Wild and True: A Frankie Love Escape (7 page)

L
iam set
me down and turned on the showerhead. The small bathroom quickly filled with steam and we smiled at each other the way two people do after they have just shared the intimacy of their bodies.

“This cabin used to be used by guests, until it was converted for massages,” he explained. “That’s why there is a shower.”

“Do you live here, on the island then?” I asked as we stepped inside the hot shower.

“Most of the year.” He set his hands on my waist, looking in my eyes, as the water ran over us. Our bodies were now soaked, and still awake from the mind-blowing sex we had just shared. “You live close by?” he asked.

“No, I live south a few hours, in the city. But it’s beautiful here,” I said, and then I started to smile. A giggle escaped me.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just, this is the most talking we’ve done since we’ve met.”

“You want to talk more or less?” he asked.

“Usually I’d say more, but right now I don’t really give a fuck about anything or anyone else.”

He gave me his signature smirk, and pressed his hands over my hair, tucking it behind my ears.

“You’re amazing, Callie.”

“And why’s that?” I asked coyly, as I began stroking his bare chest, then playfully plucking his nipples.

“Ouch,” he said, laughing, stepping under the spray of the water. “First off, you’re amazing in bed.”

“We’ve never actually been in a bed,” I point out.

“Okay, you are amazing on your knees and on your back,” he said, playing along. “And you’re gorgeous—God, your eyes.” He looked right at me, then dropped his gaze lower. “Your breasts,” he said more softly, leaning down to kiss the rise of my chest, sucking on my nipples.

Heat began to grow between us again, and I let out a soft moan. “Then there’s your ass.” He gave me a gentle spank, and looked at me with that melting smile.

“What else?” I murmured.

“That pussy of yours is just begging to be licked,” he said, before falling to his knees. He planted kisses on my belly button, and then went lower; leaving a row of kisses all the way to the space between my thighs that was pulsing with desire.

Moaning louder now, I pulled my hands through his hair as his tongue began to run over my pussy deftly. He circled my clit with precision, sucking me so good and steady. He was in no rush; he was taking his sweet time to get me off.

I pressed my body back against the wall as the water ran over my naked flesh. My back arched as he flicked his fingers over my bulb, rubbing me hard as I felt myself come.

“You taste so fucking good,” he said. His words quickened my pulse and I screamed out as my thighs seized with climax. The walls inside me rocked as his fingers pressed deep inside.

“Oh, fuck me now,” I cried, suddenly desperate to hold his cock, lick his shaft. I wanted his come inside of me. Fuck, I wanted it all over me.

“You want to fuck me hard?” he said, standing again.

“If you’ll let me,” I said, using the submissive tone that he responded to—hell, that
I
responded to.

“Oh, yes, you will.” He turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack. Dragging the terry cloth over my body, he rubbed me down, and in turn I dried him off.

After his shoulders were dry, I lowered my reach to his sizable cock and smiled in pleasure. I would get that again.

He lifted me up once more with his strong arms, and carried me to the waiting room. He grabbed a plush blanket from the love seat and spread it on the ground.

I looked down at myself, my body now dry and clean. I felt like the old Callie had been washed away. Now I could be softer, more open. Now I was ready to allow someone in to take care of me in ways I’d never let anyone before.

“I told you I wanted to take care of you, and I meant it,” he said, pulling me to him. He kissed me and it felt like a whisper, like the wings of a newly emerged butterfly. It felt like the promise of something blossoming. Something new, something real.

I whimpered as he pressed his lips against mine, and our mouths met perfectly. As if they had timed themselves for this moment.

Holding my back he lowered me to the ground, and traced my mouth with his fingers.

“You need a lover. You need me.” His words were so true that for a moment I forgot I hadn’t known him longer than a day. I forgot that I was waking up in the morning and packing my bag and driving home, far away from him.

“Stop thinking, Callie, just give in. No regrets.”

No regrets,
I thought, not for the first time this weekend. This moment was mine for the taking. I deserved to be in this man’s arms tonight. I deserved a man who wanted to take care of me. Every woman deserved to have tender hands strum her neck, breath purr against her ear.

Every woman deserved to be desired.

He was above me, and as he eased himself into me for the second time, I let myself exhale in delight. Fuck, Liam was hot, he was strong.

He was a man.

It was easier to take him this time; my pussy had already been widened from his pounding from behind, from his fingers that coursed against my clit. Now I was ready. Now I was his.

“Oh, yeah, Callie,” he moaned, pushing into me, his strong arms steadying himself over me—so different from being smashed under Blaine’s narrow frame as he dug into me like an animal.

Liam was different. Together, we found a rhythm that left sweat on my chest, heat in my core. His cock filled me deeply, and my moaning let him know it was just what I wanted.

Earlier he had told me what to do, and it had caused the walls of my world to unfold. This time it was different. This time it felt like we were in it together. As if he needed me like I needed him, and it allowed us to push deeper with each thrust.

My center began to quake as he hit my g-spot over and over with his hard cock. I lifted my ass off the ground, wanting him to make me come as he consumed me. With a crash, we rode the wave that filled us.

We pushed beyond ourselves as we came, together.

“Oh, girl, that was—”

“Everything,” I finished for him.

“Everything,” he repeated, nodding slowly as he licked his lips.

He stood and walked to the bathroom. I watched his tight ass flex as he moved, and I shook my head in disbelief. He came back with a pair of white robes and pulled his on.

“Don’t go,” he said, surprising me. “Tomorrow, don’t leave. Stay and we can keep … exploring.”

“I have to,” I said, as if it were obvious. “I have a job and rent and—”

“And responsibilities, I get it,” he said, holding his hands up. “Sorry, that was too much, too soon.”

“At this point I don’t think there is such thing as too much too soon, not between us.” I cinched the belt of the robe tight and took the bottle of water he offered.

“Would you want to meet again then? If, say, I was ever in the city?”

“I wouldn’t object.”

“Wow, okay,” he said, rubbing his neck.

“No, I mean, I didn’t mean it like that,” I said, back-tracking.

“Then how did you mean it?”

“I mean my mode of operation is resting bitch face. I’m not soft around the edges. I push people—around, and away.”

“You didn’t push me anywhere.”

“You have no idea what you’re getting into with me, Liam. I’m not some granola-hippy-clothing-optional girl. I work at an advertising agency. I’m like, hosting a book club at my house this month.”

“I like books,” he said, not quitting.

I wondered why I was pushing back so hard. He was asking for more of me. He was willing, and I was rejecting. Self-preservation was a nasty bitch and her claws were in me deep. Still, the new Callie didn’t want to push away; she wanted to pull the goodness life offered toward her.

“Okay,” I said.

“Just like that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“Look, I’ve had fun with you—no, fun isn’t even the right word. You rocked my fucking mind. And if you’re in town sometime and want to get together for drinks, or more, I’m game.”

“Good,” he said, pulling me toward him once more and planting a long, sensual kiss on my worn-out lips. “Because I will be calling you. No way am I going to pass this up.”

“Well, how often are you in town?” I asked.

“I’ll be there in two weeks.”

“It’s a date then,” I said. “But now I need to get back to my friends.”

He smiled like he knew more than I did.

“What?” I asked.

“I know for a fact one of your friends hooked up with a friend of mine last night, and he specifically asked me to not come back to our cabin until at least after midnight.”

“Really?” I asked, my jaw dropping. Willow had been with me all night—could he mean Courtney actually hooked up with someone last night and kept it a secret? That little minx!

“Yeah, I swear. And your other friend, Willow? She’s on a
night hike
,” he said, using air quotes.

“I knew about that,” I said, the information swirling in my head. “So I guess I can stay awhile longer?”

“Definitely, and I was thinking you did come here for a massage. I could put you on the table and keep you in this relaxed state. How does that sound?” Liam asked.

“It’s sounds perfect.”

“Did you have any trouble spots you needed me to work on?” he asked with a sly grin, picking me up again and carrying me to the massage room.

* * *

T
he next morning Courtney
, Willow, and I boarded the private ferry to take us back to my car. The three of us seemed to be equally blissed out. I knew why Willow was; she’d come back late last night, after Courtney and I were already in bed, but I woke as she cracked open the cabin door.

She had given me a thumbs up, then covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing loudly and waking Court. She’d slipped into the bathroom and I’d fallen back asleep, happy that she had found a way to explore her wild side this weekend, too.

Fishing for information, I asked Court what she was so happy about.

“I just had an amazing weekend,” she said, not giving anything away.

I knew that was her style, and I didn’t press. But I could read between the lines of her blushing cheeks—and Liam’s story—to infer what she had done.

The Kyle lookalike must have eased her out of her shell.

“Oh, good—I kind of thought you might be annoyed Callie and I were MIA so much,” Willow said, winking at me as she pulled down her beanie. I might have gossiped
a bit
while Courtney showered that morning.

“Did you have a nice massage?” Courtney asked. “I mean, two in one day—that’s kind of insane.”

“Actually,” I began, a smile spreading across my face. “I sort of met someone.”

W
aiting
in the empty general store, I looked at the stacks of sweatshirts emblazoned with
Eagle Cove
, the resort’s name. I’d been dying to come here for months, ever since my co-worker Jenn visited the previous spring.

When Callie’s boyfriend broke up with her, and Courtney announced a weekend off from her magazine internship, I jumped at the chance to come with my two best friends.

Today, the air felt unseasonably cold. Needles had fallen from the evergreen trees covering the island, and I wore leggings under my Free People skirt to keep warm.

Jenn had come here on a kayaking trip, but I preferred hiking. Looking out the window, I saw an eagle swoop to a giant nest high in the tree. I smiled, knowing I didn’t need to get in a kayak to enjoy nature. There was plenty here on dry land.

“Shit,” yelled a voice from behind a rack of coffee cups, as one crashed to the floor.

I didn’t know anyone was in the store with me, so I jumped as the ceramic shards skittered across the wood floor. “You scared me,” I said as a guy stood, revealing himself.

“Sorry, I totally dropped that. Obviously.” He gave me a dimpled smile as I walked toward him. I instantly identified him as a lookalike to the guy Courtney had been majorly crushing on at her work.

“Do you think anyone works here?” I asked, looking around the still-empty general store.

“Someone does. I was in here earlier buying beer.”

“I guess I scared them away,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“I’m sure that’s it,” he said, laughing. He walked to the counter and called for help. “Anyone here?”

When no one answered we laughed again, and I momentarily considered stepping behind the counter and looking for a broom myself. That’s what I would have done at the coffee shop where I worked: step in and offer a hand.

But before I could grab a dustpan, a woman my age opened the door of a back room, wafts of smoke trailing her. She hadn’t taken a regular smoke break; she was getting high. I smiled, realizing exactly why my co-worker Jenn liked this place.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“I broke a cup,” the dimpled guy said. “A total accident. My bad.”

“No worries,” she said. She grabbed the broom and began sweeping. “Happens all the time.”

“Can I pay for the damages?”

“No way, man, it’s all good.” The cashier emptied the dustpan into the garbage can, then put the broom away.

“Thanks, and sorry again.” The guy gave me a little wave and said goodbye.

I couldn’t help but appreciate their laid-back demeanor. I needed more of that in my life, considering I’d just spent five hours traveling with Courtney and Callie.

To be fair, Courtney had been fine, as always. She had focus and drive, but not much got her revved up and out of her shell.

Callie, on the other hand, had been a complete nightmare the moment we got on the interstate.

If she mentioned me getting a “real job” one more time I might claw her eyes out. Apparently, since I was working as a barista I was wasting my talent.

Which was a familiar refrain considering I’d been hearing the same thing from my parents since we’d graduated college in June. Just because my job didn’t offer health insurance or a retirement plan didn’t mean I was flake. It meant I was twenty-two and just beginning to figure a few things out.

BFFs and all that jazz, sure, but Callie needed to stop being such a control freak. And even if I did agree with about fifty percent of what she said, there was no way I was going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that.

“So, how can I help you?” the cashier asked, covering a yawn.

See?
I thought.
This girl gets to hang out at an island oasis and smoke pot on the clock
. Maybe my barista gig in the city was too stifling; if I really wanted to feel free, maybe I needed to get off the grid.

It wasn’t the first time I’d wondered this sort of thing. I was sick of living in the city. My skin was anxious for something different.

“I wanted to sign up for a hike,” I explained. “Are there any scheduled this weekend?”

“Yes, I know for a fact there are. A few guys just signed up. Hmmm, let me find the sheet.” She moved through a pile of clipboards until she found the one she wanted. “Here you go,” she said, handing it to me. “The hike is tomorrow at ten. This one is pretty substantial; it’s a six-mile route.”

“That’s fantastic,” I said happily. I loved hiking when I wasn’t scheduled to work at Cuppa Joe. “Is it a guided hike?”

“We don’t have guided ones; instead, we try and get people to sign up together. Safety in numbers. But we provide maps, and laminated pages listing the flora and fauna.”

“Sounds good.” I wrote my name down quickly.

“So just meet here tomorrow at ten, and pack your own food and camera, of course,” she said.

“Thanks,” I said, smiling.

As I handed her back the clipboard, I noticed a sign posted to the corkboard next to the cash register:
Full-Time Housekeeper Needed: Apply Within.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it would get boring up here year round. Not thinking any more of it, I left the general store to meet my friends back in the lobby.

My skirt fluttered as I moved toward them, and I could tell Callie and Courtney had been bickering. Callie had taken her break-up hard, but she needed to turn it down about three notches.

“What took you so long?” Callie asked.

“There was the hottest guy in the store and I couldn’t help flirting.” I reverted to my go-to conversation tactic. Discuss cute guys to deflect attention from the fact that I have no clue what the hell I am doing with my life. Five months out of college, and already life seemed less than fulfilling.

“How hot?” Courtney asked, which was endearing. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in ages, but she was still always willing to discuss potentials.

“Like hotter-than-Kyle-at-work hot,” I said, knowing her sweet spot.

“I am so over guys,” Callie whined, once again bringing down the energy level. “I don’t want to be around any this weekend without a ten-foot pole.”

“God, you are seriously depressing, Callie. I’m totally planning on getting laid this weekend,” I said sarcastically.

In all honesty, I hadn’t been with anyone in months. The guys in the city were so redundant. Everyone was a hipster wannabe or a football fanatic. Where were the chill, non-pretentious guys who were just up for a good time?

I had made a vow not to sleep with anyone I’d be embarrassed to stand next to in public. A good rule of thumb, in general. But it also made Friday nights pretty lonely.

“No surprise there,” Callie shot back.

“Oh, screw you, Callie,” I said, standing up for myself. “This is supposed to be a fun getaway, not a break-up bitchfest.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the guy from the general store. “Oh, and you guys,” I said, lowering my voice. “That’s the guy.”

He walked through with a group of three guy friends. Immediately my eyes lingered on two of his friends in particular. They were both tall—taller than me, which really meant something, considering I was five feet, ten inches. One had wavy brown hair poking from the edges of a beanie and bright green eyes. His face looked clean, fresh, bright. He looked, in a word, alive.

The other one had the sleeves of his flannel shirt rolled up, revealing tattoos inked over his forearms. He had a beard and gauges in his ears, and looked rough and the sort of dirty I liked. The total opposite of the guy next to him, but they were clearly friends, laughing at a joke as they passed us.

“They’re all so hot,” Courtney said under her breath, echoing what I was thinking.

“We should go talk to them,” I said, actually really wanting to. They looked like the kind of guys who could shake things up for me.

“Yeah, right,” Callie snorted. “I’m not interested and Courtney would never make a move.”

“Fine,” I said as the guys walked out of the lobby.

The one with tattoos turned before he stepped outside. For a second I could have sworn he was looking at me, and then the bright-eyed guy looked my way. I flashed them both unabashed smiles. Even if my friends were shy or sticks in the mud, I could have fun.

“Anyone ready to get to our cabin?” I asked.

“Yes please!” Courtney answered with a little too much force, stepping between Callie and me.

“Okay, here you go, Court,” I said, handing her the keys, my eyes on the backsides of the guys who’d just walked away.

I wished I could go with them.