Never Too Far Read online

  “You don’t want me waking you up for sex every night,” I told him.

  “Baby, if you wake up horny I want to be ready and available.” His voice dropped and he slipped a hand down to cup me between my legs. “This is mine and I take care of what’s mine.”

  “Rush,” I warned.

  “Yes?”

  “I’m going to straddle you right here and screw your brains out if you don’t stop saying things like that.”

  Rush grinned. “That isn’t much of a threat, sweet Blaire.”

  I turned my head to grin and the clock on my bedside table caught my attention. Oh crap! I pushed at Rush. “I have to be at work in ten minutes,” I yelled in way of explanation.

  Rush moved off me and I jumped out of bed only to realize I was very naked and Rush was lying on the bed watching me panic with a smile.

  “Please don’t mind me. The view is great from here,” he said with a sexy grin.

  I shook my head and grabbed a clean pair of panties and a bra then ran to the bathroom.

  “Looks like someone got lucky or is that happy smile from all those donuts I brought over?” Jimmy drawled when I walked into the kitchen one minute late.

  My face felt like it was on fire. “I loved the donuts. Thank you and I’m sorry I forgot last night. It was a uh… crazy day,” I replied,picking out an apron and afraid to make eye contact with him.

  “Baby, if I’d just crawled out of bed with Rush Finlay I’d be grinning like mad too. In fact, I’m envious as hell. I know my donuts didn’t put that satisfied gleam in your eyes.”

  I started giggling and grabbed a pen and pad. “He is pretty amazing.”

  “Oh, please give me details. I’ll hang on every word,” Jimmy begged walking out into the dining room beside me.

  “Go flirt with women and stop fantasizing about my… my…” What was Rush? He wasn’t my boyfriend. He was my baby daddy and that just sounded cheap.

  “He’s your man. Say it because it’s true. The guy worships at your altar.”

  I didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure how to respond. There were tables already filling up and I had a job to do. Woods, Jace, and Thad, the blond with curly hair whose name I’d just recently found out, were sitting at one of my tables. I went to get the drink orders from Mister Lovelady and his companion today. He always had girls with him that looked like they could be his granddaughters but they never were. According to Jimmy, Mister Lovelady was richer than God. Still, he was old. That was just gross.

  After I got their drink orders I headed for Woods’ table. All three guys smiled at me as I approached and Thad winked. He was the pretty boy who liked to flirt and everyone knew it. So ignoring him was easy. “Good afternoon, boys. What can I get you three to drink?” I asked as I put their water glasses in front of them.

  “You look chipper this morning. It’s nice to see you smiling again,” Thad said as he reached for his glass of water and took a sip.

  The blush was back in my cheeks. I could feel it. I glanced over at Woods who was watching me with a knowing look. He was smart enough to figure it out. “I’ll have coffee,” was Woods’ only reply. I was extremely thankful he wasn’t in the mood to tease me.

  “Bethy wouldn’t let me touch the donuts Jimmy brought over this morning. I didn’t realize donuts would put you in such a good mood.” The smirk on Jace’s face said he knew exactly what had happened. Was the entire club going to know about my sex life now? Was it that interesting?

  “I happen to love donuts,” I replied, studying my pad instead of looking at any of them.

  “I just bet you do,” Jace chuckled. “Bring me a Honey Brown, please.”

  “I feel like I’m missing something here and I hate being left out,” Thad said leaning on the table and inspecting me closer.

  “Back off and order your damn drink,” Woods snapped at him.

  Thad rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat. “Everyone’s so touchy. I’ll have a bottle of spring water.”

  I wrote it down then glanced down at Woods. “Would you like me to bring fresh fruit to the table?”

  He nodded. “Please.”

  Glad to be done with those three I headed back to the kitchen after being stopped by Mrs. Higgenbotham who wanted a Mimosa for her and her daughter who looked to be about eighteen.

  Jimmy was loading up his tray when I walked back into the kitchen. He glanced back at me over his shoulder. “I know I’m being nosy but I gotta ask, who was the girl Rush ran off and left here yesterday?”

  Meg. I didn’t know anything else about her. Just Meg, an old friend. I had actually forgotten that Rush had left her here. “She’s an old friend of his. I don’t know much else.”

  “Woods knew her well too. He went and talked to her after the two of you ran off. I figured she wasn’t new if they both knew her.”

  I reminded myself that she was a part of his past. I had no reason to feel jealous of her in any way. They were old friends. Just because she was one of them didn’t mean I had to feel inferior.

  I put Woods’ fruit on my tray and grabbed the drinks everyone had ordered before going back into the dining room.

  I focused on delivering drinks to my tables before doing a sweep of the room while I walked toward Woods’ table. I saw Woods cut his eyes from me to a table to my left. It was in Jimmy’s area. I glanced back to see if that was a hint for me to help someone when my eyes locked with Rush’s. I stopped. He was here. A smile started to form on my lips when my eyes shifted to see Nan sitting beside him with an angry snarl on her face. I swung my attention back to Woods and decided to pretend they weren’t here.

  “Here’s your fruit.” I could hear the nervous tone in my voice and I prayed the guys didn’t notice. “And here are your drinks. Y’all ready to order now?” I asked, forcing a smile.

  All three of them stared up at me making this all the more uncomfortable. This was something I was going to have to learn to get over. Nan was his sister. She’d be in my life if Rush was. Learning to live with someone hating me was a part of life I’d need to learn to accept.

  “It’s his sister. You do this thing with him and you have to deal with her too,” Jace told me as if I didn’t already know this. I didn’t like feeling as if every emotion I had was on display. I’d always been a private person. This was too much.

  I ignored him pulling my pad out and looked pointedly at Woods. He cleared his throat and ordered. The others did too without anymore words of wisdom.

  Rush

  “I called and asked you to have lunch with me. Could you at least give me thirty minutes of your attention? It’s been weeks since we’ve had time alone together. I miss you.” The hurt in Nan’s voice tugged at me. She was right. I was ignoring her. I wasn’t sure what she’d even said since Blaire had walked into the dining room. I’d been so focused on making sure she wasn’t carrying anything too heavy and that no one was mistreating her… or flirting with her, that I hadn’t been much of a lunch date for my sister.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry,” I told her and tore my eyes off the door where I’d been watching for Blaire to walk back through. “Tell me again about this sailing tournament you’re doing with the new guy… you said his name was Charles.”

  Nan smiled at the mention of the guy’s name and then nodded. She reminded me of the little girl I’d hovered over when she looked all excited about something. Not the angry adult she’d grown up to be. “Yes. He is the Kellars’ grandson. He’s from Cape Cod and he is big into sailing. He sailed down here for the summer. Anyway, there is a sailing tournament he entered and he wants to take me with him. It’s just for a few days.”

  I listened as she rattled on about Charles and his sailboat and tried extremely hard not to look around for Blaire. I needed to find a balance between the two women in my life. Blaire came first but I love my sister and she needed me. Even if it was a lunch date listening to her prattle about her latest conquest. No one else ever listened to her talk.

  She stopped tal
ked and scowled at something over my shoulder. “She needs to focus on her work and stop looking over here at you. God, I don’t know why Woods doesn’t just fire her.”

  I glanced back to see Woods, Jace, and Thad all smiling and joking around with a blushing Blaire.

  “She’s not looking now. She’s too busy flirting with other guys. She just cares about the money. It’s pathetic really. I wish you’d see through her ridiculous act. I mean, I can see it—”

  “Nan, shut up,” I growled. I hadn’t meant to but hearing Nan bad mouth Blaire and watching guys flirt with her and make her blush was a little more than I could handle. I was going to go make sure each one of those horny bastards understood she was mine.

  “You’re going to leave me for her? She’s flirting with them, Rush. I can’t believe you would just get up during our lunch to go stake your claim on some cheap whore.”

  The jealous rage I had been feeling immediately switched its focus from the guys to my sister. A red haze settled over me as I swung my attention back to her. “What the fuck did you just say?” I asked keeping my voice low and even as I towered over her.

  She opened her mouth to speak but I knew I’d lose it if she said anything else bad about Blaire.

  “Don’t. If you want to walk out of here with your dignity then don’t. If you ever say anything like that about Blaire again I will cut you loose. Do. You. Fucking. Understand.”

  Nan’s eyes went wide. I’d never spoken to her this hard before. But she’d gone too far. She jumped up and threw her napkin down on the table. “I can’t believe you. I’m your sister. She’s just… she’s just…”

  “She’s just the woman I’m in love with. You need to remember that,” I finished for her.

  Nan’s eyes flashed fire as she spun around and stalked out of the clubhouse. I didn’t care. I needed her to leave before I said anything else. I didn’t want to hurt her. I loved her but I hated the words that continued to pour out of her mouth.

  A hand touched my arm and I jerked in response before I realized it was Blaire. Her blue eyes were full of concern. This was what she’d been afraid of. Nan and her hate. I couldn’t blame her but I also couldn’t live without Blaire. However, right now I needed to be alone.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered then pulled away from her grasp and threw money down on the table before following Nan out of the dining room.

  I spent the next three hours in the gym. My body was physically beat by the time I walked out of there.My anger had faded. I just wanted to see Blaire now. Her shift would be over and I wanted to hold her. She deserved an apology. I should have never taken Nan to the clubhouse to eat. She’d asked that I meet her there for lunch so I’d gone. I’d even made sure we sat in Jimmy’s section. I hadn’t wanted it to be awkward for Blaire. But it had backfired anyway. That was the last time I allowed Nan near her. She can’t get over it and Blaire doesn’t deserve it.

  I knocked on the condo door and waited. No one came. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone only to be reminded Blaire had no phone. Dammit. I was going to get her phone from my house and force her to take it back. What if she was hurt? What if she’d gone off somewhere and wasn’t coming back?

  “She’s out with Jimmy,” Bethy’s voice called from behind me. I turned around to see Bethy walking up from the direction of the golf course. “She stopped by after her shift and told me she and Jimmy had a hot date.”

  Why hadn’t she told me? Because she didn’t know where to find me if she had wanted to tell me. I’d run out on her like an ass. “When will she be home?” I asked as Bethy stepped in front of me and unlocked the door.

  “Don’t know. She was upset. You know anything about that?” Bethy asked in a sour voice as she pushed the door open.

  I didn’t ask to come in I just followed her in. “Nan and I had lunch at the clubhouse today. It didn’t go so well.”

  Bethy scrunched her nose in disgust. “You think? Whatever for? I can’t imagine your bitch of a sister doing anything to upset Blaire.” Bethy threw her purse down and muttered a curse word. “She doesn’t need the stress you know. She’s pregnant and determined to stay on her feet and carry trays around all day. You adding your family drama is not what she needs. Next time you want to have family bonding time with the wicked witch do it somewhere else.”

  She was right. I shouldn’t have let Blaire see Nan. I should have never trusted Nan to be nice. Or at least be civil. This was my fault and I needed to find Blaire.

  “Where is she?” I asked

  Bethy plopped down on the sofa. “Getting a break from this shit life she’s been handed.”

  If Bethy wanted to hurt me she was doing a damn good job. I was ready to beg when the door opened.

  “Sorry I’m late. We went to…” she trailed off when her eyes met mine. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” I replied,walking over to stand in front of her but afraid to touch her. “I’m so sorry. Please come back to your room and let me explain.”

  She made the first move and wrapped her arms around my waist. “It’s okay. I’m not upset.”

  She was going to comfort me. Again. That’s what she always did: worry about other people. “No, it’s not,” I replied and took her hand to pull her back to her room. Away from Bethy who wasn’t my biggest fan right now.

  “Go let him grovel. He needs to. Fuck. I need him to,” Bethy said from the couch, waving us off and grabbing the remote for the television.

  Blaire

  Rush continued to pull me into my room until the door was closed behind us and he was sitting on my bed with me in his lap. I had been upset earlier but I was fine now. He had been in an awful situation and Nan had been upset. I was sure Woods was pleased there hadn’t been a big scene with me involved.

  “Rush, I promise you that everything is fine. I’m okay,” I assured him, cupping his face in my hands. Dealing with Nan and her hatred was part of the deal. I got that and I was going to have to live with it if I wanted Rush in my life.

  He shook his head. “Nothing about today was okay. I should have never agreed to have lunch with her there. I knew better. I should have never trusted her to be a normal person. I’m so sorry, baby. I swear to you that will never happen again.”

  I covered his mouth with mine and pushed him back on my bed. “I told you it’s okay. Stop apologizing,” I whispered against his lips.

  Rush’s hands slid up my shirt and found my bra that was now two sizes too small.Its strap was cutting into my skin after having to wear it all day. He unsnapped it then ran his hands over the skin that was marked from the pressure of the ill-fitting bra.

  “You need a new bra,” he said, brushing his fingers back and forth over my back making me shiver from pleasure.

  “Mmmm if you promise to do that everynight I’ll be fine,” I assured him leaning down to kiss him again.

  He pulled back. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked with a pained voice.

  Tell him what? I put my hands on either side of his head and lifted myself up to hover over him. “What is it I was supposed to tell you?” I asked, confused.

  Rush slipped his hands around my sides until they were sliding under my breasts and I forgot that we were having a conversation. That felt so good. Moaning, I pushed my chest into his hands and was getting ready to beg.

  “Your skin is cut from this fucking bra, Blaire. Why did you wear it? I’d have gotten you a new one. I’m getting you a new one before you go anywhere else.”

  He was still talking about my bra. “Rush, I need you to touch me now. Don’t worry about my bra. Just please…” I bent my head down and took small nips at his shoulder and kissed my way down his chest.

  “As good as that feels you can’t distract me. I want to know why you didn’t tell me your damn bra was hurting you. I don’t want you hurting.”

  I lifted my head and studied him. He was frowning. This really bothered him. No one ever worried about me like this. I wasn’t used to it. My heart swelled and I reached
down and pulled my shirt and bra off. “Rush. I need a new bra. This one has gotten too small. Would you take me to get one? Please?” I teased as his hands came up and cupped my swollen breasts making me cream in my panties even more.

  “Tits as fucking perfect as these need to be taken care of. I can’t stand the thought of them being in pain,” he smirked up at me, “unless of course I’m the one causing the pain.” He pinched both of my nipples hard and I cried out.

  “Thesetitties are mine, Blaire. I take care of what is mine,” he whispered before pulling a nipple into his mouth.

  I just nodded and rocked against him. His erection was pressing against my swollen clit and if I rubbed just a little bit longer I was going to come. I really needed to come.

  “Easy girl. Let me get these shorts off you first,” he said kissing down to my stomach where he lingered and kissed it sweetly. His eyes lifted to look at me as he slowly unfastened my shorts and began pulling them down my body. “Looks like someone needs some attention. She’s all swollen and wet. Dripping wet. Fuck that’s hot,” he murmured as he pushed my legs apart and gazed hungrily between my legs.

  He laid down between my legs until his mouth was so close to my clit I could feel his warm breath on it. “Tonight I’m staying here. I can’t sleep at night knowing you might wake up like this and need me. The idea drives me crazy,” his voice dropped to a husky sound that always excited me. I watched as he stuck out his tongue and the silver barbell flashed at me before he ran his tongue through the folds and then slipped it inside me.

  I grabbed his head and began pleading with him for more as he brought me to not one but two orgasms before he lifted his head and smiled wickedly at me. “That’s fucking addictive. No one should taste that sweet, Blaire. Not even you.”

  He stood up and jerked off his shirt and pants.He was back on top of me before I could admire the view for very long.