“Completely.” She giggled. “You should have seen them. I swear their eyes were flashing red. It looked like hell itself had opened up and dropped them out on top of us. Sam started waving her arms and yelling that the three horsemen of the apocalypse were coming for us. We started running. They chased us all the way back to the house. Thus the name was born.” Amanda draped herself over Joe’s chest and looked into his eyes. “I remember joking with her once, asking her what happened to the fourth horseman. I figured she’d say it was me, being their sister and all. But she didn’t. She just laughed and said that one day I’d meet a man who’d fill the saddle.” She gave him a sexy smile. “Congratulations. It seems Sam has given that honor to you.”
She shrieked as he pulled her fully on top of him. “I’d rather fill you.”
Her body came to life as she straddled him. She loved the feel of his calloused hands as they brushed across her nipples. She rubbed her fingertips lightly across his chest, delighting in the quiver that rolled over his skin. She teased the skin of his arms, trailing to his shoulders and up the sides of his neck. He growled and brought her down to his mouth. He didn’t devour her as she’d expected. Instead, he pressed light kisses to her face. He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose. He kissed her eyelids as he slowly entered her. “God, Mandy. I love how you’re always ready for me. So wet and ready.”
She tried to lodge him deeper, but he wasn’t having any of that. He rolled until he was on top of her, his knees forcing her thighs wide. He returned to kissing her. His mouth trailed down the curve of her jaw. She felt the heat of his breath on her neck as he pushed farther inside her. She tightened on him, causing him to groan with pleasure.
His leisurely pace made her head spin. He worshipped her lips, her neck, her breasts. The stroke of his tongue matching the stroke of his cock. He filled her with excruciating precision. Slowly. Until finally, mercifully, he gave her every inch of him.
He entwined their fingers and brought their joined hands above her head as he continued to rock into her. She wrapped her legs around him. She pressed her heels into his ass, trying to increase his speed. “Relax, sweetheart. There’s no hurry.” His voice was a husky rumble in her ear. “Let me love you.”
She tightened her grip on his hands and gave herself over to him. He rode her slow and steady. Her arousal increased at the same slow pace. Her skin became sensitive to the slightest touch, making each caress an instrument of torture to her already aching need. The tenderness he showed her brought tears to her eyes. He blew a warm stream of breath over her collarbone, causing a delicious shiver to skate along her spine. When he took her mouth again, his gentle assault was her undoing. Her back arched as her whole body shattered. He swallowed her screams as his body continued to master hers.
She opened her eyes to look at him. She felt her breath leave her lungs with a loud hiss. His eyes shone with adoration. And there was something else. Something possessive. Something powerful. Yes, yes, yes! her heart sang.
No, no, no! her mind screamed, but she quickly reminded herself, “It’s just sex, it’s just sex, it’s just sex.”
*
Joe stilled as he heard Amanda chant softly. What the hell? He’d been so consumed with her that he’d lost any semblance of time or space. There was only her. And yet…
It’s just sex. His heart plummeted to his stomach as the words wormed their way into his brain. It’s just sex. His body thrummed with the need to prove her wrong. It’s just sex. A searing pain shot through his chest. Pain that was replaced by a cold realization.
She didn’t want anything from him. She was still using him, even after the time they’d shared.
Jesus, he’d been wrong about her.
“Joe?”
Shit. She thought this was just about sex. For those first couple of days, sure. Well hell, maybe not even then. He wasn’t sure it had ever been just sex for him.
Time to go. He eased off her.
She immediately reached out for him. “Wait, you didn’t—”
“I need to go,” he said abruptly as he jerked on his jeans.
“What? Wait a minute. I don’t understand.” Her eyes were frantic. “What just happened?” She reached for the sheet and drew it over herself, clutching it at her breasts.
“Nothing.” He smiled at her. “It was great.” He struggled to pull his boots on while standing up.
“It was great?” she mimicked. “What’s wrong with you? You didn’t even finish!”
“I finished you, didn’t I?” His anger boiled to the surface.
She pressed herself against the headboard. “Joe?” Her voice sounded so small in the face of his anger.
He shoved his foot into a boot and stomped against the floor to finish the job. “Isn’t that why I’m here, Amanda?” He bent his knee to adjust his pant leg. “You wanted a one-night stand and you got four nights. You should be more than satisfied.” He spat the last word at her.
He knew he was being an ass, but he didn’t care. The fact that she wouldn’t face him pissed him off even more. “Well?” he demanded. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears when she looked at him. “Oh no.” He narrowed his eyes as he jabbed a finger at her. “No fucking way do you get to do that. No fucking way do you get to rock my world, say ‘it’s just sex’, and then cry about it.”
Amanda’s eyes widened in horror as realization dawned. “Oh God. Joe. No … I—”
“Save it,” he snapped. He swiped his gym bag from the floor, tossing the strap over his shoulder. He hesitated in the doorway for a brief moment.
And then he was gone.
Chapter 9
Amanda sat rigid until she heard the front door slam. The sound of Joe’s motorcycle revving up barely muted her distress as she burst into tears. There was no denying the hurt on his face. She’d done that, she thought miserably. She had caused the pain that burned in his eyes. And she wanted to take it back. More than anything, she wanted to see him smile and wrap his arms around her. God, she’d really messed things up.
Her body shook with the force of her sobs as she buried her face in her hands.
It was over.
She knew it would happen. It always did. But she never expected it would end like this. She’d been naive to think they’d kiss and hug, thank each other for a wonderful time, and then go their separate ways. The truth was much grittier when emotions were involved. There was no denying the emotion she’d seen in his eyes. The same emotion she’d felt reflected in her own.
She had fallen in love with him. The crushing weight of her realization sucked the air from her lungs. She loved him and he was gone. Would it make a difference now if she told him? He’d left like he couldn’t wait to be as far away from her as possible. She doubted he’d even talk to her.
She reached for his pillow and brought it to her nose. His pillow. Wrapping herself around it, she drew his lingering scent into her nose and cried.
The afternoon sun was blazing through her window when she finally rose, feeling more miserable than when Joe stormed out. She stumbled to the bathroom, squinting as the bright light burned her eyes. She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked like total shit. No real surprise there.
Dark circled her eyes, which had seemed to sink a little into her head. She ran her fingers gingerly over the vivid, purplish mark on the side of her neck. She could live without the zombie eyes, but that mark was one thing she wasn’t in a hurry to be rid of. Joe’s mark. She shivered as she remembered his frenzy to have her last night.
While she loathed the idea of washing his scent from her skin, she took the hottest shower she could stand. She washed and conditioned her hair, letting the force of the water beat away the tears that seemed to keep falling. She methodically went through the motions. She dried and dressed herself in her favorite jeans, a light T-shirt, and tennis shoes. She didn’t even bother with her bra. Not as if she was having company or anything. She sat cross-legged in the bed while she worked a brush through her hair. T
he conditioner had done the trick so it wasn’t long before she was tangle free. She felt detached as she gathered her wet hair into a ponytail, her mind already cataloging the things she needed to pack to take home.
Coffee. She needed coffee.
She desperately wanted to call him. In the end, she didn’t. She was damaged goods. She didn’t know how it happened or even when it happened. As she’d lain in her bed, alone and crying, she’d figured it out. She’d never completely given herself to a man before. She’d unknowingly held back, guarding her heart out of fear of being hurt.
The irony of the situation hit her dead in the face. The one man she willingly tried to hold back from ended up obtaining something no man ever had before. Her heart. And she didn’t deserve him. Not after last night. He’d loved her so tenderly, so sweetly, and she’d ruined it.
She made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She was lost in thought as she poured the leftover coffee into the sink and refilled the carafe with fresh water.
As she turned back, a hand clamped down on her mouth; another came around her waist and held her tight. The carafe fell to the floor, the sound of glass breaking resonating throughout the kitchen. She tried to scream but the hand pressed down harder, digging painfully into her cheeks. She slammed her heel down on the foot she could see behind her as her fingers dug into any flesh they could find.
A definite male grunt sounded behind her. He released her just enough. She broke free and ran, hitting the porch before she realized she didn’t have keys or cell phone. She didn’t stop. Her feet tore up the distance between the house and the stable. She ran around the back and stopped, plastering her back against the side. Who the hell was that?
Her mind was racing almost as fast as her heart. Could Sam’s stalker have figured out she was the one who’d helped relocate his wife? No. Sam had assured her there was no way to trace that back to her. Besides, she had a pretty good idea Caleb was keeping an eye on Vincent Matteo. If he was here, Caleb would know it.
What if he’d sent someone else? She risked a peek around the corner. Nothing.
She flattened back against the stable again as she quickly ran through her options. She couldn’t risk running down the road where he was sure to catch her if he had a vehicle. Wait. A vehicle. She edged to the opposite corner and crouched down low. She peered around at the drive. Her car was there. She quickly scanned the area. No other vehicle in sight. What the…?
She glanced behind her at the woods. She could definitely hide there, but it wouldn’t offer her much more than that. She couldn’t run the risk of getting lost or turned around. Dammit! She needed to get to her cell. She’d left it charging in the office. She had to get back in the house.
As quietly as she could, she opened one of the stall doors just enough to squeeze through. She made her way to the area that would give her the best vantage point of the house. She risked a look out the window, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Had her attacker given up and left? She sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest. She stayed silent, her mind frantically trying to grasp the situation.
Time stood still while she waited, listening hard for any signs of movement. Slowly gaining her feet, she glanced at the open area between her and the house. She breathed a sigh of relief. The coast was clear. She felt sure if whoever attacked her was still around, he would have come after her already. But she wasn’t taking any chances. She’d get to the house, barricade herself in the office, and call the police.
Amanda carefully turned the latch and eased the door open. She filled her lungs with air and prepared to run. She didn’t waste another second, bolting from the barn as fast as she could.
She’d made a wide path around her car when sudden pain shot through her scalp, hands grabbing her ponytail from behind. Amanda hit the ground hard enough to rattle her teeth. Before she could recover, she felt the sharp contact of knuckles against her temple.
Once. Twice. And then … nothing.
* * * *
“Damn stubborn woman,” Joe growled aloud to his empty office.
It’s just sex. Who was she kidding?
He just had the most miserable night of his life, which had turned into an equally miserable day. He was furious. Over and over he’d played it out in his head. Every touch, every look, every word. Could he have misjudged her? No. He hadn’t. She felt something for him; he knew she did. But she’d push him away because … what? Because they’d just met? It wasn’t as though he was proposing to her. Although he rather liked the thought of her being his forever.
Her excuse of not being able to trust was wearing thin. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she trusted him, cared about him. She was just too pigheaded to admit it. She’d convinced herself he’d leave even before she gave him the chance to prove otherwise. So what did he do? He’d left. Just like she’d expected. And it just pissed him the fuck off.
His cell phone went off for the third time. He dug it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. Caleb. Perfect. He was the last person Joe wanted to talk to at the moment. He tossed the phone on the desk and resumed pacing.
“You’re gonna wear a hole in the floor, bro,” Jake said from the doorway.
“Fuck off, Jacob. Unless you’re looking for a fight, I’d turn around and go back to the bar.”
“Like that’s gonna scare me,” Jake said as he moved farther into the office.
Joe pinched the bridge of his nose. “What do you want?”
Jake gave him a worried stare. “You okay?”
The concern in Jake’s voice quelled Joe’s anger, leaving him tired and defeated. “I don’t know, Jake. Yes. No.” He pulled at his hair before jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I feel like I’ve been split in two.”
“No offense, bro, but you look like you’ve been split in two.”
Joe started forward before he stopped himself. What was he going to do? Beat the shit out of his brother? Not helpful. So instead, “Get out, Jake.”
“Do you love her?”
The unexpected question jolted him. He stared hard at his brother. “Yes.”
“Then tell her,” Jake said simply. “No games, no pussyfooting around. If you think you can spend your life with her, then for the love of God, don’t let your stubbornness get in the way.” He lowered his voice in warning. “Don’t let her stubbornness get in the way either. If you love her, she’s got a right to know. Regardless of the outcome.”
Joe didn’t know what to say. Jake was right. When did he get so smart?
Jake clapped him on the shoulder and turned to leave. “Oh, by the way,” he said, tossing Joe the cordless bar phone. “Some guy named Caleb Martin. He said it’s urgent.”
Joe snatched the phone and glared at him until he retreated from the office. He brought the phone to his ear. “Look, Caleb, I—”
“Is Amanda with you?” Caleb’s concern drifted through the phone line.
“No.” He really didn’t want to get into this with him right now.
“Well? Where the hell is she?”
Caleb’s tone brought the hackles up on the back of Joe’s neck. “I don’t fucking know where the hell she is. I assume she’s at the house where I left her. We sort of … we had a fight.” Maybe he did want to get into it after all.
“What did you do to her?” Caleb demanded.
Joe took a deep breath and counted to ten. Then to twenty.
“Well?”
Joe snarled into the phone. “I fell in love with her, you dumbass. That’s what I did.”
Silence.
Joe continued. “I love her.” His voice was filled with conviction. “Can you believe she actually had the audacity to say it’s just sex between us? We both know good and goddamn well it’s more than that.”
“Whoa. Easy on the sex talk there, Sterling. That’s my sister you’re talking about.”
“You know what? Bite me. Your delicate sensitivities aren’t my problem.”
More silence. Joe was happy to
ride it out. He didn’t want to have this conversation, but even he realized Caleb could be a powerful ally when it came to Amanda.
“She’s got issues, Joe,” Caleb finally said quietly. “Abandonment issues, if you know what I mean.”
Joe snorted. “Ya think?”
“It hasn’t been easy for her,” Caleb defended. “She was young when I joined the military. She was pretty angry when I left. She definitely got the Martin family temper. You should have seen her. This little ten-year-old sprite with blonde curls. I can still see the fury in her little face as she stood on her tiptoes and faced off with me. She accused me of deserting her. Deserting the family. It was like being chastised by a cherub.” He chuckled before going on. “Jesus, Joe. I wasn’t more than a kid myself. Barely seventeen. I knew Amanda looked up to me, but I never believed my leaving would cause her any harm. She was just my pesky little sister. I figured she wouldn’t even miss me with the other two around to give her grief. I sent her letters and postcards and she still refused to talk to me. Girl has a stubborn streak a mile wide.”
Joe imagined the little girl Caleb described. His Mandy. So full of fire, so full of passion, so full of love.
“Then our parents were killed.” Caleb’s voice brought Joe back to the conversation.
“What happened?” he asked, hoping Caleb could fill in the gaps for him.
“We don’t know much. The private plane they were on went down over the Rockies. An unexpected storm blew in and, well, we can only speculate as to what happened. There were five other people on board, no survivors. Amanda changed after that. She closed herself off. Brandon and Alec tried to be there for her, but they were angry and grieving as well. No one knew what to do for her.” Caleb went silent.
“And then you came home.”
“Yes. My time was up anyway, so after our parents died I decided to get out. We were left with a hefty sum of cash and a lot of property. My dad had a knack for business and made his investments very wisely. I started Martin Tactical and Security as a way for us all to stay together, even if it was just during the workday. Protecting others was all I knew how to do. Seemed right to pass that knowledge on to others. I failed miserably where Amanda was concerned.”
One Night Stand Page 10
