Lovers at Heart, Reimagined (The Bradens)

by Melissa Foster

  NOTHING IN HIS life had ever given Treat the ceaseless feeling of happiness as taking care of Max had for the last hour. He felt her tension releasing in every breath she took, in the weight of her against him. Everything about her was sublime, and as much as his body cried out for more, sex wasn’t what he craved. Knowing she trusted him and felt safe was paramount. If they did nothing else tonight, he would be sated.

  The bubbles dissipated and the water cooled. Max snuggled closer, borrowing his warmth.

  “Let me dry you off, sweetness.”

  She moved as if she were half asleep, her slender arms reaching for him as she stood. Treat helped her step from the tub and wrapped her in a thick towel, then used another to gently dry her off, wiping water from her neck and shoulders, remembering the way his heart ached the first time he’d set eyes on her and how the unfamiliar emotion had rattled him. Now he understood the emotion and had no fears, but he knew Max did, and he had to find a way to help ease them.

  As he was wiping the water from her body, he knew just what to do. He would protect Max’s heart with simple acts of kindness and love, until that was all she knew. He was surprised when Max reached for his neck, wanting him to carry her to the bedroom. He knew the first time he’d carried her from the car that she might fight him. She was strong and self-sufficient, and she was proud of that. The woman he was carrying to his bed never failed to astonish him—even the way she’d gone from intensely sexual to full-on fear on the hill in Colorado had showed her strength. Most women would have continued making out and rationalized it in their minds just to complete the act. In his experience, most women feared losing the men in their lives. As Max had told him, it was clear that she didn’t fear that as much as not being able to trust her own instincts.

  He drew back the covers with one hand and laid her on the clean sheets, then grabbed one of his T-shirts from his dresser. He carefully helped her put on the shirt. It fell almost to her knees. She looked adorable and sexy.

  Treat pulled on a pair of boxer briefs, then retrieved the candles from the bathroom and placed them on the slate in front of the fireplace. He lay beside Max, leaning on one elbow. “Feel better?”

  “Much. I didn’t think I’d had that much wine, but I am definitely still a little tipsy.” She wiggled closer and pressed her lips to his.

  “That’s okay. I won’t let you take advantage of me.” He rubbed his fingers lightly down her back, and she closed her eyes.

  “Mmm. That feels good. I want to stay right here. Forever.”

  Forever was just what he wanted. She was so sleepy and relaxed, he kissed her softly and said, “Sounds perfect to me. Why don’t you get some rest, babe.”

  “Resting isn’t what I had in mind.”

  She yawned, and he knew she was exhausted.

  “Part of loving someone means letting their body do whatever it needs to do, and your body obviously needs to rest.”

  She kissed his chest and gazed up at him. “But my heart needs you.”

  “Then you shall have me, baby.” He pressed his lips to hers, shifting over her.

  She lifted her hips with a playful smile. “That was easy.”

  “I want you to be happy.” He kissed the edge of her mouth. “If your heart needs to be closer to me more than it needs sleep, who am I to stand in its way?”

  He started with her hands, kissing each finger and working his way down her arms to her soft, warm shoulders, along her collarbone and down her breastbone, loving all the places he’d bathed, and memorizing each dip and curve. He caressed her breasts, making her tremble beneath him, begging for more, then he sealed his mouth over one perfect breast, sucking so hard she bowed off the mattress. He continued feasting on her as he teased over her slick heat with his hands, loving the way her breathing hitched and her hips bucked. Then he moved over her, grinding his cock against her wetness in a maddening rhythm until she quivered and quaked, making those sexy noises that drove him wild.

  “Treat,” she pleaded, and fisted her fingers in his hair. “Please, I can’t take it.”

  But he wasn’t done pleasuring her yet. He glanced up, making sure her can’t take it was arousal and not anything else.

  “Don’t stop!” she demanded, kicking his worries out the door.

  Not only didn’t he stop, he set every dark urge free. He held her hands down to the mattress as he took his fill, devouring her, sending her soaring again and again. His throbbing cock was drenched from her arousal. The need to make love to her clutched him like a wicked hand, tightening every muscle in his body. Electricity sparked around them as he groped and nipped, sucked and kissed, until they were both frantic with need. Only then did he sheath his hard length and come down over her.

  He cradled her beneath him, their bodies shaking with lust and love as he gazed deeply into her beautiful eyes, which were so full of emotions his heart swelled. “There is nothing I won’t do for you.”

  Her fingers dug into his skin like she never wanted to let go, and he knew he never would.

  “I need more of you,” she begged in a voice so full of desire it filled the space between them.

  “I’m yours, baby,” he said as their bodies became one. “All of me.”

  Chapter Twenty

  MAX AWOKE TO the smell of coffee and Treat, only she was alone in the bedroom. She lay thinking about how close they’d become, how right it felt when he made love to her. In a blissful haze, she went into the bathroom and was surprised to find her toiletries in a basket beside the sink. Her shampoo and conditioner were already in the shower. She loved his propensity for organization, which was so much like her own. After brushing her teeth, she headed downstairs in search of him.

  As she stepped onto the first floor, a floral scent surrounded her. She spotted an enormous antique metal bucket overflowing with Knock Out roses. Oh, Treat. She found him in the kitchen, showered, dressed, and strikingly handsome in his jeans and T-shirt. Two more vases of roses sat on the counter and in the center of the table, which was set for two, with warm croissants, fresh fruit, and hard-boiled eggs. Max’s hand covered her heart.

  “You are the most thoughtful man on earth.”

  “Good morning, beautiful. I had to take care of some business this morning, so I got up early.” His gaze traveled slowly down her body from head to toe, heating her up from the inside out.

  “You didn’t have to do all this,” Max said as Treat handed her a delicious-smelling cup of coffee.

  “It wasn’t much, and I figured you’d be hungry. Vicky called. She said that she wanted to make sure you were okay, but I think she really wanted to make sure we’d made up.”

  “Did you tell her we weren’t really fighting?” She set the coffee on the counter and wrapped her arms around him.

  He kissed her and said, “I told her we had a horrible fight but the makeup sex was incredible.”

  “At least you were half honest. These roses are gorgeous.”

  “They line the driveway. Fate?” he asked with a shrug.

  “Fate indeed.” She gazed out the windows at the gorgeous view of the bay. The sky was a clear powdery blue, mirroring her feelings, like the fog that had hung over her and Treat had evaporated and all that was left was the beauty between them. But she knew the skeletons of her past had only gone back into hiding and feared the time they might poke their evil heads out again.

  Treat took her hand in his, and she pushed those thoughts away, focusing on the incredible man who was as real and present as he was good.

  “Thanks for all of this, and for bringing my things inside,” she said.

  He placed her hand on his hip and stepped closer, drawing her against him so their thighs brushed and her breasts pressed against his torso. “I put your clothes in the dresser drawers.”

  “Treat, it’s not like I’m moving in.”

  “Not yet, anyway. See? That’s why I didn’t want to get too close last night. Women are fickle,” he teased, and began kissing her neck.

&n
bsp; “I’m not fickle.” She clung to his waist, breathing harder with each slick of his tongue. “I’ve never stopped wanting you.”

  “Good, because you’re stuck with me.”

  “I like being stuck with you,” she said flirtatiously. “But I forgot to ask how your business deal went.”

  “It was a great success. Soon I’ll be the proud owner of the Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club. And you, my beautiful girlfriend, will have to help me celebrate.”

  “Treat, that’s wonderful!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  “I want to show you around today,” he said between kisses.

  “How can we go anywhere with the crowds?”

  He took her in another sensual kiss, and suddenly those crowds didn’t matter. His hands moved over her back, down her hips, and then snuck beneath her shirt, warming her bare skin.

  “So it’ll take a little longer to get where we need to go?” He brushed his lips over her cheek and whispered in her ear, “We have nothing but time. It’s only ten thirty.”

  “Ten thirty! Why didn’t you wake me up?” She buried her face in his chest and his hands slid around to her back. “I’m so embarrassed.”

  “You were tired. Besides, what did I tell you last night about loving someone?”

  “That part of loving someone means letting their body do whatever it needs to do.”

  “And your body needed sleep.” He took her chin between his finger and thumb, his hungry gaze awakening her desires. “Especially since I kept you up so late.”

  They’d both been insatiable last night, and as his heat consumed her, she wondered what it would be like to wake up beside him every morning and go to sleep in his arms every night, without breaks, without questions about whether they’d end up there. Vicky’s words came tumbling back to her—He’s your tiller—as his mouth moved to the nape of her neck.

  Till me, baby. Till me good.

  “Treat,” she said breathlessly. “You’re what my body needs.”

  “HOW CAN I miss you this much after only a few hours’ sleep?” Treat practically growled.

  He crushed his mouth to hers and Max pressed her whole body against him. Love and lust coalesced, and his deepest desires rushed forward. He struggled against the urge to lay her on the kitchen table and make love to her until she forgot her own name.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he said between hungry kisses.

  Max pushed her hands beneath his shirt, sending a bolt of anticipation to his groin. She stood on her tiptoes as he slanted his lips over hers and lifted her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hair falling like a curtain around their faces. She smelled like sunshine and madness at once. And he was mad all right, crazy in love with her. Their kisses were rough and messy. He wanted to bury her doubt, to love that burn out of her body.

  He set her bottom on the table and wedged his hips between her legs. “What have you done to me?”

  “I don’t know, but whatever it is, I want more of it.” Her words came out in a rush as she pushed at his shirt, trying to get it off.

  He wished they were upstairs, on the couch, anywhere more respectful, but he was too far gone, and in the next breath his body took over.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  AFTER PICKING UP her rental car and dropping it off at the bungalow, Max and Treat headed into town. They walked hand in hand through the shops she’d spotted yesterday. They picked out toys for Kaylie and Chaz’s twins at a cool kids’ store called Abiyoyo. Treat bought a scarf that he said set off Max’s eyes. When they were waiting in line for the cashier, he squeezed her hand and told her that when they were old and gray he’d still remember the day they’d bought it. Max found hope in the things he did and said so naturally, things that confirmed that she could trust her instincts where Treat was concerned.

  They walked around the corner and had lunch at a little restaurant called the Juice, where they shared a bowl of New England clam chowder and a sandwich. Treat rooted himself in her heart more with each passing hour. The simple act of sharing meals together felt exciting and like they’d been doing it forever at the same time. Treat didn’t rush her through the meal, or make her feel hurried later, as they meandered with the crowds through an entire street of art galleries. He showed her pieces he loved and took interest in the ones she swooned over. He told her stories of the galleries he’d seen overseas and how he’d like to take her to see each and every one of them.

  She wondered where he called home, and she knew his time in Colorado was only a reprieve. He had come to Colorado to see his family, and though he’d left to attend to business, where would he go once they were done here?

  “If you’re not too tired,” he said as he tucked her against his side, “I’d love to go to Provincetown, grab some dinner, and maybe see a show? Or we could just go back to the bungalow and watch a movie and relax. Whatever you want.”

  That sounded wonderful, but she was already so vested in them, it suddenly seemed important to know what would happen after this trip. “Treat?”

  “Uh-oh. What’s that look?”

  “I’m just curious. Where do you live?”

  “You mean, like, where do I keep all my belongings?”

  “Yes. Where do you call home?”

  “It doesn’t matter, because the moment you tell me it’s okay, my home will be wherever you are.” He kissed her, and the sheer delight of it brought her to her toes, and he kissed her longer.

  When they finally pulled apart, “Wow,” slipped from her lips. “I love to kiss you.”

  He put his hands on her waist, and she could see in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing she was—that he wanted to lift her so she could wrap her legs around him and they could kiss each other senseless.

  Oh, wait. Maybe he isn’t thinking that.

  Why was he covering his mouth and looking away?

  “Did I say something wrong?” Max asked tentatively.

  He shook his head. “You just had my mind racing in ways that it shouldn’t be.” He looked down, and the problem was evident by the tent in his pants.

  She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh.

  “You’re laughing at this? This is not good, Max. I’m not a twentysomething kid. I’m a grown man. I should be able to kiss you without the world knowing that I can barely think past wanting to”—he lowered his voice to a whisper—“be inside of you.”

  Max grabbed her side and bent over in a fit of laughter.

  “Oh, you think it’s funny, do you?” He took her hand and walked behind two enormous hydrangea bushes, then kissed her until her legs turned to spaghetti and her laughter was replaced with wanton moans. They sank to the ground, where he deepened the kiss, his body crushing hers in all the right places. His hot mouth moved over her chin, her neck, and down the open V of her shirt.

  “Treat,” she pleaded.

  He brushed her nipple with the pad of his thumb, sucking on the exposed crest of her breast, until every molecule in her body ached for him. She clutched his head, bringing his mouth back to hers.

  “Max,” he whispered.

  Her brain refused to work. She lay beside him panting, wanting, craving more of him as he slicked his tongue along the dip above her collarbone. Then he moved off her. What’re you doing? Where are you going? She tried to blink through her lust-filled fog as he rose to his feet beside where she lay on the grass, and a cocky grin appeared on his face.

  “Get over here,” she managed, smacking the grass beside her.

  Treat crossed his arms. “Two can play at this game.”

  Max groaned. “You are so unfair!”

  He took her hand and pulled her to her feet so hard she collided with him. And then he kissed her again, probing her mouth with such delicate care that it made her want him even more. She moaned before she could quell the urge, and that was all he needed to pull away with a victorious smile.

  “Provincetown?” he asked.

  PROVINCE
TOWN WAS AN artsy community along a beautiful coastline, with eclectic shops and a multitude of street performers. They caught a comedy show, and Max doubled over with laughter in her chair, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Watching her laugh had become one of Treat’s biggest delights, and he swore he’d do everything he could to keep her just as happy as she was right then.

  After the show, they made their way out of the club, into the cool evening air, and wandered down Commercial Street, the main road through Provincetown.

  “Treat!”

  Treat saw his old friend Marcus heading their way. He was dressed in drag, complete with a wig, high heels, and heavy makeup.

  “Hey, buddy. How’s the hottest guy around?” Marcus asked, and kissed Treat on each cheek.

  “Marcus, how are you?”

  “Maxine tonight,” she said with a wink and a toss of her long brown locks.

  “You look beautiful, Maxine.” Treat glanced at Max. “This is my girlfriend, Max.”

  Max extended a hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “My man Treat does not do girlfriends. You must be someone very special if you’re up here with him. Get in here and give Maxine some love.” Maxine drew her into a warm embrace and said, “And I can see why. You are gorgeous. I absolutely love your red frames, and your name!”

  “Thank you,” Max said, touching her glasses.

  “Everything going well?” Treat asked. “How’s Howie?”

  “Oh, sugar, he’s just as painful as ever. The man has more mood swings than a pack of PMSing women. But you know I adore him.”

  Treat put his arm around Maxine and lowered his voice. “And his cancer?”

  Maxine’s excitement waned for a second, and then she righted her smile and said, “He’s hanging in there. He really appreciates—we truly appreciate—you pulling those strings with the hospital.” Her eyes welled with tears, and she wiped them away and fanned the air. “Whew. I can’t go there right now, sugar. I have to perform tonight.”

  Treat hugged her again, longer this time, as his father had embraced Max. “I’m here, okay? If you need me, call me anytime. You know that. Give Howie my love, please.”