Welcome to Wardham: Contemporary Erotic Romance Bundle

by Zoe York

  Across the table, Carrie pressed her hand to her chest and smiled. She shared a private look with her mother-in-law, then changed the subject.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  It had been three days since she’d left Wardham. Probably time to call her mom.

  She’d woken Claire and Evie to say goodbye and explain her sudden departure, and left a sticker covered note for Connor and Max. Evie had sent a photo of them making a doctor snowman later that day, but Laney still hadn’t talked to anyone at the farm. Her mom knew the drill, and they didn’t usually talk more than once a week, but...it wasn’t just about being a good daughter, either. Laney hoped that talking to her mom might help her figure out what to do about her mess of unsettled feelings. Yes, it was time to call her mom. Time to call Kyle as well. She winced. They hadn’t texted or spoken again since last night. He was putting the ball in her court, and she was watching it dribble along the ground.

  She tucked that pang of regret away for the moment. She only had a couple of minutes before her hair appointment. Only enough time for a mom, not enough time for a guy.

  Claire picked up on the first ring. They exchanged brief updates on the last few days, then Laney dove in. “Kyle sent me a package. He told me he asked you for my address.”

  “That arrived quickly.”

  “I don’t think he made it himself. It was a gift basket type of thing.”

  “I hope I did the right thing.” Claire’s voice ached with worry, and Laney quickly reassured her it was fine.

  “We’ve been texting a bit. I didn’t expect him to be so...” A querying silence fell over her, and her mother didn’t try to fill in the gaps. “I don’t know. Understanding. Supportive. Constant.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “I don’t know how long it will last.” Damn, that hurt to admit. “I can’t move home, Mom.”

  “It’s too soon to worry about that.” Claire sighed. “I hate to suggest that you just have a fling, but you’re a grown up. Just because Kyle lives here doesn’t mean he can’t make the drive to Chicago. And I’d love it if you visited more, even if your primary reason was a booty call.”

  Laney laughed. “Oh god, Mom!”

  “What? I understand how the world works these days.”

  The receptionist chose that moment to call her name, and Laney quickly told her mother that she loved her.

  As she sat in the salon chair, she closed her eyes and mused. He’d called her twice. All morning she’d thought about calling him, taking the initiative and demonstrating that she was in, committed to whatever this was between them. Sending the photos had been easy. Flirting was easy. Actually making a call was something much more dangerous. An acknowledgement that she cared about him beyond hooking up. With their history, caring was a slippery slope. What could love between them look like? Two homes, five hundred kilometers apart. Two weekends a month, coordinating vacation time, big phone bills and long empty nights.

  Not being with him at all, though...the idea of saying goodbye, of pushing Kyle away, caused hot tears to well up behind her eyelids. Blinking furiously, she redirected her attention to the magazine in her lap. The salon wasn’t the place to think about breaking up with someone. The other options weren’t really options at all. She couldn’t move home. And she couldn’t ask Kyle to leave Wardham. He’d made it clear that was his happy place, where he’d invested years of teaching service. Where he’d literally started to build his own home. His friends, his family. And it’s not like she’d be offering him much. An hour before bed. Half of her weekends.

  Isn’t that his call, though? Kyle didn’t need her protection. He’d drawn that boundary before, he would again if it got to be too much. Stabby pains danced through her gut at that realization. This wasn’t completely her decision. He seemed all in, but for how long?

  Someone tapped her on the shoulder and guided her over to the wash station. As the highlight foils slipped out of her hair, she bristled at herself. Would she really let it fall apart again?

  Laney pulled out her phone as she left the salon and dialed his number. Fear be damned. He answered on the first ring, his voice eager but breathless.

  “Did I catch you at a bad time?” She stepped into the street and hailed a cab. “I’m just heading home, I could call you back when I get there.”

  “No, it’s fine, I was just unloading the truck. I’m glad you called. Are you all ready for tonight?”

  “Pretty much. My hair and makeup are done, my introduction notes are written, I’ve memorized all the key points about donors.”

  “Do you have your dancing shoes picked out?”

  “I don’t think I’m going to do much dancing tonight.” She flushed as vivid memories of the last dance they shared crashed into her head.

  “You love to dance.” Kyle lowered his voice. “You should let some fat cats twirl you around the dance floor and make you feel beautiful.”

  “You wouldn’t be jealous?”

  He laughed. “Are you kidding me? But at the end of the night, you’d call me. They get you for a moment. You’re mine for...”

  “For what?” Laney whispered. It was time for the hesitation to end. “I’m yours. Right? I’m yours for...”

  Kyle cleared his throat. “Are you almost home?”

  She nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see her. “Yeah. One more block.”

  He didn’t say anything, and into the silence she spilled all sorts of possible meaning. She took a deep breath and pressed her hand against her stomach. “Kyle...”

  “Shhh, it’s okay.”

  “What is that, your new catch phrase? Hang on, I just need to pay the cab.” She reached into her purse and grabbed a twenty. She didn’t bother to wait for change. It was New Year’s Eve, after all. And she had a phone conversation to get back to.

  She exchanged nods with the doorman as she walked toward the building. “Please, Kyle. This is really hard for me. I don’t know why I’m so scared, I just am.”

  “You don’t need to be scared, beautiful. Look up.” She heard the words through the phone and in front of her at the same time. Kyle was standing in her lobby, looking nervous and handsome and oh so very real. He wore a black suit jacket over jeans and a dress shirt, and he was clean shaven. She squeaked as her phone tumbled to the ground and she flung herself into his arms, driving him back a few steps. “You’re mine forever, sweetheart. Forever.”

  Kyle eased her back to the ground and cupped her face in his hands. “I love you so much, Laney Calhoun. I love you here, in Chicago. I love you at the end of a 24 hour shift. I love you in this giant glass building that doesn’t seem to have parking for pickup trucks, and I love you even though you don’t think you have time or space in your life for a relationship.”

  “I was wrong.” She hiccupped. “I’ll make time.”

  He kissed her, pressing his lips against hers with sweet determination, promising her that it didn’t matter because he loved her just the way she was. Her knees buckled, and he eased her against him, his arms sliding solidly around her body. “Can we go upstairs?”

  She nodded, and he pulled her tight into his side, freeing his other hand to grab a suitcase that he'd left against the wall. In the elevator, they stood pressed against each other, hearts pounding in anticipation. A tremor wracked Laney’s body when they reached her floor. She pressed her key into Kyle’s hand and pointed to her door. If she didn’t sit down soon, she was going to pass out, and she really didn’t want to miss what she was hoping would come next.

  Kyle let his suitcase tumble to the ground as the door swung shut behind them. His attention was fixed solely on her, his gaze stripping her naked, not just her clothes, but grabbing her fears, questions and hesitations, flinging them aside as well. She pressed herself against him, still not quite believing that he was there in front of her.

  “How attached are you to that pretty hair do?” Kyle murmured against her neck as his fingers made quick work of her buttons.

&nb
sp; “Couldn’t care less,” Laney breathed, shoving his jacket down his arms. “You look nice, by the way.”

  “I shaved.”

  “I noticed.”

  “I love you.” Kyle wrenched open her jeans and she wiggled out of them while she worked on his belt buckle and fly.

  “Yeah? Because I love you.” Her breath hitched as he gripped her hips, his fingers curling under her ass, and then she was jerked up against his chest and he was pressing her against the wall. Her bare legs wrapped around his waist and she rocked her core against his erection.

  “Jesus, hang on a second.” He fumbled between them, and she realized he was still wearing his jeans. And he was shaking. That made two of them.

  “Wait, wait, wait. Let’s go into the bedroom.” She slid down the wall, her toes reaching for the floor. His hands raked up her sides, like he was searching for a solid handhold.

  Any part of me. I won’t let you go.

  His breath was loud and rough. His hands reached her shoulders, squeezed, then slammed onto the wall on either side of her. Pressing their foreheads together, he took a deep breath and nodded. She captured his lips with hers. “I love you, Kyle. I have no idea how we’re going to work this out, but my heart? It’s yours.” She tugged on his arms, pulling his hands to her body. “My body is yours.” She worked on the buttons of her shirt. “Here, touch me.”

  He helped her lose the shirt, then divested himself of his clothes as well. Standing in the hallway, her in her bra and panties, him in his boxer briefs, they stared at each other. Both breathing hard. Brave and scared at the same time. Kyle skimmed his hands over her shoulders, down her arms, tracing her shape. She shivered, and he picked her up again, holding her high on his waist. She looked down at him with a tremulous smile.

  “No more doubt,” she whispered. “No more fear.”

  “Which way to our bed?”

  “Turn right. Second door.”

  He strode down the hall, effortlessly holding her against him, one palm on her ass, the other between her shoulder blades. Shouldering the door open, he found what he was looking for and lowered her gently. “Next time I’m going to fuck you up against the wall. When I’m not such an emotional pansy.” He slid her bra straps down her arms, freeing her nipples. “God, I love these.” He lowered his mouth, and his next words were muffled.

  “Say it again.”

  He let her breast pop out of his mouth and moved up, covering her completely with his weight. “I love you. You are my everything.”

  Laney whimpered. “There’s so much to talk about still.”

  “Nothing else matters but waking up next to you and being able to rub your feet when you’re tired.” He nipped at her lower lip, then sank his mouth into hers for a deeper kiss. Good lord, the man could kiss. She made another helpless noise, and he pulled away. “I’m here. I’m going to have to come and go, but I’m here.”

  Before she could question all the logistics of what that meant, he flipped over and pulled her on top of him. She lost the bra, and he cupped her mounds together as she started to slowly rock herself toward a first climax. Two layers of fabric separated them, but Kyle wasn’t sure she wouldn’t drag him with her. He dragged the scrap of silk down her hips, and she stood up to remove them all the way. He shucked his own boxers, and then she sank down, bringing them together.

  They moved as one, slow at first, then with more urgency as they climbed toward release. He felt her climax build, felt her flutter around him, and it hastened his own need. He reached between them to tease her clit, and she responded by crying out his name. That did it. His name spilling from her lips and he slammed home, hoping to hell he’d gotten her there.

  As the dull roar faded, he realized two things. One, Laney was boneless and blissed out on top of him. Good. And two, he was still hard. He flexed his cock inside her, and she gasped. “Again?”

  He nodded and rolled again, pinning her beneath him, alternating tender kisses and hard thrusts. He covered her entire body with his, filling her up with passion and fire, promising companionship, adventure, understanding, support and adoration.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  As soon as she heard the knock at the door, Laney realized she’d forgotten to make an important phone call.

  “Are you expecting someone?” Kyle asked from the bedroom. She bit her lip and pulled on a robe. “Laney? Do you want me to get the door?”

  She stepped into view and winced. “There’s something that I forgot to mention.”

  He laid Ty’s tuxedo jacket on the bed, crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow. “Oh?”

  She licked her lips. This wasn’t that big a deal. “That—” the knock sounded again “—is my date for the evening.”

  Without a word, Kyle turned and stalked to the front door. Laney hurried after him, admiring his long legs and tight ass in his black suit pants. Not the time, Calhoun. Even though she knew he didn’t have anything to be jealous over, this was crappy timing. Kyle grabbed the handle and swung the door open just as Rick raised his hand to knock for a third time.

  “About time, Laney, leaving a cripple—Oh!” The two men sized each other up. One half-dressed and in her home. The other… “Hi. Rick Masters. I, uh, thought I was taking Laney to the gala tonight.”

  She bobbed her head around Kyle’s shoulder. “Hey Rick. I’m sorry, I should have called. This is Kyle.”

  “Her boyfriend.” For good measure, her boyfriend flexed his broad shoulders and she pushed back the instinct to roll her eyes. “I’ll be escorting Laney tonight. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

  He wasn’t actually sorry, but it wasn’t this shmuck’s fault that plans had changed. Shit happens. Kyle made room for Laney to step forward to stand even with him. As much as he wanted to close the door and get back to watching her dress, this was her guest to deal with. He harnessed his inner caveman and deferred to her with a nod. She shot him a quick look that told him it was all a bit belated and he shrugged. Again, shit happens.

  “Rick, would you mind heading on without me? We’ll see you there, I’m sure.” Laney smiled sweetly, and the guy on crutches nodded. “I’m sorry about this, I should have called. It just slipped my mind.”

  “Of course.” He shot a quick glance at Kyle, then opened his mouth as if he was going to ask a question. Thinking better of it, he nodded again and turned to the elevator.

  Laney turned and glided to her bedroom faster than Kyle would have thought possible. He made sure the front door closed firmly before following.

  “You want to tell me what that was all about?” He filled the ensuite bathroom doorway, his stance wide, his arms crossed again. She glanced at him for a moment before she resumed applying her makeup in the mirror. “When did you make this date with that guy?”

  “Settle down. It’s not what you think. We’re colleagues, and Rick has escorted me to many of these events. He knew that tonight was just sharing a car.”

  “So you haven’t had sex with him?”

  Laney’s cheeks flushed pink, but the way her nostrils flared told him it wasn’t out of embarrassment. “We weren’t going to have sex tonight, and that’s what should matter to you.” She took a deep breath. “We used to...have a casual understanding. It ended before I went home for Christmas.”

  His turn for nostril flaring. He couldn’t help it.

  She sighed and softened her tone. “It was never like what we have.”

  Kyle pursed his lips. That wasn’t what he had wanted to hear, but she was right. The past didn’t matter. He took a deep breath and apologized for being a lunkhead. She flashed a ready smile and he relaxed against the door frame. She put the finishing touches on her face and turned toward him. She glowed. The professional hair and makeup she’d had done earlier were nice, but this was his Laney. Her hair was down, shiny golden waves spilling over her shoulders, and her makeup just accented her natural colouring.

  “You are the most beautiful woman in the world,” he said huskily, and her wide
eyes and parted lips told him his earlier alpha male display was forgiven. Or at least forgotten. “Can I help you get into your dress?”

  “Will it actually make it on?” she teased, moving toward her closet. A pale pink satin gown hung on the closet door, but she dropped her robe and stepped past it, searching inside.

  Kyle sucked in a breath at the glimpse of her long bare legs topped by barely there nude-coloured lace boy shorts. “Maybe not.”

  “I was going to wear that pink dress, but now I’m thinking this one might be more appropriate.” Laney drifted into view, holding a mass of red tulle to her chest. “It doesn’t have a hood, but...”

  Kyle stepped back, not trusting himself to be within touching range. He cleared his throat and gestured for her to put it on. She turned her back to him, and his eyes devoured her heart shaped ass as it bobbed around in front of him. She smoothed out the tulle, and finding the center of the dress, stepped in. Once she had the bodice up and around her chest, she looked over her shoulder.

  “Mr. Wolf, do you think you could zip me up?”

  “Only if you come closer, little one.” His cock strained at the fly of his tuxedo pants, and he thought about telling her to put on the pink dress instead. He wouldn’t make it through the night playing nice. She backed up, her eyes locked on his, and he reached forward. He grasped the zipper tag between his thumb and middle finger, letting his index finger blaze a trail up her spine as he inched the dress together, covering her delectable spine at a painfully slow pace.

  After doing up the hook and eye just under her shoulder blades, he slid his hands to her hips and turned her around. She looked like an ethereal fairy, her skirt made up of a number of layers of floaty red tulle, her snug bodice covered in the same material. “We’d better go before I bite you.”

  Her eyes flared bright at the suggestion, and he pulled her into the cradle of his hips. His chest was hot with excitement, like he just might rip his suit open and discover he was Superman. Laney did that to him, made him feel invincible. A quick glance at his watch reminded him that the love of his life had an important public event to get to, and he guided them to the door. She stepped into black pumps, grabbed her wrap and handbag, and they were off.