Read Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) Online

Authors: Kathryn Shay

Tags: #brothers, #trilogy kindle books, #about families, #contemporary romance novel, #Online dating site, #keeping secrets and telling lies, #Bed and Breakfast owner

Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) (3 page)

BOOK: Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy)
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He shed his outer clothes as slowly as he could, and her gaze focused on his middle when he dropped his drawers.

“Oh, my, Jamaican men are…endowed, aren’t they?”

“This one is. And he’s about had all he can take. I need a…oh, shit. I didn’t bring any condoms.”

She startled, then smiled. “Just before she left, MJ said she stashed some in my drawer. Just in case.”

“Remind me to thank her.” Fishing in the nightstand, he blindly found one as he kept his gaze on her and rolled it on. Then, instead of getting on the bed with her, a primitive need for this woman clawed out from inside him; he slid her sideways and draped her legs over his shoulders. “This okay, honey? I can’t wait.”

“Whatever you want, Cole.” She spread herself open to him. “You can have whatever you want.”

He found her tight. Really tight. And tried to go slow. He hadn’t been inside a woman since he got Ellie and…

“Push!” she said.

Because she was slick from her own orgasm, he could slide into her easily. “I’m tryin’ to go slow, darlin’, but…”

She lifted her hips and thrust forward.

“Oh. Fuck. That…” He never finished the thought because lights burst behind his eyes as his whole body wracked with pleasure.

o0o

They lay in bed together, in the darkness, broken only by the moon outside. She could see his broad shoulders, his narrow waist, his impressive muscles. After the first time they’d each come, they’d made love again and spiraled out of control together. Secretly, Beth didn’t know which way she liked better. But she had a whole weekend to find out. Dismissing thoughts of the outside world, of how she was behaving in a way she didn’t recognize, she cuddled into his side. She could feel his chest rise and fall and the sprinkling of hair tickled her cheek.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“About us. About the weekend.” She nuzzled into him now. He smelled male and musky. “About what we just did.”

“Do we need to talk about that?”

She tried not to stiffen. “About what?”

“Honey, we both knew you hadn’t done this in a long time.”

“Wasn’t I good?”

His laugh alone calmed that fear. “If you were any better, we’d be calling EMS to revive me.”

“Oh.”

His fingers trailed down her torso, lightly, caressingly. When they reached her abdomen, he ran his knuckles over her mound. “We’d decided not to make love this weekend.”

“I know, and after meeting you, I suddenly wondered what I was waiting for.”

“Then thanks for choosing me.” He kissed her hair and it took her a minute to realize he was really moved. Hell, could he be any more attractive? “Let’s go back to Jamaica,” she said sleepily.

He wrapped her up in his arms. “The sea’s cooling us,” he said as he pulled up the sheet.

“Hmm.” She closed her eyes. “But I can hear its waves, smell its scent.”

“Me, too,” was the last thing she said.

o0o

When he felt Beth’s breathing even out, Cole lay awake and luxuriated in the silk of her skin, the flowery scent of her hair and the sound of the lake outside crashing against the rocks. What had happened between them in the last couple of hours was cataclysmic and solidified what he’d felt for months about her online. He wanted this woman—who’d waited six years for him—in his life. And to do that, he’d have to tell her the truth.

He was eleven years younger than she was.

He had an almost two-year-old baby.

I’m glad I don’t have to go through the babyhood of my children.
Both were colicky, Peter was working long hours establishing his firm and I was only nineteen and twenty when I had them.

Would she kick him out when he told her about Ellie? Though the thought knifed him in the gut, honor demanded he confess the truth. She moved then, sidling in even closer. His heart began to hurt. There were so many reasons she might ask him to go: he’d lied to her, he was a lot younger than she, and he had a baby she said she didn’t want to raise. God, he needed more time with her.

You can wait until Sunday. Solidify this thing between you two physically. Maybe then she’ll be more inclined to give in.

He could do that, but he remembered Spence’s words when he told his oldest brother he was coming out here.
I’m going to tell you something personal. Don’t make love to Beth before she knows the truth. I did that with Annie and it made things much, much worse.

Now
Cole remembered this? Shit, he was kidding himself. He remembered it before. He just chose to ignore the warning.

So in for a penny…ignore it until Sunday.

Which was what he wanted. But he’d always prided himself in doing the right thing. Making decisions in life that weren’t selfish. Never hurting anyone if he could help it.

Too late for that, buddy.

But did he risk making the situation worse if he kept up the ruse until she was so steeped in him, it would cloud her judgment? Could he even do that?

Without an answer, his eyes closed. He’d think about that tomorrow.

o0o

It was a halcyon day, Beth thought as she watched Cole, wearing only navy briefs, walk into the bedroom, carrying two mugs, accompanied by the scent of strong coffee. “I got this downstairs from the pot they kept out for patrons.”

Ah, they were still playing Jamaica. “Hmm.”

“Let’s take the coffee out on the little deck off our room and watch the sea as we drink it.”

Wrapping her up in a light robe, he led her outside. As she sat, she noticed the sun was out, sparkling high above it. “What time is it?”

“Ten.”

Beth set down the coffee mug on a wrought iron table. “Ten, as in o’clock? I slept until ten o’clock?” Had she ever done that in her adult life?

“Mmm.” He sipped his brew. In the morning light, she could see the dark brush of his beard. His hair was mussed. With his bare chest, he looked virile, fit and young. “I would have woken you up, but I just got back.”

“Where did you go?”

“To town.”

“Was a store open in Honey Lake that early?”

“Don’t think so. I went to Rockland. To a chain there that has specialty foods. I can’t wait to surprise you.”

“How sweet.”

Standing, he kissed her head and walked into the bedroom but returned before she could call out to him. In his hand was a white box. “I also got this for you.”

Her heart swelling at the gesture, she opened the flower box. Inside bloomed a deep pink hibiscus. “Oh, my God, where’d you get this?”

“Arena’s Exotic Florist. I know the owner. He opened up at nine and had this ready after I shopped.” He hit his head. “Oh, wait, shit. I broke character.” He straightened, getting back into the role. “I, um, picked it off the bush outside the resort.” Reaching into the box, he removed the rare flower and slid the stem behind her ear. “There, just as I imagined.”

“Cole, you are such a doll.”

After enjoying coffee, she suggested they go back in to get dressed. “No, just leave on the robe.”

He grasped her hand and led her downstairs. Breakfast was already prepared, the scents of bacon and spices greeting them at the kitchen door. “What’s this?” she asked, heading to the stove and uncovering a skillet.

He said, “Eggs with Jamaican spices and hot sauce. On the other burners are breakfast potatoes and crispy bacon. Kiwi on the counter.”

She glanced over and saw the table was set there. “We could have eaten outside.”

“Nah, I have that all set for after breakfast.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will.”

They lingered over their meal, oohing and ahhing at the different tastes and textures of the food. They drank more of the Jamaican blend coffee he’d bought. Then he stood and nodded to the deck. “I think we’ve digested our food enough.”

Thankfully, the back on The Montgomery Inn boasted—literally in the brochures—privacy, because she found the long picnic table padded with towels. He said, “Beach massage. Drop the robe, babe.”

She smiled and responded, “No problem, mon.”

Forty-five minutes of bliss followed. He found every nook and cranny of tension in her muscles and eased it away. But it was the foot massage that had her moaning. By the time he was done, she was practically weeping with joy.

o0o

“Come on, get up put on the robe again, woman.”

It was Saturday at midnight. They’d had an incredible day of showering together, making love and eating. Beth was so sated with food and sex that she’d insisted on a nap after a dinner of jerk chicken, spicy rice, boiled cabbage and plantains. They’d just awakened.

“Why? It’s twelve o’clock.”

“You’ll see. And remember what happens in Jamaica stays in Jamaica.”

She chuckled as he bounded out of bed with the youthful vigor of a man in his twenties. He had energy and stamina that shocked her. She was also surprised that she could keep up with him. Dragging on his navy blue briefs, which didn’t hide much of the bulge behind them, he grabbed the short robe at the foot of the bed and tucked her into it.

They made their way through the still and silent house, which was eerie without patrons. Had Beth ever been here alone? Usually the kids came as soon as she closed for her week off. She smiled, thinking how glad she was that they hadn’t done that this year. She and Cole reached the deck, traversed the steps and strode to the water, arms around each other’s waists.

A little cove on the beach was protected on all sides by protrusions of rocks and vegetation. Beth advertised it as a spot for lovers. She’d never spent any time here, obviously.

“The Montgomery Inn sports several amenities, not the least of which is Sweetheart Cove.” Cole mimicked an announcer’s voice and even pretended to have a microphone in his hand. “Nestled in the rocks of the shore, the cozy little spot offers sand, sun and seduction.”

“The brochure doesn’t say anything about seduction.”

“It’s implied.”

“You must a have a photographic memory.”

“Pretty much.” He leaned into her. “I’ll never forget what’s happened between us this weekend, I’ll tell you that.”

Placing her head on his shoulder, she whispered, “I don’t need a photographic memory to capture those images, either.”

“I’m counting on that, sweetheart.” They reached the shore, then the cove and he turned to her. “Take it off.”

“Excuse me?”

“Take off the robe.”

She nodded to a bench she’d put out here. “I thought we’d just sit in the moonlight.”

“Nope. Now, either you take it off, or I will.”

A deep laugh rose up from her belly. “Yes, sir.”

She unbelted the robe but kept it closed with her hand. She let the shoulder slip on one side, exposing a breast.

His gaze was dark and dangerous. He arched a brow. “All of it.”

Slowly, she let the material slide down her body.

He smiled then, the white of his teeth showing in the night.

She smiled, too, and just nodded to his briefs. He kicked them off, surprised her by taking her hand and heading toward the water. “What, oh, Cole, it’s going to be…”

They hit the lake together and he pulled her all the way in. It was bracing…more so when they got waist high—where he dunked her under! She came up sputtering. “What the hell?”

“Aw, come on, have a little fun.”

Fun
had been missing from her life for a long time. Slicking her hair back, she resisted the urge to cover her breasts. Instead, she dove into the water and swam up to him while still submerged. She massaged his penis until he braced his hands under her arms and yanked her up.

“Witch,” he said, kissing her roughly.

“Well, you said you wanted to have fun.”

From there, he took her places she’d never been before, and (she hoped) she returned the favor.

o0o

Sunday morning came all too soon for Cole. He’d promised Joey he’d be home by noon, necessitating, of course, that he leave Beth. So he had only a few hours to reveal the truth of his circumstances to her. As he approached the kitchen window, where she stood staring out, his heart began to gallop in his chest.

Making some noise so he didn’t scare her, Cole came up from behind, slid an arm across her upper chest and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Hi, there.”

As natural as summer rain, she leaned back into him. She inhaled. “Hmm, you smell great. I love the scent of soap and man.”

While he’d showered, his brain had scrambled for ways to break the news that he’d been lying to her. Badly. There was no easy way to do it. “We have to talk, Beth.”

Since he was plastered to her, he felt her stiffen. Today she wore pink shorts and a simple white T-shirt. “Good things never come after those words.”

“Well, it can be good if we make it be.” He stepped back.

She circled around. Her lovely face, absent of makeup, showed a few freckles. Her hazel eyes were wide with concern. “We’re not in Jamaica anymore, are we?”

“No, honey, we’re not.” He indicated the breakfast nook. “Let’s sit for this.”

Nodding, she crossed the room and dropped down in a chair. He took one adjacent to her and grasped her hands. The expression in her eyes was so trusting—so loving—it made him deeply ashamed. Of lying to her. Of making love to her before he told her the truth. Of taking what he wanted, selfishly, all weekend.

So he simply blurted out, “I lied to you online.”

She cocked her head. “That’s the last thing I expected. Oh, no. Cole, are you married?”

He brushed his knuckles down her jaw. “No, not that. Never have been.”

“Which I can’t understand. But, given that you aren’t, what can be so bad? What did you lie to me about?” Her brow furrowed. “You’re not sick or anything, are you?”

“Nope. Except maybe in my heart, for deceiving you.”

Dark shadows filled her eyes. “Then just say it outright. You’re scaring me.”

“I’m not forty-two, like I said when we first met on RightMatch.”

Relief suffused her face. He didn’t understand it. “Oh, Cole, who cares? Peter was fifteen years older than me. I like older men.” She frowned and studied his face. Her gaze dropped to his shoulders, then his chest. “But you can’t be over forty-two. You don’t even look that old.”

BOOK: Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy)
2Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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