King of Clubs (Aces & Eights Book 2)

by Sandra Owens

  “And if it’s for more than that?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Fair enough. Neither did he. He cupped a breast. It fit perfectly in his hand. He’d thought the same thing the first time he’d touched her. “Off,” he said, tugging on the hem of her top.

  “You read my mind.” She sat up and pulled off the T-shirt, tossing it to the floor.

  “Beautiful,” he said as his eyes roamed hungrily over her. She was curvier than he remembered, filled out in all the right places. “So beautiful.” He put his hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down. “I’m going to learn you all over again.”

  There wasn’t a place on her that he didn’t want to explore, but where to start? Did she taste the same? Feel the same? He hadn’t forgotten one single thing about her, but what new discoveries were awaiting him?

  Impatient to find out, he put his hand under a breast as he lowered his mouth. She moaned when his teeth scraped over her nipple. He answered with one of his own. Sweet Jesus, she was as luscious as pure golden honey. After giving her other breast the same attention, he moved back to her mouth, their lips meeting in a demanding kiss.

  “I need to be inside you,” he said a few minutes later. “Really need it.”

  He pulled off her sexy boxer shorts, and after shedding the briefs he’d left on after finding her in his bed, he reached into the nightstand drawer, grabbing a condom. Later he would taste her from head to toe more thoroughly, but he’d waited six years—even though he hadn’t realized it until tonight—for this moment. He moved over her, hesitating as he stared down at her. Why had she turned her face away?

  “Look at me, Lauren.” Intimacy with her meant something to him, although he hadn’t decided exactly what yet. He needed it to mean something to her, and damn if he’d let her hide what was in her eyes. He was an expert at reading body language and expressions. If she had any doubts, he’d know and would put a stop to this right now, even if it killed him.

  When she looked up at him, there were tears in her eyes. He brushed his thumb across her cheek. “Why the tears, Gorgeous Girl?”

  “I don’t want this night to end,” she whispered.

  After he’d walked out earlier, he’d ridden his bike up the coast road. Riding his Harley at night when the roads were mostly empty was something he liked to do when he needed to think. He’d decided he would keep his promise to teach her what she wanted to know, and then put her on a plane. He’d planned to maintain a hands-off policy, but then he’d come home to find her in his bed. Apparently, where Lauren Montgomery was concerned, he had the willpower of a hungry dog eyeing a big, fat, juicy steak.

  “Stop thinking,” he said, not sure if he meant that for her or himself. He kissed her. “Just feel.” All he wanted was to lose himself in her, for them to get lost in each other. Holding her gaze, he eased into her. She was so damn hot and wet. A shiver traveled up her body, followed by a little gasp. He swallowed a satisfied smile. She definitely wasn’t immune to him.

  “Tell me you want this,” he said, needing to hear her say it.

  She put her palm on his cheek. “I do. I want you, Court. I want this.”

  “You have me, baby.” You always have. Hearing those words in his head, he froze. That might have been true once, but no longer. It was just lust talking, he assured himself.

  “Court?”

  “I’m here.” He thrust into her, then arched his hips. She wrapped her legs around his thighs as he began a push-pull rhythm while leaning into her touch. Although he’d told her to keep her eyes open, he closed his, afraid she’d see too much. He wasn’t even sure what he’d see in them if he looked in a mirror, nor did he want to know. They were two people who wanted each other, nothing more and nothing less.

  He slid his hands down the sides of her body to her hips, gripping them. When she wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling his face down, he covered her mouth with his. He was so hot for her that he knew this first time wasn’t going to last long. They had all night, and he would love her thoroughly before the sun rose, but now, he gave in to the wildness that she brought out in him, rocking his hips harder, faster.

  “Yes. Like that,” she said, meeting him thrust for thrust.

  “Come, Lauren,” he commanded, and as if he had the power to order her to climax with him, her body tensed. He deepened the kiss, drinking in the sounds she made as they fell over the edge together. When he could think again, he gathered her into his arms as they both struggled to breathe. Rolling them over so that she lay across him, he wrapped his arms around her back, holding her close.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  She nodded against his neck. “I’d forgotten how amazing we are together.”

  He hadn’t. When he’d been with her six years ago, they’d practically set the bed on fire each time they’d made love. The magic was still there, but he was older and wiser. He knew how to protect his heart.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Lauren listened to Court’s even breaths, soft and contented in sleep. He should be content. They’d made love three times. She smiled, tempted to rub her palm over his morning scruff, but she didn’t want to wake him. It gave him such a sexy bad-boy look, though, and unable to resist, she gently laid her hand on his cheek, loving how the stubble felt against her palm. He sighed, turning his face into her hand. Her heart responded with a painful beat. Even in sleep, he was aware of her.

  What they’d done began to sink in. She’d seduced him, caught him in the haze of sleep. Would he regret it in the light of day? She hoped not because he’d given her a beautiful memory to take with her. Tears burned as her eyes roamed over him.

  He was beautiful. So masculine with his hard planes and dark features. The covers were bunched around his waist, and she longed to straddle him and touch her lips to his broad shoulders, then trail her tongue slowly down his spine until he woke up. She wanted him to open his eyes, look over his shoulder at her, and give her a sleepy smile, one that said he wanted her again.

  But that couldn’t happen. She wouldn’t add to her sins where this man was concerned. Her life was a hot mess. He didn’t deserve for her to screw his up, too. She had one foot out the door, and her heart was already broken. Even with another piece of it shattered, she would survive if it meant he would be safe.

  Unable to fall back asleep, she eased out of bed. Returning to the guest room, she slipped on a T-shirt and her favorite comfy jeans. After brushing her teeth, she went to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. She took the cup out to the balcony, cleared her mind, and sought calm as she watched the sun come up over the Atlantic Ocean.

  The water was as smooth as glass, and as the sun rose above the horizon, the beams of light danced across the sea like sparkling diamonds. She could live here on Court’s balcony, doing nothing but listening to the soft splash of the waves hitting shore. No worries, no fear of what was to come.

  Three dolphins broke through the water, their fins glistening in the sunlight. She watched them until they disappeared, wishing she could swim away with them. The worries crept back into her mind, though.

  What would Peter do if he came for her and she wasn’t there? Would he be able to track her to Court’s? The thought of that happening made her stomach churn. If Court hadn’t found her by now, she’d be in New Orleans, and he would be all the better for it.

  “You’re up early.”

  She lifted her face, looking up at Court. “Good morning.”

  Not replying, he leaned against the railing, gazing at the ocean as he sipped his coffee. What was he thinking? Probably searching for the words to tell her last night had been a mistake. It hadn’t been for her. She’d had the opportunity both to love the boy he’d once been and the man he’d become. There were no regrets on her part. She’d treasure her memories of him until her dying day.

  Her mouth watered at the sight of him wearing only a pair of sweatpants sitting low on his waist. During the night, her hands had roamed all over his body, exploring e
very inch. She wished she could do it again now, in the light of day, so she could watch her fingers dance over his skin. So she could see his face, watch his eyes darken with desire.

  She had to stop wanting what she couldn’t have, but that was impossible with him so near. It would be easier once she was away, or it should be. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t been able to stop thinking of him, wanting him, since the day they’d met. Why would it be any different this time?

  He turned, his eyes meeting hers. “About last night—”

  “Was a mistake. I get it. I won’t apologize, though.” It would be a lie to say she was sorry, and she was done lying to him. She willed her eyes to stay dry, refusing to let him see her tears.

  “That wasn’t what I was going to say, but whatever.” His gaze shifted away, then landed back on her. “Did you love him?”

  “Stephan?” He nodded. She wanted to say no, she never had, but she’d promised herself there would be no more lies between them. “Yes, until the day we got married and he showed his true self.” She didn’t want to talk about her life with Stephan, not with Court.

  “How old were you when you got married?”

  Why did he want to know these things? “Nineteen. Young and stupid. Can we not talk about this?”

  “Don’t you think I deserve to know?”

  “What we had had nothing to do with Stephan.”

  His eyes grew cold. “If you say so.” He turned back to watch the ocean.

  “I feel like my life is out of control,” she said, more to herself than to him.

  “It doesn’t have to be that way,” he said, then disappeared inside.

  The tears she’d been holding back came then. Even after swearing she wouldn’t, she’d just lied to him. Stephan had everything to do with what had happened between her and Court. And now, long after she’d thought she’d escaped Stephan, because of him, she was going to run away from the people she loved and the life she’d created for herself. She felt like a puppet whose strings were manipulated by an evil villain, and she hated Stephan for it.

  From the day she’d walked out of her ex-husband’s house, she’d worked hard to learn how to be a normal woman, one who enjoyed life and didn’t feel like she needed to be punished for the slightest mistake.

  Her first attempt to taste freedom had been the spur-of-the-moment decision to take off for Panama City. Then she’d come home to find the monster waiting for her. It had taken months to heal physically and much longer to stop jumping at shadows. But she had been so angry over all that he’d stolen from her. It had been that rage burning inside her that had given her the strength to find her way back to the living, determined that Stephan wouldn’t win.

  After a year of therapy, combined with her will to prove to herself that she could carve out a life that would give her a degree of happiness, she’d managed to do just that. She’d had the support of her family and friends, and she and Madison had made their dream of owning a bookstore come true. Hoping that word would get back to Stephan that she had moved on, she’d started dating again.

  Although there had existed a lingering ache in the part of her heart that belonged to Court, she’d been content until both Stephan and Court had walked back into her life. With Stephan came fear and loathing. With Court came heartbreak all over again.

  She used the hem of her T-shirt to dry her eyes. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she moved to the railing. As she looked out over the ocean, she said a little prayer, asking God to keep both her and Court safe.

  Court stood a few feet away from the glass door, watching Lauren cry. He fisted his hands, planting his feet to the floor to keep from going to her. He wanted her to trust him enough to tell him the reason she was determined to run.

  Against his will, the memory of their week together filled his mind. He smiled, remembering her first words to him.

  “Like what you see?” she’d said when they’d closed the distance between them.

  He’d grinned. “That should be obvious.” The heat from the sun beating down on his back, the rowdy shouts of the college students around him, and the calls from his friends to come join them had all faded to nothing.

  “You’re beautiful,” he’d said.

  “I bet you say that to all the girls you want to take home.”

  He hesitated as he tried to remember if he’d ever said anything like that to a woman he didn’t know, but he couldn’t recall one single time.

  “Yeah, thought so.” The glimmer faded from her eyes as she turned away.

  “I’ve never said that before.” When she faced him again, he brushed the sand off her nose. He wanted to trail his finger over her lips, also sandy, but that might be pushing his luck. “It’s the truth, Gorgeous Girl. I’d like to take you to lunch.”

  She tilted her head, peering up at him. “Are you a serial killer?”

  “No.”

  “A rapist?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Crazy?”

  He smiled. “I think I’m going to be crazy about you, but other than that, no.”

  “Okay.” She held out her hand. “I’m Lauren Montgomery.”

  “Court Gentry.” Her hand was also coated with sand, but he didn’t care. Instead of shaking, he laced their fingers together. Something he’d never felt before settled in his heart.

  He still didn’t understand how he’d fallen in love with her so fast. It wasn’t just the sex, which was off the charts. There had been something between them that had been magical. He’d never experienced it since.

  Before he could tell her that his memories of having her in his bed again hadn’t lived up to the real thing, she’d said it was a mistake. That had put an instant end to the warm feelings he’d woken up with. She was right. It had been a mistake.

  His phone buzzed, and he turned away, leaving her to cry her tears in private. “Yo,” he said, at seeing Alex’s name on the screen.

  “How’s Lauren doing?”

  “Fine.” The better question would have been how was he doing.

  “Madison called her phone, but she didn’t answer, so of course, my wife’s worried about her. She planning on going to work today?”

  “Yep.” He glanced out at the balcony. Why was she crying, anyway? She hadn’t moved, and he hated seeing her hurting even though she’d shut him out of her life.

  Alex chuckled. “Damn, bro, you’re chatty today.”

  “Go away, Alex.” He disconnected. He made his favorite morning meal, scrambled eggs and bacon on buttered toast. Sandwiches made and orange juice poured, he called Lauren in.

  “I’m not really hungry,” she said, following him into the kitchen.

  “You need to eat.”

  She eyed the two sandwiches on her plate. “I can’t eat two of these.”

  “That better?” he said, taking one of them.

  “You’re going to eat three?”

  “Growing boy.” They ate in silence. Not happy with her at the moment, he didn’t bother trying to start a conversation. Although she’d claimed not to be hungry, she ate all of hers. He put a half sandwich on her plate.

  “Thanks. These are good.”

  “Welcome.” He was glad to see she had an appetite, but he still didn’t want to talk to her unless she decided it was time to trust him with her secrets.

  “I guess I’ll get ready to go to work,” she said, pushing her plate away. “If Madison hasn’t left yet, I’ll catch a ride with her.”

  “I’ll take you.”

  She made circles on the place mat with her finger. “Okay.”

  That lost little girl voice just about slayed him. Before he gave in and gathered her up in his arms, he picked up their plates, and loaded them in the dishwasher. When he was done, he leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Why don’t you tell me about your husband?” Maybe she could explain why she hadn’t mentioned Stephan when they’d first met.

  Her eyes shifted away. “I don�
�t have a husband.”

  “But you did once. Seems like something you should have told me. That was pretty damn major, Lauren. Not like neglecting to tell me you’d stubbed your toe or overslept.”

  Her lips thinned in displeasure, but he didn’t care. For years, he’d wondered what he’d done wrong. Turned out, it hadn’t been him at all, if the assumptions he’d made so far were correct. He’d loved her and would have protected her if he’d only known she’d needed it. She’d taken away his chance to take care of her with her silence.

  “That was the most beautiful week of my life. I didn’t want to ruin it by bringing him into what we had between us.”

  Her voice was so soft that he had to strain to hear. Okay, he got that a little, but it still rubbed that she’d kept something that big from him. “Did you ever plan to tell me?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her gaze to his. “The next time I saw you.”

  “That didn’t work out so well, did it?” Her bottom lip trembled, and he called himself an ass. But by keeping her secrets back then, she hadn’t given them a chance, and she was still doing it with her refusal to tell him why she was so determined to run.

  “Court—”

  The doorbell rang, interrupting her. “Ignore it,” he said when she glanced toward the door.

  “Don’t you want to see who it is?”

  “Nope. It’s one of my brothers. I’m hoping he’ll go away.” He guessed it was Alex, since Nate didn’t know Lauren was here and would have let himself in. Whichever one it was, his timing sucked. Had she been about to finally open up?

  CHAPTER NINE

  The doorbell rang again. Lauren sat back, relieved at the interruption. She’d almost told him everything, which would have been a mistake. God only knew what Court would do if she’d told him why she’d refused to see him again.

  “Still ignoring it,” he said. “You were saying?”

  She shook her head. “Just that at the time—” The bell rang again in three consecutive bursts. Just that she would do the same thing again if it meant protecting him.