His fingers wrapped around the door frame. There was something about the way she looked at him, drowsy eyed, her skin flushed, that made him wish he could follow her inside the bedroom. Just to slide between the sheets and hold her.
“I’m sorry I was so bitchy before. Guess I was so tired I couldn’t think straight. Everyone looks like the bad guy.”
“Not a problem. I didn’t behave my best either.” He cleared his throat. “This is where I’ll say good night, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t lock the door. Just in case I need to get in here in a hurry.”
She gave him a vague nod. “Thing is,” she said softly, “it’s too quiet, and there’s only this one bed. I think maybe I’ll sleep better if you’re here.”
Mac froze. His cock, however, stirred, beginning to warm and fill. “Get under the sheets. I’ll stretch out on top of the blankets.”
She opened the door wider, and he saw she wore only a tank top and bikini panties. Probably too tired to remember she was only half dressed.
Suki stumbled to the bed, placed the shotgun on the floor beside it, and then crawled onto the mattress, giving him a mind-blowing view of her pretty, heart-shaped bottom and slim legs.
Mac sucked in a deep breath, a rueful grin curving his lips. God had a wicked sense of humor. He finally had a woman in a bed, but he couldn’t touch her.
He stood his cane beside the door and walked around to the far side of the bed. With his back to her, he sat on the edge and pulled off his boots and socks and then stripped his belt from his loops. That was as far as he dared go.
Lying down beside her, he stuck his hands under his head and stared at the ceiling.
She lay on her side, facing him. “How’d you hurt your leg?” she asked quietly.
Mac slowly inhaled. He hadn’t liked talking about it before, but something about the quiet room with the rain pattering on the roof over his head kept the anger at bay. “My unit was making a sweep of a neighborhood, looking for insurgents. We were on foot patrol. I was on point…at the front of the formation. It was getting dark, and we’d been at it for a while. We were all hot, dirty, and sweaty…ready to meet up with the trucks and convoy back to our barracks.”
He drew a deep breath and continued as unemotionally as he could manage. “Just one last street to go. I saw a grocery bag. A white, plastic grocery bag lying in the gutter, the ties fluttering in the breeze. It caught my eye. The breeze didn’t move the bag. Something told me it wasn’t right. I held up my hand to give the signal to halt but didn’t get a chance to do any more than that when it exploded. It was an IED. Guess whoever was watching figured he wasn’t gonna get a better target and set it off.”
Mac may have stared at the dark ceiling, but memories rolled past in quick, painful bursts. “All hell broke loose, but I hardly noticed. My leg burned like it was on fire. My guys were all around me, shouting into the radio. I don’t remember much after that. Don’t remember them getting me to medevac or the trip to Germany. I woke up in Walter Reed after surgery.” He turned his head toward her. “That’s it.”
“You say that so calmly.”
His lips curved ruefully. “I’ve had months to get used to it.”
“Anyone else hit?”
“Thank God, no.”
“Does it hurt much?”
He nodded and turned to stare at the ceiling again, not wanting to read sympathy in her steady gaze. “But it gets better every day,” he said, realizing it was true. A month ago a walk through the woods wouldn’t have been possible.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Mac smiled and reached across the mattress, enfolding her hand in his. “Me, too. You should go to sleep.”
Her breaths evened almost immediately.
Mac pulled her hand over his belly, laced his fingers with hers, and resigned himself to the fact he wouldn’t get another wink of sleep for the rest of the night.
No way would he let anything disturb her dreams.
Being this close was just enough to fill his senses with woman. Pulling in her scent with every breath, listening to the sound of her soft, sighing exhalations—sure, he was harder than a fence post, but he’d never felt more like a man. She needed him.
When Suki snuggled closer and rested her head on his shoulder, he felt as though he’d been given a gift. Her thick hair tickled his nose and fanned around the corner of his shoulder. Such a little thing. Not a sexual move in the least, but still his body hardened further.
When her breath feathered the side of his neck, he gritted his teeth.
He was in for one helluva long night.
Suki became aware of water falling. At first, she thought it was the rain, but the sound was closer.
The shower was running.
She reached across the bed and confirmed she was alone. Mac, her surly protector, must be taking a shower.
Feeling rested for the first time in weeks, she stretched, enjoying the quiet sounds. Enjoying the scent of him permeating her sheets. Soap, a light tang of tobacco, his own brand of masculine musk.
So intimate. His scent, his sounds. A man in her shower. A man she’d shared a bed with. One who hadn’t done more than offer his company so she could feel safe while she slept.
Not wanting to dwell on the warmth that filled her at the thought, Suki decided the least she could do was offer him a home-cooked breakfast. She tossed back the sheets, climbed out of bed, and began to dress.
In the hallway, she paused outside the bathroom. The door was cracked open. She remembered his admonition about not locking doors against him and guessed it went both ways.
The temptation to peek inside was overwhelming. Her hand touched the door, and then she quickly pulled back. What was she thinking?
Then she heard the unmistakable sounds. Like wet slaps, increasing in speed. Suki pressed her lips together, trying not to smile.
Was this his morning routine, or had he been inspired?
She hurried down the hallway, giving him privacy.
As she pulled out pans and ingredients and began to cook, she couldn’t help thinking about him and what he’d told her last night. Fresh from the Middle East and treatment in a hospital, was she the first woman he’d been alone with?
The thought left her feeling guilty about teasing him, however innocent her intentions, leaving him without any recourse but to relieve himself alone in the shower.
Still, regret didn’t explain the excitement that thrummed throughout her body, pricking at her nipples and lending a slight tremor to her hands.
What kind of deviant was she anyway? Running from one abusive man and then lusting after another Cro-Magnon archetype? And why did she still feel an overwhelming urge to slip into the bathroom and see what Mac McDonough had to offer?
“Good morning.”
The egg she’d raised came slamming down on the edge of the bowl, the shell collapsing and instantly scrambling the yolk that spilled onto the countertop.
“Didn’t mean to startle you,” Mac said, reaching around her for a paper towel. With his arm enclosing her, and his belly near enough to warm her back, she grew stiff.
“Fuck.” Mac stepped away immediately. “Didn’t mean to crowd you.”
Suki knew he thought she’d freaked at being close to a man. “Are you going to be apologizing for the rest of the day?” She glanced over her shoulder with a wry grin. “You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me.”
Mac’s eyes blinked, and then a slow, sexy grin curved his lips. “Unless you’re doing the cooking, hmmm?”
She smiled in apology. “I was deep in thought when you came in. Anyone would have made me jump out of my skin.”
“Sure,” he said, though his expression remained doubtful.
“I’m not afraid of you. I swear it.”
“Well, that’s progress.”
From the corner of her eye, her gaze swept his body. Another T-shirt, this time blue, and faded jeans hugged his formidable torso and thighs. His bare feet peeked fr
om beneath the bottom edges.
Suki swallowed at the strong pull of Mac’s sensual appeal. “Plates are in the cupboard,” she said, lifting her spatula to point at the cabinet beside her.
Again he approached, careful this time not to touch.
Oddly disappointed, she slid eggs onto the plates and bent to pull a plate of bacon from the warming tray in the oven.
When she straightened, his glance slid quickly back to her face.
Suki couldn’t help her lop-sided smile and decided not to pretend to ignore his interest. “Were you checking out my ass?”
Mac snorted. “Guess I’ll be apologizing all day long.”
She walked to the table and slid the dish to the center beside a basket of biscuits. “I really didn’t mind,” she murmured.
Mac held out a chair for her and then took his own, quickly lifting his fork and changing the subject. “Anyone we need to check in with today?”
“Let’s not talk about it. The rain stopped. It looks like it’s going to be a nice day.”
His nod said he was ready to follow her lead. “Too bad we don’t have a boat. We could go fishing.”
“You like to fish?”
“Haven’t been in a long time, but all that water right outside the door…It’s tempting.”
Suki stuck her fork into her eggs and pushed them around her plate. “Maybe we could go for a swim,” she said, her voice a little breathless.
He chewed slowly, his expression growing alert. “I didn’t bring a suit.”
She swallowed to wet her dry mouth. “Neither did I.”
“Not a problem for me. I can wear my boxers.”
The evenness of his voice didn’t tell her whether he was getting the hint or not. She decided to go for blunt. “Why bother with anything? It’s just you and me.”
“Suki…” A deep breath expanded his chest. “I haven’t been alone with a woman in a long time. I’m not sure I can go skinny-dipping without embarrassing myself.”
Suki bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Somehow I don’t think you’ll have a thing to be embarrassed about.”
Mac lifted a forkful of eggs to his mouth, his gaze narrowing on her face.
She met his gaze, and, miraculously, her cheeks didn’t heat with a single blush. She smiled and bit into a piece of crisp bacon. Maybe Mac was just the antidote she needed for the tension that had gripped her for weeks.
“Just so you know,” he said, seeming to struggle with words, “I don’t expect anything to happen…between us.”
“Why don’t we just have a good time? No expectations.”
His nod was slow, but already she detected subtle changes as arousal gripped him. His jaw tightened. His narrowed gaze flickered over her. He shifted in his seat and attacked his breakfast as though he thought he might need sustenance.
Suki suppressed a smile and ate slowly, enjoying the sensual awareness warming her own body. Enjoying the power she seemed to wield over such a dark and dangerous man.
Power he ceded easily, as though it was natural for him to let her take the lead. Perhaps he’d sensed she needed that to soothe her fears. Or maybe, at his core, he truly was a gentle man despite his appearance and gruff manners.
Whichever the case, her appreciation for him grew, as did her desire.
When she’d finally finished, Suki gathered their plates and set them in the sink. “Why don’t you find us some towels?”
Knowing he would have to head to the bathroom again, she rushed to the bedroom and pulled open the top drawer of the nightstand, gathering several foil packets and cramming them into her jeans pocket.
When she heard his feet padding down the hall, she met him at the door.
After his polite nod for her to proceed, she sauntered down the corridor, Mac on her heels.
Out the door, down the path through the woods, the scent of wet vegetation and pure, fresh air lightened her mood and her steps, which she kept slow so he didn’t have to fight to keep up. With excitement escalating her heartbeats, the walk to the end of the pier seemed endless.
At the covered end of the dock, he tossed the towels onto the plank floor and stood with his hands on his hips, his gaze cutting across the lake and then around the woods that edged the water.
While he checked the area for bad guys, she took her courage into her hands and thumbed open the button at the top of her jeans and then pushed them down her legs. However bold that move had been, she turned away to slip off her tank top, nervous about having him find her a little “less” than he might prefer.
Standing in her underwear, she gave him a glance over her shoulder, satisfied she had his attention, and then reached behind her to unclip her bra.
As the small cups fell away, she took a deep breath, gathering her courage around her, and turned. Slowly she slid down the straps, holding the garment over the growing pile of her clothing, inviting him to examine her.
His gaze held hers for only a moment and then slid over her breasts. Air hissed softly between his teeth.
When she dropped the bra beside her feet, she reached quickly for the thin straps at each side of her hips and pulled down the silky underwear.
She straightened and found it hard to suck in a deep breath, a little shocked at her own behavior. Had she really just shucked all her clothing in front of a man she’d met only yesterday?
The urge had come so fast, so strong, she hadn’t paused even once to question where it had come from.
His expression growing more taut and dangerous by the second, he appeared every bit as desperate as she felt.
“Do you need any help?” she asked softly.
“I can manage,” he growled in a voice that matched the fierce, predatory expression darkening his face.
“I mean, I know you don’t bend very well,” she said, licking her lips nervously. “I could manage your pants.”
“That’s kind of you,” he bit out, “but I’ve been undressing myself for weeks now.” His head canted to the side. “That is…unless you really want to?”
4
Suki managed a rueful smile. “Did I look disappointed?”
“Like I just stole your candy,” he drawled.
They shared smiles, and Suki relaxed and stepped closer. Her hands pushed up his T-shirt, but he was so tall he had to take over to get it past his shoulders and head.
As he bared his abdomen and chest, Suki’s breaths shortened. Hard and tanned as polished oak, his body had her reaching out to follow the swells of his defined musculature, gliding over skin as smooth as oiled leather. Crisp, brown curls stretched between his flat nipples, arrowing down his belly to disappear into his jeans.
Looking down, her gaze snagged on the fullness swelling inside his jeans. She licked her lips again and raised her glance, finding his green eyes glittering, his nostrils flaring. The feral hunger tightening his features filled her with elation.
She opened his pants, dragging down his zipper, all the while holding his gaze until she reached the bottom.
“Better let me take care of the rest,” he ground out.
Instead of conceding, she could scarcely believe her own temerity. She slid her hand inside his snug pants and cupped his thick erection.
His cock heated her palm, expanding as she gently squeezed.
“Seems a waste,” she whispered.
“What does?”
“The water’s going to be cool.”
His eyes narrowed. “Ahhh…maybe I should just ease into it now.”
She bit her lower lip to trap the grin tugging her mouth wide. “Let me help you with this.” She knelt on one knee and pulled down his pants, eager now to see what she’d held inside her hand.
She pushed the pants all the way down, forcing her gaze to follow. The white, zipperlike scars of his incisions and shallow circles dotting his leg lay in stark contrast against his deeply tanned skin.
Afraid to touch them unless she caused him pain, she waited while he stepped out of his jeans. Only then did
she raise her face level with his cock.
The proud, straight thrust of him made her mouth water.
She spared a glance at his tense face, noting the lean hunger sharpening his features to a razor’s edge.
Then, closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek along his length, savoring the satiny feel of the skin that stretched around his shaft, dragging in the scent of his natural musk.
Her hands came up between his legs, smoothing over the sparse hairs on his inner thighs, rising steadily until she turned her palms to cup his balls.
They filled her small palms, and she closed her fingers around them, tugging gently.
Mac’s fingers wrapped around the back of her head, not guiding, not pressuring her to do more than she wanted—just lightly caressing her scalp, threading through her hair as she worked up the courage to take him.
Her mouth opened, and she skimmed her lips along his shaft until she reached the curved ridge at the underside of the crown. Turning her head sideways, she stuck out her tongue and licked beneath his glans, opening her eyes to check his reaction and finding his gaze boring into hers. She stroked him again with her tongue.
His chest lifted on a ragged inhalation. His cock rocked forward, gliding along her lips.
She wrapped the fingers of both hands around his shaft, capturing him with a firm grasp, and pulled his cock toward her mouth, rounding her lips to take just the cap inside her mouth. She suctioned against the soft skin, swirling her tongue over it, sinking the tip of her tongue into the narrow slit and then fluttering inside it until Mac’s hands tugged her hair harder to urge her closer.
She opened her jaws, taking a little more of his length inside. Then she shielded her teeth with her lips to gobble at the crown as she drew off.
“Sweet…fuck!” He pulled one of his hands from her hair and moved hers from his shaft, grasping himself just below the crown.
Then, pointing himself straight between her lips, he painted her mouth with the moisture she’d left behind as she pursed her lips to accept his “kiss.”
Watching him while he watched her lips got her hot as hell. Color glazed his cheeks while his lips peeled away from his teeth. He looked like a man on the verge of getting every dream come true.
Down in Texas Page 17