“I have a condition that can make sex painful at times, well after sex.” I glanced at the tile floor. “Sometimes during.”
“You were hurting during?” he asked confused. “Those screams?”
“Were orgasms,” I assured. “Ian, you’re fine. It’s called endometriosis. That’s why I was on the hammock that day crying. It’s awful to endure and a shitty subject, so let’s not talk about it.”
He let out a breath and gripped my shoulders. “Be honest, did any part of that hurt during?”
“No, I swear. I like you but not enough to hurt myself.”
“Okay, so what do we do?”
I laughed. “What do you mean, what do we do? We do nothing. I just have to deal with it.”
I lathered up his hair while he studied me and gave him a faux hawk. “Sexy.”
“Yeah?” He poked his head out of the shower and looked in the mirror. “I like this look on me.”
“Me too,” I murmured pressing a kiss to his throat.
He looked down at me with a grin, as suds slipped down his temple.
I was so in love with him.
He gathered me to him and slid his hands down to where I ached. I leaned back into his frame as his cock hardened. “I’m sorry. I’ll take it easier on you.”
“Don’t you dare,” I said fisting his thickness between us. “Don’t. Please don’t do that. I can honestly say this is the only time the pain has been worth it.” Every single tooth he had was displayed with his answering crocky smile.
“Don’t smile at me like that.”
“So, what you’re saying is I’m the best lover you’ve ever had.”
Hell yes.
“I never said that, but thanks for blasting me, pal.”
“Blasting you?”
“It’s an inside joke.”
“Ah,” he said, lathering up. “Will I ever be privy to this information?”
“Doubtful,” I said, rubbing the soap over his chest and down his forearms. He clasped our hands and kissed the back of mine. “I’m starving. Hungry?”
“Sure.” The ache in my belly began to roar as I pressed my lips to his before I stepped out of the shower. Once dry, I frantically searched my cabinets. “Shit.”
“What?” he asked, toweling off. I took a second to admire him. “You look great, Ian. Not that you didn’t look good before, but, you really look so… great.”
His eyes softened. “Can’t find anything for the pain?”
“You’re shit at taking compliments, you know that?”
“I’ll run to the chemist and fetch something.”
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“Then you can just suffer,” he said rolling his eyes.
* * *
Half an hour later, I was curled up in bed with my heating pad when Ian strolled in with two bags. “Did you stock up on Advil until the apocalypse?”
“I’ve got it all.” He emptied the bag onto my bed. “Lift your shirt and lower your broeks.”
“Broeks?”
“Panties.”
I smiled. “Sexy.”
He cut a hand through the air. “Just do it.”
I did as I was told, and he stuck a patch above my pelvic bone, opened a box and gave me four pills and a bottled water to take them with. “That heating patch should do you good, the pharmacist said we can change it every four hours. You can take four of these pills in one go if you need to.”
Stunned by his kindness, I nodded toward the other bag. “What’s in there?”
“Chinese food—and a shit load of it—ice cream, and two movies. Come on, we have to go to my house since you’ve decided to live past century.” He held his hand out to me and I winced as I stood. He pressed a kiss to my temple. “I’m sorry.”
“Damnit, Ian, don’t. Okay? This isn’t going to change, and I don’t want it to interfere with our…” I nodded in embarrassment, “you know.”
“Quality time?”
“Exactly,” I said giving him a forced grin. I prayed for the pills to kick in as we walked to his house. He pulled me as close as I could be as we devoured the food and watched our favorite movies from when we were kids, Raiders of the Lost Ark—his—followed by mine, Jaws.
“Remember when we watched these?” he asked as he loaded Jaws into the DVD player.
“Of course.”
“You were so young, I didn’t know if you remembered a lot of that summer.”
“I remember all of that summer.”
He gave me warm eyes. “Me too.”
“You were a hot-headed ass.”
“You were a total crybaby brat,” he smarted back before he pulled me into his lap. Sometime later, I woke up cradled to his chest. He was staring at my lips in the dim light of the house, the movie flickering over his features. His eyes fluttered closed and he turned his attention back to the screen. I pressed a kiss to his Adam’s apple and drifted back to sleep.
* * *
Ian
Heaven or hell, I wasn’t sure which I was dwelling in. I was leaning more toward the former. I’d spent my week on standby waiting for Ella after school to spend every moment I could with her. I applied for a few teaching positions for the fall. My life seemed to be back on track. I was feeling a little more like myself, aside from the new freedom I felt. I was running out of reasons to continue flying back to St. Thomas and I fucking hated the fact that I felt like I needed any other excuse than the one laying in my arms. The truth was we were on a slippery slope. At the same time, I still had so much hatred for Tara, I couldn’t be civil to her for any amount of time. My plans for the summer were mine to make. I was a free man. Ella was going to summer camp in Washington. I had the summer. I could give her the summer. I studied her gorgeous face in the flickering light and got fixed on her lips. She stirred awake and gave me a small smile. I turned my attention back to the screen and felt her lips on my Adam’s apple. My chest ached in that moment at the idea of leaving her.
I could give myself the summer.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Koti
I sucked my banana pop on the love seat flipping the pages of my new book. It was an incredibly hot day, and my AC was working overtime to cool the house. Our book club had commenced a few hours prior. Ian sat back on the couch opposite of me, his feet crossed and propped on the other end. I’d been stealing glances at him every page flip since we started reading. Shirtless in his faded palm tree swim trunks, he looked completely relaxed as he turned through the pages of a mystery novel.
Slurping on the sweet deliciousness of the freshly made frozen concoction, I managed to get through a chapter before I stole my next glance. To my surprise, his eyes were hot on me.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, much.”
“You have beautiful lips.”
“Thank you.”
“Get over here and put them on my cock.”
“Whaa?” I sat up, my clit pulsing with the low rasp of his voice, my mouth watering at the idea. I couldn’t look away. The whole situation was a train wreck because the New Yorker in me wanted to castrate him, while the feminist in me wanted to tell him to go straight to hell; but even as I feigned offense, I was strangely more turned on than I had ever been in my life.
Ian wore an infuriatingly sexy smirk. “I can see you fancy the idea as well.”
He was right, and a part of me hated it. Breathless, I rubbed my lips together as he zeroed in.
He slipped his shorts down enough so his ready cock sprang free. He was so hard, pre-cum dripped from the tip. He took it in his hand and pumped a few times as I found myself gravitating toward it.
“You’re serious?”
“It’s sex and no one tops me in the bedroom, Koti, ever.” He wiped the tip of his dick with a finger and held it out for me. “Come here.”
I sank to my knees on the carpet looking up at his bedroom eyes. The man turned me on like no other.
“I’m going to need a view, Miss Vaughn.
“Now, that’s a view.”
I was dripping. My eyes half closed with arousal as I sucked his finger eagerly before I moved to brace myself above him, one hand on the couch the other gripping his thick dick.
I was just about to wrap my lips around him when he spoke. “Do a good job, and I’ll make sure you benefit.”
“Jesus, Ian.”
He gripped my hair in his fist and leaned down on a whisper. “Suck it.”
God, why was I so turned on? I wrapped my lips around him down to the base as his fingers threaded through my hair. Pulling away with a pop, I grazed his tip with my teeth before I swallowed and took him in again.
“Perfect,” he gritted out, gently guiding my head down. He never pushed, but lifted his hips, fucking my mouth as I pumped and sucked.
“Jesus, those lips, give them to me,” he demanded, pulling me up by my hair, my scalp screaming as he smashed his mouth to mine. Our tongues gave and took as I straddled him on the couch rubbing my covered seam along his dick and moaning into his mouth. He ripped himself away and stared down at me as we both panted. “You aren’t done, I just need to feel you right now,”
“Ian,” I breathed as his eyes trailed over my chest and further down before they flit to mine.
“Get rid of those fucking bottoms.” He yanked at the strings on the sides of my bikini until I was bared.
“How wonderfully convenient, these strings of yours, now bring that beautiful pussy to my mouth and ride my face.”
“You’re filthy.”
“It’s only going to get worse after I taste your beautiful ass,” he promised as he lifted me up to feast, diving in like a madman. I stared down at him with my mouth open as he cradled my ass with his hands and pressed into me. Flicking his tongue expertly, he ate me until I was writhing in his hold. My arms began to shake with my weight as I got closer to the brink. Fiery gray eyes flit to mine after a leisurely lick. “Let go, I’ve got you.”
“Ian,” I rasped out, as he dove in, sliding his nose against my clit and thrusting his tongue inside. Breaths coming fast, I ground into his face and was rewarded with another groan. He pulled my clit between his lips and sucked hard until I began spasming uncontrollably in his hands. Licking me mercilessly, he refused to let up until I had soaked his chin. He pulled away and wiped it as he lowered me to sit on his bare stomach.
His illicit whispers lit my skin on fire. “I’ll be at your mercy anywhere but in the bedroom.”
He thrust two fingers up into me and I rode his hand, tilting my head back as he captured my nipple in his mouth.
“You are so damned beautiful,” he murmured, before trailing his tongue from one side of my neck, across my chest to the other. I began to quicken as he sped up his fingers and without warning replaced them with his waiting dick and thrust into me. I shuddered on his cock as he cursed, bit his lip and closed his eyes. I bucked and slid my clit against the thick ridge of him as his eyes opened and lit the rest of me into an inferno.
We were nothing but movement then, lips and teeth gnashing as I jerked my hips down greedy for more.
“So tight,” he murmured before pushing up so my knees lifted off the couch and I was impaled. I fell forward while he held me in the air, rubbing me back and forth, so all I could do was hold on.
“Come for me.”
And I did, I imploded as he bit down on my nipple and reddened my ass with his palm. I’d never been touched like that and never felt so out of control. I cried into his chest as my orgasm lasted a small eternity and then rode him hard and fast until I saw him start to crumble. Mouth parted, he groaned, his hands palming my ass, his body glistening. I jerked my hips again as he let out a “Fuck, Fuck,” before he collapsed back into the couch. Eyes closed, a slight smile played on his lips before he opened them and met my gaze. Wordless, we both sank into our connection. Moving to kiss him, I slid down his body and settled my lips on his.
Happy and relaxed, we settled into a warmth-filled silence until I heard a voice sound on the side of my house.
“Don’t drag my suitcase through the sand, it’s expensive!”
I shot off the couch like I was still on fire. “Ian, that’s my mother.”
He stood as if he didn’t have a care in the world and casually pulled on his shorts. He had his second arm in his T-shirt hole as he walked down the hall toward his room when a knock finally sounded at the front door. I thanked God we’d shut it in an attempt to keep the cool air in.
“Jesus, it’s hot out here. Knock again,” my mother said as I managed to get my bikini tied.
Looking toward the direction Ian fled, I ignored the front door and ran down the hall. Opening his door, Ian looked at me puzzled as I raced up to him and kissed him, hard. He chuckled into my mouth.
“Like that, did you?”
“As soon as they leave, we’re doing that again.”
“Okay, puffer fish.”
“Don’t call me by my pet name after that kind of sex, it’s weird.”
“Would you go already? They’re definitely going to know I was fucking you, now.”
My clit pulsed at his vulgarity. “God, I love the way you say that.” Biting my lip, I roved my eyes down his sexy form and that earned me another chuckle.
He slapped my ass. “Go.”
“I’m going.”
“Koti?”
I stopped at his door just as another knock landed. “Yeah?”
“It was amazing and we will be repeating that, repeatedly.”
We shared a smile before I looked toward the front door. “This is going to suck.”
He reached out and gripped my hand.
“Everyone is a glass house, it’s up to you to decide who to give the rocks to.”
I nodded.
“Go.”
“So beautiful,” I heard him whisper before I closed his door.
* * *
“So, Ian,” my father said as he sipped his beer, “my daughter failed to mention you were staying here. What brought you to St. Thomas?”
I glanced over at Ian and saw the hesitation on his face and so I gave my parents a half-truth.
“He’s a teacher, so he’s here to spend the summer prepping for his fall schedule.”
“A teacher,” my mother said perched upon one of the barstools, her golden hair slicked back into a tidy bun, her makeup flawless even after a stint in the heat. “What do you teach?”
“He’s a professor actually, he teaches linguistics,” I said on a redundant search for approval, for no other reason than I didn’t like her tone. Ian gave me a pointed look that said he didn’t need my help and I hoped he recognized the answering apology on my face.
“No need for the third-degree, Mom. We aren’t dating. He’s just staying here because we rented out the Kemp house this week.”
Her lips tightened. “I’m not giving the third degree, I’m curious.” Tension filled the air as Ian eased into conversation quickly telling them about his career.
“A former Marine. Thank you for your service,” my father added thoughtfully before he looked at me. I kept my eyes down as my mother went on, using Ian’s career success as an excuse for an unwelcome subject about my future.
“Did Koti tell you she worked as a real estate broker in New York? She was one of the best.”
“She did,” Ian confirmed as he took a sip of his beer.
“She had a huge future.”
“Mom,” I warned. She looked around the beach house she hadn’t visited in years. “It still looks the same doesn’t it, babe? Nothing’s changed. I guess our girl is safe enough here.” My father shot her daggers as he took another sip of his beer.
“Ian, I’m sure you have things to do.” With the tension thickening to choking level, I had to give him an out. “Don’t feel obligated to hang around.”
Ian didn’t move, his eyes challenged mine. Thoughts of what happened between us swirled around my newly aching
head. I tried to read him but was disappointed when he flicked his eyes to my mother. “I have nothing pressing.”
“How long will you be staying?” I asked my parents as casually as I could muster, and my mother took immediate offense. Before she could open her perfectly painted lips and let words through, my dad piped in.
“Only a few days, and we’ll get a hotel tomorrow, we apologize for the intrusion.”
“It’s not an intrusion, Dad, this is your house.”
Uncomfortable silence followed until Ian swooped in and saved the day turning to engage him. “Koti told me you used to work with some pretty big bands.”
Conversation flowed easily from that point as my dad spoke about his days as a sound engineer and threw in a few stories including the one of how he met my mother.
“She hated me, it was so obvious.”
“I didn’t hate you,” she chimed in.
He gave Ian a wary look. “Oh, she hated me, and I’ve never had to work so hard for anything in my life.” My mother smiled, genuinely smiled at my father and a part of me sighed. Though I’d painted her the big bad wolf at times, and she was hard on me, she was a lot of other things. A loving wife being one of them. My parents clasped hands and my dad winked at her. They had a healthy marriage. It had been full of everything a union should be, mostly because my dad worshipped her, and she needed that worship. They met at a time where their hectic lives were winding down and I could always see their genuine appreciation for each other. I was a bit envious. And I saw Ian notice the same. My parents had wicked fights, mostly due to my mother being hardheaded in regards to me, but my father stood his ground and when he did, she seemed to respect him more for it. He’d done it a lot, especially where I was concerned. I’d almost missed the change of conversation until I felt all eyes on me.
“What?”
“I was just telling Ian how you tried the piano.”
“Yeah,” I said wrinkling my nose, “never got the hang of it. Ian plays beautifully.”
Ian’s flattered smile was brief, but I caught it. “I’m horrible.”
Beach Reads Box Set Page 277