Chapter 8

Bridal party pampering was always fun, but Regan found she was equally excited when the group was done and walking out the door. She and her entire staff sat like a platoon of wounded soldiers as the last tiara-wearing bridesmaid left the building.

“That is going to be one wild wedding,” Caroline said as she slouched down in one of the massaging pedicure chairs. “I can only imagine the pictures they’ll get and the stories they’ll tell afterward.”

“If I had to hear any more about edible underwear, I think I would have had to leave,” Todd said with a grin. “And believe me, nothing makes me happier than talking underwear and lingerie with women, but something about that group just made it seem…wrong.”

“Poor baby,” Regan laughed. “Did they traumatize you?”

Rising, Todd nodded. “Absolutely. Now if you ladies will excuse me, my shift is over. I am going home to rest up for my date tonight.” He grabbed his keys and headed for the door.

“Don’t forget the edible underwear,” Caroline called out and then broke into laughter at the way the color drained from his face.

Todd turned to Regan. “It’s even more traumatizing coming from your mother.” And with that, he left.

Caroline was still giggling when Regan sat on the chair beside her and clicked on the rolling massage setting. “I’m glad you think it’s funny to taunt the hired help.”

“Oh, please,” Caroline said with a smile. “That boy has done plenty of sharing way too much information with all of us about his sexual escapades. It was kind of fun to give him a taste of his own medicine.”

Regan looked at her mom and was stunned by the transformation. Caroline looked ten years younger; lately she had been smiling more than Regan could remember her doing in years. Caroline noticed Regan’s appraisal of her and squirmed a little. “What? What’s the matter? Do I have spinach in my teeth?”

Reaching over, Regan took her mother’s hand. “You really are happy, aren’t you? With Max, I mean.”

Nodding, Caroline squeezed her daughter’s hand. “I never imagined something like this would happen for me. I was content with my life and looked forward to the day when you would become a wife and a mother. I hadn’t realized I had given up on such a big part of my life until I met Max.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “It was so unexpected. Men never pay me much attention, so when Max approached me, it scared me to death. I mean, here was this big, burly man and he was talking to me and asking to come to my house!”

Regan laughed. “He had a camera crew with him, Mom, it wasn’t as if he approached you in a dark alley.”

“To me it was almost the same thing.” She faced Regan. “Most of the men I come in contact with are husbands of my friends or clients. I don’t know, maybe I gave off some sort of vibe that told men to back off, but Max was genuinely the first man since your father to seem to want to get to know me. It was a little unnerving.”

“Maybe you just weren’t ready until now. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Caroline shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. Either way, I wake up every morning and think, ‘Oh my goodness! I get to see Max today!’” She smiled. “It’s a wonderful feeling. I wish you would find someone who makes you feel the same way.”

I already have, Regan thought and for a brief moment considered sharing that fact with her mother, then shrugged it off. This was Caroline’s time to be in the spotlight, and she wanted to give her a little more time to have the focus on her. “You’re very lucky and I know that someday it will happen for me, too. And then we’ll make everyone around us sick with how happy we are!”

“That’s my girl! Watch out, because it happens when you least expect it and sometimes it’s even with who you least expect. Your father was a quiet and conservative businessman. Never in my life would I have imagined myself with someone as big and loud and hands-on as Max Bennett.” She fanned herself. “The man certainly has a way with his hands.”

Regan sat back and closed her eyes, shaking her head. “TMI, Mom… TMI.”

* * *

Regan had no idea what Sawyer had planned for their date this evening; he was being very secretive about it. Staring at the contents of her closet, she was clueless about how she was supposed to dress. But somehow tonight felt like a special occasion.

Something about this date seemed like a game changer.

Admiring her curvy form in the silky black lingerie she had purchased for this evening, Regan thought they really didn’t need much to attain maximum enjoyment of one another. They never ran out of topics to talk about and they had a lot of common interests—and then there was the sex. She sighed. Enjoyment seemed too mild a word for that.

Making her mind move away from that particular topic, Regan slithered into a little black dress and then reached for the stilettos. She didn’t often wear such racy shoes, but tonight she would make the sacrifice. She rummaged through her closet for a wrap to use when it cooled down later in the evening, and with one last glance at her reflection, headed down the stairs to wait.

Placing her purse and wrap by the front door, she walked to the kitchen and poured herself a drink of water. She was nervous. It didn’t make sense, because being with Sawyer was becoming familiar and something she embraced. Regan tried to put her finger on what it was. Surely she couldn’t be nervous because they were going out on an official date, could she? A small giggle escaped before she could stop it.

“For crying out loud,” she said with a shake of her head. “You’re a grown woman and yet here you are acting like a schoolgirl going on her very first date.” Immediately, thoughts of her mother and Max came to mind and Regan knew she wasn’t alone in what she was feeling. If she let the cat out of the bag on her relationship with Sawyer, would others see the kind of transformation in Regan that she’d seen in Caroline?

With a smile, Regan put down her glass. “I hope so.” Seeing her mother so happy made her happy, so maybe if Caroline saw how happy Regan was with Sawyer, it would have the same effect. You never can have too much happiness, right?

At six thirty on the dot, there was a knock at her door. Smoothing her dress and with a quick fluff of her hair, Regan opened the door to the man who was fast becoming as necessary to her as breathing. She saw a massive bouquet of tulips and irises in bold shades of reds and purples. “Oh, my,” she gasped as Sawyer walked in, dressed in a suit and tie.

“I wasn’t sure what kind of flowers you like, but when I saw these colors, they made me think of you.”

“Oh, Sawyer, they’re magnificent.” Taking them in her hands she leaned in to breathe in their perfume and hummed with pleasure. “They’re so beautiful and so perfect. Thank you.” Before turning to find a vase, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. “I love them.”

Sawyer wanted to deepen the kiss, but knew if he started, he wouldn’t want to stop. Tonight was about taking Regan out and showing her he enjoyed spending time with her—and not just in bed. He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she fluttered around in search of a vase. As she stretched to reach one he got a full glimpse of what she was wearing. The simple black dress hugged her every curve and was held up with tiny straps. The neckline wasn’t plunging, but it gave him a glorious view of her cleavage, where a small heart pendant on a gold chain nestled lovingly.

His gaze raked over her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and he almost stopped breathing at the sight of the stilettos. Good gracious! He couldn’t imagine how she could walk in them, and wondered if he should possibly change their plans for the night so they skipped the Art Walk. He was frowning when she turned around.

“Is everything okay?”

Sawyer felt ridiculous to voice his concern, but more than anything, he wanted this to be a perfect night for Regan and ending the night with blisters on her feet was not anybody’s idea of a perfect evening. He cleared his throat and tried to think of a way to say what he had to without it resulting in her changing her shoes.

They looked really good.

Sexy.

He could easily imagine making love to her later on with her wearing nothing but those shoes. “You just look so damn beautiful. You take my breath away every time I see you.” Taking the few steps to close the distance between them, Sawyer cupped her face and kissed her tenderly before pulling back. “I have this whole night planned and then I look at you and this incredibly sexy dress and those killer shoes and…well…”

“Am I overdressed? Should I go and change?” That wouldn’t make too much sense, she thought, since Sawyer was dressed in a suit and tie.

“No, no, Regan, you’re perfect. It’s just that I had planned on us doing the Art Walk in Raleigh, but I think that would be cruel to do to you in those shoes.”

She let out a throaty laugh and leaned back in to kiss him. “Silly man. We women can handle a little stroll around town even in killer heels. No worries. And if they really start to bother me, I’ll walk barefoot and just dangle them from my fingers.”

Sawyer couldn’t say why but even that sounded sexy. He had it bad, that was for sure. “I just wanted you to have a heads-up before we left. I had hoped to surprise you with it after dinner, but once I got a look at you, I wanted to make sure you were okay with the plans.”

Regan smiled and reached out to cup the side of his face. “I don’t care where we go. I’m just looking forward to going out with you tonight.”

Her words warmed him and Sawyer held out his arm. “Ready?”

Shyly, she hooked her arm through his and they walked together out to…a Mercedes? Regan looked from the car to Sawyer and back again. “Where did this come from? You have a truck. Where’s the truck?”

Placing a hand on the small of her back, he gently nudged her closer to the car. “I didn’t want to take you out in my work vehicle. I rented the car for the weekend. I figured it was much more suitable for a night out on the town and doing whatever else we wanted this weekend.”

“Oh, Sawyer,” she sighed. “You didn’t have to do that. I would have been fine with us using my car and, really, it would not have been an issue going out in the truck. I hate that you went through all this trouble just to take me out.” She pouted slightly and Sawyer spun her around in his arms.

“I didn’t want to take you out in the truck. I also believe a man should pick a woman up to take her out.”

She rolled her eyes at him playfully. “You were still taking me out, Sawyer.”

He shook his head. “No. I wanted to come here, pick you up, and take you out in my car. Well, a car that’s mine for the weekend.”

Regan kissed his cheek as Sawyer reached to open the car door for her. “You are very sweet, and I love the fact that you are old-fashioned, too. We have that in common.” Carefully, Regan lowered herself into the luxury car and made herself comfortable as Sawyer closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. Once he was seated and buckled in, he turned to her.

“Ready?”

“Are you kidding? I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for a night like this.” And with that, Sawyer pulled out of the driveway and took them toward a romantic new beginning.

* * *

“I am so full that it doesn’t matter what shoes I’m wearing, I need to walk,” Regan said with a laugh as they strolled hand in hand through downtown Raleigh. There were live bands playing and a variety of shops and art galleries open for them to explore. “I’ve lived here my entire life and have never once done this. How did you find out about it?”

“I did my research and tried to think of something that would be different—even if you’d done it before. This seemed like a good option.”

“It’s perfect. And so was dinner.” Regan placed a hand on her only slightly overfull belly.

Sawyer noticed and chuckled. “It’s refreshing to take out a woman who eats.”

She punched him in the arm. “Hey! I did not eat that much.”

“I didn’t say you did,” he bantered back. “It’s just that most women I know go out to eat and then pick at their meal. I was glad you enjoyed yours.”

“You will never have to worry about me turning down a meal. I could probably stand to skip a few—that’s why I’m a little more, shall we say, full-figured than is trendy right now.”

“Your body is perfect,” he said sternly, stopping them in their tracks. “There isn’t a damn thing wrong with you, and if you wanted to go someplace and eat right now, I’d take you. You name it, what would you like? Cake? Ice cream?”

She was laughing out loud now. “I couldn’t eat another bite right now if you paid me.” Then she stopped and considered her words. “But don’t hold me to that an hour or so from now. I almost never say no to ice cream.”

“Good to know,” he said with a nod, tucking that little tidbit of information away.

They continued to stroll and explore for what seemed like hours when Regan’s pace began to slow. “I know I said I could do this for hours, but I think I was being too optimistic.” Reaching down, she gracefully stepped out of the heels and then looped them over her fingers. The cool pavement felt wonderful on her sore feet and before she had gone more than five steps, she let out a shriek as Sawyer scooped her up into his arms. “Sawyer? Are you crazy? What are you doing?”

“I thought that would be obvious.”

“I know you’re carrying me,” she said as if she was speaking to a child. “What I don’t know is why.”

“I don’t want you walking on this pavement, you could hurt yourself. We’ll head back to the car.”

“That’s about four blocks from here!” she cried. “I’m fine, really. You can put me down.”

“Are you kidding me?” he asked with disbelief. “This could quite possibly be the single most romantic thing I’ve ever done and you want me to stop?” He was mocking her and added a small pout for good measure.

“You’re crazy,” she whispered, kissing him. “Fine, now you can say you swept me off my feet in every sense of the word.”

He beamed at her. “That’s my girl.”

* * *

They arrived back at Regan’s townhouse, and it was a given Sawyer was coming in with her. Regan would have asked him if he wanted to make sure they hit all the highlights of an official date, but she didn’t want to play. Sawyer had created the perfect night. Dinner had been magnificent, the restaurant was beautiful, the conversation had flowed, and strolling through downtown to the sounds of local musicians while admiring local artists’ works had been more amazing than she ever could have imagined.

Once inside, Regan didn’t turn on more lights. She had left a lamp on in the living room and its glow provided all the lighting she needed. Dropping her purse and wrap to the floor, she stepped in close to Sawyer and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I want to thank you for an amazing evening.”

Sawyer wound his arms around her, securing her to him. “The pleasure was all mine.”

Regan leaned in for a kiss, but Sawyer pulled back. Taking one of her hands, he led her to the sofa and sat down. “I still feel like we’ve skipped over some of the more timeless aspects of a date. We jumped ahead and missed out on some of the finer things.”

She lowered her eyes and smiled. “Like making out on the couch?”

“It’s a classic for a reason,” he teased and then pulled her in to cut off any further conversation. He started out just gently nipping at her lips and then kissing her cheek before venturing down the column of her throat. Regan let her head fall back on the sofa and purred his name. “A classic,” he repeated before working his way back up to her lips.

This time he was a little bolder. His tongue traced her bottom lip and Regan whimpered as she opened her mouth and let him inside. Their tongues did a slow dance with one another as Sawyer’s hand came up and traced lazy circles up Regan’s neck. Tentatively, Regan placed a hand on Sawyer’s chest and he took his free hand to hold it in place over his heart.

Over and over he kissed her. Her emotions were all over the place—she wanted to move things along, yet wanted time to stand still for them so that this night, this one perfect night, could last forever. Slowly, Regan began to move closer—she could hear the change in his breathing. Sawyer removed his hand from hers and made his way, featherlight, up her arm to her shoulder, gently kneading her there, then her neck, before venturing down to cup her breast. Her nipples were already hard and he played with them through the silky fabric of the dress until Regan was squirming beside him, panting his name.

“Make love to me, Sawyer,” she whispered. “Take me upstairs and make love to me.”

Without a word, Sawyer stood and scooped Regan up into his arms and strode up the stairs; he was a man on a mission. One small lamp was on next to her bed. Gently, he placed Regan on the bed, where she lay back, arms above her head, and watched as Sawyer first removed his jacket and tie, then his shoes and belt. By the time he placed a knee on the bed and leaned in to kiss her, she was certain she was about to go up in flames.

“I need you,” she said quietly.

“You have me.” Finally he began to remove her dress. Her heart rate kicked up when she saw the heat in his eyes as he studied the tiny pieces of black lace that barely contained her breasts. “If I had known this was what you had on underneath all night, I would have skipped the Art Walk.”

“You haven’t seen the rest of it,” she said.

* * *

Not one to pass up a dare, Sawyer continued to peel the dress down her body and let out a low whistle when he saw the matching lace thong she wore. He threw the dress to the floor and sat back on his heels, taking in the sight of her in black lace and stilettos and he thought his heart might explode in his chest. There were no words, simply none. He had told her she was beautiful, had said she was perfect, and yet right here, right now in this moment, those words were too small.

Reverently, he ran a hand up the length of her from her ankle to her face and looked his fill. He could see Regan’s pulse fluttering at her neck, could practically hear her heart beating, for he knew it often matched his own and right now his was roaring in his head.

“Please,” she finally said, breaking the silence, and with her hair fanned out on the pillows and her arms up in surrender, Sawyer gave up the fight. There would be plenty of time, years if he had his way, for him to look at her and touch her, but right now he needed to love her. He rose from the bed and removed his clothes, then reached over and removed the black lace that would forever be burned into his memory.

He left the stilettos on.

Regan arched a brow at him. “Indulge me,” he said as he took a foil packet from his pants pocket and sheathed himself before returning to the bed to cover her body with his. Her skin felt cool, yet it burned against his; she was smooth as silk and smelled good enough to eat. He smiled at how much he wanted to do just that.

All of her.

From head to toe.

He trailed kisses from her lips to her throat to her breasts, where he stopped and paid homage to them until Regan was writhing beneath him. Her fingers were raking through his hair while he nipped and suckled at each crest, and he could have spent hours there.

But there was so much more waiting to be explored.

Gently, he rained tiny kisses along her belly to her hip bone. Rough, callused hands that were used to hard work softly kneaded her hips and his mouth traveled farther, where he did a most thorough exploration of Regan that left her weeping with need for him. She begged for him, cried out for him, and was left shattered into a million pieces by him. It didn’t deter Sawyer; he was singularly focused, and until his mouth had finished feasting on all of her, he wouldn’t give her what she wanted most.

His tongue traveled the length of each long, silky leg and stopped briefly to kiss behind each knee and ankle before he began the entire process in reverse.

“Sawyer,” Regan panted. “You’re killing me.”

“Oh, no,” he said huskily. “Stay with me, baby. The best is yet to come.”

No truer words were ever spoken. As Sawyer traveled back up a body that was sheened with sweat and writhing in ecstasy, he thought he had never seen anything more erotic in his life. Regan naked except for the black stilettos and crying out for him pushed him over the edge. He wanted to see her like this bathed in moonlight. Reaching over, he turned off the bedside lamp and did his best to hold on to his control for another moment to take in the sight before him.

One last plea escaped her lips before Sawyer came down and covered her with all of him, hooking his right arm under her knee to help give him access to the heaven that was waiting for him. One smooth thrust convinced him he’d indeed died and gone to heaven; she was the perfect combination of wetness and tightness. If he didn’t reel his mind in, all the preliminaries would have been for nothing.

Slowly, he began to move inside her and Regan eagerly met his every motion. Her hands skimmed up and down his spine, now also sheened with sweat. The intensity of the gaze staring back at him made his breath catch in his throat. Never had a woman looked at him like this, never had he thought a woman could look at him like this. Every emotion Regan was feeling was right there before him and it was both humbling and overwhelming.

Because it matched all of his own.

Time lost all meaning as they continued to move together. There was no rush to a finish line, no need to do more than what they were doing right now—which was giving one another endless pleasure. Sawyer reached out both hands and braced them on Regan’s headboard for more leverage. She let out a cry of delight as he seemed to push even farther into her. With both legs wrapped firmly around his hips, he could tell she was close to yet another orgasm.

Sawyer changed his angle ever so slightly and that was all it took. Regan’s entire body shook with the intensity of her climax. He rode out each wave with her and when he felt her body calming down, he allowed himself to finally have his own release. Spasm after spasm rocked him as he filled her so completely he couldn’t tell where he ended and where she began. All Sawyer knew was that he barely recalled his own name or where he was, because all he could do was feel. Every nerve ending was on high alert and it would take a long time for him to come back down to earth and breathe.

It was a damn shame that he had to.

With as much finesse as he could muster, he collapsed on top of her and sighed with relief when Regan wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. Their heartbeats raged together in a mindless rhythm and Sawyer could only hope they both survived this. He smiled at the thought and a small chuckle escaped.

Breathlessly, Regan asked, “What’s so funny?”

He wanted to pull up and look at her, he sincerely did, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. “I’m not sure either of us is quite alive here.”

She chuckled too. “I know what you mean but what a way to go.”

Carefully, Sawyer rolled to his side and pulled Regan with him. She snuggled in close. Words weren’t necessary; it was enough to be in one another’s arms as they settled back into themselves. When their breathing finally evened out and Sawyer found the strength to pull the blankets up, he heard Regan sigh before she settled more firmly against him.

What did one say after experiencing what they just had? Sex had always been fun for Sawyer, but no woman had ever transformed him like Regan had. It was both terrifying and exciting, and right now all he wanted to do was tell her what he was feeling. Still, saying “I love you” to someone after a mind-blowing orgasm may not be the best way to go. If he had learned anything in his life, it was that people tended to say stupid things while in bed with one another in the afterglow.

But he sincerely felt it. He was in love with her, and he saw that love mirrored in her eyes. Why shouldn’t they be able to say this to each other? Why wait? There weren’t always perfect moments to make such a momentous confession, and who was to say that this wasn’t the right moment for it?

Regan stirred in his arms and he held his breath to see if she was awake or not. Lazily, she lifted her head, looked at him, and smiled. “Mmm,” she purred. “Hey, you.”

“Hey,” he whispered, placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Is it still nighttime or even the same year?”

Sawyer nodded and smiled. “I believe so. It doesn’t seem possible, though.”

Lowering her head, Regan kissed his shoulder and draped an arm across his chest and hugged him. “That was…amazing, simply amazing.”

“It’s you,” he replied. “You’re amazing.”

Regan shook her head. “It’s us. We’re amazing together.”

Here it was—this was the moment. Sawyer was ready to lay it all on the line when suddenly Regan released him and stretched. He waited a heartbeat to see what she was going to do, and was mildly surprised when she sat up and looked around the room.

“Are you okay?” he asked casually.

“I was just thinking about our date,” she said and turned to look at him. “I was so nervous about tonight.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been out on dates before, but something about tonight seemed…like something different. Something more.” Scooting back, Regan settled against the pillows. “I agonized over what to wear and what to say, and I can’t imagine why I made such a fuss out of it.” She looked at him again and smiled a serene smile. “It’s us. There’s nothing about us that should make me nervous.”

Her honest words moved him. Regan was right; there was nothing to be nervous about. In that moment Sawyer knew he could tell her exactly how he felt. If she wasn’t ready to say those three little words back to him, then he would be okay with it. Well, honestly—he would be disappointed, but he would survive. He would have to remember not to push, not make her feel pressured to say it back to him. Even though they seemed completely in sync with one another, it didn’t mean Regan was as comfortable telling someone she loved him as he was.

Wait, was he? Was he comfortable? How many times had he said he loved someone? Regan shifted positions, her head on his shoulder and her hand lazily tracing lines on his chest. It felt good. But back to the whole saying-I-love-you thing. When was the last time he had said it? He frowned as he racked his brain. Surely in his lifetime he had to have told someone that he loved them. Other than his father. A slight shake of his head had him realizing that in all his short-lived relationships, he had not only never said it to anyone, he had never felt it with anyone.

Was he really feeling it now? His heart rate kicked up and he thought he was going to have a mild panic attack. Why now? Why was he freaking out about this now? Two minutes ago, he was confident in telling Regan that he loved her. It was no big deal, he was ready. And now, because he had gone and overanalyzed it, he was second-guessing himself.

Because you’ve been waiting for Regan, a small voice inside him said.

But he wasn’t sure he was ready to believe that voice. It seemed too simple, too at-the-ready. Was it really possible he had been waiting all his life for just one woman? That subconsciously he was aware of that fact? It seemed a little too much to believe.

Regan lifted her head. “You seem to have quite a lot on your mind over there, Bennett,” she teased.

He looked at her as if he had forgotten she was there. “What? What do you mean?”

“I mean I can hear you thinking from here. Are you okay?”

Sawyer kissed her forehead and made a snap decision. “I am more than okay—damn near perfect.”

Relief seemed to wash over her. “Oh. Okay. That’s good.” She nibbled at her bottom lip, and now it was Sawyer’s turn to ask if she was okay. She nodded. “Like you, damn near perfect.”

“Okay, then.”

“But…”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “But…?”

“Okay, don’t laugh.” He made an X over his heart. “But I was thinking about our walk around downtown earlier…”

“Right…”

“And how wonderful dinner was…”

“Okay.”

She looked at him with a worried expression and then blurted out, “And now I want ice cream!”

Sawyer let out a full-body laugh and pulled her in close. She was trembling in his arms and he held her like that until they were both exhausted from mirth. “Well then,” he began, “please tell me you have some down in the kitchen.”

Breaking free from his embrace, she looked at him with patience. “Please—my freezer is always well-stocked in case of an emergency.”

Loving the playful banter, Sawyer kicked the blankets away and pulled her from the bed and into his arms. “I love a woman who is prepared.”