Chapter 19 #2
The spell between the two of us was broken, his head lifting until he was able to look in the attached mirror. “Shit,” he grumbled and slowly brought me to a standing position, but not before lifting an eyebrow in a warning.
“Oh, my God. Cole Kendrick!” Tori’s squeal was shrill until she realized who was practically lying underneath the huge, muscular man.
Little ole me.
As soon as he wasn’t blocking my view, I was almost pushed into horrified laughter. I knew a reporter when I saw one, including the asshole who’d written the article about us being engaged.
Grant Michaels has pushed his way inside, grinning. But he wasn’t the one to worry about. There were one too many cameras catching a moment of the passion I’d shared with Roy.
“Cole. Can I ask a few questions? How does it feel to be engaged?”
“It’s the best moment of my life,” he answered, giving me a look.
“Yes,” I said in agreement. “He’s the man of every girl’s dreams.”
Let them eat cake.
Roy turned his head toward me, lifting his eyebrows. “Do you trust me?” The question was meant only for me.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then let’s go, Clementine. We have some catching up to do. Grab your things.”
I didn’t hesitate, grabbing my bag, tennis shoes, jacket, and my flowers, allowing him to drag me through dancers and several reporters, who continued to hound us with questions.
Just as we made it a few feet into the corridor, another immovable object appeared, this time in the form of my brother, with Samantha flanking his side.
“If I were you, I’d go out the side door,” she suggested.
I stared at Jagger, preparing myself for a fight. No one in my family was going to keep me from getting what I wanted.
And at this moment, that something was one hot man who usually wore a hockey uniform.
Rarely did my brother do anything but scowl. His eyes were twinkling. What in the world was wrong with him?
He shrugged more as if communicating with Roy and stepped in front of the reporters. “Hey, guys, I’m one half of the Dynamic Duo and I’ll be happy to answer your questions. Let the newly engaged couple enjoy some time alone.”
Miracles never ceased. He was giving us an escape route. What alien had crawled into my brother, tossing the real guy aside? I’d ask questions later. For now, we were prepared for a getaway.
* * *
“How did you convince Jagger to come to my dance?” I hated to admit the question had bothered me more than it should. Maybe I was worried that he’d been sent to spy on me, reporting back to Dad so he’d get a reprieve for a little while from our father’s scrutiny.
“I didn’t. He wanted to come. He even asked permission. Of course that was after I’d read him the riot act in front of the entire team.”
I sat up in my seat. “You didn’t.”
“Yeah, I did. He told me I wasn’t good enough for you and I reminded him he didn’t know his own sister and what mattered to her more than anything.”
“Ah, Cole.”
“Then he told me more about your father, the pressure and how your dad is doing everything he can to derail his career. Don’t worry, Clementine. I’m not about to let that happen.”
Tears formed in my eyes, stinging even though they were happy tears. “You’re quite the man, Rebel boy.”
He laughed. “And don’t you forget that. Were you glad he was there?”
“Maybe. Yes. I don’t know. I worry he came for selfish reasons.”
“Your dad?”
“Yeah. You don’t know the pressure he’s put on both of us to work for him. Jagger has gotten the worst, which is why he’s such an asshole.”
“He’s not so bad when you get to know him.”
Hearing Roy’s comment surprised me. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“Look, I don’t know your dad and I guess I don’t want to know him, but he is your father and you only have one. Maybe at some point you should sit down with him and just talk.”
“He’ll lecture.”
When he reached over, grasping my hand, the electricity was entirely different, a connection leaving me feeling secure. Protected. How strange. Maybe everything I’d read about shifters was true.
“Maybe you’re right,” I told him.
He pressed his finger against his temple. “Me he-man always right.”
“Uh-huh.”
Less than an hour later after my ride had proven that if the hockey gig didn’t work out, he could consider talking with the folks from NASCAR, I’d seen one road sign indicating where we were headed.
North Bend.
While I had no idea where he’d been insistent on taking me, it had become obvious from being in his truck for five minutes that he knew exactly where to go. We’d laughed as he’d weaved around other drivers, both constantly looking in the side and rearview mirrors.
We’d stopped at a grocery store outside of town loading up on snacks and alcohol. While rolling the cart through the mostly empty store, we’d tried to be clandestine in case we’d been followed. The moment had been hysterical, reminding me of my freshman year and using fake IDs.
Admittedly, the store clerk had looked at us funny.
When Roy had pulled up in front of a bed and breakfast, I’d honestly been uncertain what to think or say.
“Are you coming?” he asked after grabbing our things from the car.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Utter and complete debauchery.”
“Then I’m game.”
With a key in hand, he peered in through the open door. “Come on, Mrs. Clementine Smith, let’s head to our room.”
“You didn’t.”
“Oh, I did. You recently married Roy Smith, a fine upstanding citizen.”
“What does Roy happen to do for a living?”
He picked up both our bags, his grin practically evil. “Farming. And the lovely bride?”
“She’s a famous romance author.”
“You’ve been hanging around my sister too much.”
“Trust me. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some of her sex scenes are pretty spicy.”
He glared at me before shutting the door with a brutal thud.
I got out, pulling the flowers into my hands and staring at the gorgeous old Victorian while I laughed. “Let me guess. We have the bridal suite.”
Before he answered, he moved around to my side. “Exactly.”
“You are truly one bad man.”
He moved closer, pulling me into his side. “Oh, you have no idea how bad I can be. Trust me. You’re about to find out.” He half carried me around to the side of the house.
“Aren’t we going inside?”
“Well, you see. They have a couple cabins. Since we’re newlyweds and all, we happened to get lucky.”
“Now, what if the press hears about our marriage.”
“Let them be jealous.”
The pathway leading to the cottages went through a winding area of landscaping including a gorgeous fountain. While the water wasn’t flowing, closed for the season, the area was incredible with landscaping including sparkling lights in all the trees.
By the time he unlocked and opened the door, I was already tugging on his jacket. At this point, there would be no control.
Roy barely managed to drop the bags and turn on a few lights when neither one of us could hold back any longer. Nothing was sacred, including the poor flowers, which he yanked from my hands. With petals falling to the floor, all I could do was laugh.
We ripped at each other’s clothes, fighting with his boots and my tennis shoes.
His jacket was off, my fingers already pulling on his shirt, which he jerked over his head, pitching the material aside. I had difficulty pulling off my jacket, a task he was forced to complete since my fingers seemed to have a mind of their own.
One hand was kneading his chest, the other crawling very quickly toward the thick bulge between his legs.
The rest was one huge blur of clothes flying, our sounds escalating to something completely carnal. When we were finally naked, he dragged me against him, leaving his huge cock hanging between my legs.
There was nothing slow and easy about the kiss, the roar of passion something no romance novel could touch adequately.
All while he’d shoved his tongue down my throat, he was pulling me further into the room. I’d barely caught a glimpse of where we’d be staying other than to see two vital things necessary for a romantic getaway.
A huge canopy bed with a half dozen pillows and a fireplace complete with a huge bearskin rug in front of it. My rabble-rousing Roy couldn’t have picked a better location.
In my humble opinion.
I raked my hands over his shoulders while he sucked on my tongue, every nerve ending in my body on fire, the crazed need in my core intensely powerful.