Home for Love (An Adult Contemporary Romance) (9 page)

“This is adorable, Todd,” Bree smiled up
at him when she was seated. She leaned over and touched the soft, silky fluff
of the polar bear ballerina decked in a pink puffy tutu and matching tiara.
“And what is this?” She indicated the box.

“A man does not tell on one girl to
another,” Todd responded, with mock firmness.

Picking up the box, Bree shook it, heard
rattling. Shaking her head, she looked up at him. “You know I hate not knowing
things. So spill. I’m her mother.”

“That ploy won’t work with me, honey,”
Todd replied, smoothly. “Put the box down and stop staring at it. Amber can
show you once she’s opened it.”

“You’re no fun,” Bree replied, pouting.

“And you’re like the little girl who
can’t wait for Christmas,” he laughed.

“Oh, well,” Bree shrugged. “I’ll see
soon enough.”

Todd signaled for the waiter. “Please,
won’t you put the gifts in my car?” he asked.

“Certainly sir,” the waiter replied
stoically, garbed in an equally sever looking black suit and starched white
shirt. He efficiently and noiselessly removed the gifts and walked towards the
restaurant exit looking odd carrying a large stuffed toy and equally girlish
gift.

“This definitely isn’t the Devil’s Peak
norm,” Bree stated, gaping after the waiter. “If this was any of the places in
town, we would’ve had the waiter sitting down with us and having honed the
craft of needling information out of people, you would’ve spilled on what was
inside that box.”

“Come to think of it,” Bree continued,
“let’s go to one of them.”

“Really?” Todd asked. “All the local
women love coming here on dates.”

“Is that so?” Bree quirked a brow in
question. “Have you brought any local ladies here?”

Cursing his slip, he scowled, “A few.”

Bree laughed, “That’s okay. I was just
teasing you. I didn’t expect you to have lived like a monk these past seven
years, Todd.” The words felt right, but in reality, jealousy had snuck in, Bree
acknowledged. Which was ridiculous, because they weren’t an item.

“So, have you seen other people?” Todd
ventured.

“One or two,” Bree responded, “but
nothing serious. Being a single mom doesn’t lend itself to wild romances.”

Todd leaned back, unable to keep a
satisfying smirk from showing. “I remember our romance as pretty wild.”

“Yes, it was,” Bree smiled back. And
look where it got us.

“Bree, Todd - welcome,” a strange
masculine voice interrupted and saved Bree from further questions about her
love life. “It’s great seeing you again.”

Bree looked up at one of the hottest
guys she’d seen in a while. He was suave, oozing sophistication and dashingly
debonair in an expensive silk suit of grey, a midnight black shirt under it.
The guy had it going on - green eyes, dark brown hair, and a face chiseled by a
master.

“I’m sorry,” Bree said to the stranger.
“I haven’t been back in a while, and so much has changed. How do we know each
other again?”

“Much may have changed here,” his smiled
at her, dazzling with teeth so straight they must’ve been cosmetically attended
to, “but you’re still as beautiful as I remember, if not more so.”

The line was so much like the one Todd
had delivered in the hardware store’s shed, Bree darted a glance at him. Todd
had his poker face on - not a good sign.

“Bree, this is Jack, one of the town’s
new businessmen,” Todd interrupted the flirtatious glances; he’d had enough of
them. “We knew him in high school.”

“Oh yes, Jack,” Bree responded, throwing
a smile at him. “You’ve grown up since I last saw you.”

Jack’s smile slipped and Todd chuckled
softly. “Yes, well,” Jack responded, “seven years will do that to a person.
Thank you for coming to The Lodge. I’ll leave you to enjoy your dinner, but if
there’s anything you need, just let us know. Bree, lovely to see you again; we
should do brunch sometime - The Lodge is renowned for it.” He looked at Todd,
nodded by way of greeting, and smoothly glided away from them to the other
tables.

“Brunch?” asked Bree. “Is he for real?
The only people that ‘do brunch’ are those who don’t live on a farm in Alaska
with a six year old kid.”

Todd chuckled, “I guess he still
irritates you.” Something he was immensely relieved about. “You sure know how
to take a man down, Bree.”

“Oh, he doesn’t irritate me,” Bree
stated artlessly. “He’s just changed that’s all and that caught me off guard.”

“I noticed,” Todd replied. “Like what
you saw?”

“Well, he’s certainly grown up. He’s not
the stick thin boy from high school. Why?” she asked. “Are you jealous?”

“Of course,” replied Todd, searing her
with a possessive look. “I’m here with you.”

 Bree gulped, dismissing the tingles
that his look evoked - time to change the subject. “So tell me about this
brunch business? I’ve seen the improvements to town, but what else do I need to
know about?”

In the end, they had a relaxed dinner
discussing old friends and new. Bree told him of her landlady and the people
she’d worked with in Columbus. Todd told her about starting up the business and
the many people he'd met. They avoided talking about each other, but for once,
they didn’t focus their entire discussion around Amber either. Todd paid the
bill, tipped the starched-up waiter heavily, and helped Bree to the car
thinking that the evening had turned out to be a success.

Bree slid her key into the door of the
farmhouse, Todd behind her carrying Amber’s gifts. She turned the doorknob and
was met with resistance. What was it with her and doors lately! “Todd, the
door’s stuck,” she whispered. The house was in darkness and she neither wanted
to wake her tired gran nor the two patients. “I’ve turned the key but it won’t
budge.”

“Here, let me try.” He handed her the
gifts and took the key from her. “The latch is up. You’re not going to get into
the house this way unless we break down the door.”

“Poor Gran,” Bree stated
sympathetically. “She’s been covering for granddad a lot with the farming. She
must’ve been so tired she didn’t realize what she was doing. Maybe there’s a
window or something open. You could boost me up.”

They went around the outside of the
house, inspecting the building for any opening that presented a way in.
“There’s nothing. They’re locked tight. Maybe the guest cottage is open,” Bree
offered.

“Hasn’t that place been closed for a
while?” Todd asked. “You guys haven’t had any guests stay over in some time.”

“I’ve wondered about that,” Bree stated.

“I guess they’ve wanted to keep you guys
to themselves for a while and their friends have good hearts but are nosy,”
Todd offered.

“Could be,” Bree acknowledged. “Amber
was playing there the other day. She treats the place like one big dollhouse,
so maybe it’s open.”

After meeting with another locked door,
Bree turned to Todd. “I didn’t want to wake gran, but I guess I’ll have to.”

“You do have an alternative,” Todd
stopped her fingers from punching the farm house’s number into her mobile.

“What?” Bree asked.

“You could stay at my place and I’ll run
you home tomorrow night.”

Bree had not thought of that at all and
it was not an alternative she was okay with. “That’s sweet of you, Todd, but
with Amber being sick, I’d rather be close-by.”

He dipped his head in understanding,
“Then dial away.” 

“She’s not picking up,” Bree said
minutes later. “She must be exhausted. What if Amber calls for her and she
doesn’t hear?”

Noting her concern, Todd took her hand
and squeezed. “Your grandmother raised you and your dad. She’s got looking
after sick kids covered. Besides, I’ve heard that moms have an inner-alarm
built in that alerts them to when their kids need them. That should apply to
grandmothers too.”

“You’re right,” Bree acquiesced. “I’m
being paranoid. Seeing how I doubt granddad would appreciate us breaking down
the original farmhouse door, is the offer to bunk at your place still
available?”

“With pleasure,” he responded. “And
don’t worry about Amber,” he gave her hand another squeeze, “you can call her
first thing in the morning and I’ll bring you back after breakfast.”

“Thanks,” Bree agreed. With her concerns
about Amber placated. She realized that she’d be stuck under the same roof as
Todd for the rest of the night. Heart-rate speeding up at the battle ahead to
resist the tempting prospects it offered, she got into the car with an odd mix
of trepidation and unwanted excitement.

xxx

Todd let Bree into his house, switching
on the lights as they moved through it to the living room. He shot a glance her
way, assessing her face. She hadn’t said much since they left the farm. “Can I
get you something to drink?”

“No, thanks,” she replied. “I’m okay for
now.”

“If you change your mind, the kitchen’s
down the hallway at the other end of the house. I should probably show you
around and get you something to sleep in.”

“Thanks,” Bree repeated and followed
him. They’d never spent the night together - the whole night - when they dated
before. Being alone with him in his home felt odd, intimate.

When she’d been here previously, it was
to pick Amber up from a play date. Amber had a few friends from school nearby
and Todd was always eager to show her off. Being that it was important for
Amber to form bonds with other children in her new town, Bree had agreed to the
arrangement. So, she’d only ever seen the front end of the house, not daring to
step into his parlor so to speak.

Now, as she followed Todd through the
house, she hadn’t just stepped into the parlor, she was way inside of it and in
danger of allowing herself to be devoured. She could feel the sexual tension
between them, hovering in the air like an unspoken secret that everyone knew
about.

Bree shifted her focus away from his
well-carved behind to their surroundings. While she’d been ogling him, they’d
moved down the hallway, past a dining room, home office and into a vast
kitchen.

“Ooh,” Bree purred gleefully, stepping
into a cook’s dream. The kitchen was large and airy. Huge windows would allow
light to stream into the room during the extended summer daylight. It was
fitted with every modern appliance you could think of and ample cupboards
hinted that it held even more cooking wonders. “I don’t recall you being very
fond of cooking.”

“When I got back after my dad died, my
mom was even more internally focused,” he shrugged. “So I had to learn to cook.
I figured out, that I wasn’t half bad at it and kinda enjoyed it. So, now I put
out the odd dish or two.”

“Well this looks a lot more serious than
the odd dish. This is practically half the size of the bottom part of the
house. Was it like this when you bought the place or did you do some renovation
work?”

“Nah,” he answered, “the kitchen was
tiny - like the type you find on a ship or train. I figured that since I had to
do it over, I might as well do it right. Build for the future.” Now, that he
said that, he could picture the three of them having a family meal at the table
to the one side of the room. It was modern, but still cozy. He was a guy after
all. Bree and Amber would add their own touches, soften it a bit. “You guys
should all come over one Sunday for a meal. I’ll do a pot roast and the works.”

“I’m impressed,” Bree said. “You said
that Jack had done well earlier. To my mind, you’ve done pretty well yourself.”

“Thanks,” Todd replied, looking
embarrassed. “You’ve done well too.” At her cynical look, he explained, “No
really. You’ve managed to acquire a professional qualification, a job in that
profession in a place that does not have an abundance of employment available
and you’ve raised a beautiful girl; our daughter. I don’t think I’ve thanked
you for that. So, thank you, Bree. I couldn’t be a prouder father and you’re
largely to be congratulated for that.”

Enchanted by his sincerity, embarrassed
by his thanks, she made a study of the nearby counter’s contents and mumbled a
thank you. “I’m still ashamed of how long I took to tell you. I’m sorry for
that, Todd. It’s something I’ll never forgive myself for.”

Todd walked towards her and took both
her hands in his; heightening their physical awareness. “You’re both here now.
That’s what counts,” he replied and leaned down to kiss her. The sexual tension
they’d been carrying around exploded into an all-out lust seeking satiation.
The kiss wasn’t gentle, it was all-consuming, powerful, and lips took, bruised,
bit, and sucked. Filling in as much as possible and drinking in the passion
offered. Drinking in her kiss, Todd backed Bree up against the kitchen wall,
hands flanking but not touching her.

The icy wall jolted Bree out of the
passionate fog. Gently, she put her hands against his chest, fighting the urge
to rip at the material and touch that firm, hot piece of flesh, and pushed him
away.

Todd looked down at her and asked,
“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Bree stated in a voice laced
with regret. “I just need a moment. Don’t get me wrong. That was unbelievable,
better than I remembered, but it’s a bit soon. We’re moving too fast for me and
I need some time, Todd.”

“You’ve been here for months, Bree.”
Todd pointed out.

“Yes, but our relationship was on
tentative ground then. It took a while to get into a rhythm as co-parents, and
then to get along again. Now this, this has been fast, and hot. I need to cool
down and think.”

Todd nodded; his head understood but the
hardness in his crotch was yelling at him. “Okay, we’ll take things slow.” He
leaned down and kissed her again, gently, sweetly, and with a subtle feel of
yearning. “That okay?” he asked sincerely.

Bree nodded and to show that she was,
she leaned up and delivered a kiss just as soft, just as sweet. “Now, show me
the place upstairs Mr. Hunter.”

Todd held out his arm to indicate that
she should go first and had his turn at ogling her rear as it sashayed up the
stairs. He grinned wickedly; he hoped she could feel his eyes on her the way
he’d felt hers searing his butt earlier. It would serve her right after the ‘go
slow’ request. Darn, but he understood what she meant. He just didn’t like
carrying around his lust like a ball and chain - it was damn uncomfortable.

The upstairs comprised of two bathrooms
and three bedrooms with the main bedroom boasting a balcony with a view of the
surrounding mountains and evergreen trees. Bree stepped out into the icy cold
night and looked up at nature’s fireworks, the Northern Lights. “That’s one
thing I missed,” she pointed upwards. “There’s nothing else like it that can fill
you with so much awe, give you such hope because of its beauty yet make you
feel so insignificant.”

Todd thought back to the first night of
her return and the similar thoughts he’d had. Taking her chin in his, he leaned
down for another short kiss. “Let’s go inside, we’re not dressed for the cold
out here.”

“Let me look for a toothbrush. I should
have some in the bathroom cupboard. You okay with sleeping in a t-shirt?”

“That will work,” Bree replied.

Todd waved his arm towards the closet,
“Help yourself.”

Bree opened the doors, pulled out the
drawers, and located his t-shirts. Sifting through them, she found his high
school hockey captain's shirt. With a smile, she picked it up and smelled. It
smelled like fabric softener, but she could vividly remember the spicy scent of
excitement that had leapt from it when she'd leaned into him after he’d won a
game. Putting it back, she pulled out another and shut the drawer. Sifting
through his clothes felt intimate, personal as new discoveries melded with fond
memories.

Jeesh, what the hell was wrong with her?
She sat down on the edge of the bed. Todd entered the room a toothbrush in one
hand, clean towel in the other. He spotted her and smiled and just then, she
knew what was wrong and what she had to do. “Did you find a…”

Todd’s question was cut off as she made
the leap and clamped her lips on his, pulling his head down towards hers. Hard,
debauched, ravenous. Fire erupted searing skin, burning through the doubts of
the present, and the pain of the past. Fire consumed, stoking their passion,
and flowing around them.

“I need you,” Bree said, from shy girl
to vixen, she stood before him, and then pushed him back onto the bed.

Todd was speechless. A myriad of
thoughts raced through his mind at once, confusing the hell out of him. Desire
flamed and he didn’t give a damn. All he could see was the woman that he’d been
lusting after for longer than was right for a healthy man. He had struggled to
make peace that she wasn’t his anymore. Now she was standing before him with
the singular mission of rocking his world. And darn it, but he’d take that and
give it back. He had no intention of leaving her any other way but limp,
drained, completely, and hedonistically sated.

Bree’s carnal intentions left no room
for thinking. As soon as he’d thought that, she was stripping out of her
clothes. Skin - loads of glorious skin, golden and tempting, just waited for
his tongue, teeth, and lips. And, even that wasn’t enough. He wanted her so
bad, he wished he could crawl into her skin and devour her.

Bree took her time to undress, first
slipping off her shoes, cheekily tossing them to the side. Toes had never
looked that delectable to him before. Letting his gaze run up from her feet to
her calves, and then slowly waiting in anticipation as inch by inch, she teased
the dress off and chased away the dark covering. The dress, when pulled up,
revealed lace and silk. More teasing as her beautiful, bountiful breasts
continued to hide behind a scrap of lingerie.

Todd swore he was as hard as concrete,
and obsessed with the need to cover and claim her.

 “You leave me mindless,” Todd rasped.
“You’re what every man wishes they had and what I’m privileged enough to
experience.”

Getting up from the bed, he kept his
eyes on hers, making his intentions clear. They spoke of indulgence at the most
basic, most pleasurable level. They spoke of an inferno of carnal passion. Like
a predator stalking its prey, he moved towards her then not touching, let his
gaze run down every inch of her delectable curves, touching her golden skin
with his eyes. He allowed his gaze to move on, linger at whim, caring only for
letting them feast on what he’d so long been denied.

Bree felt it, felt his hunger tease her,
taunt her, and play with her. He stared at her neck and she shivered, moved his
gaze to her breasts and she arched wanting more, only to have those wicked
chocolate browns move swiftly away to give lighter caresses somewhere else.
Moaning, she ran her hands over her body, following the trail left by his lascivious
observations. The fire continued to consume them until they became the flames
sprouting forth from it, flicking, playing, and dancing with each other.