In Full Bloom [Second Chances 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Michelle Roth

  She gave him a satisfied smile, and then reached down to turn the water off. After she slid back the curtain, she stepped out and handed him a towel, then grabbed her own from the hook. After they had dried off, they slid back underneath the covers.

  As soon as they lay down, he leaned in and brushed his lips against her brow, then said, “Thank you.”

  Her eyes opened and she looked at him curiously, “For what?

  “You asked me what my fantasy night entailed and then gave it to me,” he said. “No one has ever done that before.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “I wouldn’t be too grateful though. If I hadn’t liked the idea, I would have just said, ‘Oh. Okay. Just checking,’“ she said, grinning.

  He snorted and said, “Nice. That was pretty subtle as far as dismissals go. I’m impressed.”

  “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m not subtle,” she said.

  He thought back to last night when she’d pressed him against his front door and wrapped her hand around his cock. He grinned appreciatively and said, “I like that about you.”

  “I’m glad,” she said.

  “One night soon, it can be your fantasy night,” he said, stroking a hand down her back.

  He felt her laugh more than heard it. Then she said, “Fair warning. My fantasy involves you fixing all the broken shit in my apartment.”

  He smirked at her and said, “I’m going to do that anyway, Princess. Don’t waste your night on that.”

  In answer, he felt her place a light kiss on the spot just below his collar bone. A moment later she asked, “Are you staying?”

  “I hope that was an invitation, because I’m not sure I can move my legs yet,” he said.

  “It was,” she admitted, placing another kiss against his collar bone. “I like waking up with you.”

  When she adjusted herself against his side, he asked, “Sleepy yet?”

  “Maybe,” she said. A moment later she yawned hugely, then amended her statement. “Yes.”

  “Me, too,” he murmured, pulling the blankets up and around them.

  * * * *

  Evan took a swig of his beer and listened as Jamie talked about one of his clients. Since graduating, he’d been working at an advertising agency. He was bitching about the fact he was going to have to get an entire forty-five-second commercial color corrected because the yellow that they had used wasn’t quite “Tuckman’s Cheddar” yellow. Apparently the client had waffled back and forth about the color until they’d decided on one, then changed their minds after the fact.

  He grinned and said, “That’s the precise reason I own my own business, bro. I was tired of getting phone calls every time the S&P dipped a hundredth of a percent. About the end of last year, I started to dread getting up. I kind of fell into the job. It was never really for me though. It was always about plants for me. For as long as I can remember.”

  Jamie nodded and said, “You and Dad used to spend hours in the garden. I never understood the fascination. I’m glad you’re doing something that makes you happy, though.”

  “Ever thought about opening up your own agency? I know you’re young yet, but if you’ve got a goal it makes what you’re doing in the interim easier.”

  Before Jamie could answer him, he heard Taryn laugh from where she and Cora were sprawled out in the chaise lounges. He couldn’t help but redirect his attention toward her. She was so fucking beautiful.

  His thoughts were interrupted when Jamie said, “Ev. You’re in trouble, buddy. You’ve got lovesick written all over your face.”

  “It’s a little early for lovesick, but I like her,” he admitted. “Things have been going pretty well since I stopped being stupid.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. I wasn’t sure how much more of your moping I could take,” Jamie said, shaking his head.

  Evan laughed. “It wasn’t moping, really.”

  A skeptical look on his face, Jamie said, “If you say so.”

  Jamie was right. He had most definitely been moping.

  Deciding a subject change was definitely in order, Evan mentioned, “So I was looking at Panthers tickets for when the Hawks are in town. Center ice is like fifty eight bucks. Interested?”

  His eyes wide, Jamie said, “What night?”

  “November 12th, a Wednesday,” Evan said.

  “I’m in,” Jamie said, gleefully.

  They had moved from Pittsburgh when he was incredibly young, his father had raised him as a Hawks fan, through and through. Jamie hadn’t even been born until they’d lived here for a decade, but he followed the family tradition, too.

  “Taryn’s a Panthers fan,” Evan said regretfully.

  Jamie winced and said, “Oh.” A moment later he gave Evan a huge smirk and added, “Clearly, there’s no accounting for good taste.”

  Realizing he’d been insulted, Evan calmly gave his brother the finger and said, “Eat me.”

  Jamie guffawed and then said, “Wait. So is Taryn coming with us? She’s not gonna wear Panthers stuff is she?”

  “I’m gonna ask her. I can’t really stop her, bro. It could be a thing though. The other night she refused to wear my Hawks T-shirt.”

  Smirking, Jamie asked, “And did you ask her to leave?”

  Evan grinned and said, “In jest.”

  “And she’s still speaking to you?”

  “Believe me, she gives as good as she gets. I let her wear my Stones shirt instead and she pretended to not know who they were.”

  Jamie laughed again and said, “The look on your face must have been priceless.”

  “I’m sure it was,” he said, grinning.

  A minute later, Cora wandered over and said, “Taryn went in to finish making the salad.”

  “Is that a hint that I should fire up the grill?”

  They both nodded in unison and said, “Yes.”

  “Fair enough,” he said, standing up. “I’m gonna go grab the steaks.”

  As he walked back into the apartment, he saw her scraping the last of some chopped celery into a bowl. When they’d gone grocery shopping earlier that day, he’d been ready to pick up some pre-made sides to go with the steaks when she’d stopped him and said she’d rather make them. He’d been more than game. If last night’s meal was any indication, he was sure it would be way better than whatever had been in the tubs.

  He moved into the kitchen to stand behind her. “Hey you,” he said.

  She jumped slightly and said, “I didn’t even hear you open the door. Jesus.”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist, and then brushed a light kiss against the side of her neck.

  “Sorry. Completely unintentional,” he said as he continued to press gentle kisses on her neck. When he heard her sigh he gently nipped at the curve where her neck and shoulder met. He didn’t know what it was about this woman, he thought as he groaned against the soft skin of her neck. Whenever he was near her, she completely fried his brain. He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of her.

  When he heard the hitch in her breathing, he shifted them over, turned her to face him, then picked her up. He sat her on the counter top and then moved to stand between her thighs. When he felt her legs bracket his hips, he wove his fingers into her hair and tilted her head down. His mouth found hers, then they sank into a slow, deep kiss. He took a moment to savor the way her hands clutched at him and the sexy little moans that she made in the back of her throat, until he heard the unmistakable sound of his brother’s voice.

  “Well, Cora. I guess they don’t need help with dinner,” Jamie said, laughter in his voice.

  Cora cleared her throat and said, “I guess not.”

  Evan pulled back from the kiss and whispered, “Terrible timing. Sorry.”

  Taryn leaned her forehead against his and said, “To be continued.”

  He backed away from her and helped her slide down to the floor, letting the length of her body graze his the entire time. He said, “Count on that, Princess.”

  Whe
n he turned to face them, his lust had cooled slightly. He moved toward the refrigerator as he asked Taryn, “I’m gonna go fire up the grill. You almost done with this stuff?”

  “Yeah,” she said, still a bit flushed. “I’m just going to add some dill to the potato salad and it’ll be done.”

  “Oh, and on the 12th, Jamie and I are going to a Panthers-Hawks game at the Colosseum. You interested?” he asked.

  “You’re not going to paint your face like a crazy person, are you?” she asked.

  “God no,” he said, then paused for a moment, trying to be diplomatic. “Are you going to wear Panthers gear?”

  “Probably. Are you telling me you won’t be wearing your dumb Hawks shirt?”

  Cora snorted and said, “Jesus, you guys are perfect for each other.”

  Evan ignored Cora’s statement and said, “My jersey.”

  “Cora,” she said. “You need to come with us. I don’t want to be the only Panthers fan in the group.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. You know how I feel about brawling men on ice,” she said. “Besides. I’ll finally get to wear my new Panthers sweatshirt. It hasn’t been cold enough yet.”

  Jamie groaned and said, “Cora. No! Not you, too.”

  Evan watched as she approached Jamie and patted him on the cheek. A moment later, she said, “‘Fraid so, babe.”

  Jamie shook his head in disgust and said, “Well we’re gonna go back upstairs so you can finish making dinner.”

  Evan gave Taryn one last look of longing before he said, “Lemme go grab tickets before it’s sold out. Center ice was only fifty eight bucks.”

  “Nice. Remind me and I’ll pay you back,” Taryn said as she chopped some dill.

  “You’re not paying me back for the ticket. I’ve got it,” he said.

  “You’re sure?” she asked.

  “If only so I can gloat when the Hawks win,” he said.

  “Heading for disappointment, hotshot,” she said, gently mixing the chopped dill into the potato salad.

  A few minutes later, the tickets purchased, he grabbed the steaks and another beer. He headed back up to the roof, glad again that he decided to add the seating and the grill. Last week he’d gotten a small fire pit, too. He idly wondered if it would be cold enough to use.

  As he opened the door to the roof, he heard Taryn and Cora arguing with Jamie about Hunter Cosden, the goalie for the Panthers.

  “No way,” Taryn said.

  “Ehh,” Jamie answered, “He’s kind of a puss. Last year during the series that he basically gave away, all he did was whine to the media afterward about not having enough support.”

  “To be fair,” Cora said, “They were down half their first line.”

  “Part of that was just stupidity, though. That dumbass Blagojevic shot himself in the leg. It’s hard to feel bad for him when he was trying to carry a gun in the waistband of sweat pants. What an idiot,” Jamie countered.

  He laughed when they winced in unison.

  “Ev,” he shouted. “Back me up here!”

  “Blagojevic is a dumbass,” Evan stated as he walked over to the grill.

  He heard Taryn snort. A second later she added, “No one is disputing that. All I’m saying is that Cosden got destroyed by the media. The guy answered a question about what would have helped him. Not being on for sixty minutes of the game would have helped. Having any sort of offense would have helped. Anyone who watched the games could have filled in the blanks there.”

  Evan knew Jamie was going to give him a ton of shit for siding with her, but she made a good point. Pained, he said, “She’s got a point, Jamie. The guy was playing hard for the entire game and they didn’t have anyone who was able to score consistently. I feel like the answers that he gave were the right ones.”

  When Jamie opened his mouth to argue, Evan held up a hand and said, “Which is not to say that I’m not going to enjoy watching him get his ass handed to him, but he did get a bit of a raw deal.”

  The ribbing continued throughout the meal and after when they sat around the fire pit. When it had gotten dark, Taryn ran downstairs and came back with skewers and marshmallows. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d roasted marshmallows. It had to be at least twenty years ago.

  He watched in fascination as she completely torched her marshmallow until the outside caught fire. She gently blew it out and then popped it in her mouth.

  He shook his head and said, “Baby, you’re doing that wrong. You’re not supposed to burn them.”

  She snorted and said, “Hell yeah, you are.”

  She grabbed another from the bag and proceeded to destroy that one as well, then held it out to him. Obliging her, he took a bite, drawing her fingertip into his mouth in the process. When he felt the burnt sugar dissolve against his tongue, he conceded that she might be right.

  Wanting another taste, he dipped down to her mouth with his and sucked on her lower lip. He heard the low moan in the back of her throat as she parted her lips. He deepened the kiss, no longer caring about the marshmallow or the fact that they had company.

  When they eventually broke apart he said, “I stand corrected. Best marshmallow ever.”

  One quick glance at his brother confirmed that they were otherwise occupied. At least he didn’t have to feel guilty about that.

  He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers again, then pulled her so she rested against his chest. They sat that way, in comfortable silent, for so long he thought maybe she had fallen asleep.

  Eventually, her voice incredibly relaxed, she said, “Evan. This is perfect.”

  “It really is,” he said. “You getting sleepy on me?”

  “Not at all. Just really, really content.”

  “Good,” he said, brushing his lips against her forehead. “Me, too.” For the first time in a long time, he realized that it was true. There was no place he’d rather be, and no other person he’d rather be with. That was certainly a first.

  Chapter 11

  Taryn bit her lip to suppress a laugh as Evan griped at the television again. The Hawks were down by two points in the third period. It wasn’t looking good. They were playing the Blades. Taryn didn’t really have a vested interest in this game, but she knew he did.

  “You’re not gonna be all grouchy like this when the Panthers kick their ass next week, are you?” she asked. She knew she was just goading him at this point but he looked entirely too serious.

  He looked away from the television and turned his attention toward her. His eyebrow arched, he said, “It’s not even going to be a contest, Princess. The Panthers look like shit so far this season.”

  She rolled her eyes as he turned his attention back to the screen and said, “They’re coming out of their slump. Just you wait. Besides, Charbonneau is coming off that suspension, too.”

  He didn’t even turn his attention away from the television this time. He just said, “Aw. It’s so cute when you try and talk about sports, baby,” as a smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth.

  The tiny smile that had been playing across her lips immediately dropped way. Her eyes narrowed. She knew that he was saying that just to mess with her. They’d had some pretty in-depth conversations about hockey since they’d all had dinner last Sunday. He was just remarkably adept at pushing her buttons. Smart ass.

  She remained silent, waiting until the Hawks were on the wrong side of a power play. After he was leaned forward, focused on the television, she tapped him urgently on the arm and said, “So, wait. Explain to me what they’re doing with those big club things again. I forget.”

  He turned to look at her, a grin on his face, and asked, “Really? Those big club things?”

  At that moment, the buzzer went off again, signaling another point for the opposing team. Evan reached over to the remote and switched it off. Without another word, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. As they moved toward his bedroom, she tried to wiggle free. He responded by tightening his grip on her and giving her a l
oud smack on the ass.

  She gave a startled cry and said, “Hey wait!”

  When they reached his bedroom, he tossed her into the middle of his bed with a bounce and then settled himself on top of her, immediately pinning her wrists above her head. The look in his eye was almost predatory. She shivered in response.

  He leaned his head down and captured her mouth with his. As his tongue swept into her mouth, she gave a moan of appreciation. He shifted slightly so he now held both of her wrists with one hand as the other slid down her body to cup her breast.

  He pulled back from the kiss, his dark eyes watching her as he found her nipple and rubbed the pad of his thumb across it. He continued to gaze at her as he asked, “Now that you’ve got my undivided attention, what would you like to do this evening?”

  The combination of his rough voice, the grip he still had on her wrists and the gentle stroke of his thumb across her nipple was enough to send a wave of arousal through her system. Her voice stilted, she said, “Oh, that wasn’t about getting your attention. That was about getting that grouchy look off your face.”

  He leaned in to press a light kiss against her lips and then said, “That’s very considerate of you. As you can probably tell, I’m definitely not feeling very grouchy right now.”

  Before she could respond, he gave her nipple a pinch that had her moaning his name. The sensation shot straight to her core, leaving a now familiar ache between her thighs.

  “Oh god,” she moaned as he pinched her a little more roughly. “I need—”

  He ground his erection against the V of her thighs and said, “Tell me. Tell me what you need.”

  He stared down at her, his eyes blazing now. As she opened her mouth to answer, there was a knock on the door. They both froze.

  She watched as he pulled back, a mildly annoyed look on his face, and released her hands. He gave her a quick, hard kiss and then said, “Hold that thought.”

  A moment later, she heard his surprised voice say, “Mom? Hey! What are you doing here? Come in.”