ROMANCE: Tumble Into Love: A Diamond Creek Alaska Novel, Contemporary Romance (Diamond Creek, Alaska Novels Book 5)

by Croix, J. H.

  “Let’s get right to the point: I want you, and I’m pretty damn sure you want me,” she finally said after gathering her scattered thoughts.

  Darren lifted his hand and stroked it through her hair, his thumb caressing her neck as his hand slid down. “You’d be right about that,” he replied, his voice low.

  Risa could hardly think straight. Her bravado withered in the intensity of his gaze and the heat arcing between them. A tiny voice kept whispering in her mind that perhaps she was underestimating this. She ignored it and dragged her mind to her objective—keeping this light and making sure Darren understood that. “Take me to your place. Now.”

  He held her gaze for a long moment. Her heart pounded so hard she was afraid he could hear it. Wet heat built in her center. His thumb traveled up her neck to trace her lips before he brought his to them in a searing kiss.

  There were kisses and then there were kisses. This was a kiss that stole her breath, dissolved all capacity for thought and wove her in its spell. His tongue followed his thumb in a soft trace around her mouth before diving into hers. He kissed her as if she was the center of the universe. Strokes, nips, licks, a tug on her bottom lip, and a fierce passion that rendered her speechless. When his mouth moved away from hers, her lips felt abandoned. She opened her eyes to find his mere inches away.

  “Okay,” he said softly.

  She tried to remember what she’d last said and couldn’t. Dazed, she stared at him blankly.

  “Okay, I’ll take you to my place,” he clarified, a glint of a smile sneaking into his eyes.

  Chapter 5

  Darren’s brain had lost all capacity for reason the moment Risa slid her hand in his hair. He was torn between wanting her with every fiber of his being and trying to talk his body down. He liked Risa…really liked her. He thought he was half-crazy to consider it, but when he’d asked her to dinner, a teeny-tiny corner of his mind wondered if maybe he was ready to give the idea of a relationship a passing chance. The last time he’d been involved with a woman in any way other than casual had been before the accident. He’d been dating a perfectly nice and lovely woman named Jill. They’d only been dating a few months, but he’d thought perhaps it might go somewhere. Life had felt normal. After the accident, he couldn’t seem to function normally with her. He was afraid to have her sleep with him for fear she’d witness his nightmares. He couldn’t focus on much of anything because he was constantly overtired from lack of sleep. Their breakup wasn’t a disaster. She’d wisely and graciously bowed out. He’d stuck to casual encounters ever since.

  Until the nightmares and insomnia he experienced after his accident occurred, he’d had no clue how much lack of sleep could destroy a person. It was as if he was living underwater all the time, barely breaking the surface to get air. He’d gotten somewhat of a handle on his sleep since then with the help of his doctor here in Diamond Creek. Dr. Hanson had bluntly informed him sleep could make or break his waking life. She’d steered him away from medication despite his requests, explaining it would be better if they could find a way to help him sleep naturally. She had worked with him to structure his schedule to support his sleep and helped him identify a few supplements to help on nights when sleep eluded him. It wasn’t ideal, and he still had nightmares occasionally, but he slept most nights.

  Darren came to a stop at the light where he would turn to take Risa to his house. She was about to learn that the driveway he’d impulsively pulled into the other day to kiss her senseless led to his house. His brain said one thing, and his body another. He tried to talk himself down by telling himself Risa’s brother was a friend. Problem was, it was more of a passing acquaintance. Trey was a great guy, but Darren would barely know him if it weren’t for their connection through Jared Winters and everything that happened with Emma’s ex.

  His body had completely hijacked his brain as evidenced by the fact that while he was telling himself to tell her he would drop her off at her brother’s house, his hands turned the steering wheel into his driveway. Once he was headed down that road, literally and figuratively, he shifted gears. She’s made it clear this is physical for her. That’s all it has to be for both of you. Just enjoy it. You’re not ready for anything else, but don’t be stupid and pass up the chance to be with a woman this amazing.

  He came to a stop in front of his house and glanced at Risa. She was looking out the window. Her profile was arresting…and he couldn’t believe he’d thought that word. Her face was sculpted, her cheekbones stood out, her chin was strong, and her lips full and sensual. Her dark hair was straight and fell in soft layers into a bob that framed her face. She turned to him, and Darren couldn’t think. All he wanted was…her.

  Moments later, they walked into his house and he watched her look around. It was close to impossible to live in Diamond Creek without a view, and his home was no exception. He was on the lower portion of the foothills surrounding Diamond Creek. His home was a small, ranch-style log home—so quintessentially Alaskan that it verged on corny. But the house was in amazing condition, and he bought it at a good price. He was nothing if not practical. The living room area had windows floor to ceiling all the way across and stylish log beams angling across the cathedral ceiling. The kitchen was on the far side from the front door through a wide entrance. A hallway on the opposite side led to three bedrooms. The view from the living room opened onto a field scattered with blue spruce and cottonwood trees with the bay and mountains beyond.

  Risa walked to the windows, her eyes scanning the view. Darren set his keys on a table by the door. Before he took another step, Risa was at his side. His body rose to attention. She didn’t hesitate, sliding one hand up his chest and the other around his neck, her fingers teasing into his hair. Her touch sent a current buzzing through him. In that moment, he decided he’d give her what she said she wanted.

  He brought his hands to cup her face and kissed her…fiercely. He let any attempt at thought go and let instinct rule him. Risa didn’t hold back, allowing her mouth to open to his and meeting him stroke for stroke. He turned her, pressing her back against the door and slid a hand down her cheek, coasting across the pulse beating rapidly in her throat, and caressing down her side, savoring the soft curve of her breast, the dip of her waist and the lush roundness of her hip. She gasped into his mouth, and he pulled back for a moment. Her eyes were inky with passion, her lips full. Their breath rose and fell in unison. Holding his gaze, confusion and uncertainty flashed in her eyes.

  Though he could barely think, he gathered what little thought he had and stepped back. Risa was an unholy temptation—a woman demanding she wanted him, beautiful, bold, and so damn sexy, it nearly brought him to his knees. But there was a trace of something—he didn’t know what—telling him he shouldn’t dive in this fast. Her hand slipped out of his hair. “I think…” He had to pause to clear his throat, his voice raspy. “I think we need to slow down.”

  “No!” she replied, too sharply. Her eyes didn’t match the word though. They were guarded behind the heat.

  His body protested, but he forced himself to take another step back, his hand sliding off of her hip. She leaned her head against the door, her breath audible in the quiet. His own breath was just barely starting to slow down, not to mention his heart rate. His cock throbbed. He called on every ounce of restraint he had when her tongue darted out to moisten her swollen lips.

  Risa met his eyes again, a rueful smile quirking her lips. “So we’re slowing down then,” she said, a question in her tone.

  Darren took a deep breath, marshaling his thoughts and realizing he barely knew her. All he knew was the façade she tried to create—the confident woman who wanted a tumble in bed—didn’t jibe with how she felt in his arms. She was anything but superficial. Her passion ran deep, and he sensed she felt things deeply. He hadn’t avoided relationships the last few years because he was a jerk who wanted to nothing but sex. He just hadn’t quite figured out how to manage the gut-churning fear he experienced whenever he c
onsidered what it could mean to let anyone into his life and heart. It didn’t seem possible that a woman like Risa could witness him in those dark, weak moments when he was felled by a nightmare and see him as anything but broken. And he couldn’t stand that. It took so much to pull himself together and live a mostly normal life. He didn’t think he had what it took to allow someone to see the whole of him. And yet, he couldn’t seem to hold back the tide of hope for what could be with Risa.

  Against reason, he stepped into the possibility of breaking the rules he’d set for himself. Though she may say otherwise, he didn’t believe Risa wanted something shallow and superficial. “Yeah, we’re slowing down,” he replied softly. “Come here.” He reached for her hand and tugged her gently away from the door. She followed, her eyes bemused.

  He walked to the couch and sat down. Risa sat beside him, immediately propping her feet on a wide, cushioned ottoman. She glanced around the room before turning to him. “Lovely view outside, of course. You could use some color in here,” she said with a grin.

  Darren looked around the room and chuckled. To say the space lacked a feminine touch was an understatement. The walls had a few back and white photographs on them from his younger sister Hallie, a budding photographer. She’d insisted on hanging them the last time she visited. She’d also brought him the plant that sat atop one of the beams above, a philodendron draped around the beam, its green leaves a spark of color in the room. His couch was incredibly comfortable, but basic brown. Decorating was not his strong suit.

  He met Risa’s eyes and shrugged. “You’re right. What can I say? My little sister has tried to help out a little, but she doesn’t get down here too much. She’s always on some kind of adventure. The adventure of the moment is a year in Greece with her boyfriend, the latest love of her life.”

  Risa grinned and looked around. “Well, the photos are nice, but it’s…” she paused and drummed her fingers on the armrest. “…rather basic. Perhaps I could help you out a little.”

  The idea warmed him. He was floating in uncharted territory with Risa. He wanted her with an intensity that threw him. He sensed the same depth of attraction from her. And yet…when he’d looked into her eyes a few minutes ago, something underneath gave him pause. It was as if she was trying to convince herself of something. That glimmer of uncertainty, oddly enough, gave him the courage to step beyond his comfort zone. It wasn’t that he wanted her to feel uncertain, more that he didn’t feel so alone in his state of self-doubt.

  He took a breath. “So, uh, about…”

  She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “No need to explain. I can take a hint.”

  He felt her shutting him out, that warmth and passion being battened down behind walls. “I think you misunderstand why I stopped. I wasn’t trying to give you a hint. I want you…a lot. I, uh…” He paused, running a hand through his hair. He fought with his own thoughts. He didn’t know what he was saying or doing, but he needed to somehow get her to understand she mattered. “I suppose I don’t know you very well…”

  “Not really,” she said with a wry smile.

  Her smile lightened the moment. “But I’d like a chance to get to know you. I don’t want to start this off on shallow footing. That’s why I stopped.”

  Risa’s smile faded. She stared at him, her eyes arcing with confusion and uncertainty again. She looked away, staring out toward the mountains. It was getting late. The sun had fallen behind the mountains. Streaks of violet, pink and gold laced through the darkening clouds. A raven called in the distance.

  She turned back, her dark eyes serious. “Okay.” She slipped her feet off the ottoman and turned to him. “One thing,” she said softly. She leaned forward, her lips centimeters away from his. “I still want you.” She closed the tiny space left between them, her lips coming against his for the barest second before she pulled back, her hand trailing down his cheek as she did.

  Chapter 6

  Risa walked into her office at the gallery and clicked on her computer. Sales had been strong all summer, and last week had held steady despite her unexpected absence. After a quick check of her email, she pushed away from her desk and headed out front. She did her usual walkthrough of the gallery before they opened. She straightened displays and paused to admire a new collection from a local pottery artist. She loved this place, Midnight Sun Arts. She’d met one of the owners at a painting group, the same group where she’d gotten to known Gretchen, the friend no-more who’d been Brad’s side dish. The owners of Midnight Sun Arts, Ethan Westen and Jack Smith, were a longtime committed couple and hugely supportive of the arts community in Alaska. Ethan had offered Risa the job at the gallery when he heard she was looking for work. She loved working for them.

  “Hey darling,” Ethan said, coming to her side where she stood admiring a landscape painting. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

  Ethan was in his fifties though he easily fooled most into thinking he was still in his forties. He had black hair flecked with silver and dressed impeccably. He spent the next few minutes updating her on the latest rotation of art coming into the gallery and groused about Jack’s persistent obsession with blown glass. “Something always breaks! We have to be so careful. It makes me tired. Jack refuses to capitulate, so we’re stuck,” Ethan said with a shake of his head.

  Jack and Ethan were remarkably alike in looks and demeanor. Their primary differences seemed to be in their preferred forms of art. Ethan would have the entire gallery filled with paintings, while Jack leaned toward sculpture in various mediums from glass to metal to wood, and high-end pottery.

  Ethan looped his arm through hers and began walking them toward the back office. “So how was Diamond Creek? Aside from the horrible accident, that is.”

  She’d called Ethan and Jack to let them know about her accident and slightly delayed return while she sorted out her car situation.

  “Oh, I had a good visit. It’s always good to see Trey and Emma. Stu is my sweetie, and Janet looks great.” Risa paused as she pondered that all she’d been able to think about on her drive home was Darren. Even now, thinking about him flushed her.

  Ethan pushed the door open to her office, closing it behind them once Risa walked in and sat in one of the chairs at a small round table near her desk. He sat opposite her and eyed her speculatively. “What are you thinking about? Or better yet, who? You’re holding something back. Spill it,” he said authoritatively.

  She tried to dissuade him. “Ethan, it’s nothing!” Her face heated even more.

  He lifted a brow. “Risa, you’re not much of a blusher. If you’re blushing, there’s a reason. If you don’t tell me, I’ll sic Jack on you when he gets here later.”

  She sighed and looked away, finally turning back to meet his warm blue gaze. “I might have met someone.”

  “You either met someone or you didn’t. That’s a factual matter.”

  “Okay, okay. I met someone. He’s the sexiest man I’ve laid eyes on in years. I tried to persuade him to take a spin between the sheets, but he turned me down.” As usual with Ethan, she told him everything. He and Jack were dear friends to her, but Ethan was the one she often spilled her secrets to. She’d known him longer and spent more time with him. He’d been one of her best supports after she found out about Brad and Gretchen, publicly cutting both of them every chance he got since then. In the art world of Anchorage, Ethan’s social currency was quite valuable. Though satisfying to witness, it didn’t heal the embarrassment Risa felt at being so stupid to fall for Brad and think things might be going somewhere.

  Ethan slanted his eyes in her direction. “He turned you down flat, or something else?”

  If possible, Risa flushed straight through—head to toe. Thinking back to her failed attempt at seduction and the heated kisses that led up to it was arousing and mortifying at once. She’d been internally wrestling with how to react since then. Part of her was crushed. She’d tried to be bold and failed spectacularly. And
yet, part of her considered that what had occurred was anything but a failure. Darren may have turned her down in the moment, but he’d been clear it was because he liked her. Having a man as delectable as him who seemed so damn nice and generally good actually say he didn’t want to rush things was an entirely new experience for her. One she couldn’t quite believe. Hence, the back and forth in her brain.

  Ethan cleared his throat, prompting Risa to realize she’d mentally wandered off again. Still blushing, she met his eyes. “Something else.”

  Ethan rolled his eyes. “You need to be a little more specific here. Is he available or not? Let’s start there.”

  Risa giggled. “He’s available. I think he’s interested.” She sighed. “I came on a little too strong, maybe. He put a stop to it and said he wanted a chance to get to know me.”

  “Well then, I like him,” Ethan replied firmly. He’d pointed out to Risa many times that he thought she avoided intimacy by making it seem like all she wanted was casual sex. Though she couldn’t admit it out loud, she knew he was onto something. “What’s his name and how did you meet?”

  “Darren. He was the first cop on the scene at my accident. And let me tell you, he looks amazing in a uniform,” she offered with a grin.

  Ethan chuckled. He looked across the small table at her, his eyes sobering. “Looks are nice, sometimes more than nice, but I think you’ve had your fill of superficial. Obviously I know next to nothing about Darren, but any man who has enough restraint to turn you down and tell you he wants to get to know you gets major points from me. You may not be my type, but trust me when I say that it would be hard for most men to turn you down.”

  Risa rolled her eyes. “Need I point out that you’re not interested in any women ever? You’ve been with the love of your life for almost thirty years, and his name is Jack.”