“Why the frown?” She tilted her head in concern.
“Just wished I had been a better son to my dad.”
“Quinn loves you, and he’s so proud of your accomplishments.”
He tightened his hold on her hand. “What if I lose him?”
“What has he told you of his illness?”
“That it’s his heart.”
“That’s kind of vague, isn’t it?”
“Which is why I called Gideon. He’s coming out tomorrow to give me a second opinion.”
She smiled. “How is Gideon? You two were thick as thieves. I heard that he’s returned after becoming a big city doctor.”
“He’s currently looking around Fairbanks hoping to open a practice.”
“We could use a doctor here in Heartbreak. Right now, we only have the small clinic with a nurse practitioner running it. A lot of folks would love to have a doctor in town so they don’t have to make the trek into Fairbanks.”
“I’ll pass the information on to him.”
Their food arrived and they dug into the thick, rich stew and homemade sourdough bread lathered in butter. After they’d eaten, and the waitress cleared their plates, Ash took her hand again. “Dance with me.”
She glanced around. “No one else is dancing.”
“And your point is?” He quirked a brow in challenge and stood.
Nervously, she laughed, but she slid her chair back and followed him onto the dance floor. The musician tipped his hat and started playing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. Ash slowly pulled Sorene into his embrace, one arm wrapping around her waist, the other tucking their clasped hands over his heart.
“You feel so right in my arms,” he whispered into her ear. “Tell me you feel the same.”
“What if I’m only feeling memories of the past instead of something real in the present?”
“Close your eyes,” he instructed. “Don’t think of anything, just feel.” Slowly, he swayed, their bodies brushing teasingly against each other. “Let yourself believe that we can finally live the life we were always meant to live together.”
Chapter 17
Could she do that? Could they start again fresh? In order to do that, she’d need to let go of her bitterness and resentment over him sleeping with Leia so fast after they’d broken up.
Bitterness was a cold bed partner. And as long as she held onto it, Leia won.
Well, she wanted a future, the future she’d always dreamed about. A future with Ash.
She tilted her head back and gazed up into his warm, brown eyes. “You feel right in my arms too. I’ve never dated anyone else because I couldn’t see myself with anyone but you.”
“Oh, God, Sorene,” he said, his voice raspy with emotion.
She traced the side of his face, loving the scrape of a new beard. She needed to talk him into keeping it. The dark stubble gave him a rakish appearance. “Take me home, Ash.”
“Home?” He stopped swaying and stood still in the middle of the empty dance floor. “You want to end our date?”
“On the contrary, I want dessert.” She gave him a sly smile. “Take me home to the lake house. I want to be alone with you.”
“Uh…do you mean?”
She nodded and bit her lips.
“Wouldn’t a hotel room be more comfortable?”
“Probably, but when have we ever made love in comfort?”
He gave her an answering grin. “I’m game, if you are?”
“It’s my invitation, isn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am, that it is.”
She took his hand and led him back to the table for their coats.
Like horny teenagers, they touched and stroked each other on the long drive to the lake house, teasing and flirting until they both were a bundle of frayed nerves.
Ash grabbed her hand when it inched too far south, the SUV swerving. “I can’t take anymore and keep us alive, and I really want to be alive for what happens next.”
Sorene laughed, the tone of her voice sounding free and reckless. It had been forever since she’d felt this way. It was heady stuff.
When they reached the turnoff for the lane leading to the lake house, it started to snow in big, fluffy flakes, turning the night into a winter wonderland. Ash braked hard, the vehicle rocking from the sudden stop. “I have some blankets in the back, and the fireplace is sound for building a fire, isn’t it?”
“It should be, but I have a better idea.” She stepped out of the SUV and started toward the steaming lake, unbuttoning her coat. “Are you coming?” she asked, when she noticed he stood still in front of the SUV.
“I’m praying I won’t come too fast. You have a way of making me feel like this is my first time again.”
“You lasted long enough that time.”
“It took a lot of willpower, let me tell you.”
“You don’t think you’ll have the willpower tonight?” She cocked a brow in question and let her coat puddle to the snowy ground at her feet.
“The jury is still out, which is why I’m praying. Christ, what are you doing?”
“Taking off my clothes.” Her sweater followed her coat, leaving her in a red bra and scarf. She grabbed the end of the scarf and slowly pulled it free, letting it flutter away. Next, she unbuttoned her jeans and slowly slid down the zipper.
He visibly gulped. “It’s freezing out here.”
“And your point is?”
“We can’t make love out here. Cold temperatures have a way of bringing a man down to size.”
She giggled and shimmied her jeans down over her hips, kicking them off with her boots and socks. “Where’s you sense of adventure? Did you leave it in some foreign country?”
Goosebumps rose on her flesh, hardening her nipples to glass, but she didn’t lose her nerve, unhooked her bra, and stepped out of her lacy underwear, the matched set Cat had given her for her birthday hoping she’d put them to good use. She couldn’t think of a better use than stripping them off in front of Ash.
“There’s adventure, and then there’s suicide. I’m very fond of your body and don’t want to see anything frostbitten. Let me get a fire going, warm up the cabin.”
“I already have a fire burning inside me. Are you going to stoke it or put it out?” Laughing, she ran for the lake, loving how Ash swore behind her as he tried to catch up.
The heated lake felt heavenly as she dived in and swam in the bathwater temperature created from the underground hot springs. Damn, but she’d almost called a halt to her stunt when she’d shed everything and the snowflakes hit her skin, melting instantly.
Arms suddenly snaked around her and yanked her back against an even hotter source. He spun her around. His chest was wide, muscled, with a spattering of hair. So different from ten years ago, so much more impressive, and she relished how safe she felt in his embrace.
“You are a siren, Sorene,” he growled.
“No, I’m a thunder goddess.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s what my mom said my name meant.”
“Then you are aptly named.” His mouth took hers, and she locked her legs like a vise around his waist, loving how his body couldn’t deny how very much he desired her.
He groaned and tore his mouth from hers. “I can’t wait to have you.”
“Who’s asking you to?”
There was no time for gentle caresses, tender words, not with need gnawing at them with sharp teeth. Her body hungered for his, wanting him hard and fast. Another time they could cherish each other, with soft touches, longing looks, and quiet possession.
Ash stilled in her arms, his eyes closing in pain. “Shit, we can’t.”
She arched against him. “Oh, yes, we can.” She froze. “Unless you…already…”
He choked out a laugh. “No, I did not.” He stressed his words by rubbing against her to make his point. “I have protection in the pocket of jeans. Back on shore.”
She paused and met his eyes. “Guess I didn’t think thi
s all the way through.” She licked her tongue slowly across her lips. “I’m willing to risk it, if you are. The only babies I ever wanted were yours.”
“Christ,” he said in a strained voice, and then he entered her in one hard push that took him all the way home. She cried out, not in pain, but in the glory of having him deep inside her once again. Vaguely, she thought she heard him say, “I hope I give you one tonight.”
Comprehension was beyond her as his body fully joined with hers, making them one beating heart.
Their lips fused into a desperate and greedy kiss, his fingers digging into her hips, as he rocked hard inside her, his control unraveling.
She bucked against him, wanting him deeper, faster, harder. “Take me, all of me,” she demanded against his mouth.
“All of you. God, yes, all of you,” he chanted as he did exactly as she commanded.
She cried out as the first wave crested, glorifying in the pleasure she denied herself all these years, savoring the intoxicating power her body held over his. The orgasm ripped through her, cutting away everything, the past, the future, until it was only him, only her, together as they were always meant to be.
His harsh shout followed, echoing around them on the still air, and he convulsed inside her, his head falling to bury his face in her neck as his body heaved with exertion.
They held each other suspended in the heated water while snow lazily drifted down on them, melting instantly at the touch of their skin.
“Marry me, Sorene, my wild heart,” Ash said, his voice thick with emotion.
Her heart swelled until she was surprised it didn’t burst from her chest. Slowly and softly, she kissed him, and then smiled. “Yes, Ash, I’ll marry you.”
Chapter 18
Sorene floated into the house much later that night. Her body felt fluid and more relaxed than she could remember with their dip in the hot spring-fed lake. Talk about a spa treatment. Now that was her kind of activity. Living at the lake house had just become more tempting.
She’d kissed Ash goodbye at the door, her heart lighter than the snowflakes that continued to fall, turning the landscape enchanting. It had been hard not to suggest figuring out how to sneak him upstairs to her bedroom. She giggled at the thought of attempting that misadventure.
“And just what have you been up to, missy?” Catronia asked, standing in the entryway waiting for her. “Do you know what time it is, young lady.” She paused in her teasing and took a good look at Sorene.
Sorene knew what she saw. Flushed cheeks, eyes feverish with desire, and hair still wet from skinny dipping.
“Aw, I know that look,” Catronia purred. “You got lucky tonight.”
“Shh,” Sorene hissed out. “Where’s Zoe?”
“You know you don’t need to hide your sex life from her. I’m sure she has one of her own.”
“Don’t say that. She’s just a baby.”
“She’s a grown woman who could probably teach you a few tricks.” Cat waved that off. “Forget about her. Tell me about you and what happened tonight. You were as stirred up as a beehive when you left the Pump House. How did Ash get under your mad?”
She gave a hearty sigh. “That man does have his ways.”
“I guess so. I would have bet good money that it would have taken him longer to get you into bed.”
“Well, technically, he didn’t get me into bed. We made love at the lake house…in the lake.”
“In the lake with the temperature outside flirting in the teens? Damn, girl, that’s one for the books. I haven’t even tried that.” She frowned. “Why haven’t I tried that? It’s going on my bucket list.”
“Definitely should be on everyone’s bucket list.” Sorene sighed. She wanted to tell Catronia that she’d accepted Ash’s marriage proposal but she held the words back, needing to hold and cherish the secret a little longer. Plus, she didn’t want anyone raising doubts that they’d only reconnected after ten years estranged, and she’d agreed to “death ‘til you part” in under a week.
Jack and Quinn should be the first to hear the news anyway. Anticipating that scene, and their fathers’ reactions, had a private smile playing over her lips.
“What else happened?” Catronia asked. “You look like you’re up to something.”
“A girl can’t have secrets?”
“In this family? No. So, spill.”
“I want to buy the lake house.”
Catronia rocked back on her heels. “Move out of here?”
“Yeah.”
Catronia turned and headed into the living room, curling up in the corner of the couch. “Well, that’s a sudden turn of events.”
“I’m twenty-eight. I think it’s past time I lived on my own. You have your place at Heart Springs Eternal Spa and Resort.”
“That’s a room in a hotel that I sleep in when my days are too scheduled. I’m not living on my own.” She bit her thumbnail.
“Do you have a problem with me moving out?” Slowly, Sorene sat and studied her sister.
Catronia shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. I guess it’s the changes and the fact that I never thought you would live anywhere else but here.”
“What if I married?”
“I never really thought about it. But this place is plenty big now that Ryder and Dare converted the barn, and Brey is in Nashville. I miss having everyone under one roof. Stupid, huh?”
Sorene got up and sat next to Catronia, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Not stupid. I understand. Change is a part of life, a chance to grow, but it can be scary too.”
“This place won’t be the same without you. Have you talked to Dad?”
“Not yet. I’ve been trying to reach him, but all we’re doing is playing phone tag. Have you seen him?”
“He headed to bed a few hours ago, looking exhausted.”
“I’ll try and catch him in the morning then.” It was almost like he was avoiding her, but Jack didn’t avoid anything. He always tackled things head on.
Sorene studied Catronia. “Is there something else bothering you? You seemed pretty friendly with your boss the other night.”
“Todd? No, there’s nothing going on there. I was acting silly the other night.”
“Is it Dawson?”
Catronia sucked in a breath. “Why do I let that man still get to me? It’s been two years. I should have been over him already.”
“It’s been ten years since I last saw Ash, and I never got over him.”
“Good Lord, don’t say things like that.” Catronia ran a hand through her long hair, playing with the ends. “I don’t want to put a damper on your special night with Ash. Forget I said anything. I’m just moody tonight.”
“You can always talk to me. I hope you know I’ll always be there for you.”
“Thanks, Sorene. Love you, sis.” Catronia hugged her.
“I love you too.” Sorene ended the hug and stood. “I know just what you need to help with your mood. Come on.” She grabbed Catronia’s hand and pulled her up from the couch. “We need chocolate.”
“Now you’re talking.”
Chapter 19
Quinn wondered how he was going to get out of this one. “I told you that I don’t need to see another doctor,” he gritted out through clenched teeth, his hands fisting in the sheets draped over him as he lay in the hospital bed.
“Now, Dad, don’t get upset,” Ash said. “Think of your blood pressure. Besides, you remember Gideon. He’s here to give us a second opinion. That’s all.”
Gideon stepped forward and took a stethoscope out of his bag. “This won’t take too long, Mr. Bleu.”
“If you are going to poke and prod and make me get undressed, you better call me Quinn.” Damn whippersnapper. Why did Ash have to go and do this? The plan could blow up in his face right here, and just when Ash had returned late last night, whistling. The Bleu men only whistled after a bout of loving.
“All right, Quinn. I just want to listen to your heart.”
“Now, Dad—” Ash started only be to interrupted.
“That’s enough of ‘now, Dads.’ You might have scheduled this useless appointment, but it’s still my appointment and I demand some goddamn privacy.”
“Okay, calm down.” Ash addressed Gideon. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
“Kitchen’s not far enough,” Quinn said. “Make yourself useful and get us something to eat. I could use a pizza and I don’t want no tasteless vegetarian crap.”
“Mr.—Quinn,” Gideon quickly corrected. “A meat pizza isn’t good for someone with a heart condition.”
“A slice or two won’t kill me,” Quinn muttered.
Ash and Gideon shared a look, and then Ash reached for his coat. “I’ll get some grub and be back in a few.”
Once he was gone, Quinn sat up in bed. “Listen, Gideon. You aren’t examining me.”
“I can tell plenty from just looking at you. What are you up to?”
“What do you mean?” The kid was smarter than he looked in those city duds. How did he stay warm out there wearing a suit? A suit for God’s sake.
“Well, for starters, your IV is taped to your arm and the needle is not inserted into a vein. Your IV bag isn’t dripping saline, and this heart monitor is twenty years out of date.”
“Well, shit.” Quinn huffed, then he perked up. “Aren’t you bound by patient-doctor confidentiality?”
“Uh, yes.” Gideon looked at him suspiciously.
“Good. I’m not sick. I’m healthy as a horse.”
“Yet, you told Ash you were dying. That’s beyond cruel, Mr. Bleu.”
“I never actually said that.” He looked away from Gideon’s accusing eyes. “I can’t help it if he assumed.”
Wild Heart Page 9
