A Moment To Love

“We can be whatever we want us to be.”

“You want to give us a try?” Her throat tightened as she waited for his answer.

“Yes, I think I do.” Desire burned in his eyes as his fingers traced the line of her cheek. “How about you?”

She stared straight into his eyes and nodded. “But the land deal—”

“Doesn’t have to dictate our relationship unless we let it.”

The word “how” hovered on her lips but was smothered when he leaned his head over to her. Her eyes fluttered shut as his mouth brushed hers. The slow, gentle kiss brought her body to life. Their problems faded into the gray, murky background to be dealt with later—much later.

His hands wrapped around her waist. Soon, she was nestled on his lap. His lips slid over hers. She exhaled a subtle moan. This was even better than her most steamy dreams. Those nighttime fantasies never made her heart beat so fast that she thought it might burst with anticipation like it was doing now.

In this moment, nothing mattered but the all-consuming hunger to taste more of his kisses. Cord took control, prodding and nudging her mouth to open up to him, to hold nothing back. His fingers tangled in her hair as his lips parted, inviting her tongue inside.

Mmm…he tasted of sweet berries from the wine. Yet his touch was far more intoxicating and addictive than the best bottle of grapes. He caressed the back of her neck. She slid her fingers beneath the collar of his black T-shirt. Her hand ran over his heated skin, and she was eager to feel more.

After witnessing his vulnerable side when he’d opened up to her, she found herself attracted to him inside and out. Oh, how she wanted to make love to him. Her fingertips explored the ridges and planes of his chest through the thin material of his shirt. Each stroke elicited another moan from him.

In the next instant, Cord got to his feet and lifted her in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she sent him a questioning look.

“I think we should finish this inside.” His voice was deep and filled with passion. And his eyes promised that the night had only just begun. Excitement awakened every part of her body.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The sound of Beethoven’s Fifth broke through Alexis’s dream of being held in Cord’s strong arms. She didn’t want to wake up.

Not now.

Later. Much later.

The ring tone continued to play, rousing her back to reality. She blinked as the bright morning sun peeped in the window. And then her mind kicked into gear. This wasn’t her motel room. The phone call disconnected, and silence fell over the room. The memory of the night before came rushing back to her. She had spent the night at Cord’s place—in his arms—his very capable arms.

A smile played at her lips as she recalled how they’d been awake most of the night, getting much better acquainted. She grinned. It’d been the most amazing night of her life.

And she’d learned something—well, she’d learned a number of delicious lessons—but one in particular stood out. Memories of last night wouldn’t be enough. She wanted more time. More caresses. More of everything. Eager for a repeat, she scanned the room for some sign of Cord. She frowned when she found herself alone. And then she spotted a scrap of paper with one word scrolled on it: Kitchen.

The handwriting was crude, almost as if a child had written it. How strange. She thought of dismissing it, but she felt as though she was missing something—something big.

She turned to her phone, knowing she needed to check her messages, but instead of reaching for it, she picked up the note. As she studied it, the wheels of her mind started to turn. She recalled the lack of reading material in the house. And then there was Cord’s unwillingness to read the flyer about the town meeting.

Was it possible Cord couldn’t read?

She glanced at the note again. Well, that wouldn’t be accurate, but there was something not quite right about the situation. But what? She couldn’t very well come out and ask him if he had a problem reading. She’d never want to hurt his feelings or make him feel small.

She’d known that feeling when her mother had left her father, but not before having a widely publicized affair with an associate of her father’s. The kids had called her mother all sorts of horrendous names and said that Alexis was just like her. No, it wasn’t the same as having a learning disorder, but in both cases they’d been made to feel like they were less than others.

Throwing on Cord’s discarded shirt, she grabbed her phone and padded barefoot to the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. Ever since she’d set foot in Whistle Stop, she’d been off her diet. At this rate, none of her business suits would fit. She had to do better. Eat less. And exercise more. In fact, she’d go for a run this evening. She’d been slacking off on those lately.

When she reached the kitchen, it was deserted. Cord must already be hard at work. She was sorry that she’d missed him. Too bad he hadn’t woken her up before he’d slipped away for the day. She had just turned to head back to the bedroom when another note caught her eye. It rested on the island. She picked it up and found more of the crude handwriting, but she could make out the words. Following the instructions, she opened the warmed oven to find a foil-wrapped plate with scrambled eggs, a bagel, and a slice of ham. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

So much for her diet. Maybe she’d start it tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow sounded much more doable. She reached into a nearby drawer for a fork. She should have felt ashamed by the speed with which she inhaled the more-than-generous portions, but she was so hungry and it was so delicious.

Alexis had swallowed the last bite of ham when the back door swung open. She turned to find Cord smiling at her. Heat flamed in her cheeks. She must look a mess, and there he was all showered and dressed.

“Hey there, sleepy head. Glad to see you enjoyed the food.”

She ran a hand over her hair. “It was delicious. Thank you.”