Can't Forget You

by Rachel Lacey

  The sound of the shower filtered through the bathroom door so he slid out of bed and went to her. He found her standing beneath the steamy spray, seemingly lost in thought.

  “Oh, hey. Good morning.” She gave him a shy smile as he stepped into the shower behind her. “I didn’t want to wake you, but I had to start getting ready for work.”

  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Your sleeping charm worked a little too well.”

  “It was nice, you know.” She looked him straight in the eye. “Spending the night together, in a bed, after all these years.”

  “Yeah.” Although nice wasn’t quite the word he’d use. He felt anchored to Jess in a way he hadn’t before, not even in their teens. Things between them then had been passionate but volatile. They’d been so young, and he’d been so lost, just drifting through life trying to keep his head above water.

  He sure as hell hadn’t been an adult, not even close. But he was an adult now, and he fully appreciated the beautiful, amazing woman in his arms. And he was going to cherish the hell out of every single moment he got to spend with her.

  He bent his head and kissed her as the shower’s hot spray cascaded over their bodies. But it was nothing compared to the fire raging inside him. Each time he held Jess in his arms, his need for her grew even more intense, more powerful.

  “Sometimes I imagined what it would be like,” she murmured as she kissed her way down his neck. “You and me together like this.”

  “You thought about us?” He cupped her breasts, rewarded by a moan of pleasure from Jess. In all the years he’d spent fantasizing about her, he’d never imagined she might have done the same. She’d been so angry, so hurt, when he left that he’d assumed she’d never thought of him again.

  “Of course.” She took his nipple between her teeth and tugged.

  His dick pulsed with increasing intensity. He let that ache fuel him as he touched her, kissing and caressing every inch of her beautiful body. Her breath caught as he slid a hand between her legs, stroking her while he kissed her neck.

  He needed to memorize everything, the soft sounds of pleasure she made as he brought her closer to the edge, the sweet scent of her skin, the way the shower pounded on his shoulders, heightening his senses. He held her closer, taking pleasure from the way her hips rocked against his. She was so responsive to his touch, so passionate.

  She threw her head back, and it was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. Her eyes closed, and she whimpered, her hips thrusting erratically against him as she lost control. It was beautiful. So fucking beautiful.

  “Oh God, Mark…” Her body tensed as she came, and then she collapsed against his chest. “That was…amazing.”

  Fuck, yeah. As good as it was between them, and it was fucking spectacular, he’d never lost control like that during sex. Never lost control, period. It was addictive though, watching her lose control. He wanted to do it again. And again.

  “Your turn,” she whispered, gripping him.

  His balls tightened as she stroked his shaft, and he hissed out a breath, thrusting his hips against her.

  “How bad do you need me right now?” She stroked her thumb over his head, and his vision grew hazy.

  Pretty fuckin’ bad. So bad it scared him. He reached down and pushed her hand away. “Not as bad as I need to taste you.”

  “No time,” she said, even as a blush crept across her cheeks. “I have to get ready for work.”

  “There’s time.” He reached up to turn off the water and then swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He kissed his way down her stomach and knelt between her legs.

  “Mark, really, you don’t have to…”

  But her whimper when he touched her let him know that she wanted this as much as he did. He put his mouth on her, reveling in her salty taste, the way her hips bucked and her knees parted, inviting him in. He used his tongue to drive her wild, letting her pleasure fuel him. He lost himself to the sensations as he nipped and plunged, driving her higher and higher. She let out a cry that echoed throughout his body. His dick was so hard he felt like he hadn’t come in years, when it had only been hours.

  This was the effect she had on him.

  “Wow,” Jess whispered when she’d recovered.

  He looked up at her, ridiculously pleased by the ravished look on her face.

  She sat up and reached for him. “I can be a few minutes late.”

  “No, you can’t.” He gave her a quick kiss, then slid out of bed. He pulled on his boxers and jeans and reached for his shirt.

  “Mark…”

  “Call me later.”

  She frowned. “I have a girls’ night tonight, I think.”

  “No problem.” He gave her another kiss. “Bye, Jess.”

  With Bear at his heels, he headed for his SUV and pointed it toward his condo. Jess tested the limits of his control, something no woman had ever done before. Which meant he needed to get ahold of himself.

  Back at his condo, he took Bear for a walk and fed her breakfast. For himself, he devoured a few donuts from the box in his pantry while he boiled a couple of eggs to round out the meal. Sweets were his indulgence, but protein was necessary to fuel him through a day at Off-the-Grid.

  With that taken care of, he headed for work. Bear rode along with him, as usual. She would hang out in the office with whoever was working the desk today, probably Trent. Mark had a zip-line tour booked at one, but he’d be spending the morning on the new property, working on the mountain bike course with Ethan.

  As business slowed for the winter, they had more time to get the course in shape. And since both he and Ethan had some experience with woodworking, they’d volunteered to lay the raised portion of the course themselves. Kept costs down and kept them busy.

  “Ready?” Ethan asked, walking out of the office. “I’ve got Ryan’s truck already loaded up.”

  Mark nodded. Bear took one look at the truck and hopped into the bed with their lumber and tools. “Guess she’s hanging with us today.”

  “Cool with me.” Ethan climbed into the driver’s seat. “You’ve been kind of absent lately. Everything okay?”

  Absent? “Yeah.”

  “Okay, bro. I’ll take you at your word. Just, you know, check in with us every once in a while, let us know how you’re doing.”

  Mark shot him a look.

  Ethan grinned. “Just trying to be a good friend, man. Yesterday, you walked out of here for a few hours in the middle of the day. It’s not like you, that’s all.”

  “Had an errand to take care of.”

  “This errand have a name?” Ethan gave him a questioning smile.

  Dammit. “No.” Because it was none of his business, and Jess had asked him to keep things private for now.

  Ethan guided the truck back into the woods beyond the end of the zip-line course. Already they’d built a platform where the mountain bike course would originate. Today, they would begin constructing the course itself. It would run on a raised wooden track for the first quarter mile or so over the rocky terrain on their original property. Then they’d carve a dirt trail into their new land, twisting and turning down the hillside, ending in another raised portion that branched, offering a moderate finish for those looking to play it safe and a hair-raising drop on the other side for the true adrenaline junkies.

  If all went well, the new course would be ready to open for business in the spring. And he couldn’t fucking wait. It had been years since he’d been on a mountain bike. This course was going to be a rush.

  He and Ethan spent the rest of the morning hammering wood. They made pretty good progress too. It was exciting to see their vision starting to come to fruition. He wondered how Jess was coming with her plans for the cabins.

  Just past noon, they loaded up the pickup truck and headed back to the main building for lunch before the one o’clock zip-line tour. He and Ethan would be taking out a group of locals. Mark had been helping out on the zip-line a lot since his survival ski
lls class had been a slow starter, and he didn’t mind. He enjoyed the zip-line, but it involved a lot of face-to-face time with the clientele, and he preferred being behind the scenes or one-on-one teaching survival skills in the forest.

  He’d just finished his roast beef sandwich when their clients arrived in the lobby, a group of middle-aged men and women who all looked suitably excited about their afternoon adventure. His gaze fell on a woman near the back, a small woman with bleached blond hair and a timid smile that made his sandwich curdle in his stomach.

  What was Sharlene doing here?

  He thought he’d made himself perfectly clear when he confronted her in the deli parking lot last week. She wasn’t welcome, not here or anywhere else in his life.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Jessica stood in front of the bathroom mirror, scowling at herself. She looked tired. She felt tired, but surely she could hide it through the magic of makeup. Emma would be picking her up in a few minutes for girls’ night out, and she was going to have fun tonight no matter what. She blotted concealer beneath her eyes, smoothed it in, and then gave herself a final once-over. She had on a low-cut purple sweater, skinny jeans, and boots, and with the dark circles under her eyes successfully camouflaged, she looked ready for a night out on the town.

  Bring it.

  Right on time, she heard Emma knocking at the front door.

  “Coming,” Jessica called. She grabbed her purse and jacket off the end table and opened the door. “Thanks again for picking me up,” she told Emma as they walked to her SUV.

  “No problem. You’re on my way, and I can’t drink anyway so I might as well put my sobriety to good use,” Emma said with a grin.

  And since she’d been able to manage her headaches holistically for the last few days, Jessica really appreciated the fact that she could drink freely tonight. After the month she’d had, she needed to cut loose with her friends and enjoy a drink or three. “I’ll return the favor once the baby’s born.”

  “Definitely taking you up on that.” Emma pointed a finger in her direction before climbing into the driver’s seat. “My college experience is totally lacking in the beer department so far.”

  “How’s everything going?” Jessica got into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.

  Emma had started taking night classes a few months ago to earn her college degree, right around the same time she found out she was pregnant. “Honestly, between college and work, I’m exhausted.” Emma brushed back a lock of blond hair as she pulled out onto the road. “Once I’ve finished the gardens for the Silver Springs Lodge, I’m going to cut back my hours until after the baby’s born.”

  “That sounds smart.” Jessica chewed her bottom lip. “Have you seen the inside of the lodge?”

  “Checking up on the competition?” Emma asked with a sly smile.

  And yep, that’s exactly what she’d been doing. Not for nothing, but the Haven Spa had been the only spa in the county for a long time. It was definitely not ideal to have a new luxury lodge with its own spa opening right before she expanded her own spa into a resort. “I’m curious, yeah.”

  “It’s nice…really nice, but it has a totally different vibe than your place, Jess. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

  “How so?”

  “It just feels like any other hotel spa. Everything’s shiny and pretty, but there’s nothing unique either. The Haven Spa has so much more character, plus you have the hot springs. And your spa cabins are going to be to-die-for.”

  Emma pulled into an empty spot along the town commons, and they got out of the car. The evening air was cool and crisp. Jessica slipped into her jacket as they walked toward The Drunken Bear.

  “Is Ryan working tonight?” she asked.

  Emma nodded. “He’s been picking up as many extra shifts as he can get.”

  “Makes sense while you’re taking evening classes.”

  “Yep. Saving up as much as we can before the baby comes.”

  They pushed through the front doors of The Drunken Bear and found Gabby and Carly already seated at a table by the window. Mandy joined them soon after.

  Carly passed her cell phone around the table, showing them photos of her wedding dress.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Jessica said, and she meant it. The dress was a classic ballgown style, strapless with a full skirt and a heavily beaded bodice. “You’re going to look like a princess.”

  “I can’t wait.” Carly had a dreamy look in her eyes.

  “It’s like a wedding epidemic around here,” Mandy said, tossing a meaningful look in Jessica’s direction.

  She nodded in solidarity, as the only other single (or at least semi-single) person at the table.

  “More importantly,” Mandy added, “does Sam have any single, famous friends? Because I wouldn’t mind a rock star of my own.”

  “Ooh, I hadn’t even thought of that,” Gabby said. “The town is going to be crawling with celebrities that weekend, I bet.”

  Carly nodded. “There will be some famous faces around here, no doubt about it. And Sam does have some single friends you and Jessica might swoon for, although I’m not sure yet how many of them will fly out for the wedding.”

  “And I’m not so sure how single Jess actually is,” Emma said with a smile.

  Jessica took a long drink from her beer to save herself from having to answer.

  “That’s right!” Carly’s eyes lit. “Because you’ve been kissing Mark.”

  “I know you guys have history together,” Gabby said. “So is this like a chemistry thing or a feelings thing?”

  “It’s supposed to be a private thing,” Jessica said, her cheeks burning.

  “No privacy here,” Emma said, grinning. “But you can also trust that nothing you say will be repeated outside our group.”

  “Does that include Ethan and Ryan?” Jessica gave Emma and Gabby questioning looks. “Because we’re talking about one of their best friends.”

  “If you ask us to keep it between us girls, we will,” Gabby said.

  Emma nodded in agreement.

  “This sounds like more than just kissing,” Carly said, sipping from her beer with wide eyes.

  “It is.” Jessica took another drink from her own beer. “He spent the night at my place last night.”

  Mandy whooped, while a collective murmur of excitement ran around the table.

  “That sounds like a lot more than kissing,” Emma said.

  Jessica nodded. “This chemistry between us…well, I guess it was simmering for a while. Maybe we still had some unfinished business we needed to get out of our systems.”

  “So it’s just sex?” Mandy asked.

  “For now, it is, and that’s why I don’t want word of it getting out around town.”

  “So you won’t be inviting him to your parents’ house for Thanksgiving?” Emma asked, her expression deadpan.

  Jessica set her beer down on the table a little more forcefully than she’d intended to. “No way.” Although truthfully, Thanksgiving hadn’t even crossed her mind yet. Her family knew him, of course, and she did hate the thought of him spending holidays alone…crap.

  “Your face right now!” Emma was laughing. “But don’t worry, we’ve already invited him to have Thanksgiving with us so you don’t have to worry about him being alone.”

  “Oh good. I mean…not that I was worried, but I’m glad he’ll be with you guys.” A ridiculous burst of relief flooded through her.

  “Maybe you could stop by for dessert,” Emma said, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “I do bake a mean pumpkin cheesecake.”

  “Um.” Jessica sensed that she was in over her head with no way out. She gulped from her beer. “Yeah. Sure. I could stop by for dessert.”

  “I’m so sorry we’re going to miss this,” Gabby said, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Sam and I are staying in town to spend Thanksgiving with my parents,” Carly said.

  “Come on over,” Emma said. “Ryan and I
love any excuse to have extra people around the table at the holidays, and I bet you could bring something really yummy too.”

  “Oh, I’m sure I could whip something up.” Carly winked.

  “Your pecan pie tarts are my favorite,” Jessica chimed in, for a moment forgetting the potential awkwardness of Thanksgiving with Emma, Ryan, Carly, Sam, and Mark.

  “Duly noted,” Carly said, sipping from her beer.

  “So if I might be nosy for a moment,” Emma said, raising her eyebrows. “What’s he like in bed? I mean, he’s so reserved. Does he ever let loose?”

  “And is he a dirty talker?” Mandy asked.

  They were all leaning in close, grinning like fools.

  Jessica felt her cheeks burning again. Reserved…yes, that was a good word for Mark, but she wanted to see him let loose. Ooh, yeah, she might make that her new mission in life. “Not much of a dirty talker, no. And yes, he likes to keep himself in control, but that’s kind of a plus because he always takes plenty of time for me first.”

  Gabby nodded solemnly. “And kudos for that. There are way too many men out there who only think about themselves in bed.”

  “Sad but true.” Jessica nodded. “Mark definitely scores a perfect ten on delivering orgasms, but—” She cut herself off and reached for her beer, semi-embarrassed by what she’d almost said.

  “But what?” Carly asked.

  “You can’t leave us hanging like this,” Gabby said.

  “If you ever repeat this to anyone, I’ll ban you all from the spa.” She raised her eyebrows for effect, and they all nodded vigorously. “He’s holding back. There’s this passion, something really raw and intense. I can see it just beneath the surface, but he reins it in. I’m not sure he’s ever really let go, and I really, really want to see it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s already great in bed, but Mark unleashed? That might be like holy shit, off-the-charts amazing.”