Storming the Castle (Dale Series)

by Arianna Hart

  Sadie’s warning bark brought a welcome distraction from her chaotic thoughts. Faith shoved the refrigerated items in the fridge and headed to the porch to see who was visiting her now.

  Mary Ellen’s familiar green van rumbled up the drive, and the bubbly blonde hopped out with her usual burst of energy.

  “Hey, Faith. I have those dresses I was telling you about. I have an hour before I have to be at the store, so you can try them on, and I’ll give you my expert opinion on their sexy factor.”

  Before Faith could get a word in edgewise, Mary Ellen handed her an armload of dresses from the back of the van and marched into the house with another armload.

  “Why don’t we go up to your room? That way I can evaluate your shoe choices, too.”

  “Now’s not really a good time. I just got back from shopping and I need to put the things away,” Faith said, frantically trying to head Mary Ellen off before she met Sam on the stairs.

  “Oh, poo. That can wait. I don’t know when I’ll have another hour free before Thursday. I think you’re just chicken to see what you’d look like in something other than denim.”

  Faith tried to think of another excuse, but it was too late. Mary Ellen practically bowled Sam over as she charged up the stairs.

  “Whoa. Well, hello there,” Mary Ellen said as he grabbed her arms to keep from knocking her down. “I’m Mary Ellen Michaels, one of Faith’s good friends. And who might you be?”

  Her eyes had taken on a calculating gleam, and Faith knew her busy little mind was working out why a man was coming down from the family quarters.

  “This is Sam Castleton, my summer renter. He was just helping me bring a fan to Piper’s room. I’m redoing it as a surprise for her,” Faith babbled. She clamped her teeth together trying to shut up before she made it worse.

  “This is perfect. We need a man’s opinion for this.”

  “For what?” he asked.

  He shot a questioning look at Faith, but she didn’t know what to say, so she just shrugged.

  “I have some clothes for Faith to try on for our girls’ night out, and you can give a man’s opinion about the sexy factor. Now why don’t you sit right down here at the counter with some tea, and I’ll send Faith down like a fashion show.”

  “Mary Ellen, really. Mr. Castleton’s a guest. He doesn’t have any interest in what I’m wearing.”

  “Don’t be silly. You don’t mind, do you?” she asked.

  “Not at all.” The mischievous glint was back in his eyes, and his smile rocked Faith to the core.

  “There, it’s all set. Now, come on. I’ve got to get back to the store in an hour.” Mary Ellen rushed up the stairs and Faith followed, somewhat bewildered at how things had gotten so far out of her control.

  “There’s tea in the fridge,” she called to Sam over her shoulder. “The glasses are in the cabinet to the right of the sink.”

  “I remember,” he called back.

  As soon as Faith reached her bedroom door, Mary Ellen pounced. “Sweet baby Jesus, but that’s one good-looking man. How could you keep him all to yourself? That’s a crime against womanhood to hide a hottie like that out here in the wilderness.”

  “He’s a guest, not my personal boy-toy.”

  “That there is a man, not a boy, and who the hell cares if he’s a guest? Piper’s not around for the next two weeks, so you have no excuse not to jump him.”

  “Mary Ellen! Shh, he’ll hear you,” Faith whispered urgently. “I can’t jump him. I don’t even know him.”

  “Honey, you don’t need to know any more than all his parts are in working order.”

  “I’m not wired that way. I can’t have sex with some man I’ve only known a few weeks.”

  Mary Ellen huffed out a breath. “Honest to God, singleness is wasted on you. Well, fine, if that’s how you’re ‘wired,’ I guess I can’t change that. Still, it can’t hurt to get his opinion on the dresses. Trust me, that man knows his way around a woman’s body.”

  “How can you know that? You met him two minutes ago. He hasn’t said ten words to you.”

  “With some men, you can just tell. It’s like sex appeal flows off them in waves. He’s got that look in his eye that says he knows all sorts of things to do to you. Delicious things.” Mary Ellen sighed and looked at her watch. “If we hurry, I might be able to go up to the station and corner Bill in his office and get him to do some of those things to me.”

  Faith couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine. Pick out what you want me to wear, and I’ll try it on.”

  “Here, try this first. I’m not sure if it’ll fit you around the chest, though. I bought it before I had kids and wasn’t quite so buxom myself.” Mary Ellen tossed her a black spandex dress with a halter top. “It has a built in bra, but I don’t know if it’s up to the challenge of your boobs.”

  “Thanks,” Faith said wryly and went into her bathroom to change.

  “Do you have any heels that don’t look like something my grandmother would wear?” Mary Ellen called through the bathroom door.

  “Probably not, but you can check in the back of the closet.” Faith had gotten rid of a ridiculous number of shoes when she’d moved out of the condo. At one time, she’d had heels of every color and height imaginable. Stilettos weren’t really appropriate for tromping through the woods or doing housework, though.

  The dress was at least one size too small. The spandex squeezed her breasts together so tightly they practically touched her chin, and her butt cheeks darn near hung out the bottom of the miniscule skirt.

  “This is a definite no,” Faith said, opening the bathroom door.

  Mary Ellen stood at the bedroom door holding a pair of black and silver stilettos. “Are you kidding me? It’s perfect. Here, put these on and go show what’s-his-name.” She shoved the heels at her.

  “I’ll break my neck if I try to walk down the stairs in those shoes, and I’m not leaving the room in this dress. I have dish towels that cover more of me than this thing.” There was no way in hell she was prancing in front of Sam in this. No. Way.

  “Spoil sport. What’s the point of being single and stacked if you’re not going to take advantage of it?” She leaned out into the hallway. “Yoo-hoo, cutie pie, come on up here and let little Miss Puritan know what you think of her outfit.”

  “Mary Ellen!” Faith gasped at her audacity. She managed one step toward the bathroom before Mary Ellen grabbed her wrist and held on.

  He must have been waiting at the bottom of the stairs, because he was in the hallway in a flash. Faith felt her face heating as he looked at her. Unfortunately, with her coloring, the blush traveled all the way down from her cheeks to her overexposed chest.

  His gaze burned every inch of her.

  “What do you think? She looks hot, doesn’t she?” Mary Ellen asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ll be arrested for indecent exposure,” Faith added. She grabbed another dress off the pile on her bed and fled to the bathroom. As she turned to pull the door closed behind her, she caught Sam’s gaze on her and her stomach bottomed out. Heat scorched along every nerve ending in her body, and the room practically crackled with electricity. She shut the door and sat on the toilet before her knees gave out. She was in way over her head.

  …

  Sam leaned against the doorframe of Faith’s bedroom and tried to control his breathing. He didn’t tune in until the words “get laid” broke through his sexual fog.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “I said she needs to get laid. Her husband’s been dead for six years, and she hasn’t so much as gone out on a single date. I’ve tried to set her up, but she always has an excuse, she’s too busy with work or Piper needs her. And it’s not like Dale has an abundance of single men, either.”

  “Uh.” He didn’t know how to respond to that statement, but luckily, she didn’t require participation in the conversation.

  “And, honestly, most of her clients are old enough to be h
er father, so there’s no help there. What that girl needs is a night of no-holds-barred sex, and I think you’re just the man to do it.”

  “Wha—?” Sam was speechless.

  “Shh, she’s coming out.”

  “What do you think?” Faith asked, stepping out of the bathroom in another black dress.

  This one had short sleeves and a little flirty skirt that hid her gorgeous ass.

  “Maybe if you’re going to a wedding. This is girls’ night out, come on, work with me.” Mary Something riffled through the pile on the bed and handed Faith another dress, this one hot pink. “Here, try this. I bought it and never wore it.”

  Faith went back into the bathroom and Mary Ellen continued on with the conversation as if she’d never been interrupted.

  “We’re going out drinking on Thursday night. When she gets back here, make sure you’re available and let nature take its course.”

  “What makes you think she’ll just fall into bed with me if I’m around when you get back?”

  “Oh, please. There are so many sparks popping between the two of you, I’m surprised my hair hasn’t caught fire. All she needs is a nudge in the right direction.”

  “I don’t know about this one, either,” Faith called through the bathroom door.

  “That means it’s probably perfect. Come on, let’s see.”

  Faith opened the door wearing the strapless pink dress. She bit her lip nervously as he stared at her.

  “Come out and do a spin,” Mary Ellen directed.

  Faith stepped out and turned around. The pink fabric nipped in at the waist and stretched across her curved butt, accenting her hourglass figure.

  “Too fancy for girls’ night. But I think you should keep it anyway. I’ll never fit into it, and it looks good on you. If you had a sparkly necklace and some earrings, it’d be fabulous for a fancy night out.”

  “Like I go on so many of those,” Faith said with a snort and accepted another dress from Mary Ellen.

  “You never know. It’s always good to have something on hand, and better hanging in your closet than in mine. Now hurry up and try this one on. I need to go see Bill.” She shot a glance at Sam. “Badly.”

  “Who’s Bill?” Sam asked, trying to get the image of Faith dressed in the pink dress on his arm as he went to an event in L.A. out of his head. It was ridiculous, she was a country girl from Georgia with a kid. There was no way she’d ever want to go to one of his events, but he couldn’t shake the bone-deep feeling of rightness as he pictured her with him.

  “My husband. He’s a forest ranger at the ranger station just up a ways.”

  “I’ve seen it when I’ve hiked some of the trails.”

  “He’s a great guy. I love him to death, when I don’t want to smack him upside the head, but that’s marriage for you.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I’ve managed to avoid it so far.”

  “Gee, that’s a shocker. I imagine you like to keep your options open.”

  He didn’t have an answer, so he kept his mouth shut.

  Faith opened the door for the fourth time, and Sam’s heart did a little flip in his chest. “I think we have a winner,” she said. This dress was a cobalt-blue wraparound number that stopped just above the knee. It was sexy without being in your face and showed off her curves to perfection. The jewel-toned blue gave her skin a luminescent glow and made her eyes sparkle.

  “I believe you’re right. And I have the perfect necklace at the store to go with it, too.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “About the necklace, absolutely. I have a ton of jewelry I’m selling on consignment.”

  “No, are you sure I can borrow the dress? It seems expensive.”

  “I wouldn’t have brought it over if I didn’t want you to wear it. I think I bought that for a wedding before I ever had kids. I know I haven’t worn it since I’ve had Hunter. Three kids change your body in ways no amount of exercise can ever repair. Keep it. It looks better on you than it ever did on me.”

  He could feel Mary Ellen’s gaze on him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Faith. Until today, he’d never seen her in anything but shorts and T-shirts. As much as he enjoyed that look, something about seeing her dressed up had his body hard and wanting.

  “I’ve really got to go now. I’ll just leave the other dresses there in case you want to try them on, too. But I think that blue one is the jackpot.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Faith said.

  Her voice was slightly raspy, and he imagined hearing it whisper in his ear.

  He followed the two women down the stairs as they chatted about who was driving and what time they were going out. It was all he could do to appear polite when what he really wanted to do was grab Faith and haul her back to the bedroom.

  “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Castleton. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around. Bill and I are having a few folks over on Saturday night for a bonfire and cocktails. You should come over with Faith.”

  “I’m sure he has better things to do than hang out with us,” Faith jumped in, sounding slightly panicked.

  “That sounds great,” he said, just to be perverse.

  “It’ll be fun. Faith can fill you in on the details. Bye y’all.” She hopped into a green minivan and waved as she backed out of the driveway.

  As soon as the van was out of sight, Faith rounded on him. “Are you insane? Mary Ellen is the biggest gossip in four counties. I thought you wanted to keep a low profile?”

  “I highly doubt she recognizes me. You don’t,” he said, feeling a mixture of relief and irritation. On the one hand, he’d come here because he didn’t want anyone to recognize him, but on the other hand, being totally unknown was humbling.

  “I’m respecting your privacy. Mary Ellen’s vocabulary doesn’t contain the word privacy. She’s going to dig and dig and dig at me until she knows everything there is to know about you.”

  “It’s not like you know all that much.”

  “I know you’re a big deal and your name’s not Sam Castleton.”

  “Actually, it is. That’s the name on my birth certificate.”

  “Oh great, so now she knows your real name. You might as well give up all hope of peace and quiet.”

  “Relax. It’ll be fine. Trust me, I may be a ‘big deal’ some places, but not here. Now, why don’t you show me that lamp so I can see what parts we’re going to need.”

  Faith looked at him in silence for a moment before heaving out a breath that made her breasts rise enticingly under the V-neck of her dress. “Let me change, then we can go to the shed. You should gather your groceries, too. I put your eggs and milk in the fridge when Mary Ellen came over.”

  “I’ll wait for you in the kitchen.”

  He helped himself to another glass of iced tea, feeling at ease in Faith’s kitchen. There was something very relaxing in knowing he had nothing more on his plate than putting groceries away and rewiring a light.

  But what’s going to happen when you have to go back to reality?

  Chapter Eight

  Faith wiped the paint off her hands with the rag from her back pocket. The walls were a soft sage green, and finally, the trim had a third coat of bright white. God, she hated painting trim, but it sure did clean up the room. Tomorrow, she’d start putting everything back together. The desk and bookshelf were waiting in the shed along with the newly wired chandelier. Sam had gotten that done in no time flat.

  Her heart stuttered a little, remembering how his hands had held the tools, hesitantly at first and then with confidence. She couldn’t help but imagine those same long fingered hands touching her. It seemed like every time they were in the same room, he used any excuse to brush against her. He’d spent the last few days helping her with Piper’s room, and getting her so churned up she was ready to explode. The sight of him had her panting like Pavlov’s freaking dog. It had gotten to the point where she was taking cold showers after dinner every night.

  It was beginning to feel natural
having him join her for meals. She looked forward to hearing his footsteps on the porch, her heart quickening with anticipation of his company. Each night, he let slip a little more about himself, about losing his mother and fighting with his father. She could see the lost little boy in his eyes, and her heart ached for him. Part of her wanted to comfort him, and part of her wanted to jump him. She was losing her mind.

  This had to stop. He was leaving in a little over a month. Piper would be back soon, and that would help. When Piper was back, she’d be too busy to lust after him.

  Who the heck was she kidding? She missed her baby something fierce, but he made her feel alive. Whenever she was near him, her body jumped to attention. She could be juggling three kids and the lodge, and she’d still want him.

  Her cell phone rang, and Faith gladly jumped on the interruption. The caller ID showed Nadya’s name.

  “Hey, Nadya. We’re still on for tonight?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll pick you up around six thirty, and then we’ll get Mary Ellen and Ellie. But that’s not why I called.”

  “Oh?” Faith asked, something in Nadya’s tone had her knees turning to water.

  “No. I heard from the Prentices’s lawyer. The paternity test came back confirming Matthew as Piper’s father.”

  “No kidding. So what do they want?” Her heart was lodged somewhere in her throat, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

  “They’ve filed a suit for partial custody. Their motion is they can afford to send her to better schools and give her more opportunities.”

  Faith crumbled to the floor, her legs giving out beneath her. “No. They can’t have her. I don’t care how much money they have, I’m what’s best for my daughter. It’s not like we’re living in poverty.”

  “Calm down. It’s just an opening salvo. They know no judge in the world will take a child away from her mother. This is a negotiation tool.”

  “You don’t know them, they’re powerful. They probably have a judge lined up to settle in their favor.” Oh God, what was she going to do? She couldn’t run away. She had nowhere to go.

  “Then we’ll take it to another judge. Look, I don’t want you to panic. I do have to say they have a heavy-hitting law firm, though. I’m not too proud to admit I don’t swim in their waters. I have the names of some of my colleagues who specialize in family law. I’m going to email it to you. You need a shark on your side, and I’m more of a guppy.”