Tossing the Caber (The Toss Trilogy)

by Susan Craig

  Then he smiled, but his eyes were grim. “Yes, ma’am.” She felt his muscles gather, and with one strong thrust he broke through.

  She cried out, tensing against the burning pain, but only for an instant. Then desire pushed discomfort aside and her hips began to move against him again.

  Still, he waited. “You okay?”

  “Yes. I need you, Logan.”

  At last, he began to move, and she matched him stroke for glorious stroke. She was immersed in sensation, buffeted by her need for him.

  The tension in her body spiraled upward, and broke in a series of powerful contractions. Dimly, she felt Logan’s release. Then the weight of his body collapsed upon her, and she smiled with smug satisfaction. Her limbs felt like lead; it seemed only fair that his should, too. Her hips continued to rock, but the movement was slower, almost sedate, and she gloried in each trembling aftershock. A few moments later, he shifted off her, spooning her against him with his arm around her waist.

  It was easier to breathe now, but she missed his weight anyway. Snugged up against him, she curled her arms to her chest, holding tight the sense of belonging Logan had given her. She closed her eyes and drifted in an incredible sea of sensation, her body lethargic and oh, so content, her mind still vague and unfocused, the same words running through it that she had kept there all during the long ride home. I want you, I want you, I want you. And, in the background of her mind, somehow, the echo of those words came back as Forever, forever, forever. She slipped from a sweet sunny fuzziness into sleep.

  When she woke, Diana left her eyes closed for a moment, picturing again how Logan had looked in nothing but his kilt. Broad shoulders, massive arms, flat corded stomach…

  Muscles contracted deep inside her. The warmth of his body caressed her skin.

  She stretched, bringing her hands behind her head and arching her neck as she sighed in contentment. Her body felt a little stiff, so she reached toward the head of the bed, closing her eyes as she shifted her hips, stretching each side of her spine in turn. Marvelous. Then a strong hand cuffed her wrists and pinned them above her head.

  Her eyes flew open, and she smiled the slow, seductive smile of a satisfied woman. “Hello, Logan.”

  He was looking at her as if he’d never seen her—or any other woman—before.

  “What?”

  “I thought I must have been hallucinating, but it was real, wasn’t it?”

  “Not just real. Phenomenal, wonderful, fantastic.” She smiled again. “You are incredible, Logan.”

  “I’m incredible? I did nothing. It was all you. How could you have been a virgin? You’re so hot, so passionate.” As he spoke, he ran his right hand down from wrist to thigh with tantalizing slowness, edging her left side with fire. She writhed as his hand traveled the same path back, and desire began to build once more. But he released her wrists and removed his hand from her body. “Tell me. I really want to know. How could that be?”

  She pulled her arms down and shrugged, missing the touch of his hand. There was no way she was going to start talking about her lonely adolescence. “It isn’t hard to be a virgin if you’ve never met a man you wanted…and could trust.”

  “This is going to sound corny, but I’m honored. Truly, I am.”

  Diana looked away. Through the window she could see the limbs of trees, their leaves shining in the warm afternoon sunlight. This conversation was beginning to embarrass her. Besides, if they kept talking she’d wind up saying things she preferred to keep to herself. Don’t spoil it.

  She chose to distract him. Rolling to her side she ran her hand over the hard planes of his chest, past his hip and down his thigh. She saw his eyes darken. As she began to retrace the path he stopped her by laying his hand over hers. His voice was throaty and deep. “Diana, touch me.” She hesitated a moment, then took him into her hand. Almost immediately he expanded even further. Delicately, her fingertips glided over his hard shaft and lingered on the soft, swollen tip with its intriguing opening. So soft and so hard…velvet over steel.

  He groaned as she continued to touch him softly, exploring. Reaching out, he took her by the shoulders, squeezing her to him as if he would crush her and spoke against her lips before taking them with fierce passion. “You destroy me, Diana.”

  The words barely registered, as desire raged again.

  Diana awoke in Logan’s arms. Daylight was fading fast. He smiled at her and gently brushed back a strand of hair that lay across her face. “Get up, Diana. Go take a shower. I’m taking you to dinner, then I’m bringing you home and tucking you in bed, alone. You’re going to be sore enough tomorrow as it is.” He sat up, bringing her along with him. “Come on, get up.”

  She was hungry, Diana realized. Ow. And getting stiff. She eased herself from the bed and moved toward the bathroom. Stepping into the shower, she stood who knows how long, letting the water sheet over her body. She felt too peaceful to move. The door to the shower opened and Logan stepped in.

  “You’re exhausted. Here, let me.” Ignoring the bath puff hanging there, he squeezed body shampoo into his hand. Distributing the soap on both hands, he massaged it over her entire body from neck to toes.

  Once again lost in a rosy haze of sensuality, Diana delighted in his touch. Pushed gently back beneath the showerhead, she stood, passive, water streaming over her face and hair as he soaped and rinsed himself. He rubbed them both dry with a fluffy towel and wrapped it around her, then took her by the hand.

  She followed him into the bedroom and allowed him to seat her on the cotton sheet covering her bed. Cotton sheet? She looked up at him. “You took off the quilt?”

  He stroked a hand down her wet hair. “I’m afraid we messed it up.”

  She nodded, understanding. “Not a problem. It won’t be cold tonight.”

  He chuckled, a deep satisfied sound that warmed her stomach like brandy in front of a roaring fire. “Just sit still and let me dry your hair.”

  Somehow he’d found her wide-toothed comb and hairdryer. With more skill than she expected, he carefully combed the tangles from her hair with one hand as he plied the hairdryer with the other. She enjoyed the sensation of Logan tending her, but her brain was still in neutral, and she kept it there. She could think later. Right now, all she wanted to do was feel.

  Finished, he pulled her to her feet. “Get dressed.” He began to put his own clothes back on. “We’ll stop by my house, I’ll lose the kilt and feed Spud, and then we’ll see about getting some food into you.”

  Diana would normally have bridled at being ordered about, but she felt too cared-for to mind. She slipped into panties and a bra, pulled on a simple jersey knit sundress in a deep sapphire blue, and accompanied Logan to the Jeep.

  Logan pulled his gaze back to the road. Diana was so beautiful, sitting there beside him in a simple blue dress, face free of makeup, eyes still slumberous from lovemaking. Something in his chest swelled, making breathing difficult. He wanted her again. Already. Soft and slow and sweet. Still fully content, his body thoroughly satisfied, he wanted her. How could that be? What magic had she woven that he felt such bone-deep peacefulness and yet wanted? He remembered the softness of her skin beneath his lips, and heard the whisper of a sigh.

  That wasn’t memory. Turning his head, he saw Diana watching him. “Is everything all right?”

  She smiled, wide and slow. “Everything is perfect.”

  Those lips, so soft and full, made his own ache to kiss her. He turned his attention back to the road. “Hungry?”

  “Ravenous.”

  “Ever been to Bartinelli’s?”

  “Mmmmm.” The erotic sound of her voice echoed the moans from this afternoon.

  His hands tensed on the steering wheel. Food, Carmichael, she needs food. He concentrated on the road. “Glad you agree.” Whew. Far from getting her out of his system, the interlude at her condo had spawned a need that made what went before look like mere infatuation. It would be damn easy to lose his head completely over this woman
.

  When they were seated, Logan leaned toward Diana and reached for her hand, holding it gently. He wanted her to feel cherished. That was a bit of a surprise. He’d always been a considerate lover, gentle when gentleness was called for, but this tenderness had a new quality to it. Must be because she’d been a virgin. My first virgin. He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled. “This place is a favorite of mine as well. Do you eat shellfish?”

  She nodded. “I usually get the scallops—they do them beautifully.”

  Excellent. “Would you be game to try my favorite meal here? It has scallops in it.”

  Diana smiled. “That would be perfect. I feel too good to want to think. Why don’t you excuse me for a moment, and order while I’m gone? This is a night for good surprises.”

  More startled than he wanted to show, he nodded. “Fine, I’ll do that.” She was certainly a different person away from the office. He watched the sway of her hips as she walked away from their banquette, and kissed the lazy contentment of his body goodbye. Not so peaceful now, are we Carmichael? She was the best surprise he’d ever had.

  Dinner was outstanding, as he’d known it would be. They began with an appetizer of tender, perfectly fried calamari with a spicy dipping sauce. Fifteen minutes into their meal, the calories must have hit her bloodstream, because Diana lost her slumberous look and became more alert. As conversation ranged far and wide, Logan tried to find a way to bring it back to his topic of interest—Diana and her unexpected virginity.

  Finally, speaking softly at their corner table in the dimly lit restaurant, he simply asked. “You changed the topic when I asked you this before, but maybe you’ll be willing to tell me now. How is it a woman as beautiful as you was a virgin? Surely men pursued you when you were in college.”

  Diana pushed the last of her pasta—with scallops and shrimp in a delicately seasoned cream sauce—around with her fork. To Logan, she appeared hesitant, but not upset. “What I told you earlier was the simple truth.”

  “But surely you dated men in college.” If she hadn’t, the men had all been blind fools.

  “Not as often as you imagine. I was very focused on my studies and my sport.”

  “What sport was that?”

  “Basketball. I love the game, and I’m a fair player. But my friend Sally Johnston—you met her at the shelter—is a real star. Team captain. She gave me a lot of coaching.” She flashed a self-deprecating smile. “I did make varsity, but my primary contribution was keeping the bench warm.”

  Logan refilled her glass of Chablis. “So no time for men?”

  “No.” She smiled wickedly. “I left that to Sally. There was one man my senior year. He gave me quite the rush, but I wasn’t particularly interested.”

  “I can’t imagine that he gave up easily.”

  A wry smile quirked Diana’s lips. “No, he didn’t. William was the company representative for a manufacturing firm. He made a serious attempt to sweep me off my feet. Then he vanished from my life without even a goodbye the day my father contracted to do business with a rival company. Daddy’s business was what William wanted, not me.”

  Seeing the slight shadow in her eyes, Logan held out a forkful of New York cheesecake. “Try this.”

  Watching her luscious lips as she accepted the dessert, he smiled and pitched his voice to caress. “Clearly William was an unmitigated idiot—thank God.”

  Sliding closer, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. His tongue slipped inside her mouth—not possessive, but sensuous and persuasive—stroking the roof of her mouth, her lips, her tongue. Her head fell back onto his arm, and stayed there as he lifted his mouth from hers. “Yum. You and cheesecake—an unbeatable combination. Let’s try that again.”

  He saw her lips curve upward. “Mmmm. Let’s.”

  Riding home beside Logan, Diana enjoyed the sweet anticipation of being in his arms again. As they strolled toward the door of her condo, her heart rate accelerated.

  “I hate to have this evening end, Diana.” Logan kissed the palm of her hand, held securely by his strong fingers. “It’s been a magical day.”

  The rhythm of her breathing picked up. “It doesn’t have to end yet.”

  “Yes it does. You need rest and so do I. Give me your key.” Unlocking the door to her condo, Logan drew her inside.

  She stepped close and looked up at him, her voice soft and low. “You promised to tuck me in.”

  “That I did—alone.”

  She let her gaze roam over his strong features, then reached up and ran her fingers through his thick, soft hair. Sliding her body against his, she drew his head down and moved her mouth, whisper soft, over his. He didn’t move.

  “Playing hard to get, Carmichael?” She took his hands and drew them up and down the sides of her waist as she continued kissing him. She could feel him smile and could feel his arousal, but he still didn’t move. With a mixture of frustration and annoyance, she stepped away from him.

  “Fine, then. Come and tuck me in.” Leaving him standing there, she turned on her heel and walked away.

  Light spilled into the hallway from the bedroom. Logan waited a few beats before moving towards it. Despite Diana’s dismissive words, she wasn’t likely to just give in. He rounded the corner and saw he was right.

  Her blue dress lay puddled just past the bedroom door. Panties lay a few feet further on, and her bra was tossed haphazardly over the misshapen pillows of the armchair. Diana lay between the sheets in her big bed, looking at him with wide, seemingly innocent eyes.

  He masked a grin and kept his face solemn as he approached. Sitting down next to her, he started tucking the sheet around her naked body with exaggerated care. “I’m glad you decided to be sensible about this, Diana.”

  She gave him a sultry look and pouted.

  Pretending not to notice, he made a show of adjusting the top of the sheet across her breasts—smoothing it out by running his fingernails over the cotton covering her peaked nipples. Her eyes closed half-way and she moaned deep in her throat.

  “You see, you’re half asleep already.” Heading south, he tucked the sheet deep under her waist and hips, so deep he lifted her off the bed and massaged the backs of her thighs.

  Her hips started rocking, like they had that afternoon. He thought she was trying to control it—she didn’t look like she was moving—but he could feel her muscles tense and release. Smiling to himself, he tucked the sheet under her calves and ankles, wrapping her legs tight together, then ran his hand up the center of her.

  Her hips were thrusting to a steady beat now—he could see it—and when he leaned forward to kiss her she wrapped her arms around him, to pull him down onto the bed.

  “Not so fast, sweetheart. I said I’d tuck you into bed alone.” He disengaged her arms.

  She frowned.

  “Just lay there and let me finish this.” He leaned over her and smoothed her hair away from her shoulders, fanning it across the pillow. He kissed the frown away, then kissed her eyes, her cheekbones, the corners of her mouth, but moved away when she turned to try to capture his lips with her own.

  “Go to sleep, darling. Keep your hands at your sides and relax.” Keeping his voice soft and low, he smiled at her, coaxing her to let him take control. “Close your eyes.”

  She obeyed.

  Taking his time, he worked his mouth from the edge of her collarbone to her throat, from her throat to her chin, then with a nibble at her bottom lip he moved away.

  He looked at her eyes; they were shut, so he braced himself on his arms and leaned forward to lick the material covering her nipples. Then he scraped his teeth gently across the sensitive tips.

  Her hands gathered the sheet into her fists as she arched her breasts against his mouth. After a while she began to moan, and he lifted his head.

  “Relax, darling, you’re so tense. Maybe you need a massage.” He put his hand on the mound at the juncture of her legs, circling and teasing.

  When he moved to her sensitive upper
thighs, she groaned. Wiggling and kicking, she loosened the sheet and spread her legs apart.

  Logan smiled at her response. The tell-tale rocking of her hips was no longer subtle. “What’s this? You want me to tuck in each leg separately?” His hands worked their way up the inside of her right leg from the ankle, tucking and caressing through the sheet. At the juncture of her thighs he paused, sliding a finger up to tuck a bit of sheet between the lips there.

  She bucked on the bed, but he turned his attention to the ankle of her other leg, working his way up toward the spot where dampness showed through the sheet. Moving atop the bed, he put his mouth to the damp spot. His tongue found the engorged nub beneath the sheet and he scraped his teeth across the cotton covering it. Bucking and writhing she rocked violently against him, her hands straining and still fisted in the sheet. He let her move against him for a few delicious moments, then drew back.

  She moaned restlessly, eyes shut tight, waiting for him to touch her again. “Logan, please.”

  He paused, enjoying the power of the moment.

  “Logan!”

  Satisfied, he once again brought his mouth to the swollen tip of her, nibbling and licking delicately as he held her in place with his hands. Within seconds she crashed into orgasm, his hands warming her hipbones, his lips feeling each shudder and contraction.

  When the tremors stopped, he stood. The beautiful face was passive now—soon she would be asleep. “Goodnight, sweetheart.” Dropping a quick kiss on her lips, he turned out the light and let himself out, locking the door behind him.. He drove away with the Cherokee’s windows down, letting the breeze cool his face.

  He was fully aroused, but that discomfort that was nothing compared to the satisfaction of seeing Diana mindlessly, erotically at his mercy. Damn. He’d never known a woman to be so explosively passionate, to be so total in her gift of herself. This afternoon had been the first time in years he hadn’t been able to hold himself back. She said she’d never before met a man she wanted and could trust. He shook his head. She had given him her trust today, and he wanted to be worthy of it. For the first time in his adult life, instead of considering a woman’s needs equal to his own, he had put himself second. Thinking about her response wasn’t helping tame his arousal…there would have to be one long shower tonight. But he couldn’t find it in himself to mind.