by Rose Wulf
The botched beach date flashed through Blake’s mind, and he nodded. “Yeah. On a date. And now these guys burned down my girlfriend’s house.”
Nicholas released a bitter laugh. “Dating at a time like this? Boy, I can’t decide if I’m proud of you or ashamed. What do your parents think?”
Blake ground his teeth. “Mom and Dad like her,” he said. “Uncle Nicholas, please, focus. These people are trying to kill us.”
A rush of air crinkled over the phone line. “You want my advice, Blake? The smartest thing to do is run. Run until the lightning stops falling.”
****
Over the next couple of days, Brooke did what she could to pull her life back together. She contacted her family, spent too much money on things she should have already had, and explained the situation to her professors when she went back to class on Monday. But despite all the things she got done over the weekend, by Tuesday she was still far from whole. Because of her greatly decreased bank account, however, she volunteered to take an extra shift on both Tuesday and Friday.
She was in the back room late Tuesday afternoon, using her ten-minute break to rest her feet, when Georgia slipped into the room. Brooke lifted her head from the locker it was resting against and offered a smile to her friend.
Georgia’s returning smile was sympathetic, if not slightly guilty, and she moved toward her. As she set her purse down and reached for her own locker, Georgia said, “Brooke, I’m so sorry. Are you doing okay?”
Brooke sighed. “I suppose I could be doing worse.”
“You’re still staying with Blake, right?” Georgia asked after a moment.
“Yes,” Brooke replied. “He’s been really helpful. And patient.”
Georgia grinned lightly and turned so she could sit beside her. She lowered her voice and said, “Now, as your best friend, it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re remembering all of the essentials. How’s your supply?”
Brooke was sure her confusion showed on her face. “What are you talking about?”
Giving Brooke a pointed look, Georgia said, “You’re sleeping in the same bed, aren’t you?”
For an instant, Brooke was still confused. “Wha—? Oh, don’t worry about that.”
Georgia frowned. “It’s not like they survived the fire. Do you need some money to buy some more? I’ll run you by the drug store after work if you want.”
Brooke squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to be mortified, and held up one hand defensively. “No, no, I already bought more. And even if I hadn’t, I can’t take your money for something like that!”
“You could if you needed it,” Georgia replied, grinning now. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to have to hold back.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” Brooke asked pointedly.
Georgia waved her off even as she pushed back to her feet. “Yeah, yeah.” They were silent for a minute as Georgia pulled out her apron and began dressing for her shift. At length, she asked, “Do you need a ride after work? We’re closing together, so I totally don’t mind.”
A genuine smile eased onto Brooke’s face and she shook her head as she pushed to her feet. “No, thank you. Blake’s picking me up.” She paused and turned, jerking her thumb toward the door. “I’ll see you out there, okay?”
Georgia nodded, still adjusting her apron, and Brooke turned and quietly stepped from the room. She appreciated everyone’s concern, but all the same, she was tired of only talking about the fire and everything she’d lost whenever she saw someone. All she wanted was to forget—if only for a minute—about her own problems.
Shelly nearly ran into her as she bustled into the drink station, and she stumbled back to avoid Brooke, saying, “Oh! I’m so sorry, I know you have another minute left, but we got a little busier … and you have a family at four.”
Brooke nodded, smiling. “That’s fine. I was on my way back out there anyway.” The two parted ways at the door, and Brooke took a deep breath as she approached the family of three. She didn’t recognize them, which told her only that they probably weren’t local.
They were dressed well, though not overly so, and the mother and father sat opposite each other, with their son settled between his father and the wall. The son, who was probably seventeen or eighteen, was the perfect combination of his parents. He had his mother’s thick blond hair and blue eyes, but he had his father’s strong, masculine features.
She smiled politely as the parents set their menus down. “Hi,” Brooke began easily. “My name’s Brooke, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Is it your first time here?”
The mother returned her polite smile and nodded. “Yes,” she said. “We’re going to be moving to the area in a couple of months, so we’re in town for a few days to do a little house-shopping.”
Of course you are, Brooke thought fleetingly. Aloud, she said, “That’s always fun. We’ve got lots of nice places to live around here, so I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
“We’re not too worried,” the father stated with an easy, confident smile.
Allowing herself a moment to indulge in a conversation that wasn’t about her own life, Brooke asked curiously, “What brings you to Darien, though?”
The father’s smile turned into a teasing grin, and he dropped a large hand on his son’s head as he proudly declared, “Vaughn here’s going to be going to college nearby starting next semester, and we’ve always wanted to live near the beach, so it seemed like the right time.”
Vaughn grumbled something Brooke couldn’t decipher and dragged his father’s hand off his head without looking up.
“Graduating high school soon, then?” Brooke asked, directing the question to the boy deliberately.
The boy in question shifted his eyes from the table to hers and nodded. “Yeah,” he said.
Continuing to purposefully ignore his anti-social attitude, Brooke said, “Well, congratulations, Vaughn. Now then, what can I get for you tonight?”
****
“I bought you something,” Blake declared casually as he pulled out of the parking lot a few hours later.
Brooke looked over at him. “Oh?”
Grinning, Blake gestured toward the backseat. “It’s in the bag.”
More curious now than she had been initially, Brooke shifted and looked behind them. Her eyes easily found the small, unmarked plastic bag on his backseat, and she stretched her arm until her fingers had grasped it. It was lightweight, and she pulled it onto her lap. “What is it?” she asked as she found the opening and eased her hand inside.
“You’ll see.”
Brooke’s hand had already made contact with the hard plastic casing of the object, and she pulled it out of the bag quickly. As soon as she saw the object packaged within, she couldn’t help but laugh. It was a new phone charger. “You didn’t like me using yours, huh?”
“Not true,” he defended, still grinning. “I just thought it might be easier if we each had one.”
Returning her gift to the bag, Brooke said, “Thank you. I knew there was something I was forgetting to replace.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Settling the bag in her lap, Brooke leaned back against the headrest and told him a little about her day as he drove. She had fortunately few stories to tell, and by the time she was done Blake had pulled to a stop in his garage.
As they walked into the house, Blake only slightly ahead of her, Brooke asked, “You know what I want to do?”
Blake arched a brow at her words and glanced back at her over his shoulder as he walked. “Enlighten me,” he said, a slight curve to his lips.
Brooke angled past him, setting the bag with her new phone charger on the kitchen counter. “I want to go for a nice soak in your hot tub. Feel free to join me if you’re interested.” She continued on down the hall and waved over her shoulder. Her casualness was feigned, of course; she very much wanted him to join her. But she was also pretty sure he would. So she grinned silently as Blake followed he
r down the hall.
Brooke paused in the large master bath after she had secured her bikini, taking a moment to admire herself. She’d never considered herself vain, but she wasn’t afraid to admit when she knew she looked good. Nor was she unwilling to admit, at least to herself, that there was only one reason she’d purchased this particular bikini.
The suit itself was royal blue, with little ivory seashell-like clasps. The top tied around her back and behind her neck, and slim, borderline inappropriately small triangles of fabric covered her breasts. The triangles of fabric were connected in the front by the first of the two seashell clasps. The bottom piece was just enough to cover her, though her hips were only encircled by a single string of fabric, which tied over her left hip by looping through the other clasp.
With a self-satisfied smile, Brooke stepped out of the bathroom. She didn’t bother to grab a towel on her way to the hot tub; it was a moot point, anyway.
She was unsurprised to see Blake already settled in the hot tub, arms stretched out over the sides and head back, looking relaxed. Even if she hadn’t known his secret, there could be no denying that he was truly relaxed in the water.
“Got room for me?” she teased even as she stepped into the perfectly heated water.
Blake lifted his head, offering her a private smile as he said, “Always.” His eyes left hers in order to take in her appearance, and he swallowed heavily.
“You like?” Brooke asked with a small laugh, stepping to the floor of the hot tub and slowly twirling around. When she was facing him again, he dragged his eyes back up to hers, and she recognized the desire swirling around in the depths of his gaze.
“You could say that,” Blake replied, his voice low and thick. He pulled one arm from the rim of the hot tub. “Come here.”
Even as his arm extended, reaching for her, Brooke felt the swirl of water suddenly, gently, pushing at her legs. She allowed the water to tumble her forward, into her boyfriend, and laughingly smacked at his shoulder. “Cheater!”
Blake’s arms came around her, hauling her properly up to him, and he grumbled, “I’m more about results, really.” He caught her ensuing laughter in a hard kiss as his mouth slanted over hers.
Brooke moaned against his lips as he devoured her, and her hands clenched over his shoulders, searching for purchase. One of his hands slid up her back, over the ties of her swimsuit, until he had tangled it in her hair. His other arm wound entirely around her waist, holding her tightly against him as his tongue swept over hers.
He was holding her tightly, her breasts pushed up against his chest and her nails digging into his shoulder, when she shifted against him and tore a muffled groan from his throat. Her leg dragged across his lap, and then she was straddling him. She allowed one of her hands to slide, nails still scraping his skin, up and into his hair.
As Blake sucked her tongue into his mouth, he slid his hand from the small of her back to her barely covered backside and squeezed deliberately. The action, synchronized with his tongue moving against hers, caused Brooke to roll her hips forward and into his straining arousal. They both groaned at the contact, neither quite breaking from the kiss.
Brooke took a deep breath through her nose and pulled her lips from his in order to trail hot kisses along his jaw. His hold on her remained strong as she kissed and licked her to way to his ear slowly. She angled her head to nibble on his earlobe. He groaned faintly, his own hips lifting off the bench and rolling into hers.
“I have a confession,” Brooke murmured, her lips brushing the shell of his ear. He hummed an inquiry without actually saying anything, and she paused to let her tongue run along his ear. “I’ve always wanted to have sex in a hot tub.”
Blake swallowed as her tongue resumed its torture on his ear. “I think I can help you with that.”
“Yeah?” Brooke asked teasingly, her hot breath fanning over his moistened ear and down his throat.
“Yeah,” Blake replied. He released her hair and trailed his hand over her throat until he found the tie on her new swimsuit, and in one swift tug, the tie came loose. Without skipping a beat, his hand trailed lower, finding the second tie and pulling it free as well.
Brooke leaned back, removing her lips from the skin beneath his ear, and used one hand to pull the bikini top off. She released it carelessly, letting it float away on the water. She watched him, a seductive smile on her face, as her hand returned to his shoulder and she lightly traced her nails over his skin. Her hand went down, nails skimming his collar, until she was able to trace her fingers over his nipple.
Blake sucked in a breath even as his own hand pulled around her until he had cupped one of her breasts in his palm. Her hand stilled immediately, and he squeezed gently, watching as her head fell back, eyes closed, and she arched into his touch. Her hips rolled into his again as he rubbed his thumb along her hardened nipple. She gasped his name, and he repeated the motion, his other hand releasing her bottom in order to trail up her side.
He paused, taking a minute to caress her other breast simultaneously. His own groans tore from his throat as she continued to roll her hips into his, both of her hands now clinging to his shoulders as she let him pleasure her. He released her breasts then and slid his hands up to curve over her shoulders and behind her throat, tugging her forward.
Their lips met again hungrily, and one of Blake’s hands immediately slid back down, dipping again beneath the surface of the warm water. In no time, he found the seashell clasp over her hip and tugged it free. With her straddling his hips, it was no effort at all for him to tug the material away from her body and release it to float alongside her top.
Her tongue plunged into his mouth as his fingers began trailing along her upper thigh. His other hand slid down her spine a little, holding her close, and they both groaned again when his wandering hand found her center and he slipped a finger inside her. Her hands released his shoulders in order to frame his face, and she dominated the kiss as he pumped his finger in and out of her over and over again.
She pulled away a minute later, sucking in ragged breaths and gasping his name as she continued to roll her hips forward. Her hands slid back, tangling his hair.
****
Blake leaned forward and locked his lips over her throat, sucking and licking the sensitive skin for a moment before he pulled his hand away from her center entirely. He heard her groan with frustration at the lost contact and smirked against her skin. His hands shifted, and his arms wrapped around her before he lifted his own hips off the bench beneath him. The water swirled at his mental command, acting as spare hands, and easily tugged his trunks from his hips.
When he was free of the discarded fabric, he re-settled against the bench and lifted his head enough to see her face.
Their eyes met. One of her hands disentangled itself from his hair in order to frame his face as she breathlessly gasped, “Now would be good.”
He grinned, whole-heartedly agreeing with her sentiment, and huskily replied, “Your wish is my command.”
Their hips rolled together, and he was immediately sheathed within her. Blake’s head fell back, and a groan tore from his throat as his arms tightened around her. Brooke’s eyes fell shut, and her head collapsed against his shoulder as he surged within her, a gasp escaping her lips.
After a moment, Blake’s arms loosened and his hand slid down to her bare hips. His grip tightened again and his hips rose, his arousal thrusting back into her. Brooke lifted her head from his shoulder and let her nails drag down his chest as she rolled her hips against his at an almost desperate pace.
Blake couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her nails scraped up and down his chest, sides, and arms, and the faint stinging only heightened the sensations coursing through him. The water was swirling and sloshing against their bodies, lapping at the undersides of Brooke’s breasts teasingly, and Blake allowed himself to expand his senses.
Suddenly, he could feel her everywhere, and he could feel every curve of her body simultaneously as she mo
ved against him. Like he was caressing each smooth, delectable surface with his hands. The pleasure was indescribable. All he wanted was to bury himself inside her and stay there.
Brooke gasped as Blake increased the pace, pulling her flush against him again and crashing his lips to hers. She fell into the kiss willingly, eagerly, clinging to him as she met his new rhythm thrust for thrust.
Their tongues were still dancing together when Brooke’s orgasm hit. Her inner walls tightened and squeezed around him just moments before she tore her lips from his, choking on a gasp that sounded a lot like his name. And her release was the final push he needed to find his own.
Neither moved for a long minute, their bodies still joined and Brooke mostly collapsed against his chest and shoulder as they breathed.
Slowly, carefully, Blake eased out of her. The motion pulled Brooke from her haze, and she shifted, half-climbing, half-sliding off him until she was resting at his side.
Feeling ridiculously comfortable, Blake’s arm encircled her loosely. He let his head fall back as he asked, “So, how was your fantasy?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Brooke laughed, the sound soft and tired at first, but it built into full, honest laughter. “Let’s just say we really need to do that more often.”
Blake chuckled, his fingers absently skimming along her smooth arm. “Definitely.”
Brooke took a deep breath, but it was another long, comfortable minute before she said, “You know what, though? I’m starving, and we haven’t had dinner.”
“That’s a good point.” Blake lifted his head from the rim of the hot tub. “It would be bad to go to bed without having dinner, especially when we both have class tomorrow.”
Cringing, Brooke reached up and put a hand to his chest, halting his movement. “Let’s not talk about things like school and work tonight, okay? I’m not feeling that responsible.”
Blake’s lips curved into an easy grin. “Whatever you say, beautiful.” He shifted and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. “I’ve got a couple boxed dishes that only take about twenty minutes in the oven.”