Chapter 49
Double Rainbow
The beach stretched out, pristine, the sea whispering secrets to the shore as foamy edges kissed the sand.
The air was heavy with humidity, thick with the bouquet of brine and distant jasmine.
Lena dug her bare toes into the cool, grainy sand, the hem of her sundress dancing with the breeze, brushing against her calves.
The moon hung low, casting a silvery light over all it touched.
The party was history. Chester was behind bars.
Well, he wasn’t in a jail cell—he got out on bail the next morning.
But he was in the system now. Charges were filed.
The restraining order was permanent. He was shackled with a GPS monitor.
For once, he wasn’t the one doing the watching, and consequences had his name on them.
And this time, there were witnesses; it wasn’t just her word against his.
The primary threat lingered, but it was muted, distant. For this moment, she was free. She had roots again, a job that filled her with passion, a resort brimming with excess and charm.
And she had people—Lisa’s laughter, Walter’s resolute support, Nick’s leadership, Zach’s protection, Kate’s warmth. And David. Always David.
She felt him before she heard him, that buzz on her skin from his presence.
“You always wander off when you need space.” His words rumbled through her core.
A ghost of a smile played on her lips as his strong arms wrapped around her waist, his strength enveloping her, his familiar scent of cedar and citrus anchoring her. His breath on her ear was hot and reassuring.
“You always follow,” she murmured.
“Because you matter, Lena,” he turned her to face him. The moonlight cast silver on his face, highlighting the stark angles of his cheekbones, the stubble on his jaw. His eyes, though—they were soft, tender.
She nestled her face into his chest, enjoying the rise and fall, listening to the rhythm of his heart. He was a safe harbor in the storm that had been her life.
“You okay?”
She shook her head, her hair brushing against his chin. “Not yet,” she confessed. “But I’m closer than I’ve been in a long time. And even better now, with you here.”
The only sound was the waves lapping at the shore and the distant cry of a night bird. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper. “You were extraordinary at the party. With Chester. I don’t think I told you that.”
She closed her eyes, remembering the fear that had coursed through her veins like ice. “I was terrified.”
“But you stood tall, Lena,” his thumb traced circles on her lower back. “You faced your fear. You always do.”
Something in his words, in his tone, split open a part of her normally locked away. She laced her fingers through his where they rested on her waist. “I want this,” her own voice was thick with unshed tears. “You. Us. I’m just… I’m scared I’ll screw it up.”
He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “You will. And so will I, but that’s what makes it real, Lena. That’s what makes it worth it.”
“So we’ll be messy?” she asked, a smile in her voice.
“We’ll be us.”
He reached into his pocket, pulling out something small, something that glinted in the moonlight.
A key.
She stared at it, brow wrinkled, her heart pounding.
“To my place,” he said. “Or your place. Or any place, Lena, as long as you’re in it. No pressure. No expectations.”
Her hand trembled as she took the key. It was cold, unfamiliar, yet it held a promise. “You’re giving me a key?” she breathed.
“I’m giving you a choice,” he corrected, voice husky.
She looked up at him, searching his face, his eyes. “You know I have trust issues, right?” her voice quavered.
“I’ve got patience, Lena.”
“I talk too much.”
A soft smile played on his lips. “I’m a great listener.”
“I leave shells in people’s rooms when I’m anxious,” she admitted, a nervous laugh escaping.
His smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You’re my favorite security breach, Lena Harris.”
A laugh sprang from her lips, the sound bubbling up from her heart, pure and unrestrained.
She went up on her tiptoes, her hand cupping his jaw, and she kissed him.
It was a slow kiss, deep and real, tasting of salt and promises.
His arms tightened around her, anchoring her, grounding her in the here and now. In them.
When she pulled back, her breath mingling with his, she looked into his eyes and saw her future. Messy, uncertain, but theirs. Real. She wasn’t just close to okay—she was there, standing on the precipice of happy.
For years she’d believed safety meant distance—another exit, a clean break. This felt different. Not safer, but truer.
Lena giggled as they crashed into his door, neither one letting go of the other long enough to properly navigate the route to his room from the beach.
The kiss on the beach had not been enough, not for either of them. The salt of the sea still clung to their skin, and the faint smell of sunscreen and summer air wafted around them, heightening their senses.
“Can’t get the door open if you keep doing that,” he murmured against her lips, even as he fumbled with the handle.
“Then stop being so sexy,” she whispered back, nipping at his lower lip.
The door finally gave way, and they stumbled inside. He tucked her hair behind her ear, fingers trailing along her neck to her shoulder, slowly sliding the strap to her dress off, even as his lips found hers, nudging her mouth open, his tongue circling, tasting her. Devouring her.
“God, Lena,” he breathed. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
Pleasure beaded through her bloodstream, and she wanted more. The glide of his lips on her skin. His hands on her body. His touch was both familiar and exhilarating, every movement setting her nerve endings alight.
“Show me,” she whispered.
As if he read her mind, his fingers tightened slightly, spinning her and pulling her ass snug against him, eliminating all space. His erection was snugged into the cleft of her ass, and he moved his hips against her, letting her feel the hard length pushing against the rough denim of his shorts.
“Feel that?” His voice was rough, raw with need. “That’s all for you.”
His fingers stroked her skin, skimming her dress down. Waves of desire, of need, crashed over her, buckling her knees, and she swayed with the force of it. She leaned back against him, trusting him to support her.
“I’ve got you,” he promised, breath wafting over her neck, before licking and nipping along her jawline. “I’ve always got you.”
Each touch sent shivers down her spine, igniting a fire deep within her.
“Please,” she heard herself say, barely recognizing her own voice. “I need—”
“I know what you need.” His hands continued their exploration. “Tell me anyway. I want to hear you say it.”
Her dress fell to the floor, leaving her in just a lacy thong. The cool air hit her bare skin, but it did nothing to quell the heat rising within her. His hands came up under her swollen breasts, cupping them, weighing them in his talented hands.
“You,” she gasped. “I need you.”
His thumb strummed her nipples to taut peaks. “More specific, Spark.”
“I need you inside me. Now. Please.”
A low groan rumbled in his chest before he slid his hand down to twist in the band of her panties, snapping the elastic, his thumb rubbing circles over her hip. A soft, needy sound escaped her lips as he spun her around, pinning her to the wall. His eyes, dark with desire, locked onto hers.
“Like this?” he asked, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through her. “Against the wall?”
“Anywhere,” she breathed. “Everywhere.”
His mouth claimed hers, so deep, so carnal that he left no doubt she was his. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her back to the wall, trusting him to keep her safe.
“Hold on to me,” he commanded, and she obeyed without hesitation.
He swept her up, his mouth never leaving hers as he carried her to the bed. His bed. The scent of his cologne mixed with the salty air, creating an intoxicating aroma that filled her senses.
He quickly shucked his shorts and boxers before coming down on her. He reached between them to position himself at her entrance.
“Look at me,” he said softly. “I want to see your eyes.”
She cupped his face with both hands, meeting his eyes. Both gasped as he drove home.
“Oh god,” she panted, her back arching. “You feel—”
“Perfect,” he finished for her, his voice strained. “You feel perfect.”
She adjusted to the impact of his cock in her body. The fullness. The stretch. The perfect hand-in-glove feel of him inside her. Her own feelings burned in his eyes, as if he too were fighting for control, forging a connection that went beyond the physical.
“Don’t hold back,” she whispered. “I want all of you.”
Then it was gone—his control shattered.
He pounded into her, hands clenched on her hips, thrusts so hard they lifted her from the bed.
“Yes,” she groaned in pleasure, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, trapping him. “Just like that. Don’t stop.”
“Not planning on it,” he growled.
She hung on, lost in sensation, as he plunged in and out, claiming her, making her his. Her nails scraped down his back as she clutched onto him, feeling the slick sweat of their combined effort. Her body shook as she felt an orgasm building, simmering electricity pulsed through her veins.
“I’m close,” she gasped. “So close.”
“Let go,” he urged. “I want to feel you come around me.”
His words pushed her over the edge. She convulsed beneath him, muffling her screams against his shoulder even as he stiffened above her.
“Lena,” he groaned her name like a prayer as he too came.
The room filled with the sounds of their pleasure, the scent of their lovemaking.
He collapsed on top of her, and she could feel the pounding of his heart. Her legs slid from him, and he shifted slightly, taking the weight of his body off her. They both breathed heavily as their muscles slowly relaxed.
When he shifted to pull out, Lena tightened her hold on him. “Not yet. Stay.”