Read Love at Last (Last Frontier Lodge #2) for Free Online Page B

waist up. Her breasts were full and round with dusky pink nipples. A glimpse of red silk winked at him from where her jeans fell open. He knew what she felt like under there—hot, slick, and all lush, clenching softness. He forced his eyes back to her face. She was nodding. “Okay. I have two days off starting the day after tomorrow.”
    “Perfect. Tell me where to pick you up.” He fumbled in his pocket and pulled his phone out. “What’s your number?”
    He punched it in when she recited it. Her eyes kept flicking to his, a mix of confusion and vulnerability. He wanted to wipe that look away, but he was too confused himself in the moment to know what to do about it. He coasted on the thread of his usual confidence he’d managed to latch onto. Though every cell in his body resisted, he took a step back and carefully slid her zipper up, savoring the soft give of her skin where one hand rested on her hip. Moments later, she’d covered her beautiful breasts underneath her shirt and was sifting her hands through her hair. He’d managed to get dressed and put himself back together. She walked into the office at the back of the kitchen and came out with her jacket on and her purse slung over her shoulder.
    Haloed by the soft light from the office, she met his eyes. “I have to go.” Her words fell quietly in the room.
    “I’ll walk you out.”
    When her eyes widened, he ignored her, along with the sense of unease rising inside. She was perfectly capable of walking herself out, but he couldn’t think straight. He followed her out into the cold, dark night. Stars glittered above, so close it felt as if he could reach up and touch them. Her car was running already. She stopped when she reached the door and looked up at him.
    “Good night.”
    Her voice held that glimmer of uncertainty. He stepped closer and nudged her chin up with his knuckles. He caught her lips in a kiss and had to hang onto every ounce of restraint he had to keep the kiss brief. Her lips were so soft, so tempting.
    “G’night. After tomorrow.”
    He waited while she closed the car door and drove away. The red taillights of her car became smaller as she wound down the curving driveway. The sound of her tires rolling on the road faded until he stood alone in the dark. He took a deep breath, the icy air a balm to his nerves. He turned slowly, pausing when he could see the moon over the mountains across the bay, its light shining in a rippling path on the water. A sense of peace fell over him as he stood there. It was so quiet he could hear the rustle of wind in the trees. An owl called softly. He took another breath and walked slowly inside, retracing his steps back into the kitchen. He made his way over to the corner where the hot cider was. He filled a mug and flicked the lights off on his way upstairs.

    ***
    Delia stood in the shower, the hot water easing her tired body. Though she loved the hustle of busy days and nights at the restaurant, it meant long days on her feet. Tonight, she was weary and energized at once, riding the high from those mind-blowing moments in the kitchen with Garrett. She couldn’t have thought of a less sexy place, but now she’d probably blush the next time she walked by that table, recalling how she’d all but melted into a puddle under his touch.
    Her body spun with ripples of sensations long dormant while her mind was a muddle. She considered just how crazy she was to let anything happen. Garrett needed to stay off limits for her. He was only here temporarily, and that wouldn’t change. He had an entire life in Seattle, one far removed from Diamond Creek. She also didn’t want him to think she was silly enough to be searching out a man who could be a father to Nick. She was proud of herself for rising to the occasion and raising Nick on her own terms. She wouldn’t deny it would be nice to find love, but she was independent and liked it that way. Tonight had been an anomaly, a moment where her brain took a