Loving Lydia (Atlantic Divide) (7 page)

Her mind made up, Lydia raced down the stairs where her sister sat comfortably with her feet raised on a footstool.

“Could you listen out for Aaron and Rosie for a little while for me?” she asked Kate as she passed through the lounge.

“Sure. Where are you off to?”

“I need to straighten something out with Sam.”

“Really?”

“Kate,” Lydia paced back through the room, “he’s made it clear that he’s umm … interested.” Kate’s eyebrows shot up and a smile curved her face.

“Really?” she repeated, this time drawing the word out.

“He can’t be.”

“Why?”

“Because he has no idea about me.”

“Okay.”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“That. Being patient and … and doctor-like.”

“I am a doctor.”

“You’re my sister. You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am.” Kate sat up straight, lowered her feet to the floor, and looked at her younger sister. “Perhaps the time is right for you to forgive yourself and move forward with your own life.”

Lydia stared at her from across the room for a moment and then shook her head firmly. “I’ll disappoint him.”

Her sister’s look of sympathy stirred her heart. “Why don’t you let him be the judge of that?”

Lydia shook her head and stepped backward toward the door.

“I won’t be long.”

As she walked out, she heard Kate’s deep sigh. “The only one who can help you, Lydia is you … unless you let Sam.”

She had no idea what she was going to say to him. All she knew was she had to settle this with him now, otherwise she was going to suffer another restless night. He drove her crazy. What she felt for him drove her crazy. Her heart hammered in her chest, her blood raced through her veins, her breath stuck in her throat—and that was only at the thought of him—and she thought about him all the time, especially at night when she slid into bed; her body became restless and her mind whirled. She had to put a stop to it.

The stables were empty except for the quiet hush of the horses blowing out gently or shuffling into a more comfortable position as they settled down. She could hear his voice at the far end of the stable as he sang to himself. She recognized the country song and smiled as she stepped forward.

“Sam?”

There was a moment of silence, and then Sam stepped out from behind a large black stallion, holding some kind of small hook in his hand.

“Lydia? What are you doing down here?”

“I need to speak with you.”

He stepped forward, but she held up a hand.

“Earlier, you said you wanted me.”

“Lydia, I don’t think…”

“No, please. I need to say this. You said you wanted me but … I’m not very good in bed. I’m no good at sex.” The words rushed out, and she watched as his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

“Christ, I can’t stand here and listen to this. Lydia, honey, please don’t say any more.” Jack stepped out from behind the black stallion, and as he spoke, Lydia clapped both hands over her mouth. Eyes huge with horror, she stood routed to the spot for a split second before Sam stepped toward her. She spun on her heel and tried not to run, holding her body ramrod straight as she stalked back through the barn, trying to muster as much dignity as possible. She heard a gravelly male voice coming from behind her

“No woman who looks the way she does is going to be bad at sex.” She whipped her head round and stood stock still for a moment as Carl stepped out of the stall next to the stallion, a piece of straw between his teeth. He tilted his head to one side and grinned. “Not when she can move the way she does.”

“Dear God,” Jack ground out.

Sam eyed the other two, and then hung his head as the laughter rolled over him. Lydia found her feet and ran as if the hounds of hell were chasing her.

* * * *

Lydia ran breathless through the house, up to her bedroom, and closed the door as quietly as she could. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. She sat on her bed and put her head between her knees to stop herself fainting from all the hyperventilating she was doing. As her breath slowed, she pulled herself up to sit with her back against the headboard. Tucking her knees up under her chin, she rocked back and forward. How was she ever to face any of them again?

“Lydia?” Her head whipped up as Sam stepped in through her balcony doors. Her face burned, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Get out!” She bared her teeth at him as she leaned forward.

“Sshhh … you don’t want to wake the kids.” He raised his fingers to his lips as he took a cautious step forward.

“Oh, God,” she said as she slapped her hands on her burning cheeks. “I can’t believe I said that. What on earth is Jack going to think of me?” She wailed as quietly as she could, trying not to wake the kids as her breath heaved in and out of her tight chest.

“Aaaww, honey, they’re not going to say anything to anyone.”

He soothed as he took another step toward her and gently lowered himself onto her bed beside her.

“And Carl. What must Carl think? Oh my God. He’s so old, and he heard me talk about sex.” Ducking her head, she rocked some more.

Suddenly her head shot up and her eyes narrowed as she glowered at him.

“You!”

Her finger shook as she pointed it at him. “It’s your fault!”

He brought his hand up to pat his chest, his eyes wide and innocent, and her temper rose.

“Yes! You! If you hadn’t started this nonsense… Lydia, I want you,” she mimicked, “I can’t wait to get you naked.” More annoyed that he seemed to be amused at her, she wriggled up onto her knees and leaned her face into his, her sharp fingernail drilling into his chest. “It’s … your … fault!”

As she knelt face to face with him, blood surging, breath heaving, it suddenly occurred to her that it was the first time she had been without fear of a man in years. He didn’t frighten her.

He smiled into her face, and she felt her furious accusation morph into complete puzzlement.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered.

“I came to see if you were all right. You took off so quickly I couldn’t be sure.”

She leaned back on her haunches and studied him for a moment.

“You can go now. I’m fine.”

He paused for a moment, and then raised his hand to smooth a lock of hair back from her face, his rough fingers grazing her skin

“Hey, pretty lady, how about a good luck kiss, so I don’t fall off the balcony on my way down.”

“You deserve to fall.”

He winced at her cruelty. “I did try to warn you.”

“Next time, try harder.”

He smiled. “At least there’s going to be a next time. Now, where’s my kiss?”

“Sam…”

“Lydia, just a little kiss. I know the kids are next door, so I don’t expect more. Although, if you feel inclined to let me see your tattoo, I wouldn’t object.” She laughed as he leered at her. Leaning back, she wondered how she felt so easy with him.

“Nu uh, no way.”

“Kiss.” He leaned in; she couldn’t resist. She closed her eyes and let her lips skim across his. He groaned with frustration.

“Lydia, more.” His hand came up to cradle the back of her head, his lips pressed against hers, firmer, deeper. He opened her lips with the pressure from his own and slipped his tongue inside her mouth.

She raised her hand in a half-hearted attempt to push him away, but he caught it in his free hand and gently rubbed her palm with his thumb as he pulled her closer, angling his head to sink in deeper. Weak, he made her muscles so weak.

“More,” he murmured against her lips.

She let her mind drift as he tenderly cradled her in his arms and sighed against her mouth as her shy tongue slid tentatively against his. She thought she might drown under his tender assault. He dipped in, tasted, retreated. She touched his jaw line and gave a vague murmur of protest, and then he dipped in again. She allowed him to turn her in his arms until she all but lay across his lap. Her eyelids felt heavy, her body like liquid as she let his hand slide under her snug little T-shirt to touch her flesh.

A quick surge of panic had her stiffening in his arms, but he calmly slid his hand out from her T-shirt again, rested it on her waist, and kept his lips fixed seductively to hers all the time. He pulled back to look at her face. She felt amazingly relaxed, eyelids at half-mast. She could feel her pulse beat a rapid tattoo in the base of her neck. He kissed the end of her nose, and she lazily drifted back until her eyes were fully open. As his dimples appeared, she felt herself respond with a long, slow smile.

“I have to go now, and I think you’re keeping me.”

“Oh.” Her mind was still hazy. “I’m sorry…”

He touched a fleeting kiss to her lips. “Don’t be. I’m not.” Sitting her up, he slid off the bed and made his way to her bedroom door.

“I thought you were going over the balcony.” Her voice was low and husky, almost an invitation for him to go back, but he snorted instead.

“You’re kidding. I’m not going to risk breaking my neck when there’s a perfectly good staircase in the house.” He slipped out of the door before she could reply.

Just as she reclined back on the bed with a long drawn-out sigh, he popped his head back round the door.

“Lydia, I think you’re going to be just fine at sex.”

Before she even had time to sit bolt upright, he was gone.

Thoughtful, she put her fingers up to her lips and smiled to herself. That was the second time she’d been kissed in four years, and she’d never been kissed like that in her life. It had been tender and sensuous, with a promise of what was to come. She hugged herself for a moment and allowed herself just a little time to indulge in the fantasy of Sam before she checked on her children.

*

He sneaked silently through the kitchen, congratulated himself on his progress, and almost had a heart attack as Kate snapped on the kitchen light. She leaned against the fridge, her arms crossed over the top of her huge stomach as her cool eyes assessed him. She waited.

“Jeez, Kate, you make me feel like a teenager again, sneaking out on a date.”

“You weren’t sneaking out, buddy, but sneaking in. To my sister’s room.”

“Last time I checked, she was past the age of consent.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me, young man.” She stepped into his path. “She’s my little sister, and she doesn’t need some Lothario chasing after her and breaking her heart.”

He didn’t back down; it wasn’t in his nature. Persistence was. So he stepped closer, took hold of Kate’s face in the palm of his hands, and kissed her on the top of her head.

“Kate, you’re going to make a great mama. Really, you are. But right now, I need some space with your little sister.” He placed his mouth above her ear and whispered, “I’m going to marry her. Don’t tell her yet, though. It’s a secret.” As she gasped, he stepped back, picked up a green apple from the fruit bowl, threw it in the air, and caught it. He took a bite, glanced back, and winked at Kate as he stepped out of the back door and into the fresh night air.

Chapter 5

He was romancing her. He wondered if she realized it, or if she had ever even been romanced before.

Every morning when she brought the children down for breakfast, he made sure he was there to join them, having already done half a day’s work by that time. He’d never spent so much time in Jack’s kitchen.

He chattered comfortably with Aaron, let Rosie slip onto his knee for a snuggle, and enjoyed flirting with her. They were cute little kids, and there was no sign of their mama’s shy nature in either of them.

He’d snuck up to her bedroom the morning before and left a small bunch of wildflowers for her. Buffalo Rose, they were one of his mama’s favorites. They sat pretty and blousy in a small vase on her dressing table, the petals warm and silky in stunning magenta, basking in the sun filtering through the window. He thought it might have been a bit foolish until she’d thanked him. Her shy eyes had met his as she had asked what they were without censuring him for going into her room.

He watched her walk into the kitchen behind her charging children. They never walked anywhere; everything had to be done at a flat-out run. His sister had once told him that two children were ten times the work than one. He considered twins were even more than that, but it didn’t seem to faze Lydia at all. She took it in her stride. He’d never once seen her lose her temper with them. Oh, she had the mum voice, but in general her rules were few and far between. What rules she did have, those kids obeyed. She made a really good mother; it would probably suit her to have more children running around her feet. In fact he quite liked the idea of her being pregnant with his child.

Her skin flushed a pretty pink when she spotted him, and as usual, she tucked her hair behind her ear and gave him a hesitant smile. Her eyelashes always fluttered a little when she met his gaze, as if she was frightened of seeing something there and was getting ready to retreat. Keeping his eyes as calm and placid as he could when she was around, he tried his best not to frighten her off, but the truth was he wanted to eat her alive. Devour her in one tasty little morsel. That little smile of hers made him want to scoop her up and ravish her, taste her irresistible mouth again, kiss her skin all over, lick her… He sucked in his bottom lip as his gaze dropped to her mouth, and he deliberated whether that was the best place to start.

The smile on her face flickered, and his thoughts stopped dead in their tracks as he noticed the uncertainty in her wary eyes. She’d gone very still, her breath was fast and shallow, and he realized that his eyes must have been devouring her just as mind had. She was better at reading his mind than he had realized, and just as he suspected, she had seen something in his eyes.

He deliberately let his attention stray to the children so that he could gather himself again.

He couldn’t help it if he looked as though he was going to pounce on her because that’s how he felt, but he smiled as he thought it showed how aware of him she was. Just for a moment there, he’d had the strangest feeling that she had been about to step in real close. Until she’d seen the glint in his eye. Perhaps it wasn’t a bad thing for her to know he had a craving for her. One that he had control over. She probably needed to know he had control.