Cup of Sugar (8 page)

“Go on.” Meredith waved her flour-covered fingers at him. “You don’t want her to get away now, do you?”

The answer to that one came instantly. “No, I definitely don’t.”

* * * * *

After that embarrassing scene with her mother, Nia had been tempted to run. Into the woods, or maybe in the opposite direction, all the way to town. She’d gotten as far as her dad’s smokehouse at the edge of the yard when Conn’s deep voice boomed, carrying on the crisp, cold air.

“Incoming!”

She turned, a reddish-brown blur snagging in her peripheral vision. Holy shit. “Conn…?” she called, shakier than she’d like. The scene was too familiar. She was ten years old all over again.

“Don’t worry.”

Easy for him to say. He didn’t have Zeus bounding across the snow at him, ridiculous jowls flapping with each thunderous step. Locked on Nia, the dog’s eyes bulged. The muscles in his massive body rippled beneath his short, shiny coat as he closed the distance between them at lightning speed.

Don’t worry.
Uh-huh. Right.

She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for impact. Snow crunched around her. A
woof
rang in her ears. Then the beast took her down. Not intentionally, he’d merely flopped on the ground at her feet. The dizziness of the moment was more to blame than the dog.

“Shit, sorry.” Conn pulled her to her feet, holding her close while he brushed snow from her coat. The brusque swipes he used on her back and arms softened when got to her collar. Then his gloves hit the snow.

She focused on the small pile of dark blue at her feet. Anything to avoid looking at his face.

Only Conn wouldn’t allow that. His warm hands—warm,
big
hands, as discussed in the kitchen—tipped her chin upward. He smiled and swept the hair from her cheek. With the same gentle touch, he shook the snow from the ends of her hair, his hands lingering there as he looked into her eyes. All the way to her soul.

She’d never wanted to be kissed so badly in her life.

He toyed with her hair, letting the tips of his fingers graze her neck ever so slightly. But kiss her? No. Subtle touches and a smile that sent a wave of warmth through her, but no kiss. If flirting were a competitive sport, Conn would win the gold medal.

“Why’d you close your eyes?”

“Instinctual reaction,” she whispered.

“I know about those. No point fighting instinct.” His thumb skimmed her bottom lip and his other hand drew her closer.

“I agree.”

“Like last night.” His mouth was so close, his breath so warm on her lips.

“Which part?”

“All of it.” This time, when he spoke, his lips touched hers ever so lightly.

She hummed an
mmm-hmm
and waited for the rest of the kiss.

“Especially the part where you seduced me.”

“What?” She grabbed two handfuls of his navy-blue coat and took a step back. “
I
seduced
you
?”

“Hey, I’m not complaining.” His grin was so freaking big, it practically reached the bottoms of his ears where they peeked out beneath his toque.

“Oh my god. You were hitting on me from the moment you let yourself into my car.”

“Hitting on you, sure. But it was you who invited me to bed, sweetheart.”

“For a better view of
New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
!”

“Tell yourself whatever you need to. For the record, I have no regrets about being seduced.”

The man was horrible. And she totally loved it, but she’d still make him pay.

She gave him her best sultry stare. “Know what my instincts are telling me to do now?”

“Do tell.”

“I think I’d rather show you.” She slid down his body, keeping her eyes locked on his handsome, smiling face. Now for the fun part. She swatted his gloves away while collecting a mitten full of top-quality packing snow. Quickly as possible, she stood, scooted back and cocked her arm.

“Incoming,” she said, pulling the trigger. Direct hit. She threw her arms up in victory as the snowball exploded against his chest.

Conn’s gaze dropped to the splatter of white on the front of his coat before returning to settle on her face. “Oh yeah?”

Maybe it was something in the air around here. Maybe it was the guy sharing that air, but she felt suddenly giddy. Free.

She braced her hands on her hips and stuck out her tongue. “That’s right, big boy.”
Big boy?
Okay, she knew exactly where that had come from—her mother’s insinuation that Conn’s big feet and hands meant he had a big penis. In this case, her mother couldn’t be more correct.

And the owner of those generously sized body parts couldn’t look more appealing than he did this moment, his gray-blue eyes twinkling at her from a dozen feet away.

“You’ve got a pretty good arm.”

“Thanks, I played on the co-ed team all through school. I can hit too.”

“Nice.” Conn bent at the knees and scooped snow with his bare hands. “So you can throw and you can hit. I guess the next question is—” A new, mischievous grin spread across his face. “How fast can you run?”

She shrieked as he lunged at her. It was close, but she got away. She took off across the yard, as fast as possible decked out in winter boots and the formfitting peacoat that hugged her past her hips.

Zeus zipped by her, barking an accompaniment to her squealing and Conn’s gut-deep laughter. If she could make it to the woods, she’d have the trees to use as barriers, if nothing else. Ten more feet and she’d be there.

She snuck a look over her shoulder and shrieked again.

“Gotcha.” He banded an arm around her waist and hauled her down, cushioning her fall with his body before promptly rolling her onto her back. Straddling her hips, he pinned her arms at her sides with his thighs. He held up the handful of snow. “Payback time.”

He wouldn’t really give her a face full of snow, would he? His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips, then to her coat. One-handed, he opened the top button with ease. Then the second. He slid the scarf from her neck and dropped it on her stomach.

Oh god. It wasn’t her face she needed to worry about. She wriggled in vain, shaking her head against the snowy ground. “Conn, please…”

“I have to admit, as much as I liked you riding me, I like you this way too—under me, helpless and begging.” A trickle of flakes fluttered from his hand, drifting down to melt against her exposed skin. “Beg for something hot, sweetheart, or you’re getting something cold.”

She shouldn’t. Kissing Conn would only make her want to do it more. Make her want him naked and buried deep inside her, giving her orgasms the likes of which she’d never get enough of. All well and fun now, but tomorrow night they’d be back on Sargent Street, living side by side. Conn would go back to his bachelor ways and she’d be left pining for contact. Worse, for a relationship that wouldn’t materialize, or if one did, would not end well. She couldn’t go there again. Getting snowed here would be a lot less painful.

She arched her back the best her limited range of motion permitted. She inhaled deeply, thrusting her breasts to their highest in the process. “Go ahead. Do your worst, big boy.”

“Quite the invitation. If that’s how you want it…”

She shrieked and rocked when a thicker stream of snow fell to her chest.

“Then that’s how I’m obliged to give it.” He leaned in, his warm lips moving over her neck and cleavage, relieving her of her snowy burden.

He shifted, releasing the pressure on her arms. Between their bodies, he unfastened her remaining coat buttons. His cold hands caressed her through her blouse, chilling and searing her simultaneously.

No point fighting instinct.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. Heart racing, she went for it. “Kiss me.”

“That doesn’t sound like begging.”

“Because it wasn’t a request.”

“I like you this way too—bossy and demanding.” He lowered more of his weight onto her, the zipper of his coat cold against her bared skin. “I’m discovering I like you every way.”

Gah, how was she supposed to keep her walls up when he said stuff like that? “I like you too.”

“Glad we got that settled.” He settled his mouth over her earlobe and nibbled, chuckling when she couldn’t hold back a soft moan. The man had certainly paid attention last night.

His breath warmed her cheek as he trailed torturously slow kisses down her jawline. When he reached her chin, he nudged her head, wanting access to her neck. Once again, because he’d paid attention last night. He’d driven her crazy kissing her neck—he’d even woken her in the wee hours by doing so, just so could give her a sixth orgasm before letting her drift back to sleep. If he was trying to make her realize who was really in charge of this kiss, he’d made his point.

But she still wouldn’t beg.

She pulled off his hat and tossed it aside. He kept his hair very short, giving her little to grab hold of, but that wasn’t how she intended to move him anyway. She threaded her fingers through the longest part on the top, then dragged her nails over his skull. Down the back of his head, along the cords of muscle in his strong neck. He groaned at the touch, his hips rocking onto hers as his mouth sealed over her lips. She’d paid attention last night too.

Sex was an incredible thing, especially the kind she’d had with Conn. But Nia could live without sex if she had to. Kissing, on the other hand—the really good kind that curled your toes and fried your circuits—was like air. A necessity of life. And right now, she was very much alive.

Conn’s lips moved with hers. Softly, making her hungry for more. She teased the tip of her tongue into his mouth, shivering when he groaned and met it with his own.

Without warning, he rolled, putting her on top. “You were cold,” he said at her surprised gasp. “I felt you shaking.”

“That wasn’t because I’m cold.” Her cheeks burned in spite of their snowy surroundings. “It was because you’re making me hot.”

“Are you trying to seduce me again?” His grin belied the feigned innocence.

She giggled rather than protesting this time. “Maybe.” Their change in position had freed her legs. She lay atop Conn’s large, solid body, their hips perfectly aligned for more heat production, were it not for her coat. And Conn’s dog.

Apparently, Zeus had mistaken their rolling and kissing for playtime, because he dropped to his front legs beside them. Haunches in the air and tail wagging, he
woofed
. And
woofed
and
woofed
some more.

“I think that’s our cue to get moving,” Conn winked, “and not in the way I’d like.”

She stood and brushed the snow from her kiss-weakened knees. “It’s probably for the best.”

On his feet and at her side, he scooped up her hand and tucked it under his arm. A simple gesture that likely meant nothing, yet struck another blow to her rapidly crumbling defenses where Conn was concerned.

He looked down at her with one of his killer, sweet-and-sexy smiles. “Yeah, I want to know that your nipples are hard because of me, not the weather.”

“So you’re jealous of Jack Frost?”

The air amplified his laugh. Made it richer somehow. “I suppose I am. Giving you hard nipples and pink cheeks should be my job alone.”

The playfulness and kissing, walking arm in arm, now a comment like that… A wave of butterflies fluttered to life in her chest. Given her track record, she should know better. If she was smart, she’d squash those stupid, hopeful butterflies before they turned to heart-devouring parasites.

What she
should
do disappeared like a puff of foggy winter breath when Conn wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tight against his side. Screw it, she was going to enjoy the rest of this weekend. Reality and restraint could wait one more day.

Chapter Six

Conn had a stomach full of roast chicken, potatoes and delicious apple crumble. He and Nia had offered to take care of the post-dinner cleanup, but Meredith had refused, enlisting Peter instead. Sara had disappeared to her room at the first opportunity. Now Conn and Nia had the Chambers’ cozy family room to themselves.

Zeus had made himself at home and fallen asleep in front of the fireplace. Nia sat across from Conn, smiling over the top of her wine glass, the flickering amber from the flames and the onset of one of her adorable blushes giving her face an irresistible glow. This weekend had turned out pretty great.

Starting with last night in the motel. From the first kiss, she’d gotten under his skin. Sex with Nia had been natural and connected, as if they’d done it a hundred times. Not boring though. Hell no. Each touch had lit him up like the New Year’s Eve fireworks on the TV. He’d wanted to keep going all night long. Fucking her, making love, licking, touching and kissing her. Jesus, just thinking about it had him hard and ready for action.

But it was more than the sex. Every hour, every minute he spent with Nia, he liked her more.

Smart, a sense of humor and comfortable with herself. All great traits. The fondness and respect she showed her parents reminded him of how he fit with his folks, even though he had to visit them separately now. Family mattered to Conn, and clearly, Nia felt the same.

Made him think maybe things could work out with Nia. Maybe even long term. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want a permanent relationship, or hadn’t tried to have one. He couldn’t help looking at Peter and Meredith and wishing for something similar. A comfortable home, nice family, obvious mutual love and affection. Conn’s parents had fit that model too, once upon a time. As a kid, he’d considered them an unbreakable unit. Other people’s parents split up. Not his. Yet they had. They’d gone from inseparable to divorced right in front of his eyes. Kind of made him wary of the “’til death do us part” thing. He wouldn’t make a promise he couldn’t keep.

Though he’d come close. He’d been so determined to break out of the single cycle, he’d put a ring on Tracy’s finger, despite their glaring differences. Thank god he’d come to his senses before trekking down the aisle. What a nightmare that marriage would’ve been.