A Touch of Cinnamon

  I nodded, then let my eyelids flutter shut when he bent to kiss me.

  “Now, no more talk of money. Promise?” he asked, his breath warm against my lips.

  “Promise,” I vowed, opening my eyes and smiling up at him. “Let’s go put our bags in the room and find that restaurant, I’m starving.”

  “You got it.”

  It looked like everyone had the same idea, so we agreed to meet back downstairs in five minutes and go to dinner. While in the elevator, Jericho called ahead to let the restaurant know that a party of seven was headed there way.

  “This is nice,” I said when he opened the door to reveal a contemporary-style room with a king-sized bed. It wasn’t big or elaborate, but it was clean and the bed looked inviting.

  “It’s a room,” Jericho said with a shrug, unimpressed. Right then, my stomach growled loudly, causing us both to laugh. “Let’s get you down to dinner.”

  When we stepped off the elevator, Rob, Ty, and Dru were standing off to the side talking. As we drew near, I could hear them say Jackson and Millie’s names.

  “What’s up?” I asked as we approached.

  Dru looked over at me and wiggled her eyebrows.

  “Jackson and Millie won’t be joining us, they’re ordering in.”

  “Can’t say I blame them,” Jericho said roughly in my ear, then more loudly to the group, “Let’s go on in then, we can tell the hostess when we arrive that we’ll be two less.”

  Once we were seated, placed our orders, and our drinks arrived, I felt like I could finally sit back and relax. Enjoy a moment of calm in a day that had been full of go, go, go. I leaned back in my chair and sipped my wine as I listened to Rob and Ty go back and forth about who drove the van better.

  “You have to admit, my lane transitions were totally smooth,” Ty said.

  “True, but did you see the way I handled The Beast when that Rav 4 cut in front of me?” Rob asked.

  They’d started calling the luxury van The Beast around mile ten.

  “Tomorrow, I’m driving,” Dru informed us, causing everyone to groan in response. Even me.

  Dru scowled and asked, “What?”

  I loved my sister, truly, but Dru was a terrible driver. The worst. Anytime I got in the car with her I said a prayer and held on for dear life. I don’t know why she was so bad, she’d learned from our mom, just like Millie and I had, and had the same Driver’s Ed teacher. She just never got the hang of it.

  “Didn’t I hear that you once drove straight into a row of shopping carts? Not backed into, but hit them head on?” Rob asked, leaning on the table as he grinned at Dru, who looked like she wanted to kick him.

  “And, what about the time you literally hit a chicken that was crossing the road?” Ty added.

  “Did you guys hear about the time when she gunned it through a light after it had turned red, and totaled the car?” I asked, and this time Dru did kick me under the table.

  “Ow!” I cried, frowning at her.

  “Good thing it’s not up to any of you. Jericho is the one who rented the van, so he can decide if I can drive it or not.”

  Dru looked at Jericho expectantly, her expression daring him to deny her.

  He opened his mouth, then shut it again, and I knew he was conflicted because he was doing his best to make Dru like him, but he wanted us to arrive at Nora’s Inn in one piece.

  Knowing I needed to save him from her wrath, I turned to my sister and said, “Dru, you don’t even have a license right now. It’s still suspended, remember? You can’t drive on a suspended license. If you got caught, Jericho could get in trouble with the rental agency and you’d get more than a slap on the wrist this time.”

  Dru pursed her lips, then nodded reluctantly and agreed, “I guess you’re right. I don’t want to get Jericho in trouble.”

  The table let out a collective sigh of relief, then laughed when Dru shot daggers at all of us.

  “Thanks, babe,” Jericho whispered, and I squeezed his hand under the table.

  “Anytime.”

  Jericho ~ Present

  I SHIFTED ON THE BED, my body warming automatically as I brushed up against Natasha. I opened my eyes, giving myself a moment to adjust to the low light in the room, then drank in the sight of her sleeping face.

  I felt more at peace in that moment than I probably had in my entire life.

  Her red hair was falling over her forehead, and half covering her eye. Her face was turned toward me, and her lips were tipped up, indicating she was at peace as well, or at least having a good dream.

  I slipped an arm around her waist, snuggling in closer and closing my eyes as I let her scent surround me and the soft planes of her body fit against me. She sighed and moved, and I stilled, not wanting to wake her.

  The past few weeks had been like a dream to me.

  Nothing like college, or the relationship we’d had before. No, now we were two grown adults with our own businesses, our own lives, making it work as a functioning couple. Did we get to see each other every day? No, not always, but I made it a point to send her texts, notes, or call, to let her know I was thinking of her.

  With the way things were going, I knew they’d only get better, because eventually, we would live together, so we would see each other every day. Then marriage, and a family. It was everything I’d ever wanted, and had been too afraid to hope for.

  I knew Natasha still had doubts, stemming mostly from her father’s abandonment of his family, but I hoped, I’d proven, not just recently, but with my commitment to her even over the years we were apart, that I was nothing like her father.

  “Jericho,” she whispered, and I opened my eyes to see her face a few inches from me. She was smiling, all warm and sleepily, and I had no choice but to brush my lips against hers.

  “Go back to sleep,” I replied softly. “It’s still early.”

  I felt her hand come up between us, then she ran her thumb gently over my cheek.

  “I love you,” she said, and just like that I was whole.

  I moved us until Natasha was on her back, and settled between her legs. I ran my hand over her hair, caressed her face, and lowered my head to cover her lips with mine. After I kissed us both breathless, I brought my head up so that I could look her in the eyes.

  “I love you, too,” I replied. “I never stopped.”

  “Me neither,” she admitted softly. “As much as I tried, it was impossible. I’ll love you forever.”

  We’d come together in a frenzy after dinner and drinks with our friends, eager for one another after the teasing in the van. We’d fallen asleep naked, which made me very, very happy in that moment.

  I moved down slightly, taking her nipple in my mouth as I simultaneously rubbed the hard, weeping head of my cock against her opening, then slid up to tease her clit. She opened for me, her legs falling to the side as she arched, giving me better access to her breasts.

  “Jericho,” Natasha moaned, and I could feel her body responding to me, becoming wetter with each stroke.

  She tilted her hips up, grinding against me as I thrust into her. I slid inside, slowly, enjoying every inch, until I was seated fully inside of her. Releasing her breast, I kissed my way back up to her mouth, then paused, a breath away from claiming her lips.

  “I love you, Natasha,” I said again, then I took her lips as I began to move.

  Our hands found each other and entwined as her legs came around my waist. We made love with soft sounds, sighs, and whispers, worshiping each other with our mouths and hearts as we came together as one.

  Spent from one of the most precious experiences of my life, I rested my forehead on hers as we struggled to calm our labored breathing.

  Once the feeling started to come back into my limbs, I moved off of her, not wanting to crush her, pulling her with me so that she was sprawled across me. One hand at her back, the other caressing her arm, as she left sweet kisses on my chest.

  I was about to tell her how amazing she was, when her stom
ach interrupted my thoughts.

  “Are you hungry again?” I asked with a chuckle.

  Natasha blushed prettily and bent her head to bite my skin gently.

  “Do you blame me?” she asked. “Aren’t you hungry?”

  “What time is it?”

  She shifted to look over her shoulder, giving me a perfect view of her lightly tanned torso and gorgeous breasts.

  “Almost six,” Natasha replied, looking back and catching me in the act.

  I grinned unabashedly and said, “I could eat, but first, I think we need to wash up. I for one am feeling very dirty.”

  Natasha raised an eyebrow and asked, “Again?”

  “Always.”

  I grabbed her close and swung my feet to the floor, lifting her with me as I rose, smiling when her light, happy laugh filled the room.

  I managed to get us both into the bathroom and turned on the shower without injuring either of us, then proceeded to show her just how dirty I was feeling, and did my best to clean us both up.

  By the time we made it downstairs, the rest of our group was already enjoying breakfast. They looked up as we approached, taking in our wet hair, freshly scrubbed skin, and what I was sure were matching satisfied faces.

  I just smiled at the lot of them and said, “What’s good? We’re starved.”

  Natasha ~ Present

  “WE’LL BE SERVING COMPLIMENTARY WINE and cheese from six to seven this evening, and complimentary breakfast in the morning. We have a lounge, library, dining room, and patio, feel free to use any of the common areas throughout the day. You can also use your room key to gain access to Fit In Boonsboro, to utilize their fitness equipment, steam room, or sauna. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask, and we hope you enjoy your stay here at Inn Boonsboro.”

  We’d finally reached our destination and had checked into the inn. Jackson was practically writhing with excitement, like a puppy who wanted to explore. The plan was to check into our rooms, then head out as a group to discover the town.

  The book signing wasn’t until tomorrow, so the evening was ours. All I could say was that I was happy to be out of The Beast, and ready to stretch my legs and see what the quaint town of Boonsboro had to offer.

  “Jackson and Millie, you’ll be in the Elizabeth and Darcy room,” the innkeeper continued, biting back a smile at Jackson’s excited squeak. “Jericho and Natasha, you have Eve and Roarke. Rob and Ty, Marguerite and Percy. And, last, but not least, Drusilla, Titania and Oberon.”

  “It’s just Dru,” Dru said. She really hated when people called her Drusilla.

  “Sorry,” the innkeeper replied easily. “Dru. Please, follow me, and I’ll show you to your rooms.”

  As we walked through the inn, my head swiveled as I tried to take it all in. The reception area and lobby were both beautiful, with exposed brick and a fireplace crackling as we walked past.

  We stopped at a door downstairs, “Marguerite and Percy,” and when Rob and Ty walked inside, I tried to get a good look, but all I saw were two full beds, before we were moving to the stairs to go up.

  When we got to Titania and Oberon, I couldn’t stop myself from going inside with Dru. I had to see what it looked like.

  “Oh my gosh!” Dru cried when she saw the beautiful canopy bed, the door leading out to the terrace, and then the deep copper tub in the bathroom. “This is the prettiest room I’ve ever seen. I’m never leaving.”

  I laughed as she laid back onto the bed and moved her arms like she was making a snow angel.

  “It’s so beautiful,” I agreed, looking around to take it all in.

  “Let’s go see ours,” I heard Jackson say, turning to see him walking out of Dru’s room, intent on finding his Elizabeth and Darcy room.

  I chuckled and followed him out to see Jericho waiting for me with a smile.

  “I think she likes it,” I told him as I took his hand in mine, grateful that he’d been so thoughtful to get her a special room like that, especially when she was the only one sleeping alone.

  Well, not that Ty and Rob were sleeping together, but, they were best buds, and although she had me and Millie, I wished she had someone like we did to make her happy.

  “Seems that way,” Jericho replied.

  “And, here you are,” the innkeeper said as she led us to our room.

  As we entered, I could hear Jackson exclaiming over his own room. The Eve and Roarke room was a mixture of clean, modern lines and antique furnishes, with a cool chair in the corner. As I was walking through it, I heard Jericho call, “Come see this,” from the bathroom, so I followed him inside.

  It was gorgeous, with a state-of-the-art shower built for two, and a free-standing tub that begged me to relax with a good book.

  “Oh, I love these robes,” I said, stroking my hand down the soft sleeve of one of the hanging robes.

  “This place is pretty cool. Rob and Ty did good,” Jericho said.

  I walked over and placed my arms around his waist to look up at him and clarify, “You did good.”

  He took my lips with his and we got lost in each other for a few seconds, before he pulled back, then dropped another couple quick kisses on my lips.

  “Ready to go out and explore?” he asked.

  “You bet,” I replied, hugging his waist briefly before letting him go.

  We left our bags on the bed and headed back downstairs to see if anyone else was ready. When we arrived, everyone but Dru was already waiting.

  “Hey,” Jackson said, crossing to us as we hit the landing. “How was your room? I wanted to come see it, but Millie said I should give you guys some privacy. Can I see it later?”

  “Sure, but only if I can see yours,” I replied with a laugh.

  “Deal,” Jackson said, totally serious. “So, I was thinking, we could hit Main Street, check out the shops and stuff. Then, come back here at six for the wine and cheese, before heading to Dan’s Restaurant and Taphouse for dinner. What do you think?”

  The five of us looked at each other, then back and Jackson. “Whatever you want, man, it’s your party,” Jericho answered for the group.

  “Well, it’s Millie’s party, too,” he said, turning to his fiancée. “What do you think, Mills?”

  “Sounds perfect,” my sister said, looking up at him with an expression of utter devotion.

  “Hey, sorry, guys, I got sidetracked in my kick-ass room,” Dru called as she came down the stairs. Her voice sounded cheery, which had me looking at her more closely. Not that Dru couldn’t be cheery, she could, there just seemed to be an edge to it.

  Although she had a smile on her face that seemed genuine, I noticed that she was clutching her phone hard enough for her knuckles to turn white.

  “No problem,” Jackson said, shooting her a face-splitting smile, oblivious to any signs of distress. “Let’s do this.”

  Vowing to check in with her later, I followed my soon-to-be brother-in-law out onto the street.

  Jericho ~ Present

  WE WERE ON OUR WAY home.

  The trip had been a success. Everyone had a good time. We didn’t have any arguments or differences of opinion on what to do or where to go, which was often the case with large groups. I think because we’d all known from the get-go that this was Jackson’s dream trip, and we were all just along for the ride.

  I was actually surprised by how much fun I’d had, a literary trip never having crossed my mind as something I’d ever be interested in.

  But, there was something to be said about traveling and discovering new things with a great group of people. That’s what made all the difference. Sure, there were moments when Jackson missed Kayla and wondered if he should have brought her along, but he bought her a trinket at every stop to let her know he’d been thinking of her.

  We’d all met Nora Roberts, who was a friendly woman, and had made Jackson’s day when she took a picture with him and told him to keep doing great work with his students.

  Natasha had gotten her signed book
and had gotten a little star struck as well.

  Now, we were driving back home, hoping to make it back before too late, since all of us had to be back to work in the morning. Jackson and Millie were snoozing on the bed in the back, while Natasha and Dru were laying down on the table that converted into a bed. Rob was driving The Beast with Ty in the passenger seat and I’d been catching up on emails and checking Prime Beef’s social media accounts.

  When my phone started ringing in my hand, startling me, I quickly turned it to silent so as not to wake anyone up. The number wasn’t familiar, but thinking it could be something about the restaurant, I answered as quietly as I could.

  “Ric, you’re a hard boy to track down. How are you doing, son?”

  The voice on the other end had my blood turning cold. I stood swiftly, looking around the small space as I tried to find somewhere I could get a modicum of privacy. My gaze settled on the bathroom door and I made it there in four quick steps, then shut myself inside.

  “How did you get this number?” I asked harshly.

  My mother chuckled and replied, “I think you’ll remember that I’m like a dog with a bone when I want something. It took a couple weeks, but I eventually found your trail of breadcrumbs.”

  I was about to retort, when I realized something, “This isn’t a collect call . . .”

  “Nope, I got out. Good behavior.”

  Fuck. Good behavior, my ass.

  “And, I was thinking it’s high time I saw my boy, what since you haven’t once come to visit me in all these years.”

  “I’d think you’d pick up those clues and realize it’s because I don’t want anything to do with you. When you left me to fend for myself, more worried about your next fix than taking care of your son, you made that decision pretty easy.”

  “Oh, come on now, Ric, people change, you know that. Hell, look at you. My boy, from the streets of Philly to running his own restaurant, and richer than God himself.”

  “Ah, I see, this isn’t about seeing me . . . it’s about the money. That’s what this is,” I said, my breath leaving me in a rush. At least now I knew her motive for calling me. Fuck if she was going to get a dime from me.