Till There Was You (16 page)

Chuckling inwardly at her proud and stubborn nature, Linc wondered what he was letting into his life. She was pushy, demanding, and seemed to get pissed the moment something didn’t go her way. She was also kind and cared way more about people than she probably should. On top of that, she was stunning, and she felt like sunshine on an ice-cold day whenever she was near. She made him smile. She made him laugh. Most of all, she made him
feel
.

Linc had thought previously that he’d never feel anything good again. But here he was, grinning as he watched the sway of an obstinate woman’s ass. He wanted to race up to her and swing her over his shoulder. It would piss her off, for sure. But the idea of fighting with her every day seemed like a future far more colorful than the one he’d planned for himself.

Grinning at the thought, he looked up and noticed the rapid buildup of clouds taking the sun from the sky. His breath puffed out in soft clouds, indicating the rapid drop of temperature and the likely threat of snow.

Heeding nature’s warning, Linc whistled out for Shade, then said, “We better think about heading back. I think we are in for some snow.”

Lily threw a flippant comment over her shoulder and picked up her pace. “I like the snow.”

“Lily.” He said her name in warning.

“I’m fine,” she said, glancing back at him before she stopped suddenly to look down a small embankment.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked as he stood beside her, watching icy water trickle in the stream below.

“Everything’s great.” She turned to him and smiled, any trace of her earlier annoyance suddenly gone.
Confusing woman.
“I like it out here. The peace and quiet of the woods is comforting. Matt and I used to have heaps of fun in the snow when we were kids and our dad would bring us up hiking.”

“Sounds like you have a lot of good memories,” he said, taking a small step back to give her room to move away from the edge.

“The happy ones are the ones that matter,” she responded, turning to face him. He flinched when her foot went a little too close to the edge.

“Are you worried I’ll fall into the icy water?” she asked with a grin, her cheeks flushed pink from the cool air.

“I’d rather it if you were standing back here next to me.”

“But you’d catch me, right?” She arched one exquisite eyebrow as she rocked on the edge playfully.

“No. If you fall now, it’s your own damn fault.” Linc’s smile matched hers as he took another step backwards and held out his hand for her.

Everything would have been fine if Shade hadn’t chosen that exact moment to loop back around and dash between them, ruining Lily’s balance. She teetered on the edge, arms starting to flail in an effort to regain her balance.

“Linc,” she yelped.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, Linc grabbed for her jacket. But his fingers fell short as Shade darted sideways, tangling his legs and stopping him from saving Lily as she started to fall.

Time snapped back to normal speed the moment he lost sight of her head, followed almost immediately by a cry of shock as the freezing water below welcomed Lily’s sudden visit with a loud splash.

Looking over the edge in almost blind panic, Linc stopped short at the sight of Lily sitting mid-stream, immersed waist deep in the water, a look of utter disbelief frozen on her face as she stared up at him.

“Get me out of here,” she pleaded, teeth chattering as she struggled to right herself in the chill waters only to slip, landing on her hands and knees, soaking her front.

“Stay still,” he told her, climbing down the embankment before grabbing a branch to hold out to her and pull her free. The moment she was within reach, Linc grabbed a hold of her hand, tugging and causing her to fall against his chest.

“You were supposed to catch me.” She shook in his arms, her lips turning blue as the ice cold of her palms seeped through his jacket.

“Here,” he said, pulling off his coat and wrapping it around her body. “We need to get you back.”

Gripping his big, warm coat around her freezing body, Lily nodded her head in agreement, no hint of an argument on her lips this time.

“Let’s go,” Linc said, scooping Lily up in his arms and carrying her toward his home, surprised when she made not one protest.

He couldn’t believe this had happened. He’d made the decision to try to have something real with Lily, and within hours, she was already hurt. He really was bad luck to be around.

“Wh-what about Shade,” she stammered through the cold.

Linc looked back and saw his dog digging in the snow near the creek, as if nothing at all had happened and this was just a game.

“Block your ears for a moment,” he told her, letting out a high-pitched whistle as she covered them with her hands.

After a few moments, Shade caught up, bounding along beside them and occasionally jumping up to see why Lily was in Linc’s arms.

“So c-cold.” Lily huddled against Linc’s chest as he walked as fast as he could, knowing he needed to get her warm as soon as possible. Although, things weren’t helped much when the snow began to fall in a torrent of fluttering white that obscured his vision and hit sharply against his face.

“Home, Shade,” he commanded, knowing the husky would keep them pointed in the right direction.

He could feel Lily shivering in his arms. “Just hold on a little longer,” he said, picking up his pace to a light jog as he chased Shade back to the cabin.

He slowed his pace as the house came into view. Bouncing Lily a little in his arms to get her attention, he gestured with his head to let her know they were almost out of the cold.

Supporting her weight with one arm, Linc flung the door open and rushed inside, making a beeline for the bathroom. She needed warmth as soon as possible.

“Can you sit?” he asked as he set her on the side of the tub.  Reaching out, he turned the shower on.

Nodding through her chattering teeth, Lily sat there while Linc quickly peeled away his jacket, then hers, as well as her boots, sweater, and finally, her jeans.

“You’re being very f-f-forward,” she stammered, crossing her arms over her middle as she allowed him to undress her.

Leaving her shirt and underwear on, he placed his warm hands on her face and looked into her eyes. They seemed to be losing focus as her body tried to curl into a ball to maintain some internal heat. “You’re turning blue,” he noted, his voice laced with concern as he scooped her up again then got in the shower, holding her under the warm stream.

“You forgot to take your c-clothes off,” she pointed out, grabbing at his grey sweater weakly as she gasped over the heat of the water hitting her skin.

“I’m not the one who’s frozen.”

“D-doesn’t this work better skin-to-skin?” she asked, causing Linc to smile. At least she hadn’t lost her sense of humor.

“Know your first aid, huh?”

“Y-yeah. Plus, I w-watch movies.”

“Can you stand?” Linc asked, setting her down when she nodded that she could. He reached down and pulled his wet sweater and shirt over his head, hoping Lily was too focused on getting warm to notice the scarring on his flesh.

“And mine.” Her body shook as she lifted her arms in the air, as if she were a child.

Reaching out, Linc pulled her cotton shirt over her head. Despite the situation, Linc couldn’t help but notice the dark lace bra beneath it that matched her lace panties. He was a man, after all—and he thanked the gods above for making denim tighten when wet, as it hid the inappropriate stiffness growing at his groin.

“Is that better?” he asked as he wrapped Lily in his arms and pressed her into his warm chest.

Curling into him, Lily rested her head onto the curve of his pec, her nose tucked up under his chin. “Much,” she murmured. Linc could feel the soft warmth of her breath tickling him through his beard.

They stood like that for a long time, with Linc adjusting the water periodically to increase the temperature and warm her through. By the time the water was hot enough for steam to begin circulating around the bathroom, Linc lessened his grip on her a little, his hands moving with a feather touch against her skin.

“Feeling better?” he asked, his voice a little husky when he spoke. Holding her against him had stirred up his emotions more than he’d like to admit, and when Lily lifted her head to look up at him, her eyes a deep focused green and her lips a nice warm pink, all Linc could do was think about kissing them.

He couldn’t help himself from leaning down, only to be surprised when Lily pulled out of his reach.

“You have to ask for what you want, Linc,” she whispered. “You need to be sure.”

Her words caused him to move back as he frowned, forced to consider whether kissing her was something he really wanted or something he was going to feel regret over later. As his eyes moved between her mouth and her eyes, and his mind took in the feeling of her in his arms, he knew this was right. Being with her felt right.

“You, Lily. I want you. I want to kiss you, and it’s quite possible I want to do a whole lot more.”

Her hands moved against his chest. “That’s not asking.”

He grinned. “You like making this hard on a guy, don’t you?”

“It’s one of my many talents,” she said, flashing a coy grin as she looked up at him with dark, seductive eyes.

“Okay,” Linc said, releasing his breath then running his fingers down her long, wet hair. “Lily, may I kiss you...please?”

Her grin broadened. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he cupped the back of her head and brought their mouths together in a soul searing kiss that created more heat in the room than any shower could.

“Do I have to ask every time?” Linc queried, pulling back slightly when they were forced to come up for air.

Lily shook her head. “You have permission to kiss me whenever you like now.”

“That’s good to know,” he said, leaning in, his eyes locked with hers, until their lips met for a moment, before almost breaking contact then coming together again, desire feeding the hunger of needing and wanting the other. As their mouths moved and their tongues tasted, what started as a kiss soon built into something more as the heat of their passion consumed them.

He was lost in her—the feeling of her body pressed against his, the taste of her lips. The sensation of her fingertips on his skin almost caused him to lose control and strip Lily of what was left of her clothes then and there. He wanted more. He
needed
more.

“Bedroom,” he commanded, his hands moving down to her waist to pull her to him.

She gasped against his mouth and ran her hands down his broad chest. “Ask me,” she whispered. “Be sure.”

“I am sure.”

“Then ask me. Tell me what you want to do. Say exactly what this is.”

Reaching up, Linc took ahold of Lily’s hair and pulled her back just enough so he could look into her eyes. “I want to take you into that room, throw you on the bed, and fuck you until you scream.
Please.
”

A lazy smile spread across her lips as she looked up at him through heavy lashes. “That works for me.”

Linc grinned. “I thought it would,” he said, sliding his hands down her back to pop the clasp on her bra. Removing the drenched lace, he threw it toward the pile of wet clothes in the center of the floor. He could feel Lily’s rapid heartbeat as he held her firm breasts in his hands then leaned down and kissed the soft peaks.

Moving lower, he dropped to his knees and hooked his fingers in the elastic of her underwear, kissing above her mound as he dragged the wet fabric down her legs. Lily’s fingers slid into his wet hair, holding on as she shifted her weight to help him.

“I feel like I’ve wanted you forever,” he murmured as his hands slid back up her silky smooth skin, cupping her ass as he pulled her closer, his mouth just above her apex. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to feel her body wrapped around him as he moved inside her. He wanted her to cry out his name. 

“Meet me in the bedroom,” he growled, suddenly rising to his feet and shutting off the water.

“Okay,” she whispered, her cheeks flushed with arousal as she stood before him, completely naked and absolutely stunning.

Reaching out, he pulled a thick white towel from the rack and wrapped it around her. “I’ll be in soon.”

He watched her leave, the towel slung low on her back as she turned to give him the most seductive look he’d ever seen before she stepped through the door. The moment she was out of view, Linc looked down at his jeans, wet denim plastered against his skin.

“How the fuck am I going to get out of these?” he asked himself as he unbuttoned his fly.

––––––––

W
aiting in the bedroom, a towel the only thing between her and the countless dreams she’d had since that first kiss—or, if she were honest, since she first saw him—Lily tingled after the passion charged exchange. She could still feel it on her lips as a heat flowed through her body, reaching all the way to the tips of her toes. She’d never felt anything like that before. Out of all the men she’d been with—and there had been a few—she’d never had her body come to life after a single kiss. It was aching with need.

She stood there for a moment with her eyes closed before pinching herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Opening them again, she found herself still standing in his room, the massive four-poster bed in front of her.

Taking a tentative step toward it, she placed her hand on the mattress and pressed down. It was firm, but not hard, the perfect amount of bounce. Butterflies burst to life in her stomach as she thought about what would come next.

Feeling the water from her hair run down her shoulders, Lily looked down the hall to see if Linc was approaching. The bathroom door was shut from what she could see, and she wondered what could possibly be taking him so long. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to hurry up or she was going to start without him. But instead, she took a moment to towel dry her hair and make sure she was ready for him when he did finally make an appearance.