by E. L. Todd
I lay on my stomach with my torso propped up on my arms so I could stare at the water. I brought the book I’d been reading and a bottle of iced tea, but I didn’t break it out right away. Dino walked across the sand and sniffed a pile of seaweed. He lifted up his leg then pissed on the plant before he walked back to us, his tongue hanging out.
“Sit, boy.” Cypress patted the corner of the blanket where Dino could get comfortable.
He immediately lay down and looked at the water, his fluffy hair blowing in the gentle breeze.
I tried not to stare at Cypress’s body. I’d seen him naked plenty of times, but I really thought his physique was a work of art. Every inch was carved out of living marble. His skin was flawless, lacking any noticeable scars or blemishes. His complexion was beautiful. He was definitely a beautiful man with ruggedness around the edges.
“We used to go boogie boarding together.”
“We did?” I asked in surprise.
“Yeah. Our boards are still in my garage.”
“And we would do that regularly?” It was interesting learning about a past I couldn’t recall. I’d had interests I never thought I would care about. I’d been boogie boarding a few times when I was younger, but it was never a regular activity.
“Probably three times a week. You weren’t a big jogger, so this was the only exercise you liked to do.”
“Wow. I never would have guessed.”
“And we’re both pretty good at it.”
“That’s cool.”
A pair of pretty women were walking our way, both wearing string bikinis and rocking perfect bodies. Their hair blew in the wind like they were in the middle of a photo shoot and a photographer was standing off to the side.
I looked away, not wanting to see if Cypress would look or not. Anytime an attractive woman was nearby, I felt insecure. I’d never had low self-esteem about my appearance. I didn’t think I was gorgeous, but I didn’t have any complaints about my looks. But the second I caught Cypress with someone else, I had doubts. All the pain I felt before came flooding back even though nothing had happened.
They came closer, and the blonde turned to him, recognizing him. “Hey, Cypress. How’s it going?”
“Good,” he answered. “My wife and I are just enjoying the beach with our dog, Dino.”
I shouldn’t care that he introduced me as his wife, but I did.
“Bree, this is Mandy. She works at the Anthropologie in the mall area.”
I smiled and waved. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” she said with a fake smile. “Well, see you later.” She walked off with her friend, their asses shaking as they moved across the sand.
Cypress returned to staring at the ocean.
I shouldn’t have felt jealous, but I did. He’d cheated on me once, and I wondered what went through his mind anytime an attractive woman was nearby. Had he thought about screwing Mandy? Had she hit on him while he was married to me? Those were the kinds of questions that never went through my mind before. I didn’t use to care if Cypress looked at another woman because I was confident in our relationship. I never thought he would want to be with anyone else besides me.
But now everything was different.
Cypress detected my mood change. “Please don’t push me away.”
I stared at the water, watching the waves rise before they fell and reached up on land. “I don’t like the person I turn into when I feel this way.”
He changed positions and lay on his stomach beside me. “What does that mean?”
“I get jealous and insecure. I feel ugly and petty. I wonder what you’re thinking when a hot woman appears. I wonder if you’d rather be with her instead of me.”
He bowed his head.
“I never used to think those things before…”
“I know.”
“I never used to care if you even checked out a woman in front of me.”
“Not that I ever did.”
“But if you did, I wouldn’t care. I never went through your phone. But now I wonder how you know her and if anything has ever happened between you two.”
He played with the sand with his fingertips, finding a piece of wood and using it to draw. “One of the reasons I was attracted to you was because of your confidence. It’s always been a turn-on for me. You’ve never shown an ounce of insecurity. I feel terrible that I’ve changed all of that. But I know you can conquer it and return to the way you used to be—I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
I couldn’t picture that ever happening.
“I met Mandy when I went shopping for Amelia’s birthday present. We run into each other around town, and she comes into the restaurants a lot. She’s hit on me before.”
“She did?” I shouldn’t be surprised. Cypress was the most handsome man I’d ever met.
“Yeah.”
“I’m guessing you weren’t wearing your wedding ring.”
“Actually, I was. She never asked if I was married, but I’m sure she knew.”
“And then what happened?”
“Nothing. I told her I was married, and that was the end of it.”
I’d never had anyone close to me lie to my face before that I knew of. So I naturally wanted to believe him, but there was a warning in my heart. “I wish I could believe you… I really do.”
He sighed in disappointment. “I’ve never lied to you, Bree. I’ve always been honest with you.”
“I don’t think cheating qualifies as honest.”
“But I would have told you if you hadn’t caught me.”
“We’ll never know what would have happened.” I kept my eyes on the water, not wanting to look at him.
“I would have told you. I made a mistake, but I would have been honest about it.”
There was no guarantee of that. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I just don’t think I can believe you.”
He sighed again. “I guess I can understand that. But the more time you spend with me, the more you’ll know who I am now. I’m the most committed guy on the planet. I’m not trying to make this work out of obligation because we’re married. I’m trying to make this work because there’s no other woman I want to be with. Mandy could ask me out a million times, but I’m always going to want you instead. I know it’s hard to believe after what I did, but I’m truly different now. All I want is to be married to you, to make love to you every night, and to grow old with you.”
It was sweet. So sweet that it gave me shivers down my spine.
“I’ll never be able to apologize enough times for what I did. I’ll never be able to take back that horrific night. But I’m willing to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, to make you understand that you’re truly the only woman I ever want to be with.” He turned my way and stared at me, his eyes scorching through his shades.
“I believe you, Cypress.”
“Thank you.”
“There’re a lot of things I like about you. I see all of your good qualities. There are times when I forget about the past, when you’re holding me in front of the house. But then the memories sink back in… I think they’ll always sink back in.”
“They won’t,” he whispered. “You got through it the first time. You can do it again.”
“I don’t know… It’d be easier if we just moved on from each other.”
“That’s not an option for me,” he said. “I can’t fall in love with someone else. I don’t want to, not when I know you’re the woman I’m supposed to be with.”
“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad, but if I were the woman you were supposed to be with, that never would have happened.”
“You’re right. But I was a different guy back then, as I’ve already said. I spent the entire year thinking about who I was and what I lost. I matured. I changed. Now I am who I am—and I’m better for it. Now I’m ready to be the man you should have had to begin with—if you’ll give me another chance.”
“Cypress…I don’t know
.”
“I’m not asking you to do anything but try. We can keep being friends. We can keep taking it slow. Trust is something that takes a long time to be rebuild. I can be patient. Just try to see me for who I am now—and not who I used to be.”
“Wanna come over and have some lunch?” We stopped in front of our pair of houses. Dino was tired from running around at the beach all day. He ran out into the water to retrieve his ball, but once he was back on land, he was ready for another throw. After walking up the hill, he was seriously pooped out.
I didn’t have anything else to do for the day, and my stomach was rumbling. After our painful conversation on the beach, the tension turned heavy, and Cypress was eager to make it easygoing again. When I didn’t think about those horrible things, I really did enjoy his company. The offer was tempting. “Whatcha gonna make?”
He smiled. “How about turkey sandwiches and salads?”
“Ooh…that sounds delicious and reasonably healthy.”
“They’re gonna have crispy slices of bacon, so I don’t know how healthy they’ll really be.”
I shrugged. “Healthy is overrated anyway.”
We walked into his house and entered the kitchen. Dino was so tired he didn’t even care about having food. He hopped onto his blanket on the couch and immediately closed his eyes.
“Wow, he’s tired,” I noted.
“He’s used to me being at work all day.” Cypress opened the fridge and pulled out all the deli meat, cheese, and produce. “He’s getting fat.”
“Hey, that’s not true,” I said. “He’s not fat.”
Cypress chuckled. “He’s definitely chunky.”
“Not true either.” I pouted my lips in sadness.
“Sweetheart, you know I’m kidding. I just like to tease him.” He grabbed a bag of bread and set it on the counter.
I liked it when he called me sweetheart. It was always at times when he was most affectionate. But I wondered if it was an endearment he threw around to other women. Before those dark thoughts could sink in, I stopped thinking about them.
“Everything on it?”
“Yeah, sure. Can I help?”
“Yeah.” He nodded to the fridge. “How about you take care of the salads?”
“Got it.” I opened the fridge and got to work. He had leafy greens, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, fresh from the farmer’s market in town. Silently, we worked side by side. I wondered if we used to do this sort of thing when we were married, activities that husbands and wives did on a daily basis.
When we were finished, we sat at the kitchen table near the window that overlooked his backyard and my house. The sun was still out and blinding, only a few clouds moving past as the afternoon progressed.
Cypress sat across from me and ate with both arms on the table. His gaze was usually directed outside, but he looked at me occasionally. His t-shirt was back on, so his beautiful physique was hidden from view, but his toned forearms looked nice every time he moved. His black wedding ring always caught my attention because it was so dark in comparison to the rest of his skin.
“Why black?” I finally asked.
He eyed his wedding ring, figuring out what I was talking about. “I just liked it. I didn’t want anything gold.”
“What’s it made out of?”
“Soft metal.” He pulled it off his finger and set it on the table so I could look at it. “It’s comfortable. I usually don’t take it off because I hardly notice it. It doesn’t rust in the shower. I haven’t been wearing it that long, but it doesn’t dull easily. I get a lot of compliments on it too.”
When women weren’t hitting on him. “I like it. What does my ring look like?” I assumed he had it because I hadn’t found it anywhere in the house.
He took a bite of his sandwich.
I waited for him to answer me, knowing he’d heard what I said.
He chewed slowly before he finally swallowed. “I’ll show you sometime.”
“Why don’t you just show me now?” Did he lose it? “Do you have it?”
“Yeah, I have it.”
I waited for more.
But he wouldn’t give me anything else.
“Cypress?”
“I’ll give it to you when the time is right.” He quickly changed the subject. “What do you think everyone else is doing today?”
When I thought about Ace, I wanted to tell Cypress the truth about Amelia, but I had to keep my promise. “I suspect Ace is hanging out with Amelia. Probably got lunch or something.”
“Yeah, maybe. We went out last night, and some woman made a pass at him. But he said he wasn’t interested. Honestly, I don’t understand that guy.”
Now I was seriously being tested, and I wasn’t sure if I could restrain myself. “Is he still seeing Lady?”
“He said they hook up, but it’s nothing serious. And it’ll never be serious.”
Ace was making it so obvious. I wish everyone else would pick up on it the way I did. “Don’t you think it’s strange that Ace spends so much time with Amelia and doesn’t have anything serious with anyone else?”
He shrugged before he kept eating. “At first, I did. But then he said he didn’t see Amelia. Why would he lie?”
Ugh. Cypress was still too dense to figure it out. “True. But maybe something is holding him back…”
“If it were anything, it would probably be the fact that he would have to be a stepfather. That’s not a big perk for a lot of guys.”
Oh, forget it. I paid attention to my food and looked out the window.
Cypress finished his sandwich then watched me as I took my last bites. His blue eyes were so pretty they were dangerous. They carried both mystery and intensity, having the ability to set my teeth on edge with just a simple look.
I looked down and avoided his stare, not wanting to be such easy prey. It was embarrassing how powerful his effect was on me considering everything we’d been through.
“Your backyard needs some work. I’ve neglected it because it was too difficult, but I’ll get started again tomorrow.”
“Can’t we just get a landscaper?”
“We could. But I don’t mind doing it myself.”
I wouldn’t mind seeing him work in my backyard with his shirt off. Sounded like a nice afternoon. “I can help you.”
“Nah. I’d rather you sit inside and sip iced tea.”
And watch you like a hawk.
I finished my lunch then carried the dishes to the sink. When my back was turned to him, I took a moment to look out the window and stare at my own house. If I didn’t get out of there soon, I’d end up in his bed. I was certain of that.
I rinsed the plates then set them in the sink. “I should get going. I have—”
Cypress grabbed my arm and turned me around before he crushed his mouth to mine. His powerful body pressed me into the counter, and he closed me in by gripping the edge of the counter on either side of me. He kept me in place, his mouth secured over mine in a fiery embrace.
I should have known this would happen.
Cypress tilted my head back with his mouth and kissed me harder, his body pushing right against my tits so I could feel his thundering heartbeat. His hand left the counter then slid into my hair at the back of my head, the place where he usually grabbed me.
Once I felt that touch, I was gone.
All opposition was distinguished. All I could think about was that powerful mouth against mine, that tight body against me. When he slipped his tongue inside, my spine melted like butter on the hot stovetop.
My arms circled his neck, and I pulled him closer into me, needing more of that kiss. Like fire and gasoline, we ignited the second we were combined together. The heat spread quickly, growing in intensity until we were both burned and crisp. Nothing could stop us now, just the way humankind couldn’t stop a storm.
My hands reached for his shorts, and I unfastened them before I pulled his shirt over his head. Rock-hard and solid, he had the sexiest physique in
the world. I couldn’t blame women for hitting on him even though he was married, not when he was so hot. My fingers trailed over his grooves of muscle, feeling the dips along his abs.
He pulled my dress off and immediately yanked on the string behind me, making my bikini top come loose. All the windows were open, but hopefully none of the neighbors was looking our way.
Once my top was gone, he grabbed one of my tits and gave it a hard squeeze, his mouth never breaking apart from mine. My bottoms were strings as well, so he pulled on those until my second piece fell to my feet.
Now I was naked in his kitchen, but I didn’t feel like I was on display. His powerful body covered mine, his ass rock-hard and tight. I pulled down his shorts so he was naked with me. His long cock was throbbing in desperation, and it rested against my stomach and rib cage, twitching slightly.
Cypress stopped kissing me and lifted me into the air until my legs were wrapped around his waist. He walked into the bedroom and kicked the door shut behind him just before Dino could dart inside.
He dropped me on the bed then climbed on top of me. The shades were pulled closed so we had our privacy. The picture frame I noticed the last time I was there was still on the nightstand where he kept his watch.
My head hit the pillow, and he crawled on top of me, his powerful body blanketing mine. He separated my thighs with his knees, and he held his torso above me, his eyes focused on my mouth.
I wanted to feel that enormous dick stretch me, but he was missing something. “Condom.”
He froze on top of me, his eyes narrowed in hostility. “No.”
“No?” Did he really just say that to me?
“I got tested. I’m clean.”
“At that point in time, yes.”
“You’re gonna have to give me the benefit of the doubt, sweetheart.”
“Actually, I don’t have to do anything.”
He pressed his head inside me anyway.
“Whoa.” I grabbed his hips and steadied him and tried to ignore how good he felt. “Why is it so important to you?”
“Because I don’t want latex to separate us. We’re husband and wife. I want to make love to you the right way. I want to feel you the right way. If I wear something, it’s like I’m not inside you at all.”