Authors: Robin Kaye
With the score tied and bases loaded.
She finally stopped timing the kiss and laid back and enjoyed the feeling of his body on hers, the soft hair on the nape of his neck, the scratch of his beard against her chin, and the way his lips were soft and firm at the same time. Kissing Hunter wasn’t a fight for control; it was more of a dance—slow, easy, and exciting.
Her hands explored his sides, his muscles rippling under her touch as wetness and heat pooled deep in her belly. He’d hardly touched her, and she was well past ready. Not to mention impatient. Damn, she’d spent the day on a sex roller coaster. There were so many ups and downs, she didn’t know if it would ever pay off.
Hunter pulled his mouth from hers and put his upper body weight on his forearms, increasing the pressure on her pelvis, sending a mini-earthquake through her. A little more pressure would be all it would take.
“Toni?”
“Hunter? Does making love always involve talking? Because right now, I’m more interested in
doing
. I’m sure there will be plenty of time to talk about this later, okay?”
She pulled the T-shirt over her head then tossed it around his neck like a scarf, drawing him close. This time she was the one to silence him with a kiss. God it felt good. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and rolled her hips.
She kind of failed at the whole silencing thing since he groaned, but at least he wasn’t talking.
When his body slid off hers, fear spiked through the haze of passion. A tug at the waistband of the boxers set her mind at ease and had her eyes blinking open only to be captured by his with some kind of magnetic force. She was incapable of looking away, not that she’d want to. He looked wild kneeling over her as he slid on a condom. His breathing was labored and his every muscle so pronounced, she wished she could trace them all with her tongue. His hair was mussed, his cheeks were high with color, and his eyes were dark and bright at the same time. All he was missing was a loincloth, and he could be the next Tarzan.
She reached for him, wishing she hadn’t hurried him along quite so much. She would have liked to pick up where she’d left off earlier. Just the thought of it had her squirming. She imagined he’d go right for intercourse since he’d taken the time to don a condom, so she was surprised when he slid between her legs, held her hips in his big, rough hands, and didn’t stop at kissing his way up her inner thigh.
In Toni’s experience, oral sex was rarely done well, which, when she thought about it, was kind of like kissing. She shouldn’t have been surprised that, like with kissing, when it came to oral sex Hunter clearly excelled. She was knotting the sheets in her fists within a minute. He took her through the paces with his mouth on her, teasing, tempting, torturing, and always controlling how close she got. She’d almost reach the point, and he’d pull her back before sending her right up to the brink. Her breath caught, and her back arched as his body rose over hers. There was a smile on his face, and those eyes held hers as his erection slid deep just as an orgasm crashed over her. Every move he made intensified the orgasm, swamping her, bombarding her with feelings so intense they drowned her, leaving her nothing to hold on to but him. She’d never experienced anything like it, and his eyes held hers captive, stripping her of all defenses. Leaving her exposed. Vulnerable. Scared.
“Hunter?”
“Stay with me Toni.” With every thrust of his hips, she felt more and more out of control. They were connected in every way, their eyes, their hands, their bodies. He touched her mind, her soul. His body shook as another orgasm crashed through her. She thought she heard him call her name, but then she might have screamed his too. Her last coherent thought before her mind completely shut down was that this making love thing could not be good for her—nothing that amazing could be, or everyone would be doing it all the time. It was probably addictive.
Hunter had been blindsided. He’d heard rumors about things like this, but he hadn’t believed them. Making love was great, even when it was bad. But damn, nothing had prepared him for making love with Toni. It was like they had some kind of cosmic connection that intensified everything a billion times. He was lucky he survived.
And he couldn’t wait to try it again.
He slid his arm under her and rolled, pulling her along with him, and settling her on top. She fit like she was made for him. It felt incredibly right, just like making love had.
She remained quiet. When it came to making love, she definitely wasn’t interested in conversation. He wasn’t much for talking either, though something did need to be said. He wasn’t sure what exactly that was. “You rocked my world” seemed a bit clichéd. But then the reason clichés became clichés were because at the heart of every good cliché was the truth.
“Toni?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay?”
“A huh.” She shifted, using his chest as a pillow, and then stilled. He wasn’t sure how long they rested like that. He enjoyed her weight on him as her breathing evened out and felt her relax totally. When his lids grew heavy, he rolled her off him before kissing her and getting up to rid himself of the condom. When he returned to bed, she was snoring. It was a soft, quiet snore, but a snore all the same. He slipped back in beside her, pulled her into his arms, and spooned, feeling as if all was right in his world.
***
Toni woke with a start as the morning light shone on her face. She blinked and tried to move, only to be held in check by an arm wrapped around her waist. She’d fallen asleep with Hunter. She’d never slept with anyone before and couldn’t remember a time she’d slept so well—which was weird considering she was in a strange bed. Sleeping with a strange person. Not that Hunter was strange exactly. Toni’s thoughts evaporated when a kiss landed on the crease of her neck where it met her shoulder. Hunter’s arm moved, his hand caressing her from breast to stomach. His body spooning hers slid into a more assertive position—his leg slipped between hers. His erection slid against her sex.
Another kiss, another slide, and the hand that had been on her stomach moved south and hit the bull’s-eye.
Her hips jerked against him as he slid back and forth. If she arched her back just a little, he’d be buried deep inside her. She wanted it with every fiber of her being. Another first. And as Hunter would say, firsts were always scary.
“Hunter, please.” Toni arched her back, the head of his erection tight against her opening. She pressed her advantage.
“God, don’t move, Toni. I’m not ready.”
“Could have fooled me.” She stilled, holding her breath. “I need…”
“I know, babe.” He reached over her and pulled open the drawer to his bedside table. “Protection.”
Protection. She closed her eyes and cursed herself for not considering that. Her only thought had been that she wanted him. Before she stopped chastising herself, he’d flipped her onto her back, spread her legs, and had his mouth on her. His tongue speared into her, and she teetered on the brink of orgasm.
Toni’d had a few orgasms in her day, but never so quick, never so strong, and never more than one. Each orgasm she’d ever achieved had been hard-won until Hunter.
The two of them together caused an explosive chemical reaction. It was hot, intense, and uncontrollable. She’d never had reason to hold back before. But with Hunter everything was different. She wanted to make this last. She might as well have tried to hold back the river.
Hunter slid up her body, holding her hands, and entwining their fingers before he entered her in one quick thrust, knocking the wind out of her. He filled her completely as pleasure mingled with pain. He stilled, and she wasn’t sure if it was for her benefit or his. When her eyes locked on his, the possession she saw in them was her undoing.
Hunter might as well have put the word
mine
on the billboard in Times Square.
Worse, she liked what she saw. She’d never forget the thrill that rippled through her—that alone was enough to make her want to run for the hills even considering where she was.
Mine. Every thrust of his hips punctuated it. Mine. Every second of their connection magnified it. Mine. The sound of her name on his lips right before his soul-stealing kiss confirmed it.
Fear shot through her like a pinball—hitting one thought only to smack hard against another. Her breath caught in her throat just before the mother of all orgasms drowned everything out but his words.
“Stay with me, Toni. Stay with me.”
No. She couldn’t. Hunter was too much of everything. Too nice, too perfect, and too good at getting under her skin. Her first impression had been correct. Being with Hunter was more addictive than any narcotic with twice the buzz. He was in a word—dangerous.
She was done playing with fire. Well, just as soon as she could get away from him. But until then, she might as well enjoy the heat because she had a feeling it would be a cold day in hell before she’d experience anyone like Hunter again.
Toni came apart, and Hunter tried to hold on through the exquisite torture. It would be hours before they’d have the opportunity to be together again, and he wasn’t ready to let this round end. He held on by a thread, but when she opened her eyes, their connection pulled him into a vortex of sensation leaving him completely defenseless. It was like going down a class six, rapid blind. He had no idea what lay ahead. The adrenaline rush was amazing, but the risk of uncharted waters had the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up. It was way too late to get back to shore, and he was already too far downstream to take a less dangerous course. He had no choice but to ride the rapids and hope for the best.
Hunter collapsed on top of her, and it was several minutes until he was able to move. She buried her face in his neck, her breathing almost as erratic as his, and her body tensed. He ran his hand down her back meaning to soothe, but doing just the opposite. She moved, her inner muscles tightening around him, and to his amazement his body responded in kind.
“Toni, if we’re going for round two, I’ve got to take care of the condom.”
“No time.” She gave him a quick kiss and lifted herself off him. “I’m just going to jump in the shower. Can I borrow a pair of sweats or something until I get back to my cabin?”
“Sure.” Hunter rolled onto his side and watched her walk naked to the bathroom. There, across her lower back, was a tattoo very much like the one he’d pictured when he met her. Shit. He could kick himself for not taking the time to examine it. A mistake he wouldn’t make twice. He waited for the shower to start and then went to join her. He saw no reason to waste water.
Chapter 8
Toni set the water temperature in the shower, and before she could even close the glass door, Hunter stepped in behind her. That was so not a good thing.
He wore a shit-eating grin, as if he’d just hit the jackpot. His eyes sparkled as he backed her up against the very cold wall and kissed her senseless.
It took a moment, but she finally remembered she was supposed to be staying away from him. He was dangerous after all. She ended the kiss. “What was that about?”
“When I met you I wondered if you had any ink and pictured a bat on your lower back. When you got out of bed, I finally noticed your tatt. It’s almost exactly like I imagined, but yours is nicer.”
“You imagined me naked?”
“No, I just wanted to put myself in the position to do a full-body search. I didn’t imagine you naked until later.”
“You’re such a dog.” She stepped under the showerhead and, eyes closed, turned to wet her hair.
“If you think I imagine every woman I meet naked, you’re wrong. I told you. I’ve wanted you since the moment I first met you. Maybe before that. I’ve been curious about you since we spoke on the phone in January. That’s not something that happens often.”
“Thanks. I feel so special.”
He poured shampoo into his palm and ran his hand over her head before lathering her hair and massaging her scalp. “You are. And unlike you, I’m not being facetious. Have I ever told you that I love your hair?”
“No. You haven’t.” She really sucked at staying away from dangerous men. Toni held back a groan as Hunter massaged her head, neck, and shoulders. Especially dangerous men with talented hands.
“Well, I do, and I love your tattoo.”
“Thanks.”
He turned her around to rinse her hair.
She visualized putting up defense shields like they did in
Star
Wars
, but he wasn’t letting her. It would probably be easier if he wasn’t running his hands up and down her body. Darn him.
When he took the only bar of soap, she wrestled him for it. There was no way she’d survive a body massage—not without jumping him.
She watched him as she lathered up. Why did he have to look so good? The water sluiced over his body, his muscles making little ripples as it traversed the hills and valleys of his abdomen—until it reached his… Her eyes darted from his growing erection to his face just in time to catch the lopsided grin she was beginning to recognize.
“Don’t even think about it. We don’t have time.” She turned to lower the water temperature. They both needed to cool off.
Hunter wrapped his hands around her waist and drew her back to him. She glanced at him over her shoulder.
“We have plenty of time if we grab breakfast to go.”
Oh no. “I doubt there’s a Mickey D’s around the corner.”
His erection nestled in the crevice of her bottom. “The coffee’s on a timer. It will be waiting for us when we get out, and I have a lot of quick breakfast fixings.” His hands were already tormenting her, and once his mouth joined in, she was a goner. She had absolutely no willpower where Hunter was concerned. Her defensive shields couldn’t stand up to an all out assault by Hunter Kincaid. She was totally outgunned.
***
Hunter wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror as Toni slipped out. He spread a handful of shaving cream over his face, wet the blade, and took the first swipe, only to discover it wasn’t the sharpest blade in the box. He usually shaved once every three days when he was in the mountains. Shaving on the trail was way overrated. He wasn’t due for another couple days, but he’d rather have some good face time with Toni without worrying about giving her beard burn.
Pulling a fresh razor out of the cabinet, Hunter tossed the old one and made a two-pointer into the trash can. Instead of hearing a satisfying ping of an empty can, he heard more of a muffled thud. Ah, the box Toni’s toothbrush came in.
Checking his reflection in the steamy mirror, Hunter saw the telltale grin of a guy who’d had the best sex of his life three times in the last twelve hours—a man who liked knowing there was another toothbrush in the holder next to his. It had been awhile.
He glanced at the toothbrush holder, and his smile died. His was the only one there. He looked around expecting to see Toni’s on the counter, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t in the drawer where he kept the now squished tube of toothpaste. Where else would she have put it?
The niggling feeling that something was wrong returned with a vengeance. She didn’t seem the type to take a toothbrush with her. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have one at the inn—he’d seen it standing in the cup beside the sink when he checked out her cabin. He peered into the trash can.
“What the hell?”
Toni might not have said much after making love, but tossing the toothbrush in the trash made a commanding statement.
He should finish shaving before going to talk to her since he didn’t want to walk around all day with one clean-shaven stripe down the side of his face. Nor did he want to stalk through the house naked, wearing only shaving cream and a towel. Besides, he had no idea what to say to her without sounding like an idiot. Why did you throw out your toothbrush? Not planning on using it or me again?
He took a swipe and removed a sliver of his chin. “Shit.” Shaving while angry wasn’t a great idea. He stuck a piece of toilet paper on the cut and continued, feeling like a first-class fool.
He rinsed his face, wrapped a towel around his waist, and stomped out of the bathroom. The T-shirt and boxers she’d worn the night before were tossed on the unmade bed, and the sweats he’d set out for her along with her bathing suit and cover-up were gone. The last thing he needed was a reminder of her when he returned home, so he ripped the sheets off the bed, rolling them and her clothes into a ball before tossing it in the hamper.
It was 7:30 a.m.; he still had a half hour before they had to leave. He heard her rummaging around his kitchen, helping herself to breakfast. It was just as well. He’d lost his appetite.
Hunter grabbed a set of sheets from the linen closet. Better to spend the time making his bed and getting a better handle on his temper than saying something he’d probably regret later. Hell, he couldn’t think of one thing to say that wouldn’t make him sound like a freakin’ pansy. And he most certainly wasn’t a pansy.
His phone rang, and he picked it up. “River Runners.”
“It’s Trap. I thought you’d sound more cheerful this morning.”
He held the phone on his shoulder and tossed the open fitted sheet over the bed. “Oh yeah. Why’s that?”
“If I need to explain, you’ve got even bigger problems than a nonexistent love life.”
Hunter pulled the sheet around the corner of the mattress. “Wanna tell me what the hell were you thinking leaving me and Toni here like that? She practically had a meltdown when she saw you heading downriver without us.”
“Damn. Karma and James thought you two would like the time alone. I was outvoted.”
He tossed the flat sheet over the bed with a snap. “Trap, you’re in charge when I’m not around. It’s impossible for you to be outvoted.”
“I thought I was doing you a favor. Sorry. From the sound of it, you must have struck out.”
“No comment.” He adjusted the length of the top sheet and then started the hospital corners. “Was there a reason you called?”
“Yeah. James wanted to know what the plan is for the day. Toni has the schedule.”
Hunter stuffed a pillow in the case and tossed it on the bed before reaching for another. “Mountain biking on Galena Summit.”
“You want us to meet you at the lodge?”
He drew the blanket over the sheets and smoothed them down. “No, we’re leaving for the inn in a few minutes. Toni needs to change clothes.” Hunter pulled up the comforter and tossed the throw pillows up against the headboard. “We’ll be at the meeting at 9:00 a.m. as scheduled. Just get the equipment together—and Trap?”
“Yeah?”
“Stay the hell out of my business and my love life.”
Hunter rolled his eyes at his brother’s laughter.
“So, you do have a love life, huh? I was beginning to wonder. You and Toni looked hot and heavy by the river.”
“Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving.” Hunter ended the call and dropped his towel in the hamper before rummaging through his drawers for clothes.
“Are you about ready to go?”
He looked over his shoulder to find Toni holding two travel mugs, staring at his bare ass through the doorway. Great. “I’ll be ready in a minute.” Since they wouldn’t be on the river, he stepped into boxer briefs and then shorts.
She strolled into the bedroom, sipping her coffee like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn’t just found her toothbrush in the damn trash can.
“Who was on the phone?”
He turned, shaking out a fresh T-shirt then slipping his arms into it. “Trapper.” Hunter pulled it over his head and ran his hands through his almost dry hair. “He wanted to know what the plan was. James told him you had the schedule.”
The sweats she wore hung off her hips. She handed him a mug and hiked them up. “If he and James were so interested in finding out about the schedule, they shouldn’t have stranded us here. I had planned to go over it with everyone after we got back.”
“I already gave Trapper an earful, but I can’t say I’m sorry it happened.” He tried to figure out if she regretted making love last night. And this morning. Twice.
“Hey, you don’t hear me complaining about last night, but I reserve the right to be royally pissed at anyone who thought it was a good idea to take off without us. I’m managing this trip. That’s kinda hard to do when I’m miles away with no way to communicate with the people I’m supposed to be managing. Believe me, James will hear about it when we return.”
He watched her over the rim of his mug. She might not be complaining, but the toothbrush told him she wasn’t looking forward to a repeat performance—at least not here. Maybe she was one of those women who liked staying in her own place. He just hoped he’d be welcome too. He’d planned to stay at the inn for the duration of the contract anyway. He even had his duffel bag packed and sitting in his truck.
Hunter didn’t know which end was up. He took two steps toward her to see how she’d react, and when she didn’t move, leaned in for a kiss. He saw her smile when she realized what he was about. Just a quick friendly kiss and he felt a lot better. “Thanks for the coffee. I needed that.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you like bagels and cream cheese. I packed a couple for us to eat on the way.”
“Sounds good.” He decided not to take the whole toothbrush thing personally. After all, she hadn’t said anything to make him think there was a problem. But then she hadn’t said much of anything to make him think there wasn’t a problem either. He tossed his daypack on the bed. “I need to get some things together in here. I think your bag is out on the couch.”
“Oh right.”
He watched her go, and when she was out of sight he took a deep breath, reached into the bedside table, and put his condom stash in the inside pocket, all the while thanking Karma for her forethought, even though the idea that his little sister bought him condoms weirded him out considerably. He just wished he knew whether or not Toni was interested in using any more of them. He zipped up his pack and on his way past his desk remembered the book he’d asked Karma to bring. Maybe it would help him to figure out what was going through Toni’s mind. He didn’t hold out much hope, but it couldn’t hurt.
***
Toni sat in the Jeep, sipped her coffee, and watched the way the mountains continuously changed color. She stretched out in her seat, little twinges reminding her of what she’d spent the night and all morning doing with Hunter. A woman could go a lifetime without having sex that good. She should know—she had.
“What are you thinking?” Hunter took her hand in his and brought it to his lips for a kiss.
There was absolutely no way she was going to tell him. “The coffee definitely makes up for the bagel.”
“Not to mention the sex.”
“You don’t hear me complaining about the sex, do you?”
Hunter still hadn’t released her hand. He kept busy tracing little circles on the inside of her wrist. It was distracting as hell.
Hunter shot her a sideways glance along with a cocky grin, and then returned his eyes to the road. “No, but then you haven’t said a word about making love.”
“What’s to say?”
“Way to kill a man’s ego, Toni. Do you do this to all the guys you date?”
“We’re not dating.”
“No? Then what are we doing?”
“We’re having a fling. Dating insinuates the possibility of a future. You and I both know there’s no future.”
“We do?”
She turned and really looked at him for the first time since they got out of the shower. “You can’t be serious. Hunter. I live in New York. You live here. What are we going to do? Fly cross-country for a booty call a few times a month?”
“Is that the only problem?”
“There is no problem. You’ve known me what—less than two days?”
He shot her one of his crooked smiles that curled her toes. “Calm down, Toni. I’m not proposing. I’m merely keeping an open mind. That’s all.”
“An open mind?” She looked toward the heavens. “He’s keeping an open mind.” Relieved when he turned into the inn’s driveway, Toni tossed open the door as Hunter rolled the Jeep to a stop in front of the lodge, her gaze zeroing in on James. She slid across the seat to step out and realized Hunter still held her hand. Toni looked down at their joined hands, and then at Hunter. “Don’t do this now.”
“Do what? I was only going to tell you that it looks as if Trapper and James have the equipment ready to go.” He pointed over at a trailer hooked up to a big SUV.
“Thanks.” Okay, so she got to wear the dunce cap for the day. She’d been afraid he’d pull one of those he-man overtures like kissing her in front of God—or in this case, James—and everyone. Then she remembered the entire crew had witnessed her kissing Hunter during their desertion, while floating away in those damned orange boats.
She took a deep breath and stepped out of the Jeep, heading straight for her cabin. First things first—she had to change—she didn’t look very professional wearing her bathing suit under a huge pair of Hunter’s sweatpants—then she’d have a little chat with James, the deserter.