Falling Fast, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 4) (23 page)

Her words ran out, along with her breath. She gulped in air and twisted her hands together. Cam stood there for so long she was afraid she’d misunderstood. Maybe he didn’t really love her, maybe he said the words in an impulsive, overwrought moment. He moved, slowly and deliberately, and set his coffee down on a small table by the chairs. In two quick strides, he was in front of her. His hands came to rest on her shoulders and she looked up. What she saw in his eyes made her heart soar and hope spin in wild circles.

One hand stroked up into her hair, curling around the nape of her neck, while the other stroked down her back. The heat of his palm sent a jolt of electricity racing up her spine. He dipped his head slowly, his forehead coming to rest against hers. “So are you done needing space?” he asked, his voice sending a shiver through her.

“Yes,” she managed to reply, her voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay. I understand. You had your reasons to worry. Maybe I didn’t have the same ones, but I get it.”

His lips were so close, she could feel them moving against hers. Her body flexed toward him, drawn solely by the force between them. She sighed with relief when his lips caught hers. His kiss started soft, but in seconds, she lost all sense of time and place. She felt starved for his touch. He fit his mouth over hers and swept his tongue into her mouth, stroking against hers. Heat blazed through her, and she gasped when his palm slid down to cup her bottom. Suddenly, he tore his mouth away.

“Dammit,” he whispered roughly. “You make me crazy, but we have to stop before I forget where we are.”

He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and took a shuddering breath. “I love you, you know.” His words were muffled against her skin. Her heart clenched and opened.

“I love you too.”

He lifted his head and stroked her hair away from her face. His eyes were warm, and she felt hot tears at the back of hers.

Chapter 21

Cam slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the guest room at his parents’ house. Ginger had flown back to Diamond Creek two days ago after staying with him in Utah for over a week. His father had been discharged from the hospital three days ago. He and Ivy had stayed to make sure everything was settled, his father was comfortable and his mother had everything she needed. Ivy was staying for another few days. Cam had offered, but his mother was beyond annoyed to have both of her children fussing over them.

Yesterday morning, his mother had looked across the table at him. “You need to get back to Alaska and Ginger.”

“Mom, I can stay as long as…”

His mother, who was almost always polite, rolled her eyes. “I don’t need anything. Your father is going to go mad with all of us hovering over him. It’s been wonderful to have you here, but I’d be much happier to know you were where you want to be.”

Cam had bitten back a laugh and agreed to book a flight back to Alaska soon. This morning, he made his way down the hall to find his father in his study. His father was leaning back in a recliner he and Ivy had wrangled into the study the day before his father was discharged from the hospital. Eric, Sr. rolled his head to the side when Cam entered the room.

“Morning, Dad,” Cam said as he sat down in a chair across from his father.

“Morning. I suppose you’re here to find out how I’m feeling. No need to ask. I’m fine. What I am is sick and tired of everyone checking on me.”

Cam chuckled. “I can see you’re fine, so I’ll skip asking.” He paused and glanced around the room, his eyes scanning across multiple photographs of him and his brother, almost all of them somewhere in the mountains on skis. There were just as many photos of Ivy, although most of hers were of her receiving academic awards. His gaze made it back to his father. His father’s eyes were similar to his and Ivy’s. Right now, the amber was flashing with annoyance.

“Before I fly out this afternoon, I wanted to check in and see what your plans are for the store. Have you thought about it much?”

His father sighed and leaned his head back. “My new cardiologist says I need to minimize stress. I love working, but the pace is too much. I’m planning to sell the store and then your mother and I will figure out what’s next. I won’t stop working altogether, but I’ll work less. Your mother will want to stay here until she knows you and Ivy are settled.”

Cam was relieved at his father’s decision, but surprised he’d made it so quickly. “Well, I’m glad to hear you’re planning to sell the store, but…”

“You can’t believe I’m letting go that fast?” his father asked with a chuckle.

“That’s what I was going to say. Do you feel okay about it?”

His father shrugged. “Your mother and I had already talked about it. I’m not as young as I used to be, and this year’s been hard on both of us. I knew I needed to slow down, but it’s amazing the perspective you can get from almost dying. I’ll never like being hovered over. I won’t be good at sitting around, but I don’t have to work so hard, so I can be sensible.”

Cam nodded and swallowed at the emotion tightening in his chest. His father had made it through this scare all in one piece, but hearing him say so plainly that he’d almost died was sobering. After another breath, Cam glanced over. “All right then. I won’t hover, but you’d better be ready for me to visit more often.”

His father grinned. “I like Ginger. She’s good for you. I’m glad you stopped in one place long enough to find her. Alaska’s not too far from here. After all your traveling, we’ll see lots more of you now. Especially since we have somewhere to visit you. That’s new.”

“I guess I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

His father adjusted the recliner and slowly stood. “Let’s go have breakfast. Your mother won’t let me hear the end of it if you don’t sit down with us before you go.”

***

An icy gust blew Ginger’s hood back, and she tugged it back up as she ran across the parking lot at the airport. Cam’s flight had just landed. She’d waited in her car and watched the small plane come in for a landing. The plane had wobbled in the wind, but landed safely. The few passengers were climbing out and waiting while the pilot pulled their bags out of the small hold under the plane. Ginger waited by the gate. Diamond Creek’s airport was tiny. The small building housed a counter where the sole airline that flew in here and a car rental place shared the space.

The ‘gate’ was a door where passengers came in and out to walk to the small six-seater planes. Cam snagged his bag from the pilot and strode quickly to the door. As soon as he stepped inside, his eyes landed on Ginger. Her pulse rocketed and heat washed through her. All he had to do was look and her body went wild. She ran to meet him and didn’t even stop to think when she threw her arms around him. His bag thudded to the floor as he wrapped both arms around her. His lips met hers in swift kiss.

When he pulled away, he was smiling. “Damn, it’s good to see you.”

“It’s only been two days,” she replied, unable to keep from smiling. It had only been two days, but two days felt like forever. His arms loosened, and she slid to the floor. “Let’s go. It’s freezing out.”

Cam picked up his bag and walked at her side, her hand held in the warm grip of his. Once they were in the car, he glanced to her. “Your place?”

“You sure you don’t want to stop by the lodge first?”

He shook his head firmly. “The only person I want to see tonight is you.”

His words sent a hot thrill through her. Though they’d just spent the last week together, they’d had hardly a moment alone. She nodded and started driving. By the time, she pulled up at her house, Cam had nearly driven her wild by curling his palm over her thigh and stroking his thumb back and forth slowly. She was drenched with need and heat suffused her entire body. Somehow, she managed to get out of the car. The contrast of the icy air to the heat inside temporarily eased the desire pounding through her.

It was late afternoon, the sky was gray and the air was scented with snow. The water in the bay was choppy from the wind. Once they were inside, they hung their jackets and kicked their shoes off. She went straight to the woodstove. She could barely focus, so intent was Cam’s presence. She needed a moment to gather herself, and the activity of laying logs in the woodstove and starting a fire grounded her slightly. When she stood, she saw Cam standing by the windows. He turned to face her. It felt as if a flame lit the air between them. He walked slowly to her. In slow motion, he lifted a hand and traced her lips. Her breath came out in a whoosh. The heat that had barely cooled in the few moments outside blazed back to life.

The pad of his thumb dented her bottom lip. Her low belly clenched. His thumb dragged down her neck, leaving her skin nearly aflame where he touched. He dipped his head, his lips following behind his fingers—a hot, wet path along her collarbone and dipping into the vee of her blouse. He methodically unbuttoned her blouse, the brush of his fingers against her abdomen leaving her trembling. By the time he lifted his head, she couldn’t contain the need coursing through her. She was steaming inside and out. A bead of perspiration rolled between her breasts. He caught it with his tongue, eliciting a low moan from her. She yanked on the hem of his jersey shirt and shoved it up. Cam reached a hand behind his neck and lifted his shirt off in one move. Everything became a blur—clothes were tossed haphazardly. All she knew was the feel of Cam’s hands on her, his lips and tongue mapping her body, and the feel of his hard, muscled body under her touch.

Awareness filtered into her consciousness when he lifted her against him and slowly sat down on the couch. She straddled his hips. The heated length of his cock rested against her slick folds. She couldn’t resist rolling her hips. Spikes of pleasure scored through her. Feverish with need, she arched back and cried out as she slid across the hard heat of his shaft.

“Ginger.”

Cam whispered her name, his words rough with desire.

She dragged her eyes open to find his molten amber gaze on her. Shivering heat licked down her spine as he dragged a finger slowly down her back. She couldn’t look away—his eyes reflected her own intense need back to her. A rush of intimacy caught her and held her. He gripped her hips and shifted against her.

“Cam…”

His name fell from her lips on a breath.

“Love you.”

Cam’s words came just as he surged into her. He held still for a long moment. She could barely speak over the thundering of her heart.
“Love you.”
Those two words were all she could manage. Skin to skin, held against him, she felt fragile and sexy and strong at once. His lips caught hers in a fierce kiss. When he slowly pulled back, she met his eyes and the flames licked higher inside, engulfing her as they started to move. She lost herself in the sensations teeming with her—the pull and slide of him within her as she rolled her hips to meet his again and again.

Each surge brought him deeper and deeper. Pleasure built and built within, the pressure gathering in a wild storm inside. Her core drew tight and a quick stroke of his thumb against her clit sent pleasure spiraling loose through her body. Her release was so intense, she collapsed against him as he went rigid underneath her and called her name roughly. His arms caught her and held her fast against him. Her head fell into the dip of his shoulder. As she slowly caught her breath, she lifted it to find his had fallen back against the couch. He opened his eyes and rolled his head to the side. A smile curled her lips with his following. Joy fluttered within her.

***

Cam leaned forward and set his empty plate on the coffee table. After they’d managed to untangle themselves and shower, Ginger had declared they were ordering pizza for dinner. He was now sated in more ways than one. Snow had begun to fall and was blowing sideways outside the windows, illuminated from the light inside the house. With a fire snapping in the woodstove and Ginger nibbling on a piece of pizza beside him, Cam couldn’t imagine anywhere else he’d rather be. He heard the distinctive thump of George hopping across the floor and grinned.

“He can’t sneak up on anyone, can he?” Cam asked.

Ginger shrugged. “Maybe not. George hasn’t had the life he would’ve in the wild, so he doesn’t have to worry about being quiet so he doesn’t get eaten.”

George bounced onto the couch and settled himself against Cam’s leg. Cam stroked his hand over George’s head and glanced to Ginger. “I forgot to ask if you could give me a ride up to the lodge tomorrow morning.”

“I planned on it. I have to be at work by eight, so we just need to leave in time for me to make it back to town.”

“Works for me. I’m up early whether I want to be or not.”

Hours later, Cam woke during the night when a gust of wind rattled the windows. Ginger was curled up beside him, her head tucked against his shoulder and her legs tangled with his. He rolled his head to the side and looked out the windows into the dark night. The snow had stopped, but the wind was coming in gusts off the water. Stars were bright in the inky sky and the moon hung low over the mountains. Ginger shifted against him. He stroked a palm down the curve of her hip. His body tightened and he chuckled to himself. His desire for her ran unchecked. The feel of her silky skin under his touch was all his body needed to want more of her. He glanced down at her. In sleep, she was relaxed, her features soft. His heart clenched and then softened. He’d come to Alaska to find peace, which he had, but what he’d found with Ginger was worth so much more. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With her body warm against his, he fell back to sleep.

Epilogue

Cam tossed his cards down and arched a brow at Gage. “I fold. My hand’s crap.”

Gage shrugged and played a card. Garrett instantly laid his cards down. “Straight flush.” His eyes bounced between Cam and Gage before a slow grin spread across his face.

Gage chuckled and slowly gathered the cards off the table and shuffled the deck before setting it down. “Okay, you’ve won twice.” He glanced to Cam. “Garrett’s on a roll. Unless you want to keep losing, I’d say we’re done for now. When he’s hot, he’s hot.”