The Way You Are

by Carly Fall

  “Good morning,” he mumbled, and headed for the coffee.

  “It snowed last night, Garrett,” she said, hearing the excitement in her voice.

  “Who could have ever predicted that?” he asked.

  “I never would have, that’s for sure,” Zach answered. “It was such a beautiful day yesterday, and to imagine we’d get snow.”

  “It’s crazy,” she chimed in.

  Garrett grinned at her as he sat down. “So, no horses today, either.”

  “I know. It’s best not to ride in the snow, especially when we’re not familiar with the area. If we get off trail, we could get lost very easily.”

  He looked relieved. “Okay. So what’s on the agenda?”

  “Well, I’m going to take Savannah outside for some play time, and that’s about it. Maybe we can watch a movie later. I saw we have the stuff so I can make some homemade chicken soup, so I was going to get that in the crockpot as soon as I finish my coffee. Then, I’m really not sure.”

  As she glanced over at Garrett, her cheeks warmed further as she realized she prattled on, just like the Blue Jays outside.

  He smiled at her, and Zach chuckled.

  “It sounds like a full day to me,” Zach commented while sipping his coffee.

  “Me, too. Snowball fight, it is,” Garrett said, winking at her.

  Grinning, she took another long drink of her coffee. She’d never been one to back down from a challenge, which had been exactly how her mother got her to go to those stupid fashion shows in her childhood years—with a dare or a challenge.

  “Come on, Ruby Rose,” she’d say. “I dare you to go and find clothes that you actually like.”

  That had been a challenge she could accept. However, a snowball fight sounded far more fun and exciting than watching a bunch of twigs prance up and down a runway in clothes that she’d never fit into.

  “You’re on, Marine.”

  “You should start calling him Honey,” Zach commented.

  She studied Zach for a moment, noting his sly smile. “And why is that?”

  “Look at his eyes. They are the exact color of honey that you’d see on any shelf in the grocery store.”

  Turning her gaze to Garrett, she realized Zach was correct.

  “I’m going to make some snowballs,” Zach announced, standing. He took Savannah’s handle and whispered, “Outside.” The dog led the way.

  Ruby heard the front door shut and glanced over at Garrett. He stared at her and she squirmed, goose bumps traveling up her skin.

  His gaze raked over her, and she became extremely uncomfortable. She didn’t think he’d hurt her by any means, but what she saw in those light eyes troubled her and made her uneasy. If she wasn’t mistaken, she looked at a man who desired a woman.

  “I’m going to go outside,” she blurted as she stood, unsure of her feelings about the situation.

  Yes, she did find Garrett very good-looking, but what did he see in her? A fat, semi-attractive girl he could lay? Maybe she should call Joe and ask for a reassignment.

  “I’m right behind you,” he called as she pushed through the front door, not bothering with a jacket but grabbing some gloves hanging from the coat stand by the door.

  A snowball smacked her in the stomach, and she looked up at Zach laughing and wondered how he had such perfect aim. As another one came sailing her way, she moved to the left, fell down the stairs, but quickly recouped. She gathered the snow and launched one at Zach, hitting him square in the chest. For a moment, guilt set in as she realized she had just launched a snowball at a blind man, but he quickly retaliated, erasing any remorse she had.

  Savannah ran around in the snow, barking and trying to catch the snowballs being lobbed around the clearing. One hit Ruby in the back of the head, and she turned to see Garrett behind her, leaning down to make a new one. Another one from Zach barely missed her.

  “No fair!” she yelled. “You two are ganging up on me!”

  That didn’t stop Garrett as one from his direction whizzed by her face.

  She ran for the trees and hid behind one almost wide enough to block her frame. Leaning down, she packed the snow into a ball and threw it at Garrett as he approached her, hitting him in the face.

  She laughed, giving away her hiding spot, and he yelled, “You’ll pay for that, Ruby!”

  As he bent down to refill his arsenal, she ran as best she could deeper into the woods, trying to quit giggling. She heard footsteps behind her and glanced over her shoulder. Garrett came at her, laughing and breathing almost as hard as she did.

  As she looked forward again, she saw the fallen tree, but didn’t have time to do anything about it except brace for impact and hope the snow didn’t hide something sharp. She landed face first into the snow, and then rolled over.

  “You okay?” Garrett asked as he loomed over her.

  “Yes. Just my klutzy ways.”

  He laughed and sat down next to her, breathing hard. “You’ve got good aim.”

  She smiled and sat up, their shoulders touching. “Thank you, but I think it was just luck.”

  He peered at her a moment and then shook his head. “You have a hard time accepting compliments, Ruby.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  Their gazes locked, the quiet of the winter wonderland almost deafening. In the distance, she heard Savannah barking, but it seemed millions of miles away. Garrett looked at her the same way he had in the kitchen, and nerves clinched her gut.

  “Can I ask you a question?” His voice sounded barely above a whisper.

  She nodded, unable to speak, her breath caught in her throat.

  “Have you ever wanted something so bad, but knew you shouldn’t want it?”

  She shrugged, thinking the only thing she had ever really longed for was independence from her family. All of her other needs and wants had been met without any effort on her part. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, let’s say you did. Would you try to take it even if you shouldn’t?”

  She cleared her throat, unsure of where the conversation was going. “If I did, would I be breaking any rules? Would I go to jail?”

  He grinned. “No jail time, but maybe bending some work and personal rules.”

  “I guess it would depend on how bad I want it. If the reward outweighed the consequences, then yes, I would take it.”

  He nodded and leaned forward, placing his hand behind her neck, threading his fingers through her hair. His lips lightly brushed hers, and he whispered, “I think the tradeoff will be worth it.”

  His mouth claimed hers, his tongue urging her lips to part as her head spun.

  What in the world was going on? The big, bad, drop-dead-gorgeous Marine wanted to kiss her?

  Apparently so.

  Her mind reeled with the consequences of their actions. Certainly, there had to be rules established by Joe that he was breaking, and what about her feelings, her delicate ego? What did he want from her?

  She acquiesced and parted her mouth, their tongues engaging in a slow dance. Sighing, she let go of all her questions, fears, and doubts, shut her eyes and laced her arms around his neck, giving herself over to the experience. Her whole body shuddered as he pulled her closer.

  He tasted of mint and coffee, and she explored the hard planes of his shoulders and biceps as they embraced, their kiss quickly heating. Gently, he laid her in the snow and stretched out next to her. He took her hands in his right and pulled them up above her head, holding them there. As their tongues dueled, she quivered at his touch, his hand running down her ribcage, to her hip and over her thigh. She moaned as desire bloomed in her belly, her need for him exploding within her.

  Gently, he kneaded her breast through her sweatshirt as he peppered her face with slow kisses. Despite lying in the snow, her body heated further, and she wouldn’t have been surprised if she opened her eyes to see the snow around them had melted.

  He let go of her hands, and she immediately t
ouched his chest, feeling the warmth of chiseled muscle beneath his turtleneck.

  “Holy hell, Ruby,” he whispered against her mouth. “I’ve wanted this since the second I laid my eyes on you, and it’s even better than I’d imagined.”

  He kissed her again as her fingers trailed down the ridges of his stomach to the belt buckle, afraid, yet wanting to explore more.

  His hand slipped under her sweatshirt and t-shirt, his touch leaving a trail of fire on her skin, making her shiver. He palmed her breast, gently rubbing her hardened nipple until it became a tender peak as desire flooded her. As far as she was concerned, they were going to have sex right there in the snow.

  He pulled up her shirt and sweatshirt, exposing her torso. Lowering his head, he licked her nipple through the silky fabric of her bra, and he chuckled as she held on to him, not letting him raise his head.

  As the blood pounded in her ears, she gasped at the sensations tearing through her body. Every touch of his hand and swirl of his tongue clouded her thoughts more and more, making her desperate to take all of him.

  Suddenly, to her right, a twig snapped, bringing her out of her reverie.

  Garrett heard it as well and sat up, pulling her sweatshirt down at the same time. Savannah and Zach came into view. The dog whined, then sat down, staring at them.

  “Garrett? Ruby?” Zach said.

  Horrified they’d been caught, she struggled to her feet. Garrett stood first and then extended his hand to her. “Yeah, man. We’re right here.”

  “Is everything okay?” Zach asked.

  Ruby tried to control her breathing and smoothed down her sweatshirt.

  “We’re fine. Ruby took a fall and we were just taking a minute to get her bearings.”

  “Are you okay, Ruby? You didn’t hit your head again, did you?”

  She pulled a twig out of her wet hair, her butt now freezing in the cool air. “No, I’m fine.”

  “I kept calling for you guys, but you didn’t answer. I got a little worried and told Savannah to find you.”

  Ruby glanced around, wondering how a blind man could maneuver through a forest while she couldn’t seem to stay on her feet.

  “Thanks, man, but we’re cool. Let’s head back to the cabin.”

  “Savannah, home,” Zach muttered, and the dog stood and turned.

  Garrett glanced over at her and she saw the same disappointment in his face that reverberated throughout her whole being.

  They waited until Zach had walked a few feet away, and then Garrett whispered, “I couldn’t help myself, Ruby. You make it hard to keep my paws off you.”

  She gazed up at him as he rested his hands on her shoulders.

  “What do you want from me?” she whispered. Now that the heat of the moment had passed, her thinking had cleared.

  He leaned in, his breath hot on her cheek. “I want my tongue to trace over your bare nipples. I want to taste you. I want to fuck you gently, then fuck you hard. I want to see you riding me until you scream in pleasure. I want to take you any way you’ll have me, Ruby. That’s what I want.”

  His tongue caressed her earlobe, sending another jolt of need throughout her body.

  “You just let me know if you want it, too. My guess is that you do.” He hooked his forefinger in the waistband of her jeans. “I bet if I were to slide my hand down these jeans, I’d find you hot and wet and ready for me.”

  With that, he turned and walked away.

  Stunned and briefly appalled, Ruby watched him for a moment. No one had ever talked to her that way. As she followed him, her eyes trained on his ass, she smiled. Although he’d been crude, almost to the point of rudeness, she’d liked it.

  Chapter 22

  The day dragged on quietly. Ruby hummed as she made chicken soup and homemade bread, the smells permeating the house and putting Garrett in a perpetual state of hunger. Now, the girl had him going physically in more ways than one. Damn.

  Holy shit. What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been, and there sat the problem. His brain no longer functioned properly as all the blood in his body seemed to never leave his cock.

  They sat in the living room and Zach and Ruby talked about books. He’d never been much of a reader, but Zach had always had his nose in a book, and as Ruby prattled on about everything from fiction to books on oil drilling, it became obvious to him that she liked to read, as well.

  If he were honest with himself, he proved a bad match for Ruby, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to bury himself in her and never leave.

  Damn, that girl turned him on.

  Even with her banging body, it had been easy to overlook as he had been certain she possessed the traits of every other rich person he’d met. However, she’d shocked the hell out of him by being everything he hadn’t expected—nice, funny, polite, and caring.

  If he’d ever been accused of being anything but an asshole, the word most used to describe him was ‘honest.’ That’s exactly what he’d been with Ruby—dead-on honest. He’d laid out exactly what he wanted without sugarcoating it with words like “making love.” He didn’t love Ruby, but he did like her, and he physically wanted her with a ferocity he didn’t understand nor that he’d ever felt before.

  “It’s a really interesting read, Zach,” Ruby said. “I bet you’d like it, and I’m sure you can find it in Braille. You should check it out.”

  Zach nodded. “I will. It sounds like a great read. If I can’t find it in Braille, I’m sure they have an audiobook.”

  An alarm went off in the kitchen, and she got up from the couch. As she met his gaze, her cheeks flamed red and she smiled, sending his blood racing. Didn’t this chick know how hot she was? Didn’t she realize what she did to him?

  He followed her to the kitchen and leaned against the doorway, admiring her figure again as she pulled something out of the oven.

  “Are you just going to stand there and stare at me, or did you have something you wanted to say?” she asked.

  He grinned and pushed off the doorframe. Walking up behind her to stand so close, he could smell her shampoo. Nothing flowery, but something simple, fresh, and clean, like the girl who used it.

  “Have you thought about what I said?” he asked, keeping his voice low so Zach wouldn’t hear him.

  She turned and crossed her arms over her chest. He knew he’d invaded her space, but he didn’t give her any leeway.

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “And I don’t understand why a big, good-looking Marine like you would want to sleep with a fat redhead.”

  He stepped back as if she’d slapped him. “What do you mean, fat?”

  “Just what I said. Look at you, Garrett, and then look at me. You’re tall, strong, and gorgeous. I’m average in every single way.”

  Now, she’d pissed him off. How dare she talk about herself that way?

  “There’s nothing average about you, Ruby. Not a damn thing. Average people don’t interest me. In fact, they bore me.”

  He ran his hand over the top of his head as he looked her over, trying to see what she described, but he couldn’t. He could still feel the silkiness of her skin on his fingertips, and just the thought of touching her breast again made him inwardly groan. When he looked at Ruby, he saw luscious curves, a pretty face, and an open and honest person who had derailed every preconceived notion he had about her. That’s what he liked best—she was a complete surprise to him, something he never would have seen coming in a million years.

  Besides, he had excellent taste in women, and for her to infer otherwise just pissed him off.

  “Well, I’m just not sure what you—”

  He’d had enough.

  Taking two steps, he pulled her to him and slammed his mouth over hers in a kiss he hoped conveyed his desire for her. She stiffened, then relented a moment later, her body melding into his. Good God, she felt good against him, her soft curves against his hard muscle making him ache so badly, he actually began to shake.

  She wrap
ped her arms around his waist as he pulled her closer. After a moment, he stepped away, both of them breathing hard.

  “Don’t question why I want you, Ruby,” he whispered. “Just accept that I do.”

  She brought her hand to her mouth as her cheeks flamed red. He grinned, glad he had the same effect on her as she did on him.

  Zach came into the kitchen. “What’s going on in here?”

  Ruby’s eyes widened, and Garrett winked at her. “Nothing, man. Just telling Ruby how much I love homemade bread.”

  She turned and looked at the loaf she’d just pulled out of the oven as if shocked to see it there.

  “I do, too,” Zach said.

  Garrett left the room and headed for the shower, hoping to relieve a little bit of his desire for Ruby with some soap and a couple of fantasies.

  Chapter 23

  Well, this little excursion to the mountains of Arizona had sure turned interesting. She never would have thought she’d be considering having a fling with her protector, but yet, here she was, washing dishes and thinking about just that.

  She could tell Garrett spoke the truth to her. He’d been blunt and honest. She grinned at the thought of him wanting her the way he did, and she’d felt it when he’d pulled her close in the kitchen—his hardness against her belly—and remembering it made her tingle from head to toe.

  Honestly, why shouldn’t she go for it?

  She couldn’t think of any reasons except diseases and pregnancy, but her mother had put her on the pill when she’d left for college. Not that she’d really put it to use but for a couple of times; she still religiously took it. As far as diseases went, that’s what condoms were for.

  She found Garrett extremely good-looking, and she liked him as a person, as well. At first, he’d been so gruff with her, she had been sure the week would be very long. However, he seemed to have softened up a bit, and now, they actually had a good time together. She could only imagine what he’d be like in bed.

  I want to fuck you gently, then fuckyou hard.