Last Call (Book #2 - Heat Wave Series) Read online

  “That is so fucking hot,” he murmured, staring at the body necklace she’d put on just for him.

  Three chains fell from the one that circled her neck. The two outer chains attached to her nipples. The center chain fell to her belly, where it attached to another chain that created a diamond pattern around her naval, then circled her waist.

  His eyes filled with appreciation, lust, and searing heat. She kicked off her flip-flops, shoved her jeans the rest of the way down, and stood before him in only her turquoise panties and the necklace. He shed his clothes, then sat Indian style on the blanket. “C’mere.” The command was spoken in a sandpaper-rough voice.

  She trembled as he traced the diamond pattern with his forefinger. His touch was soft and reverent.

  He wrapped his hands around her waist to lock her in place and pressed his lips to the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. He kissed, nipped, licked, and laved a path up her thigh, stopping when he reached the juncture of her legs. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, then blew hot air across her damp panties.

  “Please don’t tease me. I need you inside me. Now.”

  Blue eyes studied her through a hooded gaze. “I need to taste you. Now.”

  “But…” Her argument died a quick death as he slipped his fingers under her panties and pulled them to the side, leaving her exposed.

  His tongue flicked across her clit, then stroked the folds of her sex. Her knees weakened, and she stumbled. But Gavin was there, his hands holding her waist tight. He slipped his fingers around the back of her knee and lifted one leg so it draped over his shoulder.

  Oh. My. God.

  She had the sense she should be embarrassed about acting like a total wanton, but all she found in her emotional toolbox was hot and desperate lust.

  The moon glinted off Gavin’s dark hair and cast shadows across his face. His expression was one of intense concentration, and watching him love her with his tongue and mouth was an erotic image she’d never forget.

  When her trembling became uncontrollable, the corner of his mouth tipped into a grin. He pushed a finger into her, then curled it in a come-here gesture that sent vibrations rumbling through her entire being. All of her senses heightened to a sharp, almost painful extreme.

  When Gavin rolled his finger again while clamping down on her clit with his teeth, a lightning bolt struck her nervous system.

  Everything went black and bright-white simultaneously. She felt nothing… and everything. “More,” she croaked. She must be the greediest lover Gavin ever had, but he didn’t seem to mind. She needed to feel him inside her, filling her… making her feel this freaking good again.

  “Let yourself go; I’ve got you.”

  If she let go any more she’d be scattered all over the beach. As the spasms subsided, she realized he was trying to pull her down.

  “Baby, let yourself go. I swear, I won’t let you fall.”

  Her knees buckled and she crumpled into his arms. Gavin caught her and gently laid her on the blanket. Her only contribution was to lie there like a boneless jellyfish, going where the flow of the water took her. He grabbed a condom from his shorts pocket and quickly sheathed himself.

  “Climb up here on my lap.”

  She didn’t have the strength to climb anywhere. But as she rolled her head to the side to look at him and tell him so, she became incapable of speech.

  He was an irresistible temptation: naked, aroused, and waiting for her. His half-closed eyes roared with heat, and the passion reflected in them made her shiver.

  He mistook the shiver of excitement as her being cold. “Come up here, and I’ll warm you up.”

  To the point of meltdown.

  With jerky and less than graceful movements, she crawled to her knees, then onto his lap. She hovered over his erection for a moment, then dropped in one fluid movement, impaling herself.

  His hands tightened on her waist, and he sucked in a sharp breath as his eyes slammed shut. She stilled, thinking she hurt him. But when he opened his eyes, pain wasn't emanating from them.

  He wrapped a hand around the back of her head and grabbed a fist full of hair. His other hand stroked a blazing path over her shoulder and around the side of her neck. He cupped her face in his palm and kissed her temple. “I swear to God, I have never in my life felt anything as good as being inside you.”

  Bubbles built in her stomach and pushed out to her extremities. She wanted to tell him she’d never felt anything like this, either. But her voice wouldn’t work, which was probably for the best. She was vulnerable enough without him knowing how deeply he affected her. So rather than communicating with words, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

  And where they were concerned… there might not be.

  When she pulled back for a breath, his gaze drifted to her necklace. He tugged on the center chain, which tightened the clamps. The pinch caused her to cry out, while the erotic sensation shooting from her nipples down through her stomach and into her sex brought forth a moan of pleasure.

  “Do you like that?”

  She nodded and rocked her hips.

  He did it again, slightly harder. “You had this covered tonight. Did you wear it just for me?”

  Yes, she did. As soon as he told her the plan for tonight, she thought of this necklace. Although she’d worn it to work many times, tonight she didn't want anyone to see it but Gavin. Rather than outright confessing, she pressed her lips to his and murmured, “Arrogant man.”

  His mouth lifted into a smile, and he whispered, “Thank you.” He tenderly brushed a few strands of hair away from her eyes and out of her face. “What do you think about sex on the beach?”

  “Amazing.” She let her eyes drift shut, imagining how glassy and dreamy they must look. She probably looked drunk out of her mind. And, if a person could be drunk on incredible sex, she would be. “You’re amazing. I never knew sex could be like this. Missionary position in the back of a car or on a bed is all I’ve ever known.”

  He stilled, and she opened her eyes to find a stunned expression on his face. After a moment, he squeezed his eyes shut, wrapped his arms around her waist, and in the blink of an eye, had her flat on her back. “My turn to drive.” He grinned. “This probably seems like the same old, same old, but I’ll try to keep it interesting.”

  The humor faded from his expression and everything about him grew serious. His eyes were those of a predator, but his touch was tender as he swept the hair from her face, then rested his elbows on either side of her head.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer, only swallowed hard before beginning the dance inside her. His strokes were slow and methodical as he retreated, then slowly stroked back in. The depth of his stare and the emotion behind it was bottomless.

  She wrapped her legs around his and dug her heels into the backs of his thighs. The change of the angle sent shockwaves through her, and when Gavin slipped a hand under her butt and lifted… boom. Flashes of light blinded her, and surges of electrical energy shot through her. She yelled his name and grabbed hold of his shoulders, as the two of them rode the tidal waves.

  ***

  “I have to be crushing you,” Gavin muttered, trying to find his voice and the strength to roll off Sunny. With a deep, shuddering breath, he pushed himself up and off her, then crashed onto his back.

  He found his shorts next to his shoulder and retrieved the Ziploc baggie he’d stuck in his pocket. He smiled. Granddad always said, “Never go to the beach without a bag for your trash.” He doubted a used condom and wrapper were the kind of trash Granddad had in mind when offering that sage advice.

  Doing the best he could with one hand—because for some ridiculous reason, he didn’t want to let go of Sunny—he stripped the condom off, shoved it and the wrapper into the bag, then tucked it into his pocket.

  A breeze blew off the water, and Sunny shivered.

  “Are you cold?”

  �
��A little.” Her fingers absently stroked his chest hair. “But I’m okay.”

  He scooted to the edge of the blanket and took her with him. Making sure no sand hit her in the face, he flipped the free half of the blanket over them, like a cocoon, and curled her tightly against his side.

  She sighed and cuddled closer. His last serious girlfriend had been in college and since then, he hadn’t spent much time cuddling with lovers. He always felt like cuddling was emotional, whereas sex was strictly physical.

  At least, that’s what he thought before tonight.

  With Sunny, there’d been lots of emotions involved, and just thinking about it caused his chest to tighten and his stomach to bottom out. He drew in a deep breath and blew out a mixture of frustration and fear. When he looked into her eyes, he felt like their souls were fusing, much like their bodies. At least, his soul had melted. Christ, he even considered saying something crazy like I love you.

  He’d always appreciated great sex. But what he felt for Sunny transcended sex. He admired her strength and determination. He found it remarkable that she remained childlike in her ability to laugh and enjoy life, while also retaining her tenderheartedness, rather than turning cynical and vengeful toward the world.

  Her love for Robby and the sacrifices she’d made for him left Gavin in awe. Other than his grandfather, he didn’t know anyone who would have sacrificed themselves the way Sunny had.

  Guess that said a lot about his current associates.

  And hell, he was no better. Since going to work for Holden Enterprises, he’d been concerned with climbing the company ladder and not much else. He contributed financially to his grandfather, paying the taxes and most of the maintenance expenses associated with the farm. But he didn’t lend any emotional support.

  He rubbed his chest, trying to kill the ache. But guilt was a formidable foe and wouldn’t be brushed aside.

  Sunny’s breathing had grown slower and deeper, and when she gave a soft snore, he grinned. The women with whom he normally associated would be mortified to know they snored. But Sunny would probably make a joke about it and laugh it off.

  Her dad sure as hell hit the mark when he dubbed her Sunny. She brought sunshine to Gavin’s world when he hadn’t even realized how far into the darkness he’d wandered.

  She made him smile and breathe easier and want to be a better man. And she’d somehow gotten the idea she could trust him to keep her property safe. He, of course, hadn’t made any effort to make her think differently, and the reasoning behind that baffled him.

  He spent a lot of days on this beach as a kid, fishing with his grandfather, watching the horizon, hoping and praying his parents’ boat would miraculously appear. He often wondered if part of the reason he was so driven to succeed had anything to do with them.

  Logically, he knew they were never coming back. But there was a little boy inside him who still looked at that horizon and wondered if somehow, someway, they managed to survive. If they did come back, he wanted them to be proud of him. He wanted them to see a successful, wealthy man perched to take over one of the largest hospitality companies in the country.

  Given his current circumstances, life should be better than ever. But after being hit with the recent deluge of memories from a simpler time, he had to admit that wasn’t the case. Even though he’d changed over the years, Anticue was the same. And he refused to allow it to be changed and tainted as he had been.

  He spent the next several hours listening to the waves, enjoying the cool breeze blowing across his skin and warm Sunny curled against him.

  When the morning light cracked the horizon, he nudged her awake. “Good morning, sunshine.”

  She crinkled her nose and rubbed her eyes, then settled back down.

  He grinned and squeezed her tight. “Sunny, baby, you need to wake up. We need to get dressed and off this beach before someone sees us.”

  There was a moment’s hesitation, then her eyes popped wide open, and her head shot off his shoulder. “Ohmigod. We’re on the beach. Naked.”

  “Yes, we are. I’d hate for word of this to get back to Ed and Joe. Or”—he shuddered—“Miss Jane.”

  In an instant, she became a flurry of activity, searching for her clothes. “Robby!” Her eyes were wide and wild. “I didn’t tell Robby I wouldn’t be home. Has he—”

  “He stayed at a friend’s house.”

  She sagged to the ground in relief. “I forgot. Okay, deep breath.” She flipped her gaze to his and smiled sheepishly. “I know… I’m almost thirty years old. But I’d kill him if he didn’t come home without telling me. I didn’t want him worried.”

  Gavin slipped on his shorts and searched the surrounding beach for his shirt. Oh yeah, it was behind the bar. “We should probably stop at the bar and get my shirt…” He paused and grinned. “His shirt.”

  Sunny threw a hand over her mouth to squelch her laughter. “If he knew what we did while you were wearing his clothes, he’d burn them.”

  “He’ll never hear it from me. I don’t kiss and tell.”

  As they headed over the dunes, Sunny stopped and brushed the sand off of something shiny. “Oh my goodness.” She held it up for him to see. “I don’t know much about good jewelry, but this looks real. And expensive.”

  “Let me see that.” Gavin snatched the bracelet from her fingers and snarled. “Son of a bitch.”

  Sunny’s eyes widened, and she took a step back. “Do you recognize that?”

  Rage boiled through him as he clenched his fist around the silver-and-onyx bracelet. “It’s Callie’s. Max gave it to her for her birthday last year.”

  Sunny’s brow wrinkled. “You guys came out here the other night?”

  “No.” He couldn’t believe Callie would lower herself enough to step foot on a beach—she was more of a concrete pool kind of girl—but he knew this was her bracelet. The moonlight catching her bracelet, and probably another five pounds of jewelry, must have been the flash he saw from the bar. “I thought I saw shadows out here last night, but I assumed it was locals enjoying the night.” Remembering what they’d been doing at the time, he added, “Then you did something crazy with your tongue, and I didn’t care.”

  Protective possessiveness took over. He grabbed Sunny and pulled her to him as if she were in immediate danger. “I doubt she could see anything from this distance, but even if she could, she wouldn’t have been able to see you. I’m sure she was gone by the time we got out here.”

  The thought of Callie watching him while he’d been making love to Sunny was too disgusting to consider. “By the time I’m finished with her, I promise she’ll never spy on us again.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The insistent knocking on the pool house door had Callie cracking her eyes open and peering at the bedside clock. As she suspected, she’d missed breakfast… which explained the relentless pounding on the door.

  She never missed having breakfast with her father, but this morning, she wasn't able to face him. It had been daybreak before she stopped crying and fell asleep. She’d never be able to fake her way through breakfast—heartbreak had a way of showing itself, regardless of the effort put into hiding it—so, she decided to avoid her father altogether.

  She should’ve known he’d come looking for her, making sure she was okay. She rubbed her hands over her face to clear away the sleep and padded to the door. “I’m coming. Please stop pounding.”

  She opened the door and took a step back, certain that, as soon as he got a good look at her, he’d come sweeping in, asking a million questions, demanding answers.

  He didn’t disappoint. “My God, Callie, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing” would sound stupid, because obviously something was wrong. People didn’t cry until their eyes were nearly swollen shut for no reason. Sooner or later, she would need to tell him she’d given up her pursuit of Gavin. She just hadn’t intended it to be right now.

  However, just thinking about it broke her heart all over again. “Oh, Daddy
.” She threw her arms around his neck and cried like a three-year-old who had fallen and scraped her knee.

  He didn’t say anything, just hugged her like a protective father and let her cry herself out. Again.

  Sure that this time there couldn’t be a tear left in her scratchy, swollen eyes, she drew back and flopped into the chair. She took a shuddering breath, then blurted it out. “I went to Anticue last night. I saw Gavin with that bartender. I’m finally ready to let go of the stupid, childish dream I’ve had of him falling in love with me.” Tears started again. Dammit.

  Her father’s face fell into an expressionless mask. “What do you mean you went to Anticue? Why?”

  She hugged a throw pillow tightly to her chest. “We were sitting out by the pool, and I got this wild idea to go to Anticue. I know you wanted him to be friendly with the bartender, but I needed to see how friendly he’d gotten.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut as the images of Gavin and the blonde rushed at her. She’d seen more than she ever dreamed possible. Daddy didn’t need to hear the details, and she didn’t want to repeat them, so she opted for the basic version. “The bar was closed, so we watched through the windows. I saw the two of them together—”

  “Callie, he’s working out negotiations with her. I told you, sometimes Gavin is going to need to do things you might not like.”

  Callie blinked a few times before settling into a blank stare. He had said Gavin needed to be friendly with the bartender, but Callie didn't realize he expected Gavin to actually have sex with her. “Sleeping with her is part of his job?” Callie’s voice was shrill and filled with disbelief.

  Her father shoved his hands into his pockets and turned away to look out the door. “If that’s what it takes to close the deal.”

  She stared at her father, too numb and shocked to speak. After a moment, she found her voice and asked, “What if he and I were involved? Would you still approve of something like that?”

  His body tensed, and he grew more agitated. “It’s only sex, not a marriage proposal. As part of the job, sometimes we have to do things that aren’t pretty. But we do them, nevertheless.”