Embraced at Seaside

by Addison Cole

  Clark shrugged. “I don’t know. Before Billy, maybe?”

  “Well, maybe you don’t need to flirt with other women. Maybe you need to flirt with your wife. When was the last time you told her how beautiful she was? When was the last time you looked at her like you couldn’t keep your hands off her?”

  “She doesn’t talk to me, Hunter. I’m sure I look at her like I’m trying to decide if I need to walk on eggshells or not.”

  “That’s an even better reason to put forth more effort, man. You married a woman who used to make you excited when you heard her voice. Remember? You told me that she owned you. Owned you, Clark. She’s the same woman, only now she’s also the mother of your child.”

  “She’s even more beautiful than the day I met her, but—”

  “No. Stop. No ‘buts.’” As he said it he knew just what Clark needed to do, and it surprised him that he was the one who realized it first.

  “Let me babysit Billy tonight while you go out with your wife. Call her up and ask her out on a date. Show her you want to try to remember the couple you once were. Flirt with her. Let her know you think she’s beautiful.” The more he thought about it, the more he wanted this to work. “I’ll even do you one better. Take her to a B&B for the night. I’ll stay overnight with Billy.”

  Clark scoffed again. “You? Babysit overnight? I can ask my mom or something. You don’t need to do that.”

  “Do you want your mom knowing you’re having trouble in your marriage?” Hunter knew he wouldn’t want that. Clark’s mother was a primo meddler. “Let me do this for you. Go make plans to have sex with your wife until she can’t remember why she was mad at you in the first place. You’ll both feel better.”

  “Really?”

  Hunter nodded.

  “Who knew that you had marriage advice in you?” Clark slapped him on the back and headed toward the front office. He stopped halfway to the door and turned back. “When you talk about me and my wife, it’s not having sex. It’s making love. There’s a huge difference. When it comes to Nina it’s all about love, man, nothing less. Thanks for reminding me.”

  Hunter smiled to himself, and he realized that he was no longer pissed. He zipped off a quick text to Jana, then set aside the rods he’d been working with and started up the forge.

  AFTER TEACHING HER classes and organizing her thoughts for the next day’s classes, Jana filled in at Undercover, finally arriving at the little cottage she rented at a few minutes after eight. She was tired from being out so late again last night, and as she retrieved her mail, her muscles burned in places they rarely did, a gentle reminder of what she and Hunter had spent their time doing before the bonfire.

  She rifled through the mail on her way across the seashell walk that led to the front door. She loved the cozy cottage. It wasn’t in walking distance to any beaches or tourist attractions, and she liked living tucked away at the end of a dirt road. The cottage had only one bedroom, with a kitchen barely big enough for one, a living room–dining room combination, and one full bath, which was perfect for her. As much as Jana loved being with people, hanging out and listening to music, when she was home, she wanted privacy.

  The owners of the house had a landscaper who maintained the yard, and she loved having her first cup of coffee sitting at the kitchen bar while the sun crept over the backyard. That first morning light gave the yard a magical feeling as it shined down on rosebushes, rhododendrons bursting with large blooms, and tall pitch pine trees surrounding the lush green lawn.

  As she stepped onto the front porch, she thought of Hunter again, standing in her doorway with his helmet under one arm, looking like sex personified. She smiled, then quickly wiped the grin from her face as she remembered his earlier text. Ready to admit it yet?

  No, she wasn’t ready to admit anything to him. Why did he even want her to?

  She shook her head as she unlocked the door, stopping cold when the memory of his cologne hit her. She couldn’t remember him ever wearing cologne before, and it dawned on her that maybe he’d worn it for her.

  No way.

  She thought of his freshly shaved cheeks.

  Maybe…

  She realized she hadn’t heard from him since that text early this morning, which confirmed in her mind what she’d been thinking all day. Last night when she’d seen him with Bea, she’d seen him through girly goggles, those invisible lenses that make men appear like something they weren’t simply because of the presence of a baby, or puppy, or kitten.

  She set her things by the front door and sank down on the couch with a sigh, glad to be off her feet. She toed off her shoes and tucked her feet beside her, still thinking about last night. Why was it so easy to trust him? She should probably feel embarrassed by hooking up with him again, or worry that he might tell someone like Grayson or Sawyer, when he was out with the guys. She hated that idea, but she couldn’t hold on to the worry, and she realized that she had a strong sense of trust when it came to Hunter. She tried to dissect where that trust came from. Was it a false sense of security that she needed to let go of? She hadn’t trusted a man in years—if ever—other than her brothers and father, but that was a different type of trust.

  She tried to slough off the worry. Of course she trusted Hunter. He was Hunter, the guy who always tried to make sure his family and friends were happy. The guy who had dropped everything for Sky too many times to count. The guy who made beautiful art and looked at her like he wanted to devour her.

  Ugh. That was what was wrong with the equation. He was Hunter: The guy who looked at lots of women like he wanted to devour them—and made good on that desire.

  As she leaned back and closed her eyes, she wondered why that should matter. Hadn’t she done the same thing with men? Well, maybe not lately, since she and Hunter began hooking up more regularly, but she was definitely the girl who didn’t go home alone if she didn’t feel like going home alone.

  Why was she thinking about what he did with other women anyway? It wasn’t like she was looking for a boyfriend. If she were, she would walk away from him in a hot second, because he was not boyfriend material. But she was only looking to have fun, so…She didn’t see a need to walk away just yet. Not when everything he did when they were alone made her feel more alive than any man ever had. Not when every kiss set off a five-alarm fire inside her and every touch made her crave the next. And especially not after the way he’d carried her into the bedroom and held her until she’d stopped trembling last night.

  She’d been trying not to think about those tender moments, because she didn’t believe they meant anything, but every few hours the feel of his arms around her crept back in. The look of compassion that had washed through his eyes returned.

  She had to stop thinking about those seconds—and that’s really what they were. Seconds. Flashes of something she’d probably imagined.

  She fixed herself a salad and ate it while flipping through a gossip magazine. She was looking forward to taking a long hot bath to soothe her aching muscles and relax her into what would hopefully be a long night’s sleep. She was having breakfast with Sky and their friends at Seaside, and she was excited to have some girl time. Sometimes her days flew by so quickly she barely had time to think.

  At nine she filled a glass with wine and ran a hot bubble bath. She stripped out of her clothes, then thought better of the one glass of wine, wrapped a towel around herself, and grabbed the bottle, bringing it with her into the bathroom. She slid into the divine warmth and closed her eyes.

  The ache in her shoulders was just beginning to diminish when her cell phone vibrated from within her jeans on the floor by the tub. She ignored it, determined to relax. A few minutes later it vibrated again. She gulped down her wine, and when her phone vibrated a third time, she gave up and reached for it.

  Despite herself, a smile tugged at her lips when she saw DO NOT RESPOND! on the screen. She wondered what Mr. You Know You Want Me would say if he saw that. She read the first text. What are you doing? Then
the second. Missing me? And finally, the third. Guess what I’m doing?

  She wiped her hands on the towel, wondering why he was suddenly texting her, and sent off a quick reply. You’re texting me.

  She set the phone down and closed her eyes again, hoping that was a bland enough response to warrant a little peace. When her phone began vibrating like it was on speed, she couldn’t help but satisfy her curiosity.

  She opened the first message, and while she was trying to figure out whose adorable little boy was in the selfie with Hunter, several more pictures came through. She scrolled through pictures of Hunter and the green-eyed cutie. He sent a picture of the little boy sitting on his lap with an open book, and she tried to picture Hunter reading to the child. The next picture was of them both eating curly pasta. Next was a picture of the little boy in cute pajamas with bears on them, and finally, a picture of the little boy fast asleep, snuggled beside what was probably his favorite blanket.

  Jana heard her voice saying, “Aw,” before she realized she’d said it aloud. Another text came through.

  I’m babysitting Clark’s son so he can go out with his wife.

  As good of a guy as he was, she couldn’t imagine him giving up a few hours to babysit. But that was just like Hunter, doing something that made her think he could be more than a hookup if he ever wanted to be.

  She responded honestly. That’s so sweet of you.

  Hunter’s response came seconds later. It’s fun, actually. The little guy is great.

  Jana typed back, How late are you babysitting?

  His response came quickly. All night. Clark and Nina needed time to reconnect. Billy’s down for the count.

  Jana tried to process Hunter giving up an entire night to babysit, and before she could respond, he texted again. It was my idea.

  Jana stared at the text for a minute. His idea? Wow. Her phone rang, and she nearly dropped it in the tub. She answered his call, and true to Hunter’s form, he spoke before she had a chance to even say hello.

  “Now it’s your turn,” he said. “What are you doing?”

  Her eyes dropped to the bubbles in the tub. “Taking a bath.” Oh geez, why did I tell you that? She closed her eyes, expecting a snappy comment in return.

  “Is the bath helping you relax?”

  “Yes. The wine helps, too. Hold on.” She set the phone down and refilled her glass. When she picked it up again, she said, “Sorry, I’m back.”

  He was silent.

  “Hunter?”

  “Yeah. I’m here.” He let out a loud breath. “Just trying not to think about you in the bath. Naked.”

  “Funny. I’d think you’d be all over that thought.”

  “Maybe if I were in a position to come see you, yeah. I’m trying to delete the image of you naked from my mind right now. Don’t talk for a second. Your voice gets me every time.”

  Good to know. Toying with Hunter was the perfect way to relax. “It does?” she said in the most seductive voice she could muster.

  “Jana,” he growled.

  Oh, this is so fun! She was giddy despite herself and couldn’t resist using her best Little Miss Innocent voice. “What, Hunter? You don’t want to hear about how the bubbles are just starting to dissipate, and—”

  “Man,” he whispered.

  Hearing the restraint in his tone turned her on. She’d never had phone sex before, but teasing Hunter was too much fun to stop.

  She sank lower into the water. “The water’s getting cooler, but I’m getting warmer.”

  “You’re getting…” He said something she couldn’t make out. Then she heard him moving around. “I’m taking the baby monitor into the guest room.”

  “Look at you, all responsible like a big boy.”

  “I’ll show you a big boy,” he growled.

  She heard a door close and then Hunter breathing harder.

  “Tell me what you’re doing, Hunter.” She slammed her eyes shut and mouthed, Oh my gosh! to the empty bathroom, unable to believe she was actually doing this.

  “Have you done this before?” he asked.

  She contemplated lying, but “No” slipped out before she could stop it.

  He was quiet for a long moment before saying, just above a whisper, “Neither have I.”

  He was silent again, and she knew he was being honest.

  “You still there, pretty girl?”

  “Mm-hm.”

  “I trust you, Jana. Do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, unsure if she’d said anything at all.

  “Good, because you can. One of the things I like most about you is that you’re not afraid to enjoy your sexuality.”

  She closed her eyes, feeling nervous and excited at once.

  “You’re different. I think that’s why we keep coming back to each other. Because we’re the same in that way, Jana. With you, I can be myself. I can take, demand, push the limits, and I know you’ll tell me to back off if I come on too hard. You will, pretty girl, won’t you?”

  “Yes.” Her body was trembling now, not from the tepid water, but from the anticipation of doing something so naughty with Hunter. The scintillating sound of his voice had always turned her inside out, but right now it had her on pins and needles.

  “Good. I always want you to feel like you can tell me what you want. What you need.”

  The air left her lungs in a nervous rush.

  “Jana?”

  “Mm.” She closed her eyes.

  “Tell me you want me, baby.” His voice was thick with need, and she knew he wanted, maybe even needed, to hear it, but she wasn’t about to give in.

  “Never.” The word came out heated, accompanied by a smirk.

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.” She smiled, eyes still closed.

  “You’re going to be the death of me.”

  “Not tonight, I hope.”

  He laughed, a deep, sexy laugh that made her want him even more.

  “I want to see you, pretty girl.”

  Her eyes flew open. See me? She could say no. Deny him what he wanted. But that would be denying herself what she wanted, too.

  HUNTER’S HANDS WERE shaking. He had no idea what had possessed him to turn up the heat with Jana, but he felt so much for her, he couldn’t get enough. And playing a naughty game with her was beyond exciting. The baby was fast asleep, he had the baby monitor, and the doors were locked. So it wasn’t worry over Billy that was causing his hands to tremble. He was nervous about what they were about to do.

  “I want to see you, too.” Her voice sounded thin and shaky, and he knew she was nervous, too.

  “I’m going to end this call and FaceTime you. Don’t go anywhere.” He ended the call, and the FaceTime call connected faster than he thought possible. The idea that Jana might back out in the thirty seconds it took to place the call made his heart race.

  Her face appeared on his screen, and he could see the porcelain tub behind her shoulders, water at the crest of her collarbone, and the rosy blush on her cheeks, which was beyond sexy. She smiled, then immediately trapped her lower lip between her teeth. He wanted to climb through the phone and kiss her luscious lips. She was so brave it blew him away.

  “Hey, pretty girl.” He was shirtless, wearing only his black boxer briefs. He held the phone where he knew she couldn’t see lower than his chest. His heart was racing so fast he worried she’d be able to tell.

  “Hey.”

  “Nervous?”

  She nodded.

  “Me too. You look so sweet. Not at all like the mouthy blonde I’m used to.”

  Her brows drew together, but the edges of her lips curved up. “Well, you don’t have that arrogant tilt to your smile, either. You sure this is okay while you’re babysitting?”

  He held up the baby monitor so she could see it. “The magic of electronics. I’d never do anything to endanger Billy.”

  She blinked several times. “I know you wouldn’t.” Her voice was breathy, and he wished h
e could feel it on his skin.

  “Can you set up the phone so I can see you? Free your hands?”

  JANA LAY IN the tub afterward, eyes closed, breathing heavily. There was so much Hunter wanted to say, but when her eyes fluttered open, and their eyes met, he lost his voice. In that split second everything changed. He didn’t just see Jana in a bathtub, with the flush of pleasure on her cheeks. He saw only Jana. His Jana. He lay back, eyes still on her, feeling bound to a woman for the first time in his life. He smiled, hoping she felt it, too, but she was leaning forward, reaching, and the screen went black. She’d ended the call.

  His heart did that notice me thing again, only this time it felt dark and heavy as sadness consumed him.

  Chapter Eight

  ALL MORNING JANA felt elated, liberated even, like she’d joined a new club. The Virtual Sex Club, she mused. She loved the way Hunter had looked at her last night when they’d gone from talking on the phone to FaceTiming, the way he’d made her feel sexy and sensual instead of dirty or cheap.

  She’d turned off the phone in the same way she’d always snuck out after he fell asleep: without a word. Only this time she hadn’t escaped a morning after. She’d escaped the emotions she’d thought she’d locked away years ago, which were responding to everything they’d shared and threatened to reveal themselves because of the way he’d looked at her in those last few seconds.

  Now, as she parked her car in front of the laundry building in the Seaside cottage community to meet Sky and the girls for breakfast, her nerves came alive.

  She angled the rearview mirror and looked over her face. Would they be able to tell what she’d done? Did she look…sluttier? Ugh! The girls were definitely not sexually repressed, but what she’d done last night suddenly felt forbidden. Beyond naughty. And Hunter was Sky’s brother, which made it feel even more like she was crossing a line. She really needed to either stop sleeping with Hunter, or…what? Admit to Sky she was having lots of great sex with Hunter but they weren’t even dating?