Her Heart's Desire (Sunflower Series Book 1) (18 page)

“What if she refuses?”

“Then I’ll remind her that half of the crop
is mine. I’ll demand payment. Then she’ll be forced into selling.
With only a few boxes left, her paintings gone, a second-rate
showing, and only half the crop for income, moving back to KC will
be more appealing. There she can focus on her art.”

“Only where will she go? The loft will soon
be rubble.”

The sound of a fist pounding a hard surface
floated through the phone. “Dammit! The loft is completely
destroyed?”

“I don’t know about completely, but whatever
the fire doesn’t consume water will have ruined. Let’s get through
tonight and see how everything looks in the morning.”

“Should I call her now? I want her to know I
care.” Craig sounded like a whipped man.

“Tomorrow.” Lucas closed his phone. He
understood Craig’s position. Like him, he had a sister he wanted to
protect. He’d made a mess of that on Sunday. Made Megan cry when
she thought he was abandoning her like their parents had abandoned
them for Arizona. However, unlike Craig, he wasn’t trying to
strangle the life out of Megan by making her live in a place she
didn’t want anymore.

Amelia wanted the farm. Wanted a life in
Harvest. Would she accept his help to hang on to the farm? Could he
intercede at the bank? He could put his equipment up for collateral
and buy Craig out. One thing he’d learned in the military—patience.
Wait for a clear shot. Then take it. He’d waited a full year for
Amelia to live through her grief. It wouldn’t have been fair to
sweep her off her feet while sorrow wrapped her heart. He refused
to use undue influence while she grieved. He wanted a solid
foundation with her, not Fourth of July fireworks fizzling out in
minutes. And while he admired her strength and gritty
determination, Craig’s concerns about her staying on the farm had
some merit.

Was there a way for him to balance life and
come out the winner of Amelia’s heart?

Chapter 13

The next morning Lia woke and stretched. She
blinked the room into focus. Uneasiness crept up her spine. Where
was she? Looking around, it took a moment for her brain to
register. This wasn’t home or the loft...a hotel. The fire.

Lucas? Where was he?

Yesterday hadn’t been a nightmare conjured up
during REM sleep. Watching the fire destroy half of the building
had kicked her feet out from under her and slammed her on her butt.
However, Lucas’s support had gotten her through the nightmare,
which thanks to TV, was now emblazoned on her brain forever. While
he’d held her tenderly, he’d so thoroughly captured her heart. Even
through the darkest night, he brought hope shining into her world.
She loved him. A warming sensation lessened her uneasiness. Her
pulse fluttered. They had to find a way to make the relationship
work.

Her mind raced. Thoughts spiraled up and
down. Panic thumped a beat in her chest. She’d been so sure she
could create the world she wanted after her parents’ passing. The
farm. Painting. Lucas. Yes, her parents’ death had kicked her butt.
In doing so, it had opened a new door, one that grounded her. Gave
her comfort. Offered a new perspective on her well-ordered
life.

Her mother had always pushed her to do more.
Be more. Which had to be the reason Lia rejected the rebellious
teenager times. She never got drunk. Never smoked. Never cut
school. Never dated much. Painting meant everything. On canvas, she
took risks. No bars on her emotions. No rules existed. That
boldness garnered her local recognition and expanded to regional
exposure. If she did nothing else, she had to paint. And she had to
have a life with the man she loved.

“Lucas?” No response.

Where had he gone? She reached for Jack, but
her hand came up empty. She leaned forward, tugging on the pillow
beside her and stuffed it behind her back. A note fluttered onto
the bed.

Taking Jack for a walk. Be back in a few. ~
L

What would she do without him? After last
night, he probably thought she could play the Cowardly Lion in The
Wizard of Oz. She lacked courage and had withdrawn into herself.
Grunts and whimpers were her answers to any of his questions. Yet,
ever gentle, Lucas put her needs first. He’d gotten her out of her
clothes and into a robe and ordered hot chocolate to soothe her. He
sat in bed beside her while the television blared about the
two-alarm fire. She snuggled next to him after the news went off
the air. He had held her until she fell asleep. He was right.
Things would look different under the dawn of a new day. Now, with
determination like Dorothy of Kansas, she wanted to go home,
too.

A fumbling noise at the door drew her
attention.

“Honey, I’m home,” Lucas called in a
sing-song voice. How wonderful would it be to hear his voice when
she woke each morning and again before she went to sleep each
night.

“I’m in here,” she replied, joy pumping
through her heart. Pushing all other thoughts aside, she wanted
this time with the man she loved. Whatever might be happening
beyond the hotel room, she didn’t want to know.

Jack bounded into the bedroom of the suite.
His stub tail wagged, shaking his entire back end. Lucas followed.
Concern shadowed his halfhearted grin. Worry flickered in his
eyes.

Lia opened her arms, intending to take Lucas
into a hug, but Jack had other ideas. He jumped into her lap and
squirmed. She petted him until he calmed down.

“Let’s order room service.” Lucas flopped
onto the end of the bed. Jack rolled over and licked his face.

“I guess I’m
persona non grata
with
Jack when you’re around,” Lia said.

Lucas stalked toward her like a tiger hunting
prey. When they were nose-to-nose, he tilted her head and nipped at
her earlobe. “I’m hungry, woman. I need food before I have you for
dessert.”

“Fine. Let’s order.” She giggled.

They scoured the menu and ordered enough
eggs, sausage, muffins, and potatoes to feed several people.

“Yes, I want one hamburger patty, nothing on
it. No salt or pepper or anything. Cooked well, then chopped up,”
Lucas said into the hotel phone. He winked at her. “Put that in a
cereal bowl. And, I need a second bowl. Empty. Plus an extra bottle
of water.” Clearly, the room service person on the other end of the
phone considered the request strange.

Concern flittered through Lia’s mind. This
might be the closest thing she’d ever get to a honeymoon with
Lucas. Sadness plopped to the bottom of her stomach, making a
splash. What did the future hold? With Lucas’s departure for work
out west looming, what would happen when he left for long periods
of time?

She shoved the sad thoughts away and allowed
contentment to flow. Taking a deep breath, she anchored those
feelings in her heart. Allowing them to wash over her, she tingled.
Love could lead her through darkness.

“Hey”—Lucas sat on the bed next to her,
stuffed a pillow behind his back, and cradled her next to him, his
arm around her shoulder—“Where are you?” He tapped her nose. “I see
all sorts of wheels turning.”

“There’s a lot to talk about.” She tilted her
head, locking gazes with him. Would he see her love?

“And we will talk,” Lucas whispered, stroking
her cheek. “Let’s just put that talk on pause until a little later.
“I want to use sign language to communicate.”

Lia signed,
I love you
.

Lucas chuckled. “I had something different in
mind.”

His hand left her cheek. His finger traced a
line down her neck to the opening in the robe. He pushed it open
and massaged her breast. When his mouth captured a tightening bud,
he sucked, sending hot sensations straight to her core. Her body
tightened. She slid flat on the bed. Her hand clenched the sheets.
Her head lolled back as Lucas continued his tender ministrations to
her wanton body.

She rolled on her side to face him and draped
a leg over his. Reaching for the buttons on his shirt, she began to
undo each one. Her breath grew shallow as she rocked her
pelvis.

When all buttons were undone and she could
finally smooth her fingers over his hard muscled chest, Lucas
tugged on her robe’s sleeve, freeing her from it. She sat up and
finished removing the garment. Lucas followed her lead and, in a
second, his clothes were tossed aside. Once again facing each other
on the bed, Lia had full access to the body she had only recently
been fully introduced to. She moved her hand tenderly over his arm,
to his hip and down his thigh. To her delight, Lucas’s manhood
hardened. She stroked him and focused on his expressive face. A
slight flutter of his eyes. A smile. A puckering of lips as his
reached to claim hers. His kiss burned with intensity.

“Two can play that way,” Lucas said, tweaking
her breasts and running his hand down her abdomen to her legs. His
fingers found her moist private opening. Her body tensed as her
insides turned liquid.

“Now, Lucas. Now.”

Sliding his finger into her wetness, he moved
faster, but her words had given him the wrong direction. She pushed
him flat, hurriedly straddled him, and quickly lowered herself onto
him. He lifted his pelvis. She rocked against him. His hands
covered her breasts and teased, shooting hot sensations to her
core. He bucked. She rode, hanging on for the full ride. When a
moan escaped her lips, Lucas quickened his pace. Her insides
melted.

Hot.

Wet.

Wetter.

He sent her to heaven. Stars streaked. The
world glowed.

Warmth bathed her body.

Lucas’s body turned rigid. He moaned waves of
deep and guttural pleasure. Together they melded. Heartbeat for
heartbeat. Pant for pant. Thrust for thrust. Until they peaked,
sliding off the edge of the earth.

Several moments later, limp and panting, she
collapsed on top of him.

It was several minutes before she spoke.

“I’ve known you almost all my life. I didn’t
know you liked dessert before a meal.” She traced a path from his
jaw down his neck.

“If you’re the dessert, honey,” Lucas said,
huskily, “I want it anytime I can get it.”

Lia’s forehead wrinkled. “I think we’ve
wasted a lot of time. We could’ve been sharing dessert for
years.”

A knock sounded on the door. “Room
service.”

Lia hopped up and ran for the bathroom as
Lucas grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist. She closed the
bathroom door as he opened the door to the suite.

“Good morning, sir. Should I set this up by
the couch?”

Lia couldn’t hear the conversation after
turning on the shower. When the water turned warm, she stepped
in.

“Amelia, food will get cold.”

“I’ll be just a minute. Will you bring me the
robe from the bed?”

“You don’t need it. We might have dessert
again.” His tone was completely matter-of-fact.

Her cheeks flushed. Her knees nearly buckled.
Leaning against the tile kept her from falling. The man made her
feel utterly desirable. When she pulled open the shower curtain,
Lucas offered a towel, and then held the robe like a valet offering
a queen her mink-trimmed coat. Toweling off quickly, she slid her
arms into soft terrycloth.

“Thank you.” Another flush rose from her
chest to her checks. Lucas stood before her completely naked.

“I won’t ever deny you anything I can
provide.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now, food, woman. I’m
starving.”

She followed him to the sitting room and
stood by the large picture window taking in the warmth radiating
from the sun. Within her view, the Liberty Memorial surged upward
into blue sky. Leaves on trees in Penn Valley Park shimmered in the
breeze. The city skyline showed no hint of rising flames or traces
of huffing black smoke. It was as though it had never happened. But
it had. She needed to call Karen and console her friend.

Lucas pulled the coffee table out of the way
and set the room service cart in its place. “Feast, Madame,” Lucas
said, raising the silver domed lids from the plates. Jack raced to
his feet. Lucas placed a bowl of ground beef on the floor and
filled a second bowl with water. “Jack, your feast.” The dog wasted
no time gobbling down his food.

Slipping into a chair, Lia reached for a
slice of toast. She picked up silverware wrapped in a cloth napkin
and unrolled it. “Which would you like first? Eggs or meat?”

Lucas cocked his head as though surprised by
her question. “Eggs.” She scooped some on a fork and held it out
for him to eat.

“I could get used to this.” He took the
food.

“What exactly do you like about this?” She
was fishing, but that was okay. A girl deserved some praise every
now and then. Coming from the man she loved made it extra
special.

“You, all to myself. Naked, or barely
clothed.” He reached and ran his finger from the hollow of her
throat to the spot between her breasts. She shivered at his
playfulness. “It gives me pleasure to see you smile. Watch the
blush rise into your cheeks. Knowing it’s because of me.”

“If you don’t stop that, we won’t get through
breakfast.” She tapped his hand away when he attempted to untie the
robe. “I am hungry. I need food.”

Grabbing two strips of bacon, Lucas devoured
them. He ate a few mouthfuls of eggs, picked at the potato hash,
and buttered a slice of toast. His muscles rippled with each
movement. Mesmerized, Lia ogled the man she wanted to spend the
rest of her life with.

“Eat, woman. You need protein. Energy. I’m
going to take you to bed again.”

“Promise?”

“Guaranteed.”

From somewhere in the bedroom, Lia’s cell
phone rang. “I need to get that, in case it might be Karen. I
should’ve called her last night.” She found her purse on the
nightstand. When she pulled out her phone, caller ID read, Craig
Britton. “Lucas, it’s Craig,” she called out. She plopped at the
foot of the bed to keep Lucas in her sights. The man was hot, and
he made her hotter.