Blazing Bedtime Stories, Volume VII: The Steadfast Hot SoldierWild Thing

by Rhonda Nelson; Tawny Weber

  Veda gasped and tightened around him, then reached down and palmed him through the boxers. He was long and hard and thick and…damn, she just wanted him.

  All of him.

  She worked the boxers down over his lean hips and took him in hand, then stroked the silky skin atop the head of his penis. He jerked against her, exhaling a shaken breath. “Veda,” he said warningly, his voice harsh.

  Empowered, she smiled and touched him again.

  He swore. “Woman, I—”

  A thought struck and she almost whimpered. “Please tell me you have a condom in your shorts,” she said, leaning forward and kissing the side of his neck.

  His chuckle was low and wicked. “I do,” he said. He waited, suckled the other breast, dallied between her thighs until she thought she might explode. Or die. At this point either one would be a relief. “Do you want me to put it on?”

  “Yes,” she said, arching up against him. She could feel the climax building in the back of her womb, circling closer and closer to that mystical edge that would send her into convulsions of delight. Seconds later he was sheathed and nudging thickly between her folds. Moonlight gilded his glorious body and she slid her hands over his chest and thought, Mine. Then she moved them over his tight belly and thought, Mine. And then she arched back and grabbed his ass and thought, Mine, mine, mine.

  His gaze tangled with hers, then he bent forward and pressed his lips to hers, slid his tongue into her mouth and slid the rest of himself into her. Veda inhaled sharply as sensation bolted through her. Her vision blackened around the edges and every cell in her body sang with some unnamed, unrecognizable joy.

  Bear swore and drew back, his entire body quaking. “Damn, but you’re small. Am I hurting you? Are you—”

  Veda tightened around him and she heard him suck air through his teeth. “Does that feel good?”

  “Yes,” he hissed.

  She bent forward, wrapped her legs more tightly around him and licked a path up the side of his neck. “So do you,” she said. “All of you. Don’t worry, I won’t break…but I’m sure as hell looking forward to falling apart.”

  Bear chuckled, withdrew and then sank back into her. He did it over and over again, slowly at first, stoking the fire that burned within her, then faster and faster. In and out, harder and harder, until nothing mattered but the pleasure of their joined bodies. She bucked beneath him, met him thrust for thrust, then tightened around him, desperate to hold on to him, to keep him inside of her.

  She felt the release crest low in her sex, then suddenly the ground seemed to give way beneath her back and she was free-falling through sensation, clinging to him as a long, keening cry tore from her throat and brought tears to her eyes.

  Her release triggered his, as well, and she felt him go rigid above her, every muscle in his body locked down tight. He buried himself in her as far as he could go and held steady, letting the orgasm rush through him. His big shoulders shook, his arms quaked and his lips were on hers, kissing her, tasting her, making her feel wanted, needed, God help her, loved even. There was a note of desperation, of affection in his kiss that was somehow more profound than anything else and it shook her to the core.

  He’d rattled her very foundation. And Veda knew she’d never be the same again.

  11

  BEAR AWOKE THE NEXT MORNING with a soft mound of breast beneath his hand and a lovely rump pressed against his groin. Veda’s hair was inches from his face and the scent of her shampoo, something fruity and warm, hung in the air between them. The first fingers of dawn were clawing above the horizon, casting beams of light against the wall and, try as he might, he couldn’t think of a single morning that had ever topped this one. Contentment saturated every cell in his body, made him feel sluggish and happy.

  Last night had been… He struggled to find the right words and realized there weren’t any. Last night had defied description, was beyond anything in his understanding. How could he understand it when he had no frame of reference for these feelings?

  When it came to experience, though, he wasn’t a man-whore by any means and had never, despite what Veda’s mother had thought, entertained a hooker, but Bear wasn’t a novice. He’d lost his virginity in his early teens and had been having sex at regular intervals ever since. Sex was good, period, and he’d always liked it.

  But what he’d felt with Veda last night went well beyond anything he’d ever experienced before. That first nudge into her tight little body had left him breathless, irrationally terrified and thrilled. And when she’d arched up, welcomed him in and tightened around him, that single contraction had flipped some sort of emotional trigger for him. He’d gone from simply being mindless with need to having to have her. Her every sigh, every mewl of pleasure, every slide of her skin against his, every touch of her hands against his body had enflamed him more than anything he’d ever felt before. She’d become his east and west, his moon and stars, the very air he’d breathed.

  God help him, his home.

  And the day after tomorrow, he was leaving her.

  She stirred beside him, stilled for just a moment and then, smiling sleepily, rolled to face him. “Morning,” she said, her voice rusty from sleep. “Happy birthday.”

  He blinked, surprised, and then chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you.”

  “How’s it going so far?” she asked, turning more fully against him. Her breath fanned against his neck and her hand snaked around his middle and drifted slowly up over his back. He hardened, jerked against her and he felt her smile, the barest upturn of her cheek.

  “No complaints,” he told her, pulling her more firmly against him.

  She rolled on top of him, her naked sex slipping over his. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss below his ear. He shuddered at the contact. “I’m protected and clean,” she said, her voice low. “You?”

  “As a whistle,” he told her, wincing with pleasure as she slid over him again, coating him in her essence.

  “In that case—” she leaned back, pressed her hands against his chest, then rose up and impaled herself on him, sinking degree by degree, taking him into her hot, little body “—I’m going to give you your present a little early.”

  Bear grasped her hips, bent forward and pulled a rosy nipple into his mouth, giving him the pleasure of feeling her tighten around him, as though there were some sort of reciprocating chord between the two. He did it again and her feminine muscles clamped around him once more. Then she rose up and sank again, riding him slowly, deliberately, her sweetly flared hips rocking above him. Her musky scent swirled around him, drugging him, as he fed at her breasts and traced the fluted line of her spine with his thumbs.

  She leaned farther back, taking more and more of him inside of her, and she upped the tempo, her ministrations growing more frantic, increasingly desperate. Her breath left her in little puffs and then her eyes drifted shut, as though the weight of desire required too much effort to keep them open. The morning sun filtered through the sheer curtains, bathing the room with light and the closer he came to release, the brighter the room grew. He felt the orgasm gather in the back of loins and held on tight while she rode him harder and harder. A little mewling cry as well as the more determined drag and draw between their bodies told him she was close. He reached between them, found the kernel of sensation nestled high at the top of her sex and stroked it once, twice, three times.

  Predictably, she shattered.

  So did he…and the light that burst into the room at that moment damn nearly blinded him.

  Breathing heavily, she collapsed against his chest, her heart beating frantically against his, a steady tattoo of feeling, sensation, longing and contentment.

  A thought struck and he chuckled softly.

  She drew back and stared at him. “What’s that laugh for?” she asked, a brow arched in suspicion.

  “That’s twice now and we haven’t used a paintbrush yet,” he said. “I hope you’re not disappointed.”

&nb
sp; She grinned. “Not in the slightest. You are a sex toy,” she said, kissing his chest. “Who needs a paintbrush?”

  He laughed again and absently doodled on her back, drawing lazy circles. “I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended,” he teased. “I’m not sure I like the idea of being a sex object.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, right. You know you’re hot.”

  Another chuckle bubbled up his throat. “I don’t know about that, but I know you’re good for my ego.”

  She snuggled more firmly against him. “Want me to make you feel even better?”

  He hummed contentedly. “How so?”

  “By telling you a secret.”

  Intrigued, he played along. “Whose secret?”

  “Mine.”

  “Yes, definitely. This sounds like something I need to know.”

  He felt her hesitate. Then she said, “I had a huge crush on you when I was younger. Like, massive. I thought about you for years after you moved away. ‘Pined’ according to my mother. That’s why she was so unhappy about us dating. She was afraid I’d fall for you all over again and be devastated when you left.”

  Bear didn’t know what he’d expected her to say, but this certainly wasn’t it. He swallowed, touched, honored. “I had no idea,” he said. He stilled. “Is that why you threw up on me? Because I made you nervous?”

  “Yes,” she said, her voice wry. “Thanks for bringing that up.”

  “Sorry.” He chuckled. “That’s actually preferable to me thinking I made you sick.”

  She kissed his chest again. “I think we’ve established that you have a different effect on me now.”

  “I like this one better,” he told her, holding her more tightly. “Come to think of it, you did follow me around a lot,” he remarked.

  “That’s because I adored you, fool. When I found out that you were coming back to town, that I was going to see you again, I was an absolute wreck. You were The Guy, you know? You’ve always been The Guy.”

  Unaccountably, his heart had begun to pound and his mouth had gone dry.

  “I was afraid of making a fool of myself, but then you came up with the let’s-pretend-to-date idea and that got me off the hook.” She drew back, looked at him. “You aren’t the only one who hasn’t been pretending.” Her gaze searched his, that unreadable emotion that he’d gotten used to seeing in her pretty green eyes glowing like a beacon. “I think you’re pretty damned great, you know that?”

  “I could say the same to you.”

  She sighed theatrically and settled against him again. “I keep waiting,” she said.

  Suddenly nervous, Bear smiled and searched for the right words. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Veda. You make me think about things I’ve never considered before.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like an alternate career path. I admire what you’ve done here. Life dealt you a blow and you hit it right back. You didn’t flinch. You blazed a new trail. That’s brave.”

  “I’ve…never thought of it like that before.”

  “Well, you should. You should be proud of yourself.”

  She gave him a squeeze. “We both should, Bear. Not many people could have had the upbringing you had and been anything less than a basket case.” She hesitated. “I know I shouldn’t say this, but I’m going to because I think you need to hear it. Your mother was awful…most particularly, to you. She never showed you an ounce of affection, of real love. She never looked further than her own needs and yet somehow, you turned into a wonderful, honorable, good man. Ask anyone,” she said. “They’ll tell you. All of Hydrangea thinks you hung the moon.” She giggled. “Hell, Ms. Ella all but told me to sleep with you, that the fastest way to your heart was behind your zipper.”

  Bear felt his eyes widen and he gasped. “She didn’t.”

  “She did,” Veda insisted. “You could have knocked me over with a feather.”

  “I don’t know why I’m surprised,” he said. “She’s the one who included condoms in the care package she sent over.”

  Veda leaned back and stared at him. “Oh, God. Really? That feels almost…dirty.”

  He felt his lips twitch. “Yeah…but you’re glad she did, aren’t you?”

  Her twinkling gaze searched his. “That easy to read, am I?”

  “I’m getting better at it.”

  “I don’t know whether to be happy or alarmed.”

  Then that made two of them, Bear thought. Because at the moment, he was as happy as he’d ever been in his life. And it scared him to death.

  * * *

  WELL, SHE’D LAID IT ALL OUT on the line, Veda thought as she waited for Bear to try one of Harris’s fried squash puppies that evening. She’d told him that he was The Guy, that she’d been so nervous about seeing him again that she’d thrown up and that she’d never been pretending. That she’d always wanted him. She hadn’t added the “and always will,” but it had been implied.

  Now, hours later, with the minor repairs made to the studio and the Fried Festival in full swing, they were less than a day away from his leaving, a fact that neither one of them had dared mention. Still, it hung between them like a lingering stench.

  He slung an arm around her shoulder and she smiled, wishing the sensation wasn’t so bittersweet. “Those squash puppies were good,” he said. “Did you try one?”

  Veda shook her head, catching her mother looking at her from across the square, a sad, resigned look on her face. “No,” she told him. “I’m leaving room for the dessert category.”

  He inclined his head knowingly. “Right. The one your mother is entering. Have you tried her secret recipe?”

  Her lips twisted. “Not since she found out we were seeing each other. She knows how close you are to Ella. She was afraid I’d slip up and say something to you and that you’d, in turn, tell Ella.”

  He looked down at her, his golden eyes wide in disbelief. “Seriously?”

  She nodded once. “I told you this was a big deal.”

  He shook his head. “Sheesh. I believe you.”

  Hand in hand, they strolled around the festival, trying different recipes, laughing with various people who were only too glad to welcome them both back to the community. Inasmuch as she was able, Veda tried to stay in the moment, not fast forward ahead to what she knew was going to be the most horrible part of all this—watching him leave. Every time she thought about it, a lump swelled in her throat and a sense of dread crowded into her chest, making her sick with fear and nausea.

  “You all right?” he asked as they waited for the final judging to commence and the winners to be announced. He squeezed her hand. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “Just eaten too much,” she said, which was true, as well.

  “Veda, Bear,” Mandy said, strolling up with Tina, her sidekick, in tow. “Y’all look like you’re having a wonderful time.”

  He tightened his hold on her and let his gaze drift slowly over her face. “We are,” he said, not deigning to even look at Mandy.

  Mandy’s eyes hardened and she feigned a sympathetic wince. “How terrible tomorrow will be for you, then. Aren’t you leaving? Or did I get the day wrong?” She tsked. “However will you survive, Veda?”

  She felt him stiffen beside her and he finally turned to look at Mandy. “Well, considering she’s got family here to love her until I get back, I think she’s going to fare much better than I will. I’d rather walk in front of a firing squad tomorrow than leave her here, but going AWOL would net me an arrest warrant and a dishonorable discharge. Veda deserves better than that. When I come back, I want her to be proud of me.”

  Though she knew he was only saying those things to put Mandy in her place, Veda nevertheless wanted to believe them all the same. It almost hurt to hear his words, knowing they weren’t true.

  She summoned the required resolve, though, and nudged his shoulder. “I’ll always be proud of you, Bear, no matter what. You ought to know that by now.”

  Something flashed
in his gaze, but it passed too quickly for her to discern it. He bent and dropped a lingering kiss against her lips. “I know I should,” he said. “But some things are harder to believe than others.”

  “Citizens and guests of Hydrangea,” the mayor announced in ringing tones. “The time has come to name the Grease Master of this year’s Fried Festival. We’ve had some tough competition, lots of new entries and the judges—who will no doubt need some antacids tonight—have had to make some hard decisions. But the fat’s outta the fire now and it’s time to get down to business.”

  “Boy, he really gets into this, doesn’t he?” Bear asked. “I wonder how long he works on this speech.”

  Veda shushed him, hoping for her mother’s sake that she managed to hang on to her title this year. Personally, the orange zest fritters had been her favorite, but she had no idea if that had been her mother’s entry or not. The mayor awarded Harris’s squash puppies runner-up in appetizer category and awarded first place to Reverend Morris for his zucchini parmesan sticks. Veda hadn’t tried those, but thought they sounded good.

  Category after category was called out until finally nothing but the dessert entries remained. The ladies of Hydrangea were on pins and needles, most especially her mom, who was standing as close to her father as she could without being surgically attached. Much like she and Bear were, Veda noted.

  Come to think of it, her parents had always been especially close, and particularly affectionate. They were devoted to one another, finished each other’s sentences and still held hands after all these years, which she’d thought was sweet.