Angel Sands Collection Books 1 - 3

by Carrie Elks

  As if she could sense it, she tugged at his top, helping him pull it off. In the end, he had to kneel up and lift it over his head, throwing it on the floor.

  Her pupils dilated as she took him in, her gaze scanning up and down his chest, and he loved seeing her reaction to him. She reached out and traced her finger from his collarbone and over his chest, then to the ridges of his abdomen where a tiny line of hair led into his shorts.

  Ally had a look of absorption on her face as she pushed her finger into his waistband. It was enough to make him hard as hell. He held his breath as he waited to see where she went next.

  She was still staring at his waist as she bit her bottom lip, her teeth sinking deliciously into the plump flesh. Then she was unfastening his waistband, loosening it enough to push his pants wide open, revealing cotton shorts that barely restrained his desperate excitement.

  “Can I touch you?” Her gaze flickered up at him.

  Swallowing hard, he nodded.

  Releasing her lip, she slid her hand into his shorts and curled her fingers around his length, and the pleasure of her touch made him gasp.

  She moved her palm up and down, her touch gentle and yet crazy-inducing. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the sensation. It was getting hard to breathe, to think, to do anything but try to resist the pleasure she was building inside of him. There was no way he was going to let things end before they’d even begun.

  “Come here,” she whispered. “I want to taste you.”

  He opened his eyes to see her crooking a finger at him. She didn’t need to ask twice. With one hand still circling him, she reached out to touch the tip of him with the thick of her tongue, and the warm wetness made him shudder.

  “Closer,” she whispered, lifting her head. Her lips made a circle around him, and she was taking him in. Every bit of him enveloped in her velvet mouth, and he had to grab at the bedcovers to ground himself.

  “Stop,” he whispered when he could feel the quickening inside him. “I don’t want to…”

  Her eyelids flickered open as she slowly released him, and he felt himself relax.

  It was his turn to tease her. He pulled off her tank and kissed his way down to her chest, his mouth closing around her. He nipped and sucked until she was gasping for more. Biting down a satisfied smile, he pulled her shorts down, followed by the scrap of pink she called panties, taking care to hook them over her cast.

  Her bare breasts were pressed against his chest, her thighs warm against his hips, and he could feel the slickness of her against his own excitement. It was as much as he could do to reach across to his bedside table, and pull out a packet he hadn’t used in way too long.

  She nodded, even though he hadn’t asked her the question, and he opened the foil and rolled it on himself, before letting him relax against her. “If I hurt your leg, you need to tell me,” he said, gritting his teeth to keep his control as he centered himself against her.

  “I will,” she said softly. Her lips were tender when he kissed her again, and the feel of them was enough to make his chest tighten. He slid inside her, gently at first, then harder, until she took every inch of him in. He groaned against her shoulder, stilling himself for a moment as pleasure overwhelmed him once again. He was going to have to take this easy, concentrate on her. It was the only way to control himself.

  He pulled his hips back and pushed in again, and this time it was Ally who moaned. She slid her hands down his back, to his behind, pulling him closer, harder, deeper, until she cried out again. Their kisses were frantic, their breaths shallow and short, their bodies moving in a rhythmic dance that made every muscle inside both of them tense.

  It was Ally who fell first. She released his lips to gasp for air, her head falling back as she called out his name. Within seconds he followed her, sinking deeper into her than he ever thought possible.

  He never wanted the feeling to stop.

  The first thing Ally saw when she woke up were her crutches propped up against the bedside table. Nate must have put them there some time in the night – or was it morning? She blinked and pushed herself up on her elbows, looking around his room. The mattress beside her was empty, the palest of light bathing it through the floor length windows. She knew from the color that the sun hadn’t quite risen up behind the mountains, which meant it couldn’t be any later than five-thirty in the morning.

  She sat up and swung herself around, then slid her arms over the crutches, lifting herself up to standing.

  “Are you okay?” Nate asked her, walking back into the room. He was drinking from a huge mug. His hair was mussed up, his t-shirt crumpled, and the dark cotton shorts he was wearing made her want him all over again.

  “I was just wondering where you were.”

  “I couldn’t sleep, so I made some coffee. You want some?”

  She shook her head, smiling as she sat back on the bed. “No. I want you to come back to bed.”

  He slid onto the mattress beside her, placing his half-full cup on the table. “I was thinking what a great idea it was for Riley to go on this field trip,” he said, turning on his side to face her. “And wondering whether there are any others she can go on.”

  Ally laughed. “You’ve changed your tune.”

  “Yeah, well maybe I’ve been a bit too much of a helicopter parent. She’s proved she’s trustworthy. I should give her more of a break.”

  “You won’t hear any argument from me.” Ally slid her hand around his waist.

  Nate winced at the sudden coldness from her palms. “You’re freezing.” He pressed his hand over hers.

  “It’s cold in here without you.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s sixty-five degrees already.”

  “That might be warm to a Seattle guy, but this California girl feels the cold.” She shivered to make her point.

  “You want me to warm you up?” He didn’t wait for her answer before he pulled her against him.

  She tugged at his t-shirt. “This should go,” she told him. “I need direct body heat or else I might freeze to death.”

  There was a smirk on his face as he pulled it over his head, messing his thick hair up even more. Then he put his arms around her, laying back on the mattress until she was nestled against him, and pulled the covers up over them.

  She pressed her lips to his chest, breathing him in. Nate swallowed. “Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

  “I was out like a light for the night.” She smiled against his skin. “Well, all three hours that were left of it.” She looked up at him. “How about you?”

  “Like a dog. You wore me out.”

  “That’s what happens when you get old.”

  Nate barked out a laugh. “Enough of the old. I’m not that ancient. I still have all my own teeth.”

  “I know.” She closed her eyes, remembering how they felt as they scraped softly against her breasts. God, she really could do it all over again. “How old are you, anyway?”

  “Didn’t your dad teach you it’s rude to ask?”

  “I just want to know our age difference. For science.” She shrugged.

  “Since you asked so nicely, I’m thirty-nine.”

  She lifted her head up. “You got the big one next year?”

  “This year.”

  “Wow.” She nodded. “Are you going to ask me how old I am?”

  “I already know. You’re twenty-seven. I’ve seen your resume, remember?”

  “So that makes it twelve years between us. Soon to be thirteen. I guess it’s not so bad, is it?”

  “It depends, I guess,” he said, his brows furrowing as he thought it through.

  “On what?”

  “On what we both want out of life.”

  She reached out to trace her finger across his chest, moving it in circles. “What do you want out of life?” This conversation was getting deep, especially since it wasn’t even six in the morning. It made her chest feel tight, as though she was only a few sentences away from panicking.
She held her breath and waited for his answer.

  He shrugged. “Pretty much what I have. A healthy business, a happy daughter, nobody telling me what I should or shouldn’t be doing. I like my life.” He turned his head, looking at Ally. “How about you?”

  She was still tracing her fingers along his skin, her circles getting smaller as she reached the thin line of hair leading down from his navel. Running her finger over it, she smiled as he gasped. He captured her hand to stop her teasing.

  “I want to be happy,” she told him. And it was true. Okay, there was so much more that she wanted, but she wasn’t sure she could talk about it without looking crazy. She wanted somebody to love her and be loved. Wanted a house on the beach just like this one. She wanted her father to explain why he’d sold the café.

  “Happiness I can do,” Nate said, as if he sensed her sudden tenseness. Did he know that all she wanted to do right then was to run for ten miles, and then maybe ten more? “I know one way to make you very happy indeed.”

  She smiled as he pushed her until her back was against the mattress, then pressed his lips to her throat, making her shiver.

  Yes, he could do happiness, and she’d take whatever he had to offer. Because if there was one thing life had taught her, it was to grab onto the happy whenever it made a fleeting appearance.

  21

  “Honey, it’s your dad. I’m calling to see how you are. Lorne told me your ankle’s broken and I’ve been worried sick about you. Do you want me to come home? I’ll get on the next flight if you need me, you just have to say the word.”

  Ally closed her eyes as the voicemail continued, feeling her chest get tight. He must have called when she was with Nate this morning, before she’d turned on her phone.

  “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about the café. There’s no excuse for it, except that I’m a foolish old man who didn’t want to upset you. Yet I ended up doing it anyway.”

  He sounded lost. It reminded her of the way he’d been right after he and her mom had divorced and he’d pick her up from school then sit in the car as if he had no idea what to do next.

  “There’s so much I want to say and I know you probably don’t want to hear it. Please call me back whenever you’re ready to talk, or even if you’re willing to listen.”

  He cleared his throat. “I love you, sweetheart. More than anything else in this world. So call me, please. I just want to know you’re okay.”

  Ally lifted her hand to wipe the dampness from her cheeks. For a woman who rarely cried she was so emotional lately.

  She and Nate had two more nights together before Riley got back and she was determined that nothing was going to spoil it. She’d call her father back after that, when she had more time and space to think about things.

  It had been too long since they’d spoken, and she knew it was mostly her fault. Firstly for blocking him – ugh what a stupid thing that was – and then for waiting for him to make the first move.

  When Riley was back, she’d talk with him like the grown-ups they both were. She owed him that, at least.

  “I have your clothes and I’m willing to exchange them for information.” Brooke was standing at the front door, a bag in her hand from where she’d been back to Ally’s place to pick up a few more things. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she was wearing a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt; her standard uniform for when she volunteered at the animal shelter. It was one of her favorite places in the world.

  “What kind of information?” Ally asked, leaning against the doorjamb. It was late in the afternoon, and she was all alone in the house.

  “How many times, was it good, and did you remember to practice safe sex?”

  Ally glanced over Brooke’s shoulder, though there was clearly nobody else there. It was a gated house – nobody got in or out without either a code or a press of the button from inside the house. “I guess you’d better come in.”

  Brooke grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Ally turned on her crutches and made her way up the hallway to her bedroom, where Brooke placed the bag on top of her bed. “Oooh,” Brooke said, turning to her with a grin. “This bed is cold. When was the last time you slept in it?”

  “Was everything okay at my apartment?” Ally asked, deliberately ignoring her question.

  “Yep. You had some mail; I put it in your bag. Oh, and I saw your super in the lobby. The part came in earlier than expected. The elevator will be fixed the day after tomorrow.”

  “It will?” Ally felt her brows knit together at the thought. “Oh, that’s great. Do you have long enough to sit for some coffee?” she asked.

  “Sure. Though I have an assignment due at the end of the week, so it’ll have to be a quick one.”

  They walked into the kitchen, and Ally grabbed them a couple of mugs from the cupboard in the island. “How’s school going?” she asked.

  “It’s tough. But I keep telling myself it’s only a few more months.” Brooke leaned across the kitchen counter. “After that the real fun begins.” She was studying for her degree in Veterinarian Technology. All her life she’d dreamed of working with animals. Before she became pregnant with Nick, she’d been offered a coveted place in Vet school, but having a baby had put an end to all those plans. Ally was so proud of her friend for going back to study, with a plan to become a Veterinarian Technologist – not quite a Vet, but the job was still made for Brooke. Ever since they were kids she’d been obsessed by animals.

  Ally turned on the coffee machine and listened as the water tank began to heat up, steam making it rattle. She was caught up thinking about the fact that the elevator would be repaired soon and she’d be able to move back home in two days time. The thought didn’t excite her as it would have done a couple of days ago.

  “There were a few voicemail messages on your home phone for you,” Brooke said as Ally passed her a mug of coffee. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want me to listen to them or not. But then I was worried they might be important.” She gave Ally a soft smile. “They were all from your dad.”

  Ally bit down on her lip and winced. The skin there was still tender from this morning. “I finally remembered to unblock him,” she said. “He left a voicemail on my phone. I’ll call him back over the weekend.”

  “Good idea,” Brooke said, raising her eyebrows. “You don’t want to ruin your alone time with Nate.”

  Great minds thought alike.

  “So, are you going to answer my questions or what?” Brooke asked. “I need all the details about you and Nate. I’m living my life vicariously through you. I can’t remember the last time I was even asked out, let alone did anything exciting with a guy.”

  “Your mom tries to set you up all the time,” Ally pointed out. “Wasn’t she pestering you to go out with some lawyer the other week?”

  “I’m really not interested in her friends’ sons.” Brooke wrinkled her nose. “I can see it now. Breakfast appointments at the salon, lunch with the Women’s League at the Beach club. Evenings entertaining whatever clients my husband is desperate to land.” She shuddered. “There’s no way I’m turning into my mom.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Ally grinned. “And since you’re clearly going through some kind of crisis, I’ll answer one question and one question only.”

  “That’s a lie. You’re dying to tell me all about him.”

  Ally held her finger up. “One.”

  Brooke laughed. “Okay, okay,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Give me a minute to think about it.” After a moment she lifted her head up and smiled. “Okay, I got it.”

  Ally sighed. “Why do I not like the sound of this?” All those times she’d been the interrogator and it had been Brooke or Ember with wide eyes beneath the bright light of her scrutiny – she’d never thought the situation would be reversed.

  “It’s not that bad. But I’m really curious now,” she said, biting her lip to stifle her smile. “What’s the best position to have sex with your le
g covered in a plaster cast?”

  Ally sighed, deciding to brave it out. “Every position you can imagine,” she told her friend. “I’d hate to choose between them.”

  22

  Nate flicked at the button on his dashboard to accept the incoming Bluetooth call. “Hello?” he answered, pulling the Lexus into the parking lot opposite the coffee shop. There were only a few cars scattered here and there this early in the morning. Mostly business owners and surfers – everybody else was still tucked up in bed.

  “Hello, stranger. Long time no talk.” Kirsten’s warm tones came down the line. “I was beginning to think I didn’t have a brother.”

  “Sorry.” He winced, even though she couldn’t see him. “Things got kind of hectic around here.” He glanced at the clock on the dash. It was right before seven. Enough time to open up and get himself ready for his video meeting later today with his investors. “What time is it there?” he asked as he pulled into a space.

  “Almost ten. I just finished my first lecture. I figured I have enough time to grab coffee and ream you out for not calling me.”

  “What coffee did you get?”

  She laughed. “That’s such a you question. I got an Americano with room because I’m not loving the way they make cappuccinos at this place. When are you going to open up a Déjà Brew in Boston?” She paused, and Nate could hear her take a sip of her drink. “It’s the home of coffee. We need you here.”

  “Seattle’s the home of coffee, and we’ve already got shops there.”

  “Six hundred thousand Bostonites would beg to differ.”

  He flicked the ignition off and rolled his neck. Christ he was tired. And too old to be getting by on only a couple of hours sleep two nights in a row.

  But damn was it worth it.

  He smiled, thinking of the way Ally had looked as he left her this morning. All sated and warm and everything he’d dreamed of. It had taken an act of will to leave her and actually drive to work.