Over the moon, p.20
Over the Moon, page 20
“It was built in the thirties as a watchtower. The view from the observation deck is incredible. Let me show you.” She opens her door before I have time to even exit the car, and I have to jog to catch up with her.
“Hey, I was going to open that for you.”
She nudges me playfully. “You were too slow. C’mon.”
Something about her is different today, and I can’t help but wonder when she last left the camp. As if she can read my mind, she shoots me a look over her shoulder. “Besides the odd bar I visit with Hope, I haven’t journeyed away from camp in a while.”
“Why is that?”
We’ve just entered the stone tower, and she’s taking me up the first short flight of stairs. “I don’t know, honestly. Ever since I got the head nurse position, I haven’t really made time for stuff like this. I forgot how much I loved it. Hiking around here is so beautiful. The beaches are magical, and the whales…” She sighs. “Just wait until you get a good orca sighting. It’s incredible.”
I reach for her hand. “It’s a good thing I have my own personal tour guide.”
“It’s the perfect time of year to go now that the salmon runs are strongest. Lime Kiln Point State Park on San Juan Island is the prime watch spot.”
“Take me there.”
Silver pauses a moment to meet my gaze. “I will.”
“Tomorrow.” I know I’m pushing my luck, and she’s most likely thinking the same thing, because she narrows her eyes at me like she doesn’t believe my request.
She smiles with a hint of humor in her eyes. “Don’t you have camp duties?”
“I mean after all that.”
I love the way she looks at me now, like she can’t believe what I’m asking. “Okay.” She nods. “Tomorrow, then.”
We continue up about five more short staircases until we exit onto the observation deck and move to the edge.
“It’s a perfect day for this.” Silver spins slowly to take it all in. “Look, you can see Mount Baker, Canada, and Mount Rainer. Oh, that’s the Olympic Mountain Range over there. Wow. I almost forgot about this view.”
The way she gushes has me staring at her more than anything else. My arms catch her waist midturn, and I hold her to me, her back to my front. I dip my mouth to her neck with a smile. “This is going to sound cheesy, but I don’t know if I can take my eyes off of you long enough to see a damn thing.”
Her cheeks darken in color, and she twists her neck to look at me. “You’re one big cheeseball today, aren’t you?”
“I am. I can’t help it.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I like you,” I say easily.
“You must like me a lot if you came back to camp for me.”
I detect her flirtation and raise her with a glare. “Maybe I came back for the kids.” I shrug. “Maybe I want to win another trophy.” I turn her by her waist and close the gap between us, bending her back slightly at the edge. “Or maybe I just don’t want you to know how crazy I am for you.”
Her breath catches as her eyes flutter before locking back on mine. “That’s a sweet sentiment, Kingston, but you don’t know me.”
“I like what I know, and I want to know more. I want to know everything.” I lean down, bringing my face close to hers. “Starting with how your lips taste on the observation deck of a watchtower.”
I press my lips to hers, hyperaware of the slight hesitation that follows our connection, followed by a mouth that’s just as starved as I am for her. I’m also fully aware of the way she’s gripping my shirt like she never wants me to let her go.
“Damn,” I whisper against her lips when we start to part. “I like you too much.” I shake my head, internally cursing myself for being so weak. “Too much. I’m not used to this.”
She bites down on her bottom lip. “You’re not used to liking anyone, or just me?”
“Maybe a little of both. You went from being the hot nurse I wanted to fuck to the woman I can’t stop thinking about, and I don’t even know how it happened. I think you slipped me something when I wasn’t looking.”
She laughs, so I push my lips to her neck just below her ear and feel her entire body shiver.
“You’ve completely hypnotized me.”
“Are you sure that isn’t the sex talking?”
I hear the tease in her voice, but I also hear the fear. I shake my head, knowing she can’t see me. “I’m talking about you. Your laugh, your smile, your eyes, your touch. I adore everything about you, and I know I haven’t even grazed the surface.” Smiling, I step back and tug her toward me. “And that’s what this week is for. I think I’ve seen enough here.”
“Where to next?”
I push my hand into the pocket of my shorts, pull out my keys then dangle them in front of her face. “I think it’s time I give you a driving lesson.”
26
TICKETS
SILVER
Kingston is here. The shock still hasn’t worn off, but now I have a bigger problem than I did during the first week of dealing with Kingston. Another week, maybe more, with him only means more time to grow these feelings that have already taken root. My plan was to detox him from my system once he was gone. I would have been okay. But now that he’s here, wanting to spend time with me and whispering sweet words in my ear, I know I’m falling too hard, too fast.
Kingston tells me to just drive, so I stick to the side streets, familiarizing myself to the feel of a powerful engine in my control. I almost forgot the adrenaline rush I got when I drove along the main roads back home. With the wind in my hair and the music blasting from the speakers, I can’t help the ridiculous smile on my face as my confidence returns.
“Driving looks good on you.”
I don’t dare take my eyes off the road to glance at him. “I miss this. I forgot how much I missed driving.”
“Why’d you stop?”
I swallow, feeling the happiness of this moment slowly dwindling when I begin to think of what I lost during my journey here. “Where would I go?” I shrug. “I have everything I need back at camp.”
I can almost feel Kingston’s disapproval. “C’mon, Silver. You can’t possibly believe that. You’re young. There are bigger mountains out there to hike, bigger oceans, too. You’re telling me you don’t want to see the world? Go on vacations?” There’s a moment of pause that seems to lighten the moment. “Or maybe attend a Seattle football game or two? I happen to have an in with the team if you ever want to pop by to see me in action.”
Just the thought of going to any large public event gives me chills. I try to play it off with a smile. “The last time you tried to play football in front of me, you nearly lost an eye. For your benefit, I think I’ll stay at camp.”
He sighs, and even though the wind is loud around us, I can hear it like a needle drop. “All right, then I guess we better enjoy today. Want to see how fast you can go?”
I grin, pushing all my anxious thoughts aside, and focus on the road ahead. I apply pressure to the gas and fly down a road with nothing but farmland on either side. It’s such a beautiful day. The sun is out, there’s a slight breeze, and the weather is warm but not too much. By the time we enter a woodland section of town, trees shade us from every direction, and everything feels so perfect.
Then I hear the siren. Dread fills me as I instantly release the gas and shoot a worried look at Kingston, who’s got his head tossed back in a laugh. Horrified, I glance at the rearview mirror to see a cop right behind me.
“How are you laughing?” I ask as I slowly apply the break and start to turn onto the side of the road. “I was going sixty in a forty-five. Am I going to get a ticket?” Then another thought floods my every vein. “Oh my God, what if he arrests me for reckless driving?” I’m not okay. My heart is pounding, and my insides are quaking so hard, I think I might vomit. It’s not the thought of getting arrested that terrifies me. Harvey warned me long ago that if I want to remain hidden, I can’t have so much as a speeding ticket in my name.
I’m parked on the side of the road with the cop car’s lights flashing behind me. I turn to Kingston, who is still laughing. “I can’t get a ticket.”
He takes one look at me, and his smile fades. “What? It’s not a big deal, Silver. It’s just a ticket. No one’s going to jail.”
I know that in Kingston’s mind, I didn’t do anything a normal person wouldn’t do. But this is different. I’m not a normal person. I’m a lie, and one ticket could ruin all of that.
“You don’t understand.” My voice shakes. “I cannot get a ticket.”
All humor leaves Kingston’s expression now, and he just nods before looking over my shoulder. I turn to look toward the sound of approaching footsteps to find a stern-faced cop with his eyes on me. He stops at my door and looks down. “License and registration, miss.”
That’s it. No mercy. He’s not even going to ask me why I was speeding. I hesitate for a second before reaching into my purse to grab my ID.
“Here, sir,” Kingston says, reaching past me. “This is my car, so you’ll want my registration. Here’s my ID too.”
The man gives Kingston a disapproving look, then he takes the registration card and ID from him.
“I’m new to the area. Here for a football charity event at Camp Dakota. My girl here was showing me around. We were thinking about finding a watch point to see the orcas. You don’t happen to know of any good spots, do you?”
I don’t know why Kingston just keeps talking, until I watch the look on the cop’s face change with recognition while he stares down at the cards in his hand. “Kingston Scott,” the officer says. “As in defensive end Kingston Scott?” His eyes shoot to Kingston’s. “You play for Seattle?”
And there it is. Kingston’s charming megawatt smile. “That’s me. You’re a football fan, huh?”
The cop completely loses his cool, breaking out with a smile of his own. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been a Seattle fan since my pop sat me in front of a Sunday Night Football game when I was two. You’ve been one hell of an asset to the team these past few years.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I watch Kingston in awe as he looks genuinely flattered by the officer’s words. He has the man eating out of his hands.
“You should come to a game sometime,” Kingston adds. “Just tell me when you can make it, and you’ll have two tickets waiting for you at will call.”
“No way. That’s awesome of you, King. I’ll tell you, it’s not every day we run into celebrities around here.” At that moment, the cop remembers there was a reason he pulled me over. He looks down at me and narrows his eyes. “Young lady, these are residential roads. We can’t have you speeding down them and injuring someone out here, or yourself and your friend, for that matter.” He nods at Kingston. “You’ve got precious cargo here, and I expect you to take it easy from here on out.”
I nod quickly while biting down on my bottom lip at him using the term “precious cargo” to refer to Kingston. “Absolutely, sir. I’m so sorry about that.”
Kingston hands the officer a slip of paper with his name on it. “Just text me when you want those tickets, Officer…?”
“Donald Moore.” The cop smiles. “I look forward to seeing you in action next season. Thank you.” He looks back at me with a point of his finger. “Drive safe.”
Office Moore hands the papers back to Kingston then walks back to his car. After he zooms off, I eye Kingston. “Wow. That’s all you have to do, huh?”
He shrugs, his cockiness totally illuminated. “You could say thank you for saving your ass.”
I scoff and shake my head. “I can’t believe that. I would have gotten a ticket, or worse, if you hadn’t name-dropped yourself.”
Kingston laughs. “What did you want me to do? Sit back and watch you get a ticket? No fucking way.”
I’m still shaking, and I don’t want to drive anymore. I don’t want to get out of the car here either in case another car zooms by, so I pull into what looks like a private drive and put the car in park. “Lesson’s over.” Without waiting for him to respond, I hop out of the car then walk around and tug open the passenger door. “Get out. You’re driving.”
Kingston grins up at me without budging. “No way. You’re taking us to dinner.”
I shake my head and reach for his hand. “I’m not taking you anywhere. I’m not getting behind the wheel again.”
I try to tug him out of the car, but he tugs back on me harder, sending me falling into him. With a chuckle, he grabs me by the waist and lifts me onto his lap. My knees dig into the seat on either side of him, and the next thing I know, he’s pulling my head toward him with one hand while the other shifts my already-bunched skirt higher.
Our mouths crash together. Every ounce of my adrenaline rush feeds into the kiss while he steadily grows harder beneath me. The way I want Kingston is beyond anything I’ve ever felt before. I could kiss him forever and never tire of the way his lips hunger for mine.
I reach between us to unbutton his shorts then help him wiggle them down his legs enough for me to roll on the condom that magically shows up between his fingertips. Kingston pushes my panties aside before I ease my way down around him, burying him inside me until I’m so stretched full, I feel like I could burst.
The first time he entered me the other night, I didn’t know if I would ever find my breath again. Once I did, I knew I’d never breathed so fully. Today only reinforces those thoughts and feelings, and it terrifies me.
He reclines the seat, pushing himself deeper inside me. I ease up and down around him, moaning at the girth of him firmly planted between my thighs. He’s all muscle and strength, even when he lets me take control.
I feel my orgasm build quickly and powerfully, then my entire body is shaking. I cry out with my release at the same time Kingston grunts and curses below me. I feel his warmth, even through the condom, and I wonder how good he would feel without the layer of latex blocking our connection. The desire to feel him bare is so strong, I can feel the danger in my thoughts.
“Holy fuck, woman.” Kingston says the words through his heavy breaths, then he laughs. “You are sinful when you ride me.”
I smile and lay my head on his shoulder. “I can’t help it with you.”
“Thank God for that.” Kingston kisses my head and whispers, “Silver.”
My eyes squeeze shut, and I try to suck in a breath, but even the slightest sip of air feels like the hardest job in the world. I’m so afraid he’s about to tell me bad news. “What?” It’s barely a croak of a word as it enters the space between us.
“Do you remember when you were telling me all the things you wished you hated about me?”
I nod, remembering that conversation vividly.
“Do you want to know what I hate?” His hand wraps around my waist.
I go still before whispering, “What?”
“That I’ll never be good enough for you. I finally have you, and I just know I’ll fuck this up somehow.” His eyes search mine. “I really don’t want to fuck this up.”
His words are so genuine, so sincere, but I don’t have the heart to tell him that his intentions are useless. Our futures are inevitable, no matter how hard he tries to make something more of what we are. He can never know the truth about my past, and we can never have a future. So, instead of answering, I push off him and stand outside the car. “You ready to head to dinner?”
The hurt and confusion on Kingston’s face is clear. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go.”
27
OPEN WOUNDS
KINGSTON
Our naked bodies are tangled together when Silver’s alarm starts to go off early on Monday morning. Silver stirs, and I shut the alarm off quickly, praying to steal a few extra minutes before I have to leave her bed. It’s the first day of camp again, only this one is starting much differently than the week before it. I’ve got my girl in my arms and a future to look forward to. For once, that future involves more than just football. While it felt good to volunteer to coach for another week, it’s no secret to Zach or any of the guys who were here last week that I’m here for Silver. There was no way I was going to spend another second of my vacation at home when I could be with her.
Last week, my mission was to survive camp. That was it. Do my due diligence, get the coach to relieve me from the rest of my punishment, then get the hell out of dodge. Now I have a new mission—make Silver Livingston fall in love with me. Simple as that.
I’m not clueless when it comes to the beautiful blonde with the sparkling gray eyes and bashful smile. I know she’s hiding something from me. She isn’t holding back because she’s afraid I’m going to leave. She’s holding back because she’s afraid I’ll stay. I don’t have the slightest clue why, but one thing is certain: Silver is hiding something.
I slide down her warm body and sink beneath the covers until my face is buried between her thighs. Her satisfied moan is all the fuel my confidence needs to feast. I slip a finger deep inside her as I work her furiously with my tongue, flicking and sucking her between my teeth. I’m relentless in my pursuit of her pleasure. It’s an addiction, I suppose. I want to command her orgasms like they’re the finale to my symphony and each breath she releases is a part of the masterpiece. I can practically hear the applause when she reaches that final note as she comes on my tongue, her legs shaking with a vibrato that lingers long after the piece is over.
Her breasts are heaving, and she’s staring down at me with amused shock on her face. “That was quite the alarm.”
Smiling, I climb back up to her. Hovering over her body, I place a kiss on her lips. She pushes up to kiss me again, then she spreads her legs and grabs my ass, pulling my thick cock against her entrance.
I groan at the sensation of our bare skin connecting. “I want you so bad just like this.”
She shudders against me and kisses me hard. “Me too.” Her eyes lock on mine, and we both breathe out the words we know so well together. “But we shouldn’t.”
