Holly Lane (Destiny, Ohio)

by Toni Blake

  This time, though, rather than bypass the delicate blue-flaked bikini undies, he curled his fingers into the elastic at her hips, urging her to lift her ass, then began to peel them down. His chest tightened and his heart beat too fast as he went about getting them completely off her and dropping them over the edge of the bed—and then he moved back in, using his hands to part her legs.

  After allowing himself the indulgence of studying her there for a moment, his eyes met hers and he didn’t try to hide his lust. “You just lay back and relax, sugar plum,” he told her, “because I’m about to make you feel so damn good you won’t be able to stand it.”

  A small, sexy smile formed on her face, and her voice came like a purr. “And you think I’ll be able to relax through that?”

  He grinned. “Good point. You won’t. So just lay back and enjoy instead.”

  “All right,” she whispered, soft and sweet, and Adam couldn’t wait another second—he bent to begin kissing his way up her inner thigh.

  She sucked in her breath in response, and when he saw how it affected her, he made himself slow the hell down, remember that he wanted to stretch this out, give her every conceivable pleasure. And when her hot sighs turned to sexy little whimpers, he knew he was succeeding.

  When finally he reached the juncture of her thighs, he kissed her there, gently, eliciting a high-pitched moan. Aw, damn—part of him, the hungry part, just wanted to take her, hard, right here and now. But the part of him who liked being a good lover, pleasing his partner, continued to kiss her, lick her, pleasure her, sinking into the task until he knew he was just as aroused from it as she was.

  Her breath came harder, heavier, as she let herself move against him, lift herself toward his ministrations. It made him relish tasting her that much more. He focused now, though, on the sensitive little nub that was swollen with need, licking it, then closing his mouth around it to suck.

  Above him, her panting breath turned to moans and her moans to hot little sobs that fueled him. He sensed her moving closer to orgasm with each passing second. At moments she held onto his head, threaded her fingers through his hair; at others she curled her hands into fists in the quilted squares beneath her. Adam got so deeply into laving and suckling her moist flesh that at some point his eyes had fallen shut, but when she began to cry out, he opened them, watching her come even as he continued working his tongue on her.

  Partway through the orgasm, she clamped her mouth closed tight, clearly trying to be quiet, remembering Sophie—but as far as he could tell, it didn’t dampen her pleasure, and in fact, the climax seemed to stretch on and on, Sue Ann undulating against his ministrations the whole time.

  When finally she went still, silent, she seemed breathless, completely spent, and he liked it.

  “Wow,” she breathed. “That was nice.”

  Crawling up alongside her on the bed, he slanted her a look, half grinning. “Again with the nice? Come on, woman—be serious.”

  She giggled prettily and pointed out, “I said ‘wow’ first.”

  But he just kept the same doubtful, prodding look on her, until she finally drew him into a warm, easy embrace and said, “Okay, that was the most incredible, mind-blowing, heartstopping orgasm I’ve ever had. I saw fireworks. The earth moved. And I heard angels sing. Happy now?”

  He gave her a short—and maybe slightly arrogant—nod. “Damn straight.”

  And more of her soft, trilling laughter filled the space around him, making him just . . . happy. Happy to be in her arms.

  But being happy shifted quickly back to being aroused when Sue Ann’s expression went more sultry and she reached for his zipper. “Fireworks or not, though,” she said, “I still want more.”

  “And you’re about to get it,” he promised her, pushing his jeans and underwear down with her help.

  He loved the little gasp she emitted when she saw his erection—he was pretty sure it made his cock stand a little stiffer between his legs. And he loved it even more when she boldly took him into her hand, warm and firm and perfect as she squeezed and caressed.

  “Oh God, honey, that feels nice,” he rasped.

  “Nice?” she teased—and a short laugh escaped him.

  “Amazing,” he corrected himself. “I meant hot and amazing. Seriously. Completely perfect.”

  “Well, if that’s so great,” she teased him, “I wonder what you’ll think of this.” And then she eased down in the bed and didn’t hesitate to lower her beautiful, soft mouth over him. And—damn—he loved that the most so far. And he let himself lay back in bed and watch her, let himself drink in the hot, naughty pleasure as Sue Ann Kinman made love to him with her mouth.

  But the truth was, the part he ended up loving best of all was when, a few minutes later, he rolled his body on top of hers and sank his erection into her wet warmth. “Aw, damn, sugar plum,” he rasped, “now this is perfect.” Because besides the deep pleasure it sent roaring through his body, it felt . . . well, like exactly where he was supposed to be, like where he belonged.

  Sue Ann was almost overwhelmed by the fullness, the utter sense of completion she experienced with Adam inside her now. After the day they’d spent together, all the laughter and the talking, this was . . . mmm, the most fulfilling culmination of it all that she could imagine. Thank God she hadn’t been able to resist. And now, somehow . . . something was changing inside her where he was concerned.

  And it was about more than just Adam—it was about her, too. About her way of seeing the world, of looking at life. For months now, her viewpoint had been shadowed—downright sullied—by divorce, loss of trust, loss of faith that she’d ever really be happy again. But Adam was truly helping her look beyond that.

  And then—wow—something hit her. Where they were. Should it matter, should it be a big deal to her that this was the bedroom, the very bed, she’d shared with Jeff all those years? Because . . . it didn’t. In fact, it had taken this long for the thought to even surface. And now, well, the bed felt like it was hers, only hers, and like she was free to do whatever she wanted here. And right now she wanted to roll around with Adam Becker. She wanted to feel him moving in her, sliding, thrusting deep, making her moan.

  Oh God, she was crazy about him. She’d known that all along, of course, ever since that night in the cabin, but she’d just been unable to let herself accept it, to let herself trust in him. And she wasn’t sure how exactly this had happened, how she’d ended up in bed with him tonight finally feeling like . . . like it was okay to be here, okay to enjoy him, okay to soak up all that pleasure without also soaking up the fears. But as their bodies connected—again, again, his strokes deep and potent—she knew he was slowly wiping away her doubts.

  And what was happening between them now was . . . more than it had been before. Before, they had shared good, hot sex—but this, now, had also become exactly what he’d called it earlier, downstairs: making love.

  And yes, she’d let him seduce her again—but this time it was about more than lust and physical need. She was so tempted, so close, to putting her faith in him that she could taste it in the kisses she gave him as they moved together.

  Sure, he was Jeff’s best friend, and that could cause problems—but the fact that Adam had decided to refuse Jeff’s request changed things. After all, the main issue she’d been worrying about the last couple of weeks seemed to have faded away with Adam’s plan not to testify. And sure, the similarities in the ways their marriages had ended still bothered her a little, and it still seemed far too soon to dive into another relationship. But maybe the time had come to just push such logical thoughts aside. Maybe it was time to let her heart, and her desire, guide her.

  When Adam pulled out of her, she gasped, stunned and disappointed by the sudden emptiness. But then he let his gaze sweep over her body as he gently rolled her onto her side, facing away from him, and when his erection nestled against her ass, a low moan erupted from her throat. “Just want to make you feel me deeper,” he murmured in her ear. And
then he was pushing tightly back into her warmth, and a satisfied sigh left her as the fullness returned.

  “You feel so, so good, Sue Ann,” he told her as he began to thrust again.

  “You, too,” she whispered, happy to be sharing this with him, and still amazed that her holiday season had taken such a shocking turn. Not only was she having sex with Adam—but she was having sex with Adam freely, joyfully. Joy to the world.

  That’s when Adam’s drives into her most sensitive flesh grew harder, more intense, and Sue Ann had to fight to hold back her sobs of pleasure, biting her lip, absorbing each hot plunge all the way to her core.

  Behind her, his heavy, panting breaths turned to low groans as he gripped her hips tight, thrusting, thrusting, thrusting, and Lord—she did almost see fireworks.

  “Aw God,” he rasped, “I’m gonna come, honey. I’m gonna come.” And Sue Ann closed her eyes and loved having taken him there, loved having him adore her, loved the power she felt bursting from his body into hers.

  When she rolled to her back a moment later, she sighed. “Mmm, that was—”

  “Please don’t say nice.”

  “That was magnificent,” she promised with a smile.

  He gave her a small, sexy grin as they lay facing each other on the same pillow. “It was pretty damn magnificent for me, too, honey.”

  Turning farther toward Adam, she cuddled against his broad chest as he curved one arm snugly around her. They hadn’t gotten to do this part in his truck, so it took her thoughts back to the cabin. Except . . . at the same time it reminded her that everything was different now—in a good way. No more worry. No more big questions. Just the sweet afterglow of pleasure.

  “I liked that you were . . . ” he began, then paused, “I don’t know, more about enjoying it this time than trying not to.”

  She bit her lip, a slight blush warming her cheeks. “I . . . I feel different now.”

  He shifted to look down at her, meet her gaze. “Yeah, I could tell that, but . . . what changed?”

  “I guess I’m starting to get used to the idea. Of me and you. Together.”

  “I like hearing that,” he said with a smile both sweet and sexy. But then the smile paled, leaving behind an earnest, almost vulnerable expression. “You can trust me, Sue Ann. You know that, don’t you?”

  She blinked, still a little overwhelmed by her own feelings—and even a bit surprised when she heard herself say, “I’m starting to. I’m really starting to.”

  On Monday, Adam took the day off. He was the boss—he could do that, and he trusted Chuck to handle the not-very-busy tree lot.

  Feeling more energetic than he had for the past few weeks, he did some work around the house—some cleaning and overdue laundry—and actually found himself smiling through the tasks. He realized he didn’t mind the quiet for a change. And he found himself playing with the dog more than he had lately, and scratching behind Pepper’s ears every time the lovable collie’s claws clicked across the hardwood floor in his direction.

  Of course, he knew his mood was thanks to Sue Ann. And again, it wasn’t just because they’d had fan-freaking-tastic sex Saturday night—it was because she was beginning to come around. Maybe she wasn’t all the way around just yet, but she was getting damn close. And he wanted to keep showing her that she was making the right decision, that he wouldn’t let her down. Hell, he just wanted to make the woman happy.

  After a nice phone conversation with Joey and Jacob—a little later than usual, as they were taking a day off from the slopes for schoolwork—Adam headed into his home office and turned on the computer. He wasn’t sure he should get Sue Ann a Christmas gift, but as he’d left her place the other night, quietly padding past Sophie’s door, down the stairs, and out past the still-lit tree in the bay window, an idea had hit him, an idea of something he’d love to give her if he could. But it might not be easy to find.

  So if I don’t find it, maybe it just isn’t meant to be. And if I do, it is. That seemed like a wise enough way to look at the situation.

  Heading to the Google site, he typed in a few words to start his search. And though what he sought didn’t appear on his screen immediately, within five minutes there it was. He thought it was the right one, anyway. And as he completed the transaction, he hoped it would make her Christmas a little brighter.

  And then it struck him. Damn, Christmas. It was suddenly right around the corner. And though he hadn’t succeeded in getting in the holiday spirit so far—well, now he found himself bundling up, heading out to his own tree lot even after taking the day off, and toting home a tree.

  He’d be having a late celebration with the kids when they got back, after all, and it wouldn’t be right if he didn’t have a tree for them. And as he draped the garland and hung the ornaments, he realized maybe he wouldn’t mind having it around, either. It would make the place more cheerful until the twins came home, that was for sure.

  He finished the task an hour later, and when he glanced out the window to see it was snowing again, he got yet one more idea. And a damn good one, he thought. Of course, Grampy Hoskins, who was home from visiting his sister now, might not think so, because it would require the old man loaning him something pretty sizable. But then again, the way he saw it, Grampy owed him for that whole Santa gig, big-time.

  So he didn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and dial up the General Mercantile, the old-fashioned grocery store the friendly old guy owned not far from the town square.

  “It’s Adam Becker,” he said when Grampy answered. “And I think you owe me a favor.”

  Sue Ann nearly floated through the day at Destiny Properties. She answered the phone merrily. She typed up memos and contracts with a smile on her face. And she felt lighter, happier, than she had in . . . well, in almost as long as she could remember. Suddenly that nagging, gnawing pull when you were nuts about a guy didn’t seem quite so agonizing. Because you’re letting yourself go. With Adam. You’re letting yourself feel it. All of it. And she still wasn’t a hundred percent sure that was wise, but after Saturday night . . . well, it was too late to turn back now.

  Rather than grabbing a quick sandwich at Dolly’s and bringing it back to the office as she did on many days when she worked, she whisked into Under the Covers and insisted Amy go to lunch with her instead.

  “What has you so happy?” Amy asked, looking a little dumbfounded as they walked up the street bundled in their winter coats.

  “Um . . . Christmas,” she fudged.

  But Amy very decisively said, “That’s not it.”

  That Amy—sometimes she was too smart for her own good. But Sue Ann just smiled, insisting, “That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.”

  Over lunch, Amy brought up the topic of Sue Ann selling her house. “Any idea where you and Sophie will move?” she asked.

  And even as Sue Ann gave her head a soft shake, she felt . . . a fresh sense of renewal inside her. A new sense of hope for the future. Part of that had been brewing in her ever since she’d learned about her upcoming promotion, but now she wondered if the inner joy she was experiencing today could possibly be attributed to Adam, as well. “I’m not sure,” she replied merrily. “But someplace smaller. And probably a fixer-upper. I’d like to do more of that, you know? The way I refurbished the one I have now.”

  And yes, she and Jeff had fixed up the Victorian together, but the ideas had all been hers, and she’d just recently started recalling how much she’d enjoyed taking something old and giving it new life. And even as she returned to the real estate office a little while later, the idea kept her energized and continued spurring still more fresh, hopeful thoughts in her head.

  It began to snow in mid-afternoon, heavily, and though everyone else at Destiny Properties moaned and groaned about the drive home, Sue Ann stayed quiet. Of course, the trip to Holly Lane was short—only a few blocks—but the snow suddenly seemed even prettier than she’d noticed recently, and it reminded her of that first encounter with Adam at Bear
Lake.

  Sophie would be with Jeff tonight, but even that didn’t bring her down. She was capable of having a perfectly pleasant time on her own, and it looked like it would be a good evening to curl up next to the fire with a blanket and a book—maybe even her real estate manual. Time was about to become a commodity for her, so no time like the present to start using it wisely.

  Most of the office’s small staff all trickled out early due to the weather, but Sue Ann offered to stay behind, finishing up a few tasks before locking up. After which—wrapped in coat and hat—she stepped down from the small building’s snow-covered front stoop, lifted her gaze, and . . . oh, she couldn’t hold in her small gasp.

  Adam stood leaning up against a streetlamp just a few yards away, hands in his pockets, clearly waiting on her. And even bundled in a thick winter jacket, scarf, and a hat, he still looked just as hot and hunky as usual.

  Despite the cold and snow, a wave of heat traveled the length of her body. “Adam,” she said, their eyes meeting. “What are you doing here?”

  “Since it’s snowing, thought I’d come by and take you home.”

  She gave her head a playful tilt. “That’s sweet, but believe it or not, I really am capable of driving a few blocks in bad weather.”

  He only shrugged, grinned, and something about it warmed her even further.

  “Where’s your truck?” she asked then, not seeing it parked along the street or in the small adjacent lot where her car sat.

  “I, uh, brought something else,” he replied, sounding just a little mischievous. Then he took her hand and led her around the corner, where—oh my!—before her, right on the town square, set a red horse-drawn sleigh, looking like it had come straight from a Currier and Ives print.

  “And we’re taking the long way,” he said.