Open Life (Open Skies #5) (15 page)

Dillon came back in to the bedroom and she looked away, wondering if maybe she should ask him to leave tonight, before she got in any deeper than she already was. But the truth was that she was already in way too fucking deep. Him leaving wasn't really going to change anything, she knew.

"Here you go." He handed her a glass of water. She took it silently, avoiding his gaze.

Dillon was looking her up and down, openly admiring her lush, golden curves. She was
it
, as far as he was concerned, she was his one and only and she was going to be his forever.

“I can’t wait to take you up to the cottage later this summer, get you in to a bikini.” His eyes were hot. “You’re going to look so fucking gorgeous.”

“You don’t have to do that, Dillon.” Suddenly uncomfortable, she pulled her long t-shirt over her head, tugged it down over her glorious body.

“Do what?” he asked.

“Say things like that or make plans for the future." She kept her tone light, unconcerned. "It’s OK – I’m not expecting that. I know what this is.”

His brow was furrowed. “What
what
is?”

“This.” She gestured at him standing there in his boxers, at the bed she was sitting on. “This between us.”

“You mean me making love to you?”

She shook her head. “You don’t have to call it more than it really is to you.”

“You think this is just a
fuck
for me?” he said, stunned. “You think I started all this up with you to – what? Kill time while I was stuck up here at the ranch?”

“No, but...” She looked away.

“Wait a minute. If you thought I was that kind of man, why’d you let me even touch you in the first place?”

“I
don’t
think you’re that kind of man,” Maria said. “I think you’re the kind of man who means what he says, and I think you mean everything you’re saying right now. But I’m not the kind of woman who…” Her voice trailed off.

“What?” Dillon demanded. When she didn’t answer, he sat down on the bed again. “What kind of woman aren’t you, Maria?”

“The kind of woman that men remember once they’re gone,” she said quietly.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m staying here, Dillon. Here at Open Skies. You’re going back to Denver.” She shrugged. “And that’ll be it, right?”

“Denver ain’t New Delhi. It’s just over two hours away.”

“Yeah, but… are you really going to drive two hours just to see me maybe once a week?” She shook her head. “Looking the way you do, working in a bar full of beautiful women looking to pick up? I know what you said about not doing casual, but come on. Temptation is everywhere for you, isn’t it?” She tried to smile. “I don’t want you to make any promises that you’ll regret bitterly. Let’s just enjoy this while we have it, OK? Be realistic about it?”

“You want realistic?” Dillon demanded. “Fine. Here’s my reality: I’ve had no softness in my life, hardly at all. I was raised by a tough man and I’m the youngest of five boys. I went to all-boy military schools and I went off to the Middle East pretty young. I’ve had a brutal, violent life, Maria, and any women who’ve come in to it have been hard in their own ways. Good people, most of them, but
hard
people. You know?”

Taken aback, she nodded.

“But you?” He stroked her cheek, loving the silkiness of her skin. “You’re so soft, so sweet. You just
give
to me, all the time. You’re open and honest and you trust me, and that first time you looked up at me when you were crying and I was holding you? I knew right there and then that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.
Nothing
. So asking me to drive two hours to get to you? To your softness and sweetness? Fuck, baby…
of course
I’ll do it.”

“Don’t promise me that, Dillon.” Her eyes were full of tears. “Don’t get my hopes up only to take them away when it gets inconvenient. I – I said that I’m used to people leaving me and not wanting me but… I lied to you. It still hurts me when it happens.”

He cursed, gripped her hair. Roughly, he pulled her up to his mouth. His kiss was hard and almost angry. She gasped and his tongue slipped inside, tasting her, and Maria made a sound that she’d never heard come out of her before: part-moan, part-sob.

Dillon pulled back a few inches, loosened his hold on her.

“Does that feel inconvenient to you?” he asked her. “Does that feel like I’m promising you something I bitterly regret?”

She shook her head, averted her eyes.

“Look at me.” He released her hair and cupped her face in both of his hands. “Right here, baby.”

Maria stared up at him. God, his eyes were gorgeous – just like the rest of him. What the hell was a guy this incredible-looking doing with her? She just couldn’t get her head around it, at all. Guys like Dillon Saunders belonged with supermodels who’d rival Barbie in the tall, busty blonde department.

“I want to be with you,” he said. “I like being with you. You make me… happy.
Totally
happy, not happy enough.”

“I do?”

“Yeah. You amaze me, actually. After all you’ve been through in your life, you’re still so gentle. Unlike me, you haven’t turned hard. Nobody would blame you if you had, but you didn’t go that way. I love that about you and I need to be around it. I need it like I need air and water, Maria.” He kissed her, tender and slow now. “Do you believe me when I tell you that?”

She lifted her hands and set them on his naked chest. His body was so powerful and muscled and hot under her fingers. His chest rose and fell with his every breath and she felt his steady heartbeat. He was waiting for her answer; she thought he’d probably wait all night.

“Yes,” she whispered at last. “Yes, I believe you.”

“And if you
really
believe it, then you’ll stop saying that I’ll forget all about you the second I blow out of those main gates.” His husky voice was as soft as it ever got. “Stop thinking that, right now. I know you’ve been hurt bad in your life, but you’ve got to trust me
harder
than all that pain. You’ve got to have some faith in me, yeah?”

Stunned and moved, Maria nodded.

“Good.” He leaned back, pulled her down with him. “Now take off that shirt and let me kiss you all over some more.”

She gasped again, a sound of pure want this time. He heard it and smiled, his eyes sparking.

“You want me to do that?”

“Yes.”

“So what are you waiting for, darlin’? Get naked.”

Chapter Fifteen

An hour later, they were lying curled up together, gazing out the window at the sky. It was pitch black and full of twinkling stars and it was hands-down the most romantic setting either one of them could ever imagine

Maria traced the single tattoo on Dillon’s chest. It simply said ‘Mom’ and the word was inside a heart; the tattoo itself was inked just over his heart, too.

“Dillon?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“What you said about not having any softness in your life and being raised by a tough man…”

He sighed. “Yeah.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just what I said, really. My Dad was a hard man – former Marine – and he ran our house like the goddamn military. After Mom died, he coped by putting everything on a schedule and meting out harsh discipline and clear rules and expectations.”

“Does he...” She paused. “Does he love you?”

“I imagine he loves me and my brothers in his own way, but he never shows it. I truly think the only person on the planet he was ever demonstrative or affectionate with was my Mom.”

“He never hugged you guys?”

“Never.”

“Are you and your brothers close?”

“I wish we were, but I’m the youngest by quite a bit since I was kind of a surprise baby. There’s eight years between me and my closest brother, almost seventeen between me and my oldest brother, Cooper.” He shrugged. “By the time I was old enough to talk, Coop was already long gone and in the army. I never really knew him growing up and I don’t really know him now.”

“You’re all army guys?”

“Yep. It’s the only thing we have to talk about when we get together for Christmas.”

“Did your father ever… ever hurt you guys?”

“Oh, no. Never. He didn’t believe in raising a hand to us kids, but he
did
believe in push-ups and sit-ups and fifty laps around the track at the local high school and mowing the lawn in the blazing heat.” Dillon ran his fingers over her perfect skin, reveling in her silky softness yet again. “Physical discipline was big in our house.”

“That sounds rough.”

“It was. But it also toughened me up so much that when I enlisted, training was a fucking breeze. Without even knowing it, I’d been doing boot camp for almost twenty years by that point and I understood all about people in authority using physical strain and stress as discipline. It rattled lots of guys but not me.”

“If your Dad was so straight-up and disciplined, why did he… why didn’t he tell you the truth about your mother?”

“Honestly? I think that when it comes to anything emotional, the man can’t cope head-on. He struggles with that, really bad, and I guess he just wanted to avoid facing the fact that Mom was really dead.”

“He doesn’t show emotion?”

“With us? No.”

“So how are you so gentle with me?” she said, amazed at him coming from such a harsh home and still being able to be nothing but tender with her. “You don’t seem to find it hard to show me affection.”

He kissed her. “I don’t. It’s easy to be gentle and caring with you.”

“It is?”

“Yeah. I mean, the thing is that Dad always raised us to be respectful to women. He had no use whatsoever for men who abused or raped women. He hated guys like that with a passion and me and my brothers had it drilled in to our heads that we had to be careful around y’all. We’re all pretty big, strong guys and it’s far too easy to forget that sometimes.”

“You’ve never forgotten it around me.”

“Not once. And I never will.” Dillon pulled her closer. “You’re precious to me, baby, and if you think I’m going to do anything to hurt or scare you – or any other woman for that matter – you’re out of your mind. My brothers are the same way and no matter how many mistakes Dad made bringing us up,
that
does all come down to him.”

“Maybe I’ll be able to meet him one day?” she said hesitantly. “Him and your older brothers?”

He stared down at her, his brow wrinkled. “You want to?”

“Yes. Very much.”

“Then you will.”

She smiled. “You think they’d like me?”

“Sure they will… they’ll be sweet as pie to you, I promise.”

“Yeah?”

“Hell, yeah. We’re Georgia boys, Maria. We’re all about treating the ladies right even if we can’t handle hugging our own brothers.”

“I wouldn’t mind six huge ex-military guys fussing over me,” she teased him. “Bringing me glasses of tea and pulling out my chair.”

“Yeah, we’d kill each other trying to pay you the most attention.” Dillon grinned. “Might even end up drawing pistols at dawn in your name.”

She laughed. “Really?”

“Maybe not. But Dad and the boys would do their best to charm you within an inch of your life.”

“Well.” She pulled herself up his body and smiled when she felt him harden against her thigh again. “You
did
learn all that charm from somewhere, darlin’. And Lord knows, it works.”

He growled as she rubbed herself against his cock. “Does it now?”

“Yeah. Can’t you tell?”

Without a word, he rolled her on to her back and pinned her beneath him. She gasped at the ease with which he took complete control of her yet again… and she loved it. Yet again.

“Enough charm.” Dillon rocked his hips against hers. “I ain’t in the mood to be a gentleman at the moment.”

“So what are you in the mood for?”

“Want me to show you?”

“Yes.” Maria arched as his fingers parted her soaked lower lips, stroked her clit gently. “Oh, God, yes. Show me, Dillon.”

Chapter Sixteen
One week later

Annabeth looked up from packing when Eric came in to their bedroom. He handed her a glass of wine and she smiled.

“Thanks,” she said. “Just what I needed. My energy was flagging.”

“Yeah, I figured.” He looked around. “You almost done?”

“Yes. You?”

“Uh-huh. Just my toothbrush.”

“No pj’s?”

Eric grinned. “I’m not going to wear pj’s tonight.”

“Oh. To save time in the morning?”

“Exactly.
So
much less to pack.”

“Huh. Good strategy. So I’ll pack mine now too and also sleep without pyjamas tonight.”

“Awesome.”

They grinned at each other, then Eric looked serious again.

“You’re sure, Annabeth? Completely and totally sure that you want to come back with me tomorrow?”

She moved in to his arms and kissed him. “Completely.” Kiss. “Totally.” Kiss. “Sure.” Kiss. “Babe.”

He chuckled. “OK, then. I believe you.”

They stood for a while, just holding each other, both lost in thought. From Eric’s side, he still couldn’t believe that after all his deception last summer, she’d forgiven him. That she loved him and was his and wanted to share his whole life. It was a crazy, wild, amazing fantasy-come-to-reality and he was damned if he’d ever lie to this woman again. Not for anything.

Annabeth’s thoughts were equally focused on gratitude and second chances. She would always love Cam and she’d made her peace with that. She’d broached the subject with Eric once, petrified of his reaction, but he’d been nothing but understanding and supportive. He’d told her that loving him now didn’t take anything away from her time with Cam – and he didn’t want it to. He wanted her to love Cam until the day she died and he wanted her to love him the same way.

“Your heart’s big enough for the both of us, angel,” he’d whispered. “You can love me and you can love Cam and I never want you to feel one second’s guilt or worry about that.”

She pulled back slightly now and looked up at Eric. He held her blue eyes, wondering if she was alright.

“I love you,” she said. “I love you for offering me a whole new life with you.”

“I love you for the same reason,” Eric said. “It’s all ahead of us, baby. Wide open and waiting for us to just reach out and take our happiness. Together.”

“Together,” she echoed, still awed at that fact.

"So.” He ran his hands down her hips, over the curve of her ass, stopped at the backs of her thighs. “Early night tonight?”

“Oh, for sure.” She moved against him shamelessly. “We’ve got a few days of driving ahead of us.”

“Yep.” In one strong movement, he lifted her and she gasped as her feet left the ground. “It’s bedtime, I think.”

“It’s eight o’clock.”

“Who said we’re gonna sleep?”

**

The next morning, Eric packed up the last of their stuff as Annabeth gave Open Skies a final look. She sighed.

“Oh, God, I love it here.”

“We’ll be back.” Eric slammed the trunk closed. “Next summer, yeah? A two-week vacation?”

“OK.” She perked up right away. “That’d be great.”

“Oh, look… the send-off committee is here.”

Annabeth turned to see a group of people trekking over to their cabin. Vicky and Phil and Sonia; Mattie and Manny; Maria and Dillon; Tammy and Rob. Even Rosie, the woman who worked down at the stables, trooped along behind the others, her thick blonde hair blowing in the gentle breeze.

“Well, hey,” Annabeth greeted them. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“Are you kidding?” Mattie said. “You two are like our miracle couple… I don’t think you actually understand just how happy we are for you.”

Annabeth blushed. “Well, thank you.”

Then there was a flurry of hugs and kisses and promises to write and to read Annabeth’s next book and to see each other next year. Eric asked Maria to give Jake and Julie their love and she smiled.

“Yeah, they’re back from their honeymoon tomorrow… Julie called this morning and asked me to wish you a safe trip to your new home.”

“How sweet of her.” Annabeth felt absurdly touched. “Remind her that I’ll want to see endless pictures of the baby when he or she arrives.”

“I hope ‘she’,” Sonia piped up. “I want to dress her up in my pink doll clothes.”

“And if it’s a boy?” Dillon asked her seriously. “What then?”

Sonia glared at him and stuck her hands on her hips. “Boys look good in pink too, you know!”

The other adults snickered as the small girl effectively took down the scariest guy among them.

Dillon arranged his face in a properly repentant expression. “You’re totally right, hon. I’m sorry.”

“Ummmm-hmmm.” Sonia blinked up at him. “You ever wear pink?”

“Uh. No.”

“I think you’d look good.” Sonia considered him, looked him up and down. “Maybe a pink shirt?”

“I’ll definitely think about it,” Dillon said. “OK?”

“OK.”

“Anyway!” Vicky gave Annabeth a final peck on her cheek. “Will you guys let us know that you’ve arrived safely?”

“We’ll call,” Eric promised. “The second we walk in the door.”

“Deal.”

Everyone watched as Eric held Annabeth’s door and shut it, walked around to the driver’s side. Eric pulled out slowly and everyone gave final waves and blew kisses. When Eric’s car drove past Dwayne – the new security guard that Dillon had helped Julie vet and hire the week before – he opened the gate for them, raised his large hand, shut the gate again behind them. They all watched the car as it moved in to the distance, until it was just a speck on the horizon, then they sighed.

“That’s a happy ending,” Maria remarked, then paused. “Or maybe a happy beginning?”

“Both, I think.” Mattie stuck her wrinkled hands in her jeans pockets. “Man, I love happy endings
and
beginnings."

“We
all
do,” Phil said. “Life’s so full of unhappy things, so happy endings and happy beginnings just keep us all going, don’t they?”

They all agreed, enthusiastically.