by Molly Evans
Easing her down, he pulled her tight into his lap and stood, his breath coming hard and fast. “I think our ten minutes is about up.”
Nodding, she clung to him as he climbed over the edge of the tub and lay down with her on the wooden deck. Mindful of her back, he rolled with her until she lay on top of him, and he fit her comfortably to his body. Panting, Taylor sought her sensitive neck with his mouth while his hands held her hips pressed to his.
“Taylor, someone’s going to see us.” She tried to pull back, but he held on to her.
“No, they won’t. That’s why I built very high fences.”
Raising herself up to verify his statement, she exposed her front. Ever one to take advantage of a situation, he scooped a nipple into his mouth and pulled until her attention refocused on him.
Overcome by Taylor’s touch, the heat of him and the needs of her body, Piper lowered herself closer to Taylor, unable to stifle the groan of pure sensation in her throat. She pressed her hips forward, touching her delicate femininity against the heat and bold hardness of him. Ultimate aphrodisiac indeed.
Hands trembling with need, Taylor cupped her face and ravished her lips, then pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, his breath harsh in his throat. “Piper, I want to make love to you. Right now. Right here.” He panted. “I need to make love to you. Now.” He cupped his hands around her face, pulling her as close as possible, spreading kisses all over her skin.
“Yes.” For her, there was no other answer. Ever since she’d met Taylor, she’d felt as if she were moving to this place and time with him. There was no wrong or right, there just was.
“Are you on birth control?” God, he hoped so, because he didn’t want to move from this delicious spot with her weight pressing on him making him feel more alive than he’d felt in a long time. She was beautiful and funny, and he wanted her with everything in him.
“Yes. The five-year implant.” Nodding eagerly, she pulled his mouth back to hers. Seconds later, Taylor had divested her of her panties and his hands were firm on her hips. “I have to tell you I don’t do this often. I’m not promiscuous.”
“You may have heard otherwise, but neither am I. I’m clean. Look at me,” he said, and paused until Piper raised her face.
With his eyes firmly locked on hers, he pulled Piper’s body down over his erection. As every part of him joined with her, her moist flesh encased him, and her eyes closed. She was delicate and firm around him, and he eased gently inside her until he could go no further. Every inch forward was a sweet torture.
“Oh,” she whispered, and clutched his arms. “Oh, my. Taylor.” Every word she breathed against his skin urged him on, and the beat of his heart raced. She wasn’t someone who made love often as evidenced by the feel of her body against his. Something inside Taylor popped, something in his chest opened up. Something he hadn’t realized had been closed off from his emotions until now. Being with Piper freed him.
The feel of Piper surrounding him released the chains that had held his heart closed for too long. With his hands on her hips, he began to move, urging her hips forward and back until she cried for release. She clung to him, her voice soft in his ears, and he quickened the pace between them.
Every move Taylor made took Piper closer to the edge of paradise. He was strong and commanding, his body hard and masculine beneath her. Hands tender on her skin, he sought to please her, and she gasped as the feelings surging within her built to a crescendo. Release was a second away, and she dug her fingers into Taylor’s shoulders as instinct took over, and she gave her body free rein. With another powerful move from Taylor, Piper’s body rocked. She cried out, helpless in Taylor’s arms as pulses of pleasure shot through her, and her body tightened around Taylor’s flesh.
Control was something he never lost, but at that moment he saw no need for it. The strong pulses of Piper’s body took Taylor over the edge, and he bucked beneath her, losing himself to the sweet pleasure of her, clutching her body to his.
Piper collapsed on top of him, and he wrapped her in his embrace as he regained his breath. After a long slow kiss, he pulled back to look into her face. She was all soft and well-loved looking, and it looked good on her. He didn’t want to let go of her just yet, but he checked his watch to see how much time was left to them.
“Do you have to go?” she asked, and sat upright, still joined with him.
“Not yet. Alex won’t be back for two more hours.” Stroking his hands down her arms, he marveled at the softness of her skin, wanting to explore it further. “Want to come inside for a while?” he asked.
“I’d love to,” she said, and he dragged her down for another kiss.
Piper stood in the shower later that evening and reluctantly washed away the fragrances of the delightful afternoon spent with Taylor. It had been such an indulgence, being with him. An indulgence that made her want to stay put for a while and give up the traveling for good. She could if she wanted to. Anytime. Having an affair wasn’t something she took on lightly, but with Taylor, excitement would always be part of the relationship, for sure. Hadn’t she earned a little excitement in her life? After so many years of commitments, of doing for others, hadn’t she earned a little time to do something just for herself?
She sighed and allowed the steaming water to flow over her. Muscles she hadn’t used in a long, long time now made their presence known. The back injury from yesterday was certainly resolved after the manipulation. The rest of her had benefited from his touch, as well.
As she turned the showerhead to massage, she allowed her mind to roam free and unbidden thoughts of her last relationship intruded.
Derek Winsome, an MD in Los Angeles, two years ago. Gifted with such talent and charm that no patient or female he set his sights on had been able to escape. She’d been just as susceptible as anyone else. Having fallen for his charm and ended up in his bed, she had allowed herself to want more from him than he had been able to give her. Or that he had been willing to give her alone.
Unfortunately, she had been just one in a long line of women parading through Derek’s life. She wasn’t special, not by a long shot, and after she had popped in on him unexpectedly at home, he’d made that very clear. So had the woman beside him, warming his bed.
Regret started to slide over Piper as she scrubbed and shampooed. Was this thing, this attraction to Taylor, going to end up the same way, with her being made a fool of and hurting for what he couldn’t give? She’d allowed herself to be vulnerable and care about Derek and nothing good had come of it. Other than a valuable learning experience. Was anything good going to come of having an affair with Taylor?
Probably not. He wasn’t the type to settle down to home and hearth. After having to deal with the responsibility of her sister for so long, she wasn’t sure if she was, either. The long-ago dream of a husband, home and family of her own had been dangling by a thread for so long, she wasn’t sure it was something she wanted any longer. Once, she would have wanted it. But after so many years alone, she couldn’t really imagine her life any other way. Sure, if she had met the right man, the dream would have returned in Technicolor. But now it was still in black and white, just another unfulfilled fantasy.
She turned the water off and left the shower, dried and dressed for bed. Unable to chase away the dark memories that wanted to intrude on her precious time with Taylor, Piper checked her e-mails, hoping for a message from Elizabeth. But there was nothing. E-mails from friends and other travel nurses occupied her for a while, but thoughts of Taylor and Derek battled for the upper hand in her mind.
Was she going to regret her time with Taylor? Should she continue to see him outside a professional relationship? What the hell was she going to do when it was time to seek a new assignment in a few weeks? San Francisco had been home for the first twenty years of her life, but it hadn’t been home for so long, she doubted that she’d want to go there again on a permanent basis. Though her aunt still lived there, Elizabeth was in Phoenix and who knew
where she’d end up after school? Santa Fe was a wonderful place with a diverse culture that called to Piper. She could live here if she wanted. Most hospitals were happy to hire travelers on a permanent basis.
Pulling up her company’s Web site, she searched their database for other assignments. She’d been just about everywhere she wanted to go, so there weren’t too many places of interest left, and she didn’t need to take assignments for money anymore. She had the option of taking a job she loved in a place she wanted to be.
The images on the Web site were designed to be exciting. People who were skiing, at the beach, climbing mountains or fishing in a lake. Those were all things that had enticed her into travel nursing, but after eight years of it, she was ready to settle down. Somewhere. She sighed and left the Web site. Her restless feet had calmed over the years and so many assignments. Now she just wasn’t in a big hurry to go anywhere. She had time.
Now that Elizabeth was going to be living her own life, Piper could live her own, too, couldn’t she? Too much of the last eight years had been spent on other people, and it was time Piper spent some time on herself.
Cruising over to another Web site, she indulged in one of her favorite pastimes that she could take anywhere: shopping.
Taylor pulled into his driveway just as Alex’s cousins returned with him. He’d taken Piper home and lingered in the doorway with her almost too long. The feel, the smell, the look of her made him want to touch her, to kiss her, and to take her down the hall and show her once again how much he desired her. They were both mature adults, right? They could enjoy each other without strings tangling things up. At least that’s how he’d always played it and he didn’t see a need to change that philosophy now.
“Uncle T.!” Alex yelled from the other car and bounded across the driveway with his backpack bouncing along behind him. “Where were you?”
“I just took Piper home.”
“Oh, man. Did you go climbing without me?” he asked, obviously disappointed.
“No, no. We just went out to eat since we missed the picnic yesterday.”
“Oh. Well, that’s okay, then. I didn’t want you to go climbing again without me. I’m your new partner now, right?”
“I’d never think of it, Alex.” He held out his hand and Alex slapped him some palm. Even though the thought of taking Alex climbing again made him shudder. “Why don’t you say goodbye, and we’ll go inside?”
Alex collected his belongings from the car and waved. “I’ll see you on Friday,” he said.
“What’s Friday?” Taylor asked.
“They want me to come for a sleepover. It’s Elliot’s birthday. Is that okay?”
Taylor thought. “Sure. I don’t see why not. Does your mom let you sleep over?”
Alex shrugged. “Sure. Sometimes they come to our house, too.”
“Then I don’t see any problem.” As they walked into the house, he thought of Piper. Might be the perfect time to take her on a proper date, too. He’d have to check and see what the Opera House had going on that night.
CHAPTER NINE
THE next week of Piper’s assignment flew swiftly by as Piper and Taylor immersed themselves in their work. There was little time for much else at the moment—work came first for both of them.
E-mails continued to come in from Piper’s sister, but they were vague, leaving Piper feeling strangely disconnected. She felt their bond as sisters slipping and wished that it was different between them. But as Elizabeth found her way in the world, Piper knew that she would have to let go of her sister the way she should. She just hadn’t realized how difficult it was going to be. They had been through some rough times together and their relationship was closer than that of most sisters. Piper sometimes felt as if she was losing her best friend.
Resisting the urge to call every day under the guise of checking in became harder and harder. Piper had been thrust into the deep end of life at age twenty. There had been no choices, no options except to take on the responsibility of her sister. Handing her sister over to the state to raise had been unthinkable. It had been a responsibility that she had sometimes endured, sometimes relished, sometimes wondered why, oh, why, their lives had been changed so dramatically. Though she had missed out on some of life’s challenges and learning about herself in her early twenties, she’d grown up hard and fast with the death of her parents. Her relationship with her sister was one that she had always loved, even through the changing seasons of Elizabeth’s life. Now that relationship was changing once again and slipping away from her.
Piper was just sitting down to an unappealing-looking sandwich when Taylor entered the employee lounge. She paused and took a look at him as her heart raced at the surprise of seeing him there. Even in scrubs, there was no mistaking he was a man of power. He didn’t need a suit for that. Masculinity and energy flowed off him in the simple scrubs, and Piper tingled as if it reached her from across the room, making her promptly forget about the e-mail from her sister. And her lunch.
“It’s Wednesday,” Taylor said with expectation in his eyes.
She thought a second, as if that was supposed to mean something to her, and she tried to make her suddenly dry mouth work right. “Okay. Did I miss something about Wednesday?”
“Put down the sandwich, and no one gets hurt. It’s green chile cheese fries day.”
“Right. I forgot.” She put her sandwich down as her mouth watered in anticipation. Before coming to New Mexico she’d never eaten green chile, and now she craved it like some life-sustaining substance. “You’re going for some, I take it?”
“Yep. Wanna come?” he asked, and took a step forward, the light in his eyes mischievous.
“You look like you’re up to something. You’ve ruined me for all other fries, you know. Nothing even compares.” Probably ruined her for all other men, too. No comparison there, either.
“It happens.”
“I supposed you planned that.” She wrapped her nothing lunch back up and tossed it in the garbage can. No comparison.
“Let’s go.”
After settling with a steaming pile of French fries, covered in green chile sauce liberally sprinkled with shredded Cheddar cheese, Taylor finally relaxed. There was something about green chile, it didn’t matter in what form, that kept him going. Maybe it was more symbolic of home than anything else in his life. Something he somehow needed and had not realized.
Small talk related to work and cases they had shared in the ER. Then the awkward silence that he’d hoped to avoid ensued. “So how’s your sister doing in school?” he asked.
“Fine, I think.” Piper frowned and chomped a fry in half.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m sure it’s nothing, and she’s just engaged in school, but her e-mails are short and don’t say much. Totally unlike her. She usually runs off at the fingers.” She shrugged and picked up another fry. “I think I’m feeling a little left out of her life now that’s she’s old enough to have one.” She gave half a laugh and shook her head.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure she’d just caught up in school. First semesters can be overwhelming, especially if she isn’t used to being away from home.”
Piper nodded and looked at him. The questions in her eyes reflected the same questions he felt inside. What was going on between them now that they had made love? Usually, the women he became involved with wanted nothing more from him than the use of his body on a temporary basis. That suited him just fine, too. No strings was how he led his life, with the exception of his work. But now that he and Piper had connected, he was starting to re-evaluate that philosophy. Thoughts of her had intruded his life for days now, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Being attached to a woman for more than the short term had never happened to him. But, hey, he was all about taking chances. Why not take one more? If things didn’t work between Piper and himself, he could always revert to the way things had been before she’d shown up. Either way it was win-win for both of them. He leaned forward a litt
le and spoke softly to her. “What are you doing Friday night?”
She thought for a second. “Nothing. Why?”
“I’d like you to go out with me,” he said. And he did. Surprising himself at how strongly he wanted her to say yes. She was only going to be in Santa Fe for a few weeks, so he had to pursue her now if he was going to. They could have a great time together, then she’d be off again. No complications for him, so it was perfect. “Get dressed up. A real date.”
Hesitation flared up inside Piper. Wasn’t this just like her former boyfriend? Swept her up with fancy dinners and mysterious dates, only to dump her at the last minute? Taylor was just substituting green chile for French cuisine. But the sincerity in Taylor’s eyes made her pause. If she mistrusted every man, she’d be stuck in the past, and she definitely didn’t want to live there again. The first time around hadn’t been that great and definitely wasn’t worth repeating. Lesson learned. Move on.
“I’d like that. Where do you want to go?” Despite her reservations, anticipation hummed through her. This was going to be fun. Something that had been sorely lacking in her life for a long time. Why not reach out and take the fun, the short term, the inspirational that Taylor offered? Just because it wasn’t her norm, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t have some fun.
“It’s a surprise, but dress up. It’s going to be snazzy.”
The corners of her lips curved upward as if she liked the idea of a surprise, and if they hadn’t been in the middle of the cafeteria, he’d have pulled her to him and explored those lips thoroughly. Oh, yes. Friday night was going to be good for both of them. Time to spend together, time to explore each other afterward. Though having Alex around as a buffer between them sometimes was a good thing, sometimes being alone with a woman had its benefits, too.
