by Virna DePaul
Dara gripped his shoulders. His cock, so hard and relentless, brushed against her clit each time he thrust inside her. She dug her nails into his skin. “I’m so close—I’m coming—” She bit her hand, then cried out as her body convulsed.
“Jesus Christ,” Alder muttered, and then he was coming too, filling the condom with strong pulses that set off another series of orgasms for her. She felt like she was coming for an eternity, her body wrapped in so much pleasure she didn’t know if she could take it.
But then she felt Alder’s arms around her again, and his mouth on her face. And she realized she was crying: hot, salty tears running down her cheeks.
She swiped at her tears, hoping he’d think it was from the hot tub. She never cried during sex, but this? Each time with Alder seemed to be better than the last.
He held her close, stroking her back. His cock was still half-hard inside of her, and the last thing she wanted was to part from him tonight.
They didn’t say anything, but merely enjoyed being close to one another. Dara didn’t even know what she could say. I want you again? I missed you? I love you?
Her heart pounded at the last phrase, but she pushed it away. She may be infatuated, and she may have had the best sex of her life, but she wouldn’t call it love.
She couldn’t.
Could she?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After walking Dara back to her cottage and kissing her goodnight, Alder returned to the house he’d rented nearby. He spent an hour replaying their time in the hot tub together before finally falling into a deep sleep. When he woke, Dara was the first thing he thought of.
And the thought of her made him smile like a big goof.
Sitting up, he swiped his palms across his face and laughed shakily.
He was stubborn, but he wasn’t an idiot. It was time for him to face facts.
He wasn’t simply going to spend more time with Dara and in doing so be open to the possibility of forming a relationship with her. He’d told her that at the bookstore, but now he knew he wanted a relationship with her.
He wasn’t expecting her to move to Hope Falls but she only lived a few hours away. When she went back to Forestville, she’d do so knowing they hadn’t seen the last of each other. That he intended to see a lot of her in the days and weeks to come.
As he’d promised her, he was up and dressed and knocking on her front door at nine o’clock. He’d told her he’d take her to breakfast before meeting with Liam.
When she opened the door, looking so beautiful in a yellow sundress, her shoulders bare and showing off her creamy skin, he could barely restrain himself from taking her right there.
That’s when she burst out laughing even as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing. I just feel the same way. I want to pull you inside and have my wicked way with you. Again. Only I’m starving! Let’s go get some breakfast.”
Alder put his arm around her waist as they walked.
The sun shone brightly, the sky clear of any clouds. Redwoods circled the town, and he’d seen more birds and rabbits than he’d seen in his entire life in the last few weeks. But all of that faded away when Dara smiled up at him.
He took her to Sue Ann’s, and they found a booth in the back. They looked over the giant menus. But Alder already knew what he wanted, and Dara didn’t take long in making her choice, either.
“What’ll you two have?” Kelly, the waitress, asked them, smiling brightly.
“Bacon and eggs,” he said. “And the biggest pot of coffee you can bring us.”
Dara smiled. “I’ll have the exact same thing. Although can you bring some creamer with that coffee?”
“Of course. Coming right up.” Lacey picked up their menus before heading to the kitchen.
The café was lined with tons of photographs, mostly of Sue Ann and her family. Some were older, clearly of her great-grandparents and grandparents, but others were more modern: Sue Ann getting married, Sue Ann with her first child, Sue Ann with her first grandchild. Sue Ann still worked at the café, although she didn’t work as many hours as she used to.
Alder leaned back in his seat and stared at Dara, his gaze roving over her, recalling her in a variety of positions, unable to decide on his favorite one because each highlighted different things about her. He’d loved looking at her ass when he’d bent her over her bed. Loved how her breasts had bounced when she’d straddled him. Loved how he could stare into her eyes when he was on top of her, working his cock inside her tight core inch by inch…
“What are you thinking about?” she asked suddenly, eyes narrowing.
He grinned lazily. “How you moaned my name when I touched your—”
She leaned forward and pressed a hand to his mouth, laughing. “Do you want the entire place to know?”
“Sweetheart, if they didn’t hear us outside last night, I’d be shocked.”
Dara blushed and groaned, looking around as if to make sure no one was pointing at them. Alder just laughed.
“I’m going to get you back for this,” she eventually vowed after they’d gotten their food, pointing her fork at him.
Taking a bite of his eggs, he just smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”
After eating and drinking multiple cups of coffee, they left the café, deciding they’d wander down Main Street before Alder met with Liam. The weather was beautiful, and although normally Alder hated wasting time window-shopping and strolling, with Dara, he found himself enjoying it because he loved talking to her and making her laugh.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Watching Liam spar with Lucky, Alder nodded his head as the two men fought in the ring. “Good, good, keep your hands up,” Alder called.
Dara couldn’t help but smile at the sight the three men made. They were so gorgeous. So bad ass. Of the three, only Alder made her toes tingle with desire, but she could still appreciate that Lucky and Liam were handsome in their own right.
Alder glanced at her and grinned, and she gave him a little wave.
Liam and Lucky circled each other. Liam bounced away from Lucky’s uppercut, a wide smile on his handsome face. The two men were like sleek cats, moving with grace and speed. Although Lucky was at least thirty pounds heavier in muscle than Liam, Liam had the advantage of both youth and quickness based on his size.
“You gonna fight, kid, or just avoid me?” Lucky said, baiting him.
“Just waiting for an old man like you to get out of breath,” Liam countered.
Lucky barked out a laugh.
By the end, Lucky knocked Liam onto the floor of the ring, and Alder declared him the winner. Liam didn’t seem at all out of sorts by the fact he’d lost; he grinned and bounced around like a puppy, obviously thrilled to have lost a fight to the great Lucky Dorsey.
Afterward, Alder, Lucky, and Liam spoke in a tight huddle, and when they separated, Liam was grinning even harder. Obviously, Alder and Lucky had given him positive feedback. Liam waved her over, and she walked up to them. Immediately, Alder slung his arm around her shoulders. Stunned by the ease with which he’d done it, Dara glanced at Lucky, who winked at her.
“We were just telling Liam how impressed we are with him. And there’s more. Lucky and I have talked about it, Liam, and if you’re up for it, I’d love to take you on as your trainer.”
Liam’s eyes widened, and for a minute he seemed to sway on his feet. “Really? That would be awesome.” Then, realizing how eager he sounded, Liam blushed slightly and coughed. Deepening his voice, he added, “Thank you. I’d appreciate it.”
Laughing, Alder slapped the younger man on the arm, and then they halfway hugged, the way macho men did. Dara rolled her eyes at their antics.
“I already called up a buddy of mine—the vice president of the UFC—and he agreed to come down and watch you.”
His eyes widening, Liam seemed to choke on his words before blurting out, “Bloody fucking hell! You could’ve w
arned a fellow before springing that on him!”
“Get used to it, kid,” Lucky said. “You have tons of talent and people are gonna want to see it for themselves. I look forward to seeing more of you.” Lucky looked pointedly at Dara. “Both of you.” With that, Lucky shook Liam’s hand and gave Dara a brief hug. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a hot date.” He headed toward the front of the gym, where a pretty brunette in a T-shirt with “Station 8” printed on the front waited. When he reached her, Lucky picked her up by the waist, twirled her around, then kissed her. They left hand-in-hand.
“That was Deanna, Lucky’s fiancée,” Alder explained.
“She’s beautiful,” she said. “And given the way she looked at him, he really is a lucky guy.”
“He knew it the moment he met her. With some women, it’s just obvious. Like finding treasure.”
As he spoke, Dara felt Alder’s eyes firmly on her. Turning, she met his gaze and blushed. Why was it she thought he was speaking about her? That he was referring to her as his treasure?
Liam cleared his throat. “I’m going to shower and then I have to leave to catch my train. I’ll see you in a couple of days, right, Dara?”
Dara nodded, then gave her cousin a huge hug. “Yes! I’m so happy for you, Liam!”
He kissed her cheek. “This is all your doing, Dara. If you hadn’t met Alder while he was dancing that jig in Vegas…” He glanced at Alder, who groaned and rolled his eyes.
Dara giggled and slapped Liam’s arm. “This was all you, buddy boy. Now go and catch that train!”
“I’ll see you both soon.”
Alder nodded. “We’ll talk about getting you settled in Hope Falls.”
After a final high-five, Liam was gone. Then Alder turned to Dara. “As for you…I made dinner reservations for us at The Cove, the nicest restaurant in Hope Falls. For after.”
“After?”
“For after your cousin leaves to catch that train and after you invite me into your cottage. Is your bed comfy?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Oh, I intend to know. Very, very soon.”
***
After Alder confirmed just how comfortable Dara’s bed was, he went back to work. She spent the afternoon shopping and bought a nice dress for her date with Alder. When Alder picked her up, she was glad she’d gone to the extra effort of dressing up. His eyes roamed over her, then his hands, and if he’d had his way, they would have skipped their reservations for more mattress testing, but Dara put a stop to it. She promised they’d do more testing—maybe see how sturdy the small kitchen table was, when they got back.
After a few passionate kisses, Alder finally let her pull him outside. She could barely take her eyes off him, dressed in slacks, a crisp light blue dress shirt, and a grey blazer that strained to contain his broad shoulders. They held hands the whole way to the restaurant.
Now, sitting across from each other at The Cove, she reveled in the way Alder couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. She shivered and second-guessed the fact she’d insisted they go to dinner. What would he do when he finally got her back to the cottage and stripped her naked. Her blood heated in anticipation.
To distract herself, she looked around the restaurant, which boasted an entire wall made of glass that overlooked the forest and gave its patrons a spectacular view of the town. Since it was so nice out, Dara and Alder had requested a table outside on the wrap-around porch, adjacent to the glass wall. Right now, the sun was beginning to set, and the sky was streaked with bright red and orange. Dara’s fingers itched to draw the beautiful scenery, but she told herself that with things going so well with Alder, and with Liam starting to train with him soon, chances were she’d have plenty of opportunity to visit Hope Falls.
In fact…
She’d given it a lot of thought, and decided to seriously look into art schools. There were some great ones in the Bay Area, an easy commute from Forestville. There were some great art schools up north, too, including one within an hour’s drive of Hope Falls. When she’d discovered that, her mind had started to mull over the possibilities…
Hope Falls was beautiful and she’d only just begun to explore its charm. She had sketchbook after sketchbook of beautiful and familiar places in Forestville, and it would always be her hometown. A place she’d want to visit often. But she was on a month-to-month lease at Russian River House. If she moved here, to Hope Falls, she’d have the benefit of living in a small town, but a different small town, one that she could take her time exploring and getting down on paper.
She’d be close to her cousin while he trained.
And even better, she’d be close to Alder.
Oh, she knew they were just at the beginning of their relationship, and she certainly wouldn’t be moving in with him. She’d get her own place. They’d take things slow.
But they’d have a fair shot of discovering exactly what they could mean to one another. At the same time, she’d be pursuing something else she felt passionate about: Art.
“Are you okay, Dara?”
Dara was so caught up in her daydreaming that she blinked when Alder spoke.
“I mean, you’re smiling, so I’m assuming you’re okay.” He grinned. “Do my kisses have you reconsidering whether we should skip dinner for more special time together?”
She laughed and covered his hand with hers. “I always want to spend special time with you, Alder, but if I acted on my desires every time, we’d never leave the bedroom.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“After dinner, okay? They say anticipation is the best foreplay.”
He huffed playfully. “Fine.” But he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her like a gallant knight would kiss a fair maiden.
Their glasses brimming with the best red wine, they ate the best the Cove had to offer: tender, juicy prime rib; delicate, flaky salmon; crisp greens lightly basted with olive oil; crunchy, warm bread with homemade butter. Dara had to restrain herself from licking her plate, the meal was so good. She felt a little guilty ordering such expensive food, with Alder paying the bill, but he’d told her she didn’t ever need to worry about such things.
With the sun now below the horizon, the staff lit the candles on the tables, creating a romantic ambiance, as if they were the only two people there. They weren’t, of course. The tables directly next to theirs were empty, but to their right, a few tables down, a group of women were talking and laughing, and—
Dara gasped when she spotted a gorgeous woman with long black hair, onyx eyes and olive skin. “Is that Karina Black?”
Alder looked over and nodded. “Sure is, but her real name is Blackstone. Do you want to meet her?”
“What? No. I mean, maybe later.”
“Why not now? You’re a fan, right?”
“She’s with her friends. I don’t want to disturb her.”
“She won’t mind.” Alder stood and lifted his hand. “Hey, Karina!”
Karina glanced over and smiled. Then she stood and walked toward them. “Alder! So great to see you.” The two of them embraced, and even knowing that Karina was with Ryan Perkins, Dara still felt a stab of jealousy, one that immediately dissipated when Alder pulled back and held out his hand for Dara. Dara took it and stood, and Alder put his arm around her waist. “Karina Blackstone, this is Dara Brennan. She’s a friend. And a fan of yours.”
“Wonderful to meet you, Dara. Any friend of Alder’s and all that… Are you staying in Hope Falls long?”
“Um, just a few more days,” she said. “But my cousin is going to be moving here soon to train with Alder, so…”
“Oh, that’s wonderful.” Karina waved to her table of friends. “I’m here with Book Club.”
Dara glanced at Karina’s friends. They were all so beautiful and looked to be enjoying themselves immensely. Her eyes widened slightly. “Is that Chelsea Paige?”
“Sure is,” Karina said. “Next to her is Lauren, a reality show host, Sam, a retired
Olympic gold medalist, Nikki, a psychologist, and…well…let’s just say I hang out with some really amazing and talented women.”
Wow. That was an incredible group of women, Dara thought. And all of a sudden, the extent of her youth and the inexperience that had initially concerned Alder suddenly waved its arms at her. She hadn’t even completed college yet, and here Alder was, surrounded by beautiful and accomplished women on a daily basis. How could he not find her lacking? She glanced at him quickly just as Karina said, “Let me know when you come back to Hope Falls for a visit, Dara, and we can all go out for drinks.”
“That would be great. Thanks!”
Karina winked. “Sure thing. Enjoy your dinner.” She gracefully made her way back to her table, and Dara sighed as she sat down. “Thanks, Alder. Karina seems awesome.”
“She is. Now how about dessert?” Alder said.
She hesitated, still feeling a little unsettled by the fact she still had so much to accomplish in life, but then she mentally slapped herself. So she wasn’t a pop star or a TV show host or a psychologist. She had plenty of time to pursue her dreams, and right now, that meant going to school to develop her drawing skills and exploring whether she really could make a living as an artist. “Why not?” Dara ordered a chocolate torte with raspberry sauce, and as she shared it with Alder, she took a deep breath and decided to share her plans. “I’m going to look into enrolling in art school.”
Alder set down his glass of wine. He didn’t say anything for a moment, and her heart hurt. Did he think she was making a stupid decision?
“I think that’s a fabulous idea. Do you have any schools in mind?”
“I’ve been researching a few. There are some great art schools in San Francisco. In Oregon, and Miami, and New York City,” she said. Not that she had any intention of applying to those schools; she was just leading up to her main point—that there were great art schools in any number of places, but there were other important things to consider besides her studies. As she’d told him, she wanted to live someplace like Forestville or Hope Falls. Someplace small, and pretty, and rich with community. And she wanted to live close to those she loved.
