Dynasties:The Elliots, Books 7-12

by Various Authors

  The blush of desire painting her porcelain cheeks deepened as without a word she reached down and guided him to her.

  As he eased into her and her supple body took him in, his chest swelled with an emotion he wasn’t ready to identify. He felt as if he’d found the other half of himself, the part he’d been missing since the death of his wife. Trying not to think about it, or what it could mean, he set a slow pace and concentrated on bringing them both the satisfaction they needed.

  The feel of her surrounding him and the motion of their bodies as they rocked in perfect unison had them racing toward completion. All too soon, he felt Fin’s feminine inner muscles tighten around him a moment before she found her release.

  Determined to ensure her ultimate pleasure before he found his own, he thrust into her deeply and watched her eyes widen a moment before she came apart in his arms. Gathering her to him, he let go of his rapidly slipping control to join her. His body shuddered as he gave up his essence and he was certain he felt fireworks light up the darkest corners of his soul.

  His breathing harsh, Travis closed his eyes and buried his face in the cloud of her dark auburn hair. He had no idea where they would go from here or how they would work out raising the child they’d created together. But he knew as surely as he knew his own name, he was going to do everything in his power to find the right answers.

  And if he had his way, he’d not only be a part of the baby’s life, he’d be a big part of Fin’s life as well.

  The following Friday afternoon, Fin sat in her office listening to Chloe fill her in on the current projections from the accounting department and the latest EPH gossip. She was normally interested in anything that could help her push Charisma over the top and make her the new CEO when Patrick retired. But for the past few weeks, she’d been thinking less about her fashion magazine and more about a tall, ruggedly handsome cowboy from the wilds of Colorado.

  When they’d parted ways the morning after Jessie and Cade’s wedding, they still hadn’t arrived at any conclusions concerning the distance separating them or how they were going to handle it during her pregnancy and after the birth. In fact, they hadn’t even discussed it after he’d kissed her in the back of the limo.

  Her body tingled to life from just the memory of his masterful kisses, but it was the thought of their lovemaking that quickly had her insides feeling as if they’d turned to warm pudding. Their coming together might have started out as two lonely people finding comfort and physical release in each other’s arms, but somewhere along the way it had changed into something far deeper, far more meaningful.

  It was completely insane, considering they had nothing whatsoever in common except for the baby she carried and their love for Jessie. But Fin hadn’t been able to think of anything but Travis’s request that she come out to Colorado for a visit as soon as possible. And what surprised her more than anything was that she desperately wanted to go.

  “Fin, have you heard a word of what I just told you?” Chloe asked. Her assistant’s tone drew Fin back to the present.

  “I’m sorry, I guess I was daydreaming,” she apologized. She needed to get a grip on herself or she could kiss winning Patrick’s contest goodbye. “What were you saying?”

  Chloe’s exasperated expression indicated that Fin had missed something the young woman had thought was extremely significant. “I said that you still have a good chance of beating out Shane for the CEO position.” Chloe’s expression changed to one of excitement. “Word around the accounting department water cooler is that Charisma’s numbers have closed the gap and at the rate we’re going, we’ll pull ahead of The Buzz just before the deadline.”

  “Really?”

  A month ago, Chloe’s information would have been the best news Fin could have received. It would have sent her into overdrive to make it happen and she had no doubt that it would have. But now?

  She wasn’t sure whether her lack of enthusiasm was due to her pregnancy and the fact that the job of CEO would keep her from devoting as much attention to her child as she knew she would want to do, or if it was the discovery that since Travis returned to his ranch, she’d been more lonely than ever before. But either way, it was clear that her priorities had changed and she was no longer as driven to be named Patrick’s successor as she once had been.

  “Fin, what’s wrong with you?” Chloe asked, clearly confused. “I thought you’d be doing the happy dance over the news.”

  Smiling at her executive assistant, Fin shrugged. “I am quite pleased to hear that Charisma is doing so well. And I hope with all my heart that we win.”

  “But?”

  “That’s it.” Fin handed a stack of ad copy to the woman and motioned toward the door. “Put these on Cade’s desk with a note for him to look over them as soon as he and Jessie return from their honeymoon.”

  She could understand Chloe’s confusion as she scooped up the stack of papers and quietly left Fin’s office. But that couldn’t be helped. Fin wasn’t about to reveal to her executive assistant, or anyone else for that matter, that she was just the same as conceding the race for CEO to Shane.

  With her decision made, she swiveled her chair to gaze out at the western side of the Manhattan skyline. She really would like to win the competition, but not because she coveted Patrick’s title. If Charisma did pull ahead of The Buzz, she had every intention of declining the position. But winning would certainly prove to Patrick that she wasn’t quite the disappointing failure he’d always thought her to be.

  Quite content with herself for the first time in years, she relaxed and thought about her lack of plans for the weekend. Her OB/GYN had advised that getting the proper amount of rest was essential to the health and well-being of both her and the baby. And for the past week, she had cut back on the hours she spent at the office. But the thought of rattling around in her huge apartment by herself for the entire weekend was extremely unappealing.

  Nibbling on her lower lip, she wondered how Travis intended to spend the time. He had told her that he hoped she planned to visit the Silver Moon at her earliest convenience.

  She turned her chair to face the desk, then typed a quick search into her computer. When the information she wanted appeared on the screen, she reached for the phone and dialed the number for the airlines.

  When the booking agent answered, Fin’s heart skipped a beat and she couldn’t believe the level of excitement coursing through her as she made her request. “I need to reserve a first-class seat on the first available flight from New York to Denver, Colorado, please.”

  Seven

  Parking his truck in short-term parking at the Denver airport, Travis impatiently checked his watch as he started walking toward the terminal. He’d been tied up in a traffic jam on the interstate while the authorities cleared away a fender bender and the longer he’d had to sit there, the more he’d realized how much he’d missed Fin since leaving New York.

  It didn’t matter that it had only been a few days since he’d said goodbye to her at his hotel the morning after Jessie’s wedding or that they barely knew each other. It felt as if it had been an eternity since he’d seen her. And when she’d called this morning to see if he had plans for the weekend, he hadn’t been able to tell her fast enough that he didn’t.

  He refused to think about why he was so anxious to be with her again or why he’d been as irritable as a grizzly with a sore paw since his return. All that mattered was the three days they’d have together on his remote ranch. Alone.

  As soon as his housekeeper, Spud Jenkins, heard that Fin was on her way, he’d suddenly remembered that he had plans to visit his brother’s family down in Santa Fe. Travis knew the old geezer had made up the excuse. Spud and his brother had been on the outs for well over twenty years. But Travis hadn’t bothered to point that out to the old cowboy.

  The truth was, he needed time alone with Fin to figure out what was going on between them. And he wasn’t just thinking about how they were going to manage his role in her pregnancy
and, later on, the raising of their child.

  When he entered the baggage claim area, he spotted Fin immediately as she waited for her luggage to tumble out of a chute and onto the revolving carousel. Damn, but she looked good in a pair of jeans and that oversized tan sweater.

  It was the first time he’d seen her in anything but dress clothes or formal wear and he wasn’t the least bit surprised that he found her attractive in more casual attire. Hell, it didn’t matter what she wore, she knocked his socks off every time he saw her.

  Dodging a couple of teenagers with battered backpacks and an older woman pulling a suitcase big enough to hide a body in, he walked over to wrap his arms around Fin and lift her to him. He kissed her like a soldier returning from war and when he finally set her on her feet, they were both left gasping for some much-needed air.

  “I don’t remember you greeting me like this the first time I came for a visit,” she said, her voice sounding breathless and sexy as hell.

  He felt like a damned fool, but for the life of him he couldn’t stop grinning. “We didn’t have a history then, sweetheart.”

  She laughed as she reached for a medium-sized bag that had just come down the chute. “Your definition of history is knowing each other for a month?”

  Shrugging, he reached down to take hold of the luggage before she could lift it from the carousel. “If you want to get technical, what happened yesterday is history.”

  As they walked through the terminal, her sweet smile sent his blood pressure up a good fifty points. “I suppose you have a point.”

  When they reached the automatic doors at the exit, he shook his head. “Wait here out of the cold, while I get my truck.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said, taking a step forward. “I don’t mind walking. I’m used to walking a lot and I’m sure it’s not that far.”

  “It’s pretty cold out there and you’re not used to the altitude.” He dug his truck keys from the front pocket of his jeans. “It might not be good for you or the baby.”

  She looked at him as if he might not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier. “Travis, being pregnant isn’t a disability.”

  “I know that.” Planting a kiss on her forehead, he smiled and shook his head. “But you’re in my neck of the woods now, honey. And if I want to be a gentleman and take care of you while you’re here, I’ll damned well do it.”

  Fin snuggled into the crook of Travis’s arm as they sat on the leather sofa in front of a blazing fire in the big stone fireplace in his living room. She loved the cozy feel of the Silver Moon ranch house. From the rich wood and leather furniture to the colorful Native American accents, it was warm, inviting and felt exactly the way a home was supposed to feel. Something her apartment was sorely lacking.

  When she returned to New York, the first thing she intended to do was call an interior designer to have her apartment redecorated. The ultramodern, museum look wasn’t in the least bit child-friendly and she wanted a comfortable, relaxed place like the Silver Moon ranch house for her baby to call home.

  “I’ll give you a quarter for your thoughts,” he said, resting his head against hers.

  “I thought that was supposed to be a penny for your thoughts,” she said, feeling more relaxed and at peace than she could ever remember.

  “Inflation, sweetheart.” He drew her a little closer and kissed the top of her head. “I’ve heard that even the tooth fairy is having to pay a buck a tooth these days.”

  She leaned back to look up at him. “What was the going rate when Jessie was growing up?”

  “Fifty cents.” His smile made her tingle all the way to her bare toes. “At least it was until she learned the fine art of negotiation.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope.” Chuckling, he shook his head. “One time, when I went to get her tooth from beneath her pillow and leave a couple of quarters, I found a note for the tooth fairy.”

  Curious to hear more about what Jessie had been like as a child, Fin asked, “What did the note say?”

  “Something to the effect that since it was a little farther back in her mouth and because she used it for chewing, she thought it was worth at least seventy-five cents.”

  Laughing, Fin shook her head. “She didn’t.”

  “She sure did.” He grinned. “The tooth fairy laughed so hard, he damned near woke her up.”

  “Did she get the seventy-five cents?”

  “No, that tooth netted her a cool five bucks.” He shook his head. “I figured the note alone was worth that much.”

  “You’re a wonderful father,” Fin said when they stopped laughing.

  He shrugged, but she could tell from the sparkle in his incredible blue eyes that her comment pleased him. “I did what I thought was best.” He kissed her cheek and placed his hand over her stomach. “The same as I’ll do with this baby.”

  Emotion filled Fin’s chest and she had to swallow around the huge lump that formed in her throat. “I’m so glad you’re my baby’s father.”

  His tender smile increased the tightness in her chest. “Our baby. Remember, we’re in this together, Fin.”

  She couldn’t keep a lone tear from sliding down her cheek. “Thank you.”

  He looked taken aback. “For what?”

  Reaching up to cup his lean cheek with her hand, she smiled. “For being you.”

  Her stomach fluttered with anticipation at the slow, promising smile curving his firm male lips. He was going to kiss her and, if the look in his intense gaze was any indication, more.

  When his mouth covered hers, Fin surrendered herself to the moment and the overwhelming sense of belonging that she’d come to associate with being in Travis’s strong arms. Never in her entire existence had she felt more wanted or cherished than she did when he held her, made love to her.

  It didn’t seem to matter that they’d only known each other a short time or that they had very little in common. She’d never felt anything as right or as real as she did when she was with him.

  Her heart pounded hard against her ribs. Was she falling in love with him?

  She really didn’t have a lot of experience at being in love, so she wasn’t certain how it was supposed to feel. She’d been positive that she loved Jessie’s young father, Sebastian Deveraux. But that had been a long time ago and she suspected every fifteen-year-old girl was convinced that she loved her first boyfriend. Unfortunately, in the years since, she’d concentrated all of her energy toward building her career instead of personal relationships and she had nothing else to compare to the way she felt about Travis now.

  As his lips moved over hers, coaxing her to open for him, encouraging her to respond, she abandoned all speculation and gave herself up to the delicious sensations beginning to course through her. She could analyze her feelings once she’d returned to New York.

  When he slipped inside to tease her inner recesses, sparkles of light danced behind her closed eyes. But as he stroked her tongue with his it felt as if a starburst lit the darkest corners of her soul. The hunger of his kiss, the taste of his passion, sent heat surging through her veins and made every cell in her body tingle to life.

  Shivers of delight slid up her spine when she felt his hand slip beneath the bottom of her sweater to caress her abdomen, then come to rest just below her breast. Restless anticipation filled her when he paused his exploration long enough to unfasten the front clasp of her bra. She needed to feel his hands caressing her, wanted his moist kisses on her sensitive skin.

  The hard muscles of his arms suddenly bunched as he lifted her, then stretched them both out on the long couch. She reveled in the rapid beating of his heart and the hard ridge of his arousal against her thigh where their legs tangled, but when he created a space between them to cover her breast with his large palm, her own pulse began to race and a moist heat began to gather at the apex of her thighs.

  Needing to touch him as he touched her, she unsnapped his chambray shirt to trace the steely sinew of his broa
d chest and abdomen. The light sprinkling of hair covering the thick pads of his pectoral muscles tickled her palms and she marveled at the exquisite differences between a woman and a man. But when she traced his flat male nipple with the tip of her finger, the tiny nub’s puckered reaction was much the same as when he touched her breasts.

  His groan of pleasure thrilled her and as she continued to memorize every ridge and valley, she decided Travis’s body was perfect in every way. Taut and unyielding, his muscles held a latent strength that belied his gentle touch and contrasted perfectly with the softer contours of hers.

  “There isn’t enough room on this damned couch to kiss and taste you the way I’d like,” he said, nibbling the hollow beneath her ear.

  His low drawl and the promise of his words sent quivers of excitement shimmering through her. “It is rather restrictive, isn’t it?”

  “Damn straight.” He sat up, then pulled her up beside him. “Let’s find a place with more room to move.”

  “That looks inviting,” she said, eyeing the colorful Native American rug on the floor in front of them. She shrugged one shoulder at his questioning expression. “I’ve never made love in front of a fireplace.”

  A slow smile began to appear on his handsome face as he glanced at the rug, then back at her. “It does look fairly comfortable, doesn’t it?”

  Before she had the chance to agree with his observation, he was easing them onto their knees on the floor. “I’m going to love the way your body looks in the glow from the fire,” he said, switching off the lamp at the end of the couch.

  With nothing but the muted light from the fire, the room suddenly became incredibly intimate, and as his smoldering gaze held her captive, he slipped his hands beneath her sweater to slowly push it upward. Raising her arms to help him slip it over her head and toss it aside, she slid the straps of her bra down her arms and handed it to him. His sharp intake of breath and the darkening of his blue eyes, made her insides quiver and her breathing grow shallow.