by Brooks, Abby
Cat apologized for being late, then tossed me a glance, a smile tugging at her lips, juxtaposing the slump of her shoulders and bowed head. “You’re never going to believe what happened,” she said then paused while her mother replied. “No. Not that.” She listened, then laughed lightly. “Not that either, but you’re getting warmer. Remember my problem with the men? Well…”
Cat launched into an explanation of what had transpired this morning, quite conveniently skipping over the part that led to her wearing nothing but my bedsheets. She laughed again, with more weight behind it, then promised she was all packed up and would be out of here soon. Her gaze turned to me, confusion twisting her brows together. “She wants to talk to you,” she said, then punched the speakerphone button.
“Lucas?” Cat’s mom sounded like she was smiling.
“Speaking,” I replied, falling back on formality.
“Oh, Cat! That voice! If the rest of him is even half that delicious then I understand every dirty thought you’ve had…”
Cat groaned and sucked in her lips. “Is there maybe something else you’d like to talk about? Something less embarrassing?”
Cat’s mom introduced herself as Angela Wallace and the humor in her voice wasn’t lost on me. I would guess, Angela enjoyed watching her daughter blush as much as I did. “I’m going to ask you something, Lucas,” she continued. “But first, I want to make sure you’re aware that I’m dying of cancer.”
Cat gasped. “Mom!”
Angela kept right on talking, despite her daughter’s evident dismay. “As a Marine, I can only assume that honor means a great deal to you. Let me remind you that you would have to be particularly cruel not to honor a dying woman’s wish.”
The smile I heard in her voice settled it. I really liked Angela Wallace. It took a lot of courage to look death in the face and turn it into a joke. “I’m not a cruel man, ma’am. Your wish is my command.”
“Good. Then here’s what I want. I want you and my daughter to spend the next week completely wrapped up in each other. I don’t want you to think about me. I don’t want you to talk about me. And I certainly don’t want you to come see me.”
“Mom…” Cat shook her head. “You know I can’t do that…”
“I’m not going anywhere yet, Katydid. And having you here, chasing after me with glasses of water and worried eyes isn’t going to do me any good, especially when I know you could be spending the time with your seething warrior.”
I guffawed as Cat fell back onto the bed, her cheeks on fire with embarrassment. “I cannot believe you said that.” She widened her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. “Wait. Yep. I totally can believe you said that.” She glanced at me, an apology written on her face.
I took her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. “Seething warrior. Intense and glowery. I get it. Nothing I haven’t heard before.” I reiterated my promise to Cat’s mom who thanked me, then asked to speak to her daughter in private. Cat turned off the speakerphone, then pressed the device to her ear and listened to whatever her mom had to say. In the end, Cat promised to stay with me for a week, then ended the call with a sigh.
She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone. “I can’t decide how I’m feeling right now. There’s just so much to process. Between learning why my mom left in the first place, back when I was a kid. To discovering my time with her is limited. To thinking I was being despicable, cheating on two men I respected more than I thought possible. To finding out that somehow, somehow, both of those men were you…I can’t decide if I should laugh or cry.”
I gathered her in my arms, cradling her like the angel she was, and lowered her back onto the bed. “Feel it all,” I said, kissing first one eyelid, then the other. “Feel everything.” I kissed her petal-soft lips. “But for now, just feel this.” I took her hand and lowered it to my straining erection.
Her eyes fluttered open, staring wide into mine, before she took me at my word and felt everything I had to offer.
Twice.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Cat
We finally ventured out of Lucas’ room around dinner time and were met by Harlow, who regarded us with a look of stern disappointment.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Lucas said to his sister, “but you have it all wrong.”
Harlow held up her hands, throwing a cold look my way. “None of this is my business and it’s not my place to judge.”
“You’re right. It’s not.” Lucas smirked. “But you still have it all wrong.” He launched into an explanation of what we discovered this morning and astonishment grew on Harlow’s face.
“You’re kidding me!” Her gaze bounced between us, looking for the gotcha to our story. “You’re not kidding. Oh. Oh, wow! This is…” She shook her head. “I couldn’t sell that idea to a publisher if I tried.”
Lucas and I spent the evening making the strangest dinner out of things we found in the kitchen, laughing as we assembled the meal. Whenever Lucas came close, he touched me, trailing a finger along my cheek. Bumping his hip against mine. Pulling me into an embrace and kissing me as if he were a dying man savoring his last breath. We ate the odd assortment of food in his room, insulating ourselves from the watchful eyes and secret smiles of his family. They were happy for us, but we weren’t ready to share this with anyone yet. It all felt too new. Too surreal. Too impossible.
I spent the night in Lucas’ bed, wrapped in his arms and the incredulity of the day. Neither of us slept well, though that had more to do with our inability to leave each other alone than anything. We reveled in the connection, touching and kissing and talking and making love. I was careful to stay quiet, ever aware of the rest of his family on the other side of the thin walls. And, while everything he did felt amazing, and I felt more pleasure with him than I ever had with Nash, the fact that I had to pay enough attention to stay quiet completely contained the passion of our lovemaking. It was beautiful, but careful, and we could both feel the difference.
The next morning, I had a string of clients lined up until lunchtime. I snuck out of his bed, careful not to disturb him, then showered, did my hair, and got dressed—all while lost in deep thought. Two days ago, my world had made sense. I understood how things worked. My mom was eccentric and my dad enjoyed rules. I had two different men who satisfied the two different parts of me that would never be in agreement.
Today, my mom wasn’t eccentric, she was sick.
My dad enjoyed his rules, but I suspected they were a safety net, many of them put in place after losing mom.
And the two men I thought I loved were actually one man—one wonderful, perfect man who I desperately wished I could climb back into bed with.
My world was on its side and I had no idea how to move forward. Mom’s words to Lucas kept playing through my thoughts.
…you would have to be particularly cruel not to honor a dying woman’s wish…
Sometimes those words were a cold dash of reality. Other times, they made me smile. Even facing the end of her life, my mother had a sense of humor. And more, even knowing she was looking at a bleak future, she was protecting me, trying to make me happy despite her pain. It was a razor’s edge of love, bitter and sweet, difficult and pure. It filled me up and cut so deeply, I had to look away from the thoughts or I would drift off, awash in too many emotions to name.
Once again, I lost myself in flesh and bone, pouring my energy into my clients. Softening knotted muscles. Pinpointing pain spots and working them until they gave way. Throughout it all, flashes of Lucas would enter my mind and I would smile until my face hurt.
When lunch arrived, I took the quickest path back to The Hut, hoping to find Lucas waiting for me in the kitchen. As I turned a corner, a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. I yelped as I found myself face to face with my seething warrior, who slowly backed me against the wall of a bungalow, his eyes burning into mine. He kissed me as the wind blew in off the ocean and all the turmoil of the day rushed out to sea.
�
��I couldn’t wait to see you,” he murmured, stealing kisses as if making up for lost time.
“Same,” I managed. “I was hurrying back to the kitchen. Hoping to find you there.”
“I saw. You should be more aware of your surroundings. Anyone can sneak up on you when you’re distracted like that.”
“Noted,” I said, unable to fight the massive smile breaking across my face.
Lucas looked stern. “I feel like you should be more concerned, KatyCat. There was a man lurking in the shadows, thinking about doing terrible things to you, and not only did you fail to notice him, but he managed to sneak up and grab you.”
“Terrible thoughts, huh?” I pressed my body against his, aware of his erection straining between us. “Like what, exactly?”
“That information is classified.” Lucas nibbled at my ear, trailing his hands under my shirt. “But if you knew, you wouldn’t be so comfortable where you are right now.”
“You should try me. You might be surprised.”
Lucas made a sound, half moan, half growl. It was the single hottest thing I had ever heard in my life and I made it my mission to hear it as often as I could from that point forward. Approaching footsteps caught my attention and I stepped away from this man who could undo me so completely in the space of a few minutes. An older couple meandered into view.
“Anything else, Mr. Hutton?” I asked in what I hoped was my most professional voice.
Lucas scowled. “Actually, yes. There is something I’d like to discuss with you, but it can wait. I’ll speak to you later, Ms. Wallace.”
The woman caught my eye and offered a smile that said we hadn’t fooled her one bit, but she wasn’t going to blow our cover. She threaded her hand into her husband’s, and they disappeared from view. I watched Lucas stride away and wondered why he wasn’t going to have lunch with me. That thought disappeared as I made my way into the kitchen. A giant bouquet of flowers covered the table where I normally sat. Harlow, Caleb, and Eli smirked while Wyatt shook his head. No one said a word as I read the card.
KatyCat-
As ecstatic as I am to have you, I want to have you completely and I think we both realized that can’t happen here, where I have to share you with my family. I have a surprise for you. Pack a bag. We leave tomorrow. Even the moon envies your beauty.
Lucas
I ran a finger along the card, smiling at Skywalker’s way with words combining with Lucas’ intensity. When I looked up, the Huttons laughed at me.
“It’s not like we didn’t see this coming a mile away,” Wyatt said. “I just wasn’t prepared for Hurricane Lucas to hit so hard.”
Eli shot his brother a look. “Really? When has Hurricane Lucas not hit this hard?”
Caleb laughed his agreement and I frowned at Harlow.
“Everything he does is extreme,” she explained. “Nothing is a half-measure with Luc. It’s a beautiful thing.” She smiled and placed her hand on mine. “Truly beautiful.”
* * *
Chris Magic was in rare form tonight after hearing my story. “You’re telling me that you didn’t just find the best job of all the best jobs, but you also managed to fall in love with some hot Marine with a wealthy family?” His face loomed on the screen as he leaned in close to the camera to make a point. “And you didn’t even think, not for one itty-bitty moment, that I deserved to know this was going on? Not even a little bit?”
“I kind of wanted to keep it quiet. I didn’t know what I was going to do, and I thought I’d wait to tell the story until I had a chance to figure it all out.”
“That’s the problem with you, Kitty. You’re always thinking. Never feeling. You hold yourself too close.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe, she says.” Chris’ image lurched as he picked up his laptop and plopped dramatically onto his sofa. “What you mean is, gee Chris, you’re right. I should have told you all of this sooner so I didn’t have to go so long torturing myself by thinking I was falling in love with two men.”
Chris’ energy was everything I needed, soothing my frazzled nerves with his penchant for drama. “Is that right? Telling you would have solved everything, huh?”
“Sure would.”
“And how’s that?”
“I would have told you to stop playing games and give your mystery man your name already. And then I would have told you to explain to Lucas exactly what you were feeling. And boom. Problem solved. Torture over. But no. You had to go around, doing it the hard way.”
I smiled because he was right. The whole debacle would have ended much sooner if I had done it his way. But would I have given so much of my inner thoughts to Skywalker if I knew he was Lucas? And would I have held myself back from Lucas because it was too soon after Nash and I wasn’t interested in falling in love ever again? Maybe things unfolded exactly as they needed to, in order for Lucas and me to end up together and happy.
Thoughts of my mom encroached on the word happy. How could I be happy when she was dying? But I dutifully pushed those thoughts away before I could think too long. Mom was right. She wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon—in fact, she might not be going anywhere at all. She had already beaten this once. Who was to say she wouldn’t do it again? Regardless, the least I could do was try and honor her wish by focusing on myself for a little bit.
“Found it,” Chris said.
“Found what?”
“The perfect dress for your little getaway.” He leaned closer to the camera as he studied something on his screen and his face filled my view. “There, I sent you the link. Revel in its glory, bitch.”
I clicked on the link and my jaw dropped. It really was perfect. Cream-colored and full length, with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline. Dressy enough to walk into any restaurant, and casual enough not to look out of place on the beach. “It’s gorgeous!”
“And with your red hair and creamy skin, that sexy Marine won’t know what hit him.” Thankfully, the dress was available nearby and after apologizing to my friend five more times for not telling him all the details of my sordid story as they were happening, I drove myself to the store and tried it on. Chris was right. I had never felt so beautiful.
Even the moon envies your beauty.
I smiled like a goon at my reflection and didn’t stop until I was back at The Hut, carefully packing up my bag for tomorrow, wondering what Lucas had in mind.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Lucas
It had taken some work to get reservations to Morada Bay’s sold out Full Moon Party. But, once they realized I was Burke Hutton’s son, they made sure to get me the best possible room at The Moorings—their host hotel—and two tickets to the celebration on the beach. For the first time in a long time, I was glad to be part of my father’s legacy.
Cat gave me the side-eye when we pulled up in front of the hotel, which also offered isolated bungalows that didn’t share a wall with anyone. “A hotel?” she asked. “Weren’t we just at a hotel?”
I could have rented one of the bungalows at The Hut for Cat and me to find some privacy, but we would still have to face my siblings and their knowing glances in the kitchen. The first time Cat and I were together, she was unhindered, crying out with abandon as I thrust into her. Since then, while our physical chemistry was still unmatched, I could feel her holding back. I could almost kill Wyatt for knocking on the door that morning, though if the situation had been reversed, I probably would have done the same thing.
So, while on paper, it was maybe a little strange to move from one hotel to another, it made sense when taking the details into consideration. I wanted to make Cat feel special. I wanted to take her somewhere beautiful. To celebrate what we’d found in each other. To take her mind off her mother. And to make good on my promise to bring her the pleasure she had missed for so long with that Nash character.
And for that, we needed privacy.
The day I read her journal, falling partly in love with her on the basis of her words alone, I swore to Cat t
hat I would do everything in my power to worship her, to transport her, to make sure she felt all the pleasure she was designed for.
A woman’s body was a Ferrari, designed to feel sensation so deeply, it opened her heart. Under the right hands, a woman could experience near constant pleasure, orgasm blending into orgasm blending into orgasm, until her legs shook, her body trembled, and her soul caught fire.
Most men weren’t equipped to handle a Ferrari.
I wanted to learn Cat’s body, to understand all the things that made her writhe under me, falling further and further out of control. I couldn’t do that if she was too focused on being quiet. She couldn’t lose herself while clutching at her mouth, swallowing her moans. I needed her wild and untethered so I could follow through on the promise I made all those weeks ago. A promise left in a stranger’s journal.
I gave her a silent smile as we hopped out of the Jeep. Even when she continued to question, I stayed quiet. She would understand soon enough.
The moment the door to our room closed behind us, I swept her into my arms, kissing her as if I could devour her. She moaned against my mouth and the sound went straight to my cock. I threaded a hand in her hair and pulled, forcing her to look at the ceiling while I nipped and sucked around her jaw. “Mine,” I murmured.
Cat rolled her hips in silent agreement, pressing against my erection. My need for her caught fire and I almost lost sight of my mission in my desire to have her hard and have her now. I gripped her ass and lifted. She wrapped her legs around my waist and, in a war of tongues and teeth, we made our way to the bed. “Undress,” I ordered as I worked the button of my pants.
Cat obeyed, licking her lips as she eyed me hungrily. After our clothes fell to the floor in a heap, I gathered her wrists in my hand and pinned them above her head. She swallowed another gasp as I took her nipple past my lips.