Three
Chance
I’m trying not to stare at Peyton’s body, but her in that barely-there bikini, it’s giving me a run for my money. I fist my hands, unclenching them, and then do it again a few times over. If my hands touch any part of her body right now, we’ll be fucked, literally, and I know if that happens, the two of us will never fucking happen. She’s hell bent on putting me in my place, and I’m hell bent on letting her see that I’ll get on my knees to make her see that yes, I fucked up. I should have admitted my feelings all those months ago instead of hiding from them. It took me this goddamn long to pull my head out of my ass, but after this week, she’ll know damn well what my intentions are with her.
“What? Never seen a woman in a bathing suit before?”
“Peyton, there’s nothing that could ever prepare me for seeing you like this. Not a fucking thing.” The words I’m speaking are the absolute truth. Her hair is down, so long that it curls on those fantastic tits of hers that are more than a handful. Her fair skin that I know will burn to a crisp if she doesn’t put sunscreen on looks like silk. Fuck, we’re lucky it’s in the low eighties today, or we’d be bundled up as much as we were in Virginia. I love that Peyton has curves. I can toss her around without worrying I’ll break her when we’re in bed. My eyes comb her body—tits, hips, and legs. Peyton doesn’t even know how utterly fucking beautiful she is to me.
“Well, you could have had it. A simple apology, some groveling, maybe your mouth for more than just a kiss, and it would have been yours. Now, though, who knows what can happen.” I watch as she grabs her bag and brushes against me as she makes her way to the door. There’s no way I’m going to let her leave though. We have too much shit to discuss, and I’ll be damned if our vacation starts off with her walking away from me.
The minute I see an opportunity, I take it. My arms band around her middle, hugging her to my chest. Peyton’s back is plastered to my front when I whisper into her ear, “I know I fucked up, Peyton. There was too much shit rattling in my mind to keep me from going after the person who’s standing right here with me. I should have apologized. Hell, I should have never left. But I can’t change the should’ve, would’ve, could’ve. What I can do is make it up to you in every way that counts. I’m apologizing here and now. If you need me on my knees, then I’ll do it. But, baby, the second I am, I’m going to have my mouth on every sweet inch of your skin.” I pull her in deeper, letting her feel exactly what she does to me. My cock is rock hard, bursting to break loose and sink deep inside Peyton.
When I said I had shit rattling in my head, I wasn’t lying. That phone call that happened after I rocked Peyton’s world was one I’d been waiting on. My brother was airlifted to Germany, and my mother was hysterical on the other end of the line when I did answer her call. It made me feel like the world’s biggest dick going after Peyton when I did. My brother laid up in God knew what form, and there I was, defiling my secretary and being a dick while doing it. Thank fuck Fox came out on the other side, it’s partially why he moved down here. He wanted an easier life than he did have. Now, he’s fine, obviously, but the mess I left while dealing with it. That’s a whole other story, and I’m not proud of how I handled it.
“You have to know, Chance, I’m pretty apprehensive about what’s going on here. I’m not saying I can’t forgive you. I may just need some time.” She turns in my arms. I slightly loosen my hold. The way Peyton looks up at me, with tentativeness in her eyes, it socks me in the gut. I did this to her. Shit. I did this to us. I swallow the lump forming in my throat. “I understand. You going to the beach or the pool?”
“The beach. I want to dip my toes in the sand before the sun starts to set. You want to come with me?” My hands dip to the curves of her hips, squeezing slightly before responding.
“There’s nothing I’d love more. I’m going to ask you to put something over your suit, though, before we walk through the lobby. I can’t be held responsible if some dumb fuck looks at you the wrong way and he finds my fist in his face,” I growl out, remembering just twenty minutes ago.