In Too Deep (Grayton Series Book 4)

by Jill Sanders

  “Are you telling me that it hasn’t been?” he asked.

  She heard him moving and almost screamed when the light on her nightstand flipped on. Its brightness was blinding. She reached for the sheets and covered herself while he chuckled.

  “One of the other hints that it’s been a while.” He smiled and played with the sheet near her chest.

  Instead of answering, she shrugged her shoulders.

  “How long?” It was almost a whisper.

  For some reason, she couldn’t meet his eyes.

  “Missy?” His finger stopped playing with the sheet and moved up to under her chin, then nudged it until she met his eyes.

  “I’ve only slept with one man in my life.” She raised her chin more.

  He couldn’t stop the smile as he pulled her closer. This time the kiss was soft, and he poured every emotion into it, hoping she could pick up on them.

  When her hands moved to his shoulders and pushed him back onto the bed, he let her hover over him, her thighs trapping his hips to the mattress as she ran her hands and mouth over his chest and arms. Then she moved lower and he wondered just how long he could tolerate her soft touches until he rolled her over and took her hard and fast again.

  “You’re so soft, yet hard.” She smiled up at him, making him want to laugh out loud from the glory of the feeling of her touching him. “Does this feel good?” she asked, running her fingers over his length.

  His eyes slid closed and he nodded, swallowing the lust she was causing.

  “And this?” Her fingers circled the head of his cock.

  His eyes opened and locked with hers. “You’re playing with fire,” he said in a low voice.

  “I’m just getting familiar.” She smiled down at him as she ran her fingers over him some more. “I’ve never had the chance to explore a man before.”

  He took a couple deep breaths and nodded. “Do your worse.”

  She chuckled and dipped her head. “Did you like it when I…” Her lips brushed against his cock, causing it to jump in her hand.

  “More than you know.” His eyes closed as he concentrated on anything other than the way she was making him feel.

  When she took him fully into her mouth, he fisted his hands on the sheets again and tried to convince himself that he could hold out just a little longer.

  When she reached over and took another condom from her nightstand, he relaxed back and watched her take her time slipping the protection on him.

  Then she hoisted herself up on her knees and reached between them. Her fingers brushed up against him as she positioned him and slid slowly down until she was fully impaled once more. He moaned at the feeling of her tightness wrapped around him.

  His hands moved to her hips, begging her to move slowly this time. She was leaning over him, her hair falling around her face as she watched him.

  “Tell me what you like,” she whispered.

  His eyes met hers. “You,” he said, his voice raw with emotion. He watched her eyes darken, and then she was moving over him, her hips rotating in small circles.

  His eyes closed slowly as he threw his head back, his jaw going taut as he concentrated on her every movement. This time it was his turn to beg.

  His fingers dug into her soft hips until he finally forced her to slide up and down on him. Her hands braced on his chest as she moved up and down over him more quickly.

  His hips continued to pump as she knelt over him, until she threw her head back and cried his name. He rolled them until she was beneath him and continued to move inside her until he felt her tighten once more around him, then he joined her and let himself go.

  ***

  When he woke again, the bed next to him was empty. After looking at the clock, he groaned at the early hour. Even working for his brother Marcus at his construction company, he’d never woken up this early.

  When he heard the shower running in her bathroom, he smiled and crawled out of the bed.

  She had one of those large showers that was all tile and glass, so when he opened the bathroom door, she glanced over at him and smiled. When she noticed that he was naked and very hard, her smile slipped a little.

  Without saying anything, he moved across the room and stepped into the shower with her. When their lips met, her fingers dove into his hair and held him close.

  He ran his hand over her soapy body as he walked her back until her shoulders were against the tile. He pulled her leg up until she was fully exposed for him. Propping her leg on the tile seat, he slid quickly into her, causing her to gasp into his mouth.

  “I can’t seem to get enough,” he said against her neck. “I don’t think I ever will.” He kissed her again.

  When her leg started to slip, he turned her until she was leaning on the seat, her tight little rear facing him. He took hold of her hips and pumped into her until he felt her break, then continued until his own release took him quickly.

  ***

  “I’ve never done that before,” she said, glancing over at him as she dried off from their shower.

  He chuckled and looked at her. “Honey, from the sounds of it, you haven’t done a lot.”

  She blushed, wishing she could take her words back. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her, smiling down at her.

  “Don’t be embarrassed. I’ll just have to take my time showing you everything.” He drew out the last word as he kissed her. “Trust me, I’m a very good teacher.” He kissed her one last time.

  “We’ll have to have a talk about how you became so… educated.” She watched his eyes and saw the moment he understood her meaning. But before he could answer, Reagan knocked on her bedroom door.

  “Mom! I’m hungry.” She chuckled and nodded.

  “Saved for now.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him as she walked out to get dressed.

  Over the next few days, they fell into a pattern. Roman moved his bag of clothes from the hotel and settled into the two drawers she’d cleaned out for him in her dresser. On Marv’s days off, he worked on the ferry. The other days he helped out with deliveries, stocking, or with Bob and John on the other boat. Once, he’d even gone with the guys on the fishing boat.

  He’d filled her freezer with red snapper and grouper, enough that she’d have fish for the rest of the year. He’d even taken the time to fix a few things around the house.

  He’d cleaned the gutters the next sunny day and had shocked her by spending a whole day working on her car. He’d replaced the duct-taped window with a glass one and had changed the oil and rotated the tires.

  She could tell he’d enjoyed every minute of it. Reagan had been by his side the entire time, handing him tools and learning all about cars from his father.

  It had been such a great moment that she’d snapped a few pictures on her phone of the greasy pair.

  By the time Fourth of July rolled around, everyone in town knew that he was living with her and Reagan. She’d had a few questions to answer from Jenny but, for the most part, everyone in town seemed to be okay with Roman being around. Especially Reagan.

  Her son had never been outdoors more than he was the few days before the holiday. His class trip was only two days away, but from the looks of it, he’d changed his mind and wanted to stay home to be with Roman.

  She couldn’t help feel a little jealous of their instant friendship, but she knew that it wasn’t only good for Reagan, but Roman as well.

  Jenny had come through for her and that morning there were two charter boats sitting docked outside, both of them booked for the rest of the weekend. Marv was working the ferry for the day, which meant Roman and Reagan were helping her out in the store, which would close early so they could head to the beach and watch the fireworks as a family.

  It was busy in the store and, for the most part, the day flew by since. Roman had taken charge of Reagan that day and they were out somewhere together. She still worried, even though she completely trusted Roman. She’d always known he’d be a great father.

/>   He’d filled her in on starting the Spring Haven Home for children and Paradise Construction with Marcus. She had a million questions about his businesses and he’d patiently answered all of them.

  She’d been shocked to learn that he didn’t really make money on either, but that he had kept his bills paid by investing in a bunch of other businesses around their hometown.

  In the few days he’d been around, she could tell he had a knack for running a business, something she had found out a few years ago that she enjoyed as well. She wondered if that was something they had always had in common.

  Roman and Reagan waltzed back into the store just as the sun was setting and she was closing up.

  “Ready?” Roman asked. She could tell from their faces that something was up.

  “Yes.” She looked between the pair and then put her hands on her hips. “What’s up with you two?”

  The two looked at one another and shook their heads. “We’re just happy that we get to see the fireworks with you,” Reagan added, his eyes sparkling.

  “Right.” She shook her head. “Fine, if you don’t want to tell me…” She shrugged her shoulders. “Then I may not share what’s in here.” She bent down and pulled out a large picnic basket.

  She could tell her son was about to cave, but then Roman put his hands on his shoulders. “We have a surprise for you. Don’t we, buddy?” He looked down at Reagan, who quickly nodded his head and closed his lips.

  “Is that all I’m getting?” She waited and when they both nodded in unison, she sighed. “Fine, then I guess it depends on how much I like the surprise if I’m going to share this.” She patted the basket.

  Chapter Twelve

  Roman and Reagan stood back and watched the surprised look on Missy’s face and smiled. At first she frowned when they stopped in front of the yellow sailboat, then she laughed and smiled down at the small boat.

  “You rented this?” she asked.

  He just smiled and said, “We thought you’d like to watch the fireworks from the water.”

  She reached down and hugged Reagan, then looked up at Roman. “Thank you, it’s perfect. I suppose…”—she looked down at the boy—“that I’ll be sharing my basket after all.”

  Reagan cheered as he jumped into the boat.

  They’d both enjoyed sailing as kids on the Grayton’s old boat and had spent countless summer days and nights on the water.

  Missy settled easily on the cushions as he steered the small boat out of the harbor. Reagan helped him steer by standing in front of him.

  “I’ve never steered a sail boat before.” Reagan sounded excited.

  “It’s just like the ferry.” Roman glanced down at Missy, who raised her eyebrows. “Which he hasn’t done more than once,” he added, and she smiled. “We’ll just head over to that little cove area.” He pointed down the shore a ways. “Think you can get us there, Captain Reagan?”

  “Sure thing, first mate,” Reagan said in his best pirate voice.

  Roman chuckled then moved over to sit next to Missy. When he wrapped his arm around her, she settled closer to him.

  “Thank you.” She glanced up at him.

  “For?” He waited.

  “This.” She nodded to the boat. “I didn’t realize how much I’d missed being on the water like this.”

  He pulled her closer. “You know, I fixed up Julie’s old sailboat.”

  “Oh?” She smiled. “I bet she really enjoys it now.”

  He nodded. “Of course, we still head out on it each year to Crab Island to watch the fireworks.” He sighed, missing his family.

  “Roman.” She pulled away. “You could always…”

  He stopped her by shaking his head. “I’m here where I want to be. With our family.” He leaned down and kissed her.

  They settled the small boat and Missy pulled out the food from the basket and they enjoyed chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, and even some carrot cake that Jenny had made.

  They finished up just in time for the first fireworks to go off. Reagan sat on his lap and oohed and ahhed with each bang. He pulled Missy closer and had never felt more right than he did at that moment.

  When Reagan started to fall asleep after the fireworks were all over, Missy carried him below and laid him on the queen-size bed. When she came back up, she was carrying a cold beer for him.

  “My kind of woman.” He chuckled as he took a sip and then handed it back to her. She took a deep drink from it and sighed.

  “I’ve been thinking about getting one of these and renting them out. That way, if I want to go out on the water anytime, I could.”

  He nodded. “Solid business plan. That’s why I went ahead and bought this beauty today.”

  “What?” She leaned back, frowning up at him. “You bought this boat?”

  He chuckled. “It seemed easier than renting one. Do you know how much they wanted for just a few hours aboard?”

  “No, how much?” She leaned in closer, causing his body to react. “Oh, no. No business talk tonight. We can go over my smart move tomorrow during business hours.” He pulled her close again and ran his lips over hers.

  “This is really nice,” she said as she sighed and held onto him. “A perfect night.”

  He nodded in agreement. “What would make it even better is taking a dip with me.” He nodded to the water. “Or are you still afraid of the water after dark?”

  She chuckled. “There are a lot more fish in there after dark than in the sunlight.”

  He laughed. “Are you even listening to what you’re saying?” He smiled.

  “You know what I mean. During the day, I can see them.” She cringed. “Besides, after all the stories you boys told Cass and I…” He watched the sadness flood her eyes when she mentioned their sister. Then she shook her head and smiled at him. “It’s no wonder I have a phobia.”

  He stood up and took her hand, then pulled her up next to him. “Well, since I’d like to make love to you and can’t do so with a sleeping eight-year-old just a few feet away, I guess we’d better head back in.”

  She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. “Maybe I can bear a quick dip.” She leaned up and kissed him.

  He chuckled and then moaned a little as she stood back and pulled her top over her head. She was wearing a white bikini top, which caused his mouth to water. He watched her slow movements as she removed her shorts to a matching pair of bikini bottoms. He felt himself grow unbearably hard in just a few seconds.

  When she walked back to him, her fingers tugging lightly on his shirt, he helped her remove his top and followed her down the ladder into the warm, dark water.

  Since they had weighed anchor in the cove, they could both easily touch the sandy bottom.

  “Shuffle your feet,” she said as she moved farther away from the boat. “We have skates here.”

  He sighed. He hated the little buggers. They looked like rays but sent a nasty shock up your leg when you stepped on them. Some even bit. Shuffling his feet, he followed her until they were only knee deep. The moon was almost full, and since there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, they could both see the sandy beach area.

  He took her hand as he glanced back at the boat, which was only about twenty feet away. “Will he be okay?”

  She nodded. “If he wakes up, we’ll hear him.” She pulled him farther onto the shore. “Now, you mentioned something about making love?”

  He pulled her close and covered her lips with his. Her swimsuit was easy to pull off, and soon she lay under him in the sand, beautifully naked for him to enjoy. He ran his hands and mouth over her, tasting the salty water on her skin.

  When he slid into her, he told her exactly how he felt about her. He felt her tense, so he quickly covered her lips and ran his tongue over hers. When he heard her moan with pleasure, he followed her and told her once more.

  “Get used to hearing it,” he said just below her ear as their skin cooled off from the intense pleasure. “I’ve only been in love with one woman my entire
life.” He leaned up and looked down at her, waiting until her eyes fell on his. “There’s no escaping how I feel about you.”

  ***

  “There’s no escaping how I feel about you.” Roman’s words played over in her head for the next few days. Even when she kissed Reagan goodbye and watched him load onto the bus that would take him and his classmates to Orlando, she couldn’t get it off of her mind.

  She knew in her heart that she loved Roman. Always had. Just like him, she’d only loved one man her entire life. Him. But even now, she knew that it wasn’t possible for them to be together. Not like they wanted.

  There were too many obstacles for them to jump. Too many dangers lurking just around the corner.

  The first night Reagan was gone, Roman cooked her chicken cashew salad and made love to her on the kitchen countertop. The second night, after ordering Chinese takeout, he made love to her on the sofa. The third, they’d made love in the back seat of her car after he’d taken her out for Italian and parked on the beach to watch the sunset.

  Every night, he consumed her mind and body so that she never really had time to feel the empty spot where their son was. Each day he told her that he loved her. Each time it shocked her system to the core. They still hadn’t talked much about it. She guessed that he was just trying to get her used to hearing those words from him.

  Roman brought her a large bundle of wild flowers and delivered them to the store. They had even dressed up one night and gone to the local steak house and had a fancy dinner with champagne. She’d never been treated so wonderfully before.

  Every day, Reagan texted them pictures of his trip and told them how much fun he was having, but if it hadn’t been for Roman, she would have gone a little mad. The morning before Reagan was set to return, they drove down to Apalachicola for some of the best blueberry pancakes she’d ever had.

  The rest of the day seemed to be one of the slowest ever. Since the holiday rush was over, the slowness of the store caused her to sit and stare out the window for hours in between customers.