“Baby girl!”
Autumn jumped up and flung herself into the arms of her dad, Dax.
“Daddy, Daddy, you’re home!” Autumn squealed.
Tori’s eyes fell from the happy reunion to the man standing behind Dax.
Chris.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to contain the annoyance in her voice.
Chris cleared his throat. “I’m helping build a playset.”
“Really, Daddy, really?” Autumn jumped up and down before losing her balance.
Dax caught her with two big, muscular arms and carried her on to the porch. “Yup, but first let’s go find your momma. I wanna give her kisses.”
Chris didn’t speak until the screen door slammed shut. “I didn’t know you were going to be here,” he said, placing his hands in the front pockets of his faded denim jeans.
She eyed him carefully, appreciating the way he filled out the torn and dirty denim. He wore a gray t-shirt that showcased his muscular and veined arms and highlighted the V-shape of his upper body. Even covered in rags, he was a glorious sight.
“It’s fine,” Tori said with more certainty than she felt. Was there no escaping this man? Every person she knew had some connection to him, making her feel there wasn’t a safe place or person to turn to in Sweetbriar.
“Tori! Chris! Come eat. Momma made spaghetti!” Autumn called, jumping in the doorway.
Tori and Chris managed to carry a normal — or at least, polite — conversation at dinner with their hosts. Autumn was a nice buffer, chattering happily and leading the discussion through the random topics as picked by a six-year-old.
Tori tried to keep her eyes downcast and away from Chris as he sat across from her, heartily eating the spaghetti as if he hadn’t had a decent meal in ages. Tori fought the domestic creature hidden inside as she let her mind wander to cooking and caring for this man. What would it be like to have him come home from work every day and sit across from her, like so, eating and chatting happily about his day? The idea filled her with more happiness than she cared to explore at the moment.
She had prided herself on being an independent woman who preferred working and providing for herself to sitting at home waiting on a man. Perhaps there was some compromise to be made in the two extremes.
“Dinner was delicious, Susan.” Dax leaned down from behind his wife’s chair and kissed her chastely on the mouth.
Autumn giggled as she watched her parents. They were so obviously still in love — even Autumn knew it although probably had no concept of what it meant.
Tori looked away as she caught Chris watching her. His mouth was drawn tight and his eyes narrow. Tori blushed and looked from Chris back to her spaghetti. What was it about seeing Dax and Susan so deliriously happy that it made her yearn for that, too? These two, in particular, had something that felt fun and playful.
“Alright, Chris. Ready to get started?” Dax asked.
Chris looked to Tori, winked, and stood to join Dax. “Let’s do this.”
A chill hung in the evening air, but Tori’s cheeks were warm as she watched the builders. Chris wore a leather toolbelt slung low on his hips, and she could not look away. In all the years she had known him, she’d never seen him at work, and the sight of Chris sweating and using his hands to build a playset for a little girl was doing funny things to her heart and making her body tingle with desire. She wanted him. There. She’d admitted it. Wasn’t that the first step in acknowledging she had a problem?
The men were making quick work out of a project that looked complicated to Tori. They built a frame for swings with metal hooks, followed by a platform that had an attached yellow slide.
Susan sat beside her on the back deck. She followed Tori’s gaze to Chris. “So, you and Chris?”
Tori shook her head. “No, it’s not like that.”
“I admit it’s been a long time for me. I married Dax right out of high school— gosh, almost fifteen years ago — but I’m not blind. The way the two of you look at each other… There’s something there.”
Tori shrugged and pulled her knees to her chest. She didn’t know how to respond to that. Yes, there was something there. Or there had been, but now too much hurt and anger filled its place. Could she forgive him and move past it?
“Guys like Chris don’t come around that often. That much I remember from being single. The way he swooped in and took care of you when you needed a place to stay… That was romantic. He even had Dax moving stuff in the snowstorm just so you’d have all your things at his house.”
Tori shot Susan a questioning glance. He’d moved her things?
Susan smiled. “You didn’t know?” She nodded. “Oh yeah, he had everything from your apartment brought to his house.”
“I can’t believe that—”
Susan waved one hand through the air. “Before you get angry, let me offer you some advice. When it comes to men and grand gestures — especially men like Chris and Dax — they sometimes come off as overbearing. He meant well, and it’s sweet when you take a step back and think about why he did it. He wanted to take care of you.”
“I don’t need to be taken care of.” Tori glared at Chris across the lawn. How dare he? He had no right. She didn’t need him taking care of her.
“You insufferable, pig-headed man!” Tori said as she stomped into the house. That she was insulting him while he was holding the door open for her wasn’t lost on him.
“What’s the problem? You needed your stuff. I took care of it.”
“I don’t need you to take care of anything for me,” Tori said, turning to face him.
She looked beautiful standing in the dim living room, with only the light of the moon and stars streaming in through the picture windows.
“Why is the idea of me doing something nice for you so terrible?” Chris asked.
Tori threw her hands up in the air in exaggerated frustration. “Because it’s you. There. Are you happy?”
Chris knew the meaning behind her vague response, but it was time they confronted the ghosts of their past. “What did I do that was so terrible? Why have you been hating me ever since—”
“Ever since you slept with me and then ran off as fast as you could the next morning?” Tori said with hurt and anger in her eyes.
Chris watched her closely, trying to remember the night and make sense of her accusation.
“That’s not how I remember it. You all but kicked me out.”
“What was I supposed to do? Ask you to stay? I was mortified, lying there knowing you were counting the seconds until you could leave. And understanding no matter how much I wished otherwise, there would be no escaping you in this damn small town.”
Chris closed the distance between them and wiped a tear from her cheek. Her eyes… Damn, those brown eyes saw into his soul.
“That night was one of the most amazing nights of my entire existence. Christ, you’re my best friend’s sister. I’ve known you my whole life. I wanted you, but I didn’t think it through. I didn’t realize how much it would mean. I left because I didn’t know how to get past all of that. And you acting like you wanted me to leave didn’t help. I made the mistake of letting you push me away. I’m not making that mistake again.”
Tori gasped as he crushed his mouth to hers. She pushed against his chest even as her lips melted against his.
“You have some nerve,” she said as she pulled her mouth back from his.
She didn’t move away, but stared hard at Chris, challenging him with a look.
“I can’t change how things happened in the past. I’ve wanted you since you were a gangly, smart-ass teenager. I wanted you that night, and I want you now. And I know you feel the same way, even if you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
This time she made the first move, bringing her mouth up to his. Chris wrapped his arms around her then lifted and carried her to the stairwell. She moaned against his lips, a sweet and sexy cry that grabbed him by the balls.
“C
an’t go any further without getting you out of these clothes,” Chris muttered against her mouth, refusing to break contact even for a moment.
He laid her down gently on the stairway, using his arm as a pillow behind her. Then, running a hand through her soft, blond hair and down her body, he pulled at her shirt.
They separated, hands moving quickly, lifting and pulling at the clothes that divided them. She stared at him with such intensity he was sure she felt it too. The gravity of this moment. There would be no going back. If the first time had worked to drive a wedge between them, they were now removing it and moving forward together. He wouldn’t lose her again.
Tori stared at up into Chris’ hooded eyes. He looked intense, almost worried, before he moved his mouth and nibbled on her earlobe. He made his way down to her collarbone, leaving her skin ablaze everywhere he touched. He seemed to worship every inch of her, and she soaked in every touch, every kiss, every sound. She was done debating if it was right or wrong. There would be time to examine her decision later.
Her head lay back against Chris’ beefy bicep, her legs sprawled down the stairs. The position gave her a fabulous view of his chest and abs, each muscle hard and defined. He was in the best shape she’d ever seen him. He seemed to get bigger and better with age.
Chris removed his arm from behind her and shifted her so she was facing the stairs on her knees.
“We may need to move this party upstairs so I can grab a condom,” Chris said as he kissed and licked her lower back then moved down to her hip, giving it a playful bite.
“I’m on the pill,” Tori said, praying they wouldn’t have to break for even a moment.
Chris nodded as he slipped a finger down to her slick spot.
Tori closed her eyes and arched back into his touch. He slid in and out, adding a second finger. With his mouth, he found her neck and kissed her sweetly as he sped up the pace of his fingers. She was so close that she was beyond any other thought except how amazing he made her feel.
She collapsed into the stairs, sinking against the hard, wooden steps, as she came with his name on her lips.
He turned her to face him and kissed her, their tongues fighting and challenging one another, as their words couldn’t. It was always a battle with them, but this was a match she was happy to participate in. She licked and sucked at his bottom lip, receiving a small groan as a reward for her efforts.
He smiled down at her as he shifted his upper body to lift her leg over his shoulder and enter her slowly, stretching her in the best possible way. Tori felt the enormous weight of what they were doing as he continued to glide in and out at a fierce pace. This wasn’t like last time where they’d been apprehensive in their actions. They moved with a certainty that they were acknowledging this would change things forever.
She studied his face as he chased his own release, bringing her back to the edge as he did. Tori cried out as they exploded together, and Chris collapsed on top of her. His heavy, sweaty body trapped her underneath him, not that she minded.
Tori was only vaguely aware that she was being carried up the stairs, her head heavy and fuzzy from the emotional and physical toll of the night. She nuzzled into Chris’ warm chest; the intoxicating smell of sex and sweat clung to him.
He laid her down on the cool satin sheets and slid in behind. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her back against him. Their relationship had taken a turn this evening, and she had so many questions she wanted to ask. What did this mean? How would things change between them? What would they tell Ryan and the others?
She had almost worked up the courage to speak when she heard his breathing become even and slow. Her questions would have to wait for the morning.
The familiar ringtone of his cell phone playing in the distance woke him as he lay next to Tori in the master bedroom. It was the first time he’d ever slept in the room, and it seemed fitting that it had been with her.
The sun hadn’t peeked out over the lake yet, but Chris could see it wouldn’t be long as the dark of night faded. He cursed as his phone continued to ring. Whoever was calling wasn’t giving up.
Tori’s long legs were draped over his, and she was snuggled into his chest. She looked younger and happier without the usual scowl she liked to flash in his direction.
Chris eased out of the bed reluctantly in search of his cell. The sound was coming from the heap of clothes at the bottom of the stairwell. He smiled at the scene and dug his phone out of his jeans’ pocket.
Ten missed calls from Charlie. Chris felt a pit form in his stomach. It wasn’t like Charlie to call this early. The phone rang again in his hands before he could dial.
“What’s wrong?” Chris answered into the phone, pulling his boxers and jeans on quickly.
“It’s Travis.”
“On my way.”
Chris hung up, pulled his shirt on over his head, and forced his feet into his boots. He thought about waking Tori, but decided to let her sleep. He scribbled out a note and left it on the counter. “Perfect timing as always, Travis,” Chris mumbled as he walked out into the brisk, early morning air.
CHAPTER TEN
Tori smiled in the dark room, her eyes closed, reliving the night before in her mind. She reached across the large bed, feeling for Chris. She needed a tactile reminder of the man that she’d spent the night with. She remembered waking up sometime during the night and being wrapped around him in the most amazing way, skin-to-skin, their damp bodies clinging to one another.
Her hand found nothing but emptiness, and blankets bunched back as if they’d been tossed aside. She listened for the sounds of his breathing, but the still of the house mocked her, and her smile faded.
Tori opened her eyes and stared at the empty space next to her. He was gone. Tossed her aside, like he’d done the sheets. She should have expected as much. One night together wasn’t a promise for anything more.
She pushed down the feelings that threatened to bubble to the surface, namely anger. She would not allow him to see that she was angry. Any emotional outburst was a sign she had misunderstood last night and that he was in control of… whatever was going on between them.
She dressed for work, taking extra care with her makeup and hair, but doing so quietly. If she was lucky, she could escape the house without waking him. She tiptoed down the stairs, cursing the sound of her toes padding against the wooden steps and avoiding looking at the spot they’d christened. She needed to get out of here. The last thing she wanted this morning was an awkward conversation. She needed the day to build back the barrier she’d placed between them over the years.
She decided to skip coffee and food; she’d survive until she got to the gym. Keys in hand, Tori walked outside eager to flee the scene of the incident, only to find an empty driveway. Of course! Her car was still at Ryan’s. She took off up the hill at a quick pace. The soreness in her ankle hadn’t completely subsided, but her need to get away from Chris was stronger than her urge to stop. She was anxious to get out of sight. She knew Chris well enough to know that he wouldn’t like her traipsing off to Ryan’s by herself this early in the morning. Visibility wasn’t very good, and she’d be hard to spot in her black workout garb. It shouldn’t have made her more determined, but the thought of Chris disapproving made her hold her head high and continue up the hill with a smug smile.
“What’s up with you?” Claire asked after the group of tired and sweaty women filed out of the classroom, leaving them alone.
Tori had struggled to get through her morning classes. She’d pushed her spinning class harder than ever, sprinting for long durations at high resistance. The result was a disengaged class, who was counting the seconds until they could escape her torture. Her yoga session hadn’t gone any better. Her flow was all off, and she couldn’t hold the poses long enough to get a good stretch. Every moment she wasn’t moving was a chance for her brain to remember the feel of Chris’ arms around her, the strength and tenderness of it.
Apparently, Claire had notice
d. Probably everyone had noticed, but everyone else had been too nice to say anything. Claire wouldn’t let her get off that easily.
“Excuse me, I asked you a question.” Claire stood in front of her, arms crossed and toe tapping impatiently.
“Not here,” Tori said, motioning out of the room.
She entered her office, Claire on her heels, and surveyed the busy gym. No sign of Chris this morning. He’d missed his early-morning boxing session with Ryan and Jake. She’d nearly died when Ryan asked about Chris and why he wasn’t at the gym. She’d shrugged and ducked into her office to avoid further questioning.
“Okay, spill,” Claire said once they were safely inside Tori’s office.
“He did it again. The bastard did it again!” Tori said, pacing the room.
“Did what?” Claire asked tentatively.
“Left me. We spent the night together, and when I woke up? Poof! He was gone,” Tori said, throwing her hands up in the air. “I can’t believe I let this happen again.”
With her hands on Tori’s shoulders, Claire guided her to a chair and forced her to sit. “Okay, start from the beginning.”
Chris rubbed a hand over his chin and swallowed the last drop of cold, bitter coffee. Charlie and Travis were asleep, and he needed every drop of caffeine he could find to help him stay awake on the long drive home. How could the day have started so well and ended so terribly?
Travis was in rough shape. He’d been in deeper trouble than he or Charlie knew. He’d been beaten badly — broken nose, broken ribs, and black and blue everywhere in between. Travis hadn’t said much, but Chris could only assume based on the beating and his reluctance to go to the hospital, that he owed someone money.
Gambling had taken over his brother’s life years ago. He was lucky he’d gone this long without it coming to a head. Travis moved all over, chasing private poker games and any other gambling event he could find. Horse races, sporting events, cards — anything he could bet on. Always chasing the high of winning. Their parents’ deaths, Mom right after high school and their father a year later, had hit Travis the hardest. Chris had made peace with it, and Charlie seemed to have as well by moving to Chicago, away from the happy memories of their childhood.
Spar (Sweetbriar Lake) Page 7