Let Me Be the One (23 page)

Suzi wiggled out of her shorts. “Well, I wouldn’t want to cause you grief.” Her fingers went to work on his jeans. She trusted him. She left Logan because she caught him with another woman, and she trusted him.

She wrapped her legs around him with a pleasured gasp. Ecstasy lit her face. Yesterday, he couldn’t have imagined this. They were lying on the grass beside the pond in front of Jason’s house with the sound of the waterfall and the birds and her moans. He’d fantasized about sex with her a lot, but most of his fantasies took place in bed. Less than a full day, and she was fucking him outside under the sun. She arched and shuddered, clutching him inside her. He gasped as the electric sizzle shot through him. Resting most of his weight on his elbows, he nuzzled her neck.

“Brian?” she asked. “What are we doing?”

“Other than having sex in the front yard?” He would have laughed, but he didn’t have the energy. Raising his head, he smiled at her.

She met his smile with a hollow fear that made him catch his breath. He’d forgotten how much of a worrier she was. Two minutes after playful sex, and she was worried about something. Was she always this nervous, or had five years with Logan caused it?

“What is it, Angel?” He stroked her cheek.

“Are we in a relationship, or are we just burning off sexual tension? Is this friends with benefits or—or more? I just want to know. I’m okay either way.” She tried to pull away from him, but he still had her half trapped with his body. “I just don’t want to pressure you or— or not give enough or something. It’s just, we’ve always been such good friends that I wouldn’t want to ruin it. It’s okay. I understand if you’re not looking for—”

Brian put his finger over her lips to stop her. The logjam of words filled her eyes with anxiety. At least there was no confusion about what she wanted. She wanted forever, and that he’d be happy to supply. He sat up and put his hands on her shoulders. “Angel, I love you. I meant it when I said it last night, but I don’t want to hurt you either. I understand you’re nervous. I want a relationship. I want—” Brian caught himself before he said marriage. She was not going to react well to the thought of marriage after a twelve-hour sex marathon. “I want to build on the friendship we have.”

“Ida said friendship was a good place to start.”

“Ida?”

“She said last night that Paul knew we were in love five years ago.”

He kissed her nose. “I wonder if Paul mixed something special into our dinner to help us along.”

“He’s a chef, not a witch doctor.”

Brian stood and reached out to help her. “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

Logan threw another pair of jeans into the suitcase. “So Brian says she’s okay?”

“Yeah. He said he’d heard from her, and she’s still upset, but she’s okay.”

“But he didn’t say where she was.” Logan dug through the bag Suzi always packed for him. He didn’t even know what to take. Dr. Kennedy said he was too dependent on her and intimidated by her, and that bred resentment, so he acted out by flirting and occasionally cheating. It all sounded pretty good. Suzi did make him feel stupid. Always throwing around her vocabulary. Dr. Kennedy said she might not even know she was doing it, and he needed to discuss it with her and put it in terms of how it made him feel. It sounded like a lot of daytime talk show stuff, but he’d give it a shot.

“No. He may have only talked to her on the phone or via email. He’s already there, so you can ask him yourself. Don’t forget to bring something warm. It can get very cold on the mountain,” Cassie said.

Logan snapped his fingers and went to the closet to dig out his flannels. Instead, he opened her closet. She hadn’t taken any of her clothes when she was here. What was she doing? Buying new? According to his office, she hadn’t used her expense account, but she did have money of her own. He stroked the midnight blue velvet jacket she liked to wear when she dressed up. It had a tight waist and long tails. She could wear it with a skirt or jeans or whatever and she always looked hot and forbidding, like a vampire on the hunt. “So do you think you’re going to be able to get her to WVA?”

“I don’t know. Jason thinks we shouldn’t tell her you’re going to be there, but I don’t think we should trick her like that.”

“She hates to be messed with.”

“Well, I’ll warn Brian we’re coming. I just hope he checks his email. He hasn’t been answering the phone.”

“Really?”

“It’s the second anniversary of his divorce. Jason said he sounded a little depressed when he asked about going to Potterville.”

“Oh, I forgot.” Logan scratched his head. He’d never known, but he didn’t want Cassie to think he was an insensitive jerk. Suzi kept track of all that stuff. He was lousy with dates. She sent all the cards and emails and junk like that.

“How is the therapy going?”

“Good. Dr. Kennedy says I just need to stay calm and tell her how I feel.” And not to be embarrassed about being such a pussy.

“Well, that is a good start. Do you know what you’re going to say to her when you see her?”

“I’m just going to tell her that I love her, and I’m willing to do whatever I have to to get her to come home.” Logan surveyed the room. Her perfume bottles were still on the dresser. Her clothes still hung in the closet. When they went to LA for The Party, she’d left a pair of jeans draped over the back of a chair, and they were still there. The cleaners had wanted to move them, but he’d told them no. It made him feel like maybe she’d just stepped out and would be back. Having the house clean and the yard done helped the feeling along.

“We’ll see if we can get Brian to convince her to come to Potterville. He’s always been very close to her.”

“I know. Better to see her with him than with Cherney.”

“Is Brett that bad?”

“Yes. She probably picked up a disease from him.”

“Logan, I doubt she ran right out and slept with the first man she found.”

Logan frowned at his bag. Cassie had a permanent Pollyanna tattoo on her forehead. He could still remember chasing Cherney’s fucking car out of the parking lot. If he forgot, the video was online with millions of hits and thousands of comments. “I don’t care what she did while we were apart. I just want her to come home.”

“Good. As long as you’re willing to fix the things that are a problem.”

“I know we can. Dr. Kennedy says she knows a couple’s therapist she can send us to.”

“Excellent. And you know, even if Suzi won’t come to see you, a few days on the mountain will be good for you. Some fresh air and good food. Brian will probably have some insights, too. She talked to him quite a bit about Bonnie.”

“I know.” Logan zipped up his bag. “You guys will make good character witnesses, too. You can tell her I’m different.”

“Of course. We’ll do everything we can to help you. When does your flight arrive?”

“The middle of the night. The first flight I could get lands at four-forty.”

“You’ll be there about an hour before we are. It’s easier on the kidzos to fly at night. You can either rent a car and drive yourself or wait for us. My dad is coming to get us in the Wegman’s B & B van since we haven’t been able to get in touch with Brian. Just don’t wait in the bar.”

“I won’t. I need to be sober to deal with all this crap.”

* * * *

“What do you think?”

“I think we should let the poor little buggers go.”

Suzi rolled onto her side, teasing her fingers through his hair. The fireflies floated around in the jar, seeking escape. Hundreds of their relatives beckoned from around the valley. None of them cast enough light to see by, but the full harvest moon hanging overhead did the job better anyway. They’d been outside all evening and never even turned on any lights in the house or the cabin. “So Jason bought this valley for Cassie.”

“He did.”

“That was sweet.”

“Not at first.”

“What do you mean?”

Brian propped his head on his hand. “He bought it out from under her as an excuse to stay close to her.”

“So he kinda cheated her on a business deal.”

“Kinda, but it worked out in the end. Even though she pulled a shotgun on him.”

“Is that true?”

Brian pulled her closer. “I don’t know the details, but there was a shotgun involved. She still has it. It’s hanging up over the fireplace in the living room.”

“That is the shotgun?” Suzi snuggled close to him. She hadn’t been much farther than this all day. Or all last night. To think, yesterday afternoon she was lying in the hammock reading a book, and now she was all his. Keeping him outside after dark to catch fireflies in a jar. Sometimes she was such a little girl.

“That is the shotgun.” He brushed his lips across hers. Such a little girl. On her last birthday she’d turned twenty-five. “Are we going to let these poor fireflies go before we get distracted and forget about them, only to come out in the morning to find we have their tiny souls on our heads?”

Suzi giggled. “I guess we can let them go now.” She reached up and unscrewed the lid of the jar. “Happy?”

“Yes. I was worried we’d be haunted by fireflies for the rest of our lives.” He traced her lower lip with his thumb. Was she going to be happy when she turned around and realized she was with an old man? “Does it bother you that I’m so much older than you?”

“You are?”

“Over fifteen years older.” In the dark it was hard to see her expression. Did the news surprise her? Or did she not care?

“No.” She stretched, draping her leg over his. “I’m very mature for my age, and you’re immature, so I think we meet in the middle.”

“Thanks.” He pushed her over on her back. “Little brat.”

“You love it.”

He nuzzled her neck. “As long as you don’t threaten me with a shotgun.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You never wrote that story I told you to write.” Her skin tasted so soft and sweet, and she had a precious little catch to her breath that told him how much she wanted him.

“What story?” She sounded disoriented. Good.

“The one about us getting lost in the woods.” He worked his way down the collar of her shirt, licking under the fabric. “You need to wear more shirts with buttons. T-shirts are too hard to get into.”

Suzi slid her hands under his shirt. His skin tightened under her light touch. “I wrote it. It was published, too. You didn’t read it?”

“No.”

“It was a romance.”

He lifted his head. “That’s why I didn’t read it.” He pulled her shirt up.

“Coward. The hero and heroine got lost in the woods, had sex, and came out a stronger couple.”

“Mmmm, let’s go act it out.” He kissed her belly.

She giggled and pushed him away. “You’re silly. Why don’t we just go inside and have sex before the mosquitoes drain all our blood?”

He helped her up. “I’m serious about those shirts with buttons. And skirts. Those are easier to get into, too.”

“Maybe I should just become a nudist.”

He ran his fingers up her spine. She always arched like a cat when he did that. “Naw, people would stare when we went out to dinner. Look how much attention you get when you go out barefoot. Besides, you’re mine. I don’t want anybody but me getting peeksies.”

“Peeksies? This is what I mean when I say you’re immature.” She slipped out of his arms. “Race you to the cabin.” Then she sprinted away.

“I thought you were the mature one,” he yelled after her.

Her laughter floated back to him, and in the moonlight he saw her strip off her shirt. By the time he got to the stairs, she was in the cabin, and her shirt hung from the railing. Brian scooped it up and pressed it to his face. She always smelled good, but he’d never been able to indulge in more than a whiff of shampoo when she was standing next to him. It was flowery, but a little musky, too. He’d never noticed another woman with the same scent.

She’d left the cabin door open and the lights off. As he crossed the common room to her bedroom door, his feet caught something. Her jeans lay in the middle of the floor. He picked them up. So this was how she was playing it. “If you think I’m going to pick up after you all the time, you’re wrong.”

By the time he got to the doorway, she was lying in the middle of the bed wearing only a smirk. “I bet if the reward was good enough, you’d pick up after me all the time.”

Brian kicked the door closed and left her clothes on the chair. He crawled on the bed over to her. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured and kissed her throat.

“Why, thank you.”

“No, I mean just you. Everything about you.” Brian lifted his head to study her. She lay back on the pillows with her hair haloed around her head. “You’re beautiful. Your face, your body, your personality, your sense of humor. Being with you makes me feel so damn good.”

Suzi blinked. “Why, Brian, that’s poetic.” Her mouth trembled. “I love being with you, too.”

Brian kissed her, wishing he had more words to tell her what she meant to him. She slid his shirt off his shoulders and ran her fingers down his arms. He shivered. His member strained against his jeans. Ignoring it, he moved down her body, taking her left nipple into his mouth.

Suzi gasped. “Oh, Brian. That feels wonderful.” She laced her fingers through his hair. “Make love to me. Please. I want to have my legs wrapped around you while you thrust into me. Please. I love you.”

Brian stood up and shoved his jeans down. Then he crawled back onto the bed and mounted her, plunging deep into her with one long stroke. She shuddered, clasping herself to him. Brian pressed his face into the curve of her neck. She tasted warm and sweet. The heat of his skin matched hers. Her body wrapped around him like a vine, clinging to him. Her soft cries filled the room. This was what he’d always wanted. This rich affection. She gave a strangled cry and tightened around him. He thrust into her twice more before his own climax rolled through him.

She ran her fingers through his hair. “You are so sweet to me,” she murmured.

“Sweet?”

She kissed his cheek. “That’s the closest word I can come up with for how you make me feel. It’s like my whole body is filled with wind and sunshine.”