“This must be what heaven is like.” Connor inhaled the cool air scented with spruce needles and spice, cedar and sandalwood.
“I haven’t been to MacKlenna Farm or Fraser Castle or Montgomery Winery, but Colorado is the stairway to heaven.”
“Then we’re on the top step, and I intend to kiss an angel.” He pulled her into his embrace, holding her firmly against his chest, grazing his hands down her hips. The kiss was hot, spicy, and erotic, and she drew a deep, staggered breath in response to the same wave of heat flushing through his veins. “I want to kiss every inch of you, and it’ll take all night and most of the morning before I finish and start all over again.”
A sensuous private embrace wrapped around him when her voice lowered, and she whispered suggestively, “The front door’s the shortest distance to the shower. I’ll race you.”
At the front porch, they fumbled, laughing as they tried to yank off their boots. “Let me help,” he said. She held onto his shoulders, bracing herself as he stooped and pulled off one boot then the other. She made a move to help him. “I can do it. Open the door.” He hopped around on one foot as he pulled and tugged, finally getting them off. Then he meticulously lined up his boots—toes to the wall—and put hers there, too, while she punched in the security code on the keypad that unlocked the front door.
Looking down at their boots lined up in a neat row, she laughed. “That has to be a first.”
“Growing up, we had to. With five kids, you’d never find your shoes if you didn’t put them in a certain spot. I live with two of my brothers now, and we still line up our shoes at night.”
She laughed again. “You’d have heart failure if you saw my closet at home.”
He gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll have heart failure if I don’t see you naked in the next thirty seconds.”
The door swung open and she invited him inside with a welcoming sweep of her arm. Before he could cross the threshold, she grabbed his hand and pulled him close, moving in a slow-waltzing step through the grand foyer.
“Do you need to punch in a code?” he asked.
“Oh, gosh.” She broke their hold. “You distracted me.”
“I’ll be sure to tell the police that when they rush out here to respond to the silent alarm.”
She punched in a code on the security panel next to the door and flipped a light switch to turn on the chandelier. The lights dimmed after a slight adjustment to the slider. His arms snaked around her and their bodies made contact. A jolt passed through him; her proximity was electric. From the sudden widening of her eyes, she thought so, too. He whipped off her wide-brimmed hat and tossed it onto a curved branch of the coat rack. It spun for a moment, then settled there.
She laughed. “Impressive.”
He flipped his own hat, but this time he failed to land the toss, and the hat dropped to the floor.
She laughed again.
“Win some, lose some,” he said.
His phone rang but he ignored it, letting the call go to voicemail. Olivia led the way into the main living area with high ceilings, enhanced with rich alder, birch walls, and crown moldings. The interior was as beautiful as he’d imagined. Right now, though, his thoughts weren’t on a Colorado ranch house, but on the rancher’s daughter.
He pulled her into his arms again, dipped his head, and rubbed his lips against hers, their hungry mouths fused. She slid her arms around his waist, her hands meeting at his spine, holding him to her, just as he held her to him. They shifted the angle of their heads several times but didn’t break the kiss until he pulled away and pressed his lips against her neck just beneath her ear.
“Which way to the shower?”
“There are guest rooms at the top of the steps on the right and left.”
He took her hand and led her toward the staircase that seemed to magically rise from the floor without support. As soon as his foot landed on the first step, his phone rang again.
“Whoever it is, they’re persistent.”
“And they can wait,” he said in a tone that reflected his annoyance.
They made it to the top of the stairs where he once again pulled her in for a kiss. His phone rang for a third time.
She ran her fingers through his hair, studying his features in the light drifting up from the foyer. “You better take the call. They’re not going to give up.”
“Neither am I,” he said against her lips. He wanted to tell her that she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and that he couldn’t think of anything except how much he wanted her. But the damn intrusion was too persistent and couldn’t be ignored. “I’ll return the call after we shower.” The call went to voicemail, then immediately rang again.
Her gaze gleamed up at him, liquid with desire, her lips full and reddened from his kisses. “Take the call. It must be important.”
The next kiss was hot, long, and reciprocal. “Nothing is more important than you, this moment, and us.”
“Take the call.” She murmured his name as his lips trailed one kiss after another along the side of her neck, the tip of his tongue around the shell of her ear.
He reached into his pocket, checked the face of the phone, then let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s Elliott. If it was anyone else, I’d let it go, but I can’t keep ignoring him.” He clicked accept and said, “O’Grady.”
“Where the hell are ye?” Elliott asked.
“At Olivia’s parents’ ranch.”
“The jet just landed in Denver. We’re staying in the guest house at the ranch we’re buying. David’s rented a helicopter, and we’ll be there within the hour. How long will it take ye to get to the new property? We need to talk.”
“That ranch is about thirty minutes south of the Kelly Ranch.”
Olivia, overhearing the conversation, said, “We have a heliport.”
He cupped the side of her face, nodding. She understood as well as he did what leaving the ranch would mean for them, for their plans, for their first night in the same bed. If he could get Elliott and David to stop at the Kelly Ranch first, then Connor wouldn’t have to leave, and he and Olivia could salvage some of their evening.
“The Kelly Ranch has a heliport. Stop here on your way.”
“Who’s there with ye?”
“Just Olivia.”
There was silence on the other end. Elliott must have muted the phone. Then after a moment, he said, “Send the address, and if ye have them, the GPS coordinates.”
Connor tilted Olivia’s head to his chest, relief swimming over him. “What’s your ETA?”
“Soon. Turn on the lights,” Elliott said.
Connor ended the call, but before he pocketed the device he handed it to Olivia. “Will you text the address, landing instructions, GPS coordinates? Whatever you have.”
“I have all three. Business associates fly in on helicopters all the time. It’s the trendy way to get here.” She flipped on the hall light and texted the information.
Connor returned the phone to his pocket and enfolded her in his arms. “As much as I want to take a shower with you, I won’t start something else we can’t finish right now. It’s not fair to you. You deserve more than a quick shower.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying that.”
“Why?”
A devilish spark rallied in her eyes, and she gazed up at him, smiling. Dimples he hadn’t seen lately came out in full force and he kissed them both. “You’re more concerned about my feelings than your own needs. From the men I’ve known, that’s rare.”
“Mom taught me more than how to line up my boots.”
If he’d been so concerned about her feelings he wouldn’t have kept the truth from her. He’d hoped they would have time to cement their relationship before she learned the full story, but Elliott’s visit would more than likely destroy that hope.
Damn, I should have told her the truth.
This was his last chance to gather her close and hold her against the coming revelations. If he could weathe
r it for her, he would. When it was all said and done, she would find him as contemptible as other men more concerned with their needs than her feelings.
“Your mom must have been an amazing woman.”
“She was.” The knot under his heart grew a bit. The O’Grady kids and Pops had yet to fully recover from her death. They were a strong Irish Catholic family and depended on their church, their community, and each other.
“I’ll go turn on the landing lights. It’ll be dark by the time the helicopter lands. Then I’ll hop in the shower. I’ve never met Elliott and want to look presentable.”
“He won’t care.”
“Maybe not, but I do.”
She stepped away, but he pulled her back and kissed her again, hard and thoroughly, his tongue firmly inside her mouth. The kiss lasted no more than a few seconds before it ended, his chest inflating around a deep breath that he then expelled in a gust.
“We’ll pick up from here later,” he said, although he doubted that would happen.
“I’ll hold you to it.” They clasped hands and walked down the hallway before stopping in front of a closed door. The doorknob pressed against his right hip as she wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbing against him seductively. “Use this room. It’s next to mine. I’ll grab a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from Dad’s closet.”
He couldn’t think straight. “Keep rubbing against me like that, sweetheart, and I’ll take you right here, right now, and to hell with the landing pad lights.”
“I knew if I ever…you know…let my guard down, we’d be like this.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m glad you did.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her away from him. “Go, while I still have my wits about me.” He opened the door and flipped the light switch. Light from table lamps on each side of a queen-size bed and from a comfy nook next to a wall of windows filled the room. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame, so her body pitched slightly forward in a teasing manner. “If you’re like me, you’ll want to stand in the shower until the water runs cold. Don’t. Dad installed tankless water heaters. The hot water never runs out and you’ll… I don’t know.” She gave him a teasing smile that rocked his world. “Shrivel up.”
“We wouldn’t want that”—his grin widened—“would we?” He let the innuendo hang there for a beat as she swiveled, chuckling, and disappeared behind the door of her bedroom.
Twenty minutes later, Connor padded down to the great room, wearing more of Mr. Kelly’s clothes—jeans and a cream-colored cashmere sweater. Olivia had included a pair of boxers, but he’d passed on those and gone commando. If they ended up in bed later that night, he didn’t want her to laugh at the white baggy boxers.
The view from the front of the house was deceptive. The Kelly Ranch was an expansive mountain estate, nestled in a private valley and surrounded by towering pines and aspens. From what he’d seen of the house so far, it had to be over ten thousand square feet. If there was a full basement, it could be closer to fifteen. Fireplaces with built-in cabinetry, granite countertops, and stained-glass windows depicting scenes of the ranch bookended the great room, tastefully furnished with brushed leather furniture and native print area rugs.
The rooms were authentic, elegant, yet understated with a soft color palette. Not that he was an interior design expert, but after viewing more than three dozen ranches, taking copious notes, and listening to Olivia’s descriptions, he’d trained his eye to notice quality, even in the cozy-up spots. Meredith had wanted first impressions, along with details about the ranches he visited. If he’d reported back that a room had leather chairs and tan walls, she would have given the job of finding a Colorado ranch to someone else, a job he’d grumbled about when first given the assignment. Sure, he could handle the security end, but picking a ranch that would satisfy her was way above his pay grade.
That all changed when he met Olivia, and the project became a dream job.
The most important feature of the Kelly Ranch was the breathtaking view of the lake and the mountains beyond, which could be enjoyed from multi-level decks and the large windows along the backside of the house. He stood there transfixed by the view. Olivia had told him once, “You can remodel a house, but there’s nothing you can do to enhance a view if you don’t have anything to work with.”
He moved across the room to the wet bar and poured whisky into a Glencairn glass. Sipping, he walked back to the windows, where he sat in an oversized chair. The lights from the landing pad were about a hundred yards from the house. He would easily hear the rotor blades long before the helicopter was close enough to land. When it did, he’d walk down to meet Elliott.
Looking out over the peaceful landscape, Connor was as far removed from the turmoil of the last few days as he could be while remaining on the planet.
Olivia came up behind his chair, leaned over, and kissed his cheek. “Did you find everything you needed?” She tried to straighten, but he tugged on her arm to keep her close, and he kissed her, lingering for a moment to inhale the scent of her hair and body lotion. She smelled fresh and light, with lemon and bergamot orange, sensual and soft with base notes of vanilla and incense. Wine tasting had introduced him to the delightful aromas of wine and women. To him, vanilla was an aphrodisiac.
“The bathroom was well stocked. I even threw my clothes in the washing machine.”
“Aren’t you handy to have around? If I had known you were doing a load, I would have given you mine.” She glanced up, listening. “The helicopter’s coming.”
“You must have super-human hearing like Radar O’Reilly. I don’t hear anything.” Seconds later, he heard the faint noise of the rotor blades. “Just for the record, I’m not happy about this. I’ve been dreaming of having you to myself, and Elliott shows up now, just as we’re getting better”—Connor winked—“acquainted.”
“Come on. We have a golf cart in the garage. Let’s drive down to meet him then send him on his way.”
“Okay, but I need my boots.”
“Looking at the size of your feet, I think Dad’s loafers will fit. He’s got big feet, too.”
The tender look she gave him filled his heart. He cleared his throat, ridding it of the knot that had moved there. “I wore your dad’s hat and jacket. Now I’m wearing his jeans and sweater. I’m going to put my foot down and wear my own boots. I’ll meet you in the garage.”
Instead, he met her in the driveway, hopped onboard, and kissed her neck and ear while she piloted the electric cart along a concrete path toward the heliport. They reached a well-lit yellow line and she stopped the cart, waiting beyond the site perimeter until the helicopter was cold. He intended to meet with Elliott and David, introduce them to Olivia, and quickly send them on their way. That idea went south, as did his hope for the evening, when he saw that Elliott and David weren’t the only ones exiting the helicopter.
Connor gripped the cart’s roof support and swung out of the vehicle. “Damn.”
“Who are the others?” Olivia asked.
“The pilot is David McBain. The woman behind him is his wife Kenzie, and the pregnant woman is my sister JL Fraser.” Connor was more interested in who wasn’t on the helicopter than who was. Something was screwy.
He walked toward the group. “I didn’t know you were all coming.”
“It was a last-minute thing,” Kenzie said.
Elliott extended his hand. “Ye must be Olivia. I’m Elliott Fraser. Glad to finally meet ye.”
“You too, Mr. Fraser.”
“Mr. Fraser was my father. I’m Elliott.”
Connor introduced her to David, Kenzie, and JL. He’d wanted Olivia to meet his family on his own terms, not like this. He’d just have to make the best of it.
“Did you have any trouble finding the heliport?” Olivia asked.
“Not a bit,” David said.
“My parents have lots of clients and friends who fly up for we
ekends.” Then to Connor she said, “Since there’s not room for everyone, I’ll take Kenzie and JL up to the house in the cart. You guys can take your time. The whisky will be ready to pour when you get there, or wine, if you prefer.”
“Diet Coke,” David said. “I’m driving tonight.”
“Thankfully, I’m not,” Elliott said.
JL put her hands to her lower back and stretched side to side. “I need to walk, but that hill looks daunting. I’ll gladly take a seat in your chariot. From the size of your house, Amber, I could walk laps around the first floor.”
Connor caught JL’s slip immediately, but Olivia wasn’t bothered by it. She and Amber must be called by each other’s names frequently.
“There’s a yoga studio next to the exercise room, if you want to do a mini session.”
“I had a two-hour session this morning. Elliott’s trainer and master yoga instructor are both sadists. Wait until you meet them. You’ll think Ted is especially charming, but don’t let his beguiling smile suck you in. He’s a killer.”
“Maybe you should change trainers.”
JL gasped. “That’s blasphemy. Ted and his partner are fixtures in the organization. He keeps us all in running shape, and when I say running, I mean running. Someone is always training for a big race. Kevin and Meredith are competing in a spring triathlon. God bless them.”
“I’d love to do one of those. My excuse is finding time to commit to training right now.”
“Are you a runner?” Kenzie asked.
“A little bit. My sport du jour is mountain biking. A few years ago, I got in the lottery and did the Leadville Trail 100 MTB, under the sub-twelve-hour cut-off by only ten minutes. I’ll never do that race again. It’s a challenge to even catch your breath.”
“Bikers have the coolest clothes, too.” JL climbed into the seat Connor had vacated. “Sounds like you’re an intense competitor. You’ll fit right in with the MacKlenna Clan.”
The Amber Brooch: Time Travel Romance (The Celtic Brooch Book 8) Page 31
