Light in Mourning

around us was the waves hitting the shore. I pressed my lips together nervously. I wanted desperately to tear my eyes away from his, but I couldn't. I was pulled to him.

“Get the fuck out,” he said, without tearing his eyes from mine. She smirked and stepped off the steps, brushing against my shoulder roughly as she walked past. “Georgia,” he breathed as he hustled down the steps and then froze inches away from my body, looking as if he wanted to touch me, but wasn’t sure how his touch would be received.

“That wasn’t what it looked like. Christ, I know it looked fucking terrible.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “But I swear to you—”

“I know.” I heaved a sigh and stepped into him.

He froze, arms at his sides. “Really?” he finally asked.

“Yeah.” I breathed him in before wrapping my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair and nuzzling into the skin at his shoulder.

“God.” The air released from his lungs in a whoosh before he wrapped his arms around me, holding me so tightly to his body it was like he wanted to meld us together. Like he wanted nothing between us, to make sure I was real, still standing here after what I’d just witnessed.

“I heard what you told her.”

“I’m sorry.” He threaded his fingers in my hair and held me tighter to him.

“Don’t be. Although I hate that she knows where we live. And that she had her hands all over my man.” I grinned and tugged at his hair playfully.

“Possessive, huh?” His beautiful smirk lit his lips.

“Very.” I leaned up on tiptoes and kissed it off his lips.

“Tell me about your day.” Tristan dusted his long fingers around the bare skin of my back. I was draped across his naked chest, my head resting over his heart, sucking in his fresh ocean scent mixed with the scent of our lovemaking. We lay with only a thin sheet covering our lower halves as we enjoyed the post-sex glow.

“It was awful. I’m glad it’s over and I’m glad I’m home with you.” I kissed his dark nipple and felt a shiver run across his body.

“Mmm, I’m glad you're home too.” His voice was rough and sexy and had desire shooting tingles across my body.

“You miss me?”

“Just your sexy ass. I could do without the nagging.” He smacked my bottom so hard it left a sting.

“What?” I squealed and pushed off of him, rubbing my ass. “I don’t nag.” I shot him a glare to see his sensual lips curved up in a mischievous smile.

“I know; I’m just kidding. I missed you. And this ass.” He stroked his palm over my bottom softly.

“Good.” I kissed his full lips before leaning back down on his chest.

“I’m glad you did it alone, baby. I get it now.”

“Mmm, I wasn’t alone,” I whispered as a sleepy haze infiltrated my brain.

“What do you mean? Who was with you?” he murmured in my hair.

“I’ll tell you in the morning. Too tired.” I yawned and tucked into his neck, falling asleep to his delicate fingers running figure eights around my back.

22

“Hey, babe?” I stepped up behind her as she made coffee, her first morning home.

“Yeah?” she turned and planted a kiss on my lips. “Good morning.”

“I guess so.” I slid my palms up under her shirt and pulled her hips to mine. “Very good morning.” I caught her lips in a kiss and thrust my tongue in her mouth, devouring her first thing. Best morning ritual ever. I skimmed my hand up her narrow waist and palmed her tits in my hands, pinching her nipples just to hear her squeal.

“That hurts,” she squeaked, but her lips landed back on mine again.

“I thought you liked it when I was rough?” I murmured between kisses.

“Mmm, I do . . .” she moaned and arched into me. I slid one hand down inside her little sleep shorts, the ones that drove me insane because she looked so hot in them. I ran my fingers down the crack of her ass and pressed her to me, sliding my fingers through her wet folds from behind. “Jesus,” she moaned as I swirled a fingertip around her swollen flesh.

“Fuck. Wet first thing in the morning? I think you were made for me.” I thrust a finger inside her and pumped as she arched and moaned into my mouth.

“Tristan, oh God,” she panted before I felt her tight walls quiver and clench around my fingers. An orgasm shot through her body and sent waves of pleasure coursing from head to toe. Her head fell onto my shoulder and her legs went limp. She rested against me, her breaths coming out heavy and erratic.

“God, how can you just do that first thing?” she murmured sleepily.

“I’ve got great inspiration.” I kissed along the flesh of her neck, goose bumps pebbling in my wake. It felt good that her body was so attuned to mine. I had the same effect on her she had on me.

“You make me feel . . . you know just how to . . . God, you own my body,” she finally completed her thought.

I chuckled and sucked her earlobe into my mouth. “Don’t forget it, baby.”

“So, what were you going to ask me?” She plopped down in a deck chair a few minutes later, a steaming cup of coffee in her hands.

“Before I made you come so hard you nearly fell at my feet?” I shot her that smile reserved only for her.

“Yeah, that.” She rolled her eyes.

“You said you weren’t alone yesterday. Did Silas come up after all?”

“Oh, no.” She took a sip of her coffee as if she were avoiding answering me. “Kyle was there.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, my jaw working back and forth as I tried to process the information. She hadn't let me go with her, and her ex-fucking-boyfriend had shown up? “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t mean to not tell you; I was just so tired, and after what I came home to . . .” she said, referring to finding Briana plastered all over my body on the back porch. Georgia ran a nervous fingertip around the lip of her cup. I gritted my teeth together. I was trying to think this through, trying to contain the anger, trying not to jump to conclusions and lash out.

It wasn’t working.

“That’s fucking bullshit, Georgia.”

“What?” She whipped her head to me in confusion.

“You wouldn’t let me go with you, and I wanted to, begged you to let me go, and then he goes with you anyway? What else happened? What else aren’t you telling me? And don’t use last night as an excuse because you knew nothing happened with Briana and me. You were there when I pushed her away.” I knew I was losing it, letting my temper take over, but I couldn’t help it. It ripped me up inside that Kyle, the douchebag who had cheated on her for years, had been there for her and I hadn’t. Maybe I should have insisted on going anyway, regardless of what she had thought. Lesson fucking learned.

“What are you talking about? Don’t be like that. I’m not not telling you anything. I didn’t get a chance.” Her features pressed into a hard line and I knew she was pissed. This day was only going downhill and I should have known after the fantastic orgasm I'd given her this morning that it was the only way to go.

“It’s pretty fucking suspicious you won’t let me go, but then he shows up to save the day, just like he’s always done. When he wasn’t fucking around on you, that is.”