Crazy For You (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 8) Read online

  Little did she know it had taken all of his discipline not to toss Violet over his shoulder and carry her off the field after she’d hit her first home run. Their team won the game against Kenai, and Violet’s cheeks had been rosy, her hair a wild tangle, and her body deliciously outlined in her black leggings and fitted t-shirt. Instead, he’d congratulated her in the muddle of friends before making his way back to his car. Ginger had cajoled him into agreeing to start practicing with them as long as he only pitched in practice until his doctor cleared him to run.

  He gave himself a shake and looked over at Delia. “Hell if I know. Ball’s in her court,” he said with a shrug.

  Delia returned to cutting strips of pastry dough. “Why’s the ball in her court?”

  “Because I don’t know what the hell to do. I mentioned to Marley that I couldn’t make heads or tails of how she felt. Marley suggested maybe I lay low and not get too pushy. So before you go thinking I’m being difficult, I’m following Marley’s advice,” he replied, a tad defensively.

  Delia glanced up as she worked, a small smile on her face. “I didn’t say anything was wrong with it. Just curious.”

  He took a long swallow of his coffee and set it down with a sigh. “What do you think I should do?” he asked.

  She turned and grabbed a covered bowl out of the refrigerator nearby. She began spreading some kind of filling on the strips of dough and rolling them up. Sawyer couldn’t help but wonder she was making, but he refrained from asking because he really wanted to know what Delia thought. In the few years she’d been with Garrett, Sawyer had come to know her as rational and warm when it came to advice. He was starting to get impatient when she finally spoke.

  “I think maybe you might be doing too good of a job with playing it cool,” she said.

  “What do you mean?” He felt like an idiot here, and he hated it. His entire adult life had been about control, discipline and functioning incredibly well under high pressure. He felt like he was stumbling about blindly here.

  “Did you happen to notice she followed you out to the parking lot after the game the other night?” Delia asked.

  He almost choked on his coffee. “What?!”

  Delia sighed and shook her head. “Uh, yeah. She actually ran after you. I was on my way already, so I saw the look on her face when she watched you driving away. She looked really bummed.”

  Sawyer realized his mouth had fallen open, and he snapped it shut. He pushed off the table and went to pour another cup of coffee. Returning, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “So I looked like an ass?”

  “Oh no. That’s not what I meant. Just that it seemed like she wanted to talk to you, but you bolted so fast, she didn’t have a chance.” She carefully placed the spirals of pastry she’d created onto a tray. “You know, I don’t know you all that well yet, but I can guess you’re used to being in control.”

  “Definitely,” he added.

  “Well, the thing is no one feels in control when it comes to relationships. From what I can gather, Violet might have some reasons for keeping her distance. You might have to go out of your way to make sure she doesn’t misinterpret things.”

  Sawyer took a bracing gulp of coffee and glared at Delia. “Could you and Marley chat and make sure you’re giving me consistent advice?”

  Delia grinned. “Not so sure it’s conflicting advice. There’s giving someone space and then giving someone so much space, they might be confused you’re not interested. You have to find the balance.”

  He nodded numbly, his brain practically mush from overthinking this thing with Violet. What he hated the most was how much it mattered. He’d been doing his damnedest to convince himself he only wanted a chance to see where things went with her. But just hearing she’d tried to talk to him after the game nearly tore him in two. To think she might think he didn’t care? Hell, he cared. He cared way too damn much.

  He glanced over at Delia as she lifted the tray of pastries and turned to carefully slide them inside the oven. When she looked over her shoulder, he asked, “Did you suggest this whole dinner thing because you’re matchmaking?”

  “Maybe,” she said with a sly grin.

  “Maybe you should check with Marley if that’s a good idea,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

  Between Becca and Jessa, he was accustomed to the women in his life having opinions about what he did. The unintended bonus to being out of the country for months at a time was his sisters generally let him be when he was around. He knew perfectly well that if Becca or Jessa had a clue about his feelings for Violet, they’d be all over him. Becca, the most opinionated of all of his siblings, was ensconced in her life with Aidan in Seattle. Jessa had been so busy since he’d been here, he’d barely seen her since his day of fishing and dinner with her, Eli and Ryan. Now he had two sisters-in-law to add to the mix of opinions. Thank God he loved them both.

  Delia closed the oven and turned to face him, hands on her hips. “Maybe you should face your feelings and do something about it.”

  For the second time, he almost choked on his coffee. Delia could trick you into thinking she was nothing other than warm and kind when in fact she had steel in her spine and was one of the few people with the nerve to call Garrett out when needed, so he should’ve been prepared. He straightened and met her gaze head on. “Okay then. Maybe I will.” He started to walk out and then turned back. “You know, you could’ve told me this before her parents were here. Now I’ve gotta navigate them too.”

  Delia chuckled. “Gage swears you function best under pressure. Deal with it.”

  At that, she spun away, calling Harry’s name as she pushed through the swinging doors into the restaurant. Sawyer glanced at his watch and wondered where the hell Violet was.

  Chapter 20

  Violet pulled into a parking spot at Last Frontier Lodge and looked through the blurry view. It had been raining all day and hadn’t let up. She watched a raindrop roll down the windshield in a wavy path until it disappeared at the bottom. Her well-planned schedule for while her parents were here had already gone sideways when the hospital begged her to come in today after the only other phlebotomist on staff got sick with a nasty stomach bug. Those occasionally ran like wildfire through town with tourists bringing all kinds of fun viruses with them. Normally, her supervisor would step in, but she was sick too. Violet was relieved it had turned out to be a rainy day, so her parents had elected to take the day to visit shops and galleries while she went to work.

  She took a breath and let it out slowly. She was anxious about seeing Sawyer. She’d impulsively chased him to the parking lot after the baseball game the other night. With her nerves running on the fumes of adrenaline from the game, she’d decided to take the ball he’d tossed in her court and run with it. Only to find him driving away when she got there. She’d been determined to try to clean up the mess she’d made after their last talk after baseball practice. He’d been so polite and distant right after the game, she worried her wishy-washy behavior had driven him away. So, she’d come a little earlier than she was supposed to see her parents to try to talk to him. On the heels of another breath, she forced herself to move. The last thing she wanted was to delay so long that her parents were downstairs in the lodge before she found Sawyer.

  She’d forgotten her raincoat at work when she left in a hurry. When she’d realized it, she figured she didn’t have far to dash through the rain. Yet, she hadn’t counted on the parking lot being so crowded and was parked about as far away as possible from the entrance. With another deep breath, she shoved the door open and slammed it shut behind her as she began to hurry through the parking lot. The wind gusted sideways, blowing the rain in sharp spikes against her cheeks. Putting her head down, she kept moving and didn’t even see the delivery truck pulling out of the parking lot. She heard the hiss of the brakes just as she looked up into a face full of water. In less than a second, she was soaked from the large truck rolling through a puddle.

  She stood stoc
k still and sighed. This was her day, or rather her week or so. The driver was kind enough to roll down his window. “Sorry about that! Didn’t see you running this way. You okay?”

  She glanced up to find a jolly looking man with a wide smile and twinkling blue eyes in his weathered face. “I’m wet, but I’ll be fine. Thanks for checking,” she called out.

  His smile stretched wider. “Go get inside where it’s warm and dry then.”

  At that, he continued driving while she couldn’t help but return his infectious smile. With water dripping from her hair and her wet clothes sticking to her, she made her way inside. She paused inside the entryway and dragged her sleeve across her face, a rather pointless effort to dry herself seeing as her sleeve was soaked too. She glanced around and was relieved to find no one immediately present. She figured she’d track down Delia or Marley and find a towel or two. It was midday, so there was a soft hum of voices coming from the restaurant. She didn’t want to impose and overstep, but she certainly didn’t want to tromp through the restaurant looking like this. With another glance down both hallways leading off of the reception area, she walked behind the desk and through the door that she knew led into the kitchen.

  She didn’t realize she was shivering until she stepped into the warm kitchen. Two line cooks were busy at the grill, while Delia’s back was to her as she checked something in the massive oven against the far wall. Violet was suddenly self-conscious and started to turn away when Delia called a greeting.

  “Hey Violet!”

  Violet turned back. Before she could explain, Delia’s eyes widened. “Oh no. You’re soaked. I’m guessing that’s why you came in this way.” She gestured for Violet over to her. “Come on, you can shower and dry off in my office.”

  Violet hurried across the kitchen, water dripping with every step she took. “I’m sorry. I got splashed when a truck was pulling out of the parking lot.”

  Delia shook her head. “No need to apologize. Right here,” she said as she opened a door at the back of the kitchen.

  Violet walked through the door and looked around. Delia’s office was small and cheery. She had a plant hanging in the window and a brightly colored rug on the floor between a desk and couch. Delia closed the door behind them and stepped past Violet through another door. “Oh good, I have clean towels in here,” she said.

  Violet peered into the room and discovered a tiny bathroom with a sink, toilet and corner shower. “Oh wow, what’s a shower doing in here?”

  Delia grinned. “Back when my mom ran the kitchen over thirty years ago, she had the Hamilton’s install a shower because she got sick of my dad coming in off the slopes all dirty from whatever he was working on. Gage asked if I wanted it torn out, but someone uses it a few times every week, so we keep it.” She paused, her eyes coasting over Violet. “You need dry clothes. I’ll call up to Marley and have her bring something down. You’re shorter than her, but otherwise you two are close enough in size that you can get by. Okay?”

  “You don’t need to do that. I’ll just…”

  Delia shook her head firmly. “I didn’t mean to make it seem as if I was asking. I’m guessing you’re here to see your parents, and you’re soaked. Either you sit around in wet clothes for dinner, or you drive home in wet clothes to change. Both options are silly when Marley lives right upstairs. You hop in the shower, and I’ll leave some clothes in the office and lock the door on my way out.”

  Violet, knowing determination when she saw it, acquiesced. “Okay, okay. Thanks. Really,” she said. “It’s been that kind of day, so a little help goes a long way.”

  Delia smiled warmly. “Anytime.”

  While Violet was absorbing how nice it felt to have made a new friend like Delia, Delia stepped out of the office and closed the door behind her. Violet took a deep breath and let it out. Her anxiety about talking to Sawyer was churning inside and getting worse because she felt like a drowned rat. This wasn’t exactly the look she was going for. With another sigh—she’d been sighing a lot lately—she stepped into the bathroom. She tugged off the denim blouse she’d worn over a tank top, her skin pebbling in the chilly air, although she was immediately relieved to have the wet fabric off of her. Simply untying her shoes was a challenge. The laces were wet and tangled from her run through the rain. She leaned her hips against the wall and fiddled with them, swearing to herself.

  She heard footsteps and then the door to the outer office opening and closing, figuring it must be Delia delivering her borrowed clothing. “Thanks Delia!” she called through the door.

  She kicked off her second shoe and started to peel off her jeans, only to jump when the bathroom door opened. Sawyer stepped through. Startled, her mouth fell open and she stumbled back against the wall. He looked so damn good, it almost hurt—his worn black jeans molded to his muscled thighs, and his black t-shirt serving only to show off his mouth-watering chest and abs. He needed to stop wearing black. It took the whole tall, dark and sexy vibe too far. With his chocolate brown hair mussed and his flashing smoky silver eyes, it was all she could do to stand upright. Thank God for the wall holding her up.

  His eyes collided with hers and then brazenly conducted a slow perusal of her. She flushed instantly. Her jeans were halfway down her hips with her bright purple panties visible. Her tank top, unintentionally matching purple cotton, stuck to her breasts. Without looking, she could feel her nipples standing at attention. She’d already been chilled, but then Sawyer showed up. If her nipples could talk, they’d squeal. Her belly fluttered and wet heat built between her thighs. This was not good. Not good at all. She’d been battling internally too much and held back from what she wanted, which was Sawyer. Quite specifically…Sawyer. Naked. Inside of her.

  When his eyes made his way back up and landed on hers again, she swallowed. Oh. My. Okay, so maybe he still wanted her if the look in his eyes was any indication. He cleared his throat. “Delia called up for Marley to bring some clothes down.” He paused and took a step closer. “Marley wasn’t home.” Another step. “I brought some down for you.”

  Another step, and he stood right in front of her. The air pulled taut and nearly snapped under the pressure of need shimmering around them. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” he said.

  She could hardly breathe, but managed to nod. “Me too.” Her words came out in a rough whisper.

  “I don’t want to talk right now though.”

  His eyes held a question. Raw need scored her. She nodded, answering his unspoken question. He lifted a hand and traced one of her nipples before rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. She moaned and her head hit the wall with a thud. The next few moments were a wild blur, as he suddenly swore and stepped back. With one swift motion, he yanked her tank top over her head. It fell to the floor, slapping against it. His need matched hers as he flung her bra off, while she tore his jeans open and pushed his briefs down over his hips. His cock sprang free, and she sighed at the feel of his hard, hot length in the grip of her hand. He didn’t give her a moment to savor and shoved her jeans and panties down around her ankles, lifting her against him as he did. She kicked her legs free and curled them around his hips, crying out into his mouth when he took hers in a scorching kiss.

  She could feel the tip of his cock at her entrance and nudged him with her heels. She needed him inside of her. Now. She needed it hard and fast. Suddenly a loud clatter from the kitchen startled her. She tore her lips free. “Oh my God. Someone might…”

  “I locked the door. No one’s coming in,” he said swiftly, arching his hips just the slightest bit.

  She bit her lip to keep from crying out. She met his eyes, and her heart gave a hard thump. When she was this close to him, she forgot everything else—all the worries crowding her mind, the doubts she’d carried from her past, all of it dissolved under the force of their connection. He held her gaze for a long moment, and then closed his eyes.

  When he opened them again, his gaze was pained. “I can’t believe it, but we have to
put this on pause. Delia told me you were here, and all I was thinking about was seeing you. I didn’t bring a condom with me.”

  He started to ease back. “I’ll…”

  “Oh you’re not going anywhere,” Violet said, tightening her legs around his hips. “I can’t get pregnant, so birth control is pointless. I’m clean, and I trust you are too.”

  Her heart was pounding wildly, a percussive rhythm echoing through her entire body. Sawyer looked at her for a long moment before nodding. “I’m clean. Are you...?”

  “I’m sure,” she said, cutting him off.

  She tried to yank him to her, but he held firm. “Vi, look at me.”

  She whipped her eyes to his and felt split open inside, as if he could see right into her heart.

  “This isn’t just about sex for me,” he said gruffly.

  She swallowed against the emotion knotting her chest and took a breath. “It’s not for me either,” she whispered.

  He held her gaze for several more beats. Though not another a word passed between them, it felt as if they had an entire conversation. The tension she’d been holding inside eased. He stepped closer and let his forehead fall to hers. Adjusting her in his arms, he reached between them and stroked his fingers through her folds.

  “You are so fucking wet,” he murmured.

  Impatient, she spurred him with her heels. On a low chuckle, he angled his hips and arched, moving his hand out of the way as he sank to the hilt. She started to cry out, and he caught her lips in a fierce kiss.

  It had been too long since she’d been with him, wrestling with the force of her desire for him on so many levels. With his hips pounding into the cradle of hers, the delicious stretch of his cock filling her again and again, and the frantic beat of their hearts, her release was upon her almost instantly. The pleasure tightened to a wild peak and then burst loose, unraveling and whipping through her body. He caught her cries in his kiss, his own body going rigid before she felt his release pour into her. He slowly drew away from their kiss, catching her bottom lip in his teeth before dropping his head in the curve of her neck. She could feel his heart pounding against her skin. She’d gone from wet and cold from her inglorious drenching in the rain to steamy inside and out.