ALEXIS

THAT LITTLE ENCOUNTER WITH Lyla had me all on edge. The b.j. twins were friends? If that’s what having girlfriends was about, I was happy I didn’t really have any. Thank you very much. Imagining the two of them swapping stories about Colton was making me sick to my stomach.

“Grab me another drink, Finn?” I asked when he walked off to replenish his beer.

A crowd had assembled in the open area behind our table, turning it into a dance floor, and that’s where we’d been for the past couple of hours.

“Allie, I think maybe you should slow down,” Colt suggested, pulling me into his chest. “You’re going to make yourself sick.”

Nope. No way. I was not going to survive this night without lots of liquor. “You’re so sweet,” I slurred, running my hands over his shoulders. “I’m fine, Colt, really,” I insisted, trying to look very, very sober.

Colton rolled his eyes and huffed in frustration. God, he was so cute. “Will you at least eat something?” he begged.

I always did love the way he looked out for me. “Okay,” I agreed. “Feed me.”

A slow smile moved across his face. “All right. I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

I must’ve been drunker than I thought because it seemed like almost no time had passed before I felt Colton grinding his body against mine. And did he ever come back recharged. The way he was moving felt almost indecent, but I was too turned on to care.

“Goddamnit, Alexis,” Blex growled, stalking off.

What the hell? I followed his movement with my eyes and could have sworn I saw Colton tear through the back door into the house. But, how could he, if he was—

“We move well together,” Stephan said, spinning me in his arms.

My heart started to beat like a bass drum. Loud. Hard.

The air left my lungs. Oh, Colton.

“Something wrong?” That no good motherfucker.

I shoved at Stephan’s chest as tears poured down my face. “Why? Why would you do that?” My hands were on my chest. I felt like everyone was watching me. Laughing at me. Like they were all in cahoots with the universe to spoil any chance I had of finding happiness.

“Come on, Lexi,” Finn said, shielding me in his arms. “You’ll get yours later, asshole,” he shot at Stephan before guiding me around the pool, through the house, and into the back seat of Colton’s car.

Colton’s anguished eyes met mine in the rearview, revealing his every emotion, and it cut me like a knife. I mouthed the words “I’m sorry,” but he just turned away, twisted the key into the ignition, and headed for home.

Finn kept whispering that it was okay. That everything would be okay, but how could it? The car was deathly quiet, apart from the sound of my cries and the occasional pounding of Colton’s fist into the steering wheel.

When we arrived at the house, he had barely taken the time to throw the car into park before he was slamming the driver side door and storming off into the house.

“I didn’t know,” I cried to both Blex and Finn. I could feel them judging me. “I th-thought it was h-him.”

“Give him a few minutes to calm down, Alex,” Blex suggested, his face softening.

Walking into the house was like stepping into a war zone. It sounded like bombs were going off upstairs with all of the banging.

“Don’t go up there right now, Lexi,” Finn warned as I began making my way toward the stairs. “I’ve never seen him like this.”

Nausea churned in my stomach as I continued the twisty climb. “I’ll be f-fine, Finley. Colt would n-never hurt me.” Not physically anyway, I thought.

“Let me go talk to him first to try to explain, Alexis.” Blex was approaching the steps when I shooed him away.

“You guys, he’s not going to do anything. Ch-chill.”

When I got to the room, I hesitated for a minute, afraid of what I would find when I opened that door. Slowly, I twisted the knob, peering my head inside. He was right there, standing so close, I would have hit him had I swung it all the way. His hands were fisted at his sides. His breathing labored. His nostrils flared as he stood there staring back at me, unmoving.

“C-Colt,” I whimpered. Squeezing inside, I shut the door, and on shaky legs, took a few steps to stand before him. I wanted to reach out and hold him but was too afraid of being rejected. A river of regret streamed down my cheeks. “I th-thought he was you,” I explained. The back of my throat burned as I continued. “I swear. I never would have—I’m sorry,” I cried. “I’m so sorry, Colton.”

He swallowed. Every line of his face was hard.

“I want to touch you,” I whispered, taking a step closer. Looking up into his pained eyes, I waited for permission. Just when I was about to give up and walk away, his hand lifted to cup my cheek, and I started to tremble with relief. Colton’s thumb swiped across my lips. I thought that I might die from feeling so much. He gripped the back of my head, pulling me into his chest. He’d never held me so tight.

Colton’s chin rested on the top of my head. “I can’t lose you again, Al.” I felt his body shake as the anger began to dissipate. “Not again,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my temple.

The fear in his voice was breaking my already shattered heart. I wanted to give him everything—all of me. To show him how much I loved him in the only way I never could. “Make love to me, Colton.” I sounded weak and needy but was too drunk and emotional to care at that moment.

He stared at me in a stupor. Like he wasn’t sure if he’d heard me correctly. I was filled with enough pent up sexual tension and liquid courage that I was desperate enough to beg for it. “Please, Colt. I need you.” My hands twisted into the front of his shirt.

All of the hard lines of his face softened. His eyes glistened, and his head shook. “No.”

No? No? Did he just say no?

“Not that I don’t want to,” he groaned. “I want to.” His head hung as he blew out a frustrated breath. With a sad smile, he continued, “More than you know. Just, not tonight, babe. You’ve been drinking, and we’re...emotional. It wouldn’t be right.”

“I’m not even drunk anymore,” I insisted.

He quirked a brow. “I’m pretty sure you out drank most of the guys, Alex.”

I frowned. That fag-hag comment from earlier was at the forefront of my mind, taunting me. Why was he so quick to drop his pants for those bitches but kept telling me no? Didn’t he want me? Feeling desperate for his attention, I fell to my knees and began fooling with the buckle of his belt. I was going to show him that I could suck a dick as good as any of his blond Hoovers.

Colton’s hips jerked, and suddenly his hands were fighting with mine, trying to stop me. Why was he always stopping me? “Allie, what are you doing?” he groaned. “Please get up.”

“What’s it look like?” I forced a giggle to keep from crying at the sting of being rejected by him yet again. “I’m saying when.”

The next thing I knew, Colt had me cradled in his arms, and we were halfway to the bed. His chest vibrated as he released a resigned laugh. “Alexis Mack, what am I going to do with you?”

I kept quiet because I couldn’t have made it any clearer what I wanted him to do with me, and apparently, he wasn’t interested.

Colt deposited me on the center of the bed. He removed his T-shirt before climbing in beside me. “Here, put this over that bathing suit so I’ll remember to control myself.”

I touched a hand to his bare chest, sliding it over the dips and ridges that lined his muscles. I bit my trembling lip, looking into his eyes, his shirt still balled in my hand. “What if I don’t want you to control yourself?” I asked in a broken whisper. “I’m not made of glass, Colton...I won’t break.”

“Listen to me, Alex,” he said, his voice low and full of emotion. “I have spent years dreaming of being inside of you.” His hand lifted to his chest, covering mine in his warmth. “This isn’t me not wanting you. I want you so bad that I can hardly see straight, but I love you enough to wait until it’s right.” He squeezed my hand then kissed the tears from my cheeks. “This isn’t right, Al.”

His words were beautiful. But, God, I wanted him beyond reason. “When,” I cried, pounding my little fists into his chest. “When, when, when,” I repeated as he grabbed my arms and held me down beneath him. I lifted my hips, wrapping my legs around his waist. Feeling his hard length right where I needed him. “Touch me. You’re killing me, Colt.”

His jaw was clamped shut. He looked so defeated but held on to his damn moral compass, clinging to it like a lifeline. With a deep sigh, he rested his forehead on mine. “Show me, Allie.”

Finally. If this was an audition, I was going to give him the best damn blowjob of his life. Reaching between our bodies, I started to dip my hand into his boxers, and again he stopped me. What the fuck?

His head shook. “No.” Colton cleared his throat. “Show me how you like it. I want to watch you fall apart.”

“Colt?” I called out with hesitation when I awoke to an empty bed.

The bathroom door opened and I could hear the water running. “In here, Al. Brushing my teeth,” he garbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Flashes of the night before flooded my mind. A lot of which I hoped was only a dream. Did I? No. I wouldn’t.

I rolled out of bed and went to join him in the bathroom, taking a seat on the lid of the toilet.

“Here,” he said, holding out my pink toothbrush with a thick blob of toothpaste on top.

We stood side by side, just like when we were kids. I kept my face turned down, unable to meet his eyes in the mirror. After rinsing his mouth out, Colt sat on the counter, staring with an almost giddy smile. I knew without a doubt what that look meant. I was a whore.

The tips of my ears radiated as I rinsed out the sink, looking anywhere but at that infuriatingly sexy man.

“How are you feeling this morning?”

Finally, I worked up the nerve to turn his way. “Like I want to die.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry. I told you not to drink so much. You wouldn’t listen.”

My hands crossed over my chest, and I glared at him. “Not because of that, idiot,” I shot back. “I can’t believe you made me do that.”

A shit-eating grin spread clear across his face. “Do what?” he teased.

“Show me,” I answered in a mocking tone, making air quotes. The heat spread from my ears to my cheeks and neck.

Colton’s eyes became hooded. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“You took advantage of my drunkenness.”

He coughed. “Took advantage? No, babe. Taking advantage would have been me having sex with you in that state. Taking advantage would have been me allowing you to try to prove yourself by shoving my dick in your mouth.”

I gasped.

“You needed a release. You got one, and it was sexy as fuck.” His eyes bore right into mine. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of that.”

“Well, I am!” I shouted, damn near hyperventilating. Then I got an idea. It was the only way. “Your turn,” I said, moving to stand between his parted legs.

“Huh?”

“You heard me.” I snapped my fingers. “Get krankin’,” I ordered, eyeing his crotch.

Colt bit his bottom lip, staring at me for a moment to determine whether or not I was serious. “Take it out,” he ordered.

Gulp. “Huh?”

“Touch me, Alexis, and then I will.”

I shook my head. “That’s not fair. You didn’t touch me.”

A cocky shrug. “You were drunk. I’m not. Baby steps,” he hissed as I lowered the band of his boxers and his dick sprang free. With his hands braced on the counter, he lifted his bottom into the air, allowing me to slide the material off.

I was in a trancelike state as his hand fisted around his semi-hard cock and slowly began moving up and down. His eyes were fixed on my face as he stroked himself repeatedly, and I got it. Suddenly, I understood. My mouth salivated with how badly I wanted to wrap my lips around that beautiful appendage. It was textbook perfect.

“Colton,” I whimpered, resting my palms on his thighs as I grew weak in the knees.

“Allie,” he grunted, his fist pumping faster as he grew impossibly larger.

Before I realized what was happening, my hand had joined his. Almost instantly, his cock spasmed and warm cum shot out, landing on his lower stomach. With my thumb, I wiped what had leaked down his length and smoothed it over the head. Then I let go, and suddenly I didn’t know how to act.

“Th-thank you,” I muttered with a hard swallow.

Colt’s breathing was labored. “No, Allie, thank you.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Colt suggested, plopping down on his stomach beside me on the bed. He was fresh out of the shower, and the scent of his soap and shampoo was strong and doing delicious things to my insides.

“Where do you wanna go?” I asked, not looking up from the novel I was using to hide behind. The events of the past twelve hours had me all flustered.

The book was snatched out of my hand. “I was thinking of taking you to Santa Monica for the weekend.” His eyes browsed over the page I’d been reading, and I fought not to laugh when his jaw dropped and the book snapped shut. Let’s just say that I was at a really juicy part.

“What’s in Santa Monica?” I sat up in the bed, crossing my legs Indian style and folding my hands in my lap, eager for his answer. A weekend getaway sounded amazing—so couple-y. I had no clue where this thing with Colton would lead. I was both anxious and afraid to find out.

“Well, there’s the beach and then Santa Monica pier with the big Ferris wheel on the water.” His wide grin made him look so boyish. “Shopping...”

“Sold!” I said, touching a finger to his lips. His mouth opened and he bit down gently, eliciting a moan from my lips.

Colt popped up to his knees, leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. “Well then, pack a bag and let’s get movin’.”

“Colton,” I screeched, squeezing his thigh as the Uber pulled up to a fucking beachfront mansion. I was having trouble catching my breath. “Is this a joke?” It had to be a joke. The house was on Santa Monica beach...like I could see the freaking Ferris wheel spinning from here.

My best friend grinned ear to ear, looking quite satisfied with himself. “Pays to be the star of the basketball team, Al.” He shrugged, climbing out of the car. How did I not know my best friend was living the life of a damn rock star?

I was still sitting there gawking at the floor to ceiling windows and multi-level balconies when I heard his voice.

“You planning to get out today?” he chuckled, reaching inside to help me out. “I take it you approve?” He couldn’t seem to wipe the amusement from his face at my reaction.

At a complete loss for words, I simply nodded my head and continued to stare at what was to be our home for the next few days while Colton tipped our driver and retrieved our bags.

“Come on, Al. I wanna show you the inside.”

We stepped into an elaborate foyer, complete with marble floors and a chandelier fit for a palace. Colt dropped our bags at the door, taking my hand and tugging me through to the living room. Two of the walls were nothing but glass with the ocean as far as the eye could see. He gave me the tour going room to room. By the way, there were six bedrooms. Six.

“It’s enormous,” I said, regarding the pool sized Jacuzzi tub in the master bath.

“That’s what she said,” he teased.

“Whose house is this?”

Colt shrugged. “A family member of one of the coaches. I mentioned yesterday that I was thinking of taking you out here sometime before you went back to Texas, and by the end of practice he had this all lined up.” The mention of my departure gave me a sick feeling. I never wanted to leave.

“You talk about me with your coaches?” I don’t know why that made me all warm and gooey inside, but there I was, turning to mush.

His hand cupped the back of my neck, pulling me toward him. “They’re practically family, babe. Besides, I talk about you to everyone.”

“Do you?” I asked, my voice low and gravelly as I lifted to my toes, lacing my fingers behind his neck.

“Mhmm,” he moaned his agreement against my lips before molding his mouth to mine and kissing me long and slow. By the time he pulled away, we were both panting, and my panties were soaked.

Colt rubbed a hand over his swollen lips. “Where to first?”

“Is bed an acceptable answer?” I asked with a sideways smile.

His brows shot up. “A little foreplay first, hussy,” he teased, grabbing two fists full of my ass.

Ohhh, foreplay. I liked the sound of that. “What’d you have in mind?” I asked, fluttering my lashes. I was pulling out all the stops.

His lips puckered in thought. “The pier is just down the road...Why don’t we start there?”

“I didn’t realize you were into exhibitionism...”

Colt tsked, rolling his eyes. “I didn’t bring you here to have sex, Alex. We could have done that back at the apartment.”

Oh, we were having sex all right. In every room and on every surface of this bajillion dollar house if I had anything to say about it. “Not in glass rooms and swimming pool sized tubs,” I argued.

With both hands still on my ass, he pulled me tighter to his body. Whisper-soft kisses brushed my forehead, my nose, my lips, my chin...His lips traced a path from my mouth to my ear. “I have plans for you later,” he growled, nibbling my lobe.

Tingles everywhere. “Now,” I mewled, going limp in his arms.

Colt bit down on my ear. “No.”

He was getting a little too comfortable with that two-letter-word for my liking.

“You’re mean.”

“The worst,” he agreed. “Now go get your purse.”

The sun was hot on our necks as we carried our shoes in our hands, walking right along the water’s edge to the pier. The wet sand was much more forgiving on our calves. I loved the way it felt, washing between my toes.

“Good Lord, there are a lot of people on this beach.” The closer we got to the pier, the denser the crowd became. They were literally packed like sardines. I didn’t understand how any of those parents were able to keep track of their children. It was giving me anxiety.

“Yeah,” Colt agreed. “It’s a lot different from Pensacola.” His hand squeezed mine affectionately, and my heart did a flip. We had so many great memories at that beach house.

“I miss it,” I whispered, squeezing his back. “Why’d we ever stop going?” I shielded my eyes with my hand so I could look at his face.

“You had Dean...” His lips pressed into a flat line. “And I had ball.”

After the summer Dean and I got together, we just stopped going. Colt had taken off to California, and I didn’t feel right going without him. Our parents still made their annual trip and begged us to come along. I’m so happy that I didn’t taint the memories of that place by going with Dean. It wouldn’t have been the same.

“Colton,” I hissed, digging my nails into his forearm as I planted my feet to the ground.

“Ouch, Alex. What the he—” He stopped walking, staring in the direction I was looking while struck momentarily speechless. It was a lucky thing for those freaks too.

“Is he doing what I think he’s—”

“Yeah,” Colt answered, cutting me off. He tugged my arm in the direction of the pier, hurriedly getting us out of earshot before I could make a scene. That boy always could anticipate my next move.

“There are kids all over this beach,” I shrieked, my hands flailing around in the air.

Colt could not stop laughing at my mini tantrum. “It’s California, baby,” is all he said in response. Like that was all the explanation I needed. I didn’t care if it was fucking Mars. It was disgusting.

“He was milking her, Colton. Milking her tit like it was a fucking udder!” The couple walking past us to get to the stairs were looking at me like I was insane. I felt close. I could not believe I just watched a grown ass man pull a woman’s tit out of her bathing suit and suck it in broad daylight on a beach filled with children.

“I know, Al.” He put his hand on the small of my back, ushering me up the wood steps. “Watch your step. It’s wet.”

“Like a dairy cow,” I muttered under my breath, unable to shake the sight from my head. My nipples were sore just thinking about it.

We were on our way to the booth to buy bracelets for the rides when we came upon a young woman with a guitar singing a beautiful rendition of “I Never Told You” by Colbie Callait. For years that song had reminded me of him, of us, of what we could have been. “I never told you what I should have said...I just held it in.” If ever there were lyrics that encompassed the regret I had where Colt and I were concerned, this was it.

“She’s good,” Colt noted, dropping a couple of dollars into her tips bucket, clueless to the way that song had twisted me up in knots for years over the feelings I harbored where he was concerned.

“Yeah,” I agreed with a strained smile.

He came back to stand behind me, bending to rest his head on my shoulder. We swayed side to side to the music. His hands were around my waist and mine resting on his. The heaviness the song had brought to my chest started to dissipate. I didn’t need to feel sad any longer. We were here together, and we were figuring this thing out. We were going to be okay.

From there we got our bracelets and went for a whirl on the world-famous waterfront Ferris wheel. The view over the ocean was just breathtaking. “Wow,” I breathed out. My heartbeat quickened.

Colton’s hand came to rest on my thigh and a lump lodged in my throat. He moved a little higher and my body tensed. What was he doing? “Colt,” I rasped as my breath quickened and my head rolled back. “It, umm...” His hand went higher still, slipping beneath my skirt. Oh, dear God, yes. “Wh-what are you doing?” My head was swirling. I could hardly think straight.

“Foreplay,” he rasped, brushing the tip of a finger along the fabric of my bikini bottom. Could he feel how wet I was? Colt began to hum to the tune of “Wild Horses.” Reese Witherspoon’s infamous rollercoaster scene from Fear played on a loop in my mind. He was trying to be funny. Watching that movie together was one of the most awkward preteen memories I had. But, it was really turning me on right now.

“Colt,” I moaned as the video surveillance sign near the entrance came to mind.

“Mhmm?” His finger moved to the elastic at my bikini line, teasing, and I nearly came on contact. The rush of the ride, the thrill of his touch. I was a live wire ready to burst into flames.

“We’re on v-video,” I gasped as his finger dipped inside, grazing over my lips.

My purse landed on my lap. “There.” A chill rippled through me as his tongue traced the shell of my ear. “All better.”

The fact that whoever was watching these videos would have absolutely zero question as to what was going down in this car did cross my mind briefly, but in my pre-orgasmic state, his solution felt adequate—genius even.

“Do you want me to stop?” his raspy voice threatened, causing my anxiety to spike.

I slipped a hand beneath my skirt, curling my fingers around his wrist in a death grip. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

There was a chuckle, then my world faded to black when Colton slid two fingers into my sex and leisurely began pumping them in and out. My body quaked with need as the pad of his thumb began to circle my swollen clit. Each stroke was measured, deliberate. This wasn’t some inexperienced boy. Colton was a skilled lover. He knew exactly what he was doing to me.

“Oh, God,” I moaned, my ass lifting off the seat. The pressure building inside of me was too much. Air. I needed air.

I felt the bite of his teeth on my earlobe, followed by the flick of his tongue. Thrashing in my seat, his mouth covered mine and he swallowed my screams. His other arm went around my waist, stilling my frantic movement and quite possibly saving my life. I was so far gone, there was no room for thought of trivial things like safety. Nothing else mattered but chasing that feeling.

Just as the car made its final descent, Colton pulled his lips away and his forehead came to rest on mine. Our eyes locked, the heat in his stare scorching my skin.

“The control booth is gonna thank you for that little performance.” He smirked. “So fucking hot.”

Shoot me.

My skin was on fire as we departed the ride, and it didn’t have a thing to do with the sun.

Did that really just happen?

We walked for a minute or two in silence before I’d finally worked up the nerve to glance in his direction. Colt stared down at me with a cocky grin. I had an urge to smack him, but in all honesty, he had every right to be proud. If I could spend the rest of my life with his hand in my panties, there would be no hesitation.

“Can we go to bed now?” I whined, teasing-ish.

“How ’bout some lunch?” He rubbed his washboard abs, and as if on cue, it growled. They had a special relationship, those two. I felt my eyes roll.

“Fine,” I grumbled, pouting as I trailed a step behind.

Colt led us over to Marisol, a Mexican restaurant at the edge of the pier. We were seated right away at an outdoor table with a great view of the ocean.

“Mmm,” I moaned, breathing in the fresh, salty scent that hung in the air.

Colt bit his lower lip. “Still thinking about it?” he teased, pressing his first two fingers together while arching them back and forth. His other hand shot up in an attempt to block the chip I threw at his face, and he let out a deep belly laugh.

The sound of his hearty laughter gave me life. I felt the warmth deep in my chest and couldn’t help the big grin that split my face as I stared at my beautiful boy, wondering if I’d ever become used to this. To the giddy elation at finally having his attention lavished on me. To the empty pit in my stomach that was a constant reminder that this could all be gone in the blink of an eye. And if that were to happen...a lifelong friendship would go right along with it.

Gah, I couldn’t think of that right now.

“Maybe just a little,” I teased back, caressing the side of his calf with my foot beneath the table.

Colton popped another chip into his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed. I was mesmerized.

When did swallowing become a sex move? Well, for straight men anyway.

His eyes grew serious. “I can’t stop thinking about it either.” Colton winked, giving me his signature lopsided grin, and the butterflies started up again. It was going to be a long fucking day.

After lunch, we went on to tour the little aquarium. We strolled up and down the boardwalk for hours, listening to various street musicians. Amid crowds of people, we danced and goofed off like teenagers without a care for what anyone thought of us. We were just two crazy kids who may have always loved each other but were finally allowing ourselves the chance to fall.

As we walked the last few paces to the beach house, my body began trembling with nerves. This was it. Tonight was the night, but in the back of my mind was a nagging fear: What if I didn’t live up to his expectations?

“What’s the matter, Al?” Colt asked, pulling me from my thoughts. He was standing in the open doorway, and apparently, I had stalled a good five feet back to stare off into space.

Smiling through my nerves, I shook it off and moved to join him. “Nothin’. I just got distracted, I guess,” I answered, lacing my arm through his. I hoped he couldn’t feel it shaking.

“It happens,” Colt agreed, but his eyes told me he knew better. “Come on. Dinner should be ready.” Colton’s face glowed with excitement as he pulled me inside, shutting and locking the door behind us.

“I thought we were here alone...” Please, please, please tell me we are alone.

He looked back at me over his shoulder with a shit-eating grin. He knew exactly where my thoughts were. “We are alone. I had dinner delivered and set up while we were out.”

“Well, look at you,” I mused, locking my hands around his neck from behind and jumping up onto his back. “All grown up and adulting.”

“I have my moments...Don’t tell anyone.”

Colt brought me up to a staircase on the third floor that led to a rooftop terrace that he’d neglected to show me earlier. “Holy shit.” My eyes about bugged out of my head. It was...everything. I was having a hard time absorbing it all. Next to the pool. Yes, pool, was a table with fancy covered dishes. On the other end was a cabana with a bed, draped in layers of sheer white curtains. It was picturesque. “Can we, uh, skip dinner and do that?” I asked, gawking and pointing.

Colton choked on a laugh. “No worries, Allie. We’ll get there...eventually.” My heart sped up at the gravel in his voice. His warm hand cupped my cheek as Colton lowered his lips to mine. The kiss that followed was soft and slow. All lips and breath and toe-curling wonderful.

“Let’s eat before our food gets cold.” I started to tell him that I couldn’t care less about the damn food, but Colton had worked so hard to make this day perfect. I at least owed it to him to see it play out the way he’d imagined it in his head.

“Oh, thank God,” I said when he began removing the silver dome lids.

Colt gave me a hefty dose of side eye. “Two minutes ago, you wanted to skip dinner altogether, and now you’re thanking the man upstairs?” He laughed. “Clearly I’m missing something here.”

“I’m just relieved that it’s normal food.” I waved my hand over the spread of filet, potatoes, and green beans.

“Mmhmm,” he agreed with a nod of his head. “Did you expect play food?”

I spat out a laugh. “No. I did half expect caviar and octopus,” I teased.

What I didn’t expect was his face to fall. “Is this too much?” Doubt furrowed his brow.

Shit. “No. I was just teasing, Colt. Everything is perfect...This has been the best day of my life.” I felt awful. Colt was always so upbeat and playful that I hadn’t even considered that I may have hurt his feelings with my remark.

He perked up a little at that. “Seriously?” he asked, looking all boyish once again. I nodded my head, and I knew that he could see it in my eyes that I meant it. Colton blew out a sigh of relief. “Mine too.”

The food was delicious and we both stuffed ourselves.

“Wanna go try out that cabana now?” Colton teased, waggling his brows as I moaned in discomfort.

“Sure, I could use a nap,” I fired back, frowning.

We ended up in the pool. The sun was just beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the horizon, and I was in the arms of the sexiest man alive. Life was feeling pretty damn good. So were his hands, which were cupping my breasts, and his lips that were kissing my neck.

Reaching between us, I slipped my hand into his trunks, palming the erection that had been poking my belly. An audible gasp slipped from between my lips when I felt how hard he was.

His hips jerked back at my touch. “Allie, you don’t have to—”

“Colton Fowler,” I growled, “if you deny me one more time, I will go straight up Lorena Bobbitt on your ass and feed this thing to the sharks.”

His hands shot up, palms out. “Well then, by all means, have your way with me.”

My heart raced as I slipped my thumbs into the band of his shorts, pushing them down until his hard cock jutted out into the water. Colton sucked in a sharp breath as I resumed stroking him in a slow and steady motion.

His eyes grew bedroom heavy as his cock began to throb in my palm. “Allie,” he rasped, pulling my hand away and placing it on his chest. “Not like this,” he growled, covering my mouth with his. Colton’s hand dove into my bikini bottom, cupping my sex. With the butt of his palm, he applied pressure to my throbbing clit while sliding a finger along my opening. Then he pushed two fingers inside, pumping in and out while circling my nub with his thumb.

“Colton,” I mewled into his mouth, my body already coming undone at his touch. “Stop...I’m gonna—Oh God,” I moaned, digging my nails into his shoulders as I rode out my climax.

Colton’s voice was gravel when he spoke. “So fucking beautiful, Allie.” His hands moved to the ties on the side of my bikini bottom, tugging until they both came loose and the scrap of fabric floated on the water’s surface. “I wanna feel you explode like that on my cock, baby.”

Holy shit. That was so fucking hot. “Yes,” I whispered as he pulled the string at my back, leaving me completely naked. “God, yes.”

Colt’s hands cupped my bottom and lifted. Tangling my legs around his waist, I devoured his neck as he walked us out of the pool and over to the cabana, positioning me in the center of the bed. “Don’t move.”

Propped on my elbows, I watched the muscles of Colton’s shoulders flex with his movement as he worked at the ties on the bedposts. One by one, the curtains came down, cocooning us in our own little slice of heaven. It felt like we were the only two people on earth. Like we’d been transported to an alternate universe.

Colton’s hungry eyes locked with mine as he joined me, his body perfectly aligned with mine. We were all hands and tongues and teeth. Skin to skin. Heartbeat to heartbeat. With my fingers twisted in his hair, I began rocking myself onto his erection. Colton’s hands gripped my hips, halting my movement. The head of his cock moved, sliding along my opening, causing me to let out a loud moan. My body tensed, pulsing with need as he held me still, sucking one of my nipples into his mouth.

It was the most exquisite form of torture. “Colt,” I cried out. “Please...”

“I’ve got you, baby,” he rasped. Positioning himself, he thrust forward, breaching my entrance in one fluid motion. “Are you okay?” he asked, stilling his movements. “I don’t—” He groaned, his brow furrowed with concentration. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s okay,” I cried. “Hurt me, Colton...Just—just move,” I begged. “Please move,” I panted, rolling my hips into him, desperate for friction.

I felt a tear sneak down my cheek as Colton gripped my ass, thrusting forward again with a loud groan. Holy shit. Colt captured my cry with his mouth, kissing me long and hard. Stretching me. Filling me. Owning me.

With every thrust of his hips, we destroyed that invisible wall. There was no way we could ever go back now. The thought both thrilled and frightened me.