by Rhian Cahill
In no time she found herself strapped into the front seat of Steve’s pickup. The cab still had that new-car smell even though it was almost a year since he’d had to replace the vehicle. Gordie pushed away the memories of him using himself and his car as a barricade between Quinn and a madman. Brogan was right. In the last year Whispering Springs had seen more than its fair share of crazy.
They spent the drive out of town in silence. Gordie didn’t mind. It gave her a few minutes to compose herself as the knowledge of what they’d be before this day was over began to sink in. This time the shiver that rolled down her spine had nothing to do with fear. The thought of finally touching Steve like she’d wanted to for so long sent heat shooting through her veins to pool in delicate flesh. Her breasts felt heavy, her sex swollen. Moisture soaked her panties and she had to admit, if only to herself, he made her want things she’d never imagined.
Steve pulled into the attached garage and switched off the engine. The silence seemed to echo around them, the air vibrated with the stillness and Gordie quivered as the power of the moment flowed over her. Once they stepped from the car nothing would be the same. No, the change had happened back at the clinic. When she’d needed Steve with a bone-deep ache that she’d registered even while consumed with fear. It was that one instant in time where the world had clicked into place and she’d seen the future as it should be.
In a second she’d gone from terrified and panicked to calm and centered. She knew what she had to do. Survive at any cost. Steve turned toward her, his forearm resting on the top of the steering wheel. He didn’t speak, just watched her with that penetrating gaze. The one that read all her innermost thoughts and made her feel all squirmy inside. No man had ever affected her the way he did and until today Gordie hadn’t thought herself capable of handling him. Now she knew differently.
“There’s no turning back now, Doc.” His fingers toyed with the ends of her hair.
She swallowed over the lump in her throat. “I know.”
He smiled. “That easy?”
“It’s amazing what a little fright can do for the senses.” She tried to return his smile but it somehow slipped from her lips before it could form.
“Come here.” Steve released her seatbelt and pulled her into his lap, pinning her between his body and the wheel. “You’re safe here, Doc.”
Gordie figured he meant in his house, but for her, safety was his arms, the security of his embrace and the strength he offered her willingly. She moved closer, nuzzled her face against the warmth of his neck and drew in his scent. It amazed her how just that small action could soothe her nerves and rile them at the same time.
“Gordie.” Warm air ruffled her hair before she felt his lips press to her temple. “Come on, let’s get inside or everyone will arrive and find us fucking in my truck.”
She gasped. His use of strong language didn’t bother her, it was the images the words provoked that made her breathless.
“Yeah, I’m that close.” He chuckled as he opened the door and maneuvered them out of the cab.
“I can walk.”
“I know, but I want to carry you and you’re going to let me.” His arms tightened around her.
“Okay.”
Steve laughed. “All this easy agreement is starting to worry me, Doc.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back to my disagreeable self soon enough and then you’ll wish you hadn’t started this.”
“Never.”
“You say that now…”
He swung her legs down until her toes barely touched the ground and pressed her against the side of his truck. “I’ll say it forever.”
She stared into his dark eyes and felt the truth of his words to the depth of her soul. Gordie watched as Steve lowered his head, his lips drawing closer to hers. His breath brushed over her skin in a butter-soft caress, a whisper of contact, a prelude of what would follow. From one heartbeat to the next his mouth was on hers, his tongue thrusting between her lips to delve inside.
Steve stroked his tongue over hers, toyed with her, coaxed her into joining him in his demand for more. She wound her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, held on to him as hot lashes of lust struck her. Gordie pressed her body to his, crushed her breasts to his chest and ground her clit on the erection trapped between them. Pounding need thumped a beat as old as time as their mouths continued to devour.
On the verge of an orgasm, Gordie whimpered, the small sound swallowed as he drove the kiss deeper. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her tighter against his straining flesh and pressing into her clit with the perfect amount of pressure to send her into orbit. Convulsion after convulsion seized her. Moisture flooded her panties and the aroma of her arousal floated around them.
He eased back, lightened the strokes of his tongue, and slowed the thrust of his hips. As the final waves of her climax ebbed away he pulled his mouth from hers. Breathing hard, Steve tucked her head under his chin and held her. Gordie struggled to catch her breath and her heart beat hard enough to bruise her ribs.
“I think we should take this inside, Doc.” With measured steps he made his way to the door leading into the house.
Gordie didn’t raise her head, didn’t want to see they were in the garage with the door wide open where anyone could see them. She’d always known it would be like this. Knew the minute Steve touched her she’d forget everything and everyone—forget herself.
* * * * *
Steve made it inside and to his room in record time. He was on a hair trigger and Doc wasn’t helping with the way she’d wrapped herself around him and kept nibbling on his neck with those sweet lips. Jesus, he couldn’t remember why he’d thought this wasn’t a good idea yet. There had been a very good reason to wait until after everyone had gone home but for the life of him he couldn’t think of it.
They entered his room, a memory of the last time he’d carried her through the doorway intruded and he ruthlessly shoved it back. Steve strode across the room, his gaze locked on the bathroom. He kicked the door shut behind them, the bang echoed off the walls and brought Doc’s head up, her gaze connecting with his.
“Shower.” Steve ground the word out through clenched teeth as he set her on her feet. “I’ll bring you some clothes to wear.”
“You’re leaving?”
He closed his eyes, his control held by a thread. “If I don’t I’m taking you against the wall and I want more time to explore you than a quick fuck in the shower.”
“But you made me come.”
“Yeah, and I will again, just not yet.” Steve opened his eyes to see Doc removing her top. The sexy, white lace bra beneath her blue blouse was made of pure sin. A groan gurgled in his throat. “Christ.”
Her hands stilled on the button of her pants and she raised her gaze to his. She studied him with her doctor stare. He knew what she was doing—analyzing, thinking, planning. Damn, that mind of hers was as sexy as her underwear.
He took a step back, reached behind him for the door handle and Doc got right up in his face, her hand pressed to the door behind him as though she could stop him from opening it.
“Get your clothes off now,” she demanded.
Steve smiled. “Back to being disagreeable, Doc?”
“You are not leaving this bathroom before I mark you. I don’t care if we have sex, I give you a blowjob or a hand job. One way or another you will leave this bathroom mine as I entered it yours.”
His cock went rock hard. Her take-charge attitude thrilled him and he couldn’t wait to be on the receiving end of any one of those suggestions. “Bossy much, Doc?”
“You like it.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Really?”
Doc wrapped her hand around his length through his jeans. “Oh yeah, you like it.”
They stared at each other, gauging who would give first. Only the fight was one-sided. Her fingers squeezed and stroked him and even with the denim barrier her touch set his blood on fire. His coyote howled for him to take wh
at she offered while he fought to keep his civility and not rut on her like the beast he was. Control snapped and he glanced at his watch.
“I reckon we have five minutes before anyone shows up and it shames me to say I won’t need that long.” He gripped her shoulders, pushed her back. “Strip.”
She stumbled, caught herself and kicked off her shoes. Her pants came next but he missed the unveiling of her panties as he pulled his shirt over his head. Steve’s breath snagged in his chest when he spotted the matching underwear. Dear God, she’d kill him without laying a hand on him. He went to work on his pants, his cock sprang free and Doc dropped to her knees in front of him, her hot breath bathed the head seconds before she swallowed him whole.
“Fuck!”
Doc took him in as deep as she could. The crown bumped against the back of her throat and dragged a groan from his gut. One hand worked his balls, rolling them, tugging, rubbing the sensitive skin beneath. The other gripped the base of his shaft, pumping up and down, matching the rhythm of her mouth. Shit, he wouldn’t last a minute, never mind five. She undid him, her lips, her tongue, the grasp of her throat, all designed to drive him out of his mind. He clenched his jaw, his ass cheeks, in his fight not to come.
Damn, he didn’t want to do it like this. He wanted inside her cunt, wanted to bathe her womb with his seed and mark her completely as his. With strength he didn’t think he had, Steve pulled from Doc’s mouth.
“No, not this way the first time.” He tugged her to her feet. “Turn around, hold the counter and spread your legs.”
She did as asked, even tilted her hips to shove her ass in his direction. Steve toed off his boots and kicked his jeans aside. Stepping between her feet, he bent his knees and lined his cock up with her pussy. The slick evidence of her recent orgasm coated her folds, made the slide inside easy. He rocked forward, pushed deeper and concentrated on not embarrassing himself. Heat engulfed him, her tight walls sucking at his length like her mouth had moments before.
Steve adjusted his feet, brought their bodies more in line and drove his shaft to the hilt. Doc stood on her toes, thrust her hips back and met him stroke for stroke as he began to fuck her in earnest. Deep, hard, long plunges in. Short, sharp retreats. He built the rhythm, pulled her with him as he sought the peak. Curling over her back, he pressed his chest to her spine and slid a hand over her stomach to the juncture of her thighs.
He found her clit, hard and protruding from its protective hood, and circled the wet bundle with a fingertip. Increasing the pressure in small increments, he pushed her toward release. Her inner walls convulsed, a ripple of hot velvet along his probing length like a thousand tongues. His sac tightened, pulled his balls up and Steve knew he was on the verge of coming. Wanting her with him when he went over the edge he doubled his efforts on the nub beneath his finger and sank his teeth into the side of her neck.
Doc bucked against him. Her orgasm slammed into both of them. She squeezed his cock, held it prisoner in her clenching body. Steve’s balls burst into flame, shooting hot cum through his shaft and filling her core. Each blast burned his flesh, caused her walls to clamp harder around him, sucking the breath from his lungs. His knees shook, threatened to collapse, and he braced his arm, his palm flat on the counter in front of them.
Their chests heaved with their labored breaths, the harsh sound of rushing air bouncing off the walls around them. He found the strength to lift up, pull his softening cock from her body and step back. Reaching out, he turned the water on so they could clean up. They were running out of time if they wanted to be dressed when the others arrived.
“Come on, Doc, let’s get showered and dressed before company arrives.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and picked her up off her feet. She was such a tiny thing compared to him but her size belied her strength. He’d seen her deal with guys almost as big as him. At the moment though, she was as weak as a kitten and allowed him to pull her under the running water without protest.
“It won’t matter.”
He had to lean over to hear her words above the pounding spray. “What won’t?”
“Whether we’re dressed or not.” She raised her gaze to meet his. “They’ll all know.”
“Is that a problem?”
She smiled. “No.”
Steve bent down, pressed his lips to hers. A chaste kiss by any standard, he moved his mouth against hers, brushing back and forth in light caresses. Their mouths melded, their tongues barely coming into play. Soft and easy, they came together, their bodies, slick from the shower, sliding, skin on skin. Hands roamed in gentle sweeps, sending fire through his veins all over again. Breaking away, he gasped for air and laid his forehead on hers.
“Damn. I’m not gonna get enough of you anytime soon. Good thing it’s Christmas and you’ve got the next week off because once everyone clears out tonight I’m getting you naked and in that bed out there and not letting you up until I’ve had my fill.”
“I’m a little shocked to admit I feel the same.” She stepped back, breaking their embrace completely. “Let’s get this over with so we can get on with our week.”
Doc turned her back and bent under the spray to wet her hair. He reached over her head for the shampoo and handed it to her. Grabbing the soap he made short work of cleaning up before helping her. Steve ran his bubble-lathered hands across every inch of her. By the time they were finished he was sporting a hard-on and wished he didn’t have to deal with the people arriving any minute even if they were his friends and he’d called them in.
Steve sighed as he stepped out of the shower and snagged a towel off the rail. He slung it around his hips and picked up a second one for Doc. She shut off the water and walked into his arms.
“It won’t be long, you know.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the end of his nose.
The action was so surprising that Steve stood paralyzed for long seconds.
“What’s wrong?” She arched an eyebrow. “Ah. No one’s ever kissed you on the nose before.”
How did she read him so well? They’d been friends since she’d arrived in the mountains with her mother all those years ago but still, she seemed to understand him on a level no one ever had. Always knew when he’d reached his limit and backed away.
He shrugged. “No actually, they haven’t.”
“Good.” Her lips curled in a smug smile.
“Why is that good?”
“Because it means we get to have a first together.”
“Doc, we’re going to have lots of firsts before we’re done.” He slapped her towel-covered butt. “Now get a move on. We’ve got guests coming.”
Steve ushered her out of the bathroom and over to his dresser. Pulling out a drawer, he found her a t-shirt and sweatpants with a drawstring waist so she could cinch it tight to hold them up. She put the shirt on first and the hem came to her knees. If it wasn’t for their expected company he’d snatch the pants back and make her wear only his shirt.
“Stop grinning. I’m not leaving the pants off.”
There she went again with that mind-reading thing.
“How do you know that’s what I’m thinking?”
“It’s in your eyes.” She glanced up at him as she bent to pull on the sweats. “You get this look of hunger that my mind has no trouble understanding.”
“Nice to know I’m so easily read.”
“You’re not the only one. Everyone’s emotions show in their eyes.” She shrugged. “I guess I’ve just learned to look closely over time.”
“I don’t seem to be able to read you as well.”
“Another thing I’ve learned over the years.”
“What?”
“It’s called a poker face. I learned early to hide my emotions.”
“I know what a poker face is but why would you need one?”
Her fingers twisted in the bow she’d tied the drawstring in. Doc may have perfected a poker face but her actions and body posture gave her away.
“Doc?”
&nb
sp; “As a doctor I need to keep my emotions locked away or I’d never survive my job.”
“You were unreadable long before you became a doctor.” He studied her, tried to see past the shields in her eyes but as usual, failed. “You don’t just wear your poker face at work do you, Doc? You have it on all the time. Why is that?”
She laughed, but the brittle sound held no trace of humor. “You think I could grow up in this town without hiding how I felt? It’s not easy being the odd man out when you’re a kid.”
“Gordie, you’ve never been odd man—”
She held up her hand. “Yes I have. No other person has lived as a human in this town for as long as I did. Ever. That alone makes me odd. The fact I married Anthony when I shouldn’t have, plus what happened after, just adds to my list of peculiar attributes. I’ve spent years trying to put all that behind me, there’s no way I’ll drop my guard and risk starting up another round of whispering for the town to enjoy.”
He pulled her into his arms. “You’re not odd and no one has ever really looked at you that way. And believe me, you don’t need to do anything to become fodder for the rumor mill in Whispering Springs. I’ve spent years listening to the old-timers chatter at your sister’s café and there’s plenty that goes on in these mountains for them to talk about besides you. Come to think of it, I don’t think they’ve mentioned you in years.”
Doc laughed and shoved away from him. “You idiot. No one is game to talk about me in front of you.”
“What? Why?” He crossed his arms over his chest.
“Because you give the evil eye better than the devil himself.”
He snarled. “I do not.”
This time when she laughed she doubled over and held her ribs. Gasping for breath, she said, “Go look in the mirror, you idiot.”
Steve knew what he’d see. There was no controlling the way he reacted whenever he thought of Doc and he hadn’t bothered to hide that from anyone since her return to town. And now he’d have the right to show that reaction. He smiled. Oh yeah, the town would soon know whom she belonged to.
“And don’t go getting that look.”
