Beach Reads Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  “What? Walk away? Is that who you think I am?”

  “The thing is, I really don’t know, do I?”

  His expression incredulous, his eyes hard, he turned away from her to get dressed. “That’s just great.”

  Frozen in place, pain and longing and loss cut through her, leaving her breathless. How had that gone so wrong?

  They left the hotel in silence.

  As he held the car door for her, she remembered him leaning in to kiss her before they left the airport, and again the loss was paralyzing.

  She wanted to reach for him but didn’t. Her heart beat hard, so hard she could feel the flutter of it in her throat. This was the most important thing that had ever happened to her, and she was ruining it.

  With his face set in a grim expression, he made no move to start the car.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “You didn’t deserve that. You’ve been nothing but honest and sincere.”

  “It’s my fault.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “I pushed for too much too soon. We shouldn’t have spent the weekend together. You weren’t ready.”

  “I was. I am. I want this, Cole.” She looked down at her hands. “I want you, more than I’ve ever wanted anything. That’s what scares me so much.”

  “You have me, honey.” He reached over to grasp her hands. “I don’t know how many different ways I can say that. I love you, Olivia.”

  She kept her eyes down.

  “Look at me.”

  Reluctantly, she turned to him.

  “I love you.”

  Tears flooded her eyes. “I know.”

  “I want you to know that I’ve only ever said that to one other person, and it was years ago.” He caressed her cheek. “Are they just words to you?”

  “No.” She risked another glance at him. “They’re everything to me.”

  He reached for her.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered into his shoulder. “I hurt you, and I didn’t mean to. That’s the last thing I’d ever want to do.”

  “Don’t give up on us, Liv.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Good, because I am going to take you to your favorite restaurant.”

  She lifted her head off his shoulder. “How do you know my favorite restaurant?”

  “I have my sources.” He started the car. “And for the right incentive package I might divulge them later.”

  She laughed softly. “Cole?”

  “What, honey?”

  “Thank you for taking me out tonight.”

  He brought her hand to his lips. “My pleasure.”

  Actually, it was her pleasure—the wine, the meal, the candles, him. Especially him. She liked the way he’d kept his hand on the small of her back as they followed the maître d’ through the restaurant and how he had held her chair until she was settled.

  Olivia noticed that every head in the room—especially the female heads—turned to look at Cole, not that he noticed. But she did. She hated the way other women looked at him with raw hunger on their faces. Hands off, she wanted to shriek. He’s mine!

  Olivia could see why he attracted such attention and figured he’d probably gotten just as many hungry looks before he was famous. He wore a black shirt with gray pants that fit him like they were made for him. His cuffs were turned back to reveal an elaborate silver watch with little dials that he said kept time in four different zones. The band of metal around his wrist struck her as ridiculously sexy.

  She found herself fascinated by the way his hands moved as he buttered bread or toyed with the stem of his wineglass. He used those same hands to bring her to the most amazing orgasms and to fly airplanes. The thought made her giggle.

  “What’s so funny?”

  She shook her head as the giggles escalated to laughter.

  “Olivia, come on. Tell me.”

  “I was just thinking about your ability to… multitask.”

  His eyebrows knitted with confusion. “I have no idea what that means, and I’m not sure I want to.”

  She was saved when their meals were delivered—teriyaki chicken for her and salmon for him.

  “How is it?” he asked.

  “The best. My favorite meal.”

  “So I heard.”

  “We’ll be discussing that later.”

  “Mmm, dessert.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Mud pie?”

  His fork went still in midair. “Not what I was thinking, but sure, if that’s what you want.”

  “Maybe I could have both?” She slid her hand up his leg, and when she reached her destination, he choked on a mouthful of water. “Is that a yes?”

  While he coughed, she glanced around to make sure no one was looking. Luckily, the busy restaurant couldn’t have cared less that he was throbbing under her hand.

  “Um, what are you doing?” he asked.

  “Just trying to decide between the mud pie and the other very interesting dessert options. What do you think?”

  “Not thinking too much at the moment.”

  She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I love how your eyes get really dark blue when you’re turned on.”

  He grabbed her hand. “Liv,” he hissed. “That’s enough.”

  “And your lips. They part ever so slightly, just enough for me to do this.” She leaned in to dab her tongue between them.

  “Olivia, please. I’m starting to sweat over here.”

  A victorious smile lit up her face.

  “Which is, of course, the goal,” he mumbled.

  “I think I’ll pass on the mud pie.”

  “I was going to take you for a walk through the Torpedo Factory,” he said, his voice gruff and controlled.

  “I’ve been there.”

  “Not with me.”

  Her whisper was breathy against his ear. “The places I go with you are so much better than any old factory.” She kissed him again while under the table she dragged a fingernail along his throbbing length.

  He tore his lips free of hers and signaled to the waiter. “Check, please.”

  Cole all but dragged her to the parking lot. The moment they reached the car, he pressed her against it and plundered. She had driven him mad with her flirtation in the restaurant, and now as her arms curled around his neck and her mouth opened under his, he gave her everything he had. Her taste was an exotic combination of wine and the sweetness so unique to her, a flavor that could drive a man mad as surely as it could drive him to take what she offered so willingly.

  Need pounded through him as he pushed his erection into the welcoming V of her legs. Her dress impeded him, so he pushed it up.

  “Cole,” she gasped, as much from the cold as the insanity of what they were on the verge of doing.

  Breathing hard, he rested his forehead against hers for a moment before he opened the door for her. When he was settled into the driver’s seat, he put his head back, seeking some semblance of control. No woman had ever had such an effect on him, and he was beginning to realize that no one else ever would.

  Her hand on his leg got his attention. “I can’t take any more of that, Liv. You’re making me crazy, and you’re not ready for crazy.”

  “Take me back to the hotel. I want to be with you.”

  He turned to her. “You don’t have to do this to show me—”

  “That I love you?”

  “I know you do.”

  “Drive, Cole.”

  It took six minutes to get back to the hotel. The instant the door to their room clicked shut behind him, he pounced. He reached for the hem of her dress and took it right up and over her head. Underneath he found a black bra with matching panties and sheer hose that ended abruptly at mid-thigh.

  “Wow,” he said on a long exhale.

  She giggled at the expression on his face, and the joyful sound went straight to his heart. After the difficult, emotional day she’d had, he wanted to make her forget, even if just for a little while. As he pressed her back
against the wall, her expression shifted from delighted to wary and expectant. Starting with her neck, he set out to kiss every inch of soft, pale skin he could reach.

  Her fingers clutched his hair. He loved how she did that, how she needed to touch him while he loved her. His lips skimmed over the tops of plump breasts still contained in the lacy bra while his hands skirted over her smooth, flat belly.

  “Cole.”

  The sound of his name coming from breathless, parted lips fueled his desire. “What, honey?”

  “My legs are all wobbly.”

  “We can’t have that, now can we?” He quickly removed the scrap of panties and flipped open the front clasp of her bra. Shrugging out of the shirt she had unbuttoned, he dropped it to the floor.

  “Don’t move,” he said as he crossed the room to get a condom. When he returned, he put the condom in his pocket and resumed kissing his way down the front of her. He left a hot path from neck to breasts to belly button and beyond. Using his feet to slide hers further apart, he dropped to his knees in front of her. His fingers found her slick with desire. The discovery made him throb almost painfully. Another part of him wanted in on this and soon, but not yet. Not quite yet.

  Lost in the scent and taste of her, he pushed his fingers into her warmth as he flicked his tongue over her. Within seconds, he could feel the signs of her impending climax. He loved how easily she came for him, like she had been made for him and only him.

  She groaned, her legs trembled, and she cried out as the orgasm surged through her.

  Cole glanced up at her and saw her head thrown back against the wall, her lips parted, her breasts flushed to a rosy red from the heat they had generated together. He got up, quickly shed the rest of his clothes, and fumbled with the condom. Reaching for her, he lifted her up and onto his straining erection.

  He felt the whoosh of air escape from her at the moment of impact. Almost as if he were outside himself watching someone else, he took her hard and fast, right there against the wall.

  Her fingers clutching his shoulders, her legs wrapped tight around his waist, she held on for the ride.

  The desire, the passion, the heat was overwhelming, so overwhelming he had no choice but to take everything she offered. Sweat rolled down his back, and his lungs screamed for air, forcing him to tear his lips free of hers and suck in deep, greedy breaths. He pushed hard into her and felt her clutch him from within and then cry out again as she reached another peak. When she arched into him, he rode the wave with her and then let himself go, pouring forth with a great surge of release that left him stupid and weak in its wake.

  With his forehead resting on her shoulder, he concentrated on breathing. Her arms were tight around him, her fingers massaging his neck. He trembled. And then suddenly he was ashamed. Two days ago she had been a virgin, and he’d just taken her against a wall like a madman. Lifting his head, he brushed his lips over hers in a gentle caress. “Sorry.”

  “For?”

  “Being so rough with you. For—”

  She kissed him. “I loved it,” she whispered, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. “Don’t apologize. Please don’t.”

  Holding her tight against him, he carried her to the bed and lay her down before he finally withdrew from her. Gazing down at her, he smoothed the hair back off her forehead.

  “I promised myself I’d go easy with you, but there was that black bra and this.” He ran a hand over the thigh-high hose he hadn’t taken the time to remove. “You make me so crazy, Liv. I’ve never lost control like that before.”

  She bit her lip as she studied him, her eyes bright with pleasure at his confession. “Really?”

  Raising his little finger, he said, “Pinky swear.”

  Smiling, she wrapped her pinky around his and kissed him.

  “Be right back.” In the bathroom he flipped on the light, reached down to remove the condom, and did a double take when he saw a small but unmistakable hole.

  “Shit!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Olivia crawled under the covers, her body languid and satisfied. They’d made love many times over the course of the weekend, but when she looked back on their time together, she’d remember the wall. Who knew you could do it against a wall?

  As she relived the encounter, her nipples tightened and the place between her legs tingled. Already she wanted him again and wished he would hurry up in the bathroom.

  By the time he finally emerged, she was more than ready for him.

  He slid into bed.

  Olivia shifted onto him. “I missed you.”

  “I see that,” he said, looping his arms around her.

  “Can we do it again yet?”

  “Liv…”

  “Oh,” she said, embarrassed. “You don’t want to.” She moved off him. “I didn’t mean to be so forward.”

  He turned onto his side and pulled her close. “Baby, you can’t be too forward with me. If you want something, all you have to do is reach out and take it.”

  “What’s wrong, Cole? I can see it on your face.”

  “Honey…”

  She propped herself up on one elbow. “What? You’re scaring me.”

  “The condom, the one we just used?”

  She nodded.

  “It kind of… ripped.”

  Her heart stopped. “What does that mean?”

  “Well, I guess it’s possible you could’ve gotten pregnant, but that’s all you’ll get from me. I just had a full physical for work. I’m totally healthy.” The words came out in a rush, like he was trying to get them said before she lost it.

  Releasing the breath she’d been holding in one long exhale, she flopped down onto the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. “Does that… I mean, they rip?” she asked in a small voice. “Does that happen?”

  “Never to me, but I’ve heard of it happening to other people.”

  “Do you think it was enough for me,” she swallowed, “to get pregnant?”

  “I don’t know.”

  They fell silent, both absorbed in their own thoughts.

  “What if—”

  “Do you know—”

  He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “You first.”

  She turned her head so she could see him. “I was just going to ask what we’ll do if I am pregnant.”

  “I guess we’ll have a baby.”

  His tone might have been flippant, but his hand was damp and clammy.

  After another lengthy silence, she turned to him again. “What were you going to ask me? Before?”

  “I wondered if you know how the timing works out.”

  “Since it’s never been an issue for me before, I have no idea. Jenny would, though.” Olivia glanced at the clock to find it was nearly eleven.

  “You can ask her tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. Or I could call her now.”

  “Isn’t it too late?”

  “She’ll be up.” Their eyes met and held. Olivia finally looked away and reached for the phone. “Hey. It’s me.”

  Cole rolled over, put his arm around her, and rested his head on her shoulder so he could hear Jenny.

  “What’s going on, Liv?” Jenny asked.

  Olivia told her.

  “Oh, no,” Jenny said.

  “How do I know about the timing?”

  “When was the first day of your last period?”

  Olivia thought about that for a moment. “Two weeks ago, I think.”

  Jenny was silent for a long moment.

  “Jen?”

  “The timing would be ideal,” she said, adding quickly, “but that doesn’t mean anything, Liv. You can’t freak out until you miss a period.”

  Olivia absorbed the information, and despite what Jenny advised, she fought the immediate urge to freak out.

  “Are you okay?” Jenny asked.

  “Sure,” Olivia said with a small laugh. “I finally decide to give sex a whirl, and look what happens.”

  “Must’ve b
een quite a whirl.”

  Olivia squeezed Cole’s hand. “It was.”

  “I’ll need details tomorrow.”

  “Good night, Jenny.” Olivia put the phone on its cradle and turned to Cole. “Did you hear all that?”

  “Yeah.” He paused for a moment before he said, “Liv, if you are… pregnant, we’ll handle it. Together. I promise. You can count on me.”

  She played with his fingers. “Does it scare the hell out of you? The idea of a baby?”

  “Not if you’re the mom.”

  As he once again said the right thing at the right moment, her panic was suddenly replaced by foolish hope. A baby. His baby.

  “Would you have it?”

  Her eyes connected with his. “Of course I would.”

  “I’m sorry. I thought so, but I wasn’t sure.”

  He’d reminded her that they still had much to learn about each other, and now there might be a baby, too.

  “This has been quite a day,” she said with a sigh.

  “All I wanted was to pamper you a little this weekend.”

  “You did.” She snuggled into his embrace. “This has been the most wonderful weekend of my life.”

  His lips brushed over her hair. “Will you still think that if you’re pregnant?”

  “Things happen for a reason,” she decided. That was better than freaking out, right? “I believe that. You were punched in my store so we could meet.”

  Amused by her theory, he spooled her hair through his fingers. “And what would be the reason for a baby?”

  “Maybe it would keep me from ruining what fate was so kind to arrange for us.”

  He laughed softly. “Maybe so. Are you going to be afraid to ever make love with me again?”

  She caressed his face. “Well, since the damage might already be done…”

  Smiling, he kissed her sweetly, gently.

  “Cole?”

  “Hmm?” he murmured against her lips.

  “I don’t want you to go easy with me.”

  He stopped, looked at her. “What do you mean?”

  Olivia felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “What you said before. I want to make you…”

  “What, honey?”

  “Lose control again.”