My Favorite Mistake: A Tahoe Nights Story

  Somebody’s sleeping in her bed…

  A Tahoe Nights Story

  There’s only one way for busy PR executive Julie Lancaster to get her mother off her back—cave in and take a weekend break at the family cabin in Tahoe. After all, Mom won’t know she’s sneaking her laptop along to get a little work done.

  Not only the cabin is a blast from the past, so is the occupant of her bedroom. Tyler Nichols, a guy she remembers as quiet and nerdy…_nothing_ like the drop-dead-gorgeous hunk who knows how to fill out his underwear.

  One look at all-grown-up Julie refuels Tyler’s memories of long, lazy summer vacations, and the crush he was too shy to admit. It would be gentlemanly of him to leave, but the amazing woman in front of him elicits visions of the wickedly lusty things he’d like to do with her.

  With work pushed to the back burner and a weekend indulging with Tyler on high simmer, Julie makes a startling discovery. Tyler is the real deal. And maybe, if he agrees, she might have time for a life after all…

  Warning: Fresh mountain air and sultry Tahoe nights equals steamy hot sex with old friends turned lovers. Who knew the smell of pine could make you feel so lusty?

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  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  My Favorite Mistake

  Copyright © 2010 by Karen Erickson

  ISBN: 978-1-60928-224-0

  Edited by Bethany Morgan

  Cover by Scott Carpenter

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: October 2010

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  My Favorite Mistake

  Karen Erickson

  Chapter One

  The headlights cast beams of light across the cabin as Julie drove her SUV down the long, winding driveway. Relief filled her at the sight, and she pulled in front of the separate garage, cutting the engine. She thought about actually parking in the garage, but she didn’t have an opener and it was late.

  She’d do it tomorrow.

  Luckily the drive wasn’t too far from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe, but she’d stayed at work too long and got a late start. Her mother had called her on the way, nagging her about too much work and not enough relaxation and blah, blah, blah. Stress and ulcers and no life, no boyfriend, heaven forbid that’s what her life was all about. That was her mother’s biggest fear. Julie would die alone and unloved, with no husband by her side and no children at her feet. Grandchildren, the happy home life and picket fence, the works. She wanted it all for Julie.

  And all Julie wanted was a successful career. Hell, she did have a successful career. She owned her own business. One of the most prominent public relations agencies in Northern California, she leased a large building right in downtown Sacramento, had twenty employees and sometimes even had to turn away jobs.

  She didn’t need a boyfriend to validate her life. Hell, she was only twenty-nine. Plenty of time for that later. Right now, she needed to grow her business.

  And if all went as planned, she would soon open up another office. J.L. Public Relations Firm would have a Los Angeles location. She was on her way.

  The mini-vacation had been forced upon her so she decided to go to one of her favorite childhood places. A long weekend at her parents’ cabin along the edge of Lake Tahoe was perfect. Close to home with Internet and cell access. Everything a girl could ask for.

  Julie slid out of her Honda Pilot and shut the door quietly, not wanting to disturb the neighbors. The quiet of the night was almost unnerving. The soft murmur of humming bugs, the gentle swish of the lake water as it lapped against the nearby shore and the breeze blowing through the branches of the pine trees that towered above were the only sounds. Breathing deep, the clean, pine-scented air filled her lungs. A little smile curved her lips as she went to the passenger door and pulled her overnight bag and purse off the seat then grabbed her laptop bag off the floorboard.

  Hitting the silent alarm on her car, she trudged toward the wrap-around front porch, the key to the front door already clutched in her hand. She’d picked it up from her parents’ house last night, her mother trying to convince her to stay for dinner when she showed up. She’d begged off, claiming she had to pack. Lately she’d turned into such an avoider.

  She unlocked the door and went into the dark house, shutting the door behind her. Set her purse and laptop bag on the couch, then headed down the short hall toward the master bedroom. The cabin was decently sized, three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, a gorgeous back deck that overlooked the lake and a spa. Just thinking about that spa made her skin tingle, and she sighed wistfully as she pushed open the half-closed door of the bedroom. Already she eagerly anticipated collapsing into bed and sleeping in till mid-morning.

  A startled little scream escaped at the sight that greeted her.

  The curtains on the windows that flanked either side of the bed were drawn wide open, the silvery light from the almost-full moon illuminating the shape of a very large man lying in the middle of the bed, the sheet wrapped low around his hips, revealing his bare upper body. Sound asleep from the looks of it since she could hear his soft snoring.

  She’d screamed, and he hadn’t woken up. He must’ve been so tired. Who the hell was he? Some sort of exhausted bum who’d broken into the house looking for a place to crash? God, she wished she had a baseball bat in her hand. Or a knife. Or a gun.

  But what would she do with a knife or gun? She was being ridiculous. Not like she’d stab him or shoot him, she wasn’t a violent person.

  Trembling, she backed out of the room, her steps careful, holding her breath so she wouldn’t make a sound. She turned on her heel, headed toward the kitchen so she could call the cops and then she heard him.

  Rustling in the sheets, the mattress creaked as he shifted and a muttered, “what the hell” emanated from him.

  Julie halted in her tracks. She swore she recognized that voice. But from where?

  She didn’t have time to figure it out.

  Quickening her steps, she hustled down the hall, skidded into the kitchen and flicked on the light. When she saw the cordless phone sitting in the middle of the counter, she grabbed it and started punching in 9-1-1.

  Eyeing the hallway, her mind whirled. No way could she take a chance. He might be a…serial killer. Or a rapist. Some creepy hobo-type guy that wandered from town to town, bunking down in semi-abandoned homes looking for some quick shut-eye.

  No thank you. She wasn’t going to stick around for that. The cops could escort his ass right out the door.

  Deciding it best she head toward the front door herself, she grabbed her purse off the couch as she passed, her finger poised on the send button, her other hand wrapped around the door handle.

  “Julie Lancaster? Is that you?”

  She paused, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end. She did know that voice. A voice from her past. A voice she hadn’t really thought of in years. Punching the off button on the phone, she slowly turned around.

  Yep, it was him. Tyle
r Nichols in the flesh—well, showing plenty of flesh that was for sure. He wore boxer briefs. And nothing else. Her gaze wandered over his form—slyly of course, she didn’t want him to know she was checking him out—and she had to admit he looked pretty damn good. He’d always been tall, but the last time she’d seen him he’d been skinny as a beanpole. And shy. A little on the nerdy side. He loved being outdoors. She remembered he’d always taken off on hikes in the mountains or around the lake.

  “Uh, Tyler?” She gave him a little wave. “Hi. Um, what are you doing here?”

  “I come here pretty much every other weekend during the summer. My parents moved across the country and told me I could go ahead and use the cabin as much as I want.” He squinted at her, as if he couldn’t quite make out her features, and she recalled he used to wear glasses. She wondered if he still did. “What are you doing here?”

  “My mom suggested I come here and unwind for the weekend. She said the cabin would be empty.” Both of their parents owned the cabin, along with one other couple they were friends with. The three families had gone in on it together and purchased the cabin years ago, when Julie had been a freshman in high school. She’d spent many a weekend with Tyler Nichols growing up.

  But she hadn’t seen him since before she graduated high school. And she certainly hadn’t expected him to grow up so well…

  “Yeah, it was supposed to be.” He lifted an arm, biceps bulging she couldn’t help but notice, and ran a hand through his already tousled dark brown hair. “We all keep a schedule and email each other what’s going on through the summer with the cabin. At the last minute I had a change of plans and decided to head up here. I thought the cabin would be empty.”

  “Oh.” She really didn’t know what to say. “Um, well this is kind of awkward.”

  He chuckled, the warm sound sending a shiver of awareness down her spine. He’d become awfully hot these last few years. Well, more like ten-plus years. He’d been a year older than her so that would make him thirty. And single? Looking like that? If he were her boyfriend she certainly wouldn’t let him go to Tahoe all by his little lonesome.

  Ha, if he were her boyfriend. What possessed her to even think such a thing?

  “It’s too late for us to do anything about it tonight so we both might as well stay put. I can stay in the other bedroom, you can have the master,” he offered, squinting at her again. She must’ve looked at him oddly because his expression became contrite. “Sorry. I don’t have my glasses on, and you’re kind of fuzzy.”

  “Well, how did you recognize me then?” She rested her hands on her hips, marveling at the absurdity of the entire situation. This was all just…strange.

  “Your hair. It’s still pretty distinct you know.”

  “Oh.” She ran a hand over her long, auburn-colored waves. Growing up she’d hated it. It had been brighter as a child and wild. Thank goodness for expensive hair products. They always seemed to do the trick in taming it.

  “Yeah.” Now he appeared embarrassed. Which she thought was kind of strange. “Like I said, you take the master bedroom, I’ll take the other room and we’ll figure out what we’re going to do in the morning.”

  “But you were already sleeping in the master bedroom,” she pointed out, feeling a little bit like a jerk. She didn’t want to kick him out of bed.

  She already had though, hadn’t she? It was as if he wasn’t even conscious of the fact that he stood in front of her with just his underwear on. Giving her a delectable view of everything he had to offer. Like the wide shoulders, broad chest and flat stomach…narrow hips and muscular thighs and…well, not quite everything. Her imagination could certainly run wild though. And it was. It was coming up with all sorts of vivid scenarios.

  “I don’t mind.” He smiled, and her breath caught in her throat. Oh man, he was handsome. His eyes were a twinkling light blue, and he had a kind face, a dazzling smile and a body that appeared carved from granite. “Come on. I’ll grab your bag for you.”

  He went past her, his arm nudging against hers. The contact of his hot and hard flesh made her shiver, and she watched as he bent over and picked up her overnight bag. Her gaze zeroed in on his ass, and her brows rose.

  Niiiice. She wondered what he might do if she touched it. Slapped it. Cupped it.

  As if.

  Julie followed him back to the bedroom, and he flicked on the overhead light. The bed was a mess, the sheets and comforter haphazardly thrown to the side. He placed her bag on a chair that sat in the corner of the room, offering her a sheepish smile as he reached for his T-shirt slung on the arm of said chair and slipped it on.

  Just like that, no more view of his rock hard abs and glorious pecs. Such a shame too.

  “Sorry for the mess. And uh, the sheets are clean. Well, they were clean. I was only asleep for maybe an hour, maybe two.”

  “It’s okay.” She paused, studied him carefully. Found that he watched her just as carefully, maybe even more so. “I’m sorry for putting you out. It’s just, I opened the door and there you were and I thought the place would be empty. It kind of freaked me out.”

  “Hey, I understand. No worries.” He ran a hand through his hair again, as if it was some sort of nervous habit. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “See you in the morning,” she murmured as she watched him walk out of the room. He closed the door behind him with a quiet click.

  Sighing, she grabbed her bag and threw it on the bed, unzipped the top and peered inside. Caught sight of her bright pink vibrator nestled discreetly in an inside side pocket. She’d thrown it in on a whim, had planned on using it as a sort of relaxing aide, but now with Mister Surprisingly Hot and Studly in the room next door, she wasn’t so sure. Were the walls thin? She could be quiet but would he hear the distinct buzzing if she turned it on?

  Using it right now certainly had its appeal. Her mind was going a mile a minute, especially at the surprising development of a guest for the weekend. Normally she would’ve been mad. No, not mad more like a little frustrated. Feeling intruded upon.

  But now…now she was intrigued. Curious as to what made Tyler Nichols tick. Did he have a girlfriend? What did he do for a living? How’d he get so dang buff? Lickable abs and a squeezable butt, pretty blue eyes and a wide, smiling mouth…

  Oh yeah, she wanted to use Mister Pinky tonight. Her fantasies were running rampant, fueled by new blood. It was late, he’d probably already fallen asleep. He wouldn’t hear a thing.

  Yanking her short nightgown out of her bag, she changed quickly, forgoing panties. She grabbed the vibrator and turned off the light, slipping beneath the covers. She’d forgotten to shut the curtains and decided the hell with it. It was kind of pleasant to have the light of the moon fill the room. It added to the mood as did Tyler’s scent, which lingered on the soft pillow.

  Julie breathed deeply, inhaling his essence. Woodsy and masculine, she recalled how he looked asleep in bed. Large and virile, the sheet draped about his hips as he lay on his side, bare, tanned skin exposed.

  Her nipples hardened, and her legs became restless. Wow, it really had been a long time if she could become aroused by an old friend. An old friend who’d never really mattered to her much in the first place. Oh, she’d thought Tyler was nice and polite and all that jazz, but she never really gave him much credit. He’d always been quiet, shy, and dang skinny and awkward. When all the kids would hang out together he’d take off on his bike or go hang out by the lake. Alone.

  Now she found him quite mysterious. And sexy. Just imagining those twinkling eyes and his smiling face was enough to make her pussy wet, and she touched herself, her already swollen clit sensitive. Turning the top, she brought the vibrator down to tease in between her legs, on its lowest setting.

  She’d work up to the good stuff in a minute. First she wanted to relax and just enjoy the sensation.

  With Tyler Nichols fueling her imagination.

  Tyler still couldn’t believe his luck. The girl of his teenage
fantasies, the one he’d always wondered about still after all these years, was in the very next room. Lying in the very bed he’d occupied only moments before.

  The one and only Julie Lancaster. Once he realized who she was, he realized she looked pretty damn amazing in black pants and a white button-down shirt, distinct dark red hair curling in wild abandon all about her face. Even without his glasses on he knew it was her, just by the color of her hair.

  Her mother had mentioned in a mass email that she planned on sending Julie to the cabin soon, that she worked herself to death and she needed to relax. But he hadn’t expected her to show up this particular weekend. He seriously thought he had the place all to himself.

  If he could, he’d do whatever it took to keep her here for the entire weekend. So they could get to know each other again. Not that they ever really knew each other in the first place.

  He rolled over on his side, gave his pillow a satisfying punch. He’d been such a nerd back then. Shy, reluctant to hang around the other kids for fear of making an ass of himself. He hadn’t known how to behave around girls, that was for sure. Only when he was a senior in high school did he finally get it and grew balls big enough to ask them out. But by then he wasn’t going to the cabin with his parents. And neither was Julie. When you’re a teen, who wanted to hang out with their parents?

  Well, he wasn’t an awkward teenager anymore. He was a grown man with plenty of women under his belt. A respectable job—hell he owned a successful business that earned him a lot of money, and he had a nice house in Reno.

  But he was lonely. He could admit it. His last steady relationship ended almost a year ago. He’d been busy at work. He hadn’t met anyone new in a long time.

  That’s why this unexpected reunion with Julie upped his interest.

  A sound drew his attention and he sat up, holding his breath. A low humming noise came from the other room. It almost sounded like a…