by Cate Beauman
Why did she have to go and say that? Austin’s anger vanished as he stared at her, so sweet and pretty on the bed, so miserably unhappy. Layers of frustration still remained, some for her, but most for the sucky situation in general. He wanted to tell her about Jeremy, Donte, and the Zulas, but he didn’t dare. They were most definitely on Zulas turf. If Hailey said the wrong thing, gave the impression she knew anything about their operation, she would be dead before she took her next breath.
Austin sat next to her, resentful that he would have to swallow this round—again—instead of allowing the people who deserved it to take the fall. He skimmed his finger along her soft, naked shoulder, down her shoulder blade.
Hailey jerked away from his touch. Her back went from slouched to ramrod straight in a blink.
Austin sighed out a weary breath. “I don’t know why we keep ending up here, but I hate it.”
She stared ahead as tears dried on her cheeks.
If this was how it had to be, he would give her the only truth he could. “You—you scared me.”
Hailey slid him a glance, then stared straight ahead again.
“I didn’t know where you were. I didn’t even know where to start looking. I thought you’d been taken. I’ve never been so afraid.”
Hailey looked down into her lap and fidgeted with her fingers.
He moved closer, until arm touched arm, thigh brushed thigh, expecting Hailey to tense, to pull away, but she didn’t. “Tonight helped me realize something I hadn’t fully grasped.” Taking another chance, he slid his knuckles over the satiny skin of her cheek. Hailey closed her eyes, leaned against his hand as a tear trailed down her cheek. Austin caught it with his thumb. “Please don’t cry,” he said softly, wrapping his arm around her.
A slice of pain radiated from his wound, but he ignored it. “Please don’t cry,” he repeated as he pulled her against his chest, cradling her close. “Nothing destroys me the way you do, Hailey.” He kissed the top of her head. “Nobody makes me feel the way you do. When I couldn’t find you… I never felt so helpless in my life.” He eased away until she looked at him. “When we first—“
“Your jaw,” Hailey interrupted, frowning as she touched her fingers to his bruise.
“It’s fine.” He took her hand, held it in his. “Let me get this out. When we first got to the island, no—“ he shook his head, correcting himself “—long before that, I knew I wanted you, but I didn’t see the point. We’re so different. Then we had this week to ourselves, this opportunity to be alone, and I wanted to be with you in a way I didn’t think I had a right to be.”
“What—“
“Let me say what I need to.” He took her face in his hands. “I need to tell you this.”
“Okay.”
“I figured we would have some fun, enjoy each other’s company, and when the week was up, well, the week would be up.”
Hurt flashed in Hailey’s eyes as she tried to draw away.
“No, wait.” He held her still. “Why can’t I get this right? I’m trying to tell you that somewhere along the line that changed. I don’t want what we have to be over on Saturday at checkout. I want to see where this can go, see what we can make of it because, Hailey, when I thought I might never find you, when I thought I might never get you back, I realized I love you. I can’t say when it happened. Maybe when we were riding horses or when you told me your story or maybe when I held you close and watched you sleep that first night.” He shook his head. “In the end, it doesn’t matter, but I wanted you to know; I needed you to know because I read your text to Sarah. You told her I was everything you never thought you could have, and I’m telling you, you’re everything I never knew I wanted, but I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her lip wobbled; her eyes filled. Before he took his next breath, he had his arms full of Hailey. “Austin.” She hugged him hard. “I love you too. I think I loved you the first time I laid eyes on you at Ethan’s company barbeque all those years ago. I still remember. I was holding Kylee. She was so little then. I turned and there you were—all big and handsome—and I had to sit down.” She laughed, drew back, and planted a kiss on his lips. Hailey’s smile faded as she stared into his eyes, playing her fingers through his hair. “I love you, Austin. I’m so glad I can finally say it out loud.”
He wanted her. Austin pulled her close, kissed her gently, slowly. As the kiss drew out and deepened, Hailey’s hands wandered from his wrists to his forearms and up. He hissed out a breath, pulling back when her fingers connected with his tender wound.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Hailey gasped as she stared at her bloodied hand. “Austin, you’re bleeding.” She yanked his bloody sleeve up. “Oh my gosh, Austin, what happened to you?”
“I got a little banged up when I was out.” He stood and made his way to the bathroom for another wad of toilet paper.
“That’s more than a little banged up.” She followed, concern ringing in her voice. “You need stitches.”
“No. No stitches.”
“Don’t be silly. You need medical attention. Let me call for a cab.” She turned, heading for the phone.
“No, Hailey. Stop.” He winced at his terse command.
She turned, stared at him.
“Sorry. I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
“Why?”
What the hell was he supposed to tell her? He shrugged. “The medical care around here isn’t exactly first class. I would rather treat this myself. Maybe we can scrounge up a few band-aids from the little store they have in the hotel.”
“You’re going to get an infection.”
“Hopefully they have peroxide too. Will you help me?”
She huffed out a long sigh. “I really think you need a doctor, but since I can see your point, I’ll call up to the front desk and ask if they have what we need.”
He yanked a long train of toilet paper from the role, dabbed at the blood running down his arm. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet. If they have peroxide, I’m using it generously.” She turned away and went to the phone.
Minutes later, there was a sharp knock. Austin rushed from the bathroom as Hailey opened the door. A man in employee dress smiled. “Your medical supplies, Ms. Roberts.”
“Thank you very much.” She took the white plastic bag he handed her before she signed off for the supplies and a tip. “Thank you again. I really appreciate this.”
“You are welcome, Ms. Roberts. Have a nice night.”
She closed the door and turned to Austin, holding up the bag. “Go sit down on the toilet.”
Austin took his seat as she peeked in the bag. “Oh, good. They had everything we’ll need.” Hailey set a small box of butterfly stitches on the counter, followed by a baggie of cotton balls, gauze, and next, the dreaded peroxide. “All right, let’s get you taken care of.”
He pulled up his sleeve.
“No, just take your shirt off. It’ll make this easier.”
He didn’t want to take off his shirt. He remembered what his other shoulder looked like—and his stomach. Hailey was going to freak.
“Come on, Austin. I want to get you cleaned up. Shirt off.”
“Aren’t you bossy.” He was stalling.
“Just concerned.” She stood hipshot, arms crossed, waiting.
With an inward sigh, he eased his top up and off. Before the shirt was over his head, Hailey gasped and dropped to her knees.
“Austin. Austin, what in God’s name happened to you?” Her fingers feathered over the purple welts. “Look at your stomach. Oh, and your shoulder. Your jaw. Were you in a fight?”
He resolved to give her the truth, or mostly, as she stared at him, brows furrowed, eyes full of concern. “I got jumped when I went to meet the landlord.”
“Why
didn’t you tell me?”
“There’s not a whole lot you can do for bruises.”
She examined his shoulder closely. “Still, you should’ve told me. This happened at the apartment?”
“Yeah.”
“Did the landlord help you?”
“He never showed up.”
“I thought you had a meeting.”
He shrugged. “So did I.”
“One person did all this?” Her eyes moved over his injuries again.
Austin’s brow winged up, his ego suffering. “Do I look like a weenie?”
“How can you joke right now? How many were there?”
He shrugged again. “A few guys.”
“A few… Oh, Austin.” She took his hand, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to his knuckles.
“Hey, I’m fine.” He cupped her chin, meeting her gaze, touched by the depth of her concern. “Help fix me up. We have a movie marathon to get to.”
She gave him a small smile, nodded, and stood again, all business. “We need to get you cleaned up and iced down. Rest your elbow on the counter.” She tipped the antiseptic bottle, soaking a cotton ball. “Hold your breath.”
God, he wasn’t looking forward to this. If soap hurt… “Holy fuck, Hailey.” Bunching his fists, he blew out puffs of breath between his teeth as the cotton ball made contact with the gouge in his arm. “That hurts.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’m almost finished.” She dabbed at the wound again, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the torture to be over.
“Okay, there.”
He opened his eyes as she threw the blood-soaked cotton away.
“Let me bandage you up, then you should be good.” Hailey pulled three butterfly stitches from the box. A small line formed between her brows as she concentrated, applying each bandage gently, with competence. She set the last strip in place, pulling slightly before she attached the top piece to his skin. “Okay, I think you’re all set.”
He took her hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to wrap gauze around your arm before we go to sleep. I don’t want to undo everything we just did.” She pulled him to his feet and they wandered to the bedroom.
“Lay down. I’ll get you some ice for your shoulder and stomach.”
“Hailey, I’m fine.”
“Let me take care of you.” She hugged him. “I want to take care of you, Austin. I need to.”
He kissed her forehead before he let her go and lay on the bed. Hailey walked to the small fridge and pulled the ice catcher from the top section. She went to the bathroom, came back with two Ziploc bags.
“Where’d you get those?”
She smiled. “I put my shampoo and other stuff in them, just in case they exploded on the plane.”
“Resourceful.”
“Absolutely.” She filled the bags, put more ice in a bucket, then crawled on the bed beside him. She traced her fingers over the bloom of bruises on his shoulder. “This doesn’t look like it came from a fist.”
“It didn’t.”
“How then?”
He hesitated as he pushed the hair back from her forehead. “A two-by-four.”
She closed her eyes. “Oh, Austin.”
“Hey, I’m a little sore, but I’m fine. They’re in much worse shape than I am. Promise.”
“I hate that I was out on the yacht, enjoying a nice meal, while you were in danger. I hate it, Austin.”
He took her hand and played with her fingers. “Even if you’d stayed in your room, this still would’ve happened. Nothing could’ve changed it.” He dragged her down, nestling her into the crook of his arm. “You’re here with me now, taking care of me. We’re together, Hailey. That’s all that matters.”
She sat up on her elbow and rested the ice against his shoulder. “Look at your stomach.” Her voice dripped with anguish as she traced the four squared welts with her icy fingers. The heat of her lips replaced the cold as she kissed each wound gently. She sat up, her eyes locking with his.
His hand wandered to her hair, releasing the clip holding her up-do in place, sending tresses of light brown hair tumbling over her shoulders. He sat up as he curled a streak of gold around his finger, tugging until she moved forward, until her mouth was inches from his. He didn’t want to think about his injuries. Hailey was here. Safe. She was all he wanted. “I love you.” He kissed her temples, her nose, her chin.
“I love you too,” she murmured.
“Let me show you how much.” He eased forward again, capturing Hailey’s mouth. His tongue sought hers as he massaged his fingers over the nape of her neck. As the kiss heated, he grabbed her around the waist, settling her in his lap.
Hailey wrapped her legs around him, humming her pleasure as he pressed his lips against the pulse pounding in her neck, then moved them across the smooth skin of her shoulders.
Hailey’s fingers trailed through his hair as her teeth nipped at his chin, at his ear, sending goose bumps over his skin. Something was different this time. She was different.
He took Hailey’s face in his hands, staring into her eyes, studying, and fought back a groan. Passion glazed her eyes. The shyness he typically had to coax away was absent. This is what he’d been waiting for. Hailey was with him, lost already, free of her inhibitions.
He slid her top down, traced the small swells through her bra before he unclasped the front hook, sending her breasts into his palms. She pressed her hands against his, snagging her lip between her teeth as she moaned, smiling.
He kissed her again, his mouth heating hers, thinking he might go mad. Hooking his arm around Hailey’s waist, Austin got to his knees and laid her down. As her head rested on the pillow, he swept his tongue against the soft skin of her breasts, circled, tracing her aroused nipples.
Arching, she purred, skimming her palms along his waist, into his shorts, grabbing his butt. Her fingers trailed around, caressing, teasing before they took hold and began to move. He sucked in a sharp gasp, blew it out in a rush through his teeth. “God, Hailey, you’re making me crazy.”
She smiled again. “I want to make you crazy.”
“Show me. Show me what I do to you.”
She sat up, pushed him back. Her tongue circled and stroked him before her hot mouth set a rhythm that had his hands fisting in the sheets, then her soft hair. He groaned as she brought him to the edge.
“Not yet.” He pulled her up, the reins on his control snapping. “Not yet, Hailey. He sat her on his stomach, too aroused to feel pain against his bruises, yanked her sundress over her head, ripped her panties at the seam. He gripped her hips and jerked her to him, smothering himself in her heat—licking, plundering, until her thighs trembled, her stomach quivered, until she tensed, arching back, and cried out for him as she came.
“Cum again.”
“I can’t…” she gasped as he plundered. Her arms wrapped around his knees, her nails clawing into his skin as she erupted, rocking wildly. When she sagged back, he scooted her until she sat in his lap.
He pushed himself up, brushed her sweat soaked hair from her forehead. “We’re not done yet.” He took her mouth. “I’m not finished with you.”
“I’m ready. I’m ready,” she panted against his mouth. “Right now, Austin.”
Their skin slipped and slid from the heat they’d brought each other. He grabbed a cube of ice from the bucket, traced Hailey’s lips, trailed the melting piece over her chin, down her neck, her breasts, circling her nipples, making her gasp.
Cold dripped from his fingers as his mouth followed the journey the cube had just taken. He leaned her back, suckling, tasting salt and Hailey, until she begged on desperate moans.
“Please, Austin. Please.” She rocked, her center rubbing against him.
> Grabbing her ass, clutching, he lifted her, sitting her on him. He let out a staggered grunt as her wet warmth closed around him.
She stared into his eyes and all urgency was lost. Moving slow, torturously slow, Hailey wrapped her arms around him, resting her hands on his shoulders. He snagged her top lip with his teeth, kissed her deep as her body tensed. Her breath shuddered as she climbed, as he climbed with her.
Taking her face in his hands, Austin’s thumbs brushed against her skin. “I love you, Hailey,” he panted.
She moved her hands to his wrists, tensing as her breath rushed out on shuddering sobs. He felt Hailey clutch around him, felt her rhythmic waves pull him to the stunning brink and over. Her eyes held his as they came together.
Chapter 18
AUSTIN LAY SPRAWLED IN THE back of the cab. He held Hailey close, his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin nestled on top of her head.
“I can’t believe vacation’s over,” Hailey sighed. “The weather’s perfect and vacation’s over.”
“Yup, back to the real world.” But the real world was better than it had been a week before. The scent of Hailey’s shampoo crowded Austin’s nose; her body lay nestled against his. This was just what he wanted.
She glanced at her watch. “They should be here in about fifteen minutes.”
“Hopefully they’ll be on time. I wanna get everyone settled at the new location and go over the rules.”
She looked up. “Someone’s a party pooper.”
“I’m not a party pooper.” He smiled and twisted her nose. “There’re twelve of you and two of us. Ethan set us up in much better digs, but Jackson and I are still responsible for everyone’s safety.” Now for the part Austin had been avoiding. “Hailey, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
