by Marie Force
She curved her hands over his shoulders and down his back, which rippled from the effort to hold himself above her. “It’s okay,” she said. “I want to feel you next to me.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You couldn’t.”
Rather than put his weight on her though, he turned them over so she was on top of him. “Is this okay?” he asked, running his hands up her arms to her shoulders and then down to cup her breasts.
“It’s more than okay.”
“I wish you could see what I see when I look at you.”
“Back atcha. You’ve got my sister and my niece dazzled.”
“As long as you’re dazzled, that’s all I care about.”
“I am well and truly dazzled by you, Colton Abbott.”
“Excellent,” he said with a smugly adorable smile.
She was looking down at him when the room seemed to spin around her. She flattened her hands on his chest and closed her eyes before the spinning could make her nauseated.
“What?”
“Just a little dizzy.”
“We shouldn’t be doing this.” He turned her again so she was on her back and pulled the covers up and over them. After kissing her softly and sweetly, he said, “We have all week for this kind of fun. We need to get you better.”
“I know you’re worried about me, and I do love you for that, but you’ve got me all hot and bothered over here. If you leave me in this condition, I’m just going to feel worse—and I’m going to be cranky, too.” As she spoke, she cupped her breasts and ran her thumbs over her nipples, watching his eyes go hot with lust. It was the most overtly sexual thing she’d ever done in the presence of a man, and his reaction made her feel powerful and desired.
“Christ have mercy, Lucy. You know how to drive a guy wild.”
“I only know how to drive you wild.”
“That’s all that matters.” He leaned over her and drew one of the nipples she had teased to life into his mouth, sucking and tugging lightly but firmly enough to make her squirm.
She held his head to her chest and arched into him, needing to get closer.
He moved above her, giving her other breast the same treatment as he caressed her body with his work-roughened hands.
Lucy raised her arms over her head, surrendering to him completely.
“Yes, honey, yes. Let me love you.” His words, whispered against her belly, were nearly her undoing. He touched her profoundly with the way he spoke to her as he showed her how much he loved her. By the time he leaned back and pulled her panties off, Lucy was more than ready for him. But he tested her readiness just the same. It took only one touch of his fingers to her core to make her come.
“Colton,” she said, gasping as she reached for him. “Need you.”
“I’m here. I’m right here.”
At some point, he’d gotten rid of his jeans and boxers and was now poised over her, guiding himself with a hand wrapped around the base of his cock. On his knees, he pushed forward, stretching her as he went.
“Mmm,” he said against her ear, making her shiver and tremble. “So tight. God, it’s all I can do not to come right now. You make me crazy, Lucy. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”
Swept away by his words and the tender way he moved above her, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, wanting him as close as she could get him. His powerful muscles flexed under her hands as he devastated her with his gentleness. He held her tight, but not too tight while he gave himself to her completely, holding nothing back. All the while, he kept a close watch for any sign of distress from her. But all she felt was bliss—pure, amazing bliss.
“Come for me again, Lucy. I want to feel you.” He reached down to where they were joined to coax her, teasing and touching her until she exploded, clinging to him as he joined her. “Wow,” he said after a protracted period of silence during which the only thing she could hear was the roar of her own heart and his breathing. He raised his head to look down at her. “I used to think it was kind of funny when people talked about making love, as if sex isn’t sex, no matter how you do it. But now I get it. It’s different when you’re in love.”
Lucy reached up to push the sweaty hair off his forehead. “It certainly is. Nothing has ever felt that good. Ever.”
“For me either,” he said with a soft kiss before he withdrew from her and turned onto his back, reaching for her.
Lucy curled up to him, putting her arm and leg around him.
He cupped her bottom and pulled her in even tighter against him.
She wanted to stay right here, in this moment with him, forever. This kind of contentment had eluded her in the past. Sure, she had a great job and family and friends who loved her. But this . . . This was something else altogether, and now that she’d had it, now that she’d been loved by him, everything was different—she was different, and there was no going back to who she’d been before.
“What’re you thinking about?” he asked her.
“That I want to stay right here for as long as I possibly can.”
“Me, too.” He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. “Close your eyes and rest for a while. We’ve got nowhere to be and nothing to do but be together.”
Hearing that, Lucy was able to relax and enjoy the rare luxury of nowhere to be and a full day to spend cuddled up to her favorite person.
* * *
Colton had never been one to laze a day away in bed, but he was happy to make an exception to that rule today because it meant he got to spend hours cuddled up to naked Lucy. That was the closest thing to paradise he’d ever experienced, and he never wanted to let her go.
While she slept on her belly, he ran his hand up and down her back, reveling in the soft smoothness of her pale skin.
“Mmm,” she said. “That feels good.”
“You feel good.”
She yawned and stretched. “What time is it?”
“About two thirty.”
“In the afternoon?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Oh my God. I never do this.”
“Neither do I, but if you ask me, we’ve been missing out. Lying around in bed naked all day might be my new favorite way to spend a Saturday.”
“I’m trying to picture you on your mountain, lolling about naked in bed.”
Laughing, he kissed her shoulder. “The only way that’s happening is if you’re there with me.”
“I want to come home with you next weekend. I hope you know how much I want to do it. I just need to be sure I can pull it off at work.”
“I understand completely. We both have obligations that have to be seen to. You’ll never get any flak from me about seeing to yours. I promise.”
“I’m trying to figure out . . .”
“What, honey?”
“How our casual weekends turned into wanting to spend every minute of every day together.”
“It was never casual for me, Luce. I’ve felt something different for you since that first minute in the conference room. You looked at me, and pow. Different.”
“I felt it, too.”
He reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear and cup her cheek with his big hand. “We’re lucky, you know? Most people never experience that. Sure, there’re all sorts of challenges standing in the way, but they don’t seem insurmountable because I get to be with you this way even some of the time.”
“You make me believe it’s all going to be okay.”
“It will be. One way or another, we’ll figure it out.” His stomach let out a loud rumble that made her laugh. “Time for lunch. Do you think you could eat something?”
“I’m actually hungry, too.”
“That’s a good sign.”
“I need a shower first though.”
He got out of bed. “Funny, so do I. Shall we?”
“You’re very obvious, you know?”
“How so?”
“You want me naked and soapy in the shower so you can hav
e your way with me again.”
“That is so not true.”
Lucy glanced down to watch his cock harden before her eyes. “Uh-huh. Right.”
“You’re the one who said the words naked and soapy. How is that his fault?”
“It’s true,” she said gravely. “He can’t help that he’s attached to a fifteen-year-old boy.”
“I’m insulted on his behalf.” He hooked an arm around her waist and hugged her from behind, pressing his insulted erection against her bottom. “And only a couple of hours ago you were all like ‘Oh, Colton, yes, yes, yes, harder, Colton,’ and now you’re being totally rude to him. He’s not going to forget this.”
She elbowed him. “I never said any of that.”
“I heard it.”
Wrenching free of him, she went ahead of him into the bathroom and turned on the water. “You’re making things up.”
“I’ll remind you of this later when you’re all about him.”
“If you keep this up, there’ll be nothing happening later.”
Approaching her from behind again, he slid his hands up the front of her to cup her breasts, and sure enough her legs went weak. “Yes, there will. You can’t resist me.”
Since she could hardly argue that point and had no interest in resisting him, she decided to cede the point to him.
CHAPTER 27
Length of season: 46 days. The range in our records since 1980 is 15 to 49 days. Technology is pushing the boundaries of sugar season, since modern tubing systems prevent the tap holes from drying out as quickly.
—Colton Abbott’s sugaring journal, after the boil
With her wedding coming up soon, Hannah couldn’t seem to keep up with all the details swirling around her. In the midst of a hot and sultry summer day in Vermont, all she wanted to do was sleep, which was extremely unusual for her. No matter how much she slept at night lately, it wasn’t enough. She told herself that once they got past the wedding and settled into normal life that she’d feel better.
“God, I hope so,” she said out loud as she headed downstairs.
“You say something, hon?” Nolan called from the kitchen where he was making a late lunch after working all morning. He was putting in extra time at the garage so he could take a week off after the wedding. It would be the longest he’d ever been away from the garage. His faithful but unreliable sidekick, Skeeter, had assured him he’d keep the place running in Nolan’s absence. They were hoping for the best.
“I was talking to myself,” she said when she joined Nolan in the kitchen where he was eating a sandwich standing up. “Leftover habit from years of living alone.” He’d left the deli turkey on the counter and the sight of it turned her stomach.
Hannah hoped she wasn’t coming down with something so close to the big day. That would truly suck.
“You okay?” he asked, taking a closer look at her. “You’re kind of pale.”
“I’m just tired.”
“You’re sleeping a lot lately. How can you be tired?”
“I was just wondering that same thing. Too much on my mind, I suppose.”
“Are you going somewhere?”
“To meet Cameron to talk about the inn. We’ve got a lot to do before the grand opening over Labor Day. With the wedding and our week at the lake coming up, we’re getting short on time.”
Nolan finished the sandwich, wiped his mouth with a paper towel and came over to her, resting his hands on her shoulders. “May I make what might be an unpopular suggestion?”
“What’s that?”
“How about you push back your grand opening a little to give yourself a break from this pace you’re keeping? It’s enough to wear anyone out. I want you to enjoy our wedding, Hannah. Not have it be a box you check on your endless to-do list.”
Hannah gaped at him. “Did you honestly just say that?” She pulled back from him, appalled that he could think such a thing, let alone say it.
“Maybe I said that wrong.”
“Maybe?” She picked up her purse and keys and headed for the garage.
“Don’t leave mad, Hannah.”
“I’m not mad.” In truth, she was trying very hard not to cry, which was infuriating. Her emotions were all over the place lately—highs, lows and everything in between. She’d chalked that up to the naturally emotional process of getting remarried seven years after being widowed. But still, her reactions to everything seemed overly extreme, even to her.
Nolan followed her to the garage with their puppy, Homer Junior, scurrying along behind him. “Babe, wait. I’m sorry.” He reached for her arm to stop her. “Oh, damn. Are you crying?”
“No, I’m not crying.”
“Well, um . . .” He used his thumbs to clear the moisture from her cheeks. “You’re leaking, then.”
The comment made her laugh even as more tears spilled from her eyes.
Nolan gathered her into his embrace. “I’m sorry. That was a shitty thing to say.”
Hannah rested her head against his chest and put her arms around him. “It’s okay. I can see why you said it with the way I’ve been lately, running around like the proverbial chicken without a head.”
“Still . . . You didn’t deserve that, and I’m sorry I said it.”
She looked up to offer him a smile. “Did we just have our first fight?”
“I think it was more a matter of me being an insensitive clod. I’m still new at this relationship business. You’ve got a lot of work to do to whip me into shape.”
“And I’m looking forward to every minute of it.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “What’re you going to do while I’m gone?”
He scooped up the puppy, who’d been circling their feet. “Homie and I are going to cut your grass.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, we do.” Nolan kissed her nose and then her lips. “Go ahead and hurry back. You’re taking the rest of the day off when you get home to snuggle with me.”
“Snuggle, huh? With clothes or without?”
“The good kind. No clothes.”
“I’ll look forward to that.”
He kissed her again, lingering this time. “I love you, Hannah. I can’t wait to be married to you.”
“I can’t wait either. Fourteen days.”
“That many?” He held the car door for her and waved to her as she drove off. By the time she returned, he’d have the grass cut for her even though he had his own grass to cut. They were planning to move to his place once the inn opened to the public but weren’t rushing that with everything else they had going on. For now, he was all but living with her at the house she’d shared with Caleb.
It was time for a change, in more ways than one. The years she’d spent alone in the huge Victorian after Caleb died had healed her to the point where she was ready to move forward with Nolan. But she’d never forget the happiness she’d known in that house with Caleb and his dog, Homer Senior, who was now buried in the backyard.
The plan to use the house as a retreat for women who’d lost their husbands to war was coming together nicely, and the first weeks after the grand opening were already booked thanks to Cameron’s marketing forte. In record time, she’d launched a website, a Facebook page and a mailing list, things that would’ve taken Hannah months to accomplish on her own. And Cameron had done all that while moving to Vermont to live with Will and while building a complex website for the Abbott family store.
To say Hannah admired her new friend greatly was putting it mildly. She’d quickly become one of Hannah’s favorite people, and she looked forward to the day when Cameron would officially become an Abbott.
Hannah got to the diner about fifteen minutes before Cameron was due to arrive and since the place was all but empty, Hannah had her choice of tables. She slid into a booth facing the door so she could watch for Cam. Knowing Cameron’s issues with Megan, Hannah had suggested they meet at the coffee shop instead. But Cameron had said she refused to hide from anyone, least of all Megan
.
“Hi, Hannah,” Megan said. “What can I get you?”
“Coffee would be great and an ice water, please.” Hannah studied the woman who’d captured the attention of her brother Hunter and tried to look beyond the crankiness to see what might’ve attracted him to her.
Megan had long blonde hair, delicate features and high cheekbones. While her personality could be formidable at times, now that Hannah looked closer, she decided there was something distinctly fragile about her. She wondered if Hunter had noticed that, too.
Hannah was almost ashamed to realize that she’d seen Megan several times per week for years but didn’t know much more about her other than she was the sister of Nina, who owned the diner with her husband, Brett. She also knew that Megan and Nina had lost their parents in a car accident quite some time ago.
Megan returned to the table with a mug of coffee, a glass of ice water and a small pitcher of cream.
“Can you sit for a second?” Hannah asked her, surprising herself almost as much as she seemed to surprise Megan. She told herself she was doing this for Hunter.
“Oh, um, I’m working.”
“Can you take a break? Just for a minute.”
“Ah.” She looked over her shoulder to her sister, who was busy doing paperwork at the counter. “I guess. Sure.”
Hannah stirred cream into her coffee and added a dash of sugar. She’d pay for the late-day caffeine later when she was staring at the ceiling wide awake in the middle of the night. “I was thinking we don’t know each other all that well, despite living in the same town for so many years.”
“Oh. I thought you were going to chew me out for being a jerk to your friend like your brother did.”
“So you admit you’ve been a jerk?”
“Sort of.” Megan flipped a pen back and forth between her fingers. “Yeah, I have. I know it’s not her fault that he chose her.”
“Maybe you ought to tell her that, huh?”
Megan nodded. “Maybe. I heard you’re getting married. Congratulations. Nolan is a really nice guy.”
“Yes, he is, and thank you.”
“I was, um, sorry about your husband. He was a nice guy, too.”
