Lip Service [Private Relations 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  After a quick shower that consisted primarily of grooming, they quickly ate their mostly cold burgers now. It was almost seven after they had finished, so they decided to wander around the grounds of the hotel and explore. Walking along the boardwalk that lined the beach hand in hand, he heard Chloe sigh.

  Looking over at her curiously, she smiled and said, “Best vacation ever.”

  Grinning, he said, “When was the last time you got away before this?”

  Thinking back, she said, “When Deak and I came out here, we were broke. We didn’t really do much in the way of vacationing. I guess maybe a few years back when I went to visit my mother in New York.”

  Blinking, he said, “I didn’t know you’d seen her recently.”

  “Yeah,” she said, “She somehow got Deak’s number and called him. He basically told her to piss off, but got contact information in case I wanted to talk to her. I ended up talking to her a couple times, then went to see her. I wanted to be able to ask her why. I was still really pissed at the time, but then when I saw her again, I realized she was just really fucked up. Mentally, she wasn’t all there, and that probably played into why she took off. Not an excuse, but maybe a reason.”

  “Baby,” he said softly now, feeling an unfamiliar sensation in his gut.

  She continued on, “Things worked out for the best with her leaving. It was fucked up. Deak raising me was probably the best thing for both of us. Looking back, I think we both needed some family desperately.”

  “You’re one of the bravest people I know, Chloe,” he said, solemnly as he looked over at her.

  Shrugging, she said, “We all have to play the hand we’re dealt. But thank you.”

  She squeezed his hand with hers as they walked.

  A moment later he said, “Your vacation experience is sadly lacking. We’ll have to correct this as soon and as often as possible.”

  Arching an eyebrow, she said, “We’re correcting that right now, actually.”

  Smirking, he said, “I meant other places, too. You’ve never been to San Francisco or Seattle. I think you’d probably love them both.”

  “No need to take me pity vacationing. I’ll get there eventually,” she said, smiling at him.

  Shaking his head, he said, “Pity vacationing? I travel for work all the time, and there are always a ton of things to do that I don’t have time for when I’m someplace new. It’d be nice if I had someone to do those things with. Namely you.”

  He moved over to the railing on the boardwalk and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, “Any time I spend with you is strictly for selfish reasons, Chlo.”

  Stretching up, she kissed him and then said, “You say the sweetest things to me sometimes.”

  “Don’t I though?” he asked, grinning now.

  Laughing now, she pulled out of his embrace and gesturing toward the stairs.

  She asked, “Wanna walk on the beach?”

  Nodding, he said, “Yeah.

  Moving down the nearest set of steps and on to the beach, they slid off their shoes and walked for the next few minutes along the shoreline silently. He thought back to their previous conversation about her mom and felt that twinge again. He couldn’t understand how any parent would be able to just walk away from their kid.

  He’d had his own fucked up sort of childhood. His parents fought like cats and dogs, had been married and divorced from each other multiple times. Even with all of it, he never doubted he was loved. He couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like, to just wake up one day and have your mom leave you there by yourself.

  Feeling that unfamiliar pang in his chest again, he stopped and tugged her close. Putting his hands on her cheeks, he leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers. Running his tongue along her bottom lip, he heard her sigh as she opened her mouth. Sliding his hands into her hair, he stroked his tongue over hers.

  He wasn’t sure how long they stood on the shoreline, mouths fused, pressed against each other. He would have been happy to stay there indefinitely. He stroked a hand down her back, pressing her even closer when all of a sudden she yelped into his mouth and jumped back.

  He jumped back, looking around. Then, confused, he blinked at her until he looked down. A crab was scuttling past them now on the way back into the water.

  “You okay?” he asked, trying not to laugh.

  “Yeah. That little fucker pinched me,” she said, laughing.

  Looking up at him, she said, “Sorry. That was kind of a mood killer, huh?”

  Smirking, he said, “We should probably head back to the hotel anyway. Don’t we have that thing at nine?”

  Checking his cell phone, he said, “And it’s after eight now.”

  “Yeah. We should head back then,” she said, sliding her arm around his waist.

  Chapter 19

  As Chloe woke up, the first thing she became aware of was a warm mouth against her shoulder, and a hand stroking her breast. Sighing, she arched her back, pressing her breast against his palm. When she felt the press of his rigid arousal against her bottom, she shifted, rubbing against him.

  Mumbling against her shoulder, he said, “Fuck. It’s never enough.”

  He mouthed his way up her neck, dragging his teeth against her already sensitized flesh. Shifting his hips, he rubbed his erection against her bottom again. Lightly, he pinched her nipple now, causing her to cry out and arch further into his palm.

  “I always want you so much,” she said, voice slightly strained.

  When his hand slid down her belly, and started to stroke between her thighs, she let out a low moan. Working his fingers inside her tight channel, he twisted his hand slightly and massaged her inner walls. Whimpering now with each stroke of his fingers against her, she panted his name.

  Despite her obvious desire, he continued to tease her for a few more minutes until she uncharacteristically took control of the situation. Stilling his hand, she rolled over to face him, pressing him so that he lay on his back. She quickly straddled him. Lining him up with her entrance, she slid down until he filled her completely.

  She groaned in relief as she began to work her hips eagerly against him. On a rough exhale, he moved his hands up to palm her breasts and tease her nipples. She continued to ride him, enjoying the delicious friction until he said, “Baby. I’m not going to last this way. Here. Let me.”

  He shifted up so that he was leaning against the headboard of the bed, and urged her to climb back on top. Sliding down on his rigid length again, she immediately felt him graze her G-spot. Crying out now, she worked her hips against him. When he leaned forward to take one of her tight peaks into his mouth, she immediately clenched around him.

  Rotating her hips against him now, she cried out with each thrust. When he gently bit down on her swollen peak, she moaned loudly. His arms, which had been wrapped around her, moved down to her hips now. The hands she had placed on his shoulders for balance clutched at him now as waves of pleasure washed over her.

  Gripping her hips, he ground her against him. The new sensation of his pelvis against her already swollen clit pushed her over the edge. Arching her back now, she came apart above him, crying out as the mingling sensations pain and pleasure overwhelmed her now. Seconds later, on the heels of her release, he groaned her name as his body shuddered against hers.

  Pulling her to lean forward against his chest now, they lay for a moment, trying to get their breathing under control.

  Finally he said, “Good morning.”

  Chloe said, “Excellent morning, in fact.”

  Brushing his lips against the side of her head, he asked, “So. What’s on the agenda today?”

  “Sara gave me a huge list. I’ve got no idea where to start. What’s something you wanted to explore but didn’t have time to before?” Chloe asked.

  Stroking his hand idly down her back now, he thought for a moment and then said, “You’d probably enjoy the Gaslamp District. Wanna grab some breakfast and then head into San Diego?”<
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  Climbing off of him now, she said, “Absolutely. When I can move.”

  They stayed snuggled up for a few minutes before Chris finally rose from the bed, stretching. Chloe lay there, watching him. God, he was sexy. How had she managed to not jump him all of these years?

  Completely oblivious to her perusal, Chris wandered in to take a shower.

  Chloe lay back now, against the headboard thinking about last night. They’d snuggled up in front of the fire, drinking champagne and talking until the embers had almost died out. Deacon had been right. There was much more than what you saw on the surface, when it came to Chris.

  The more they spoke, the more she realized that, despite his laidback attitude, he was a truly passionate person. They’d gotten into a heated discussion about politics last night. While they didn’t agree on some things, hearing him talk about his views made her realize he’d really put a lot of thought into them. Every day she seemed to find more reasons to like and respect him. He was constantly full of surprises.

  Chloe drifted in and out of sleep for a few minutes, until she heard the bathroom door open. Seeing a waft of steam float into the room, she got out of bed and sauntered over to grab clothes out of her suitcase. A moment later, Chris walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped low across his hips.

  Eyeing her appreciatively, he said, “Nice outfit, baby.”

  Smirking, she looked him up and down slowly, then said, “You too.”

  Walking past him to the bathroom, clothes in hand, she squealed when he smacked her ass lightly.

  “Need any help washing your back?”

  Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she grinned and said, “Nope. I’ve got it. Thanks though.”

  “Your front?” he questioned further, grinning now, as she walked into the bathroom.

  Laughing, she said, “Got that too,” and then closed the door.

  A half hour later, they headed in to San Diego to grab some breakfast and wander around. They spent the rest of the morning meandering through the Gaslamp District. There were tons of shops and restaurants, but the best part was all of the cool architecture.

  After running through two sets of batteries for her digital camera, they sat down for lunch in Little Italy. Chris was really into the architecture too. They discussed other interesting places they’d like to see. Mostly any place in Europe turned out to be pretty high on both of their lists.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon walking through Balboa Park. The gardens were in bloom despite the heat, so Chloe took a million more pictures. After the gardens, they walked through the Natural History Museum. They had an amazing display on the Mayans that they’d spent a long time looking at.

  It was almost five by the time they finished with the museum. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day. Chris had been surprisingly knowledgeable when it came to the Mayans. As they had walked through the exhibit, he’d added tidbits he knew about some of the items.

  On the walk back to the car, Chloe grinned and said, “I had no idea under that laid-back exterior lay the heart of such a history nerd.”

  Laughing, he said, “Blame it on the podcasts.”

  When they reached the car, she wrapped her arms around his waist and asked, “How’s your knee? We’ve been walking pretty steadily since ten.”

  Shrugging, he said, “A little tired. I’m probably going to want to soak it tonight.”

  “Do you want to head back now?” she asked, concerned.

  “Not yet,” he said, “One more place we need to visit. I hope you have more batteries for your camera. La Jolla Cove is supposed to be gorgeous.”

  “Another beach?”

  “You’ll see,” he said, smiling.

  Reaching up, she brushed her mouth against his and said, “Best vacation ever.”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her up against him and returned the kiss.

  When he pulled back to look at her, he was grinning.

  “It is,” he agreed, as he opened her car door.

  The drive to La Jolla took about thirty minutes including the quick stop at a convenience store for drinks. Parking took an extra ten. Even though it was late in the day, the parking lot was still jam-packed. The sun was getting lower in the sky now, so hopefully most of the beach goers would be heading home.

  When she got the first view of the cove she was blown away. She’d never seen anything so pretty. She was already looking forward to the sunset so she could take pictures. Chris grabbed the blanket they’d used at the beach last weekend from the trunk. They picked a spot and stretched out on the blanket.

  Chloe gently massaged the muscles above his knee as they watched the sun slowly dip toward the horizon. Pausing a moment, she took a few more pictures of the sky as the clouds began to turn pink and orange.

  Glancing at Chris, she asked, “One more picture?”

  Smiling indulgently at her, he said, “Okay.”

  Scooting back to lean against him, she snapped the picture, then felt his lips brush her cheek. Setting the camera down, she turned her head to face his. Their mouths only a breath apart, she saw an unidentifiable look flicker across his features that made her heart skip a beat.

  When he brushed his lips against hers, she sighed. He continued to kiss her for what could have been minutes or hours. Pulling her down to lie next to him on the blanket, the kisses continued to be gentle and unhurried. Each time his lips brushed then clung to hers, she felt that inexplicable little flutter in her chest.

  Despite the lack of urgency in their kisses, Chloe’s heart began to race. This particular feeling was unfamiliar though.

  By the time they broke apart, the sun had dipped completely below the horizon line.

  Wincing, he said, “Sorry. You probably missed a good sunset,” as he gestured at her camera.

  Shaking her head, she said, “It was pretty perfect as is.”

  Seeing his features soften, Chloe smiled.

  Looking at her now, he said, “Do you want to hang out here a bit longer or do you want to head back?”

  “I’m starved. I vote for food. Immediately.”

  Smirking, he asked, “Any thoughts? If it’s room service we don’t have to have pants on. Just putting that out there.”

  He nudged her with his elbow.

  Laughing, she said, “I have definite thoughts on not wearing pants. I’d like to explore the concept in detail a bit later, but right now I’m starved.”

  Thinking for a minute, he said, “I know a great taco place.”

  Perking up, Chloe said, “Awesome. Tell me it’s close, please.”

  Giving her an apologetic look, he said, “Not really, but it’s amazing and worth the drive.”

  They both stood up now, stretching. Chloe leaned down to pick up the edge of the blanket, and began to fold it up. Walking to the car in silence, they brushed the sand off their feet and slid back into their shoes once they got to the parking lot.

  “Wanna drive?” Chris asked, jingling the keys.

  Chloe felt her eyes widen.

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll give you directions,” he said.

  Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “You’re sure?”

  “Don’t wreck it, please,” he said, nodding.

  Chapter 20

  Chris sat in the passenger seat of his own car and said, “This is really alien, being in the passenger seat. You’re the only other person I’ve let drive my car. Please be gentle.”

  Leaning over, Chloe kissed him gently and said, “I won’t break your baby.”

  He watched her turn the ignition and back out of the parking spot.

  “So, where am I headed?”

  “Back to the 5 and then south. When we get close to the exit, I’ll let you know,” he said.

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of a nondescript bodega.

  Parking the car, Chloe looked around and said, “You’re sure this is the place? This looks like a grocery store.�
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  When she passed him the keys, he said, “Trust me. Best tacos of all time.”

  Getting out of the car, he locked the doors and alarmed it. They walked through the front door of the grocery store and back to the counter in the back. He could already smell the carne asada and onions.

  Fifteen minutes later with two to-go orders, they drove back to the hotel. The car was filled with the incredible scents from their meal.

  Every so often one of them would sniff the air appreciatively and say, “That smells so good!”

  Luckily the drive back to the hotel was relatively short. Within another fifteen minutes they were in the room, on the balcony of their room, dining on a meal of beef tacos with chips and salsa. Chris had grabbed a beer out of the minibar for himself and a Coke for Chloe.

  Taking a bite of her taco, Chloe moaned, then said, mouth partially full, “Holy shit, this is good.”

  Laughing, Chris said, “Told you. So freaking good.”

  They ate in relative silence, punctuated by the occasionally mumbled, “So good,” around a bite of food.

  After the meal was complete, Chris made a grab for the containers and Chloe swatted his hand away, saying, “I got it. Just relax.”

  Taking the garbage inside, she dumped it in the trash can, then came back outside and asked, “What now?”

  “Hmm. We could go walk on the boardwalk again? Or go out?”

  Shaking her head, she said, “Nah. I really want to relax. My sandals were a shitty choice for a day of walking. My calves hurt and I have blisters forming. I could use a soak. Could we just hang out here and hot tub?”

  He wasn’t entirely convinced she wasn’t taking pity on him by suggesting it, but his knee was throbbing like a bitch, so he just nodded and said, “Want to head down now or wait a few?”

  Considering, Chloe said, “Doesn’t matter to me. Was there something you wanted to do before hand?”

  “Nothing I don’t want to do pretty much all the time,” he said, grinning at her, “But I could use a soak. My knee hurts. Wanna head down now?”