“This thing between us?” he said, leaning that smidge closer. “Unstoppable. Unbreakable. We belong together. We’re better together. But you tried to hold part of yourself back for so long… Don’t be afraid. We get out what we put in, right? If we put in everything, we get everything back.” He reached out with his other hand and traced a gentle line down her jaw. “You don’t want to give everything up, I get that. But I’d give it all up for you, Savannah.”
“No,” she whispered.
“Working this out between us, is more important to me than anything. You’re it. You’re everything. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“I’d never ask you to leave your mountain.”
“Why not?”
“Because you love it. And I…”
“You what?”
“Want to see if this could work…” Still a little lame. But truthful. She’d missed him. So much.
“Luca is desperate for me to bring you home.” He chuckled. “Krista too. But,” he drew in a deep breath. “I know you might not want to come back to Summerhill. You said you’re not so fond of snow, right?” He sent her a sideways look. “So I’ll go where ever you want to.”
She smiled, remembering her tart, untrue put-downs of that gorgeous town.
“Well,” she pondered thoughtfully. “Summerhill is beautiful.”
“It is,” he agreed cautiously.
“And you do have a house there already.”
“I guess you could call it a house. But it’s cold. And you might get bored.”
“With you around?” She shook her head and laughed. “I’m not going to be cold. Besides, I’ll be working for the competition… whipping your restaurant’s ass.”
“You think?”
“I know.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to put off doing whatever it is you want to do… I don’t want you sacrificing your goals for me.”
“I won’t. I want to study—part-time, while on the job. You did it, so can I. And maybe I’ll have my own Lodge one day.” She grinned cheekily. “Really beat you at your own game.”
“You do like to challenge me, don’t you?” He laughed. “Do it often. Do me often.”
“You offering yourself as sex-stud again?”
“Offering everything this time.” He lifted her hand to his mouth again. “But it’s up to you whether you take it…”
She really believed it now. He was here. For her. He’d apologized, told her such beautiful things. But it was only now when words failed him, when he was done and just looking at her, his expression open, vulnerable, loving… only now, that she felt free enough, brave enough to be utterly honest with him.
“Do you have any idea how much it means to me that you came after me?” she whispered.
He didn’t answer.
She cupped his jaw, loving the raspy feel of his stubble beneath her fingers. “You’re so loyal. So strong. I want to be strong too.”
“You are.”
“No. I was running away… because what I feel for you? Scares me more than anything in my life. But do you know where I was headed just now?”
He shook his head.
“Bus station. Airport.”
“Where were you going to fly to?” A tender light lit his eyes.
“You. To finish the fight. To win.”
“Win what?”
“Everything you just offered.” She smiled tremulously. “I love you.”
She leaned over and touched her mouth to his. A gentle, loving, for once in her life slow, sweet kiss.
But she didn’t have the advantage long. He seized her, hauled her closer, his hands sweeping down her back, and he deepened the kiss. Passion burst between them. She closed her eyes, cast away on the tide of warmth and excitement that only he summoned.
And this time? A tempest of need and desire… underpinned by something so fierce and primal that tears rolled from her closed eyes and the walls around her heart tumbled down.
Not alone. Not anymore.
He tore apart from her with a frustrated groan. “We’re in a freaking car again. And it’s small and doesn’t have tinted windows and it’s broad daylight and there are too many people walking past.”
“But you offered me a ride.” She pouted, then laughed throatily, delightedly, and let her hand slide down over his rigid abs, to his even more rigid cock. Even over his clothing, she could feel his heat and hardness.
He turned aroused-yet-appalled eyes on her. “You’re wicked. You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you? You sure you wanna start this war now?” He leaned over, his hand sliding south, also only touching her on the outside of her jeans, but the effect was still devastating.
“I just want to be alone with you,” she breathed, abandoning any pretense of being in control. “Now.”
“Always in a hurry.” He laughed and kissed her like he just couldn’t resist.
Long moments later, he groaned and pulled back again. “No. Let’s go home.”
“Home? To Summerhill?” she screeched in shock. “You expect me to wait that long?”
Connor Hughes sent her a look—all perfect, arrogant Summerhill promise. “It’ll be worth it.”
Four and a half hours later, Connor finally swept Savannah into his arms and carried her up the small spiral staircase at the back of the Lodge.
“You just love playing the hero,” she teased, kicking her boots off and not caring where they landed.
“I can’t wait a minute more to have you in my arms.”
“Finally.” She ran her hand down his neck as he ran up the stairs like a fire fighter sprinting to save a life. “Car, airplane, helicopter, you’ve been fingering me any chance you get, keeping me on slow burn for too long. So unfair,” she breathed.
And it was true. The whole, torturous journey he’d stolen kisses. Touched her—sneaking intimate, so-inappropriate strokes. But it was the looks that went with them, the whispered words, the promise that had really caused her problems.
She was so wet, so hot. So freaking desperate to have it all. To have him.
He set her down for the moment it took to punch in the security code outside his suite. She took the chance to whip her shirt over her head and unclasp her bra. Connor swore as he mucked up the code and he had to punch it in again.
Savannah giggled and shimmied out of her jeans. “Good thing you have this secret stairwell.”
“Uh huh.”
The door clicked and he shoved it open. “Get in there before I lose it.”
Oh she wanted him to lose it.
“Fuck me,” she challenged, running ahead of him to his bedroom.
“Face me,” he challenged her right back.
She stopped at the edge of the bed and turned, tilting her chin up at him as he strode towards her, pent-up passion evident in the very strained line of his jeans. “What else do you want me to do?”
“Make sure you’re ready.” He pushed her shoulders and she free-fell backwards, landing with a laugh on the bed. She wriggled out of her panties and then slid her legs apart, lifting her hands to touch her breasts. “You better be quick,” she purred. “I might get off before you get here.”
It was highly likely infact. She stared, avidly watching, as he stripped in record time. She trailed the tips of her fingers down over her stomach, sliding them to her sex. He was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen and she couldn’t stop herself, she couldn’t wait a moment longer. Not when he looked so tense, so clearly on the edge, so full of barely leashed energy. She couldn’t wait to feel the full impact of him. She rubbed her clit, imagining it was him, and groaned. So close.
“Sugar—”
That was a warning.
“Hurry.” Her hips lifted.
In a second he was on her, weighing her down. His hard cock pressed close at her wet entrance. She slid her hands up his tense biceps, to his shoulders, loving the freedom to caress him. To love him.
“You ready?” he asked.
She’d
been ready for hours, but she didn’t flip him the sarcastic answer. She was too busy looking into his eyes, savoring that delicious moment just before penetration. Because he knew already. And so did she.
And her heart—so full—burst.
“Love me,” she whispered.
He smiled. A slow, loving, gorgeous smile.
“I am.” He thrust deep. “I do. I always will.” He thrust again, then again. So damn torturously slow.
Sensation stormed through her anyway—a devastating maelstrom. There was no holding anything back now. She cried out, arching up to him, meeting him as physically, as desperately, as she could. She wanted to touch him everywhere, as passionately, as deeply as what he touched her.
“Connor,” she moaned.
“I know. I’m here.”
Right where she needed him. Right how she wanted him. Just the way she loved him.