Can't Buy My Love (4 page)

Chapter Seven

Hot tub? Well, my body and muscles
had
been getting quite the workout. The thought of bubbling hot water and even hotter kisses had me nodding my head.

Standing up, he grabbed my hand and tugged me after him. I hadn’t even realized his grandpa had put in a hot tub. Josh led me through the master bedroom onto the large, private porch that looked out over the Atlantic Ocean. Sure enough, there was a nice hot tub already happily bubbling with steaming water.

I gave him a questioning glance.

“I got it set when we first came back. I hoped I could talk you into it.”

“I’m totally easy. You should know that by now.” I jerked off his shirt I wore, kicked off my pants, and proceeded to get unabashedly naked. The night was warm, but the cool breeze off the ocean had my nipples hard as rocks and goose bumps covering my flesh. After hurrying to the tub, I climbed in, sighing as the hot water rushed to envelope my body.

Josh followed suit, taking off his clothes and sliding down next to me on the seat. I scooted over to give him more room.

“Where are you going, little lady?” He caught my hand through the bubbles and pulled me across the tub onto his lap. “There, that’s better.”

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, and I licked my lips when he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His head dipped, and he kissed just below my ear. More goose bumps. But this time not because I was cold.

His kisses moved slowly down my neck, until he reached the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder. His mouth opened and he sucked lightly. Arousal gathered between my legs and I moaned. His erection pressed into my bottom, tangible proof of how much he wanted me.

More. I needed more. Shifting on his lap, I draped my legs over his thighs so I faced him.

“Oh, damn you feel good.” He lifted his hips, rubbing the head of his dick against my aching center. Teasing me and not quite moving inside. “I love your breasts, Jessie. You know why? They’re big.”

“Wow, that was really deep.” I giggled at his comment. Somehow, it suited him. It was such an honest comment, so amusing. I stopped giggling when he reached up to cup each breast, pinching the nipples as his mouth covered mine.

“I’m about to get deeper.”

I moaned. “God, I hope so.”

Enough. I needed him inside me. I tried to sink down on his cock, but he lifted me up a bit and shook his head.

“Hold on, baby.” Reaching to the edge of the hot tub, he grabbed another condom.

He sure was much better than I was about remembering those. He sheathed himself and then cupped my hips before pulling me down onto his erection, moving steadily up into me as I sank down onto him. Inch by inch I took him deeper, my body expanding around him as tiny cries of pleasure escaped my mouth.

Sinking that last inch, he imbedded himself to the hilt and neither of us made any attempt to move. I wanted to enjoy that brief moment of having our bodies joined completely. He moved his finger between us and found my clit, rubbing the swollen bud of nerves until I started to breathe heavy.

Ready to move now, I lifted myself up and then sank back down on him. The friction of his dick sliding against my sensitive walls sent a shudder through my body. I did it again, lifting and sliding back down, increasing the pace and rotating my hips on him.

He groaned and wiggled his finger faster on my clit. “God, you feel so good.”

A long moan tore from my throat and I leaned into him, wanting the release his hand was so close to giving me. He kissed me again, his mouth hard against mine, thrusting his tongue deep to take control. Almost to demand I come for him while he kept rubbing me as I kept riding him.

The pleasure spiraled higher and then tilted over, spilling into a shuddering orgasm that ripped through my body. My inner muscles clamped around his cock, squeezing and pulsing as I cried out in ecstasy.

He pulled out and slid away from me. Turning me around, he positioned me so I leaned forward onto the edge of the hot tub, looking out at the ocean with my ass facing him.

The heat of his body tingled against my skin as he moved behind me. He pushed my head down against the edge of the tub, so my sex lifted higher in the air. His hands probed my opening and then he was pushing hard inside me.

He kept a hand on my shoulder, holding me in position as he started taking me from behind. Harder this time and faster. It was rough. Almost primitive—and I couldn’t get enough.

“Damn, I love fucking you, baby.”

I gasped, feeling the intensity of another climax building from being taken this way. The roar of the waves pounding the beach filled my ears, the smell of salt water and sex mingling into the sweetest aphrodisiac.

“Mine.” He thrust harder, making waves in the tub. “You’re mine, Jessie.”

“Yes, Josh,
yes
.” And it was true. I realized that just before my body exploded into another orgasm.

He groaned and pressed deep. I could feel his body shuddering against mine as he came too. We rocked against each other, gasping and trembling. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins and the hair on his chest, coarse and wet, against my back.

My eyes finally focused again, and I stared out over the ocean at the stars, listening to our breathing slowly return to normal.

He kissed the back of my neck and then pulled away. “You know what sounds really good?”

“Hmm?”

“Laying in bed, eating popcorn, and watching
21 Jump Street
.”

I blinked in surprise. He couldn’t possibly have known that Jonah Hill movies were my guilty pleasure.

“Or we could do a chick flick,” he offered when I didn’t reply right away.

“
21 Jump Street
sounds perfect.” I smiled and stood up, taking his hand as he helped me out of the hot tub.

He’d actually been willing to watch a chick flick with me? My heart melted a little more.

We walked back inside the house, and he went to the bathroom to grab me a towel. I dried my body, watching as he walked naked across the room.
Lord, what an ass he has on him.

“Climb into bed. I’ll grab us some snacks.”

Once he was gone, I pulled back the bedspread and slid between the soft sheets. Leaning back against the pillow, I closed my eyes, listening to the waves and wind coming from the door, which we’d left open.

I’m not sure how much time passed, but soon the bed dipped under Josh’s weight and he crawled into bed beside me. I glanced over just as he uncorked a bottle of wine.

Looking over the tray he’d brought, I stifled a giggle. Wine, a chocolate bar, and Cheetos.

“Go ahead and laugh. But you know you like it.”

I went ahead and laughed, picking up one of the puffy cheese chips and popping it into my mouth. “You’re very creative, Josh.”

“Thanks, I try.” He handed me a glass of wine and turned on the television with the remote. Pressing another button, the movie started to play. “I watched it a few days ago too.”

We watched the entire movie, sitting side by side with pillows propped up behind us. Feeding each other Cheetos and chocolate, we spent the night laughing at all the funny parts in the movie. When it ended, he turned off the TV and took the garbage to the kitchen.

I went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth with the travel supplies I’d brought, then crawled back into bed. He disappeared into the bathroom after me and came back a few minutes later. I snuggled up to him as he draped an arm under my shoulders. I was relaxed, slightly buzzed, and more than a little chatty.

“I’ve had so much fun. Tonight was great. Working at Fisherman’s Feast.” I sighed, my mind strolling down memory lane. “That place is practically a landmark.”

“Yeah, it is.” His voice changed a bit, grew tenser. “It’s gotten busier than when I was a kid though. Lots more families and tourists too.”

“I’m telling you, your grandpa loved that place, and made it a restaurant that the community would love too.” I paused. “Although, I bet you could make it even better. What with times changing and customer demands as well.”

“Like what?”

“Healthier options. You’ll find a lot of people coming over from the city that come in wanting a fancy salad or something.”

“I can see that. I’ve been thinking about offering some non-fried options.” He smiled a little. “I also thought it would be kind of fun if we had a kid area. Not a giant plastic playground or anything, but just some toys for the kids to play with.”

Wow. Now he was even thinking about the local children? That was so sweet.

“I think that’s a great idea. Maybe you could even hire some guy in a fish costume to come in on the weekends and visit with the kids.”

I threw it out there, half kidding, but he nodded and his gaze turned considering.

“That could be pretty cool actually. I’d like to see the place become even more kid friendly than it already is.”

“Speaking of kids, do you remember that time when you caught that salmon while fishing off the beach? And I was sitting nearby tanning with my friends?”

He gave me a thoughtful look. “Didn’t I come over and hold it over you or something?”

“Um. Yeah. You got fish slobber all over me. It was pretty disgusting, but you thought it was hilarious.”

He winced. “Sorry about that. I guess I was just being a teenage boy.”

I laid my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “Oh it didn’t bother me at all. I was just thrilled that you were paying attention to me. I was half in love with you back then.”

He stayed quiet for a moment. “What about now?”

My pulse sped up. Oh God. How did I answer that?

“I’m…not sure.”

But I was. The longer I considered it, the more I figured to be half in love with him. If not darn near all the way, which made me both giddy and terrified at the same time.

I would have analyzed it more, but then he moved his hand low on my hip and soon it curved between my legs. Thinking became a ridiculously hard chore.

“I can’t get enough of you.” He teased his fingers into my folds, tapping my clit until I was squirming and wet. “The feel of you, the smell of you, the taste. Let me send you off to sleep with a smile on your face.”

He shuffled under me, so I was on top of him. My pulse went into overdrive as he urged me upward until I straddled his head and gripped the headboard.

“Ah, what a pretty view.” His hands held my hips. “Why don’t you lower yourself to my mouth, baby.”

Groaning, I did. Moving downward slowly, he made the first wet stroke of his tongue between my legs. I whimpered, and he rewarded me with long, thorough licks. Dipping inside me and then sweeping up to flick my clit.

“
Josh
.” My fingers curled around the headboard. My hips lifted and fell against his tongue.

“Oh yeah. Like that.” He lightly bit my swollen clitoris, and then drew the kernel of flesh into his mouth.

I pressed down on his face as he suckled me, my body tensed when he teased the tiny hole between my ass cheeks.

“Relax,” he murmured, and started to lick me again.

He said it like it was an easy thing to do, but I was pretty much strung like a violin.

His finger, wet with my arousal, sunk inside my smaller hole. The sensation was new to me, and not half-bad. It was a different kind of pleasure, this forbidden pressure of him stretching me out. Soon he added a second finger.

The sensation grew stronger, and I knew I was going to lose it in a huge way. I gripped the headboard again, and with a loud cry, I came.

Lights exploded in my head, shudders ripped through my body, and my thighs trembled. The whole time he kept licking me and pressing his fingers inside me. Finally he eased up, and I slid off and back down beside him.

“Josh, you’re incredible.” I was absolutely smiling. “Shall I take a turn with you?”

He stroked my hair and kissed my forehead. “That was for you, baby.”

“Thank you,” I murmured drowsily. “I’ll take that over a cup of warm milk before bed any day.”

He laughed and reached over to turn off the light on the nightstand. Then he snuggled closer to me, his arms curled possessively around my waist.

“Good night, Jessie.”

My lips tipped into a contented smile. “G’night, Josh.”

Chapter Eight

The sound of a foghorn out on the ocean woke me. I sat up in bed and glanced toward the patio—we’d never shut the door last night. After a quick look down at Josh, I smiled. Snoring, one hand thrown above his head…he was still out for the count.

I slid out of bed, rubbing my arms as I went to close the door. One glance outside showed me that the fog had blown in, and with it, a drop in temperature.

I closed and locked the door, then considered my options. Being a morning person, I was wide-awake, and Lord knew how long Josh would stay asleep. Maybe I’d make breakfast, seeing as I never got around to making that pie yesterday.

After quickly throwing on some clothes, I went to the kitchen to find out what options he had in his fridge.
Hmm, not much
, I realized a minute later. Steak, beer, milk, and a container full of potato salad.

Biting my lip, I shook my head. This wouldn’t do. I wanted to make him a big, fantastic breakfast, or attempt to since I was a pretty shitty cook. But I wanted to give him his money’s worth.

The grocery store was just a couple of blocks away. I could walk down and pick up some bacon and eggs. And coffee. How could he not have coffee in the house? I grabbed his jacket off the wall, slipped on my sandals, and headed out the front door, leaving it unlocked behind me.

Even with the fog it was a nice morning. There was a light breeze that carried the salty smell of the ocean and the hint of moisture in the air.

It was quiet, with most people probably still inside sleeping or having breakfast. I hadn’t checked the time, but I guessed it was somewhere around ten.

I reached the grocery store and found it nearly deserted. When I arrived in the dairy aisle, I saw her. My Grams and her newest lover, I was guessing, seeing how he pinched her bottom while she reached into the fridge section to grab some milk.

Okay, it was kind of sweet. Grams giggled and shot him a reprimanding look, then spotted me behind him.

“Jessica!” She shoved the milk at her beau and made her way toward me. “Sweetheart, how are you? Are you enjoying yourself with Joshua?”

“I’m fine.” I felt the heat of a blush steal up my cheeks. “We’re having a good time.”

“Oh, that’s so wonderful! I knew when I first saw him that he’d bid on you if I asked. So tell me, have you—”

“You asked him to bid on me?” The heat in my cheeks drained away, and my lips felt suddenly numb.

“I ran into him early Friday morning and told him he should come by and get the bidding started on you. I recognized him right away even though it’s been years since he’s been here,” she went on breezily. “Although he looks quite scandalous now with those tattoos and those round things in his ears.”

Josh had been asked to bid on me? I wanted to throw the carton of eggs on the ground. Or better yet at him. What had he said when I’d asked why he’d paid all that money for me?
Because you deserved that much.

Horse shit!

“But you’d better hurry up and sleep with him if you intend to.” She poked me in the side with her cane and gave a wide grin, oblivious to my anger. “Seeing as he’s going to be gone soon.”

“Gone?” Did Grams know something I didn’t?

“Well, yes, hasn’t he told you? He only came back to put the house up for sale and meet with the people who want to buy Fisherman’s Feast.”

“He’s selling…” It was almost hard to breathe. Confusion and anger warred in my heart to be top emotion.

“Yes, apparently some fast food seafood chain offered to buy it from him. I heard the money’s amazing.”

The thought curdled in my belly. After all we’d talked about last night? The ideas we’d shared about the restaurant? And he was thinking of selling it? To a fast food chain? The thought of the charming mom and pop restaurant being replaced with a mass of neon and hard plastic booths made me sick.

“What’s wrong, Jessie? You don’t look well.” Her eyes lit up. “Did you two overindulge in drinks last night? Maybe get a little cozy—”

“No!” I set the eggs down on a random shelf and turned around. “I need to go.”

I didn’t want to go back to Josh’s. I wanted to run home and bawl my eyes out. But my stuff was at his house, and by now he probably wondered where I was. The last thing I wanted was him hunting me down to figure out what had happened. I’d just have to face him.

When I opened the door to the house, he was in the kitchen searching through the cupboards.

He heard me come in and turned around with a grin. “Hey, where did you go?”

“To the store.”

Cocking his head, he gave me a puzzled look. “But you didn’t buy anything?”

“No.”

He closed the distance between us and started to take me into his arms. I pushed against his chest and gave him my cheek when he tried to kiss me.

“Did my grandma ask you to bid on me?”

He blinked, looking down at me with confusion. “I don’t think so.”

“She told me she did.”

He seemed to think about it for a minute. “When I saw her yesterday morning, she said I should consider it. But, Jessie, you have to know that I would never have bid a dime had I not wanted you.”

I met his gaze and some of the fight drained out of me. He was telling the truth. I knew him well enough, could see the sincerity in his eyes.

“Okay.” I nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me you were selling Fisherman’s Feast?”

His jaw locked and I watched a flush of color steal into his face and neck. That was all the reaction I needed to know he hadn’t been honest with me on that front. I pushed away from him and went into the bedroom.

“Jessie…” He followed after me, but I ignored him as I started throwing my stuff into a bag.

“We were in bed last night, brainstorming all these ideas about how to make the restaurant better.” I looked at him as I stuffed my high heels into my bag. “It never occurred to you to say something like ‘Oh by the way I’m selling the place, so it’s irrelevant’?”

He shoved a hand through his hair and sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“No, you know what’s complicated?” I spun around and shook my head. “My feelings toward you. How I considered giving up my job—which I make damn good money at—to go elbow deep into the restaurant with you. To turn that place into something even more special than it is now.”

His gaze grew somber, a flicker of admiration in it. “You’d have done that for me?”

“I don’t know! I was thinking about it.” I went back to packing. “You’re putting the house up for sale too?”

His silence was just another confirmation. Tears pricked behind my eyes as I zipped my bag closed.

“It was good to see you again, Josh.” I slid the bag over my shoulder and gave him a tight smile. “Have fun wandering around the world and spending all the money you’ll get from selling your grandpa’s pride and joy.”

It was a cheap shot, but I was so hurt and angry I didn’t really care.

“You don’t understand.” He started to come after me. “There’s stuff you don’t know about.”

I sidestepped him. “Well, maybe so, but it doesn’t change the bottom line, Josh.” He would still be leaving me. Which meant I’d been stupid enough to invest my heart into something that was a dead end.

“Jessie…”

“Forget it. It’s over.” It killed me to say it, but I knew I had to.

“Over?”

“This auction agreement. Us. Does it really matter? We both have lives to get back to.”

His hand fell to his side and he made no further move to come after me. “Let me at least drive you to your house.”

I stopped in the doorway, glancing back at him one last time. It wasn’t easy, and I tried not to think about the tightness in my throat and the furious churning in my stomach. “It’s probably better that I find my own ride home.”