Time Out (10 page)

“I’m here to
work-”

“You’ll have
plenty of time to do what you need to do. Then you’re mine.” His
eyes raked over her… up… down… up again. “All mine.”

***

By the time
Megan slipped the key card into the door, she stirred with mixed
emotions: anticipation, excitement, fear, apprehension.

Nick had
slipped away half an hour before, and she was grateful he was
trying to honor their promise to be discreet about their…
arrangement. No way would she call it a relationship. They were
physically attracted to each other. That was all. They didn’t have
to trust or confide in each other. As long as she kept her secrets
closely guarded, she would get a no-strings attached affair, and he
would have no further ammunition he could use against her.

“I thought
you’d changed your mind,” Nick said.

Her breath
caught in her throat when she saw him sprawled out on the bed
wearing only black running shorts.

He had the
remote in his hand, but his attention was fixed on her instead of
the flat screen TV. He turned it off, and the silence and darkness
moved in around them, making their environment seem even more
intimate.

“I…uh…” She
closed the door and licked her dry lips. Acting as though she’d
never walked into a hotel room to find a half-naked man waiting for
her in bed was silly. But her previous lovers had never looked like
that
.

She knew he was
muscular, but she hadn’t anticipated his abs being so defined, his
shoulders so broad, and she thought only fitness models and
professional bodybuilders had that deep V that disappeared beneath
their waistband…

“Like what you
see?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Only when he
asked did she realize she’d been staring. “I guess my mind was
wandering.”

He rolled onto
his side as he propped his head in his palm. “So was mine. I was
calculatin’ how long it’ll take me to get you out of that
dress.”

His words, the
pleasure she had no doubt he could deliver, made every thought
unconnected to him slip to the back of her mind. His body and how
he intended to use it to satisfy her was the only thing that
mattered. Secrets, lies, deceit, and fear were problems for another
day. The only thing that mattered was the attraction she was done
trying to deny.

“You got a head
start,” she said, dropping her purse on the desk. “I’ll have to
catch up.” She reached for the zipper running the back of her
dress, but he held up his hand.

“Wait.” He rose
to his knees on the mattress. He crooked a finger at her, his
bright blue eyes a shade darker with the lust neither felt
compelled to hide anymore. “Ever since you walked in wearin’ that
dress tonight, the only thing I could think about was peelin’ it
off you.”

She walked
toward him, close enough for him to realize his fantasy.

Instead of
reaching for her zipper, he held her face and stared into her eyes.
“You are so beautiful. So perfect.”

She tried not
to squirm under his close scrutiny, but it wasn’t easy. He looked
at her as if he were reading the secrets imprinted on her soul, and
she didn’t intend to let him go there. “Thank you.”

“I fell asleep
thinkin’ about you last night.”

His whiskers
scraped across the sensitive skin where her neck and shoulder met,
and she arched her back, hoping he would treat her to a kiss
instead of whispering the sweet words her heart ached to hear. She
couldn’t allow herself to believe their arrangement was anything
more than two people satisfying a sexual urge. If she did…

“I dreamed
about you…”

Closing her
eyes, she tried to shut out his whispered declarations, to think
about anything other than the way his words made her feel: loved,
cherished,
terrified
.

“About what it
would feel like when I finally had the right to touch you like
this.” The only sounds in the room were their shallow breathing and
the hiss of her zipper. “When I could kiss every inch of you…”

She’d never
expected him to be a gentle and considerate lover, taking his time
and seeing to her needs before his own. He acted as though they had
a lifetime to act out their fantasies, in spite of the fact she
told him more sand was slipping through the hourglass every
day.

Reaching for
the drawstring on his shorts, she hoped to expedite the process so
she wouldn’t get too caught up in the sensual web he wove around
her. Falling for Nick, believing he was the answer to every prayer
she’d been too afraid to voice aloud would be too easy.

He held her
hands, preventing her from carrying out her plan. “We’ve got all
night, Meg. And every night after that.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“I told you,
I’m leaving Nashville just as soon as I can.”

He smiled as
though he didn’t believe her. “Then I guess we’d better make the
most of the time we have.”

“I won’t change
my mind just because we have sex.”

“We’re not
going to have sex, sweetheart.” The dimples bracketing his smile
mocked her.

“We’re not?” A
sick feeling of dread tightened her stomach. What if he’d just
lured her up there to make a fool of her?

“No, we’re not.
I’m gonna make love to you, over and over again, until the thought
of livin’ without my touch makes you feel empty.” He pushed her
jewel-encrusted evening gown over her hips and let it fall to the
floor. Holding her hand so she could step out of it, his eyes
traveled over her gunmetal thong.

The dress
hadn’t permitted any other lingerie, and the hunger in his eyes
made Megan grateful she’d surprised him.

“Jesus, if I’d
known that’s all you were wearin’ under that dress, I never could
have waited this long.”

Feminine pride
swept through her. Suddenly, every second she’d spent cursing her
personal trainer was worth it. In that moment, a powerful man was
completely at the mercy of his attraction to her.

“Wait,” he said
when she started to remove her sandals. “I need to ask you
somethin’. It’s been eatin’ away at me.” He muttered a curse and
ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know how to ask you. I
don’t want you to get pissed-”

“Just ask.”

Her heart
hammered in her chest as her mind rifled through all of the
questions he might ask her. She didn’t want to lie, but full
disclosure wasn’t an option. If he knew the whole story of her
sordid life, that look of appreciation in his eyes would be
replaced by disgust and recrimination.

“You and
Carver…” His hands skimmed over her ribs before landing on her
hips. “I hate asking you this, I hate even thinkin’ about it, but
have you ever slept with him?”

Relief coursed
through her. At least she could answer that question honestly. “No,
not even close. We’ve just kissed, nothing more.”

He cupped the
back of her head and took her mouth. The invasion’s intensity was
almost bruising. He explored every crevice of her mouth with a deep
and thorough glide punctuated by a savage growl. When he finally
pulled away, he held her captive with his words. “That should erase
any thought of kissin’ him from your memory.”

“I…” She
couldn’t even remember her own name, much less a handful of
insignificant kisses.

“There’s no
room for anyone else here. When it’s you and me, it’s
just
you and me. I don’t want you thinkin’ about past lovers…” A muscle
in his jaw twitched. “Or your ex-fiancé.”

Nick assuming
she still had feelings for Brock had never occurred to her. Letting
him think that would be easier, but with so much secrecy already
shrouding her life, she would rather be honest with him about that.
“I rarely think about Brock anymore. Certainly not when I’m with
another lover.”

He closed his
eyes. “It shouldn’t cut me so deeply, thinkin’ about you makin’
love to someone else, but it does.”

She was stunned
by his raw honesty. No man had ever bared himself to her so
fearlessly. “Nick…”

“I know this
isn’t what you signed up for, but I won’t lie to you. If I’m
feelin’ somethin’, I’m gonna tell you. Even if it’s not what you
want to hear.”

The more layers
she peeled back to reveal the man beneath the brute who’d gone out
of his way to make her miserable, the more she feared their
connection. Falling in love wasn’t any more of option for her than
staying in Nashville, but shielding her heart may be
impossible.

If she was
smart, she’d walk away before it was too late. Then she’d always
wonder how having his attention completely fixed on her would feel.
Her imagination would conjure up images of his gorgeous face
twisted in ecstasy as he gave himself over to the firestorm they’d
ignited together… but she couldn’t be satisfied with a fantasy. Not
when she could have the real thing.

“You’re the
only man I’m thinking about right now.” She caressed his chest,
admiring every dip and plane as his muscles flexed under her
fingertips. He was so sexy. She hadn’t had a prayer of resisting
once he’d decided he wanted her, but she could decide just how far
she would go to satisfy her craving. “I want you, Nick.”

He groaned as
he circled her waist with his strong arms. He held her prisoner,
but at the same time, he made her feel as if there was nowhere
she’d rather be imprisoned.

“I want you
too, baby.” His tongue slid down the slope of her neck. “More than
I’ve ever wanted anything.” He licked the swell of her breasts,
whispering words of awe as he discovered the secret places that
made her arch into his mouth.

She knew he was
caught up in the passionate moment, saying things he couldn’t
possibly mean, but pretending, however briefly, his need for her
really incited a desire unlike anything he’d ever experienced
before was nice.

Her worries
receded as his hands and mouth claimed all of her attention. Her
skin blazed in the wake of his touch, and she couldn’t wait to
watch him fuel the flames licking her core.

“Come here.” He
pulled her forward to join him on the bed.

Laying her down
beside him, he removed her panties and continued the intimate
exploration he’d started. His hands and mouth stripped away the
last of her resistance, stirring her to a state of arousal she’d
never experienced before.

“Nick…” Her
voice broke, and that was how she felt. Broken. Shattered. Like he
was the only person capable of piecing her back together again.

“It’s okay,” he
whispered, flicking his tongue and finger in unison over her
swollen, heated peaks. “You’re safe with me, baby. Always.”

She didn’t know
how much she’d needed that assurance until scalding tears burned
merciless trails on her cheeks. She had nowhere to run… nowhere to
hide. He saw her helplessness, and she had no choice but to let
him.

“Why are you
cryin’, sweetheart?”

She didn’t
trust herself to respond, so she pulled his mouth to hers, trying
to distract him from the emotion she’d never wanted him to witness.
But the salty taste of her tears mingling with their passion was a
bitter reminder she could never escape her past. With the exception
of Brock, every man she’d ever trusted had betrayed her, and she
had no reason to believe Nick wouldn’t follow suit. He didn’t know
her, not really. If he ever found out the mistakes she’d made…

“You don’t ever
have to be afraid,” he whispered as he threaded his hands through
her hair. “I’m here with you now because there’s nowhere else I’d
rather be, no other woman I’d rather be with.”

If only that
were true. He didn’t know the woman she had yet to share with
another living soul. The broken, battered, scared little girl who
just wanted someone to love her. A man as strong and confident as
Nick would undoubtedly mock her weakness, which was why she had to
hide it. Especially in bed, where she was most vulnerable.

“Don’t.” His
hands traveled over every inch of her body as though he was marking
her. “I can feel you tensin’ up again, tryin’ to rebuild those
goddamn walls. I won’t let you do that.”

She closed her
eyes as he kissed away her tears and eased her legs apart. He was a
master at making her forget how to protect herself. Every stroke of
his hand made her protective instincts recede further, to a place
she feared she may never be able to trace them.

“Let me make
you forget.”

He kissed her
neck as his hand took her deeper into a state of bliss, into
dangerous territory where the only thing that mattered was him and
the way he made her feel.

She raised her
hands over her head. Trying to fight it was pointless. He’d already
won. He was so deep inside her psyche, he could read her mind, her
thoughts, feelings, fears… It was as though he was becoming a part
of her.

Without
warning, she came apart in his arms. Instead of letting her retreat
or push him away so she could recover from the sensations roiling
through her, he forced her to ride it out without the freedom to
escape.

“Incredible,”
he whispered, kissing her slick forehead.

That’s the word
she would have used, but she hadn’t given him anything… yet.
Rolling over, she helped him shed his shorts. When she tried to
take him in her hand, he grasped her wrist.

“Not yet.”

“But-”

“Don’t you
think I know how lucky I am you chose to share your body with me
tonight?” Her breath caught in her throat when he looked at her as
if she was the answer to his prayers. “Of all the men at that
party, superstars, business moguls… you chose me.”

She hadn’t had
a choice. She felt as if an invisible rope reeled her in, closer
and closer to him, and no matter what she said or did, she couldn’t
break its hold on her.

“I’m never
gonna let you regret that.” He punctuated his promise with a
toe-curling kiss. “When you’re with me, you’re gonna get the best I
have to give. Every damn time.”