Second Chance (Lake Placid Series Book 1)

by Natalie Ann

  He edged her closer to the bed and eased her down on her back, coming to rest over her, his weight on his hands. Starting over again, he kissed her lips, her cheek, her neck and then started to move down her body.

  He couldn’t get enough of her. He had to taste all of her. One breast then the other, one nipple then the other. Back and forth, over again and again until she was all but arching off the bed trying to press against him.

  Getting the hint, he moved lower, hooked his thumbs in the sides of her panties and pushed them down her legs and off.

  Then he moved back up, kissing her ankles, her calves, her knees and then inner thighs, not stopping until he reached his main target.

  She was just beautiful and she was his. Waiting right there for him to taste, to take and to please. He wanted to please her so very much.

  Bringing his tongue out, he touched her lightly where he knew she wanted it. Where she was the most sensitive, and her hips rose even higher.

  “Nick,” she said, letting out a little moan.

  “That’s it. Say my name. I like the way you say it.”

  He tasted her again, tasted her more and tasted her fully, and she did as he asked—she said his name, all but shouting it.

  Moving his hands into play, he started to touch her, moving around her, then moved inside of her. Savoring her, feeding off of her, sliding in and out and bringing her as high as he could. As high as she would let him, until her body started to shake, until it sounded like she was sobbing his name out trying to get to the end.

  He couldn’t leave her wanting. He couldn’t leave her hanging. So he sent her flying, soaring and screaming his name out again and again.

  If he never moved from this spot, he’d die a happy man. Just knowing he gave her everything he could, and that she was all but begging him for more was enough for him.

  He started to kiss her lightly, feather-like all over her hips then back up her chest to her lips. “Thank you.”

  “I should be saying that to you,” she said. “Please tell me you aren’t done yet.”

  “Hardly.”

  “Then finish up for me. Give me more.”

  She had no clue what she was doing to him. What she was making him feel and what she was pushing out of him. He wanted to cherish her and he was, but she wasn’t letting him continue along that route. Not with the words coming out her mouth.

  He scooted over, quickly undressed, grabbed the condom and got ready, then rolled back over her. “I like how bossy you are.”

  “I never considered myself bossy before. Maybe it’s you that brings it out in me.”

  Even better, but he didn’t say that. Instead, he laced his fingers through hers, held them over her head, placed his lips over hers, then slid in slowly.

  She felt so good. So warm and soft and wet, yet tight. Squeezing him like never before. Like he never thought he’d ever feel.

  “God, you feel like heaven.”

  “Take me there,” she said. “Take me to heaven. Take me anywhere you want, and I’ll follow.”

  That was it. He was done. She had no clue what those words meant to him. How could she? But he wanted to bring her with him. Everywhere he went, he wanted her there.

  So he started to move, slowly at first. In and out, building her up again so he could send her soaring. So he could be there with her when she flew.

  He was vaguely aware her nails were digging into his shoulders, but he felt her legs wrap around his hips, pushing him deeper. He gave her everything he had left to give. Everything inside of him, he wanted her to have it.

  She urged him to pick up speed, so he did. Faster and faster, racing toward the light at the end of the tunnel. The light that would take them both to heaven, until at once, it shone so bright, he thought he was blind.

  “Don’t stop,” she said.

  And he didn’t. He couldn’t. She wanted him to bring her to heaven, but he ended up going there with her…his soul ripped from his body at the end.

  Protected

  Mallory turned her head and looked at Nick, lying next to her in bed. All those years she wondered what this would feel like. Now she knew.

  Nothing could have prepared her for it, and honestly, she knew she never would have appreciated it twelve years ago. It was better having waited this long. “Now I should say thank you.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, then pulled her onto his chest. Just lying there next to him was better than anything else she’d experienced so far.

  Protected. Right at that moment, she felt safe and protected the way she’d always wanted to feel in her life.

  She’d never known what that was like. No, that was wrong. When her father was alive, she always felt safe and sound. But when he died, her world came tumbling down on her. She hadn’t thought it could have gotten any worse…only it did.

  She didn’t want to think of that right now. She didn’t want anything to take away from the euphoria of this moment.

  “I’d say we both have things to be thankful for,” he said lightly.

  She snuggled in closer to him, listening to the beating of his heart. It seemed to pick up more and she was wondering why. Then he ran his hand over her head.

  “Why do I get the feeling you need to say something and I might not like it?”

  “Because I do. And it’s a little scary that you know that.”

  “Your heart is racing,” she told him. “Just lay it on me.” She wanted him to get it over with.

  “I need to leave.”

  “I figured you would have to go home tonight. Otherwise Trixie would be asking more questions than either one of us is ready to explain.”

  “It’s not that,” he said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. “I need to go back to Richmond.”

  She knew he would at some point, but the last thing she expected was for him to say it now. When her body was still warm from his.

  “When?”

  “As soon as I can get a flight. This weekend is out with the holiday and my office is closed for Labor Day. Probably Tuesday. But I’ll be back in a few days, I promise,” he rushed out when she leaned up and looked at him. She suspected she wasn’t doing a good job of hiding her hurt.

  “So soon?”

  “It’s only for a few days,” he repeated. “I was going to tell you tonight, I swear I was. But then you made the dessert suggestion and one thing led to another and all thoughts of anything besides getting you naked escaped my mind.”

  “Why are you coming back?”

  “Don’t you want me to?”

  Now he looked hurt and she wished she hadn’t said that. “I do want you to, but I know your life is there. Your company is there.”

  “I can work from anywhere and I’m coming back. I’m coming back for you, Mallory. I just found you and I’m not ready to leave. It’s as simple as that.”

  But he would leave someday, she knew that. “Nothing is simple with our situation.”

  “No, you’re right. But I want to make it simple. I want you to trust me. I want you to know I wouldn’t leave you. I never did. Remember, you left me.”

  It was another knife to the heart to hear him say that. She hadn’t been running from him and she’d told him that already.

  “That’s not fair.”

  “No, it’s not. That’s my point. I didn’t leave you back then and I’m not now. To prove it, I’m leaving my car here. I have to come back for it. Maybe you can bring me to the airport and pick me up a few days later?”

  She didn’t want to relent, but she knew she would. “Of course. Can I ask why you need to go back?”

  “Work. I need to sign some documents and meet with my developers. I want to bring back a few more computers with me too.”

  Now her heart was racing. Bringing back more equipment meant he was staying, right?

  “And see Kendra?”

  “There’s no way to avoid it. She has to talk to me at some point. She still works for me. Or at least my company. I won’t
be long. I’ll do everything as fast as humanly possible without my developers wanting to strangle me.”

  She lay her head back on his chest, trying to will away any distress. “That still gives us a few days together.”

  “You’re making it sound like I’m not coming back. I am, Mallory. If you don’t believe me, then you’ll see when I return. By next Friday I hope to be back in your bed just like this.”

  ***

  “Have a safe flight,” Mallory said as she pulled into the airport parking lot.

  Nick had ended up getting a flight at six in the morning Tuesday. He’d still have time to get some work done in the office later today and he’d already booked his return flight for Friday. He wasn’t lying when he said he’d be back in her bed a week later.

  “Are you going to miss me?”

  She was and wasn’t embarrassed to admit it. “I will. How about you?”

  She didn’t like that she found herself craving time with him. For someone who spent the last decade of her life alone and liking it that way, it was surprising to her that she enjoyed the time spent with Nick so much.

  Then again, they really didn’t spend that much time together now that she thought about it. After their talk a few days ago in bed, he’d stayed and cuddled with her for another hour, then left.

  That was another thing. She’d never been a cuddlier before. Actually, she kind of detested it. But being in Nick’s arms didn’t bother her in the least. It had to be that protective feeling again.

  Still, he’d left her house that night and they didn’t talk again until Saturday afternoon. She’d actually pulled her laptop out and started to work the minute he shut the door. Not on her secret story, but the story for her agent. Her new series.

  She was hoping to get some serious writing done while Nick was gone so she wanted a good foundation to build on before he left.

  She ended up working through the night, falling asleep around three in the morning, not waking until her phone went off at noon Saturday. Just a text from Nick asking if he tired her out too much. She’d thought it was a funny comment and replied with. Not even close. You need to work harder next time.

  She had no clue what possessed her to type that, to throw down a challenge like that. Of course, him knocking on her door twenty minutes later—forcing her out of the shower to answer the door dripping wet—was probably answer enough.

  He’d taken one look at her wrapped in a towel, water droplets falling on her floor, and picked her up. Actually threw her over his shoulder and carried her to her room, then tossed her on the bed.

  She’d known it was him knocking, which was the only reason she answered in a towel. But she didn’t expect that kind of an animalistic reaction.

  “Work harder?” he’d growled at her. She tried not to giggle, but she couldn’t help it. He looked so serious. And she found out he was, as he quickly undressed and then ripped the towel right off of her. “Let me see what you have to offer if you want to issue challenges like that.”

  At first she thought he was joking, but soon realized he wasn’t. Not when he rolled quickly and positioned her on top of him, her knees spread around his hips, his hands on her breasts teasing her ever so slightly.

  He wanted to see what she had, why not? She’d come this far. She’d always had a healthy appreciation for sex, even if she didn’t partake in it often.

  She’d pulled his hands away from her breasts and pinned them above his head, leaning forward enough to just tease him with them. Bringing her nipple close to his mouth, swaying it back and forth. He didn’t disappoint, his tongue escaping his lips to taste the tip, then sucking and even nibbling a little roughly.

  She stayed there, just like that, only moving a little to let him torture her on the other breast. She’d never before realized how sensitive she was there or how much she couldn’t wait for him to show her more. Only she had other ideas and decided to show him.

  Letting go of his hands, she moved down his body. Kissing, licking, tasting every part of him. “You smell like lemons,” she mumbled.

  “It’s the only soap in the house.”

  “Smells good on you.” It mixed in with the scent that she was learning was just Nick. All male.

  She continued to kiss him around his chest, his ribs, his abs, then down below. He liked to nibble so much, so she could do a bit of that herself and did.

  Maybe she bit a little too hard when he bucked his hips up, but she wasn’t about to apologize. Nor did she think she needed to since he started to groan and encourage her to continue on the path she’d started.

  The urge to tease him was just too great to pass up, so she decided to pay him back for what he’d done to her the night before. She wanted him to beg and had every intention of making that happen.

  With her mouth and her hands together, she worked him over, had him twisting and turning and calling out her name until all at once he said, “Stop. Just stop right now. I can’t take any more. I need to feel you around me. Now!”

  She leaned over and grabbed a condom, then slithered back on top of him. Once he was ready, she rose up on her knees and slid down on top of him.

  One of them moaned loudly—she wasn’t sure who at that point, not that it mattered. All that mattered was the feeling of him inside of her. The heat of him, the strength, the vibrations almost radiating from within. It was overwhelming.

  Just not so overwhelming she couldn’t continue. No, she wasn’t about to stop what she was doing. She was going to go at it even harder. Make him beg even more. He wanted to see what she had, and she was going to show him. She was going to give him everything she had.

  He’d leave for a few days and he’d remember her. He’d remember this time together. She’d make sure of it.

  Rising up on her knees, then her feet, she crouched down low enough that he was still inside of her. It gave her more leverage and she was able to have a greater range of motion, allowing her to move faster with longer strokes. To bring him to the point he was gripping her hips and urging her on even more, sliding up and down, riding him rapidly and giving him everything.

  “Holy shit,” he called out, but she’d barely heard. She was moving too fast to care, moving too fast to even know. The room could be crashing down around her and she’d be oblivious to anything other than what she was feeling in that moment and the man on the bed under her.

  Her body was tiring, but she continued on because she was there, right there with him and calling out his name, until all at once they exploded together and she collapsed, her legs sliding out and her chest landing on his.

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” she said panting out several breathes.

  “That’s a stupid question,” he’d said drawing her thoughts back to the present in her car at the airport. “Of course I’m going to miss you.”

  She reached her hand over and held his for the moment, the words trapped in her throat. She didn’t want to ask but knew she should. Knew she was going to stress regardless of what his answer was going to be. “Are you going to tell anyone about me?”

  “I told you I wouldn’t. You’re just going to have to trust me.”

  “I want to,” she said honestly. She was starting to, but it was hard. She still didn’t know why it meant so much. She was away now. She was an adult. The threat wasn’t like it used to be. At least she could handle herself now.

  “Then do it. I won’t tell a soul unless you want me to.”

  “I don’t. At least not right now.”

  “When you’re ready, I’ll be there with you.”

  She wanted him to be. It was no longer whether she would tell someone, but when she would. She just didn’t know when that time would be.

  “You better get going so you can check in and not be late.”

  “I’ve got time yet.”

  “I doubt you want to spend it sitting in the car with me.”

  “I always want to spend time with you.”

  “We didn’t spend an
y time together on Sunday,” she said, smiling at him.

  “Whose fault was that?”

  “Sorry. I got lost in my work. It happens. Does that bother you?”

  She didn’t think it did, but thought she better ask. It’s not like she could change how she worked. Writing was her life, it was what she did. It ebbed and flowed and when it was flowing she wouldn’t stop…she couldn’t stop.

  “I’d be a hypocrite if I said it did.”

  “I guess that’s true. Kind of makes us good for each other, doesn’t it?”

  He leaned over and kissed her quickly on the lips. “There are a lot of things that make us good for each other.”

  Elbow Deep

  “Welcome home, Nick,” his father said, pulling him forward into a huge embrace when Nick walked into his office building. He shouldn’t have been surprised to see his father standing at the front entrance waiting for him.

  “It’s good to be back.”

  “Then why are you only staying a few days?”

  He wasn’t sure how to answer that, so he just said, “I’ve been productive there, so I don’t want to stop the train on its tracks.”

  Thankfully his father seemed to take that answer for what it was worth. “I would have gladly picked you up at the airport.”

  “It gave Zach and me time to catch up on things. It’s all good. I think Zach has missed me the most.”

  “If it makes you feel better to think that, then go right ahead,” Zach replied, laughing and elbowing Nick in the process.

  “I’m just glad he has someone else to be jabbering to other than me. I don’t understand half of what he’s been saying, but I get he’s kind of lonely without you.”

  Nick looked back and forth between his father and Zach. He’d wondered if they would butt heads or not. Zach talked nonstop, where John Buchanan was more on the quiet side.

  But looking at the two of them, silently laughing at each other, it seemed to have been working out and he couldn’t have been happier. His father, stepping in for him, and his right-hand man seemed to be running the show well in his absence.