by B. B. Roman
“You amaze me.”
“Here I was thinking I was the one being amazed by you,” she said lightly.
“After everything I put you through, to know that you trust me... It humbles me, Lucie,” he said, his voice sounding somewhat sad.
“I’ve never had an issue with trust where you’re concerned. I know you would never hurt me,” she answered, using her hand to swirl circles in the mounds of bubbles across her chest.
“But I did.”
Lucie abruptly turned, but Kane easily stopped her, pulling her back against his chest and pressing his lips on the back of her head.
“You didn’t hurt me, Kane.”
She could understand why he would think that because she had done the unthinkable, hiding her pregnancy from him and never telling him he was Haley’s father. But it never was about trust. She knew that no matter how many times she tried to explain that to him, he wasn’t going to accept it.
“I’ve dreamt about you,” Kane began, his voice low, his hands firm across her abdomen. “After what you told me this morning, I realized they weren’t dreams. They were memories, although they always seemed just a little out of reach. I never could completely see what happened, but now I know. I wish it could’ve been different between us that night.”
Lucie didn’t respond, unsure what even to say to that. There were so many times that she had wished the same thing. Not about the events of the night because, if she were honest, she didn’t want to change the way that it happened. She just wished he had remembered so she didn’t have to spend the next five years wondering why it hadn’t been good enough for him to remember.
“That had been a really dark time for me,” Kane explained. “I’m not sure why that year was harder on me than the others, but I had a difficult time dealing with the anniversary of my brother’s death.”
Lucie didn’t move a muscle. Hell, she wasn’t even sure she was breathing. Her heart cracked wide open from the sadness she heard in his tone. She waited patiently for him to continue, trying not to disrupt whatever it was that caused him to open up to her. She had no idea Kane even had a brother, much less that he had died.
“It would’ve been his twenty-first birthday that year and drowning myself in alcohol had been the only way I knew to deal with the overwhelming loss that I felt.”
Lucie thought back to that night and the days preceding it. Kane had been indulging quite a bit more than he normally did from what she remembered. In fact, these days, she rarely saw him drink anything more than a beer. She hadn’t thought anything of it.
“How did he die?” she asked, immediately wishing she had kept her mouth shut. Kane didn’t move, nor did he answer her for several seconds, or maybe it was minutes. Lucie wasn’t sure, but she didn’t breathe during that time.
“Drunk driver.” Those two words broke through the otherwise silent bathroom, aside from the gentle hum of the motor from the tub jets.
“Oh, Kane,” Lucie’s heart leapt into her throat, “I’m so sorry.”
“He was the drunk driver,” Kane stated firmly, his tone no longer sad.
Lucie detected the underlying anger mingling with the agony she imagined he felt. “He was only sixteen years old, for chrissakes! He was so damn smart; it still boggles my mind why he would do something so stupid.”
Lucie couldn’t help but think back to that night when she had driven Kane home from the club. Had she not intervened, she knew he would’ve gotten behind the wheel drunk. She didn’t want to think about what might’ve happened if she hadn’t been there to stop him.
“Thankfully no one else was hurt. He wrapped his car around a tree. They said he was killed instantly and that his blood alcohol level was more than triple the legal limit.”
Lucie’s heart went out to Kane and his mother for what they had to go through. She was saddened by the fact that Haley would never get to meet her uncle. Kane’s loss explained so much about that night and the way he had treated her. Still, she didn’t see it the same way that he did. He hadn’t hurt her, and never once had she thought he would.
“I love you, Kane,” Lucie said quietly after several long silent minutes. She hadn’t expected to say the words aloud, although her heart was consumed with the love she felt for him.
Kane still didn’t move, but she was almost positive she felt his hands tighten against her stomach.
Maybe it was too soon for her to say the words, but she couldn’t take them back now. She didn’t want to. Even if he didn’t feel the same for her, Lucie needed him to know just what he meant to her. After Haley had surprised them both by calling him daddy earlier in the evening, she was pretty sure he was overwhelmed enough already. Thinking about his brother probably didn’t help either.
At least that’s what she was going to tell herself. There was no way she could accept that he didn’t feel the same for her. Not until she got home where she would be able to fall apart without him looking on.
Chapter Eleven
*** ~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***
The next few days flew by without incident. Kane, Haley, and Lucie spent their days down at the beach, soaking up the sun. He even managed to coax Haley into the water a time or two, although it was obvious his daughter wasn’t a water lover like he was. The highlight of the week though had been the whale watching tour. He wasn’t sure who had been more excited, Haley or Lucie.
They were on their last full day of their vacation and Kane had a surprise for Lucie. Any minute now, his mother was going to arrive to spend the day with her granddaughter, which meant he had the opportunity to spend some alone time with Lucie.
After the first night they were there, Kane had been on emotional overload. Between Haley calling him daddy, which she continued to do every time she spoke to him, making him beam with pride without even knowing it, and Lucie telling him she loved him, Kane was beside himself. Overwhelmed with so much love for these two girls he had come to claim as his own.
Only he hadn’t told Lucie that he loved her. He’d been too shocked to speak, never expecting to hear her say the words. She hadn’t said anything since, and he knew that was because he had so easily ignored the situation, trying selfishly to come to terms with how he could explain his feelings for her.
Today he was going to have the chance. There was no way he was going to let another day go by without showing Lucie exactly how much she meant to him.
The gentle knock on the condo door had both Haley and Lucie turning abruptly to look at him. He smiled and moved over to the door. A quick glance through the security hole told him it was, in fact, his mother.
After a quick hello, Susanna Steele moved into the living area, followed by a little girl squeal as Haley recognized who had come to see her.
“Grammy!” Haley yelled as she ran across the room, right into his mother’s open arms.
“There’s my little ray of sunshine!” Susanna greeted Haley before standing up and facing Lucie. “Hi, honey. You look like you’ve gotten some sun. You’re radiant.”
Kane watched the blush creep across Lucie’s sun kissed cheeks, and he smiled. Although Susanna and Lucie had only met one other time, he knew his mother didn’t hold anything against her for what she did. Susanna wasn’t like that. Maybe that’s because she had experienced so much pain in her life already, she was constantly reminding him to keep a positive outlook. He wished it had always been that uncomplicated for him.
Kane met Lucie’s gaze, and he smiled. Yes, his mother’s arrival was obviously a surprise to her, but he had wanted it to be. Seriously, they were in Hawaii of all places, and there was no way he would forgo a relaxing, romantic day with her if he was given the chance. Considering his mother had offered, insisting she wanted to come to Hawaii for a few days anyway – a lie he knew – he had been unable to refuse her.
“Can we go to the beach, Grammy?” Haley asked, making all of the adults turn to look at her.
“Of course we can,” Susanna smiled.
“Will Mommy and Daddy go
with us?” Haley asked, and Kane noticed the way his mother’s back stiffened. He beamed with pride once more.
Susanna turned and grinned, making him feel even more elated by his daughter’s acceptance. When she crouched low, getting right at eye level with Haley, Kane waited to see what she was going to say next.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Susanna said in a mock whisper, “but I think your daddy is going to take your mommy on a date.”
Kane met Lucie’s gaze again, and he saw the smile tip the corners of her perfect heart shaped lips. He was happy to know she was onboard with the plan.
An hour later, Kane was assisting Lucie off of the small speed boat that had transported them from Maui to a small, quaint island that the natives boasted about. According to what he had heard, there was a tiny resort that had beach front rooms and lucky for him, they had had a vacancy when he called. Considering they were flying back home the following afternoon, he had reserved it for their last night there with the understanding that Susanna would be staying with Haley overnight.
Lucie hadn’t complained, but nor had she said anything else since they left the condo. He’d tried for small talk, but the most he could get out of her were brief yes or no answers.
After a short trek from the beach up to the small cluster of individual cottage style structures, Kane found the number of the room they had been assigned to. Carrying one bag they had packed containing both of their things for one night, they moved along the walkway until they reached the semi-private condo.
Looking around, he admired the view of the beach and the numerous palm trees that waved back and forth in the gentle breeze. This was perfect for what he had in mind.
Opening the door with the key he had been given earlier on the main island, he entered the small bungalow and stepped back so that Lucie could join him. Once inside, he admired the cozy, elegant surroundings before dropping the bag at his feet.
“You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” Lucie stated, standing in the middle of the room, her arms crossed over her midsection like she was keeping herself warm. Kane knew that wasn’t the case because without so much as a breeze, the room was stifling.
Moving around to the windows, he pushed them open, allowing the warm breeze to circulate through, stirring the sheer curtains. Once that was done, he crossed over to where she stood, pulling her up against him. Ever since the night Lucie told him that she loved him, Kane knew he’d been a little standoffish.
He’d even resorted to sleeping on the couch after they made love because she had insisted she was going to do so. After their bodies had come together, something neither of them could resist no matter how awkward things had become between them, they had both fallen fast asleep until Haley had woken them each morning ready to go back to the beach.
Now, they had their own beach, and it was high time Kane gave Lucie some of the attention she deserved. “Do you want to go for a swim? Or for a walk?” he asked when she didn’t move to get closer to him.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Ok, then. Get changed,” he instructed before letting her go and grabbing their bag. After retrieving their bathing suits, he set hers on the bed and then quickly disrobed, pulling on his board shorts, forgoing a t-shirt. The way her eyes slid over his skin as he did made Kane’s cock twitch, eager and ready for her attention.
It was clear that was the last thing on her mind, so he simply turned and walked out onto the deck that overlooked the ocean while he waited for her.
~~*~~
Lucie had no idea what was going on, and her mind was still a whirlwind of activity. It had been ever since Susanna Steele walked into their condo, a huge smile on her face and open arms for her granddaughter.
Now, here she was on a secluded island with Kane for at least the next twenty four hours and she wasn’t sure what he expected from her. Since the first night they were there, things hadn’t been the same. Ever since she had made the compelling mistake of telling him that she loved him.
Although she fully intended to wait until she got back home to Texas to break down into a sob fest the likes of which she had never known before, Lucie was having a difficult time remembering that. Each night, as she lay in bed alone, she’d cried herself to sleep, albeit silently.
And now here she was on the last day of their vacation without the distraction of Haley to keep her preoccupied. Instead, she was alone with Kane and her own thoughts.
Grabbing her bikini, Lucie ventured toward what she suspected was the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, she emerged, her face washed, hopefully her eyes weren’t too red after the sudden and unfortunate breakdown she had while changing. She hadn’t been able to stop the tears once they started and now she felt like an idiot yet again.
Moving through the cozy room, she found Kane standing on the deck overlooking the ocean. The same place he had been when she had disappeared into the bathroom. His back was to her, and she took a moment to admire the view. The man was breathtaking with all of that gloriously tanned skin, those sleek muscles on his upper back, his lean, slim waist and his perfect ass. Lucie was pretty sure they had never made another man as perfect as Kane Steele.
She took a deep breath and moved forward reciting the pep talk she’d given herself in the bathroom. At least for the next twenty four hours, she was going to enjoy her time with him. Even if this were all just a fairy tale, Lucie knew she’d never have the same opportunity again. For once in her life, she didn’t want to let a moment slip away because, if nothing else, she could file the memory so that she could refer to it on those dark, lonely nights.
When she stepped out onto the deck, Kane turned to face her, taking her hand in his and then headed down the short steps that led to the most beautiful beach she had ever seen. The one at their condo was lovely, but this one boasted white sand and deep, cobalt blue waters that made her wish they had more time to enjoy it.
They made it to the water’s edge, and Kane turned to face her, tilting her head up so that she had to meet his eyes. Luckily, she had donned her sunglasses, hoping to hide her bloodshot eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was to ruin his vacation. After all, he’d gone through a lot of trouble to make sure she and Haley had an incredible time.
To her surprise, Kane didn’t say a word. Instead, he turned back to the brilliant, blue sky and led her farther in until they were both waist deep. At that point, he turned and grabbed her, pulling her close and surprising the breath right out of her. When he pulled her down on top of him, Lucie was unable to remain on her feet, so she stumbled into the ocean. Somehow Kane managed to keep her head above the water and wrap her legs around his waist at the same time.
“Are you ok?” he asked, pulling her sunglasses from her face.
Lucie immediately turned away, looking farther out into the ocean and wishing for a minute that the water would just swallow her up. She was going to ruin this trip for him, and the last thing she wanted to do was to disappoint him one more time. Before he had a chance to get a good look at her eyes, Lucie crushed her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around his neck and lacing her fingers in his soft, wet hair.
Kane groaned into the kiss, his tongue dueling with hers as though he knew as well as she did just how short lived their romance was going to be. Once they were back in the real world, they were going to have to come to an agreement on how they would co-parent Haley because it was clear that he didn’t have the same feelings for her that she did for him.
Not that she blamed him.
There was a sharp bite of pain in her scalp when Kane pulled her head back by her hair, nipping her neck, before pinning her with those steel gray eyes.
“I need to be inside of you, Lucie.”
The urgency in his tone was unmistakable, making her body tremble despite the warmth of the sun beating down on her skin and the heat of the man pressed against her.
“God, yes,” she groaned, crushing her mouth to his in order to ensure she didn’t do something stupid. Like br
eak down in tears again.
Kane let go of her hair, reaching beneath the water and pushing down his shorts before pulling her bikini bottoms to the side. Without warning, the tip of his cock breached her swollen, aching entrance, and in one thrust he was buried to the hilt inside of her.
Lucie was panting already, on the verge of begging him to fuck her because she needed something to distract her from her thoughts. Being filled by him was one of the most serene feelings she had ever known and it didn’t matter whether he was taking her sweetly or they were fucking like rabbits. No matter how he took her, when Kane was inside of her, Lucie knew she would never belong to another man again.
“God, you’re so tight,” Kane growled in her ear, holding her as tight as she was holding him. He continued to move farther out into the ocean until he could stand at his full height and they were submerged up to their necks in the water.
The buoyancy of the water didn’t allow him to thrust as hard as she wanted him to, but their bodies found a rhythm that matched the pounding of her heart. Lucie felt her impending orgasm as the tingling began deep and slow, but before she could push herself over, Kane stilled.
“Please fuck me,” she begged, trying to bury her face in his neck so he didn’t see the tears that she was unable to control.
“Let me love you, Lucie,” he whispered and a sob wracked her entire body.
Those were the words she had longed to hear from him, but she knew he didn’t mean them in the same context her heart wanted him to.
Lucie began rocking against him, trying to force him deeper until Kane took over, thrusting into her until her orgasm was in reach once more.
“Come for me, Lucie,” Kane whispered as he nipped her earlobe, one hand snaking between their bodies until his thumb was pressing against her clit, rubbing circles until she exploded. His mouth found hers as her body shook, his release not far behind.
Chapter Twelve
