Given (Give &Take) (9 page)

Holding back one more minute, I pressed my face between her ass, licking from her clit to the dimple at the base of her tailbone. She made a strangled cry into the pillow; her body shivered in response. I could do that all night, but my dick was throbbing painfully and I had to be inside her.

On my knees behind her, I rubbed her pussy with my cock a few times, getting myself wet and making her squirm. “Please,” she said, pushing back against me.

I grabbed her hips and shoved inside her, balls deep. She inhaled sharply, fisting the sheets in her hands. I pressed my thumb between her cheeks and took her hard and fast, unrelenting, pounding her, and she loved it. Our bodies smacked together, the sound of her dripping wetness
between us audible as I pulled out and thrust back in. I fucked her up the bed to the headboard. She pressed her palms against it, bracing herself. Both of us grunted on the impact of every thrust. She reared back to meet me, eager for every one.

We wanted to climb into each other’s skin. Making love wasn’t enough. Fucking wasn’t enough. Whatever we were doing was what came next and it wasn’t enough. We needed more, the complete and utter taking of the other person. Making them lose control—making ourselves lose control. Hell-bent on oblivion through insane orgasm.

She reached back and grabbed my leg, moaning and panting. “Faster.” She was right there, so close to coming, I could taste it in the air.

I rocked in and out of her faster, deeper, harder. She made sounds I’d never heard her make. My core burned and shook. When she came, I would go off like a geyser inside her. I pushed my thumb deeper and she cried out. Her body jerked and quaked. I felt her hot gush around me as her contractions brought me to my own orgasm. She tried to put her knees together, but I held them apart and kept thrusting, my own release rushing to the tip of my cock like a fire hose.

All the air went out of my body. The room went black behind my eyes. Sound faded to silence. I think
I
heard angels singing. There was a bright light—either Heaven or lightning. I was inclined to think it was Heaven.

My body collapsed on top of her. Both of us lay there
unmoving, limp, panting, still quaking and moaning with the aftershocks.

“That was…” Her voice trailed off into the pillow.

I slid my hands under her, cupping her breasts, and kissed the back of her neck. “That was something there’s no name for. No words to do it justice.”

She sighed contentedly. After a few minutes, her breathing turned deeper and slower and I fell into sleep with her.

M
y mom, Aunt Jan, and Maddie stood at the bottom of the grand, curved staircase in the entryway of the hotel. I peeked down at them before descending in my grandmother’s wedding dress, which Mom had brought with them.

The vintage white gown fit perfectly. It had off-the-shoulder sleeves that hung to the elbows in gathers of lace and a rounded neckline beaded with a row of pearls. The back plunged in a V to the banded waist. The skirt hung much like the sleeves, in delicate folds of lace. The long train was also made of hand-sewn lace and beaded with a wrist loop underneath for carrying it off the ground at the reception.

I was in love with this dress and never wanted to take it off.

“Merrick’s not around, right?” I called down.

“He’s outside with MJ and Mr. Simcoe. Do you have it on?” Mom asked, craning her neck to see up to the landing where I stood. “Need help with the buttons?”

“I managed to get them all.” The small pearl buttons
were insanely hard to fasten. It took me forever, but I got every one of them.

“Get down here!” Maddie yelled. “We’re dying to see you in it.”

Stepping carefully down to the first step, I glanced back to make sure the train was straight. I couldn’t believe I was standing at the top of the staircase at Turtle Tear in a wedding dress, preparing to become Mrs. Merrick Rocha. It was surreal. Not even a year ago I was interviewing with him for the project manager position to restore the hotel. Now he was mine.

I was afraid I’d wake up and find it was all a dream.

I held on to the railing and took deliberate steps down the staircase. My mom covered her gaping mouth with her hands. Aunt Jan beamed. Maddie grinned. I couldn’t suppress the nervous laugh that bubbled out of me. “You like it?”

Mom rushed to me and took my hands. “You’re a breathtaking bride.”

“Merrick will be blown away,” Maddie said, shaking her head in disbelief. “You look like a model out of a bridal magazine.”

“That boy won’t know what to do with himself.” Aunt Jan leaned on the railing. “I just hope he makes it until the wedding night.”

Mom shot her a stern look. “Don’t dirty up this moment.”

MJ jogged into the entryway from the hall. “Don’t mind me. I’m just getting the—” His dark eyes, so much like Merrick’s,
went wide. “Whoa. Rachael. My dad’s going to freak when he sees you walking down the aisle.”

“Isn’t he?” Maddie said, exchanging an awed glance with him.

MJ kept his eyes on her, his expression turning to a smile that dented his Rocha dimples. I knew they were both thinking of the wedding somewhere in their own future.

“Maddie, you’ll be a bridesmaid, won’t you?” I asked. “And maybe we can sneak you into some bridal gowns, too, while we’re finding a dress. You know, just for fun.”

Her eyes never left MJ’s as she grinned. “I’d love to.”

He shook his head, snapping himself out of his fantasy, and pointed to the kitchen. “I was getting drinks.” He took a few steps and looked back at Maddie before striding into the kitchen.

“Be right back,” she said, and went after him.

“I’m not sure who has it worse,” Aunt Jan said. “You or her. Those Rocha men have you both panting after them.”

“Hey, I’m not panting,” I said, trying not to think of last night and blush furiously in front of my mother.

“What kind of flowers are you thinking of?” Mom asked, ignoring us.

“Yellow calla lilies.” It was the first flower Merrick ever gave me and no other would be right to carry.

“With dark green ferns,” she said, fussing with my dress. “Oh, it will be so pretty!”

“And not even two months away,” Aunt Jan said, eyeing my stomach. “Any reason for the rush?”

I shoved her shoulder. “No. I just wanted to get married around Thanksgiving and there’s no reason to wait. We have the location. I have a dress. Why wait?”

“Okay. If you say so.” She patted my stomach.

“Don’t even joke about that,” Mom said, smacking her hand away. “I want to be a grandma, but not yet.”

These two would be the death of me. “Nobody’s going to be a grandma. I’m going to go take this off and hang it up.”

I spun on the stairs and climbed up to the landing thinking maybe a trip to Vegas and a drive-thru Elvis wedding would be a better option.

“Come on. I want to see it,” Merrick pleaded, splashing me. We were spending the afternoon at the pool. My mom was reading a trashy romance novel in a lounge chair and Aunt Jan was snoring in hers. Maddie and MJ had disappeared. Mr. Simcoe was pulling weeds from a flower bed, never content to be idle and relax.

“You can’t see it until the wedding.” I splashed him back, holding on to the side in the deep end with one hand so I didn’t go underwater.

He was perched on the side, dangling his legs in the water. “No. I can’t see you
in it
until the wedding. I can see the dress.”

I laughed. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it goes, but I’ll make you a deal.”

He shrugged his eyebrows up and down. “Am I going to like this deal?”

“I know I will.” I swam between his legs and wrapped my arms around his calves. “I’ll show you a picture of it if you make me key lime pie.”

He rolled his eyes and groaned, teasing. “You and that sweet tooth of yours.”

“You like it as much as I do!”

He lifted and lowered his legs, propelling me forward and back through the water. “Fine. I’ll make it. When do I get to see this picture?”

I gave him a shrewd smirk. “As soon as you deliver my pie.”

“I’ll deliver your pie,” he muttered, sliding down into the water and grabbing me between my legs. I let out a startled, high-pitched yelp, making my mom look up from her book.

“Stop,” I whispered between clenched teeth, smiling at my mom, hoping she didn’t see what he’d just done.

“We live here together. Do you think she doesn’t know we sleep together?”

“It’s not the sleeping I’m worried about.”

Merrick took a deep breath and disappeared under the surface. I watched him sink, then reach out and hook his arms around my legs. I started laughing and kicking, flailing my arms through the water to stay afloat. It was no use. I held my breath just as he tugged me under.

His lips crashed into mine. Our eyes were open and his hands groped me. I play-kicked him and tried to swim
away, but he grabbed my foot. We both surfaced, me sputtering and him laughing.

“That’s it. No deal.” I coughed and made my way to the side. He trapped me between his arms.

“That’s too bad. I was going to make two.” He grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me up onto the side before hopping up beside me.

“Merrick! Dad!” MJ came running into the pool courtyard, Maddie on his heels. “There’s a boat pulling up with a motorcycle on it.” He grimaced. “And Nadia.”

Merrick lunged to his feet. “Nadia? She’s here?”

“Yeah, and some guy,” MJ said, shrugging. “They’re probably at the dock by now.”

“Let’s get down there.” Merrick reached a hand out to me. I hesitated, but only for a second, before reaching up and taking it.

Nadia at Turtle Tear for an undetermined amount of time—for an undetermined reason. She was Merrick’s daughter and she was welcome.

But I didn’t have to like it.

The four of us piled into a golf cart and MJ sped off down the path toward the boathouse. I absolutely could not believe she’d shown up. What were the chances?

Merrick’s knee bobbed up and down. Nervous. Anxious. That made two of us. A very small part of me was happy for him. I wished it was a larger part of me. There was too much suspicion left inside me from when Nadia showed up at the hotel the first time after sneaking around
undetected for a week spying for Enzo. Now she suddenly wanted to change her allegiance? Merrick might be able to take her loyalty at face value, but I need proof and time to accept it.

The boathouse came into view, white with black shutters like the hotel. The long dock jutted out into the water. A square, ferry-like boat was pulled up against it; a side panel opened and lowered onto the dock to unload the motorcycle.

And there she was, black hair blowing in the wind, standing on the dock beside Paul Renault, arm hooked through his. “Looks like you have competition for her affection already,” I said, glancing at Merrick.

He didn’t respond, only kept his eyes focused on his daughter with a serious expression on his face. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and that was rare. It was almost like he was searching for signs of himself in her stance, the way she moved. With MJ, the similarity was astounding. With feminine, flirty Nadia, it wasn’t as easy other than those damn dimples and her coloring.

MJ stopped the cart and we all got out. I hung back beside Maddie while Merrick and MJ took the lead toward the dock. Nadia, all smiles, waved and came running toward her dad and brother. Merrick’s tense shoulders relaxed and his stride quickened. He wanted this and I wanted it for him. I had to.

MJ glanced over his shoulder and gave Maddie and me a leery look. Maddie smiled, encouraging him. She was a
better woman that I was. If Nadia had tried to keep Merrick and me apart like she had MJ and Maddie in the past, I would be nowhere on this island with her.

“Dad!” Nadia ran into Merrick’s arms and he hugged her tight.

A lump formed in my throat. I equally loved and hated the sight.

“I didn’t think I’d see you,” he said, holding her back by her shoulders. “Why didn’t you call?”

She shrugged as if the stress and heartache she’d given him was no big deal. “When I didn’t make it in time to meet you, I figured I’d make it a surprise. Surprise!” She giggled, her best daddy’s girl giggle, and tilted her head, blinking innocent eyes.

“And Paul came with you,” Merrick said, stepping forward and holding out a hand to shake Paul’s. “Good to see you.”

“Good to see you,” Paul said. He gestured behind them to the bike that the boat driver was unloading. “Papa’s bike for you.”

“When I arranged to have it shipped, this wasn’t what I had in mind, but this is wonderful. Thank you for bringing it.” He put a hand on Nadia’s back. “And my daughter.”

Paul nodded, smiling. “You’re welcome.”

I stepped up beside Merrick, my stomach sick with nerves. “Hi, Nadia. It’s good to see you again.” I reached out to hug her as she held her hand out to me. We laughed awkwardly and hugged. I moved on to Paul as MJ stepped up to greet Nadia.

“Welcome,” I said to him, “I hope you had a good trip here.”

He was all eyes on Nadia, giving me only short glances.
“Très bien,”
he said. “Very nice.”

The boy was love struck. Was there a man on earth who Nadia couldn’t have under her thumb?

Once all of the introductions were made, MJ and Maddie stowed Paul and Nadia’s bags in the golf cart and the four of them headed to the hotel. Merrick saw to tipping the boat driver and ogling over his new bike gleaming in the afternoon sun. He pushed it off the dock into the grass and straddled it. “Want a ride?” he asked, licking his lips and flashing me a sultry smile.

My irresistible man with vibrating steel between his legs. “Oh, I want to ride you.” I ran a hand up his leg and squeezed his bulge through his still-damp swim trunks.

He chuckled deep in his throat. “Mama can’t resist, huh?”

Mama? Where did this come from?

I told myself I was being ridiculous. He was joking around. Didn’t mean anything by it. I mean, sure, I would be Nadia and MJ’s stepmom, but I was only a handful of years older than them.

Just. Calm. Down.

“You’re a hard man to resist.” I hopped on the back and he fired up the engine.

He went slow, navigating the path, avoiding tree roots and ruts that went unnoticed in golf carts. The breeze blew
through my wet hair, bringing chills to my skin under the shade of the trees.

“Let’s take the long way around!” he shouted over his shoulder to me.

Before I knew it, he was gunning the engine and we were flying through a wide-open expanse of sea grass near the gazebo on the southwest side of the island. I held on tight around his waist, pressing my thighs against his hips. His skin smelled like coconut tanning lotion and chlorine. I placed a kiss between his shoulder blades, wishing we were on the island alone. I’d felt such a disconnect lately, and other than the time we spent in bed trying to drive away the demons that kept causing trouble between us, we hadn’t spent real quality time together in weeks.

I wanted my Merrick all to myself. That might never happen again.