Welcome to Wardham: Contemporary Erotic Romance Bundle

by Zoe York

  Tension zinged between them all night. The gala was in a modern event facility in the West Loop, and the glass and white decor was enhanced by a curtain of white lights along the far wall and large black and white photographs of staff and patients from the hospital hanging on the wall like precious art. Everyone that Kyle met raved about Laney’s dedication to her patients and her willingness to support the fundraising efforts. He learned about the extraordinary costs that families face when they have a child in the hospital for an extended period of time, and he understood why Laney couldn’t leave this community behind. He had accepted that as a fact before, but now it truly made sense.

  Shortly before midnight he left her in deep discussion with a donor and went in search of something with which to toast the new year. Waiters were circulating with trays of champagne flutes, but they were being snapped up quickly. He managed to snag two glasses on the far side of the room and turned to find Laney again.

  “So, you’re her...boyfriend.” Rick swung into view.

  Kyle nodded, and took a sip of champagne.

  “I didn’t think Laney did boyfriends.”

  Kyle didn’t owe this guy any explanations, and he didn’t want to say anything that she might object to, but he couldn’t help but want to clearly stake his claim. “It’s a recent philosophical change, I believe.”

  “How’d you meet?”

  “We went to elementary school together.” He had first noticed Laney, really noticed her, at a school-wide cross country run when she was in grade six and he was in grade seven. She’d kicked his ass, and he felt the first pangs of pre-teen lust as her long blond ponytail waved back and forth in front of him as she pulled away toward the finish line. He could still remember that she had been wearing a yellow t-shirt and tight black running shorts. She became a part of his life that day, imprinted on him so he was always aware of her presence. On the schoolyard. At the beach. At bush bonfires. As she got older, he wound tight at the thought of her hooking up with someone else, but something held him back. He loved her from afar for ten years before she kissed him. And he had been so damn nervous, his palms sweaty, legs shaking. Fear. He had been riddled with fear, even once they started dating. Fear is what made him push her away at the end of that summer. It kept him from happiness for another twelve years. He had been searching for someone to fit into his life. He felt like an asshole for not realizing until he was thirty-four that his life was wherever Laney needed to be. “I’m moving to Chicago in the summer.”

  “Tonight was a big success.”

  “Mmmm.” She leaned into Kyle’s chest and closed her eyes. It was a short cab ride to her condo, but she wouldn’t last that long. “I’m so sleepy.”

  “Then head to Grandma’s house,” he whispered. “You can crawl into the bed there, I’m sure it’s safe.”

  She shivered against him. Her eyes didn’t open, but her hand sought out his erection and palmed it leisurely. His fingers circled her bare shoulder under her wrap. The anticipation had been building all night. She had considered dragging him into one of the conference rooms on the upper level of the event space that she had seen at a planning meeting, but the professional Laney had won that battle. Getting caught having sex by a colleague, or worse, a donor, would have ruined the night.

  But now they were alone.

  “My, what big hands you have,” she whispered.

  “That’s not my hand,” he muttered, gripping her shoulder.

  She giggled. “And what big teeth you have.”

  “The better to bite you with, my dear.”

  “Better be a promise,” she breathed, pressing closer.

  He leaned in as if to kiss her, then ducked his head lower, running his mouth down her neck, nipping all the hot spots.

  “Come closer, little one.” His mouth was higher again, at her ear, and then it was his tongue that she felt, just the tip, tracing the outside edge of her cartilage.

  She closed the last few gaps between their bodies, plastering herself against him just in time for the cab to come to a stop in front of her building. Kyle pulled cash out of his pocket and shoved her out the door.

  “Hey!” She protested, but she too felt the urgency. His arm was a steel band around her waist as he propelled her onto the elevator, where he made short work of finding her underwear and ripping them out from under her dress.

  “Mr. Wolf,” she panted. “I don’t think that my grandmother would approve.”

  He growled and slid two fingers inside her, the palm of his hand rocking back and forth over her clit. She lifted one leg, wrapping it around his rock hard thigh, giving him deeper access.

  “You’ve got fifteen seconds to come on my hand, sweetheart,” he muttered. His erection was pressed into the soft skin at the top of her standing leg, a few centimeters from her hot, wet core, and with each crooked pass of his fingertips over her g-spot, she could feel him swell a bit more.

  “I want you inside me,” she moaned, her hips swaying to pull their cores together.

  He pressed her harder against the elevator wall, and slid his fingers out of her pussy. One finger trailed a lazy circle around her clit, and she felt the clenching start before he spoke again.

  “Come for me,” he said, his voice low and tight. “Let me feel you coat my hand.”

  He swirled around her clit once more, and as the elevator doors opened, she spasmed hard, her entire body jerking against him, and as her thighs slid together, trapping his hand, he got the flood of wetness he wanted.

  The reality of what they’d just done crashed around her as she took her first uncomfortable step toward her front door.

  Kyle slid his arm around her, rubbing circles on her side. “You okay?”

  “We just...in the elevator. What if someone else got on?”

  He pressed her up against her front door. “No one did. If they had, I’d have dropped your leg and it would have looked like we were just kissing. It’s New Year’s Eve, it’s allowed.”

  “Oh my god. I think there are security cameras. Oh god.” She sank back against the wall.

  Kyle chuckled and eased her forward toward the kitchen. “Come on, Little Red Riding Hood. Let’s get you a glass of water.”

  Laney humphed and stomped ahead of him. “It’s not funny. You aren’t actually the Big Bad Wolf. You’re the level-headed one, what were you thinking?”

  He washed his hands, then poured her a glass of water. She was parched, and her heart was still pounding. And he stood there, calm, and still clearly turned on.

  “I was thinking that it would be fun to finger you in the elevator.” He pulled her against him, and unzipped her dress. “Since I overheard the security guards talking about how the video camera system is being upgraded next week, I knew there’s no recording happening over the holiday.”

  Relief washed over her. “You...you...you are in fact the Big Bad Wolf.”

  He smiled, clearly pleased with himself. “I try. And it was good, yes?”

  She swallowed hard and nodded.

  “Good. Then what were you saying about things being big?”

  She raised her arms, letting her dress fall to the floor. “I don’t remember, but I can tell that you aren’t my grandmother.”

  Laney turned and ran for the bedroom. Kyle got tangled up in the puffy ball of tulle at his feet for a second, and by the time he got there, she was sliding backward onto the bed. He stripped off his jacket.

  “Say it.”

  “My, what long arms you have,” she whispered.

  He unbuttoned his shirt. “The better to hold you with.”

  “And, uhm. What big eyes you have.”

  “The better to see you with.” He dropped his cufflinks on the side table. “Spread your legs for me.”

  She complied, licking her lips. “And Mr. Wolf, what strong legs you have.”

  He stepped out of his shoes and socks, then lost his pants. “The better to chase you with.”

  She paused, and his cock flexed, urging her
to finish the game. Her eyes moved back to his face and her lips parted. He shed his boxer briefs and climbed between her legs.

  “Oh, yes,” she panted. “What a big...”

  He reached between them and spread her moisture with the tip of his erection. “Say it.”

  “What a big cock you have, Mr. Wolf.” She whispered the words so faintly he almost didn’t hear them.

  He sank into her a few inches, then pulled out, causing her to whimper, but then he was deeper again, and on the third press, in to the hilt. He lay his full weight on top of her for a moment, and pressed his mouth to her ear. “The better to make love to you, Laney.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “What are you going to do while I’m at work today?”

  Kyle watched Laney pull on black dress pants and a pale blue sweater. It was almost spring according to the calendar, but Chicago was in the midst of being walloped with one last blast of winter. One benefit of staying at Laney’s condo for the week—no driveway to shovel. “Shopping, then meeting that teacher I told you about for coffee.”

  She glanced at him, then her watch. They didn’t have time to get into this argument again. He thought that she’d be happy he was looking for jobs. He thought wrong. Skepticism rippled across her face, and he resisted the urge to curse.

  She seemed content with the routine they had fallen into since Christmas. They were each making the drive once a month, so they had every other weekend together, as well as nightly conversations and more inappropriate text messages than he’d ever imagined possible. It was good, but it could be so much better. And when they weren’t together…maybe Laney was busy enough not to miss him, but all that he had enjoyed before now paled in comparison to the 48 hours he got with her every fortnight. Even the January crush of report card prep hadn’t filled the void. And on the weekends she visited him, he hated having to share her with her family, which made him an asshole. He couldn’t get enough of her, and there was only one solution to that problem. He had to move to Chicago, sooner than later.

  Convincing Laney was proving a challenge. He appreciated that she didn’t want to rush him, but damn it, why did it feel like she still doubted he was in this relationship one hundred percent?

  He stalked out of the bedroom instead of voicing that question. The answer was obvious, and she had to get to work. Asking it would just lead to a fight that he could script himself anyway. He’d proven his selfishness a long time ago, and a few road trips wouldn’t change that. Until he actually made the move to Chicago, she would keep a small part of herself locked up in case he broke her heart.

  He yanked the tin of coffee and a filter out of the cupboard and jerked the carafe out of the coffee maker hard enough to move the machine a few inches toward the sink. The rush of cold water at the sink almost disguised Laney’s approach, but he felt her warmth a second before she pressed her body full against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her mere touch calmed him. Their relationship was still new, for all of their history, and if this was their only speed bump they were doing okay. Real life was bound to be messy. They were going to disagree about life decisions.

  “I love you.” She breathed the words into his t-shirt and he took another deep breath. “I’m sorry. I hope that the meeting goes well.”

  He turned. She smiled up at him. Yeah, she loved him. He cupped her face in his hands. “I’m just exploring options.”

  “I know. I’m excited. But I’m nervous, too.” She fluttered her hands around her head, as if warding something off. “It’s so much to think about. And I want to focus on you. Just you. Right here, with me, for a week.”

  “I want more than a week.”

  She gripped his hands and pulled herself up, silencing him with a quick kiss. “Make coffee, my man. I gotta go.”

  He grinned. He liked the sound of that. Her man. Yes, he was. And would be forever. But the logistics of making that happen mattered, and if Laney didn’t want to think about the details, he’d take it all on himself.

  She opened the door to a bouquet of delicious aromas. Sautéed onion and garlic, sweet sausage, and apples and cinnamon. “Honey, I’m home!” She made the appropriate noises of appreciation on her way past the kitchen to dump her bag at her desk, then padded into her closet to change into comfy clothes.

  “What’s your poison?” Kyle appeared in the bedroom doorway holding an oversized goblet of red wine and a bottle of beer.

  Laney grinned, took the wine glass with both hands and tipped it to her mouth. “Mmmmm. You spoil me.”

  He leaned in for a kiss, and she shared the taste of the baco noir with him. “And you smile at me, and kiss me like that, and it hardly seems like a fair trade.”

  “What’s for dinner?”

  “Sausage, white beans and kale.” Her stomach growled, and he chuckled. “I’m glad you approve. And I picked up an apple crisp for dessert.”

  “See? Spoiled.” She set her wine down on her dresser, wrapped her arms around his neck and licked the triangle of skin exposed by his partially unbuttoned dress shirt. “I’m looking forward to more of this house husband luxury once school is out for the summer.”

  He slid his hand into his pocket and rolled the thin platinum band between his index finger and thumb. He couldn’t have planned a better segue himself. He drifted a light kiss across her mouth and moved his lips to her ear. “I like the sound of that.”

  She arched her back, pillowing her breasts against his chest. “Husband?”

  “Mmmm. And summer.”

  “Too bad it’ll only be for two months, but—”

  “—It doesn’t need to be—”

  “—it’s really for the best that we don’t rush anything, right?”

  Kyle left the ring in his pocket, and shifted back with a sigh. Now was clearly not the right time. He kissed her again, but this time it was perfunctory, a transition out of the conversation. “Come on, let’s eat.”

  Laney trailed behind him. He could feel confusion radiating off her at his abrupt change in tone, but given how his day had gone, he wasn’t sure he’d have the upper hand in that argument—logic and reason weren’t on his side. And that was the kicker. It wasn’t that Laney didn’t want him to live with her. She just wouldn’t ask him to give up his career, and apparently, her concern had been well placed. And since she was the smartest person he’d ever met, he was pretty sure that it would only take her another few minutes to figure that out.

  “Hey, how was your day?” Apparently not even a few minutes. “I’m sorry, I should have asked first thing.”

  Instead of answering, he busied himself filling bowls and finding cutlery.

  “Kyle?”

  He took his time settling their dinner out at the island, then leaned one hip against the counter and crossed his arms. He was disappointed, but it didn’t change anything, so there was no reason to overstate the situation. “It turns out that it’ll be a challenge to get hired here as an elementary teacher.” He tried to wave Laney off as she sucked in a breath and moved toward him, arms outstretched. “Sweetheart, it’s fine.”

  “No, it’s not.” She squeezed him hard around the middle. “I’m sorry. Again. This is why I didn’t want you to rush into moving here. We can do the long distance thing for a while, and I’ll see what I can do about maybe organizing a winter locum in Detroit or London. And we’ll hire an immigration lawyer.”

  “No. No more half measures. No more waiting. The back and forth is fine for the short term, but I feel like I’m holding my breath for twelve days at a time. That’s not how I want to live my life.”

  Laney hated that her mind immediately reminded her she’d heard similar words before. It wasn’t the same thing. Kyle wasn’t leaving her. He wanted to move to Chicago in a few months like a short-sighted fool in love, didn’t he? She was the one putting the brakes on, slowing their relationship down. Had she sent mixed signals?

  She’d been dodging this discussion for too long. Time to put on her big girl pan
ties. “Okay, I’m listening. How do you want to live your life?”

  “Can we eat dinner first? You’re starving.”

  She stomped her foot and he grinned. “Okay, dinner can wait. Let’s go sit on the couch.”

  He tugged her into his lap and squeezed her arm. It felt like reassurance, and she relaxed against his chest. His heartbeat was slow and strong, as always. “First of all, I love you. So fucking much.” She smiled into his neck. “I felt that. Laney, I know that I didn’t choose you a long time ago, but you gotta know that from now on, there’s nothing else that matters to me. First priority for me is spending every night in our bed, every morning making your coffee and every evening sharing dinner with you.”

  “And what about work?”

  He sighed. “Yeah. I love teaching. Love it. Used to think that I lived for it. But it looks like I might need to take a break for a little while.”

  “So you want to come here and what?” She pushed herself up and turned to straddle him. She had been kidding about the house husband thing, but maybe that could work. “You’re social enough, I’m sure you’d find something to do, but…”

  “I’m not asking you to support me, Laney. I’ve got savings.” The look on his face was priceless, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Oh god, no, that’s not where I was going! Although that wouldn’t be a problem, at all—seriously, you don’t think I’d care about that?” He shrugged and she smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “Kyle! What’s mine is yours and all that jazz. No, I meant...I don’t want you to regret this.” I don’t want you to resent me. “Are you still going to be happy being a house husband a few years down the road?”

  “Oh sweetheart, I don’t think it’s going to come to that.” He laughed and stroked her cheek. “As much as I would love to be at your beck and call, I’ve got a new plan.”