Tyler sets me to my feet at the edge of his bed. “Did you win big tonight?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, but I have a feeling I’m about to get lucky.”
“Damn right you are,” he promises and drops my purse on top of his dresser. “I’m going to make you come hard. So hard that you’ll feel me for days after we’re finished.” His deep voice has become like an addictive drug, I crave hearing him say these filthy promises to me.
His hands land on my waist, as his lips ghost over mine. “You look so fucking sexy in these white shorts. Your legs look amazing.” Tyler’s hands come up to frame my face.
My hands glide over the hard planes of his chest and down his abs. Tyler’s eyes burn into mine, lust dances there. His lips land on mine and he kisses me hard. Our tongues collide, his fingers push inside my shorts and he pops the button.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmurs.
I glance up at him. “Thank you.”
He responds with an open-mouth kiss and his fingers work the zipper of my shorts. Gravity does the rest. Tyler makes quick work of stripping me out of my clothes.
I shove my hands into the waistband of his shorts pushing them over his hips. He’s hard as a steel spike. My fingers wrap around his length, he’s scorching hot.
A growl rattles in his throat when I stroke him slowly. “Fuck, Haven.”
“You’re burning up,” I whisper.
He kisses his way up my neck. “I’m on fire for you.”
Swooning here.
He slides his finger to my wetness, teasing over my clit, and my legs jerk at the gentle sensation of pleasure. He’s taking his time, making me ache and burn.
“Tyler,” I breathe. “I need you.”
Two fingers circle my clit as he kisses my throat. “You got me.”
“I’m about to lose it if you keep touching me like this.”
He hauls me up and onto the mattress, dragging me to the center. “Get on your knees, Haven.” He drags his teeth up my neck kissing the spot below my ear. “Do it now, or I’ll do it for you, but please,” he hisses out, “don’t deny me the sight of seeing you pop that sweet ass in the air.”
I kiss him and then flip onto my stomach and push up to my knees. Moments later, he slams into me. His fingers dig into my skin and I cry out.
“Oh god, Tyler . . . yes, keep doing that.”
Desire winds through me. When he presses his lips between my shoulder blades, my entire body shakes. My nails claw at his sheets as he drives into me with piston-like strokes.
“Tyler.” His name comes out in a desperate plea wanting him to soothe the ache . . . the needy deep ache inside me. The ache is all his doing.
He slows his speed, making me drunk with lust, and now I’m pushing back against him fucking his cock.
This man knows what he’s doing in the sack.
Holy fuck.
He folds himself over me, the scrape of his stubble against my skin. He knows this sends fine tremors of pleasure reeling though my body. Each thrust sets my nerves on fire with anticipation.
Tyler’s thumb brushes over my clit, circling with prime precision.
“Oh damn,” I pant. “Oh damn . . . fuck.” My balance is off and I’m losing my hold on the sheets.
“You okay, beautiful?” he asks, adding more pressure to my clit.
“Yes,” I hiss and my cheek presses against the mattress.
The heavy ache of my orgasm builds with every pulse pounding thrust. Tyler pushes deep and I scream out his name as my release slams into me. Tyler fucks into me harder and comes with an animalistic roar. It’s fucking hot.
Tyler pulls out and flips me onto my back.
“Holy Christ, woman,” he breathes out. “You’re amazing.”
My hands skate up his chest and over his shoulders. “No, you’re the amazing one.”
The way he’s got me feeling right now, I feel so alive. I want him more than I want my next breath. The way he looks at me, shows interest in everything that I do . . . ugh, he makes me feel good.
Never thought I’d ever feel good being back in Mayfield. This time with Tyler has got me all twisted up.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The sound of the clock in my brain takes on a pounding rhythm.
I wish I had more time.
I wish that I wanted Tyler less.
Tyler
Haven’s resting on her side and the sunshine casts a shadow over her gorgeous body. I’ve been awake for an hour. Haven’s hand is tucked under the pillow. She looks peaceful.
Scrubbing my hand over my face, I inhale a heavy breath.
Haven stirs and the sheet falls away from her skin. Her full gorgeous breasts are on display and those nipples are begging for my mouth. I resist the temptation and ease out of bed. I promised breakfast in bed and that’s what I’ll give her.
I’ll give Haven anything she wants for as long as I can. For as long as she lets me.
I tug on a shirt and shorts and then I walk into the kitchen. Harley’s sitting by his food bowl. “Morning, buddy. I got your food coming right up.”
He sulks toward me and rubs against my ankle. “I love you, little guy.” I scoop out the food and dump it into his bowl. “Get your grub on,” I say, and reach down to scratch the top of his head.
After I wash my hands, I start to prep breakfast—buttermilk pancakes and fresh strawberries. I get the batter ready to go in no time. Setting it aside, I pull a jar of my special sauce down, aka my bourbon syrup, and heat it up in a saucepan. My mind reels back to last night when “Nothing On But The Stars” comes up on my playlist.
This woman has let me inside her world, and if I’m being honest, I’m falling for her. I let out a long slow breath and start cutting up the strawberries.
“Wow, something smells amazing,” Haven calls out as she saunters into the kitchen wearing nothing but the gray t-shirt I had on yesterday.
I set the knife onto the butcher’s block and snap my fingers. “No, you get your sexy ass back in my bed and I’ll bring you your pancakes.” I can’t help but notice her nipples are pebbled against the fabric of my shirt. Fuck my life.
She laughs. “Let me help you.”
I turn to the stove and tend to the pancakes on the griddle. Haven comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist. She presses a kiss to my shoulder.
“Tyler,” she whispers. “I need coffee.”
I flip the pancakes and turn around to face her. “It’s ready, you just have to hit the button.”
My lips fuse to hers. She moans into my mouth and I fight the urge to dip my fingers into her sweet pussy. I can’t get enough of this woman. Greed takes hold, and my hand cups her breast.
She pulls back and laughs. “Nope, you need to feed me first.”
“Vixen,” I say. “Following the house rules, I see.”
She laughs and motions to the hem of my shirt. “You’re feeding me, so I guess I should follow the panty-free rule.”
“Good girl.”
Haven grabs the mug I set out for her and places it under my espresso maker. My machine makes espresso and coffee. Last time she was here, I gave her a quick tutorial on how to operate it. After Haven sets the dial, she presses the button and the rich creamy liquid filters into her mug.
“What are you cooking for me this morning, chef?” she asks, and pops an ice cube into her coffee.
“Buttermilk pancakes with a little powdered sugar and fresh sliced strawberries.”
“Yum.”
“Almost ready,” I call over my shoulder.
“Okay, I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”
I plate the pancakes and watch Haven scurry back to my bedroom. Harley sulks around the corner and gives me a pointed stare.
“What?” I ask, turning off the stove.
He looks toward the bedroom and back to me.
“Look, buddy, I like her,” I hiss. “Stop judging me. I’m the one who feeds you, remember?”
He stalks o
ver to his water dish and tosses me one more glaring look.
“It’s fresh. I promise.” I sprinkle on the powdered sugar and then arrange the strawberries. I load everything onto my serving tray and walk back to my bedroom.
“Did you know the Bourbon Fest starts on Friday night?”
I laugh and place the tray in the middle of my bed. “Uh, yeah. I live here, it’s kind of hard not to know that information.”
“Har har,” she says. “Are you judging the Miss Bourbon Fest pageant again?”
I hand her a plate and then climb onto the mattress. “No, my pageant judging days are over, besides, none of them compare to you.”
She shoves at my shoulder. “What a line.”
Her green eyes sparkle and she’s looking at me with such warmth and heat. Want.
“Nope, just statin’ the obvious.”
We dig in and finish our breakfast, then Haven helps with me with the cleanup. Even though I insist that she doesn’t need to.
In the two short weeks that I’ve known Haven, she’s managed to fill the empty parts of my life that I never knew were hollow. I never realized how much I wanted someone to share my secrets with—not really, not until her.
And at the same time, I wish it wasn’t her, because Haven’s going to leave. The cold harsh light of reality creeps in and settles in my brain. We’re going to be separated by a distance greater than I care for.
I allow myself the fantasy just for a moment. A guy could get used to lazy Sunday mornings. Haven and me in bed drinking coffee. Her reading the latest industry news. Me trying to convince her of all the hidden diners we should explore across the state.
I want to be wrong, but everything about her says I should stay right here—in this moment. Fuck tomorrow and the days that follow. Be present.
“You got a busy day today?” I ask.
“I’m officially on vacation. Two weeks of nothing but me enjoying the quiet. What about you?”
“I have to go to the restaurant and prep for the week. I’ve got a meeting with the historical society Tuesday afternoon, but after that my schedule is pretty light. Maybe I’ll put in some vacation time myself.” I waggle my brows.
She smiles. “So you can keep me in bed for two weeks?”
I wrap my arms around her waist. “That’s an excellent idea, sunshine.”
Haven hugs me tight. “This has been really great. If I haven’t told you yet, I want you to know that I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, Tyler.”
My eyes close as I absorb her words. This isn’t just a phase for me and Haven. I can’t have her forever, but I’ll take right now.
“I want more memories of us,” I say, and push back to look at her face. Need to see her eyes.
She swallows. “Then let’s make lots of them.”
My heart slams into my ribs. I remember something my mom used to say, “Life only comes around once, so you need to do what makes you happy and be with people who make you smile.”
Yep. That’s going to be my motto for the next two weeks.
Haven
By Wednesday, I’m climbing the walls. You’d think I’d be enjoying my time relaxing, but I guess I’m not very good at turning off my brain. Not even a morning walk around the pond or feeding the ducks help shut it down.
I haven’t seen Tyler since I left his house on Sunday morning. He’s been slammed with work, one of Reed’s projects ran into a problem—basement flood. Tyler sent me pics and it was a catastrophe. We’ve chatted off and on, but I’m two seconds away from driving over to his place to wait for him on his front porch.
Aaron had to cancel our lunch date yesterday, but I went anyway. Maybelle sent me a text asking if I wanted to go to a yoga class with her. Yoga does a really good job of clearing my mind. But while Maybelle and I are sitting here at the coffee shop, I still can’t stop thinking about Tyler and how the next weeks are going to fly by.
“So, have you heard from Sage?” Maybelle asks and sips her coffee.
I shake my head. “No, but she left me their itinerary and she and Reed are somewhere in the south of France.”
She cocks her head. “Good lord, I hope my future hubby and I can travel to Europe for a whole month and be off the grid. Hell, I’ll settle for a companion or boyfriend just to travel with.”
I smile and take a drink of my latte. “Still on your dry spell?”
She laughs and taps her finger to the table. “Yes, but the festival is this week, so maybe I’ll rope myself a cowboy.”
“Good luck.”
“Speaking of luck, or being a lucky girl,” Maybelle eyes me over the rim of her cup. “How are things with you and Tyler?”
I sigh dreamily and prop my hand under my chin.
Maybelle sets her cup down and leans forward. “Girl, you’re in love.”
I cock a brow. “No, I don’t think so . . . I’m smitten,” I correct.
Everything about Tyler is hot. His mind. His body. I feel like I know him down to his soul. What makes him tick. He burns. He’s so passionate about everything he does in life from the restaurant to his revitalization ideas, even his syrup.
“Well, whatever you’ve got, I wouldn’t mind catching it.”
“The kids are calling it ‘the feels’ these days,” I offer. “There’s even a song about catching feels.”
Her nose scrunches up. “That sounds ridiculous.”
I laugh and take a final swallow of my beverage.
“Well, this has been fun.” Maybelle glances at the clock on the wall. “Work calls.”
I stand and pick up my belongings. We walk out of the coffee shop together.
“If you want to work out again,” Maybelle says, “just let me know.”
“Okay, thanks for this, it was fun.”
“See ya at the festival, Haven.”
I walk along the sidewalk toward the yoga studio where I parked Sage’s car. The sun is shining bright and the guy at the hardware store is watering the flower baskets. He gives me a wave and I nod.
I breathe in the morning air and look up at the blue, blue sky and then I’m smiling. My eyes flick to the storefront with an orange flyer. Bourbon Festival Fiftieth Anniversary is typed out in black lettering. I scan over all the events. The annual bourbon tasting and the chili cookoff are the highlights.
I drive back to Sage’s place and think about what I want to do with my day. It’s going to be eighty-five degrees today. I can spend the afternoon at my parents’ pool. Maybe I should drive over to the distillery, see if Brant’s still in town. I haven’t heard from him about staying at my place in East Harbour.
I flick the turn signal and turn onto the road that leads to Sage’s place. And my eyes go wide at the sight of Tyler sitting on a motorcycle in her driveway. Holy fuck my life.
Tyler, bless him. He’s wearing dark denim jeans and a white t-shirt. He’s leaning forward with his elbows resting on the seat. He smiles and waves and I think my panties just slid down my legs. Tyler on a bike is working every one of my cells sending every little tremor right to my lady parts.
I park the car under the carport and hop out. “Hey there,” I call out and toss my bag over my shoulder. “What’s going on?”
“Hey there, pretty girl,” he says and climbs off the bike. He kisses me and I melt into him. “So, I thought we’d go for a little spin on my bike and then have lunch.”
“Sounds good to me.”
The corners of his eyes crinkle. “You got a swimsuit?”
I smirk and cock my brow. “Yeah.”
He smacks my ass. “Put it on underneath your clothes. Where we’re going you won’t have a place to change.”
I unlock the door and we walk into Sage’s place. “Do I have time to rinse off? I’m all sweaty from yoga class.”
He nods. “Yep, take your time.” Tyler takes a seat at Sage’s table while I skip off to the guest room to get ready. “Hey, Tyler, can you put a little more food in Oliver’s dish?”
“I’m on it,”
he calls out.
I strip out of my clothes and then flip on the spray to the shower. I’m in and out in under ten minutes. I slide my bikini bottoms up my legs and stare into the closet. I decide on a pair of cropped jeans and a linen top. I slip on my running shoes and then toss some sunblock and a towel into a backpack I dig out of Sage’s closet.
I walk into the kitchen where Tyler is holding Oliver and the cat is completely relaxed.
“Wow, now that’s a sight.”
“The two of us are old friends,” he says.
“I can see that.”
Tyler stands and sets Oliver down on the hardwood. Oliver sinks down to his belly and rolls over.
Tyler holds out his hand and we walk back outside to his bike. He holds out a helmet and stokes his hand over the leather seat. “Hop on and hold onto me.”
I pull the helmet on and Tyler double checks my chinstrap. “You look good, sunshine.”
Butterflies ping pong around my stomach. “I’ve never been on bike before,” I confess.
His hands land on my shoulders. “I got you. Just make sure you hold onto me tight.”
I wait as Tyler swings one long leg over the seat and then I climb on behind him. My arms wrap around his waist and my grip tightens at the sound of the engine roaring to life.
We cruise out of the driveway and I cling to Tyler. My thighs vibrate under the hum of the engine and we zip out of Mayfield. We drive down a long and winding road a few miles outside of town. Tyler maneuvers onto a one lane road and we cross over a bridge. The other side is nothing but green grass and hayfields for miles.
Tyler turns onto a dirt road and slows the speed. We come upon a tiny lake with the bluest water that I’ve ever seen.
He cuts the engine and parks near the dock. “We’re here.”
I slide off the back and my legs are shaking so bad I stumble backward.
“I got you,” Tyler’s hands land on my waist and he holds me steady. “You okay?”
I take a moment to collect my wits about me. “Yeah, I’m good.” I pop the helmet off and shake out my hair.
“What is this place?”
Tyler smiles and sets the helmets onto the seat of his bike. “My solitude.”
Beautiful March Page 20
