My mind remained absorbed in a game of ping-pong the entire drive home.
Honoring Tyler.
Enjoying Easton.
Meeting Helena.
And I didn’t bring any attention to the fact that I had spotted Tyler’s parents on our way out. Avoiding them at all costs, I leaned into Easton’s side and led him in the opposite direction. I couldn’t take the chance of them seeing the two of us together—not tonight. Lord knows, I could only take so much.
Easton pulled up to the cottage and put the car in park, still not having said one word. The entire twenty minutes it took to get home, I was on pins and needles. The one thing that saved me from losing my mind all together was our joined hands resting on his thigh.
I turned to face him and with the little light from the moon shining through the front windshield, his eyes glimmered. He really was an all-around handsome man, and I thanked my lucky stars that he was sent to me—even if it might be for only a short while. After I explained everything to him . . .
I couldn’t continue that thought, the possible outcome made me nauseous.
Shifting my eyes away from his, it was only then I realized the significance and color of his shirt.
“You’re shirt, it’s red,” I stated matter-of-factly and tilted my head to the side. “What a coincidence.” He gave a half-smile, and the way his eyes faltered made me think it was no coincidence at all.
“It isn’t a coincidence?” I asked, confused.
He shook his head. “No. I’ve known about Red Fridays for a while.”
“You have? How?” I felt the lines bunch on my forehead, and I just sat there, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Let’s go inside.”
He removed the key from the ignition and pushed open his door. I nodded and waited for him to come around to my side. After opening my door, he held his hand out, and I took it.
“I’m confused.”
“About?”
“The red shirt.” I pulled my key from my purse and unlocked the front door. “You never mentioned anything about being in the military? Were you in the military?” I assumed Easton had followed me in, but when I looked over my shoulder, he was still out on the porch. “Aren’t you coming in?”
“Are you sure you still want me to stay?” He held his eyes to mine, and I tilted my head to the side.
“Why would you ask me that?”
He didn’t answer, but he really didn’t need to. It was obvious—to me at least—that he had questions. That something might be bothering him and the selfish part of me didn’t want to know—not yet. I’d rather enjoy his company for one more night, before possibly never seeing him again. I would explain everything in the morning.
I sighed and did an about face straight for the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, I purposely stuck my head in even though I knew exactly where I had left that bottle of wine.
“Did you want a beer?”
“Lilly.” His tone was brisk, and I flinched.
I was doing this to him. Filling him with unease, and I needed to quit. He had been nothing short of amazing to me and the way I was acting wasn’t even close to fair to him.
“Yes.” I grabbed the wine for myself.
I had just grabbed a glass when he closed the short distance between us and caged me between his hard chest and the counter. My traitorous body responded, not giving a damn that my mind was in turmoil. That my heart teetered on the proverbial fence, trying to figure out which side of the grass was greener.
A prickling sensation flashed all over my body, and I took a deep breath, releasing it inaudibly through my lips. Closing my eyes, I silently summoned him to touch me. Take me out of my head and live in the moment, there with him.
“My grandfather was a sergeant in the Army.” My breath hitched and I tried to glance over my shoulder to look at him, but with his close proximity, I could barely catch a glimpse of his profile. “I didn’t have the heart to talk about it after learning that your—” His grip on the counter tightened. “Tyler was killed in action. There really was no reason to go into detail.”
I nodded. His bits and pieces of an explanation made sense.
I somehow maneuvered my body to face him and laid my palms on his chest. Easing my hands upward over his hard chest, I curled my fingers at the back of his neck and met his eyes. An irrepressible desire lurked, but he was fighting to hold back, and could I blame him?
“Please kiss me,” I pleaded, ready to beg if need be. Things were about to get crazy, but right now, I needed him in the simplest form.
“Do you have any idea of what you mean to me?”
His eyes drank me in and grew wild, no longer that warm shade of honey.
Everything was happening so fast, in slow motion. The kiss he stole right from my lips had me arching into his chest. I became completely imprisoned by him. Both his hands tangled in my hair, and he angled my head as he took the kiss one step further, devouring my mouth with deep sweeping strokes of his tongue. It came to a point where I couldn’t decipher if I was standing on my own two feet or floating on a cloud.
Breathing became damn near impossible and as much as I hated it, I had to pull away. I sucked in deep breaths and pressed my forehead to his chest. “I want you to stay, Easton. Please don’t question that.”
“I won’t.” He slid his finger under my chin, lifting until our eyes met “It’s just . . . something feels off since you spoke to that woman tonight.”
Along with every good thing that made this man who he is, he was perceptive.
“Shhh.” I pressed my finger to his lips. That was a conversation for later. Right now, I needed to feel.
I laid my hands on his chest again, gently nudging him to take a step back. As I reached behind my back to unzip my dress, Easton met my hands and took over, sliding the zipper down. His fingers skimmed upward along my spine, giving strength to that swirl of heat low in my belly. My sex tingled, my eyes fluttered closed, and my head fell back. His touch was intoxicating.
He slid the thin straps off my shoulders and pressed his lips to the hollow of my throat, swirling his tongue before moving to the crook of my neck. Sucking and kissing along my collarbone, causing a raging heat to engulf my entire body, tingling from my scalp to my toes.
I grabbed the hem of Easton’s shirt and tugged upward. Without missing a beat, he reached behind his neck and pulled it over his head, tossing it on the counter beside him.
“Exquisite,” he murmured, tracing both of my nipples with his thumbs. “Are you wet for me, Sunshine?” He tugged on my nipples, and I swallowed hard. My eyes flickered to his mouth as his tongue darted out and licked his lips.
My breath caught, and I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth. He knew damn well the effect he had on my body. “Do you really have to ask?”
He snaked one arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him. When he reached down and squeezed my ass, he mumbled, “I need you, Lilly. Fuck, do I need you.” His double meaning ringing loud and clear. Little did he know that I needed him just as much, if not more.
Body to body, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing my aching breasts into his chest. “I need you, too.” I crashed my mouth to his, conveying just how much.
With his slow hands moving over my ass and along the curve of my hips, my pulse raced. His touch was nothing short of electrifying. Using only his thumb, Easton brushed the cotton strip of my panties, pressing slow circles on my clit that had my temperature rising. Something about having a barrier between us made the sensations that much more intense and my knees weak. I tightened my hold around his neck as he snuck one finger in me.
“Fucking hell, you’re hot,” he growled, shoving my panties to the side, inserting a second finger and fucking me with his hand.
“Easton.” Moaning and too lost in his touch to think past the way he was making me feel.
“I love you, Sunshine,” he murmured against my ear. His mouth dipped to my breast, and I looked up enough to keep my eyes locked on his tongue pressed flat against my nipple. He closed his lips over the sensitive tip and sucked—hard, lavishing my body before repeating the motions. Soon after, it had all become too much—his mouth, his hands, his heart, and I lost myself to him.
“That’s it, Sunshine. Fuck my hand, come for me.” As if his words were the commander of my body, I did exactly as told and succumbed to the pleasure that ripped through me.
My knees finally gave, and he scooped me into his arms and carried me to the living room where he laid me on the plush area rug. His eyes roamed the length of my body while his fingers made quick work of undoing his jeans.
“Do you want to go in the bedroom?” I asked, my voice hoarse even to my own ears.
Standing above me with his eyes gazing down hungrily, he shook his head. “I may be patient, but I’m not perfect. A man can overlook only so much, and I don’t think I could make love to you in a bed you shared with another man.”
My heart dropped.
Once he learned the truth, it might very well be the end of us.