Runaway Temptation

by Maureen Child

  “I’ll go when I’m ready,” Jared said. “You don’t worry me, Mackenzie.”

  “I should, though.” Caleb wrapped one arm around Shelby’s shoulders and pulled her in to his side. “I work hard for a living, Goodman. You push papers. So don’t try to throw your weight around in my place.”

  Jared’s gaze fixed on the way Caleb was holding her.

  “That’s right. Shelby’s with me, now, Jared.” She stiffened against him and Caleb hoped to hell that she for once, didn’t start talking. “She ended your relationship when she ran out on the wedding. So I don’t want to see you back here again. You had some things to say and you said them. So now you can go.”

  “That’s why you walked out?” Jared demanded hotly, ignoring Caleb to focus on Shelby. “You expect me to believe you left me for him?”

  “You can believe whatever you want,” Caleb said before Shelby could speak.

  “This is ridiculous.”

  Caleb dismissed him, bent to Shelby and gave her a fast, hard kiss to prove to Jared that he was telling the truth. And with the taste of her in his mouth, he turned to glare at the other man. “Now get out before I toss you out.”

  Jared looked at Shelby. “You bitch.”

  Caleb took a step forward and was pleased to see Jared skitter backward. “That’s it. Go.”

  He did, storming across the room and out the door, slamming it behind him just to continue the child-having-a-tantrum attitude. Before the echo of that loud slam had faded, Shelby pushed away from Caleb and stared up at him.

  “Why did you do that?” She lifted both hands to her temples and squeezed. “It just makes everything harder. I was handling him. I didn’t need help.”

  Caleb remembered the look on Jared’s face as he towered over Shelby and he wasn’t so sure about that. Even the most timid dog finally bit if it was pushed too far.

  “Not how it looked to me,” Caleb said, gazing down into worried green eyes. “Jared was just getting madder by the second and with a man like him, you can’t trust his reactions.”

  “He wouldn’t have hurt me!” She seemed astonished at the thought.

  “He won’t now, anyway,” Caleb agreed.

  Frowning, Shelby seemed to think about that for a second or two. Then something else occurred to her. “The Goodmans still have my clothes. My money. Do you think he’s going to be helpful now?” Letting her hands drop, she sighed. “Now he thinks we’re a couple and that’s just going to make this an even bigger mess.”

  “Maybe.” Caleb pulled his hat off and tossed it onto the nearest table. He hadn’t really been thinking about what Jared might believe or what he might do down the road. Hadn’t been thinking much at all. It was pure instinct that had driven him across the room to stand between Shelby and potential danger.

  He’d acted on impulse and Caleb couldn’t even say he was sorry about it. He dropped both hands on her shoulders and held on tight. “I don’t give a damn what he thinks. No one comes into my house and bullies you. Nobody.”

  She slumped a little and gave him a smile that was part pleased and part impatience. “That’s really sweet, but didn’t I tell you I don’t need you to protect me?”

  “Yeah, but turns out, I needed to protect you.”

  “Oh, Caleb. You realize this is only going to make the Goodmans even more furious with me.” She chewed at her bottom lip. “Jared will tell his parents what you said and his mother will be spreading even more gossip. And now, you’ve told her she was right all along and that I’m with you.”

  “She already thought it. Remember?”

  “Now she has your word on it. And then you just had to kiss me in front of Jared.”

  “He’s not real bright,” Caleb mused. “Thought he could use a visual aid.”

  “It’s not funny, Caleb,” she said, though her mouth curved briefly. Shaking her head, she said, “They’ll never give me back my things now. And Jared’s still got my money. I can’t find a place to live or start a business or even move back to Chicago without that money.”

  Caleb frowned when she mentioned moving away. He hadn’t really thought about it, but there was nothing holding her in Royal—or Texas, for that matter. She’d come to get married and now that she wasn’t...well, hell.

  “That what you’re planning?” he asked. “To move back to Chicago?”

  She looked up at him. “Honestly, I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. What’s the point? I can’t plan anything until I have access to my money.”

  Not an answer, but it wasn’t important, was it? Hadn’t he been trying to avoid her for days? So why should he care if she moved out of state? Wouldn’t that be the perfect ending to this situation? Shaking his head, he shoved those thoughts aside and got back to the matter at hand.

  “The bank emailed you the receipt for the sale of your house, for the deposit,” Caleb reminded her. “If Nate doesn’t get the money for you, the judge will have the Goodmans turn it over.”

  She blew out a breath and nodded. “That’s true. I have proof that the money is mine. They can’t keep it. And I know I shouldn’t get so worked up over Jared, but this is all my fault. I never should have said yes when he proposed but it seemed right at the time, you know?”

  She wasn’t looking for a conversation, Caleb knew. This was another rant and damned if he wasn’t starting to enjoy them.

  “I never meant to pull you into the middle of all this, Caleb,” she said, pushing one hand through her hair. “You were just being nice and I told you I didn’t need to be defended, but it was really sexy when you came in and kissed me and told Jared to get out, and it shouldn’t have been, but I can’t help how I feel about it, can I?

  “I mean, it’s so old-world cowboy movie for you to come striding in with your hat and your stoic expression and be all—” she scrunched up her face and deepened her voice “—‘That’s my woman, so back off,’ and for some reason, it made my stomach do a dip and spin that took my breath away—”

  That’s my woman. He hadn’t meant it like that. Not really. He was pretty sure. But Caleb could admit that seeing Jared looming over Shelby, bullying her just by being bigger and taller than her had really pissed him off, so that all he could think to do was stand in front of her. To get rid of Jared so her face wouldn’t look so damn pale.

  And now, all he wanted was for her to quiet down and the best way to do that, he’d already discovered, was...

  He kissed her.

  Like he had out on the range, one hand in her dark auburn curls, holding her head still so he could take his time and indulge in the taste of her. And in less than a second, she was kissing him back, hooking one leg around his, snaking her arms around his waist and holding on. His tongue caressed hers. He took her breath as his and gave her back his own. Then held her so tightly, he could feel the soft, full mounds of her breasts against his chest. Her hips ground into his, spiking the ache in his groin to epic proportions. He’d never known the kind of want she inspired in him. Never experienced the kind of desperation pushing at him.

  He lifted his head, looked down into those grass-green eyes of hers and saw them shining with the same kind of pulsing desire hammering at him. “I want you, Shelby. Right the hell now.”

  “What took you so long?” She grinned, then kissed him, opening her mouth to him, tasting him as he had her. Her hands went to his belt. He felt her unhook the damn thing and undo the top button of his jeans. Then she tugged the hem of his shirt free and slid her hands up beneath the fabric to stroke her palms across his chest.

  He sucked in a gulp of air, lifted his head and smiled. “Glad you cleared out this room so nicely. Because that couch is a hell of a lot handier than a bedroom.”

  “Yes,” she said on a breathy sigh and flicked her thumbs across his flat nipples.

  He gritted his teeth and felt every drop of blood in his body rush to his g
roin. He was hard and aching and if he didn’t have her in the next few minutes, Caleb was sure he’d die.

  In two steps they were at the couch and he tipped her back onto it in one smooth motion. She landed with a thump and laughed up at him.

  Her eyes were shining, her delectable mouth curved in a smile that promised all sorts of wicked things. When she tore off her tank top to reveal a skimpy piece of sky blue lace covering her breasts, he couldn’t look away. Then she unhooked the front of the bra and let the delicate cups slide away, baring her breasts to him. In the cool, air-conditioned room, her dark pink nipples peaked instantly and Caleb didn’t waste a second. He came down on top of her and took first one of those nipples, then the other, into his mouth. His lips, tongue and teeth tormented her while she writhed and panted beneath him.

  She tugged at his shirt so furiously that he finally paused long enough in his enjoyment of her body to rise up and let her pull the shirt off. Then her hands were on him. Small, smooth, strong. She stroked, caressed and scored his skin with her short nails while he again suckled at her breasts.

  “God you smell good,” he whispered, lingering to give one nipple another licking kiss.

  She shivered. “So do you.”

  Caleb laughed. “No I don’t.” He half pushed up from her. “Just wait. Give me five minutes in a shower and I’ll be back—”

  “No, you’re not going anywhere,” she said, shaking her head against the brown leather couch. She licked her lips, let her fingers trail down his chest, across his flat abdomen to the button fly of his jeans.

  Caleb went perfectly still. He felt every skimming touch of her hands as she worked the buttons free, one by one. And with each inch of freedom gathered, his dick hardened further. Finally, she reached down and curled her small, strong hand around him and squeezed, while stroking up and down his length.

  Caleb dropped his forehead to hers and took deep, deliberate breaths. If he didn’t maintain control, he’d explode before he’d done what he’d been dreaming of doing to her. Reaching down, he grabbed her hand and held it pinned to the couch above her head.

  “Don’t. You’ll push me over the edge and I want to stay there for a while.”

  His free hand dropped to the waistband of the knee-length white shorts she wore and quickly undid the snap and zipper. One glance told him her skimpy panties matched the blue lace bra and everything inside him twisted in response. One time, he wanted to see her dressed only in those wisps of lace. But now, he wanted her in nothing.

  He slid down the length of her body, trailing kisses and long, slow licks as he went. She shivered again and he loved it. His hands tugged her shorts and panties free and when she was naked, he took a long moment to simply enjoy the view.

  “Slide that bra all the way off,” he ordered.

  She ran her tongue slowly across her bottom lip, then lifted off the couch high enough to pull the bra off and drop it to the floor. When she stretched out on the couch again, she crooked a finger.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  “Yeah, I am.” He kept his gaze fixed with hers while he quickly stripped, so he saw the flash of pleasure dart across her eyes when she saw him, long and hard and ready.

  Her hips rose off the couch in eager anticipation. She planted her feet, parted her legs more widely and whispered, “Be inside me, Caleb.”

  Four little words that tore him to pieces. There was simply nothing he wanted more. But first... He took hold of her thighs, held them wide and looked at the core of her, hot and pink and wet. She was as ready as he was and that pushed him over that dangerous edge he’d been clinging to.

  He bent his head to her, covering her center with his mouth, tasting her, licking at her, nibbling until she was whimpering, rocking her hips and softly begging him for what he wouldn’t give her. Not yet.

  Again and again, he teased her, tormented her, relishing every sigh and groan she made. She reached down and threaded her fingers through his hair as she cried his name brokenly.

  He rode the power of her passion until he was nearly blind with the need choking him and only then did Caleb rise up, cover her body with his and slide into her heat.

  He pushed deep and she wrapped her legs around his hips, giving him a better angle, allowing her to take all of him in. Locked together, they stared into each other’s eyes as he moved inside her. He watched her eyes flash. Watched her lips part on a sigh that welled up from deep within her.

  Caleb pushed deeper, higher, groaning as he filled her, as she surrounded him with a kind of heat that burst into an inferno within. Friction bristled between them as he set a rhythm that she raced to match. She was with him, every step of the way and he’d never known anything like this before. There was a connection here, linking them in ways that were more than physical. Everything she felt was stamped on her features. Every touch she bestowed on him left streaks of flame burning down into his bones. His blood.

  Again and again, he moved, claiming her, taking them both well past that slippery edge until they were left, staggering wildly, fighting for balance, for release.

  “Come now,” he ordered, voice thick, strained with the effort to hold himself back when all he wanted to do was empty himself inside her.

  She shook her head, gasping, panting. “We go together. Both of us.”

  Reaching down, she cupped him and rubbed, stroked him until he was beyond pleasure, beyond the boundaries of everything that had come before. And so he slid one hand between their bodies and stroked her core as he continued to pump into her.

  And finally, together, they jumped off the edge and fell crashing into lights brighter than he’d ever seen before.

  * * *

  When her heart stopped racing, Shelby took a deep breath and closed her eyes in complete satisfaction. Her body was still buzzing, the echoes of a world-class orgasm still shuddering inside her. Sex had never been like that before. Until this moment, she’d always thought of it as a pleasant enough time that ended with a delicious little pop of release.

  Caleb Mackenzie had changed all of that.

  He knew things that all men should know. His hands were magic and his mouth should be bronzed. In fact, Shelby felt a bit sorry for every woman who had never been with him. While at the same time, she wanted to keep him all for herself and never let another woman near him.

  A frown settled between her brows. Where had that thought come from? Caleb wasn’t hers. There was nothing between them but convenience and blistering sex.

  Well. That was nearly enough to take the shine off her feelings.

  With his big, strong body pressing into hers, Shelby felt a stirring of a warmth that was slower and steadier than the heat she had just survived. That realization should have worried her. Instead, she took a second to revel in it. To enjoy this one perfect moment.

  Then Caleb lifted his head, looked down at her and solemnly said, “This is a really bad time to be asking, but—are you on the Pill?”

  There went the rest of the shine.

  “Yes,” she said and saw relief flicker in his eyes. “I’ve been on the Pill for a few years now so—” She broke off and thought about that for a second.

  “What?” Caleb watched her warily. “What is it?”

  “Probably nothing,” Shelby assured him, though she wasn’t as confident in that as she was trying to sound. Forcing a smile, she added, “I’m sure it’s fine...”

  “But?” he asked.

  “But, remember I didn’t have my purse for three days...”

  “Yeah?” One word drawn out into five or six syllables.

  “Well, my pills were in my purse, so...”

  “So you didn’t take any for a couple of days.”

  “No.” He was literally right on top of her and she still felt him take a mental step backward. “I’m sure it’s fine, though. I took the Pill yesterday an
d today and I’m sure I’ve got all kinds of those wonderful little hormones all stored up in my system.”

  “Uh-huh.” Caleb pulled away, sat up and grabbed his jeans off the floor. “Damn it.”

  “No reason to panic,” she said.

  “Is that right?” He snorted a laugh and shook his head as he stood up to yank his jeans on.

  It was a shame, she thought idly, to cover up that really amazing body.

  “I don’t know what I was thinking,” Caleb said tightly, more to himself than to her. Then he looked at her. “I have never failed to use a damn condom.”

  “Until today.” She shrugged, reached down for her blue bra and pulled it on.

  “Yeah.” He pushed one hand through his hair in sheer frustration. “Until today. Until you.”

  Shelby smiled. “The words sound like a compliment. The tone really doesn’t.”

  “I should apologize, I guess, and if I can find a way to say it and sound like I mean it, I will.”

  Well, clearly their postcoital conversation was coming to an end with a whimper. Reaching down for her shirt, Shelby tugged it on, then grabbed her panties. Standing up, she wriggled into them and enjoyed the flash of interest in Caleb’s eyes.

  “No apology necessary,” she said and stepped into her white shorts. Once they were snapped and zipped, she tossed her hair out of her eyes and said, “I didn’t think of it, either. All I could think about was you. Having you inside me.”

  His eyes burned like a fire in ice. “Hell, that’s all I can think of right now.”

  She gave him a slow smile and felt her body stirring. “Me, too. And I’m not going to regret that, no matter what else happens. Honestly, Caleb, I’m sure it’s fine.”

  “Yeah.” He sent her another long look. “You be sure and tell me if it’s not.”

  “I will. But I’m not worried.” Not quite true, so she added, “Well, maybe a little.”

  Grabbing his shirt off the floor, he tugged it on. “Not much slows you down, does it?”

  “Well, what would be the point of being all...” She mocked tearing her hair out, throwing her head back to shriek, then looked at him and grinned. “Would it help to gnash my teeth and howl at the moon?”