8. Amos
8
AMOS
Lyla giggles at me, her cheeks flushed. “I’m perfect.”
Her response eases some of the churning in my gut. I was too rough, too harsh for a first time. I promise myself I’ll be gentler next time, not a fuckin’ caveman pounding relentlessly into his woman.
Reaching for the ties, I undo the knots holding her wrists. When they’re free, I take her soft hands in mine and check them. There’s no broken skin or redness. I press a kiss to the tiny pulse that flutters at the base of her thumb before moving onto her feet.
Her ankles are also fine. I massage one, feeling the steady thrum of her pulse beneath my fingertips. “All good here?”
She eyes me sleepily and gives a contented nod.
I want nothing more than to crawl into bed and snuggle next to her. That’s not what she needs right now. She might not realize it yet, but she’ll be sore in the morning.
“I’ll be back,” I promise as I slip into the pair of blue jeans I discarded earlier tonight.
When I return, she’s curled up on her side and huddled under one of the blankets. Her eyes are closed and she’s breathing slowly. She’s so peaceful that I hate to make her stir.
I scoop her into my arms, nuzzling her ear. “Come on, honey. Your man is going to take care of you.”
She yawns. “Does it involve a quickie?”
I chuckle as I open the bathroom door and set her into the warm tub. “Afraid not. You need to give those muscles time to recover.”
I move to leave the bathroom even though I don’t want to miss the sight of her in my bathtub, sitting there topless and sleepy.
“Stay with me?” She asks, adjusting the rolled-up towel I gave her to rest against.
“Give me a moment,” I say before leaving for my room. I change the sheets and blankets that are soaked from our sweaty session together, putting clean stuff on.
If this were a one-night stand, I wouldn’t think twice about this shit. But this is Lyla. I want her to be comfortable and happy when she’s in my space. Hell, I want her to be comfortable and happy no matter where she is.
When I’m done with that, I return to the bathroom and pass her a mug of herbal tea. I know from camping out together that she always drinks a glass of the stuff before bed.
She sips the beverage and gives me a smile as I settle onto the cold bathroom tile in front of the tub. “You remembered my favorite.”
I picked up a couple of boxes of the stuff when I knew she was moving here. I didn’t want her to be without her favorites since it can be hard to get specialty products in a small town like Mount Bliss.
“You could join me,” she offers.
I snort. “That tub is barely big enough for one person. Not like the jacuzzi at my place. It has turbo jets and more than enough room for two people.”
“You detest baths. You told me that on our last visit. Did you go soft on me? Are you sitting around taking lavender baths these days?” She teases.
I try not to make a face. A bath isn’t my idea of fun unless I have Lyla naked next to me. Then it would be different. “The bathroom also has a walk-in shower.”
She shakes her head. “So, why a jacuzzi? You spent money on something you’ll never use and that doesn’t make you happy.”
“Because you like baths,” I explain. “Every element of the cabin was picked with you in mind. Every choice I made came back to what would make you happy.”
Tears fill her eyes. “Amos,” she breathes my name so softly.
She is an angel. Better than I deserve. More than I could ask for. But I’m not letting her go. For now to eternity, she’s mine. She’s always been mine and it’s time I explain that. “I always knew we were meant to be together. I spent years fighting it and I’m done, Lyla. You’re mine and as soon as this damn snowstorm clears, you’re moving into our cabin.”
The sweetest smile crosses her face. “We’re together. We have a cabin.”
“Fuck, yeah we are.” I press a chaste kiss to her lips, not letting myself deepen it. We have a whole lifetime of happiness to look forward to together. There’s no reason to rush.
Lyla
I wake the next morning pressed against the soft t-shirt Amos is wearing. His chest rises and falls in a slow rhythm, and I snuggle deeper into him. I could get used to this, waking up sore and sated next to the man I love.
Last night’s conversation goes through my head again. I always knew we were meant to be together. I spent years fighting it and I’m done, Lyla. You’re mine.
He didn’t say he loved me but I’m pretty sure that he feels the same way I do. A bubbly, hopeful feeling rises in my chest as I think about his cabin. I wonder what it will be like to live together in a place he designed just for me.
My phone beeps and I scramble from the bed to grab it before it can wake Amos. It’s a text from my brother.
As soon as I see his name, my heart sinks. I don’t know what he’s going to think about us together. I doubt he’ll be happy. He might realize Amos is a good guy, but I know enough about the bro code to understand that sisters are supposed to be off-limits.
I haven’t heard from you. Where are you? Storm still going strong?
I cross to the living room, the hardwood floors cold beneath my bare feet. I don’t want the sound of my texting to wake Amos.
Glancing out the window at the falling snow fills me with that magical feeling I’d get as a kid when I knew it was going to be a snow day. Quickly, I text him back.
Everything is fine. I’m conserving my battery. Call you later.
I probably shouldn’t brush him off, but I don’t want Jamie interrupting the beautiful bubble of happiness that I’m in. I just want to be with Amos. It’s so easy, so natural when we’re together.
For a moment, I wonder what he’ll do when Jamie finds out. It’s not like I can keep something this big from him. What will Amos say? Is he willing to risk his friendship with my brother over us?
“What are you thinking about so intently?” His gruff voice interrupts my thoughts as he slides his arms around my hips and pulls me against his bare chest.
I let out a little sigh, loving the feel of him wrapped around my body. “It’s a perfect snow day and I know how we should spend it.” I tug on his hand, guiding it to cup my mound.
He drops his hand and chuckles, the sound a quiet rumble. “Nice try. I know you’re sore, woman.”
“There’s not some law against it,” I pout.
“What if I make you breakfast? You still like my French toast with extra syrup, right?” He nips at my neck.
“I want a different kind of breakfast,” I insist, turning my head so he has the perfect angle.
“Another day. We have decades to look forward to together,” he promises, placing a kiss on my head. “Now go get dressed while your man cooks for you.”
“So, let me see if I’ve got it right,” Amos says as he slides the last donut onto the metal baking tray. “We’ll put these in the proofer for forty minutes so they can expand before we dump them in the oil and cover them in the glaze.”
I give him a saucy wink from the stove where I’m stirring together the glaze mixture. “You’ve got it, baby. I’ll make a baker out of you yet.”
It’s been two days since I slept with Amos. He hasn’t touched me since, but I can see the hunger and heat in his gaze when he looks at me. He wants me even if he’s still giving my body time to heal.
His concern is nice but I’m ready to be under him again. Or maybe on top this time. The idea has all sorts of filthy fantasies going through my head. “So, where did you learn to tie knots like that?”
I want him thinking about that night. I want him remembering how good we felt together. I want his control to snap, dammit.
He starts pounding the next batch of dough out. I can’t sell anything until a town official inspects the kitchen and says it passes code. But that won’t be until after the snowstorm clears and business as usual resumes in Mount Bliss.
In the meantime, Amos and I are doing a couple of practice rounds, getting used to my new equipment and the kitchen.
“Saw a video about how to tie up your partner a couple of years back.” I watch his biceps straining and study the intricate tattoos on his arms. There are so many, and I have questions. “It kind of became an obsession after that, learning the different types of knots.”
“Think you could teach me?” I ask, working to keep my voice innocent.