Rough Terrain (Vista Falls #1)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “We’ll let you know,” Gabby said, sneaking a peek at Colt before dragging Sage toward the inn. “Oh my God. He wants to sleep with you tonight. What are you going to do?”

  Sage wanted to. She really, really wanted to, but sticking her best friend in a room with her hot ex-boyfriend seemed cruel. Or did it? “But that would leave you and Colt alone in a room. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

  “Am I ready for it?” she asked, stopping in Sage’s path before turning to face her. “Are you really ready to sleep with Wes again? What happened to taking it slow?”

  “I’m still in love with him.” Sage didn’t know if she would have had the confidence to make that confession without a few beers under her belt, but it was true. “I’m scared to death of getting hurt or hurting him.” She rubbed her forehead “Or, God, even hurting Nick…” She shook her head. “But I do want to be with him again more than anything.”

  Gabby gave her a hug. “Then you should go for it. Don’t wait for things to be perfect. They never will be. Just take your happiness where you can get it.”

  “But what about you? I can’t expect you to share a room with Colt. That would be weird, wouldn’t it?”

  “Don’t worry about us,” Gabby said, linking her arm through Sage’s as they continued on the well-worn path to the inn. “You heard Rush. There are two beds. I think we’re mature enough to control ourselves.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Wes was a little stunned when Sage agreed to share a room with him. He didn’t want to assume she intended to sleep with him, since the room did have two beds, but he didn’t know how he was supposed to keep his hands off her if that was what she expected.

  “I was thinking about taking a shower,” Sage said, holding up a strand of her long dark hair. “I probably smell like smoke from the fire. Hopefully Rush has some complimentary soap and shampoo in there.”

  “I’m sure he does.” Wes removed the plaid shirt he’d thrown on over his T-shirt that morning, setting it on the back of the chair. “A shower sounds like a good idea. Don’t use all the hot water,” he teased.

  She hooked her fingers into his belt loops, pulling him close. “We could conserve water, have a shower together.”

  Wes could feel his heart beating double time as he looked into those gorgeous brown eyes that had drawn him in so many years ago. Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” popped into his head. That song had always reminded him of Sage, and every time he heard it on the radio, he turned it up and sang along, his heart breaking just a little more for everything they’d lost.

  “You sure you’re ready for this?” he whispered, his voice husky as he slipped his hands into her hair, tilting her head back. “It’s a big step.”

  “It feels right though, doesn’t it?”

  For the first time in fifteen years, Wes finally felt as though his life was back on track, and he knew there were two reasons for that: Sage and their son. “Being with you couldn’t possibly feel wrong, baby.”

  She curled her hands around his biceps. “I know we hurt each other in the past and we’re just getting to know each other all over again, but—”

  He kissed her to silence her doubts then pulled away slowly, satisfied to see her looking a little more intoxicated than she had when they’d walked in the room. “You’ve had a few drinks. I don’t want you to have any regrets in the morning.”

  She drew a shaky breath. “Believe me, it’s not the alcohol making me feel this way. It’s you. It’s having your hands on me again after so long, kissing you…”

  “We’ve both made our fair share of mistakes,” he whispered, brushing his lips across her cheek. “But I know this won’t be one of them.”

  She walked backward into the bathroom, her eyes locked on his as she lured him inside and closed the door. He hit the light, not wanting to miss a single second of this experience. He undid her faded denim shirt slowly, intent on taking his time, but the sight of the red bikini top that had been taunting him all day snapped his reserve. Suddenly he couldn’t get her clothes off fast enough.

  His lips branded every inch of exposed skin while he backed her into the stacked logs that made up the walls of the inn. Her breathing was ragged as she fought for space to tear off his clothes, whimpering when he pulled aside her top to taste her salty skin.

  “Shower,” she whispered.

  While he would have been satisfied to take her right there against the wall, common sense told him to follow the lady’s lead. After all the years they’d been apart, Wes wanted this night to be epic for both of them.

  “My mind’s telling me to take it slow,” he admitted, perusing her body as she shimmied off the jeans shorts and tugged at the strings holding her bikini together. “But my body has other ideas.”

  She smirked, obviously satisfied to be getting to him. “We have plenty of time for slow, don’t we?”

  Wes wondered if she was talking about tonight or referring to the future he prayed they could have. He reached into the generous stall to turn on the shower, making it warm but not too hot—just the way she liked it. “Tell me what you want.”

  “I want the same thing I’ve always wanted, Wes.” She stepped closer, reaching for his belt. She undid it slowly, following up with his button and zipper. “You. I want you. Inside me. On top of me. Taking me against the wall. In the shower. In a bed. On the floor. It really doesn’t matter.”

  He hadn’t thought mere words could make him lose his breath along with his train of thought, but those words sure as hell did. “I’m happy to oblige.”

  His smile may have told her was teasing, but he hoped his eyes let her know he meant every word. For years, making her happy had been reason enough for him to get out of bed in the morning, and while he now had a big company to run and a lot of people counting on him to keep his head in the game, he couldn’t imagine anyone or anything ever being more important to him than the woman standing before him… blessing him with another chance. She returned his smile before opening the glass shower door a little wider so she could step under the hot spray.

  His mouth was dry as he watched the water trail down her tanned, toned body in rivulets. “You are gorgeous.”

  Sage bit her lip as she took him in, her gaze heated while he stripped off his jeans, T-shirt, and boxer briefs. “So. Are. You.”

  When he stepped in, she reached behind her for the small bottle of shampoo and deposited some of it in her hand before working it into a lather, her eyes trained on him the entire time. He wanted to lick away the suds cascading between her full breasts, settling on her protruding nipples, but before he could, she squeezed some shampoo onto his hair and stood on her tippy-toes to massage his scalp.

  “Turn around,” she whispered.

  He did as he was told, groaning as she worked her magic, rubbing slow circles on his temples. “God, you’re good at that.”

  She brushed her breasts against his back as her hands ventured to his shoulders before wrapping around his chest. She pressed a kiss to his back. “I don’t think I ever stopped loving you, Wes.”

  Stunned, he flattened his palm against the shower wall. He’d wanted to love her body tonight, but he’d never thought he’d get the chance to tell her how he really felt about her. He’d just assumed it was too soon, that she wouldn’t be ready to hear it.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, stepping back under the spray. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. It’s not that I expect anything to come from this, assuming you still want to—”

  He turned around quickly when he realized she’d perceived his silence as rejection and curled his hands around her delicate face. “Listen to me. I have never felt like this before. I mean, I have, years ago, with you. But no other woman has ever made me feel like this since.”

  “Really?” Tears were now melding with the water streaming down her face, but he was looking closely enough to know the difference. “I was so scared to tell you the truth. I didn’t know how y
ou’d react. I just knew I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I couldn’t make love to you and let you think it was just sex for me.”

  “We have never had sex. Not once.” He turned her around, taking the harsh spray against his back as he backed her into the wall. “I am so in love with you. I think a part of me always has been. That’s why I came back. To find that missing part of myself.” He leaned his forehead against the wall above her head. “It’s here. It’s right here. With you. When I left, you kept a piece of my heart, Sage.”

  “And I’m not giving it back, just so you know.”

  He chuckled, his voice hoarse with emotion as he said, “I don’t want it back. I just want you to…” He had never, ever tried expressing his feelings to another woman. Even trying to do so had felt awkward. He wasn’t into girly shit like talking about feelings, but he knew he had to with Sage. “I just want you to take better care of it this time, and I’ll promise to do the same with yours. Deal?”

  She stroked the stubble on his cheek. “I am so sorry I hurt you. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

  “You have to forgive yourself. Just like I have to forgive myself. We can’t move forward with guilt and regret paving our way, sweetheart. It’ll never work that way. You know that.”

  She nodded slowly. “I know. It’s just hard to let go of feelings you’ve had for so long.”

  He stepped out of the water, letting it pelt her instead. “Then let’s consider this a cleansing experience. Let’s wash all that negative shit away.”

  She closed her eyes, tipping her head back. “It feels so good.”

  With her eyes still closed, Wes moved in front of her, tracing the slopes of her curves with open-mouthed kisses before he finally hit his knees.

  “Wes,” she murmured, threading her hands through his hair, “that can’t be comfortable. We should get out and—”

  She gasped when his tongue circled her core, making her whimper as she dug her nails into his scalp. He’d been with a dozen women since his last night with Sage, but none of them had been able to satiate his hunger the way only she could. None of them had filled that void in his soul the way she did.

  The intimacy of the act, something she’d been reluctant to let him do the first time because she was an inexperienced girl experimenting with her first lover, reminded him how far they’d come. Now they were older, wiser, hopefully smarter, and more experienced adults, ready for forever.

  “God, I’ve missed this.” She moaned. “Only you.”

  Wes wanted to know what that meant, but instead of tearing himself away to ask, he propped her foot up on the bench behind her, exposing her even more. The fact that she didn’t object was further proof that she was ready to be vulnerable in every way, just as he was.

  “Wes… oh…” She gasped before bracing her hands on his shoulders as her whole body trembled with the force of her release.

  He stood and pulled her into his arms as the water, turning cold, continued to cleanse them. “Let’s get out of here.” He reached behind him to turn off the water before grabbing one of the plush white towels stacked on a stand by the shower door.

  “My legs feel like jelly,” she admitted with a half laugh.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  He held her hand as she stepped out onto the bath mat, and he wrapped her in the towel before grabbing one for himself. When she turned toward the mirror to finger comb the tangles in her long hair, he stood behind her, kissing her shoulder as he looked at their reflection.

  “We belong together, you know.”

  She seemed too overcome to respond, so she simply nodded, her eyes filling with tears again.

  “Hey,” he said, brushing the back of his hand against her cheeks. “No more tears. What’s that all about?”

  “I’m just so happy to be here with you. After I broke your heart and took our son away from you, I thought you’d hate me forever.”

  “Baby.” He turned her to face him, needing her to look into his eyes when he told her the truth. “You didn’t take him away from me. We decided adoption was the best course of action. Were we pressured into it? Yes. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right thing to do. Look at Nick—he’s a great kid. He’s had a good life. He doesn’t hate us for the choice we made, so why should we go on punishing ourselves?”

  “I know.” She flattened her hands against his chest, pressing her forehead into them. “I guess I’m just a little overwhelmed right now. Having you back in my life and Nick… it’s everything I ever wanted. I guess I’m still not sure I deserve it.”

  Wes knew he wouldn’t be able to convince her overnight, but he trusted that the more time they spent together, and with their son, the faster those old wounds would heal. “You deserve a hell of a lot better than me,” he joked. “But I’m hoping by the time you figure that out, it’ll be too late. You’ll already be mine.”

  “Then I guess it’s already too late,” she said, giving him a watery smile. “I’ve always been yours, Wes. You just didn’t know it.”

  “God, you’re slayin’ me here, woman.” He kissed the hand she’d had resting against his heart as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

  “Sorry.” She giggled as she stood on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. “I promise to try to keep it light and fun for the rest of the night. How’s that?”

  “Now fun I can do. I’m an expert at that.” When she reached for the hairdryer mounted on the wall, he took it from her and turned it on.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, looking amused as she watched him wave the instrument over her scalp.

  “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m drying your hair.”

  “You’ll get bored in no time,” she promised. “My hair’s really thick. It takes forever to dry.”

  “Hmm.” He pulled away the towel she’d secured under her arms. “Then I guess I’ll just have to find some way to keep it interesting, won’t I?”

  He aimed the hot air over her nipples, drying up the water that remained. Her breathing was shallow as she watched him move the dryer all over her body, drying any trace of water while pausing to kiss her periodically.

  “I think I better do that,” she said finally, taking the dryer from him. “If I don’t, we may never get out of the bathroom.”

  He winked at her reflection in the mirror as he watched her go to work on her hair. “I’m okay with that. Bathroom, bedroom, hall closet—doesn’t matter to me.”

  She giggled when he wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck. Blasting him in the face with the hot air, she said, “We can christen every room in your house and mine when we get back home. In the meantime, let me finish up here. I’ll meet you in bed.”

  “Hmm, now I like the sound of that.”

  “Wait,” she said before he could leave the room. “Let me.” She quickly dried his hair. “We don’t want wet sheets, do we?”

  He chuckled. “Speak for yourself.”

  ***

  Sage stared at her reflection in the mirror as she replaced the dryer. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the past month. Before Wes had walked back into her life, she’d been so focused on supporting her family that she’d left little to no time for herself. She hadn’t thought about her future or finding a life partner. She’d never considered the possibility of being a mother because she didn’t feel she deserved another chance after failing so miserably the first time.

  But Wes made her see things differently. He made her feel that she deserved to be happy, and that could only come with forgiveness. He’d brought Nick back into her life and helped her find an inner peace she hadn’t known in years. Thanks to him, she’d stood up to her parents, set some boundaries, and even started writing a bit in the evenings again, dreaming of the day when she could do it full-time.

  “What’s taking so long?” Wes shouted. “I’m getting lonely out here.”

  “One sec.”

  She reached out to grab
her purse, which she’d left on the floor by the door when they’d walked into the suite. As she withdrew the little plastic disc from her purse and tapped a pill into her hand, she realized this would be the first time she and Wes had made love since he’d learned she was pregnant all those years ago. That announcement had been the beginning of the end of their relationship.

  As she dry swallowed the tiny pill, she wondered if there would ever be a time when they would celebrate the news that she was pregnant. Loving him as much as she did, she realized she wanted a second chance to have Wes’s baby, to watch him be the amazing father she knew he would be.

  She walked into the room to find Wes propped against a stack of pillows, one hand behind his head as he looked out the window. The white curtains on either side of the wide window hadn’t been drawn, but with the lights out and no neighbors, privacy wasn’t an issue.

  “What were you thinking?” she asked, crawling into bed next to him.

  He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head, which surprised her. She’d expected him to be anxious to pick up where they’d left off in the shower. Though her fears were probably unfounded, she hoped he wasn’t having second thoughts about making love to her.

  “I was looking at the stars,” he confessed. “Wondering… if I had one wish, what would it be?”

  “And? What would it be?” She held her breath while she waited for him to respond.

  “I couldn’t decide. I want both you and Nick in my life. No way could I choose between you.”

  For her, that was the perfect response because she couldn’t have chosen between the man she loved and the child they’d created together either.

  “I still can’t believe we got to meet him,” she said, settling her hand on his flat stomach. “This morning when I woke up, I thought I’d dreamed the whole thing.”