by April Hunt
She shot him a look that made him sorry he had to pay attention to navigating the mountain roads. “I wouldn’t need replacements if someone would stop ripping them off me. Seriously. I’m down to two pair.”
“Stop wearing them around the cabin and I wouldn’t have to rip them off.”
Elle’s eyes twinkled when she laughed. “So you’re saying it’s my fault that you can’t wait the two seconds it takes to take them off?”
“No, I’m saying that it’s your fault for putting them on in the first place. And if you want to get technical, you’re the reason for my impatience, too. Stop being so damn hot that I can’t wait to get inside you, and I’ll start showing a little more restraint.”
Elle’s unladylike snort make him grin. He’d lied. When it came to getting inside her, restraint didn’t come easy. Or at all. And it probably wouldn’t, even if he meditated on a daily basis like Vince. It was all a moot point because when it came to Elle, he didn’t want to hold back, and he sure as hell didn’t want to watch her walk the fuck away.
Nothing had cemented his moratorium of quick flings more than Elle. He promised her he wouldn’t push, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do everything in his power to show her that he was nothing like the assholes she’d had in her life.
He turned the final corner leading off the mountain and there was Jonesville, a string of brick and stone buildings and cobblestone sidewalks. Elle sat up straighter, her face nearly pressed against the window.
“It’s gorgeous.” She looked in awe as they drove down Main Street. “Oh my God. It looks like something out of a movie.”
“Deliverance?” he joked.
“No!” She laughed, squeezing his hand. “This is the kind of place where people can leave their doors unlocked, and everyone has known everyone else since the beginning of time. If you tell me that there’s an antique store nearby I’ll burn my remaining two pairs of panties and vow to never replace them.”
He cocked up a brow and smirked. “All I need to do is unearth an antique store?”
“That’s all you need to do.”
“Well then, sweetness, break out the lighter fluid and slip off your undies.” With a chuckle, he directed the truck into the nearest empty parking spot.
The second Elle spotted Charming Treasures, her seat belt was unbuckled and she was jumping out of the truck. If they kept up on this path, he wouldn’t have to worry about Charlie’s threat to rain down hail and brimstone on his head. He’d have Operation Birthday in the bag.
* * *
Elle stepped through the whimsical red door of the country antique store and was instantly transported to heaven. From tables to knickknacks and clothing, displays tastefully accented every nook and cranny of the spacious room.
She didn’t even know where to start. Her silent eeny, meeny, miny, moe put her at the table of old clocks. Toward the back of the store, she brushed her palm over the oak tables and a rocking chair that had obviously received a lot of both love and use. But it wasn’t long before she found herself standing in front of the elegant jewelry case.
Elle could appreciate a well-endowed ring or a pair of dangly earrings, but her tastes usually ran more toward the simple; a dainty bracelet on special occasions or a pair of studs that could be worn both while cleaning house and going out for a night on the town. With her line of work, she tended not to wear anything at all, but she’d always sworn that if given the ring of her dreams by the man of her heart, she’d never take it off.
She scanned the rows of bracelets and charms before stopping on one that also halted her breathing.
Nestled between a gold heart locket and silver watch, a dainty princess-cut emerald ring blinked up at her. Micro-sized diamond baguettes flanked the small stone, making the deep green even richer in color. Now that was a ring she’d never take off—not to shower or cook, or do the most disgusting job thinkable for a nurse. Okay, well maybe she’d put it in a safe spot for the latter, but the second she cleaned up, it would be right back on her finger.
Trey’s warmth covered her back.
“Find something you like?” His hands settled at her waist as he peeked over her shoulder.
Comparing the man’s eyes to jewelry wasn’t exactly conducive to maintaining boundaries, but that’s exactly what the ring reminded her of—his eyes, when he went all broody and lusty.
She smiled and tried to sound normal. “What didn’t I find? If I had the wallet for it, I’d buy the entire store.”
“Hello there! I thought I heard the bell chime. Welcome to Charming Treasures.” Wearing a flowery skirt and a beaming smile, an older woman approached. “Welcome to Jonesville.”
“Don’t get many visitors, do you?” Trey said teasingly.
“Not as many as we’d like, but the town council’s trying to change that. Are you passing through or staying with us for a while?”
“We’re spending the night at Starry Night,” Trey surprised Elle by sharing.
“That’s my sister Judith’s bed and breakfast! Oh, you’re going to love it there.” The woman patted Elle’s hand. “It’s absolutely gorgeous, the perfect spot for a newly engaged couple. I’m Sally, by the way. Lord Almighty, you’d think I’ve never met new people before.”
Elle was slow to register her words. “What? Oh, no, I—”
“Which one are you looking at?” Sally asked, already pulling out the felt-covered tray. “Oh, I bet I know which one it is.” With nimble fingers, Sally plucked the emerald ring from the holder and held it in the palm of her hand. “You have impeccable taste, sweetheart. They surely don’t make rings like this anymore.”
“It really is stunning, but—” Elle could barely take her eyes off of it, even when Sally attempted to put it into her hands. “Oh. No. No, no, no. Really, I couldn’t. I was just admiring it.”
“Admire up close and personal. It really could use a good home.” Sally slid Trey a coy smirk that made Elle’s cheeks grow warm. “I have a confession. I saw you looking around, and the way your eyes lit up when you saw this ring—it was like a gravitational force pulled you right to it. It’s elegant. Simple. Beautiful.”
Unnamed emotions clogged Elle’s throat. She gently laid the ring on the counter and stepped away, both from the ring and from Trey. There was no doubt that the ring was beautiful. And perfect. And exactly what she would pick for herself, if ever given the choice.
Sally’s looked crestfallen. “Are you sure you don’t want to try it on? Sometimes you just need that little extra spark on contact to know that something was always meant to belong to you.”
Elle didn’t mean to look toward Trey. Her head swiveled sideways and her eyes collided with his. His unreadable expression ratcheted up her nerves even more.
She knew firsthand about sparks and a sense of belonging. She felt both every time he touched her or glanced her way—even now, when it was impossible to guess what was running through his head.
Sweat peppered Elle’s forehead, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. In the background, she vaguely registered concerned voices, but it wasn’t until Trey’s arms wrapped around her waist that the room started spinning.
“Thank you, Sally,” Trey’s voice sounded faraway. “But I think she’s going to have to think about the ring.”
“Of course. Of course.”
Elle didn’t start breathing until the shock of cool air hit her face. Her feet moved to the truck on autopilot and got as far as the passenger-side door, when she needed to lean on it for support.
“You okay?” Trey studied her, his face a mask of concern.
“Yep.” No. Not in the least.
“You sure? You look a little flushed.”
“Curse of the Irish. There’s no escaping the lobster look, whether it’s in the blistering heat or freezing cold.”
He didn’t believe her, and if he had, she’d seriously start questioning his gut instincts out on the field. But despite not being fooled, he didn’t drill her about it an
d instead suggested they check out the rest of the town.
He’d been right about the town’s size. They’d walked a few blocks and had already gone half the length of Main Street when they stepped into a winter festival that boasted of a hundred-year anniversary. Vendor booths lined both sides of the street, some with homemade crafts and others with delicious-smelling treats. Parents laughed and mingled, while kids sped around like miniature bullet trains. In the town’s center square, a quaint gazebo was laced with green ivy, despite it being the middle of winter.
Trey flashed her an evil smirk, nodding to the far left where they’d set up an outdoor rink—the man-made, well-maintained kind. “Up for a quick skate around the loop?”
Her lethal glare had him barking out a laugh. “I can’t express to you how much I do not want to go ice-skating. Been there. Done that. Had the near heart-failure to prove it—and so did you.”
Freezing temperatures did nothing to bring down the hot flash that whipped through her. Grabbing the edges of her scarf, Trey hauled her mouth to his. His mouth brushed against hers once, then twice. The kiss started slowly but quickly gained momentum. When his tongue brushed against hers, Elle latched onto his arms—both to hold him close and to keep herself upright. They stood there kissing until a duo of whistles cut through the brisk air.
Trey slowly pulled his mouth away and stroked her swollen bottom lip. “A kiss for the birthday girl.” He smirked at her widened eyes. “You didn’t think I knew?”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you figured it out. I mean, you probably have a file on my entire life. My apologies if I bored you to tears.”
“You couldn’t bore me even if you tried, sweetness”
Realization made Elle hug him a little closer. She wrapped her arms around his waist and propped her chin on his chest. “This is what Charlie was talking about, wasn’t it? What you had covered?”
“Damn woman kept wanting to horn in on my plans.”
“So this was all you?”
Trey almost looked a little nervous. “It was—unless you don’t like it, because then I’ll blame Charlie or one of the guys. I still owe Logan a little payback.”
Elle chuckled. “I love it, Trey. Thank you. For everything…and especially for today. Birthdays have always been just another day for me,” she admitted with a bit of embarrassment.
“Birthdays are supposed to be special.” He tucked their interlocked hands against his chest and brushed his mouth over her wrist. “But yours even more so.”
“Why especially mine?”
“Because if you hadn’t been born, the world would’ve missed out on an amazing, caring soul. Lord knew I would have.”
Cold air gave Elle an excuse for her reddened cheeks and watering eyes. Not trusting that her voice wouldn’t crack, she swallowed and worked through the emotions rushing over her. Just when she thought she had a handle on him, he surprised her again—in a good way.
“I don’t know what to do when you say things like that,” she said honestly.
Words meant to wound? She had her retorts down pat. To control? Yep, she had those covered too. To manipulate? Absolutely. Try to coerce her into doing something she didn’t want to do, and you’d wish you’d left it—and her—alone.
But this?
Trey was a man who lived life to the max, didn’t shy away from a challenge or danger, and yet his words were the sweetest she’d ever heard—she couldn’t imagine him saying anything that could potentially wound another person.
Trey tilted her chin up and brushed his lips against hers. “I’m going to make it my job to say things like that often enough that you get used to hearing them—and expect them.”
“That could take a long time.” Possibly a lifetime.
“I’m up for the challenge—however long it takes.”
That little glimmer of hope that she’d get more time with Trey brought her to her toes. His hand cupped her cheek, holding her close as she initiated the kiss this time. There was no tongue, no devouring, but it affected her more than anything that had come before it. When it ended, her feet barely touched back on the ground.
“What was that for?” He caressed her bottom lip with his gloved hand.
“For absolutely no reason at all.” Elle smiled, at perfect ease when they continued to walk through the festival, arms looped around each other’s waists.
Chapter Twenty
Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Elle couldn’t remember the last time she’d had to focus so hard on not throwing up, but that’s exactly what she was doing and had been doing ever since Trey had mentioned dinner.
He hadn’t mentioned it in a way that said “Let’s grab some takeout,” or “Let’s look for a barbecue place that has bibs as part of the place setting.” Instead, the heated look in his eyes hinted at dinner meaning more than the eating of actual food. It was the more that was making her feel like a fifteen-year-old prepping for her first date.
Palms sweaty and heart beating frantically, she felt waves of nausea come and go, adding to the ridiculousness. Honestly. She’d had sex with the man after knowing him for mere hours and then repeated the action any time and place that wouldn’t get them arrested and tossed in a jail cell.
He’d seen her dry and naked, wet and naked. He’d even had the unfortunate displeasure of meeting her father and going toe-to-toe with her ex. But it was while wearing a modest above-the-knee dress and heels bought at Charming Treasures and about to go to dinner that she felt the most uncomfortable.
A soft knock pulled Elle’s attention from the mirror.
“Dear,” the voice of Judith, the bed and breakfast owner, came through the door, “your handsome man’s going to wear a hole in my hardwood floors and plunk himself in my basement if you don’t come on out soon. Does the dress not fit? I could call my sister to see if she has anything else in the back of the store.”
Elle and Trey had checked in to the Starry Night Bed and Breakfast two hours ago, and Judith—much like her antique-loving sister—had been nothing but eager to help. When Trey had first announced his plan to take her to dinner, Judith had witnessed the pure panic on her face and immediately gotten on the phone to call in reinforcements—which led to the gorgeous silk dress she now wore.
“I’m just about ready.” Elle opened the door to Judith’s gasp. “What do you think?”
“Oh my. I think you look absolutely breathtaking! The moment I saw that color, I knew it would be a perfect match for your eyes. Go ahead and give me a spin.”
With warmth spreading to her cheeks, Elle did as the woman asked. She loved the dress too, yet another incredible find in Sally’s boutique. The sky-blue wrap slid over her curves as if it had been specially designed for her body alone.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” Elle repeated the same sentiments she had earlier. “Both you and Sally have been so ridiculously nice.”
“Oh, there’s nothing ridiculous about it, honey.” Judith waved away the sentiment. “It’s just the way we were raised. I should be thanking you and your handsome man for giving an old woman something to do with her time this weekend. But I was serious about my floors. Stan’s been doing his best to provide a distraction, but it doesn’t seem to be working too well.”
As Judith navigated Elle toward the stairs, Elle quickly realized that wearing heels wasn’t a skill you could avoid for six months of the year and then quickly resume—at least not without a real risk to loss of life. She clutched onto the banister and took one step at a time. When she was two steps from the main floor, Trey stalked into view, and she nearly forgot how to bend her knee.
Whether dressed in tactical garb or dress pants, the man looked sinful. And delicious. And lethal—though the danger was only toward her sensibilities. His broad shoulders stretched his soft gray dress shirt, and the sleeves, partially rolled, exposed powerfully corded arms. Six feet separated them but he might as well been brushing up against her.
He ran his g
aze down the length of her body and back. She’d be uncomfortable if any other man looked at her with such appreciation, but not Trey. “Wow. You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you. So do you.” Elle’s smile trembled. Yeah…fifteen-year-old on her first date.
His smirk made her cheeks flush. “I meant that you look beautiful. I mean, pretty. Nice. You look nice. I’ll stop talking now.”
Judith stepped around Elle as Stan, Judith’s husband, walked out from the kitchen. “Look at these two young lovebirds, Stan. Aren’t they just the sweetest thing?”
“Tooth-achingly sweet.” Stan said, chomping on something that sounded suspiciously like a potato chip, and judging by Judith’s scowl, not something her husband should be eating.
Judith turned back to them with a grin. “Well, you two have a darling time. I’ve never been to the dining room up at Swallow Falls, but I hear it’s intensely romantic. And just so you know, Stan and I will be out late—possibly all night. We’re going to a friend’s house, and whenever we start talking, the wine starts pouring, and then before we realize it, the sun’s poking up over the mountain. The two of you will be okay on your own tonight, right?”
“I think we’ll manage.” Trey still hadn’t taken his eyes off Elle. Her cheeks had to be crimson by now.
Elle hated to cover the gorgeous silk dress, but practicality and freezing cold temperatures had her accepting the coat Trey held out for her.
“So what’s Swallow Falls?” she asked, trying to ignore the fact that Judith basically told them that they were in the clear to come back from dinner and do the horizontal mambo.
“It’s a ski resort about fifteen miles away. They have a restaurant there that’s supposed to be the best within the tri-state area, and the chef comes from some fancy place in Paris. Don’t ask me to pronounce his name. French wasn’t one of the languages I took in high school.”