Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Marshall
T he last few weeks of summer were slipping away.
I savored every minute I spent with Hayden and Saylor.
Soon, I'd be living alone in this beach house.
As much as I loved the space, it would eventually hold only memories of the time I shared with them.
I had a feeling it would be hard to stay after everyone left.
But this thing with Saylor was only supposed to be a fling. She needed an escape from her life, and I thought I could handle a relationship with an end date. But I was the one who broke the rules and fell for her.
Hayden was busy with her friends and the final preparations for the senior center's garden party. It was meant as an end-of-summer party coupled with a showcase of their new additions to the grounds: the gazebo, the butterfly garden, and the nature trail.
After the party, Hayden would return to her mother's, and Saylor would move back to Jacksonville.
Ivy hadn't found the perfect house for me yet, and I still needed to smooth things over with Hudson.
Tonight, Hayden was at her friend's house, and Elena had invited Saylor to go out with her, Ivy, and Hazel."
I texted Hudson and asked if he'd be up for company. I wasn’t sure he was going to answer, but eventually, he'd said yes.
I didn't expect he'd invite me for dinner or even offer me a drink. So I didn't bring anything with me. I'd hurt Hudson, and he had a right to feel however he did.
I just hoped he'd find it in his heart to forgive me someday. I didn't want working in the family business to be awkward. If Hudson couldn't get over my return, I'd have to consider another plan.
I knocked on the door at seven and waited for the sound of his heavy footsteps as he approached. He opened the door. "Come in."
He didn't look happy to see me.
I stepped inside. "Thanks for having me over."
He raised a brow because he hadn't invited me. Hudson led the way onto his back deck, handing me a beer. I set it aside, not ready to relax quite yet.
We sat in separate chairs. The sound of the waves didn't soothe me like it usually did. Instead, I felt anxious about his reaction to what I had to say.
"I'm sorry that I left the way I did. I wasn't happy about graduating and moving back home like you were, and I didn't know how to talk to you about it."
"I expected that you'd be by my side."
"I wasn't ready to take over the business. You needed me, and I let you down."
Hudson dropped his head slightly. "I should be over this by now. It was a long time ago. But I thought you’d be there. I never anticipated going at it alone."
"I thought you'd have Dad."
"I did, but it wasn't how I envisioned my future.
Maybe Dad would have already retired if you were running the business with me.
But we'll never know. I was hurt for a long time, but I think meeting Elena healed me in a way.
I realized that there was more to life than what I'd built.
I didn't need to be alone and do everything myself.
I could have a partner. And maybe you've realized that too. "
My forehead creased. "What do you mean?"
"You're with Saylor, aren't you? After all these years."
I sucked in a breath. "You knew about her?"
"Dad wanted me to find out what was distracting you from work. He thought it might be a girl, and it was. He was heartened to discover she was just a tourist and would be leaving at the end of the summer."
I nodded. "She left, and we didn't see each other again until now."
"You picked up where you left off?" Hudson asked.
"We formed a new relationship, one that is more mature than it was back then. But we aren't together. She has a life somewhere else, and I have my daughter to think about."
Hudson's forehead wrinkled. "You're going to let her go at the end of the summer?"
"I don't have a choice. It was never supposed to last."
Hudson lifted his head. "You don't think that things could change?"
"Saylor has a job, a life she built in Jacksonville. I don't want to be the one to take her away from it."
He grimaced. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"I don't expect you to forgive me for what I did. But I hope that we can move forward from it and work together without any animosity between us."
Hudson let out a breath. "Elena thinks I need to let this go."
I was thankful that Elena was in his life and helping him get through this. It made me think of Saylor and her influence in my life. Was she healing me too?
"I miss our friendship. It was always me and you. And then it was just me and the weight of responsibility."
"I'm hoping to share that burden with you. If you'll let me."
Hudson nodded. "I want that."
I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him against me. When I let him go, he handed me the beer. "Tell me about your summer."
"I've been navigating the life of a teen girl, figuring out a way to help her deal with the ups and downs. When you have a kid, I have a great book I can recommend to you to deal with the teen years."
"You think that's it for you? Or do you want more kids."
"I never really thought about having more because I haven't met anyone I'd want to share that with. I certainly don't want to do this apart from someone again. I'd love to share that experience with a significant other."
"You think that could be Saylor?"
"When we were teens, I thought what we had was young love. That we'd move on and meet someone else. Except I never did. Then when we ran into each other again, that desire was still there."
"Is she the one for you then?" he asked, tipping his beer bottle.
The more I talked about it with Hudson, the more I thought she could be. But there were so many things to consider. "I don't know."
"Everyone comes to me when they're having issues with their significant others. I'm not sure how that happened."
"Because you were one of the first in a relationship, and Luna isn't here."
"I'm sure Luna gives better advice. Speaking of our absentee sister, Mom said Luna wants to visit soon."
"She does?" I asked, surprised at the development.
"Yeah, she wants to see you and Hayden, introduce you to Axel."
"Everyone will be home again."
"It will be nice to have everyone together. It makes me think that I should let this thing between us go."
I let out the breath I felt like I'd been holding onto forever. "I think so too."
"I'm glad you stopped by, even if I didn't make it easy on you."
"That's how it is between brothers. We're not supposed to make it easy on each other." I couldn't go back and fix what I'd done, but I could do better going forward.
When I picked Saylor up later that night, she wrapped her arms around my neck. "You make nice with your brother?"
"I did," I said, amused that she was tipsy from her night out with her friends. She'd asked if I would pick her up, and as soon as I spotted her at the beach bar, she was affectionate and whispering not so softly how she wanted to get me home and into bed.
I had a feeling she was going to pass out as soon as we got home. Hayden decided to stay overnight at her friend's house, so we had the cottage to ourselves.
Saylor twisted her fingers in my hair. "Did he forgive you for being a bad boy?"
I almost choked on that characterization. "I don't know if I'd go that far. He's willing to give me a chance. Hopefully, things won't be as awkward going forward, and I can start officially working for Kingston Construction when Hayden is back with her mother.
Saylor's expression dimmed. "The summer's almost over."
"Our time together is coming to an end," I murmured.
"We have to make the most of it." She jumped, wrapping her legs around my waist, and I held onto her ass.
"You want to take me to bed?" I asked her.
She giggled. "I think you're taking me to bed."
She was a sassy drunk, but I still wasn't convinced she wouldn't pass out in a few minutes. I carried her upstairs as her hands gripped my hair and she kissed me. When we reached her room, I dropped her onto the bed so she bounced.
She arched a brow. "Are you going to strip for me?"
I pulled my shirt over my head and pushed down my shorts. I was wearing easy access clothes, no buttons or zippers. Nothing to get in between us.
"You're sexy when you take off your clothes."
I waggled my brows, amused at her praise. "Why are you still dressed?"
"I want you to take my clothes off."
I placed a knee on the bed. "Challenge accepted."
She sat up, fumbling with her dress, and I helped her pull it over her head. I wouldn't have sex with her tonight. If she stayed awake, I'd give her an orgasm or two before I let her pass out. This night wasn't about me. It was about making her feel good.
She was braless, but I pulled her tiny black thong over her hips and flung it somewhere. She spread her legs, her pussy was already glistening for me.
"You want me?" I practically growled as I knelt between her legs.
"I always want you." Her voice was low and husky.
"You smell so good." And I knew she'd taste even better.
"You're so sweet."
I kissed her thigh before focusing on her clit. I eased my fingers inside her, relishing the warm heat.
"I could fall in love with you so easily."
That made me pause because I was fairly certain I hadn't stopped loving her.
"I know that wasn't our plan." She touched my hair. "This is just a fling."
"That's what we said—" I agreed as I continued to suck on her clit, curling my fingers over that rough spot that made her head fall back, and she moaned.
The sound had my dick standing at attention.
He wanted to get in on the action, but that wasn't happening.
Not when she was inebriated and talking about love and relationships.
I was positive she wouldn't remember any of this in the morning, and I didn't want to believe what she was saying.
Not when I wasn't sure if she meant any of it.
I wanted her to ask for more, but she didn't. She didn't say anything else as I drove her higher. Her thighs clamped around my ears, and her pussy spasmed around my fingers as she went over. I coaxed her through her release, slowly easing my fingers out of her dripping pussy.
She pulled me up so I could kiss her. Then she rolled me with surprising strength, straddling my thighs. I wanted to be inside her, but she was moving down my body, gripping my cock. "I want to taste you."
I wasn't going to say no to her. This reminded me of when we were eighteen, young and inexperienced.
There was a lot of experimentation and sloppy moves, but we loved each other.
Being perfect wasn't the goal. Everything we did meant something, and I wanted that again.
I wanted this to mean something beyond a physical release or a summer fling.
I wanted Saylor Benedict for my very own.
She gripped my cock, pumping it as she lowered her mouth to lick the tip. She bit her lip and then licked the underside of my shaft, drawing the sensations out.
My hips lifted off the bed.
"This is all me," she chided, and I got the message. I'd try and stay still so she could have her way with me. The thought heightened the desire flowing through my veins.
Then she wrapped her lips around the tip and sucked me into her mouth. I was a goner, the desire hot and heavy. Her breasts bounced.
My hand landed in her hair. I attempted to gather it so that I could see her face and that naughty mouth. I liked drunk Saylor. She was uninhibited.
I wondered if she meant anything that she'd said. Did she want more? Would she remember any of this in the morning? Or was this the alcohol talking?
I was in my family's good graces, and I was mending my relationship with my daughter. Wanting this woman in my life wasn't realistic.