“Don’t placate me.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re fishing for compliments.” She slid her arm around his waist and pinched his side.
He cast her a sideways glance and draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her in tighter. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to test me.”
“Test you how?”
Drew took her baseball cap off and put it back on so it was backward. “Getting me all hot and bothered when you know there’s nothing I can do about it out here on the boat with my family a few feet away.”
Had she really? Brooke bit her lip and glanced to her left where the adults and the little ones moved about while they ate brownies and pointed out different houses around the water.
“I guess it doesn’t take much to get you all hot and bothered.”
“Just you, sweetheart.” His kiss was soft and light on her lips. He lingered for a moment before pulling away. He righted her hat, tugging it extra hard and purposely yanking the bill over her eyes.
“Brat,” she said in jest.
“A sexy brat, though, right?” He grinned as he maneuvered the boat around the cove where she’d rented the home in the spring.
“Maybe.” Brooke climbed back on the seat and checked out her old digs. A family sat around the fire pit in the backyard roasting marshmallows. They waved, as did all the people outside on the lawns and docks.
Toby and Vanessa waved at every passerby as well. A friendly community, even if some of them were tourists renting homes and cottages for a few weeks. It was the atmosphere Brooke had wanted to grow up in; one she’d read about in books but had never been a part of.
They rode around the pond until the sky turned midnight blue and the first fireworks were set off from the end of a dock. By now there were dozens and dozens of boats puttering about, all filled with friends and families waiting for the show. Drew anchored them in the middle of the pond and turned on some music.
“Come join us, you two,” Rose called from the front of the boat.
For the past hour they’d been kind of anti-social, enjoying the scenery and listening to the chatter from the front of the boat, giggling at the kids’ silly antics.
There were plenty of seats, especially with the couples cuddled together under blankets. The air temperature had dropped a little. Not necessarily cool if you were wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt like Brooke and the women had changed into, but snuggling under a blanket with Drew sure had a cozy appeal to it.
Drew patted a seat, and she joined him as he draped a thin green fleece over them. “Good?”
“Perfect.” She rested her head on his shoulder, more content than she’d ever been in her entire life, and watched the green, red, blue, and white bursts of light in the sky.
Gorgeous displays exploded overhead from every direction as residents and tourists set off fireworks from the edge of their docks. There were cheers and oohs and ahs from their boat and the ones floating around them for the next hour.
Cuddling close with Drew, his arm around her waist, she was in heaven. Her thoughts drifted to what would happen later when they returned to his house and settled in for the night.
Without her reminding him, he’d put her bag in the room across the hall from his and hadn’t pressured her once about where she would sleep. All the doubts that had weighed on her over the past few weeks lifted. She was ready for this. For Drew.
There would be no hesitation later. It was with complete clarity and certainty she’d tell him exactly where she wanted to sleep.
Or rather, spend the night.
In his bed. With him by her side, as close as two people could possibly get.
DREW AND HIS FATHER tied up the boat while the rest of the crew unloaded their gear and headed back to the house.
“Brooke’s a nice girl.”
Having his father’s approval hadn’t been important before, and it surprised him how much the compliment mattered to him now.
“She is, isn’t she?” Brooke wouldn’t classify herself as nice. Direct, fair, honest, hard-working, yes. He could tell her family life bothered her. While she tried to shrug it off as just a part of life, growing up without a mother and with what sounded to be a heartless grandmother had to have been difficult for her.
He wanted to know where her father was and why she never brought him up. From the sounds of it, he was never in her life and that had to pay its toll as well.
No wonder she scoffed at him a few weeks ago when she learned who he was. Growing up in a loving household with two successful parents and then having his own financially rewarding career was something he’d taken for granted.
For too many years, he’d focused on the two kids at camp and how he could have prevented their untimely deaths instead of appreciating everything he had in life.
Who knew it would take a sexy, badass military vet to help him out not only with his writing slump, but also with the vortex that had sucked him into a deep, dark hole and made him miserable for so many years.
Not that he was completely over it. When Brooke opened her camp next summer, there would be another round of ghosts haunting him and issues he’d have to work out. He still didn’t think the camp would be a success, which he felt guilty about sharing with her on many occasions.
However, he wasn’t ashamed to admit the pride he had in her for ignoring him and following through with her dream. Even if it failed, she could be proud of her vision and her hard work in doing something she believed in. And Drew would be there for her to pick up the pieces when enrollment didn’t pick up or when parents learned of the bad luck of the property.
In the meantime, he’d do his best to support her in any way he could.
“I’m going to wash up and hit the sack. Those grandkids are going to have me up at the crack of dawn. I’m getting too old for this. If you want me to be around for your grandkids, you better hurry and get started.” His father patted him on the shoulder and strolled down the dock and back up to the house.
Tonight wouldn’t be that night, not with a house full of his family members and Brooke sleeping in the room across the hall. The direction of his thoughts surprised him though. Kids? With Brooke? Definitely not with anyone else. She was the one. He just had to figure out how to get her to trust in him. Trust in them and what could happen between them.
The kitchen was empty and there was no sign Brooke was downstairs. He flipped off the switch above the sink and went upstairs to his room. He turned on the light and startled when Brooke turned from his window.
“Hi.” She twisted her hands in front of her and kicked out her foot, pointing her toe at a black backpack on the floor. “If it’s okay with you, I’m going to stay in here tonight.”
Did that mean...? Was she...? Were they...?
“That’s perfectly okay with me.”
Brooke chewed on her bottom lip, and he thought of six hundred ways of making love to her. He used his foot to close the door behind him and stood there, taking her in.
Still wearing her baseball cap, jeans, and Boston Strong sweatshirt from the boat ride, she was a picture-perfect image. On the outside, she appeared so tall and tough and courageous. By the chewing she gave her lip and the twisting of her hands, he’d bet his next bestseller she was a bundle of nerves on the inside.
“Are you sure?” Hell, he wanted to smack his chivalrous side. Don’t second-guess when a woman you’ve been pining away for says she’ll sleep with you. Granted, she never said exactly that. He assumed by sleeping in his room the sex would happen. Since assuming never got anyone anywhere, he cleared his throat and searched for clarification. “We don’t have to do anything. Sleep is fine.”
And it would be. He’d be in heaven if he could spend the night with Brooke in his arms and wake with her by his side. It’s what he’d wanted for what seemed like forever.
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure.”
“If you change your mind...”
Brooke shook her head and crossed the room until she stopped in front of him. “I want you, Drew. There’s never been any doubt about that.”
“You’re still worried things will change between us if we... after we make love.” He reached for her hands and interlocked their fingers, gently tugging her closer.
“There’s no doubt they’ll change.”
“For the good.”
“For the good,” she agreed.
Drew lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “I like you in my life, Brooke Ross.”
“I like me in your life, too. Your family’s pretty cool.”
“So you’re using me for my family?” he teased and moved their hands behind her back so her chest stuck out and bumped into his.
“Your sister’s fun to hang out with.”
“Mm-hmm.” He lowered his head and kissed her bare neck. He’d never thought about hair length before, but he found he preferred the short style. It left her long column of skin exposed and ready twenty-four seven for his kisses.
“Your mom’s cool, too.”
“We shouldn’t talk about my mom while I’m trying to get you naked.” He felt her body shake with laughter beneath his touch. Taking her earlobe in his mouth, he whispered in her ear, “Once won’t be enough. I’m not walking away anytime soon. I have a feeling I’m going to need to do this a lot. Many, many, many more times, and even then, I’m not going to tire of you.”
“I’m down with that.” She slipped her hands from his and massaged his lower back before reaching for his ass.
He liked this Brooke—frisky and feisty, copping a feel.
He held her tight, breathing in the vanilla essence that surrounded her, not wanting the night to end. Not wanting the weekend to end. It had been the perfect blend of family laughter, good meals, and now quiet time with Brooke.
She moaned when he nibbled on her neck.
Forget the quiet time.
Walking her back toward his sliders that led out to his deck, he closed the doors and moved them over to his bed.
“You cold?” she asked.
“No.” Drew moved his lips from her neck and slid them up to her cheek. “I don’t know how loud you’ll be. If my parents have their window open...”
Brooke stilled and then tipped her head back and belted out a laugh. “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you, hot stuff?”
“It’s not about me.” He kissed her soundly on the mouth. “You’re a loud kisser, so I figured you’d be a loud lover as well.”
“I am not.” She smacked his chest. “You’re the one who’s all talky and stuff while we make out.”
“Talky?” He grinned and loomed over her, causing her to tip back until she fell onto the bed. “You’re the talky one in the relationship.”
The word slipped out before he could think of the repercussions. A relationship wasn’t something she wanted. Yet here she was, splayed out on his bed, waiting for him to make the next move. “You’re beautiful.” Again, the words slipped out.
Brooke adjusted her ball cap and propped herself up on her elbows. “Drew. You don’t have to—”
“Yes.” He lowered himself over her, his hands resting on either side of her shoulders. “You are.” He licked his lips and studied her eyes, looking for traces of fear or regret.
Climbing onto her, he straddled her legs and sat back on his heels. They stayed like that for a few moments, each checking out the other. Making love to a woman shouldn’t have caused him so much angst.
It wasn’t his performance he worried about, it was the significance of moving forward. With other women, he never thought about how sex would change their relationship. It hadn’t really mattered before.
It wasn’t a case of him being callous or heartless with other women. It was just... different. Maybe because he knew—he felt—this time it could be different. There was potential to make this last.
He leaned over Brooke and slipped her hat off her head.
“I have a serious case of hat-hair.” She ran her hands through her hair, making even more of a mess of it.
“It’s cute.” Drew waved her hands away and replaced them with his.
“Cute is not what I would call this mop.”
“Cute and adorable. We make a nice pairing.” Keeping his hands in her hair, he lowered his mouth to hers and took her lips between his. “Maybe it would look better if you were naked.”
“How is being naked going to help my hair?” she asked against his mouth.
“It’ll distract me from the crazy mess you’ve got going on up here,” he teased.
“Brat.” She smacked his ass, and he chuckled into her mouth. “I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Perfect.” Drew slid his hands down her body, taking his time to enjoy every curve, every indent, every spot that made her twitch. “Ticklish?”
“Only on my ribs.”
“Good to know.”
“Being tickled doesn’t turn me on, so if you’re still looking to get lucky, you better keep your hands away.”
“Is that a threat?” He trapped her hands by her side and nudged his knees into her hips. “Because I don’t take well to threats.”
“Really now?” Brooke tilted her head to the side. “I see we’re in a predicament. I don’t want to be tickled and you want to see what will happen if you do.”
“You know what I think?” he whispered in her ear, rubbing his knuckles against her side. “I think you want to see what will happen.”
“Not on your life. If you tickle me, chances are I’ll pee my pants. I can’t help it. And if I pee my pants, I’m definitely not going to want to have sex.”
“If you’re not wearing pants, you won’t have to worry about it.”
She glared at him. “You want me to pee your bed instead?”
Drew released her hands and rolled off her. “I can see the predicament now. I definitely don’t want you to wet my bed.”
“This is the most awkward foreplay talk I’ve ever had.” She snorted and climbed on top of him. “I think we need to stop the talking, especially about me wetting myself, and take our clothes off.”
“I like the way you think.”
They took their time stripping each other of their clothes until they both lay completely naked, side by side.
He stroked her cheek with his knuckles, tracing her jawline back and forth. Her skin was soft and delicate—despite the hard ass exterior she liked to present. He trailed his hand down her shoulder, following her arms until he reached the tips of her fingers.
“I like touching you.”
“I like it when you touch me.” Her words came out soft and erotic. She reached up and cupped his chin, bringing him closer until their mouths met.
His fingers itched to touch her all over, his mouth wanted to explore every inch of her body, but he took his time. He kissed her softly and let his fingers travel down her body until he found her warm center. His fingers matched the tempo of his tongue as he stroked, played, and tormented.
“Oh,” Brooke moaned, pressing her center to his hand.
Drew traced his tongue across her lips, then worked his mouth down her neck until he reached her breasts. He cupped one with his free hand and dragged his tongue across the nipple of the other.
“You...” she panted. “I... I’m...” She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip.
She was close. Part of him wanted to slow down but watching her come loose at his touch was too much of a turn-on to stop. His fingers did their magic while he sucked harder on her nipple.
“Oh.” She arched her hips until her back came off the mattress and clutched at his shoulders while she rode the wave of her orgasm.
“You’ve got your vowels down pat.” He chuckled before nipping her breast.
“Seriously? You make millions with your words and the first thing you say to me after giving me a mind-blowing orgasm is that?”
He rolled to his side and hooked his leg over her thigh. “Would you ra
ther me tell you how beautiful you are in your naked glory? How perfect your breasts fit in my hands and my mouth?” He massaged the breast he’d been kissing. “Or how I love that you know your alphabet, but now I want to hear you scream my name as I make love to you?”
Brooke tapped her finger to his lips. “No more talking for you.”
“What do you suggest I do instead?”
She skimmed her hand between their bodies and stopped at his belly button. “You got to do all the touching while I lay there. Now it’s my turn to touch.”
And touch she did until he was speaking in vowels and praying to God he didn’t lose it before he made sure Brooke saw stars again.
Their lovemaking was slow and gentle as they explored each other’s bodies. There was no hurry, no rushing to reach the end. He wanted to savor the evening, record every word, every touch, every moment forever in his memory.
Much later, when they came together in an explosion of intense emotions, he knew there was nowhere in the world he’d rather be than in Brooke’s arms.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Brooke stretched across the big, comfy bed and purred like a kitten, her body sore yet relaxed. Blinking away the sleepy seeds, she opened her eyes and frowned at the empty space next to her. She kind of figured Drew wasn’t there since she didn’t feel him during her stretches.
Pushing back her fear of rejection now that they’d had sex, she rolled over into the path of sunlight streaming through the glass doors and slid out of bed. Picking up Drew’s discarded shirt, she inhaled the clean, woodsy scent that lingered on it and tugged it over her head. She padded across his enormous bedroom to the deck and gazed out the sliders.
There wasn’t a lot of time to appreciate his suite last night. When she let herself into his room, the first thing she’d noticed was the giant sleigh bed draped in a forest green and navy-blue plaid comforter. There were mounds of pillows—now strewn all over the floor—and a stunning photograph of the water in winter hung over the bed.
Over on the far side of the wall sat a table and two wingback chairs, and an old-fashioned roll-top desk nestled between two doors. The open one appeared to be to his bathroom. Needing to take care of matters, she headed there first.
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