“You’re not just any lady. You’re my… uh… you’re Lynn.”
She rolled her eyes and popped in another bite of bacon. He quietly sighed in relief, uncertainty filling him over what he’d almost said. She’s my what? Wife? Jesus, get a grip. She’s just Lynn, nothing else.
As though he was not in emotional turmoil over having almost claimed she was his, she continued to eat. “Nolan, everyone knows that breakfast food is so much lighter than dinner. You can shovel in scrambled eggs and you don’t get as full as if it was steak.”
“Maybe so, babe, but you add in the biscuits, bacon, sausage links, hashbrown potatoes, orange juice, coffee—”
“Oh, my God! Stop!”
He watched an adorable blush cross her face and added, “Not to mention the pastries—umph!” Her sandaled foot had whacked his shin underneath the table. Leaning down to rub his leg, he grinned. “Damn, girl. You not only put it away but you can pack a wallop.”
Her grin widened as she adopted an innocent expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughed and began shoveling in his own breakfast. It felt great to tease her and he realized he’d never had that kind of relationship with another woman. Laughing, talking, teasing, loving—whoa, not loving… just amazing sex. Washing down his toast before he choked, he asked, “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“I’ll spend some time going through the records, looking for the discrepancies. I had hoped I could find out more of Errol’s activities here at the casino, but now that I know he goes into the high-stakes rooms, I won’t really be able to see him in action. But we know he handed over cash to get his gambling card, so we can consider this is how he’s keeping some of his income off the books.”
“Do you think you’ll be working all day?”
“I feel kind of guilty about having this extra day at this nice resort. I mean, there’s nothing that I have to do here that I can’t do at home.”
“Good, then how about we spend some time enjoying ourselves?”
She cocked her head to the side, holding his gaze. “What are you thinking?”
Placing his forearms on top of the table, he leaned forward. “Well, we’ll definitely need to get out of the room, or I’ll keep you in bed all day—” She barked out a laugh and blushed, but he continued, “So I thought we could take a dip into the pool and maybe another walk outside.”
She leaned forward as well and placed her hand on his. “I think that sounds fabulous.”
He glanced down and his gaze snagged on their two wedding bands so close together. It was strange that they didn’t look out of place. Looking back up toward her, he caught her staring at their hands as well and wondered what she thought. No reason to go down that road. “Are you about finished, or do you need a second round of the breakfast buffet?”
That had the effect of her gaze snapping back to his face, and she pretended to scowl. “Just need to finish my coffee and then I’m all yours.”
All mine? Why the fuck does that sound so good?
14
Nolan was used to taking long hikes lugging heavy equipment, constantly scanning the area for threats. Looking at the scenery just to enjoy the view was not something he could remember doing in a long time. But walking hand-in-hand with Lynn along the path winding behind the casino that led into the mountainous forests was not only a new experience but one he thoroughly enjoyed.
“The mountains are beautiful this time of year,” she said, waving her hand toward the trees around. “These mountains are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains and form part of the Blue Ridge. We used to come up here and take hikes so that my dad could take pictures.”
As they walked past some of the trees, her free hand would reach out and touch the bark on the trunks. “Birch, maple, hickory, and hemlock make up a lot of the forests. The evergreens are mostly spruce and fir. When I was younger, my favorite was looking at the flowering shrubs. Rhododendron and azaleas were what my father would always photograph when they were in full bloom.”
He cast his gaze around with a silent chuckle, realizing that he’d never cared about the flora and fauna of a place for its beauty… only if I could eat it or hide in it if necessary. But seeing the landscape through Lynn’s eyes gave him an appreciation for the area he grew up in. They fell silent as they continued to walk, fingers linked but thoughts their own.
He knew there was life after SEALs and had been truthful when he told her that once out, he wanted to come back and work with his father in the family construction business. Glancing to the side at the beauty walking next to him, he wondered when that would be and what she would be doing then. Would she still be working in the area? As much as she loved the Smokies, he could not imagine her living anywhere else. As he continued to walk, a darker thought hit him. Would she be married for real? He fought to keep his footsteps steady as he battled the idea that she would belong to someone else. But I have no claim over her. His hand tightened on hers, and he felt the cool metal of her wedding ring. Not a real claim. Startled when she shoulder-bumped him, he looked down at her smiling face.
“Where did you go? I’ve been prattling on about everything around us, and you went very silent.”
Giving her hand a little tug, he grinned. “You’re not prattling. Believe it or not, I’ve found every bit of your plant-lecture to be fascinating.”
She shoulder-bumped him again, this time harder. “Don’t make fun of me! I didn’t get the creative gene that my parents have. Sometimes I wonder if I wasn’t adopted! I seem to be fascinated by numbers, but can’t creatively write, draw, or have an eye for photographs.”
He came to a stop, and she stumbled slightly. His large hands settled on her shoulders and he pulled her directly in front of him. With his knuckle under her chin, he lifted her head and held her gaze. “Don’t ever knock your gifts. You’re smart and fascinating. You can look at a sheet of numbers and see things that would take me a long time to discern. And even if you can’t draw, you look around the world and see beauty. That’s a gift that you’re giving to me.”
Her elfish-blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight and her smile beamed. Bending, he took her lips in a searing kiss. He felt her trust as she gave him her weight, leaning in as his arms banded tightly. The kiss continued as he nipped and licked, long wet kisses alternating with nibbles. By the time he pulled back, his cock was straining against his zipper and her eyes were full of lust. Chuckling, he said, “We better get going before I’d find something else to do under these trees. I think there’s a rocky overhang up here, and we can take a little break.”
She sighed and nodded. Linking hands again, they continued up the trail until they came to a large flat rock that jutted out from the side of the mountain. Walking part of the way out, she tugged on his hand and he looked down.
“This is gorgeous, Nolan, but I can’t go any further. I’m terrified of heights.”
He backed up a few steps, then sat down on the flat rock far away from the edge and gently pulled her next to him. With his arm wrapped around her, he said, “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll take care of you.”