| |
The shrieks and squeals of grown adults echoed from the lake shore up the steep incline to the deck where Nathan sat beside Helen in mismatched loungers holding hands like teenagers. A martini glass with the dregs of red liquid in it rested on the planks beside her. He sipped the last of his beer and put it down gently.
How different this meeting of the Silverberry Book Club would have been if Helen’s tumour hadn’t been benign. Not just for him and Helen, but for all the members. Over the years they’d become good friends, almost family. They would have been distraught if the diagnosis had gone the opposite way.
Last weekend’s thunderstorm had cleared the air, and sunshine had descended once again, bringing back soaring temperatures and blue skies. The book discussion had lasted about fifteen minutes before being abandoned for the lure of crystal-clear water and paddle boards, kayaks and sunbathing.
“Lynn seems nice. Where did you meet her?” Nathan let his gaze rest on Helen. She was stretched out, eyes closed, looking as relaxed as he’d seen her in years. Her navy-blue bikini celebrated the mature curves of her body—a body he was getting to know very well.
She answered without opening her eyes. “She came in for a tattoo. We chatted while I inked her and I thought she’d be a good fit.”
Given Lynn’s laughter ringing from below, Helen had been right. The joyful sound mixed with Terrance’s deeper chuckles as Penta shouted instructions to Stephanie, who was trying to stand on the paddle board. Frequent loud splashes indicated her lack of success.
“When is the sale final?” Helen had wasted no time telling Sven the good news of her diagnosis and the paperwork to transfer ownership of Golden Dragon had been drawn up immediately.
“Next week. It’s all with the banks and lawyers now.” Helen’s hands twitched as if she couldn’t wait to get started. He knew she was nervous about the new challenge, but had no doubt she’d make a success of it. It was going to be a summer of new beginnings, for both of them.
He had no regrets about turning down the Vancouver Island job. His sons had been gratifyingly disappointed with his decision and he’d had to promise frequent visits to appease them. Telling them about Helen had distracted them nicely, however. To a man they’d been shocked and surprised at his relationship with the woman they’d known most of their life as Mrs. Mansfield. But after they’d had a chance to absorb his announcement, they’d seemed pleased to accept her new role.
Nathan’s eyes drifted to the tiny biopsy scar almost hidden by the edge of Helen’s bikini bra. He had lavished many kisses on it in the last week—along with every other inch of her body—and yet still hadn’t reassured himself she was well and whole.
“It sounds like everyone is enjoying themselves,” Helen said, her lids lifting languidly to uncover her clear green eyes. “We should do this all the time.”
“It might not be quite the same in December.”
She grinned. “True.” With a satisfied sigh she rose on her elbows and shifted higher in the lounger. “There are lots of interesting things to do in the winter, though. Not that reading books isn’t interesting, but maybe we can spice things up with different activities, too.”
“I’m up for that. And given the commotion below, I think everyone else will be, too.”
Helen’s entire being radiated joy and contentment and energy. She’d always appeared to savour life, but the last few days he’d sensed a new appreciation, a deeper enjoyment of every moment. It was a sensation he shared—as if the air was spicier, the sun brighter, his skin more sensitive.
“Do you want to go down and join them?”
Something in Helen’s tone raised the hairs on the back of his neck. She regarded him with wide-eyed innocence—and then licked her lips with sultry invitation. “Do you?” he said, his voice hoarse.
She reached behind her and unhooked the back of her bikini and his tongue went numb. Then she shrugged it off and her breasts were bare to the summer sun and he had to hold onto the arm of his chair to keep from grabbing her.
“Not really,” she said. “I think I need to lie down for a little while.” She stood up, keeping her back to the water though the angle of the slope to the shore hid her from any eyes that might be looking their way. Her bikini top dangling from her hand, she crooked her finger. “Coming?”
––––––––
HELEN’S HEART RACED as Nathan scrambled with satisfying haste off his lounger and followed her into the cabin. While the weeks before her diagnosis had moved with agonizing slowness, the last few days had been a whirlwind. Sven was eager to complete the sale so he and India could fly off into the sunset. Megan had shown her relief in frequent phone calls and extra visits with Nora. The Silverberries had declared today’s meeting a celebration.
As for Nathan...
She swayed her hips provocatively as she led him down the narrow hall. He’d barely left her side, other than for the time he spent at work, and while she felt slightly guilty at the attention, she was also revelling in it.
It was time to reward him for how he made her feel.
In the bedroom she took his hand and swung him around so she could close the door. He wore loose swim trunks and his erection was evident, the tips of his ears and his cheekbones flushed from more than the sun.
“There’s no lock.” She tossed the bikini bra to the side and shimmied out of the briefs.
He shook his head.
“You’ll have to hold it shut.” She gestured him forward and indicated he lay a palm on the panel on either side of her head. His eyes were hot and heavy on hers. “Don’t move.”
She sank to her knees and he groaned. He gave a second, louder growl when she slid her hands into his trunks and shoved them to his ankles. “Quiet, now. Someone might come into the cabin.”
His cock bobbed as if the idea excited him. Interesting. We’ll have to talk fantasies soon.
She buried her nose in the depression of his groin and breathed him in. Her blood swept thick and slow through her veins, heat gathering in her womb. The tips of her breasts brushed his thighs and she hummed.
When she took him in her mouth his hips thrust forward but he remained silent. She gave his ass an approving pat and set to work, her goal to drive him so wild he’d forget his unspoken promise and shout loud enough the neighbours would hear, let alone the Silverberries.
Before long he was panting so deep and uneven she knew he was close. Bringing him to this fever pitch made her wet and she squeezed her inner muscles to ease the hollow achiness. As if sensing she was as close as he was, he gripped her biceps and dragged her to her feet, pressing her back against the door. Sweat had gathered between her breasts and in the creases of her knees and where their naked skin met she could feel a similar dampness on his body.
His hands cupped her jaw and his tongue swept between her lips as if he wanted to taste himself in her mouth. She was dimly aware of when he kicked off his trunks but by now was in such a frenzy could barely tell where she ended and he began. He bent his knees to grip her thighs, lifting and widening her so he could slide home, filling her emptiness so completely she forgot her own instructions and gave a loud, appreciative moan.
They hadn’t made love this way yet, and Helen was drunkenly thrilled to find they were a perfect match. He reached places inside her that set off sparks and explosions throughout her body. When she lifted one knee the sensations increased exponentially. “Hurry,” she panted. “Yes. Like that. More.”
He increased his tempo, reading her disjointed commands correctly. Every nerve in her body coiled tighter and tighter until she fractured like an exploding spring, her head thrown back, her mouth opened in wordless amazement. Dazed, she clung to his waist until three thrusts later he stiffened and arched, joining her in utter satisfaction.
Her chest rose and fell, matching Nathan’s heaving breaths. “Now I really have to lie down.” She muttered the words against the side of his neck, too exhausted to lift her head. Disengaging, they staggered to the bed and fell across it sideways. Helen threw an arm and a leg over him, cuddling in close, and he slid his arm under her shoulders.
“That was amazing. I can’t believe we did it with guests nearby.” Nathan sounded half-asleep and Helen grinned.
“I didn’t know you had a discovery fetish.” She toyed with the hairs on his chest, his heart pumping rapidly under her fingertips.
“I didn’t, either.”
She giggled. “It’s nice to know there are still things to learn about each other.”
His arm tightened. “I feel like I’ve learned more about you—about us—in the last three weeks than the last two decades.”
“Me, too.” She nuzzled her nose against his neck in agreement. “Just think what the next twenty years will teach us.”
“I know one thing already.” In a sudden surge that made her squeak, Nathan reared up and flipped her on her back, staring down with glittering eyes. “I love you.”
Her belly warmed at the sincerity etched on his face. “And I love you. Thanks for not giving up on me.”
“Never.” His kiss was a promise. “We’re never giving up on each other.”
***
THANKS FOR READING Secrets Under the Covers. I hope you enjoyed it!
Reviews and ratings are a great way to help other readers discover new authors. Just a line or two is all that’s needed—or simply click the number of stars you think it deserves. I encourage you to post your honest opinion at the retailer where you purchased your copy, or here is a direct link to the book page on GoodReads and BookBub. Thank you so much!
***
LYNN’S STORY IS NEXT in the Silverberry Seduction Series.
“All I’ve ever wanted was a normal life. A job I liked, a husband, a couple of kids. Then two weeks ago, my fiancé of seven years dumps me to chase a dream. And here I am, with no hint of husband or babies, and I’m thirty-eight years old. Thirty-eight! How did that happen?”
Find out what happens a few hours after she has the infinity symbol tattooed on her wrist—and what major life decision she makes—in Loving Between the Lines (Silverberry Seduction Book 2). It’s available at your favourite retailer now, or read Chapter One below.
A one-night stand neither can forget.
She wanted a final fling before choosing science to make her a single mom. He needed an escape from the regret grinding him into dust. Her baby isn’t his...but maybe family is more than DNA.
***
CHAPTER ONE
Lynn Kolmyn had not envisioned this on her first day back after a year of maternity leave.
“I am so sorry.” She stood in front of Cynthie Neal’s desk, jiggling her wailing son on her hip. Her boss regarded her with raised eyebrows. Panic curdled her belly and she swallowed. “The daycare had a flood overnight. They’ve promised me an alternate location will be arranged by tomorrow but I had nowhere else to bring Oscar today.”
Cynthie’s matte red lips pressed into a thin line. “As we discussed, I’m not totally adverse to having children at the office for short periods of time, but I don’t see how you, or anyone else, will get any work done with this”—she waggled her fingers in Oscar’s direction—“going on.”
Lynn couldn’t blame her. Her son’s protests had risen in volume since she’d stepped into the room. The back of her throat burned with frustration.
“Give me one minute.” Hurrying to her desk, one of two in the outer office, she scrabbled through the backpack she’d tossed beside it, searching for the baby biscuits she’d shoved in it this morning.
At the other desk, Sarah Little watched, a sympathetic expression on her round, cheerful face. “Need some help?”
Lynn pulled out the foil package and held it out triumphantly. “Got it.” She smiled her thanks at Sarah’s offer and hustled back to the inner office. Plopping down into the visitor’s chair, she ripped the package open with her teeth, slid out a cookie, and handed it to Oscar. He grabbed it eagerly and shoved it in his mouth.
Silence fell. The tension banding across her shoulder blades eased a fraction.
She spit the corner of foil into her fist as discreetly as she could. “I feel terrible about this. I thought he’d be happy enough for an hour or two. At least long enough for me to get up to speed so I don’t waste more time tomorrow. I should have just called.” When the daycare had notified her it was closed, delaying her scheduled return to work had seemed unsupportable and bringing Oscar with her the only choice.
Now the squalling had stopped Cynthie’s pinched nostrils relaxed. “Yes, you probably should have.” Her dry tone held little censure, though, and Lynn saw a gleam of amusement in the other woman’s sharp blue eyes.
She slumped back in the seat, relief softening her spine. Thank god Cynthie was a strict but understanding woman. “I promise it won’t happen again.” It shouldn’t have happened once, Lynn berated herself. She always had back up plans for her back up plans. But things had changed in the year since Oscar’s birth. Some days she was thrilled to make it out of her pajamas, let alone make contingency plans for imaginary scenarios.
“I suggest you head home today and try again tomorrow. But since you’re here, there is something I might as well mention.” She picked up a pen and slipped it through her fingers, back and forth, back and forth. “The marketing coordinator for the Canyon Cats quit. Peterson Brewster asked if we could help out until a replacement is found. I want you to handle it.”
Lynn’s main duty as arena event director was to assist the businesses and organizations that rented the facility. Most of the concerts, trade shows, and sports tournaments were single night or once-a-year occurrences. Not so the Prince George Canyon Cats. The junior hockey team played more than thirty games at home from September to March—more if they made the playoffs. Not that they had in recent years, but that was beside the point. What with training camps and practices and other team events, the Canyon Cats were vital to the financial health of the arena—and as such needed to be kept happy.
“What about my regular duties?” The marketing coordinator was a fulltime position. How could she add that to her plate and not become an absentee mom? She needed to work to support her son, but this was more than she’d been expecting. Mind you, she loved her job with all its challenges and her brain was already whirling with promotional ideas for the team, even as her stomach roiled at the thought of being away from Oscar longer hours.
Maybe she wouldn’t feel so torn about the conundrum if she’d been in her twenties, but becoming a first-time mom at thirty-nine made every moment with him precious and fragile.
“Sarah can finish the projects she started while covering your mat leave and continue to pick up some of the slack. But it will require more time and effort, I know that. I can’t see any other way around it. We can’t say no to Peterson.” Cynthie aligned the pen on her desk perfectly with the edge of her blotter. “Hopefully he will hire someone within a month or so.”
She nodded with resignation. “I’ll make it work.” She rubbed her chin on Oscar’s head, inhaling his fresh scent. His hair was finally thickening, the reddish-brown showing a tendency to curl. Sticky fingers gripped her bare wrist and her heart swelled at the innocent touch. How was she going to survive not being with him all day? “Thanks for the heads up. We can talk about it more tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” Cynthie rose and Lynn followed suit. Oscar wriggled restlessly and rubbed his eyes. “Looks like someone is ready for a nap.”
“Yes.” Neither of them had had a good sleep the night before, which might have accounted for his fractiousness this morning. “Again, I’m sorry about today. I promise to make up for it. See you tomorrow, Cynthie.”
––––––––
BENJAMIN WHITESTONE stepped into the concourse of the arena, closed the door to the Canyon Cats team offices behind him, and leaned against the red-painted brick wall. Pressing his fingertips into the rough surface, he squeezed his eyes shut and breathed deeply.
When Peterson Brewster had summoned him to his office that morning, he hadn’t been able to suppress the guilty feeling he’d done something wrong. He’d only been head coach of the Canyon Cats for two weeks and logic dictated he had no reason to worry that his performance had been judged subpar already.
Logic hadn’t stopped him from worrying before, and it hadn’t then, either.
Turned out Brewster had just wanted to welcome him formally to the organization. He’d met the very involved owner during the hiring process but he’d been out of town since Benjamin’s return to Prince George. Now the meeting was over, he could concentrate on his next challenge—his first official practice. Training camp had ended and the roster was set. The hardest work was about to begin.
Taking one last deep breath, he pushed off the wall and strode toward the stairs leading down to ice level. As he reached the door to the arena administration offices, it swung open. He dodged to avoid being struck by the heavy metal panel. A woman with her arms full of child stumbled into him.
“Careful now.” He gripped her biceps to steady her. Two black bags draped off her shoulders and the sharp corner of one thudded against his thigh as she spun around. He released her and rubbed his leg.
“Sorry.” She shifted the baby to her other hip and gave him a quick, harried glance before focusing once more on the squirming, squawking bundle. He’d had little exposure to children, but given the length of the legs kicking at her thighs and the arms flailing about her head, this was no newborn. Other than that, he had no clue. “I should have been more careful when I opened the door. I hope I didn’t hit you.”
That voice. Husky and low, it evoked a sudden memory of subdued lighting, sultry jazz, and smoky whiskey. “Lynn?” His palms tingled, remembering the smooth curves of the shoulders he’d just been clutching.
Her chin lifted and their eyes met. For a moment her expression remained blank, and then she blinked.
“Benjamin?” The baby continued to wriggle and wail and she bounced and jiggled in the age-old way of mothers everywhere. “What are you doing here?”
He could only stare. He’d thought of Lynn more often than a one-night stand deserved. Especially a one-night stand that had occurred two years ago. Of course, it had also been the day after his father’s funeral. Maybe the pain of that time and the comfort she’d given him was why she’d stuck in his mind more than any woman he’d slept with—before or since.
She asked you a question. Answer, you dummy. “I’m the new head coach. Of the Canyon Cats.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re Benjamin Whitestone?”
In the dim light of the jazz lounge where they’d met—and later, in the hotel room he’d brought her to—he’d been too caught up in first misery and then passion to remember the colour of her irises, but saw now they were a bright pale blue. “Yes?” He couldn’t help the upward lilt, though it made him sound like an idiot. Reeling from this unexpected encounter, he wasn’t certain of anything, even his own name.
“I read you’d been hired, but I didn’t realize that Benjamin was, well, that Benjamin.”
Since they hadn’t bothered to exchange last names at their first meeting that made sense. “I’ve thought of you. Often.” The truth blurted out before he could stop it. “How have you been?”
Her eyebrows quirked up and she shifted the now restlessly dozing baby on her hip. “I’m doing well. This is my son Oscar. He’s a year old. Just last week, actually.”
His head spun, as if a giant defencemen had laid him out flat with a body check and his skull had bounced off the ice. Scrambling to do the math, he stuttered, “A year? And we...is he...”
“No.” Her tone was firm and laced with amusement. “Relax. He’s not yours.”
“Oh.” Surely the rush flooding his body was relief. He’d never wanted to have kids. He’d been a disappointment as a son and couldn’t imagine what a mess he’d make of being a father. “So you’re married?” Oh, god. Had she been married when they’d had their night together? She’d said she was single—he remembered asking—but had she lied?
“Also no.” The amusement was gone, exasperation in its place. “Before you jump to any more conclusions, let me explain. Though I can’t see how it’s any of your business.” The baby—whose name he’d already forgotten—lifted his head from her shoulder and squawked. She cradled his skull in her hand and joggled rapidly. “I’m in a hurry to get home so he can have a proper nap, so you’ll have to save any questions for later. I am not and never have been married. I wanted a child, so I did in vitro fertilization, starting the process a month after we...met. Oscar is the result of that process.” The baby’s squalling took on a frantic tone. “I have to go. Congratulations on the new job. Good luck.”
Before Benjamin could say another word—which was probably for the best, given his foot-in-mouth disease—she was gone.
***
ALL THE BOOKS IN THE Silverberry Seduction Series can be read as standalones. Here are links to other books in the series:
Loving Between the Lines (Book 2). Read it now!
Turn the Next Page (Book Three) – pre order (releasing December 1, 2022)
Strictly by the Book (Book Four) – coming April 2023