The Lady Stole My Heart (The Lady is Mine, #2)

by Aimee Nicole Walker

  Maegan was the first to blink, and I was on her in a flash. “I’ll tickle it out of you,” I said, wrestling her onto the bed and gently digging my fingers into her ribs, making her shout with laughter as she tried to wiggle free.

  “I’ll never tell my secrets,” she said dramatically like she was performing in one of her mother’s favorite soap operas. “There’s nothing you can say or do to make me talk.”

  I raised my head and smiled into her twinkling eyes and daring smile. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  Maegan’s packing was delayed for quite some time as I took my time trying to wheedle the secrets from her with my mouth, tongue, hands, and cock. I still had no idea what secrets her luggage contained but neither did she know about mine nor the surprises awaiting her at the cabin.

  The next morning, I woke up earlier than Maegan which was completely abnormal. She could easily be cast in a Disney princess role with woodland critters dancing about her feet or flying overhead as she made her way to the coffee pot while I grumbled and growled until I consumed a second cup of coffee. Maybe I was anxious to get on the road to avoid traffic or excited about being one day closer to making Maegan mine forever.

  I kissed Maegan’s nose, and she wiggled it in irritation. “More sleep,” she whispered, rolling over and burrowing deeper in the covers. “Just fifteen more minutes.”

  “Okay, but then you have to get in the shower or you’ll be late for school, dear.”

  Maegan rolled back over and cracked open her eyes. “Not funny. I wouldn’t go back to high school for a billion dollars. Just fifteen more minutes, Elijah.” It was so unlike her to lounge around in bed, but we were on vacation, and fifteen minutes really wouldn’t cause much of a delay.

  I ended up letting her sleep for another thirty minutes which threw her into a panic. “I can’t believe you let me sleep so late,” she said, running for the bathroom. “I had a shower before bed, so I only need to brush my teeth.”

  “Freckles, relax. You looked like you needed the sleep. This is our vacation, not a precise military mission.” Although seeing her stand there in nothing but a lace thong and a barely there tank top made me think missionary-style sex. Making love to her was my favorite way to start the day. I could start by dropping down behind her and pulling the thin scrap of lace aside so I could lick a path…

  “No way,” she said firmly, pulling my attention away from her pert ass to meet her gaze in the mirror. “We don’t have time for that now.”

  “I can be really fast, baby.”

  “That’s just what every woman wants to hear,” Maegan said sarcastically, replacing her toothbrush in the holder.

  “Tell me you’re not already turned on by knowing what I was thinking. Tell me you aren’t fighting the urge to rub your thighs together to get a little bit of friction where you need it. Don’t bother lying because I can see how hard your nipples are in the mirror.”

  “Okay, fine. You make me horny, but it doesn’t mean I have to act on it right this second. I rather like the idea of you staying semi-aroused while plotting and planning all the ways you can make me come during the six-hour road trip. I’ll be doing the same thing, looking at the beautiful scenery while wondering if your cock is as hard as the mountains we’re driving toward.”

  “Be ready to leave in ten minutes,” I said gruffly. “Do you need to toss any last-minute items into your luggage, or can I carry them down?”

  Maegan’s response was to turn around, pull her tank top over her head, and toss it at my chest. I caught it and held it up to my nose. I loved the sexy combination of flowers, vanilla, and something darker and sexy that clung to her skin and everything that touched it. “Everything is packed and ready to go. I just need to put on some comfy, travel clothes.”

  “What about your toothbrush?” I asked, looking to stall so I could keep looking at her glorious rack.

  “I packed a new one in my suitcase.”

  “I guess I should take these bags downstairs and pack the SUV.”

  When Maegan walked by me, she made sure to rub the side swell of her breast against my arm. “Guess so.” Of course, I turned and watched her head to the dresser where her outfit was folded neatly waiting for her. She hooked her thumbs in her thong and looked over her shoulder at me. “My bags are right there by the bed.”

  I wanted to stay and act out some cheesy bellboy porn that ended with an epic orgasm, but I wanted her to suffer as much as I did. Instead, I rearranged my aching hard-on so she would know what awaited her later and picked up our bags.

  “Eight minutes now, Freckles.”

  “I only need three.” Her happy laughter followed me down the hallway.

  IT DIDN’T TAKE ME LONG to figure out why Elijah loved the cabin so much when we visited the first time. However, the late spring beauty paled in comparison to autumn’s splendor spread before us as we hiked through dewy grass late Friday morning.

  “You might want to slow it down a little, big guy,” I said. “It’s a miracle I can hike at all after we christened the new copper bathtub last night.”

  My heart nearly burst when I saw it sitting in the master bathroom. I’d wanted one for Bliss House but couldn’t justify the expense when one of the fiberglass clawfoot replica tubs was a fraction of the price. I was torn between elated joy over my surprise and horror over how much he spent. Elijah assured me he hadn’t paid full price for it because a nearby contractor had custom ordered it for a new construction home, and the homeowner didn’t like it. The contractor, Hal, couldn’t return the tub, so he sold it for a deeply discounted price just to unload it. Luckily for me, Elijah was the first person he thought of since he’d done previous work at his cabin and knew how good it would look in the space.

  He stopped and waited for me to catch up to him. “I do believe that was the best purchase I ever made, Freckles.”

  Of course, we didn’t stop with the bathtub. We had to christen the large antique replica bed he’d found on sale. For an extra fee, the company delivered and set up the bed for us. Hal was also our nearest neighbor and someone we could rely on to supervise deliveries or keep an eye on the place.

  “I think I owe Hal a pie,” I told Elijah, sliding my fingers through his to hold his hand.

  “Maybe two,” he teased.

  I noticed Elijah matched his pace to mine, and he seemed content to go at a slower pace, but there was something buzzing beneath his skin. Outwardly, he seemed calm, but holding his hand felt like I was holding onto a live wire.

  “Too much coffee?” I asked him.

  “Huh?” he said, turning to look at me suddenly. That was the other off thing about him. His mind seemed like it was a million miles away. Was it because our cell phones didn’t work well out here? Our families had the phone number to the cabin’s land line, so they knew how to get ahold of us if there was an emergency.

  “You’re practically buzzing,” I said, circling my thumb over his erratic pulse in his wrist.

  “I’m just happy to be here with you and excited to show you my favorite place in the entire world.” He looked at me with a quirked brow. “Favorite place that’s not a part of your body, I mean.”

  “You’re so corny.”

  “Let’s not forget horny.”

  I snickered. “That’s all day, every day.”

  “In addition to making a delicious breakfast while you slept late, I packed us a lunch too.”

  “Lunch? I won’t be ready to eat again until dinnertime,” I told him. “The huge breakfast you cooked is enough to last all day.”

  “You’ll feel differently by the time we reach our destination.”

  It was hard for me to imagine, but he had a lot more experience at hiking than I did, especially in this terrain. By the time we reached the clearing at the top of our climb, I knew exactly why it was Elijah’s favorite place in the world. I was also glad I hadn’t bet him about being hungry because the climb burned away every calorie we consumed. My legs felt like noodles by t
he time I sat down on the blanket Elijah spread out for us. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I nestled into his side.

  “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in all my life,” I said, looking over the deep valley nestled between the base of the ridge we climbed and the mountain range across from us. The tree leaves were various shades of oranges, yellows, and reds everywhere you looked. “It almost looks like the mountain is on fire.”

  “Now it’s the most beautiful place on earth.” Elijah’s voice was thick with emotion and pulled my eyes away from nature’s splendor to look into his warm brown eyes. “I didn’t know what this spot was missing until now.” He cleared his throat then offered me the wide smile that never failed to steal my breath. “You make everything you touch more beautiful. I have a confession to make, Freckles. I didn’t just bring you up here to gaze at leaves and eat peanut butter sandwiches.”

  “This isn’t where you confess to being a sociopath and push me off the ridge, is it?”

  Elijah snorted and grinned. “Not hardly, and maybe you and Milo are watching too many shows on the ID channel.”

  “Then you brought me up her for sex?”

  “No, but that guess is closer than a hidden desire to push you over the ridge.” Elijah moved away from me, but only so he could sit in front of me and look into my eyes. “I have something very important to ask you, and I wanted to bring my special girl to my special place to ask it.” Elijah swallowed hard and reached for his backpack. I shook all over when he pulled out a ring box and held it up between us. “I had this perfect speech planned, but now that I’m looking in your eyes, I can’t remember what I was going to say.”

  “I don’t need prepared speeches,” I said through trembling lips. “I just want to hear what’s in your heart.”

  “I love you, Maegan Miracle, with everything I have and everything I will be.” Elijah turned the box around and opened it. I gasped when I saw the vintage ring nestled in the velvet. “This ring belonged to my great-grandmother who was fierce, passionate, and loving just like you are, and I know she’d be honored for you to wear it.”

  “Elijah,” I whispered, placing my trembling right hand over my racing heart as tears rolled down my face. I cleared my throat but still couldn’t speak above a whisper when I said, “It’s so beautiful.” Then again, I could’ve been yelling and wouldn’t know it because the pulse pounding in my ears muffled the sound of my voice.

  “Maegan Louise Miracle, will you be mine for the rest of our lives? Will you raise a family and grow old with me? Will you be my best friend and the person I always turn to when times get dark, and will you allow me to shelter you from the storms life throws at us in return?”

  “Yes,” I said, nodding and sobbing. “This is the happiest day of my life.” My left hand shook when I raised it until Elijah held it gently in his big, strong hand and slid the ring on my finger. “It’s the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.”

  “And it fits you perfectly because it was meant for you.” Elijah kissed the knuckle above the ring I would wear until my dying breath.

  “They don’t make rings like this anymore,” I said in awe.

  “I happen to think you’re a rare gem too.” Elijah brushed the tears off my face, and I leaned into his palm. “Can we seal this engagement with a kiss?”

  I pounced on him then, knocking him onto his back so I could straddle his hips. Elijah smiled up at me as I slowly leaned over him. “We will only have one first kiss as a newly engaged couple, so we must do it right.”

  Elijah reached up and pushed my hair away from one side of my face then cupped the back of my head and guided me down the rest of the way until my lips hovered just above his. I’d heard and read the phrase about tasting someone’s smile but didn’t fully get it until my smiling mouth met his. Then our lips molded to each other’s in a few chaste pecks before lingering and finally parting to deepen our kiss. His tongue boldly entered my mouth, claiming and possessive while I met him stroke for stroke.

  I felt Elijah’s body responding to the urgent desire growing inside mine. Suddenly, we had way too many clothes on for either of our liking. The mountain air wasn’t cold, but it was cool enough I was grateful for the plaid blanket Elijah had packed in his backpack. My hunger for lunch was replaced with the need for Elijah to claim my body as surely as he did my heart. We kissed while we stripped each other bare, our hands and lips touching and kissing every new inch we revealed until there was nothing between us. We’d surely had sex more than a hundred times since we started dating each other nine months prior, but there was no doubt that time, on top of the ridge wrapped up in a blanket cocoon, was different. There was always a possessive tenderness in Elijah’s eyes when he slid his dick inside me, but the look was hotter and fiercer and so fucking delicious it made my toes curl.

  I slid my hands into his hair as he began to move inside me with sure, even strokes. The sunlight caught the diamonds on my ring finger and prisms of light danced around my vision, but it was the look in Elijah’s eyes which held me spellbound. His dark, glittery gaze burned in intensity, consuming me and ratcheting up the physical and emotional pleasure inside me until he was all I saw, all I heard, and all I felt.

  Elijah gripped my hips tighter and rocked harder in and out of me, nailing the pleasure spot inside me over and over until my toes curled tight enough to break, but even then, I couldn’t look away from him. Our lovemaking was usually peppered with dirty talk and sexy banter, but the only sounds on the ridge besides skin slapping as our bodies came together were our thundering hearts and choppy breaths. I didn’t need Elijah to tell me I was the only girl for him or that my body drove him wild. I felt it.

  He lowered his head and captured my lips once more in a passionately fierce kiss when he sensed we were both close to climaxing. Maybe he didn’t want my shouts of joy bouncing off the mountains and echoing through the valley below, giving away our activities to every hiker and park ranger in a twenty-five-mile radius. I dug my fingers in his ass which was my signature move when I wanted him to go harder and faster. I heard the echoing growl of pleasure in his chest and braced myself for the ferocious fucking I wanted.

  My orgasm hit me like a fucking tsunami, and Elijah captured my cries with his mouth. I felt his ass tighten beneath my legs seconds before he grunted and spilled inside my body. Afterward, Elijah lowered his forehead to rest on the blanket beside my head to catch his breath while I kissed his shoulder and massaged his scalp with one hand and traced the line of his spine with the other.

  “This is the happiest day of my life too, Freckles,” he said, echoing the words I’d said earlier. Elijah raised up and braced himself on his elbows above me. “We talked about marriage and kids, or at least assumed it would happen, but nothing prepared me for the way it feels to see my ring on your finger.”

  “Maegan Louise Markham,” I whispered. “I love the sound of that.”

  “I’ll be Mr. Maegan Markham,” he replied, drawing a snort from me. “What? Like I don’t know who’s really in charge.”

  I giggled. “As much as I’d love to lie here cuddling with you, I think we better get dressed before someone stumbles upon us.”

  “I’ve never encountered another person in all the years I’ve been hiking this ridge. A few bears and other—”

  “Bears!” I practically threw Elijah off me. He lay there sprawled on his back, laughing his ass off while I scrambled for the clothes we’d tossed about haphazardly. He was still having a good time at my expense when I cleaned myself with the wipes he’d stowed in his backpack. I narrowed my eyes at him as I wiggled into my undies but turned the tables on him when I put some extra sway and wiggle in my hips while I pulled my jeans on so my breasts would bounce enticingly.

  “Don’t be in such a rush,” Elijah said, crawling toward me as I put my bra back on. “I was teasing about the bears. All the noise we were making would scare them off rather than entice them to investigate.”

  “Forgive me if I d
on’t take your word for it.” I pulled my long-sleeved shirt back over my head and reached for my vest.

  “Suit yourself, but—” Elijah’s words died suddenly, and he sucked a huge breath into his lungs before bellowing, “SNAKE!” He jumped to his feet faster than I’d ever seen him move.

  “Where?” I said, looking around for a timber rattler or something that escaped from a zoo someplace and had been hiding out in the Great Smoky Mountains eating unsuspecting critters and horny couples who were too busy fornicating to notice the danger until it was too late because the giant, man-eating snake was right on them. Then I saw a small, brown snake slithering off into the woods. “That?” I asked pointing. Elijah’s respond was a hard shudder, and it was my turn to laugh at his expense.

  “Mock me all you want, Freckles. I saved your life just now.”

  I laughed even harder. “Elijah, I’ve seen bigger snakes in our yard.”

  “What? When?”

  His panic only made me laugh harder until he stood there, buck-ass naked with his hands on his hips, looking at me through narrowed eyes. “I’m starting to rethink my proposal.”

  If he expected me to capitulate and stop laughing, then he was going about it the hard way. I held up my forefingers on both hands to indicate how little the snake was because I was laughing too hard to speak. Of course, I deliberately downplayed the snake’s size so it resembled the length of an earthworm.

  “My cock is way bigger than that, Freckles.”

  “Not if you don’t put some clothes on,” I said once I could speak again. “It’s a bit nippy out here.” I tossed his briefs and jeans at him then wiped the tears from my eyes as he put them on.

  Elijah had just sat down to put on his socks and shoes when I heard the sound of twigs snapping and grass rustling. I whipped around expecting to see a bear, but a man stepped out of the clearing instead.

  “Howdy, folks, I’m Ranger Nelson. I was in the vicinity when I heard shouting and decided to come investigate.” His shrewd eyes roamed over our embarrassed flushes and Elijah’s partially clad body, quickly surmising what we’d been up to. “Ma’am, are you here of your own free will?”