Taming the Moguls (22 page)

His head snapped up when her fingers worked
the button on his jeans free. “Gretchen,” he groaned, “you don’t
have to.”

“I want to. I don’t know if I can go through
with it, but I want to try.”

He reached out and stilled her hand. “Only if
this is what you want. I can wait. I’ll wait as long as you
need.”

“I want this. I want you.”

His hand fell away, and he lowered onto his
back. His hands fisted at his sides. The slow, torturous pace cost
him. She lowered his zipper as his chest rose and fell quickly. He
lifted his hips, and she eased his jeans down. She carefully pulled
each pant leg from his feet. His boxers were next. She reached for
them, lifting them over his powerful erection, and he groaned as
the soft cotton grazed his delicate skin. He opened his eyes and
stared as she stood, unclasped her pants, and let them fall to the
floor. She eased her underwear down and stepped out of her clothes.
She stood naked before him.

“I’ve dreamt of you like this,” he said.
“I’ve imagined you so many times. You’re more perfect, Gretchen,
than I ever could have dreamed. You make me weak.”

She bent down and straddled him. She felt his
erection jump as it touched her delicate entrance. She had a moment
of panic, a flash of memory, but he said her name and pulled her
back to the present.

“You don’t have to do this if you’re not
ready,” Tommy said.

She leaned over and brushed her lips to his.
Tongue met tongue, flesh met flesh, heart met heart. She’d loved
him for so long. She’d loved him every time she touched herself in
the dark. She sat up and eased onto him, inch by glorious inch. Her
body bowed at the unfamiliar pressure, and she held him deep
inside. The shock became acceptance, the acceptance became
pleasure, the pleasure had her moving atop him. She rose up as his
hips thrust. His eyes were dazed, his hands still fisted at his
sides.

“Touch me, Tommy.” She placed his hands on
her breasts. He molded them gently, plucking at her nipples. She
moaned from the exquisite pleasure as the pace of their joining
accelerated. His hands moved to her hips, and he guided her back
and forth until she felt her muscles tighten and finally explode.
She cried out as flesh ground into flesh. Tommy held her still as
he pulsed beneath her, groaning her name as he came.

She collapsed onto his chest as their hearts
thundered. She felt his hands touch her hair, her back, her butt.
He was so gentle, every caress like a feather over her sensitized
skin. When she finally felt able, she straightened up on her arms
and stared at his face. His eyes were locked on hers.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m better than okay.”

One corner of his mouth lifted into a crooked
smile. “I’ll say.”

She buried her head in his chest. “I didn’t
think I would ever feel that again. God, I’ve missed that. I’ve
missed you.”

She felt his heart rate increase. “I’ve
missed you. I’ve missed that, too. Although I usually last a little
longer.”

She looked up and dropped her chin onto her
hand on his chest. “I thought I was the only one who hadn’t done
that in a while.”

“There’s a difference between having sex and
making love. I’ve had plenty of sex in the last ten years. That’s
the first time I’ve made love since we were together.” He ran his
hands through her hair and brought her face to his. “I love you. I
always have. I always will.”

Chapter 43

Lyle reached for his phone as it vibrated
against his desk. He smiled when he saw the name on the display.
“Olivia?”

“Hey there,” she said. “Heard you’re getting
some snow in the valley.”

“Just a dusting. The mountains got slammed.
How about Denver?”

“A few flurries. Nothing to write home
about.” She cleared her throat. “What about Lower Fork?”

Lyle saved his document. His edits were
almost done. “Maybe an inch or so more than here, but nothing bad.
Why the sudden interest in the weather? You bored in Denver
already?”

“I can’t reach Tommy. His phone goes right
into voice mail. That’s not like him.”

“He’s busy. He’s always busy.”

“Have you seen him?”

Lyle thought back. “No. Not in a week or so,
I haven’t. Are you worried?”

“I called the restaurant. Stevie said Tommy
left the ski shop early the night of the blizzard, and he hasn’t
seen or heard from him since. You know that’s not normal.”

“Did you call his house?”

“He doesn’t have a land line. Do you think he
got stuck in the blizzard?” Olivia asked.

“How do I know? I guess if for some reason he
went up the pass, he could have. Folks knew the storm was coming
though. He’d have been a fool to go up.”

“He’s been acting funny the last few times I
talked to him. Distracted and angry sounding. Now I can’t reach
him. Lyle, I’m worried.”

“Do you want me to run out there and check?”
he asked.

“I hate to ask, but yes, I do. I have half a
mind to come down there myself.”

“There’s no need for that. I’ll grab Erica,
and we’ll run out to the Tap for some lunch.”

“I appreciate it. I really do. Will you call
me when—”

“First thing, I promise.”

***

“What’s the occasion?” Erica asked when Lyle
showed up at her doorstep and offered to take her to lunch. “If
you’re hungry, I can make you something.”

“Olivia called. She can’t reach her brother,
and she’s worried. I told her I’d ride out to Lower Fork and check
on him. Figured you might want to come along.”

She glanced at the books and worksheets
spread over her table. “I suppose I can take a break.”

She settled into the SUV next to him, and he
reached for her hand. “I should do this more often.”

“Rescue a friend?” she asked.

“Take you out. I’m saving for a ring or I
would.”

“You don’t have to take me anywhere.”

“I know, but I want to. Kevin’s back with
Shi. I told him she could stay at my place.”

Erica squeezed his hand. “You can stay with
me, you know. I love waking up with you in the morning. Especially
when it’s cold.”

“I will, but not regularly until I’ve talked
to my mom. I need to call your brother.”

“You
want to tell
Jack we’re getting married?”

“I think I should. Unless you want to tell
him first,” Lyle said.

She shrugged and picked at a hole in her
jeans. “I don’t know. I suppose he’d appreciate hearing it from you
first. Man to man.”

“That’s what I thought. I’m going to talk to
Mom soon. I told Kevin. I asked him not to say anything, but I know
he’ll tell Shiloh. That’s like putting an ad in the paper, so our
secret’s about to be out.”

“I’m okay with that. I hate keeping it from
Jack.”

“Mom’s going to want to throw a party or
something. I thought maybe we could stop by on the way back and
spring it on her.” Erica fidgeted. Lyle recognized the worry on her
face. “What is it?”

“She’s your mother. What if she’s
disappointed? Maybe you should talk to her alone.”

“Disappointed that her son is outrageously
happy and planning a future with the woman he loves? I don’t think
so.”

“You’re young yet. Younger than I am. She
might think we’re rushing into this.”

“So? My parents got married young.”

“Maybe she wants something different for
you?”

“Erica, she told me the other day she’s never
seen me this happy. She knows we’re in love. I think she’s waiting
for me to make it official. Not only did she and my dad marry
young, but she and Dodge wasted no time getting married after they
hooked up.”

“He’s an intimidating guy, your stepdad. I
saw him coming out of the diner the other day holding your mom’s
hand.” Erica chuckled. “They looked like newlyweds.”

“They act like it, too. Always have. When I
was younger, it embarrassed me the way they’d hold hands and kiss
in public. They were always touching each other.”

“And now?” she asked.

Lyle shrugged. “I guess I’m used to it. It’s
nice, when you think about it, that my mom has someone who loves
her. She won’t grow old alone. I’d worry about her if it weren’t
for Dodge.”

“My parents were affectionate before my mom
got sick. I don’t remember much, but I know they were happy.”

He lifted her hand and brushed a kiss along
her knuckles. “We will be, too.”

“We already are.” She glanced out the window.
“What do you think happened to Tommy?”

Lyle blew out a breath. “I don’t know. He’s
just about the busiest guy I know. He probably got distracted or
forgot to charge his phone. Maybe he did something completely out
of the norm and took a day off.”

“Olivia’s worried enough to ask you to drive
out and check. He must not disappear often.”

“Either that or she’s bored and looking for a
reason to visit.”

Erica shook her head. “Jack said she’s been
so busy planning the wedding, he’s barely seen her. He’s happy,
really, truly happy. I hear it in his voice, even when he’s
complaining. He loves her. He’d buy her the moon if she asked.”

“And he could afford it.” Lyle thought that
was as good a time as any to ask what he’d spent weeks stewing
over. “What do you think he’ll do with the house when we’re married
and you’re living with me?”

“I guess I assumed you’d move in with me and
let your brother use your cabin.”

“I could, but…”

“But what? Don’t tell me you’re too proud to
live in my house.”

“It’s his house, and yes, that rubs me the
wrong way. You’ll be my wife. It’ll be my job to provide a home for
you, not his,” Lyle said.

“What about the wind study? It won’t be done
for another nine months or more.”

“Has he asked about the study even once since
he left the valley?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean anything. My
brother’s got his hand in a dozen business ventures. He knows I’m
looking out for this.”

“I bet you money he doesn’t give a rat’s back
end about that wind study. That was just something to keep him busy
in the valley before he met Olivia.”

“I don’t know, Lyle. I don’t know what he’ll
say.”

“Let’s not worry about this right now, okay.”
He pulled into the Tap and parked in the nearly full lot. Before
getting out, he leaned over and kissed her pouty lips. “Think about
it. We’re fighting over where to live when we get married. How
awesome is that?”

“It’s pretty awesome. But we’re not fighting,
are we?”

“We’re disagreeing. We haven’t had our first
fight yet.”

“Unless you count before we were dating,” she
said.

He got out and came around the SUV to open
her door before she did so herself. “Erica, we were dating, then.
You just wouldn’t admit it.”

She rolled her eyes and reached for his hand
while they walked to the entrance.

Lyle stopped before they went inside and
looked at Golden Mountain Sports. Only one car was in the lot. He
held the door open for Erica, and they entered the bustling lunch
crowd.

Tommy’s long-time waitress Meredith hollered
for them to find a seat. Lyle suggested they eat at the bar so they
could talk to the staff about Tommy.

Meredith greeted them with a flick of her
hair and a smile. “What can I get you two to drink?”

“We’ll start with water,” Lyle said. “Hey,
have you seen Tommy today?”

“No, I haven’t, but I was late this morning.
My daughter had a fever, and I had to run her to the doctor before
my shift.”

“Did you talk to him?”

“I left a message on his phone. He didn’t
call back, but he’s usually pretty understanding about family.” She
set the waters in front of them, along with rolled up napkins and
silverware. “Take a look at the menu, and I’ll be right back with
you.”

“Hummm,” Erica said. “Sounds like nobody’s
seen him.”

“I’ll ask a few more. Sit tight, would you?
If she comes back, order me a ham and cheese with fries.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to talk to a few more servers and
check his office. I’ll be right back.”

He plopped onto the barstool ten minutes
later. “None of the servers have seen him since yesterday morning.
Stevie said he called and left a message with one of the waitresses
that he was closing Mountain Sports early and for someone to come
over within the hour. He didn’t say where he was going.”

“Has Stevie seen him today?” she asked.

“No. He said he didn’t come into the office
or Mountain Sports.”

“What about the car we saw in the lot?”

“He doesn’t know who it belongs to. Said it
looks like a rental.”

Erica bit her lip. “This doesn’t sound right,
does it? Olivia talks about what a workaholic her brother is.”

Lyle waved at Meredith as she rounded the
bar. “Can you box those up for us, please, and get us a couple of
to-go cups?” He looked at Erica. “Do you mind? I’d like to ride up
to his place and see if he’s home.”

“Should we call Olivia?”

Lyle took a deep breath and let it out
slowly. “Let’s check out his house first, and then we’ll call. I
know her, and if we tell her he’s not been seen since yesterday,
she’s going to panic and head this way.”

“I’m worried. What if he got stuck in the
storm?”

“Tommy’s lived here a long time. He’s smart
and resourceful. I’m sure he’s fine.” At least he hoped so, because
Lyle was starting to think something was wrong.

Chapter 44

Tommy waited for Gretchen to react, but she
simply stared at him as her eyes filled with tears.

She pushed against his chest and sat up, her
lip quivering. “You love me?”

He nodded and kept his face neutral while his
heart thumped frantically. He’d spoken too soon, he’d let emotion
override years of caution. He’d never uttered those words before,
not even to Gretchen.