by M. S. Parker
Just standing so close to Lexi and not being able to touch her was an exercise in pure torture, but she’d made it clear she didn’t want me touching her.
I was about ready to get away, so I wouldn’t give in to temptation, but then, in a soft, quiet voice, she said. “It wasn’t your fault.”
As she spoke, she reached up and laid her hand on my cheek. That light touch blistered through me, soothing old hurts and awakening new ones. Without thinking, I covered her hand with mine.
“But–”
“No.” She shook her head and touched her finger to my lips. “It wasn’t your fault. Your brother was a grown man and made his own choices, just like you.”
“Lex–”
She pulled her hand away and shifted her gaze from mine. “Don’t argue with me, Roman. It wasn’t your fault. And it’s not your fault – or not entirely your fault – that I’m in the mess I’m in. I’m a grown woman, and like you, like your brother, I make my own choices. I knew it was a bad idea to go out with you. I just decided to go against my better judgment.”
“Why?” I studied her face, wanting to read her eyes. But she didn’t look at me, and she didn’t answer. I tried again, and lightly, hesitantly, I brushed my fingers down her cheek. “Why did you go out with me, Lexi?”
“I was scared you’d get hurt or lost.”
I knew that was part of it, but something told me that there was more to it than what she was saying.
“Look at me, Lexi.” I moved a little closer, close enough now that my boots almost brushed hers.
Her eyes moved back to mine.
“If I’d gotten lost or hurt, it would have been my own damn fault.”
“And it’s my own damn fault I did get hurt.” She rolled her eyes. “Granted, it might have looked better for me if you had been the one to get your ankle caught in the snare.”
Personally, I wished it had been me. It would have served me right. I smiled a little. “I can understand your point. You didn’t need to feel responsible for me.”
“You’re big on double standards, aren’t you?” She laughed. “You feel this is your responsibility but don’t like the fact that I also feel like it’s my responsibility.”
While I was trying to think of a way to respond to that, her gaze dipped to my mouth.
Heat began to pulse inside me, a gut-deep need to touch her again, taste her.
Then she pressed her mouth to mine. I froze, uncertain of how to react. She licked my lips, teasing her way inside. I opened for her, desperate to have her taste on my tongue again. She curled her arm around my neck, and as her breasts crushed against my chest, my control shattered.
Grabbing her, I hauled her in close, gripping her hips. She rocked against me and my cock, already swelling, surged to instant, rampant life.
I caught the back of her neck, pulling her in even tighter until we were pressed together from our mouths to our knees. I wanted to consume her, drown in her, lose myself in her.
Tearing my mouth from hers, I caught her shoulders and eased away, struggling to regain some shred of calm. “If we keep this up, I’m going to have your pants around your ankles in about thirty seconds.”
“Promise?” She looked at me with lambent eyes.
“Fuck,” I muttered, jerking her back up against me.
“Sounds good to me.”
I covered that smiling mouth with my own and tugged the band restraining her hair. I dropped it and fisted my hand in the silken, red-gold strands. Sliding my hand up to her waist, I sought out the full curve of her breasts. Naked. I wanted her naked.
A wind picked up, whistling over our heads just as I leaned back, ready to grab her shirt and strip it off.
That was when I stopped to think about where we were. Looking past her shoulder, I nodded at the cabin. “Can we get inside before I get you naked?”
“Yes.” She laughed, the sound low and giddy. She pulled me along with her.
I paused just long enough to grab my pack and swung it into place. I hitched up hers before she could do so and waited not so patiently for her to unlock the door. We pushed inside.
I dropped the packs as she turned to me.
Reaching for her, I spun and pulled her with me, backing her up against the door.
“Naked,” I said. “I need you naked now.”
She went to pull her shirt away, but I beat her to it.
As I dropped it to the floor, she shoved off the flannel I wore, then reached for the hem of my thermal and pushed and pulled until she had it over my head. As I took over the rest of the job, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to my chest.
My shirt fell to the pile on the floor as she reached behind and unfastened her bra.
Her breasts swung free, and I cupped them both in my hands, dipping my head until I could press my face to the valley between her firm, excellent tits. I couldn’t even begin to describe how much I wanted her. It was like a cancer, something eating away at me inside, but the only pain it caused was the erotic sort.
She shoved her fingers into my hair and held me close as I shifted my attention to her left nipple, sucking it into my mouth, then using my tongue to circle the swollen, distended tip.
I felt her fingers tugging at my waistband, and I straightened.
“You’re over the thirty-second mark, pal,” she said with a sly grin. “Just trying to move things along.”
“Are you in a hurry?”
“Yes. A hurry to get you naked and inside me.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said, reaching for the waistband of her pants and pushing down. Kneeling as I stripped them down, I paused only long enough to untie her boots. “Why are you wearing something so fucking hard to get off? You shouldn’t be wearing anything I can’t get off in two seconds.”
“How about you quit talking and focus on getting me off?” She touched her tongue to her lips, her big gray eyes going dark and needy.
“I can do that.” I finished yanking off the second boot, then groaned at the sight of the high-rising ankle brace I’d just revealed. “You did this just to torture me.”
She laughed.
The bright, happy sound should have been out of place, but I found myself laughing with her. I’d never had this, somebody I could laugh with even in a moment like this.
The laughter faded as I managed to get the brace off, then finally, I could strip off her pants. That left her standing in a pair of red panties…and one sock. I decided the sock wasn’t an issue and caught the scrap of red, dragging it down her hips, down long, leanly muscled legs.
That done, I caught her hips and leaned closer, nuzzling the curls between her thighs. She gripped my head tightly, a husky moan escaping her lips. The sound of it was pure heaven in my opinion, and the taste of her was every bit as good.
“Roman…”
Her hips rocked in my hands. Closing my mouth around her clit, I drew it into my mouth and swirled my tongue around it.
Her sharp cry shattered the air around us. I did it again, then slid two fingers into her cunt, scissoring them slowly. She whimpered again. Her pussy clamped tight around me, and my dick gave a hard, demanding jerk. The damn thing wanted to be in her – now – but I was too busy enjoying the taste of her and feeling her shudder and shake as I ate at her pussy.
I decided we’d compromise, my dick and me. I told him that once I had her coming, he’d get his wish.
And judging by the sounds she was making and the trembling of her body, that wasn’t far off.
I was right.
As I went to screw my fingers back inside her cunt again, she broke around me with a strangled cry. I surged to my feet and tore at the button on my jeans. I pushed them down just enough, then picked her up by the hips, boosting her higher.
She wrapped her legs around me as I fit the head of my cock to her entrance.
“Look at me,” I ordered.
She did, still shuddering and moaning as the waves of her climax started to fade.
We watched ea
ch other as I slid home. The intensity of it was a punch…to my gut, to my heart, to my soul.
I withdrew slowly, the wet heat of her pussy so slippery and sweet and tight. “I’m not wearing a rubber,” I said, voice rough.
“I know.” She shuddered and wiggled, urging me to move faster, but I didn’t want this to be fast or over too soon. “I’m on the pill. Female stuff.”
“This is still stupid,” I muttered.
“We’ve already been stupid once.” She tugged my face to hers and whispered the rest against my mouth. “Let’s be stupid one more time.”
I didn’t think once would be enough.
But I was done talking. Catching her lower lip between my teeth, I sucked it into my mouth as she curled her arms around my neck.
I felt her nipples stabbing into my chest, rubbing back and forth as I thrust up into her.
So, so sweet.
So, so perfect.
Her pussy clenched around me, and I groaned. “Don’t do that…”
Instead of listening, however, she did it again.
One look at her assured me it was intentional. I froze inside her, almost loathe to move as she milked my cock. It was enough to shove me over the edge, and I began to move in her again, harder, faster.
Her short, neat nails bit into my skin.
Her tongue tangled with mine.
When I broke the kiss, she tugged my face back to hers and caught my lower lip between her teeth, biting down.
The sweet erotic pain was intense. Too intense.
Cupping the back of her head in my hand, I guided her mouth to my neck.
She knew what I wanted – exactly. She bit my neck, sucking on a patch of skin before scoring my flesh with her teeth again.
I swiveled and twisted my hips, and she tore away from me, arching her back with a broken, raw cry.
That sound echoed through me, and I lost it, thrusting harder and faster. Moans and pleas and cries fell from her lips in a litany. I gritted my teeth to keep from making any noise, not wanting to lose one second of hearing her gasp and moan out her pleasure.
Then she started to come.
Her mouth opened in a silent scream and her entire body locked up around me, so tight I had to fight to fuck my way back inside. I did so, enjoying every sweet second of it.
My own orgasm hit hard and fast, knocking the breath right out of me. The rise and rush of sex-induced adrenaline had my head spinning around. As I filled her, she shuddered, draining everything out of me.
Including, it seemed, my strength because as the orgasm stretched on and on and on, my knees went a little weak.
I had to lock them to simply keep standing.
Her cries faded to moans and then to ragged gasps of air as the orgasm finally let her go.
Burying her face against my neck, she whispered, “I love what you do to me, Roman.”
I loved what she did to me. Turning my face into her hair, I said, “I’m happy to do it to you any time you want, ma’am.”
We lay on the bed, wrapped around each other.
Not paying attention to the time, we simply enjoyed one another’s presence. I had no idea how much time had passed before either of us thought about where we were or the fact that we were still out in the middle of the forest, with the daylight hours waning away.
By the time we did notice, it had gotten incredibly dark within the cabin.
I moved to the window and looked outside. “If we try to hike back in the dark, we’re asking for trouble. With the warm weather we’ve had, the ground is pretty damn wet from the melting snow. Not being able to see well in conditions like these is just asking for trouble.”
“I know.” She sighed and lifted her splinted wrist, giving it a look of acute dislike. “The last thing I need to do is lose my footing, even a little.”
I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. “We were stupid one more time, like you suggested. What do you say we be smart now…and stay the night here?”
“That’s being smart, huh?” She craned her head around and looked at me, a grin on her face. "My luck, Stilwell will find out and go running to Hawthorne.”
“Stilwell isn’t going to do shit,” I promised her. If he caused her any more problems, I was going to crush him like the bug he was.
She didn’t look convinced but said nothing.
Pulling her in closer, I nuzzled her neck. “He isn’t going to keep causing you problems, Lexi. I won’t allow it.”
“I think you really mean that.” She turned in my arms and cuddled up close, one hand closing into a fist, pressing right up against my heart. The simplicity of the gesture caused the piece of meat in my chest to ache in a way it never had before. It was almost like a limb that had gone to sleep and was finally starting to wake.
I kind of liked it.
“What do you say we find what we have to eat in our packs?” she murmured, splaying her fingers wide then curling them back into a fist as if relishing the feel of my skin. “Then we can go to bed.”
“I like that plan.” I liked it a lot. As a matter of fact, I thought it might just become my favorite plan in the history of all plans. The thought amused me, and I pulled back to kiss her, still smiling.
“What’s that grin for?” she asked, peering up at me as I lifted my head.
“Just feeling all-around pleased with the current state of things.”
Her nose wrinkled as she eyed me. “We’re in a small cabin out in the middle of nowhere with nothing but camp food to eat, and we’ll be sleeping on a hard bed that’s the equivalent to sleeping on a bag of rocks. And you’re pleased.”
“The company makes it all worth it,” I said softly, cupping her cheek.
A smile bloomed across her face, and she wrapped her arms around me tighter, squeezing me close.
Oh, yeah. This was definitely going to be my favorite plan.
Twenty-Five
Lexi
The sound of something odd woke me. I sat up, peering over at Roman before looking around, confused.
I heard the noise again and belatedly realized what it was – and why it seemed so out of place.
A phone was ringing. Sliding from the narrow, lumpy bed, I went over to Roman’s pack and found the device tucked into an exterior pocket. The moment I pulled it out, I realized how in the hell he’d managed to pick up a signal way out here.
It was a satellite phone.
Some of the SAR groups I’d worked with had one or two people who carried a sat phone, which was the only reason I recognized what I was looking at.
I saw the name Cass on the screen and was debating on answering when I heard Roman heave out a sigh behind me. I turned just in time to see him open sleep-hazed green eyes. I froze, not certain what to do. The last time we were together, he’d been an utter ass. Come to think of it, the first time we’d been together, he’d been pretty distant the next morning too.
I bit my lip and shoved the phone toward him. “Cass is trying to call you.”
The phone didn’t ring again, and I felt sheepish.
He sat up and held out a hand, but when I went to turn over the phone, he didn’t take it. Instead, he caught my wrist and drew me in close, until I stood between his knees. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the middle of my torso, then rubbed his stubbled face against my skin. The unfamiliar caress made me shiver.
“Good morning,” he murmured.
My heart clenched inside my chest, and I had to clear my throat before I could respond to his greeting.
He continued to hold me, his face tucked against my middle, and I closed my eyes, running my fingers through his shaggy, soft hair with my injured hand. My movement was limited thanks to the cast, and the silk of his hair offered no resistance, so I could caress away and never have a problem.
I still clutched the phone, and when he pulled back to look up at me, I offered it once more.
He took it this time, but instead of using it, he dropped it on the bed next to me.
I gasped as he tumbled me into his lap, shifting me around until I sat across his thighs like an overgrown child. Of course, there was nothing childish between us. It was hot, raw and confusing, yes, but not childish.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
The question caught me off-guard, but I recovered quickly and shrugged. “Better than I expected.” I cocked a brow at him. “It might have had something to do with the fact that somebody kept me up until well after midnight.”
“I have no regrets.” That faint smile curled his lips.
Bending down, I pressed my lips to his. “Me, neither.”
We stayed like that for a moment, then I pulled back. We really shouldn’t have been here overnight. I had no idea if it was possible for one of the other rangers not to realize I’d been here. All they’d have to do was see my Jeep, and they’d know I was in the park, but I wanted to think that maybe my luck could be good for once.
We needed to get moving.
“Why don’t you go ahead and call Cass?”
He let me go, his hands lingering as if he really didn’t want to. “Yeah, I should.”
I turned away to give him the illusion of privacy, grabbing my pack and rooting through it.
My pack always had enough gear – and clothing – to last me a good two days out in the wilderness, so I had a spare set of clothes. I shot him a quick look, but he’d paced over to the window and was staring down, his back to me. Quickly, I stripped off my shirt and used one of the baby wipes I’d taken to carrying with me. I felt a little bit better once that was done. He was talking in a low voice behind me. Out of courtesy, I tuned the conversation out.
By the time I was done putting on clean if somewhat wrinkled clothes, he was tucking the phone away.
Our gazes met.
“I think Stilwell has my boss convinced there wasn’t any snare,” I said, surprising myself. I’d resigned myself to the fact that I would have to find proof, and do it alone, but now that Roman was here, I was wavering.
“Stilwell ran his mouth about that when I saw him yesterday – pretty much made it clear he figures you’re making it up. I told him otherwise.” He flashed me a smile that looked far more relaxed than any I’d ever seen from him. “He didn’t seem happy about it.”