by Cindy Kirk
Some of Margot’s eagerness over the evening’s festivities diminished at the thought of going outside in the weather. Because of the clear forecast she hadn’t even thought to bring an umbrella. “I’m starting to worry about myself.”
Brad’s arms were now fully around her. He held her loosely enough that she only had to tip her head back to look in his eyes. Green eyes as tumultuous as the weather outside the window met her gaze. “Tell me.”
She smiled at his commanding tone. “Tell you what?”
“What has you worried?”
“Maybe it’s all the drama of the week, but I fear I’m becoming antisocial,” she said in a whisper. “I look at the rain and find myself wishing I could stay inside with a glass of wine by the fire. How crazy is that?”
“Not so crazy.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear then kissed her neck. “I feel that way, too.”
Her blood turned to fire at the warm moistness of his lips against her skin. Her brain short-circuited, making it difficult to think.
“We didn’t drive all this way to hang out in a B&B all night,” she pointed out.
“We came to listen to jazz,” he said as he nibbled on her ear making her knees grow weak and her breath come in short puffs.
“That’s right.” Margot could scarcely hear the words over the pounding of her heart.
“I can pull up jazz on my phone. We can enjoy wine and appetizers in front of the fire. We won’t have to battle the weather and I guarantee it’ll be more peaceful than being at the Eagles Club.”
“Eagles Club?”
“Where Glacier Jazz is being held this year.”
“Oh.”
He took her arm and led her to a small Victorian loveseat barely big enough for two. When he sat beside her, his thigh pressed against hers and she was supremely conscious just how male he was...
Brad captured her hand and studied it for a moment before his thumb began caressing her palm in a way that made her mouth grow dry.
She forced her final protest out that dry throat. “But you like to party.”
He laughed softly as his gaze melded with hers. “Who says we’re not going to party?”
Chapter Fifteen
Brad cocked his head when a bell sounded. It reminded him of something you’d hear on a ship. He knew what it meant. And he also knew if he remained in this cozy room with Margot alone for even five more minutes, there would be no appetizers and wine by the fire.
Still, the thought of what would happen had him hesitating. Telling himself they would both need sustenance to survive the night he had planned, Brad took Margot’s hand then tugged her from the room and down the stairs.
She didn’t protest but the look of surprise on her face made him smile. Obviously just when she thought she had him all figured out, he’d surprised her.
A fire glowed cheerily in the parlor and trays of pretty hors d’oeuvres had been set out on a large oval table draped with a lacy tablecloth. Bottles of wine were scattered around the room and crystal glasses gleamed in the chandelier’s glow.
Though Margot was clearly the youngest in the room, there were several couples who appeared to be close to his age. Still, the majority of those mingling in the beautiful parlor looked close to retirement age.
* * *
Brad remained at her side as they enjoyed bits of bacon-wrapped shrimp and munched on goat cheese poppers. Though most of the conversations were superficial, Margot found it difficult to concentrate. Such a lack could be a symptom from her head injury, but she knew that wasn’t the reason.
Each time he glanced in her direction and their eyes locked, all she could think about was the bed waiting for them upstairs. They’d only been downstairs for fifteen or twenty minutes when Margot took the bull by the horns.
She squeezed his hand and stared hard into those beautiful, sexy green eyes.
There was no need for words. He refilled their wineglasses while she put together a plate of appetizers. Though she wasn’t all that hungry now, she had a feeling she was going to be ravenous later.
Debbie stopped them on their way out of the parlor. “Leaving for the Eagles Club?”
“We’re going to relax a bit before heading out.” Margot jumped at a large crack of thunder overhead.
“Be careful tonight,” Debbie warned. “The temperature has dropped twenty degrees in the last hour. The forecast has now gone from clear to rain to thundersnow.”
Margot knew what the revised forecast meant; lots of wet, heavy snow.
Though she couldn’t wait to get upstairs, she didn’t want to be rude. She and Brad visited with Debbie for several minutes before heading up the steps.
Margot paused at the door to their room while Brad pulled out the key. “This sort of reminds me of that Christmas song, ‘Oh, the weather outside is frightful...’”
“Being inside you will be so delightful.” As soon as the door opened, he tugged her inside and pressed her up against the wall, almost upsetting the plate of food she held in one hand.
Her breath caught in her throat. “I don’t think those are the words.”
“They should be.” He kissed her firmly then stepped back. “I need to set these glasses down before I pour red wine down the front of that shirt and you’re forced to take it off.”
Margot placed the appetizers on a side table, then moved to the fireplace where a fragrant fire simmered in the hearth. She smiled to herself. “Something tells me it’ll be off very soon anyway.”
“You say the nicest things.” Brad came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, making her squeal.
“What nice things?” Her voice sounded breathless.
“Offering to take off your shirt.”
She laughed. “Where’s my jazz? If I’m going to get naked I need seduction music.”
Brad pulled out his phone, swiped a few buttons and Louis Armstrong’s distinctive voice filled the air. The melody and romance of the song wrapped around her like a pretty ribbon.
It seemed oh-so-natural when Brad held out his arms as if ready to sweep her across a ballroom floor. “May I have this dance?”
She stepped into his embrace then tilted her head back. “Who are you and what have you done with Brad Crawford?”
He smiled a bit ruefully, his eyes now the color of jade. “You bring out the romantic in me.”
“First time I’ve heard that.”
“I have a question for you,” he began then hesitated.
From the look in his eyes, it appeared he was waiting for some encouragement. Though Margot had no idea what he might say, she offered a smile and a light tone. “Don’t let that stop you.”
Still, he hesitated for several seconds before speaking.
“You said once that it had been a while since you’d been with anyone.” His gaze searched her eyes. “Did you have a bad experience? Did some guy hurt you, Margot?”
Now she saw the worry in his eyes and rushed to soothe.
Her lips twisted in a wry smile. “Not unless you count the guy back in high school who bragged to his buddies about bagging the redhead with the big boobs.”
Brad’s jaw set in a hard line and a muscle in his jaw jumped.
Uh-oh. She waved a dismissive hand. “That was eons ago.”
“Who is he?” Brad demanded. “Is he still in Rust Creek Falls?”
“What are you going to do?” Margot inclined her head, kept her tone light. “Beat him up for me?”
Brad’s hand tightened around hers. “Maybe.”
They were barely moving now, swaying slowly back and forth in time to music that had switched from Louis to Ella.
She could almost feel his fury simmering in the air. Margot gave a little laugh, hoping to ease the tension. “Don’t tell me you
never kissed and told.”
“Never,” Brad said flatly.
Since appealing to logic obviously hadn’t worked, Margot tried distraction. She twined her fingers through his hair, raised herself up to her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his for a brief kiss.
His smoldering gaze settled on hers and then he lowered his head. Her kiss had been a momentary meeting of the lips. This was a melding of the souls.
When she came up for air, Margot felt dizzy with desire. The fingers of both of her hands were tangled in his hair and the spicy scent of his cologne surrounded her. His hands cupped her backside, pressing her tightly against his arousal, leaving no room for misunderstanding about his desire for her.
“Shall we get more comfortable?” Margot asked in a breathless voice.
Brad took a step back, his gaze never leaving hers. Instead of tackling the buttons on his shirt, he reached for the ones on hers. “Let me help you.”
She kept her gaze firmly focused on his face, on green eyes that glittered like a thousand emeralds. Margot’s heart skittered as he unfastened each button slowly until her shirt hung open in the front. He tugged the tails from her pants then slipped the garment off her shoulders. It fell to the floor to pool at her feet.
If the flash of heat in his eyes was any indication, the black lacy bra she’d chosen specifically with this moment in mind met with his approval.
Instead of unclasping the front hook as she expected, he turned his attention to her pants. In a matter of seconds, they too were at her feet. Margot stepped out of them, then slipped back on her heels. She stood before him, clad only in her bra, matching panties and black heels.
“Do you approve of my outfit?” She asked with a coquettish smile, striking a pose. “I dressed with you in mind this evening.”
“I like it very much.” His eyes had turned dark and unreadable in the firelight’s glow.
“What about you?” She reached for his belt buckle but he pushed her hands aside and nuzzled her neck.
“In a minute,” he murmured, his lips moving to her ear.
“Nah, uh.” Margot shook her head and stepped back when he attempted to pull her close. “Down to your boxers or briefs first.”
“You drive a hard bargain.” Yet those emerald eyes danced and he made quick work of slipping the sweater over his head and shrugging out of his pants.
His chest was broad with a slight smattering of dark hair, his hips lean and his legs long and muscular.
“Look.” She pointed to their image in the full-length beveled mirror. “We match.”
He stood slightly behind her, clad only in black boxers. The tan he’d gotten from long days in the summer sun still lingered and had turned his skin a soft shade of gold.
Her ivory complexion provided a startling contrast when set against the black lace.
He smiled approvingly at their reflection, her in front and him half a step behind her.
“You’re right,” he murmured in a husky whisper that sent warm licks of desire up her spine. “We do match. Perfectly.”
With their gazes still focused in the mirror, Brad unclasped her bra and eased it gently from her shoulders. His arms slid around her and he cupped a breast in each large palm as his thumbs teased the pointed nipples. “You’re beautiful.”
While she watched, he leaned around her and took one erect nipple into his mouth and suckled. Margot lifted her hands to his hair and closed her eyes as waves of sensation washed over her.
Then, just when she thought she couldn’t stand it any longer he moved to the other breast. She wobbled, her legs threatening to buckle under the onslaught of sensations. But he didn’t pull back.
Instead, Brad dropped to his knees in front of her and crooked a finger in the waistband of her panties, easing them all the way down to the floor. He supported her as she stepped out of them. “Spread your legs for me.”
She glanced over her shoulder, to the right. “The bed—”
“Spread your legs,” he repeated.
When she did as he asked, he pressed his mouth to her center in an openmouthed kiss that made her tremble all over.
Her body responded with breathtaking speed. Feeling his warm breath at her center, seeing him kneeling before her, was the most erotic experience of her life. She cried out in delight.
Though her legs still shook, she parted farther for him. He found her sweet spot and licked it over and over. Tension exploded inside her as her muscles tensed and collected. She tossed her head from side to side, fighting to stay upright as her release claimed her.
He rose and caught her when she swayed. Gathering her in his arms, he carried her to the bed, flinging back the covers with an impatient gesture.
She barely had time to gaze at his arousal before he sheathed it with a condom and settled between her legs.
“Be in me,” she whispered as he raised his head and gazed into her eyes.
He was large and stretched her in the best way possible. The need for him grew with each slow thrust. She clung to him, urging him deeper.
The rhythmic thrusting made her pulse against him. She felt her control slipping and she strained toward him, reaching, needing, wanting.
She’d never felt like this before. The desire for him was a stark carnal hunger Margot hadn’t known she was capable of feeling. All she knew was that she didn’t want it to end.
* * *
They made love several more times that night. The next morning when Margot awoke, tender in places she didn’t realize she had muscles, she spent an hour in the whirlpool with Brad.
Margot couldn’t remember when she’d had so much fun with any man, in or out of bed. Brad had a sense of humor and a playful side in sync with her own. By the time they dressed, the snow had quit falling outside and the fire was mere glowing embers.
The smell of bacon drew them downstairs, where they sat at a table and chatted with several other couples while drinking copious amounts of coffee and eating a breakfast fit for a lumberjack...or for two people who’d spent the evening in vigorous physical activity.
When the last couple at the table left, Brad’s smoldering gaze fixed on hers. Suddenly, she wanted him again.
Maybe it was because she’d gone so long without sex that she couldn’t seem to get enough of him. All Margot knew was if she had her way, they’d spend the rest of their time in Kalispell in bed.
“What would you say,” Brad said slowly in a low tone, “to spending another night here?”
Margot couldn’t keep from touching him another second. She trailed a finger up his arm. “Are you suggesting we stay and actually attend Glacier Jazz?”
“The festival is a possibility. We have other options.” He captured her hand, brought it to his lips where he placed a kiss in the palm. “I’m not ready for all this to end.”
His gaze shifted around the dining room with its silver platters of food and warm inviting atmosphere. But when his eyes met hers and she saw the fire smoldering there Margot knew they were of the same mind. “I want to stay longer. Do you know if the room is available?”
Margot’s stomach flip-flopped at the smile he sent her way.
“I already checked,” he said. “It’s ours if we want it.”
* * *
Brad could have easily stayed in the room with Margot all day. Actually that would have been his preference. But despite the hearty breakfast they’d enjoyed, by noon they were both hungry again. The sun shone in a bright blue sky. The three inches of snow the area received last night had already started to melt.
When Margot mentioned checking out some of the little shops on Main Street, Brad had to stifle a groan. But the eagerness in her eyes had him hiding his dismay and agreeing it sounded like a splendid idea.
So far, so good, he thought as they strolled down the
street, hand-in-hand with the sun warm against their faces. They stopped for lunch at a little bistro that had popped up in the past year. Once they were finished, Margot declared it was time to shop.
Brad thought he displayed extraordinary control when he smiled instead of groaning. For several minutes, they simply walked down Main, pausing every so often to gaze into a window. If this was Margot’s idea of shopping, he found he rather enjoyed it.
Though Brad liked living in Rust Creek Falls, it was nice to be in a town where no one knew him. If he wanted to steal a kiss or loop an arm over Margot’s shoulders it wouldn’t be reported by the Rambler the following Sunday. That fact alone made this day he was sharing with her special.
Margot appeared to be in a good mood, chattering about Leila and her friends back on the rodeo circuit. She didn’t once mention her father and Brad had no intention of bringing up the guy.
“I feel like we’re playing hooky,” she said with an infectious smile, stopping to linger in front of another store window. Holding true to its name, the All Christmas, All Year store appeared to feature only Christmas items. “It was nice of your father to agree to watch the ranch an extra day.”
She looked so happy, so carefree, he couldn’t resist. Brad cupped the back of her neck with his hand and kissed her. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands—or his mouth—off her.
“He was happy to do it,” he murmured against her mouth, pleased by her slightly dazed expression. At least he wasn’t the only one affected.
Margot took a deep, steadying breath then grabbed his hand, something she’d done with increasing regularity this afternoon. “Let’s go inside.”
Brad stood in the doorway for a moment and gazed into the shop filled with anything and everything related to Christmas. “It’s only October. Isn’t it a little early for this type of shopping?”
The comment earned him a scowl from a middle-aged woman with a woven basket filled to overflowing with an assortment of holiday items.
Margot slipped her arm through his. “Come on, Scrooge. No one is saying you have to buy something.”
