“Sorry to say I was right...no blanket,” Nathan said, coming up behind her. “This should help.”
She started to turn, then felt a weight settle on her shoulders. It was his jacket, the warm fleece lining making her sigh with contentment. Then his arms came around her and she leaned back against his strong chest. Her sigh deepened to a moan of pleasure.
“Better?” His quiet murmur glided over the skin near her ear, followed by the light pressure of his lips.
“You’re spoiling me,” she whispered, tilting her head and exposing the side of her neck to his trail of kisses.
His lips moved down to her shoulder. “Don’t set the bar so low.”
His heat and scent enveloped her, and she shivered, holding on to his arm—the one pressed across the top of her breasts.
“Are you still cold?”
“No. Different kind of shiver,” she said, and laughed. It registered that the arm she was clutching was covered only by his flannel shirtsleeve. “Hey, take your jacket.”
She tried to move but he kept her trapped against his body.
“Shh...” He tightened the arm around her waist. “I’m fine.” He kissed her jaw. “But you should probably stop wiggling.”
“Probably?”
His mouth curved in a smile, the movement slow and incredibly erotic against her sensitized skin. When he lifted his head, she nearly begged him not to stop. “Are you getting your fill of stars?”
“Never. Look.” She leaned back, motioning with her chin. “Do you see Ursa Major?”
“Ah, the Great Bear.”
She turned her head to look at him, ridiculously pleased that he recognized the constellation. “It’s so cool you know that.”
“Don’t get too excited. I remember it’s part of the Little Dipper and that’s about it.”
“From school?”
“Camping with my brothers. Seth was into astronomy and used to point out the different constellations. How did you get interested?”
“When I was a kid I would lie on my back in the grass for hours trying to count stars.” She returned her gaze to the sky. In another week Ursa Major wouldn’t be visible. “I swore I could see patterns beyond the few constellations I already knew and used the library computer to do some poking around.”
“You said you grew up in Billings?”
“A few miles north of the city.”
“On a ranch?”
“I wish. I wanted a horse so badly I actually had dreams about riding.” She hesitated. “I lived in a trailer park when I was a kid...with Candace and my mom, even Liberty until she was three,” Beth said, and waited for his reaction.
“You still like horses?” he asked without missing a beat.
She should’ve known he wouldn’t care where she’d come from. “Love them. Rachel McAllister promised to take me riding, though I’m still a beginner.”
“I’ll take you,” he murmured, his arm tightening around her. It wasn’t a suggestion. His tone and body language were undeniably possessive. Nathan clearly had decided riding lessons were his job. And while it made her pulse quicken, she wasn’t sure how she felt about this subtle shift.
“That might be difficult. You know, with Liberty,” she said, watching a cloud pass over the moon. She felt his hot breath on her nape, felt the light graze of stubble near her ear, and she briefly closed her eyes.
“We’ll make it work.”
“I’ll admit, I’m jealous that I haven’t seen your Arabians.”
“You will.” He cupped a breast through her clothes, then circled his thumb over the hardened nipple.
Her breath caught. “Are we crazy for standing out here?”
“Yes.” He slid his other hand down to the top of her jeans.
They were tight. He wouldn’t get in there without unzipping her, and she hadn’t decided if she wanted him to yet. Between the jacket and his body heat, she was pleasantly warm. But he had to be cold.
“We should go,” she said, and felt his lips on her neck just as she tried to break away. Oh, they weren’t going anywhere soon.
He slid his hand down her tummy, his fingers dipping between her thighs while he rubbed her through the denim.
She was already damp. Could he feel it through the thick fabric? She moved her hips, putting pressure on his erection, and heard his sharp intake of breath. He scraped his teeth over her skin and then caught her earlobe, a gentle pressure that sent shivers racing through her body.
“Nathan,” she murmured, her voice reduced to a breathless whisper. “This is nuts. I know it was my idea to stop but—”
The snap on her jeans gave. She gasped at the feel of his palm on her bare belly. The zipper was half-open and he touched her through her damp panties, stroking her while kissing her neck and holding her steady with one arm.
Beth wanted to tell him to wait, even if all they did was make it back to the truck, but all she could manage was a helpless whimper. He kept kissing her, along the line of her jaw, her neck, her shoulder, anywhere his mouth could reach, using his tongue and teeth, yet taking his time until the whole world faded away.
He slipped his fingers inside her panties, and she arched her back, pressing her bottom against his hard cock. Groaning, he plunged a finger inside her.
“I want you,” he whispered hoarsely. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”
Her knees buckled but he held on to her. “Nathan, please—oh...”
“What, Beth? Tell me what you want.”
It wasn’t fair...what the vibration of his lips against her skin could do to her. She’d lost track of what she’d been about to say. Something to do with being sensible, about wanting to go find that motel, but she also wanted relief...
From the raw desire spreading through her veins, from the pressure that was building and building...
She tried to squeeze her thighs together. The fever surging through her body was too much. Too fast. Too frightening. Just a bit of relief, that was all she needed. Just so she could think, so she wouldn’t completely shatter.
He wasn’t having it. His fingers probed deeper and his thumb kept circling...
Suddenly, it was as if the entire sky lit up. Like a hundred lightning flashes. Like the stars had all burst into white-hot flames. She gasped and tried to move away from his hand. Except she was moving against him and he was plunging his fingers faster and deeper. And his thumb...
Oh, God.
It seemed she would never stop convulsing. And when she finally did, Nathan’s arm pinning her against him was the only thing keeping her from crumbling to the ground.
After a few moments, she managed to turn around and take his face in her hands. She kissed him hard. He kissed her back until her knees started to buckle again.
“Let’s go,” he said, his voice rough as sandpaper.
He drew her toward the SUV. Twice they had to stop to retrieve his jacket after it slid from her shoulders, making him cuss and her giggle. Once they were on the highway again, they didn’t waste energy talking. Nathan concentrated on driving and they made the rest of the fifteen-minute trip in ten.
The small motel parking lot was mostly empty, and he took the stall in front of number 9, three doors from the office. She waited in the SUV while he checked them in, still in the throes of afterglow. Barely a minute had passed before she saw him headed back toward her. Had he been turned away? Confused, she glanced at the flashing red vacancy sign. Then she saw the plastic key ring in his hand and she climbed out and went around to the back of the Range Rover.
Nathan met her there, but before she could lift the hatch, he grabbed her hand and drew her toward room 9.
“But our bags...”
“Later.”
She tried not to laugh when he had trouble inserting the metal key into the lock. “Need help?”
He answered with a glare, then pushed the door open.
Pressing her lips together, she preceded him into a cute, clean room done in rust and tan. “N
ot bad.”
The door didn’t quite slam.
She turned around when she heard the dead bolt. Nathan was right there, reaching for her, his nostrils flaring, his dark eyes fierce and hungry. He caught her shoulders and pulled her toward him, letting his hands slide down her arms as he kissed her. She wasn’t fooled by his restraint, by the hands loosely cupping her elbows. He’d said he wanted her, and she could feel every tension-riddled ounce of that desire radiating from his body.
He deepened the kiss, and when he lowered his hands, she looped her arms around his neck. He went for the zipper of her jeans, then yanked them down and off with a swiftness that left her stunned and breathless. It took him only seconds to strip off the rest of her clothes, less than a minute to get rid of his...boots included.
They yanked the covers back together. He had a condom out before she’d crawled between the sheets.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, a faintly amused smile tugging at his mouth.
“What?” She eyed his erection and felt her heart thump as she pulled the sheet up to her breasts. Good thing he was already tearing a foil packet open. “You prefer to go back outside?”
“What I prefer,” he said, “is to see you.” He jerked the sheet out of her hand.
Laughing, she tried to snatch it back. But he’d already sent it sailing to the foot of the bed.
“That’s better.” He ran his gaze down her body, and she watched his cock twitch.
“Don’t put the condom on yet.” She lifted her gaze to his face. “Please.”
“Beth...” He let out a shaky breath. “I’m not going to last.”
“I know. Just for a minute.” She extended a hand, wanting him closer, and when he hesitated, she gave him a seductive smile and lightly pinched her left nipple.
“Dammit,” he muttered, crawling beside her, only to stroke his tongue up her breast until she moved her hand.
She cried out when he clamped his teeth around the nipple she’d used to taunt him. Not hard, just enough to make his point. He started to suckle her but she shoved him away.
“Lie back,” she ordered.
“Bethany,” he drawled, his voice a low, rough growl. “Bad idea.”
“You don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I think I do.”
She just smiled and pushed him onto his back.
Reaching behind his head, he adjusted the pillow. The way his biceps flexed made her swallow. When she moved down to his aroused cock, her mouth went so dry another swallow wasn’t an option. “What ever happened to ‘no means no’?”
“Seriously?” She shifted her gaze to his face. “You really don’t want me to...?”
His expression torn, he sighed. “Well, damn.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said, and leaned over, bracing a hand on his hard-ridged belly, then licking the silky head of his cock.
Nathan shuddered even before she took him into her mouth. She slid her lips halfway down, felt the tension pulsing through his body, felt the straining muscles beneath her palm. She slid her mouth down as far as she could, then back up, then sucked lightly. Groaning, he curled his fingers around her arm.
She didn’t think he necessarily wanted her to stop, but she lifted her head and looked at him. “What do you want, Nathan?”
He locked gazes with her and tugged her arm, bringing her face closer to his. “To be inside you,” he murmured, his voice low and mesmerizing, his lips lifting in a faint but self-assured smile. “And a rain check.”
Their mouths met, open and hungry, her breasts pressed against his muscled chest, the soft yet crisp hair tickling her nipples every time she tried to take a breath. She didn’t know how he’d managed it so quickly, but he was already slipping on a condom.
Her skin tingled. Everywhere. Places he hadn’t touched yet. Places that shouldn’t tingle at all.
He took hold of her hips and lifted her until she straddled him. She bent to kiss him, parting her lips for his hot, demanding tongue as she reached between them and positioned him against her, then slid down. All the way.
Letting out a harsh breath, he froze. “Jesus,” he murmured. His shoulders, his chest, his whole body trembled. He squeezed her hips; the pressure of his fingers digging into her flesh was almost too much, but then he loosened his grip.
Beth lifted up, and he bucked up to stay with her. He moved his hands and closed them over her breasts. The rough texture of his work-hardened palms against her tender flesh made her quake, made her clench. His head went back. He shut his eyes and groaned.
She splayed her hands on his chest and rocked against him. Slowly, finding a steady rhythm, seeking that perfect angle that would drive them both crazy.
Nathan opened his eyes, barely; his lids seemed too heavy to lift all the way. But the smile was back...a little feral, a little arrogant. “You’re killing me.”
“Well, now, that wouldn’t work out for either of us,” she said, and imagined her smile was a bit haughty, as well.
The right corner of his mouth hiked a tad higher. But he just watched her, his slitted eyes giving nothing away while he gently kneaded her breasts. She kept rocking, one time leaning forward far enough to take a nip at his chin. His expression didn’t change, but she wasn’t fooled. He was up to something. This time when she rocked back, she arched as far as possible, giving him quite a view.
The noise he made sounded as if it came from a wild animal. Just as she moved to center position, he thrust up into her and she almost lost her balance. She’d thought she’d taken him in all the way. She was wrong. Very wrong. Another thrust and she had to cover her mouth to keep from being too loud.
His arms came around her, and hugging her to his chest, he turned them over so she was on her back. He pushed in so hard she slapped at the pillows and mattress, looking for something to hold on to. Nathan touched her face. “You okay?”
She nodded and held her breath. Again, he came in hard, stretching her to her limit. It seemed as though he was barely moving. And yet the short, deep thrusts were pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
“God, Beth, you feel so good.” His raspy murmur glided across her cheeks and lips. “I can’t hold off any—” He kissed her hard then buried himself so deep it left her breathless.
His hands were braced on either side of her, his arms straining, his head thrown back. He kept moving inside her, longer than she’d expected, his chest heaving from the violence of his climax.
Her body flushed hot, blazing hot, and she started to spasm. She squirmed beneath him, the searing heat threatening to torch them both. He slowly brought his chin down and looked at her, watched her shatter into a million tiny pieces. The tenderness in his eyes as they convulsed against each other made it impossible for her to swallow.
No man had ever...
It was the climax, she told herself, and closed her eyes, waiting for her body to calm down.
A second after the last spasm died, he touched her cheek.
Like a coward, Beth kept her eyes shut tight.
15
THE INSTANT NATHAN noticed the estate-sale sign, he squeezed the hand he’d rested on her thigh, hoping to distract her.
“Oh, look. Another one. Wow, we’ve really hit the jackpot today.”
Sighing, he moved his hand back to the steering wheel so he could make the turn. No use arguing with her. Even if he couldn’t stomach one more garage packed with junk, he wouldn’t try to talk her out of it. She’d looked so happy poking around all the weird items people were trying to sell. He suspected it had less to do with a desire to shop and more to do with getting away from the boardinghouse and her sister.
“I heard that sigh and I don’t feel bad. Not one bit.” She grinned. “This was your idea.”
“To stop at the first one, yeah. Five hours ago.”
“Look on the bright side. The last two were yard sales, this says estate. Maybe the stuff will be better.”
Yeah, he wasn’t
buying it. They’d already been to both, and the only difference he’d noticed was the size of the garages.
“Okay, this is the last one, I promise.” She leaned across the console and kissed his cheek. “And I’ll make it up to you.”
That got his attention. He made the turn, then slid her a smile. Her bottom lip was still slightly puffy from a few hard kisses. He felt like shit about that. “You know I’m teasing. I don’t mind stopping. You did find the ottoman and a couple of nice prints for your lobby.”
Frowning, she shrank back to her side. “Don’t worry about my lip. It’s fine.”
He found the house hosting the sale, pulled the SUV behind two parked cars and cut the engine. “I am sorry I was rough with you. It won’t happen again. But that’s not why I said I don’t mind stopping.”
She glanced down at her hands, then out her window. Almost as if she didn’t want to meet his eyes.
“Beth? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She rubbed her temple. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. “You weren’t rough with me. We were in the moment. Are we supposed to hold back? Tell me if the rules have changed.” She glanced at him. “Oh, God, I’m sorry. You’re being so great and I’m being crabby. But it has nothing to do with you.”
“Want to talk about it?” Did he? Nathan wasn’t so sure he did. But then, lack of communication had been one of the problems with his marriage. “It might make you feel better.”
“Maybe. You know what...I think I’m done.” She looked toward the modest brick house. An elderly man standing outside the open garage waved to them. Beth sighed and waved back. “I would feel awful driving away now, but this is the last one.”
“Not on my account, I hope.”
Shaking her head, she opened her door. “Let’s go see what treasures await us.”
He smiled, got out and followed her up the short driveway. She seemed to be in a better mood, but something had gotten her down. Whatever the problem, if it helped her to talk about it, he’d listen. In fact, he wanted to be her sounding board. That would shock anyone who knew him. But this new attitude wasn’t about him. He hadn’t suddenly undergone a personality overhaul. This was about Beth and giving her an opportunity to vent.
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