Hammered (Blue Bay Crew #3)- Cathryn Fox Page 0,41

from the sofa and heads back to the kitchen, where she pulls back the curtains over the sink, the placid lake in full view, and slides the window open.

As she goes up on her tiptoes, breathing in the fresh air, my gaze drops to her sweet ass. My cock instantly hardens. How I managed to get out of Winchester’s without taking her in that bathroom, stripping her of all worries and taking her to a place where nothing exists but pleasure, is a mystery.

“Did you ever all stay overnight at once?” she asks.

“Yeah, we did a lot of bunking together when we crashed here as kids. Carter snored back then, too.”

“I love that,” she says, the longing in her voice wrapping around me and tugging tight. I step up to her, take her soft hands in mine. “I never had a big sleepover before,” she says, with a snort. “I only ever had sleepovers on the set and that was because we had to get up early.”

I dip my head, and my heart aches for her lost childhood as her sweet floral scent washes over me. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” She shakes her head and averts her gaze, likes she might have said too much. “You’ve never had s’mores around a bonfire, or told ghost stories?”

“Do people really do that, or is that just something you see on television?”

“Jesus, girl. You haven’t lived until you’ve roasted a marshmallow and stuffed it between chocolate and graham crackers.” I hold my hands out and mimic the actions.

“Sounds so nutritious.” She glances at me. “I see the healthy way you eat. I can’t believe you’d put something like that into your mouth.”

“There’s lots of things I like putting into my mouth,” I say with a suggestive grin. “S’mores is close to the top of the list.”

“Oh, what’s the first?”

“How about I show you later.”

She grins. “I’d like that.” She glances around the room again, and my heart hurts for the lonely little girl who missed out on so much. I put my thumb under her chin and lift it until those big blue eyes, so full of warmth, and love—and no one to give it to—land on me. “How about this. While you’re here, my family is your family. You can count on any one of us, Haven.”

“You’re sweet.”

“And you need to stop saying that,” I warn in a teasing voice.

Dark lashes fall and open slowly over those gorgeous blue eyes of hers. “Why is that?”

“If you don’t, I’m going to take you into that bedroom and show you just how not sweet I am.”

“You’re sweet,” she says again, to taunt me.

Her grin is shy, demure almost when I answer with, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

10

Haven

Catching me by surprise, Tyler effortlessly scoops me up, wrapping his arms securely around me. I love the way he holds my body to his, carrying me like I’m something to be treasured, protected. With a strength that sends heat and need charging through me, he heads toward the stairs leading to the loft, and he takes them quickly. We reach the top and he sets me on the bed, and I instantly miss his warmth when he steps back. My God, it’s crazy how quickly I could get used to being with this man. I’ve never been so wide open and vulnerable in my entire life. It’s something I avoid, but strangely enough, it’s not so scary with him.

Jutting my chest out, I lean back, brace my hands behind me, and he stands back, his powerful body hard and ready, like a predator ready to take down its prey. His gaze rakes over me and my heart beats a little faster when I catch the hungry and honest way he’s looking at me. I love how there are no games with him, how he holds nothing back. Just like when we stepped foot in the cabin, he didn’t try to hide the pain on his face—couldn’t. Men like Tyler, men with complicated layers that run deep, well, they don’t cry. Having watched my brother over the years, I know that firsthand. But I have no doubt tears were pounding behind his eyes, his insides raked raw.

He touches me with his fighter hands. He’s no longer in the cage, but everything in my gut tells me he’s still fighting—some invisible enemy, a demon only he can see. But there is no time to give that further consideration. Not when he’s dropping to his knees and