by Marie Harte
Letting her loneliness out felt good, and she indulged in feeling sorry for herself. She thought about her many failures with relationships, her job, about being just shy of turning thirty-five, and sobbed for a few minutes while her emotions held center stage. Once she’d gotten that jag out of her system, she felt much better.
She went about preparing a meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup along with a glass of eggnog—because she could. As she prepared to dig in while watching It’s a Wonderful Life, she saw lights outside. Headlights that didn’t belong.
Her heart raced. Who the heck would be up here at this hour and along this isolated area? Thoughts of serial killers raced through her mind, and she quickly turned off all the lights, grabbed a butcher’s knife from the kitchen, and huddled behind the door.
A loud knock startled her into a breathy shriek.
“Nora?”
She knew that muffled voice. Had he haunted her all the way up the mountain? “Deacon?”
“Nora, open up. It’s cold out here.”
She couldn’t believe he’d followed her. No. No way.
“Nora!”
She opened the door, letting the heat out and a blast of snowflakes inside, and stared. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He pushed past her and shivered, rubbing his sweater-clad arms. “Nice to see you too.” He took a good look around and nodded. “Love the fire. Oh, I see you have a plenty of wood. Great.”
She quickly shut the door behind him and flipped on some lights. “Hold on. What the heck are you doing here?”
“People are worried about you.”
“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here. You’re not people.”
He frowned. “Yes, I am.” He paused. “Is that a knife?”
She flushed and hurried to put the knife back. “Last night I made the mistake of watching a Christmas movie with a killer Santa then followed it with one about Krampus.”
“Huh?”
“You know, Krampus, the anti-Santa. It was very dark, and he had horns… Never mind.” She hated that she’d succumbed to babbling. But geez, he sure did fill out that dark green sweater nicely. His chest looked so broad, his arms so thick.
“Weird, but okay.” His gaze followed her from her head to her toes, pausing at her breasts before settling on her face. “You look good. Damn good.”
She hated that her body reacted. “Deacon. Flashman. If you make me say ‘my eyes are up here’” —she pointed to her eyes— “I will stab you with that knife.”
“Whoa.” He held his hands up. “I give up. Have your way with me. I surrender.”
If only.
The man had no idea what he was saying and no idea what she kept dreaming about doing to him. But maybe now she’d get her chance…
Chapter 9
Nora mentally chastised herself. What I have in store for him is a swift kick in the rear. That’s it! “Get out.”
“Can I at least warm up by the fire first? It’s dark out, and the roads are starting to ice over.”
“Why did you drive up tonight? That was dangerous.”
“You could have been hurt.”
“You could have called.”
He opened his mouth and closed it. “I, uh, yeah. I could have. But I wanted to see for myself that you were okay.”
She waved a hand over her body. “You can see I’m fine.”
“Oh yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I mean, yep, you look healthy.”
“So you can go back home.”
“Now?” He shivered.
She didn’t know if he faked it or not. Then she shivered, because damn, it was getting cold.
“I’m sorry, Nora.” He did look repentant. “Mitch pretty much nagged me into setting Becca’s mind at ease. She’s worried about you, and he didn’t want to leave her and the kids alone in that big house with the storm overhead.”
“I still think you should have called.” But he’d been doing a favor for Becca and Mitch. She sighed and did her best to turn off witchy-mode. “Geez. Fine. You can stay tonight. But you go home tomorrow. I mean it.”
“Okay.” He looked hopefully at her food. “I sure am hungry.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I brought extra food.”
Her eyes narrowed. So he’d been planning to stay with her?
He hastened to explain, “I was shopping when Mitch called me. I didn’t bring much, just enough for breakfast and maybe lunch or dinner. I usually only shop for a few days at a time.”
“Hmm.”
“Nora, I’m really sorry.” He looked embarrassed. “I know you probably wanted to get away from everyone. I can go back home. It’s not that bad out.”
At that moment, wind gusted and shook the windows. Outside, trees waved through the glass, the moon bright over the flurry of snow drifting around the cabin, kicked up by high winds that showed no intention of stopping.
“It’s a good hour and a half up here without the snow,” she reminded him. “It’ll take way longer than that to get back. And it’s getting colder.”
“Yeah. I hit some ice on the way.”
“You’re an idiot.” With a big heart.
“An idiot who needs a grilled cheese in the worst way.”
She tried not to smile. “Okay, bring in your groceries. Although you could probably leave them outside, and the cold will keep them.”
“I’ll bring the bag in.”
He brought in two bags while she fixed him a sandwich and ladled him soup.
They ate in companionable silence, sharing glances before she’d quickly look away.
“So, um, I don’t see a TV,” Deacon said after he’d finished eating.
“It broke. My parents are replacing it with a bigger one this summer.” She savored the warmth of her soup. “I brought my laptop for entertainment. And work,” she said, more to herself than him.
“Huh.” He took his dishes to the sink and washed them, which was a nice surprise.
When he paused by her side, she glanced up.
“Unless you’re planning to lick the bowl, I’ll take that.”
Watching him, she deliberately licked the bowl as slowly as possible.
He only grinned.
She handed it to him, and he took her dishes to the sink and washed them too.
Nora grabbed her laptop and sat down at the dining table to type, trying to look diligent about work and not as if she had hours upon hours of streaming entertainment planned for the week. She really did have a book to write she wanted to write, a dream project she kept procrastinating. But part of her goal this week had been to get away and do for herself, not for everyone else in her life.
“Don’t mind me,” Deacon said and sat at the table next to her.
“I wasn’t planning to.”
He leaned around to get a better look. “What are you working on?”
She let out a loud breath and scooted so he couldn’t see her screen. “My novel. Happy now?” She had to delete her next sentence which made no sense, completely off kilter. Not as if she could focus with him so close, but she was trying.
“A novel? I thought you edited articles.”
She stopped attempting to type and answered him. “I do edit articles. I also do some social media marketing for local businesses in town. But my dream has always been to be a writer—of books. No better time than the present to start.”
He scooted closer. “Why no better time?”
“If you move any closer, you’ll be in my lap.”
“Is that an invitation?” He smirked.
“I meant no better time as in, why not write a book now? There’s no sense in waiting.”
He nodded. “Right.” The hunk of man-candy just sat there, watching her.
“I can’t work while you’re staring at me.”
“Pretend I’m not here.”
Her entire body was buzzing, conscious of the six-foot four mountain of muscle sitting too close.
She
pushed out of her seat. “I need tea.”
He stood. “I can make it.”
“No. Sit.” She pointed at his chair, amused despite herself when he sat back down. “And don’t even think about reading my work. It’s not done yet.” She fixed herself a cup of Earl Grey, and when she turned around, she saw him reading her laptop. “Deacon. What did I just say?”
“It’s good.” He smiled. “Will there be sex in the story?”
She blushed and felt silly for doing so. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I can read those parts for you, no problem.”
“Thanks. I think I’m good.” She sat and sipped her tea, conscious of him watching her every move. “You’re distracting me.” She did her best to turn back to her work.
He said nothing, just watched her type until she gave up after typing the same sentence four times. She glared at him as she saved the one spelling error she’d fixed and closed her file.
“I’m sorry.” He didn’t seem sorry.
“Yeah, right.”
“Well, not about you shutting down your work. But I am sorry I busted in on you.” He brushed her hand fisted on the table. “I don’t want to mess with your time off. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to see you.”
Just how happy was he? She resisted the immature urge to look under the table at his crotch. Ugh. I’m being ridiculous. And horny. And just pathetic. Nora had no one to blame but herself. She hadn’t had sex in way too long, and now a prime specimen sat next to her. The two of them all alone in a cabin that had a hot tub just out back.
She swallowed, feeling off-balanced. “Um, what do you want to do?” At his wicked grin, she hurriedly amended, “We could play a board game, watch a movie on the laptop, or hit the hot tub.”
He perked up. “You have a hot tub?”
“Out back.” She nodded to the back door.
“That. Definitely.” He stood and froze. “I don’t have a suit.”
Talk about a pregnant pause.
Slowly, he added, “I suppose I could wear my underwear.”
She had a hard time not envisioning that. “Um, er, sure. I guess.”
“You brought a suit?”
A bikini she’d been rebellious enough to pack, considering she’d thought she’d be all alone. The one article of clothing Jenna hadn’t exchanged or tucked away for her. “Yep. I’d planned on getting a good soak.”
She ignored his onceover.
“I’ll go take off the cover and get it running,” he offered.
She forced a grin. “Sounds good.”
“And Nora, seriously, I appreciate you putting up with me.”
She sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Now stop telling me how wonderful I’m being before I begin to believe you.”
He winked and headed outside.
And she donned her suit and grabbed two towels, she stuffed herself into her oversized terrycloth robe and prayed she’d stop imaging how she wanted the night to go and instead made sure she’d end it the way it should go. Two grown people enjoying a hot soak before going their separate ways to bed.
Emphasis on separate.
* * *
Deacon had to wipe the sweat off his forehead as it cooled in the wintry weather. Jesus, what was he thinking to strip down and get close and wet with Nora Nielson? If they didn’t have sex before the morning, it would be a miracle. He wanted to be with her, badly. But every time he rushed things, they inevitably went wrong.
He grumbled under his breath and readied the hot tub, which sat partially under a massive pine, providing some cover from the icy wind. Pleased to see the water temperature a toasty 104, Deacon went back inside to quickly strip down to his underwear and tuck away his clothes, then he hurried back outside and sank up to his chin in the hot water.
“Shit.” He could only be glad Nora wasn’t there to see him making some embarrassing faces as the sudden heat sent needles of sensation through his body, which was still struggling to make sense of the icy cold outside.
For modesty’s sake, he’d left his boxer briefs on. Bubbles and the jets would help mask his arousal when it inevitably made itself visible. Just thinking about sex with Nora turned him on. Being so close to actually doing it made it all worse.
She joined him soon enough and hung up their towels on hooks near the tub. The snow continued to swirl around as if they sat in a snow globe. Mountains and a moonlit sky surrounded by clouds beyond the cabin and overlooking the lake enchanted him. Yep. He was totally going with that word, because it described the atmosphere up here.
Then Nora hung up her robe and turned to the hot tub.
His mouth dried, and he had to work to swallow past the knot in his throat.
Enchanting—that was Nora with a capital E.
She wore a skimpy two-piece that barely covered her assets, and Nora had curves that made him want to weep. She’d fit into his palms perfectly.
And there went his erection, returning full force.
She sank into the water across from him and cringed. “Oh, it’s cold and hot. Prickly.”
“Yep.” He cleared his throat. “It’s painful at first, but now I’m soaking in the heat.” He casually reached over and hit the button for the bubbles and jets, needing some coverage.
She sighed. “This is great.”
She sat too far away, on the opposite side of the six person tub. “Mind if I put my feet up?”
He scooted over, making use of the perpendicular seat as well. “Sounds good. I’ll do the same.”
They sat that way for a few minutes, each facing a different view. He had the mountains, Nora had the house. “Do you want to turn around so you can see the lake? I promise not to jump you if we sit on the same side.”
She frowned at him, and he did his best not to smile. The heat stuck wisps of her brown hair to her forehead and neck, while the majority of her hair remained tucked up into an untidy bun. That and the barely-there bikini had turned her into definite fantasy material.
Nora cautiously took the seat near him, leaving a good amount of space between them. Then she stretched out, as he did, allowing the jets at her back to soothe aches and the jets near her feet to pound away her stress.
“Oh yeah. This is better.”
If only she didn’t sound pre-orgasmic saying that.
He swallowed a groan. “Yep. Fantastic.”
The dichotomy of relaxing in the warmth while sporting a huge erection amused him. Contradictions seemed to swell when around Nora. Pun intended.
“This is nice.” She closed her eyes.
He thought she looked tired. Sweet, beautiful, but fatigued, with shadows under her eyes.
“I can feel you looking at me.” She reached over to still the bubbles, leaving the jets going.
“Really?”
She opened one eye and glared at him.
“What does it feel like?” That came out way huskier than he’d intended.
Her eyes opened wide. “So we’re going to go there.”
“Nora?”
“Let me think a minute.”
He had no idea what she needed to think about, but he needed to get a handle on his desire. So, he sat and let his mind wander, ignoring her presence, which finally had the effect he’d intended. He felt at peace, letting his worries fall away as the hot jets eased tired muscles he hadn’t known he’d had.
He let out a breath and relaxed into the heat, even enjoying the bite of cold above his shoulders, and appreciated the glorious scenery of a snowy, moonlit night next to a special woman he’d come to care for, very much.
They sat in silence for some time, enough that Deacon started to feel sleepy.
“Deacon?”
“Hmm?”
“Hold this, would you?”
He obligingly held out a hand over the water, and she plopped down something wet in it. He blinked down at the fabric of a bathing suit top.
As if struck by lightning, his entire body came alive, and he shot his gaze to the tops of her br
easts now bare below the water, the hint of her nudity mouthwatering.
“I think we should talk about the next step. Don’t you?”
“The… What?”
“Yes, that elephant in the hot tub. And I’m not talking about the steel rod between your legs.”
He just blinked at her, not sure if he was awake or dreaming.
Then she settled in his lap. Her naked breasts bobbed against him, and her silky thighs cradling him, taking the surreal situation into a hard, pressing reality.
“Oh God. Yes, let’s talk.” He draped her bikini top over the edge of the tub and planted his hands on her hips, determined to keep them there until she told him otherwise. Or he begged and she took pity on him.
Because he was closer to begging right then than when he’d first tasted Becca’s cinnamon buns. And Deacon had one hell of a sweet tooth.
Chapter 10
Nora couldn’t believe she’d done it, but she was taking charge of this weird relationship with Deacon. Talk about an early Christmas present.
“Okay, Deacon. It’s like this. You and I share an attraction. Right?” She could feel it digging into her bottom.
“Oh yeah.” He squeezed her hips, his gaze glued to her face.
“And it’s just us up here. You and me and not a lot between us.”
He glanced at her top draped over the side of the hot tub then looked back at her. “Nope.”
“I haven’t had sex in a while.” She decided to go for blunt honesty. “I’m horny. You’re here. This isn’t going to be complicated. We have sex, we’re nice to each other after, and that’s it. We keep it between ourselves. Then you can go date half of Hope’s Turn. I don’t care.”
He narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything. A good sign.
“I’m clean. I’m not on birth control, but it’s not the right time for me to get pregnant. I don’t have any condoms.”
“I don’t either.” He looked at her lips. “I like this honesty.” He shifted her, and his erection through his underwear brushed the cleft between her legs.
They both groaned, especially when her nipples dragged against his chest.