Don't Lie

by Violet Paige

  My skin started to turn slightly pink from the afternoon sun. I hopped up and sanded off the back of my shorts before walking toward home. Enough beach for the afternoon. I couldn’t leave Cole stranded. I had to pick Grayson up soon.

  I trailed the surf, dodging the waves on my sneakers. When I reached our beach access, I turned and cut across the sun’s path. Right smack into Aiden.

  “Whoa, Kaitlyn. Watch where you’re going.” He laughed as he jogged backward a few paces.

  “I—I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going,” I stammered. Aiden was shirtless, sweaty, and out of breath.

  “No problem, sweetheart.” He shoved his shades on top of his head, making his eyes glisten. I noticed they were trailing my legs.

  “Enjoy your run.” I scooted past him on a mission to reach our stairs before he pulled me into a conversation, or I saw his eyes creep up any further.

  He rested a hand on the railing next to my hip. “Want to join me? I’m going to check out that end of the island.” He pointed to the open space of the park. “I still need a tour guide. Trying to get my bearings around here.”

  “The beach is beautiful down there. You’ll like it.” The truth was I had no idea what kinds of things Aiden would like. So far, he hadn’t shown much interest in maintaining the integrity of Padre. Why would a natural park appeal to him?

  “You sure? I promise not to run too fast. I bet you can keep up.”

  I shook my head. He had placed a foot on the bottom step and was inching closer. “No, thanks. You have fun. I have to pick up Grayson from school.”

  “Who’s that?” he asked.

  I turned from him and took two more steps.

  “Cole’s son.”

  “He has a son?”

  I nodded. “You have more family than you realized, Aiden.” I continued up the stairs. “Have a good run.”

  “Will do,” he shouted as he continued to run.

  I trudged ahead. I hoped Cole hadn’t made another rogue attempt to get out of bed. All I needed was for him to see me chatting with his shirtless uncle to stir up the tornado that was about to spin out of this storm.

  I looked up. He was standing at our bedroom door, propped with a crutch. Shit.

  I took the steps faster, but before I made it to the door, he was gone.

  The next day I waded through more emails before checking the rooms for supplies. I had managed to drag the TV from the living room to the bedroom so Cole would have something to do while I was at work. He was on day two of bed rest and he was already completely stir crazy. He gave new meaning to cabin fever. I promised to come home to fix lunch and check on him.

  After I took Grayson to school I had to get to the Dunes office.

  I marked off the room keys from the lock box as I loaded them on the service cart. I still needed to clean the Shapleys’ room and make an inventory list. With Cole out of service, the room duties fell on me.

  The first four looked fine. They were the ones closest to the street and the least utilized. I moved on to the next block.

  By noon, I had completed one entire side of the motel and I was ready to take a break.

  I pushed the cart into room twenty-four just as Aiden was coming out of room twenty-three.

  “In a hurry?” he shouted from across the parking lot.

  “Going home to make lunch.” I smiled as I closed the door, turning the key quickly.

  He held up a piece of paper. I couldn’t make out what was on it from across the parking lot, so I walked a few steps toward him.

  “I was just coming to see you. Where’s that nephew of mine? Shouldn’t he be the one working on the rooms?” Aiden stood next to his car. I wasn’t surprised he drove a convertible. Part of him seemed fast and flashy.

  “Cole’s not feeling so well. I’m headed over to check on him.”

  “Too bad. Tell him I said I hope he’s better real soon.” He handed me the piece of paper. “Here are the items in my room that need to be fixed.”

  I stared at the list he had made.

  “CFL bulbs in all fixtures? New sink faucet handles? A new toilet seat? Extra blankets?” I skimmed the rest of the list silently. This was complete bullshit and Aiden knew it.

  “If you could get those things done for me, sweetheart, while I’m out, I’d appreciate it. I’ll work on the second half of my list when I get back.”

  “Second half? What are you talking about? Isn’t this enough?” There was no way I could do half the things on his checklist.

  “I haven’t even gotten started on the motel. The icemaker is shotty. The pool gate creaks, but why am I telling you this now? Like I said, I’ll write it all down for you.”

  “How thoughtful.” I twisted my lips from saying something nasty.

  Aiden chuckled before pushing the top down on his car. “It’s going to be a beautiful day. I’ll catch you later. Big investor meeting.”

  I watched as he popped a piece of gum in his mouth before speeding off onto the highway.

  I shook my head and folded the paper into a square, then shoved it in my back pocket. I would do what I could, but Aiden was only trying to make a statement. The Dunes was old and it showed. I huffed as I crossed over the dunes to the cottage.

  Cole was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of soup in front of him.

  “Hey.” I smiled, ignoring the checklist that was burning a hole in my back pocket. “I thought you were going to let me make lunch for you.” I crossed the empty living room, wrapped my arms around the back of his shoulders, and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I didn’t know how long you would be at work,” he grumbled.

  I checked the clock. It was only ten after twelve. “Ok. Can I get you something else?”

  “No. I’ve got it.” He pushed the soup across the table.

  “I have to make lunch anyway. I’m starving. Let me fix something else for you. A sandwich? Salad? Oh, I know. Grilled cheese.” I could definitely go for some comfort food right now.

  “Damn it, Kaitlyn. I’m not Grayson.”

  I spun on my heels. “Why are you giving me a hard time? I’m trying to help you.”

  He sighed. “Sorry. I’m just tired of this damn thing.” He pointed to the boot on his foot that extended to his knee. “And I don’t think I’m a daytime TV person. Do you know how many shows are women talking about current events? I’m going crazy in here.”

  I sat in the chair across from him. “I know this sucks, but you have your appointment in less than a week. In the scheme of things, that’s nothing. Try to relax so you can heal faster. You’re only going to make things worse if you walk before your body is ready.”

  “All right. Whatever you say.” He pushed against the table to stand. “I’ll go back to my cell.”

  “Cole, don’t say it like that.”

  He was already on his crutches and out of the room. Damn, this was hard.

  13

  Kaitlyn

  I hugged Grayson at the entrance to Mother Hen’s Preschool.

  “Have a great day, ok?” He’s tiny arms wrapped around my neck. “I’ll pick you up this afternoon.”

  “Daddy?” he asked.

  I wrinkled my nose. “Daddy still can’t drive. Remember, he hurt his leg? But soon. I promise.”

  I got one more quick hug before leaving him with his favorite teacher, Lacey.

  I hopped in the car just as my phone rang.

  “Mary Ellen, hey.”

  She squealed into the phone. “I did it! I finally did it.”

  “Did what?” I was completely distracted. I couldn’t begin to tell her what was going on.

  “Last night, I broke up with Jesse.”

  “Oh, wow. How do you feel?” I turned out of the parking lot.

  “Amazing. Fantastic. Invincible. Why didn’t I do that sooner? And the timing couldn’t be better.”

  “Why’s that?”

  She huffed. “Because I’ll be in South Padre next week! I will be arriving
single and one hundred percent a-vail-able.”

  Oh shit. With everything going on, I forgot Mary Ellen would be here soon. “Yes, perfect timing.” What kind of friend forgets her best friend’s travel plans?

  “So what are we going to do first? Shopping? Beach? Oh, I know. You can take me to that bar you always talk about…Paul’s.”

  “Peabody’s. It’s Peabody’s.”

  “Right. It doesn’t matter to me. I can’t wait to see you and be at the beach. It’s already getting cool here. The leaves are changing and everyone’s drinking pumpkin spice lattes.”

  I felt the pang like a cramp in my heart. I loved fall. It was one of my favorite times in North Carolina. So far, South Padre felt like perpetual summer.

  “Kaitlyn, you there?”

  “Yep. Yep, I’m here.” I was trying to shake the vision of cashmere sweaters, scarves, and falling leaves.

  “I have to go to work, but had to tell you about Jesse.”

  “I’m glad you did. Call me if you need me. You know, breakup remorse.” The way Mary Ellen sounded that didn’t seem possible.

  “Oh, I’m good. I’m going to start packing tonight for Padre. Call you later, girl.”

  “Bye.” I tossed my phone in the seat. Mary Ellen would be here in less than a week. I had a lot to figure out between now and then.

  I closed the office door for the evening just as Aiden whipped into the parking lot, kicking up gravel with his fancy convertible. He stopped in front of the office.

  “Need a ride?” he asked.

  “No, thanks. I can walk fifty feet.” I slung the laptop bag over my shoulder. I needed to respond to a few more emails tonight.

  “I don’t mind.” He flashed a killer smile.

  “I can handle walking home.” I turned for the sidewalk in front of the Dunes’s neon blinking sign. We really needed to get rid of that thing. It suddenly seemed tacky and low-rent flashing on Aiden’s slick convertible.

  “The offer always stands, sweetheart.” He revved the engine lightly and rolled toward the back of the parking lot to my former room.

  I needed him to be close to the ocean. I needed him to fall in love with this place. It was bad enough having Aiden traipse in and out of the motel every day. It was a constant reminder to Cole that there was a legal battle on the horizon. I already regretted my offer. Every day he slipped a new list under the office door. Each one was longer than the last.

  It didn’t appear that Aiden was interested in any type of family bonding. He was strictly here for the business aspect of the Dunes. I walked along the road, not wanting to cross paths with the uncle again.

  I was surprised to see Cole’s truck in the driveway.

  I jogged up the stairs.

  I placed my bag at the kitchen table and walked to the bedroom. I could hear the shower running. Two weeks ago, I would have stripped, pulled back the shower curtain, and wrapped myself around Cole’s hard, wet body, but it wasn’t two weeks ago. I wasn’t sure how he would take it. Every little thing seemed to annoy or frustrate him.

  I noticed he had moved the TV back to the empty living room. There were twenty good reasons why he shouldn’t lift heavy things while his leg was still healing, but I wasn’t going to start our evening with a lecture. That got us nowhere. I decided to go for a run. I changed into my running shorts and shoes. I scribbled a note on the kitchen counter and let myself out the sliding glass door.

  Twenty minutes in and the wind picked up as I turned near the end of the island for my run home. I was too busy mulling over all the problems I was facing to realize storm clouds had been circling overhead. The first pelt of rain felt good on my hot skin, the next ones came in rapid succession. I dug my feet harder into the sand, trying to make it back before the bottom fell out, but I was too late. By the time I got to the landing, I was drenched and the storm was only getting started.

  I took the stairs two at a time and threw open the door. Cole was sitting at the kitchen table. His expression changed to concern when he saw me walk in. He picked up the crutches and hobbled toward me.

  “Darlin, you ok?” His hand slid down my wet cheek.

  I nodded. “I wasn’t paying attention to the storm clouds. Just a little wet.” I pulled the tank top away from my stomach. I was drenched all the way through, and standing in air conditioning made me shiver.

  He laughed lightly, something I hadn’t heard in a while. “Yeah, I’d say you got caught in the storm.”

  His eyes landed on my breasts. “Come here.”

  I walked into his arms.

  His fingers raked under the wet edge of the shirt, dragging it overhead. His breath hitched.

  I followed his eyes as I lowered to my knees.

  “Kaitlyn,” he moaned.

  I pulled on his zipper and unfasted the button. His cock bobbed free within seconds.

  “You’re so fucking gorgeous with my cock in your mouth.”

  I looked at him as he pressed the thick head to my lips. I sighed as he thrust it between my lips and I worked to take him deeper.

  My wet nipples bounced as he thrust back and forth. They’d never felt more sensitive or on fire. I held the base of his cock, determined to suck him hard and far.

  “Oh fuck. Fuck,” he growled.

  I gagged slightly as he hit the back of my throat. Oh shit, I loved how he tasted. His masculine scent. The way he wanted me. My nipples were sharp and pointed.

  “Your tits have never looked so fucking incredible.”

  I rubbed the hard peaks.

  “Touch your pussy, baby,” he commanded. He jerked forward. I reached between the band on my running shorts and cried out when I felt the friction over my panties.

  I licked the tip of his shaft. “The bed,” I murmured.

  “No,” he growled. “I can stand.” He was anchored to the crutches. I didn’t know if he was proving a point. “Take your shorts off, and fuck your fingers in front of me.”

  Shit. He’d never said anything like that. I was wet and ready. I wanted the release. I scrambled out of my shorts and kicked the shorts away. My fingers pried between my slick lips and I sank on my fingers as they pushed inside my entrance.

  “Fuck, you have no idea what you do to me.” He thrust inside my mouth.

  I had one hand inside me while the other twisted my nipples. I was on fire. I whimpered with ecstasy.

  I gargled sounds as my core clenched. “Fuck your pretty fingers, while I fuck your gorgeous lips.”

  My eyes closed as I added another finger inside my walls. I had no idea I could give myself this kind of pleasure under Cole’s direction. It was like he was the director and I was his actress.

  “Flick your tit, baby. You love it when I do that.”

  I flicked one and jerked at the sensitivity. It had been too long since we fucked. I hated his injury. And those damn crutches. But right now I was on fire. The distance had made me insatiable. I bobbed on my fingers, knowing I was about to come all over them.

  “Shit,” Cole hissed between his teeth. “Ready, baby?”

  I nodded, ready to scream at the pent-up fire. He exploded in my mouth and I sucked every drop just as my orgasm ripped through me. Oh shit, my walls tightened on my fingers and it spilled all around as Cole finished in my mouth.

  I closed my eyes and sighed.

  I opened them to see his hungry stare. “I love you.”

  I pushed off the floor, my naked body pressed into his. “I love you too.”

  And I knew everything in our world was right again.

  14

  Cole

  I’d been a pissed off asshole, but I wasn’t going to let this injury ruin the best thing in my life. I saw the look of pain in her eyes and knew I had been selfish.

  She meant everything to me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  Kaitlyn stooped to pick up her clothes from the floor.

  “It’s your leg. I get it.”

  I shook my head. “No excuse. I promised yo
u things I haven’t done.”

  “You couldn’t have known you were going to fall off a roof.” She held the shirt to her chest.

  “Don’t you dare cover up your tits.” I eyed them. I wanted to lick and suck them. She was gorgeous. Perfect.

  She smiled shyly.

  “I’m serious,” I growled.

  She let the shirt drop. “Like this?”

  “I swear when these crutches are gone, I’ll fuck you upside down, baby.”

  Her eyes lit. “Promise?”

  “I miss it too, you know that?”

  Her eyes lowered. “I love you for more than sex.”

  I let out a deep breath. “I love everything about you, but I’m better at showing it. And this situation has been fucked up, I realize I’m not very good at telling you that unless we’re like this.”

  Her eyes widened. “Then just say that. Tell me that. I can go down on you every night.”

  I groaned. “And that is the reason I love you. What woman would make that offer?” I grinned.

  “Me.” She turned her lips toward me and I kissed her.

  My eyes darted to the driveway. “Fuck. Grayson is home. Lisa’s niece.”

  “Oh my God.” Kaitlyn ran toward the bedroom. “We are so lucky. I’ll jump in the shower and be out in five minutes,” she called.

  “It’s ok. I can get juice and snacks. Take your time.”

  It was true I felt a hell of a lot better now that I had come. Relaxed. Happy. And motivated to get off these crutches.

  The door opened and Grayson ran through the door.

  “Daddy,” he squealed.

  “Hey, little man.” I had to maneuver so he didn’t run into my bad leg.

  He held up a drawing.

  The babysitter stood behind him. “He said that’s the sun and a pig.” She shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  I laughed. “Looks good. Do you mind putting it on the fridge. Kaitlyn will want to see it.”

  Polly, Lisa’s niece used one of the clip magnets and added it to the display.