Harlequin Special Edition September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Maverick for HireA Match Made by BabyOnce Upon a Bride

by Leanne Banks

  “I think you’ll figure it out,” she said, and turned on the shower.

  They lathered each other with soap, but not too thoroughly. Nick was too busy sliding his hands all over her, lingering on her breasts and lower between her legs. He made her so hot and needy she could barely stand it. She licked at the drops of water on his chest and he groaned.

  He kissed and caressed her nipples then kissed his way down the rest of her body. When he took her with his mouth, Cecelia couldn’t remember feeling so erotic and strong and vulnerable. When she cried out, he swiftly lifted her, pressed her back against the tile of the shower and thrust inside her.

  The invasion was shocking, yet delicious. She wrapped her legs around him tightly as he pumped, and then she saw his face when he went over the edge. Raw, sexy and beautiful. She felt herself fall a little more deeply for him. That would be a bad idea, but with Nick holding her tight and kissing her, there was no room for doubt and fear. She just wanted more of him.

  * * *

  Nick awakened in the middle of the night. It took him a second to remember that he was in Cecelia’s bed. He’d planned to leave before he fell asleep, but she just felt so good beside him. With a sliver of moonlight passing through the curtain, he looked at her. Her lips were swollen from kissing. Her cheek bore a hint of burn from his whiskers. He would shave before the next time, he told himself. And there would be a next time.

  He couldn’t remember wanting a woman this much, and for all the instructions he’d given her, he sure as hell didn’t care whether she wore red lipstick or a skirt. He wanted her fire and sweetness. That combination undid him. He knew she would do anything for him if he asked. He wondered when his feelings had changed. He’d always put Cecelia strictly in the sister category. He was feeling anything but brotherly toward her now.

  Once he’d realized how much he wanted her, he could barely keep his hands off her. It was as if he was making up for lost time, as if all that energy he’d spent denying that he wanted her had converted to being with her every chance he got.

  The strength of his feelings bothered him. He was hoping that the more he was with her, the more this thing could run its course. Sort of like a virus. Nick rubbed his forehead. He didn’t like having to sneak around. Hell, he was a thirty-one-year-old man. If he wanted to be with a woman, he shouldn’t have to feel as if he had to act like a teenager. Nick rubbed the back of his neck in irritation.

  His frustration pushed him all the more to get his own place, his own piece of land. He had enough money for land, but it would take a while to get a house built, especially with winter coming. He could probably get his hands on a mobile home for a good price. Nick shook his head. What was he thinking?

  He’d planned to save his money and room at Strickland’s until spring. Why was he suddenly so anxious to get his own place? He glanced down at Cecelia and realized she was the reason. He’d fought it like the devil, but he’d wanted to get with her for a while. Now that he’d had her, he wanted some privacy and he wanted full access to her without any prying eyes.

  Frustrated with the direction of his thoughts and his overall irritation with the situation, he figured he’d better go back to his room. Nick eased his way out of the bed and pulled on his clothes as quietly as he could.

  “Where are you going?” she asked in a quiet voice.

  “Back to my room,” he said. “I need to get there before anyone gets up in the morning.”

  “Can you kiss me good-night?” she asked, sitting up. The covers fell to her waist, revealing her bare breasts.

  Nick immediately felt himself tighten with arousal. She shouldn’t affect him like this. He’d taken her several times, but his body belied his logic. “Sure,” he said and lowered his mouth to hers. She felt so sweet, so warm. Her kiss was full of promise, the promise of heat and satisfaction.

  It was all he could do not to crawl back into bed with her. “See you tomorrow, beautiful,” he said and mentally swore with every step he took to his own bedroom.

  * * *

  The next morning, Cecelia awakened feeling beautiful. He’d called her beautiful. She couldn’t remember anyone telling her that. The knowledge put a bounce in her step as she made her way downstairs for breakfast. Nick was already sitting at the table. She felt his gaze latch on to her the second she walked into the room.

  Hyperaware of the sizzle between them, she took a careful breath. Could other people see it? she wondered. Could they feel it? Forcing her gaze from his, she walked toward Beth Crowder, who seemed to be wearing a permanent smile on her face since Will had declared his love for her.

  “The French toast looks good, and oh, you have berries,” Cecelia said.

  “Let me put some on a plate for you. Would you like some sausage?” she asked.

  “I think the French toast will be enough for today. How are things going these days?”

  “Perfect,” Beth said. “Just perfect.”

  “I’m so glad—”

  “I can’t hold it in,” Beth said, shaking her hands in excitement. “Will and I are getting married.”

  “What?” Cecelia asked, her gaze sliding toward Nick. “Married? When?”

  “Next week,” Beth said. “Other people may think we’re rushing it, but Will and I have been through a lot. We know a good thing when we see it.”

  Shocked, Cecelia held out her hands to the woman. “I don’t know what to say. This is amazing.”

  Beth squeezed Cecelia’s hands. “Will and I want you and Nick to come to the ceremony. If it hadn’t been for you two, we might not have met and then gotten back together.”

  “Oh, Beth,” Cecelia said, still unsure of how she should respond.

  “I know it seems fast, but it’s right, Cecelia. It’s so right,” the woman said.

  Cecelia looked into Beth’s eyes and saw past the exhilaration to a steady knowledge, a wisdom born from years and pain. She hugged Beth. “I’m so happy for all of you. How does your son feel about it?”

  “He’s over the moon,” Beth said. “He really likes Will, and Will is wise enough to not try to tell him what to do.”

  “Win, win,” Cecelia said.

  “Yes,” Beth said. “We’re still working out the time and date for the ceremony with the minister. I’ll let you know.”

  “Please do,” she said and hugged Beth again. “Congratulations.”

  Beth giggled. “Best wishes,” she said. “You’re supposed to say congratulations to the groom and best wishes to the bride. But I’ll take the congratulations,” she said.

  Cecelia took her plate of French toast to the table and sat down across from Nick. “Did you hear that we’ve been invited to a wedding?” she asked him in a low voice.

  Nick lowered his head and blinked. “Will and Beth?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know what you said to Will, but it worked. Maybe you should be a professional matchmaker.”

  Nick pushed his plate away. “I just hope it will work out for the long haul. Because if it doesn’t they’re going to blame me.” He rose from the table and his gaze softened. “I’ll see you later.”

  Her stomach dipped, as it always did when he looked at her that way. “Later,” she said. “Have a good day.”

  “You, too,” he said and walked away.

  Melba sat down beside her with a full plate of eggs, sausage and French toast. “He’s a good man.”

  Cecelia thought about his harem of admirers. She thought about all the work he did for charity, and she gave a noncommittal shake of her head. “He is.”

  “He just needs a little work from the right woman,” Melba said. “Most men do. My Gene needed work, but he’s a jewel now.”

  Cecelia nodded. “You and Gene are the model of a perfect couple,” she said.

  “Well, trust me, he was always good, but
he wasn’t always perfect,” Melba said. “I had to work on him.”

  Cecelia bit her lip to keep from laughing. “You’ve done a great job.”

  Melba smiled. “Thank you. I think he turned out pretty good.”

  Cecelia wouldn’t dare to disagree. “He did turn out well.”

  Cecelia took a few bites of French toast, all the while wondering what would happen between her and Nick. She suspected Melba had pulled Gene in line pretty easily, but Nick wouldn’t bow so quickly, if ever.

  Cecelia lost her appetite at that thought. What if Nick wouldn’t give up his harem? What if she had made a big mistake?

  Chapter Eleven

  Cecelia reclined in her bed with Nick in the afterglow of another amazing lovemaking session. Her cell phone buzzed on her nightstand.

  At first she didn’t comprehend the sound, but then she grabbed her phone. She looked at the number for the incoming call. “Oh, my gosh. It’s Tim.”

  Nick immediately sat up. “What? I thought he was out of the picture.”

  “So did I,” she said as her phone continued to buzz.

  “Are you going to pick up?” he asked.

  She glanced at him in consternation. “How can I? I’m naked with another man.”

  Nick frowned, meeting her gaze.

  “Tell the truth. Would you pick up your phone in the same circumstance? If you were with me?” she said and frowned at him in return.

  “Okay, okay,” he said, rising to lean against her headboard. “It’s still strange.”

  She tried not to concentrate on his half-naked body, tousled hair and rough-and-ready expression. “I agree. I thought he was done with me.”

  “And were you upset?” he asked, stroking his fingers through her hair.

  “Well,” she said. “I might have been upset, but I got distracted,” she said. “By you.”

  He chuckled and drew her against him. “Good for me,” he said.

  Cecelia tucked her head under his chin. “Nick, tell me the truth. Am I just one of your harem?”

  “Never, Cecelia. You could never be lumped in a group,” he said.

  Cecelia hoped his answer was true, but she couldn’t escape her doubts about Nick’s true feelings for her when hers seemed to growing for him each day. She feared falling in love with Nick and being by herself with her strong feelings while he was just having fun with her. The prospect tortured her and she didn’t feel as if she could talk about it with anyone. After all, their relationship was supposed to be secret.

  Cecelia was so desperate that she composed an anonymous letter to the Wisdom by Winona column in the Rust Creek Rambler, the local newspaper. Winona Cobbs was a well-known psychic from Whitehorn, Montana, who had recently come to Rust Creek Falls, and many people in town had noticed that her predictions were correct more often than not. Cecelia asked the psychic how she could know if a man was in love with her. Surprisingly enough, Cecelia’s letter was printed.

  Cecelia studied the column and felt her stomach clench. She couldn’t believe she’d put her hopes and feelings on the line like that. Wisdom by Winona replied to Cecelia’s question, saying that a man was already in love with her. But she would have to pay careful attention to discover his identity. Cecelia reread Winona’s words several times. Oh, how she wished she could believe Winona was speaking of Nick, but she feared she was hoping for something that wasn’t going to happen.

  As much as Cecelia loved being the focus of Nick’s attention, she was starting to feel a little claustrophobic staying in her room so long every evening. When Nick came knocking on Thursday night, she greeted him by shaking her head. “I need to get out. I’ve spent too much time in my room lately.”

  “You don’t like what we do in your room?” he asked in a flirty, bad-boy voice that gave her goose bumps.

  “I didn’t say that,” she said. “I just need a break.”

  “We could go to the Ace in the Hole” he said without much enthusiasm. “If we go anywhere else, someone is bound to talk.”

  “Does that bother you? If people talk?” she asked.

  His face flickered with irritation. “I don’t want anyone giving you or me advice. For me, being with you is like being on an island. I don’t want it polluted with other people’s comments or opinions,” he said and paused. “I have an idea. I’ll get some sandwiches and doughnuts from the bakery and some hot chocolate. Meet me at my truck in fifteen minutes.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said with a smile. “No need to dress up. This is definitely casual.”

  Curious and a little excited, Cecelia counted down the minutes. While she waited for time to pass, she put on lipstick and pulled her hair loose from its ponytail. She debated wearing a skirt, but since she had no idea where they were going, she decided to stick with her jeans.

  After fourteen minutes had passed, she bounded down the stairs, eager to see where Nick was taking her. Melba called to her from the den, where the light from the television danced on the wall.

  “Hey there, sweetie, what are you up to?” Melba asked, rising from the sofa. “I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

  Cecelia hoped the savvy woman couldn’t see through her. “Long work days.”

  “You must be tired at night. This is the first I’ve seen of you except the mornings. You make sure you’re not working too hard. We don’t want you getting sick again,” Melba said.

  “Oh, I won’t,” Cecelia promised, feeling her cheeks heat. If Melba knew what she and Nick were doing she’d kick both of them out of the rooming house. Melba told everyone when they moved in that she didn’t want any hanky-panky going on in her house. “I’m just going to get a sandwich and a doughnut,” she said. “You and Gene have a good evening.”

  “Thank you,” Melba said. “Take care now.”

  Cecelia raced down the steps from the front porch and down the street to where Nick sat in his car with the motor running. She climbed inside and sighed. “I’m afraid Melba is going to find out about us and kick us out.”

  “What?” he asked, staring at her.

  “I came downstairs and she asked a lot of questions about where I’ve been at night lately. I told her I’d just been working hard, but I don’t know, Nick. She’s smart. If she finds out, it will be so embarrassing. Plus, I’ll be homeless,” she said.

  “She doesn’t know anything,” he said and pulled onto the road. “You’re just being a little paranoid. She’s got enough to do with the rooming house that she doesn’t have time to check everyone’s room at night. Relax. Drink some hot chocolate,” he said, pointing to one of two cups in the beverage holder.

  Still nervous, Cecelia decided some soothing hot chocolate couldn’t hurt. She took a few sips and began to calm down.

  “Better?” he asked her.

  “Yes, thank you.” She took another sip. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

  “Soon enough,” he said and took the road out of town. He turned the radio to a country music station.

  Cecelia was curious, but she could tell Nick wasn’t going to tell her anything until he got ready, so she forced herself to relax as much as she could. Twenty minutes later, he slowed down and pulled onto a dirt road. It was actually more of a dirt path. He drove another quarter of a mile and came to a stop.

  He turned to her and smiled. “Here we are.”

  Cecelia looked out her window into the dark night. “Where is here?”

  “It’s my land,” he said. “I bought it two days ago.”

  “Really?” she said in surprise and opened her car door to step outside and look. “I thought you were going to wait awhile.”

  Carrying a bag from the doughnut shop, Nick joined her. “I got a good price on the land, so I went
ahead and got it. I’m obviously not ready to move yet. No electrical or plumbing hookup,” he joked.

  “True,” she said. “But if Melba kicked you out, at least you’ll have a place to camp.”

  He laughed at the suggestion. “Melba’s not gonna kick us out. Here,” he said, pulling a wrapped sandwich from the bag. “Dinner by moonlight.”

  She smiled, thinking of all the so-called dates she’d had recently, she liked this one best. She knew it was the company. She took a few bites of her sandwich. “Thanks,” she said. “This is nice.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not a steak dinner in Kalispell.”

  “Nope,” she said. “But it’s nice and quiet. Good sandwich. Good time.” She finished her sandwich. “And I sure hope you got me a chocolate doughnut.”

  “Oh, I got you a plain one,” he said.

  She shot him a look of consternation. “Plain. You know I like chocolate.”

  He laughed. “Just kidding. Of course I got you a chocolate doughnut. Got one for me, too.”

  They stood there for the next several moments soaking up the moonlight and eating their doughnuts. Sipping the last of her hot chocolate, she started to feel a little lost. “Must be nice to have a real plan for your life. Most of the time, I feel like I’m drifting from one thing to the next.”

  Nick took her hand in his. “You do a lot of good here in Rust Creek Falls. There are a lot of people who count on you.”

  “Maybe,” she said, wondering what would happen when Nick got tired of her. How would she handle staying in Rust Creek Falls? It wasn’t as if they had a real future. Her heart tightened at the thought. “For now,” she said and pulled her hand from his.

  Just two days later, Will and Beth were to be married in the living room of Will’s home. They’d asked Melba and her husband, Gene, to attend, along with Nick and Cecelia. Nick casually invited Cecelia to ride with him. “No need to take two vehicles.”

  Cecelia wore her dress and boots and fixed her hair.

  “You look nice,” Nick told her as she got into his truck.