Time Out (Nashville Nights Next Generation -6)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “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 to
night?” 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.”

  Chapter Seven

  Nick had never been the kind of man who held back. He went after what he wanted no matter the risk, but when he saw the haunted look in Megan’s eyes, he questioned his approach. Was he moving too fast? Was he pushing her away when all he wanted was to draw her closer?

  “Say something,” he whispered. The blank look in her eyes meant she was shutting down again. And shutting him out.

  “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  Tell me you want me as much as I want you. Tell me you need me. “Tell me what you’re afraid of, sweetheart.”

  “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  She tried to use his shoulders as leverage to get up, to push him off, but he kept her pinned.

  “I’m not gonna let you run away. I know what you’re afraid of. I just wanna hear you say it.”

  “If you know so much, you tell me. What am I afraid of?” Her eyes were bright from her challenge.

  “You’re afraid of what you feel in my arms. It’s okay to be afraid. It’s taken me by surprise too.” He kissed her cheek.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t feel anything, other than unfulfilled, at the moment.”

  He knew she was trying to bait him as a means of distraction, but he wouldn’t let her off the hook that easily. He would force her to acknowledge what she felt, even if it meant she withdrew again. “Yes, you do. You feel free. To be yourself, to let your guard down, to let me in… physically and emotionally. For the first time, maybe ever, you want to let someone in who might be able to help you heal.”

  Nick was crossing lines. He knew it was too soon to expect her to trust him completely, but when she’d cried in his arms, he felt her shedding her armor. As soon as he saw a glimpse of the woman hiding beneath it, he couldn’t rest until he’d stripped away all of it, leaving her bare and exposed for his eyes only.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  He pinned her arms over her head, leaving her defenseless. He knew it was risky. She could tell him to back off and refuse to speak to him again, but to get her to open up, he had to convince her to let him in. “You’re completely at my mercy right now.” He kissed her tenderly. “Do you think I would ever hurt you?”

  Her eyes drifted over his face. “Physically? No, never.”

  “Is it your heart you’re tryin’ to protect?”

  Megan released a deep, shuddering breath, and Nick’s heart broke. He heard, in that exhalation, all the words she was too afraid to say.

  “It’s okay, baby. We’ve all made mistakes, done things we’re not proud of. I don’t expect you to be perfect, ‘cause I promise you, I’m not.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re gorgeous, smart, successful. You have a great family, good friends. Your life looks pretty damn perfect to me.”

  “It may seem that way, but there’s a void. A pretty big void. I didn’t even realize it was there until recently.” He was passing the point of no return, but the biggest risks resulted in the greatest rewards.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I go to bed alone, but I want you right there next to me.”

  “Nick…”

  “I know you don’t wanna go there, but I told you I’d always tell you the truth, and I am.”

  “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  Everything. “I want you to promise that when we’re together, you won’t try to shut me out. Just do me a favor: try to let your guard down. Let me in. I promise I won’t make you regret it.”

  “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  He released her arms and propped his weight on his elbow so he could look down at her. “Why not?”

  “I’ve trusted the wrong people too many times, Nick. I promised myself I wouldn’t do that again. I told you, I’m not looking for forever here. I can give you a good time, but I can’t give you a long time. If that’s not enough, I should leave before this goes any further.”

  She was lying naked in his bed. Letting her go was no more an option than choosing not to breathe. “Fine. If that’s my only choice, I guess I’ll have to take it.”

  Megan rolled to her side and slid her leg over his. “We could be great together. In bed. Why can’t that be enough?”

  He knew once they’d made love, letting her go would be the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Allowing her to walk away right then wasn’t an option either, so he found himself in the impossible position of accepting a deal likely to emotionally bankrupt him. “Fine. We’ll do this your way.”

  She stroked him, and his body responded to her touch almost immediately. “It’ll be good. You’ll see.”

  He knew it would be incredible. That was the problem. Instead of talking, or trying to convince her his way was the only path to happiness, he gave himself over to her touch. It was as though she had mapped his body. She knew exactly how to stroke him to maximize his pleasure, how to kiss him to make him lose control…

  Her kiss was so intimate, so passionate, it went on forever. It was as though the words she longed to say were trapped in her throat, and the only way she could express herself was through that kiss.

  “Jesus, Meg.” He was panting and desperate by the time she finally let him up for air. “Condom.” He tipped his head toward the nightstand.

  The wicked gleam in her eye told him she was more than ready.

  He watched in awe as she sheathed him. Her hands seemed steady while it felt like every muscle in his body trembled from the effort to maintain his last shred of control. He wanted their time to be good for her, but if he didn’t find a way to curb his body’s reaction, it would be over before it started. That had never happened to him before, and of all the women he’d ever been with, Megan was the only one he’d ever been so desperate to satisfy… in every way.

  Shifting their bodies so she was pinned beneath him, he kissed her neck to bring her closer to the edge while he bought a few more minutes to regain command of his body. Within seconds, she responded to his touch, opening herself up to him, trying to coax him to take her.

  Their eyes locked as he inched his way into the closest spot he’d found to heaven on earth. He’d had a lot of lovers, but he hadn’t found complete contentment in a woman’s arms. Until now. It was like her body was meant for him… and him alone.

  “Nick…”

  His name slipped through her lips as a sense of wonder crossed her face, and he had no doubt she was as affected by their inexplicable connection as he was.

  He wouldn’t let her look away or close her eyes. He wanted to see into her soul while his body found a home in hers. If she was his last lover, he would die a happy man. That thought blind-sided him. He’d never thought about a woman in terms of forever.

  Their bodies moved as though they’d stolen moments of ecstasy in each other’s arms for years. Their hearts and bodies knew what their brains had yet to process. They were meant to be together.

  Every intimate stroke left Nick wanting a deeper connection. Deep wasn’t deep enough. Fast wasn’t fast enough. Slow wasn’t slow enough. It wasn’t enough. He wanted more of her. He wanted all of her.

  Her body welcomed him in ways her heart couldn’t yet. Her soft sighs filled him with satisfaction, yet left him wishing she would voice the contentment he knew she felt.

  He wanted the moment to last forever because he knew when he finally had to let her go, the walls would go up again. She would slip the veil of perfection back into pl
ace, and he would have to wonder all over again who or what hurt her so badly.

  “I love this,” he whispered. He needed to say the things she would never let him say in the bright light of day. He wrestled with his body’s urge to climax, needing to see her come apart one more time before he allowed himself to concede. “I love the way you feel. The way you make me feel.” He kissed her, hoping she felt everything he couldn’t say in that kiss. I think you’re the one.

  She kissed him back, proving to him the fire raging inside of him burned her up too.

  He gave her everything he had, using his body to project her to heights she’d never experienced. Every caress was intended to hit the spot. The look of rapture on her face told him exactly what she needed and when. Listening to her body’s cues paid off. He was rewarded with the most incredible sensation he’d ever experienced. She clenched him in her tight heat, taking them on a wild ride to a state that felt too staggering to be real.

  ***

  Megan was still trying to process what she’d just experienced when Nick drew her into his arms. He held her for a long time, their shallow breathing the only sound in the room.

  “Tell me about what your life was like before you moved here,” he said.

  She felt the tension seeping back in to replace the utter relaxation she’d felt only moments before. “There’s not much to tell. You know what I did for a living. You know I was engaged to Brock-”

  “How did you two meet?”

  “At a charity event.”

  He kissed her shoulder. “Did you know right away he was the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?”

  She closed her eyes as her memory took her back to the first night they’d met. Brock was so handsome, so charismatic. The perfect man… for another woman.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, holding her tighter. “If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to.”

  “I don’t mind.” She hadn’t thought she would ever want to share her past with anyone, but Nick made opening up so easy, especially in light of the intimacy they’d just shared.