by SJ McCoy
The girl took the hint and went to serve a couple of guys who had just come in.
“Sorry,” said Pete. “I was just testing. I didn’t know if you’d be straight back to your usual now we’re away from the lake.”
Nate scowled. “No. I’m not interested. Not in the bartender.” He waved his arm out toward a crowd of girls at a nearby table. “Not in any of the pretty faces around here. I just want to get back to Lily.”
Pete sighed. “Sorry, bud.”
Nate smiled. “That’s okay. I can hardly blame you for doubting. I’m finding it hard to believe myself. But all I want to do is get back to my room and call her. And that’s only because I can’t get back to the lake and see her.”
Pete nodded. “So, what are we going to do? Are you going to be able to work this deal out here, or not?”
Nate shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. It’s like I’m in a lose-lose situation. If I come out here, I lose Lily.” He met Pete’s gaze. “And if I stay at the lake, I lose my job.”
Pete shook his head. “We wouldn’t just fire you, Nate. You’re too valuable.”
“I’m valuable to you when I’m on site, heading up a project. I’m not all that valuable if I’m sitting on my ass in Summer Lake, am I?”
“You have been.”
“Yeah, but Four Mile is almost finished, from my point of view. This weekend the plaza goes live, my involvement there is over. The real estate side is doing well, almost half the lots are sold, and there’s plenty of interest in the rest. Ben’s gearing up to take over the lodge and resort side of things. I’m going to be redundant. In more than one sense.”
Pete sighed. “Nah. We’ll figure something out.”
“Don’t you think I’ve been trying to do just that ever since you told me about Ged Powers’ call? There is nothing, Pete. I’m the guy on the ground. It’s what I do. It’s all I’ve ever done. That’s my value to the Phoenix Corporation, and if I’m not on the ground on the latest project—if I’m not here in Seattle—then I’m of no value to you at all.”
Pete punched his shoulder. “That’s not true. You know I love you.”
Nate laughed. “Don’t go all sentimental on me. I’m just telling it like it is.”
“And you and Lily couldn’t have a weekend relationship?”
Nate thought about it. It wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted so much more than that. But that wasn’t the main problem. “I don’t think that’d be fair to her.”
“Why not?”
“Think about it. I’m the guy who’s known for chasing tail—and getting as much of it as I want. Even you expected me to go back to my usual ways once we got here. How do you think that’d feel for Lily? She’d be back there at the lake, sitting in her camper, wondering if I was giving in to temptation.”
“Do you think you’d be tempted?”
Nate shrugged. “Right now, the honest answer is no. But realistically, after I’d been here a couple of months? After I’d had a bad day and a few drinks?” He shook his head. “I’d like to say, no way. But I’ve seen too many guys, happily married guys who get bored when they’re working away from home. No. I don’t want to put myself or Lily in the kind of situation where I could be tempted.”
Pete nodded. “So, you’re not going to do it?”
Nate sighed. “See what I mean about a lose-lose situation? Either I let Lily down, or I let you and Jack down. I don’t know what the hell to do, Pete.”
By the time he got back to his room later that night, Nate still didn’t know what the hell to do. He didn’t want to give up Lily, but he didn’t want to give up his career either. He flopped down on the bed and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to call her.
She answered on the fourth ring. “Hi.”
“Hey, baby girl. You sound tired.”
“I am.” She yawned. “I wanted to wait up, though, in case you called.”
That was one of the many things he loved about her. She didn’t play games or try to reel him in. She’d never try to make him guess or make him jealous. She just wasn’t like that.
“I’m sorry. I was going to call you earlier, but Pete wanted to go out for dinner.”
“I hope you had a good time?”
“It was okay. I wish I was there with you instead, though.”
“Me too. I had to make do with Holly.”
“Did you go to the Boathouse?”
“Yeah.”
“Were any of the gang out?”
“No, but Ben seemed to have made himself a new friend.”
“He did?”
“Yeah, he was with this woman. Kenzie said she was here to interview for a job. She certainly looked like she was interested in getting into a position with Ben.”
Nate smirked. “She was into him, was she?”
“Very much so. The weird thing was it seemed like he was into her, too.”
“No. He’s just waiting for Charlotte.”
“He didn’t look like Charlotte was on his mind tonight.”
“You know what Ben’s like. He was probably just being friendly.”
“Maybe, but it looked a lot more than friendly to me—and not just me either. Kenzie was about ready to go pour a bucket of cold water on them.”
Nate laughed. “Kenzie’s overly protective of Ben; you know what she’s like.”
“I do, but it was still weird.”
“Well, it’s up to him what he does. I wouldn’t blame him if he finally gave up on Charlotte.”
“You wouldn’t?” She sounded shocked.
“Hell, no. He’s waited fifteen years for her to come to her senses. I don’t think I could wait around that long for a woman who went off and married someone else.”
“She didn’t just go off and marry him, Nate. You don’t know the whole story.”
“I do. I know Ben’s side of it well enough anyway. I spent quite a few nights at the resort with him sitting up late and drinking whiskey. Listening to his pain.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway. What are we talking about him for? I wanted to talk to you.”
“I’m glad. I miss you.”
“I miss you, too. I can’t wait to get back there.”
“When will that be?”
“We should be back Friday afternoon. I’ve got to put the finishing touches on everything, ready for the opening on Saturday. Can I come see you when I get finished at work?”
“Yes, please. I’d like that.”
“Okay. I’ll come straight out to the barn as soon as I can.” He hesitated, wondering if some kind of compromise was possible, wondering if he should even suggest it. “Do you think you could live like this for a while, Lil?”
“Like what?”
“With me here during the week and coming home to you on the weekends.”
She was quiet for a long moment. “I don’t think I’d like it. I don’t think it’s fair on either of us,” she said eventually.
Nate nodded. He’d known all of that already.
“But I think it beats the alternative.”
“What are you saying?”
“That it’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing.”
Chapter Fifteen
Lily was glad when the kids’ lesson was finally over. She normally loved the hour she spent with them, but she hadn’t been able to focus this afternoon. All she could think about was Nate coming back. He’d said he’d be back at the lake by lunchtime, but he had a lot of work to do at the plaza. He’d said he’d come over to see her just as soon as he could, but it wasn’t soon enough. She’d missed him more than she’d known it was possible to miss a person. She was a practical kind of girl, she knew how to keep herself busy, and she knew that missing someone was like worrying—it never made anything good happen and only stole away the fun you could be having instead. All that wisdom hadn’t made the week any easier, though, and it certainly hadn’t made the time go any more quickly. She checked her watch once she’d put the last of the
ponies back in their stalls. It was only five minutes since she’d last looked.
She wandered around the barn, checking all the horses were okay. Friday nights were quiet out here. There were no group lessons, as most people had other things they liked to do. She waved to Alison, one of the instructors who was heading back to her car. That was it. The place should be quiet now—until Nate arrived. She headed back to the camper to take a shower. As she undressed, she looked around the tiny bathroom. She really should do something about finding herself somewhere more permanent to live. She’d talked to her mom on the phone the other day, and she’d suggested Lily should buy one of the houses over at Four Mile. It wasn’t a bad idea. Lily couldn’t be more pleased with the way her relationship with her parents was changing. It seemed her visit last weekend had broken down a few barriers. She’d thought her mom hated that she lived here. Now she understood that in her own way, her mom just wanted the best for her. And now she understood how much Lily loved living at the lake; she wanted her to have the best house that she could there—and there was no denying that the nicest houses were the ones being built up at Four Mile.
She stepped out of the shower and reached for her towel. It’d be weird to live up there, though, and not be here with the horses. It’d be weird to live in a development that Nate had brought together—especially if he wasn’t here most of the time. She shook her head as she dried herself off. She’d agreed that they should take a shot and see how things worked out for them with Nate working in Seattle and coming back on the weekends. That had been at the beginning of the week, though, and after just one week, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle it. She’d missed him so much. But even apart from that, she’d wanted to do things with him. She’d taken a hike after work the other night and would have loved to share that with him. Did she really want to set herself up for a life where she’d have to do most things by herself? That wasn’t fair. She had friends, but it wasn’t the same as having a partner.
She heard a knock on the door and covered herself with the towel.
“Are you in here, Lil?” called Nate.
She ran out to greet him, and the towel slid to the floor as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.
As he kissed her back, his hands roamed over her naked body. “Damn,” he muttered, as he closed them around her ass. “This is quite the welcome home. I didn’t expect you to be naked and ready for me.”
She laughed. “I was taking a shower. I wasn’t …” She smiled and took hold of his hand to lead him to the bedroom. “I wasn’t planning to be naked and ready, but since I am …”
A big grin spread across his face as he followed her and closed the door behind them. “I missed you,” he said as he began to unbutton his shirt.
Lily worked on his belt and zipper, getting him out of his pants just as fast as she could. Once he stood naked before her, she pushed him down on the bed. “You’d better show me how much you missed me.”
He let out a low growl as she knelt before him and took him in her hands. Then she licked the tip of him and he buried his hands in her hair. “Lily.”
“Mm?” She looked up at him as she slid her lips over him and then bobbed her head, taking him deep into her mouth.
His fingers tightened in her hair and pulled her back up to look at him. “I can’t.”
She froze for a moment, wondering what he meant. He crawled up to the top of the bed taking her with him as he went. “I can’t let you do that. It’d be over too soon. I’ve missed you too much.”
She smiled as she straddled him and he reached up to close his hands around her breasts.
“I need to be inside you.” He reached down and rubbed her clit with his thumb, making her moan. “In here.”
She nodded and lifted her hips, guiding him toward her entrance as she did. He lay his head back against the pillow and watched with a dazed expression on his face. For a moment, she stroked herself with the tip of him. That felt so good! But this wasn’t the time for it. His hands came up to grasp her hips and pull her down. She impaled herself on him, gasping as his hot hard shaft filled her. “Oh, God, Nate!”
She began to rock her hips, moving with him as he thrust into her. His hands held her firmly in place to receive him. The sight of her breasts bouncing turned her on even more. His eyes darkened with lust as she brought her hands up and caressed her nipples.
“Lily,” he groaned.
She smiled and rode him harder, loving that she was the one in charge here and that she could turn him on so much. She felt him tense and knew that he was close. She leaned forward, placing her hands either side of his head. He grasped her ass and pulled her down onto him, moving his hips in a circular motion that touched her just the right way. “Nate!” she screamed as she let herself go.
Her orgasm tore through her and on the next thrust, Nate found his release deep inside her. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her, and she clung to him as he carried her away.
When she could finally lift her head, she smiled down at him. “Welcome home.”
He chuckled. “Can we make this our welcome home tradition?”
“I think we should.”
His smile faded.
“What? What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“That’s obviously not true. Please tell me?”
“I’m an idiot. I was going to say I’ll look forward to coming to this at the end of every day.”
He sat up and looked around. “But this isn’t home. We don’t even live together. And I won’t be coming home every day.”
Lily sat up beside him and leaned back on the headboard. “Let’s not think about that yet.”
He slid his arm around her shoulders. “Sorry. I just blew it, didn’t I?”
“No, but we can face reality some other time. Not now. For tonight I just want to make the most of the fact that you’re here. That we’re together again.”
He smiled and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Yeah. You’re right.”
~ ~ ~
“Are you sure you want to go for breakfast?” asked Lily
Nate nodded. Part of him didn’t want to. Part of him would rather stay here with her and have breakfast alone. He wanted her all to himself. But another part of him wanted to take her down there to breakfast with the others. Pete and Holly would be there, so would Jack and Emma, most of the gang would, before they all headed up to the plaza to get everything set for the big day. He should probably skip breakfast altogether and just head out there. He had a lot of work still to do after being gone all week. But this was important to him. He wanted everyone to know that he and Lily were a real couple. That they were as much a part of the gang as anyone else. He slid his hand around the back of her neck and drew her to him for a kiss. “I’m sure.” Most of all he wanted her to know—to know that she was important to him and that he wanted this kind of life with her.
She nodded. “You’re going to be busy today, aren’t you?”
“I am, but I’ll keep checking in with you whenever I can.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry about me. I’m no shrinking violet. I’m quite used to wandering around by myself chatting with whoever I run into.”
“I know.” That was another thing he loved about her. Most women seemed to need support; they didn’t like to be left by themselves. Lily didn’t care. “I’m not worrying about you. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can.”
“Aww, aren’t you sweet?” She pushed at his shoulder with a laugh.
He gave her a hurt look. “As a matter of fact, I am. Or at least I can be. I know because a very special lady told me so.”
She reached up and landed a kiss on his lips. “She’s a very wise lady, too, and right now she says that we need to get moving if you’re going to have any time for breakfast before you have to get to work.”
She was right. Nate grabbed his keys and was disappointed when Lily grabbed hers too. She shrugged. “I’m going
to need my own transport after we’ve eaten. You’re going to need to get straight up to the plaza, and I don’t want to hang around like a spare part all day.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at the Boathouse then?”
She grinned. “Yep, I’ll beat you there.”
She did, too. She was already sitting at the table with the others by the time he walked out onto the deck.
“Hey, slowpoke,” she called. “I got you a coffee already.” She patted the bench beside her with a smile.
Nate was glad of that. He’d wanted the two of them to arrive together, but she was making it plain that they were together.
“Do you know who has the keys to the lockup?” asked Laura, before he’d even sat down.
Nate thought about it. “Jack should have them. I certainly don’t, since I haven’t been here all week.” He gave Pete a pointed look.
Pete shrugged. “Jack should be here any minute.”
“What do you need them for?” he asked Laura.
“I left some decorations in there when we first started moving stock up here.”
“And I want some of them for my store,” said Holly with a grin. “Now I’ve seen what Laura’s doing, I need to up my game.”
Pete rolled his eyes. “Your store looks perfect just the way it is, sweetheart. Berto made sure of it.”
“Roberto’s here?” asked Missy.
“He is,” said Holly. “He and John came up on Thursday to help get everything ready.”
“I can’t wait to see him,” said Emma as she sat down heavily on the end of the bench.
Jack helped her get settled and then smiled around at everyone. “Sorry we’re late.”
“No problem,” said Pete. “Have you got the keys for the lockup?”
“Shit. I have, but they’re at home.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “You’d better go get them.”
“I can’t yet. I’ve got to get up to the plaza myself as soon as we’re done here.”
“I’ll go get them,” said Emma with a smile.
“No, you won’t.” Jack frowned at her. “You’re hanging out with Miss and taking it easy.”
“Driving home to get some keys is hardly strenuous.”