Shoving into his leather coat, he checked his phone and slipped it in the inside pocket as he walked back toward the elevator. He went to her room and knocked on the door.
"It's open," she called out.
Conall pushed through and watched her finish applying her lip balm then don her black and white insulated jacket. It was the one she wore skiing. She wore it for pretty much everything she did outside.
Lord help him, he couldn't be around her and not be aroused. Even thinking of her tended to do that to him. With a deep breath, he shoved his hands in his pockets to make sure he kept them to himself and they actually made it to the tree lighting, instead of his dream scenario in which they lost all their clothes and made a mess of the bed. He preferred his scenario.
"Ready?"
He smiled at her in response as she neared. Her plump lips were taunting him, calling to him. He offered his arm and she rested her gloved hand on it as they left her room. The ride down was quiet, as was the walk to where the tree was.
After they found where they wanted to stand, he slipped off to get them each a drink. Travis met him at the long table filled with drinks and snacks.
"Man, I'm sorry about earlier with Kristen."
"Let it be, Travis." He fixed two hot chocolates.
"I didn’t think…well, I'd hoped she would have behaved herself." He shifted his feet. "I knew she was after money, and I told her about Lennox Construction. She's great in the sack but not so smart anywhere else."
That was putting it mildly. "Not unlike a lot of other women you've dated, Travis. Same goes for all of us. I just… It was my fault for not telling Sage before."
"I still feel bad, and just so you know, I saw Sage and apologized to her as well."
"You did?" Conall looked at his friend after putting lids on the drinks. "Why?"
"We all see how you look at her, your expression when you talk about her. I'm no fool. I know this woman means something to you. And as much as I love women, you know how I am about putting you guys first. Bros before—"
"I get it, Travis. No need to finish that."
"I'm not saying Sage is one, I just want you to know I wouldn’t ever purposefully do anything to ruin your shot with her."
Conall nodded. "That obvious?"
"A blind man could see it." Travis fixed himself a drink. "I'm happy for you, man, truly. We all are. The rest of us found a woman for the moment, however the way you look at Sage tells me you're thinking much longer in terms of time."
Wasn't that the truth. Conall merely grunted, turned from the table, and skimmed his gaze over the milling crowd. Deliberately he left the area where he'd left Sage for last. When he finally regarded that section, his heart kicked up a few paces when he decried her. She stood there talking to another woman, hands in her pockets, with an amused smile on her face.
Conall cleared his throat. "You’re right. I am. I can't explain it, Travis, but there is just something about her that makes me want to lock her up where she can't get away. I actually want to take her to my parents' house and introduce them. Last night…" He trailed off.
The smirk on Travis's face told him the man knew where he was going with it and for the moment had granted Conall a reprieve. He damn well knew it wouldn't last forever. There would be teasing later. Much teasing.
"Where's your woman?" Conall asked, needing the focus removed from himself.
"Off reapplying her makeup." Travis rolled his eyes. "Lovely outside package, great in the sack, but I truly don't know what possessed her to come to a mountain lodge. She spends her days at the spa and doesn't like dirt."
"Yet she is with a construction worker."
Travis flashed a grin. "I'm just that good."
"Your ego needs no help." Conall blinked and watched Sage some more. He couldn't explain it, but she captivated him. When she pulled her phone out of her pocket, he frowned at the resignation on her face. "I'll see you, man."
Travis said something, but it didn't register. All Conall’s attention was on the woman who'd managed to steal his heart. He stumbled a bit at that realization. No way. He'd not gone and fallen in love with a woman he'd not even known for two weeks. Nope, not believing it. Just like. Serious like.
He stopped at her side and handed the drink over. The woman beside Sage did a slow perusal of him but he barely afforded her a glance. Not that she wasn't attractive, for she was; he just had eyes for one woman.
"Merry Christmas, Ma," Sage said before ending her call. She slid the phone back in her pocket and introduced Conall to the woman she'd been chatting with, Mary Something-or-other.
"I have to go find my friend. Great to meet you, Sage. And you, Conall. I'd like to see more of you." His name was spoken on a long, drawn-out purr before Mary walked off.
He shook his head, only to find a look of amusement on Sage's face.
"Sorry," he began, only to halt when she waved him off.
"No need to be. I'd have done the same thing in her place. Well, perhaps not as obvious, but I sure as hell would have checked you out."
His lips curled up in a satisfied smile. "You have no idea how much that appeals to me."
She shook her head with an amused expression on her face. He loved how she didn't hold a grudge for what had happened between them. She had been upset, dealt with it, and moved on. There was nothing in her attitude that told him she hadn't moved on from it.
He held her close during the tree lighting ceremony and kissed her after the night exploded with the amazing display. She snuggled into him, her arm rested easily around his waist and her head settled against his chest. Lowering his head, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the aromatic scent of bluebells.
Eventually they wound their way back inside to the massive party that was going on. Claiming a table, they sat and ordered some Irish coffee from a passing waiter. Conall watched Sage as she observed the people who took turns singing karaoke. Her face was so expressive, he loved it. There was almost no hiding her emotions. She loved life, and it showed in everything she did.
"Do you like to sing?" he asked over the applause as a man left the stage with a big grin on his face as he accepted the crowd’s accolades.
"Like? Yes. Am I any good? Not on your life. I'm worse than a tone-deaf cat in a bucket. Not a pleasant sound at all." She shrugged and took a long sip of her drink. "Thankfully I spend most of my time alone, so the only ones who really suffer are the animals."
He chuckled, envisioning her out in the middle of nowhere with wild animals hiding and wishing they could cover their ears. "Surely it can't be that bad."
"Oh, it can. I was asked to leave the church choir when I was six because of it. Still love to sing, but I know it’s best not to do it around other human beings." She jerked her head toward the stage. "What about you?"
He felt his cheeks heat a bit. "I'm told I have a passable voice."
She faced him completely, ignoring the next person on stage. "Passable? Sounds like code for someone who can sing but isn't a huge fan of it. Are you shy, Conall Lennox?"
"When it comes to some things."
Sage leaned forward and rested her chin on her folded fingers. "So what's a woman got to do to get you to sing a song for her?"
Just look at him as she was doing now and he'd sing anything she wanted. The sparkle in her eyes and the excited parting of her full lips had him damn near ready to give her his vehicle and house.
He cleared his throat. "You want me to sing for you?"
She stuck her tongue out and swiped it along those damn tempting lips before she captured the lower one in her teeth. "Only if you want to."
To keep that look on her face there was no limit to what he would do. Lord help him, he was a sap. And a goner.
Chapter Five
Sage was in a bit of shock when Conall pushed back his seat and walked through the loud crowd, to the man running the karaoke machine and ensuring people got the turns they wanted. She watched him speak to the man and sit down
near him. When the next person finished, Conall strode up to the stage and readjusted the microphone.
She bit her lower lip as the beginning strands of music flowed through the room. Unlike the majority of previous songs, this one was slow. She shuddered at the sound of his voice as it flowed over her. Smooth, resonant, and sensual, his voice reverberated through the room as he sang Toby Keith's "Shouldn't Kiss Me Like That" and the room slowly fell silent.
By the time the final note faded from the air, it was obvious Conall had everyone's attention. They erupted with applause and she joined them. Damn, he was good. He nodded to everyone as he jumped down and headed back through the tables to where she waited.
She looked up at him in amazement. "That was way more than passable singing. You were incredible."
He gave her a smile as he sat beside her and leaned in to kiss her. "Thank you."
Conall had her chair flush against his as they stayed for a while longer and listened to the others who went up on stage to sing for the crowd. Truth be told, she didn't quite hear them all; she was still reeling from his song and the intimate feeling it created within her. It had been as if he sang it for her and her alone.
She didn't object when he drew her to her feet and led her from the room toward the elevators. He kept his arm draped around her as they ascended to her room. When he plucked the keycard from her fingers, she didn't object.
The moment the door closed behind them, his lips captured hers, and she opened them with a welcome sigh, sliding her arms up and around his broad shoulders. Being pressed against him was a feeling she wouldn't ever forget.
His tongue dipped and swirled within her mouth, his hands stroking and rubbing along her arms as he held her tight. Against her belly sprang his rigid erection, tempting her beyond all she believed possible.
He undressed her slowly, his lips following along where seconds before her clothing had been. Fire sang in her blood, but still he proceeded as if he had all the time in the world, murmuring little words of appreciation as he exposed her body to his eyes and touch. Lying there across the large bed, she squirmed in an effort to get him closer.
"No. Hold still."
How was she to do that when he was doing such things to her? Up and down her body he moved, lapping, nipping, and teasing until she no longer muffled her cries. He settled between her legs, and the moment his tongue touched her clit she arched off the bed, crying his name.
Conall laid an arm along her midsection, holding her in place as he licked at her pussy. First one, then two, and finally three fingers thrust inside her as he sucked her clit. Stars flickered behind her lids as she came in a rush.
"Conall!"
He never relented, continuing to stimulate her through her orgasm. She dug her fingers into his hair, holding him to her as she rode out the waves of pleasure coursing through her. She'd barely caught her breath when he rose above her and slid inside with a single smooth stroke.
Their mouths melded with the same heated passion with which he took her. She held him tight, as tight as she could, while he stroked within her. Back and forth, they moved together. She hooked her leg around his waist and angled her hips, allowing him to drive further and deeper within her.
More. She wanted more. Needed it. Craved it. Burned for it.
He knew. Somehow, he knew what she needed and gave it to her. He slid his arms under her shoulders and rolled them so they were on their sides. She moaned in ecstasy as he continued to power-thrust within her. Sage broke the kiss and buried her face in the side of his neck in a weak attempt to muffle her cries of pleasure.
Conall continued moving them, and soon she was on top, his pale green eyes watching her as she sat up with a groan and sank fully onto his shaft.
"Ride me."
She tossed her hair and settled her hands on his solid chest before doing just that. Her lower lip was captured in her teeth as she rolled her hips and set her own pace. Conall held her gaze as she worked on him, his hands alternating from her hips to her breasts and back. Pleasure shot throughout her as she catapulted closer and closer to the orgasm she craved.
Silent, he took her hands from his chest and put them to her own breasts. She got the message and began tweaking her own nipples, her moans growing even louder as his free hand slipped between them and fingered her sensitive clit.
"Come for me."
He delivered the command with a pinch to her nub and she shot over the edge, her internal muscles clamping down on his cock as it moved within her. The hand on her hip tightened as he thrust up faster and faster, still stimulating her clit with his free hand, until he came with a shout. The force of his release triggered another within her and she bowed her back, a wordless cry pouring from her mouth as she shuddered before she sank, spent, against his sweaty chest.
They lay in silence, his fingers moving lightly up and down the ridges of her spine. From where she lay, she could see out the large windows, past the balcony, to where snow fell in large flakes. Beneath her ear, his heart beat a fierce staccato, matching the rapid rhythm of hers.
"Merry Christmas," he murmured after a while.
"What?" Sage reluctantly lifted her head to peer into his eyes.
A small smile turned up his bow-shaped lips. "Merry Christmas." Conall gestured with his head to the digital readout on the bedside clock.
Sure enough, it was five minutes into the twenty-fifth of December. She gave him a small smile and laid her head back down to watch the falling snow.
"Same to you."
"What are you thinking?" His touch lingered on the claw mark part of her tattoo.
"How nice it would be to go skiing if I only had the energy." She felt him turn his head as well. "Looks like it would be a nice run."
"I hear they do the night runs with sparklers to ring in the New Year."
"You staying for that?" She circled his nipple with one finger before moving on to explore along his ribcage.
"No. We're here for a while more, but not that long."
"What are you thinking?"
"Two things."
He didn't say anything other than that, so she prompted him. "Which would be…?"
"That I don't want you to leave tomorrow."
She smiled and pressed a light kiss to his torso. She felt that way herself, wishing they had more time together. "And the second?"
"That this is the second time we've made love without using protection."
Ah, shit!
* * * *
Conall worried his lower lip as her entire body stiffened. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. However, it was the truth; he had been thinking a lot about that after the first time, so when it happened again he had really begun to wonder what a child with the woman in his arms would be like. Not how his life would change. He didn't mind; he was ready for a family. He wasn't ready, however, for the depth of his feelings for Sage.
Would they have a little girl who looked like her, or a boy who looked like him? Perhaps twins? One of each. That would work. His house in Taos had eight rooms, so there would be more than enough room for all.
Hell, he was getting ahead of himself now. Not to mention, Sage was about to panic. Her heartbeat had accelerated and her breaths had changed from slow and easy to sharp and shallow.
Tightening his grip when she began to move away, he brushed his lips along the shell of her ear. "Stay."
Slowly she settled back against him and relaxed. He closed his eyes and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling deeply. There was something about this woman that soothed him. Made things right and his life seem on the right track.
"Would that be a bad thing?" he whispered, fingers stroking along the bare skin of her exposed arm.
"A kid?"
He could hear it in her voice, the strain and the cracking. "Yes. A baby."
"Um, not something I think I'm ready for at this moment." She rotated in his embrace until they were face to face. "Why? Do you feel otherwise?"
Conall was amazed she hadn't r
un, not with the way she'd tensed. In her voice, it wasn't difficult to pick up the amazement at the thought he wouldn't be upset with a child as a result of their union.
"I won't lie and say things wouldn't change, but it is also something I wouldn't be running for the hills from." He tucked some wayward hair back behind one of her ears. "I know we haven't known one another for a very long time, Sage, but honestly, having a child with you makes me smile, not panic."
"I'm panicking."
"I have more than enough room. My house is large and is on a decent-sized piece of property."
Her eyes widened, and he realized he’d just said something he probably shouldn't have. She drew back and sat up, holding the sheet over her nakedness like a shield.
"So you would expect me to uproot my life and move to Taos?"
Yes. "No. I didn't mean it to sound like that. I'm just saying I have room."
"Rich, powerful…of course you do. Me? I work in bum-fuck nowhere so I must be in a single-room house, unable to provide?" Sarcasm laced her words.
"Not what I meant, Sage."
Her brown eyes shot sparks and daggers at him, and he knew she was gearing up for a battle. In that instant he realized it was her defense mechanism.
"Really? That's what it sounded like to me."
"It wasn't supposed to. This may not even be an issue. We don't know if anything will come of it."
Her chest rose and fell with her rapid inhalations. He could see her panic was real and that scared him. After reaching out for her, he tugged her back close to him, refusing to release her.
"Why are you so scared?"
"Don't try to psychoanalyze me, Conall. Just because I'm not thrilled to be a pregnant single statistic doesn't mean there is some hidden meaning from my past which I need to divulge."
He ground his jaw and kept his emotions in check. Her passion was such that it would ignite his easily. He could definitely see heated and spirited arguments with this woman, a thought that made him smile. Making up would be just as hot and volcanic.
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