Page 9 of Soul of the Mountain (Curves in Hope Mountain #2)

GABBY

“ W here to next on our grand tour of the town?” I ask Sullivan as he turns left onto a cute cobblestone road.

After an impressive dinner of roasted garlic chicken and sweet potatoes last night, I made Sullivan promise to take me to some of his favorite spots in Hope Mountain today.

Neither one of us mentioned that today is likely my last day here.

I selfishly wanted Sullivan to tell me to stay, but instead, he simply smiled and said he knew exactly where to take me.

Of course, it’s all a silly fantasy. I was naive to think otherwise.

Sullivan said he wanted to make it clear how he felt about me…

and then his phone rang and we never had that conversation.

It’s just as well. I’m sure it would have been awkward to have me stick around for another night after breaking up with me.

Not that we were ever official or anything.

“Take a look for yourself,” he answers as he puts the truck in park.

“Between the Pages,” I read out loud. The bookstore is absolutely adorable, much like the bakery.

“I think you’ll be surprised at the selection they have. I’ll take you out to lunch after.”

“Or I can take you out to lunch. You paid for coffee yesterday,” I remind him.

Sullivan reaches across the console and wraps his hand around mine.

He surprises me by lifting my hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to my knuckles.

“Not everything is transactional, princess,” he says softly.

“What if I like providing for you? What if I just want you to have good things? Is that so hard to believe?”

I blink at him, still processing his questions. Is it hard to believe this man has been kinder to me than my own family? Yes. Is it nearly impossible to comprehend that he could be as obsessed with me as I am with him? Another resounding yes.

“On second thought, don’t answer that,” Sullivan says. “I’ll just have to show you that not everyone keeps score. Starting with lunch.”

I nod and give him my best smile, though my heart aches. I can almost picture our lives together, visiting Deidra and her friends at the retirement home, browsing through books at Between the Pages, and then grabbing a quick lunch at the diner before going home.

Home. That’s what this feels like. Not just the peaceful small town with its quirks and cute shops, but Sullivan. He’s been my anchor during the last few days of turmoil. At every turn, he’s been there for me, meeting my coldness with an all-encompassing warmth.

“Hey, everything okay?” Sullivan asks as he opens my door for me. I was so lost in thought, I didn’t realize he had gotten out of the truck.

“Of course,” comes my automatic response. Sullivan furrows his brow, not quite believing me. Thankfully, he doesn’t pry. I might just break down and tell him I’m pathetic and clingy and want to know if I was a fling or if he could see a future with me.

We walk into the bookstore, hand in hand, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. With Sullivan, it is.

“Welcome to Between the Pages,” a gorgeous red-headed woman says with a smile. “Oh! A new face!”

Sullivan chuckles and waves at the woman. “This is my…” he pauses, and I hold my breath. “This is Gabby,” he finishes. “She’s a guest at Willow Tree Inn.” Ouch.

“Hi! I’m Lily. Oh my gosh, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. We never get new people here, especially people my age,” she says, holding out her hand for me to shake.

I take it in mine and return her smile. It’s not as genuine as Lily’s, but I’m doing my best. “I’ve heard great things about this place. Are you the owner?”

Her smile drops, and she looks between me and Sullivan a few times. “Why do you want to know?” she asks, her tone full of suspicion. “Do you work for Top Spot Realty?”

Her question feels like a slap to the face. Talk about a mood killer. I feel like I’ve been living in a surreal dream land the last several days, but reality is waiting just a few hours away in Denver. “Ah. Um, I do, but I’m not…”

“Can you please stop sending me letters? I’ve already said I’m not going to sell.

I just need to find the contract with the previous owner, but he’s been hard to get hold of since he retired.

I promise I’ll get everything legitimized.

You don’t have to threaten to report me to the IRS.

Everything is on file. I’m up to date on everything. I checked. I…”

“It’s okay, Lily,” Sullivan says, thankfully stepping in. Lily is getting spun up, and as much as I wish I could help, I have no idea what she’s talking about. Threatening letters? That seems… extreme. “Gabby isn’t here on business.”

“Just waiting for my car to get fixed,” I add.

Sullivan stares at me for a second with an unreadable look on his face.

Was that the wrong thing to say? Obviously, my stay in Hope Mountain has become so much more than an annoying pit stop to get my car worked on.

I was just following his lead when he stumbled in his introduction.

I thought he was going to tell Lily I was his girlfriend or at least friend.

Instead, I was simply a guest at his inn.

“Oh,” Lily says, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Of course. I’m sorry.”

She blushes and turns away from me, shuffling some papers behind the counter. I recognize the Top Spot Realty logo on several envelopes, and my stomach sinks.

I don’t want to work for them anymore. I don’t want any of that life anymore. I can’t picture myself waking up tomorrow morning, putting on a pantsuit, and doing whatever is asked of me.

“It’s okay. I’ll… um, I’ll talk with my boss when I…” I swallow thickly before continuing. “When I get back to work.” The words taste bitter on my tongue.

She nods and pastes on a smile.

Sullivan clears his throat and takes my hand, guiding me down one of the aisles.

“You okay?” Sullivan asks softly. “And don’t say of course .” He grins as I roll my eyes.

“I will be.” It’s the best I can offer.

We walk in silence, both of us lost in thought. I know he wants to say something; I’m just not sure if I’m ready to hear it.

Sullivan grabs a sci-fi book on our way to the front of the store and pays for it before heading out to the truck. I feel the mood shifting, our thoughts spinning out of control. I might not say the right thing, but I know one way we can reconnect. Even if it’s just for a little while.

I rest my hand on his thigh as he drives toward Willow Tree Inn. He glances down at his lap, but doesn’t say anything. When I move my hand up his thigh, Sullivan’s breath hitches and he grunts.

“What are you trying to do to me?” he asks, his voice low and husky.

“I thought it was pretty obvious…” I say with a smirk. My pinky brushes against the considerable bulge in his jeans, and Sullivan groans, louder this time.

“Fuck lunch. Gotta get you home. Now.”

I nod, swallowing back tears at his use of home .

As soon as he pulls into the driveway, Sullivan is out of the truck. He scoops me up in his arms and kisses me with more passion than I was expecting. It’s like he needs this, too. Needs me again, needs to know I’m here. Are we both clinging on to something we know can’t last? Or maybe, just maybe…

“Can’t get enough of you,” Sullivan murmurs before diving into my mouth once more. I give him control, surrendering my body and pleasure to the only man I’ve ever trusted.

When we get to the bedroom, Sullivan kicks the door closed with his foot and sets me down.

As soon as my feet touch the floor, he peels off my sweater and makes quick work of my bra.

He sucks on one nipple and tweaks the other with his fingers, stoking the fire that never really went out deep in my core.

Just when I feel like my legs are about to turn to jelly, Sullivan sinks to his knees and rids me of my pants and panties. He presses soft kisses up my calves, thighs, hips, and belly. Sullivan looks up at me while stroking the back of my thighs and then squeezing my ass.

“What?” I whisper self-consciously. I’m all too aware this isn’t the most flattering angle for him to be looking at me.

He shakes his head, then rests it on my chest. Sullivan takes a deep breath before lifting his head. “I’m trying to decide what I want to do with you first.”

“Oh, yeah?” I smirk, running my fingers through his thick hair. He tilts his head back and closes his eyes at my touch.

“Yes,” he confesses.

I smile and trace my finger across his brow and down his nose. Sullivan tips his chin back and captures my finger in his mouth, sucking on it and tickling the tip with his tongue.

My pussy clenches, and a wave of warm pleasure surges through me, dripping out of my entrance and coating my thighs.

Sullivan groans and leans back a bit, cupping my pussy and gathering up my juices. “Jesus, you want it, don’t you, princess? Want my big fat cock in here?” He dips two fingers into my hole, stroking in and out of me at an excruciatingly slow pace.

“Yes…” I whimper.

He stands and practically tears off his clothes, letting them fall to the floor in a crumpled mess.

I step towards the bed, but he loops his fingers around my wrist and tugs me towards him.

Sullivan’s fingers twist in my hair, tugging my head back so he can kiss me.

Our tongues tangle, both of us giving and taking, rubbing our bodies together, needing more, but unable to stop what we’re doing.

I don’t realize we’ve walked across the room until Sullivan spins me around and then sits down on the oversized chair in the corner of the room.

He grabs my hips and pulls me down onto his lap so my back is to his chest, my legs spread wide over his.

Sullivan rubs his hands up and down my body, then cups my breasts, squeezing and pinching my nipples.

I moan and rub my ass on his lap, feeling his hard cock nestled in between my cheeks.

“Look at us,” he murmurs into my ear before kissing a line down my neck. I open my eyes and see a full-length mirror angled towards us on the other end of the wall. His eyes catch mine in the reflective glass, and I can’t look away from the image we make.

I watch as Sullivan’s hand slides down my body and then into my dripping cunt.

He growls and slips two fingers deep inside me, rubbing my clit with the heel of his hand.

I watch him finger me, then I watch him watching me get fingered.

His eyes are fixated on my pussy, on his hand grinding down, his fingers pumping in and out, my thighs shaking.

“Sullivan… I’m close…” I gasp.

He pulls his hand away, making me whimper in frustration. Before I can protest too much, he grips my hips and lifts me, sliding his huge cock inside me. His thickness fills and stretches me, the slight pain only intensifying the pleasure.

“Jesus, fuck,” he growls, sucking on my neck. “How do you feel so damn good?”

I mumble something incoherent and gasp when he thrusts up into me. “Ohmygod!” I cry out, rocking my hips uncontrollably as he guides me with his hands on my hips. My feet barely touch the ground, but I push myself off my toes and sink down on him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

Sullivan groans and nips my bare shoulder, licking away the sting. “Kiss me,” he grunts.

I turn my head and take his lips in a searing kiss as our bodies writhe and our hips roll together.

I break the kiss when his cock scrapes against that super-sensitive spot deep inside me.

Gasping for air, I lean my head back and claw at the armrests of the chair, bowing my back and whimpering with each rough thrust.

Sullivan moves his hands from my hips to my inner thighs, spreading my legs wider, making me even tighter for him.

“Holy fuck,” he grits out, almost in awe.

My skin tingles and burns everywhere. My muscles tense, and my bones feel like they’re coming out of their sockets as I climb higher and higher.

My orgasm crashes into me, knocking the wind right out of my lungs.

I open my mouth in a silent scream, twisting and clawing and convulsing in Sullivan’s arms.

He spreads one large hand over my lower stomach, keeping me steady while increasing the pressure and prolonging my orgasm. His other hand is still gripping my right thigh. He tugs my legs apart despite my trying to snap them together as I come down and curl in on myself.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he grits out, hammering into me from below as my bones turn to jelly.

I’m completely limp, held up only by Sullivan’s strong grip. He fucks up into me in short, sharp thrusts that spark my nerves and make me cry out as an unexpected orgasm rips through me.

Sullivan holds himself deep inside me as he explodes. His cock pulses as wave after wave of cum splashes inside my pussy.? We’re both sweating and panting by the time the last of his cum leaks out of me.

Sullivan rests his forehead on my shoulder as his arms wrap around my middle, holding me close. I rest my arms over his, rubbing light circles over his knuckles with my fingertips. Eventually, the sweat dries, leaving me cold and shivering, despite being surrounded by his warmth.

“Let’s get cleaned up,” he whispers.

I nod and untangle myself from our position. Sullivan stands and wraps me in his arms, rocking me back and forth. It’s sweet and excruciating. Why won’t he ask me to stay? Or at least ask me if I want to stay?

I press a kiss to his chest and step out of his embrace.

He hands me a towel and nods toward the en suite bathroom.

“I’ll get lunch ready for us while you rinse off.

I promised to take you out to my favorite diner, but we got a bit distracted.

” He smirks and winks at me, which totally isn’t fair.

I’m ready to climb his naked body and ask him to fuck me all over again.

I step out of the shower ten minutes later, feeling a little more grounded.

We’ll have a talk over lunch. I can ask a few questions and get a sense of what he’s thinking.

Maybe he’s nervous about talking with me, though I can’t imagine why.

I’ve thrown myself at the man, quite literally. He has to know how I feel.

My phone rings right as I pull on a clean shirt. Grady’s number flashes across the screen, making my heart drop to my stomach.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Gabby! Good news. Your car is ready to be picked up.”