Lovers at Heart, Reimagined (The Bradens) Read online

  “We’ve both been betrayed,” she said.

  “And now we’ll help each other heal.”

  She clung to his arms as he held her and exposed the very heart of her. “I might get scared.”

  “I’ll make you feel safe.”

  “I’m not easy, Treat. My defenses go up when my feathers are ruffled, I’m stubborn, and I can be savagely strong when I need to be, but like earlier today, sometimes it’s easier to hide than to face the truth.”

  “I admire your strength and your stubbornness, and as you’ve seen, when you hide, I’ll come find you.”

  Her heart opened further with each of his responses. “I need to know that if that happens, if I get scared and my walls go up, you’ll be patient with me and help me through it. Don’t let me turn my back on us out of fear of my past.”

  “I’ll love you through anything, Max.”

  Love? Her heart soared. He gazed into her eyes with so many emotions in his it made her even dizzier than his promise.

  “I will love you through the good and the bad.” He kissed her softly. “The fights and the…” His gaze darted to her bed, then back to her, soft and alluring, making her heart sprint in her chest. “The frisky nights.” He took her in a passionate, bone-melting kiss. “I want you to be strong and tell me I’m full of crap. I want you to call me on anything I do that’s hurtful or uncalled for. Max, I was brought up by a man’s man who was also the most gentlemanly person I know. I don’t want to be any less than he is, and you deserve everything I have to give.”

  “Love me, Treat. Love me with your whole heart.”

  She went up on her toes, and he met her halfway in a kiss full of promises, of hopes and dreams, and of soothing, unconditional love.

  He ran the back of his hand down her cheek. “I want every piece of you, but after all we’ve gone through, are you sure? Do you want to sleep on it and see if you still feel the same tomorrow?”

  “No,” she said, setting her glasses on the nightstand. She began unbuttoning his shirt. “I want you to love me into tomorrow.”

  Moonlight basked them in a romantic glow as he undressed her, save for her panties, pressing tender kisses to each body part as it was revealed. “I’m going to love you far longer than tomorrow, Max. I’m going to love you forever.”

  He stopped touching her long enough to remove his shirt, and she reached for his pants, but he grabbed her hand. “Not yet.” His gaze was hot, his tone authoritative and loving at once.

  He moved behind her, openly drinking her in. Her sex clenched with anticipation. He kissed the tender skin on the back of her neck, his warm breath coasting over her flesh. Her whole body flamed, and she closed her eyes as he kissed his way down her spine, whispering sweetness as he went.

  “You’re so beautiful, Max.”

  His arms circled her waist from behind. His hands spread over her stomach and she arched into their heat. She gasped as he caressed her breasts, squeezing her nipples between his index fingers and thumbs, sending bolts of lust searing between her legs. She couldn’t suppress a needy moan, earning a hungry groan from Treat, as he continued his titillating exploration of her body, driving her out of her mind. His hard body pressed against hers, chest to back, skin to skin, his big hands sliding down her sides. He gripped her hips, kissing his way lower, lingering just above her panties, and used that wicked mouth of his to make her writhe with desire.

  “I have craved you for so long,” he whispered as he hooked his fingers in the hips of her panties.

  She held her breath. Take them off. Take me.

  He pulled them down slowly, sending her pulse into a whirlwind as he continued kissing the skin he revealed. Every press of his lips made her quiver. His hands moved over the front of her thighs, his fingers so close to her sex she was shaking with need. He pressed himself against her back at the same moment he dipped his finger inside of her, drawing out another moan. She grabbed his wrist, pushing his hand deeper into her, as sparks lit inside her. He bit down on the crest of her shoulder, and cupped her breast with his free hand. God, she needed more than his hand. She needed him inside her. It was a visceral, pounding, aching need like she’d never experienced, but now knew she’d forever crave with him.

  He moved between her breast and sex, teased with one hand while probing her deep and slow with the other. Her thoughts scattered, and her inner muscles throbbed. She grabbed his arms, rising up on her toes as “Treat” left her lungs, husky and breathless.

  “That’s it, baby. Come for me.”

  His deep voice washed over her as she rode the peak of her orgasm.

  When she came down from the clouds, her body still quaking, he turned her in his arms, his eyes dark with desire, and he claimed her mouth again, devouring her. She reached for his pants, quickly unbuttoning them.

  “Good Lord. Let me just look at you,” he said in a deep, leg-numbing voice. “You’re so feminine, sweetness. I want to protect you from ever being hurt again.”

  He captured her mouth again, but she wanted more, needed to show him she was really his. She sank down to the edge of the bed, pulling him closer. Holding his gaze, she reached into his pants and freed him from his briefs.

  “Max,” he said. “Let me—”

  She shook her head and took him into her mouth, loving him until he was shaking, too. His skin was salty, sweet…familiar. She was lost in a world of pleasure. He threaded his fingers in her hair as she worked him with her hands and mouth, licking the broad crown in slow circles, then taking him into her mouth again. He watched her so intently it made her feel bold and sexy.

  “Max.” He pulled her head back, and gazed deep into her eyes.

  He’d said only one word, but it was filled with emotions, carrying a hundred silent messages. He stripped off his clothes, removed a condom from his wallet, and set it on the nightstand, then he lifted her like she was as light as a feather, and laid her on the bed. He came down over her, and the hunger in his eyes mirrored the lust racing through her body. She reached for the package.

  “Not yet,” he said, then caressed one breast, and lowered his mouth to the other.

  Max sank back into the mattress and closed her eyes as he seared a path from breast to hip, slowing to lavish her with openmouthed kisses. He was so strong, so masculine, and she felt small within his hands. He squeezed her hips, licking the insides of her thighs, stopping short of the heat that was ready and waiting for him, then kissed a path back up, around her curls, to the sensitive skin just above.

  She was shaking, every nerve heightened, but not from fear or old ghosts pushing their way in. She was adrift in a sea of amazing emotions as he touched and loved her.

  She arched beneath him. Lick me. Touch me.

  As if he’d read her mind, he splayed his hands on her thighs, squeezing softly as he spread her legs and brought his mouth to the very heart of her. She clenched the comforter in her fists as she drowned in the most intense and incredible sensations. She was so close, an orgasm teased just out of reach. She shifted her hips, hoping to catch a flick of his tongue, but he held her legs down as he teased her, licking up and down the skin between her thigh and her sex, taunting and teasing every inch around her center, until she felt as if she were floating from the vibrations inside her. Then he rolled her onto her belly, took her ass in his hands, and continued making her world spin as he groped and loved each cheek with his hands and mouth. He dragged his tongue along the seam where her legs met her bottom. Her body was on fire, almost numb. She’d never been loved so completely before, never had anyone touch every inch of her flesh. He ran his hands up her sides, then dragged his body along hers until she felt his girth nestled against her rear. His tongue was hot and wet on the back of her neck. He grasped at her hair, moving in a slow rhythm against her. Every touch was erotic, every hot breath sent her pulse racing.

  “I never want this evening to end,” he rasped against her skin.

  The combination of his weight pressing down on her and the
passion in his voice had her shuddering beneath him. He kissed down the length of her spine, squeezing her ribs gently, each pulse heightening her arousal. He tasted the flesh of her right cheek, then the backs of her thighs as he drew them apart and slid his fingers inside her again. Max sucked in a breath, raising her bottom to give him better access. He moved his fingers in and out so slowly she began begging for more, but he continued his slow possession, lingering over the spot that made her toes curl under and her insides reach for him.

  In the next breath, she was bucking beneath him, his powerful arm holding her tightly around her waist as she fucked his fingers with reckless abandon, lost in her climax.

  “That’s it, baby. Be mine.”

  He withdrew his fingers, and she mourned the loss, craving more of him as he turned her over. She panted, trying to make her brain function, but she was so far gone, and he was feasting on her again where she needed it most.

  “Oh God, yes!” she cried as he sent her soaring.

  Her body was on fire as he cradled her hips, kissing her legs, her sex, her belly, every touch flooding her with emotions.

  He moved over her until they were eye to eye, his hard shaft nestled at her entrance, and said, “You’re so sweet, baby. So beautiful. I want all of you. I want to love away your hurt.”

  Her heart felt full as he reached for a condom and went up on his knees to sheath himself. She was lost in him, in the moment they were seizing. She trusted him, wanted him, but still, her nerves trickled in.

  “I’ve got you, baby,” he assured her, and cradled her safely within his arms. “We’ll go slow.”

  Just like that her nerves fell away.

  She lifted her hips, welcoming him. The sheer size of him sent a shock through her loins. Powerless to hide her surprise, or the smile that tugged at her cheeks, she grinned like a fool in his beautiful arms.

  She expected his strength to overpower her, his muscles to squeeze her too tight. Instead, his grasp was gentle, his weight safe and enticing. As he pushed in deeper and their bodies truly became one, nothing had ever felt so right.

  Chapter Fourteen

  TREAT LIVED UP to his promises, loving Max well past tomorrow. A week and a half later they were still falling into each other’s arms at night, making love into the wee hours, and Max woke up every morning in a bubble of surreal happiness. Now that the festival was over and Max was working normal hours, they had more time together. Tonight they were meandering through the quaint village of Allure, where ornate iron fences and old-fashioned streetlights lined narrow brick-paved roads and brick and stone town houses served as storefronts and restaurants.

  “A shop made just for you,” Treat said as they entered Divine Intervention, a chocolate shop.

  Bells chimed above the door and a woman’s voice sailed through from a room in the back of the store. “Be right out! Please don’t rob me. My hands are a mess and I just cleaned the front door. I’d hate to get it dirty again.”

  “So much for those plans,” Treat replied loudly.

  “I appreciate y’all holding off,” the woman called out. “At least until I get my hands washed.”

  Treat and Max looked around the shop. Shelves of cute wooden blocks with sayings about chocolate on them were interspersed with bags of candies and other goodies. On the wall behind the display cases hung red sweatshirts with DIVINE INTERVENTION printed in brown swirly letters.

  Treat put a hand on Max’s back and said, “Tell me the truth. Why did you choose to come to Colorado and start your life here? Was it because of this store?”

  “Believe it or not, I’ve never been in this store.”

  “Unbelievable,” he teased, and pressed his lips to hers. “Why, then?”

  “I had interned for a festival throughout college, and I always wanted to attend Chaz’s festival, but I was in school and I didn’t have a lot of money.” Max peered into the display cases at a variety of chocolate cakes and candies. “I had corresponded with Chaz a few times and he’d left an open door for me to apply for a position.”

  She glanced up and caught Treat watching her intently. That was just one of the things she adored about him. He didn’t give lip service. Although he is very talented at servicing me with those lips. When he asked a question, he was sincerely interested in hearing her answers.

  “I had always admired pictures of the Village, and I had read all about the town keeping holiday lights up in the trees and the shops year-round. It seemed like such a peaceful place, where ugliness couldn’t survive. I know that sounds silly, but when I got into my car that night, I drove straight here. I never contemplated going anywhere else. Not even back home.”

  Treat stepped closer, drawing her into his arms, which had become her favorite place. “You said you believe fate brought you here. I was never a big believer in fate, because of losing my mother. But you’ve changed that, Max. You’ve changed everything.”

  Before she could respond, a pretty blonde breezed into the room from the back of the store carrying a tray of chocolate. Despite the cold weather, she wore cutoffs, a shirt that had SURRENDER TO DIVINE INTERVENTION printed across the chest, and a pair of knee-high fuzzy black boots. Her hair was pinned up in a messy bun, and she had the biggest blue eyes Max had ever seen.

  “Hello there, lovers!” Her impossibly wide smile grew even bigger. “Carly Dylan at your service.” She opened the back of a display and slid the tray in. “Sweet of you not to rob me,” she said as she rose again, her gaze moving between them. “Then again, by the way this man’s looking at you, honey, I doubt he’d put those big ol’ hands anywhere else!”

  “You’ve got that right,” Treat said, and pressed his lips to Max’s. “My girlfriend has a thing for chocolate. What do you recommend?”

  “Your girlfriend has a thing for crazy-tall men. Wow, they don’t make them like you in Pleasant Hill, that’s for sure. You are one big, handsome man. I recommend chocolate syrup poured on you from head to toe.”

  “Excuse me,” Max said with a laugh. “He’s a big, handsome, taken man.”

  Carly waved her hand dismissively. “Honey, I have no interest in stealing anyone’s man, but look at his hold on you. He’s not going anywhere. Besides, I gave my heart away in seventh grade. Ain’t no man gonna claim it but one, and he’s too busy to realize what he’s missin’.”

  “Pleasant Hill, Maryland?” Treat asked.

  Carly busied herself straightening up the counter. “The one and only.”

  “I’ve got relatives there,” Treat said. “It’s a nice small town.”

  “A nice town, great people, and one fewer brokenhearted girl.” Carly set her hands on her hips and said, “I wish I could bottle up the energy thrumming off you two and put it into chocolate. I’d make a fortune with that love potion. So, tell me. What’s your secret?”

  Treat set his loving eyes on Max and said, “First you need to have an incredible evening together followed by a big misunderstanding. Then, just when you’re trying to forget each other, if you’re lucky, fate will step in.”

  Oh, this man!

  “Well, y’all are an inspiration, and I’ve got just the thing for you. Why don’t you two check out the shop while I put it together.”

  Treat took Max’s hand and they looked over the goodies. A few minutes later Carly handed Treat a bag. When he reached for his wallet, she said, “Don’t even think about it. You can name one of your children after me and give them a fabulous life.”

  “We’re not even engaged,” Max said, and shot a look at Treat, who was grinning like a lovesick fool. Her heart tumbled inside her chest.

  “Thank you,” Treat said with a nod. “We’ll do that.”

  As they headed outside, they peered into the bag and found a big jar of chocolate syrup, several chocolate hearts, and a handwritten note that said, You two make me want to head back to Pleasant Hill and find the piece of myself I left there. Thanks! Carly Dylan.

  THEY HAD DINNER at a café and enjoyed a few chocola
tes for dessert as they walked through the town square. A crowd had gathered by the outdoor pavilion, where a group of young guys were playing guitars and singing. Treat swept Max into his arms and began dancing.

  Max’s gaze skittered around them, and he knew she was embarrassed.

  “I don’t care that no one else is dancing,” he said. “I want you in my arms.” He’d received a message during dinner about negotiations for the Ocean Edge property, and he’d been trying to find the right time to share the news of his impending trip with Max.

  She smiled up at him, falling into sync as they danced. “And I want to be in them.”

  “How about being in my arms in Wellfleet?”

  “As in, Massachusetts?” Her eyes widened.

  “I have to go to the Cape for a few days to handle negotiations for a property I’m interested in acquiring. I’d like you to come with me.”

  “Oh! That sounds amazing. But won’t you have to work?” she asked, her embarrassment forgotten.

  “Yes, but my team has been preparing for this and negotiations should only take a few hours. We can enjoy a few days at my bungalow and make up for the time we lost in Nassau.”

  “When are you going?”

  They continued dancing even after the song ended. “Sometime tomorrow. I’m waiting for confirmation.”

  “Tomorrow? I’d love to go, but I can’t just take off on a Thursday and leave Chaz hanging. As much as I’d like to go, I’m afraid I can’t do that to him, no matter how wonderful it sounds.”

  “Then come up Friday night and spend the weekend with me,” he suggested. “I’ll be done working by then, and we can just enjoy our time together. I’ll make all the arrangements and have a car pick you up at your place after work.”