Love by Design (Crystal Falls Book 1) (14 page)

“Here, let me take that,” he moved to her and helped slide the coat down her arms, leaning over her as he did and putting his nose to her hair. He felt himself grow hard, her body so close to his. He could just turn her around and kiss her, trap her body against the wall and do all the delicious things he’d wanted to do to her. But he chose to wait. They had plenty of time and he wanted to take it slow. He wanted it to be the perfect evening.

She turned around and he raised his eyebrows at the slinky white dress she wore. He could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra and the thin straps of the dress were just begging for him to slide them off her shoulders.

“I like your hair,” he said and moved to one of many empty closets in the house where he laid her coat on a shelf.

“Thanks. It’s been a while, so I got it done today.”

“I like it. It’s lighter than it used to be. I’ve got some white wine chilling. Would you like a glass?”

He took her cheap bottle and slid it into the refrigerator.

“Sure, that would be great. And then I’d love a tour.” She gave him a smile and joined him in the kitchen.

“You really did just move in, didn’t you?” she said as he handed her a glass of deep yellow wine.

“Yeah, didn’t get the keys until a couple of weeks ago. Sorry there isn’t much furniture yet. I don’t even have a dining table but I figured that we could eat at the bar or on the couch.”

“It’s fine.” She ran a hand through her hair and walked into the main room.

“So this is the living room,” he said, following her with his own glass of wine. “And you’ve seen the kitchen and the dining area.”

He took her hand and she gave him a smile. “Let’s see the rest of it.”

The hallway in front of them turned sharply to the left. “It’s hard to tell in the dark, but the house is designed in a U-shape. There are two wings on either side branching from the main living area.”

He walked her through a tall door and into the master bedroom. He switched on a row of lights that were recessed into shelving around the room. A huge fireplace took up almost an entire wall. Before she had time to stop and take it in he pulled her to the double glass doors and flicked another switch. Lights came on all around a beautiful pool that ran from one end of the house to the other. Plant life and patio space was everywhere. Across the patio were windows to the other side of the house. She put a hand to her chest.

“Oh, my God, Noah. This is gorgeous.”

“You like it?” He leaned in and kissed the top of her head gently. “Wait until you see the bathroom.”

He walked her in and stood back to watch her inspecting every detail of the marble and granite space. When she got to the shower he couldn’t keep the smile from his face.

“Shit, Noah! This looks like the one at the cabin. Better even. Did you design this place?”

He just shrugged and sipped his wine smoothly.

He walked her quickly through the rest of the house, showing her mostly empty guest rooms and office space. When they got back to the kitchen he pulled a bar stool out for her.

“Have a seat. Let me make you some dinner.”

Lily took her time to inspect the living room more thoroughly before sitting down. The ceilings were arched and glass was more common than solid wall in the main living area. The night was dark and she couldn’t see out but she suspected that they were surrounded by the privacy of pine trees. Her heels clacked on the marble floor as she moved to the bar stool he’d pulled out for her.

As he took ingredients from the refrigerator he told her more about the design of the house, how he’d managed to cut into the mountain to pour a foundation that allowed him to use the rock as part of the structure.

She nodded and took a sip of her wine, closing her eyes a moment with pleasure.
Damn
, it had been too long since she’d had a really good glass of wine. Noah always did have good taste.

They chatted about the work that each of them was doing at the cabin as he grilled two steaks, filling the kitchen with salty aromas that had Lily’s mouth watering. Green beans sizzled as they hit a hot saute pan and her stomach rumbled in response. It only took a few minutes before he slid a plate in front of her and refilled her glass of wine.

The first bite she took was exquisite, perfectly crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside. He’d melted a pat of butter on top to finish it, and she dunked her vegetables in the sauce as she ate each one. Except for Lily’s occasional moans of joy and words of praise for the meal, they were mostly silent as they ate side by side.

Lily was surprised that she’d eaten the entire steak. She wiped her mouth on her napkin and squeezed his hand with a smile. “Thanks for dinner. That was amazing.”

He smiled back and returned the squeeze. “More wine?” he offered.

She hesitated. If she was going to stay the night with him it wouldn’t matter. But if she planned to leave she couldn’t have any more.

“I’ll have some if you do.”

He placed their empty dishes in the sink and opened a new bottle of wine from a full-sized wine refrigerator in the corner. “Let’s go sit by the fireplace,” he said, pouring them each a full glass and motioning with his head toward the living room. She took the glass and followed him to the single couch that made up all the furniture of the big space.

Lily was stunned at the beauty that surrounded her. No wonder he’d given up his downtown condo.

Sinking into the leather, she kicked off her heals and watched him as he stooped over the fireplace. His body captured her attention and she couldn’t look away. He turned the gas on and a second later the logs blazed to life. He dimmed the kitchen lights using an app on his cell phone, making the firelight dance off the walls and windows. Lily raised an eyebrow.

“Fancy toy you’ve got there,” she gestured at his phone.

“I integrated all the latest smart tech into the house. You have no idea what I can do with this puppy.” He waggled the phone back and forth before sliding it onto the coffee table and sitting beside her.

“Maybe I’ll show you more later.” His eyebrows went up as if he were proposing something dirty and she laughed.

“Cheers,” she said, holding her glass out to him. He clinked his to hers and the mostly empty room carried the noise. She took a sip and closed her eyes briefly, letting the alcohol linger on her tongue and the sound of the crackling fire lull her.

“So, do we need to talk any more about the break up?” Noah asked, leaning back against the side of the couch to face her.

She frowned and looked out at the dark night. “I don’t think so. I’m ready to put it behind us, if you are.”

“Does that mean you want to get back together? Or is this just going to be a fling?”

She puffed out a breath of air. “God, Noah. I don’t know. Do we have to decide what it is right now?”

He shrugged. “I guess not. I’ll take anything I can get from you. But just to be clear, a relationship is what I want.”

“I know. But I’m just not ready to commit to something like that. Life is too crazy right now and this is all happening so fast. Let’s just take it a step at a time and see what happens.” She stretched her legs out, placing her feet in his lap and taking a sip of wine. “Okay?”

He smiled and grabbed her foot, massaging it gently. “I guess I have to say yes.”

They sat silently watching the fire as Noah rubbed her feet. She leaned back and let his strong hands knead the stress that she’d barely noticed building away. Her eyes began to close as his palms slid up and down her ankle and then her calf. She felt the slow burn of arousal begin its course through her body.

Suddenly her eyes popped open.

“Did you make up the story about the waiting tilers yesterday?” she asked.

“Of course not,” he said and laughed, reaching quickly for his wine and taking a sip.

“Because it seemed like those guys hadn’t been there at all. Like you just called them up to the cabin after I agreed to come up and check on the shipment.”

“Now why would I do a thing like that?” He sat up closer to her and reached over to run his fingertips lightly over her shoulder then down her arm, making the little hairs stand on end. His mouth was begging to be kissed, so moist and close.

“To trick me into coming up there, maybe?”

He fained offense, putting his hand to his chest. “I would never!”

“Ha. I know you too well, Mr. Caldwell. I bet you even took the shipping list off.”

Before she could say anything else he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. She laughed into his mouth and tried to push him away. Her wine sloshed in her glass as he nuzzled her neck, making her shriek.

“You can’t get out of it that easy,” she told him, pushing harder until he sat up again. She slid her glass onto the coffee table and frowned but couldn’t quite keep the smile from curling the edge of her lips.

“I may or may not have orchestrated a bit yesterday,” he finally admitted.

“Oh!” she said and slapped him on the leg.

He flinched away from her and put his hands up in self-defense. “I just wanted to see you.”

“I could have finished my lunch!”

He started to reach for her but she grabbed his wineglass and put it on the coffee table before hotly grabbing the back of his neck and bringing his mouth to hers. Was it annoying that he’d called her all the way up the mountain for nothing? Sure. But she couldn’t be mad. With the scent of his skin surrounding her, his warm body so close, she couldn’t do anything but kiss him.

He wrapped his hands around her waist and raised her to sit on his lap, not breaking their kiss. She felt him hard and ready beneath his jeans, pressing into her thighs. As she leaned close, leaning her chest against his, she deepened the kiss, probing his mouth with her tongue. She moaned into his mouth when he brushed his fingers over her sides and up to her breast, her nipples growing tight beneath the fabric of her dress.

This was exactly what she wanted. There was no mistaking it now. His mouth moved from her lips to her chin and over her throat and she closed her eyes and tilted her head back to give him more access.

When his moist lips sucked at the groove in her neck she moaned again and grabbed at his shirt. She needed him now, and from the way he was breathing, heavy between each kiss he planted on her skin, he needed her just as much.

She whimpered as she pulled at his clothes. Wordlessly he scooped her into his arms and walked her down the hall to the bedroom, the fire and their wine abandoned.

It was darker here and he placed her gently on the bed before going quickly to light the fireplace in the bedroom. She watched him, her face flushed with desire, ready for him to take her, desperate for his skin to meet her own.

She’d sworn she wasn’t going to give him all of herself again, that this time she was going to protect her heart. But as he turned and walked slowly toward the bed, kicking off his shoes and unbuttoning his shirt as he moved closer, she could swear that the little flutters in her stomach were more than arousal. She thought she might be saying goodbye to her heart all over again.

The light of the fire danced over his strong bare shoulders as he reached the bed where she lay. He stood there in only his jeans for a moment and looked down at her stretched out on his bed, his blue eyes melting her as they poured over her body.

Silently Noah sat her up and unzipped her dress. He slipped the straps off her shoulders, stooping to bite one exposed shoulder and then the other. He took her hand and brought her quickly to her feet, letting the sheath of fabric puddle on the ground at her feet.

He stood back and took her in, her soft skin glistening with sweat in the dim light. All that stood between him and complete access to her body was a small patch of sparkling underwear between her thighs. He stooped at her feet and gazed up at her, running his big hands up and down her calves, nibbling the back of her knee. His mouth worked its way up and she spread her legs open a little more in anticipation, closing her eyes and winding her fingers through his hair.

His lips traced over her thighs and followed his hands as they made their way slowly up her body. When his fingers wrapped around the sides of her panties she stiffened for a second and looked down at him. He kissed her inner thigh gently and then met her gaze as he slid the fabric down her legs. There was fire in her eyes and he felt tense with his own desire. When his mouth touched her most sensitive flesh she groaned aloud and grabbed at his shoulders.

“Noah, please,” she said, raking her fingernails over his back, pulling at him, needing him inside of her. She leaned back and sat on the bed, breaking their contact. Under his gaze she laid back and opened her legs for him, tempting him to come to her. She smiled as he unbuckled his belt and popped each of the buttons of his jeans quickly.

“God, Lily. You’re even sexier than I remember, if that’s possible.”

She moaned and ran her fingers over her nipples, making each one stand even harder from her flesh and Noah kicked his pants and boxers to the side quickly. Instantly he was lying on her, his hands snaking through her hair, his mouth pressed against her own. He felt her wet softness as he pulled himself up between her legs and she rocked against him, driving him wild.