“I just never saw where that little girl was ugly. Spoiled? Maybe. Ugly? Uh-uh.”
Chapter Twelve
If I could be any part of you, I’d be your tears. To be conceived in your heart, born in your eyes, live on your cheeks, and die on your lips.
~Unknown
North Western Australia
The Kimberly
February 10, Tuesday
Dianna laid her hand across Taylor’s brows. His skin felt clammy, but at least it was cool. “Thank God, your fever’s finally breaking.” She lifted his injured hand, studied it with the thoroughness of a laboratory technician studying a slide under a microscope. “The swelling’s almost gone. Your hand no longer looks ready to split.”
Taylor stared at her as if she’d sprouted hair out of her nose. “What are you doing?” He jerked his hand out of hers. “I could have told you I’m better without the feely-touchy nurse routine. You don’t speak to me for two days and nights, now suddenly you’re all over me?”
“I’m not all over you. I was checking to see if you’re fever broke. I want to get the hell out of here. It’s driving me crazy being cooped up with you like this.”
“Oh, now you wanna leave, when I told you before we needed to try and walk out of this damnable jungle. What’s your hurry? You act like I’m the worst thing since insect spray. Did I do something to upset you?”
“Like you’d give a rat’s ass?”
“I might not care, but I’d feel better knowing why you look as if you want to jab a spear up my ass.”
“All right!” She bared her teeth. “You…uh…you…”
“What, for Christ’s sake?”
“You mistook me for someone else.”
“And that pissed you off?”
“No. That isn’t what pissed me off…well, yeah, it’s sort of part of what pissed me off.”
“Jesus. Are you going to tell me what happened or not?”
“You…touched me.”
“Touched you? What did I do? Cop a feel of your tits?”
“Yes. And more. You did everything.”
“Everything? What the hell is that supposed to mean?” His blue eyes widened. “Oh, shit. You mean I screwed you?”
“Yes.”
“For God’s sake, Dianna, couldn’t you fight me off? Did I hurt you?”
“No, I couldn’t fight you off. It happened too fast.”
“Well, I don’t know if it’ll make you feel any better, but I don’t remember any of it.”
“It doesn’t make me feel a whit better, but I can live with what happened. You didn’t know what you were doing. The thing is…I’m not on birth control and you…uh…you…”
“I came in you? Fuck!” Taylor clenched his teeth. “Shit!”
“Thanks for making it so obvious you don’t relish the thought of my being pregnant.”
“Don’t be an idiot. Of course I don’t want a baby with you.” He held up a hand. “Wait a minute. Whoa. Just wait. I can’t make you pregnant, Dianna. I’m sterile.”
“That’s a famous last line.”
“I’m serious. I was injured in the car accident. It left me sterile. You don’t have to worry about being pregnant or getting pregnant, at least by me.”
Dianna swallowed hard. “Funny. I think you were the only one worried about it. You win, you know? I just wanna get out of here.”
Taylor pushed himself up. “I’m not trying to score points off you, Dianna. You’re right. We need to leave here as soon as possible.”
“Can you travel? How do you feel?”
“Like hammered shit. How do you think I feel? A friggin’ scorpion nearly killed me, and the damn thing wasn’t even poisonous. But you know what? If you can walk, so can I. I hate being cooped up in here with you.”
Dianna clenched her jaw to keep her chin from trembling. “Well, trust me, the feeling’s mutual. If you’re able to complain, I think you’re well on the road to recovery. Hungry?”
“Thirsty.”
She grabbed a bottle of water, twisted off the cap and handed it to him. “It’s warm, certainly not very refreshing, but it’ll quench the thirst.”
Taylor took several deep swallows before giving out and falling back on the pile of clothes. Even though his breathing still sounded a little rough, Dianna figured she could stop worrying about him choking to death on his tongue or his throat swelling shut. The worst of the crisis had passed. Thank God. “I’ve never known anyone to have such a dangerous reaction to a scorpion sting. Is your reaction to bee and wasp stings the same?”
“I’ve always had bad reactions to insect stings or bites. It’s like I’ve been bitten by a poisonous snake. Hell, I’m even allergic to tick bites. It’s just something in my system that overreacts.”
The relief she felt knowing he was going to live didn’t alter the fact she felt like strangling him. Yeah, she was happy he was better. She had it in her to be kind, and she’d been worried about him. He was weak and had nearly died. It didn’t mean she wasn’t pissed at him.
“I’m hungry,” he croaked and rubbed a hand across his belly. He scowled at her. “Why are you looking at me as if you’d like to run a knife through my gut?
“If you don’t know, I’m sure not telling you,” she said sharply. She threw an apple at him. “Breakfast. Enjoy.”
“Your bedside manner is decidedly lacking,” he grumbled. “Is it something I said when…you know?”
“Who’s Amy?”
“Amy? Amy, who?”
“How should I know who Amy who is? She’s your girlfriend,” she snapped.
“What? For God’s sake, Dianna, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Ex-girlfriend, then.”
“I don’t have an ex-girlfriend named Amy, either. The only Amy I ever knew
was—”
He broke off, frowning.
“Well, don’t stop now. Amy who?”
“Shit, I don’t remember her last name.”
“You slept with her.”
“No! Yes. Okay.” He thrust fingers through his shaggy hair. “Stop glaring. Yeah, I guess maybe I slept with her.” Taylor hesitated, eyeing her. “Once.”
Dianna snorted.
“Okay. Maybe more than once. Twice.”
She lifted a brow.
“All right. So we lived together for a year. It was straight out of high school. Years ago. We agreed to go our separate ways. I haven’t seen her since.”
Dianna folded her arms across her breasts, breasts she’d covered with a red T-shirt since he’d called her Amy. No free peeks for a man who didn’t know whom he screwed in his sleep.
“Damn it! I met with her a couple of times…several times over the years. We rent a motel room and catch up on old times…fuck! Don’t look at me like that, it’s just sex.”
“Just sex? Good sex?”
“The worst I ever had was great.”
“You’re an asshole, Taylor Spencer.”
“Why are you so mad at me? It’s none of your business, anyway. Hell, you’ve slept with men.”
“Man. One man, until…just leave me alone, Taylor.”
“I didn’t know I was bothering you.”
“You aren’t. You never will.”
“For God’s sake!” Taylor pushed himself to his feet and swayed. “We need to pack whatever we’re taking with us and get the hell out of here. Is that my shirt you’re wearing?”
Dianna crawled out of the hut. “Yes, it is. It stays on, no matter how much you beg me to take it off.”
Taylor rubbed his eyes, then blinked. “What? Don’t worry about it, princess. I think I can resist the urge to ogle your teeny-tiny acorns.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Where are you going?”
Dianna squatted in front of the opening. “While you pack what you think we’ll need, I’m going to find a rock or a tree to get behind, then I’m going to piss a river, one that flows downhill straight to here. Hope you know how to swim.”
; She rose to her feet and stalked toward the dense jungle.
* * * *
Taylor poked his head out of the tiny hut and watched Dianna charge into the denser maze of the rain forest. “Jesus Christ,” he yelled. “Don’t tromp through the jungle like that. Watch for snakes!”
Dianna paused and flipped around to glare at him. “Yeah, well, the only snake I know of anywhere near me is you,” she shouted, flipping him the bird. She stormed away like a maddened heifer on loco weed.
Taylor frowned. What the hell had he done that she was so livid at him? He expelled a disgusted breath and began gathering their meager supplies. “Women! Who can figure them out?”
Dianna returned a few minutes later. “I wanna take my fur coat.”
“No. It’s too hot to lug that thing around. Besides, it has holes in it. Remember?”
“I don’t care. It makes soft bedding. I want it.”
“Then you carry it.”
“Fine. I will.”
“Strip out of that short-ass skirt and put on some jeans.”
“Don’t order me around, Taylor Spencer. I don’t like it. And I want my gun back.”
“Hell, no. You might shoot me.”
“Yeah, I might. Give it to me.”
Taylor straightened from the small pack he’d bound together. He stalked toward her, slow as a jungle cat until he had her backed in a corner with no route of escape. He locked his hard fingers on her upper arms and jerked her closer. “I’m going to give it to you, okay? Damn it, Dianna. Do you always have to be such a bitch? Can’t we get along for five minutes? Can’t you just shut up and not talk?”
“I have a lot I want to say to you,” she snapped.
“I have a lot I wanna do to you, starting with this.” Taylor lowered his head and crushed her mouth beneath his.
* * * *
She didn’t want to respond. Dianna swore she detested him, but oh, he knew how to kiss. His mouth feathered softly against hers. He slid his tongue along the seam of her lips until she gave him what he wanted.
She opened beneath his mouth like a flower spreading its petals to the kiss of the sun. Taylor bunched her skirt around her ass, glided a thumb along the seam of her butt until he found what he sought. Dianna gasped against his mouth. His thick finger probed deeper inside her warm channel. She didn’t know when or how he did it, but when he lifted her to anchor her against him, his cock slid inside her, hard, thick, and endless.
“Oh, God,” she whimpered, feeling herself stretched as he impaled her.
Somehow, they ended up outside the hut, on the wet jungle floor. Taylor rolled with her, rose above her, and thrust deeper inside her. His eyes glinted with fury, fierce and boldly brilliant. His mouth looked swollen from the carnal kisses they’d shared. “Lock your legs around me, princess,” he growled deep in his throat. “This is one ride you don’t wanna get bucked off of.”
Dianna stared into his blazing eyes and knew he meant exactly what he said. His gaze promised her hell. She thought she’d died and gone to heaven instead. Even as he drove into her over and over, he buried his face against her throat, nibbled at the wild pounding pulse there. The rhythm he set was fast and killing and sent fierce heat scalding through her body. His lips grazed her breasts, teased her nipples. He paused to suckle her nipples, then pulled out of her and trailed a path of butterfly kisses down her stomach, past her pubic bone and along her clit.
Dianna bucked like a wild mare when he licked her. Soft whimpers stole past her throat when he lifted her ass and buried his face between her thighs. He stabbed deep with his tongue, swirled and twirled until she twisted and turned and clawed her fingers into his shoulders. When he thrust his cock inside her again, she rose to meet every hard thrust. Dianna whimpered her orgasms hard and powerful.
Taylor hissed, gripped her hipbones and thrust deeper. His body shuddered violently. His release flowed hot and wet inside her. His chest heaved against her bare breasts. She couldn’t remember him removing her shirt. Taylor pulled out of her and rolled to his back. He flung an arm over his eyes and drew several ragged breaths. “Well,” he mumbled. “That was something.”
Dianna bit her lip. He didn’t sound all that pleased. She wasn’t sure just how happy she was about their most recent intimacy, because no matter what—this time they both knew exactly what had just happened. Tears welled in her eyes.
Taylor lifted his head, stared at her. “Why are you crying? Did I hurt you?”
She snorted. “We’ve got to do something about your lousy bedside manner.”
“What?”
“After you screw a woman, are you always so–so…like it doesn’t matter?”
“Matter?” He propped himself up on one elbow and glared at her. “Listen, princess, I’ll grant you, you’re hot to look at and hotter to fuck, but don’t go tying up what just happened between us into a sweet little package bound in ribbons, bows, and hearts. We fucked. You want more, I’m willing…just give me a minute to catch my breath…but don’t make it into something it wasn’t.”
Dianna swallowed hard. “Don’t worry about it, Spencer. I know very well you have no feelings for me. I think I’ll survive.” She got up and scrambled inside the hut. He started in after her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a minute of privacy.”
“I do mind. I need some clothes.” He followed in behind her, grabbed clean jeans, boxers, and a white T-shirt and bounded back outside. “Take your time. No need to get in a hurry this late in the day.”
Dianna hissed. “You’re a bastard. You know that?”
He turned back, lifted a brow. “Why? Because I can fuck you and walk away? It’s easy, princess, since the only reason I screwed you was to get even with your brother for what he did to Kaycee.”
Nausea swirled in Dianna’s gut. “What?” Her voice sounded faint.
Taylor smirked. “You didn’t honestly think I fucked you because I had the hots for you. Did you? I accomplished exactly what I set out to do. Revenge is sweet with a little added spice on the side. Good pussy, by the way, just not a keeper.” He turned and sauntered into the jungle. “Don’t leave without me, princess,” he flung over his shoulder. “I wouldn’t want you to get gobbled up by some hungry creature.”
Dianna clenched her trembling hands. She pressed one against her mouth to keep from crying. Pain slashed her heart. Well, like he said, she’d gotten exactly what she asked for—and then some. Oh, God. Her period was due in a couple of days. She never skipped or was ever late. He’d taken her twice in the last twenty-four hours. He said there was no risk, but could she trust his word?
Then what? He had no feelings for her. Bile rose to the back of her throat. Damn, she was not going to be sick. On all fours, she scrambled to a corner and lost the meager contents of her belly. Shit! Hurrying to clean up and dress, she waited for Taylor to return from the edge of the jungle.
As he drew near, he stopped and eyed her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re pale as death.”
“I’m fine. I’m not your problem, Taylor. Can we just leave?” She picked up the pack and took off through the jungle.
“Where are you going?”
She didn’t answer, just kept walking. She had no plans to talk to him for the rest of the day, or ever again. This was so not going to be a good day.
“Shit.” Taylor grabbed the second pack and took off after her.
Chapter Thirteen
Love is like the measles, we all have to go through it.
~Jerome K. Jerome
North Western Australia
The Kimberly
February 10, Tuesday
Taylor eyed Dianna’s jean-clad ass with appreciative regard. She marched ahead, an angry soldier determined to get as far away from him as fast as she could. He clenched his jaws. Too damn bad—she was stuck with him, and he had a feeling they were going to be stuck with each other for quite some time.
That is, if she didn’t get herself killed
first. She was determined not to listen to him when he told her to slow down and conserve energy, to watch where she placed her feet. He felt like grabbing her and shaking some sense into her head.
No matter what he said, she ignored him.
Worse, she was not speaking to him. It drove him mad when she stopped talking to him. Hell, the woman was a holy terror whether she talked to him or not. He watched her delicious ass sway from side to side and felt his dick stir. She got under his skin without trying. She always had.
Why did this one woman have the power to make his fucking cock brick hard? He followed behind her, his fists clenched with frustration. She’d worried he might have made her pregnant. An ache settled in the region of his heart. He wished to hell he could. He’d have her knocked up in a heartbeat, but then she’d have to—he stumbled.
Whoa—back up a minute. Where on earth had that thought come from?
Make her pregnant in a heartbeat?
Was he a total idiot? He’d be stuck with her for the rest of his life.
And what’s wrong with that?
Everything! She’s a spoiled rich bitch.
She’s beautiful. Sexy. And she flips your switch.
I could never make her happy—never give her what she wants—needs. Besides, she’d make a lousy mother and—crap!
She’d make a beautiful mother.
He wanted that with her. Wanted her. A child with her. Damn it, he wanted her with every fiber of his being. He wanted to bury his cock in her hot channel again and just soak inside her. Most of all, he wanted to plant his kid in her. Yeah. He wanted to chain her to his side for the rest of their lives. Jesus Christ, when the hell had he fallen in love with her?
I’m not in love with her!
Oh, you are so far gone, you sap. You’re head over ass in love with her.
“No, I’m not!”
“Sorry? Did you say something?” Dianna paused and looked at him over her shoulder. She was breathing hard, her breasts heaving underneath his T-shirt. By God, he wanted to tear that red shirt off her.
Too Close To The Fire/Too Hot To Handle (Montana Men 3) Page 11
