by Lucy Ryder
The passenger door opened abruptly and she gave a startled squeak. “Omigod, will you stop doing that?” she gasped, glaring up into Ty’s dark face. “And shut the door. It’s freezing.”
He studied her silently for a moment. “You planning on sleeping in the car?” he enquired mildly, easily holding the door open and snagging the bag of food that she’d been hugging to her chest.
“Well, not anymore. Yeesh,” she grumbled, sliding out to stand shivering on the sidewalk in thin oversized scrubs and a huge jacket Ty had found in the back of his car. “I don’t suppose you’ll consider doing your breaking and entering thing again?” She hunched into the jacket for warmth. “I have no idea what I did with my purse or keys.”
Ty nudged her away from the car and closed the door, locking it with a beep-beep of his remote. “I don’t suppose,” he said mildly, grabbing her hand and practically frog-marching her up the path to his door. She tried to swerve towards her own door, but he simply yanked her after him.
“Dammit,” she muttered, having to run to keep up with his long legs. “You’d think with everything that’s happened you’d make an exception.” When he just snorted, she batted her eyelashes at him and asked sweetly, “What if I asked pretty please and promised not to call the cops? I know they scare you as much as hospitals do.”
He made a sound of annoyance and nudged her up the stairs. “Cops and hospitals do not scare me,” he said with exaggerated patience.
“But—”
“You do,” he interrupted irritably. “You scare me.”
That brought her up short. She gaped at him. “Me? I scare you?” She didn’t know whether to be pleased or insulted.
Light spilled from overhead, giving the illusion of enclosing them in a cocoon of warmth. Despite being from California, the icy cold didn’t appear to affect him. She didn’t know why that surprised her as he was the kind of man that radiated heat and sexuality at a hundred paces. Darn sexy alphas.
Half his face was in darkness, the other half all planes and angles that stole her breath. No one should look that good, she thought with dismay, huffing with annoyance when she caught a whiff of his delicious man scent. Who the heck smelled that good after a full hectic day and half the night? She probably smelled like disinfectant and other not-so-pleasant ER smells.
“Yes,” he muttered, nudging her inside. “You scare the hell out of me.”
His touch, after the stress of the day, had heat and excitement spinning through her so abruptly that she whirled around. “Well, then, maybe I should just go. Clearly you want to be alone—Hey.” Her hand jerked up in the universal “stop” gesture when he kept coming.
She didn’t know what she was saying stop to but when her palm came into contact with a warm hard chest, alarm signals ran up her arm and into her brain. Signals that urged her to move the hell away.
Her brain might have been on board but her hand tingled with the urge to explore that wide expanse of muscle and sinew. Heat arrowed right up her arm into her chest and her nipples instantly tightened into painful little buds. Yikes. It felt like someone had touched a live wire to her skin, sending little pricks of current skating across her flesh.
Maybe she was just coming down with a chill, she thought. She’d been drenched at least four times today and—she mentally rolled her eyes—maybe her body hadn’t received the message that she was over him.
She slowly lifted her gaze from where her fingers were stroking him, moving to the hollow of his throat where she really, really wanted to put her mouth; up past the hard square jaw that hadn’t seen a razor since that morning to his finely sculpted mouth. She waited for him to say something…anything…so she could watch his mouth move, finally lifting her gaze when it didn’t.
Unmistakable tension radiated from his big brawny body and Paige got caught in his sexy blue eyes.
Wait…what? Weren’t they supposed to be done with this?
“Ty—” she began, snatching her hand away as though she’d been burned. She thrust it behind her and backed away, swallowing hard because she didn’t want him thinking she couldn’t keep her hands off him.
When her voice finally emerged it was breathless. “Maybe I should check on Harry, he—”
“You already checked. Five times,” Ty interrupted in a deep voice that sent a delicious thrill through her. “He’s going to be fine, Paige.” He moved towards her, a large hungry cat on the prowl, a dangerous predator with Paige in his sights.
Oh, boy.
“He just needs a couple days on fluids and a change of meds.” With his eyes on hers he kicked the door shut behind him, ratcheting Paige’s pulse up a couple of hundred notches. “Before you know it he’ll be back home, where you can keep an eye on him.”
She nodded and nervously licked her lips, wondering what the heck she was thinking by entering his lair…uh, house. It was so much easier taking charge in her own space.
As though he knew what she was thinking, Ty took a couple of steps towards her, his mouth curving when her eyes widened and she sucked in a startled little breath.
Dammit, girl. Stop reacting like he’s about to eat you instead of burgers. Narrowing her eyes, she stiffened her spine and stubbornly held her ground, even when he kept coming, only to stop a bare inch away.
Instantly his heat surrounded her, and she had to tip her head back because everyone knew that you had to face a predator to show you weren’t afraid.
And she wasn’t afraid…not exactly. She sighed. Okay, she was terrified. Terrified of the feelings turning her jittery and terrified of the hold he had on her, hijacking her dreams and stealing her peace of mind.
Finally, he broke the ratcheting tension by planting a hand against the wall behind her and leaning closer. Paige reacted like he’d shoved her, backing up to escape the heated web of need and want he so easily wove around her.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked breathlessly.
Without replying, he moved closer, then closer still, only pausing when his mouth was a whisper away from her ear. “Do you know what I want?” he breathed, his voice rough and deep and scraping along every exposed nerve ending.
Terrified of what it meant, she locked her knees and shook her head. “B-burgers?”
He stilled as though she’d surprised him and after a couple of beats he chuckled, the gravelly low sound sending hot and cold shivers dancing through her. “No.” His lips brushed her throat. “Not burgers.”
Paige’s hands came up, and though she really intended to push him away, they curled tightly into his sweatshirt.
“Ty…” she began, torn between wanting desperately for him to kiss her and an overwhelming need to protect her heart. She instinctively knew that if he kissed her again, it wouldn’t end there. And then she wouldn’t be able to pretend that this was just a casual fling that she was totally over.
Her head thunked back against the wall in an attempt to knock some sense into it but her body had a mind of its own. Her hands did too, releasing their grip on his sweatshirt to smooth over hard abs and warm skin beneath his shirt.
He gave a laughing groan that drew Paige’s attention to his mouth and—oh, God—she suddenly needed it more than she needed her next breath. In fact, she would probably die without it.
Like in the next two seconds.
“Ty,” she breathed again, and even to her own ears it sounded like a plea. It momentarily cleared her head enough for her to say, “I thought you didn’t want—”
“Oh, I want,” he interrupted hoarsely. “I want…another kiss…another night…” He shifted closer and his breathing became as ragged as hers. “I’m hoping…this’ll finally do it.”
Heat pooled low in her belly and her bones began to melt, along with her resistance. “Do…what?”
He closed the half-inch to take a nip out of her mouth. “Get you out of my system,” he growled, slanting his mouth over hers and tracing her lips with a line of fire. “Hopefully…for good, this time.” And then he sucked
her bottom lip into his mouth and brushed aside his jacket to cup her breast through the thin scrubs.
She gave a ragged moan and arched into his touch.
“Dammit,” he breathed. “This wasn’t supposed to feel so good.”
“So…good.” And because he felt so good, Paige smoothed her hands up his wide back, marveling at the solid strength beneath her fingers and the way his muscles shifted and bunched.
She couldn’t remember ever wanting anyone this badly.
She made a hungry sound in the back of her throat, helpless against the need pounding through her, wanting…needing more, especially when she canted her hips and found him big and hard and fully aroused.
She slid her hands around and down his chest and abs, curling her fingers into his jeans waistband. Mostly to hang onto and then, when his belly muscles clenched, to torture.
“Paige…wait.” His breath whooshed out and he grabbed her hands, lifting them away and pinning them to the wall above her head. “Be sure,” he warned. “Because if you’re not…dammit, say something before…before I lose what little control I’m hanging onto…and take you right here against the wall.”
Suddenly Paige wanted to take that control. She wanted wild and fast because it had been that kind of day. Oh, and up against the wall sounded good.
Now even better.
With her hands still locked in his, she lifted her mouth and murmured, “Maybe just one more time—”
Before she could complete the sentence, Ty swooped down and caught her mouth in a hard, hungry kiss—a kiss that instantly turned lethal and had her body responding as though he hadn’t satisfied her every sensual fantasy a few nights earlier.
He fed her hot open-mouthed kisses, his hands releasing her to sneak beneath her scrubs and rasp against naked flesh. The sensations rolling through her had her pressing closer, moaning in triumph and anticipation when he swelled and hardened against her belly.
Her breath caught and her core went hot and wet. Just as her knees gave way, Ty uttered something hot and explicit beneath his breath and swept her into his arms.
She squeaked at the abrupt change in elevation, clutching at his shoulders as he headed for the stairs. “Your sh-shoulder,” she gasped.
His answer was a low huffing laugh as he took the stairs like he was in a hurry. And, oh, boy, Paige could certainly relate. She was in a hurry too. “What—what about…the wall?”
She’d have been okay with the wall.
Ty turned right when he reached the landing. “I have another wall in mind,” he said, kicking open the bathroom door. He let her go, allowing her body to slide down the length of his.
And when her eyes rolled back in her head, he gave her bottom a sharp slap and ordered, “Strip,” reaching into the shower to turn on the water.
The position allowed Paige to admire the wide V of his shoulders that tapered to narrow hips and long, muscular legs. Oh, yeah, she thought, drooling. And those tight buns she dreamed about sinking her teeth into—
Ty turned and caught her hungrily eyeing his backside. He uttered the low masculine sound that never failed to send tingles skittering through her and he reached out to wrap his hand in the front of her scrubs top. With his eyes on hers, he slowly pulled her closer and when all that separated them was his hand, he growled, “Were you ogling my backside?”
Paige snickered and backed away, uttering a squeak of surprise as her top went flying over her head.
“Hey… Oomph,” she muttered against the sudden invasion of his mouth. He kissed her as he did everything else, with single-minded purpose; plundering the depths of her mouth as he pillaged her senses.
With each article of clothing that vanished he pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses against her skin, stealing her breath and making her moan for more. Undressing became a sensual feast of hands and mouths and hungry sounds. By the time they were naked, steam filled the bathroom.
When Ty paused to wrap his cast in a waterproof casing, Paige’s hands examined his wide chest and her tongue flicked at his tight male nipples. She hummed her appreciation against his smooth warm skin and scored her nails down his spine to his tight buns, loving the rough laugh and warning growl emerging from deep in his chest.
He caught her hands and with his hot blue gaze on hers drew her into the shower. Breathless with excitement and anticipation, Paige half expected—hoped—he’d shove her up against the wall and have his merry way with her. But his gaze abruptly gentled as it probed hers as though he was searching for something.
“Ty…?”
“No more talking.” Then he dipped his head and dropped a kiss on her mouth before firmly turning her away from him.
Confused, she craned her head around to see him reaching for the shampoo and squirting a dollop into his hand. She frowned. “I thought—” she began, only to have him interrupting once more.
“No talking,” he growled, smoothing shampoo over her head. “Close your eyes…and just feel.” Then he gently washed her hair, slowly massaging her scalp until she sagged against him in a boneless, speechless mass.
“You warm yet?”
Paige could have told him that she was melting but her voice emerged on a low groan of pleasure and she couldn’t even drum up the teeniest bit of offense when he laughed.
Once he’d rinsed her hair, he reached for the soap and proceeded to wash her with the same gentle strokes, taking extra care with her breasts, her belly…before moving to legs. And when her body tingled and her heart raced because surely now he would take her against the wall, he turned off the water and reached for a huge fluffy towel.
With his hot cobalt blue eyes locked on hers, Ty wrapped her up and carried her into the master bedroom. He paused beside the bed to drop a light kiss on her mouth and just when she began losing any sense of the world around them he broke the slight suction and tossed her unceremoniously into the middle of the bed.
She instantly bounced up with a laughing protest on her lips, only to be pushed flat when he followed her down.
His hungry mouth silenced her protest.
Surprised by the sudden change in his mood, she shoved at him and rolled them over until she was straddling his hips. “What was that?” she demanded breathlessly.
His answer was to chuckle and grab her hips. He pulled her snug against his erection, making them both groan. He took advantage of her distraction to cover her breasts with his big hands. Instantly she stilled, the sensations so lusciously decadent that her spine flexed and her head fell back in pleasure.
“This is me,” he murmured, rearing up to brush his lips against the pulse pounding in her throat. “This is me taking control and getting you out of my system.”
Paige clenched her thighs and sucked in a sharp breath at the feel of him, long and thick and hard between her legs. “How is it I’m the one on top, then?”
“This way,” he rasped, dipping his head to catch one pebbled nipple between his teeth, “my hands are free.” He spent a couple of seconds torturing her nipples before wrapping both arms around her and holding her close as he drew her flesh into his mouth.
She tried to say something but her mind slid away and there was nothing but Ty’s mouth and hands sending her tumbling into heat and pleasure.
And when a dangerous thought slid into her mind—that she was playing with fire and this was as far from a fling as she could get—she pushed it aside because after tonight she’d be over him for good.
*
Accustomed to sleeping alone, Ty awakened sometime before dawn baffled by the warm soft presence beside him. He turned his head and in the dim light coming from the bathroom saw Paige still sprawled face down a couple of inches away. Her face was half-hidden by a silky curtain of inky hair.
Memories of how she’d got there flooded back and he couldn’t have stopped himself from reaching out to smooth back that swing of hair any more than he could resist tracing a hand down the length of her spine to her soft, curvy bottom.
She gave a
soft sigh and before he knew what he was doing, Ty had pulled her closer. With her back pressed to his front, he spent a minute enjoying the way her sleep-warmed curves fitted against him—as if she’d been fashioned with him in mind.
Murmuring sleepily, she snuggled closer and he slid one leg between hers, bending his knee as he reached around to palm one plump breast. Realizing that the position would prevent her from slipping away without him knowing, Ty smiled.
Let’s see her sneak away from him now.
She stirred and murmured a sleepy, “Ty?”
“Yeah,” he growled, pressing his lips to the back of her neck. “Expecting someone else?”
She yawned and stretched, arching against him in one long sinuous move. His body instantly responded until she said, “I dunno… Danny maybe, or…um… Nate?”
He sank his teeth into her shoulder, smiling against her skin when she made a sound between a snorting laugh and a yelp.
He couldn’t remember ever laughing in bed with a woman before and when she asked sleepily if he wanted her to go, he tightened his hold on her and shocked himself by murmuring, “No, stay.”
He lay awake for a long time listening to her breathe, wondering—not for the first time—what the hell he thought he was doing. He’d never wanted a woman to stay or wrapped her close to keep her from leaving. And he’d certainly never lain awake wanting more from her than she was willing to give.
Because, let’s face it, he wasn’t good with more. His life was in California and he’d never—never, he reminded himself sternly—considered changing it for a woman.
Still didn’t.
Look at what had happened to his parents. They’d met at Stanford and the next thing they’d been married and living in Port St. John’s. Henry had had big dreams of building the largest hospital on the Olympic Peninsula, a hospital that would serve the county, the town and the coastguard, as well as the entire length of the Juan de Fuca Strait.
