When his hand slid into the back of her hair, Ty let her head fall back slightly. And soon, his lips were at her neck. Kissing a trail from the lobe of her ear to the hollow of her throat.
Mmm.Talk about heaven. Ty caught herself fisting his shirt in response to the heightened sensation as his teeth grazed her skin, ever so slightly. And then he was kissing her there again, allowing his heated breath to tease each spot before moving to the next, making his way to her other earlobe now.
She bit her lip as a whimper sounded in her throat. This, she decided, was just one of the perks of dating someone like Memphis. Soon, she’d have to bring their time to a close and tell him goodbye for the night, but it’d been a long time since she’d lingered in sensations such as this; she planned to enjoy it for a little while more.
An errant thought came to her then—a question, really. What if Memphis wasn’t as honorable as she believed him to be? There were men out there who took what they could and left broken hearts in their wake. What made her so sure she could trust Memphis after knowing him for such a short time?
It was that very thought that yanked Ty from her blissful state and encouraged her to put an end to their evening. The last thing she wanted was to get so swept away that she lost her senses.
“It’s getting late,” she mumbled as she pulled back and straightened a look on him.
Memphis’s eyes cracked open the slightest bit. He held her gaze there for a blink, then let his head drop limply back against the couch. “You’re right,” he conceded. “I should leave, right?”
Her heart settled, but only a little. The unwelcome concern had definitely sparked a fear in her. One that only time could appease. She was a mother now, and she owed it to Lucas, as well as to herself, to make sure that Memphis had good intentions where they were concerned.
“Yes,” she forced herself to say. “It’s probably time to say goodnight, whether we want it or not.”
His eyes, which had drifted shut again, popped open once more. “Does that mean youdon’twant to say goodnight right now either?”
This felt like a trick question. “What I want isn’t what matters, remember?”
“Oh, come on,” he pried. “You can at least say that you wish I could stay longer.”
“I do wish that,” she admitted.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face. “Good. Well, until next time then.” He gave her bottom a playful swat and kissed her cheek.
Reluctantly then, Ty climbed off the couch, freeing Memphis so he could do the same. As he did so without pressing her for more, seeming to prove that he was, in fact, as honorable as she hoped, Ty fought the urge to set him back on the couch and have her way with him a little longer.
“Hey,” Memphis said as they headed to the door. “We were looking for a place around here to race go-carts and we couldn’t find one for miles, right?”
Ty nodded. Last night after the river run, they talked about taking Lucas to the go-carts soon, perhaps even next weekend. But they soon found that the nearest fun center with a racetrack was over one hundred miles away.
“Well,” Memphis continued as he slipped his shoes on at the door. “Remember how I told you that each of us, when we bought into the Homestead, agreed to put a certain amount of money back into the place, whatever we see fit?”
“Yes,” she said. “Richard’s adding the living accommodations and Andie built the spa.”
“I’m thinking that since we don’t need another river run in Haven Hills, I could look into building a racetrack for go-carts. Except race cars wouldn’t exactly go with the whole theme of the inn, so we could do soapbox cars instead. If nothing else, it’s good business, offering just one more thing that no one else around here offers.”
“That’s a great idea,” Ty said, picturing just how much Lucas would love living there even more. She recalled the time her brothers decorated cars for the Pinewood Derby back when they were kids. “I wonder if you could get, like, vinyl designs printed out. Stripes, numbers…”
Memphis’s face lit up. “That’s brilliant! Flames, a skull and cross bones…”
“Yeah,” Ty said. “Guests could decorate their car before they race it.”
“Man, I’m really pumped about the idea now.” Memphis wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. “I’m glad I got to tap into that genius brain of yours. Maybe you can help me put all this together if I can get the crew on board.”
“I’d love to help,” she said, enjoying what it felt like to be appreciated by him.
Memphis nuzzled his nose into her hair. “You’re an incredible woman, Ty. I’m excited to see how things go with us.”
She liked that. It was honest. Open. Void of early promises, but still filled with hope. It calmed that errant fear yet another degree.
“Me too,” she said before planting a kiss to his lips. Butterflies took flight in her tummy as he returned her kiss. Ty let herself soak in the excitement of what might lie ahead. A future with Memphis and his family in it. She’d heard that hope was a dangerous thing. Perhaps it was, but in her experience, the lack of hope was far more dangerous. Dad always said if the possible gain outweighs the risk, then it’s a risk worth taking.
And as Ty enjoyed the heavenly feel of Memphis in her arms, she knew in her heart that he was definitely worth the risk.
