All Lit Up

by Cathryn Fox

  With curiosity getting the better of her, she walked to the window to peer out. What she saw nearly stopped her heart.

  * * *

  At least now Daniel finally understood why Anna had cooled on him back in high school. She’d overheard his friends rousing him, but if she’d stuck around longer, she would have heard Daniel shutting them all down. No one talked about Anna like that and got away with it.

  Honestly, he had no idea it was he who’d hurt her all those years ago, the one who’d shattered her belief in Prince Charming and happily-ever-after. Hadn’t he sworn that he’d kick the ass of the guy who’d hurt her? So apparently it was his ass that needed a good swift kick. Not to mention Justin’s. Daniel clenched and unclenched his fist, thankful that he’d taken care of that matter earlier.

  Her comment about him faking nervousness finally made sense as well. She thought he was putting on a show to get in her pants. Dammit, he hated how that one incident had scarred her so deeply.

  Daniel glanced heavenward and took in the black sky and the mosaic of stars glistening overhead. Perfect for what he had planned. He finished fitting the apple tree with lights as he worked to recreate the ambiance from years ago, ever determined to make things right for Anna.

  “Daniel—”

  He spun around and his heart missed a beat when he saw Anna standing there. God, he’d never met anyone who exuded sweet and sexy at the same time the way she did. A surprised look came over her flushed face as expressive eyes perused the surroundings. She completely took his breath away. Even dressed in loose-fitting pants and running shoes, she had such an innocent sensuality about her. It got to him in ways he couldn’t even imagine.

  He reached inside his van and flicked on the music from their teenage years. As he held his hand out to her, he felt a rush of love. “Can I have this dance?” he asked, as overwhelming emotions made him shaky. His entire body trembled.

  Silence stretched for a long time, then she murmured absently, “My sweet-sixteen party.”

  He stepped closer, craving the feel of her next to him. “The way it was meant to be.”

  She gave a rough laugh and he felt a shift in her, a change. “What’s the point of this, Daniel?” she asked soberly. “You’ve already gotten into my pants.” There was a hardness in her tone he’d never heard her use before.

  He stepped back. Stunned by her words. “I thought you understood—”

  She tilted her head and her voice sounded tight. “What I understand is that I’m nothing but a conquest to you. I heard you and Justin earlier.”

  His stomach knotted. “I’m so sorry. What did you hear?”

  “I heard him asking you if you nailed me. Well you did, so congratulations.”

  He let loose a frustrated growl. “That’s it. That’s all you heard?”

  “That was enough.”

  “If you’d have stuck around you’d have heard me defend you, and nail him.” He rubbed his sore knuckles. “Just like I did over a decade ago. But you didn’t stick around long enough to hear it then either.”

  Anna’s eyes widened in utter surprise, and her lashes fluttered. “You punched Justin?”

  He rocked awkwardly. “Juvenile, I know, but no one talks about you like that and gets away with it, Anna.”

  She gave a confused shake of her head. “But I heard you laugh.”

  He frowned. “Laugh? I hardly think I was laughing.”

  “Well I heard you make some strange sound. It came from deep in your throat.”

  “That wasn’t a laugh, Anna. That was me trying to keep my temper in check. Either that or I was going to toss Justin out the window.” As a soft tune crooned in the background, he stepped into her and brushed his fingers over her cheek. He stood over her for a long time, just holding her and letting her sort through the turn of events, and praying she believed him. Believed in him. As he watched her, he felt something inside her give, and when she softened in his arms, he let out a relieved breath.

  “Pamina was right,” she said.

  “About what?”

  “You really are like an apple.”

  “An apple?” As his heart overflowed with love, and his body filled with desire he drew her closer and they exchanged a long look. “How am I like an apple?”

  Anna laughed. “It’s a long story.”

  “And you’ll have plenty of time to tell it to me over fine wine and candlelight when we move into the old Murphy place next week.”

  Her head came back with a start. “The Murphy place?”

  “Well technically now it’s the ‘Long’ house, since I bought it for us.”

  Happiness spread across her face and there was a glint of humor in her eyes when she said, “Pretty presumptuous.”

  He offered her a crooked grin. “I like to think of it as determined.”

  “Back in your room, when you talked about us taking possession of our own place…you had this planned from the start, didn’t you?”

  As her warm familiar scent filled him with need, he lowered his voice and went on to explain, “Don’t you see, Anna. I left here long ago because it killed me to be so close to you and not have you. When you stopped talking to me, the world as I knew it came crashing down. I moved away, hoping to get over you.” He gave a quick shake of his head. “How I thought I could ever get over you, I’ll never know. But I’m back now, for good, and I’m determined to make you mine once and for all. I don’t just want you in my bed, Anna. I want you in my life. I need you to trust me, to believe in the magic between us, because we belong together.”

  Blue eyes full of love stared up at him and it nearly unhinged him. “I always thought so too.”

  As a riot of emotions raced through him, everything inside him reached out to her, and it was all he could do to draw in air. It took effort to speak. He swallowed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Her lips twitched, and she moved restlessly against him, conveying her needs. “You have that look on your face again, one I couldn’t quite put a name to until now.”

  “What is it?” he questioned in a soft tone, gripping her hips to pull her against him, harder.

  “It’s love.” Her smile was full of emotion as she flashed dark lashes at him. “It’s love, Daniel. And that can’t be faked.”

  He pitched his voice low. “I’ve always loved you, Anna.”

  “And I’ve always loved you.”

  As his body ached to join with hers, Daniel circled her waist and began to walk backwards, toward the empty van.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, her voice a bit giddy.

  “About all this time we lost…”

  She feigned innocence. “What about it?”

  He gestured with a nod over his shoulder. “Do you think…?”

  “You want me to have sex in your van?” She whacked him on the shoulder. “What kind of girl do you think I am?”

  Oh he knew exactly what kind of girl she was.

  He gripped her hands and pinned them to her sides. “Hey, what did I tell you about hitting me?”

  She nibbled her bottom lip, a ruddy hue on her cheeks. “I…uh…forget.”

  His cock grew another inch as lust surged through him. “Do you need me to remind you?”

  Anna’s chest heaved with excitement when she said, “I believe I do.”

  Laughing, Daniel tugged on her hand and pulled her into the van with him where he proceeded to remind her, and to make up for lost time, as he showed her how good they were together, over and over again.

  Epilogue

  Pamina stood on the sidewalk and glanced at the gorgeous Victorian inn which, after much hard work and dedication by a talented group of professionals, had finally been restored to its former beauty. Everything from the manicured lawn, the repaved walkway to the freshly painted cedar shingles and the fantasy-inspired theme rooms had taken this place from ordinary to extraordinary in a little over a month. Honestly she couldn’t have been happier with the end results.

&nb
sp; Not only had Lindsay, Candace and Anna created rooms beyond her expectations, they’d all found love in the process—with a little help from her and Abra, of course.

  Speaking of Abra…

  She glanced down to see him weaving in and out of her legs. Every few seconds he’d glance upward and purr, trying to catch a glimpse of her silk panties, no doubt. Pamina laughed. Goodness, what was she ever going to do with him?

  Never missing an opportunity, Abra jumped into her arms, brushed his rough tongue over her cheek. “Oh, I can think of a few things.”

  Pamina scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you can.”

  Suddenly a dark cloud moved overhead, covering the clear blue sky and chilling the late-afternoon air. A cool gust came out of nowhere, blowing around her body and seeping into Pamina’s bones. Suspecting there was a greater force at work here, she gave a little shiver and pulled Abra in tighter, wrapping her arms around his furry body in an attempt to absorb his heat.

  “Pamina,” he said, his voice low and sexy. “There are other ways I can warm you, you know. Don’t you think it’s time you changed me back?”

  She grinned. “I suppose it’s worth considering. You did manage to help me fill the place with love and passion.”

  “And don’t forget that I saved that romantic moment when Candace and Marc needed condoms.” He gave a tip of his head. “Good thing I’m always on active duty.”

  Pamina laughed out loud. “You weren’t on active duty, you were spying. You’re nothing but an old tom cat, Abra.” She tapped him on the nose.

  “I most certainly was not spying,” he said, feigning insult. “I was just hanging in the wings in case they needed anything.”

  She looked into his mystical eyes and smiled. “Well done, Abra. Well done,” she murmured and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  Abra purred loudly and shivered in her arms. Pamina reached into her pocket, pulled out a shiny red apple and took a big bite. One minute Abra was snuggled in her arms in feline form, the next his hard muscular body was pressed against hers, chest against chest, groin against groin, his hands holding her tight against his warm flesh.

  This time it was Pamina who shivered. And it wasn’t from the cold breeze.

  Instantly the wind died down, and she had the sneaking suspicion that someone far more powerful than she had cued the frigid breeze to bring them together. She drew in a deep breath and could smell magic in the wind, but it wasn’t coming from her or Abra.

  She took in the Adonis before her. “Hello, Abe,” she said softly, her voice a little unstable as her body turned libidinous.

  “Hello, Pamina.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Thanks,” he said, his voice genuine, his eyes sincere. A moment later, he dipped his head, his mouth so close to hers she was sure he was going to kiss her. Honestly, she would never get used to his charm or blatant masculinity. “And Pamina,” he whispered, “You’re wrong about me still being a tom cat.”

  “Ab—”

  He cut her off. “I’ve learned my lessons and now I only have eyes for you.” As her insides turned to mush, he gave a slow shake of his head. “I’m just not sure why I’d never seen it before.”

  She looked deep into his eyes and didn’t know what to believe. Truthfully, she’d always loved Abe, loved his spirit, his fun-loving nature, and his zest for life. But how could she be sure of his sincerity. Did she dare hope he’d changed?

  As if he’d read her thoughts, he gathered her hand in his. “Come with me.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked, not sure her rubbery legs could actually carry her up the stairs.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  Her eyes widened. “You do?”

  Abe led her to the staircase until they reached the top level. “Up there.”

  “In the attic?”

  Instead of answering Abe reached out and pulled the cord to lower the stairs. He waved his hand. “After you.”

  Not knowing what to expect, she tentatively climbed the stairs. When she reached the top, she stopped and gasped.

  Abe came up behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist. “I had the girls secretly design this room for you. I know how much you miss your home when you travel.”

  “How did you manage? You were a cat.”

  He grinned and glanced heavenward. “I had help, and believe me, the girls knew there was a whole lot more going on between us.”

  Her hand went to her chest, “I really don’t know how you did it, Abe, but it’s beautiful.” She waved toward the sky. “It’s a replica of my bedroom.”

  “That’s because I want you to feel at home when you come back to visit the girls.”

  “How did you know I’d come back?” Once a job was done they rarely returned.

  “Because you’ve all grown so close, and these girls are like family to you.” He gave a sexy grin the curled her toes. “Imagine how surprised they’re going to be when you just hand this place over to them.”

  “I can’t wait to see their faces.” She took a moment to glance around the room, which was designed in warm whites, fluffy throw pillows, her favorite rocking chair, and numerous bowls full of ripe apples to add a splash of color. She felt a little teary. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, really.”

  He made a tsking sound. “Then you’ve been hanging out with the wrong people.”

  “I’ve been hanging out with you,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

  His voice dropped an octave, to show the seriousness of his words, she supposed. “Things are going to be different, Pamina. Very, very different, but also very, very good. You have my word on it.”

  “Your word, huh?”

  “That’s right.” His deep voice seeped under her skin and elicited an erotic shiver. As he looked at her with need and desire, unrequited passion moved through her.

  She touched his chest. “What else do I have?” she asked playfully.

  He placed his warm hand over hers. “Well, besides my word, you have my heart…” He got quiet for a moment, and then she spotted a wicked gleam in his eyes. “And if you’re really, really good, I might let you have my body too.”

  “Oh, but Abe, I have been really, really good.”

  He scooped her up. “Well, in that case…”

  As heat moved through her Abe laid her out on her cloud-like bed, where he proceeded to remove her clothes and spend the first night of the rest of their eternity offering her his heart and his body.

  Afterword

  Thank you so much for reading, ALL LIT UP in my Pleasure Inn series. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I loved writing it. Be sure to check out books 1 & 2, ALL TIED UP, and ALL WORKED UP. Please read on for an excerpt from YOURS TO TAKE.

  * * *

  Interested in leaving a review? Please do! Reviews help readers connect with books that work for them. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.

  * * *

  Happy Reading,

  Cathryn

  Yours To Take

  “Please tell me you’re not serious?”

  Jaw slack, and hands planted on the small round table, Rebecca Andrews stared at her three best friends, hardly able to believe what they were suggesting.

  Lilliana James closed her palm over Rebecca’s hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. Even though the lights had been dimmed in their favorite New York piano bar, a place where they all convened after a challenging day in the courtroom, Rebecca didn’t miss the sympathy in her friend’s big brown eyes when she said, “Come on, Becs, you know as well as I do that you need a vacation.”

  “It’s not a vacation she needs,” Melanie Collins piped in, running her fingers up and down the crystal stemware in a highly suggestive manner that had Rebecca’s thoughts careening in an erotic direction. She smirked and added, “What she needs is to get laid. Plain and simple.”

  “Good, God,” Rebecca murmured under
her breath, hoping like hell no one in the near vicinity could hear her tell-it-like-it-is friend.

  “Don’t even try to deny it,” Melanie challenged playfully, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

  As their conversation headed south—literally—Rebecca fished her olive out of the martini glass and gestured the bartender for another, having decided then and there that this was the perfect occasion to overturn her two two-drink rule. Hell, who could blame her for wanting to consume copious amounts of alcohol after discovering her well-meaning friends wanted to send her to some sort of sex club on a private island off the coast of Nova Scotia?

  She chewed on her olive as her glance went to the tickets on the table—one for a resort called Freedom, the other for the private charter that was scheduled to fly her there first thing tomorrow. Groaning, she took in the other patrons seated around them, many of whom were colleagues, their identities masked by the lounge’s dark lighting and intimate seating. She leaned forward, desperate to keep this embarrassing conversation private, and arched an accusing brow. “How long have you three been scheming this up, anyway?”

  “Just a few weeks now,” Melanie answered.

  Rebecca did the mental math, her thoughts rewinding to three weeks ago, then shook her head, suddenly understanding what this was really all about. “Look, Jon didn’t break up with me. I broke up with him.” When her rebuttal was met with silence, she desperately searched for an alliance in the group. Her glance met Sophie’s and she cast her a pleading look.

  But Sophie simply shrugged and said, “Just like you broke up with Justin, Matthew, Phillip…”

  “And we know, we know,” Melanie said, rolling her eyes. “You just weren’t compatible.”

  Rebecca held her hands up, palms out. “Okay, fine. I get it. You’re saying I’m too picky.” She frowned, and added, “It’s just that…well, we weren’t…they weren’t,” she paused, unable to put in to words what she truly felt. How could she explain what was missing from those relationships, when she couldn’t identify it herself?