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  Geena. Images of her bent over, taking it from behind while she called out my name filled my brain. I had stamina, and she’d had no problem keeping up with me. She’d met me match for match the entire few hours I’d been there. The thought of her breasts filling my hands and her—.

  “Earth to Johnny,” Cal interrupted. Busted. I nodded over at him. “That girl just invited me up to her room.”

  I looked over at the girl who couldn’t be more than twenty, turning back to look at Cal every few seconds as she walked away. The string bikini she wore didn’t leave much to the imagination and she had a rockin’ body. Too young and not my taste, but hey, if she was willing, why not.

  “Go for it, man. You said yourself you’re unattached.”

  He held out his arm. “She wrote her room number on my arm. I don’t even know her name.”

  I thought back to Geena again. She hadn’t known my name until we’d been practically naked, just the way I liked it. I was definitely looking forward to meeting up with her again tonight.

  “Do you not do this sort of thing often?”

  Cal shrugged. “I’ve had a few one-night stands, but I usually know them or know someone who knows them. I don’t usually pick up girls here.”

  “Just be careful she doesn’t want something more,” I warned. I’d been there, done that. “She doesn’t seem like she does, but just make sure.” I had radar now and could smell them a mile away.

  Cal nodded, eyeing me like he wanted to ask something. I turned away, effectively shutting down whatever it was. I’d be friendly with him, but I wasn’t getting all feminine and shit. I didn’t talk about my life. Period.

  I wiped my hands on the bar towel after wiping the sweat off of my forehead again. It had rained a few hours ago and it was now sweltering, the humidity making my Outrigger shirt stick to me like a second skin. I liked it in Florida, but the temperature was definitely something to get used to.

  “Johnny.” I knew who it was instantly. I deserved him coming here. I looked over my shoulder at my sister’s husband, then down the bar at Cal.

  “Cal,” I called out. “I’m taking fifteen, okay?” He nodded, turning back to talk to a patron. “Want a beer?”

  “Sure,” Carter said. I tried to read if he was angry, but the guy was a steel trap. If I’d been angry, he sure as shit would’ve been able to tell. I admired the man. I poured us two mugs of beer and walked around the bar, indicating a table out of the way. If he wanted to punch me, I’d go outside as to not upset Cal.

  I sat, crossing my arms in front of me as I waited for what he was going to say. I was sure he hadn’t come down here just to shoot the shit.

  “I talked to Julia,” Carter began.

  “Carter, I’m sorry.”

  He furrowed his brow. “Sorry for what? Julia is upset. Why are you doing this?”

  I deserved his anger, but I hated that my sister was upset. “She woke me up and . . .”

  “What do you mean, she woke you up?”

  I eyed him across the table. What was he talking about? “Carter, I’m not understanding.”

  “Why are you going to find another place to stay when the whole reason you came here was to be with Julia and the baby?”

  I breathed out. She hadn’t told him. “She didn’t tell you the rest.” I wasn’t going to lie to the man. I deserved whatever I got from him.

  “Tell me what.” Carter’s eyes darkened, and he leaned closer to me. That was a feeling I could understand. He was defending his wife, and I loved him for that. He cared for her like I did. Well, like I had until I’d hurt her.

  “I was sleeping this morning after you left. I was having a nightmare, and Julia woke me up.”

  Carter furrowed his brow. “And?”

  “I didn’t know,” I said, looking down at the table before forcing myself to look at him. “I grabbed her. I wasn’t awake . . .”

  “You grabbed her how?”

  My eyes wanted to close against the vision of hurting my sister, but I refused to let them. I deserved the pain. “I was squeezing her arms. I didn’t know it was her, but it doesn’t give me any right.”

  Carter looked at me for so long, I wondered if he had heard me. “What were you dreaming about, Johnny?”

  My mouth dropped open. He wanted to know what I was dreaming about? “What?”

  “Talk to me,” Carter said, sounding just like Julia again. “I know you won’t talk to her, and there isn’t anyone else you confide in.”

  I picked up the beer mug and chugged, fury spreading through my chest like wildfire. “You want to know what I was dreaming about when I hurt your wife? What the hell is wrong with you? You’re supposed to stick up for her! I’m nothing but cancer for both of you!”

  Carter let me finish, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you done?”

  “Done with what?” Yeah, I was pissed for no good reason.

  “You aren’t going to make me hate you, Johnny.”

  “I fucking hurt her, Carter,” I hissed.

  “Did she tell you she was okay?”

  “Of course she did. She would never admit that I scared her, or hurt her.”

  “She didn’t tell me you hurt her.”

  “That’s because she was trying to protect me.”

  Carter laughed. “Protect you? From me? Dude, you could squash me like a bug.”

  “I’d welcome the pain from you, Carter. I won’t fight back.”

  Carter sighed. “I’m not going to hit you, Johnny.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re my family, bro. Like it or not, we’re in this together. Okay, so you had an issue this morning. I know you would never in a million years hurt Julia on purpose. So we’re good.”

  “We can’t be good.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because I can’t trust myself around her now. And what about the baby? What if I did something to her?”

  “You’re being a little melodramatic now. Last I checked, Calia sleeps in a crib and isn’t going to be in your room waking you up from a nightmare. You need to stop this, Johnny.”

  “Stop what?” I knew I was acting like an asshole, and Carter didn’t deserve my attitude.

  “Punishing yourself. Whatever you went through that you won’t talk about, it’s eating you inside. I know you refuse to admit that you need help, but don’t you ever want to move past what is torturing you?”

  Did I want to? Yes, of course, I did. Did I think I could? No. “Carter . . .”

  “I can’t pretend I know what your life was like,” Carter continued. “But what I do know is you have two people that love you and are here for you. We aren’t turning our backs on you, Johnny. No matter how much you try to push us away.”

  Just then I saw Geena strutting across the bar, her eyes locked onto me. Shit. I didn’t want Carter to see her here. Not that I was ashamed because I wasn’t, but that didn’t mean I wanted to flaunt my escapades to my brother-in-law, either. Before I could think of a way to stop her, she was at our table.

  “Look what the cat dragged in,” she purred. My dick instantly hardened when I saw her nipples straining against the thin fabric of her cover-up. The see through fabric displayed her fucking fabulous body in a teeny bathing suit, just one string tied on the sides keeping me from seeing her.

  “Geena,” I said, leaning back and nodding at her.

  She leaned over and looked at me over the rim of her sunglasses. Her full breasts were right in my line of sight, and, of course, I had to look. I was rock hard now and thankful I was sitting. The vision of me sliding in between her soft skin last night made me almost forget Carter was there. Almost.

  Carter cleared his throat, making Geena look over at him. “Oh, my. I’m sorry.” She held out her hand. “Geena.”

  “I got that,” Carter laughed. “Carter.” He looked inquisitively between the two of us, and I know he wanted to ask me too many questions I wouldn’t answer. “Nice to meet you,” he said to Ge
ena. “Johnny, I’m heading out. I’ll see you later?”

  Geena looked back at me, but I didn’t make eye contact.

  I shrugged in answer, knowing I was going to spend another night with Geena. Carter looked at her, then back at me, understanding dawning on him. He clapped my shoulder as he walked away, leaving Geena and me alone.

  She sidled up next to me, pressing her mostly naked body against my sweaty one. “Have I told you how amazing last night was? And here you are, looking good enough to eat.”

  I pressed against her, looking over quickly to make sure Cal wasn’t watching me. “Do you feel that hard dick? You are fucking hot, Geena. I want you to wear this bathing suit later and let me take it off . . . with my teeth.”

  She gasped. “Shit, you’re making me wait? Don’t you have a break or something?”

  I remembered Cal’s office, where I’d done paperwork yesterday when I arrived. I knew it wasn’t a good idea, but my dick had other thoughts. It practically jumped out of my pants when I had the thought. I’d sat with Carter for most of the ‘fifteen’ I’d told Cal I was taking, but I didn’t need long to please both of us.

  I pulled her down the hall, shooting a look back at Cal. He wasn’t looking at me. I reached the office quickly, Geena practically running in her flip-flops behind me. I closed the door behind us and locked it.

  Geena let out a small noise as I flung her cover up off, raking my eyes up and down her hot-as-fuck body. Her breasts spilled out of the top, so I started there. I untied the string and it flopped down, baring her to me. I pawed one breast while sucking the nipple of the other. She moaned, running her fingers through my hair.

  It wasn’t enough. I untied the string to the side of her bikini bottom and dipped my hand inside, finding her dripping wet for me. A string of curse words fell from her mouth as I found her spot, rubbing and pushing with my fingers.

  I stepped back and licked my fingers, looking at her flushed cheeks. I grabbed a condom from the wallet in my back pocket and then undid my shorts and pushed them down. I lifted her leg and set it on Cal’s desk.

  I rolled it on, knowing she was watching every move I made. “So fucking wet for me, aren’t you, baby?” I groaned, burying myself inside her heat.

  “God,” she moaned. “Ohhh, that feels so good, Johnny. Give it to me.” Her bathing suit was still half on, her breasts jumping from our movement. I didn’t hold anything back, giving her everything I had like she asked.

  I felt the familiar tightening in my spine, knowing my release was coming soon. I reached between us, wanting to get her off so she would tighten up around me. I circled her clit, making her moan again and do just what I wanted.

  Within seconds, I was filling her, my grunts overtaking her soft cries as she came down. I leaned over and took a nipple in my mouth again. God, she was exactly what I needed. I pulled out and then crouched in front of her, burying my face in between her legs.

  “Johnny,” she breathed. I knew I was talented at this too, or so I’d been told. Many times. I held on to her hips as I devoured her, tasting her arousal and hardening again. Once I added my fingers and sucked her hard, she bucked against my face, holding my head with her hands as she rode out her second orgasm.

  I stood up, a smirk on my face as I wiped my lips. Fuck, that was hot. Geena blinked her eyes open and smirked back, adjusting her bathing suit and grabbing the cover-up I’d thrown.

  “More where that came from tonight,” I said against her lips, darting my tongue out so she’d taste herself on me.

  Geena reached down and cupped me and then slipped her hand down to her pussy. My eyes watched her as she touched herself. “Can’t wait,” she moaned, lifting her finger to my lips. I sucked it, tasting her again. Oh man, this girl was going to kill me.

  “How many more days are you here?” I found myself asking as we both redressed.

  “Two,” she answered.

  “Let’s make good use of them,” I said, opening the door and ushering her out. I hoped I didn’t look like she’d just been pulling on my hair as I pleased her, but I probably did. Hopefully, Cal was as cool as he seemed.

  “My room. When you get off.”

  I nodded. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

  “I have some other surprises for you,” she said. “Since you got a taste of the bathing suit already.”

  And I had to work for the next eight hours.

  Johnny

  I groaned at the shrill sound piercing my ears. I stuck my hand out of the covers and picked up the culprit, only one eye opened to look at the screen. My dad was calling.

  “Ugh,” I mumbled, swinging my legs off the side of the bed. Another night of hardly any sleep. I hadn’t gotten back from shenanigans with Geena until after six, and it wasn’t even eleven yet. I had to answer, though, just in case he had news.

  “Hello.” My voice sounded garbled, even to me.

  “Johnny.” My dad’s voice boomed through the small speaker.

  “Good morning,” I answered, stretching my neck back and forth.

  Our relationship—if that’s what you wanted to call it—was better than it ever had been, I guessed. I’d never forget that he helped me get out of prison, or that he was trying to help my record get wiped away. It was all the other stuff he’d done that I still had a hard time swallowing.

  “I just got off the phone with the attorney. It looks like they’ll be able to wipe your record clean, but you’ll have to appear in front of the judge.”

  I stood, relief blooming in my chest. It was going to be over. If only I could erase the last half of my life and start over, I’d be in business. “Really?”

  “Looks like it,” my dad said. “We’ll know for sure as soon as I know when the hearing will be, but it seemed like it was just a formality.”

  “So if I apply for other jobs, I can mark that I don’t have a record?”

  “If all goes well, I would say yes. I mean, you won’t be an FBI agent or anything, but any regular type job or agency will take you, no problem.”

  I breathed out. I wouldn’t be resigned to working in a bar for the rest of my life. But what did I want to do? The only thing I’d wanted to do my entire life was play music, but I was way beyond the age now where I could make a living doing that. Plus, that part of my life was over.

  My eyes immediately went to the Gibson, now covered by three shirts so that all I could see was the bottom, tormenting me. “That’s great, Dad. Thank you.”

  “It’s the least I can do.” My dad was trying, I had to give him that. Ever since that day two years ago I’d walked out of prison with his help, he’d apologized more times than I could count and tried in every which way to be my dad. In some ways, though, it was too little, too late. “Do you have any idea what you want to do?”

  Funny he asked me that now. I wished this conversation had happened twenty years ago. I could picture us sitting around the dinner table, my parents asking me how school was going, what colleges I wanted to look at, and what major I was thinking. Hell, maybe I would’ve been more apt to do those things if they’d given me an option. But no. The only conversations we’d had when I was that age was how much longer I was going to waste my time on that ‘stupid’ guitar and band, and how important it was for me to take over the family business.

  “Not really. I guess it’s time I find myself, huh.”

  “You’re always welcome here.”

  “Dad, thanks. But I don’t have any idea about being an architect, nor do I want to be one.”

  “How’s my granddaughter?” That was safe territory, and he knew it.

  “She’s beautiful. Julia’s a great mom, just like we always knew she would be.” Pride filled every word because it was true.

  “How long are you going to stay there?”

  I thought about The Outrigger, about an unlikely friendship starting with Cal, and my two-night escapade with Geena. “I’m not sure. I’m working at a bar on the beach just to save some money.”

  “Okay.
Well, I’ll let you know when I find out a hearing date. Until then, stay out of trouble and give your sister my love.”

  Stay out of trouble. He said that to me all the time now. What did he think, that I liked trouble? When he said shit like that, it just proved to me that he didn’t think I had changed.

  “Sure thing,” I muttered. “Talk to you later.” I disconnected the call, grabbed some fresh clothes and headed across the hall to shower. Julia and Carter were already at work. I was going to stop by the bar later to help Cal with the website, but I wasn’t working tonight. It was Geena’s last night in Florida, and I was planning to make it good.

  She hadn’t said a word about keeping in touch or anything after she went back. Hell, for all I knew she had a boyfriend or someone at home. And yeah if she was a cheater that sucked, but not for me. I wasn’t in it for a relationship. I’d told her right from the get-go that I didn’t do strings so after tonight, she knew it was goodbye.

  I smiled as I walked up to the door of Carter and Julia’s office. It was beautiful, lined with palm trees and a small but well-maintained stucco building. The simple but artistic sign with their names showed just how important this was to them. Her dream had come true in so many ways.

  I might be out of prison, but prison wasn’t out of me. Sighing, I shook my head to rid the thoughts I didn’t want and opened the door. A small ding signaled my entrance. The quaint waiting room had a few chairs, a table, and a flat-screen television on the wall. Flowers sat in a vase on the table, and serene music played on the television. On the screen was the logo that was on the building outside.

  A young girl smiled at me, watching me with interest as I made my way to her. “Hi. I’m Johnny. Is Julia in?”

  She stared at me just a beat too long, and I almost smiled. Almost. I knew what I looked like. She was barely eighteen from the looks of her, and I looked like the Big Bad Wolf. She hit a button and put a phone to her ear.