Here she was, lying on this man’s bed ass up, and she’d only known him for a week. He made love to her as if he already knew what she liked and how she liked it. He stroked her until she did everything but beg him to stop.
He drove himself into her over and over again, thrusting deeper each time. She pressed her elbows into the pillow and called out his name as she peaked. He filled her with his love and she cried in ecstasy.
Soon after, he collapsed with her onto the bed.
She lay with him pressed against her back trying to catch her breath. Rollin’s hot panting breath against Tayler’s ear reminded her of where she was. She’d never experienced anything quite like what they’d just done in her entire life. As she came down off her high and her breathing slowed, she snuggled under his arm, cherishing the moment.
After a few minutes, Rollin released her and rolled over onto his back. Tayler rolled over on her back.
“You okay?” he asked in a raspy voice.
She nodded, which was the best she could do at the moment.
What the hell was that! We came together! She’d heard people talk about it, but had never experienced it herself. That was euphoria, a high unlike any drug she could ever imagine. After a deep relaxing breath Tayler stared up at the ceiling.
Rollin lay staring at the ceiling for several minutes also, before he got up. “I’ll be right back.” He disappeared into the bathroom.
With him gone, her eyes scanned the room for the first time and her good senses returned. She was in Rollin’s bedroom, back in his private quarters. An area off-limits to guests. What just transpired was the most spontaneous thing she’d ever done, and with Nicole’s cousin! She grabbed the sheet and pulled it up over her naked body. What would she tell Nicole? She had known this would happen if she didn’t keep his distance.
“Are you cold?” Rollin asked.
Tayler jumped when she saw him standing butt naked in the doorway. “No.”
He started across the room. “Then what are you doing?”
She gripped the cover, holding it close to her breast. “I’m naked.”
He stopped and looked down at himself. “No shit, so am I. But you look amazing.”
She ran a hand over her face. “Rollin, I don’t know what came over me.”
He reached for the sheet. “Don’t tell me you’re about to apologize.”
“I don’t have anything to apologize for, but, uh...” Tayler tucked the cover around her and wiggled her way to the edge of the bed and stood up.
Rollin looked confused. “Where you goin’?” he asked.
“Where are my clothes?”
He pointed to the pile of clothes on the floor.
She hopped over and snatched up her clothes, then shuffled off to the bathroom. Before closing the door, she glanced back at him standing by the bed with his arms crossed, shaking his head. She then quickly closed the door.
In the bathroom she had a quick mental meltdown. Staring at herself in the mirror, she dropped the cover. Her body still tingled from his touch. She proceeded to put her clothes back on. What had come over her? What was Rollin thinking about the way she had followed him into his bedroom so easily? She sat on the toilet seat, resting her head in the palm of her hands for a few minutes. What did he just do to me?
No man had ever made her want to give it up so easily before. If they had other guests in the house this would never have happened, she told herself. She blamed everything and everyone before admitting to herself nothing happened that she didn’t want to happen.
She pulled herself together and opened the bathroom door. She placed Rollin’s folded bedspread back on the bed where he sat.
Rollin leaned back on his elbows. “What’s wrong? Why did you put your clothes back on?”
“I need to go. I, uh...” she stuttered, unable to get out what she wanted to say. “Thank you.”
He looked puzzled. “Thank you?”
“I’m sorry.” She made a beeline for the bedroom door and hurried out as fast as she could, leaving Rollin sitting there in his beautiful birthday suit.
Chapter 11
The next morning, Tayler left a note on her door saying she was sleeping in. Rita hadn’t returned, and she couldn’t face Rollin yet. She rode into town, purchased a local paper, and had breakfast at McDonald’s.
Instead of going back to Coleman House she found the visitors’ welcome center in town and grabbed some brochures. She decided on a self-guided tour of Danville. She started across the street at Constitution Square, strolling through the old landmarks, and discovering all of Danville’s firsts—first college, first post office, first law school—the town was full of history. Then she walked across the street for a cup of coffee before visiting the quaint shops on Main Street. Next stop would be the arts center train exhibit, before she made her way over to the dollhouse museum.
The miniature dollhouses and shops were amazing. She couldn’t believe the amount of detail that went into each structure. The dolls inside, however, actually freaked her out a bit. But even more important was the number of out-of-town dollhouse enthusiasts and history lovers who happened to be visiting. After striking up conversations with several people, she realized these were potential customers for Coleman House.
* * *
When Tayler returned to the B and B, several cars were in the parking lot. Maybe more guests had arrived and she wouldn’t be there alone with Rollin any longer. The thought made her happy and sad at the same time. She didn’t need to be alone with him, but she’d miss the private moments they’d shared.
She got out of the car and strolled inside. As soon as she opened the front door, she heard voices coming from the library. She hadn’t seen Rollin’s truck outside, so she thought Rita must have been back and was showing the new guests around. But as she passed the library, she glanced in and saw several men inside.
Rollin waved at her, and she waved back but kept walking. She didn’t dare go inside to disturb them. Instead, she started up the stairs to her room.
“Have you eaten?”
She stopped at the sound of Rollin’s voice and glanced over her shoulder. He’d stepped out of the library. “Yes, I stopped and had a late lunch,” she replied.
“Well, if there’s anything else you need tonight, don’t hesitate to ask. Anything at all,” he added with a cocky smile.
A flush of embarrassment crossed her face and she turned away. “No, I’m fine. Have a good evening.” She practically ran up the steps to her room.
* * *
Rollin grinned as he turned around to rejoin his business associates in the library. Tayler could run from him now, but sooner or later they’d have to talk about last night. What transpired between them was beautiful and he wanted to tell her how he felt.
“Okay, guys, back to business. I’ve laid out my finances to you and you know what’s on my mind. Now I just need to convince Corra.”
Later that evening, Rollin sat on the front porch in one of the rocking chairs watching the sunset. He was enjoying a rare moment when there was nothing that needed his attention. He couldn’t get Tayler and last night out of his mind. He could still see her toned, curvy body lying across his bed.
“Excuse me.”
Rollin was so deep in thought he hadn’t even heard the door open. At the sound of Tayler’s voice, he sat up. “Good evening. Come on out.”
“I just wanted to thank you for the clean linen and ask for a washcloth.”
He sat back and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll get you one, but come on out here for a minute. I want you to see something.”
She glanced back inside before stepping all the way out and releasing the door. “What is it?”
He pointed to the other rocker. “Have a seat.”
She let out a heavy sigh
then sat down.
Rollin looked across the field at the orange and yellow glow of the setting sun. “Isn’t that beautiful?”
Tayler crossed her arms and stared off across the fields for a few minutes before commenting. “It’s amazing. It looks like the sun is about to have a seat in the middle of your field.”
“It does, doesn’t it? When I was younger, my parents used to sit out here every night until after the sun went down. We had a glider-like seat then. They would be all hugged up, just talking and watching the sunset. Sometimes my mom would fall asleep in my pop’s arms. I was too busy catching lightning bugs at the time to appreciate its beauty, but I understood those moments meant something special to them.”
“Sunsets are special,” she said in a soft low voice.
“When shared with the right person, I believe they are. Otherwise you might not even notice it.” He watched her watch the sunset and wished he could hold her in his arms. Special moments like this were meant for special conversations.
“Tayler, I know you don’t want to talk about last night, but I wanted to let you know that I’m glad it happened. And I hope it happens again.”
She uncrossed her arms as the sun disappeared from sight. “Rollin, we got caught up last night, but you know as well as I do that it never should have happened. If I’m going to stay here the rest of the month, or longer, we need to just forget it ever happened.” She stood up.
“Just forget about it, huh?”
She shrugged. “Yes. If you don’t mind, I’d like that washcloth now. I need to take a shower.”
He stood up. “Yeah, sure, let me get you one.” He followed her inside, not believing for a minute that she wanted to forget all about last night. Upstairs in the linen closet, he pulled out a washcloth and met her at the entrance to her room.
“Need anything else?” he asked as he held out the washcloth.
“No, that’s it, thanks.”
She reached for the washcloth, but he yanked it back. The look she gave him could have been a bullet if she’d had a gun.
He offered the washcloth again and she grabbed it, but he held on.
“Enjoy your day?” he asked.
“Yes, I did. Why?”
He let go of the washcloth. “You wouldn’t have been trying to avoid me because of last night, would you?”
She put a hand on her hip. “Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t even thinking about that today. You caught me at a weak moment, that’s all.”
He chuckled. “Well, the next time I catch you at a weak moment, don’t thank me afterward.” He backed away from her door.
Her jaw dropped. “I didn’t thank you.”
“Yes, you did. But that’s cool, because here at Coleman House, we aim to please.” He gave her a mock salute and headed downstairs. “I’ll see you at breakfast in the morning.”
“Oh, and there won’t be a next time,” she assured him before slamming the door.
Chapter 12
Tayler spent the next couple of days being cordial to Rollin and trying not to think about Saturday night. No other guests had checked in, and Rita was still out sick. Tayler did a little antique shopping and took some beautiful landscape pictures with her cell phone. Whenever she saw Rollin, all she could think about was the mind-blowing sex they’d shared.
She’d agreed to meet Corra after her Tuesday evening choir rehearsal to give an empowerment talk to the women of the choir. “Corra, I thought you said there were only ten women in the choir,” Tayler said, standing in a room full of beautiful women of all ages and sizes.
“Yeah, about that. I told a few other church members they could come, and you know how news travels in small towns. A few other women invited themselves.”
Tayler looked around the room, both surprised and delighted. What she liked most was empowering small groups of women. After a brief introduction from Corra, Tayler stepped up to the podium.
“Ladies, thank you for sticking around tonight. I promise not to take up too much of your time. Corra asked me to speak to you tonight, so I thought I’d start off by telling you who I am, then we’ll talk about being at peace with ourselves.”
* * *
Wednesday morning Tayler decided to go for a walk after breakfast, since the temperature was bearable. She’d reached the garden out back when Rollin strolled up the path to join her. She wanted to turn around and run back inside, but why? She’d have to face him sooner or later.
“Enjoying the gardens?” Rollin asked.
“I am,” she responded. “I was going to take a walk,” she said, glancing from one path to the other, “but I’m not sure which direction to go.”
“That path right there—” he pointed over her left shoulder “—leads down to a nice creek surrounded by wild flowers and a few benches. You might like that,” he added.
“That sounds nice and relaxing,” she said, looking toward the tree-lined path.
“Just watch out for snakes.”
Tayler whipped her head around and caught the grin on his face before he tried to replace it with a more serious look. “You’re kidding me, right?”
He shrugged. “You’re in the country. Creeks and wooded areas are home to snakes.”
“Oh, well, so much for a morning stroll. I don’t like snakes.” She turned back toward the house.
“Come on.” He chuckled and gestured for her to follow him.
She turned slowly but didn’t move toward him.
He walked past her. “I’ll walk down with you to scare away snakes, and then I promise to leave you alone.”
She hesitated for a few seconds before they started down the path together.
“My mom had these paths cleared so she could walk down to the creek and sit and read. She liked to hear the rippling of the water.” He looked around at the heavily wooded area on each side of the path.
Tayler felt as if she were walking into the lion’s den. Anytime she stood next to Rollin or talked to him, an inability to concentrate on anything other than him took over. He had that kind of effect on her.
“This really is a remarkable place you have here.”
He strolled along with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Thank you. My parents loved it—that’s why they wanted to share it with so many people. Unfortunately, it’s more of a financial drain than anything else these days. Something always needs fixing. Since we have vacancies, I’ve started minor repairs to all of the rooms upstairs except yours.”
“It doesn’t have to be a drain, that’s for sure. I have a head full of ideas that could help you. Like new branding and more of a social media presence. With the right partnerships you could be at capacity almost every week.”
He gave her a knowing smile and nodded. “I see you’re amazing in more ways than one.”
She let on as though she had no idea what he was talking about. “Excuse me?”
“You’re a woman of many talents. I don’t doubt that the businesswoman in you wants to pick this place apart.”
“You’ll have to let me show you what I do. I don’t pick businesses apart. I build partnerships that improve business for all parties.”
“I bet you do.” Rollin stopped as they reached the clearing next to the creek, where two iron benches sat side by side.
Tayler took a seat and listened to the rippling of the water.
“This is where I leave you,” Rollin said as he turned around.
Tayler didn’t want him to leave, but she couldn’t ask him to stay, either. He had work to do.
* * *
The next morning Tayler had breakfast with Rollin and Kevin. She even rode out to the field with Kevin to get vegetables for the day’s meal. When she returned, Rollin was out working, and Rita was still at home sick, so Tayler fou
nd her lemonade pitcher and whipped up a batch herself. She hoped Rollin wouldn’t mind her messing around in the kitchen, because she missed Rita’s afternoon lemonade.
Soon afterward, Corra showed up and they worked on the fund-raiser in the library.
“Tayler, thank you so much again for Tuesday night. The ladies can’t stop talking about you. Everybody wants you to come speak at their school, or book club meeting, or whatever.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad they were so responsive.”
“Oh, they were motivated, and inspired. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing. I have a feeling this is the start of something great.”
“I hope so, Corra.”
“Oh, by the way, we’ve got the fund-raiser website fixed. All the problems you pointed out are no longer there.”
“That’s great. Who fixed it?”
“Chris—he’s one of Rollin’s partners. He’s a computer wizard and I didn’t even know it. He’s a cutie pie, too.”
“Hmm, do I detect a little interest in this guy?”
“Girl, that man is not interested in a woman with two kids, especially not his boy’s younger sister. He ran with Rollin in high school and I used to have the biggest crush on him.”
“Then why don’t you ask him out? You’ll never know how he feels about kids if you don’t say anything.”
Corra shook her head. “Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t ask men out. I’m just not that aggressive.”
“If you can get half the businesses in this town to give money for a fund-raiser in a recession, you’re aggressive enough to ask him out.”
Corra blushed. “So you just ask men out when you want to?”
“I have.”
“Yeah, but you seem like the type of woman who goes after what she wants. That’s just not me. Besides, I believe a relationship has more of a chance when the man is the one doing the asking.”
“What if he’s too shy to ask?”
When I Fall in Love Page 9
