Beach Reads Box Set

by Madden-Mills, Ilsa

  I laugh, but I don’t feel like laughing. I miss Hayes. Like crazy. And I haven’t seen him since that day in our office when I turned down his settlement offer. When this event was announced a week ago, I realized what he’d been busy doing.

  “How are you guys doing?” he asks.

  “We’re not. But it’s fine,” I say, and wish that was true. Fine is the last thing I am.

  “Does he know that?” Remi asks, and his eyes are trained over my shoulder. I turn and see Hayes walking in.

  His scan of the room comes to a screeching halt when his eyes land on me. He smiles and starts toward me. My heart leaps in anticipation. I haven’t seen him in two weeks.

  A man steps in his way and starts to talk. The reluctance he shows to look away almost makes up for the fact that he had to stop.

  “All right, folks. It’s eight o’clock and the doors are opening. Man your stations!” a woman shouts over a bullhorn and I almost jump out of my skin in surprise.

  “My brother Tyson will be here, and he’s going to switch out with me at eleven a.m. And I’ll be back at one o’clock. When you need someone to step in for you, let me know and I’ll find a volunteer.”

  “Okay. But I think I’ll be good. I brought snacks and I’m ready,” I say and rub my hands together in anticipation. Today feels like the first time I’m actually doing anything meaningful for my clients.

  After we rejected their settlement offer, the case was assigned a court date. In the meantime, I’m doing my interviews with my clients and preparing for our first hearing that’s six weeks away.

  Right now, it feels like we’ll never get the mountains of records that we’ve requested. Kingdom, the corporation, is doing everything it can to stall. They asked for six weeks to even produce the documents we’ve asked for. So, we’ve filed for a continuation to give us time to review them. When I say us, I’m talking about my little team of four. One of whom hates my guts. And while all of this is happening, the people in the class are struggling to get their lives back together and are living in limbo.

  The Kingdom Foundation, directed by Hayes, organized a clothing and book drive. The donations poured in. Today is shopping day for the families. I got here at 6:30 to help set up, and the line had already started forming. I catch a glimpse of Hayes disappearing in the direction of the picture section. But before I can call after him, the doors open and the people file in. We’re in the boys’ section, “Size twelve months to four years” in the store, and before we have the chance to speak to each other again, our first customers stand at our table. Instantly, I recognize the boy from Hayes’s house the night of the flood. “Hey there,” I say.

  “Hi.” He smiles brightly.

  “Do you remember me?” I ask.

  “Yeah. Of course. And thank you for volunteering today,” he says like he’s reciting something memorized and just remembered he needed to say.

  “You’re welcome. What nice manners,” I respond.

  “Well, this was all my idea,” he beams.

  “Was it?” I ask and look over his shoulder to make sure no one’s waiting to actually be served. “You must be very proud of how it’s all turned out then,” I say jokingly.

  He nods. “Yeah, the first time Mr. Hayes came to visit, he asked me what I thought folks needed and I told him clothes for school,” he says and my heart actually jumps.

  “M-Mr. Hayes came to see you?” I ask, saying each word slowly, so that I can make sure he doesn’t misunderstand me.

  “Yeah, well, more than once—and not just me. We went around and met with lots of people,” he says.

  “What types of meetings?” I ask skeptically.

  “Him asking questions about their living situation, families, and asking everyone to give him an idea of what they needed to feel comfortable. I took notes and he even paid me for my time,” he says proudly.

  “Wow, well, that sounds awesome,” I say and smile. And this time, there’s not a well of pain behind it.

  “Anyway, I just wanted to say hi. And thank you for being here and being the reason Mr. Hayes even came to visit us. He told us you suggested it,” he says.

  A peal of laughter propelled by relief bursts from my throat.

  “Did he? That’s awesome,” I say.

  “He’s pretty cool.” The young man nods.

  “See you later.” He waves and walks off.

  I feel like crying at what I just heard, but I also feel completely giddy. For the last two weeks, my coffee order has been ready and waiting for me when I walk into Sweet and Lo’s. I’ve had flowers on my desk every morning, my lunch delivered every afternoon. My car washed while it was parked in the garage of my office. Hayes has been relentless in his attempts to woo me.

  But this ... done not to woo me back, but because he’s a good man trying to do right is the first thing he’s done that makes me feel like maybe he sees me. That he’s not just trying to convince me, but that he’s doing it for himself, too. That thought makes me unbearably happy. I brush my tears away and turn around just in time to greet my very first customers.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Kneel

  Confidence

  “I’ll have the meatloaf sandwich,” I say to my waitress.

  “Oh yeah, great choice.” She smiles widely. “It’s delicious.”

  “Everything here is delicious,” Tyson says. His dark brown eyes twinkle with mischief, and he says, “including some of the diners.” He grins and then winces. He glares at his older brother. “Remi, yo,” he says in a comically, high-pitched voice while rubbing the side of his head that his brother just slapped.

  “Stop talking to her like she’s one of those THOTs in that little fan club of yours,” Remi says without looking up from the menu.

  “Yo, can I help it if they love me? I mean, maybe if you stopped and smelled the roses instead of trying to be some sort of superhuman legend, you’d get some of that love, too,” he says.

  I look back between the brothers and shake my head. “Can you guys please stop bickering? The car ride over was enough of that to last me a lifetime. I’d like to have some quiet with my air conditioning and beer, please,” I say.

  “See, Remi, she likes me.” He winks at me. “Can you stop getting in between us?” He drags his chair close to mine. “Excuse me, miss, but you’ve got some dust on your arm,” he says and brushes the remnants of our afternoon off my arm.

  “You’re such a flirt, Ty,” I say with mock disapproval.

  “Only with the prettiest girls,” he says and winks. His gaze drifts over my shoulder. I don’t think anything of it until I see a gleam of mischief. He slings an arm over my shoulder, and I jump in surprise and then relax.

  This is how he talks to everyone. All day, his contribution was keeping the people waiting in the incredibly long lines in a good mood. And he's good at it. Charming, funny, and very nice to look at. It made me feel better. Now that we’ve rejected the settlement offer, things with Kingdom are moving at a snail’s pace. But, this week there was a break in the clouds for our clients whose homes were beyond simple repairs. Remi took me to the land on the outer barrier of Rivers Wilde where Habitat for Humanity is going to be building homes for the residents.

  A shiver passes over me and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I feel Hayes before I see him. Before I can turn around, I hear him.

  “Remi,” Hayes says in greeting and his voice ricochets through me like a canon’s boom.

  My heart leaps into my throat. His proximity is frying my circuits and I can’t even remember what I was talking about or doing two minutes earlier.

  “Ty.” His voice is less friendly when he addresses Tyson.

  Remi slides over and says, “Join us, Rivers.”

  He does and sits down right next to me.

  “Confidence,” he says quietly, and I shoot him a sidelong glance. I wish I hadn’t.

  The annoyed expression in his eyes is tinged with longing and it hits me in the center of my ch
est. His light gray T-shirt blends with the color of his eyes, and with the dim lighting of the restaurant, they look almost green today.

  His gaze moves to Tyson who has moved closer to me since Hayes sat down. He lifts his eyebrows in his classic what the fuck do you think you’re doing? look.

  I give him a why do you think you have the right to ask? glare.

  “Rivers, I have to tell you, I think I’m in love with her, so I might need you to back off,” Ty says good-naturedly. “You gotta watch out for him. He’s the most committed bachelor in town,” he whispers to me.

  “Tyson, please remove your arm from my woman’s shoulder,” Hayes says in a deceptively calm voice. I bristle at that.

  “I’m not his woman,” I say.

  His body tenses and he growls, “Like hell.”

  “Well, one of you is clearly very confused.” Remi laughs.

  “It’s not me,” I say.

  The next second, Hayes’s hand wraps around my bicep, and he’s pulling me out of the booth.

  “What in the world are you doing?” I yelp.

  “You two don’t break anything,” Remington calls after us. I turn around and give him a look of complete bewilderment.

  Why is he laughing?

  Why isn’t he calling the police?

  “Hayes, let me go.” I slap at his hand. He doesn’t even look at me.

  He pulls me down a long corridor, pushes open a door and switches on the bathroom light.

  “What the fuck was that?” he asks.

  “What the fuck was what? I’m not the one who just dragged me through a restaurant.”

  He crosses the small room in two strides and pushes me up against the sink. Not to intimidate or scare me. He’s never been able to do either. Not since the night we met.

  “You’re not my woman? Are you fucking serious, Confidence?” he asks angrily.

  “Hayes, what do you think—?”

  “That was a rhetorical question,” he growls and cuts me off and leans toward me.

  “Not for me,” I lean forward, too.

  He shakes his head at me like he can’t believe what he’s hearing and takes a step back. He shoves his fingers through his hair.

  “At least you’re consistent,” he mutters under his breath, but the bathroom has great acoustics and it bounces off the wall and hangs between us.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you know how to hold a grudge. And I’ve given you space to do it,” he says.

  “You’ve given me space?” I gape at him.

  “Yes,” he snarls and steps closer to me. “But there are fucking limits. And you clearly don’t understand them.”

  “Oh, I understand just fine,” I seethe.

  “No, you don’t,” he says through gritted teeth. “Because if you did, you wouldn’t be telling another man that you’re not my woman. While his arm is around you.” His eyes narrow, and his hands grip the sink on either side of me.

  “Hayes—”

  “You must have completely forgotten who I am.” His eyes darken and he leans into me.

  “How could I?” I snap.

  “Then, did you forget who we are?” He leans against the door and turns the little knob in the handle. His eyes are blazing as he strides toward me.

  “I won’t tell you how that felt. But trust me when I say you wouldn’t have liked being in my shoes.”

  I flush and glance away from his eyes. I can see the hurt there, and as mad as I am at him, it’s the very last thing I want to do to him.

  “Tesoro …” He grips my chin and turns my head until he traps my eyes with his. They are full of determination, and they hold me in place.

  “I know you’re pissed. You have every right to be. But, don’t get Tyson’s ass kicked because you want to hurt me,” he growls.

  Worry tickles the back of my throat.

  “As if you’d go around beating up people because he was flirting with me.” I dismiss his threat.

  He leans in and puts us nose to nose, and then he rubs the tip of his against mine.

  “I absolutely fucking would,” he whispers, and I’m caught between a swoon and pang of worry.

  I pull my chin out of his grip. “This isn’t a Kristen Ashley novel. You’re not Dax Lahn. I’m not Circe,” I snap.

  He blinks and shakes his head in confusion. “I have no idea what that means.”

  “It’s a book. And all I mean is that I’ve been trying to move on and you won’t let me.” My voice is stiff and lacks conviction. But it’s just a reflection of what’s happening inside of me. I don’t even believe myself anymore.

  “Don’t fucking talk about moving on. Not when you don’t mean it,” he says.

  “How do you know what I mean?” I gripe.

  “You knew when you took this job that I was going to be here. You came anyway. I don’t think you did that because you’re moving on,” he pushes back.

  “I took it because I needed it, and it’s perfect. If it had been in Alaska, I would have taken it.”

  He rakes his eyes down my body. My white blouse feels thin under his heated gaze. I shift in my shoes when he lingers on my hips.

  “You’ve missed me,” he says.

  “I haven’t,’’ I lie.

  “If I touched your pussy, what would I feel?” he asks.

  “That’s one question you won’t be answering tonight.”

  “I want to touch you.” He dips his head and kisses my cheek. His hand grips my hip.

  “You’ll feel better when I’ve made you come,” he whispers against my cheek.

  He moves so fast that my ass is up on the edge of the sink before I can protest.

  “Do you want me to stop?” he asks. His finger trails up my leg and stops at my knee. Blood rushes in my ears, heat pools between my thighs.

  “Of course not,” I breathe.

  His fingers slip under the hem of my shorts and I grab his fingers.

  “But I’m going to ask you to anyway.” His eyes fly up to mine in surprise, but there’s no anger there. In fact, I think what I see is respect.

  “Why?” he asks and stands back up.

  If it could speak, my vagina would be cursing me out.

  “Because what I want isn’t what I need, Hayes.”

  “Why are they mutually exclusive?”

  “I don’t want to just be your partner in bed,” I admit.

  “Oh, Tesoro,” he sighs and drags his nose across my temple before he moves us back to facing each other. He cups my face in his hands and presses a soft kiss to my lips before he pulls back.

  “There’s not a pussy in this world I’d fall on my knees for. Not even yours,” he says, the fierce love and tenderness in his eyes stealing my breath.

  His eyes never leaving mine, he continues. “But for this, Tesoro …” His palms cover the space between my breasts and my heart kicks against the wall of my chest, desperate to find its way into the hand of the man it loves.

  “For the love of the most brilliant woman I’ve ever met.” He kisses me again. “I would spend the rest of my life on my fucking knees.”

  And then, my big, strong, beautiful man brings my entire world to a halt. He drops to his knees in front of me. On the floor of the public restroom.

  “Hayes, get up.” I tug his arm. “Please.”

  He grips my hips and presses his face in between my legs and inhales.

  “Goddamn.” His groan vibrates against me and moisture blooms beneath his mouth and nose. “I love the way your pussy smells. I fucking miss the way it tastes. I’m dying to feel it gripping my cock.” He rubs his nose against my clit and pleasure skitters, like the kiss of butterfly wings, all over my body.

  I thread my fingers into his thick, silky hair just as he leans away and stares up at me with that same fierceness.

  But now, it’s laced with need.

  He has the look of a predator, and I wish he would hurry up and catch me.

  “I want to plant my flag there so tha
t everyone knows it’s mine. But, it’s not even in the top five of my favorite things about you, Confidence. And it’s certainly not the only thing I want.” He looks up at me through his honest, smart eyes, and the rest of the world falls away.

  “Oh, Hayes …” I trace the line of his strong brows and sweep down the slope of his nose.

  “I want your fire. I want your courage; I want your loyalty. I want your anger, your disdain, your disappointment.” I brush a lock of hair off his forehead. “I want you smiles. I want your laughter. I want you fighting for my team. And yes, I want your pussy. Every day.” He squeezes my hips, and I want to give him everything he’s just asked me for.

  But …

  “I can’t.” I shake my head, caught between my fear and my love and feeling like neither one of them are serving me well right now.

  “You won’t,” he chides me gently, but with real reproach in his voice. “But I understand.” He cuts off my protest. “You want to protect yourself. But you can’t. Not from me. Not from us. It’s all or nothing. And as long as we’re alive, it will never be nothing.”

  “Hayes, don’t …” I pull back slightly and shake my head. I don’t know what to say.

  “I know,” he says with real regret in his eyes. “I fucked up. But, I am not that asshole who treated you like you were nothing. I’m not ashamed of anything except that something I did made you feel like you were less than the miraculous person I know I’ll never deserve,” he says.

  My hand comes to my chest and my fingers clutch the front of my blouse. “Oh, Hayes,” is all I can manage.

  “But, I need you to understand—” His eyes go from pleading to demanding in a blink.

  “That you thought I was hiding something?” I interject.

  “No,” he says sharply. “That I’m responsible for my entire family. Not just the ones that are alive right now. But the ones who will be alive in a hundred years. I just had to keep the estate intact because I lost sight of that once and married someone who I barely knew.”