“I pursued my degree to learn how to run a business, and that’s what I do.”
“Was that the plan, to run the farm?”
“No, but after my parents died, I knew this was where I needed to be.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did your parents die?”
“Car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver.”
“Wow. I’m sorry for you loss.”
“Thanks. I’ve always wanted my own business like my pops had. Ownership was really important to him, and I guess he instilled that in me. I wanted to be successful on my own. What about you?”
“I received my master’s in business from Northwestern University. Basically, I wanted to be rich,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “The plan was to climb the corporate ladder until I reached the ceiling. Then I’d write a bestseller about my struggle and make a fortune off the book and speaking engagements.”
He stopped eating and laughed. “Wow, you had it all figured out, didn’t you.”
“Hey, don’t laugh. That plan has worked for some folks. And they’re no different than me. I’ve made it to a VP position and established myself as a popular keynote speaker on women’s empowerment. Plus, I live a very comfortable life. Don’t you want to be rich some day?”
“Baby, I already am in so many ways, just not financially.”
She smiled and her pulse quickened after being addressed so affectionately by him. “I like that answer. Well, I’m still working on it.”
He held up his wineglass. “Here’s to Tayler being rich and happy.”
She smiled and toasted with him.
“So, what’s the next step in your plan?” he asked and continued to eat.
“I’m in line for a director’s position, which I plan on getting.”
He nodded. “You sound very driven and focused. I’m sure you’ll be even more successful.”
“Thank you. And as hard as you work, I’m sure you’ll get into Whole Foods. But I hope you don’t have to close the B and B in order to do it, because I see great potential here. But whatever you decide I’m sure it will be for the best.”
Rollin shared a glance with her that said they understood one another.
* * *
Rollin saw more than a Barbie doll in Tayler tonight. She essentially wanted the same thing out of life that he did—success.
“Dinner was great, thank you,” she said and pushed her plate aside.
“You’re welcome. My mother would be proud.”
“Was your mother a good cook?”
“The best. Her cooking is what made them decide to open their home to guests. My pops said she needed to share her talents with the world, or the little piece of the world that happened through Danville.”
“Your parents sound like wonderful people.”
“They were. They died too young.”
Tayler reminded Rollin of his mother in some ways. Jean Coleman always dressed as if she were expecting company. She loved her high heels, and had to be the most stylish black woman in Danville.
“Who do you resemble, your mother or father?” Tayler asked.
“A little of both, but most people say my pops.” Rollin stacked their plates and stood up. “Let me show you something.”
Tayler stood and Rollin heard her footsteps as she followed behind him as he made his way to the library.
He walked over to the bookcase and pulled out a photo album. Tayler stood next to him as he placed the book on the desk and flipped it open. “Here’s a picture of my mother that was taken a month before the accident.”
She looked down at the picture and smiled. “You do look like your mother. You have her dimples.”
“Yeah.” He flipped the page. “That’s my pops.”
“Corra definitely looks like your father, but you have his eyes.”
“Yeah.”
Rollin closed the book, but not before Tayler glimpsed another picture of him.
“Hold on.” She flipped the book back open. “Is that you?”
It was a picture of him in a basketball uniform showing off legs that used to send Danville schoolgirls into a frenzy.
“You don’t want to see my high school team pictures.”
“You played basketball?”
“Yep, and baseball.” He tried to close the book again.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” she said laughing. “I’ve got to see these pictures.”
A loud clap caught their attention.
Tayler jumped. “What was that?” she asked.
Rollin let go of the photo album. “I don’t know,” he said and walked out into the hall.
Tayler followed him.
He opened the front door to blackness and a rainstorm.
“I didn’t know it was raining,” Tayler said.
Rollin stepped out onto the porch, where one of the large white rockers lay on its side, and then pulled all of the chairs against the house.
“That’s what we heard,” he said. The minute he came back in the phone rang. He hurried into the kitchen to pick it up.
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky before a deep rumbling noise preceded a loud clap of thunder. Tayler hurried closely behind Rollin into the kitchen.
“I need to make a run,” Rollin said.
“Now?” Tayler asked, wide-eyed.
“I need to help get some equipment inside the barn. I’ll be right back.”
Another flash of lightning followed by thunder that shook the house sent Tayler dashing back into the windowless library.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little storm?” he asked, following her.
“A little storm! Do you see what’s going on out there? That’s no little storm.”
He laughed. “Did you bring a jacket?”
“Not a raincoat.”
“I’ll get you a jacket and you can ride out with me.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. Who in their right mind runs out into a storm?”
“Want to stay here, then?”
Another flash of lightning shone through the glass around the front door.
“Where’s the jacket?” she asked and trailed Rollin down the hall toward his private family quarters.
He realized that this was the first time she’d been beyond the reception desk. They passed an office and several other closed doors, which were bedrooms. He opened a closet door and took out a big ugly yellow jacket and handed it to her.
“Here, put this on. It’ll keep you dry.”
She pulled the jacket on and snapped it up to the neck. Rollin grabbed a dark green jacket for himself and put it on. He then led the way through the kitchen to the back door, where he grabbed a big flashlight. A loud clap of thunder greeted them as he opened the door.
Tayler squealed and then put her hand over her mouth.
Rollin closed the door and turned around. “Maybe you should stay here.”
“No! Not by myself. The girl left alone in the house is always the one who gets killed. I’m going with you.”
Grinning, he shook his head before he reached up and pulled her hood on. “Come on.”
They ran out to the truck, where Rollin opened the door and quickly helped Tayler in. Once he drove off, the heavy rain obstructed the view so much so that he could barely see where he was going. But it didn’t take long before he pulled up to the barn, where two of his farm hands were quickly getting equipment out of the rain.
“I’ll be right back,” Rollin said.
Tayler grabbed him by the arm and shook her head. “Don’t leave me in here by myself. If the killer doesn’t get her in the house, he pulls her out of the truck.”
He shook his head. “You’ve been watching too many movie
s.”
“Whatever,” she said and pulled her hood on.
They jumped out and ran inside the barn. Tayler stood back and watched as Rollin and his employees carried pieces of heavy equipment into the barn. Buckets of water dropped from the sky now, and they worked quicker to get things tied down. Once finished, his guys ran from the barn to their late-model truck and took off.
“You okay?” he asked when he walked over to Tayler.
“Yeah, I’m good.” She nodded.
The sky lit up and Tayler jumped from the counter she was leaning against right into Rollin’s arms.
Laughing, he wrapped her arms around her. “You must not be living right if you’re that afraid of lightning.”
“Lightning strikes are deadly. You should know that.”
“No more than riding in a car or taking a plane. You don’t have to be this afraid. Did you have a bad experience or something?”
She pulled back and looked up into his eyes. “No, but my mother was always afraid of storms and I guess... I guess it just—” She seemed to lose her train of thought as she stared up at his face. “It just sort of...uh...rubbed off on me.”
Rollin’s arms wrapped around her body felt warm and comforting. He knew he needed to pull away from her, but he couldn’t. Lost in the deep pools of her eyes, he wanted to taste her sweet lips. The minute she shut up he lowered his head and kissed her without any resistance. The kiss was nice but not enough for him.
The storm was a natural aphrodisiac to Rollin. It had brought her body into his arms and her mouth to meet his. Her lips parted and let his tongue inside, sending a surge of pleasure through his body. She went all soft against him, and he held her tighter.
Her soft body pressed firmly against his awoke a desire that had been raging in him from the first day he laid eyes on her. With his arms still around her he took a step forward until she backed into the counter. The taste of her mouth was driving him crazy. He released her and brought his hands to her face, cupping her cheeks in the palm of his hands. With an urgency he’d never felt before, he unsnapped her raincoat and pushed it off her shoulders and down her back until it hit the floor. Then did the same with his.
He cupped and caressed her breast through her T-shirt until she arched her back and wrapped her arms around his neck. While the lightning and thunder continued all around them, Rollin filled his palms with Tayler’s jean-clad bottom and lifted her up until she sat on the counter. In one swift move he pulled her T-shirt from her jeans over her head. Then slid her bra straps off her shoulders, releasing her breasts. She shivered and he lowered his head, taking one soft nipple into his mouth, sucking until it hardened, before moving to the next one. The feel of her erect nipples drove him farther than he intended to go.
With her arms around his neck again, Rollin lifted Tayler from the counter. He unzipped her jeans and smiled as she wiggled to get them over her hips. The minute she did, she kicked them away and reached down to unbuckle his belt. He took his pants down, kicked his way out of his boots and threw everything aside. He couldn’t keep his mouth off her body, he realized after pulling her back into his embrace and kissing her everywhere he possibly could. She responded with soft moans and sounds that drove him crazy.
Unable to control his urge any longer, he backed her into the wall. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck. Thunder drowned out her gasp and moans while Rollin pressed one hand against the wall and kept the other around Tayler’s waist.
Then suddenly she threw her head back and uttered, “Rollin, Oh, God! What are we doing?”
Chapter 10
Rollin looked at Tayler, trying to catch his breath.
“Tayler, what’s wrong?”
Her head dropped to his neck and her breathing against his skin made his whole body shiver.
“Let’s go back in the house. I can’t do this out here.”
“What? We were close to already doing it.”
“Please, Rollin.”
He closed his eyes and pulled himself together before slowly letting her down. She quickly gathered her clothes and put them back on. The amount of control he possessed over his body right now surprised even him as he threw his clothes back on as well.
The sky lit up before the mother of all thunderclaps caused Tayler to scream. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her before they made a mad dash for the truck.
Tayler lowered the hood of her jacket and took a deep breath. In one swift move Rollin turned to her, placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her mouth to his. His tongue found hers warm and soft as he savored her sweetness over and over again.
He devoured every last morsel of her until he couldn’t take it any longer. He released her, started the truck and took off through the blinding rain. He kept his eyes on the road, and Tayler kept hers out the window. He would have given anything to read her thoughts.
When they reached the house, Rollin pulled as close as he could to the back door. He turned off the engine and they sprinted toward the house. Like two wet ducks they waddled from the kitchen to the back hallway.
“Stay right there,” Rollin said as he hung his slicker on a peg and went to grab a towel from his bathroom. When he returned Tayler had taken off her slicker and stepped out of her sneakers.
He handed her the towel. Still aroused, he needed to touch her, kiss her, or better yet finish what they’d started. She gave her face a couple of soft pats with the towel. They locked eyes and all he could think about was getting her out of her clothes. He took the towel from her and tossed it on the floor. When she looked up, startled, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body against his.
He lowered his head and took her bottom lip between his teeth. He bored his hot tongue into her mouth and kissed her so completely this time she came up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He swept her up in his arms and carried her down the hall to his bedroom. She had no idea how bad he wanted to give his love to her.
* * *
Tayler’s heart pounded in her chest and she fought to control the urge to climb all over Rollin. His hands on her behind pressed her into his bulging erection. The throbbing between her legs was unbearable. She needed him the way she needed to breathe.
He stopped outside what she assumed was his bedroom. He put his hand on the door to open it, but stopped.
“Tayler, if I need to stop, you’d better say so now.” His voice was deeper than usual.
“Do so and I’ll kill you,” she whispered.
He grinned and pushed the door open. Tayler’s heart beat hard and fast with anticipation as he carried her into the room to his bed.
The minute he lowered her onto the bed he reached down and pulled her T-shirt over her head. He planted sultry kisses from her forehead down the side of her neck. She wanted to rip her clothes off and straddle him until the fire building inside her extinguished. Thunder and lightning continued outside, but it no longer captured Tayler’s attention. Her body cried out for Rollin.
As he unfastened his pants, she reached up and pulled his mouth back down to hers. Her kiss was urgent and purposeful. She needed Rollin to feel how bad she wanted him.
He slid his hands behind her back to unclasp her bra. She arched her back as he slid the bra from her shoulders and tossed it with her shirt. She sat up and reached out to touch his muscular chest, feeling the heat against the palm of her hand. Her exposed body shivered as he finished undressing her and then himself. He removed his briefs last, and his package amazed her. He was larger than any man she’d ever been with. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but the opportunity passed. He lowered himself over her and placed his warm mouth over her nipple. She closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and shuddered.
Rollin’s arm trembled as he held himself over her. She couldn’t help it—she wanted to f
eel the power. His muscular chest and six-pack abs had already excited her. She reached out and gripped his hairy arms.
Any remaining inhibitions she might have had disappeared as she pushed him off her and onto his back. She straddled him and he cupped her bottom and settled her over him. His body was firm and hard, and she could stare at him all night long. Her pelvic muscles reacted and she couldn’t stop herself from grinding against him. She moaned with pleasure as he met her rhythm.
His eyes roamed over her body. “You are the most beautiful, desirable Barbie I’ve ever seen, and I want you so bad it’s blowing my mind.”
She bit her bottom lip and grinned down at him. “Then stop teasing me. And please tell me you have a condom?”
Rollin gave Tayler an alluring grin before he sat up and flipped her over onto her back. “Yep.” He rolled away from her and over to the side of the bed. Out of the nightstand drawer he produced a gold wrapper. After he rolled back over she helped him place the condom on himself. He spread her legs and slowly eased his love inside her. It took her body more than a minute to adjust to him. He pulled out, giving her a minute to catch her breath, before sliding back inside her, deeper this time. He developed a rhythm, going deeper and deeper each time until her body welcomed him completely. She bit her bottom lip then mouthed, Thank you.
Rollin gave her a little pain mixed with a lot of pleasure. He thrust harder and faster now as she wrapped her legs around his thighs and her arms around his neck. If you could combust from pleasure she would have. She threw her head back, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the ride.
He slowed down long enough to cover her mouth with his and kiss her until she thought the room wouldn’t stop spinning.
Then he released her mouth and eased out of her.
Tayler loosened her grip around his neck but didn’t want to let go. She didn’t want it to be over yet, it couldn’t be.
“Turn over,” he whispered in a sultry voice and helped her flip over.
She rolled over onto her stomach then up on her knees. A second later, his hands gripped her hips and he leaned over to plant succulent kisses along the curve of her back. He massaged her butt before entering her. She took a deep breath when his fingers reached under her and began to stroke her. She opened up like an exotic flower in bloom.
When I Fall in Love Page 8
