Love Shack (Tiny Houses, Big Hearts) (26 page)

“Why?”

He turned to the fire and swallowed two large gulps of wine. Still staring in the fire, he told her. “You. Because of you. Not just because your touch makes me crazy and your energy makes me smile, but because you made me realize I want to do something good in this life, and I don’t need an Italian leather sofa to do it. And I’m hoping Tom will let me use something more complex than sandpaper if I hang around long enough.”

He smiled at her then. He was serious. He’d left it all.

“What if you change your mind? Living this way means you give up a lot. You worked so hard to have all those things. What if you wake up one morning and you regret leaving?”

His hand stretched out and he let the backs of his fingers stroke her jaw. She should have pushed him away as he touched her neck. She should have told him no as he gripped her hair. But she opened her mouth with a whimper as his lips touched hers.

His kiss felt like home. She’d existed for years with everything she needed in a tiny space. Her life was being lived outside of her house, just like she thought it was supposed to be. But she was wrong. It was supposed to be like this. She reached up and dug her hands in his hair and pulled him close. She’d only had him for a few days, but she ached with how much she’d missed him. His tongue slid against hers and she sucked him deep into her mouth as they tangled and explored each other.

When they finally ended the kiss, her eyes were slow to open, and she took all of the work he’d done in.

He pulled back, but it looked like it took just as much effort on his part. “I don’t need anything from you that you don’t want to give me. Just a chance to find out if what we found inside your house exists outside of it too. Here.” He handed her a piece of paper.

Felicity’s hands were shaking as she looked at the deed paperwork for the plot of land. “I’ll buy this from you. I don’t have enough money left since we already bought the materials for the first house, but I’m finalizing a contract with Debbie and—”

“Felicity, I don’t care if you pay me a dime. It’s not about the money for me anymore.”

“What is it about?”

He grabbed the bottle of wine and refilled their glasses.

“Are you asking me the meaning of life?”

She smiled. “Let’s start with what you want out of it.”

He clinked his glass against hers. “Here’s to hoping you’re willing to help me figure that out.”

She definitely drank to that.

Chapter Forty-One

Brandon sipped at his second glass of wine. It had worked. Holy fuck it had actually worked. Now what?

He was homeless since his apartment was already booked. It was getting late and he’d have to get himself into a hotel soon. Looking around, he realized Felicity was right. This place was a fairytale. It looked like magic could happen here, and he’d be willing to bet she could use this set up to sell so many houses.

Hell, he’d want to live here. In fact he needed to get that going, so…

“How much are you charging for your next house after Debbie’s?”

She side-eyed him. “It depends on what the customer wants. Different materials cost different amounts of money. The houses start at around twenty thousand and go up from there. Why?”

Brandon nodded. He might have to sell a couple stocks but he could come up with thirty to forty thousand dollars pretty easily. Or… “You said you wanted to buy the land from me, right?”

She sipped her wine and nodded.

“Well, how about a trade instead? You make me a house and I sign over the land.”

“I only make tiny houses. Well, by me, I mean Tom, but through me he only makes them under two hundred and fifty square feet.” She tilted her glass toward him. “I doubt you’re ready to downsize that much.”

“You’d be surprised at what I’m ready to do.”

When her brows raised to her hairline, he realized how that sounded.

“Shit, I didn’t mean it like that. I was talking about the position I’m getting on the zoning board.”

Her eyebrows went higher. “Shut up. You’re going to be on the zoning board?”

“Turns out the governor is anxious to get your land back to you too. He promised me anything I wanted. I happened to be in need of a job, and he had no idea I was planning on signing over the land to you anyway.”

“Sneaky.”

“But worth it, considering I’ll be able to help re-zone projects like this one and get a lot more people into the tiny homes they want.” He smiled. It did feel good. He couldn’t wait to get started. If there was one thing he learned from the folks who wanted into the tiny house community, it was how hard they had to work to get around laws that served no purpose other than to pad the pockets of home builders.

Brandon looked at the wine in his glass and realized he’d skipped dinner. Not even all the way through his second glass, and he was feeling it.

“Want the rest of mine?” he asked. “I need to be able to drive home.”

Felicity took his glass from him and stood swirling both in her hands and watching the liquid form tiny vortexes inside. She mumbled something.

“What was that?”

Huffing, she lowered her arms and looked him in the eyes. “I said you don’t have to go home. After all, I have one right here.”

“I’m not expecting anything out of this, Felicity. I wanted to get your land back to you, and I wanted to talk to you. I want to see you again, and if you’re not ready for me to head past first base, I am perfectly okay with that.” He looked at her. Her hair was glinting in the firelight and among the fairy lights and fireflies. The world was sparkling around her and he’d never wanted anything more than to touch her again. “I’m not going to lie. I want you. But I’m not pushing the issue.”

“I can’t eat at my kitchen counter without thinking about you pressing my breasts against it.”

He had granite between his legs in seconds. The blood rushed south so fast he could barely breathe. He had to clear his throat twice to get any words out. “Are you sure this is what you want tonight?”

She walked up to him and, just like he’d done earlier, she put the glasses in the arms of the chairs. “I’m sure I want you to kiss me again. I’m sure I want you to touch me. And I’m sure I want you to spend the night. Beyond that…”

She took a deep breath, and Brandon held his waiting for her to continue.

“I’ve been actively trying to not think about what comes next. I’ve been trying to live in the moment. And while I’m not sure where I’ll want to park my house, or if I’ll want to keep doing my blog, or if I’ll ever want to watch television again after being on it so much lately…I am sure, I’d like to wake up next to you tomorrow.” She reached up for his face and touched his cheeks. Her hands caught on the bit of scruff he hadn’t had time to take care of before she arrived. “What do you want?”

“This.”

Brandon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his. He felt the softness of her ankle length skirt float around his legs in the breeze. His hands wandered up her back and one pulled the hair-tie she’d used to hold the bun in place. Her hair floated down and he threw the tie away. He loved her hair.

Brushing the strands from her face, he used the movement to tilt her head up to his. “I want this.”

When his lips were on hers again he inhaled her. Their kisses became frantic and her hands that had been gently holding him worked down his sides and pulled at his shirt. He moaned against her mouth as he felt the fabric pull free.

There were only the two of them in this magic place and he wanted to show her that he was sure. The past was important, because it made them both who they were now, but it didn’t hold either of them back any longer. He knew who she had been, and why she’d chosen to become who she was now. Her strength and her fearlessness made his hands move faster. He had to touch her skin. Her skin was the softest he’d ever felt, and he couldn’t imagine anything else feeling anywhere near as heavenly as the goose bumps forming beneath his palms as he lifted her blouse over her head.

“Are you cold?” he asked as he rubbed her skin.

“The exact opposite.”

Her lips cut off the conversation and her hands forced his off her body as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders. The night was warm and the air was still. The whole world was holding its breath.

He started to try and move them toward the house, but she pushed him backward instead. Her mouth traveled down his neck and she began to nip at his collarbone. It was almost enough to distract him from the fact that her hands were no longer on his chest but pulling his belt from the buckle.

“What are you doing?”

Eyes twinkling in the firelight she asked, “Do you want me to stop?”

Her hands unzipped his pants and in a swift motion, she pushed them to his ankles. Hell no, he didn’t want her to stop. He looked around, but there wasn’t anyone nearby and the road was far enough away that passing cars wouldn’t get a glimpse.

“What if Tom comes back?”

“I don’t take him for a voyeur. He’d leave.”

Her hands yanked his boxers from his waist. His cock bounced in front of her mouth and she grabbed his shaft to steady it. She was telling the truth. She wasn’t cold.

Her hands were sizzling his skin as she stroked him just twice before she put her mouth over his cockhead. He grabbed her head to get her to the rhythm he wanted. He shouldn’t force her on his cock so hard, but she moaned around him and the vibrations pulled at the back of his spine. There wasn’t control anymore. There was just her. He looked up at the lights above him.

She needed to see this.

It took all the strength he had to stop thrusting against her quick little tongue. Her hair was wild, and as she stood her lips were the brightest pink he’d ever seen them. He kissed her as he kicked off his shoes and pants and then it was his turn to see more of her. He loved these elastic-waisted skirts. A quick yank and she was in nothing but a pair of flip flops.

When he pulled back from her embrace, she kicked those off without a second’s hesitation. She also pulled a condom from her huge purse and set it on the arm of the chair. Thank goodness one of them was prepared.

Brandon backed up until he felt the chair against his calf. He sat at the edge and looked up at the woman in front of him. She belonged here. Her hair and her beautiful naked body belonged under these lights and surrounded by fragrant herbs and flowers. The lightning bugs danced over her shoulders but never landed to obscure the perfection of her skin.

She glowed against the fire, and when he spread her legs he saw her arousal glisten for him. He had to taste her.

Chapter Forty-Two

Felicity leaned her head back in pleasure the moment his tongue touched her clit. He wasn’t being gentle, but everything was moving in slow motion around her. The bit of wine had her relaxed, and his touches were stealing her breath away making her even more light headed.

When his finger slid deep inside her, her body clamped down around him and he pushed her closer to what she knew from experience would be the first orgasm of many she’d have. She held onto his shoulders as he found the perfect rhythm with his tongue and slid inside her to match the pace.

Her nails dug in as the wave of pleasure crested. She opened her eyes as she gasped and the beauty of the scene made the moment even more perfect.

“Beautiful,” he said.

She stared at the lights and the stars and couldn’t agree more. “It is.”

“No.” His finger hooked inside her and pressed against her walls until he found the spot that made her knees weak. “You. You’re beautiful when you come for me. Want to do it again?”

She smiled down at him. “Absolutely.”

She let him turn her around. After the condom wrapper crinkled behind her, Brandon pulled her back. He eased her down until she was in the perfect position to lower herself onto his cock. He was hard and ready for her, and she licked her lips remembering how good it felt to have the ridge of his head slide against her tongue.

He surged up as he lowered her down. Nope. This. This was better than his taste.

Her hands gripped the arms of the chair and she pulled herself slowly off him before slamming back down again. They moaned in unison before she began to move faster.

His arms wrapped around her and forced her to lean back against his chest. He took over. Slamming into her, his arm moved to her middle and he held onto her breast to keep her pinned against him. He bit her shoulder, pinched her clit, and held her together as she exploded in his arms.

The grips turned to pets and Felicity felt him slip backwards into the bend of the chair. She curled her legs up and let them slip out under the wooden arms. He stroked her pussy as their hearts went from pounding to a heavy slow thump.

“Every time with you is incredible.” Brandon said.

She slid her body over to the side and looked into his eyes. “Want to do it again?”

He laughed. “In a few minutes. But first…” He kissed her. “First I want you to know something.”

“I don’t think we can handle any more secrets.”

He smiled. “I love you.”

Felicity looked at him. She looked around at all he had done to prove he understood her dreams. She didn’t want to lie to him any more either. He’d stolen her heart when he’d stolen her home. It would be another lie unless she told him exactly what she was feeling in this moment.