by Kristi Gold
He swam to the edge next to the steps and propped his chin on his folded hands. “Now it’s your turn.”
She could jump in wearing her best underwear and risk ruining it. Or she could follow Brett’s lead and bare it all. She opted to bare it all. Besides, he’d seen the better part of her, anyway, and in daylight. Plus, if they continued on this course, he was bound to see her naked at some point tonight.
With that in mind, she reached behind her, unfastened the bra and tossed it over her shoulder onto the table. Then came the panties that she shimmied down her legs while Brett looked on. She couldn’t see his features in detail, but she could tell he hadn’t moved an inch.
She followed his lead and walked to the opposite end of the pool to demonstrate her own diving expertise. When she emerged, he was right there in front of her. He caught her arm and tugged her close where she could feel how much he wanted her, and it felt so good to be wanted. Yet he did little more than kiss her softly as he moved back until he could stand. And for a few wonderful moments, they stood there kissing, hands in motion on each other’s back, until Brett finally broke the kiss and tipped his forehead against hers. “Seems like I’ve waited forever for this.”
“I know. We’ve had so many interruptions—”
“That’s not exactly what I meant,” he said as he pulled back and studied her face from forehead to chin before centering on her eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had the opportunity to give my undivided attention to someone special. I want to take my time with you.”
Cammie was still stuck on “special.” “We have all the time in the world, at least for now.” Beyond that, she had no idea where they would go from here or what the future might hold. She only knew she didn’t want this night to end.
He took her hand again and led her up the stairs where he guided her to the chaise built for two. “Have a seat. I’ll be back in a minute.”
After he walked back into the house, Cammie claimed the side of the chaise farthest from the door. She lay back, studied the host of stars in the sky and thought about what would happen next. Oddly, she wasn’t at all nervous, only anxious for Brett’s return. More than ready for his undivided attention.
He came back a few moments later and tossed several foil packets on the side table before perching on the edge of the chaise. “Just so you know, I want to be prepared this time. It’s up to you how far we go.”
She reached over and ran her palm along his arm. “I want to go all the way.”
“Are you sure about this, Cammie?” he asked. “All you have to do is say the word and we’ll stop, if you’re not sure.”
She thought he sounded tentative. “Are you sure?”
“Hell, yes.”
“Then I think we’ve waited long enough.”
But he still wasn’t finished with the commentary. “I’ll make it right for you, Cammie, I swear it. Just trust me to do that much.”
Then he leaned over and kissed her again, this time without any restraint.
Cammie could no longer distinguish the warm breeze from Brett’s steady breath coursing over her as he left her lips to kiss the curve of her throat, then her bare shoulders, before his mouth closed over her breast. As he lingered there, she sifted her fingers through his ebony hair as he shifted from one side to the other. With every pull of his lips, stroke of his tongue, her body responded in ways unknown to her. He lifted his head and took a downward descent with openmouthed kisses until he reached her belly. Then he straightened and, to her surprise, stood and knelt at the end of the chaise. He clasped her hips, pulled her closer to him and bent her knees. For a moment she felt self-conscious and totally exposed. But then he placed delicate kisses on the inside of her thighs and she no longer cared. He moved higher until the tip of his tongue grazed the crease of her leg, and she involuntarily jerked.
Brett raised his head, his vibrant blue eyes reflecting the light coming through the nearby doors. “It’s okay, Cammie,” he said. “Trust me.”
He continued with soft caresses, just a breath away from his destination, forcing the pleasant torture of anticipation on her while she waited for what would come. She might be inexperienced, but she wasn’t ignorant. She’d talked openly about sex with friends and heard numerous descriptions about this level of intimacy. A level of intimacy she’d never granted to any man until now. But nothing could have prepared her for the sheer sensation when Brett’s mouth hit home.
She gripped the cushioned surface, anchoring herself when he slid his hands beneath her hips and raised her higher. As he worked his magic, she was aroused beyond belief. Her body tightened with building tension, and the bliss almost bordered on agony. She fought to remain in control, thinking that if she gave in, she’d never recover. But she could no more fight the climax any more than she could fight her feelings for him.
“Please...Brett,” she pleaded in a broken whisper, wanting more. Needing more.
She was only mildly aware Brett had left. She was very aware when he returned and moved over her. “I’m right here,” he said as he draped her arms around his neck. “Just hang on to me, baby.”
When he eased inside her, she closed her eyes and released a soft groan.
“Cammie, look at me.” After she answered his command, he smiled. “Try to relax.”
That seemed almost impossible, but she concentrated on his beautiful face to counteract the momentary pain. And then the pain gave way to pleasure and awe as he moved inside her. She wondered how she could feel both powerless and empowered at the same time. She questioned why witnessing his waning control was such a turn-on.
When his jaw tensed and his breathing became harsh and unsteady, she knew he was close to the edge. She also knew the moment he couldn’t hold on any longer when his entire body tensed before he collapsed against her.
In those quiet aftermath moments, when Brett kissed her gently and held her tightly, she finally understood why lovemaking was so revered. She couldn’t understand how anyone could take it so lightly. Being this close to someone, this vulnerable, went well beyond the act itself, at least for her. She was glad she’d waited. Waited for a man like Brett, who’d treated her with respect and care.
The onslaught of emotions overwhelmed her when he lifted his head and gave her a heartfelt look. “You’re incredible.”
So was he. More important, he’d done something totally unexpected—made her believe she could actually love again. She could love him, if he let her.
* * *
FOR THE FIRST TIME in his life, Brett had spent the past hour watching a woman sleep. Normally he wanted to get the hell out of Dodge before dawn, but right now he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.
Cammie had rolled away from him at some point during the night, and he’d woken up seriously missing her. Now she was on her belly with her face turned toward him, her eyes closed against the faint light streaming through the window across the room, her dark hair fanned across the pillow. The sheet was bunched low on her hips, exposing the rose tattoo that showed she could be a contradiction. Part innocent, part daredevil. All woman. And just looking at her made him feel things he had no business feeling.
Truth was, he still couldn’t give her what she deserved—a solid, stable relationship with a man who wasn’t a complete failure in the relationship department.
That didn’t make him want her any less. That didn’t stop him from wanting to make love to her again before they returned to chaoti
c life on the road. But he needed to keep everything in perspective and put some emotional distance between them. Easier said than done, and maybe too late to turn back.
“Baby, what are you doing to me?” he whispered.
He realized she’d heard him, or heard something, when her eyes fluttered open. And all the previous arguments for avoiding getting too attached went the way of the wind when she smiled. “How long have you been awake?” she asked in a raspy, sexy morning voice.
Long enough to know he was in big trouble. “A while.”
She rolled to her back and didn’t bother to cover herself, which didn’t help his need for her one bit. “I slept like a rock,” she said. “The last thing I remember was taking a shower and climbing into bed. And by the way, I’m still mad because you wouldn’t shower with me.”
If he had, he couldn’t guarantee he would’ve been able to control himself. “You needed some time to recover.”
She scooted over and laid her head on his chest. “You make it sound like I have some disease, like postvirginitis.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you any more than I already did.”
She lifted her head and frowned. “I told you the first night we met that I’m not some fragile little thing you have to coddle. I just happen to be a late bloomer.”
A sexy-as-hell late bloomer. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
She settled back against his chest and draped her arm around his abdomen. “Did you get any sleep at all?”
“A few hours.” He had something he needed to say to her, even if he didn’t have the guts to say everything he should. “I was just lying here wondering what I did to deserve to be your first.”
“I was hormonal and you were available.”
Damn. “You really know how to crush a guy’s ego.”
“I was only kidding. In all honesty, I wanted the first time to be memorable in a good way, not in the backseat of a car.”
“Nothing like those memorable firsts.”
“Your first number-one song?”
“The first time I held my baby girl.” The thought jumped out of his mouth before he could stop it. But his daughter had never been more than a thought away since the day she was born.
Cammie sighed. “I’m sure that was a remarkable moment.”
He wasn’t one to share personal details, but he knew she would understand. “I was two weeks shy of my twenty-first birthday when she was born, and I was terrified. But when they put her in my arms, I realized I’d move mountains to do right by her.” Even if it meant letting another man—a better man—raise her.
“You should try to reconnect with her, Brett.”
He didn’t see the point, and he didn’t want to discuss it any further. “Can we move on to another topic?”
She lifted her head and showed him a serious expression. “I don’t mean to meddle, but I care about what this is doing to you because I care about you.”
He didn’t know whether to be pleased or panicked. “Thanks, I guess.”
She poked him in the ribs. “Relax, Brett. I don’t expect diamonds or flowers, although I did appreciate the rose. I don’t want to go steady and I don’t expect you to declare your undying devotion. We’re just two people who met during a time when we both needed someone to lean on.”
He’d done most of the leaning. In fact, he wasn’t sure what he would have done if she hadn’t kept him grounded during Pat’s crisis. “You’re right. You came along and saved me and Joe.”
She lifted her head and grinned. “Then I believe you and Joe need to show me some appreciation.”
That much he could handle. He started by flipping her over and telling her exactly what he wanted to do to her, and she didn’t seemed the least bit shocked over what some might consider crude. In fact, he could see that little spark of need in her eyes, felt it build when he kissed her, even more so when he touched her with his hands and mouth. He showed her that he could coax a climax out of her after he was deep inside her, something he’d learned through practice and experience. He thought about all the things he could teach her if given the opportunity, until thinking became out of the question and he couldn’t do anything but give into one hell of a powerful release.
And when it was over—way too soon as far as he was concerned—he realized she had taught him a thing or two. But it didn’t have a thing to do with sex, and her instructions had been subtle. She’d taught him to be a little more patient, and a little less quick to judge himself. She’d begun to make him feel almost whole again, and that he might actually be the man she needed. Only time would tell, and lucky for him, they still had time to see where this might lead.
When his cell phone began to buzz, he cursed the interruption and almost didn’t look at the incoming text. But instinct told him it could be important, and he realized he’d been right in his assumption when he read the message from Rusty.
Get to the hospital now.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
BRETT DIDN’T SPEAK on the drive in to Vegas, and Cammie didn’t press him to talk. As he navigated the remote road at a breakneck speed, she did maintain a death grip on the door handle, worried they might end up in the E.R. on a stretcher.
Once they arrived at the hospital, he swung into a parking space and barely shut off the SUV before he left the vehicle, leaving her behind. She sprinted across the lot and caught up to him in the lobby where he ignored the elevator—and her—and opted to take the stairs to the second floor where Pat had been moved to a regular room.
As soon as they pushed through the heavy fire door, Cammie’s heart began to pound from the physical exertion and fear. She didn’t feel the least bit better when they turned the corner down the main corridor to find Rusty and Bull standing outside the room opposite each other in the hall.
Brett converged on Rusty first. “Is he—”
“Leaving,” Rusty said. “He’s waiting for the discharge papers.”
While Cammie nearly collapsed from relief, Brett took Rusty by the collar, backed him against the wall and got right in his face. “You should’ve said that in the text, you son of a bitch.”
She couldn’t agree more, but she didn’t agree with Brett turning his ire on Rusty. Obviously neither did Bull. He grabbed Brett by the shoulders and pulled him back. “Calm down, Taylor. That’s not the whole story.”
Brett shook off Bull’s grasp. “Then someone sure as hell better explain real quick.”
“He’s going home,” Rusty said. “He’s quitting.”
Cammie had kept her distance until Brett tore into the room. She immediately went in after him and found Pat seated on the bed, putting on his boots, and Brett standing there, glaring at him.
“What do you mean you’re quitting?” Brett said, sheer anger in his tone.
Pat didn’t bother to look up from his task. “I’ll be sixty-one in two months. It’s about time for me to retire. And this little episode made me face my mortality head-on.”
“Look, you don’t have to finish the tour,” Brett said, a hint of desperation replacing the fury in his voice. “Cammie can fill in now and you can rejoin us next spring. That should give you plenty of time to recover.”
Pat finally made eye contact with Brett. “You’re not hearing me, son. I’m through with this life. Besides, there’s a little gal back home in Little Rock who gave up on me years ago and married someone else. She’s widowed now and she wants to give me a second chance. I’m gonna take it.”
Cam
mie could tell from the hard set of Brett’s jaw, his narrowed eyes, Pat wasn’t getting through to him. Worse, he might never accept his father figure’s departure.
Brett backed toward the door and reached behind him for the knob. “Then I guess there’s nothing left to say but good luck.”
With that, he was gone, leaving Cammie stunned by his careless disregard. Pat’s chuckle drew her attention. “It’s not funny, Pat. He should be horsewhipped for being so rude to you.”
Pat scooted over on the bed and patted the mattress. “Come sit a spell and I’ll tell you a few things about the main man.”
She was torn between humoring him and going after Brett to give him a piece of her mind, what was left of it. She chose to show Pat the respect his boss hadn’t and claimed the spot beside him. “First of all, let me just say I understand your decision, even if it does make me sad to think you won’t be on board to keep me company. But I don’t understand how Brett could walk out of here without thanking you for all you’ve done for him.”
Pat sighed. “Brett and I are even on that count. He kept me around for ten years and I’ve got a nice pension to show for it. In return, I put up with his nonsense and bad moods, but then, I know him better than he knows himself.”
“I don’t doubt that,” Cammie said. “We’ve spent a lot of time together lately and I still feel I don’t know him.”
“And that’s why I’m going to tell you exactly what to expect. He’s going to be mad as a badass bull and he’s going to brood.”
Lovely. “For how long?”
“As long as it takes for him to realize he’s going to do fine without me. In the meantime, you’ll need to have the patience of a saint. And you need to remember that whatever he says or does, it’s not about you. It’s about his dad leaving him, although he’d be hard-pressed to ever admit that.”
