Dream Maker

by Kate Kisset

  “What makes you think you know what I need, Colt?” She grabbed her purse. “You wouldn’t know what I needed if it was staring you in the face. We haven’t had a chance to talk since . . . You regret the other night at The Owl, don’t you?” She glared at him.

  “No, Mariah, it’s not about that. You know for an absolute fact how much I loved what we did. And you know I love being with you.”

  “But tonight, you’re in such a foul mood I’m not sure I love being with you. I don’t even want to talk to you anymore. Damn it, Colt, why do you have to ruin everything?” She scrambled to her feet.

  “I’m not ruining anything. I’m saving us from a world of pain. And I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I wish things were different.”

  Mariah hooked her bag over her shoulder and peered down at him. And he knew he should ask her to sit down and stay so they could talk it out, but then what? They’d be back where they started. Mariah let out a huff, turned her back on him, and marched over to Aves and Wyatt.

  Was she very upset? He hoped not. But there was no getting around the hurt. He had to try to lessen it, and be okay with letting her walk away angry.

  It was never his intention to disappoint her. Yet he knew they were playing with fire that night at The Owl, and he went ahead anyway. Hell, he’d struck the match.

  He closed his eyes, hoping the jackhammering in his head would go away.

  Colt was so good at helping others. He helped his family, his friends—even some of his new employees had already asked him for advice. Why couldn’t he help himself?

  Why did he have to give into his temptations and make such a mess of things?

  Chapter Fifteen

  SPRAWLED OUT ON A LOUNGE chair, Mariah wiggled her freshly painted Wyatt Earple Purple toenails. Eyes half open, half closed, she watched her fellow guests frolicking in the pool in front of her. A cool breeze tickled her skin.

  “Cobb salads for you ladies?” a sweet voice called from above.

  Mariah’s eyes fluttered open. “Yes, that’s us,” she said to the smiling server, who set down the salads on the small table next to the lounger.

  “Enjoy.” The server gave another smile before hurrying off to help another guest.

  Mariah spread the napkin on her lap and gave Aves a once-over. Wearing her new bikini, Aves was lying on her stomach facing the opposite direction.

  “You’re not asleep, are you?” Mariah asked, digging into her salad. “Aves, are you asleep? Lunch is here.”

  “Well, if I was asleep, I wouldn’t be now.” Aves slowly turned over onto her back, propped herself up and adjusted her chair. “I guess I have the energy for just one bite.” She grinned, eyeing her salad. “Any sign of Colt?”

  “Nope. I haven’t seen Mr. Blow Mariah Off since last night—ending everything and getting in a snit over swag bags and lanterns. I can’t believe it.”

  “I told you, I think he’s still pissed off about dinner with Thomas. He didn’t like you two hitting it off. He thinks you’re going to marry Thomas and wishes he could have you for himself.”

  “No way. That’s preposterous. Colt doesn’t get jealous.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, all that talk about Europe? You two couldn’t stop yammering, and it left Colt on the sidelines. Thomas had a lot in common with both of us.”

  “Cool. You take him. I’ll tell my dad.”

  “Ha! He’s so not my type. But wouldn’t it be something if maybe one of these days we’ll be able to jet around the world the way he does.” Aves stabbed a forkful of salad. “I’ve always wanted to go to Spain. I think it would be so much fun to run with the bulls.”

  Mariah shifted to her friend. “Running with the bulls. Are you serious? Maybe you are a cowgirl after all.”

  They chuckled, and chit-chatted between bites while Mariah kept her eyes peeled for Colt. The server came by and took their plates away about a half hour later. There was still no sign of him.

  “Will you be bummed if I take off for a while?” Mariah asked, slipping into her sandals.

  “No, go for it. Do what ever you want. Why?”

  “Now you’ve got me worried. Did Colt decide to end things because he thinks I’m crushing on Thomas? Do you really think he does? And that’s why he blew me off?”

  “Maybe. Who knows?” Aves put on her sunglasses. “You should go with your gut. Go talk to Colt. You’ll feel better.”

  “I know.” Mariah let out a sigh and got to her feet. “I’m going to try to track him down and get to the bottom of what was worrying him last night. It seemed like there was more on his mind than just the usual—”

  “‘No, we can’t do this, I want to screw your brains out, but I can’t?’”

  “Exactly.” Mariah swatted her with her towel. “You have such a way with words, by the way.”

  “Why, thank you kindly, ma’am.” Aves leaned back and stretched. “While you go make nice with your wild man, I’m going to finish my nap.”

  “Okay. I’m going to change out of this suit and find him—meet you later?”

  “Gator. Good luck.”

  AFTER CHANGING INTO a light, breezy top, and shorts and sandals, Mariah headed into Dream Maker’s main building. Opting for the most obvious place Colt could be, she decided to check his office first.

  A luxurious scent wafted through the cool air of the building’s interior. At least two dozen scented candles flickered softly as she passed through the opulent main hall. She came to the hotel’s reception area and hung a left. Her sandals clacked against the smooth tile floor but came to a stop when she saw his office door was open.

  What kind of mood would he be in today?

  Mariah cautiously poked her head into the spacious room, hoping she wasn’t interrupting something important. Colt was at his desk, head down, deep in paperwork.

  She rapped on the door gently, and he looked up. Colt’s model-perfect face broke into one of those dazzling smiles that had haunted her dreams for as long as she could remember. “You busy?”

  “No.” Colt rose, coming to her. “Come in, let’s talk.” He politely held her hand as he led her to one of the leather chairs in front of his desk. They both took a seat.

  “I feel like I’m about to have a job interview.” She laughed, sinking into the buttery leather and staring at his massive pine desk.

  “I have a couch in the back.” He pointed behind them. “If you’d rather sit there.”

  “No, this is good.”

  “What’s up?”

  What’s up is I want to kiss you. “I don’t know,” she hedged. “I was just thinking about last night.”

  “Yeah, you left me in the dust. Not that you didn’t have a reason to. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

  “And the night before, you left the dinner pretty quickly. You said you had some sort of problem going on here.”

  “Oh that. That was, uh . . . No, I took care of it. Everything’s fine.”

  “Good.”

  “But thanks for asking.” Colt glanced at his desk.

  She nodded at a stack of paperwork. “Did I take you away from something?”

  “No. So, dinner at your dad’s was a good time, huh? Your father looked well. And it seemed like you and Thomas really had a connection.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Not really. He travels. I travel. We talked about traveling. That’s really the only reason I was talking to him at all.”

  “Okay.” Colt nodded, avoiding eye contact.

  “Is there something wrong? Do you think I’m into Thomas?” She leaned closer. “You turned on a dime, snapping at me about stupid swag bags at the OK Corral last night. I thought we’d come to an understanding, and now, I don’t know.” She studied him and then folded her hands in her lap. “It’s more than just you being worried about my family finding out. You’re acting different.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. Colt, don’t even try. I’ve known you since the day you were born.”

  �
��I was born before you were alive.” He leveled his gorgeous caramel eyes at her, probably trying to distract her and get her off the subject.

  “Our birth order doesn’t matter, and you know it.” She brushed him off. “What’s going on with you?”

  “There’s nothing wrong.” He rose and moved to his desk.

  Typical. “Stop trying to avoid me,” she demanded, following him. “Tell me.” She tugged on his sleeve. “What is it?”

  “I’ll tell you what’s wrong.” He turned to her, facing her down. “I don’t know how to deal with my feelings for you, Mariah. Okay? Is that what you want to hear?”

  “What?” Was he being serious? If she didn’t know him better, she’d think Colt was genuinely upset. “I’m not sure what you’re so bothered about. You don’t have to deal with anything when it comes to you and me.”

  “I mean it’s not easy for me to always be the one to have to push you away, to always have to think reasonably.” He shrugged, and she let go of his sleeve. “It might be fun for me to just go with my instincts the way you do, and not have to think about the consequences.” He rolled his neck, turning to the window. “Did you ever think of that?”

  “I—But I never want you to push me away.”

  He swung back to her. “Exactly. That’s the problem. You always leave it up to me to be rational, and I’m not rational. Not when I’m around you. Mariah, it’s killing me to have you here.” He walked to the window and kept his back to her.

  “Killing you?” She walked over and stood by his side. The bright orange wildflowers in the back field were still in full bloom. “Do you want me to leave, Colt?”

  He glanced over. “No. But you will. You always do. And I know . . .”

  “That nothing will ever come between us. Yes. I realize, that’s what you think. You’ve told me fifty million times. But what you don’t know is . . . what I think. What I’ve always thought about you.”

  He turned to her. “Which is?”

  She chickened out and dropped her head, opting for a good look at her sandals and fresh pedicure rather than meet Colt’s piercing stare. Butterflies did thousands of summersaults in her stomach while her palms broke into a sweat. It wasn’t easy to admit it to his face like this, but he needed to know. “The silly fact is, I love you.”

  He blinked, cocking his head to her. “And of course, I love you too.” He said it the way someone would to a sibling.

  “No, Colt.” She took his hand. “I mean, love love. Like real love. I love you.”

  He stared at her, wide eyed. His jaw might as well have hit the floor.

  And she back-pedaled. “I know, I know. It’s stupid. You’re Lonesome’s number-one lady-killer, and I’m just one in a million girls you’ve slept with.”

  “No.” He let go of her hand and cupped her cheeks, locking her in his stare. “Don’t ever think that. You’re—you’re precious to me, Mariah. You know that.”

  “Because you were my first.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “It’s not only that. All the years in between and all the days before that first time, you were there. Maybe I was your first, but we’ve been through so much more together.” He closed his eyes, as if he needed to find courage to continue. “You know, seeing you smile can be just as good as sleeping with you.” He gave her a sly grin. “If that’s all I’ve got. Just as good, but in a different way.”

  “My smile?” she said quietly. Her heart flipped over as she let the sweetest words anyone had ever said to her sink in. “Okay, now I think you’re going to make me cry.”

  “But I don’t want to make you cry, Mariah, that’s the point. That’s the reason I’ve been fighting my feelings for you.”

  “Well then, stop the battle, Colt.” She reached up on tiptoes and brushed her lips against his, whispering, “Please stop.”

  He took a deep breath she felt against her skin. “Are you sure you love love me? Because—”

  Mariah cut him off with a kiss. She ran her hands up his arms and along his broad shoulders, to the back of his neck. Tunneling her fingers in his thick hair, she urged him down for a deeper kiss. And when he closed his eyes, she kept hers open so she could watch him kiss her so tenderly, it broke her heart into a million happy pieces.

  Colt gently pulled from the kiss, as though he couldn’t hold back what he had to say for another second. “And I want you all the time. I don’t know how I’m ever going to get back to normal.”

  “Does this mean you’ll stop with the on again, off again?”

  “I was trying to prevent your feelings from escalating, but if you’re already there, if you really feel that way about me, I think I have to.”

  “I do, Colt.” She beamed, bubbling over his smile and how happy he looked. “And as long as we don’t get caught, I think this, you and me, like this . . .” She kissed him again. “This could be our new normal.” Mariah glided her hands down around his tight, muscly waist and hugged him.

  “I thought you weren’t worried about anyone finding out.”

  She shrugged, nestling her cheek against his chest, taking in his fresh ocean and cedar scent. “After seeing how Dad treated you like a family member at dinner, I don’t know. I had second thoughts. Why rock the boat if we don’t have to?”

  “So you’re my new normal,” he said softly, tracing his fingers along her jawline. He tipped her chin up.

  “And we’re not going to stop, Colt.” He pressed his lips against hers, tasting of sunshine and cherry cola. Colt cradled her in his arms and dipped her in a deep loving kiss, straight out of a movie. “Hell no, we’re not going to stop.”

  “No,” he whispered breathlessly, kissing her, running his hand over her breast. “It’s too late for me to stop. I tried and I can’t.” He walk-kissed her away from the window, running his strong hands up and down the curve of her hips.

  She tugged his arm as she hit the couch, dragging him on top of her. “I’m all yours.”

  “Hold on.” He scrambled to his feet. “I think we better lock this.” Colt rushed to the door and pressed the button on the knob. “Now, where were we?” he asked, sauntering back to the couch and sprawled on top of her.

  His lips glided to her neck, kissing and sucking down her chest to where the buttons of her top started. “Mine,” he said, kissing button by button as he opened her blouse.

  She arched her back as he pushed her flimsy bra down under her breasts and sucked her nipples. And her body heated under the artful tongue she’d been fantasizing about for hours on end. On fire, she closed her eyes letting her hands roam the muscular planes of Colt’s perfect back. Needing to get to his skin, she took hold of his shirt and peeled it off. “Mine,” she purred.

  “All mine,” he said, taking off her blouse. And then her skirt. He grabbed a condom from his jeans and tossed the packet on the table beside them.

  In seconds their clothes were on the floor and he was back on top of her, hard as a rock, pressing against her just right. “I’m going to have to start visiting Venice Beach,” he moaned, nuzzling into her neck and kissing her shoulder. “And I hate the sand. See what you do to me?”

  “I can feel what I do to you.” She grinned, slipping her hand between them and stroking him.

  “And if you keep touching me that way, you’re going to feel me coming all over your stomach.” He swung his hand out, felt around the coffee table, and grabbed the condom. “This time, we’re going to take it slow, sweetheart, so I can relish every second with you.”

  “Because this isn’t just sex.”

  He propped himself up, hands on the couch on either side of her, and locked onto her eyes. “No, it isn’t,” he whispered.

  She wanted to say “I love you” again, but was afraid it was too soon. And being with Colt loving her this way was too much heaven to risk interrupting. She scooted back on the couch, readying for him, enthralled watching him roll the condom over his cock. She was already beyond turned on. The sight of him touching himself had her soaking
.

  Mariah hadn’t realized just how big he was. She’d certainly felt his girth, but had never seen him.

  “What?” he asked, catching her.

  “We’ve never done this during the day,” she said, not even bothering to move her eyes or even pretend she wasn’t staring.

  “I know,” he whispered in a rasp. She looked up and saw he was transfixed on her trimmed triangle. She’d never had one of those Brazilian waxes, or shaved bare. Colt seemed to love exactly the way she looked.

  With the condom in place, she spread her legs, and he eased inside of her.

  “It never was only about the sex with me. Not the first time and not the last.” He moaned, slowly filling her, and brushed the hair from her face. When they locked eyes, time seemed to stand still.

  He slowly thrust deeper, and she bit her lip, rocking with him, slow and steady. Keeping eye contact, they were bonding in a way she never thought possible. The sweat beaded on her chest, and bright sunlight streamed in through the window. Hands braced on the couch, she moved closer and closer to her orgasm without taking her eyes off Colt.

  “You’re like a tight glove, Mariah. A wet, tight glove.” He moaned. His hair clung to his forehead; his corded arms reached around her, hands gripping her in place. Did he know what he was doing? That at this exact angle she was about to go off like a rocket? She moved faster, rocking her hips, as she clamped around him.

  “Come for me, Mariah. I want to see you come.” Colt groaned, somehow keeping it together. Taking quick breaths, he moved one of his hands, angling her in an even better position.

  “Oh, God,” she cried out, whimpering and arching her back. It was torture not to kiss him. Colt thrust harder, keeping up the unrelenting perfection of almost there, until she was.

  The climax came hard, almost out of nowhere, spasming, short-circuiting her system as she pulsed around him. Cupping her ass in his hands, Colt thrust deeper and faster. She clung to him, pressing her slick, sweat-covered breasts against his hard chest, rocking with him. He let out a groan, and then another, and another before kissing her and slowly setting her back down on the couch.