Caught in the Undertow (Hawaiian Crush #6) (15 page)

“Coen…” The pleasure hit her
unexpectantly. She touched herself harder, making it last as long as possible. She moaned loudly, unable to stop herself. She knew Coen was coming at the same time by the sounds he was making.

“
Mmm….”

She caught her breath then closed her eyes.

“That was good,” he whispered.

She turned on her side and held the phone to her ear.

“Goodnight, baby.”

She was already asleep.

The next week was just the same. Sydney missed her husband li
ke crazy. Nancy and Thatcher were supportive and gave her everything she needed, but they weren’t Coen. It wasn’t the same not living with him. A few times, she called Coen and told him she was coming home, but he talked her off the ledge. He understood her frustration because he felt the same way.

Her mom had a few interview
s but nothing stuck. Sydney was disappointed every time Coen told her the bad news. Sydney was becoming more and more frustrated every day. It was ridiculous that she couldn’t stay in the same house as Coen. Now she hated Dan more than ever.

Coen came over for dinner during the week, but only because Sydney begged him to.

“Thank you for coming,” she said as she held him tightly.

“I can only stay for a little while.”

She sighed sadly.

“I have to protect your mom. I can’t do that if I’m here.”

“I know. I just miss you…”

He kissed her forehead. “I miss you too.”

Thatcher placed the dinner on the table and they gathered around.

Coen took a bite of the taco. “This is good, Nancy.”

Nancy smiled. “Thatcher is the cook around here.”

“Really?” he asked.

Thatcher nodded.

“That’s badass,” Coen said. “I can only make macaroni and cheese.”

“If I’m not around to feed him, he starves,” Sydney said. “What have you been eating while I’ve been gone?”

“Your mom cooks for me.
”

“Oh.”

Nancy put down her fork. “Thatcher and I have been talking about the issue with your mom…”

“Oh?” Coen asked.

“Well, Thatcher and I need a secretary. After I was—promoted—we never hired someone to take my place. She could work for us. It comes with good pay and benefits.”

Sydney smiled. “That’s so sweet.”

“It is,” Coen said.

“But we can’t accept,” Sydney said.

“Why not?” Nancy asked.

“My mom…she’s different. She’s no
t reliable and you would be working closely with her. I wouldn’t want to do that to you.”

“Oh,” Nancy said.

“I just have to be honest,” Sydney said. “You guys are family. The last thing I want is to put you in an uncomfortable situation, one that you’re stuck with.”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Thatcher said.

“Well, she could work at my dad’s hotel as a room cleaner. The pay is better than it used to be. She wouldn’t be working directly for me or my dad. And you can tell her that she was just picked without any connections. That way she won’t slack off.”

Sydney nodded. “That’s an idea.”

“I’m full of them,” Nancy said with a smile.

“Are you sure that’s okay?” Sydney said. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“Consider it done. That hotel is going to be mine someday. I call a lot of the shots.”

Coen got up and hugged Nancy tightly. “Thank you.”

Nancy laughed as she clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

“I finally get my wife back.” He pulled away and returned to his chair. “Now we need to find her an apartment.”

“With what money?” Sydney said. “We have to wait until she gets paid.”

“Shoot me now,” Coen said with a sigh.

“Thatcher and I can take of that,” Nancy offered.

“No,” Coen said.
“Absolutely not. The job is more than enough.”

Nancy looked at Sydney. “Then she can stay in my dad’s hotel for a few weeks until she gets paid.”

“Are you sure?” Sydney asked.

Nancy nodded. “My dad will do pretty much whatever I tell him.”

Coen jumped up and hugged her again. “I love you.”

Nancy laughed. “I love you too.”

Coen returned to Sydney. “I’m so glad to get rid of her. I want to sleep with my wife again. I miss hearing you laugh in your sleep.”

“I don’t laugh in my sleep,” Sydney said.

“You do,” Coen said with a smile. “And it’s adorable.”

Sydney smiled.

“So, you’re coming home tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“This week has been hell,” Coen said.

“I can only imagine,” Thatcher said.

“At least your stepdad never came after her,” Nancy said. “That’s something to be grateful for.”

“And h
e better not,” Coen said.

“If he hasn’t come yet, I doubt he’s going to,” Sydney said.

“Maybe.”

“So let me come home with you tonight,” Sydney said.

Coen looked torn. “Uh…”

“Come on, Coen. Please,” Sydney said. “Do I have to beg you?”

“My wife doesn’t have to beg for anything.”

“Then let me come home.” She was practically on the verge of tears. “Please.”

“Okay,” he said. “Okay.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. “Thank you.”

Coen ran his fingers through her hair gently.

They finished their dinner then helped with the dishes. Sydney packed all of her belongings in a flash then carried the bags to the stairs.

Coen smiled at her. “Excited?”

“You have no idea.”

Coen turned to Thatcher and shook his hand. “Thank you for letting Sydney stay here.”

“There’s no need for gratitude.”

Nancy hugged Sydney. “Now go home and have sex with your husband.”

“Oh I will.”

“Well, you mom is still there…” Coen said.

“I don’t care,” Sydney snapped. “I’m a married woman. I have needs.”

Nancy laughed. “I’m sure she’ll love to hear that.”

Sydney and Coen drove back to the shack, and Coen carried everything inside. Her mother was already in the bedroom, so they moved to the couch.

Coen lay down and pulled her to his chest. He buried his face in her neck and sighed, happy to have his wife returned to him.

“I don’t think so,” she said as she crawled on top of him. “We aren’t sleeping.”

“Baby,” he whispered. “Your mom is just down the hall.”

She sealed her mouth over his and kissed him deeply. That shut Coen up. She pulled down his boxers then removed her bottoms.

He lay back and stared at her, watching her move over him.

She pointed him at her entrance then slid down.

Coen bit his lip. “You have to be quiet.”

Sydney i
gnored him. She gripped his shoulders and rocked into him hard. She felt his cock harden the longer she moved up and down. Feeling him inside her is what she needed right now, to feel the connection that developed as soon as they met.

“Slow down,” he whispered, grabbing her hips. “I’m not going to last long at this rate.”

She moved into him slowly, feeling him stretch her repeatedly. She pressed her face close to his and kissed him softly, their lips making soft noises as they pulled apart.

“Damn…you’re so sexy when you do this. It’s hard not to come.”

She pressed her forehead close to his. “I love you, Coen.”

He moaned. “Seahorse…” He only used the name in the
most tender moments. It was when his heart hurt, when he felt connected to her in the strongest way. She was his mate, his life partner forever, and when he felt that love and adoration pour out, it escaped his lips. “I can’t wait to get your pregnant.”

“We can pretend you are right now…”

“I’m already struggling…”

She rode him hard, feeling the burn between her legs.
“Oh…god.”

Coen moaned loudly as he thrust from below, coming deep inside her. “Yeah…”

She collapsed on top of him, catching her breath.

“You are really good at that,” he whispered.

“I learned from the best.”

He kissed her forehead. “That’s what I like to hear.”

She moved beside him and cuddled with him. “I’m so glad to be in your arms again. I never want to be apart from you.”

“I won’t let that happen again,” he whispered. “I hope you understand that I was protecting you. You are my number one priority. Even if I don’t like it, I have to do the right thing.
Always.”

“I understand.”

Coen pulled her to his chest and gripped her tightly, never wanting to let her go. Now that he had the love of his life back, he wasn’t going to let her slip away again.

15

When they were having breakfast the next morning, Sydney talked to her mom.

“We found you a job,” she said.

“What is it?” her mom asked.

“A cleaning position for Oahu Resort.”

“Oh,” she said.

“Is that okay?” Sydney asked. “It pays pretty well.”

“I guess.” She didn’t seem too thrilled about it.

“And the hotel is letting you stay there for free for two week
s until you get paid,” Sydney said. “Isn’t that exciting?”

“I’m not staying in a hotel,” her mother said. “Are you kidding me?”

“Well, you’re wearing at your welcome pretty fast,” Coen said.

Sydney glared at him. “Mom, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t want to clean up after people for a living.”

Sydney sighed. “Well, this all I could find.”

“I’ll keep looking.”

Coen tensed. “No, you’re taking this job. If you don’t like it, apply for something else in the meantime.”

Her mother picked at her eggs and averted her gaze.

Coen clenched his fist on the table. “I knew she was here just to mooch off you,
Syd.”

Sydney looked at him.
“Coen!”

“It’s true!” he snapped. “She was never planning on working. She just wants to get away from Dan and let us support her. No fucking way!”

Her mother looked offended. “I just don’t want to clean toilets. Would you?”

“No
,” Coen said. “That’s why I went to college.”

“Don’t be rude,” Sydney hissed.

“Me?” Coen asked incredulously. “She’s the one that’s got only one thing on her mind.”

Sydney held up her hand and silenced him. “Mom, what do you want to do?”

She shrugged. “I like doing hair.”

“Then go to beauty school,” Sydney said.

“That costs money,” her mother said.

Coen’s face turned red. “That’s why you get a job and pay for it.”

“I’m not going to ask you again!” Sydney said, glaring at him. “Shut up!”

“No, I’m not going to let her take advantage of you.”

Sydney turned away from him. “Mom, you are going to take this job. If you want something else, then you find it on your own. You’ll be staying at the hotel for two weeks. When you get your first check, you can get your own apartment. If you want to go to beauty school, save your money.”

She drank from her coffee then pushed it away. “I said I’m not doing it.”

Sydney sighed. “Then what do you want?”

“I want to go to beauty school and concentrate on that.”

“Let me guess,” Coen said. “You want to live here, rent free, and you want us to pay your tuition?”

Denise didn’t meet his gaze.

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Coen snapped. “You may as well pack your shit and get out of our house now.”

Sydney looked at him.
“Coen, please leave the room.”

He stared at her incredulously, a fire in his eyes. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“You aren’t helping the situation.”

“Why?” he asked.
“Because I’m not buying into her plan?”

“Just give us a moment.”

Coen grabbed his plate and smashed it against the wall. Both women flinched as the shards rained down. “I’m not putting up with this bullshit, Syd. I mean it.” He walked into his bedroom and slammed the door.

Sydney sighed and looked at her mother. “Mom, we can’t let you stay here.”

“If he hasn’t come by now, he isn’t going to.”

“Even if that’s true, Coen and I barely get by on our own. We can’t afford to take care of another person. And if we could, we would want to have a baby.”