Embracing Today, a firefighter romance: (The Trading Yesterday Series, #3), Kahlen Aymes [essential reading txt] 📗

sister shook her head and went back to making pancakes, adding a small handful of fresh blueberries once the batter hit the pan.

“Not mad. She was scared. She told us about the nightmares.”

I nodded. “She just told me right before I left, but I still had to go. My best friend was trapped out there with five guys.”

“You don’t have to explain, Ben. I get it. Go on. I’ll feed the kids and when you get down here with Marin, the adults will eat.”

I went to the mud room and kicked off my shoes. “Save me some pancakes, Dylan,” I instructed.

“You snooze, you lose,” he said saucily.

I laughed as he beamed at me. Remi was drying her hands as Dylan stepped up to the sink.

“I do, huh?”

“Yep!” Remi said with a grin.

“What will I do with you, two?”

“Come on, hurry up, Remi,” Teagan instructed.

By the time I got to the top of the stairs and stood outside Marin’s bedroom door, I was uncharacteristically nervous. My hand closed around the knob and turned. Thankfully, it wasn’t locked, and I peered inside. The shades were drawn, but the sun filtered through slightly to cast the room in a golden glow.

Marin was lying on her side, curled up under the covers. The air conditioning kept the house cool despite the summer weather. I walked closer and lifted the edge of the comforter and began to slide underneath and next to the gorgeous woman who had become my entire world.

My arms reached for her as her eyes fluttered open. Happy surprise lit up her face.

“Oh, Ben!” Marin’s arms reached for me and I pulled her close, flush against me. I held her tight as her fingers curled into the back of my shirt, and the hair at my nape. “Ben,” she whispered against my throat.

“I told you I’d be okay,” I said against the side of her face before my lips found purchase on her cheek. She pressed her forehead against my jaw as a sigh of relief left her body. “Do you forgive me?”

“Mmm, huh,” she murmured the affirmative.

“You should have told me about the nightmares.” I placed a series of soft, teasing kisses on her cheek, jaw, then a gentle open-mouthed kiss on her lips. Her body surged against mine and desire burned bright.

Finally, I kissed her deeply and her mouth opened to me like a flower. My hands slid down her body and I pulled her hips tight against mine, hitching one of her legs over mine. I pressed into her so she could feel the evidence of the effect she had on me.

“I wish we could make love right now, but breakfast is on the table,” I said regretfully, but I had to make an admission. “and… I’m so hungry.”

Marin’s fingers threaded through my hair in the way I’d come to love. “I’m sorry about the way I acted, but I was just so scared. I’ll make it up to you.”

Our faces were inches apart, our noses almost touching, and sharing each other’s breath. As much as I desired her, I was just so damn happy to be in her presence. I loved her beyond anyone I’d ever known, so I was a bit out of my element. I touched the tip of her nose with my finger.

“I wish you didn’t have to work at the diner tomorrow. We missed our fishing trip today.”

“About that…” she began.

“Yeah?” I asked, hopefully.

“Your sister put it in my head that rather than rebuild the shop, we should turn the ranch into a dude ranch. We could build a few cabins, a larger stable and another paddock.”

My eyebrows raised and a grin split my face. “Well, that sounds like a good plan to me.”

“But I should still go work at the diner until we get it going. This year would probably just be the build-out.”

I was amazed by her. “It sounds like you’ve given it a lot of thought.”

“Well, not that much, but the girls and I talked about it last night after the second movie was over.” I could see the idea excited her. “But maybe we could do a bed and breakfast during the winter. Jackson never has enough hotel rooms.”

I nodded, still a bit stunned, my brow cocked as I nodded, not breaking her gaze. “We?” I said, pleased that she’d included me.

Marin’s eyes widened. “Oh, well, I mean, I guess, me, but I hoped you’d be around.”

“Oh, I’ll be around, all right,” I assured, placing another lingering kiss on her mouth.

“You will?” she whispered as my mouth left hers briefly between kisses.

“I will.” I surprised her by rolling her over and pressing her into the bed. “I will. I’ll muck out your stalls, feed your horses, exercise them, and any other damn thing you need me to do, for as long as you need me to do it.”

Marin’s eyes lit up and she giggled in surprise. “Really? Anything?”

I kissed her neck, letting my tongue come out and lick softly, then I sucked on the tender flesh gently. I could feel the effect it had on her and her body arched provocatively into mine. I’d remember this for later. “Anything,” I said, nipping at her collarbone.

“Like, what?” she was teasing, and I was delirious with happiness.

“You mean, beyond shoveling manure?” I asked seriously. Marin nodded and my eyes locked with hers. “Well, I thought I might make love to you every night until you couldn’t take any more. Maybe I’d marry you and father five or six of your kids.” My index finger traced down the side of her face.

I could tell I’d left her speechless. I nudged her top lip with my bottom one. I couldn’t help the smile that lifted the corners of my mouth. She was helpless beneath me and as sore as I was, I was loving it as her hands slid down my back and her heels hooked around my calves.

“Only five or six? Who will father the others?” she asked with a little huffed out