by Anya Summers
“When I fall? What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Dude, it’s clear from that stunt where you nearly took my head off, you’re in love with Grace.”
He felt light-headed. In love? With Grace? It felt like Wildfire had kicked him again, only this time it was right upside the head. Was he? Was that what this feeling was? Love. Emmett staggered from the impact—because that was exactly what it was. This was something he’d not felt before, which would totally explain his irrational behavior of late. “Oh, sweet Christ.”
“Huh, would you look at that. You just realized it. Can’t say I’m not glad it was you she settled on, and not me. I like my freedom far too much to be shackled to one woman.”
Emmett chewed it over. So that was what this incessant need he had for Grace was. Love. It added up. The only reason he would have gotten so hot under the collar the last night over her not calling him wasn’t because he was her Dom, but a Dom in love.
“Yes, well, I expect you to keep this—like, the bet—between us. I need to go see Mrs. Gregory.”
Colt grinned. “I won’t make any promises. Take care of yourself. Let me know how Friday goes with the surgeon.”
“Will do. Ah, by the way, I want Cabin X for Saturday night, if it’s available.”
“You sure your arm can handle it?” Colt asked, eyeing him.
“It might take me longer to restrain her and then untether her, but yeah.” Emmett wanted to see how Grace would respond to a padded fuck bench and flogger. He was dying to see her on a bench with that heart-shaped ass of hers on display.
“I’ll check and give you a call. Let you know.”
“Thanks.” He left Colt in the hall and headed toward the kitchen with the knowledge that he loved Grace swimming in his mind.
How did a man who never believed he would indulge in any softer emotions deal with finding himself neck deep in love for the first time—and sinking fast?
17
Grace arrived at Emmett’s house tired but feeling good after the full week. Like he’d asked, she had packed a bag for the weekend even though she did have a half day at the office tomorrow. Her grandfather had implemented that there would be one Saturday a month on which the office was open for half a day, to help the people who worked during the week and may not be able to take time off from work to get to the doctor.
Before she even got out of her car, Emmett was standing in the doorframe at the cabin’s entrance. He was all big, lanky cowboy, who made her melt with those magnetic eyes.
“Need some help?” He came down the stairs.
“I wouldn’t mind some.”
“New sling, I see.” She gestured to the new black sling.
“Yeah, I can go without it for a while each day now, too, so that I start getting mobility back.”
“So everything looks good then?”
“Yeah, he liked my progress. Set me up with PT that I start on Monday, three times a week. Then he wants me back in there in three weeks. From there, he will decide if I’m ready for light duty manual labor or not. Cautioned me that it will likely take a full three months before I’m back in business completely.”
“He’s likely right on that, but it will happen before you realize it.”
“How were things at the office?” He steered her inside.
“Good. It will be nice to have a bit of help when Dawn starts on Monday; have her manning the front desk, the phones, the waiting room so I can see more patients if needed. You’d be surprised by the number of tourists I get in the office.” Then she stopped and stared.
Rose petals were strewn over the dining table, which was set with fine bone china and candlelight. There were more rose petals trailing from the table past the living room and into the bedroom.
“What is all this?” Touched, she blinked back tears as her heart sighed.
“You mentioned the other night that I had never taken you on a date. I thought that with my arm, since I’m not going out anywhere, maybe I could bring the date to you.”
She dropped her medical bag and purse and turned to Emmett. She cupped his neck and planted her mouth over his. Moved, humbled, and falling faster than she ever thought possible, she poured everything she felt for this man into her kiss, trying to impart even a tenth of those emotions into the embrace.
Emmett lifted his mouth, his gaze dark with desire. “I’m glad you like it. Why don’t you come have a seat and I can get dinner served?”
She was more interested in getting him naked. “Are you sure you don’t want to skip ahead to dessert?”
“Tempting, but I want you fed—you’ll need the energy for everything I have planned tonight.”
She quivered at his sexy words. That was something she could get on board with, because knowing him—and she was coming to—he meant it when he said he planned on loving her for hours. “Okay, is there anything I can help you with?”
“I’ve got it. Just have a seat and I will take care of all of it.”
Grace stowed her bags off to the side next to the sofa before taking a seat at the charming and romantic spread. She watched him move around his kitchen. It felt homey, and made her think that this was something she could get used to: coming home to him. She liked the thought of the two of them coming home to each other and doing something as domestic as eating dinner together every night.
She rested her face on her hands as he moved, pulling wine out of the fridge. The table was already set with dinner salads, and the scent of something wonderful baking in the oven filled the space. He poured chardonnay into a glass and brought it to her.
“What’s that look about?” he asked.
“I just like watching you,” she admitted. “Whatever is in the oven smells amazing.”
“I wish I could take credit for it, but Mrs. Gregory helped me out a bit with the menu tonight. I’m better at grilling things than I am baking or making anything complicated like the lasagna in the oven.”
“Maybe we could barbecue this weekend. I’d enjoy watching you wield tongs and grill meat, especially if you did it shirtless.”
He flashed her a sexy grin. “That could be arranged before we go to Cabin X tomorrow night.”
“Are you sure you’re up for it with your shoulder?” She sipped at her wine.
He slanted her a look as he brought his beer over. “I’ll be fine. As long as I don’t do anything too strenuous with it, it should be all right.”
“Well, just be sure not to overtax it. I would hate for you to have your recovery time extended. I know how difficult the inactivity has been for you.”
“It has, but I’ve always been a fast healer. And starting next week, between PT and my working in the stable offices, some of that will go away.”
“No horseback riding yet, not even on a gentle mare.”
“Yes, doc.” He cocked his head. “Once I’m healed, I wanted to take you on a trail ride up to one of my favorite spots. We could even camp out for the night.”
She winced. “Camping with no running water? That’s rather archaic, don’t you think?”
“Your city is showing through,” he said, and withdrew a pan from the oven.
She watched, at the ready if he needed help carting it over. “It’s definitely taking me time to get used to all the quiet. Denver is not a quiet city.”
“What do you miss most?” he asked, serving up pieces of lasagna onto plates and bringing them over one at a time.
“The round the clock conveniences. Often, I worked from eight in the morning until eight at night—or at least, that was what I was scheduled to do. But when you get slammed at quarter till the hour you’re supposed to leave because there was a ten car pile-up on I-25, then it might be another two to three hours before you’re walking out of the ER. Those conveniences that were open twenty-four hours a day or open late were a godsend. There was this one deli around the corner from Denver Memorial that had these pastrami sandwiches that were to die for.”
“A deli place? That’s
what you miss? But what about friends?”
“There were a few colleagues I considered friends. But my focus was on work. That’s not to say that I didn’t date and have friends, but it was all very casual, not the ride or die type like you and your friends,” she explained. It was one of the reasons it had been so easy to pick up and come here. There had been no one she’d been truly close to.
“They’re your friends now too. Give the town time to get to know you. The celebration event next week for your grandpa will give them a chance to see you the way I do.”
She leaned back in her chair. “This lasagna is amazing. You guys lucked out with Mrs. Gregory. I would have damn near sold my soul to have someone cook for me while I was doing my residency, really throughout all of medical school.” She was hungrier than she had realized when she’d first sat down. But she ate both the salad and lasagna until there was barely anything left on her plate.
“That’s something I’ve been spoiled with here—having Mrs. Gregory as a backup if needed. If you’re finished, I thought we could go sit on the front porch swing and watch the sunset.”
“You really planned this out, didn’t you? I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed, cowboy. Why don’t you let me help you clear the table, and then I’m all for watching the sunset with you.”
It was easy to sink into the quiet stillness of the perfect spring night. Overlooking the small stream running swift and clear below, they were treated to a family of elk stopping along its banks for a drink.
With her head on Emmett’s shoulder, Grace simply let go and enjoyed. No, it wasn’t the latest hot spot. But watching the sunset at his cabin was better than any nightclub hot spot could ever be, because it filled her with peace, and she could see it being something they did years from now.
The simple enjoyment of being with each other, with no pressure or concerns, just making conversation and sharing in the enjoyment of nature as it bedded down for the night, filled her with peace. An owl hooted nearby as the sun dipped behind the western mountain ridge and twilight descended. In that in-between grayness of dusk, fireflies twinkled, and Grace started to drift off.
Emmett brushed his lips against her forehead. “Let’s get you to bed.”
She nodded, stifling a yawn. “Sorry, it’s been a long week.”
“It has,” he murmured, ushering her inside, and locking the front door once they were in.
“Why don’t you go on in and get ready for bed. I will just be a minute,” he murmured.
She padded into his bedroom with her overnight bag. There were rose petals leading to the bed and spilling over the quilt. She couldn’t let this kind of romantic setting go to waste, even if she was tired from the week. Once in his bathroom, she changed out of her work clothes and put on the babydoll negligee she had packed on a whim. It was sky blue silk trimmed with black lace, with a front tie just beneath her cleavage, and it opened over her abdomen. She added the matching bikini panties, brushed her teeth and hair, then left her bag in the bathroom and headed into the bedroom.
Emmett waltzed into the bedroom from the hall just as she walked in from the bathroom.
“What’s this?” he asked her, his eyes darkening with lust as he took in her outfit.
“I figured we couldn’t let a night like this go to waste. Since you went to all this trouble, it seemed wrong to pass it up.”
Emmett kicked the bedroom door shut behind him. He prowled across the hardwood until he stood before her. His gaze roved over her form. He fingered the spaghetti strap and grazed her collarbone, and she felt that touch all the way down to her toes.
“You are so beautiful, you take my breath away.”
And hell, but there went her heart, in a flying leap over the cliff.
Emmett was gobsmacked by Grace in the teeny tiny outfit. She looked stunning, from the graceful column of her neck to her slim shoulders and swell of cleavage. He unhooked his sling, tossed it onto the chair nearby, and cupped her face in his hands. He searched her eyes, and found himself drowning in her gaze.
But then he crushed his lips over hers, and was rewarded when she leaned into him with a sigh. He drugged her with his kiss, keeping it light and seductive, wooing her into a hypnotic glow of rising need. She caressed his chest through the fabric of his shirt and began tugging the material up. He growled into her mouth at the feel of her hands on his skin beneath. When the hem of his shirt was at his neck, she tore her mouth from his.
“Off,” she demanded.
He chuckled darkly at her enthusiasm. “Yes, ma’am.”
In a fluid move, he pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it behind him. “I like this. You look downright edible. It’s a good thing I didn’t know you had this with you before we ate. I would have ravished you on the spot.”
“You still can,” she said, her voice a breathy whisper.
He cupped her breasts through the material, kneading her flesh, enjoying the way her nipples pebbled at his touch. “I have every intention of doing just that. I want you to lie on your back for me in the center of the bed. Leave the nightie on. I want to remove it with my teeth.”
“Yes, Sir.”
He ushered her over to his big bed and helped her in. Before he joined her, he lit some candles he’d placed on the nightstands, and turned off the lights. In the candlelight, he disrobed before joining her in bed. The low light turned the room into a magical, half-lit place.
Then he positioned himself between her thighs, holding himself up on his right elbow while his left trailed over her neck.
“Your shoulder?” she stated.
“Is fine, doc. Just let me love you tonight,” he murmured, then leaned down and trailed his lips along her jawline, starting at her ear and traveling to her chin. Then he did the same along the other side before finally, finally, claiming her mouth.
But instead of ravishing her, he seduced, keeping his kiss light, and tender, showing her with more than words that he loved her. He drew each kiss out, moving from one heady tangle to the next. He settled his big body between her thighs, and she sighed into his mouth.
Emmett reveled in Grace, in her exuberance, the feel of her hands caressing his back. While he focused on her mouth, his need turned hungry and hot.
Emmett went on a meandering journey of Grace’s body, leaving no amount of skin untouched. He nibbled on her ears, grazed her neck, and had her moaning beneath him. He traced his tongue over the upper swell of her cleavage, teasing the lacy edges of material.
Using his teeth, he tugged the laces and untied the nightie. He drew the material apart—much like opening a present on Christmas morning—and exposed her breasts. He teased her flesh, placing open-mouthed kisses around the mounds but avoiding the nipples. When he finally sucked a hard-beaded point into the hot cavern of his mouth, she moaned low, arched her back, and fed him the mound. He growled, loving the way she surrendered to the passion, to him.
And through it all, he watched her reaction.
Emmett moved lower still, and with his teeth, he drew her panties down her legs until she was bared before him. Then he kissed his way up, taking the time to nibble at her knees, and caress her inner thighs, until his mouth hovered over her mons. He parted her folds and darted his tongue out, craving the taste of her. At the flick of his tongue against her clit, her back arched and she gasped.
He drew out the erotic torture, taking his time as he licked her intimate flesh. Her hips rocked against his mouth while his tongue thrust inside her and he pressed his erection into the mattress. He felt the orgasm roll over her. It left her crying his name.
But he didn’t give her time to come down from that peak before he fit his length at her entrance and hovered over her.
“Look at me,” he demanded quietly.
She opened her eyes, her gaze blind with need. Only then did he slip inside, filling her pussy with his cock. She clenched around his shaft, trying to draw him deeper inside, and Emmett felt more connected than ever before. He threaded his fingers through
hers, and only then did he begin to thrust.
He used slow, languid strokes meant to drive her crazy. Emmett’s mouth claimed hers, connecting them at another level while he thrust. He felt her wrap her legs around his waist as she writhed beneath him. He continued to seduce, keeping his pace unhurried, drawing their lovemaking out for as long as possible.
Emmett tried to show her what she meant to him, that he had fallen for her, as the fury and fire of their passion took hold and they were enveloped in a magical cocoon of bliss.
She undulated and met his deep thrusts. His pleasure spiraled higher. He was being turned inside out as he loved her. Never before had he loved a woman this way: with his entire heart, body, and soul—because she mattered.
He felt her body shudder and spasm around his plunging shaft. Ecstasy flooded his system as the tsunami washed over him and he climaxed. Emmett strained against her, and followed her over the edge on a groan, flooding her with his semen. It took him a moment to get the feeling back in his body before he moved to make sure he wasn’t crushing her smaller form.
He rolled onto his back, taking her with him, and cuddled her against his right side. “Get some sleep.”
Her eyes slid closed, and with her head pillowed on his chest, she said, “Sir, thank you for tonight.”
Warmth speared his chest, along with hope that they had turned another corner in their relationship, bringing them one step closer to where he would make her his with his collar—and more. He brushed his lips against her forehead. “It was my pleasure, babe.”
And that was the last thing he said as sleep tugged him into oblivion.
18
Emmett pulled his truck up in front of Cabin X. The exterior resembled the other mountain cabins on the property, made of wood and stone. But it was the inside that was different. Every piece of furniture had been retrofitted with silver loops to attach cuffs, Velcro restraints, or leather bindings to. There was normal furniture like a couch, kitchen table with chairs, and a bed in the master bedroom that had been specially made with an enterprising Dom in mind. But there was also a St. Andrew’s Cross, a fuck bench, a padded sawhorse, and a stone dungeon wall with chains in the second bedroom. There were also a medical table with stirrups, and an upright stockade, just to name a few.
