by Fiona Archer
My mother is hard work, but I love her. And I’m about to prove to her that I’m all grown up.
Chapter Two
Kolton
The door swings open, and my chest tightens. She’s breathtaking even though she looks like she’s about to skin me alive the moment her eyes land on mine. I never thought I’d see her again. She had dreams of making it big, but now that she’s here, I realize that something went wrong. When Calandra walked out, she promised never to return. Yet here she is, standing in front of me in her mother’s foyer.
“What are you doing here?” Her biting words are drenched in ice.
What she doesn’t know is what I’ve done in the past few years since she left. She got on that plane and never said goodbye. The scathing look in her eyes makes me grin, which I know will annoy her even more.
“Your mother and I have been spending time together. Since I was the only one left to help her through the tough times,” I respond, shoving by her without another word. I notice there isn’t too much luggage, and I wonder if Cally is planning on leaving again after we pack up the cabin.
“We don’t need you here.” Calandra speaks from behind me, but I don’t turn to look at her. Instead, I ignore her, moving through the apartment toward the kitchen, where I open the fridge and pull out a beer. The click of her suitcase wheels causes me to glance over my shoulder. I didn’t offer her any help, which I know will have rage burning through her veins.
I can practically feel the heat from her as she seethes through clenched teeth. Her delicate hands fist at her sides, and I take a long sip of my drink before I offer her a smile. “Your mother needs me here, and if you can’t deal with that, why don’t you go back to La La Land where every angel is a devil in disguise?”
“Don’t you dare tell me what my mother—”
“Kolton.” Eleanor’s voice comes from the hallway. Seconds later, she glides into the room as if she’s floating on air. “I’m so glad you could help me out today.” She swishes through the vast space toward me and grips my shoulders. Pulling me toward her, she places a kiss on each cheek.
Fire and venom flare from Calandra’s gaze, hitting me right in the chest. She was the one girl I loved, and when she stole my heart, she never turned back. I thought it was forever, but at nineteen, we were on different paths toward very different futures.
“I was just dropping by to make sure everything was okay,” I tell Eleanor. My attempt at ignoring her daughter isn’t working because when I drift my eyes upward, they lock on the beautiful gray that always reminded me of the day we met.
There had been a storm rolling in, slow and steady, and the clouds had hovered overhead for so long I’d thought they would never break. The moment they did, all hell broke loose as the students ran for cover. And there she was. In the midst of a booming thunderstorm, Calandra came walking through the quad in nothing more than a short denim skirt and white tank top that was slowly becoming more transparent with every second.
“Is your driver ready for me?”
“Yes, Eleanor,” I tell her. “If you need anything else, let me know.”
She turns to her daughter, a smile plastered on her lips as she says, “I’ll be back after my appointment, and we can go over all the details of your visit then.” And with that, her mother is out the door, and I’m left in the kitchen where I first kissed Calandra. The living room beyond is where she gave me the first of many blowjobs, and the lush throw rug in front of the fireplace is where I licked her sweet pussy until she screamed my name. That was her first orgasm from someone other than herself.
“Why are you in my home?”
“Your home?” I ask, my brow arching to my hairline in shock at her words. She’s never claimed this apartment as her home. Yes, she grew up here, but I knew her wants and dreams. She had stars in her eyes and thought of New York as the ugly sister to the glitz of Hollywood.
“Yes, my mother, my home.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, the motion forcing me to drop my gaze and take her in. Her blouse is filmy, and I can’t help but notice the black lace under the rather sheer-looking fabric. Her cleavage beckons; my mouth waters. “Stop it, Kolton.”
“Stop what?” Lifting my gaze, I lock my stare on her big, steel eyes. There’s still a wildness to her. And I still want to get trapped in the storm that she is. It’s been a long time since I saw the lightning that dances behind her thunderous, tempestuous orbs.
“You know what you’re doing, and I don’t like it,” she spits back. Frustration laces every word, which only makes me smile harder. I took pleasure in making her angry because that’s when our bodies would fuse with passion that burned me from the inside out. I craved her with a hunger I’ve never felt for any other woman.
“From what I remember, you always loved what I did to you,” I counter, tipping the bottle toward her before taking a long draw of the cool liquid. But even as it fizzles down my throat, it doesn’t chill the heat slowly building along with my need for her.
Calandra huffs before she spins on her heel and makes her way down the hall. The bedroom door slams loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls as it reaches me in the living room. I can’t stop smiling when I pull out my phone and tap out a message to Eleanor.
Chapter Three
Calandra
Three hours trapped in a car with Kolton is not my idea of fun. At least, not anymore. Even though he’s still as hot as he was when I was eighteen, I can’t allow myself to recall all those nights we spent looking at the stars. I don’t want to reminisce that he was my first everything, and he promised to be my last. I can’t remember that he stole my heart and broke it. Once it was shattered, he left me to pick up the pieces and try to make something of my life.
For years, I believed we were made for each other. And then the truth hit me right in the face. I saw it in his eyes when I walked into his apartment that night. When I watched him kiss someone else while looking me right in the eye. And he didn’t run after me. No. He allowed me to race through the streets, crying as my heart broke into a million pieces. And when I got on the plane, he didn’t come to say goodbye.
“Are you looking forward to seeing the cabin again?” he asks. Every rasp of his voice ignites need inside me. Just like when I was younger. I had always crushed on him, and when he asked me out, I was elated.
“No.”
I can practically feel him smiling. Kolton always took it upon himself to drive me crazy. He told me he loved the thunder that I exuded. I want to slap him. To make him feel the hurt I felt when he didn’t come to me. And even though he smells good, I have to focus on the reason he’s driving me up here, because Mommy dearest said that it’s a surprise and Kolton was in charge.
“The cabin sold quickly.” He speaks again, which only annoys me more. When I asked my mother if I could buy it, she said it was already signed over. All I had to do was empty it. Pack away memories that will forever stick with me.
“Why do you care so much, Kolton? You’re not part of my family. And to be honest, I don’t think you should even be here.”
“You’d be surprised just how much I’m part of this family.”
“What do you even mean?” I know he’s only trying to force me to talk to him by speaking in riddles. And that grates at me. The cabin isn’t far, which means thankfully I’ll be out of the car soon enough, and I don’t have to be so close to him. As much as I want to deny it, he still affects me.
“You’ll see.” That’s all he says before we’re left with no more words to spew at each other. Even with the sounds of the radio filling the silence between us, the tension is thick, unyielding, as we turn onto the dirt road. Seconds later, the cabin comes into view. It looks just like it always has—like home.
The moment Kolton kills the engine, I push open the door and exit the vehicle, needing to inhale fresh air instead of his intoxicating, manly cologne. I grab my overnight bag from the back seat and leave him at the car. Pulling out the key, I unlock the cabin door
and push it open. The familiar, musty scent assaults me, and a memory of the time Kolton brought me here to consummate our relationship hits me square in the face. My chest hurts with the heartache of knowing we’re no longer that—a couple.
Inside, I try my best to ignore Kolton, but he’s everywhere. The cabin isn’t massive, and the rooms are cozy at best, and Kolton takes up every square inch of the place. There are boxes everywhere, and I head up the steps to the loft and the bedroom where Kolton and I first had sex.
Tears burn my eyes when I remember that night. The gentleness he worked me over with, again and again. I never thought a first time could be so magical, but he did it; he made sure I found pleasure under his touch.
Swiping at my face, I blink away the sadness and go back downstairs, where I notice Kolton moving boxes around and pulling the TV cabinet away from the wall. Deciding to help him, I move closer, but the moment I do, he tugs backward, knocking me onto the sofa.
He spins around, shock lighting his face as he hurries toward me. Luckily, the sofa is soft, comfortable. Kolton reaches for me, his hands gripping my waist.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” he says in a rush, but his foot tangles in the cables, and he flops beside me, making me laugh out loud. He tugs me closer to make sure I’m okay, which has me practically crawling in his lap. And as much as I know I should push him away, I don’t.
I can’t.
Because this is exactly where I want to be.
He’s warm, and the possessive hold he has on my hips makes my body come alive and heat pool between my thighs. It’s been so long. Far too long. Kolton is all man, tall and broad, with toned muscles and a tapered waist that leads to thick, muscled thighs.
He’s everything a man should be.
And I’m on his lap, taking note of every hard ridge and each of those deep dips.
“Thank you, I’m okay,” I tell him, but my voice comes out in a whisper laced with need. I want to cringe, but I know the moment I make a move, he’ll know he has this power over me.
“Are you?” he asks then, drawing me out of the cloud of lust and into the cold, heartbreaking present. Am I okay? No. I’m not. I’m still broken. From the moment I realized he wasn’t coming after me to now, as I stand here in front of him.
“I’ve never been okay, and I doubt I will be again.” The honesty in my voice causes him to still. This is the first time since that night we’ve spoken about our feelings. I didn’t want to hear his fake apologies and lame-ass excuses, so instead of hearing him out, I ran.
Chapter Four
Kolton
Tension grips me. It holds me fucking hostage, and I know I can’t walk away from her again. How the fuck I did it the first time is beyond me. Seeing her here, in this same room where I felt her for the first time, is jarring. I know she feels it, too, because the way she’s looking at me right now is hunger laced with desire and drenched in the heartache she so clearly feels.
“I fucked up, Cally,” I tell her honestly. I know I did. There’s no denying I should’ve run after her that night. But then again, I should’ve never let her get on that fucking flight in the first place.
“Yeah, you did,” she whispers, her gray gaze locked on mine. My body is inches from hers, the heat of her scorching me, but I don’t move away because it feels like I need this. I want to be burned so I can pay for my sins. After all these years, she still feels the same. She still feels like warmth and love, affection and need. My hands grip her hips, holding her against me. I want to pull her closer, to keep her above me, make her find the pleasure I know I can give her.
“Is there any way you can forgive me? Let me make it up to you and explain what really happened that night.” My voice is thick with emotion. The pain of seeing her walk out on me is etched inside my heart. It was as if time had taken a sharp blade and scored her hate on every inch of me, and I was never the same again. I waited for months, but she didn’t come back. We were both too stubborn to apologize or allow the explanation that was so needed to be spoken.
“Are you going to tell me it was a mistake? That you tripped and fell, and her lips caught you?” Cally retorts hotly, and my fingers twitch with the need to dip inside her and make that feisty mouth moan instead of sassing me.
But I shake my head, focusing on the fact that she’s here, and she can’t leave, so I take my chance and speak. “I wasn’t drunk. I didn’t make a mistake. And no, I didn’t trip and fall on her lips. I did it because I was afraid,” I admit.
“Afraid?” Her brow arches, her eyes widen, and the corner of her mouth tips upward into a sardonic grin. Disbelief is painted on her beautiful face.
“My father had pulled me into the office only hours before that kiss,” I tell her. “And he spoke to me, telling me about what he expected of me. Then he asked me if I thought of proposing to you because he didn’t want a single playboy to run his company. He asked me if I loved you.”
Her mouth falls open, but nothing comes out. She doesn’t say a word, and I realize just how stupid I was back then. I was young, immature, and even though I knew I loved her, I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I wanted nothing more than to keep her as mine, but actually muttering those words, confessing my feelings, was unheard of. At least to me.
“What did you tell him?” she finally asks, her eyes turning glassy, and I’m sure she’s about to cry, but I know Calandra. She’s strong. She won’t show her emotion, sadness, until she truly can’t hide it anymore.
“I told him I didn’t know,” I admit. “I wanted to say yes. In my mind, and in my heart, I was convinced I loved you. I knew there was never going to be another girl for me, but fear held me back, and I walked out of his office with the order to tell you that I needed to move on.”
Cally blinks, and salty emotion trickles down her flushed cheeks. Soft pink glittering against the pain that falls from her eyes.
“My father would’ve taken everything from me, and back then, he was my fucking hero. I thought he was always right.” She doesn’t move when I reach for her, my thumb and index finger gripping her chin as I pull her closer. “But I realized too late that he was wrong.”
Her mouth is inches from mine. The heat of her body engulfs me. The sweet scent of berries wafts from her, and I can practically taste her when she whispers, “What was he wrong about?”
Every nerve in my body is sparking, alight with the need to have her. To finally claim her like I should’ve that night. To tell her just how much I love her because I do. But before I can utter a response, her lips brush against mine, and all the restraint that was holding me back snaps.
Our mouths fuse in a heated kiss. Her tongue seeks mine, and I dip inside her, tasting her sweetness that I recall from years gone by. She hasn’t changed. Her flavor is still the only aphrodisiac I need. My dick hardens against my zipper, needing to feel her warmth once more.
A whimper tumbles from her mouth, and I steal it as mine. I take every sound she makes, and I devour them along with her beautiful, plump lips. My hands trail down her back, gripping her ass to pull her closer toward me. Her hips roll, pressing her covered center against my hardened cock.
“If you keep doing that, I may have to take advantage of you,” I tell her between kisses.
A small smile curls her lips. “Oh? And what exactly does that entail?”
“You and me naked, and you screaming my name over and over again until you’re a trembling mess on that mattress upstairs.”
“I don’t just take my clothes off for anyone,” she sasses me. “Only someone who can be honest with their feelings.” The way she looks at me makes every inch of my body, inside and out, come alive. My heart stutters, then begins racing, banging against my ribs in a way I’ve only ever felt with her.
“Well, it just so happens that I love you, I’ve always loved you, and I know that I’ll always love you. And that’s why I bought the cabin. It’s now yours.” My voice is filled with confidence, and my words, they drip with raw truth. I don’t blink
. I keep my gaze locked on hers.
“What?” Shock paints her pretty, and I can’t stop grinning at her. “Are you serious?”
“Of course, I am. Would I make something like that up?” Even though I’m challenging her in a way that I know normally makes her blood boil, I can tell she’s happy from the way her eyes shimmer.
“Thank you, Kolton. I can’t… I mean… I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me you’ll give me a second chance. I’m serious. I should’ve told you that night how I felt, how much I loved you. I should’ve fucking proposed,” I bite out as frustration flows through me at my stupidity. “I figured if I could show you how much this old place means to me, you’ll be able to see I do love you,” I tell her earnestly. This time, I pull her closer. I need to feel her, to really feel every tremble and each shiver.
Cally lays her head on my chest before she admits, “I love you.” Her voice is timid, but I can hear the smile in her words. And I know I’m about to claim the one woman who’s always held my heart in the palm of her delicate hand.
Copyright 2020 Dani René
About Dani René
Dani is a USA Today Bestselling Author of a dark and deviant romance. She lives in the picturesque city of Cape Town where wine is plenty, and the views are spectacular. She's also a proud member of the Romance Writer's Organization of South Africa (ROSA), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and the Romance Novelists Association (RNA). When she's not writing, she can be found binge-watching the latest TV series, or working on graphic design. She has a healthy addiction to reading, tattoos, coffee, and ice cream.