She nodded, giggling. “A lot. An awful lot.”
“Then I should make sure that you always have a big stash of chocolate with you.” With these words he reached out and took both granola bars from her hands, opened one, bit a chunk off, and left it suspended between his lips. He mumbled around the snack, “If you want it, you will have to take it from my lips.”
She hesitated at first, but then she moved quickly, snatching the piece of granola bar from his mouth, not with her lips as he had planned, but with her hands. She snatched the remaining bar, the unopened one, from his hands and then jumped up and took off running.
Her giggles gave her away and he quickly followed her. This’ll be fun. He chased her around the small clearing, finally cornering her between the tent and the small stream. When she attempted to dart left, he grabbed her around the waist and spun them so that they fell to the soft ground, ending up lying on the grass.
Her soft, warm body was pressed to his own from head to toes, which felt awfully hot and yearned for more. That’s better than anything I ever felt before.
Before she could try to escape again, he rolled them over so that she was lying on her back, with his arms bracketing her body, and lowered his lips to her own. He kissed her with passion like a starving man and felt her hands flutter once before she dropped the granola bars and they fell forgotten to the ground.
Chapter 18
Angela sighed and gave herself over to the sensations coursing through her body. She wasn’t sure what exactly she had intended to accomplish by having him chase her, but it sure hadn’t worked out the way she wanted. The last thing she’d intended was to find herself pressed up against him while he ravaged her mouth.
Now she lay in his arms, his virile body pressing her into the soft ground, his hard muscles imprinting themselves on her. She inhaled deeply, the flames in her body starting up again. He smelled like man, and it did something to her insides that had her melting into a puddle.
He started kissing her more aggressively, giving her a kiss that stole her breath and her ability to think. How am I supposed to resist this man any longer? Better question, why would I want to?
As if he could read her mind, he interrupted the kiss to lock eyes with hers and looked right down into her soul, saying in a warm voice that spread like chocolate sauce across her body, “Stop thinking, Angela, and let me love you.”
She felt so vulnerable with him. He was about to shake up the grounds of her belief. She had just escaped the chains of an unfulfilling relationship with Jasper; she didn’t want to trap herself again.
But when he started to nibble her earlobes, her brain turned to mush and she decided, just for now, to enjoy and feel instead of think .
Patrick kissed his way all the way down her neck, stopping to nibble on her collarbones before moving even lower. A moan of pleasure escaped her throat and he murmured against her skin, “Much better.” He shifted his body so that he was lying beside her, giving him free access to the front of her body, and she abandoned all thoughts of resisting his caresses.
She lifted her hands to his shoulders and squeezed his muscles, exploring every inch of exposed skin. She could feel the effect of her touches: the impressive bulge in his shorts pressing against her thigh.
Lying besides her in the grass, he moved up her tank top and trailed little kisses over her belly, all the way up to her breasts, stopping at the first swell of them, before he removed her top with the built-in bra in one swift movement and stared in awe at her brazenly exposed breasts. “You are so beautiful.”
He cupped her breasts with his hands, circling his fingers slowly around the swelling flesh. Goosebumps skittered across her body when he slowly approached her fully erect nipples. When he finally squeezed them between his fingers a tingling sensation burnt its way down to her moist center. It was a shocking release of the pent-up tension between them and she moaned out loud, arching her back into his hands.
In reaction to her moan, he pressed his growing erection against her thigh. Little explosions happened all over her body, wherever his hands and lips touched her.
She moaned again, louder this time, when he took her breast into his mouth and circled his tongue around her sensitive nipple, evoking the most delicious sensations. His free hand stroked her stomach and slowly moved down to her waistband. She could feel the wetness between her legs and expected him to open her pants, but he didn’t.
No, he removed his hand and then he turned her head to look into her eyes and asked, “You sure you want this? Because if I go any further, I won’t be able to stop.”
She nodded her head, words not within her grasp at the moment. When he still didn’t move, she reached a hand up and cupped the back of his neck, bringing his lips back to her own. She kissed him feverishly, becoming the aggressor for a moment, until he took her hint and took control back away from her.
He continued to take off her pants and when she lay naked in front of him, he hissed with desire. “You are the most beautiful woman ever.”
The sensuality in his voice sent a quiver through her. More quivers followed as he dedicated himself to kissing her all the way down her stomach. She opened her legs in anticipation to give him better access, but he wouldn’t touch her where she wanted it most.
“Not so fast, darling.”
He kissed her thighs with teeth and lips, his hands busy molding and squeezing her generous breasts. When she couldn’t stand his teasing any longer, she used her hands to urge him back atop her body.
He grinned at her and finally kissed her moist center, suckling her most sensitive spot, until she came with soul-shattering intensity. She cried out his name into the night air, her cry echoing from the nearby mountains.
“God, you’re so beautiful, Angela,” he murmured to her, kissing his way back up to her ear.
“I need you. All of you. Take your shorts off.”
Patrick readily complied, making sure to grab the condom from the pocket before tossing them mindlessly behind his back. He donned the protection and a few moments later, while keeping his eyes pinned to hers, he buried himself deep inside her hot heat.
She met thrust after thrust with a gyrating movement of her hips and reveled in the feeling of his pulsating, vibrating need. Neither one of them had enough control to draw out their union, and several moments later he exploded inside her, sending pulsating waves of pleasure through her body, as she climaxed again.
Patrick called out her name, and she smiled in response as the feelings washed over and shivered through her body.
He kept his weight off her as long as his arms could hold him up, and then he rolled to his back and pulled her over his chest. He struggled to control the breathing that still emerged in gasps from his lungs.
A few minutes later, Angela propped herself up on his chest and looked at him. God, he looks even younger now. He looks like a teenager on a summer day with that satisfied grin on his face.
Suddenly, she remembered the five years that separated them and couldn’t believe she’d let things go so far. He’s too young for you. Much too young.
***
Patrick sensed her withdrawing from him, but he wasn’t having any of it. He framed her face in his hands and covered it with soft little kisses until he felt her body melt against his once more.
She still hadn’t said a word, but when she reached for his hand, he knew that words weren’t needed. Her trusting hand in his was enough to make love spill out of his heart in every possible direction, wrapping both of them in a huge cloud of affection.
Angela reached for her clothes, but he shook his head. “Please, don’t.”
A cute blush reddened her cheeks when he loved her with his eyes, from head to toe, her skin shimmering golden in the moonlight. She was so goddam beautiful, it made him ache with desire for her. But when he wanted to reach for the gorgeous body that had just been his, a thought poured over him like a cold shower. Great. I’m going to have to cool things down.
“I’m out of condoms.”
Her blush deepened even more when she answered, “You’re joking, right?”
“No, I wouldn’t make jokes about such a serious issue. And we can’t get new ones until we’re back at the teahouse.”
After a long silence, she smiled up at him with an impish look in her eyes. “You’ll just have to find another way to satisfy us both.”
Gosh, he wanted to show her just how many ways he could satisfy her. He stretched and then wiped a light sheen of sweat from his brow. “I forgot how warm it still is this time of year. We definitely won’t be needing the warmth of our sleeping bags tonight.”
Angela nodded. “Why don’t we spread one out beneath us, and use the other as a top cover? That would be cooler than being inside the fleece lining all night.”
Patrick wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I have an even better suggestion. Why don’t we sleep naked? If you get cold during the night, I promise to warm you up.”
She giggled, “I’m not sure that’ll help either one of us get any sleep. We need to get up well before sunrise to get shots of the mountain you have in mind.”
“Oh well. I can try to keep my hands to myself,” he offered, crawling into the tent after her. Off course, he had not intention at all of doing so.
“I really like to snuggle. Did you know that?” she asked, lying down on the sleeping bag.
He joined her moments later, rolled her to her side, and then spooned her back against him, her soft hips pressing against his hard thighs and even harder manhood. His hands started wandering up and down her smooth skin.
Her breathing sped up and he could smell her sexual arousal. Between two ragged breaths, she whispered, “If you continue like that, we won’t get to sleep any time soon.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No. Don’t stop. Never ever.”
He grinned behind her head. At least she admitted that she wants me. By the time we get back to Kathmandu, she won’t have any other choice but to declare that she wants to be with me forever.
Chapter 19
Angela experienced pure joy when his fingers trailed down her body, learning the pressure and points on her body that brought her the most pleasure. When she was once again pliant in his arms, he kissed her temple and then whispered in her ear, “Sleep.”
Never had she felt more loved, more fulfilled, than in this very moment. Her body and mind relaxed as sleep took over and she murmured, “Promise me to get those condoms,” before she arrived in dreamland.
It was still dark when she woke up to the sounds of birds chirping and the strange feeling of someone pressing against her body. Jasper? Oh no, it couldn’t be. She’d broken up with him.
Then she remembered the night before. Had she made a huge mistake? Their lovemaking had been awesome, but what did that mean in comparison with real life?
Before she could get completely absorbed in her worries, she felt Patrick stir behind her. “Ready to get up?”
Angela nodded her head. “Yes. According to the map, we still have almost an hour’s hike ahead of us.”
Patrick released her after one more passionate kiss. “As much as I hate to stop kissing you, we need to get going.”
They quickly packed up their camp and started off. The sun wasn’t up yet, but the sky had that hazy appearance that only occurred just before the sun poked its head above the horizon.
When they reached their destination, Patrick immediately got to work, snapping photos continuously for more than two hours. Quiet and unsettled, Angela watched him work. The longer they stayed in this spot, the more nervous she became. It made no sense, and she tried valiantly to figure out what was bothering her.
Is it the new type of relationship with Patrick? She didn’t think so. Working with him this morning was as comfortable as ever. But her nervousness continued to grow; the bad vibe from the day before was like a drum beating in her head now. She couldn’t explain it, but she just knew something terrible was going to happen. Every cell in her body shouted, Get out of here!
Suddenly the words of the chief and his wife made all the sense in the world. Trust your feelings, not your logic.
Feeling a sense of urgency she couldn’t explain, she screamed to Patrick, “Patrick, you have to stop. Now. We have to leave. Instantly.”
Patrick turned towards her with an angry face, until he noticed the genuine worry and agitation on her face. He glanced around them, not seeing any reason for her upset, but she was wringing her hands in alarm, anxiously moving from one leg to the other.
“Okay.” He picked up his gear bag and stuffed his camera back into it. “Let’s go.”
He had been standing beneath a large outcropping of rocks, and had barely reached her side when the entire earth suddenly started shaking. The motion was so unsettling, Angela paled in panic and fell to the ground, trying to keep her balance and see where Patrick was at the same time.
He was on his knees on the ground, crawling towards her, then taking her into his arms as the earth continued to roll for several more seconds. They both looked back to where he’d been standing only moments before to see that huge rocks had fallen down from the mountain.
He hugged her close once more, and she could feel the shudders rushing down her spine, or was it he who trembled in shock?
“You saved our lives,” he said.
She pressed her body against his, oddly feeling safe in his arms, even though disaster had just struck around them. Her voice was barely audible when she said, “Thank God we’re both safe.”
The ground finally quit moving and he helped her to her feet. “Earthquake?”
Angela nodded her head. “Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, not wanting to ever let go. When a second wave of tremors shook the earth, more rocks fell down from the top of the mountain, and as she looked at their current location, she knew they weren’t safe.
She shook her head and looked up at him. “We need to get down from this mountain and someplace safe.”
Unfortunately, the only path down was now blocked by massive rocks. A secondary path was their only means of escape, but that would mean climbing up, before they could climb down.
“We have to go that way,” she told him, watching him battle with himself over the elevation.
They carefully picked their way up, climbing over fallen rocks when necessary, and holding on to each other when the secondary tremors hit.
Angela’s head was reeling with irrational thoughts. The shock over these happenings sat deeper than she’d acknowledged, and her overworked mind started to believe that she had somehow caused this disaster.
The chief had said bad people would be punished. Was she a bad person? Was this her punishment for sleeping with Patrick while she was still technically engaged to Jasper? This would never have happened if she hadn’t come here in the first place.
Patrick was completely absorbed with trying to climb over the hills and steering away as far as possible from the cliff to their left.
“Patrick, wait.”
He stopped to look at her, and her heart squeezed when she saw the agony on his face. He tried a small grin, but failed miserably. “That’s the worst thing the travel monster has come up with so far.”
She shook her head. “See, it’s all my fault. I’m bringing you bad luck.”
His eyes widened in disbelief. “How can that be possibly your fault?”
“Call it the gods or the travel monster, whatever. If you hadn’t offered me the ride in your car, none of this would have happened.”
He reached out for her, but she stopped him with a harsh gesture. “We have to go back to being friends. Last night was a huge mistake.”
“Angela, you’re in shock. Let’s talk about that when we get back to the village.”
“No. Go away,” she almost shouted.
Unable to deal with the disappointment and hurt in his eyes as well as her own crazy emotions, she desperately needed breathing space. But
Patrick refused to leave her side, so she left his.
Up ahead was a small stone bridge that extended over a deep chasm in the earth. She quickly made her way to it and started across it, hoping that his fear of heights would keep him from following her.
She was almost to the other side when the earth started to tremble again violently. Angela felt herself falling, and quickly jumped the remaining distance to the other side. She didn’t see the huge rocks raining down, nor did she see the rock that hit her upper torso, sending her to the ground in unconsciousness.
A few minutes later she came to, groaning as pain lanced through her entire body. She carefully turned her head, and saw that her upper arm was completely pinned beneath a huge rock. No wonder she felt like she’d gotten hit by a Mack truck.
Chapter 20
Patrick had also jumped when the earth began moving again, and he was scared to death when he looked back and saw Angela trapped behind a large rock. “Angela?”
He called to her, but she didn’t answer him. I need to get over there and see if she’s okay. He eyed the stone bridge that looked even more unstable now. It was only around fifteen feet across, but the minute he stepped a foot out onto it, a wave of dizziness swamped him.
He backed up and stood there, looking uncertain and feeling completely inadequate. A few minutes later he heard her groan. Thank God, she’s not dead. “Angela? Are you okay?”
She moaned again and then weakly answered him, “No. My arm is hurt and trapped beneath a rock. I can’t move.”
“Can you move the rock?”
“No way. Ouch!”
Patrick took a step towards the bridge and then glanced down, trembles rushing through him at the revelation of how deep down the chasm went.
Angela saw his pale face and his unsteady posture and despite her own pain, she was worried about him. “Are you okay? You look like you’re going to faint.”
His voice cracked when he answered her. “It’s just…shit…I go all dizzy when I look down that chasm.”
Travel, Live, Love - A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 5) Page 7
