Tempting Fate

by Meryl Sawyer

  He kissed her, barely hearing the low moan rumbling from his throat. Her arms circled his shoulders, welding her body to his. Great, she was with the program now.

  He nudged her knees apart and resettled himself between her legs, his sex riding hard against the cleft of her thighs. They were both in jeans, but the denim couldn't conceal her moist heat.

  Knowing she wanted him excited him even more. He told himself to take things nice and easy, but his erection strained against the back of his fly. His cock was so friggin' hard that he ached when he moved.

  * * *

  No other man had ever kissed Kelly with such wild passion. It was almost as if Logan had been holding himself in check for so long that now he was finally allowing himself to enjoy kissing. Well, this was more than just a kiss, she admitted, his weight pinning her to the ground, his hips rocking against hers, the iron heat of his shaft ramming against her.

  How could she have forgotten the exquisite pressure of a man's body? Her skin tingled and white-hot heat flooded every pore. She clung to him, digging her nails into his powerful shoulders.

  Loving the way he kissed her.

  His aggressive mouth ravaged hers with wild, scorching kisses. His eager lips pressed against hers while his tongue constantly thrust and chased hers as if he couldn't get enough of her, stealing her breath until she saw stars.

  He slid both hands under her sweater, then yanked it upward. Pulling it off, he whispered, "Are you ready to become my wife, Kelly?"

  He gazed down at her, his smile insolent, saying he'd wait until hell froze over or he got his way—whichever came first.

  Kelly wanted to say she was not ready, she truly did, but something stopped her. She knew this was his way of telling her that he wasn't going to force her. If she didn't speak up now, there would be no turning back.

  She didn't utter a single word.

  In a second, his mouth recaptured hers in a fierce, reckless kiss. His lips captured hers again, hot and greedy. But it was the way his tongue mated with hers, stroking and caressing, each movement eliciting an erotic thrill in her lower body that made her moan out loud.

  For the love of God! Logan had a devastating effect on her body. She had to be careful or he'd take advantage over and over and over.

  "Now I know what people see in kissing." The rasp of his voice was deeper than usual, and there was a hint of amazement in his words.

  She was as stunned as he was at the way passion had detonated between them like an explosion. She'd never experienced anything like this. She'd denied herself the pleasure of being with a man for too long. That had to be the explanation for her intense reaction.

  A rush of cool air chilled her heated skin. Kelly realized he had stripped off her blouse. Logan caught a breast in his palm, stroking the taut nipple through her bra. He drew the tight bud into his mouth, wetting the lacy fabric with his tongue.

  She whimpered softly as he rolled onto his side, taking his weight off her. His free hand roved downward and found the delta of her thighs while he continued to torture her, rolling his tongue over her nipple. Through the damp fabric she could feel the sweet suction of his mouth. She arched her back, filling the palm of his hand with her softness.

  He lifted his head from her breast. "Aw, hell. I can't hold out much longer."

  "We're just getting started," she complained even though she wanted nothing more than to have him inside her. Now.

  "Don't be a smartass."

  He unzipped her jeans, then slid his hand inside. Expert fingers purled over her stomach, stroking, kneading. Inching lower and lower. Kelly's breath stalled in her throat as he cupped the crotch of her bikinis. She knew he could feel the warmth seeping through the silky fabric.

  His mouth found hers again, his lips gently caressing hers. The kiss that had been savage a few minutes ago was now sweet, measured, his lips closed even though hers were parted, inviting him in. Suddenly, she couldn't concentrate on the way he was kissing her.

  His hand had slipped under the waistband of her panties.

  The next instant he was touching her there, testing the slick, moist skin and teasing the taut bud. His technique was like a potent narcotic. She could not get enough. She moved beneath him, lifting her hips slightly. Anticipating.

  He eased one strong finger inside her just as his tongue invaded her mouth. He boldly stroked her with his finger while his tongue performed a seductive parody, moving in sync with his finger.

  "Logan," she cried, the unexpectedly sharp reaction of her body, forcing the words from her lips along with a moan of pure pleasure. "Hurry, hurry."

  "Make up your mind. A minute ago you were complaining that I was rushing things. That's a woman for you."

  He removed his hand, and it was all she could do not to scream for him to keep touching her. But she didn't want him to know how easily he'd aroused her to a frenzy.

  His hand slid under the waistband of her jeans. He took a second to fondle her buttocks, then he hooked his thumbs over the waistband and shoved her jeans downward, taking her panties with them. She wiggled her feet, kicking the bunched denim aside while he unhooked her bra.

  "No fair, Logan. You still have your clothes on."

  He sat up and slowly pulled his T-shirt over his head. As he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them off, she told herself to look away—but didn't. He stood before her, naked. Her lips parted helplessly, but she managed to keep a sigh locked in her throat.

  A lean, mean, fighting machine.

  The corny saying popped into her head. It described him perfectly except there was so much more to Logan than just a magnificent body.

  Sheened by the low-burning fire, his body appeared more stunningly virile than ever. He was whipcord lean without a gram of fat anywhere, yet his muscles were clearly defined across his chest and shoulders. His biceps were much more powerful than she had realized.

  Oh, my, he was a stud, too.

  She tried not to conspicuously stare at his awesome erection. But it was aimed right at her. His sex jutted out from a tuft of dark curly hair flanked by muscular thighs.

  Every woman's dream, she thought. And her worst nightmare. What would happen after they made love? Would her heart be lost forever?

  Logan towered over her, wearing nothing but a smile that would have tested a nun's vows. "See something you like?"

  She realized she had been staring slack-jawed at him. "I was just checking to see if you were circumcised. I never make love to men who aren't circumcised."

  "Men?" His smirk told her that he was not buying that bridge. "Yeah, right."

  "You're all show and no go."

  "You're asking for it," he told her with a wink. "And you're going to get it."

  He yanked one of the sleeping bags off the rock and threw it down beside her. He stretched out on it and pulled her into his arms, saying, "I've waited too long for this. I've wanted you since that first night in the hogan."

  His words startled her, but she didn't have a chance to respond. Kissing her with the same fierceness he had earlier, he guided his erection between her thighs. He burrowed it into the cleft, stroking her intimately.

  The flared tip of his penis nudged into her body, rubbing against her in a way that told her this man knew exactly how to please a woman in bed.

  "Go on, go on," she heard herself cry.

  "I just want to feel you for a minute."

  It slowly dawned on Kelly what he meant. Undoubtedly Logan had a stash of condoms in his pack. He wasn't the type of man to be unprepared. Given his own past, she was convinced he would never father a child, then abandon it.

  His comment about mumps "going south" on him could mean he was infertile. If it were true. She believed Logan had made it up to give them a plausible reason for immediately adopting a child.

  She was feverish with desire, desperate to have him inside her. A thought hurled out of nowhere and didn't seem as wild as it might have under different circumstances.

  She was right in the
middle of her cycle.

  "Go ahead. It's all okay," she whispered. "I don't have anything. I've been tested."

  With a sharp intake of breath, he hesitated, but she rolled onto her back, pulling him with her. She arched her hips upward. A moan rumbled from his throat, a sound so intense that it might have been mistaken for pain.

  "Kelly, are you taking—"

  She cut off his question with a kiss while she lifted her hips, forcing him inside her. Grabbing his buttocks, she scored his skin with her nails in a vain attempt to relieve tension building by the second.

  "You're so tight," he muttered.

  She was tempted to tell him that he was too big, but the intense pressure of him thrusting forward made her moan instead.

  "I don't want to hurt you."

  "You're not, you're not."

  He drew slowly back, back until he'd almost withdrawn entirely. Then with one swift, sure motion, he surged forward. There was a flash of pain, then her body stretched to accommodate him. Imbedded to the hilt, he gazed into her eyes.

  There was something shockingly primitive about the way he was looking at her. He was a talented actor, but she knew this was no act. His eyes were narrow, smoldering, the pupils completely dilated. He wanted to make love to her with an intensity she'd never imagined existed.

  What would it be like if Logan were in love, not merely in lust?

  She didn't have a second to dwell on the possibilities. He rocked his hips and she was utterly lost. Her body arched upward, contracting with an explosion of pleasure so profound that she screamed.

  * * *

  Chapter 23

  « ^ »

  He slipped into her bedroom through the terrace door, the way he always did. There were no lights on in the mansion's other suites, but lights were blaring down in the stallions' stable. No doubt, Woody was out there with the stupid Indian, Jim Cree, fussing over the expensive colt who refused to eat.

  A smoldering fire cast a warm glow on the marble hearth and filled her suite with the scent of piñon wood. It was the only light on in the room, but it was enough for him to see her stretched out on the white silk chaise near the fireplace. She was wearing the ice-blue nightgown he'd given her that morning.

  Her nipples jutted outward, stretching the lacy top. The slit on one side of the gown exposed a slim leg from the ankle to her upper thigh. Just the sight of her, gave him a full-blown erection and made the miserable hours he'd spent tromping around the Devil's Arch worthwhile.

  "Did you kill them?" she asked.

  "No. They weren't at Devil's Arch." He sat on the foot of the chaise, facing her.

  "You heard Logan. That's where he said they were going."

  "I looked everywhere." He pointed to his Ferragamo loafers.

  They were coated with red dust and scarred by rocks along the trail. "Ruined. For what?"

  "Poor baby," she cooed as she leaned toward him. One strap slipped off her shoulder, and the lacy top crumpled, unable to remain in place without support. A plump breast sprang free, its pert nipple beckoning him.

  He reached for her, but she pulled back, deliberately teasing him the way she often did when she was interested in kinky sex.

  "I'll bet I know what happened," she said. "You saw the forever kiss. A crowbar couldn't have pried Logan and Kelly apart. It's a wonder they stayed around for the reception. I'm sure they gave up the camping idea and checked into a hotel, then humped each other like wild animals."

  "Probably. It may work out better this way. While I was searching for them, I came up with a brilliant plan."

  She listened, her blue eyes glittering with anticipation as he explained what he had in store for the newlyweds. The original plan had been to find them at Devil's Arch and shoot them from a distance with a high-powered rifle. But an obvious murder would have caused a sticky investigation.

  "This way, it'll be like Suzanne's death. There won't be any indication we were responsible," he told her.

  With a sexy pout, she said, "It's a fabulous idea, but there is one problem. Woody plans to change his will before you get rid of them."

  "I'll buy a little time. Woody's lawyer is going to have an accident."

  "Perfect! I want to shoot him."

  Why had he ever taught her to shoot? She had wanted to go after Logan and Kelly herself. "A car accident is better. We don't want to be implicated."

  He pulled off his Ferragamos and tossed them into the fire. A spray of sparks showered the hearth, then flames engulfed his shoes.

  "What if someone sees you going back to your room without shoes?"

  "I'll think of something," he said. They'd kept their relationship secret—for years—knowing it would outrage Woody. If he discovered them together, they could forget about the will entirely.

  Grabbing her other shoulder strap, he yanked it down, baring her to the waist. She crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to be shocked. Her wide-eyed innocent expression might have worked years ago, but now he knew better.

  She whispered, "I have a headache."

  He slid his hand inside the slit in her nightgown. The silk parted even more to reveal a satin smooth leg. A half inch at a time, his hand roved along her leg, starting at the ankle. He stopped at the soft curve of her upper thigh, savoring the texture of her skin.

  "Does this make you feel better?" he asked.

  "Much, much better."

  Teasing her now, the way she'd teased him, he took his time, strumming his fingers along her thigh, moving dangerously close to the juncture, but not actually touching her.

  "I have a surprise for you."

  "I love surprises." He stroked her for one excruciatingly long minute, then finally gave in and touched her mound. What happened to the tight, springy curls? She was as smooth as the finest crystal, yet warm and baby-soft. "You shaved?"

  "Ever since you told me that the high-priced call girls in Washington shave their pussys, I've wanted to do it. But I couldn't stand shaving every day. Now they can permanently remove hair with a laser."

  "Is that why you spent so much time this week in that fancy spa?"

  "Yes. It took hours, but it was worth it, don't you think?" She pulled up her gown and proudly exposed her crotch.

  It was rounded and creamy white, the lips slightly parted to reveal a glistening pink that deepened into a dusky mauve. It reminded him of the subtle shadings of an exotic orchid. He lowered his head and caught a whiff of her favorite perfume. She parted her legs, and he repositioned himself between her thighs. He nibbled along the warm, smooth mound, flicking his tongue over her delicious skin.

  * * *

  Logan watched Kelly as she slept cuddled against him, her lips curved into a suggestion of a smile. He'd like to think he'd put the smile on her lips after making love to her all night, but it wasn't true. From the first, her lips had intrigued him because they always seemed to be on the verge of a smile.

  She sighed in her sleep and burrowed closer—if possible. His cock responded with a surge of heat, and it took all his self-control not to start kissing her again. The way he'd gone at her, riding her hard all night, reflected some primal urge. He didn't know what in hell had come over him.

  He'd been without a woman too long, he decided, but it was more than that. His job kept him in remote places where you could find a one-night stand in the local bar. He had never developed a relationship with any of them because he worked under cover and couldn't afford to let anyone get close to him.

  Kelly was different. He'd wanted to make love to her from the very first night he'd seen her. Living with Kelly and Pop had drawn him into her life. She came with a lot of emotional baggage thanks to the creep she'd married, but Kelly was smart and funny. He still chuckled when he thought about the way she'd gone after the Stanfields at that stupid dinner.

  He started to kiss the top of her head, then stopped himself. Shit! What was he thinking? He never woke up without checking to make certain his surroundings were secure.

  First
thing.

  Easing away from Kelly, not wanting to awaken her, he levered himself up on his elbows and scanned the small clearing. Nothing. He hadn't expected anything, but caution had saved his life more than once. He had no business cuddling a woman and letting his thoughts drift.

  Letting down his guard would get him killed.

  Beside him, Kelly shifted in her sleep, her body seeking his. At some point last night, he'd zipped the two sleeping bags together and they'd crawled inside to make love again. By moving, he'd allowed the cool morning air to seep into the bag. But he knew it was more than a chill that made Kelly snuggle against him.

  No question about it. They were dynamite together. He couldn't imagine a more giving, passionate woman. And he had scratches on his back to prove it. She'd tried to persuade him to leave her alone, but when it got right down to it, she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  Her bare breasts were nestled against his chest, and for a moment, he allowed himself the pleasure of feeling their softness. He steeled himself, not permitting his hand to touch her. Kissing her was totally out of the question.

  He unzipped his side of the sleeping bag and slipped out as quietly as possible. He gently tucked the down-filled bag around her, then pulled on his jeans. Instead of putting on a shirt, his field training sent him straight for his hiking boots.

  Always be prepared to run.

  Son of a bitch! What had gotten into him? His socks weren't stuffed inside of them. He picked up one lightweight boot and shook it hard, half-expecting a scorpion to fall out. Nothing. The other boot was empty as well. He checked Kelly's boots before putting his on.

  He took the computer out of his backpack and found a rock to use as a desk. The rising sun made the rocks seem to catch fire, a sharp contrast to the brilliant blue sky. There was a sense of mystery and isolation to Sedona that intrigued Logan. It filled him with a feeling he'd never had before, a sense of peace and tranquility, a result of being in constant awe of Mother Nature.