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Chapter 53

Author: Desiree Holt
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
Peyton leaned back in the lawn chair Dix had dragged from the storage shed, along with the other outdoor furniture, and let the sun bathe her with a warm caress. She had gone for a swim while he was out for his run and been caught unawares, standing on the dock in her swimsuit when he returned. Her first and most immediate thought was to yank her long T-shirt over her head and cover up her body. Despite the weight she'd lost, she was still self-conscious about her appearance. Surely Dix Amendola had seen the most gorgeous women in the world in less than she was wearing. She was certain to fall short in the image department.

Then, as quickly and automatically as the thought came, another one replaced it. Why should she even care? This wasn't a date or a weekend getaway with a hot guy - even if the guy she was with was hotter than hell. It wasn't anything except two people who accidentally ended up sharing a cottage. There was no reason for Dix to think anything about her one way or ano
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    They lay there like that for a long time. Peyton wondered if Dix was relaxed because she was so uptight she thought he might actually be able to hear her body vibrate. Finally, her stomach gave a very unladylike rumble, and she sat up, embarrassed."I guess I ought to feed myself. I sort of skipped breakfast." She swung her legs over the side of the chair, stood up, and grabbed her T-shirt and towel. "I'm going to make some lunch for myself. Um, would you like a sandwich?""I can get it.""It's no trouble," she insisted. "I'll be fixing mine anyway, so it's no trouble."He looked up at her through partially-opened eyes. "Okay, then. If you're sure it's no trouble.""I'm sure. I think we can behave ourselves long enough to share a meal, don't you?"Was that a grin twitching his lips? "I'll do my best."She took another long look at him. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable on one of the pieces of furniture rather than on that towel on the hard ground?"He smiled. Well, okay, half a

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    Peyton rolled onto her stomach and began a lazy crawl back to shore. She had just hoisted herself onto the dock and stood up, water dripping from her body, when Dix came out of the cottage. He just stood there for a long moment, watching her. She did her best to ignore him as she dried off then headed back to the chair where she'd left her tablet. Dix didn't move or say a word, just watched her with eyes that seemed to see beneath her skin, until she was lying down again. Even though she couldn't see him anymore, she could feel his eyes on her like twin lasers.Should she close her eyes and pretend she was going to sleep? Turn on her tablet and pretend to read? Whatever she did, it would be just that - pretend - because she was too acutely aware of his presence."I'm thinking of taking the boat out for a little spin around the lake." He laughed, a rusty sound. "Little being the operative word. That's a trolling motor, and I'm sure won't go past five miles an hour."She sat up, stunn

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    Five days later, Peyton hadn't changed her opinion of him at all. Not even a little. He was hot and cold by turns, sometimes almost friendly, others so distant she wondered if he even knew she was in the same room with him. But there were a few things she knew for sure. He was, without a doubt, the most mouthwatering man she'd ever seen in her life. Top to bottom, hands down.She had taken to watching for him to return from his run every morning wearing those flimsy shorts, wondering if today he'd be sporting a visible hard-on. As soon as he finished, he went inside, and when he came out, he was wearing swim trunks. Without giving himself more of a break in between than that, he did that clean knife-like shallow dive into the water and swam for at least another hour.She was smart enough to figure out he was rehabbing from whatever gave him those scars on his thigh. He hadn't bothered to discuss it with her, nor did she ask. She was content, instead, to ogle him and wonder what he wa

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    "Well?" He almost whispered the word, his lips back to within a hair's breadth of hers. "If you don't say anything, I'm going to assume the answer is no, and we'll do our best to forget this ever happened."As if she could.She ran the tip of her tongue over her lower lip. Dix's mouth was so close, she stroked his along with hers, and his hands tightened on her."Y-yes." She almost whispered the word. Lord, why couldn't she just say it with confidence? There was no doubt she wanted this, no matter what else happened between them, But, at least this time, she was going into something with her eyes wide open and no unrealistic expectations.His mouth came down on her again, firm this time, with just the right amount of pressure. He used his tongue to trace the seam between her lips, a gentle caress, rimming the outline then back to that seam. The contact was harder, more intrusive until she parted her lips for him and that hot tongue swept inside. Tilting her head back, she welcomed

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    Dix placed an open-mouthed kiss right at the entrance to her channel, took one last lick at her sensitized skin, and looked up at her. His smile was so wicked, she began to get turned on all over again."You have the best cunt I've ever tasted," he rasped. "Sweet and tart and spicy all at the same time. It's like mixing chocolate candy with a margarita."Peyton couldn't help it. Even as she lay trembling and weak, she burst out laughing. "Is that some kind of recipe?""I think it's a unique one." He studied her face, eyes glittering. "Maybe I should call it the Peyton Cocktail. Only I couldn't put it on any bar menu because I'd have to kill anyone who tried to order it."Her laugh was breathy and unsteady. "O-okay." She ran her tongue across her bottom lip. "That was...incredible."He gave a rough chuckle. "Only incredible? I think I'll have to do better."If he did any better, Peyton was sure she would die from it.He rose to his feet and undressed so swiftly it took him scant

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    Dix snugged Peyton next to him tightly, her soft body curled into his. They had made love twice more - No. Not made love. Had sex. He needed to stop thinking of it as anything else. There was no future for him the other way. His brain was messed up, as was his future. Getting involved with anyone was not only at the bottom of his to-do list right now, it wasn't even on it. But, for the first time in forever, he wasn't a ball of nerves lying in bed. He thought he might actually get a decent night's sleep as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to take comfort from the woman he was holding.He sank softly into fleecy clouds, his muscles relaxing, his nerves not synapsing as he let the dream surround him. There was Peyton Gerard, naked, red hair tumbled in curls around her shoulders, rosy-tipped breasts begging for his mouth, her - Whap! Whap! Whap!The helicopter blades sang a symphony as the craft hovered to release the team at the drop zone. The stealth helicopter, a Blackhawk f

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    "Get the fuck away from me." Dix reached out to smack the person, only to encounter soft flesh and hear a smothered scream. His eyes flew open. Crouched beside him in the bed, holding her jaw and trying to talk him off the ledge, was a very naked Peyton."Dix, wake up. Please." She turned on the bedside lamp, reached out, and stroked his face, trying to calm him. "It's okay. Everything is all right. I'm right here."His eyes focused on her, and his stomach flopped. The way she was holding her jaw, had he - Fucking shit.His heart was racing in overdrive, and he was covered with sweat. The dream was still so vivid. And Peyton. Jesus! He hoped he hadn't broken her jaw."Let me look at that." He reached for her, and she backed away, making him feel even sicker.But then she blew out a breath and moved close enough that she was crouching next to him. Unbelievably, she stroked his forehead and his cheek, soothing him. Him! The guy who probably broke her jaw."You're all sweaty," she

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    Peyton sat at the picnic table down by the lake, her laptop open, staring at the words on the page. The pitiful few words on the page. She was glad she wrote electronically instead of on paper or she would have wasted reams of it by now. She couldn't count the number of times she'd written the damn first chapter, only to delete it and start again. She finally, finally had a concept in her head, but she couldn't seem to make it come out on paper in a way anyone would want to read. Too much of it was still swirling around in her brain.She had truly believed this week would be a turning point. Lord knew it was one of the best weeks of her life. During the day, Dix jogged his gazillion miles then did his long swim in the lake while she sat outside and read. After lunch, they fished or went into town, and she showed him all the places that were still there from when she was a kid. And, at night, they had the most incredible sex she had ever imagined. She couldn't call it making love. That

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    Peyton curled up in a corner of the couch, cell phone to her ear, smiling."So you like it?" she asked Grace."Like it?" The woman's voice practically shrieked in her ear. "I love it. My god, Peyton, I think this is going to be the best thing you've ever done. Maybe I should send all my authors for a month at a cabin in the Maine woods."Peyton laughed. "First of all, it was a cottage. Secondly, it was at a lake, not in the woods.""Close enough. Someday, you'll have to tell me what it was that flipped your switch up there."Maybe, maybe not. Dixon Amendola was a memory she would hug close to herself, her thoughts and feelings confined in her own private world. She knew she'd never see him again. He'd made it very plain before their very first kiss that anything permanent was not happening. The SEALs were his life, and although other men had combined the dedication with family, apparently Dix didn't feel he could take the chance.That was okay. She'd taken all her thoughts and feelings

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    The afternoon turned into hours of erotic bliss. If she'd thought the nights they spent together were hot, they were nothing compared to this. Dix pulled out all the stops, introducing her to sensuous delights she'd only read about in books. She finally lay snuggled against Dix, every muscle like wet tissue paper, every area of her body sore but satisfied, wondering if she would ever again have sex as good as this.Enjoy what you've got while you've got it.She needed to keep telling herself that."How about a quick swim to cool off," Dix suggested. "Then I'll fix dinner. How does grilled chicken and corn on the cob sound?""Mouthwatering," she told him. "But I'm more than happy to cook. Really."He rolled her on top of him and peppered a row of kisses along her jawline, ending with one on her nose."Nope. It's my turn. But you can make a salad to go with.""Do you think we can go skinny dipping?" She gave him a mischievous grin. "I think I'm too beat to pull my bathing suit on.""Only

  • All About Love   Chapter 61

    Peyton sat at the picnic table down by the lake, her laptop open, staring at the words on the page. The pitiful few words on the page. She was glad she wrote electronically instead of on paper or she would have wasted reams of it by now. She couldn't count the number of times she'd written the damn first chapter, only to delete it and start again. She finally, finally had a concept in her head, but she couldn't seem to make it come out on paper in a way anyone would want to read. Too much of it was still swirling around in her brain.She had truly believed this week would be a turning point. Lord knew it was one of the best weeks of her life. During the day, Dix jogged his gazillion miles then did his long swim in the lake while she sat outside and read. After lunch, they fished or went into town, and she showed him all the places that were still there from when she was a kid. And, at night, they had the most incredible sex she had ever imagined. She couldn't call it making love. That

  • All About Love   Chapter 60

    "Get the fuck away from me." Dix reached out to smack the person, only to encounter soft flesh and hear a smothered scream. His eyes flew open. Crouched beside him in the bed, holding her jaw and trying to talk him off the ledge, was a very naked Peyton."Dix, wake up. Please." She turned on the bedside lamp, reached out, and stroked his face, trying to calm him. "It's okay. Everything is all right. I'm right here."His eyes focused on her, and his stomach flopped. The way she was holding her jaw, had he - Fucking shit.His heart was racing in overdrive, and he was covered with sweat. The dream was still so vivid. And Peyton. Jesus! He hoped he hadn't broken her jaw."Let me look at that." He reached for her, and she backed away, making him feel even sicker.But then she blew out a breath and moved close enough that she was crouching next to him. Unbelievably, she stroked his forehead and his cheek, soothing him. Him! The guy who probably broke her jaw."You're all sweaty," she

  • All About Love   Chapter 59

    Dix snugged Peyton next to him tightly, her soft body curled into his. They had made love twice more - No. Not made love. Had sex. He needed to stop thinking of it as anything else. There was no future for him the other way. His brain was messed up, as was his future. Getting involved with anyone was not only at the bottom of his to-do list right now, it wasn't even on it. But, for the first time in forever, he wasn't a ball of nerves lying in bed. He thought he might actually get a decent night's sleep as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to take comfort from the woman he was holding.He sank softly into fleecy clouds, his muscles relaxing, his nerves not synapsing as he let the dream surround him. There was Peyton Gerard, naked, red hair tumbled in curls around her shoulders, rosy-tipped breasts begging for his mouth, her - Whap! Whap! Whap!The helicopter blades sang a symphony as the craft hovered to release the team at the drop zone. The stealth helicopter, a Blackhawk f

  • All About Love   Chapter 58

    Dix placed an open-mouthed kiss right at the entrance to her channel, took one last lick at her sensitized skin, and looked up at her. His smile was so wicked, she began to get turned on all over again."You have the best cunt I've ever tasted," he rasped. "Sweet and tart and spicy all at the same time. It's like mixing chocolate candy with a margarita."Peyton couldn't help it. Even as she lay trembling and weak, she burst out laughing. "Is that some kind of recipe?""I think it's a unique one." He studied her face, eyes glittering. "Maybe I should call it the Peyton Cocktail. Only I couldn't put it on any bar menu because I'd have to kill anyone who tried to order it."Her laugh was breathy and unsteady. "O-okay." She ran her tongue across her bottom lip. "That was...incredible."He gave a rough chuckle. "Only incredible? I think I'll have to do better."If he did any better, Peyton was sure she would die from it.He rose to his feet and undressed so swiftly it took him scant

  • All About Love   Chapter 57

    "Well?" He almost whispered the word, his lips back to within a hair's breadth of hers. "If you don't say anything, I'm going to assume the answer is no, and we'll do our best to forget this ever happened."As if she could.She ran the tip of her tongue over her lower lip. Dix's mouth was so close, she stroked his along with hers, and his hands tightened on her."Y-yes." She almost whispered the word. Lord, why couldn't she just say it with confidence? There was no doubt she wanted this, no matter what else happened between them, But, at least this time, she was going into something with her eyes wide open and no unrealistic expectations.His mouth came down on her again, firm this time, with just the right amount of pressure. He used his tongue to trace the seam between her lips, a gentle caress, rimming the outline then back to that seam. The contact was harder, more intrusive until she parted her lips for him and that hot tongue swept inside. Tilting her head back, she welcomed

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