“As a matter of fact, there is something else,” Jonah answered in a low voice.
“What?”
She’d breathed the word rather than just said it outright. It hung between them like an unspoken, tempting invitation.
Jonah was aware of rising to his feet, his hands on her shoulders, bringing her up with him. The next moment, he leaned in and his lips met hers.
The kiss ignited a host of other things, feelings that had not really faded away but had been hiding just beneath the surface, ready to leap up and seize the moment.
For just a second, his body was sealed to hers. The close proximity woke up every single inch of her.
She wove her arms around his neck, losing herself not just in the kiss but in the man, as well. She could feel her pulse racing, feel herself yearning for more. But that would only be opening up the door for things that might be glorious in the moment, but that undoubtedly came with consequences. Consequences she didn’t think she could handle on top of everything else.
With effort, Maggie forced herself to draw her head back. Trying to lighten the moment, she pretended to continue a conversation that hadn’t actually gotten underway.
“So you were saying that you’d like some dessert?” she asked.
Understanding why she was doing this, Jonah picked up on her cue. “Yes, but I don’t think that there’s any available.”
“Why don’t I just take a look?” Maggie suggested, stepping away. She discreetly took a few deep breaths in an effort to still her erratic pulse as she crossed to the refrigerator. Opening the freezer, she looked in. There wasn’t much there. “How do you feel about refrozen ice cream?”
“How’s that again?” he asked.
She pulled out a half-filled container of chocolate ice cream. “Refrozen ice cream,” she repeated. “It looks like it melted a bit when we lost power, then refroze again when the power came on.” She turned the carton around, looking at it from all sides. “I don’t think it’s bad. At worst, it just probably doesn’t taste as good as it should.”
Because he was still trying to play along, Jonah turned over the idea of having the ice cream in his mind. “Well, I’m willing to give it a try if you are,” he told her.
Maggie hadn’t even realized that he had come up behind her just now. She sucked in her breath in surprise as she turned around.
Trying to appear nonchalant, she managed to sound cheerful. “Sure, why not?”
Taking a large spoon, she began scooping out the contents. There was just enough left in the container to provide two decent-sized servings. Maggie divided the chocolate ice cream equally between two bowls and handed one to Jonah.
“Too bad you don’t have any whipped cream,” she commented, looking down into the bowl.
“I take it that chocolate ice cream isn’t your favorite?” Jonah guessed.
Maggie examined the contents again. She wasn’t aware of wrinkling her nose just then, but Jonah had taken notice of it.
“It’s too chocolaty,” she said as they sat down on the couch.
He thought the way she’d wrinkled her nose made her look adorable, but he didn’t want to embarrass her, so he kept that to himself.
“Really?” Jonah asked, rather surprised at her answer. “It’s my favorite.”
“I like mint chip best,” Maggie confided.
“That has chocolate in it,” Jonah pointed out.
“Yes, but it’s not overpowering. It’s not chocolate,” she said, all but shouting out the word to make her point. Looking at her bowl again, she made up her mind. “You know what? You can have mine,” she told him, holding out the bowl to him.
“You really don’t want it?” Jonah questioned. He was almost finished with the ice cream in his own bowl. Without thinking about it, he had all but inhaled the contents quickly.
“I’ve had enough,” Maggie assured him. “Here. Really,” she said, urging him to take the bowl. She glanced at his empty bowl. “I can see that you really do like it.”
He placed his empty bowl on the coffee table but instead of taking the one she was offering, Jonah told her, “I do.” There was just the slightest dab of chocolate ice cream on the corner of her mouth. “Um, you have a little bit of chocolate right there.”
“Where?” she asked, reflexively running her tongue along the upper part of her lip with hopes of clearing away the offending trace. “Here?”
But she hadn’t come close to it. “No, right there,” he told her.
The next moment, giving in to his urge, Jonah leaned in and removed the tiny dab of ice cream with his own lips. Chocolate ice cream had never tasted this good.
He heard Maggie sighing in contentment against his mouth. That only fanned the flames that had instantly sprung up on contact.
He kissed her again, this time with even more feeling and enthusiasm.
Not wanting to make Maggie feel as if he was attempting to overwhelm her, Jonah forced himself to slowly pull back.
He smiled at Maggie. “No doubt about it,” he said. “I really do love chocolate ice cream.”
This was her chance to draw away and call it a day. To step back from temptation before she got in over her head and did something she might regret.
To—
Oh, the hell with it, Maggie thought, mentally throwing up her hands and giving in. Who was she kidding? They were clearly drawn to one another, why was she trying to resist so hard? The truth of it was she couldn’t remember ever being so attracted to a man the way she was to Jonah. Not even to her ex-husband.
Yes, she knew that she didn’t have a prayer of this actually going anywhere once this unique scenario was resolved. But they were both here now and maybe, just for a little while, they could enjoy one another without any strings attached.
“You know,” she said with a contented sigh, “I think I’m beginning to really change my mind about chocolate ice cream.”
“Oh?” he asked, rubbing his finger along her bottom lip, “How so?”
“I’m finding that I’m developing a really strong taste for it,” she murmured just as their lips came together again.
All systems were go, but still, Jonah didn’t want to take anything for granted. What if he was misreading her signals?
“You’re sure about this?” he asked her, giving her a chance to pull away.
She was grateful to him for asking, but at the same time, she didn’t want to waste time debating with him.
“I’m sure,” she responded. “Now stop talking and let me sample some more of the ice cream that you’ve managed to get on your mouth.”
There was almost a twinkle in her eye, which aroused him.
Everything about her aroused him. There was no use fighting it.
“With pleasure,” he told her.
For a moment, as he settled her back into his arms, she thought that Jonah would just take her right then and there, making the most of the moment and her willingness. It was what she was used to, thanks to her ex.
But Jonah surprised her.
He didn’t just race to the finish line with her. Instead, he went about making love with her slowly. He began by nibbling on her lips, then moving on to sample other parts of her, gliding his lips along her throat, her shoulders, the soft inviting slope that led down between her breasts.
He made love to her slowly, lyrically, leaving no part of her untouched, unworshipped. He used his lips, his teeth, his hands. Every part of him made love to her.
Maggie tried to keep up, but then she would find herself slipping into the wild, wonderful haven that Jonah was creating for her.
Over and over again, her breath caught in her throat and she would lose her train of thought, lose herself in the wild, wonderful moment that was encompassing her.
He made her forget who she was. Where she was. All that existed was this all-consuming fire that
he was stoking.
Pulling her blouse from her shoulders and then undoing her bra, letting it slowly sink away from her breasts, Jonah covered her with a fine web of openmouthed kisses, moving slowly along her throbbing skin.
Jonah was vaguely aware that she was trying to open his belt, fumbling with the clasp. He paused for the slightest moment to undo it for her.
He felt her smile against his skin as he went to kiss her again.
“Always the gentleman,” she murmured.
“I do my best,” Jonah answered just before he brought his mouth back down to her lips, then to the hollow of her throat.
He reveled in the way her breath was growing louder as well as shorter and shorter in response to what he was doing.
Maggie felt as if her whole body was on fire. She never knew that lovemaking could be this wild, exhilarating experience that had her craving more and more even as it made her want to live in the moment, savoring every second of what was happening.
She was amazed that this experience was so different from what she had experienced before. After all, she’d been married, and James Corgan hadn’t exactly been a virgin when he’d taken her. But his expertise for the most part lay in his satisfying himself, not in making love with her or to her. Compared to Jonah, her ex had been an inept boy. He hadn’t been anywhere near the experienced man that Jonah was right at this moment.
Jonah, she realized, seemed dedicated to pleasing her, thereby pleasing himself.
Completely captivated by him, at first Maggie didn’t realize that Jonah was carrying her into the bedroom, not until he’d crossed the threshold and was about to place her down on the bed.
This was the way she wanted it to happen, Maggie thought. Not like some tawdry affair, but on a bed like two lovers who had all the time in the world.
The moment she felt the bed against her back, she began to tug on the remainder of his clothing, eager to feel his skin against hers when he drew close to her again. Her fingers flew, as did his, and within moments, they were both as naked as their desire for one another rendered them.
As he began to kiss her over and over again, Maggie firmly wrapped her legs around his torso, holding him to her, urging him to finally consummate their union once and for all.
But still he continued to take his time with her, despite the fact that he could feel an urgency racing through him. He could feel his eagerness growing by quantum leaps until he just couldn’t hold himself in check any longer.
Rolling Maggie onto her back, he drew his body slowly up along hers. He wanted to look into her eyes when they took the final step. But as he balanced himself directly over her, he saw that her eyes were closed.
“Open your eyes, Maggie,” he whispered. When they continued to remain closed, he said, “Look at me.”
For the first time, just before they became one, she opened her eyes. Her heart was hammering wildly against her chest. She saw Jonah smile down at her and she felt something stirring in response. She had never felt so close to anyone as she felt to Jonah.
And then his knee was nudging her legs apart. Not urgently, as if it was his right, but gently. Her heart melted.
She opened for him and drew in her breath as she felt him entering her. The movement was gentle, not anything like the way James had done it, as if it was his right and she was his property.
The same heart that had melted was swelling now. At this moment—just for this one singular moment—she fell in love with Jonah as he began to move slowly, then more urgently within her.
She met him movement for movement, glorying in their union and eagerly racing toward fulfillment, that wonderful race to the top of the mountain, followed by that breathtaking leap that eventually sent them spiraling downward.
She dug her fingers into his shoulders as they took the leap together.
Chapter 13
Though he tried to hold on to it as long as he could, Jonah found that the euphoria between them receded all too soon. As he listened to her breathing become steadier, quieter, Jonah leaned in and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Maggie stirred and stretched against him, then turned to look up at him quizzically.
She appeared just as stunned as he felt. Smiling, he gently swept her hair out of her face. “That was a surprise,” he told her.
Maggie drew herself up on her elbow and gazed at him, bemused. “Did you expect me to start throwing things at you?”
“No, of course not,” he responded, searching his brain for the right way to put his thoughts into words. “I just didn’t expect...” His voice trailed off and then he finally said, “for all this to happen.”
“And now you’re regretting it?” she guessed, bracing herself for the disappointment she knew would come if he hinted at that.
Jonah’s dark eyebrows drew together in utter confusion that she should think something like that.
“Oh hell no,” he told Maggie. “I just didn’t want you to feel overwhelmed—” That didn’t come out right. “I mean—”
She smiled at him. He was concerned that he had imposed his will on her, she realized. The man was incredibly sweet.
“I know what you mean,” she said, stopping him. “And trust me, Jonah, if I didn’t want this to happen, it wouldn’t have. I know how to take care of myself, and you,” she emphasized with a grin, “don’t strike me as being a Neanderthal.”
“I’m not,” he agreed with feeling.
Her eyes smiled before her mouth even began to curve. “I know.”
“So you’re okay with what happened?” Jonah asked, searching her face and wanting to be totally sure that they really were on the same page.
“I’m better than okay,” Maggie assured him, snuggling up in the crook of his arm.
Jonah grinned. “Well, in that case...” His voice trailed off provocatively.
She raised herself up on her elbow again, tantalized by what she heard in his voice. “Just what did you have in mind?”
The expression in his eyes was positively nothing short of wicked. “Guess,” he challenged.
Her pulse sped up again, going into double time. “You’ll have to give me a hint,” she teased.
Jonah leaned in and kissed her, a wave of unbridled passion beginning to churn within him in a matter of seconds. It was hard to hold himself in check.
She was practically breathless when he drew his lips away. Taking a second to collect herself, Maggie whispered, “I’m going to need more of a hint than that.”
He pulled her to him, her back sliding along the sheets.
“More of a hint coming up,” he told her just before he sealed his mouth over hers again.
* * *
How could it be dawn already?
Maggie opened her eyes warily, hoping she was imagining things. But she wasn’t. Daylight was skimming along the floor in the cabin bedroom. She felt as if she had gotten less than three hours sleep.
Trying to be quiet, Maggie slipped out of bed, her whole body still humming from the activities of just a few hours ago. Quickly collecting her clothes, she got dressed in the living area. Her plan was to make coffee, maybe even breakfast if Jonah had enough eggs left in the refrigerator.
After that, she’d see where the day took them.
She had just managed to crack four eggs and deposit them into the frying pan when Jonah tiptoed up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and giving her a quick hug.
Kissing her neck, he told her, “I would have made breakfast.”
She tried not to shiver as the kiss zipped along her sensitive skin.
“It’s my turn,” she reminded him.
He laughed, releasing her. “I would have thought after last night, you would be too tired to get up and cook.”
She gave him a side glance. His shirt was hanging open with a tempting view of his muscular chest.
Maggie ordered herself to focus.
“The same would go for you, wouldn’t it?” she asked, scrambling the eggs.
Stepping back, Jonah started to put out the utensils to set the table. “I’m used to getting by on very little sleep and putting in a long day.”
“So you’re telling me that you do this sort of thing all the time?” she asked, tongue in cheek.
“Yes—no,” he quickly corrected, realizing what she was saying. “I mean—”
Delighted, Maggie laughed. He looked adorable when he was flustered. “I’d quit while I was ahead if I were you, Jonah,” she advised. The toast popped just then. She nodded toward the toaster. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and butter the toast?” she suggested with a straight face.
Jonah nodded. “I should butter the toast,” he agreed. Dropping the four slices onto a plate, he took out the butter and began to spread it generously across each of the four surfaces.
Maggie laughed. Good-looking, good-natured and a fantastic lover, the man really was a rare combination. She told herself not to think any further than today.
“You realize I’m giving you a hard time, don’t you?” she asked.
“I’m tough,” he declared, deliberately keeping a serious face. “I can take it.”
“Oh, but you do have a very soft center,” she said wistfully, allowing herself to drift back to last night just for a moment.
“I’d rather we keep that just between us,” he told her.
She wondered if that gave her an exclusive edge. She decided not to explore that thought too closely. “Consider it done,” she replied.
Dividing the scrambled eggs between the two plates, she placed two pieces of the toast he’d buttered on each plate and then handed him one plate while she took the other.
“I’ve been thinking,” Maggie said, taking her seat opposite him.
“When?” Jonah asked in all innocence. They’d made love almost all night and then when he woke up, he’d found her in the kitchen, busy with breakfast. The woman was a whirlwind. “When did you have time to think?”
Maggie grinned, knowing exactly what Jonah was referring to.
Colton 911: Cowboy's Rescue Page 12