“I always wondered why you didn’t seem like the typical rich person. None of you do.”
“Well, Scott used to be the worst, he lived to make money, but people change. Marissa has always been just like she is except she had a secret life, ask her about it sometime,” Calvin said, thinking he’d ratted Marissa out.
“Oh, she already told me all about it. I’ve gotten to hear quite a few of the family stories. I can’t wait to meet the rest of Scott’s family, they sound like quite the bunch of interesting characters,” Brooke said, laughing at the memory of the afternoon her friends had talked her out of her bad mood.
“I can’t wait for you to meet my mother, she’s going to like you,” Calvin said so casually it took her a second to understand what he’d said.
“You want me to meet your parents?” she asked, knowing that this was a significant step in their relationship.
“They would have been here, but they went to Florida to spend the holiday with my mother’s family. It’s a tradition that’s been in place for years. She really wanted to cancel, but her sister would have never forgiven her,” Calvin said. “They’ll be back after the New Year, maybe you could meet them then.”
“You must miss them,” Brooke said, reading his emotions correctly.
“I do, but I’m glad to be right where I am with you,” he said, tipping her head up to look in her eyes.
Even as tired as he looked, she could see the passion in his eyes and her body responded immediately. “I’m glad you’re here too,” she said, again gently stroking his black eye, then she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him down for a kiss.
Calvin growled in his throat, but let Brooke take the lead, parting his lips when her tongue began to probe. Brooke bravely slid her tongue into Calvin’s mouth, letting the burst of electricity that passed between them wash over her in waves that quickly turned to pleasure then as their tongues danced together, desire. Calvin pulled Brooke onto his lap, her legs straddling his hips, his erection pressing against her crotch.
He threaded his hands into her hair, pulling the pins out until it cascaded down her back in silky waves. Calvin pulled her head down and captured her mouth, then slid his hands down her back to cup her butt in his hands, sliding her hips against his erection until she began to moan. Brooke threw her head back, exposing her throat, which Calvin began to nibble on. Releasing her hips, he slid his hands up under her shirt and cupped her breasts.
Brooke was suddenly lost in a storm of pleasure and passion as deep inside her something awoke that had been asleep for a long time. Completely abandoning herself to the feeling of Calvin’s hands on her breasts, she moaned and moved her hips against his erection, loving the way Calvin moaned when she did. When his hands slid into her bra and found her swollen nipples, the pressure inside her began to grow faster and a need she’d never felt before began to grow between her legs.
Calvin started to take her shirt off, but stopped and said, “If we take this next step, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
Brooke pressed her forehead against his, shivering when his hands left her breasts and settled on her hips. “We should stop,” she panted. Stopping was the last thing she really wanted, but she climbed down off his lap and sat next to him again.
They were silent for a long time, both trying to get their bodies under control. “That was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Calvin finally said.
“Why did you stop then?” Brooke asked.
“Because as sappy as it sounds, I think we have something real here and I don’t want to mess it up by moving too fast,” Calvin said, stroking her face with his thumb.
Brooke was satisfied with that answer, more than satisfied, in fact. She’d been hoping Calvin felt the same way she did. “I thought maybe I was the only one who felt that way,” she said, trying not to tear up.
“Definitely not. I feel different when I’m with you, I can’t quite figure out why, but I do,” Calvin said, pulling her to her feet. “I hate to, but I really better go, it’s getting late.” Then he kissed her until she wanted to beg him to stay.
She walked him to the door, the words on the tip of her tongue the whole way, but when they opened the front door it became clear that Brooke wasn’t going to need to say the words. The snow that had been predicted had obviously come in while they were sitting in the living room. It was coming down hard, swirling in the wind to the point that Brooke couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of her face.
“There’s no way I’m letting you leave in this,” she said, pulling him back in the house and taking his jacket off. “You’re just going to have to stay here.”
“Don’t look so upset about it,” Calvin said, shaking his head at her big smile. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“You won’t be very comfortable,” she teased.
“Well, if I get in that bed with you, I won’t be very comfortable either. Now go get ready for bed,” he said, slapping her on the butt.
When Brooke came back from the bathroom dressed in her warmest flannel pajamas, he raised his eyebrows at her from the couch where he’d already made himself a bed. “What? It gets cold sleeping alone. I guess I need to get a dog,” she said, climbing into bed, laughing when he groaned.
Chapter 5
Brooke awoke the next morning hot under the covers for the first time all winter, then she realized that the warmth was coming from Calvin who was snuggled up against her back. Trying not to wake him, she slid out of the bed and went to the fire to bring it back to life. Once that was done, she headed to the kitchen to put on some coffee. Knowing that Calvin was exhausted from all the traveling he’d done, she built a bigger fire than normal in the kitchen stove and got out her planning notebook.
Hours later, she was so engrossed in her planning for the spring that she didn’t hear Calvin come into the kitchen. He put his arms around her, startling her out of her thoughts with a kiss on the neck. “Good morning, you look like you’ve been up for a while,” he said, then poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with her.
“I’ve been planning for the spring. We have to plan a garden, build a barn, and maybe a chicken coop. I haven’t decided yet,” she said, pushing the book over so he could see it.
Calvin was impressed with all the planning that Brooke had done. “This is pretty impressive,” he said, flipping through the book.
“There’s so much to think about and plan for, it seemed like the only way I could keep it all straight. That book is for the outside. There’s another one for inside. Although we’ve made pretty good progress on the house, there’s still a lot to do,” she said, pulling another book off the shelf.
Calvin looked through the other book, then said, “If you don’t have any plans today, I have a great idea.”
“I’m all yours. Everyone is taking a four-day weekend for the holiday. Marissa insisted that we all take some time off,” Brooke said, then blushed when she realized what she’d said.
“I like the way that sounds,” Calvin said, his voice husky. “And the way you blushed when you said it.”
Brooke looked into his eyes, she couldn’t help it, and what she saw there was not only desire but affection. Her breath caught in her throat when he framed her face with his hands and kissed her tenderly. When he’d kissed her thoroughly, he pulled back and asked, “Are you up for an adventure?”
“Sometimes it feels like my whole life has turned into one big adventure, but I’m always up for something fun,” she answered.
“Do you think you can find me a snowmobile for the day? I have a great place I want to show you up the mountain a couple of miles. There’s a decent trail so we shouldn’t have any problem getting there on the snowmobiles.”
“That sounds like fun. I’ve gotten pretty good on the snowmobile, but I haven’t taken it very far,” Brooke said, getting up from the table. “Do you want some breakfast? I waited for you, and if w
e’re going to spend the day outside, we need a good breakfast.”
“Sound good, but I’ll help,” Calvin said, finishing his coffee and pouring himself another cup. “By the way, this is really good coffee.”
“It’s the coffee pot, not the coffee,” Brooke said, gesturing to the old percolator pot on the stove. “It took me forever to get it right, but it is pretty good, isn’t it?”
Calvin looked around him just then realizing how simply Brooke lived. “You really are living like it’s the 1930s.” he said, opening the old ice box.
“Well, not completely, but certainly nothing like I did in New York,” she said, laughing, then added, “It takes some getting used to, but truthfully it’s kind of nice to keep things simple.”
After breakfast, they began to gather the supplies they would need for the day. Brooke followed Calvin’s lead since this would be her first time venturing out into the mountains in the winter, which carried much greater risk that a trip in the summer would. True to her nature, she made a list of everything that Calvin packed and tucked it into a brand new binder.
When he sent her a questioning look, she said, “When the farm is up and running, we need to have something to bring people in during the winter, so I’m starting a new notebook for day trips.”
Calvin just shook his head and crossed the room to give her a kiss, then pulled her into the kitchen. “We need to take enough food for 24 hours, just in case,” he said, looking into the ice box and the cabinets, pulling things out, and making a pile on the counter.
Brooke laughed as the pile grew. “I guess we’ll be eating well,” she said. “That looks like enough food for a two-day trip.”
Calvin stopped what he was doing for a second considering her words, then a big grin spread across his face, “I don’t like that look,” Brooke said, instinctively knowing that he was about to suggest something crazy.
“Why don’t we go winter camping? I know a great cave that would keep us nice and warm,” he said, suddenly all full of enthusiasm. “It’ll be great, a nice warm fire and just the two of us.”
Brooke looked at him skeptically. “Have you done this before?”
“Not here, but in Colorado. Trust me, it will be fun,” he said, holding his hand out to her.
“How can I say no?” she said, going willing into his arms and tipping her face up for a kiss.
After a trip to Marissa’s for Brooke snowmobile and one for Calvin, as well as a trailer to haul all the gear Calvin decided they needed, they were on the trail. Brooke was glad that Marissa had made her buy the purple snow suit. Not only did she look good in it, but she was snug and warm as they headed away from the farm. She waved to Tom, who had come over to stay at the farm until they got back, then took a deep breath of the cold air, excited to be on an adventure.
It took them several hours to get up the mountain, but Calvin had been right, the trail was perfect for snowmobiles, even with the trailer hooked up to the back of Calvin’s. After climbing steadily for several miles, Calvin pulled off the trail and turned off his snowmobile, then waited for Brooke. They got off the snowmobiles, and he took her hand, leading her down a trail through the woods that led to an overlook. Gasping with amazement, Brooke looked at Coldwater Canyon spread out below her.
“Oh, I can see Honey Hills and the farm house,” she said, only then realizing just how big an area the canyon was. “There’s Cedar Ridge, and I can see smoke from the chimneys at some of the cabins.”
Calvin had seen the view before, so he was busy looking at Brooke enjoying her excitement. “If you look carefully, you can still see the fields that are part of your farm,” he said, pointing out the four huge fields that were still mostly cleared of vegetation even after all these years.
Brooke closed her eyes for a second, visualizing what the farm was going to look like a few years from now when the fields were planted and the farm was productive. “The farm house looks lonely sitting there by itself, it’s too bad the barn couldn’t be saved too,” she said. “But we’ll have one by the end of the summer.”
“Are you going to be doing the farming too?” Calvin asked, thinking that running a farm on her own might be a bit much for one person.
Brooke laughed and said, “I may be crazy, but I’m not that crazy. There’s a young couple who is going to come up this spring and do that. We’re building them a house on the other side of the property. I’m only responsible for the farm house, garden, and the animals.”
“Only?” he asked.
“Well, I have Tom to help me and I’ll have the guests too,” Brooke explained, looking again at the land that comprised the farm and its fields.
“If anyone can do it, I know you can,” Calvin said, with total confidence in his voice. “Are you ready to see where we’re going to spend the night?”
“You bet. How much further is it?” Brooke asked as they made their way back down the path to the snowmobiles. “My rear end is complaining about the ride already.”
“It’s not far,” Calvin said, laughing.
When they got to the cave where they’d planned to spend the night, Brooke looked at it warily. “Are you sure there aren’t any wild animals in there? It looks like a good place for a bear to sleep,” she said, looking at the dark opening of the cave.
“Come on, when you get inside you’ll see that it’s not big enough for a bear or anything else to make a home. Besides people have been using it long enough, I don’t think anything wild would want to use it. When I found it last summer, it was full of trash and other debris. It took me two trips to haul it all out of here,” Calvin said, taking her hand to help her off the snowmobile.
He grabbed a flashlight, then climbed the gentle slope to the cave and pulled aside some bushes. “I put these here to make the cave look smaller.” With the bushes gone, Brooke could see that the cave opening was larger than she’d thought.
She followed Calvin into the cave, pleased when the flashlight illuminated a space that was just the perfect size. “Okay, I see what you mean, there’s no way anything could be hiding in here,” she said, walking around the cave.
It was just big enough for the two of them with a fire pit in the center. The floors were hard packed dirt, the walls smooth. When she walked to the back of the cave, the temperature rose enough that she could actually feel it. All in all, it wouldn’t be a bad place to spend the night, she decided, returning to the front of the cave where Calvin had already begun to pile their supplies.
“I’m assuming that we want to put the sleeping bags in the back of the cave where it’s warmer,” Brooke said, beginning to sort the pile.
“Yeah, that was my plan,” Calvin said before going back for another load of stuff.
They had their temporary home set up in no time at all, a nice fire burning in the fire ring and dinner simmering away. In no time at all, the cave was warm enough that they could remove their heavy winter gear and relax by the fire. There was a brief lag in the conversation, but soon they were both telling stories about the awful things they’d done as kids which led to more stories about their families.
After dinner, they talked about all of Brooke’s plans for the farm while they watched the stars, but before long the physical activity of the day got to them and they crawled into the sleeping bags. Calvin pulled Brooke close to share his body heat, and within minutes they were both asleep, stirring only when the morning brought the sounds of the forest alive.
Brooke was wrapped in Calvin’s arms, her head resting on his chest when she opened her eyes. The cave had grown cold over the night since neither of them had fed the fire, but she was warm and comfortable in the sleeping bag with Calvin, his body heat warming them both. But nature was calling and she knew she’d have to get up soon.
“Stop squirming around or I won’t be held responsible for my actions,” Calvin said, without opening his eyes.
“Sorry, I really need to get up, but I know how cold it’s going to be,” Br
ooke said, kissing him on the cheek then leaping out of bed. She shoved her boots on and ran outside, returning as quickly as she could.
“I suppose that means it’s my turn,” Calvin said when she put her cold hands on his chest.
“Yep, and put some wood on the fire when you come back,” she said, shivering.
Calvin laughed and asked, “And how did that become my responsibility?”
Brooke gave him her best smile and asked, “Whose idea was this?”
Calvin knew when he’d been beat. “You win,” he said, kissing her forehead and getting up.
When Calvin got back to the cave, Brooke was still snuggled down in the sleeping bag, the only thing sticking out was the top of her head. He thought about getting back in with her but decided that he couldn’t trust himself not to touch her if he did. Instead, he got the fire going and put on a pot of coffee. Once the cave had warmed up again, Brooke ventured out of the bed and poured them both a cup.
“I’ll bet there aren’t very many people who can bring the coffee pot from home and use it on a fire,” Brooke said after her first sip.
“And it tastes even better out here,” Calvin added. “What’s for breakfast? I’m starving.”
“Well, that’s no big shock, but I am hungry too,” Brooke said, digging through the food they’d brought. “What do you do in the summer when you come up here? All this food would be a serious attraction for a bear.”
“We have to hang it in a tree,” Calvin said, pointing to where there were a series of ropes in a tree not far from the cave.
They talked about the dangers of wild animals and surviving in the wild while they made breakfast and packed up, each glad that they’d come up here. The bond between them had grown in ways that normally wouldn’t have happened anywhere else, and as much as the passion between them continued to simmer, they were both glad that they were waiting to take that next step in the relationship.
Never Let Go (Brothers From Money Book 9) Page 5
