Mistletoe Between Friends / The Snowflake Inn

by Samantha Chase

  Now, here he was skulking around like a pouting teenager, and he didn’t know what to do about it. He was leaving for Virginia in the morning to visit his buddies, and although he would only be gone for four days, Riley wanted to clear the air before he left.

  Every night, he spent time alone talking to his mother, and while she never admitted she was in love with Ben, Riley got the impression she was. Maybe she didn’t even know it. The more Riley observed the two of them, the more he saw that Ben was clearly in love with Corrine. Wouldn’t that make selling the inn seem more reasonable? Ben didn’t need the income, and between the two of them, they could retire comfortably and have a good life together. Was he really the only one who saw this?

  He needed to talk to Grace. Maybe if he told her how he was seeing things now and how much selling the inn would benefit both his mother and Ben, she’d finally see things his way.

  She had disappeared after dinner, and Riley didn’t want to seem obvious in his search for her. He found his mother in the living room with a book. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said with a smile as he walked into the room. “How are you doing tonight?”

  Sitting beside her on the sofa, he returned her smile. “Tired, as usual. I’m telling you, Ben should have been in the military, because he runs a tight ship around here.”

  “Tell me about it,” Corrine chuckled.

  “I’ve done some hard drills that didn’t leave me feeling this worn-out at the end of the day.”

  “It’s a different kind of work,” she said serenely. “There’s something to be said about turning a house into a home. It’s not just physical work; it’s emotional too.” She looked up at Riley and winked. “And exhausting.”

  “Amen to that,” he agreed. “I think it’s even harder on you and Grace,” he said carefully.

  Corrine looked at him and frowned. “Really? Why?”

  “Well, you’re both helping with the renovations, plus doing all of the cooking and the cleaning… I mean, here you are relaxing with a book. I bet Grace is in her room already asleep.”

  A laugh escaped before Corinne could stop it. “Grace? Are you kidding me?”

  “What? What’s so funny?”

  “Grace practically needs to be shot with a tranquilizer dart to unwind and go to sleep. If anything, she’s probably out in the hot tub relaxing and listening to her iPod or something. Once she does that, she’ll go to her room and do yoga or something, and then maybe, just maybe, she’ll read for a couple of hours before going to sleep.”

  “Doesn’t she get up at six and start cooking?” he asked.

  “Every day like clockwork.”

  “How is that possible?”

  Corrine reached over and took her son’s hand in hers. “Grace hasn’t had an easy life. Though maybe that’s not the right way to put it. Growing up, she had a wonderful family life. When her parents died, she had a tough time of it. She was supposed to be on that trip with them. They went on that boat every summer, and that year, because she was getting ready for college, she stayed home. It haunted her for a long time. She told me that she has nightmares about them drowning and how she should have been with them. I think the poor thing is just afraid to go to sleep.”

  Riley had no words. That was a lot more information about Grace than he was prepared for. The more he learned about her, the more he felt guilty about the inn and wanting it gone. He had to force himself to change his way of thinking. Nope, he wasn’t going to feel guilty. Grace wasn’t his responsibility; his mother was.

  Kissing his mother on the cheek, Riley stood and wished her a good night before walking back to the kitchen. He meant to simply grab a bottle of water, but he looked outside and saw the lighted path.

  He sighed. The lighted path led to the hot tub. It would be wrong to go there. He didn’t want to disturb Grace, especially after what he had just learned. If she needed all those things to help her sleep, the last thing she needed was him nagging her about the inn while she was unwinding.

  But, he reasoned, he was leaving tomorrow and didn’t want to wait. And there was the added perk of seeing Grace in a bathing suit. Sure, he was doing his best to keep his distance—or she was. Either way, they hadn’t gotten within five feet of each other since sharing that kiss, and he just wanted to satisfy his curiosity.

  All those days in the park, she’d jogged wearing a bulky jacket. Around the house, she usually wore a big sweater or an oversized sweatshirt. He’d felt her curves through the layers of clothes, and he just needed to know if she was as curvy as she felt. What better way to find out than seeing her in a bathing suit? Well, he thought with a mental kick, there are plenty of other ways to find out, especially if you stop tiptoeing around her and do what you want to do.

  He wanted to make love to her.

  Badly.

  Even right now.

  Not good, not a good sign. She was becoming a weakness for him, and a marine did not have any weaknesses. Riley gripped the door handle tightly and gave himself a mental pep talk. Okay, go out there and just talk to her as if she were fully dressed. Don’t linger; don’t make any kind of small talk. Just get the facts, present your case, and get the hell out of there. You’ll be in Virginia tomorrow, and if you really set your mind to it, you can find a woman to hook up with, and all of this lust you’re feeling toward Grace will be taken care of. End of story. Now march your ass out there, get the information, and get out!

  With a nod of his head, Riley yanked the door open and marched down the path with a determined stride.

  And came to a complete halt at the sight before him.

  Grace was in the hot tub, and the lighting was soft as it illuminated not only the water, but small lights lining the surrounding garden and twinkly lights laced through the lattice as well. Even though it should have been bright, the lighting gave her the perfect ethereal appearance. He was mesmerized. Transfixed.

  And totally screwed.

  Her head was thrown back, and he could see the earbuds leading to her iPod. He wondered what kind of music she was listening to. The night was definitely cool, and yet the two heat lamps flanking the hot tub area kept things warm. Riley stepped closer and noticed her eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful that he hated to disturb her, hated the thought of ruining the nightly ritual she clearly needed.

  But leaving was not an option. Not only because he needed to talk to her, but also because he simply needed to be near her. Something about Grace beckoned him, and although he was hesitant to think too much about it, he knew this was exactly where he wanted to be.

  He took yet another step closer and felt the heat of the lamps warming him. He kicked off his shoes as he watched to see if Grace had noticed his presence. When she didn’t move, he bent over and removed his socks. Straightening, he was surprised that she was so deep in thought that she didn’t sense he was there. His shirt came off next, and he began to question whether or not this was a smart thing to do.

  He unbuttoned his jeans and let them drop.

  Softly he said her name, but she didn’t move a muscle. Was she sleeping? If that was the case, then it was a good thing he was here. Clearly, she could drown if she was left here by herself. So really, he was helping her. He was sure she’d see it that way.

  Kicking his jeans aside, he stared at his dark briefs and questioned whether they stayed or went. Peeking over the side of the tub, he confirmed that Grace was wearing a bathing suit.

  The briefs stayed.

  Riley didn’t want to startle her, but he had a feeling that no matter what he did, she was going to freak out a little. With his hands gripping the side of the tub, he made his decision. Swinging one leg over the side and then the other, he slipped into the water and promptly heard Grace scream.

  “For crying out loud, Riley!” she cried. “You have got to stop doing that!”

  “I was standing beside the damn tub for ten m
inutes, and you never flinched. I thought you were asleep. I figured I’d better wake you up before something happened.”

  “And you thought scaring me to death was the answer?”

  “What was I supposed to do?”

  “Oh, I don’t know, maybe touch my hand? Say my name? You know, something not terrifying!”

  “So my being in the hot tub with you is terrifying?” he teased.

  She rolled her eyes and pulled the earbuds out before turning and shutting off her iPod. When she faced Riley again, she felt a little more in control. “Why are you even here?”

  “I was going for a walk to unwind before going to sleep, and I saw you here sleeping in the water.”

  “I wasn’t sleeping; I was relaxing.” She glared at him suspiciously. “And since when do you need to unwind before going to sleep? I thought soldiers were taught how to sleep anywhere.”

  He shrugged. “I guess I’m getting soft since becoming a civilian.”

  “It’s been six days, Riley,” she said flatly. “Seriously?”

  He stretched his arms out along the side of the hot tub and relaxed. Grace was sitting directly across from him, and from what he could see, she was wearing a green bikini that matched her eyes.

  And she was just as curvy as he had imagined.

  “Okay, the truth is that I wanted to talk to you before I left tomorrow.”

  “About what?”

  “My mother and Ben.”

  “Ah…so you’ve been observing. Nice.”

  Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. “It wasn’t hard to see. For crying out loud, they do nothing but watch one another. I know Ben is crazy about my mom, but I don’t think she’s realized how she feels.”

  “Very astute, soldier,” Grace said with a sly smile. “She doesn’t have a clue. Well, maybe a small one, but I think she’s a little embarrassed by her feelings.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because we first touched on this subject while she was at the rehab facility. I listened to the way she talked about Ben, and I asked if she had a crush on him. She said she thought she was too old for a crush; I told her she wasn’t.”

  “So then what’s the holdup?”

  Leave it to a man to be clueless. “Riley, she hasn’t dated anyone since your father died. She sees Ben as a friend. I think she’s scared to take that risk with him.”

  “But doesn’t she realize how beneficial it would be?”

  Grace didn’t like the way he said beneficial. “Care to elaborate on that one?” she asked.

  Taking a deep breath, Riley prepared himself for battle. “All I’m saying is that it would be good for both of them to stop dancing around one another. She’d have someone to take care of her, which is what I’ve always wanted for her, and Ben would have the woman he’s in love with. How can that be a bad thing?”

  Grace wasn’t an idiot. That was too simple and totally not a guy thing to say. “Okay, thank you for the Miss America answer to our question. Now how about telling me the truth.” When he looked at her funny, she simply crossed her arms and quirked a brow at him. “Your poker face isn’t always on either, Ace.”

  “Fine,” he said irritably. “If the two of them hooked up, they’d be financially secure for life. You and I both know he doesn’t need to work. I’m sure he sold his business for a ton of money, and if he wanted to, he could sit home all day and do nothing.”

  Grace simply stared at him.

  “And if my mother sold the inn, she’d be financially secure as well. The two of them could travel and spend time together and just…finally have a life! Why is that so wrong?”

  “You are unbelievable,” Grace said with disgust as she rose to her feet. Water streamed off her body, but she paid no attention to it in her indignation. “She has a life, and there’s nothing wrong with it. She didn’t agree with your career choice, but she didn’t demand you leave it. Don’t get me wrong. I think she and Ben would be wonderful together, and I am hopeful they’ll figure it out. But if they do, it will be to build the life they want together, not the one you expect them to build.”

  Riley knew she was speaking—he could hear her voice—but all he could do was focus on the body before him, glistening in the moonlight. How could he have thought for one minute this was a good idea? It was one thing to imagine what Grace would look like in a bathing suit—or naked—and another thing entirely to have her body within arm’s reach.

  He noticed the silence first. He hungrily drank in the sight of her as his gaze slowly rose to her face.

  That was one ticked-off redhead standing in front of him. Without conscious thought, Riley reached out, banded one arm around her waist, and pulled Grace onto his lap. She gasped in surprise but didn’t pull away.

  “You didn’t hear one word I said, did you?” she asked, unable to hide her outrage.

  Riley was not in the habit of lying, and he wasn’t about to start now. “No. Once you stood up in the water, my mind went blank and all of my blood traveled south.” To prove his point, he held her more securely against him and rocked his hips upward.

  “Oh,” she whimpered and hated herself for being so easily distracted by him. Her whole body seemed to willingly wrap itself around him, and Grace didn’t have even the slightest inclination to do anything about it.

  “I didn’t come here for this,” he said gruffly as he continued to gently rock his hips against her. “I really did want to talk to you.”

  Her head fell back, and a small moan escaped her lips. “So…talk to me,” she said huskily.

  It was Riley’s turn to groan. Right now, the only talking he wanted to do was dirty talk, and then he didn’t want to talk at all. “Grace,” he said slowly, as if it were torture.

  She raised her head and met his gaze dead-on. Moaning his name, she took her turn at rocking against him and smiled at the hiss that escaped his lips. “Was there something specific you wanted to talk about?”

  Reaching up, Riley fisted a handful of Grace’s hair and tugged slightly. “It’s not nice to tease, Grace,” he said right before his mouth crashed over hers.

  It was exactly as Riley had remembered and spent the week fantasizing about. She felt incredible in his arms, and if he had his way, she’d never leave them. He took his turn at nipping at her lip, but she didn’t need the prompt. Her tongue was more than ready to meet his. “God, Grace, you feel so good,” he growled as his mouth worked its way down her throat and then to the swell of her breasts. The bikini top did little to hide her from him, and without asking for permission, Riley reached behind her, undid the ties, and threw the top aside. Grace gasped as the fabric was pulled away, but the sound turned to one of pleasure when his lips and tongue began to tease her breast.

  She panted his name as she continued to rock over him. It would be so easy to simply let go, to remove the last of their clothing and do what they both wanted. But Grace wasn’t sure she’d be able to live with herself if she did such a thing. It wasn’t who she was. Something about Riley made her completely forget herself. She had no doubt she would eventually sleep with him, but she knew it wasn’t going to be here in the hot tub.

  “Riley?” she said as she reluctantly put her hands on his head and pulled away from him. “Riley, we can’t do this. Not here, not now.”

  He looked up at her, dazed. “Wait… What?”

  Grace scooted off his lap, moved to the other side of the tub, and folded her arms over her chest. “Look, I don’t know why this keeps happening, but I know I’m not someone who has sex in my boss’s hot tub. I lost my head there for a minute, but it’s clear now and we can’t do this.”

  With an impish grin, Riley slid swiftly over beside her. “I like it when you lose your head, and I know exactly why this keeps happening. And you know what?” he asked and waited for her to respond.

  “What?”

&nbs
p; “It’s going to keep happening until we finish what we started.”

  Grace shook her head vehemently. “It can’t, Riley. We can’t.”

  “Why?”

  She threw her head back and sighed. “You’re my best friend’s son. You’re trying to convince her to sell this place, a place I love. As far as I’m concerned, that’s more than enough reason why this can’t happen.”

  He shrugged and moved closer. “These are two separate things, Grace. One has nothing to do with the other.”

  “Maybe to you, but not to me,” she said sadly. “I can’t disengage that much. I’m sorry.” With as much dignity as she could find, Grace rose from the tub and stepped out, keeping an arm banded across her chest the entire time. Grabbing a towel, she wrapped it around her body while she gathered her things. She looked over her shoulder to where Riley still sat in the tub. He was watching her intently, and it took every ounce of willpower she possessed to not rip the towel off and climb back in on top of him.

  “Good night, Riley,” she said softly and quickly made her way up the path to the house.

  Riley watched her go but stayed exactly where he was. The image of her perfect body was permanently burned in his brain. And the feel of her, the taste of her… Well, that was going to be there as well. Off in the distance, he heard a door close and he smiled. Reaching over, he set the timer on the jets and let himself relax in the warmth of the tub while the water beat on his sore muscles.

  Leaning his head back, Riley closed his eyes and smiled. Grace might think this was over, but she was wrong. He had no doubt that if they had been anyplace but a hot tub, he would be making her his right now.

  He just had to bide his time for a little bit longer.

  Chapter 6

  For four days, Grace walked around in a funk. She did her work; she cooked for the guests. She went for her therapy and treated herself afterward, and yet she felt like something vital was missing. It irked her to no end trying to think what that was.