Gansett Island Boxed Set, Books 1-16

by Force, Marie

  “Of course I included you. You’re family now.”

  “I’m still getting used to having a big family, let alone one as awesome as this one.”

  “We are pretty awesome,” Laura said, making Mallory laugh.

  “I wish my mom had told me who my father was a long time ago.”

  “We do, too, but we’ll make up for lost time now that we have you here with us.”

  “My dad is pressuring me to move out here where I belong—and those are his words, in case you wondered.”

  “I had no doubt,” Laura said, laughing.

  “I keep telling him I have a job and a house and a life in Providence, but he can be rather convincing when he sets his mind to something. And I have to admit, I’m tempted to chuck my life there and go for it. I spent forty years wondering who my father was, and now that I know him and the rest of you, I want to be here all the time.”

  “I don’t blame you. Maybe you’ll figure out a way to make that happen at some point.”

  “That would be nice. I was glad to be able to be here over the summer to help with Lisa Chandler’s hospice care, and my job was very accommodating of the leave of absence.”

  “We loved having you here, and I know everyone appreciated what you and Katie and Hope did for Lisa.”

  “I was honored to be part of it, and I’m thrilled to see the boys doing so well with Seamus and Carolina.”

  “They’ve been so great with the boys, and so has everyone who helped to build the addition to their house.”

  “This island is a special place.”

  “It really is, and if you should decide to make it your home, we’ll make sure you’re never bored or lonely.”

  “You sound like my dad,” Mallory said with a smile. “He says the same thing.”

  “We must be related. You’re staying for Christmas, right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss my first Christmas with my new family for anything.”

  “Good,” Laura said, smiling at her new cousin.

  With the evening beginning to wind down, Kevin was eager to take advantage of the key card Laura had given him earlier to take Chelsea upstairs to bed. But he held off out of respect for his brother and sister-in-law, who’d want to spend time with their family after the other guests left.

  When they were down to just family, Laura stepped up to the microphone. “Everyone go slip into something more comfortable and meet us in the salon for nightcaps, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and entertainment from my gorgeous husband, Owen, and my talented cousin Evan.”

  “How come he gets to be the talented one?” Owen asked.

  “Yeah, and why is he the gorgeous one?” Evan retorted.

  Laughing at their good-natured bickering, Kevin looked down at Chelsea, who’d knocked his socks off tonight with the sexy, shimmery silver dress she’d worn to the party with three-inch heels that showed off her incredible legs. He was completely gone over her and had been for months now, ever since that memorable night in September when she’d blatantly propositioned him.

  “Um, Kev?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What’re you thinking about?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  She subtly rubbed against his cock, which had hardened at the thought of the first night he spent with her.

  “I’m thinking about you, as usual, and that’s what tends to happen when you’re on my mind or in my arms or under me in bed.”

  Her soft moan was music to his ears. He loved the way she responded to him. One glorious night with her had made him realize how utterly lacking the last few years of his marriage had been, and now he was seriously addicted to her. He’d be the happiest guy on earth, except for one thing—her insistence on keeping their “relationship” to sex only.

  He was getting to the point where the frustration of being stuck in neutral with her was starting to get to him, but he’d been reluctant to push the issue, especially when he was having the best sex of his life with her. She’d agreed to attend his family party tonight, but he’d had to do some serious begging and pleading to get her to agree to something other than sex.

  “Let’s go get changed.” He took her by the hand and led her upstairs to the second floor. They’d been told to pack a bag to spend the night, and Kevin couldn’t wait to sleep next to her for a full night. Up until now, she’d always gotten up to go home after they had sex—or expected him to leave if they were at her place.

  Her arm’s-length approach was starting to make him a little crazy. If he were being honest with himself, he would confess that he’d never felt about Deb the way he did Chelsea. He and Deb had been great friends and had brought up two exceptional sons together, but they’d never burned up the sheets the way he and Chelsea did.

  He turned on the light to reveal a king-size bed and a renovated room done in a coastal theme.

  “This is so nice,” Chelsea said. “I’d wondered what the new rooms looked like.”

  Kevin couldn’t have cared less about the decorating. Not when he had Chelsea alone in a room with a huge bed. He backed her up to the bed until her legs connected with the mattress. She fell onto the bed, bringing him down with her.

  “I thought we were getting changed,” she said with a sexy smile.

  “We are, but in order to get changed, first we must get naked.”

  “You are too much, Kevin McCarthy.”

  “Am I?” he asked, propping himself up on his arms so he could see her face.

  “No.”

  “You look so beautiful tonight.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  “Then again, you always look beautiful.”

  As she often did when he complimented her, she diverted her gaze. In the past, he’d let that go, unwilling to scare her off by pushing her for things she said she didn’t want. But they’d been together—or whatever they were—for months now, and he was finding it harder not to push for more.

  “Was it something I said?”

  “No.”

  As he bent to kiss her neck, he sent his left hand to find the hem of her dress, drawing it up to where a thigh-high stocking connected with soft skin. She trembled madly under his touch, her legs falling open in encouragement. The mixed signals were killing him. She was always willing and responsive in bed but closed off and remote out of bed.

  “Chels,” he whispered.

  “Hmm?”

  “Can we talk?”

  She raised her hips to press against his hard cock. “Right now?”

  Though he was torn by the desire that pounded through him, the torment of wanting more from her than she was willing to give trumped desire for once. He dropped his head to her chest.

  She ran her fingers through his hair, the loving caress giving him the hope he badly needed. “What’s wrong?”

  “I want to know why you won’t let this be more than just sex.”

  Sighing, she said, “We’ve talked about this. You just got out of a thirty-year marriage, Kevin. You’re not even officially divorced yet, and most rebound relationships end in disaster. I don’t want to be part of a disaster.”

  “I’m not looking to end this. Just the opposite, in fact.”

  “You’re in no place to want that.”

  Resigned to making his case once again, Kevin moved to his side next to her, propping his head on his upturned hand. “I feel terrible admitting this to myself, let alone anyone else, but the time I’ve spent with you has made me realize that my marriage was over a long time ago. I’ve become almost thankful to Deb for having an affair. I only wish it hadn’t hurt my boys as much as it did.”

  “It hurt you, too.”

  “My pride more than my heart.” He twirled a strand of her long blond hair around his finger. “If you take a chance on me—a real, all-in chance—I don’t think it will be a disaster.”

  She was shaking her head before he finished speaking. “I don’t do relationships, Kevin. I told you that from the beginning.”

  “I k
now you did, and I’m sure you have your reasons for that, but you’ve never told me what they are. If you’re worried about me and where I am in all of this, I’m in.”

  “Isn’t what we have good enough?”

  “My twenty-year-old self would say hell yes, it’s good enough. It’s fucking fantastic. However, my fifty-year-old self wants more.”

  “My thirty-something self is in protection mode. I’ve seen this happen to my friends—they get involved with a guy fresh out of a long marriage, and after he sows some oats with them, he moves on to the one he wants to keep.”

  “I’m not looking to move on. If you think that, you haven’t been paying attention.” He slid his hand up her leg again, this time dragging her dress up to her waist, revealing the skimpy, sexy panties she favored. He’d become obsessed with her wide variety of skimpy panties.

  “I have been paying attention, and I know you think you want more, but until you’re actually divorced, we need to keep things the way they are now.”

  “I’ve filed, and it’s in the works.” He’d told her that, but it didn’t hurt to remind her. “And you know I’m sticking around because I’m opening a practice here after the holidays.” It wouldn't be as lucrative as his practice on the mainland had been, but it didn’t need to be. He’d invested wisely and only needed to make enough to live comfortably.

  “Let’s revisit this when your divorce is final and see where we stand.”

  “I suppose that’s fair enough.” Rising to his knees, he helped her out of her dress and feasted his eyes on the sight of her creamy white skin and the scandalously sexy bra and panty set that she’d bought at Tiffany’s shop. Among other things, he’d gotten her a five-hundred-dollar gift certificate to the shop for Christmas.

  She sat up and started unbuttoning his shirt.

  He reached behind her to release the hooks on her bra and watched her gorgeous breasts spring free of the tight confines of the bra. God, she was so sexy, and always so eager to have sex with him. He had to believe that underneath the insecurities she’d expressed about their current situation, she wanted the same things he did. So he would be patient. He would wait until he was actually divorced and then press her for a real commitment. They’d agreed to be monogamous while they were sleeping together, and that would have to be enough for now.

  In the meantime, he’d talk to Dan Torrington tomorrow about speeding things up with Deb. His ex-wife had been blindsided when he filed for divorce, which led him to wonder if she’d been hoping for a reconciliation that wasn’t going to happen.

  He’d heard from his son Riley that her fling with the younger guy was over, so she might be having some regrets. That wasn’t his problem. He’d meant what he said to Chelsea. Deb had done them both a favor by pulling the trigger to end a marriage that had withered on the vine a long time ago.

  Chelsea wrapped her arms around him and peppered his chest with kisses, working her way down to his abdomen, which rippled under her soft lips.

  Kevin knew where this was leading, and his cock got even harder from the anticipation. The heat of her mouth, the tight squeeze of her lips, the light suction and the swirl of her tongue got him every time. It had become a joke between them that he lost all control when she took him into her mouth, and this time was no exception.

  “Baby, wait.” Craving the closeness, he wanted to be inside her when he came. He withdrew from her mouth and brought her to the edge of the mattress before he removed her panties and feasted his eyes on her gorgeous body. Sexiest woman he’d ever been with, hands down. After worshiping her gorgeous breasts with his lips and tongue, he sank his fingers into her, gliding into her wet heat while pressing his thumb against her clit.

  “Kevin,” she gasped, arching into him, “please.”

  After removing his fingers, he eased into her slowly, giving her time to adjust to and accommodate him before he picked up the pace, giving it to her hard and fast, the way she liked it best. They’d both gotten tested so they could forgo condoms, and what had already been exceptional before was now extraordinary. Since she’d already taken him to the edge with the spectacular blow job, he wouldn’t last long. Wanting to make sure she was with him, he caressed her clit until he felt her clamp down on him as her body trembled with contractions. With her eyes closed, her lips parted and her breasts moving in time with his thrusts, she was like a goddess come to life, and he was determined to have her in his life forever.

  Keeping that thought foremost in his mind, he slid his hands under her to clutch her ass as he came inside her, giving himself over to the incredible bliss he found in her arms every single time they were together.

  Chapter 12

  Slim Jackson left the McCarthys’ party and headed out into the snow, jogging to the truck he kept on the island for days like this one when he couldn’t use his motorcycle. He’d been on pins and needles all night, wanting to spend time with two people he admired greatly as well as their terrific family, but he was extremely eager to see Erin, too.

  It’d been a long three months since he last saw her. While he worked in Florida during the off-season, they kept in touch through regular phone calls and FaceTime chats, getting to know each other better, which had been great. But it was no substitute for being with her in person.

  He’d invited her to visit him in Florida, had gone so far as to offer to buy a plane ticket for her, but she’d declined for reasons she hadn’t shared with him. Erin’s refusal to visit had disappointed him more than he’d admitted to her. They’d formed a connection before he left that had only been strengthened by hours of conversation over the last few months. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to come visit him, and he hoped to get to the bottom of that while he was home for Christmas.

  The road to the Southeast Light was long and dark, but Erin had left the gate open because he’d asked if he could stop by after the party. He had no idea what kind of reception to expect. The last time he saw her, the night Alex and Jenny got married, he’d brought her home after the wedding and kissed her good-night—a brief meeting of lips that had left him wanting so much more.

  But he’d been expected in Miami the next day and hadn’t had the time then to linger. He had time now, and he planned to linger—if she’d have him. As he approached the lighthouse, his heart began to beat faster, and a nervous flutter rippled through his stomach. When was the last time he’d been nervous to see a woman? High school?

  Erin was different. He’d known that for a while now. She was special, and he wanted to get to know her even better, but she had walls on top of her walls, keeping him constantly striving to break them down and get to the heart of her. He wouldn’t soon forget the night last summer when he’d shared with her that his given name was Tobias, the same name as her twin brother who’d been killed in the 9/11 attacks on New York City.

  She’d been completely overwhelmed by that coincidence, and it had helped to bring them closer. But those damned walls kept getting in the way.

  The glow of the light she’d left on over the back door lit his way from where he parked to the entrance to the lighthouse. He knocked on the door and then opened it to call up to her, banging the snow off his shoes on the welcome mat.

  “Come on up,” she said.

  He took the spiral stairs two at a time, dying to see her gorgeous face and determine whether the things he’d felt for her last summer had grown in the months apart or morphed into something more like friendship than the romance he hoped for.

  She waited for him at the top, wearing flannel pajama pants and a Gansett Island sweatshirt. Her chestnut-brown hair was in a high ponytail, her lovely face devoid of makeup. She took his breath away, especially when she stepped forward to welcome him with a long hug.

  Slim wanted to keep her pressed up against him for as long as he possibly could, but they weren’t “there” yet, so he released her reluctantly. At least one question had been answered to his satisfaction—this was still a potential romance and not just a really nic
e friendship.

  “Hi, there,” she said with a warm smile. Her brown eyes sparkled with delight as he removed his overcoat and hung it over the railing. “Wow, you look good.”

  He’d worn a navy blue suit with a white dress shirt and no tie to the party.

  “And you’re so tanned! You said you’ve been working nonstop in Florida.”

  “All work and no play makes Slim a dull boy.”

  She snickered. “That’ll be the day. Who doesn’t want your high-flying life?”

  Who didn’t, indeed? His lifestyle had suited him until lately, when he’d spent months living a thousand miles from a woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.

  “Drink?”

  “I wouldn’t say no to that.” He hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol at the party so he would be clearheaded when he saw her. But now that he was here, he could use a little liquid courage. Intrigued, he watched her make a Ketel One and soda on the rocks with a twist of lemon.

  “Someone has been paying attention,” he said when he took the drink from her with a grateful smile.

  “I’ve watched you make that drink often enough on FaceTime.”

  “Not that often.”

  She raised a brow to challenge him and then further intrigued him when she made the same drink for herself. “I figured I ought to see what the hoopla was about.”

  He took a seat on her sofa, hoping she would join him—and sit close. Very close. “And?”

  Much to his dismay, she sat on the other end of the sofa, facing him and curling her legs under her. “It’s quite refreshing.”

  “I think so, too.”

  “I’ve never been much of a fan of vodka, but I have to say, it’s pretty good.”

  “Vodka and I go way back.” Winking at her, he added, “My mom couldn’t smell it on my breath when I got home in high school.”

  “Ah-ha. I see how it was.”

  “I got in big trouble when I confessed that to her a few years ago.”

  Laughing, Erin said, “Why would you tell her that, ever?”