Hearts Inn

by Lilly R. Mason

  “Of course. Feel free to take that copy.”

  Rosalie nodded, looking down at the file but feeling like she shouldn’t close it yet.

  “How long do I have to decide?”

  George gave a regretful smile. “Our client is hoping to begin construction of the new warehouse early next summer, so within the next few weeks would be ideal,” he said.

  A few weeks wasn’t much time at all, Rosalie knew. In her selfish urgency to divest herself of her properties before she’d decided to stay, she’d thought only of how she might benefit from the sale of her land. But if a company like Amazon were to construct a distribution center in Ashhawk, the town would change completely.

  “Who would build the distribution center?” Rosalie asked.

  “A reputable local construction company.”

  “And who would work there once it was built?”

  George gave a more relaxed smile now. “Our client has an excellent reputation for helping struggling communities rebuild once the company has a presence in town.”

  “So there would be jobs for the locals.”

  “I can’t guarantee anything, as I only work for Shaylin, but generally, companies like our client bring in a few key people to work in the offices and hire locals to work in the warehouses and as middle managers.”

  Rosalie bit her lip, trying not to look too excited about the possibility of reinvigorating sad little Ashhawk.

  “Is there anything else I can clarify to help you make your decision?”

  Rosalie thought the only thing she was left wondering about was why Gran hadn’t sold the property before she died. Maybe there was a reason Rosalie was missing. Or maybe it was up to Rosalie to make this decision without wondering about a dead woman’s motivations for sitting on a valuable piece of land. Rosalie was on her own.

  She thanked George and rose, shaking his hand and promising to be in touch soon.

  ****

  For a few weeks, things had continued as blissfully as Rosalie had hoped. She and Alex had spent an entire day pulling the dark wood paneling off the walls of the lobby, hurling the shards into a dumpster before pulling up the ugly cattle-brand carpet, throwing it in, too. Alex showed Rosalie how to install sheetrock, but when Rosalie proved relatively inept, Alex had redirected her to laying colorful tiles over the dingy bricks of the long-dormant fireplace on the far wall of the lobby. Once the walls were finished and painted, they’d restained the counter and desk and laid down fresh carpet. It looked like an entirely different space, with room for social gatherings, meals, and entertainment. Rosalie no longer dreaded spending time there. On cooler nights, Rosalie lit a fire in the fireplace, giving life to the hearth of Hearth Inn. It wasn’t the same Hearth Inn Gran had left her; it was her own. As the dust and rust and decay were slowly swept away under Alex’s supervision, Rosalie grew more and more proud of her little hotel.

  Alex repainted most of the rooms, save for the ones with long-term or residential guests. One afternoon, she even made a little bed for Smoke so he knew he had a permanent home at Hearth. The outside of the building was power-washed and the pool area revitalized. Bit by bit, everything was starting to look nice.

  Their dates were simple and fun. They went bowling a few towns down, went back to the food truck caravan, and took a trip to Santa Fe to look at some local art while Rosalie tasted wine. They even tried cooking together, which was mostly disastrous, save for a batch of cookies Alex’s grandmother had taught her to make.

  One night, after going to a comedy show in Albuquerque, Alex pulled into the parking lot at Hearth. The night seemed potent and still, and Rosalie knew what was coming.

  They kissed in Alex’s truck as they usually did. It was a relatively private space without too much expectation. But they both wanted more. Rosalie knew it was up to her to initiate.

  Rosalie drew their kisses out, hoping they might magically transport to a bed without having to talk about what was happening. But after twenty minutes of sloppy, desperate kisses, Rosalie knew she had to say something.

  “Do you want to go back to your room?” she whispered against Alex’s neck.

  Alex kept her face nestled in Rosalie’s hair. “It’s up to you,” she breathed.

  Rosalie kissed and tongued Alex’s neck, listening to the way Alex sighed in delight and desire.

  Rosalie was certain of what she wanted with Alex and certain Alex wasn’t trying to chain her to anything. If anything, she wanted some reassurance Alex wouldn’t decide to move out of the hotel and leave her stranded in the desert. She knew it was silly—Alex didn’t have anything or anyone calling her away. But Rosalie craved security, even when it was unnecessary.

  Lifting her lips from Alex’s skin, she mumbled, “Let’s go to mine.”

  Alex hummed, a low, husky sound of pleasure and surprise. She hadn’t expected to be invited to Rosalie’s room. They hadn’t spent any time in there since they’d started dating, mostly because the living room Rosalie had put together was more spacious and they didn’t have to dance around the bed as though it wasn’t there, tempting them to fall onto it.

  Rosalie pulled back, a quick apology in her eyes for the lack of contact as she fumbled for the door handle, finding it and swinging the door out before sliding down to the pavement without breaking eye contact.

  Follow me, her eyes said. Keeping her gaze on Rosalie, Alex did.

  Rosalie hastily unlocked her door, sorry she hadn’t picked up her clothes but glad the room no longer resembled an old woman’s apartment. The new bedspread, art, and curtains all looked like something a young woman would buy for herself.

  “Check out the upgrades.” Alex grinned when she tore her gaze from Rosalie.

  Rosalie tossed her keys onto the counter and toed off her shoes, falling back into Alex’s orbit. It was a surrender, a promise not to withdraw or change her mind once her clothes came off. She knew she could withstand being naked around Alex this time. Her focus wasn’t on her own body; finally, she’d let her curiosity and awe of Alex’s body usurp her hesitations about displaying her own. She wanted to see Alex’s muscles move, the fluid motion of her limbs, the sheen brighten on her skin as they lay together.

  After long minutes standing kissing by the door, Rosalie realized Alex wasn’t going to take the lead. Lowering her arms from where they wrapped around Alex’s shoulders, Rosalie stepped back, grasping the hem of her shirt, and lifted it over her head, letting her hair cascade over her shoulders. She smiled, a flutter of shyness coursing through her, quelling when she saw Alex’s pleased smile.

  Though Rosalie often wished Alex would say something, Rosalie had learned to read Alex’s eyes instead. Alex’s gaze ghosted over Rosalie’s torso, alighting on her breasts for a second before landing back on Rosalie’s eyes, a deeper expression of content solidifying there. Alex appreciated Rosalie baring herself first. Heart beating faster, her hands drifted to the button of her pants.

  Alex wasn’t going to undress her. Not because she didn’t want Rosalie to be naked—the look in Alex’s eyes said everything but—but because Alex wanted Rosalie to be certain, to make her own choices about when and how she was revealed. Rosalie had never had to do that before. She fumbled a bit, but she was certain.

  Once she had undone and removed her pants, she reached forward for Alex’s face. Alex couldn’t contain her grin as their lips pressed together. Alex loved seeing Rosalie undress herself. Rosalie made note of that—perhaps if she could ever overcome the worst of her self-consciousness, she’d be able to give Alex even more of a show. But in the moment, all she had to do was undress.

  Eager to feel skin against skin, Rosalie lowered her hands to the hem of Alex’s shirt.

  “Can I take off your shirt?” Rosalie knew the answer, but she liked asking.

  “Please,” Alex hummed. There was no weakness in her voice, only relish.

  Rosalie lifted the hem but stopped short of tugging it over Alex’s breasts. She let her hands rest on Alex’s stomach, warm
and dense with muscle. She ran her hands over and around Alex’s sides, enjoying the softness of the skin over the firm core. After a minute, during which Alex smiled into their kisses, Rosalie lifted and tugged the shirt higher, maneuvering it up and off.

  The outline of the tank top Alex always wore was burned into her skin, the paleness underneath almost alarming. Rosalie adored it; in her panic last time, she hadn’t noticed this beautiful secret.

  Alex sighed as she looked down at Rosalie’s chest. Again, she said nothing, but Rosalie knew she was hungry.

  Rosalie reached behind her back, fumbling with the clasp of her own bra before it sprung open. She held the bra to her chest, teasing, before she reached for Alex’s hand and encouraged her to peel each strap off her shoulders. Once Alex had removed the garment and Rosalie stood topless in front of her, Alex let out a shaky breath. It was the first sign of wavering Rosalie had seen, though not in resolve or enjoyment. Alex was wavering in her restraint. Rosalie could now feel her holding herself back. She understood why; Alex needed as much reassurance as Rosalie could provide.

  Cupping Alex’s cheek as Rosalie pressed her body into Alex’s, Rosalie felt Alex quiver. Their skin felt so good together.

  Removing Alex’s bra, Rosalie took a moment to appreciate Alex’s breasts. They were small and triangular and fit perfectly with Alex’s body. She leaned forward, her mouth open and eager to brush each nipple with her tongue. Alex put her hand on Rosalie’s back and sighed, shifting her legs as her arousal grew.

  They shed the rest of their clothing and crawled softly onto the bed. Alex was gentle, her movements slow and cautious. Her hand threaded delicately in Rosalie’s hair, and Rosalie wished she would grip it, committing with her whole body. But Alex was tentative and sweet. She had never seemed so feminine. They lay against the pillows kissing for long minutes before Rosalie decided to go first. Alex was waiting for her; she wouldn’t disappoint.

  As Rosalie dipped her fingers into the space between Alex’s legs, breath flew from her mouth. The softness and liquid she found there were an oasis, a place unchanged by desert heat and sun. This small, protected part of Alex endeared her even more to Rosalie; the strength of Alex’s body contained this little space of tenderness and vulnerability. Rosalie adored every inch of it with her fingers, caressing it. She had never found something so precious.

  Alex panted and whined under Rosalie, and Rosalie realized she’d never seen Alex like this. When they’d had sex before, she’d been so focused on her own fear, she hadn’t realized Alex wasn’t experiencing pleasure. Now she was. Seeing Alex’s strong, lithe body open before her, wanting for her touch, made Rosalie feel powerful. She stroked gently, thoroughly, watching Alex’s eyes open and close as she rode through each feeling and sigh. Rosalie was captivated. Her dainty fingers that did little more than type or fret were rendering a strong woman putty against her sheets. She felt that power flow up her arm and into her chest.

  As confidence flowed through Rosalie, she nuzzled into Alex’s neck. She whispered, “Do you want me to use my mouth?”

  Alex trembled with even greater force as she nodded.

  Rosalie felt power surge lower within her, nestling between her legs. She slid down Alex’s body, lavishing both her nipples and the undercurve of each breast with her tongue, lathing Alex’s stomach with her mouth, dipping into her bellybutton as Alex’s muscles quivered. Rosalie settled between Alex’s legs and licked at the creases of her thighs, kissing each hip bone, running her free hand over the soft skin of her inner thighs. She breathed heavy and hot against Alex’s sex, watching her fingers pulse through her, breathing in the tang of Alex.

  She withdrew her fingers, Alex’s hips trying not to squirm with anticipation. Rosalie smiled when Alex lifted her head to see what Rosalie was doing. Rosalie had driven her to impatience. But Alex surrendered to Rosalie’s control, dropping her head back against the pillow and letting out a breathy whine.

  Rosalie leaned in, opening her mouth, pressing forward so slowly the warmth of her breath preceded her, and the moment her mouth met Alex was blurred with its anticipation. When the realization that they had connected hit, Alex’s legs jerked, and her breath came out in a sharp gasp that sounded almost like an expletive. Rosalie caressed the wet flesh with her lips before sliding her tongue forward, licking slowly up Alex’s center.

  Alex’s hand came down on Rosalie’s head, anchoring herself as her feet slid near Rosalie’s shoulders. Rosalie tried not to smile too hard and change the softness of her mouth. She was content to let her power flow from her lips into Alex.

  It took only minutes before Alex was tensing beneath her. Rosalie sped up her tongue but didn’t sharpen it, letting the natural suction of her mouth draw Alex higher. Alex gasped and panted, running her free hand through her own hair and through the sheets, eager for something to hold on to. Soon Alex’s breath grew strained, turning instead to high-pitched whines and silent openings of her mouth. When her hand drifted restlessly near her hip, Rosalie reached up and clasped their hands together, helping secure Alex to the bed, buckling her in for the final push.

  Alex clung to Rosalie’s hand. Rosalie kept her mouth fastened to Alex, her movements steady, and pressed a bit firmer into her.

  After a minute of increased tenseness in Alex’s body, Rosalie felt her clench and pulse and lock, her legs rigid around Rosalie’s head and back. It lasted for long moments, Rosalie’s tongue steady as Alex careened through her release. At last, Alex broke through, her legs jerking, shivering away from Rosalie, her hand pushing Rosalie’s head away, her breathing rapid.

  Alex seemed fragile and overwhelmed. Licking satisfaction from her lips, Rosalie pressed a kiss to Alex’s inner thigh, wiping off some of the wetness on her chin. Looking up, she saw Alex’s brow set in desperate relief, eyes closed as she trembled against the pillow.

  When Alex didn’t open her eyes, Rosalie slid up to help bring her back down. Letting go of Alex’s hand, she hovered over her, brushing tendrils of hair off her sweaty forehead. Alex looked small and precious.

  When Alex opened her eyes, she gave Rosalie a shaky smile.

  Rosalie let out a pleased giggle, hooking hair over Alex’s ear to help soothe her. Alex’s gaze bored into Rosalie, pleading for something.

  Rosalie had never found anything more intimate than kissing one set of lips after another. Most of her lovers hadn’t let her, though.

  “Can I kiss you?”

  Without answering, Alex threaded her hand into Rosalie’s hair and drew her down, crashing their mouths together, smearing her own wetness against her face. Rosalie relished her enthusiasm, loving how eager Alex was to taste herself.

  They kissed until their momentum slowed. Rosalie lifted her head to take a breath.

  “Want me to go down on you?” Alex hummed as she nuzzled into Rosalie’s neck. Rosalie felt her arousal mount.

  But when she thought of what it would entail, she knew she wanted something different. She wanted to consume rather than be consumed. “Not yet,” she said delicately. “I want to keep kissing you.”

  Alex grinned. “Fine by me.”

  Rosalie smiled down, moving her hair over her shoulder so it wouldn’t get in the way of attaching her lips to Alex’s.

  As their kiss deepened, Rosalie settled herself into a straddle on Alex’s leg. She felt her wetness spread against Alex’s thigh, rocking into the right amount of pressure.

  Rosalie felt power surge between her legs as she anchored Alex to the bed. She had never felt so sexy and alive, never so comfortable in her own skin. Alex was staring up at her, mouth parted as Rosalie undulated and rocked. She felt pleased moans vibrating through her chest and throat, but they weren’t contrived. If anything, she tried to quiet herself in case the walls were thinner than she thought.

  Alex’s hands drifted over Rosalie’s body in an unusual and delightful way. They seemed to rest most on the parts of Rosalie’s body she was most uncertain about, the undercurve of her buttocks, the bo
wl of her belly, the pads of her hips. Alex seemed to only want to touch those places that wobbled and bunched. But Alex’s hands were strong and gentle, pressing adoration into all of Rosalie’s curves and dips.

  After a few minutes, Rosalie felt herself ratcheting up. Alex’s hands rested on her waist, encouraging her without steering her. Rosalie took one of Alex’s hands in her own, guiding it between her legs, resting her fingers there to provide something for her to rut against. She gasped at the feeling, leaning forward a few inches, feeling her breathing grow shaky. She knew it wouldn’t take much longer. She picked up her rocking until she was panting and clenching.

  “Oh, my god,” Alex whispered.

  Rosalie’s eyes flew open, concerned she’d done something to ruin the mood or make Alex uncomfortable.

  But Alex was staring up at her, riveted.

  Rosalie let out a breathy, relieved smile. She was encouraged; Alex was rarely content to sit back and watch while other people worked. But perhaps it was different in bed. Alex bit her lip and kept watching as Rosalie rode her.

  Rosalie looked down, taking in Alex’s breasts and navel, following to where her fingers tucked against her thigh, pressing into Rosalie’s center. Alex was still and appreciative, her skin glistening and warm, her hair spread over the pillows. Alex’s hand gripped her waist, fingers brushing over her flushed skin.

  Rosalie felt herself peaking and closed her eyes as she pressed down onto Alex’s fingers harder. Alex slid her hand from Rosalie’s waist up to cup her breast and gently toy with her nipple. Rosalie felt the final surge start in her body and rocked even more desperately.

  “Babe,” Alex said.

  Rosalie opened her eyes.

  Alex simply tilted her chin, and Rosalie understood. She leaned forward, rolling on the fulcrum of Alex’s fingers, pushing herself over the edge. Their mouths came crashing together as Rosalie came, her rocking coming to a halt as she seized, then jerked a few times, breaking their kiss to gasp and let out a squeak while her hands flew up to grab at Alex’s shoulder and head. Alex slid her free hand around Rosalie’s back, pressing her closer, holding her steady.