Delia Bay

by Lauren Cooper

  Back at the cabin I showered and woke the sleeping beauty with a cup of coffee in bed, something I’d never done before but figured I should. I left her there to enjoy the view from my bedroom window with a mug of caffeine I know she worships more than anything else before I went to the living room and made a life changing decision.

  I’d pulled Aurora out of her case for the first time in days, something I’d never done. The lyrics to my songs were suddenly filled with things other than death and pain.

  Where the ocean meets the sky, where the sun crosses the moon, where my heart turns from black to red, that’s where I’ll meet you.

  Luna. That’s where I met you.

  Date Nights & Street Lights

  SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT about Reid this morning. Not in a bad way but in a good way. I sat in bed, admiring the view out the window of the meadow that now held more memories than any other place in Delia, drinking my coffee and listening to the quiet strums of Reid’s guitar from the living room. This morning’s chords weren’t his usual melancholic self, instead the harsh notes seemed lighter, as if Reid felt lighter.

  My legs itched beneath the covers to run to him and ask but I knew he would never tell me. Not with words anyway.

  I settled back into the plump cushions and just listened to the lyrics of his latest song. I assumed it was new anyway because he kept stopping and starting, but for all I know the words had been swimming around his head for years and he was only now giving them life. I don’t know how long we stayed like that, Reid in the living room and me in bed but it was bliss. I wasn’t working today, and neither was Reid apparently. I wanted to remind him that Wyatt was young, and he shouldn’t pick on him with his manly ways but decided to keep my mouth shut owing to his sudden happy mood.

  We spent the day lounging around, twisted in each other’s arms in various positions, majority of them ended up in sex...after a while we slumped on the couch, exhausted and sore.

  “Do you have clothes here or do you need to swing by your place?”

  “What types of clothes? You usually hate it when I wear them anyway” I huff on a laugh as I lift my head from the cushion on the couch, glancing at the broody, inked bad boy beneath my ankles. In black slacks and nothing more the man looks like Ice-cream dipped in cookie dough slowly baked and dripped into my waiting mouth.

  “I’m taking you out tonight”

  “Somewhere I can’t be naked?”

  “You most definitely cannot be naked” he grits, his hold on my shin tightening.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, twiddling my thumb between my teeth nervously as if it actually mattered. Reid could take me to a cardboard box with a tea-light in it and I’d think it was perfect.

  “Nowhere fancy. I just want to take you out” he smiles softly, the slight nervousness in his eyes has me sitting upright.

  “Okay. That’s sweet of you” I brush my lips against his, the sweet taste of minty toothpaste mixed with his morning coffee has my belly grumbling in hunger. Not for food, but for him.

  I can’t wipe the smile off my face when he brushes my legs from his, swinging them to the side so I can get to my feet. We hadn’t moved since this morning. It was blissful. The drizzle outside hadn’t let up all day, the constant sweepings of rain had blurred our gorgeous view from this morning into a big grey smudge. Instead, Reid had lit the log burner, chucked some bacon under the grill and doodled and played his guitar all day. I’d sat by happily watching him, sketching my own ideas for the shop on a stolen piece of paper. There was something oddly tranquil about not having a Tv, it was as if the outside world couldn’t penetrate your four walls no matter how hard it tried. I wasn’t so sure I could live without one entirely, I needed my movie-nights and vintage sitcoms.

  “I’ll swing by the flat real quick to grab some clothes” I mumble from my spot in the corner.

  “I’ll pick you up from there if you want” Reid smiles in my direction. While the corners of his mouth tilt just a little his eyes give him away like always. To the untrained eye Reid would seem miserable, almost monosyllabic in his response but the glint in his green orbs tell me just how happy he is about this.

  “Okay” I smile genuinely back at him before getting to my feet, the fireflies alight in my belly have me like a teenager excited for her first real date.

  I kiss him quickly goodbye, knowing full well that if I’m not quick I’d be under him again within a Nano-second and I really want to get prepped for this date.

  I hightail my Chevy down to my apartment, forgoing my routine of checking on the shop and instead bolting it upstairs to shower and change.

  The usual what will I wear goes around my head, but I shove it out of the way in exchange for my shampoo bottle. I scrub at my skin, shave all those nagging places and moisturize within an inch of my life, not that Reid will notice but still. It makes me feel good.

  With baby-smooth skin I blow dried my hair and curled the ends into something more suitable than the frizzy beach curls that usually grace my head every damned day and slipped into a pretty yellow summer dress I’d made out of some left-over fabric from last year.

  I paired the bright yellow number with my favorite brown ankle boots and clutch before adding a smidge of mascara to my lashes. As soon as the brush left my eye the intercom from downstairs buzzed and I had to stop myself from turning into a hot sweaty mess as I tried not to bolt down the stairs. I barely managed to lock my front door behind me through sheer excitement alone but before I knew it I was greeted with a fresh bunch of daises and the hottest specimen ever to grace Delia Bay.

  “Oh, Reid” I take the hand-picked flowers from him, the stems tied with string before bringing them to my nose.

  “They’re beautiful, thank you.” I smile softly at the man dressed in his denim jacket, worn from years of use yet still as stylish as ever. The ripped jeans he seems to love and those boots that never seem to have their laces done up.

  “I’ll just chuck them in water” I smile once more before spinning on my heel, successfully hiding the stupidly wide grin on my face. By the time I get back down stairs I feel like I have a clothes hanger wedged into my cheeks and the fluttering in my belly has only grown ten-fold.

  “Ready?” Reid’s deep brooding voice vibrates through my skin, the rhythm worsening as he wraps my arm in the crook of his elbow and leads me down the street towards the promenade.

  “Sure” I have to fiddle my bottom lip between my teeth to stop myself from grinning like the damned Cheshire cat. I can’t remember the last real date I went on, I can’t even remember if any man has ever brought me flowers for god’s sake.

  I let Reid guide me along the walk, the sea breeze brushing through my hair and fluttering my dress around my knees. The walk quickly turns to cobble stone as he turns up the street to our left, walking us right to the very top where Delia’s famous Delia Grill Co sits proudly. The driftwood out front calls to people from down on the walk, even from up here the view of the bay is insane.

  “Come on” Reid huffs on a smile, my calling to the sea will never be enough.

  “Archer” he nods towards the waitress, dressed in a smart black button down and slacks with a matching apron around her middle.

  “Hey, Caitlyn” I hold my hand up in a wave as Reid tangles his fingers into the one of my free hand.

  “Hey, Luna” The young girl smiles softly at me before grabbing us two menus and showing us to our table. Right in the corner, next to the too-big window overlooking the descending street is a table for two fit with an oil-burning candle in the middle. I glance out the window at the dimming lights of the bay, the old-fashioned street lights flickering on as the sun sets over the sea.

  “You didn’t have to do this” I fiddle with my hands on the table after laying my clutch on the jutting out window frame.

  “I wanted to” Reid shrugs out of his jacket, draping it over the back of his chair with the plush leather center. We order two beers and sit at the table nervously.


  “This is weird” I laugh.

  “Yeah” Reid shrugs his eyebrows down, his fingers fiddling with the turner on the candle.

  “How come we’ve had sex but eating dinner at a restaurant feels odd?” I put it out there, hoping to break the ice.

  “Fuck knows. But I like you. And steak” Reid grins, baring his white teeth and everything. “So, it seemed like a good combo”

  “Agreed” I laugh as our beer bottles land on the table.

  “Cheers” I lift my bottle to his and we clink the glass together before taking a sip. I watch Reid as he glances out the window, his dark hair falling slightly over his head. For such a beautiful human I can’t help but wonder why the universe chose him to endure so much pain. I’d give anything just to take even half of that load from him if I could.

  Delia is still new to Reid and it will be for a long time, I gather, that’s why I sit there and watch him taking in the beautiful side street with the view to die for and just appreciate him being here with me. Like I’ve said, I could push and push until Reid crumbled and admitted to being happy, but what was the point? I knew he was happy just by looking at him, I knew he was sad when his eyes lost their sparkle. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought, they could label it what they wanted.

  We’d said it. I Love You.

  You, being singular. Not the entire fucking town of Delia who’d already be planning a wedding had they got wind of this.

  Tonight, felt like a proper date, you know, the things that grown-ups do, and sitting here with Reid eating the best damned steak in at least fifty miles was the best night I’d had in a long while.

  Once we were done Reid paid the bill despite my protests about paying half and we leisurely walked back down towards the front.

  Reid linked my arm with his again and this time I didn’t even try to hide the smile that grew on my face. We walked back to my apartment like that, slowly, without words and just watching the twinkling lights above us blowing gently in the wind.

  We were just around the corner from the apartment when suddenly I’m pulled into an alleyway. The tiny space barley gives enough room for two people to walk side by side. The shriek I’d attempted to let out is cut off when Reid spins me and claps his hand over my mouth.

  “I can’t wait another second” he breathes, his green eyes alight with deep sexual need. I go slack against the brick wall, my boobs brush against his shirt through the fabric of my dress and Reid slowly lets his hand fall from my lips.

  “Then take me” I smile slowly. The low growl that rips from Reid’s belly vibrates through our skin enough to put my already wet pussy on high alert. With large inked hands he grabs the back of my thighs before hitching me up the wall, the brick scratching at me but I ignore it, wrapping my legs around his waist instead.

  A laugh bubbles up my throat as I hear the sounds of passersby, the small voices of chitter chatter and footsteps remind me we aren’t behind the comfort of a closed door.

  “Reid, people might see” I whisper, tilting my head back to give him better access to the skin he’s suckling on at my neck.

  “Don’t care” he mumbles before returning to his task.

  “Reid, we shouldn’t” I giggle as he sucks on a ticklish spot.

  “Not stopping” he grits as he pushed the fabric of my dress down.

  Fuck it.

  In the same breath I reach for the hem of his shirt, trying and failing to get it up and off with my legs wrapped around it.

  “Reid, this is ridiculous” I laugh, my head falling back a little too harshly against the wall with a thud, my dress refuses to move from the spot across my chest and that has Reid sighing and fixing his eyes on mine.

  I can’t contain my laughter any longer, the sound bubbles out of my stomach loudly, my grin widening as I do, and Reid fails to contain his amusement to. The sound that leaves his mouth is enough to make me smile for the rest of time. We both stand there, wrapped in each other’s arms, our clothes disheveled in absolute hysterics.

  The clearing of a throat has us both snapping our heads in the direction of the street, Reid lowers me to the ground instantly, rearranging my straps on my shoulders. My laughter grows when I see who it is that’s caught us out like naughty teenagers out past curfew.

  “Really, Luna?” Brayden cocks an eyebrow in my direction, his hands going to his hips where his belt and pistol are.

  “Sorry Brayden got a bit carried away is all” I roll my lips together, holding onto my other arm and trying to look as innocent as possible.

  “Keep it behind closed doors” he tuts, shaking his head from side to side.

  “Reid Archer” Reid brushes past me in the small space, hand outstretched towards the sheriff.

  “Sheriff Corby. I trust it wasn’t your idea. Luna’s a trouble maker” Brayden smirks in my direction after dropping his handshake.

  “Come on, Reid. Let’s go” I shake my head, refusing to smile at the arrogant asswipe.

  “See you around” Brayden calls after us. What the hell was he doing down here anyways? He never comes to the bay unless there’s something going on.

  “SO, that’s the sheriff huh?” Reid asks, his head hanging low and his hands shoved into his pockets.

  “Yep”

  “I, uh heard about you two” he nods, side-eyeing me quickly.

  “Yeah. It’s nothing important. Seriously.” I wide my eyes to exaggerate my point.

  “I get it” he smiles softly as we reach my front door.

  “My little dove has needs. Ones that I’ll be taking care of from now on” his husky voice washes over my skin and I fiddle with the key a little faster. Reid’s hands work their way up the backs of my thighs leaving a trail of fire the higher up my legs he goes. I clench my legs tightly together, stopping his torturous pace and making him laugh darkly behind me. The throb between my legs worsens with each passing second. I need him. I needed him in that alley, but right now? I’ll die if he doesn’t fuck me soon.

  I COULDN’T BELIEVE that summer was almost over already. It had flown by this year. The shop was doing great with stock flying off the shelves, Mama’s health was improving every day and Reid seemed to be settling in more with each day that passed. I’d kept to my word and not asked him any questions, instead just listening when he offered the information freely. It seemed to be working because the moody asshole wasn’t being so ass-holy. I loved his brooding look that he would give me when he knew I was dying a little inside to shout and scream at him to talk to me, but I didn’t, knowing it would only shut him up even more. Instead today I’d dragged him down to the beach with me. He’d moaned and groaned when I shoved him out of my bed after we’d crashed there last night.

  He wouldn’t let me walk home in the dark, I wasn’t about to let him do the same.

  Besides the crime rate in Delia was at a huge Zero so I think he would have been safe anyway, I just wanted to him to stay with me.

  “Come on, I’m getting you on that board today” I smack his shin as I walk past my bed, his gorgeous naked ass sprawled across my sheets makes me smile as I shove my legs into my wetsuit. After our date we’d barely made it up the stairs before Reid pounced on me. My skirt was hiked up around my waist, my legs wrapped around him in my hallway as he showed me just how well he could take of me.

  A low grunt and the twisting of my sheets has me turning back to the grumpy sex god in my bed.

  I loved my early morning swims, they were a great way to start the day and I wasn’t leaving without him today.

  “You go for a run every morning anyway. This isn’t any different” I leave my wetsuit around my waist while I tie my hair up into a messy bun. Reid grabs the pillow from beside him, his strong arms flexing as he does before he shoves it over his head. I laugh, the dramatics have been coming on thick and strong these past few days. Ever since he came back from his run the other day, he’s had a new lease of life injected into his veins.

  “Stop it grump” I grab the pillow and rip it fro
m him, his grumbles of protest getting louder as he finally makes a move towards getting up.

  I leave him there, deciding instead to start a pot of coffee and making sure my board is ready. Opening the living room curtains to the fresh blue sky outside puts an instant smile on my face, not that Reid hadn’t put one there already, but it was a nice bonus. The promenade to my left was quiet this morning, the whole town was in preparation for the big BBQ happening tomorrow.

  “You’re evil” Reid’s deep, sleep-riddled voice comes from behind me, making my smile broaden.

  I gasp when I turn to face him, the blood rushing to my face as my hand goes over my mouth.

  “Reid!”

  “What?” He tilts his head, that gorgeous long mop of hair at the top of his head falling over his forehead. With his arms crossed across his chest, my eyes follow the trail of his abs, each one cutting across his abdomen until his valley deep V leads to his rock-hard goodness. My mouth waters with want, my hand falling from my lips and showing him just how vulnerable I am whenever he’s around. My tongue darts out to wet my bottom lip, my knees turning to jelly as my lady-parts clench with the reminder of how good he feels whenever he’s inside me.

  “Not now” I blink, my mouth feeling dryer by second. “I want to surf” I shake my head, trying my hardest to shake it off and continue making us a coffee when his strong hands wrap around my waist sending shocks up and down the entire length of my body.

  “Then why are you trembling?” his words penetrate straight to my core as his hot breath washes over the tender skin at my ear. I hadn’t even noticed it until now, but he’s right. My legs are shaking, my chest is rising and falling way to fast, and my skin is flushed. I don’t get a chance to think of a witty response because his lips are on my neck, trailing kisses down from my ear and back again before he finds a delicate spot and sucks the skin between his teeth. My hands drop to the counter, the spoon falling from my hand and my head tipping back against his naked shoulder. Reid moves his hands to my bikini covered breasts, kneading them tenderly in his warm palms as he continues to suckle on my neck.