13. The Mom, Beau

My mind went numb, coasting on the feels as instinct took over. The small amount of control I had was lost when he swiped his tongue fully inside my mouth. The sexy, competent move came with a parting of my lips, doing a deep dive into the farthest reaches of my mouth.

My cock punched against my jeans, wanting desperately to be involved.

Jesus, the way my body responded created chaos inside me. My nipples hardened, my belly quivered, and all I wanted to do was wrap myself around this guy.

I found what I was missing in a big, big way. Desire, compassion, and being wanted was such an overwhelming turn-on.

A primal tug bonded me tighter to Dash.

All I knew for certain was I never wanted this to end. The pain and suffering of my life faded, leaving behind the indentation of a nice size, hard as hell cock, pressing into my thigh.

He wanted me as badly as I wanted him.

Tingles shot through me as Dash moved, coming down partially on top of me. His elbow held him in place on one side. His other hand, still in mine, began to caress across my chest, skimming one of my nipples on its path down my side. I was forced to let go as he crawled further on top of me and shoved his hand under my shoulder, to help stay right there. All the while, the hot, sensory-destroying kiss continued.

There were no awkward moments. I followed his lead, turning my mouth the same direction he went. We were on fire as the kiss turned carnal. His tongue danced against mine in a clash of tongue and teeth. My cock never let me forget it was there, needing more than I was giving.

That physical need fueled me to wrap my arms completely around him, fusing our mouths together.

I slowly rolled him to his back, following where he landed. I pushed a knee between his thighs, never wanting to lose the feel of the evidence of his desire. His arms wrapped around me, his hands gripping my shoulders, keeping me flush against him, right where I wanted to be.

The only problem I had was the pesky need to breathe. My head fought the urge. I'd been trained to hold my breath, I could last awhile, but it seemed my time was up. I didn't want to let go. Never. In this moment, I could die happy from a lack of oxygen, if only my body's natural instinct for air didn't overpower me. As I detached from the kiss, sucking in gulps of air, his hips drove upward, arching hard against me.

I stared down at him, taking it all in. In his current state, he was majestic. A hooded brow, plump, fleshy lips swollen from my kiss, his hair in disarray from my touch.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as his hips rolled against my thigh again. As I watched him, I knew sex was where we were headed. I had a lot to figure out first, but when the time came, we'd make love because I'd been swept completely off my feet.

"Don't be sorry," I said quietly, my hand reaching for the top of his head. My fingers slid into the silky strands. My current quest was to log every touch and feel into my memory, so when I drew this moment forward in my mind, I'd have the full experience again.

"I'll get a hold of it," he whispered, at the same time his hips did a far less forceful thrust. "I'm sorry. I'm very attracted to you."

We needed to slow this way down. I leaned in to place a simple chaste kiss on his lips.

Dash opened, wanting to take it deeper, but I held back. Self-doubt sent a small niggle skirting around my stupid brain, reminding me how teenage guys really were. Scott would do and say anything to get laid, and that was fine I guessed. I only needed to wait until I was ready. After this kiss, it wouldn't be long. I leaned farther back even as his strong arms and hands held me tightly against him.

"Don't leave. Let me hold you. I can't get my arms to let you go," Dash said.

Breaking free wasn't a problem, but I liked the idea of staying as close as possible for as long as I could.

"I'm way too into you too," I said again—like every other time we were together.

Dash's hands slid over my shoulders into my hair, sifting through the longer strands at the base of my neck before pushing the blunt tips of his fingernails up over my scalp. It felt mesmerizingly good. His voice was deep and husky as he continued.

"You know I like to talk. And I like to define things. Understand what's happening." I absolutely knew if given a chance, he could handle the heavy lifting of all the conversations, twenty-four seven. He was good at it too. "You have no idea how into you I am. I'm planning our entire lives together. You're going to my prom then I'm going to yours. You'll go to my college where we'll live together until you graduate and I finish law school. I want to do good in the world, and I feel like you feel the same way. We'll have a commitment ceremony, but for the record, my heart's already done that. We'll travel, have children if you want…"

I'd never thought of a full life in that way. Dash laughed at my expression. The shock in my mind had to have reached my face.

"I'm scaring you. I can see it in your eyes, and I don't mean to. I only wanted you to know that you're truly not alone in what's happening to us. Since the moment I set my eyes on you, you're all I've thought about. I don't understand what's going on with me and you but saying it out loud makes it easier to cope. I feel like we knew one another before we ever met. Like you're supposed to be with me."

He laughed again, probably due to the heated flush on my face.

"I've said too much. I'm sorry. I'm not like this at all. People tell me I'm too practical. My feet are planted too firmly on the ground. Imagine their surprise about me saying we have a celestial connection."

"I don't disagree, but I'm more skeptical, I guess, and decided to take this one hour at a time," I said, feeling the silence building inside me, keeping me from saying more, I needed time to think.

"Kiss me. Curl my toes again. You can be the guide to where we go from here. I promise, I don't need more than you're willing to give." Dash brought his hand forward, sweeping the hair off my forehead, but the unkempt style had it falling right back again.

"I'll cut it," I murmured.

He stared at me, seemingly taking in every part of my face.

"Don't change a thing. You're perfect." Dash lifted his head, his lips parting as he sought mine. I met him halfway for another soul-searing kiss.

One week later

"Brooks." I released my hand off the pressure washer lever, instantly stopping the spray, and glanced over my shoulder to my new boss, Guy. His gruff, loud voice held authority, and carried all the way to Mexico, I was certain. "Finish what you're doin' then mop the patio then take off. I'll log your hours in the mornin'."

"Got it," I hollered back, lifting a thumbs-up high in the air just in case he couldn't hear me.

He didn't pay any attention to my response as he locked the back door to the charter boat office. I waited to see if he had more to say. Sometimes his directive came in two barked sections, minutes apart.

As Guy fisted his keys in his palm, he pointed a finger at Dash who hung out in his normal spot, sitting on a ledge at the end of a retail leasing complex, facing me. "Your old man doesn't need to know I'm leavin' early."

This was a regular conversation between the two of them. Dash grinned from his perch on the property's edge, his feet dangling, his arms hanging over the bottom rail. "Got it." He gave his own thumbs-up to drive his oath home.

Guy checking out before the end of his shift was a daily occurrence. He hadn't been caught yet, which probably meant it didn't matter to anyone in charge.

As expected, Guy finally remembered he had more to say and pivoted around, walking closer to me. "We're shorthanded on the booked charters next week. You'd have to be here by five in the mornin' and stick around to do your afternoon duties."

I wasn't a hundred percent sure, but I felt like there was a question in there. "Yeah, I can do it," I said, beaming. I'd be out in the ocean, helping people fish, or probably just doing work no one else wanted to do, but still a dream come true.

"Will he be paid overtime?" Dash called out, inserting himself as my acting manager.

I shrugged at Guy's burst of irritation as he swung his head toward Dash. "Yeah, I guess so now. And this is between me and my employee. Stay out of our business."

Dash nodded approvingly and shot out his own thumbs-up. When Guy turned his exasperation back at me, he whispered loudly. Dash had to have heard. "Don't you have any less annoyin' friends?"

I don't know why the question tickled me so much. Maybe due to this perpetual happiness following me everywhere I went. I snickered because the answer to his question was no , I didn't. Dash and I spent all our free time together, and I wasn't looking to change my circle of friends.

"He's just lookin' out for me," I finally answered pretty lamely and did my best to hide my joy. Guy rolled his eyes then pivoted on the heel of his old work boot. A perfectly executed move for someone with a sizable beer belly that made him as tall as he was wide.

"We'll need to cap your time at thirty-five hours next week. You're gonna work more than that, but I'll catch up the next week. No one needs to know you're workin' that much."

"Sure, it's not a problem. Thanks for the work." I started the sprayer back again.

Guy started for his truck with a carelessly given backhanded wave. Once he'd made it to the front parking lot, I finished the last section of the dock, keeping one eye on Guy's truck until he left. My hand lifted off the nozzle as my excited gaze flipped to Dash. "I'm makin' two hundred fifty dollars next week to fish."

"And maybe that same amount the next week," he piped in. "I'll keep up with your hours and make sure they pay you properly."

The idea of Dash managing Guy through the payroll process made my heart smile. The gruff, grumpy old man already had a distaste for office work. He was sure to be driven crazy by Dash watching over his shoulder.

"What's your schedule next week?" I called out, bringing the hose back up to the porch to finish cleaning there. Missing Dash might be the only downfall to fishing all day.

"Same schedule. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I'll head over here when I see the boat come back in."

"Cool." Problem solved. Dash always had all the answers. I quickly lifted the nozzle and pressed, sending the high-power spray of water in his direction. I honestly lived to tease that guy. This round ensured a mess to his perfectly styled hair.

I got the normal reaction, a squeaky yell and a quick duck with nowhere to go. When I began cleaning the porch in earnest, my mind wandered to the idea of being paid to fish. Jeez, that'd be my best life. A more intriguing snapshot flitted around in my head. Dash with me on such a boat.

Maybe we should stick with my brand of fishing first. He was a little bit of a baby. Clearly he'd had a pampered life, but he was also weirdly grounded. He innately understood the heartbeat of the world and showed great compassion for everyone and everything. I didn't mind doing the odd little tasks like killing whatever bug threatened him…

A loud whistle pierced my scattered thoughts, and I glanced in Dash's direction. My hand lifted off the nozzle to better hear as he began to get to his feet. He pointed me toward the parking lot and started that direction. I instantly knew the car. My mom. Anxiety hit hard, showing the cracks in my happy place.

I absently dropped the hose to the pavement as I started in her direction. "It's my mom."

Dash's sure steps stumbled as he swung his head in my direction. "You sure? Not a potential client?"

"I'm sure." I kept going, lengthening my stride, trying to get to her before he did. I thought I might until he squared his shoulders and began walking with purpose as he ran his fingers through his hair. Like always, he held all the confidence in the world.

My mom pulled into a space, closer to him than me, letting the car idle as she opened the door and stepped out, looking all vice-principally in her pantsuit and small heels. She was pretty, at least all my friends back in Mobile thought so. They all talked about dating her which creeped me out.

"Hi, Mrs. Brooks. I'm Dasham. Beau calls me Dash," he said, boldly, jogging the few steps separating them. He stuck his hand out to shake hers. Man, he had manners game and didn't mess around. He appeared respectful and interested. My mom ate it up.

"Hi, Dash." She gave him her real smile, not the practiced one she reserved for her students and their parents. He didn't hesitate to give a genuine one back. "Call me Linda. I wanted to stop by and see where my son's spending all his time these days."

Most likely she meant with whom, instead of where, but tried to save me any possible embarrassment. I'd told her as much of the truth as I was willing to tell about my employment and my friendship with Dash, highlighting that he was the resort owner's son.

I kept going until I sidled up next to her side, also facing Dash just in case I needed to tackle him to the ground to offset anything contradictory he might say. My mom leaned in, like she always did, lifting on her tiptoes to place a kiss on my cheek.

"I wanted to see where you work, and I wanted to meet your new friend."

"That's him," I explained and pointed to Dash. "And that's the charter's office. I clean up after everyone. The boats are at the dock, I already went over them." I absently hooked a thumb toward the ocean as if the boats might be located somewhere else.

To her credit, she did glance in the directions I pointed, but Dash obviously held all her curiosity. "So you're the one everyone's talking about?" she asked, clearly paying attention to the local news.

"Sadly, I believe so." Dash's charming side roared to the forefront as his chin hit his chest. "The attention wasn't anything I encouraged but the hype's beginning to quiet down now. The girls aren't following me all over the resort like they used to. I think my fifteen minutes has come to an end."

"Well, that's too bad. Beau needs to meet someone new." She bumped her hip against the side of my body, happy with her tease. "Having a girlfriend…"

"Mom," I cut her off and rolled my eyes. When I knew she was watching me, I exaggeratedly mouthed the words I'm sorry to Dash.

"No, it's good," Dash said assuredly, winking at my mom. Who did that? Who executed a perfect, playful wink at fifteen years old? "My mom says those same things to me."

I doubted that.

"Where do you live when you're not here putting the fear of God into the locals?" my mom asked.

"Mom," I started only to have Dash shake me off again.

"In Southlake. It's a suburb north of Fort Worth," he answered, tucking his hands inside the front pockets of his walking shorts.

"I'm not as familiar with Texas as I should be. I need to get better." My mom wrapped an arm around my waist, knocking mine to place around her shoulders. It took a second, but I finally followed through.

"Texas is so big, it's hard to know what's where." Just like that, Dash had my mom eating out of his hand.

"There's more to why I'm here." She glanced up at me, finally, and lifted a hand to shade her sunglass-covered eyes from the bright angle of the sun. "I also come with news. I found a house and put in an offer. I wanted you to see it first, but I had to act fast. It's close to my school. A pretty three-bedroom cottage-style home. A coworker's grandmother is selling."

"When would we move?" I didn't care in the least about seeing it. My concern was the at least twenty-minute drive from the beach to her high school. I didn't think Sea Springs had a transit system. It'd take forever to get back and forth on my bike.

"We have to wait until right before school starts. They need to move her into a facility then move her belongings out. The homes around there get snatched up quickly. I'll take you to see it as soon as you have time off from your job," she said excitedly.

Her happiness made me happy. Since I was currently in a day-by-day existence, I let the worry go. Let it work out like it's supposed to. I'd figure it out.

"Who was the coworker?"

When she met me with silence, I gave her a funky side-eye. The expression she gave had me instantly knowing the deal. "Mom. That part of my life's over. I don't want to play football anymore. I'm out of shape. I haven't conditioned…"

Dash sucked in a sudden breath, then began coughing and laughing at the same time.

"I am out of shape. And football's all anyone talks about with me. It's why I spend so much time over here."

I was on a long-winded, rambling denial, and I just stopped speaking, shaking my head no .

"Son, it's not about you." At her statement, I gave her my best skeptical look. "He's the varsity baseball coach. He's invited me to dinner on Friday night, and I'd like you to be home to meet him."

Wait. What? My mom had a date with a dude?

She was barely two weeks shy of being divorced.

"Mom. It's gettin' weirder."

"Put the g on the end of your words, son." Her brow lifted at me with her incessant reminder.

"Getting," I repeated properly, trying my best to shake off the creepiness in the conversational turn. Of course, she wasn't ready to date. She needed to concentrate on being my mom first before finding her way back into the world. Not dating some sex-crazed, ego-maniac coach. Heck, that was what got us to Sea Springs here in the first place. Her lousy taste in men.

I started walking backward toward the dock, waving her off. We'd certainly talk about this later. "I gotta finish up. We'll talk later?"

Dash gave me a questioning glance, clearly not ready to let this time with my mom go.

"Dash, it was very nice to meet you. Made better now that Beau has a friend who can speak in complete sentences. I believe that's a first in my boy's circle of friends." Some might call what she said a joke, but it wasn't.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Brooks," Dash said.

My mom moved backward a couple of steps. "The three of us need to have dinner soon. My treat. And please call me Linda. Mrs. Brooks is my ex mother-in-law. She wasn't a pleasant person."

He rocked on his feet. "It's a respect thing so we'll have to see how it goes. Beau's a great guy, the best friend I've ever had. Now I see where he gets it from."

Her smile brightened. She pointed to Dash as she looked at me. "Keep him around."

Oh, yeah, exactly what I intended to do. I nodded and waved when she dropped into the front seat and shut the door. My thumb hooked over my shoulder as I stared openly at Dash. "I'm gonna put everything away."

He stayed rooted where he stood, waving as my mom backed out of the spot and started out of the parking lot. When she left, he slowly turned, looking lost in thought as he walked back to his perch on the side of the building. "Take your time. I'm great. I think she liked me."