Exclusive / a Touch of Heaven

by Samantha Chase

  Oh, how he loved how passionate she was about this. He didn’t want to tell her about the ultimatum, he didn’t want her to be hurt, but now he had to do so.

  Regan stared at him when he finished and, for the first time, Sawyer had no idea what she was thinking. With a nod of her head, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “So, what do I need to do? Come to the house and bitch about paint colors? Point out something you’ve done and how it’s not what I wanted and then tell Mom she’s made a mistake?”

  “I don’t want you to have to do any of that, Regan. You shouldn’t have to—”

  “Shh…” She placed a finger over his lips to stop his words. “You’re not asking me to do anything. If my showing up a couple of times to gripe will keep the network off your back, then I’ll do it. Mom and I can come up with a doozy of a fight scene, if that’s what you want.”

  Sawyer shook his head in disbelief. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

  “Me? What did I do?”

  He kissed her with everything he had and maneuvered Regan so she was beneath him. “Everything,” he said as he aligned their bodies and entered her. Their lovemaking was normally wild and full of passion; now, though, for what she was willing to do for him, he wanted to show her tenderness.

  There were no words for what he felt at that moment. Sawyer’s body gently rocked into hers, and the laziness of it did nothing to diminish the feeling behind it. She ran her hands up and down his back, softly panting his name, and he couldn’t help but want to keep them like this.

  Sunlight began to fade and shadows crossed the room, and still he loved her. Sawyer lost track of time; the only thing he could do was feel. Every time he thought he’d let her jump off the peak, he’d start again. Their breathing and the rustling of the sheets were the only sounds in the room, and it was perfect.

  When finally Sawyer had given her all he had, when he felt it would be impossible to go any further, he allowed them both to have their release as he looked at her and whispered, “You’re everything.”

  Chapter 7

  Sawyer wasn’t sure what he expected, but the sight of Regan storming around the house was almost comical. She would touch a wall or test a cabinet door and look at him and say, “Really?” Sarcasm was dripping from her tone and he had to do his best not to laugh.

  “Is there a problem?” he asked.

  “Well, it’s just that when you said ‘renovation,’ I thought you’d actually be doing something. I mean, I could have painted the cabinets. Hell, I think monkeys can be trained to do that. Why aren’t you replacing them?”

  He had hoped she would have chosen to gripe at her mother; they had more practice. Sawyer wasn’t sure how to fake arguing with her. He stared at her defiant stance, arms folded over her chest and one dark brow arched with annoyance. “Well, you see, Regan—” he began.

  “It’s Ms. Amerson,” she corrected tartly.

  Sawyer had to turn away and clear his throat so he didn’t outright laugh at her tone. When he composed himself he began, in his best contractor voice, to explain the logic behind their project and how they always rehabbed what they could to save time, costs, and labor.

  “Seems to me like it’s a cheap way to go,” she said simply and walked away.

  Sawyer watched her leave and figured it was a good stopping point for today. Devin was grinning from ear to ear as Regan stormed from the house, and Sawyer had to fight the need to go after her and make sure she was all right.

  “Now, that was what I was looking for,” Devin said. “Was that so difficult?”

  Sawyer glared at him. “It wasn’t a matter of difficulty, Devin, this just isn’t what we do. I don’t argue with homeowners and I don’t like to make a mockery of their lives.”

  “Well, it’s time you got onboard the reality TV train because this is what people want to see.” He dismissed the crew before turning back to Sawyer. “Tell her to turn up the bitch factor tomorrow. I’d like to see her unleash on her mom next.”

  Then he was walking out the door and Sawyer had to do everything in his power to keep from throwing something heavy at him.

  What had he gotten himself into?

  Within fifteen minutes the house was fairly quiet; there were just a few members of his crew scattered around working on finishing up their projects for the day. Stepping outside, Sawyer reached for his phone and dialed Regan’s number. As soon as he heard her voice without any of the animosity of earlier, Sawyer felt himself relax.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “I know you didn’t want to be a part of this. I swear I’ll do what I can to move things along so maybe we can get done ahead of schedule.”

  He expected her to agree with him, or to maybe complain about the whole thing. What he didn’t expect was her laughter. “I have to admit, I really wanted to ignore the whole process, but that was a little fun.”

  “Fun? You thought that was fun?”

  “Hell yes! The look on your face when I said that it was the cheap way to go was priceless!”

  He grimaced at her mirth. “I still don’t see what’s so funny.”

  “Oh, lighten up, Sawyer. I did what the network wanted, end of story.”

  “Well…”

  “What? What’s the matter?”

  “I think we’ve only managed to poke the bear.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Devin loved what you did today, but he wants more.”

  Silence.

  “Regan? Are you still there?”

  “How much more?”

  “He loved how you got in my face, but now he wants the mother/daughter fight.”

  Regan considered his words. “I really hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that.”

  “Me either. God, Regan, I’m so sorry. I’ll tell him no, that you’re not coming back. He’ll be pissed but—”

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it,” she corrected. “I was just hoping to be done with it by now. Contrary to popular belief, I do still have a business to run and I have better things to do than spend my time making a spectacle of myself for the camera.”

  The words were said lightly but Sawyer knew it was the truth. She did have other things to do that were more important than his show and the renovations. “I’ll handle it, Regan. Don’t worry about it.”

  “I’ll be there tomorrow,” she said. “But after that I’ve got to get back to work.”

  Sawyer dropped his chin to his chest. “I don’t deserve you,” he said quietly and smiled when she chuckled.

  “Yeah, but you dared me and now you’re stuck with me.”

  He still felt as if he had come out with the better end of the deal.

  * * *

  “Oh, this could be fun,” Caroline said the next morning as she sipped her coffee sitting across from Regan in their office.

  “I don’t know if we’ll be able to do this with a straight face.”

  Caroline shrugged. “There’s always that possibility. We’ve never been able to have a really down and dirty fight without one of us breaking out in laughter. What does that say about us?”

  “That we love each other and we know most arguments are about stupid things.”

  “Maybe…” She paused and studied Regan. “So, before we decide on what we’re going to fake fight about, should we get the real fight out of the way?”

  Regan’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  “Me and Max. You walking in on us. Any of this ringing a bell?”

  Oh…that. “Are we going to fight about it?” Regan asked while silently praying the situation would just go away.

  “Well, I don’t know if we have to fight about it, but I think we do need to talk about it at least.”

  “Why? What is there to talk about? Max is a great guy, the two of you hit it off, and now you’re…” Doing it! �
��Dating.”

  The look of disbelief and a hint of disappointment said it all. It wasn’t going away. “Regan, you and I have always been a team. We talk about everything. You can’t sit here and tell me you’re fine with what you walked in on. I know you too well. Just say what’s on your mind and get it over with.”

  “Honestly, Mom, there is nothing on my mind where that’s concerned. I’ve blocked it out.”

  “That’s not healthy. So you walked in on me and Max while we were making love. You saw us both sweaty and naked! He’s got a fine ass though, doesn’t he?”

  “Mom!” Regan threw her hands over her ears. “This is so not the conversation I want to have!”

  “Why not? We’re both women! I may not be a genius, sweetheart, but I know you’ve had sex. Why can’t we talk about our sex lives? Which reminds me, you haven’t been out on a date in a while. Everything okay? Don’t you miss the sex?”

  “Oh. My. God. You did not just ask me that!”

  “Yes I did! Gosh, I had forgotten how wonderful sex was! It had been years since I’d had any and now, let me tell you, any opportunity Max and I have to be alone, I just—”

  “LA-LA-LA-LA-LA,” Regan chanted loudly, hands back over her ears. “I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”

  “Oh, for crying out loud.” Caroline stood and walked over to her daughter, pulling her hands away from her ears. “Cut that out. I am trying to have a serious conversation with you!”

  “Don’t you have a friend you can talk about this with? Someone who isn’t, I don’t know…me?”

  “All my friends are married and have been for most of their lives. Sex is pretty much over for them. I’m just discovering it again. I need to talk to someone about it.”

  “Why? Why would you need to talk about…it?”

  Caroline sighed. “Your father was the only man I had ever slept with,” she said and reached over to smack Regan on the head when she started to put her fingers back in her ears. “So uptight. I have no idea where you got that from.” She hugged Regan. “Loosen up a little. Find yourself a nice man and have a crazy night of sex just for the hell of it!”

  “Okay, that’s it. I can’t talk to you anymore,” Regan said as she moved away. “I don’t know who you are anymore! What has gotten into you?”

  “Max!” Caroline said with a wicked grin.

  Regan stopped in her tracks and glared at her mother. “I don’t know how to respond to that, so I’m not going to.”

  “Don’t go away all mad like that, Regan. Pouting is not attractive on a grown woman.”

  “I am not pouting, Mom,” she said with an eye roll. “I’m just not ready for us to have this kind of relationship.”

  Caroline approached and pulled her in for another hug. “I’m always going to love your father, you know. This isn’t going to change that.”

  It was a miracle Regan’s eyes didn’t simply fall out of her head from the excessive eye-rolling. “I didn’t think that. I never thought that, Mom.” She pulled back. “I really am happy for you and Max. I like him a lot. I just don’t need all the details of how much you like him, okay?”

  With a sigh and a nod, Caroline agreed. “I would totally listen if you wanted to talk about your sex life.”

  “Yeah, I’ll just take your word for it, because I am never going to test that theory.”

  * * *

  As promised, Regan and Caroline put on a good show, and luckily Regan had a little bit of anger left from their earlier discussion to keep from breaking out in laughter. They had argued over moving, and she played the wounded daughter part to the hilt. By the time the cameras stopped rolling, Devin seemed damn near giddy.

  “Thank you, ladies,” he said with a big grin on his face. “I think that should do it until the big reveal when Sawyer and the crew are all done.”

  They made small talk until Regan could stand it no longer and excused herself. “I really do need to get back to the spa,” she said, shaking his hand—immediately, she wanted to pull hers back and wipe it off. The man was sweaty and smarmy and she didn’t get a good vibe from him at all. She managed to smile politely and say goodbye, then asked Caroline to walk her out to her car.

  “I don’t trust that guy,” she said when they were out of earshot. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he just really rubs me the wrong way.”

  Caroline nodded. “Max was telling me how both he and Sawyer are thinking about moving on and being done with the show. Max sooner than Sawyer. He hasn’t come right out and said it, but I think Devin is a big contributing factor.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Sawyer said too.” The words came out so easily she forgot her mother wasn’t aware that she was spending time with Sawyer outside of the show.

  “When did you talk to Sawyer about the show? I thought you didn’t like him?”

  “Oh, um…when I was here yesterday to film my dislike of the project, he and I talked for a bit. I guess he sensed my unease, and then he told me he was thinking of moving on from the show.” Honestly, Regan didn’t know why she didn’t just come out and tell her mother about her relationship with Sawyer, but for now she was enjoying having him to herself. With Max and Caroline dating, she suspected they’d find themselves sucked into all kinds of double-dates or family time together.

  “You really should get to know him, Regan, he’s a very nice man. Single, too.”

  Great, just what I need, my mother playing matchmaker. “Can we please just get through one traumatic event at a time?”

  “How is getting to know Sawyer going to be traumatic?” Caroline asked innocently.

  “Mom, please. I know you are all happy and glowy right now and that’s wonderful. I don’t need you playing matchmaker for me and setting me up on dates. When I want to go out and meet someone, I will.”

  “I’d like to have grandchildren before I grow senile.”

  Seriously, Regan was going to need to see the eye doctor for this uncontrollable eye-rolling. “Grandchildren? Now you’re going to play the grandchildren card?”

  With a frown, Caroline conceded. “You’re right. It’s just that you know the old saying—when you’re in love, you want everyone around you to be in love. It would be wonderful if we both fell in love and found the men of our dreams. I just want you to be happy, Regan.”

  “I am happy, Mom. Right now I’m focusing on the business and getting this house done and sold.”

  “I still wish you would reconsider and take it for yourself. I know how much you love this place, and for all my flippant remarks about it, I think it would be wonderful for you to have it.”

  “We’ve been over this a million times, Mom. I think I’ll take that as my cue to leave. Max is waiting by the door for you. Go and play twenty questions with him.” She leaned in and kissed her mother on the cheek. “I love you and I appreciate all your concern for my lack of a love life, but honestly, I’m fine with it.” Before Caroline had a chance to make another comment, Regan quickly got into her car and drove off. She wished she had gotten the opportunity to have a minute alone with Sawyer, but she was sure she’d talk to him later.

  As if he was there reading her mind, her cell phone rang and she smiled when his name came up. “You ran out of here pretty quick,” he said by way of greeting. “Are you all right?”

  Regan relayed the conversation she’d had with her mother and was a little annoyed at how much enjoyment Sawyer was getting out of all of it. “It’s not funny, Sawyer,” she said when he finally stopped laughing. “Between having to hear about her sex life and her wanting me to find one, I may have to go into hiding. She’s killing me.”

  “So why didn’t you let her set us up? I think it would have been pretty comical having to pretend we hadn’t already seen each other naked.”

  “Really? That’s what you’re going with?” she asked with mock annoyance. “I simply wa
nt her to enjoy being a woman who is dating a man that she’s crazy about. And she is crazy about your dad.” She hesitated and hated how she was fishing. “I hope the feeling is mutual.”

  “If you want to know how he feels, Regan, all you had to do was ask.”

  She sighed. “I’m asking.”

  “He’s crazy about her, too. He talked to me the other day and he wants to retire so he can spend some time with her.”

  “That’s sweet,” she said with a smile in her voice. “How do you feel about it? The retiring part, not the spending time together.”

  “Dad’s always worked hard. It’s been just the two of us for most of my life, and just like you, I think it’s time for him to focus on himself. Don’t get me wrong, it will be a bit of an adjustment not to work with him every day, but as long as I know he’s doing something that makes him happy, I’m fine with it.”

  “Wow, you sound way healthier about this than I do.” And it was true. She could only hope that what Max and Caroline were experiencing was the real deal and not just a matter of being naive. She shared that thought with Sawyer.

  “They’re adults, Regan. They’ve both been in relationships before. I think they know the difference between love and infatuation.”

  “I hope you’re right, I really do. I don’t want her to get hurt.” While she knew nothing was guaranteed and they were talking about their parents, Regan couldn’t help but compare their relationship to that of their parents. Was she really falling in love with Sawyer, or was she just infatuated? What if it was just a strong case of lust?

  “What are you doing now?” he asked, breaking her train of thought.

  “I’m heading back to the spa. I have to work a little late because we have a bridal party coming in tomorrow for a morning of pampering. I love doing the whole group thing. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of prep work.”

  “How so?”

  “I make little goody bags for each of the girls. I have a list of items I get from the bride or maid of honor ahead of time that tells me the color scheme for the wedding, and so I make sure the spa is decorated a bit in those colors. I do what I can to really personalize the environment in celebration of the big day.”