Fortune's Fresh Start

by Michelle Major

  “Sometimes it takes going through a difficult period to truly appreciate the happiness on the other side.”

  They were pretty words, but he didn’t know if he could allow himself to trust them.

  “Do you really believe that?”

  The smile she gave him was filled with yearning. “I have to.”

  Right. Because this woman had been through something so much worse than the breakdown of a marriage.

  Their food arrived, and he loved the way her eyes lit up at the sight of the mouthwatering dish the server set on the table in front of her. Becky had ordered some complicated chicken dish while he got steak.

  She moaned in pleasure after her first bite. “I might not know a lot about fancy wine, but this is the most amazing dinner I’ve ever had.” She pointed her fork at Callum. “You should definitely take notes on this restaurant and recreate its goodness in Rambling Rose. Steal away the chef if you have to. I’ll spend a month eating peanut butter sandwiches for every meal just to save money to go out to a place like this.”

  He wanted to assure her that she didn’t have to worry about money because he’d take care of her, but he couldn’t make that promise. Even if he could commit to it, he had a feeling he’d just offend her by offering. Even if they didn’t say so out loud, most of the women Callum dated liked his wealth. The fact that Becky made a point of being genuinely not impressed felt refreshing.

  “That’s a ringing endorsement.”

  She nodded around another bite, then lifted up her hand to obstruct his view of her face. “Sorry,” she said after a moment. “Eating quickly is a habit with me now. I can’t remember the last time I ate at a leisurely pace.”

  “Have more wine,” he suggested.

  She flashed him a look of mock horror. “Are you trying to get me tipsy?”

  “Not at all,” he answered without hesitation. “But I do plan to kiss you tonight. A lot. And I want no question in either of our minds that we’re both willing participants.”

  “I’m willing,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling.

  He smothered a groan. “When you look at me that way I want to skip dessert and ask for the check right now.”

  “When we’re together,” she said, leaning closer, “you make me want to be the dessert.”

  Color flooded her cheeks as she made the flirty statement, but the effect on him was the same as if she’d been a seasoned seductress.

  As perfectly prepared as the meal was, Callum barely tasted it. He couldn’t wait to be alone with Becky, even for a few moments.

  “I’m so embarrassed,” she murmured. “I don’t say things like that.”

  “Then I’m not sure whether I’m more honored or turned on,” he told her with a laugh.

  They finished eating, the air around them charged with an electric current of desire. She left the table to call and check in with Stephanie as he paid the check. He found her just outside the restaurant’s entrance, staring up at a clear night sky filled with stars.

  “Everything okay?” he asked as he moved toward her.

  “Yes,” she reported with a relieved sigh. “Your sister said the girls went to bed without a fuss and have been sleeping soundly ever since.” She dipped her chin, looking up at him through her lashes, and added, “She said to take our time.”

  “I intend to,” he said, his voice rough even to his own ears. He took her hand and led her around the side of the building, then turned his back to the cool brick, drawing her closer. Need rushed through him as their lips met, and there was no holding back the flood of desire. She seemed as frenzied as he felt, opening for him as soon as he drew his tongue across the seam of her lips. The kiss deepened, need exploding through him like a wildfire.

  Her body formed to his, soft where his was hard, and he spread his hands across her back, wanting more from her than she could possibly give out in the open, even sheltered as they were by the darkness and shadows.

  He forced himself to bank his yearning, to slow the pace to where he could savor her. They kissed until he couldn’t tell where he left off and she began. The flare of desire almost overwhelmed him with its intensity, his body hot and ready.

  She broke away from the embrace when a horn sounded in a parking lot, glancing around in shock before offering a tentative smile. “I was afraid we were going to get caught making out like teenagers.”

  “Wouldn’t have been the worst thing that’s happened.”

  “But mortifying just the same.” She straightened her dress. “I’m a mother of twins. Moms don’t kiss like that.”

  He reached out and cupped her jaw, unable to stop himself from touching her. “Who told you that?”

  She arched a brow. “Chapter three in The New Mom Handbook.”

  “There’s a handbook?”

  “I’m joking.” She leaned into his touch, like a cat begging to be petted. He flicked the tip of her earlobe with his thumb, and she bit down on her lip. “We should go. I don’t want to take advantage of your sister’s generosity.”

  He wasn’t ready for the night to end, but didn’t want to push too far. This had been a big step for Becky, trusting her daughters with a babysitter and allowing herself a rare evening out.

  “I’ve had the best time,” he said as he took her hand.

  “You really spoiled me,” she told him. “I almost feel like a princess.”

  There was so much more he wanted to give her, to show her. If only she’d let him.

  The thought pinged through his brain that maybe he should pump the brakes on their connection. Hell, he couldn’t even commit to the restaurant idea, as strong as it was, because that would mean more time in Rambling Rose. His original plan had been to move on after the last of his initial slate of projects opened. That was his sweet spot as far as staying in one place. Enough time to make a difference in the community but not so long that he’d be tempted to stay.

  Becky was a temptation he hadn’t expected, and he had no clue what to do about it.

  * * *

  The next week was a blur for Becky. The pediatric center continued to be busy, and her days sped by in a whir of patient care and paperwork. Of course, that didn’t count the moments she spent fantasizing about Callum.

  She couldn’t deny that her feelings had intensified since their special evening out. He was so much more than she’d expected him to be. Handsome as sin was hard enough to resist. Callum was the whole package—smart, successful, generous and kind.

  As great as the fancy restaurant had been, she had just as much fun with him on casual nights at her house. He came over almost every evening after she got off work. They took turns grocery shopping and would cook together while the twins watched from the high chairs or played nearby. She would have thought he’d get bored with her daily routine, but he didn’t seem to mind the monotony of life with toddlers.

  After the girls went to bed, Becky and Callum would spend hours each evening talking and then even more time kissing. She came alive in his embrace. It became more difficult each night to let him go. He seemed as reluctant to leave her as she was to watch him drive away through the flutter of curtains at her front window.

  Which was how she found herself on an ordinary Tuesday night, standing in the open doorway of her small house trying to force her arms to unwind from around Callum’s broad shoulders.

  “I have to go,” he said, then claimed her mouth with his.

  “It’s late,” she agreed when they finally came up for air. “You should go.”

  It took another several minutes before she finally lowered her hands to her sides and backed up a step.

  “I had an amazing time,” he told her.

  “We ate spaghetti with sauce from a jar and watched reruns,” she pointed out with a laugh.

  “It doesn’t matter.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “With you, it’s
always amazing.”

  Stay, she wanted to tell him. Surely he would understand what that one word meant. She wanted more from Callum. As much as he could give her.

  Right now she simply wanted him to stay.

  But she didn’t speak the word out loud.

  Instead, she watched as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and backed away down her front walk.

  “Good night, Becky,” he called and then turned and jogged to his car. Almost as if he couldn’t wait to get away.

  She hoped he was moving quickly so that he wouldn’t turn around and invite himself back into her house.

  She slammed the front door shut like she might chase him down the street without the barrier between them. She moved to the window because it hurt her heart—not to mention the rest of her body—to know he was driving away. His taillights glowed red against the midnight darkness as he pulled away from the curb.

  He’d driven only a few feet when his brake lights went on. Becky’s breath hitched as the truck reversed back into its former spot against the curb in front of her house. For several long minutes nothing happened. No movement. No lights. No Callum.

  Then the truck’s interior lit up for a few seconds as he climbed out of the cab. He walked around the front of the vehicle and up her walk. Back to her house. To her.

  Becky didn’t give fear or doubt a chance to take hold in her brain. She dropped the curtain and rushed to the front door, throwing it open and dashing toward Callum. He grinned as she hurtled herself into his arms.

  “I want you to stay,” she whispered into his ear.

  “Exactly what I hoped you’d say,” he said as he carried her into the house.

  Chapter Eight

  As soon as Callum kicked the door shut behind them, Becky’s doubts returned in full force. She wanted him more than she could have imagined, but her husband was the only man she’d ever been with in that way. And while she wasn’t anywhere near over the hill, motherhood had changed her body.

  She also had to deal with the issue of how much of her heart she could to give Callum. For her, sex meant more than just the physical act. Although she had no doubt he would be attentive and thoughtful, what if for him it was just a release? Scratching an itch between two people untethered to anyone else.

  “Does it hurt?” he asked as he took a step away from her.

  She blinked. “What?”

  His mouth curved into that sexy hint of a smile that never failed to drive her crazy. “You look like you’re thinking way too hard. Typically, my brain hurts when I try that.”

  “You should try being less perceptive,” she told him with an eye roll. “It’s kind of annoying.”

  He chuckled, the low sound rippling across her already taut nerve endings. “Nothing has to happen tonight, Becky. You’re in control.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. When was the last time she’d felt truly in control? Before tragedy had turned her into a widow and a single mother of two unborn babies. Since that moment, she’d been furiously treading water with the waves constantly lapping over her head.

  “We can talk,” he continued. “You can tell me to go.”

  “But I told you to stay,” she reminded him.

  He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re allowed to change your mind.”

  “I haven’t,” she blurted. “I’m just nervous. It’s been a while and...” She shook her head.

  “And...”

  “Carrying twins pretty much wrecked my body,” she said on a long exhale.

  It was now, apparently, Callum’s turn to blink. Poor guy. She had no doubt any man would struggle with a good response to that kind of statement. It had been stupid to put the silly doubt into words but...

  “You’re beautiful,” he told her gently. His finger traced a path from the side of her jaw down her throat and along the edge of the neckline of the dress she wore. “Sometimes when you blush, it flushes all the way to your chest. I’m dying to know if I can make your whole body blush.”

  Her mouth went dry.

  “I love how you’re soft in all the places where I’m hard.” He stepped closer, his warmth heating her like a fire on a cold winter night. “It’s as if you’re formed in the exact right way to fit me. If this is too soon, we don’t have to—”

  “I want to,” she admitted, unable to offer any other response. She knew she had to stay in the moment. She had a feeling this was uncharted territory for both of them.

  “Are you sure?” he asked, and she appreciated that he was giving her so many chances to decide. The feeling of being in control was a revelation in her current life where every day she felt strapped into an exhilarating and exhausting roller coaster with no safety harness.

  She took his hand and led him through the quiet house to her bedroom. It had been the one space she’d changed after her husband’s death, when sorrow had been her late-night companion. She’d thought her grief might engulf her, even knowing she carried a legacy of love inside her. Then she’d felt the first flutter of movement. A quiver of butterfly wings signaling the lives growing in her belly. At that moment she’d understood that she needed to make peace with her sorrow and try to find some measure of happiness again. For her babies.

  She’d cleaned out the room, not just of Rick’s belongings, but everything. She’d spent a portion of her meager savings to buy new furniture and hired a local handyman to repaint the walls from nondescript beige to a soft yellow. The color felt like hope, and now she realized she had been preparing for this new chapter in her life without even realizing it.

  Moonlight slanted through the window, alighting on Callum’s strong features. Slowly, she stepped closer and wound her arms around his neck. She didn’t move deliberately because of fear. Somehow his allowing her to choose had chased away her doubts, at least for the moment. Instead, she wanted to enjoy each second they had together. Unwrap this experience like a precious gift.

  He kissed her like he felt the same, molding his lips to hers until soft sounds of aching hunger escaped her throat. His hands moved along her back, over the dress’s fine fabric, sending shivers along her skin. As good as his touch felt, it wasn’t enough. She broke the kiss and began to unbutton his shirt, her fingers shaky with need.

  “Let me,” he told her as he took over. Within seconds he’d made quick work of the buttons and was shrugging out of the crisp fabric.

  Becky did her best not to whimper. It had been no secret that Callum had an amazing body, his muscular physique evident even under his clothes. His bare chest and perfectly toned muscles made her forget her own name.

  “Do you go to a tanning bed?” she asked, taking in all that golden skin and needing to regain some self-control.

  He chuckled. “Uh, never.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “I just can’t get over how naturally bronze you are.”

  “Do you want me to prove I have no tan lines?” He winked as he unhooked his belt.

  “Yes, please,” she whispered, and he laughed again.

  “I think you need to catch up,” he told her. “I’m feeling slightly underdressed at the moment.”

  “Don’t let it bother you,” she assured him. “It’s working for me.”

  He arched a brow in response.

  She hitched up the hem of her dress. The soft fabric pulled on over her head, no zipper or buttons to fuss with. But it also meant that in the disrobing, she’d bare her body to him without being able to see his split-second initial reaction. Becky couldn’t decide if that was a blessing or a curse.

  “Here goes everything,” she whispered and lifted the dress up and off in one fluid movement. It fell to the floor in a whisper of sound, leaving her standing in front of Callum in her bra and panties. She didn’t even own a matching set since motherhood had changed her breasts.

  He didn’t
seem to mind. A shiver rippled through him as he stared at her. Her heart leaped in her chest at the intensity in his brown eyes.

  His throat bobbed as he swallowed. “You take my breath away.”

  Confidence building in step with the desire pooling low in her belly, she reached behind her back and flicked open her bra. The straps dropped from her shoulders and then the lace fell to the floor.

  Callum muttered a strained curse, his eyes going darker than she thought possible.

  He closed the distance between them in two quick steps, claiming her mouth for a rough and ravishing kiss. She met his need with her own, thrilled when his big hands cradled her breasts, thumbs skimming over the sensitive peaks of her nipples.

  Just as her knees gave way, he caught her and moved toward the bed, yanking back the covers and lowering her gently onto the sheets. They continued to kiss as he explored her body. It felt as if he was trying to memorize every curve and dip. She barely recognized herself in the way she responded, her desire greedy and sharp.

  Becky was at her heart a people pleaser, always wanting to accommodate others without taking anything for herself. So the soft demands she spoke startled her, but Callum had no problem following every one. It was clear he wanted to learn how she liked to be touched. In the process, his inventive hands and mouth offered new insight into pleasure.

  He was both gentle and demanding as he explored her. She easily opened for him as his fingers skimmed below the waistband of her panties, delving into her hot center in a way that made her arch into him. Blood roared in her ears, and pressure built inside her, more intense than she’d ever experienced. Her skin fairly crackled with the pleasure of the way he touched her.

  She cried out his name when her release roared through her with all the force of a cannonball. Callum whispered sweet words into her ear as her body recovered, but still she wanted more.

  “I need you,” she said against his skin, delighted by the subtle tremor that threaded through him.