Once Upon a Time in Bliss (Nights in Bliss, Colorado Book 8)

by Lexi Blake

  Nell gasped as he pinched at her clit, and he knew he wouldn’t have to wait long. She was close. He fucked her hard, picking up the pace. He rammed his dick in while he worked her clit. Over and over, he fucked inside, losing himself completely. She was the only thing that mattered in that moment. They were the only two people in the whole fucking world. There was no job to return to, no mission to complete beyond sealing the bond between them. There was Henry and there was Nell. He didn’t have to be John Bishop here. He didn’t have to be the kid no one wanted, the boy trying so hard to fit in. He could be Nell’s man. Henry Flanders fit in here. He fit with her like a puzzle piece long forgotten but found and locked into place, complete once more.

  Nell’s shout filled the small space, echoing off the walls. She clamped down hard, her orgasm forcing his own. It raced up, bubbling from his balls, causing his whole body to shake as he gave up.

  She slumped over, her torso resting on the marble floor. Bishop’s hands shook as he rid himself of the condom, tying it off and shoving it into his bag.

  He was in far too deep. He was falling for the girl, and he couldn’t afford to do that. She was a distraction. She was a liability. She was a weakness.

  He should walk away now. It would be best for the both of them. He could turn over all the information he had to Rye Harper and pray the man was a better law enforcement officer than the sheriff. He could tell her he would be back, towel off, get dressed, and then walk away. He could be on a plane in two hours, and he would never have to think about her or Bliss again.

  “I don’t think I can move.” Her face was turned toward him, those lips that had loved him curled up in a satisfied grin.

  “You don’t have to.” He picked her up and settled her on his lap. He smoothed back her hair as she laid her head on his chest.

  This was where he wanted to be, cuddled close to Nell.

  He would stay just for one more day.

  * * * *

  Nell slipped the sign back in the closet as a group descended to set up for the spa party. That had been a close call. Henry had only just washed everything up after taking the plug out. It would have been truly uncomfortable to have gotten caught with that plug.

  The door opened and Pam and Bill walked in carrying a massage table. Callie followed behind them with a large box.

  Henry moved quickly to take it out of Callie’s hands. And he didn’t even try to hide the fact that he wasn’t wearing a stitch. He was getting comfortable.

  And she was falling deeply in love.

  “Henry, it’s nice to see you’re settling in.” Bill set the massage table down and shed the coat he was wearing. He toed off his boots and grinned up at Henry. “I have to admit, I rather thought you would run by now.”

  Henry’s broad shoulders shrugged as he placed the box on the table. “I’m finding I can be adaptable when I want to be.”

  A light hit Bill’s eyes. He reached out and patted Henry’s arm. “Yes, you can. You can adapt to just about anything, son, and happiness is damn easy to adapt to.”

  Henry cleared his throat. “Well, I’m not quite as scared of all the naked stuff as I thought I would be.”

  It was good to see him being open and tolerant. And, at the same time, it kind of hurt because she was pretty sure he was still leaving. He was opening up and becoming a man she would be so proud to love, and he would walk away and another woman would get that big heart all to herself.

  “Oh, you’re not a coward at all, Professor Flanders.” Nell’s mother stood in the doorway, a thick robe wrapped around her body. “I think you’re special.”

  “I don’t know about special, Moira,” Henry replied. “But I am okay with the naked thing.”

  Her mother gave Henry a very thorough once-over. “Well, any man who looks like you should be. Henry, dear, could you get me a lounger? I’d rather like to rest while we’re waiting.”

  Her mother looked pale, fragile, but she smiled at Henry as he leapt into action. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t take time for small talk. He nearly ran across the room to grab one of the lounge chairs stacked at the back.

  “He’s a good man, your Henry.” Her mom put an arm around her shoulder, resting their heads together. “I like him a lot.”

  Tears immediately sprang to her eyes. She wanted more time. It was going too fast, like time was speeding up and she wanted so desperately to stay, to hold the moment. So sweet. So fleeting. This was life. It had to be savored because it was over quickly. “I think I might love him, Mom.”

  Her mother’s smile was soft as she looked at her. “Of course you do. He’s your soul mate. I can see it very plainly.”

  “Moira, where do you want this?” Henry was holding the heavy chaise like it weighed nothing.

  “Oh, I want to be close to the action. We’re waxing Sasquatch, after all. You know we call them trolls where I come from. Such an odd place, the Earth plane.” Her mother pointed to a spot close to the massage table where Callie was starting to heat a pot for the wax and Pam was setting up a pedicure station. Henry moved to do her bidding, and Moira squeezed Nell. “I think I would like my toes to be purple this time. One thing I love about this plane is the technology. The vampires have it, too, but it’s so much more personal here.”

  Henry didn’t seem to notice the crazy talk. He was busy placing the chaise and talking to Bill. A tendril of guilt sparked through her system. Henry should love her mom, too. There was nothing wrong with her mother. A little insanity never hurt anyone. Moira Finn had been a wonderful mother.

  “I think purple would be great.” Nell leaned over, pressing her lips to her mom’s cheek. Time was short. She wouldn’t hold back on her affection. Love was never wrong. Love was never wasted. Her eyes strayed to Henry. Even if he couldn’t love her back, she was better for loving him. Her mom had taught her that. “I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, baby. You’re the best thing I ever did. I wish you could have known my cousin. The good one, not the asswipe. Seamus was a good man. He had his flaws, but I loved him. Torin was a little shit. I don’t know how he came from the same family as the rest of us.”

  “Here you go, Moira.” Henry held a hand out, guiding her to the chaise. “Maybe you can put the robe down so you’re more comfortable. It’s nice and warm in here.”

  He patted the chaise as though it wouldn’t bother him if her mother dropped her robe and made herself comfortable. He’d come so far. He could go farther. Henry Flanders could be such a great man if he only allowed himself to be. He was capable of such deep love and acceptance. He was on the cusp of being a great man, and she couldn’t help but wonder at it.

  Her mother didn’t have a problem with shedding her robe, either. She shrugged out of it and handed it to Henry, who kept his eyes squarely on her face before laying the robe out on the chaise for her.

  “Here you go,” Henry said gallantly. “Nell, honey, I’m going to head into town for a couple of hours. I’ll be back before it’s time for bed, okay?”

  She nodded. He was very likely going into town so he could work on her case. She wished he wouldn’t take it so seriously, but that was the way Henry thought. Her mom squeezed Henry’s hand as she took her place and then Nell wrapped her arms around him.

  She loved the feel of him. His hands found her waist and she felt surrounded, beloved. He hadn’t said it, probably never would, but she felt adored when he held her like that. “Have a nice time. Call me if you need anything.”

  He looked down at her. “Go to my room when you’re done. I want you in my bed. If you aren’t there, I’ll hunt you down.”

  He would, too. He was ridiculously possessive, and it occurred to her to talk to him about it, but the truth was, she kind of liked it and she liked having a key to his room. She got the idea he wouldn’t give it out to anyone but her. “I’ll be there. I don’t have any plans. I’ll stay here with Mom and then have dinner and head to bed. Your bed. I know it’s a nudist resort, but it’s actually quite staid.”


  “See that it stays that way.” He brushed his lips against hers. “Is it wrong that I feel weird grabbing my pants?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. You should always be naked.”

  He frowned. “Yeah, we’re going to have to negotiate that, baby. Be good.”

  He walked out, picking up his bag as he left and grabbing his clothes. She couldn’t help but watch as he walked away, his backside on perfect display.

  “That is a very attractive man.”

  “Mom!”

  Her mother shrugged. “I’m old, honey, not dead. He’s got a lovely physique. It’s obvious that your Henry believes in a healthy amount of physical activity.”

  The door closed behind him, and Nell sat down on the edge of the lounger. It was as good a time as any to have this discussion with her mother. The last thing she wanted was for her mom to get the idea that this thing with Henry was going to last. “I really like him.”

  Her mom frowned. “I think it’s more than like. You’re sleeping with him.”

  Was there no privacy anywhere? “How does everyone know that?”

  “Callie saw him whisking you away last night. She said it was very romantic. Did he really carry you down the hall like you weighed less than a feather, dear?”

  “Callie!”

  Callie turned, wincing. “Gossip is my only flaw. And it was quite lovely, though I’ll be honest, I thought you would make out with him. I wouldn’t have told your mom if I actually thought you were sleeping with him. Please don’t protest me.”

  And it had probably made Callie think about everything she’d lost. “I think I can forgive you. Besides, I hear you’re going to be the one to wax Roy Ferguson.”

  Callie nodded. “He’s tired of the Squatchers hunting him. They send out mating calls and everything. How do they know the mating call of a Sasquatch if they’ve never actually seen one? It makes a person think.” Callie shook her head. “I’m going to need more wax. We’ll be back in a minute.”

  Callie left with her mom, and Bill nodded as he followed them.

  “I wish I could help more, but I’m so tired these days.” Her mother lay back. She looked weary, but there was a secretive smile on her face.

  “It’s the chemotherapy.” Nell held her mom’s hand. “When this round is over, you’ll feel better.”

  “No, love. I stopped the chemo about a month ago.”

  Nell felt her whole world shift. She’d thought Pam was driving her into Alamosa for treatments all this time. “Mom! How could you do that?”

  “Because it’s time.” There was a weak squeeze to her hand as her mom gripped her fingers. “Don’t be angry with me, sweetheart. There’s a time to fight and there’s a time to go out with grace. If we hadn’t found this place, if I wasn’t sure you would be all right, I would still be fighting. And I would still be in pain. I can rest now, Nell. I can go and see your father again. I’ve been so far from home.”

  Nell’s heart threatened to break. The thought of losing her mother was almost unimaginable, but she’d been in pain for so long, and not merely physical pain. “Do you honestly believe you’ll see him again?”

  Clear brown eyes held her own. “Oh, yes. I know everyone thinks I’m crazy. It’s been nice being here in Bliss, but they put me in the same category as Mel with his aliens. They think there’s something wrong with my brain or that I had a loss that I couldn’t accept, but I know my truth. Honey, there are more worlds out there than you can imagine. This world is just one. This time is just one. My husband is waiting for me. He’s my soul mate. We didn’t get our chance in this life, but there will be another. I have faith.”

  “I don’t understand how you can believe that. You have no evidence that we get another chance. What if we die and this is all there is?” She didn’t want to believe that, but faced with the reality of her mother’s passing, fear threatened to take hold, fear that this was all that existed, that the great mystery of life could be solved with a resounding blank space of nothingness.

  “That’s why they call it faith, Eleanor. If we had the answers, there would be no reason to believe. Do you remember when you were young and I took you to see that one play everyone raved about?”

  Nell groaned. “Peter Pan. How could I forget? You tried to tell the actors that they had everything wrong and that they didn’t know the difference between a pixie and a faery.”

  “Well, they were using the wrong names. It was a bit insulting. Humans like to be called the proper names. Why wouldn’t they think a pixie would? Tinker Bell was obviously a pixie, right down to the fact that she can hold a mean grudge.” She shook her head. “I’m getting away from my point. I remember watching you when the little pixie was dying.”

  She smiled at the memory. “They told everyone if we clapped hard enough she would come back to life.”

  “If you believed enough. It’s an object lesson. You have to have faith. You have to believe. Maybe things won’t turn out the way you thought they would. Maybe your dreams won’t all come true, but if you have faith and put good things out into the world, then you’ve done your job. Be patient, my love. These things tend to work out in the end. Even if it takes a few lifetimes.” She laid her head against the lounger, a long sigh coming from her chest. “Death is nothing to be afraid of. It’s merely a doorway to the next phase. And when you take that door one day, your father and I will be waiting on the other side. We’ll be together again. We’re always together. That’s been the joy of my existence.”

  Nell held her mother’s hand and tried not to cry. No amount of faith would keep her mother here. No amount of faith would keep Henry here.

  “If he’s your soul mate, you’ll find each other.” Her mother had always known what she was thinking. She’d never been able to hide. “And I’m not gone, yet. We still have some time, but Nell, no more treatments. I want to enjoy the time I have left with you. I want to make some precious memories.”

  She nodded, tears filling her eyes. “I want that, too.”

  Her mom reached up, brushing away her tears. “And don’t count that man out yet. He obviously has some decisions to make. I believe he’ll come around in the end. Happily ever afters run in our family.”

  Nell frowned. “I thought war and thieving uncles run in our family.”

  Moira waved that off. “That was just a blip on the map. It will sort itself out in the end. We Finns always find our happiness. Sometimes we have to fight for it, though.”

  The doors opened again and Callie walked through, carrying an even bigger tub than before. “I’ve got to get this heated. Nell, will you go and let the pedicurist in? She’s at the gate, but she needs to be buzzed in. And hurry. We don’t want to lose her. She’s the only one at Polly’s who’s willing to touch hobbit feet, as they call them.”

  “Hobbits.” Her mother huffed. “She should try trimming an ogre’s toenails. Sometimes the damn toenails fight back.”

  Callie laughed, and her mother was off talking about all sorts of creatures. Nell went for the door. She glanced back and saw her mother smiling.

  Despite everything, her mother believed things would work out. Maybe it was time for Nell to believe, too. She grabbed her robe. Normally she wouldn’t bother, but it was awfully cold outside. She slipped her phone into her pocket. Henry might call. He’d only been gone for twenty minutes or so and she already missed him. She dragged on her boots because there was a lot of snow between here and the gate.

  She jogged outside, following the tracks Henry’s truck had made in the snow. She was going to have to get him into a more earth-friendly vehicle. Snow fell as she raced to the gate. She could see Kelly Hansen’s compact had made it up the mountain. Kelly was Polly’s oldest daughter and seemed to be following her mother into the beauty business.

  Nell hit the button and the gate began to swing open, but Kelly’s car stayed where it was, not moving. Kelly’s face stared out the front window, her hands on the steering wheel.

  Was something wrong? K
elly had trouble with mild epilepsy in the past. Was she having a seizure? Nell ran out, trying to remember what she should do. The driver’s side window was open.

  Kelly’s hands were shaking, her face a stark white. “Nell, I’m so sorry.”

  A man sat up from the back seat. There was a nasty-looking gun in his hand, and he pointed it straight at Kelly’s eighteen-year-old head. Kelly was just a baby, but Warren Lyle was a full-grown man. The former CEO of Lyle Waste Management Systems sneered her way.

  “Get in the car or we’ll see what the inside of this kid’s head looks like.”

  Well, at least she knew who had broken into her cabin now.

  Kelly muffled a cry.

  “Why don’t you let her go?” Nell asked, her heart pounding in her chest. The grounds were completely empty. Everyone was inside. An eerie silence filled the yard around her.

  Lyle placed the gun right against Kelly’s head, the metal butting her forward. “You have three seconds or I’ll kill the both of you right here.”

  “Please, Nell. Please help me.” Tears poured down Kelly’s cheeks.

  Help me. Two words guaranteed to bring Nell Finn running.

  Two words that might get her killed this time.

  Nell calmly got into the car.

  Chapter Ten

  Bishop sighed as he sat down at the “Internet Café.” It was not the center of technology he’d been hoping for. He shouldn’t have expected more. Night was falling and the Bear Creek Lounge and Internet Café was filling up. Luckily, the crowd seemed way more interested in a beer than in checking their e-mail since the Café portion of the place consisted of one small table and a wretchedly slow dial-up. Dial-up. He didn’t realize that was even a thing anymore.

  He bet the Stark kid had way better access.

  “Hey, it’s Henry, isn’t it?” A familiar redhead walked up wearing black slacks and a white shirt. She had a tray of drinks balanced on her hand.