Riding the Pause (12 page)

Taking a moment to look up her naked body from his position on his knees, he was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was and how soft and open she’d let herself become. There was still strength in the way she carried herself but a vulnerability too and he wanted a chance to explore both sides of her. Catching her leg behind the knee, he opened her to him, exposing her to his gaze and his mouth. Resting her bent leg over her shoulder, he cupped her butt with both hands and covered her sex in an open mouthed kiss.

She was slick and swollen and so ready for him; he had to shift to accommodate his aching hard-on. He loved the taste and feel of her, but more than anything, it was the way she’d given herself over to him that threatened to undo him. Balanced on one leg with her back arched in pleasure, his hands holding her were the only thing keeping her from falling, and he loved that a woman as strong and in control as Rachel had given him her trust.

Teasing her with wide flat strokes of his tongue, he listened to her breath hitch and catch and felt the muscles of her buttocks clench as her climax wound closer. When he felt the tremble in her leg, he wrapped his lips around her tender clit and sucked, matching his rhythm with the bucking of her hips. His arms bunched with the effort of holding her while the orgasm tore through her, but there was no way he was letting go.

Holding onto Rachel while she came apart under his mouth was like trying to hold onto a crashing wave. And when her climax ripped his name from her lips, it destroyed him as completely.

Rachel couldn’t stand. With Ian’s beautiful mouth drawing every bit of pleasure from her body, her muscles refused to answer to her. Her body was his to command and control and she’d never felt anything so good.

Not taking his hands from her, he stood, scooped her into his arms and carried her to the couch, laying her down on the cool leather. She watched hungrily as he unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off, revealing inch after inch of hard muscled chest. He had the kind of definition that came from working hard not from endless hours in the gym. Knowing he’d earned every line and ridge combined with the completely capable man behind them made it somehow more legitimate, and she bit her lip in anticipation. When he reached for the buckle on his belt, she started to sit up and reach for him. She wanted to give him back some of the pleasure he’d already given her.

“Not this time, princess,” he said, stepping out of her reach.

He stripped to his boxer briefs, and she saw his hard, thick length pressed against the waistband. His hands stilled as he reached for the elastic and she managed to tear her gaze away from his glorious body to search his face. He looked torn and she realized what he was missing.

“Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

“Ian, wait.” Emotions warred across his face, and she suddenly knew she didn’t want him to leave her. Not even for a moment. She’d never had sex without a condom, not ever. Part of it was having a doctor for a brother but the other part was never leaving her safety or her future in another person’s hand. She hadn’t cared about it until now, but for the first time in her life it mattered.

“I’m on the pill.” She watched his eyes go wide and then darken with want when he realized what she was offering him.

“I’m safe,” he said, his voice rough.

“I know,” she said, and she did. Ian wouldn’t do anything to risk hurting her. She knew that as surely as she knew her own name, and when they made love, she didn’t want there to be anything between them.

Getting rid of the last barrier between them, Ian came to her, glorious in his nakedness and knelt between her legs. She reached for him, but he caught her hands, easily cuffing them in one strong fist and raising them above her head.

“Right here,” he said, murmuring the words against the delicate shell of her ear. “Keep them right here. This time I’m giving and you’re receiving.”

Smiling up at him, she wondered how it was that he knew what that meant to her. Then he reached for her hips, his strong rough hands angling her for him and she was done wondering about anything. Keeping his gaze locked on her face, he nudged her open with his hard long length and then in one smooth deliciously slow movement, he slid inside her and her entire focus, every bit of her world narrowed to the point where his body joined hers.

She looked into his kind, warm eyes and saw more than her own reflection; she saw the man.

“Ian, I…,” she started. Her voice caught and she blinked furiously against the tears filling her eyes.

“I know,” he said when she couldn’t finish.

Tangling his hands in her hair, he cradled her head to his chest, holding her, cherishing her and keeping her safe as he moved inside her. Using her body and his, he took them both higher until in the shelter of his arms, she flew.

Rachel woke to the rich aroma of coffee and bacon and a cold, wet nose. The contrast and similarities to her first morning on the Appalachian Trail with Ian made her smile and for a moment she thought about how much had changed in a few short weeks. Before she could give into her thoughts, Artemis climbed onto her chest and played happy paws, rumbling like an out of tune race car. Not one to settle for being ignored, Apollo picked a spot further down the bed and stuck his head under the covers, pressing his long cold nose against her naked thigh.

“I’m up. I’m up,” she said with a squeak, clutching the covers around her and dumping the cat onto the floor.

“Everything okay up there?” Ian called from somewhere downstairs. After they’d made love on the sofa, they’d managed to make it to his bed in the loft, laughing and burying under the quilts until the hunger took them again, and she gave Ian back some of the pleasure he’d given her. They’d slept curled around each other, and until the morning’s animal invasion, Rachel couldn’t remember a better night’s sleep.

“Your dog’s getting fresh with me,” she called back.

“Apollo!”

She could have sworn the huge shepherd looked sheepish before trotting down the steps with Artemis in his wake. Rachel found the bathroom and slipped on a T-shirt Ian left out for her before following the animals and the lure of coffee.

Ian stood in a pretty galley kitchen cobbled together out of mismatched cabinets. He wore a Kiss the Cook apron and soft gray flannel pajama pants that looked like they matched the T-shirt she was wearing.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” he said with a grin, handing her a mug of coffee.

“Morning.” She went up on her toes to kiss him before leaning against the counter to sip her coffee and watch him cook.

He poured pancake batter into a cast iron skillet and waited until the bubbles burst around the edges before flipping the perfectly golden cake. His hands were strong and sure, and she didn’t think she’d get tired of watching him do anything. When he slid the first pancake onto a plate and started the second, she let her attention wander to the rest of his home. From the kitchen she had a clear view of the sofa where they’d made love and her heart kicked up a notch remembering the way he’d touched her. But it was the desk piled almost to overflowing with papers that drew her from the kitchen.

How could he possibly work like this?
she thought, touching a stack of seemingly unrelated papers.
How could he tell if he was making any money or keep track of what pieces he had out and where?
Glancing from pile to pile, her fingers practically itched to put the papers into some kind of order. She could already picture the spreadsheets in her head, cross referenced to inventory and expense workbooks.

“Oh yeah,” he said, coming from the kitchen balancing plates loaded high with pancakes and bacon and his coffee mug. He set them on the table before turning back to his desk, a pained expression on his face. “Paperwork is a challenge for me.”

It took a Herculean effort to keep from rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t have guessed,” she said, yelping as he swatted her bare butt, letting his hand linger when he discovered she wasn’t wearing anything under his T-shirt.

“Don’t be a smartass.” He tugged on her earlobe with his teeth, and his warm breath on the tender skin behind her ear had heat coiling low in her body.

“I could help you with this.” She squirmed out of his grip, not willing to let go of the idea when she’d found something she could actually do to help him. Thinking about sorting his chaos interested her more than anything had, except Ian himself, since she lost her job at Moore and Masters.

“I don’t doubt that,” he said, pulling her against him so she felt the warmth of his body along her back. “But you can’t want to waste your time screwing around with my paperwork.”

“Call me a freak. You know you want to, but I like doing this kind of thing. I could have you sorted out in no time,” she said, picking up a stack of papers.

“Freak,” he said, nuzzling her neck sending delicious tremors through her. “But if you want to, knock yourself out.”

“Really?” she asked, turning in his arms so she could wrap her arms around his neck.

He reached up to take the papers she was still clutching, pausing to glance at them before setting them on the desk.

“Yes, but don’t worry about these. I took care of these myself already. It’s what drove me to the AT and into your arms.”

“You won’t be sorry,” she said, stretching up on her bare toes to kiss him. “I’m very good at this.”

His lips parted, and he tugged gently at her bottom lip. “I can think of other things you’re good at,” he said, cupping her bare bottom in his hands and hoisting her up into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him while he carried her to the sofa and away from their breakfast.

“Sorry I’m late,” said Rachel when Summer, Travis’s wife, opened the door to their pretty Victorian.

She could see her brother’s touches everywhere, in the window boxes and newly repaired gingerbread trim. It couldn’t be clearer that he was turning the house Summer had inherited from her sister and grandmother into a home for his new family. Like it did every time she saw signs that her brother was happy, living in the present with them, her heart swelled. She would never be able to thank her sister-in-law enough for giving Travis back to them, but tuxedo fittings with all the Southerland men was a start.

“Don’t worry. Jude was supposed to pick Travis up at the shop, but unless they got Andrew involved I doubt either one of them remembered to stop on time. We’ll probably beat them there.” She closed the door behind her, following Rachel out to her car. “I really appreciate you going with me. I’m not sure I could face it alone, and it’s too soon for Autumn to leave the baby.”

“It’s my pleasure. Don’t worry. I’ve been handling my brothers for years. I’ll make sure they do what you want.” Rachel smiled at Summer, grateful for the way the other woman was finding a place for herself in their big, noisy, overwhelming family.

She remembered how quiet Summer had been when they were shopping for Autumn’s wedding dress. The young woman sitting next to her was reserved and demure, but there was nothing mousy about her, and Rachel suspected that if push came to shove she’d have a backbone of steel. She’d have to to deal with Travis.

“So do you want to talk about it?” Summer asked when they were on their way to the tuxedo place in town.

“Talk about what?” Rachel glanced over and found her sister-in-law grinning at her. “What?” she asked again.

“The reason you keep smiling when you think I’m not looking and why you look more relaxed than I’ve seen you in… well, ever. Or why you, who are always early for everything, were late?”

Yep, definitely finding a place for herself. Rachel opened her mouth to deny it and then closed it again.

“Autumn said you had a date last night. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I just thought maybe…” She let the last of her sentence trail off, and Rachel gave up. She wasn’t going to let Summer feel uncomfortable or worry that she was being too forward.

“I did. We did,” she said, unable to hide the smile lighting her up from the inside when she thought about Ian.

“Oooooh!” said Summer, letting out an uncharacteristic squeal. “I knew it! Spill. Tell me everything. Does he really look like a lumberjack? Autumn said he did, but that could just mean he had a little bit of a beard. She’s got a weird facial hair thing. Come on. Talk. Between worrying about my sister and the wedding, my brain is fried. I need something juicy.”

Rachel let the laughter bubble up. It had been a long time since she’d given in to something completely silly. Dishing with her sister-in-law about her date with the mountain man might not exactly fit the bill, but it was a step in the right direction.

“Okay, okay,” she said when she could catch her breath again. “He’s not a lumberjack, but he does have a beard. Nothing crazy hillbilly, just enough to give the perfect beard burn.” Summer squealed again, and Rachel laughed out loud. “He makes the most beautiful furniture. He and Travis would get along great, although he might already know him. Apparently he and Adam have been friends for a couple of years.”

“Is that good or bad?” asked Summer, and Rachel thought about what it must look like to her, coming into a family full of big protective males. With her four brothers, Andrew, and Bailey’s fiancé Trace, it was a lot of testosterone in one place. Lesser men would make a run for it. It was a good thing Ian wasn’t a lesser man.

“Too soon to tell probably. Besides you know what they’re like. It’s a lot of bark but not much bite. Not unless they think someone is really hurting one of us.” She pitied anyone who ever tried it. “Speak of the devil,” she said, parking her car in the last open space in front of the formal wear shop. Travis and Jude were walking in the front door looking uncomfortable. “What does he look so miserable for? I thought he was wearing his dress uniform.”

“He is,” said Summer, getting a faraway look in her eyes.

“Look at you. You have it so bad,” said Rachel, grinning.

“I’m supposed to. I’m married to him.”

“Just don’t let him know.” Rachel climbed out of the car, and they followed the men into the store. “So why does he look miserable?”

“Solidarity and the evils of shopping, I think,” said Summer.

“Give me a break.” Rachel’s phone dinged, and she’d reached for it hoping it was Ian. She frowned when she saw the text message from Blake instead and then felt unsisterly. She missed her brother. It had been too long since they’d all been together. Especially since he cancelled his flight when they found out Autumn and the baby were going to be okay. She was glad he was coming for the wedding, and she was not going to turn into one of those women who stared at her phone, waiting for it to ring. Desperate didn’t suit her one bit, but she gave her phone a quick once over to make sure she hadn’t missed any texts before opening Blake’s message. “Blake got his tailor to send his measurements,” she said, scrolling down the screen. “Travis’s buddies are wearing their dress uniforms, right? Which just leaves Adam and Andrew. Momma will make sure Daddy has what he needs. So you just have to decide what kind of tux you want to put them in. Have you looked at anything yet?”

Summer shook her head, but she’d gone suddenly quiet and Rachel could tell something was bothering her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said, but Rachel waited, knowing that the quiet would get to her and she’d have to tell. “Do you think it’s too much? Be honest. Are we making too big a deal out of getting married again?”

The first time Travis and Summer were married had been at a court house with no one but Abby present. Rachel wasn’t sure why her brother had asked his bride to marry him again so soon or why he’d done it in such a public way. But she knew without a doubt there wasn’t anyone in her family who would deny Summer anything. They’d move heaven and earth to make sure she got exactly what she wanted after she brought Travis back to life. If a big public wedding was what the two of them wanted then all the Southerlands would pitch in to make sure that’s exactly what happened.

“You’re here,” said Travis, his eyes lighting up when he saw Summer.

She went to him, and he wrapped her in his arms even though Rachel was sure it hadn’t been more than a couple of hours since they’d seen each other. Lord they were sweet together, she thought smiling in spite of herself. The bell over the shop door ran and still smiling she turned to see Andrew walking in followed by Adam and Ian.

He scanned the room until he found her and when their gazes locked, heat arced between them. Rachel had to scrunch up her toes in her pumps to keep her feet in place instead of running into Ian’s arms in front of almost all her brothers. Including the one who was armed.

He was pathetic. Rachel had been out of his bed and out of his house for all of two hours before Ian was on his way into town to meet her brother. He told himself he wanted to see if Adam knew anything about the site he and Apollo found on the way back from the Appalachian Trail, but he could have checked that with a phone call. He came into town because even though he’d woken up with her in his arms and made love to her on his couch a few hours earlier, he couldn’t seem to get enough of her.

Adam told him to come along to the tuxedo thing and they’d grab lunch afterwards. He’d come, feeling smug and so sure of himself because he’d known she would be there. He’d have a chance to be in the same room with her again, even if it probably wasn’t in his best interest to try to kiss her in front of her brothers.

There she was looking polished and perfect in her pencil skirt and tailored blouse, wearing those high heeled shoes which served no practical purpose except to make him crazy. Her blonde hair was smoothed back into the twist that made him want to sink his fingers into her silky hair, tug out the pins and fist his hand in the long golden strands so she couldn’t pull away while he kissed her. He was so completely toast.

For a moment they stood, gazes locked on each other, neither of them moving while the heat wove between them like a tangible current. It took Adam physically stepping between them and blocking her from his sight to pull his attention away from Rachel.

“Really?” said his friend, giving his head a shake. “Is that how it is?”

Ian blinked, forcing himself to focus on what Adam was saying.

“Just don’t do anything that makes me have to shoot you, okay?”

Ian nodded, his mouth too dry to speak. The rest of Rachel’s brothers gave him the once over – God there were a lot of them and they weren’t small – but they seemed satisfied, at least for now while Adam had everything under control. When he turned back to find Rachel, she was off with Travis’s wife, Summer, looking through the racks of tuxedos.

He had no business and even less desire to have an opinion on lapel widths and coat lengths so he found a chair and settled in to watch Rachel rule over her brothers. She was magnificent, moving between the racks and the men, always careful to check back with the bride to make sure they were following her wishes. She was like an orchestra conductor who kept everyone and everything moving in the right direction.

When Adam complained that he didn’t see why he couldn’t get measured in his belt and uniform, Rachel gave him a look that would have quelled a weaker man but had her brother heading off to the dressing room to comply. She asked questions of the fitter, jotted notes on her tablet and snapped pictures for Summer of the final three choices.

In less than an hour decisions had been made, formal wear chosen and ordered and Ian was convinced if it came to it, Rachel could rule the world. Sitting there watching her take charge of everything when he remembered so clearly what it felt like to have her come apart in his arms was intoxicating. He wanted her more in that moment than he’d wanted anything in his life. He waited until he was sure she was finished and they were getting ready to leave and then he made a calculated choice.

He walked past the bride, over to Rachel and in front of God and her brothers, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He kissed her until her legs went weak on her impossibly high heels, until Summer whistled and cheered. Until Jude walked up next to them and cleared his throat with enough force to finally get their attention.

They looked up, both a little shell shocked, and into the hazel eyes of a very angry Doctor Southerland. Standing behind Jude, Adam crossed his arms and shook his head, clearly washing his hands of his old friend, at least until it came to bloodshed.

“You seem to be showing up everywhere these days, Ian.” Jude stood up straighter, clearly posturing. Before Ian could decide how best to diffuse the situation, Rachel stepped between them.

“Yeah yeah, big brother. Go tell it to someone who cares.”

Jude let out a “hmpf” and made an immature face, but he took a step back. Standing this close to each other there was no denying that Jude and Rachel were brother and sister. They had the same coloring and a similar shape to their refined features.

They also obviously loved each other and were both used to getting their way. It was clear neither intended to back down and as much as he loved watching his princess go toe-to-toe with the other man, he wouldn’t be the cause of their fighting. He didn’t know where this thing with Rachel was going, but it wouldn’t go anywhere if he alienated her family.

“I like your sister, Jude. A lot.” Rachel moved to put herself in between them again, but Ian touched her arm to stop her. “I’ll be respectful of her and her feelings,” he said, praying at least some of what he was say was what Jude wanted to hear.

Something must have worked because the elder Southerland backed down like an angry bull deciding to head for the barn instead of the arena. Ian glanced over to see Adam’s shoulders moving in silent laughter, and he fought hard to resist the urge to give his friend the finger and undo any of the good he’d managed.

“Are we going for lunch?” Adam asked when he regained his composure.

“I can’t,” said Jude. “I want to check on Autumn and the baby before I head back to the office.”

“I think Summer and I are going to head home for a couple of hours before Abby gets out of school,” said Travis, tucking his smiling bride under his arm.

“Clients,” said Andrew. “Sorry.”

Adam turned to face Rachel and Ian but he didn’t bother to ask, he snorted his displeasure. “Yeah right,” he said, looking from one to the other of them. “I miss Blake.”