“You’re such a smart-ass.”
“It’s the truth. The kid has good taste. I might have to kill him, but he has good taste.” He shrugs and grins.
Wow.
“A few days?” I ask weakly.
“Yes.”
“Where are we going?” I ask and finish my margarita.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
***
“There” is a cabin on a lake about an hour outside of Seattle. Actually, to be more accurate, it’s a huge two-story log home nestled in tall evergreens, hidden on the shore of a large, breathtaking lake.
The house has a deck on the upper floor, facing the water, complete with a hot tub. It has a wide-open floor plan with cathedral ceilings in the living area, a gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances and brown granite countertops, and three large bedrooms upstairs with en suite bathrooms.
It’s incredible.
“You rented this whole house for just the two of us?” I ask.
“Yeah. A hotel isn’t private enough, and I wanted to be close to home in case Sophie needed us. A colleague owns this place.”
“It’s great.” I smile over at him as he wheels our suitcase behind him. A suitcase I didn’t even know he’d packed.
“It is.” He grins back down at me. “The kitchen is stocked in case you’re hungry. I’m going to start a fire.”
“That sounds good. Are you hungry? I can make us some dinner.”
“Yes, please.”
I cross to the kitchen and start looking through the fridge and pantry, deciding what to whip up for dinner. This kitchen is amazing. “Who stocked this?” I ask.
“I don’t know. Ben said he’d take care of it.”
“Ben?”
“The owner.”
I find a bunch of fruit, cheeses, sliced meat and crackers and pile it all on a plate. There is also a bottle of good white wine chilling in the fridge, so I pull that out, uncork it and pour us each a glass. Gathering the glasses and plate, I join Isaac by the fire. We curl up at opposite ends of the couch, the plate between us, and nibble, watching the flames dance in the fireplace.
I check my phone for any Sophie updates and smile at the photo of Sophie taking a bath in Gail’s kitchen sink, then put it on the coffee table.
“This was a good idea.” I sigh and rest my cheek on the back of the couch, facing my impressive husband.
He flashes his smile and nods. “I’m glad you think so. I was afraid you wouldn’t want to leave Soph overnight.”
“It was really, really hard, but she’s in capable hands. I’ll just call and check up on her a few thousand times.”
He chuckles and removes the plate from the couch, placing it on the floor, and pulls me to him, cradling me between his legs, with my head on his chest. I bury my nose between his pecs and take a deep breath. He smells of fresh laundry and my husband. I feel him rest his lips on the crown of my head, and he runs his hands down my back.
“It’s supposed to snow,” I murmur and feel him smile.
“They always say that, but it rarely happens. This is Seattle.” He brushes his hands through my thick hair, and I sigh. When was the last time we were able to do this? Just be us, without any interruptions?
I don’t remember.
“How’s work been?” I ask.
“Busy, but good. I haven’t been able to work in the field as much as I like. Too many phone calls and desk work to get done.”
“That’s what happens when you’re the boss.”
“I think I’ll hire more office help so I can be out with the guys more.”
“That sounds good.”
Isaac grips my chin and tilts my head back to look up at him. “How are you feeling?” he asks, making me smile.
“I’m good. Hormones are finally starting to stabilize.”
He chuckles. “Thank God.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” I murmur and sigh when he brushes his fingers down my cheek.
“Let’s just say I’m happy to have my wife back.”
“They warned us when we started the whole fertility treatment thing that the hormones would make me wacky,” I remind him.
“Well, they were right.” He narrows his eyes at me. “I’m still pretty sure you were trying to kill me by hypothermia.”
I giggle and kiss his chin. “The meds gave me hot flashes.”
“Well, it’s nice to have you back to normal, and I’m so damn thankful it worked.”
God, I love him.
“Me too. The clinic called, checking in on me, and to let me know that in three months we can start trying again if we want to.”
“So soon?” His eyes go wide, and his hands still, while his body stiffens beneath me.
“Some couples start trying again right away because it can take so long for it to work, and we’re not getting any younger.”
“Not yet.” He shakes his head adamantly and palms my cheek in his hand.
I frown up at him. I’m not ready to try again, either, especially with as rigorous as fertility treatments are, but this response surprises me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “I thought you wanted more.”
“I do, but not yet. Sophie is four months old. We’re still getting used to being parents. Besides”—he swallows and kisses my forehead—“the emotional shit that came along with it not working for three years before we conceived Sophie was hard enough on me, but I know it was ten times harder on you. I’m just not ready to watch you go through that again. Not yet.”
His magnificent blue eyes are fiercely serious, the frown line between them prominent. I reach up and smooth it with my middle finger.
“I’m not ready, either, Eyes. I’m happy with it being the three of us for a while.”
“Good.” He sighs and rests his forehead on mine. “Let’s just enjoy our family for a while. Make love when we feel like it, rather than when a chart says we should.”
I grin up at him. Having a normal sex life again sounds great to me.
“You know…” I sit up, straddle his hips and run my fingers through his soft, dark blond hair. One of his big hands cups my ass, and the other trails leisurely up and down my spine.
“Yes?” he asks gruffly.
“There’s nothing that says we can’t practice.” I grin down at him and nuzzle his nose.
He nods thoughtfully, as though he’s considering my words carefully. “True. Plus, there’s this new technique I’ve wanted to try with you.”
“Oh? And what is that?” My body begins to hum as he slides those hands under my shirt and over my skin, up my back, and around to cup my breasts.
“Dirty Sex in Front of the Fireplace At A Lake Cabin.” He gives me that seductive smile, and I giggle down at him.
“Oh, please, by all means, give me a demonstration.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice, baby.”
Chapter Five
Thunk.
I wake slowly, disoriented as I push my hair out of my face and look about the spacious bedroom. Shit! Sophie hasn’t woken me up this morning! Then it dawns on me that I’m not in my own bedroom.
That’s right, we’re at the cabin. I smile as last night’s events of making love by the fire flash through my mind. I glance over and frown at the empty bed.
My phone vibrates on the table next to me. It’s a text from Gail, a photo of Sophie curled in her grandpa’s arms, drinking her bottle and looking up at him while he reads the morning newspaper. We’re all fine. Don’t worry. Enjoy yourselves.
I smile and respond. Thank you. We are. Love you guys. Will text later.
I drop the phone to the bed and scrub my hands over my face and then hear it again.
Thunk.
What the…?
I cross to the sliding door that leads out to the deck and pull the sheer curtains aside and gasp.
Snow! It freaking snowed! There must be six inches of soft white powder covering everything. It’s absolutely breathtaking.
/> It never snows in Seattle, my ass.
Of course, we are up in the mountains, so Seattle might very well just be wet today.
Thunk.
What the hell is that?
I pull on my jeans and sweater, socks and shoes, and search the house. Isaac is nowhere to be found. I peek out the back door and find him near the lean-to by the house, splitting firewood.
Holy shit!
His faded blue jeans mold around his perfect ass and long legs. He’s wearing a black T-shirt, and his fleece North Face jacket is lying over the railing nearby. The hair at the nape of his neck is dark with sweat.
He props another log on the stump, raises the ax over his head and brings it down with a loud thunk, sending the two new pieces flying in different directions.
God, the man is strong, and can do amazing things with tools.
I stand and just watch him for a moment, enjoying the view. The muscles in his shoulders flex and move with each swing of the ax.
I take a deep breath, enjoying the scent of the pine trees and cold snow. It’s not unbearably cold, just enough to make my cheeks pink, and I can see my breath with each exhale. The snow has hushed everything around us, and it feels like we’re the only two people for miles and miles.
Thunk.
Okay, time to get his attention. I grin slyly and gather a large handful of snow, forming a ball, and take aim. I hit Isaac right at the back of his neck, sending cold snow down his shirt.
“What the hell?” He spins and glares at me. “Did you just throw snow at me?”
“Me?” I widen my eyes innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Uh huh.” He sets the ax down, removes his gloves and eyes me speculatively. “I’m not buying the innocent act.”
I can’t keep a straight face, and I start to back up as he slowly advances.
“Really”—a giggle escapes me—“I didn’t do it.”
“There’s no one else here, baby.”
“Maybe it fell out of a tree?” I ask hopefully and continue backing up.
He bends down and gathers a large ball of snow in his hands, grins, and throws it at me, hitting me in the shoulder.
“Hey!”
We stand, panting, grinning, and then sprint into action, gathering snow and throwing it at each other. He hits me way more than I hit him because I can’t stop laughing long enough to really see where I’m throwing the damn snow.
“You’re not good at this.” He laughs.
“Shut up!” I throw another wad of snow, this time hitting him in the face. He shakes his head and brushes it off and glares at me.
“Now you’ve done it.”
“I’m not scared of you,” I taunt him and throw another handful of snow that lands nowhere near him.
“Nice try.” He grins widely, his blue eyes on fire, and suddenly runs toward me.
“Shit!” I squeal, my heart in my throat, and run away from him. I’m so about to get it.
He catches me easily, wraps an arm around my waist and tackles me to the ground, cushioning me against the hard ground with his own body, then rolling us so he’s on top of me, pressing me into the soft, wet snow.
“You’re in so much trouble,” he murmurs.
“I swear”—I giggle and twist beneath him, trying to get away—“I didn’t do it.”
“You are such a bad liar. You just threw about thirty snowballs at me.”
“I didn’t throw the first one.”
“Uh huh.” He laughs and grabs a handful of snow and holds it over my face.
“Don’t you dare!”
His eyes are dancing menacingly. “What’ll you give me if I spare you?”
“A hug.”
“Lame.” Snow is smeared into my hair.
“Damn it!” I giggle and twist some more, but it’s no use against his strong body.
“Try again.”
Because it’s my only defense, I grip his face in my hands and pull him down to me, kissing him thoroughly. His fingers burrow into my hair, and he responds immediately, brushing his lips over mine, back and forth, then diving in deeply, his tongue dancing with mine.
I spread my legs, and he settles his hips between them, allowing me to cradle him, and I feel his erection against me.
“Mmm,” I moan and roll my hips, making him gasp.
He slows the kiss, so it’s lazy and unhurried, gently nibbling my lips.
“You’re so sweet,” he murmurs. “Look at me.”
I open my eyes to see him gazing down at me, his hands rhythmically brushing my hair.
“I love you, Stace.”
“I love you, too, Eyes.”
He smiles lovingly, kisses my lips chastely, then my forehead and pushes himself off me, pulling me with him.
“Come on.” He keeps my hand in his and pulls me toward the house, trudging through the slippery snow.
“Where are we going?” I ask breathlessly.
“Shower. I’m sweaty, and I want you naked.”
Yes, please.
He’s in a hurry. He leads me through the house, heedlessly leaving a trail of wet snow behind us, to the master suite.
“Strip,” he commands and leaves me to start the shower in the impressive bathroom.
I grin as I hear the water start. I love it when he gets all bossy and sexy on me. I quickly peel my wet clothes off and pile them at the end of the bed. I’ll wash them later.
Isaac stalks out of the bathroom, all naked, his face still determined, and…all mine.
Instead of leading me back into the bathroom, he sweeps me up into his arms, startling me.
“Whoa! Someone’s impatient.”
He grins down at me and kisses me hard and fast.
“I’ve been waiting all morning for you to wake up. You were so tired, I wanted to let you sleep in, but I’ve been desperate to be inside you. So I decided to split the wood to relieve some of the energy.”
“You don’t seem to be lacking in energy,” I reply drily.
“Yeah, it didn’t work.”
He carries me into the shower and gently sets me on my feet. This shower is freaking huge. The tile is dark brown and gold, and there are multiple showerheads at different heights, as well as a rainshower head directly over us. The water is hot and quickly fogging up the entire bathroom.
Isaac pushes me into the hot water and grabs my shower gel. He squirts it into his palm and rubs his hands together, creating lather. He closes his eyes and breathes in deeply.
“I love the smell of this. I love smelling it on you all day.” His hands glide over my torso, my breasts and arms. My head falls back on a sigh as I enjoy the gentle strokes of his expert hands.
“Turn around,” he murmurs, and I comply. He lathers my back in broad strokes, massaging and kneading my muscles. “You are so fucking sexy, baby.”
I moan in response and lean back against his chest, lay my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me as the water cascades down our bodies, rinsing the soap from my body.
“My turn,” I murmur and turn in his arms to face him. I mirror his movements from earlier with his body wash, lather my hands, and glide them over his wet, muscular body. He closes his eyes and sighs, enjoying my touch.
I wash every sexy, hard inch of him, trace the tattoo on his shoulder blade with my fingertip, rinse him thoroughly, and then drop to my knees.
“Fuck,” he whispers.
I grin and grip the base of his hard cock and tease the tip with my tongue, brushing it over the slit. He sucks in a deep breath through his teeth and twists his fingers in my hair, and I slowly sink over him, taking him as far as I can into my mouth. I sheathe my teeth in my lips and pull up, sucking hard, and roll my tongue around the tip.
Before I can sink down again, he grips my shoulders and pulls me to my feet.
“Hey, I wasn’t…”
“Enough. You’ll make me come, and I need to be inside you.” He grips my ass in both hands and lifts me. “Wrap your
legs around me.”
He pushes me against the tile wall and buries himself inside me as I wrap my legs around him.
“Oh, God.” I push my hands into his hair and hold on for dear life as he slams into me over and over, like a man possessed. His face is buried in my neck, his breathing ragged and feral.
“You feel so good.” He shakes his head. “So fucking good.”
I can’t make myself respond. One of his hands slides from my ass up to my breast. He pinches and pulls on the nipple, making me cry out.
“Can’t get enough of you,” he whispers. He’s pinned me completely to the wall with his body. My hips are pulsing and rolling with him, meeting his thrusts.
“God, Eyes,” I murmur.
He lifts his head and looks up at me with raging blue eyes as he speeds up, grinding harder against my core.
“Oh, babe, I’m gonna…”
“Fuck yes, come baby.”
My legs tighten around him, and I let go, fire bursting through me. Isaac thrusts once more, rocks himself against me, hard, and then buries his face in my neck again, groaning loudly as he explodes inside me.
He holds me there for a few moments as our breathing calms. He kisses my neck, then my jaw, and finally my lips, softly and lovingly.
“I’m not done,” he whispers.
My eyes open wide, and I stare at him. “You’re not?”
“No.” He runs his fingers down my cheek and sighs. Before I can ask him what he’s thinking, he says, “But I’m hungry, and we’re going to need our strength.”
Chapter Six
“Oh, look!” I turn my phone toward Isaac. “Your mom just sent me a photo of Sophie napping with your dad.”
“How many photos does that make now?” he asks with a chuckle and aims the remote toward the TV.
“I don’t know, about fifty.” I smirk and respond to Gail. “It makes me feel better knowing that she’s okay. I’m really missing her.”
“I know. Me, too. But are you having fun?”
“I am. Thank you.” I smile over at him as he pulls my feet up into his lap. I finish the sandwich Isaac fixed us for lunch and fire up my Kindle. “Do you care if I read for a while?”
“Do you care if I watch a Statham movie?”