Promise Me Always (39 page)

“No, it’s not fine, Matt! I mean, what if she says no? Fuck! Maybe I should just wait,” I said into the phone, my voice full of doubt and trepidation.

“Dude, calm down! You’re Blake Bentley for Christ sakes—you never get nervous!” Matt sighed. “Look, you and Tess are perfect for each other and everyone knows it. It’s a little late now, so just man up and ask her,” Matt said, totally exasperated, into my ear.

“Fuck. Your right, man. I need to stop being a pussy,” I said, letting out a breath. “She loves me and I know I’m doing the right thing.” I pushed my hand through my hair as I paced the living room. “How are things with you? Is Britt still all riled up from the fourth?”

“Pft! You know Britt—it’s been over a month and she’s is still pissed. Lexi won’t even talk to me. I don’t know what to do. Shit hit the fan that night and I can’t seem to make sense of any of it.” He sounded completely defeated as he spoke.

The Fourth of July party was amazing in more ways than one. Completely letting go with Tess, under the fireworks, was the perfect way to spend the evening. However, Lexi interrupting us again wasn’t.

I never thought I would say this, but I was happy that she did. I will never forget the look on Britt’s face when Lexi’s right hook smacked that bitch square in the nose.

Lexi and I had never been that great of friends. In fact, I think I’ve only had a handful of conversations with her since we met. But after watching her knock Britt on her ass, she was definitely on my favorite people list.

“Matt, why are you still with Britt? She treats you like a fucking puppy! I don’t think she has let you off of that leash in over a year. Even after she broke up with you, you were still attached to it,” I said, hoping that he would finally see the light.

It was no secret I didn’t like Britt. Matt knew he was too good for her yet, for some reason, he couldn’t let her go.

“I’m still with her because I love her. She isn’t all bad. You don’t know her like I do,” he said in a way that made me think he was trying to convince himself of it as much as me. “Yeah, she can be a bitch sometimes, but what girl can’t? Plus, she loves me. We worked out our issues and we’re moving forward. Can’t you just be happy for me?” he asked, uncertainty dripping from his words.

“Matt, I’ll support you with any decision you make, but I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t warn you about her. She’s like fire—if you play with her long enough, you’re going to get burned.” I hated seeing one of my best friends with someone like her. She was going to hurt him and there was no convincing him otherwise. “Alright, I better get back to Tess before she wakes up. See you tomorrow.”

“Good luck, bro,” he said before hanging up.

I tossed my phone on to the counter in the kitchen and turned to stare out the large picture window that overlooked Steamboat Springs. The sun had just risen and bright streaks of sunlight were painting the sleeping mountain town.

Tess and I finally had a chance to use the auction prize I had won at the firefighter’s ball and it was worth every penny I spent on it. The massive log home we were staying in was beyond words—exposed cedar beams were everywhere, even the railings were made out of them. With three stories, an indoor pool, game room, and separate guest wing— this house was the ultimate in mountain luxury.

I quickly made my way down the long hallway and that led to the master suit. I didn’t want Tess to wake up and find me missing. This weekend was all about her and the last thing I wanted was for her to feel alone. I never, in a million years, expected to fall so hard for a woman that I would actually
want
to propose marriage to.

I had no clue when or where I was going to ask her and my nerves were about shot. I had been carrying a ring around in my pocket for the past two weeks, waiting for that perfect spontaneous moment, but nothing felt right. When I got the idea to come up here for the weekend, I knew this was going to be my chance. I almost got down on one knee a million times already, but every time something pulled me back.

I couldn’t sleep last night as my mind raced with ideas and thoughts on how I was going to do it. Even though I was exhausted from a lack of sleep and a full day of sightseeing, I was on cloud nine being here with Tess.

The day before was one of the best days I’d had in a long time—maybe ever. After arriving and touring the house that we would call home for three days, we took a private limo and explored the valley. We strolled along the shops that lined the Yampa River in downtown Steamboat and then rode the gondola up the mountain. Tess looked adorable on the ride up, twirling her hair—she was obviously nervous, heights apparently weren’t her thing. Watching her in that gondola, I almost fell to my knee right there. Then she looked at me with those seductive brown eyes and I lost all train of thought. Once we were at the top, we purchased a few drinks and watched the sun slowly melt behind the mountain tops before descending back down. Tess was much calmer on the ride down as the liquor relaxed her a bit.

After a spectacular dinner, by our own personal chef, we spent the rest of the evening christening many rooms in the house, before tucking ourselves away in our spacious master suite. I knew I would never forget this weekend as long as I lived and I was going to make sure Tess didn’t either.

I opened the door to the bedroom to find her still sound asleep in the giant, four post log bed. I snuck in quietly, not wanting to wake her just yet, and took a seat in one of the oversized chairs that occupied the reading area. As remarkable as the room was, the only thing I could see was Tess.

She looked stunning, lying there on her stomach, her naked back exposed and the sheet just barely covered her lower half. Her brown hair was sprawled out on the pillow next to her and, suddenly, I had a burning desire to taste her soft skin. I knew it was early, but I couldn’t resist.

Gradually, I crawled over her, trailing soft, wet kisses up her back. Her smooth, flawless skin was so warm and sweet that my dick was instantly hard. She started to stir and, just as she was waking up, I slipped my hand under the sheet, rubbing my hand between her thighs and stroking her sex. She pressed her hips into me and met my every move, letting out a soft moan that made my dick twitch in my briefs.

“Mornin’, baby girl. Sleep well?” I asked softly in her ear. I could tell my stubble was tickling her because she smiled and pushed her shoulder to her ear, blocking the access to her neck.

“Umm hmm,” was all she could utter as I continued to touch her.

“What do you want to do today?” I solicited as I pushed two of my fingers inside her. She let out another moan.

“We’re already doing it,” She quipped with a smirk, turning over and pulling my mouth down on hers.

I buried myself in her for the next hour, touching every inch of her body. She felt so fucking good and it took every ounce of self control to stop when she tried to go for round three. We had so much stuff planned this afternoon and if we didn’t get moving soon, none of it was going to happen.

As we set out for the day a little while later, I was a ball of nerves.

By tomorrow, if everything went right, I would be engaged to the woman who somehow managed to take the broken pieces of my heart and put them back together.

We spent the rest of the morning hiking around Old Fish Creek Falls, a huge waterfall located just minutes from the city. Tess took photos of everything, stopping at least a million times to photograph the smallest details, and, every time, I couldn’t help but smile. She looked adorable in her element, crouching down to get a close up of a wild flower or placing a finger over her lips as she tried to sneak up on a chipmunk. Even when she set up the tripod and timer, she looked breathtaking. Usually I hated having my picture taken, but her excitement was contagious as she bounced back over to me with the biggest grin on her face shouting, “Say cheese!” We were having such a great time that I forgot all about the ring in my pocket until we were getting ready to head back into town to grab lunch.

We ate at a delicious little restaurant right on the Yampa River. We had a blast watching people tube down the river that, after lunch, we decided to try it out ourselves. We rented some tubes and filled a small cooler with beer and dove in.

The river water was surprisingly warm for a mountain river, mostly because of all the hot springs that were in the area. As we floated down the river, we joked around, splashing water at each other. We would pull our tubes close so we could kiss.

Once we passed the main part of town, we floated in silence as we took in the serene mountain scenery. I laughed a little when I caught Tess gazing at me as she bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes full of lust and passion. Her face turned a cute shade of pink when she noticed I had discovered her.

“I know I’m completely irresistible, baby girl, but you don’t have to stare,” I said with a chuckle.

“Shut up, Blake, I was not staring at you,” she said as she splashed water in my face. “I was just day dreaming.”

“That must have been some day dream. I bet I can guess what it was about.” She looked at me through her lashes as she took a sip of her beer. I reached out and grabbed the handle on her tube and pulled her closer to me. Leaning in I whispered, “There is only one thing that makes your eyes fill with desire like that, Tess. I know this, because I see it every time I’m deep inside you, every time you come undone. I’ve memorized your eyes, baby girl, and that is just one of many looks I have engraved into my memory.”

She sucked in a quick breath as I trailed my hand up her thigh, squeezing lightly. My dick was rock hard and though I had no problem taking her right here in the river, I don’t think the families floating nearby would appreciate it. Plus, there was no way I would let anyone see her face while I made love to her. Those looks were mine and no one else’s.

I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Blake.”

“Will you still love me after I flip your tube over?” I joked with her.

“You wouldn’t dare!” she screeched.

“Watch me,” I growled as I reached across her and pulled on the other handle. She landed in the water with a splash, screaming and cursing my name. I let out a deep laugh and plunged into the water after her. She wrapped one arm around my neck and kissed me sweetly before she jumped on my head and tried with all her strength to push me under the water. I just laughed harder and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into me.

“Do you still love me, baby girl?” I asked as I kissed her neck.

She grabbed my face with both hands, “Always.”

My knee bounced rapidly and I tapped my thumb on the steering wheel as we drove down a dirt road on our way to Strawberry Park Hot Springs. It was almost dusk and I was on edge. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t asked her yet. I had almost done it plenty of times today but still, every time I finally got up the courage to do it, something held me back.

I felt Tess’s hand come to rest on my leg and it snapped me out of my reverie, making me jump slightly.

“Are you alright, Blake? You seem a little nervous?” she asked, concerned.

“I’m fine, baby girl, really. Are you excited for the springs?”

“Of course I am! Is it true what they say about this place? I mean, is clothing really optional after dark?” A slight pink color rushed to her cheeks as she smiled.

“It sure is,” I said as I winked at her. “It is also very dark with little lighting, so make sure you stay close to me when we are walking by the water.”

A few minutes later, we arrived at the hot springs. Tess had been in her little black bikini almost all day but, for some reason when she shimmied out of her shorts, I couldn’t help but stare at her. Her tan legs looked incredibly smooth and I had an impulsive need to feel them wrapped around me. As she pulled her tank top up and over her head, my dick jumped at the sight of her almost naked body.

Leaving our towels and clothes on a lounge chair, we headed for the water. The park was impressive; rock walls separated the different pools of water from the flowing river. While the river itself was warm, the mineral pools were a sultry one hundred and four degrees. I could feel the tension leaving my body as I sank down into the hot water.