“See, you do have someone, after all,” Rory said. “I’ve never owned a dog.”
“They are great companions.”
“I bet,” Rory said. Maybe that was his problem.
If he had a dog, at least he’d have someone to go home to. His condo always seemed so empty even with Pat staying there. It’d be nice to have someone waiting for him.
He pictured himself walking into his home and finding a woman waiting for him. Not just any woman. Meg. But he knew she wouldn’t be. She’d been pretty up-front about her plans to leave. And that firefighting scared her. And that she didn’t want to risk hurting either of them.
And he’d gone after the wrong woman once before. Pursued her, convinced her to give him a chance and then watched as it all fell to pieces.
He liked to think he was a smart man, the kind who learned from his mistakes and didn’t keep repeating them. But that was before he craned his neck and saw Meg Starling walking slowly toward him in the crowded bar. She was wearing a scooped-neck blouse that clung to the curves of her breasts. She greeted the men at the table and everyone scooted around to make room for her. But rather than taking the empty seat she’d been offered, she walked over and put her hands on his shoulders.
“I’m here for this one,” she said.
It had taken a lot of courage for her to come in and get him. He’d heard people murmuring about her in the background. They were saying stuff about her wanting to be famous but that she’d ended up back here instead. That she was a cop’s daughter. That she’d followed a man to the big city but had come back alone.
None of that mattered to Rory. When he looked into those big cinnamon eyes, all he saw was the fact that she’d come for him. That she’d pushed aside her worries and her fears and decided to come after him.
Well, damn.
Rory followed her from his table out on to the porch area that overlooked the lake. The same moon he’d been staring at earlier still hung in the sky, but it seemed prettier now that Meg was by his side. She made him feel alive in a way that nothing else had for a long time.
He’d been living in a purgatory of sorts, not sure if his life would begin again or if he’d be cast back to hell. And then she arrived, with her red hair, freckles and sassy attitude and offered him hope. His choice was obvious. He had nowhere left to run.
But he didn’t want to run. Nothing had ever been clearer to him.
There it was. How had it happened? Obsession. It felt like that to him. The way he desperately craved her in his arms and wanted to know the feel of her lips under his again.
She sashayed over to the railing, leaned her elbows on the wooden ledge and looked over at him. She looked confident and sexy. Like a woman who’d made up her mind.
It was a heady feeling. He stood his ground, letting her make the first move. But it was all he could do to not close the gap between them in one long stride, take her in his arms and carry her away from prying eyes.
Instead, he put his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans and returned her come-hither look with a steady gaze of his own. “You’re here for me?”
“Yes. I am tired of pretending that two dates were enough for us. I want more,” she said.
“How much more?”
“Everything, I think.”
The wind on the lake picked up, blowing through the trees and making them whisper as they stirred her hair, blowing it around her face. She closed her eyes and turned her face into the breeze, letting it wash over her.
He did the same and felt the last bit of tension start to dissipate. This was what he’d needed. He hadn’t realized that before now. But she was a balm for his soul. He wasn’t quite sure if it would still be true after the night was over, but for now, it was enough.
“I’m still leaving if I’m offered a show,” she said. “And your job still scares me so, at some point, I might—”
“I get it,” he said. “This is just casual.”
“Not so casual that we see other people,” she said.
“I’m not interested in anyone but you.”
“Then come here,” she said with a grin. She crooked her finger at him. He took one step without thinking.
She might think she wasn’t any good at flirting, but she was doing okay tonight. Tempting him and turning him on.
“I figured you were getting as tired of waiting as I was,” she said at last.
“Waiting for what?” he asked, dropping his voice a little. It sounded rough and he remembered that she’d said she liked his voice. Her eyes were all over him and he knew it was more than his voice that she liked.
“You,” she said. “I just want to have one thing in my life that’s just for me . . . you know?”
“I’m just for you?”
“You could be, if you ever stop talking and get over here,” she said, tipping her head to the side. She reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The movement pulled the fabric across her chest taut against her breasts.
They were small and perky. Just the right size for his hands. Why the hell was he standing here? She should be in his arms. He was tired of fighting his instincts. She said she wouldn’t be hurt, and he wasn’t making any promises, so there was no reason to hold back.
But those damned eyes of hers looked a little too wild and a little too dangerous. Was she running from something? Running to something? He knew it wasn’t him. They didn’t know each other well enough for that.
But he wanted to know her. And for tonight, with the big moon watching over them, it seemed she wanted him, too.
He took two long steps and put his hands on the railing, trapping her, then slowly leaned in. He smelled coffee on her breath.
He closed his eyes and leaned in the slightest bit more, rubbing his chest over hers before pulling back and finding her mouth. This kiss was different than the ones they shared before. This one held a promise.
It was an invitation to know each other, intimately. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, and left no doubt that he wanted her to follow him. He opened his eyes and found hers half-closed. His breath caught in his throat. He’d never seen anything or anyone more beautiful than Meg.
Chapter Thirteen
SHE WANTED TO blame the full moon. But she knew there was only one reason she was standing here right now. Rory.
If she let herself think too much about what she was doing, she might back down. She knew herself well enough to realize that she already cared for him, summer fling or not.
He’d make leaving harder, but better that than have another regret. One more missed opportunity. She felt like the moon was cheering her on, the warm summer breeze urging her forward as his mouth moved over hers. He kissed her slowly and languidly as if they had all the time in the world.
In this moment, she wished they did. She would have liked nothing better than to stay in this moment on the lake with their bodies almost touching and their hearts racing.
She kept her eyes closed and let her senses take over. Her entire being was focused on the thrust of his tongue, the heat of his body and the scents of nature blowing around them.
He pulled back and she opened her eyes. His skin was flushed and his pupils dilated just the slightest bit. A soft slow smile spread over her lips. “Guess you wanted that kiss.”
“I have been dying for that kiss. It feels like forever since I held you in my arms. Are you sure about this?”
“I might need more than just that kiss,” she said, running her fingers along his sides.
She felt the solid muscle of his body under the fabric of his T-shirt. She liked the way he felt. How muscled he was. The inherent strength in his body and the confidence with which he carried himself turned her on like nothing else could.
“I’m here to serve,” he said. “It’s part of my job.”
“Kiss a lot of girls at work?” she asked, then wished she hadn’t mentioned his job. It brought back images she was trying to forget. Rory, hot and covered in soot, drinking water by the side of a burning house.
She tightened her hands at his waist, slipping her fingers through the belt loops on his jeans, and drew his hips forward so that his erection brushed her center. She went up on her tiptoes and bit his lower lip.
She didn’t want to remember that he had a dangerous job. She just wanted to make new memories with him, ones that would keep her turned on for years to come. He groaned deep in his throat, then he lifted her up on the railing and stepped between her legs.
He was in control. His tongue was back in her mouth and she tasted the beer he’d had earlier, mixed with that elusive taste that was simply Rory. She met his tongue, drawing him deeper into her mouth because she couldn’t get enough of him. She wanted so much more . . .
She let her hands move up to his shoulders, rubbing them over the hair at the nape of his neck, loving how it felt under her fingertips. She moaned a little when he lifted his mouth from hers. He leaned over and she felt his warm breath in the shell of her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
“I can’t get you out of my head,” he whispered.
“Me either,” she admitted. So much for keeping this just physical.
He kissed her again and this time it was demanding and almost savage. She had a fire inside of her that only he could put out. She wrapped her legs around his hips and twined her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the railing. She slowly slid down his body and looked up at him in the moonlight.
His lips were swollen and his breath was coming out in hard rasps. And he was watching her with an intensity that made her melt. He took her hand in his and led her off the porch around the side of the bar where the moon and prying eyes couldn’t see them. He stopped there in the shadows.
“Your place or mine?” he asked, his gruff voice arousing her already heightened senses. “I should warn you, my brother is staying with me.”
“Mine then,” she said. “Definitely mine.”
He groaned again as he drew her back into his arms, kissing her deeply and making her forget where they were. But they needed to get someplace private—fast. For this first time, she wanted everything to be perfect. Because it might also be the last time.
HE FOLLOWED HER back into town, down Main Street then onto a street lined with duplexes. She pulled into the driveway of the second house on the left. The front porch light was on and he could see that there were flower boxes under the windows on either side of the door. It was a sweet house, a home really. Seeing it, he couldn’t help but have a few doubts.
Despite what she’d said, could she really handle a no-strings affair? He was tempted to stay on his Harley and keep driving out of town.
But when she got out of her Toyota, closed the door and leaned back against it, he knew he wasn’t going anywhere. He pulled his bike into the driveway next to her car and shut it off. He took off his helmet and looked up to find her watching him with an unreadable gaze.
She didn’t say anything. Instead, she just walked up to the front door, opened it and went inside. Nothing could have stopped him from following. All he could think about was having her in his arms again.
He’d never felt desire like this before. He was on fire for her.
He stepped over the threshold and pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet. He brought his mouth down on hers in a carnal assault. She grabbed his hips as she had earlier, and he thrust forward, finding the notch between her thighs with his erection. God, he needed to get out of these jeans and into her.
But right now, the anticipation was exquisite. He cupped her butt and lifted her more fully against him as he leaned back against the wall. She put her hands on his shoulders and her nails dug into him as she shifted against him, thrusting her tongue deeper into his mouth.
He pulled his mouth from hers and dropped tiny kisses down the length of her neck. Then her hands tightened in his hair and she pulled his head back up to hers.
Her hands found the button on the front of his jeans. After popping it open, she slowly lowered his zipper. The feel of her fingers brushing over his cock made him harden even more.
She turned her hand and he felt her fingers reach lower and cup his balls. He thrust his hips against her hand and she gave him a gentle squeeze.
Not wanting to be the only one receiving pleasure, he slid her skirt up and stroked her backside. She shivered and bit his tongue as he let his touch slip lower, around between her legs.
He caressed her through her underwear before tugging it down her legs. She shifted as she worked them down and off. Then he stepped back and toed off his shoes. With a brazen look in those cinnamon eyes, she reached for the hem of her dress and drew it up and over her head. She shimmied around as she tossed it on the floor and then took her bra off, tossed it at him and then turned and walked down the hall.
He checked to make sure the front door was locked before following her down the hallway and into her bedroom. The moon poured in through the sheer curtains that covered her back windows. He glanced around the room and found Meg lying in the center of her bed. She’d left a lamp on in the adjoining bathroom, providing enough light for him to see that freckles covered Meg’s entire body.
He pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it on the large armchair in the corner. And then, slowly, he took off his jeans and underwear, savoring the moment as long as he could. He knew that once he had her in his arms again, it was going to be over quickly.
He walked toward her but she held up her hand. “Got a condom?”
What? He hadn’t planned on getting laid tonight and only now did he realize that he needed one. “No. I hadn’t planned on being seduced by you.”
She gave him a surprised smile. “Good thing I’m on the pill then. And I’m healthy. You?”
“Same,” he said. He came over to the bed and sat down next to her, running one hand over her thigh, tracing her freckles. Each one was a different size. Leaning down, he rubbed his tongue over the different patterns, tasting her skin and breathing the scent of her sex.
He’d had women before, but everything about Meg felt new. This was her taste, her touch and her kisses. He felt like he’d been reborn in the fire this afternoon.
He lifted his head and met her gaze. “Are you sure about this?”
“Surer than I am of anything else,” she admitted quietly. “I want you, Rory.”
A pulse of desire went through him, shaking him to his core. She straddled his lap to kiss him. He rubbed his hands over her naked body, loving the feel of her skin and the way she wasn’t shy about taking what she wanted.
That was a turn-on in itself. But then, everything about Meg was. She’d been different from the beginning. And he was still powerless to resist her.
She took him in her hand, stroking him. He shifted around on the bed until he leaned back against the headboard and then put his hands on her waist. If he got any harder, he thought he might explode and he didn’t want to do that until he was buried inside her sleek body.
He brought her hand to his mouth and pressed a warm hot kiss in the center before nibbling his way up her arm to her shoulder. Then, cupping her breasts, he lowered his head.
Her breasts were beautiful. He plumped them up and rubbed each of his thumbs over her nipples until they peaked and hardened under his touch. Then he leaned forward and suckled one of them. She put her hands on his shoulders.
Her fingers on the back of his neck moved in a light teasing pattern that sent shivers down his spine and made his hips jerk forward. But he was determined to make this night last. He wasn’t a kid anymore. This time, he wanted to make love to his woman and savor it.
But Meg was a fire in his sou
l, and taking it slowly didn’t seem to be in his vocabulary. She shredded his self-control and left him desperate for more of her touch. She moved over him, her warm center rubbing the length of his cock as she shifted on him.
He lifted his head from her breast and looked up at her. She’d shifted on him, moving so that the tip of his cock was poised to enter her body. Their eyes met. And then she leaned forward to kiss him as he slowly entered her body.
He gave over control and let her slide down on him until he was fully seated inside of her. He reached between their bodies and flicked his finger over her clit and felt her surprise as she tightened on his cock. Then, as he continued to caress her, she started to rock against him.
He put his hands on her waist and slowed her down, trying to draw the moment out, but she buried her fingers in his hair again, not letting him slow down. Pulling his head back, she leaned down and bit his lower lip, then sucked it into her mouth. The kiss was carnal and raw, and he stopped thinking of anything but the way she felt in his arms.
His thrust his hips forward, driving himself deeper inside of her, and still it wasn’t enough. He tore his mouth from hers, noticing that she’d braced her arms on the headboard and that now, her breasts were right in front of his face. He turned his head and suckled her nipple, while at the same time urging her to ride him harder and faster.
Still, he couldn’t get deep enough, couldn’t take her fast enough or hard enough. He lifted his head from her breast just as she gripped his shoulders and moved on him with more urgency. He felt a jolt in his body and suddenly he came. He’d wanted to wait but as he thrust up into her three more times, he felt empty. He couldn’t help it.
Her inner core gripped him as she continued to ride him, her nails biting into his shoulders. And then his name was a loud cry on her lips as she shuddered in his arms and fell forward to his shoulder. Her breath brushed over his neck and chest.
In The Heat 0f The Night (The O'Roarkes Duet Book 2) Page 12
