His expression softened, showing her just how seriously he was taking their interaction. Just as it was clear that deep down, beneath the confidence and swagger, was the shadow of a man who’d been on the losing end of life in the past.
“It’s not for me either,” she assured him.
“This can be whatever we want it to be,” he said quietly, his gaze quickly flickering away. “What do you want?”
He was asking a person who still had no idea who she was or what she wanted. On the outside it was easy: raise her kids, grow her business. Both very tangible and actionable goals. But when it came to her emotions, her identity, she felt about as lost as Colin.
What did she want? Who was she outside of being a mom, a daughter, a baker, and someone’s ex-wife? She didn’t have the answer, but she imagined it would feel a lot like this. “Tonight, I want to stay here as long as we can.”
“Done.” He leaned down to kiss her, long and drugging, but with a tender reverence. “And tomorrow?”
Before she answered, the phone buzzed with an incoming text. This time it was Teagan’s cell. Colin reached up, grabbed it from the end table, and handed it to her. “It’s Harley, telling us not to worry. Poppy got hold of my phone and was learning how to butt-dial. Frank had her butt-dial me, then you. Harley took his phone away, too, and locked it in the toy-timeout box.”
“Who do you think is babysitting who?” she asked, and felt him smile against her ear, which he was currently teasing with his teeth.
“Lily.”
A few moments passed, without either phone activating, and she felt herself relax.
“See.” His fingers skated down her arm and back up, leaving goose bumps in their wake. “If it’s important, Harley will call us.”
“We’re only right next door,” she agreed. His touch gave her a full-bodied shiver, which had nothing to do with the lack of clothes and everything to do with him. “They’d send someone if it was an emergency.”
“I thinkwehave an emergency.” He pressed up against her from behind and she had to agree, they had an emergency of the best kind.
“How can I be of assistance, Dr. West?” This time his fingers danced down her knee, lifting it so he could slide his thigh between her legs.
“Just like that.”
His hands started their descent again, tracing the hollow of her neck, her collarbone, her breasts—he spent a lot of time there. He had her body writhing by the time he reached her belly button.
“Now, stay still.” His hand slid between her legs, his palm pressed firmly against her pleasure button, his fingers working on stirring her up.
Teagan rubbed back and forth against the knee between her thighs, pressing harder so his fingers went deeper. “What happened to staying still?”
“Based on last time, moving works out more to my benefit.”
“I’d have to agree.”
Little dots appeared and her vision went blurry as she entered the shaken phase of his delicious cocktail. She was quickly learning that, with him, no cocktail was the same. Each one was an erotic creation invented to drive her out of her mind.
Which he was doing for a third time. “Colin, I’m almost . . .”
“Teagan, turn over,” he whispered.
“I can’t move.” Although she was moving just fine. Back and forth, creating a magical friction that made her believe in fairies and unicorns and, maybe even, ever-afters.
“Look at me,” he said, but didn’t stop his torture, teasing her halfway to an orgasm. “This time I want to watch.”
Before she knew what was happening, she was under him while he rolled on top of her. With a heated, hooded gaze locked on hers, he leaned down and gave her a searing kiss, which had her rubbing against him. Her nipples brushed against his chest, her good parts against his good parts.
And if she thought he was going for a double the pleasure, she was wrong. Colin made this moment about her. In his dark office, only lit by the soft glow of the moonlight streaming in, he looked like a Greek god, leaning over her, driving her right up to the edge and over. Her entire body tensed like a tightly wound spring ready to snap when her orgasm hit and hit hard. She rode out one aftershock followed by another, with Colin gently guiding her back.
When she finally caught her breath, she lifted her lashes and found him looking down on her.
“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.
“You make me feel beautiful.” She kissed his jaw. “And sexy.” His cheek. “You, Colin West”—she kissed him square on the mouth—“make me feel seen.” She studied every emotion that flashed through his eyes: surprise, nervous excitement, and a little flicker of fear. She held his jaw. “You’re not responsible for me and you’re not responsible to me. To me, you are special,” she said. “Happy, heartbroken, weathering one of life’s storms, you are my favorite place to go.”
