Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
brITTON
Itilted my head back and tapped the bottom of the bag to get the last salty chip crumbs. Then I tossed it onto the backseat with the empty coffee cups, water bottles and sandwich wrappers. I sat forward with a satisfied sigh. “There. This car now officially looks like a road trip car.”
Slade glanced up into the rearview to catch a glimpse of the cluttered backseat.
“Yep. Only it looks like my traveling buddies are three six-foot football players.” He smiled my way.
“Not one five-foot girl. You sure can down a lot of junk food for someone who looks like they could stand beneath a forest leaf for shelter.”
“Blame yourself. All that sex has given me an appetite.” I gazed out the window.
The rocky, uneven coastline had disappeared for awhile, but now it was back and it was nothing short of picturesque under the midday sun.
Slade and I had talked and laughed and flirted wildly the entire trip.
Not one second of the road trip had been dull or disappointing.
The only thing to cast a shadow over it was the reason behind the trip and the looming prospect of seeing Damon again.
But it wasn’t meeting up with Perris’s horrid boyfriend that sent a shudder of regret through me.
It was my own heart asking me what the hell I was doing chasing shadows.
Shadows eventually disappeared with the moving light.
And these shadows would probably only make the ache in my chest worse.
I looked over at my traveling companion.
He looked exceptionally handsome with black beard stubble and his opaque sunglasses.
I’d brought him into my shadow hunt now.
It had already resulted in him getting stabbed.
I was starting to regret the purpose for this whole trip.
What I wasn’t regretting was spending time with Slade.
Slade was holding back a smile as he veered onto the off-ramp. I looked around. “More food? I was kind of thinking donuts would go nicely with those potato chips.”
He laughed. “Jeez, the mini-marts near your work must be thriving.”
“Actually, I eat pretty healthy when I’m at work. I just really wanted to get the official road trip high of processed sugar and artificial colors and flavors. Where are we headed?”
“A little surprise.”
“So, we are getting donuts? Love the one that you bite into and the jelly comes squirting out the other side.”
“O.K., junk food queen, we’re not stopping for donuts.
” He pulled into the parking lot of a motel where the quaint cozy cottages were all lined along a small bluff overlooking a beach.
“I found this place on one of those travel sites and booked us a cottage. The one with a view, a balcony and there’s a whirlpool bath right in the fucking room.
” He smiled over at me. “Double occupancy, according to the description.”
“No way. All right. That’s way better than a jelly donut.” I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Potato chips. Amazing sex with an even more amazing guy. And beach cottages. Best damn road trip ever.”
We parked and got out. I leaned against the car, took hold of my heel and lifted it up to my butt to stretch my leg. Then repeated with the other. My legs, my arms, my whole body suffered from a luxurious fatigue, a fatigue brought on by an un-damn-forgettable night with Slade.
Slade pushed his dark sunglasses up on his head and looked at me over the top of the car. “That’s right, baby, get yourself all warmed up.”
I laughed. “Actually, I don’t think I ever cooled down. My legs feel a little like Jell-o.”
“Yep, I have that effect on women.”
We walked toward the motel office. “Won’t argue with you on that, Bolt.”
“You know,” he said, “I thought that nickname would work for me, but I’m not feeling it. You’ll have to come up with something different.”
“I could just call you Slade. Or Mr. Stone.”
He tilted his head. “Nope, those don’t work either.”
“There’s always Master.”
He stopped. “I do like Master. But you should probably just use it in the bedroom. I think it might get me some dirty looks if you used it in mixed company.” He opened the office door for me and I stepped inside.
The one thing I’d noticed about being with Slade was that at first glance, people tended to look slightly stunned by fear.
He was tall and had an imposing set of shoulders and a striking, almost lethal looking physique, particularly with his myriad of tattoos.
But I’d also noticed that his charm quickly overcame the initial reaction.
Particularly, if he was talking to a female.
The woman behind the office counter was in her mid to late thirties. She looked up from behind her vintage, rhinestone glasses and her bright red lips formed an O when she saw Slade. She hopped up fast enough to drop the pen from behind her ear.
“Can I help you?”
Slade leaned his arm, the one with the tattoo sleeve, on the counter and flashed his smile. “Yes, you can. We have a reservation for one night. Slade Stone is the name.” He motioned to her face. “Cool eyeglasses.”
She reached up and adjusted them as if she’d forgotten they were there.
A pink blush rose in her cheeks. “Thanks. I collect them. Sort of like Elton John, I guess.” She smiled at Slade.
The shocked initial reaction had been replaced with a look of ‘holy moly this guy is handsome.’ She shot me only a cursory glance and returned her attention to the more important person at the counter.
“Let me just pull your name up on my computer.” She sat down to type. Her gaze kept flicking his direction, and the cocky tilt of Slade’s mouth assured me that he was catching her glances.
The weather outside was spectacular. “I’m going to head back out,” I said. Slade finished up while I stepped out onto the office porch to feel the sun and breeze. It had been so long since I’d felt truly happy that I wanted this trip to last forever.
Slade came out seconds later with the key bouncing on his palm. We hopped in the car and drove to our little cottage. It was white with blue shutters. Heart-shaped paving stones led a path to the blue front door.
Slade opened the door. It was perfect. The room was decorated in floral wallpaper with an old-fashioned tint to it.
An ornate, antique-looking, wrought iron headboard loomed over a large bed that was covered with a rose colored quilt and blue pillows.
A large picture window looked out over a small deck with two lounges.
The ocean view from the deck was like a postcard.
Low growing trees, with trunks and branches that twisted like gnarled arms and legs, grew along the hillside that led down to the ivory sand and dark blue water.
Slade dropped our bags on the chair. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. “This is so great. I can’t even begin to describe how much darn fun I’m having.” I kissed him on the mouth. “Master.” I raised a brow at him. “Does that work?”
“Oh yeah, that fucking works. Now take off those clothes. Master wants to check out the double occupancy whirlpool bath.” He walked into the bathroom. “Yep, this’ll work too. Did you undress yet?” he called.
I laughed. “Only my shoes are off. We just stepped into the cottage.”
The water turned on. He walked out of the bathroom, completely naked and completely erect. “Right. So, what the hell are you waiting for? After all, I’m the master and I commanded you to get undressed.”
I backed up. “I think I’ve created a monster with that nickname.”
“It might go to my head.” He stomped toward me. I squealed and turned to run. He was too fast. He swept me up into his arms. “Guess I’ll just have to drop you into the bath fully clothed and then deal with it afterward.”
I squirmed but his strong arms held me tight, reminding me just how powerful he was and how completely vulnerable I was.
I laughed. “I will get undressed right now. Just put me down for a second.”
“You’re not going to sprout tiny silver wings and fly off, are you?” He looked so incredible in the daylight streaming through the big bathroom window that, for a brief second, I lost my breath and my train of thought.
He still had me cradled in his big arms as I placed my hand against his face and kissed him.
“In case I forget to tell you, I’m having the time of my life.
When my sister died I lost so much of myself, I haven’t really laughed or smiled much since.
Until now. Until you. You were just what I needed.
You don’t even have to poke holes in the lid of a jar to keep me trapped.
Even if I had wings, I wouldn’t fly off. I’m yours.”
His dark green eyes glistened in the natural light as he gazed at me. The usual humor, the usual cocky smile was gone. It was a serious expression I rarely saw, and it made him even more handsome, if that was possible. “You know something, Tink? I think you’re just what I needed too.”
He lowered my feet to the tile floor. Warm steam rose up from the giant tub as it filled with water. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he kissed me long and deep.
I relaxed against his naked body. His cock pressed urgently against my belly. “Undress me, Slade,” I said softly against his mouth.
His long, dark lashes lifted and he stared down at me with a fevered gaze. “Fuck, baby, that sultry voice of yours makes me so damn hard.”
I reached down and took hold of his cock.
His eyes closed and his head tilted back.
His Adam’s apple moved up and down his throat as I stroked him.
I pressed my mouth against his chest and ran a trail of kisses along his shoulder.
Halfway across, my lips crossed a ridge of scar, an ugly reminder of his childhood.
I ran my fingers over the long, thin scar and then continued my trail of kisses down his side to the other scar. It was still pink and raw.
I stopped and took a breath. He sensed my hesitation.