by JoAnn Ross
He let her have her fun but reclaimed her breasts with his palms. She covered his hands with hers, making it clear that she wanted more, harder, faster. He’d reached his breaking point and used his superior strength to flip them both over until he had her anchored beneath him.
“Bridey?”
She nodded, knowing what he was asking, and shifted her legs to welcome him into the cradle of her body. She grasped his shaft with a gentle touch and guided him right to where they both needed him to be. In a series of quick thrusts, he buried himself deep within her slick heat.
When she gasped, he froze. “D-did I hurt you?”
She ran her hands up and down his back as if comforting him. “No, just give me a second.”
He’d give her forever if that’s what it took. When at last Bridey let out a long breath, she smiled up at him. “Like I said, it’s been a while.”
Before he moved inside her again, he teased her with soft kisses on her forehead and cheeks before settling his lips firmly over hers. It didn’t take long before she drew her legs up to wrap around his hips and dug her fingertips into his shoulders. It was all the encouragement he needed.
This time, when he flexed his hips hard, her response was pure pleasure. Within seconds, she was urging him on, reinforcing her demands by lifting her hips up to meet his thrusts. That snapped his tenuous hold over the driving need to claim this woman as his own.
Rising over her, he held himself up with his arms fully extended to give his hips room to move freely. The building pressure became his sole focus. From the expression on Bridey’s face, it wouldn’t take much to send her flying, too.
Seconds later, she shouted his name and threw her head back on the pillow, her eyes squeezed tight as she rode out her release, which pushed him right over the edge with her. The rest of the world narrowed down to the connection between the two of them.
After riding out the last shudders, Seth rolled to the side and took Bridey with him, tucked in at his side. Once his brain started working again, he’d do his damnedest to find some way to tell her how much this meant to him. Until that happened, he held her close and hoped she already knew.
9
Morning came painfully early, with the first rays of sunlight pouring through the windows. Bridey studied her companion, tilting her head up to watch Seth sleep. His strong jaw had darkened with his morning stubble. She couldn’t resist running her fingers across it, enjoying the bristly feel.
Seth toyed with her hair in response. “Good morning.”
She hadn’t really meant to wake him, but then again, she wasn’t sorry that she had. His eyes opened just the smallest bit, but already he was smiling. Considering how happy she’d been to wake next to him, it was comforting to know he felt the same way.
“What time is your appointment this morning?”
His voice was gravelly and deeper than usual. She liked it. “Not until eleven.”
He glanced past her to the clock on the bedside table. “Four hours. Plenty of time.”
“For what?”
He took her hand and guided it down beneath the covers. “I bet you can guess.”
Oh yeah, she loved the way this man thought, but she had a few ideas of her own. Laying her finger across his lips, she whispered, “I was thinking a hot bath would be a great way to start the day. Did you see the size of that tub? It’s definitely big enough for”—she reached down to stroke the length of his shaft—“both of us.”
Seth nipped at her finger, catching it with his teeth and then gently sucking on the tip. The small tug fired a jolt of pure desire straight through her. His green eyes glittered with greedy heat. “How about we start here and end up there?”
And that’s what they did.
• • •
Three hours later, Seth walked hand in hand with Bridey as they window-shopped along the streets in downtown Seattle, pausing to admire the shop windows in all of their holiday finery. He mentally compared them with those he’d helped put up back in Snowberry Creek. On the whole, he thought the small town came out on top in that contest.
Bridey was clearly entranced by everything she saw, her clear gray eyes sparkling with happiness. He hoped part of that stemmed from the night they’d shared.
Their immediate plan was to grab breakfast at one of the local restaurants. Afterward, while Bridey met with her attorney, Seth would hang out at a nearby bookshop. She’d find him there when she was done, so they could do some Christmas shopping together.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually looked forward to buying Christmas presents. The past couple of years, he’d done most of his shopping online, but he couldn’t wait to hit the stores with Bridey. Maybe he could find a sweater for his mother and some handmade jewelry for his sister. His brother was always harder to buy for, but the bookstore would be worth a shot.
Bridey tugged on his arm. “Seth, I asked how about that place on the corner?”
He blinked and realized they’d reached the end of the block. “Sorry. I was shopping in my head.”
Okay, that didn’t even make sense to him. He tried again. “Yes, that place is fine. And sorry. I was thinking about what I should buy for my family.”
She frowned a little as he held the door to the restaurant open for her. “Funny, but that’s the first time you’ve mentioned them. Do they live nearby?”
He nodded. “Yes. I guess we haven’t talked much about our lives outside of Snowberry Creek.”
Seth didn’t want to go into detail and was relieved when she didn’t press. Instead, when he didn’t continue, she took his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “I vote today is only for the two of us, not responsibilities. Well, other than my meeting. Agreed?”
The time was coming soon when he’d tell her everything but not today. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the carefree spirit of their time together. “Agreed! Now, we should probably hurry if we want to eat before your appointment.”
Bridey headed for a small table in the back corner of the restaurant. He let himself be towed along in her wake, only too glad to postpone talking about his past. He just hoped keeping his secrets didn’t come back to bite him.
• • •
Even after lingering over a late dinner, Seth wasn’t ready for their time together to come to an end. Walking out of the restaurant, he caught sight of one of the horse-drawn carriages that gave tours of the city. It was just turning the corner about a block away. On impulse, he grabbed Bridey’s hand and took off running down the street.
“Come on!”
They were both a bit breathless by the time they caught up with the carriage. After paying the driver, Seth helped Bridey up into the seat and then climbed in after her. After settling in with his arm around her shoulders, he said, “I know you have to be up early in the morning, but I’m not quite ready for our evening to end.”
“Let me worry about tomorrow.” Bridey snuggled in closer to his side. “Besides, this is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit!”
She was right. Even the coach was draped with garlands of greenery and red bows, and the horse’s harness had strings of bells that chimed softly as it moved. As they passed by the iron pergola located in Pioneer Square, Bridey waved at the Santa, who was ringing his bell and greeting passersby. “I’ve always thought the pergola is beautiful, especially this time of year, when it’s all decked out for the holidays.”
“B-beautiful is right.”
Not that he was talking about the decorations or even looking at them at the moment. Instead, he was captivated by the woman sitting next to him. He caught her chin with his fingertips and gently tipped her face up so that he could kiss her. Bridey smiled against his lips and then tilted her head back farther for him to deepen the kiss. It was a perfect moment, one he knew he’d cherish forever.
• • •
It was ten o’clock by the time they were back in Snowberry Creek. Seth tried to hide his disappointment when Bridey asked him to drop her
off at her apartment. It was probably for the best, though. Despite the energetic night and morning they’d spent, he doubted he’d be content to simply sleep in the same bed with her.
He took the long way around so they could see the Christmas lights in town one more time on the way to her place. Bridey stared out the window with evident delight. “I’m glad the mayor decided to do this. It’s really lovely even though the snow is already gone.”
She turned to smile at him. “I can’t remember the last time I really looked forward to the holidays. Where I worked in California, we did a big catering business on the side. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s was a busy time for us. It made it hard to relax and enjoy something as simple as Christmas lights.”
He pulled into her parking lot and found a spot near her building. She was already out of the car when he came around to her side. He hesitated before popping the lid of the trunk because he wanted to hold her one last time before they returned to their familiar routines.
He gathered her close and nuzzled the side of her neck, drawing in her scent and appreciating the chance to feel her pressed against his body. “The past twenty-four hours were perfect.”
The dim glow of a nearby streetlamp showcased her pleased smile. “It was wonderful, Seth.”
“We’ll do it again.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “Soon.”
“Agreed, but now I should let you get home.”
He got her suitcase and bags from the car and carried them for her. Bridey kissed him one last time before unlocking her door.
While he waited, he said, “I’ll stop by the shop tomorrow to measure the shelves for your office.”
He hadn’t phrased it as a question, but Bridey responded as if he had. “Okay, but only if it isn’t taking you away from something else you should be doing.”
“It won’t.” When it looked as if she was going to protest, he added, “I promise.
That much was true. He was too buzzed to go to bed anytime soon. He planned to go home and work on her sign most of the night. Then he’d crash for a few hours before showing up at the shop. “I’ll be there after the lunch rush. Save me a couple of muffins.”
He gave her one more kiss and walked away.
• • •
It had been one heck of a morning. Bridey had been away from the shop for only one day, but it felt like a lot longer. Her rhythm had been off since she’d unlocked the door at four thirty. It had been years—years—since she’d burned even one pan of muffins, but she’d managed to ruin three. That’s what she got for daydreaming about a certain man.
After she finished coping with that disaster, she’d knocked over a cup of coffee, sending it splashing down the front of her last clean apron. At least it had hit her and not a customer.
The only bright spot had been when Fiona announced that everything had gone smoothly on Monday. So starting the next week, she’d take over closing the shop three days during the week and alternate working weekends with Bridey. Ever since opening the shop two years ago, Bridey had done everything by herself.
What would she do with all that free time?
No sooner had she posed the question when one possible answer came strolling in the back door of the shop, his toolbox in hand and a smile on his face hotter than the huge ovens in her kitchen. He set the toolbox down on the counter and headed straight for her. He stopped just out of reach with a puzzled look on his face.
“What?”
His eyebrows rode down low over his eyes as he stared at her. “Not sure about that smile.”
She laughed. “Fiona is going to start closing the shop for me three days a week and will work alternating weekends.”
“You’d mentioned that was the plan.”
He held his ground, so she closed the distance between them. “I was wondering what I could do with all that free time and in you walked. Seemed like the Fates were answering the question for me.”
His callused hand cupped the side of her face with such gentleness. “I like that answer.”
“So do I.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. “I’ve never had time off during the Christmas holidays. It’s a gift I didn’t expect to receive, but it’s one I will be glad to share with the right person.”
“And what would you like to do with all that time?”
The longer she stayed in his arms, the harder it was for her to remember that this was her place of business. “Let’s start with dinner tomorrow night and go from there.”
“My place and I’ll do the cooking.” He punctuated his suggestion with the kind of kiss that should have set off the smoke alarms.
“I’ll be there. Should I bring my overnight bag?”
“Yes.” His seductive glance packed a lot of meaning into that one word as he backed away and reached for his toolbox. Then, with a mock frown, he made shooing motions at her. “Now, you have customers, and I have work to do.”
He was right, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t rather watch him measuring shelving instead of pouring another cup of coffee. With more than a little regret, she headed out front to help Fiona with the rush of teenagers coming through the door.
10
Seth paced the length of his workshop and back. How many times had he circled the room? Time was moving both too slowly and too fast. The minutes ticked away one by one, each pushing him closer to the moment of truth. Somehow he kept finding excuses not to tell her about his artwork, even though he knew she wouldn’t react well to learning that he had kept such a big secret from her.
The past three weeks had been the happiest of Seth’s life. He and Bridey had spent nearly every night together. They’d celebrated her first official Saturday off by buying a carload full of Christmas ornaments and then picking out the perfect tree at a nearby Christmas tree farm. It had taken them three hours and two bottles of wine to decorate his house. The end results had been breathtaking, especially the part where they’d made love on the floor beneath the twinkling lights on the tree.
Considering how few hours of sleep he’d been getting, he should have been running on empty, but he wasn’t. In fact, he couldn’t remember a time when he felt more energetic.
Just yesterday, he’d finished another set of shelves for Bridey, but all of his real work had taken place right here in his shop. The sign he intended to give her for Christmas had taken him until the wee hours of that morning to complete. It was some of his best work in years, although he suspected his agent wouldn’t see it that way. Nor would he understand why Seth wanted to invest so much creative energy in a sign for a small-town coffee shop.
He wouldn’t see the love that Seth had carved into it right along with the image of Bridey smiling down at the riot of cupcakes and muffins that had been hidden in the swirling grain of the wood. He’d also finished two smaller pieces for the auction to improve the playground at the local elementary school.
Both sculptures had been delivered to the mayor’s office in time for pictures to be included in the last-minute advertising in the area. The accompanying documentation had included the certificates of authenticity and a promise that the prominent Northwest artist Geoffrey Kyser would attend the auction in person. He’d also had his agent let it be known in the local art community that the pieces would be part of the auction. Hopefully, that would bring out a few more people.
Now the auction would begin soon, and he was battling major doubts about the wisdom of having gotten involved at all. It would have been far simpler to maintain a low profile if he’d made an anonymous cash donation instead.
However, now that he’d decided to make Snowberry Creek his permanent home, he couldn’t continue hiding who he really was from his friends and neighbors, much less Bridey. The bigger issue was how to explain to her why he’d felt compelled to hide at all. He should’ve known that the longer he delayed telling her, the harder it was going to be. If she took it wrong, if she walked away from him—
She meant too much to him for
him to even consider the possibility that Bridey might not be able to accept his reasons for not being completely forthcoming with her. Surely she’d see that she knew who he was in all the ways that mattered—the man who was head over heels in love with her. He hadn’t shared that last part with her yet, either. It didn’t seem fair to confess the depth of his feelings for her until she knew everything about him.
The clock chimed the hour. He had intended to present her with the sign first and explain everything before going to the auction together. Unfortunately, she’d called him an hour ago to say she was closing early and would meet him there.
So much for well-laid plans. All he could do was punt and hope he could get her alone long enough to explain everything before the event really got started. Plan B also included waiting until she left for the auction to let himself in the back door of the shop. Bridey had given him a key so that he could finish up the shelves yesterday, and he’d conveniently forgotten to give it back to her.
He’d take the gift-wrapped sign to her shop and then head straight for the auction. Crossing his fingers that he wasn’t about to destroy the one good thing in his life, he gathered up everything he needed and headed out into the night.
• • •
Bridey hated lying to Seth, but she was still finishing up his Christmas present. They’d agreed to exchange gifts on the night of the auction because the next two days promised to be busy. On Christmas Eve, they were going to a party at Callie’s house after the evening service at church. Seth had also made plans for the two of them on Christmas Day, but he was being all mysterious about those. She’d be less worried about it if he wasn’t so obviously feeling a bit twitchy about whatever he had in mind.
For now, the plum tarts were due to come out of the oven. She’d finally figured out the last secret ingredient needed to re-create his grandmother’s recipe as he’d described it to her—ground ginger. It gave the plum filling just a bit of a bite without overpowering the nutmeg Seth loved so much. When the timer buzzed, she took the pan from the oven.