Chasing Marisol (Blueprint to Love Book 3) (24 page)

"Not so fast, Traynor. Marisol has just given me a fantastic idea. I'm gonna need to lay it on you before we go to bed."

Mari chuckled, loving how comfortable they were with each other. She wanted that. A loving relationship with your best friend. Heck— she'd found that with Jeff. All day, he'd been attentive to her and Hector . . . making sure she had someone to talk with. Making sure she had a plate of food. She'd watched him with Hector . . . hitting the ball to his niece and nephew.

She'd tried not to stare when the Traynor men stripped down for the annual pond jump. But her gaze had remained glued to Jefferson's incredible body. Soaked to the skin, holding her little boy in his very capable arms— Jeff embodied every fantasy she'd ever had. All she could envision was him holding her like that. Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, Marisol had been grateful for her sunglasses.

Her relationship with Jefferson was perfect. If only
he
could ever realize it, too.

Chapter 11

Marisol was smiling as he approached the bonfire. Jeff had been watching her all night. Her eyes sparkling as she talked with his mom; her amazing smile when his crazy sister-in-law Kendall said something funny— because she
always
said something funny. This was his Mari. No worry in those gorgeous, aqua eyes. Relaxed and happy. And so damn beautiful. She was perfect.

Jeff grinned. Hell— Harry was right. He
was
gushing. When had this happened to him? Somewhere along the way, he’d become so finely tuned to Mari that he didn’t know how to shut it off. He was so damn aware of her— of what she said . . . and what she didn't say. What her eyes told him. What her body said when her words said something different.

Not for the first time since he'd met her, Jeff felt unsure of himself—as though he could make a mistake. As though he could blow it. Because he finally had something precious to lose. The fleeting image of that television screen . . . of Phil with a knife sent a tremor of fear through him before he resolutely set it aside. He’d sworn he would not think about any of that here. Their day had been perfect. All worry had been temporarily suspended.

Slipping into the chair next to Marisol, he leaned in for a lingering kiss. "I've missed you with all these people around," he confessed. "Can I get you anything? Are you having fun?" Seeing Hector by the fire, Jeff relived the fun day he'd had with him today. And acknowledged how much he wanted to do it all again.

"Everything I want is right here." Marisol’s whispered confession sent pleasure ricocheting through Jeff's chest— as it had when Hector said he loved him. And when he’d said it back. It was all just a little overwhelming. And amazing. And perfect.

"I have a proposition for you." Mari's eyes widened expectantly. "There's something I'd like to show you— a special place I want you to see."

"Tonight?"

"That's one of the best times to see it."

When Marisol smiled a sexy, knowing smile, Jeff's body instantly tightened. Grateful for the darkness, he was glad he was already seated.

"Are you forgetting the little wild man I have to get bathed and ready for bed?"

"That's where my proposition comes in. I've bribed my mother to herd all the kids to bed tonight." Smiling in anticipation, he watched acknowledgement flare in her beautiful eyes.

"Your mom can handle all three of them?"

"She's in the room adjoining my dad's. The kids are actually bunking down in his room, so she'll have help."

"I see you've thought of everything." Marisol's eyes sparkled. "I would love to take you up on your proposition."

***

Thirty minutes later, they slipped away from the bonfire like guilty teenagers. The million cricket symphony covered their getaway. Now, loping through the fields under a thick blanket of stars, Jeff inhaled a deep breath of the cooling night air and began to relax. Another night he would take Hector to his special place, but tonight . . . he wanted only Mari. To be alone with her. To show her the beauty of a place that had captured him as a child. He wanted to see her reaction. Wanted her to know it as well as he did.

The kids were well on their way to being trooped inside for baths, hot chocolate and bed. Jake and Jenna had bunked down for the night, taking advantage of the twins' early schedule to catch some much needed rest. Andrea and Charlie had left for the evening, since Charlie had pulled a shift for the following morning.

Linking her fingers with his, Jeff smiled when Marisol giggled.

"Why do I feel like I'm in high school again?"

"Like we're slipping away from camp to go make out?" Jeff’s heart thumped with anticipation. This moment with Mari— was more exciting than anything he'd done in years.

"So— where are you taking me?"

"To my favorite spot on the farm." Marisol kept pace easily as they climbed the first slope. "I probably should have thought of this earlier, but there's a little bit of a climb at the end." He paused on the trail. "What kind of shoes are you wearing?"

"I'm good. These are flat." He swung the beam of his flashlight toward the ground to confirm.

"My dad bought this place when I was ten. I found this spot the very first summer."

"How big is it?" Mari stopped on the trail to turn back and look around. "And why is it so hilly? I thought farms were flat."

"Give or take . . . a few hundred acres." Jeff tightened his grip on her hand as they circumvented the pond. "And you're right. We call it a farm, but it's built into the hills. We have orchards." He stopped again, turning her to the east. "On that hill, there's a small apple orchard." He turned her again. "Over there, we have peaches. And over there, we have Christmas trees."

Leaning back against him, Marisol's scent washed over him. "You have your own Christmas trees? How cool is that?"

"Mom liked it because she always said Dad couldn't complain about the price of our tree."

"It must be a guy thing." Marisol chuckled, the throaty sound rippling over him. "That's how my dad was. Every year— like clockwork, he'd pitch a fit over the price of our tree. And every year, my mother pretty much ignored him and got the biggest one on the lot."

"We always cut one down for the house in Stafford, and then we'd cut another for our celebration out here." Resuming their climb, Jeff took the lead, not really needing the flashlight. He knew these acres like the neighborhood he'd grown up in. There wasn't an inch of land he hadn't explored with his brother and cousin. "Then— one year, Linc claimed he was too busy at work to drive out here to cut the tree down."

He felt Marisol miss a step and waited for her to regain her footing. "You okay? Need to rest?"

"I'm good." Taking a deep breath, she took another step. "So— what did you do that year?"

"I was fourteen by then. Jake was seventeen so he didn't much care— or at least that's what he claimed. I made my mother drive us out here and I cut one down for her."

"So— there must have been a few years when it was just you and your mom, right? Is Harrison about the same age as Jake?"

Jeff hesitated. As much as he wanted to take this next step— to open up to Mari so she would see that he was serious about her— it was still hard. He felt a little naked. And when she gave his hand a squeeze, it was almost like Marisol knew what he was thinking. "Harry's a year younger."

"They were in college when it happened?" Her voice encouraged him to continue.

"The divorce, you mean?" Their ascent began to steepen. Pulling Mari closer, he placed his hand at her back, the skin above her waistband warm to his touch. "Yeah— I was basically the only one left in the house. Andrea was already grown and married."

"That must have been hard for you— witnessing that. Living through it." She slipped then, her hands reaching down to the ground for balance.

"I won't let you fall, Mari," he whispered the promise, knowing in his heart it was true. "It was hard," he admitted. "I never thought it affected me that much, you know? But now that I'm older— I've started to realize what an impact their divorce had on me. Weird, huh?"

"Not to me." She hesitated. "I think there's lots of stuff in our past that makes an impact. But we don't realize it has . . . or sometimes we don't want to admit it."

Jeff wondered whether she spoke from her work experience or something more personal. "We're nearly there."   

When they broke through the clearing, he was eager for her reaction. Her gasp of surprise sent warmth cascading through him.

"Jeff— this is . . . amazing." Turning slowly around on the plateau, Mari couldn't contain her smile. "I can see the farm." She pointed down through the woods. "And the pond. And there's the barn."

"Wait 'til you look up." Dousing the flashlight, Jeff watched as she raised her gaze to the stars overhead. With the sliver of moon visible, he was able to see the wonder in her face. Watching Mari's delight made it new for him again.

"Thank you so much for showing this to me. I— I'm honored you wanted me to see it."

"I've experienced some of my best and worst moments right here." Jeff wasn't sure why he'd confessed that— only knew that Marisol would understand.

Her head tilted back to view the stars, her lips curved in a smile. "Tell me some of the best moments."

"Well— there was that first summer, of course. Discovering this place. And then there was my twelfth birthday, when my parents let me camp out up here with six other kids."

Her gaze rested on him. "You must have been the coolest kid on the planet."

"Yeah, I thought so, too. Until my friend Bobby got sick in the middle of the night and Linc had to carry him all the way down to the farm so Mom could take care of him." He chuckled at the memory. "He threw up in the tent, so it went from extremely cool to disastrous in about five minutes."

"Tell me some more," Mari encouraged, her fingers slipping through his.

"When I made the varsity baseball team. That was a big one. I was a sophomore," he added. "Then again when I found out about college . . . getting into the school I wanted, after pretending it wasn't a big deal." 

Jeff wasn't sure exactly when he'd decided to bring Mari here, because he truly didn't believe he'd planned it. But watching her all day— interacting with his family— everything had sort of shifted into place. He'd suddenly just—
known
. That Marisol was the one. Finally realizing he was in love with her had been a colossal moment. And ever since then, the night couldn't get here fast enough.

"And now, tonight . . . sharing this with you." When she shifted closer, Jeff caught her— eager to hold her— eager to share his discovery with her. As though he'd waited his whole life for this very moment.

"I can see why you love this place. Beautiful and a little remote from a distance . . . but up close, it’s steady and constant, watching over everyone below." Lowering her gaze from the sky, she smiled. "I would have loved having this place— like my own secret hideout."

When Marisol smiled, his heart lurched. Right now, he needed her. So very much. As a boy, Jeff had envisioned bringing someone up here— someone special— who would appreciate the significance of his hidden treasure. Years passed and he'd grown jaded. He'd convinced himself he didn't need to share this place with anyone— that it had been a childish fantasy better kept to himself. Like he'd kept his life to himself.

"Mari- I know it's only been a few months . . . and— I think you know me well enough by now to believe me when I say . . ." Suddenly overcome with doubt, his fingers tightened convulsively on hers. What if
she
wasn't ready? He'd never been in this position with a woman—of not knowing the outcome. Maybe this wasn’t the right time . . . Maybe he should just wait. What if— she didn’t want to hear this?

"Jefferson? What's wrong?" Confusion flared in her beautiful eyes.

"I should have planned this better," he confessed. "In my head— I swear I sounded so much better. I’m just going to say something— and I’m not looking for you to answer— yet . . . because this has sort of taken me by surprise-" Summoning his courage, Jeff dragged in a steadying breath. "What I’m trying to say is . . . I’m pretty sure-" Shaking his head, he corrected himself. If he couldn't be honest now, when the hell would he? "Actually, I'm completely sure. Marisol, I'm . . . in love with you."

Staring at him, her beautiful eyes shocked— it seemed as though days passed before Marisol’s radiant smile eased some of the tension coiling through him.

"That's a huge relief. Because . . . I’m completely sure I'm in love with you, too."

***

Slipping her arms around him, Marisol felt a shudder ripple through him. And knew her heart would burst from the sheer wonder of this moment. Jefferson
loved
her. He trusted her. With something he cared deeply about. She knew what this place meant to Jeff. From what he'd said . . . and what he hadn't. As though he'd been afraid to let her know how important it was.

"I should have said it better," he muttered against her forehead. "You deserve beautiful words."

"Your words were perfect." Smiling, Mari reached up, brushing her lips against his. And felt his amazing arms wrap around her, steadying her. Jeff took his time, nibbling at the corner of her mouth, before drifting to her jaw.

"I love you, Mari. I’ve never said that before," he confessed. "I guess that’s why it took me so long— first to realize it . . . and then to finally admit it to myself."

"I was praying I wasn’t the only one." When his mouth found her racing pulse, he raised his head, his smile knowing. She shuddered. "This is too beautiful a spot for you to be torturing me."

"You've tortured me for three months now," Jeff admitted. "And I'm starting to realize this feeling will never go away." His breathing unsteady, he grazed her bottom lip with his teeth.

Moaning, Marisol moved against him, equal parts frustration and desire. He was full and hard against her stomach. And she was slowly going up in flames. "Dios— we should have brought a blanket."

Pausing in his effort to drive her slowly out of her mind, Jeff smiled against her lips. "Baby, turn on the flashlight."