Page 67 of Wren's Winter

“I’m sure of you. I think…” I hesitated, knowing the words were right, even when the idea of them was too soon. “I think I’m in love with you, too.”

The words were barely out before his lips crashed against mine.

His tongue warred against mine, the kiss punishing as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. Even through all the layers of clothes, I could feel the strong length of him. Walking backward, we made it halfway to the stairs before he changed direction, and instead, we ended up in the living room. He hesitated. “I don’t have any more condoms…We used them all up already.”

Cupping the back of my neck, I steadied him. “I trust you. I have the implant, and I got tested a month ago.”

“I’ve never gone without protection with a woman before.”

“I’m your first?” I asked, a smile stretching my lips.

“And the last.” His words were strong, his ocean eyes darkening to a storm.

“And the last,” I echoed.

He lowered me onto the floor, stripping the layers of winter clothes away. Each article removed accompanied by a kiss of the exposed skin. My wrist, the crook of my elbow, the back of my knee. The brush of his mouth at the center of me and then he was there over me. The lean of his body flush with mine as he kissed me where I needed him the most. My hand in his hair, he worked over me until I was crying out his name.

There was no more to be said, no space between us that hadn’t been filled by his apology and my forgiveness.

Wren

Round two was in the small shower—our elbows and knees knocking against the yellowing tile wall as he held one leg up to thrust deep inside me. Round three was in the bed that hadn’t seen even a hair of mine for days. It was hours later, when the sunlight was in the right pot for the upstairs loft, that we heard a truck coming up the drive. Naked, Adrian walked to the small window to peek down below.

“Crap. It’s Trudy, the cleaner,” he remarked, snagging a pillow off the floor and holding it against his pelvis.

Sitting upright in bed, I glowered at the window. “The cleaner? How the hell did she make it up that hill? It’s a blizzard out there.”

Another pillow on his butt. He walked sideways to the top of the stairs. “She’s very industrious. That’s why Agatha hired her. I have to get downstairs and find my clothes before she catches me…”

“Hello!” a craggy voice called as the door swung open with an audible crash. “It’s Trudy! Anyone here!”

Adrian’s eyes grew wide, and I had to bite back the laugh that was threatening to burst from me. The struggle was so hard, my jaw hurt from the tension before I let out a loud gasp and said, “Yeah, just a minute.”

Still holding the pillows against his nether bits, Adrian seethed at me, his words hissing through his teeth in a whisper. “What are you doing? I’m naked over here.”

“You have your pillows. Give me a minute, and I’ll bring you your clothes.” Pulling on the first set of leggings and sweatshirt I could find, I walked barefoot down the stairs to find an older woman with gray hair braided into a coronet.

The woman looked me up and down, frowning. “You’re ’posed to be outta here by eleven.”

My finger rubbed behind my left ear. “Right, sorry. The storm threw me for a loop.”

The woman took her time, glaring from my red-painted toenails to my still-damp hair. She let out an indecipherable noise somewhere between a hum and a snort. “You must be the ex. That boyfriend of yours is a pain in the ass.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Burt, Drake, something like that.”

“Buck,” I corrected, walking to the living room window to see that the spot that previously held his expensive SUV was now empty. At the end of the road, I glimpsed the red brake lights as he turned onto the main mountain road. “How did…”

“Someone at the hotel said he needed a cab up here. I charged him fifty for the ride.” She leaned against the counter. “If I knew he was going to be such a whiner, I would have charged his twenty more. I’m no therapist, you know.”

“Right.” I nodded.

“Look, I don’t give a rat’s ass about Bart. But I need you out of here so I can get it clean for the next guests.”

“Of course. Give me a few, and I’ll...”

“Not to interrupt this, but can I get my pants?” Adrian called down.

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