Hope Falls_Off-Limits Love

by Elisabeth Grace

  She rolled her eyes. “I was referring to the mountains.”

  “Sure you were,” he said, a little out of breath. Then he dropped to the ground. “Have you seen the new show they’re playing at the theater? I’ve heard it’s a super romantic date movie. Some of the women at Brewed Awakenings were talking about it this morning in line.”

  “Okay…” Georgia wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

  “Maybe you and I—”

  “Georgia” rang out loudly behind her.

  When she spun around, Everett was giving his brother the stink eye. Then he directed his gaze at her.

  “Yeah?” She looked from Everett to Eli and back, still unsure what was going on between them.

  Everett opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again, appearing to think better of whatever he was going to say.

  “Anyway,” Eli started, “like I was saying—”

  “I wanted to see if you were free to do something tomorrow afternoon. I’m working in the morning but free after that,” Everett said.

  Her eyes widened while butterflies started flapping their wings inside her tummy. Everett was asking her out in front of his brother? What happened to their agreement that nothing could happen between them?

  “Um…yeah. Assuming Deanna’s still under the weather, I don’t have any plans.”

  He nodded. “Great. That’ll make Deanna happy. She asked me to make sure you had a good time since she’s down and out, and I said I’d show you everything the town had to offer.”

  The small part of her that had been thrilled when he’d asked her, as wrong as that was, shriveled up at the mention of Deanna’s request. Georgia pursed her lips.

  “Seriously, bro?” Eli muttered behind her.

  “Well, if that’s the only reason, I don’t want to put you out,” she said between gritted teeth, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “It’s no biggie. I owe Deanna one.” He shrugged.

  Her face heated—partly in anger and partly from embarrassment that Eli was witnessing their entire exchange.

  “You know, I think maybe I do have plans tomorrow and I just forgot. Don’t worry about it.” She spun on her heel to face Eli, who was shaking his head at his brother. “Thanks for the workout.” Then she booked it out of there and back to the change room, her chest heaving, her fists clenched.

  Everett had some nerve. It wasn’t more than a day ago that he’d had his tongue down her throat, and now, he was acting like he was doing her a favor by spending time with her? Georgia had heard about guys who liked to play mind games, but she’d never had any experience with them until now. She understood a little better what drove perfectly sane women to crimes of passion.

  No sooner had she closed the door to the locker room and grabbed her bag with her clothes than Everett burst through after her.

  “You can’t be in here!”

  “There’s no one else here,” he said, his gaze darting around the small room to ensure he was correct.

  “What do you want, Everett?” Georgia dropped her workout bag to the floor and cocked her hip out to the side with a hand on her waist.

  He might not have known it, but she was from the South and her posture meant she was ready to go to war, as good as if she’d had a gun pointed at his temple.

  “I need to explain what happened back there.”

  “Oh, I know what happened. One minute, you’re groping me, and the next, you’re acting as if it’s a chore to be around me.”

  He shook his head then ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair. “No. I mean, yes, that’s technically what did happen, but it’s not how it looks.”

  “Oh?” Georgia questioned.

  Everett took a step toward her, gripping her upper arms. “Right before you got here, the guys were giving me a hard time about you. I did my best not to let them know how right they were. I do think about you. I do want you. Every second of every day since I’ve met you. But we agreed that it wasn’t a good idea. I was trying to honor that.

  A small sigh of relief escaped her.

  “Eli only asked you out to force my hand.”

  Georgia narrowed her eyes.

  “Not that he wouldn’t actually want to go out with you. God, I’m butchering this explanation. My name might as well be Dexter.”

  “What are you trying to say, Everett?” She was hopeful but not sure what she was hoping would happen. Her feelings were such a mess when it came to him.

  His hands slid up from her arms to push into her hair. “Damn it, if you had any idea how badly I want to be able to touch you, to feel you, to taste you.” He tilted her head so she was forced to look up at him, into those whiskey-colored eyes she could easily drown in. “The part about Deanna asking me to make sure you had a good time while you were in town was true. But I only added it for Eli’s benefit. The truth is there’s no one I’d rather spend my time with, and I don’t know how much longer I can restrain myself from acting on all the things I want to do to you.”

  His gaze was smoldering, and stoked the fire in the deepest parts of her. She was drawn to him, and she couldn’t explain it, but maybe it didn’t need explaining.

  “Then don’t. Don’t restrain yourself any longer.” Perched on her tiptoes so she could reach him, she crushed her lips to his and finally brought a lit match to the gasoline that was the lust filling the room.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Everett’s tongue pushed into her mouth, and a small moan escaped as his arms snaked around her body—one coming to rest on her ass, the other on the back of her head.

  Georgia fisted her hands in his dark hair and pressed her body against his firm chest. Her skin was still sticky from her workout, and she loved the way her exposed skin clung to his.

  He deepened the kiss and thrust his pelvis against her abdomen, his obvious arousal fueling her desire to the boiling point.

  Everett trailed his lips along her jaw, behind her ear, then down her neck. She panted as the electricity from his touch zinged straight down to her core.

  “You have no idea how badly I want you,” he mumbled against her skin.

  “We can’t. Not here.” A small part of her logical brain was still working, so she knew that sleeping with her friend’s cousin in her cousin’s fiancé’s locker room wasn’t an option.

  He let out a groan of frustration then walked her backwards until her back was pressed against the wall. “Fine,” he said as one hand trailed from around her back to knead her breast over her sports bra.

  His thumb traced over her nipple, causing a soft moan to escape Georgia’s mouth.

  “There’s no reason one of us can’t get a little relief though,” he said, his deep, honeyed voice filled with desire.

  Without warning, he tugged the front of her sports bra down until she was completely exposed to him. Once he’d taken her breasts in his hands, he tugged on her nipples and brought his head down, sucking one into his mouth.

  “That feels so good,” she whispered, panting as he flicked it back and forth with his warm tongue.

  Her hands went to the back of his head, holding him there, not wanting him to stop. When he drew his head away she gave a groan to which he responded with a soft chuckle.

  “Relax. I’m an equal opportunity breast man.” He took her other nipple into his mouth, and if possible, made her even more needy than the first time he’d done it.

  His hand slid down her stomach to the top of her shorts before dipping below the waistband. She involuntarily jerked as his fingers crested over top of her clit and glided between her slick folds.

  “You’re so ready for me, Georgia.”

  She loved the way he said her name with such need—as if it both tortured and soothed him.

  “I can’t walk away knowing I’m leaving you like this.”

  He continued to suckle her, gently teasing her nipples with his tongue and his teeth as two of his fingers moved inside her, his thumb rhythmically stroking her. Georgia fought the urge to pre
ss her legs together as the storm inside her raged more and more out of control. Fire danced in her veins, and she squeezed her eyes shut, no longer caring where they were or who might find them—ignoring all the reasons why this wasn’t a good idea.

  She dipped her chin, and Everett’s eyes were watching her, taking in every one of her reactions. The sight of him flicking her nipple with his tongue as the muscles in his back flexed and stretched with his arm movements brought her to the brink of ecstasy. She panted and bit her bottom lip in an attempt to control her reaction, but his thumb did this swirly thing over her clit, making her a goner. Her orgasm enveloped her in a warm cocoon of bliss, and she cried out until Everett kissed her, muffling the sound. She ground against his hand as she rode her climax out. Then she stilled, letting her head fall back against the wall.

  Everett pulled away and righted her shorts and her sports bra.

  “That was…” she trailed off, still panting and trying to catch her breath.

  “It was,” he agreed, his deep voice rumbling. He kissed the top of her hair in such a sweet contrast to the carnal pleasure he’d delivered moments before. “Until next time.” He grinned at her and then turned to leave.

  Boy, did she ever hope there was a next time.

  “Wait. What about you?” she asked before he’d opened the door.

  “I think our time here has expired. Someone is going to wonder where we both are if I don’t get back.”

  “But you’re…” She motioned to the erection straining his shorts.

  “If you need me, I’ll be taking a cold shower.” He left without looking back.

  She stood there, stunned, for a moment. Stunned but satisfied. Very satisfied.

  What the hell had just happened? And what did it mean? She didn’t have any answers, but clearly something had shifted between the two of them.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Everett couldn’t get the image of Georgia in the women’s locker room from running on a continuous loop in his head. It was no wonder, either, with the scent of her skin, still damp with sweat, and the feel of her silky heat still fresh in his mind.

  He shifted in his seat as the scent of Georgia’s perfume wafted by him from where she was sitting in the passenger’s seat beside him. Neither of them had acknowledged what had happened the day before when he’d shown up at his cousin’s to pick her up. Deanna had suggested to Lucky, who’d suggested to them, that they head to King’s Pond to do some ice skating.

  It was a good day for it. The sun was shining, and the air was fresh and crisp, settling at just below freezing. Everett didn’t even own a pair of skates, but thankfully, his cousin and her fiancé had lent them theirs to use. He might be at home on a ski hill, but the same couldn’t be said for the ice. Basically, he was going into this hoping he didn’t make a colossal ass of himself.

  “Here we are,” he said, keeping his tone casual as they parked near the pond.

  A few couples and a handful of families were taking advantage of the nice day, skating on the pond. One little girl had taken a spill, and her father scooped her up and tried to comfort her. Everett did his best not to picture himself re-enacting the girl’s fall in a few short minutes. Though having Georgia push him against her chest to comfort him like the dad was doing might be worth looking like an idiot for.

  “It’s so charming,” she said while exiting the vehicle.

  And it was. This was his first visit to the pond, and it was breathtaking with tall, snow-covered trees surrounding the frozen water. He went around back and grabbed both pairs of skates from the SUV, then met her in front of the car.

  “Let’s go find a spot to put our skates on.”

  She nodded, and within a few minutes, they were both tying their laces. His skates were a little snug, but he didn’t think it was going to make any difference to his performance on the ice.

  “How do your skates fit?”

  She smiled. “No complaints,” she said and stepped onto the ice, gliding a few feet away from the edge with ease.

  Everett pressed his lips together and wondered why he’d ever agreed to this.

  “Are you coming?” Georgia asked with a laugh. A hint of amusement glimmered in her crystal-blue eyes.

  He couldn’t stop himself from finding it damn near irresistible.

  With a hesitant step forward, he positioned one foot onto the ice, then the other. At Georgia’s giggle, he darted his gaze to her. She skated backwards a few feet, easily shifting her weight and crossing over the slick surface.

  “Did I mention that I’ve never actually skated before?” He chuckled more to fend off his nerves than at amusement with himself.

  Her eyes widened for a moment. “What? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Would you believe I was hoping you wouldn’t notice?” He grinned, careful not to move to much lest he end up flat on his ass. “I didn’t want to ruin the alpha-male image you have of me.” He puffed his chest out, his arms wide at his sides, clearly making fun of himself.

  Georgia grinned and skated forward so she was only inches away from him. “Don’t worry. You didn’t. I like a little vulnerability in a man.” She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek before skating backwards again until they were separated by at least ten feet. “Let’s consider this my chance to return the favor for you helping me on the ski hill.”

  “I’m not sure I’ll be a good student.” Everett wasn’t used to not exceling at all things physical, so it was a testament to his desire to be around this woman that he was even there.

  “You’ll do fine, because if you do, there’s a reward in it for you.” Her eyelids dipped over her blue sparklers for a second.

  He had the definite impression that he was going to like whatever reward she had going on in her head. A lot.

  “So, what do I have to look forward to if I do well, teacher?” A grin pulled up one corner of his mouth.

  “We’ll start simple. If you skate over to me, I’ll give you a kiss on the lips this time. The next time, I’ll move farther back, and if you make it to me, I’ll include some tongue. The time after that…maybe I’ll let you grope me if no one’s looking.” She winked. “You get the idea.”

  Everett liked this playful side of Georgia. There was no doubt about it—this woman was as multifaceted as the surface of a diamond and just as rare and beautiful.

  “Well then, I can guarantee you I’m about to receive an A—for effort, at least.” Without hesitation, he pushed off with his right foot and propelled forward. A little too hard, unfortunately. His arms thrashed at his sides as he tried to regain his balance, but it was of little use. He landed smack on his ass. But hey, at least he didn’t take her out with him.

  Georgia’s hands flew up to her face to stifle her laugh. “Are you okay?” she mumbled through her red mittens.

  “I appreciate your concern, and yes, I’m fine.” He awkwardly got to his feet, having to use the arm Georgia extended to help him. When he was standing again, he rubbed at the sore spot on his butt. “Now about that kiss.” He arched an eyebrow.

  She took a quick inventory of everyone around and seemed satisfied that no one was paying them any attention and planted a lingering kiss on his lips. It was innocent enough, but Everett couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to a not-so-innocent place.

  “That was certainly worth degrading and shaming myself for your amusement,” he said with a smile.

  Georgia bit her bottom lip and then skated farther down the ice—twice the distance she’d been before. “Make it to me this time and you get tongue.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  A laugh escaped him.

  Yeah, it might not have been his finest, shining moment, but some things were worth the sacrifice.

  An hour later, Everett had a sore ass, a throbbing elbow, and bruised pride. Thank God they were calling it quits. He hadn’t wanted their time together to end, so he’d invited Georgia over to his bunkhouse for dinner. He was no master chef, but he could hold his own in the kitc
hen, and if he were honest, he felt the need to redeem himself for his poor showing on King’s Pond.

  Georgia had willingly accepted, and now, they were both sipping on wine while waiting for the casserole he’d whipped together to finish cooking in the oven.

  “When did you learn to skate?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking her questions. Everett wanted to know everything there was to know about her.

  Georgia took a sip of her wine and then placed it on the coffee table. “I took figure skating lessons for a few years growing up.”

  He laughed. “That explains it. You must’ve thought I looked like a real dumbass out there.”

  She shrugged with a mischievous grin. “I thought you were sort of charming, actually.”

  “Is that so?”

  They held gazes for a moment before he broke away to drink from his own glass.

  “Dinner smells great,” she commented. “Where did you learn your way around the kitchen?”

  “When I was still living in Sacramento, I didn’t have much need for my kitchen. I’d be sure to swing by my parents’ house a few times a week for some sustenance. But, I’ve been bouncing around the country for three years, so I’ve had to fend for myself. It was born out of necessity.”

  “You never mentioned why you’ve moved around so much?”

  Shit. He’d stumbled right into that one, hadn’t he?

  Georgia’s tone had been light and interested. There was no way for her to know the dark road she was asking him to head down.

  For lack of any other segue, he abruptly stood from the couch. “I should check on dinner.” He headed to the kitchen, turned the oven light on, and peeked through the glass.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t see anything but the flood of memories pushing to the forefront of his mind. He stood and inhaled deeply through his nose. Then he exhaled through his mouth, trying to slow his racing heart.

  He enjoyed spending time with Georgia and didn’t want to face this now—or ever. In fact, he’d been doing his damnedest over the past few years to not think of it at all, to not deal with it. To not care, not feel.