Honor

Chapter 56

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

R eid

All eyes are on me as I enter the dining room. I can’t say I’m surprised. I’ve been gone a hell of a lot longer than I anticipated I would be. The gas station I thought I’d be able to grab a box of condoms at permanently closed down years ago.

I found that out when I wandered into a drugstore in a nearby town, and the woman behind the checkout counter gave me a long-winded lesson on the history of this part of Long Island. I blame that on myself since I’m the one who mentioned the boarded up gas station.

I tempted fate by asking her where I could get a good cup of coffee. That’s when I found out her name. Judy Saccone. It seems her brother runs a charming café that does indeed sell a great cup of coffee. I enjoyed my first cup courtesy of Judy since she took a break from her job at the drug store to walk me over to the coffee shop.

We sat and talked until I told her that I needed to head back to the beach house. She insisted I stop in the bakery next door to the café to sample one of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies her sister prepared this morning. Joanne is the name of the bakery’s owner.

Another hour was spent there, and our last stop was a floral shop owned by the youngest of the Saccone siblings. After Judy’s guided tour of the hotspots of her hometown, I bought her a dozen yellow roses to thank her. As I paid for those, I spotted the pink ones in the display case. I bought them for Evangeline without considering how the hell I’d explain the purchase without focusing a lens on what is happening between us.

The way Charlotte is eyeing up the flowers makes me think she’s about to claim them as her own, so I get in front of that. “I picked up pink roses for you, Evangeline.”

“What?” Charlotte’s drawls that one word out at the top of her lungs. “Why? I have a million questions.”

Obviously, Evie doesn’t want to answer any of them in detail because she takes over the explanation. “I asked him to get me the flowers. I thought they’d look beautiful next to my bed.”

I recognize the expression on Charlotte’s face as pity. Judging by the extravagant bouquets of white flowers that dot the interior of this home, Randall knows what she likes when it comes to anything floral.

“There are a few vases in the kitchen,” Randall says as he gets out of a chair next to the table. “I’ll show you where. Charlotte, why don’t you show Reid that picture on my phone?”

I’d rather not see it because I sense I know what picture he’s talking about. Randall’s mom gave my grandma a copy of it years ago. She put it in a silver frame and gave it a prominent spot on the mantle. It’s an image of Randall and me on the beach, not more than a few feet from the deck of his house. The only thing that picture reminds me of is how ungrateful I was at the time for what I had in my life.

“I’ll help Evie,” I insist. “I’ll take a look at the picture later.”

“We need to leave for the golf course soon.” Charlotte taps the face of her watch with one of her bright pink fingernails. “Are you sure the work you want to do today can’t wait until Monday?”

“I’m positive,” I snap but back that up with a small smile. “It needs to be today.”

Evangeline’s gaze catches mine. “Did you bring me a coffee?”

Small bursts of laughter fill the air, but it’s Pete who expresses what everyone in the room is thinking. “He’s trying to monopolize her time by giving her a coffee.”

“And cookies,” I add as I hold up the box from the bakery.

Evie shoots me a smile. “He knows me well. Those are two of my favorite things.”

I want to know her well. Hell, I want to know her better than anyone else on this planet does, but for now, I’ll take pride in knowing that I brought her a few things that have put a smile on her beautiful face.

Fate foiled my plans because my phone rang as soon as I got to my bedroom to change out of the jeans, button-down shirt, and suit jacket I had on when I went into town.

I wanted to ignore it, but it was Baden. He knows I’m out of town, so I suspected the call was important enough to warrant an answer. I was right. He was concerned about a deal that went from being firmed up yesterday morning to circling the sewer today. That’s because the owner of the business we’re interested in buying was contacted by another private equity firm yesterday afternoon. They bested our offer by a solid ten percent. Baden wanted to combat that with a robust twenty percent jump in the price we’d already presented. Instead, I told him I’d handle the negotiations over the phone. That didn’t take quite as long as my prolonged journey to buy condoms, but it did cut into my time with Evangeline.

I toss my phone on the bed and strip naked. Since I believe Evie is the only one in the house at the moment, I could set out on a nude mission to find her. The problem is that I don’t trust any of the people staying here for the weekend, other than my executive assistant. Someone could have opted out of the golf game last minute, and I have no interest in anyone other than Evie getting a view of my cock today.

I tug on a pair of white swim trunks, tuck two condom packages into the pocket, and exit the bedroom.

“Evie!” I call out her name, hoping she’s in the main room waiting for me without a stitch of clothing, but as soon as I round the corner, I find that room empty.

Since she’s not in the dining room either, I race across the house to her bedroom. I consider the open door an invitation, so I wander in to find a few clothing items on the bed. She’s nowhere in sight.

“Fuck,” I whisper under my breath.

That call lasted so long that she may have given up on me and got into one of the vehicles headed for the golf course.

As I head back to my bedroom to grab my phone to text her, I spot movement on the pool deck. I have to stop and stare.

Evie is standing next to the pool wearing the world’s most perfect red bikini. It appears to be painted on and barely covers her lush tits. When she turns to face the pool, I get my first glimpse of her ass in the bikini bottoms.

A part of me doesn’t want to move a muscle because this type of perfection is rare and I want to stare at her long enough to etch this image into my memory for eternity. The other part of me wants her so desperately that I’m already hard and aching. Pacing myself was on the agenda today, but I don’t think I possess the willpower not to come the second I slide into her pussy.

She moves again under my watchful gaze. She turns toward a row of loungers set up facing the pool. She sits her ass down on one before she swings her legs up to lean back into it.

Fucking her on that won’t work. I want to drive my dick in her so hard that the chair will collapse before my second thrust.

I take a deep breath, slide the glass door aside, and walk toward her without making a sound.

She, on the other hand, is making a sound. She’s humming a song I’ve never heard of, but I know it will be my favorite song from now on.

She glances up just as I step up next to her. “There you are. I thought you fell asleep.”

I laugh off that notion. “I have no intention of sleeping until we’re back in Manhattan.”

“Is that so?” she asks, sliding her sunglasses off.

“That’s so.” I sit my ass down on the chair next to her and gaze at her body. I’m not shy about it. I have no reason to be. I want her desperately, and she knows it. “You’re beautiful, Evangeline.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “Everyone is gone.”

I hold out a hand to her. “Come with me.”

There’s no hesitation in her movements as she drops her hand in mine. “I’m all yours until everyone gets back from the golf course.”

That’s not nearly enough time for me to do everything I want to her, but I’ll take what I can get.