Her Holiday Fling

by Jennifer Snow

  “So we won’t have to get in the water?” Marissa asked.

  God forbid, Chase thought, rolling his eyes.

  “You don’t even have to get wet,” Captain Kelsey said, professionally avoiding the voluptuous breasts.

  Impressive. Though he suspected Marissa’s attention-demanding figure was only one of many the captain saw on a daily basis in this ocean paradise. There was no shortage of eye candy at the resort, on the sandy beaches or in the restaurants, but only one beautiful woman had captured his eye. And thanks to her, Kate’s bridesmaids had left him alone and found their own island flings.

  “We offer two rides—our standard ride, which is eight hundred feet, or the deluxe flight, which is twelve hundred feet,” the captain was saying.

  Kate glanced at the group. “We all agree on the higher ride, right?”

  Everyone nodded, except Cooper. “Kate, you know I’m not great with heights.”

  The rookie cop was terrified of heights...and high-speed pursuits, the sound of gunfire... Chase couldn’t understand how the kid had ever passed the academy. It worried him that he’d chosen a career that he was clearly not cut out for—especially at the risk of his sister’s future happiness. But he’d already voiced his concern and the wedding was three days away—too late now.

  “You’ll be fine,” Kate told Cooper, waving a hand.

  Poor Coop, Chase mused. He suspected his future brother-in-law was in for a lifetime of “you’ll be fine.”

  “How long is the ride?” Cooper asked, not convinced.

  “Usually about ten minutes,” the captain said, reaching for the life jackets. “Okay, everyone climb aboard. Watch your step.” He helped the women step aboard the speedboat.

  Chase took a seat near the flight deck. Kate joined him as Cooper approached the captain, who steered the boat away from the dock.

  Has the line ever broken? They heard him ask.

  “Wow, water sports are really not his thing, huh?” Chase asked his sister, stretching his arms out along the edge of the boat, flinching slightly at the feel of the hot metal against his skin.

  “Sports in general are not his thing,” Kate said with a laugh, leaning back against him.

  It was true. Last July Fourth at the police department’s company picnic and fireworks display, Cooper had opted out of every game that required some sort of physical ability—football, baseball, even volleyball. Again, how he’d passed the department’s physical was a mystery. Maybe it was time they raised the entry requirements.

  And how could his sister be attracted to someone who couldn’t name an NBA team if asked—she was a sports fanatic. Not that she’d had a choice growing up with him and their brothers, having lost her only female role model so young. “So I guess opposites really do attract.”

  “You know, we’re actually a lot alike on the things that matter,” she said, looking adoringly at her soon-to-be husband as he bombarded the captain with questions.

  “Like what?” Chase leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

  “Well, our love of children... We both agree that two is the perfect number. They have someone to play with, without a third child being left out.”

  “Four worked well for our family. You and Eric always seemed to have one another’s back, and Adam and I worked well together keeping your asses out of trouble,” Chase pointed out.

  Kate shot him a look. “Mom was crazy to go through labor four times. Twice is my limit.”

  Chase laughed. “But weren’t you the girl who said you were never having kids? I distinctly remember you saying that you had no interest in being a minivan-driving soccer mom whose life revolved around her husband and kids.” Not that he believed for one second that his sister would become one of those women. He knew that even with a husband and children, her company would remain a priority and she’d succeed at it all. His sister was built like his mother—strong, capable and determined. The Supermom who baked homemade cookies for her kids’ school bake sale at two in the morning. Man, he missed his mom. He knew Kate did, too, and their parents’ absence would be felt strongly at the wedding.

  “I said that when I was eighteen and only cared about my hair color and whether 90210 was a rerun,” she said with a laugh. “Priorities and values change. Especially when you find the right one.” She gave him a pointed look.

  Uh-oh. How had this conversation become about him? He remained silent, hoping she wouldn’t continue the lecture he expected to receive. No such luck.

  “You really should consider settling down, Chase.”

  He glanced at her. “Have you ever thought about that phrase—settling down? When you really think about it, it doesn’t sound all that appealing. Settling down,” he repeated with a shake of his head. “It sounds like the end of a great ride. Remember when Mom would say, ‘settle down?’ It meant no more fun—just sit and behave.”

  She slapped his arm.

  “What? I’m just saying the terminology doesn’t make marriage and kids sound enticing, that’s all.” He enjoyed teasing his sister, especially as a tactic to avoid the heavy conversations she insisted on having with him.

  “You’re impossible to talk to.”

  “Only when it comes to matters of the heart.”

  “Your heart, you mean. You have no problem giving the rest of us advice,” Eric said, joining them.

  “Speaking of which... Seriously, man, tell me there’s more to this thing with Marissa than just the obvious,” Chase said, once again successful in diverting the attention from himself. While Kate cared too much, Eric didn’t concern himself with much at all unless it had to do with his own business or his chances of getting some.

  Eric grinned. “What more is there?”

  “You’re disgusting,” Kate said.

  “I’m kidding. She’s great—smart, funny...”

  Chase and Kate stared at him.

  “Okay, she’s a smart-ass and she’s fun—better?”

  Kate shrugged. “I seriously worry about you two.”

  “Look, I’m not ready to ‘settle down’ yet, either. At least not until you do first, older brother,” he said, slapping Chase on the back.

  “Well, Kate, looks like your two children will be spoiled by their bachelor uncles,” Chase said with a shrug. How could he give his younger brother a hard time about his life choices when he wasn’t exactly a shining role model? Was Eric’s aversion to a serious relationship really worse than his aversion to any? After all, at least Eric was here with a girl he’d known longer than two days and their affection wasn’t an act. Unfortunately, his affection toward Hayley wasn’t, either... What had he gotten himself into?

  The boat stopped and the captain turned to the group. “Okay, who’s up first?”

  No one looked eager to volunteer, so Chase stood. “I’ll go.” The swaying of the boat was making him nauseous anyway.

  “We are set up for single, tandem or triple flights. Did you want to go alone or take someone with you?” the captain asked.

  “Why don’t you guys go?” Kate suggested, pointing to her two brothers.

  When they were seated and harnessed in, Eric turned to him. “So, bro, now that I got you alone, I need you to explain something to me.”

  It would have been too much to ask for his brother to simply enjoy the ride. “Forget it. Just shut up and enjoy the scenery,” he said, wishing he’d gone alone.

  “Oh, come on. It’s an easy one, I swear.”

  “Fine. What do you want?” Chase sighed. Even at 1200 feet his brother was annoying.

  “Why is your new girlfriend sleeping at a different resort?” Eric asked with a knowing grin.

  How the hell did he know? He frowned. Thinking on his feet, he said, “We’re not sleeping together yet... She booked her trip later...”

&nbs
p; Eric was shaking his head. “That’s adorable—really it is, bro—but it’s also a lie. And you call yourself a man of the law.” He clucked his tongue. “So what’s going on?”

  Shit. His brother had inherited their father’s skills for perception and observation, just as he had. “I met her on the plane.”

  “Aha, I knew it.”

  “Look, you cannot say anything to Kate,” Chase said, using his best big-brother, I’m-in-charge voice, hoping it still had an effect on him. If it ever actually had.

  “I haven’t said anything yet, have I?” Eric pointed out.

  “Keep it that way. The last thing I want is to have her on my ass this week.” Chase ran a hand through his hair and waved to his sister, who was waving enthusiastically and yelling something undecipherable.

  “And because you’re totally hot for Hayley.”

  While it was true, he’d be damned if he’d admit it to his brother. “Nah, it’s totally an act.”

  “Whatever lets you sleep at night, man.” Eric laughed, finally turning his attention to the breathtaking scenery that had now lost its appeal for Chase.

  That was the problem—he couldn’t sleep at night, at least not without images of Hayley appearing behind his closed lids. Images he feared wouldn’t go away after their fun in the sun ended.

  8

  “SO, CHASE ACTUALLY ran back into the burning school to get the lab mice?” Hayley shook her head.

  “What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t leave them in there,” Chase said, raising his voice to be heard above the band at LeiLanis, which was playing covers of popular songs with an added Hawaiian flavor. His arm was draped across the back of her chair, a comfort that she’d come to expect and actually enjoy. In fact, she found herself relaxed and comfortable around his entire family. Growing up as an only child, with no extended family close by, she’d missed out on these kinds of gatherings, shared storytelling and bonding. For the most part, it had been her and her mother, even when her parents were married. But what Chase had, even in the absence of his parents, was special.

  And he was jeopardizing it by lying to them.

  “Two thousand students and eighteen teachers didn’t run into a burning building,” Kate said with a laugh.

  “Yeah, but Chase was always trying to save the world,” Eric said from the other end of the table. “Dad was right to worry that this one would follow in his footsteps.”

  Silence fell over the siblings at the mention of their late father, and Hayley moved a little closer to Chase. “It must be tough...being here without them,” she said softly, touching his hand.

  He nodded as he turned his hand to hold hers, the heat of the contact sending tingles the length of her bare arm. “Having you here is making it a little easier.” He rubbed his nose against her cheek.

  “Really?” She was glad that her presence was providing him the same kind of comfort his was giving her, but to what end? Was all of this pretending worth it?

  “Yes. Something about you puts me at ease—crazy, right? Especially when we’re lying to everyone and we should be feeling guilty or anxious. I’m not,” he whispered, brushing her hair away from her neck to place a soft kiss below her ear.

  Okay, this was not an act. Her pulse raced and she folded one leg over the other as her body awakened. This was not an ideal moment to get aroused. In her stress while packing for the trip, she’d forgotten to pack white underwear to wear under her thin, light-colored skirt, therefore she was going commando.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” he said, leaning back to look into her eyes, a serious expression reflected in his dark ones.

  Uh-oh... She gulped. “Sure,” she said, a little too high-pitched to sound nonchalant.

  “Are you wearing underwear?” The serious look was gone, replaced by a seriously heated one.

  Instinctively, her hands covered her lap. “You can see through my skirt?”

  Glancing toward her legs, he gently fingered the eyelet trim, raising it slightly over her thigh. “Only because I couldn’t take my eyes off your ass when you went to the washroom a few minutes ago,” he said, tracing circles near the edge of the fabric.

  “Oh...”

  “Are you trying to give me an erection in front of my sister and brother?” he mumbled against her ear.

  “Me? You’re the one with your lips inches from my neck and your hand on my thigh,” she said, sensing Kate’s gaze on them. “And FYI, your sister is watching us.”

  “Good. We’re supposed to be putting on a show, right?”

  “I think you may be overacting a little...”

  Her cell phone vibrated on the table and they both jumped.

  “My phone,” Hayley said, reaching for it, both annoyed and relieved by the interruption. Mostly annoyed. “It’s Lila,” she told Chase before opening the message. “Oh, shit...” She hadn’t thought her heart could beat any faster than it had been a second ago. She’d been wrong.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Marvin and Grace are headed here with Lila and Craig. We should probably leave.”

  Chase stood and yawned for effect. “I think we’re going to call it a night,” he told his family, already pushing his chair into the table.

  “Good. For a second there, I thought you two were going to have sex right here at the table,” Kate said, shooting her brother a look.

  Hayley flushed. Great, his sister thought they were rushing off to have sex. Then again, that was probably a good thing given the circumstances.

  “Bye, everyone,” Chase said. He tossed several bills onto the table, then taking her hand, he led her outside.

  Ten minutes later her pulse still raced as they ducked into the lobby of his hotel.

  “Well, I guess we should call it a night.” Escape. Escape fast.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t fast enough. Grabbing her hand, Chase pulled her toward him and in one quick swooping motion, he lifted her into his arms.

  * * *

  TWO MINUTES LATER and not a second too soon, Chase carried Hayley into his room. Falling back against the door as it closed, he set her onto the floor and drew her back toward him, his hands gripping her ribs as he kissed her exposed neck. “I’ve been waiting all day to do this,” he said, sliding his tongue along the soft skin.

  She shivered and pushed her butt back against his already-full erection then turned to face him, claiming his mouth with her own. Her hips rocked forward and backward, teasing his cock, forcing his grip on her waist to tighten even more.

  If she didn’t stop moving that way, he couldn’t be held responsible for any marks left on her ribs. When she bit his lower lip, his hands slid the length of her back and cupped her ass, lifting her slightly until his cock pushed against the fabric of the skirt between her legs.

  When she began unbuttoning his shorts, he could barely contain his desire for her. She was so beautiful, so sexy, so smart... He’d never had a woman like Hayley—not in his arms, not in his bed and certainly not in his heart, but unfortunately here she was in all three. This powerless feeling with her was a foreign one. Keeping his emotions sealed away had never been an issue...at least not since Kendall.

  The thought of his ex made his gut twist. They needed to have that conversation soon.

  But when she forced his shorts downward and lowered herself to her knees, he pushed the thought aside. Gently, she slid her tongue from the base of his cock all the way to the tip, licking the precum that glistened at the head. He groaned, desperate to feel her wet mouth around him, but she continued the teasing, flicking and licking, circling his cock slowly, massaging his balls with her right hand. “Hayley, you are driving me insane.”

  “That’s the point,” she said with a teasing smile.

  Seeing her on her knees in front of him, glancing up at
him through those thick eyelashes, as her lips teased his swollen, throbbing member... It was too much.

  Immediately, her lips closed over him and she began sucking and licking hungrily. He was going to come any second and it was too fast. Pulling away, he helped her to her feet and in one swoop he carried her to his bed. Setting her down gently, he lowered himself on top of her and starting at the base of her neck, rained kisses and soft little bites from her ear, over her neck and across her shoulder. His hands cupped her breasts, squeezing her erect nipples until she moaned in a mix of pleasure and pain.

  She guided one of his hands under her skirt and between her legs. “Touch me, please,” she begged as she spread her legs far apart and arched her body toward him.

  Seeing her so exposed, so willing, so honest about what she wanted—always so up-front and honest about what she wanted—made him hesitate. He needed to be honest with her about the real reason he’d needed her that week... She deserved to know the truth. But telling her about Kendall meant admitting so much more—his inability to commit, his unwillingness to be vulnerable...

  “Chase, where did you go?” Hayley asked softly, touching his face.

  Somewhere a little too real. “Nowhere. Sorry.” Damn. She made avoidance so easy when she looked at him that way. The sound of her voice, her touch—intoxicating. He knelt between her legs and removed the skirt, tossing it aside. Her pussy was the most intoxicating thing he’d ever seen. He gently touched her, loving how swollen and wet she was against his fingers. Opening the folds, he traced the shape of her, licking the wetness from his fingers. She tasted so good, he had to resist the urge to bury his head between her legs and bring her to orgasm immediately.

  She whimpered and her knees shook on either side of him as she stroked her own breasts. “Please, Chase, I need you inside me.”

  Her desire, her pleading, made him harder, but he wasn’t finished playing. Sliding three fingers inside her at once, he pressed the palm of his other hand to her pelvis, applying pressure to her most sensitive spot as he leaned forward to kiss her flat tummy. “Think you can take another one?” he mumbled against her skin.