Fragile Things (Folkestone Sins Book 1) Read online

  “I know.”

  “When I said this thing between us, whatever it is, is dangerous…”

  “I know.”

  “You know? What do you know?” Frustrated by my calm, two-word answers, he finally turns to look at me. “Before we go anywhere, I need to make sure you understand. From the minute you literally ran into me at the airport, I haven’t been able to think clearly. You drive me nuts—your secret smiles, the way you throw your head back when you laugh, your fierce and unbreakable spirit. Everything in you speaks directly to everything in me. I fought it because it scares the shit out of me, but it’s like I need you near me to be able to breathe.” The look on his face is so naked and open, his eyes showing me I could crush him in an instant and begging me not to. “I pushed you away and tried to make you hate me. Then I tried to make people believe I hated you. There is so much shit going on that none of the current Heirs understand, and I thought I was protecting you from it. Instead, I handed you directly to that shithead Ramsey.” He holds my gaze steadily, baring his pain and regret to me. “I’m sorry, Stella. What happened on Saturday night was my fault, and I will never let anything like that happen to you again, whether you can forgive me or not.” My heart pounds, and my body tingles at the sincerity and emotion threaded through his words.

  “I know you didn’t mean what you said, and I also know that you had your reasons for saying it. Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell, though. You ripped my heart out and handed it to me, and in front of a roomful of people, no less.” Stopping to organize my thoughts, I take a deep breath before my next words. “I’m choosing to forgive you. Please don’t make me regret it. Things are going on in Folkestone I don’t understand, things that have been in motion since before we were born, even I can sense that much. But I feel alive when I’m near you. Like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.” My head dips slightly. “I feel whole for the first time in my life.” His fingertips graze along my jaw and lift my chin.

  “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to hear you say that.” My pulse pounds at the intensity behind his words. Searching my eyes briefly, he gives me a crooked little smile that melts my heart, and then proceeds to start the engine. “Are you okay if I make a quick stop before our drive?”

  “Do what you need to do.” Leaning back, I practically purr in appreciation as he pulls out onto the main road.

  Holy shit, this is hands down the sexiest car my wrong side of the tracks ass has ever been in.

  Running my hands over the soft red leather seat on either side of my thighs, I’m somehow transfixed by the smooth muscle in Poe’s forearm as it tenses and releases when he changes gears.

  “See something you like?” He asks in a teasing tone.

  That’s it, spaz, get caught by the hot guy, lusting over his arm. His fucking arm. God, you’re such a weirdo.

  “So, where are we going, anyway?” I ask, trying to distract him from my noticeable drooling.

  “Just need to swing by my place for a second. There’s something I want to grab.” As he says it, he turns into a winding driveway, leading deep into the lush forest high on the point. A set of enormous gates, guarded by carved stone ravens, open slowly to allow us through. I try to be cool about it, but I’m pretty sure my shock at the size of the massive wood and glass house in front of us is written all over my face.

  “This is your place? It’s, uh, nice. Wow.” Stumbling over my words, I stop talking altogether, and he gives me a wry laugh.

  “Yeah, that pretty much sums up how I feel about it, too.” Leaning over, he gives me the barest whisper of a kiss. “Wait here, beautiful, I’ll be right back.” Leaving the car running, he sprints to the dark wooden double doors and disappears inside.

  Never mind fitting my New York apartment anywhere in this place, you could fit the entire damn building in it. Twice.

  As my somewhat stunned gaze wanders over the expanse of glass along the front of the house, I notice the curtains twitch in an upstairs window, and a sharply beautiful but very pinched face stares back at me. I smile hesitantly, not sure if she can see me. She meets my eyes, and hate immediately floods her expression, giving me the willies.

  Okay, so I guess she can see me.

  The curtain falls back into place as the driver’s side door opens and Poe climbs back in, stowing a small black bag at my feet.

  “You okay? You look rattled.” His brow creases in concern.

  “Yeah, no, I’m good.” I force a smile. “Where to now?”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Poe surprises me by driving us to the yacht club Spry and I passed when he first picked me up from the airport.

  “You have a boat?” I ask with trepidation. Having never been on a boat of any kind, I’m nervous.

  “My dad has a few. I want to show you my favorite.” If he notices my nerves, he pretends not to and greets the valet by name as we pull up to the main building. Handing his keys to the kid with a handshake and a smile, he comes around to my side, opening the door and reaching in with his hand extended.

  Here goes nothing.

  I take his hand and let him pull me up out of my seat, feeling a little awkward in my school uniform. Grabbing the bag from the floor, he leads me down to the docks filled with everything from small speedboats to entire floating fiberglass palaces. I’m so busy looking at everything all at once, I almost crash into him as he stops next to a sleek, elegant, wooden craft.

  “What do you think?” He asks hesitantly.

  “It’s beautiful,” I breathe. The warm mahogany glows in the late afternoon sun and beckons me to run my hand over its smooth surface, so I happily oblige.

  “Want to go for a ride?” His face lights up. Looking down at my school clothes, I squinch my face.

  “I would love to, but I didn’t really dress for it.” Even though my nerves about being on a boat are still present, I’m also aware of an acute sense of disappointment.

  “Why don’t you let me worry about that? Come on, Star, come for a ride with me.” He steps over the side and into the boat, turning back to look at me with a dare in his eyes.

  How the hell does he already know that will work with me every time? Infuriating bastard.

  Swallowing my fear, I stare right back at him as I step in and immediately stumble. He grins, catching me and pulling me against his chest. The rumble of laughter he doesn’t even try to stifle has me swatting at him.

  “I’m not laughing at you. I’m, well, no, I’m laughing at you.” Shoving away from him, I cross my arms in front of me and try to look angry, but the happiness written all over his face and his relaxed movements make it impossible.

  “Fine, I’ll forgive you for this one, Halliday, but no more. You’ve used up all of your free passes.” His glow is infectious, and soon I’m grinning right along with him.

  Once we’re ready to go, he starts the engines and directs me to the seat beside him. When he gets up to throw off the lines, it gives me a great view of his perfect ass.

  Maybe I’m going to enjoy this, after all.

  Smiling to myself, I settle back in my seat as he takes us out of the marina.

  Once we hit open water, Poe takes me on a tour of the area, pointing out local landmarks and telling me stories of yachting with his dad. The boat we’re on, he explains, is a thirty-three-foot Riva. This one is his favorite because all three Halliday men—grandfather, father, and son—used to take it out together, and it became their escape from real life for a few hours at a time. Listening to him talk about his grandfather and his dad, I can feel the love he has for both men radiating from him, and I’m content to sit and listen to the stories of his childhood, while we dawdle the afternoon away and lose track of time.

  The sun is setting as he steers us back along the coast and around to the forested cliffs at the end of Folkestone Point, where a tiny secluded bay is carved into the rock. From this vantage point, the lights of the city are starting to twinkle in the distance off the bow, and the setting sun i
s a ball of fire in the west. Dropping anchor, Poe cuts the engines, and all I can hear is the water lapping against the sides of the boat.

  “It’s beautiful here.”

  “Don’t sound so surprised. Did you think I was taking you somewhere awful?” He fakes a shocked expression with his hand over his heart.

  “I had no idea what to think! First time on a boat, dick.” Running my fingers through my windblown hair, I stick my tongue out at him.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, were you talking to me?” Making a show of looking around for somebody else, he laughs as he reaches out and grabs me, pulling me out of my seat and into his lap. “There’s no Dick here, sweetheart, only me. Poe Alexander Halliday. You’d better remember that.”

  “I don’t know, it kinda feels like there’s a dick here.” Snickering, I grind my hips playfully against him, watching as the spark of desire in his eyes ignites into a flame.

  He lifts me easily, growling low in his throat as he carries me to the padded sunbed on the sloping aft deck and sets me down gently. I turn and face the stern of the boat, pulling my knees up to my chest and enjoying the soft breeze on my face. When I hear Lana Del Rey’s ‘West Coast’ start to play quietly over the speakers spread throughout the boat, I smile.

  “A little mood music, Halliday?” Teasing him, I look over my shoulder, and he takes my breath away, standing there barefoot in a white T-shirt and his gray school pants, the setting sun glinting off his rich dark hair and a wicked gleam in his eyes.

  Why this incredible, gorgeous guy is looking at somebody like me as if I’m his last meal, I will never understand, but fuck if I’m not going to enjoy it.

  The way his hands roam my skin, like a faithless man searching for meaning, moves me. It’s not just erotic and sensual; it’s profound. Nothing I’ve felt before has ever been so pure and so dirty at the same time.

  “Your skin is the softest thing I’ve ever felt. So warm, so perfect.” He murmurs against the side of my neck. His breath moves over a delicate spot near my ear and sends tiny, delicious waves of excitement pulsing through me.

  My school clothes long gone, the nearly sheer material of my white bra rubs against my nipples, the sensation leaving them aching to be touched. Almost as if he read my mind, Poe’s arm curls around my back, finding the clasp and opening it with deft fingers. His hand moves to my shoulder and slides the strap down my arm, exposing first one breast, then the other to the cool evening air. With a needy moan, I arch closer to him. Chuckling softly, he lowers his mouth to my nipple, swirling his tongue over the peak before sucking it between his teeth and biting lightly, mindful of the bruised skin surrounding it.

  A gasp of pleasure escapes me, prompting him to continue his ministrations on to my other nipple, the piercing in his tongue both warm and cold, and his bite a little harder.

  I’m writhing under the attention, wanting more, needing him to go further. To make me wholly his.

  My fingers find the edge of his shirt, and he pauses long enough for me to tug it up over his head. The sight of his abs, paired with the V carving his hips disappearing into his low-slung waistband, has me hungry for him. Trailing one hand across his strong shoulder, I trace the sleeve tattoo I love so much down to its end at his wrist. Placing my hand on top of his and lacing our fingers together, I guide him to the warmth between my legs still covered by my panties and melt at the soft groan he can’t hold back.

  My free hand curves around the back of his neck, and I pull his mouth to mine, teasing him with the tip of my tongue and lightly tasting the shape of his lips while urging him on with our joined hands between my legs. Slipping aside the damp fabric of my panties, he untwines our fingers, and I release him, still not letting our lips fully touch. With a skill I appreciate, he slips his hand down my slit and slides his finger through my wetness, stroking my clit with a feather-light touch. My legs fall further apart to allow him better access and parting my lips, I kiss him hard as he pushes two fingers deep into me, and I rock into his hand without shame. Pulling his mouth away from mine, he moves to whisper in my ear.

  “You are light in my darkness, Star.”

  The boat sways gently beneath us, adding to the weightless feeling Poe is creating within me. He lifts himself off slightly, his fingers still playing with my wetness, and looks deep into my eyes.

  “What do you want?” Such a vague question, with so many possible answers. But for me, there’s only one.

  “You.” That single word, steady and sure, is the most honest thing I’ve ever felt. And he knows it. Not breaking eye contact, he slowly pulls his hand away. As I reach for the heavy black buckle on his belt, he licks both fingers that were inside me, a sexy grin on his beautiful mouth.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” He gets to his feet, bare and planted wide on the aft deck, and stands shirtless and strong in the last of the evening light, the faint breeze ruffling his espresso hair and turning my nipples to hard points again. Never have I seen anything as commanding of attention and respect as the beautiful boy in front of me right now. The boy who is devouring every inch of me with his hungry gaze, silently worshipping the curve of my lips, my breasts, my hips.

  His eyes still on me, I sit up and carefully get to my knees in front of him, my naked breasts heavy with desire. Finishing what I started with his belt, I move to his pants, undoing them and pushing them down the hard, toned length of his legs. Stepping out of them, he bends at the waist and lifts my chin for a brief kiss before gently pushing me down on my back again.

  Dipping into the pocket of his discarded chinos, he pulls out a blue foil packet and slips it between his teeth, shimmying out of his black boxer briefs. Taking the condom from him, I tuck it in the waistband of my panties and lift my hand to his now rock-hard cock. The feeling of the silken skin against my palm is incredible and has both of us breathing heavily as I tighten my grip and stroke his length.

  “God, even your cock is amazing. You are spectacular in every way.” Whispering the words under my breath, my cheeks heat when he chuckles, and I realize he heard me.

  “Don’t go getting embarrassed on me now, gorgeous.” With a devilishly charming smirk riding his infinitely kissable lips, he hooks each of his forefingers under the sides of my panties and slides them off me while I tear open the condom wrapper and hold it ready for him. “What, you’re going to make me dress myself?” he jokes lightly. Taking it from my fingers, he slowly rolls it over his length, putting on a bit of a show for me.

  Sliding his perfect hands under the creamy skin of my thighs, he pushes my knees back and apart, exposing my center to him. Visibly shaking with the need to have him inside me, I tilt my hips upwards and say his name with every ounce of longing I can manage.

  “Poe,” I whimper. “Please.” That’s all it takes. With one hard thrust, he’s buried in me as far as he can go. Holding still for a few seconds and giving my body time to adjust, he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and gives me the most vulnerable smile.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Star. Your bruises…” I lift my mouth to his, sealing our lips together, and twine my fingers in his thick hair. As our tongues tangle, he begins to move within me, resting one powerful forearm beside my head while the other stays under my thigh, pushing it higher. His thrusts take on the rhythm of the water beneath us, and I feel the release building in me at record speed.

  Breaking our kiss, I tilt my head back against the cushioned deck and arch my neck in abandon. Seeing it as a perfect opportunity for a taste, he runs his teeth delicately along the straining length, nipping lightly at my earlobe. Feeling his movements quickening along with my own, the wave gets higher and higher until it crests and nearly drowns me in pure ecstasy.

  “I’m—oh, God, Poe!” My nails dig into his shoulders as the orgasm rips through me like lightning, and I feel his deep answering groan as he pounds hard and deep three more times and comes with me.

  When we finally find our voices again, he rests his forehead against mine, his thick da
rk lashes fanning against his tanned skin as he closes his eyes.

  “Star, that was...” he flounders for the words.

  “Perfect,” I finish for him, lifting my chin and brushing a soft kiss across his lips before breaking into a grin. “It’s nice to see you at a loss for words for a change,” I tease. Tickling my sides briefly and giving me a mock stern look, he gets up carefully to dispose of the condom. Returning from the small cabin below deck with a cold beer, a bottle of water, and a blanket, he hands me the drinks as I sit up. He settles in behind me, both of us still naked, and wraps the blanket around us, pulling me back against his chest.

  The burnt orange and red edges of the sunset the only light remaining in the sky, the approaching darkness and the movement of the boat lull me into a peace I don’t think I’ve ever felt before.

  “Thanks for the water,” I say, reaching back to hand him the beer. Ignoring the beer, he grabs the water bottle and starts guzzling it. Wiping his mouth, he grins at me.

  “Beer is for you, champ. I need to rehydrate after that workout.” The laughter he’s trying to hold in vibrates his chest against my bare back.

  Two can play at that game.

  Shrugging, I twist the top off the beer bottle and chug half of it.

  “Whoa whoa whoa! I was kidding! Gimme that!” Full-on laughing now, he pulls the cold green glass bottle from my hand and replaces it with the clear plastic one. “Tradesies. Drink your water. You need to rehydrate for round two.” Pretending to be shocked, I elbow him in the side.

  “And what makes you think there’s going to be a round two, Halliday?”

  “Because I make your toes curl, Bradleigh.” He growls into my ear.

  Do you ever.

  Settling back into him as he rests his chin against the side of my head, the two of us finish our drinks in comfortable silence, watching the stars slowly twinkle to life in the velvet of the night sky. The absolute intimacy of sitting with him like this makes me feel whole and safe and protected. He sighs, and his voice is soft against my hair.