by Tabatha Kiss
I stare at him. “You’re giving me a key to your cabin?”
“No...” He shakes his head. “This key is to a new house. It’ll have two floors, a finished basement, three bedrooms, three and a half baths—”
“Hold on.” I turn to face him. “What are you talking about?”
He takes my hand and places the key in my palm. “The first house in Jackman Springs, formerly Lover’s Trail. I want you to have it.”
My mouth sags open. “Leo…”
“The inside is more or less a blank canvas right now, so if there’s anything you want, we can customize it—”
Panic crushes my chest. “I can’t afford something like this!”
“You don’t have to. It’s already paid for.”
I stutter my words, failing to piece this whole thing together in my head. “What the hell am I supposed to do with three bedrooms?!”
“Whatever you want.”
The key shimmers in my hand. “You bought me a house?”
“Well…” he smiles, “no pressure or anything, but I kind of like to think that I bought us a house.”
My heart skips a beat. “Oh.”
Leo takes my hand. “Hazel—”
“No, no…” I stand up and he releases me. “I’m just gonna need a minute here.”
“There’s more.”
I freeze. “There’s more?!” I turn the box over in my hand and shake it but nothing comes out. “What is it, a pony? Did you buy me a pony, too?!”
Leo rises and entwines our hands again. He kisses my forehead, looks into my eyes, and smiles wide. “I love you.”
My breath catches. “Oh, my…”
“Yeah.” He nods.
I will my knees to stop shaking. “That’s… new words. Okay…”
He gazes down at me, those blue eyes as calm as ever and everything just makes sense.
“You don’t have to say it back,” he says, squeezing my fingers. “I just—”
“I love you, too,” I say without hesitation.
“No, let me finish.” He clears his throat. “When I first met you, I—”
“I love you, too.”
“Hazel, seriously. If I don’t get this out—”
“I lov—”
Leo presses a finger against my lips. “I love you, Hazel,” he says over me. “When I first met you, I had no idea that was even possible. Now, I can’t imagine what my life would look like without you in it.” He lowers his hand and I stay quiet. “It’s been rough for both of us. Rocky start aside, living four hours away from you is torture and I want to change that by bringing you back to Whitefish with me.” He takes a breath. “You’re my queen, Haze. And what kind of king would I be if I didn’t protect my queen?”
I laugh, fighting back tears. “Well, if we’re talking chess terms here, technically, I’m supposed to protect you.”
He smiles and kisses my cheek. “Trust me, you do.”
I press my lips together, feeling a hot flash rushing along my skin while I wait for him to go on.
“I’m done now,” he says.
“Oh!” We chuckle and I push a tear away before it falls. “Then… I love you, too.”
“Yeah?”
“Well…” My eyes drift back to the key in my hand. “Does the master bedroom have an en suite?”
His lips twitch. “Yes.”
“With a jacuzzi tub?”
“If you want it to.”
I jolt with glee. “Oh, that is such a good answer.”
“Get used to it.”
“I will.”
Leo leans in, drawing our lips closer together. Before they touch, he springs forward and picks me up off the floor, rocking my insides as he throws me over his shoulder.
“Leo!” I shout with laughter and drop the key and chess piece to the floor. “Put me down!”
He walks us toward the bed and sets me down on it. I bounce on the mattress and lie back as he kisses me again. His hand cups my cheek, caressing me softly as our lips blend together and his beard tickles my chin.
“Sorry if this was too sudden…” he whispers.
I shake my head. “It wasn’t. Of course, now my Christmas gifts to you seems really lame by comparison.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He raises his head. “What’d you get me?”
I kiss him back. “And ruin the surprise?”
“Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
“Okay.” I sit up on my elbow. “A new pocket knife.”
“Nice.” He smiles.
“A beard comb.” I pause as he laughs. “But it’s pretty cool looking. It’s shaped like a hatchet.”
I mime it against my chin and he nods.
“That is pretty cool,” he says.
“Right?”
“Anything else?”
“A few other small things…” I bite my lip. “And, I guess… you can do whatever you want tonight.”
His eyebrow peaks. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah. In fact, I remember you saying something once about how if you did, then I wouldn’t be able to walk afterward. Sounded promising.”
“You remember that?”
“How could I forget?”
We inch closer into another kiss, each one growing firmer and deeper as our hands roam our bodies.
Leo entwines his fingers with mine. “That feels like so long ago now.”
“It’s only been a few months.”
“I know, but…” our lips graze, “when I’m with you time stands still. Work melts away. No one else matters. I never want that feeling to end.”
“Neither do I.” I sigh as he rests his hand just above my knee. “Leo…”
“What?”
“Something I’ve always wondered…”
“What?” he asks again, kissing my neck.
“If that storm hadn’t have come up the mountain,” I say, “would you have let me in?”
Leo pauses and smiles. “No.”
“No?” I lean back. “But what about the bears and the mountain lions?”
He shrugs. “Pearl would have barked to warn me if a wild animal was on the lawn.”
I blink. “Before or after I was eaten to death?”
“After, probably…”
“Wow, okay.” I try to roll away. “On second thought, maybe we shouldn’t tonight—”
He tugs me back in and crushes my lips, kissing me hard and fast while I melt in his arms. “How about you spread your legs… and don’t move.”
I grin. “Now we’re talking.”
“And no talking.”
I place an invisible key against my lips and turn the lock twice.
Leo regards me with a twisted grin, reaching one hand around to the back of my neck. “You are so beautiful...”
He slides the zipper of my dress downward, planting a few kisses on my shoulder as the neckline loosens.
I shudder with warmth from my head to my toes. I get lost in the feeling, closing my eyes as Leo continues whispering in my ear.
“Your hair, your face, your smile...” He kisses me as he guides the dress down my breasts. “I can’t get enough of your body.”
I prop up as he leans back and pulls my dress to my ankles. As he lets it fall to the floor, he stops to look at me on the bed in front of him. His deep, blue eyes wander down my hips and legs, climb up my belly and breasts, until he eases back in to kiss me.
I spread my legs for him and he slides between my thighs. I feel his erection against my hip while his lips take me over and over again. My mouth waters, wanting to taste him so badly. I take hold of his belt but he stops me.
Without a word, he guides my arms over my head. He pins them with one strong hand while the other tugs at his belt.
“Don’t move,” he says, staring into my wide eyes.
“What are you doing?” I ask, throbbing softly.
He pulls his belt through the loops. “What I want.”
I lie still and smile, feeling safe beneath him as his firm hands tie my wris
ts together with his belt.
“Getting kinky now...” I chuckle.
Leo towers over me on his thick arms. “Well... I’m the boss, Hazel. Don’t forget that.”
He leans in for a kiss but I shake with a fit of giggles. His jaw flexes and he stares at me. “What?” he asks. “Why are you laughing?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just...” I say, biting my cheek. “I’m the boss har har.”
He squints. “Tonight... I am.”
I crack up. “Stop. You’re killing me!”
“Hazel…” He lays a hand over my mouth.
My breath pushes against his palm. “What?” I ask, my voice muffled.
Leo pauses in thought. “Stay here.”
He hops off the bed and wanders into the next room, leaving me in my underwear with my hands tied. I shake away the giggle fit and sit up to listen as he moves through the suite.
“Leo?” I ask after several silent moments alone.
He comes back with a white eye mask in his hand, flipping it around his fingers with a smug smile on his face. “This should help,” he says.
I chuckle. “Are you going to gag me, too?”
He untucks his flannel shirt and flicks the buttons free one-by-one. “No,” he whispers, dropping it to the floor as he leans over me. “I want to hear it when you scream my name.”
I smile as he lays the mask over my eyes. My vision goes dark and my ears twitch with every new sound in the room. Leo kicks off his shoes. He unzips his pants. The mattress dips with his weight and my skin quivers as he hooks my knees and pulls me closer. His hands glide up my body, starting at my ankles and traveling up my legs and abdomen. They swipe my armpits but his firm kiss keeps me from laughing.
I feel him. All of him. Every brush of his hand on me feels twice as good. His groans echo in my ears. His body heat mixes with mine. My core is charged and ready, pleasantly throbbing and practically begging for him. He moves down to align our bodies and wraps my knees around his waist.
Leo kisses me. “I love you,” he says again.
Happiness bursts in me. Three little words and I melt completely. Three months together and I can already see the next thirty years of my life. I’ve never been surer of anything else.
“I love you, too,” I say, feeling tears building against the mask.
We kiss once more, firm and true, as Leo guides himself inside of me. He doesn’t stop until he’s as deep as his cock can go. I hold my breath, feeling every stiff inch of him taking me over. Love and desire push us closer together as passion drives his thrust.
Leo puts his hands on me, constantly touching and feeling my body. He fucks harder, pounding me into the mattress as I moan for him. I lie back and enjoy every sensation coursing through me. He grips my hair and bites my skin. I’m his and he knows it. My body, my mind. His name builds on my tongue but my voice is trapped behind my clenched throat. I feel silly in this mask and sexy in his arms at the same time. Growing pleasure has me writhing beneath his body. I twist and ache for release, feeling my thighs turn numb and my toes curl.
“Leo…” I moan, tensions building fast.
He crushes his lips on mine, absorbing his name as he sucks on my tongue. “Say it again,” he groans.
I chuckle, feeling my body breaking in two. “Leo!”
He grinds a little deeper, sending me over the edge. My muscles twist and my ears ring but I hear his deep laugh as I come for him. He pauses to watch, leaving sweet kisses on my neck until my pulse settles and I can breathe again.
Leo slides the mask off my head and smiles. “My queen…” he whispers, his breath warm against my cheek.
He reaches over my head and pulls my arms forward, quickly sliding the belt free and drawing me up to straddle his lap. He sits back and embraces me, softly kissing my neck as I wrap my arms around him.
I ease his cock back inside and he groans in my ear. Somehow, I hold myself up on him, grinding my hips even though I can barely feel my legs. He lays his hands on my waist to support me while he nibbles at my breasts.
I cup his face and kiss him again, enjoying the soft tickle of his beard on my lips. “What else do you want?” I ask playfully.
His grip tightens on my waist. “You just keep doing exactly what you’re doing right now…”
I buck my hips faster on his cock. “This?”
He groans and buries his face between my breasts, clinging to me and breathing hard as I lick his sweat off my lips.
“Hazel…”
I tighten my inner muscles around him the way he likes it. This man. My king. There’s so much more I want to do for him but I can’t stop shaking. This is just one night amongst thousands we’ll spend together.
Leo holds his breath and I feel that warm burst between us. I halt the grind, letting his cock slide out and his seed drips along my thighs. We’ve come so far since that first night in the cabin, yet we have so far to go. I trust him more everyday and I know he feels the same.
He lies back, taking me with him and we settle our heads against the thick pillows. After several slow, calming breaths, Leo rolls over and wraps his arm around me in a quiet embrace.
Safe and warm as always, I drift off and the last thing I feel is Leo’s lips pursing against my forehead.
You’re Invited!
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Hazel Smith & Leonard Jackman
Lumberjack BRIDE
A brand new novella
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More Romantic Comedy
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Discover more romantic comedy in my small town romance, Old Habits. Continue reading to enjoy the first five chapters on me.
xoxo
Tabby
Old Habits
Old Habits
By Tabatha Kiss
Small town. Big mistakes.
Everyone’s business.
Four years ago, Jovie Ross disappeared.
She was my high school sweetheart. My first love. My first everything.
I wanted it all with her. Marriage. A family.
Then, one day, she was gone.
She wanted more than a simple life in Clover, Kansas.
Unanswered questions have left me wondering what could have been.
Now, she’s back, but she’s not the same rebellious troublemaker she used to be.
She’s all grown up and even more beautiful than I remember.
But she’s still my Jovie. It doesn’t take long before she remembers that, too.
The town doesn’t believe she’s changed.
They want her gone and they won’t stop until they run her out of Kansas for good.
They’ll have to get through me first.
I wanted it all with her. This is our second chance to get it right.
But the questions of the past need answers and I’ll do whatever it takes to get them.
For better or worse.
for all those
we’ve lost
we’ll meet you
in paradise
One
Jovie
Clover, Kansas.
The Forgotten Paradise.
I pass the sign on the highway and think to perform a full U-turn to go back where I came from. I don’t, though. I’d just be delaying the inevitable if I did and I honestly don’t think I could stomach going through with this twice. It’s hard enough already.
I didn’t want to come back home. I promised myself I never would but here I am.
My car jolts and the forward inertia pulls backward. Smoke begins to seep out of the hood and I groan loudly. Good travel instincts take over. I look into every mirror to make sure I’m not in danger of colliding with any other cars in the pitch darkness but the road is completely deserted. Not surprised. I’m pretty sure the last person to leave Clover was me.
I pull onto the shoulder as the car continues to slow down and I sta
rt to wonder if I’ll make it out of the lane in time before it stalls out completely.
I reach down, carelessly searching for the lever by my foot to pop the hood before getting out. A biting chill clings to my bare legs. Come back to Kansas in a skirt. In January. Good thinking, Jovie…
I round the car and throw open the hood, stepping back quickly to avoid the puff of smoke before it burns my eyes.
Well, shit.
I glance around the highway and spot the gas station about a quarter mile down the road. For a second, I pause, feeling my stomach churn and I think to once again haul ass out of town. Not that I could anymore, of course. My damn car is busted. I don’t own a phone, either. Guess I’m jaywalking into the night.
I slink back in the driver’s seat, embracing the warmth while it lasts as I fish my wallet out and lock the doors behind me.
The attendant glances up at me from behind the counter as I step inside. He’s a young kid, just barely out of his teens if I were to guess, meaning he probably doesn’t know who I am. My face, anyway. He might know my name if he’s a local but I won’t risk it.
His back straightens with each step I make toward the counter and he twitches awkwardly as if I’m about rob his ass.
“May I use your phone?” I ask.
He blinks out of it and fumbles beneath the counter for the landline phone hidden under it. “Oh, yeah. Sure. Here.”
“Thank you.”
I open my wallet to find the card I used to keep with emergency numbers listed on it. Haven’t seen it or needed it in years, so it might have crumbled to pieces by now.
It’s there, crushed beneath an empty chewing gum wrapper and a business card for a bar in Seattle I once temporarily called home.
“Highway patrol…” I mutter, picking up the phone and dialing the faded number on the card.
I hold the phone to my ear, listening to the dull ringing and glancing up at the kid again. He’s backed off and pretends to read the latest gossip magazine at the other end of the counter.
