Imagine That: A Small Town Big Love Novel

by Collins, Kelly

  Maya noted the absence of any intrusive questions about what was wrong with her arm. She thought that was considerate.

  “ER is that way.” She pointed to the left hallway marked as the emergency room. “The triage nurse will process you in.” She gave them both another squeeze. “Have a nice day and nice to meet you, dear.”

  “Nice to meet you too.”

  She waited until they were through a set of double doors until she made a remark.

  “I think I can still feel your mother smiling.”

  “Yep,” Kevin said with a mild smile on his own face. “Meeting you made her happy. She’s happiest when I’m happy, and you make me happy.” He led her down the corridor. “Has anyone from the Idaho Springs Police Department contacted you about last night? They can only hold him overnight unless you press charges. Do you want to press assault charges?”

  “I don’t think so.” She nibbled on her lower lip, thinking about the consequences of both pressing charges and not. “I should, I guess, but I want to put it behind me.”

  That was what she thought she would do, but when the intake nurse learned that her bruised arm happened during an assault, she informed Maya that the hospital had to file a police report.

  “I get it.” Sadness seeped into her soul.

  “It’s nothing to be upset about,” said the nurse.

  “I just don’t want to deal with it. I’m ready to move on.”

  She turned to Kevin. “Did you set me up here?” She wasn’t upset one way or the other, she just wanted to know.

  “In the back of my mind I knew the procedure, but no, I only wanted to have it looked at. The way it happened, you can get what they call a greenstick fracture.” He looked down at his body. “I know all about walking around with fractures and not even knowing it.”

  Once she was x-rayed, they had to wait for the radiologist to read the results.

  “You broke a bone.” The doctor looked intently at the films.

  “I did?” Maya leaned forward to look at the x-rays clipped to the light-box.

  “I’m sorry,” he corrected himself. “I mean you have before.”

  He drew his finger along some area that made no sense to Maya.

  “I’ve never broken a bone,” Maya responded.

  “This is fairly recent. Within the last year or so, but there aren’t any new breaks. You have a pretty good bruise, which I guess you know. The nursing staff will send some home care instructions. All it needs is ice and time.”

  She was grateful she had no severe injuries because as time wore on, her arm hurt more and more. She couldn’t shake the shock of having broken her arm and not knowing it. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Just showed how bad things had been for her.

  “What?” asked Kevin.

  “I keep getting these reminders of how awful my life was.” She hated the time she’d lost over the last year. Hated how avoiding her grief only created more. “I’m shocked.”

  The whole process reminded her of where her drinking had taken her in such a short period of time, and how she’d become such a bad person. If anything good came out of it, it had to be that her drunkenness had brought her Kevin.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kevin

  If Maya thought she was nervous meeting his mother. He was nervous knowing what the evening would bring. Whether he gave in to spontaneity or planned everything so it was just right, he knew he would have a certain amount of performance anxiety.

  He’d planned a dinner for them, steak, salad, French bread and instead of wine, he got Italian sparkling soda flavored with orange. He’d prepped everything the night before and planned to cook after Maya arrived.

  Instead of picking her up and bringing her over as he ordinarily would, she opted to drive. That gave him more time. He worked painstakingly over every detail, making sure everything about their first real date was just right.

  He heard the purr of the Porsche pull into his driveway.

  He spied on her. Watching her as she exited. He salivated over the way she moved, the way her hair bounced as she strutted from her car to the door. She strutted and had every reason to. She looked smoking hot in a leather skirt and flimsy white blouse. Maya didn’t need to wear super short skirts because she was so tall. Miles of legs he wanted wrapped around his waist peeked from beneath the material. He ached from the inside out for this woman.

  He glanced down at his own clothes and wondered if he should have changed again. This was the third outfit he’d put on in the last hour. Wearing a black polo shirt and khakis, he hoped he wasn’t underdressed.

  He opened the door and tried his best not to maul her, but his need for her took on a life of its own. It went beyond the physical. He was certain his feelings had gone past lust to love. For ten months, he’d been holding back and hiding his passion. It was nice to be in love with someone and have them return the feelings.

  “Beautiful.” Seeing her sucked the oxygen right out of the air. “You’re absolutely beautiful.”

  She beamed as bright as the sun under his compliment.

  “While we’re dishing compliments”—a pink blush colored her cheeks—“you’re so handsome.” Her eyes sparkled with passion. “I don’t know if I’ve told you that before, but you are so damn good looking.” She closed her eyes and bit her lip in the most seductive of ways. “I can’t get the image of you running to my rescue out of my mind. I wish I’d seen you play football.”

  “I do have clips,” he said self-consciously. “We can watch them together, but showing you the NFL clips isn’t a move to influence or attract you. It's a way to share my life with you.”

  Maya giggled and he thought he would die and ascend to heaven. He loved her laugh.

  “You asserted your influence and made your move when you had a bad guy in hand.”

  She lifted her face to kiss him.

  “Hold on, I have to turn off the stove,” he whispered.

  “Why?” Her voice was as whisper soft as his.

  “Because I am not waiting till after dinner.” He pulled her close. “Can you stay the weekend with me? I feel this might take a while.”

  “Yeah,” she purred. “One perk of being blissfully unemployed and hot for you is I’m available.”

  “Not anymore you’re not.”

  Racing into the kitchen, he turn off the oven. When he returned, he swept Maya into his arms and moved down the hallway. One soft kick opened the bedroom door so he could carry her inside. Filled with need and desire, he wanted to rush, but had to slow it down in order to think straight. Could a mind be too jumbled to know what to do next?

  He lay with her on the bed stroking her hair, admiring her beautiful face and staring into her eyes. He brushed her lips with a whisper-light touch and closed his eyes to savor the wonder of contact with her.

  He kissed her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, trailing his lips to her jawline just below her ear until she shivered. The sensitive spot needed to be explored more.

  Kevin tortured Maya, brushing his lips over that tender nook until she writhed and moaned. He quickly found her erogenous zones and learned that the curve of her neck made her react passionately. Maya clutched at his hair, holding on for dear life or holding him in place because she feared he might leave. He would never leave.

  He trailed his mouth down her arm, kissing the soft inside of her elbow, all the way down to her hand. He traced the inside of her wrist with the tip of his tongue.

  Feeling emboldened, he unbuttoned her blouse, slowly and methodically. His mind was screaming to tear it free, but he took his time. They say your first is by far the best and this was his first time making love to anyone. He’d had plenty of sex, but never with someone he loved.

  Her blouse fell open, giving him free access to the swell of her breasts.

  Maya wore a lavender satin push-up bra that was so beautiful against her tawny skin. Though long and lean, she was also full-breasted with curves. Curves that fit perfectly in his palms.

/>   How many times had his eyes dropped and fixed on her beauty and his heart wished she was in his arms? At long last, he was touching her and he couldn’t believe it.

  He unfastened the front clasp and let the fabric fall free. Her beautiful breasts spilled into his hands. He lowered his mouth to pull her nipple between his lips. He wanted to be gentle, not rush in, but he couldn’t help himself. His heart beat for her. His body trembled thinking about what would come next. He refocused his attention when Maya’s hands worked the buttons of his pants.

  He lifted and looked down. They worked together to shed their clothes until they were body to body. Kevin could not get over the unbelievable softness of her skin. Her silky thighs glided up his and soon he was nestled in between them.

  This moment was long overdue in many respects, but he didn’t want to hurry through their first time. There was so much to savor that he had to make it last. He kissed her, sweeping her hair up with his hands as his tongue moved inside her sweet mouth.

  Maya took his hand and placed it between them. She was slick and hot.

  “You do that to me.” Her words were breathy and so damn sexy.

  He held her hand against his aching hardness. “You do this to me.”

  Maya lifted her hips, reaching for his length. She wanted to hustle things along, and he wanted to slow it down. Surely, they could find a compromise, but first, he wanted them to know each other physically.

  He trailed his lips down her middle, between her spectacular breasts, down the valley that lay softly between, along the line that traversed her incredibly flat stomach and further still. Maya’s long legs bent and he settled in between, his shoulders now draped with those wondrous limbs as he kissed her in a new place.

  Her moans filled the air. This would have been missed if they’d given in and made love in John’s house with Clem there. Something about her expressing her passion in his bedroom made his house a real home. He’d been too long without a woman’s comfort. Maya Blackwood was worth the wait.

  He penetrated her with the length of his tongue, exploring and tasting and learning.

  Her long fingers raked through his hair and stroked his face. When he looked up to check on her, an expression of ecstasy stared back at him.

  Maya was easy to please and so responsive. Kevin sensed the signs of imminent pleasure approaching.

  She tensed against his tongue, building up for release. He pressed against her most sensitive spot until she pulsed against his lips. The last shudder left her body before he rose above her. How he wanted to move from one moment seamlessly into the next, but he had no intention of letting her come down from the high of a climax. Reaching for a condom, he fumbled getting it open due to his hands shaking with so much need and nervousness.

  Impatient to move things along, Maya took the condom and tore the package carefully.

  He watched as she rolled it down his length. Kevin thought he would lose it having her fingers touch him so intimately. He levered himself against the opening of her body and pressed inside then set up a slow rhythm—a relaxed pace that gave them time to explore their passion for each other.

  The long, languid strokes would surely torture them both. It was more sweetness than either could stand.

  Her hands explored his chest then moved to his back and settled on the globes of his ass to pull him deeper inside. This experience was more than he could imagine. More than he could have wished for. He wouldn’t last. Couldn’t last. But they had time to do it again and again. There was no better way to spend the night than making love to Maya.

  Kevin nestled his face in the base of her neck where it flowed into her shoulder. He let go, allowing himself to find his pleasure—more pleasure than he’d ever known. Of all the good moments in his life, this was now the best. He knew without a doubt that he was completely in love with her.

  She clutched him, her body tightening until a groan burst forth. She hung onto him as they rode their rapture out together. Their bond was created. Their eyes connected and he held her gaze through smoky, heavy lids.

  With a touch to his cheek, Maya regarded him with such affection as their pleasure peaked and ebbed.

  Finally, after the last shudder subsided, they crumpled against the mattress, panting and smiling and found each other’s hands. Their fingers entwined as if they’d never let go.

  “Did that happen?” Her voice was like a slow whiskey growl.

  “Did what happen?” He rolled to his side and moved her so they faced each other. God, she was beautiful, but never more so than now after making love. Her eyes drooped with passion. Her skin pinked where the trail of his kisses ran from her neck to the apex of her thighs.

  “You gave me two.”

  His chest grew with pride. “I’ll give you a hundred more.”

  She kissed him. “Only a hundred?”

  “Maybe you are spoiled and self-centered,” he teased. “But if that means I get to make love to you with abandon, I don’t care. You name the number and I’ll aim to please.”

  “I won’t be selfish,” she purred. “I’ll always give more than I get.”

  He kissed her passionately. “You already have, sweetheart. You already have.”

  They relaxed in each other’s arms and once they were clear minded again, they left the bed and showered together. Kevin had purchased a robe for her hoping for just this occasion, an opportunity to wrap her in it. The idea was to move into the kitchen so he could cook, but they didn’t make it that far.

  Chapter Twelve

  Maya

  Maya had grown up simply, even though her family was worth a fortune, but she had never known a moment of worry about food or shelter or education. She had the good luck to be born into a family who inherited their wealth from a relative who struck it rich during the Colorado Gold Rush era. She also had the good luck to be born into a family who respected that wealth and didn’t squander it despite an indulgence or two.

  Even though she hadn’t been raised under the veil of the jet set, she brushed elbows with celebrities and the incredibly wealthy just because her prosperity took her to many places and opened many doors.

  While her parents played at keeping their children grounded and real, they chose not to raise them among the working-class people of the town that bore the family name.

  She wondered if she had grown up in the small town in the way Kevin had, would she regret not having a glitzy lifestyle? There were lots of affluent kids who wore ridiculously expensive shoes and had outrageously expensive houses, but she didn’t. While she splurged from time to time, her finances didn’t define her. It only solidified people’s opinion of her.

  She was glad she was here now and overjoyed with Kevin’s beautiful present. No sooner had she slipped on the lavender-colored robe did her lover work at taking it off. His hands swam beneath the silkiness to brace her narrow waist. She loved his touch, loved his feel, loved him completely.

  She had to fight the impulse to blurt that out, but she had not known him long enough to admit as much. He was not the same polite man that held the door for her. He was now her lover and his primal urges surfaced.

  He took her mouth, owning it. He swiftly pushed the robe from her shoulders. She stood before him naked as a Roman statue. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her hips, lifting her into the air.

  Maya laughed hard. She had to be careful because they were both tall and though there was ample ceiling height, there was still the risk of hitting it.

  “Duck.” He walked through to the living room, where her head skimmed the ceiling then laid her out on the soft sofa and gently ravished her. He rolled her over on her stomach and dotted her spine with kisses.

  Her voice vibrated with need. She articulated her pleasure from deep within in long moans and deep throated groans.

  He kissed the back of her neck and found other places that stirred her up. She could hardly breathe due to her aroused state. Once again, he turned their bodies so he was right above her, looki
ng deep into her eyes. Deep enough to certainly see her soul.

  She reached out her arms and invited him into her. He braced one hand on the armrest of the couch and gripped her hip and slipped inside. This time, both took their sweet, slow time.

  The light in the living room was brighter than it had been in the bedroom and she got to see his incredible form in greater detail. He was a fine specimen, she thought with amusement—a beautiful man.

  For one so tall and broad-chested, he was surprisingly limber. He arched down to her lips and plunged his tongue inside her mouth. She held his face with her palms and kissed him repeatedly. She pressed her lips to his eyes, to his nose, to his lips before pulling back and simply gazing at his face.

  She slid her hands to the small of his back, lifting her hips to counter his rhythm. Her body was primed from the pleasure they’d experienced not so long ago. She was sensitive to every stroke and thrust.

  His eyes pressed tight and his jaw strained. He was going to reach his peak and Maya coaxed it forward.

  “My goodness,” he rasped.

  He spoke before she could, but that was all he seemed capable of doing. They were paralyzed as their climaxes washed over them in sweet pulsing waves. Neither wanted to stir until the last of their pleasure had passed. The second they could move, they were up and off the couch, but this time, they stayed dressed in their robes while Kevin put together dinner.

  She sat at the breakfast bar while he pan-seared the steaks. The salad was in a bowl on the counter. He was so adept at cooking, and a pleasure to watch. He attacked dinner the way he did everything—with passion and precision.

  “It smells wonderful.”

  He stepped away from the stovetop and kissed her and then poured two glasses of the orange flavored club soda.

  Maya rose from the breakfast bar and lit the taper candles he’d set out on the dining room table.

  “Is there anything else I can do?” she asked.

  He followed her into the dining room and pulled out her chair before kissing her again.