by Tory Baker
I nod in agreement, wondering what in the hell I got myself into. “I need to stop at the employee lounge and grab my purse first.” I remember I don’t even have a phone on me, and let’s face it, I may have hung out with him a few times, but Easton Reid is still a stranger.
“No problem. I’ll go grab my truck and meet you out front.” His hand glides to my hip before squeezing it firmly and then letting it go.
I watch as he walks away. “And some people say I’m an oddball. Pretty sure he has me beat.” Shaking my head, I detour, thankful that I changed my purse out to my smaller crossbody instead of my big shoulder tote. After I pick it up, I make my way to the front of the building. My head is down as I make my way outside, checking to make sure my phone is actually on for once in my life.
I hear a throat clearing, and only then do I look up. Reid is standing at the passenger’s side of his truck, holding the door open for me.
“Sorry, I have a bad habit of not paying attention to my surroundings.” He helps me into the truck, and I swear I hear him grumble something out loud as he shuts my door. My eyes take him in when he rounds the truck and hops into the drivers’ side. The way his arms shift shows off his muscles, and I’m off in my own world again. Apparently, it’s my new place to be. I tell Easton where to go, and we take in the sights along the way.
Chapter Seven
Easton
I drive us around the area, getting a feel for where everything is and where I could possibly have a home base. I have my sights set on the area that’s on the Intracoastal waterway. It’s centrally located in the city but also close to where my office building is.
“Do you like this area?” Cam asks as she looks at me. The skirt she’s wearing has hiked up since she’s in a sitting position, and I’m getting a tantalizing view of her silky thigh. My hand itches to reach out, to feel all of her lush skin, to glide my fingers up her firm legs until I’m slowly teasing them to part, feeling the inside of her legs quiver while I make my way to her center. I bet she’d burn me alive with passion.
“Yeah,” I groan before clearing my throat. “My office is only a few minutes away. Depending on the prices and what’s for sale. I know I want to be on the water, not the beach, but on the Intracoastal, where I can have my own boat dock,” I tell her. Her eyes light up as if she’s envisioning it right now.
“I would love to help you, that is if you need my help,” Cam offers.
“Maybe you can help me set up a few showings?” I ask.
“Absolutely. Just let me know what you’re looking for and the price range. We can do that when we get back to the hotel if you’d like?” she responds.
“Yeah, I’d like that a lot. Are there any other places around here that you know of?” I know we’re still in Beaumont. It’s a decent-sized town, but the population is small, even with the tourists that travel here.
“There’s a town close by, but it doesn’t have the small-town feel, and if you think it’s touristy here, it’s way worse. It has more of a New Orleans feel.” Her body does a full-length shiver.
“Nah, I want to be able to have some kind of peace and quiet. What do you say we go grab a bite to eat? Tomorrow you can take me out and show me the beaches.” Fuck do I want to see her in more relaxed outfits, showing off more of that smooth skin she had on display on our day at the beach. I shoot her a wink before I turn my eyes back to the road, even when all I want to do is continue looking at her. The way she wiggles in her seat makes me wonder if she’s wet and trying to find a way to take care of the ache I surely want to create.
“There’s a restaurant close by. It’s a hole in the wall, super laid back, but they have the best shrimp ever.” Cam’s eyes light up. Could this girl get any better?
“You let me know the way, and we’ll go,” I tell her. This time I can’t help but grab her hand that’s on the center console between us. I surround my hand with hers, her softness to my rough and calloused hand.
Cam goes to take her hand away from mine, but I hold it tighter. “Easton, I don’t think we should be doing this.”
“I’m not going to do anything that could hurt you, Cameron,” I tell her with sincerity, and she allows me to hold her hand for the rest of the car ride. Even when we get out and I help her from the truck, Cam’s hand finds mine.
She wasn’t kidding when she said it was a hole in the wall restaurant, but it’s on the waterway. Oyster shells litter the water beneath the deck.
“They have the best shrimp and grits you could ever eat. Sadly, I don’t get to eat here very often.” Her eyes are looking at the menu, completely glazed about what she’s going to order. It guts me to know she doesn’t get this luxury like so many others do.
“How about we order a few things and share them?” I offer.
“I can pay half. I promise,” Cam rambles out.
“I’m not worried about that. I want to see what all this place has to eat, and I can’t do that all by myself.” She probably knows what I’m doing, but if this is a way to be able to indulge her without getting her sass thrown my way, I’ll do it.
“As long as you’re sure, Easton.” The way she says my name has me running my hands down my face, trying to suppress a groan.
“I’m positive, baby.” The way her face blushes with my calling her baby, I know this girl is going to be mine for all time.
We do as I suggest, ordering several entrees, and we both pig out on our food, feeding one another in between.
“I’m so full,” Cam says once we’re back in my truck.
“Good, I’m glad.” I look over at her, she’s rubbing her belly, and all I can do is laugh. It’s like she’s rubbing a food baby belly. That alone has me coming up with thoughts in my head of what she’d look like pregnant with our child.
“When I can’t fit into my pants tomorrow, you won’t be glad,” she jokes. Without missing a beat, I lift her up and over my center console. This may be going at a fast pace for her, but I’ll be damned if she talks about herself in a way like that.
“What are you doing, Easton?”
“I’m going to show you just how much I love your body, no matter what the size is or whether you can fit into your pants tomorrow, then I’m going to do something I should have done the day I met you.” My lips find hers, dominating her. I nudge her lips open with my own, tasting her, capturing her flavor on my tongue, and devouring her as much as I can with my mouth.
Her body molds to mine, and her hands sink into my hair. She matches me in every motion I make, wanting to be a part of this, not letting me dominate her completely. When we pull apart, her forehead finds mine. “I can’t believe we did that,” she breathes out.
“You better believe it because it’s going to happen again,” I groan as her hips grind down on my lap. I know this is what she needs. I don’t want her first time getting off with me to be in a parking lot, let alone in my truck, but damn does she need this. Hell, I need to see her come apart myself. I hold her body to mine, thrusting up when she rocks her body along the length of my cock. This is only making me want her more, right here and now. It would be so easy to open my jeans, yank her skirt up over her luscious ass, and slide her panties to the side so she could slide down my length. What I wouldn’t give to have her spread out on a bed before me.
“Easton.” Her voice is a plea, one I want to hear more of. I take it farther, reaching up to her blouse. I yank it out of her skirt, sliding my hand along her smooth skin until I reach her breast, loathing the fact that I can’t lick her skin. When I reach the lace of her bra, I almost come in my pants. I can feel the outline of her nipple, and my thumb glides over it. Her sharp intake of breath lets me know she likes it. Taking that in, I pinch and pull on it.
“I know, baby. I know,” I murmur, helping her slide back and forth, deeper and harder.
“Please, Easton, I need more,” she says. I take her mouth, move my hand from her nipple, and I do what I’ve wanted to do this whole time. I wrench her skirt up, letting m
y fingers tease along the lace of her panties before I slide my thumb into the side. It has the effect I want. Her pants are deeper than before. I find her clit, applying pressure. If I could slide my finger inside her, I would.
“Come for me, Cam. Come all over me,” I demand. My thumb works in small circles, and her hands dive into my hair, holding on for dear life. My mouth finds her nipple through the fabric of her shirt, and I bite down.
She comes apart in my arms, but I don’t stop what I’m doing. I take it one step further, seeing if she’ll light up for me again. This time, I move her so I can slide a finger inside her, my thumb still applying pressure on her clit. “Fuck,” I groan out when I feel how tight she is. Her body rocks into my hand, and I bring her mouth to mine, wanting to taste her and swallow her moans as she tightens on my finger so hard, she almost pushes it out. Her body convulses as she comes. Damn, I can’t wait to have this woman forever.
“Are you okay?” I grunt out when I finally pull away from her, letting her sink into my body.
“Never better.” She picks her head up from my chest, a smile on her face.
I nod and return her smile before helping her slide back into her seat.
We make our way back to the hotel, and if I knew I had a fighting chance, I’d ask her to stay the night with me.
Chapter Eight
Cameron
True to Easton’s word, we go back to his place. He grabs a beer for himself, then asks, “You want a beer or a glass of wine?”
“No can do. Not only am I technically still on the clock, but I have to drive home tonight.” It sucks, really, because I would love a glass of wine after this crazy day.
“There’s plenty of room for you to stay here.” He winks.
“Not happening. You want to look for open houses, and I have another hour before I need to leave. School starts earlier than normal tomorrow, which reminds me, I won’t be here until noon, maybe a few minutes later,” I explain to him.
“Yeah, I’ll schedule some showings while you’re in class.” I follow him to the balcony, sitting beside him on the outdoor couch. Our legs brush, causing my spine to tingle like it seems to always do when I’m around Easton. I don’t dare look into his eyes right now. Instead, he opens his laptop and starts surfing the web for real estate listings. I know, without a doubt, he could hire a realtor to help find him the home he’s after. This must be another one of his ploys to keep me around. I have to admit that I like how Easton gets his way.
“Oh, what about this one?” I ask him, pointing to a home on the website. It’s not a massive home, more of a moderate-sized three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, but what really has me interested in it is the backyard and the dock that comes with it. It’s on a small canal, and while there are a couple of neighbors, for the most part, it’s pretty secluded.
“I like that one. It’ll fit my boat nicely, too. I may have to invest in a boat lift to keep the barnacles off the bottom, though I could probably get some money taken off the top for that. I’ll have to look at other places to get a comparable for it,” Easton rambles.
“That’s something I would have no idea about,” I reply, this time looking into his eyes. He meets mine, and as we get closer, time stands still. At the last minute, I turn my head away. Something is holding me back.
“Fuck,” he hisses out.
“I’m sorry. I’m going to go ahead and go now.” I get up, pull my skirt down, and start making my way toward the elevator. Easton reaches for my hand, stopping me in my tracks. I turn toward him as he steps closer. The look on his face isn’t one I’ve seen from him before.
“Cam, you have nothing to apologize for. It’s killing me that I can’t pursue you the way I want to. Believe me, I get it. You need this job, but baby, did you ever think that I may need you, too?” he admits. My stomach is a jumbled mess of butterflies and nerves, so I do the only thing I can. I faceplant into his chest, letting his arms come around me, and he holds me.
“You make it really hard to leave, Easton,” I murmur into his chest.
“That’s because I don’t want you to leave. It sucks, quite frankly, but come on. I’ll walk you to your car. It’s dark out, and I don’t want you walking in the parking garage alone,” he grumbles.
“You don’t have to. I’ll be okay,” I tell him.
“Not happening. Let’s get you home. You have class tomorrow, remember?” he jokes. I nod as he hits the button to the elevator.
We’re both silent, but it’s comfortable just the same. When the elevator opens up to the lobby, I show Easton where the employee parking is. His hand never leaves the small of my back as if he’s displaying ownership for everyone surrounding us. “Why don’t you just pee in a circle around me and stake your claim?” I quip.
“How about I throw you over my shoulder and take you back upstairs?” Easton responds. I can see he means it, too.
“Geesh, I’m over there, the red Honda. I point to my car. It has well over three hundred thousand miles on it, and the paint is wearing thin. What I don’t understand is why it’s not sitting level.
“Baby, what’s wrong with your car?” Easton points out as we approach it.
“I’m not sure, but it wasn’t like that this morning.”
“Interesting.” He’s alluding to something, but I’m not sure what it is. We arrive, and I see it has a flat. This just goes right along with the strangest day of my life.
“That’s so weird. I just replaced these tires three months ago. I wonder if I ran over a nail or something?”
“Fuck,” he guffaws. His hands find the back of his neck.
“What’s wrong? I can have a tow company come out. You don’t have to stay with me,” I offer.
“That’s not it. There isn’t a nail in your tire, baby. Someone sliced the sidewall wide open.”
“What? Are you sure?” I’m in disbelief. I haven’t made any enemies. In fact, I don’t know anyone well enough.
“Yeah, it’s plain as day. Go ahead and call a tow company, but I’ll take you home and have this taken care of. You have another way to get to school tomorrow?” Easton asks with concern in his voice.
“Nope, not unless I want to take the bus, and even then, I’m not sure it runs that early.” I’m so screwed. I have a clinical tomorrow, which means a seven o’clock in the morning type of class.
“I’ll take you home tonight and pick you up for school tomorrow,” Easton states.
“I can take an Uber instead?”
“It’s not like I’m doing anything anyways. Plus, this will give me an excuse to see more of you.” He winks. I turn to my phone and call the roadside assistance I was smart enough to include in my car insurance policy every month. I get the operator as soon as I make the call. Something tells me that doesn’t always happen. I remember hearing people complain that they’re on hold forever, and that a tow truck will take no less than four hours to take care of your car.
“She said it’ll be about two hours before a tow truck arrives. I gave her all the details. Are you sure you don’t mind taking me home?”
“Cam.” The look on his face says it all.
“Well, okay then. Let’s head to your truck. I’ll have coffee waiting for you tomorrow. It’s the least I can do,” I suggest.
“I’m not doing this to get something in return. Well, maybe I’m lying. There is a whole lot I want, but something tells me I’m going to have to wait.” His hand is back on my lower back. We head back through the lobby and go to the guest parking garage. This is something I loathe about the hotel. With all of the wings in this place, it’s easy to get lost. Not to mention, it’s hard walking everywhere. Plus, I’m in heels.
“I can’t wait to get out of these heels,” I say once we’re in Easton’s truck.
“Take them off now. For the record, they may make your legs look hot as fuck, but don’t torture yourself around me. I’d rather you be comfortable than in pain. Which leads me to my next point. We’re looking at houses tomorrow, so yo
u don’t need to be in the type of get-up you’re in today. Wear whatever the hell you want.”
“That I can do. Jeans, a shirt, and a pair of flats. That sounds like heaven,” I moan out, just thinking about it.
I hear Easton groan, and this time, I’m the one that’s smiling while looking out my window.
Chapter Nine
Easton
The whole way back to the hotel after dropping Cam off, I’m dealing with a hard-as-nails cock. After the sweet and tentative kiss she gave me, it nearly destroyed me to leave her alone in her home. The only thing that made me not push the subject was the tow truck driver that I knew was coming to pick her car up.
I whip into the guest parking lot, make sure I have my gun on my hip, and make my way into the employee parking lot. There’s no way this was an accident. I didn’t elaborate with Cam, knowing she may shrug it off. So, I looked and searched everything around her house before I left, and now, I’m here, standing up against her beat-up old car. The joy she had in her eyes when she pointed it out to me… If a piece of shit Honda brings her joy, I can’t imagine what else will. She’s not like other girls her age or any of the ones I grew up around. They wanted flowers, labels, and something flashy. Of course, I never did any of that shit. Not then, and I haven’t done anything in so many years, I’m shocked I haven’t rubbed my dick raw with my own hand by now.
The tow truck driver finally makes his appearance. He gets out and greets me. “Good evening, I’m Bobby. Is this your car?”
I quirk my eyebrow as if to say, “Really?” Not only that, but I can change a damn tire. Cam didn’t have a spare.
“Evening. Nope, it’s a friend’s. She didn’t have a spare, or I would have changed it. Can you take it to the local mechanic shop? I’ll take care of the bill if it’s over what her coverage is,” I tell him.