water hits my waist, I turn and head to the pier. Her eyes are now locked on mine like she’s missed staring at them all day.
“Maybe I need to change that.”
“Oh really, and what would your retribution be? You can’t say no sex because your dick is currently expressing himself very well down there.”
“Guess I’ll just have to fuck you harder while I think of something.”
“I already like the sound of that.”
She gasps when her back hits the wooden pillar of the pier, that little pulse in the dip of her neck now racing as the water flaps around us. Her blue eyes burn into mine; her hard nipples tease my chest as her lips part when I grind my erection against her. Lifting my hand from the water, I trace my fingertips over her lips before descending down her throat and between her breasts, our breaths bouncing off each other, our lips almost touching.
“I don’t think you realize just how insatiable I truly am when it comes to you.”
“Then show me.”
As I kiss my way down her throat, her back arches and her fingers twist tighter in my hair, sending delicious shivers down my spine. I take her nipple in my mouth, scraping my teeth against her taut bud before I swirl my tongue over to stop the sting, moving to the other and doing the same.
When I slip my hand between her thighs and shift her bikini aside, I waste no time in pushing two fingers inside her.
“Yes. Fuck me.”
Her moan causes me to laugh against her skin. “That’s right, baby. You let them know what I’m doing to you.”
“There’s no one around. We are too far for them to hear,” she breathes. “And my moans are only for you, remember.”
I press down on her clit and rotate my finger, teasingly slow. Her hips buck into me and her head falls forward as she grips my jaw. “I need you.”
When our lips connect, she takes full control. Her hungry mouth dominates mine, taking every last bit of me like she needs my breaths to survive. She whimpers into the kiss as she rocks against my fingers. “God, I love it when you kiss me like this.”
“I need you to fuck me.”
Loving her plea, I remove my fingers from inside her, shifting down the waistband of my shorts for my erection to spring free. I grip my aching cock, stroking myself as I hold Nora’s heated gaze. I want her, I’ve wanted her all fucking day, and it’s only now I realize I’ve got nothing with me in the form of protection.
Pulling me close, her ocean blue eyes speak volumes against the dusk when she holds my gaze. She doesn’t have to say anything because her understanding and acceptance have never been more powerful.
“Grayson. I want you inside me.” She kisses me gently. “Please. I need you.”
“I need you like I need air,” I admit. Positioning myself at her entrance, I take a moment to absorb her features: her eyes, the freckles across her nose from the sun, the locks of her wet hair that cling to the side of her face like ribbons… Everything.
“So beautiful.”
“Fuck me, Grayson. Hard.”
And I do.
When I push inside her and she gasps, it’s like it triggers the beast in me and I take her the way she is asking. The more she cries, the faster I thrust. The more she begs, the harder I push into her, hitting the spot that drives her wild as the water splashes around us and the sound of the ocean mixes with my groans. Gripping her ass in my hands, I fuck her relentlessly until her climax breaks around me and I’m filling her over and over. I cover her mouth with mine and kiss her like it’s my last chance to do so.
“The more I’m with you, the more you have me falling, Nora.”
“And I’m falling with you,” she breathes.
“This is nice,” she whispers, cuddling into me with her head resting against my chest as we lie on the bed of my truck in a parking lot, looking up at t
he night sky.
After we’d drawn ourselves from the water and had come back to shore, I’d driven us to Hot Tuna where I’d ran in and grabbed us a bite to eat, promising her I wouldn’t stop and do any form of work while I left her outside waiting. Driving around and away from all the chaos, I’d found a quiet spot for us to just watch the stars.
“Yeah. I could stay here with you forever.”
“I saw you in deep conversation with Mark earlier. Has he heard from Asher at all?"
I swallow, hating that I can answer her question, but I can't give her the whole truth. "No, he hasn’t."
"I thought he'd be home by now.”
"I'm sure he will be in good time. You know what he says about his job."
"Unpredictable. I know." She sighs. That quietness I know too well comes from her, and I can sense her mind has gone into spirals.
"What's on your mind, Shortcake?”
“What happens with us?" She lifts her chin to face me, anxiety clouding her eyes before her words come out in a rush. "When Asher finds out… I—I don’t want this to stop, Grayson. I can't bear the thought of losing you. I just...”
"Hey," I say softly, wrapping my arms around her and speaking with conviction. "This isn’t going to stop. And you're not going to lose me."
"You don't know that,” she whispers.
"I do. You're not going to lose me, Nora. I will fight with every last breath I have in me to keep you by my side." I cup her jaw, her eye’s now glassy. "You've made my heart feel whole again, Shortcake. You're everything to me. I promise you that."
“So swoony.” She smiles, coming up to kiss me. “I like it.”
I pull back and cock a brow at her. “So, I pour my heart out and all I get back is ‘so swoony’.”
“Uh huh.” She giggles.
I push her onto her back and cover her, pinning her arms above her head. Her infectious laugh begins to flow before I’ve even done anything. “Please don’t tickle me. I might pee myself.”
Her phone rings in her jacket pocket but she ignores it. “What makes you think I’m going to tickle you.”
“I know you too well. You have that look in your eye.”
