Another time, another man flashed through her mind. “At one time I wasn’t comfortable with this body,” she admitted. “But when I feel your hands all over me and the way you look at me, I like knowing I make you so—”
“Horny?” he finished as he palmed her breasts.
Evelyn laughed. “For lack of a better word.”
“There is no better word,” he informed her. “That pretty much sums up how I feel around you.”
“Then maybe you should cool off.”
She saw when he registered her words because his eyes widened and his smile flashed those damn dimples. But it was too late because she was already giving him a shove back, into the pool. He was so much bigger than her, but he’d been too preoccupied with her boobs to be on guard.
When he came to the surface, he motioned for her. “I think you need to come in and see if I’m cooled off yet.”
Evelyn picked up a foil packet and tossed it by the edge of the pool then dove right in. As she rose to the surface, she made sure she slithered all the way up his well-defined body.
God, where had this inner vixen come from? She loved that Vin was playful, that he’d openly expressed his emotions and love. How could she not just be herself around him? If he wasn’t hiding anything, then she shouldn’t either.
Except that. Yeah, she couldn’t tell him about Alan. Ever.
His arms slid around her waist and she’d barely taken a deep breath when his lips came down on hers. Vin naked against her body was amazing, but Vin naked and wet against her body was toe curling.
He tore his lips from hers and roamed down her neck, over her shoulder. Evelyn arched her back, silently showing him the path she wanted that talented mouth to travel.
And he didn’t disappoint. He tightened his hold around her waist as he pulled her toward the shallow end. When they regained their footing, Vin captured one wet nipple in his mouth as one of his hands traveled down her belly to the aching, throbbing spot between her legs.
Evelyn widened her stance and allowed him to continue his assault on her body, but she wanted more. She wanted to take charge, to show him she was just as emotionally invested in this as he was…except for the love part.
She didn’t know if she could ever fully love. Any vision of love she’d had, had long since turned ugly and been destroyed. When she was little she’d dreamed of falling in love, dreamed of having a family. Love was something she’d anticipated and fantasized about. But the ugly reality of what had happened to her had shattered any illusion she’d had for her future. Any little-girl dreams had died at the same moment her innocence had been lost.
But if she could love anyone, it would be Vincent Hawk.
She gripped his shoulders and eased him back. “Have a seat on the step.”
Without hesitation, he moved back a bit more until he was sitting on the step. Evelyn grabbed the condom from the edge of the pool and tore it open before joining him. She smiled as she rolled the condom down his length, then she straddled his lap. Poised above him, she kept the tip of his erection barely touching herself.
“You’re driving me crazy,” he told her, gripping her waist with his strong hands.
“Don’t act like you don’t love it,” she told him.
Vin quirked a brow. “Where has this vixen come from?”
Evelyn rubbed herself against him. “Are you complaining?”
“Hell no.”
“Maybe I realized what I’ve been missing all these years by only being your friend and I’m ready to take what I want.”
And she was, damn it. Her nightmare had ended at eighteen, she’d had years to move on, but Vin was technically her first. And she was staking her claim on getting control of the life she wanted, not the life her nightmares and fear controlled.
“Then take it,” he murmured as he thrust his hips, tightened his grip on her waist and filled her completely.
Evelyn cried out at the sensation that flooded her body. Gripping Vin’s shoulders, she froze.
“You feel so good,” she whispered. “I thought I’d imagined it when we were in Hawaii.”
His hands roamed up her back, then down. “You imagined nothing. It’s great between us because it’s meant to be, Evie. Don’t analyze it, don’t worry about it. Just be in the moment.”
He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her as his hips began to move. With her hands still on his shoulders, she used them as leverage to find just the right rhythm.
Water sloshed around them, the gentle breeze from the warm summer night kissed their naked skin.
Evelyn broke the kiss when she couldn’t handle all the sensations at once. She wrapped her arms around him, rested her forehead against his, rocked harder, faster.
Wave after wave of intense crests flooded through her. She clenched around him, her entire body tightening.
Vin’s body also tightened beneath hers as he groaned and took her mouth. Evelyn sighed against him as her tremors ceased. Vin kept himself still, but slowly, passionately slid his tongue into her mouth, then out, nipping at her lips.
He teased her mouth long after their bodies had calmed, long after the water had stilled around them.
“I will never be able to come to a cookout here again and not have a stupid grin on my face.”
Vin laughed. “Then everybody will know because I’ll be wearing the same grin.”
Evelyn eased off his lap and came to her feet. “I’m getting all pruny. And now that the sun is nearly down, I’m cold. What do you say we move the party inside?”
He stood and helped her out of the pool. “Damn, I forgot towels.”
“Convenient way to keep me naked,” she said dryly as she scooped her clothes off the chair. “But my teeth are starting to chatter, so I’m losing the sex appeal fast.”
He charged at her, lifted her with his shoulder and hoisted her up into a fireman’s lift. With a slight smack on her ass, he ran for the house. Evie clutched her clothes in her hand as she bounced against his back.
She returned the ass smack and laughed. “Put me down before you hurt yourself, you idiot.”
As soon as he entered the back door, the air-conditioning enveloped her and added goose bumps to her goose bumps.
“Damn, it’s cold,” he said as he continued through the house. “And I’m not going to hurt myself. Maybe you haven’t noticed I’m a bit bigger than you.”
Oh, she’d noticed. And actually, now that he was talking, she noticed he wasn’t even breathing hard from hauling her size twelve body through the house and up the stairs to his bedroom.
God, those muscles beneath her felt so good. Power in a man, when used the right way, was one of the sexiest things ever. And Vincent Hawk had power not just in his body, but in his mind, because he’d managed to slowly bring her around, comfort her and make her realize that she was worth more than she’d ever thought possible. She’d always wanted to believe in love, but with Vincent, she actually thought maybe, just maybe, she could fall in love with him without the fear and without her past interfering.
But was it fair to keep that part of her life from him? On the other hand, was it fair, after all this time, to reveal the name of the man who’d raped her and stolen her innocence at sixteen?
No, right now she just couldn’t. Eventually, maybe. But not now.
Vin dumped Evelyn onto his bed, causing her to bounce.
“We’re soaking wet,” she squealed, trying to get off the comforter.
Vin moved over her and pushed her back down, coming to land on top of her. “It’ll dry. I want you again and I’m not a patient man.”
The way his weight held her to the mattress, the way his gaze bore into hers, made Evelyn shiver and the tremors had nothing to do with being cold.
“You must be patient,” she told him with a smirk. “You admitted you’ve wanted me for years.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know what I was missing,” he told her. “Now I do.”
Evelyn lifted her knees and accommod
ated him better between her thighs. He was already aroused, already at her entrance, so Evie locked her ankles behind his back and pulled her heels against him to drive him home.
“I’m a bit impatient too,” she admitted.
“Then don’t let me hold you back.”
Evelyn couldn’t believe how amazing she felt with Vin. How sexy he made her feel, how perfect her life seemed right at this very moment.
She refused to let anyone or anything determine her future or her happiness ever again.
Chapter Fourteen
Even though Vin had begged her to stay and work on the resort plans, Evelyn knew he wasn’t thinking only about business…especially since he’d told her their meetings would be conducted with a new dress code. Birthday suits.
She’d spent the night in his arms and she knew she needed some time to think and if she’d stayed, she certainly wouldn’t have been able to think, let alone conduct business.
As she pulled into her drive, she couldn’t erase the smile from her face. Yes, she’d had amazing sex with Vin, but it had been the easy way they’d come together, almost as if they were just meant to be.
And spending the night with him had been amazing. Waking next to him, making love again before she left, was beyond anything she’d ever expected.
But more than all of that, he loved her. She may not be ready for such feelings herself, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that knowing his feelings for her made her all giddy and warm.
Vin had never been anything but honest and she had always respected him for that.
Evelyn parked her car in the garage and went into her small cottage, circa nineteen forty. Even though her house was old, she wouldn’t trade it. She loved the character of older homes, the details in the woodwork, the arched doorways, the original hardwood floors she’d had refinished.
And since she was a designer, she’d completely redone the inside to make a cozy, intimate home. She wondered if Vin would like to spend the night here with her.
She laughed as she tossed her purse on the sofa. What was this? Some version of high school when she and her friends would go back and forth? Who was sleeping over at whose house?
Just as she started to head down the hallway to her room to change from yesterday’s clothes, her doorbell rang.
She glanced out the sidelight to see a car she recognized. A car she’d never wanted to see in her driveway.
With her shoulders back and her most boring face in place, she opened the door. “Alan. What are you doing here?”
He grinned. A grin Evelyn would bet had charmed the panties off many women. A grin that masked the evil that lurked beneath.
“I was in the neighborhood,” he told her. “Mind if I come in?”
In the neighborhood, her ass.
She moved to block the door as he started to move forward. “Actually, I do mind. What do you want?”
His grin fell as he studied her for a moment. “Is this how you’re always going to treat me? We had something once, Evie. Why are you so bitter toward me?”
He was joking. Had to be.
“We had something? What we had was a sick arrangement that started out when you wouldn’t take no for an answer,” she all but yelled. “What we had was years ago and I’m not revisiting any part of that hellish time of my life. Now, if you want to talk about your father’s party, fine. Call me. Otherwise, get the hell off my porch and don’t approach me again.”
He shoved a foot in the doorjamb before she could close the door. “We’re friends, Evie. Can’t I come in for just a few minutes?”
The man looked so harmless, so friendly. But Evelyn knew the evil that lurked inside. The evil that had ruled her life for nearly two years.
She stepped out onto her porch, closing the door behind her. “Whatever you have to say can be said out here, in the open.”
After a moment of studying her, he nodded and moved over to one of the two wooden rockers. Once he sat down, Evie remained standing, leaning against the porch rail. He hadn’t bothered her for years, but that didn’t mean she was stupid or naïve enough to bring him into her home when there was no one else around.
“If you’re here about the party—”
“No,” he cut her off, “I’m here about you and Vin.”
Her spine stiffened. “What about us? I don’t think our working relationship is any of your business.”
His eyes narrowed to slits at the same time one corner of his mouth kicked up. Yeah, he was evil and he was about to get uglier.
“I don’t give a shit about your working relationship,” he sneered. “I didn’t take you for a whore who goes through all her brother’s friends.”
Despite the humid summer afternoon, a chill crept over her. “Let me clarify. Any aspect of my life is none of your business. You can’t hurt me anymore, Alan. I’m not some vulnerable teenager who had a mild crush on you. I’m also not weak and you will never take advantage of me again. Mentally or physically.”
Alan gripped the arms of the chair. “You’re mine, Evie. Did you think that I’d forgotten how good we were together?”
Evelyn laughed. “You’re sick. You’d better get off this porch before I call the cops. Don’t think I won’t.”
In an instant he came to his feet, grabbed her shoulders and was nearly nose to nose with her. “Don’t threaten me. Do you know who I am? No one will believe you and with my father’s reelection coming up next year, you don’t want that bad press surrounding him, do you?”
As much as she wanted to wilt, Evelyn straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin. “You’ve held your father over me for years, so you better thank whatever devil you worship that I love Rick so much or you’d be behind bars for rape, you son of a bitch. Now get your damn hands off me.”
He squeezed hard enough to have her gritting her teeth to keep from calling out in pain, then he shoved her away. Evelyn gripped the rail to keep from toppling over backwards.
“You might want to keep clear of Vin,” Alan told her. “I’d hate for him to be an innocent bystander in all of this.”
Before Evelyn could say anything, he was stomping off her porch, getting back into his sporty car and squealing out of her driveway.
Once he was out of sight, Evelyn wrapped her arms around herself and cursed her weakness.
Had he just threatened Vin? Dear God, how far would that sick bastard go? Wasn’t it enough he’d hurt her for so long, did he truly believe she belonged to him?
She cursed her moment of weakness. Why hadn’t she given him a knee to his most prized possession? Why hadn’t she hit him, slapped him, anything to make him see she wasn’t going to be that same girl he once knew?
Even though she’d just left Vin’s house, she headed inside to pack a bag. There was no way she’d let Alan get near Vincent. Evelyn didn’t think he’d really hurt his friend, but she’d also never imagined him for a rapist when she was younger, either. Looks could be so deceiving and he had that handsome, rich politician’s son look down to a fine art.
Vin wouldn’t question her at all for coming back and staying. He’d begged her not to leave anyway, but she had to make sure he didn’t think this was her moving in with him.
Somehow, she had to keep an eye on him, keep control of her roller coaster of emotions and make sure Alan didn’t completely lose his mind and cause everything to blow up in her face. Because if the past came out, then not only would the rape come out, but so would the fact that she’d allowed it to go beyond that for so long, just to keep those she loved happy.
Vin drove to Dylan’s childhood home. The place was literally falling down after years of being neglected and abandoned. It was one of five houses on this little road and the other ones weren’t much better. Vin had a feeling Dylan would end up buying each house, now that he could afford to, and fixing them up to sell.
He pulled in behind Dylan’s black work truck and got out. As he circled the old home, he couldn’t help but see a young Evie running through
the yard, perhaps swinging on a tire swing or sitting on the porch steps giggling with her friends. He wanted to know more about her childhood, her past…the evil period that weighed so heavily on their relationship. He knew he would never get those defensive walls fully down until he knew the whole truth.
Did she think he’d love her less if she told him? Whatever it was, didn’t she know that he didn’t care? He’d loved her for so long, it just didn’t matter to him.
But she had to realize that for herself. She had to trust him enough to let him handle the truth. God help them both when he finally learned it, because he had a feeling, whatever it was, it could and probably would break his heart.
“Hey, man.”
Vin turned to see Dylan shirtless, sporting a tool belt low on his hips.
“Just thought I’d stop by to see if you needed any help.”
Dylan wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. “I’ll always take another hand. Aren’t you working today?”
“Evie is handling some calls and finalizing a few things. I’m leaving the interior in her capable hands.”
“Smart man,” Dylan laughed. “She tends to get grouchy when people try to tell her what to do.”
Not always, he thought as an image of her in bed flashed through his mind.
“I’m in the middle of tearing out the floor of the kitchen if you’ve just got a hard-on for boring grunt work.”
Vin shrugged. “I’m here to serve.”
“Come on in,” Dylan motioned toward the back porch. “I’ll show you around, but don’t expect much. And watch your step.”
Vin followed Dylan into the old Victorian-style house. The kitchen was fairly small, but the ceilings were high and it had one wall of windows in what he assumed would be the breakfast area.
The living room, dining room and foyer were all good-sized rooms and Vin listened as his friend boasted with pride about all the ideas and dreams he had for this house.
“So you’re going to live here, right?” Vin asked.
“Yeah. There’s no way I’ll let this house get away from me again.” Dylan moved to the narrow, curved steps. “I haven’t even started up here so it’s still pretty much a mess.”
Sins from Her Past (Scandalous) Page 12
