“Are you and your brothers still considering buying Floyd’s bar?” she asked.
“I guess with all the other distractions, I forgot to tell you. We made Floyd an offer and he took it. We’re opening a brewpub here in Granite Lake.”
“Are you kidding?”
“I’m not. We have you to thank. If you hadn’t mentioned the location, we would never have known about it. Shane says he’ll kiss you next time he sees you for giving us the lead. I told him I’d crack his skull if he tried.”
Without missing a beat, Treasure said, “Your brother’s cute, but it’s not in my best interest to kiss two Everett brothers. At least, not at the same time.”
“Woman, you’re not going to be kissing anyone else beside me. Unless you decide we’re no longer together.” Bodie shifted and captured her sweet wine lips with his before she could reply to his declaration.
Treasure’s tongue slipped past his lips and he met her with equal intensity. He groaned into her mouth, letting her know how much her kiss made him feel deep down to his core.
Her hand explored his chest and roamed over his abdomen. His abdominal muscles tightened and pulled all the way down to his manhood. Her hand cupped him none too gently.
“I thought we were watching a movie here.” His voice sounded rough and he cleared his throat.
“You can watch whatever you want.” She placed feather soft kisses along his jaw.
Her hands began undoing his belt. Undoing his resolve. The button on his pants came undone. She lowered his zipper.
Bodie cleared his throat. “Are you sure? You’ve had a long day. It’s all right if you want to watch the movie and take it easy. No expectations. No pressure, Treasure.”
“Is that what you want?” she asked, her hands paused from an unforgettable massage.
He stared into seductive eyes, outlined with long, thick lashes. Did she see how much he wanted her? She’d become his obsession. Over the winter, he dreamt about her. He envisioned returning and starting something new between them. Since finishing Wilderness School, the intensity of his feelings had only escalated. He caught himself thinking of her with a frequency that surprised him. The memories he had of her were like gemstones you kept in a secret vault. Precious and valuable. He desired her body nearly every waking moment, but he wanted to understand the thoughts and emotions powering her mind and soul. In the moment, he couldn’t speak these things aloud. Rationality was currently a tangle of shiny lights and heady fog inside his brain, powered by the incredible throbbing of his erection.
“I’m happy being here with you. Doing anything or nothing. Your right hand is currently my best friend, but we don’t have to take this farther.” His eyebrows rose in question. He licked his lips as mild embarrassment warmed his cheeks at the admission. Treasure was bolder than anyone he’d ever been with. And God, did her assertiveness turn him on.
Treasure trailed her fingertips over his bulging member. “I want you to be with me tonight. All night. Will you stay?”
“I can.”
“I want to do everything I’ve been dreaming about while you were in Wilderness School. Do you think you’re up for it?” She leaned in and nibbled his ear.
“I’m definitely up.” He shifted his hips making the statement even more obvious.
“Good.” Treasure began inching his pants below his hips.
She freed his erection from the encapsulating fabric and lowered her warm sensuous lips to his sensitive organ. Bodie’s breath left his lungs with a small groan of pleasure. Maybe she really was a demon temptress. It no longer mattered. His brain was putty.
Bodie inched down on the couch, opening and exposing more of his lower body to her playful tongue and lips. Treasure’s hands roved over his stomach and explored hips and thighs. He reached down and stroked her silken hair, then ran his hand down her back and her sculpted ribcage. His fingers brushed the side of her breast and he yearned to strip off her shirt and bra. He wanted the haven of her chest; firm yet soft mounds, in his eager palms. Her breasts brushed against his legs as she teased and tasted him. He continued to stroke her body as he closed his eyes and lost himself in the world of physical sensation. The pressure below his belt reached the breaking point and he quivered, holding back only with concentrated focus.
“Treasure, maybe we should save some of your imagination for tomorrow.”
She raised her head, licked her lips, and peered at him like she was just getting started.
“Tomorrow, we work on perfecting our techniques.” She went back down and Bodie felt a partial release. It took every ounce of restraint to not let go. He wanted to see what else she had in mind, but at this rate, he’d be spent in a few more seconds.
“Sounds like you’ve thought this through,” he said between heavy breaths.
Bodie eased away from her wily lips, slid to the side, and lowered her to her back.
“I have. I don’t think lying on my back has any part to play in this.” She attempted to push herself up from the couch.
Bodie leaned over the top of her and refused to move. He caged her in with his arms and stared down at his prize. Lust transformed him into a barely recognizable beast and he wanted her to see it in his eyes. “You on your back has a vital role to play in this. But first, your shirt is seriously in my way.”
Her eyebrows winged up as she peered down at her chest. “What are you going to do about it?”
The taunt in her voice made him growl. “This,” he said and began. He yearned to rip it off, but steadied himself as he found a less violent way of removing her clothing piece by piece while still holding her captive beneath him. When she was naked as a fresh peach, he took the opportunity to taste every inch of her starting with her mouth and then moving lower. Each delicate spot elicited a unique response and Bodie savored them all. Her shivers tantalized. Her gasps and moans made his member pulse and grow larger with excruciating need. Lingering on her nipples became a sweet and favorite treat. Treasure ran her hand through his hair as she whimpered and arched her back into his hungry mouth.
He worked his way down, trailing kissing over her midriff until he guided her legs apart. Bodie took his time, lingering in places when her body indicated she favored his moves.
“Did you imagine this?” he asked, pausing to kiss and nip her inner thigh.
“Hmm,” she hummed. “Probably.”
“And this?” he asked. He dipped a finger into her center while lavishing over her sensitive flesh with his tongue. Bodie teased and tasted, stroked and caressed until Treasure came undone.
He eased into position above her then rolled her onto her side. An enticing grin spread across her gorgeous face.
“Hold that thought.” He reached for his discarded jeans and rummaged through his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and retrieved the condoms.
“You remembered.” He heard the teasing lilt in her tone.
“How could I forget?”
Bodie tore the package open and rolled the condom over his length. He eased into place behind Treasure so they lay side by side on the couch. She snuggled against him, pressing her backside into his erection. Bodie slid his hand along her thigh and lifted her leg, exposing more of her opening to him. Treasure reached down and guided the tip of him into her delicate and swollen folds. He moved inside her and she met him with a downward thrust. He rocked his hips against hers. Treasure met him with equal fervor. Their body heat rose, but Bodie wanted to bring it up a notch. He reached over the side of her hip and found her alluring nub with his fingertips. Treasure gasped as he toyed and stroked her from the front with his hand and from the back with his manhood.
It was only when her entire body clenched around him that he let his own release flood out of him. He gripped her hip and held her close. Her body went limp in his arms as he stayed buried inside her, riding the aftershocks. She whimpered as Bodie placed sensuous kisses along the top of her shoulder.
“Did I meet any of your expectations?” he murmured.
<
br /> “Exceeded them,” she said.
“Glad I could oblige your vivid imagination.”
“Oh, that was only one of the many ideas I had while you were away.”
A low groan rumbled out of him.
“Was that an agreeable sound or are you picturing your death day again?”
“Mm-hmm,” he said, not sure which it was, but happy about it either way. “If I die, then I’d die a happy man.”
Twenty
GHOSTING BODIE would be wrong, Treasure told herself. And told herself again. She needed to pound the words into her head. Yet it had been her go-to method for cutting guys off on more than one occasion. Hurtful and cowardly, it was also effective. Stop taking their calls and texts and pretend to fall off the face of the planet. They usually went away after a week or two of cold silence. In her experience, not many men liked to talk during a breakup. Ghosting worked fine for both sides. And then there was Bodie. He didn’t fit the mold. He never would. It’s what she loved about him, and it’s what scared her.
She stayed in his arms through the night, swaddled like an infant and surrounded with his scent and strength. He fell asleep after their second round of incredibly sweet and attentive sex, and she stared at his gorgeous face. Lips that coaxed and teased, the straight line of his nose, a jawline that made her sigh, and dark brows above intense searching eyes now closed, but she knew what they looked like when open. Treasure cared about him more than anyone else in the world. How had he become so important? The answer was as obvious as it was obscure. And only obscure because she never bothered searching for the answer before.
The years of working together, joking together, relying on each other in emergency situations had molded their friendship into an unbreakable and sacred bond. She decided to mess up what they had at Christmas, and crossed a line that shouldn’t have been crossed. Damn my hormones. Why had she done it? Sure, the sex was incredible, and there was no denying it, but she found herself wanting more. Wanting what she had never had and didn’t know how to manage.
Treasure couldn’t attach herself to anyone. The one time she tried, it ruined her. Rebuilding her self-esteem and confidence into an even stronger and more independent person had taken years. She didn’t want to rely on a man for anything. Emotionally, she stood on the edge of a chasm she wouldn’t cross. Last night she allowed herself to have the few life altering hours with him because it would be her final chance. Selfishness drove her behavior and it was wrong. Using him when she knew it would be the last time was deplorable.
Her mind kept circling back to Vanessa. Treasure saw how Bodie acted when he was with Vanessa. They were the perfect couple. She understood why Vanessa wanted him back. Three thoughts continued to plague her. One - Bodie hadn’t wanted to break up with Vanessa last fall. She broke off their engagement for multiple reasons and Bodie had been heartbroken over it. Now she was back. Two - Vanessa admitted her mistakes and regretted leaving him. Three - Vanessa’s baby needed a father. It was a simple and easy fix. Treasure was hindering them from getting back together. She couldn’t be the other woman. And she sure as hell wouldn’t be the cause of the baby growing up fatherless. Being the child of a single parent, Treasure understood the challenges better than anyone.
Treasure eased off the couch and slipped into the restroom. She showered, dressed, and pulled her hair back into a braid. When she opened the door, Bodie was at the stove, scrambling eggs.
“Hey, woman. Your soap smells amazing. Want some breakfast?” A cunning smile toyed with her sex drive as he looked her up and down.
God, he was cooking with no shirt on and his jeans rode low on his hips. She swallowed and kept the expression on her face neutral. “Sure,” she said.
Breakfast with Bodie ensued with agonizing slowness, but flew by too fast.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you. I heard the city is expanding their emergency response services here in Granite Lake. They purchased another ambulance and are building an expansion on the fire station to house the new rig.”
“Yeah. I knew. They’re looking for paramedics and EMTs now.”
“Did you consider applying?” Bodie asked.
Treasure thought she heard something in his voice like apprehension, but couldn’t be sure.
“I thought about it, but I have my job back, so there’s no need,” she said.
“I’m going to go in and talk to whoever’s in charge. We’re opening the brewpub here. It would be perfect if they had a part time position for me. That is, after I take care of some things with Vanessa.”
He mentioned her. Treasure knew it wasn’t over between them. In her mind, this confirmed what she had been thinking. “Are you considering moving to Granite Lake?”
“I still don’t know. I’m planning to explore more of the area and see what’s out there. Staying with my parents is getting old. Really old.” He shook his head, exasperated. Bodie took a drink of coffee before continuing. “If I’m going to be working at the brewery, I want to be closer to town than Redwood Valley. Do you want to go house hunting with me? We could start next weekend after your workweek is over. That’ll give me time to take care of Va — some things.”
It didn’t slip past Treasure’s notice he was going to say Vanessa again. “I’m not sure,” she mumbled.
Jesus, why couldn’t she tell him to leave and not call? Go be with Vanessa and stop thinking about her.
“I need to get back to the city this morning.” She reached for her keys. She pulled off his Jeep key and held it out to him. The motorcycle keychain he gave her at Christmas dangled from her key ring. She closed her fist around it. “Here. I need you to take this back.”
He glanced down at her outstretched hand and then back up to her face. “Haven’t we had this discussion before?”
“I’m taking my motorcycle back to Reno today. And I’m getting my car fixed, so I don’t need the Jeep anymore. Plus, I don’t like being responsible for it. You should move the Jeep back to your parents’ house and out of Denny’s way.”
“Okay.” He didn’t press her about the decision and took the key.
“I need to pack my bag and get going.” Treasure brought her plate to the sink and walked into the bathroom to collect her things. It was torture to keep pretending she wasn’t about to break up with him, but the words wouldn’t come no matter how much she wanted them to.
When she reentered the living room, Bodie was no longer there. She glanced out the front window and saw his truck sitting in the driveway, driver’s side door open. His phone sat on the coffee table so she picked it up. After fiddling with it for a second, she placed it back down. She didn’t know if what she planned would work, but she had to try.
Treasure took her bag to the BMW and popped open the latches on the hard bags. She packed her clothes and a few other things she needed to take with her. Bodie met her by the shop door.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just distracted. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Bodie reached for her hand and pulled her around to face him. He rested his hands on the top of her shoulders. “Last night you told me all the ways we needed to catch up with your imagination from over the winter. Now, I’m sensing the cold shoulder. What’s up, Treasure?”
She dared to look him in the eye, but quickly dropped her gaze to his chest. Emotions were too close to the surface. She fell apart once in front of him and she wouldn’t do it again. The episode killed her. She didn’t want him to ever see her like that again.
“I’m sorry. I… I’m fine.” She stood up straight, cupped the back of his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss. A moan escaped from deep in her throat as she kissed him with a longing she’d never known. Staying in his arms would be so easy, but she already made up her mind about him. About herself and how she couldn’t commit to anyone. It was better to end this now. If she waited, it would only get harder. Besides, she lived three hours away. If she acted now, it wouldn’t take long for either of them to move on with their l
ives.
“Want to take this to the couch?” he purred in her ear.
“Yes. But I’m going. I have to get back,” she lied. She actually needed to work on the garage some more, but she would return when Bodie wasn’t there.
“I need to go, too.” He held her hands as he said it and looked so reluctant to leave her that her heart wept.
She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed him once more. A quick one to finalize her goodbye. Then she jumped on the bike, pulled her helmet on, and pulled out of the drive with Bodie still watching her.
When she reached the edge of town a few minutes later, she pulled over and shut off the engine. Treasure found her phone in her coat pocket and dialed Bodie’s number. She turned off his ringtone when she was inside the apartment and kept her fingers crossed he wouldn’t answer. He didn’t. When his voicemail picked up, she said everything she had rehearsed in her head.
“Hi. It’s me. I’m sorry I couldn’t say this to your face. You should know by now how hard it is to talk about my feelings. I can’t do this face to face. It’s one of my many problems. In case you haven’t figured it out, I have a lot of problems. So…
“Bodie,” she swallowed the rising lump in her throat. “I need you to stop calling me.
“Shit. This sucks. I suck. I’m sorry,” she said into the phone. “I can’t see you anymore and the only way I’m going to be able to stop is to cut us off completely. You know me… I don’t have relationships.” Treasure forced a laugh. The sound of it was cruel even though she meant for it to be light and airy.
“It’s gotten too real for me, Bodie.” She paused, thought about hanging up, then went on. “You aren’t finished with Vanessa. And she’s not over you. To be honest, I think you should take her back.
“You know how I told you about growing up with only one parent? Well, it was horrible. Not all the time, but a lot. It was beyond hard. Miserable. Kids need two parents, or some kind of supportive family. Vanessa fits in with your family. More than I do. Ask your mom.
Chasing Treasure: Granite Lake Romance Page 23