by Marie Force
Lucy Mulvaney didn’t do serious. It wasn’t in her DNA. Or it never had been until Colton Abbott walked into a conference room and put her DNA into a blender and mixed it all up. The result had been someone all new, someone she barely recognized, someone who drove six hours to spend four days with a guy she couldn’t stop thinking about between visits. And now he wanted to go public. He wanted to tell people about them. He wanted to change their status.
As long as no one knew, Lucy could delude herself into believing that what was happening between them wasn’t serious. It was a weekend fling. If people knew, then it wouldn’t be just a fling anymore. It would be a thing. And Lucy didn’t do things. She dated. Here and there. She’d had more first dates than anyone she knew. Her friends teased her about her first-date track record, which Lucy embraced. It kept her from having to deal with things she didn’t seem equipped to handle the way other women did.
Sometimes she thought there was something missing in her because she didn’t want the same things most people did. She didn’t dream of the big white wedding, the house in the burbs, the kids, the dogs. She couldn’t picture that life for herself no matter how hard she tried. Work made sense to her, or it had until Cameron left and everything changed.
Now nothing made sense, and she found herself floundering at work like a ship that’d come loose from its anchor, not to mention she was embroiled in a thing with Colton Abbott, who lived six hours from her.
How had she let that happen?
“I thought you were going to meet me in bed,” Colton said from the doorway, where he stood holding a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and a spoon and wearing a smile that made her want to give him anything he wanted. That smile was one of many reasons she was embroiled in the thing.
“What kind is that?”
“Coffee Toffee.”
“My favorite.”
“I know. You told me.” He scooped a spoonful and offered it to her.
Lucy put the towel on the counter and went to him. He’d changed out of the wet bathing suit into basketball shorts that clung to his narrow hips. He sure was beautiful to look at. Placing her hands on his chest, she opened her mouth to let him feed her a bite. As the flavor of the ice cream exploded on her tongue, she couldn’t look away from him.
He leaned in to kiss her, his cold lips sending a shiver through her that had more to do with heat than it did with cold. “Why don’t you get out of that wet suit and come help me eat the rest of this?”
“Okay.”
Kissing her again, he said, “You’d better hurry up. I can eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in about five minutes by myself.”
“You’d better not eat it all!”
“Then you’d better put a move on.” He closed the door as he left the bathroom.
After having witnessed how quickly he could consume anything edible, Lucy rushed to change. A fierce debate ran through her mind as she decided whether she should go for sexy or casual, which reminded her once again that she was simply no good at these things. She felt like a bull in the relationship china shop, second-guessing her every move. It was exhausting trying to figure out this increasingly complicated situation, and she was making it worse by dithering over what to freaking wear to bed.
It’s not like she hadn’t slept with him before. They’d slept next to each other every night they’d spent together since the day they met. But somehow tonight felt different. Tonight felt more important, and if she took this next step with him, she understood that she’d probably be committing to much more than a night of what promised to be amazing sex.
She grabbed the tank and boxers she slept in at home and shoved the sexier, slinkier option to the bottom of the bag. That had been bought in an impulsive moment on her lunch hour the week before, but it would send the wrong message.
No, the message she wanted to send was fun and temporary. This was not going to get serious. Not on her watch.
CHAPTER 4
Only 370 taps to go. Lucky for the crew, it was too cold today, so they took to their skis.
—Colton Abbott’s sugaring journal, February 21
Propped on a pile of pillows, Colton watched her come out of the bathroom. Everything about her was tentative and hesitant. He was disappointed in her reaction to his suggestion that they take their relationship public, but he knew if he pushed her, he’d end up pushing her away. Since that was the last thing he wanted, he decided to use his friends Ben and Jerry to smooth things over.
He scooped out another spoonful and held it out her. “Supplies are getting low. Better get over here and get yours before it’s gone.” She didn’t need to know he’d bought three pints of her favorite flavor to get them through the weekend.
She crawled onto the bed and made a beeline for the ice cream.
Colton fed her a bite and took another for himself as she settled into the pillows next to him. He let his gaze take a leisurely trip from her toenails, which were painted purple, up smooth legs and a flat belly to breasts that were unencumbered under the tank that molded to her body. Remembering the sweet taste of her nipples had Colton shifting to hide his immediate reaction to her nearness.
Another bad thing about the long-distance relationship, he’d discovered, was too much time in between to think and reconsider and replay what’d happened the last time, which meant they had to start from scratch again every time they reunited.
The stopping and starting could give a guy whiplash if he let it. As much as that frustrated him, he was determined to be patient with her. The last thing he wanted was for her to say she couldn’t do this anymore.
He was dying to talk to someone about how he felt about her. Under normal circumstances, he’d seek out one of his older brothers—probably Will. Hunter was more closed off and remote. Will was always more accessible, and he’d have good advice to give, having recently gone through a similar situation with Cameron. But because he’d promised Lucy not to tell anyone, especially Will, that they were seeing each other, he’d kept his mouth shut and respected her wishes.
He would continue to do so for as long as she felt it was necessary, but he hoped it wouldn’t be much longer.
“That is so good,” she said after most of the ice cream had been consumed. “One of my favorite treats.” She turned her head to face him. “Thank you.”
Colton placed the empty container and spoon on the bedside table. “My pleasure.”
She continued to look at him as if she were making a major decision of some sort. In that moment, he’d give anything to be able to read her mind. After she stared at him for a full minute, he said, “What?”
“I like to look at you.”
“I like when you look at me.” His suggestive tone made her flush from head to toe, which she’d told him she hated. He quite liked it. “Why are you way over there when I’m way over here?” In truth there was only a foot between them, but that was far too much space for what he had in mind.
She scooted closer to him, and he met her halfway.
“Hey,” he said when her lips were only an inch away from his.
“Hey.”
“What’s up?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a nervous laugh. “What’s up with you?”
“You really want to know?”
“Um, I don’t know. Do I?”
“I think you do. I think you really want to know, and you really want to be here with me this way, but you need to give yourself permission to stop worrying about what happens next and just enjoy right now. Can you do that?”
“I can try.”
“Then I’ll show you what’s up.” He cupped her shoulder, slid his fingers down her arm and wrapped his hand around hers. Once he had a firm grip on her hand, he placed it over the erection that pulsed between them.
Lucy gasped at his audacity but didn’t withdraw her hand. Instead she pressed against him and made his eyes roll back in his head. “Where did that come from?”
“You did that.”
“How
did I do it?”
“You walked in here looking all sorts of hot and adorable.”
She tried to pull her hand back, but he held her in place with his hand on top of hers.
“Don’t. Don’t pull away from me.”
“I’m not hot, Colton. I don’t know why you’d say that.”
“Are you serious? You’ve got your hand on the evidence to the contrary, babe.” He curled his legs around hers, pulling her even closer to him. “You’re extremely hot.”
“I’m cute. I’ll give you that.”
“That, too. But please don’t tell me there’s something wrong with my eyes or anything equally ridiculous. I think you’re hot, and clearly I’m hot for you.” He moved his hand from on top of hers and put his arm around her. “Do you know when the last time I spent an entire weekend with a woman was? Before I met you, I mean.”
She shook her head.
“Never. I’ve never done this because I never wanted to spend that much time alone with anyone.”
“Colton—”
He had no idea what she planned to say because he never gave her the chance to say it. A week’s worth of desire and frustration poured forth in a kiss that only made him want her more than he already did, if that was possible. He didn’t want to hear any more about why this was a bad idea or how it had the potential to be a disaster.
No, all he wanted right then was to show her all the reasons it was an excellent idea—possibly the best idea he’d ever had.
She opened her mouth to his tongue and teased him with hers, which only fueled the fire that burned inside him. As he kissed her, he worked a hand under her top and cupped her breast, pinching her nipple between his fingers.
“Colton,” she said as she broke the kiss and arched into his embrace.
He pulled her top up and over her head, revealing the plump, full breasts that had starred in all his fantasies over the last week. Kissing his way from her lips to her neck to her nipples, he told himself to go slow, to be patient, to give her time to catch up.
But he’d gone slow. He’d been patient. He’d given her weeks to catch up. He drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard, loving the way her body molded to his and her fingers grasped his hair in a tight grip. Colton never would’ve described himself as a breast man before he caught sight of Lucy Mulvaney’s gorgeous breasts last weekend, and now they were all he could think about. He’d always been more of a leg and ass guy, but she’d changed him in more ways than one.
Speaking of her pert ass and smooth legs . . . He cupped a supple cheek and squeezed, making her squirm and moan. “I want you, Lucy. I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you standing there next to Cameron in our conference room.”
“I’m afraid that we keep getting in deeper.” Realizing what she’d said, she squeezed his lips together before he could make a predictable comment. However, even the tight pinch of her fingers couldn’t keep the smile from occupying the rest of his face. “You are such a little boy.”
He nibbled her fingers until she let go. “That is not true, and I can prove it.”
“Yes, it really is true,” she said with a sigh.
“I hear what you’re saying, Luce, and I get it. Believe me, I do, and I’m worried about a lot of the same things you are. But I absolutely refuse to ruin today by worrying about what might happen tomorrow or the next day.” He met her gaze and kissed her softly. “After I lost my twenty-eight-year-old brother-in-law, I promised myself I’d honor his memory by living my life to the absolute fullest extent possible. No regrets, no worries, no fears. That’s what I’ve tried to do ever since.”
Colton brushed his lips over her knuckles. “He was two years older than I am now when he died. This was all he got, and he had so much more to give.” He closed his eyes when the sadness threatened to derail him. When he’d gotten himself together, he opened them and looked directly at her. “I’m not trying to be dramatic or anything. But that changed me. It changed all of us. It made me realize this is all we’ve got. Right now. Today. And right now, today, I want to make love with you because that’s almost all I’ve thought about since the first time I kissed you.”
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “The first time you kissed me was the night we met.”
He shrugged. “That’s how long I’ve wanted you.” Why mince words? At this point, either she was in this thing or she wasn’t, but he was no longer interested in hiding how he felt about her. Under his watchful gaze, she processed what he’d said, all the while looking at him with those big blue eyes that gave away her every emotion. Did she think he couldn’t see how badly she wanted the same thing he did? Now it was only a matter of whether she would give herself permission to take what she wanted.
“I won’t hurt you, Luce. As long as you’re mine, I’ll take good care of whatever you choose to give me.”
A big tear rolled down her cheek, and he brushed it away. She caressed his face, and her touch electrified him the way it always did. “You are extremely irresistible, but of course you already know that.”
“No one has ever said that to me before, so I didn’t know. Not until you told me.” He held his breath, waiting to see what she would do next.
She flattened her hand on his chest and leaned in to kiss him, her lips soft but persuasive. Then the tip of her tongue began to trace the outline of his mouth, and he had to hold himself back from the need to absolutely devour her.
“Lucy,” he said in a strangled tone. “Tell me what you want.”
“You. I want you, as much as you want me.”
“And the rest of it?”
“I suppose we’ll figure it out. Eventually.”
As his mental traffic light switched from caution to green, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in tight against him. He nearly forgot how to breathe when her breasts pressed against his chest. Because he didn’t want to miss a thing, he kept his eyes open and focused on her as he lost himself in a deep, sensual kiss full of passion and promise.
He could feel her capitulation, her surrender to the inevitable pull they’d experienced from the first day they met. They’d been drawn to each other before they’d even been properly introduced, and had been heading for this moment ever since. Now that she’d confessed to wanting the same things he did, he was determined to make it unforgettable for her.
With that in mind, he broke the kiss and moved his attention to her neck and throat, nibbling and kissing her soft skin while breathing in the fragrance he’d come to know as hers. It wasn’t perfume or soap or anything easily identified. It was her, uniquely her.
“Relax, honey.” He left a trail of kisses along her collarbone. “Just relax and let me love you.”
Her arms curled over her head as she released a deep breath.
Sensing her complete surrender made him harder than he’d ever been in his life, but he refused to rush. Not after they’d waited so long to get here. He worshiped each breast with his lips and mouth and teeth while she writhed under him, arching against him until he was cross-eyed with lust. But still he didn’t rush. Rather, he took his time and didn’t move farther down until each nipple was standing at attention and her entire body was trembling in response to him.
Her belly quaked under his lips and her legs shook as he removed her shorts, leaving her covered only in a scrap of see-through lace. He bit his lip to keep from groaning out loud when his own needs threatened to trump hers. But this time was all about her, and he wanted to make sure her faith in him was amply rewarded.
With his palms flat against her knees, he encouraged her to open to him.
Her movements were tentative and almost uncertain.
Colton looked up to find her watching him intently. “Let me in, honey.” His voice sounded rough, even to his own ears. He moved his hands from her knees to her inner thighs, hoping he was encouraging her as he went.
She reached for him, but he shook his head. If she touched him now, he’d lose his composure.
&nbs
p; “Hands above your head. Grab the slats if you need something to hold on to.”
“I want to hold on to you.”
“You can. Later.”
Lucy did as he asked, wrapping her hands around the wooden slats in the headboard. Her trust overwhelmed him and fired his desire to give her everything.
He ran his hands over her incredibly soft skin as he continued to ease her legs farther apart.
“Colton,” she whispered, lifting her hips off the bed.
“Hmm?”
“You’re making me nuts, and you know it.”
“Now how could I possibly know that?” He smiled as he replaced his hands with his lips, kissing from her right knee, up her thigh and stopping at the place where her leg met her body.
“Colton!”
“Is this what you want?” He pressed his mouth against her core, tonguing her through the lace that covered her.
“Yes! God, yes. There. Don’t stop.”
He kept up the steady pressure of his tongue, while watching the full-body blush that he’d grown to love so much color her soft pale skin. More than anything, he loved that he could do that to her. When he was certain she was past the point of paying attention, he pushed her panties aside and resumed his efforts with nothing between his tongue and her pleasure. They’d never done this before, and the flavor of her on his tongue was like the sweetest honey he’d ever tasted. One taste, and he was already addicted.
She screamed from the new sensations.
He slid two fingers into her and sucked on the heart of her desire, tripping her release, which was about the sexiest thing he’d ever experienced. How in the world could she say she wasn’t hot?
While she came down from the release, he removed her panties, leaving her completely naked before him for the first time. The hair that covered her mound was a darker shade of red than the hair on her head. When she saw him taking a greedy look at her, she tried to cover herself.
