Page 2 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

Chapter Two

Cooper

Sweat trickled down my temple as I fought for any semblance of control. I couldn't believe that Ivy had made a move. I hadn't thought she'd ever give into the growing attraction between us. I wasn't sure she'd acknowledge it to herself, much less to me.

Ivy Buckley was so carefully controlled; I thought of her as a queen in my head. She was regal and professional and never gave in to any man.

It was the storm that seemed to rattle her, and I couldn't leave her alone in this house. Especially when the power went out.

There was something about seeing Ivy so vulnerable that struck a chord deep inside me. She wasn't a damsel in distress, but damn if I didn't want to sweep in and save her, even if it was from herself.

She'd never admit to anyone that she needed me to protect or satisfy her.

The orgasm built in the base of my spine, so I slowed my pace, kissing her, as my hand snaked between us, finding her swollen nub. I rubbed her, and she jerked in my arms, her mouth ripping from mine.

"Oh, my God."

I ground my teeth together. "It's Cooper."

She held on tight as her body spasmed around me. I was positive she'd hate this act of vulnerability when she realized what transpired between us.

She'd never let me this close again, but I'd always remember it. She'd let down her guard and let me in. I was positive she thought she was in control of every situation, especially this one. But she wasn't.

For a few seconds, I was in control. I was the one holding her against the wall, supporting her weight. It took my touch for her to let go.

Her fingers tangled with the hair at the base of my neck, and that one act of tenderness set me off. I thrust one more time deep and emptied myself into the condom. I wished I was bare inside her, but she would never allow that to happen.

It was too risky. Neither of us wanted the risk that came with something like that. I hadn't even asked if she was on birth control. I should do it now, but she was already pushing me away, wanting to get down.

I complied, setting her on her feet.

She pulled on her bra, hooking it with efficiency, then her shirt, which she left gaping open while she reached for her skirt.

It only took a second for me to tuck myself into my briefs and zip up my jeans. This was a quickie against the wall of an empty house. It shouldn't have meant anything, but I felt this overwhelming swelling of emotion in my chest cavity.

I wanted to ask her to slow down, to wait, but there was no stopping Ivy when she got something in her head, and right now, she wanted to escape this situation. She wanted to get away from me. I stepped back to give her the space she needed.

My presence was a reminder that she'd let down her guard for a few seconds, and she wouldn't forget it.

Her movements were jerky, so I shoved her hand aside to pull up the zipper of her tight skirt. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Her tone had a bite to it, belying what we'd just shared.

"We had sex. That tends to be an intimate act." One that requires emotion, whether she believed that or not.

She snorted. "I thought we agreed that this meant nothing."

"We did."

She lifted her chin. "Then why are you trying to make it something it's not?"

I didn't respond because she already knew where this was going, and it wasn't back to her place or mine.

She straightened her skirt, then worked the tiny buttons on her silky shirt.

It was white over a pale pink lace bra, the color of her skin.

I couldn't believe I was only just now noticing what she wore.

My biggest regret was that I hadn't even gotten to see much of her breasts much less taste her nipples.

I wasn't ready to let her go, but then again, I never really had her. I just hoped I hadn't made a huge miscalculation.

Ivy glanced out the window. "The rain stopped. I have to get going."

"I'll walk you out."

"That's not necessary." I didn't point out the obvious that I was on my way out when the rain started.

She walked ahead of me, grabbing her purse from the kitchen island and doing her best to comb her tangled hair with her fingers.

When she reached for the doorknob, I stopped her with a hand to the door. She turned slowly, facing me. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." I cupped her chin, wishing I had more time to get under her skin. Even though I’d promised her it was a one-time thing, unraveling the mystery of Ivy was becoming a top priority in my head.

Her lips pursed. "I'm fine."

"Of course you are." She'd never admit that she wasn't. "I don't regret what we did."

She barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "I don't either. Now can I go?"

I dropped my hands, stepping back.

She was free to walk out the door at any time. But she was the one who'd chosen to kiss me. The one who'd gotten undressed and said she wanted me. I wouldn't forget that anytime soon.

She opened the door and walked outside. The rain was still dripping from the porch and a nearby tree.

She hurried to her SUV. I suspected she drove a nice vehicle and wore expensive clothes to hide where she came from. A lot of people might have forgotten, but I remembered her coming to school in too-small clothes and getting the free lunches.

I remembered her being embarrassed if anyone pointed out her circumstances. And I remembered clearly when she came back to town after college and set up her business. I was impressed with her.

I'd only gotten the opportunity to be alone with her during the inspections. She gave into the attraction as the storm raged around us. I didn't delude myself into thinking that this wasn't a rare occurrence for her.

I wanted to know more about her, but I wouldn't get answers by forcing her to stay with me. I needed to let her go. That was her first instinct when anyone got close. I had to comfort myself with the knowledge that I'd been the only one who'd gotten this far with her emotionally.

She talked about dating tourists, men with a timeline to leave. She needed to keep her distance from everyone. Our friends might not have noticed it, but I had.

I'd always been intrigued by her but never thought anything would happen. But now that it had, I wasn't going to let the idea of her go. She was under my skin, and I couldn't shake her.

Many times, I'd dreamed of the way she felt and ached to taste her. She might try to forget that anything happened between us, but I didn't think she'd be successful.

Or at least, I hoped she wouldn't be. I didn't want to be one more easily forgettable man who entered her life and left just as quickly.

I didn't know what I wanted beyond possessing her. But there was that moment when I realized the storm had shaken her, that I wanted something more. I wanted to protect her. I'd never felt that way about anyone outside of my family.

It was a new feeling. One I wanted to explore.

She opened her door, and when she was behind the wheel, she looked up at me. I shoved my hands in my pockets but kept my gaze locked on hers.

She turned away to back out of the driveway.

I wanted to see her again and not just for business.

I’d promised her what she wanted to hear the first time, suspecting it would be hard to walk away from her.

The next time we were alone, I wanted to taste her.

To make her come with my mouth. Would she let me, or was that too intimate an act for her?

I wanted to break down every wall, every hang-up, and see the woman underneath. The one riddled with hidden insecurities she never let anyone see.

As much as I admired the woman she'd become, I wanted to get to know the one she hid from everyone.

I waited until her taillights disappeared before heading to the bar where I was supposed to meet Shep. I didn't enjoy the bar scene anymore, but it was a habit to keep Shep out of trouble.

It was a bad habit I couldn't shake.

I found Shep at the beachside bar, his stool swiveled so he could talk to a woman. They were never far when he was around. I'd long ago gotten over any jealousy surrounding his appeal.

As I'd grown and matured, I realized I didn't want the type of women Shep attracted. I wanted something deeper and more meaningful. I just hadn't found it yet.

I leaned on the bar, raising a finger to get the bartender's attention. I ordered a beer, and when he handed it to me, Shep asked, "Where've you been?"

"I had to do an inspection for Ivy." I hoped he didn't take this opportunity to mention that we'd been doing a lot of those lately. I didn't want him to put anything together.

The woman who'd been next to Shep disappeared. He might have been a lady's man, but we were close. Or at least I'd always thought we were. Lately, I'd been getting the itch to create some distance. To figure out what I would do with my life if I wasn't so wrapped up in his.

"You coming over this weekend to rip out the bathrooms?" Shep asked.

"I thought you were doing the kitchen first?"

"I got rid of some cabinets.”

"Shouldn't you finish renovating one room before you do any more demolition?" I asked him.

"I want to do the demo first."

"I can't believe you're finally getting around to making changes." Shep lived in our grandmother's house on Captiva. It was too big for him, but I'd made the decision early on not to live with him. Besides, Grandma left him the house.

Shep nodded. "It's time to make that place my own. I don't know anything about picking designs though."

I think it had something to do with the fact that he was color-blind.

We'd discovered that interesting information when we were kids.

I'd always covered for him. The only reason anyone suspected he had attention deficit disorder were the teachers.

He'd always refused any sort of help and pushed away any plans they created for him.

He wanted to be treated like everyone else.

Unfortunately, it made him look like he was disorganized and lazy. When in reality, he suffered from an executive functioning disorder and got easily overwhelmed with details. He reacted by shutting down.

"Have you thought about asking Luna for help?" Our sister had recently started her own interior design company.

Shep swiveled on the bar stool so that he could take in the crowd. "She's in Colorado working on a project. She doesn't have time for this."

"I think she'd enjoy working on our grandmother's house."

"I don't want her to feel bad that Grandma gave me the place and not anyone else."

I think it was because she'd had a soft spot for Shepard. She'd seen through the bullshit to the man underneath.

"You're going to need help with this project," I said, knowing that he had difficulty deciding what to do first and finishing a project before he moved onto something else. Without supervision, he'd have the house ripped apart and unlivable without a clear plan to fix it.

"I'll figure it out." Shep shrugged. "What about you? You haven't been out with us as much."

"Eh. The bar scene is getting old." I leaned a hip against the countertop. The thing that interested me more was fucking Ivy against the wall. I wanted to find a way to make it happen again. Would Ivy take me up on a no-strings-attached fling? Or would it be better to use action instead of talking?

"You seeing someone?" Shep asked.

For how oblivious he was at times, he had an uncanny ability to figure me out. "Why would you think that?"

He leaned an elbow on the bar, facing the room so he could eye the women milling around. His gaze settled on Kinsley, who was out with the rest of the girls tonight. "Because you're not coming out with me as much."

I shrugged, trying not to focus on Ivy. "It's not a big deal."

He glanced over at me. "I'm starting to think you've been avoiding me."

My brow furrowed. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. You tell me." He kept his gaze on me.

His scrutiny was uncomfortable. "I've been picking up more inspection jobs than ever. It's time consuming, and I've been too tired to go out."

He shifted his gaze from me to the crowd. "Why does Dad want us doing that anyway?"

"He thinks it’s good to work with local realtors.”

"That makes sense, but it's a lot of work for not getting paid.”

"I don't mind helping Ivy. She's a friend."

"Yeah, I guess. I always thought we'd hook up at some point, but she was never interested. I can't figure her out."

I let out a surprised laugh. "You came onto Ivy, and she didn't want anything to do with you?"

Shep shifted his stance, looking decidedly uncomfortable. "It's rare that I strike out with anyone."

I bumped his shoulder, pleased that he'd struck out with her. "Did she bruise your ego?"

"Of course not. It's not like every woman on the island is interested in me." His gaze settled on Kinsley once again.

I dipped my head toward her. "She's a single mother and doesn't want anything to do with you."

He tipped his beer to his lips. "That's because I let her think I'm a player."

"Aren't you?"

Shep grimaced. "I enjoy their attention. That doesn't mean I sleep with every woman I flirt with."

I lifted my beer to my mouth. "Are you sure about that?"

"I'm not a complete asshole."

Kinsley looked over at us, and I wondered if she sensed our attention.

Shep winked at her, and she shook her head.

I leaned in close. "You shouldn't mess with a single mom. She has enough going on."

His jaw tight, he said, "I'm not messing with Kinsley. I don’t intend for anything to happen with her. I just like riling her up."

"She hates you."

"You think so?" Shep asked, a hint of vulnerability in his tone.

" Hates is a strong word. But she's usually irritated with you."

Shep chuckled. "Yeah, no kidding. There's no getting around my reputation with the women, I guess."

I snorted. "You like it that way."

"Of course I do," Shep said with a grin, and when a blonde sidled up next to him with a friend, I moved away.

I didn't feel right talking to women after I'd been intimate with Ivy. When I saw her heading toward the bathroom, I followed her.

I waited in the hallway for her to come out.

A few minutes later, she opened the door. When she saw me leaning against the wall, she asked, "Can I help you?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew they were the wrong ones.

She was taller than other women I'd dated, so I only had to drop my head slightly for her to talk into my ear. "I'm always okay," and then she was gone.

I wanted to touch her skin to remember what she felt like under my palm. I wanted to find out what she tasted like. Our encounter was too short. I wanted more time with her, getting to know her. I wanted her to scream out my name. Too bad she was never going to let anything happen again.