From This Moment

by Lexi Buchanan

  With Jake chatting most of the way through the valley toward their home, time seems to pass quickly and before I know it, Cade is turning slightly so he can face me behind him.

  He smiles, and says, “We’re just about to turn onto the property.”

  Knowing we are close to Cade’s home sends my heart rate sky high. What is it about this guy that has my heart all a flutter?

  I manage to look away, back outside, and finally pay attention to my surroundings instead of daydreaming about a man I shouldn’t be wanting.

  The views outside the vehicle are tremendous, with snow-capped mountains surrounded by trees along the mountain highway. As Jake makes a right turn, we enter a tunnel of tall cottonwoods and pines, and I can just make out what looks to be a pond behind the trees to the right.

  “Wow, I love the pond,” I say in amazement. “I don’t remember seeing anything so pretty before.”

  “You can’t really see it properly from here, but you can see the pond from the house,” Jake adds.

  Just then we come out of the trees to the most amazing house I’ve ever seen. Cade was right about it looking like a postcard. It’s a huge structure of mainly glass and wood with what appears to be a couple of feet of large stones around the base.

  The gardens look like something you’d see in a gardening magazine with well-maintained lawns surrounded by various shrubs.

  “Your garden is amazing,” I comment in awe.

  As I compliment Cade, he’s unable to hide the pleasure that crosses his face at my words.

  “A landscape company in Jackson Hole looks after them, because I don’t always have the time to spend in the garden. But the section you can’t take your eyes from is my own doing.”

  Pulling up to the front of the path leading to the house, Jake quickly jumps out and opens the door for me.

  As I climb out, Cade tells me, “We’ll grab the luggage.”

  I leave them to it and start to walk slowly up the path, taking in the view and the fresh air.

  My eyes travel up the welcoming five steps that lead to an expansive front porch. The pillars supporting the front of it look like huge tree trunks and let the house blend into the nature surrounding it. Circular flower planters run around the base of the porch to create an attractive display of color. But despite the beauty around me, the intricate details of the oversized front door—so large, a giant could fit through—fascinate me.

  Entering the house in front of Jake and Cade, I admire the large open plan of their home. The living room is set off to one side of the house with the entrance to what I presume to be the kitchen at the back. The staircase is as intricate as the front door as carvings wind their way up the dark wood.

  When I turn back to smile at Cade, he’s holding a piece of paper with a frown on his face as he reads what’s written.

  Glancing up, he notices my attention is on him. He offers a wry smile. “It looks like Beth and family have moved back home. Their house apparently is ready to be lived in again.” Cade turns back to look at Jake and me standing by the door. “I hope it won’t put you off staying with us, but if you prefer, I can phone one of my daughters to see if you’d be able to stay with them instead of two bachelors.”

  “Ha!” Jake laughs, his eyes full of mischief. “You can be her chaperone and make sure I behave myself.” His mirth echoes through the room and he nudges me to make me laugh, but he doesn’t see the hurt on his father’s face.

  “I haven’t needed a chaperone in a long time, thank you very much, Mr. Matthews.” I point my finger at Jake, who’s still laughing. “I don’t mind staying with two bachelors. Perhaps you should get your daughter back to act as chaperone to protect you both from me.” I offer them a wicked grin.

  I can’t believe I’m staying here with two strange men, but I have a feeling I’m going to be safe.

  Cade

  Hearing Jake tell me that I can be her chaperone nearly tore my heart out. After what happened at the airport, I want to shout to the world that she’s mine and for everyone else to keep their distance. I know she’ll find someone around her own age, eventually, and that will hurt, even after I’ve only known her a few hours. There’s something about her that keeps pulling me toward her. Something that brings out a possessive side of me I didn’t know existed.

  It surprised me when she came back with the comment about us both needing a chaperone to protect us from her. The little minx!

  Jake’s comment brings me out of my musing. “I won’t be long. I’m going to go and put the truck away and then drop down to the stables to check things out, but I’ll be back later for dinner.” He looks at Rona. “Hey, do you want to come?”

  My heart sinks. I really need to get a grip. She’s too damn young for me.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d rather freshen up a bit before dinner.”

  I feel elated when she turns Jake down.

  “Okay, I’ll see you both later.” Jake heads back out the front door without a backward glance.

  “Jake has a couple of horses in the stables, and that’s usually his first stop once he’s home.” I pause when I lose my train of thought, seeing Rona smiling up at me. Quickly scrambling to remember, I add, “In fact, I’m surprised he even stepped through the door before heading over there.” I return her smile.

  “He must be glad to be home after his time in the hospital.”

  When did Jake have the opportunity to tell Rona about his injury? Then I remember, they were alone for five minutes at the coffee shop in Chicago. He isn’t usually so open though, which gives me pause for thought.

  I’m not going to be in competition with my own son over Rona, but I’m sure once Jake sets eyes on Elise again, no one else will really matter.

  “C’mon, let me show you to your room. It overlooks the pond you noticed earlier with the mountain range in the distance. I think you’ll love it.” Picking up her bag, I wait for her to go ahead of me up the stairs.

  She glances back at me before she takes the first step, her eyes full of wonder as she takes in my home. By the third step, I groan inwardly, realizing this is a mistake because I’m now eye level with her delectable bottom. I remember it being the perfect fit in my hands, and I can’t help wondering what type of underwear she has on under her clothes and what she tastes like. The thought of which, is playing havoc with my libido.

  By the time we reach the top of the stairs, my heart has started to pound and my dick has risen.

  Rona

  When I reach the top of the stairs, I move forward a few steps not knowing where my room is. As I hear my bag hit the floor behind me, Cade’s hands slide around my hips, sending my heart soaring as he steps in close to me. His chest presses against my back, but as I try to turn around to face him, he stops me by tightening his grip.

  “Don’t turn around,” Cade whispers, close to my ear, sending shards of pleasure through me. “If you do, I won’t be able to stop myself from kissing you, and I can’t. You have me bewitched! Already having you in my home is making me crazy. I find I can’t keep my hands to myself where you’re concerned. I think you were right when you said Jake and I need the chaperone, because all I want is you naked in my bed,” he groans.

  Taking hold of his hands that are still on my hips, I bring them to my stomach and wrap myself deeper into his embrace against his chest. His erection throbs against my bottom. He leans closer, nudging my neck with his nose as I move my head to the side to give him better access.

  He doesn’t waste any time before his open-mouthed kisses flutter against my pulse while he tightens his hold on me. He bites down slightly on my ear, sending shivers straight down between my thighs. Finding it impossible to stay still, I wiggle against his hardness, only to hear him curse under his breath.

  He puts his hands back on my hips and starts to pull away. “If I don’t move away now, I’ll have you where you stand, to hell with anyone who walks in. Do you understand what I’m saying? I want you so damn much.”

  I tu
rn around to look at him, but he avoids meeting my eyes and bends down to pick my baggage up.

  Straightening, he rearranges himself with a grimace and turns down the hall, leaving me no choice but to follow him. All I want him to do is to lead me to his room to finish what he started, to put out the fire raging through my blood after having his hands on me.

  While I’m having naughty thoughts, Cade stops and nudges open the door to a bedroom, which I presume is going to be mine.

  As I enter, the first thing in the room I notice is the thick, dark green carpet. My feet sink into it. Looking up from the floor, I notice the main feature of the room, a large four-poster bed with a beautiful red and gold covering. There is a desk to the side with a large circular lamp taking up most of the space on its surface. Two wide windows fill one wall and give a perfect view of the pond and mountain range beyond. The room is simply stunning.

  “Totally amazing,” I murmur. The sofa in front of the window is cozy enough for sleep, and is covered in the same red and gold design as the bed.

  “This is a gorgeous room. Even the floor looks cushiony. I could probably sleep on it.”

  Cade smiles. “I thought you would prefer this room. The bathroom is through that door and everything you should need is already in there, but if not, just let me know.” Cade hesitates in the doorway. “I’ll put your bag here and leave you to rest up. I think I’ll go and grab a shower and change, then head down to get dinner started. Are you okay with pasta?”

  “Pasta happens to be my favorite meal, so yes, that sounds good. Would you like some help?” I ask to be polite, hoping he refuses because I really need some time on my own.

  “No, I have it covered.” With a glance, he backs out of the room and shuts the door, leaving me alone.

  God, he is so sexy. What the hell am I doing?

  I let out a sigh of relief and drop down onto the bed with my eyes shut, feeling so tired and confused.

  Cade

  Pasta, a quick and easy meal if only I can get Rona out of my head. When I left her earlier in her room, I ran to my room to have a shower. The warm water had worked out my travel-weary muscles but the cold end doused my libido, at least a little.

  My libido is in check for now, but with how out of control it is around Rona, I don’t think that will last long. I dress in dark blue jeans and a pale blue, long-sleeved, ribbed tee shirt, which hopefully covers anything I don’t want seen. Usually I wear loose trousers around the house, but knowing I’ll probably end up with a hard-on, I figure it will be more noticeable tented in trousers than restrained in jeans.

  Turning around, I find Rona has approached the kitchen without my knowledge. She looks good enough to eat and having showered as well, her hair is still damp. She’s wearing some kind of stretchy vest top underneath a soft knit cardigan, which she pulls together as I give her a once over. She has paired this with what my daughter calls yoga pants and a thick pair of socks. With no shoes on, no wonder I didn’t hear her approach.

  “Do you need help with anything?” Rona asks with a tender smile on her face.

  “No, I’ve got it covered. Why don’t you take a seat while I get you a drink? Would you like a soft drink or alcoholic?”

  “As we are having Italian to eat, I would love a glass of wine if it’s no trouble.”

  “No trouble.”

  I pour her a glass of Gavi as she makes herself comfortable at the breakfast bar.

  “So, what do you do when not on vacation?” I ask, just as Jake comes through the door.

  “Give me five minutes to change,” he shouts, dashing to his room.

  “I worked for a design company. We would get a lot of business creating company logos, but occasionally I would get the chance to do something fun like wedding invitations, promotional posters for movies, and stuff like that. Actually I love creating book covers, because I’m given a copy of the book to read so I can do it justice.” She laughs. “Sometimes I cheat when I have no interest in the book and just read the book’s description, but I love to read so getting a copy of some books is definitely an added bonus.”

  “It sounds like you love your job.” I drain the pasta and put everything into serving dishes.

  “What about you? What business are you in?”

  “I’m a lawyer, but only take the odd case, because I much prefer staying here on the ranch and keeping the training center on its toes.”

  “You run a training center? I bet that’s wonderful, being able to spend your time doing what you love.”

  I take my eyes off the pasta and glance up at her, wondering how she knows I love working with the horses.

  “I could hear it in your voice.” She answers my unspoken question.

  I add, “Beth and Anna run the equestrian center, on the other side of the property. We train various breeds, and I get involved with that part of the business when they have a large group booking or if they generally need help. We also employ a few staff at both sites. Everything runs smoothly, most of the time.”

  “That sounds really interesting. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about horses, though. Perhaps you can take me out on one of yours while I’m here? You’ll have to be gentle with me.”

  “Always,” I reply, trying to keep the longing I feel for her at bay.

  Rona

  As we sit down for dinner, Jake joins us. His dark hair wet and a small nick on his cheek, he’s obviously showered and shaved before coming down for dinner.

  “Was everything okay?” Cade asks as Jake takes his seat at the table.

  “The stables are fine and no problems while you were away. The horses look good.” Jake smiles. “I found a few invoices that need paying so I’ve left them in your office.”

  “I’ll sort them out tomorrow. Let’s eat.”

  Cade’s pasta and Italian sauce has my taste buds exploding. Wow! It’s the best sauce I’ve ever had, a melody of rich tomatoes, herbs and flavors that make me dream of Italy. I close my eyes and enjoy the flavor bursting on my tongue before I take another bite. It’s almost impossible to bite back a moan—I haven’t eaten such an amazing meal in years, if ever. Finishing my meal rather quickly, I look up to see Cade watching me. I hope I haven’t acted like a savage by shoveling the food into my mouth.

  “Did you like it?” Cade asks with a soft smile on his face.

  I blush. “I certainly did. That was the most enjoyable meal I can ever remember having and the sauce was amazing.”

  “An old family recipe,” Cade offers. “Would you like some tiramisu with a cappuccino, maybe?”

  “Oh, wow. You carry on feeding me like this, and I may never want to leave.”

  Cade’s eyes shoot to mine, but he quickly looks away.

  “That’s the plan.” Jake grins.

  Standing, I help them both clear the table and load the dishes into the dishwasher, despite their protests that I’m their guest.

  Once the kitchen has been put back to rights, we take our coffee and dessert into the lounge. This area is made for comfort and has two large sofas and four oversized chairs.

  Taking one of the chairs with a side table, I unload my hands while making myself comfortable in the chair. Leaning back, I take a small sip of coffee and return the cup to the table so I can eat my dessert—delicious.

  “I promised I would help some friends move house tomorrow,” Jake says, breaking the comfortable silence in the room. “But if you want, the day after, I can take you around Teton Village or into Jackson Hole for some shopping or sightseeing. We can get lunch.”

  “Once I get some calls over with first thing, I can take Rona to Teton Village for some fresh air and to show her around. You could take her to Jackson Hole the day after.” As Cade says this, I can’t help but think his suggestion sounds a bit forced. Listening to them discussing my activities without asking me would normally have gotten my back up, but, for some reason, it fills me with warmth. It’s been a long time since I had anyone wanting to see to my needs, which I feel both
of them are trying to do.

  Jake, obviously not hearing anything weird in his dad’s voice, agrees. “Yeah, that would be better, that way Rona will have something to do tomorrow.” Jake looks at me. “Okay with you?”

  “I’d love to go out tomorrow so that would be great.”

  Having finished my coffee and dessert, my eyes feel heavy and I feel myself drifting off to sleep. Opening my eyes, I see Cade looking at me so I offer him a sleepy smile. “I think I need to go to bed. I hope you don’t mind me leaving you so early in the evening.”

  With my words, Cade’s eyes darken.

  I wish he were mine to cuddle up to in bed.

  “That’s fine . . . sweet dreams,” Cade replies.

  Jake laughs. “Do you want me to tuck you in?”

  “I think I can manage,” I reply, not looking at Cade, who has gone tense thanks to Jake’s teasing.

  Finally excusing myself, I head to my room and the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and dropping the cardigan over the arm of the sofa, I climb into bed, switching the light off. I’m asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

  Cade

  I try to ignore Rona as she walks away from the living room and heads for the stairs, but I’m so drawn to her, my eyes track her until she disappears from view.

  I’ve probably been alone too long, and that’s why I can’t keep my eyes from her. Once or twice during dinner I caught the look of longing on her face as she gazed at me. There’s a pull between us I can’t explain, and I’m not sure I want to. For once in my life, I’ve met someone who makes me want to go after what I desire instead of letting it pass me by. Not that I’ve ever felt this kind of pull toward a woman before.