She wiggled her ankle around, testing to see how it felt. It had a greater range of motion, and there was a lot less pain.
There was no pain at all when Andrew rocked my socks off.
She let out a giggle. Every time she remembered the smoldering sex they had just had, she felt her stomach clench. When she pictured his face, and emotion-filled gaze, her heart tightened to the point where she could barely breathe.
His body. Oh his beautiful body. His smile. His eyes. His deep, growling moans when he came. The way he called her name. His ability to be both rough and tender at the same time.
The one thing that, by far, stood out as the most memorable was when he allowed her to kiss his mark. She saw his fear and shock, and it only made her want him more. Sweet Jesus, she could just wrap him in her arms all over again. He didn’t need words. His eyes told her the entire grief-stricken story, line by line, beat by beat. The single tear that rolled down his face possessed her soul, and would for all time.
Abby took a step and looked down at the ankle. Surprisingly, there was a lot less pain. She could put almost all her weight on the sore ankle.
Kama Sutra therapy.
She beamed like never before.
“Phew,” she said aloud, and sulked a little that Andrew wouldn’t need to carry her around.
Damn. No more Man Fridays.
She got dressed and felt good about being able to walk around on her own, even though there was a clear limp. She was on the mend. It would be fine in a couple more days. She opened the door to head to the living room, only to see Andrew walking down the hall to head back to his room or office. There were so many doors after Abby’s room—an entertainment room, gym, library, a more elegant sitting room—she couldn’t tell where he was going. She didn’t care. She was just so happy to see him.
“Good morning,” she greeted him cheerfully.
He turned and winked at her. Every part of her wanted to grab him by the shirt collar and pull him into her room, but she took his lead.
“Good morning. Had a good sleep?”
“Yes, thank you. It was great, and the day is half gone. I didn’t realize I was so tired.”
“It’s understandable.”
He was such a tease, because his eyes said something different. Clearly, he was being mindful of the other guests she could hear milling about in the living room.
“How’s your ankle?”
By then, Abby was in stitches. Try as she might, she couldn’t play along anymore, and she didn’t care who could hear or see them. She grabbed the loose fabric of his woodsy plaid shirt and pulled him down so she could plant a long kiss on his lips. She saw his eyes widen as they kissed. He obviously did not expect her to make such a public display.
She must have broken down any remaining hesitation he had, because soon, his massive hands gripped her waist. He pulled from the kiss and picked her up—again. He stepped forward, and in two strides, he had taken her right back inside her room.
“What would you think if I asked you to take me now, Andrew?” she whispered in his ear before he lowered her to the ground.
“Mmmm. God, Abby,” he groaned. “I would think you’re the wildest sex kitten that ever graced my presence.”
“Well, maybe we should wait until this evening,” she admitted, letting logic get the better of her.
“I was thinking the same thing,” he agreed, bending to kiss her hair. “For the sake of your friends.”
“You’re right,” she said, and planted one more kiss at the spot on his chest where her lips met him in height.
“We’d better get out there so no one comes looking for you again. Would you like something to eat?”
“Gosh, yes! I can probably prepare something on my own now. Can you show me around the kitchen?”
“Sure, but your friends have already made lunch.” He held the door open for her. “After you.”
They walked to the living room, and it seemed that no one was the wiser about their mind-blowing escapade last night.
* * *
ANDREW needed to let Abby have her time with her friends. As much as he wanted to ravage her breathtaking body, he could wait. He was a patient man, if nothing else. She greeted them and made light conversation, and he took the opportunity to leave the room when it presented itself. Small talk in a group had never been his kind of thing.
He unlocked the front door and had to give it a forceful push to open it. A substantial about of snow that had fallen on the porch.
He turned back to get his boots and jacket in the closet so he could check things out. The snow had definitely stopped, and the weather felt somewhat mild. He looked out to the tree line, their tops and branches all bowed down from the weight of the snowfall as though worshipping Mother Nature.
Like I worshipped Abby last night.
The sky was a brilliant blue, as though there had never been a raging blizzard. He made a quick assessment of how much snow had fallen. By the looks of the porch and guesthouse door in the distance, it could have been anywhere between four to five feet. He hoped his plowing service would get freed up to come dig him out. They were a private service, but it was unlikely they would come before the public roads were cleared first.
He would have to get the men inside to help him clear enough to get to the firewood in the storage garage. It meant manually shoveling from the side door to the shed so he could pull out the snow blower. That would be enough to clear a path from the shed to the porch steps. Maybe the able-bodied ladies could help too.
He went back inside and took off his boots, intending to warm up some food for Abby before he got started on the outdoor job. Thankfully, she had made her way to the kitchen with Trina, who had served her lunch. When Trina looked over at him, she blushed. Andrew wondered whether she knew more about him and Abby than they were aware. Women could be so intuitive. Some of them, anyway.
“Hi.” Abby called to him, on her best behavior in the company of her friend. “How’s it looking out there?”
“It’s dangerously beautiful. We probably got five feet of snow, but it’s quite peaceful now.”
“That’s what happens when Mother Nature puts the world on notice that she’s still in charge,” Trina replied. “All anyone and anything can do is pay her their respects and wait it out, right?”
“Exactly.” Andrew nodded politely. “So where are Rob and John? I’m going to need them to help get the firewood.”
“I think they went to your gym to work out,” Trina answered. “Do you want me to get them?”
“Please,” he answered. “They’ll get enough of a workout outside. Tell them to check the closet outside the gym for winter boots. There should be a few that will fit. There are mittens and gloves on a shelf in there too.”
“Sure.” She smiled and left, giving Andrew his chance. He made a beeline for Abby. He had to kiss her. It was becoming like breathing. He just couldn’t be in the same room without all his senses buzzing.
“Are you enjoying the meal?” He bent forward to kiss her hair while she ate.
“Yes,” she answered with zeal. “I could probably eat a twelve-course meal right now.”
“I could probably eat you right now,” he whispered in her ear.
“Mmmm,” she moaned her weak reply and turned her head to meet his welcoming lips.
Andrew stood up quickly. Some was walking down the hallway. Rob and John entered, dressed in their winter coats, boots, and gloves.
“Good timing, gentlemen.” He moved toward the hallway, and looked back at her with raised eyebrows.
“See you later, Abby.”
* * *
ABBY saw Trina walk back into the kitchen with her jaw dropped and her mouth wide open. “What’s the matter, Trina?”
“You guys did the nasty!” she said with a muffled squealed.
“I’m not saying a word,” Abby answered tersely. “We’re all adults. I don’t need to explain my actions to anyone here.”
“Relax, g
irl, I’m happy for you!” she squealed again, this time so loudly that anyone still in the house must have heard. Trina did a little jig on the spot, shaking her hips while her hand wound around like she was twirling a wand.
“You’re incorrigible,” Abby commented, then burst out laughing.
“This time, I didn’t need to check your face,” Trina said when she stopped her sex dance. “It was his. That man is so into you, no one in this house can ignore it.”
“Is it that obvious?” Abby asked.
“It’s as clear as day, girlfriend, but who cares? As you said, none of our business. I’m still so happy for you.”
Abby let Trina do all the talking while she stood up and placed her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. It was full, and already had a dishwashing pod inside, so she started it.
“Let’s go to the living room,” she called to Trina. “Please don’t…”
“Yeah, yeah, you know my lips are sealed,” she answered as they walked to the living room. “Especially not with Barb. She’s been such a twat this morning. The woman has already picked a fight with me, and she’s out there now, probably bullying Ruth again.”
“Hey.” Ruth smiled when they walked in. She was standing at the window. “Do you think they might plow the roads to get to us out soon?”
“Andrew mentioned to John it may be in a couple days,” Trina answered.
“God, what in hell am I going to do here for two more days!” Barb shrieked from the fireplace. She stormed out of the room, and they could hear her bound up the stairs. A door slammed upstairs shortly after.
“Sore loser,” Ruth said, turning toward them.
“Hey, ladies,” Trina tried to change the subject. “I checked, and the landline phones work this morning.”
“Oh, good,” Abby replied with relief. “My cell phone is dead, and I haven’t called my father since we left Sparks. He’s probably so worried. I’ll go call him from the guest room. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She limped back to her room, and walked over to sit at the chair beside the window. The phone was on a table in that corner of the room. He picked up on the fourth ring.
“Hi, Dad,” she said calmly, not wanting to add any more worry to what he probably had stored up for two days.
“Abby, honey. I’m so glad to hear from you, love. Did you make it okay to Truckee? When I didn’t hear from you, I figured you might have made it back to school.”
“No, Dad.” Her father was not as wound up as she had expected him to be. She wondered why, but held the thought to let him know about the SUV. “I’m fine, but not in San Francisco yet. We had to take another route to pick up one of Rob’s friends. I ended up getting into an accident. I crashed the SUV that night we left, and it got stuck. We had to find shelter, and a local took us in. We’re down at Lake Tahoe.”
“Accident? Wait, honey. Are you okay?”
“Everyone is okay, Dad,” she answered. “My ankle is sprained, but not from the accident. The car is not okay. We’re going to have to call the insurance company. I think it’s totaled.”
“Honey, I don’t care about the car. Are you and your friends okay? Are you safe where you are?”
“Yes, Dad. We’re warm and safe. Andrew…the local who took us in, he says the plows will be here in two days. After I finish this call, I’ll phone school to let them know about our delay.”
“Well, you give this Andrew fellow my thanks for taking care of my daughter, okay?”
If he only knew.
She smiled and held back an unexpected sob. “I love you, Dad. I’ll tell him. How about you? Are you doing all right?”
“I am fine as wine, honey,” he said. It used to be his favorite thing to say when he was happy. She hadn’t heard him say that since long before Mom died.
“Dad, did something happen?” There was something different about him.
“There’s nothing to worry about, love. We had our share of stranded vehicles all up and down Highway eighty. The house is filled to the rafters with a busload of middle aged women who were on their way to some kind of Tupperware convention. Most of the neighbors here are hosting stragglers. Everything is okay.”
“That’s good, Dad,” she answered. She knew something was up.
Could he have found someone due to the storm too?
“Don’t you worry about your old man, young lady. You take care of that ankle. I’ll call the insurance company and have them set up a rental for you. This phone number that’s showing up on my call display, is that where you’ll be?”
“Yes. I’ll find a cell charger soon, and you’ll be able to call me there too. Okay, Dad. Speak to you soon. Love you.”
“I love you too, honey. Take care.”
She smiled when she hung up, relieved her father was so calm. She wondered whether he could hear any change in her voice too.
Chapter Eighteen
ANDREW and the men had finished their work outside. Everyone was back in their rooms by midafternoon, and relaxing. Or so he thought. He had left Abby to her friends and her reading, and had been in his office reviewing some of the lower priority documents his father had couriered the week before.
His father was intent on keeping Andrew firmly rooted in their businesses. With Joy single-mindedly focused on her long-term obsession, Andrew was the only logical choice. Billions of dollars were at stake, and Andrew felt it was the least he could do. His father had been the one man to stand firm at his side throughout his most painful moments after Emma died—and for his dark times when he came to learn what he was.
Back when Andrew was in high school, his father did not want him to become a doctor. To Andrew, it never made sense. There was probably no other parent on the planet who preferred to steer their offspring away from devoting their lives to the medical care of others. After the accident, when Andrew abandoned medicine, he desperately needed a distraction. Something, anything to end the tumultuous pain. His father took the opportunity to thrust as much of the business onto Andrew as he could. Andrew was adamant he did not want to set foot in an office, boardroom, or any meeting or negotiation of any kind. He also asked for Lake Tahoe. His father was only too pleased to allow him both. For one thing, Dad had never liked Lake Tahoe. It had been his mother’s favorite place to vacation in the summer.
She left Dad after he and Joy had gone off to university. To Paris. To paint. No other man. Or woman. Asking for nothing from his father but to be left alone. For no other reason other than to enjoy her love of being a painter. At least, that was what she told him and Joy. When she left, she didn’t look back. Andrew had heard from her only once, right after Emma died.
Their divorce had already left the Lake Tahoe cottage neglected. For him, it was the perfect place to retreat from society. When his father gave him responsibility for all their companies’ back end business strategy development, Andrew took it willingly. It was something to do to kill the time and distract his mind from it. He wondered whether anything would change inside of him, now that he’d met Abby.
By early evening, he had read some reports created by his staff who worked at the Manhattan headquarters. There were no high-priority action items, so he got up to check on Abby and prepare dinner if needed.
Rob and Ruth were in the kitchen, just finishing dinner, so he went to look in on Abby.
“Come in,” she shouted when he knocked on the door.
He was already hard for her the second he turned the doorknob. He cursed his erection for tenting his jeans. He stepped in, shifting around to get it under control, but it had its own mind.
“How are you?” she asked as he walked in.
“Do you really want to know?” he asked, looking down at his pants with a mixture of longing and mild shame.
She stood up from her chair and limped to him. There was no hesitation when she placed her hand on his pants and moved it up and down the jean-clad shaft.
“I wish I could help you right now,” she whispered.
“What you’re
doing right there is definitely not helping,” he said between moans, not wanting her to stop, but well aware the timing wasn’t right time to continue. “I came in to call you for dinner.”
“I can go so many places with that,” she teased.
“I’d go with you. How about we have dinner now? We can sneak away from the crowd later and make it an early night.”
“It sounds like a dessert date. You’ve got a deal. Okay, let’s go.”
He held out his arm for her in case she still needed support to walk. Abby she took it but not for support. She led him out of the bedroom and down the hall.
Barb had made it to the dining room for the meal. Andrew noticed how convenient it was that she showed up to eat, yet he had never seen her prepare a meal or offer to help the others with chores. She reminded him of the numerous women who had pursued him before Emma. They came out of the woodwork only because of what his family had. He paid her no mind. In fact, the less he saw of her, the better.
Rob and Ruth brought the food from the kitchen onto the dining room. Rob had the meatloaf on a serving platter. It was one of two things he said he could cook. Ruth carried two serving bowls. One held mashed potatoes—the second thing Rob knew how to cook—and the other, a garden salad.
“Is anyone going to call John and Trina?” Abby had not seen them for a few hours.
“They’re not here,” Rob answered nonchalantly.
Andrew looked over at them in lightning speed. “What do you mean, they’re not here? Where are they?”
“They took Abby’s keys about an hour ago, and went to get some things from the SUV.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” Andrew shouted. His voice boomed and echoed across the long dining room walls.
“No. John said he could get back to the SUV with his eyes closed. He needed his phone charger to find the number of some school project partner he was working with on an assignment.”
Cabin Bear Heat Box Set: A Paranormal Fantasy Bear Shifter Romance (A Bear Shifter Romance Retelling of the Billionaire Redemption Series Book 2) Page 13
