Crawling onto the bed, I placed kisses on her body and worked my way up to her parted lips.
She whimpered my name as I lowered my mouth and teased one of her nipples with my tongue, slipping my hand between her legs.
“Shit, you’re so wet.”
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all day. Please, I need to feel you inside of me, Roger. Now.”
Without a second thought, I positioned myself and pushed inside of her. Her warmth nearly had me coming on the spot. After a moment of getting myself under control, I rocked in and out of her. The rhythm of our bodies moving together left me breathless. It was like she was made just for me, and I for her. Everything. Was. Perfect.
“Roger…oh, God. Yes. Yes, don’t stop!”
“I need you to come, baby. I don’t know how long I can hold off.”
When her hand slipped between our bodies, I bit the inside of my cheek.
Annalise’s entire body trembled, and I could feel her squeezing my cock as she cried out, “There, yes, I’m going to come!”
My name spilled from her lips, and I lost the battle and fell right along with her. I moved until my arms shook from the fatigue of holding myself up.
Rolling off Annalise, I pulled in long breaths.
I wasn’t sure how long we lay there, both of us trying to get our breathing back to normal. But it was me who finally broke the silence.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” I said. “I hope you know that. I really did want to talk.”
Annalise took in a deep breath and then slowly exhaled. “So, let’s talk.”
Turning, I propped my head up on my hand. “I don’t want to walk away from you, Annalise. Not when life has brought us together again like this.”
She searched my face. “I don’t think I can do this. I want to do this, but knowing what you said back in Chicago…”
I closed my eyes for a moment and wished I could go back in time and never say what I had said to her. “Annalise, I’m not going to pretend that I’m perfect and that I won’t mess up. There’s a reason I’ve never gotten serious with anyone, and to be honest, no one has ever made me want to. But then you came along, and I’m feeling…”
My voice trailed off as I closed my eyes and tried to think of the words I wanted to say.
“You’re feeling what?” she asked in a low voice.
“Things I haven’t really ever felt before. At least, I haven’t felt them in a very long time. When I was waiting in the airport, I decided that if I was meant to see you again, I would. I spent three hours on that plane making myself believe everything was okay. I could simply go back to my life the way it was before you showed up in my hotel room three days ago.”
“Did it work?”
I laughed, glancing between us. “Considering I’m naked in bed with you, I’d say no, it didn’t work.”
We both laughed.
“When I saw you at the rental counter, my breath was nearly pulled from my chest,” I said. “I won’t lie and tell you that doesn’t scare me because it does.”
Annalise took my hand in hers. “There’s a reason this all happened.”
I nodded. “I suppose there is, but I want to be honest with you about all of this. I’m not sure what I can give you past this right here, us dating. I want to get to know you better, spend time with you, show you around Boerne and all my favorite places. I also want you to know that I’m not going to date anyone else. It would be you, exclusively.”
A warm smile spread over Annalise’s face, and she squeezed my hand. “I want to get to know you better too. And I won’t ever pressure you, Roger. I mean, we really don’t know each other all that well.”
We both laughed again. “Then how about we start with lunch tomorrow? Text me when you’re free, and I’ll take you to one of my favorite places to eat here in Boerne.”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, and I saw the excitement in her eyes. “I would like that very much. I, um…I need your phone number.”
I gripped her hand harder and pulled her on top of me as she let out a squeal of delight.
“How about we exchange numbers after we take a shower?”
Annalise
“I HAVE TO say, Annalise, you seem to be glowing this morning.”
My face instantly heated as I looked up at my new boss. “Glowing?” I asked innocently.
I knew the reason why I appeared to be glowing. Roger had informed me that Texans were a friendly folk and that he didn’t think it was a good idea for me to spend my first night in Texas alone.
We’d stayed up for hours last night, talking, making love, and talking some more. I finally collapsed in exhaustion after Roger buried his face between my legs, nearly making me pass out from the intense orgasm he gave me with his mouth.
I should have woken up looking like a mess; instead, even I noticed the extra pink in my cheeks this morning.
“It’s all this fresh air. I went for a run this morning on the trail, and I couldn’t believe how peaceful it was,” I said, closing the book I was looking at. It was a list of events the hotel had already booked for the upcoming spring and summer wedding season. We had a large, separate building off the courtyard that was big enough for receptions, meetings, reunions…you name it, and we could host it.
“I imagine it’s very different from New York City,” Patty stated.
Laughing, I nodded. “Yes, in a lot of ways.”
“Bryce told me you were looking at the event calendar.”
Glancing back down at the book, I grabbed it and stood up from where I had been sitting on the sofa in the lobby. It was a nice change from my office with its one small window. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. My office in New York City had been five times the size of the one I had here at The Montclair, but I hadn’t minded one bit. I loved being able to sit peacefully in the lobby and work. “Yes, I was trying to get a feel for the type of events we typically hold here. It looks like a number of weddings, and I can certainly see why with that beautiful creek-side area we have.”
Patty grinned like she knew something I didn’t. “Did you know that the gazebo was built by Truitt Carter, Roger’s brother?”
The mention of Roger’s name made my entire body tingle. “I did not know that.”
“He did it as a favor to Jim and me. He normally only builds playhouses.”
“Yes, and I hear he’s very talented at it. He’s even had a few famous clients, apparently.”
Patty’s eyes lit up with delight, but I wasn’t exactly sure why.
“Anyway,” I went on, “I was in the library earlier, and I wanted to mention an idea I had.”
“Oh, I love new ideas, especially for the library. It’s one of my favorite spots, and original to the house, you know.”
With a soft chuckle, I said, “What would you think of using it to host a monthly employee game night?”
Patty stared at me, then blinked rapidly a few times before looking away.
Oh crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. She hates the idea.
“If you don’t want to, that’s totally fine.”
She held up her hand and gestured for me to wait a moment. I held my breath, and when she finally turned around, she wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled. “That is the best idea I think I’ve heard in a very long time, Annalise.”
I exhaled and reached for the back of the lobby’s antique sofa to steady my wobbling knees. Now I just had to figure out why she was shedding tears at the idea. “Great. I thought it would be a wonderful way for the staff to let loose once a month and do something fun. I used to host a few staff-appreciation events throughout the year at my previous job, and I know how much they mean to the employees.”
Patty nodded. “It is a wonderful idea.”
“I thought maybe we could pick a different local restaurant each month to cater dinner. I know it’s an additional expense to your overhead, but after looking at the budget set for this year by the previous GM, we have plenty in the
miscellaneous fund.”
“Yes, yes, we do. Beatrice, who was our GM before Rick, used to do things for the staff on their birthdays. I’m not sure why Rick didn’t.”
“That would explain why there’s a large balance left.”
The door to the lobby open and shut. Patty and I both turned to greet whoever it was. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that it was Roger.
Oh. My. Goodness. My ovaries exploded at the sight in front of me—Roger had a little girl on his shoulders.
“Roger, Liliana, what a wonderful surprise!”
I looked from Roger’s sky-blue eyes to the little girl’s matching ones. She couldn’t have been more than five or six years old. I took a step back as my heart dropped to my stomach, and I reached for the sofa again.
Was this why Roger wasn’t interested in a relationship with anyone? Because he had a little girl?
I quickly raced through our conversations last night. Roger had briefly mentioned one long-term relationship but hadn’t offered up any information other than the fact that they’d met in high school.
“Is this her, Uncle Roger? Is this Annalise?” the little girl asked as she stared at me and smiled. “She looks like Cinderella!”
Patty and Roger both looked at me, and I suddenly felt like I was under a microscope.
With a tilt of her head, Patty said, “You know what? You do kind of look like Cinderella!”
Roger winked at me and then put the young girl down.
“Wait, did she just say ‘Uncle Roger’?” I asked, not fully aware that I was speaking aloud.
Roger raised a brow. “Did you think she was mine?”
I gave a half-shrug. “I mean, for a moment I did. You have the same eyes.”
He let out a boom of laughter. “Yeah, no, thank you. I’m perfectly fine being the uncle and not the dad.”
A strange, unnerving sense spread through my chest. Did Roger not want kids? I desperately wanted them. It was one of those conversations you had eventually, but not this early on, especially with a guy as skittish as Roger.
“Liliana heard I was meeting you for lunch today, and she asked if she could join us,” Roger said. “I didn’t have the heart to say no.”
I smiled and looked down at the little girl. She was staring up at Roger with a huge smile on her face. Even I could see the love she had for him twinkling in her eyes.
“Uncle Roger said I gave him the look.”
“Oh?” I asked with a curious expression. “What look would that be?”
Liliana cleared her throat, stood up straight, drew in a deep breath, and then proceeded to give me “the look.” Her lower lip jutted out, and she somehow managed to make her baby-blue eyes turn misty, all the while trembling her bottom lip. My heart melted on the spot, even though I knew it was a fake pout. I couldn’t even imagine what one of her real ones might look like.
“Wow. I don’t know anyone who could say no to that,” I said with a bubble of laughter.
“I could,” Patty announced. “But you don’t have to pout today, Liliana. I’ve got some chocolate cookies right out of the oven next door at the restaurant. How about we get one, and you can take it to go and have it after lunch?”
“Oh, yes! May I, Uncle Roger?” Liliana asked, already halfway out the door with Patty.
“Why do you even ask, Lil?” Roger called out right before the front door shut. He laughed and then turned back to me. “She’s something else.”
Smiling, I replied, “She seems like a sweet little girl. Your brother Truitt’s daughter?”
“Yes. She has a little brother, Nolan. He’s a little heartbreaker in the making.”
I chuckled.
“Do you still have time for lunch today?” he asked.
Taking a quick peek at the time, I replied, “Yes, as long as it’s a quick one. I have a meeting at one with the company that launders our linens.”
“You’re in luck, then. We aren’t going far to eat. We’re going to eat right on the corner at The Dienger Trading Company. Best breakfast in town, by the way.”
“That’s perfect. Let me go grab my purse.”
He held out his hand. “Lunch is on me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure.” Roger motioned for me to walk ahead of him out the door. “We’ll have to grab Liliana first. If she knows there are cookies and desserts over there, you better believe she’ll sweet-talk someone into giving her a box-full.”
Laughing, I said, “Sounds like a clever girl.”
“She is—takes after her mother in that sense.”
“What traits Did she get from Truitt?”
Roger paused for a moment before stopping altogether and turning to face me. “Truitt isn’t her father. Saryn was married before. She divorced the jackass, and he wanted nothing to do with Liliana. The crazy thing is, he turned out to be my and Truitt’s half-brother. Our father had an affair early on in his marriage, and that dickhead—I’m sorry, Tim—was the result of that affair. Truitt and I never knew Tim was our brother. We only found out a few years ago.”
“Oh, wow.”
Roger let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, imagine our surprise. Liliana has my father’s blue eyes.”
“I suspect you do as well. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a light shade of blue before. Sometimes your eyes look like ice.”
He winked. “When I’m horny?”
With a shake of my head, I gave him a playful push.
“Boerne has grown a lot over the years,” he said, changing the subject. “We’ve tried to keep that small-town feel to it, though. Lots of folks aren’t from around here originally, but a lot are. And I have to warn you, when the locals see me with you, tongues are going to wag.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “In a good or bad way?”
He lifted one shoulder. “Both, I imagine.”
The door to the River City Grill opened and Liliana came rushing out, Patty on her heels.
As she handed the box of cookies to Roger, she said, “Uncle Roger, I got the three of us one chocolate cookie each! Can we eat them in the bazeba?”
I looked over at Patty, who simply smiled. Roger softly tugged on Liliana’s pigtail. “Of course, we can.”
“Bazeba?” I asked.
“Gazebo,” Patty and Roger said in unison.
“Ah.” I nodded, then looked at Liliana and grinned. “I think eating dessert in the gazebo is a fabulous idea.”
Liliana jumped for joy and reached for both my and Roger’s hands. She tugged us toward the door. “Come on, I’m so hungry I could eat a cow!”
Lunch with Roger and Liliana had turned out to be one of the best ones I’d ever had. He was so sweet and attentive to her, and it was clear she simply adored him. He somehow managed to balance his attention between the both of us, and I felt my heart nearly bursting. Not to mention my ovaries. By the time we had made it to the gazebo, I was positive there was no other man on this earth like Roger Carter, and little Liliana seemed to agree with me.
It had been exactly two weeks since I’d arrived in Boerne—and Roger wasn’t kidding when he’d said tongues would wag after people saw us together.
Since we’d been spotted together on more than one occasion, I’d become the talk among the locals. Or at least that was the case according to Elizabeth, who seemed to know everything and everyone.
“It’s my duty as the front desk lead to keep informed on things, and that includes gossip,” Elizabeth told me over our breakfast of bagels and coffee.
I smiled as I took her in. She was younger than me but seemed to have an old soul. We truly clicked almost immediately. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and it swooshed back and forth every time she got excited and spoke.
“Do you know a woman came up to me in HEB yesterday and invited me to play Bunco?” I asked. “When I told her I had no idea what it was, I thought she was going to pass out.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Well, considering you�
��ve been spotted out several times with Roger Carter in the last couple of weeks, they’re curious about you.”
“Why, though?”
Elizabeth took a quick look around the courtyard and then gave me a warm smile. “Roger hasn’t really been known to date women more than once. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him out on a date before. You know, Patty is really good friends with his mother, Janet Carter.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yep. She’s known Roger probably since he took his first step. But back to why people are curious about you—I think they’re simply curious about the woman who’s finally caught his eye.”
I nodded as I let her words settle in. “When we first met, he told me he wasn’t interested in any kind of long-term relationship.”
Elizabeth raised a brow. “He seems to have changed his mind. How do you feel about that?”
It didn’t take long for Elizabeth and me to become friends. She was easy to talk to, and I was beginning to get used to her no-nonsense, get-to-the-point attitude.
I gave her a half-shrug. “I’m not a hundred-percent sure. I really like him a lot, and I think there’s a reason we were brought together. I’m just…”
“Worried you’ll fall more than he does?”
I lifted my gaze to meet hers. There was no judgment whatsoever in her eyes, only understanding.
I rubbed my hands together nervously and forced myself to stop fidgeting. “He’s been very upfront and honest with me about his feelings. I just can’t help but wonder if maybe I’m just a challenge in some way. But maybe it’s stupid to think that. He seems to be just as enamored with me as I am with him.”
“Is the sex good?”
I was positive my eyes nearly popped out of my head. “Did you really just ask me that?” I asked with a nervous laugh.
Elizabeth waved off my shock. “Please, I’m not blind. I see the way the man looks at you and you look at him. The moment I saw you get out of his car on your first day, I knew there was something between y’all. When did you find out he lived in Boerne? I mean, what a small world for y’all to have a fling in Chicago only to both end up in the same town.”
Fated Hearts Page 13
