Sausalito Nights (Montgomery Beauty Book 1)

by Stephanie Salvatore

  “Let me guess. You met the son?”

  I smiled. “You promise not to mumble a word of this to anyone?”

  “You have my word.”

  “His name is Christopher and he is wonderful. He’s a complete gentleman; and well, let’s just say this summer is going to be interesting.”

  “Tell me more!” she exclaimed.

  “I took a welcoming gift basket to his house and there was a conversation. It was short. I told him if he needed anything, don’t hesitate to ask, and the next thing I knew I was taking him on a tour of the yacht club; and before he left, we made plans to go to the summer bash, but he wouldn’t agree to it unless I went as his date!”

  “Damn girl. He’s not messing around,” she sing-songed.

  I sunk downward into the tub. “Oh my god, stop!”

  She giggled. “Keep talking! Did you end up going?”

  “Of course I did, but then Armani and Santino had it out on the yacht.”

  “Oh god. Santino’s still after you?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Unfortunately.”

  “Did you get stuck in the middle?”

  “Well, Santino kind of had me pinned to the rail. That’s when Armani came diving in from left field, and Chris pulled me out of the lion’s den to make sure I was okay.”

  Her face lit up like a light bulb. “Wait, he pulled you away from the brawl between Santino and your brother?”

  My facial expression softened and dropped as I nodded. “Yes…”

  “So, he was protecting you?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Uh huh.”

  “Damn! Does your brother or Santino know about this kid?”

  I sighed. “I’m getting to that.”

  “Maybe I should go make some popcorn.”

  I laughed and narrowed my eyes at her. “Marie! This is my life! Not your Entertainment Weekly!”

  “Psh! I don’t need Hollywood gossip mags when Lorelai Castillo is my BFF!” She sounded off and laughed. “So, what happened when he pulled you away?”

  “We went to the back of the yacht and we just sat and talked.” I paused. “Marie? Have you ever been drawn into a conversation with a surge of lightning?”

  She shook her head no.

  “That’s what this felt like. Christopher Montgomery anchored me, and then my Dad walked in.”

  “Ugh! Uncle Armani always ruins the fun. Oh god. What happened?”

  I groaned. “I know. He forced me to step off to the side… and while he was giving me the third degree and demanding me not to see Christopher anymore, Armani escorted him out of the party before I had a chance to stop him.”

  “Oh wow. Maybe Santino has something to do with that. When did this happen?”

  “I do not know, but Santino did ask me if I was running off to see the new kid again. He’s been lingering around.”

  “In other words, he’s still after you and Armani swung in throwing punches first with a side of, ‘Oh, hell no.’?”

  “Basically, and now my father is telling me I’m not allowed to date either. He thinks when the Almighty King speaks, I’m supposed to bow down to his every word and I’m not doing it.”

  She nodded. “I get it. Tell me more about Mr. Christopher!”

  I giggled. “Well, I walked off the yacht shortly after he did and went down to Cakes and Pies. I spotted him walking and reeled him in.”

  She giggled. “Of course you did.”

  “Yes and, when he joined me, it was one of those moments that I keep swooning over because it keeps playing through my mind on repeat.”

  “So did he fall into the reel?”

  “We went for a ride on Cakes and Pies, and landed up in an empty boat house rental, talking over a glass of wine; and then... well, a girl doesn’t kiss and tell.” I stared up at the ceiling waiting for an anticipated squeal.

  She resisted a loud squeal as a banter of jibberish left her lips. “Who kissed who first?”

  I smiled. “He leaned into me first…”

  “And? How was it?”

  I stayed silent for a moment as my mind took me back to the moment I stood staring at him looking at me as if I was the single most important woman in his life. “The kiss? It was the most passionate, charged kiss I’ve experienced in my entire life.”

  I sat in the hot sudsy water half expecting her to want me to dish more details and she didn’t. I slowly turned my head and looked at her. “I know I just met him, but I can feel it in my bones, Marie. He might be the one that changes my life for the better.”

  She smiled. “I’m happy for you, but is this the point when you ask me to sneak in and become a lump under your blankets to cover for you to go see this magical lover boy?”

  I giggled and shook my head at her. “I wasn’t going to, but now that you mention it.”

  Leaning over, she planted her palm at the center of her forehead. “Why did you open your big mouth, Marie? Why?!”

  I giggled. “Hey. Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.”

  “No. No! I offered and, as your best friend and blood sister, it is in the unwritten law that I cover for you.”

  I knew she wasn’t going to take no for an answer now. “You can still cover for me and do it from home. I’ll just tell my parents I’m staying with you.”

  Her eyes lit up and she stood on top of the chair. “That’s genius… and I’ll go to work on making up the craziest best friend sleepover stories; so that when they call and I start rambling on at a thousand miles a minute, they’ll take the hint.” She stepped down. “Better go get started, this could take more than one bowl of ice cream to think out carefully. Call me tomorrow. We can hash out code names and fake news on where in the world Lorelai Castillo might be tomorrow, next week, and beyond.”

  I giggled. “You’re the best, Marie!”

  “And don’t you forget it!” she said before she skipped off out of the bathroom and disappeared leaving me in silence. Christopher entered my mind not long after that. Thoughts about seeing him and his hands touching me once more entered my mind as I fell into a sequence of daydreams.

  I slowly snapped out of my daydreams as I realized the water grew cold; reaching for the drain and emptying the tub, I started the shower and stood under the hot water. The lingering feeling of Christopher’s arms wrapping me in a cocoon escaped my daydream, becoming very real. I didn’t want to let go of it and so I didn’t. Shutting the water off, I stepped out and prepared for bed before I crawled under the covers and swaddled myself into the blankets to replace the void of wanting Christopher’s arms around me instead. I curled up in a ball as my eyelids became heavy. I felt myself slipping into a peaceful sleep, hoping to dream of adventures with the new found Prince Charming. .

  ***

  Christopher

  The next morning I woke, and dressed myself in windbreakers, setting a white v-neck t-shirt and my best running shoes to the side while I placed a brush through the wavy curls in my hair and shaved myself clean. Applying an aftershave to smooth the skin over, I looked myself in the mirror before placing the v-neck over my head and checked the time. I had a few minutes and thought about what she said the night before about writing letters to each other.

  Sitting down at my desk, I grabbed a pen and decided I would deliver it to the mailbox before meeting up with her that day.

  Dear Lorelai,

  It’s Saturday morning, and while the Summer Bash was eventful and cast a cold blast to continue seeing you, I can’t accept giving you up. You’ve been the only subject on my mind since the moment you showed up at my front door last week. Your dark locks of hair and piercing blue eyes against that flawless porcelain skin make you the most beautiful woman in my eyes. I know it’s still early; but this is my declaration to say, I really like you and all of your quirks. Do not ever change.

  X’s & O’s,

  Chris

  A smile cracked through my lips as I thought about the smile my words could possibly bring to her face. I finished getting re
ady and left before my parents woke for the day.

  I stopped at the mailboxes, finding the post number for Cakes and Pies, and slid it through the hole before proceeding to the boardwalk to buy two coffees on my way down. I stood at the front of the parking lot and watched as she came into view, her dark brunette hair pulled back in a ponytail wearing yoga pants and a Pennington Penguins hoodie.

  A smile crossed her lips, her eyes widening and lighting up as I held out her coffee. She took it between her hands. Closing her eyes, she sipped it. “Mmm… Nothing better than hot caffeine first thing in the morning.”

  I chuckled, sipping my own coffee. “I couldn’t agree more. Did you have a place in mind for this morning?”

  She pulled her keys out, and nudged her head. “I do. Come on. It’s a surprise.” She winked.

  I wrapped an arm around her lower back and let her take the lead toward the car. Waiting outside of the driver’s side, I shut her door for her after she was secure before making my way to the passenger side. “The Pennington Penguins? Is that where you go to school?”

  She looked at me. “Yes. The Penguin is our mascot.”

  “I believe that’s where I’ll be attending my last year of school.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Really? You’re going to Pennington?”

  “I believe so.” I placed my seatbelt on as she started the car. I looked at her and smiled as she leaned in and pressed her lips against mine in a gentle kiss.

  “That’ll make seeing you much easier once school is back in session.” She pecked my lips once more before she pulled away to look at me. Her lips were sweet as candy, and tasted of coffee and mint. I placed a hand on her cheek leaning in for another kiss before she broke the kiss and locked her eyes on mine.

  I flashed a smile and winked at her before I sat back as she drove off. This woman was a fresh breath of air, but to determine whether it was more last night or this morning? I couldn’t decide that. Her beauty continued to strike me deeper every time I set eyes on her. Last night, she was dressed up from head to toe; and today, she looked like she was ready to challenge me to a race through the mountains. She still managed to take my breath away while we sat idle in the car.

  Arriving to the Muir Woods, I stepped out and around to open her door with my coffee on hand. The sun had barely reached the horizon as we walked down toward the trails.

  “My parents love it down here. They have a set of parking spaces reserved for any day of the week, at an unlimited amount of time. My siblings and I take advantage of it more than they do.” She said as we walked over the wooden paneled path through the redwood trees that stood high above our heads.

  “The power of money, huh?” I said.

  She looked at me as we walked. “Or just power in general.”

  I nodded. “I remember you saying your father is very well known around here.”

  She paused as we walked for a few minutes. “I may not agree with a lot of what my father stands for; but I do give him and my Mom credit for how they raised us. We’ve traveled far and wide in my seventeen years. We’re well educated and disciplined. They trust me enough to come and go as I want, though I’m not sure how much of that trust is left after last night.”

  I nodded. “They raised you well. You seem to have your head on straight; and in my opinion, it’s very attractive.”

  She smiled. “I also inherited my father’s stubborn trait. I want what I want and never settle for less.”

  I snickered. “I can see that.” I paused. ”And I have to be honest. I didn’t think about traits I would want in a potential girlfriend before, but now that I can see it’s one of your strong suits? It’s at the top of my list.” I reached for her hand, sliding my fingers around hers gently.

  She intertwined her fingers into mine. “A girl knowing what she wants, at seventeen?” She winked and laughed.

  I chuckled. “I think it would be attractive at any age.”

  “What traits would you not stand for?” She asked.

  “Immaturity. Dishonesty. Betrayal. Those are probably the top three I wouldn’t tolerate.”

  She nods. “Fair enough. You can’t build a relationship on any of those.”

  “I’ve watched my parents and grandparents take care of each other. My grandparents set that example and my dad implemented it with my mom; and that’s how I plan to treat my future soulmate.”

  When she turned to look at me this time, the rays of sun shined through the redwoods and lit up her eyes. “I love that. As crazy as this is going to sound, the day I turn eighteen, I’ll probably move out of my parents' house and live on the yacht until I find something more permanent. I hate living under my dad’s thumb of expectation. He says he respects my decision not to join the family business, and I’ll still have access to my trust fund to go out into the world and do what I want…but I feel like the rest of the family would disagree and not support it.”

  A pang of sadness coursed through me when she predicted what her life would be after she turned eighteen. Perhaps I could be the one to make her feel a little less lonely. Flashing her a warm smile, I stopped her in her footsteps and pulled her close. “Let them think what they want, gives me more of an opportunity to keep you company.”

  She smiled and looked away before she peeked back over at me. “You’re adorable and I would never turn down your company.”

  I chuckled. “You’re sure about that? I can be quite grumpy sometimes.”

  She smiled. “I’ll kill that grumpiness with my world class wit.”

  I widened my eyes as a smile cracked through my lips. “Oh really? And just how do you plan to do that?” I said as I slipped my hand from hers and wrapped an arm around her lower back as we continued down the trail and descended down some stairs on the trail.

  “Easy, Mr. I would kiss every inch of your pasty skin.” She raised an eyebrow toward me and shifted her eyebrows up and down.

  I chuckled, rubbing my thumb on the small of her back in a circular motion. “Let me see if I’m getting this right. You want to cure my grumpy moods by allowing me to kiss every inch of your pasty skin.” I would gladly give her pasty skin all my attention no matter what my mood was

  “Sounds about right,” she said, and giggled.

  I chuckled and leaned down into her ear. “I don’t need to be in a grumpy mood to pay attention to your pasty skin, Miss Castillo.”

  I felt her shift slightly in my arms. “Then by all means, Mr. Montgomery. You do not need my permission to give my pasty skin attention.”

  I cocked an eyebrow at her and leaned in to place a gentle kiss against her jawline. “I’ll keep that in mind,” I husked in a tease.

  She turned toward me, locking her eyes on mine before she nudged her head and led me toward one of the giant redwood trees and pulled me inside. I chuckled, wrapping her in my arms and inching my lips toward hers. Grasping a gentle yet tight hold on her chin with my thumb and index finger, I grazed my lips against hers before pulling her in close for a tantalizing, passionate kiss.

  Her dainty fingers pressed against my chest as our lips danced against each other's. I backed her up against the surface of the tree pinning her back with my hands against hers. We were hidden, but there was still a possibility of being spotted. The risk of being caught heightened my senses and every risk we took to get caught drove me deeper, the passion and heavy breaths between us continued. As serious as Armani’s warning was, I couldn’t keep my hands off of her. She clearly needed me as much as I needed her. Perhaps this honeymoon stage was hot and heavy because it was strictly forbidden by her father that happened to be a man with money and power. What was at risk if we were caught? I wouldn’t overthink it because I would’ve pursued her with or without permission to sweep her away into my world. Lorelai Castillo was mine, and this was only the beginning of a beautiful bond we formed.

  She moaned softly against my lips and I took no time to move my hands down over her arms to her waist, grasping my fingers into the material of her sweate
r. A low groan left my lips as her teeth nipped and pulled at my lower lip. Smoothing my hands up under her sweater without hesitation. Trailing my fingers over her waist, taking in the feeling over the silky skin, I cupped her breasts giving them a firm squeeze.

  Her lips curved against mine in a smile as she parted from the kiss, breathing heavy against my mouth as I pushed my hands up under her bra. “Christopher…”

  My lips scaled down her jawline to her neck, biting at the sensitive spots against her neck. Taking her nipples between my thumb and forefinger, I twisted at them gently. She gasped out softly in pleasure which only told me one thing, she didn’t want me to stop.

  As I continued to play with her nipples between my fingers, I moved one hand back down her waist and down over the side of her thigh. I trailed the tips of my fingers over the back of her thigh, grasping gently onto the voluptuous cheeks and pressed my body against hers. I groaned against her neck as she moaned against my ear. She arched her back, pressing her impressive figure against mine and I stopped to watch as she rubbed against my body in a slow tantalizing fashion. She was upping the ante, begging me to continue.

  As much as I wanted to strip her of every piece of clothing right here, I knew I couldn’t. It was too risky, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t pleasure her.

  Pulling her sweatshirt off, I set it aside and moved my lips back to her neck, planting slow, hunger-filled kisses nipping at the skin gently. Her hands traveled up under my shirt to the bare skin of my back. I smiled as I moved slowly to her collarbone, pulling the straps of her bra down over her shoulders. My lips traveled down her neck, not skipping over one inch of her skin as I trailed down to her breasts. Breathing heavily against her skin as I pressed succulent kisses against her breasts, playing with the elastic waistband on her yoga pants. Sliding my fingers past the top of her pants, my fingers grazed down her inner thigh.

  She laid her head against my chest, peering up at me. I flashed a gentle smile at her, scraping my dull nails along the sensitive skin, cupping my hand between her legs, curling the tips of my fingers against the thin material of her undies. A smirk rose against my lips as she inhaled a sharp breath, exhaling in a soft moan.