by Marie Force
* * *
Lucy had a million and one things to do, especially since she was moving heaven and earth to be able to go home with Colton on Saturday. However, hearing he was on his way back to her apartment—and apparently revved up after his day at the trade show—had her making all kinds of excuses at the office.
“I might leave early, too,” Diana said. “Still not a hundred percent after the weekend from hell.” Her face was ghastly pale, but Lucy didn’t look much better.
“Has anyone heard from Mel? Did she survive?”
“She called this morning to make sure we were okay. Her husband made her go to the ER on Friday night, and they kept her overnight. That’s what I should’ve done. I still feel like hell, and she’s a lot better. All apologies again, of course.”
“Wasn’t her fault. You should go home.”
“I think I will.”
“Before you go, could I talk to you for one second about something?”
Diana eyed her warily, which Lucy deserved. “Sure.”
Lucy closed the door and took a seat in one of Diana’s visitor chairs.
“This is worrisome. You closed the door.”
“Nothing like that. Sorry.”
“Oh good. I’m never quite certain where you’re concerned.”
“And that’s entirely my fault. You replaced my best friend. I miss her. That has absolutely nothing at all to do with you, and I’m sorry if I’ve been an ass to you.”
“You haven’t been an ass, and I knew you and Cameron were tight. It has to be hard to see things change.”
“It’s been really hard, but I’m thrilled for her. Will is an awesome guy, and they’re so happy together.” Lucy bit her lip and forced herself to press on. “Which brings me to my own awesome guy. His brother. Colton.”
“Oh,” Diana said. And then her eyes got very big. “Oh. Are you moving, too?”
“No, nothing quite so dramatic. However, I do find myself wanting to spend more time in a place that’s six hours from here on a good day with no traffic.”
Diana tapped her pen against her chin. “That is a dilemma.”
“His sister is getting married the weekend after next. I’m invited to the shower this weekend and the wedding the following weekend. I was thinking if I jammed a bunch of meetings into this week, I could go up there next week and do the creative portion. Would you have a problem with that?”
“Me? No, not at all.”
“I might need you to handle a few things here that aren’t technically in your job description.”
“Which is also fine.”
“Why are you being so nice to me when I’ve been a total ass to you?”
Diana laughed. “Because I’ve been where you are. I don’t do change very well myself, and I knew you were working it out and you’d come around eventually. Or I’d find another job.” Diana shrugged. “It’s just work. It’s not my whole life.”
“I don’t want you to find another job. You’re doing fantastic work for us, and we’re all very pleased. And that you’re willing to cover for me while I’m out of town is extremely helpful.”
“Happy to do it. I bet you’ll get a lot done up there in the mountains without all the distractions of the office.”
“That’s the plan. Although there will be distractions of another kind.”
“The best kind,” Diana said with a knowing smile.
“Indeed.”
“What’s he like, this guy of yours?”
“He’s . . . He’s amazing. He showed up in the midst of Friday night’s disaster and totally took over.”
“Oh wow. I can’t imagine a guy around for that.”
“Neither could I, but he was incredible through the whole thing. Never batted an eye—and he still wanted to have sex with me afterward.”
Diana howled with laughter. “He sounds like a prince.”
“He is.”
“You’re in love.”
“Very much so.”
“And he lives in Vermont.”
“Yes, he does.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“We don’t have one. This week he’s here. Next week I’m there. The week after that? Who knows? But he says we’ll figure it out, so that’s what we’re doing. We’re figuring it out one week at a time.”
“Good for you, Lucy. You deserve to be happy.”
“That’s nice of you to say, and I’m sorry if I was less than welcoming.”
“You were fine, and I’m glad I waited you out. I have a feeling you’re a good friend to have once you come around.”
“I will be. And thanks for being willing to help me spend time in Vermont.”
“It’s no problem. This is the best job I’ve had in a long time. I’m happy to do whatever you need me to do.”
Though she didn’t have the time, Lucy chatted with Diana for another fifteen minutes, time well spent in getting to know her new colleague a little better. She returned to her own office and was startled to find her dad waiting for her. He hadn’t been there in years, since right after he helped her and Cam move into the office space a year after they started their business.
She gave him a kiss on his cheek. “What’re you doing here? Is everything okay?”
“I’m sorry to bother you at work. They told me you were in a meeting, and they said I could wait for you in here. Hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is. Do you want coffee or tea? I think we have Coke, too.”
“No, I don’t want anything.”
“Why do you look all spun up? What’s wrong?”
“I am. I’m wrong. What I said to you last night about not moving away from me. I was awake all night thinking about it, and it was wrong of me to say that to you.”
“Dad—”
“Wait. Hear me out.” He took a moment, seeming to be searching for the words. “Ever since your mother died—and for a long time before that, if I’m being entirely honest—you’ve been the glue that’s held our family together. We all rely on good old Lucy, and she’s always there for us no matter what.”
“I love you guys, Dad. You’ve never been a burden to me.”
“I know that, Lucy, but there comes a time when you have to live your own life and do what you need to do to be happy. If that means moving to Vermont to live with a man who’s clearly in love with you—and vice versa—then that’s what you should do. As much as I’d miss you, I want you to be happy.”
Lucy went to him and wrapped her arms around him, fighting back tears as he did the same. “I’m not moving, Dad. I meant it when I said that.”
“You shouldn’t rule it out. Not yet anyway.”
“I ruled it out weeks ago when I started to realize this thing with him was turning out to be much more than a weekend fling.”
“Why, Lucy? If Cameron can be happy there, why can’t you?”
“Because she doesn’t have what I have here. She doesn’t have a dad like you and a sister like Emma, a niece like Simone. Not to mention she walked away from the business, which was totally her prerogative, but it leaves me with fewer options, you know?”
“Businesses can be sold or disbanded or even relocated.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Why are you pushing so hard to get rid of me?”
“That’s not what I’m doing. Believe it or not, I know what it’s like to be young and crazy in love. I didn’t get nearly enough time with your mom,” he said softly, his eyes filling. He never talked about his late wife. Ever. Lucy had wondered if he was angry at her for dying, but now she could see he was heartbroken, even after all these years. “Time is a very precious commodity, honey. Don’t squander it. Spend it with the people you love the most.”
“That’s what I’m doing, Dad. And besides, I promised Simone I wouldn’t leave her.”
“Simone doesn’t have the right to ask that of you. None of us do.”
“And none of you have. I’m doing what I want to do. Being here with you is what I want.”
“What about marriage and children and a family of your own? How does that happen if he doesn’t move or you don’t?”
“We haven’t even begun to discuss things like that,” she said, though the question caused a wave of yearning deep inside her. To be married to Colton, to have his children, to laugh with him and wake to his gorgeous face on the pillow next to hers every day . . .
“Lucy, honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
She shook her head, furious with herself for letting her emotions take over. “You didn’t. It’s a tough situation, and I knew going into it that it wouldn’t be easy, but he’s always been worth it. You should’ve seen him when I was sick.”
“I’ve met him twice, and I can already tell he’s made of good stuff. He’s got the right kind of hands, for one thing.”
“The right kind of hands?” Lucy asked, baffled. “Not that I don’t agree that his hands are pretty fabulous, but something tells me we aren’t talking about the same thing.”
Ray grimaced. “Remember who you’re talking to, young lady.”
Lucy giggled at his stern tone. “Don’t blame me. You’re the one who said it. I was just agreeing with you.”
“What I meant was that you can tell by a man’s hands whether he’s a hard worker.”
“That’s not really true anymore, Dad. You’ve heard of the digital revolution . . .”
“In my world, it’ll always be true. Your Colton has working man’s hands. You can tell by looking at them that he’s a hard worker.”
“Yes, he is,” Lucy said, ridiculously touched by her dad’s assessment—and approval—of the man she loved. “You should come up and see his mountain someday. The process involved with making syrup would fascinate you.”
“I might just do that.”
“All right then. We’ll make some plans.”
“Do what you need to do to be happy, Lucy Lu. The rest of us will be just fine no matter what you decide.”
Lucy hugged him again. “Thanks for coming all the way down here to tell me that. I’m sorry you lost sleep over it.”
“I’m retired. I can take a nap.”
She smiled at him as her phone dinged with a text from Colton. Almost home. Are you there yet?
Ray kissed her forehead. “Go ahead, honey. I don’t want to hold you up.”
“I’m really glad you came to see me,” she said as he headed for the door.
“So am I. Talk to you tomorrow.”
Watching him go, Lucy’s heart broke at the thought of him lying awake worrying that he’d said the wrong thing to her, that he’d discouraged her from following her heart. Speaking of her heart . . . She shut down her computer and grabbed her purse. On the way out of the office, she replied to Colton’s text.
Ten minutes away.
Hurry up. I’m lonely for you.
You know how to make a girl all swoony.
I’ve got a few other ways to make that happen. What are your thoughts on nipple gloss?
For a second, Lucy thought she’d read that wrong, but then she laughed as she remembered where he’d been earlier. Umm, am I supposed to have thoughts on nipple gloss? I don’t even know what it is.
You will soon enough. I’m sure you’ll have some thoughts about it later.
She was so engrossed in her text conversation with Colton that she nearly slammed into someone on the street. “Sorry,” she muttered.
“Watch where you’re going,” he said with a growl.
Normally, the comment would’ve pissed her off, but today she didn’t care. She had far better things to do than engage in a verbal smackdown with a stranger on the street. Only the fear of smelling sweaty and gross kept her from jogging home—that and the fact that she still felt less than perfect after the weekend’s ordeal.
But knowing he was waiting for her had her walking fast. Very, very fast.
CHAPTER 30
Syrup yield per tap: .492 gallons, or nearly a half-gallon of syrup per tap. This calculation is the only meaningful way to compare sugar seasons, since the number of taps varies from year to year. This year ranks a close third behind 2011: .55 gals per tap and 1992: .52 gallons per tap.
—Colton Abbott’s sugaring journal, after the boil
The six-block walk had never seemed so long, but Lucy had never been so eager to get home before. She’d never gone home from work knowing Colton was waiting at her place, and that one detail made everything so much more significant. Walking onto her street at last, she saw him sitting on the stairs that led to her apartment. He was looking down at his phone, messing around with it while he waited for her. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, and he looked totally at home in her world, even if it was so far removed from his.
The sense of rightness, of belonging, of homecoming had nothing at all to do with the place where she lived and everything to do with the man sitting outside waiting for her. As those feelings washed over her, she no longer cared about smelling sweaty. She broke into a jog so she could get to him faster.
He looked up, saw her coming and got up to meet her, catching her in his strong arms and lifting her into a kiss that should’ve embarrassed the hell out of her, taking place as it did in broad daylight on the street where she’d lived for years. But she didn’t care in the least if anyone saw her kiss him.
“That was the longest ten minutes ever,” he said, letting her slide down the front of him until she was standing on solid ground again.
“I tried to hurry.”
“I’m kidding, babe.” He kissed her again and escorted her up the stairs, keeping his arm around her until they were in her apartment.
Lucy caught a glimpse of her coffee table covered with stuff. “What’s all that?”
He held out his hand to her. “Come see.”
She took his hand and went to sit next to him on the sofa to take a closer look at the items on the table.
“This right here would be a cock ring—the vibrating kind. Intriguing if I do say so myself. Over here we have a bullet vibrator and the already-mentioned nipple gloss. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing your glossy nipples.”
Listening to him, Lucy felt her face heat up, but for once she didn’t care. By now he’d certainly come to expect that reaction when he was being outrageous, which was pretty much all the time.
“I’m not really sure what this thing is.” He held up a tapered object that was thin at the top and wide at the bottom and examined it from all angles.
“Um, I think that’s a, um . . .”
He glanced at her, his gaze fixed on her flaming cheeks. “What?”
“Butt plug.”
“Huh?”
“You um use it to, you know . . .”
“Oh please. For the love of God and all that’s holy, please finish that sentence.”
She shoved his shoulder until he fell over on the sofa, laughing his ass off. “You know exactly what that is. You just wanted to make me say it.”
“You have no idea how much I enjoyed that.”
“I hate you a little bit right now.”
“No, you don’t. You think I’m adorable and funny and sexy and irresistible, and you may as well admit it.”
“I’ll do nothing of the sort.”
He held up the plug, examining it from every angle and then glancing at her suggestively. “Want to play with my new toys?”
“We don’t need toys to have fun.”
“True, but I’ve spent all morning thinking about all the ways I could make you crazy, and I have to admit, my imagination has never been more vivid.”
“I’ll try the nipple gloss if you try the cock ring.”
“Oh baby, you’re on.” He was up and off the sofa so quickly she barely had time to register the movement before he was sweeping her along on the way to her room.
Clothes went flying in a flurry of color and movement. He was a man on a mission. When she was bared to him, she resisted the urge to cover herself the way she
would have only a couple of weeks ago. Now she stood perfectly still and let him take a long perusing look at her. Naturally, the flush she couldn’t control overtook her, but he loved that.
She tugged at the button to the khakis he’d worn to the trade show and had trouble getting the zipper down over his bulging erection.
He drew in a deep breath and rested his hands on her hips, drawing her closer to him, but she resisted his attempt to kiss her.
Dropping to her knees, she pushed his pants and boxers down over his hips, encircled his cock with her hand and teased the head with her tongue. “You’ll never get the ring on when you’re in this condition, so we need to start all over.”
“Lucy . . .”
She wrapped her lips around the wide crown and sucked him in.
“Fuck.” He grasped the back of her head roughly, which only added to the thrill for her. “This is going to be quick.”
Opening her mouth wider, she slid him in, letting her tongue swirl around him as she stroked him with her hand.
His head fell back in total surrender to her and his legs trembled, which filled her with satisfaction. He was so strong and capable, but knowing she had this kind of power over him was the sweetest kind of pleasure.
She stepped up her efforts, letting her free hand wander around to the back of him to squeeze his ass, drawing another sharp gasp from him.
“Lucy . . .”
The note of warning wasn’t lost on her. He was giving her the chance to withdraw, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. Rather, she relaxed her muscles and took as much of him as she could accommodate, all the while stroking with one hand and squeezing with the other.
He came hard, flooding the back of her throat with his release, which she swallowed greedily.
She stayed with him until she felt his muscles relax. The instant she released him, he fell back on the bed, wrecked. His arms covered his face and his chest heaved from the deep breaths he drew in and out. Lucy took advantage of his preoccupation and his newly flaccid state to apply the cock ring.
He sat up abruptly to see what she was doing.
