Exclusive / a Touch of Heaven

by Samantha Chase

  “Wow, that’s impressive. How late will you have to work?”

  “I’m not sure.” She looked at the dashboard clock and saw it was almost four. “If all goes well, I should be done by nine.”

  “Do you have anyone available to finish up my shoulder massage? The last couple of days have been rough.”

  “What if I told you Todd was the only one available?” she teased.

  “The way I’m feeling right now, I’d accept it. That’s how uncomfortable I am.”

  Her concern for him was instantaneous. “Tell you what, why don’t you come in at eight thirty and I’ll take care of you.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to take you away from what you need to be doing.”

  “Are you kidding? This will give me motivation to get through all the preparations.”

  “We were supposed to go on a date, if memory serves,” he reminded her.

  “We will, just not tonight. It’s not a big deal, Sawyer, you don’t need to take me anywhere. I enjoy just spending time with you.”

  Sawyer felt humbled by Regan’s admission and with a promise to see her later, he hung up and did a final walk-through of the house for the day. Along the way he made a mental checklist of what needed to be done, where they were lagging behind, what materials needed to still be ordered…

  Designing and building came as naturally to Sawyer as breathing. From the time he was a little boy and Max had helped him build his first birdhouse, there was no doubt of what he wanted to do with his life. His father had always been a carpenter, and Sawyer had apprenticed under him all through his teens before heading off to college to learn the design aspect in more detail. Max would have been capable of teaching his son how to do it all, but he also knew it would only serve to benefit Sawyer’s future for him to have a college education.

  Locking up the house for the night, Sawyer drove back to the hotel, took a hot shower, and then sank down on the bed to relax before heading over to A Touch of Heaven and to Regan.

  Regan.

  This whole relationship had hit him like a ton of bricks, and Sawyer was in uncharted territory. He was falling hard and fast and if he was reading things correctly, Regan was too. Every minute they shared together felt…right. The more he got to know about her, the more he wanted to know. In return, Regan seemed just as anxious to get to know him. They had so much in common and no one could argue about their compatibility in bed; they were explosive.

  Still, as confident as he felt saying all this in the privacy of his hotel room and to himself, the thought of broaching the subject of a future to Regan terrified him. He didn’t want to rush her, nor did he want to be the one to jump in and say “I love you” first only to have her say she didn’t feel that way.

  Sighing, he glanced over at the clock. It was barely six. His body ached from head to toe. As much as he hated the thought of making Regan work late so he could get a massage, it had nothing to do with the physical aspect of their relationship and everything to do with his overall well-being. He hoped Regan didn’t feel like he was taking advantage of her.

  He really needed to take her out properly. Standing, he walked across the room, grabbed his laptop, and sat down at the desk. He went online and researched the local restaurants and places of interest. While his initial reaction had been to call Caroline and ask what Regan liked, he knew they weren’t ready to share their relationship status with their parents.

  So he was on his own to plan this little romantic excursion.

  Never in his life had Sawyer put any real effort into wooing a woman. He had dated his share of women, but it always came easily to him and he had been happy to go with the flow, let the women take the lead. Plus, he wasn’t really interested in taking anything into the long term. He found whoever he had been dating attractive and they, in turn, felt the same way, enjoying one another’s company for as long as it lasted and then amicably moving on.

  He didn’t want to move on.

  He didn’t want Regan to move on.

  He resumed his internet search. Ideally, he wanted to go big but not too big. A weekend away would be his preference, but before he booked such a thing, he’d need to know Regan’s schedule.

  Inspiration struck. For now, they would have a night out at a restaurant where they could have a nice dinner, listen to some jazz music, and then do the Art Walk around Raleigh. He’d have all the information he needed regarding a weekend getaway to the coast at the ready so as soon as he confirmed when she had time off, he could book it. It was perfect, and Sawyer reclined back in the chair and high-fived himself.

  He, Sawyer Bennett, was going to sweep Regan Amerson off her feet. He couldn’t wait to stroll with her in the moonlight, holding her hand and hearing her talk about anything and everything that made her smile.

  He was hoping he fit somewhere up high on that list.

  * * *

  Regan looked around the spa to make sure she hadn’t missed anything.

  Dimming the lights and getting the blankets and pillows ready, Regan heated some lavender oil in the diffuser to get the scent just right. In the corner she turned on some soothing music, but would leave it up to Sawyer if he would prefer the sound of the ocean instead. For now the music calmed her. While she knew he was coming to her for medicinal purposes, any time Regan thought about running her hands all over Sawyer’s body was enough to get herself worked up. The man was simply magnificent.

  Over the last several weeks she had gotten to know Sawyer and the more she learned, the more she liked. Was it possible to fall this quickly? Was Sawyer even thinking about a relationship beyond the job, or was this possibly the way he did relationships? That thought did not sit well with her. From everything she had learned about him, Sawyer did not seem like the type of guy who dated based upon the job he was doing. At least she hoped he wasn’t, because otherwise where would that leave her? At the end of the job, was she supposed to thank him for a fabulous home makeover and the orgasms and wave goodbye?

  Yikes. That was a depressing thought.

  On the other hand, if Sawyer felt for her even a little of what she was feeling for him, how would their relationship work once he moved on? Long-distance relationships were never a good thing and rarely succeeded. Would she be able to stand it if he was on another job and met a woman like herself? Not to say that she didn’t trust him, but did she know him well enough to spend a large amount of time apart and not question what he was doing in his spare time and who he was spending it with?

  She was pathetic. Pushing all thoughts of Sawyer romancing every female homeowner in the Northeast aside, Regan took one last look at the room before stepping out and grabbing a bottle of water. She was starving; she hadn’t taken the time to grab any dinner and if Sawyer was on time, they wouldn’t be leaving the spa until after ten. Her stomach growled in protest. She could only hope she would make it that long.

  As if reading her mind, Sawyer appeared at the door of A Touch of Heaven with a smile and a bag of takeout and Regan almost wept at the sight of him. Once he stepped in she locked the front door, smiling at the wicked glint in his eyes.

  “Everyone gone?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

  Regan swatted at his arm. “Yes, everyone has gone home for the night and since we’ll be in the back, it’s for safety purposes that I’m locking the door. I don’t need anyone wandering in here to rob me blind while we’re in the back.”

  “Well, that’s a whole lot less sexy a reason than I was going for,” he teased.

  Rather than banter with him, Regan heard her stomach let out an unladylike growl and she asked, “What’s in the bag?”

  “I figured you worked until you lost track of the time, so I grabbed us some Chinese food. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I stuck to the basics, but I bought a variety.”

  Regan leaned in and kissed him thoroughly. “My hero.”

 
; She led him back to her office and set up a makeshift dining area for them. Sawyer could tell she was tired; he saw the shadows beneath her eyes and felt a pang of guilt that he was going to make her keep working tonight for his sake. They sat on opposite sides of her large desk and he reached across for her hand. “We can do this another time if you’d rather call it a day.”

  Regan waved him off. “Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting for this all afternoon,” she said with a sexy grin. “It’s not very often that I get to kick off my own shoes and relax while I’m giving a massage.”

  “You can kick off anything you want. You don’t have to stop at the shoes.” His tone was playful but his mind began to conjure up all the possibilities. Before he got too wrapped up in the fantasy, he pushed it aside and decided to ask about the rest of her day.

  Regan told him about the preparations for the bridal party and how busy she expected the next morning to be. “They’re scheduled to arrive around ten and there are six of them, including the bride. It will be a four- or five-hour event.”

  “For manicures and pedicures?” he asked.

  “Oh, no,” she said, waving a chopstick at him. “By the way, dumplings are my favorite.” Reaching into the container, she took another one out and ate it before continuing. “If it was only mani-pedis, we’d have the girls in and out of here in about two hours. I would have enough staff to make that happen. No, besides the mani-pedis, the girls are getting facials and massages. Full-service pampering party.”

  “Sounds like a lot of work.”

  “It is, but I’ve got the entire staff coming in tomorrow, including my mother, so we’ll have a nice rotation going.” Regan sat back and sighed with pleasure as she ate. It was the perfect meal, and if he had asked her what she wanted, she would have picked everything Sawyer had bought. “I really can’t thank you enough for this. I didn’t realize I was so hungry until we opened everything up.”

  “So how does your mom feel about the house? Have you talked to her about it? She’s been around the job site more than I thought she would and I’m curious if she’s doing it because of my dad or because she’s concerned about the work.”

  “It’s definitely because of Max. You wouldn’t believe the fuss she put up over having to come in tomorrow. She was going to miss sharing Max’s coffee break.” There was that eye roll again. “It’s like she’s a seventeen-year-old girl.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “No, definitely not a bad thing, but it is taking some getting used to. My mom has always been pretty stable and reliable, and for the most part pretty straitlaced. Since she’s met Max, I’ve heard more about her personal life than I’m comfortable with and she’s starting to change her appearance.”

  “How?”

  “It was small at first, a bolder nail color and some jewelry. Then it moved on to a sassier wardrobe. She was never one to fuss with clothes, and now suddenly she’s all spunky and wearing things that are trendy. She showed me a push-up bra she bought and I’m not going to lie to you, it was a little racier than what I wear.”

  One dark brow arched at her.

  “Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” she said as if reading his mind.

  “What? What did I do?” he asked innocently.

  “Don’t think about my mother’s underwear. That’s just creepy.”

  Sawyer dropped his chopsticks, nearly choking on his food. Once he was done coughing, he looked at her with disbelief. “Regan, I was not thinking about your mother’s underwear. I was, however, thinking about yours. I wouldn’t mind us sampling a little something from the lingerie store.”

  “You men are way too easy,” she said with a laugh and then called dibs on the last dumpling. “What is the point of spending a fortune on ridiculous scraps of silk and lace when they get tossed aside almost as soon as you see them?”

  “Maybe. But let me just say that thinking about you in those ridiculous scraps of silk and lace is enough to make me break out in a sweat.” Then he winked at her before picking up his chopsticks again.

  “As for the house,” Regan said, changing the subject, “she’s very pleased. She’s excited to see all the potential you found in it. While it’s been a little more emotional for her than she expected it to be, she keeps commenting on how some lucky family is going to love all the improvements.” With one final bite of fried rice, Regan pushed the food away and sighed with contentment. “She sings your praises daily, if that makes you feel any better.”

  “It does,” he teased. “But seriously, I’m glad she’s enjoying what we’re doing. It really is a great house and other than being a little outdated, there weren’t any lurking issues with the structure or plumbing or anything. Whoever built that house built it to last.”

  A look of sadness came across Regan’s face and Sawyer cursed in a low voice. “Hey,” he said softly, once again reaching for her hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I enjoy talking about the job I’m working on and it just sucks that this one has us at odds.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry, Sawyer. I need to let it go and move on. If I were at a different place in my life, I might not feel this way. But it is what it is and I have to deal with it. Hell, who knows? Maybe my mom and Max will move in together and they’ll decide to keep it.”

  “That would be interesting. Dad has a great house on the coast near the Outer Banks he’s been working on for ages. He’s never had enough time off to spend doing the things there he wants to do. It would be nice for him to finish it and then they could split their time between the two places.”

  “Look at us planning our parents’ future!” Regan said with a laugh and then stood and stretched. “If I sit any longer, I may fall asleep. Let’s clean up and get you on the table so we can work the kinks out of your shoulders.”

  Sawyer pulled Regan into his arms and kissed her, slowly, sweetly. When he raised his head, his expression was full of tenderness. “I meant what I said earlier, if you’d rather call it a day I would understand. You’re exhausted and I don’t want to be the cause of you not feeling well.”

  Standing on tiptoes, Regan placed a kiss on his nose, then took him by the hand and led him toward the room she had set up for him. “You go and get yourself ready while I clean up the dinner mess.”

  “Regan—” he began.

  “Oh, shush,” she said and gave him a push in the direction of the room. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be in there. No arguments.” She didn’t wait to see if he had moved but went about cleaning up her office and clearing her mind of any talk of business.

  When she finished, she walked to the last door on the right and gently knocked before going in.

  Sawyer was on the table, face down with the blanket draped over his hips. Without asking, Regan switched the music over to the sounds of the ocean and kicked off her shoes. There was no reason to speak; words weren’t necessary. She got everything she needed and poured the scented lotion in her hands and began to work on Sawyer’s back. He let out a low moan of approval and she smiled. It would have broken the mood to talk about sex noises as they had the last time, so for now she enjoyed listening to the sounds of the waves and Sawyer’s sounds of pleasure.

  By the time Regan reached the injured shoulder, she could tell Sawyer was relaxed. The feel of his muscles and the sight of his tanned skin was having the opposite effect on her. She was anything but relaxed. The more she touched him, the more she heard his moans and sighs of pleasure, the more Regan wanted to please him.

  Silently, she took a step back and rethought her original plan for the night. Just when he was about to lift his head and ask if everything was okay, Regan was back to running her hands over him as professionally as she could. Leaning in close, she worked her hands from his lean hips all the way up to his scalp. Gently, she scraped her nails along his skin, moved back down, and started again. She did this several times
before returning her attention to his shoulder.

  “You can roll over now,” she said softly and stepped back to give him room to move. Sawyer’s expression started out sleepy, but once his eyes focused on her, it changed. “Is something wrong?” she asked, striking a little pose.

  “You seem to have lost some of your clothes,” he said gruffly.

  There she stood, in all her curvy glory, wearing nothing but deep red lace.

  “I’m a woman, Sawyer, of course I shop at Victoria’s Secret.” She stepped forward and with a hand on his chest, gently forced him to lie back on the table. “Now let’s work on the shoulder from this side, shall we?”

  He nodded and closed his eyes, but every once in a while she caught him peeking. Every time she leaned forward with the massaging motion, her breasts brushed his arm or his chest. “Regan,” he said in a low growl.

  “No talking,” she whispered. “Just relax and enjoy the sounds of the ocean and the feel of your muscles relaxing.”

  “Darlin’, if you keep this up, nothing on me is going to be relaxed. And that isn’t a threat, it’s a promise.”

  His tone was deep and sexy and Regan wanted to run her hands and her mouth over him from head to toe. “But your time isn’t up yet,” she said sweetly, leaning in even further to put a little more pressure on the offending muscle. Sawyer hissed and she wasn’t sure if it was in pleasure or pain, but she continued her work. Her hands slowed as she relished the feel of him and all but purred when he whispered her name.

  “I think I may need to change the angle in order to get where you seem to need it most.” Her words sounded professional enough, but before Sawyer could take a breath, Regan was straddling him on the table. He said her name again and it came out as a plea. “Is there something you need, Sawyer?” she asked softly, seductively, as she leaned forward and placed her lips a breath away from his.

  “You,” he said, reaching up and cupping the back of her head. “Only you.”