Wet (The Water's Edge #1) (31 page)

“Is that an elastic hair thing?” The question yanked me back to the present. One of the guys, wearing a Salt Life shirt and a backwards baseball hat, was pointing at West’s wrist, at my royal blue hair tie that had been there for weeks now.

West held his arm, twisting his hand back and forth. “This? Yeah, it’s Sadie’s.”

The guy looked at West out of the side of his eye and laughed a little, confusion written on his face, before he took another swallow of beer. “Right… so why is it on
you
?”

West furrowed his brow at the guy like he was being dense. “I just told you, because it’s Sadie’s.”

The guy laughed again and changed the subject.

I froze.

My hair tie.

It was his way of claiming me. Publicly.

And he had done it weeks ago.

Lost in thought, I put my hand to my mouth, my mind whirling. Frowning at the motion, he tugged me to his side and leaned down to whisper to me, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I answered, still distracted by his simple statement from a minute ago. It wasn’t eloquent as far as declarations went, but it felt real, significant, weighty. “I’m gonna go get a hot dog. I’ll be right back.”

Swearing, he pulled me back from the group a few steps. “You are fucking crazy if you think I can watch you eat one of those right now.”

“No?” Sliding my eyes up to his, I gave a teasing pout.

“No,” he said with a growl. “But if you’re hungry, I can take care of that problem.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I don’t think
now
is the right time for that.”

His lips spread wide to Cheshire-cat proportions. “Oh, Sadie. I think you just issued me a dare.”

Without pausing to say goodbye to his friends, he caught my hand in his bigger one and tugged me through the crowd, threading us through the haphazardly-parked cars and the stilts of the house. Ignoring the stairs leading to the front door, he picked the staircase beneath the house that emptied into the back hallway by the bedrooms instead.

Shutting the door behind us, he turned the lock and pressed me back against the door, lifting me up so my legs wrapped around his waist. His hot lips peppered my neck with kisses, and his hands cupped my breasts over the thin cotton of my shirt.

Laughing, I tried to push him back and put some distance between us.

“Let’s go to your room, you crazy horndog!”

“That’s too far away. We’re doing this right here.” His fingers made quick work of the front clasp of my bra, and my freed breasts swelled to fit his hands, begging wantonly for more.

I moaned, unable to resist sagging against the door as he brought my nipples to attention, dipping his head to take one in his mouth.

“People upstairs,” I argued, distracted by his tongue for a long moment before I could continue. “Could open that door any minute.”

He released my aching bud with a pop and caught my gaze, his eyes burning into mine.

“Then I suggest you stay quiet.”

CHAPTER 19

^“
N
ot. A. Problem,” I whispered in his ear, rotating my hips against his groin.

Spinning me around, he placed me on the step above him, making us the same height, and caught my mouth in a searing kiss, his tongue staking claim to mine, his lips wild. I matched him, tilting my head and scraping my nails along his upper back, sucking his tongue into my mouth. Leaning closer, I took everything he had to give.

Breaking away for a breath, he ripped my shirt over my head, letting my unhooked bra fall by our feet. He licked a wet path along my jaw and down my neck, tracing the length of my collarbone. Heat flared hot and fast between us. This was no slow-burning flame.

This was an inferno.

I hooked my leg around his hip, and he pushed between my legs, his hard length evident through his thin boardshorts. Panting with desire, I yanked his face back to mine, nipping his lower lip before he took control again, his lips devouring mine, forcing my head back in submission. He tasted faintly of doughnuts, and I couldn’t get enough.

My nails raked his chest, and he fisted a chunk of my hair and tugged. I bucked against him, wanting more. He ran his nose back up to my ear, nuzzling the soft skin.

“Impatient?” He chuckled, his eyes hungry, his hands returning to knead my aching breasts.

“I thought
you
couldn’t wait.”

Grunting, he closed his teeth over the sensitive slope of my shoulder, nipping me in warning. Running his hand up my smooth thigh and beneath my skirt, he slipped a finger under my panties, finding me already wet for him.

His eyes dilated as he watched another digit disappear inside me, readying me for his invasion. I rocked against him, meeting his rhythm and urging him to go faster. Withdrawing his hand, leaving me throbbing, he gripped my hips, forcing me to turn around on the narrow stair to face away from him. The flat of his hand pushed on my lower back, and I bent over, presenting him with my lace-covered ass.

Wasting no time, he bunched my skirt around my waist, not bothering to remove it, and groaned as he palmed my butt, massaging my cheeks. I rocked back against him, needing him to touch me, take me, fill me. Biting my lip, I remembered his warning to stay silent and fought against the temptation to say his name, wanting to beg.

Frustrated, I glanced over my shoulder. His face was a mask of concentration, focused on his task. One hand ran along my wet slit, the other loosened the drawstring of his shorts.

Freeing himself, he stroked his cock, and raised his eyes to mine.

“Hold on,” he rasped, warning me, and squeezed my butt hard before rubbing the sting away.

My fingers curled around the edge of the step under me, and I braced myself for his delicious onslaught. “Waitin’ on you,” I breathed.

Moving the soaked material covering my sex to the side, he slid deep, seating himself fully inside me, his fingers digging into my sides for traction. My thighs muscles tensed, and I sucked in a breath, going up on my tiptoes to take him and relishing the feel of him pressed close. I sensed his restraint as he waited for me to adjust.

I lowered back down to my heels, accepting the last of his length. Moaning in pleasure, I lifted my head, pushing back, ready for more.

That was the only signal he needed.

Widening his stance, he plunged into me, no waiting, just like he’d promised. With powerful thrusts, he took me roughly. I don’t even know if he realized the words that spilled from his lips, praising my body, worshiping me.

I met his tempo, opposites attracting in the most primitive way. Back and forth, in and out. Male and female.

Reaching back, I cupped his balls, massaging him, and he wrapped my hair around his fist in response, forcing the bend of my back to curve farther. My hand dropped away from him. Above me, he swore under his breath at the change in position.

I gasped as the head of his cock hit the perfect spot inside me, rubbing it with each advance. My panting accelerated, and he picked up his pace another impossible notch, the sound of our skin slapping together echoing through the empty stairwell.

Time stretched endlessly as he worked my willing body. The pressure inside me climbed to an impossible height with him pushing me higher, faster. Releasing my hair, he bent over me, reaching around to pinch my clit between his thumb and his finger, pitching me over the edge. My mouth opened in a wordless scream as I bucked, utterly consumed by the tsunami crashing through me.

West came with a shout he didn’t even try to muffle. Tensing behind me, he pulsed into my core, joining me in my release, his embrace the only thing keeping me from collapsing.

Gathering me in his arms, he pulled me onto his lap, sitting sideways across the bottom step with his back against the wall and my skirt bunched between us. Aftershocks rocked my body, and his ragged breaths tickled against my ear. Pushing my tangled hair off my damp neck, he dropped soft kisses along its length, the motion almost reverent.

I sank into him, too spent to do anything but exist. The whole party could conga line past us in that moment, and I still wouldn’t budge, satisfaction seeping through every inch of my body.

I ran my hand down his strong thigh, relishing the hard muscle bunching underneath me. His arms looped around my waist, and he hugged me to him, his soft sigh the only sound I needed to hear.

My heart fluttered in my chest. I ran my thumb along the hair tie circling his wrist, hoping it meant what I thought it did, but too scared to ask. Theo’s casual comment kept me from diving headfirst into the fantasy of us, together and finding a happily ever after that easily.

But for now, in this dim stairwell, I’d settle for this feeling of completeness. Closing my eyes, I savored the moment. His skin hot against mine, our limbs tangled together, our chests rising and falling in sync. Who needed promises of forever when right now felt so damn good?

The next morning, I was on my first cup of coffee, sitting at the kitchen island in my cottage, when my phone rang. Forcing my eyes to focus, I saw Hailey’s name flash across the display.

Sliding my finger across the screen, I hit the speaker button so I wouldn’t have to hold the phone. “Mornin’,” I managed.

“Hey!” Her bubbly voice filled the kitchen. She was clearly a morning person. Perky freak.

I waited, fortifying myself with another sip of coffee. If someone called me before ten on my day off, they should keep their expectations low.

“You there?” Her voice was more hesitant this time.

I summoned up some energy. “Yup.”

“Cody and I are visiting Uncle West this morning. He’s going to teach us how to fly a kite on the beach. If you aren’t busy, I was hoping you’d come too.” She paused. “And maybe bring your camera?”

I smiled into my mug, the lure of hanging out with all three of them too much to resist. “Sure. Give me a bit to finish my coffee, and I’ll head over.”

Thirty minutes later, I parked the Jeep next to West’s big dually. Checking the time, I saw it was still a few minutes to ten. I mentally congratulated myself for being productive this morning as I gathered my equipment and headed for the beach.

West already had the kite airborne, Cody perched on his shoulders, as they watched it flutter high above them. Something sharp caught in my chest, watching West with him. Hailey stood next to the duo, helping to steady Cody. It took me a moment, but I realized it was some kind of special stunt kite, with two lengths of string running between it and West. By pulling back one arm at a time, he had it dancing in the sky, performing an infinite series of figure eights.

They hadn’t noticed me yet, and I stayed back out their sight, putting the camera to my eye and capturing some images without them knowing it. Candids like these always turned out the best and felt the most real. Cody’s innocent delight was evident — listening to him giggle the way only toddlers can. He threw his arm up to the sky and then grasped West’s head again when he wiggled off balance. He pointed at the kite and pulled on his uncle’s ear, ordering him around. West followed his directions obediently, chuckling along with him.

A sudden gust of wind made the kite shudder and pulled West forward a few steps. Cody teetered and slipped but fell uninjured into Hailey’s ready arms. Spinning him around in a few circles, their laughter filled the air. When they stopped, they were facing my direction, and I was caught.

Hailey waved, signaling me to join them. Heading in their direction, I took a minute to enjoy the display of West’s bare back, his muscles flexing as he adjusted the kite.

“Where’s General Beauregard?” I asked, coming up next to him.

He glanced over, his eyes running a quick path down my body.

I blushed, remembering our adventure yesterday.

Afterwards, by the time we’d rejoined the party, Rue had arrived and was talking with Theo. We’d been chatting for ten minutes when Grady walked in with the anime pixie. She didn’t say anything outright, but Rue’s posture had stiffened, and when a few minutes later she suggested heading to the waterfront in town to watch the fireworks instead, I didn’t have the heart to tell her no. Theo had rounded out our threesome, and we’d left, but not before West had given me a lingering kiss goodbye and warned Theo what would happen to him if he didn’t watch out for me and Rue.

Theo’d rolled his eyes. “These two? What could possibly happen?”

Nothing but the inevitable. Rue had picked up a scruffy guy who swore he played drums in a band rolling through Charleston, and she’d disappeared, leaving Theo and me drinking cheap beer and watching the sky glitter.

West nodded at his nephew.

“I left him inside with Wyatt. I didn’t want him running down Cody.”

A quick glance confirmed that the oversized hound was taller than his nephew.

“Good call.”

“I’m a good uncle.”

I wrapped my arms around him from behind, using the pretense of giving him a hug to run my hands over his taut abdomen.

He made a noise in the back of his throat and shot a glance at me over his shoulder. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”