The Halo Series Boxed Set

by Kimberly Knight

  “If you want to stay, that’s fine.” I sighed, looking over Avery’s shoulder.

  “I want to do whatever you want to do.”

  I looked back at him. “I want to go back to our room.”

  “All right. Let’s go.” He stood and reached for my hand.

  Brooke and Easton were out on the dance floor laughing and falling in love—at least it looked that way. I’d never seen Brooke so happy, and I wanted to call Jared and tell him to suck it. He was a piece of shit that didn’t deserve her and I couldn’t wait to laugh in his face.

  We didn’t say goodbye. Instead, we just left and walked quickly to our room. People gave us the thumbs up, nodding their agreement and whistling as we walked by. Little did they know that they were seven nights too late; what we were going to do wasn’t the first time.

  Just like our first night, I slipped the key card into the door and Avery kicked it closed behind him. I turned towards him. He took two steps, grabbed my face in both hands and kissed me, my mask pressing into my face.

  “I’m going to miss doing that,” he said, taking a step back and untying his mask.

  I felt my throat tighten and my eyes sting. “Me too.” I untied my mask, setting it on the desk next to us.

  “I’m going to come visit you next weekend. I’ll make sure Easton covers the bar,” he said, returning his hands to my face and looked me straight in the eyes.

  “What if he wants it off because of Brooke?” I looked up at him, my head tilted back.

  “He has Cheyenne. He’ll need to spend the weekend with her.”

  “Okay. Will you call me every day?”

  “Honey, I’m going to hunt you down and I’m going to call you multiple times a day. Just because this trip is over, doesn’t mean we are.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise,” he said, and then kissed my lips again. “Just try and stop me. It’s me and you, Baby.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “Good. Now let’s turn that frown upside down.”

  I giggled and he kissed me again, my hands threading into his finger-length dirty-blond hair. We stayed like that for several minutes. I was going to miss his lips, his mouth, his smile. He started to unzip my dress and I turned in his arms to allow him better access. He brushed my long blonde hair off one shoulder, placing kisses on my neck as he slipped the zipper down.

  I sighed quietly, loving the feel of his lips and hands on me. I was going to miss his hands. Miss them on my body. Miss them holding my hand. Miss them playing in my hair. Miss them working my core.

  The zipper met its base and he slid his hands over my shoulders and pushed the dress down. His mouth returned to my skin, kissing along my neck and down my spine until he reached the bunched up fabric of my red dress.

  “I’m going to miss doing this too,” he said, slipping the dress down my legs.

  Did he know what his words were doing to me? I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying not to cry. I wasn’t sure why I was so emotional. I knew I’d see him again, but in seven days I was already attached. “Me too,” I finally choked out.

  “I might kidnap you and never let you leave once you visit me in New York.” He laughed.

  I laughed back, relieved he was lightening the mood. “I don’t think you’ll need to go to those extreme measures. I’ll probably not want to leave and you’ll have to kick me out.” I stepped out of my dress and remained in my bra, thong, and gold strappy heels.

  “Not a chance.” He turned me so I was facing him again.

  I was fighting it; fighting the damn tears that wanted to slide down my cheek. I didn’t want him to see me cry, so I kissed him again. I had to distract him from talking. His words were squeezing my heart and I didn’t want the pain. Even though he promised to call me every day, we couldn’t know what the future held.

  I kissed his lips while I undid his bowtie, pulling it from his shirt and throwing the black tie on the floor. I kissed his neck while I unbuttoned his dress shirt, and then tossed it on the floor with his tie and my dress. I kissed his chest while I bent down to undo his belt and slacks. He groaned as I got closer to his cock and I wanted him in my mouth. I wanted to please him; make him forget that this was our last night together for a week. Make me forget that this was our last night together for a week.

  We made quick work of his pants and left him standing naked in front of me at eye level. I looked up and smiled. Over the last seven nights, I hadn’t once done this for him. He was always pleasing me.

  “You don’t have to do that…”

  “I want to.”

  I grabbed his hardening cock and stroked it with my hand. He let out a hiss, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. I pumped him in my hand a few times then leaned forward on my knees, licking the tip of his cock. Avery reached back, steadying himself on the wall.

  The moment my hot mouth opened and slid him in, he groaned, grabbing a fistful of my hair. I bobbed, my mouth and hands working together to please him. His hips began to rock, syncing with the motion of my head. Pre-cum beaded his tip and I licked it, looking up at him. He looked down at me and smiled, and my heart skipped a beat. I was going to miss that smile.

  I lifted my mouth from his cock, my hands still milking him.

  “That feels so good,” he groaned, watching my hands pump his length.

  I licked his tip like a lollipop, loving the taste of him: salty, sweet, and mine. My mouth opened again, sliding him back in. His hands held my hair, pushing and directing me. His hips rocked, fucking my mouth, my hands pumping, twisting and gliding through the slickness of both my saliva and his pre-cum.

  “Baby, you need to stop or I’m going to come in that pretty little mouth of yours.”

  I didn’t stop. What girl would?

  Sucking, licking, bobbing, thrusting—everything worked together to bring him to his knees, literally. After he’d come in my mouth and I’d licked every drop, he kissed me, holding my face in his hands.

  “Now, it’s your turn,” he said with a smile.

  The following morning, I woke to the sound of pounding on the door. Avery was wrapped around me and not moving. I had no idea what time it was.

  “Nic, it’s me.” More knocking. “Nicole, open the door, please.”

  I climbed out of bed, wrapped a robe around my naked body and looked at Avery’s watch then groaned. Swinging the door open, I asked “Really, B, it’s like eight o’clock. I thought we decided on nine?” I yawned.

  “I kissed Easton last night, and I’m freaking the fuck out!”

  “Oh shit! Okay, give me five to say goodbye to A and then we’ll talk.”

  I closed the door and turned to Avery as he sat up in the bed. “Your best friend kissed my best friend.”

  “And?” He laughed.

  “And Brooke’s freaking out because she has a loser of a boyfriend and probably thinks she cheated on him.”

  “So I gotta leave?”

  I frowned. “Yeah. It’s an hour earlier than we thought, but I can’t leave her in the hall.”

  “I understand,” he said, getting out of bed.

  I watched as he slipped his legs through his boxers, covering his nice ass. I sighed as realization was starting to set in. “I’ll miss you, you know?”

  He smiled as he walked over to me. “I’ll miss you more.”

  I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugged him as tight as I could.

  “Call me when you land tonight, okay?”

  I nodded against his shoulder.

  “Look at me,” he said.

  I stepped back and looked into his ocean blue eyes, my eyes stinging because I didn’t want to let him go. The week had gone by too fast.

  “We’ll make this work.”

  “Promise?”

  “Promise.” He kissed me.

  We stayed wrapped in each other arms for a few more minutes and then Avery finished getting dressed. After I’d kissed him goodbye for the final time and
he’d left the room, Brooke told me how she fallen in love with Easton at the same time I fell in love with Avery.

  Saying goodbye to Nicole was hard. I didn’t want to do it. I wanted to stay in bed with her and never leave. I wanted her to miss her plane and stay with us for the night in L.A. I wanted her to come to New York and not go to Boston.

  I wanted her.

  “I’m going to hunt you down,” I said and kissed her goodbye. There wouldn’t be much hunting. I had her number, but I wanted her to know that I’d be coming for her and soon.

  I said goodbye to Brooke as I left the room to meet up with Easton. She looked pissed. I didn’t see the big deal that she and Easton kissed. She was going to break up with her boyfriend and she wanted Easton. Oh well, that was their crazy story. I had my own and I was trying to play it cool and not show Nicole that I was torn up about leaving her.

  Nicole seemed to be doing well with the situation and I didn’t want her to think I was some pansy who was already in love with her. I knew I was though. Saying goodbye to her had hit me hard in the chest. My heart stung. It broke. It stopped beating. I was a lovesick fool. Okay, maybe not a fool, but I was lovesick and it hadn’t even been a full minute since I’d last seen her face.

  Slapping on a smile, I used my key card to Easton’s room. “I’m in love!” I said, swinging the door open.

  “What?” he asked, only lifting his head as he sat on the edge of one of the beds.

  “I’m in love, dude.”

  “Good for you,” he grumbled.

  “What the fuck is your problem?”

  “Nothing,” he said, folding a piece of paper and stuck it in his pocket.

  “Why are you in a bad mood? I’m the one leaving the one I love.”

  “I kissed Brooke and she didn’t say goodbye. Sue me all right?”

  “She didn’t say goodbye?” No wonder she looked pissed. Easton obviously fucked up.

  “Yeah,” He sighed.

  “Wow, you fucked up.”

  “I know. Let’s talk about you. I don’t want to talk about this shit.”

  Fine by me.

  “Dude, Nicole is—fuck man, she is fucking…I can’t even comprehend how fucking amazing she is and not just in bed. I’ve never had this connection with anyone before.”

  “Uh huh,” he said, stuffing clothes into his suitcase.

  Even though I wanted to continue telling Easton about Nicole, I knew he didn’t want to hear it. I’d never seen him act this way about a girl before and I didn’t want him to try and kick my ass for flaunting my happiness in his face. So I changed the subject.

  “Ready to see Cheyenne?” I asked.

  A smile finally spread across his face. “Yeah.”

  “Me, too.” I smiled back.

  Easton continued to pack and a few minutes after he was done, our cabin was finally called to de-board. We met Bill and Cheyenne in the parking lot. The moment Easton saw his little girl, his mood changed. He now had two girls in his life and it was going to be a balancing act. Cheyenne needed him, but he needed Brooke. He needed a woman in his life. Hell, Cheyenne needed a woman in her life and not just her grandmother.

  While Bill drove us to our hotel for the night, Easton told Cheyenne about our trip. Easton had missed his Peanut, I’d missed her too. I glanced over my shoulder from the front seat a few times as Easton spoke. Cheyenne’s eyes would light up at his words. He gave her a necklace of a sea lion and told her how we went swimming with Cassandra. I couldn’t believe how fast the week had gone by. It felt like only yesterday that we’d arrived.

  I wished it was only yesterday so I could see Nicole again.

  Pulling out my cell from my pocket of my shorts pocket, I texted her.

  Me: I already miss you.

  Since our first day together, we’d agreed to never lie to one another. I missed her already and I wanted her to know. Maybe most guys would wait a day. Wait until they got home. Maybe wait the stupid three day rule—I wasn’t most guys.

  Nicole: I miss you, too. We’re at the airport now and about to go through security. How’s Easton? Brooke is all mopey.

  Me: Easton’s better now that he’s with his daughter. Text me when you land.

  Nicole: I will.

  I thought about telling Easton that Brooke was bummed about how things ended with them, but part of me didn’t want him to break her heart. He had a way of doing that and I didn’t want him to break my girl’s best friend’s heart.

  After Bill had dropped us off at our hotel, I called my parents. I wanted to see if they’d at least meet us halfway while I was in California but, of course, they had plans. Whatever, I didn’t need them. Honestly, over the years, Easton’s parents had been my parents. They’d treated me like their son, showed me love, took care of me when I was sick and took me in after college when I’d had no place to go. Maybe one day my parents would regret the choices they were making.

  Maybe not.

  My phone started to buzz in my shorts pocket. Thinking it was my parents changing their mind, I groaned, but then smiled when I saw Nicole’s name and face on my screen.

  “Hey,” I answered.

  “We’re about to board, but I just wanted to hear your voice.”

  “I’m glad you called.”

  “Tell me again that this week will go by fast.”

  “It will, Baby. And I promise to call you every morning and night. Maybe we can Facetime and you can give me a weekend preview?” I whispered, looking over to make sure Easton and Cheyenne weren’t listening.

  “You’re so bad.” She laughed.

  “But you lo…like me…a lot.” I couldn’t believe that I almost said the L word. If I told her that I already loved her, after a week, she’d run for the hills. I would run for the hills if some chick I really wasn’t into told me that she loved me after a week. But I wanted Nicole to love me.

  “I do. A lot, a lot.”

  “Good.” I smiled.

  “Well, we’re boarding. I’ll text you when we land and call you when I get home. It shouldn’t be too late in Cali at that time.”

  “All right, Baby.”

  “Want to go to the pool, Uncle A?” Cheyenne asked as I pushed the End button on my phone.

  “Only if we play Marco Polo.”

  “You know I’m better than you at that game.” She smirked.

  Easton laughed.

  “Oh, you think so, C.C.?” I teased.

  “I know so.”

  “Oh it’s on. It’s on like Donkey Kong.”

  “Marco!” Cheyenne yelled from across the pool.

  “Polo!” Easton and I said in unison. We were standing together at the opposite end of the pool from Cheyenne.

  “Marco!” Cheyenne yelled, getting closer.

  Easton and I looked at each other and then split apart, but not before calling out “Polo!”

  Easton and I had played this game almost every day in the summers growing up. If we weren’t at baseball practice, we were chasing the girls at the community pool by our homes. We had lived across the street from each other and were inseparable.

  Since my parents were off doing their own thing when I was growing up, I had dinner with the Crawfords every night and I stayed over most nights as well. The only time I saw my folks was during high school when I had baseball games and there were college scouts in attendance.

  My dad would try and sweet talk them as they watched me play. He would put in a good word for Easton too, but Easton had Dana and his focus wasn’t baseball. We’d both been accepted to Florida State, but Easton had stayed behind.

  I’d played baseball on my scholarship, but the more I’d realized that my parents only wanted me to succeed so they could retire and live off me, the more I’d started to hate the game. My game started to falter and after medical tests had come back showing I was healthy and had no illnesses that would take away my game, my dad had given up. That was when they wrote me off.

  I graduated, having nowhere to go except to T
he Crawfords. I was scared, prepared to live on the streets until I could find a job, but that wasn’t the type of people Jimmy and Jane were. They loved me like I was their own. They were my parents.

  “Marco!” Cheyenne yelled again.

  We again called out “Polo!” at the same time, but this time I was on one end of the pool and Easton was on the other. Cheyenne was closer to Easton, but the more she moved towards him, the more he inched away.

  “Marco!”

  Easton called out, “Polo!” and then went under water, swimming towards me.

  I called out “Polo!” from where I was standing on the opposite end.

  We went back and forth like this for a few minutes until Cheyenne started to pout. Finally, Easton and I looked towards each other and silently agreed to let her catch one of us. I couldn’t let Cheyenne get me after my smack talk in the hotel room, so being the good dad that Easton was, he took one for the team. We played a few more games but after an hour, I was beat. We went back to the room and while Cheyenne was in the shower, Easton and I ordered room service.

  While we waited, Easton asked me a question I wasn’t prepared for.

  “How do you know when you’re in love?”

  “What?” I asked, wide-eyed.

  “I’ve only loved Dana and that was different. How do you know when you’re in love?”

  “You love Brooke?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “I think so.”

  I was speechless. Utterly speechless. Easton Crawford didn’t do love, especially after a week and not even dating the woman.

  “I’ve thought about her nonstop. I fucked up, but I want to make it right. I hate this feeling.”

  “There are all forms of love. Are you sure you’re in love with her and not just a friendship love?”

  “If you’re referring to the love I feel for you versus her, then yeah. I’m in love with her.”

  “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t do anything until she breaks up with that fucker Jared.”