He mumbled a curse under his breath and dove his fingers into his hair. “Goddamn, woman—you are infuriating sometimes…”
Lydia huffed and crossed her arms. “And sometimes I think you’ve got more ass in your personality than your pants.”
His eyes captured hers and held them as a grin curved on his lips. “Low blow. We both know I’ve got a great ass.”
“Wow. Your ego has just blossomed since being with me, hasn’t it?”
“You have no idea.” Cam slid his palm behind her neck and pulled her into him.
Needy lips ravished hers, and his teeth scraped against her bottom lip as he nibbled. Oh, God, why did he have to be such a good kisser? His tongue brushed against her lips, nudging them wider, and she happily obliged, opening for him. His moan buzzed in her mouth. Or was it her moan? She couldn’t tell where she ended and he began when she was pressed against him like this.
He pulled out of the kiss, reluctantly, it seemed. “I’m an idiot,” he whispered. His eyes searched Lydia’s face as though it had some kind of answer.
“You—I… wait, what?” Lydia panted.
“I’m an idiot,” he repeated. “I should have heard you out.”
“I can’t believe that article about Noah ever happened. And you have to believe me, I was never going to write about you in that way—”
“I know.” Stroking her jaw with his thumb, he traced her face all the way to her lips. “Kyra filled me in. That’s not who you are. And—I read the story you did turn in. You took some beautiful pictures of my little girl.”
Lydia squirmed in her seat. She was open—exposed. And completely unsure of how to handle it. She tugged her face away from his, gulping her latte as a distraction.
“Lydia,” he said, cupping her chin and dragging her gaze back to his once more. He chuckled, angling his lips toward her and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Foam,” he whispered.
She swiped her hand against it, wiping away any remaining foam. Tears filled her eyes, and Cam’s face became bleary through the moisture. “I think I’m falling in love with you,” she said and quickly blinked away the salty drops before they threatened to ruin her mascara.
He smiled, brushing his hands down her arms until he held her hands in his. “Why do you say that like it’s so terrible?”
“Because it’s absurd. We hardly know each other.” She tugged her hands back, but Cam held firm.
He smirked. “What kind of love story is ever sensible?”
“This isn’t fiction, Cam. This is our lives. And it’s ridiculous… we, we don’t even live in the same state. How are we possibly going to make this work?”
Doubt edged along his features. “Honestly, Lydia? I don’t know. But I’m willing to try. We could do the long distance thing between here and Maple Grove until we’re ready to move in together.”
“And then what?” Lydia softened, finally squeezing his hand back. “There’s not a lot of journalism jobs in your town. And I love my job—I’m not willing to give it up.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“And I can’t ask you to uproot Maddie and move somewhere else. You love Maple Grove.”
“I do,” he sighed. “But I think I might love you even more.”
The words washed over her, warm and healing. Lydia closed her eyes and relished in that moment. Her heart swelled. “You think you love me,” she repeated.
“I might.” He grinned. “And do you think you might love me?”
She nodded, leaning in and brushing her nose against the stubble on his jaw. “I might.”
“So, what do you say?”
Lydia smiled and the apples of her cheeks warmed with the flush. “I say, let’s go tell Maddie.”
‡
Epilogue
Steve Tripp sat at the head of his mother’s kitchen table as his mom placed the pot roast in the center on a trivet. He cracked open a beer and slugged back the drink, glancing around the table at his family. His sisters were to his left, and Cam, Maddie, and Lydia sat to his right, with his mother at the opposite end of the table.
Noah was supposed to be on his way. He had promised, and recently, he’d been pretty good at keeping those promises. Of course, Marty Tripp was strong, and if it hurt her that her youngest son was late to the yearly dedication they all paid to their dad, she didn’t dare show it. At least Noah planned to make it to Cam’s wedding this summer. To be fair, he had been showing up a hell of a lot more than he used to. They couldn’t exactly blame the guy for having a life outside of family. He was busy. And yet, part of Steve resented his youngest brother for his lifestyle. As pointless as that was.
Some condensation collected on the edge of the label, and Steve tugged at the corner.
“Lydia,” Steve’s mother said, scooping a spoonful of mashed potatoes, “do you have any big stories coming up?”
Lydia nodded as she sipped her wine. “Most of my stories are localized to the New England area for now. The beauty of being an independent contractor for the Boston Sun is that I can work from home most days.”
“Do you miss it?” Callie asked. “The traveling? The stories?”
Lydia slid a glance to Cam. “Not really. It’s kind of nice being in one place for more than a couple weeks.”
Cam placed a hand over hers. “But she can take any story she wants. Whenever she wants. When she needs to travel, it’s not a problem at all, right, Madd?” He leaned across, sending a smile to Maddie.
“I’m actually going to cover San Diego Comic Con this summer. It’ll be a fun family trip, I think.” Lydia winked at Maddie who beamed up at her.
“Lydia, can I give Dad my Father’s Day gifts now? Please?” Maddie wiggled in her seat.
Steve inwardly smiled. He had personally helped deliver today’s gift from Maddie.
Cam smoothed a palm over his daughter’s hair and grinned. “Yeah, can we?” He wiggled his eyebrows, and Lydia curled her hand around the back of his neck. Tugging him closer for a quick peck on the lips, she grinned at him while standing.
“Fine, fine. Steve? Can you help us?”
He finished his beer and stood as well. The three of them went outside to his mother’s garage. There, curled up on some blankets was a fluffy black Labradoodle mix, fast asleep. The Maple Grove Animal Rescue had dropped the pup off at his practice just a few days ago to get his vaccinations.
“He’s so cute,” Maddie squealed and rushed for him.
Lydia grinned and followed behind Maddie, the diamond ring on her left finger catching a ray of sunlight, sending a beam of light spiraling from the stone.
The puppy blinked awake, shaking the sleep from his head.
Lydia sank to a crouch and held out a hand for the pup to sniff. “Oh, my God. Cam’s gonna love him. Just needs one more finishing touch.” She pulled out a red bow, tying it around the collar. She grinned at Steve. “What do you think?”
“I think this dog’s gonna fit right in here. Cam was far too outnumbered by the ladies in your house anyway.” Steve rocked back onto his heels and tucking one hand into his pocket, leaned against his car.
“I want to name him Nibbler.” Maddie giggled as the puppy licked and chewed gently on her hand.
Lydia shook her head. “Don’t you think your dad should name him? It’s his gift after all.” She leaned in, scratching behind the dog’s ear. With a final sigh, she tilted her head. “Man, I don’t know the first thing about dogs.”
Steve shrugged. “You didn’t know the first thing about kids either. Look how that turned out.”
“That’s true. Seems kind of like a cop-out Father’s Day gift, though, doesn’t it?” The puppy jumped into Lydia’s arms, placing two dirty paws on her green skirt.
“Nah,” Steve said, observing Lydia’s immediate warmth toward the creature despite her outspokenness for months that she wasn’t an animal person. “Besides, the real gift isn’t the dog necessarily. It’s your willingness to get the dog.”
Lydia laughe
d, and Steve felt warm inside. His brother achieved the impossible. He’d found love twice.
Lydia rose, offering the leash to Maddie. “You want to do the honors, I’m sure.”
Within seconds, Maddie and the puppy were barreling for the house as Steve and Lydia rushed to keep up with the ten-year-old.
“Alright, Cam, you ready?” Lydia called as they walked through the door. The three of them ran into the kitchen, and the puppy barked and danced around everyone’s feet with the sudden excitement.
Lydia laughed, clapping her hands as Cam’s face morphed from shocked to elated. “Is this serious?” He laughed, lifting the dog into his lap. The puppy licked his face as its long ears flopped forward.
“Do you think I would really dangle a dog in front of you two and then just take him away?”
“But—but you hate dogs.” Cam’s eyes widened and he hugged the puppy into his chest.
Lydia snuck a quick glance and a smirk at Steve before answering. “There’s a lot of things I thought I didn’t like before I met you.”
The dog barked, rushing the front door as it opened and Noah walked in, plate of brownies in hand. “Hello, hello,” he called.
Callie jumped to her feet, mimicking the puppy’s enthusiasm and rushed for her twin. “You made it!”
“I can’t stay for too long. But I promised I would be here, so here I am.”
Damn, it was wild how much could change in a year. Last Father’s Day was somber. But now? Well, Steve felt like he was back to being the only somber Tripp. He eyed the empty beer bottle beside his plate and headed for the fridge again. One more won’t hurt. He’d have Ronnie drive him home. The items on the refrigerator door clattered together as he opened it, and the amber bottles winked at him from inside, crooking their metaphoric fingers. Absentmindedly, he touched a hand to his face, feeling the raised scar tissue. He shut the fridge door and returned to his seat empty handed, just in time to see Cam, Lydia, and Maddie embrace the unnamed dog.
Lydia was great. She was great for Cam and wonderful for Maddie. Despite her rocky start here, she’d integrated perfectly into the Tripp family.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
Steve clamped his eyes shut as his mother’s reassuring hand circled his back. “Nothing, Ma.”
But they both knew that was a lie.
“Steve,” she said softly. But before she could finish, Callie clambered between them.
“God, do we have any wine in this house that doesn’t come in a box? Gross, Mom.” But she tilted her head back and finished the glass of wine anyway.
Steve exhaled, shoulders relaxing as he slipped away from his mother’s assessing gaze. He slid back into his seat beside Ronnie, who looked on at Cam’s new family as well. They had moved their puppy playtime into the family room as they all rolled around on the floor with the newest canine family member.
“Pretty cute, huh?” Ronnie said.
“Adorable.” Steve smiled despite his shitty mood. They really were adorable. Seeing happiness like that did give him hope, if nothing else.
“It’s so adorable, it makes me want to hit the bar and drink the adorableness into oblivion. You in?”
Steve eyed the empty beer bottle in front of him. After a steadying breath, he nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m in.”
About the Author
Photo by Katana Photography
Katana Collins splits her time evenly between photographing boudoir portraits and writing steam-your-glasses romances. In addition to navigating life as a small business owner, a first-time homeowner, and a newlywed, she is the author of the best-selling paranormal Soul Stripper trilogy. Her latest erotic suspense series, Wicked Exposure, comes out in 2015, along with its prequel, Wicked Shots. In the summer of 2014, she wrote her first ever graphic novel, Cafe Racer, with her husband Sean Murphy.
She and her comic book artist husband commute back and forth as they please between Brooklyn, New York and Portland, Maine, with their ever-growing family of rescue animals (two dogs, a cat, and counting!). She can usually be found hunched over her laptop in a cafe, guzzling gallons of coffee, and wearing fabulous (albeit sometimes impractical) shoes.
Visit her on the web at www.katanacollins.com
To contact or interact with Katana,
go to Twitter (@KatanaCollins) or Facebook.com/KatanaCollins
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Excerpt from Steve’s Story:
Healing You
(A Maple Grove Romance, Book 2)
Chapter One
It was one of those stunning New Hampshire summer mornings. You know the kind—the air was fresh and cool, but the sun was warm. Sky so blue you could damn near dive into the center of it and go for a swim. And Maple Grove was swarming with tourists and lovebirds walking hand in hand around the cozy little town.
Steve Tripp groaned as he passed by the third couple kissing over bagels and eggs that morning. And it wasn’t even nine AM yet. Sitting outside at a local cafe, a couple twined their hands together and the woman batted her eyes as the man fed her a bite of his eggs. Grunting, he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as he strolled past them.
An outsider wouldn’t think their small New England town had much in the way of tourism, would they? But they’d be wrong. From the months of May through September, tourism in and around their lakes region boomed. And since Maple Grove was notoriously dog friendly, and Steve Tripp owned the only veterinary clinic in town, his business likewise was almost too busy to keep up with.
Steve rolled the kinks out of his neck as he crossed the street to Latte Da, Lex’s new cafe and bakery. He’d been up before the sun this morning taking care of a horse’s broken shoe over at the Wilson farm. When the call woke him from his deep sleep, he’d barely been able to throw on yesterday’s clothes, on the floor by his feet, before running out the door. And now that it was time to open up shop? Well, he needed some serious caffeine to do so effectively.
A cheerful bell chimed at the top of the door as Steve skulked in. Lex looked up from behind the counter and over the sea of heads standing in line, sent him a grin. He held a finger and jerked his head, signaling for Steve to come around.
“Good morning, doctor,” Lex grinned and his British accent rang through the cafe as he ran a hand through his rusty brown hair.
Steve grunted something that resembled ‘good morning’ in response. “I see business is doing well, huh?”
Lex shrugged and delivered a lopsided grin to the crowd. “Well, considering I only opened up shop earlier this year, yes. But ask me again when Old Man Winter comes for a visit.”
Steve gave a hoarse chuckle. “You’ll be fine, man. Once the first snow of the year hits, we’ll get all those ski bunnies in town.”
Lex nodded and grabbing the filter from the espresso maker, banged out the muddy coffee grounds from within. “Your usual?”
Steve eyed the line he was so blatantly cutting in front of, but Lex swatted away his concern immediately. “The man who saved my cat from the pound of chocolate she swallowed will always cut to the front. So… your usual iced latte and bagel?”
Steve sighed and felt a smile curve on his lips. “You got it. Aw, hell. Add some cream cheese to that bagel, too. And an iced coffee for Amanda. I’m feeling generous today.” His assistant worked damn hard for him at the clinic, and he liked to give her as many incentives to stay working for him as possible.
“You know,” Lex leaned forward, resting an elbow atop of the glass bakery case. “I just finished a new chocolate pistachio spread—it’s like Nutella, but better. Why don’t I give you half your bagel with the cream cheese and the other with the chocolate?”
Steve groaned dramatically and dropped a hand to his belly. Though it was still flat beneath his button down shirt, he may have to pop open his pants button if he continued on this eating spree. “Twist my arm. But if Ronnie kicks my ass at the gym tonight, I’m blami
ng you.”
Lex lifted both hands in surrender, backing away. “Don’t you dare sic your sister on me.” His eyes flashed at the mention of Steve’s sister, and though it was subtle, he saw how Lex wet his lips. Nodding, the baker rushed off to complete the order while his two employees—a couple of students from the high school—tended to the tourists in line.
Steve leaned against the wall facing the counter, and with his peripherals scanned the tourist crowd this season. It was their busiest year yet, that was for sure. With the economy bouncing back, more and more people were swarming to the small town for their summer getaway. In line ordering were two women—girls? Steve inspected closer, narrowing his eyes. Women. Definitely out of college. Or at least, he hoped they were out of college. No way he’d be caught dead checking out someone young enough to be in school with his baby sister.
The brunette had curly hair that was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. A mole was to the right of her eye in a very Marilyn sort of way, and when she smiled one dimple creased the upper part of her cheek.
Steve chuckled to himself. Oh, yeah, baby? Two can play at that game. He grinned back and flashed her the Tripp signature dimples, one on either side of his mouth. She dropped her eyes, catching her bottom lip between her teeth.
Steve sighed. Damn, how long had it been since he’d been with a woman? He did some quick math in his head… St. Patrick’s Day. And since it was now July, that was… shit. Five months. Otherwise known as too damn long.
He caught his reflection in the window beside him; the scar slicing down his face stared back at him. Angry. Creased. Red. Hideous…
He ducked from his own stupid reflection as his phone buzzed from within his back pocket. Tension melted from his shoulders as Steve relaxed, happy to have the distraction. A text from Amanda: You have a walk-in appointment who just arrived. How long should I tell her?
Yep. The job that never ends. Nor did he want it to. In a way, Steve always felt more connected to the animal kind than humans… not that he’d ever admit that out loud to anyone. He’d sound like a lunatic. But it was the damn truth. He typed a quick response to his receptionist and vet tech in training. 5 minutes away. Just getting coffee.
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