Uncontrollable

by Shannon Richard

  “Here are your keys to the Pembroke Cottage and the last thing I need is to know what time you’d like breakfast brought to your room in the morning.”

  “Nine will be good.” It would be nice for both of them to sleep in a little bit…and probably a necessity, as Tripp had every intention of keeping her up most of the night.

  “If you need anything, just ring the front desk.” Jenson smiled at them both. “The extension is by the phone in the room.”

  They both thanked him before they headed outside.

  “You got us a cottage?” Beth asked as they made their way down the steps.

  “More privacy.” He grinned as he leaned down and kissed the “O” her lips had just made. “Come on.”

  They went back to his truck, and he let go of her hand so he could grab both of their bags. Then they followed a stone-paved pathway that led to a little blue cottage with white shutters and a white door. Tripp set the bags down as he got the key from his pocket and opened the door.

  He pulled the key from the door and put it back in his pocket before he grabbed the bags again. “After you.”

  Beth stepped inside and gasped. “Oh my gosh.”

  The walls were a light blue and white crown molding ran along the ceiling. The hardwood floors were a rich dark brown, almost the exact same color as the massive four-poster bed in the middle of the room. White hangings trailed down from the canopy and puddled on the floor.

  Beth made a dash for the bed, flinging herself on it so that she was sprawled out in the middle of the lush white linens. Tripp dropped the bags on the floor before he joined her, stretching out next to her.

  She rolled into him, grabbing his hand and leaning up so he could wrap his arm around her. “It’s perfect,” she whispered, settling into his side and throwing one of her legs over his.

  “So your options are this: we can either stay here”—he turned his head and nipped at her ear—“and order food from somewhere that delivers.”

  “Or?”

  “Or, you put on one of those fancy dresses you packed and I take you out.”

  “Hmm…” She turned to look at him. “Both very good options. I pick the second one.”

  She pressed a quick kiss to his mouth before she sat up and scooted off the bed. Her hips swayed as she walked over to her suitcase and unzipped it, pulling out her bag of toiletries and heading to the bathroom.

  “Holy crap, Tripp!” she shouted and a second later peeked out from the doorway. “The bathtub is enormous. Make sure you add that to our agenda.” She grinned wickedly before she disappeared again.

  It was going to be a good weekend.

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later Beth was ready to go. She was wearing a light pink dress and strappy brown wedges that added about three inches to her height.

  She was stunning, and he told her so. “Are you going to be okay if we walk?” he asked as she straightened the collar of his button-up shirt.

  “What? These shoes are comfortable.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for it.” Comfortable, they did not look. Sexy as hell, yes. But not comfortable.

  Dinner was at a small restaurant in the downtown area, about two blocks away from the Adeline House. They both catalogued the now-closed shops to visit the next day as they passed by hand-in-hand. Once settled at their table, Tripp ordered a bottle of wine and Beth told the waiter the four different appetizers they were going to split for their meal.

  After sharing a dessert of chocolate hazelnut crème brûlée, they got back to the cottage around eleven. He barely had the door closed and locked before he had his hands on her. She worked at the buttons on his shirt while he took the time to explore her neck with his mouth. He was just about to get to work on the zipper at the side of her dress when she pulled back.

  “Stop,” she whispered, breathless.

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “Just for a minute. One minute.” She turned and went to the bathroom, the door snapping shut behind her.

  He started to count in his head as he sat down at the edge of the bed, kicking off his shoes before getting rid of his socks. Then he lay back, wearing only his jeans, as he stared up at the canopy. He had no doubt in his mind that whatever she was doing was going to be totally worth it when she opened the door. Didn’t mean every damn second she wasn’t under his hands wasn’t painful.

  He was at ninety-four seconds when the handle finally turned and he sat up. She was standing in the open doorway and as his eyes moved over her body, he forgot how to breathe.

  She was wearing a slip made of light purple satin and white lace. The bottom hit high on her thighs, and there was a slit running up the left side. The satin covered her breasts, her nipples puckering through the fabric.

  His mouth watered.

  “God, Beth.” He stood up and crossed the room to her. He reached for her hips, the silky material moving under his palms as he slid his hands up to her waist. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are?”

  And she was his. All fucking his.

  He didn’t give her a chance to answer before his mouth was on hers, his grip at her waist tightening as he pulled her up. Her legs wrapped around him and he walked back to the four-poster, laying her down on all of that white bedding. And then his lips were trailing down her neck to her breasts, pulling one of those satin covered nipples into his mouth.

  Beth’s moan filled the room as her back arched off the bed, hands going to the back of his head and fingers delving into his hair as she held him to her.

  He took his time, exploring every inch of her that was covered in all of that satin and lace. Every delectable inch. The panties she wore were made of the same satin and lace as the slip, and when he flicked his tongue against the material covering her clit she cried out.

  A stronger man than he was would’ve been able to hold out more, but he’d reached his limit. Fingers hooking in the material at her hips, he pulled her panties down her legs as he pulled himself up from the bed. He unbuckled his jeans and let them drop to the floor, then he slid over her body. Slipping a hand underneath her bottom, he lifted her just slightly as he thrust into her.

  They moved together, both of them grasping and clinging to each other. Between the satin of her slip rubbing against his chest and her throaty moans, she was driving him out of his ever-loving mind.

  His restraint at letting go hit the max, and he picked up the rhythm of his hips as he spent himself inside of her. Then she fell over the edge, his release triggering hers, her body pulsing around his and wringing out every last ounce of pleasure.

  He collapsed on top of her, his lips pressed to the junction of her shoulder and her throat. “I love you,” he said against her skin.

  Loved her more than he’d ever loved anyone.

  * * *

  When Beth woke up the following morning she realized the night’s activities had put her into a solid sleep. She hadn’t stirred at all from when she and Tripp had finally gone to sleep around two, right up to when the alarm went off at eight forty-five. She was in the exact same spot, her body cushioned by the mattress beneath her and Tripp next to her. Well, Tripp wasn’t exactly a cushion—more a wall of hard, hot, muscled male. And she’d take him any day of the week.

  After breakfast was delivered to their room—goat cheese and chive scrambled eggs, French toast made from thick slices of bread and smothered in blueberry syrup, and sausage from a local farm—they took the tub for a spin. Literally; the jets had the water swirling around them. Tripp pulled her onto his lap about halfway through, and she took him for a spin.

  It was close to noon when they finally ventured out of the cottage and walked to the main part of downtown. The trees were in full bloom, the leaves rustling in the spring breeze. Cars drove slowly over the brick-paved road, cautious of the people milling around on either side of the street.

  Tripp wanted to check out a sporting goods store, where he ended up buying a new baseball glove for Grant. After tha
t they stopped into a bookstore, where they both lingered over the shelves—the children’s section specifically. Both Beth and Tripp picked out a stack of storybooks for Penny, almost all of them involving an animal with a unique name. As for Nora, Beth was wandering around a little boutique shop when she found a simple silver necklace. It had three tiny hearts on it. One silver, one gold, and one bronze.

  Around three they had a light lunch—their rather large breakfast had lasted them a while—at a little pizzeria. They got back to the cottage close to four o’clock, and after putting down their spoils, fell into bed. But besides a few kisses, there wasn’t any funny business.

  Being here felt beyond decadent, especially as she was snuggled up next to Tripp. They talked for a little while, but the hours they’d spent in the sun had made her sleepy. Besides, they were definitely going to have another night of vigorous activity. So she figured she might as well rest up.

  * * *

  For the second time that day, Beth woke up next to Tripp, although this time he was trailing kisses across her jaw. Because they had to leave in an hour, he let her get out of bed after only a couple more kisses.

  After curling her hair and redoing her makeup, she pulled that night’s dress from her bag. Zipper undone and back gapping open, she stepped out of the bathroom just as Tripp was pulling a gray polo over his head. She was more than capable of pulling up the zipper herself, but where was the fun in that?

  Once his eyes cleared the material of his shirt and he saw her, he stilled. “You’re wearing the blue dress tonight? The one you wore on our first date?”

  “I figured I could wear it for longer than twenty minutes this time.” She crossed the room to him and turned around, holding her hair up. “Can you get that for me?”

  He moved in close to her, his breath washing across her skin as he kissed her neck. There was a slight tug at the base of her dress before she heard the snick of the zipper coming together.

  Then his hands were at her hips, and he pulled her back against him, bringing his mouth to her ear. “You wearing it for longer might be a change, but it’s still going to be in a pile on the floor by the end of tonight.”

  She turned, looking over her shoulder at him. “Really now?”

  “Yup.” He spun her around, his lips going to hers. She looped her arms around his neck, holding onto him as he kissed her…thoroughly. “You ready?” he asked after a minute. “Because we need to leave before I throw you on this bed.”

  “Lead the way.”

  He reached up and pulled her arms from his neck, letting go of one while he locked their fingers together with the other. She grabbed her purse before they were out the door.

  There was still about an hour of sunlight left as they headed back into the heart of downtown. She was wearing her yellow wedges tonight, and they clipped against the ground with every step they took.

  Dinner was at a steakhouse. Beth ordered a filet mignon and Tripp the prime rib. Their meals helped to soak up the bottle of red wine Tripp had ordered. The shared baked apple strudel covered in triple cream vanilla ice cream also put in a good effort, but in the end both she and Tripp were feeling pretty damn good when he led her out of the restaurant two hours later.

  Night had settled in and the lamps along the streets had been lit. Music thumped softly in the distance, and as they got closer to it Beth recognized the song. Someone was covering Prince’s “Raspberry Beret.” They rounded a corner and found themselves in a spacious side yard filled with about thirty people or so, most of them dancing. Brick buildings with ivy-covered walls stood three stories tall on either side, and strings of lights had been hung all around, making the space glow.

  “I realize we’ve still yet to dance together,” he said as he turned to her. “And we need to rectify that.”

  Beth grinned as the song ended. “I like the way you think.”

  And with that Tripp led her out into the middle of the crowd as the band in the corner started to play the Pointer Sisters’ “Slow Hand.” He pulled her in close as his free hand went to her lower back, his fingers spreading wide at the base of her spine.

  There was something different about being in Tripp’s arms this way—how he spun her around, how his body moved with hers, how he whispered in her ear, how his lips lingered on her skin. Everything. God, it was everything.

  It was close to midnight by the time they got back to the cottage, and a different type of dancing continued. It was a constant back and forth as they made love to each other, Tripp leading and then Beth. In the end, though, it was the two of them moving together.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Unexpected

  Baby,” a deep, rumbly voice whispered in Beth’s ear. “Breakfast is here.”

  Beth’s eyes were slow to open on Sunday morning, but with the scent of coffee in the air she somehow managed. Tripp was sitting at the edge of the bed, wearing a pair of jeans and nothing else. His fingers traced over her bare shoulder and down her arm.

  “There she is.” He grinned as she blinked up at him. “Hungry?”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips before he stood up. “Good. You should get it while it’s hot.”

  Beth rolled onto her back and stretched, her arms going up while her feet stretched out. She was wearing the satin and lace slip, pajamas that Tripp clearly approved of, and the material slid over her skin as she moved.

  “Are you talking about the food or y-y-ou?” She yawned. “Because it could go either way.”

  “Well, as I’m always hot for you, it’s the food.”

  She grinned as she pulled her arms back up, flopping them down on the bed beside her. It was then that she noticed something blue and sparkly sitting on the ring finger of her right hand.

  Beth sat up abruptly, her hand coming to her face as she looked down. The stone that sat at the center of the ring wasn’t so much blue as turquoise. Tiny diamonds surrounded the circular stone, and there more diamonds inlaid into the top of the band.

  It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

  Beth slowly lifted her head, her eyes not leaving the ring until the very last second. Tripp was standing at the little table and chairs where breakfast had been placed, watching her.

  “Tripp…I…wh-when? Why?”

  “Yesterday when we were at that boutique, and because I wanted to.”

  Beth hadn’t even seen the ring the day before, probably because she’d been so focused on picking out something for Nora. But it was exactly something that she would’ve picked out for herself, if she spent money on herself these days…which she didn’t. It had probably cost him upward of two hundred dollars. Maybe even three.

  Words failed her, probably because the emotions that were rising up in her chest had gone to her throat and left her momentarily speechless. She pulled herself up from the bed and crossed the room, throwing her arms around him.

  “Thank you.” She buried her face against his bare chest, pressing her lips to the spot right over his heart. “It’s perfect and I love it.”

  “You’re welcome.” He kissed the top of her head, his hands moving down her back. “You know, you aren’t playing fair,” he said against her hair. “Plastering your satin-clad body against me.”

  “Look who’s talking.” She looked up at him and held out her hand for him to clearly see the ring. “I mean, I’m not giving it back”—she grinned as she pulled her hand to her chest—“but it is too much.”

  “Consider it a birthday present.”

  “My birthday is in December. Four months ago.” A fact that he remembered as the stone that sat in the middle of the ring was her birthstone.

  “It’s a late present, Beth. Consider it thirty years of late presents.”

  “Tripp, you didn’t h—”

  His mouth was on hers, covering it in a searing kiss. “I know I didn’t have too.” His lips brushed over her cheek and the shell of her ear. “But I wanted to. And Beth, if you don’t put a ro
be on in the next ten seconds, I’m going to do something else I want to do, breakfast be damned.”

  She pulled away from him and took a step back. “Okay,” she said before she turned around and headed for the bathroom. “And Tripp?” she called out, not turning around.

  “Yes.”

  “I love you.”

  * * *

  Because Cassandra and Dennis were going to spend the following week at a cabin in Georgia, it wasn’t a problem at all for them to drop off the kids on their way up. Tripp and Beth got back to her house about two hours before their Cadillac Escalade was pulling into the driveway.

  She and Tripp had swung by Finn’s to pick up Duke, and though the dog had been pretty damn excited to see Tripp, he was beside himself when he saw Grant. The SUV had barely rolled to a stop before Grant flung the door open and was bolting out to Duke.

  “Apparently I’m no longer the favorite,” Tripp said as Grant tackled Duke in the middle of the yard. They wrestled for a little bit, with Duke doing everything in his power to lick Grant’s face.

  “Well, it’s been a week since they saw each other…It was only forty-eight hours for you.”

  “Aw, look at you trying to make me feel better.” He hooked his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close to kiss her on the forehead.

  At that moment Cassandra freed Penny from her car seat and the little girl made a mad dash from the vehicle. “Aunt B! Tripp!” She squealed as she came barreling toward them, a brand-new stuffed animal Tigger tucked under her arm.

  Beth sat back on her heals, arms opened wide as Penny ran right into them. “PenPen!” Beth picked up her niece and pressed a kiss to her little rosy cheek.

  “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too. So much. But did you have fun?”

  “Yes! We rode the Teacups, and Dumbo, and ate Mickey Mouse ice cream, and there was a ride with Dinosaurs. But the dinosaurs were mean dinosaurs, not like Flounder, who is a good dinosaur. We went to Harry Potter World, too, and rode a train, and Grant rode a hippo…hippo…” She looked over at Grant. “Grant, what was it?”