“Do they have kids?”
His heart stung. “They’ve got a baby.”
She put her hand to her mouth and messed with her chin.
“What?” he asked, feeling defensive.
“I just hate that you deal with this. It sounds like a miserable way to live.”
“I’m doing fine,” he said, totally not fine.
“What does your sister say about it all?”
He shook his head, his anger rising again. “She has very specific opinions, all of which involve me being a bigger person than I am and reaching out to him to make up.”
“Surely she was outraged at the time, though.”
“Oh, not as much as you’d think. Turns out she’d known for years. She’d caught them huddling close at a family event where apparently I was off being clueless somewhere. She swears she begged him to come clean, but that he swore it was over and that telling me would just hurt me. They’d mutually decided how to handle me. Fuck them,” he said, his fury getting the better of him.
She set her wine cup down on the table next to her, and then reached over and put her hand on his chest where his heart was and rubbed gently back and forth, calming him. She moved closer to him and trailed kisses on his forehead as if she was trying to take away his pain. It might just be temporary, but hell if it wasn’t working. She kissed around his face and down to his mouth. His hand drew to cup the back of her neck, and she draped herself over him, a warmth like he’d never known filling him from top to bottom.
“I wasn’t going to do this,” he whispered, touching her cheeks with the tips of his fingers as her hair fell around his neck and onto his chest.
“What are you doing?” she asked between kisses.
“I was gonna be cocky and make you want me all night.”
She pulled back from him. “I think that was going to happen no matter what.”
She tugged his shirt up his torso, and he lifted up so she could take it off of him. Laser-focused on him, she admired his chest like a fine art sculpture, smoothing her hands over his shoulders and then down his torso. “You’re so beautiful, it makes me feel guilty. No one woman should be this lucky.”
His ego could indulge in those words for days. Moving down his body, she must have kissed every inch of his torso while her hands explored his waist, her fingers hooking inside the waistband of his boxers.
He’d promised himself he would not sleep with her tonight. Instead, he was going to show her that this wasn’t just a fling for him. He wanted this to be about more than sex for her, and the way to do that was to leave her curious and wanting. But here she was traveling down his legs, his cock as hard as steel in her hand. She stroked his length slowly, making him nuts with want.
She took him into her mouth, and his eyes closed as he relaxed into her slow, deliberate motions up and down his length. Fuck that felt good. He let all the negative thoughts and the pain of the past drift away as he thought of nothing but the sensations flowing through him thanks to her. He gripped the bedding as she worked magic on him, bringing him to the brink faster than he could control. He was barely aware of himself saying her name as the sensations rose, and he nudged her away, grabbing his cock, emptying himself onto his stomach.
“Fuck,” he said, breathlessly as he let go of himself, his arms falling onto the pillow beside his head, his eyes closed as he caught his breath.
He was aware of her leaning over him and pulling a few tissues out of the box on the nightstand next to him. He opened his eyes and she handed them to him. “That was considerate of you,” she said.
“It was the least I could do.” He stood and dropped his boxers to the floor while he went to the bathroom to clean up. Admittedly, he’d have used the tissue with anybody else and just tossed it away on the floor. But he wanted to be on his best behavior for her.
When he returned, he found her lying on her side, her elbow propping herself up, head in her hand, her long legs stretched out on the bed. She looked a good as Gisele or any other supermodel he’d ever seen. “It’s not fair for one person to be so goddamned sexy.”
She smiled at him. “You can stop trying. I think you’ve already got the best of me tonight.”
He shoved the candy boxes and the gift basket onto the floor and then slid onto her. “I haven’t even gotten started.”
He kissed her, their tongues meeting in their now familiar way. He could do nothing but kiss her the rest of the night and be satisfied, but if he was going to make sure she kept coming back to him, he needed to do better than that.
He slid his hands up her tank top and over her breasts, which couldn’t have fit into his hands better if they tried. They were absolute perfection, her breasts, just in proportion to her body. He lifted her shirt and took one of her hard nipples into his mouth. She slid her hands under her head, opening her whole body to him. He trailed kisses down her belly and then curled his fingers into the waistband of her shorts. She looked so good in them it was almost a shame to take them off…almost. He pulled them down her legs, discarding them onto the bed, and then slid his hands up her calves, over her knees, and then up her thighs, his thumbs toying with her inner thighs. He hadn’t had the fortune of seeing her naked when they were on the beach, but it’d definitely been worth the wait. He parted her thighs, watching her close her eyes, her brow furrowed in anticipation. God he loved that he could make her look like that. She sucked in a little breath as he slid a finger inside of her, playing around until he found the spot that made her sing, her facial expression giving away all the secrets. He kept that up as he found her clit and watched her relax into his tongue, his cock going instantly hard as he got a taste of her.
She lifted up off the bed, taking him with her, and it was all he could do to keep from beaming with pride at what he could do to her. She froze as she held her breath and then let out a gasp as she collapsed down on the bed. He kissed his way back up to her stomach.
“Condom,” she said, eyes still closed, pointing at the nightstand.
He grinned as he pulled open the drawer. “One or two?”
“One,” she said, and he took it as a step closer to her. He’d broken through the stranger wall to one-condom status. Baby steps.
He suited up and then positioned himself above her. “You ready for me now, baby?” he asked.
She nodded, a crooked little smile on her lips that he could lick off. But he had other things to tend to.
He pushed into her wet warmth, the absence of the extra condom making a huge difference. He realized this was the second time they’d done this with her shirt on. They’d have to remedy that next time.
It wasn’t going to take him long, unfortunately. With all the other random hookups, he could keep up the motion all night if he’d wanted to. But with her, there was something other than a primal need to fuck at play. Emotions were affecting his staying power. He could try to wish them away, but they were what was making this moment with her so superb.
“I’m not gonna last long,” he admitted.
She put her hands around his waist. “Go whenever you’re ready, gorgeous.”
Just a few more thrusts and he lost his senses again. He collapsed on top of her, nudging into the crook of her neck, never wanting their bodies to separate again.
She rubbed her hand up and down his back in a soothing motion, and he swore he could sleep for three days exactly like that.
He lifted up and hovered over her, keeping his emotions in check. His feelings for her had skyrocketed after this one evening, but she could not know any of that. “Did I ruin anything for you? I mean, could you go again if I—”
“I’m still coming down off my high from the one a few minutes ago.”
He nodded and kissed her, and then rolled off of her and headed to the bathroom. After he washed his hands, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He pointed at himself. “Get control, asshole,” he said, and then headed back to the bed.
When he returned, she had those cute little
shorts back on, unfortunately, and her eyes were closed, but she didn’t seem like she was asleep yet. He slid into bed beside her, wondering how she liked to sleep. She was an independent woman who’d been single for decades. Surely she wasn’t into snuggling.
Eyes still closed, she scooted toward him and draped herself over him, her chest falling into a rhythmic pattern with his. He closed his eyes, drinking her in, this moment surpassing any other to date.
13
Indulging in a spa day had never seemed practical nor desirable for Cassidy, but she didn’t mind saying she was luxuriating in it today as the masseuse rubbed her left foot. She was getting spoiled rotten this weekend. Between Chase treating them all to the best food, wine, and spas money could buy, Jesse had been feeding her senses and her soul.
She’d awoken to find him gone, but a note on his pillow said to be sure and miss him tons today. Any other millennial would have sent a text, but the fact that he cared enough to leave a note just gave her one more reason to fall for him.
And she was clear on that now. She was falling for him. Her feet were dug into the slide, but gravity was pulling her to him. It almost seemed like the more she resisted him, the more significant her feelings grew.
What a difference a night could make. She’d uncovered so much about him. All this time, she’d been thinking he was a heartless player, but now she understood his struggle. Cassidy tried to put herself in his shoes, imagining her own sister having slept with Cassidy’s significant other for years without her knowing. The idea of it all was so unimaginable. She’d sworn she wasn’t going to start up anything physical between them, but he was so vulnerable lying there with all that pent-up anger and resentment. She couldn’t help wanting to lighten his load and redirect his focus for the moment.
Oh the sex, holy mother of God. She could hold his rock hard cock in her hand from now till eternity and not get enough of it. Blowjobs had become a chore for her—a means to an end. She’d spent countless hours in the past several years going down on older men who couldn’t get it up. She’d labor, her jaw muscles sore just to produce a partial erection which, once inside her, she couldn’t even feel. The idea of going down on a man for pure pleasure, not only his but her own, hadn’t occurred to her in years…until last night.
Just her kisses on his chest made him rock hard for her. She knew men that age could get erections from a change in the wind, but she couldn’t help a sense of pride at the idea that she could give Jesse that kind of pleasure. She wanted to do it again. She wanted to do it right then.
The masseuse let her know she was finished and told her to come out when she was ready. Cassidy’s only motivation for ever moving from that spot was talking to Jesse. God, she was getting this bad for him.
She ran into Shayla and Maya in the waiting room and told them she was going to head up to get ready. She showered and shaved her legs, primping way too long. But she couldn’t help wanting to look good for him.
As she passed Jesse’s room, she could hear the shower running from the hallway. God, just the idea of him there made her chest heat up. She couldn’t believe the effect he was having on her.
The girls all met up in the bar at the hotel where they were drinking martinis. Shayla handed her one. “It’s a cucumber martini. The bartender recommended it.”
“Thank you,” Cassidy said, taking a sip and then held it up to the bartender. “Delicious.”
He smiled at her and then went back to work.
She glanced around. “The guys are on their way?”
“Yep, their fishing trip ran long. They’re all getting ready.”
Seanna grabbed Shayla to ask her a question, and Sebastian sidled up to Cassidy. “Well? How did last night go?”
Cassidy just smiled down at her drink.
“Oh God. That good?”
She nodded at him. “Be quiet though. I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
“Why? It sounds like an amazing deal. He’s the nicest guy. I sat with him this morning at breakfast.”
She blinked. “You did?”
“Yeah, the guys all met down here early for breakfast before the boat trip. You do know I’m a guy, right?”
She gave him a look. “You were at the spa with us today.”
“I know, but I get included on both text chats, the guys and the girls.”
“Well, don’t you seem special.”
“He’s so great, Cassidy. He’s not your typical straight guy. I can actually talk with him. I asked him if he read, and we spent the next half hour passing book recs back and forth.”
She nudged him. “I’m jealous. I haven’t even gotten a chance to talk to him about books yet.”
“He reads for at least an hour before bed every night. Just imagine him lying in bed, shirtless with a book. Can you stand it?”
“How do you know he sleeps shirtless?”
“This is my fantasy. He can be wearing whatever I want.” His eyebrows went up. “Get your act together because he’s read some serious lit.”
“Noted,” she said, realizing she may have to step it up if they became a couple. Then she immediately felt silly for her assumption.
Chase and Bo came in and the bartender got to work on more drinks. They all chatted as the men filed in one by one until finally Chase looked around. “Who are we missing?”
“Jesse’s on his way down,” Dane said, giving Cassidy ridiculous butterflies. She hadn’t seen him since she’d fallen asleep on his chest last night.
“Cool.” He turned to the bartender, holding up his drink. “One more of these then we’ll be out of your hair.”
Jesse walked into the bar wearing a pair of fitted black pants and a tan shirt with black cuffs and trim, looking like a trillion bucks.
“There he is!” Chase said with a big smile. No doubt Jesse had won Chase over by this point. “Bartender’s working on your drink now.”
“Cool,” Jesse said with a nod. “Thanks.”
He met Cassidy’s gaze with a tempered smile, glancing around at the others there like he wasn’t sure how he should approach her.
The idea of hiding her attraction to him now seemed ludicrous and damn near impossible. They’d taken a step last night. She wasn’t sure where that step was going to lead them, but she understood now that pretending like nothing was happening here was no longer an option.
She stepped up to him and slid her arm around his waist. “Hey,” she said.
His smile grew. “Hey.”
“I followed your instructions. I missed you tons today.”
“Good, because I damn sure missed you.”
She leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips, his arm snaking around her waist, pulling her toward him. When they finally broke apart, Chase was standing there holding a drink. “Should I get a fire hose instead?”
As they headed to their table, life went on all around them, conversations having nothing to do with them. Cassidy felt like the biggest narcissistic asshole for ever dreaming of being embarrassed of him. Yes, he was way younger than her. But Jesse was a nuanced man with so much more to him than his age or beautiful face, or pant-worthy body.
* * *
Neither Jesse nor Cassidy could decide if they wanted the eggplant or the scallops, so they each got one and shared with the other, taking bites off each other’s plates with little fork fights here and there. Cassidy tried so hard to pay attention to all the conversations around them, but she kept being drawn back to Jesse whether he was looking at her or engrossed in another conversation.
It’d been eons since she’d felt this fluttery feeling in her belly, this crush-like state from when she was a kid. She’d all but thought those days had passed for her. She enjoyed men like Todd and the others she dated, but none of them made her giddy like this. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.
“So it’s pool and darts after this, right? At that bar down the street?” Marigold asked.
“Yep. Pool and darts,” Dane confirme
d, eyeing Jesse. “But something tells me we aren’t going to see the two of you there.”
Cassidy met Jesse’s gaze with raised eyebrows. “Umm…”
He squeezed her thigh under the table. “I think we might skip darts and pool.”
Chase, who had hearing like a bat, turned toward them from Jesse’s left. “Who’s not coming to darts and pool?”
“Everyone’s coming,” Marigold said. “Just get back to your tiramisu.”
He glared at Jesse and Cassidy. “It’s these two isn’t it? Aww, hell. If that’s the case then you’re excused.”
“Should we take offense to that?” Jesse asked Cassidy.
Chase waved a big hand around the table. “All these other assholes have been together a while. You two are brand new, right? You’re in that phase where you can’t get out of bed. I wouldn’t dream of making you suffer through a dart game.”
Cassidy’s neck heated up, but she couldn’t help a smile as she took her last bite of vanilla mousse dessert.
“That’s good of you, man,” Jesse said with a handshake.
“You’re both excused. We’ll see you down here at ten to head to the airport.”
Jesse turned to Cassidy with a shrug, and she scooted her seat back, shameless. After a plethora of thank you’s for the dinner and the weekend, they were off.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Jesse was on her, arms around her waist, and then down to her ass, giving it a squeeze. He kissed her, and then pulled away with a grin. “You taste like sweet cream,” he said.
“You taste like chocolate,” she said. “Nice combo.”
The elevator dinged and they headed straight to his room, the closest. He let them in and they stumbled as they pulled down pants and discarded shirts. He reached around her back and undid her bra, then pulled the straps down her arms. “Finally. I can’t believe I haven’t seen these yet,” he said, cupping them.
“Haven’t you seen enough boobs to last a lifetime?” she asked.
“I think I can die now that I’ve seen yours.”
Grayton Beach Dreams Page 11
