Chapter 42

Andrew

The wind and rain pummeled the windows, the water beyond the resort’s deck churning. Zeus was real, and he was very, very angry.

Sighing, I pressed my fist against my mouth.

“Andrew.” A soft touch on my shoulder pulled me away from the window. “What’s wrong?” Lanie asked.

It took me a few seconds to pry open my clamped jaw. “The weather isn’t looking good. I checked, and it looks like it’s rain all weekend. I’m sorry. The forecast was all sunny when I booked the other day.”

Lanie wrinkled her nose. “Who cares about the weather?”

“Me. This is supposed to be the perfect trip.”

Her hand trailed down my arm. “There’s no such thing.”
I opened my mouth to disagree, but the hostess approached. “Mr. Marx, your table is ready.”

With my hand lightly pressed against Lanie’s lower back, we followed the hostess away from the floor-to-ceiling windows, past the roaring fireplace, and to the cozy table at the back of the resort’s restaurant. As we passed other diners, I noted several men checking Lanie out before quickly averting their gazes.

That’s right, I thought, trying to keep the smug smile off my face. She’s all mine.

At the table, I held Lanie’s chair out for her, closely watching her slinky dress rustle as she adjusted herself on the cushion. The outfit she wore somehow managed to be casual yet sexy as hell. I shouldn’t have been surprised, really. That description basically summed up the way I always saw her.

Settling across from her, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at the windows again.

“Andrew.”

“Mm?”

Lanie smiled at me over her menu. “I don’t care if the weather ruins our chances of doing anything outside. I mean, I do, but if we end up stuck inside, I’m sure we’ll find other ways to fill our time.”

Her suggestive look nearly set me off. Leaning forward, I touched her knee under the table, enjoying the way her eyes went wide and her breathing quickened.

“That’s a good suggestion,” I answered. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind skipping dinner and heading upstairs right now.”

Lanie stifled a giggle. “Um, that’s … Okay, you have to stop.”

“Do I?” I rubbed her knee.

“Andrew,” she hissed, but her voice was all breathy, the lust not easily hid.

“Good evening!” a new voice chirped. “How are you doing tonight?”

Her face guilt-stricken, Lanie straightened up, and I pulled my hand away.

“Just fine,” I answered the waiter with a smile. “Thank you.”

We managed to keep our faces straight as we ordered drinks and an appetizer, but the second the waiter walked away, we both burst into laughter.

“You’re bad,” she accused.

“Only for you.” I let my eyes rest on hers. As I hoped, she smiled. “The room has a hot tub, by the way. Out on its porch. Even if we don’t get to go on the boat tour tomorrow, we can soak in that.”

Lanie’s bracelet slid down her arm as she tucked hair behind her ear. “Okay. I’m down with whatever.”

“Tell me what you want to do,” I said, taking her hand in mine.

“I just want to spend time with you,” she quietly answered, the intensity in her eyes taking my breath away.

Without warning, my chest swelled with emotion. How had I gotten so damn lucky? Years of having my nose buried in work, of thinking I had zero chances of finding another woman who was right for me, and then, suddenly, Lanie appears out of nowhere. Was it meant to be? A part of our predetermined lives?

My answer in that moment would have been an absolute yes.

“The wine here better be good,” she suddenly said, winking.

I laughed. “A run-down place like this? I’m sure it’s awful.”

We paused in conversation again as the drinks arrived. With each course, the conversation turned to a new topic. Raven. Lanie’s parents. Work—my own job being something I didn’t even want to think about, though I was more than happy to hear Lanie go over every detail regarding hers. Asking Lanie if she’d take a trip with me and Raven over the summer was on the tip of my tongue, but I held back. Though we hadn’t even been dating a full season yet, I already knew I wanted to spend winter, spring, summer, and next fall with Lanie.

I just didn’t want to scare her away with such a grand announcement. As normal as her role in my life had quickly become, things still felt delicate.

So I kept those thoughts to myself as we talked, laughed, and ate. For the time being, everything was perfect. The light dimmed as dessert came and passed. Half the other diners left the restaurant, and the candles flickered as mostly piles of melted wax.

“Ready to see the room?” I offered Lanie my hand, and her face lit up with excitement.

We’d had our bags sent to the room upon arriving and hadn’t seen the spot yet. Though I’d briefly looked at pictures online, I mostly went with Saxton’s suggestion and asked for the nicest room they had available.

Top floor. Full suite. A view of the harbor. Hot tub on the porch. I hoped Lanie would love it.

Judging by the gasp she emitted, she did.

“This place is amazing,” she cooed, going to the windows and looking out at the sparkling lights. The rain had stopped, leaving glass-streaked window panes in its wake. The effect made the view through the windows look like an abstract painting.

Wrapping my arms around Lanie’s waist from the back, I nuzzled my face into the top of her head. “I’m glad you think so.”

“Hot tub?” Her hands gripped mine in excitement.

“I wasn’t planning on staring at the thing all night.” I chuckled. “Go get your bathing suit on so I can fulfill my fantasy of taking it off you.”

Giving me a saucy look, Lanie skipped for the bedroom. I followed, eyes on her ass the whole time. We both opened our bags, but instead of changing in front of me, Lanie hurried to the bathroom.

Dropping my clothes on the bed, I pulled on my swimming trunks. “Do you need any help in there?” I called. “I’ll be happy to give you a hand. Or two.”

In response, the door opened. Lanie leaned against the frame, one arm above her head, her body seductively stretched out. I’d thought the black bikini she wore on Thanksgiving was revealing, but that was nothing compared to what she had on now. The tiny, red two-piece wasn’t much more than two thin strips of fabric, one going across her tits and one going between her thighs.

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

Lanie laughed. “You like it?”

I swallowed hard. “Forget the hot tub. Lay down on this bed and let me lick whipped cream off you.”

Smirking, she walked right past me. “I want to test out the hot tub. Just for a while. Wait.” She stopped, and I nearly bumped into her. “Is there whipped cream?”

I ran my knuckles over her shoulders. “I can order some. Go get in the hot tub.”

She kept walking and, once again, my eyes fell on her butt. My gaze seemed to be permanently glued there.

After ordering champagne and whipped cream—just in case—I grabbed two towels and joined Lanie on the porch. The soft lights made her face glow, the steam creating a hazy screen between the two of us.

“It’s hot,” she warned, “but amazing.”

I ceremoniously popped the bottle of champagne, the cork flying over the railing.

“Oh, gosh!” Lanie laughed into her palms. “You might have hit someone!”

“Hello!” I called over the balcony. “Anyone alive down there?” Frowning, I looked back to Lanie. “Sorry, babe. I don’t think they made it. Oh, well. We might as well enjoy our own lives.”

Lanie kept laughing, the gorgeous sound tickling my ears and filling my heart. Taking the two champagne flutes, I filled them to the brim, not minding the froth that bubbled over and spilled onto the patio’s boards.

Climbing carefully into the hot tub, I handed Lanie her champagne.

“What are we toasting to?” she seriously asked.

“Whatever you want.” I claimed the rest of the broad seat she sat on.

She sighed in pleasure. “I honestly can’t pick one thing. Everything is so perfect right now. I have a great job. Friends. Family. You.” Her eyes softened.

Deep appreciation rose in my chest and spilled into my mouth, where it yearned to give rise to words. Except there weren’t any. How could I properly convey to Lanie how much she’d changed me? I’d turned into a completely different person in the last month—and not because she’d forced me to. All Lanie had done was open the door and suggest I walk through it.

And thank god, I had. Now I couldn’t imagine going back to the way things were. Working all the time. Only seeing Raven for quick meals here and there. Shutting down my own desires for companionship or romance.

A long time ago, I’d known that life was good and that all it took for it to be that way were people to love. Losing my wife had shaken my belief in all that. Nothing felt secure after Danica passed. I fell asleep and didn’t even want to think about waking up.

Yet now here I was. Awake once more. Life was beyond amazing. I didn’t want to so much as blink. Not a half second was worth missing.

“What about you?” Lanie asked as if reading my thoughts.

A slow grin pulled at my lips. “I’d have to say that life is pretty damn amazing. So how about we toast to all of it?”

“Good for me.” She raised her champagne flute, and I tapped mine against it.

I kept my eyes on Lanie’s glass, watching as it met her lips and then went to the shelf next to the hot tub. With her hands free, I scooted forward and kissed her long and deep.

“Hi,” she whispered as I pulled back.

I found her leg in the water and rested my hand on it. “Are you having a good time?”

“I’m having an amazing time.” She sighed in pleasure and sank further into the water. “Can we move here?”

“To the resort?” I chuckled.

“I was being more specific than that. I meant into this hot tub.”

I sipped my champagne, watching her the whole time. “Let me make some calls. I’ll see what I can do.”

Without warning, her face became more serious. “Do you think Raven is all right?”

“Why wouldn’t she be? You think she’s lonely?”

“I-I don’t know.” She looked over at the harbor’s lights.

“It’s sweet that you’re worried about her.”

“I can’t help it.”

“She needs that.”

I pressed my lips together, wondering if I’d said too much. Lanie and I had never discussed exactly what we were looking for in a relationship. I didn’t know what her long-term desires were. I only knew I wanted them all to include me.

Slowly, I trailed my fingers up Lanie’s thigh and to her hip. Her lashes danced across her cheekbones.

“How is it that you get sexier each day?” I asked.

Lanie’s laugh was a sputtering one. “That’s quite the line.”

“It’s not a line,” I seriously said, lowering my face to hers. “It’s the truth.”

Lanie exhaled long, her breath grazing my lips. Shivers ran up my back and across my shoulders. This woman.

Hooking my thumb under her chin, I tilted Lanie’s face up and claimed her lips. They parted right away, sweet and ready for me. Those lips belonged to me, and they knew it.

I took my time, savoring each second Lanie allowed me to kiss her. With each pass of my lips against hers, she opened up more, her whole mouth loosening. I explored every inch I could get to. Teeth. Tongue. Lips. No part was ignored.

Underwater, my hands moved as well, one of them wrapping around Lanie’s waist while the other stroked up and down her leg. The familiar fire burned deep in my core, the ache a wild, painful one.

Breaking my mouth from hers, I exhaled heavily. “Is it just me, or is it hot in this tub?”

Lanie burst into laughter. “Wow.”

“At least you laughed.”

“That was pretty bad.”

“Mm. You like it.” I nipped her earlobe, and she squirmed against me.

“Andrew?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Take me inside. Please.”

A deep, animalistic growl flew from my lips. I didn’t need to be told twice. Climbing from the hot tub, I reached over and helped Lanie out before sweeping her up in my arms.

“Wait!” she shrieked. “The champagne!”

I paused, letting her grab the whole bottle before I carried her inside and straight to the bedroom.