by J. H. Croix
Dawson and I drove back to Stolen Hearts Lodge a while later, drenched and tired. He took off to his cabin because he stayed here full-time, unlike me. He didn’t waste much time before he gave me a wave and jogged into the trees.
I stood in the rain with my bag over my shoulder for a moment, undecided. I was technically staying in a small room in the offices above the vet clinic. It was perfectly comfortable. Jackson had it set up for when he needed to monitor animals after surgery. Comfort aside, I didn’t want to go there.
I wanted to go straight to Valentina, but I didn’t know if she would be in her cabin yet, and I didn’t know if that was pushing things too far, too fast. Before I consciously made my decision, my feet made it for me, turning in the rain and striding toward Valentina’s cabin. With darkness falling, I didn’t expect anyone to notice me out here. Conveniently, for my sake, Dawson’s cabin was in a different direction.
A few minutes later, I lifted my head, looking through the blur of the rain to see the light on the porch of her cabin beckoning me. I couldn’t tell just yet if she was here. I knew from last night she left a light on inside.
Jogging the remaining distance, I stepped onto the porch and gave my head a shake. After a quick knock and no answer, I let out a sigh, brushing away a drop of rain rolling down my cheek.
The last time I felt comfortable just walking into some woman’s place when she wasn’t there was back when I was dating Melissa in college. Even though I’d gone on to marry Melissa and we had Rylie, I could safely say I hadn’t felt the kind of intensity for her that Valentina elicited.
Simply contemplating that reality almost sent me running, yet the force of my draw to Valentina was too damn powerful. I couldn’t seem to make my feet move and do the practical thing, the not-fucking-crazy thing and walk back to the vet clinic to stay there.
Just as I was considering what to do, I heard my name. With the sound of rain drumming on the roof above, I could hardly hear. Looking through the trees, I saw Valentina approaching through the rain. It was the hottest part of summer, yet the rain was still cool. Valentina didn’t even have a jacket on.
Her T-shirt was plastered to her, and her curls were flat. It wasn’t too far of a walk from the lodge to here, but it was a true downpour. Lightning cracked, lighting up the sky and illuminating her.
An unfamiliar sense of protectiveness hit me like a bolt, crackling like lightning. Before I knew it, I dropped my bag and stepped off the porch, running to meet her. I didn’t like that she was soaked, not with the lightning and the thunder vibrating around us in this hell of a storm.
Just as the sky lit up again, I reached her. And she smiled. My heart felt as if a ray of sun was shining on it.
“What are you doing?” I asked as I basically dragged her back with me onto the porch.
Out of the rain, Valentina brushed her hand across her forehead and looked up at me through her eyelashes. “Walking home,” she said, stating the quite obvious fact. “What are you doing?”
“Coming to see you.”
My eyes, because they were greedy, dipped down to see her nipples pressing against her wet T-shirt, and I suddenly wondered who else had seen her.
Dude, what the hell?
That was my skeptical mind, my cynical mind. Because it made absolutely no fucking sense for me to be wondering who had seen Valentina like this. Logically, she left the lodge perfectly dry and got wet on her walk home. Given the rain, no one was hanging around to ogle anyone. Except perhaps me.
It was just that I didn’t want anybody else to be aware of how perfect her breasts were, particularly when outlined by drenched cotton.
“Come on,” she murmured, slipping her hand through my elbow and giving me a little tug. Snagging my bag, I let her lead me into her cabin.
If she had any thoughts about me unexpectedly showing up, she didn’t share them. We stepped inside, and I looked over at her. She was shivering. The cool air conditioning inside was chilly.
Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she strode toward the bathroom, peeling her clothes off on the way. Dropping my bag by the bed, I wasn’t even thinking when I found myself following her. I paused long enough to kick off my boots and hang my raincoat by the door. Wordlessly, I stepped into the bathroom to find her naked and leaning into the shower to turn it on.
I was hard instantly. I wanted her.
So. Damn. Fiercely.
She was unlike any woman I’d ever known. Her refreshing openness, her comfort with herself just how she was.
“You need a shower too,” she observed, stepping close to me.
I dipped my head because there was a freckle I wanted to kiss on her shoulder. My lips traveled, finding that sweet spot in the little dip above her collarbone.
She let out a soft sound in the back of her throat, and it electrified me. Although I could see the wild flutter of her pulse in her neck, she was all business, swiftly unbuttoning my jeans as steam began to fill the room. I nudged my chin toward the shower because it was clear she was still cold with her skin covered in goose bumps.
“Get in the shower. I’ll be right behind you.”
That was how I found myself in the shower with sexy, sweet Valentina. With bubbles rolling over her skin and steam billowing around us, I couldn’t help myself. The moment we started kissing, I was done for.
With the feel of her luscious curves pressed against me, all slick and soapy, it was an act of pure discipline to keep from fucking her hard against the tile wall. All made worse by the fact she threw herself into it. Kissing Valentina was like getting caught in a wave, dragged straight into the riptide of desire.
She wasn’t shy, not even a little, as her hands mapped my body, squeezing my ass and nearly pushing me over the edge when she curled her palm around my cock and stroked up and down. Scrambling for control, I spun us to the side, pressing her back against the tile. Bending low, I sucked a nipple in my mouth, teasing the other between my thumb and forefinger.
Every little sound she made was a light lash of the whip cracking at the lust driving me. Still toying with her nipples, I slipped my fingers through her damp curls, finding the core of her hot and slick with arousal. Mindful she might be sore, I teased my fingers through her folds lightly before sliding one finger inside. I heard the sound of her head falling against the tile behind her and lifted her knee, hooking it over my shoulder as I knelt and brought my mouth to her.
I breathed in the salty, musky scent of her, slowly licking over the opening of her swollen pink folds. With the hot water falling down around us, I added another finger to the first. Settling in, I nearly made myself crazy by bringing her to the edge again and again with my mouth and fingers.
“Lucas,” she gasped, tugging at my hair.
I paused, glancing up. Her skin was flushed all over from the heat of the shower. Her red hair was wet and dark, falling down around her shoulders as the water ran over her. I ached, so swollen with need for her. But that was not how I’d find my release tonight.
“Oh my God, don’t stop!” she muttered, her hips rocking forward.
I didn’t need to be told what to do, but I loved having her do it. I returned to my task of devouring her. Another swirl of my tongue around her clit with my fingers buried deeply in her core, and I felt it when she snapped, her entire body going taut as she cried out my name.
I drew away slowly and stood. When she opened her eyes, I kissed her. Because I couldn’t stop myself.
She sighed into our kiss, her hand sliding up my chest and curling around my neck. Before I knew it, she had my cock in her hands and was shimmying down. I opened my mouth to say something, to make sure she knew this wasn’t about returning the favor, but then I looked down. Through the curtain of water, I saw her blue eyes bright and her mouth curling in a slight smile, and I couldn’t form a single word.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Valentina
With my own climax still sending little aftershocks of pleasure through me, I swirled my
tongue around the tip of Lucas’s cock. I wasn’t about to let him stop me tonight.
Beyond photographs—and trust me, there were plenty to be found online—his was the only cock I’d seen in the flesh. It was glorious — long, thick, and hard, the skin velvety under my touch. There was a hint of salt to the taste of him. I heard the low groan from his throat and smiled as I settled in to explore every inch of him.
He pulsed under my touch as I spun my tongue around the head and then drew him into my mouth, taking him in as far as I could until the thick crown bumped the back of my throat. His hand tangled in my wet hair. I had no idea what I was doing, but it didn’t seem to matter. It seemed quite simple—lick, suck, stroke. Over and over again.
With Lucas gasping my name on a low growl, I kept at it. His hand gripped my hair tightly, and the sting on my scalp felt good. I savored every moment of this. I intended to wring every drop out of the experience I could.
I guessed I would only get so many opportunities like this with him because he seemed conflicted about us. It was good I didn’t expect anything from him.
When I took him in deeply again, sliding my fist down as I tested the weight of his balls in my hand, I felt his entire body tighten. He murmured something, drawing my gaze up just as he pulled back swiftly, fisting his cock. His release spilled onto my breasts, washing off immediately with the water still raining down around us.
I straightened, feeling my smile stretch across my face. Lucas’s head had fallen back against the tile, but his eyes were still on me. He shook his head slowly, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Jesus, Valentina,” he murmured as he lifted a hand. He was almost lazy in his motion, sliding it up to cup the back of my head as he brought my lips to his again.
The kiss was brief but hot. I loved the feel of him. Even when he relaxed, his body was all hardened muscle. I belatedly realized what my father would’ve had to say about Lucas’s comment and giggled.
Lucas reached around me, lathering his hands with the soap. Then his touch was sliding over me, soaping me all over.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“I was just thinking what my father would say when you used the Lord’s name in vain. I don’t even care.” Another giggle escaped.
Lucas’s eyes widened slightly, and he laughed, throwing his head back. I wiped my hands in the soap on my body and returned the favor, smearing the bubbles on him.
“What’s so funny?” I repeated his question.
“Darlin’, I’m laughing at the same thing as you. If you wanted a man who didn’t use the Lord’s name in vain, I am not that man.”
“Good thing that’s not the kind of man I want,” I murmured.
His gaze sobered. “Please, please don’t tell me you were searching out some wild guy to show you the dark side.”
“No.” I nudged him with my elbow. “It’s not like that, it’s just …” I paused, letting out a little sigh. “I love my parents, and they mean well, but sometimes, it’s all a bit much. I don’t really think God cares if people swear.”
Something flickered in his gaze, and he nodded slowly. “I agree on that point.”
I didn’t know what happened at that moment, but Lucas pulled back slightly. Not in the physical sense, but I could feel him practically slamming down shields around himself.
I did what I always did when I wasn’t sure about something. I just carried on and kept my thoughts to myself. I wanted to ask him questions, but while I might not be an expert at relationships, I knew when the timing wasn’t right.
Days later, I leaned my elbows on the table, glancing at Evie and Grace. Sitting across from me, Dani caught my eyes, rolling her eyes so hard I wouldn’t have been surprised if they fell out. We were at Wake & Bake, a local café in downtown Stolen Hearts Valley.
With a sigh, she glanced back and forth between Evie and Grace. “I can’t believe y’all are still upset with each other.”
Evie crossed her arms and cast a glare at Grace. “Well, she’s just being ridiculous. It was a joke.”
“I feel like I’m missing something here,” I interjected as I paused to take a sip of my coffee.
Dani sighed again. “Here’s the short history. They’ve been friends forever. Evie gave Grace some grief about her high school boyfriend moving back to town. Grace didn’t appreciate it. The end.”
Grace cast her eyes to Evie. “I might’ve overreacted.”
Evie twisted her bracelet. “And he’s been gone for so long that I forgot it was a sore subject. I shouldn’t have teased you about him.”
When I glanced at Grace, I saw the pain reflected in her eyes and sensed that perhaps whomever this man was, he meant quite a bit to her. I wasn’t about to share my observation right now, though. It certainly didn’t seem to be the time.
Grace took a big breath and nodded. “Well, it’s not like I talk about it.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t forget because I hate when you don’t talk to me. I mean, it’s only been a day or so, but …” Evie said with a slow grin.
Grace rolled her eyes. “Ditto. Does this mean I can ask you to do my hair?”
I’d learned Evie was a rocking hairdresser on the side. Evie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! Can we use the staff kitchen? I want to practice the rainbow colors if you’ll let me.”
Grace’s smile was wide. “Of course!”
Their eyes swung to Dani. Before they could even ask anything, she answered, “Of course. The hair dye has to stay in the utility sink, though. Nowhere near the restaurant kitchen. Are we clear?”
“Abso-freaking-lutely,” Evie replied with a vigorous nod.
Dani glanced at them with a smile as the owner, Nancy Hill, arrived to check on us. “How’re y’all doing over here?”
“I could use a little more coffee,” I replied, lifting my mug.
Of course, she had a coffeepot in her hand and promptly topped off every coffee mug on the table. After we ordered a variety basket of bakery goods, Nancy hurried off. Wake & Bake Café was a cute little place, apparently named back when Nancy and her husband, Dan, enjoyed smoking pot when they were younger and thought the name was the perfect pun for a café.
I loved coming here with the girls from the lodge, and we tried to make the trip about once a week or so. The café was in the middle of downtown. Stolen Hearts Valley had a cute little main street with a mix of old and new buildings. The café was housed in an old Colonial home, a small square house with a bright blue roof. Wide plank hardwood flooring, soft cream-colored walls, and tall windows created an inviting, open space. Small round tables were scattered in the front with a counter for ordering at the back.
After Nancy delivered our bakery goodies, our conversation returned to Grace’s hair.
“So you’re really okay with me trying the rainbow colors?” Evie asked, her eyes bright.
“Yup. I want it to be subtle, though, like it’s just shimmering in the light.”
“I am all over this.” Evie popped a small muffin in her mouth and grinned.
“I think we should make it an event,” Dani added.
“An event?” I queried.
Dani grinned. “We make it a girls’ night, hang out in the back together, and have wine.”
I lifted one of my curls, eyeing the color. Before I could even voice my contemplation aloud, Evie chimed in, “Don’t even think about it. Your color is incredible, and your curls are amazing. Normally, I am all over figuring out something fun, but I can’t do anything that will top your natural state. I guess you could shorten it, but even that seems like a shame. Your hair is glorious.”
She reached over from where she sat at an angle across from me, catching the end of one of my curls. Pulling it all the way out, she grinned as it bounced back against my shoulder when she released it. “Amazing.”
I spun a curl around my fingers. “But it might be fun to try something different.”
Dani shook her head. “Don’t. Evie’s right; your hair
is amazing.”
“I guess if you were bored, you could straighten it for the fun of it. But only something temporary,” Grace suggested.
I sipped my coffee. “Fine. I actually like my hair, but it’ll be fun to see how yours turns out and have a girls’ night.”
“You don’t have to be the one getting your hair done for that,” Dani said, nudging me with her shoulder. “Any time the rest of us go under Evie’s scissors or coloring magic, you’ll be there for all the fun.”
I took a breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m so glad I got this job.”
“We are too,” Dani replied swiftly as Evie and Grace nodded in agreement.
Nancy passed by, quickly filling our mugs and carrying on. At that moment, the door to the café opened with Jackson stepping through, immediately followed by Lucas.
The moment my eyes landed on Lucas, heat bloomed from my core and radiated outward. Almost as if he knew I was there, Lucas’s gaze cast across the room, coming to a stop when he saw me. I’d read my share of romance novels, and one of those moments happened.
For several beats, it felt as if we were alone, the murmur of voices around us falling away. Although he was a good twenty feet away, I could feel the heat of his gaze from across the room, a sizzle shimmering through the air between us. His gaze dropped from mine when Jackson said something to him.
When I brought my attention back to the table, I found three pairs of extremely curious eyes waiting for me. I knew my cheeks were probably red enough to match my hair, so I quickly stuffed one of the tiny muffins in my mouth, chewing rapidly to give myself something to do.
“Wow, that was a look,” Evie observed, unabashedly looking from me to over at Lucas. I was relieved he and Jackson had stepped up to the counter and were ordering.
