“Are you nervous?” she asked, watching his mouth crook.
“More than a little. It’s been a long time since I made love with a woman, Holly. And I know it’s been some time for you, too.”
“I feel better that we can be nervous together. Why did we wait so long?” she wondered, as she absorbed the strength of his arms beneath that soft fabric. Her heart thudded as he gave her a heated look.
“We need to take our time. That will help quiet our worries and nerves,” he murmured, moving his hands upward to unclip her red hair from behind her head. Her thick, silky strands tumbled around her shoulders.
Holly saw the pleasure gleam in Nick’s eyes as he watched her hair fall free. He laid the antique clip on a nearby dresser. Returning to her, he smoothed his hands across her shoulders, easing her hair to her back, watching her expression. Her skin rippled with shivery delight as he opened the pearl button behind her nape, loosening the dress and collar. Next came the zipper, which he nudged down slowly, his fingers trailing along her spine, inciting more fire within her lower body.
Her nerves faded beneath his exploring hands as he brushed them beneath the nubby fabric and his callouses grazed her awakening flesh. The shoulders of the dress fell away and she stepped back, allowing him to draw the sleeves off her arms and hands. Nick caught the dress, not allowing it to fall onto the floor. Instead, he gripped her left elbow and helped her step out of it.
“This is too pretty to lay on the floor,” he told her, releasing her and draping the fabric across the top of a chair. Turning, he held her gaze. “Do you know how gorgeous you are?”
Holly shook her head, feeling her whole being react to that low growl of his, his gaze consuming her once more from head to toe. “No, but I’m glad you like what you see.”
“I do, very much,” and he lifted the tee off and pulled it over his head. He placed it on the seat of the chair. Next came his jeans.
She had never seen his powerful legs, but her eyes were drawn to his boxer shorts, to the erection pressed against the material. Nick was just as beautiful in her eyes as she was to him. He was strong, well built, all muscle with not an ounce of fat on him. Making quick work of his dark blue socks, he straightened and walked over, enclosing her loosely within his arms.
“There, now we’re even.” He moved his hands to behind her bra, opening it, pulling the straps down her shoulders to her arms.
Her breath caught as her filmy, white silk bra fell away, revealing her breasts to him. Nick’s eyes grew dark and she could tell he more than liked what he saw. Trailing her fingers down through the dusting of dark hair across his well sprung chest, he tensed.
“You have no idea how good you feel to me,” he groaned.
She smiled a little, stepping away, easing her silky panties off her legs. “Oh,” she murmured, giving him a wry glance at his erection, “I think I do.” Her heart was in the mix as she gripped his hand, leading him to the bed. “I want to fulfill my dreams with you, Nick,” she whispered. “It’s time.”
If her dreams were torrid, the real life movement of his roughened hands across her flesh made her sizzle and ache. Because he was concerned with her comfort, he was lying on his back, lifting her up and over him. As her thighs bracketed his narrow hips, she settled on the warm, hard steel of his erection, her wetness gliding against him, making her moan in appreciation. She closed her eyes, pleasure zinging through her.
His hands cupped her small breasts and she leaned into his roughened palms. Feeling him pressing against her entrance, Holly was able to ease slowly down upon Nick, giving her body the time it needed to stretch and adjust. Even that movement heightened her building need of him. And when he framed her face, entrapping her, and drawing her down to his awaiting mouth, it was like melting wax meeting a red hot flame.
Nick lifted his hips as he drank her deeply into him, his mouth coaxing, strong and hungry, she lost all coherent thoughts, her hands pressed to his shoulders, a moan deep in her throat. His kiss was strong, cajoling, and as he slid into her, she became mindless, allowing her heart to lead her, instead. Even her dreams couldn’t rival his adoration of her and when Nick coaxed her first orgasm out of her, she cried out, raw pleasure tearing through her, rippling, making her soar into a heady atmosphere where only the glimmering stars existed.
His tenderness toward her continued as he later eased her onto her back, bringing him to climax. She had a second orgasm that nearly brought her to tears. Holly wasn’t sure where she was as that second orgasm exploded through her lower body. She felt Nick’s warm, strong arms cosseting her, their bodies fused in heat and molten pleasure, sending her somewhere beautiful where she’d never been before. Feeling almost faint from the intensity of the releases, his male scent surrounding her, his moist breath across her brow and mussed hair, fed her satiated body. Afterward, he’d eased out of her and pulled her into his arms.
How long she slept afterward, Holly had no idea. Nick’s soft breath against her nape, his arm around her waist, holding her close, brought simmering joy to her. He had spooned his body around hers, the thick, goose-down cover over them, warm. It was his quiet strength as he held her, protecting her, that was exclusive to their coupling, and Holly didn’t want this to end. She had loved Nick last night with everything she had, showing him without words, but with her body, just how much he meant to her.
Had she been hearing things as she drifted off to sleep? She swore she heard Nick whisper against her hair that he loved her—or had she made it up? Was it what she wanted to hear, not what he’d said?
Nick was perfect for her. Holly knew he had up and down days with his PTSD, his anxiety came and went, and she knew it would probably never go away. But he worked with her, communicated with her, telling her when he was feeling rough. Most men didn’t tell women that sort of thing, but he had, and Holly knew it meant that he trusted her, and that he knew she would be sensitive to when he was in a vulnerable state.
As she lay there in his embrace, his one arm beneath her neck, her back pressed to his chest and lower body, she luxuriated in their quiet moment. Did Nick love her? Did he really say those words? Or had she imagined hearing those words from him? If Nick knew of her dreams for them, he would probably just shake his head and give her that mirthful look of his. His eyes danced with amusement over her girlish spontaneity, but now, Holly realized that he enjoyed those moments. Was he regaining that childlike ability he’d lost in combat? She thought so, but wasn’t sure. At least, not yet.
Sighing softly, she felt Nick’s arm tighten marginally.
“I can hear you thinking, Holly,” he mumbled into her hair.
Hearing the smile in his voice, her lips lifted. “How could you know that?”
Stretching, Nick released her and moved her such that she was on her back, looking up at him, his long body against hers. “I could feel you thinking.”
“Hmmm,” she said, grazing the stubble across his cheek, “are you more dog than man? Dogs can feel all our emotions and know exactly what we’re feeling.”
He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her brow. “I don’t know. I’ve always seemed to have this invisible connection with you, Holly. From the day I met you, I wanted you to be mine.” His green eyes darkened as he held her luminous ones. “And you are.”
“I want more of you, more sharing, Nick. Don’t you?” It took all her courage to ask, but Holly knew if she didn’t, she’d waffle, worry, and drive herself crazy. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if Nick said no. He’d loved her so well last night, as if she were this priceless, one-of-a-kind being, and she felt her heart explode with what she knew to be love for him. Watching his face, those sculpted lips of his curve, that deviltry enter his eyes, she relaxed, knowing the answer was yes.
“I’ve wanted exactly what we’re sharing right now with you from the get-go, Holly. I won’t lie to you. I saw you and it was lust.” Nick picked up a strand of her crimson hair, nudging it away from her cheek. “You were this red-haired vixen-
fairy. At least, that’s how I saw you the first time we met.” He smoothed the curl up and over her delicate ear. “The more I discovered about you, the more my heart became involved, as well.”
“I’ve become more than just a bedmate?”
“That and so much more,” he admitted thickly, holding her shimmering gaze. “When I wake up in the morning I know you’re close by. I know I’ll probably get to spend all or part of a day with you because of my classes.” He caressed her warm, flushed cheek. “You grew into my heart, Holly. You possess my heart.”
Her lips parted, her heart thundering suddenly as she stared disbelievingly into his intense gaze. “Then,” she whispered, “I wasn’t wrong.”
“Wrong about what?”
“I thought I heard you whisper that you loved me just before I dropped off to sleep in your arms, after we made love.” She saw his mouth curve, a gleam in his green eyes.
“I did. And I do love you, Holly McGuire.”
Chapter Six
December 12
“There she is!” Holly said excitedly. Every day, they made three stops between the two red-brick business buildings to see if Lady was at the other end of it, waiting for them to deliver her food. Today, two weeks after they had made love for the first time, Nick was now on Christmas break from college. He was driving her to her shut-ins three times daily and she loved having his company. Snowflake stood between the two seats of the van, whining because he knew what they were going to do.
Nick slowed and pulled over to the curb. The snow lay in the alley and he could see Lady waiting for them at the other end. “Good,” he said, putting the van in park. “Are you ready to try our next step in trying to get her to come to us?”
“You bet,” Holly said eagerly.
“Lady is less skittish around you,” Nick said. “I’m going to put Snowflake on his long leash and we’ll go out together. I’ll want you to go put the food down for her and let’s see what she does.”
“Do you think seeing Snowflake will scare her off?”
“I don’t know. But you go put the food where you always do and then back off and stay with us. We’ll see how she responds.”
Trying to contain her excitement, Holly climbed out. Nick put the leash on Snowflake, now practically leaping up and down in the back of the van. They had just finished their lunch route for their shut-ins and were on their way back to the charity. The van’s doors slid open on both sides and Nick led Snowflake out one side while Holly got the bowl of dried food and sprinkled some leftover turkey on top of it for Lady.
It was cold, in the twenties, the wind blowing through the valley where Hamilton sat. As she pulled the plastic dog bowl into her gloved hands, she was glad to have her thick, knitted cap on her hair and a muffler around her neck. It hadn’t snowed since last week, much of it melting, making it easy to walk between the two buildings.
Nick kept Snowflake on a short leash at his side, their boots crunching on the snow as they moved into the alley. He was glad to know that the five-thousand people who lived in this small mountain town knew they were trying to coax Lady into becoming tame enough so that they could get her into the no-kill shelter. He saw her at the other end, watching them. Her ears perked up at seeing Snowflake at his side.
“She’s spotted Snowflake,” he told Holly, who walked a few-feet away from them.
“Yes, and she looks really alert about it.” She gave Nick a warm look. “I think she’s lonely. Maybe not for humans, but for another dog who could be her companion?”
“I don’t know.” He halted and said, “Go to your regular spot where you feed her and come back. Let’s see what she does.”
Following his directions, Holly walked forward, speaking softly to Lady, who seemed to know her name. She stood waiting, her gaze fixed on the bowl in Holly’s hands. Crouching down, Holly put the bowl up against one brick building. She had a second bowl and a thermos of warm water for the dog, as well. It took her about five minutes to get the water into the other bowl. Glancing down the alleyway, she saw Lady had come forward. Thrilled, she smiled.
“Hi, sweetie,” she called. “Come and get your food and water. Some nice turkey is waiting for you.”
Lady was within six-feet of her. Holly smiled at the Lab looking her over. The dog had gained weight from their feedings three times a day, and her fur was no longer rough looking, but thick and probably warmer. “Hey, we have Snowflake with us today. I know you can see him. He’s a wonderful dog and I know you’ll love him, too.”
Holly slowly stood up, not wanting to startle the dog. “There. Come and eat, okay?” she said, smiling into the dog’s golden-brown eyes.
Backing off, she moved to Nick’s side, watching Lady swiftly move to the bowls. To her surprise, she lapped up all the water in the first bowl. “She’s thirsty,” Holly said.
“Yeah,” Nick murmured. He heard Snowflake whine. The dog stood at his right leg, unmoving, his gaze riveted on the yellow Lab scarfing her food down. “I’m glad we can do this for her. The Bitterroot River is nearby, but the edges of it are frozen ice. It would make it tough for Lady to go out on that ice to try and get to some water to drink. It could break and she’d drown. I worry about that.”
“Me too. Did you see how close she came to me?”
He smiled a little. “Yes, that’s a good sign. There’s no question that Lady was abused by a man or men. She’s trusting you more and more every day, Holly.”
“I would give anything to get her into my apartment and let her live with us.”
He watched Lady gulping the food, not even chewing it. That was a sign the dog had been starved. “Let’s take one step at a time,” he murmured. “I’m not sure she’ll ever feel safe enough to move into a building. She might feel trapped and not have an exit. That could make her go wild.”
Nodding, Holly said, “I just feel so sad for her, Nick.”
He slid his arm around her shoulders, drawing her against his left side. “You’re the chief softy in our family.”
She chuckled, and happily pressed up against him, loving the feel of his arm around her. “You have a heart of gold, too, Conway, and I know that.” She gazed up into his eyes filled with adoration. Her lower body warmed because they had made love earlier in the morning. She had asked Nick to sleep with her nightly if he wanted. Even though they had two apartments, he spent most of his time over at hers.
She loved their shared evenings with Snowflake, either with the dog in the living room lying nearby, or later when they went to bed and he lay on his huge doggie bed in the corner of the kitchen. Most of all, she looked forward to long, searching talks with Nick, whenever an important subject arose.
“She’s finished eating,” Nick said, lifting his chin in the direction of Lady. “Now, she’s interested in Snowflake. That’s a good sign.”
“Is it?” she asked, her voice hushed, her arm tightening a little around Nick’s waist.
Snowflake’s whole world was focused on Lady, who stood, looking torn between leaving and coming closer to where the couple stood. He whined, his stub and whole butt madly wriggling.
Nick lifted his arm away from Holly. “Let’s see what Lady will do if I allow Snowflake to move closer to her on his leash. We’ll do it slowly, so as not to startle her.”
Holly stood, her gloved hands pressed to her coat, watching as Nick slowly crouched down and touched Snowflake’s head. Then, he urged him to move forward with a command. Instantly, the dog started toward Lady. Nick kept his shepherd on a tight line so he wouldn’t happily charge the Lab like a playful puppy. Holly pressed her hand to her lips to stop from making a sound of joy as Snowflake reached the end of his leash, straining, only two-feet away from Lady. The Lab stood there, eyeing him. And then, a miracle happened.
Lady wagged her long, thick yellow tail in slow, wide arcs.
Nick grinned and whispered, “Another good sign, Holly. She wants to be friends with him.”
Lady came forward and pressed her nose into Sn
owflake’s nose.
Both dogs wagged their tails even more vigorously.
Tears filled Holly’s eyes and she rapidly blinked them away. “Oh, Nick! Look!”
He gave a low chuckle, nodding. “They like each other, but they’re male and female, so that’s part of the reason.”
Holly stood watching the two dogs. Snowflake strained to sniff more than Lady’s nose, but the leash prevented him from moving any closer to her. But Lady had no leash, so she walked up to Snowflake, sniffing his head, his neck, and finally, his behind. This was all doggy greeting and it made Holly smile beneath her gloved hand. Glancing down, she saw Nick watching them, satisfaction in his expression.
“This is so good!” she whispered.
“It is,” he agreed, smiling up at her.
For the next five minutes, they watched the dogs introduce themselves to one another. Snowflake seemed to realize his normal bounciness and eagerness would scare Lady off. Instead, he stood very still while she sniffed him from stem to stern. Lady’s tail never stopped wagging. Holly sniffed, wiping her eyes, overjoyed because Lady had so little and had obviously suffered so much.
Nick slowly pulled Snowflake away on the leash and Lady followed them.
“How close do you think she’ll come?” Holly asked in a hushed tone.
“I don’t know. We’ll find out. She likes Snowflake, trusts him. You can see her looking at us, and then at him. She’s probably figuring that if Snowflake likes us, we’re trustable, too. At least, I hope that’s what she’s thinking.”
“She doesn’t look scared, Nick. She looks like she really wants to stay with Snowflake.”
Dog Tags for Christmas Page 8
