Page 38 of Seeking Happily Ever After

A fact that was only confirmed a moment later when he said, “Fuck, Char, you feel absolutely amazing.” His words came out on a groan and it was the hottest thing she’d ever heard.

She needed him closer, to feel his body pressed to hers. She shifted up on the counter so she sat up, right on the edge. Nick wrapped his arms tight around her back, holding her against his chest, and she wrapped her legs around his back, holding him tight.

The increased skin contact only heightened every sensation that tore through her, intensifying every thrust. It didn’t take long for Char to feel the building tension deep inside her core. She wasn’t going to be able to hold back. It was taking everything she had in her not to lose the tenuous grip on her control.

“Let go, Char,” Nick murmured. “Let go for me.”

She bit down on her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn’t going to be able to hold it off much longer. Her legs started to quake and tremble, and Nick increased his pace of relentless thrusting, driving into her. Just when she was about to scream out her release, he closed his mouth over hers and kissed her hard, swallowing her screams of pleasure with his kiss and giving her the space to experience her climax in full, without fear of waking the baby.

Still kissing, Nick’s own release followed moments later. He held her tight. His mouth was still on hers, as they both returned to earth. Their kisses came slower and lazier, until finally, they pulled their mouths away from each other. Nick’s lips were turned up in a satisfied smile that she knew must match her own.

He didn’t pull away or move to unwrap himself from her, and she, too, stayed wrapped tight around him, selfishly wanting to soak up as much of the moment as she possibly could.

“That was…” He started pressing kisses to her neck and collarbone.

His attentions stirred up a renewed desire, but there was no way. She was exhausted. It was too much. He’d need a rest, too.

“It was,” she agreed. “I didn’t think it was…mmm.” Her words dissolved into groans as he sucked and nibbled on the sensitive skin on her neck. “Nick, I…”

“You want me to stop?”

She shook her head and he chuckled. “Didn’t think so.”

“But, you…we just…”

“Let me worry about that.” He grinned, and it was both the sexiest and sweetest thing she’d ever seen. “But I do think…wait here.”

He unwound himself from her body, and Charlotte immediately felt the loss of him. She watched and admired exactly how incredibly sexy he was as he moved through the small guest house. He disappeared into the bedroom and returned with blankets, pillows, and quilts that he arranged on the floor in front of the couch after moving the coffee table aside.

When he was done making up what could only be described as a nest, he returned to her still on the kitchen island and kissed her, his hand on her chin, holding her to him. Char couldn’t help it: every time they kissed, it melted her a little. It was a good thing she was sitting down, because she was positive her legs were completely incapable of supporting her. She gasped a little as he once again scooped her up and this time carried her to the bed he’d made for them on the floor.

“This is sweet,” she said after Nick deposited her on the blankets.

He looked down at her and moved like a cat until he was overtop her, with a wicked grin on his face that sent a shock of desire once more between her legs.

“I assure you, sweetheart, there is nothing sweet about my intentions.” His eyes flared before lowering his mouth to hers once again.

It wasn’t until later—much later—when Nick’s arm was draped over her waist and he was pressed up tightly against her, his deep breathing telling her he’d finally exhausted himself enough to sleep, that Char let herself think that maybe, even for a moment, whatever it was that was happening between them just might be more than either of them were letting themselves believe.

ChapterEleven

The paint color was perfect.Char swiped the brush across the blank wall again and stepped back with a satisfied grin. The cabins were comprised almost entirely of logs, but there were a few interior walls that Travis had put up in some of the bigger cabins to section off the bathrooms and bedrooms. She’d tried at least five colors, but none of them looked quite right. Until now.

“Perfect.” She couldn’t help but laugh at herself when she realized she still had two coats to do. The one swipe from her brush wasn’t even close to being done. Not that she minded. For the last week, she’d immersed herself in the design and planning of the Lynx Creek cabins, and she was loving every single minute of it.

It felt good to be doing what she loved again. Really good. And most importantly, Steph was happy with the early results, too.

She’d set up each cabin to be a little bit different than the last, each with their own theme to keep them unique but at the same time cozy and comfortable. But this cabin, the one tucked up farthest in the hills, was going to be her favorite. Because of its location, completely secluded and surrounded by tall pines, it was obviously going to be theLumberjackcabin. She’d picked out a red and black plaid bedspread and had found variouslumberjackparaphernalia to adorn the walls and the couch—when the furniture was finally delivered in the coming weeks. Including a really nice antique ax that would look fantastic on the wall by the door.

Char put down her paintbrush and picked up the ax, giving it a little swing. The ring on her left hand caught the sun as she lowered the tool safely back to the ground and once again, like so many other times since Nick had put it on her finger, just over a week ago, she stopped and stared at it.

It was a gorgeous ring, even if it wasn’tthering and it had been given to her in the most messed-up situation. Still, she couldn’t help but think that maybe, under different circumstances, or even when all of this mess was sorted out…maybe…the situation wouldn’t be quite so messed up and the ring might actually represent more than a solution to keep Amelia safe and with her father. Maybe it could be more?

It wasn’t the first time Charlotte had let herself think that way. And it concerned her that it might not even be the last. But she couldn’t help it.

She hadn’t meant for it to happen, and she’d meant it when she’d said that she didn’t want anything serious, but still…playing house with Nick and Amelia was starting to feel more and more real as the days went on. Waking up to the smell of fresh coffee brewing and the happy sounds of a little girl who had very quickly worked her way into Charlotte’s heart, followed by a good morning kiss from Nick, had become a pretty amazing way to start her days.

But not as amazing as how she’d been ending her days. Wrapped in the arms of a strong, sexy, and smart man who challenged her mind with no end of ideas about her business and never seemed to tire of hearing about her latest design finds or what she was working on at the cabins before their conversations would inevitably dissolve into kisses and touches that made her body come alive over and over again.

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