“I like waking up next to you.”
“Even if you would normally be up working out?”
“When I’m with you I feel calmer, I don’t need to work out so much.”
“I just found you doing crunches.”
“Yes.” He leaned in for another kiss that landed just below her ear. “Because I wasn’t with you.”
“So if I spend more time with you, you’re going to get all fat and flabby, huh?” She couldn’t imagine that happening.
“No, I think I can manage to do both.” He trailed kisses down her neck and pulled the robe open to kiss along her collarbone, making her sigh. He slid the robe off one shoulder exposing the spaghetti strap of the pink silk nightgown she was hiding beneath. She’d bought it on an online shopping spree with Marissa just after New Year’s. Just in case. “What do we have here, Chloe?”
Moose pulled back and took in the silky material and her exposed shoulder.
“It’s just a nightie,” she said, trying to be nonchalant.
“It certainly is not just a nightie.” He undid the robe and revealed the rest. She watched his face as he did so. His jaw tensed and his Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed. “Look at you, beautiful.”
She expected to feel more exposed as his eyes traveled up and down the silk that didn’t leave too much to the imagination but didn’t actually expose too much of her but she didn’t. What she saw in his face was pure appreciation, and she had to admit that making him feel that way, look at her that way, made her feel good.
“It is a bit nicer than my onesie,” she admitted with a smile.
“Don’t diss the onesie, you look hot even in a onesie, lord knows I wouldn’t have thought that was possible but this, now this is something else altogether.” He ran the backs of his knuckles along the silk that covered her rib cage and her whole body pricked with goosebumps. “You are seriously gorgeous, Chloe. I can’t even believe how I feel about you.”
“Yeah, well, I feel the same when I look at you. I keep asking, is this real? And how did I get here? And when will the bubble burst?”
“There will be no bubble bursting.” His hand continued its distracting trail down her ribs across her belly and back. “There will be love and magic only.”
“Oh.”
“So, did you buy this with me in mind?” he asked, his face searching hers for reassurance. It was a question that hung seductively in the air. Do you want me?
“Yeah, I did.” She bit her bottom lip, nerves taking over.
“Lucky me,” he said, and then leaned in again for a slow sexy kiss that had her already-charged body on high alert.
Color me happy, thought Tom as he kissed Chloe’s beautiful mouth. She’d been thinking of him when she bought this sexy nightgown, the color of spring roses. Thinking of him, seeing her in this. That was a good sign. Not just that she wanted him now, which he was certain she did, but that she’d been giving it some thought and some planning. She wasn’t here on a whim.
Tom didn’t want to be a whim. He didn’t want to be an itch she scratched. And while he was more than happy to help her bring her sexual side to life, if he had his way, he’d be the only man on the planet she ever needed to explore that side of herself with. Planning was a good sign. And her taste was impeccable. If she’d come out here in black lace, not that he wasn’t a fan, it would have felt contrived. This pink silk parcel that he was about to unwrap, a pink the same color as her pretty lips and her cheeks when she blushed, this was perfect.
Her hands were resting on his shoulders and they remained there as he again kissed down her neck and her collarbone, this time continuing to kiss his way along the neckline of her negligee across the top of her breast. His own hand kept their rhythm across her stomach and ribs, never moving further north or south. He kissed down the valley between her breasts and heard her gasp. He was pretty sure it wasn’t a gasp of surprise, his path was pretty clear. They’d been here earlier and nothing short of the apocalypse was going to deter him now, well, that or Chloe putting the brakes on, but he really hoped neither would happen tonight.
She wriggled beneath him and he kissed his way a little lower. His large hands now wrapped around her ribcage. She was so small and delicate and Tom wanted to be gentle with her because she deserved to be cherished. His thumb brushed across her right nipple that was peaked beneath the smooth fabric and she let out another gasp. He slid the spaghetti strap off her right shoulder, revealing her milky breast, and his kissed the soft skin and took that nipple in his mouth, sucking slowly.
“Oh my,” she muttered like the southern belle she was, and he smiled against her chest.
“How are you doing?” He looked up at her hooded eyes and her flushed cheeks. She was doing just fine. She didn’t answer him so he returned his attention to her sensitive breasts. And he gave them lots and lots of attention before sliding the nightgown all the way down her body, following its fabric with kisses along her belly and down her thighs to her ankles.
Chapter 16
Chloe lay with Tom’s large arms wrapped around her. Her back was pressed against his front and he was kissing the back of her neck.
“How are you doing now?”
“Now?” Well, now she was able to string a sentence again, which was better than how she’d been for the last half hour since they’d finished making love. “Now I’m . . . good. Really good.”
She felt him smile against her neck. “Perfect.”
Okay, perfect was a stretch. Yes, that had been a pretty mind-blowingly perfect experience, not that she had anything to compare it to, but now she felt kind of, odd. It wasn’t a bad odd at all. Part of her was just overwhelmed by the experience and the proximity to all of Tom, but part of her was more than a little anxious because she was pretty sure that things usually got better after the first time and that was already amazing and she just could not even imagine.
Also, she wasn’t sure how she was going to live without doing that again with this guy now that she had. Yes, he’d given her many assurances that he adored her but the insecurities were hard to push past.
“I can hear you thinking,” he whispered against her hair.
“You cannot.” She smiled, turning to face him.
“Yeah, you’re a little freaked out and running through a maze of what-ifs. Am I right?”
She gave him a gentle nod. “Kind of.”
“Totally read them. That’s normal. I’m a little bit overwhelmed, too, Chloe. What I feel for you is intense and I’m not used to that either. I like it, but I’m not used to it.” He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, pulling her closer. “Let’s make a deal that we freak out together not apart, okay?”
Together sounded good. Together meant she wouldn’t be alone anymore and that was even better. “Okay.”
He kissed her again. He was insatiable it seemed and the truth was she was as well. Years of waiting to feel this way with someone and now that she had she wanted it all.
“Will you be honest with me?” she asked, panting a little as she came up for air.
“Always.”
“Was that really okay for you, too?”
“Baby, that was so much beyond okay I can’t even think of an adjective. In fact, I’m struggling to think of anything at all except you and how I want to be with you and kiss you and touch you and make you happy. But yes, it was great and it’ll be even better when you’re more relaxed about it all.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“I know, right? Sky’s the limit, though.”
“Maybe I really don’t need a ski lesson tomorrow. Maybe we could just stay here.”
“Ah, Chloe, I really like the way you think.”
Chloe was way too quiet. Tom really didn’t like it at all. They’d had a magical day and were planning to stay just one more night until the call came through from Dave that Viper had been apprehended into custody. Not only had they caught him, he had some of Chloe’s possessions on him and he
had some drugs. One way or another he would be going away.
Surely that was good news. Wasn’t that what she wanted? Viper in jail so she could be safe.
Okay, the timing definitely sucked, there was no doubt about that. Even he had to concede that a few more days to cement their relationship before reality set in would have been good. Chloe seemed so happy these past twenty-four hours and now here they were, back in the truck driving through the snow to get her home. The minute she’d heard she had insisted on returning.
“We can wait until tomorrow,” he’d suggested.
“No. I need to go back. I need to face him and get my life back on track,” she’d insisted.
Tom didn’t like it for two reasons. First, it made him feel like a diversion and not part of her real life, which made his heart heavy with worry. He needed more time to convince her that this was the real deal and they could make it work. Which led to the second reason. Tom had a feeling that seeing Viper was going to undermine Chloe’s hard-won confidence and he didn’t want that for her. If Tom had a say in it, she’d never see that creep again, but he didn’t.
That was a pity. He didn’t want to control Chloe but he would have liked to think his opinion counted for something at this point.
“I have to see him, Tom,” was all she’d said.
He didn’t understand it, but she was determined.
The silence was killing him. “How are you doing?”
She looked back at him and blinked away a couple of tears. “I’m fine.”
“I’m no relationship expert, Chloe, but I do know that when a woman with tears in her eyes tells me she’s fine I should not believe her,” he said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
She gave him a watery smile. “Well, I will be. I was just . . . thinking. And there are a few things to process here.”
“There sure are. Any you want to talk through with me? I’d prefer that to the silence, honestly.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I’m so used to figuring everything out alone and thinking things through that way I’m not very good at sharing like that.”
“No need to be sorry. Now spill.”
“Well, I’m just really hoping that I can now put the whole Viper chapter of my life behind me now.”
“Of course . . .”
“On the other hand, I feel sad for that girl he took advantage of and for all the years I’ve missed being scared as a result.” She let out a sniff.
“I think you need to look at that a bit like other people look at college. You took some really tough classes and got schooled in life, big time. But now you have graduated and you’re smarter, wiser, and you’ve learned so much.”
She gave him a smile. “I do like the way your brain works. That’s a very positive point of view. I’m not quite sure that I see it that way . . . and I’m pretty sure I would rather have gone to college.”
“Which I still think you should do, Chloe. You’re young and you’re smart, if you want to study you should.”
“I don’t think I’m college material.”
He gave his head a shake. “Of course you are. You’re smart, you run a business . . .”
“Anyway, I might worry about that another day.”
“Yeah, okay, but you’re a smart girl, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” Especially not that scumbag Viper.
“And I’m worried about us . . .”
“Us?” He gave his head a shake.
“Yeah, how this is going to work and how I’m going to tell people we’re not engaged.”
Tom pulled over the car on the side of the road. And pulled the brake on hard.
Chloe’s head jerked back a little as the car came to a full stop. The hand brake came on hard.
“Are you breaking up with me?” His voice was a low growl. His face was clouded.
“No, well, but . . . I mean, it’s not like you want to stay engaged to me,” she stumbled out.
“Don’t I?”
“Well . . . I just thought . . .”
She watched him take in a slow breath. “What did you think? Why would I say one thing and do the other? Why would I say I liked you and I wanted to be with you and get to know you and make you happy and then just vanish?”
“I don’t know, I mean, I know you like me but . . . well, this wasn’t real,” she said, waving her hand between them.
“Oh, so what we did last night and this morning wasn’t real?”
“No, well yes, of course but . . . you didn’t really want to marry me.”
He shook his head slowly. “Chloe, I gave you a ring . . . and then I told you to think of it as a promise ring. I don’t know about where you come from, but if I make a promise, it means something. I don’t just change my mind the next day.”
“No, I didn’t think . . . Look, this is all very overwhelming. Let’s just deal with one thing at a time. First, I need to get back and confront Viper, and then . . . we can talk,” she said.
He just gave her a look that she couldn’t decipher, which was odd from him, he was usually an open book. “Fine.”
And then the car was moving again and she had a feeling they were a million miles from fine.
She’d let Tom know she wanted the police station to be the first stop and so that was where he drove to when they entered the town. It was strange how different she felt now to even a couple of days ago. She had Tom to thank for that. Even though a part of her was terrified about seeing Viper, she felt braver, stronger. Tom had shown her that she had other facets to herself that she hadn’t anticipated and that was a good feeling. Still, it was obvious the man in question was none-to-happy with her.
As always, he got out of the car and raced around to get her door.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
He put his hand on her back as if to guide her inside. “Tom. I need to do this alone.”
“Alone,” he said as if the word was complicated and unknown to him.
“Yes. Alone.”
He just gave his head a grim shake. “Whatever you want.”
And then he turned back to the truck. No kiss good-bye, no see you later, no good luck.
So she walked forward, one lonely step at a time until she was inside.
Tom was mad. Was he mad? Maybe he was sad. He was definitely disappointed. No, hang on. He was definitely mad as well. He drove past the ice-cream parlor and saw the new window was in and the sign writers were painting on the name in old-fashioned script, just like before. Tomorrow, Chloe would open up and the place would be full. Full of the townspeople he’d come to love. They’d be ordering coffees and trying to get the scoop, no pun intended, on Viper and the break-ins. Mike would no doubt be interviewing her for a story and people would be queueing for a seat and a coffee.
He kept going until he reached the library. He needed to see a friendly face and there was Marissa. He saw her through the glass. As if she knew he was coming, she turned her head and waved. He had to get out of the truck and say hello now.
Good company he was not. He tried to put a neutral face on. Happy he wasn’t going to manage, neutral he could do. He gently pulled open the library door rather than ripping it off the hinges like he wanted to.
She came around from behind her desk and gave him a smile. “Hey. Good news for Chloe. Dave got his guy.”
“Yes. Good news.”
“And yet, you don’t seem happy.” She perched on the side of the desk. The library seemed pretty empty.
“Well, no. You’re working.”
“We’re quiet. Spill. Where is Chloe?”
“Police station. Seeing Viper.”
“And you’re not there.”
He shook his head and let his fists ball up beside him. “Apparently, my services are no longer needed.”
“She said that?” Marissa’s eyebrows took a journey north.
“Alone. She said she needed to do it alone.”
“Not the same thing, Moose.”
“Close enough. T
he point is, I thought we were in this together but I don’t think she is. I thought being together meant we didn’t have to do the scary stuff alone anymore. I guess I was wrong.”
Marissa reached out and squeezed his arm. “Moose, she’s just finding her way. She’s been alone a long time. She’s not used to having the good stuff.”
“I don’t know what more I can do to convince her, Marissa.”
He watched Marissa think that through.
“Go home.”
“What? I can’t just go.” Was she serious?
“Call her and say they needed you and . . . let it lie.”
“Let it lie. I might go crazy.” His hands flew up in the air.
“So might she, which is the idea.”
He felt the light switch click over. “Ah, I see.”
“I think you’re going to be a hard habit to break, especially as she doesn’t want to break it. She just needs to learn to trust herself and what you have. Maybe space will help.”
“And if it doesn’t? Because I don’t want to lose her.”
“If it doesn’t, you and I will come up with another plan.”
“You and I?”
“Sure, because the truth is, none of us is alone.”
Chapter 17
Viper was smaller than she remembered. Behind the bars, he looked small. Maybe it was all that time hanging with Tom that made him seem smaller. He still had a fierce scowl and a bad attitude and some rather bad body odor, but he didn’t seem quite so scary. She’d asked Dave to leave the room. Viper couldn’t touch her here.
“You bitch.” That was the first thing he said. She didn’t flinch.
“Good to see you, too.”
“You owe me.”
She gave her head a shake. “I owe you nothing. Everything that’s happened to you is all on you. You should have left it alone.”
Any Way You Want It : An Upper Crust Series Novel (The Upper Crust Series Book 5) Page 16
