Sweetest Salvation (13 page)

Andy suddenly realized the
once bright room had darkened now that the sun went down. Her stomach growled,
which caused them both to laugh.

Her head back in the crook of
his arm, she cupped his cheek. “Dinner sounds wonderful.” She grinned.

Chapter Seven

Five
months later…

Andy rolled over and cracked
one eye open. Groaning, she quickly shut out the harsh light and buried her
head back in the pillow.

She’d been up late the night
before, going over the new architectural plans she had for her house,
reorganizing her schedule for upcoming charity events and had a bit too much
wine with a couple of friends. She hadn’t seen them in ages and loved
reconnecting. It was difficult to convince
herself
that it was okay to spend an evening out, laughing and enjoying life again.
Thanks to Hunter, she was making the slow progression back to what she loved to
do and not feel guilty doing so.

Hunter.

She burrowed beneath the
blankets and smiled. He really made her feel good about where she was heading,
and treasured her completely, always looking after her while also giving her
space to find solid footing again.

“Hey, sleepyhead, rise and
shine,” the voice cooed, jarring her from her thoughts.

She lifted her head and
raised an arm to block out the sunshine pouring in from the bay window of his
bedroom.

“Oh, sorry, let me get
that.”
 
The room darkened after he pulled
the curtains closed and turned back to her.

Her gaze clear, it zeroed in
on him and ran the length of his body. She never grew tired of seeing him. His
strong arms, long fingers, solid chest—she savored being cocooned against him
whenever he pulled her near, or if he could see the doubts shadowing her eyes.

“You’re awfully cheery this
morning.”

“Of course I am.” He moved to
the end of the bed and lifted a tray she hadn’t noticed, and sat down. Once he
set it down between them, she was surprised to see chocolate covered
strawberries and two flutes of what might be apple cider on top.

“What’s all this?”

“Don’t you know what today
is?” he questioned, eyes twinkling.

God she could drown in their
depths and never come out. He was spectacular.

“Umm, Friday?” she frowned,
totally at a loss.

He chuckled and handed her a
glass. “Yes, it’s Friday, but even better, it’s our fifth month together.”
Grinning, he
clinked
his glass with hers and took a
sip.

Eyes wide, she pondered.
An anniversary, so to speak.
It seemed surreal. When she’d
decided to pull herself up by her boot straps and learn to live again, she’d
taken each day as it came.
And never planned too far ahead.

To know the time had flown by
without her being aware felt strange, considering she’d once wallowed in grief
so heavy she barely made it through a day without hiding.

But it was also exciting.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t—” He
laid his fingers over her lips to silence her.

Hunter gazed into her eyes,
lowered his hand,
then
lightly brushed her lips with
his. “Don’t worry about it. I figured you’d forgotten but that didn’t mean I
had to.” He winked and picked up a strawberry.

He placed it against her lips.
Her mouth opened and she bit into the sweet morsel. Tangy, sweet nectar and the
richness of chocolate coated her tongue. She moaned and her eyes nearly rolled
back in her head.

She stared at the man beside
her and palmed his cheek. “You’re spoiling me.”

“That’s what I’m here for.
And I told you, don’t worry about it. I simply wanted to enjoy the morning with
you and see how you’re doing.”

“I’m fine.” She set the glass
on the bedside table and reclined against the headboard, pillows behind her
back.

“I know you’re doing fine,
but you’ve been very busy lately. I want to be sure you’re not doing more than
you feel comfortable with because you think it’s expected of you.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m
doing just fine. I enjoy organizing the charity events again. You know I’ve
always loved doing those.”

He shifted, and moved the
tray to the floor, then settled on his side facing her.

He always made her feel
special, and she needed to plan something in return.
 
Every day with him was amazing. They were
inseparable for the most part.

They hadn’t told the
Sheavers
about their relationship yet. Fast-talking,
keeping things quiet and controlling themselves whenever the older couple was
around, was taking its toll.

Though Andy desperately
wanted to tell her ex in-laws about her relationship with Hunter, she was
worried how they might react.

They had been there for her
since his death, even when she tried to push them away. To know she’d moved on,
and with his best friend, might not go over so well with either of them. Their
allegiance would always be to their son’s memory. She only hoped they would
understand.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Hunter
pulled her from her thoughts.

“I’m right here.” She lifted
a hand to his chest and absorbed the feel of him against her skin. Warm, hard,
tight…damn she loved touching him.

Pulling her closer, his lips
captured hers, sliding and caressing. The taste of strawberries was rich on his
tongue. It slid along hers, his teeth biting at her bottom lip. Her toes
curled, and her fingers tightened around his ears.

He eased back, panting, and
cuddled her close. “Damn, you’re potent.”

She chuckled and tried to get
closer still. No matter how close he lay against her, sometimes she needed to
feel him against her even more. He was so much more to her than she ever
thought she’d find again.

His love was amazing.

Thanks to the man in her
arms, she understood that in loving someone again, and opening herself was the
best thing she could ever do for either of them.

There would come a time when
she’d walk alongside the two loves she’d lost again. But for now, she found a
love she couldn’t live without.

“This probably isn’t the best
time to bring this up since you’re lying in bed with me and we could be all
kinds of naughty,” She giggled and brushed her lips over his then pulled back.
“But how about in a few weeks we talk to Tony and Jeanine, and tell them we’re
together?”

“Are you sure?” He slid a
finger down her nose, making her heart skip a beat. She’d come to love the small
quirky gesture of his.

“Yes. I think it’s time.
They’ll be back from their vacation in about three to four weeks. We’ll tell
them as soon as possible once they’re back.
Maybe
Thanksgiving.”

Hunter’s eyes widened but he
nodded.
“Deal.”
Lowering his head, his lips claimed
hers again. He tugged the sheet away from her body.

His gaze roamed her
near-naked form, hands following. She purred, easing back, an arm lifted over
her head as he explored.

Each bit of flesh he touched
caused sparks to flare to life, making her skin heat. Fingers like magic, he’d
learned every inch of her quickly during their time together. Now a master at
making her body, heart and soul sing for him, she was helpless to resist him.

“You’re exquisite,” he
whispered, his lips pecking a line across her stomach.

Her muscles quivered as
juices pooled between her thighs. Pushing a hand through his spiky, jet-black
hair, she watched as he lavished her body with attention.

“I will never, ever get
enough of you.” He looked up at her, the truth of his words conveyed in the
depths of his eyes.

She loved him for always
being honest with her. Always being who he was—her friend and lover—never
rushing her.

How’d she’d gotten so lucky
twice in one lifetime, she’d never understand.

But she’d definitely hang on
with both hands and enjoy him to the fullest.

“Make love to me, Hunter.
Show me how much you love me.”

Fire sparked and lit up within
his eyes, his fingers tightened on her hips and he smiled.
“With
pleasure.
But first,” he pushed back off the bed and stood. Holding a
hand out to her, he wiggled his fingers. “Come on, I have one more surprise for
you.”

“But—” She waved her hand
out. “Show me later. Get back in this bed, mister.”

His head fell back, his
laughter echoing around the room. “
Tsk
,
tsk
, what a monster I’ve made. No, this surprise won’t
wait. And trust
me,
you’ll want me to make love to you
once you see it.”

With a playful snarl, she
slid from the bed and into his open arms.

His arms wrapped around her,
nearly crushing her ribs as he devoured her mouth again.

Hands palming her ass, he
lifted her, aligning her lace-covered pussy with his stiff shaft. She moved
against him, desperate to have him inside her.

She nearly wept when he
pulled back, breath rushing out of him. “Damn.
Mmm
, okay,
let’s go.”

Hurrying after him, Andy roared
with laughter, enjoying the morning. He made every day with him a new
adventure.

Stopping short when he led
her into the bathroom, she gasped.
“Oh my God.”

Dim light from the candles
covering every surface cast an orange-yellow glow around the room. Rose petals
littered the floor leading to the hot tub in the corner, and a vase of roses in
all colors sat on the corner of the long vanity.

It was so romantic and
touching, her heart melted. Tears pricked behind her eyes. He showed her in so
many ways just how much he loved her.

She watched him turn on the
faucets then he came back to her and lightly kissed her forehead. Looking down
into her watery eyes, he smiled, and wiped away a tear with his thumb.

“Today is all for you, my
love. I’m going to pamper you like you deserve and enjoy every minute with
you.”

“This is all too much.
Dammit
, Hunter.”
She sniffled. “You do so much for me. I don’t deserve you.”

He shook his head and smiled.
“Nonsense.
I love to please you.”

Crouching, he pulled her
panties down. He lifted one foot and then the other, and tossed the lacy
undergarment into the corner.

His lips brushed over the
bare flesh of her folds, his tongue sneaking out and lightly brushing her clit.
With her hands tight in his hair, her head fell back as he made love to her
center. She’d stand there forever if he just kept doing that.

“
Mmm
,”
he murmured when he pulled back. “Not just yet. Bath first.”

She groaned but allowed him
to lead her to the hot tub. Holding her hand, he helped her step in.

She leaned back. The heat of
the water seeped into her bones, making her tingle.

“Hmm, this feels amazing.”
She gushed.

“I thought you might like
it.”

“Oh, yes.
Definitely.”

 
Andy looked up at him, and wiggled a finger at
him, beckoning him closer. “Come here.”

Propping himself on the side
of the tub with his hands, he leaned over, bringing his face closer to hers.
“What?” Their gazes connected.

She hoped he could see
everything—the passion and the love she had for him.

 
“Thank you.” She palmed the back of his head,
pulling him in for a kiss.

Their tongues tangled and she
heard him moan. She pulled back an inch and whispered, “I don’t want to bathe
alone.”

He grinned down at her, stood
and made quick work of getting out of his clothes. She threw her head back and
laughed, feeling more carefree and at ease than she had in a long time.

He stepped into the tub and
down onto his knees. His warm body slid along hers. Mischief and pleasure lit
his eyes as he came closer.

When his mouth met hers, her
last thought was that bathing alone was highly overrated.

Chapter Eight

“When do you think the
remodel of the house will be finished, Andy?” Jeanine asked.

Hunter looked across the
table at Andy. She never looked more beautiful than she did today. She’d been
nervous cooking the meal for Thanksgiving, the first time they’d all sat down
for a special occasion like this in ages. She’d put a lot of time into how she
looked as well.

He’d been surprised when
she’d mentioned inviting Tony and Jeanine for Thanksgiving, and even more shocked
when she’d said she’d like to cook it at his place.