"I'm not interested in making anyone happy but you. "
Her heart stuttered, then resumed at a frantic pace. She told herself she was reading too much into his words, that she'd most definitely misinterpreted the deeper meaning she'd seen in his eyes. "Then you'll be satisfied to know that you made me deliriously happy last night."
"And I can do so again this morning," he drawled, all arrogant, presumptuous male.
And because Chayse had firsthand knowledge that he was a man who more than lived up to his provocative claims, she couldn't find fault with his very confident assumption.
An irresistible smile tipped up the corners of his mouth. "Put down the camera, come here, and let me show you how happy I can make you. "
Unable to refuse him anything—or herself, for that matter—she set her camera safely aside and crawled across the mattress to him. "Think you can top delirious, do you?" she taunted playfully.
"Sweetheart, I know I can. "
He tumbled her onto her back, and before her peal of laughter could subside, he had her shirt skimmed over her head and tossed to the floor, and her panties a distant memory, as well.
He pushed her legs apart, moved in between, and slowly stroked his warm, callused palms up her thighs until his thumbs caressed her intimately. "I think the real question here is, can you survive just how happy I'm going to make you?"
Already, she was trembling in anticipation, and the rogue knew it, too. "There's only one way to find out, now isn't there?"
"Oh, yeah," he agreed huskily, and she caught a quick glimpse of his I'm-gonna-lap-you-up-until-you-scream grin as he settled himself more comfortably between her legs. He nuzzled her thigh and applied wet suction to a patch of flesh that made her gasp and would no doubt leave a hickey behind.
"Forget delirious," he rasped, once he was done branding her, his tongue now swirling a path to where she ached for his attention the most. "We're going for blissful, ecstatic, and rapturous. "
The man was as good as his promise, and delivered on all three.
Adrian took Chayse on another long hike, though this one was not as strenuous as yesterday's trek. They followed a trail alongside the creek by the cabin that led upstream, which provided plenty of clearings and backdrops for her photos. Today he'd worn a white T-shirt, jean shorts, and hiking boots, and while she'd gotten a couple of shots with his shirt on, it didn't take her long to ask him to strip it off for another round of photographs.
Once she was done with their two-hour session and declared herself starved for the lunch he'd packed, he didn't bother putting his shirt back on. The day was cool, but the sun on his skin felt warm, soothing even. And he was beginning to learn how impetuous Chayse could be when it came to taking pictures, and he figured he might as well be ready for her spontaneous snapshots.
She helped him spread a blanket in a clearing and out in the sun, and sure enough she insisted on getting a few pictures of him stretched out on the blanket, arms behind his head, and chewing on a long piece of grass. All he had to do was think about this morning's tryst with Chayse, the hickey he'd put on her thigh, and how many times he made her come before he'd taken his own pleasure, and the sexy smile she asked for appeared on his lips.
She took shots from a dozen different angles, and he watched her while she worked, his eyes following the camera as she directed. The woman had so much passion and enthusiasm, and applied it to everything she did—from standing up to him and following him to the cabin to get what she wanted, to taking her pictures, and even making love. It amazed him that no other man had appreciated all her qualities and snatched her up for his own.
Then again, he guessed that just like himself, she'd kept the opposite sex at arm's length to protect her emotions, and he understood that safety net she was clinging to because he'd been using one himself for the past four years. Everyone saw him as a carefree, footloose bachelor who loved adventure and thrills. But few knew the man beneath, the one who'd grown cautious and guarded after being burned by another woman.
And now, he was prepared to share that private side with Chayse, because he wanted whatever was between them to last a helluva lot longer than just the weekend. Not just the hot chemistry and great sex, but the friendship and emotional connection he felt with her that he'd never, ever experienced with another woman before. She was his match in so many ways, and after months of denying his feelings for her, he wasn't about to let her go without giving them a chance. And that meant opening up and trusting her with his past.
"Oh, damn, I'm out of film. I left the extra rolls at the cabin. "
She sounded so disappointed, but a part of him was relieved. Between yesterday and today she must have taken ten rolls, and while he was cooperating in the name of charity, he so wasn't cut out to be a model. "Good, now we can eat." He reached out to where she stood less than two feet away and cupped his hand over her smooth calf, then moved closer and nibbled on her leg with a low, rumbling growl. "I'm so hungry I'm about ready to take a big ol' bite out of you. "
She laughed, sidestepping him before he could sink his teeth into that tempting bit of flesh, and sent him a chastising look. "You know, so much sugar really isn't good for your system. "
Sugar and spice and everything nice. Oh yes, she was especially sweet, in every way. "Okay. Lunch first, then dessert." He waggled his brows at her, making sure she knew he considered her his dessert.
While she put away her camera, he sat up and reached for the extra backpack with the lunch he'd made for the two of them. He pulled out three ham and cheese sandwiches—one for her and two for him—a bag of chips, and two cans of soda. She settled in beside him, and he was done with his first sandwich before Chayse finally broke the compatible silence between them.
"Okay, Mr. Wilde," she said, slanting him a speculative glance. "You owe me. "
He raised a teasing brow. "What, another orgasm?"
She actually ducked her head and blushed, and he found the gesture very endearing, showing him a softer side to the woman that touched him in long forgotten places. She'd stood toe-to-toe with him during numerous heated arguments since they'd met, had let go of every inhibition with him sexually, and now she'd been struck by a moment of modesty. This sexy yet vulnerable woman never ceased to intrigue him.
"You've more than made up for that, especially this morning." She took a long drink of her soda, then reached for a potato chip. "Remember turnabout being fair play and all that? It's time for you to pay the piper and answer a few of my questions. "
He took a big bite of his second sandwich and glanced out at the blue, cloudless sky. He'd known this interrogation was coming, knew in his gut what she was going to ask, and had no intentions of skirting the issue as he had for the past four months with her. It was time to get everything out in the open, to let go of the bad memories and start out fresh and new.
"I'm an open book, sweetheart," he said with an engaging smile. Done with his sandwich, he shoved his empty baggie and napkin into the backpack. "What would you like to know?"
Her gaze flickered from the puckered skin on his bare abdomen to his face. "Those scars… how did it happen?"
It wasn't often he thought back to the skiing accident that had nearly killed him, and made him realize that not many women were equipped to understand and accept his need for thrills and extreme adventures. "It happened four years ago. Me, a few friends, and our girlfriends took off for a winter vacation in Jackson Hole, and while the women were out shopping for the day, the four of us guys decided to go heli-skiing. "
He saw her confused expression and explained. "That's where a helicopter takes you to the top of a mountain peak in a remote area with virgin snow and untouched terrain. They let you out with a guide, and off you go, down five thousand vertical feet of pure adrenaline rush. "
Her eyes widened in shock. "That's absolutely insane. "
"That's the whole point of extreme sports," he agreed with a laugh. He'd always loved the challenge and risks involved, which made
each adventure all the more exciting. "I've been heli-skiing before, and there's nothing like all that fresh powder, steep slopes, and speed to get your heart pumping and your blood flowing in your veins. Of course, navigating all those jagged peaks, glaciers, and Alpine bowls can be very dangerous if you're not a skilled skier. "
Unfortunately, not even his experience, expertise, and normally quick reflexes had been enough to save his sorry ass that fateful day. "Everything was going great until I skirted too close to the edge of a rocky peak. I dislodged a boulder and I went down with it. I plunged over the edge of the cliff, right into a ravine, and turn-bled a good five hundred feet while being ripped apart and impaled by razor-sharp rocks. "
She sucked in a breath and pressed her hand to her heart. "Ohmigod, Adrian… "
He knew the horrifying images his words must have put into her mind, but there was no way around the truth of the matter, so he met her concerned gaze and finished his tale. "Unfortunately, there aren't any safety brakes on this kind of thrill ride," he said wryly. "You just have to hang on and ride it out until the very end. By the time the rough terrain spit me out at the bottom of the mountain, I'd sustained a concussion, four broken ribs, and three deep gouges from the jagged rocks that had ripped through my jacket and clothes, which accounts for the scars on my back and lower stomach. "
She shook her head in wonder, and her silky hair grazed her chin with the swift movement. "You're lucky to be alive. "
"Wearing a helmet saved my life, I'm sure. Without it, I would have ended up with more than just a concussion." He didn't go into the unpleasant details of that particular scenario, but it was obvious by her grimace that she'd come to her own gory conclusion. "It also helped that the helicopter was right there to airlift me off the mountain and take me to the nearest hospital. My girlfriend at the time, Felice, was the first person I saw once I woke up. "
A long breath unraveled out of Chayse. "She must have been frantic with worry. "
"Yes, she was." He drew up his knees, crossed his ankles, and wrapped his arms loosely around his legs. "The accident gave everyone a good scare, myself included, but I wasn't expecting to deal with an immediate ultimatum the moment I opened my eyes. I remembered trying to smile at Felice, which hurt like hell, and the first words out of her mouth were a demand for me to choose either her, or extreme sports and my business, because she wasn't going to stick around if I continued to put my life at risk. Needless to say, she flew back home alone before I was even discharged from the hospital. "
"That would be like someone forcing me to give up photography. I could never, ever do that." Her tone was just as vehement as the violet fire flashing in her eyes—all on his behalf. "You made the right choice. "
He should have known that Chayse would understand, and experienced a huge amount of relief that she'd jumped to his defense. "Without a doubt." At the time, it had been difficult to watch Felice walk out of his life, especially when he'd needed her the most. But in the end, she'd done him a huge favor by ending their relationship before he'd grown to resent her constant demands to give up something that was such a huge part of his life.
Chayse reached out and trailed the tips of her cool fingers along the two long slashes on his back, her gentle, intimate touch a balm to his soul. "These scars… they give you character, Adrian. They're a part of who you are and what you do, and always will be. "
She understood so much about him, and her acceptance mattered more than he'd realized.
Since his accident, he'd never allowed himself to care what another woman thought of his scars or the extreme adventure business he ran for a living, and it was a huge, shocking revelation to realize that Chayse's opinion mattered the most. With sudden clarity, he knew that was part of the reason why he'd avoided her for four long months, because his subconscious had obviously known what his emotions hadn't been ready to face or accept—that this woman who challenged him at every turn, who pursued him despite every attempt he'd made to reject her, and who gave of herself so openly and gen-erously when they made love, could very well be the one for him.
He felt lighter and freer than he had in years, and Chayse was the reason. He glanced at her, met her soft violet gaze, and wanted to tell her everything he'd just discovered himself and how much he wanted her to be a part of his life, but was fairly certain she wasn't ready to hear something so life-changing. If he'd learned anything about Chayse this weekend, it was that she had her own personal issues to work through, and her own past to come to terms with. That despite her outward show of determination and impetuousness, inside she was a woman who was as vulnerable and fragile as fine crystal. And he had to treat those emotions accordingly.
When she leaned toward him and her lips drifted over his shoulder and along those scars of his, arousing and distracting him, he figured he had the rest of tonight and tomorrow to help her work through those issues and state his intentions.
"You know, I'm suddenly ravenous for dessert, and I want to eat it right out here in the great outdoors," he announced, and burying his fingers in her hair, he brought her mouth to his and kissed her, long and slow and deep.
Between wet, leisurely, tongue-tangling kisses, they undressed one another, until they were both naked and the sun dappled their skin with warmth. He pressed her down on the soft blanket, proceeded to feast on every sweet inch of her, and took his time doing so. He lapped in her honeyed essence, and touched and stroked her in all the places he knew she liked to be caressed the most, until she was breathless and trembling and begging him to end the sensual torment.
Only then did he drive into her soft, welcoming body, and she automatically arched to take all of him. In this, she held nothing back, and it gave him hope that he'd be able to breach other barriers with her, as well. He reveled in her uninhibited response to him, and the way she wrapped her legs around his waist and urged him to a stronger, harder rhythm that sent her soaring. She came with a soft moan, and only then did Adrian allow himself to let go of his own orgasm and lose himself in everything that was Chayse Douglas.
Chayse curled her feet beneath her on the couch and watched as Adrian tossed a few more logs on the grate and stoked the fire to life. A smile touched her lips as she enjoyed the play of his muscles across his bare back and the way his sweatpants rode low on his lean hips. Her fingers itched to grab her camera to add this sexy pose to her own personal collection of candid shots of Adrian, but she managed, just barely, to restrain the urge.
She stifled a sleepy yawn, and even though it was near-ing midnight, she wasn't ready to call it an evening just yet. Nor did she want this fun, relaxing weekend with Adrian to end, but she knew that was as inevitable as the sun rising in the morning.
This afternoon and their conversation about his scars had triggered feelings she hadn't expected. She'd meant it when she'd told him she understood his love for his job, for taking risks with extreme sports, but her emotional reaction to his story underscored her fears of getting too close to Adrian and caring whether or not he left her like everyone else she opened up her heart to. And that knowledge scared her enough to cement her decision to make a clean break tomorrow.
As for today, the afternoon had passed much too quickly for her liking, but the memories dancing in her head were ones she'd cherish for a long time to come. They'd returned from their photo session after making love outdoors not once, but twice, and shared a nice, long hot shower together. Then, with a blanket tucked around the two of them, she'd snuggled up to his side and they'd taken a nap in the hammock. He'd made spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner, then afterward fed her his chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. They played a few games of cards, drank hot cocoa with marshmallows, and discussed recent movies, books, and other personal favorites. And then he'd regaled her with amusing tales of his brothers and cousins, and his large, happy family that made her laugh, but also made her all too aware of the fact that she had no light-hearted stories of her own to share in return.
No, her own childhood had bee
n emotionally painful and unstable, and there weren't a whole lot of cheerful moments to recall. From the loss of her brother, to her mother's withdrawal and depression, to the father who hadn't been there for her when she'd needed him the most. She'd been forced to grow up much faster than any teenager should have to, and had learned to guard herself from any more pain and loss by keeping people, and men, at a distance. And so far, those barriers had served her well and had kept her heart protected.
She envied Adrian his close-knit family, the stability and unconditional love and support he'd grown up with. It was something she'd always dreamed of, wished for, but her past was unchangeable and she accepted that. She'd made the best of the hand she'd been dealt, and she was proud of her accomplishments. She had a thriving photography business, her best friend Faith, and all the kids that became a part of her life during their stay at the Children's Hospital.
And now there was Adrian, a man who had an effortless way of filling the vast emptiness inside her with laughter and fun and incredible, vibrant feeling.
"Hey, you ready to call it a night?"
Startled from her thoughts, she met Adrian's caring gaze, and knew how easy it would be to drown herself and her painful past in those velvet blue depths. But not yet, she told herself. This man had let her into his life in so many ways, and had shared his family with her in those humorous, uplifting stories that had given her such a deeper insight into him as a man, a brother, and a son. And while she might not have fun, amusing childhood tales to entertain him with, there was a private part of her life she wanted to share with Adrian in return. A piece of herself she'd never allowed another man close enough to see or be a part of.
"I want to show you something," she said, and before she lost the nerve, she moved off the couch and retrieved a pocket folder from her backpack. Then she joined Adrian on the mattress, crossed her legs, and opened the portfolio.
She spread out a few dozen different snapshots that encompassed people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities, most of which had been taken candidly or with a telephoto lens so as to keep her hobby discreet, and without rudely intruding on a stranger's life. There were photographs of people at Lincoln Park, others at Navy Pier, and many she'd taken while strolling through the city on a Saturday afternoon. She rarely left home without her camera, and she'd learned that anything could become a photo opportunity at any given moment.
Wilde Novellas Page 21