Chapter 14

14

Ugh. Lila was ready to crash. Crawl into bed and not wake up for twelve hours. Poppy had booked her and Aster the first flight out of California to Minnesota. It had given them three short hours to pack, get to the airport, and onto the plane. They barely made it because Aster was way slower than her. No doubt it had been his plan to thwart her efforts to return. Nothing would stop her. She was here now, and there was no going back until the threats were solved.

While in flight, Poppy also rebooked the cottage for her. Her sister was on top of it all. It was too bad she couldn’t join her. Poppy was the only one in her corner about the entire matter.

They rented a car when they landed in Minneapolis. Aster driving, of course. When they hit Sleighville, he stopped at Joy’s to get the key for the cottage. Since he called Juliet in advance, he dropped her off and headed to her house. Thank! Goodness!

While she appreciated his concern, she did not want to be smothered by him. She had put her foot down on sharing a place. Since Poppy had already booked the cottage, there wasn’t anything he could do about it. She knew he wouldn’t want to sleep on the couch. She’d have to thank Poppy later for helping her get some distance from their brother.

It had taken quite a bit of convincing for him to call Juliet and crash with her. She hadn’t objected once. Not that Lila thought she would. Aster had a way with women. She reminded him the cottage had a top-of-the-line security and the chief of police himself next door. She would be fine. Not that he appreciated the reminder, as if he was an idiot and forgot that little detail.

She made sure to wave goodbye that she was good before closing the door and undoing the alarm. She reset it and locked the door again. She already felt better.

With her hand still wrapped around her suitcase handle, she flicked on the light and turned around. Then screamed.

Bryce stood by the hallway, a baseball bat dangling from his hand, and his other one covering his heart as if she had scared him. No way. She was the one who had been startled way more.

“Lila,” he said breathlessly, his brows puckered low. He even blinked a few times. It made her think he was waking himself up, trying to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“What are you doing here?”

His brows lifted. “Ummm…I could ask you the same thing. I moved in here.”

She lifted the key Joy had given her. “I rented it.”

His eyes flashed from the key back to her face. “Griffin must’ve forgot to tell Joy not to rent it out right now.”

Well, this put a damper on her plans. It also gave her a mental note to tell Joy she should change the locks after each rent. Someone could make a key. Burst into the place like she had done to an unsuspecting tenant.

“How long have you been here?” Not that it was her business, but she needed to keep the conversation going. Awkwardness was filling up the space.

“The same day you left.”

That upped the awkwardness to dangerous levels.

She wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she remained silent. And stared.

He looked different. Tired and worn-out. His hair was longer and in disarray as if he hadn’t taken care to comb it. She was surprised to see what looked like the start of a beard. He’d always taken care of his goatee, not having a full-on beard. Sometimes, he had the start of scruff on his jawline. The look always enticed her to want to kiss him along that path.

What happened to make him change his appearance so much?

He set the bat against the wall and moved closer to her. “What are you doing here?”

Well, he’d answered her question why he was here. Sort of. She could infer why he’d moved in. Going back to his house where his wife had been murdered wouldn’t be on the top of her list either. Fair was fair. She could answer his.

But she wasn’t ready. He wouldn’t like it, and he’d demand she leave. She’d get pissed at him all over again. She was ready to stop being mad. Why give him more ammunition to increase the anger?

He took another step closer. “Lila?”

“I should go.” Before he made her leave anyway. Except Aster dropped her off and she’d have to call him to come back. She didn’t want to do that either.

“Where would you go? It’s late.”

Juliet’s, obviously. Since that’s where Aster went.

He closed the distance so he was an arm’s length away. “Why won’t you tell me why you’re here?”

“Because you won’t like it and you’ll tell me to leave again.”

He winced, as if agreeing with that statement. “I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to keep you safe.”

A ragged laugh escaped as she let go of her suitcase she’d been holding onto with a death grip. She dug through her purse and held out the envelope and letter she’d put in a plastic bag. She hadn’t turned it into the police in California, but it didn’t mean the department here wouldn’t want it. They might want to do some checking for fingerprints and such.

He took the bag, glancing at it, his features morphing into rage. She knew he was on the precipice of taking that anger out on her.

“When did you get this?”

“This morning.”

His gaze shot to her. “And you thought coming back was the best decision!”

Wagging her finger in his face, she took a step closer. “Don’t you dare. It’s my life, my choice. Leaving didn’t do a damn thing.”

He deflated right before her eyes. “It crushed me is what it did.”

Well, that was news to her. He had acted as if he didn’t care.

The bag drifted to the table as he tossed it in that direction. “I’m sorry we ended on bad terms. I wanted you to leave to be safe.”

“So you keep saying. What do you call that?” she snapped, jerking her hand toward the evidence bag.

“I don’t understand why anyone has their eyes set on you. I don’t get it, and it makes me so mad,” he muttered through gritted teeth, following the direction of her hand.

He stood staring at the bag, and she couldn’t help but keep her eyes locked on him. When he didn’t look away, she realized she would have to make him.

Reaching out, she grazed his cheek, letting her hand fall to her side when he jolted his gaze back to her.

“I’m okay, Bryce. I wasn’t happy leaving because I don’t like running away from things. If I’m honest,”—why hold it in any longer?— “I didn’t like leaving you either. I was very angry at what you did. I wanted to hate you for it.”

“But you don’t, right?” he whispered, the plea in his tone so desperate that she couldn’t even think about hating him. That he’d succumb to whatever hell he’d fallen into.

“If you tell me to leave again, I might and not take it back.”

“I’ve been a mess since you left.” He rubbed his chin as if pointing out how much. “I don’t think the town knows whether I’m losing it because Denise was murdered or because you left.”

“Losing it, how?”

He glanced away, laughing. “I don’t think I should tell you.”

She touched his cheek again, this time not letting go right away, cupping it until his eyes turned back her way. “You look tired.”

He nodded, leaning into her soft touch. “I can’t sleep anymore. I find shaving a chore. I shut myself off in this cottage.” He closed his eyes. “I stop at Frost’s way more than I should after work. Like every day.” He opened them. “I missed you. I wanted to hear your voice so many times over the course of the day that I had to shut my phone off to stop myself.”

That was more than she had hoped for.

He was confessing his feelings at long last. Honest words to go with his heated looks.

“I would’ve answered.”

Apparently, that’s all he needed to hear.

His hands wove around her waist and pulled her closer. Right before his lips would’ve touched hers, he whispered, “I can kiss you, can’t I?”

“As much as you’d like.”

Then his lips were devouring hers. Scorching her from head to toe. Her other hand met his free cheek, then she smoothed her hands up and through his hair. Her mouth fell open and his tongue dove in.

The kiss morphed from want to craving. She had envisioned this between them on too many occasions as they worked together. Now it was happening.

“Stay,” he whispered between hard presses of his lips against hers.

Finally. The one word she wanted to hear from him. If she ever heard the word leave slip from his lips again, she wouldn’t forgive him. She swore she wouldn’t.

She giggled, then a tiny snort followed it. “I have nowhere else to go unless I want to crashJuliet and Aster’s time.”

That had him pulling away, though not completely. His hands were locked around her waist.

“Aster came with you?”

She cocked a brow as if asking if he was insane. “He would’ve never let me get on the plane by myself.”

His features tensed. “Yet, he dropped you off here without coming inside. He was going to leave you alone!”

She smoothed her hands from his cheeks up through his hair again. She loved the breathy sigh he released as she did. Something to note for the future. Something that calmed him down. The tight lines in his face decreased as did the anger fueling in his gaze.

“Aster and I already had that chat. A very heated chat. I will not be dumb while I’m here. I won’t go anywhere alone.” The pressure in her hands increased on the back of his head, her nails digging in when it appeared he wanted to interrupt. “Except in this cottage. I feel safe here. Your brother lives next door. He’s the chief of police. I can’t be smothered or I will lose it.”

His lips found hers again, starting the kiss slowly before increasing the tempo. She let out a small cry when he ended it.

“Well, you won’t be alone here because I’ll be here. I can’t promise not to smother because…” He sucked in a sharp breath. “I can’t bear to see you the way I did with Denise. I can’t.”

She didn’t want that to happen either. But she also wouldn’t be frightened into a corner by whoever was playing sick jokes on her with those threats.

“So we’re, like, moving in together?” she asked with a short chuckle. “Seems kind of fast.”

Her words had the effect she had planned. His eyes relit with happiness and gone was the horror he had witnessed. Of what he didn’t want to ever lay eyes on again.

“All I’ve wanted since you left was for you to return. I swear to you I never wanted you to leave in the first place. Now that you’re here…” His grip tightened. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to let you go.”

Except, her plan wasn’t to stay forever.

He knew it too.

By the fierce look in his eyes, she had better prepare for a battle on the matter.

She came back to Sleighville looking to stop the threats and find the culprit. Not lose her entire heart and soul in the process. Sure, she wanted to make things right between her and Bryce. But she never expected he’d bear his feelings.

“What’s happening here, Bryce?”

His fingers gentled on her waist as another soft, feathery kiss hit her lips. “I’m not sure yet. But I’d like to find out. What do you say?”

Her answer was to keep the kiss going. No more talking, especially the heavy will-you-eventually-leave-me part.

He was still in shock, wondering if he had fallen into a deep sleep and was having the most wonderful dream of his life. Yet, the tiny sounds of delight coming from Lila couldn’t be fake. She was here in his arms. This was as real as it could get.

While they would talk more about the second threat she had received, right now, he had more important matters at hand. Convincing her to stay—permanently.

He was done telling her to leave. Since the day she had left, he wanted her back. Now she was, and he wasn’t ruining anything between them this time. He was going all in.

He slowed the kiss, peppering light pebbles across her chin and down her neck. “Let’s take this to the bedroom.”

She inhaled sharply, then let out the breath, her face cocooned in his neck as he continued to place tiny kisses on her soft, delicate skin.

Too fast?

She didn’t respond, and he was nervous to say it again. He was going too fast. He’d gone from trying not to look at her with desire in his eyes to wanting to love her body from head to toe. What had he been thinking?

He needed to ease into this budding relationship, not dive in headfirst without looking at what was before him.

Of course, she had asked if they were moving in together. Part in jest, but also being serious. Where would she sleep if not with him? Unless she wanted him to sleep on the couch, which he would. Making her uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do.

“I can—”

She lifted her head, cupping his cheeks, causing him to stop speaking. She ran her hands up and through his hair. He couldn’t stop the throaty sigh that escaped. He loved when she did that. It sent the pleasure tingling down his spine and straight to his cock.

“I’m not one that jumps into bed on the first date. I like to get to know a guy first.”

Well, that didn’t sound promising for him. This didn’t even constitute as a date.

“I—”

Her hands slid down his back, making him pause again. A silent plea to let her continue.

“I do feel like I know you pretty well, Bryce. The kind of man you truly are. So giving and kind. Always thinking of others before yourself.”

Okay. Maybe all hope wasn’t lost. He remained quiet.

“What will the town say tomorrow about us? I didn’t come back here to make matters worse for you.”

Screw the town!

His hands tightened around her waist, then he relaxed, not wanting her to get the wrong impression. The anger had welled up so fast, he hadn’t been able to control his reaction. If anyone said something derogatory or rude to her, he’d let them have it.

“I don’t care what anyone thinks about me anymore. I cared for far too long, which made my life a living hell. I should’ve left Denise a long time ago. I put up for too long with her breaking me down and making me feel like I wasn’t worthy of anything. And for what? So the people in town wouldn’t make comments about me. To me. I’m done caring about my image. I—”

“No, you will care about your image. It’s important to you.”

He leaned in closer, brushing her lips with his. “You’re more important. I got too many things wrong with Denise. I’m not repeating the same mistakes. Plus, I’ve already shot my image to hell since you left. It can’t get any worse. Screw them. All of them. You matter to me more than anything has in a very long time. It scares me how much I care about you. So much that I’m afraid of losing you.”

Her hands wove around to the front of his body, smoothing up his chest, pausing over his heart. It beat so erratically he wouldn’t be surprised if she could also hear it.

“Well, if you don’t care what anyone says, I don’t either. But I’m afraid they’ll think this”—she pressed her hands hard to his chest to emphasize their closeness— “started when Denise was alive. I’ll be the bad guy in the scenario.”

“The people who matter know the truth. At this point in time, that’s all I care about.”

She chuckled. “You’re starting to use your fancy words. At this point in time…” Her words trailed off as more laughter left her lips.

He couldn’t help himself. It would take serious effort to choose his words carefully with her. Because he didn’t even realize he was doing it until she pointed it out. He never wanted to make her feel as he had done a month ago though. So he’d try his damndest to stop it.

Of course, part of him also couldn’t hold back a bit of teasing.

“I think at this juncture we move to the bedroom.”

She giggle-snorted some more, pressing her face into his chest. His hands traveled to her ass where he lifted her, eliciting more delightful giggles from her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Is the current item on the agenda sufficient for you?”

She pretended to look stern and annoyed. “I’m going to spank you if you don’t stop with that shit.”

“Promise?” He winked, then turned around toward the bedroom.

Once inside, he closed the door with a quick kick of his foot and deposited her on the bed. He hovered above her, swiping a lock of hair that had fallen near her lips.

“It’s been a long time for me. With…Denise,”—he winced, hating to even say her name while they were locked together in a sexual embrace— “we didn’t use condoms. I don’t have any.”

She brushed her hands over his cheeks and through his hair. He closed his eyes to relish in the soft touch. When her hands slid down his back and to his front and started lifting his shirt, they snapped open. He didn’t say anything while she pulled off his shirt and threw it to the floor.

“There’s so much more we can do without a condom. Tomorrow is a new day.” Her wicked smile told him they weren’t about to let a little obstacle get in their way of pleasure.

He stood up, shucking off his pants and boxers while she removed her clothes as well. She settled into the middle of the bed, and he joined her, resting on top. His cock twitched, aching to dive in. He mentally told his throbbing body part that it would happen, just not tonight.

He couldn’t resist rubbing against her though. Hell, the temptation was right there. How could he stop the motion?

“Bryce,” she whispered, closing her eyes as her hips met his movements.

Lowering closer, his lips started at the end of her shoulder, pressing tiny kisses as he pumped slowly against her, torturing them both.

Her hands found his back, dragging her nails up and down. The movement urged him on, building the ecstasy coursing through his veins. If he didn’t slow down, he would come sooner than he wanted to. After so many months of celibacy, he knew it wouldn’t take much to lose it.

His kisses continued their path across her chin, down her neck until he hit a soft, plump breast. His lips attacked one nipple while his hand played and massaged the other one. Her delectable moans filled the room. He switched, sucking and nipping on the other breast while his hand kneaded and built the pleasure within her.

From there, he kept trailing downward, his lips touching every inch of skin. Around her stomach, kissing her belly button, circling her thighs. He wanted his touch everywhere. To brand her, to make her see—and feel—how much he adored her. That he always would.

His mouth hit the ultimate prize. She sucked in a sharp breath, her hips lifting off the bed when he kissed her. His tongue dove in and her low moans turned into loud cries of pleasure. His tongue swept around, pulling the delight out. A finger slid inside, jolting a ‘hell, yes’ from her lips.

He pumped his finger a few times before adding another, thrilled at the way she moved and moaned at his touch. His deep kisses and thrusting of his fingers continued until the moment she fell apart, crying his name so loud he couldn’t stop the smile. He kept up the ministrations until he felt a sharp tug on his hair.

He lifted his head, grinning with satisfaction. “I love the sound of my name on your lips.”

“And I love your lips.”

A heavy chuckle erupted, the feeling so damn gratifying. He didn’t need anything else to happen because her happiness filled him with so much joy he hadn’t felt in the longest time.

But she had other plans.

She sat up, pointing to the bed. “Lay down. It’s my turn.”

He obeyed because he wasn’t going to argue about something like this. He would’ve been fine without it, but his body tingled with the pleasure he knew was coming.

She cupped his thick, throbbing cock and licked her lips. “I felt like you teased me for a long time before I came. It seems only fair you suffer the same fate.”

Yeah, fair was fair.

When she deep-throated his cock, his eyes slid shut as a low growl filled the room. Damn! He didn’t think he could withstand the suffering. But he laid back and let her do as she wished with his body, loving every second of it.