by Haley Travis
I didn’t like the thought of anyone being so nosy. But I realized after a moment that the truth was I didn’t like the thought of people pushing women on poor Mitch.
A little breeze flew through the back of my mind whispering that I would rather be dating
Mitch myself. Maybe. He was pretty tough-looking. Yet he had seemed sweet. Maybe I
really was a hopeless romantic, like my friends always teased.
Trying to calm my tangled thoughts, I went to my room to read a book for a while and clear
my head. I was likely going to run into him again, and I should try to have a clue what on
earth I should say to the man.
CHAPTER TWO
* Mitch *
As I had stared at Becca, I had been filled with the urge to wrap my arms around her and
beg her to stay. It nearly killed me to let her walk away. Yet she was obviously shy and
skittish. Some women adored over the top gestures, but I had to be extremely careful not
to frighten this one, I could tell.
Back when I was a stuntman, women had usually avoided me as they didn’t want to take
the risk. It was true that I could have been killed or maimed on the job, theoretically. But the risk wasn’t nearly as high as everyone imagined. The average person doesn’t understand
the training, rehearsal, and safety procedures involved.
Once I passed thirty, it got a little harder on my body, and small injuries started taking a bit longer to heal. I decided to move back to my hometown and find a new career.
I was surprised at first by how easily programming came to me. A buddy said that I was
already accustomed to seeing things in a linear form from doing so many mental
calculations on car chase scenes, big jumps, and other stunts. A couple of courses, and my
voracious appetite for self-directed learning, and suddenly I was on various teams to create
apps.
All it took was one tiny push for me to create my own. Three years ago I was at the bar
here in town, having a beer with a couple of guys. Someone said something about not
having enough flexibility in the system that tracked the contents of his warehouse. A week
later, I went down to his work so that we could test my new app and actually have his
employees make suggestions, and try to break it.
A month later it hit the market. Two months after that, a huge tech company endorsed it,
and that was when the millions started rolling in as everyone from boat operators to
beadwork enthusiasts grabbed the app to easily track their supplies.
I had hoped the news of my sudden wealth wouldn’t get out. I was moderately successful
there. In the city, people ignored me. But this was a very gossipy small town. Suddenly
women were throwing themselves at me, and except for one unfortunate dating incident two
years ago, I’d managed to fend them off.
I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. If there was no giant firecracker of a spark at the very beginning, I honestly didn’t think that true love would grow.
Maybe that was ridiculously romantic. And since people still saw me as some kind of tough
guy, that might surprise them. But I really was a softie at heart. I just needed to find the
right woman.
The second I shook Becca’s hand, I was pretty sure that she was the one. I’d almost felt an
electric crackle go through me when we touched. There was something in those bright blue
eyes, and the way her fingers fluttered when she nervously brushed back her wavy auburn hair.
She was curvy, with round hips that begged for my hands, and full breasts that I needed to
taste.
I’d definitely noticed a spark in her eye when she looked at me, but she was obviously shy.
Timid women were often even more skittish around large men, but I would find a way to
show her that this six foot three hulking guy would be gentle as a kitten around her.
The next morning I watched carefully out the window, hoping to see her again. To be
honest, it was more than hope. I was mentally willing her feet to walk toward my section of
the beach.
My heart lurched then raced when I caught sight of her, carrying her sandals as she walked
slowly through ankle deep waves. She seemed to be analyzing the stones and shells, or
maybe watching the patterns of the water swirling around her feet.
Waiting until she was almost past my property, I came out of the house with my hedge
clippers in hand. As soon as I waved, she waved back, stopping, but not coming toward
me.
Setting the clippers down on a deck chair, I walked across the beach towards her, trying
not to stare too directly at her wild auburn hair and sexy curves. “Hello again, Becca,” I
smiled.
“Hi.” Her soft smile was warm and polite, but I caught her gaze darting around the edges of
my snug dark blue t-shirt.
“May I walk with you?” I asked.
Becca nodded, then bit her bottom lip. Her delicate face was so pretty, but her jaw was
tight.
“Hey, I have an idea,” I said gently, stepping closer. “You seem like you’re a little nervous around new people.”
She stared at her feet immediately, a tiny blush touching her cheekbones.
“Don’t be embarrassed, beautiful. It’s just the way some people are. If it makes you
nervous to make boring small talk, how about we just don’t do that?”
She looked up at me and raised a questioning eyebrow. Good God, she smelled like
sunshine, some sort of heavenly sweetness was emanating from her skin.
“My friend went to Japan last year,” I said, “and I thought that one of the more interesting
things they told me about the tea ceremony was that the conversation should be focused.
You only discuss the tea, the flowers, the scroll of poetry. Things in the room. It shows appreciation for the moment.”
She nodded, obviously interested but not understanding where I was going.
“So how about we go for a walk, and only chat about things that we see?”
My heart pounded as she flashed me the biggest, most brilliant smile I’d ever received in
my life. “Good idea,” she nodded. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
I moved around to her other side so that I was walking farther into the lake than she was.
“The waves are perfect at this time of day, aren’t they?” I observed.
Becca nodded. “At sunset the light often turns the stones and sand golden, but I like seeing
their true colors at this hour.”
We strolled slowly for at least half an hour, pointing out interesting shells, strangely colored stones, and some of the neighbors’ gardens. Then she squinted at the sky. “Is it getting
darker?”
“I think so. They were calling for rain. But it was supposed to be later tonight.”
Turning to face her, I stared down into those beautiful bright blue eyes and asked, “Have
you ever been here during a wild thunderstorm?”
She shook her head, grinning. “I think you’re breaking the conversation rules,” she giggled.
“But that’s okay. I’ve been at Brendan’s house a few times during thunderstorms, when I
used to visit more frequently years ago. I don’t know if they were wild, or just average.”
“Could I make dinner for you tonight, so that we could watch the rain from my porch?” I
asked. “We can chat as much or as little as you like.”
Reaching out to take her hand, I was relieved when she only hesitated for a split second.
The feeling of her delicate little f
ingers in mine was so perfect, and I couldn’t help pulling her closer against me.
“Becca, I feel very protective of you. I even want to protect you from myself. So please,
don’t feel that you need to do anything you’re not comfortable with around me. You don’t
have to make small talk. You don’t have to touch me if you don’t want to. I just need to
spend time with you, and I hope that you want to hang out with me. Does that make
sense?”
Her chin tipped up to mine, and she gave my fingers a squeeze as she nodded. I knew the
feeling of being flooded with adrenaline and relief all too well, but this was the first time it kicked in from something as non-life threatening as a dinner date with a gorgeous girl.
CHAPTER THREE
* Becca *
Looking up into Mitch’s eyes, I almost felt like I was falling. Staring into the warm brown
gaze fixated on me, I couldn’t look away. He wanted me, I could feel that just from the way
he looked at me and held my hand. But he was willing to go to any lengths to make sure I
was comfortable.
After hearing stories of how pushy and demanding some men were, that was a great relief.
The feeling of his warm fingers brushing against mine made me feel both fluttery and calm
at the same time. Before I even knew it was happening, my other hand raised to spread
across the center of his broad chest.
My feet shuffled forward a few inches, as my eyes dropped to his perfect full lips. Although
I’d never kissed anyone before, the urge seemed so natural. All I had to do was stretch up
a tiny bit more.
His arm slid around my back, pulling me against his hard body. As Mitch’s head tipped down
slightly, he brought his lips almost to mine, then stayed perfectly still.
It was such a sweet gesture, allowing me to make the decision. He was obviously
trustworthy. Observant. Maybe I didn’t need to be skittish around him.
His arm tightened around me, as my hand slid up his chest to caress the tanned skin on his
throat. His eyes closed as my fingers gently skimmed along his chin, under his ear, and
around to the back of his neck.
My breath caught, then stopped as I leaned in, gliding my lips softly against his. He smiled
slightly, staying still so that I could do it again. An indescribable heat began to brew deep in my core as I dropped his hand, placing both of my palms around the back of his neck to pull
him against me.
His lips parted as he began to really kiss me, the exhilarating sensation of his lips pressed to mine sending tingles straight down my spine.
His huge hands pressed into my back, then one slid around my hip, grabbing firmly as his
fingers gripped my flesh. He was hungry for me. I could feel it as clearly as I could feel the waves lapping around our feet.
It had never occurred to me before that a person could kiss with their entire body, but as
Mitch pulled my frame to his, it felt like every possible inch of his skin was pressing to mine.
Our lips parted, and his tongue began to gently tease inside my mouth, making me moan
softly against him. His breath mingled with mine as he changed the angle, slipping one hand
up to cradle the back of my head as he arched me back. When he finally pulled his lips from mine, I was nearly gasping from the intensity.
“Sweetie, that was the most incredible kiss of my life.”
I nodded quickly, blinking.
“It feels like you communicate through touch more easily than you do with words,” he
smiled. “So if you ever want to tell me something through touch, feel free to grab me any
way you like, okay?”
He seemed delighted by my instant giggle. “It’s a lot easier to talk to you than most
people,” I said softly.
He kissed my forehead, never loosening the grip of those thick arms surrounding me. “Why
do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because you seem so calm and mellow.”
Mitch laughed loudly, almost making me jump. “Oh, sweetie, I’ll show you some movie clips
someday that might change your mind about that.” His fingers slid from my hip to the base
of my spine, circling gently until I felt like I was melting.
“I’ll always try to be gentle with you, sweetie. I feel absolutely drawn to you, as if we were meant to be together. I don’t want to make you nervous, but I do want to make you dinner.
Okay?”
“Okay.”
I looked down at my black shorts and purple flowered t-shirt. “I can go home and change
first, though.”
“No,” he said quickly. “You look wonderful, and I want you to be comfortable. You can sit in
the kitchen and tell me all about yourself while I cook.” His eyebrow quirked up. “Or you can tell me about anything else you wanted. Or you can stay quiet. It’s all good.”
He took my hand and led me back towards his house, still walking at the very edge of the
beach in the water.
I realized that he had sort of told me I was coming for dinner, rather than asking me. Of
course I could have said no, and walked away. But there was something strangely confident
about him announcing that he was going to spend time with me, and feed me.
As we got to his house, he paused, as if wanting to make sure I was on board. Pulling my
phone from my pocket, I used the voice to text feature so that he could hear. “Hey Julie –
I’m having dinner at Mitch’s tonight. I’ll be home later.”
Mitch chuckled warmly. “Do you take off with random guys often?”
I shook my head as we walked through his garden. “Never, actually.”
As we walked through the huge sliding glass doors into his kitchen, I took a look around. His house was much more comfortable than my brother’s. Julie had obviously decorated with
no personality, her only thought being to impress others. Mitch’s furniture looked like it was chosen to really live in.
“Do you spend a lot of time here?” I asked.
“At least two long weekends a month in the summer,” he said. “I live in the city, right
downtown. So it’s great to get out to the beach where the only traffic is joggers and people
walking their dogs.”
I smiled and nodded. It really did feel like a world away.
“I promise you a great meal, and whatever amount of conversation you like,” Mitch smiled
down at me. “The only thing I can’t promise is that I’ll be able to keep my hands off this…”
He turned to stand in front of me, clasping my back and sliding his hands down until one
cupped my ass and the other gripped the side of my hip. “You’re an absolutely beautiful girl, Becca. I’ve never met anyone as sexy as you are. I’m having all sorts of dark desires about
you, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to practice right now.”
“What do you mean? Practice what?” I asked. He was being both intense and playful at the
same time, and I wasn’t sure which I liked more.
“Take hold of my hand, pull it off your hip, and tell me no.” His dazzling grin made my pulse uneven.
I understood what he was doing, and it was absolutely adorable. But if I was going to try to
be brave, and run with the feelings flooding me, making my pulse skip like a stone across
the waves, I didn’t want to stop him for a long time.
Grabbing the hand that was on my hip, I started to remove it, then pulled it back an inch,
pressing it tighter. “Yes.”
It felt like a switch had been flipped, as his lips crushed to mine, kissing me rough
and
deep. His mouth was firm, his energy was wild. Like something barely controlled. A savage
animal that was on a leash for the first time.
“Jesus, Becca,” he growled, pulling away. “I told myself I’d be able to keep my hands off
you so I didn’t scare you off.”
“Um, I’m still here,” I said softly, trying to read his eyes.
“Sweetie, I really like you. There’s something about you that pulls me in. So don’t let me
frighten you off, okay?” He smiled. “Tell me whenever you want me to chill out.”
Nodding, my fingers traced up his neck to curl around the top of his ear, skimming over a notch along the edge. “What bit you?” I asked.
Mitch chuckled, sitting me down at the kitchen table while he started pulling food out of the fridge. “A chunk of metal. I used to be a stuntman. There was an explosion that I had to run
toward, and they shot from the back so you couldn’t tell I wasn’t the main actor. I had
safety goggles on, but one of the door hinges clipped my ear.”
“Oh my goodness,” I whispered.
He seemed amused as he quickly chopped a head of broccoli. “It wasn’t nearly the worst
injury I got. The hardest part of that job was learning to run precisely like the lead actor.”
Nodding, I watched how quickly his big hands moved. “Wow, I never thought about that.
How do you copy a run?”
“Exactly,” he laughed. “I’d always worked with actors by going through the scene a few
times, mimicking their movements, listening to what they would do if they were allowed to
do the stunt themselves. But this was running for twenty straight seconds toward a building,
then it exploded.”
“So you went running with him?” I asked.
“Sort of. He had to run fast in a few other scenes, so a dance coach met up with us to
analyze how he ran aggressively. We broke down every movement, adjusted because I’m a
little bigger, and I learned to copy it.”
Mitch tossed the broccoli into what looked like a steamer, then started chopping orange
peppers. “The coach also taught me some amazing stretches that none of my other trainers
had ever shown me. So, those dance folks have some secrets.”
“There’s always something to learn from everyone,” I agreed.
“What have you learned from someone lately?” he asked, his eyes darting to mine, then
