All They Ever Wanted

by Tracy Solheim

  “What are you doing up so late, Lori?” His tone wasn’t quite as menacing as it had been earlier in the day, but she still sensed the tension coiled deep within him.

  She tugged a hand free and peeled his fingers off her mouth. “I could ask you the same question.”

  His eyes were probing her again; she could feel it. “I’m looking for a crystal paperweight that seems to have found itself missing from the Edinburgh Suite.”

  Lori relaxed a little against his hold and she heard Miles’ breathing hitch. “Don’t waste your sleep. I already checked this room four hours ago.” She huffed out a frustrated sigh when he showed no sign of releasing her. “It’s not here. Or in any room of the B and B, for that matter. I checked them all. Well, all except yours,” she challenged.

  Miles’ eyes narrowed and his grip on her tightened. “Let’s remedy that right now, then, shall we?” He led her toward the door. Lori debated protesting but a small part of her wanted a peek inside Miles’ bedroom. Of course, she’d seen the Dundee Suite hundreds of times before, just not since Dudley Do-Right had taken up residence. It was the only way to rule him out as a suspect once and for all, she tried to justify to herself.

  After manacling her wrist with his long fingers, he quietly pulled the door open. Miles checked down each of the long hallways before he ventured out of the suite. She followed behind him, the thick carpet muffling the sounds of their footsteps. Glancing down, Lori noticed that Miles’ feet were bare. Her stomach did another one of those somersaults. There was something intimate about Miles and his bare feet. After their kiss that afternoon, did she really want to be alone with him in his bedroom? Her body was screaming yes while her brain was demanding that she get a grip. She needed to stay the course, which meant catching the thief, getting her ring back, and moving on. Lori began to hesitate, but Miles tugged her along.

  In a few short strides they’d made it to the Dundee Suite. Miles opened the door soundlessly and quickly propelled Lori into the dimly lit room. He released her wrist and she heard the telltale click of the lock sliding home. Still, she relaxed as she took a few steps into the sitting area. The corner suite was one of Lori’s favorites in the inn. Decorated in the Dundee tartan colors of red, green, black, and white, the room always reminded Lori of Christmas.

  Miles had been living in the suite for more than a month now, yet with the exception of his laptop and some papers spread across the sofa, there was not a single trace of him anywhere. Lori glanced into the adjoining bedroom. The bed was made and the pillows neatly stacked against the sleigh-style headboard. She peeked into the bathroom, where her suspicions about his recent shower were confirmed by the moisture wicking over the tile floor in the large shower. The only item evident in the room was a tube of toothpaste, which was, of course, neatly crimped on the end where he’d rolled it up.

  A little disappointed not to find out more about the real Miles, she wandered back into the sitting area. No crystal paperweight—or any of the other missing items—was visible. Not that she ever thought they would be. Miles was leaning against the closed door, his arms crossed over his chest and those same sexy bare feet crossed at the ankles.

  “Satisfied?”

  Not hardly. At least not in the way he was talking about. She shrugged. “I never seriously considered you as a suspect, Dudley.”

  One corner of his mouth twitched. “I’ll remember that if I need additional campaign endorsements.”

  “Glad we got that cleared up. Can I go now?” Cassidy could be on the move and neither one of them would know it.

  “Why? So you can take something else?”

  Mirroring his pose, she narrowed her eyes at him. “We both know I’m not the thief, either.”

  He sprang away from the door. “Actually, we don’t. That whole story about your grandmother’s ring is likely a ruse just to throw everyone off. What other reason do you have for skulking around the B and B at night if you’re not the thief? And for the love of Pete, do you sleep in that ridiculous outfit?”

  His last question caught her off guard. Lori wasn’t sure whether to be embarrassed or aroused by the fact that he had bothered to notice her clothing. She looked down at her faded, oversized T-shirt and her pink Victoria’s Secret sweatpants, both of which she’d picked up at the local thrift store. The wretched outfit was a far cry from the designer clothes she’d donned in her previous life. She was sick and tired of the necessary guise, but her options were limited. All she could do was make the best of it.

  “This old thing? It’s a vintage Hootie and the Blowfish concert shirt. There’s nothing ridiculous about it.” She decided to brazen it out. “Not a Hootie fan, Dudley? The shop had some Backstreet Boys T-shirts as well. Maybe that’s more your speed?”

  He let out a low growl as he took a step closer. The air in the room crackled, forcing Lori to draw in a tight breath. Miles’ nostrils flared at the sound. “You shouldn’t be wandering the inn at night, Lori. Not even dressed like that.”

  His words brought an appreciative smile to her face, but Lori bit it back before he could see it. Encouraging him wouldn’t do either of them any good. “I was hoping to catch Cas—the burglar in the act.”

  Miles took another step forward so that their bodies were only inches apart. “So you think it’s Cassidy?”

  Tears stung Lori’s eyes at the thought of saying it out loud. “I don’t know who else it could be,” she whispered. “It’s not you. And it’s not me.” He arched an eyebrow at her, but Lori ignored him. “If it is her, I’m hoping she has a good excuse. But more importantly that she still has my ring. I don’t want to leave without it,” she said around the lump in her throat.

  He reached up a hand and cupped her face. “So you’re leaving soon, then?”

  She leaned into his hand and nodded. “I have to.” She didn’t tell him that her imminent departure had as much to do with her desire not to be discovered as it did with her growing attachment to the B and B and everyone in it—including the arousing man standing before her.

  His other hand found her hip and he pulled her in closer. His fingers began a gentle assault of her bottom, causing her body to arch into his. She sighed at the contact with his arousal.

  “Tell me who you’re hiding from.” His lips began a slow exploration of her neck and Lori’s breathing began to fracture.

  She slid her hands beneath his T-shirt, allowing her fingers to explore the smooth planes of his chest. “It’s complicated.”

  Life was about to get a lot more complicated if they didn’t stop what they were doing. But whatever they’d begun in the gazebo was burning out of control again and Lori didn’t seem to have the willpower to resist any longer.

  “All the good things are.” He palmed her breast while his tongue traced the shell of her ear. “Are you married?”

  “No,” she moaned as he rolled one of her pebbled nipples between his fingers.

  “Then it’s not that complicated.”

  Lori wanted to argue with him, but his mouth quickly covered her own and she was too busy accommodating his demanding tongue and lips. She eased her hands between the waistband of his shorts. Her panties grew damp when she came in contact with warm, bare skin. She felt him gasp when she wrapped her fingers around him.

  He pulled his mouth from hers. “Remember what you said earlier about me not being reckless? I’m feeling very reckless tonight, Lori. If you’re not feeling the same, now’s the time to go back to your room.”

  It was so very Dudley Do-Right of him that Lori nearly laughed. The sad part was Miles knew nothing about being reckless. At least not like she did. Apparently she hadn’t learned her lesson, though. Instead of hightailing it back to her room and locking the door, she began toeing off her Keds.

  Miles breathed a relieved-sounding sigh as his hands began shoving her sweatpants down her legs.

  “You’ll regret this in t
he morning,” she warned him. Her heart constricted at the look on his face. She desperately wanted him to deny it.

  “I probably will,” he said instead.

  Lori should have been angry and hurt, but the fact of the matter was, this was their reality. She wanted this as much as Miles did. If she couldn’t have a normal life with someone like Miles, then she was going to take whatever she could get and bank the memories for her lonely future. This was all they’d ever have and she intended to make the most of it.

  He crouched down on his haunches, allowing her to step out of her sweats. His eyes were dark with desire when he looked up at her. Lori slowly dragged the T-shirt over her head, obscenely glad that she’d managed to take a decent supply of her La Perla lingerie with her when she made her escape from New York. A slow, appreciative grin formed on Miles’ lips at the sight of her molded bra and matching panties. Both were made up of delicate sheer mint green fabric with matching bows in all the right places.

  “That’s more like it,” he said as he rocked back on his heels.

  Miles groaned as his fingers spanned her waist and he pulled her body toward him. Lori buried her hands in his thick hair while his lips trailed along the low waistband of her panties. His mouth cruised over her belly button, eliciting a sigh from Lori. She felt him smile against her stomach before his lips moved lower, grazing her skin through the silk of her panties. Lori’s breath hitched and she dug her fingers into Miles’ skull.

  “Is this what you want?” he asked as his tongue flicked between her legs. The sensation of the silky fabric rubbing against her tender skin made her body throb. Miles took a breath, inhaling her scent. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “This is definitely what you want.”

  Before she could reply, he was shoving the fabric of her panties aside and burying his tongue inside her. His hands were kneading her bottom as he licked and sucked. It didn’t take much before her muscles were convulsing. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to scream when the powerful orgasm nearly took her out at the knees.

  He smiled against her skin again and Lori didn’t have to see it to know it was a smug one. He’d given her satisfaction—intense satisfaction—in under two minutes. Lori wanted to attribute it to the recent drought in her sex life, but she had to concede that Miles had a way with her body. He kissed the inside of her thigh before righting her panties and slowly coming to his feet. His hands skimmed over her bare skin reverently.

  “Are you ready for the good stuff?” he breathed into her ear as he pulled her hips against his very aroused body.

  “That wasn’t the good stuff?”

  He let out another one of those toe-curling growls before sweeping her into his arms and carrying her to the bedroom. Lori bounced once when Miles tossed her on the big sleigh bed. “Don’t move,” he ordered her.

  Through the screen of her eyelashes she watched as he yanked his T-shirt over his head and neatly folded it before placing it on the bench at the foot of the bed. Lori bit back a smile when he shucked off his shorts and folded them up also. Her amusement died, though, when he turned and marched into the bathroom. The sight forced her to catch her breath. That ass has definitely seen some squats.

  Miles returned to the bedroom carrying a handful of foil packets, which he tossed down on the nightstand. Lori propped herself up on her elbows, eyeing the condoms. She arched an eyebrow at Miles.

  He crawled up onto the bed. “I believe if you’re going to have regrets, it’s always better to make them worth it.”

  Considering the appetizer he’d just given her, Lori had no doubt tonight would be worth it. She reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, but Miles beat her to it. His warm body brushed against hers as he used his fingers and his mouth to divest her of her meager clothing. He whispered how, for weeks now, he’d fantasized about unwrapping her layers and exposing her body to him. Then, he told her all the things he’d been dreaming of doing to her—with her. None of it was characteristic of his Dudley Do-Right persona. Lori had never been so turned on. Miles was thorough in his exploration of her body, leaving her flushed and writhing beneath him.

  When at long last he covered her body with his, she sighed with relief before nipping him on the shoulder. In response, he slid into her, filling her completely. Lori’s breath seized in her lungs at the sensation. His body hovered above hers. He’d left the lights beside the bed on low and she watched as his face relaxed into a satisfied smile. His blue eyes were determined behind his long, inky lashes. She was relieved that she didn’t see regret in them. At least not now anyway.

  Reaching up, she threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling his mouth down to hers for a deep, drugging kiss. Tongues and teeth collided until neither one of them could take it any longer and Miles began to move within her. Lori anchored her feet over Miles’ calves as she matched his rhythm. She whispered words of encouragement and sighs of pleasure as he carried her body back to the edge again and again, before finally giving her what she wanted. Arching her neck, she squeezed her eyelids shut as a million lights exploded behind them. Her soft cry of pleasure whispered through the quiet bedroom, making Miles still yet again.

  When Lori opened her eyes, he had the familiar deep probing look on his face. She didn’t want him thinking about who she was or what she might be. Lori just wanted this night with him, this moment filled with pleasure. Their moment. It would likely be the only one they ever had—especially if he was foolish enough to marry Greer. She clenched her muscles, squeezing around him as she slid her nails up and down his back.

  “Don’t think, Miles,” she pleaded with him. “That will only lead to regrets.”

  Thankfully, he slammed his eyes shut and began to move again. Growling next to her ear, he came in a rush, his body shaking with release. A peaceful bliss settled over Lori as they lay there waiting for their breathing to return to normal.

  * * *

  Miles shifted onto his back so as not to smother Lori, yet not wanting to put too much distance between their bodies, which were still flushed with passion. He’d waited months to get his hands on her, and he still had some exploring left to do. Her soft brown eyes had little flecks of gold, which sparkled when she was aroused. That stubborn chin had a little dent in it. And a small scar, white with age, bisected her left eyebrow. Her sassy mouth was not quite symmetrical, but talented nonetheless. Miles was growing hard again just thinking about where he wanted her to put her lips next.

  “I should be keeping an eye on the hallway.” Her voice sounded sated and she made no effort to move any part of her body. “Is it wrong that part of me hopes it’s not Cassidy, but another part of me wants it to be her so I can get my ring back?”

  Something fluttered in Miles’ belly at the mention of her ring. He felt absurdly guilty that he was glad the missing ring was keeping her in Chances Inlet. Miles told himself it was because he needed her help at the inn, but one part of his body was calling him out as a liar: the part that wanted to be back inside Lori again. If she found her ring, she’d be gone tomorrow. He was sure of it.

  “I don’t like the idea of Cassidy taking anything from anyone. Especially since I had to pull a shitload of strings to keep her out of foster care when Mona went to jail.”

  Lori rolled over onto his chest. “It would break your mother’s heart.”

  Given the tears he’d seen in Lori’s eyes earlier, it would break her heart, too, even if she did manage to get her ring back. He nodded, distracted by her long hair brushing against his chest. Its dull black color was obviously a part of her disguise given that other parts of her body were covered with rich, russet hair. He brushed a silky strand of it off her face. She flattened her hands on his chest and laid her chin on top of them, releasing a contented sigh.

  “I’ve checked her room multiple times. She doesn’t have much and she’s pretty much an open book about what she does have.” She gnawed on her bottom lip, the sight making Miles
hard and tight.

  He groaned. “I checked the Patty Wagon yesterday. Nothing.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “I never thought to check there. And if she was going to steal, wouldn’t she just take the cash from the register?”

  “Yep. But I’ve gone through the books. Everything adds up.”

  She sighed again. “I may never find my ring.”

  He dragged his fingers through her hair. “We’ll find it.” Miles had no idea what possessed him to say the words. Well, aside from the fact that Lori was sexy and naked in his bed and he’d do and say just about anything to keep her there.

  Her eyes grew wide and the corners of her lopsided mouth turned up. “You’ll help me?”

  Finding who took her ring meant that Lori would be leaving sooner rather than later. Miles wasn’t sure how he felt about that right now. But he didn’t want anything else to go missing from his mother’s inn, either. “Sure.”

  Her eyes were damp as she crawled up his body. “Thank you, Miles,” she said before kissing him softly on the corner of his lips. She kissed the other side. “I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now.”

  Miles didn’t want to think about what was on his plate right now. He didn’t want to think about the campaign, Faye Rich, Greer, the governor, Cassidy, his mother, or anyone else. That was for tomorrow. Tonight was for escaping into the soft confines of a sexy body and he was done wasting time talking. He nipped at Lori’s lips before taking her mouth in a greedy kiss. She responded by straddling his body and giving him the ride of his life.

  FIFTEEN

  When Miles’ alarm rousted him awake the next morning, Lori was already gone. He rolled over and buried his nose in the pillow. It smelled of her minty shampoo and sex, the scent making Miles instantly hard enough to pound nails. He jumped out of bed, yanking the sheets off as he did so. Tossing them in the hamper, he made his way to the bathroom, where he spied a piece of paper tucked beneath his tube of toothpaste. He snatched it up.