Desire in the Arctic

by Hoff, Stacy

  “No wonder you know these remotes places in Alaska. Even Gates of the Arctic.”

  “Most of the gold in this park had been found by the 1920’s, but my dad had an uncanny knack for finding these hidden little pockets.” He fell quiet for a moment, trying to gauge her expression. Her wide-open face made it clear she wanted to hear more. Figures. At the same time, he had to acknowledge it felt good to let it out. “No matter how much my father made, he never sent anything for Hailey’s medical treatment. Ironically, right after that, he died. Some thugs had heard he’d cashed in some gold and beat him up for the money. They left him out in the cold and he died.”

  Her sharp gasp left him quiet again.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have said all of this.”

  “No, I’m glad you did. It explains so much about you. How horrible to go through all that.” She wrapped her arm around him tighter.

  He felt a small smile creep up. Her words were as generous as her kiss.

  “Why do you feel responsible for your sister’s death, though? Leukemia is tragic, but it’s not something you caused.”

  “I thought sending money back home would be enough. It wasn’t. My mother couldn’t care for Hailey adequately. She had to work overtime to help pay all the medical bills.”

  “No matter what you did, the outcome for your sister would have unfortunately been the same. At least you were able to help out your mom with extra income. Hailey must have known how hard you were trying.”

  “I never thought of it that way.” Maybe he had managed to do some good for his family. Not enough, but still something. And maybe enough to start feeling less of the choking guilt clench around his neck, threatening to grab hold . . .

  “Are you close to your mom?” Ana asked.

  “I try. It’s hard to be so far away from home. I would be there now, but this opportunity for money came up.”

  “I’m glad it did.”

  “You are?”

  “Yes. It’s been hard surviving out here, but it gave me the opportunity to meet an amazing man. You.”

  Her words were magic. They created more heat than the room’s stove. He was starting to feel like he was on fire. Or maybe merely carrying a torch for her? Stop it, Redd. Get your head back on track. “I don’t know if I can promise you anything, Ana. Except my genuine attraction to you.”

  Her eyes grew wide, looming as large as the Alaskan summer sun. Dazzling and never dim.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he murmured.

  “You won’t.”

  Without realizing it, he had opened his arms and she was there. Being held by him. Kissing his face. Pressing up against him. The blanket covering her was already askew. The towel around his waist was holding on, but not much better. His breathing sped up. His muscles tightened. His skin tingled. And suddenly there was nothing in this world he wanted more than Ana.

  Ana couldn’t speak. If she could, she would have whispered into his ear something sensual and encouraging. But words were not easily formed right now. Not with the overwhelming sensations sweeping over her and shutting down her brain. And her insecurities. Along with her modesty. One of his hands was exploring its way down her spine to her ass. It was only a matter of time before he tossed away the impeding fabric all together. The sooner, the better. She pressed harder to him, kissing him deeper.

  He pulled away only to nuzzle her neck. Kiss her earlobe. And then dart a line with his tongue from cheekbone to collarbone.

  A blissful sensation surged through her. A powerful drug, it was addictive. Already she wanted more. “Don’t stop,” she murmured.

  “Stop? I’ve only just started.”

  “Oh, thank God.”

  He laughed softly into her breastbone. The quick, warm burst of air on the bare skin just above the blanket line made her tingle.

  “You’re shaking,” he observed. “Are you still cold? I can add more wood to the—”

  Her lips were back on his before he could finish his sentence.

  But he gently pushed away. “Are you shaking because you’re scared? We can stop.”

  “Not unless you want me to kill you.”

  He barked out a laugh. “You’re a Black Widow, eh? I should have known you were too good to be true. But if the price of having you is death, it’s still a good deal. I’m going to leave this world a very happy man.”

  She clamped down on a laugh. “You’ve got it all wrong. Black Widows mate, then they kill. I’ll kill you if we don’t mate,” she shot out. “But hey, if you want to hold out on me, it’s your life.” She wiggled out of her bra and dropped it on the floor with dramatic flare.

  “Ana . . .” His voice trailed off.

  What the heck was on this guy’s mind? His words were wonderful, but talking could only take them so far.

  At this point, a firefighter couldn’t extinguish the blaze within her. If Redd didn’t grab on to her soon, she was going to grab on to the cabin door then run right into the snow outside so she could cool herself off. “Are you really going to keep a girl waiting? I thought Special Ops commandos were men of action.”

  Besides raging lust, nervousness was setting in. She gulped hard and looked at him. She was never this forward, but then again she had never wanted anything—anyone—so badly. Redd was the only person, besides Stephanie, who thought she was strong. Competent. Worthy. So why play hard to get?

  How can I make him understand I want to build him up, not pin him down into a commitment? “I know things have been hard for us. Both in our past and out here,” she acknowledged. “Don’t you think we deserve some pleasure? Especially you, Redd, with all that you’ve had to suffer—”

  And then she couldn’t speak because his mouth was on hers again. This time, driven. “I want you so badly, Ana,” he murmured.

  Her skin prickled from an internal heat even the cabin’s stove couldn’t compete with. His expression, however, was cool as he slowly looked her over. “You are more beautiful than I imagined.”

  Yeah, right. Her eyebrows furrowed. “Normally, I look better than this. But I, uhh, gained a few pounds. The job promotion has made me—”

  “Shhh. You’re perfect.”

  “You don’t need to make stuff—”

  “I swear on my life I have never seen a woman more perfect than you.”

  Her heart sang at the words, though her mind rejected them. “You’re a lousy liar,” she said with a laugh. “But thanks for saying it anyway.”

  “I wish I were lying. Maybe then I could resist you. Unfortunately, you are one luscious lady.”

  Luscious? At this point, he can lie all he wants. I’m going with it. Her eyes drifted closed. Her thoughts focused on the touch of his lips as they started at her collarbone and moved down. Her head tilted back as his tongue traced the outline of her breast. And her lower lip sucked into her teeth when he closed his mouth around a hardening nipple. “My Lord, Redd . . .”

  “Mmmm. Didn’t I tell you to stop talking?” he murmured into her breast.

  She nodded silently and he laughed again. Without moving his mouth, he stroked her other breast. Her head was swimming from the waves of pleasure shooting through her.

  When he stopped again, she felt the pain of withdrawal. She let out a loud, disgruntled groan. “I’m warning you, I will use the rifle over there if you stop again.”

  He put a hand to her face, softly touching her cheek. “Sorry, my little Black Widow.” He smiled. “But I suppose we do need to talk about one thing. There’s no pharmacy out here. And though I can double-check our backpacks, I’m pretty sure Teleworld didn’t pack us any condoms.”

  “You never know,” she quipped. “Mark would do anything for ratings.”

  “I’m serious, Ana. How far do you want to take this? Despite the fact I want you,
I won’t put you in a bad situation.”

  “I use the birth control ring,” she blurted. “It helps my system work better.” She cleared her suddenly constricted throat. “I’m not slutty, you know. The last ‘wolf’ came along a year ago. I liked him. Turned out he didn’t like me.”

  “I don’t think badly of you. I’m sure I never could.”

  “Thanks,” she said softly, her eyes round.

  “Besides, if you’re into wolves, I can be one for you. I think you’ll find my teeth are quite sharp.”

  She laughed. “Are you sure you can act like the Big, Bad Wolf? Huff, and puff, and blow this cabin down? With a nick name like yours, you could be Little Redd Riding Hood.”

  His grin loomed large. “Nope, wouldn’t work. I’m not little at all.”

  She giggled until she felt him kiss her again. Suddenly she found herself on her back, with him on top of her. Burying his face in her neck.

  “Comfy?” he asked softly in her ear.

  How he had managed to slip her underwear off, and get the coarse blanket underneath her, she didn’t know. Maybe it’s all part of his Special Ops training . . . “If I were on a bed of nails I wouldn’t complain.”

  The sound of his laughter was muffled by her neck and hair. He balanced his upper body weight on his forearms as he slid down her length and nuzzled her belly. A tingling sensation shot through her, electrifying her nerves. And then her muscles tensed up when he started licking his way lower. A direct line down, starting from her navel. “Oh my—”

  “You’re talking again,” he admonished, his words now spoken into her thigh.

  “I want you to know that I’m healthy. You know, no, um, health problems of any kind . . .”

  He laughed again, this time into the soft curls above her thighs. “Me, too. Glad we got that out of the way. Can we stop talking now? I’ve got other plans to pursue.”

  “Finally! A man of action.”

  “You have no idea.”

  His laughter buzzed against her sensitive skin, electrifying her further.

  I knew humor always paid off. I’ll be sure to include some in the production phase of the sh . . . Oh! Ana bit her lip. Her mind was trying hard not to relinquish control to her body. Her body was doing its best to fight the sensation. She was now perspiring. “Is it hot in—”

  “Shhh.”

  He was right. She hadn’t needed to ask the question. Given what he was doing now, she was pretty positive the heat was coming from within. His mouth was making her hotter than the Sahara. The breath he seductively blew out against her upper thighs wasn’t doing a thing to cool her down.

  He began kissing in earnest the soft flesh between her legs.

  “Oh,” she exclaimed again, loudly this time.

  “Shhh,” he said again, kissing her heated inner core.

  Her body turned into a tangle of sensations. Still, the intimacy of the act made her try to scoot away.

  “Nope,” he chastised. In a flash, he wrapped his arms around her legs, holding them wide open and immobile. When his tongue touched her again, inflicting its tortuously short, light strokes, she was too far gone to care what position he had her in. Or even embarrassed to find herself as slick and wet as the water dripping from their abandoned clothes.

  He made a circling motion with his tongue and she bucked her hips. As the sensation built, she screamed out, “Holy—”

  “Getting you to stop talking is not easy. Let’s try this.” Parting her legs, he sank his mouth deeper. His tongue exploring in more tantalizingly slow circles.

  If my muscles were strung together any tighter they’d snap. She bit down on the side of her lower lip to prevent herself from saying anything else. The tactic half-worked. She moaned.

  “I think I made my point,” he said, raising himself above her and snapping off his towel with ease. The reindeers followed.

  “Point made,” she panted.

  Balanced above her on his forearms again, he parted her knees with his legs. But he didn’t enter her. Instead, he hung suspended over her, a clock waiting to tick. “You’re sure about this?” he asked.

  Speechless, she simply nodded. He must really care about me to ask.

  He bent his head down, rubbing his nose against hers. The move stunned her yet again, it was so affectionate. Like a father bear caring for his young. Then he kissed her, but there was nothing paternal about it.

  A glorious moment later, he was in her. At first he moved slowly, and she wrapped her legs tightly against his back. Then he moved fast. In time with her heart. In time with her quickening body. Until she bit down on her lower lip as she quaked. A tectonic shift from somewhere deep within her. Her eyes closed. Finally seeing the Aurora Borealis.

  His fast, piston-like pace suddenly stilled. She felt him release inside her, warmth filling her womb. Panting, he dropped his head so their foreheads touched. Instead of pulling away, he drew her close, embracing her with his arms. His mouth. Wrapping around her with his legs.

  “Ana . . .”

  She was surprised to see that for once she agreed with him. Talking was a wasted activity. She dragged her tongue over his lips until he opened his mouth.

  “Hmmmmm?” she asked languidly.

  “Are you all right?” he whispered. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “Nope,” she answered lightly, kissing him again. Running her hand down his back to his rear. Enjoying the feel of his tight, muscular body. Suddenly afraid he would pull away, she ground her pelvis against his and kissed him harder.

  Good Lord, Ana Bethany Davis! What has gotten into you? Even a cat in heat would back off by now. But she knew the answer. Redd was pure fire, and she’d been set ablaze.

  Chapter 19

  Redd woke several hours later with Ana in his arms and a big, dopey grin on his face. He didn’t know which factor was more surprising. He had been with many women, but none had tugged at his heartstrings. For a man who never allowed himself to become emotionally connected, he was feeling quite attached to her. Frankly, he didn’t know whether he was happy or scared about it.

  The downside was having to expose himself to potential pain and redefining who he was. If he wasn’t a grumpy, standoffish lone wolf, then who was he? It was too hard to suddenly envision himself as a debonair playboy, ready to woo the woman he wanted with suave charm. And what if something happened to Ana? Either here in Gates of the Arctic, or later on if their relationship continued? After dealing with the loss of Hailey, could he ever handle that, too?

  But the potential upside was tempting beyond compare. He hadn’t felt so . . . human in the longest time. In the military, it was all about the mission. In relationships, it was all about keeping things superficial. The more one got hooked into something deep and meaningful, the more one became exposed to potential pain.

  The odd thing about Ana was that she made him feel more alive the more involved they became. She challenged his preconceived notions, outlook and way of life. The impact was enormous, he was actually seeing life in a different way. Maybe he didn’t need to be closed off, a fortress unto himself.

  His sleepy mind conjured up the image of Ana leading an army, ready to seize Fort Redd. She rode a horse, both her and her mount in full body armor. A modern-day Joan of Arc. Aided by powerful weapons, a thousand pestering questions ready to launch. They’d be sure to hit him where he was most vulnerable.

  Fortunately, he fully expected the battle to be short-lived. His defensive tactics were half-hearted at best. It’d take her no more than ten minutes to declare her siege a success. And take him as a willing prisoner. This was one instance where he was fully prepared to give up. And he’d enjoy every minute of it.

  His smile grew even wider. The only thing that stopped him from laughing was his desire not to wake her. Carefully he
moved his head a little to see to her better. She was sleeping peacefully in his arms. Her chest rising and falling slowly. Whatever she was dreaming, he hoped it was good. She is so beautiful. Maybe it’s time for me to tear my walls down.

  Without realizing it, he gently rubbed her back. She sighed and stirred, turning to him. After murmuring something so softly he couldn’t make out her words she stilled again.

  There was no doubt about it, she tugged at his heart. How could someone who challenged him so much be so . . . soft. Warm. Endlessly inviting.

  For all her talk of her at-the-ready birth control, she didn’t seem too experienced. He hadn’t done anything too novel. He liked to think it was the technique more than the creativity that counted. Yet his intimate exploration of her lovely body seemed to make her embarrassed. If so, he gave her a lot of credit for learning to let go and give in to the pleasure she had so clearly wanted.

  And him, too. Being with many women still hadn’t been adequate preparation for Ana. Her reaction to his touch wasn’t practiced, it was pure. No artifice, just enthusiasm. With Ana, there was pleasure in not only touching her, but knowing where he stood. From her mind to her body, her reactions were dead honest. When she exploded from his ministrations, he could have done the same from merely watching her do it.

  Of course, he got to do so much more than watch. The feel of her skin was as explosive as a bomb. And yet soothed like a balm.

  He was starting to wonder if he was really in a rush to have their twelve-day odyssey end. Sure, being out here in this wilderness, especially during this storm, was terrible. But it seemed a small price to pay to stay with Ana. In the cocoon of this cabin, they could be themselves, enjoying each other. Suspended in time.