Keep looking, Kat. I’m yours, today, tomorrow, and the day after that.
“Pink,” she said, her voice teasing his senses, tempting him to reach out and touch her.
Brody climbed in, drawing the shower curtain closed behind him. Wrapping his arms around her, he backed her up against the shower’s marble wall, the water rushing over them. He pressed one leg between hers, pinning her in place.
“What about my favorite food?” she asked, her hands moving over his back, drifting up to his shoulders.
“That can wait.”
He captured her lips, kissing her, exploring her mouth until she arched. She pressed her breasts against him as if she needed to feel her body against his. Her hands moved to his hair, grabbing on as if she might fight for control. Holding her against the shower wall with his body, careful not to push her against the hot and cold knobs, he wrapped his hands around her wrists and drew them away.
“Wait for what?” she murmured, breaking the kiss as he pinned her arms to the tiles and held them there.
“My next visit.”
She stilled, every inch of her frozen. “Planning a lot of trips on the red-eye?”
“Yes. We’re not over, Kat.” He drew his thigh up, drawing her legs apart. “I’m not asking you for words or promises. All I’m asking is that you don’t shut me out. I’m flying out here every damn weekend if that is what it takes to prove to you that my feelings are real and lasting.”
“Your brothers and sister,” she gasped as he rocked his thigh against her. She adjusted her feet, spreading her legs farther and offering him access. “And your job. What about the trucks? The search and rescue squad?”
“The trucks will survive. And my siblings can live without me for a weekend. Probably longer at this point.” His leg stopped moving as he looked down into her green eyes, wanting her to hear his words. “Chad has Lena now. Katie is marrying Liam. Josh has regained his memory, and I think Megan will be around for a while too. I’ve been so focused on taking care of them, I didn’t think to step back and ask if they really need me.”
“They’re your family,” she said, her eyes wide despite the water falling over them, warming their bodies.
“I’m not cutting them out of my life, Kat. But now that they’ve moved out and we’ve sold the business, they don’t need me there, holding everything together. I can visit you without my family or my job falling apart. And there are plenty of guys on the search and rescue squad to handle the calls.”
“But you love it,” she said. “Saving people.”
“It’s not the only thing I love,” he said, hoping like the hell she wouldn’t leap out of the shower when that word crossed his lips.
“Brody,” she said, her body drawing away from him in spite of his intimate hold on her.
“I want you, Kat. Please don’t shut me out. I swear I want you. Just you.” Brody drew his thigh away, shifting closer. “And right now, I want to make you scream my name.”
KAT CLOSED HER eyes, losing herself in the feel of his lips on her wet skin, kissing her neck. His hands held her wrists above her head, demanding control. With the water rushing over her skin, falling between them, she let him take her. She wanted Brody just the way he was.
Giving.
Caring.
And hard. His hips rocked forward, his cock gliding over her wet skin.
“Condom,” she murmured, his lips moving lower, his tongue licking a path across the top of her breasts.
He shifted, capturing both of her wrists in one hand. His free arm shot out, pushing aside the curtain and grabbing a packet from beside the sink.
“You thought ahead.”
“I’m not going to lie, Kat.” He released her wrists. The intensity of his gaze demanded that she keep her arms against the wall. And she obeyed. “I’ve stood in the shower dreaming about you, wanting you here with me.”
“Tell me,” she challenged. “Tell me what you imagined in your daydreams.”
He stepped back, placing the length of the tub between them. Standing out of the shower’s spray, he tore open the condom and tossed the wrapper onto the floor outside the curtain. One hand wrapped about his hard length, drawing her gaze to the part of his body that she wanted inside her . . .
She gasped as he stroked up and down, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.
“I pictured lifting you up,” he said. The rough raw edge in his voice left no doubt that he was coming for her. “Wrapping your legs around me, holding you against the wall while I slid inside. “Just for a moment,” he added, his hand moving faster now, up and down, his hips thrusting into his touch.
“And then?”
“I’d release you.” He rolled the condom on but remained on the far side of the tub. “I’d tell you to turn around and place your palms against the tiles.”
She lowered her arms and followed his instructions, her nipples touching the shower wall, her hands flat. Glancing over her shoulder, she murmured, “Like this?”
He stepped forward, reaching for her hips, his fingers pressing into her skin. Her feet shifted, adjusting her stance as he pulled her toward him. Water rushed over her back, pooling on the center of the flat surface before running over her sides.
“Like this,” he said, his fingers touching her, testing her before he slid inside.
Brody groaned and she closed her eyes as he began to thrust against her.
Possessive. She wanted him just like this, taking what he wanted and offering her a sinfully delicious reward.
“Take me, Brody.” She screamed the words over and over as he filled her again and again. Holding her hip with one hand, the other slid around her body, his thumb pressing her there, right where she needed him, and pushing her over the edge.
“You’re mine,” he said as the orgasm took everything she had.
He thrust into her one last time and his hips stilled, holding there, his breath ragged. Slowly, he slid out of her, his hands moving up her body, drawing her back to his front. He wrapped his arms around her, one powerful forearm covering her breasts and the other holding her waist. Warm water washed over her front as his lips brushed her ear.
“You’re mine, Kat,” he murmured. “I need you so damn much.”
I need you too, she thought. She needed the man who understood how much losing a child that had never been hers hurt. The man who would set aside his desire for a lap dance because he had to share his feelings. She needed the man who said the words “you’re mine” but also meant “I’m yours.”
But need didn’t erase the past, offering her a clean slate, even if she wished it would.
“I love you, Kat,” he added.
Turning in his arms, she ran her hands up his chest, her gaze following her touch. She couldn’t say those three little words. But she was starting to wonder if she felt them for this man who’d come after her, determined to fight for a place in her life. And if she did, would love erase her fears?
“I love you, Kat,” he said again, silencing her internal debate. “And I plan to be here next weekend and the one after that, telling you over and over. I want you in my life, Kat. And I’ll say the words over and over until you feel them in your heart.”
Chapter 21
“I CAN’T COME this weekend.”
Brody said the words and Kat’s emotions went into a tailspin. After five weekends together—three spent in Manhattan, one in Nebraska where she’d met with a patient, and another in Portland—time had run out.
Dammit, she’d known this would happen. One day he’d wake up and realize he didn’t want her anymore. The distance was too much. His family needed him. There would be a logical list of reasons to set aside the words that came so easily to him.
She closed her eyes, shutting out the view of Central Park beyond her bedroom window. “I understand, Brody,” she said into her c
ell. “It’s a long trip and we’ve only known each other—”
“I’m coming back, you know that, right?” he said. “You’re not worried . . . Kat, I’m not giving up on you. My sister decided to get married on Saturday. I need to be here to walk her down the aisle. You’re welcome to fly out. I want you here, Kat. And so does my sister. But I know you’ve been busy at work. And hell, this is last minute.”
The relief left her dizzy and she sank to the floor, her hand on the window “You’re asking me to crash another wedding?”
“Not crash, Kat. This one is friends and family only. And as far as I’m concerned, you’re family.”
A door slammed in the background and three people—Katie, Josh, and Chad—all started speaking at once.
“Look Kat, I can’t talk now. Just because Katie decided on a last minute wedding under her trees doesn’t mean it is going to be a simple affair.”
Kat suspected those last words were only partially for her.
“But if you can make the trip let me know,” Brody continued. “And I’ll find a way to pick you up at the airport. If not, I’ll see you the following weekend in New York. I’ll be there. You have my word.”
And Brody kept his promises—in bed and out.
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said as his sister’s voice rose in the background. “Good luck Brody.”
And I love you.
She dropped the phone before the words escaped. But she knew what was in her heart. She’d moved past crush to head-over-heels in love with Brody Summers. She’d known for a while, she’d simply been too scared to accept the truth. She’d feared the end would sneak up on her the moment she said those words. Opening her heart, offering him the power to break it to pieces if he walked away, it terrified her.
But Brody Summers kept coming back. For six weeks he’d traveled to be with her. And he would keep flying back and forth across the country, or meeting her in the middle of Nowhere USA if she asked. This man loved her. And he would always return to her.
Brody had labeled her family. In his world, that word was entrenched in commitment. And she was finally willing to open herself up to the possibility that maybe love and family would last this time. They’d hit the 457 day mark and just keep going.
Tears flowed and joy mixed with relief. The love of her life wanted her, today, tomorrow, and the day after. She stared out at Central Park’s manicured trees. New York had given her so much, but her heart was in the wild woods of Independence Falls.
“I need to crash that wedding.”
“IT’S A NICE day. Clear sky and the sun is out,” Brody said, staring out at the Cascade Mountains. If he looked at the pacing crazy woman who’d replaced his sister, the words “calm down” would escape. And then she’d try to bite his head off again. He glanced at the half-dozen people gathered in the clearing by the trees.
Josh stood with his arm around Megan. Beside them, Chad held tight to Lena and Hero, her service dog curled at her feet. To Lena’s right, Eric stood beside Georgia, who maintained a tight hold on Nate. The four-year-old kept eyeing the construction equipment resting beside Katie and Liam’s future home site. Even though work had begun on the foundation, his sister had insisted they hold the wedding here. And on this perfect Oregon day, it seemed like a good idea. And the people that mattered—his family—were all here.
Except for Kat.
“I swear, if you mention the weather one more time,” his sister said, pacing at the edge of the woods. “I’m going to—”
The sound of a car bumping down the dirt road leading to the clearing cut Katie off. Brody turned and spotted a cab that looked as if it belonged at the Portland airport, not out in the middle of nowhere.
“What the hell,” Katie said.
The door opened and out tumbled the woman he loved. She pulled her fancy, oversized suitcase out of the backseat, swept a few errant strands of blond hair out of her eyes, and headed toward them without even a glance at the group gathered by the trees.
“Kat?” He met her halfway, easily covering the distance between the edge of the clearing and the driveway. Behind him, he heard the rustle of satin or chiffon or whatever the hell his sister had chosen for her dress.
“I’m sorry,” Kat said, drawing the suitcase to a stop. “The traffic was awful. Am I too late?”
The familiar sound of the bridal march blasted from the speakers they had set up the day before. Brody looked down the pair of fir trees. “No, but—”
“Stop the music!” His sister screamed.
“Katie—”
“Dr. Katherine Arnold’s here,” Katie called like a herald proclaiming the queen’s arrival. But there was a hint of mischief in her bellowing voice. “She’ll be down in a few minutes and then we’ll start.”
“Katie.” Liam’s voice held a world of warning.
“I’ll be there, Liam. I promise. ” His sister turned to him. “You have five minutes. Five. So don’t go crazy.”
His sister headed back to the spot she’d insisted was the proper place to start her walk down the “aisle,” and Brody turned to Kat. The clock was ticking. There was so much he wanted to say.
“You’re here,” he said. “Why didn’t you call? I would have picked you up. When did you get to Portland?”
“I arrived this morning.” She smiled up at him. “I took the red-eye.”
“You flew all night in an evening gown?” he said, surprise dragging him away from the right words. She was here, in Oregon, with his family. He didn’t care if she wore jeans to the wedding. Though he had to admit, he liked the strapless neckline pressing against the swell of her breasts. And the way the fitted pale blue dress hugged her curves.
Five minutes. He had five minutes.
“If I’m going to crash another wedding, I wanted to at least be dressed for it,” she said.
“You’re not crashing. You were invited.” You belong here. “And I’m damn glad you decided to say yes.”
Brody drew her into his arms, his lips claiming hers, kissing her deeply, thoroughly.
“Two minutes!” Katie called.
Breaking away, he stared down at her. He had a feeling his smile matched hers. “I want more, but it will have to wait until after the ceremony. After my sister says her vows, we can sneak away. Thank you for being here. I don’t know what you had to do to make it happen, but I appreciate it.” His lips brushed hers, stealing one last kiss. “How long are you staying?”
“Forever.”
BRODY’S EYES WIDENED. Beaming up at him, Kat broke free from his hold and gave him a gentle push toward his sister.
“Go,” she said. “Walk your sister down the aisle. I’ll not leaving, Brody. I promise.”
Abandoning her suitcase by the driveway, Kat ran, as fast as she could in heels on the soft Oregon dirt, to where her Independence Falls family stood by the pair of fir trees. Claiming a spot beside Lena, she turned and watched the man she loved lead his sister across the grassy field to her happily ever after.
At the end of their long walk, Katie Summers kissed her brother’s cheek before turning to Liam. And Brody glanced back at her, his deep brown eyes filled with hope and love. Excitement bubbled up. But she’d waited three days to tell Brody what was in her heart. She could wait until the judge standing under the fir trees declared Katie and Liam husband and wife.
After the bride and groom said their vows—Liam promising to always take in Katie’s goats and let her make her own choices, and Katie promising to love him madly even if he one day decided thirty horses was one too many—the bride tossed her bouquet of hand-tied wildflowers to the ground. Throwing her arms around Liam’s neck, she kissed him, long and hard.
“Someone told her that she has to keep her clothes on until after the reception, right?” Chad murmured from the other side of Lena.
“I don’t think that’s a rule,” Lena said with a laugh as the bride reluctantly loosened her hold on the groom and turned to face her family.
So much happiness, Kat thought.
Brody caught her attention, his intense gaze narrowing in on her as he abandoned the happy couple who’d returned to kissing under the trees.
And that is what I want with you Brody Summers. I’m ready. Finally.
The man she loved appeared at her side and claimed her hand. “Come with me.”
“We can’t leave the wedding,” she protested, glancing back at his brothers, who’d clearly noted their abrupt departure and were probably already planning ways to give Brody grief later.
“I’ll have you back before the buffet,” he growled, drawing her past the tree line and into the forest.
“There’s a buffet?” she murmured.
“It’s all soy meat so don’t too excited,” he said, turning her back to the clearing. He guided her one step and then another until she felt a tree trunk press against her back.
“I’m excited, Brody.” She reached for him, running her hands up his arms, needing to touch him. “But not for the food. I want you. Only you.”
His hands pinned her hips to the tree, his gaze darting to her lips. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” he challenged.
“My vision for how this plays out?”
He moved closer, his chest touching her as her hands ran up his shoulders, over his neck, weaving through his short brown hair. “Your mental picture for our future, Kat. What did you mean when you said forever?”
She met his questioning gaze. “I want to spend tomorrow with you and the day after that. I’m staying here in Independence Falls. With you.”
“But your job?”
“I’ll make it work, Brody. I’m one of the best in the country. I’ll find something. You know, they have hospitals here too.”
“You’re staying.” She felt the tension rising, every muscle in his body waiting for confirmation.
“I finally found my place, Brody. I’m no longer afraid to say it is right here, with you.” She rose up, brushing her lips over his. “And I have this feeling that you’re not walking away.”
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