Since You've Been Gone (Welcome to Paradise) (10 page)

It wasn’t long before he was kissing her again, while the hot water cascaded over their naked bodies. His big, callused hands traveled down her body and began a slow, torturous exploration that made her whimper. He cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples with his thumbs, squeezing and stroking and kneading until she couldn’t think straight anymore. But she forced herself to focus, to ignore the arousal building between her legs and give Austin what he needed.

Before he could protest, she pushed his hands away and dropped to her knees.

Water soaked her hair and slid down her back, droplets clinging to her eyelashes as she peered up at him. “Let me make you feel good.”

He gave a little moan as she brought her lips to his cock, then shuddered when she engulfed him with her mouth.

She sucked him all the way down to the root, her pulse speeding up as the pressure between her legs grew even more intense. He was so big and so male and the feel of him filling her mouth was a turn-on she hadn’t expected. Blowjobs had never really excited her before. She’d performed them because her boyfriends enjoyed them, and though she’d felt good knowing she was bringing someone else pleasure, she hadn’t gleaned any physical pleasure from the act. But as she licked the crown of his erection and glided her tongue along the sensitive underside, her core throbbed incessantly and she knew she was experiencing the same pleasure she was bringing Austin.

“God, Mari…fuck, that’s good…”

His husky words egged her on. She took him deeper, sucked harder, pumped him with her hand as she teased him with her tongue. She wanted to play with his balls but her sex was so wet and her clit was swollen to the point of pain, so she brought her other hand between her legs in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure.

At Austin’s sharp intake of breath, she peeked up and noticed the sensual gleam in his eyes. “Yeah, touch yourself. Make yourself come while you suck me off.”

The wicked demand made her pussy clench.

As she furiously rubbed her clit, she loosened her jaw and quickened the tempo, moving her mouth up and down his thick cock. His hands tangled in her hair, but he didn’t force her head closer or take control. She appreciated his restraint, his ability to let her go at her own pace, to trust that she’d get him where he needed to be.

“I’m coming,” he said roughly. “Fuck, I’m coming.”

A second later, his hot seed filled her mouth, and an orgasm shuddered through her body. The taste of him infused her taste buds. She swallowed every drop, rocking into her own hand and riding the sweet waves of pleasure that washed over her.

When she finally released his cock, they were both breathing in labored pants. Mari took a second to recover before rising to her feet, and when she finally stood, Austin immediately pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her in a tight hug, his head resting on her shoulder.

“I needed that,” he said hoarsely.

She planted a kiss between his pecs. “I know you did.”

“You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”

Smiling, Mari lifted her head to meet his eyes. She was slightly floored by the tenderness shining in his gaze. “You’re only saying that because I just gave you a BJ in the shower.”

“Nope, I’m saying it because it’s the truth.” Sincerity rang in his voice, matching the earnest expression on his face.

She couldn’t explain the rush of warmth that tickled her chest. All she knew was that Austin was looking at her like she was a winning lottery ticket. Like this thing between them was about more than sex.

The notion brought a shiver of pleasure, but it was accompanied by a tremor of uneasiness. Swallowing, she leaned up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Stop getting all sappy on me, Bishop.” Putting on a cheerful face, she reached behind him for the bar of soap on the shower shelf. “Come on, let’s wash each other’s backs. We’ve got a party to attend.”

Chapter Seven

Mari was oddly nervous when they reached Austin’s mother’s place forty-five minutes later. The house reminded her of Nate’s, a rustic two-story structure with an enormous porch and pretty green shutters. Her nervousness increased as the murmur of voices drifted from behind the tall wooden gate to the side of the house.

The half dozen cars parked on the dusty drive told her that the birthday party was in full swing. Nate’s pickup truck was already there since Nate and Charlotte had gone ahead of them, which had been a stalling maneuver on Austin’s part. Mari knew he’d purposely waited for his older brother to leave first so Nate wouldn’t get a chance to demand answers about Austin’s big reveal.

“Come on, we should go inside,” Austin said with a sigh.

Mari nodded. “’Kay.” As they got out of the SUV, she continued to admire Della Bishop’s house. “Why are all the houses in this town so freaking pretty?”

Austin smiled faintly. “’Cause Owen builds them.”

“He built this one too?”

“Yup. After Dad—” His expression darkened “Henry,” he amended. “After Henry died, Mom didn’t want to keep living in the house she’d raised us in. She needed a fresh start, so Owen and his crew immediately got working on the plans for this place.”

They climbed the porch steps and approached the front door, which was painted a lovely hunter green. Wind chimes hanging from the porch posts jingled in the evening breeze, making Mari smile. It really was the perfect evening for a party. The sun had already set, but the sky still held the orangey hue of the sunset, and the air was warm and sultry.

Mari breathed in all that fresh mountain air, a sense of serenity fluttering through her. She didn’t understand this strange connection she felt toward Paradise. She’d only been here a few hours, yet she felt so comfortable and relaxed. She felt…at home.

Austin didn’t ring the doorbell, which reminded her of the fact that this
was
home. To him, anyway. They walked into a bright and airy front hall, where the only artwork on the off-white walls happened to be Austin’s photographs—she recognized some of the shots from the online portfolio Austin had shown her during their road trip.

Seeing them again only cemented her opinion that he was unbelievably talented. His style was an odd combination of stark and elegant, and he’d told her he didn’t do any digital touch-ups after the fact, which she appreciated. She loved Photoshop as much as the next person, but she disliked the way some artists relied too heavily on the tool.

“You’re here!”

The overjoyed exclamation came from the doorway to their left. Mari turned her head in time to see a petite older woman bounding toward Austin. From sheer joy shining on her face, Mari instantly knew that this was Austin’s mother.

Like Charlotte, Della was petite but carried herself in a way that made her seem taller. She vaguely resembled her son in terms of features, but while Austin’s hair was dark, Della’s was dark blond and threaded with silver, and her eyes were brown rather than green.

The joy in those eyes dimmed slightly once Della reached them. “Nate said you wouldn’t be able to make it,” she told her youngest son, sounding nervous.

“I wrapped up the job early.” He hesitated, then spoke in a gruff tone. “Happy birthday.”

Della smiled. “Thank you, sweetie.”

After a beat, Austin stepped forward and gave his mother a hug.

From where she stood, Mari could see the shock that flooded Della’s face, followed by pure delight as she sank into her son’s embrace. But Austin didn’t maintain the hug for long—a brief moment later, he released Della, took a backward step and shifted in discomfort.

“Ah, shit—I mean,
shoot
,” he corrected guiltily. “I forgot your gift in the car.”

“That’s all right,” his mother said hastily. “You can get it later.”

“No, I should get it now.”

He backed toward the door as if dying to escape, but Mari cleared her throat before he could leave.

As if he suddenly remembered her presence, Austin glanced over sheepishly. “Oh. Right. Mom, this is Mari Smith. She’s an artist from Chicago, and a good friend of mine. Mari, this is my mother, Della.” He blurted out the introduction, then said, “I’ll be back in a sec.”

And then he hurried out the door like his ass was on fire.

The second they were alone, Austin’s mother turned to Mari and began appraising her like she was an item up for auction.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Bishop,” Mari said awkwardly. “And happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Mari, and please, call me Della.” The visual examination continued. “How long have you known my son?”

She was tempted to lie and say “oh, ages and ages!” but something about Della Bishop stopped her from lying. There was wisdom in those brown eyes, and Mari got the strangest sense that the woman could read her mind.

“A couple of weeks,” she confessed. “We met when my car broke down on the side of the road. Austin stopped to help me out, and we ended up hitting it off.”

Della pursed her lips, but whatever her opinion on the matter, she didn’t get a chance to voice it because Austin had returned.

He clumsily held out a rectangular-shaped package wrapped in brown Kraft paper and secured with twine. “This is for you,” he told his mom.

Mari eyed the gift in surprise, wondering when the heck he’d had time to buy it. He’d barely left her sight these past two weeks, which meant he must have had the present in his bag the entire time. Which meant he’d given prior thought to it. Which meant he still cared about his mother, no matter how upset he was with her.

Emotion squeezed Mari’s heart, but it was nothing compared to the look on Della’s face. She was clearly touched by the gesture, and Mari noticed her fingers were shaking as she delicately undid the twine and opened the wrapping.

When Austin’s mother saw the framed photograph inside, tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Austin.”

Mari snuck a peek at the picture and experienced another rush of warmth. The photo showed Austin, Nate and a pair of identical dark-haired twins, all wearing black tuxes and smiling at the camera.

Austin shifted his feet. “This was taken at Owen’s wedding, remember? You said you liked the shot because it’s so rare to get all four of us to smile, so I had it framed.”

There was a second of silence, and then Della threw her arms around her son in a warm embrace that lacked the awkwardness of the first.

But when then they pulled back, weariness lined Austin’s chiseled features. “Mom… We need to talk.” He paused ruefully. “It’s time we tried to actually make some headway here.”

Della nodded, her chin trembling as if she were close to tears again. She gently set the frame down on the little table in the hall.

“But not tonight,” he said roughly. “Tonight we’re celebrating.”

She gave another shaky nod.

“I’ll come by tomorrow morning.”

A final nod, this one accompanied by two soft words. “Thank you.” Then Della tucked a strand of silvery-blond hair behind her ear and gave them both an awkward smile. “Are you hungry?” she asked. “There’s a ton of food out back. Why don’t we head out there.”

As Mari and Austin trailed after her, Della continued to chatter on, her nervousness so evident that Mari’s own nerves eased. Her heart went out to Austin’s mother—she could tell how badly the woman wanted to reconnect with her son. But Austin had extended an olive branch tonight with that photograph, which was a start.

“Everyone is already here,” Della was saying. “I wanted a small gathering, just family and close friends. You know how I feel about being the center of attention.”

“You have a lovely home,” Mari said as they entered a country-style kitchen with yellow walls, cedar counters and pretty white cabinets.

“Thank you,” Della said, sounding genuinely pleased. “Austin’s brother Owen designed it.”

They strode through the glass sliding door across the room and emerged onto a large deck that overlooked the yard. Near the bottom of the deck steps was a refreshment table laden with various salads, side dishes and beverages. The scent of barbecued meat wafted in the air, directing Mari’s attention to a gray-haired man flipping burgers on the grill.

“That’s Pastor Tom,” Della said when she followed Mari’s gaze. “He’s a lovely man. His wife passed away last year. It was very sad.”

As the three of them descended the steps, Mari glanced around and was happy to find that everyone was dressed casually. She was wearing the only “fancy” outfit she’d packed in her duffel, a filmy yellow dress, and she’d been hoping she wouldn’t be too underdressed.

The backyard was as pretty as the house itself, with perfectly manicured grass and flowerbeds overflowing with colorful bulbs. Chinese lanterns lined a little stone path that led to a small gazebo with a steepled roof at the very edge of the yard. Mari glimpsed a few shady figures inside the rustic structure, but couldn’t make out any details. She shifted her gaze and continued to admire her surroundings, which were quaint and homey and full of warmth that her own home had lacked thanks to her strict, rule-obsessed parents.

As Della excused herself and went to help Pastor Tom with the barbeque, Mari took Austin’s hand and brought her lips close to his ear. “That was really sweet of you, giving her that photograph.”