by Holly Jaymes
Once stabilized, I took the kiss deeper. There was something magical about being here with this woman, looking over this amazing view. This kiss was representative of that, something special at this moment. I wished I could bottle it and save it forever.
“I know you do this all the time, but to me, this is incredible,” she said against my lips.
I looked down in her lovely violet eyes. “It is incredible. I didn’t realize just how much until this moment.”
Her breath hitched, and I worried that perhaps I’d gone too far. That I’d said too much.
But then she rewarded me with a smile. “I’m never going to forget this.”
Her words were a reminder that this was a short-term thing. Not that I’d wanted long term, or did I? All I knew was that I still wanted more time with her.
“Me neither,” I said, kissing her again.
When we got back, I took her to a back room added several years ago and showed her the hot tub my brother and I had put in. The room was enclosed to protect the tub but surrounded by windows to enjoy the scenery. The room wasn’t well heated, so it was a cold trip from entering the room and getting into the tub, but it was worth it.
“I don’t suppose you have extra swimsuits?” Lily asked as I took the lid off the tub. I’d turned it up earlier when the power came on to make sure it would be warm enough.
“We do.” I started to undress, giving her a wicked grin.
“You don’t wear one?”
“I do when the family is here. But you’ve seen me naked.” I stripped down, and my dick wasn’t happy about the cold, so I went to the tub. I sank into the heat, letting out a sigh of ecstasy as the water enveloped me.
“You sound like that when you come,” she said, surprising me.
“Do I?” I’d never considered how I sounded when I orgasmed. “Are you jealous of this water, making me feel good?”
She laughed and thankfully started undressing. “Maybe.” Her nipples puckered as the cold air hit them. My dick jerked in response. My mouth watered to suckle them. I wondered if she’d be interested in a little hot tub sex.
She stepped in, letting out a little yelp. “Wow. That’s hot.” But then she sank in and let out a sigh.
“See? It is orgasmic.” I winked at her as she sat across from me.
She smiled. “Today was wonderful, Wyatt. Thank you.”
“Of course. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Making the best of a difficult situation.”
“It doesn’t feel difficult to me. Of course, I haven’t had to shovel or deal with the logistics of how we’re getting out of here. I feel like I could hide away here forever.”
I tilted my head at her. “You can have things like this in your life. You’re here to plot out your next steps, perhaps you need to consider more than just a job, but also the environment and how you want to live.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re talking about going to New York, which I’m sure is a great place, but it’s a city like L.A. It’s not quiet and peaceful.” Crap. Was I trying to get her to stay? “Then again, maybe you just need all this lowkey living for now. I know some people thrive on city life.”
She seemed to consider what I was saying. “I just think for what I want to do, a city offers me more resources and opportunity.”
“Right. Of course.” I shrugged. “I’m just a small-town boy.” I lay my head back on the side of the tub. “I like simple. Slow.”
I heard her move and felt her as she straddled my thighs. “You like slow?”
I put my hands on her hips, loving that she was taking the lead. “In life? Yes. In sex. I like it all ways.”
Her had wrapped around my dick, making me hiss. “I want to test that theory out.”
Chapter 13: Here and Now
Lily
I have traveled the world and have been to some of the most beautiful cities in it, but I’d never seen anything as beautiful as the view from the mountain over the lake. When I’d been to the Alps, I was always taking the view from a sheltered place separated from its true splendor.
But out in the snow and cold on the side of a mountain, looking over the view, it was like Mother Nature had created her own work of art. The glistening lake, shimmering snow mountain tops, and the clear crystal sky filled me with emotion and life. I kissed Wyatt to help release some of that emotion and to thank him for sharing it with me.
I envied that this was his life. He could be a part of nature, to live and feel so close to such beauty. Cross-country skiing here was amazingly exhilarating. Hiking here during the summer, with this same view, only with the green trees and mountain flowers was probably as beautiful. I wondered about all the activities on the lake, from swimming to boating. Did people fish? Did they waterski? I wanted to do it all too.
Later that evening, he showed me a hot tub, and while the air was cold in the room it was in, the water was hot and steamy, just like Wyatt. As I sat with him in the bubbling water, it occurred to me that I’d never realized how much of life I was missing until Wyatt. Sure I traveled. I spent time with celebrities and rich people. But I hadn’t appreciated my surroundings or the small things in life, like a fire in a fireplace or sitting in a hot tub. I decided to celebrate life and the simple joys of it by straddling him and taking us both to pleasure land.
After the hot tub and thawing out from the day, Wyatt made a fire in the fireplace while I attempted my sewing again. Having never really sewed before beyond fixing little hem issues during a photoshoot or walking in a show, my project wasn’t looking like what I’d drawn. It turned out sewing was more difficult than I’d anticipated. Even so, I could see the potential of what I was doing. My goal was to create exercise wear that was pretty yet sturdy. It would be sexy and strong. Original in design yet able to fulfill its function, whether that was holding the girls in place during an intense HIIT workout or wicking away sweat.
I even began to wonder about providing customized and on-demand clothing. If a woman wanted a pretty pastel floral top with criss-crossed back, could she order it and have it made? If she loved the style, could she have it made in all her favorite fabric designs? I pulled out my notebook to write notes about my idea and questions I’d need to answer.
When I finished, Wyatt had gone outside again to dig out the SUV, so I looked for dinner options. My phone notified me of a text. I imagined it was from Victoria, who no doubt had seen the latest antics of my life and was checking in. She probably thought I was a magnet for trouble. She’d know. She liked trouble. Not the type I was in, but she often liked to buck traditional norms. Or at least the norms she’d grown up with in her affluent family. She told me each one of her mother’s dyed gray strands she’d created from the stress she put on her mom.
I groaned when I saw it wasn’t Victoria. It was Trask Holloway.
Lily, we need to talk.
I rolled my eyes at his text. I set my phone down, ignoring it. I couldn’t imagine what he wanted to talk to me about. I knew I had nothing to speak to him about. The guy totally upended my life, and while at the moment, I was enjoying where I was, I wasn’t going to allow him to mess things up for me again.
I found a pancake mix that only required water to make. There was syrup in the refrigerator. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had pancakes. I was probably a kid, still. Pancakes and donuts had become absolute no-nos when I started modeling. I wondered what Wyatt would think about eating breakfast for dinner. I decided not to ask because I really wanted pancakes. If he didn’t like it, he could make soup.
I pulled out the pancake mix and found a bowl to mix the batter in when my phone dinged again. Huffing out an annoyed breath, I looked at the text.
I’m sorry the info about us got out. We can work through that. I know you want this. Together again. Get back to me soon.
Jerk. If he thought I was going to make that romcom, Together Again, with him now, he was sadly mistaken. Why he’d want to after this fiasco, I didn’t know.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he leaked our meeting on purpose. I don’t understand why he would mess up his marriage, but maybe he thought publicity around us would boost interest in the movie he wanted to make. Whatever the reason, I was done with him.
“Breakfast for dinner?” Wyatt said as he picked up the pancake box.
“Yep. Like it or make your own dinner.” I set my phone on the table and went back to my pancakes.
He grinned. “You sure are aggressive tonight.”
“Are you complaining?”
“Hell no.” He wrapped his arm around me, yanked me to him, and gave me a hard kiss.
I smiled at him, feeling so happy and warm and like I was falling for him. It was dangerous, I knew. As much as I liked Wyatt and Eden Lake, I knew my path was elsewhere. Eventually, I’d move on, and I hated how hard it would be to leave all this, to leave him.
I pushed those thoughts away and focused on the here and now. Here I was snowed in with sexy Deputy Wyatt Dalton. Now, we were living in a little bubble of our own. No paparazzi. No father or mother telling me what to do. No demands to be perfect. Just nature in all its forms, including sex.
We had dinner by the fire, adding to the magic and romance of the moment.
“You make a mean pancake,” Wyatt said as he dragged a piece through the lake of syrup on his plate.
“I found some vanilla and added it.”
“You’re smart. Beautiful. Sexy. And can cook. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
I laughed. “Pancakes from a mix isn’t really cooking.”
“Are you saying you can’t cook?”
I shrugged. “Not in the kitchen.”
He stared at me for a moment. “Are you sure about that?” He took my plate along with his in one hand and then held out his other hand to help me stand up. “Let’s test it, shall we?”
I had no idea what he meant until he had me naked on the kitchen counter.
“It’s getting hot in the kitchen.” He settled his hips between my thighs. “You’re cooking, baby.”
After he took me to heaven and back, he said, “See, you can cook in the kitchen.”
“I guess I can.” I laughed because it was so crazy and yet freeing. “I hope your mother doesn’t find out what you’ve done on her counter.”
“I’m more worried about your father finding out. He carries a gun.”
We settled back by the fire and watched it much like one would watch TV. Except I was mesmerized by the flames and the way they flickered and sparked—another piece of nature I’d never taken time to enjoy.
“With the power back on, we can sleep in a bed or stay here again,” he said.
I leaned my head on his shoulder. “I like it here.”
“We should be able to get out tomorrow—”
“Don’t.” I pressed my hand to his lips. “I don’t want to think about that. I want to be here and now. Tomorrow and the rest of it will come eventually.”
He kissed my fingers. “Alright.” He sat for a moment, but I had the feeling he wanted to say or ask something. Finally, he said, “The place at Pine Rest is still available…if you think you’ll stay…until you sort things out.”
I swallowed as I studied him, hoping he was saying this because he wanted to spend time with me.
“If the media thinks I’m elsewhere, I can stay longer. I’d like to stay.”
His smile was so dazzling. “Good.”
“Will we be the same as we are now?” I asked.
He looked at me. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, will you be giving me cooking tips in the kitchen there too.”
He blushed, and it was adorable. “I’m sure I’ll want to. I’m not sure it’s safe with your dad lurking about.”
“Are you afraid of my father?”
“Terrified. But my dick thinks it’s worth the risk.”
I laughed. “Good to know.”
I wondered if my father would really react so badly to Wyatt and me being together. He trusted Wyatt, which meant he had to like and respect him. Wouldn’t he want that for me?
But if he did fire Wyatt, I wondered if he’d come with me. I quickly dismissed that idea. Wyatt was as much a part of Eden Lake as this mountain or the lake itself. He had family here. He was going to be an uncle soon. No, given a choice, even if fired, I was sure he’d stay here.
I also had to consider that he didn’t seem to want a family. I wasn’t ready to get married and have children now, but it was something I wanted in the future. But if Wyatt had done something to prevent children, it wouldn’t be wise to get so involved with him, when our ultimate goals were different.
So here and now was all I had with him and I planned to make the most of it.
Chapter 14: Back to Reality
Wyatt
I was able to make love to Lily one more time, but after a day of shoveling, cross country skiing, and sex, I was as exhausted as I’d ever been. The next morning, I woke early. For a few minutes, I watched Lily as she slept next to me. I was so fucking going to miss this. But real life awaited us. I slipped from the covers, tucking them around her. I put wood on the fire, stoking it a bit, then I went to the kitchen and made coffee this time brewing some, although it was still as bad as the instant.
I was leaning against the counter, taking my first sip, when I heard the buzz of a phone. I checked my phone in my pocket, but it wasn’t mine. Looking over at the table, I saw Lily’s phone. I glanced over at her sleeping and didn’t want to wake her up. But what if the message was important?
I went to the table, picking up the phone. The screen lit up with recent notifications, saying who it was from and a snippet of the message. The first was from her father, saying something about Pine Rest. Since I’d gotten a message from him saying the place was ready when we got back, I figured that’s what he was telling her too. The second was from Victoria, demanding a call to let her know she was alright. The third was from T.H.
I’m sorry the info about us got out. We can work through that.
My heart stopped in my chest, and my blood ran cold. T.H. had to be Trask Holloway, and clearly, he was trying to make up with her. I looked over at Lily, wondering how the woman I was falling for could be with a married man? And yet, I couldn’t deny that this message suggested just that. I was an asshole to open the text message, but I did.
I’m sorry the info about us got out. We can work through that. I know you want this. Together again. Get back to me soon.
I set the phone down and went to the sink as I worked to pull my hurt and anger in. She hadn’t responded to his text that came in yesterday, so maybe she wasn’t interested. At the same time, she’d given the impression that the photo and scandal was all a mistake. But this message suggested otherwise. It confirmed that she and Trask had been seeing each other. He wanted her back. Fuck.
I really wanted to wake her up and have it out with her, and yet, I’d violated her privacy. Plus, while we’d played and slept together, no promises had been made. There were no words said that suggested this was more than a sexual thing. Even her comments about continuing our affair back in Pine Rest didn’t mean that she cared for me.
I finished off my coffee and put on my coat, hat, and gloves to head out to finish shoveling and check the road. It gave me time to think about what a fucking idiot I was. I should have known all this was a mistake. My luck with women was non-existent. When I first met Allie, I’d attempted to ask her out, but she chose my brother. When Willa moved back to town, I’d asked her out, but it turned out she and Mason had been in love since they were kids.
I put the shovel on the porch and went to fire up my SUV to see if I could get us to the road. The sun yesterday had melted away quite a bit, and I hoped that between that, and hopefully someone clearing the road, we’d be able to get out.
I managed to reach the road, and while there was still a lot of snow, it looked passable. I drove back and parked and went into the house. I stopped outside the door to pull
myself together because I didn’t want to go inside and act like a jealous ninny. We’d had our time away from it all, but now we needed to return to reality.
I opened the door. Lily sat up, the blanket falling and exposing her beautiful body. My heart wept, and I wanted to cry out at the unfairness of it all.
She pulled the blanket up to cover herself. “You’re up early.”
I nodded, turning away from her as I took off my hat, gloves, and coat, hanging them to dry. “We need to get back. The road is in good enough condition.” I strode across the room, heading to the bathroom. “There’s coffee if you want, but we should get going soon.”
In the bathroom, I splashed water on my face and stared at myself in the mirror. I was a handsome guy. Friendly. I wasn’t brilliant, but I wasn’t stupid either. Well, maybe I was. I’d fallen for a supermodel who had one of the sexiest men alive, according to a tabloid. That was her world. Sure, she enjoyed the solitude and quiet of Eden Lake after a scandal. But this life wasn’t hers. Eventually, she’d get bored if she stayed here.
“You’re a dumbass, Wyatt,” I said to my reflection. I inhaled a breath and then let out. It was time to suck it up and move on.
When I came out, I found her cleaning out the coffee cups. I wanted to go up to her and stand behind her as I kissed her neck. But the fantasy was over.
“I’ll back up the SUV. Is your sewing stuff ready to go?”
“Yes.” She turned to me. “Is everything okay, Wyatt? You seem a little…aloof.”
I smiled to hide my true self. “It’s all good.”
She walked over to me, and I stiffened when I thought she might touch me. “Is it because you’re worried about my dad?”
Deciding that was the best route to go, especially since it held an air of truth, I nodded. “Yes.”
“I wish you wouldn’t worry.” She reached out for me.
I stepped back. “Like I said, we should get on the road.”
She looked surprised at my withdrawal, but there was nothing I could do about that. Instead, I finished packing up the SUV, checked the house to close it up until it was used again, and then ushered us out.
