by Cathryn Fox
Alyson’s head bobs back and forth between Tyler and me. “What?” she asks. “I sense a story.”
“Nothing,” I say.
“Nothing other than he’s afraid of heights and nearly broke his neck last time he climbed a ladder.”
“I am not afraid of heights. The ladder had a loose rung, and it broke.”
Beck guffaws. “Yeah, the rung probably broke from the vibrations of his knees, they were shaking so bad.” Everyone except me laughs as Beck stands and wobbles his knees.
“Sit, little brother. That is not at all true.”
“Yeah, it is,” he says.
“You want to take this outside?”
Beck laughs. “You’ve been working so hard, brother, I can probably take you down with one hand.”
“Oh, that reminds me, the permits for the U-Pick have finally come in. We can open as early as next week when the first crop is ready.”
“Dude, again,” Beck says. “All work and no play. You need to get out and have some fun.”
“What do you guys do for fun around here?” Alyson asks. “I’ve been so busy, I’ve barely looked up.”
Mom claps her hands. “Then it’s settled. Jay will take you to the Shore Club for their weekly Saturday night dance.”
“I don’t dance,” I grumble, but when Alyson’s eyes light with hope, my resolve caves. She has been working nonstop, and doesn’t everyone deserve a little fun every now and then? Surely to God, one night out with my friends isn’t going to change her mind and keep her here.
And I really shouldn’t be wishing it would.
I am so fucked.
“Go,” Mom says and waves us off. “The boys and I will do the dishes.”
Alyson pushes up from the table. “Thanks, Barbara, and when my house is livable again, I’m cooking for all you guys. I’m hoping to be back in tomorrow,” she says and my stomach clenches. Goddammit, I’ve gotten used to falling into bed with her every night and, more importantly, waking up with her every morning, and nothing good can come from that. Nothing good at all.
I stand and shake my head. How did I get roped into this dance again? I follow Alyson outside and turn to her. “You really want to go?”
“Your brother is right. You’ve been working too hard, burning the candle at both ends.” She gives me a little smirk, and I grin.
“You’re one to talk.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been helping me put out those fires every night, so I’m not complaining.”
I smack her ass. “Come on.”
We hurry inside my cabin, and thirty minutes later, I squeeze into a small parking spot at the club.
“This place is packed.”
I glance at her, and her eyes are wide with excitement. “You went out a lot back home?”
She nods. “Yeah, pretty much every weekend. I guess I was known to have a good time, never one to take anything seriously.” Her smile is twisted, a sadness beneath it when she says, “Always the life of the party, always one to have fun with.” She shakes her head, as if to clear it. “I guess I need to take myself seriously before anyone else does.”
My heart squeezes. She’s clearly been hurt, and for some reason, I want to hunt the guy down and beat the shit out of him. “From what I’ve seen, you take yourself very seriously, Alyson.”
She laughs, but it holds no humor. “Come on, Jay. What you’ve seen is me at my worst, so many times I’m too embarrassed to even count.”
I touch her hair, and when she turns to me, her mood changes. She inhales deeply, her gaze going to my mouth. “You’re trying, and that’s what counts.”
“Jay.”
“Yeah.”
“You can kiss me now.”
I chuckle, lean into her, and press my lips to hers. She tastes like honey and goodness and everything sweet. I should have kept my distance. I shouldn’t have bet against her. How the hell did I ever get into this situation with her? I am such a dumbass.
Her tongue slides into my mouth, and all the reasons I shouldn’t be doing this dissolve like honey in hot tea.
“Mmm,” she says but quickly pulls back when a car horn blares. I run the back of my finger over my lips, her taste still lingering there. “You don’t think anyone saw us, do you?”
“No.”
She frowns. “Do you think your mom and brothers know what we’ve been doing?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I think so and other times, like this, them pushing us together, I don’t know.”
“You think that’s what this is all about?”
“Yeah.” Then I remember Mom saying Alyson wasn’t right for me. “I don’t know. I just don’t want them getting the wrong idea only to end up getting hurt again.”
“Again?”
I swallow. “We should go.”
“Okay.” She opens her door and slides out, and I meet her at the front of the vehicle. We head inside and music from a local band drowns out our voices. “Colin is over there,” I say, my mouth near her ear as I point.
She nods, and I put my hand on her back to guide her to his table. This is one of our usual Saturday night hangouts in the summer, and I wave to a few of the fishing crew from Hooked—a multimillion-dollar seafood company with its home base in Lunenburg—that I’ve met over the years. I catch sight of Hooked’s CEO, Nate and his wife, Kira, and spot Sam saying something to make them all laugh. I’d introduce Alyson, but no doubt Sam would drag her to the dance floor. He’s a funny son of a bitch, but the thought of him dancing with Alyson doesn’t sit right with me.
Colin jumps up when he sees us. “What the hell? You haven’t been out in months.”
“Busy, you know that.”
Colin shakes his head at me. “Yeah, there’s a lot I know, but what I know right now is you need a beer.” He gestures for the waitress as Sara pulls Alyson into the seat next to her, and the women chat like they’re long-lost friends. Dammit if Alyson doesn’t need a friend. It sort of breaks my heart to think she’s going to go back to a place, to people, that doesn’t care for her. Soon enough, a few more of the guys join us, and Sara’s friends all pull up chairs to our table. I steal a glance at Alyson. I might not have wanted to come here, but I’m glad I did, for her. Jesus, it’s crazy how much I want to do for the girl who fits in here yet comes from a very different world.
I relax and soon begin to enjoy myself. We spend the night chatting and laughing, and for the first time in a long time, I just forget about work for a while. Alyson even managed to drag me to the dance floor a couple of times, although I don’t have her moves, and when I caught Sam checking her out, I gave him my best death glare. He simply laughed it off and produced his middle finger.
By the time the last song is played, I’m a hot, sticky mess from the humidity in the place. Alyson has a new light in her eyes and an even bigger smile on her face. I caught Colin’s eyes a few times, worry lingering there, but he didn’t bring up the bet, knowing it wasn’t the time or the place.
“Want to get out of here?” I ask Alyson, and she takes my arm and twirls herself around. I grin, sure she’s had one too many glasses of wine, but what the hell? She deserves a break. But honestly, I never thought I’d like being with her so much, always looking over my shoulder for her back on the farm, waiting to get a glimpse of her in her market, or to hear her voice, hear how happy she is to see me when we both finish for the night. I guide her outside and get her situated into the passenger seat, and she’s still singing away, off-key.
“Don’t quit your day job,” I tease, and she laughs.
“I’m no better at that than I am at singing.” She leans against the backrest. “Thank God for Cindy helping and help coming in for harvest.” I put my hand on her thigh and give it a squeeze. She turns and looks at me. “I had fun tonight. Thank you.”
“I had fun, too.” I back up and n
egotiate my truck onto the highway.
“I really like your family,” she says and gives a big sigh.
“They like you, too.”
“We never have big family dinner like you guys do. It’s really nice.”
Her smile is so sweet and vulnerable, my throat nearly closes over. “You and Sara seemed to hit it off.”
“I really like her.”
“You going to the wedding then?” I ask, but what I’m really asking is if she plans to be here that long. She frowns, like she knows exactly what I’m getting at.
“I don’t know,” she answers and turns to look out the passenger-side window, lost in her thoughts. We both go quiet for the remainder of the trip home, and when I pull into my driveway, I turn to her.
“I’ll get the animals settled for the night.” I gesture toward the cottage. “Why don’t you head inside?”
“No, I can help.”
“Not in those shoes.”
“How about I take them off, and then later, I’ll put them back on again?”
My cock instantly thickens. “How about you keep them on, and I’ll be back as fast as possible.”
She smiles. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Her sweet laughter fills the air as she climbs from the truck. “Don’t start without me.”
Once she’s safely inside, I make quick work of getting her animals into the barn. Only problem is, Sidney is nowhere to be found. What the hell? I walk the perimeter of the fence and come across an opening. I pull out my phone and turn on my flashlight. Someone busted the fence? Who the hell would bust her fence and let Sid roam freely? Goddammit. Unease creeps along my back and the hairs on my neck stand on end as I steal a glance around, searching the dark night. In the distance, I hear Sidney’s moo and follow the sound.
I find her in the orchard, and I ring the bell to get her to follow. “Who did this to you, girl?”
She turns and licks me, and I look around again as I wipe my face. If I didn’t know better, I’d think someone was playing with Alyson, but none of this is funny. I debate telling her. I don’t want her to worry, but her safety is important. Then again, no one is going to hurt her if I have anything to do with it. The possession and protectiveness I have for the woman is off the charts, and that worries me. I get Sidney inside safely and hurry back to my place.
The lights are dim, and I check on Capone to find him sleeping. I glance up at the bed in the loft and find it empty. My blood races, a measure of panic zinging through me, until I hear her voice in the bathroom. I hurry up the steps, and when running water reaches my ears, I inch the door open. The sight of her gorgeous body, silhouetted behind the steamy glass, instantly arouses me. Not that it takes much, and I’ve been semi-hard all night on the dance floor with her.
“Need a hand?” I ask, and she turns my way and opens the door.
“I’ve been waiting.”
A fierce need that jingles alarm bells in the back of my head rips through me, and I tear my clothes off. Once naked, I slide in beside her. The warmth of the water heats my blood, but it’s her openness, the way she reaches out to me, pulls me to her, offering her welcoming body that warms my soul, that ever so cunningly begins to chip away at the wall around my heart.
Don’t go falling for her, dude.
“What took so long?” she asks in a low, seductive whisper.
“Sidney gave me a hard time,” I say.
“Really? Well then, I hope you can handle me giving you a hard time, too,” she says, her voice low and soft as she touches my throbbing dick. “Hard being the key word here.”
“Oh, yeah,” I say and cup her neck, bring her mouth to mine. I taste sweet wine on her tongue as I kiss her, unable to get close enough. She strokes me a few times, and I position her under the spray. We soap each other up, and I remove the nozzle to rinse our bodies. I adjust the spray to a harder stream and center it between her thighs.
“Oh,” she says, and I chuckle. “I might have to upgrade my nozzle.”
I push my cock against her back. “You can use my nozzle anytime.”
Her chuckles fill me with warmth, and the ease I have with this woman, the way I want her, is downright insane. “I need to be inside you,” I say.
“Yes. I need that, too, Jay. Show me your moves.”
I replace the nozzle, take hold of her hips, and spin her around. Her gasp turns me on even more, and I take her hands, brace them against the wall. I stand back, and the mere sight of her steals my breath.
“Tonight, I’m leading,” I say, and her entire body quakes. I run my hands down her spine, until I reach her ass. I cup her cheeks and squeeze, and she moans in bliss. Sliding my hand around her, I touch her sex, press the heel of my palm to her cleft, and her cry fills the room. “Like that, do you?”
“Yes,” she murmurs, and the second I put my finger into her, she shatters all around me. Holy Jesus, I love the way she responds to my touch. In fact, I love a lot of things about this woman.
Careful, Jay.
“You were all ready for me,” I murmur as I press kisses to her back.
“I sort of got started without you.” Her chuckle is soft, sexy, not at all apologetic, and I love how she owns her sexuality. “I was a mess of need, and you were taking so long.”
I chuckle at that, and her body vibrates against my mouth.
“No worries, I’m already there, babe,” I say and cup her breasts, squeezing gently. I don’t want to let her go, can’t seem to take my hands from her body, but I need protection. “Condom,” I whisper. “Don’t move.”
“My legs are too shaky to move,” she says, and I chuckle. “I swear to you, Jay, if you leave and I face-plant in this tub, I’ll die of embarrassment, for real this time.”
“How about this then?” Offering her my strength and support, I turn her around and scoop her up. She yelps and wraps her arms around me. “I need to get a condom, but I’m not taking any chances on you hurting yourself.”
Her lids fall slowly and open again. This time, she’s looking at me differently. Her eyes are still full of passion and want, but there’s something else there, something so sweet and appreciative, it instantly creates a deeper intimacy between us and twists something inside me. My heart pounds faster, and I try for air, but taking my next breath is just a little bit more difficult than it was a moment ago.
What the hell is happening to me? A guttural moan crawls out of my throat as realization hits. My need for this beautiful, lost girl with something to prove isn’t just physical. I try to swallow down all the things I’m feeling, fight for self-control, but I can’t seem to do it. Maybe I don’t want to, and maybe I’m in a whole lot of trouble here.
I carry her to my bed and set her down. She sprawls out, and when I stand back to admire her, she whimpers and reaches for me.
“Come here,” she says, positioning herself in the middle. Brain and body both saturated with pleasure, I grab a condom from my nightstand and put it on. She widens her legs for me, and my damn heart thunders in my ears. I crawl onto the bed and topple on top of her, pinning her down, ready to claim every inch of her.
Her hands slide around me, and I jerk my hips forward to bury myself in her. “Fuck,” I groan.
“So good, Jay.” She lifts her hips to seat me inside even higher. I rake my teeth over her shoulder, nip at her sweet-scented skin, and as her sex muscles tighten around me, dragging my climax closer and closer to the finish line, she murmurs, “Take me.”
I move my hips. God, I need this. Her. Everything. With my thoughts a chaotic mess and her muscles pulling me in deeper, she wets her bottom lip, her eyes hot with fire as they meet mine. My cock pulses, and I pull out, only to slide back in again. Why is sex with her so good? She whimpers, runs her hands down my back, and every little quiver in her body zaps my balls.
“I’m not going to la
st,” I say and find her mouth, plunge my tongue inside. I pick up the pace, fuck her a little faster, a little harder, and she writhes beneath my ministrations. Her fingers flex, her nails dig, and her cries fill the room. “Yeah, babe,” I say, her hot releases soaking my dick and sizzling my balls. I drive home, hold still, and toss my head back, coming on a hard growl. I spurt into her and curse under my breath.
“Mr. Honey Buns.” The words come from downstairs, and I go still inside Alyson. She chuckles against my neck, and it strokes my cock as more words rise up from below. “Moves like Jagger.”
“What the hell?” I say.
Alyson unsuccessfully tries to stifle a laugh. “I think you woke Capone.”
I drop down on top of her, moistures sealing our bodies. I bury my face in her neck, horrified. “You taught him to say that? That’s what you’ve been secretly whispering to him all week?”
“Who, me?”
I groan. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is going to be if he says it in front of someone?”
“Horribly,” she says and chuckles.
“I can’t believe you did that.”
“It’s better than ‘Jay’s an asshole.’”
“Jay’s an asshole,” Capone says, and we both laugh.
She touches my face, and I glance down at her. “Are you mad?”
“No, I’m not mad. You’re just going to pay for that.”
“Ooh, can’t wait.” I kiss her mouth, a slow, simmering kiss that messes with my last working brain cell.
“Mmm,” she says and licks her lips when I pull away to dispose of the condom. I flop back down, pull her close. She snuggles in next to me, and as I come down from my high, my mind races, goes over some of the things she said to me earlier tonight. I trace my finger down her arm, and she murmurs as goose bumps form. I shouldn’t get any closer to this woman than I already am, but something had been bugging me all night, and I need to know.
Alyson?”
“Yeah.”
“Who was he?”
Chapter Fifteen
Alyson
I press my cheek to his chest and listen to the steady thump of his heart as we both come down from our orgasms. I’m not surprised by the question. Jay is a smart guy, one of the smartest guys I know. He put two and two together, and now this is where we are.
