Chapter Eleven
Piper had convinced Chase to turn on the heat in Eli’s old trailer. She wouldn’t take Tristen away from the ranch. And she couldn’t go and leave her son behind. But she wasn’t going to stay in the same house as Eli, the same suite as Eli, seeing him day in and day out.
She couldn’t bring herself to do it.
The trailer was finally warming up. She’d scrubbed down the kitchen, and she’d laundered the sheets. It was distracting to be putting them back on the bed where she and Eli had made love. But she’d get over that. Over time, it would fade to a distant memory.
She wished it was a distant memory already. Maybe then her skin would cool down, her lips would stop tingling, and she’d quit imagining Eli’s scent was on the air currents.
“Piper?” His deep voice stopped her cold.
Her stomach bottomed out, and she turned to face him. The pillow in her hand became a shield, and she held it against herself.
“You can’t be here,” she told him, embarrassed by the quaver in her voice. “You can stay in the house. Tristen can stay in there with you if he wants. But I’m going to be out here. I can’t—” Her voice cracked. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Piper.” He took a step toward her.
“Stop!”
He stopped. “Piper, I’m sorry.”
“About what? What are you sorry about?” There was an embarrassing squeak in her voice. “Getting me pregnant? Forcing me to move to Montana? Fighting me on Tristen? Throwing me at Lucas? Humiliating me? Breaking—”
She stopped talking and pressed her fingers to her lips.
Eli had broken her heart. Over and above everything else, he’d broken her heart and she didn’t see how she could recover.
“Do you hate living in Montana?” he asked.
She didn’t hate living in Montana. She didn’t even mind fighting with Eli about what was best for Tristen. She could even have recovered from Eli turning her down when she offered to have a baby with him.
It all came down to one thing, one horribly painful thing. She loved him, and he didn’t love her back.
“I don’t hate living in Montana,” she admitted.
He ambled forward. “You only hate living with me.”
She didn’t answer that. She wished she could hate Eli.
“The thing I’m most sorry for…” his voice trailed off “…is for being such a fool.”
He was right there in front of her now. He was rugged and sexy, really an incredibly gorgeous man. His voice strummed along her nervous system. His scent surrounded her in the small room.
She wanted him more than she wanted her next breath, and the only thing protecting her was a flimsy feather pillow.
In slow motion, he brushed her hair back from one cheek.
His deep voice dropped to a whisper. “And I’m sorry for hurting you.”
He leaned ever so slightly toward her.
She sucked in a breath.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m sorry I let us spin out of control.”
“Eli.” She didn’t know what she was saying. Eli, stop. Eli, kiss me, Eli, love me.
“I want to kiss you,” he said, his sweet breath puffing against her lips. “Can I at least kiss you?”
She knew she should say no, but she found herself giving him a shaky nod.
His lips touched hers. They were gentle. They were firm. They were warm then hot. His lips parted, and hers followed.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her against his body.
Warmth, strength, and electricity pulsed from his touch, moving through her, weakening her limbs.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head, letting him deepen the kiss as she sank into his strength.
She was raw with hurt. He was the last person who should comfort her. But he was comforting her. And for these few moments, nothing hurt anymore. She let herself close her mind to the past, to the future, and to the world outside this room.
He kissed his way down her neck, nudging her T-shirt out of the way, pushing her bra strap aside to access the tip of her shoulder. He left a trail of heat, a trail of moist cool, a trail of pleasure and arousal that permeated through her.
His hand slipped under her shirt, skimming the skin of her stomach.
“This has always been so good,” he whispered, his lips returning to hers. “We connect. The crap goes away and we connect.”
She couldn’t disagree with him. Aside from her arousal that was growing with every passing second, she felt close to Eli when they were making love. Close in a way that seemed to be healing, that seemed real, that seemed to obliterate their problems.
“Let me close,” he said. “Please, Piper. Let me get close again.”
She wanted that too. She wanted it so badly.
She peeled off her shirt.
His dark blue eyes seemed to burn in the filtered light.
She snapped off her bra and bared her breasts.
He tossed his coat and peeled off his shirt, drawing her to him, bare skin to bare skin.
His kisses began anew, harder and deeper, with a new purpose.
She drank in the kisses, tracing the contours of his shoulders, his chest, his back, and stomach. She loved his solid body. Like that first moment, years ago, when she was in his strong arms, it seemed like nothing in the world could hurt her.
She wanted to stay here forever.
Why couldn’t she stay here forever?
He popped the button on her jeans.
She held her breath as he slid down the zipper. His knuckles grazed her silk panties, heating the sensitive flesh beneath them.
“Okay?” he asked.
“Yes.” Her voice was breathless. Her body was breathless. She wanted Eli with all her heart.
She unfastened his jeans and reached beneath.
“Oh, yes.” He groaned.
Then he pushed off her clothes and shrugged out of his own clothes, and in seconds they were sprawled on the crisp sheets.
He smoothed back her hair and stared into her eyes.
“You are so incredibly beautiful.”
She smiled, relaxed for the first time in days, maybe weeks, maybe years. “So are you.”
She kissed his shoulder, then his pecs, then came back to his mouth.
He hugged her tight, nudging her thighs apart with his.
She willingly complied, impatient to have him inside her, impatient to be one with him again.
He pulled his head back, watching her face as he slowly entered.
Her world got better and better and better.
“Oh, Piper,” he breathed.
“This is why it happened,” she said. “This is why it always happens. You’re paradise. You’re my only paradise.”
He kissed her then, slow and deep and firm, his tongue stroking hers.
His hips flexed in slow motion.
She tilted to meet him, content with the languid pace, letting absolute bliss pulse through her with every stroke.
She loved him. She bit back the words. But she loved him so very, very much.
His breathing increased, growing deeper and sharper.
Her mind started to blur, blood pounding through her brain.
Their pace increased, and her thoughts turned to Eli, Eli, Eli. She moaned with him, and cried out his name.
Pleasure spun tighter and tighter inside her until it became unbearable. She catapulted over the edge, hearing Eli shout her name. The world pulsed in heat and colors and roaring sound.
Minutes ticked past.
Eli was a comfortable weight on top of her.
They were still joined, and she didn’t want to move. She didn’t want the world to intrude on her moments of bliss.
“I had a plan,” Eli’s voice rumbled in her ear.
“Please don’t say anything.” She was desperately clinging to the fantasy.
“I had a plan,” he repeated.
Then he rose to look down at her. He smoothed back her hair that was strewn over her face. “This wasn’t my plan.” He gave her a brief, gentle kiss. “But then I saw you, and I touched you, and I kissed you.” His voice trailed away.
She didn’t know what to say. She was afraid to say anything that might break the mood. She didn’t want him to pull away. She didn’t want him to leave. And she sure didn’t want to fight with him.
“I have flowers,” he said. “They’re in the kitchen. These pretty cream-colored roses I picked up in Marietta.”
“Flowers?” she asked, puzzled.
“And I made a reservation. Dinner and a nice room at the Pine Creek Valley Inn. It’s pretty up there. It’s really pretty.”
Fear was starting to form inside her. Was he going away? Had he come to say goodbye?
“And a ring,” he said. He lifted her hand and kissed the backs of her fingers. “I bought a ring…a diamond ring.”
She held her breath, confusion, hope and anxiety all swirling around in a cocktail.
“I love you, Piper. I am hopelessly and completely in love with you. I want to have another baby. I want to marry you. I want us to make a big, beautiful, wonderful family together.” He wrapped his big hand over hers. “Please tell me that’s possible. Please tell me I haven’t ruined any chance at all.”
Piper could barely take it all in.
Eli loved her? He loved her?
Her dreams were coming true right here in front of her eyes.
“Piper?” he prompted, looking worried. “Please say something.”
“I love you,” she said. “I love you, Eli Merrick.”
“Thank goodness.” He swooped in for a lingering kiss.
“You’re a great father,” she said. “And you’re an amazing man.”
He smiled. “Let me count the ways that you’re amazing.”
“Sure,” she said in a happy, teasing tone. Then she paused. “You’re going to do it now, right?”
“Maybe later.”
She put on a pout.
“You haven’t said yes yet. Marry me, Piper.”
Pure joy was a bright glow in her chest. She nodded. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Eli.”
*
Tristen held Lucy’s hand as they exited the elevator on the maternity ward. His new cousin Amber May was only seven hours old, but the entire family was anxious to get a look at her.
Zane had come home between bull-riding events. Lucas had hopped on a red-eye. And Wyatt had flown in yesterday as soon as Maddy had gone into labor.
Tristen didn’t like to think about the labor part. And he sure didn’t want to think about childbirth. He was almost afraid to see Maddy, worried about how she’d look after all that.
They came to the nursery viewing window.
“They are sure tiny,” Lucy said.
Tristen checked out each of the name tags. “That’s her there.” He pointed to the third clear bassinet. Amber May wore a little pale pink hat, and she was swaddled in a white and pink blanket.
They moved a little to the left for a better view.
Amber had red blotches, and a wrinkly, squished-looking face.
“I want to say she’s adorable,” Lucy said cautiously.
“I think their looks must improve with time,” Tristen said.
All the babies looked pretty much the same. None of them were going on a baby food jar anytime soon.
“I’d be afraid to hold her,” Lucy said.
“I’m not planning to hold her.” Tristen couldn’t wrap his head around the awesome responsibility of holding something that small and fragile-looking. He’d be terrified he would hurt her.
Tristen’s mom and dad arrived to stand beside them.
“Look at her,” Piper said with awe in her voice. “She is absolutely beautiful.”
Tristen and Lucy exchanged a glance.
“Look at her, Eli,” Piper repeated, putting a hand on her own stomach.
At six months pregnant, Tristen’s mom looked healthy and happy. Her stomach was definitely growing, but it didn’t seem to slow her down at all.
Eli’s hand covered Piper’s. “Soon we’ll have one just like her.”
The phrasing caught Tristen’s attention. “You’re having a girl?”
“We just saw the ultrasound,” Eli said. He was beaming.
Tristen could hardly believe it. He was going to have a little sister. It suddenly seemed very real to him.
Lucy leaned close and stretched up to whisper. “You might have to give in and hold that one.”
Tristen knew he had three months to get ready. Maybe once Amber May was a little stronger, he could practice with her.
Chase and Riley came through the door at the end of the hall.
“Did you see her, Tristen?” Riley shouted, oblivious to the convention to be quiet in a hospital. “She’s teeny, teeny, tiny!”
“I saw that,” Tristen said to his five-year-old cousin. “Congratulations on having a little sister.”
“Do you think she’ll want to play diggers?” Riley reached up to Tristen.
Tristen lifted Riley onto his hip so he could see through the window. Months of working on the ranch had increased Tristen’s strength. Although Riley had grown, he seemed even lighter than he had last year.
“Probably not right away,” Tristen answered Riley. “I doubt she’ll do much of anything for a while.”
“They cry,” Riley said with authority. “You should have heard them all earlier.” He clapped his hands over his ears to demonstrate.
“Babies do cry,” Tristen agreed.
“You should go home and get some sleep,” Eli said to Chase. “It’s been almost forty-eight hours.”
Chase nodded toward Riley. “This guy’s pretty wired.”
“I can take him,” Tristen said. He glanced at Lucy to make sure it was okay with her.
She nodded. “We can take him for lunch and ice cream.”
Riley’s attention perked up. “Ice cream? Can I, Dad? Can I?”
“You’re sure?” Chase asked Tristen.
“We’ll take him for a few hours.” Tristen would much rather take care of a five-year-old than a newborn.
“Do you want to say hi to Maddy first?” Chase asked Tristen.
“Is she too tired?” Tristen found his gaze going back to Amber May.
She might be tiny, but he understood the mechanics of childbirth. He had nothing but respect and sympathy for Maddy. He couldn’t help but be glad he was a guy.
“She’d be happy to see you.”
“I’ll wait here.” Lucy reached out her arms to take Riley.
“We’re gonna buy the baby a rattle,” Riley said to Lucy, putting his hands against the glass. “She doesn’t know anything yet. So, she’s kinda boring. But Dad says she’ll like a rattle.”
“We could go shop for a rattle,” Lucy said.
Tristen left them to join Chase.
“Told you she was a keeper,” Eli muttered to Tristen as Tristen passed him.
Tristen looked to Eli to roll his eyes at the know-it-all attitude. As their gazes met, Tristen was reminded of how quickly he was catching up to Eli in height. He liked that.
“Did I say anything different?” Tristen asked.
Eli just grinned.
“Don’t tease him,” Piper said to Eli as Tristen walked away.
“He can take it. Besides, just because you’re young, doesn’t mean you don’t know.”
“Like you knew?” Piper challenged.
Tristen walked faster. He really didn’t want to overhear his parents taking about their relationship.
“I knew.” Eli’s voice followed Tristen. “I knew from the first second I laid eyes on you.”
The End