Chapter Twenty-Three

Justin reached for his phone as he sat up and rubbed a hand over his sleepy eyes. 8:00 a.m. Too early for someone to be knocking on the door. He blinked hard and shook his head, attempting to focus. He’d had a couple of drinks the night before, but that wasn’t causing the fog in his brain. He was still drugged out on Tara, the taste of her mouth and the feel of her soft skin beneath his fingers. He’d had trouble sleeping, and when he finally did, it was interrupted with a restless mix of heated desire and worry that she would never be ready to take that step.

He would chastise himself for his impatience, but in the short time he had lived in Sylvan Hills, Tara had become an important part of his life. He was thunderstruck the first time he saw her, and it had only grown from there. Coming home to an empty house the night before, he realized that no matter what renovations he made, it would never be complete without her there with them.

Another knock sounded, finally breaking the fog. Thinking Marley must have come home early from her sleepover, he quickly rose, pulled on a shirt, and padded barefoot to the front of the house, opening the door without preamble. It wasn’t Marley, but Tara, standing there fresh faced and smiling shyly. For a moment, right before the winter wind blew through his thin pajama pants, he thought he must be dreaming.

“Hi.”

“Hi. I woke you. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Come in.”

He stepped back to allow her through, but she didn’t accept the invitation. Instead, she looked at him hesitantly.

“Here.” She handed a covered plate over. “Shelby made muffins.”

The bottom of the plate was warm. “She was up so early making muffins? Does she bake to ease a hangover?”

Tara smiled. “No. We didn’t sleep last night.”

“Watching more movies?”

“Talking, mostly.” She still didn’t come in, but she did place her bag inside the door. “Would you mind if I walked around for a little while?”

“Of course not. Do you want me to come with you?”

She smiled. “Next time.”

He cupped her cheek, leaned down, and kissed her. “I’ll get coffee going. Be careful. It’s slippery in some places.”

Justin watched her walk away and reluctantly closed the door. She had finally come, to the door, anyway. Hopefully she would come inside, but even if this was just the first step, that was okay. He busied himself with coffee and then building the fire in the living room. He did everything he could think of to make her comfortable, bringing in blankets and turning on the Christmas tree lights, but eventually he succumbed to his worry and began following her path as best he could through the windows. He lost sight of her and hurried up to Marley’s room to try to find her through the view up there.

Tara’s red coat was easily spotted among the graying trees of the mountain in the distance. She stood still, and he fought the urge to throw on his own coat and follow her. Space. He was slowly learning when it was needed to be given. He forced himself to go to his own room for a quick shower, hoping it would quell the simultaneous feelings of excitement about her being there and worry about her being out in the cold and the idea that she might be upset now that she was there after so long.

It didn’t work, and by the time she quietly knocked on the door again, he was pacing the length of the living room.

“Hey.” He pulled her in and helped her with her coat. Thankfully, it didn’t look like she wanted to flee. He grabbed her cold, gloveless hands and rubbed them in his own. “Let’s get you warmed up.”

“Thanks. I stayed out there longer than I thought I would.”

Justin led her into the living room and gestured for her to sit in front of the fire where he had arranged pillows and blankets on the thick rug. He went into the kitchen for coffee and Shelby’s muffins, arranging everything on the ottoman in front of Tara before sitting behind her. Leaning against the couch, he pulled her close and rubbed her shoulders while she warmed her hands on the coffee mug.

“What were you doing out there?”

She sipped her coffee and then leaned back into him. “Letting go. It’s something I should have done a long time ago. I didn’t realize how much hanging on to this place, to the dream of it, was holding me back. My art came from here, but it’s time for me to create something different, something even more meaningful.” She set her coffee on the ottoman and turned around, looking up at him with those big, warm eyes. What he saw there made his chest swell. “Justin, I am so out of my element here. I’m twenty-nine, and I’ve had two serious boyfriends in my entire life, and when it ended, I was more relieved than hurt. I know what I feel, but I’m not really sure what to do about it.”

He leaned in and kissed her gently while stroking the strands of her soft, dark hair. “Tara, the way you helped Marley make a home here even though it had to hurt you to see her taking over a place you loved, the way you were quick to put yourself between us and Fran, and the way you comforted me when I told you about my mother and supported me with Marley. Sweetheart, you’re a natural at this. I just wish you didn’t think you had to let go of something important to you in order to have it.”

Tara shook her head. “My grandmother would be happy that Marley is healing here the way that Shelby and I did. It makes me happy, too. It might not be in my family, but it still belongs to people I love. I’m immensely grateful for that.”

Justin exhaled, and with that long breath, pieces that had splintered and separated were back in place. He’d had his own wounds, old guilt that threatened to destroy everything he was trying to build, but now she was here—with him—and nothing in the past was more important than that.

“Tara,” he whispered as he gently turned her until they were face to face. He kissed her forehead, her jaw, and then trailed down her neck and back up again. Justin felt her breath hitch, and the sigh she released as he touched her sent a pulsing heat to all the right places. His hands began to roam and she did not stop him as he explored the soft curves of her body.

“I promise, sweetheart, never to give you a reason to doubt that you are cherished.” The hands that had been stroking her thighs now moved to the buttons of her frilly blouse, undoing one with each word.

“Protected.”

His flattened palms caressed the soft skin of her shoulders, now glowing in the lights of the tree. Justin cupped her face and waited until her dazed gaze met his. “And loved.”

His mouth found hers, moving relentlessly until they were both breathless. Justin drew back slightly and stroked her neck, giving her time to pull away if she chose to. She didn’t. Tara leaned closer and whispered his name on his lips. Justin felt her small hands running through his hair as she pressed against him, matching his movements as they became deeper and more frantic. Clothing was slowly discarded and they were soon lying skin to skin, reveling in the feel of their bodies moving in time to the rapid beats of their hearts.

Justin was nearly overwhelmed, amazed at the feel of the soft body beneath him. She was his very own dark-haired Venus, full of love and now expressing all that deep passion inside her for him. This was his Tara, unlocked and open to him, and Justin wanted her to feel forever with every stroke of his body against hers. She had finally come to him and he worked her body for long minutes, giving her every pleasurable reason to stay.