She shook her head. “OK, forget it. I liked what you were doing before better.”
“Me too.” I put my lips and tongue on her throat again, tasting her sweetness—vanilla tonight. And something flowery. Lavender? “You smell so fucking good. I have to get my mouth on all of you.”
“No argument here. Where are we staying tonight?”
“A bed and breakfast. It’s not far.”
“A bed and breakfast!” She took my face in her hands and kissed me. “You’re so mother trucking romantic, I can’t stand it. Let’s go.”
? ? ?
We pulled up at the bed and breakfast, a big nineteenth century Victorian home that was called A Night to Remember.
Jillian giggled at the sign hanging out front. “I like the name.”
“That’s why I chose it.”
She got out of the car and admired the house while I went to the back and unloaded our bags. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “When do you think it was built?”
I studied it for a moment. It was dark, but I could make out the lines and materials well enough. “Probably the eighteen seventies.” My knowledge of historical architecture wasn’t all that comprehensive, but because of the area where I lived and worked, I did have some familiarity with different Victorian styles. This one was French-inspired, with a mansard roof and shutters on the windows, its bricks painted a light yellow.
“I love it.” She threw her arms around me. “This is so nice, Levi. No one’s ever given me such a great birthday surprise.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go in.”
The owners of the house, Bob and Jenny, a couple in retirement age with matching pear-shaped bodies and welcoming smiles, greeted us at the door as if they’d been waiting for us. It was my first inclination that this might not be quite as private as I’d like. Here we were entering this lovely old home, the owners graciously giving us a tour, inviting us to sit on the antique furniture, sip cordials in the parlor, or drink tea off grandmother’s china, and all I could think of was taking Jillian upstairs and spanking ass her before fucking her senseless.
Clearly I hadn’t thought this all the way through.
We were shown our room, which was large with high ceilings, a fireplace, and an antique queen-size bed. Jillian spun around, a huge smile on her face, and I was happy I’d chosen this place. Hope you have earplugs, Bob and Jenny. Or you’re gonna be up all night.
I locked the bedroom door after they left and took off my jacket and the trucker t-shirt. Jillian took her bag, went into our private bathroom, and came out five minutes later wearing the sexiest fucking lingerie I’d ever seen. It was dark red and strappy and lacy and sheer and rendered me completely speechless.
“You like it?” she asked, hands behind her back.
“I fucking love it. It’s not even my birthday.” I went over to her and ran my hands down her arms, up her chest, brushing my thumbs over her nipples. They perked up, and I kept rubbing them lightly. Jillian’s eyes closed and she swayed toward me. I lowered my lips to where they just barely touched hers but didn’t kiss her.
“You’re teasing me,” she whispered.
I smiled. “Ready for your present?”
She nodded. “Sure.”
I pulled it out of my bag and handed it to her. She took it over to the bed, which squeaked when she sat down on it. Looking up at me in alarm, she bounced on it a few times, and the squeaking continued, even louder. “Holy shit, Levi,” she whispered frantically.
I grinned. “Hey. What can we do? It’s an old bed. Open your gift.”
She began to unwrap the package, and I suddenly felt nervous.
“It’s nothing big.”
“Stop it. You didn’t have to get me anything—you arranged this whole night for me.” She took the lid off the box and gasped when she saw the framed photo. “Oh my God.”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.” She lifted it out of the box and held it up. “I haven’t even seen wedding photos yet—how did you get this?”
The picture was of Jillian and her sisters, Skylar in the middle, an informal shot taken sometime after the ceremony. It was a close-up, and they’d leaned in toward each other, arms around waists, matching blue eyes and huge smiles. “I contacted Sebastian this week, and he put me in touch with Skylar. She’d just gotten digital proofs and sent me this one. I thought you’d like it for your counter.”
“Yes!” She put a hand over her heart. “It’s perfect, because I don’t have a recent one. And it’s beautiful—look how happy we are.”
“You do look happy. And I know how important family is to you.”