by Anna Durand
I walked back into my office. Sitting down behind the desk, I got back to work on the new marketing campaign. This one needed more oomph, since it would promote not only this complex but also the two new buildings I'd purchased and planned to refurbish in the same vein as this building. I hadn't asked my parents for money. I hadn't needed to. This apartment complex had become successful enough that I could get a loan from the bank, one I knew I could pay off swiftly once I got the new buildings up and running.
Two weeks had elapsed since I left Au Naturel Naturist Resort---and Ollie. He called me every day, twice a day, and we talked for hours sometimes. I'd told him all about the changes I was making to my business. He often told me how proud he was and how I amazing I was, which always made me blush. Ollie could see that, considering that we usually turned our calls in video chats.
Once, we even turned it into video phone sex. Yeah, that had been soooo hot.
He never asked when we would see each other again. Ollie was too sweet to pester me about that.
I wanted to see him in person. Wanted it so badly I dreamed about it every night. But I needed to finish what I'd started here first. How long could it take to get my chain of apartment complexes going full steam? It had taken months to get this one complex rolling along smoothly.
Waiting that long to see him...
Focus, Mara. You'll never get there unless you finish this marketing campaign.
For the rest of the day, I worked my brain to its limits. Then I headed home to my condo---the big, empty one. Sure, I had plenty of furniture and even artwork on the walls, but this place didn't feel like home anymore. The nudist resort did.
After ordering dinner in, I cuddled up on the sofa with my favorite fleece throw and an action movie on TV. Watching a hunky man fight the bad guys, getting sexily covered in sweat in the process, usually cheered me up. Tonight, it just made me think of Ollie.
Halfway through the movie, I heard the doorbell ring.
I paused the movie and padded over to the door, my fuzzy purple slippers dragging on the wood floor, and swung the door inward.
Nico grinned at me. "Mar-Mar, baby, I've missed you."
"Yeah, I know. I made sure you missed me every time you showed up at my work or showed up at my home or showed up anywhere within a ten-block radius of me."
Had I been running away from my ex-husband? Hell yes. I'd had enough of Nico at the resort, and I did not need to see him ever again.
"Come on, Mara," Nico said in a wheedling tone. "We can still work things out."
I laughed too loudly, because really, his statement was the dumbest thing I'd heard in ages. "Which part of me kicking you in the gut made you think I might ever want to see you again, much less get back together?"
"Thought you'd cool down and get back to being yourself. You know, now that you've gotten away from that freak show."
"I'm looking at a freak show right now." I flapped my hand in a go-away gesture. "Skedaddle."
"We belong together." He slid a hand up and down my arm. "You know I'm the only one who'll put up with your neurotic behavior."
I hadn't been neurotic since I left the resort. I'd found a new focus and a new determination to make my life what I wanted it to be instead of what others thought it should be.
"Go away," I told Nico. "Or do I need to get a restraining order?"
He grasped my shoulders and tugged me closer, lowering his lips toward mine.
I slapped both hands on his chest, stomped my foot down on his, and shoved him away.
Nico stumbled but didn't fall down. "Shit, Mara, what's your problem?"
"You, obviously."
The clacking of high heels made us both glance down the hall.
My mother was marching toward us, looking like a general about to kick the ass of her most derelict soldier. A general dressed in designer clothes. And wearing stiletto heels.
She rammed her stiletto down on Nico's foot and kneed him in the groin. "Get away from my daughter."
Doubled over, he gasped for air.
Mom bent to aim her glare straight into his eyes. "If you keep harassing Mara, I will call in every favor I'm owed to have you arrested and charged with stalking."
Nico finally caught his breath and straightened, though he cupped his privates like he thought Mom might nail him in the balls again. "You attacked me."
"Did I?" my mother said in her most frigid tone. "There's only one witness. What did you see, Mara?"
"Looked to me like he tripped."
Nico gaped at me. "And did what, hit my dick on the doorknob?"
I shrugged. "All I know is you fell before my mom got within ten feet of you. Maybe you had a few beers before you showed up at my apartment to harass and assault me."
"Assault you? I'm the one whose balls got burst like a balloon."
My mother dismissed his claim with a hand gesture and a soft snort. "You'll survive and still be fertile. Unfortunately."
"You two are crazy." Nico eyed us like he thought we might both jump on him and start tearing the flesh off his body. "I'm done with you, Mara. Done for good."
"Hallelujah," I said, raising my hands to the heavens.
Nico scurried off down the hall, practically flinging himself into the elevator when the doors opened.
Mom ushered me into my apartment. We both sat down on the sofa.
"Is that a Bruce Willis movie?" she asked, glancing at the TV. Her eyes lit up the way they often did at the prospect of a Die Hard movie. "Let's rewind and watch it together from the beginning. I love it when he takes his shirt off."
Yep, my mother loved her man candy. It was the one thing we'd always agreed on, and the one thing that always brought us together. Mutual appreciation of hot, sweaty men beating the bad guys to a pulp.
"Sure," I said. "Let's do that. I'll make popcorn."
"First, I need to talk to you." She stared down at her lap for a moment, then raised her head to look me in the eye. "There's something I've never told you, and it's time I did. I hope it will help you understand my behavior a little better."
I tucked my feet under me cross-legged style. "Okay."
"You know your father and I were married for four years before we had you, our miracle baby." She hesitated, biting her lip the way I often bit mine. "Two years before you were born, I had a miscarriage. The doctors told us I couldn't have children. Your father and I were devastated, and we even started talking about adoption. Went to an agency a few times too. Then the miracle happened. We found out I was pregnant---with you."
"Wow, I never knew that." Miscarriage? No hope of having a baby? God, I couldn't imagine going through something like that.
"The point is that I worried about losing you, while I was pregnant and after you were born. I smothered you because I was terrified something might happen to you." She sniffled and paused to dig a tissue out of her purse, dabbing her eyes with it. "Even once you were old enough that I didn't need to worry about your physical well-being, I still worried you might get hurt in other ways. Emotionally. So I tried to shield you from all of it and prepare you for whatever I couldn't see coming. That's why I was hard on you."
"I get that, Mom, I do. And it's okay." I clasped her hand. "You've always been there for me when it counted. Who stood beside me during the whole divorce court thing?"
"That was the least I could do, after the way I've mistreated you."
"Let's not dwell on the past anymore. I forgive you, and I want us to move forward and start fresh. That's what I've been doing."
"I'd like that. Thank you, Mara." She took my face in her hands and kissed my forehead. "I love you. All I want is for you to be happy."
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I blinked them away. "I love you too, Mom."
She blew her nose, rolled her shoulders back, and said, "You love Ollie too."
"Yeah, I do." An image of Ollie flared in my mind, and my chest ached. "But I don't know if we belong togeth
er. We're so different."
"I don't think you're as different as you believe. Besides, your father and I aren't the same, but it works for us. Our differences balance out and complement each other."
"Ollie lives in Oregon. At a nudist resort." I sank back against the sofa. "I want to be with him, and I've kind of been planning for that, but sometimes I think he'll be better off if I let him go. What if my new outlook on life doesn't last? I might slip back into Neurotic Mara mode."
"You have never been neurotic. I force-fed you my fears, and I regret it more than you'll ever know." She slipped an arm around my shoulders. "Don't let my mistakes taint your future. You know what you want, so go and get it." She gave me a quick, firm squeeze. "Go and get him."
"I can't fly to Oregon right now. I'm in the middle of re-branding my business."
She patted my arm. "Oh, you won't need to go as far as you think."
"What are you talking about?"
The doorbell rang.
My mother stood. "Get up, Mara. You have a visitor."
"I've had enough visitors tonight. It's probably Nico again."
She shook her head. "No, dear, it's not. I guarantee that."
"Ugh, Mom."
"Get up." She grabbed my hands and pulled. "He's waiting."
He? That single word made my pulse speed up and my skin tingle. It couldn't be.
I jumped up and ran for the door, flinging it open.
Ollie smiled, holding out a bouquet of daisies. "These are for you, Mar---"
He didn't get to finish saying my name. I threw myself at him, latching my arms around his neck and kissing him.
"I'll leave you two alone," Mom said.
The clacking of her heels told me she was walking away, but I didn't pay attention to anything else. Ollie was kissing me back with a hunger I'd never experienced before, and I responded with the same passion. God, he tasted so damn good. He felt so damn good too. With my body crushed to his, I relished the sensation of all his muscles flexing against me, and when he lashed his arms around me, I loved the way his biceps flexed and his hands splayed over my back.
He scuffled into the apartment with me clinging to him, my feet dangling above the floor. We didn't separate our mouths until he backed me into the sofa and I tumbled onto it.
We were both naked inside of one minute.
And he was inside me seconds later.
"Oliver," I whispered into his ear while he made love me to tenderly, taking his time, letting us both revel in the bliss of being together again.
After we both came, and we lay there with Ollie on top of me, I realized the curtains were still open.
Ollie followed my gaze to the windows. "Well, I guess any snoopy neighbors who have telescopes got a good show tonight."
"Let them watch. Who cares?"
He arched his brows. "You really don't care anymore, do you?"
"Nope." I skimmed my fingers up his back, loving the way his breath hitched. "I'm so glad you're here. I'd been planning to wait until I got the business going full steam before I begged you to take me back."
"Begging sounds hot, but it's not necessary." He brushed hair away from my eyes. "I told you I'd wait as long as it takes. I love you, Mara."
"I love you too."
He rolled off me, sitting on the edge of the sofa. "Are you going to stay here in Philadelphia?"
"Only until the two new apartment buildings are ready to go."
"You have two new buildings?"
I nodded. "This time, I bought them myself. Got a loan and everything, without any help from my parents. I'm sure knowing I'm the daughter of Peter Severins and Sheryl Kanda Severins didn't hurt, though."
He laid a hand on my thigh. "You get more amazing every day. How long will you need to stick around here?"
Now that he was here, sitting naked beside me, I had trouble remembering why I needed to stay in Philly. I had employees---lots of smart people who could handle anything that came up. I could work on the marketing plan from anywhere.
"Actually," I said, sitting up, "there's no reason to wait."
"What are you saying?"
"Let's go home, Ollie. Tonight."
He grinned. "Seriously? I don't know if we can get a flight out tonight. Your mom arranged for me to fly here, but the return flight isn't until morning."
"Can't wait that long. I don't care if we ride the bus all the way to Oregon." I wrapped my arms around him. "Just take me home."
He kissed me, long and slow and hot.
"You know," I said when we finally separated our mouths, "I bet my mom and dad can help us get a flight ASAP. They know people."
"How's it going with your mom?"
"We had another talk, and I told her I want us to start fresh instead of focusing on the past. She agreed."
"Glad you two made peace."
I couldn't stop myself from admiring his body, which I hadn't seen in person for two weeks. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming here?"
"Your mom called me this morning and said I should get my ass to Philly. She booked and paid for my flight." He glanced at our naked bodies. "Think we better get dressed if we're going home tonight. Airlines still frown on nude travel."
"Promise me one thing."
"Whatever you want."
"Never, ever wear clothes unless you absolutely have to."
Ollie chuckled. "You got it."
Chapter Thirty
Ollie
Life was perfect. I had my girl, my best friend, and an amazing group of guests who had become like family to me. Mara and I had gotten home early yesterday morning---predawn early---and slept so late we had breakfast for lunch. After that, we had excused ourselves to spend time alone. Eve and Val didn't mind me taking a few days off. They were happy for me and Mara, and they knew better than anyone what a reunion meant.
Lots of sex. Lots and lots and lots of it.
But today, we were kicking back on the lawn with the other guests. Damian had gone home only long enough to quit his job and move his stuff here. I'd suggested to Eve and Val that Damian would make a great concierge for our expanding resort. They agreed but insisted Damian take today off and start his job tomorrow.
Like I said, life was perfect.
Mara and I were sharing a chaise, with me naked and her clothed. Well, since she wore tiny shorts and a bikini top, "clothed" was a relative term. God, I loved her body. I loved her, period.
"I'm ready for a walk," she said, getting up to stretch her lithe body.
"Yeah, sounds good." I got up too. "Better get some shoes."
She unzipped her shorts and pushed them over her hips, along with her bikini bottoms. They fell to her ankles. She kicked them aside and stripped off her bikini top. Stretching again, she said, "Mm, that's better."
I gaped at her.
Damian raised one brow and smirked.
While he was looking at Mara. Naked Mara. My naked girlfriend.
"Hey!" I said, smacking Damian's arm. "Quit gawking at my girl."
"Chill, Ollie," he said. "If you get bent out of shape every time a guy looks at Mara, you'll need serious therapy. Like, today." He glanced at Mara again. "Especially if she's becoming a naturist."
Mara nodded. "I am."
Pretty sure my eyes bulged like a cartoon character's.
She walked up to me and settled her palms on my chest. "Relax, Ollie. It doesn't matter how many guys look at me because I'm only looking at you."
"You really want to be a naturist?"
"I do. We both have to stay clothed while we're doing our jobs, but the rest of the time..." Her lips curved into a sexy smile. "I'll be au naturel."
"Mara's got a job here?" Damian said.
"Oh yeah," I told him. "Didn't you hear? She's our new marketing specialist. And she's also an entrepreneur in her own right, since she owns three apartment complexes."
"Damn, you really lucked out. Didn't you, Ollie?"
>
"I sure did."
Mara slipped her hand into mine. "So did I."
We ambled down the nature trail hand in hand.
Before I knew it, a month went by. Mara and Damian settled into their new jobs and excelled at them. I'd never doubted they would. Damian being...Damian, he couldn't resist bringing some of his Rom sensibilities to the resort. When he suggested he could offer our guests palm readings, I wasn't sure about it. I mean, that seemed awfully carnivalesque for a family-friendly place. But Eve and Val both loved the idea.
And of course, Damian ran with it. He convinced Val that he needed a special place to do his palm readings, and Val agreed. With Val's backing, Damian bought a freaking gypsy wagon, the kind that was usually pulled around by horses. And oh yeah, Damian suggested we offer horseback nature tours too. Eve and Mara loved that idea, but it meant we needed more employees to clean up the literal shit the horses left behind.
The gypsy wagon sat parked by the guest house, on the opposite side from the lawn, where all new guests would see it. The wagon had a blue, barrel-shaped roof and ornate decorations inside and out. The interior featured a small table with a gold tablecloth and lots of fringe hanging from it. Damian dressed up like a gypsy too, in clothes that Mara described as "hot Rom chic." His outfit seemed a little overdone to me, but the guests really did love his fortune-telling routine. He wore his uniform the rest of the time, while handling his concierge duties.
Today, I was greeting new guests---a married couple who had brought their kids with them. The twin boys looked about ten, but I'd never been good at guessing ages. Damian could guess anyone's age with surprising accuracy, which he claimed was "God's gift to the Ludar."
Maybe he did have mystical powers. Who knew? I kind of doubted it, but I had to admit his intuition was often spot on. He'd been wrong about me and Mara, but hey, nobody got everything right all the time.
Just as I was giving the new guests my standard spiel, reciting the resort rules and pointing out all the amenities, the door to Damian's wagon swung open and he hopped down the steps.
"Who is that?" the wife asked, her expression turning very, very appreciative.
Yeah, I'd seen that look a lot since Damian started up his palm reading schtick. Women salivated over him. Mara claimed it was the outfit, and his body. But mostly the outfit.
