The Favor Read online

  Anna walked to the bed and ran her finger along one of the squares of the quilt. “I love this room. Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”

  “I hope the two of you will feel at home here. I’m right across the hall if you need anything.”

  As their eyes met, something sparked between them. Anna’s face flushed. She wondered if Clark felt it, too. She was a little disappointed she wouldn’t be sharing a bedroom with her husband. Even though they’d both agreed they’d sleep separately for Louie’s sake, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to crawl into bed next to him, especially if she pretended he were Redhawk A delicious shiver raced through her.

  What would his skin feel like brushing against mine?

  The temperature in the cabin rose, even though Anna heard the buzz of the air conditioner.

  “Who do you want to unpack first?”

  “I’ll get Louie’s stuff squared away.”

  “Need help?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve got it. Thanks.”

  She needed help with this growing attraction to her husband, and Clark was only making that worse.

  Chapter Ten

  By the time they’d eaten dinner and settled Louie into his new bedroom for the night, Clark was tired. He spent most of his time alone, and while he was glad to help Anna and Louie, he was a bit overwhelmed at the amount of noise and chaos they created.

  “Ready to call it a night?” he asked Anna. He picked up his empty wineglass and took it into the kitchen. “Louie is already asleep.”

  Anna was cleaning glitter from the coffee table. As soon as he’d explored the cabin, he’d begged to make a sign for the door of his new room. With the art project finished, Anna was cleaning every shimmery sliver off the table and hardwood floor. Her black hair shone in the lamplight and reminded him of a crow’s wing. “Ready. I have a crazy day tomorrow. I’ll drop Louie at Mrs. Rosemiller’s on my way to work.” She yawned. “The wine made me super sleepy.”

  “Tomorrow’s Sunday. Surely you don’t work on Sunday.”

  “I work anytime I can,” she said. “I usually do this house on Monday, but they’re having a party tomorrow night. They want it to look nice. It will only take me a couple of hours.”

  Clark hadn’t worked on Sunday since college. Saturday either. He felt a twinge of sympathy for Anna. She was so dedicated, so focused on making a good life for her son and herself. If anyone deserved a break, it was her. “Louie can stay here if he wants. Get used to the place.”

  “I don’t want to burden you, Clark. You’ve done so much already.”

  “It’s no trouble.”

  “He can stay with Mrs. Rosemiller tomorrow. Then, once the two of you know each other a little better, I’d love it if you did some guy things with him.”

  He nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Good night.”

  His heart did something strange. For a moment, he allowed himself the opportunity to imagine the marriage was a real one. Was this something he could do every night? Forever?

  The answer scared him.

  There was no reason to go down that road. This setup was not even close to forever. It was a simple arrangement, a way for him to turn one of his wrongs into a right. Except with Louie safely tucked in his bed and Anna on the sofa, it felt natural, like something he’d always wanted.

  No matter how much I want it, I’ll never deserve it.

  “Night.” Anna turned and looked at him. “I’m going to finish this up and then I’m headed to bed myself.”

  Her cheeks were flushed and rosy. He briefly wondered what the wine would taste like on her lips. “Okay.”

  Clark headed down the hall and into the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxers and grabbed his toothbrush from the rack. Just as he started to floss, he heard a loud sneeze, and then someone jogging down the hall. The bathroom door, which he’d left a little ajar, flew open, and the knob hit him squarely on the hip.

  “I’m so sorry,” Anna said. She was holding her finger over one eye. “But I need some eye drops. I have glitter in my eye.”

  He dropped the floss into the trash and put his hands on her shoulders. “Sit here,” he said, guiding her to the toilet. “Let me look. Move your finger.”

  She moved her finger and struggled to open her squinted eye. “Can you see it?”

  Clark leaned down and placed his finger on her eyelid. “Yep. It’s green. Let me grab some solution and flush it out.” From the medicine chest over the sink, he took a bottle of the saline he used for his contacts. “Lean your head back.” He put a couple of drops into her eye. The tiny piece of glitter floated to the side and he used his thumb to rub it away. “There. Better?”

  She was looking up at him, one eye red and teary, the other clear and bright blue. Something passed between them. Electricity. Heat. Anticipation. As if there was a rubber band stretched between them and it was about to snap. “Much better,” Anna said. “Thanks.”

  They were so close their knees touched. “Good. Let me look once more and just make sure that was the only piece.”

  Clark tried to ignore her smell, all cherry blossoms and girly powder. He tried not to notice the softness of her skin against the tip of his index finger, but it wasn’t easy to hide his attraction. Boxer shorts weren’t exactly concealing.

  Satisfied she was glitter free, he knelt in front of her. “You’re clear.”

  “Thanks,” she said, her gaze never leaving his. “I’m sorry I shoved into the bathroom like that.”

  He shook his head. “No big deal. We are married after all.”

  He meant it as a lighthearted joke, but the way she looked at him, the heat in the tiny room, the obvious attraction between the two of them, made it feel heavier. Made it feel real.

  Before he even knew what was happening, his lips were on hers. This time, Anna kissed back like she meant it. His first thought was, I never want to stop kissing her. She tasted like honey and wine and desire. He slid his tongue into her mouth and grew even more aroused when he heard her breath catch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

  Anna nibbled his bottom lip, and the sensation made him even harder. He threaded his arms under hers and pulled her to a stand, never breaking the kiss. Her body was soft, curvy, and warm and fit against his perfectly. He ran his fingers through her coal-black curls, pulling her closer.

  She ran her fingers down the length of his arms, causing him to shiver.

  He inched her backward until her back was against the wall. She wrapped one leg around his waist and pulled him toward her. The cotton of her shirt rubbed against his chest, making him long for skin-to-skin contact. “I want to feel you.” After tugging at the hem, he shimmied the blouse upward. “My God, you’re perfect.” Her lacy bra was cotton candy pink. Trailing one finger down along the curve of her breast, he said, “Pink is definitely your color.”

  “You should see me in red.”

  “I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity.”

  Anna moaned and kissed him more deeply.

  Hot. Sexy. Uninhibited. There was nothing sweet about the kiss. Even if their marriage was a sham, this passion wasn’t.

  As Anna pulled away, Clark ran his tongue along the length of her neck and relished the way her whole body shivered and the way she clung to him.

  The woman in his arms needed more than a safe place for her son.

  She needed sex. Sweaty, hot, and totally uninhibited.

  Abruptly, Anna pulled away, her eyes wide. “Clark, I…I…” She blushed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I had no idea glitter in the eye would be so irresistible.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t the glitter. Maybe it was you.”

  “You think?” Her eyes sparkled.

  “There’s no good reason to sleep alone.” The bathroom was so small he could touch her without fully extending his arm. “Especially when you’re married.”

  “We’re adults.” Her voice was low and sultry, and he couldn’t tell i
f she was trying to convince him or herself.

  When they’d agreed on the arrangement, neither of them had really addressed sex. “You’re okay with—”

  “We’ve already decided there are no strings attached. A little fun couldn’t hurt, right?”

  He took her hand. It was small and delicate, and he loved the way her fingers laced through his. “Come with me.” He led her down the hall and into his bedroom. After closing the door behind her, he took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “You’re okay with this?”

  Instead of answering, she placed her hands behind his neck and pulled his lips to hers.

  My God, she’s delicious.

  She slipped her tongue into this mouth and betrayed her want. “It’s more than okay,” she whispered against her lips.

  In response, she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. She ran both hands along his shoulders and down his chest. She never broke eye contact with him as she explored his body. “I want this, too.”

  That was all it took. He edged her toward the bed, his lips pressed to hers. “I want to see all of you.”

  She hooked one finger under the shoulder strap of her bra and slowly moved it to the side. He ran his thumb over a pebbled nipple while he bent to kiss the top of her breast.

  “Your skin is flawless.” He loved the way her breath hitched as he ran a fingertip along the line between her breasts. “You’re gorgeous,” he said, sliding the other strap of her bra to the side. Her skin was like silk, soft and smooth, and he wanted to feel every inch of it against his own. “Get undressed.”

  “I like a man who’s direct.” She shimmied out of her shorts and panties, and then stood in front of him.

  He pulled her close to him, reveling in the feel of her naked breasts pressed against his chest. He rubbed slow, lazy circles on her back with his fingertips until she looked up at him.

  “That feels wonderful,” she said.

  “That’s just the beginning.”

  Their lips met again, but this time the heat was immediate. Anna’s kiss belied her hunger, the want in her, and Clark was happy to oblige. After slipping off his clothes, he guided her to the bed. Her black curls spread out on the white pillow case. “Since the moment I saw you in that short denim skirt, the one you wore to Louie’s birthday party, I couldn’t stop wondering if I’d ever get to see you like this.”

  “I hope I didn’t disappoint,” she whispered.

  “Not at all,” he said. “Want me to show you what I really think?”

  Anna giggled. “I’d like that.”

  He took one nipple in his mouth, and she gasped. After giving the same treatment to the other, he looked up at her. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back. The line of her neck was so erotically feminine. He traced it with this tongue, savoring the flavor of her skin.

  She moaned and arched her back. “I want you.” She writhed against him. “I don’t want to wait.”

  He ran the tip of his index finger between her breasts, over her belly button, and between her legs. “You’re one bossy minx.”

  His voice sounded closer to Redhawk’s than his own.

  Clark grabbed a condom from the top drawer of the bedside table, slipped it on, and then he was inside her. He thrust slowly at first, enjoying the tight feel of her around him. She dug her nails into his ass, urging him to pump faster. He was so turned on that it didn’t take much encouragement.

  Just as her muscles contracted, he felt his own release.

  Afterward, he rolled onto his side and pulled her closer to him. “Was that okay?”

  Without opening her eyes, she smiled. “Not sure. I might need another demonstration.”

  …

  The next week, Anna finished her cleaning job early, motivated by the gorgeous and breezy weather. After packing her supplies in the trunk of the car, she rolled down the windows, opened the sunroof, and breathed in the scents of lilac trees filling the neighborhood.

  Since the first night in the cabin, she and Clark had made love nearly every night.

  Sometimes it was sweet, other times it was red-hot.

  She turned onto Florida Street and drove past her house. The grass had been recently mowed, no doubt something Clark had arranged. While she missed the place, she’d been really happy living at the cabin.

  I could get used to it, if only for the perks.

  After a quick stop at Mrs. Rosemiller’s to pick up Louie, Anna drove toward the cabin.

  “Did you have a good day?” She looked in the rearview mirror at her son.

  “Mrs. Rosemiller made breakfast for snack. We had pancakes and bacon.”

  “That sounds wonderful. Did you clean your plate?”

  “I even asked for seconds.” He gripped his Redhawk figure in one hand and met her eyes in the mirror. “I wish I could have pancakes every day.”

  When they pulled into the driveway, Clark was lying in the hammock flipping through a magazine. Louie bolted out of the car—and with his toy in one hand—ran across the grass, zipping and zooming, as he narrated the superhero’s latest adventure.

  “Have a good morning?” Clark asked, sitting up and tossing the magazine on the ground. He flashed a smile at her, and her heart beat a little faster.

  Anna nodded. “The clients weren’t home, so it was nice and quiet. It’s still early. Let’s take Louie and do something outside.”

  “Ever been to Max Patch?”

  Max Patch was a bald mountain on the Tennessee-North Carolina border only about forty-five minutes from Franklyn. With no trees, the grass was broken by large boulders. She’d heard Taylor mention the incredible views several times, and she’d seen plenty of postcards, but she’d never found the time to go herself. “No,” she answered. “But I’ve always wanted to.”

  “Let’s pack some snacks and take my truck.” He took her hand and led her into the cabin.

  In the kitchen, Clark grabbed a soft-sided cooler from underneath the counter and filled it with bottled water, a few apples, and some protein bars. Anna tossed in some cheese sticks she’d brought from her house. They were Louie’s favorite snack. From the linen closet, he grabbed a flat sheet.

  “Ready?” Clark asked.

  “Yep,” Anna said.

  After transferring the booster seat from Anna’s car into Clark’s truck, they set off toward Hot Springs and Max Patch. The trees, finally green after a long winter that didn’t want to let go of the mountains, were the color of Granny Smith apples. Louie busied himself in the backseat with a Redhawk coloring book.

  They passed through the small town of Hot Springs and turned onto Highway 209. The road was a series of switchbacks, but Clark handled the truck as if it were an extension of his body. Over his shoulder, Anna kept an eye on the speedometer. Clark never pushed the truck above the speed limit. He drove so carefully it was almost as if he were in some sort of trance. By the time they got to the small parking area near the top of Max Patch, Louie was squirming and ready to stretch his legs.

  Clark grabbed the cooler and they walked up the short path that led to the top of the mountain. Louie skipped ahead, weaving on and off the paved path. The air was cooler up here. Anna took deep breaths and filled her lungs with the clean mountain air.

  Even though she’d grown up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the view still took her breath away. Standing on top of the world, in the bright May sunshine, she saw Tennessee to the west, and when she turned and faced east, North Carolina. They were the only people around, and Anna reveled in the freedom of having the place all to themselves.

  “I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” she said. Clark stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s just beautiful.”

  “I thought you’d like it.” He spread out the sheet and placed the cooler on one corner. “Want to have a seat and just enjoy the view?” He sat in the middle and Anna sat beside him. “Wine?”

  “You packed a bottle?”

  “Thought you might enjoy a glass.�
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  “Thanks, I’d love that.”

  Clark poured the chardonnay into a plastic Solo cup and passed it to her.

  “Want to share?”

  He shook his head. “I’m driving.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “It’s nice to have a break from being the only driver.” It was so considerate of him. She couldn’t think of a single time a man had put her comfort before his own.

  It’s only a vacation. Don’t get too used to it.

  Anna sipped her wine as Louie zipped back and forth across the wide patch of grass on top of the mountain.

  “Hey, Louie,” Clark called. “Want me to play the Blot?”

  Louie skipped to a stop right in front of them. “You’d do that?”

  “Sure. Just tell me what to do.”

  Louie looked up at him in awe. “We’re in Capital City, and you’re trying to find my hideout.”

  Clark nodded. “Then I should give you a bit of a head start, huh?”

  “Count to thirty.”

  “Will do.”

  “And close your eyes,” Louie insisted.

  Clark placed his hands over his eyes, spread his fingers and watched until Louie ran behind one of the large boulders. Continuing to count, he took his hands off his eyes and looked down at Anna. His grin was devilish and made him even sexier. “It’s fun to play the good guy and the bad boy.”

  The wine had relaxed her, and when she looked up at Clark, she couldn’t fight the magnetic pull of him. She hooked her index finger in his and rose. The nearness of him made her heart race. From his gravelly voice to his bright-green eyes, everything about him turned her on. “I like the bad boy, too,” she said.

  He turned his head and yelled. “Louie, I’m going to silently count to a hundred so you can find the best hiding spot.”

  And then his lips were on hers. He placed his hands on the back of her neck, and the smell of him flooded her senses.

  I can’t keep my hands, or my lips, off this man. What is wrong with me?

  When his hard-on pressed against her, all her questions vanished, and she moaned, remembering the feel of him inside her. Clark nibbled at her lower lip and the taste of him, coupled with the sweet tang of the wine, was incredibly erotic.