Last Resort (The Grayton Series Book 1)

by Jill Sanders

  That seemed to throw his father off. He stood across from him, looking at Luke like he was someone he didn’t know.

  “What about the plans to expand Crystal Shores?”

  “You’re fighting a losing battle in Surf Breeze. Besides, you’re going to need the locals behind you and destroying something that’s been around longer than most of them isn’t the way to go about it.”

  His father crossed his arms and turned his back on him to look out the windows. Luke walked up beside him, looking down at the people and families playing on the cold beach. As they stood there in silence, he realized that for the first time in his life, he’d told his father exactly how he felt.

  As he drove the lone road to Surf Breeze later that day, he wondered what it would take for his father to trust him completely. He wasn’t going to fool himself into believing his father would stop trying to persuade him to follow his plans. He knew it was only a matter of his father recovering before he would try his next scheme.

  If he knew his father, by the time he made it back to Cassey, he would already have a new plan in place. Which got him thinking about how he could secure his future, their future.

  He’d fallen for her, and hard. There was hardly a moment that went by during the day that he wasn’t thinking about her. He knew she was still under the impression that they were just having a physical relationship, but he had plans to show her he meant to stick around.

  Deciding to make the first move tonight, he tried to stay within the speed limit, though he wanted to rush back to her and start their future.

  Cassey stood back and watched the band set up. Friday night was her favorite night. Many people who lived close by would travel across the big bridge and highway to Surf Breeze and enjoy an evening out. Since her place had some of the best live music in town, a lot of the locals ended up there. She knew most of them by name; they all knew her. Because it was now officially off-season, the crowd in the bar and grill was down to just over two dozen. All in all, not a bad night.

  Actually, this last week, since opening her doors again, she’d seen an increase in traffic. Locals came out in droves to support her, stopping by to chat with her and let her know they were behind her. Even some people she hadn’t seen since school showed up.

  It was nice to see everyone again and to feel the support.

  Too many times during the week, she’d wished that Luke was there. Even though she spent almost an hour each evening on the phone with him, she tried to persuade herself that she wasn’t becoming attached to him. She knew she needed to sort out her feelings sooner or later but tried to keep herself busy so that she didn’t have too much time to think about it.

  He was due back later that evening, and she tried to not watch the front door, but her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for his dark eyes and sexy smile.

  After the band started playing, she headed to her office for a break with a Coke in her hand. Tonight was a two-Coke kind of evening, so she had to counteract the sugar with a sandwich from the kitchen. As she sat at her desk, eating her turkey on wheat and sipping her second Coke, she noticed the large envelope that she’d forgotten about.

  Ripping it open, she pulled out the contents and completely lost her appetite. She was still sitting there when Luke walked in over an hour later.

  “Hey.” He smiled and walked across the room to sit on her couch. He rested his head back and closed his eyes. “Am I glad that week is over. You won’t believe the lengths my father went to avoid talking to me.” He chuckled and then looked up at her. “What?” He sat up, looking at her more closely. “What’s wrong?”

  “You didn’t have to come back down here, you know,” she said, trying to hide all the emotions that had flooded her since opening the envelope.

  “I know,” he said, looking at her cautiously. “I want to be here, with you.”

  “Yes, but if you were having a good time with your family, you should have stayed.”

  “Cassey, what’s this all about? I told you how my trip went. How I dreaded being there, having to talk to my father.”

  She shook her head, trying to figure out why all of a sudden she cared so much. “I don’t like being lied to.”

  He leaned back and blinked a few times. “Is this about the land I’ve bought?”

  She continued to look at him. So there was more than one secret he’d been keeping from her.

  “Listen…” He leaned forward again. “I was trying to keep it a surprise. At least until everything was finalized. There’s still so much that needs to be done, so many chances of it all falling through.”

  She shook her head, unsure of what he was talking about.

  “I’d hoped to surprise you this next week, once I received the final building permit.”

  “Permit?” Her head was swimming now. She was trying to keep up with him, but all she could focus on were the pictures lying in her lap.

  “For the hotel.” He frowned. “This isn’t about the hotel I’m building in Surf Breeze?”

  She stood slowly, and the cluster of pictures of Luke and a very beautiful blonde woman fell to the floor.

  “You’re building a hotel in Surf Breeze?” When he nodded, she stepped from behind her desk. “And you kept it from me just in case something fell through?” He nodded again. She walked towards the door, her anger showing on her face. Her hands shook as she reached for the door handle.

  How had she let him get this close so fast? It was less than three months ago that she’d found him asleep behind her desk. And now she realized she’d totally fallen in love with him, and he was doing exactly what she’d known he would—break her heart.

  “I don’t know what your motives are, but I’m tired of being lied to. You can show yourself out.” She turned and walked out, but instead of heading back downstairs, she walked up the stairs towards her apartment. Her head hurt now and she just wanted to go back to her room and cry herself dry.

  By the time she made it to her door, Luke was there, spinning her around.

  “What are these?” He held up the pictures she’d been holding a few moments ago.

  “They appear to be pictures of you in the last few days.” She pushed on his chest and frowned when he didn’t budge an inch. “If you were done with all this”—she motioned around her, flinging her arms wildly—“all you had to do was say so. I don’t like being lied to or misled. Why don’t you explain why someone is sending them to me, while you’re at it.”

  He stepped back, a frown on his lips as a crease appeared between his eyebrows. “I can’t believe him.” He shook his head. “Well, damn.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest as he stood there. Then he shocked her by starting to laugh.

  “What?” She started to feel her energy disappear. Reaching up, she rubbed her forehead.

  “I’m so sorry, babe.” He dropped the photos and took her shoulders in his hands. She tried to jerk away, but she was still pinned to her door. “Some of those are from this weekend, but the more…intimate ones are from several years ago. My father thought he could distract me by inviting my ex-girlfriend Angela and her mother down for the week. There’s nothing going on between us. Honestly.” He pulled her close. “I spent a miserable week trying to get my father alone and fighting off the attentions of Angela and our matchmaking mothers. I wanted to be here, with you.” He smiled down at her and she could see the weariness in his eyes.

  She’d known it. After all, he’d spent the nights heating her up over the phone. He’d called or texted her a dozen or more times each day. She felt terrible, until she remembered he was building a hotel in Surf Breeze and this was the first she’d heard of it.

  “I believe you about the pictures, but that doesn’t negate the fact that I’m hurt about your plans to build a hotel. Did your father change his plans?” She waited, keeping her body stiff for what was coming next.

  He shook his head and ran his hand down her hair. “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you all about it.”

>   When they walked in, she went to the fridge and pulled out two cans of Coke. Popping the top of hers, she took a large sip and closed her eyes. Why was it that when life looked bad, the drink always made her feels more stable?

  “Feel better?” Luke asked as he leaned against the countertop, looking at her.

  She nodded and held out a can for him. He took it and her hand and pulled her into the living room, where they sat on the couch.

  “Since I met you, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.” He took a drink of his Coke and then set it on the glass coffee table. “I thought that I was stuck doing and being what my father wanted me to be. Working for the family’s business, being one of my father’s minions, with no real future.” He turned and looked at her. “Then I met you.” A smile crept onto his face and his eyes grew darker. “You showed me that I could take a chance at what I wanted.” He took the can of Coke from her hands and set it on the table. Taking her hands in his, he turned until they were looking into each other’s eyes. “I never thought that I would get a chance at happiness. Not after Calvin died. I always imagined I’d be a slave to my father. You gave me the courage to go after what I wanted. And,” he chuckled, “it turns out that what I want is to own my very own hotel. Go figure.” He shook his head.

  “It makes sense.” She tried to smile.

  “I suppose.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I found some land on the edge of town. After driving by it, I went to my grandfather and asked him to release my inheritance. I showed him a business plan that I had written up.” He shook his head. “Damn if the old man wasn’t proud of me and gave me his full cooperation. Even told me that if Dad gave me any problems, to talk to him. It’s the first time in my life that I truly felt like part of the family.” He leaned back and looked out her window at the dark courtyard. “My father found out, somehow.” He shrugged his shoulders again and looked over at her. “That’s the conversation you interrupted. Thank you for that, by the way.” He smiled.

  “How did he take it now that you’ve had a chance to talk to him?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Pretty much the same as he did the first time we talked about it. Although, I did get a chance to explain myself a lot further. There was a moment I thought he understood, but…” He shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll see how it goes.”

  She looked down at their joined hands, not sure when she’d started playing with his fingers. “I’m sorry. I know how hurtful parents can be.”

  He smiled at her and pulled her closer. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone else.”

  She tried to pull back, not sure if she wanted to hear what she knew was coming next. She’d been trying to put if off for so long, even knowing she couldn’t stop it from coming.

  “No,” he said lightly. “Don’t pull away.”

  When she hesitated, he took advantage of her hesitation and tugged on her arm until she sat across his lap. She found herself looking into the deep rich pools of his eyes, transfixed by the tenderness she saw there.

  “Cassey, I’ve never felt this way for anyone else. My whole life I’ve waited and wanted someone like you to come along. I know this started out as just a convenience, but we can’t fool ourselves any longer. We’ve become so much more, and I want our relationship to continue to grow.”

  “Luke—” Her hands went to his chest, trying to hold him back, trying to hold what she felt back as well.

  “No, don’t say anything just yet.” He pulled her close. “Let me show you how I feel. Let me be with you tonight. I just want to be with you.” He leaned his head down and took her lips gently.

  In the couple of months that they’d been together, there had been plenty of passion, speed, and desire. But this was the first time she’d felt tenderness and love so strongly. She didn’t quite know what to do with the desire that built up. It was different than any other she’d ever felt.

  No one had ever shown her this much love, ever.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When she reached for him, he knew she wanted speed. Why had he never realized that she had been avoiding intimacy? Oh, sure, they’d had sex plenty of times, but he realized he hadn’t shown her true tenderness and that’s what he wanted to give her now.

  He knew it was going to kill him, going so slow, but he was willing to suffer if it meant showing her how he felt.

  Gathering her up, he carried her towards the bedroom. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When she started to object, he took her lips again in a slow kiss that caused him to stop in the hallway. His arms shook with desire, and he tried to keep himself in check and slow himself down.

  When they finally made it into the bedroom, he slid her down until she stood in front of him. His hands ran over her subtle curves until she moaned and started tugging at his shirt and jeans.

  Taking her hands in his, he backed her up until her knees hit the bed. “I’m going to make love to you all night,” he whispered into her ear.

  Her head fell back as her eyes closed. Bending down, he placed soft kisses along the column of her neck, running his lips over her heated skin until he felt tiny bumps rise all over her skin.

  “Please, Luke.” She tossed her head back up and grabbed his hair.

  How could he have known that driving her crazy with tenderness would only make him want to show her more? He smiled at her and stepped back, shaking his head.

  “My way, remember? Remove your clothes for me.” When she started to yank the top over her head, he stopped her. “No, slowly.”

  She groaned and shut her eyes. “You’re killing me.” He smiled and when she just looked at him, he could see the desire burning in those clear eyes.

  “Do it,” he said quietly. She began to move, taking her shirt up inch by inch, exposing the soft skin underneath. He watched in amazement as her breasts came into view. His breath hitched and lodged in his chest.

  “You are beautiful beyond words.” He took a step closer, but she shook her head.

  “I’m not done.” She smiled and, at that moment, he realized he’d lost control of the situation. She slowly started to pull her skirt down her legs in an erotic striptease. Next, she slid her bra straps down her shoulders and then reached around and unhooked it, tossing it on the floor beside him. Her smile grew as she cupped herself, moaning and tilting her head back as she ran her fingers over her skin.

  “Tell me how it feels,” he said, staring at her, watching her every move. He realized he would have gladly done anything for her at that moment. All she needed to do was ask.

  “Soft.” She smiled at him. “Warm,” she moaned.

  He watched as she slowly moved a hand down her ribs and her flat stomach until she reached her silk panties.

  “Yes,” he moaned, “touch yourself.”

  She looked into his eyes and nodded to him. “You’re turn.”

  Now it was him who was rushing to remove his clothes.

  “No,” she broke in, “slowly.”

  His fingers shook as he flipped open button after button. It was driving him mad watching her fingers run over her skin. When she started to peel off her panties, he stood in front of her with only his socks and boxers on.

  “Wait.” She held up her hands and nodded to him. “Your turn.”

  “What?” He blinked a few times.

  She ran her hands over her chest. “Now you.”

  He chuckled. “Somehow I don’t think it has the same effect.”

  “For you, maybe.” She smiled.

  He shrugged his shoulder and ran his hands over his chest, following her motions. When she reached her sex, he smiled. “This I can do.” He dropped his boxers and heard her breath catch.

  “Beautiful,” she whispered.

  He stepped closer to her, reaching out for her. He cupped her face in his hands as he laid his lips gently on hers. “So soft,” he said as he ran his hands down her sides. “You smell like flowers and taste like honey,” he moaned as he ran his mouth over her skin.

 
; Slowly, he laid her back on the bed until she looked up at him, her gray eyes going darker. “Cassey…” He felt the words clog in his throat. Instead of speaking, he moved above her as her hands reached for him.

  “I know.” She closed her eyes and he thought he saw a tear roll from the corner of her eye to the mattress below.

  After torturing himself by running his hands slowly over her, he slid into her, and said the words he’d been wanting to tell her.

  Cassey’s head was spinning. She’d slowed her breathing down but still felt too lightheaded to open her eyes. What had Luke done to her?

  “You okay?” Even just the richness of his voice sent waves of desire through her body.

  Realizing she didn’t trust her voice, she nodded and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. When she finally opened them, it was to see Luke smiling down at her.

  “What?” she asked, trying to sit up. He held her in place and shook his head.

  “You can’t avoid it, you know.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She tried to push him away, but he just laughed and plopped his full weight on her, pinning her to the mattress.

  “Ugh! You weigh a ton.” She tried to shove him off as he laughed. “Get off.”

  He was laughing harder now. “Not until you promise me you won’t avoid it.”

  “Stop,” she squealed as he buried his nose in her neck and started nibbling on her. By the time he pulled back and looked at her, she was laughing too hard to say anything.

  “Do you promise?” he asked and before she knew what she was doing, she’d nodded in agreement.

  “Perfect.” He jumped off the bed and pulled her up with him. “I’m starved,” he said as he started tugging her towards the kitchen.