Tame Me (Distracted Book 2) Page 7

  As an answer, he nodded. “I’ve been coming here for as long as I can remember.” He set the last bag down, then moved across the room towards her.

  “This is your place?” she asked, feeling shocked.

  “It belongs to my family.” He pulled her into his arms.

  “And who are they?” She waited.

  “My family.” He leaned in and kissed her until she forgot to ask him more.

  Chapter Eight

  He knew he couldn’t keep putting off telling her about his family. But he had planned on getting settled in before opening up to her.

  “Why don’t you take your stuff upstairs and find a room. I’ll make sure the kitchen is stocked.”

  Her eyebrows shot up in question.

  “What?” he asked after she remained silent.

  “It’s just…” She shook her head and then grabbed her bag and disappeared up the circular staircase.

  Walking over to the newly remodeled kitchen, he read the message left by the housekeeper, his longtime friend Zantae. The woman had been his surrogate mother for most of his life. She made sure the house was cared for and when it was rented out, cleaned it and organized everything for guests.

  The last time he’d been on the island had been last month. He tried to come as often as he could, but for a while, paying for school had been a priority.

  However, in the past year, he’d had a little extra cash to spare and had made the trip more often. Now that he’d come into his inheritance, he planned on spending as much free time on his boat and with Jamie as he could.

  When Jamie came back down the stairs, his mouth dried up completely when he noticed the swimsuit she was wearing under a sheer cream top. She wore a slinky pair of tan heels as she descended the stairs. Her eyes were locked with his and he noticed she’d freshened up her makeup and had done something different with her hair.

  “I thought we’d go for a swim.” She stopped at the base of the stairs, her hand resting on the railing.

  “Are you trying to torture me?” he asked softly.

  Her eyebrows shot up as her smile doubled. “Just wanting to cool off.”

  His eyes narrowed as he walked towards her. She was so beautiful. He’d fought for years to steer clear of her. Friends. That word had been embedded in his mind.

  But now, he doubted they could ever go back to being just friends. Not after today.

  “Aren’t you hot?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

  “Too much so.” His eyes ran over her face as he pulled her closer.

  “Do you want to go for a dip?” she asked, breathlessly.

  “After,” he said, just before his lips covered hers.

  He hoisted her into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist and held on as he walked backwards towards the sofa. He sat down, and she settled on his lap as their mouths collided once more.

  “I didn’t mean for this to happen,” he admitted between kisses.

  “I did.” She ran her mouth down his neck as her hands pulled his shirt open. When her fingers touched his skin, it heated further.

  Her sheer top disappeared and suddenly they were skin to skin, and he knew she’d pushed him too far to stop now.

  Twisting, he pinned her underneath him, her hands locked above her head.

  “You like living dangerously, don’t you?” He looked down at her, his eyes searching hers.

  “You know me.” She smiled.

  “You think you know me.” He shifted and had her groaning with pleasure. “You don’t.” His fingers reached under her swimsuit bottom, and her hips jerked as he plunged first one then another finger deep inside her.

  He moaned at the feeling of her clenching around him. She jerked under him. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he hovered above her.

  “Jamie.” He waited until her eyes opened and focused on him. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this, for you?”

  “No,” she moaned and moved under him, trying to get him to touch her some more.

  “Too long for us to do this on the sofa.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Too long,” he repeated as his fingers continued to move inside her.

  Her legs wrapped around his hips as she begged for more.

  “Finish me,” she said against his ear. “Please.”

  He moved down and covered her with his mouth, taking her pussy lips into his mouth, sucking until he felt her fingernails dig into his scalp.

  “Blaine,” she begged as he hoisted her legs over his shoulders. There were little ties on the sides of her bikini bottom and he quickly released them, exposing all of her for his pleasure.

  When he dipped his mouth over her again, this time he plunged his fingers deep inside her, and she jerked off the sofa cushions.

  She cried out in pleasure, and he swore he’d never heard a more beautiful sound. When she came, he savored every moment as she convulsed for him.

  When she relaxed back, he gently picked her up and took her with him outside. Not stopping, he walked into the shallow end of the pool as she opened her eyes.

  “Mmm.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “What a great start to the night.”

  She relaxed back in his arms as he moved deeper into the water.

  “Agreed.” He didn’t stop until they were both shoulders deep.

  The cool water helped settle his desires, but only a little. Still, seeing her floating in front of him gloriously naked had him harder than he’d ever felt before.

  She glanced up at the house and narrowed her eyes. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve been working two jobs to pay for college.” She turned to him and he dropped his arms. He knew she wanted answers.

  “Yup,” he replied.

  “Why? It’s obvious you come from money.”

  “Not everyone is still talking to their family,” he replied.

  “Your father shut you off?” she asked.

  “He paid for the first year of school,” he admitted.

  “Why not more?” She moved closer and watched him.

  “Because he has someone new in his life.”

  “New?”

  “Remember, my mother died when I was thirteen.”

  She nodded and moved closer to him. “I’m sorry.” He nodded, not meeting her eyes. Jamie frowned. “Did they catch the murderer?”

  “Yes.” His short answers had her tilting her head to the side.

  “I thought we weren’t going to have any more secrets.”

  His eyes ran to her body, which hid under the water.

  “What does your father do?” she asked after a moment.

  “He’s a governor,” he answered automatically. He watched her very closely.

  “Of?” She kicked off and followed him into deeper waters.

  “Washington State. For the past three terms.” He pulled her closer again.

  “Impressive.”

  “Not really.” He wanted to kiss her again. “Jamie, we can talk later. For now, let’s just enjoy ourselves.”

  She tugged away slightly and smiled. “Promise?” When he nodded, she pushed him under the water playfully. “Good,” she said when he surfaced again. “Because I want to go for a walk on the beach now.”

  He laughed and followed her as she swam towards the steps.

  Inside, he watched her pull on her swimsuit and coverup, then they walked down the steps towards the beach, hand in hand.

  When they hit the sand, Jamie gave a little moan. “Why is it that sand feels so good on your feet?”

  He chuckled and sunk his toes in the softness and silently agreed.

  “Are you going to tell me anything more about this place?” She nodded to the top of the hill, where the yellow house sat as a beacon against a wall of greenery.

  He took her hand in his, and they started walking down the beach, heading towards the edge of the water. A cluster of palm trees lined the area, making it secluded, especially with the stone sea wall separating the sand from the re
st of the island.

  “My father had the place built for my mother in the eighties.” He headed towards the large rock jetty that he’d spent a lot of time on as a kid. “We spent almost every holiday season down here when I was a kid. Until after my mother’s death. And then my father took office.” He shrugged. “By then, I guess, I was too old to cart around, and he started coming down here alone or with someone else.”

  Her eyebrows shot up as she glanced over at him. “He never remarried after your mother?”

  “No. But that didn’t stop him from deciding that women he hardly knew were more important than his son.”

  “That must have been hard on you.”

  “No, actually, it was a relief. Half the time we were here, he was never around.” He glanced back at the house. “I missed the sand and the people, but other than that…” He shrugged. “I had my friends in Washington and, more importantly, he wasn’t around.”

  He turned to her and they stood along the old stone wall. His eyes moved up and down the thing. He probably knew every boulder, every stone by heart. He’d spent most of his holidays here, alone.

  “What?” She’d been watching him. Her eyes locked with his. “What caused the sadness in your eyes?”

  “I was just remembering all the times I’d wished I had someone with me here.” He glanced around. “Stuck in paradise, alone.”

  She moved into his arms. “You’re not alone now.”

  “No,” he agreed after a moment. “I’m not.” He kissed her lips and felt something shift deep inside him. Something he’d locked away long ago and swore he’d never let loose again.

  Pulling back, he glanced down at his watch. “What do you say to a swim”—he pulled her towards the water and watched her smile grow and her eyes heat—“then dinner.”

  He dropped his arms and raced into the water with her on his heels.

  Chapter Nine

  By the time they made it back into the house, Jamie was hungry again. They had played in the surf and lay in the sand enjoying the sun until Blaine’s stomach had growled loudly.

  He suggested she go up and shower and change as he started getting dinner ready.

  She’d picked the largest room upstairs, knowing that she wanted to share it with him for the night.

  She’d dreamed about him, since the other day. Her dreams hadn’t come close to what he had done to her earlier. She had plenty of experience. Had enjoyed people of all shapes and sizes. None of them had been as skilled as Blaine.

  Which gave her some concern. She could find herself in over her head, something she’d sworn she’d never do. Still, what was the harm in playing around? Enjoying herself while in paradise?

  She took her time showering in the large glass shower, using the extra soft and fluffy towels she’d missed from her time living with her parents. No matter what she poured in with her towels, she could never get them as fluffy as her mother had.

  She pulled on the new sundresses she’d bought at the pier. Its soft white material felt like silk against her skin. She applied her makeup carefully. After tying her hair up in a messy bun at the base of her neck, she looked at her reflection. It was strange, but she wondered who the woman was looking back at her. The dark circles that had hidden under her carefully applied makeup for the past two years were completely gone.

  Her smile was bright as she looked at herself. She’d remained thin, too thin for her liking. Shortly after… two years ago, she’d lost ten pounds and had yet to gain any of that cushion back. Her hip bones jutted out, along with her cheekbones. She was too thin, and she knew it.

  The new sundress clung to what few curves she had. She’d always wanted to enhance her upper assets but didn’t have the guts to go under the knife. Her full C cups would just have to do.

  Shifting her breasts up slightly, she smiled when she achieved the cleavage she wanted.

  Walking out of the bathroom, she gazed at the massive king-sized bed and wondered just how she was going to stand waiting to get Blaine naked.

  Before she made it all the way downstairs, the wonderful smells of spicy food hit her.

  She was very surprised to see the table fully decked out. Everything was perfect, down to the taper candles in silver holders.

  The lights were dimmed and the sun sank low over the water outside, giving the room a pink hue.

  Blaine stood at the bar area, pouring what appeared to be piña coladas into two matching glasses. He’d changed from his swim shorts into khakis and a black button-up shirt. When he spotted her, his hands stilled as his eyes ran over her.

  He set the glasses down and walked over to her, his eyes heating as he moved closer. She felt her knees turn to jelly as his hands moved to her hips and pull her closer to him.

  “You take my breath away,” he said softly before kissing her. “Seeing you, I’m hungry for something else.”

  She smiled and held onto him. “Me? After smelling whatever it is you cooked, I decided I’m hungry for food… first.”

  He nodded and took her hand. Then he pulled out a chair at the table for her. She sat down and chuckled when he laid the napkin across her lap.

  “You’ll get the full service tonight.” He smiled down at her. “Piña colada?” He set the glass down in front of her.

  “Perfect,” she said after taking a drink.

  “We’re going to start the meal with grilled lemon garlic shrimp.” He set down two plates of grilled shrimp that looked like they had come directly from Chef Ramsay’s kitchen. She glanced up at Blaine.

  “You cooked this?” She picked up her fork.

  He sat beside her and nodded. “I have a few hidden talents no one knows about.” He laid his napkin over his lap and motioned for her to eat.

  The first bite was complete heaven. The shrimp melted in her mouth. In the end, she ate every bite.

  He removed their plates and set two more plates down in front of her. They were filled with rice, beans, vegetables, and half a lobster tail. On the side was a small cup of lemon herb butter.

  “You made this?” she asked again, taken back by the sheer beauty of the food.

  “Zantae helped me out by making the rice and beans earlier. All I had to do was heat those up.” He smiled. “Try it.”

  She tried everything and was sure that, if she ate everything on her plate, she’d easily gain several pounds.

  “I’ve never tasted anything so wonderful,” she said freely. “You’ve spoiled all other food for me.” She took another drink. “Now all I’ll ever want is shrimp and lobster.”

  He laughed. “You deserve it. I can also make killer banana nut crepes.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Tell me you have the fixings for those in the kitchen.”

  He nodded. “I do. Along with a dessert Zantae has spoiled me with over the years. Her coconut bars are the reason I was a chubby child.”

  She smiled and took another bite of the rice. It was spicy and, along with the beans, warmed her entire body.

  “I’d like to meet Zantae,” she said between bites.

  “She’ll be here tomorrow to take us back to the docks.” He set his fork down.

  “She wanted to meet you too. She’s curious about what kind of women I date,” he admitted.

  “Oh?” The word date replayed in her head. Were they dating? “Haven’t you brought other women here?” she asked, unsure of why she was nervous about his answer.

  “No, you’re the first.” He continued to eat, unfazed by her line of questioning.

  Jamie couldn’t explain the sudden lump in her gut. What was she doing? Blaine was a good guy. One of the best. He had a future, a career. Hell, he was the epitome of sex and he cooked. What was she doing? Every man she’d been with, she’d fucked over. Her life had been a string of one-night stands for the past few years.

  Caution had gone out the window the night she’d turned into a killer. Live every day like it was your last. That was her new motto.

  With Blaine, she could easily forget
that and start to look to the future. That scared the shit out of her.

  “Something wrong?” Blaine asked.

  Blinking those thoughts away, she smiled. “No. I don’t think I could eat another bite.” She pushed the almost-empty plate aside.

  She smiled when he reached over and took the rest of her lobster and finished it off.

  “I have the feeling there’s more to the story between you and your father.” She finished her drink and instantly wished for something a little stronger.

  “There is,” he said, taking the plates to the kitchen. “Wine?” he asked from the kitchen.

  “I wouldn’t say no to a martini or an old fashioned.”

  He nodded and got to work making her drink behind the bar.

  He held the glass and nodded to the back patio. “Watch the sunset with me.”

  She stood up and followed him outside to the deck. The air had cooled now that the sun was lower in the sky. There was a light breeze from over the water, cooling the evening even further.

  They sat on the cushioned lawn chairs together and sipped their drinks as the sky filled with darkness.

  “So?” she said once the sun was gone and the moon and stars lit the sky above them.

  Blaine took a deep breath and swallowed the rest of his drink. “My father is a governor. By day, he’s the perfect role model. A devoted father and widower protecting and representing the good people of Washington State.”

  “But?” she asked, finishing her own drink and setting the glass down on the table next to his.

  “But behind closed doors, my father is not only a drunk but a controlling and abusive one at that. The first time he hit me”—he nodded to the beach—“it was right down there. Christmas morning when I was seven. I’d asked for an Xbox and he’d gotten me a PlayStation instead. Being a typical spoiled seven-year-old, I complained.”

  She remained silent and watched him as he continued his story.

  “I’d thought it was a fluke at first. But shortly after that, it happened again, then again, until it became so regular, I don’t remember a time I didn’t fear the man.”

  She reached out and took his hand. “I’m sorry. Did you ever tell anyone?”