“Maybe Josh will agree with you.”
“Either that or I’ll have to buy out him and my other siblings.”
As they drove down the mountain, Aimee looked happy, despite the bear scare. “Our visit was only fleeting, but I loved the resort. You could make Spanner sort of like Aspen.”
Her ambition pleased him, even though he was amused at the idea of Spanner becoming a pricey, glitzy town of chi-chi shopping and socialites. Still, he could visualize a sparkly glass-and-timber resort. Cozy, warm overstuffed cabins around the deep blue Starlight Lake. Tourists skiing Jubilee Mountain in the winter, and kayaking and water skiing Starlight Lake on hot summer afternoons.
That would require a long-term commitment. It would mean that he was pledging to stay here in Spanner for several years at least. He had no real desire to run a hotel, no matter how wonderful. Which meant he would have to seriously think about how to fill his days. With Pete McKinsey retiring next year, the town would need a good doctor – a vacancy that he could fill quite ably.
Treating patients would be a new experience for him. Making them well instead of killing them over and over again would be a good thing, and he realized, something he really wanted to do. Maybe he could atone for his crimes committed in Afghanistan by caring for the people who made their home in the town his ancestors founded.
Watching Aimee get well had inspired his old enjoyment for the practice of medicine. He made a mental note to meet with McKinsey next week.
He reached over to take Aimee’s hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Small, feminine hands, they fit perfectly into his.
“What else?” he asked.
“A heated pool.”
“Tennis courts.”
“A spa.”
“I hadn’t thought of a spa.”
“Oh yeah, you have to have a spa. After skiing or golfing all day, you need a place to get a first rate massage and beauty services. And since we’ll have beauty services, we need some place to look fabulous: we need a four-star restaurant.”
“I like that. What about a yoga studio?” he asked.
Aimee smiled, then looked out at the mountains, lost in her thoughts.
They drove to the ranch in companionable silence, each thinking about the possibilities.
As they came inside the house, Mark said, “I’ve got to call Josh,” and dropped his keys on the counter.
Aimee grabbed May’s water stainless steel dish and began to fill it at the sink.
“Are you okay after meeting the bear?”
She looked up at him with a sparkly smile. “I’m fine. I’m very impressed that you fought off a bear for me.” She set the dish on the raised platform where May took her meals.
Mark took her by the shoulders then leaned in to kiss her. She fell against him, eager for the rapturous voltage. The seductive contact of his lips set her buzzing; she felt it zing through her whole body.
So this is what it’s like to be kissed by someone you want with all your heart. To be completely turned on.
Too soon he gently broke the contact, leaving her wanting. But she liked it – the echoes of desire that rang through her. He smiled lazily, as if sharing the feeling with her.
“Go make your call,” she said. Her voice was low and husky to her own ears.
She lightheartedly shoved him toward the living room and his office, knowing if he didn’t go now, she was going to do something crazy like ask him to make love to her on the kitchen island.
When she heard his door shut, she turned back to May. “How about a late lunch?” she asked the pooch.
She gave the pup some kibble and soft food, then washed her hands.
In the living room, she stood at the windows, gazing out at the mountains, a vision she would never tire of. She hadn’t thought of Seth all day, until she saw the Range Rover drive up at the Resort at Starlight Lake. But now the fear came to her like a telepathic message from the psychopath himself, telling her he was still out there. Still hunting her. Still wanting the money she’d taken.
She walked outside with May on her heels. It was getting colder even down here at the lower altitudes, she noted. The sky hung like a heavy grey tent and she felt the sharp edge of autumn in the gusts swooping off the mountains. How much longer could she stay here, she wondered. If she had to lay low for a while, maybe she could just stay here for a few months, until she was ready to set out to Portland. It was certainly a beautiful place, she thought, watching May frolic in the tall wildflowers.
“You okay?” Mark called from the front door.
Aimee wandered over to him. “Yeah. Everything okay with your brother?”
“He’s coming over for a meeting tomorrow to discuss this once and for all.”
“Oh. Do you want me to get lost?”
“No,” he replied, looking genuinely puzzled at her question. “Why would I want that?”
“He’s your brother.”
“So?”
“You might have to explain what I’m doing here.”
“You’re not some dirty little secret,” he said lightly.
“Well maybe not to your brother, but I wonder if I’ve been a little too free in Spanner.”
“I will protect you from Seth,” Mark said. His taut face turned grim. “Look, Aimee, I know you don’t want my protection, but if you change your mind, it is here for you. Totally and completely. I will not let anyone hurt you. That is a promise.”
She would be strong. She would be calm. She would not swoon at his words or fall against his chest with feminine gratitude. For better or worse, she was now an alpha female, responsible for her own welfare, and joyfully, exuberantly independent.
Falling under Mark’s seductive spell would be just as terrible falling under Seth’s toxic spell, and she’d end up living her life for Mark instead of herself. She couldn’t let that happen again.
She wanted to say something to relieve the tension. Perhaps, I thought you didn’t make promises. But she held her tongue because Mark gently palmed her dipped chin, and lifted her face so that her eyes collided with his. Once she saw the sweetness blazing out in those mica depths, she wavered. Touched that anyone would feel so dedicated to her well-being, she felt humbled. That the person was Mark Spanner, she felt awed.
“Now, let’s get you inside, it looks dismal out here.”
Aimee relaxed a little bit and looked around for May. She called the puppy over. May lifted her head and came running.
Inside, Mark started a fire to kill the slight creeping chill, and then went into the kitchen to make a late lunch. Aimee stood against the counters, watching Mark study the contents of the fridge. “Want anything in particular?” he asked.
“Bear steaks,” she replied wryly.
Mark laughed. “How about a salad and baked ziti?”
“That sounds divine.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re easy to please.”
As she set the table, she heard a tapping sound and looked up, surprised to see raindrops on the windows.
As she was about to say something about it, the sky suddenly cracked open with a blaze of bright lightning and a rumble followed by a loud crack of thunder.
“Wow, this is sudden,” Aimee said.
“Typical late-summer storm,” Mark said easily.
They ate at the island table and Aimee was happy that the stress that had been in Mark’s eyes before the phone call with his brother was gone now. She liked that Mark was quick to let go of his anger and stress, that he didn’t nurse it, and use it as an excuse to lash out and hurt her.
She helped clear the dishes, realizing that they’d fallen into a comfortable routine. Mark rinsed the dishes, then handed them to her and she placed them in the dishwasher. It was nice. Cozy. As she scooted to the sink to wash her hands, she bumped Mark with her hip to move him over. He stayed where he was, playfully not letting her rinse the soap off her hands. She laughed, “Come on, stingy.”
He turned off the water, grabbed the freshly launder
ed kitchen towel and wrapped her hands in it.
“I need a shower,” she said. “After our bike ride and hunting bears…”
“I think I can help with that.”
He laced his fingers through hers and led her upstairs. In his giant bathroom, he turned on the six showerheads. She hovered near the vanity, watching him undress. As his boxer briefs came down over his long, muscled legs, she felt her inner muscles flex. He was erect, the club of his cock empurpled and ready.
Something tightened in answer, low and hot in her body. She ached to grab onto him. He was so strong and solid, seething with energy. So hot.
She was desperate for comfort, but it also terrified her. She didn’t want to get stuck, to not know what the rest of her life could be. If she stayed, if she let him infiltrate her heart and soul and mind the way she knew he would, she would find herself thoroughly in love with Mark Spanner. But the questions of her life would still be unanswered.
Mark lifted her shirt from her body. He pulled down her pants and panties, then knelt down and removed her socks. Looking down at him, she felt her resolve melt. She wanted to lose herself in his body, warm herself with his heat. It made her feel alive.
And she was actually getting hooked on that feeling. That startled her. It was much easier to stay numb.
She followed Mark into the large acrylic enclosure, in the saturating spray of six showerheads. Mark picked up the bottle of fancy honeysuckle body wash that she’d picked up at Carrie’s Apothecary. He poured a generous amount in his palms then began to wash her with it. Aimee stood still, her head hanging forward while he massaged her back with the foaming soap, lower, over the swell of her butt, down her legs. She responded effortlessly, sighing and yielding entirely to every stroke of his soapy hands.
He turned her around, then skimmed his hands over her sensitive curves, soaping and rinsing. The hot water and soap and his masterful hands put her in a state of deep, total relaxation.
He kneeled to wash her feet, then caves, knees, thighs. He saved her labia for last. He caressed the lips with his fingertips then rinsed the soap away with the spray from a detachable shower head.
It was absolutely maddening. Her whole body felt like it was thrumming, vibrating, needing his touch.
She blinked open her eyes to see him smiling at her. She grabbed the shampoo. “My turn.”
She lifted her arms. “You’re too tall,” she complained.
Mark sat on the bench, which put her breasts right at his eye level. She massaged the foam into his soft hair, enjoying the way he moaned as she rubbed his temples. He stood up again to rinse under the spray. Smoothing the body wash over his taut muscles of his shoulders and chest, she looked down at the head of his cock squeezed between their bellies.
So hopeful. So eager for her. She trailed her fingertips over his strong abs, then paused. She looked into Mark’s face, seeing the need there, as raw and obvious as her own. His openness touched her very much.
She poured more gel into her hands, then gripped his cock. Her slippery fingers slid over the impressive length, drawing a shudder from him. Slowly, she milked and teased him, enjoying every twitch. Mark bent his head, capturing her lips with his. “So good,” he hissed. “Feels so good.”
She cupped his balls, making him groan. She kissed his neck, then he gently pushed her away. “I don’t want to come yet,” he explained brusquely.
He shut off the spray, opened the door and grabbed the first towel he saw. He began rubbing her down.
She stood on the heated marble, bewildered as he dragged the terrycloth over her body. He discarded the towel and held her hand, pulling her to the bed. He pressed her down onto her back, then climbed on top of her. Just the weight of him sent her into outer space. Steely hard and so hot, smelling of sweet soap and beneath it, he tang of male musk. He left her breathless.
Then he started kissing her, compelling and demanding. She felt it to the core. His heavy thigh rested between her legs and she began to lift and rub herself against him slightly.
She opened entirely to his seeking, hot mouth. The sensual touch of his tongue against hers made her heart pound, her nipples ache, and her core clench with need.
He lifted his face from hers, stroking her hair back from her flushed and fevered face. “I have an idea.”
“Everything is wonderful,” she said, gulping air.
“I’d like you to tell me what you’d like.”
Her teeth clamped on her bottom lip.
“Anything you want, baby. Anything. Tell me what you want, I’ll make it happen.”
She swallowed the urge to say nothing. Or exactly what you’re doing – which would have been plenty. Would have been more than enough, in fact. But it wasn’t the whole truth. And she saw that he craved pleasing her.
“I want…”
He nuzzled into her neck. “Tell me. Anything you want. I don’t want to just fuck you. I want to make you fly apart. Fall to pieces. Come undone.” He placed a hot, openmouthed kiss on her collarbone that made her arch off the bed.
She felt her cheeks blush. But she was trying to be brave. “I… um… I want you to lick me.”
He brought his head up, his eyes searching her face. “Really?”
She almost laughed. He looked like a kid being told he could go to Disneyland.
“Yeah. I want you to … do it.”
He dusted his lips across hers, then kissed her neck. His hands moved to the swells of her tits. He nuzzled into her, grasping her left nipple with his hot mouth. He sucked and licked, teasing the nipples into sharp, painful peaks. Her breasts felt heavy, like they were glowing with heat.
Mark dragged a trail of kisses over her belly, pausing at the pink scars of her surgery, which he kissed so gently she could barely feel it. Then he nuzzled into the damp hair of her muff. He kissed her inner thighs, nibbling the sensitive flesh, then breathing over the hot seam of her labia.
She felt his breath, then the hot contact of his tongue. She jumped, the acute pleasure arcing through her like an electric volt. She cried out and reached for the rough silk of his damp hair.
Mark lifted one weak leg over his shoulder, then began to flutter his tongue over her aching, swollen clitoris. Slowly he licked and teased, sucking the nub until she felt she was going to lose her mind. Come apart, like Mark said.
She was awed by his sweetness; it was like he was trying to convince her of something and this was the only way he knew how to do it. And oh, she had been right when she was afraid. It was intimate. Very intimate, and she didn’t mind. He was there with her, in the same emotional space, and she felt safe and cherished.
She began to lift her hips as his maddening, delicious tempo increased. Never had she known this kind of intense pleasure. It seemed to come at her in stereo, from every direction.
The blinding, sugary rush of pleasure burst through her. She cried out, gripping the bedsheets as her body vibrated with pleasure. It threw her, left her gasping, even as the shimmering waves began to die away. She sank helplessly against the pillows, dazed, and yet oddly empty.
Mark’s cock was turgid, gleaming with melted pearls of pre-come. He moved between her legs, then rubbed the blunt tip of his cock against the sensitive flesh, nudging and prodding.
She was hyper-sensitive after that violent orgasm, and his deep penetration was overwhelming, slick and soft though she was.
He pushed deeper, each short, hard shove jerking a whimpering gasp from her throat. She braced her hands overhead, against the headboard and Mark leaned forward to cup her exposed breasts. “I love your body,” he said.
She shut her eyes.
“Please,” he said, softly pleading. “Don’t hide. I need you. Right here. With me.” His hips moved forward, filling her with him. So deep.
She stared back at him, the intensity amplified. “Can I have something else?”
“Anything. I’ll give you anything I have.”
She pressed him back. His cock came out with a wet suck. She
sat up on her knees, then straddled him. She had never been on top before. Seth had always insisted on either missionary or behind. And she hated it from behind. She felt like a piece of meat.
But the thought of having that huge, heavy club inside her, being able to squirm and wiggle and bounce on it filled her with lust.
“Oh God,” Mark breathed.
He held his cock up for her. She hovered over the head, then slowly began to take him inch by incredible inch. Mark leaned against the headboard, sitting up so their bellies were pressed together.
“You are so beautiful. I love this. I can kiss your breasts, kiss your mouth.”
He covered her mouth with his just as she felt him at the hilt. She’d never been touched so deep. Never felt so sexy as she felt right this minute because she felt so desired. She was totally immersed. No sexual hangups, no qualms.
Mark’s arms tenderly came around her. She rubbed and moved on his cock, feeling the orgasm trembling deep inside already. Mark thrust his tongue into her mouth and at the intimate touch of his tongue, she squeezed around his thick shaft, pulsing and fluttering as the pleasure arched through her. At the same time, she felt the hot jet of his come, which intensified her own orgasm.
She sank against him, their bodies stuck together with sweat.
She felt his lips on her cheek. “Baby, we didn’t use a condom.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “What?”
“We didn’t use a condom.”
The implication slowly sank in. She rose off him and lay down on her side. She felt the silky wetness between her legs.
“You okay?” Mark asked, lying next to her.
“I don’t have regular cycles. I have no idea if I’m at risk for pregnancy.”
“It’s okay. Whatever happens, we’ll take care of it.”
She felt weirdly calm. Not because she wanted a baby – that was the last thing she wanted right now – but because she was so tired of worrying about everything. It was like she had no more capacity to freak out. She lay there, looking into Mark’s steady gray eyes, and she felt that yes, they would burn that bridge if they came to it. Together.
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