Crazy For You (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 8)

by J. H. Croix

  “Uh huh. I want to. I might be terrible at it, but I figure it’ll be fun.” She didn’t say aloud how good it felt to spend time with friends. She wouldn’t change a thing about moving clear across the country, but it took time to feel a part of the community and the more friends she found, the better it felt.

  “Oh it will. Depending on how quickly my leg heals, I might join in by fall,” he replied with another one of his devastating grins.

  He really needed to stop that. Every time he looked her way, her low belly clenched and heat slid through her veins. When he smiled, the heat amped up a notch inside.

  His smile slowly faded as she looked up at him. Another gust of wind blew a lock of hair loose from her ponytail. He reached up with his free hand and brushed it out of her eyes. When he tucked it behind her ear, a hot shiver chased in the wake of his touch. She couldn’t look away as his eyes darkened to a smoky gray. With her pulse racing, she stared back at him. He was only inches away, and she was nearly frantic for him to close the distance. She craved the feel of his lips on hers again. His eyes searched hers as if he was wondering something.

  He cleared his throat. “Tell me, Violet: what do you want?”

  So lost in the desire pounding through her, she didn’t even think before she spoke. “To kiss you,” she blurted out.

  His eyes darkened further. “And after that?” he asked, his hand sliding into her hair to cup the nape of her neck. His thumb stroked in slow passes on the sensitive skin behind her ear.

  With her belly somersaulting and her pulse thundering, wet heat built between her thighs. Her thoughts were fuzzy, and it was hard to focus, but she forced herself to try. “What do you mean?”

  “Never mind. I can’t think until this,” he nearly growled as he closed the distance between them and crushed his lips to hers.

  Their kiss exploded, a tangle of lips teeth and tongue. For Violet, it had been far too long since she’d tumbled into the madness that was kissing Sawyer. After a fierce beginning, he eased back, his tongue gliding against hers in a slow pass before he drew her bottom lip between his teeth and gave it a tug. He traced her lips with his tongue, while she frantically struggled to get closer to him. To be specific, she shifted and straddled him, sighing with relief when she sank her hips down and felt the hard, hot length of his shaft against her. The layers of her leggings and his jeans didn’t do much to hide his arousal.

  She was burning up inside. Everything around them faded away—the sounds of laughter and voices carrying across the baseball field, the thwack of the bat connecting with the baseball—and her entire reality narrowed to the feel of him against her. Under her windbreaker, she wore a V-neck t-shirt. Sawyer shoved her jacket apart and slipped his hands around her waist, one palm sliding up her spine in a heated pass and the other easing around to trail his fingers under the curves of her breasts. Her nipples were tight and achy.

  Her own hands were busy pushing his jacket out of the way. She sighed at the feel of his muscled chest. Every inch of him was hard muscle. She moaned when he tore his lips free and blazed a searing path of kisses down her neck. With a muttered swear he yanked on her shirt, the cotton giving way and exposing one of her breasts. His mouth closed over her nipple, soaking the silk of her bra. She cried out and gripped his hair. She didn’t realize she was rolling her hips against him until he lifted his head swiftly. “Damn. Vi, we have to…”

  His voice was strained as he gripped her hips and held her still. He pinned her with a fierce, hot gaze. With need roaring through her, its flames licking inside, she stared back at him, scrambling for purchase in her mind.

  “We have to stop,” he said, his voice gruff.

  His body belied his voice when he arched his hips into hers, sending a spike of pleasure through her. She licked her lips.

  “Oh hell. You can’t do that,” he murmured, his voice pained.

  “Why…?”

  Just as she was about to ask why they had to stop, cheers from the field beyond the dugout filtered into her awareness. She glanced over her shoulder to see Nick skidding into home base. She’d completely forgotten where they were. Mortified, she spun back. “Oh God. I wasn’t thinking…”

  She started to scramble off his lap, but his hands held her in place. “Good to know I’m not the only one who can’t think when we’re together. Don’t suppose we could try dinner again?”

  Violet tried to think clearly, but she couldn’t. All she knew was she wanted this moment to never end, but it wasn’t like she could tear Sawyer’s clothes off right here with a bunch of people nearby. The next best thing would be to see him again, somewhere, sometime when they didn’t have to stop.

  She nodded. His mouth curled at one corner. She started to wiggle off of him again, worried someone would come over and see her straddling him. He shook his head. “Not until you tell me when. I’d prefer tonight if I get to pick.”

  She heard Ginger say something and nodded quickly. “Tonight sounds good,” she managed.

  He eased his hold on her, but not before arching his hips into hers again. Her body in thrall of him, she reflexively rolled her hips, biting back a cry at the sweet streak of pleasure that rolled through her. She managed to scramble off his lap and pull her clothes into place, seconds before Ginger walked to the dugout and leaned over to look inside.

  “Come on, Violet. Why don’t you at least try to bat once today?”

  Hot, flushed and restless, Violet leapt up from the bench. Sawyer followed her out and stood nearby with Gage, while Ginger gave her a few pointers. The practice had moved on from organized play to clusters of people practicing throwing, catching and batting. Violet surprised herself with a solid hit the first time Nick, her assigned pitcher, pitched the ball her way. The thwack of the ball against the bat was surprisingly satisfying. Beaming, she glanced to Ginger who’d coached her through the swing.

  “See! I knew you could do it!” Ginger gave her a thumbs up and looked to Nick, immediately all business again. “Okay, Nick, give her another nice, easy throw.”

  Not much later, Violet had successfully hit several of the pitches thrown her way when the group broke up for the evening. Ginger paused at her side while everyone was gathering up bats, balls and gloves. “You think you’re ready for a game?”

  Before this afternoon, she’d have emphatically said no. Now, after discovering that the team was lighthearted and obviously just wanted to have some fun, she nodded. “Yup. I can handle it. I don’t think you should have me do anything other than be a back up. I might be able to hit the ball, but Nick was making it super easy for me.”

  Ginger grinned. “Yay! Okay, we play every Thursday night at six right here. See you then.” With a wave, she jogged off when Cam called her name.

  Violet glanced around to see if there was anything left to do before making her way back toward the parking lot. She reached her car to find Sawyer leaning against it. Just standing there, he made her mouth water and her belly do flips all over again. Lounging against her car, his t-shirt pulled tight across his muscled chest and his faded black jeans hugged his muscled legs. The angle of the setting sun cast his face in shadow, illuminating his chiseled features. He screamed strong and sexy, and she wanted to eat him up. On the short walk to the parking lot, she’d wondered where he’d gone and then berated herself for getting worried he’d forgotten about asking her to dinner.

  You don’t even know what you want and you’re all gaga over this guy. Pump the brakes, girl. That was one part of her brain. Another part of her brain had different ideas. Oh, you know what you want. Sawyer. Naked. Now.

  Chapter 12

  Sawyer watched Violet as she approached him. He concluded he should win a damn award for managing to keep himself from tearing her clothes off in the dugout. The remainder of the afternoon hadn’t exactly helped. Violet was too tempting. She’d worn these leggings that accentuated her generous hips. He figured she’d worn them to be practical, along with her simple V-neck t-shirt, but when it came t
o Violet, everything was distracting.

  She reached him and glanced up, her cheeks going rosy pink when she met his eyes. Her dark hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Somewhere along the way, she’d tugged the elastic holding it in place off after a blast of wind. His body ran on high idle whenever she was near. One look into her eyes, into that translucent blue he could lose himself in, and lust jolted him. She’d tied her windbreaker around her waist and twirled one of the loose sleeves in her hand. Biting her lip, she said, “Well, I wasn’t sure if you still wanted to have dinner.”

  Sometime he’d have to tell her not to bite her lip, at least not in public. Her mouth was nearly perfect—full, lush lips. Without even a bit of makeup, they were so pink and tempting against her creamy complexion, it was all he could do not to yank her to him and pour his pent up desire into another kiss. Yet, a kiss wouldn’t be enough and he damn well knew it. He knew a lot of things, but one thing he didn’t know was what the hell to do with this almost electric attraction he felt for Violet. He’d managed to make a reasoned decision about staying in Diamond Creek and had mostly convinced himself he wouldn’t care one way or the other if Violet gave him a shot.

  Then, he saw her again this afternoon. If he were being honest, he’d come to baseball practice because he knew she might be here. He could pretend it was because his family was here too, but that was a flat lie. He’d wanted any chance he could find to run into her again. He was usually a man with a plan, yet at the moment he had none. He could only think as far ahead as the next step. Right now, he had to get through dinner when all he really wanted was to find somewhere private and let himself be consumed by the burning need Violet elicited inside him. After that, well, he had no clue what it all meant.

  He realized he was doing nothing other than staring at Violet when she cocked her head to the side, her eyes holding a silent question. What the hell had she just said? Dinner. Something about dinner. “Of course I still want to have dinner,” he said. Dinner was the avenue to more, so he’d take it.

  She glanced at her watch and then back to him. “It’s almost six now. Should I meet you somewhere in a little bit?”

  Knowing that the last time there’d been any time for her to second guess, she had, Sawyer wasn’t about to let it happen again.

  “How about now?”

  Her gorgeous eyes widened and something flashed in their depths. After a moment, she nodded. “Okay. Um, where do you want to go?”

  He had no idea. All he wanted was time with her. He said the first thing that came to mind. “How about something simple, like pizza?”

  Violet smiled. “Pizza’s perfect. I’m starving. Do you want to follow me?”

  “How about you drop your car off, and we’ll ride together from there?”

  His suggestion was practical because her apartment was close by. Yet, it was also selfish. He didn’t want to give her a chance to leave him behind. He wasn’t so far gone that he’d push her past boundaries she didn’t want to blow through. But he knew what he felt when she kissed him. No matter the reasons behind her canceling on him last week, he knew she wanted him. The chemistry between them was explosive. He shied away from wondering about her mixed reactions to him and focused on what he felt. That itself was odd because his entire career as a Navy SEAL was built on not letting his emotions get the best of him. Yet, those illusive factors, such as emotion, his visceral response to her and more, were what drove him and the only thing that made sense.

  A gust of wind blew her hair in a swirl, and Violet brushed a few loose locks out of her eyes before nodding. “Okay.”

  She stood there, her gaze expectant. After a moment, she gestured to her car. “Don’t suppose you’ll move so I can get in,” she said with a sly grin.

  He grinned. “Ah. That would make sense, huh?” He pushed away from her car and opened the door for her. “Be right behind you.”

  Violet fiddled with her napkin, neatly folding it into a square and smoothing it against the table before taking a healthy gulp of her wine. Sawyer had left the booth to go to the restroom before they left. Dinner had turned out to be a continuation of the long, slow tease of the afternoon. She was coming to realize she was kidding herself if she thought she could get a grip on her attraction to Sawyer. It was like a horse galloping out of control. She had no reins and could do nothing other than hold on. After their kiss in the dugout, she’d managed to distract herself learning to bat, but even then her thoughts had been half on Sawyer most of the time. While waiting, she glanced around the restaurant.

  After his request for pizza, she’d suggested the local favorite place in town, Glacier Pizza. It stayed busy year-round, however in the summer it was bustling, as was every place in town. They’d arrived to wait in line before being seated, and a line had remained the entire time they’d been there. The décor was simple with the only decorations being photos from locals and tourists, along with license plates from all over the country. A brick oven was situated in the center with an open kitchen circling around it. A counter surrounding the kitchen and booths lining the walls provided the seating. The atmosphere was relaxed and bustling at once. The restaurant also had amazing pizza. Being from New York, Violet was accustomed to heated debates over what constituted good pizza. She’d wager Glacier Pizza could hold its own in New York.

  Sawyer emerged from the hallway that led to the restrooms, and her low belly clenched. She felt as if she was about to melt inside. Restless, she crossed and uncrossed her legs. His limp was minimal, and damn if he didn’t manage to look sexy as all hell just walking across the restaurant. His muscled arms swung with his stride. Her eyes hungrily tracked him as he made his way to her. She’d given up fighting against the need simmering inside of her because it made her weary and annoyed with herself. She didn’t know what she intended to do, but she thought perhaps maybe she’d get her footing back if she let herself have what she so badly wanted. Or rather who.

  Sawyer stopped beside the booth, glancing down at her. He’d paid the bill before he stepped away. He didn’t say a word, merely arched a dark brow. “Shall we? I’m guessing if we don’t clear out soon, they’ll just have someone join us,” he said with a grin as he nodded his head toward the entrance where a cluster of people were waiting for tables to open up.

  Moments later, they were walking outside into the late evening. It was past nine and the sun’s descent behind the mountains left a fiery blaze in its wake. The sky was streaked with orange and red shot through with gold. The mountains across the bay were dark against the backdrop and the water shimmered brightly, reflecting the sky’s colors. Somehow she managed to put one foot in front of the other and walk to Sawyer’s truck. Her body was humming with need, and she was hot all over. The short drive to her apartment, which was only minutes from Glacier Pizza, was quiet. The air inside the truck felt heavy and taut, weighted with the depth of desire between them.

  By the time Sawyer parked his truck by the stairs leading up to her apartment, Violet was flat annoyed with herself. She wasn’t this wishy-washy woman who was all a muddle because of a man. She was better than that. If she were going to face this head on, she’d do it on her terms. She might not particularly like how she couldn’t control her rampaging need for Sawyer, but she could either be twisted and turned in its force, or grab ahold of it and make it her own.

  There were a few things she couldn’t have, but she could let herself dive into this wild, crackling attraction and enjoy it for all it was worth. She’d worry about the rest later. Without a word, she climbed out of the truck.

  Sawyer had followed her out of the truck, his gaze watchful. She didn’t wait and started walking up the stairs. The office building downstairs had a front entrance, while a set of stairs led to a small deck and the entrance to her apartment on the side of the building. Sawyer’s tread sounded behind her after a moment, and she stopped at the top of the stairs to turn to face him.

  He paused a step below her, their faces almost level, although even the
n he was still taller than her. She guessed him to top six feet plus. She stared into his smoky gray eyes, her pulse rocketing and her breath shallow. He searched her face, his gaze considering. He started to say something, but stopped when she stepped closer. The heat emanating from him sent a hot shiver through her. It was chilly out now with the wind still gusting off the bay.

  “You’re coming in,” she said.

  “Am I now?” he countered, his eyes darkening.

  With her pulse thundering in her ears, she nodded, grabbing onto the bold side of herself. “Yes. You’re driving me crazy, so I’m doing something about it.” At that, she shuffled a step closer, her breasts brushing against his chest, and slipped a hand around his neck as she brought her lips to his. The delicious contrast of the chilled air and the heat of his body was a shock to her system. The relief at finally giving in to the need consuming her was brief. Their kiss went wild with Sawyer sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against him. She might have started as the aggressor, but he flipped the script in a flash. One palm slid up her spine and tangled in her hair, angling her head to the side as he devoured her mouth, his tongue stroking boldly against hers. His other hand cupped her bottom and tugged her against him, the hard ridge of his cock pressing against her. She moaned in his mouth when he flexed into her, creating just enough pressure against her clit that a jolt of pleasure zinged through her.

  He tore his lips free, the abrupt end of their kiss startling her eyes open. She found his waiting, the desire in his gaze so frank, she flushed. She moved to catch his lips again, but he shook his head. “I need to know something,” he said, his gruff voice sending a shudder through her.

  “What?” she said, her own voice raspy and breathy.

  “Are you planning to chase me off again?”

  Not caring to contemplate his question, she shook her head. A distant warning bell rang in the back of her mind, but she didn’t want to heed anything other than her yearning need for Sawyer right now.