Coffee. She needed some to get her juices going this morning. There were no other guests at the B&B so she doubted Suzie and Brad would be up so early after their long night. She’d heard them come in sometime after midnight and knew their son Petey was spending the night with his grandparents. Perhaps she would go ahead and brew a pot of Suzie’s special cinnamon blend and it would be ready for them when they woke.
And all the better for her, too.
She needed something to perk her up.
Padding down the hallway and the stair, she made her way to the kitchen. Stumbling to the coffee maker, she pulled down a canister of coffee and the filters. Yawning, the back of her hand against her mouth, she reached for the carafe and pulled it away from the burner to fill it with cold water.
It felt like she was moving in slow motion.
She watched the water bubble and splash inside the carafe, her gaze focused on the level. She almost overfilled it but shut the water off in time.
“Get a grip, Mary,” she whispered to herself. “And get the caffeine going.”
She went through all the motions—scooped the coffee into the filter, filled the coffee maker, plugged it in and turned it on—then heaved a huge sigh as she turned and leaned against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Perhaps intravenous injection would be quicker.”
Mary gasped and lifted her head to the sound of the voice. Nash! “How long have you been sitting there?”
“Long enough to know that you are pretty darned cute when you come stumbling into the kitchen in the morning.”
Heat rose to her cheeks and her tongue froze. She gulped as he rose, set a mug with a tea bag hanging out of it on the counter, and strolled toward her.
Tall. Man, was he tall. He towered over her as he stopped straight in front of her.
“So what are you doing today?”
Huh? “Me?”
He chuckled. “Yes, you, silly. Do you have plans for the day?” He reached for a tendril of her hair, wound it around his finger, and tugged. Involuntarily, she moved closer to him.
“Day? Plans?” Her head did a slow shake. “No plans.”
He leaned in and whispered. “Good.”
Oh my God. Too close. Too close!
“Mary?”
“Yes, Nash?”
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Out? Now?”
Moist warmth brushed her cheek as he moved even closer. His lips, firm and hot brushed against hers and without thought, she tilted her chin forward to allow him better access. “Yes, you.
Mary pulled away and looked into his eyes. For the longest time, she stared into them and he gazed back. A ripple of pleasure raced across her chest and settled in her tummy. She shouldn’t. She was getting married… in two weeks, in fact. But... But this was Nash Rhodes and would she ever forgive herself if she didn’t, at least, see what might happen between the two of them?
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll go change.”
He smiled and tugged at the tendril again. “Don’t touch your hair. I like it just like that.”
She allowed herself a grin back, tamping down the butterflies having a reunion in her belly, and slipped away from him.
She ran straight into Brad at the door. “Oh! Sorry!”
He did a double-take from her to Nash and back again. “I thought I smelled coffee. Hey, Nash. Mary, where are you running off to?”
Startled, she didn’t quite know what to say. She had no clue where they were going. “Um. Out.”
She heard Nash chuckle as she dashed for the stair.
* * * *
Twenty minutes later Mary found herself with Nash between her thighs.
Pressed up against him, her legs spread and her quads clenching his hips, she thought she’d died and gone to Heaven. The vibration of the rumbling Harley engine beneath them caused her to flush in embarrassment; her panties, she was certain, were dripping wet. Her breasts taut, her nipples hard, she hugged close the hard plane of his back. Her arms were wrapped firmly around his waist and she splayed her fingers over all six of his six-pack ab muscles.
She’d never been so surprised in all her life when Nash led her outside, mounted the motorcycle, and told her to get behind him. It was Brad’s, she learned, and he’d lent it to Nash for the day, as long as he promised to be back in time for the concert.
Lord help her, she didn’t want to be responsible for Nash not showing up at the concert! But what could she do? When Nash Rhodes was around, he was the one definitely in control.
And she was like putty in his hands…
