Love Grows in Alaska (The Washington Triplets) (15 page)

Out of breath, I break apart and a deep rumble erupts from Zach. “No, you don’t. I’m through talking, through eating. I just want you wrapped around me while I bury myself inside of you for the rest of the night.” He grips my hips and hoists me up so I can straddle him. Then two hands squeeze my ass and we’re up off the chair, lips locked on our way to the couch. How in the hell will I go back to Anchorage in two days and leave this man behind?

THREE NIGHTS LATER, AFTER DITCHING
my room at the resort, I’ve been staying with Zach. He arranged it with Bree to take over the resort responsibilities in order to be our tour guide the remaining part of the week. It’s our last night together before I leave on a plane in the morning back for Anchorage. My insides have been ripping to shreds thinking of saying good-bye and what our fate will be. Two hours isn’t terribly far, but enough that it’s long distance.

The fire warms the room as I lay on his couch, watching the flames go from red to orange to yellow. It’s relaxing and serene laying in the arms of the man my heart is growing for, while watching a fire he built. Zach’s fingers rub back and forth along my bare arm as I’m tucked away against him. The last I looked, it was almost midnight and as exhausted as I am, I don’t want to go to bed, because I have limited time with him before I leave.

“So, do you think you’d like to run Reckle’s?” I’m bold enough to ask the question I probably shouldn’t. It’s really none of my business.

He doesn’t respond right away, but I feel his whole body breathe in and out. “I’m not sure. I’ve tried to fight it for so long that I haven’t given myself a chance to even consider the possibility.”

“I think you’d do great, if my opinion means anything.”

“Your opinion means
everything
, Marisa.” His eyes expressing the assertion of his declaration. “I appreciate the faith you have in me, but there’s more to it. Financials that are in the red, remodeling that needs to be paid for. My uncle was in the midst of having the whole resort completely modernized and I was helping him with that, but as of right now, the company isn’t making it. So, I’d pretty much be taking over a failing company.”
Shit, I hadn’t realized that
. You’d think that such a long-standing company that owns half the town wouldn’t be in the red.

“Oh.” I bite my lip, because if the company is already on its way down and if it did fail, Zach would lose faith in himself again.

“That faith wavering over there?” he jokingly questions, chuckling into my neck, but there’s fear underlying that I might be.

Turning around, I place my hands on either side of his cheek, “No. You probably have a zillion ideas up there,” I tap his head with my finger, “that could make this place be
the
go-to destination.”

Hugging me into him, he kisses the top of my head. “I wish I had positive thinking like you.”

“You’ll find it, maybe if you hang around with me more,” I tease and he pulls back. His eyes full of determination.

“I don’t want what’s between us to end when you leave, Marisa. I know long distance can be hard, but we aren’t that far away from one another. We can make it work.” I bite my lip and nod.

“Thank God, I don’t want it to end either,” I admit and the weight that he only wanted me for the short-term lifts from my chest. Grabbing all of my self-confidence, I swing my leg over to straddle him. The blanket falls at my waist and I sit there naked in front of him, baring everything. He might not realize it, but I’m giving him my trust and my heart, praying with everything I have that he doesn’t break it.

As though he’s figured it out, he doesn’t mask sex with the vulnerability I’m displaying, he only brings me down to him, giving me the most romantic and soft kiss I’ve ever received. “I won’t hurt you,” he whispers and tears prick the back of my eyes, because it’s taking every ounce of confidence I have to hand myself over to him.

***

The next morning, I sneak out of bed to shower and get ready to leave for Anchorage. Each step more excruciating than the next, making it harder and harder as I go through my morning ritual. Foregoing blow drying my hair, not to wake Zach, I tip toe downstairs and begin the coffee. It took me two mornings to figure out the state of the art maker, but I finally conquered it.

Taking my cup of coffee, I quietly open the sliding doors and sneak outside to absorb this sound of wilderness for the last time in awhile. Sitting down in the patio chairs, I remember when Zach made me breakfast and set up the table outside only two days ago. We admired the morning fisherman motoring by, while I ate his scrambled eggs and venison bacon. For a man who told me he couldn’t cook, he has misled me.

I bring the cup to my lips, the steam rising up my face. Slowing sipping, being careful not to burn my tongue, I hear the door slide open. Turning around, I find Zach in his pajama pants and sweatshirt emerging from the warm cabin. His face isn’t his usual happy and easy going, but instead melancholy. Coming around, he places his cup on the table and reaches his long arms around me in a promising hug. “Good morning, beautiful,” he softy says, and as always my stomach flips with the flicker of his voice.

“Good morning.” I place my cup down next to his, gripping his clasped hands, silently asking him to not let go.

“Aww … come here.” He breaks away and takes a chair, quickly grabbing my hand to lead me to his lap. “I know,” is all he says because we’ve been dreading this day all week.

“I just—don’t want to go,” I admit and he nods.

“I don’t want you to go. But I’m coming up this weekend and you can come down the next. It’s only two hours.” Being the man he is, he shields his own emotions for the sake of mine.

“Yeah,” I sigh and he grips my chin, bringing it up to his face. “We’ll make this work.”

“I know.” I do know we’ll make this work. In six short days, Zach has won over my trust. “I can’t imagine waking up tomorrow in Anchorage.”

“Me either.” It’s the first time his eyes leave mine. He studies the lake, waves to a fisherman going by. Distracting himself with the coffee, he takes a sip. “I’ll miss you,” he mumbles and I bury my face into his neck. The tears having nowhere else to go except out. “Awe baby.” This time he doesn’t reassure me, because that’s not the reason I’m crying. The tears are for grieving that our time is up and I have to leave the one person who gets me. It has nothing to do with me believing he won’t be waiting for me, or that there’s someone else. They are strictly because my throat is already constricting thinking about going to bed without him next to me tonight.

“I … miss … you,” I hammer out and he only pulls me closer, holding me tight in his strong arms.

“You’re not gone yet,” he jokes and I smile into his neck, the stubble of his unshaved neck pricking my cheeks. I’ve enjoyed the security that feeling has given me every morning.

“I know, but it’s coming too fast,” I whine and he laughs.

“You sure know how to boost a guy’s ego.” He grabs my face from his neck, protecting it in his hands. “Why don’t we go upstairs and I’ll show you who can come too fast.” His sexual innuendo for my thirst of him that never leaves puts the impending doom of separation to the side.

“I’m always game,” I slyly wink and he laughs louder, echoing through the morning air.

“Well, Miss Washington, duty calls I suppose.” He swiftly picks me up with little effort. With loving eyes only on mine, he breaks the distance across the deck and carries me through the patio doors.

Not blinking, I keep my eyes glued to his, although the heat and burning of lust continues to fill them, but so is a subtle promise. I can’t turn my eyes away in the chance I’ll miss something in those blue eyes that seem to own my heart.

He lays me on the bed and the coolness has set in on the sheets we warmed only a short bit ago. Zach doesn’t leave me on the bed this time to stare down and admire, but instead keeps me in his arms as we lay down together. Kissing my neck, I close my eyes in the pleasure only he can deliver to me. “Just think about right now, Marisa. Not an hour from now, tonight or next week. Be with me in this moment, please,” he says softly, his hand gripping my neck firmer into his palm, bending it for a better angle. His lips give me no choice but to listen to his demand.

His wet lips flutter kisses up my neck and I buck, feeling the hardness of his thigh at my center. My breathing falters as moans escape my mouth and my hands fist his sweatshirt, wishing I could rip it off of him. His unshaved face rubs against my skin as he travels up, along my jaw until he’s only millimeters from my lips. Unable to wait any longer, I smash mine to his and his fingers fly to my hair, tugging lightly as we delve into each other’s mouths at a frenzied pace.

Circling around, his thigh rubs along my clit and I’m unable to take my time and relish this moment. My fingers travel down his sides and he grunts when they hover around the edges of his draw-string pajama pants. His stomach sinks in with his labored breath and I push them down as far as I can get and he wiggles the rest of the way. Breaking our contact briefly, he grabs the back of the neckline on his shirt and easily pulls it over his head, leaving him naked on top of me.

With his sly grin, he flicks the button of my jeans while focusing his vision on me. Sneaking his hand down, my heart rate only climbs as his fingers slick down my folds. My back completely off the mattress, he inserts a finger into me and I’m a thread slowly thinning, waiting for him to break me. Increasing the pace, I buck into his hand over and over again while his other hand pushes up my sweater and he yanks down the cup of my bra before claiming my nipple with his mouth. Sucking in, trembles course through my body, becoming faster and uncontrolled. Then he adds another finger and my whole body shatters into a million pieces. ”Zach!” I call out and he rewards me by sucking my whole breast into his waiting mouth, twirling his tongue around my nipple while his fingers slow their pace, allowing me to enjoy every last ripple effect he just gifted me.

“I need to see all of you,” he says, standing up off the bed and yanking my pants off my body. Helping him out, I take off my sweater and his animalistic eyes burn my body as his teeth bite down on his lip. Keeping my eyes fastened to his, I reach behind me and undo the bra, sliding it down my arms while watching the blaze in his eyes darken. I toss the last shred of clothing aside and Zach is already on top of me before I can breathe. His cock poised at my opening and his face buried in my hair. Raising my legs, I lock them around his waist and he slides into me in one swoop, and the pressure of him filling me zings all those calmed nerves again.

“Show me how much you’ll miss me,” I instruct, my head falling back to the bed as he thrusts in and out of my tightness. His lips suck my earlobe and I lean in, being greedy for his mouth. The warmth spreading through my body as my mouth bites down on his shoulder blade and a fierce growl emerges from his throat, only making me wetter.

My fingers scrape along his back as I clench and tighten, attempting to keep the release at bay. If I could, I’d hold on forever. To feel this man inside of me, his body uncontrolled with lust and love for me, I never want to leave it. Wrapping my arms to his back, I grip his shoulders, my short nails digging into his flesh when he nips at my skin, showing the abandonment he has for me.

He never wavers in his thrusting, our glistening bodies allowing us to move at a more urgent pace. Unable to reach capacity for one another. My body halts and tenses for a second before I allow the freedom of my release. Zach pushes through a few times, circling his own hips, slowing the pace for my benefit. As my body calms, he finds his quickened rhythm again before a loud groan flows out of his mouth and his eyes reflect back every emotion I’m feeling.

We take a few seconds, allowing our breathing to even out while our hands loosen on the other. Eventually undoing my legs, I allow them to fall onto the soft mattress. Zach leans up on his elbows and he looks like he wants to tell me something, but the words don’t escape his lips. Instead he smoothes out my hair with his palm and kisses me one last time. “I guess you have to shower again,” he teases with a cheshire grin.

“Will you wash me?” I joke back, and the dimples deepen.

“You never have to ask.” My body fills with goose bumps as he stands up and holds out his hand for me to take.

Two hours later, Zach’s weaving in and out of non-existent traffic on the way to the airport and I half wish I’d miss the plane so he’d have to drive me home. Two more hours with him sounds much better than a thirty minute plane ride with my three co-workers. The tires screech and I rush out while Zach grabs my bag. “It’s okay, go,” I insist, but he eyes the guy at the curb and the guy nods his head. I guess small town living can have its perks.

“No way, I’m walking you to the terminal.” My bag clasped in his hand, he presses the other one to the small of my back. Wetness fills my eyes the closer we come to the terminal and I’m not sure I’ll be able to compose myself when I have to walk onto that plane and leave him staying behind.

Libby, Wes and Pete are waiting along the wall when we reach the terminal. Another benefit of small town airports, security allows the man who currently owns half the town to accompany you to the terminal. Libby halts her pacing when she spots me. “Thank God, Marisa. They’ve already boarded.” Pete grabs his bag from the floor and frantically glances to the gate and then back to us.