Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set Read online

  A huge roar erupts in the crowd, but I missed the play.

  Hank leans toward me. “There are more pluses to having a blanket over you other than warmth.” His large hand covers my thigh under the thick material.

  I swear I might pass out from the exhilaration of having his hand on me. Has it really been so long since I’ve felt sexual arousal that a hand on my thigh threatens to send me over the edge? I lick my lips and find him staring at them.

  One of Chevelle’s friends comes over and asks if she wants to go play with the other kids down where Adam and Xavier are.

  “Sure.” Chevelle stands.

  Posey stares at her coloring page, looking sad.

  Chevelle stops after a couple of stairs. “Aren’t you coming?”

  Posey’s face lights up and she looks at me for permission.

  “Just stay with Chevelle, okay?”

  “Okay.” Posey scrambles to her feet, almost tripping, and leaves side by side with Chevelle and her friend.

  “That was nice,” I say.

  He squeezes my thigh. “Want to go grab some hot chocolate?”

  “Aren’t we supposed to watch our kids?”

  His hand falls in mine and he tugs. “Come on. How often are all of our kids distracted?”

  He’s so right. We don’t hold hands as we walk down the bleacher stairs, but his knuckles brush mine more than once. There’s something to be said about trying to remain a secret.

  He buys me a hot chocolate then nods toward the rear of the bleachers. “I know a short cut,” he says with a devilish smile.

  “You do, huh?” I follow him.

  I’m not surprised there’s no shortcut behind the equipment shed, but there’s a secret little place no one can see. He takes my hot chocolate and puts it on the ground beside his.

  “You think just because you got me behind a shed I’m going to make out with you?” I feign indignation.

  He moves in front of me and backs me up until my back hits the woodshed, his fingers weaving through my hair. “I’m resorting to horny seventeen-year-old tactics because there is no way I was going to go that entire game without kissing you.”

  “I don’t remember being asked.”

  His lips stop right before touching mine. “Make my year and allow me to kiss you, Marla?”

  I nod, and he tentatively places his lips to mine. The minute his tongue glides along the seam, it’s game over. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he presses me back firmer. He feels so good. My body alive and demanding more. He nips at my bottom lip and I pant as his mouth lowers, his thumb running down the front of my throat.

  “Fuck, this is trouble.” His voice is gravelly, and my core clenches.

  “I know.” I pant for a breath because my body went into inferno territory from one kiss.

  Two kids holding hands walk around the shed and startle when they see us. We break apart and they scurry off.

  “I guess this is a popular place,” I say.

  He kisses me one more time without tongue. “Go out with me again?”

  Did he really think it was a question I would say no to?

  “Only if you promise to kiss me like that again.”

  His deep chuckle promises to send me to the edge of my sanity with need. I can’t wait.

  10

  Marla

  * * *

  We pull up to Glacier Point Resort in Lake Starlight and my stomach grows giddy over having an entire night alone with Hank. Part of me feels as though our relationship is skyrocketing into space with the speed of a space shuttle, and another part of me feels as though we’ve been together forever.

  For the past month, we’ve met at The Grind on Monday nights. We’re not affectionate in public, and since he owns the place, it’s not uncommon to find him there. I think that helps with the gossip. Hank comes to dinner at our house on Tuesdays, though Jed always says he has to work out. I go to his house with Posey and Mandi on Thursdays, where Cade hardly looks me in the eye. Hank surprised me after the last football game, telling me his mom would watch all the kids at her house for the night. Jed and Cade opted to stay on their own at their respective houses though. I’ve yet to talk to Hank about my concerns for those two.

  A valet opens the passenger door of the truck, and I step out and wait for Hank to join me. We walk through the rotating doors and find the lobby packed with people.

  “I’m going to check-in.” Hank kisses my cheek and walks over to the reception area.

  I take in my surroundings. The chandeliers, the bustle of life with laughter and smiles and cheer. Everyone looks as though they’re having the time of their lives. I kind of feel that way too. I let my vision linger on Hank, who’s looking right at me. We share a smile. It’s been so long since I remember feeling so hopeful about my future.

  After Jeff left, I imagined my life would be put on hold until the kids all grew up. What man would want a woman raising four children? But with Hank, I can’t help but think… maybe. Marrying a man like Hank would be so different from my first marriage. Better for sure.

  “Ready?” he asks, coming back to me. His hand slides into mine. “They’re bringing our luggage to our room.”

  “Great.”

  We take the elevators up to the fourth floor and walk down the empty hallway to our room. I think we’re both unsure how this will go. Other than kissing and some feeling-over-the-clothes make-out sessions, we haven’t done much about the sexual part of our relationship.

  He opens the door and I step into a lavish room with a perfect view of the mountains and a lake so clear I could probably see straight down to the bottom. I sense him drawing closer to me before his arms wrap around my waist and he tugs me back to his chest. “There’s no pressure.”

  I circle in his arms to face him. “I want to. I want this.”

  He bends his chin down and kisses me. “Me too.”

  “But…”

  He chuckles. “We’re both rusty.” He kisses me again.

  A knock on the door interrupts us. Hank welcomes the bellboy in, tips him, then shuts and locks the door behind him. I sit on the edge of the bed with my palms on either side of my legs.

  He stares at me until I look at him. “You need to relax.”

  “It’s been a while. Like even before I divorced.”

  We’ve never really talked about whether Hank has slept with anyone since Laurie passed away, and I don’t want to ask outright. Rusty could mean two months by some people’s perspective.

  “Do you want me to do a striptease?” His fingers go to the buttons on his shirt, and he wiggles his hips from side to side as he unbuttons it. He takes it off, leaving him in a T-shirt and jeans.

  I laugh, but he continues sauntering my way, teasing me as he raises the hem of his T-shirt and lowers it back down. His hands slide between my inner thighs and he steps between my parted legs.

  “If it makes you feel better, you’re my first after Laurie.”

  My heart trips over a few beats. “Really?”

  He shrugs. “I never liked anyone enough to put myself in a sticky situation. You do know the only way not to get pregnant is abstinence.” He uses a teacher tone.

  I giggle. “Are you suggesting you’re okay if I get pregnant?”

  “I like you enough not to care about any repercussions. I just want in your pants.”

  “Can you be serious for a minute?”

  He leans into me until my back hits the mattress and he’s hovering over me. “Can I kiss you?”

  I swat his chest. “You know you don’t have to ask me that.”

  His lips meet mine and I slide my arms around his neck. The weight of his body falls over mine and we both slide to get higher up on the bed. His thigh nudges my legs apart and he grinds into my core. I move my arms to reach under his T-shirt, but he grabs it by the back and tugs it over his neck, leaving his chest exposed for my viewing pleasure.

  Forget milk, contractor work does a body good. Damn, he’s all rippled and smooth
and flat.

  “I love your body,” he says, his hand sliding up my sweater.

  Nudging him off me, I get up on my knees. He lies down on his back, his fingers unbuttoning my jeans. He lowers my zipper, getting a glimpse of my panties. It’s hard to find a place to have a wax job without everyone knowing it, so I drove all the way to Anchorage in preparation for tonight. I pull off my sweater, leaving me in my white cami, sans bra.

  “Stay right there, I’m getting some water to put out this fire.” He pretends to shift to get off the bed, but rises to his knees and kisses me, his hands molding to my breasts, tugging the fabric down so my breasts are exposed.

  When he leans back to appraise his work, his eyes smolder and all that worrying I’ve been doing about this moment dissipates. This man wants me and feeling wanton is the biggest aphrodisiac there is.

  He takes my legs out from under me and my back falls to the mattress only seconds before his mouth covers my nipple and sucks it. My fingers wind through the strands of his dark blond hair while my eyes fight to stay open despite the sensations rushing through my body.

  I’m not sure I remember Jeff ever cherishing my body like Hank is. His mouth never stays in one place too long, as though he’s worried he’ll leave a part of my body untouched. I welcome the exploration because I fully intend on exploring his body over the next twelve hours too.

  Somewhere between the kisses and touching and moaning, we shed each other’s clothes. I watch Hank get off the bed, heading to his overnight bag, and I’d like some of whatever he’s doing. His body is amazing for being in his forties, and his long thick length pointing north makes me tingle with just the thought of him inside me.

  “What?” he asks, standing at the foot of the bed, rolling on a condom. “I figured better safe than sorry.”

  I rise up on my elbows. “I have an IUD.”

  “So off?”

  “Are you clean?” I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face. I’m barely able to swallow my laugh. We both know we’re clean. The first thing I did after Jeff told he’d been cheating was get tested. Not like we had been sleeping together anyway.

  He tears it off and tosses it into the trash can. “Bareback it is.”

  I open my legs wider, welcoming his hips. The tip of his dick pushes against my opening.

  “You’re sure?” he asks.

  I nod. “Kiss me.”

  He does, and his tongue licks the seam of my lips as his hard length slowly enters me. At first we’re all sensual movements, gliding, sliding like trained ballet dancers. But after he’s fully inside me, he stills and I lock my legs around his waist. After a few seconds, he moves, but his head dips to take my nipple into his mouth and his hands grab my ass.

  He thrusts instead of gliding into me. It’s incredible how fast he gets me right to the brink of my orgasm. I’m clenching my walls around him so hard to keep from coming that Hank is growling. I’ve never been so happy I practiced Kegel exercises after my babies.

  Soon though, I lose all control and my hands can’t get enough of him. Words of praise drip from my mouth about how good he is, how I’ve never been this turned on, how badly I want to come. His only answer is to tell me how much he loves fucking me and how he’s dreamed of this moment since I arrived back in town. Sweat drips between our bodies and Hank looks down at me with so much emotion in his eyes, my orgasm waves the white flag. I come so hard, every muscle in my body tenses so that I’m gripping him like a fist.

  A devilish smirk crosses Hank’s face and he relentlessly pumps into me before a few off-tempo thrusts and a loud groan. He falls on me, kissing me before rolling over and lying next to me. Shit, I’ve been missing that in my life for a long, long time.

  “I’ll be right back,” he says, still panting.

  He comes back with a washcloth, and after we’re both cleaned up, he opens the sheets and comforter for me to slip under.

  “I think we deserve an afternoon nap,” he says.

  I nuzzle into his chest, his fingers running along my back, and that same sensation wraps around me. That I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

  Three hours later, I wake up to the door clicking shut and I bolt up, finding the bed empty. I look around.

  Hank is wheeling in a room service tray. “Did you think I left you?” He chuckles. “I’m waiting for the encore.”

  Did I? No. I think I was just in such a deep sleep, I forgot where I was. I turn toward the clock, happy to see I didn’t sleep away too much of our date.

  “Hungry?” he asks without me answering the previous question. He’s got on a pair of flannel pants and no shirt.

  I bite my bottom lip at how delectable he looks. But my body must sense sustenance nearby because my stomach rumbles. “What did you get?”

  “A little bit of everything,” he says, taking off the silver lids. There’s a hamburger, pasta, fries, fish, quesadillas.

  “Looks yummy.” I get out of the bed to grab some clothes, but before I get to my suitcase, he grabs me and kisses my neck, his erection nudging against my ass.

  “I want you again,” he mumbles into my skin.

  I circle around and fall to my knees, then I pull down the waistband of his pants, freeing his cock. I grip the base and run my tongue along the length, my eyes on his the entire time.

  His hand falls to the back of my head and his eyes grow more heated as I open my mouth over the tip and swallow him down. “Fuck, Marla.”

  I’ve never liked the sound of my name more.

  11

  Hank

  * * *

  It’s late and the view out the window is only darkness. We sit on the couch in the hotel room with a tray of desserts in front of us. Marla picks up a piece of cheesecake, digs a fork in, and offers it to me. I open my mouth and swallow. She’s so sexy and beautiful. I hate that a small amount of guilt niggles at my happiness because of Laurie.

  “What are you thinking about?” She leans forward and presses her lips to mine. “You look upset.”

  “Nothing.”

  She tilts her head and raises her eyebrows.

  I remain silent, not wanting to ruin this night by talking about my dead wife.

  She places the cheesecake down on the table. “You can talk to me about her, you know.”

  From her expression, I’m sure she means it. “I’m so happy to be here with you.”

  She wiggles her feet under my ass and leans her back on the other side of the couch. “Me too. But?”

  “A part of me feels like I’m doing something wrong.”

  She doesn’t say anything, and her face shows no reaction either. I can’t tell if I’ve completely insulted this woman I care about after sleeping with her for the first time or not.

  “She died so suddenly, and the circumstances were tragic.”

  I shake my head. “We’re not talking about this.”

  She gets up on her knees and scoots closer to me, taking my hands. “One thing I think went wrong with Jeff and me was that we were never really good friends.” She looks at the ceiling then back at me. “We never talked. Sure, we discussed the kids or their schedules or his work, but we didn’t really confide about much else with each other.”

  I squeeze her hands.

  “It’s what scares me about Jed. Jeff couldn’t be vulnerable with me—he saw it as a sign of weakness. So when things went wrong with his business, he’d drown it in alcohol or, as I found out later, women. He never trusted me enough to come to me.”

  “Maybe he didn’t want to burden you with it.”

  She shakes her head. “That wasn’t it. I couldn’t make him feel better because he didn’t trust me to do it. We never had that mutual respect for one another. We weren’t a team. Look at Jed. Do you think I’d raise my kids to act that way? And I know deep down that sweet little boy I used to know is in there. I practically raised Posey by myself because Jeff was at work so much by then.”

  I chuckle. That girl is well beyond her years.

/>   “I’m not sure what’s going to happen with us, but I don’t want another relationship like that,” she says. “Our pasts are our pasts. Do I feel a little threatened by Laurie? In all honesty, I do. But that’s my problem and I’ll discuss it with you if I ever feel like it might overwhelm me or affect what we have. But we’re new, and if I’m your first relationship after Laurie, it’s going to churn up some feelings. And I want to be the one to hold your hand while you sort through them.”

  I shake my head at her.

  “What?”

  I lean forward and wrap my hand around the back of her neck, pulling her into me for a kiss. “Just you. You’re amazing.”

  She shakes her head as though she doesn’t believe me. “Would you tell me what happened? Or is it too painful?” She leans back, takes my foot between her hands, and massages.

  My chest constricts. I haven’t had to do this in a long time. Everyone in our lives is more than aware of the tragedy that took my wife. “It was on the small lake about a quarter mile away from the house. Chevelle was five. She was going through this phase where she would follow Cade or the other boys everywhere. She was sure they were always doing fun things she was told she was too young to do. The boys had been out on the lake a week earlier, messing around. But the weather had gotten warmer.”

  I take a moment and start back up. “I don’t know all the specifics because I had all the boys with me at football. I know that Chevelle had fallen asleep on the couch before the boys and I left, so I suspect she must’ve woke and went looking for them, not realizing they weren’t home. I pulled up to the house just as Laurie was running toward the lake, screaming for Chevelle. I threw the truck into park and ran after her. By the time I got there, Laurie was standing on the ice in the center of the lake, Chevelle beside her. We looked at one another with a sigh of relief as she told Chevelle to slowly walk toward me.”

  She runs her hand up to my calf, and I fight the tears threatening to break free.