by Wilde, Amity
Or at least more ready than he was.
Lauren sat up and straddled his legs, his hands reflexively closing around her waist. A small, delicate hand stroked his stubble covered jaw. She leaned forward, her rounded breasts pressing softly against his muscular chest. Warm lips pressed against his and he closed his eyes, giving in to the wordless comfort her was offering.
Her curious tongue teased his mouth and he opened to her, letting her explore as he enjoyed her sweetness. They fit together perfectly, her body trim but womanly. Soft in all the right places. He was just slipping his hand under the hem of her t-shirt when she jerked backwards and sneezed into her arm.
“Shoot! Sorry.” Lauren looked downright miserable.
Jared could’ve kicked himself. What kind of an asshole was he turning into? A half drowned stranger showed up on his doorstep and in less than an hour he’d yelled at her, spanked her until his hand stung and then been about to molest her in his living room. She was still in her wet clothes, and the only thing keeping her warm was the burn on her ass and their shared body heat.
“Shit, Lauren, I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’ll go find something you can change into while your clothes dry.” Jared scooped her up and deposited her on the couch. “I don’t have anything your size, but it’ll have to work for now.”
He got up to go figure out what she could use, and more importantly, get away from the temptation her proximity brought. She was getting to him and he needed to get his head back on straight.
When was the last time he’d gotten laid? Too long apparently, but the allure of one night stands with women who were willing to go home with anything in a uniform had grown thin over the years. Something his eighteen year old self would have found impossible to believe, but true nevertheless.
Spanking her had been a mistake. That side of him needed to stay under wraps. Lauren wasn’t his girlfriend, or even his friend. Not my responsibility. She would be gone soon enough, and in the meantime he needed to keep his hands to himself and try to forget how right she’d felt wiggling in his lap.
Fat chance.
“Jared...” She looked sweet and vulnerable sitting there on the sofa, fingers on her lips. “I really am sorry.”
He stopped and gave her a short nod without looking back. The less said, the better.
Chapter Three
*** Lauren ***
I sat on his bed, listening to the storm batter against the shutters. When Jared suggested that I rest and warm up after changing, I’d jumped at the chance to put some distance between us. Now I was trying to psych myself up before facing him again.
Sleep had been the last thing on my mind, but after everything, I’d been out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow. He’d been right, a couple of hours of sleep had done me a world of good.
Physically at least. Emotionally? Just as confused as before.
He’d spanked me. Spanked!
Nobody had ever lifted a hand to me in my life. Not once. Not even my parents! Sure I’d joked about it in a flirty sort of way with previous boyfriends, but not one had ever taken me up on the offer. Most of them seemed uncomfortable with the idea and made me wonder why I’d said it to begin with.
And the worst part wasn’t the actual pain of being disciplined, it was that instead of pitching a fit like a normal person would’ve done, I’d practically thrown myself at the big jerk.
That couldn’t be normal. It had to be a reaction to the stress. There was no way I could be attracted to a guy like him, even if he did happen to be the hottest thing I’d ever seen. His muscles had muscles for cripes sake.
Nope, no attraction at all. I usually liked my men sensitive and artistic, if Jared was either of those, he hid it well under his “I know 10 ways to kill you with my thumbs exterior”.
In any case, hiding out in his bedroom for the rest of my life wasn’t an option, so sooner or later I was going to have to hike up his enormous sweatpants and go out there like nothing happened. Maybe he was just as embarrassed as I was. Right.
Hopefully he’d at least be enough of a gentleman to not rub it in too much.
Speaking of rubbing, I smoothed a hand over my throbbing behind. Thankfully he’d missed the bruise from my fall, or it probably would’ve hurt a heck of a lot more. As it was, everything was warm and a bit sore, but not too bad. In fact, it had made a much bigger impact emotionally than it had physically once the initial sting wore off.
The scent of food drifted under the door and my stomach clenched painfully, reminding me that I hadn’t had anything to eat since the oatmeal at breakfast. I had that candy bar still, but it was unhelpfully tucked away safely in my bag, out there, with Jared.
I groaned when I stood up and caught a glimpse of myself in his dresser mirror. Between the oversized clothes, and the messy mop of tangles on my head, I looked like a well-sexed girlfriend. So much for trying to grow up and be more professional. My fingers worked out the worst of the knots, and I walked out to face my temporary roommate.
“Hey, feeling better?” His back was to me, stirring something that smelled divine in a pot on the small stove. “I hope you didn’t mind having to use my bed. The spare room is still a wreck and the paint fumes haven’t had a chance to air out yet. Can’t exactly open a window when it’s like this.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” I snorted. “But it was fine, thank you.”
It had been more than fine. My face, and other body parts, heated at the memory of his spicy scent all over the sheets. I could still smell him on my skin and clothes. The strange second-hand intimacy of it was making me tingle in a not entirely unpleasant way.
“If you’re thirsty, grab a bottle from the fridge. It might look clean from the taps, but with the weather like this I don’t know if it’s safe to drink or not.” He turned and smiled a little apologetically. “Is canned stew okay? I wasn’t exactly expecting company. Hope you’re not vegan or anything. Pickings would be pretty slim but, I’ve probably gone a can of beans around here somewhere.”
I shook my head, transfixed by the sight of such a dominant man looking so domestic. His eyes were like stormy blue skies, and his hair was buzzed short, but just long enough to make me wonder what it would feel like under my fingers.
Over six feet tall and solid muscle topped with a handsome face and a strong jaw. It was horribly unfair that he had to be a grumpy control freak... who made dinner and saved stranded women on his time off from keeping the world safe...
My mouth went dry. I could remember the feel of his hips between my legs as I straddled him, and the warmth of his lips as they worked against my own.
Get a hold of yourself!
“Water would be good, thanks.” I slipped nervously by and snatched a bottle from the refrigerator door. “Can I help? I really am sorry for causing you so much trouble today.”
He shrugged and kept stirring. “Shit happens. You can set the table if you want. The dishes are up there above the sink.” Jared’s words were casual, but he seemed more tense than he was letting on.
Great, I was standing there lusting after him and he was too polite to tell me what a nuisance he really thought I was. “Sure, I can do that.”
I reached up to take down two bowls, and froze when he sucked in a sudden, ragged breath. The armless undershirt he’d loaned me was gaping open at the side, revealing a clear view in to the lacy bra I’d thankfully had the good sense to put back on after my nap. Great, now I’d thrown myself at him, leered rudely, and flashed him. Wonderful first impression.
Blushing fiercely, I snatched the bowls and set the table as if nothing had happened. Because nothing had, but tell that to my turbo charged sex drive. Awareness of the tension between us thrummed through my veins. I couldn’t blame the hard points of my nipples or the dampness in my panties on the rain anymore.
We sat down and ate quietly until I couldn’t stand the awkward silence for another second.
“So you know who I am.” I pointed to myself with my spoon.
“Hack travel photographer, murderer of cell phones, useless at weather reports. Who are you?” It almost sounded natural, but then a laugh slipped out at the end, giving away my nerves to anyone who knew me.
Jared grinned. “Officer Jared Pate, US Army. Mediocre cook, family handyman, occasional rescuer of damsels in distress.”
“Not Navy, or Coast Guard? I would’ve figured with the place on the beach and all... no?”
He glared at me as if my question wasn’t even worth answering.
“Right, gotcha. Army. So is this place only yours, or,” The lights went out, making me shriek in surprise. With all the outside shutters locked tight, the room hadn’t just gone dim, we’d been plunged into complete darkness.
“Shit!” Jared swore and his chair scraped against the floor. “I was hoping that wouldn’t happen. Stay put. I’ll check the box, but it’s probably our whole area.”
Eyes closed, I curled my legs underneath me on the chair and tried to keep my breathing calm. It’s just the dark. Everything is exactly the same as it was a few minutes ago. How long had he been gone? Terror squeezed my chest and muddled my thoughts. Before I could stop myself, I was on my way to the door, uncaring of the weather. My clumsy fingers worked blindly at the lock.
“What the hell?” The room filled with a soft glow, and then Jared’s arms were locked tight around my torso, lifting me away from my struggle with the door.
“Let me go!” Logically I knew I was being ridiculous. I wasn’t a little girl anymore. Nobody took an adult seriously if they were afraid of the dark. Unfortunately, logic and terror have nothing to do with each other.
“Not until you convince me you aren’t going to go tearing out the door when I do.”
“I’m fine. It was just a moment of panic. I’m... not a big fan of the dark.”
He gave me a comforting squeeze. “No kidding.”
I sagged against his chest, concentrating on slowing down my breathing and getting myself back under control. With every breath, I was becoming more and more aware of how close he was. His arm pressed under my breasts, lifting them up high and plump. My nipples tightened, aching for him to shift his grip and brush against them. Bad idea, such a bad idea.
“You can put me down now, big guy.”
He chuckled and loosened his hold enough that I could put my feet on the floor and twist around to get a good look at him. My hands spread out against his stomach, where I could feel his tight muscles flexing under my palms with his every movement.
Oh my. The air between us crackled with energy that rivaled the storm outside.
I didn’t understand why I reacted so strongly to this man every time we touched. I took pictures of people on beaches for a living! It’s not like there weren’t always plenty of good looking guys around, usually wearing less than Jared. What was it about him that made me want to throw caution to the wind and find out what those abs felt like under my tongue?
Shadows covered his face, obscuring his reaction, but neither of us seemed inclined to pull away, and his grip was slowly feeling more passionate than concerned. Everywhere we touched seemed to tingle with awareness.
Jared’s fingers caressed my back. “You want to tell me what that was about?”
“Not really.” Heat pooled low in my core as his eyes followed my tongue sliding over my lower lip. We could talk about my stupid childhood phobia whenever, but right now I wanted to get this thing between us out of my system.
It was becoming a serious problem, and I could only see one viable solution.
He seemed to agree, because our mouths came together in an almost violent tangle of need. Jared lifted me up as if I weighed nothing and slammed my back into the door hard enough to rattle the pictures on the wall. I wrapped my legs around his hips, pulling him closer, wanting more.
I raised my arms and he pulled his undershirt off over my head. My bra covered everything, but hid nothing. Dark, pebbled nipples stood out clearly under the sheer fabric. With his hips pinning me to the door, his arms were free, and he palmed my breasts, squeezing hard enough to make me gasp. Nerve endings fired, sending erotic signals straight to my dripping sex.
He rolled my nipples between his fingers, making me squirm and moan. The steely length of his erection was growing quickly between us. It pressed against me, hard and full of promise. Jared was big all over it seemed, and there were way too many clothes in the way.
I dug my fingers into his hair, ripping my mouth from his. “This is crazy. Why do I want you so badly?” The urgency of my own need scared me a little.
He squeezed my swollen breasts then let go, slapping them with enough force to sting and make me crave him even more. “Fate? Chemistry? Hell if I know,” Jared growled. “You’re trouble, kitten, maybe I should’ve left you out in the rain.” Licking up my neck before biting down, the pinch of his blunt teeth sent flames licking across my body.
I ached to feel him, skin to skin, so I reached down between us, wiggling my fingers into the top of his jeans. They met with the velvety soft tip of his straining cock and he hissed, warm breath tickling my ear.
Behind me, the door shook, and this time it wasn’t us. At first I thought it was the storm, but it definitely wasn’t the weather yelling out there. “Open up! This fucking wind is about to rip my balls off!”
Jared swore, and pressed his forehead against the door with a resigned sigh. His grip loosened and I slid to the floor, aching with pent up desire, and more confused than ever. Stopping was the last thing on my mind, but maybe this was the reality check I needed to keep from doing something stupid.
“Get decent, it’s my brother. I called him while you were asleep to see if you could get a ride out of here.” He rubbed his face with his hands and took a deep breath. “The little shit’s always had horrible timing.”
“Right, okay.” I scrambled to find my discarded shirt. “Of course.” Just because my phone wasn’t working didn’t mean he didn’t have one.
The pounding started again.
“Alright! Enough already.” Jared flung open the door and glared. His whole body was tense, frustration oozing off him like a black fog. “Would it have killed you to call back? I thought she was stuck out here.”
“Oh yeeeeah! Why didn’t I think of that?” Jared’s brother mocked. “Maybe because I did, but it wouldn’t go through, dumbass.”
My jaw just about dropped when he walked in and shook off his coat. Where did they grow men like this? Because I was pretty sure I could get rich selling the location to single ladies all over the world. Could it be bottled?
They were obviously cut from nearly identical molds. Jared was touch taller, but they were both equally built, and just as sexy. His brother did look more laid back though, hair longer and with a less dangerous look about him. Of the two of them I’d put money on this one being the heart breaker.
“Well, hello there.” He grinned, flashing perfect white teeth. “I’m Grant, the better looking, less moody of the Pate brothers. You must be Lauren.”
“Hi.” My cheeks heated at the intensity of his smile. Definitely the player in the family. Jared would have just grunted at me. I looked back and forth between them. “Does this mean I’m going back? I’m sure Jared will be glad to get me out of his way.”
Jared shrugged noncommittally, but he didn’t look happy. Probably annoyed about getting interrupted in the middle of... whatever that was about to be. Liar, you know exactly where that was headed.
Well, he’d just have to deal with it, because Grant had saved us from making a huge mistake. I was no prude, but one night stands definitely weren’t my style, and I was afraid that given the strength of my reactions to Jared, I would never be able to keep it simple between us.
It would be better to just get out of there before I went too far and my heart got involved. I had enough trouble keeping my life on track with just me to worry about. I didn’t need a crabby alpha-male with a penchant for spanking complicating things.
Grant shook his head.
“Sorry, babe, but I’m going to have to haul his ugly ass back with us.” He leveled a serious look at his brother. “There is no official evacuation, but Mom and Dad would skin me alive if they found out I left you out here and anything happened. The phones are flaky and the power is out. Grab your stuff and lets go.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed. He looked like he was about to argue. Typical.
I poked him in the chest with my finger. “Don’t you dare. You’d tell me the exact same thing and if I didn’t listen to you, you know damn well you’d call it stupid, so don’t act like you’re freakin’ Superman or whoever. Even the people in charge have to listen once in a while.”
Grant burst out laughing. “She’s known you all of a couple hours and already has your number nailed, bro. Give up now while you’re ahead. If you still are.” He clapped Jared on the shoulder. “I think I like her.”
Chapter Four
*** Jared ***
Watching Lauren walk into the hotel felt disturbingly like abandoning her. She’d been quiet the whole back back to town. Too quiet from what little he’d gotten to know of her, but Jared hadn’t know what to say, or even if it was his place to say it.
Shit. She wasn’t his girlfriend. Why did he have to keep reminding himself of that?
Taking her back had been the right thing to do. There were plenty of people in the hotel, and all of her things were there. It was where she was supposed to be, not camping out with a horny stranger in the dark. So why couldn’t he shake the nagging feeling of disappointment that felt like a hell of a lot more than just a bad case of blue balls?
“So you wanna tell me what I interrupted earlier?” Grant smirked, eyes on the road but mind apparently in the gutter. “I wasn’t about to say anything in front of Lauren, but you two were giving me flashbacks of when Dad caught you in the basement with Carol Hanson in 10th grade.”
Jared snorted. “No comment, and I think you mean when you ratted me out.”
