Treasures.
They spent a good portion of the morning wandering through the forest, inspecting taps here and there. Rick pointed out different kinds of trees and plants while Lily asked him questions about all of it.
“Boy, you really are a clone of your grandmother,” Rick said as they headed back to the sugarhouse. “So many questions, just like when she let me lease her trees. She wanted to know how it was going to work, does it hurt the trees, would there be… let’s see, how did she say it? Random, attractive men wandering through her property.”
“Was the answer to that no?”
“It was.”
“I’ll bet she was disappointed.” Lily smirked.
“Very.”
“I learned to appreciate watching men from Grandma Gail. She never missed an opportunity to admire a good specimen.”
“Specimen? You make it sound like a science.”
“Oh, but it is.” Lily brushed a few curls out of her face, and the movement put Rick in a trance. “I’m sure once I go through some of my grandmother’s things at her place, I’m going to find secret notes on all the ogling she’s done over the years.”
“Would make a good book,” Rick said.
“Or a movie. Hell, half the men she ogled were movie stars anyway.”
“So what’s your definition of the perfect specimen?” He took her walking stick and let Poe into the sugarhouse before them.
“Tall,” Lily said firmly. “I feel like a beast next to a guy shorter than me, but it’s a lot to ask, I know.”
Rick made a point of standing close to her and having to look down a few inches at her face from his 6’3” height. “Doesn’t seem like much to ask to me.”
She grinned and slid her hands up to his shoulders, clasped them behind his neck. He dropped a light kiss on her cheek.
“What else?” he asked.
“Beards. I definitely like short, stubbly beards.”
He rubbed his whiskered chin along her neck, and when she shuddered against him, he nipped at her ear.
“What else?” God, she felt so right in his arms.
“If you’d asked me last week, I’d have said I liked expensive suits and cologne and fast foreign cars.” She arched her neck back as Rick kissed a line down her throat.
“And this week?” He drew in her scent, a little less grapefruit-coconut-sunshine and a little more thawing woods, pine needles, and damp earth.
“This week…” She pushed back and gave him a once over. “This week, I’d say faded jeans, a gray sweater, and a pickup truck are the right recipe.”
“See, and Poe thought I took too long picking my outfit this morning.” Rick eyed the coyote then caught Lily’s lips with his own. He pushed aside all thoughts of how this was crazy. How it would never work out in the end. How they were so completely wrong for each other.
He tucked all that away and kissed Lily as if their lives depended on it.
****
Lily threw away logic, all that made sense in her world, and gave herself over to the fully awake dragon roaring for attention inside her. Her lips held onto Rick’s as they explored each other’s mouths with a blazing need rising between them. His hands tangled themselves in her hair. Her hands drew him closer. She hung on to him, his body supporting hers, keeping her from sliding to the floor in a boneless heap as he deepened the kiss, deepened his tasting of her.
Rick paused for a moment, and she let out a small, begging sound.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’m so not done.” He picked up her purse and handed it to her. “Let’s go to my cabin.”
He turned to head out of the sugarhouse, but stopped and gazed down at Lily’s face. “I’m sorry. Are you sure you want to do… this?” He gestured between the two of them. “I mean, after Drew this morning.”
Lily grinned. A gentleman all the way. She reached up and dropped a light kiss on Rick’s lips. “I want to do this. With you. Definitely.”
He took her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. Lily followed him out of the sugarhouse. For a man with a casted ankle, he crossed the distance to his cabin like an Olympiad. Poe took off in the other direction. Had Rick sent the coyote a silent message to scram?
Once inside, he took his coat off Lily and hung it by the front door. Very much the host. All perfect manners. He slid her purse off her shoulder and set it down on his kitchen table.
“Your phone’s in there?” He peered inside.
“Yes.”
“Shut it off.”
“It is off.”
“Good.” He stepped back and locked his front door. “No coyote, no phone, no distractions.” He took Lily’s hand and pulled her down the hallway. He pushed open a door with his casted foot, and Lily followed him inside.
His bedroom. A full bed with a solid, navy comforter and two plump pillows cased in shams sporting pictures of wolves in snow. A single bureau lined the far wall, a closet in the other, and two huge windows on the third wall framed a glorious mountain view. Books littered the bureau and the nightstand where a lamp made from a short, narrow log stood. The last piece in the room was an acoustic guitar.
“It’s a small room. I know, but Poe and I don’t need much space.” Rick pulled his sweater off, leaving Lily with a tremendous view of him in a plain, gray T-shirt and jeans.
“It’s perfect, Rick.” She backed him up to his bed and lightly pushed on his shoulders until he sat. She took some time to investigate his biceps with her fingers, tracing along his contours until goosebumps appeared on his flesh.
He slid his hands to the backs of her knees and pulled until she had to position a leg to either side of his waist. Rick scooted back on the bed as she joined him on it. He was on his back and looking up at Lily.
“I’ve never met anyone like you.” He hooked some of her curls behind her ear.
“You mean someone who barges in and tries to sell your world to a hotel chain?” Lily pursed her lips and attempted to roll to Rick’s side, but he stopped her with his hands firmly on her hips.
“Do you still want to do that?” He didn’t move while he waited for her response. Didn’t breathe.
“You know I don’t. If my new designs don’t dazzle, or that presentation doesn’t work, I won’t stop, Rick. Utopia will not build here or on my grandmother’s land.” Lily cupped Rick’s cheeks as she looked down at him. “In fact, I had Tam, my assistant back in California, email me sale documents for Grandma Gail’s property. Not a sale to Utopia, but to you.”
“Really?” Rick raised himself to an elbow.
“Really.” She stared out the window and drew in a breath. “Those documents, however, were on my laptop that is now in a bazillion pieces, and I didn’t save them to the flash drive. I’ll text Tam later today and get her to email the documents to you directly.”
Rick’s gaze slithered over her like hot fudge. “Thank you, Lily.”
“Least I can do after wreaking all this havoc on your peaceful existence.” She shrugged.
“Seems I could stand a little havoc.” He reached his head up and captured Lily’s lips again. As he kissed her, he leaned back on the bed, taking her with him. In a quick motion that had her laughing, he rolled her to her back so he was on top. He peeled the torn flannel shirt from her shoulders, and Lily slid her arms out.
“Your grandmother’s?” He laid it gently, reverently, on the comforter beside Lily.
“Yeah. She’s got an entire wardrobe I knew nothing about.” She gestured to the rest of her outfit.
“It looks good on you.” Rick moved to sit on the end of the bed. He reached for her feet and undid the laces of her boots. The shoes knocked to the wood floor, one at a time, and he leaned over her. “I’m betting it’ll all look good off you too.”
“Only one way to find out.” Lily pulled her T-shirt over her head and heard Rick’s swift intake of breath. His smile widened as he ran a finger along the lace edge of her purple bra. His fingertip was rough, but the sensation had her pres
sing into his touch, wanting more.
“I thought the woods, the mountains, offered a great view, but this… you… you’re something.” He flattened his palm against her stomach, and she closed her eyes at the warmth of his skin against hers.
“The back view isn’t as pristine.” Lily silently cursed the bear attack scars. Four deep gouges. Eternal reminders.
Rick removed his T-shirt and peered down at his chest. He traced a rough line of skin down between his ribs. “We’ve both had our battles.”
Lily pushed to sitting and ran her finger along the light pink track of damaged skin. “The important thing is that we won, and we’re here now.” She pressed her lips to his, and he wrapped his arms around her. Lily couldn’t be afraid of anything in his embrace. Nothing could touch her, but Rick. She only felt him, only wanted him.
The rest of their clothes came off, and Lily was sure she had never seen a more beautiful man. Muscles in all the right places. Long, lean, but powerful legs. Strong, yet comforting arms. Rick’s body fit against hers as if it were made to do just that. His touch brought her need to the surface, screamed at that dragon to come and conquer. There were times she felt as if she were climbing a mountain, the air getting thin, her muscles straining at the challenge. Other times, Lily was falling, down, down, drowning in a pool of pure bliss. She was hot, yet she shivered. She was cold, yet she burned. Every sensation Rick caused in her, she felt soul deep, as if she’d never felt anything before.
“Hang on,” he said around a very male groan as she ran her fingers along his abs.
He reached over to the nightstand and fumbled with opening the single drawer. After rummaging around for a few seconds, he pulled out a box of condoms.
“A hermit with condoms?” Lily asked. A moment passed where she wondered if the shy, quiet guy persona was just a ploy to lure women into his bed.
“Sage bought them for me last month on my birthday,” he said as he wrestled a packet out of the formally unopened box. “She said if the box wasn’t empty by Christmas, she was going to get me a prostitute. She thinks she’s so funny.”
Lily took the condom and eased it on him, loving the feel of him in her hand, loving how ready he was for her. “Remind me to thank Sage for these.”
When he slipped inside her, she lost herself. Lily Hinsdale, Senior Hotel Designer for Utopia Resorts did not exist. She was only a woman. A woman sharing an unearthly experience with a man. A remarkable man with the power to make simplicity feel like so much.
This is what I’ve been waiting for.
Rick was tender, making love to her in slow, easy strokes. His lips explored her territory, left no surface unclaimed. Her body matched his movements, thrust for thrust, caress for caress, kiss for kiss. Rick somehow knew exactly what she liked, what she would respond to, as if they had done this a thousand times, had the choreography memorized. Only Lily knew this wasn’t a dance she’d done before. Not like this. Never like this.
Her breath came in gasps as Rick sought deeper, hidden places. He said her name as if it were the only word he knew, the only word that meant anything to him. When she cried out on a wave of euphoria, and her desire reached its peak, he was right there with her. Timed to perfection. Giving her a pleasure so great her body became drunk on it.
Rick collapsed to her right side, his chest rising and falling. Lily was certain neither of them would be able to walk a straight line. She put her hand on his chest and found his heart was beating as hard as her own.
“Are you okay?” She was suddenly concerned they’d overdone it. What if he’d gotten too excited?
“Okay is so not the right word.” He turned his head to face her, his eyelids closing over those sky-blue eyes.
“Your heart is racing.”
Rick put his hand over Lily’s on his chest. “Yeah, and for once, I don’t give a shit if it explodes.”
He took a few deep breaths then turned Lily so he could scoot up behind her. A second later, his lips and tongue teased the scars on her back. She closed her eyes, and the bear attack became a distant memory. One that would plague her no more.
With a final soft kiss to her shoulder blade, Rick folded his arms around her waist. His hands rested on her stomach, and he pulled her against him.
“I may have enjoyed you more than pancakes,” he whispered into her hair.
Lily snuggled into his hold. If they could stay like that forever, nothing could hurt either of them again. Nothing.
Chapter Fifteen
Rick stopped in his bedroom, his hair wet from the shower he’d taken. He only wore a towel around his waist and the cast on his ankle. He paused to look at the rumpled sheets and quilt on his bed where only an hour ago he’d had the most spectacular time of his life. He’d been intimate with a couple of women in New York, but none of them compared to what he and Lily had shared. Such synchronicity, as if they had each known what the other was looking for, what the other needed. His breath caught in his chest just thinking of being inside her, of having her wrapped around him so perfectly, so completely.
God, he felt so alive. Invincible.
He threw his clothes back on and noticed Lily’s torn flannel shirt still at the foot of his bed. Rick curled a fist around the shirt as he thought of Drew having his hands on Lily in such a way as to cause that rip. How could anyone touch her that way? That bastard better be on his way back to California.
Lily clanged around in the kitchen, and Rick smelled pancakes. He never thought he would admit this, but it was a nice feeling to have a woman making herself at home in his cabin. A woman who made his heart dare to hope it could beat forever.
He peeked out into the hallway, taking in a deep inhale of fresh coffee. Lily hummed something as she mixed batter, and Poe sat in the middle of the kitchen. They seemed to be getting along well.
He closed his bedroom door and noticed the hooded sweatshirt he kept hanging on the doorknob was gone. An image of Lily wearing it—and hopefully nothing else—as she cooked flashed into his mind. On that thought, he crawled across the bed and picked up the phone. He dialed and watched the minute change on the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand.
“Danton Police Department, Avaline speaking, how may I direct your call?”
“Avaline, Rick Stannard.” He hoped she could hear his low voice.
“Hey, darlin’,” she said. “Joy tell you how I cleaned house at Bingo the other night?”
“She may have mentioned how you got all the lucky cards.” Rick didn’t have time for the small talk, but Avaline was his aunt’s closest friend and fiercest Bingo competitor. She’d been running the office down at the police station for as long as he could remember. He was pretty sure once she retired, a massive breakdown in Danton law enforcement would immediately follow.
“The Bingo Gods were with me, Rick.” She let out a little laugh. “What can I do for you?”
“Looking for a favor.”
“Name it. I do you a favor, then Joy owes me one later.”
“Sounds good to me. Could you send an officer to Gail Hinsdale’s place sometime today?”
“Something amiss with the granddaughter who’s staying there?”
Rick rolled his eyes at the small town knowledge of everybody’s doings. “No, Lily’s all right, but she had an unwanted guest. She told him to leave, but I want to make sure he’s gone. I also don’t want her to know I called you.”
“A secret white knight,” Avaline said. “How romantic! You finally find a gal to pull you out of your shell, sweetheart?”
Rick could picture his aunt telling every aspect of his nonexistent love life to Avaline as they placed Bingo chips on B-9. “Maybe. I don’t know. Will you send someone?”
“Of course. Billy and Walt ain’t doing nothin’ important anyways. I’ll send them over for a look-see. Tell them to be discreet too. Hush, hush. This unwanted guest got a name?”
“Drew Ashburn.” Rick didn’t want to give out more information than he needed to. Just wanted the pol
ice to check out Lily’s place. Not that he planned to let her go back there tonight. He smiled over what he did plan for her.
“I’ll give you a call back only if this Drew guy is still there. How’s that sound for keeping it under wraps?”
“Sounds perfect. Thanks, Avaline.” He got ready to hang up.
“One more thing,” Avaline said. “If he is there, any reason we should take him into custody?”
Rick thought about that. Lily didn’t want to make a big deal out of Drew getting rough, breaking and entering, or destroying her personal property, all of which were excellent reasons to take him into custody.
“If he’s still there, maybe a police escort to the airport could be arranged?” Less likely Lily would find out he’d made this call if Billy and Walt just enforced Drew’s flying back to California.
“Easy enough,” Avaline said. “Tell Joy I’ll see her at Bingo.”
“See her and whip her ass, right?”
Avaline’s laughter filled the receiver as she said good-bye. Rick hung up, feeling a little guilty about going behind Lily’s back, but thinking he’d done the right thing anyway. Boss or not, Drew had crossed the line in his treatment of Lily. Rick wished he had been there. He wasn’t sure what he would have done, but was certain Drew would have known he wasn’t welcome in Vermont.
Casting aside the dark thoughts, Rick opened his bedroom door and shuffled down the hallway. He was getting tired of the sound of the cast scratching along the wood floor. From the ache that still radiated from his ankle, he still had a ways to go in the healing department. With his heart, recuperation had taken an eternity. He could stand a few more weeks in the cast for something as trivial as a severely sprained ankle.
When he entered the kitchen, he spent a few silent moments watching Lily as she moved around the tiny room. He was disappointed she was completely dressed under his sweatshirt, but loved how that garment took on another level of comfort with her in it. Her hair was drawn up in a high ponytail that spilled red-blonde curls still wet from her shower. She turned around toting two plates heaped with pancakes and almost dropped them when she saw him.
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