She barely remembered the car ride to his place.
She wanted him, and she told herself it was okay to want him. For once, she’d let herself be this person who said sexy things to sexy men.
She pulled into the gravel driveway, and the moment she yanked the emergency brake into place, he was reaching over the center console, sweeping the hair from her brow, cupping her face and turning it to his. “You’re sure?” he asked her.
She put her hand on his cheek, ready. Now that she’d made her decision, she was eager to make out right there. “I’m sure. ”
But Eddie closed the gap slowly, taking a deep and gentle kiss.
“Come on, then,” he whispered as he pulled away. He was out of the car and opening the door for her before she’d even caught her breath.
He kept a hand on her lower back as they went up to the porch. He’d been so slow and deliberate in the car, but the tension between them grew with each step, his movements becoming urgent. He kept his hand on her waist as he fumbled with the keys.
The door unlocked and the keys jingled in the knob as it swung open. He swept her inside, yanked off his cap, threw it across the floor. He didn’t pause to shut the door. He simply closed in, his body hot and hard along her chest and thighs.
“Eddie. ” She pressed into him, sliding her hands along his waist. “Is this really happening?”
“Yes, hell yes. ” He claimed her mouth in a kiss that exploded to life. It wasn’t slow, or gradual; it was frantic and hungry. A kiss that’d been simmering for years.
“Wait. ” He pulled away, looking winded. “Dammit,” he hissed under his breath. “Not yet. ”
“What?” She tried tugging him back.
“I’ve got to shower. ”
She curled her fingers, holding tight to his shirt. She wanted him, and she wanted him now. “No, you don’t. ”
“Yes, I do. A few hours ago, I was hauling old drywall to the dump. ” He cradled her face in his hands. “Laura, I’ve been waiting, what, fifteen years for this moment? I’d rather my smell not turn you off before we even start. ”
This moment? She knew what he meant, and her skin tugged tight in anticipation. She debated offering to shower with him. There were wome
n who would have. She could’ve purred something sexy about washing his back.
“You smell just fine to me,” she said instead, but she let his shirt slide from her fingers, anyway. She wasn’t that brave. Yet.
“I’ll be two minutes. ” He disappeared into the bathroom and soon the sound of the shower filled the tiny cabin.
Waiting made her nervous. She fought the urge to check her cell phone, vowing she’d give herself an afternoon to be this new Laura. This carefree Laura. The one who skipped out of work for a little afternoon delight.
She knew she’d find only the usual messages, anyway. Lodge reservations, cancellations, inquiries. Maybe something from the film crew—they were supposed to be shooting in the old Town Hall today, and she got the impression the Kidd ladies weren’t well acquainted with the concept of quiet on the set. She’d probably have a few new texts from her old boss, too.
She pushed all of it from her mind. Sorrow and Hope could handle any emergencies, the film guys could deal with themselves, and as for her old CEO, she’d turned him down twice now, and it was time he got the hint.
She realized she was still standing stiffly in the same spot and wandered in, consciously trying to relax. Eddie’s place. How strange to be standing there, able to take it all in, unwatched. The last time she’d been over, a rash had been erupting all over her legs, and what she’d seen of the cabin hadn’t extended much past what she could spy from where she’d sat on the edge of his tub.
He’d built the place himself, and it was surprisingly charming. Small and tidy, holding the fresh smell of the logs it’d been built with. It had a masculine feel, decorated with rich colors, like the chocolate of the leather couch, a hunter-green throw blanket, and a soft maroon area rug atop the dark, timber plank floor.
The cabin itself was open and airy. A bar in a roughly hewn style was the only thing separating the modest living area from the kitchen. The appliances were modern, the stainless streamlined and spotless.
She wandered over, stealing a quick look in one of the cabinets. Peeking in a couple of drawers. She’d expected some bachelor scenario like in the movies, with pizza boxes and a jar of old mayo in the refrigerator. Instead, opening it, she found a small assortment of condiments, half a bag of prewashed lettuce, a six-pack of Corona with two missing, a few oranges, half a lime, some deli meats, a pack of ground beef.
Her stomach rumbled, and with a startled giggle, she slapped a hand to her belly. “Whoa. ” She’d shut herself down for so long, but now all her senses seemed to be coming to life, waking after their long slumber.
Spotting the new bag of hamburger buns on the counter, she had a guess what he’d been planning to make. She’d caught him on his lunch hour—had he eaten? It was late—he was probably starving.
She decided to surprise him, maybe even impress him, and throw a little something together for lunch. How hard could it be? Cook for the man—it was the advice she’d once given Sorrow, and look how that had turned out.
Besides, slowing the afternoon’s momentum a bit could be just the thing. The more she saw of Eddie, the more she liked. The bigger this thing felt. It made her nervous.