by S. M. Shade
His shoulder bumps mine as we walk along the lake. “Yeah, he overreacted, but try to see it from his point of view. He’s a musician and he’s crazy about you. Then he finds you alone, at your spot with another musician. Maybe he’s worried you have a type and that you’re more attracted to his profession than him.”
“Then he isn’t paying attention,” I mumble.
Foster slings his arm around my neck. “I seem to remember telling you not to fall for this guy.”
“Yeah, we’ve established I don’t listen. Moving on.”
He glances at me. “Tell me what the real problem is. Because we both know this is a little hiccup that wouldn’t usually upset you so much.”
We stop to sit on a bench overlooking the dock. “I feel too much for him. Christ, Foster, I didn’t feel this way about my ex and we were together for three years.”
“Time doesn’t matter. And you can’t control how you feel. If so, no one would ever get their heart broken. You just have to decide if he’s worth taking the chance.”
I lay my head on his shoulder. “I’ve never been much of a risk taker.”
“I know, but safe is also boring. Have you considered that he’s feeling the same fear? I’ve seen how he is around you, how he looks at you. You aren’t the only one who’s in deep, Kin. Maybe he’s freaking out too.”
“Honestly, no. That thought never crossed my mind. He can have anyone he wants.”
“But he wants you. It’s like a chick flick,” he teases. “Playboy rock star meets his match in sassy resort owner. Classic.”
“Shut up,” I laugh.
“Kinley.” Holt’s voice makes me jump. I didn’t hear him come up behind us. There’s no way he didn’t hear Foster’s last comment.
Foster gives me a quick hug. “I’ll grab a key from Harriet. You know where I am if you need me.”
He walks away, and Holt sits beside me. His elbows rest on his knees as he runs his hands through his hair. “I need to know something.”
“Then ask.”
“If this wasn’t my life. The fame and concerts, travelling, and everything, if it all went away tomorrow, would you still be interested in me?”
My first response is anger. He’s asking me if I want him because he’s a star? Maybe he doesn’t know me at all. Then Foster’s advice rings in my head. Maybe he’s scared too. It’s hard to imagine a man who looks like him with all his talent could be insecure, but that’s what he’s showing me right now, isn’t it?
Instead of going with my first instinct and kicking him in the balls, I run my palm over his cheek, turning him to face me. Anxiety is etched on his face. “How I feel about you has nothing to do with what you do, only who you are. I’m not dating a rock star or a celebrity, I’m dating Holt. He’s all I want.”
He wraps his arms around me and talks into my hair. “I’m sorry I was a dick.”
“You have to trust me. If I can manage to put up with every woman in the country wanting you, I think you can handle the guys around me. I’m not a cheater. And I’m not some trashy groupie who can be won over by a pretty face and guitar.”
Sitting back, he stares at me. “I never thought you were. I want you to be careful around Liam and his group. I don’t know them, but I don’t trust them. I trust you, but you don’t know what the music scene is like. What musicians are like.”
A small smile appears on my face. “You mean they aren’t all the upstanding members of society that you are?”
His usual charming smile returns, and I’m glad to see it. He may not think I know what musicians are like, but it’s safe to say they’re mercurial as hell. “Everyone can’t be this amazing.”
“Meh.” I shrug. “You’re okay sometimes.”
“Aww.” He gives me a long, slow kiss. “You’re okay sometimes too.”
“So, what did you have planned for us tonight before all this?”
Getting to his feet, he takes my hand. “Something that can wait.”
We walk back to Foxhaven and laughter pours off the deck as we approach. Liam and two of his band members sit by the pool with Foster right in the middle of them. Foster grins up at me, and we say a quick hello before heading up to my place.
I’m glad to leave the outside world behind when I close the door behind me. After the last few hours, I just want to cuddle up on the couch and watch TV with Holt. Knowing Foster, he’ll be in late, so we have the place to ourselves for a while.
Holt and I have so much fun together, but out of everything we do, riding jet skis, hiking in the woods, hanging out in the pool, these are the times I enjoy most. I love having someone to just lounge around with. To relax and be myself.
And then get my brains screwed out by the best lover I’ve ever had.
We spend a few hours on the couch, snuggled under a blanket, when I get an urge. Without warning, I hook my fingers under the waistband of his shorts and underwear, and slide off the edge of the couch, slipping them both off as I go.
His eyes darken with lust and meet mine as I wrap my hand around him. I love the feel of him growing hard in my palm. I pause when I hear a bang and laughter from the hallway, but it’s just Liam’s group entering their suite. Music starts playing very faintly through the wall.
“Foster is staying with me. He could walk in any minute,” I murmur, punctuating my words with a lick just under the head of his cock.
His lips part, and he shifts his hips. “I don’t care if a marching band goes through right about now, bug.”
I’ve never considered myself an exhibitionist, but there’s something thrilling about taking him in my mouth when I know we could get caught any minute. I felt the same way when we fucked in the gazebo.
I adore the way he hisses through his teeth, the curses and praise that tumble from his lips as I lick and suck him until his hand tightens in my hair. “Fuck, I’m going to come,” he warns, and I pull him in as far as possible, swallowing to the sound of his pained groan.
He reaches to pull my shirt off, tossing it aside, and scoops me up, carrying me to my bedroom. It’s a good thing because we hear the suite door shut behind Foster a few seconds later.
“Just in time,” I giggle, and he dives on the bed, stripping us both down in record time.
“For your friend to hear you scream my name.” He buries his face between my legs and a squeal escapes me before I grab a pillow and shove it over my face.
I’m so on edge it isn’t going to take much. Holt pauses and grabs the pillow, tossing it off the bed. “I want to see your face. You’ll just have to be quiet,” he says with a wicked grin.
He barely gets the word out when a moan comes from the guest room right beside mine. “I don’t think he’s listening,” I laugh. God knows who Foster brought back. Another long moan filters through the wall followed by a curse.
“I will not be outdone,” Holt says, grabbing my thighs and getting back to it. I can’t help the sounds that slip out of my mouth as he makes me come with his tongue and fingers. Self-satisfaction is clear on his face as he crawls up my body. We can hear Foster and his partner going at it, but none of us seem to care at the moment.
Every thought of anyone other than Holt disappears when he rolls me over onto my stomach and tucks two pillows under my hips. Sitting back on his feet, he stares down at me and I press my face into the bed. It’s a vulnerable moment, his hands sliding up my thighs to caress my ass that’s sticking up in the air.
It quiets a bit next door, and Holt takes that opportunity to smack each ass cheek. The sound is unmistakable, and my chest shakes with laughter when I hear a smack repeated from their side of the wall. Assholes.
Holt chuckles, then leans to drop hot kisses down my spine. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you look like this?” he murmurs. I hear him unwrap the condom, and a second later he slips inside me in one slow, smooth motion.
His body molds to my back and he sucks the nape of my neck, sending a mass of tingles running over my skin. “Holt,” I plead,
when he doesn’t move.
He pushes my arms against my sides and holds them there as he strokes in and out. I’m completely trapped under his body, unable to do anything but arch my hips and take what he’s giving me.
I’m acutely aware that he’s in control and I can’t believe how much the thought turns me on. There’s not a scrap of me that’s submissive, at least, I didn’t think so, but every touch, kiss, and stroke seems magnified by a hundred, and I moan his name, begging him for something when I’m not even sure what I need. Finally, I whimper, “Don’t stop.”
God, the man can move. I lose all touch with time and how long he drives into me, gradually moving faster, delving so deep all I can do is cry out and ride the sensations until they crash into me and leave me a shaking, sweaty mess.
His body drapes over mine, his chest sticking to my back, and I turn my head, still trying to catch my breath.
“Are you okay?”
“Mmm.” It’s all the noise I’m capable of making. Anything I say will be a jumbled mess.
There’s silence from the next room as he chuckles and leans down, kissing my ear. “We showed them.”
My body shakes with laughter, and he rolls off me, then pulls me close.
“Definitely the winners,” I agree, snuggling into him. Those first few post sex moments are always amazing. Lying there, your chest rising and falling with the same heavy breaths you hear from your partner. Your muscles are relaxed, but your skin is busy, filled with a slowly fading buzz. Closing my eyes, I just revel in the feeling until he sits up.
“Sorry, but I have to piss.”
“And I need some water.” We both pull on underwear, and I slip his tee shirt over my head before opening my bedroom door.
One step out the door and I bump into someone in the dark. “Shit, sorry.” I flip the light on and get a look at the man we heard with Foster.
“Kinley, ah, hi.” Liam Carter runs his hand over the back of his neck. “I was just leaving.”
Foster walks out of the guest room in a pair of shorts and makes a beeline for the fridge. “Liam, do you want water, juice, I think she has some sports drink.” It isn’t until he’s met with an awkward silence he realizes Liam isn’t really cool with this, especially when Holt joins us.
“Listen,” Liam says. “I’m not exactly…out to everyone. I mean, in my career, so if we could keep this between us…”
Holt nods and grabs a bottle of water. “No problem. It’s nobody’s business.”
“I think we can leave everything we heard and witnessed tonight at the door,” I reply, and Foster chuckles.
“I don’t know. I never imagined you’d be a beggar, Kin,” he taunts, and I slap at him.
Holt laughs and picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder. “Later guys.”
I look up just as we’re entering the bedroom and get a split second view of Liam kissing Foster. I didn’t see that one coming.
Holt finds me at the front desk and leans on it, propping his chin on his hand with a wide smile.
“Oh lord, what are you up to?” Harriet chuckles. She turns to me. “You know he wants something when he breaks out the charming smile instead of that frown he usually wears.”
“Aw, Harriet, you think my smile is charming? I knew I’d win you over eventually.”
Harriet scoffs and shakes her head. “You spent your first month here with a face like a slapped ass. I noticed the difference.”
“That’s more like it,” he replies, and I laugh at the two of them.
“Aren’t you taking your granddaughter to the fireworks?” I remind her, and she curses, glancing at the clock. “Yeah, I’d better go.”
Holt waits while she gathers her stuff and leaves. Brandy pokes her head out of the office. “I’m just making coffee. I’ll keep an eye out. Get out of here.”
His arm drapes around me. “So, you know a spot to watch the show, huh?”
There’s no way we were going to try to go to town to watch fireworks. The paparazzi would just follow us and ruin things for everyone. Liam and his group have made the same decision. Other than them, there are only a few guests that may not follow the crowd, but typically, the place is a ghost town until about eleven.
“Yeah, we have a pretty good view from the east hill. A local radio station sets them off. They aren’t as impressive as the ones the town does, but it’s still pretty. I have some stuff to do first, though. Meet you in thirty minutes?”
It’ll be a late night. When everyone returns, they generally sit outside, swim in the pool, or have a few drinks at our bar. There’s a large firepit area I’m sure will get used, so I need to make sure everything is stocked and ready for the rush we’ll get after the fireworks end.
“On the back deck,” he replies, dropping a kiss on my lips before walking away. Harriet is right. He really does seem happier, and a small optimistic sliver of me hopes it’s because of me.
The bar and restaurant are stocked and ready, and I’m on my way to make sure there’s wood for the fire pit when I run into Liam. He’s coming up the stairs of the deck. “Hey Kinley,” he greets. “Plans tonight?”
“With Hol-Marcus,” I reply, correcting myself. “No idea what he has planned.”
An embarrassed grin blooms on his face and he asks, “Is Foster still staying with you?”
Ugh, cuteness overload today. “He is. He had to work, but he should be here any time.”
“Good, I’ll see you later,” he says, and hurries away.
It looks like my friend has a famous crush too. It’s strange how normal it’s beginning to seem.
Chapter Twelve
Singleton
The contents of my backpack rattle when I heft it over my shoulder. It’s a clear night with just enough wind for what I have planned. I’ve waited for another good opportunity since I ruined our plans last time by getting jealous over Liam playing guitar for Kinley.
She’s waiting for me as promised, and she looks amazing. It doesn’t matter what she wears, she seems to get more beautiful every time I see her. Tonight, her snug jeans and clingy top make me want to drag her into the woods and dirty her up. The thought must flash across my forehead.
“Don’t look at me like that when you have clothes on,” she teases.
“Don’t be so damn sexy in everything.”
“What’s in the backpack?” she asks.
“A few things for our date tonight.” I take her hand and we start down the steps.
“Ooh, a date. How romantic.”
“You know I’m all about the romance, bug.”
She follows me without any further questions until we get to the clearing behind Foxhaven. The last of the light has faded when I stop in the middle of the field and set the bag down. She glances around and looks back at me with her eyebrow cocked.
Chuckling, I open the backpack. “Has anyone ever told you that you aren’t the most patient person?”
“I’ve come to accept it.” She watches as I pull out an electric lantern and turn it on. When I produce the next few items, she asks. “Are we flying a kite?”
“We’re flying two kites,” I correct, laying them out.
“It’s dark as a pocket out here. We’ll never see them,” she giggles.
“That’s what these are for.” I bring the lantern closer where she can see I’ve attached a number of bendable, plastic glow sticks to the edges of the kites. The kind that light up when you snap them. “A neighbor kid’s dad took me to do this once when I was about nine. I never forgot how cool it looked and I’ve always wanted to try it again.”
She watches as I crack the glow sticks, and they illuminate in an array of colors. The light from the lantern reflects in her eyes as she grins at me and asks, “Think you can get it up?”
“Never had a problem before, have I?”
We put some space between us and start letting out the string, then running to get them airborne. They catch the wind with no problem and get tossed around in the sky until they
get high enough to stabilize a little.
We work our way back toward each other, careful not to get them tangled up. “This is awesome!” Kinley exclaims. All that’s visible is a sliver of her face in the lantern light but it’s enough to reveal the joy in her expression. So many women I’ve met are all about money, jewelry, or expensive trips. Kinley is different. Little things make her happy and giving her those moments are a joy.
High above us in the dark sky, two glowing diamond shapes of red, blue, green, and purple seem to dance with one another, to the music of Kinley’s melodic laughter. The urge to write, to put everything I’m feeling into words, so I have some hope of sorting it out, beats inside my chest, but it’ll have to wait. I won’t ruin this moment for anything.
“Kinley, I want you to go away with me.” The words tumble out of my mouth.
Her gaze is still locked on the sky above us. “Another weekend trip?”
“No, at the end of the summer, I’m going to take a break. A real one. Maybe three months or so. I want to travel, and I want you to come with me. We could start by seeing the Grand Canyon, then stay in the mountains.”
Now I have her full attention. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, there’s so much out there I want to experience with you. Not just nature, but beautiful cities, art, music, and food. We’ve both had a bad year. We deserve some fun.”
A sad smile grows slowly across her face. “That sounds amazing, Holt, but I can’t do that. I have a resort to run, responsibilities.”
“You have a lot of free time now that you’ve hired help and learned to delegate. Is there anything that you couldn’t handle by phone or email? If there was some major problem, we could fly back within a day or two.”
The longing on her face is hard to watch, especially with the wistfulness in her voice. “Holt, I don’t have that kind of money.” She lays her fingers over my lips, muting my reply, and adds, “And I’m not letting you pay for everything.”
“Bug, I have more money sitting in the bank than I could spend in three lifetimes. It doesn’t mean anything to me. Why let it keep adding up, just sitting there, when we could be using it to live like we’ve never had the chance? I’m not talking about private planes and five star hotels. We can get an RV and road trip, go camping, rent a cabin in the mountains. Whatever we want.”
