by Sara Brooks
He dressed the gash, catching himself before he pressed his lips against the bandage—a leftover habit he hadn’t exhibited in years. Instead, he tapped his hand on her knee before putting some distance between them. “Good as new.”
“Thank you.”
The quiet words clenched at his gut. He put even more distance between them because right at this moment, all he wanted to do was go back to his knees and wrap those gorgeous legs of hers around his shoulders. He desperately wanted another reminder of how she tasted as she came on his tongue. Instead, he called up his training to remain in control as he turned his back on her.
“I’ll get your things.”
After stepping out onto the porch, he collected the various pieces of clothing he’d dropped when they’d returned to the cabin. He closed his eyes to take in a cleansing breath.
Or at least tried to.
All he smelled was the L’air du Temps perfume infused in her clothing. The scent should have brought him immense pain considering the fact it had been Lisa’s favorite perfume. But right now all he could seem to think about was how the scent surrounded him as Beth’s mouth had been wrapped around his cock and his tongue had been buried in her pussy.
He forced out a breath, pushing away the smell of crushed autumn leaves, and tried to find the scents of the pine trees and grass he’d surrounded himself with. But the familiar scent hung in the air like a specter, merging his past with his present.
“Ryan?”
Beth’s soft voice broke through his musing and he turned, thrusting the garments in his hands at her. Suddenly, he wanted to be anywhere else but on the porch. “Sorry. Have my mind on something else. Here are your clothes.”
“Thanks.” She clutched them to her chest instead of immediately getting dressed as he expected. “I never got a chance to apologize for running over your flowers the first time I came out here. I can give you some money to replant what I ruined.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He spun to duck back inside, but the gentle hand she wrapped around his upper arm stopped him. The touch scorched his skin. Those thoughts he had of taking her came rushing back.
“I’d like to.”
“Really. It’s all right.” With immense effort he swallowed the lump in his throat. For the second time in the past twelve hours, he surrendered a piece of himself. A piece he didn’t feel he could afford, but her expression made him want to bury himself inside her again. “They aren’t something you can buy.”
“Oh.”
“My wife grew flowers as a hobby. After she died and I bought this place, I transplanted a few of the blooms she’d been working on.” Wanting the moment over, the memory pushed away, he gestured to the shop. “Speaking of things we never talked about. The boat you wanted to buy. Or was that just a ploy?”
“No, I really meant it. I wanted to do something special for my grandparents for all they’ve done for me. Since they’re so adventurous, I thought a sailboat they could use to sail around the world would be perfect.” She tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. “But you seemed to imply it wasn’t for sale, so I haven’t mentioned it again.”
“You didn’t catch me at my best that night.”
She gave a sharp bark of laughter. “If that was your worst…” She trailed off, clearing her throat to discard those unsaid words. “What’s her deck?”
“Hundred sixty-four feet.” He gave her a curious glance when she appeared a little flustered. “Something wrong?”
“Sorry, I’m just still stunned you build sailboats that large in the mountains of Virginia, when the only water in sight appears to be your bathtub.” She gestured to the small lake he’d had dug out when he’d bought the property after signing his very first contract.
The same lake she’d watched him walk into the night they met.
“I won’t do all the handwork here. Once I finish with the outer hull, I’ll have it shipped to my shipyard in Maryland. I’ll work on her there if I want to keep my hands on her longer. From there they’ll launch her into the Chesapeake Bay when she’s ready.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just live out there?”
“Yes. But haven’t you discovered by now I’m not a fan of doing things easily?”
She smirked, shaking her head as she disappeared into the cabin only to reemerge wearing her wrinkled clothes. Visible evidence of her chosen method of discarding them last night.
“Give me a call when you’re ready to not do something easily again.”
Her dirt-crusted boots dangled from her fingers as she stepped off the porch. He found himself transfixed by the way her hips swayed as she walked, remembering the way her lush ass had felt as he’d cradled it in his hands.
A pang deep in his gut told him this deal with her wasn’t going to be as simple as he’d first thought.
In fact, he knew it.
Chapter Nine
Beth wrapped her arms around her lithe body. She pushed the wide porch swing in an arc, swinging her legs out in front of her. The events at Ryan’s house still had her thinking something had shaken loose between them. She got the feeling this wasn’t just about her training anymore. Oh it had started out that way when he’d ordered her to go into the woods. It had even remained that way for a good portion of the time he’d had her tied up to his custom chair.
But something between them had altered in those charged moments. Things had taken on a life of their own to become…more. He’d clearly been uncomfortable the next morning.
She’d spent the past few days wondering if she’d said or done something wrong.
He’d possessed an almost animal-like hunger for her body and, to her surprise, she’d offered him the opportunity to slake his thirst. It had taken nearly all of that time for her body to come down off the high, nearly as long as it had taken for the marks he’d left to fade from her body.
Now they were gone and she wanted them back with every fiber of her soul.
But he’d made it quite clear on the phone, tonight would be another lesson in getting to know each other. Dinner with friends. No lesson at Sanctuary or his house. Her gut churned as she worried about what had happened. Maybe she shouldn’t have mentioned the flowers. Christ on a garlic-butter Ritz cracker, how was she supposed to know his wife had planted them? She vowed to ask him at another time. It sounded as if tonight was supposed to be fun and relaxing. She wasn’t out to ruin whatever plans he had for the night by mentioning painful memories.
Heavy footsteps sounded against the porch stairs. She’d been so wrapped up in her own headspace, she’d missed Ryan’s arrival. Looking over, she found a pair of boots that weren’t Ryan’s. Looking higher, she found another man she recognized.
Dade.
The sturdy post he leaned against looked small next to his large frame. He studied her for a few moments. “I see what he likes about you.”
“What?”
Dade wiped away his smile. “Everything all right? You seem to be a little lost.”
“I’m fine. Just thinking about a few things.”
The chains suspending the swing groaned as he sat beside her. “Mighty heavy thinking for such a gorgeous night. Shouldn’t you be basking in the fading sunlight instead of troubling yourself about my friend over there?” Ryan’s truck sat idling at the curb. She could make out his bulky shape in the driver’s seat. “Before you start accusing him of being ungentlemanly, I offered to come get you. Something tells me that was a good choice because you look as though you could use a friend.”
Her gaze fell to her clasped hands. “I guess.”
“I suspect you’re worried about meeting Ryan’s friends. You’re not sure what they’ll think of the woman with an affinity for silly tee-shirts who spins some seriously kick-ass tunes.”
“How did you know?” His statement reminded her of the way Ryan reacted when they’d first met. “Never mind. Sorry, I’m not used to the whole instinct mojo stuff.”
“Mojo stuff.” He chuckled. “All r
ight. Don’t think I’ve ever heard that term before.”
She licked her lips. “So you’ve heard my show?”
“Of course. You’re the talk of the town. I gotta keep up with the gossip train. It’s been steaming along quite nicely since you moved in.”
“And here I was just trying to blend in.”
“Best way to do that is ignore the noise and don’t let them know you’re hearing it. Best way to do that is going to dinner, making friends and settling in a pattern. Everyone will get bored soon enough.”
“You sound as though you’re speaking from experience.”
“Oh yeah. I’ve fueled the train more than a few times. Tell you what, if they don’t get bored soon, I’ll promise to do something outrageous to make them forget all about you. Deal?”
Despite herself, she laughed. “You’re a good friend.”
He pressed his finger against her lips. “Shh, can’t have that kind of information getting around and ruin the sullied reputation I’ve worked so hard for.” He stood, holding out a hand in offering. She accepted, following him down the porch stairs to Ryan’s truck.
She pulled herself up using the foothold and closed the door. Ryan appeared to be calm and collected, so far removed from the man who had appeared so bothered when she’d left him at the house. He’d chosen a blue button-down shirt with faded jeans worn to white in some places. When her eyes fell to one of those places—his crotch—she scolded herself.
Tonight wasn’t supposed to be about sex.
Ryan brushed a soft kiss to her cheek in greeting before pulling away. As they rumbled down the street, she thought about the differences between the men. Dade seemed to be Ryan’s opposite. While Ryan’s hair and beard looked as though it hadn’t seen the sharp end of a pair of clippers in a few years, Dade’s dark hair swept back from a clean-shaven face. The ends of his hair curled, adding a dangerous quality that would have most women swooning. Paired with the unexpectedly charming attitude and a pair of killer green eyes, he’d make someone quite happy one day.
As she thought about what Ryan had told her about Dade’s issues when it came to relationships, the motion of the truck on the sweeping country roads lulled her. Nestled between the bodies of the two men, she dropped off into a comforting sleep.
“Beth.”
She blinked, roused from a deep nap she hadn’t expected. “Sorry. I didn’t realize I was so tired.” She jerked when she realized she’d curled against Dade. Worse yet, he had his arm around her, cradling her against his firm body.
“No apologies necessary. Seems like you needed some rest.”
“I did.” She pressed a kiss against his cheek. “Thank you.”
His slow, appreciative grin actually made her blush. “I do believe you just made a pass at me. Better watch out, Ryan.” He slipped out of the truck, lumbering across the parking lot before disappearing into the restaurant.
“He’s, ah, something else.”
“You can say that again.” Ryan killed the engine. “And now you know one more person. Should make you feel better about going in there.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You did that on purpose.”
He grinned as he palmed his keys, swinging out of the cab. Ryan wasn’t Ethan. He didn’t have ulterior motives when it came to introducing her to his friends other than to make her feel comfortable. At least there would be a few welcoming faces to talk to in the midst of all the nervousness. She jumped out of the truck, slamming the door as Ryan gestured for her to enter The Southern Ridge Grille with him.
Beth froze as he pushed on her lower back to enter the small alcove with a large, round table. It seemed as if ten conversations were going on at once. It was a wonder anyone could hear anything at all over the din. Ryan tugged on a strand of her hair as he stepped next to her and whistled loudly. Conversations died, all eyes focusing on them. She started to step back, but Ryan’s firm hold kept her in place.
“Everyone, I’d like to introduce Gatlin Falls’ newest radio personality, Elisbeth Lawson.”
“Lawless Lawson!”
The group laughed, the friendly noise breaking the ice coating her stomach. She smiled, swallowing her nerves because she knew she could do this. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been in a room full of strangers before. Ryan pushed her forward as all those conversations continued as if they hadn’t interrupted.
Elena gave her a grin as she patted the seat beside her and Beth gratefully accepted the close quarters with someone she knew. At least having her here would make things a little easier.
As Ryan leaned closer when the waiter appeared, Beth forced herself not to think about how good he smelled. “Something to drink?”
“Beer, please.”
“Same,” he indicated to the waiter before leaning back into her for introductions. “Ah, let’s see. You know Elena to your left, then Allison.” He pointed to the empty seat next to the flaxen-haired woman wearing a shirt with the schematic of a spaceship splashed across it. She recognized it as the ship from the short-lived television show Firefly. She hadn’t seen the science-fiction show in years. Maybe she would see if Allison wanted to get together to glut themselves one afternoon.
“Patrick should be on his way. His brother Alex will be beside him. You know Dade. Then there’s Tony, Genevieve, Mark and Cooper. Genevieve owns the restaurant.” Beth watched the attractive woman dip her head to Tony and say something that made the redhead chuckle.
“Not tonight, it seems.”
Ryan nodded slowly as he watched the couple interact. “Well, that’s an interesting development.” There was something odd in his tone as if he didn’t understand what exactly was going on. Then she followed his gaze and noticed Dade’s eyes kept flicking over to catch glimpses of Tony and his date.
“What is?”
He leaned closer, his breath skimming over her cheek. “I don’t know Tony all that well other than the fact he owns 616 over on Main.”
“A comic-book store?”
“Excited over the idea of a comic book store in town? I should have known you would feel that way.” He chuckled. “He’s one of Allison’s gamer friends. They have a standing meet once a week for a gaming session.”
“You know, I’m really beginning to like your friends. So if Tony is one of Allison’s friends, does that mean…”
“No. Not as far as I know. Thing is, I know Genevieve is in the lifestyle. I’ve seen her out at Element Twenty-Six a few times.”
“So maybe she’s showing him the ropes. So to speak,” she added with a wink.
“I’m not too sure.”
“Don’t be rude.” She cleared her throat, settling a hand on Ryan’s arm to pull his attention away. “You’re staring.”
The waiter brought a round of drinks for the table and judging by his relaxed and joyous expression, he was used to juggling the large group. She wondered just how often the group of friends came here.
She bypassed the frosty mug, drinking directly from the longneck. Ryan leaned forward as he pulled his beer closer, his lips pressing against the curve of her ear just below her piercing. The intimate contact sent a shockwave through her system. “Keep it up and I may just be compelled to pull you into the bathroom and give you something else to wrap your mouth around.”
She nearly spit out a mouthful of beer but managed to choke it down instead. Maybe she’d read him entirely wrong back at his house and there wasn’t anything wrong. Based on the very overt sexual comment, everything between them was just fine.
“So how do you like Gatlin Falls, Beth?”
Tony’s question caused her to push aside her worry. “Very charming. I could easily fall in love with the slow pace. Definitely nothing like Nashville.”
A few curious glances shot her way. Had she said something wrong? Or had Ryan not been as discreet as he may have thought with his very sexual promise?
Elena tapped the stem of her wineglass on the table. “Beth and I caught up with one another when I’d gone to Tennessee fo
r business.”
Mark smiled. “When you helped work on the Gaylord Hotel after the floods, right?”
“Yes. It’s a beautiful city. Very full of life and energy, but still laid-back and casual. Anyway, Beth and I went to college for a number of years, sharing a dorm, then an apartment, until I graduated. I knew she lived and worked there, so I thought it was time to pay an old friend a visit.”
Beth blew out a breath, thankful Elena didn’t mention the true reason she’d contacted her. “Had no idea I would follow when you kept describing this place. It sounded too perfect. Then she called to tell me Joe was retiring and thought I’d be perfect for the job.”
“Must be a big change from being surrounded by all that country music.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Can’t stand the stuff. I worked for an alternative-music station.”
The surprised expressions on the faces around the table reminded her of the way Ryan had reacted the first time he’d heard the same bit of information. The reaction always amused her.
Mark leaned forward, a smile brightening the hazel eyes behind his glasses. “Let me get this straight—you worked for an alternative-rock station in the heart of the birthplace of country?”
His amused tone made her smile. “My show was first in the market during its timeslot, so I must have been doing something right.”
Conversation returned to normal as several pizzas were delivered to the table.
Ryan began shoveling a slice into his mouth, something she’d noticed about him the first time they’d dined together. He ate like a fiend. Thank God he didn’t devour her the same way.
Done with his first piece, he turned to Cooper as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “What kind of movies are we in for tonight, Cooper?”
“Comedic horror.”
“Movies?”
“Cooper has a movie festival once a month at the theater. Overdose on one kind of film, eat greasy popcorn and drink flat soda. It’s the highlight of the month.” He winked. “Welcome to small-town living.”