Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ERIN
H is eyes are hot, the gold flecks practically shooting fire as he rounds on me, still not touching me.
“You’re not a goddamn science experiment. You’re a woman living in my home , taking care of my kids. For fuck’s sake, Erin, it’s more than that, and we both know it. I want you. I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you in that coffee shop. You said yourself that the feeling’s mutual, yet I’ve been thrown for one hell of a loop.”
“Why? Because my father’s famous? Because I have a trust fund at the ready that I could use to make my life easier?”
“Yes.”
Well, at least he didn’t lie about it. Sure, it stings, but he didn’t lie.
“I didn’t figure you for a gold digger.” I regret the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth, and I clamp my hands over my lips as Rem’s eyes narrow into pissed-off slits.
“Do you think,” his voice is quiet and way too calm. Anger radiates from him, his muscles bunching in agitation. “That I give one shit about your motherfucking money?”
“No.” I shake my head. Jesus, I want to reach for him, hug him, and soothe him. “No, I don’t, and that was so completely out of line.”
“But you do think it because otherwise, you wouldn’t have said it. You threw me for a loop because I see a man walking up to my front door, and it’s Will fucking Montgomery, who happens to be looking for his daughter. That threw me for a loop. Hell, it would have thrown anyone, but don’t ever think that I give a shit about your money.”
“I don’t think it.” I drop my head into my hands now, so embarrassed that tears threaten. “How can we know absolutely nothing about each other, after all of these weeks, and you still want to kiss me?”
Wait, did I just say that last part out loud?
Fuck me.
“Let’s sit.” Rem gestures to the chairs on the porch, and I drop down into one and pull my legs up to my chest because I need to hold on to something. “We have a few hours before the kids come home, so let’s take some time to actually get to know each other.”
“I’m sure you have other things to do.”
He shakes his head. “Nothing more important than this. Obviously, you have some frustration surrounding your dad and the money he made. Talk to me about that.”
I lick my lips, trying to pull my jumbled thoughts together. “It was wonderful to see him. I haven’t been home in a few months, and I have been missing them. I love my dad, and we get along well 99 percent of the time. He’s fun. Will Montgomery is the class clown of the family, you know? He’s funny, and everyone wants to be near him. Even me.”
I stretch my legs out now and cross them at the ankles, looking out at the pasture.
“The biggest bone of contention between us is money. I have a trust fund, like you heard. It’s not simply a couple million, Rem. It’s more like fifty million. It’s an uncomfortable amount of money.”
“For some,” he agrees, and I smile.
“Yeah, for some. Obviously, I didn’t grow up poor. The opposite, actually. I never wanted for anything, and I’m grateful for that. Luck of the draw, birth-wise, you know?”
He nods, listening.
“And it’s not just my dad that’s done well. We have actors, other pro sports players, financial gurus, freaking rock stars. Leo Nash is my uncle. Did you know that?”
Rem blinks rapidly in surprise. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yeah. So, there are a lot of celebrities in our family. A lot of money. Influence. And I’m going to be honest with you right now, Grumpy.”
His lips twitch. “Please do.”
“It makes me so fucking uncomfortable.” I cover my face with my hands again.
“Look at me.”
I shake my head. “I feel so ungrateful. What’s wrong with me that I’m the only one in my entire huge, loud, crazy family to feel like I had to flee? I’ve known for a while now that I wanted a quieter life. A simple one. The big city isn’t for me, even though Seattle is where everyone I love lives. I hate the noise, the traffic, the crime. I was just itching to move away. And then all my cousins—I’m super close to all of my cousins and their spouses—decided to take a ski trip to Montana late last year. I’d already told my cousin Drew that I was thinking about leaving Seattle, and I’m glad I did because he was on that trip, and I was able to bounce things off of him. Do you have someone like that?”
“Yeah.” He nods, and I love that he’s watching me, listening to me. “I do.”
“Good, because we all need that. Anyway, we got here, and as soon as we landed, I thought to myself, This is home. I actually skipped out on the skiing and most of the touristy things with my cousins because I wanted to absorb Bitterroot Valley. I wandered through town, ate at restaurants, and talked to people. I applied for the job at the coffee shop before the others even left town.”
“And you didn’t leave with them.”
“No.” I shake my head. “I didn’t leave with them. They were worried, of course, but they also knew me, and they trusted me. The hardest part was telling my parents because, although I’ve been out of the house for a while now, I know they always assumed that I’d stay in Seattle. I don’t like disappointing them.”
“I have a question.”
I sit back and nod. “Go ahead.”
“I understand wanting to leave the city, but why not use the trust fund when you need it?”
“It’s not my money.” I shrug and then laugh. “And I’ve been told often to stop being so stubborn, but it’s not my money. It’s my parents’ money.”
“That they set aside for you. ”
I lick my lips again. “It’s nice to know it’s there for a true emergency, but I wanted to make my own way. It’s always been important to me to be self-sufficient and independent. My family doesn’t understand. They think it’s stubbornness, but it’s just how I want my life to be.”
“Your car going tits-up isn’t a true emergency? Jesus, Doc, what do you want, to be homeless before you use it?”
“Yes. I know it sounds so weird, but I’m doing fine on my own. Sure, I’ve had a few bumps here and there, but I’m fine. I’m not hungry or cold. My bills are paid. I enjoy my jobs. I don’t have any reason to complain. If I hadn’t found the position with you, I probably would have broken down and used the trust for a new car because we’re in the boonies in Montana, and it’s not like I can ride the bus or something. But it worked out.”
“It worked out,” he repeats and then lets out a gusty laugh.
“Okay, it’s my turn to ask personal questions because I want to change the subject.”
Rem nods. “Fair enough. Ask away.”
“What happened to the kids’ mom?”
That seems to surprise him because he frowns and leans forward onto his knees, staring down at his hands.
“She died,” he says before rubbing his hand over his face and sitting back once more. “She died in childbirth with Holly.”
“Oh, shit.” I want to reach out to him, but I don’t. Instead, I scratch my fingers through my hair. “I’m sorry, Rem. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Neither was I. We didn’t know that anything was wrong. Jessica went into labor, and the labor progressed normally, but right after she delivered Holly, she collapsed. Everything happened so fast. I was pushed out of the room, and the next thing I knew, a doctor was telling me that my wife had died.”
He turns to me now and sighs.
“She had what they called an amniotic fluid embolism, and it killed her within minutes.”
“My God. I’m so sorry, Remington. Truly.”
“I’m sorry, too.” He rubs his hand over his face again. “And because we’re being honest here, I’ll go on to say that I am very sorry that Johnny and Holly will never know her. She was a good woman, and she loved her babies.”
“But?”
“It’s not a but. It’s more of an and. Jessica and I got married because she was pregnant with Johnny. I know that sounds old-fashioned and stupid, but it’s true. She was a good friend to me, she got pregnant, and we decided to try to make a go of the relationship. It wasn’t bad. It was… fine. She was a good mom and a great friend. We built a good life together, but…”
He trails off.
“But there wasn’t passion.”
“No. There wasn’t passion. I never would have wanted what happened to happen to her, and I would have done anything to stop it if I could have.”
“Of course, you would have. Just because you weren’t head over heels for her doesn’t mean that you didn’t care about her. It was tragic for all of you. I’m very sorry that happened.”
“I was a mess for a while,” he says with a slight smile. “I thought I’d be able to figure it out because I’d had one kid before, and I remembered the sleepless nights and diapers and all the things. But it’s so different when you have to do it by yourself.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
“Thank God for my parents and the rest of my family. It was a group effort for a long time. Hell, it still is. But it also made me bond with them in ways I may not have if Jessica was here. I don’t know… I get all philosophical about it when I start to think about it.”
“I don’t mind philosophy,” I reply with a smile. “They’re very well-adjusted, happy, confident kids, Rem. If you ever start to wonder if you’re doing a good job, just look at them. You are.”
He blinks and blows out a breath.
“Are you still mad at me?” I ask.
“No.”
“Good.”
He takes a deep breath. “Come here, Doc.”
I cross to him and sit in his lap, loop my arms around him, and hug him close. His arms immediately circle my back and clench tightly as he buries his face in my neck and takes a long breath.
“No more avoiding topics,” I promise him. “Even if it’s uncomfortable.”
“Deal. And if there’s a question, we answer truthfully.”
“I did—” I sniff when he raises an eyebrow. “Okay.”
“Your uncle is really Leo Nash?”
I narrow my eyes. “Yes.”
“Nash is my favorite band.”
I can’t help but laugh as I get off his lap. “Same. He’s great in concert. Now, I should head for town because I’m going to get the kids a snack from the coffee shop before I pick them up.”
I wish I had more alone time with him. I want to ask more questions about his family and the ranch. I want him to kiss me again.
“Hey, Doc.”
I turn back to him. “Yeah?”
In reply, he frames my face and neck in his hands and lowers his mouth to mine, kissing me gently. Hypnotically. Jesus, the man makes my knees turn to jelly, and his hands drift down to my waist so he can hold me up as he devours my mouth.
When he pulls back, his mouth just an inch from mine, his gorgeous hazel eyes are intent on me as we both fight to catch our breath.
“That’s some spicy shit,” I whisper, and that seems to break the moment, making him laugh.
“Spicy shit,” he echoes. “Tonight, after the kids go to bed, let’s talk some more.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Just talk?”
“We’ll start there.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“I saved some goodies for you,” Millie informs me as I walk up to the counter at the coffee shop. “I know the kids love the cookies, and I grabbed you the last orange-cranberry muffin.”
“You’re the best,” I reply with a grin as I accept the bag of sugared treats from her. “I’m also going to need an iced latte.”
“Sure. You never drink coffee this late in the day.” Millie frowns at me as she gets the espresso ready. “What’s up?”
“My dad showed up at the ranch today.”
Her eyebrows climb. “Like, from Seattle?”
“Yeah, and he had words with Remington, and I’m not sure what those words were because it was private. But that’s not the worst of it, and I need you to not get mad at me right now, okay?”
“I’m super confused,” she admits as she shakes my iced latte and sets it on the counter for me. “Why would I get mad that your dad showed up at the ranch?”
“Because my dad is Will Montgomery, the football player.”
Millie frowns. “I don’t watch football.”
That makes me laugh, and for some reason, it puts me at ease. “He’s famous. A lot of my family is famous.”
“Okay.”
“And you don’t care.”
“Not really, no. Wait, did Rem give you shit?”
“Well, yeah, and I get it. I mean, I’m around his kids a lot, and?—”
“And that has nothing to do with whether or not your dad is famous. Jesus, I’m gonna have to tell Rem to get a fucking life.”
“No, it was fine. Really. Because, um?—”
“Okay, just say it.”
“Fine, but I’m going to need you to hold your ick factor here. I want to jump his bones.”
“Remington’s?”
“Of course , Remington’s.”
“Why?” She scowls as if she’s totally unaware that her oldest brother is fucking hot as hell.
“Well, he’s hot, Millie. And there’s chemistry between us that is smoking. Like, I’m surprised that the smoke alarms don’t go off just from the way he looks at me.”
“Ew. But okay. Just, maybe not when the kids are awake, you know?”
“Gross. Of course not, Millie. In fact, I’ve been holding back a lot because of the kids. They live there, and they’re young, and it’s not appropriate?—”
“It’s not like you’re the nanny, and he’s having an affair with you while his wife is asleep upstairs. That’s way different. Sure, be discreet around the kids, but I say do what makes you both happy. Rem hasn’t been happy in a long damn time. If you’re what does that for him, great. But maybe I’ll see if the kids want to stay at my place tonight.”
“Really?”
“Sure, we haven’t had a sleepover in a while. We can watch movies and pop some popcorn. I’ll text Rem and tell him that I’m grabbing them from school.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know that I don’t have to.” Millie grins at me. “But I see the look in your eyes. This way, you don’t have to worry about anyone waking up or asking questions. Have fun, babe.”
“You’re the best friend a girl could have.”
“I know. You’d do the same for me.” She opens the bag of treats and passes me my muffin. “Go get ready for your night of sexy fun. Just saying that does make me want to gag, though. I don’t want any of the details.”
I laugh as I head for the door, and once there, I turn back to her. “Hey, Millie?”
“Yeah?”
“You might not know who my dad is, but Leo Nash is my uncle.”
Millie’s eyes go wide, her jaw drops, and I laugh with joy.
“See you!”
I decide on pizza.
Sure, I could make a big dinner and try to impress Remington with my kitchen prowess, but at the end of the day, I go with the easy way out because I have to take a shower and shave my legs.
I desperately need to shave my legs.
But before I can head to the bedroom, I notice that I have a notification from social media, which is weird because that never happens.
Opening the app, I see that it’s another message from what looks like spam, so with a shake of my head, I delete it and double-check that the oven isn’t on too hot—I don’t want to burn the already-made pizza—and shift my attention back to the task at hand.
I hurry to my suite of rooms and immediately strip down to take a shower and get ready for Rem to come in from whatever he’s doing on the ranch this afternoon.
He said earlier that he wants to talk more, and that’s perfectly fine with me. We got off to a good start today in getting to know each other better, but there’s still so much to learn about him. Besides, who doesn’t like to talk over pizza?
I’ve just finished shaving both legs, along with all the other must-shave places, and am thinking about getting out of the shower when I hear two taps on the bathroom door just before I hear it open. The walls of this glass shower are completely steamed up, thank goodness.
“Doc?”
“That’s me.” I grin, hoping he can see an outline of me in here, giving him just a little tease.
“Is it true that Millie has the kids for the night?”
“I don’t think that’s something she would lie about. I’ll be out of here in just a sec.”
He’s quiet, and I turn to the faucet and shut off the water. When I open the door, a very sexy Remington Wild is waiting for me, a towel in his hands.
He steps forward and wraps me in it, and I’m surprised to find that it’s warm.
“Did you put this in the dryer?”
“No one likes a cold towel.” His eyes, usually so stern and intense, are soft as he gently pats me dry with the towel. His gaze roams over me, and I don’t even have time to feel at all self-conscious because the sheer joy in what he sees is written all over his face. “Jesus, you’re beautiful.”
“And you’re overdressed.”
He doesn’t reply to that, simply continues to study me, touch me, and arouse me until I shiver and feel myself get wet.
“Are we going to do this right here in the bathroom?”
“No,” he murmurs before kissing me gently on the forehead. “I just wanted to look at you. I hope that’s okay.”
“Are you kidding? Having someone else dry me off is damn hot. Who knew?”
He chuckles, kisses my cheek, and then tosses the towel aside.
“Holy shit,” is all I can get out before I’m scooped up and carried to the bedroom, and Remington is kissing the fuck out of me. Talk about a shift from lazy and slow to hot and urgent.
His hands are firm on my ass, his fingertips almost close enough to touch my pussy, but just too far away, and I wrap my legs around him and hold on for my life as all coherent thought flees my mind.
“Jesus Christ, I’ve thought of this a thousand times,” he says as he nibbles his way down my neck as he carries me. “You, wet and naked in my shower.”
“Why are you so sexy?” I demand and frame his face in my hands, wanting him more than I’ve ever wanted anything else in my life. “You’re just so fucking hot that I don’t know what to do with myself.”
With a groan, his lips return to mine, as if he just wants to consume me. He lays me down on the bed and journeys down my body, licking away the last of the water from the shower, stopping to nibble on a nipple and to brush his nose over my navel.
I’m a squirming mass of pure sensation as I reach for him, running my fingers gently down his stubbly face. “You need to get naked now. ”
He grins and shimmies out of his clothes, then joins me once more, but he doesn’t lie next to me.
No, he parts my legs and lowers his face, right there in the end zone, feasting as if he’s starving.
“Holy shit,” I moan, reaching down to clutch his hair in my hands. “Fucking hell, Rem.”
His mouth is insane. In mere seconds, I’m tossed into the stratosphere, coming apart at the seams, calling out for him as my body comes undone.
And then suddenly, I hear the rustle of protection, and he’s braced over me, panting, watching me with hot eyes.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” His voice is firm as he slowly pushes inside of me, the stretch feeling so good until he can’t get any further, and his forehead rests on mine. “So sweet.”
“Hard and fast,” I instruct him, my core still quivering from the last orgasm and already feeling on the precipice of the next. “Fuck me hard and fast. ”
With his mouth on mine again, he starts to move, and I groan in frustration when it’s not hard and fast.
It’s hard.
But there’s no fast.
“Rem.”
“I’ve been waiting a long damn time for this,” he says in my ear. “If you think I’m here for a quickie, you’re dead wrong.”
My back arches when he plants himself all the way inside of me and grinds against my pubis, against my clit.
I gasp, and his hand glides up my side, over my breast, and covers my throat. He doesn’t squeeze, doesn’t block my airway at all.
And it might be the sexiest thing anyone has ever done in my life.
With his eyes pinned to mine, he moves again, a little faster this time. His thumb rubs up and down over my jawline where he’s gripped me.
He couldn’t have turned me on more if his mouth was on my clit again.
“Remington,” I whisper and close my eyes, so close to orgasm, but I feel him lower his face to my ear.
“Open your pretty eyes and watch me when you fucking come.”
My eyes snap open, and with our gazes locked, I fall over into the most delicious orgasm ever, swamping me with emotion and sensation like I’ve never felt.
Rem’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t close his eyes as he follows me over. When he takes his hand off my throat, the cool air makes me long for it to be there again.
“I liked that,” I manage to get out, and he raises an eyebrow.
“Which part?”
“Well, all of it, but particularly the throat thing. Sexy.”
His lips tip up into a soft smile, and he glides the backs of his fingers over my skin, up to my throat. But he doesn’t grip; he doesn’t claim.
“It didn’t hurt you?”
“No,” I whisper and kiss his shoulder.
“Good.” He dips down to kiss me, rubs his nose against mine, and then rolls off of me and pulls me with him, still in his arms.