by LENA DIAZ,
She rubbed her bleary eyes, a flush of guilt heating her face when she saw how tired he looked. “I’m sorry. I know you’re just as wiped out as I am. I should have offered to drive.”
He gave her a sleepy, incredibly sexy grin. “We’d have been in a ditch just a few blocks down the road from the airport when you fell into a coma. You sure do fall asleep fast.”
He leaned over the back of the seat and grabbed their satchels that contained just a few days’ worth of clothes and toiletries—plus their pistols and ammo, of course.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“The neon lights spelling out Embassy Suites doesn’t give it away?”
“Ha ha.”
He smiled again. She noticed he smiled more when he was tired, as if it was the only time he ever truly let his guard down. It did incredible things to his already handsome face, making her stomach tighten with want.
If she wasn’t so tired, she might have jumped him just to finally get that crazy desire out of her system—and find out once and for all if he wanted her, too. But as tired as they both were, she knew that wasn’t even on the radar.
As they walked under the portico to the front doors, she asked, “Seriously. Where are we?”
“Knoxville West, just off I-40. I’ve been here before, so I knew it was decent and clean. I called on the way and made a reservation. They only had a few rooms left. Since I couldn’t get two on the same floor, I settled for a suite. Hope that’s okay. It’s got a separate bedroom and a sectional couch with a pullout sofa bed.”
“I wouldn’t care if we had to share the same bed at this point. I could probably sleep on the floor in the lobby right now.”
His eyes had widened when she mentioned sharing a bed, but he recovered quickly, with another one of those sexy grins. “I think they frown on people camping in the lobby here. Let’s at least get up to the room before you sink into your coma again.”
She couldn’t help wondering why he’d been to this hotel before. He’d lived in Knoxville, so why would he stay in a hotel instead of his house? Or apartment? Or wherever he lived? Had he brought a date here rather than take her back to his place? And why did that thought make her feel so pathetically jealous? It wasn’t like they’d ever dated. And even though she’d been mooning after him for months, he’d always been the perfect gentleman—much to her dismay.
“Earth to Donna. You in there somewhere?” He was waving his hand in front of her face.
She blinked and realized they were standing in front of an open elevator, and he was holding the door for her. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she stepped inside.
When the door shut, and he pressed the button for the fourth floor, she realized she’d zombied out at the registration desk and hadn’t even remembered him getting the room keys.
“We’ll have to keep up with our expenses so I can pay you my half,” she said. “You’ve been buying everything. Heck, I should pay all of our expenses. You need to conserve your funds in case this doesn’t end the way I hope it will and you don’t get your job back.”
“No worries. I’ve got plenty in savings. I’m not the live-paycheck-to-paycheck type.”
She snorted. “I sure am. Most people I know are.”
“All the more reason that I’m the one footing the bill. Seriously, don’t worry about it.” He waved the key card over the sensor on the lock and pushed the door open to let her go inside first.
* * *
THE SUITE WAS CLEAN, as he’d predicted, with a kitchenette, a desk, a decent-sized living room with a cream-colored sectional and what had to be at least a 42-inch TV on the opposite wall. As he stepped in behind her, she checked out the bathroom, which was thankfully just as clean as the rest of the place. And the bedroom had two queen beds. That, at least, made her feel less guilty. Neither of them would get stuck on an uncomfortable pullout.
“It’s nice,” she said, turning around in the bedroom. “Oh.” She had to take a step back, surprised to find him so close behind her.
“Sorry.” He hefted her bag in the air in explanation. “I was going to set this on one of the beds so you can shower, if you want, and get ready for bed. I’ll get ready after you.”
She frowned. “Thanks. Where’s your bag?”
He motioned toward the living room.
“No way.” She pushed past him and grabbed his bag off the floor of the main room. “There are two perfectly good beds in this suite. You are not going to toss and turn all night on a lumpy pullout mattress.” She headed back into the bedroom and plopped his bag on the second bed.
He spread his hands in surrender. “If you’re sure.”
“Of course I am. But I’ll take you up on the offer to take a shower first. Do you need to use the bathroom before I hop in?”
“I’m fine. Go ahead. Want anything from room service? I’m going to order a hamburger or something.”
Until he’d mentioned food, she hadn’t realized just how hungry she was. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten something that hadn’t come out of a vending machine.
“What time is it?” she asked, even as she reached in her pocket to check her phone.
“A little after one. I know it’s way too late to eat, but I’m starving. I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t get something in my stomach besides potato chips and a candy bar.”
She tossed her phone on the bed. “You read my mind. I’ll have whatever you’re having. Wait, do you think the hotel restaurant is even open this late? I bet room service is closed.”
“If it is, I’ll order pizza delivery. Pepperoni okay?”
“Sounds great. But a cheeseburger and fries would be way better. I hope room service is still open.” With that, she disappeared into the bathroom with her bag.
She showered as quickly as she could, since it was already so late. She didn’t bother to do more than towel dry her hair and comb it, and she figured there was no point in bothering with makeup. She’d just have to take it off to go to bed, anyway. It wasn’t like Blake cared. Getting fully dressed seemed like too much effort, as well. And she didn’t have that many clean outfits. So she decided to wear what she normally wore—a long nightshirt that fell to her knees and underwear.
The one concession she made was to keep a bra on. Not because she thought he’d even notice if she didn’t wear one. But she didn’t think she could take the embarrassment of him not noticing. A girl could only be ignored by the man she was half in love with for so long before dying of humiliation.
The delicious smell of cheeseburgers when she opened the bathroom door nearly made her weep. She hurried into the living room and pressed her hand over her heart when she saw the two trays on the table—fully loaded cheeseburgers and thick steak fries, with two cans of Diet Coke.
“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” she said. “How did you get these? I saw a notice on the bathroom door about checkout and room service times. They closed hours ago.” She turned around then froze.
Blake must have risen from the couch when she stepped into the room, but that was as far as he’d gotten. His mouth had fallen open, and his gaze had fallen, too—from her lips to her breasts, lower, and lower still, until he was staring at her legs. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, but no sound emerged.
Fearing she’d done something stupid—like leaving the end of her shirt tucked into the top of her panties, she looked down, turning left and right to make sure the back was okay, too. Nope, thankfully, everything was covered. So what was his problem? She glanced up, then sucked in a sharp breath.
He’d crossed the room and was standing directly in front of her, looking so hungry it had her pulse rushing in her ears. She licked her lips and watched his eyes track the movement.
“Blake?” Her voice was hoarse. She thought she was reading the signs right, that he’d finally noticed she was a woman. But she was
afraid to make any moves without being sure. “Are you hungry for the cheeseburger? Or...me?”
His gaze shot to hers. “What cheeseburger?”
“Oh, thank God,” she whispered, just before he swooped down and pressed his lips to hers.
If the smell of the cheeseburger had been heaven, the feel of Blake’s lips on hers was in a whole other dimension. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly, masterfully, until she was groaning against him, her fingers curling in his shirt, and her legs somehow curled around his waist, pulling him tightly against her. She didn’t even remember him picking her up, but he must have. One of his hands cupped her bottom. The other clasped the back of her head as he pressed her against the wall beside the table.
They were both gasping for air when he broke the kiss. But he didn’t stop, didn’t even slow down his assault on her senses. He lightly nipped her neck, worshiped the top swells of her breasts with his lips and tongue. She threw her head back, and her lips parted on a sigh as she moved restlessly against him.
She’d wanted this—wanted him—for so long. She’d dreamed of being held in his arms. But even in her fantasies, actually being touched by him, feeling his warm hand roam beneath her shirt and against her skin, made her fantasies seem like black-and-white Polaroids compared to high-definition color. Blake the man was so much better than Blake the dream.
“Donna?”
The sound of her name whispered in deep, husky tones next to her ear sent shivers up her spine. She arched against him, reveling in the feel of his hard chest pressed to hers. He shuddered and tightened his hand on her bottom. Then he swiveled his hips in a sinfully delicious way that had her breath catching in her throat.
“Do that again,” she urged.
He did, and she almost climaxed right there in his arms, both of them still dressed. Or, at least, he was. Her night shirt and bra had both been pushed up above her breasts, leaving them exposed to his wandering hands and lips.
“I want to feel your skin against mine,” she whispered. “You have too many clothes on.”
He swallowed and rested his forehead against hers. A shaky breath stuttered between his lips. “Are you sure you want this?”
For the first time since he’d kissed her, she opened her eyes. He’d pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, and the intensity of his hungry stare nearly made her weep with joy. Finally, finally, he was as desperate for her as she’d been for him for so very, very long.
“If you stop right now, I’m going to shoot you. How’s that for being sure?”
His mouth tilted in a devastating smile. Then he was kissing her again, and she was kissing him back, their tongues tangling against each other in perfect rhythm, giving and taking, sharing, enjoying, until she wanted to weep from the beauty of it.
She was vaguely aware of him lifting his thigh to support her bottom dropping his hands from around her. Then crackling, like the wrapper on a pack of crackers. A tug, the sound of a zipper.
Her eyes flew open, and she looked down. She realized what he was doing, and was shocked that she’d never even thought of protection. Thank goodness he had. He must have had a condom in his wallet. And he’d cared enough about her to ensure that he didn’t forget, even when she did.
She kissed him again and rolled the condom onto him. He shuddered and thrust his tongue deep inside her mouth, as he thrust his length between her hands. A very impressive length. By the time she’d finished, they were both panting and sweating and so eager that she helped him fit himself to her without even worrying about trying to stumble to the bed.
Then he was inside her, filling her, loving her. And she was loving him back, giving and taking, her entire body straining to get as close as possible to this handsome, strong, brave, intelligent man, who had finally had the sense to realize they could be great together—in every way.
Just when she thought it couldn’t feel any better, he’d do something wicked with his mouth, his hands, his hips, and take her to a new height. She tried to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her, but he was a master at this, like he’d been created with the express purpose of giving a woman pleasure.
“Blake,” she moaned, raking her nails across his neck. “Please.”
He didn’t have to ask what she was begging for. He knew. And he delivered. His hand moved between them and he stroked her, caressed her as he thrust in and out of her, making her gasp and make all kinds of strange, mewling noises she’d never known she could make. When her climax came, she would have shouted loud enough to wake the entire floor if his mouth hadn’t been fastened to hers. He wasn’t far behind, his entire body tightening against hers, his own groan sounding deep in his throat as he tumbled over the edge.
* * *
HE SHOULD HAVE let Donna sleep, but Blake couldn’t seem to keep himself from touching her, sliding his fingers across the flat warmth of her belly and up to caress the underside of her full, perfect breasts.
He watched her roll over in the bed, little more than a shadow in the dark hotel room, as she wrapped her arms behind his neck.
“Hey, handsome.” Her words were slurred, heavy with sleep.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He pressed a kiss against the top of her head. “I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep.”
She yawned and pressed him onto his back, slipping her thigh over the top of his as she snuggled against him. “This is nice.”
He rubbed his thumb against her nipple, delighting in how it hardened at his touch. “Yes. It certainly is.”
She giggled and slapped his hand away. “I thought you were going to let me sleep. What time is it?”
“Early. Late. Take your pick. We both need to get some sleep, or we won’t be able to function in the morning. But you’re far too tempting. I’ll go to the other bed.”
He started to pull away, but she tugged him back.
“No way,” she said, sounding more awake than a moment ago. “I’ve got you exactly where I want you. Finally. You’re not going anywhere.”
Finally? Was it possible that she’d been wanting him all this time that he’d been wanting her?
She pulled herself up his body and pressed a kiss against the hollow of his throat. “Please tell me you have another condom.”
He shook his head, even though she probably couldn’t see him. “Sorry. I didn’t plan this. I only had one.”
She let her forehead drop against his chest. “You’re killing me.”
He feathered his hands through her hair and pulled her against him, pressing her head to his chest. “Trust me. The feeling is mutual. I really should move to the other bed.”
“No. You woke me up. You have to pay the price.”
“But I don’t have any more protection.”
“Then you’ll have to pay it another way.”
His body jerked against her at the thought of all the ways he could pleasure her. Eager to get started, he rolled her onto her back and began to work his way down to the very core of her. When his lips kissed her there, she bolted upright and grabbed his shoulders. She let out a shaky breath and was laughing when she pulled him up her body.
“As much as I’d love for you to do that,” she said, “I’m not that selfish. I’d want you to have as much pleasure as me, and honestly, I’m just too exhausted to do that right now.”
He swallowed hard just at the thought of her doing that. But, sadly, it was not to be. Not today, anyway.
“Then I guess it’s goodnight.” He kissed her lips this time, and then he lay back and spooned himself behind her. In spite of how hard and aching his body was right now, being this close to her, the pleasure of just being able to hold her like this was more than adequate compensation. He was in awe that she’d let him make love to her.
“You’re not going to sleep just yet,” she said. “You still have to make it up to me for not having enough...uh...protection with you.�
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He frowned. “How do you want me to make it up to you?”
“Answer some questions.”
“Questions? You want to talk? At...” He leaned back to get a look at the bedside clock. “Three in the morning?”
“We just made love. The least you can do is answer some burning questions I’ve had for a long time.”
He sighed, growing sleepy as he snuggled against her. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything. Where were you born? Where did you grow up? How many brothers and sisters do you have? Have you ever been married, had kids, pets—”
He cupped his hand over her mouth, laughing. “That’s a lot of questions. If you don’t draw a breath and let me answer a few, I’ll forget them all.”
“I’m waiting.”
He chuckled again, and lightly ran his hand up and down her arm. “Let’s see. Sadly, I’m not a Tennessee native. I was born in Alaska.”
“That’s cool.” She giggled. “Literally.”
“Clever girl,” he teased, unable to resist pressing a kiss against her shoulder. “My family—all three brothers and two sisters of them, plus Mom and Dad—still live there, in Anchorage. They have acreage outside town. All of them built houses next to each other.”
She turned toward him, even though he knew that she couldn’t really see his expression in the dark.
“But you left? How old were you?”
“Eighteen.”
“Then you...your family, you didn’t get along with them? Did something bad happen?”
“No, not at all. I love my family very much, even visit them a couple of times a year. But I wanted to explore, see what else was out there before I settled down in one place. So I joined the navy, traveled the world and ended up in Knoxville of all places. I’m sure you’ll be shocked to realize I wasn’t keen on authority. I think it’s because I was the middle child, with older brothers who tried—unsuccessfully—to boss me around all the time, and younger sisters I felt that I had to protect from being picked on by my brothers. I was always getting pulled one way or the other. You’d think I’d have become a peacemaker, an arbitrator between them. Instead, I just learned to fight really well. That’s some of the appeal of the military—I got to fight the enemy. But I got in some pretty tight spots, so I decided not to make a long-term career of it. Went to college on the government’s dime, and realized I actually missed the structure of the military. But not enough to sign up again. So I did the next best thing.”