“To us, making new memories together.”
“To new memories.” I sip the bubbly and sit back in the tub with a happy sigh. “I’m travel weary. It wasn’t easy to get here from Bandon. But man, was it worth it.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he says and looks up. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars.”
I follow his gaze and feel my eyes round.
“Wow. Jenna wasn’t lying about this either.”
It seems like the stars are so close, we could just reach out and touch them. The blanket of black is bigger than I’ve ever seen it before, with millions of stars winking at us.
“Jesus, it’s beautiful,” I whisper.
“Magnificent,” he says, but when I glance his way, he’s staring at me, not the stars above.
“You always were a charmer.”
“I’m not trying to charm you.” He sets his glass aside. “I’m only being honest. You’re unbelievable, and I’m so fucking grateful that I found you.”
He pulls me closer to him as the water bubbles around us, sending up steam and a cocoon of intimacy we’ve rarely shared before.
He leans in and presses his lips to the apple of my cheek. “I can’t leave you. Not now that I’ve found you, Elena. I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I walked away from you, not after everything we’ve shared.”
I want to protest, but I can’t because the thought of losing him again sends absolute panic through me.
I shift, straddle him, and with my pussy pressed against the length of his cock, I cup his face and kiss him like I’m starved for it. His hands grip the globes of my ass, and he holds on tightly as I explore his mouth. The timer on the tub ends, extinguishing the bubbles, but the night around us sings, just like the blood pumping through my veins as I take the kiss from hot to inferno in the blink of an eye.
I move back and forth along his length. I want nothing more than for him to slide inside of me and take us over, right here and now.
What sounds like footsteps or limbs breaking pulls us out of our reverie, and the next thing I know, Archer pushes me away from him, his jaw hard and his eyes shining.
“It’s just an animal or something,” I say, moving back in, but he shakes his head, and I hear two people whispering.
“People going for a walk,” he murmurs. Before I know it, he’s standing, holding me up in the cool air. My skin is hot, not just because of the warm water but because my blood is moving fast through my veins. He easily maneuvers us out of the tub and into the house.
“We’re dripping all over the floor.”
“I don’t care,” he says and carries me through the house to the master bedroom.
“We can’t lie on the bed all wet like this,” I insist.
“No problem.” He bypasses the bed and sets me down on a chaise lounge that sits by the big windows that overlook the resort. He pushes the blinds so the moonlight still shines in, but no one below can see inside.
The moon is full, casting a glow over us. The droplets on our skin are starting to dry.
He stops kissing me and just pulls me to him, hugging me tightly.
“I said, don’t stop,” I mutter against his chest.
“I need to slow down,” he replies and kisses the top of my head. “I want to savor every inch of you.”
Before I can reply, he urges me back against the soft cushion of the chaise. I expect him to kiss me, but instead, he reaches for the pins holding my hair and pulls them out one by one until the long locks spill over my shoulders.
“I always loved your hair. You used to wear it shorter.”
“I never have time to get it cut,” I admit. “And I dye it darker myself. Just in case.”
“I like it,” he says and leans in to lightly kiss my lips. “I’m going to make you forget your own name tonight, Elena.”
“Who’s Elena?”
His lips, pressed to my neck, curve. “Exactly.”
And here, in the moonlight, we rediscover each other all over again. His hands are bold and warm as they travel over my body. I can’t help but arch into his touch and sigh every time he finds a sensitive spot on my flesh.
Every time is like the first time with him. It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.
“So responsive,” he whispers before pulling a nipple into his mouth. He tugs gently and then scrapes his teeth over the nub. “So delicious.”
“Killing me,” I mutter as his hand roams down my belly to the promised land.
“You’re slick.” His voice is tight now as his fingers dance between my folds, sending me into a frenzy. “God, babe, you make me crazy.”
“Archer.” I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I can only feel this need inside, building until it feels like it’s going to drown me. “Now, Archer.”
He drops to his knees beside me, opens my legs, and replaces his fingers with his mouth. I almost jack knife off the chaise and come so fast and hard, I see stars.
He sets my leg on his shoulder and feasts on me. There’s no other word for it. He gorges himself like a man starved, and it’s so damn good, I think I might die from it.
When his hand glides down my leg and brushes over the scar on my thigh, he stills. When his eyes capture mine, they’re slits.
“I’m okay,” I assure him and push my fingers through his thick hair. “I’m more than okay. It’s an M, remember?”
He doesn’t say a word as he stands, lifts me, and turns to the bed.
“Damn right, it’s a fucking M.”
I lift a brow. “Possessive, are we?”
“That hasn’t changed, sweetheart.”
But everything else has changed. His body, his voice, even the way he looks at me. He isn’t a young adult anymore.
He’s a man. A sexy, funny, irresistible male.
And he’s kissing his way up my torso. His hands are in my hair, his elbows planted on the bed at my shoulders as he rubs his nose over mine, and his cock nudges its way inside me.
“Fucking hell.” He shudders. “Ah, babe, you’re incredible.”
“It’s us,” I say and feel another orgasm gather. “It’s us.”
Chapter 15
~Carmine~
“Excuse me.” I motion for the bartender’s attention and offer her a nod when she looks my way.
“What can I get you?” she asks.
I’ve been through more wineries and vineyards today than I care to remember, showing Elena’s photo to everyone.
So far, no luck.
“I was wondering if you know this woman.” I pull the picture out of my breast pocket and hold it out for her to see. “She’s my cousin, and I’m looking for her.”
She frowns. “Oh, sure. This is Paige. Paige Williams, right?”
Jackpot. I smile and nod as if I knew that was her name all along.
“Paige is a sweet girl. But she moved away some time ago.”
And just like that, my joy falls flat.
“Moved away?”
“Yeah, it was the oddest thing. She’d been working here for a couple of years. Never missed a day of work. And then, one day, she just up and left.”
“Do you know where she went?”
“Sorry, no. Never heard from her again.” She looks me in the eyes. “If she’s your cousin, why don’t you know where she is?”
“She’s been estranged from the family. Our grandmother recently died, and she’s entitled to an inheritance. I’m just trying to locate her.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders loosen. “Well, I hope you find her. Sorry to hear about your grandmother. I should get back to work.”
She walks away, and I tuck the photo back into my jacket and walk outside. Anger and frustration bubble up inside me. I just spent three days here, and it was all a waste of time.
I get into the car and immediately call my brother.
“She’s not here, Shane.” I fill him in on what the bartender said. “I was so sure. This was the only clue in Grams’ house.”
“I have a theory,” Shane says. “I think we’ve been attacking this from the wrong angle.”
I narrow my eyes. “Go on.”
“What was the most important thing in Elena’s life?”
“Just spit it out, Shane.”
“Archer, Carmine. Archer was the most important.”
“Uncle Vinnie put a stop to that.”
“Do you really think they stayed apart all these years? If you were in love with someone so deeply that you were willing to go against a family like ours to be with her, would you stay away?”
“If Pop threatened to kill her? Yeah, I’d stay away. But it’s an interesting theory. The only problem is, Archer’s in Seattle.”
“Not lately, he hasn’t been.”
My hand tightens on the steering wheel. “Keep talking.”
“We’re not sure where he went, but he’s been out of the area for a while. I think it’s worth looking into.”
“You’re the tracker in the family,” I say, hope taking root in my belly. “Get looking.”
Chapter 16
~Archer~
My eyes are blurry. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was coming off a bender with a hangover the size of Canada.
But, no. I didn’t even finish that one glass of champagne last night.
I did, however, stay up most of the night making love with Elena. We might have snagged two total hours of sleep.
I’m not complaining. I waited a dozen years for this. Every minute with her is a gift.
I send up a silent thank you when I spot the Keurig on the countertop with a round carousel of different varieties of coffee pods.
I open a cabinet in search of mugs and lift a brow when I see Jenna’s collection.
“How’s that coffee coming?” Elena asks as she pads up behind me and wraps her arms around my stomach, pressing a kiss to my shoulder.
“It’s just getting started. Do you want I’m no cactus expert, but I know a prick when I see one or Please cancel my subscription to your issues?”
“Huh?” She leans around me to see what I’m looking at and lets out a laugh. “Oh, these are awesome. I have some funny mugs, but this collection is impressive.”
“I think I’m gonna use Hustle Juice,” I say, pulling the mug down.
“I love this one,” she says, pointing to a mug on the second shelf. “I think I’ve seized the wrong day. Hilarious. Oh! I don’t like morning people. Or mornings. Or people. This one is for me today.”
“You like me,” I reply with a sleepy grin as I pull that mug down and place it under the coffee machine, slip a pod in, and press brew. “According to last night, you like me a lot.”
“I like you and maybe four other people,” she says and leans back against the counter as we wait for our coffee. She’s in the black T-shirt I wore yesterday. Her hair is down and tumbled from a night of my fingers diving through it. Her legs are bare, along with her pink-colored toes.
Those fascinating eyes are heavy-lidded and full of satisfaction as she watches me.
“What are we doing today?” she asks.
“I thought we could go for a hike, if you’re up for it.”
“Are there bears here?”
“Possibly.” I pour cream into her coffee and pass her the mug. “But I have bear spray, and there are enough people on these trails that I would be surprised if the bears hang out here. They’re deeper in the woods.”
“You hope,” she mutters. “Because the one who runs the slowest is the bear food, and I can outrun you, my friend.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about.” I doctor up my coffee and kiss her lips lightly before walking past her and out to the deck where the hot tub and refreshments from last night are still on display. “I guess this sort of went to waste, huh?”
“No, it didn’t,” Elena says as she walks out behind me. “It did exactly what Jenna intended for it to do. It was romantic and sexy, and led to a fun-filled night.”
After I close the lid on the tub, I sit on one of the deck chairs and tug Elena into my lap, careful not to spill our coffees.
“You’re right.” I nuzzle her ear and grin when I feel her shiver. “Are you cold?”
“It’s a little brisk this morning,” she says but then chuckles. “But, no. It’s just you. Isn’t it crazy?”
“What’s that?” I brush my fingers through her hair, watching the dark strands as they fall over her shoulder.
“When we were young, we had pretty good chemistry. I was young and very naive, but I knew it.”
“You weren’t stupid.”
“I guess it’s interesting to me that, all these years later, the chemistry just picked up where it left off. Except now, it’s in overdrive.”
“The heart knows what it wants, E, no matter how old it is.”
She doesn’t say anything for a long moment, she just sips her coffee and watches the birds fly between the trees. The mountain is waking up around us.
“It’s going to be a great day for a hike,” she says at last, signaling that our deep conversation is tabled for now.
Which is fine with me. We have plenty of time to pick it up again later.
“So, let me get this straight,” she says an hour later when we’re on our way up the trail that leads to the summit of Whitetail Mountain. “We have to hike up, and then we ride the chairlift down?”
“That’s right.”
“Why don’t we ride up and hike down?”
“Because it’ll be more satisfying to be able to say you slayed this mountain. It’s only four miles.”
“Straight up,” she murmurs, but then stops to catch her breath and looks out at the view of the valley below. “Wow. The views up here are gorgeous.”
“It’s just going to get better the higher we go.”
She sets off again, a few steps ahead of me. She may complain about the hike, but she’s doing an awesome job of keeping a regular pace, stopping to drink her water, and catch her breath.
“You’re a pro at this,” I say.
“Hardly. But it is really pretty up here. Please tell me I’ll be rewarded with something at the top.”
“I’ve been told the view is incredible, and there’s a restaurant where we can grab lunch.”
“Awesome.”
We pass several people along the way and encounter others who are on their way down.
No ride on the chair lift for them, I guess.
It takes us less than two hours to reach the summit, and we are not disappointed by the views when we get there.
“Holy shit,” she breathes, her hands on her hips as she looks at the mountain range surrounding us. “I think we can see all the way to Canada from here.”
“We can,” I confirm. “I did some research before I booked the trip. Canada is due north. And to the east is Glacier National Park.”
She just stares in awe at the snow-tipped peaks and the vastness of the trees and mountains in front of us.
When we turn around, we can see the valley below, with Cunningham Falls nestled against the mountain, right next to a large lake.
“This is seriously cool,” she says. “It’s also a good thing that I’m not afraid of heights. Are you going to feed me now?”
“That’s usually my line.” I take her hand and lead her to the summit house, the building that holds not only the restaurant but also a bar and a gift shop.
We place an order and choose a table inside to take a break from being in the sunshine, sitting next to the windows that look out to the mountains.
“We didn’t see even one bear,” Elena says as she adjusts her ponytail and takes in our surroundings.
“Told you.”
“And how did you get me hiking shoes? In my size. On such short notice?”
“I called Jenna last night,” I reply. “Gave her your size and told her what I had planned for today.”
“You’re just full of surprises,” Elena says with a grin and leans back when our food is
delivered. “Don’t touch my onion rings.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
She narrows her eyes at me as she takes a bite of her burger and then sighs in delight. “So good. I was starving.”
“Hiking a mountain will do that to you.”
Watching Elena eat is one of my favorite things to do. She enjoys every bite, and she isn’t afraid to order exactly what she wants.
We don’t say much as we inhale our food, and then make our way out to the chair lift to ride back down to the village.
“Oh my God,” she breathes as we come over the side of the mountain and see the view spread out before us. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like this.”
“Now I know why the family loves it so much,” I agree. “Maybe we’ll have to buy a place here.”
“You mean you.”
I glance down at her and see she’s shaking her head.
“You mean you’ll have to buy a place here. I can’t buy anything.”
I sigh and wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Elena. You’re a part of my life again, and I have no intention of letting you go. Ever. Whether you’re Ally or Elena or another name, I don’t care. I plan to live a life with you.”
“Why?” Her voice is quiet. She stares straight ahead, but I don’t know if she sees the magnificent view in front of her or if she’s lost in her mind and the memories there. “Why would you risk everything for me?”
I tip up her chin so I can see her eyes.
“Because I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for the better part of fifteen years, E. You’re it for me. So, I’m going to do whatever the fuck I have to do so I can be with you.”
Her chin wobbles, tearing me apart.
“Ah, baby. Don’t cry.”
“This could be so dangerous for you.”
“Not being with you is dangerous for me.” I kiss her forehead. “We don’t have to have the answers today. We’ll take it day by day and figure it out.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It doesn’t have to be complicated.” I kiss her temple and breathe her in. “I love you, E.”
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