Mistaken Gifts (15 page)

Jeff’s mouth left hers, leaving her momentarily bereft until his mouth found the sensitive skin on her neck. He nibbled, licked and kissed his way down her smooth skin until he reached the collar of her shirt.
 

The silk smoothed through his fingers as he traced the edge of her blouse. “This has to go.” His voice was deeper, rougher then she’d heard it before, and it only served to fuel her further.
 

He didn’t wait for a response before he deftly undid the buttons and yanked the material from her body. At that moment, Eva wouldn’t have cared if he’d torn the material completely, so great was her need for him. But he was smooth and totally in control which is why when he sucked in a breath, it surprised her.
 

“What?” She put her hands on either side of his face and looked into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head slowly. “You’re god damn perfect.” His eyes bored into hers and his mouth met hers again, the kiss deep and through.
 

With one hand, he held her head, forcing her to yield to his kiss while the other cupped her lace clad breast. His thumb flicked lazily across her nipple, causing it to peak in response to his touch. Another moan escaped her and she could feel him smile against her mouth.
 

“You like that?”
 

It was a question that didn’t require an answer, and he didn’t wait for one. His mouth found her nipple, sucking it hard through the lace of her bra. Moisture pooled between her legs. Never before had Eva had a lover so in control, who had such a perfect read on her body, and knew without question what to do. She gave herself over to it.
 

While his mouth painstakingly played with her nipple, Jeff kneaded his hand over the other, bringing that peak to an almost painfully hard point. When he switched his attentions to her other breast, Eva thought her knees would give out. But he wasn’t done with her yet.
 

Sliding to his knees on the rough barn floor, Jeff quickly discarded Eva’s boots and jeans, leaving her only in her lace panties and bra, shivering slightly against the rough hewn wood wall of the barn. Everything about where they were was rustic, rough and the total opposite of the luxury Eva was accustomed to, but it didn’t once occur to her to protest. And when the tall, amazingly gorgeous cowboy in front of her stood, towering over her, Eva’s entire body trembled with the desire he brought out in her. In that moment she knew it wouldn’t matter if he took her right there on the fresh hay, she just needed to have him. And soon.
 

Jeff slid one hand around her head, letting his thumb stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes and sighed. Even such an innocent gesture was laden with heat.
 

“This won’t do.” Jeff’s voice was quiet, but firm and she snapped open her eyes ready to protest.
 

“Yes.” The word came out half as a command, half as a question. But she still didn’t know what he was referring to.
 

A lazy grin crossed Jeff’s face, but there was no denying the passion that darkened his eyes and even with him fully clothed, Eva could see his desire. “A woman like you deserves better.” He gestured with one hand around the barn while his other hand slid down her body. “But I don’t have the patience for that. So this will have to do.” Before Eva even knew what was happening, one arm was under her legs, the other, her back and Jeff lifted her quickly and easily into his arms.
 

“What…where—“

He silenced her with a kiss before pulling back. “Woman, do you ever stop trying to control everything? Let go.”
 

She didn’t protest. Every comeback or retort she might have responded with, died on her lips because she realized, more then anything else at that moment, she wanted to let go. With him.

~ ~

Jeff didn’t have a lot of options. And he definitely wasn’t going to let the gorgeous and almost naked woman in his arms walk away from him without showing her exactly how he felt about her. So, as quickly as he could, Jeff made his way across the barn into the small tack room at the back. And there, on a pile of blankets, he put Eva down.
 

Instantly, she laid back letting him look at her stunning body. Long, lean and curvy in all the right places, covered with only the barest slips of lace, she was a sight to take in. One he could have taken in all day long if there hadn’t been a very insistent need in his jeans to take care of.
 

“You still have all your clothes on.” Her voice was heavy, laden with desire and completely sexy.

Without missing a beat, Jeff tugged his jacket off, flung his hat to the side and slid his belt buckle through. “Let me see what I can do about that.”
 

Her eyes clouded with desire as she watched him strip for her. Never before had Jeff drawn out a moment in such a way, but watching her reaction to him was the sexiest thing he could think of and he drew it out as long as he could bear. But once his jeans were off, his clothing discarded in a pile, nothing could make him wait any longer. Especially when Eva crooked a finger and beckoned him to her with a smile on her mouth he simply had to kiss if he wasn’t going to spontaneously combust.
 

He grabbed the foil packet from his jeans before crawling up over her on the pile of blankets.
 

“You.” He kissed her thoroughly, but quickly before lifting up on his arms, framing her beneath him. “Make me crazy.”

In response, her hands came up, sliding over the hard muscles in his back before resting on his ass with a squeeze. He let out a moan. No doubt, this woman would be his undoing. Her eyes challenged him, and Jeff knew exactly what she wanted, because there was nothing he’d ever wanted more.
 

Without wasting another moment, he tore open the package, and slid the condom on. With one thigh, he nudged her legs apart and she opened willingly for him. He told himself he was going to go slow, enjoy every second of being with this woman who had completely captured him.
 

But when she opened her pretty little mouth and said, “God, I want you so bad.” He was completely lost. With one solid thrust, he was inside her. Eva’s gasp and subsequent groan only served to fuel him. She opened her eyes and stared into his with so much passion, he thought he might climax right on the spot. Instead, Jeff reigned himself in and soon they were in a perfect rhythm, their bodies completely in tune with each other.
 

When he felt her tremble beneath him, he was right there with her. He felt her shatter beneath him, her legs clamping tighter around him, her moans only driving him towards his own completion. And when he came undone moments after her, he gave himself over to his complete release, knowing he’d never felt anything like the way he did with this woman and he’d do anything to make sure he’d have her again.

It had been difficult to fall asleep with Jeff’s kiss lingering on her lips, the feel of his body beside her, on top of her, and inside her, only a memory. The
 
warm, tingling feeling that traveled from her core to every part of her. Was that love? Or just the excitement from riding a horse and finally connecting with the man she couldn’t get off her mind? Whatever it was, Eva had never felt it before. Unless you counted that boy in the six grade who’d tugged on her braid and kissed her on the cheek before running off, and she didn’t.
 

Somehow, Eva managed to get a few hours’ sleep before the chaos of the wedding day ensued. She took her time in the shower, knowing it would likely be the only peace and quiet she got all day, but as soon as she turned the water off, she was in full party planner mode. Eva rushed through her morning rituals and before she got dressed, bent her bad wrist up and down a few times, deciding she shouldn’t have to wrap it up. It was feeling a lot better, and she was going to be so busy, she wouldn’t even have time to think about the pain if there was any. Eva grabbed her trusty portfolio and the garment bag containing her maid of honor dress, and then took off for Andi’s condo. But first she had one little stop to make at the village corner store.

Twenty minutes later, she was standing in the kitchen of Andi’s condo with two steaming cups of coffee, fresh bagels, and a pregnancy test.
 

"The box says it will only take three minutes," Eva said, pushing it towards her friend.
 

"I don’t think I want to know."
 

"Now? Or ever?"

Andi put her hand on her hip. "Not ever, obviously. But with everything else going on today, it might just be too much."
 

Eva took a sip of coffee and gave Andi a second to think about it. "Okay," she said after a minute. "You and Colin both want kids, right?"

Andi nodded.
 

"This is a good thing."

"We don’t even know what the test will say," Andi argued.
 

"I think we both know exactly what the test will say." She pushed the box towards her again. "Wouldn’t it be good to know for sure?"

Andi stared at her for a minute. "You’re right." She snatched up the box and headed to the bathroom.
 

"Thank goodness," Eva mumbled under her breath.

~ ~

The weather was perfect for an outdoor ceremony. It was one of those January days where there was a chill in the air, but it wasn’t unbearably cold. And with the sky so blue and the sun sparkling off the snow and the frozen pond, the setting was so beautiful that nobody noticed if they were a little chilly.

Eva stood in her dress covered by a floor-length red wool coat. Her black gloves contrasted with it sharply as she held a bouquet of roses, sprigs of pine, and of course, holly. She smiled at Troy, who was standing up for Colin, and he gave her a wink. When the music changed, they both turned to watch as Andi rode down the path on Snowball. Jeff had obviously brushed her and prepared her for the ceremony with some extra attention, because the horse looked amazing. But not as stunning as Andi. When she reached the end of the aisle, Jeff was there to take her hand and help her from the horse. Eva couldn’t help but stare at him. Totally unaffected by the cool air, he was dressed in only a black suit with a red shirt. It was a far cry from the faded jeans and old t-shirts Eva was used to seeing him in and that warm tingly feeling rushed back through her limbs remembering the body underneath those clothes, and how it felt under her hands.

He didn’t look up before guiding the horse away, and Eva stared after him for just a moment before turning her attention back to her best friend, who was walking up the aisle with her father, looking more beautiful than Eva had ever seen her. She glanced at Colin, and saw his eyes shining full of love as he watched his bride walk towards him. It was one of the single most amazing moments Eva had been part of. To witness love so pure, and so consuming that it was the only thing that mattered, was exhilarating.

Her own eyes filled up with tears and she blinked hard to keep them at bay. The justice of the peace called the service to order, and mercifully, Eva could focus on the words he spoke, allowing herself to be distracted long enough not to cry at the beauty of the moment. She glanced around briefly, trying to locate Jeff, and finally spotted him standing to the side of the small crowd. He was focused on the ceremony and Eva couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his head. Was he thinking of the power of love as well? Was he perhaps wondering if maybe that’s what they shared together?
 

The idea was ridiculous, of course. After all, they hadn’t even had a proper date. They barely even knew each other. But Eva couldn’t help herself from letting her mind wander. Jeff was different. Things with him were different. She closed her eyes and listened to the justice of the peace speak about Andi and Colin and their love for each other, and the mental image that formed was of her and Jeff. Together. She didn’t care if she was being ridiculous and jumping into things; it was right. And she knew it. She felt it.

Eva snapped her eyes open, looking back to where Jeff stood, eager to make eye contact with him.
 

Instead of standing by himself, a tall dark-haired woman was draped on his arm. She was whispering in his ear and running a red fingernail down his cheek. Nausea churned in her stomach at the sight, but she couldn’t turn away. She watched as Jeff turned to the woman and whispered something in her ear that made the woman throw back her head in a silent laugh. And then, the woman reached forward and kissed him.
 

Eva let out a sharp gasp, and then immediately covered her mouth, turning her attention back to the vows that were about to take place. She managed a small smile and mumbled an apology, and the ceremony continued. But Eva could no longer focus. The tears she’d been holding in slipped out and down her cheek. Only she couldn’t be sure anymore if the tears were for Andi and Colin, or her and the physical ache in her core. How was it possible to feel such a high followed by such a crashing low? Eva swallowed hard; she built her courage, needing to know if she’d seen what she thought she had. She glanced again to where Jeff stood, but he was gone. Along with the beautiful mystery woman.

Eva forced herself to pay attention to what was happening in front of her, and willed herself to focus. Soon, the justice of the peace pronounced the couple man and wife, and when they kissed, the small crowd erupted in a cheer. When they pulled apart, Eva heard Andi whisper to Colin, and put his hand on her stomach, just as she said she would. And when Colin whooped in joy, Eva, caught up in their moment, did too. Watching her best friend’s world come together and the creation of a new family full of love, for just a second, her own heartbreak no longer mattered.
 

Andi and Colin danced their way down the aisle to the cheers and applause of their friends and family, and for a moment, Eva forgot what she was supposed to do. It wasn’t until Troy took her arm and looped it through his that her feet started moving automatically.