The Private Serials Box Set(84)

Preston was here, offering me the opportunity to find Derrek and get back everything he’d taken from me.

“You really think you can find him, you could find something to persuade him to give me what’s rightfully mine?”

Preston’s eyes never left mine. “All I know is that if it’s what you want, I’ll die trying to make it happen.”

I looked at him, focused on his eyes, and I knew what I had to do.

“All right,” I said firmly. “Let’s find him.”





END OF PART THREE





Part Four





Private

Property





Chapter One


There were few things in my world that could beat a morning cup of coffee on the beach in Hawaii. However, watching Lena jog toward me in rather small shorts and a sports bra ranked higher than any other luxury. I tried to ignore the fact that she was jogging with my baby sister, focusing more on the stretch and coil of the taut muscles in Lena’s legs. Sam was also jogging with them, albeit reluctantly, but my feelings toward Sam also bordered on brotherly.

Lena was the first woman in years who made my blood run hot. She was also the first in years who I felt could match me in intelligence, humor, and—most importantly—in the bedroom. It wasn’t even that Lena was overtly sexual—she wasn’t. She was conservative in most areas of her life, including her body. I considered myself supremely lucky to be privy to what she covered up with clothes. I would forever be grateful that at the end of the day, she was in my bed, telling me about her day, and letting me turn her inside out with pleasure.

I’d never been with a woman before who inspired me to find every single part of her body that could make her writhe, to spend as much time as possible using my mouth, hands, and cock to get her off. A woman so perfectly made to fit me, it was as if we were pieces of the same puzzle.

Being away from her for two months as I tried to find something to offer her, something to convince her that I wasn’t the man she’d been led to believe, was torture. I was sure she’d come to Hawaii and, inevitably, some other man would try to fill up the part of her heart I’d left empty and I’d lose my chance to rectify our situation. Piper had been my saving grace in those early weeks. That critical time when, in most other situations, I’d try to fix the problem immediately. I knew Lena needed something more, something I’d have to dig to find.

Piper owed me nothing, but insisted on going to Lena and being my eyes when I couldn’t be there myself. Parker had always been the brother to swoop in and save the day, and I’d been grateful when he’d decided to head to the island to help Piper. Parker had a life back in Oregon, and his departure was harder on Lena than I’d anticipated. She’d bonded with him in the small time they’d been together, but I was happy they’d connected. I planned on keeping Lena in my life for a very long time, so her relationship with Parker was a tick in the pro column.

I smiled as all three girls approached me. Lena’s eyes locked on to mine.

“You’ve certainly become an early riser since you’ve come to Hawaii,” Piper said, her breath slightly labored. She knelt down and placed her hands on her knees, taking in deep breaths.

My eyes were still locked on Lena, but roamed down her body. “I’d never really had a reason to get up early before. But there are some sights in Hawaii you have to wake up early to appreciate.”

Sam took clomping steps to join the group and then collapsed on the sand, not appearing to care that the sand would stick to the sweat covering her body.

“I,” she said, then dragged in a deep gasping breath. “Am never,” she rasped out before she took another breath. “Jogging again.” She was sucking in air as if she’d been trapped under water, deprived of oxygen.

Lena smiled at her friend, but looked back at me. “She’s used to jogging on a treadmill,” she said, her voice light and happy, finding joy in simply being with her friends, and me, I assumed.

“Ah, yes,” I said, sipping my coffee. “Running in the sand is a different exercise altogether.”

“That’s not exercise,” Sam growled from the sand. “It’s torture.” She rolled to her side and stood up slowly, still breathing a little heavily, brushing sand from her body. “The devil endorses beach jogging.”

“Dibs on the shower!” Piper sprinted past Sam, laughing, as she ran toward the apartment building the four of us were currently staying in.

Lena laughed but Sam’s eyes narrowed at the disappearing Piper.

“She’s going to regret that,” Sam said.

“You can use our shower,” Lena offered.

Sam’s hands, which were still brushing sand away, stilled and her eyes darted from Lena to me. “It’s all right. I’ll wait. Besides, it looks as though he’s about to eat you alive.” Sam nodded toward me and I tried to hide my grin. Sam had proven to be one of my biggest advocates in the last few weeks, and I appreciated her complete and unwavering support. She also was exceptionally good at making herself scarce when I needed to be alone with Lena.

Sam winked at Lena and then limped off the same way Piper had gone. Lena turned her smiling face to me and tilted her head to the side, her grin spreading. “Are you going to eat me alive?”