Harbour of Refuge (25 page)

He stood and offered his hand. “Thank you for your time.”

“You have a delightful boy. Thank you for coming.”

Folder in hand, Enzo left with a smile for the next parent waiting. Glancing up and down the hall, he followed the signs to the refreshments. Rounding the corner, he saw tables set up laden with punch, cookies and other assorted treats.

He spied a lot of people milling around, but it wasn’t until his gaze landed upon Halyn and Liev did he smile. They stood off to the corner, talking. Well, it appeared more that Halyn did the talking versus Liev. They each held plates and cups. Quickly getting something for himself, he joined them, the folder bent and shoved in his back pocket.

“Here you are.”

“Hey,” Halyn said. “We were just discussing what they were doing in gym.”

“And what’s that?”

“Climbing rope.”

Two words from the silent Russian boy. He grinned. “Are you good?”

“Adequate.”

He ate the chocolate chip cookie and looked at his son. “And what does that mean?”

“Good as necessary. Fully sufficient.”

Over Liev’s head, he caught Halyn trying not to laugh. He did his best to ignore her and remained focused on his son. “I know what the word means, I meant it…never mind, I’ll just ask your coach. Are you ready to go down there?”

Liev nodded and they finished their snacks and headed to the gym. Liev led the way and Enzo walked beside Halyn.

“Don’t think I didn’t see you laughing at me,” he whispered.

“Sorry. I forget sometimes how he just blurts things out. It caught me off guard.”

Enzo understood that. Brushing a kiss along her cheek, he picked up his pace and hurried down the steps into the gym.

Mr Yadan was a large man with a face that made him think he’d be better suited as a Marine drill instructor. Even standing there in navy-blue warm-up pants and a short-sleeved shirt, he was imposing.

“Mr Cassano,” he said after the parent he’d been speaking to had walked off. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

Cripes, just being in the same room with him had Enzo wanting to stand up straighter. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Liev lead Halyn over to a different part of the gym, where the rope hung down from the ceiling.

“How’s Liev doing?”

“He’s shy. Never volunteers for teams or demonstrations.”

Great, while that may be fine in some classes, probably not the best thing to do in gym.

“Okay, but he’s not causing any problems?”

“Heck, no. That boy is one of my easiest students. He may not volunteer but he’ll do anything I ask him to do. He needs a bit more confidence, but he’s a great kid. You should see him scamper up that rope.”

He grinned. “So he does climb it? He told me he was adequate at it.”

Mr Yadan looked past him and hollered out. “Up that rope, Liev. Show your dad how it’s done.”

Enzo watched with awe as his son scampered up the rope like it was nothing. He rang the bell before making his way back down. Halyn beamed and he felt it too, deep in his chest.

“Well done,” she said. He echoed the sentiment.

Liev looked at him and smiled. Mr Yadan smacked him on the shoulder and Enzo had to keep from wincing.

“Your son is fine. I enjoy having him in class.”

“Thank you.”

That was how the rest of the night went. He was drained at the end, after he’d taken his turn at the refreshment table, as he’d agreed to. A lot more women, mothers and older daughters stopped by. He smiled and waited impatiently for his time to end.

When they finally left, it had begun sprinkling. He helped Halyn into the car after Liev entered then headed them back to her house. Needing to have some contact, he reached across the seats and took her hand. She squeezed his and he returned it.

“Thanks again for coming with us.”

“Not a problem. I had a good time. I heard nothing but good things about Liev.”

She turned and he knew she was looking at his son, who had earbuds in listening to
The Odyssey
by Homer. Or at least that was what he’d been listening to before. Now, who knew?

“Me too. I was more than a bit nervous going to this.”

She kissed the back of his hand. “He’s a great child.”

“He is. I never…”

“I know. Oh, I wanted to invite you up to the mountains with me for a weekend.”

He grinned and glanced at her peripherally. “And what will we be doing in the mountains for a weekend?”

“I go to watch the leaves. It’s not a huge cabin but…I mean, I don’t even know if you’re interested in—”

“I’d love to,” he interrupted.

“Great, it won’t be long but I’ll let you know as soon as I get the date I can use the cabin.”

“Who’s is it?”

“Joe’s.”

He didn’t say anything to that. He knew the man was Mila’s boyfriend, but he wasn’t a huge fan of the way Joe constantly stared at Halyn. After releasing her hand, he downshifted and turned into her driveway, the outside light on like a welcoming beacon. He truly enjoyed her house, the way he felt there and how comfortable it made him.

Once he’d parked in the garage, they headed in the house. Liev sat in a recliner and continued to listen to his story while Halyn got him a mug of hot chocolate. When she returned to the kitchen, he leaned on the counter beside her as she made coffee.

“I didn’t want to ask in the car, but is the cabin adults only?”

She nudged him with her shoulder. “I’ll let you make that decision.”

He tipped her head up to his and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Hmm, I think it’s already been made.”

Her laughter made his heart light. Making her happy—an act so simple—made him so pleased to be the one who’d accomplished it. God, he could easily see himself spending his life with this woman.

* * * *

Halyn watched Enzo as he carried their bags to the building. A cosy log cabin with two bedrooms and one bath. It was maybe a thousand square feet. She loved it here and sometimes wondered why she only made it up once a year.

A light mist fell as she waited by the car, lost in the pure magnetism of his walk. Enzo wore black. His pants, shirt, shoes, even his baseball hat was black. She couldn’t stop the moan of appreciation that slid free.

He paused at the porch, set the bags down and glanced over his shoulder at her. “You coming?”

Oh, if only.
She smiled and walked up to meet him. Edging past, making sure to rub against him. It worked—he snaked a hand around her waist and bucked his hips into her.

“Trouble.”

She didn’t say a word. He was spot on, she was trouble. Unlocking the door, she then swung it open. As normal, a sense of calm filled her as she took in the interior. They walked into the living room.

“Nice,” he murmured behind her.

“Bedrooms are to the right,” she said, shutting the door.

“Rooms?”

“There are two.”

“And?”

She walked by him, brushing her lips over his as she did. “And pick one. I prefer the one on your right when you turn down the hall. But whichever you choose will be fine.” Readjusting the bags in her hands, she walked to the left, heading past the dining room to the kitchen.

“This is a really nice cabin.”

She looked up at Enzo from the fridge. “I like it. It’s going to get cool tonight—do you want to grab some wood from the piles outside and set it in the fireplace so it can dry off a bit?”

“On it.” He left, only to peer at her again. “In case I hadn’t mentioned this before, thanks for bringing me.”

All she could do was smile at him. For a while, their busy schedules hadn’t worked out and she was worried she’d be going alone. Then, once her dates had been confirmed and he’d said he was free, all she’d been able to think about was four days up here with Enzo. Alone. No one else. And as much as she enjoyed Liev, she was thrilled to have some alone time with his father.

They’d got a later start than she’d anticipated, so she wasted no time getting started on dinner. Soon she had the water on for the angel hair pasta and set about making shrimp scampi. Enzo opened a bottle of wine and lit the candles as she carried the food to the table.

Talk was nice and light over their shared meal. “So,” he said, over the apple pie she’d made for dessert. “How do we do this leaf watching?”

The way his mouth moved mesmerised her and she had to shake herself to focus on his conversation.

“Not much to it. I like to drive along the roads and look, sometimes I just walk from here. I’ve got my camera. Nothing set, nothing rigid, just fun and relaxation. Sleep at night.”

“Sounds fine by me. I don’t know how much sleep you’ll be getting, but I’m all for the relaxation and fun.”

Her body hummed with expectancy of what that meant. Instead of responding, she finished up her final bit of pie. She looked up and found him completely focused on her. His eyes gleamed in the candlelight.

“What?”

“Just can’t get over how beautiful you are.”

Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. She ducked her head and got up from the table.

“Wait.” Enzo looped his fingers around her wrist and tugged her to him.

“I have to clear the table.”

He slid back from the table and drew her to him, forcing her to straddle his legs. “Sit.”

She did. With one hand, she swiped some hair back from his face—she loved touching his hair, it was so thick and silky. He settled his hands upon her waist.

“Thank you,” he murmured between kisses. “For a delicious dinner. Breakfast is mine.”

Winding her arms around his neck, she put them nose to nose. “Sounds like a plan. But I really need to do dishes.”

“You cooked, I’ll clean.”

He gave her another kiss, which had her thinking of something else entirely. Grinding her pelvis into him, she wanted to smirk when he groaned and thrust up into her. She could feel him beneath her, hard and thick. Slickness gathered between her legs and she pressed harder onto him, searching for the release she knew he could give her.

He fumbled with the snap on her pants and she whimpered with pleasure as he sank two fingers inside her wet slit, as deep as he could go. Back and forth he pistoned his wrist, moving his digits in and out of her like she craved.

More, she wanted more. Eyes closed, she sucked harder on his tongue as he drove into her. Repeatedly. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as a wave of bliss poured over her.

He ended the kiss and nipped the side of the neck. One hand braced against her hip while the other remained between her thighs.
So close
. Oh, God, she was so close. Her body had teetered on the edge since they’d got in the car this afternoon. Finally, he was taking care of what she’d needed all day, his touch satisfying her desire.

“Come for me,” he ordered, his voice a deep, dark caress. “I want your cream all over my fingers.”

That was all she needed. Back bowing, she came in a rush as he continued to stroke deep within her. Her lower lip caught in her teeth, she didn’t even attempt to restrain the cry that slipped from her mouth.

She sighed when he withdrew, and watched him suck his fingers clean. Halyn shifted on his lap, wanting his cock deep in her. He leaned closer and kissed her. His tongue thrust and teased her. She could taste herself on him and she squirmed closer, digging her fingers into his scalp.

His eyes burned in the flickering light when the kiss ended. “Let’s clean up and start a fire.”

She longed to protest but she nodded her agreement. Slipping from his lap, she fixed her clothes then reached for the plates and got to work. She cleared the table and he washed then went to start a fire. Before long, they were stretched out on the thick area rug before the fire. The bottle of wine and two glasses—partially filled—sat between them.

Head propped up on her hand, she listened to him talk about his family. The firelight made his skin all the more golden and put even more of a shimmer to his hair. She was fascinated with it, the way it smoothed over her skin as she ran her hands through it. The way it felt gliding along the inside of her thighs as he…

“Did you say something?”

She blinked and shook her head. As he took a drink of his wine, her gaze locked on his Adam’s apple as it moved up and down. It was hard for her to think of anything other than him. She took a deep breath and focused on what he was saying.

His mouth, those lips. How his tongue would occasionally slip out and dampen his lips.

Heat flashed through her and she bit off a whimper.
This… So not helping
.

“You look a bit flushed.”

“Must be the firelight,” she mumbled.

The cocking of his eyebrow told her he wasn’t buying her flimsy excuse. He readjusted and she watched the fluidity with which he moved. God, everything he did was just so damn sexy.

“You’ve not talked about your family for a while. How are they doing?”

Dragging her index finger around the rim of her glass, she smiled. “They’re doing better every day. Thanks for asking.”

“Your father has recovered?”

“For the most part. I think he’s more recovered than Mama wants to admit. She’s still babying him.”

“Nothing wrong with that. They love each other.”

Love.
That word had her thinking of Enzo and a future with him. She shook it free from her head. She was his girlfriend now, but that would most likely change once he began racing again. She just didn’t see him slowing down his lifestyle for a girl back in some faraway port.

Halyn wouldn’t allow those thoughts to bring her down. She’d known from the first this was something that most likely wouldn’t last. Their time here was for them, for fun and for not dwelling on something which might or might not happen in the future.

“They do, very much.”

Enzo stretched out a hand and twirled a lock of her hair around his fingers. He watched her so intently it set off waves of desire inside her. She leaned into his palm and enjoyed his touch.

“How are your parents doing?” she asked, after brushing her lips against his hand.

“They’re all fine, staying busy. My mother has decided she wants to go to Greece for their anniversary.”