by J. H. Croix
“Aha. Now I know why you’re so distracted,” Nathan commented.
Travis looked to his side. “Huh?”
Nathan cocked his head to one side and shook his head slowly. “You’re all out of it. Janie walks across the parking lot and you can’t stop staring at her. Do yourself a favor and actually do something about it.”
Travis was relieved he wasn’t one to blush, not because it wasn’t exactly a masculine thing to do, but because it would cue Nathan to the fact he was right on target. He forced himself to take a slow breath and studiously kept his eyes off the door when he heard it open. Despite his best efforts, his eyes flicked sideways all on their own to see Janie turn the other direction toward the counter. At Nathan’s low chuckle, he looked back in his direction. With a mental sigh, he shrugged. “Fine. You got me.” He looked down at his mail and realized he was about to toss a bill in the recycling. “I’m a little lost here, any suggestions?”
Nathan flashed a grin. “I just told you. Do something about it. I’m no expert, but I can guess you’re tiptoeing around this thing. Having been a guy who was totally clueless to finding a woman who meant a hell of a lot to me, I get it. One foot in front of the other. Take her to dinner again. Pretty sure you can handle that.”
Travis absorbed Nathan’s words and nodded slowly. Right. He could handle taking her to dinner. He tapped the small stack of mail left on the counter and straightened his shoulders. “I can do dinner.”
Nathan’s shoulders started to shake as he looked at Travis. Travis rolled his eyes. “Dude, give me a break. You were ridiculous about Tess, so don’t go acting like you don’t know what it’s like.”
Nathan gulped in air between bursts of laughter. “Fair enough. Can’t help it though. You’ve always been calm and cool about women. It’s funny to see you all tied up.” He paused and glanced toward the post office counter where Janie stood in line. “I’m outta here. I’d suggest you make sure to talk to her before you leave. Keep me posted.”
At that, Nathan turned and ambled out of the post office. Travis remained by the table facing the windows for another moment. He stared beyond the parking lot to the bay on the far side of the highway. The wind was brutal today, stirring the surface of the water choppy and rough. The view was shades of gray between the clouds and water. In a flash, he sensed Janie’s presence. His body was that attuned to her. He turned to find her walking in his direction. When she reached him, her eyes looked uncertain.
Before she had a chance to speak, he did, barreling through the muddle inside. “Let’s grab some dinner tonight,” he blurted out.
Her gorgeous hazel eyes widened before she nodded. “I was just about to ask if you got my text.” At his nod, she continued. “My mom took Stella and Pansy to Anchorage for the night.”
“Well, why don’t we grab dinner at the Boathouse?” he asked, latching onto the first restaurant that came to mind.
“Perfect. Should I meet…?”
“I’ll pick you up,” he said firmly.
They stood there for another few beats. Hot lust jolted through him just to have her near. It wasn’t even noon yet, and he had hours to go before he could have her to himself. It was so bad, he was mentally considering the idea of yanking her down one of the aisles just to snatch a chance to feel her lips under his again. With a mental shake, he grabbed his stack of mail. “Six o’clock sound good?” he asked abruptly.
At her nod, he spun away and nearly stalked out of the post office. He was far from upset, but he was rattled by how strongly she affected him.
Janie stood in the bathroom, her reflection staring back at her in the mirror. Born and raised in Alaska, she was a relentlessly practical woman and dressed mostly with the weather in mind, not her appearance. Given her strong inclination to avoid men at all costs ever since watching what Randy did to her mother, she’d skipped over the common adolescent anxieties about how she looked. She grabbed the hairbrush again and whipped it through her hair. Her hair was, well, it was brown. At the moment, it was also quite shiny because she’d brushed it enough it practically glowed. She kept it just past her shoulders in a layered cut. It tended to wave slightly, and she was annoyed with a particular wave that kept curling out no matter what she did. You’re being ridiculous. Travis will be here any minute and you’ve spent forever on your hair.
With an abrupt sigh, she slammed the hairbrush on the counter. She quickly swiped lip-gloss on and stomped out of the bathroom. She’d already wasted plenty of time obsessing over what to wear, only to settle on a pair of jeans and a soft green scoop neck shirt. When she couldn’t decide what to wear, she’d figured it made the most sense to go with something comfortable. There was also the problem of having few clothes that were anything other than practical.
There was a knock on the kitchen door as she stepped off the stairs. She hurried to the door and swung it open. “Hey! Just let me grab my coat.” She was talking rapidly, her anxiety ramping her up inside. She’d come to the crazy conclusion she was going to get Travis out of her system for once and for all tonight. Translation: she planned to screw his brains out before she lost her mind. A few awkward dates and sexual experiences and hardly any in recent memory left her stirred up and tossed wildly in the storm of the desire. Travis’s presence didn’t do much to settle her nerves, in fact it sent every nerve scrambling.
She grabbed her lightweight down jacket and tugged it on, stuffing her feet into a pair of lined leather boots at the same time. When she glanced up, Travis’s blue eyes were on her. In a flash, heat raced through her. His eyes were like the ocean, changing shades of blue that mesmerized her. “Okay, ready!” she said brightly.
One corner of his mouth curled up in a half grin. “Okay then. Let’s go.”
She followed him out into the night. The sky was clear, the air sharp and crisp. The chill outside eased the heat swirling inside of her. In short order, they were standing inside the crowded waiting area of The Boathouse Café. The pace was slower in the winter, but it was still busy. Janie glanced around and saw many unfamiliar faces mixed in with locals. The Boathouse was a local and tourist favorite. Ever since Last Frontier Lodge, a local ski resort, had reopened, the tourists were in Diamond Creek year-round. Travis had thought ahead and made a reservation, so they were seated within minutes of their arrival.
Dinner passed in a strange blur for her. In some ways, it was quite normal. She managed to eat and carry on a casual conversation. She even managed to greet a few friends who stopped by their table to say hello. Travis bantered with Luke Winters when he stopped by their table with his wife Hannah, an old friend of Janie’s. Janie glanced up at Hannah, tall and willowy with sky blue eyes and a warm smile. “How’s it going?” Janie asked.
Hannah smiled, her eyes flicking from Janie to Travis and back again, mild curiosity in her gaze. “Busy, but good. How about you?”
Janie shrugged. “About the same. Not sure if you heard, but Stella broke her ankle in a sledding accident, so we’ve been dealing with that. Otherwise, John’s doing great in class. He’s full of energy and he loves to ask questions,” she said, referring to Hannah and Luke’s son who had started in her first grade class this year.
Hannah laughed softly. “You really do know how to spin the positive. He is so full of energy, he wears me out, and he never stops asking questions. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re his teacher.”
Janie laughed. Given that she felt muddled and like she was walking blind through whatever this was with Travis, a few moments of talking about teaching settled her. Having grown up with Hannah, she knew her well enough to know Hannah was probably wondering about her and Travis. Janie didn’t think much about the fact she rarely dated, but it felt like a glaring detail right now. Travis was laughing along with something Luke said. Hannah’s eyes flicked between them again. She curled her hand over the edge of Janie’s chair and leaned down.
“He’s good for you,” Hannah said, her voice low and barely audible over the murmur of
conversation around them.
Janie glanced up, suddenly vulnerable and off-kilter again. Hannah’s warm blue eyes met hers, and she gave Janie’s shoulder a quick squeeze before straightening up when Luke curled his arm across her shoulders. They said their goodbyes and strolled away. Hannah slipped her hand in the rear pocket of Luke’s jeans, while he idly sifted his hand through her dark hair. Their casual intimacy struck Janie, sending a flash of longing through her. She’d watched many friends find love, yet she’d never questioned her commitment to staying single. Until Travis. She glanced over at him. He turned as their waiter approached. The lines of his profile were clean and strong. Her breath caught and her heart gave a hard thump before her pulse took off at a gallop.
Chapter 12
Travis adjusted an armful of firewood as he climbed the steps to the porch. While they’d been at dinner, the temperature had dropped dramatically. It was already cold, yet it had dipped lower into the teeth-chattering range. He nudged the kitchen door with his knee and stepped inside, toeing his boots off by the door, as they were damp from the crunchy snow in Janie’s yard.
“Here we go,” he said as he approached the fireplace in her living room.
Janie reached over and quickly took half of what he carried, turning to lay the logs in the fireplace. He set the remainder in the wrought-iron rack beside the fireplace and stepped back while she strategically placed a few pieces of tinder under the logs and lit a piece of paper, which she slipped in between the tinder and logs as soon as it caught fire.
There was a soft hissing sound and then the tinder lit up, flames rippling through the logs. Janie was leaning over, her gaze on the fire. Travis could hardly keep his eyes off the lush curves of her hips. He’d managed to get through dinner without completely losing control of himself, but he was about at the end of his tether, his restraint hanging on by a thin thread and sheer will.
She stood and turned to face him. Her dark hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders. Her porcelain skin was flushed slightly and her eyes bright. He couldn’t say he’d thought much about what to do next. He recalled Nathan’s comment that he should do something about Janie. So, he’d asked her to dinner, only to learn dinner with Janie teased him to near madness. Here with her now, lust rolled through him in a flash. He gave up thinking and closed the distance between them in one long stride. Her head angled up to him when he reached her. He forced himself to hold still, barely able to hear over the fast pounding of his heart. Even if his control was almost lost, he wanted to give her a chance to back away. She didn’t take it. She simply watched him, her layered hazel eyes dark with desire. Her pulse fluttered in her neck. The sound of her breathing, shallow and soft, sent him over the edge. He threaded a hand in her hair and dipped his head forward to fit his mouth over hers.
She was still for a beat and then sighed against his lips. That was it. He was lost. He swept his tongue into her mouth, reveling at her response. Their kiss went from hot to searing in seconds—a tangle of lips and tongue. She met him stroke for stroke. The fire beside them snapped and crackled, heat starting to emanate nearby, while the fire between them was nearly all consuming. He sifted his hand through her hair and down her spine, tracing the dip of her waist and the generous curve of her bottom. He couldn’t resist pulling her against him, groaning into her mouth at the feel of her softness against his hardness. He needed more and he needed it now. He tore his lips free and gulped in air before blazing a wet trail of kisses along the column of her throat and her collarbone.
While he was busy exploring the sweet taste of her skin, she was busy with her own exploration. One hand stroked up his chest and down his back, while the other reached between them to curl over his cock—rock hard and throbbing. He growled against her skin and lifted his head. He met her eyes in the flickering firelight. He grabbed onto what little control he had left and forced himself to breathe. “Janie,” he said roughly.
Her eyes were dark and she gave a small nod.
“If you want us to stop, we need to stop now.” He bit the words out, forcing himself to hold on. He didn’t want to push her further than she wanted to go, but he seriously didn’t know how much he could take before he lost what little control he had.
She gave a tiny shake of her head. Uncertain what that meant, he held her eyes. “What do you mean?”
She licked her lips. Holy hell. If she meant for him to keep some semblance of control, she needed not to do things like that. “I don’t want to stop,” she replied, her voice husky.
That was all he needed. He stroked his palms down her sides and curled his hands around her hips, lifting her against him. In a few strides, he was by the couch and sat down with her in his arms. She was a bundle of softness and curves. Her eyes slammed into his and she shifted to straddle him. “This,” she said, the roughness in her voice sending a hot jolt through him as she brought her mouth to his again.
Janie found herself sitting astride Travis, the feel of his hot length grazing against her with every subtle shift of her hips. She was teetering on the edge of pure madness. She’d decided she would let herself have this, yet this with Travis went beyond anything she could have anticipated. The wild pounding beat of desire between them had ratcheted up to a burning conflagration. Sometime in the last few minutes, he’d made quick work of her shirt and bra, while she’d shoved his shirt off. Amidst kisses and a tangled scramble, he’d tugged her jeans down where they dangled from an ankle. She gave a kick to free them and settled against him, a moan escaping at the feel of his hard cock through the damp silk of her panties. The denim was rough against the silk and she savored the friction.
A luscious shiver raced through her when he dipped his head and swirled his tongue around a nipple taut with need. She gasped with relief at the feel of his mouth on her bare skin. A subtle suction before he pulled away elicited a sharp cry. She gripped his hair when he shifted his attention to the other nipple, tracing wet circles with his fingers when he lifted his head. He held her gaze as he reached down and dragged his fingers along her low belly before hooking over the edge of her panties and delving down.
Barely able to breathe, her eyes fell closed as he stroked into her folds. She was drenched with need, her channel throbbing and slick. Her breath came in soft gasps, and she teetered on a delicious edge. Spun tight inside, his slow strokes into her channel only served to tighten the coil. He said her name, his voice low and gruff. She managed to drag her eyes open to find his waiting. Another finger joined the first, stretching her and sending hot streaks of pleasure through her. She was caught in his dark blue gaze and couldn’t look away as he began to rhythmically stroke into her. Her hips rolled into his touch as the pressure gathered within. In a flash, the sensation built to a crescendo. She distantly heard herself cry out sharply when his thumb circled over her clit, and then the pressure let loose, crashing over her in waves of intense pleasure.
He stilled his fingers and slowly dragged them out. Even though she was nearly boneless, she knew she wanted more. She shifted her hips back and tore at his jeans, tugging them down around his hips swiftly and sighing when his cock sprung free. Curling her hand around his length, she closed her eyes at the feel of his hot, velvety skin. She felt him shift and glanced up to see him fumbling in his pocket. He swore softly and tossed his wallet aside once he yanked a condom out. She grabbed it from him and tore the packet open. In seconds, she’d rolled it on and rose up.
“Janie.”
Her eyes collided with his just as he curled a hand around her hip and held her still. Restless, she shifted her hips, but he held firm. He positioned his cock at her entrance, her channel clenching with need at the subtle pressure. In slow motion, he eased her down, his cock filling and stretching her slowly. As she sank onto him, she bucked against his grip at the last moment, sinking deeply against him. The sensation of him inside of her felt so damn good, she lost her breath.
They were still together for a long moment, yet inside she was spiraling with need.
The echoes of her climax rustled within, pleasure rising in small bursts as she settled against him—the hard, hot length of him pulsing subtly. She gathered herself and rose up, almost crying out at the slow slide of him within. They rocked together, slow at first and gradually picking up the pace until she felt as if she was hurtling into madness again. He tangled a hand in her hair and pulled her close, claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss. The charge humming through her became hotter and hotter as she chased another sweet release.
With every stroke of him inside, the wildness built until he gripped her hips and brought her down hard against him as he surged to meet her. Another surge and the pleasure broke loose again, streaking through her in waves as her channel convulsed around him. He caught her cry in their kiss, tearing his lips free as he threw his head back against the couch, his body going taut against hers. He slowly relaxed, his hands loosening on her hips. All she wanted was to stay right there, so she let her head fall forward into the dip of his shoulder and caught her breath. She idly traced the hard muscled planes of his chest, marveling at how good it felt to be this close to him. His body was a work of art, but it wasn’t just that. It was the shimmering incandescent feeling between them. After several long moments, she lifted her head. He rolled his head to the side where it had fallen back on the couch.
“You’re getting cold,” he said softly, running a hand up her back, his touch alerting her to the goose bumps on her skin.
Travis came awake slowly. For a second, he was confused when he felt soft curves against him. Then, he remembered where he was—in Janie’s bed. He opened his eyes to find Janie sound asleep beside him. Her dark hair was tangled on the pillow. The winter dawn was just breaking, wispy light filtering through the curtains in her bedroom. Without moving, he slowly scanned the room, which he’d stumbled into in the dark late last night. There was a dormer window on one side and a picture window offering a view of the bay on the other side. The curtains hung open in the center, revealing the snow falling softly outside. Janie’s bed was a queen-size four-poster bed of dark mahogany. Ample pillows and a fluffy down quilt made for an incredibly comfortable night’s sleep. There was that and the most incredible sex he’d ever had last night—two factors contributing to him feeling very well rested this morning. Well, and Janie’s lush curves and silky skin against him. She was curled beside him with one of her legs tangled in his. She shifted just the slightest bit, and his cock responded.