Love Bites (21 page)

“Except it’s different for you.” He backed her against the table until she could sit on the edge.

“Yes, I just want us to be equal in this, and I can’t get up those stairs by myself.”

“Then we decide together,” he said so blessedly simply. “Do we head for the bed? Or upstairs in the hot tub?” He grinned roguishly. “Hell, in the kitchen’s fine by me. I’m good with anywhere as long as you’re there. So you choose and I’m one hundred percent on board.”

His sincerity couldn’t be missed any more than the heat in his eyes. And right now, she wanted it all—the man and the romanticism.

“Carry me upstairs.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He swept her up against his chest with ease, an arm around her shoulders, the other hooked under her knees.

Wind rolled in from the ocean, tugging harder at her hair the higher they climbed. As much as she wished she could take these steps on her own, being in his arms felt right, too. And she couldn’t deny how amazing it was to be here. Closer and closer to the stars.

Before she could blink, he plunged them both into the hot tub—fully dressed. The warmth swallowed her.

“Are you crazy?” Laughing, she leaned back in the corner, water sluicing just under her shoulders.

He knelt in front of her, swirling jets frothing around him. “Pretty much, and it’s all your fault, lady.”

The steam in his eyes equaled the heat billowing up from the water. Words evaporated into the windswept air as well, as she let herself sink into the moment. She let herself be swept away by the music of the ocean, the low hum of the tub’s jet and their breathing.

Her dress billowed, filling with water. But more importantly, his T-shirt plastered to his chest, his dog tags visible through the wet fabric. He might as well have been bare. Every cut and ripple of his honed chest waited a few inches away. Steam rolled up around them, between them, and she reached through it to touch him, outlining the definition with her fingertips.

She flattened her palm to his chest, and his low growl of approval vibrated against her
skin.

“Nice,” she purred right back at him. “And I suspect it’s going to get even better.”

“You can bet on it.”

Holding her eyes with his steady gaze, he untied the strings of her dress along one shoulder, tugging slowly until the dress drooped and exposed the edge of her strapless bra. Thank goodness she’d chosen pretty pink.

Maybe because she’d been hoping for just this?

He stroked along her collarbone to slip the other knot free. The bodice of her dress floated away from her. She reached behind herself and unhooked her bra. A flick of her wrist sent it sailing, then landing on the deck in a slap of wet lace.

His breath hissed in a low, appreciative sigh and he palmed her breasts, cradling the weight until her nipples were just visible above the waterline. The night air brushed her skin a second before his mouth closed over one taut peak. Laving. And sipping.

The hot-tub jets throbbed against her, massaging her until the tug of his mouth, the stroke of his hands and the swirling pulsation stoked her need higher, hotter. And he took his time. God, she loved how he didn’t rush exploring her body, lingering at any hint of a breathy gasp.

He was the man she’d known for the past eleven months, the caring guy who protected everyone, from people in another country to his beloved pet at home. Except she wasn’t thinking mushy, sentimental thoughts now. Her mind, her body focused on the aching need to take this to completion.

Her fingers bunched the hem of his T-shirt, peeling it up until he had to stop touching and tasting her. She made fast work of tugging the shirt off his body and…

“Damn,” she said softly, reverently. “Just damn.”

“That’s supposed to be my line.”

She smiled, but couldn’t look away. She’d spent more than her fair share of time in gyms. His body couldn’t be built from free weights alone. His dog tags hung from his neck, between perfectly sculpted pecs. She scratched a fingernail down the chain, slowly, then traced along one flat nipple, then the other. His throat moved in a long swallow.

A rush of feminine power surged through her. Her fingers walked lower. Lower still. Until her hands went to the fastening on his board shorts.

He covered her hand with his. “Wait, just a second.”

Standing, he tugged his dripping wallet from his back pocket. He pulled out a condom and tossed the wallet aside before stepping out of his shorts and boxers. Then she couldn’t even think, much less speak.

He rolled the condom on before sinking back into the hot tub. Lifting her, he shifted their positions until he sat in the corner, settling her to face him. She straddled him. Her arms looped around his neck and she stared into the eyes of the man she’d come to know over the past months, the deep brown gaze of Brody. Her friend. About to become more…

What had seemed so complicated became beautifully simple as he cradled her hips and lowered her onto his erection. Apparently he had thought this through, figuring out the way they could be together, and that touched her. Touched her as lusciously as the way their bodies fit, the moonlight and the rush of water. The rocking of the boat partnered with the buoyancy inside the hot tub to roll her body against his. All of it worked together to give her a sense of power and equality she hadn’t expected to find.

His hands, his mouth roved from her back to her hair until her nails sunk into his shoulders. She’d hoped for good. This was so much more.

Arching closer, she gripped the edge of the hot tub, lifting and lowering herself. Taking control for the first time since her accident. Feeling aggressive and sensual and…
feeling
.

Pleasure gathered in her breasts, in her belly, between her legs. She didn’t know if the sensation was just so intense or phantom, but she didn’t care, because it felt so damn good she didn’t want to overthink. He seemed to understand about touching her everywhere, keeping the steady flow of bliss pulsing through her.

Even kissing him turned her inside out, with the bold sweep of his tongue and spicy hint of their supper together. The scent of chlorine and salt air mixed with the perfume of their perspiration-slicked bodies blending. The smells and tastes multiplied through her, overwhelming her until…

Her orgasm crashed through her. Hard and unexpected in its intensity. She bit her bottom lip but her moans pushed through anyway until she let them roll as free as the aftershocks shimmering all the way to the roots of her hair.

His arms clamped around her, tighter, his head falling to rest on her shoulder as he shuddered against her with his own release. Which sent a fresh flash through her. She held strong to Brody, the dampness of the night binding them until she couldn’t tell the difference between the steam and her tears.

She couldn’t hide from the truth or tell herself this was just a friends-with-benefits kind of moment. This night, being with Brody, all of it was special. And no question, special was so scary she didn’t know if she could handle it if he turned away. Or worse yet, if he stayed with her out of obligation, the way her fiancé had tried to do.

Her chest tightened with a sense of claustrophobia. She needed space and time to test what they were feeling for each other, to be sure she wasn’t setting herself up for another heartbreak. Because she knew without question, Brody had the power to hurt her battered heart far more than her fiancé ever had.

Having Leah next to him in bed, the way they’d been together, was as damn close to perfect as he’d ever experienced. The sex, the connection between them had been one of a kind. He knew that. She’d affirmed it with her words and reaction. After the hot tub, he’d brought her down to the cabin, where they’d made love twice more.

And while all the sex had been incredible, something had changed when they’d left the hot tub…. In the cabin, she’d been more intense, silent. Afterward, she’d turned away and gone to sleep.

Weren’t women supposed to be into cuddling and chitchat? Instead, he was awake and staring at the way her hair looked splayed across his pillow. Testing the feel of a lock between his fingers. Falling the rest of the way in love with a woman who’d pulled away from him.

And he didn’t understand what had set her off.

Their time here on the boat was limited, the sun already starting to rise. She would have to leave for work soon. Right after she’d fallen asleep, he’d driven the boat back to the dock and tied it off so she could sleep right up until the last second. He’d even taken the dogs for a quick run before turning in for a couple hours’ sleep. Now she would have to head out to the shop soon.

She’d worked hard to build the business with her mom. Maybe Leah was worried about a relationship with him, a military guy. He should have thought to pay more attention to discussions about her store. He thought back to a Facebook messaging conversation they’d once had about her starting up the place. He’d wanted to know why there was a pony in the name when it was a dog bakery. She’d told him she always wanted a horse and the alliteration sounded cool.

His cell phone rang on the bedside table. He snatched it up before it could wake Leah. He thumbed it on and stepped outside.

“Son?”

Damn it. His father. He should have checked caller ID. He was already on edge from trying to figure out why Leah had closed down on him. A call from his father was the last thing he needed to deal with now.

“Yeah, Dad, it’s me.” Head tipped back, he looked up at the sky that had offered him an escape from his home life through a job in the air force. “What’s up?”

“I’m just calling to welcome you home.”

“Thanks.” Penny nuzzled his hand. Anger blasted through him as he thought of how his father had abandoned her. “What do you want, Dad?”

“Just what I said,” his father continued as if nothing was wrong. As if he hadn’t dropped the ball on the only thing Brody had ever asked of him. “Is there anything wrong with wanting to speak to my son?”

“It’s pretty early.” He leaned a hip against the railing, the rest of the dock only just coming to life. “If you really want to talk, we can set up a time to meet for a burger.”

“Sure, yeah, right,” his dad said. “As long as you can pick up the tab. I’m a little short of cash—”

Brody bit back a curse. “Of course you are.”

“Hey now, no need to be disrespectful.”

“How much money are you calling to ask for?”

“It’s just a loan since you’ve got deployment money.” When Brody didn’t bother answering, his father continued, “Are you still pissed at me over the misunderstanding with your dog? I’m sorry about that. I ran low on cash, so I couldn’t take Penny to the groomer.”

The anger built until it overflowed. “You think I’m angry because you skipped getting my dog bathed? Even you aren’t that dense. You didn’t feed Penny. You refused to drive your cold, hard ass across town to pick her up after you let her run loose on the streets.”

“I made a mistake.” His father rambled on in a breezy tone as if this was no big deal, for God’s sake. “One time, son, and I’m sorry about that. It all worked out in the end, just like I knew it would.”

“One time?” He couldn’t let this slide. He couldn’t just shoot the breeze and eat burgers with his dad as if nothing was wrong. Being with Leah had his defenses down, wall blasted through. “Like the way you only forgot to hire a babysitter for me every now and then?”

“You were old enough to take care of yourself. Your ma left me in a jam when
she
walked out,” his father ranted bitterly. “This is
her
fault.”

“I was eight years old.” And right now he felt like crap for imagining for even a second his dad could have reformed.

“If you think I’m such a crappy human being, why did you leave your almighty precious dog with me in the first place?”

“Because your new wife seemed reliable.” And there hadn’t been any other options. Because he’d cut himself off from any kind of real relationship so entirely, he had no one in his life to count on. Leah was probably smart to pull away from him. “Forget about it. Thanks for the call. Goodbye, Dad.”

And this time, he meant it.

Penny nuzzled his hand again, her wide brown eyes calming, sympathetic. His dog had given him far more than his parents had, and he’d let her down.

A sound from the cabin snagged his attention and he realized that Leah was moving around with her crutches, Monty’s nails clicking on the floor.

He tamped down his anger and stepped into the cabin, seeing the one step down with new eyes as he thought of Leah having to maneuver it with her crutches.

Yanking open the fridge, he pulled out eggs and milk. “I’ll get something going for breakfast whenever you’re ready.”

He tossed his cell phone on the counter.

“Who called?” She settled onto the sofa, setting her crutches to the side.

“Sorry to wake you,” he said, sidestepping the question.

“It’s okay. We should probably take the dogs out anyway.”

“They had a break on the shore when I drove the boat back to the pier. I let them swim a little.” He’d been trying to get his head on right again.

“I bet they loved that.” She shoved her tangled blond hair from her face and she looked so damn right in his home, in his life, he would do anything to keep her here, even when he knew he should let her go.

“They did.”

She angled her head to the side. “Something’s wrong.”

“No, nothing.” He glanced at the phone, thought about how many nights as a kid he’d wished for a regular home. He’d wanted a family, a big, extended family that lived and worked together, as Leah and Kay managed to do. And then everything gelled in his head, what he wanted for himself and why Leah must be pulling away. She saw him as rootless. She saw the
way he didn’t connect with people, and she must be worried.

He knew now what he needed to do to keep Leah. “I just… I can’t pretend this is only a friendship hookup. Leah, I want you to marry me.”

A proposal?

Leah felt as though her world had been rocked, and for once the off balance feeling had nothing to do with her legs. She’d been trying to figure out how to keep the relationship simpler, to give herself time to be sure Brody wasn’t staying out of a sense of obligation.

Now he had made things unimaginably more complicated.

Although, even if his proposal was ill advised and a by-product of heaven only knew where, she couldn’t just throw it back in his face. She measured her words. “Brody, this is so out of the blue, I have to wonder if you really mean it.”

“Is it all that crazy to think I could have fallen for you over the past few months?”

“Are you asking because we had sex? Because you think I’m a needy woman in a wheelchair?”

“No. No. And hell no. You’re the last woman anyone would call needy.” He started to turn back to the counter of food. “Forget I said anything.”

“Brody…” God, she wished she could just go to him easily, rest her head on the back of his shoulder. Simple things in life that others took for granted. “I’m not saying no or yes. Just wondering why you asked.”

“Like I said, forget about it.” His hand fell to rest on top of the cell phone.

“Who were you talking to?”

He looked back over his shoulder sharply. “That’s irrelevant.”

“I don’t think so.”

His head dropped. “It was my old man, wanting to welcome me home with his hand out for cash.”

In a heartbreaking flash, it all made sense. Brody was hurting, aching to have someone in his life. She thought of the stories he’d shared with her about his parents, and so many things fell into place. She ached all the way to her fingernails for him, and for herself too, because now she was more certain than ever that their affair couldn’t go any further.

Leah reached out a hand to him. “Your parents let you down again and again. You deserve a simple relationship in your life, an easy give-and-take.”

His shoulders lifted with a hefty sigh. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Brody? Look at me, please.” She waited until he turned to face her before she continued. “I can see how our relationship would have seemed simple—emails, Facebook messages, Skype. Yes, we have a lot in common and I can’t lie that there’s a connection between us.”

Even now her body hummed with awareness and a desire to be with him again. “Oh God, Brody, can’t you see a relationship with me will be anything but easy? It’s not just my legs. It’s about everything else I lost. My life has been turned upside down. I’m functioning, yes, but I’m not okay about this.” The bitter words poured out of her even when she refused to release the bottled tears. “I can’t be what you need me to be.”

And she couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his eyes once he realized that. Finding that look in her former fiancé’s eyes had been the most painful thing she’d ever experienced, and she hadn’t loved him half as much as she loved Brody.

He dropped to his knees in front of her and took her hands in his. “How are you so certain you know what I need?”

“Because I care about you, too. I love you, Brody. I see you and see your needs in a way that others haven’t.” Each word, each truth tore her apart inside and solidified her resolve.

“Because I understand that, I… I can’t be what you need.”

A tic started in the corner of his eye. “Is this a morning-after kiss-off?”

“No, not at all…just a wake-up.” She squeezed his hands. “We both helped each other through a difficult year and now it’s time to move on.”

“That’s bull.” The tic increased.

“Don’t make this even more awkward.” She tugged her hands from his. “Last night was a beautiful tribute to the friendship we shared this past year, but that’s all it can be.”

His face closed off from her, freezing until even the tic couldn’t push through.

“Fine then. You don’t have to worry about me making things ‘awkward’ anymore.” He rose slowly, backing away. “I’m going to take the dogs for a walk. Then I’ll drive you home once you’re dressed.”

She watched his broad shoulders as he left, heard him call for the dogs, and already she missed him. But she had to hold strong for him. She refused to be another person who would let him down.

And she damn sure wouldn’t let another man try to stay with her out of obligation.

Brody gave Leah a week to calm down.

He gave himself a week to get past the pain of having been turned down flat.

As he parked his truck in front of her shop, he willed his heart to pump at a normal pace. The pain wasn’t gone, but it had finally dulled enough for him to realize he’d moved too fast. He’d been a dumb ass in pushing her out of some knee-jerk reaction to his father’s call. He’d rushed her out of a need to hold tight to the happiness he’d found in Leah’s arms. Because if he’d learned anything as a kid? He’d figured out fast happiness was kind of like food in the fridge.

There wasn’t much to go around and it spoiled fast.

But Leah wasn’t that way, and he should have known that from the start. He shouldn’t have let past garbage cloud his view of the present. Of the amazing gift that had landed in his life.

Leah.

He needed to back up and do this right. She deserved to be romanced. Not rushed.

He hooked the leash to Penny’s collar and stepped out of his truck, his eyes locked on the front door to Three Pups and a Pony. He thought about how she’d always wanted a pony. She would probably enjoy horseback riding.

If he hadn’t been such a dimwitted jerk, he would have thought about that right away rather than having the idea come to him halfway through his week of self-imposed seclusion. He refused to think the chance with Leah had been lost.

Leash in one hand and bag for Leah hooked in his other, he pushed through the shop door, bells jingling. The shop was bustling with customers, something he was beginning to realize was the norm here. Her mother was behind the cash register ringing up an order for a guy holding a Pomeranian under each arm. Kay waved and pointed toward the back of the shop, shooting Brody a wink as he walked by.

He found Leah in the kitchen, pounding the hell out of a mound of brown dough. Love for this complex, steely-sexy woman filled him. He knew the feeling wouldn’t fade and intended to wait however long she needed.

He gave himself a moment to just look at Leah, the woman who’d absolutely stolen his heart. Her honey-gold hair was tugged back in a high ponytail, leaving her neck and flushed cheeks exposed, making him ache to kiss her. Her canvas apron covered curves he now knew fully, every luscious inch stamped indelibly in his memory.

Monty nudged her elbow. She looked up sharply, her eyes colliding with his. A flash of joy shone before she quickly masked it. “Brody?”

“I hope you’re not imagining the dough is my head.”

She wiped her hands on the apron. “What are you doing here?”

“You wouldn’t return my calls.” He stepped into the kitchen, pulling the door closed behind him to give them privacy.

And she didn’t object.

“You only phoned twice. And it was this morning.”

Ah, he saw some frustration in her face. Good. He unhooked Penny’s leash and let her walk over to Monty. “I thought you needed space. I didn’t want to be a stalker.”

“You’re hardly that.”

He reached into the bag and pulled out a bouquet of wildflowers. “I brought you flowers.” He set them in front of her with a flourish. “And candy.” He placed a box of truffles by the flowers. “And a pony.”

“A pony?”

He set a purple My Little Pony on the counter with the rest of his offerings. “I would have brought you the real deal, but I didn’t want to go overboard. This, the flowers, all of it is a symbol, though.”