by ML Nystrom
For the next thirty minutes, we searched, used the keys on various locks, figured out combinations, and deciphered clues. We also laughed ourselves silly, flirted outrageously, and teased each other like crazy. Somehow, we managed to get out with less than thirty seconds on the clock. The attendants gave us huge grins and sly looks as they took our picture. We stood behind a set of fake iron bars with a big sign saying We Escaped the Breakout Games.
Garrett took my hand as we walked through downtown Asheville to where we parked. Light snow started to fall. I could see people in the windows of the various eateries and pubs. Laughing smiling faces, jovial moods, everyone having fun in a world that, for at least now, was good and right.
“That was soooo much fun!” I leaned into him. “There are four more rooms to try sometime. We should do this again next weekend.”
“Next weekend we go dancing for St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe the weekend after.”
I smiled big. “You’re on. Two more dates then. Don’t forget the Biltmore thing. I really want to go see the house and do the wine tasting. I think that makes five total and three back to back. You know what that means, right?”
“You can math.”
I snorted as I laughed and that set him off. “No, I think it means we’re officially dating. Anything coming up you’d like to do?”
He looked at me with speculative eyes. “There is a band coming next month I’d kinda like to see. It’s traditional Irish music, though. You into that?”
I grinned and leaned into him. “I’m not that familiar with Irish music, but I’m game. Certainly doesn’t hurt to broaden one’s horizons, right?”
He gave my hand a squeeze. “We’re dating, eh? What does that mean to you?”
“For me, it means we’re a couple. I hesitate to use the B word, as that may scare you as much as the G word scares me, but you know this is good between us. At least I think it is.”
“Yeah, it is good between us.”
He got quiet and reflective as we reached Pack Square. The park looked straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The light snow dusted over the benches, grass, and the center statue. Flakes of the white stuff floated and glow in the air around the old-fashioned streetlamps. Very picturesque. People still moved around the area, so we weren’t alone, but it seemed like we broke away from reality into our own little world. Garrett still held my hand when he turned and faced me. His eyes took in our hands clasped between us.
“I’m still fucked-up about a lot of things, Bertie, and I think you know that. I’m fighting my way back, but there are days it takes everything I have to get out of bed and face another day, knowing I’ll be working my ass off to make a single step forward. I should let you go. You’re too good for me and have so much potential with your inn. I’d be dragging you down and holding you back, but I still want it.”
Our eyes met, and I could sense his sincerity and the importance of this moment. “I want more than friendship with you. There’s a connection between us that started on New Year’s Eve, but it’s growing stronger. I feel like a whole person when I’m around you, like I matter. I’m not a player and never have been. I can’t see any other woman other than you next to me. As much as I think you should find someone worthy of you, you’re the one I want. You’re the one I want to see every night and every morning. You're the one I see when I think about the future. I can’t explain it, but I know I want this. I want this with you so badly, it’s all I can think about.
I placed my hand on his cheek and made him look me in the eye. “You have me.”
“You should break it off with me now. I don’t have the strength to tell you no.”
“Then tell me yes, Garrett. You’ve been on my mind and in my heart from that first night when we didn’t even know each other’s names. Ever since, we’ve been dancing around each other, both scared to try anything for fear of rejection. I think we need to quit playing with it. This chemistry, this feeling, whatever it is between us, I’m ready to give it a real go. Are you?”
His lips pressed together, and he took a deep, rattling breath. “I don’t want to fuck this up. It will destroy me.”
“Then we won’t fuck it up.” My free hand dropped to rest on our clasped fingers.
He blinked. “You said fuck.”
I smiled. “I did.”
He barked a laugh and raised his other hand so all our fingers entwined together. “I went to the circus once when I was a kid. Owen and I skipped school to watch them set up the tents. We saw the acrobats on the trapeze practicing. I watched a woman standing on this flimsy-looking stand, high in the air. She held the trapeze bar in her hands and went up on her tiptoes before jumping into the swing. I can still remember feeling my own heart jump into that freefall with her. The stand shifted with her weight and made creaking noises like it would break. I thought she would fall and when she did, the fragile safety net wouldn’t hold her.”
“What happened?”
“She made it to the other side but didn’t swing back. She climbed down and cussed out one of the crewmen and pointed to the scaffolding that needed to be tightened. At least I think she was cussing. I don’t speak Russian or Romanian or whatever language she yelled.”
He lapsed into silence. I heard the swish of a car driving by and the muted sound of voices on the other side of the street as I waited for Garrett.
“I have that same feeling right now. That I’m about to jump and there’s no secure safety net in case I fall. I’m supposed to be a man, but my balls are gone. I’m weak. I’m scared. I’m helpless. I’m in danger, and yet I still feel the urge to jump. I need to jump.”
“Being a man has nothing to do with the size of your balls. I don’t know who decided men can’t show emotions, but anyone who has a heart, a real heart, will have sensitivity, compassion, empathy, love, a whole range of considerations that can leave them wide open for hurt. Both of us have had that experience. That doesn’t make us weak. Bruised and battered maybe, but not weak.”
I moved my hands to his shoulders and stepped in close to whisper against his lips. “Jump, Garrett. I’ll catch you.”
I took a big risk with this move. If he bugged out on me again, I didn’t think I had it in me to try another round.
He made a noise in the back of his throat before pulling me against his body so no space remained between us. One arm went around my waist, and the other hand to the back of my head. His mouth came down on mine and he angled into me, going deep. No hesitation. I went up on the balls of my feet and reached around his shoulders as far as I could, laying myself open to him.
I felt it. The moment he gave in. The moment he let go. The moment he let himself fall. The moment he handed me all he had in him. The moment he connected himself to me in a way more intimate than anything physical. The beauty of it made me lose my breath, and I jumped with him.
When we broke apart, I noticed wet on both our cheeks, and raised a cold finger to brush it away.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
I smiled against his lips. “Take me home and make love to me.”
She held his hand all the way to her little cottage as he drove with the other. When he had to shift gears, she let him go, and then picked it up again to cradle in her lap. The anticipation that filled the air of the cab didn’t have the frantic push he expected, that urge to tear off clothes and get inside her as fast as possible. This was a leisurely smolder. No deadlines to make, no time limits. They could take as much time as they wanted, and Garrett fully intended on taking that time.
Pal woofed at them when they arrived.
“He needs to do his business before we turn in for the night,” Bertie said as they climbed the few steps to her cottage.
“I’ll take care of him.”
“Want something to drink? Water?”
“That’d be good.”
“I have some extra toothbrushes. I’ll put one out for you in the bathroom.” The screen door clapped against the side of the small house as
the dog burst outward and danced around their legs in canine joy.
He smiled. “Crazy mutt. I’ll be in in a minute or two.”
She leaned up into him and placed a soft kiss against his lips before entering.
Garrett looked out over the night-covered field and the silhouette of the inn as Pal snuffled around for the perfect spot. His mind and heart were at peace in this place. Maybe the shit he lived through with Joy was supposed to happen so he would find himself at last. A lifetime of wandering had brought him here where he belonged. His world now harmonized both with the tranquility of this place and the potential of what it would become with his help. His and Bertie’s.
Pal clattered up the steps and scratched at the door.
“Spoiled much?” Garrett remarked as the dog made a beeline for his favorite rug and settled on it.
Bertie had changed into an ice-blue nightie that was nothing more than a wisp of lace. She stood near the bed with one hand on a footboard post.
“Why did you put that on?”
She smiled and raised her chin as if challenging him. “So you can take it off, of course.”
He came to her and dropped a brief kiss on her lips. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He went into the bathroom. Sure enough, a brand-new toothbrush in its plastic wrap sat on the side of the sink. Garrett took a few minutes to wash up and brush his teeth. He stripped out of his clothes and left them folded on the footstool near the tub. His eyes took in his image in the mirror over the sink.
Turning point. Last time he was with this woman, it was a rushed mess. This time would be different. Much different. A frisson of fear sparkled in his chest as he thought about what he would lose if things went south and she left him. What if he didn’t please her right? What if she changed her mind? What if this was nothing more than a game to her?
He stood there naked and staring at his reflection until a knock at the bathroom door grabbed his attention.
“Garrett? You’ve been in here a long time. You okay?”
She entered the tiny room tentatively, her eyes meeting his in the mirror. They didn’t show any conniving or fakeness. Only genuine concern.
“I’m good. I just needed a minute.”
She moved behind him and pressed lightly against his back. He closed his eyes at the feel of her lace-covered breasts fitting to his skin and the warmth of her hands as they smoothed around his front to link over his chest. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Garrett placed a hand over her clasped ones. He’d never been more exposed and vulnerable than at that moment. “I want this to be good. I need this to be good. I can’t lose you, Bertie.”
“I guess you haven’t figured out yet I’m not going anywhere. Come and let me show you.”
Garrett let her lead him to the bed and push him down on it. She straddled his hips, bringing her hot core right over his dick. That part of his anatomy had no concerns whatsoever as it hardened and lengthened against the thin silky barrier between their bodies.
“I like you a lot, Garrett MacAteer.” Her hands brushed over his chest and abs, tracing the lines with her fingers. “You have it all going on, you know. A great body I admit I’ve been lusting after. A wonderfully creative mind and talent in your chosen craft, and I admire that. You have an amazing sense of integrity, morals, care, family. If I haven’t already, I could fall in love with you.”
She leaned down and molded her lips to fit over his. Garrett felt something loosen in him, a tightness he hadn’t realized was there. A burn hit his belly and spread delicious warmth through his veins. Bertie’s tongue teased the seam of his mouth, and he opened to her, letting her take the lead. Her fingers drifted up and down his chest in a whisper-soft caress. She plucked at his nipples as she moved down to gently suck at them. Garrett groaned and fisted the nightie at her hips as he ignited under her unhurried touch. She shifted lower, and the cool air fanned his hot flesh before she took him in her mouth. Every muscle in his body tightened as she took him to the back of her throat, sucking deep and stroking the underside of his cock with the flat of her tongue. She pulled up slow, drawing him in at the same time, before sliding back down. Garrett watched her easy unhurried bobbing. Her cheeks hollowed as she took him again and again. He squirmed as the pleasure built.
“Baby, I’m about to blow.” He moaned as his balls tightened.
He expected her to stop before he let loose down her throat. Instead, she deep throated him and sucked hard. He gave in to the sensation and came with a loud cry. Wave after wave shocked through his body, and she took everything he gave her. She finally rose up and gave him what could only be described as a triumphant smile.
“Proud of yourself, are you?”
Her smile got bigger. “Absolutely. Be right back.”
He raised his arm to rest a wrist on his forehead and heard the faucet come on. The satisfaction that coursed through his body was more than he thought possible. He waited for the questions and worry to form in his brain. The second guesses never came, and he reveled in the solidity of his feelings.
Bertie came back in the bedroom and slipped off the nightie to snuggle into his side. “Okay, sweetheart?”
“No.”
She jerked a little. “No?”
“Not yet. Now it’s your turn.”
He rolled her to her back and covered her mouth in a long kiss. His tongue tangled with hers, and he tasted mint toothpaste. “Supposed to be ladies first. I have some ground to make up.”
He kissed her neck, feeling her pulse under his mouth. She made a mewing sound in her throat and twisted to give him better access. He pulled back to meet her eyes, and his hand moved over her breast. His thumb brushed over the nipple, and he watched it tighten into a point. She made another sound and arched into his touch. His groin constricted, and he lowered his head to take the rosy tip in his mouth. Bertie gasped and pushed her flesh deeper, and he obliged by sucking harder. She squirmed under him as he switched sides.
“Garrett.” Her moan went straight to his dick, and it rose up again as if he hadn’t just come. His hand skimmed her belly between her legs. Wet already.
“Mmmmm,” she hummed.
He slid down her body, kissing her skin and tickling her belly button. She laughed and twisted away from the invading tongue. He moved lower and spread her open for a long taste.
“Garrett!” Her breathy gasp sounded in his ears. Her hands tangled in his hair as he licked and explored her folds. He paid extra attention to the swollen center of her pleasure, teasing it with the tip of his tongue, then drawing it into his mouth.
Her moans made him harder, and his dick ached with need. He pressed one of his fingers into her ready channel, and her answering cry nearly undid him.
“Ah, Garrett!” She arched under him, and her orgasm rolled around his finger.
He reached for a condom and made a mental note to go pick up more at the store tomorrow. As he moved over her body, her eyes cracked open, and her arms circled his shoulders. They closed again as he pushed his dick inside her slickness. One stroke. All the way.
Heaven. He reached heaven.
“Yesssss.” Her hands moved over his back and grasped his hips to pull him deeper. He obliged and started moving. Her sounds of desire, long moans, gasps, and cries filled his ears like rich music. Each time he drew back and sank into her, she pushed into him, meeting his thrust with her own. Her hands moved over his back, and he basked in her touch.
“Bertie!” His breathing became labored as he buried his face in her neck. His balls ached and his dick swelled with need. She lightly bit his earlobe and whimpered with her want.
“I’m gonna come again, baby. I’m… I’m….” She gave a keening cry, and her body spasmed under him. Her channel clasped him and drew him in as if never to let him go.
He answered by planting deep and coming himself. Her mouth had just been a warmup. He felt this pleasure far beyond their physical connection. He swore she touched his soul.
; “I love you.”
Fuck, he’d just said it out loud. He hadn’t meant to say it now. It just came out. He looked down at the woman beneath him, her hair tangled around her head. His dick was buried inside her, and he stilled with anticipation of her reaction to his confession.
She smiled and shifted her hips to press into him. “I love you too, Garrett MacAteer.” She slipped her hand to the back of his head, and he didn’t resist when she pulled him down for a sealing kiss.
Eighteen
Garrett’s eyes opened slowly in the soft glow of morning light through the window. His arm curved around a warm female body, holding her to his side. He smiled and squeezed her lightly. Bertie sighed on his shoulder and rolled to her back, moving the comforter enough to uncover her rosy-tipped breasts. Garrett shifted to his side and propped his head on his hand. His eyes drifted over the perfect woman in bed with him. A sense of contentment filled him, and he lifted a hand to brush over the soft skin just under one breast. Bertie let out a small sound and rolled to her back. “Morning, baby. Special wake-up call?”
He fingered her pink nipple, watching it tighten into a point, ready to be suckled. Last night had been the best night of his life, losing himself in her body time and time again all night long. He’d reached for her over and over again, and each time she met him halfway. Kissing. Touching. Giving as equals. His heart was full to bursting, and he wanted with every cell of his body for this feeling to last a lifetime.
“I’m out of condoms, baby.”
“You don’t need them. I have an implant.”
“Good to know, but before we go ungloved, I’d like to get tested. You know Joy wasn’t faithful, and I haven’t taken the time to get myself checked out. We’ve started something here. Something good, and I don’t want anything to fu— mess it up.”
She grinned at his self-censoring. “I love your consideration, sweetheart, but please do not think you have to change anything about yourself to make me happy. If you want to use cuss words, use them. If you want to drink milk from the container, go ahead. I’ll get two. If you want to watch scary movies until two in the morning, fine with me. I may not watch them with you, but I’ll meet you in bed afterward. You can roll your socks in a ball or fold the cuffs together. It doesn’t matter to me as long as you’re happy. All I ask is I get the same.”
