Her eyes glittered wildly. “I never meant to hurt you, Jase. I swear I never meant to hurt you.”
“I know, Brianne” His voice was gentle.
The pieces of the puzzle snapped neatly into place. Douglas Ford’s need to control his son had inadvertently uncovered a secret that would result in a devastating backlash for everyone involved.
Jase led me out of the dining room. Dinner was over for the evening.
Jase
Cori and I didn’t talk on the drive to the beach house, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. When we went inside the house, I looked down at her, and my chest tightened. If I lived a hundred years, I’d never get tired of staring into Cori’s eyes.
“It’s gonna take me at least a year to make this up to you.”
“Depends on how you’re making it up to me,” Cori replied, her eyes full of mischief.
“Go ahead and start making a list of things I can do to earn bonus points, I’ll need ‘em.”
She laughed softly. “Hmm. A year of back rubs sounds awesome.”
“Is that all you want me to rub?” My thumb brushed her nipple.
“Oh, Jase,” she breathed. Her eyes darkened.
“I know we should talk, but I need you now.”
Her eyes lifted to mine. “Then take me.”
Hauling her into my arms, my mouth devoured hers in a hungry kiss that had my body craving release. Only Cori could get me this hot from a simple kiss. It was damned humiliating that I lost control every single time I touched her.
I hated that I’d exercised skill, restraint, and expertise when I’d had sex with other women, but Cori made me so hot I couldn’t string two coherent words together. I was consumed by the need to have her. If she’d had more experience she might realize just how lacking I was as a lover. Thankfully, she was all mine.
I loved how she responded to my every touch, as if she couldn’t get enough. Arching against me, she kept moaning my name and I lost it. I turned her around and cupped her breasts while I kissed her neck. “Bend over.”
My words made her hot, I could tell. She glanced over her shoulder at me, and then bent over the arm of the leather sofa. I pushed up her dress, and slid the little lace panties down to her ankles. Stroking her back and ass, I reached in front of her with the other hand and slipped my finger inside the wet, damp folds.
She sighed softly, and I undid my pants and freed myself with a shaking hand. I rocked inside of her. She took it, lifting her sweet ass to meet my thrusts. I touched her breasts and slipped the other hand in front of her to stroke her. Two more pumps and she cried out my name as she came. I cried hers while I shuddered inside of her.
I held Cori in my arms, both of us lying on the couch and listening to the ocean’s waves through the open door while the fire I’d built crackled in the fireplace. Her hair tickled my nose, and I smiled as I slid the strands through my fingers.
“I can’t move,” she said softly.
“Do you want to?”
“No. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Is it always like this, Jase?”
I stilled, hesitant to reveal the truth, but the words wouldn’t remain unspoken. “It’s never been like this with anyone else.”
I caught her smile and my heart squeezed. “Guess you like it bareback.”
That went without saying, but what I was feeling was more than physical, which is why it scared the hell out of me. “Promise me you won’t do it this way with anyone else, without making sure he’s clean.”
She tensed, which was the only sign that what I’d said might have hurt her. “I’ll be careful,” she promised, her voice even.
The thought of Cori with anyone but me snapped something dark inside of me, and the pain was almost unbearable. I forced myself to keep talking, driving her away with each word. “Guys will say almost anything to get laid. Don’t believe any of their shit.”
She was quiet for a moment, and then, “Is that what you do?”
“I’m not a saint, but I’ve never made promises I couldn’t keep.”
“You must have broken a lot of hearts. Some women like the challenge of trying to tame a bad-boy.”
Her comment bothered me even though I knew she didn’t mean anything by it. “I’ve never meant to hurt anyone.”
“I know that, Jase. You’re sweet, and protective and so strong, but I think I’m one of the few people that know the first two.”
“Keep it to yourself. Reed and the guys would laugh their asses off if you called me sweet.”
Her quirky smile affected my heartbeat. “I’ll stick with harem-boy when we’re in public.”
“Cori, I should have told you about what happened with Brianne. I would have if I’d known what you were thinking.”
“I was thinking you didn’t trust me. I couldn’t believe you’d want to hurt yourself. You’re the strongest person I know.”
“You’re the strongest person I know.” I took a deep, steady breath, loving her sweet smell. “Brianne didn’t mean to hurt me. She was angry because I couldn’t be the person she wanted. We’d both been drinking and said things we shouldn’t have. When she’d grabbed the paring knife and cut me, I saw the shock in her eyes. Everyone assumed I did it to myself. Brianne was so upset that I didn’t see any reason to correct them.”
She was quiet for a long time, watching me, and I desperately wanted to know what she was thinking. “I don’t know how I ever thought you were a shallow playboy. You must have loved her a lot. I’m so sorry, Jase.”
Why did she seem sad? I pulled her closer. “It’s done. I haven’t thought about it in years until now.”
“Do you think Brianne will be okay?”
“I hope so. Her parents are like mine. They’ve put a lot of pressure on her, which probably explains her sudden interest in me again. For whatever reason, my parents and hers want us married. I feel bad for her, but that doesn’t excuse what she’s done to you.”
Cori placed her hand over my heart. “It doesn’t excuse what she did to you either.”
“So I guess this is the last time you’re going to go to the beach with me.”
“Hey, it hasn’t been that bad. I love the beach, and I’ve had toe-curling sex with you all week.”
Damn, I liked how that sounded. “You’ve had fun?”
“Of course. What’s more fun than a week of intense orgasms?”
I slid my hand between her thighs and stroked her. Closing her eyes, she sighed softly. I bent down and said against her thigh, “One more.”
Three orgasms later, she collapsed against me and spoke the words that would change everything. “I love you.”
I looked down at her, but she was already asleep, unaware of what she’d said. She couldn’t mean it, and if she did she meant it the way I loved her, but I stayed awake thinking about what she said and how it would change things between us.
Cori’s cell phone rang at midnight. I’d learned that she was a sound sleeper, and she didn’t stir the first few rings so I picked her phone off the nightstand and looked down at the screen. Alarm shot through me when I saw Ellie’s name.
“Ellie?”
She was surprised I’d answered. “Jase.”
“What’s wrong?”
A long pause followed my question, and I knew that whatever she had to say was bad. “It’s good that you’re with Cora. She shouldn’t be alone.” Ellie spoke more to herself than to me. “Olivia overdosed tonight. She’s in critical condition. Cora should come home now.”
I felt numb. “Do you want to tell her?”
Again, there was a lengthy pause. “I think she should hear it from you.”
“Okay. We’ll leave tonight. Thanks, Ellie.”
“I’ll see you soon. Take care of her, Jase.”
I woke up Cori as soon as I’d hung up with Ellie, and comforted her while she took in what had happened. A half an hour later, she was dressed and ready to go. She’d already booked a flight to Houston, but insisted I stay here.
“My plane leaves at two.”
Letting her go alone felt wrong. “It’s not too late for me to book a ticket and come with you.”
She forced a smile. “I appreciate it, but you’ve got things to take care of here. I’ll be okay. I’ll see you this weekend.”
A part of me was relieved, but the bigger part was screaming that I shouldn’t leave Cori alone now.
She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine. “Say goodbye to your family. I’ll talk to you in a couple of days when you get home.”
“Call me if you need anything.” I ignored the voice inside my head that was shouting that she needed me.
On the way to my parents’ house to pick up her suitcase, all the way to the airport and when I dropped her off, the part of me that was smarter than the rest was chewing my ass out for not getting on that plane with Cori.
I was making a big mistake, but I couldn’t go with her. She deserved someone that could love her back and give her forever. I wasn’t that guy. I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready for that kind of commitment.
When I kissed her goodbye, I had the strangest feeling that it was the last time I’d ever see her again.
Chapter 20
Cora
“Olivia, can you hear me?”
I held her cold, lifeless hand and prayed like I’d never before. The doctor said she’d ingested a lethal mixture of prescription painkillers and alcohol. It hadn’t been an accident. If only I’d answered her call, this might not have happened.
“I know you can’t hear me, but I want you to know that I’m sorry. I wish I’d have been there when you needed me.”
The machine beeped steadily. I stared at her pale, still body and prayed she’d wake up. I’d been selfish, angry with her even though I knew most of the bad things she did were because of the drugs.
What if I never got to tell her I was sorry?
“It’ll be okay, Cora.” Ellie’s arms folded around me, and I felt tears sting the backs of my eyes.
“She needed me, and I declined the call. She’d never have done something like this if I’d answered the phone. This is my fault.”
Ellie gripped my shoulders. “No. Ever since we were kids you’ve taken care of her, Cora. This is not your fault, and you know it.”
“I still wish I could change it.”
“Don’t look back. Keep moving forward, and we’ll deal with whatever happens.”
“You’re the best Ellie.”
“That’s what everyone thinks about you, Cora. The waiting room is packed. Dad and Isabelle, Reed, Amber and a lot of your co-workers are here.”
I tried to smile, but I couldn’t help but think of the one person she hadn’t mentioned. He was the one I needed to see most and the only one that seemed determined to avoid me.
“He’s probably not back from the island yet,” Ellie said, reading my mind.
The look on Ellie’s face said differently. Jase was back, but he wasn’t talking to me or returning my calls and I had no idea why. That wasn’t exactly true. I kept having a dream of telling Jase I loved him just before I’d fallen asleep. Surely that hadn’t happened. I sighed, feeling like hell. I wasn’t sure about anything.
Shaking, I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
“Focus on you. Jase will be here soon,” Ellie gently insisted.
Something in her voice pulled my attention and started ringing alarm bells inside my head. “If you have to threaten him, I don’t want him here, Ellie.”
Ellie’s eyes widened innocently. “You know I’d never do that.”
For the first time in days, I felt myself smile. “You’d absolutely do that, and I love you for it, but no.” We’d been best friends ever since we were eight, and I could always tell what she was thinking. “No, Ellie. I’m having this same talk with Isabelle. I want both of you to leave Jase alone.”
Reluctantly, Ellie nodded. “But I can’t control what Reed says to him. He might be my husband, but Jase is Reed’s best friend, and I don’t interfere with what goes on between them.”
Ellie had a lot to learn about men if she thought they sat around like we did and talked about their relationships. “Yeah, I can see them sitting around talking about their feelings and setting a date for their next mani and pedi.” Sarcasm dripped from my words.
“You underestimate how much Reed cares about you.”
“I know he cares, Ellie. This isn’t how I want things to end. No matter what happens between Jase and I, all of us are friends, and I don’t want anyone picking sides. That would only make me feel like shit.”
“You really mean that?”
“Yes. If you want to help me, go and spread the word. Jase is not public enemy number one.” I glanced over at Olivia and felt an ache so deep that I knew it was more than physical. “You never know what’s going to happen. I don’t want anyone to have regrets.”
Ellie looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn’t.
I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Besides, if Jase wants to kick me out of the harem I’ll just have more time to hang out with my friends and my best girl, Hannah. Where is she anyway?”
“She’s with her favorite babysitter, Mrs. Holder.” Ellie folded her arms around me, picking up a strand of my new black hair. “We’ll talk about this later.”
I rolled my eyes, thinking of Brianne. “You’ll love that story.”
Ellie lips curled in a half-smile. I don’t think she was convinced that she would love the story. I’d have to make sure I twisted the story enough so that Ellie, Isabelle and Amber wouldn’t want to hunt down Brianne and kick her ass.
Squeezing my hand, Ellie said, “I’m going to go, and let someone else come in.”
“Thanks for coming Ellie.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
Watching Ellie slip quietly out of the room, I felt better. Staying strong for Olivia and not thinking about Jase had taken a bigger chunk of my strength than I’d realized.
“Cora.”
I spun around at the sound of Olivia’s raspy voice and saw her eyes flutter open. Turning toward the bed, I whispered, “I’m here.”
“I—“ she swallowed, struggling to speak.
“It’s okay. Don’t try to talk. I’m calling for a nurse.” Pressing the button on the side of her bed, I felt Olivia’s hand squeeze mine.
“Sorry,” she muttered, tears filling her eyes. “Sorry.” Over and over she repeated the word, sobbing deep, soulful tears that shook her entire body.
I was scared that she’d hurt herself. A moment later, a doctor and nurse swept into the room and went to Olivia’s bedside. Watching the scene as if it was happening on television, I stood silently, praying that Olivia would be okay.
When the nurse glanced over at me and smiled, I relaxed a little, thinking that, finally, after a week of hell, something good had finally happened.
Jase
“You look like shit. Have you been drinking?” Reed shot the question at me, pissing me off.
“Do I look like I’ve been drinking?”
“Yeah, you look like you’ve been on a two-week bender.” Reed shook his head in disgust. “Don’t even think about going to work looking like that.”
I was irritated even though I knew he was right. “I haven’t had anything to drink since last night, and I’d never do anything to fuck up our business.”
“I know, but you’ve got to get your shit together.” He raked his palm over his jaw, and he sighed. “Does Cora know where you sleep at night?”
Just hearing her name made me ache. I didn’t answer Reed. I didn’t need to.
“You gonna tell her?”
“No.”
Reed flashed a cut-the-bullshit look my way. “You should.”
I shook my head, ending the conversation before I broke down and said things I didn’t want anyone to know.
“Yeah, I just hope Cora is still willing to forgive you when you finally pull your head ou
t of your ass.”
“Mind your fucking business, Reed.”
To his credit, Reed didn’t punch me but I almost wished he had. I was itching for a fight, needing to release some of the restless energy chewing at my nerves.
“Cora is my business.” I heard the warning in Reed’s voice but was too pissed to heed it.
I got in his face. “If you wanna share feeling and shit, go annoy Juan or Daniel.”
Moving with lightening speed, Reed shoved me against the wall, his fist clenched at his side. I wished he’d hit me. “I can’t stop you from being an asshole to Cora, but watch what you fucking say to me.”
His eyes glittered dangerously, and I knew how pissed he was. I also knew that he wasn’t upset that I’d insulted him. “Is that what Ellie said, that I’m being an asshole to Cori?”
Some of the anger faded from Reed’s eyes. “It’s been almost a week since you’ve talked to her. Her mother almost died. She kept waiting for you to come to the hospital. It was heartbreaking to watch.”
I felt tears sting the backs of my eyes, and Reed wasn’t done talking.
“I’m not reaming your ass because you hurt my wife’s best friend. Cora is special. I love her just like I do Isabelle. If all you wanted was a casual fuck, you chose the wrong girl. I just hope that by the time you come to your senses it’s not too late.”
“What do you mean?”
“You think she’s going to wait on you forever? Cora’s too strong for that. Despite your disappearing act, she didn’t want anyone to take her side against you. She’s always thinking of everyone but herself.”
Deflated, I closed my eyes and tried to think of what I should do. “I’ve gotta go.”
Reed nodded, grimly. There wasn’t anything left to say.
Like I did every other night for the last week, I went to the hospital. I’d gotten used to sleeping on the hard plastic chairs in the waiting room, and the coffee was growing on me. It was early so I waited, thinking about Cori, until I was sure she was asleep. Then I went to Olivia’s room, slipped quietly in, and drank in the sight of Cori, sleeping peacefully in a chair by her mother’s bed.
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