Fraternize Me Read online

“That’s a shame.” He climbed into the tub.

  Hank handed her the box. “Hold this, while I pour the drinks.”

  She lifted the cardboard to her nose, inhaled and moaned. “Oh my God, I'm starving. I don't think I've had pizza for months.”

  “It’s my weakness and I'm lazy.” He winked, passing her a glass of wine. “Go ahead and take a slice. I’ll set the box on the patio table while we eat.”

  Once they were set up, drinking with one hand, eating out of the other, Ava laughed. “When I’m with you, I do the craziest things. Do you know I've been so busy this week, this is the first time I've used the hot tub. Now I'm eating pizza and drinking wine with a cowboy in the hot tub of the honeymoon suite. How many woman can brag about that?".”

  Hank tilted his head, smiling at her. “Tell me about yourself? Where do you come from?”

  She finished chewing, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and swallowed. “I grew up here…in Seaside. We have a small beachfront house. Before I got the job at the hotel, I worked for the florist in town, making deliveries. It’s a huge deal that I found this job at Holland Hotels, and Mr. Holland took a chance with me, considering I was homeschooled and even quit doing that before I was eighteen.”

  She made no excuses for how her life had turned out. Some people were lucky, and others worked their butts off surviving. She took pride in what she’d accomplished.

  “You said, ‘we.’ Do you live with your parents?” He grabbed another piece of pizza.

  “No. My grandmother raised me after my parents died in a car crash.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She nodded and shrugged. “It’s okay. I don’t even remember them. I was only two, and still in a car seat. I came out of the accident without a scratch.”

  “So tell me about dropping out of school. Did you go through a rowdy stage and decide to find work, instead of finishing school?” Hank sniffed the wine before drinking. “I don’t think I’ve known anyone who was homeschooled.”

  “No. I stopped because it was necessary.” Ava picked up the towel, wiped her hands, and gingerly slipped down in the water, holding her glass above the surface. When her knees stopped stinging and grew numb, she relaxed. “My gram has dementia. That’s what they call it anyway. I didn’t know it at the time, but she was showing signs of confusion for years leading up to losing her mind completely. I quit to make sure she stayed safe and to help with the bills. Her social security check didn’t cover all of our needs, so I found odd jobs to bring in extra money.”

  Hank tossed his uneaten crust in the pizza box. “That’s an enormous responsibility for someone your age, by yourself. How long have you been taking care of your grandma?”

  “Since I was sixteen.”

  He whistled.

  “I had to put her in a nursing home last year, because it was becoming too dangerous to leave her at home alone while I worked. It was hard to keep a job, even a minimum wage job, when I was missing so many days because I had to keep checking on Gram, so…” She glanced away.

  “You put her somewhere that she’d be safe?” he asked.

  She looked at the water. “I thought I did the right thing, and earlier tonight I got a call that she’d escaped Sunny Oak—that's where she lives now. I found her at home and took her back, but now I need to buy her some GPS device that goes around her ankle. I need this job to pay for her stay, and all the things that will keep her happy and safe. The GPS device is six hundred dollars. I don’t even have that much in my bank account.”

  “That’s very admirable of you, Ava.” He scooted around the hot tub, until he was sitting beside her. “I’m close to my family too, but I don’t know if one of us would give up our own life to take care of another. I would like to think we would, but I guess you don’t know until it happens to you.”

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you where your ranch is located. I know other guests have come from far away to attend the convention.”

  He nodded. “I have a spread in the Tillamook valley.”

  “Oh, thank God.” She smiled.

  He laughed. “That pleases you?”

  “Yes. It’s not far from Seaside. Less than an hour.” She lifted her hands and skimmed her palms against the surface of the water. “Beautiful area. I envy you.”

  “Why?”

  She glanced at him. “I know it’s a lot of work, but I imagine a day spent outside, riding horses and bringing new lives into the world must be rewarding. At the end of the day, you can sit back and be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

  “You don’t get that in the hotel business?”

  “Oh, I do. In a way.” She turned on the bench and faced him. “Sometimes, I want life to slow down. Everybody here is on warp speed, going here and there, and never staying for long. I miss forming friendships and seeing other people more than once or twice before they go back to their own lives. Even before I started working here…” She shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but it was hard. Friends come and go, but I suppose that’s the drawback of living in a tourist hotspot. It’s just that sometimes I feel like I missed out on the little things everyone else experienced.”

  He stroked her cheek. She shivered as the water off his thumb trickled down her neck. When had she turned into a babbling idiot? She loved her life. Okay, it was true that she had a lot riding on getting this job, and the last five years were more stressful than she let on, but she was happy.

  “A woman needs interaction with others,” he whispered.

  His lips. She sighed. Those firm yet full lips curved slightly, drawing her attention. They moved, but she tuned out what he was saying. Like waves splashing against the sand, his mouth pulled her in closer.

  “I’m going to kiss you, Ava,” he whispered.

  She nodded and closed her eyes. Gently at first, he skimmed her cheek, and then nudged her bottom lip. She melted, glad for his hand behind her neck, supporting her head. The heat from his touch overwhelmed her and she floated closer.

  Hank’s kisses didn’t stop, but grew more passionate. He urged her mouth open, and every cell in her body rapidly bounced around at the first stroke of his tongue. Her thoughts scattered as Hank scooped her up and set her on his lap. The bubbles from the hot tub weaved around them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, tentatively at first, and then harder.

  Before she was ready for the moment to end, Hank pulled his mouth away with soft kisses, holding her in place. She remained on his lap, and stared into his eyes.

  She wanted this cowboy more than she wanted to think of what came next. This might be the only night they’d have together. He’d go back to his home tomorrow, and who knew if she’d have a job after Mr. Holland got back. She deserved a night to remember before the real world once again invaded her every minute.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered.

  He seemed to study her. “You’re sure?”

  She nodded. “Positive.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The tenderness with which Hank carried her to his bedroom surprised her. A big, rough, cowboy, she expected him to take her on the floor or against the wall. Instead, he cradled her as if she were spun glass and placed soft kisses on her forehead.

  In the bedroom, he set her on her feet. The cool breeze from the air conditioner tickled her wet skin. She shivered.

  “Let’s get your wet suit off.” He untied the string at the back of her neck.

  Unable to think, much less move, she let him take care of her. The knowledge that he was stripping her naked and she’d never had the opportunity to have a man view her naked body before, was all but a fleeting thought. It didn’t matter.

  Her breasts spilled free. Hank sucked in his breath. She raised her arms to cover herself, but he stilled her movements.

  “No, please,” Hank groaned. “Let me look at you, darlin’.”

  Nerves, temperature, and Hank, caused her nipples to tighten unbearably hard—they almost hurt. She forced
herself to stand there and let him take his time, undoing the rest of her bikini top. When he had the scrap of material out of the way, he caressed the slope of her breasts with the back of his knuckles. She gasped, and to her embarrassment, her lower half took on a mind of its own.

  Moving against him, moaning low, she lifted her hands and wound them around the back of his neck, arching into him. Whatever he was doing to her, she hoped he’d never stop.

  “You like that, darlin'?” he said, flicking his thumb over the sensitive nub.

  She lifted her leg, attempting to get as close as possible to him. The heat rolled off his body, and she wanted to have him pressing against the length of her. “Yes. More.”

  He grinned and kissed her hard. “That’s my girl.”

  Not wasting a second, he pulled off her bikini bottoms and laid her on the bed. She scooted back farther on the mattress, and watched him take off his swim trunks. All the air left her lungs. He was beautiful. And much bigger than she ever imagined possible. He looked nothing like the sketches in the books she’d checked out in the library. Compared to him, the Statue of David must’ve suffered from small penis disease.

  No, his erection was large, thick, and demanding attention. She sat up, her legs squeezed together. There was no way sex would work between them. No matter what romance books said or movies showed or adults proved every day, Hank and she were too different. The reality almost made her cry. She wanted to have sex. It was past time. She was twenty-two years old.

  Hank strode from the room, returned holding up a small foil package and smiled. She dropped her chin, unable to look at him.

  “Hey.” He sat down on the bed and hooked his finger under her chin. “What’s wrong?”

  How could she explain that along with being homeschooled and taking care of her gram, she’d never had the opportunity to make love before? The closest she’d come to having sex was kissing Billy Braxton, who lived next door, when she was seventeen and he caught her crying in the backyard and tried to make her feel better. She had no experience, and a bigger fear that she was going to end up still a virgin tomorrow. That couldn’t happen.

  Now that she’d made up her mind, she couldn't stop. She wanted him. Tonight. This minute.

  “Cold.” She reached for him. “Warm me up, cowboy.”

  “That I can do,” he whispered, right before he captured her mouth.

  Hank’s hand was also moving, caressing her waist, her hip, and down her leg. She lost herself in his kiss. His fingers magically loosened her legs, and she leaned into him. His exploring took him to the apex of her thighs. She gasped, but he swallowed her surprise.

  Her breasts brushed his chest with each breath she took. She wanted to hold him and feel the hard planes of his body pressed against her body.

  “Do you know how long I’ve wanted this?” he said. Tracing his tongue around her mouth. “It’s hard to believe I’ve got you here now.”

  She tasted him and sighed, her hands closing around his shoulders and pulling him closer.

  He seduced her mouth, taking control of her sanity, and leaving her without any thoughts. She’d never been this intimate with a man, skin to skin, with their bodies molded together. She’d never wanted this with anyone else, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she wanted this connection with Hank.

  For so long, she’d put her responsibilities first in her life. Tonight was about her. She wanted this one moment before she lost the chance. Hank would walk away tomorrow, and she might never have time like this with him again.

  “Tell me this is real,” she asked softly.

  He framed her face with his hands and pushed against her. “We’re real.”

  “Yes.” She caressed her way down his body.

  There were emotions he brought to the surface of her soul that confused her. She wasn’t sure what to do about Hank or the next step she was supposed to take. Relationships were hard and required effort and time, both of which she was lacking.

  But, some things were worth the risk.

  He held himself above her, pausing. She held her breath. Afraid he was stopping.

  There was something real about Hank, almost too real. Instead of watching him leave her life, he was here. Even if it was only for tonight, he was with her.

  “Close your eyes," she whispered.

  He closed them. She trailed her fingers over his brows, across his eyes, and along his nose. His features could’ve been sculpted out of rock, but he was warm, so warm. He made her laugh, and when he wasn’t aware she was watching him, he impressed her.

  The need to know everything about him, to experience him inside of her, made her even hotter. She lifted her pelvis, rubbing against him. She took his lower lip between her teeth and suckled. He growled, opening his eyes, and she grew braver.

  She thrust her tongue into his mouth, just a little bit, teasing him. He returned the venture with a thrust of his hips, settling between her legs. She held him tight, knowing where she was leading him.

  Ava reacted. She ached to feel his hardness inside of her. More than anything, she wanted him, plain and simple.

  She rubbed against him without any true motive, only because her body urged her on. Pleasure coursed through her veins, twisting, deepening, and pleading for release.

  He pulled back with a lingering kiss. She sunk her fingers deep in his hair.

  “Why did you stop?” She squirmed underneath him.

  He chuckled, and kissed the end of her nose. “Condom.”

  “Oh.”

  “You drive me wild, darlin’.” He rose up on his knees. "Every day, seeing you and being near you, about killed me."

  His hands shook as he rolled the condom over his hardness. She swallowed. Every part of him fascinated her.

  “You’re beautiful.” She sighed and reclined back on the bed. "So different from me, I can't stop touching you."

  He settled back down on top of her. “That’s what I think when I look at you.”

  “You make me feel special, Hank.” She smiled.

  “You are…” He rolled to his side, taking her with him. “I know there's a world of differences between us. I worried you were too young. That I'm too old for you. Then I got to know you, and the differences don’t seem so bad. But, I need to know what you expect from tonight. Do you think this is only sex?”

  “I don’t know.” She stared at his chin, reaching up and threading her fingers through his whiskers. “I don’t have any experience. I only know that I want to have sex with you.”

  He stiffened.

  She pushed up on her elbow. “What’s wrong?”

  “No experience?” He ran his hands down his face. “Are you saying you’re a virgin?”

  She nodded.

  “Shit.” He rolled off the bed and stood up.

  She sat up. “What’s the matter?”

  “You’re a virgin.”

  “Yeah.” She shook her head. “But I’m also an adult, Hank. Whether I have sex or not is my choice. It shouldn’t matter.”

  He laughed, but it was a painful sound. “Oh, darlin’, it matters. It matters a whole damn lot.”

  He picked his wet swim trunks off the floor and carried them to the door. “Get dressed.”

  “Wait.” She scampered off the bed, but he’d slipped out of the room. “That’s it? You’re just going to walk out?”

  “Darlin’.” He looked up at the ceiling. “You deserve someone better. This isn't just sex to you. It's your first time. It should be with someone who hasn't been around the block…numerous times.”

  She stood naked, staring at the door. All her life she’d thought about what was best for everyone else, and put her own needs last. She crossed her arms over her bare breasts. That never got her far. She glanced back at the bed. No way. I’m putting myself first, for once.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ava had no idea what he’d done. A seagull hadn’t flown into his window. He’d set tonight up, with plans to finally seduce her.
r />   He’d manipulated his way into her life from day one. If Drake hadn’t coerced him into helping evaluate Ava, he wouldn’t be in this mess. Instead, he had the hard on from hell and no way of fixing his problem without coming clean with Ava first.

  “Damn you, Drake,” he hissed to the empty room.

  He cared about her. This wasn’t about sex. He punched the back of the couch. Okay, it was about sex, but over the week he’d grown to admire Ava.

  Knowing her history and what she’d struggled through growing up only made him respect the woman more. He buttoned his jeans, and yanked his arms in his shirtsleeves. She deserved wine and roses, not schemes and lies.

  “Ava?” He pulled on his boots. “I’m going out for a little—”

  “No, you’re not,” Ava spoke behind him.

  He turned around. His body hardened to attention, and he fisted his hands at his side. She stood there in all her feminine glory.

  Standing with her hands planted on her hips, her head cocked, and more determined than ever, Ava stared him down. He swallowed.

  “Answer one question for me before you walk away.” She raised her chin. “Do you want to make love to me?”

  He leaned forward and braced himself on the back of the chair. “I want nothing more than to take you back to bed, and pretend the last five minutes didn’t happen. But, they did. "You're twenty two years old. I'm thirty five and—"

  "I know how old we are, Hank. You keep reminding me. But, I'm starting to worry about your memory…" Her eyes softened. "I also know that if you strip our ages away, we have nothing stopping you from making love to me," she said.

  She glided over the floor, stood in front of him, and without a word, slipped her fingers inside of his hand. She led him into the bedroom, and every bit of his willpower to end the charade disappeared when she pushed him down on the mattress.

  Flat on his back, he could only watch as she leaned forward, her breasts dangling over him, and unzipped his jeans. He groaned at the instant relief that came with freedom. He dug his hand in his pocket and removed a condom before kicking off his jeans. Then he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor.