Page 5

Five

Hailey

17 years old

I didn’t really believe in a lot of things, but I believed in destiny, and I was pretty sure the universe was playing a big ass fucking joke on me as far as my intended path was concerned.

How many girls dreamed of finding the one , their Prince Charming, before they ever had to kiss a frog? I’d hazard a wild guess that the majority would want to avoid all the fuckboys and the back and forth they brought with them. So I should count myself incredibly lucky that I was one of the girls who didn’t have to deal with these shitty frogs for years, right?

Nope. As I said, the universe was a practical joker.

There had to be something with a fucked-up sense of humor involved with the circumstances I found myself in, considering the man of my dreams avoided me like the plague. There were times when I was almost certain he was deliberately going out of his way to make sure he didn’t run into me. If I was one thing, though, it was determined.

When I met Colt Michaels at barely sixteen, I got all my fantasies served on a silver platter, wrapped up in a delicious, brawny package, but in my fantasies and dreams was where he’s stayed.

We were two years apart, so I caught most of my glimpses of him on the football field. And oh shit , were those some amazing glimpses I got. Thick thighs in tight football pants, bulging biceps, and flexing forearms.

Well, I guess I wasn’t the only one getting these glimpses, but from what my classmates were saying, none of the other girls seemed to notice Colt. At least not in the way they should’ve been noticing him.

Colt Michaels was a man among boys. He was imposing, powerful, and oh-so masculine. And that’s without mentioning his character. Aside from the way we’d clicked, I was deeply impressed by the way he handled how people treated him. How he took it in stride that they celebrated him on the field but talked shit about him like he was some monster when he took off his uniform, amazed me. He was a different person to them because he was large and not classically handsome, with a jaw that seemed perpetually clenched, a nose that had clearly been broken at least once, and a pair of deep-set eyes that always looked a little weary. He dealt with it with a lot more dignity and maturity than I ever could. Or rather, more than I actually could, because on more than one occasion, I’d ripped someone’s head off for badmouthing him. How could they not see what I was seeing?

I was aware Colt wasn’t the clean-cut, pretty-boy type, but he was my type .

I adored his icy-blue eyes, his wolfish, crooked grin, and his massive frame, built to protect. The number of panties I had thoroughly soaked because of him was low-key embarrassing.

From the moment I first saw Colt, every inch of me belonged to him — body, mind, and soul. Every time I thought about how I’d hugged him that first day, still gave me tingles. I didn’t know where I’d gotten the courage to do it, but I lived off the memory of his massive, solid body against mine. I would have held him longer, but for one, I was more than aware that my dad hadn’t exactly been observing the whole thing with approval, and for another, my nipples had hardened into pebbles, and I didn’t want him to be creeped out. He probably was anyhow, but there was nothing I could do about that.

After my dad had talked down to him and he had worked so hard to make me feel comfortable, I wanted to cheer him up a little. Guess that didn’t quite work, considering he’d barely paid me any attention since.

Aside from forced encounters when our parents socialized, or when we attended the same parties or walked down the same hallway at school, we never talked again like we had that first day.

But I saw him. I saw him helping the bus driver load bags and equipment when we had away games. I saw him pick up the trash the other kids left behind so the aging janitor wouldn’t have to. I saw him make sure younger or weaker teammates didn’t get pushed around. I saw him being respectful and kind — in his own way — when he could have been bitter and harsh.

But there were also these glimpses I caught of something dark and twisted living inside him, something he kept on a leash. I wanted to see more of it. I wanted to lure that darkness out, invite it to play, and see what would happen if I provoked it.

He was so much more than what people assumed he was. Yet my dad wanted to see me with anyone but him. Preferably, one of the preppy sons of one of his other business partners, and for the life of me, I couldn’t see why. My father was too concerned with outward appearances, but I wasn’t having it.

I had decided on that very first day to whom I would give all my firsts and by whose side I would stand for the rest of my life. All I had to do was make him realize it too.

Most people would have given up long ago, and it wasn’t like I didn’t have other offers. I was fully aware I was attractive and that a lot of guys at our school were into me or trying to score with me, but I knew exactly what, or rather who, I wanted, and I was determined to get my prize.

While we were still attending the same high school, there was at least a chance of running into Colt in the hallways, and I attended every single one of his football games since I cheered on the sidelines.

Colt had graduated from high school, and was about to head off to college, and I’d spent half the summer crying my eyes out. His choice, Blue Ridge University, was two fucking states away.

My only consolation was the vacation our families would spend together right before he’d set out for college. A sunny island with a palm-fringed beach where he couldn’t avoid me.

I was still hoping, praying that he had shown no interest in me yet because I’d been too young. I was determined to make him notice me as something more. So far, the only victory I could claim was that he at least followed me on IG and added me on Snap, where he checked out my stories — yes, I checked — often and obsessively.

As one does, I created a private story for his eyes only the day we met — not that he knew — and uploaded pictures there consistently over the years. Not going to lie, those pictures had gotten a little more … risqué over time. If he hadn’t watched and reacted to each of them, I might have just given up and written him off as not interested.

That alone wouldn’t necessarily have been enough, and perhaps sounded far-fetched … if one of the girls from the squad I was semiclose with hadn’t snuck onto the football players’ bus one fateful day on the way home from an away game to join her boyfriend — and sat right behind Colt.

Although she was a little busy , she still couldn’t help but notice Colt spent the entire ride scrolling through pictures of me. “ One after the other ,” she had told me, sounding creeped out. I, on the other hand, was more reluctant to give him up since then.

Most college guys wouldn’t want a high school girlfriend sitting at home. The metaphorical ball and chain. I wasn’t holding my breath for a commitment, but I needed something . Some kind of indication that this wasn’t completely one-sided.

Just because I felt this connection between us, didn’t mean he did — but maybe he would, eventually. Either way, I was armed and ready. Colt Michaels had no idea what he was in for.

Spoiler Alert: If I had my way, it would be me bouncing on his dick — frequently.

***

Warm rays of sunshine, turquoise sea rushing in the background, sunglasses on my nose — and no Colt in sight. Our families had spent the last three days together in this beach villa, and no matter where I went, Colt made himself scarce.

A frustrated sigh puffed out of me as I rolled from my back onto my stomach and lifted my hair away from my sweaty neck. Peering over the lenses of my sunglasses, I tried to look into the house. Wearing one of my skimpiest bikinis, I strategically planted myself on one of the loungers around the pool.

Whoever stepped out of the house would have to walk past me. Unfortunately, the object of my desire was nowhere to be seen.

Drops of sweat rolled down my neck, over my collarbone, and into the valley of my breasts. Deciding it was time for a dip in the pool, I pushed myself up, and an imposing, sweaty figure came jogging up the stairs from the beach.

We both paused, eyeing each other up. And oh fuck, was there a lot to look at. Thick muscles glistening with sweat, a bare chest, with a smattering of hair, that was rising and falling rapidly, damp brown strands falling into icy-blue eyes.

I would’ve loved to trace his skin inch by inch with my tongue. Colt cleared his throat, making me tear my gaze away from his body, up to his face, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Was he … embarrassed? Why? Why couldn’t he wrap his mind around the fact that different people liked different things and not everyone wanted the typical all-American-looking dude with abs.

Fed up with the silence that hung between us, I stood and adjusted my bikini.

“You’re just in time. I wanted to cool off too. Definitely looks like you could use a dip.” There was no mistaking the way his gaze raked down my body, and I had to suppress a satisfied grin. My stomach tightened with anticipation as his eyes blazed with heat. Now, that’s what I’m talking about.

The wind blew through his brown locks as I deliberately sauntered toward the pool, my eyes glued to his. He shuffled from one foot to the other. Guess, I’d have to convince him.

Slinking past him, then glancing over my shoulder, I dipped a red-painted toe, matching my bikini, into the pool.

“You coming? Or are you scared?” Without waiting for an answer, I jumped into the pool and swam under the surface to the opposite end. Brushing my hair back as I surfaced, I peered at him through my lashes. Colt had slipped into the water but was rooted to the spot, muscles tense, and his gaze was fixed on me with laser-sharp focus.

The corners of my mouth lifted slightly. “So, not scared, after all,” I teased.

He raised an eyebrow, his face still unreadable. “What am I supposed to be scared of?”

“I don’t know. You tell me. After all, you’re the one who made himself scarce.” I shrugged, and Colt stared out toward the sea before letting out a deep breath and stretching his arms along the edge of the pool behind him.

His shoulders looked gigantic, his biceps thick slabs of muscle, and I was positively drooling. Mimicking his position, I rubbed my thighs together as inconspicuously as I could under the surface of the water to give myself at least a little relief.

“I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable. ”

“What?” I asked, confused.

He scrubbed a hand down his face, then looked up. “Come on, Hailey. You’re here on vacation. The last thing you need is some dude hovering in the background the whole time, fucking up your downtime.”

“Care to elaborate on that?” I challenged.

He didn’t respond. My stomach sank as I realized he still cared so much about what others thought and said about him. And even worse — he took it to heart and assumed everyone would automatically think that way.

“I would love it if you’d be up for hanging out with me a bit more. Our parents are gone all the time, and I’m more or less on my own. I won’t bite, I promise.”

Finally, he met my gaze again, his brows furrowed. Then his features smoothed, and he returned my smile with a tiny, crooked one of his own.

Elation coursed through me at this small victory. The connection I had felt when we first met was back, crackling between us like an invisible bond made of electricity.

I splashed water his way, and as he wiped it from his eyes, he growled, “Oh, now you’re fucked” before lunging at me.

Despite his solid build, he was fast as hell, and before I knew it, he had wrapped an arm around my waist, lifted me out of the water, and flung me backward.

I surfaced, spluttering and gasping for air, then jumped onto his back. Using my weight, I tried to pull him backward, but it was like trying to move a mountain. For a moment, I was distracted by how it felt to be pressed against the warm expanse of his back. Liquid heat pooled in my bikini bottoms, and I had to stop from rubbing against him like a cat in heat.

Despite all my efforts, he didn’t move an inch. Instead, he plucked me off his back almost effortlessly and threw me back into the cool water. As I resurfaced, I gasped, “Truce!” and when I finally caught my breath, I lifted myself out of the pool.

Dripping wet, I rose and looked down, for once towering over him. His eyes traveled from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, leaving a trail of blazing fire in their wake, and not for the first time, I desperately wished I could read his mind.

“Come out, or you’ll shrivel up,” I said.

He muttered something along the lines of “ Nothing shriveled here ,” but I chose not to respond.

I just finished drying off when he pulled himself out of the water in all his wet glory, and my insides clenched desperately at the sight.

“You know, it’s been really boring here. It’s nice having some company.” My intention was to let him know that I wanted him around, that I enjoyed him being here, with me .

Something orange peeked out from under the lounger, and an idea formed in my mind, albeit possibly a crazy one. I’d be an idiot if I let this chance go to waste.

As he ran a towel over his shaggy hair, I smiled and held out the bottle of sunscreen when he emerged. “Would you mind? I’ll do you afterward.”

He froze, then hesitantly grabbed the bottle while I lay on my stomach.

As if it was no big deal, I brushed my hair over one shoulder and waited. At last, the sound of his wet feet slapping the tiles reached my ears, and my whole body hummed in anticipation. Every single muscle wanted to contract with tension, but I fought hard to appear unfazed .

I squeaked as the sunscreen hit my skin, and a deep chuckle rang out above me. Then finally, finally , his hands came down on my back, and I had to stifle a moan. Goose bumps spread across my skin, and he paused. “You okay? Do you want me to—”

“No! Everything’s fine, I’m just a little sensitive there.” No way in hell would I allow him to take his hands off me before it was absolutely necessary.

He didn’t answer but started spreading the thick cream over my shoulder blades. I savored the feel of his calluses on my skin, and warmth spread from the places he touched me to my pussy, triggering a throbbing sensation in my core.

With the size of his hands, he could have covered my entire back in a minute, but to my delight, he took his time. As he moved to my lower back, I couldn’t help but squeeze my thighs together in desperation. I needed more — more of his skin on mine, more of him .

“Since you’re already at it, do you think you could do my legs real quick?” I wasn’t smooth at all, but I didn’t give a single shit. All I knew was that I didn’t want it to stop yet, so I spread my thighs slightly. Colt choked in the back of his throat, then placed his palms on the back of my thighs, breathing heavily.

Slowly, carefully he massaged the lotion into my skin, his strong fingers digging into my muscles, and the higher he traveled, the more I lost control. As his thumbs stroked the inside of my thighs, way, way up , a small moan escaped me. Again, he froze for a second, then moved up another inch to repeat the motion.

My pussy was dripping, and I almost didn’t dare to breathe. The heat throbbing inside me felt like a volcano about to erupt.

Then he got to my ass, and no longer hesitated. The tips of his thumbs slipped under the edges of my bikini bottoms, while his big palms cupped the curve of my ass. Colt’s breathing became even heavier, and I thought I heard a stifled groan, but I didn’t dare break the spell. Pretty sure my bottoms were soaked through.

His fingers dug easily into the supple flesh of my two round globes as he massaged them thoroughly, squeezing lightly again and again. The pressure that had built between my legs was almost unbearable and yet so delicious. On the verge of grinding into his hands, I held on to my control by a hairbreadth when he slowly took his hands off me.

After taking a moment to sort myself out, I popped up onto my elbows and glanced at him with a cheeky smile. “Thank you. You’re quite good at this.”

Colt made another strangled sound, with his cheeks bright red, fresh sweat on his brow, and an almost desperate, slightly mortified expression on his face. Mortified? My gaze dropped, and I realized why.

Holy fuck, looks like his cock is proportionate to his size — and quite a fan of the events of the last few minutes. Not to get ahead of myself, guys get hard all the time, but I was flattered, especially as I hadn’t touched him yet.

“Your turn,” I said. His eyes widened briefly, then he licked his lips and lowered his gaze.

“You don’t have to do this. I was just happy to help.”

I rose slowly, and his eyes followed. Was it my imagination, or had they lingered on my rock-hard nipples for a moment? Then I gently pushed him backward with one hand toward one of the four-poster cabanas. His broad chest felt incredible underneath my palm, and my fingers brushed over it as light as a feather as I let go of him. Did he just tremble?

“I want to do it, though. Now, lie down so I can get started.”

“Here?”

“I thought this would work better for you than a lounger. A bit more comfortable.” Disbelief crossed his face, but he still followed my instructions and settled heavily on the wide mattress. While I was looking at his tanned broad backside, another idea flashed through my mind.

“Hey, would you mind if I straddled you? That would make it a bit easier, I think.”

He sucked in a sharp breath, then rasped, “No problem.”

Not giving him time to change his mind, I climbed onto the platform and placed my legs on either side of his wide hips, my knees barely touching the mattress. “Am I too heavy?”

Colt scoffed. “Please. You’re tiny.”

Grinning with satisfaction, I spread sunscreen on his back and started working it in. To get to his neck, I had to scoot forward a little, making my crotch slide from his butt onto his lower back. Rather than two layers of fabric, there was suddenly only one between Colt’s heated skin and my dripping pussy. Fuck .

It didn’t help I had to lean forward, causing my tits to brush against his back with every stroke. This was torture. I could feel Colt shifting and fidgeting under me occasionally. Was this uncomfortable for him?

“Everything okay?”