Love at Last (Last Frontier Lodge #2) (22 page)

Gage walked straight to him and tugged him into bear hug, stepping back with a grin.

“Hey, man. How was your flight?”

“I slept the whole way here.”

Gage chuckled before his expression sobered. “What’s up? You don’t look so good.”

Garrett sighed and rolled his head from side to side, trying to ease the tension in his neck. “You know how Delia broke it off?”

Gage walked past him as he replied. “Yeah. That’s why I was glad to get your message today. Thought maybe you’d gotten your head out of your ass.” Gage swung the refrigerator open and held up two beers. At Garrett’s nod, he opened them and tugged a stool out at the counter, gesturing for Garrett to do the same.

Garrett sat down across from him and took a swallow of beer. “I’m trying to get my head out of my ass, but it doesn’t seem to be working out too well.”

“What the hell could have happened between when you landed and now?”

“I went to talk to Delia, and it didn’t go too well.”

Gage waved his hand for Garrett to continue. Garrett once again found himself tongue-tied. Every time he tried to explain anything related to how he felt about Delia, it was like his brain went to static. He forced himself to flounder through. “Well, Delia said she loves me. And damn if I knew what to say. I swear, Gage, my brain turned off once she said that. She didn’t even give me a chance to pull my shit together. She said maybe when I could let her know what she means to me and then we can talk. What the hell do I do?”

He took a gulp of beer and tried to think straight. Which had started to seem impossible when it came to Delia.

Gage was quiet for so long, Garrett started to get uncomfortable. When he looked up, he saw concern tinged with amusement in Gage’s eyes.

“What?” he asked.

“Garrett, did it ever occur to you that you might need to talk about your feelings? Especially if you’re going to try this whole relationship thing.”

Garrett sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He was surprised his hair hadn’t fallen out at this rate.

The glimmer of amusement faded from Gage’s eyes. “Look, I get it. When I met Marley, it was like getting whacked upside the head. I had absolutely no idea how to deal with it. But I’ve had a little practice now. If there’s one thing I’ve figured out, if someone matters a lot to you, there’s no sense in trying to hide it. It won’t make your feelings go away. I suppose the question you need to answer for yourself is whether you love Delia, or more specifically if you can imagine letting her pass you by. If the idea of losing her freaks you out, then you probably love her. When it comes to Delia, I don’t think she’s trying to pressure you. She’s one of the most honest people I know. Aside from herself, she has to think about Nick. She isn’t going to let someone into their lives if she’s worried it might confuse Nick.”

Garrett took a slow breath and another gulp of beer, the alcohol taking the edge off the panicky feeling coiled in his chest. He shook his head, tracing the label on his beer bottle. “You got the part about getting whacked upside the head right. I guess I’d better figure this one out.”

“I think you already know the answer.”

“Mind sharing?”

Gage hitched his brows up. “Come on, man. You know it too.”

“I love her.” As soon as he said it, a sense of relief followed by fear crashed through him.

“Looks like it to me.”

“But how do I know for sure?”

Gage shook his head with a wry smile “Ah, the lawyer in you wants it to be black and white. You want a definite answer and want to assess all the probabilities first. It doesn’t work that way.”

“I don’t…” Garrett started to protest, but Gage waved him off.

“Stop talking and do something. Wanna know how it looks from outside?”

“Sure.”

“You’re a rich, corporate lawyer who could have his pick of women. You decided to take a vacation and make some changes in your career. You have enough money that you can do that without too much trouble. Delia’s beautiful and smart. She put her dreams away to move back home and raise her son because she couldn’t afford to do it on her own. Of the two of you, she should be the one who’s afraid to stick her neck out, but instead it’s you. You’re so used to calling the shots you don’t know how to handle this. I’m not saying this to give you a hard time. You’re my brother, so I know you’re a lot more than what shows on the surface. It doesn’t change the fact that if you want Delia, you’re gonna have to reach out and grab her.”

Garrett stared at Gage and took another gulp of beer, emptying his bottle. “When you say it that way…”

Gage stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “I gotta get downstairs and help Don repair a plumbing leak.” His eyes coasted over Garrett. “Maybe you should take a shower.”

***

Delia walked back to her office much later that night. She was the last person standing tonight. It had been relentlessly busy throughout dinner. When it finally quieted, she sent the front staff home and cleaned up on her own. She relished the mundane task of clearing tables as the busy work kept her occupied. The kitchen staff had trailed out slowly. It was almost midnight when she made her way through the kitchen. Her heels clicked on the tile floor.

She trailed her hand along the steel table running through the center of the kitchen. A prickle of awareness ran up her spine.

“Delia.”

Garrett’s voice sent heat spiraling through her body. Her pulse stuttered and then raced ahead. She stopped and slowly turned. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, backlit by the lights from the reception area. The kitchen was dim with only the back corner light on. Garrett had changed out of his rumpled suit. He wore a faded pair of jeans and a cotton jersey that hugged his muscled chest. She knew how his body felt under her hands. He walked slowly toward her, his eyes never leaving hers. With each step closer, her heart pounded harder and her breath came in soft pants. Emotions and desire swirled inside.

He didn’t stop until he stood right in front of her. He was quiet for so long, she could hardly breathe.

“I’m sorry I’ve been such an idiot…”
She started to shake her head.

“It’s okay. I’ve been trying to figure out how to explain myself. Here’s the thing, I’ve never had a relationship. If it seems like I’m fumbling around, I am. I didn’t plan on you. You have to know I never wondered if I wanted to be with you, but I didn’t know what it meant. When you told me you loved me, my brain went blank.” He paused and took a gulp of air. “I love you too. My assistant in Seattle told me I needed to practice saying it. I guess I didn’t think it was necessary, but obviously it is.”

Delia’s heart soared skyward, hope unfurling its wings and swooping through her body. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until she let it go. Tears welled.

Garrett took another step closer. “Are you okay?”

She nodded jerkily and swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. Now she was the one who couldn’t find words.

“So tears are good?”

He settled his hands on her shoulders and slid them down her arms, the heat of his touch soothing her.

“Uh huh.”

Garrett’s mouth hooked on one side, his smile slowly spreading across his face. “That wasn’t so bad,” he said with a touch of bemusement.

“What?”

“Telling you I loved you. I feel silly now, but it scared the shit out of me.”

She looked up into his eyes and bit her lip. “Me too.”

Chapter 25

Garrett’s heart was hammering in his chest, adrenaline pumping through him. He was supposed to be the master of words, arguing case upon case not matter how contentious without ever breaking a sweat. Yet, faced with Delia and actually saying his feelings aloud, he turned into a bundle of nerves and adrenaline.

She looked up at him and bit her lip. “Me too.”

A sense of relief washed through him on the heels of the rush of adrenaline. He looked down at her in the dim light. Her teeth dented her plump bottom lip. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. He took a step closer, the air around them heating. In the quiet, he could hear his pulse pounding through his veins and the soft ebb and flow of her breath.

Delia’s hand fell softly against his chest. He curled his around it and gave it a squeeze before sliding his palm up the side of her neck. Her pulse beat against his thumb. Time was slow and fast at once. In what felt like slow motion, he fit his mouth over hers. Suddenly, he felt as if he were caught in a flame, twisting up through and around them. Her mouth fell open on a gasp and he dove into their kiss, sweeping his tongue inside.

She flexed into him, and he let the reins loose, tugging her tight against him. He stroked his hands down her back to cup her bottom, lush and soft in his grip. Garrett couldn’t get close enough fast enough and tore at her blouse. A button caught and fell when he yanked, pinging off the stainless steel table running through the kitchen. She wore a silky white bra underneath the white blouse, her nipples peaked and pushing against the fitted silk. He cupped her breasts in his hands and closed his lips over a nipple, savoring her broken gasp as he dampened the silk. He flicked the clasp of her bra and shoved it off her shoulders.

Delia pushed him back and shoved his shirt up. In seconds, the rest of their clothes were scattered on the kitchen floor. Garrett stopped and stared at her, her skin golden in the soft light emanating from the corner. She lifted her palm and stroked it down the center of his chest. She moved swiftly and leaned forward, taking his cock in her mouth. His breath came out in a strangled gasp as she knelt in front of him and commenced to drive him to the edge of his endurance with her mouth. Long, slow strokes with her tongue and deep suction when she drew him fully into her mouth. Pressure gathered inside. Just when he thought he might break, she drew away and slowly stood, a soft smile playing at her mouth.

He moved swiftly, lifting her against him and setting her on the table, stepping between her knees.

***

The stainless steel table was cool against her skin, the contrast to the heat inside of her notching it even higher. Delia looked up into Garrett’s navy gaze, hot, dark and locked on her. “Your turn,” he said, his gruff words sending shivers through her.

He nudged her knees apart and stroked a finger through her folds, slick with desire. Her breath broke on a moan as he slowly slipped his fingers inside her channel. He gripped her hips with his hand and tugged her closer to the edge of the table before leaning forward and bringing his mouth to join his fingers. She tumbled into sensation—his fingers sliding in and out, his tongue tracing her folds and teasing her clit. Pleasure streaked through her with each stroke of his fingers. She spun tighter and tighter inside until he exerted the slightest suction on her clit and sensation whipped through her.

With the shudders of her climax echoing, he stepped between her knees again. She felt the heated velvet of his cock nudge between her folds. He held still for a beat, long enough that the need to feel him inside of her clawed at her. At her low moan, he surged into her, seating himself deeply at once.

Holding still again, he laced his hand in her hair, angling her face up to his.

“Delia...look at me.”

She dragged her eyes open. Only then did he begin to move. Sensation and emotion gusted through her. Her body arched into him with every stroke, craving the fullness of him inside of her—while the intimacy between them stitched tighter and tighter with every stroke, his eyes holding hers through it all. Her climax rose from the lingering spasms of the other, her legs curling tightly around his hips as she cried out.

His cry followed hers, his body arching taut like a bow before her name tore out of his throat. She slowly drifted down. Her legs loosened around his hips. His head tipped forward, his lips catching hers in a soft kiss.

They remained still for several long moments until Garrett ran his palms down her arms. “You’re getting cold,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Come on. Let’s go to my room.”

She looked up. “You have your own room again?”

His mouth hooked in a half smile. “Gage is a good brother.”

Chapter 26

A few weeks later, Delia sat at a booth in the corner of the lodge restaurant. The afternoon rush was over, and she was joining Ginger and Marley for drinks and dinner.

Ginger held her wineglass aloft. “This one’s for Garrett,” she said with a grin.

Marley approached their booth and slid in beside Ginger. “We’re toasting Garrett?”

Ginger nodded enthusiastically. “Yup. He gets major points for getting his head out of his ass.”

Delia giggled while Marley grabbed a glass and filled it. “I’m all for Garrett figuring out how awesome Delia is,” Marley said with a clink of her glass with Ginger’s.

Delia blushed. She still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that once Garrett got over himself, he’d become prone to frequent and public displays of affection. The last few weeks since he’d flown back to Alaska had been a blur. He took her breath away and drove her to edges of passion she’d never imagined. She also enjoyed an easy comfort with him and loved watching him settle into being here. He spent most days working with Gage and her father, often bringing Nick along with them. He was somehow managing to do some long distance legal work for his practice in Seattle and making plans to start a small one here in Alaska. He planned to offer services from Diamond Creek up to Anchorage. She’d been startled when his assistant reported he was already getting requests for representation in Anchorage. Gage had explained to her Garrett’s corporate work had given him a national reputation, which meant easy work here if he wanted it. He insisted he only planned to handle a few corporate cases.

Marley brushed her hair out of her face. “So, Garrett must be with Gage up on the mountain, huh?”

Delia nodded. “He said they were taking Nick for a ski this afternoon.”

“Have you thought about what’s next?” Ginger asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Garrett got over himself, and so did you. You’re floating along in the honeymoon phase, but what’s next? Is he officially moving here? Are you two moving in together? Have you talked to Nick?” Ginger waved her hand as she rattled off her questions.