Page 36 of Embracing Hope

The thought of raising five girls made Isaac cringe. Raising them as a single dad and as feisty as the Rose sisters were would make a man go crazy. He could barely imagine raising one daughter, let alone five.

He hated to hear about the man’s illness. Hated that for Hope.

A wave of unease washed over him. Isaac understood what Sam’s daughters might face, having lost his own father five years ago. Sam’s illness could jeopardize the merger. The patriarch’s expertise and invaluable skills were crucial to the successful integration of the two companies.

Shutting off the water, he stepped out of the luxurious walk-in shower and grabbed the towel off the rack. The material was soft as butter, reminding him of Hope’s skin. He closed his eyes and fantasized about having her again, repeating what they’d shared in that dinky hotel room. She’d undressed in front of him down to a thin see-through lace bra and itty-bitty pink panties that had a wet spot in the crotch. She’d been turned on, and he’d wanted her so badly he could barely fill his lungs with air.

He groaned and opened his eyes, rubbing the towel over his damp hair.

He’d learned quite a bit about Hope that night they met. She liked it rough and could give as much as she took. He’d enjoyed edging her, taking her to the very edge of the cliff only to bring her back, then repeating the act until she lay in the cheap bed sheets quivering with her need.

She’d been so wet that the second he drove inside her tight pussy, even wearing a condom, he’d been fighting himself to keep from coming fast. He’d failed, but the following two times, he’d taken things slowly, and spanked her pretty heart-shaped bottom until his handprint reddened her pale skin. He’d practically shot his wad before he even got back inside of her. Even then, he spread her legs and buried his face in her slick pussy. He breathed in, still smelling her musk scent.

And when she’d sunk to her knees and wrapped her sweet mouth around his cock, he knew he would have died a happy man. She sucked him to the very edge several times until he thought he would explode. But she wouldn’t let him come. She’d take him there only to draw him back in a turnabout-is-fair-play move.

He dropped the towel on the rack and settled himself at the sink. He swiped his hand through the condensation on the mirror and took a good look at himself. CJ would kill Isaac if he knew the mess he was creating here in Sagebrush Pine. His brother liked things done by the book.

Isaac had a woman back home—or ratherdidhave one until recently— and they had an understanding. She didn’t want a relationship any more than he did. The situation worked great…until he experienced Hope. Damn. She’d showed him what he’d been missing all along. And he wanted more. And more.

The sex had been mind-blowing, but not the only thing he found intriguing about her. Physically, she could be classified as the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Those exotic blue eyes surrounded by thick, black eyelashes seemed to loosen the bricks in the wall around his heart. She appeared innocent but didn’t have an innocent bone in her body.

He needed to put up a stronger wall. This time next year, she’d be in a marriage of convenience, and he’d be…where?

Great question.

CJ had been after Isaac since returning home to find someone he valued and settle down. For a man like his brother who fell in love and married, he didn’t understand what the holdup was with Isaac. Hell, he didn’t even understand what his problem could be called. He loved women. He appreciated them. He loved soft curves and wanted to hold them through the night.

But long term? When he was still having nightmares?

Damn. That made him sweat.

His lack of commitment alone made him a deal-breaker for Hope

Or did it?

If she wanted to keep her share of the ranch, then yeah.

That meant he needed to keep his distance. No touching. No fantasizing. Business only.

Could that be possible?

When he and Hope were together, their attraction resembled a cyclone.

He should have called and told his brother about the situation, but Isaac felt a little differently. He wasn’t ready to leave Sagebrush Rose if his brother asked him to, and he wanted to stick around longer and see what came.

This wasn’t like him. Allowing his emotions to get in the mix.

Not only was his logic on vacation, but he was becoming quite a softy, but not in his body, which remained as hard as a rocket.

A groan released from way down deep in his chest, right there where he stored the emotion for her.

He massaged the ache out of his temples. He wished he could easily remedy his desire for Hope.

His gaze automatically fell to the deep white scars on his chest where the roof had collapsed on him. There were days he wanted to return and relive that moment when he’d made a split-second decision that caused the worst turn of events. The sound of the blast echoed through his memories. A distant scream as everything turned black. Then, waking up in a hospital bed, covered in bandages and hooked up to machines. He would have changed places with any of those children that day.

CJ told Isaac that he needed to stop punishing himself. How did a man do such a thing? He'd tried to compartmentalize that day in the recesses of his mind, but guilt plagued him like a disease nearly every day.

He was a different man back then — on top of the world. He bled red, white, and blue and thrived on his missions. He felt as though he was bringing justice to the world. However, he made a grave mistake. Until that point, he had been in control of his life.

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