by Leah Brooke
He looked at her as if he wanted to devour her, a look that made her want to drop the blanket and reach for him.
Looking away abruptly, she cleared her throat and tightened her hold on the blanket, shaken by the response she had to all of them.
Forcing a smile, she stared at the top button of his navy blue flannel shirt, a color that made his eyes even a more piercing blue. “I appreciate that you brought it up for me. I’d like to take a shower, but wanted some fresh clothes first.”
Stepping closer, Mason placed the suitcase on the bed. “No. Don’t try to take a shower. You can’t get those stitches wet, and you still look a little unsteady. I’m sure you’re in pain, but you can’t have any pain medicine until you eat something. We ate already, but Quinn’s waiting downstairs to fix you some breakfast.”
Kendra nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate how you’ve all been taking care of me, but I don’t want to cause you any more trouble. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as possible.”
She still had to deal with trying to get the listing for the Jagged Rock. If not for the threat of losing her job and the lost commission, she would have headed back home as soon as possible.
After a pregnant pause, Mason folded his arms across his chest, his gaze sharp and filled with concern. The hunger, though, still lingered. “How are you feeling this morning?”
Shifting restlessly, and a little shocked at the rush of moisture that coated her inner thighs, she pulled the blanket higher. “A little sore, but I’ll manage. Thank you.”
His expression softened. “I’m sure that’s an understatement. I figured after the beating you took yesterday, you’d be sore as hell.” He lifted a bottle she hadn’t seen, but then again, she hadn’t been looking at his hands. “Why don’t you lie down on the bed so I can put some liniment on those bruises?” Gesturing to a spot behind her, he smiled. “Your ass and back are black and blue.”
Following his line of vision, Kendra grimaced, her face burning when she realized her entire back and bottom were reflected in the mirror behind her.
She wrapped the blanket around her, making sure to cover herself completely. “No, thank you.”
Now that he’d brought her attention to his hand, she couldn’t look away, her stomach fluttering of the thought of it moving over her body as he rubbed the liniment in.
It brought back memories of the previous night, when Barrett had stroked her arm and back, and held her close in the darkness, making her feel less alone.
“Kendra?”
“What?” Her gaze flew to his, the pinpricks of awareness over every inch of her skin so startling, she couldn’t stand still.
His eyes hardened again, the light of anticipation and challenge in them so tempting and decadent, she took a step back. “I was trying to do this nicely, but I’ll do it not nicely, if that’s the way it has to be.” He moved around the foot of the bed toward her, his slow steady strides giving her the feeling of being stalked.
Gritting her teeth, Kendra slid into bed on the side Barrett had slept in the night before, wrapping the covers around herself as she started to edge toward the other side. “Look, I appreciate that you all took care of me, but that doesn’t mean I have to put up with your high-handed attitude.” Her grip on the covers tightened when he raised a brow, his eyes lit with challenge as though he looked forward to stopping her.
Her heart pounded furiously, the need to have his hands on her overwhelming.
Mason leaned over her, bracing his hands on either side of her hips, his face just inches from hers. “Our job is to take care of you until we can deliver you to the sheriff. Now, lie down so I can rub this on you. I’ve got a hell of a lot of work to do, and I don’t have time to play games, and as much fun as it would be, I certainly don’t want to hurt you by wrestling you to the bed.”
Kendra gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.” Her breath hitched at his nearness, the need becoming stronger.
With a smile that sent an erotic shiver though her, he leaned even closer, forcing her to lean back. His gaze lowered to her breasts, making her nipples tingle with the need for his touch. “You don’t ever want to dare me, sweetheart. I’d do it without a qualm, and I’d enjoy it. Turn over and lie on your belly.” A brow went up when she paused. “I’m not a patient man. One. Two.”
Not about to give him the satisfaction of overpowering her, or having him see just how much she wanted him, she pressed her lips together and with careful movements, rolled to her belly. “There. Satisfied?”
Mason helped her, easing her down to her stomach, and tossed the covers out of the way, exposing her completely to his gaze. “Sweetheart, I’m not even close.”
She knew that he’d already seen her naked, but the man who touched her now was nothing like the man who’d held her so tenderly in the shower the night before.
The man who’d held her then had been concerned for her safety and eager to calm her.
The man who loomed over her now had a glint in his eyes that said he wanted more—that made her want more.
Even the brush of the backs of his fingers over her skin sent little sizzles of electricity over her back and around to her nipples, making them bead even tighter.
She clenched at the first touch of his hand on her bottom, her muscles tightening, and a groan of pain escaped before she could prevent it.
“Relax.” His voice had lowered dramatically, the crooning quality to it so enthralling she found herself obeying him.
Grabbing the pillow she’d used the night before, she buried her face in it, fighting to ignore the currents of heat from the slide of his fingers over her skin. “How the hell am I supposed to relax when you’re doing that?” She breathed a sigh of relief when he lifted his hands, fighting to understand her strong response to his touch.
Mason chuckled. “I know, honey. I feel it, too. Just be still. I don’t want to get any liniment on your stitches. You must be sore as hell, darlin’, and when I take a woman, I want her full participation.”
Struck by the contrast of his tender concern and the tension in his voice, Kendra stayed as still as possible, listening as he recapped the bottle. “I’m just stiff.”
“So am I, darlin’.”
Kendra hid a smile at his teasing. “My back’s a little tight this morning, but it started loosening up when I moved. I thought moving and a hot shower would help.”
“I’ll bet that thigh’s hurting, too, huh?” He laid both hands on her back, the combination of his touch and the cold liniment making her gasp.
“Um, yeah. A little.”
She bit back a groan as his firm fingers kneaded her sore bottom and lower back, her breath catching every time his fingers slid between her thighs to massage the sore muscle there. Swallowing heavily, she fought to keep her voice steady. “Do you have any more of those painkillers?”
“Yes, but you can’t have one until after you eat something. You’re wet, honey. Very wet.” Bending closer, he touched his lips to her shoulder, sending a warm shiver down her spine and around to her nipples. “You want me, too, don’t you?”
His voice sounded even rougher and more ragged than before, the deep timbre of it setting off little vibrations all over her skin.
Her pussy clenched again, releasing more moisture. “Just ignore it. I’m, uh, not very experienced in the dealing with men department. Being here has me all rattled. Blame it on the crash. Blame it on the medicine, but as much as I want all of you, it isn’t in my nature.”
She couldn’t believe how badly she wanted him, especially with all the aches and pains consuming her.
“How many lovers have you had?”
“One. Prom night. Big mistake and one I didn’t wish to repeat. After that, my days and nights were too busy.”
“So it’s been a long time?”
Unable to resist, Kendra turned back to look at him over her shoulder, and grinned. “About five years. I’m not that old.” She moaned, dropping her head back to the pillow, melting under his gentle, b
Her body became loose and pliant, the tight muscles not standing a chance under his firm caress. Moaning at the feel of his fingers working a particularly tight muscle, Kendra slid her hands over the sheets. “You’re really good at this. I figured I’d be in agony while you did this, but I think I’m melting.”
Mason chuckled. “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it would make you feel better. I’ve had a lot of practice at this sort of thing.”
Kendra stiffened, wincing as her muscles protested. “Oh. I guess you probably have. You’ve got the look of a man who knows his way around women. Thank you. I think that did the trick.” She started to push herself up, groaning when a large hand flattened on her back to hold her down.
“Stay put.” His touch gentled, becoming more of a caress than a massage, his fingers sliding with increasing frequency to her lower bottom and thighs. “I do love women, but I haven’t been with one in a while. We came to the ranch to get away from them. When I said I’ve had a lot of practice in this sort of thing, I was talking about horses.” He chuckled, his voice laced with amusement.
Kendra blinked, fisting her hands in the bedding as he worked his hands lower. “You massage your horses?”
“We have to rub them down. They’re a hell of a lot bigger than you are, and not nearly as soft.” Mason’s strong fingers slid over her skin, his touch much gentler now as he smoothed them from her back and bottom to the backs of her thighs and up again.
Fisting her hands under the pillow, she swallowed another moan, lifting her head slightly. She fought to control her breathing in an effort to hide her response to his touch, a response that she had a hard time understanding. Unwilling to face him, she dropped her forehead against the pillow, pressing her thighs together against the ache that threatened to drive her wild. “Are you almost done?”
Mason chuckled, a deep wicked sound that made her clit throb and swell. “You don’t like my touch?” Bending, he touched his lips to her back. “Don’t bother to deny it. I can see it. Feel it. Christ, I want you, but I can’t have you.”
Releasing her abruptly, he straightened, cursing and throwing the covers back over her. “Get dressed. Someone will be up to bring you down in a couple of minutes.”
Kendra waited until he’d stormed out of the room before sitting up, holding the bedcovers in front of her as she stared at the door he’d slammed behind him.
Confused by his abrupt change of mood, Kendra eased from the bed, her body still humming with an awareness so strong she trembled with it.
Going to the dresser, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, shaken by her response to both Barrett and Mason.
How could she react so strongly to both of them?
She hadn’t felt desire in years, and never like this.
She rummaged through her suitcase, wishing she’d packed more comfortable clothing. She got dressed, finding it more difficult than she’d expected.
Slipping into the dark gray, warm wool dress she’d found on a clearance rack took much longer than normal, and even though her muscles had loosened under Mason’s touch, every movement seemed to take more energy than it should have. By the time she’d finished, every muscle in her body trembled with fatigue and a headache had started to form.
Bending to retrieve her pantyhose, Kendra groaned. Her thigh ached again, the sharp tug to it each time she moved adding to the discomfort. With a moan, she tossed the pantyhose aside, deciding to go without them.
She hated pantyhose anyway.
She wished she had some of her sweatpants and thick socks with her, but she’d packed to look professional, not for vacation. A quick search of the bedroom didn’t turn up the comfortable boots she’d worn on the plane, so she had no choice but to slip on the only other shoes she had with her—a pair of high heels.
She hated high heels almost as much as she hated pantyhose.
Straightening, she groaned at the pull to her thigh, blowing out a breath and bracing herself against the bed, wishing she could crawl back into it.
Knowing that pain and hunger would keep her from getting any sleep gave her the motivation she needed to move. She had to call her boss today, and see if she could contact the owners of the Jagged Rock to tell them what had happened, since she knew her boss had informed them that she was on her way.
Taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly, she braced herself, opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway. The scent of bacon hit her right away, making her stomach rumble.
Starving now, she tried to rush down the hall, her ankle twisting in her haste to get to the tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen.
Bacon and coffee.
Heaven.
Frowning at her weakness that made her unsteady, she held on to the wall for support. Pausing, she stared at her feet, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to go far in the heels. She started to kick them off when the sound of an angry voice coming from the end of the hall had her straightening abruptly.
“Of all the stupid—what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Startled at the fury in the deep voice, Kendra blinked, opening her mouth to ask Grant what the hell he was yelling at her about, but he strode toward her and swept her up in his arms before she could speak.
“What the hell? Oh! Easy.” She stiffened, expecting it to hurt when he lifted her, but was surprised at how gently he gathered her against him.
His features softened. “I know, honey.” Holding her securely against his chest, he strode back into the room and toward the bed, scowling down at her.
“Heels? What the hell are you thinking? You can’t even walk in those shoes. Is it so damned important for you to look good? I’ve got news for you, honey. We’re not going to be so overcome by the sight of those long legs that we’ll—never mind.” He placed her on the bed, sliding a hand up the back of her calf to lift one foot, and then the other to remove her shoes.
Kendra wiggled her toes, sighing in relief. “I came here to convince someone to sell a property. I wanted to look professional. I didn’t plan to stay long, and I only brought those heels and the boots I was wearing yesterday. I can’t find them—and I’m not stupid.”
“Your boots are downstairs. They were soaked.” He turned away and began to rifle through her suitcase. “I didn’t say you were stupid, but putting high heels on when you can barely walk was a very stupid thing to do.”
“Hey!” Kendra reached for the clothing he tossed aside, wincing at the pull to her stitches.
Shaking his head, he turned to glare at her accusingly. “You don’t have much in here.”
“I didn’t plan to be gone more than a day or two, and I wasn’t allowed to bring a lot on the small plane. Stop that. I had this all packed neatly.”
“None of this will do. You don’t have anything warm and comfortable that wouldn’t rub against those stitches. Wait a minute. What’s this?” Grant fingered the soft material. “They’re not very thick, but they’ll have to do until I can find something else for you to wear.”
Shaking her head, Kendra dropped the clothing she’d managed to gather back into the suitcase and tried to yank the items from his hand. “Those are my pajamas. I can’t walk around in my pajamas.”
Holding them out of her reach, he frowned. “Being shy is a little silly at this point. They’re soft and will be more comfortable than anything else you have here.” He tossed the pajamas on to the bed and reached for her. “Come on. Let’s get you out of this.”
“I can do it, damn it!”
With a sigh, Grant straightened and folded his arms across his chest. “Fine. Then, do it. Quinn’s going to have your breakfast ready soon.”
To her embarrassment, her stomach rumbled again. “Turn around.”
With another sigh, Grant turned his back to her. “I’ve already seen you naked, you know.”
Kendra stood again, and started stripping out of the dress, her movements clumsy and painful. “Not today, you haven’t.” Groaning at the pull to her shoulder, she finally worked the dress off.
Grant chuckled softly. “Women. You all right?”
“I’m fine.” Kendra tossed the dress to land on top of the other clothes in her suitcase and reached for her pajama top. Deciding she’d be more comfortable without her bra, she took it off, too, and tossed it to land on top of the dress.
“You’d probably be more comfortable without the bra.”
Kendra glared at his back. “Stop telling me what to do.”
Grant shrugged again. “I just want you to be comfortable.”
“Well, I already took it off.”
She lifted her pajama top again, only to realize she held it upside down. When she tried to flip it, it dropped to the floor. “Damn.”
Grant spun, his arms going out as if to catch her, a slight look of panic on his face. “What? What happened? Are you all right?”
She tried to cover herself, her nipples beading under his gaze. Looking up at him to ask him if he would pick it up for her, Kendra stilled, swallowing her words.
Her gaze locked with his, the look of shock and hunger in his eyes stealing her breath and making it impossible to look away. His gaze lowered to her breasts, and without making a conscious decision to do so, she lowered her hands.
She felt beautiful under his almost-reverent gaze, warmed by the heat of it as he bent to pick up her pajama top.
His brown eyes darkened, his hands fisted in the material of her pajama top. “Hell.” Blinking, he shook his head as if coming out of a daze. “I’m sorry. You must know how damned beautiful you are.” His expression hardened. “Damn it. Let’s get you dressed.”
Touched and humbled by the slight shake of his hands as he worked the pajama top on her, Kendra watched his eyes, unprepared for the shock of heat that went through her when the back of his knuckles brushed over her nipple.
She gasped at the heat, both of them stilling and staring into each other’s eyes as the seconds ticked by.
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