by Natalie Ann
“I might be having a few of those same dreams. And can I tell you that you fill out a suit just fine.”
“The tie is choking me, but this might be my lucky suit and tie.”
“Why’s that?” she asked, getting her jacket and purse.
“I had it on when I got the first date with you and I’ve got it on to get you in bed for the first time.”
Her mouth opened and closed and he knew for once she was speechless.
For a guy that wasn’t nervous about much in life, when they got to The Retreat at the other end of the island forty minutes later, he was starting to sweat. He’d been joking about her family having all eyes on them, but the truth was, that might happen.
“Is there a problem?” she asked when he was quiet walking through the parking garage.
“I feel like I’m getting thrown to the wolves with a meat collar on.”
She grinned. “I’m sure a lot of family will come up and talk to me and want an introduction. My parents and sister included. They know we are dating. Well, I’m sure we’ll be sitting with my parents and sister, but others will come up to say hi.”
“You’ve said before the family knows about me?” he asked.
“For the most part. It’s a small island and people talk. More so in the family.”
“And talk about your family,” he said since he’d gotten a lot of earfuls lately. No one knew he was dating Emily though, but after tonight many would.
“We are used to it.” She threaded their fingers together and pulled him into the room and over to the table where the name cards were placed, found theirs and picked it up to hold for later. For now they moved down to the aisle through the rows of chairs. “Mom and Dad, this is Crew Ackley. Crew, my parents, Mason and Sophia Rauch. My sister, Penelope.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking hands with everyone and then sitting next to Emily, who was by her mother. As if it wasn’t awkward enough that he was meeting them for the first time at a family wedding, he’d put down thousands of dollars to have a date with her.
“You too,” Mason said. “We hear you are new to the island. How are you finding it so far?”
Since they’d had the background check on him it wasn’t much of a secret. Not like what he was really keeping from them. “It’s a great place to live and work. I’m still finding my way around this end of the island, but the north end is easy enough.”
“That’s because you deliver mail there,” Penelope said. “Or do you only stay by Emily since I’m not sure if you ever get to my neighborhood. I’m not too far away from Emily.”
“I’ve got the same route now,” he said. “I moved around a little when I started, but now I’ve got my regulars.”
“And his regulars like him,” she said. “He’s timely and careful with our stuff.”
He couldn’t stop the roll of his eyes. “Some of the regulars like to shop. That’s fine. Job security for the US Post Office here on the island.”
“Emily always did like to buy things,” Sophia said, patting her daughter’s leg.
An hour later the ceremony was over and everyone was moved to another room for drinks and hors d’oeuvres while the ballroom was changed over for the reception. There were plenty of family members that walked over to talk and meet him. It was a crash course of names and faces, but he was actually glad Emily had told him as much as she had.
“So it looks like that one date led to more,” Helena Bond said, moving to stand next to him and Emily. “I always say sometimes things hit you when you least expect it.”
“Helena,” Emily said. “We know you like to set everyone up, including your boys, but you aren’t taking credit for this.”
“Of course not,” Helena said. “But Drew is still going strong with Amanda. Didn’t she look so lovely at the altar next to Kayla?”
Emily turned to him. “Amanda is Drew’s girlfriend who happens to be the bride’s best friend.”
“I pieced that together,” he said, winking at her.
“I forget, you probably have a good memory for things,” she said, reaching for his hand again. He liked that she was doing that. That many saw it as her making the step and not him. He was pretty sure there was a lot of speculation going on in the room on who he was, though if he had to assume, he’d say the Bond family was pretty knowledgeable that he was Emily’s mailman.
Someone not good enough to be in this room let alone dating a family member, he was guessing.
And two hours later, food had been served, the DJ was playing some dance music and many were on the floor. The two of them had gotten out there for a few slow songs, but no amount of liquor was getting him out there for any line dance or hip swinging.
Thankfully Emily must have realized that and never asked. Nor did she get up once to join the other women. “You don’t like to dance?” he asked.
“Not really. That’s more Penelope’s thing. I’m the quieter of us two. As you know, the more uptight one.”
He laughed and assumed it was louder than he intended when he noticed many eyes turned toward him. “You’re not too uptight around me. And why are so many people watching us? Do I stand out that much?”
“It’s not you,” she said. “It’s me.”
“Care to explain that?” he asked, lowering his voice and putting his head closer to hers.
She looked uncomfortable but then finally said, “I haven’t dated much in a few years and even then I’ve never brought a guy to a family function.”
“Not even your ex?”
“He was the last one. It was an ugly split and you could say the family felt some of what I did. Or that I got a lot of pity. I don’t do well with pity.”
He wished he knew more of what happened or was going on but wouldn’t ask. If she wanted him to know, she’d tell him. He had to remind himself that the more he asked about her past the more it opened the window for her to do the same.
“Emily.”
He turned his head to see Mac Bond there, the chief of police, looking just as uncomfortable in his suit as Crew was in his. “Hey, Mac.”
“Just thought I’d make my way around the room and see how everyone was doing.”
Emily laughed. “You’re not much of a talkative one. But if you are coming to meet Crew, let me introduce you. Crew Ackley, Mac Bond.”
They shook hands. “I know you know who I am since you did my background check. Nothing interesting to find, I see,” he said, just throwing it out there to see if he could get a feel of how much was found.
“Clean as a whistle federal employee,” Mac said.
“I could have told you that much,” he said.
“Enough, Mac,” Emily said. “You met and I appreciate it. You always come when I call you. Poor Mac has been to my hotel more times than he cares to admit for issues. The problem with catering toward families is you get a lot of spring breakers or kids wanting to get away. Booze and young adults don’t always mix.”
“It’s what the island pays me for,” he said. “Got to watch out for what is ours and our own.”
Crew knew a warning when he heard one.
“You might want to move on,” Emily said. “You got out of the fundraiser by having to work, but Helena is coming over here and even I noticed you watching one of Kayla’s friends on the dance floor. Sidney, right?”
“Nice to meet you,” Mac said and moved away fast.
“That was...odd. Is he really watching someone on the dance floor? And who?”
“The brunette in the black dress over there with the bride and maid of honor. I met her at the bridal party. She seems nice. Anyway, I have no clue, but I caught his eyes there before he came here. He’s probably just scoping out the room like he does the island. There is always something going on in Mac’s mind and not many care to ask.”
“I’m sure it’s a hard habit to break whether you are on the clock or not,” he said.
“Most likely. What about you?” she asked. “What are you scoping out?”
/>
“You,” he said. “And just waiting for when we can make our exit.”
She looked at her watch. “I’d say thirty minutes should do it.”
“Going to be the longest thirty minutes of my life,” he said.
13
Go Time
If it was the longest thirty minutes of Crew’s life then it was the longest week of Emily’s when she’d made the decision of how tonight was going to end.
She’d had every intention of their first time together being on New Year’s Eve, but everything that could go wrong did and her job came first. It was her life and that wasn’t changing.
Was that something that might keep her single for a long time? Maybe. But for now, that priority came over a guy she’d been dating for a few weeks and he’d said he understood. She believed he did.
And when the thirty minutes were up, Crew leaned and said, “Go time.”
She laughed. She had to. She’d been watching the clock as much as he was. A few had left the wedding already, so it’s not like they’d be the first and she was pretty sure no one would notice other than her parents and sister at her table.
“We are heading out now,” she told them all at once and stood up. No one said a word and she didn’t expect they would. She was thirty years old and an adult that could make her own decisions in life. Maybe they weren’t always the best ones, but she was willing to live with it.
“Have fun,” Penelope said, sending her a big smirk. One that let her know her sister was going to be on her case first thing Monday morning wanting to know how the night went.
When they got out to Crew’s vehicle, he asked, “What was that about?”
“What was what about?” she asked, buckling. The forty-minute drive back to her place was going to feel like an eternity.
“Your sister’s look. The one she sent you as we stood up.”
Guess he paid more attention to things than she realized. “Just that she isn’t an idiot and knows we are going back to my place.”
“Of course,” he said. “I need to bring you home.”
She laughed, a nervous one at that. “She is pretty sure what we will be doing and will want to grill me on Monday.”
He turned his head. “Do you tell your sister everything?”
“Nope and I’m not this time either. She can get her own man if she wants.”
“So I’m your man?” he asked her, a shit-eating grin on his face.
Her hand moved over and landed on his thigh, then moved up and down it stopping short of his crotch. “You will be tonight.”
“Who are you and what did you do with Emily Rauch?”
She moved her hand back and turned to look out the window. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I didn’t say that for you to stop. I just want to know what is causing you to be like this because I happen to love it. I want to make sure if it’s something I did or am doing that I continue.”
She turned to look back at him. “You don’t think I’m being too forward?”
“Hell no,” he said. “Any man that thinks that has issues.”
“Could be.” Simon always liked to take the lead. When she brought up ideas or things, half the time he’d get annoyed. He’d cave and give in and she felt she didn’t want him to if he didn’t really have an interest. That wasn’t even in the bedroom.
Their sex life wasn’t wonderful. It wasn’t horrible either. It just...was. It existed but wasn’t anything to send cartoon birds and rainbows flashing in her eyes either. Maybe their whole relationship was like that and she’d be kicking herself for years for allowing things to go on as long as she had.
For being complacent and content.
For not realizing what he was after.
He’d always encouraged her when she talked about the hotel, saying he supported her. But what he really wanted was a piece of that pie.
Since he was a marketing and business major in college with her, she thought, sure, she could find a place for him. They’d be married, so why not?
Nope. He didn’t want to taste the pie, he wanted his own slice. Like one third of the remaining seventy percent.
Never going to happen and she’d told him multiple times. That was one of many fights, but he’d always apologize and try to make it up to her.
Stupid on her part to fall for it, but she wasn’t an idiot and finally kicked his butt to the curb.
And the last thoughts she needed right now were of her dickhead ex when she was in the car going home and knowing she was going to soon be naked and touching the very sexy delivery man next to her.
Then she started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” Crew asked.
“I was just thinking of something and it made me laugh.”
“And you need to share that with me. It’s only fair.”
“No, I don’t,” she said.
“Yes, you do,” he said back. “It might give me performance anxiety. You don’t want that do you?”
She laughed even harder. “Something tells me that might never be an issue for you.”
“Hasn’t been yet, but there is a first time for everything.”
She couldn’t tell if he was smiling or not in the car, but there didn’t seem to be any humor in his voice either. Maybe he was serious and she didn’t want him to feel that way.
“I was thinking I was going home with a sexy delivery guy and I wondered if you were going to make sure I was satisfied with the package.”
He snorted. “You will be. Trust me there.” This time his hand moved over and went to her thigh, then under the hem of her dress, stopping at the top of her thigh-high stockings. “Fuck. It’s a good thing I didn’t know you had them on or we would have left hours ago.”
“I’m not a fan of pantyhose. These are the next best thing.”
“They are staying on,” he said.
She felt chills erupt through her body and she was pretty sure he knew too when he laughed.
“Maybe you could drive faster?”
“There is no way I’m risking getting pulled over,” he said. “Your cousin already issued his warning tonight.”
“Mac?” she asked.
“One and the same. So if it’s all the same to you, I’ll drive the exact speed I always do but keep my hand right where it is. Consider it foreplay of sorts.”
She’d rather he moved it, but if she said that she’d have to explain the reason. And that reason was she was pretty sure she was going to flood his seat with as turned on as she was. Foreplay? Yep, it sure the hell was with very little effort on his part!
“Whatever turns you on,” she croaked out.
“I think it’s turning you on,” he said with his hand inching up just enough to tease but not touch what she desired. She was right, this was going to be the longest drive ever.
But time finally was in her favor and they were pulling into the driveway of her house. Both of them were unbuckling and jumping out and then almost running to the front door.
Her hands were shaking with the key so Crew pulled it out of her fingers and took care of it. He had them in the front foyer, the door shut, her back against the wall and him caging her in.
His mouth lowered at the same time her hands went to his waist, pulling his shirt out of his pants and running her fingers up his back.
The skin on his back was firm and hot, soft and smooth. She needed to see it. She needed to touch more of him, kiss him, taste him. Anything and everything.
“Are you going to finally show me to your room?” he asked, lifting his head.
She grabbed his hand and moved him to the stairs and up them, then to the end of the hall where the master was. “Don’t stop to look around. We’ve got more important things to take care of.”
“That was a green light if I’ve ever seen one,” he said.
“Then step on the gas. There are no worries about speeding or law enforcement here. Let me see what you’ve got.”
Her hands went to his tie, loosened it and flung i
t in the room while he shoved his jacket off. She was attacking the buttons on his shirt next and spreading it wide, getting a good look at his chest.
“Oh man. I had no idea.”
“Good or bad?” he asked, but when she looked up she could see the smile on his face and the humor in his eyes.
“You know the answer to that. Take it off.”
“Who would have known you’d be this demanding.”
“Too much?” she asked.
“Perfect,” he said back and pulled his shirt off. He turned slightly to toss it on the chair and she caught sight of something on his back.
“Turn around.” He did. “Holy shit.”
“You swear when you lose control.”
“I do.” And the tattoo of a black and white eagle with its wings spread from shoulder blade to shoulder blade was damn sexy. She’d never been with someone with a tattoo before, she just realized.
“Is that a good or a bad swear?” he asked.
Her fingers came up and ran across his back. “Why the eagle?”
“Freedom,” he said, then turned to look at her. “I’m going to use that freedom now.” His hands went to the zipper on her back and then eased it down, pushing the dress off her shoulders and letting it pool to the floor. “Look at this body on you.”
“Guess we both have some sightseeing to do today,” she said, kicking the dress aside. “Lose the pants and catch up.”
He toed off his shoes, removed his socks, then undid his pants and dropped them down. This guy was built and she’d had no idea. If she’d known she might not have waited as long as she had to see him like this.
“I’ve got one thing on,” he said. “You’ve got a lot more. You need to catch up now.”
“Why don’t you help with that?”
His hands went for her bra, undid it and removed it, freeing her, allowing his hands to go right for her breasts that she’d always thought were just the right size. Not too big or small, but showing curves. The only curves she really had.
When his thumb and finger pinched her nipples she let out a little moan. “Do you like that?”
“I think it’s obvious,” she said back.
When he did it again, she dropped her head back, then felt herself being lifted in the air and laid on the bed, him coming down over her, his mouth covering one nipple and sucking on it.