Restoration (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 4)

by Serena Meadows

  She was tired of fighting her attraction to him, especially after the night they’d just shared. Maybe her life was supposed to go down this path; maybe one night with Dillion would be enough; maybe she was turning her back on the most wonderful man she’d ever find.

  The maybes flew through her mind, one after another until she’d had enough. Right or wrong, she was going to stop fighting and let the sparks between them come to life. Squaring her shoulders, she bit her bottom lip, not sure what she was going to say when she knocked on his door.

  Then she got the perfect idea and threw open her door, ready to face her future, but that future was much closer than she thought it would be. Dillion was still in the living room, his tie loosened, his shirt unbuttoned half-way; he was looking out the window, and for a second, she couldn’t move.

  When he turned to her, the sight of his bare chest was almost her undoing, but she took a deep breath and said, “I can’t get my dress unzipped.”

  Dillion studied her for a second, the desire in his eyes so intense, her knees began to shake. “Would you like me to help?” he asked, crossing the room.

  Natalie could only nod; now that she’d made her decision, she was suddenly nervous. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around, then hesitated. When she finally felt his fingers on the nape of her neck, she shivered, and goosebumps broke out all over her body.

  Dillion slid the zipper down slowly, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin until she could feel the cold air on her back. Her body was tingling and throbbing, a tight coil of desire coming to life deep inside her as she stood there, Dillion’s warm breath on her neck.

  When he bent his head down and kissed the back of her neck, she gasped as pleasure raced through her and her knees began to wobble. He put his arms around her from behind, and pulled her up against his hard chest, then began to nibble on her neck.

  She could feel his bare chest against the soft skin of her back, his lips on her neck, his breath in her ear, and knew she’d gone beyond the point of no return. When his hands skimmed up her belly to cup her breasts in his large hands, she sucked in a deep breath as her body came alive with sensation.

  He teased her nipples with his thumb and finger until they were stiff peaks, and waves of pleasure were making her squirm in his arms. When she whispered his name, he spun her around and captured her mouth with his, his tongue sliding into her mouth, his hands roaming up and down her back.

  Natalie reached up and pulled his tie free from his neck, then grabbed his shirt and began pulling at it; buttons popped but she soon had it off. Running her hands over his hard chest, she kissed him back, her tongue darting into his mouth to taste and tease.

  Dillion groaned, then pulled away from her, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. She knew instinctively that all she had to do was step up to him and kiss him, but she stayed where she was, her eyes locked on his.

  “Natalie, are you sure about this?” he asked. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea; we have to work together, and well, there are things about me that you don’t know, things that might make you change your mind about me.”

  Natalie didn’t speak for a few seconds, trying to figure out how to explain to him what she felt; in the end, she just said, “I can’t fight it anymore. I want you, Dillion, more than I knew was possible. I don’t want to fight it anymore. I want you.”

  “But…” Dillion started to protest, but the words were cut off by a moan when Natalie let her dress fall from her shoulders to the floor.

  ***Dillion***

  Dillion stood motionless, staring at Natalie, taking in every curve, every shadow. He wondered if there was a man alive who could resist what was being offered to him; the longer he looked at her, the more his resistance faded.

  When she stepped over to him and unbuttoned his pants and slid them off, he knew that nothing was going to stop what was about to happen between them. And when her fingers closed around his throbbing erection, he stopped thinking and let his instincts take over.

  He scooped Natalie up in his arms and carried her to the bed, laid her down on her back, then covered her body with his. When their skin touched, he felt a jolt of pleasure flow through him and knew that nothing would ever be the same after this night. He’d tried to fight what was inevitable, and now he had no choice but to give in, to let what fate had planned for him happen.

  Sliding his hand down between Natalie’s legs, he kissed his way down her chest, then sucked one swollen nipple into his mouth. She arched her back, and opened her legs to him, moaning when he switched to the other breast and digging her nails into his shoulders.

  When he slipped one finger inside her, she was wet and ready for him, making his erection throb. Natalie gasped with pleasure, and opened her legs farther, inviting him into her velvety softness.

  His mouth on her breast, his finger buried deep inside her, he drove her closer and closer to release, until her body began to stiffen and with one last thrust of his finger, he drove her over the edge.

  She lay gasping beneath him, trembling and spent, but then he found her swollen nib with his finger, and after only a few gentle strokes, she was alive beneath him again. He took her nearly to the edge, then slid between her legs, pushing them open further as he seated himself between her folds.

  Natalie opened her eyes and looked at him; they were hazy with pleasure and full of longing, so he drove himself into her in one long hard stroke. Filling her fully, he stopped and let the feeling of being deep inside her wash over him.

  Waves of pleasure more intense than any he’d felt before filled him, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before he burst inside her. He wanted to be gentle with her, take his time to bring them both over the edge, but Natalie wrapped her legs around him, and arched her hips, driving him deeper inside her.

  All restraint gone, he drove himself into her over and over, until she was writhing and crying out his name. When she finally tumbled over the edge, her body gripping him as her muscles clenched in pleasure, he drove himself into her once more, then let go.

  The pleasure that followed came in waves, each bigger and more powerful than the last and Dillion lost himself in the pure sensation. When he finally began to surface from the pleasure, he was aware of Natalie’s body under his, and that she was trembling.

  He rolled off her onto his back and pulled her onto his chest. “Are you alright?” he asked, tipping her head up so he could look at her.

  There were tears running down her cheeks, but she smiled at him. “I’m sorry, but that was…” she trailed off, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks.

  She ducked her head, not able to hold eye contact with him, but he tipped her chin up and said, “It wasn’t just you; I felt it too,” then kissed her on the forehead.

  Natalie laid her head down on his chest and snuggled closer to him. He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face; hoped that Natalie wouldn’t catch him smiling like he’d just won the lottery, but that was how he felt.

  If he’d known what being in her arms was really like, he would have stopped fighting a long time ago. But they were together now, and nothing was going to drive them apart, he promised himself, his eyes growing heavy.

  He slid down in the bed, rolled over onto his side, and pulled Natalie up against him and kissed the back of her neck. She giggled. “Be careful; that does things to me,” she said.

  Dillion felt himself stiffen and knew that they weren’t going to be going to sleep any time soon, but he was willing to sacrifice a little sleep for more of Natalie’s delicious body.

  Chapter Ten

  ***Natalie***

  Natalie slipped her shirt over her head, missing the silky fabrics she’d been wearing already. But it was time to go back to the real world and leave the 1920s behind. It had been a thrilling and emotional three days; she had no idea what the future might bring and didn’t care.

  She’d tried to control life, but in the end, it had controlled he
r, and she saw that now. All the fighting and resisting had gotten her nowhere but upset and frustrated. Now that she’d given in, let fate take its course, she understood that’s what she should have done in the beginning.

  It wasn’t that she’d given up on her dreams, she still wanted to run a big resort, but she understood that Dillion was supposed to be a part of her life, at least for now. Fighting had gotten her nowhere; it was time to embrace what fate had sent her and enjoy the happiness it brought her.

  She found him in the front room, chatting with Simon, and the first thing she noticed was that he looked just as good in his regular clothes as he had in the vintage suits and ties. Her chest swelled when she realized that he was hers, hers for now at least, and she couldn’t wait to get home.

  He stood when he saw her and smiled. “Are you ready to go back to the future?” he asked, holding out his hand.

  Natalie nodded and took his hand. “I’m sorry to leave, it was such fun,” she said, as they walked out the door.

  “We’ll come back,” Dillion said, helping her into the cab.

  He was just about to shut her door when a car pulled up behind them, and he paused. He studied the car for only a second before shoving her over, jumping in and slamming the door. “We’re late,” he said, looking behind him at the car again. “I’ll give you an extra twenty if you get us out of here right now.”

  The driver looked at him in the rearview mirror, shrugged his shoulders and sped down the driveway. Dillion looked behind them again, then back out the front window. “What’s wrong?” she asked, thinking he was behaving strangely.

  He looked behind them again, “Nothing, I just thought I saw an old friend I’d rather not talk to right now.”

  Natalie studied him for a second, thinking that he wasn’t telling her the entire truth, but let it go. She didn’t want to spoil their last few hours before they joined the real world again. He was nervous until they got to the airport, but once they were on the plane, he seemed to relax.

  Sitting next to him, she knew that she shouldn’t ask again, but her instincts told her that there was something important he wasn’t telling her. In the end, she took the easy way out and decided to let Dillion tell her when he was ready, snuggled down in his arms, and let the drone of the engines put her to sleep.

  When they got back Gypsum Creek later that evening, Dillion parked his truck in front of the store, shut off the engine, and turned to her. “What do we do from here?” he asked, looking so uncertain Natalie couldn’t help but smile.

  “Well, I’d invite you to stay with me, but David and Michelle are there too; I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” Natalie said, then added, “But they’ll be moving out soon.”

  Dillion thought about that. “Yeah, I’m not sure that would be very comfortable. We could go to my campsite, but it’s not very private.”

  Natalie smiled at him. “I don’t mind sleeping in a tent, but I usually like to be somewhere besides town. I think we’re just going to have to be patient.”

  Dillion nodded. “That’s not going to be easy,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “How long until they move?”

  Natalie laughed. “I’m not sure but not more than a week.”

  Dillion groaned. “A week; there’s no way I’ll last that long,” he said burying his face in her breasts.

  Natalie felt a wave of pleasure wash over her but pushed him away. “We’ll figure something out,” she said, then gave him a quick kiss on the lips and jumped out of the truck. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She barely made it through the door of the store before her brother was on her. “Where have you been? You’ve been gone three days, and you haven’t been answering your phone. I've been worried sick.”

  Natalie smiled at him, still in a haze. “I was with Dillion. I told you I’d be gone for three days. I guess I forgot to turn my phone back on when they gave it back,” she said, pulling it out of her purse.

  When she turned it on, she saw that her brother had been calling her non-stop for two days. “I’m sorry, David, I didn’t think,” she said, suddenly seeing it from his side. “I should have let you know that I wouldn’t have my phone.”

  “Where the hell were you?” he asked, clearly still very upset.

  She looked around the store. “Can we go upstairs and talk about this?”

  David scowled at her but nodded his head. She followed him upstairs to the apartment feeling like a kid about to be punished. When they walked in, Michelle grinned at her and asked, “Did you have a good time?”

  David shot her a dirty look and said, “She didn’t have her phone and evidently forgot to turn it on when she got it back.”

  Michelle got up from the couch where she’d been watching TV. “Oh, this should be a good story. I’ll make some coffee,” she said, a big grin on her face.

  ***Dillion***

  Dillion hated to admit it, but he was a little relieved that he’d dropped Natalie off. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be with her that night, but he needed a little time to come to terms with the fact that his father’s men had managed to find them at the resort.

  It told him a couple of things, and neither was good. Clearly, his father had more reach than he’d thought, and he was using that power to its fullest, which meant that he wasn’t safe anywhere. He had to wonder what was so important to his father that he was using so many resources to find him, but he was going to do his best not to find out.

  He’d briefly considered driving home instead of flying but explaining that to Natalie without telling her why would have been impossible. Although, it would have been the perfect time to tell her about his father, but he just wasn’t ready.

  Natalie was an intelligent woman, she wouldn’t think less of him because of who his father was, or at least he hoped that was true. He kept telling himself that she wouldn’t walk away from him because he refused to be what his father wanted him to be. But there was a small part of him that knew his old life was just what Natalie wanted, and he was afraid that she’d want him to embrace it.

  He’d tried not to listen to that little voice, tried to remember who Natalie really was; she’d never want him to use his gift the way his father wanted him to. As much as she wanted a different life than the one she lived in Gypsum Creek, she’d never condone his father’s methods of getting what he had.

  One thing he knew for certain: he’d have to tell Natalie, and soon; the knowledge was standing between them, making him hold back, and that wasn’t fair to her. She deserved to know the truth, even if it changed things between them. The last thing he wanted was a relationship built on half-truths.

  Plus, he knew that there was a very good chance that his father’s men could show up in Gypsum Creek, and when that happened, he was going to have to make a choice. Run like he had been or make a stand and stay right where he was.

  But then he thought of his sister and knew that he’d never do that. He’d never given his father an opportunity to use her against him, never given him the chance to threaten her, and a standoff with him would give him that opportunity. Then he’d have no choice but to go home and do what his father wanted, at least until he knew his sister was safe.

  A knock on the truck window startled him out of his thoughts, and he realized that he’d been sitting there staring off into space for a long time. He turned to see his friend Matt looking at him through the window.

  “Are you coming out or are you stuck?” Matt asked, with a grin on his face.

  Dillion grinned back at him, glad to see a friendly face. He and Matt had met years ago on a job and become friends almost immediately. He’d called him first after taking on Millie’s house, not just because he was one of the best carpenters around.

  “Hey, how’s it been around here?” he asked when he got out of the truck.

  “It’s been pretty quiet; most everyone took advantage of the break to go home for the weekend. I’ve done a little fishing and a lot of sleeping, but the good news is th
at I’ve figured out our ventilation problem,” Matt said, then went on to explain.

  Dillion was glad for the distraction, so he let Millie’s house take over his brain. “I’d love to see that on paper; do the measurements work?”

  Matt nodded, clearly excited. “I’ve got it all sketched out; come over for dinner and I’ll show you while we eat.”

  Dillion liked that idea; a good meal with Matt would make the coming night easier. As much as he’d wanted a little time away from Natalie, he suddenly discovered that he missed her. “Sounds good, just let me check on my camp and I’ll be over.”

  The next morning, he was up before the sun, ready to get back to work, but mostly he was eager to see Natalie. She was waiting for him on the porch when he pulled up, a smile on her face, two cups of coffee in her hand.

  “Good morning,” she said when he got close enough to hear her.

  “You’re here bright and early this morning,” he said, taking both cups from her hands and setting them down.

  He pulled her into his arms, hugged her, then kissed her just to make sure it hadn’t all been a dream. When she moaned into his mouth, and desire sizzled through him, he knew he hadn’t dreamed the whole thing.

  Natalie smiled at him, a slight blush on her cheeks, “That’s a good way to start the morning,” she said, a little shyly.

  “I can think of better ways, but that will have to wait until later,” he said, making her blush even more.

  She slapped him playfully; then her face got serious. “Um, Dillion, I have to leave for a few days. Michelle wants me to go to Nashville with her to check on Millie’s furniture and to do some shopping for the new house. I couldn’t say no.”

  Dillion was a little disappointed, he’d been looking forward to spending time with her, but smiled and said, “That’s okay, we have plenty of time to be together; besides, that must mean the house is ready.”