Hot SEAL, April's Fool by Becca Jameson (smart books to read .txt) 📗

If you’re reading this, I have gone to be with her. I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused you. I’m leaving the shop to you because Jacob has no interest. His heart is not in it. I know it might not be convenient for you to return home to take over the business, and I don’t blame you if that’s not your choice. I also know you will do whatever you think is best with regard to selling it or liquidating it. It’s been a lucrative business, and you deserve to be the one who inherits it.

I made many bad choices in my life, and I blame no one but myself. I’m leaving Amanda the house because I’m not vindictive enough to totally abandon her. It’s partly my fault that she has never worked and can’t support herself.

As for Jacob, he’s a good kid, but he needs to learn the value of hard work, and setting him up with a trust fund will not help him in any way. I pray that he gets out from under the overprotectiveness of his mother and finds his path in life.

Cole, you turned into a fine young man who deserves all the best in life. I hope you find every happiness and can forgive me someday for my transgressions.

All my love,

Dad

April didn’t move when she finished reading. She sensed that Cole was either reading it slowly or started over to read it again. Or maybe he was in a daze and unable to react.

When he finally turned his head toward her, there were tears in his eyes. He set the letter on the coffee table, closed his eyes, and pulled April into his arms. He held her so tightly it almost hurt, but she didn’t say a word. He was grieving. He needed comfort. This was something she could provide.

He held her like that for a long time, luckily easing up enough for her to breathe. He didn’t say anything, and she let him have his silence. There wasn’t anything to say. It was a very sad story, but at least Marcus did the right thing in the end. He’d left his son a letter and the business. Both were unexpected and beyond what Cole could have hoped for.

After a while, Cole eased back, tipped April’s head, and found her mouth. His kiss was powerful and filled with raw need.

Her heart started racing as he consumed her. She needed this as much as he did. She needed to feel alive. In a way, she’d been a walking zombie for ten years. Going through the motions of life. Doing the things people do to stay afloat and exist. But she hadn’t ever found happiness. She’d been stuck in the past.

Cole breathed life into her with his touch and his lips. His hands roamed down her body with a sense of urgency. He reached under her suit jacket and grasped her blouse, tugging it out of her pants.

He moaned into her mouth as he turned his body and yanked the jacket off her. He fumbled with the buttons on the front of her blouse for several moments before releasing her lips and glaring at the offensive disks. “Please take that off,” he murmured.

His own hands went to his dress shirt and worked the buttons free at the same time. When he finally shrugged out of the shirt, he stood and removed his pants while kicking off his shoes. “I need you, ladybug.”

She stood next to him, dropping her blouse and working on the zipper of her pants. While she stepped out of them, Cole found the clasp of her bra and popped it loose. Her panties and his underwear followed.

For a moment, they both stood there, naked, panting, staring at each other. His gaze roamed up and down her body several times while she did the same to him. It was surreal. He was really here. She was still struggling to believe it was true.

Cole Landry was in her apartment, naked, sexy, muscular, licking his lips, looking at her like she was his most prized possession.

Finally, he reached out with both hands and hauled her into his arms. He flattened their chests together and cupped her face. “I can’t believe I let you go,” he whispered.

“I’m here now,” she returned, choking on emotion.

“I should have fought for you. I should have begged and pleaded and insisted you go with me.” His lips descended and he kissed her like their lives depended on it.

Fought for me? Her brain struggled to process his words, but they got scrambled and confused as he devoured her. She didn’t understand what he’d been talking about. Letting her go? Begging her to go with him? It made no sense. She must have misunderstood.

It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was his body against hers, burning into her. She wanted him inside her. She needed to feel closer. She needed to feel alive. She’d deal with his confusing words later.

His hands roamed down to her butt and he gripped it tightly before lifting her off the ground.

She broke the kiss and squealed as she wrapped her legs around his waist and held on tight.

Cole kicked their clothes out of the way and carried her to the bedroom. He dropped her onto the bed with a bounce, making her giggle as he descended over her.

She locked her ankles around his waist again as his potent kissing resumed. It was impossible to get enough of him. Her hands roamed up and down his back and grabbed his ass and then back up to cup the back of his head and neck.

He released her lips on a groan and flipped them over so that he was on his back, her straddling his waist. His expression was full of lust and heat and passion.

She set her palms on his chest and explored his contours while his fingers trailed up and down her spine and then roamed around to cup her breasts. When his thumbs