She was nervous and scared and excited all at the same time. Her inexperience could ruin this for Murphy and turn him away. But, as his lips closed around her nipple, she forgot all about her fears and let out a loud gasp of surprise and pleasure. Kent had never been into foreplay and now she knew what a mistake that had been. No wonder sex had never been any fun.
Burying her hands in his hair, Sara arched into his mouth and moaned when he flicked his tongue over one nipple and then the other. She felt the pull low in her belly. Murphy’s hands were on the waistband of her jeans. She didn’t protest when he unfastened them and pulled the zipper down. She lifted her hips so he could remove them, and blushed when he gazed down at her plain white cotton panties, so far from sexy.
Murphy rose onto an elbow and stared down at her, his eyes the color of clouds before a thunderstorm and just as turbulent. He made her feel sexy when he looked at her like that. Her fears evaporated.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured in a husky voice as he reached out and traced a line from her chin to her navel with his finger. His touch, feather light and tender, made Sara smile. She felt beautiful with him.
Her belly quivered when his fingers feathered over it. Heat pooled in places she had never known it could. She would treasure the time she spent with Murphy long after she was gone. No regrets.
He looked up and met her eyes. “Am I scaring you?” he asked softly.
“What I’m feeling scares me, but you don’t. I trust you, Murphy.”
Something flickered in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Sara’s eyes glazed when he lowered his head and pressed his lips to her navel, dipping his tongue inside and making her shudder. Her limbs turned to jelly when he moved lower and pressed a hot kiss through the barrier of her panties. His thumbs hooked on the waistband and gave a tug. Sara lifted her hips and helped him remove them. She felt a moment’s uncertainty when he rose above her and stared down at her. With a wolfish grin he dipped his head and touched the very heat of her. The sensation was so powerful that she dug her nails into Murphy’s shoulders, not sure if she wanted him to continue or stop.
“Murphy,” she gasped.
His head immediately came up.
“I…I’ve never…I can’t…” she stammered, embarrassed. Kent had tried to give her an orgasm but she had never been able to have one with him and he soon quit trying, calling her a prude, and moved on.
“Trust me, Sara,” Murphy murmured.
“But, I can’t--”
“You will for me. Lay back and relax. I promise you’re going to like this.”
He had never been more right. Sara lay back and he took her to the stars. His clever tongue and hands brought her to the edge of ecstasy with little effort. Sara felt herself approaching something but didn’t know what, felt it building until she could no longer control it. She liked the sensation and wanted to see where it took her, but part of her wouldn’t let go. What waited for her on the other side?
“Let go for me, Sara,” Murphy said.
She did. She put her trust in his hands and let him take her over the edge. With a cry, she flew. Dots erupted behind her eyelids as she spun out of control. She grabbed Murphy’s shoulders to stay grounded. Afterward, she laid back, gasping for air, and smiling like a fool. Murphy stretched out beside her and gently tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear. Sara opened her eyes and grinned at him.
“I’ve never been able to do that before. Thank you.” She glanced down to see he still wore his jeans. “There’s only one problem. You’re overdressed.”
Murphy grinned when she sat up and helped him remove his jeans. He had given her a gift she couldn’t repay. She had believed herself sexually incompetent and he had proven her wrong. All of her past fears were gone and now she wanted Murphy inside her.
She let her gaze travel over his naked body and heat washed over her anew. She hadn’t known it was possible to get aroused from the sight of a man. He was long and lean and solid muscle. Her beautiful scarred hero. When she lifted her head, she saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. She pressed a kiss to each scar on his chest and then over his rippled abs, feeling empowered when he shuddered.
“Never forget what these scars represent, Murphy,” she whispered against his skin.
Suddenly Murphy rolled her beneath him and kissed her. She kissed him back with all the emotion she felt and wrapped her arms around him. He positioned himself between her legs and she welcomed him. He broke the kiss so he could look her in the eye when he entered her. She expected it to hurt but she was hot and wet from his kiss, and her body accommodated him.
He moved inside her. “Am I hurting you?”
Sara threw her head back and moaned. “No. Please, don’t stop.”
“Not a chance,” he muttered and surged forward.
Sara met him stroke for stroke, quickly rising to a fevered pitch and gripping his shoulders to keep from spiraling out of control.
Murphy slid out and then back in and she almost came apart. She was surprised she could do it once, stunned she wanted to do it again.
“Please, Murphy,” she begged.
Murphy took her lips in a savage kiss that led them both over the edge. She clenched tight around him and her climax drew his from him. He stiffened, growled and shattered with her. Together they rode out the storm and when it was over, collapsed on the blanket.
Sara rolled on top and hugged him. He smiled as he tried to catch his breath.
“That was amazing,” she said. “I can’t believe you made me…wow.”
Murphy wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard on the lips. She grinned when he pulled away.
“Can we do that again before we go back?” she asked. “I really enjoyed myself. You, Jon Murphy, are an excellent lover.”
“And you are insatiable. I believe I’ve created a monster,” Murphy murmured before kissing her again, lingering this time.
Minutes later they were both breathing hard.
“Well, what do you say?” Sara asked, wrapping her hand around him. “One more for the road?”
Murphy growled and rolled her beneath him. It was well after dark by the time they returned to the house.
Chapter 13
Sara set a stack of plates on the table and started laying one on each place mat. Abby followed behind her and gave everyone a glass. MaryAnn mixed a salad in the kitchen while Justine went onto the porch to get the sun tea jugs. Alice was grilling great-smelling steaks on the barbeque grill.
A wave of nostalgia touched Sara as the kids came in to get Abby and take her outside to play before dinner. Sara smiled and took the glasses from her so she could go play, and laughed when they all tumbled out the back door. Her head had been in the clouds ever since last night and her body still hummed from the kiss she and Murphy had shared this morning behind the barns.
She and Abby were happy here. Even with danger lurking in the distance, Sara was able to smile and forget her troubles for a while. Murphy’s family included her and Abby in everything. It felt like a real home and made Sara long for one of her own. She would miss Murphy and his family when she left.
The thought of leaving made her sad. She didn’t want to leave this place. Ranching wasn’t a lifestyle she had ever considered, but she really enjoyed the reward of a hard day’s work.
She sighed, not realizing she stood there holding a plate in midair, staring off into space until Justine walked in and chuckled.
“Daydreaming, again?” she asked.
Sara blinked and blushed. “I guess I was.”
“It wouldn’t have anything to do with my brother, would it?” Justine asked with a sly grin.
Sara’s blush intensified as she set the plate on the table. How could she tell Justine she would leave with a broken heart when the time came?
“It does, doesn’t it?” Justine prodded. “This is so cool. I knew I wasn’t imagining the chemistry between the two of you. MaryAnn owes me ten bucks.”
Sara’s eyes widened. “You bet on us?” she gasped.
Justine danced in a circle of victory. “Yep. I bet that Jon wouldn’t be able to hold out until the danger passed and MaryAnn bet he would because he’s so stubborn. Looks like I won.”
Could this get any worse? She’d thought she and Murphy hid their attraction fairly well. Boy, had she been wrong.
“I never meant for this to happen,” she said.
“Hey, I think it’s great. I think you and Abby are the best thing that ever happened to my brother. The two of you are good together, and MaryAnn and I would love another sister.”
Tears welled in Sara’s eyes and she quickly turned away. She would like nothing more than to become a part of this family, but Murphy wasn’t going to marry her. He was certain he wasn’t the man for her even though he had stolen her heart the first night she’d met him. She was in love with Jon Murphy and there was nothing she could do about it.
“I would like that too,” Sara admitted. “But Abby and I can’t stay here. Stephen will eventually find us and I couldn’t live with myself if I let anything happen to this family because of me.”
Justine came over and slipped an arm around her shoulders. “You aren’t going anywhere,” she said. “Even if things don’t work out with Jon, you and Abby are staying here until this is all over. There is nowhere safer on the planet. No harm will come to you here. We’re pretty tough here in the north. We’ll manage a cocky city boy. He doesn’t stand a chance.”
Sara laughed and hugged her.
In her ear Justine said quietly, “Trust Jon, Sara, this is what he does best.”
“Thank you,” she whispered and squeezed her one last time before letting go and heading into the kitchen.
Sara stopped her. “What about your mom? Do you think she knows…about us?”
Justine grinned over her shoulder. “Why do you think she suggested the ride?”
Sara ducked her head. Dear God, Alice knew. Now she was really embarrassed.
Sara sat next to Justine and ate in silence, trying to avoid Murphy’s eyes. The weight of his stare prevented her until finally she looked up and met his eyes. She choked on her roll when she saw the hunger burning there. Justine had to clap her on the back before she could breathe again. She swallowed a large gulp of iced tea and glared at Murphy, who had quirked a brow in amusement at her. He actually looked like he enjoyed tying her in knots. And in front of his mother, the scoundrel.
Horrified, Sara assured everyone she was okay and glanced at Alice, who smiled and nodded her head.
She was going to strangle Murphy when she got him alone.
Of course she didn’t get him alone until bedtime and he came in for the night. She was reading in bed when she heard him pass her door. She threw her book aside and charged barefoot across the hall and into his room without knocking.
Murphy had taken off his shirt and had his hands on the zipper of his jeans when she burst in. He took one look at her eyes and paused, crossing his arms over his chest instead.
Sara closed the door behind her and walked over to him. She poked him in the chest.
“Everyone knows, Murphy,” she fumed. “Even your mother. Did you know that MaryAnn and Justine had a bet going as to when we would sleep together? Justine won, if you care, and your mother suggested the ride knowing we would probably sleep together.”
Murphy grinned at her and fueled her temper even more.
She poked him in the chest again. “What are you smiling for? Your mother knows we slept together. This is terrible. She probably thinks I’m promiscuous and after her son. Oooh, I never wanted this to happen. She probably lost all respect for me and I can’t stand to think of that. I like your mother. I want her to like me. This is a mess, Murphy. I never should have come here.”
She let out a heavy sigh and fisted a hand on his chest.
He was still grinning when he lowered his head and nibbled the sensitive spot below her ear. Against her skin, he murmured, “You are not promiscuous.”
“Your mother doesn’t know that,” she said on a sigh, tilting her head to the side to allow him better access.
“She knows you better than you think.”
He nipped her earlobe and Sara’s knees went weak. She gripped his shoulders. “You’re distracting me.”
“Am I?”
She felt his smile against her skin and couldn’t help the one that spread across her lips. Murphy only smiled when they were alone. She cherished those moments.
“You know you are,” she accused, though it came out on a moan as his lips trailed down her neck.
“Want me to stop?”
Sara let her head fall back and closed her eyes. “No,” she moaned, then remembered where she was and forced herself to push him away.
He lifted his head. “No?” he questioned with a devilish glint in his eye.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she whispered fiercely, “but we can’t do anything here. It wouldn’t be right.”
“There’s no one in this wing of the house besides us and Abby.”
“That’s not the point. This is your mother’s house. It wouldn’t be right.”
Murphy studied her for a moment, then slipped on his shirt and grabbed her hand. “Come on.” He led her out of the room.
Sara followed him down to Abby’s room, where they peeked in and found Abby asleep beside Grover, who opened one eye when they looked in. Assured that she was asleep and okay, Murphy led her down the hall, through the living room, and out the back door into the warm night air.
Sara tugged on his hand. “Murphy, I’m in my pajamas.”
“Not for long.”
Butterflies erupted in her belly as they took the steps down to the lawn. Her bare feet sank into the damp grass. “Where are we going?” she asked, her heart speeding up in her chest. She felt like they were doing something naughty, and found it incredibly exciting.
He didn’t answer as they headed toward the barns. Before they hit the rocky ground, Murphy turned around and swung her into his arms. She hadn’t expected him to do it and let out a squeak of delight as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
He carried her inside and snagged a blanket before starting up a set of stairs to the roof. He set her down and spread out the blanket. Sara watched with a warm smile. She hadn’t seen this side of Murphy. She wouldn’t have expected him to be the romantic type, but this was perfect. A blanket under the stars. How could she not love this man?
Sadness filled her, but she pushed it down. She may not have much time left with Murphy, but she was no fool. She was going to make the most of it. There would be time for sadness later when all she had were memories.
Murphy rose to his feet and she looked up so she could meet his eyes. In the moonlight he looked like an avenging angel. Her heart skipped a beat. He was more of a man than Kent had ever been and it made her heart ache. She was proud of him for what he’d done in Azbakastan. When she looked at him, she saw a warrior who fought for the underdog instead of a man with scars that marred his looks.
They stared at each other for what seemed an eternity and Sara wondered what he was thinking. Hopefully the same thing as her.
A light breeze ruffled her hair. Murphy reached out and tunneled his fingers through her curls until he cupped the nape of her neck. He drew her toward him and she came willingly. In the distance she heard cattle moving, and an occasional birdcall. Horses shifted in their stalls beneath them and whinnied.
As Murphy lowered his head, he murmured, “I won’t stop this time, Sara.”
She shuddered and lifted her lips to meet his. “I won’t let you.”
He kissed her tenderly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held tight. Murphy treated women with utmost care and it only made her love him even more. She understood why he’d done what he had in that cage. He protected at all costs.
When he lifted his head, she whispered, “This is perfect, Murphy.”
“You deserve a so
ft bed.”
“All I care about is being with you.”
His head lowered until his lips hovered above hers. “You have me,” he murmured and kissed her again, this time with hunger and need that matched her own.
She didn’t let herself think about what he meant by that comment and soon she couldn’t remember what he’d said when he lowered her to the blanket and kissed her senseless. Her tank top came off and Murphy filled his hands and mouth with her, making her arch and gasp for air as he drove her to the edge of madness. She tore buttons on his shirt in order to get it off, impatient to feel his taut flesh beneath her hands.
Their kisses became frantic and hungry, their movements more demanding. Her need consumed her, though this time it didn’t scare her. She embraced the feeling and let it drive her toward what she wanted.
She had her hand on Murphy’s zipper when something drifted through her senses. At first she ignored it, but as it grew more potent she forced herself to acknowledge it. Way ahead of her, Murphy lifted his head to sniff the air. Beneath them horses neighed and moved restlessly in their stalls.
“What is that smell?” Sara asked. “It smells like gasoline.”
Murphy cursed and rolled off her. He shrugged into his shirt without buttoning it and moved to the edge of the roof. He cursed again and turned to her, his expression hard.
“Get dressed quickly,” he ordered. “The barn is on fire.”
Sara gasped and reached for her tank top. “On fire?” she echoed, unable to keep the fear out of her voice. “What are we going to do? What about the horses? We have to save them.”
“First, we have to get you to safety.”
She slipped her tank top on and rose shakily to her feet. She could smell smoke now and when she looked over the edge she saw flames shooting out the window. Loud thuds came from below them as horses started to panic and kick their stall doors. Sara felt their fear and turned to Murphy, who crouched beside the stairwell.
He stood and strode over to her. He took her shaking hands in his and forced her to meet his eyes as a single flame shot through the opening.
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