The Ultimate Treasure

by Anne, Melody

  “You don’t need to explain things to me, Lance,” she said, desperately wanting to get off the subject. “What is the surprise?”

  “I thought you didn’t want anything,” he said with that standard grin.

  “I don’t. But I figure you won’t shut up about it until you tell me, so I’m simply trying to shorten this conversation,” she lied.

  The look he gave her told her she wasn’t fooling him at all. She hoped he kept that to himself. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take before she had a complete breakdown and started blathering everything right then and there.

  “Okay, I’ll let you off the hook,” he said as if he were being generous. “Your sister and my brother are flying in this afternoon.”

  It took a moment for his words to register, and then she had to play them back in her mind a few times before they sunk in.

  “Savs and Ashton are coming here?” she asked.

  “Yep, they will land in three hours.”

  He looked so proud of himself. And for a moment, Lexie forgot how angry she was at this man and forgot she wasn’t supposed to touch him. She jumped from her chair, the ice forgotten, as she threw her arms around his neck.

  She hadn’t realized how much she needed her sister until he said she would soon be there. She hadn’t been calling Savvy while she’d been there, just sending her short messages telling her she was fine. There was a large time difference between the Philippines and US, and she’d been worried she’d dial her in the middle of the night or interrupt something. Plus she hadn’t really known what she’d say.

  But when the two of them were together, everything was so easy. It was great to have a best friend who was also your sibling.

  “Thank you, Lance, thank you,” she said as she squeezed him.

  It took several moments before she realized what she was doing, and she instantly tried to pull back, but that’s when his arms came around her and swept her off her feet, landing her squarely on his lap.

  “If you really want to thank me . . .” he said with a waggle of his brows.

  She was so happy her sister was on the way, she actually laughed at his pathetic attempt at flirting.

  “Let me go, you overgrown ape. I have things to do to prepare for my sister,” she said while wiggling to get up.

  He didn’t release her, but the more she wiggled the more she felt him pressing into her leg. She suddenly stopped all movement and their gazes locked together.

  “You’re killing me, woman. I think you should know that,” he said in a husky whisper as he pressed upward, letting her feel exactly what he meant.

  Lexie’s core instantly heated as she got lost in his eyes. It would be so easy to lean forward and accept what he wanted to give her. It would feel wonderful and take away all the ache she’d been feeling for weeks. But it was the after she was worried about.

  She wanted him something fierce, but there was much more to it than desire. And that was the only thing holding her back from taking exactly what she wanted.

  “Where are they staying?” she asked.

  “We could bunk together and give them my room,” he suggested. His hot breath washed over her, and she found the word yes resting easily on her tongue. She bit down to keep from saying it.

  “That’s not gonna happen,” she said instead.

  “Too bad,” he murmured. “I guess they will stay at the hotel on the beach then. Maybe we can join them for a night. There are many romantic places we could visit,” he added with a waggle of his brows.

  The man was irresistible when he was happy, but when he flirted, he was a threat to society and should come with his own warning label. He wasn’t going to make this easy on her at all, and she almost didn’t want him to. She wanted to give in so badly it was eating her up.

  “I need to get ready if we’re going to the airport to get them,” she told him.

  He ran his hand through her hair and tugged her forward, placing a whisper-soft kiss against her lips that wasn’t nearly enough. When he released her she leaned back, and his eyes were on fire. She felt the burn all the way to her core.

  “You will stop fighting me one of these days, Ms. Mills,” he mumbled before giving her one more quick kiss on the corner of her mouth.

  On shaking knees, Lexie stood up and walked to her bedroom. She barely made it to her bed before collapsing and gazing up at the ceiling. She had a feeling he was exactly right. She only hoped she survived, if and when, she caved into the desire they both shared so strongly.

  Chapter Nine

  Lance nearly dropped the crate of supplies when Ashton punched him in the arm. Turning, he glared at his brother before moving the box to a table where people were in line for the new shipment.

  “What in the hell was that for?” Lance asked. He wasn’t going to admit the punch had actually hurt a little.

  “I’ve missed ya. What can I say?” Ashton told him with a laugh.

  “Same goes for you. Maybe I should repay the punch,” Lance threatened.

  “You could try, but you’d have to catch me first,” Ashton said as he easily side-stepped the swing Lance sent his way. The two of them laughed as they stopped the macho posturing and returned to the truck to unload more supplies.

  They made several trips before laughter caught their attention, and they both turned to look at Lexie and Savannah, sitting down with a group of children circling them as they read a story, both women getting into character and making funny noises that had the children giggling.

  “Damn, did I get lucky when I married that woman,” Ashton said with reverence.

  “Yeah, I can’t believe she fell for your sorry ass,” Lance told his brother.

  “Hey, it didn’t have anything to do with luck. I’m one hell of a charming guy,” Ashton said.

  Their baby was sound asleep in the carrier next to Savvy, and Lance noticed Lexie gazed at her niece every few seconds. Seeing the woman he liked that close to a baby put thoughts in his head he didn’t want to have.

  “What’s it like being a dad?” Lance asked, before wanting to kick himself for spurting out the first thought in his mind.

  “It’s exhausting,” Ashton said with a smile. “And absolutely amazing.”

  There was no joking in his tone as he said the words, just pure awe. Lance wondered if he would ever feel that way. At the moment he couldn’t imagine it. Yes, he could see never wanting to let Lexie go, but at the same time, the actual commitment of marriage and babies was too terrifying to contemplate.

  “When are you going to get on with life and grow up?” Ashton asked.

  The two men were done unloading, so they headed over to the tent where food and refreshments were waiting. Both grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it down.

  “I would have said never a few months ago,” he told Ashton honestly. That stopped his brother in his tracks as he gave Lance a look that made him want to squirm on his feet.

  “Someone caught your eye?” Ashton pointedly asked as he gazed across the distance at the two women who seemed to be in heaven doing what they were doing.

  “I think I’m falling for her, like really falling,” Lance admitted. He gave up on trying to filter his thought process before speaking.

  “Or it could be just great sex,” Ashton told him. “Men have been known to confuse the two.”

  Lance thought about his brother’s words for a few moments before he spoke again. He was feeling things he didn’t know how to explain, and he needed someone to talk to. He certainly wasn’t going to fess up to his meddling father or his recently acquired uncles. Those men always had an agenda, and if they knew what he was feeling, he’d be hearing wedding bells far before he was ready.

  “We aren’t having sex,” Lance admitted. He wanted to bite his tongue, but at the same time it felt good to speak about important situations happening in his
life with someone he trusted.

  Ashton gave him an almost pitying look that made Lance want to return that punch his brother had given him earlier. Maybe he shouldn’t have opened his big mouth.

  “Damn, Lance, maybe you really are falling for the girl,” Ashton said in awe. “If you aren’t sleeping together, this is a new record for you, being with a woman without a happy ending.”

  “She’s not like that,” Lance snapped. He didn’t appreciate his brother speaking about Lexie that way.

  “Hey!” Ashton said, holding up his hands. “I wasn’t implying that at all. I’m just saying if you have feelings for this woman and it doesn’t stem from sex, then maybe you should hold on to her.”

  “She doesn’t want me to,” Lance said with frustration.

  Ashton gave him an incredulous look before his lips twitched, and then he was outright laughing. Unable to hold back, Lance delivered that blow his brother had coming to him. But even that didn’t stop the laughter from spilling out of Ashton’s mouth.

  “I’m not going to tell you anything ever again if you don’t stop now,” Lance threatened.

  “I’m sorry, but you know I went through hell with Savvy. I find it fitting that you’re going through something similar with her little sister,” Ashton told him. “What’s the problem?”

  “I don’t know. We had incredible sex the night of your wedding. I mean, like the best sex of my entire life, and then when I woke up the next morning she was gone, and she’s been running from me ever since. Then we got here, and we have had more than one spark, but she withdraws. I can’t get her to let go of the iron suit she puts on every time she’s in my presence.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t like you. Maybe the sex wasn’t all that great for her,” Ashton pointed out.

  “No, of course not,” Lance said with an eye roll. “Trust me, I know when a woman is pleased, and she was pleased repeatedly.”

  “Okay, spare me the details. She babysits my kid,” Ashton said with another chuckle.

  “Chemistry isn’t our problem. There’s something else, and I haven’t quite figured out what it is.”

  “Here’s a thought,” Ashton said with another laugh. “Why don’t you ask her?”

  “I’m not an idiot, Ash; I’ve tried talking to her. She avoids anything to do with a conversation that begins with the word we. She’s afraid of something, I’m just not sure exactly what it is.”

  “You know about her dad, right?” Ashton asked, all humor gone.

  “No, what about him?” Lance asked, instantly attentive.

  “He was an abusive asshole. He came to see Savvy once, and I ended up knocking the guy out. It took her some time, but she eventually shared with me. Maybe that’s why Lexie is afraid. She was raised by a man who had no business raising kids.”

  “Damn. I can’t imagine that. After Mom was gone, Dad wasn’t quite the same, but I can admit now he did the best he could with the grief he was going through.”

  “Yeah, none of us were the same,” Ashton pointed out. “But I finally feel as if my life has come around, as if I’ve gained a new purpose.”

  “I never thought I would want to settle down, but I look at this woman and I can’t see a future without her in it,” Lance admitted.

  “Then it would be wise to not let her get away,” Ashton told him.

  “That might be some good advice.”

  The two men were silent as they stood there and gazed at the women they loved. It was a different life from what they’d had a couple of years ago. Maybe Lance finally was growing up. He didn’t seem to know which way was up or down anymore, let alone how to make decisions about his future.

  What he did know was that he couldn’t let Lexie go without a fight. She was worth taking risks.

  Chapter Ten

  Lexie was fighting tears as she and Lance returned from the airport. Her sister had stayed only a few days before she and Ashton had to go back, and after having her there to lean on, Lexie was more than ready to go home too.

  Maybe a month had been too long to stay. She was in a beautiful area doing amazing things, but with her thoughts all askew and her hormones going crazy, she’d rather be inside her small apartment with rain streaming down the windows, than in a shared house with Lance.

  He stopped in an unfamiliar place and put the car in park before taking the keys out and turning to look at her.

  “Let’s go for a walk. You need cheering up,” he said as he opened his door. He got out and ran around to her side, opening her door before she’d undone her seat belt.

  “I’d rather go back to the house,” she told him. There was so much weighing on her mind she didn’t know what to do.

  “Humor me,” he insisted as he reached over and unclicked her belt.

  The feel of his fingers sliding across her thighs whisked away her sad thoughts, and replaced them with ones she didn’t want to be thinking about. She decided a walk would do her good, so she accepted his hand and stepped from the car.

  They were at a beach and the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, making the view spectacular. She didn’t see any other people around and wondered where he’d taken her. It was somewhere new.

  They were both silent as they moved down a cleared path until they were on the sand. Lance knelt and undid her shoes, which made her smile. She kicked out of them and took off her socks then bent to lift them.

  “They’ll be fine here,” he told her as he left his shoes next to hers.

  “Okay.” The two began walking, and when he reached out and took her fingers with his own, she didn’t fight him. She was so tired of fighting her need to touch him, to be touched by him, and to just wrap herself around him.

  Without much thought, she scooted a bit closer to him, and his fingers let hers go, which made her feel empty for a moment before his arm wrapped around her shoulders, and he pulled her in tightly to his side as they strolled leisurely along the beautiful beach.

  “I will miss it here,” she admitted. “But after seeing my sister, I have to admit I’m getting a little homesick.”

  “Yeah, I don’t usually leave for this long either, but we wanted to get a lot done before Christmas, so I decided to do it all in one trip instead of two.”

  “What you do is pretty spectacular,” she told him. “I’m glad you chose me to come along and help.”

  “That was an easy choice,” he said.

  His fingers were rubbing against her shoulder, and while the desire was always present when she was close to him, she also felt comforted and protected. Lexie was terrified because the more time she spent with this man, the more she realized she was falling for him, falling in a way that was truly going to break her in half if she wasn’t careful.

  “We only have a bit over a week left,” she said.

  “Come back again next year,” he offered. She was tempted to do that. But she also knew that when they returned to Washington, the real world would settle in, she’d resume her regular life, and this would seem like nothing more than a dream.

  “I was between jobs for this trip. It won’t always be so easy,” she told him. For some reason she wasn’t ready to tell him no, but she had to prepare herself. They only had a short time left, and her defenses were down. Maybe she really did need to let go for at least a night, or maybe even a week. What would it hurt?

  She stopped walking and Lance looked at her quizzically. Her heart raced as she tried to decide if she had the courage to say what she wanted to say. Awareness flashed through his eyes and she knew she was easier to read than she’d thought.

  “I want you more than I can say, but I need to know you are sure,” he said without her saying a single thing.

  He turned her so she was facing him, his hands splayed on her back as he rubbed them up and down, going lower with each pass.

  “I’m sure,” she said, aching to fe
el his lips against hers.

  He hesitated only a second longer and then closed the small distance between them as he captured her lips. She knew right then she’d made the right decision. His kiss was full of hunger as he pulled her tightly to him, his arousal pressing into the softness of her stomach, making her stand on her toes to feel him where she wanted him most.

  It was too much and not nearly enough. She forgot they were on the beach, forgot about anything but him and the magic he could bring her in a way she wanted badly. She was done fighting her desperate ache for him.

  His hand sifted through her hair and he tugged it hard, making her head fall back as he kissed her deeply. His demand grew as his kiss became more ardent. They’d both wanted this for so long, neither of them felt they could wait a minute more.

  Sensations washed through her, and he pulled back long enough for her to take a gasping breath before crushing her mouth again and again, diving inside and claiming her as his own. And, oh how she wanted to be claimed, but only by this man in this moment.

  Her body was on fire as his tongue dove inside her waiting mouth before retreating and tracing the edges of her lips. She was hungry, yearning, and couldn’t get close enough to this perfect man.

  Lexie didn’t realize they were moving until he sat down on an outcrop of rocks, quickly tugging her into his lap, her legs wide open, her hot core perfectly positioned over his thickness. She pushed down against him, needing to feel the power of his desire. She wanted to rip clothes away from each of them and have him surge upward, deep inside her.

  Even the air around them was charged. She reached behind him, grabbing his hair and pulling as she cradled him close to her. They were pressed tightly together, and it still wasn’t enough. She wanted him buried so deep inside her they were truly one person. She’d heard people say that before, but she’d never felt it like she did with this man.