“Rollin, you’re a one-man band here. What would happen if you got sick?”
He sat up and stretched his arms over his head. “I don’t get sick.”
She laughed. “How come men always say that? You can get sick like anybody else.”
“I didn’t say I couldn’t get sick. I said I don’t get sick. I can’t remember the last time I was sick, with anything.”
“Well, you need to be prepared for anything.”
“I try to be.”
Again she sensed his eyes moving down her body and momentarily lost her train of thought. “Okay, so you can’t hire someone. Let’s see what I have next.”
He leaned closer and draped an arm over the back of her chair. The temperature in the room climbed faster than a rocket headed for outer space. She looked at him, her face inches from his lips, and leaned back.
“You need a bigger monitor,” he said. “What is that, fifteen inches?”
“Fifteen and a half,” she replied, and turned her gaze back to the screen.” She dabbed at the sweat above her lip, hoping he wouldn’t notice she was on fire.
“I’m not too close for you, am I?” he asked in a husky voice.
She turned her laptop toward him. “Here, does that help?” she asked, barely able to breathe. The top two buttons of his shirt lay open and she caught a glimpse of his chest. His reaction to her kisses against his chest the other night resurfaced and she bit her bottom lip.
“I had a newsletter but couldn’t keep it up.”
“Huh?”
“The next thing on your list.” He pointed to the monitor. “A newsletter. When I took over I created a monthly newsletter, but with all the farmwork, I couldn’t keep it up.”
“Oh, yeah, uh, there are companies that will do that for you. All you have to do is sign up. That’s simple and inexpensive. I can have that done in no time.”
He smiled down at Tayler. “You’ve done enough for me. I can’t ask you to do that.” He stood up and gathered their plates.
“Actually, I’ve already looked into it.”
“You’re on top of everything, aren’t you?” he asked as he stepped around the table.
Tayler took a deep breath after a flashback of her straddling him on his bed made her blush. She was indeed on top of things. “I try to be,” she responded with a smile.
“Would you like another glass of wine?”
“No, thank you, I’m good. But I’m going to have to get some of that to take home with me. It’s a local winery, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll get you some,” he responded from inside the kitchen.
Once he left the room, she took her foot and pushed his chair over. After she finished her wine she would excuse herself for the night. Rollin’s presence was intoxicating enough without the aid of alcohol.
“Sounds like you and Corra conspired over the weekend to turn this place around.” He sat down and leaned back in his chair. “Or put me in the poorhouse.”
“I think you can turn it around. You won’t make hotel money, but I believe you can be profitable.”
He scratched his head and laughed. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with a guest.”
“Don’t think of me as a guest. Think of me as a friend of the family.”
He set his glass down and wiped the sides of his mouth before glancing over at her. “Truthfully, I stopped thinking of you as a guest a few nights ago.”
Tayler took a deep breath and stared down into her empty wineglass. You need to get up now and go to bed. The music had stopped.
“I want you to be more than a guest to me.”
She didn’t have a reply for that, because for one night she’d enjoyed the hell out of being more to him. She looked up from her glass. Rollin leaned forward and rested his forehead in his hand, as if he were struggling with something. Maybe he was regretting what he’d said.
Tayler couldn’t stand the uncomfortable silence and stood up after a bit. “Do you mind if I put some music back on?” she asked as she walked into the library.
“Help yourself.”
“What do you like?” she asked.
“Anything old-school,” he said, getting up and joining her in the library. “I like R. Kelly, Musiq, Anthony Hamilton, Mariah Carey, Prince—you name it.”
She scanned through the huge music collection. “How about Sade? I don’t know a man that doesn’t like her.”
He nodded. “I’ve definitely got a soft spot for Sade. I just like good R&B music.”
He stood alongside her and reached out for a selection. “How about this one?” he asked before turning on the music.
Tayler listened as the sensual voice of Maxwell emerged from the speakers. Lovemaking music. Fearing what was to come, she turned away from him. Her heart beat in double time. Lord, don’t let this man touch me.
Chapter 14
He reached for her hand. “Tayler, where you goin’?”
She turned back around and looked up into his eyes. His gaze was on her mouth and she shivered with anticipation. She struggled with herself to resist him, but his love was so good, she was in a losing battle.
His hands slid down her arms and he laced his fingers between hers. “I can’t keep my hands off you,” he said, his voice close to a whisper.
She looked down at their intertwined fingers and watched him raise her hand to his mouth and kiss it. Her stomach fluttered. He stepped closer and kissed her forehead. Tayler placed her head against his firm, hard chest as he wrapped his arms around her. I’m so weak for this man. She begged for strength.
“Rollin, we can’t do this again.”
“Can’t do what? We can’t dance?” he asked in a soft, controlled voice. His body swayed with the music and she found herself following his lead. His leg shifted, his thigh pressed between her legs and her leg followed. They slow danced in the middle of the library.
He ignited a fire inside Tayler that intensified when he reached down and placed his hand under her chin, bringing her face up to meet his. He kissed her lips ever so gently and Tayler closed her eyes. Her head told her to pull away from his embrace before it was too late, but her body had a mind of its own and wanted nothing more than to revel in his embrace.
His lips left hers and she moaned.
“I want to make love to you,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ve tried to fight it, but I can’t. I need you tonight.”
Tayler felt her stomach clench as she looked up into his smoldering eyes. If he only knew the things she wanted to do to him, but dared not express, he’d be overjoyed. At that moment, her brain lost the battle and her body took over.
She reached up and held his face between her hands and kissed him with an intensity she hadn’t even known she possessed. She was like a wild woman starving to taste his lips again. He moaned into her mouth and held her so tight he lifted her from the floor and walked over to the couch, where he placed her on her back.
He wasted no time covering her exposed neck and shoulders with kisses. His warm breath against her skin and in her ear excited her to the point of dizziness. He braced himself with one hand and raised her dress with the other. He kissed her from her navel to her breasts, and then sat up, pulling her with him.
Tayler helped him pull her dress up and over her head, and then lay back down, gazing up at him. He traced a finger along the edge of her bra before popping the front snap. She took a deep breath and reached out for his belt. An uncontrollable blaze burned inside her.
Rollin placed his hand over hers. “Slow down, baby,” he said with a chuckle. “We’ve got all night.”
He reached down with both hands and massaged her breasts. “Besides, I want to make sure you can’t call tonight a reckless act.” He bent over and took turns feasting on one nipple then the othe
r. He raised his head and gazed down into her eyes with a look that said he was as aroused as she was. His breathing was quick, and his skin was hot to the touch.
She was so drunk with desire she heard herself moan.
The throbbing between her legs was intense. Her body trembled on the verge of an explosion. She turned her head and gritted her teeth to keep from screaming.
He sat up again and she reached for his belt. This time he let her unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. He watched her with heavy eyelids. When she finished, he stood up and took his jeans off. He took her by the hips and slid her panties off.
She yearned so badly to have him extinguish the fire burning inside her, she arched her body up to him. He positioned himself back over her and caressed the inside of her thighs until her legs slowly opened, and then he entered her with two fingers. She squirmed around underneath him before he ventured deeper inside her. His thumb found its own pleasurable spot and Tayler nearly lost her mind.
Her body shuddered and her breathing came in short little pants. He stroked and massaged her, driving her over the edge. She loved every minute of it and thrust her pelvis up in response to his touch.
“This is for you, baby,” Rollin whispered in her ear. “You’re so beautiful. I want to watch you come.”
Her head tossed and turned and her body bucked so hard she thought she’d fall off the couch. He had her heart pounding in her chest and her legs trembling as he worked magic with his fingers. He pulled his fingers out of her and concentrated on the tiny bud that begged for all the attention. His touch was light as a feather but still managed to push all her buttons. Tayler threw her hands over her head and clutched the arm of the couch. Her body throbbed and she cried out from sheer delight. She shuddered from such an intense orgasm and gasped for air.
“Oh, God!” She squeezed her legs together, unable to take it any longer.
As aftershocks riddled her body, Rollin lowered his mouth to hers and gave her a deep, intoxicating kiss. She lay there naked and sated with closed eyes as she regained her breathing.
He held her and whispered into her ear. “Now, that was no reckless act, agreed?”
She opened her eyes, kissed him on the neck and then exhaled a deep gratifying sigh. “Agreed.”
Minutes later, Tayler followed Rollin down the hall to his bedroom, where they spent the rest of the night in orgasmic heaven.
* * *
The next day after breakfast Rollin worked around the farm while Tayler tried to relax on the front porch and read. It wasn’t working, so she pulled out her cell phone and took a few pictures of the house and then drafted the first Coleman House newsletter.
Rollin came back to the house that afternoon dusty and dirty, but to Tayler, he looked sexier than ever.
“Let me shower and change right quick, then you can ride into town with me,” Rollin said after he greeted Tayler with a kiss.
“Um.” She licked her lips.
He laughed. “What have you been doing all morning?”
“Working on the Coleman House newsletter. I’ve sketched out a first draft that I’ll show you later. And a ride into town would be perfect. I saw a fountain in the town square that would look perfect in the newsletter.”
His brows creased. “Who has time to update a monthly newsletter?”
“Relax, it doesn’t have to go out monthly. Once I set it up it’ll be a breeze to maintain. Either you or Corra can send it out at an agreed-upon time frame.”
He opened the front door and she followed him inside. “So this is how it starts, huh? Women start making little changes and the next thing you know they’re running the joint.”
“Lucky for you I’m only here for a few months. Otherwise, yes, I would take over.” She reached out and swatted him on the butt.
“Aren’t I lucky,” he said before walking down the hall to his room.
Tayler carried her laptop inside, changed and waited for Rollin on the front porch.
The drive into town was Norman Rockwell all over again. Small-town folk going about their business in the normal way. No taxis zipping in and out of traffic. No trains screeching overhead. As a matter of fact, she didn’t even hear one horn blow. Maybe she was delusional, but she felt a peace come over her body that she’d never felt before.
Rollin let Tayler out on Main Street to browse through the many quaint shops while he went to take care of some business. They’d agreed to meet up at a restaurant called Cue on Main Street. After sampling several shops, it didn’t take Tayler long to find Cue. Rollin was already waiting inside.
He stood up and pulled out her chair as she approached. “What did you buy?” he asked, pointing to the bag in her hand as she sat down.
She reached inside and whipped out her treat on a stick. “A caramel apple, can you believe it? I haven’t had one of these in years. I stopped at this cute little shop that had an assortment of a little of everything inside.”
Rollin smiled. “You’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”
She smiled in return. “Yes, I am. Far more than I thought I would. I love this little town. I spoke to the woman in the shop about partnering with Coleman House, and she seemed pretty excited about it.”
“You what?”
Tayler sighed. “Rollin, I really think you need to add a small gift shop at the house. Or at least sell some local things on consignment. It’ll add a little flavor to the B and B and won’t cost you anything.”
“So where do we put these little gifts?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”
They ordered lunch and continued to discuss Tayler’s ideas until Rollin changed the subject and Tayler’s mood.
“So what was growing up like for Tayler? You hardly ever talk about home.”
She looked around. “It wasn’t like this, that’s for sure. I grew up in Rockford, Illinois. In a tiny two-bedroom apartment. My mother worked two jobs to support me, my sister and my brother. My father left when I was young. I saw him once after I graduated from high school, but that was it.”
“Wow, I’m sorry to hear that. I hate to hear about any man skipping out on his family.”
“Yeah, well, we got over it. Everyone survived and went their separate ways.”
“Where’s your family now?”
“My mom and sister are still in Rockford. My brother joined the service and he’s stationed in Germany. I went to school in Chicago and never looked back. It wasn’t very far away, but it seemed like worlds away.”
“How often do you get back home?”
She lowered her head, wishing he hadn’t asked her that. “Not very often. I’ve been pretty busy with work and squeezing in speaking engagements when I can.”
He didn’t say anything, only nodded.
Tayler took a deep breath. “My family wasn’t like yours. We’ve never been particularly close.”
“You’ve done very well for yourself under the circumstances. A VP position with any company is a huge accomplishment. You should be proud of yourself.”
She didn’t usually discuss her family dynamics with anyone. But Rollin had opened her up so much in the last couple of weeks she found it easy to talk to him.
“I am proud of myself.”
“You’re a very special woman, you know that?”
She leaned into the table and smiled. “How special am I?”
“Why don’t we head back to the house, and I’ll show you.”
He winked at Tayler, and she shuddered.
Chapter 15
If Rita hadn’t returned Friday morning, Tayler would have stayed right where she had been for the last couple of nights—in Rollin’s bed. However, her arrival had sent Tayler scrambling back to her room. Somehow she’d have to explain why she ha
dn’t moved back upstairs since the guests had left.
After dodging Rita’s probing eyes, Rollin treated Tayler to a new experience in the middle of a strawberry patch.
“Here, taste this.” He fed her a plump, juicy strawberry.
She hesitated and then glanced up at him before taking a bite. The berry exploded in her mouth, sending sweet juice everywhere. Some slid down the side of her mouth and she reached to wipe it up, but Rollin beat her to it.
With his tongue, he caught the running juices and licked his way to her mouth. Once there, he played a game of hide-and-seek, his tongue darting in and out of her mouth before sticking around to taste the sweet juices.
“Um, that was good,” he said after kissing her.
Tayler did a 360 to see if anybody saw what had just took place. A few workers were at the other end of the patches but hadn’t noticed them.
“Want another one?” Rollin offered.
“Are those things clean?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
“If this wasn’t an organic farm, I’d say no. Since it is, I’ve wiped it off on my shirt.” He offered her another one.
She opened her mouth and closed her eyes while he fed her. “Somehow that doesn’t make it any cleaner to me. I’m gonna tell Rita you’re eating all the strawberries instead of picking them,” she said.
Rollin picked up the small bucket and handed it to her. “I’m just thankful she’s back. I don’t want to make her mad by returning empty-handed, so let’s get to picking.”
“I can’t wait until she fixes the pie. I’ve never had a strawberry pie from scratch before.” Tayler stooped down next to the bush and Rollin joined her.
“You’ve lived a pretty sheltered life, haven’t you, girl?”
“No way. I’ve traveled everywhere and have done a little bit of everything.” She picked one strawberry and put it into the bucket. The next one she wiped off and ate.
“Yeah, but until you came here you’d never picked your own food, eaten any organic foods, drunk herbal tea or experienced an orgasm that had you speaking in tongues.”
When I Fall in Love Page 11