Finding Home (15 page)

“Just you and me, babe.  The
world can crash in on us in a few days.  From now until we get back home,
we aren’t going to let any of that bother us, OK?  Can you do that for
me?”

“Yes.  Thank you, Colt.”

Sarah tried not to let her
apprehension show when they arrived at Waco Regional Airport.  She’d never
been on a plane before, and getting on board the little hopper plane that would
take them from Waco to DFW wasn’t exactly her idea of the ideal way to take her
very first plane ride.  On the other hand, though, she had to admit that
taking that ride pressed close to Colt’s side, his arm securely around her
shoulders, wasn’t so bad, after all.  In fact, once she got past the
takeoff, she enjoyed the short flight.  It was amazing to look down at the
world below from that high in the sky. 

They had a short layover at DFW, then
they were boarding another flight, this time on a much larger plane, in first
class seats.  She was surprised when the attendant brought them glasses of
champagne.  Colt had her leave the bottle and kept Sarah’s glass full the
entire one hour and fifty minute flight, so that by the time they reached
Denver, she was more than a little tipsy.  Another surprise awaited her
when, after claiming their bags, Colt led her out to a waiting limousine.

“You are going to completely spoil
me, Mr. Harris,” she told him when they were settled into the back.

“That’s the idea, babe,” he said,
kissing her. 

Sarah soon found herself straddling
his lap, his hands all over her as their kiss took on a life of its own. 
The privacy screen was up.  Colt had said it was another two-hour drive to
his cabin.  She wanted to take full advantage of their situation. 
Reaching down, she unbuckled his belt and unfastened his jeans, emboldened by
the privacy and the champagne.  It wasn’t long before she had him freed
from the confines of his jeans and in her eager hands.

Colt groaned in appreciation as she
stroked him, her lips blazing a trail down his neck to his shoulder.  She
briefly released him to pull his shirt over his head, then scooted off his lap
to her knees on the floorboard before him, tugging his boots off, then pulling
his jeans and underwear off.

“Oh, yeah, I like that,” she said,
gazing at his fully nude body. 

“Come here,” he said, but she pulled
away from his reach.

“Oh, no, bud, I’m driving this right
now.”

“Sarah,” he growled. 

She leaned forward between his spread
knees and put her hand on the back of his neck to pull him down for a
kiss. 

“Just sit back and enjoy the ride,
baby,” she crooned, turning her attention once again to his arousal.  She
stroked him with her hands for a bit, until he’d begun to squirm just a little,
then with a sly smile, dipped her head down and ran her tongue down the full
length of him and back up again.

“Damn,” he groaned, flexing his
fingers in her hair.

She took her cues from his sounds of
approval and satisfaction.  She’d never done this to anyone before; she’d
never wanted to.  But everything was different with Colt.  He made
her feel things she never thought possible, and even though he’d hurt her when
he decided to look for her birth family without her consent, she knew now that
he’d only done it because he cared about her.  Because of that, because of
all he’d done for her, she wanted to give him something back.  And she
found that, because it was Colt, she thoroughly enjoyed every delicious inch of
him.

“Sarah,” he growled, “baby, you gotta
stop,” he said.

She slid up the full length of him
and released him with a pop.

“Why?” she asked, her fingers lightly
massaging his sac.

“Because I’m about to come.”

She smiled.  “Isn’t that the
point?”

“Yeah, but…” he stopped when she
again captured him between her lips.  Colt could do little more than sit
back and let her have her way.  “Shit,” he groaned when his release came
and she took it all in.  When he was done, she licked his tip and then
came back up on the seat next to him, then wrapped her arms around his chest
and pulled him back against her, kissing his neck and combing her fingers
through his hair.

“This getaway is supposed to be all
about you, ya know,” he told her, struggling to control his racing pulse.

“And who says what just happened
wasn’t all about me?” she asked, kissing his ear.  “I’ve never done that
before.”

“Bullshit,” he blurted, making her
laugh.

“No, seriously.  I’ve never done
that before.”

“You’re very, very good at it.”

She laughed.  “Good to know.”

“You’ve really never done that to
anyone?”

“Nope.  You’re the first. 
But, you know…I read…a lot.”

He chuckled.  “You learned that
from a book?”

“Kristen Ashley is the bomb, babe.”

“Holy shit,” he laughed.

“Mm hm, so, you know, you have to let
me live out my fantasies now that I have someone to experiment on.”

He looked up at her from where she’d
cradled his head in her arms.  “I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven.”

“No.  That was me.  The day
I looked up and saw you in that restaurant.”

“Sarah,” he breathed.

She continued stroking his hair,
looking down into his face.  “I know I was mad at you for launching the
investigation into my family…but I’m glad you cared enough about me to do it. 
And for the next few days, this is the last time I want to talk about all of
that, OK?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, reaching up
to cup the back of her head in his hand.  He pulled her down to meet his
lips, taking complete possession of her mouth.  “Sarah?”

“Yeah?”

“My turn.”

After making love in the limo, they
dressed and Colt held Sarah in his lap as she fell asleep.  He stroked her
hair, her cheek, her arm; he couldn’t stop touching her.  All these years,
all his thoughts had been about work, his missions and then Claire and the
girls.  He’d been so wrapped up in his career and his family that he’d
never taken the time to have a close relationship for himself.  What he
felt for Sarah…he brushed his fingers through her hair, then raised her hand
and kissed her fingertips.  The plain, honest truth was that he loved
her.  He loved her to the point that he couldn’t bear to think of anything
or anyone hurting her; including himself. 

When they arrived at the cabin, he
gave the house keys to the driver and asked him to unlock and open the
door.  He gathered Sarah into his arms as delicately as he could and eased
his way out of the limo.  She stirred but didn’t wake as he carried her
inside.  He placed her lovingly on the bed, kissed her cheek, then left
her to get their bags and pay the driver. 

Sarah opened her eyes when Colt left
her alone in the bedroom.  She’d woken when he got out of the limo, but so
enjoyed being carried by him that she kept her eyes closed and feigned
sleep.  Now, she got up and slipped into the bathroom to quickly freshen
up.  Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw that she looked just as she
felt: like a woman who’d just been well and thoroughly made love to.  Her
hair was a mess, there were stubble-burn marks on her neck and chest and her
lips were swollen from his kisses.  While she stood at the sink trying to
finger comb her hair into some semblance of order, a light tap sounded on the
door.

“Can I come in?” he asked from the
other side.

“Yes,” she replied, still working
tangles from her hair. 

Colt walked in carrying a small bag
and placed it on the counter.  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled
her back to his front, meeting her gaze in the mirror.

“Toiletries in the bag,” he said,
“Sleep well?”

She slid her palms over his forearms,
hugging his arms to her.  “I did, yes.  Champagne caught up with me.”

“Among other things?” he asked slyly,
running his lips along the shell of her ear.

“Mm, yes, that, too.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to
ride in a limo again without thinking of that ride.”

“All part of my Master Plan, Mr.
Harris,” she said, laughing.

He laughed and leaned down to give
her a gentle but heart melting kiss.

“I’ll give you time to freshen
up.  Suitcase is on the bed if you want to put on something more
comfortable.  I’m starving.  I’m going to see about food, OK?”

She nodded and gave him a quick kiss
before he left.  Going into the bedroom, she retrieved the bag from the
bed and went back into the bathroom.  Opening it, she found all brand new
clothes.  From fancy, to cold weather gear, sexy lingerie to comfortable
pajama pants and tank tops.  Claire was certainly thorough.  In the
toiletries bag she found a brush and ponytail bands and hairclips.  The
piled her hair on top of her head and decided to take a quick shower.  She
was just about ready to get out when the door opened and Colt stepped in,
taking her by storm.  He growled as he roughly pushed her back against the
wall, lifting her off her feet and entering her so swiftly she cried out at the
sudden invasion…not that she minded in the least. 

If what they’d done in the limo had
been making love, this was something different entirely.  Sarah could do
little more than hold on as he pounded into her.  As his hand yanked the
band from her hair and he twisted her hair around his wrist to force her head
back, she knew this for what it was: a claiming…and she welcomed every stroke
of it. 

He shouted his release as he pounded
harder into her than she’d ever felt before so that when he was done, they
could do little more than sink to the floor of the shower, Sarah straddling his
lap, her face buried in his neck, water raining down over them.  His hand
was idly stroking up and down her back, caressing her as their breathing slowly
began to return to normal.  After a time, he smoothed his hands over her
cheeks and pulled her face back so that he could look into her eyes.

“You are so beautiful, Sarah,” he
breathed, leaning down to kiss her.  “I can’t get enough of you.”

She shivered in spite of the hot
water raining down on them and leaned back into his chest, snuggling against
him.

“Hey, look at me,” he demanded
softly. 

She shook her head. 
“Can’t.  Too tired.”

He chuckled.  “Look at me
anyway,” he said, then waited until she slowly tipped her head back and looked
up at him.  “Did I hurt you?”

“Why would you think that?” she
asked, a smile on her face.

He lifted her arm and showed her grip
marks he’d left on her skin.  “I was pretty rough.”

“You were,” she agreed, “and I loved
every second of it.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah, baby.  You can hurt
me like that any time.”

He laughed full out then.  “All
right, imp,” he said and gave her a firm spank to her right cheek.  “Come
on, let’s get out.  I really am starving now.”

“Hey, I was about to get out when you
decided to join me.  Now my hair’s all wet.  I need to wash it.”

“OK,” he said, helping her off his
lap then standing.  “Don’t take too long.  I’ll have food ready in
about fifteen minutes.”

She nodded.  “Hey, Colt,” she
called just as he opened the shower door. 

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for bringing me here.”

He winked at her.  “Any time,
babe.”

Her heart leapt and before he could
step out, she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her, leaping into his arms
and kissing him so hard he actually staggered back a step.  Colt held her
tight, let her direct the kiss until again, they were both gasping for breath.

“I think you’re just as hooked as
me,” he noted.

“I never want to let you go,” she
told him.

He kissed her quick then let her
slide down his body.  “Hand me the shampoo.  We’ll get done faster if
I stay in and do it for you,” he said, kissing her forehead.

She wasn’t so sure about that, she
thought as he was lathering her hair.  His fingers on her scalp felt so
good she was having a hard time standing.  Then, when he finished, he
insisted on taking the shower gel and soaping every last inch of her himself,
which led to his fingers exploring all her intimate areas, which led to him
dropping to his knees because he insisted on tasting her right then and there,
which eventually led to her leaning over the shower bench for yet another
round, after which she seriously had no strength left in her legs and resulted
in him scooping her up in his arms to carry her into the bedroom, which would
have led to another round had his stomach not decided to make its hunger known,
rather loudly.

Sarah laughed.  “Poor
baby.  Maybe we need to actually get some food in you before you drop,
huh?”

“That would probably be wise,” he
chuckled, standing.  He crossed to the closet, extracted a plush, spa
quality terry cloth robe for her then went to his suitcase to pull on a pair of
loose fitting grey warm-up pants that rode low on his hips.  “Just let
your hair air dry tonight, babe.  You can wash it again in the morning.”

She nodded, tying the belt to the
robe.  He stayed shirtless and she couldn’t help admiring his broad back
as he took her hand and led her down the grand staircase to the kitchen. 
For the first time, she began to really take in the magnificent house they were
in.  It wasn’t a small little log cabin like she’d been picturing in her
mind.  While it was definitely made of logs, it also had a large amount of
stonework and it was huge!  The staircase was of huge pine logs and wound
gracefully from the upper floor to the main floor lodge area.  He already
had a fire roaring in the enormous stone fireplace, giving the room a warm,
cozy feel. 

“It’s beautiful, Colt.  I love
it.”

“Thanks.  It’s a time share I
split with a few other guys from our old unit.”

“It’s awesome.”

He pulled out a stool at the bar and
told her to sit, then went into the kitchen.

“Wait until you see the view tomorrow
morning.  We are pretty high up the mountain.”

“I can’t wait.”

They chatted while he fixed
sandwiches so thick Sarah didn’t think she’d ever be able to eat it all. 
He told her more stories about his time in the Army, about people he’d met,
some of the places he’d been.  He’d been to countries all over the world
in his life, from when he was a child and his parents were stationed in various
places, through his own Army days.  He confided that by the time his
brother-in-law passed away and he came to live with Claire, he’d grown weary of
the constant traveling and was ready to settle down.

“I suppose it would get old after a
while,” she said on a sigh, pushing her plate away.  “The only trips we
ever took were either to Dallas, Austin or San Antonio.  And those were
very few.”

He captured her hand and kissed her
knuckles.  “I’m going to take you to all kinds of places.  Where have
you always wanted to go?”

She shrugged.  “I never really
gave it much thought because I knew there was never any chance of me going
anywhere.”

“Well…tell me this…what appeals to
you more?  The mountains or the beach?”

“Again, I never gave it much
thought.  I suppose, though, growing up in Texas, I’d like the mountains
and the cooler weather.”  She gestured toward the fireplace, “I’ve never
had a fireplace, and I guess I’ve always been drawn to warm things like this. 
Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I would rather be cold than
hot.  I would love nothing more than to sit by a fire, snuggled in a
blanket, wrapped in your arms and watch the snow come down.”

He lifted her from the stool and
carried her into the living area, sitting in the oversized leather recliner and
settling her in his lap before the fire.

“That can definitely be arranged,” he
told her, “though you might have to wait a few months to see the heavy
snowfall.”

She snuggled against him, hugging his
arms closer to her.  “This is pretty nice right now.”

“Yes, it is,” he agreed.  “So, I
will definitely bring you back when it’s time for snowfall.  Maybe we’ll
spend Christmas here.  I think this is my year to have it at Christmas.”

A chill ran through her at his words,
his promise of a future with her.  She glanced around the large room,
picturing it all decked out for Christmas.  It would be beautiful.

“Personally, I’d love to see you in a
bikini on the beach,” he said, his tone low and suggestive.

She laughed.  “I’m sure you
would…but this girl doesn’t do bikinis.”

He cupped her chin and tilted her
head back.  “Oh, yes, she does.  I’ll buy her nothing but bikinis, so
she won’t have a choice.  Either wear the bikini or go naked…on second
thought, don’t chose the bikini.”

Sarah tried to feign outrage at his
statement but couldn’t quite pull it off because she was laughing too
hard. 

“You are so bad,” she told him.

“I’m a guy.  What do you
expect?” he said on a laugh. 

She was quiet a moment, staring into
the fire and just enjoying the feel of his body wrapped around hers.  It
was the truth that she’d never really thought of places she wanted to go, but
she had fantasized about moments like this, in the arms of a man who was
totally devoted to her.  Her fantasies never could have conjured someone
for her who was quite like Colt, though.  He was so handsome; she knew
she’d never get tired of looking at him.  She loved everything about his
appearance: his hair, his eyes, his lips, the scruff of beard on his cheeks,
his muscles, his tattoo.  Colt Harris was the stuff of romance
novels.  Former Special Forces, muscular, tall, dark and handsome all
rolled into one.  It still amazed her that he’d been attracted to her.

“What are you thinking about?” he
asked, lips against her brow.  He did that a lot.  She absolutely
loved it.

She sighed and shook her head. 
“Nothing in particular.  I’m just really happy, Colt.”

“I’m glad, baby.  I’d give
anything to keep you happy.”

“So, what about you now, Colt? 
Other than wanting to see me in a bikini on the beach, what do you want?”

“Just to make you happy, Sarah. 
I want to give you all the things you never had.  I want to take care of
you and always have you look at me the way you have today.”

She looked up at him over her
shoulder and raised her hand to bury in the hair at his nape. 

“I can’t imagine looking at you any
other way.”

He kissed her lips lightly, then
pressed his forehead to hers.  “You looked at me a bit different not too
long ago.  When I started looking into your family…and I know you said you
didn’t want to talk about that for the next few days, but I –“