BUFF (38 page)

“From behind. Turn,” he vibrates out, like he’s ready to rupture.

“I-I—"

“Becky,” he swallows, brushing his calloused thumb over the red tip; his forehead leaning into her wet, slippery cleavage. He whispers a kiss there. “Don’t make me ask again."

Licking her parched lips, her hips move up with every breeze of his rough padded thumb across her nipple. His fingers, on their own accord, reach for her, for the inside of her thigh, pressing softy against the line of her still wet lips.

“Christ, you’re so goddamn wet,” he growls against her. “Move. Now.”

She obeys immediately, getting on her hands and knees. “Colt,"  she moans breathy, not even lifting her head or opening her eyes to acknowledge him as she bends over for him.

His arms cup her breasts from behind and force her up against his solid body. He presses her whole against his throbbing steel cock, inhaling her hair, kissing and licking her back.

He whispers into her hair, “You're beautiful.” His tone is absorbedly low, grazed darkly with an intimate throb that makes her blush, makes her feel like the only reason he is so sure is because… he has seen her soul.

This time his thrusts are harder and faster like he's a man possessed. Becky thinks back to the fight earlier that night and it sends her overdrive. His alpha-male dominance, his testosterone-fueled command of the ring—it all comes together and she comes hard and fast, Colt filling her with his hot nectar soon after. Once Colt is fully satiated he moves them down to the pool below.

They take off all their remaining clothes before they have a late night swim. They can’t stop kissing, splashing water at each other occasionally, then back to kissing for the next half-hour.

“I’ve got everything ready for the barbecue tomorrow,” she says, her arms splaying across the surface of the water in wide movements. “Mom said she’s bringing her own food, though.” Shaking her head she chuckles.

“She always does,” he says, before diving underwater. Seconds later, he bursts out from beneath the surface, shaking the water from his hair and wiping his face. Becky sees every seductive movement in slow-motion, her pulse going haywire.

“I don’t expect less from her anymore. But, good news—Cleo said she can make it down in a few weeks time,” she says. “I’ve really missed her.”

“I know you have, Little Bit. What about your dad?”

“What about him?”

“Becky. I know what he did was wrong and despite me and him hating one another—“

“Not true. Last time they came to visit you both managed to say hello to one another, albeit you just nodded your head—”

“Becky. Don’t change the subject now. You’re gonna have to forgive him one day. He’s your dad.”

The truth about why Mr. Kulich had been after her family had eventually come out. Her father finally found the courage to tell Becky everything. Maybe she’s being as judgmental as her mother accuses, but Becky can’t look at her father the same way. He has admitted he was wrong, but he also declared in the same breath that he had no other choice, he was looking out for his family and he had the best of intentions.

But that's not what she heard when he’d confessed to stealing thousands from the mob boss. In her eyes, he’d risked his family's life for money, and no amount of excuses will ever justify his actions in her book. She’s trying to forgive him, but she can’t look at him the same. Not yet.

“Colt, my family are just waiting for me to leave you.” Shaking her head, Becky wonders when her family are going to reach out and try to understand her a little. “When are they going to understand that this is it for me. That I’ll never stop loving you. And they seem to forget that it was Dad who put us all in danger in the first place and it was
you
who saved us—risking your own life, for goodness sakes… The only one who likes you is my baby brother.”

“He’s growing on me too,” Colt says, swimming toward her.

“You’re so good with him. I swear he likes you more than me.” She laughs as he places his hands on either side of her hips, underwater, and draws her nearer to him. “I think Mom’s still a little afraid of you, though. I keep telling her you’re just a giant teddy bear really… But she doesn’t believe me. Says I’m just going through a bad-boy phase.”

“I'll show you a bad-boy, come here,” he says, lifting her out of the water by her buttocks and spinning her around, laughing.

“Let go!” she giggles in return. “Put me down!”

Gently lowering her back down he takes them both under for a kiss. They hold each other under the water, their lips melting into a kiss so mind-blowingly amazing that she forgets they’re not on land.

Coming back up for air he draws back an inch. “Forget about that tonight,” he says, kissing her quickly on the lips. “I brought you here for a reason.”

“I thought we’d already done your
reason
,” she says, coquettishly.

“One track-mind, Little Bit,” he smirks. “It’s always the quiet ones.”

Becky wraps her arms around his neck. “You tainted me.”

“You’re mine now so I can do as I please.”

“Is that so, Mr. Lawson?”

He nods as a playful smile brings out his dimples. “Come with me,” he says, dragging her by the hand to the edge of the pool.

“Where’re we going? Can’t we stay here all night?”

“I wanna take you up to the top of the cliff. Let’s watch the sunset together, babe.”

Colt covers her up with his leather jacket before they walk back. He picks up the satchel attached to the bike and takes out her favorite top and skirt, handing them to her. Bringing out spare clothing for himself he says, with a wink, "Knew you’d get wet for me, Little Bit."

Getting dressed, they mount the Harley and continue up the mountain path. Once they reach the top, they watch the sunset with Colt standing tall behind Becky, his arms wrapped around her tiny waist.

“Me and Jenson have decided to go for a ride next weekend in memory of Luis… It would’ve been his birthday, so…” Colt says, trailing off.

“That’s a great idea, Colt… I wish you wouldn’t blame yourself.”

“It’s my fault he’s dead.”

“No. Not it isn’t. I’ve said this before. If you blame yourself then I might as well be to blame since it was because of me you went against Mr. Kulich.” She hears him sigh so deeply that she can feel the ache in his chest.

“He was my friend… my brother. I should have done more…”

“You didn’t pull the trigger, Colt.”

“I know…”

They remain silent for awhile, looking out into the horizon, contemplating on the past, before he bends his head down to ask, “What’re you thinking, babe?”

She smiles for a few seconds before answering him. “About how much my life has changed in just a year. How much I’ve changed. I understand now that there’s always going to be something or someone to be afraid of. That life is filled with so many problems that can tear us apart if we let it. I know that nothing is certain and no matter where I go or what I do, I'm always going to be faced with things that can make me run if I allow them to… But you—you showed me not to be ruled by my fears and I realize now I'd rather be afraid with you then alone and safe. I'd rather spend whatever short time I have with you, Colt, no matter how scared I get… I want to live. I'm done hiding."

Untangling himself, he turns her to face him head on. “You fit right here,” he says, placing her hand on his heart. “You ever need to hide from the world, you hide here, Little Bit.”

“I can’t hide anywhere else. I want
you
. I want everything you have to offer and I don't care how scared I am or how unsure the future’s going to be for us. As long as I know you're by my side, I know I'm going to be okay.”

She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. Before she can open them, his lips are on hers. Her body undulates against his, teased with the hardness of his hot mouth, his groans. He pulls away, just before she bites her lip lightly. “What about you?”

“I guess… I hadn’t realized I was so unhappy until I knew I couldn’t have you… I always thought loving a woman was weak, but loving you makes me feel stronger… You give me a reason to fight back.” He brushes her hair away from her face, kissing the tip of her nose that wrinkles in return. “Loving you feels right and good and the right and good haven’t exactly been in my life, babe... Always done what I wanted, when I wanted, no-one ever refused me. Thought living my life the way I wanted was as good as it gets. As long as it filled in all the spaces my childhood turned rotten, I was okay… But I was wrong… Never understood just seeing someone smile or laugh, taking in their cute blush could make me feel… right... Didn’t know… And now my life is all about those
little things
… with you.”

His celestial eyes capture hers with each revered flex. Hooked on the infinite ache in his adoring gaze she feels small and treasured just from the relished darkness of his stare.

“I don’t regret a single thing,” he says.

The mob. It was his whole life. And he gave up everything—all the money, all the power he had earned, handed it straight into Abruzzi’s hands on a silver platter. All so he can spend the rest of his life with her. Abruzzi had been more than eager to take up the new position, but he didn’t trust Colt’s intentions. The terms were for Colt to leave the state and to never return. Colt didn't even flinch at the deal.

“I have a cute blush?” she asks, her face reddening in color.

“Yeah. It takes all my strength to not drop to my knees and pleasure you for hours whenever I see it. You intoxicate me, babe—especially when your hair’s damp and wavy… like now… Shines like the ocean down there...” His head bends down to her eye level as a smile spreads across his features. “Christ, I love it when you wear white too… so pure and innocent... For some reason it reminds me of the first time I saw you when I was shot. Thought you an angel then too.”

“Colt…”  she says, breathlessly, bringing her forehead against his. “You’re my fallen angel.”

His lips slide down over hers and he kisses her just the way he knows how to get her flustered, deep long kisses that missed her, waited for her, kisses that travel to the center of her and spread out and through her body slowly. His thumb rests in the indent at the corner of her mouth. “I love you." He kisses her breathless again and the words stumble out between an airy pause, “I love you so much,” right before his tongue grazes her lower lip.

He stops after a second, looking into her as though wondering how he’d gotten so lucky when he feels so unworthy. She hates it when he looks at her like that—like he doesn’t deserve her. “Colt—”

“I need you,” he says, whisper soft, “I need you again.” He brings her down to lay on the patch of grass beneath them. She climbs on top of him, looking out onto the view of the ocean and the Sky ahead, but as soon as she straddles him he rolls them over, tucking her small body under his as the sweet scent of flowers surround her.

He pushes her skirt up, pulls her panties down and unbuttons his jeans. She feels his hot tip peeking at the entrance of her tunnel and his panting breaths seems to increase but he doesn’t enter her… like he’s nervous about something…

“What’s wrong, Colt? You want me to beg?” That’s Colt’s thing. Making her beg for it. But something is different. His eyes seem to search her for something... “Colt? What’re you waiting for?

“For you to say yes.”

“Yes? To… What? You mean?” Shivers run rampant through her body. “Oh. My. God… Colt…”

“Rebecca Emma Appleton… Be my wife.”

“She doesn’t answer, her tongue is dry and her bones lock shut, fusing to her skin like a magnet. His luminescent eyes follow hers as they travel around her face. When they finally lock in on his again, her insides sway.

There is only one answer to give to Colt Lawson.

“No.”

His smile fades instantly, his eyes broody. “No? Why the hell not?”

“No. Well… not until... you come inside me, Mr. Lawson.”

“I’ll make the whole world explode inside you, Mrs. Colt. For you… anything.”

He kisses her again, his hands moving hers to pin her arms up. He kisses long and hard. It’s so intense she thinks he’s going to fuck her there and then. But she wants him to thrust into her. Again and again. The urge is so strong that it physically aches when he removes his lips from hers. He is torturing her, little by little, with his sizzling kisses.

She is dying already. Drowned with recklessness. Strangled with anticipation. Just dying with desire.

“Does that mean you'll... You sure?” he whispers, rubbing her swollen mouth with the tip of his thumb.

She stills under him, licking her lips, feeling the taste of him still on her tongue. She gazes up at her future husband, her heart feeling ready to spontaneously combust as she stares into his eyes and sees nothing but unconditional love beaming back at her.

"Yes," she nods, “Colt. Yes. I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

He watches her, doing little to hide the fact that he seems utterly captivated by her. His stare is twilight, faint, subdued in marvel. His lips are already wet as his stare searches her face for one small moment, stretching time and splitting her senses down the middle in the process.