That first day he’d seen her in the ice-cream parlor something had clicked for him. He wouldn’t have said he was a guy who believed in love at first sight, but Chloe had proved him wrong. He’d thought at the time it was probably just lust at first sight or a chemical reaction, but now he knew better. Getting to know her had shown him that every instinct he’d had on that first day had been right. It was part of how he knew she needed to learn to trust hers.
It had to be hard. She’d spent the majority of her life suppressing her instincts and toeing the line. What little he’d been able to find online about the community she was raised in and pieced together with what she had told him told him that hers was a life where the messages she got were that she was to obey, to follow orders, and not to question. Overcoming so many years of messages like that had to be hard. Add to that her experience with Viper and he could understand why she didn’t trust herself. Still, she needed to.
She was a smart, beautiful woman and he hoped her instincts told her that he was the guy for her, but maybe they wouldn’t. He didn’t want to think about that with her soft curves and sweet lips pressed against him.
Her hands grasped his shirt. She wanted more. To be closer, to feel him. That was a good sign. Then she pulled back. Her breathing labored, her chest rising and falling seductively.
“Are you okay?”
She gave him a nod and bit her bottom lip. “I want . . .”
“What?”
She slowly started to unbutton his shirt. Well, okay then. She pushed the shirt open and ran her hands over his chest and down across his abs, which did a happy dance in response. Her mouth formed a perfect O as she watched them. She was fascinated.
“You’re so perfect,” she whispered.
He shook his head, a slow smile creeping across his face. “I’ve been called many things in my life, Chloe, but never perfect.”
She didn’t look at him as she let her hands trace their way across his chest as if it were a map and she was finding her way. He was finding it very hard to keep his own hands to himself. He really wanted to follow a similar path across her own body but he didn’t. He leaned back against the sofa and put his hands behind his head, out of temptation’s way.
“You’re just going to sit there?”
“I think you’re doing a fine job, honey.”
Sure, he felt a bit like a science experiment, but he knew he was a new discovery for her anyway and that was okay by him.
And then she straddled him, and he felt himself harden and his heart skip a beat. “Am I too heavy?”
“You weigh nothing.” It was uncomfortable because he was having to use all his self-control, not because of the weight of her. She felt perfect sitting there. Then she splayed her hands on his chest and leaned in, her ripe breasts brushed against his chest through the fabric of her sweater and her mouth found his.
If there was anything better than kissing Tom, then Chloe had not yet discovered it. Beneath her hands, she could feel his soft skin, firm muscles, and the steady beat of his heart. It felt as if her whole body was straining to get closer. Every fiber of her seemed to want to get as close to him as humanly possible. She was too warm, too dressed. She pulled back and lifted the sweater over her head. She had a long-sleeved T-shirt under it and she peeled that off, too. It was a moment of bravery. She watched Tom watching her. A muscle in his jaw tensing and his eyes darkening just a little.
“Oh, honey, you’re the perfect one,” he whispered as she leaned back in to kiss him. “I have to . . .”
And then his hands were on her back, inching her closer to him, and she became aware of their skin touching. It was a delicious feeling and she wanted more. Her body was pressed against his as he pulled back and kissed his way down the side of her neck, brushing her hair back over her shoulder for better access. He kissed and nipped and licked his way past her ear to her collarbone and she felt her whole body shiver with anticipation.
His large hands stayed on her back and she leaned back a little. She had the strange sensation of wanting to be as close to him as possible and wanting him to have access to all of her. He kissed across her collarbone as she leaned back. She was aware of her breath catching, and oh my goodness how wonderful she felt. Warmth spread through her body all the way down to her toes. It was as if she was melting as the heat worked its way through her veins. Tom kissed his way back up the column of her neck and claimed her mouth. This kiss had an urgency and a hunger that hadn’t been there before.
And then as he kissed her, his large thumbs flicked across the silk of her bra and breasts. Oh my word.
That feeling was like nothing she’d ever known before. She became aware of her nipples hardening beneath his touch as his mouth kept her own very busy. There was a regular swipe over them, rhythmic and intoxicating. She squirmed to get closer.
“Tom.” She sounded like she was begging. He said do what felt right, as if she had any control over that anyway. Apparently, begging felt right.
“Aha.” He pulled back, his eyes searching hers.
“More,” she breathed out. “I need more.”
A cheeky grin swept across his face, and all of a sudden, she felt her bra clasp undo and he pulled the bra down her arms and threw it away. He took her in and sighed. “So very beautiful.”
And then he kissed her again and pulled her to him so her taut peaks brushed against the soft hair of his chest and it was intoxicating. The hard planes of his chest creating delicious friction against her own soft and needy body. His large hands ran up and down her back and a strange sensation came over her. In the mix of curiosity came a sense of belonging. This was where she belonged.
If anyone had said to her you belong half naked on a man’s lap, she’d have laughed her head off, but this wasn’t any man. This was kind, sweet, slightly hyper Tom. Thoughtful Tom with the huge heart who had turned his life on its head for her. This was where she belonged, with him.
And then his hands returned to her chest and all good sense and reason left her, for he was working a kind of magic there that she’d been previously unaware of. Oh my, this was what all the fuss was about. He was kissing his way down the dip between her breasts when a knocking began on the door.
“Tom, darling . . .”
She pushed him back and covered her chest with her hands. His mother, what would she think? This was beyond mortifying. He pulled her into a hug.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s your mother.”
His voice was a low growl. “I know who the heck is ruining our day, thanks.”
This could not be happening.
“Darling, are you in there? Mark said he saw you come this way.”
“Mark is a freaking dead man,” Tom muttered against Chloe’s soft hair. He took a breath, then gently lifted Chloe off his lap and suggested she might like to go freshen up. He then buttoned his shirt and headed to let the force of nature that was Felicia in the apartment.
“Mother,” he said, his voice a low growl. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, I heard about the break-in and that you’d come here for safety and I wanted to check on Chloe.”
“She’s fine. She’s powdering her nose. I was in the other bathroom. Long drive.”
“Well, that’s just terrible, who would do such a thing?”
“They’re looking in to it.”
His mother settled herself into a wing chair and strummed her fingers on the arm. “I don’t like it. First the house and then the shop.”
“No one likes it, Mom, but they’ll sort it out. The local cops are on it and they seem reliable.”
“If they were so reliable, they would have caught whoever did it before it escalated.” She sniffed.
“Maybe.” He was worried that Chloe hadn’t reappeared but understood. She probably didn’t need her most significant sexual encounter being interrupted by her almost fake mother-in-law and certainly she wouldn’t want to see that woman after the fact. “They need to build a case.
It’s a small town, they can’t just go about arresting people willy-nilly. It creates bad blood.”
“Well, she’ll be safe here.”
“That’s the plan.”
His mother leaned forward and whispered, “I think she’s quite alone in the world, Tom. You need to tread lightly with this one.”
“I know.”
“I love you, darling, but you are a bit like a bull at a gate sometimes.”
She was right of course, but he wasn’t much in the way for motherly wisdom right now. He wanted her to leave and he wanted to resume right where he’d been with Chloe, even though he was well aware neither of those things were about to happen.
“Well, Mom, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“You know what I mean. I love you to pieces but you tend to be all in. Look at this whirlwind engagement . . . all in. I’m not saying it is a bad thing, just that you need to remember not everyone is like you.”
“Noted.”
The bathroom door clicked open and Chloe appeared, her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail and her sweet face was only a soft shade of pink.
“Darling, are you doing okay? You’ve had a very eventful week,” his mother asked, pushing herself up off the chair and enveloping Chloe in a hug.
“I’m fine, really. I’m sure it will all be sorted out quickly. Tom and I thought we may as well take the time I’m not working to visit here.” She sounded normal, but Tom wanted to know what was going through her head.
His mother pulled back, placed a hand on each shoulder, and searched her face. “Are you sure? I can see now I have to add worrying about you to my list, too.”
“I don’t want to be a burden . . .”
“It’s no burden, honey, she loves worrying,” he said gently.
“Oh, Tom, I do not.” Then she paused. “Okay, maybe a little. I should have had ten kids so poor Tom didn’t have me all to himself.”
“That would have been good. I would hope right now you’d be off annoying one of them.” His mother took not one bit of notice and no offense at his comments.
“So, Chloe, let’s get some tea, shall we? They have these wonderful maple walnut scones today.”
“We had other plans.”
“Nonsense. I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Mom, we were going to get her skis sorted.” Well, they were, after a few other things.
“You can do that later. I’ll take Chloe for tea and you can go check in with your father.” And then they were gone, poor Chloe looking equal parts mortified and amused as she looked over her shoulder at him. He’d be sure to go see his father, right after he stepped out in the bracing snow to cool himself off.
Chloe wasn’t sure how she’d gone from making out with Tom to having tea with his mother but here she was. Felicia was charming company and seemed to know so many of the guests who all stopped by to say hello. The woman was taking great joy in introducing Chloe as her future daughter-in-law, which made Chloe feel both flattered and proud.
Middle-aged women cooed over her and the men told her to be sure to tell Moose how lucky he was. She was pretty sure he wasn’t feeling so lucky right now. If looks could kill back in the room, his mother was a dead woman.
Part of Chloe was mortified, but another part of her was almost pleased for the reprieve. What might have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted? The truth was Chloe was head over heels for Tom. She didn’t know the exact moment it happened. Whether it was the day he bought her the coffee machine, or when he was working side-by-side with her surviving ice creams, or maybe it was when he helped de-Elvis the house. Whenever it was, it had happened and she wasn’t sure what to do with how she felt.
This couldn’t possibly work out, could it? Chloe wasn’t sure if she could walk away from another person she loved. She’d already lost everyone and she didn’t think her heart would heal this time when Tom walked away and back to his real life.
“Did I tell you how I met Tom’s father?” Felicia asked, dragging her mind back to the present.
“No, I don’t believe you did.”
“Well, it’s quite a story. I was in a musical troop. Dancers, singers, and the like and we were doing a summer tour up here in Maine at a few hotels. I was determined to make it on Broadway and I’d had some auditions and some small roles, but I needed more experience and I needed money.” The woman lifted the pot and topped up their tea, as if she were in her own living room and not a lounge in a lodge. “Anyway, we stopped down in Wednesday River and performed there. At the end of the show this handsome man came up and wanted to buy me a drink.”
“Tom’s father?”
“No.” She laughed. “It was a fellow called Gary Saunders. Turns out Gary was a bit of a pants man, if you know what I mean.”
She could imagine. “Really?”
“Yes, and Tom’s father was watching him make his move. I was pretty naïve, to be honest. Fresh from the suburbs, an overprotected Catholic schoolgirl, but I thought I knew it all.”
“I know that feeling.”
“Well, Gary got a bit handsy and Tom’s father came to my rescue. He didn’t hit on me or buy me a drink or anything. He just escorted Gary out and never returned. It was so sexy.”
Chloe tried to imagine her own mother using the word and struggled, but maybe back in the day she might have.
“I bet.”
“Well, then I was asking around trying to find out about him. Who was that guy? I asked everyone and they told me he had a lodge up here. So naturally I came up the next day to say thank you.”
“And you never left.” Chloe let out a sigh.
“Oh goodness no, of course I left. I wanted to be a dancer on Broadway not some woman running an inn in Maine for goodness sake. I mean, I saw him all that summer, but then I left.”
“Oh, wow, that must have been hard for you.”
She let out a low laugh. “Yeah, it nearly killed me and I think it was even worse for him. But I had a plan and I needed to see it through.”
“But you ended up together.”
“Yes, well in the end. He would come down to New York every now and then and see me. He’d send me sweet cards but he never pressured me, which I have to tell you was just a little bit annoying. I mean, he claimed to be madly in love with me but he wasn’t chasing me . . . well, not hard.”
“He respected your dream.” Chloe felt her hand rest on her own heart.
“Exactly, so how could I resist? Do not get me wrong, I tried. But the truth was I came to realize that he was my dream.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“It is. So even though you’re engaged to my son, I’m going to give you the same advice I give any young lady I meet. Stick to your guns and go for what you want. It’s okay for him to wait. It’s okay for him to come to you and it is always okay for you to change your mind.”
“Thanks.” Chloe felt a tear fall down her cheek. Crap. She reached for her napkin and hoped to catch it before Felicia saw but she wasn’t fast enough.
“Are you really all right, dear?”
“Oh yes, sometimes I just miss my mother, you know, and you’re being so nice to me.”
Felicia’s hand reached out and gave hers a squeeze. “Yeah, that has to be tough. You can’t see your mother at all?”
“No, it’s a closed community. You’re in or you’re out, and I’m out.”
“Well, you have us now. You’re not alone, and when you have me and my boys on your side, the world had better watch out.”
Yeah, she thought that was so sweet. Chloe was reasonably certain even Viper would crumble when faced with Felicia. The term iron fist and velvet glove came to mind. She just hoped she wouldn’t be the one incurring its wrath when the truth came out.
If he didn’t know better, Tom would think he was being paranoid. Everywhere he went employees who had managed to handle their roles in his absence were all of a sudden asking for his input and advice on a crazy array of topics. Could he taste th
is new cocktail, was this picture straight, did he know where the key for the accounts drawers were?
He did know better. He knew Felicia had told them to tie him up, and so they were doing as they were told. When Mark, his Manager, asked him about a tourist brochure that he’d signed off on two weeks ago, he leveled the man with a stare.
“The woman is diabolical,” he said to Mark.
“I think she would prefer the word resourceful,” Mark said with a lazy grin.
“She might well but diabolical fits better. I do believe every regular guest has now met your fiancée.”
“Isn’t that nice.” He felt his jaw clench.
“Kind of a whirlwind romance, isn’t it, man?” Mark was his manager and his friend. He didn’t like keeping things from him, but he was really hoping that his engagement with Chloe wouldn’t end when Viper was apprehended back down in New Hampshire. He was aware, as his mother had advised, that he needed to tread carefully, but he hoped he could convince her to opt for a long engagement at least. He didn’t want to have her out of his life.
“Yeah, well, when you know you know, Mark.”
“I’ll take your word for it. She seems like a great girl.”
“If Felicia doesn’t scare her away, I hope you get a chance to get to know her.”
On that note, he headed to the lounge where his mother and Chloe were. Chloe looked sad. Great. She’d gone from the verge of ecstasy to sad thanks to his meddling mother.
“Hi, ladies.” He leaned down to kiss Chloe’s cheek as he sat next to her. “How are the scones?”
“Just delicious,” Felicia said.
“Mom, stop sending me on a wild goose chase, okay? It’s beneath you.”
“You’d think so, right, but you’d be wrong.” She gave him a grin. “I was just having some girl time with Chloe. Nothing wrong with that.”
Any Way You Want It : An Upper Crust Series Novel (The Upper Crust Series Book 5) Page 13
