by Violet Paige
“It does sound perfect for you.” I tried to imagine Cole concentrating on blueprints and windmill specs instead of busted shower parts. “It had to be hard to put something on hold that you’re so interested in to take care of your grandfather. That couldn’t have been easy.”
Cole exhaled. “No, but I wouldn’t change it. He needed me. I can work on that program anytime.”
I edged closer to the table. “But will you? Are you going to finish it?”
“You have lots of questions tonight. What about you? What are you going to do with all of those accounting skills? What happens now?”
If he had asked me a week ago, my answer would have been the standard cookie cutter one I gave everybody about applying for jobs in business and waiting a year or two before entering the MBA program. Tonight, staring into Cole’s eyes under the string of lights made, all the realities of life back home fade into the farthest parts of my mind.
I couldn’t imagine anything other than spending my life with him and Grayson.
“I—uh—I haven’t sorted it out yet.” I dodged his doubtful stare.
“I guess that makes two of us.” He finished his sangria.
The mariachi music from the restaurant filtered onto the patio. It was soft and slow. Cole stood from the table and walked toward me with his hand extended.
“Dance with me?”
“But you don’t dance.”
“Your dress has convinced me to make an exception.” He winked, pulling me from my seat and spinning me into his arms.
I gasped as my body collided with his, and he pressed his hand into the small of my back. He had been holding out on me—he could dance. I searched his face for an explanation, but he laughed and spun me again before aligning his frame against mine.
We swayed to the distant music. With every second that passed, our dance form diminished until we were so tightly wrapped around each other that I could feel Cole’s heart beating against my cheek.
“Cole?”
“Mmm-hmm?” He held on a little tighter.
“Can we stay here like this and forget everything else on the other side of the border?” I wasn’t being completely silly. Maybe I could live in a border town.
“For now we can, darlin’. For now.”
I closed my eyes and bit back the words that were on my tongue. I wanted tomorrow to be the farthest place from us. As long as Cole held me, maybe the rest of the world would stop turning.
Twenty-Seven
Cole
“You ok over there? You’re awfully quiet and I’m usually the quiet one,” I prodded.
Kaitlyn squeezed my hand. “Yeah. I’m good.”
I ran my hand along the outer line of her thigh. “Good, because I have plans for you and that dress when we get home.”
“What about Lisa?” she asked. “Is she staying late?”
“Don’t worry. I told you I took care of everything. Tonight you’re mine.”
She bit her lip. I wanted to pull the truck over on the side of the road and take her in the backseat.
But I was a patient man.
I pulled into the parking lot and parked in front of Kaitlyn’s room. The TV flickered in the window on the other side of the parking lot. I had paid Lisa to stay the night with Grayson. I didn’t give a shit if she knew what I had planned.
I was nearby if Grayson needed anything.
I opened the door and led Kaitlyn inside. I locked the door.
“Tonight was amazing.” Her eyes lit up when I walked toward her.
“It was. And it’s about to get even better.”
“Oh yeah?” she teased.
I nodded. I pulled her hair as I tugged her lips against my mouth.
She moaned as my tongue slipped along hers. My hands ran under the black dress and cupped her ass. God, how I loved her ass. I loved her tits. I loved her hips.
I loved every part of her body.
Kaitlyn stepped out of my arms. I watched in awe as she pulled the dress over her head. I sat on the bed and threw my boots across the room and dumped my clothes on the floor.
“Come here,” I ordered her.
She took small steps and straddled me, her knees sinking into the mattress.
I hissed, feeling how wet she was through her panties. The fabric grazed my cock. I wanted to bury myself inside her all night. I wanted to root myself home. Claim her over and over.
Her lips burned mine with a wild kiss.
“Fuck, baby,” I growled.
Her hand moved between us as she slid the panties to the side. Her hips rocked forward.
“Kaitlyn,” I groaned, but there was no holding me back. I thrust inside her. My cock needed her pussy, like I needed air to breathe.
Her head rocked back as her tits pointed forward. I clutched her lower back, taking a tit in my mouth. I sucked until she whimpered.
“You feel good like this,” she whispered. “I hate condoms.”
She slid up and down my shaft, like a damn porn star.
“Fuck. I’m going to have to pull out.”
“Don’t.” She sank hard on me and I hissed. “You never asked, but I’m on birth control. I have an IUD. I want to feel you, Cole,” she begged.
I closed my eyes. She was also a fucking temptress. Nothing felt as good as this. Bare pussy squeezing my dick. It was fucking everything.
I was putting a lot of faith in her. I’d been lied to before. But I looked in Kaitlyn’s eyes. She didn’t have the eyes of a liar. I knew this girl. I knew her heart. I knew her soul. And damn it, I knew every precious curve of her body.
“Please. Fuck me like this. Please, Cole.” Her hips had taken on a primal rhythm. Her tits bounced in my face and I wasn’t going to stop.
I grabbed her and rolled her under me. I had to feel this. I had to feel her. I pulled out, ripping the panties in half to get to her pussy.
She moaned and looked in my eyes.
I drove into her with relentless strokes, burying myself so that my balls hit her ass.
“Oh God,” she cried.
“You want to be fucked like this?” I dared.
“God, yes. You feel so good.”
It was like a blinding darkness folded over us. I fucked her like I was taking my last breaths. I wanted to drown. I wanted nothing but this girl.
My lips met hers as I pounded into her and she started to tremble.
“Ohh.” Her nails dug into my back and I knew she was coming.
I pushed deep inside her as my release hit her walls. It flowed freely, filling her. Claiming her. Making Kaitlyn mine forever.
Twenty-Eight
Kaitlyn
Somewhere on the floor, my phone was ringing. I rolled to the side, searching for Cole, but he was already out of bed. I knew he had to leave last night to stay with Grayson. He wouldn’t want him to wake up without him there.
I swept my crumpled black dress to the side to reveal my phone.
“Hello?”
“Honey, you have not called me in three days or returned any of my voicemails. Your father and I were about to book tickets to come looking for you.” My mother’s voice on the other end of the phone was frantic.
“Hi. Sorry.”
“Hi? That’s it? What is going on with you, Kaitlyn?” She sounded irritated. “You have always been my responsible child, not the one I worry about. That job is reserved for your brother.”
“Mom, calm down.” I sat up and wrapped the sheet around my chest. I was about to tell her I’d been with Cole the entire time, but he and I hadn’t established the guidelines yet.
“Ok, well I feel much better now that you picked up your phone. I need to tell you some news.”
“What’s going on?” I ran my fingers through my hair.
“We got a call.”
“Ok.” I waited for details. “What kind of call?” I asked.
“Ryan’s coming home.”
“What?” I blinked. “That’s awesome. Oh my God. He’s ok, right? When?”
“Yes. Yes. He’s fine. He’ll be here in a few days. I don’t know how long he can stay. But you’ll want to be here.”
I nodded. “Of course I want to be there.”
And then I remembered where I was and what I’d be leaving. My stomach spun with nausea. Leaving was the last thing I wanted to do.
Would it ruin everything?
“I’m going to try to plan a party. Maybe invite some of Ryan’s friends. We could do a barbecue here at the house.”
“He’d like that.”
“I know you’re on vacation, but could you help me with the guest list? I don’t know all his friends. I’m going to call Cole later today.”
My belly lurched. “Cole?”
“It might be too much for him to fly up here, but he is Ryan’s best friend.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Let me take care of that one, Mom. And I’ll text you a list after I take a shower.”
She sighed. “Thank you. That’s a huge help.”
If I wasn’t spiraling I’d think it was funny I was starting a low-level party planning business on the side.
“We’ll see you in a few days, hon.”
“Bye, Mom.” I tossed my phone on the bed and slid under the covers.
We had to face this whether we wanted to or not. Ryan was coming home.
I stepped into the shower and let the water run through my hair. The trial size bottles of shampoo I bought were close to empty—just one more sign my vacation was almost over. My heart sank.
“Kaitlyn?” Cole called through the bathroom door.
“I’m in the shower.” God, I couldn’t tell him now.
He opened the door. “I’ve got to go buy some bags of ice. The ice machine went out last night and everything melted.”
“Can you fix it?”
“Not by the time everyone checks in, but the bags should hold them over until it’s running again. I’ll be back in a few.” He closed the door. “I’ve got Grayson with me.”
“Ok,” I called.
The door popped back open and Cole stuck his head in. “For the record, I would pin you up against that shower wall if I didn’t have to fix the ice machine.”
I giggled. “Bye.”
“Bye.” He winked before closing the door behind him.
T-minus seven hours and counting. I sipped my coffee in the office and skimmed the checklist I had made for today. I performed a test run on the card reader I purchased for my phone. Cole couldn’t keep using carbon paper to run credit cards. The keys were secure in the box on their heavy palm tree key chains. Sasha had printed extra flyers for the luau on the Wave Oasis’s copier when no one was looking. I wanted to make sure every guest had at least two copies so they could share with their friends. So much was hinging on the party tomorrow night.
“Package for Cole Thomas. Can you sign for it, miss?” A delivery driver stepped into the office.
“Sure. Where do I sign?”
He handed me the electronic keypad and pointed to the bottom square. I scribbled my name on the screen.
“Have a nice day.” He handed me a legal-size packet.
I flipped it over in my hands. The return label was from Texas State. Last night when I asked Cole what his future plans were he balked at the questions. As much as I wanted to steam the seal open, I placed the package on the corner of the desk.
Cole poked his head in the door. “I’m back with tons of ice. Anything going on?”
“Actually, you have a delivery.” I reached for the envelope and held it out to him.
“Cool.” He grabbed the mail from me and darted out the door. “I’ve gotta throw the ice in the cooler. Grayson’s going to try to help.” He rolled his eyes. Half the ice would probably end up on the sidewalk.
“But—” He was gone before I could ask about the contents of the mystery package.
I sat in the chair. After our guests arrived, I would ask him what Texas State had sent him and fill him in on Ryan’s homecoming, but for now, he had a broken icemaker to worry about.
I handed the young couple their palm tree key. “Enjoy your stay at the Dune Scape.”
“Oh, we will.” The boyfriend winked at his girlfriend, and she giggled.
“And don’t forget about the luau tomorrow night. It’s going to be the biggest party on the island.”
His hand clutched at her back pocket as they walked out of the office. They weren’t the first couple I had checked in today, but they were the last guests scheduled to arrive.
I collapsed in the chair. It was ten o’clock at night, and between running back and forth to the guest rooms, checking people in, and answering the phone about luau details, I hadn’t sat down once.
Cole had been on his feet all day too. Just as I had predicted, we didn’t see each other except in passing. The lights were out in room fourteen, the girls in room twenty thought they heard a mouse, and a toilet lever had broken in room eight. Cole was running nonstop. More than likely, this is how he would spend the rest of the month. Although, without someone in the office, I didn’t know how he was going to take care of the check-in and checkout part.
I turned off the lights and locked the office door behind me. I walked over the boardwalk and over the dunes. I liked this route to the small beach house.
The key gave way in the lock and I pushed the door open.
There was a light on in the kitchen counter. Cole wasn’t in the living room. I peeked in the bedroom we had set up for Grayson. He was sleeping, clutching a ragged bear to his chest. I pressed a kiss on his forehead.
I walked along the hallway.
“Cole?” I whispered his name again. “Cole?”
I stopped next to the bed when I heard his heavy snoring.
There he was, completely dressed, tool belt and all, fast asleep on our bed. So much for a night of romance and hot nakedness. I tiptoed to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and washed my face. I didn’t want to wake him by dragging out my bags, so I opted to take off my clothes and sleep in my underwear. He wouldn’t see them in his sleep, but he did like these pink ones.
I peeled the sheet back and slid into the space next to him. Instinctively, he pulled me in the crook of his arm and relaxed into his heavy breathing pattern. I smiled. I had a new addition to my mantra: Warm beaches. Sun in my face. Salt breeze in my hair. Wrapped in Cole’s arms.
Twenty-Nine
Cole
“Hey, sleepyhead.” I sat on the edge of the bed.
“Hey.” Kaitlyn rubbed her eyes.
“Did you climb in bed like that last night?” I removed the sheet from her tits and folded it just below her navel. She was wearing cute pink panties. My cock twitched.
I growled. She looked delicious.
“Mmm-hmm. Someone was snoring.”
“I guess I was worn out. Once I got Grayson down I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Sorry I left you like that.” I squeezed her breast, lingering over the softest part.
“Can I make it up to you?” I slipped my other hand under the sheet and tugged on her thigh, spreading her legs.
She tried to sit forward, but I pushed her back.
“No, I meant, really make it up to you.” My mouth descended to her stomach. “But you’ll have to be extra quiet now that we have a little boy watching cartoons, and I have about ten minutes before I have to go fix the dryer.”
I smiled devilishly, and then forced her other leg to the side. “You know these are my favorite.”
She nodded, watching my every move. “Did you lock the bedroom door?” she asked.
“I did. He has milk and his train show.”
I kissed along the rim of her panties, pulling them back to expose her slice of heaven.
I drew a long lick between her folds. Kaitlyn moaned.
“Be quiet,” I warned. My cock was hard. I liked this. Driving her crazy. Making her do what I wanted.
I peeled the panties down her legs and off her ankles.
“Show me how much
you want this,” I taunted.
She twisted her nipples in her hands. Her eyes, lusty and wild, landed on mine.
“Open up, baby,” I demanded.
She spread her legs and I growled.
Her clit glistened as I settled between her legs, licking and lapping. I thrust my tongue inside her velvet walls. She panted and squirmed. Her hips ground into my face, but I didn’t let up. I wanted her to come hard and fast. I didn’t have much time.
“Cole.” She was losing control.
I pressed my elbows into her thighs to keep her legs spread. I dipped in and out of her pussy. Drinking her in.
“Yeah, baby?”
“I. Can’t. Be. Quiet.”
I grinned, watching her come undone. I sucked hard on her clit as my fingers pumped in and out of her. Her juices flowed as her orgasm hit.
Her muffled cries filled my ears. Her body stilled and I sat back.
“Damn, girl.”
She giggled. “Are you sure you have to leave?” She pouted. “I want more.” Her eyes were on my cock.
She had no idea how much I wanted more.
“Later,” I promised.
Finding ways to be together was ultimately more complicated with Grayson around, but I just had to get creative. I had to remember to lock the doors. I had to make sure there was background noise.
And when I could, I needed to use sitters like Lisa.
Being a single dad didn’t mean I couldn’t have more Kaitlyn. There were more logistics to figure out.
“Baby, I’ll see you at the office. I’m taking Grayson with me. Lisa is coming over to pick him up for a few hours so we can get ready for the party.”
She smiled. “And then?” She climbed toward me like a sex panther.
“You know exactly what I’ll do then.” I hopped off the bed. I had to leave this bedroom or she’d trap me in the sheets the rest of the day.
“Promise?”
