Taming My Whiskey

by Melissa Foster

  She reached for him and he plunged into her. Her eyes widened as she cried out, “Ohmygod…”

  Her arms and legs wrapped around him so tight, she lifted off the mattress. His thrusts drove her back to the sheets, and he put his arms around her, his cock drilling into her. She came hard and loud, her inner muscles squeezing tight. The pleasure was so intense, he lost all control. Moans tore from his lungs as they rode the waves of their passion higher, until they both cried out, clinging to one another as they descended from their peaks, falling spent and sated to the mattress.

  Jace remained buried inside her, cradling her beneath him, wanting to hold on to every last second of their magnificence. He rolled them onto their sides, their bodies still tangled together.

  “I think I’m dying,” she whispered.

  “That’s funny, because I finally feel like I’m living.” He brushed her hair from her cheek and kissed her there. Then he kissed her lips and the tip of her nose. “Does that mean you don’t want to go on that hike today?”

  She groaned.

  They lay together for so long, they drifted back to sleep. When they awoke, more than an hour had passed. Dixie nestled into him like she wanted to crawl beneath his skin. She was adorable, and too warm and alluring. If he didn’t get the hell out of that bed, more of his emotions would come tumbling out, and she’d be left hoping for more than he could promise.

  He kissed her cheek and forced himself to get out of bed. “Come on, babe. It’s our last day. If you don’t get your babies presents, you’ll be bummed when you go home empty-handed.”

  She rolled onto her stomach and put the pillow over her head with another pouty groan.

  He rubbed his hand softly over her ass and said, “You sure that’s the view you want to give me?”

  She threw the pillow at him. He lunged for her and she scrambled to her knees. He lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder, giving her ass a loud smack.

  “Ack!” She laugh-squealed as he carried her toward the bathroom. “Jace!”

  “You liked it, didn’t you?”

  She went silent, her answer blaring in his ears as he lowered her to her feet and then turned on the shower.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked over her shoulder in the mirror, her brows knitting. “You made my cheek pink.”

  “Sorry, babe, but at least I know every time you feel it you’ll think of me.” He rubbed his hand gently over her offended cheek.

  She rested her cheek on his chest and said, “I always think of you.”

  He tipped her chin up, and as the bathroom filled with steam, the three words he’d been fighting climbed up his throat. He pressed his lips to hers, then stepped into the shower, pulling her in with him. He held her under the water and tipped his face up to the warm spray, willing himself to swallow those words. When he was sure they were stuffed down too deep to escape, he sighed with relief, and maybe a little regret.

  FOR THE FIRST time in Dixie’s life, the thought of going home filled her with dread. She and Jace had enjoyed another romantic, fun day. They headed up to the artsy community of Provincetown to shop for souvenirs for the kids and spent the entire day enjoying the street performers and shops, but mostly enjoying each other. Then they went for a motorcycle ride down to Harwich and had dinner at Common Grounds, the coffee shop where her cousins held their annual anti-suicide rally. It was open mic night, and people sang, read poetry, and told stories. Now it was Saturday evening, and they were walking along the beach in front of the cottage, bundled up in sweatshirts to ward off the chilly bay breeze. Jace’s arm was draped over Dixie’s shoulder, and she’d never been happier—or more sorrowful. She wasn’t sad, like she’d been after their trip to New York. This was different. She was already mourning the end of their time together. She tried to ignore it and focus on their conversations. They’d talked about everything from the weather to their favorite movies—his was Road House, hers was Pretty Woman—avoiding anything that might lead to the elephant at their backs.

  “Your favorite movie is about a hooker?” Jace asked.

  “Yes! Vivian is badass. She did what she had to to make her way through life, and she didn’t need a man to take care of her.”

  “She fell in love with a billionaire,” he reminded her.

  “No. She fell in love with a man. She left his money on the bed and walked away from him when they fought, standing her ground and demanding respect. That movie could have made her out as a woman who needed rescuing, but it didn’t. She knew what she wanted in life and she held out for it. I loved that she didn’t let anyone drag her down. She just pulled herself up by her bootstraps, made a plan, and moved forward.”

  “Sounds like a certain someone I know,” he said with a grin. “I never saw the movie.”

  “Well, that needs to go to the top of your bucket list, because you’re missing out.”

  “Have you seen Road House?”

  “I have three older brothers. What do you think? It’s one of Bear’s favorite movies.”

  He kissed her temple and said, “Then maybe you can use your womanly wiles to convince me to watch Pretty Woman sometime.”

  “I guess that’s the least I can do, considering you put your life on hold to come see me this week.” She snuggled closer, wanting to know where they would go from there, but at the same time, she didn’t want to sound needy. This was their start, and it was a beautiful, glorious start. But Dixie’s start had begun the first time she’d seen him. Her feelings had grown over the years, one interaction at a time, and then New York had kicked them into hyperspeed. Sadness moved through her, remembering the heartache of leaving, the anguish of hoping to hear from him, and the worst feeling of her life, the evening she’d sent him away. The sounds of the bay lapping at the shore and Jace’s warm body pressed against her side calmed the anxiety that accompanied those thoughts.

  She refused to be that needy woman again. This was obviously Jace’s start, and she needed to respect that. Instead of asking for more of a label, or firm future plans, she said, “Where do you go from here? Back to LA?”

  “Among other places. On top of the launch, I’ve got a lot of travel coming up over the next several weeks: Oregon, Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. But first I have to catch up on all the things I put off to come here. I was so sidetracked with thoughts of you when I was in LA, I was a danger to the business.” The tease in his voice brought her eyes to his, and he said, “I told you I almost fired a guy who didn’t deserve it. But now I feel ready to jump in again with both feet. Thankfully, we finalized the pictures for the calendar before I left, which of course are stunning. I’m excited about getting back in the game.”

  He leaned down for a kiss, and her heart was stuck fluttering like a bird that couldn’t catch wind. He was excited to get back to business, but was he excited to see her again, too? Soon maybe?

  “There are going to be life-size cardboard cutouts of you in all of our retail stores,” he said with a grin.

  She couldn’t even imagine that. “I’ll be sure never to go into your stores again.”

  He laughed. “Well, you’re going to have to. We’ll be traveling together to the in-person events.”

  That made her all sorts of happy. “I know. I’m proud to be representing your company, but it’ll be embarrassing to see cutouts of myself.”

  “Nah. You’ll get used to it. Did I tell you that they want to have the Leather and Lace line represented at Fashion Week?” he asked.

  “Seriously? That’s fantastic! I’m not surprised. It’s such a gorgeous line.”

  “I’m not sold on the idea. You’re the face of the Leather and Lace line. I just can’t picture a bunch of random models taking your place. I think I might nix the idea.”

  She stopped walking, floored by what he’d said. She didn’t have to ask for a label, because in his own way he was telling her how important she was to him. But her elation was chased by the magnitude of what he was considering giving up.
<
br />   “Jace, you can’t give up that big of an opportunity. Fashion Week is huge, and not just for your company. Think of Jillian. She’s your business partner. That’s her chance to present the new line, too. You can’t pass that up for something as ridiculous as wanting me to do it. I’m not even a model. I mean, hearing you say you can’t imagine anyone else representing the line means a lot to me, but it’s a really bad idea to pass up this opportunity.”

  “You sound like Maddox. I don’t know, Dix.”

  As they walked down the beach, she said, “I could never even pull off walking a runway at an event that big.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “You have no idea how stressful it is. Jace, you have a history of making great business decisions, but this would be downright stupid. Hopefully Maddox won’t let you make that mistake.”

  He stepped in front of her and put his hands on her hips. “Then tell me you’ll do it.”

  “No way. I’d be so nervous, I’d probably fall on my ass.”

  “You did Jillian’s show.”

  “It was a million times smaller, and my friends who weren’t models were also walking the runway. It was totally different.”

  His brows knitted, and a second later his eyes brightened. “Then we’ll use other models for the show and you can walk out at the end with me, Maddox, and Jillian as the face of the line.”

  Her heart tumbled at his vehemence.

  “Tell me you’ll do it, Dix,” he said. “It’s one walk down the runway, and you’ll be on my arm so you don’t have to worry about falling.”

  “Does it mean that much to you?” She tried to tamp down her excitement and expectations, telling herself this was all for Silver-Stone. But the look in his eyes made it feel so much bigger.

  “This means everything to me,” he said. “Please, Dix?”

  Everything. She’d misinterpreted that once. She wasn’t going to make that mistake again. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  “Yes!” He wrapped her in his arms, kissing her hard as he spun her around.

  The move was so unlike him, she gave in to her giddiness, giggling like a fool as he set her on her feet.

  “This week has changed me, Dix. Now I understand why people take vacations. I’m revitalized and ready to plow through this launch. But enough about work.” He took her hand, and they headed up the beach toward the path that cut through the dunes to their cottage. “We only have a few hours until we have to say goodbye, and I want to spend them holding you naked in my arms.”

  That sounded just perfect to her.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  DIXIE STOOD AT the top of the dunes Sunday morning, a cool breeze kissing her skin as she gazed out at the water. She’d come to the Cape grasping for a way to move forward without Jace. And here she was getting ready to leave with a full, hopeful heart, telling herself to stop wishing they could stay there forever, because this was a hell of a start and they had so much more to look forward to.

  She heard movement and turned to find Jace walking toward her with a handful of wildflowers, roots dangling from a few of the long stems.

  He shrugged innocently and said, “I didn’t think the flower shop would be open this early, and you like flowers so much…”

  God, she loved him, and she was nowhere near ready to say goodbye.

  “Do you think your friends would believe a rabbit ate them?”

  She laughed and shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

  “I’m definitely crazy about you.” He put his arms around her and said, “Thank you for giving us a chance.”

  “I’m still kind of floored that you put your life on hold for me. I really underestimated you. This time together has meant the world to me.”

  “To me, too.”

  He embraced her, and she closed her eyes. They stood at the top of the dunes, swaying in each other’s arms, each lost in their own thoughts. When they’d said goodbye in New York, she’d wanted to cry. This goodbye was different. She felt confident about their relationship, not worried that this was all they’d ever have. She knew when she drove away she’d have a new companion, Sorrow, and that Sorrow would take up residence in the passenger’s seat for the long drive home. She also expected Sorrow’s pal Longing to hunker down in the back seat. But on this trip there was a third companion. Love. They may not have given it a voice, but now she knew that love didn’t always need one. It was as real and present between them as the ocean was deep.

  Jace gazed down at her and a smile lifted his lips. “I probably didn’t tell you this enough, though I think it all the time. You are so beautiful. Truly beautiful, Dix.”

  She pressed her forehead to his chest, and he kissed the top of her head, then rested his cheek there.

  “We’ve had a great time, haven’t we?” he said.

  “Yes.”

  “You know this isn’t the end, right?”

  She looked up at him and said, “I know.”

  He pressed a kiss to the space between her eyebrows. “Then why do you have those worry lines on your forehead?”

  “If I can get Daphne to believe the flowers were eaten by a rabbit, would you believe I’m just stressed over the ten-plus hours’ drive home?”

  He chuckled. “Probably not, but it was worth a try.” His face turned serious and he said, “You don’t want empty promises, Dix.”

  “I’m not asking for them.” But she saw something in his eyes. Half promises? The desire to make promises? She didn’t know. It could be wishful thinking.

  “I realize that, but you have to know that this time together has been fantastic. We both needed it, and now we have to go back to reality. I have to catch up on all the work I’ve put off to be here, and you have your life to carry on with, gifts to give to your babies.”

  Her throat thickened, but she refused to fall apart. “I’m just going to miss you, that’s all.”

  “And I’m going to miss you, too.” He kissed her forehead and said, “You know it’s not like we’re going our separate ways and then that’s it, right? You’re on my mind every second of the day, Dix. That’s not going to change.”

  JACE LOOKED OUT at the water to try to regain control of the emotions thundering through him. He’d thought he would draw out their goodbye as long as possible, stay with her until the very last second. But the idea of her driving away again drove spikes into his chest. He thought back to their very first kiss, his first taste of her, and wondered how he’d ever believed he’d be able to be close to Dixie and then leave it all behind. He had no idea how he’d fought what he’d felt for her for so many years without losing his mind. He should go down in The Guinness Book of World Records as the strongest man on earth for that alone.

  Who was he kidding? He was the stupidest man on earth to have waited so long.

  She took his hand and said, “I should get going. I have a really long drive.”

  He nodded, unable to wrangle in his thoughts enough to trust his voice. He wasn’t the only one who had changed. Dixie wasn’t saying goodbye with tears in her eyes. He saw trust this time. He recognized that look because for the first time since he was a teenager, he trusted a woman. He trusted Dixie enough to have handed her his heart in the biggest way he was able.

  “Would you mind if I went to Bikes on the Beach with you next time?” she asked as they walked around the cottage. “I would really like to help Marly at her table.”

  He remembered how she’d looked like she wanted to kill Marly when Marly had hugged him. It didn’t surprise him that the two of them had gotten along so well. They were both bighearted, doing all they could for others. What did surprise him was how much it meant to him that she would go to an event she had already said she wouldn’t enjoy, just to see a new friend and help her with her cause.

  “I’d like that,” he said, wanting so much more.

  They stopped by her Jeep, which was already packed, and he gathered her in his arms again. “I wish I had gotten you something while we were here. A piece of jew
elry or something to commemorate our time together.”

  She looked at him with a dreamy expression and said, “You did. You gave us both something. You gave us a start.”

  “God, Dix,” he said in one long breath, hugging her tight against him. “Goodbyes fucking suck.”

  She mumbled her agreement, and then she rested her chin on his chest and said, “Then let’s not say goodbye.”

  “Okay,” he said just above a whisper.

  “Just kiss me, Stone.”

  He lowered his lips to hers, trying to silence the sadness in her eyes—and in his heart. His life seemed to be built on futile efforts lately, and this was no different. When their lips parted, her eyes dampened, and he hugged her again. He cradled her face in his hands and brushed her tears away. “Tell me not to make empty promises, Dix, because right now I’d say just about anything to see you smile.”

  Her lips curved up and she said, “Empty promises are for assholes.”

  He laughed and then he kissed her again and helped her into her Jeep. As she started it up, he said, “Have a safe trip. I’ll let you know when I’m back in Peaceful Harbor, but I’m sure we’ll talk before then.”

  He watched Dixie drive away, the sense of loss overwhelming. He’d been burying himself in work for so long, hiding from decades-old heartbreak for fear of being hurt again, that he’d almost forgotten how hurt had the power to strengthen a person’s resolve. He could continue hiding forever, losing himself in projects and designs, stockpiling wealth and professional achievements. Was that really hiding? Or was it self-preservation? Or maybe a glowing example of determination?

  He thought about that long after Dixie’s Jeep faded from sight. Somewhere between his lack of promises and the opening of his heart, he’d discovered the man he was always meant to be. But he’d been wrong about so many things lately. Could he keep from adding another item to the list?

  Maybe this wasn’t a start after all, but an end to what could become his biggest mistake yet.

  Chapter Twenty-Three