Read, Write, Love (Love in Bloom: The Remingtons, Book 5) Contemporary Romance

by Melissa Foster

  “Let’s pretend that didn’t happen.”

  “Already pretending.” He had no idea that a woman could be so hot and so goddamn cute at the same time, but she pulled it off perfectly. Every muscle corded tight at the sight of her between his legs.

  She nodded and closed her eyes for a beat—long enough for Kurt to take a deep breath and try to calm his racing heart. When she wrapped her hand around his throbbing arousal, then took him in her mouth, he didn’t have a chance in hell.

  “Good Lord,” he said in one long breath.

  Her hair curtained her face and he moved it to the side so he could watch her take him in. She stroked him with her delicate hand, loving him with her sexy, hot mouth. He untied her bathing suit top and watched it fall away, exposing her milky-white breasts, strikingly beautiful against her deep tan. She licked the tip and met his gaze from beneath her hair, sending heat searing through him. She licked him from base to tip, never breaking their eye contact. He clenched his teeth against the urge to come. She was taking him to places he’d only fantasized about but never allowed himself to enjoy. He pulled her to him and kissed her hard, stroking her mouth with his tongue while drawing her bikini bottom down. He needed more of her. He filled his palms with her heavy breasts, loved them with his mouth, sucked them until she fisted her hands in his hair, tilted his head up, and set a dark, hungry stare on him.

  “I want more,” she whispered.

  A groan rose from deep within him as he lifted her to the table and laid her back, spread her legs with his, and lowered his mouth to her moist, hot center. She sucked in a breath as he stroked her with his tongue, tasting her sweetness as she arched against him.

  “More, Kurt,” she pleaded.

  He slid his fingers inside her and licked her sensitive folds. She clawed at the table, moaning with pleasure, and shaking her head from side to side as her insides squeezed tight, pulsing against him.

  “That’s it, baby. Come for me.”

  Jesus, she was beautiful when she came. He spread her legs farther, and she tensed against his efforts, still in the throes of her orgasm. He withdrew his fingers, and she cried out.

  “No. Please. More.”

  He brought his mouth to her once again, devouring her as her body eased down from its peak, and he could wait no longer. He lifted her hips and brought her to the edge of the table, then drove into her. She gasped a breath—he groaned with the intensity of their passion, thrusting harder, deeper, faster.

  “Yes. Oh God, Kurt. Yes!”

  She reached for his hips, and he captured her cries in his mouth as another orgasm clutched her. Her body shook, and her hips bucked wildly against his. He slowed her sinfully sensual hips and found their rhythm again.

  “There we go, babe. Let it go.”

  She cried out again, grabbing his wrists and digging her nails into his skin. The intense pleasure and pain impassioned him. He was unable to hold back any longer. Every muscle was strung tight, his legs burned, and with two more powerful thrusts, he surrendered control and followed her right over the edge with his own ardent release.

  He drew Leanna to him and held her tight, still buried deep, breathing hard. Three words lay on the tip of his tongue, and he held them back. Trapped them in his mind like butterflies under glass, where they flapped and fluttered, trying to set their magnificence free. They hadn’t known each other long enough for him to even think the three words that, when strung together and spoken from the heart, were the three most significant words in the English language, yet they were there, as clear and present as he knew his own name.

  THE BRISK EVENING air whipped through Leanna’s hair as they drove toward Provincetown with the top down. They’d stopped by her cottage to pick up clothes for the evening, and Leanna stored the new batch of jam in the room off the kitchen. Now she and Kurt were on a mission to find the perfect gift for his eldest brother, Jack, and his fiancée, Savannah, who were getting married at the end of the month. Pepper sat at her feet with his head on her lap, happy as could be. She couldn’t believe Kurt had accepted Pepper into the fold of their relationship, but he had insisted that leaving Pepper at home would just make the pup feel bad and that dogs who felt lonely tended to act out. How did he know? She imagined that, as with the stain, he’d Googled it. She imagined him researching how to properly care for a misbehaved, needy dog. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

  As they passed Pilgrim’s Lake on the right, nestled between mountainous dunes and rows of beachside cottages on the left, Leanna felt as though she was moving forward, and surprisingly, felt more fulfilled. At the same time, what she’d been doing with her life had hardly changed—except for the addition of Kurt.

  Kurt reached for her hand. “You’re quiet. You okay?”

  “Better than okay.” She watched the edges of his lips curve up and wondered if he was thinking about their intimacy on the deck. She had never before even attempted to be a seductress. A seductress? She was more like Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy. She didn’t know what she had been thinking, except that she wanted Kurt so badly that she couldn’t get enough. She wanted to be closer, to taste him, to knock him off balance and see him with all defenses down, and she’d knocked herself off balance. She thought of the way he’d caught her on the deck and how he brought out the confidence that she exuded in every aspect of her life except relationships. He helped her bring that confidence to their relationship in the most loving and tender ways, but there had been a moment in their passion when she saw everything else in his eyes fall away. And in the space of a breath she could tell that he wasn’t thinking either. He’d dropped all his defenses. He was touching, tasting, moving, driven by the sizzling connection between them, just as she had been.

  “Nervous about tomorrow’s meeting?” He turned off the main highway and followed the road into Provincetown to the parking lot by the pier.

  “Not really. I will be when the time comes, though.”

  “I envy your ability to be so relaxed about things.” He parked and put the top up, then came around and opened the door for her. Pepper ran around his feet, tangling the leash as if he were a tree. He looked down at him and shook his head.

  “Sit.”

  Pepper plopped down on his butt and whined while Kurt untangled the leash. “Aren’t these meetings huge for your business? I mean, they must be the equivalent of my signing with a publisher for my books, right?”

  “I guess. Yeah, probably about the same.”

  A gust of wind swept through the parking lot and followed them toward one of the busiest streets on the Cape, Commercial Street. Commercial Street was lined with colorful stores, artists, restaurants, and all types of musicians. Provincetown was an arts community with a year-round population of around three thousand, but in the summer it was the vacation destination of gay men and lesbians, as well as tourists from all over the world, bringing tens of thousands into the small town. The streets held the aroma of salty sea air, baked goods, and patchouli. It was an assault of the senses, an explosion of colorful people, artistic efforts, and one-of-a-kind experiences—and one of Leanna’s favorite places on earth.

  A young man playing a guitar sat on the ground outside a restaurant, and they stopped to listen for a few minutes. Kurt threw a few bucks into the guitar case before they continued on their way, passing families with children, men and women of varying nationalities, cross-dressers, transvestites, and a wide variety of leashed dogs. A man whose entire body, including his clothing, was painted silver stood on a crate, still as a statue. Nearby, a tall, thin man with long brown hair sang in front of the Town Hall, dressed in a green minidress and spiked heels, surrounded by onlookers, who applauded and tossed money into a box on the ground. The diversity of Provincetown was just one of the reasons Leanna loved the area. The widespread acceptance seemed to go hand in hand with interesting, creative shops and people.

  “There’s something about P-town that makes me happy.” She smiled up at Kurt.

  “There�
��s something about P-town that makes everyone happy. That’s the best thing about this place. Everyone fits in.” He kissed her temple.

  Another surprise. She’d wondered if he was comfortable with the crowds and diversity. Now she knew. And she added his appreciation of Provincetown to her mental Like List, which was getting pretty darn long.

  At the main intersection, they walked past a gray-haired, paunchy policeman who made traffic direction an art form. He swayed his hips to silent music, bowed as cars passed, and blew his whistle at the throngs of onlookers. Throughout the years, Leanna had danced with that policeman, and now she had an urge to run into the street and do it again.

  “I love that guy,” Kurt said as they walked past.

  Leanna threw caution to the wind and let go of Kurt’s hand. “Be right back.” She kissed his cheek and ran into the road. If he was going to like her for her, he had to know the real her. And she wouldn’t be Leanna if she didn’t mimic the policeman’s moves and dance with him.

  Hands on hips, the policeman blew his whistle at her. She mimicked his actions with a smirk and an oh-yes-I-am shake of her head. He turned his attention back to the line of cars waiting to pass, and as he waved them by, so did she. She had seen many people join him in the street throughout the years, and though he kept a stern face, he always bowed in appreciation when they parted. When he spun in a circle, motioning for the cars to cross the intersection, she was right behind him doing the same thing, and caught sight of Kurt holding his phone up and snapping a picture with a wide smile that reached his eyes.

  He wasn’t embarrassed.

  He wasn’t acting like he didn’t know her.

  He definitely likes me.

  Kurt crouched down beside Pepper, one arm protectively around the dog’s shoulder as he pointed to Leanna and said something she couldn’t hear. It wouldn’t matter what he said. Just seeing him embrace Pepper tugged at her heart.

  She mimed a thank-you to the policeman, who bowed and made a rolling motion with his hand; then she rejoined Kurt.

  “Now, that was priceless. If your Sweet Treats falls through, you could definitely go into the dancing traffic directing business.” He pulled her close and kissed her.

  “Sorry. He’s been there since I was little, and I always used to dance with him. I had to do it.” She wiggled and tugged at her T-shirt and cutoffs, adjusting them so they weren’t askew from her walk on the wild side.

  They walked hand in hand, weaving in and out of the crowd with Pepper in tow. They browsed a leather shop—where Kurt joked about buying matching leather chaps for Jack and Savannah. They meandered through two art galleries, a kitchen shop, and they came out empty-handed from each.

  They stopped at Shop Therapy, a hippie clothing store downstairs and adult toy store upstairs. Dresses and tie-dyed tops hung in the front windows. A basket of sage incense blocked part of the entrance. The shop smelled like marijuana, which the employees claimed was the sage incense they burned. Leanna had her doubts.

  Kurt led her to the stairs in the back of the shop with a hint of mischief in his gorgeous eyes.

  “Wanna go up?”

  Her heartbeat sped up, and she felt her cheeks burn. With Bella and the girls? Sure. But with Kurt? Even the idea of looking at adult toys with him made her a little dizzy.

  “Um…How about…?”

  He laughed a little under his breath and kissed her forehead. “Don’t sweat it. I only know what you’re into by asking.” He led her safely back through the shop to the racks of women’s clothes. “Show me what you like.”

  Oh God. You think I’m a prude. “I don’t mind…that stuff.”

  “The dress?” he asked, holding up a dress.

  She rolled her eyes. “No.” She pointed at the ceiling.

  “Babe, I was teasing. You’re enough for me. I was just giving you the option.” He pressed his cheek to hers and whispered, “I didn’t want to stifle your pleasure.”

  Her stomach fluttered, and she felt herself getting aroused.

  He touched her cheek and grinned. “Better change the look on your pretty little face, or I’m going to have to take you right here.”

  My good boy is a naughty boy. I love that. For a second she considered his words. No, no, no. She took a deep breath and focused her attention on the dresses. He held up a dozen, and she loved all of them, but there was one particular aqua tank dress that was just her style. It was cotton, short, had a scoop neckline and a zillion tiny buttons down the front.

  “The last thing I need is another summer dress. The summer’s almost over.”

  “You sure? You’d look beautiful in it.”

  She wanted the dress, but she was being careful with her money until she knew where she was headed after the summer. “Nah. I have enough.”

  He took one last look at the dress before they left the store.

  They stopped for gelato at the Purple Feather—and bought Pepper a doggy dish of gelato, too—and sat outside on the brick patio while they ate.

  “Do you have a gift in mind for Jack and Savannah? What are they like?”

  “Savannah is strong and confident. She’s an entertainment attorney in New York City. She’s funny, she adores Jack, and she challenges everyone. Him, her brothers. She’s a lot like my sister, Siena, in that way, and Jack’s a strange combination of big, bad, and sensitive.” Kurt ran his hand through his hair and smiled a little, as if he were thinking of his brother.

  “Are all the Remington men like that?” She watched a group of men dressed as women, heavily applied makeup on their faces, hand out cards, and knew they were part of a show taking place at one of the bars. She’d give anything to have killer legs like the dark-haired man had.

  “Well, considering I’m a Remington man, I’d have to say no.”

  “Why?” She leaned in close and lowered her voice. “You’re big and bad, and you can’t even tell me you’re not sensitive.”

  “I might be big size-wise, but I’m not bad. Jack would rip apart anyone who bothered Savannah. He’s ex Special Forces, and he also runs a survivalist program. I’m a writer, not a fighter, and I’m not sure I’d ever want to live in a tent in the woods. I like my creature comforts.”

  She leaned back. “Hmm.”

  “Hmm, what?” He picked up Pepper’s empty dish and set it on the table.

  “I think you’re wrong. I think if someone hurt me, you’d be all over them, and I would bet you my van, which I love, that if I asked you to go camping with me, you would go.”

  Kurt got up and threw away the empty ice cream dishes. When he came back to the table, he held a hand out to her. “It’s scary that you might know me better than I know myself.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  KURT DROVE LEANNA home Thursday morning to prepare for her meeting with Mama’s Market. She’d gathered samples of each jam in a pretty basket and, dressed in a sundress and sandals, wore her hair loose. Traffic was light on the way to Yarmouth, and she arrived early. She hadn’t been nervous on the way, but now, as she entered the one-story office building, her stomach coiled tight. She felt Al’s presence, as if he were right there with her, and she drew confidence from the feeling. She had envisioned a sweet old couple sitting on a couch in a house set off the beaten path, with a garden out front and cats romancing the property. After all, the Mama’s Market in Wellfleet was run out of a small house at the end of the parking lot behind an old white church off of Main Street. The produce and breads were sold out of baskets perched on long wooden tables with tablecloth coverings. They didn’t even use a cash register. The staff calculated customer totals with paper and pencil.

  Simple. Efficient. Friendly.

  That was one of the reasons Leanna had decided to try to meet with them first. She figured that they’d be an easy sell. She was simple, efficient, and friendly. It seemed like a good match.

  She walked through the glass door and into their office. A red and white hand-painted sign that read mama’s market hung above a reception
desk. The pretty blonde behind the desk smiled as she greeted Leanna.

  “Welcome to Mama’s Market.” She glanced briefly at her computer. “You must be with Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats.”

  “Yes. I’m Leanna Bray. I have a meeting with Leslie Strobe.”

  The blonde nodded. “I’ll get him for you. You can have a seat if you’d like.” She picked up the phone and notified someone of Leanna’s arrival.

  Him? Leanna had pictured Leslie as Mama, the elderly wife of the couple she’d envisioned.

  A man about Kurt’s age, wearing dress slacks and a white button-down, short-sleeved shirt, appeared in a doorway behind the reception desk. He had closely shorn dark hair and squinty dark eyes.

  “Leanna?”

  And a voice as soft as butter. The muscles in her neck tightened as his eyes slid to the basket she carried. She felt underdressed and underprepared. “Yes. Hi.”

  “Leslie Strobe. Nice to meet you. Come on back, and we’ll get started.”

  She followed him through a hallway lined with photographs of Mama’s Markets—several of them, not just the one in Wellfleet. She swallowed hard. Breathe. Oh God, breathe. I can do this. She remembered a story Al had told her about the first time he brought his jams to the flea market, and she drew on the memory. They were good, Leanna. That’s all I had to remember. It wouldn’t matter what I said, as long as I could get customers to taste them.

  He led her into a conference room where three men and a woman, all dressed in business attire—starched collars, dark suits—sat around a large conference table. The woman wore high heels and lipstick. Lipstick? No one wore lipstick on the Cape. No one wore business suits, either, at least not that she’d ever witnessed in Wellfleet and the surrounding small towns. I’m so out of my league. She ran her hand down her dress, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles in an effort to calm her nerves.

  “Leanna Bray, this is Teddy Strobe, my sister and partner in Mama’s Market; Chester Magnus, our CFO; and Brian Warren, our marketing manager. You probably already know that we cover fifteen states and thirty-seven cities, and as of next week, we’ll be in two additional locations.”