Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE

Emily scowled at her laptop. She’d spent the morning adding features to her online store. After hours of research, she’d signed up with a third-party vendor that allowed her to sell new products like throw pillows and earrings featuring her art—and of course she’d ordered one of each for herself because they were adorable. Now, she was setting up a monthly sticker club, something some of her customers had been asking for.

With the sticker club, she would release a brand-new sheet of stickers each month, and people could subscribe to be the first to receive them. She would theme the stickers to the month they released, with lots of fun new designs. People got really enthusiastic about stickers, so she hoped it would be a hit.

It wouldn’t be a huge moneymaker, but one thing she’d learned over the years was that all these little things added up. Cumulatively, she earned more on prints and accessories featuring her art than she did on her original paintings. She needed to increase profits from her online store by thirty percent by the time she quit the inn, so she hoped these new additions would help bridge the gap.

But no matter how many times she fiddled with it, she could not get the subscription form for the sticker club to load correctly. Her patience was wearing thin.

“Why the scowl?” Diana asked. They were seated at her kitchen table, working together. It had been a week since they rekindled their romance—one of the best, most romantic weeks of Emily’s life. They’d spent as much of it together as they could, knowing that Diana only had another week or so left in Vermont.

Already, she was spending less time at the inn and more time at her rental house, focusing on the next steps for her business now that the Inn at Crescent Falls was running efficiently without her. Emily had stayed here last night, and they’d spent the morning together working on their respective businesses and enjoying each other’s company.

“I can’t get this form to work right,” Emily said as she shoved back from the table in frustration. “I need a break, maybe some fresh air.”

Diana held up a finger. “Wait. I have an idea first.” She turned her head and called, “Carter? Got a minute?”

He came out of his bedroom in jeans and a long-sleeved tee for a band Emily had never heard of. “Sure. What’s up?”

“Emily’s having trouble with this web form she’s building, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about you in the past month…you’re really good at figuring out web stuff.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll take a look.” He came around the table to stand beside Emily. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Every time I fill it out with sample information to test it, I get this random string of computer code instead of a confirmation that my request was sent, and I’m not seeing the data in the spreadsheet where it’s supposed to land. ”

“Do you mind?” He sat beside her and gestured for her to slide her laptop over.

She moved it in front of him. “Thank you. This thing is driving me nuts.”

“No problem. I like finding bugs in the code. It’s satisfying.”

Diana gave him an affectionate look. “We could not be less alike.”

He flipped her off with a teasing smile. Emily got warm fuzzies watching them interact like this, especially knowing neither of them had this kind of relationship with their own parents. Thank goodness they had each other.

“Might take me a few minutes,” Carter said as he clicked a button to bring up all the code for the web form.

Those strings of code made Emily anxious. It was a language she couldn’t read where one wrong letter could break everything. Rather than hover, she stood and walked to the fridge for a drink of water.

Diana came to stand beside her. “I’m leaving town tomorrow for a few days.”

Emily’s breath hitched. It might only be a few days this time, but soon it would be permanent. “To Boston?”

“I’ll be flying out of Boston, yes, but I’m actually going to Maryland to look at another hotel. It’s a bonus that I can also stop at home and check on my town house.”

“Well, that’s exciting. I know you’ve been looking at this hotel for a little while now.”

Diana nodded. “Assuming all goes well with my visit, I hope to put in an offer next week.”

She was moving on, buying her next hotel, keeping to the schedule she’d laid out when she first arrived in Vermont. This wasn’t sudden or unexpected, no matter how much it felt that way to Emily right now. She’d always had trouble with people leaving…particularly people leaving her .

“Fingers crossed for you,” Emily said. “My grandmas are getting home tomorrow, so if you’re not around, I’ll probably bring takeout over to their house and let them regale me with vacation stories.”

Diana smiled. “I bet you’re excited to see them.”

“Understatement,” Emily laughed. “I’ve been missing them like crazy.”

“Found it,” Carter called. “A whole section of the form had gotten corrupted, so I generated fresh code for that part, and it’s working now. You’ll just need to reinput the email address you want the forms to deliver to.”

“Carter, you really are good at this web stuff,” Emily said. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He stood from the table with a shrug. “I’m heading over to Tom and Maddie’s house to meet up with some people. We’re going to watch a horror movie and maybe play some video games later.”

“Okay,” Diana said. “Have fun.”

He grabbed his jacket and keys off the kitchen table. “I’ll be out late, but like, give me a sign if I’m going to walk in on something I don’t want to see, ’kay?”

Diana made a choking sound. “Carter!”

“What? We’re all adults here.” He grinned as he headed toward the door.

“I’m still your aunt,” she called after him.

“And that’s exactly why I don’t want to walk in on you having sex,” he called back as the door closed behind him.

Diana stood at the kitchen counter, cheeks pink. After a moment, she started laughing, shaking her head. “I’m equal parts mortified and amused that conversation just happened.”

“It was hilarious,” Emily said, “and he probably can’t joke with his parents like that, right? It’s great that he feels so comfortable with you.”

Diana’s expression softened. “I suppose you’re right.” She paused, looking at Emily. “So, it looks like we have the house to ourselves for the evening.”

“So we do. Didn’t you mention a hot tub? It would be a perfect evening for it.”

Diana’s lips twisted to the side. “Yes, there is one. I was excited about it when I first got here, but then I saw that bear in the yard, and…well, now I feel like I’d be a sitting duck out there in the hot tub.”

Emily stepped closer, wrapping her arms around Diana. “You’re adorable with your irrational fear of bears. Most black bear attacks happen when you accidentally corner one or get between a mama bear and her cubs. They’re not ever going to just charge out of the forest and attack you in your hot tub.”

“Really?” Diana stared at her, and the glint in her eyes said she was warming to the idea of going in the hot tub together.

“Really. We don’t have any wildlife in Vermont that’s going to bother you in your hot tub. So…want to?”

“Yes.” Diana brushed her lips against Emily’s. “Plus it means I get to ogle you in a swimsuit.”

“Well, unless I go home and get one, I might have to go in wearing my underwear.”

“I brought a couple with me for the hot tub. You can borrow one…in case Carter comes home early. Otherwise, I might suggest we forgo clothing entirely.”

“Diana Devlin, I had no idea you condoned public nudity.”

Diana laughed. “Have you seen the back of my cabin? It’s impenetrable forest out there, no one to see us but the bears.”

“And we’ve already established that they don’t care. All the same, I’ll take you up on that offer to borrow a swimsuit.”

Ten minutes later, Emily wore a modest black bikini while Diana was in a royal-blue one-piece that did wonderful things for her cleavage. And her legs. And… “That color looks amazing on you,” Emily said, her voice slightly husky. “It really brings out your eyes.”

“Thank you.” Diana stepped closer, tracing her fingers over the edge of Emily’s swimsuit. “I didn’t know how hot it would be to see you in my bikini.”

Emily felt herself blushing. There was something especially intimate about sharing clothing with the person you were dating. Emily had always loved it. “Come on, let’s go check out the tub. If we hurry, we’ll be able to enjoy the sunset.”

“You can’t see much of it from here,” Diana warned as she grabbed two towels and led the way out of her bedroom. “The sky overhead sometimes turns purple, though.”

“Sunset is a beautiful time of day even if you can’t see the horizon.” Although right now, Emily was distracted by the view of Diana’s ass in that swimsuit. Daily runs had done amazing things to her glutes and hamstrings.

They went out the back door, and Diana lifted the lid away from the hot tub while Emily pressed the button to start the jets. As the water began to churn, colored lights blazed beneath the surface, pink and purple and blue, giving the hot tub a party vibe. Emily laughed. “Wasn’t expecting that.”

“Not a fan of the colors.” Diana sat on the edge of the tub and put her feet in. “It feels amazing, though. ”

Emily skipped that step and slid straight into the water, settling on one of the submerged seats. Hot, swirling water buffeted her body, and she sighed in pleasure. “It’s perfect, even with the cheesy colored lights.”

Diana slid in beside her. “You make the same sound when I touch you.”

“Do I?”

“Mm-hmm. Like this.” Diana’s hand found Emily’s thigh beneath the water, slowly sliding up until it met the edge of her bikini. She paused there and then moved her hand to cup Emily over her swimsuit.

“That calls for more than a sigh,” Emily said breathlessly.

“Yeah?” Diana began to rub, watching Emily intently.

Emily moaned, already aching from Diana’s touch. She hadn’t intended to have sex in the hot tub, but then again…

“I like that sound too,” Diana murmured, still rubbing Emily over her swimsuit.

“Can I…” Emily pressed a hand over Diana’s, stilling her. “Can I touch you first this time? You always start with me. Hardly seems fair.”

“What if I told you that getting you off is my favorite form of foreplay?” Diana wiggled her fingers, and Emily gasped. “I like the anticipation.” Diana’s voice was low and rough, sounding every bit as aroused as Emily felt.

“I’d say…I can’t argue with that logic.” Emily pushed her hips against Diana’s hand, encouraging her.

“Better leave this on, in case Carter comes home early. Don’t want to traumatize him.” Diana slipped her hand beneath the bikini bottom. The water was so hot that Diana’s fingers felt almost cool by comparison when they found Emily’s bare flesh .

She whimpered, attempting to grind against Diana’s fingers.

“Yes,” Diana murmured. “I love the sounds you make. It gets me so hot.”

Emily whimpered again, still thrusting her hips, but this angle just wasn’t working. Diana couldn’t get the leverage she needed, and Emily was quickly getting frustrated.

“Come here,” Diana said. “On my lap.”

Emily spun to straddle Diana’s lap, and Diana positioned her hand so that Emily could ride her. With each thrust of Emily’s hips, Diana’s fingers hit all the right spots. The water splashed around them, a pink spotlight illuminating Diana’s arm as she worked.

“Just like that,” Emily gasped, thrusting harder. She kept moving, her hips becoming almost frantic as her need grew.

“Let me see how much you love my fingers,” Diana growled. “Come for me, darling.”

She sounded so dominant, so hot , that Emily came, just like that. The orgasm rushed through her, leaving her shuddering in Diana’s arms. When she’d caught her breath, she looked down at Diana. “Hot tub sex…one-hundred-percent recommend.”

“Do tell.” Diana’s thighs were parted beneath the water, and she hissed as Emily nudged her knee against Diana’s core.

“Ready? Or would you like to get me off again first?” Emily teased, her knee still pressed between Diana’s thighs. “Wouldn’t want to rush your foreplay.”

Diana considered that for long enough that Emily thought she might actually choose the second option. She’d never met anyone who enjoyed prolonging her pleasure as much as Diana. For a moment, neither of them moved. And then Diana surged forward, spinning them so she straddled one of Emily’s thighs, her hips already moving.

She ground herself there for a few minutes, as Emily watched in aroused anticipation. She loved watching Diana lose control. But Diana must not be getting enough friction through the swimsuit because she groaned in frustration. “Need your fingers,” she gasped.

Emily pushed Diana’s suit to the side so her fingers met her where she needed it, rubbing firmly against her clit.

“Yes. That’s perfect.” Diana ground harder against Emily before throwing her head back with a cry as she found release.

Emily gazed up at her in awe to find the sky overhead streaked with the pink hues of the sunset. It was gorgeous, every bit as lovely as the woman straddling her lap. Today had been pretty perfect. Every day since she and Diana got together had been pretty perfect.

What in the world was Emily going to do when Diana went back to Boston?

Diana stepped into her Boston town house the following evening with a happy sigh. She’d been looking forward to this all week, the chance to spend an evening at home. In the morning, she’d fly to Baltimore, then drive out to visit the Cornflower Hotel. Her town house smelled stale from having been closed up for a few weeks with no one living here.

She couldn’t wait to breathe some life back into it. After kicking off her shoes, she carried her bag upstairs to her bedroom, then checked on her plants. She’d hired a neighbor’s teenager to water them, but she was eager to see for herself that they’d been properly cared for. She flipped on lights as she went, illuminating the empty rooms one by one.

“Damn.” Her string of pearls succulent looked half-dead. Its long strands of pearl-shaped buds hung over the edge of the pot, but they were pale and mushy looking now, not their usual vibrant green. She’d worried her plants would be neglected, but this one had been overwatered. It was literally drowning in its own pot.

Diana lifted it from the mantel and carried it to the kitchen, where she spread a few paper towels on the counter. Then she gently tipped the plant out of the pot, shaking most of the soggy dirt into the trash, and settled the plant on the paper towels to dry out overnight. Hopefully, it could be saved. If it bounced back, she’d repot it in fresh soil before she returned to Vermont.

Luckily, the rest of her plants were in better shape. She pinched off dead leaves and tended to another succulent that had been overwatered before she finally turned her attention to dinner. After weeks of having to cook for herself or deal with the meager options in town, tonight, she could order any cuisine she wanted and have it delivered right to her door.

“Vietnamese, I think,” she mused as she picked up her phone. She’d been craving pho, and it was perfect soup weather. She’d just confirmed her order when the phone in her hand began to ring. Her brother was calling. Diana frowned as she answered. “Hello, Harrison.”

“How dare you take my son to Vermont!” he shouted in lieu of hello. “You had no right.”

She flinched, grateful he couldn’t see it. “I didn’t take him anywhere. He’s a grown man capable of going where he pleases. ”

“For the love of God,” he raged. “I meant for him to do some soul searching after he quit college, to realize how hard life would be without a degree. I wanted him to struggle so he’d reenroll in school.”

“He has struggled, which you would know if you hadn’t kicked him out of your house.”

“By taking him in and coddling him like this, you’re rewarding his bad behavior,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I won’t tolerate it. He needs to learn from his mistakes.”

“He’s learning.” Diana kept her tone calm and level. “He’s working for me, earning a paycheck, figuring out his next steps. I’m hardly known for coddling.”

“The hell you aren’t. This is outrageous. Tarnishing the family name, both of you. There’s no coming back from this, Diana. You’ll never work at Devlin Hotels again, and it’s only because of Mom’s bleeding heart that you’re still welcome at the dinner table.”

She held her breath so he wouldn’t be able to hear the air whoosh from her lungs as his words landed like a punch to her solar plexus. Yes, she’d known she was driving a wedge between herself and her family when she quit, but she hadn’t known it ran this deep. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said once she trusted her voice to come out normally.

“You’ve made your bed, but I won’t let my son lie in it with you. Tell him that if he keeps avoiding my calls, I’ll come to Vermont and get him myself.”

“I’ll do no such thing—” But the phone interrupted her with a beep, letting her know Harrison had ended the call. Diana barely restrained herself from hurling her phone across the room. Her chest was so tight, she wanted to scream, but she wouldn’t do that either. Instead, she went upstairs to take a shower before her food arrived.

An hour later, she was freshly showered and seated at her kitchen table with a steaming bowl of pho in front of her. It was delicious, just what she’d wanted, but her peaceful mood had been ruined by Harrison’s call. She sipped and sighed, wishing Carter and Emily were here with her. The town house felt lonely by herself.

She couldn’t help picturing the scene at Emily’s grandmothers’ house tonight. No doubt the three of them were sitting around the kitchen table together, enjoying a livelier conversation and more laughter than had ever occurred at a Devlin family dinner.

Diana needed to talk to Carter about taking his father’s calls, but it could wait until she was back in Vermont. She finished her soup, put the bowl in the dishwasher, and then read for a few hours until she was ready for bed. On her way upstairs, she noticed the box Carter had set aside for her…the one she’d meant to have delivered to her rental cabin. Now was the perfect time to try out her new toys, but she was exhausted and not feeling even remotely sexy tonight.

She set the box on her bedside table, still unopened. Once she was settled against her favorite sheets, she tapped out a quick text to Emily, wishing her good night. Then she put her phone on silent and switched off the lamp beside the bed. Almost immediately, she was annoyed by the yellowish glare of the streetlight outside her window. A car turned at the corner, its headlights slashing across her wall. It accelerated with an obnoxiously loud engine.

She missed the chirping of crickets and the warmth of Emily’s presence beside her. She’d found it nearly impossible to sleep in Vermont at first, but sometime over the last two months, she’d gotten used to the sound of the mountains. Now the city sounds around her were keeping her awake.

And yes, she was aware of the irony. Perhaps she was just a fussy sleeper. She’d been so looking forward to this evening at home, but aside from the pho, she hadn’t enjoyed herself at all. Now she was just disappointed and lonely.

With a sigh, she rolled over and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to claim her.