Page 52 of Something Reckless

ALBA

I t’s late. So late.

I gnaw on my thumbnail as I stare out the hotel window at the glittering lights of the Sin Valley Strip below.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I whisper into the phone. “Because if this is too much for you, we can come back early. The last thing I want to do is overwhelm you.”

“I’m the furthest thing from overwhelmed, sweetie,” Mom says with genuine contentment in her voice. “We’re all having a hell of a time over here.”

My mother is watching Jagger while Easton and I are away. The two of them are spending most of this time with Easton’s family. Jagger has really been enjoying getting to know his new grandmother a little better.But I don’t want to burden anyone else with responsibilities that should be mine.

“Are you sure ?” I question again. “I just feel bad, leaving all this responsibility on you and running off to—”

“Alba! Stop!” My mother harrumphs through the phone. “Everything is under control here. Jagger is happy and healthy. I’m having an absolute blast. You get to just worry about you for once.”

God—it would be nice to just worry about me for once. To have some fun without any of the guilt. To just be free.

My eyes shift toward the other side of the hotel suite. I can hear water running from behind the bathroom door. Easton is whistling to himself. The happy sound travels through the wall.

When we returned from the lounge, the entire suite was already decorated with candles and flowers, with soft music playing on low.

I have no idea how he set this all up, but I told him it was too much. To which he responded, “Never. Nothing is too much for you.”

Le swoon.

I do want to enjoy this little fantasy getaway. At least until I’m dragged back to the harsh realities of my real life.

I sigh. “Fine.” Because I trust Mom. Of course I do.

She would never let anything bad happen to Jagger.

Plus, she’s been doing so much better lately, since she started taking care of herself and focusing on her growing friendships.

Every day, she’s inching closer and closer to being her old self again.

After a long silence, she questions me. “Why do I get the feeling that you’re trying to use Jagger as an excuse to run away from something?”

“What? No! Something like what?” I whisper in a weak denial.

“Your feelings for Easton are growing. I think that scares you,” she says sagely.

My chest clenches.

My mother and I haven’t talked about what’s going on with Easton and me. But the woman is no fool. I know she sees it. Anyone could see it.

Easton is always at my place, whenever Jagger and I aren’t at his.

The three of us are virtually inseparable these days.

And when he comes over, he stays late into the night, long after Jagger is asleep.

If that wasn’t a big enough clue that Easton and I are more than just friends, then the fact that I’m spending a weekend away with him is a dead giveaway. So I really should stop playing dumb.

Even still, I can’t admit to what’s really going on. Not even to myself.

So I flat-out lie to my mother. “That’s ridiculous. I don’t have feelings for Easton.”

Mom speaks gently and patiently. “If you won’t be honest with me, at least be honest with yourself, sweetie.”

When she says that I pause, giving the acid in my bubbling tummy a moment to settle.

Oh my god—I can’t outrun these feelings anymore.

I love Easton. I love Easton. I love Easton.

There’s no way around it.

My eyes burn and prickle as tears begin to gather.

“What will people say, Mom?” That’s the first thing that pops out of my mouth.

“Easton is my nephew’s father. What will people say?

Especially after all the controversy that’s already plagued our family over the years.

” This will just be another scandal to dogpile on top of the rest.

My mother’s sharp intake of air rings out over the phone line.

Her next words startle me. “The one thing I learned throughout the whole shitstorm with your father, is to stop giving a fuck what ‘people’ say. The ones who love you, will rally around you no matter what. The ones who love you, will care more about what makes you happy, and not what society dictates. And I love you, no matter what, Alba. ”

“Oh, Mom. I love you, too. But what about Raya?” I croak.

Mom spits out a little laugh. “Raya has never had a problem putting her wants and needs first. I love your sister, but if she’s upset over this thing with you and Easton, it may be time for her to learn that her selfish decisions have consequences. She doesn’t get to have her cake and eat it, too.”

A whimpering breath leaves me.

“I see the way you’ve worked tirelessly to keep this family together when everyone else abandoned us. And you deserve to be happy now. You deserve to have help. You deserve a soft place to fall. And if Easton is that soft place for you, then I’ll rally around the both of you.”

A shuddering breath leaves me and tears start gathering in my eyes. For so long, my mother’s wobbly shoulder was the only one I could lean on. I feel so much relief, knowing that she still supports me.

And now, I have Easton. I want to hold onto him. For as long as I can.

“I appreciate your seal of approval, Mom."

“You always have my support, sweetie.” Mom’s voice cracks. Then she clears her throat. “Look, I have to go to bed. Jagger and Cameron are putting on a puppet show for all of us in the morning. I can’t be dozing off during their performance.”

I laugh, feeling a little better. “Bye, Mom. Love you.”

“Love you, too, honey. Have fun, okay?”

“Okay.”

The call disconnects.

I hustle across the room to the dresser, and grab a tissue, blotting my eyes dry. I can’t be crying now. Not when Easton is in the bathroom, keeping his promise to run me a bath .

I’m standing at the mirror, trying to save my makeup from becoming a smudged mess when I hear movement behind me. I watch Easton’s reflection as he comes up and wraps his arms around my middle, pressing a kiss to the base of my neck.

“Ready to tick another fantasy off your wishlist?” he asks me quietly.

I grin, turning to face him. “Oh, hell yes.”

I let him lead me across the suite to the bathroom. When I step inside, my jaw unhinges on a gasp.

Clusters of candles in varying sizes cover every surface. Vases bursting with white roses are everywhere. There’s a charcuterie board loaded with cheeses, meats and crackers, along with a bottle of champagne in an ice-filled chiller bucket.

The scent of peppermint and lavender fragrances the air. And the large freestanding bathtub is brimming with bubbles.

“What do you think?” Easton asks, a hint of worry in his voice, like he’s afraid I’ll somehow find fault with this surprise. His vulnerability makes me appreciate him even more.

My hands cover my mouth and my heart gallops up and down. “How is it that you make everything even better than in my fantasies?”

“Maybe the problem is, you don’t dream big enough, Tiny Tiger. You don’t ask for enough.” He kisses my forehead. “But I want to give you everything. Even the things you’re too scared to ask for and the things you don’t realize you deserve.”

Yeah. I’m so fucking in love with this man.

I reach up, hooking an arm around his neck and pulling him down to my level. Then we’re kissing and undressing each other. Just like in a movie.

When we’re naked, I get settled in the tub and Easton gets in at the other end. We chat and laugh. I feed Easton bites of ham and cured chorizo while he scrubs my feet with a fancy pumice stone.

The whole time, I’m thinking, I don’t want to wait anymore. I want him to be the one.

Tonight.

Right now.

Setting the platter of food aside, I crawl into his lap, straddling him as water spills over the sides of the tub. Easton is already hard. I can feel the stiffness of his erection beneath the water. I instinctively begin to work my hips, letting my pussy lips slip back and forth on his length.

We don’t have to exchange a word. We just stare into each other’s eyes. “I think we both know that it’s time,” I whisper, unsure of where the courage comes from.

Easton takes my face into his giant hands. “Are you sure?”

I nod without hesitation and he kisses me deeply. His tongue brushes against mine and I groan. I allow my hands to wander all over his slick skin and he touches me too. Everywhere.

“God. I need you, Alba,” he says to me.

“I need you, too. Please,” I whisper against his mouth.

The thoughts in my head melt into each other as Easton eases from beneath me, rising out of the tub with soap suds dripping down his long, muscular limbs. He grabs a fluffy towel from the hook and reaches for my hand. Climbing out of the water, I let him dry my skin as he merges his lips with mine.

We don’t break the kiss as we stumble across the suite to the bed. My body tumbles onto the plush surface and Easton takes a step backward, standing at the foot of the mattress.

I whimper at the loss of contact.

“Fuck, Alba. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you.” He growls. He actually growls.

A shudder moves through me. Easton has been tender and patient with me all these weeks, always prioritizing my pleasure and helping me discover what my body likes.

He’s been using superhuman discipline to hold back his own desires for my sake.

But from the way he’s looking at me, there’s no doubt in my mind that he won’t be able to control his primal instincts tonight.

Easton grabs something off the nightstand, a bottle of massage oil, I realize and he approaches.

Goosebumps cover my skin as I wait for what comes next.

“Roll over, Alba,” he commands me in that same gravelly tone.

My breathing is shallow and reedy, but I do as he asks me. The bed dips beneath his weight as he crawls over me. Staring at the headboard, I hold my breath, waiting for the moment when his body makes contact with mine.