Pushing her now-empty plate away, she leaned back in her chair, pulled one leg up and wrapped her arms around it, rested her chin on her knee, and held his gaze. “I’m trying to keep my costs down as much as possible like you suggested. Graphic design isn’t Sophia’s career, but she created a beautiful logo for my products, and I’ve been able to print them on sticky labels here at home. They’re not in color, but I think they’re adorable. I have been working to make more lotion and soap, trying to replenish the depleted stock from after the sale at the fairgrounds.”
“I think that’s great,” he said.
“Jack has come over twice after school, and he’s going to work out great. He’s able to do a late afternoon feeding and get the animals into the barn, giving me a chance to make more products. I created a flyer for hosting children’s birthday parties with the baby goats and women’s parties for product making. I gave them to Katelyn, Carrie, and Belle today and they’re going to distribute them around town.” Shrugging, she said, “We’ll see how it goes, but with Lia and Aiden’s daughter having her birthday party here, I think word-of-mouth will help.”
Shifting forward in his seat, Scott leaned toward her, resting one hand on her leg and the other cupping her cheek. “Have I told you lately that I think you’re amazing?” With her cheek in his hand, he could feel the heat of blush as it rose over her delicate features. “It’s the truth, Lizzie. You have strength and tenacity in you that I’ve rarely seen before. But, having met Beau, I can imagine that it came from your family.”
Closing the space between them, he angled his head and kissed her. She immediately dropped her leg down and reached out, clutching his shirt in her hands.
If he had any doubt of her desire, she obliterated it when she shifted forward, straddling his thighs and pressing her body close to his. Throughout that maneuver, their mouths remain sealed, tongues vying for dominance, sharing each other’s moans.
He had wanted to give her more time, wanted her to be sure. With his hands on her shoulders, he gently pulled back a scant inch, opening his mouth to suggest they slow down.
As though reading his mind, she scrunched her fingers in his shirt even tighter and said, “Scott, I want you now. I’m not looking for a balm for grief. I’m not looking for a way to forget what’s going on with the farm. I just know what I feel for you and what I want. And I want. You. Now.”
A slow smile curved his lips, and he stood, giving her room to wrap her legs around his waist. Carrying her to the bottom of the stairs, he hefted her slightly before allowing her feet to slide to the floor. She smiled, linking her fingers with his, and led him up the staircase.
19
When they arrived at the top of the stairs, Lizzie’s feet did not falter as she led him straight into her bedroom. A quick glance around assured her that the room was picked up and no underwear was lying about. She sucked in her lips as she recognized what a ridiculous notion that had been considering she hoped Scott would soon be seeing a lot more than just her underwear.
A combination of excitement and nerves shot through her but, refusing to give into them, she stopped at the bed before turning and facing him. She stared up, hoping he was not going to put the brakes on them again. She had no idea what the morning would bring but so wanted this night with this man.
Their fingers unlinked as he lifted his hands and cupped her face, his thumbs gliding over her cheeks. Her hands moved to his waist, her fingers digging in slightly before he pulled her closer and she clutched his back.
Bending slightly, he kissed her again, this time soft and slow. His lips were strong and supple, and as a moan erupted from deep inside her, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, capturing the sound. Just as before, her nipples tightened with need.
They were pressed together from knees to chest, and the evidence of his desire was overwhelmingly pressed against her stomach.
His hands slid from her face, down her back, and slipped under her T-shirt. As his fingers skimmed over her skin and moved upward, the material was dragged as well, snagging on the underside of her breasts.
His thumbs caressed the sides before moving over her nipples. Air left her lungs as she fought to breathe, the sensations causing a swirl of electricity moving to her core.
Forcing her feet backward a step, she lifted her hands above her head, giving silent permission for him to remove her shirt. He wasted no time in doing just that, dropping it to the floor as his gaze landed on her breasts, barely contained in her simple white cotton bra. The sight of his heated gaze on her body gave her courage, and she reached behind her and unsnapped the bra, letting it slide down her arms, exposing her to his view.
His hands moved back over her breasts, now able to tweak her nipples with no material hindering the sensation. She battled between wanting to revel in the feel of his firm hands and wanting to feel his naked chest pressed against hers. The desire to see him won out, and as he continued to mold her breasts, she tugged at the bottom of his T-shirt, pulling it upward.
“I’m too short,” she complained in a soft voice, unable to get the shirt completely over his head.
Grinning, he disagreed. “I think you’re perfect.” He reached behind his head and grabbed onto the T-shirt, pulling it off and tossing it to the floor.
Her fingers followed her gaze as they trailed over the ridges of his muscular chest and tight abs. The found several scars, puckered skin snagging her fingers, making her ache for his past pain. Leaning closer, her breasts touched his upper abdomen as she kissed the scars on his shoulder. She had noticed a small scar on his upper lip, wondering how he had been injured while thinking it gave his face such character.
Now, she looked at his naked upper body, thinking all of him had such character. Capturing his gaze, she whispered, “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.”
Moving faster than she could have imagined, he picked her up, sealing his mouth over hers in a deep kiss before laying her on the bed. Bending, he pulled off her socks and then divested her of her jeans and panties.
It had been several years since she had been naked with a man. Hoping her romance novels were not completely wrong, she had only had sex with one other partner, and that event could have easily been classified as more fumbling in the bed of a pickup truck than anything else. He had delivered feed to the farm, flirted with her, and asked her on a date. She agreed, but the date turned out to be more of a drive in the country and sex in his truck. Once again, not the stuff of romance novels.
But now, with Scott looming over her, his intense gaze appearing to appreciate every nuance of her body, she could not help but smile. In a short time, he had proven his worth and had come to mean more to her than anyone else.
He stood, his hands on his belt, and said, “I’m comfortable with what’s going to happen, Lizzie, but I want you to be comfortable, too.”
Sitting up quickly, she reached out and placed her hand over his, saying, “I assure you, I’m comfortable. I’ll let you take the lead, but no matter what, you’ll need to tell me if there’s anything I need to do.”
Grinning, he shook his head. “There’s nothing you need to do, darlin’, except keep staring at me the way you are. Right now, my dick’s so hard, it’s not easy to slow things down.”