Promise of a New Beginning (Sweet with Heat: Weston Bradens Book 5)

by Addison Cole

  The waitress brought their meals, but Jack’s mind was no longer on dinner. Savannah’s leg had been pressed against his for the past hour, and he’d done well ignoring the desire that mounted in his body, but he knew there was no way he’d be able to put anything solid in his mouth—besides any number of Savannah’s body parts. Savannah never looked down at her plate. Their eyes were locked on each other.

  She licked her lower lip, and he could tell she was trying just as hard as he was to act appropriately. He wondered if the other patrons could see their secret intentions, too. He had to get control of his emotions. What kind of man couldn’t make it through a meal with his girlfriend? Girlfriend. He felt a smile spread across his cheeks.

  “What?” Savannah asked.

  “Everything,” was all he could think to say.

  Savannah touched his cheek again. Everything she did turned him on. Focus, Jack. He needed a distraction to quell his desires.

  “So, that was an interesting way to start our first real date.”

  “Connor or Aida?”

  “Both.” He took a sip of his wine. “I’m sorry he cheated on you. That must have been very hurtful.”

  Savannah lowered her eyes and shrugged. “It’s kind of my fault. I should have stopped seeing him. I don’t know why I didn’t. I didn’t even really enjoy being with him for the last year or so, but…”

  “You’re a little competitive. Maybe you thought you could change him, or you wanted to prove you could.” Jack didn’t know where the thought came from. It had been years since he’d assessed other people’s motives. He realized that parts of himself he hadn’t even realized he’d lost were coming back to him. After Linda’s death, he’d blocked out everything but the pain, anger, and guilt. As he relinquished those harsher feelings, it left space for his old self to fill itself in, and he was glad for the reminder. He felt like an old friend had stopped by to say hello, and he hoped that friend would bring more friends and stay longer. One day I really might be whole again. His response came naturally, and as he dissected it, he realized that Savannah was competitive, and he might be right on target. But when they were in the mountains, he’d also learned that she was sensitive and very, very feminine, and those traits would have left her hurt no matter what her motivation might have been. And he wanted to steal that hurt away forever.

  “Maybe. I honestly don’t know. But after being with you, I don’t think that I’ve ever been in a relationship where I was this happy.”

  He turned in his chair so he was facing her. “I feel the same way. I’ve never felt so fulfilled or so alive.”

  “And you have a cabin in the mountains?” she asked.

  Jack nodded. He’d been dead set on not revealing that fact, but when Aida asked him where he lived and he felt Savannah’s eyes on him, he answered honestly. “I do. I’ll take you there one day.”

  “I’d love that. You’re so different than you were when I met you. Has something changed?” Her eyes searched his for the answers.

  “Everything has changed,” he said honestly. “You sparked something in me that made me want to live again, Savannah. We haven’t really had the time to talk about what’s been going on, and there’s a lot I want to share with you.” He looked at their uneaten food. “Do you want to eat?”

  She shook her head.

  “Want to take it home for later?” he asked.

  She shook her head with a different kind of hungry look in her eyes.

  Jack knew that the minute they got inside Savannah’s apartment, there was no way he could stay away from her sweet lips, much less the rest of what was beneath that body-hugging fabric, and he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t stop taking her every chance he got and treat her like she deserved to be treated.

  “It’s a beautiful night. Want to go on a carriage ride through the park?”

  Her eyes lit up. “I haven’t done that in years.”

  “It’ll be a first for me.” He put his hand on her lower back, and as they walked toward the park, Jack thought about how many firsts he’d already experienced with Savannah and about how many more were yet to come.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  SAVANNAH SNUGGLED AGAINST Jack’s side. She loved being wrapped in his muscular arms, and as she watched Jack’s sharp edges soften, she felt like the luckiest woman on earth.

  “I can’t believe you’ve never done this,” Savannah said.

  “There are a lot of things I haven’t done, and I can’t wait to do them with you.” He kissed the top of her head.

  The clop-clop of the horses provided a gentle cadence to their ride through the park. The last time she’d ridden in a carriage was with Matt, and they’d spent the whole time talking about kids—and how he never wanted to have any. The carriage ride with Jack was softer, more intimate than it had been before. She felt the gentle sway of the horses’ gait, and if they did nothing else that night, just went home and went to sleep, she’d go to sleep happy and content.

  “I emptied Linda’s closet and gave her clothes to her sister, Elise,” Jack said.

  His confession came out of left field and his words were tentative, as if he were testing the waters for her reaction.

  “Oh, Jack.” She sat up so she could look into his eyes. “You kept them for all this time?”

  He nodded. “I rarely went into the bedroom after her accident. It was too difficult to face. But after we came back from the mountains, I realized that I’d been hiding from it all, and I knew it was time.”

  “I’m sorry, Jack. I hope I didn’t push you in that direction.” But I’m glad you’re moving forward.

  “You have yet to push me to do anything, but being close to you was the catalyst. It was the nudge that I needed. I’d been feeling a little trapped within my own mind, and I didn’t know how to break free. But that all changed when you and I came together. And as hard as it was to do, it was also freeing.”

  “That’s good, then, right?”

  Jack took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Yes, very good. At some point I would like to show you where I live, but I’m just not there yet.”

  “You’re doing so much all at once, Jack. There’s no rush.” You’re the most honest man I know, and I love that.

  “Thank you for understanding.”

  The carriage slowed as they rounded a turn, and Savannah loved that Jack’s attentive gaze never wavered.

  “When I saw Ralph, we talked briefly about you, and he gave me his blessing.” Jack laced his fingers into hers. “I never expected to want to be with another woman, and I certainly never thought about telling Linda’s father and sister about caring for one. I’m glad we’re together, Savannah, and I’m glad they know. I don’t want to hide from anything ever again.”

  Savannah held her breath, contemplating telling him about Elizabeth’s confession. He was pouring out his heart to her, and she owed him the same honesty. “Jack, Elizabeth knows Linda’s family.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You knew?”

  “You knew?” she asked.

  “No, but Ralph told me this morning.”

  “Elizabeth told me when we were up there. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I wasn’t sure how, or even if, I should. You seemed so angry.” She touched his chest.

  He kissed her forehead. “So you planted that bobcat in the woods and took advantage of me?” he teased.

  Just thinking of the bobcat sent thrill bumps up her arms. “That was the plan,” she said.

  His eyes darkened, and a serious look moved across his face. “I also called my sister.” He shrugged. “It’s a start.”

  “Jack,” she whispered. She could only imagine how difficult this whole process would be for him, and he was trying to take it all on at once. “You’re moving so fast. Doesn’t that worry you at all?”

  He nodded. “I moved fast when I cut them off, and I feel like I can’t move fast enough to repair the damage.”

  Chapter Thirty

  JACK FOLLOWED SAV
ANNAH up the stairs to her apartment, and when they reached the landing on her floor, his chest constricted with the memory of Connor taking her in his arms. He shook his head at how he’d reacted, though he knew that if it were to play out before him again, he would probably react in the same way.

  He admired her figure from behind and had to run his hands along her hips as she dug in her purse for the keys. He followed the lines of her body to her shoulders and gathered her hair in one hand, exposing the curve of her neck. He lowered his lips to her skin and wrapped his other arm around her slim waist.

  “Mmm.” She arched her head back, and he kissed his way up the back of her neck, pressing his hips into her from behind. Feeling all of her luscious curves against him heightened his yearning.

  “Jack,” she whispered.

  He turned her in his arms and kissed her, swallowing whatever words were falling from her lips. He pressed his body in to hers, her back against the door, and he deepened the kiss, knowing he would never tire of kissing her. She reached up and put her warm hands on his cheeks, and when they pulled apart, they were both breathing heavily.

  “We should go in,” she said, though she made no move to open the door.

  “’Kay,” was all he could manage. He could take her right there in the hall, and the look in her eyes told him that she wouldn’t mind it at all. When she reached around his hips and grabbed his butt, he practically tore the keys from her hands and unlocked the door. They stumbled into the apartment, kissing between each hurried step. Jack reached back and pushed the door shut behind them. Savannah adeptly unbuttoned his shirt, slipping her fingers beneath the fabric in between each button.

  He scanned the apartment, his eyes settling on the hall that led to Savannah’s bedroom. Savannah followed his gaze.

  “We don’t have to go to the bedroom, Jack.” She touched his cheek.

  “Why are you so good to me? So patient?” Jack was used to being the alpha male in every aspect of his life, and as he looked down the hall, he realized that while he thought he’d been manly—running away to live a solitary life—he’d really been just the opposite. Men didn’t hide from their fears. They faced them.

  “You’re a good person. Why shouldn’t I be good to you? You just need time to heal.”

  “Savannah.” He searched her eyes, wondering how he’d gotten lucky enough to have been the one she wanted. Savannah deserved more than making love on a pullout couch. It’s time to move on. He took her hand and pulled her down the hall to the bedroom before he lost his nerve.

  “Jack?”

  He couldn’t answer. It took all his concentration to walk through the door. The first step caused his chest to constrict. In the next breath, her scent filled his lungs. He saw Savannah everywhere. In the colorful scarves that hung from her mirror, which he could think of several things to do with that had nothing to do with cold weather. Shoes lined up by the height of their heels. The black leather boots shot a new adrenaline rush through him. The open lingerie drawer revealing a hint of satin and lace. He nearly groaned aloud as he turned toward her, wondering what she had on beneath her sexy little dress. As he drew his eyes up, over her neck, and her lovely face, he saw the love he felt reflected back in her eyes. The constriction in his chest eased. This wasn’t just a bedroom. This was Savannah’s oasis. He took her hand, and as she took a step forward, their love filled the space where his anxiety had been. He slipped his arms from his shirt, and when her hands traveled up his abs and over his pecs, he wondered if she could feel his love for her in every beat of his heart, the way he could see the love she had for him in the way she looked at him.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  THE SMELL OF coffee greeted Savannah the next morning as she stumbled groggily out of the bathroom in her T-shirt and underwear. She found Jack leaning on the kitchen counter, freshly showered and wearing a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. He held the newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He turned as she entered, and his eyes lit up.

  “Good morning, beautiful.” He kissed her cheek and held up a cup of coffee. “I wasn’t sure how you liked it. Cream? Sugar?”

  Savannah glanced at the clock. Five thirty. “Both, please. Did you go home and come back already?” She blinked through her sleepy haze.

  “Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my Superman cape. That would be impossible with how late we stayed up.” He winked, then fixed her coffee. “I had a backpack on my bike. I went down and got it this morning.”

  “You shouldn’t leave stuff out like that in the city. I’m surprised it was still there this morning. Sorry I kept you up so late.” She felt her cheeks flush.

  “I’m not.” He handed her the cup and kissed her cheek. “By the way, I’m not naive. I had the bag locked on the bike.”

  She couldn’t concentrate on the words he’d just said; she was lost in his clean, fresh scent. Savannah touched his cheek as he drew back. “I love the feel of your whiskers.”

  “Then I’ll be sure to skip a day between shaves. Your phone vibrated earlier.” He nodded toward her cell phone on the dining room table.

  “This early?” She picked it up and read the text. “It’s my brother Hugh.” She read the text. “Oh my gosh, he’s coming into town. I can’t wait to see him, but I thought his award ceremony was in Washington. I guess I messed that up. It’s here this Saturday. It’s a good thing he called, because I thought it was next weekend, and we’ve been so busy that I hadn’t even made flight arrangements yet.” She hurried across the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Jack’s waist. “Come with me to the ceremony? Please?”

  “Whatever you want, angel. What’s he getting an award for? A particular race?”

  “I don’t know which race this is for, just that he’s won another award.” She wrinkled her nose. “Does that make me a bad sister? It does, right?”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “You’re not a bad sister. Does he know what cases you win?”

  “Well, no, but those aren’t awards.”

  “They’re accomplishments, and they count just as much.”

  “Are you sure you’re the same arrogant guy who flew me into the mountains? Because you’re so sweet that I can’t really see that other part of you anymore.” She felt his body stiffen beside her.

  “I’m still the same guy.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Remember when I told you that I didn’t used to be that guy?” He put down the newspaper and coffee and took her cup from her hands, then set it on the counter. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked down at her. “The real me is starting to emerge, and it’s all because of you.” He kissed the top of her nose. “But don’t be fooled. I worry that the angry bastard is still lingering and that we haven’t seen the last of him yet.”

  “Well, if he comes back, we’ll just have to tame him while we work through whatever gets his back up.” She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, listening to the calm beat of his heart, so different from the racing pulses she’d felt only hours before.

  “I love when you say we, angel.” He rested his head on the top of hers.

  “I love when you call me angel. Although my brothers will have a field day with that. I’m not really known for being angelic.”

  “No. Really?” Jack widened his eyes and covered his mouth, feigning surprise.

  “Shut up.” Savannah pushed away from him and laughed. “You can’t grow up with five brothers and not be tough. Being girlie wasn’t an option. My father made sure that I could do anything they could do, and I made sure I could do it just as well.”

  Jack pulled her close again. “You are still very feminine.” He kissed her lips. “And very beautiful.” He kissed her cheek. “And you’re my angel because you saw through the smoke and mirrors I had hidden behind and you drew me out. So your brothers can take the name up with me. It’s staying.”

  She loved that he’d stand up to anyone for her and that he saw something in her that she didn’t think anyone else
ever would. She felt more feminine around him than she ever had in her whole life. Actually, she felt different in too many ways to count when she was with him. She looked at the clock and groaned.

  “I have to get ready for work.” She furrowed her brow. “What does a bush pilot and survivalist do when he’s not flying planes or teaching people woodsy stuff?”

  “Woodsy stuff? You’re so cute. Didn’t I teach you anything out there?” He took a sip of his coffee.

  “More than you’ll ever know.” She smiled. “In extreme conditions a man can live three minutes without air, three weeks without food, and three days without water.”

  “You did learn a little something.” He set his coffee on the counter and took her in his arms. “Guess what I did?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. “You already know that I called Siena. Well, I asked her to try to get everyone together so we could talk. I’m going to try to fix what I’ve ruined.”

  “You did? Wow. When you say you’re going to fix things, you don’t waste any time, do you?”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not really a middle-of-the-road kind of guy.” He smiled, but Savannah saw worry in his eyes. “I’m afraid this isn’t going to be an easy road, but it’s an important one.”

  Savannah went to his side and touched his arm. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Yeah, actually, I do, but I don’t want to make you late for work. It’s almost six.”

  Savannah recognized the pain that swept over his face, leaving worry lines across his forehead. “I’m good. Let me just text Catherine and tell her I’ll be in a little late.” She texted Catherine; then the two of them went into the living room and sat on the couch. Savannah tucked her legs beneath her and faced Jack. He rested his elbows on his knees. His shoulders rode higher now, and Savannah scooted closer and rubbed the bundle of nerves at the base of his neck.