by Jennie Marts
Warmth filled her heart as Charlie imagined a Christmas spent here, at Tucked Away. Snow covering the fields. A big tree set up and decorated in the farmhouse. The smell of apple pies and cinnamon rolls and the house filled with the laughter of family. The laughter of her parents and Sophie and Zack.
A cold feeling of dread overcame her, like splashing icy water on her warm fantasies of a family Christmas. She still didn’t know if Zack was willing to forgive her or if he even wanted to have her in his life.
She looked at him now, her heart near to bursting with the emotions contained there. The longing, the desire, the love. He was so tall, and, even covered in soot, he was so damn good-looking. She longed to reach out and touch his face. To kiss him. To be allowed to step into his arms and be welcomed there.
She knew she was in love with him, but would he give her the chance to tell him? Would he give them a chance to try again?
Chapter Nineteen
Charlie knocked softly.
Zack opened the door to her bathroom and almost took her breath away.
He’d used the master bath to take a shower and wash the grime from his body. He stood in the doorway, hair wet and soapy, his hand holding a towel loosely around his waist. The shower was still running behind him, and he dripped water on the floor.
She’d brought him the set of clean clothes he’d told her she would find in his truck, and she was tempted to shove them behind her back. Claim she couldn’t find them. Just to spend a few extra minutes admiring his naked frame.
She loved the few soft hairs that dotted his tan chest and longed to reach out and run her hand across his muscled form. Or better yet, forget her hand, she’d rather use her tongue.
Whoa, girl. Calm down. They hadn’t had a chance to talk yet, and she wondered if she would ever get the chance to touch him again.
After the firemen left, Ryan and Cash had headed for the bunkhouse to clean up, and Liz and Sophie were in the kitchen, putting together breakfast. Charlie had offered Zack the use of her bathroom to shower, and this was the first time they’d actually been alone.
She held the pile of clothes out to him, and the fresh smell of soap wafted off his skin. Suddenly self-conscious of her own scent, she realized she still wore his flannel shirt buttoned over her torn pajama top.
Flecks of mud, now dried and hard, pebbled the front of the shirt. She looked down at herself, her white tennies now black with grime and smudges of soot dotted her bare legs.
She reached up to touch her hair, remembering that she’d been asleep when Sophie had called her, and she’d run from the house, not bothering to wash her face or comb her hair. She imagined the tangled mess it must be, and she was sure the smell of smoke permeated her hair and her clothes.
Zack silently reached out the hand not holding the towel, took the pile of clothing, set it on the bathroom counter, then reached back and took her hand. Pulling her into the bathroom with him, he pushed the door shut behind her.
The towel dropped as he moved to unbutton the flannel shirt. He undid the last button, opened the flannel and pushed both it and the pajama shirt off her shoulders. She nudged her sneakers off and stood before him, wearing only the jean shorts she’d pulled on earlier in the evening.
He undid the snap and slowly pulled down the zipper, then slid the shorts over her hips, letting them fall to the ground. He ran his fingers along the elastic edge of her thong panties, sending delicious shivers up her spine.
Still, he said nothing. He slid his hands under the elastic and drew the panties slowly over her curves. She shivered as he tugged her toward him, stepping out of the lace undies as he pulled her into the big bathtub, holding her arm as she stepped over the edge.
The water was still warm. She watched it turn gray as it washed the soot from her body. Zack stood behind her as he poured shampoo into his hand, and massaged it into her wet hair. His hands felt so good on her scalp.
She remembered the first time they’d been in the shower together. He’d washed her hair then, but she’d still been in shock, and not able to fully appreciate the sensation of his hands in her hair.
She had all of her senses with her now, and every one was screaming out with want and need.
Zack picked up the bar of soap from the dish. He formed a lather in his hands then rubbed the soapy bubbles across her shoulders, her back, down the curves of her hips. He turned her toward him and ran his slick hands across her waist, up her stomach, around her breasts.
She arched her back, her body crying out for his touch. She wanted to close her eyes, embrace the sensation, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t take her eyes off his. Didn’t want to break the connection. Whatever he was feeling for her, she wanted to read it in his eyes.
He looked down at her. His finger traced the scratch that Vern’s watch had left across the top of her breast. And finally he spoke, his voice cracking with emotion. “I’m so damn sorry that he hurt you.”
She reached up. Covered his hand with hers. Held it on her breast, above her heart. “I’m okay. It wasn’t your fault.”
“You got hurt protecting my daughter. I should have been there.”
“I would take a hundred scratches to protect her.” With her other hand, she touched his cheek. “And you were there. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up when you did. You saved me.”
Zack kept his right hand over her heart. His left hand curled around her waist and pulled her against him. Every part of his body was hard. She slid against him, the soap on her skin causing her to slide against his muscular chest. He leaned his head against hers, his voice rough in her ear. “No, Charlie, you saved me.”
Then his mouth was on hers. He pulled her tighter against him as he kissed her. Hard. Desperate with want. His hands slid down her waist, cupping her bottom and tugging her closer to him.
She freed his hand, eager to touch him. Her fingers moved up his back, tightening and clutching his muscled form. Needing to be close to him. Needing to know they were okay.
She could stand there all day, kissing him, touching him. But the hot water heater in the old house had just reached its limit, and the shower quickly turned cold.
Zack reached for the nozzles and turned the water off. “Let’s get you dry.” He stepped from the shower, offering her his hand to climb over the old claw foot tub.
Afraid to speak, to break the connection, she let him dry her off and wrap the towel around her. He rubbed the moisture from her hair, then smoothed the towel over her body, every brush of the terry cloth a sensual sensation against her already heated skin.
She watched him run a towel across his frame, then twist it around his waist. He took her hand and drew her into the bedroom, laying on the bed and pulling her down beside him. She dropped her towel and lay beside him, snuggled against the heat of his body. She wanted to be as close to him as possible. To have nothing between them.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Woman, you are making me crazy.”
She smiled, loving the endearment that was so Zack. “In a good way?”
He pulled her tight against him. “In all ways.” He laid a trail of kisses along her forehead, ending in the soft spot just below her ear. His voice was slightly raspy, from both the smoke and pure need. “I want you, Charlie. I want you so much.”
Her heart soared at the words, but it wasn’t enough. Afraid to ask, but needing to know. “But do you just want me in your bed, or in your life?”
He laughed and shook his head. “They’re the same thing to me. I want you in all places.” He took her chin and looked into her eyes. “You make me crazy, but you make me feel alive and excited. I know we have stuff we need to work on, but I am willing to try, if you are.”
“I feel like I messed everything up. Like we had this beautiful thing, and because I was afraid, I screwed it all up.” She thought of the burnt rubble of the barn, now destroyed and reduced to a pile of ash and debris. “I feel like I took our relationship and burned it to the ground, just l
ike the fire almost destroyed the farm tonight.”
“But it didn’t destroy the farm. It only ruined one piece of it. Tucked Away is still standing. So, that’s like us. We may have to work on the wreckage of one part, but our relationship as a whole is still standing, still strong. That part wasn’t damaged. And we can always rebuild.”
“I want that. I want to rebuild. I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you. That I didn’t believe in you enough. I don’t want to live that way anymore.”
“I know. And you proved that tonight when you put yourself in danger to save my daughter. My heart stopped when I saw you with those guys tonight. I was ready to kill them for hurting you. I knew in that moment that I loved you, and I would do whatever it took to be with you again.”
“Oh, Zack. That’s how I felt when I saw you run into the flames of the barn. I prayed that you would come out alive, so I would have the chance to tell you that I loved you.”
His hand moved up into her hair and grasped the side of her head. His need evident in the firmness of his contact. “I’m here now. Tell me. I need to hear you say it.”
Charlie reached up to touch his face. She looked into his eyes, pouring all of her heart and soul into her words. “I love you, Zack Cooper. For now and for always. I love you with all of my heart.”
“I love you, too, Charlie Ryan Tucker. I love you, too.” His face broke into a glorious smile, and he leaned in to kiss her.
The way he smiled at her filled Charlie with happiness. A happiness she never knew was possible.
Then the feel of his lips and his naked skin against hers filled her with a completely different sensation. Every part of her—her heart, her mind, her soul—was in this moment. In this feeling. A wave of carnal need swept over her, and she gave herself to him. Entirely. “Take me, Zack. I am yours. Forever.”
Her words must have sparked a new desire in him. His eyes darkened, and he rose up on his elbow and pulled her under him. She reveled in the snug fit of her body against his, and her nipples pebbled against the soft hairs of his chest.
She arched against him as he ran his hand slowly down her side, the backs of his fingers leaving a line of fire along her skin. He traced her curves, gently teasing each dip and swell of her body. The pads of his fingertips slowly drew a sensuous line from one side of her belly to the other, stopping to circle her navel in tortuous delight.
Willing his hands to move lower, she writhed against him, the movement of her hips conveying her need. She ached to have him touch her. All of her.
He leaned close to her ear, his breath warm against her neck, his voice low and deep with emotion. “Lord, I want you. I want to touch every part of you. I need to feel you, to taste you. I can’t get enough of you, Charlie.”
The sound of her name on his lips was like a caress in itself, and his words of desire only fueled her passion. She inhaled his scent, a heady mixture of soap and shampoo and the minty flavor of toothpaste. Her mouth sought his, and she moaned against his lips as he kissed her.
Everything else fell away as she lost herself in the kiss. In this man. The man who stripped her bare, who held her shattered heart in his hands, who showed her how rich life could be, and left her aching for a chance to be part of his world.
Nothing else mattered but this moment in time. This room with the warm gold rays of the sunrise shimmering against the walls and the soft flannel of the sheets against her skin. This moment filled with love and hope and a yearning like nothing she had ever known.
Filled with an unquenchable hunger, she arched against him, clutching his shoulders, deepening the kiss, determined to show him how much she loved him.
The taste of his mouth was hot and sweet, and his desire washed over her as he spoke his love for her through his kisses and the urgent demand of his touch.
Soft moans escaped his lips as she gripped his back, pulling his body tight against hers and grinding her hips into his. His hands were everywhere, the calluses of his palms rough against the tender skin of her breasts as he touched and explored, getting to know her body, learning what made her gasp and cry out in pleasure.
He pulled back, his breath ragged as he dragged a hand through his tousled hair. “You’re killing me, woman. We’ve got to stop while I still have a few of my wits about me. You keep touching me like this, and I may not be able to stop.”
She pointed to the drawer of the nightstand. “After that night of the storm, I went shopping. Just in case.”
He pulled open the drawer and withdrew a large box of condoms. A slow grin spread across his face as he ripped open the box and extracted a gold package. “You naughty little vixen. You bought the value pack?”
“If you knew how great your butt looked in Wranglers, you’d understand why I bought the big box.” She ran a finger lightly down his chest, eliciting a shiver from him, and she smiled up into his brown eyes. “I guess now you don’t have to stop?”
He laughed, a full, hearty sound. “No, with a box this size, I won’t have to stop for a long time.”
Safety measures in place, his hand stroked her thigh as he nestled between her legs.
His weight on top of her felt so damn good. So right. She knew with every fiber of her being that this was the man who would make all of her dreams come true. “No, don’t stop, Zack. Don’t ever stop.”
He didn’t stop; instead, he took her to the edge. The pulse-pounding, heart-racing edge. And just when she thought she couldn’t take another second, she plummeted over, falling into the sweet bliss of passion with the man she loved.
Afterwards, they fell together in a tangle of sweaty skin and flannel sheets, their breath coming in hard gasps. He pulled her against him, and a feeling of peace and love surrounded her. And she knew this was it.
She was finally home.
…
Charlie stood on the front porch later, the mid-afternoon sun high in the sky, and looked out over the farm. Despite the ruined mound of ash and debris, the farm itself was still beautiful. Under the stunning blue of the big Montana sky, the fields spread out, lush with green and dotted with trees. Cows grazed the emerald grasses, lazily chewing their cud, apparently unfazed by the fire the night before.
She sighed with contentment. She felt a moment of warmth surrounding her and the distinct scent of peaches, and then it was gone.
Solid arms wrapped around her from behind, and she leaned back into Zack’s embrace. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She pulled his arms tighter around her, struggling again with the loss of her grandmother. “I just had the strongest sensation. Since the first day I arrived at Tucked Away, I feel like Gigi has been with me, like her presence has been kind of watching over me. But I think she’s gone now. For good.”
He hugged her against his chest, resting his chin on her head. “You all right with that?”
“Yeah.” She straightened her shoulders, standing taller, and took Zack’s hand. “Yeah, I am all right. Gigi’s gone, but she left me with so much. She gave me a life and a future. And a home.”
The screen door slammed. The little black and white dog had learned to push it open with her snout and squeeze through. Luckily, her leg was only strained and not broken. She pushed her way between them and nuzzled Charlie’s free hand.
She rubbed the dog’s furry head and smiled up into Zack’s gorgeous face. “Apparently, I did have room for Joy in my life.”
Room for Joy. For happiness. For love. She had no idea that, when she pulled into the driveway of this farm, it would hold all of her dreams.
That the little farm in Montana would set her free, and her heart would no longer be tucked away.
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Acknowledgments
My thanks always go
es first to my husband, Todd, the one who puts up with constant chatter about plot lines and imaginary characters and the world they live in. Thank you for cooking meals, buying groceries, and putting up with me being in my pajamas, glazed look in my eyes, typing on my laptop from the time you leave in the morning until you walk back in the door from work that afternoon. I love and adore you. Thanks for taking this and all journeys with me.
Thanks to my sons, Tyler and Nick, for your love and support. You guys make it all worth it.
Thanks so much to my amazing editing team of Allison Collins and Candace Havens for your hard work and dedication to making this book happen. And thanks to the whole crew at Entangled Publishing for giving your valuable time and energy to publish this book.
My thanks goes out to Michelle Major, Lana Williams, and Anne Eliot for your critique help, your honest feedback, and your steadfast friendship.
Special thanks goes out to my incredible team of proofreaders: Terry Gregson, Linda Kay, Lee Cumba, Julie Feuerbach, Jeanne Slane, & Carla Albers. You all are amazing and your support is priceless! I couldn’t do it without you.
Thanks so much to Kristin Miller. Your friendship and plotting help is invaluable.
I am so fortunate to have the writing support of amazing writers and I can’t express enough gratitude to the Colorado Indie Author Group and the Colorado Indies.
My biggest thanks goes out to my readers! Thanks for loving my stories and my characters and for asking for more. I can’t wait to share my next story with you.
About the Author
Jennie Marts loves to make readers laugh as she weaves stories filled with love, friendship and intrigue. Jennie writes for Entangled Publishing and she’s the Kindle Bestselling author of the Page Turners series, which includes the romantic comedies: Another Saturday Night and I Ain’t Got No Body, Easy Like Sunday Mourning, Just Another Maniac Monday, and the latest Between the Pages Holiday Novella - A Cowboy for Christmas.
She is living her own happily-ever-after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two sons, and two dogs whose antics often find a way into her books.