by Box Set
So, he was going to break his rule once.
Hours later, dawn yawned into Savannah’s room. Birds were up and doing their thing. Savannah murmured on his shoulder. He pulled himself away from her warmth, detangling their legs. He ignored the pull of her beauty and he fought not to slip back between the sheets and hold her, then wake her up properly. She was exhausted and needed sleep. Instead, he headed to the bathroom, then pulled on gym gear and went for a run to chase the demons from his head.
***
Later that afternoon Walker sat in the diner waiting for his friends to walk through the door. All three had exchanged texts, but hadn’t had time to catch up in person.
Savannah bustled about the diner, and his gaze followed her. She’d shot him a couple of heated looks which he banked for later.
Walker beamed and stood when his friends from his time at John’s ranch strode in. They’d met as punk youths at John’s.
“Hey, man, good to see you.” He drew Stefano Mercado then Ryder Bennett into a man hug. Two attractive blonde women hovered behind them.
Man-hugged out, Ryder waited for a tall blonde Ryder introduced as Addison to sit, then zoomed in beside her. She moved to the edge of the seat and Ryder moved with her. Walker chuckled when Stefano grabbed the hand of a curvy blonde whose green eyes flashed, but who said nothing. Stefano and his girl, who he introduced as Roxie, slid in and Walker followed them into the booth.
Walker had pre-ordered a bowl of fries for the table. Ryder and Stefano had dug straight in.
“How long are you here?” Walker asked, absorbing the jolt in his chest when he thought of their mentor. “I hate that we’re here under these circumstances,” he said quietly.
Both men’s faces tightened.
“Just a couple of nights,” Ryder answered.
Walker acknowledged that life had been good to his friends. Ryder had always had an athletic build and had looked as fit as he did back then. He bet Stefano and Ryder could bench press the same as he did at the gym. From the grapevine he’d heard they’d done well financially. John had turned around three screwed-up kids’ lives.
They didn’t catch up that often, but he knew he could call on either of them and they’d be there. A bond had formed that ran deeper than family.
“How’re things in the auto world?” Ryder asked, then lifted a French fry from Stefano’s plate and bit into it.
“Hey, get your own food,” Stefano protested.
“Can’t complain,” Walker chuckled. “But I’m looking to make a big change if things go the way I want.” He shot a look over to the counter where Savannah was in a heated conversation with Billy-Bob.
“I didn’t know Savannah worked here,” Ryder said.
“She owns the joint,” Stefano said and shifted closer to his woman who tried to back away. “Best coffee in town and her cook makes a mean monster cheeseburger when he shows up.”
Savannah bustled over. Her face lit up when she caught sight of Ryder and Stefano. She hugged both men and smiled at their women.
“I’ll have the chef salad with grilled chicken, red wine vinaigrette on the side.” The woman Ryder had introduced as Addison ordered. Roxie—Stefano’s woman—ordered the same.
The food was delivered and they shared memories of John. Walker went to check on Savannah and when he came back Ryder was rushing through the doors of the diner.
“All ok?” Walker turned to Stefano.
“Seems Ryder broke one of John’s rules – a real man never breaks a woman’s heart.” Stefano shrugged, glancing at his woman then glancing away.
“We all broke rules.” Walker shot Savannah a heated look. John’s rule of not touching the hired help was shattered once again.
With his friends gone, he checked in with Savannah who gave him a quick smile and said she’d see him later, but she’d be late as she had a surprise for him.
Later that afternoon he’d taken a few minutes to do laundry, tidy a fairly neat kitchen, and collect the mail. He’d noticed a few things around her house that needed fixing. A sticky drawer, a stuck door, a loose shutter. He hoped Savannah would be home soon and there were a couple of slices of her banana cake left as a reward because those cakes were fucking magical.
His stomach growled letting him know it needed filling, but Walker liked sitting with Savannah at the table, talking about whatever came into their heads.
He kicked back on the couch and breathed deep. It had been a long time since he’d been this relaxed.
And it was all down to one woman.
If his plan worked they’d have it all.
Savannah blew through the front door on a cloud of sunshine carrying a white box under her arm, giving him a smile that would wipe a bad mood from a troll. Stunning in a cotton T-shirt, a denim skirt that ended at her knees. Flip-flops with yellow, jeweled daisies twinkled.
“Hey, I’m a bit late. I stayed and made your favorite banana cake. Are you hungry—”
He stood and stalked to her, unable to stop the magnetic force pulling him to her. His mouth on hers, he took the box from her hand, backed them up to the coffee table, dropped the box, and brought one hand to the back of her head. He pulled her closer, anchoring her body to his. He swallowed her soft gasp, which turned into a low purr when she melted against him.
“Yeah, baby, I’m hungry.”
Her cakes were magical but came nowhere near the sweetness of her own frosting. His fingers inched up the cotton of her T-shirt, exposing silky skin. He traced the outside of her breast through the fine lace of the white bra. He’d have to be blind not to notice the goosebumps cascading down her body whenever he touched her.
“So am I.”
She dropped to her knees, unzipped his jeans, freed his throbbing cock, and took him deep.
Blood surged to his cock, which swelled in her mouth. She groaned, and the vibration rippled throughout his body, landing straight in his balls.
“Jesus.”
She stopped, looked up at him with flushed cheeks, her hands cradling his balls, then after a long lick from the base of his cock to the tip, she said. “I’d prefer you call my name.”
One hand gripped the table, the other hand twisted in her hair while her tongue and mouth worked magic. Blood powered through his veins as he fought for control, but his balls were starting to pinch and he wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. As much as he loved her mouth on him, he wanted in her body more.
He gently pulled her to a standing position and ignoring her protests, he picked her up, plonked her butt on the couch, dropped to his knees, then pushed her skirt above her hips, and flicked her clit through her underwear. The sweet tang of her filled his lungs. Her thighs gripped the side of his head.
“Oh God.”
He grinned. “Might be calling me that later, but I’d prefer if you use Walker for now.”
He glanced up. Her dark hair stuck to her forehead and her hazy, dark blue half-closed gaze locked on his.
His attention was diverted to between her legs when she started to buck against his mouth. He pushed her underwear aside and sunk two fingers into her wet, hot body, while his tongue worked her clit. Her thighs started to tremble, and her body reared off the couch. In a near spine-snapping arch she called his name.
Yes.
He pulled a condom from his pocket, wishing they had more time together, and she could go on the pill or something, because skin-on-skin with her would be amazing.
Safely sheathed, he hooked her legs to his shoulders and slid into her body and held himself still until her body stretched to accommodate him.
He pulled back and thrust into her slowly.
Her eyes flitted closed and a purr dropped from her lips.
When she started to move her hips, his hand rested on her stomach, holding her in place.
His other hand worked her clit in a slow circle.
“Look at me.”
She opened her eyes and gazed up at him.
“Love watching your fa
ce when you come and say my name.”
Her eyes turned dreamy. A hint of a smile touched her lips.
He brought her to the brink, then pulled back until sweat streamed down her face and his balls were sending pain signals. He let go and rocked into her body, his eyes never leaving hers. Her face reddened, her breathing shortened, and in a final, shuddering arch her body convulsed around him, her inner muscles milking him in a pulsing spasm. When she called his name, he was done and pumped into her seconds later, her name spilling from his lips.
He stilled.
First time that had ever happened.
Neither moved, but they stared at each other. He exited her body, then gently dropped her legs from his shoulders to the ground, moved her underwear to cover her and pulled her skirt down then touched his lips to her forehead.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, tasting her sweat.
“I should bake for you more often.” She lifted one hand and gently touched the side of his face.
A million emotions, none of them he wanted to deal with, rocketed through him.
Her forehead creased. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, then rested his forehead against hers for a beat before he walked toward the bathroom and the trash can. He stared at the can until his heartbeat dropped, knowing full well it had nothing to do with physical exertion.
Chapter 8
Two nights later, Savannah sat on a bench on her porch sipping a pinot. The tang of bee balm and wild mint filtered the air. A lazy breeze played with the fir trees. Dusk streaked across the sky, birds called goodnight, and the moon started to rise.
The land she loved.
A car horn tooted, and she waved her hand in greeting to her neighbor Lou who turned into her own driveway.
She’d received many phone calls and texts since the word was out that she was selling and moving. People came into the diner and asked her to change her mind. It was hard to leave the people and the land, but she’d stayed too long, for too many reasons. The job in Hawaii would be a fresh start.
She swallowed over the tightness in her throat. Instead of worrying about scraping ice off her car for six months of the year, soon all she’d have to worry about is sand.
That’s not the only thing I’m thinking about.
She let that thought drift, and it came back to one person. Walker.
When she’d woken with her head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist and him running his fingers through her hair. She loved waking up curled into Walker. It had been a long time since she’d been held, really held and he held her tight. Every day she fell a little deeper into him. Every day she was convinced she was quietly domesticating him and she was sure he was quietly letting her.
If she could only show him what the intimacy of a relationship could be like instead of waking up alone. Sharing their day, arguing over the remote, talking about what was on their mind, wasn’t a bad thing.
Ever since she was little, she’d wanted her world to be a better place. Tried to fix it so her dad wouldn’t go on a business trip and would stay with her – but he didn’t buy she’d caught the plague. It wasn’t lost on her that by trying to fix other people, she didn’t have to turn inward and take a hard look at why she wanted people to change.
Bottom line, she wanted a relationship with Walker. Sure there were logistics to work out, but if they both wanted this then they could make it work. She wanted to put her heart on the line and show him that yes, emotions were sometimes complicated and it was plain frightening opening up to another person. But, when the person you loved would keep your heart guarded and filled with happiness, you’d do the same for them.
Bottom line, she’d fallen for Walker.
The screen door opened and the man of her thoughts pushed through, lines burrowing into his forehead. He saw her, his face relaxed, and he smiled at her and right on cue her heart did a little twist, just as it always did whenever he aimed that smile at her.
“Hey, thanks for fixing the door.” She smiled.
“No problem.” He indicated to her glass. “You want a top off of wine?”
“I’m good, but thanks, I’ve been an awesome beer wench and loaded the fridge.”
He smiled and it burst through her heart. “Thanks. I’ve got some calls to make, then I’ll be back.” He walked inside and she got to admire the tight muscles of his butt currently encased in aged denim. Long, powerful legs. The white T-shirt pulled tight across shoulders that Arnie would have been proud of back in his Terminator days. Even his bare feet were hot.
Her phone jolted into life. She put down her glass, surprised to see her Realtor’s name flash on the screen so soon after the diner had gone on the market. She slid her finger across the cool glass.
Ten minutes later she put down the phone and took a gulp of wine trying to digest the call.
She picked up her glass and walked inside placing the glass on the counter.
“Are you okay? You’re looking pale.” Walker closed his laptop.
“Someone has put in an incredible offer to be a silent partner in the diner.”
“Well, shit, that’s awesome.” He stood, his eyes sparkling.
“Yeah,” she said distracted, “but only if I stay and bake.”
Only if I stay and bake, to quote my Realtor, “fucking magical cakes.”
A cold cramp burrowed deep in her stomach.
“So what’s the issue?”
She stuffed her phone into her pocket, not understanding why he looked like he’d won the jackpot.
“What do you mean what’s the issue?” She rubbed her arms, trying to force warmth past the icy numbness invading her body.
There were too many issues to cover.
“You’ll have money, and you’ll be in a town that you love. I reckon I can fit Montana into my schedule for a while longer. I can work from anywhere, and your cakes are fucking magical.”
Clammy sweat rolled down her body. “What did you say?”
“I said your cakes are fucking magical.” Walker advanced. “Are you about to pass out?”
She backed away; her hand rubbing the thick ball of emotion clogging her chest. “My Realtor said the person wanting to buy the diner said only if I stayed and baked and I quote “fucking magical” cakes.”
“So?” He frowned at her.
The snake that lived in her gut reached up, clamping its jaws around her heart, which was now in a death roll.
“It’s you,” she whispered, grabbing the counter.
He rubbed his chin, his eyes never leaving her face.
His plan for a them, delivered in cold, hard, slapping truth.
“You want me here to be your booty call so you can breeze in, then breeze out.” Her voice rose.
“Reading this wrong, I want you in a place where you’re safe. A place you love that you never wanted to leave and if I can help you out financially and have your cakes when I breeze through, then…yeah.”
The cold cramp in her stomach turned to fire and seared through her veins, turning her world a strange mix of black and red.
“I thought I could fix whatever’s wrong inside of you. Make you whole, so there might be an us.”
His eyebrows arched and tension rolled into the room on a thick, clogging wave, making it hard to pull a breath.
A muscle beat in his jaw. “I never wanted fixing, Savannah. What we have here and now is good.” She pulled a jagged breath that seemed too big for her body.
She closed her eyes as the pain and humiliation rained down to her soul.
Played.
She’d been played.
God, I was such a fool not to see it.
A booty-call, that’s all I’ll ever be to him.
Isn’t this just peachy.
She opened her eyes, gathering her tattered pride from the floor and hugged her torso. “So this whole thing about wanting to be domesticated was a crockpot of crap.”
The storm in her head cleared leaving a perfectly clear pi
cture.
He advanced, but she held up her hand. “What you want is to breeze in and out at your leisure for a physical relationship only. You think you can buy me, control me, dictate my life to fit around yours. You think I’ll just stick around here and you can get a taste of me whenever you want?”
“That is not what I meant.” He rubbed his hand across his head. “I wanted you here, safe. What we’ve had for the past fuck knows how many days is good. Best I’ve ever had.”
A fireball flashed through her skull turning her world to fizzing red.
“What we’ve had is you playing house. What I thought we had was building to a relationship with all those shitty things like emotions and feelings.” She shook her head. “You want to play house, but not be in a relationship because you’re too scared.”
He’d started moving toward her, but at her words he flinched.
“I want a full partner in my life, not a silent partner, so I suggest you strut out the door, because you’re not him.”
He stared at her his face a blank canvas.
The only sound that filled her body was the blood bashing her skull.
“I’ll collect my stuff tomorrow.”
“I’ll have it boxed and out on the porch in an hour.”
He turned and walked out the door.
Walker the walker.
She moved on trembling legs to her sofa and collapsed, gathering a throw from where it was strewn across the couch, then wrapped it around her chilled body.
I have no one to blame but myself.
She’d let herself fall for Walker, so determined that she could fix him when he didn’t want or couldn’t be fixed. Which one she didn’t know or care.
And yet I do care.
And there was her biggest problem. She’d fallen in love with what she thought she saw below the surface, so sure she could get through to him, but all she’d succeeded in doing was getting hurt in the process.
Again.
The word was not lost on her.
And all he ever saw was her being available whenever he felt like breezing in and out of her life. Take her out of the trophy case when he felt like breezing through, then stick her back on the shelf.