Chapter Fourteen
It’s the fuzz!
“How’s it going down there?” My eyes wondered around the uncluttered doctor’s office. “Find anything interesting?”
It wasn’t like I expected my new gynecologist to pull out a school ring or anything, but I was nervous, so I kept talking. I should know a person pretty well to be in this situation, but at the moment I couldn’t even remember my doctor’s name.
The stool rolled back and her glove snapped off. “Everything looks good.”
“So can I close up shop?”
“You can sit up.”
Finally. I lowered my legs and closed my little smock, hiding away my money shot with the provided paper blanket. It wasn’t as nice as the airplane blankets, but it kept me concealed.
The doctor made some notes in a laptop and said, “I’m going to write you a prescription for the pill, but I want to go over some general guidelines since you’ve never used oral contraception before.”
I nodded and paid close attention as she explained about hormones and the lining of my uterus and the hindering of sperm. It all seemed so government op, like we were staging a defense strategy at the frontlines of my cervix and Hale’s sperm was the enemy. None of his little soldiers were breaching my barricade. I was very confident in her plan because Hale and I sucked at remembering condoms and anything was better than winging it.
“It’s important to take the pill at the same time every day. If you start the pill today, you should use a backup method for the first seven days until the birth control takes effect.”
“I’ll start today.”
When I left the doctor’s with a sample pack of pills in hand, I swallowed one as soon as I reached the car. The pills were tiny, so I didn’t think I needed a drink, but as I backed out of the parking lot I could swear the little bugger got stuck on my uvula.
I cleared my throat and made hacking noises as I drove, trying to dislodge that tiny pill stuck in my throat. Even when I was sure it had dissolved, that pill haunted me.
I was in Hale’s Rolls, which he kept immaculate, so there weren’t any water bottles lying around. When I saw a corner store I pulled over. Clearing my throat, I walked into the store and grabbed a bottle of water, chugging it while in the line at the register. When it was my turn, I reached for my purse and—oh no.
“Um… I think I left my purse in the car.” I hoped it was in the car.
The cashier narrowed his eyes. “You pay cash.”
I searched my pockets, which didn’t exist because I’d worn a dress. Putting the bottle on the counter, I said, “Let me run out to the car and grab money. How much is it?”
He glanced at the bottle. “Two-fifty.”
“Two-fifty? For a bottle of water?” What a racket. “I’ll be right back.”
The cashier moved the bottle aside and rang up the next customer. Back in the day, people would offer to help out a stranger, but at two-fifty a bottle, who could afford it?
I searched Hale’s car and cursed when I found nothing. Not only did the man not have a single dime tucked in the cushion of the seats, my purse wasn’t there either.
“Damn it.” I went back into the store and faced the cashier. “I don’t have any money on me, but I can come back later and pay you.”
He scowled. “You pay now.”
Okay, there was clearly a language barrier. “I lost my purse.” The line grew and my face heated. Turning to the other customers, I said, “Can anyone help a girl out? I lost my purse.”
Amazing. Every last one of them acted like I was speaking in a foreign language. Facing the cashier again, I said, “I work for the Davenports. You know the Davenports?” I figured if he knew who I belonged to he’d realize I was good for it.
He examined the bottle and pointed to the cap. “Open. No good now. You pay.”
Trying for patience, I explained, “I know it’s open. I’ll pay you, but I have to get some money.” When I saw he didn’t understand, I huffed and held up a hand. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Returning to the car, I backed out of the spot. If I had my purse I’d have called Hale, but my phone was probably sitting in the little dressing room at the gynecologist’s office. Plus, it would take Hale twice as long to get to me. Better to just get the purse and go back and pay for the damn water.
Not being from around there, I saw plenty of odd things whenever I went out. Sometimes Key West seemed like a different planet. It was balmy, teeming with energy, and very colorful, but it was also foreign, seeing that I seldom ventured out without the Davenport entourage. I felt like a total idiot when I couldn’t find the doctor’s office I’d just left, so I continued to circle the same streets, thinking I must have just missed it.
After twenty minutes of driving, I had to pee. “Come on… Where is it?”
Coming across a road I didn’t recognize, I turned the car and a moment later I realized why that was a mistake. Okay, this wasn’t a road so much as it was a cul-de-sac of vendors.
Putting the car in reverse, I glanced in the rearview and… Well, shit.
A police car blocked me in and his lights were definitely flashing. I put the car in park and rolled down the window as he approached.
“You can’t drive down here, miss.”
I fidgeted because I really had to pee and now I was nervous. “Sorry. I got lost.”
“Where are you heading?”
I couldn’t tell him my gynecologist, so I smiled and tried to flirt my way out this. “If you’ll just let me pass, I’ll be on my way.”
Apparently, that wasn’t the right thing to say. He eyed the car, which reeked of wealth and here I was in my boho dress, sweating like a pig, fidgeting so I didn’t pee all over Hale’s leather seats, with a bag of pills to my right.
“License and registration.”
I silently cursed and reached into the glove compartment. When I handed him the registration and insurance, I explained, “I don’t have my purse, which is where I keep my license.”
He reviewed the paperwork. “And I’m guessing you’re not Hale Davenport.”
“No, sir, but I work for the Davenports if that helps.”
He stepped away, speaking into a walkie-talkie and eying the back of the Rolls Royce. When he returned, he said, “I’m going to need you to step out of the car.”
“Look, officer, I swear I didn’t steal the car. I left my purse—”
“Your plate’s been reported. Someone driving this vehicle was identified shoplifting about thirty minutes ago.”
“Shoplifting? I told him I’d be back!”
The door opened. “Step out of the car, miss.”
Unlatching my seatbelt, I slid out of the car and hung my head. The next thing I knew I was sitting in the back of a locked squad car on my way downtown. The jig was up. The fuzz had finally apprehended me. This was a new level of calamity I wasn’t prepared for and I still really needed to pee.
Thankfully, the officer didn’t cuff me or anything so dramatic. When we reached the station he let me use the bathroom and then told me to wait at a chair beside an empty desk. I watched as he made a call and then I waited, figuring someone would eventually come rescue me.
All of this to protect my ovaries from implantation.
It took about thirty minutes for Hale to arrive and he must have entered through a different door because I didn’t get a chance to speak to him before I saw him talking to Officer What’s His Name.
When he finally approached me in the criminal detention zone, I looked up at him and pouted. “This is why I need a chaperone.”
He smirked. “Apparently you were detained for shoplifting and grand theft auto. I got them to drop the charges.”
“Thank you.”
He laughed. “What happened?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. Can we please leave?”
We walked out to the lot where a bunch of police cars were parked but I didn’t see the Wraith. “What about your car?”
“Alfonse went to pick it up.” He walked me to a convertible BMW and opened my door. “Get in, Bonnie Parker.”
“Ha-ha,” I said dryly. He was the farthest thing from Clyde. “My purse is at the gynecologist’s office. But I think you sent me to some collapsible setup because I can’t find the building now.”
“They called. Alfonse already picked it up for you.”
“Oh.” I tried imagining the gardener slash chauffeur walking into a woman’s facility and walking out with my pink purse. “Where are we going?”
“Well, you’ve been naughty.”
I pursed my lips. “It wasn’t my fault. These things just happen to me. I told the clerk I’d be back to pay him for the water, but he wouldn’t listen. And why don’t you have money in your car?”
“There’s always a credit card hidden under the front seat, for future crime sprees.”
“You’re so full of jokes today.”
He pulled over just outside of Duval Street and came around to open my door. Escorting me to a bench, he said, “Wait here. Can I trust you not to rob anyone?”
“Seriously, you’re not funny.”
He chuckled and disappeared into a little shop. He returned a moment later with two popsicles. Sitting at my side, he handed me one of the sticks, which had some sort of chocolate covered fantasy on the end.
I eyed it cautiously. “What is this?”
“It’s frozen key lime pie.”
I took the stick and nibbled. Sweet lime flavor burst over my tongue. “You’re rewarding me?”
He took a bite of his own and relaxed. “I happen to like when you’re naughty.”
“I’ve never been arrested before.” I licked at the hard chocolate shell and bit into the soft lime flavored center. Holy happy mouth, this was good.
“Did they put you in cuffs?”
“No. Thank God.”
He snickered. “That would have been something to see.”
“It’s not funny. Stuff like this only happens to me.”
Turning his silver gaze on me, he grinned. “I’m not making fun of you, Rayne. I love rescuing you.”
I slouched and finished my frozen pie.
“Hey.” He nudged my shoulder. “Cheer up. Nothing’s on your record and the store clerk’s been paid.”
I sucked on the wooden stick. I could eat about ten more of them.
Hale stood and held out a hand. “Come on. Let’s blow off the day and have some fun.”
I finally smiled. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He took our sticks and tossed them in a nearby trashcan. We didn’t return to the car but rather strolled down Duval Street.
Bikes leaned against a cement wall and pedestrians rambled down roads and sidewalks. The humid air kissed my skin as a temperate breeze teased the palm leaves overhead.
The buildings were a mixture of restaurants, hotels, and cafés. A steady melody of bicycle bells rang as we wandered along the street hand-in-hand. It was the first time we’d actually ventured out like tourists and it felt so incredibly normal. I loved every second of it.
Diners’ conversations spun a low hum in the background as people occupied tables shaded by large umbrellas. Though I’d never been to New Orleans, Duval Street reminded me of a tame version of Bourbon Street, something about that shameless, almost decadent, seediness that pulled a person in. Everything was so alfresco and thrumming with life.
We paused to watch a native roll a handmade cigar. A grand marquis in the distance lit and I gasped at the majestic display. “Is that an old theater?”
“It’s actually a pharmacy now. But they did a magnificent job restoring it. Let’s check out Mallory Square.”
He led us through a more congested area of vendors and the vibe picked up. Doo Wop spilled from bars onto the street.
I gasped again. “Is that Coyote Ugly place like the one in the movie?”
He nodded. “Did you want to go in?”
Passing the door I saw several women stomping along the bar in daisy dukes and cowboy boots. “Let’s keep walking.” There was so much to see.
We entered an open plaza surrounded by brick archways and mobs of people. The music grew louder and switched to mariachi. Everyone we passed had a smile on their face. Vacationers traveled at an ambling pace, carrying a verve of energy that spoke of fun and day-long happy hours. I wanted to be a vacationer.
No one rushed and everyone looked cheerful. I was smiling too. The ocean lay before us, an endless puddle of blue, as we weaved through crowds and kiosks. Vendors peddled everything from popcorn to jewelry.
“I feel like we’re in a Jimmy Buffet video.”
Hale chuckled and shifted his arm over my shoulders as we walked along the water watching the ships come into the harbor. Key West was a very accepting place. As men and women strolled through the town, so did men holding hands with other men and vice versa.
Hale pulled me to a small wagon full of glimmering gems and silver. “Pick out something you like.”
I stared at the kiosk, so many shiny things. “I don’t wear jewelry.”
“You don’t like it?”
I shrugged. I mostly couldn’t afford it. “Every girl likes pretty things. I’m just afraid I’ll lose it.”
He grinned. “Try this on.” He cradled my hand and slid a ring onto my finger, but it was too big.
The merchant spoke with a Cuban accent. “She looks like a size six.” He eyed Hale, drawing some conclusion about his pockets and slid open a drawer with a key. “You might like these better.”
Diamonds twinkled in the sunlight and my eyes went wide. “I don’t need anything.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Hale leaned over the velvet-lined drawer and examined the selection. Plucking something with quite a sparkle from the case, he turned and I balled my hands into fists.
“What are you doing? Give me your hand.” I lifted my right hand and he slid the heavy ring onto my finger and smiled. “Perfect.”
The ring was delicate, a thin platinum band with a diamond anchor running horizontally across my finger. The points of the anchor were subtle little hearts. It looked too fancy for me, but my recent manicure helped pull it off. I glanced at him and smiled. “It’s really pretty.”
“So are you.”
He turned and paid the merchant, then took my hand as we continued to walk. His thumb occasionally ran over the ring, his eyes glancing at me every few seconds.
I wasn’t sure why he picked that specific ring, but I loved that it was an anchor, because in a way that’s what Hale was to me. My anchor.
We reached a pier shaded by umbrella-top tables and sat. Hale ordered two margaritas as musicians played from a wooden stage.
“It’s so nice here.” The waitress returned and passed me my drink.
“It’s nice being here with you. I haven’t walked around like this for ages.” He reached across the table and rubbed his fingers over mine, drawing my attention back to the diamond ring. It was the nicest jewelry I’d ever owned.
“Thank you for this.”
“I’d like to buy you another ring someday.” He picked up my left hand. “Maybe for this finger.”
Oh, boy. I drew in a breath and sipped my margarita. “Why is it getting crowded here all of a sudden?”
“The sun’s about to set. They put on a show every night.”
I squinted at the water and Hale excused himself for a minute. When he returned, he put a straw hat on my head, which shaded a great deal of the glare coming off the ocean. “Thanks.”
“You look good in hats.”
In the distance, street performers swallowed fire and juggled machetes, but the most interesting sight to see was the man in front of me. I tried to recall how stuffy he’d been when we first met, a time when I mistook his interest as irritation. Now I realized he only spoke when he had something to say and he always meant what he said.
“Why were you interested in me?” I asked.
He tilted his head. “You’re different.”
I scrunched my nose. “I’m weird.”
“The best kind of weird,” he said, not daring to disagree. Sitting back, he sighed, his mouth curving and his lashes lowering as an expression of ease took over his face. “You counterbalance my life. You make me laugh and I love seeing what you’re going to do next. You’re unpredictable.”
Being that he was a bit of a control freak, I found it odd my unpredictability attracted him. “And that’s a good thing?”
He nodded. “You always pique my interest.” He sipped his drink. “Plus, you’re sexy as hell in the most effortless way.”
My mouth pursed. Well, that was nice. Someone go deflate my ego before it floats away…
The waitress returned and Hale ordered another round of drinks and a tray of conch fritters. As the sun dipped below the horizon we were given a breathtaking show of pink skies, as sultry music accompanied its blazing decent.
Walking back to the car, I leaned into him, holding his hand and wrapping my other hand around his. Despite my whole run-in with the law thing, it turned out to be a fabulous day.
Once we were in the car on our way home, it occurred to me we’d been gone for almost six hours. “Who has Elara?”
He’d said he was letting Brynlee go, but I wasn’t sure if my near-arrest interfered with his plans.
“Marta took her to my dad’s. She’s keeping her overnight.”
“Oh.”
“Barrett took Elle out on the sloop.”
“I’m sorry, the what?”
“The sloop. His sailboat.”
I frowned. “Just the two of them?”
“They’re adults, Rayne. They’ll be fine.”
“How long are they going to be gone?” I didn’t know if Elle would remember to pack her anxiety medicine and I worried I might have to hurt Barrett if he took advantage of my friend.
“They’ll be back sometime tomorrow.”
“They’re having a sleepover?” That wasn’t good. However, that also meant Hale and I finally had some privacy.
What could I honestly do about Elle and Barrett anyway? She was an adult, if a confused one. However, I couldn’t claim I was any different. Did any of us really know what the heck we were doing?
Elle did. No matter how much she’d changed, she was still in there. Little signs had been cropping up more and more. Just yesterday she had mentioned some celebrity gossip, impressing me with her apt recall. Maybe I was underestimating my friend’s ability to make proper choices for herself. And maybe I was being too hard on Hale’s brother. No. Barrett was still a slut.
The evening air cooled my skin as Hale maneuvered the convertible along the streets back to his house. “I had a really nice day with you.”
“Ditto.” His fingers laced with mine, his thumb once again brushing over the ring.
When we reached the house, I was suddenly nervous, which was silly, because this was Hale. It was quiet and I was happy to see my purse resting on the dining room table beside Hale’s car keys. I removed my hat and took a minute to savor the lovely day we had.
Hale’s hands gently touched my shoulders, which had gotten sun, and I shivered. “Do you want a drink?” he asked softly, his lips grazing the side of my throat.
“Sure.”
I followed him to the bar where he poured two glasses of wine. My gaze traveled to the guesthouse, which was dark. “Is Brynlee gone?”
He handed me a long-stemmed glass. “She’s gone.” He clinked his glass to mine and I sipped, relief finally settling in.
“I’m sorry if I overreacted about her.”
He placed his glass on the bar and studied me for a moment. “You didn’t. I won’t have anyone coming between us, Rayne. Especially not some kid.”
As much as my insecurities got the better of me from time to time, his words startled me. “What do you mean?”
His posture was casual as he eyed me, long, fit body leaning against the bar. “I needed a nanny to see to my daughter’s well-being and comfort. I don’t need anyone but you seeing to mine.”
“Last night at the pool—”
“Was the first and last time she made an inappropriate invitation in my home. Had she made a comment like that before, she would have been gone long ago.”
“What did she say?” I was afraid to know, but at the same time, my curiosity was endless.
“Does it matter?”
It probably shouldn’t. What mattered was that Hale had handled the situation the moment it became a concern. I shrugged because I didn’t want to dwell on issues that no longer mattered.
“Rayne.” He waited until I lifted my gaze to his. “I love you. I know we’ll disagree and I’m perfectly aware of how stressful the last few weeks have been, but you never need to question my loyalty to you. You are the woman I want. Only you.”
Feeling vindicated, I smiled. “I’m glad.”
He removed my glass from my hand and placed it beside his. His gaze found mine, and the air in my lungs turned heavy. Stepping closer, he brushed his lips to mine and gently ran his fingers through my hair. My mouth opened as I tilted my face and he deepened the kiss.
Rather than the usual haste I’d grown accustomed to, he took his time, kissing me and holding me close. I sighed, as his lips worked down my throat and the hem of my dress lifted, but he didn’t undress me. He merely teased the sensitive skin of my thigh with slow whirls of his fingertips.
“Come with me,” he whispered, taking my hand and walking me up the stairs.
When we entered his room he watched me closely as he stripped off his jacket and shirt. I wondered if there would come a time when the sight of him wouldn’t take my breath away.
My eyes feasted on his tanned chest and chiseled abdomen. Broad shoulders begged for the bite of my nails. I glanced at the ring on my finger and smiled.
Wearing only pants, he stepped close and looked in my eyes. My breath held as he lifted my dress, the material slithering off my heated skin and leaving me standing in only my bra and panties. His mouth closed tenderly over my shoulder, sending quivers to my core. As he peeled away my bra, my skin puckered in the slight chill of the air. My panties lowered and his touch drifted over my hips, between my thighs.
“So beautiful,” he whispered, soft caressing fingers grazing my sex.
I wanted to touch him too, so I unbuttoned his pants and pushed them to his hips. He stepped forward as they fell to the ground in a heap and the heat of his body warmed my front. My hand slipped between us, cupping and stroking him as his mouth found mine.
Backing me to the bed, he gently lowered my body. My knees parted as his weight pressed over me. He was so patient, so tender. Rolling to his back, he reached for a condom and slid it over his length. I straddled him and he watched me through half-lidded eyes as I positioned my body over his.
Cupping my hips, he held me as I sank onto him. We both sighed as he filled me and pulled me close, catching my nipple between his soft lips.
I rocked over him, swaying and moaning with each glide of his hard body against mine. His grip tightened, but there was no hurry, no rush to be anything more than together.
We watched each other as we made love. Our foreheads pressed together as our breath mingled and we held each other tight. When we came we came as one and I shut my eyes and sighed. This was everything I’d been missing. It was the quiet that held us tight, secure within our relationship and absent of all the noise from the outside world.
“I love you, Hale.”
He brushed his mouth over mine. “I love you, too, baby.”
We slept only a few hours before reaching for each other in the dark. I’m not sure if it was me searching for him or him reaching for me, but we found one another and made love again sometime during those quiet hours.
When morning came my body was tender and my insecurities nowhere to be found. I watched Hale sleep until his mouth curved and I knew he was awake.
“Are you staring at me?” he mumbled.
“Yes. You have tiny freckles on your nose.” They were far too boyish for such a responsible man, hidden like little secrets on his tanned skin.
His eyes opened and his body stretched in a blatant invitation. I glanced at the blankets, trying to discern if he was hard. Following my gaze, he threw the covers off his body and shamelessly put himself on display.
My cheeks heated and I looked away.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” he rasped, catching my chin. “You can’t look at me like that then turn away.”
My lips pursed as I tried to hide my smile. “Don’t you go blaming me for that.” I gestured to his erection.
“Oh, you did it.” He tucked my hair behind my ear and tipped his chin in the direction of his hips.
I silently chuckled, knowing what he wanted, and twisted to face the foot of the bed as I slithered down his hard body, taking him into my mouth. He sucked in an audible breath, his hands roaming freely over my legs and ass.
“Back up.” He pulled my knees, placing them on either side of his shoulders as he yanked my body down.
I squeaked as his tongue swiped at my sex, his fingers massaging into my ass and holding me to him. It was hard to concentrate while he was distracting me with soft strokes of his fingers and tongue.
His knees lifted as his hand traveled up my spine, directing my attention back to his cock. It was probably a terrible blowjob, but how was I supposed to think with him teasing me at the same time?
Finally, he flipped me onto my back and put on a condom. “I need you,” he rasped, dragging his tongue up my stomach and tracing my breasts. “I want it hard.” Back onto my stomach, he hitched me to my knees, lining up our bodies and thrusting deep.
My fingers curled into the bedding as I rocked forward, moaning with every thrust. He held my shoulder, keeping my body arched at an angle that sent him deep. Once I was panting and wearing out, my chest flattened to the bed, he moved his legs outside of mine, making the fit extra tight as he pounded into me.
It was hard and it was wild, but it was absolutely Hale. His body quivered and jerked as he came. We were both spent and I’d likely be walking crooked for the rest of the day, but it was totally worth it.
This little escape from others was exactly what we needed. It reaffirmed the delicate connection we shared and all the bottled-up chemistry between us.
I sighed and rolled to my back. Hale fell to my side and pulled me close. I wanted to stay there forever, in his arms. As much as we had lives outside of those four walls, I could have remained there for the rest of my life and never missed a single thing. Finally, I felt anchored again.