Love At Last

by Cooper, Sharon C.

  Who wouldn’t fall for an amazing man who made her feel cherished and loved? During their weeks together, he catered to her every wish as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. Like when he picked her up from work the nights she closed the bar. Or the way he called her in the middle of the day just to let her know he was thinking about her. Something had definitely shifted between them this past week—something she didn’t want to walk away from.

  Lincoln guided her toward the cocktail bar in the corner of the room.

  “Your talent as a pianist matches your gorgeousness. I can’t get over how beautiful you look tonight.”

  “Are you saying that I don’t usually look beautiful?” she teased.

  He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “On the contrary. You get more beautiful by the day. What would you like to drink?”

  “A glass of Chardonnay would be great.”

  Lincoln ordered for both of them, just as another gentleman blazed into the room. Carolyn assumed it was Blake.

  “Made it!” He flashed a big, toothy grin as he stood in the doorway. Tall like Lincoln with a similar toasted-almond complexion, he wore a dark suit, but unlike the others, he didn’t have on a tie. Instead, his striped dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, giving him a laid-back appearance. Clearly the life of the party, Blake jogged through the room, arms held high imitating Rocky Balboa when he made it to the top of the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in his Rocky movies.

  Conrad chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s about time you got here. Sit down somewhere.”

  “I can’t sit down. I have to go over here and meet this stunning woman Lincoln’s holding on to.”

  Carolyn’s cheeks heated at Blake’s compliment.

  “You can guess who this joker is,” Lincoln said to Carolyn, loud enough for Blake to hear. “Where is your better half?”

  “I don’t know. I think in the kitchen. She’s somewhere helping Angela,” Blake said, absently reaching for Carolyn’s hand before kissing the back of it. “I’m Blake, and you are?”

  “Carolyn Jenkins.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  Lincoln pulled her hand from Blake’s and held onto it, ignoring the way his friend’s brows lifted in amusement. Carolyn never thought Lincoln the possessive type, but the way he’d been holding onto her all evening said otherwise.

  A giddiness spread through her body. She loved being wanted … desired, especially by someone she wanted and desired. For as long as should could remember, all she really wanted from a man was to feel special, cherished … and loved. During her time with Lincoln, she had experienced that and much more. And tonight, for him to show so much affection in front of his friends spoke volumes. He had fallen just as hard as she had.

  Her pulse quickened when she glanced up to find his penetrating gaze on her as he caressed the back of her hand. His eyes were filled with the same desire she’d seen earlier when he picked her up from home, and something sensual passed between them. Before she could stop herself, she covered his mouth with hers. She only intended to give him a loving peck on the mouth, but he had other ideas. Holding her around the waist, he conquered her lips with demanding mastery. Carolyn lost herself in what turned out to be one of the most soul-searing kisses he’d ever given her. That’s what being with Lincoln did to her—he made her forget everything and everyone whenever they were together.

  It wasn’t until someone cleared their throat did she remember where they were. She pulled back, breaking the connection, but Lincoln didn’t release her. Carolyn had never been shy about anything, especially what she wanted, but her cheeks heated sensing, more so than seeing everyone’s attention on them.

  “Well, all right then.” Blake broke the awkwardness and turned to the bartender. “Can I get a beer? I need something to cool me off.”

  For the next few minutes, the group laughed and chatted as Blake explained that he was late because he had to search for their dog. The German shepherd had been sneaking out of the back yard for the past couple of weeks. Each time Blake found him, he was with a different female dog. The story went on and on and Carolyn cracked up along with the others, wondering how much of the story was true, and how much was exaggerated. Either way he had everyone rolling.

  “You know what? I don’t know what to believe when it comes to you. As crazy as that story was, I can see it happening to you,” Carl said still laughing as he wiped his eyes. He, his wife, and Conrad moved over to the sofa, leaving the rest of them at the small bar.

  “Carolyn, Lincoln has mentioned you in conversation,” Blake said, “but I don’t think I’ve ever asked. What do you do?”

  “Actually, I’m a ba—”

  “Excuse me. May I have a glass of water?” Lincoln asked the bartender.

  A twinge of unease clawed through Carolyn and she narrowed her eyes at him. Oblivious to the daggers she shot at his head, Lincoln pulled Blake into small talk with the bartender. She didn’t want to believe he was intentionally trying to keep her from mentioning her job. Yet, that was the second time he had interrupted when someone asked about her occupation. Was he embarrassed by her career?

  “All right everyone, dinner is served,” Angela said from the doorway.

  Lincoln guided Carolyn to the formal dining room. She debated whether or not she should pull him to the side and question him. If her suspicions were right, why would he suddenly have a problem with her job? If he was ashamed of what she did for a living, why would he invite her to meet his friends?

  As they took their seats, Carolyn shook the negative thoughts from her mind. Maybe her subconscious was messing with her since lately she’d been entertaining the idea of taking some college courses. She loved bartending, but it really wasn’t a career, something she’d been thinking that she wanted. Although she wasn’t ready to jump in with both feet and work toward a degree, taking a few classes seemed like a good way to start.

  For the next hour, over dinner, the topics of conversation ranged from the Cleveland Indians’ heartbreak loss in the World Series, to what people had planned for the holidays. Carolyn hadn’t known what to expect of the evening, but she could honestly say she was having a good time. Lincoln’s friends were down-to-earth and made her feel like one of them. They weren’t the stuffy group she thought they might be.

  “Carolyn, please forgive us. We’ve been talking about everything under the sun and haven’t given you a chance to tell us about yourself,” Angela said. “I think I heard you mention that your family owns Jenkins & Sons Construction.”

  “That’s correct.” Carolyn wiped her mouth. “My father started the business when I was a kid and has since retired. Now my nieces and nephews run the company.”

  “I absolutely love them. We used the company to add an addition onto our kitchen and family room. Do you help run the business?”

  “No, actually I’m a bar—”

  Lincoln started coughing uncontrollably and when it seemed he wouldn’t stop, Carolyn grew concerned and rubbed his back. “You okay?”

  He nodded, dabbing at the corners of his eyes with the heel of his hand. “I’m fine,” he croaked. “My champagne went down wrong.”

  When she started to speak again, he cleared his throat louder than she thought necessary, drowning her out. She was about ready to stab him in the thigh with her fork at what he was trying to do. She just couldn’t understand what his problem was. Any other time she would have asked him point blank, but she didn’t want to create a scene.

  “What were you going to say, Carolyn?” Conrad asked.

  She glared at the side of Lincoln’s head, daring him to cut in again. “I’m a bartender.”

  “Really?” Jennifer, Blake’s wife, said in admiration. Carolyn liked her from the moment they met. Her sense of humor matched Blake’s and Carolyn wondered if they ever had a serious moment. “I had signed up for a bartending class the summer between my junior and senior year of college, but missed out wh
en I broke my hand and leg roller skating. Do you know how to do flip to pour bottle tricks?”

  Carolyn nodded, smiling at the woman’s enthusiasm. “I do, and I would be happy to teach you a few.”

  “Count me into that lesson,” Angela added. “Actually, we should practice tonight. I can’t mix a drink to save my life. Considering the number of dinner parties I host, I would love to be able to show off at the bar sometime.”

  Carolyn answered one question after another about alcohol, how to make certain drinks, and a host of other questions prompting her to share stories about her experience bartending. Though Lincoln kept his arm around her shoulders, or touched her in some way, she noticed how quiet he’d been throughout the conversation. She didn’t know what his problem was, but she had every intention of finding out.

  “We need to talk,” she whispered close to his ear once the questions died down and everyone went back to eating and discussing other topics. “Now.” It took a lot to piss her off and right now she was about ready to slug him.

  “You okay?” The concern radiating in his eyes would have been touching if she wasn’t ticked off.

  “Please excuse me,” Carolyn said before leaving the table. She didn’t bother looking back, knowing he was hot on her trail. Not sure where she was going, she turned down a hallway and stopped at the first door which happened to be a large powder room.

  “What’s wrong?” Lincoln asked, following her in and closing the door behind them as if meeting in the bathroom was a normal occurrence.

  “What’s wrong?” Carolyn ground out, stabbing him in the chest with her finger as she backed him against the bathroom vanity. “What’s wrong is that you clearly have a problem with me being a bartender. What I don’t understand is why you haven’t said anything. Why invite me here if you’re embarrassed by me?”

  “Whoa, wait. Sweetheart, I’m not embarrassed by you. If anything, you impress me more and more each day.”

  “Then what’s your problem?”

  His intense gaze bore into her before doing a slow glide down her body, lingering on her breasts. When he returned his attention to her face, his eyes blazed with desire and the heat from the passion radiating in them could melt ice. Anything else Carolyn had to say flew right out the window.

  Lincoln backed her against the wall, heat rolling off of him in waves, and an electrical charge sizzled between them. “Right now my problem is you. I’m so crazy in love with you, I can barely think straight. Then you come at me with this sexy ass dress, and don’t even get me started about your intoxicating scent that has had me in knots from the moment you opened your front door. And did I mention this dress? Sweetheart, the biggest problem I’m having is the inability to stop thinking about what it’s going to be like when I strip you out of this damn thing.”

  Taken back by his words, she stood motionless.

  I’m so crazy in love with you.

  Of all that he’d just said, those were the words rattling inside of her brain.

  He loves me.

  “I have wanted you from the moment you stepped into Paul’s office, and right now …”

  His hand slipped beneath her hair, hanging past her shoulders, and settled at the nape of her neck. Without another word, his lips brushed against hers, first gently, but then he increased the pressure, devouring her mouth.

  A battle raged within Carolyn. She wanted to push him away and finish their fight, but he had her so aroused and her panties so wet, that she too could barely think straight. Her arms slid around his neck and she held the back of his head, deepening their connection. He tasted of champagne as their tongues battled, exploring each other’s mouth. Her nipples pebbled, straining against her dress as his hard muscles pressed solidly against her. The kiss, filled with so much passion and need, had her whimpering, wanting him more than she had ever wanted another man in her life.

  Lincoln’s hands seared a heated path down the side of her body until they landed on her bare thighs. Warmth blasted through her body, and heat nipped at every nerve. He wasted no time lifting the hem of the dress and finding his way to her bare butt cheeks. Squeezing. Kneading. Holding her firmly against his erection.

  “I need you,” he groaned against her cheek, kissing, nipping, and licking his way down the column of her neck before he returned to her lips.

  “I need you, too,” Carolyn mumbled against his mouth, her knees going weak with the pressure building inside of her body.

  Lincoln’s hand slipped inside of her thong, finding her sweet heat, and Carolyn purred.

  “Aww, baby, you’re hot … wet,” he groaned, sliding a finger into her and then another. Instinctively her body arched against his palm. His steady strokes and skilled digits teased, fondled, and pushed Carolyn closer to her breaking point. She wanted this to last longer, but the way her heart hammered against her ribcage, there was no way she could prolong the sweet torture.

  She opened her legs wider while he picked up speed and she rode his hand harder, moving feverishly as an orgasm teetered on the edge, ready to burst free.

  “Linc … Lincoln,” she moaned and gripped his broad shoulders, his muscles bunching under her touch. Her legs wobbled and pleasure swirled within her, pushing her toward a point of no return, and her eyes slammed shut. A hot wave of heat shot through her body, sending her soaring to a beautiful place of satisfaction, and she cried her release.

  Lincoln covered her mouth with his, smothering her erotic cry as her body jerked and shuddered before she collapsed against him. With her chest heaving up and down, Carolyn laid her forehead on his shoulder. That had been incredible, but she wanted more.

  As if reading her mind, Lincoln nuzzled her neck. “I don’t want our first time to be in a bath—”

  “Stop talking and take me.”

  They moved at once. Lincoln quickly undid his belt, pulled a condom from his wallet, then kicked off his pants. Seeing his thick shaft standing at attention sent a sudden burst of lustful energy shooting through Carolyn. She shimmied out of her panties. They didn’t bother with the rest of their clothes, both breathing as if they’d just finished a marathon.

  Lincoln moved with urgency and gripped the back of her thighs. Carolyn gasped when he lifted her, bumping into a towel rod before propping her against the wall. Her arms went around his neck, her legs around his waist. Staring into her eyes, Lincoln entered her in one smooth motion and her mouth formed a perfect “O” until her body adjusted to his size.

  Still gazing into his eyes, Carolyn kissed him with everything she had, hoping he could feel how much she loved him as he glided in and out of her. She moaned against his mouth. Every part of her body came alive and a swarm of sensations stirred within her as he pumped his hips, going deeper and harder with each thrust.

  Lincoln ripped his mouth from hers. “You’re mine,” he said in a growl, his fingers digging into her thighs and his pace more frantic. “You’re mine!”

  At that, ripples of pleasure roared through Carolyn’s body and she held on tightly around his neck, her body convulsing against him, pushing her into a place of completeness. With one last powerful thrust, Lincoln’s release was right behind hers and he groaned her name.

  Breathing hard, Carolyn rested her head in the crook of his neck. She knew they’d be good together, but this little impromptu rendezvous exceeded her expectations.

  “You’re amazing,” he said between uneven breaths, holding her firmly against the wall, seeming as if he had no intention of lowering her to the floor. She knew he was muscular, but the way he held her up proved just how strong he was.

  Carolyn didn’t know how long they stayed that way, but eventually he set her down, not releasing her until he knew she had her bearings.

  “I’m not done with you yet, but we have to get out of here,” Lincoln muttered, his breath hot against her neck.

  They quickly pulled themselves together and tidied up the room. With one last glance in the mirror, Carolyn blew out a satisfied breath.

&nbs
p; “Ready?”

  She nodded, still not trusting herself to speak.

  Lincoln opened the bathroom door and escorted her out. They barely took two steps before running into Blake.

  Amusement radiated in his eyes as he looked Lincoln up and down before casting a quick glance at Carolyn and then back at Lincoln. A smile spread across his face. “Well this is … awkward.”

  Silence filled the space until Carolyn burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. The tension bouncing off of Lincoln, and Blake’s comical expression, was too much.

  “Instead of standing there, practically bursting at the seams to say something crazy, can you let Conrad and Angela know that we had to leave? I’ll see you all on Monday.”

  Without waiting for a response, Lincoln pulled Carolyn along and the moment they turned the corner, which would take them to the hall closet, she heard Blake’s bark of laughter. A quick glance at Lincoln and he rolled his eyes and shook his head, but Carolyn didn’t miss the ghost of a grin playing around his lips.

  “I just gave him enough material to harass me for the next twelve months. I might need to find a new job.”

  Chapter Ten

  They arrived back at Carolyn’s place in record time and she guided Lincoln to her bedroom. This time he planned to take things slow. He still couldn’t believe he had taken her up against a bathroom wall like some animal. But if he hadn’t, he would have exploded from pent-up desire that had only grown since first meeting her. And the way she had looked at him. The love he saw brimming in her eyes matched what he felt in his heart. He didn’t need her to say the words. The powerful chemistry between them said it all and was like nothing he’d experienced in a long time.

  Lincoln started undressing when Carolyn excused herself and slipped into the master bathroom. He glanced around the space thinking that it fit her perfectly. The room wasn’t large, but held a comfortable looking chair near the window and a queen-sized bed with a quilted, satin headboard that went all the way up to the nine-foot ceiling. The room’s light blue and gray color palette was soft and soothing.