I’m really not sure how it happened. I don’t much care how I came to be pinned to my bed, with Elias on top of me. I have no idea what happened in the car, or why he changed his mind. I’m just glad he did. I can feel his cock hard against my thigh, and I need him. Again. With a wrestling move that would make my brother proud, I bring my leg up and push him over onto his back with our lips never parting.

“What are you doing, Imp?” he asks, his eyes intensely gazing into mine.

I bite my lip and move my hips, grinding down on him. “Having my way with you.”

He groans and runs his hands through my hair, giving it a tug. I nip his bottom lip and he tightens his grip, thrusting his tongue into my mouth. I tear my lips away and begin kissing my way down his neck. I slide my tongue over his hardened nipples and grin when he sucks in a surprised breath of air. With my final destination only a few inches further down, I take my time, paying equal attention to each and every dip and swell of his tight muscles.

I’m not a novice at blowjobs. I’ve given a few. But I’ve never felt such an intense charge as when I take him in my mouth, and he begins to swear. It’s a powerful feeling to bring such raw emotion to such a strong, dominant man. I lick him from root to tip, swirling my tongue around the beautiful bulbous head. His salty taste invades my mouth.

A surge of wetness runs down my leg as I take him deep. His hips buck and his hands tighten in my hair, but he makes no move to direct my movements. When his cock hits the back of my throat, I feel his hands untangle from my hair to pull me upward—he takes my mouth hard. I break away just long enough to reach for a condom in my bedside table and tear it open with my teeth. I roll the latex on with trembling fingers.

I can’t wait any longer to feel him inside me. I straddle his hips and slowly lower myself onto his hard cock, our gazes locked together as we’re both filled with the pleasurable tightness. His eyes flutter as I bottom out, and I whimper from the perfect fullness.

“Shit,” he groans, closing his eyes and soaking in the feeling of our joined bodies.

I brace myself on his rock-hard abs and slowly begin a wild ride. With a hiss, he lifts his head and looks at me with unbridled desire, and I feel a pull in the depths of my core. I toss my hair back, circling my hips and brushing my clit against his pelvic bone on each sensual rotation.

His hands move to my hips, his fingers digging into my skin, prompting me to go faster, deeper, harder. Pressure begins to build. Somehow, he knows and moves his hands to my breasts, his thumbs tweaking my rigid nipples. With one hand, he finds my clit and I shatter as he teases it between his fingers.

I cry out as pleasure overtakes me. Each pulse of my muscles pulls him deeper. Elias grabs my hips, and with one upward thrust, I feel the heat of his seed erupting inside me as it fills the condom. My arms and legs quiver from exertion as I collapse. My heart hammers against my chest just as fast as Elias’s does against my ear.

We lay there entwined until our breathing slows and the room grows chilled. Elias gets up to take care of the condom and comes back to bed. I roll right back to the position I was in. The hairs on his chest tickle my nose and I adjust, putting my palm over his heart and resting my cheek on my hand. I can’t really process what just happened. It felt like so much more. “I’m glad you changed your mind.”

He strokes my hair. “Me, too.”

I want to ask him why, but I don’t. For one, I’m too exhausted to get into anything deep tonight, and I am also afraid of what he may say. Instead, I let the beat of his heart lull me to sleep.

There’s no better way to wake up than already halfway to an orgasm. By the time I’m fully awake, it only takes a few more swipes of his tongue to send me over the edge and have me gasping for breath. Best wakeup call ever.

I grin at his satisfied face. “Thank you, that was a lovely way to start the day. If you give me a minute, I’ll return the favor.” Tremors still run through my body as I try to catch my breath.

Elias chuckles as he scoots off the bed and picks me up. “I have a better idea. And you don’t really have to do anything.”

His better idea includes shower sex. I don’t complain—I’m not crazy. After we dress, I pour us both a bowl of cereal since I’m already running late. Elias pulls me onto his lap, and I go willingly.

“Today’s going to be crazy. I’ll warn you now.” I try to prepare him, but until you live through my crazy schedule, it doesn’t really hit home. It’s showtime. He nuzzles my neck and my nipples swell.

“I understand. I have those days, too, when a deadline is the next day and we still have tile to lay and a hundred things on our punch list. I’ll be at your shop to help unload.”

“That sounds great.” I take a last sip of coffee before sprinting out the door, but Elias has other ideas. His hand creeps up my shirt and cups my breast. “Elias,” I scold, but I don’t try to move away.

“Just a kiss goodbye.”

After a scorching kiss, my legs are shaky, but I somehow make it to my truck and into the shop. My brain is still fuzzy from sex and I want to think about nothing but last night, but one glance at today’s to-do list makes me realize I have way too much to do and so little time to do it in. I’d just turned the closed sign to open when my mom and Grammy come in.

“Good morning, dear,” my mom says, kissing my cheek.

Grammy ties her work apron on and says, “Your young man is very handsome.”

“And nice, too. Your father liked him also,” Mom adds. I see where this is going.

“Wait a minute, you two.” I stop pulling flowers from the coolers. “He’s not my young man. We’re just friends.” Mom and Grammy give me identical skeptical looks. I want to stamp my foot and insist they believe me.

Mom’s left brow rises, like it’s always done when she’s trying to dig the truth from me. “Ms. Blanche said he spent the night. Again.”

How… I shake my head and duck back in the cooler to pull out a bucket of hydrangea and set it on the worktable in front of my two nosey relatives. “No. I’m not discussing this with you. We have a lot to do today. Mom, can you start the garlands, and Grammy, could you start on the bridesmaid’s bouquets? The flower order should be here within the hour.”

I don’t wait for their answer, nor do I see their scheming glances at each other. Instead, I get busy and don’t have another thought until I hear the bell above the door. I look up and see Elias. I sigh as he steps into the shop and runs his eyes over the room until he finds me behind the work table. He grins and my heart flutters at the handsome picture he creates even with that silly ballcap. He must have stopped by his room at the B&B to change clothes, because he’s wearing a pair of well-worn blue jeans and a dark gray Henley pullover. Both fit tightly to his body. A body that I enjoyed immensely last night and again this morning. My nipples must have remembered too, since they’re now poking against my t-shirt.

“Hey,” Elias says as he walks around the work table and leans in for a kiss. What started out as a simple greeting somehow turns into something more. It’s like my body recognizes him and remembers the pleasure he can deliver. A throat-clearing from the workroom doorway brings us both back to the present, and he takes a reluctant step away but not before brushing my lips once more.

“Good morning, Elias,” Mom says, with too much cheer, and an “I told you so,” in her voice.

Elias takes a step back before saying, “Ms. White. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Now, we’ll have none of that. I told you to call me Polly.” She turns to me, “Sweetie, the delivery truck is here.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Elias winks at me before he leaves to go out back.

My mom looks at me as she goes out the door to help. Yeah. She didn’t miss a thing.

Elias jumps right in and has no problem lugging the heavy crates from the refrigerated delivery truck into the shop workroom. He finishes much too soon and leaves me his rental car, taking my truck to pick up the boxes of table linens and other things we’ll need to decorate. He promises to be at the Manor house when the rental company delivers the tables and chairs. I gave him a detailed diagram of the setup, and how to drape the tulle and twinkle lights over the beams of the stable, so I hope that when I get there tomorrow, I can go straight to decorating. I just hope I can get a few hours of sleep first. I spend a few moments thinking about Rachael going through the same mad rush to the finish line as I am. She’ll be lucky to get any sleep tonight.

By five o’clock, I send Mom and Grammy home, but I still have about six more hours of work. My fingers are starting to cramp, and the headache I’d been ignoring most of the afternoon is making it difficult to focus. All I really want to do is go home and soak in a hot bath. With Elias.

I finish up the arrangement that will sit on the registration table and carry it to the cooler. I check the work board. Still four more to go. As I pull the flowers for the next vase, I hear a text on my phone and smile as I read...

Elias: Finished at the manor. Looks good.

April: That’s great! Tku!

Elias: Want me to bring you dinner?

Yeah. That would be amazing. But I glance around my workroom and see all that still has to be done. If Elias brings dinner, I’d finish even later. Plus, I know we would end up consuming much more than dinner. So as much as it pains me, I type.

April: No thanks. I have too much left to do.

Elias: Can I help?

April: No. I’ve got it. Sorry. I told you it would be a rough few days.

Elias: No worries. See you tomorrow?

I pause before I answer. The thought of not sleeping in Elias’s arms tonight suddenly hits me. Rationally, I know that I’ll fall into bed late tonight, then get up early and rush to the Manor. I’ll be too tired to talk to Elias, much less anything else. But we have so little time left, and I don’t want to miss out on a single second.

April: There’s a spare key in my truck if you want to spend the night?

There. I left it up to him. I watch the three little dots dance on the screen, indicating he’s replying.

Elias: Perfect. I’ll see you later.

Smiling, I get back to work and make myself focus on flower arrangements instead of Elias. I stumble through the door a little after two in the morning. Elias takes one look and picks me up, carrying me to the bathroom where he runs a bath, undresses me, and helps me into the tub. While I soak, he brings me a glass of wine and a takeout order from Sixth Street Diner that he’d kept warm in the oven. Chicken Alfredo, my favorite. I sigh in pleasure as the stress from my long day melts away. Sinking down in the warm water, I wonder how I got this lucky.

He sits on the vanity while I soak and wolf down my food as we catch up on our day. When I finish my food, the water has grown cold and my eyes are drooping. Elias helps me out, dries me off, and carries me to bed. I’m happy that tomorrow is the culmination of all our hard work, but I feel sad because I know that will mean Elias has no reason to stay.

When he slides under the cover and pulls me into his side, I’m asleep before my next breath.

“Are they wrapping up dinner service?” Rachael asks as I put a tub of dirty glasses on the counter we’d rigged up inside a makeshift kitchen in the Manor. The wedding had gone off without a hitch. And if I do say so myself, it was dreamy perfection. The reception dinner is winding down, and soon the dancing will begin.

“Yes. And you’d know that if you went to the barn and checked.” I’ve never known Rachael to be completely invisible at a catering event. She’s always been on the front line like a drill sergeant.

“I told you I have too much to do in here.” Rachael wipes an already-clean counter and I want to call bull. She’s been acting strangely since we arrived, and I can’t figure out why. “It’s just that I’ve never known you not to be a controlling force with the servers and wait staff. You’re usually running all over the place, micromanaging everything.”

She shrugs, and I watch her scurry around the room, accomplishing absolutely nothing. “Debbie can handle it. Besides, I’ve basically been up for twenty-four hours. The food and goodies didn’t make themselves, you know,” Rachael says with a little too much bite.

Maybe she’s just nervous because celebrities and a famed New York chef are in attendance. I’ve even had a few gaga moments myself. “I know you have. Everything’s been wonderful, so don’t worry. We’ve gotten lots of compliments. Hey, Filthy Arc are going to be playing their first set soon. Elias said he’ll introduce us to the guys.” Instead of answering, Rachael wipes her hands on the mop rag at her waist and disappears into the pantry. A few moments later, she reappears with a bag of potato chips from the stash of snacks we keep on hand for when we’re working late on the manor house.

“I’m not interested.”

My eyes narrow as she pops the bag open and begins to stuff her face. “Since when?”

I wait patiently for her to swallow. “Come on, April. I haven’t listened to them since high school. My tastes changed. Can you go check with the bartender and see if he’s running out of anything?”

I know she’s brushing me off by changing the subject. She fiddles with a tray of lobster puffs that are already perfectly arranged. She was practically in love with the lead singer in high school. I thought she’d be thrilled to meet him in person. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”

“I’m going to go get another case of soda from the van, just in case we need it,” she calls over her shoulder on her way to the front door.

“Okay. I’ll see you in a few,” I call to her retreating back and make my way to the bar, but with everyone stopping to comment on the venue and food, it’s closer to twenty minutes before I return. I’d no more than stepped into the house when I meet Rachael leaving in a frantic panic.

“Rachael, are you okay?” I take her hand, and it’s obvious she’s not okay. She’s white as a sheet and her hands are shaking.

“I’m not feeling well. I must be coming down with the flu. I’ve got everything under control in the kitchen and my staff know how to close, so don’t worry about anything. I’m going home now.”

That answers so much. She’s probably getting sick and didn’t want to let anyone down. Getting sick on top of working nonstop through the night? It’s no wonder she’s been acting strangely. “Oh, honey, you should have said something. Do you need me to take you? You look like you shouldn’t be driving.”

“I’ll be fine. Really.” She glances over her shoulder and heads for the door.

“Is Henry at home?” I call as she’s leaving.

“No, he’s staying with a friend tonight. I’ll be fine April. Really. I need to rest.” She gives me a weak smile.

“Okay, honey, but call me if you need anything.” I walk through the kitchen to go out the back door. I pause—Rachael was right. She already has most everything cleaned up. The pantry door opens, and I jump. My eyes widen even more when I see who exits. Kyle Welsh and a cute, petite blonde. I’ve seen Kyle on stage once, but meeting him up close and personal is a bit shocking. I never realized how tall he is. He must be six four, at least. His hair is every bit as jet black as Rachael’s, and I’d never realized his eyes were green.

He swaggers into the room and his eyes alight on me. “Ay, love, do ya know the little bird that just flew out of here?”

Talk about charisma. With his handsome looks and lilting Irish accent, Kyle Welsh has it in spades. My heart is fluttering from just being this close to him. “Um, do you mean Rachael?”

“Does she have a last name?” he asks and smiles, giving my heart something else to stutter over.

What did he ask? Oh… “Hart. Rachael Hart. Why?”

He hits me with his sparkling green eyes before answering. “No reason. I think we may have scared the little bird away is all.” He grins.

“Come on, Kyle. It’s time for the band to play.” The blonde tugs on his arm.

“Later, sweets.” He gives me a stellar smile, and I almost drool. Rachael is going to hate that she missed him.