“Oh my God,” I breathe, repeating Bailey’s reaction. I can honestly say that this was the last thing I was expecting to see.
I step from the house as Corey drops down from the driver’s seat of the vintage Volkswagen camper. But the second he emerges, the vehicle vanishes into the background. All I can see is him. He’s wearing a skintight white t-shirt that stretches across his wide shoulders and shows off his pecs and abs to perfection. My mouth is watering long before I drop my eyes to take in his denim-clad thighs.
When I find my way back up to his eyes, he seems to be looking at me with a familiar heat in his blue depths.
“Hey,” I say, dragging his attention back to my face.
“Hey yourself. You look stunning.”
My cheeks heat at his compliment. “T-thank you. So, what are we doing?”
“Fancy a little drive?”
Excitement races though me. I’ve always wanted to have a camper vacation but never had the chance. The trips we had when I was a kid were usually abroad in fancy hotels. I’ve never done anything like this—well, aside from passing out somewhere random in my former years that I’d rather not think about.
“Yes,” I squeal, moving for the passenger door.
“Let me,” Corey says, reaching for the handle and opening it for me like a gentleman.
“Thank you.”
I strap myself in as he jogs around to the other side. Movement in my bedroom window catches my eye, and when I look up, I find Bailey still watching us. She makes a heart gesture with her hand before blowing me a kiss.
He backs out the drive, turning the music down a little so we can talk.
“Does she interfere with every part of your life?” he asks with a laugh.
“She just wants me to be happy. Have you had a good week?” I ask, not wanting to talk about Bailey and her best intentions right now. Wanting to know why it took him until Thursday night to message is much more pressing.
“Yeah, really busy.” He chats away about some of his clients. The passion and enthusiasm for his job is infectious. “I had dinner with Austin and his parents last night. Seemed he knew all about us.”
My heart thuds in my chest. Does he think there is an us?
“I’m not surprised. I’m sure we were the hot topic of conversation in The House.”
“Fantastic,” he mutters lightheartedly. “What about you? Any epic fundraisers on the horizon?”
“Yes, actually. I’ve got a gala coming up. Black ties, ball gowns, silent auction, the whole shebang.”
“Sounds impressive.”
“It’s my first big event. I’ve only done a few fun runs and some work with the local schools so far. I’m kind of terrified.”
“It’ll be amazing.”
“I sure hope so. It should raise a lot of money for the project if it goes to plan.” I tell him about the number of tables we’ve sold and the entertainment for the night as he drives to wherever it is we’re going. I don’t bother asking, I’m confident in his plan.
We approach the ocean at roughly the same time we did on Sunday night. The sun is beginning to set, casting a gorgeous orange glow across the bay.
The beach is almost empty, just a couple walking along the water’s edge and the odd surfer attempting to catch the last of the sunlight.
Corey drives the length of the parking lot before continuing onto the sand.
“Are we allowed to drive out here?”
“Do you always follow all the rules?”
“Uh… yeah, actually.”
“Well, maybe it’s time to reconsider. Things can be much more fun when you break them.”
“You’d better show me, then.”
He glances over, mischief dancing in his eyes, and a wave of desire hits me.
He pulls the camper to a stop on a secluded bit of the beach. The few people we could see when we first arrived are no longer visible, making it seem like we’re the only ones here. It’s a heady thought, knowing that we’re totally alone once again.
“Do you want to eat inside or out?”
I glance over my shoulder at the stunning old-fashioned fittings, but as tempting as they are, I want to watch the sun make its final descent for the day.
“Outside. Definitely outside.”
“Come on then.”
He hops out of the camper before coming around for me, but my feet are already heading for the sand below.
His need to help must get the better of him, because he steps forward and wraps his arm around my waist. Our chests crash together, his hard lines against my soft curves, and I just about manage to swallow the groan of pleasure that threatens to rumble up my throat at his contact.
Slowly, he lowers me until my feet hit the ground.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all week,” he whispers, his deep voice hitting right between my legs.
“Oh, and here I was, thinking you’d forgotten.”
“Never. You’re all I’ve been able to think about.” To make his point, he presses his already hard length against me.
“Oh,” falls from my lips, but it’s no more than a breathy whisper.
“Every time I look at my tat chair, I see you laid out on it in your underwear. I’m pretty sure the guys I’ve seen this week all think I’m gay.”
I can’t help but bark out a laugh. “Whatever turns you on, Brit boy.”
His hand slips around the back of my neck as he drops his head slightly. Desire pulls at my lower stomach, and I lick my lips in preparation for what I hope is going to come.
“You, Vixen. Only you.” His lips brush mine, but he doesn’t give me what I need.
When I give in to temptation and move toward him, he pulls back, a wicked smile playing on his lips.
“We should eat.”
He takes a huge step away as I fall back against the seat, trying to catch my breath, and drag my head from the clouds.
I stand, feeling a little lost as he grabs a few things from the back of the camper and places them down on the sand.
“Help me with this,” he says, holding a blanket out toward me.
I take hold of it, and together we shake it out and set up our picnic. He places a wicker basket in the center before throwing a couple of cushions down and re-emerging from the camper with a chilled bottle of wine.
He passes it over and the label makes my heart race. I feel ridiculous that the sight of a bottle of wine can affect me, but I can’t help it.
“D-do you have anything else to drink?” I ask, wishing I could just suck it up and enjoy it.
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry. I forgot you don’t drink it.”
“I-It’s not that. It just reminds me of my parents.” My cheeks flush, feeling ridiculous.
“Oh… um…” He jumps back into the camper and pulls out a bottle of soda.
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“I should have brought rum.”
“It’s okay. You’ve done enough.”
“I borrowed my aunt and uncle’s camper and made a picnic, it’s not exactly the date of the century.”
Once he’s settled beside me, I reach over and place my hand over his.
“It’s perfect.”
“Really?” He glances over at me, and I love the little bit of vulnerability in his eyes.
“Really.”
We fall silent for a few seconds as a young family walks across the beach. We’re not close enough to hear what they’re saying, but I can’t help smiling as I watch their toddler attempt to chase their dog.
Corey sighs, dragging my attention back to him. “Hungry?” he asks before I get to ask if he’s okay.
“Starved.”
He opens the basket and reveals the contents. Bread from a deli, cheese, meats, olives. It’s almost a replica from our midnight snack at the hotel, and my cheeks heat as I remember eating some of that from his body.
Jesus, I was such a hussy that night.
Noticing my flushed state, he lifts the hem of his shirt
, cheekiness twinkling in his blue eyes. “Want a repeat?”
“A plate will be fine, thank you.” I lean forward to take one of the plastic ones he brought out and he drops his shirt. It’s a shame, but I’m on my best behavior tonight.
“I’m pretty sure you concluded that anything would taste better if my abs were the plate.”
“I did not say that,” I mutter into the palms of my hands as I try to hide my embarrassment.
“I guess you’ll have to do it again to test it out. Here.” When I part my fingers and look, he’s holding out some bread for me.
“You know, I don’t do what happened on Saturday night.”
“You don’t have sex? I think you’ll find you do. And I can also confirm that you’re really quite good at it.”
“Quite good?” I ask but regret the question the second it passes my lips. “Forget I asked that. And no, I meant I don’t go to hotel rooms with guys I’ve just met.”
“You didn’t just meet me. We’d got to know each other the previous night.”
“You know what I mean. I just needed you to know that it’s not something I make a habit out of. I’m not a…”
“A…?”
“Slut,” I mumble around a bit of my bread.
“Why would you even worry I would think that? If I had any questions about your morals or behavior, do you think I’d be here right now?”
I shrug. He has a point.
“I just needed to get it off my chest.”
His eyes drop to my breasts at my words, his pupils dilating as if he’s remembering what they look like with no clothing covering them.
“I could sure use you getting something else off your chest.” His voice is low, and it causes all kinds of flutters to erupt down below.
“Eat up. If you’re lucky, you might need your stamina later.”
His eyes fly back up to mine, a smirk spreading across his lips. Placing his food onto the picnic blanket, he leans over, resting a palm beside my hip and forcing me to lower my plate as he closes the space between us.
The fingers of his other hand gently brush against my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine. His eyes stare deep into mine. It’s like he sees me—the real me, cracks, dents, regrets and all—despite the fact that he’s barely scratched the surface of my life.
“You’re incredible. I’ve never had a first date before.” His admission hits me right in the chest. How? How is that possible? “So rest assured that if I didn’t want to be here right now, if I had any doubts about you, then I wouldn’t be.”
“Y-you’ve never had a date before?” I ask, utterly astounded.
He shakes his head.
“Why?”
He opens his mouth to respond but must change his mind at the last minute because he closes it again.
“It’s okay,” I encourage, desperate for him to open up just a little. It’s totally hypocritical of me because I’m not exactly an open book.
He sits back, sucking in a fortifying breath. “I’m not looking for forever, Harlow,” he admits as he stares out to ocean. “I’m not some kind of Prince Charming that you’re going to be able to gallop off into the sunset with.”
“But—”
“No. No buts. It’s who I am. I can’t be tied down.”
“Why?”
“Bad shit happens to those around me. I’m like a fucking curse that doesn’t stop striking. I refuse to drag anyone else into my fucked-up life.”
He pulls his knees up and rests his arms across the top as he focuses on the waves crashing.
“I’m no princess, Corey.”
The silence hanging between us is heavy, yet the pull I feel toward him never dissipates as he loses himself in his own head.
Pushing my plate aside, I do the only thing I can think of to drag him back from wherever he’s gone: I gently lift his arms and nudge his legs down before straddling his lap.
I take his cheeks in my hands. “Did you hear me?” I lean forward, the tip of my nose brushing his. “I said I’m no fucking princess.” I squeal as his hands grab onto my ass. He flips me over and stares into my eyes for a beat before crushing his lips to mine.
His kiss is hard, passionate, frantic, almost as if he just can’t get enough of me. I take everything he gives as my fingers grip tightly to the fabric at his back.
Our tongues duel and our teeth clash. I completely forget that we’re in a public place where everyone can see, and I lose myself to this tormented man.
He might think he’s a curse, but he has no idea that I’m the true poison here. But I fear that now I’ve had a taste of him, I’m not going to be able to release him.
When he eventually pulls back, both our chests heave for air as our breaths mingle. He stares down at me from his position with his hands either side of my head.
“Fuck,” he barks. “Why are you so fucking tempting?” I expect him to kiss me again, but I’m disappointed, because, after running his thumb along my bottom lip, he falls to the side and pulls me into his body.
His fingers trail around the softness of my stomach as we lie in silence. It’s not like it was earlier; it’s now comfortable with desire crackling between us. That kiss was amazing, but it was nowhere near what either of us needed.
“This is why I moved here,” he suddenly says, breaking the silence. He nods towards the empty beach and the orange and yellow sky. “I craved this kind of peace. This solitude. I had to get away, and here seemed like paradise.”
“And how’s it working out for you?”
“Good and bad.”
“How’s that?”
“Turns out you can’t run away from problems or nightmares. They follow you wherever you go.”
I may not have moved all that far from when I was a child, but I still know exactly what he means. “It doesn’t matter how much you try to drown them out, either. They’re always there.”
He looks down at me, and I’m powerless but to turn to him.
He searches my eyes as if he’s trying to find something. “You know. How do you know?”
“A lifetime of mistakes.”
“Tell me about it,” he says sadly, dropping back onto the blanket and resting his arm on my stomach. Together we stare at the sky as it darkens and the twinkling stars appear.
“Harlow?” he whispers so quietly I almost think I imagined it.
“Yeah?”
He twists so he’s on his side and staring down at me once more.
He bites down on his bottom lip as he considers his question, and I want to release it and bite on it myself. Lust shoots down my body as I remember what those lips are capable of. Of how alive he made me feel.
“Spend the night with me?”
My lips part to answer but no words come out. Instead, my mind goes crazy.
He’s already admitted he doesn’t do forever. Is this just a fancy hook-up? Did he do the date as a way to ensure I’d get in his bed?
“It’s okay. Forget it. Let’s just take you home.”
The thought of leaving him is worse than any of my previous concerns. If I go home, I get to climb into my cold bed and let my mind run crazy with thoughts of what could be. Or I could go with him and take a chance. The kind of chance Bailey has been begging for me to take for years.
“No. I want to stay with you.”
The muscles in his neck ripple as he swallows.
Leaning forward, he captures my lips, proving just how right my decision is.
Chapter Fourteen
Corey
I glance over at her as I drive the camper back to my flat. She says she’s no princess, and I think she’s right. She’s a fucking angel.
She should have run at the first hint of the darkness that follows me around, yet she’s here, holding my hand as I drive and agreeing to spend the night with me.
Going back to my place could be a mistake. All my shit is in boxes. It’s nowhere near a home. But I can’t bring myself to go back to her house, knowing that we’ll have compan
y. I need this woman all to myself. I need her in my bed.
We pull up outside my building, and I park in my allotted space, which is a novelty.
“Stay there,” I warn, jumping from the camper and jogging around to her side.
I pull her door open and step up to her.
“Last chance to change your mind, Vix.”
She shakes her head, a shy smile playing on her lips. My cock swells, knowing just how those full lips feel wrapped around it.
“Argh, Corey,” she squeals as I lift her from the seat and throw her over my shoulder.
Slamming the camper door, I march toward the building.
“This isn’t necessary,” she shouts as I unlock the front door and head for the stairs. “Your neighbors will think you’re abducting me.”
“Let them.”
I run my hand up the back of her exposed thigh and enjoy the feeling of her shuddering in my hold.
When she crawled onto my lap earlier, it took all my restraint not to take her right there and then where any fuckers could have walked by.
She deserves more than me. It’s one of the reasons I admitted what I did. I don’t want to put her off, but equally, I need her to know what she’s getting involved with. If she’s got images in her head of a white wedding, a picket fence and two point five kids, then she really needs to walk away.
I know the pain of when all of that goes wrong, and I refuse to put myself in that position again.
Alone is better.
No one can leave.
No one can betray you when you’re all alone.
I carry her up to my flat as if she weighs no more than a feather before finding my keys and letting us in.
The second we’re inside, I kick the door closed and drop her to her feet. She wobbles a little and takes a step back while all the blood rushes from her head.
“That really wasn’t necessary.” Her eyes hold mine, and I’m grateful she didn’t look around the place the second she opened them. I’m ashamed that I’ve been here all these weeks, yet I have no real home to show of it.
“I’ve not got much to offer, but would you like a drink?”
I take a step toward her, and she takes one back, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Page 12
