Page 3 of Six More Minutes
Myles cleared his throat and returned his attention to their conversation and her comment about his name. “Yeah, I told you my mother wanted to keep her family name going even after she was married. So I’m Myles Donovan Denton and my sisters carry both names as well. Because the Donovan name was so well known throughout many industries in the country, Kendra and I thought it was best to use it with our business as well. Cee-Cee uses Denton to my father’s delight.”
“I get it. Of course, you know I have three brothers, Gray, Garrek and Gage. Their wives have taken their names. And then my two sisters, Genevieve or Gen and Gia. But I think I’d keep the Taylor last name if I ever got married because it was my parents’ name and the name that made us all who we are now.”
Something in her tone had Myles turning to see she’d moved from the waffle maker and had just finished taking the last strip of bacon from the pan. Now she just stood, staring out the huge window across the room to the wooded landscape outside.
“I don’t think a name makes you who you are,” he said. “You’re personally in control of who you turn out to be, regardless of what name was scribbled on your birth certificate.”
She glanced at him, the corner of her mouth lifting in a slow smile. “Don’t get all philosophical on me, Mr. Donovan. Get that coffee before it spills all over these beautiful granite countertops and let’s get ready to eat.”
Three
“There are five bedrooms,six bathrooms, formal living and dining rooms, the kitchen that opens up to a back deck and this huge family room with that fantastic view of the mountains. How’d you manage to book this entire house during the busy holiday season?”
They’d finished eating about half an hour ago and she’d asked Myles for a tour of the cabin.
“I actually own it,” he said as simply as if he’d just told her his name. “It was part of the property I purchased for the resort. We’re thinking it’ll be a great rental property with added perks from the amenities at the resort.”
She stood in front of the massive floor to vaulted ceiling windows that covered one wall of the space. “Hell yeah, it’s going to be a great rental property. Big families can come here for reunions.” Although when she thought of family reunions, she thought of relatives coming from all different locations to meet up in one place and spend time together, her family, unfortunately, wasn’t like that.
Sure, there were six siblings and now that her brothers were married and Gray and his wife were having children, the Taylor family seemed to be growing. It didn’t change the fact that both her parents were deceased and neither of them had any other living relatives.
“My family bought a whole island to have family reunions,” Myles replied in a dry tone.
“The Taylors are clearly no comparison to the Donovans.”
He shrugged. “I prefer the small intimate gatherings.”
“Really?” She glanced at him, but he was staring out the window. He’d pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, but his feet were bare just like hers. Thank the heavens for the heated floors in this cabin because through the window she spotted small snowflakes beginning to fall.
“My mother was a regular on a network drama show when she met my father. Their combined careers kept them on the road even after they married and had children, so it felt like we were never really alone. Not during the holidays when we often returned to Chesapeake to spend time with my mother’s siblings and their families, or during the once-a-year vacations when the entire Donovan family got together. Our daily life was filled with tutors, bodyguards, assistants and all the other staff that tended to my parents’ every need.” He didn’t sound happy about any of that and Gemma thought she could kind of relate.
“I don’t remember much about when my family was featured in a reality show,” she said. “We were seven when my parents divorced and we went to live with my mother in Pensacola. But I know that all the other people around them, the business and all that went with it was what destroyed my parents’ marriage. So, I get it, staying in the company of your inner circle has its benefits.”
“Being with you has its benefits as well.” He moved closer to her when he said those words and brushed her hair back behind her shoulders.
Damn she liked how he smelled. The woodsy spicy cologne he often wore had become her favorite scent on a man. Just as standing so close to him had begun to feel like the most comfortable place on earth for her. Weird as that sounded, it was how she felt. It was also only part of the problem she was now facing.
“Never in a million years would I have believed that I’d be the “friends with benefits” type of woman, but this year proves that point.”
He frowned momentarily. “Is that a good or bad thing?”
“It’s been a good thing.” She reached up to touch his arm as his hand still toyed with her hair. “I mean, this year has been a bitch but the times we’ve been together have been a bright spot.”
Not the only bright spot, any time she was able to be with her family, Gemma was content. But definitely second in line were the times she’d met up with Myles.
“I can’t help but agree with you.” Moving until he now stood behind her, Myles pushed her back further, exposing the side of her neck so he could lean down and drop a soft kiss there.
Gemma leaned into him then, tilting her head to offer more unfettered access. “But we’re heading into a new year,” she said still trying to keep her mind on track.
His next kiss included his tongue, its warmth gliding over the skin just beneath her head. “That’s four days away. I’m much more interested in what we’re doing right now.”
With that remark he reached his arms around her until his hands cupped her breasts. When he gripped them tightly, the way he always did, her thighs trembled and her eyes fluttered closed. She wanted to say something, had rehearsed a soliloquy explaining where she was in her life, what she demanded for her future and what she would no longer tolerate from any man. All those words flitted from her mind the second he pressed his hard dick against the crease of her ass.
“I think about you constantly,” he whispered against her neck. Squeezing her breasts until her nipples were between his fingers, he applied a little more pressure and she gasped.
In the long line of things she thought she’d never do, enjoying the line between pleasure and pain that Myles always seemed to cross was tops on the list. “Damn.” The one word tumbled from her lips in a raspy whisper and he ground his length into her again, giving her tits a little jiggle.
“Not one day goes by that I don’t recall our time together. The way your lips pucker for my kiss, the feel of your tongue along mine, your touch, your moans, everything about you. Every. Damn. Thing.”
