by Jill Sanders
“Earth to Conner?” she asked, waving her hands in front of his face.
“Hm?” He shook his head to focus on her words.
Instead of giving her a chance to answer again, he leaned up and placed his mouth over one of her erect nipples, taking her fully into his mouth.
“God, I love the taste of you,” he whispered, wanting more. Shifting, he pinned her underneath him and continued moving his mouth over her heated skin. Each time he ran his tongue over a part of her, she tasted even better.
When his mouth ran into the silk of her panties, he licked the skin just under the hem, and she tangled her fingers in his hair.
“Don’t stop,” she begged him as he nudged the material aside.
“Nothing can stop me from pleasing you,” he whispered against the newly exposed skin. When he ran his tongue across her sweet pussy lips, she arched and cried out, giving him exactly what he’d wanted. Proof that the last strings of her control were gone, just like his own.
The next morning when his alarm went off, Kara didn’t even stir beside him. Trying hard not to wake her, he showered and dressed and was just stepping out of the bathroom when he realized she was no longer in bed.
Frowning, he stepped out of the bedroom to see her standing at the stove. Then the smell of bacon and coffee hit him, and he knew at that moment he was done for.
“What’s all this?” he asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.
She sighed and took the skillet off the stove.
“As I was trying to say last night”—she turned and wrapped her arms around him—“I owed you one for smoothing things over with my family. And,” she said, giving him a quick kiss, “since you took over and…” Her face flushed slightly. “Well, you took over last night, so I figured the least I could do was make you breakfast.”
He kissed her again. “You didn’t have to do that. But since I smell bacon and coffee and you look so damn sexy wearing one of my shirts”—he pulled back to look down at the University of Oregon shirt she was wearing and her long sexy legs —“I’ll take it.”
“Good, because after, I’m heading back to bed.” She kissed him again.
He chuckled as she filled two plates full of food for them and they moved over to the table together.
Sitting next to Kara eating breakfast and knowing that she was going to crawl back into their bed for a while longer had him wishing his days didn’t start at five.
Even as he drove to the base, he was wishing he was back in bed with Kara. Then he walked in and saw the small celebration and the four crew members he’d helped pull from the water the day before and smiled.
Even though Ken had his arm in a cast and Reece had bruises and cuts on his face, the three guys and one woman, Reagan, were all smiles.
That high carried him through the rest of the day of training with the new recruits.
He was very surprised when he stepped into the apartment and was hit with a wall of delicious scents. Once again, Kara was standing at the stove, slathering butter on half of a loaf of bread. She glanced over at him when he walked in.
“Hey,” he said with a smile when he noticed that the table was filled with candles and chilling wine. “What’s all this?” he asked, walking over and kissing her on the back of the neck. She smelled better than the food she was cooking.
“I figured I still owed you a home-cooked meal to say thank you for helping out with the cottage.” She leaned back into his arms.
“You made breakfast,” he reminded her.
She chuckled. “Yeah, but that was toast, eggs, and bacon. Anyone can make that,” she said with a shrug. “Besides, there wasn’t anything to eat here, so I decided to go shopping.”
He walked over to the fridge and looked in. “Wow.” He glanced over at her. “Was there anything left in the store when you were done?” he joked.
She chuckled. “I may have shopped hungry.” She smiled at him. “Why don’t you go get comfortable. This will be ready in a few minutes.”
He walked over and kissed her again before heading in to shower and pull on a pair of sweats. He figured since she was wearing those gray leggings and another one of his T-shirts, he could go with comfortable attire.
When he came back out, she was pulling a pan of lasagna and the baked bread out of the oven.
“Just in time.” She smiled over at him. “Why don’t you pour us some wine. If you prefer, there’s beer?” she added quickly.
“Wine is cool.” He removed the wine from the cooler and poured them each a glass. Then he helped her bring the food to the table and even held out the chair for her. Instantly, he kicked himself for not stopping by his cousin’s store and picking up a bundle of flowers. After all, this was their first official full day of living together.
Promising himself not to make the same mistake twice, he vowed to show Kara exactly how he felt about her and convince her that she was right where she belonged.
Chapter Twenty-Three
What was a girl to do? It seemed as if every time she turned around, Conner was making some grandiose romantic gesture. It had been almost four weeks since she’d officially moved in with him and, in that time, he’d returned home with flowers at least a dozen times.
He’d also woken up early on several occasions to sneak out and grab baked goods and coffee so that she wouldn’t cook breakfast before he left for work, which had become a new norm she enjoyed each day.
He even spent his last two days off helping her and Robin around the barn for their events. She was feeling very pampered and didn’t want it to stop any time soon.
She had never dated a man so doting before and was growing used to being spoiled. Even Robin pointed it out.
“Wow, you’ve got him wrapped around your finger,” Robin whispered to her as they watched Conner empty the trash after Saturday’s event.
Kara couldn’t help but smile at that statement.
“He’s being so attentive.” She sighed. “It’s…” She shook her head, unable to find the words.
“Exactly how Dad treats Mom,” Robin added with her own sigh.
Kara hadn’t really thought of it like that. Just hearing her sister say it warmed her even further.
“Do you think so?” she asked.
Robin nodded with a smile. “Everyone knows how the Jordan men are.” Her sister tilted her head slightly and watched him bend over to pick up some discarded cups that someone had left on the floor. “Damn, not to mention how sexy all of them are.”
“Hey.” Kara nudged her sister. “Back off, that one’s mine.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Robin waved her hand towards her. “I know. Still, too bad his brother…” Robin stopped talking when Conner moved closer.
“I think that’s everything,” he said to them.
“That’s it then.” Robin rubbed her hands together. “Thanks for the helping hand.”
“Any time.” He smiled as he wrapped his arms around Kara. “Ready to head home?”
Every single time he said those words, Kara’s heart did a little flip.
“Yes.” She smiled.
“Oh.” Robin snapped her fingers. “I forgot to mention that the folks called. They’ve found a rental in Pride and will be moving down here at the end of next week until their new house is done.”
“Oh?” She thought of how long her parents had been dreaming of moving to Pride. “That’s wonderful.”
“Yeah, your folks apparently found the place for them,” Robin said to Conner.
“They did?” he asked with a frown. “Where?”
Robin shrugged. “It’s on Clark Avenue. I guess it was on the land where your mother grew up?”
He smiled. “My grandmother’s old lot.” His smile slipped slightly. “The old house burned down a long time ago when my parents were just dating. My grandmother almost died in the fire, but my mom pulled her out just in time. Then shortly after my parents married and after my grandmother died, they had a new home built on the prop
erty and have been renting it out as an investment property ever since. I would have rented it out myself, but my folks told me they were having some things done in the place.” He smiled.
“How wonderful,” Kara said to him.
“It’s just down about three blocks from our place.”
“Are they going to sell their place?” Kara asked Robin.
“Sounds like they already have an offer on it,” Robin added with a shrug.
“They’ve been waiting our entire lives to move here,” she told Conner. “It’s their dream come true.”
He smiled down at her. “And by this time next year, we’ll all be neighbors,” he said easily.
She thought about his words for the rest of the night. Did that mean he wanted her to move into his new home with him? He hasn’t asked her or for that matter even talked to her about it. Sure, he’d consulted her anytime Rose had had questions about his build. But as far as she knew, he just wanted her opinion.
His statement hadn’t gone unnoticed by Robin either. The following morning, Kara received a text message from her sister.
“So, with what Conner said last night, does that mean he wants you to move into his new house with him?”
“I don’t know. He’s asked my opinion each time a question has come up about the house,” Kara replied as she glanced at the closed bathroom door. All night long she’d dreamed about her future with him in the home overlooking the water.
What would it be like? Did she really believe he was the one for her? Her heart and mind kept screaming yes.
She had never been with anyone who was as attentive as Conner was. She figured she could easily get spoiled and had even gone out of her way the last time she’d been in Edgeview to stop by Victoria’s Secret and had surprised him with a few sexy outfits, which he had thoroughly enjoyed.
The Jordan men had reputations around town as being completely devoted to the one they loved.
“Have you asked him?” Robin asked.
“No, I’m almost too nervous to do so,” she admitted.
“Well, in a relationship, you have to be open and honest,” Robin texted.
Kara thought about all the exes in her sister’s closet and chuckled.
“Right, like you were with Matt? Or Carl? What about Tom?”
“Ouch, that stings. Go ask him. Take hints from my past mistakes.”
Before she could respond, Robin texted her again. “Do you think he’s going to ask you to marry him?”
Kara couldn’t stop her heart from skipping at that thought. She’d been wondering that herself for a while now. Sure, they’d been dating for less than two months, but this was it. In her mind, Conner was the one, and she hoped that he felt the same about her.
“I don’t know,” she texted back, biting her bottom lip.
“Do you want him to ask you?” her sister asked.
“I haven’t even thought about it yet, but… at this point I wouldn’t say no.”
“Eeeee!” her sister texted along with a little dance emoji. “So happy for you. I wish I could snag me a man.”
“He’s out there somewhere. Conner does have a big family…” she replied.
“I’ve met the rest of the Jordan men, remember. The only ones left are players. Besides, I’m far too busy right now to worry about men.”
She felt guilty about spending her free time with Conner instead of being there to help Robin like she used to before Conner.
“I should be there helping you more,” she texted back.
“Care Bear, go, talk to your man about how you feel. I’ve got this handled today. Love you. Bye.”
Her sister’s use of her old nickname made her smile.
“Thanks. Love you too.”
When Kara walked out into the kitchen, she was surprised to see the kitchen table set and a beautiful breakfast laid out.
“What’s all this?” she asked, walking over and placing a soft kiss on Conner’s cheek.
“I had today off so I figured we could head up and watch them break ground on our new home.” He wrapped his arms around her but must have felt her tense slightly at his words. “What?” He frowned down at her.
Titling her head, she looked up at him. “Nothing.” She felt her heart skip at the lie but then he narrowed his eyes slightly and she knew she wasn’t going to get away from talking to him. Sighing, she held onto him tighter. “You keep calling it our new home.”
His frown grew. “I was hoping you’d get used to it.” His eyes searched hers. “I was going to ask you over breakfast.” He motioned to the spread on the table. He dropped his hold on her, walked over, and pulled out the chair for her to sit.
Since he’d made it clear he’d planned it all, she figured she’d go along and moved over to sit down.
He sat down across from her and held up a glass of orange juice. She picked up her own and smiled.
“Kara.” He smiled across the table at her. “I don’t think it’s a secret how I feel about you, but I realize that things are moving fairly quickly between us. But I can’t imagine moving into the house without you. Please tell me you’ll come with me.”
She smiled. “Of course, I will.” She lifted her glass to his and tapped it.
She had never spent a better day. Even the light freezing rain couldn’t damper the joy she felt helping Conner push the shovel into the dirt and toss it aside and then standing there for almost half an hour as they watched a massive bulldozer clear the pathway where their home would soon be. Her parents’ lot had already been cleared a few days earlier and there were men working on building forms where their foundation would go.
Once the rain started coming at them sideways, they climbed in their truck to watch the dozer work through the cold rain before heading out and meeting her parents for lunch at Baked.
After hearing from Robin last night that they were moving to Pride, Kara had called them and talked to them both. They were overjoyed at the possibility of finally living in their dream town.
Even though they weren’t officially moving for a while, they had decided to start bringing some of their things down. Her father was retiring from his engineering position in Portland and her mother had already found a new job at the medical clinic just outside of Edgeview as a physical therapist.
Sitting in the crowded pizzeria across from her parents, she listened to them talk about how excited they were for the move.
“I start work at my new job Monday,” her mother said with a smile. “The facility is state of the art. There is even an aquatic setup.” Her mother practically squealed with delight.
She knew how much her mother loved her work and how much her father was looking forward to being retired. Seeing the thrill in both of her parents’ eyes warmed her heart even further.
When she mentioned that they would neighbors soon and explained that Conner had asked her to move into the new home with him, they were both thrilled.
By the time they left the pizzeria, she was drained, and they spent the rest of their day snuggling on the sofa and watching movies as the rain turned into snow.
The following morning, she sent Conner off to work after a large home-cooked breakfast before heading to work herself.
Conner still didn’t like that she walked to work each day, but since she enjoyed it, she convinced him that it was easier than driving the few blocks.
He’d even tried to convince her to purchase a small car for the short drive.
That morning, however, with the fresh snow on the ground and a thick chilly fog in the air, she had added an extra layer to stay warm.
Passing the flower shop, she waved at Suzie and Kate. The women were busy changing out the front window display in preparation for Halloween, which was only three weeks away. As a business owner, Kara knew that holidays tended to spread out and start early since customers were eager to get into the spirit.
She was just about to turn the corner when she heard tire squeals. She had a moment to tense just before something hit
her on the side of her head, just above her ear. Her left arm jerked forward as if it had been hit by an invisible force. The sting in both places didn’t register until her body was flung towards the pavement. The echo of the gunshots registered the moment she hit the fresh snow, looking up into the dark grayness of the sky.
Her only thought, as the cold and grayness overtook her, was that she hadn’t told Conner that she loved him yet.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Don’t you dare die on me,” Conner begged Kara as he looked down at the blood-soaked snow beneath her body. He was holding a clean rag against her temple. Or trying to, at any rate. His hands were shaking so bad that he worried he wasn’t doing any good to stop the flow of blood coming from the wound.
Suzie had called him less than five minutes before, screaming that someone had shot Kara.
Conner had arrived at the scene at the same time that Aiden had. Aiden was focused on the blood coming from Kara’s arm, while Conner could only focus on Kara’s face.
Her lying on the corner of the street soaked in blood was the worst thing he’d ever seen. She was as pale as the snow surrounding her, the snow not soaked in red, at any rate.
“God damn it, where is that ambulance?” Aiden cursed. “We need more blankets,” he said over his shoulder to Suzie and Kate.
It was then that Conner noticed that both of them were only dressed in jeans and sweaters, which were all covered in blood.
“I’ll run back and grab some more,” Kate said, taking off quickly towards the store.
“We need to move her,” Conner suggested.
“No.” Aiden shook his head. “Not until we know if she’s been hit anywhere else. We can’t chance her losing more blood. She’s already lost a lot.”
It seemed to take the ambulance forever to get there. By then, they had covered her with a few more blankets to keep her warm. Aiden had tied a tourniquet around her upper arm and was yelling into his radio while he continued to hold the blood-soaked towel to her temple and spoke softly to her.
“Kara, sweetie, wake up. Open your eyes,” he kept telling her over and over. But her translucent eyelids remained stubbornly closed.
