Secret Obsession

by Katie Reus

  His jaw tightened, pulling his scars tighter. “You’re pissed at me.”

  “Of course I’m pissed!” She winced, glanced over her shoulder. The storeroom door was still closed and they didn’t have any customers, but still, this was where she worked and she didn’t want Julieta overhearing any of this. She turned back to face him. “You talked to me like I was a whore,” she said quietly, rage surging through her. Last night she’d been too shocked to respond other than to tell him to leave. But now that he was standing in front of her she couldn’t hold back.

  He moved lightning fast until he was right in front of her. He reached out, grabbed one of her hips with his hand.

  She blinked at the possessive grip, but also didn’t step back. She hated that she liked the feel of him holding her.

  “You’re not a whore,” he bit out, looking as pissed as she felt. “I was crude because I was… It doesn’t matter. Fuck. I was wrong and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk to you like that or make you feel like that. Let me make it up to you, please.”

  “There’s nothing you can do. I want more than sex, more than fucking.” She whispered the last part, still angry at the way he’d spoken to her. “I won’t settle for something less than I deserve, even if I am into you. I thought you were different, but last night—”

  His fingers tightened. “Ruby—”

  “No. You’re just another asshole.” She pushed at his chest as she heard the storeroom door opening. Almost at the same time the front door to the store opened and two women, sisters if she had to guess, came in laughing to each other.

  Perfect timing.

  Completely ignoring Montez, she sidestepped him and went to greet the customers. She hoped he’d leave because she had nothing left to say to him. Work was exactly what she needed when all she wanted to do was cry.

  * * *

  “What’s that look?” Raegan asked, her beach bag hooked on her shoulder as Ford pulled out a towel and beach umbrella from the back seat of his truck. He was glad she’d asked him to come with her.

  Ford’s lips curved up at her question. His aviators hid his eyes but apparently she was learning to read him. Which was…interesting. She was more perceptive than some cops. “Nothing. Just thinking that it’s been a long time since I’ve done this.”

  “Done what?”

  “Gone to the beach.”

  She pushed her own sunglasses down, gave him a pointed look as he shut the door. “You live in Miami. That’s wrong on so many levels.”

  He just snorted as they headed for the boardwalk. “Sand just reminds me of the desert.” And he hadn’t had a lot of fun there. Not to mention he always felt like a sitting duck on the beach. Which he knew was ridiculous. But there was literally no cover from an attack. Not that he expected to be attacked on South Beach, but some things had been ingrained in him long ago.

  “Oh, right. Grant mentioned you were in the Marines too.” She glanced at him. “Was it hard to transition back?”

  He lifted a shoulder. That was a complicated answer and not one for a beach day. “I had it harder than some, easier than others.”

  She nudged him with her hip. “That’s a very evasive answer.”

  He just grinned. Being around Raegan was a breath of fresh air. “Maybe I’ll tell you more one day.” The thought of opening up to anyone was hard enough, but especially a woman who he was starting to have real feelings for.

  “I’m glad you came with me today.”

  “I am too.” After their kiss this morning he’d been feeling unsettled. She hadn’t brought it up and he wasn’t going to either. Not yet anyway. “Your friends were nice.”

  “Thanks. I think Jules feels a lot better now after seeing me. Or she seemed to.”

  He nodded. It was clear both her friends had been experiencing a lot of guilt over last night.

  “Ford?” A familiar male voice made him stop dead in his tracks. All the muscles in his body pulled taut at the sound of his brother calling his name. Seriously? What the fuck?

  Raegan stopped with him and they both turned to watch Dallas, wearing board shorts and a T-shirt, heading toward them. His dark hair was a little longer than Ford’s, but there was no mistaking they were related. Even though this was the last person he wanted to see, he forced himself to be civil even as annoyance surged through him. He was past anger, but that didn’t mean he needed or wanted to see his brother. “Hey, Dallas.”

  “What are you doing here?” his brother asked, an iced coffee in hand.

  “Public beach.” He shrugged, not caring if he sounded like a dick.

  “Oh yeah, I mean, I just…I’m surprised, is all. It’s good to see you.” He looked at Raegan, gave a nervous smile. “I’m Dallas, Ford’s brother.”

  Raegan was all smiles as she shook his hand. “Raegan, Ford’s friend.”

  He wanted to be more than friends, but right now, he just wanted Dallas gone. Being around his older brother brought up too much bullshit he didn’t want to deal with. Especially when he was with Raegan. He just wanted today to be about her.

  “You guys here for the windsurfing thing?” Dallas continued when all Ford wanted to do was leave.

  Ford had no idea what his brother was talking about. “No.”

  “Oh, well…I’m here with my new girlfriend.” He motioned over to a blonde-haired woman in her thirties. The woman smiled at them. “She works for the firm. Another lawyer like me,” he said, looking at Raegan, his smile polite. “If you guys want to join us—”

  “We’ve got plans, but thanks for the offer.” Yeah, Ford knew he was being an ass but he couldn’t just stand around and pretend with Dallas.

  “Right. Well…maybe I’ll see you at Mom and Dad’s next weekend?”

  “Yeah, maybe.” He avoided Sunday dinners when he knew Dallas would be there. Something his brother had to know.

  “It was nice to meet you,” Raegan murmured, hitching her bag slightly against her side.

  “You too. Ford, I, uh, I’ll see you around.”

  He didn’t say anything as his brother left. “You want to grab a drink before we hit the sand?” he asked, turning back to Raegan.

  “Um, no.” She linked her arm through his as they continued down the boardwalk. He savored the unexpected closeness, even as he braced himself for the inevitable questions. “Is your brother a puppy murderer or something?”

  He snorted. “No.”

  “Then what was that about? I know it’s a super nosy question but I’ve never imagined you being so cold with someone.”

  “But you have imagined me in other scenarios?”

  Now she snorted. “You’re such a guy.”

  “That’s not an answer.” And he wanted to know if she had thought about him, fantasized about him. He might have been burned before but sweet Jesus he needed to let that shit go. If he wanted to move on, he knew he needed to deal with the past. He’d just never wanted someone enough to move on from that. And he sure as hell didn’t want to think or talk about his brother anymore.

  Even through his shades he could see her cheeks flushing red as they reached the sand. “You’re deflecting from my question, but…fine, maybe I’ve thought about you in certain scenarios.”

  He bit back a groan. Maybe was good. “You feel like expanding on that?” he murmured, taking his shoes off as they started across the white sand beach.

  “Nope. Two can play your game.”

  He sighed. “What do you want me to say?”

  “I want to know what happened between you two. And also, was your brother conceived in Dallas?”

  A laugh escaped before he could stop himself. “Sadly, yes.”

  “That’s pretty awesome.”

  “Apparently he was conceived when they were there on a trip and my mom didn’t want to name him after the hotel so she settled on the city instead.”

  “Your mom sounds fun.”

  A real smile lifted his lips. “Yeah, she is. Is this spot good?” He motioned to one of the o
nly free strips of space on the packed beach. People with towels, coolers, radios and umbrellas were scattered out in every direction. That was another thing he didn’t like about beaches—how crowded they were.

  But when Raegan dropped her bag and stripped off her sundress he realized what a fool he was. Beaches were the best place on earth.

  He swallowed hard, was glad for his sunglasses as he drank in the sight of her. Her bikini was plain black and showed off every inch of her body. From her full breasts to her slender waist and the soft flare of hips—he wanted to cover her up so no one else could see her. Which, she would say, was completely caveman of him.

  She was of average height but because of her lean build and sexy-as-sin legs she seemed taller. Her legs were toned, slightly muscular, and he could imagine her wrapping them around his waist or shoulders as he buried his face between them.

  Tearing his gaze away from her, he made himself busy with the umbrella. Anything was better than staring at her because he was having a difficult time keeping his reaction to her locked down.

  Once the umbrella was in place he looked back at her to see that she was spraying on sunscreen and smoothing it over her arms and chest.

  Scratch that, impossible.

  He stripped off his shirt. “I’m gonna head to the water,” he rasped out, unable to hide his erection.

  Not only had he endured some of the toughest training in the world, he was now in his thirties. Not some randy teenager. But around Raegan none of that mattered.

  It didn’t matter that she was one of his best friend’s cousins, or that she was a decade younger than him, or that he knew he’d likely get burned by her. He wanted to taste her again and this time he wasn’t going to stop at kissing. Not unless she told him to.

  Chapter 7

  Raegan didn’t miss the looks a few women on the beach gave Ford as he practically stalked from her to the water. She wasn’t sure what was going on with him but she also didn’t blame people for looking at him. Heads popped up and swiveled, watching those long legs stride with purpose toward the ocean.

  The man was a work of art. His physical appeal was part of it. There was no denying the man simply looked good enough to eat. He was all hard lines and raw sex appeal. But it was more than that. The way he carried himself was confident, clearly secure in who he was. That alone was damn sexy.

  Earlier when he’d run into his brother he’d been different though. Not the secure man she knew. It had been so obvious his brother was trying to be nice and drag a conversation out of Ford. That had been a little strange and she couldn’t deny that she was curious. But if he didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t push.

  After making sure her phone was tucked away in her bag, she zipped it up and headed to the water. The sand was warm against the soles of her feet, the sensation soothing. What had happened last night now felt a little surreal, almost like it had happened to someone else.

  She just felt lucky that things hadn’t been worse. And now here she was, hanging out with Ford. That was the best kind of silver lining she could imagine. When she stepped into the cool water, a sense of peace invaded her. Since moving to Miami she didn’t think she would ever want to leave. For the first time in pretty much ever, she felt at home, like she belonged. She loved her parents and where she came from, but Miami was where she was supposed to be. She knew that bone deep.

  “I have a confession to make,” she said as she reached Ford. The water splashed around her waist as she moved farther out.

  “Oh yeah?” His voice seemed a little deeper than normal and way more sensual.

  Shivers skittered over her skin. “You’re not the only one named after something.” Or in her case, someone. “My mom had a crush on Ronald Reagan and named me after him. She apparently spelled my name wrong at the hospital and that’s how I ended up with the ‘e’ and ‘a’ reversed.”

  His mouth curved up, sending another bout of butterflies off in her stomach. “Your name fits you.”

  “Thanks. Can I ask you something?” When he tensed she figured he thought she’d ask about his brother. But that was the last thing on her mind.

  “Sure.”

  “Are we ever going to talk about that kiss?” Because she really, really wanted to. If she didn’t remember how he’d tasted, how his lips felt against hers, that little groaning sound he’d made, she might have questioned whether it happened at all.

  It was clear she surprised him. He scrubbed the back of his neck. Water rolled down from his arm, making soft splashing sounds. “I was worried that maybe I took advantage of you this morning.”

  Laughing lightly, she cut through the water so that only a foot separated them. She slid her sunglasses on top of her head so she could look at him and was glad when he did the same. She didn’t want any barriers between them. “I liked it. A lot.” Maybe that wasn’t polished of her, to come out and say it, but she didn’t care.

  “I did too.” His gaze dropped to her mouth, his eyes going heavy-lidded as he moved even closer. The water was clear enough today that she could see his hand moving toward her. When he loosely gripped one of her hips, she completely closed the distance between them.

  And came right in contact with his erection as her body drew flush against his. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised, but it shocked her a little. In the best way possible. There were a dozen or so people around them in the near vicinity but no one closer than thirty feet so they had plenty of privacy.

  “I’d like to take you out. On a date,” he added, as if to make it clear.

  She had to squint a little because of the bright sunlight glinting off the Atlantic. “I’d like that too.” Excitement danced out to all her nerve endings. She’d dated since moving to Miami, but she hadn’t slept with anyone since…ugh, her sophomore year of college. Sex had just seemed overrated. Or more likely, she’d been with the wrong guys. Being this close to Ford, close enough to kiss him again, she had a strong feeling that sex with him would be incredible.

  “Tonight?” he murmured, rolling his hips once against her.

  Heat flooded between her legs. That sounded perfect. “Y—oh, I can’t. I’ve got a stupid thing to go to. With a friend.” And she hated that she’d agreed to be her friend’s date. Part of her wanted to cancel, but that was a crappy thing to do to a friend. Plus, she’d promised.

  For a moment his jaw tightened and she remembered that he’d been in her cousin’s office when she’d told them she had that thing tonight. She wondered if they’d mentioned who she was going with.

  Gah. “Tomorrow instead?” Because she didn’t want to wait to go out with him.

  His eyes were on her mouth again as he nodded and she felt that heated look all the way to her toes. “I’ll pick you up around six?”

  “Sounds good to me.” Did it ever.

  To her surprise, he leaned down, slowly, giving her time to back away if she wanted, but she had no intention of pulling back from sexy Ford.

  For a brief moment, his lips skated over hers before he completely took control. He pulled her closer to him until their bodies collided while he slid his free hand through her hair, holding onto the back of her head.

  Just like before she felt overwhelmed by him in the best way possible. Her palms settled against his chest as she leaned into him. She flicked her tongue against his, moaning into his mouth as his hand moved up, up, up, his big callused palm sliding up her waist and ribcage until he stopped just below her breast.

  Her nipples ached and her entire body felt as if she was one giant exposed nerve. He didn’t move any higher, but she could feel the tension humming through him, knew he wanted to touch her elsewhere.

  Probably just as much as she wanted to touch him. But this was the beach and getting naked was definitely frowned upon.

  Groaning softly, he pulled back, his breathing harsh, uneven. “I want to do more than kiss you right now.” The words seemed to be torn from him as he watched her intently.

  “Right back at you
.” She wanted to touch the man everywhere, get him worked up, see him lose total control.

  But she’d heard anticipation was a good thing. It sure didn’t feel like it though.

  * * *

  The beach was crowded today which wasn’t a surprise. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday in Miami. The perfect cover for what he needed to do.

  He’d tracked Raegan here using her phone—which he’d cloned, since she’d been stupid enough to leave it lying out at work. It was like she wanted him in her life, watching her.

  So far he’d just been intercepting her incoming messages and learning her schedule. He wanted to know everything about her. Where she went, who she hung out with. Copying her SIM card had been easy. But it wasn’t enough.

  He needed to be inside where she lived, to see where she slept at night. He’d tried to snag her keys a few times, but she always kept them locked up in her desk with her purse. But not her phone. She carried that everywhere. Cloning it had given him the perfect insight into her life, into who she really was. That was when he’d realized that they truly were perfect for each other.

  That she was his. He started getting hard thinking about everything he wanted to do to her, so he shut off that train of thought.

  When he saw her bag he knew she had to be nearby. Scanning the throng of beach chairs, people on towels, the bright rainbow of umbrellas fanning out along the white sand, he frowned. She had to be somewhere close. Stepping around a trio of umbrellas he continued looking—his throat constricted when he saw her in the water, kissing someone. Or he thought it was her. It was far away, maybe a hundred yards. But yeah, it was her. Raegan’s long dark hair fell down her back as she pressed up against someone.

  The man from the other night.

  Stupid whore.

  The man appeared to be holding onto her as if he owned her. No! She was his. None of her texts that he’d read had made it sound like she was with anyone. So this guy must be new.

  He’d take care of the fucker soon enough.