by Erika Kelly
Cupping her breasts, he drew them together, thumbs flicking her nipples, all while his erection rocked against her belly. He watched her, his expression heavy with need and a desperate question. You want me?
“Yes.” The single syllable came out a breathy whisper.
His hand coasted down, pushed beneath the elastic waistband of her leggings, and curved between her legs. Her hips pumped, need climbing into desperation.
A finger grazed her clit, and she tipped her head back on a cry. He ran gentle circles over her hard bud. “Oh, my God, Gray.”
His hand pulled out, and he grabbed the waistband of her leggings, yanking them down, taking her panties with them. Jacking up her knees, he spread her thighs, and the next thing she knew, his hot, wet mouth covered her, his tongue licking her into a pulsing, burning frenzy.
Clutching fistfuls of his silky hair, she made sounds she’d never made in her life, but she didn’t care. Lost in sensation, she slammed her hips against his mouth.
The climb toward ecstasy had her hips twisting, her toes curling. Electric heat drenched her body, pleasure reaching such an unbearable height she had to close her eyes to witness the explosion of a star, its fiery particles soaring through her. He stayed with her until she collapsed on the trampoline and let out a long, satisfied breath.
When all her pieces gathered back together, making her whole again, she opened her eyes to see Gray’s smug expression. “What?”
“Nothing. Just pleased with the results of my study.”
“You ass.” Laughing, she shoved him off, but her heart was pounding, and her chest got tight.
Everything’s fine. Chill out.
She couldn’t calm down, though, as unnamed fears churned, gaining momentum, building into a full-blown panic attack.
What’s the matter with you? Get a hold of yourself. You’re fine.
But she wasn’t fine at all. It had taken years to build a good, sturdy wall to keep her heart safe, and Gray—this generous, sexy warrior—was crashing through it.
She had no protection from him.
And when it went sideways…
God, she didn’t even want to think how devasted she’d be.
The moment Gray stabbed the sweet potato, steam wafted out. He dragged the tines of his fork across it to let it cool down.
Knox. Every time he thought of her, it tripped his nerve center, sending a rush of sensation through him. He could still feel her soft skin under his fingertips, smell the floral scent in her hair.
He’d captured the sounds she’d made, trapped them in a little corner of his mind, just so he could replay them whenever he wanted. He’d seen Knox happy, sad, angry, frustrated, embarrassed…he thought he’d seen her every expression.
But he’d never seen her come. Never seen her eyes roll back in her head, jaw slack with pleasure, lust making her cry out in sheer ecstasy.
It had been awesome—all the way up until she’d come down from her high, and she’d shut down on him. And he wanted to know why.
Maybe she thought she didn’t deserve him or some shit like that. She seemed fixated on the idea that, because he lived in a big house, and she’d grown up in a trailer, somehow they weren’t suited. Like he gave two fucks about where she lived or how much she had in her bank account?
He was crazy about Knox Holliday. Now, more than ever.
“What’s that stupid expression for?” Brodie came into the kitchen and went straight for the refrigerator, jerking it open. Jars rattled, as he pulled out a bottled water and twisted the cap.
“I was just imagining your face when the dude puts the gold medal around my neck.” Gray scrunched his features like he was bawling.
“That was cold.” He tipped the bottle toward his brother. “And beneath you.” He wandered over to the island. “What’s that?”
“What’s it look like?” Like they didn’t eat sweet potato on a daily basis in this house.
“Why’re you eating it at…” He shot a look at the rooster clock over the stove. “One in the morning?”
“Because I’m hungry?”
Brodie stretched his arms out on the counter. “Know where I’ve seen that expression before?”
“In the mirror every morning when you think about me getting the job done for you?” He could only joke because Brodie had stopped caring about the Olympics a long time ago.
“That would be incorrect. And petty. I see it on Fin and, now, on Will. Little red cartoon hearts popping out of their chests every time they think of their women.” Brodie’s lips twisted in disgust. “I don’t get it. Fuckin’ Fin’s been with one woman his whole life. One.” He shuddered like he’d just been offered the brains of a dead antelope. “And Will. What happened to him?”
“Delilah’s cool.”
“Yeah, but you don’t have to get all domesticated over her. Keep her in the friends-with-benefits zone. She lives here, runs the restaurant. He can see her whenever he wants. Why lock her down? For life?”
“Because he doesn’t want anyone else.”
His gaze snapped over to Gray. “You say that like you understand.”
Gray gave a one-shouldered shrug.
“What…” His brother straightened, tapped his water bottle on the offending shoulder. “What was that?”
“Nothing. People fall in love. That’s the way of things.”
“No, that’s the direction society herds us in. That’s what movies and books and conservative politicians tell us is the way of things. The truth—the real truth? Is that we’re programmed to fuck. Which results in procreating. Then, we’ve gotta hang around till the kid’s three, maybe four, before we can move on again, spread our seed far and wide. It’s evolution. Look it up.”
Thankfully, the curl of Brodie’s lip let Gray know he was just messing with him. “Why do you like to grind my gears?”
His brother tipped the bottle to his mouth. “Because your ears get all red.” He drained half of it, then dragged the back of his hand across his lips. “And it’s cute as fuck.”
“So, where does love fit in this brilliant evolutionary theory?”
“Love’s transitory.”
“Is that right?”
“Of course. By nature, feelings don’t last. You get pissed at someone…it fades. You win an event, you’re elated…gone a few hours later. Same with love.”
“You ever stop loving Dad?”
Brodie’s eyebrows slammed together in a scowl. “We’re not talking about familial love. We’re talking about romance. And, I can tell you from experience, romantic feelings don’t last.”
“How the hell would you know?”
“I’ve had feelings.”
Gray cracked a smile. “That right?”
“Sure.”
“But other than the feeling in your dick…?”
“I’ve dated.” He lifted both arms in a gesture that said, Obviously. “And I happen to know a lot more about it than you. You’ve never dated anyone.”
“You might want to pull out a dictionary, because I’m positive none of the women who’ve gone out with you would define ‘one-and-done’ as dating.”
“Hey, man, a date’s a date. Doesn’t matter if it means grabbing a coffee, going to dinner, or spending the weekend together.”
“Have you ever even asked a woman out?”
“I’ve gone out.”
Gray laughed. “Let’s face it, brother, most of the time you don’t even know you’re ‘dating’ someone until she tightens the noose. The only thing that gets your attention is when she tries to lock you down. Introduce you to her parents or make you go to a dinner party with her friends. Two seconds after she pulls that trick, the woman you’re ‘dating’ finds herself out on her ass.”
“You’re talking about Dana. Come on. I was focused on getting Owl Hoot up and running. We’d gone out twice and suddenly she’s making me come to her sister’s rehearsal dinner? What was that?”
“You’d gone out with her for six weeks. You ju
st weren’t paying attention.”
“I was busy.”
“Fine. But, trust me when I tell you, when you meet the right woman, you’ll notice. You’ll notice every damn thing about her.”
“And now we get to the goofy expression. Does Knox know she’s the star of your fantasies?”
“The goofy expression was hunger.” He stabbed his fork into his cooling potato. “I’m eating.”
“Clearly, you didn’t take my advice. You do realize you’re leaving in three weeks.”
“Got it on my calendar.”
“So, you just want to get her out of your system…?”
When the back of his neck tightened and burned, Gray knew he didn’t have to bother responding. His expression said it all.
“Hey, just asking. Sometimes, once you hit it, you figure out it isn’t all that.”
“It isn’t like that with her.”
“She’s talented.” He said it like he was making a concession. “Sharp, too.”
The burden lifted. “Right? And I like hanging out with her.”
“And she’s hot.”
Gray shot him a look.
“But she’s not the girl for you.”
He wanted to say, You don’t know shit. But he couldn’t, because it rang true. And he needed his brother to say it out loud for him. “Why do you say that?”
“She’s got one foot out the door.”
She does. “She’s basing her business here.”
“For now. Until she gets back on her feet.” Brodie’s expression turned serious. “You know it as well as I do, man. This town’s too small for her.”
Chapter Fifty-Four
It struck Knox, as she pinned another layer of muslin on Callie’s dress, that something sleeker, more sophisticated might work better for the elegant woman. She wouldn’t say anything, of course. Callie knew her own mind, but Knox couldn’t stop imagining a different, more refined style.
Someone laughed, and Knox looked up to find Zach and Amelia talking together. A couple of sewers clustered in the kitchen, picking at a pan of brownies someone had brought in, while the others worked hard at their stations.
Most everyone knew each other. They were either Cooters, the retired men and women who gathered every morning at the local diner in town to catch up with each other and hang out, or somehow related to them.
They always brought in leftovers and cookies and cases of soda. Everyone worked hard, but when they took breaks, it was filled with laughter and food and lively conversation.
She liked it a lot, and it gave her a whole new impression of Calamity. One that included awesome people like Callie and Delilah.
And Gray. The memory of last night kept replaying in her mind, and every time she’d get a shock to her system. Gray had been ravenous for her. His hands gripping, caressing, his tongue so greedy.
Who knew she and Gray would be so good together? So…combustible?
Over the hum of the machines and chatter, someone called her name. She glanced up to find Zach waving her over. She set the pins down and headed over to the long dining table. To accommodate the work stations, they’d had to remove the game tables and couches, and, basically, turn the place into a warehouse. “What’s up?”
Zach had a glint in his eyes. “A new order just came in.”
Nothing unusual there. “Cool. As soon as I finish the muslins for Callie and Delilah, I’ll start calling the brides.”
“We might want to call this one sooner.” He paused. “Have you heard of the MacAllister twins?”
“Of course.” They’d been at Columbia University at the same time Knox had been at FIT. The daughters of a Wall Street titan, they’d somehow managed to graduate with honors, while spending their every waking moment shopping and partying.
“They want you to design their wedding gowns.”
What? “Me? Are you serious?”
“That page you created was a stroke of genius. We’ve almost hit a hundred thousand followers.”
“And it brought us the MacAllister sisters?” She could hardly believe it.
“This would obviously be extremely high profile. I don’t think we should pass on it.”
“No, definitely not.” Making dresses for them would absolutely get Jack Abrams’s attention. “I’ll call them right now.”
“Good idea.”
“I can’t believe this. They could get a gown from Hayley or Bellerose or Vera. Why me?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew what she’d done. So, she answered before giving Zach a chance. “Because my gowns are amazing.”
He smiled and shook his head, like he couldn’t believe she didn’t get it.
But she was starting to understand that, for all her confidence in her talent, on the deepest level, she didn’t feel worthy of the MacAllisters.
Or of Gray. She didn’t believe herself worthy of his love. But who should he want? Someone prettier, more successful, athletic, rich? Because if you boil it down, the only thing I don’t have is family and money. Who cares about those things when you’re talking about love? Lord knows he had enough of both--he sure as hell didn’t need them from her.
And whose gowns should the MacAllisters choose over hers? Mine are special.
They’re sensational.
“Brace yourself,” Zach said. “If you score this job, you’re going to become the “It” girl in the bridal world.”
“I have to finish Callie and Delilah’s dresses first.”
“Oh, trust me, it’ll take the sisters a while to settle on a design.”
“You’re right about that.” She knew from Luc’s atelier that anyone spending that kind of money took her time and got involved with every step of the design process.
“Could take months.”
“I can’t believe the response we’re getting to this social media campaign.” She glanced up at him. “Boy, am I glad I haven’t followed up with the requests that’ve already come in.”
“Looks like you’ll need to be selective.” He smiled. “All right, let me get you that number.”
She was heading back to her station, when the door swung open, bringing in a gust of autumn-scented wind, all dry leaves and crisp air. In strode a man she didn’t recognize, holding a tablet and wearing khakis and a flannel vest.
More people spilled in after him. An efficient-looking woman in black slacks and a tan sweater and a man in a short-sleeved white shirt with shiny gold badges and patches on it. Fire chief. Warning flares shot off in her brain.
Hurrying over to find out what was going on, she approached the group with a smile and her hand extended in greeting. “Hello, I’m Knox Holliday. How can I help you?”
The man in khakis looked around the room, up at the ceiling, and down the hallway. “Mike Fairchild, Town Inspector.” He nodded to the woman beside him. “Elaine Tailor, Fire Inspector.” And then gestured to the man on her other side. “And Chuck Bailey, Fire Chief.”
Oh, shit. “What can I do for you?”
“Do you have a permit to run a business out of this building?”
An awkward laugh tripped out of her throat. “Uh, no. This…this is all new.” The three of them just stared at her with impassive expressions. “Sorry, I’m a fashion designer, and I was getting ready for my first show when a car crashed through the window of my house and mowed down my dresses. So, I came out here—I’m from here, actually; I grew up in Calamity—to fix them. That’s what we’re doing.” You’re babbling. Stop talking.
“You’ve got employees.” The woman scanned the work stations, before looking up at the ceiling. “Do you have sprinklers? Exits?”
“I don’t…know. Like I said, I pretty much just got here. It’s temporary.”
Footfalls pounded on the porch steps, and a massive ball of energy stormed into the room, causing her guests to whip around. In running shorts, sweaty T-shirt, and hair tousled from the wind, Gray reached out his hand. “Mike. Elaine.” He gave them a lazy smile. “Chuck, good to see you. What’
s up?”
Stern faces softened. They all shook hands and chattered for a moment. Knox cut a look to Zach. Are we up shit’s creek?
“Gray,” Mike said. “You know you can’t run a business out of this place, right?”
“We’re going to take a look around,” Elaine said.
With his back to her, Gray reached behind and found Knox’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Sure thing. Let me take you on a tour.”
Zach mouthed, Without a paddle.
Thunder boomed in the distance, and Gray looked up to the darkening sky. They’d known the storm was rolling in, so they’d tried to visit as many properties as they could before it hit. Good thing this is the last one.
The real estate agent slid a key into the lockbox. “I’ve been trying to rent this space for a year, and I’ve had no takers.”
What the listing called an industrial park was really a series of five connected buildings located halfway between Calamity and Jackson. Personally, Gray liked the remote area. Just across the highway was the Bison Sanctuary, a flat stretch of grassland that ended at the dramatic upthrust of the Teton Mountain range.
Right as a raindrop hit his cheek, he followed the women into the building and stood inside the empty, cavernous room. The wide-open space would be perfect for their operation. He listened as the agent answered questions and talked up the space, but mostly he watched Knox.
She’d been knocked sideways when the inspectors had shut her down.
It had sucked, but at the same time, he’d gotten a fierce hit of respect for the way she’d handled it. She’d shifted straight into fix-it mode. Without a word, she’d gone to her laptop to look up real estate agents.
“Why can’t they rent the space?” Knox asked. “Is it the location? I mean, it is in the middle of nowhere.”
“That’s exactly why,” the agent said. “The moment anything in town goes on the market, it’s snatched up by a business that appeals to tourists, skiers, hikers, hunters…that kind of thing. Thanks to Owl Hoot, we’ve got new breweries opening up, restaurants, outfitters, you name it, but this location’s no use to them. It’s too far out. The good news is that you can get a great price and a flexible lease. In fact, the owner will love you because you’ve got so much growth potential. These walls are removable, so when you’re ready, you can expand into the next space.”