Coming Home to Crimson

by Michelle Major

  “It’s ten minutes to five,” he answered, stifling a yawn. He’d thrown on an old T-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts on the way to the door. “Even the birds aren’t awake yet.”

  “Sorry,” she murmured, taking a step back. “I’ll go so you can—”

  “Not so fast.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, lifting her over the threshold and swinging the door shut with his foot. “I’m awake now and damn glad to see you.” Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he breathed in the scent of her, his body revving to life in an instant. “Tell me about your dad.”

  “He’s fine. I spent the night at the hospital.”

  “Big step.”

  “It felt right. He and Jase and I had...” she shrugged, as if not sure what words to choose “...a moment last night. It was like we were a family.”

  “You are family,” he reminded her.

  “But for the first time, I felt it.”

  “Good for you, Sienna.”

  “When I left the hospital, this was the only place I wanted to go.”

  “Good for me,” he whispered.

  She ducked her head, smoothed a loose strand of hair away from her face. “Any chance you’ve still got the brownies I spied earlier at the bottom of the cooler?”

  He chuckled. “Now I understand why you’re here. I’m playing second-string to Katie’s brownies.”

  “Only a little,” she admitted.

  They walked to his kitchen and he handed her the box of brownies while he took a gallon of milk from the fridge. “Unless you want me to make coffee?”

  “Milk is fine.”

  She lowered herself to one of the chairs at his kitchen table. His breath caught as he watched her in the simple task of unwrapping the sweet treat. Cole had been living alone for a lot of years, and he liked it that way. He was a solitary person by nature, but Sienna looked like she belonged in his house. She made it feel like a home, something Cole hadn’t allowed himself to have in a long time.

  He brought the milk and two glasses to the table and pulled out the chair next to her. She took a small bite of the brownie, her pink tongue darting out to catch a crumb that clung to her bottom lip.

  She didn’t say anything more about her dad, and Cole didn’t ask, content to share these quiet minutes with her.

  Content wasn’t a word he normally associated with himself, but he was smart enough to appreciate the new sensation.

  And when Sienna stood and took a step forward, so close the front of her legs brushed the inside of his thighs, he stayed perfectly still, not wanting to do anything to screw up the moment.

  She bent forward and kissed him, tasting of chocolate, and right now Cole was the biggest sugar addict on the planet.

  “Can we finish the rest of last night now?” she asked against his mouth. “Or do you have to get ready for work?”

  “I’ll make time for you whenever you want.” He straightened, scooping her into his arms as he did. She felt right there, and his heart sang as she settled in against his chest.

  His house was simple, a two-bedroom bungalow that hadn’t been updated since the mid-seventies. He didn’t care about much other than a clean set of sheets, a stocked fridge and a big-screen television. For a second, he wondered what Sienna thought of it. Clearly, she’d grown up in an affluent community in Chicago, and he guessed most of her previous boyfriends had fast cars and fancy houses.

  “I love it here,” she whispered, as if she could read his mind. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

  He walked into his bedroom and set her down, cupping her cheeks between his palms. “I don’t deserve you,” he said, then inwardly cringed. Why the hell did he have to go and admit something like that?

  Her eyes clouded, then she gave a small shake of her head. “You’re a good man, Cole. Don’t try to deny it.”

  Now that he’d said the words, he couldn’t back down from them. “Jase was smart to warn you off of me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.”

  The unwavering confidence in her tone did funny things to his insides, loosening parts of him that had been tightly caged for so long. The sensation was both exhilarating and disturbing, like he was a toy top spinning out of control. He held on to Sienna to ground him.

  He breathed her in, then kissed her until his doubts had returned to the shadowed recesses where they lurked. She pressed closer, moaning softly when his palm grazed the underside of her breast.

  “You’re sure this is what you want?”

  She took a few steps away, reaching her hands behind her back. The soft whir of a zipper being undone filled the quiet room. “Can I ask you a question?”

  He sucked in a breath and nodded as the fabric of her dress dipped below her shoulders.

  “Do you really think I came here for a brownie?” She wiggled a little and the dress pooled at her feet. She wore a black lace bra with matching panties and his knees threatened to give out. He already knew her body was perfection, but somehow this felt different. She was choosing him. Claiming him for her own.

  He loved every second of it. Loved everything about this woman, not just her body but who she was on the inside—who he was when they were together. He paused as the implication of the emotions tumbling through him hit home. He couldn’t love Sienna. He wouldn’t let himself fall in love. Cole had seen how love could ruin a person. It had destroyed his mother, and he’d never make himself or anyone else that vulnerable.

  He forced the breath in and out of his lungs, willing himself to stay in the present moment. Here with Sienna.

  “Should I give you a hint as to the answer?” Color flooded her cheeks as she pulled out the elastic that held back her hair. Blond waves fell over her shoulders, and she tugged on her lower lip.

  “I seriously do not deserve you,” he whispered, “but I’m damn glad I’ve got you right now.”

  One side of her mouth kicked up. “So what are you going to do with me?”

  “Everything,” he answered as he shucked out of his shirt. He reached for her, and they fell to the bed together in a tangle of limbs. He nipped on her earlobe, and she skimmed her fingernails along his back.

  He stood for a moment, pushing his boxers and shorts down over his hips.

  “You’re still wearing too much,” he told her, arching a brow.

  She lifted her back off the bed and unclasped her bra, letting the straps ease down her shoulders the same way the dress had earlier. This impromptu striptease was even sexier, and he reminded himself he was a lucky man to have this woman in his bed. In his life.

  She reached for her panties, but he moved forward and brushed her fingers out of the way. “Allow me.”

  He tugged them over her hips, then pushed apart her legs, taking in the heavenly view he had of her body from this vantage point.

  His hands moved along her thighs until he reached her center, and he almost lost himself when she arched off the bed, moaning as he touched her.

  “Cole,” she said, her voice hoarse, “I don’t think—”

  “That’s right,” he interrupted, “no thinking right now.”

  He couldn’t resist following his fingers with his mouth and was rewarded with a soft cry and the word “Yes.”

  She continued to make the most beautiful little noises, finally crying out as he felt a tremor snake through her body. He reached into the nightstand drawer for a condom, then entered her in one swift thrust, unable to hold back any longer.

  Sienna wrapped her arms around his neck, and they moved together, pressure building in Cole as she whispered his name. Pleasure burst over him like a shower of stars, brilliant and bright, and Cole never wanted the moment to end.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Where are you rushing off to?”

  Sienna gave a weak smile as she fastened her bra, then reached for her dress, which was still in a crumpled pile on the floor next to the bed. It was remarkably difficult to get dressed while keeping the sheet around her body.


  “I need to go home.” She cleared her throat. “To the inn. I’m sure you need to get to work and...” She stretched out a toe, trying to inch the dress closer. “I should call the office. I’ve been missing a lot of client meetings so I check in with my assistant first thing in the morning. It makes me feel like I’m not totally out of touch.”

  Cole had been in the bathroom for a few minutes, which had given her much needed time to collect herself after the best two orgasms of her life. She’d never thought herself the kind of woman to be affected by great sex, although maybe that was because up until Cole, she’d only had mediocre intimate relationships. Mediocre at best, as the saying went.

  “You’re talking fast like you’re uncomfortable,” Cole said, bending forward and plucking her dress off the floor.

  She sighed and reached out a hand. “Babbling,” she muttered. “It’s called babbling.”

  One corner of his mouth kicked up, then he dropped down next to her on the bed. He’d put on his boxers, although his bare chest was plenty distracting. She was currently dealing with something way more serious than physical attraction. She was falling hard and fast for Sheriff Cole Bennett.

  Falling in love.

  It was ridiculous and painfully ill-advised. Cole had all but admitted he was going to hurt her. Her brother had warned her. Her father had warned her.

  Sienna might be new to having so many men who cared in her life, yet she wasn’t a fool. She’d be an idiot to let herself fall in love with Cole, not when her time in Crimson might be temporary and he hadn’t given her any sign he wanted anything long-term.

  “I’m an idiot,” she muttered, quickly ripping off the sheet and pulling up her dress. It had been easy to feel confident about her body when she was in the throes of passion. Now she felt too exposed.

  “I like the babbling,” Cole said, giving her arm a playful nudge.

  She stood, turning away from him, and slipped her arms into the dress, struggling to tug the zipper all the way up. She felt his warm body at her back a moment later. With gentle fingers, he gathered her hair and draped it over one shoulder, then zipped up the dress.

  “I know it’s silly,” she protested, “that I get nervous around you.” She grabbed her shoes off the floor and forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry I’m bad at the morning-after stuff.”

  “Technically, it’s still the morning of.”

  She groaned. Why couldn’t she manage to act normal five minutes after the best sex of her life? “Even worse.”

  “You’re cute.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose.

  She wanted to splay her hands across his bare chest, push him back down on the bed and have her merry way with him.

  “I really need to go,” she said instead.

  “Okay.” He traced the tip of one finger along her jaw. “But promise me you won’t let this freak you out. It’s not a big deal.”

  If they gave out Academy Awards for keeping a poker face, Sienna would be a front-runner. It felt like Cole had just driven his fist into her chest. She could actually feel her heart shriveling as his words spread like a cancer through her.

  “Of course,” she agreed, forcing a bright smile. He frowned, as if he detected the hysterical edge to her voice but couldn’t quite figure out what had caused it. “I’ll catch you on the flip side, Sheriff.” She placed a quick kiss on his mouth, then turned and gave what she hoped was a jaunty wave.

  “I’ll check in at the hospital later,” he called, and she lifted her arm again, then pulled it tight to her side when she realized her fingers were shaking like an aspen leaf in the wind.

  She grabbed her purse and quickly let herself out of Cole’s house, only realizing as she stood on the front porch that she had no mode of transportation to get home. Not home. To the inn. She had no home at the moment.

  Tears of pain and embarrassment pricked at the backs of Sienna’s eyes. Afraid Cole would realize she’d taken an Uber from the hospital to his house, she hurried down the sidewalk and around the corner. Still somewhat unfamiliar with Crimson’s geography, despite the small-town flavor, she punched the B&B’s address into the GPS on her phone and began walking the neighborhood streets in the direction it sent her.

  The morning was lovely, as seemed to be the norm in Colorado. A chill hung in the air but the sun shining from a clear blue sky was quickly warming things. She held her heels in one hand, appreciating the feel of the sidewalk beneath her feet. The cool pavement acted to ground her, helping her to remember she was more than just her aching heart.

  She waved to an older woman sweeping off her front walk. The woman stared for several seconds, then called, “Dana?”

  “I’m her daughter,” Sienna answered, slowing her pace.

  The woman walked closer. “Of course. I heard you were in town. You really do look so much like her.”

  “I’ve been told that most of my life. Were you friends with my mother?” She suddenly had an urge to know more about her mom’s time in Crimson. How did things get so far off track and why did Dana feel like she had no choice but to leave the way she did?

  “Lordy, no.” The woman gave a dismissive laugh. “She and Declan hung with a wild crowd. Always up to no good. It’s a wonder you and your brother survived it.”

  “Oh.” Not that Sienna necessarily denied the truth of the woman’s words but that didn’t make them any easier to hear.

  “Those two were the most irresponsible, reckless—”

  “Well, nice talking to you,” Sienna interrupted. She couldn’t stand to hear any more.

  “Someone told me you were different,” the woman continued, scrunching up her nose like she’d smelled something rotten. “More like your brother.” Her gaze raked over Sienna, disapproval clear in her dull brown eyes. “But I doubt you put on that outfit this morning. It’s clear the Crenshaw blood runs strong in you, missy.”

  Paige had joked about the walk of shame the first time Sienna spent the night at Cole’s, but this woman wasn’t making a joke.

  “I take that as a compliment,” Sienna said, despite the embarrassment washing over her. She had nothing to feel guilty about—spending the night in an uncomfortable hospital chair didn’t constitute wild and reckless. She lifted her chin and adopted the haughty glare she’d watched her mother perfect over the years. “Have a lovely morning,” she said in a clipped tone, then walked away without a backward glance.

  It was another half mile to The Bumblebee, and Sienna walked it quickly, her gaze focused on the sidewalk in front of her. She passed several morning joggers but didn’t bother greeting any of them. The woman’s words had hit their mark. Was that the sort of judgment her mom had received from this small community? It left a sour taste in Sienna’s mouth.

  The front door of the inn was open and she called out a greeting to Paige as she entered the foyer. The sound of hammering had already started, and she hoped for her friend’s sake the construction project would finish soon.

  “Sienna, you’re back.” Paige rushed from the direction of the kitchen, curls bouncing.

  “No ‘walk of shame’ comments,” Sienna said with a dry laugh. “I’ve had enough—”

  “I have another guest,” Paige blurted. “She arrived this morning and insisted on taking the room across from yours. I told her she’d be more comfortable at one of the hotels in town, but—”

  “Where have you been and why are you dressed like that?”

  Sienna sucked in a breath, dropping the shoes she’d been holding to the wood floor with a thud. “Oh, no,” she whispered under her breath.

  “Oh, yes,” Paige answered in a similar whisper.

  “Mom, what are you doing here?”

  Dana Pierce came down the steps as if she was being presented at a debutante ball, shoulders straight, chin lifted, two fingers gingerly skimming the wooden handrail. As if Sienna’s mother needed support. Her blond hair was pulled back into a neat chignon, putting her elegant throat and the strand of pearls aro
und her neck on full display. She wore an outfit Sienna had come to think of as her mother’s uniform—slim trousers and a crisp button-down shirt, slightly fitted, with the collar starched so that it stood stiff like a soldier at boot camp.

  Today’s shirt was a shade of pale green, perhaps as a nod to the pine forests that surrounded Crimson. Matching the occasion was sort of a thing for Dana. Pink for Valentine’s Day, yellow on Easter and a pattern of red and white stripes around the holidays. Festive but understated.

  “You haven’t called in several days,” Dana said, as if that explained everything.

  “So you flew to Colorado?” Sienna pressed a hand to her forehead.

  “Coffee?” Paige asked.

  Sienna nodded. “Yes, please.”

  “Mrs. Pierce?”

  “Half a cup with a tablespoon of creamer.” Dana pierced Paige with one of her laser-beam glares as she came to stand at the bottom of the stairs. “No more than a tablespoon.”

  “I’ll measure,” Paige offered quickly, then hurried toward the kitchen.

  “You could have just asked for light creamer,” Sienna said with an eye roll.

  “How do I know what that woman considers light?” Dana swept an arm toward the front room, which was crowded with the furniture and knickknacks Paige had moved so the guys could work on the floor. “I appreciate details, and it doesn’t seem like the innkeeper cares much for them. How does one expect to run a business like this?”

  “The floor had water damage. She’s having it repaired. Paige has done a great job refurbishing this place, and she’s a fantastic cook and generous hostess. The Bumblebee will succeed.” Sienna wasn’t sure why she felt the need to defend Paige, but it was easier than talking about her mother’s unexpected appearance.

  Dana sniffed. “I didn’t rearrange my schedule to come here and talk about a ramshackle bed-and-breakfast.”