Connected by the Tide (21 page)

Ren grabbed him and kissed his tears away. “It’s okay,” she whispered.

“I miss my dad. I—I haven’t let myself think about him. I remember the last time I saw him. He was in so much pain that he didn’t recognize me. I told him I loved him, but he couldn’t hear me.” He sobbed harder than he ever had. The last time he’d cried, it was when he found out his father had cancer and wouldn’t recover.

Ren guided him to the bed then laid him down, stripping all his clothes away. She turned off the lights then came next to him, holding him while he cried. He sobbed and sobbed, unable to stop. She cried with him, running her hands across his body, trying to calm him.

“Let it out, Henry,” she said.

“I—I can’t handle it anymore.”

“You don’t have to. You have me now.”

He held his breath to stop himself from crying. He hated how weak he was being. A few sobs escaped his throat
, but he stopped them.

“Henry,
it’s okay to cry.”

“Crying solves nothing.”

She kissed his tears away and pressed her body against his. “It’s okay to cry in front of me. You have to let it out. You obviously haven’t grieved in a very long time.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Don’t ever worry about it.”

He held her body to his chest and closed his eyes, trying to re
main calm. Her hands glided through his hair and down his back. His sobs trickled to a few tears then disappeared eventually. He did feel better that he’d finally gotten the stress and guilt off his chest.

She kissed the moisture around his eyes. “You’re the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. I’ve never met anyone as strong as you.”

“I’m nothing close to that.”

“Yes, you are. But you don’t need to be strong all the time—not with me.”

He took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For loving me. For taking a chance on me. You’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

She smiled. “You were worth the wait, Henry.”

“I hope so. I’ll continue to make it worth your while.”

“And I’ll continue to take care of you.”

“Take care of me?”

She nodded. “That’s what couples do. I’
ll support you.”

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Everything doesn’t feel so bad.”

She ran her fingers through his hair. “And it never will again.”

He closed his eyes
, and his mind drifted in an empty state for a few moments. He felt his body calm and recharge, collecting the pieces of his shattered heart. After a moment of repose, he opened his eyes.

“M
ove in with me.”

He raised an eyebrow, not expecting that comment. “What?”

“You live with Mitch to save money, right? You can live with me for free and give your income to your mom. You’ll be able to save more that way.”

He was shocked by the offer. “I appreciate that
, but no, I can’t do that to you. I refuse to live here without splitting the bills, and I refuse to move in with you because of my circumstances. I love our relationship and don’t want to ruin it by rushing into something.”

“I was just using that as an excuse,” she said with a smile. “I want you to live with me.”

“It’ll have to wait. I haven’t even met your family.”

She rolled her eyes. “Why are you so traditional?”

He chuckled. “Baby, I’m not. If I were, I wouldn’t have made love to you before marriage, let alone in the back seat of a car on the beach.”

She blushed. “That was fun.”

“Yeah, it was.”

She rubbed his shoulders. “That reminds me of something.”

He knew where this was going. “I’m listening.”

“I want to prove how flexible I am.”

Just her words made his cock spring to life. It pressed against his him and made him uncomfortable. He shifted his weight to make more room.

She unzipped his fly. “Let me help you.”

He smiled, knowing she’d realized what was happening inside his pants.

She pulled down his jeans
, taking his boxers as well.

“I’m so lucky you enjoy sex as much as I do.”

She leaned down and kissed the tip of his cock. “That’s only because you make me enjoy it so much.”

He grabbed the straps of he
r dress and pulled them from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. His arousal took over his mind, and he forgot about the heartache he felt. When he was with Ren, connected in an intimate way, he forgot about every pain he’d ever had. It was just them in the entire universe. Like the change of the tide, his emotions pounded the shore in large waves, reaching across the sand. When the moon disappeared, his feelings would simmer and bubble, aching in his heart, only to be released in a crescendo when he touched her. His heart was pulsing, throbbing with the love he had for Ren, the girl he never expected to have. He loved Sydney, but he loved Ren more than he’d ever loved her. It was nice to be loved and cherished, to have someone who cared for him with the same intensity. It made everything better.

He ran his hands over her body, feeling her slender shoulders
, then her prominent chest. She watched him, unashamed by his obvious desire. He grabbed her breasts then massaged them in his hands. She had large tits, bigger than most, and he enjoyed staring at them. They were perky and warm. He wasn’t sure which feature he loved more because he loved them all. His breathing increased as he rubbed her. Her nipples started to turn pink as her breathing hitched. Henry could feel her intensity increase the longer he touched her.

He moved his hands lower then felt her stomach, touching her round hips. Her belly was flat but had a slight curve to it. He loved her body and liked that she wasn’t too skinny. She was curvy and real. His hands grabbed her ass,
touching the skin. His cock twitched as he felt her. He noticed his own lubrication leak from the tip, oozing out.

He held her to his chest, staring at her lips. Above all things, he loved kissing her. He could do it all day. He grabbed her face and pressed his mouth over hers, sealing her lips with his. His tongue moved inside her, feeling hers before he caressed her lips. Her ti
ts were pressed against his chest, and her nipples moved across his skin. She whimpered every time he kissed her. When he pulled away and rubbed his nose against hers, looking into her eyes, she moaned audibly before he kissed her again.

She pulled away. “I can’t wait anymore.” She climbed on the bed then separated her legs, doing the splits. Henry’s jaw dropped as he watched her. She scooted to the foot of the bed, her ass almost hanging over.

He came behind her, his cock pressed against her ass. It was the hottest sight he had ever seen. “Holy shit, you’re flexible.”

“Stop talking.” Her back was bent as she pushed herself up, showing the curve in her lower back. It was like her bones were made of jelly.

He leaned over her, staring at the lines of her back muscles. “I want to make love.”

“It’s the same thing.”

“I want to kiss you.”

She turned her
head, her mouth slightly open.

He wrapped his arm around her ribs then leaned over her, his lips meeting hers. The sound of their lips breaking apart made him more aroused. It smacked and echoed in the room. His cock was still pressed against her ass. He could tell she was getting anxious by the increase in her breathing. That made him more aroused, that she wanted him so bad.

Without breaking their kiss, he grabbed his shaft then pointed his head inside her, sliding through.

Her lips became immobile as she gasped with pleasure.
“Oh, God.”

He rocked his hips and moved all the way inside her. She was wet and
damp, making his cock pulse as soon as he felt her. He moaned as he stretched her, feeling every inch of the pathway. He sealed his mouth over hers as he rocked into her gently.

Every other thought ceased as he made love to her. He loved fucking women
, but he didn’t want to do that with her. She was different. The lovemaking they had was more pleasurable and enjoyable than meaningless sex. Hearing her moan for him, enjoying every single thrust, made the experience amazing. It felt so good to feel the deep connection with her, to feel the trust between them. He loved coming inside her, knowing he was the only person who was allowed to. As he kissed her and moved inside her, he felt his heart heat with joy. Everything was better when they were together.

When Ren’s
lips stopped moving, just breathing into his mouth, he knew she was on the brink. They’d just started, and she was already coming. That made him feel even better. He always got her off immediately. He grabbed her face and looked her in the eye, thrusting harder and faster.

She grabbed his arm, gasping for air as the collision hit her.

He felt her tighten around him, becoming even more wet.

“Yes, yes.”

That was music to his ears. He kept up the pace, making her orgasm last as long as possible. He wanted to come when he knew she was getting off, but he held it back so he could please her longer.

When
she stopped moaning and tried to catch her breath, he knew she was finished. He knew she would still feel tender, so he continued to move in and out of her, pulling the tip to the entrance before he moved back inside her.

“This feels so good,” she whispered.

He grabbed her face and kissed her again, leaning over her. He would break their kiss and rub his nose against hers, seeing the desire and satisfaction on her face. He tried to avoid overusing the “love” word so it wouldn’t dilute the meaning, so he proved it to her in other ways. When they made love, it was never about him. It was always about her, showing how much he loved her without the use of words. Every touch and kiss was his declaration of love and commitment. He wanted her to feel beautiful, sexy, cherished, and safe, all at the same time. He was just fortunate that he loved doing it so much.

He moved his lips to her ear and whispered to her, “You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her ear, dar
ting his tongue inside.

She moaned at his words.

“I’ve never been with a woman so sexy.”

He kissed her again. His words had the desired effect
, because she tightened around him again, about to explode with a rush of pleasure. He thrust into her harder, rocking her on the bed. She placed her hands over his, digging her nails into the skin.

Henry stared at her, mesmerized by the sight. She looked so gorgeous when she had an orgasm. Her face turned a deeper shade of red
, and her lips became fuller. Her eyes had a dazed look in them, like she couldn’t see anything in front of her. Her back arched further as she took him deep inside.

He pulled her hair over the opposite shoulder and kissed her neck as
he enjoyed the feel of his cock sliding in and out of her. When she was finished, he pulled away and looked down at her. Since she was satisfied, he was ready to get himself off. His thoughts became more sexual as he stared at her perfect body. Her cheeks were bigger because her legs were stretched open. She was paralyzed by her position so she couldn’t move. He was dominating her, allowed to move as hard and fast he wanted to.

He stared at her
ass as he pulled out then pushed himself back in. Her moans became louder as he teased her. He grabbed her hips then rocked her while he thrust inside her, his breathing heavy with the heat stinging his groin. He wanted to come, but he didn’t because he was enjoying himself so much. His tip stung as it wanted to release. He was almost there but held back on purpose. He didn’t think he could make Ren come again, but she sounded like she enjoyed it anyway. And she was absolutely soaked.

He grabbed her ass and massaged it, rubbing his thumbs over it. He pulled apart her cheeks slightly
, staring at her pussy as he fucked her. He moved harder and faster, rocking her as he dove himself deep inside her. It was the hottest sex he’d ever had. He had never been with a woman as sexy and gorgeous as Ren. He wanted to make this last as long as possible, but he knew he couldn’t hold out any longer.

“Fuck me, Henry.”

That was the trigger that set him off. He shoved himself inside her hard, moaning loudly as he exploded, dripping and shooting everywhere. His whole body shook as he came. He grabbed her face and kissed her again, still thrusting even though he’d already come because he still felt tender. Sweat was on his chest, and it clung to her back. He kissed her passionately, wordlessly telling her how much he loved her and adored her, that he couldn’t live without her. That she was the one.

She bro
ke their kiss and looked at him, her eyes shining with the same love and devotion. She could see the intensity of his feelings and the unspoken truth. “I love you, too.”

29

The tide was rising, and the water was moving farther up the beach. When he looked over at Ren, lying in her bikini with her face shielded from the sun under the protection of a hat, he saw how relaxed she looked. He didn’t want to stir her.

She wore a yellow string bikini that barely hid her goodies from view. Henry had a boner on and off all afternoon. Whenever he applied sunblock to her skin, he thought he would come because her body turned him on so much.

He stared across the water to focus his thoughts on something else.

Ren moaned and turned slightly, stretching.

“You awake, baby?”

She moaned again.

He leaned down and kissed her stomach, tasting the sunblock. “We need to move farther up the beach.”

“Why?”

“The tide is coming in.”

“Damn that tide.”

He smiled then stood up. “Come on, baby.” He grabbed her hand and helped her stand. She stretched her arms over her head, flexing her back. A few guys gawked at her from across the beach. Henry stopped and glared at them until they looked away. Then he grabbed the towels and pulled them farther up the beach.

She came to him then sat down. Her blonde hair was
tousled and curly under the sun hat she wore. He couldn’t see her eyes because they were blocked by her sunglasses.

“You look so cute,” he said.

“Me?”

“Yeah
, you.” He took out his phone and pointed the camera at her. “Give me a kiss, baby.”

She puckered her lips
, and he took the picture.

“Thank you.”

“Sure.”

He put the phone down.

“I’m going for a dip.”

“You should wait awhile.”

“Why? I didn’t just eat.”

“Because the tide is changing.
It could be dangerous.”

“You’ll protect me, right?”

“I’ll always protect you.”

She got up and walked to the water’s edge. Henry stared at her for a long time, watching her play in the water. The waves were bigger than they normally were. She stayed near the shore, in
ankle-deep water, so Henry wasn’t too concerned about it. When she moved farther out, he came to the water.

“Baby, stay close to me.”

“I want to swim.” A large wave came behind her then knocked her over, pushing her underwater.

Henry immediately dived
into the water and swam under the waves. Even though his eyes burned, he kept them open as he searched for her. She was stuck under the pounding waves, unable to break the surface. He grabbed her arm then pulled her back, bringing her closer to shore. He pushed her to the surface.

She gasped for breath while she clutched her throat.

Henry came behind her and held her waist, giving her a moment to catch her breath.

“You okay?”

She coughed for a few seconds before she finally stood back. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

“Will you listen to me from now on?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re okay. People don’t take the ocean seriously. It’s a killer.” He helped her stand straight.
“Don’t ever do that again.”

“I just wanted to swim.”

“Then wait until the tide isn’t changing, especially when it’s rising.”

Her hat came up the shore and Henry grabbed it, placing it on her head. “At least you didn’t lose that.”

“My sunglasses,” she said sadly.

Henry took off his and ha
nded them to her. “You can wear mine.”

She put them on.

He smiled at her. “How do you look so cute in everything?”

She shrugged then walked back to the
ir towel. “We should get ready for dinner.”

Henry sighed, not looking forward to this at all.

“Babe, it’ll be fine. My brothers will like you.”

“I’m your boyfriend. They won’t like me until I prove myself.”

“Well, that won’t take long. After meeting Dane, they’ll love anyone.”

“That’s good to know.”

“So isn’t it good I dated a douchebag before you?”

“No. I hated knowing he hurt you.”

Her eyes softened when she looked at him.

Henry gathered the towels and shoved them into the backpack before they returned to the car. After he got her in the passenger seat, they drove back to her house. He hardly ever went home anymore. A part of him did want to move in with her because
of that fact in itself. He was always with her and always slept with her. He was basically paying rent just so he would have a place to store his belongings.

Henry and Ren took a shower together. A quick wash quickly turned into foreplay, which led to a quick fuck. Henry felt guilty for fucking her right before he met her brothers, but he thought it was the lesser of two evils. It was better than him thinking about fucking her while he met her brothers.

They changed then drove to Jeremy’s house down the road, Perry in the back seat.

Henry patted him on the head
, and the dog licked his hand. “He doesn’t hate me anymore.”

“He finally accepts you. He knows you make me happy.”

“Why did you bring him along?”

“My brothers love him. They think of him as their nephew.”

Henry smiled. “I guess that makes him my kid, in a way.”

“Yes, it does,” Ren said with a smile. She stopped when they got to the house and let Perry out. He sniffed the yard then walked up to the front door, knowing exactly what to do. He barked once.

Henry felt the blood rush to his head as he approached the front doorstep. He had never met a girlfriend’s family before. He’d never even had a girlfriend.

The front door opened, and a tall guy with blond hair stepped out. “There’s my man,” he said as he petted the dog.

Perry wagged his tail and jumped on him.

“Good boy,” he said as he patted him on the head.

Judging by the slight lines around his face, Henry assumed this was Jeremy, the older brother.

“Hey,” he said as he hugged Ren. “How are you?”

“Good.” She pulled away. “Jeremy, this is my boyfriend, Henry.”

He nodded and grabbed Henry’s hand.
“Pleasure.”

“Thank you for having me over,”
Henry said as he shook Jeremy’s hand.

“Now come inside.”

They entered the house then walked into the kitchen area.

Another blond turned toward Ren. He was shorter than Jeremy, but taller than Ren. “I just finished dinner.”

“What are we having?” she asked.

“Raviolis with chicken
parmigiana.”

“Yum,”
she said.

Henry recognized him. “Andre?”

“Henry?” Andre asked. “What are the odds?”

“You two know each other?” Ren asked.

Andre nodded. “We work at the aquarium together. Together, we battled the ferocious beaks of the penguins.”

Henry laughed. “I hate those birds.”

“And I hate their turds, too.”

Henry
hadn’t made the connection that Andre was her brother, even though she’d told Henry his name and his major. He’d never even suspected the guy was gay. “Well, it’s nice to see you again.”

A
ndre looked at his sister. “He already has my approval.” Then he walked away and set the table.

Jeremy crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, that was simple. If my gay brother likes him, he must be a winner.”

Henry breathed a sigh of relief. That was easier than he’d thought it was going to be.

“Let’s eat.
” Andre said.

They took their seats at the table while Perry watched them with sad eyes from the living room. Henry pulled out
Ren’s chair like he normally did then rested his hand on her thigh. She gave him a smile of encouragement.

“You go to school with Ren?” Jeremy asked as we twirled the pasta around his fork.

“Yeah,” Henry said. “We are both English majors.”

“Then why do you work at the aquarium?”
Andre asked.

“I used to be
a zoology major.”

“Zoology?”
Jeremy asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s the study of animals,” Henry explained.

“Oh.” Jeremy kept eating.

“Wait a second,” Andre
said. “So, you were buying Ren all that food when I saw you in the cafeteria?”

“Yeah,” Henry said.

Andre chuckled then glanced at Ren. “That makes sense now. Only my sister would eat that much.”

“Your ex-boyfriend used to eat like a pig,” she snapped.

“Because he was a body builder,” he said with a smile. He looked at Henry. “Oh, yeah. I’m gay. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.”

Henry shook his head. “No. It doesn’t bother me in the least.”

“Cool,” Andre said with a nod.

Henry was surprised how direct he was about the topic. Homosexuals were usually
quiet and defensive about their orientation, guarding their secrets.

“I wouldn’t date someone who had a problem with it, Andre,” Ren said without looking at him.

“I would hope so.” He looked at Henry. “You were right about Nancy. She’s really nice. A little sad, though.”

“Sad?” Henry asked.

“Something about some guy named Derek.”

“Oh,” Henry said.
“Yeah. She’s dating a friend of mine but…he doesn’t know how to be a good boyfriend.”

“Do you?” Jeremy asked.

Henry wasn’t expecting that comment. “I love Ren,” he blurted. “I treat her the way she deserves to be treated.”

Ren glared at her brother. “Don’t start that
‘overprotective big brother don’t mess with my sister’ attitude.”

Jeremy didn’t look at
her. “You’ve had some bad taste in the past.”

“Well, I don’t anymore,” she said.

“I hope so.”

Andre
glanced at his brother. “Henry is cool. Don’t worry about it.”

Jeremy
looked at him then stared down at his food.

Andre
stared at Henry. “So, got any cute friends?”

Henry shook his head quickly. “None
that are gay.”

“Are you sure? Sometimes they hide it.”

“No. I practically live in a brothel house. Believe me, none of them are gay.”

“What about Mitch?” Ren asked.

Henry raised an eyebrow. “The one calling me gay right in the middle of the cafeteria?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Sometimes those who are homophobic are gay themselves.”

“I don’t know about that,” Henry said.

“I can take one look at them and give you an answer,” Andre said.

“It doesn’t matter,” Henry said. “He’s a jerk. You wouldn’t want to date him anyway.”

Ren wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Have you talked to Dad lately?” she asked Jeremy.

“A little,” he said. “I know he’s seeing someone.”

“Really?
Who?”

“Some real estate agent.”
He continued to shove the food into his mouth. He was like a bear. Henry ate his food slowly and with precision.

“How did you find out?”

“He told me over the phone. Says he wants us to meet her.”

Ren stopped eating her dinner. “So it’s serious
, then?”

“It seems like it.”

“I’m not meeting her,” Andre said. “If he doesn’t support my lifestyle, I don’t support his.”

“Andre,” Ren said. “Don’t be like that.”

“You want to know the last thing he said to me?” he asked Ren, looking her in the eye.

Ren said nothing, meeting his gaze.

“I was no son of his.” He looked down at his food and acted like what he’d said wasn’t heartbreaking.

Ren and Jeremy glanced at each other but said nothing.

Henry felt awkward, but he didn’t know what to say.

“He didn’t mean it,” Ren said. “He was just upset.”

“Yes, he did,” Andre said quickly.

“I’ll talk to him,”
she said.

“And say what? You
’d better love your gay son?” Andre pushed his food away, no longer hungry.

Ren was quiet for a
long time. “You have us, Andre. We’re your family.”

“I know that, Renee.”

“And you have Perry,” she said with a smile.

Andre
smirked as he glanced at the dog. “I have a huge, smelly beast for a family member.”

Perry perked his ears when Andre looked at him.