Changing His Plans

by Jo McNally

  “You know what? Never mind.” Her voice rose. “I’ve never begged a man to make love to me in my life, and I’m sure as hell not going to start now. Get off me. I’m going back to my place.” She shoved him again, and this time he wasn’t able to catch himself. He windmilled for a minute before losing his balance and hitting the floor ass first. Good.

  He landed in a seated position, so his head was still level with hers. His eyes were wide with surprise.

  “Did you seriously just put me on my ass?”

  “It’s a good place for you since you are one.” She sat up, tugging her shirt down. Oh, wait. That was his shirt. She’d grabbed it off the back of the bathroom door after her shower. It was soft and worn, and it smelled like him. Right now that scent just made her more angry at what they weren’t going to be doing. “I’m outta here...”

  “Not so fast.” Nate grabbed her wrist as she started to stand, pulling her down on her knees next to him on the floor. “Damn it, Britt, lower your shields for half a minute. I know I’m waffling on you, but it has nothing to do with you.” He cupped the back of her head and made sure she was looking at him. “I’ve never been a player. I’m the furthest thing from it. I’m not good at this, but I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings...”

  “You didn’t hurt my...”

  Her voice trailed off. Who was she kidding? They both knew she was lying. He pulled her closer, his hand still firmly behind her head. Their noses were almost touching, his eyes boring into her.

  “I did hurt you, and I’m sorry. I’ve never been seduced like that. Whatever game I had, you destroyed, and I didn’t know how to react.” His other arm slid around her waist, nudging her sideways until she was straddling him, sitting on his thighs. “But I think I’m figuring it out now, so if you don’t mind starting your seduction of me all over again, I’ll try to do better.”

  They stared at each other, both breathing deep and slow. This was crazy, right? Then why was her heart in the same rhythm as her lungs, so steady and sure? She’d never thought of herself as a seductress, but she was a woman who went after what she wanted, and she wanted Nate. She leaned forward and kissed him, feeling his grip tighten around her. He gave a rough moan as his lips parted. He was letting her take the lead, but not for long. Her tongue played with his for a moment before he took over. This wasn’t the sweet, sizzly hayloft kiss. This was pure heat.

  His lips were demanding on hers, and she surrendered. He may not consider himself a player, but he sure could be one if he wanted to. He could melt a woman into a puddle of desire with his mouth. He pillaged her until she was practically whimpering. Her shoulders hit the floor, and she’d never felt him lean her back. But there he was, sliding his knee between her legs and rocking his thigh against her before lowering himself on top of her, his mouth never stopping his seductive dance.

  His hands slid under her T-shirt and up her rib cage until they cupped her breasts. She pulled away for a quick gasp of air and spoke his name out loud. He dropped his head to run kisses down her neck.

  “You’re like gasoline, Britt, and I’m the freakin’ match. I want to light you up...” He paused. “That sounds corny, right? I told you I’m bad at this.” He nipped her shoulder. “Aw, hell, I don’t give a damn. I want you so bad. I want you naked...”

  A sharp dog bark stopped everything. Brittany’s eyes flew open and she saw Joey on the sofa, staring down at them with bright eyes and a wagging tail. His expression made it clear he wanted to join whatever fun game they were playing on the floor. Before she could warn Nate, Joey leaped from the sofa to the floor, shoving his wet nose between Nate’s face and Brittany’s neck.

  Once the initial shock wore off, they both started laughing to the point of tears. Nate sat up and lifted the dog in his arms.

  “Everyone’s a critic, huh? You didn’t like my corny lines, either?” He grinned down at Brittany, and, instead of the moment being broken with Joey’s interruption, the intensity of her desire just deepened.

  Nate was in a rumpled cotton shirt with his mussed hair, holding a wiggling Joey in his arms and laughing down at her. He was hotter than ever in her eyes. When his gaze met hers, she was pretty sure she read the same thought in his eyes—maybe this was where they needed to be. Laughing and uninhibited. Not exactly familiar lovemaking territory for her. She tended to be just as intense and goal-focused in bed as she was in business. But this silly moment felt really good with Nate. Natural. Sexy.

  He rose effortlessly to his feet, holding Joey in one arm while reaching down to help her up. “I think we forgot that this has been a long day for our four-legged friends, too. I’ll take him outside if you’ll put some food in their dishes. Leave Pepper’s dish up on the counter, so Joey can’t get into it.” Nate flashed her a megawatt smile. “Once they’re taken care of, we’ll move our plans into the bedroom. Where there’s a comfy bed.” He held Joey up in front of his face and spoke directly to the dog. “And a door.”

  Chapter Ten

  Nate had a chance to steady his pulse while waiting for Joey to do his business in the yard. The sun had set, and the moon was just coming up behind Gallant Mountain. The power was still off in their neighborhood, but the hum of generators meant some of the houses, including his, had a few lights on. He looked across the water toward the resort and Halcyon, which both seemed to have electricity. That was a good sign. Hopefully, everyone would have power back by morning.

  And speaking of electricity, Brittany Doyle was waiting for him inside. Waiting to have sex with him. That woman was as highly charged—and deadly—as any live electrical wire. He’d nearly bungled everything when she started flirting on the sofa. She’d caught him off guard, waking him up by moving against him just as he was dreaming of moving against her. He cringed at how much of a rube he must have seemed, acting all befuddled because a beautiful woman wanted to have sex with him. And getting an instant hard-on like some teenage virgin. No wonder she’d dumped him on his ass.

  He followed the dog back to the house, locking the door. Good thing he’d come to his senses soon enough to grab Brittany and...make her laugh. That seemed to be Brittany’s aphrodisiac—laughter. Which was interesting, considering she was a woman who didn’t laugh all that much. Even when she was amused, she didn’t often bust out into laughter. She might give a thin smile, maybe a brief chuckle if Hank did something goofy at the store.

  But tonight she’d laughed with him. And not because she was amused...because she was turned on. By him. Go figure.

  She was nowhere to be seen when he walked back into the house. For a second he worried that she’d left as she’d threatened to do earlier. Maybe she’d come to her senses and realized he was no Casanova. But no, she’d put food and water out for the dog and cat. She wouldn’t leave Joey behind. All the lights were off except one lamp by the door and the hallway light. Almost as if she was lighting a path to his bedroom. He grinned. She was waiting for him.

  A wave of panic rolled over him, but he did his best to shrug it off. He was Gallant Lake’s confirmed bachelor, but not in a playboy sort of way. More like when-was-the-last-time-anyone-saw-him-date sort of way. He was the geeky dude who collected old things and sold exciting stuff like bolt cutters and pliers. He and Maggie Hall had dated for a while six years ago, but had decided they were better friends than lovers. Things had been a bit more serious with Renee Cooper three years back. She was a competitive snowboarder—younger, daring and adventurous. She’d come to town that winter to get back in shape after an injury, and somehow had been interested in the hardware guy. But she’d never reached the same seriousness about their relationship as Nate had. They’d had fun, which was apparently all Renee had been looking for. When the following winter approached, she’d kissed him goodbye and gone back on the snowboarding circuit.

  Nate shook his head sharply. Why was he doing this trip down memory lane now? There was a fascinating woman waiting for him In. His. Bed
. Sure, he was a little out of practice, but it was like riding a bike, right? It wasn’t like he’d forgotten his way around a woman. But this felt bigger than that. This was Brittany Doyle. And for all their one-night-stand talk, he had a hunch things could get a lot more complicated than that in a hurry. He grinned and turned off the lights on his way to his bedroom. She was worth the risk, and he was done questioning this.

  She was lying on the bed, stretched out on her side, supporting her head on one arm. Her capris were gone, but she still wore his T-shirt. It was sexier than any piece of lacy lingerie. Her hair was pulled back in a messy knot, and he decided that wasn’t going to do at all. He wanted that brown hair splayed out on the pillow for him. But he could take care of that...once he got into bed with her.

  He shucked his jeans and shirt, kicking them into the corner of the room as he closed the door behind him and made sure it was latched tightly. No more doggy interruptions tonight. Brittany watched him in silence, with the corner of her mouth twitching. Nerves? Humor? Both? He walked toward the bed. Her mouth twitched some more, and she sucked on her bottom lip to stop it. He knelt on the side of the king-size bed, then started crawling toward her on his hands and knees. No more doubts. No more thoughts at all, other than pleasing this woman.

  His first move was to reach up and free her hair, running his hands through it and spreading it out like tawny brown flames on the pillow.

  “You having fun?” She arched her brow at him, but her voice was more purr than sass.

  “Mmm-hmm.” He traced his fingers down her cheek to cup her chin. “You keep that hair all buttoned up and confined, but I like it like this...wild and natural.” He leaned in for a soft kiss on her mouth, and it was a struggle to pull away. But he didn’t want to rush this. Just in case it was a one-night stand, he was determined to make every minute count.

  “Two words rarely associated with me.” A tiny wrinkle appeared between her brows. “Maybe because I’m always so buttoned up.”

  Nate kissed that little wrinkle until it was smooth once again. “I like seeing you unbuttoned. It’s like having my own secret Brittany that no one else knows.”

  Her eyes darkened, making the gold flecks sharpen in contrast. She raised her head and kissed him hard and...wild. Her fingernails dug into his bare back, making him grunt, but he didn’t want her to stop. He drove his tongue past hers, and she didn’t concede right away. No surprise there. The fight was half the fun with her. His hands found the bottom of her/his shirt and started tugging it up. She arched her back to help and reached for his briefs, sliding them to his thighs and freeing his arousal.

  All he wanted was to bury himself in her, but no. Take your time. But Brittany had another plan. As he moved to shed the briefs completely, she wrapped her hands around him and gripped and loosened in a rhythm that made him feel like his brain was melting.

  “Ah...oh, damn...babe...” Stop. Don’t stop...

  He yanked hard on the T-shirt, temporarily tying up her hand as he pulled it off over her head. She was laughing again, but it wasn’t a giddy laugh. It was a whiskey laugh, rough and deep and, like everything else she’d done tonight, sexy as all get-out. He looked down at her and blinked. She was naked now, and...perfect. Not bathing-suit-model perfect, but real-woman perfect. Perfect for him, and him alone. He’d said earlier she was his secret. His. Maybe not forever, but damn, for tonight it was true. She was his. And she was perfect.

  He fell on her, holding her head in his hands and kissing her long and deep and hard. She was trying to reach him again, but he was already between her legs, rocking against her. She wasn’t going to take over. Not tonight. Her moan was half lusty laughter and half frustration. Since she couldn’t reach her target—no way he’d last if she touched him there again—she gripped his butt cheeks and pulled him almost into her.

  “Slow down, kitten...” He rubbed against her, but slowly. Her eyes snapped open, and he saw an angry glint in them. He chuckled. “Not a criticism, babe. I just want a chance to explore you a little.”

  Her body relaxed, but she shook her head. “Explore later. I need you right now.”

  “What you don’t need is a surprise nine months from now.” He shifted, reaching for his nightstand and silently praying there were still a few condoms in there. There were, thank God. He held up a foil pack, and her eyes widened.

  “There are advantages to a man who always keeps his head...” Realizing what she’d just said, she laughed. “Oh, you know what I mean. Here, let me do that.”

  He handed it to her, but held her hand closed around it. Her rushing was hot, but worrisome.

  “Brittany, you know I’m ready...” He rocked again, making her moan. “But I want more of you tonight than this.” He squeezed her hand. “Don’t get me wrong—I want this. And now. But I also want to taste you from your toes to your hair and everywhere in between. And I do mean everywhere.” She smiled softly, her eyes shining. He got lost in those eyes for a moment, then regrouped. “We’ve hardly done anything, and already I know this is going to be...”

  “Nate...honey...” She pinched his chin with her thumb and forefinger. “Stop talking. Stop fretting. Stop thinking. Just because I said I need you right now doesn’t mean I’m going anywhere.” She tipped his chin down and kissed the tip of his nose, making his arousal surge against her leg. She grinned. “It just means you’ve turned me into a horny mess and I’m seriously going to lose my mind if you don’t do this thing. Hard and fast and good. Right now. After that, there are a few places on you that I want to explore. We’ve got all night for the slow and sultry stuff. But right now?” She lifted his chin, a playful, seductive gleam in her eye. “Right now I need you to get that condom on and do the deed, okay?”

  Something hot and oddly comforting rose in his chest as she told him what she needed. Trusting him to deliver. Promising more.

  More...

  He wanted that. Not the sex, although he sure as hell wanted that. But he wanted more of her. He was falling hard for this funny, feisty woman in his arms. He probably needed to think about that discovery, but not right now. She was right—the time for thinking was over.

  He slipped on the condom and held himself up on his forearms, staring straight down at her as he moved against her and then away, teasing her until a tiny glistening tear appeared at the corner of her eye. He kissed that sucker away and slid into her in the same instant. They both let out matching sighs as he did. He stopped, eyes tightly closed, trying to maintain some modicum of control as he wrapped his mind around how good she felt. How perfect she felt. Like no other woman.

  Like she was his woman.

  * * *

  Brittany’s fingers tightened on Nate’s shoulders and didn’t let go. She wanted this moment to last forever. The heat, the tenderness, the rush of desire, the sensations that kept skipping across her skin. Neither of them moving, neither of them breathing... She wanted to linger here and revel in all of it. How could it get any better?

  Then he started to slowly rock against her, easing in and out with such precision that she let out a long, low moan. She barely managed to avoid saying the words out loud—don’t stop. Nate’s lips brushed her ear.

  “Oh, Britt...ah...you’re freakin’ perfect, babe. You’re perfect...”

  Her heart leaped. He thought she was perfect? No one had ever used that word to describe her, and certainly never during sex. Her hips rose to match his rhythm, and she stopped thinking entirely. He muttered something that sounded vaguely vulgar, and she just nodded against him. The sheets twisted around their legs as the pace picked up. A switch had been flipped for both of them, and it was on. Just what she’d begged for—fast, hard and intense.

  “I’m ready...” She gasped.

  “Go, babe. I’ve got you.”

  She cried out...something. His name? God’s name? Maybe just a garble of sounds? She had no idea. She was too busy trying to recove
r from the free fall. Nate was right behind her and had the same problem with articulation. A grunt. A cry. And release. They clung to each other, both gasping to catch their breath, for a long silent moment.

  He nuzzled her neck softly. “Um...wow.”

  She breathed out a low laugh. “Um...yeah.”

  Another nuzzle. A kiss. And he moved, sliding off to the side and disposing of the condom before quickly bringing her in for a tight embrace. His gaze moved over her face as if he was in awe. She was feeling the same way. His mouth slid into a wry grin.

  “Well, that was fun.”

  “So much fun that I’m wondering if you just made up all that hemming and hawing and out of practice nonsense earlier.”

  Nate laughed. “Why do you say that?”

  “For someone who kept whining ‘I’m not a player!’, you’ve got game, Nate Thomas. Serious game.” He’d made her feel like she never had before—turned on and happy and safe all at the same time. She was still glowing from the sensation, hoping it never faded.

  He kissed the back of her neck. “A woman like you makes a man want to up his game, Brittany Doyle. I’m glad you were satisfied.”

  Satisfied? She was so much more than that. But before she could say so, he fell silent, his body relaxing behind her. He was falling asleep. It was hardly a surprise, since the poor guy had only had a few hours’ sleep in the past twenty-four hours and had worked hard all day. She stayed quiet, listening to the change in his breathing as he drifted into slumber. Something warm and funny happened in her chest. Her feelings for Nate were brand-new. More than just the sexual chemistry, there was something that felt like a true bond forming between them. A strong bond of caring and connecting and...something else. Something she wasn’t ready to name yet. Instead, she closed her eyes, knowing she hadn’t had much more sleep than he’d had.

  A bright light woke her, and for a second she thought they’d slept the night away. She felt a stab of disappointment, since Nate had said he wanted to explore every inch of her that night. She held up her hand to cover her eyes and felt him shift behind her.