Texas Tea [Del Fantasma]

by Maura Anderson

  Despite their earlier easy silence, Lara wanted to know more about Matt. He was a creature of mystery and exuded a wild sensation she couldn't escape. That she no longer really wanted to escape.

  "Cody told me you saved his life in Afghanistan."

  That was subtle. I should have just said “Hi, won't you tell me about your horrendous war experiences?" With effort, she managed to not roll her eyes in self-disgust.

  Matt was silent for so long she wondered if she should somehow withdraw the question. Chancing a covert glance in his direction, she saw the muscles in his jaw clench and release, then do so again. Oops. Her remarkable talent for blurting out awkward questions at just the wrong time had once again raised its head.

  Just as she'd given up on him answering, he sighed. “The Middle East is not a subject for light conversation. Let's just say Cody and I saved each other and leave it at that."

  The upcoming light turned yellow and the truck coasted to a stop. He shot a look her way, made even more intense by the way the dim lights along the road cast deep shadows on the planes of his face. “I still owe Cody. At least until he declares my debt paid."

  A debt of honor? She understood the burden of debts of honor.

  Eyes back on the road, Matt steadily accelerated from the stop. While he seemed wholly focused on the driving, she was free to admire him. He really was an incredible man. Sexy, muscular, and with an aura of such a dangerous Alpha, he was nearly irresistible. But as much as she admired his body, the way he worked hard to not take over every situation and didn't try to order her around, made him even more compelling. He had a presence that spoke of steadiness and dependability. He could be counted on.

  What woman in her right mind wouldn't latch onto him the instant she could?

  Oh shit. She'd never thought to ask whether he was already involved with someone. Maybe he was even married. Just because she didn't recall seeing a ring on his finger didn't prove anything other than that he didn't wear rings. She didn't think he could have a girlfriend or a wife waiting for him and be hitting on her anyway. But she'd been wrong about men before.

  She'd never share and certainly wouldn't poach on someone else's territory either.

  How could she casually ask him if he was in a relationship? Was there any way to ask that didn't sound like the inquisition? If there was, she was just too tired to figure out how to come up with it. Nothing she thought of could be remotely considered casual. Finally, she decided to just blurt it out.

  "Are you married?"

  No sooner had the blunt words left her lips than regret hit. Slapping a hand over her mouth, she could feel her face grow incredibly hot in embarrassment.

  "Never mind. None of my business.” Her words were muffled by the hand still plastered across her lips.

  Matt reached his arm over and pulled her hand away from her mouth, still managing to keep most of his attention on the road.

  "I'm not married, engaged and don't have a girlfriend. If I did, I certainly wouldn't be ... stuck cursing the unforgiving nature of denim pants.” A hint of humor and what seemed like frustration overlaid his voice.

  He tugged her closer until he could press her captive hand on his crotch, right over the long, thick bulge that clearly indicated just how interested he was. A feral groan rumbled from him when she allowed her fingers to gently squeeze the oh-so-hard length of his cock.

  Reveling in the animalistic sounds he made, she explored him at her leisure—fingers caressing and nails rasping on the taut fabric of the concealing jeans.

  He reached down and snatched her hand away from his lap. “Behave. I can't safely drive while you do that. You need sleep more than sex anyway."

  Despite the crossed arms and dramatic pout she affected, she knew he was right. On at least her third wind by now, she'd eventually have to surrender to sleep again—no matter the inconvenience or whether she would rather be doing something else. She'd hit that wall hard before and could feel it nearing again.

  Hopefully Matt would get her back to her B&B before she simply fell asleep again. Humiliating herself by doing that once was enough, she had no desire to do it again. She'd probably drool or something worse.

  Her tired brain had another random epiphany. Matt hadn't asked her where she was staying or requested directions, but he seemed sure of where he was going. Concern reared its ugly head. “You said you're taking me back to my B&B but how do you know where I'm staying? I didn't tell you."

  The corner of his mouth titled up and, even in profile, he looked slightly smug. “Cody told me."

  She hadn't thought of that, but it made perfect sense. The brief flash of fear and suspicion vanished, leaving only more exhaustion in its place. Even her libido had again vanished under the overwhelming haze.

  She still wanted to know more about him. Resting her still hot face on the truck's cool window, she tried to decide what to ask him next. Just as she thought she had a question, the mental haze thickened and closed around her, pulling her down into an irresistible darkness.

  Chapter Seven

  When Lara had been completely silent and still for a few minutes, Matt glanced over to find her head propped up against the window with her eyes closed. Her rhythmic breathing and lax muscles made it clear that she'd fallen asleep again.

  Coyote grumbled but Matt chuckled silently to himself. He'd already decided that she had to be off-limits for tonight. The intense desire he felt for her wouldn't be slaked with less than many hours of sex and she was so tired she might not have lasted more than a single round tonight, at best. Neither he nor Coyote would be content with that.

  Better to let her sleep tonight and take a long run to calm himself. She might be more lively tomorrow.

  He finally pulled up in front of the B&B she was staying at. The large house was a pueblo-style building with several separate outbuildings within the surrounding fenced area. It was obviously an older mansion given new life as a B&B. The entry and grounds lights were still on, not too surprising since it was only about nine pm. Parking on the street, he reached over and gently shook Lara.

  The first attempt to wake her had no effect. The next few shakes only resulted in her moving away from the door—only to try to lie down on the seat. Not a very successful attempt since she still had her seatbelt on. Now she was off the door but hanging, leaning over toward the center of the truck still partly supported by the shoulder strap of her seatbelt. It certainly looked uncomfortable.

  He hopped out of the truck and crossed around to the passenger side. He took a quick, deep breath of the night air, savoring the scents of the surrounding area. People, a few dogs and cats, a rabbit or two—nothing that might be a threat to either himself or Lara.

  He opened the passenger door and shook Lara's shoulder again and again.

  "Come on, Lara. Let's go. You need to go to bed and I need to get home. Wake up."

  She moaned his name and finally sat up, eyes still closed. Finally the combination of his relentless shaking and the cold air seemed to get her to a level of awareness that allowed her to unfasten her seatbelt and make motions as if to get out of the vehicle.

  Reaching up, he plucked her from the seat and stood her next to him. He kept his hands around her surprisingly narrow waist until he thought she was standing well enough to not fall over. The second he let go, she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his body, resting her lush curves against him with a purring moan that set his libido on fire yet again.

  She wasn't going to make it inside by herself, that much was pretty damn clear.

  He shuffled her around to the side so he could reach in and grab her discarded clothes and the heavy camera bag. A few strategic maneuvers and he got her securely pinned between his body and the truck with just enough room for him to be able to close the door. He slung the strap of the camera bag over his shoulder and tucked the clothes around the bag's top handle so he'd have both hands free to help Lara.

  The feel of her warm body flush up against his again mad
e his plan very difficult to adhere to. Coyote yipped loudly at the injustice of being kept away from the female he wanted to fuck. The female he wanted to lay claim to.

  For the first time in years, Matt had to forcibly exert his dominance over the animal spirit to keep Coyote in check. Both his and Coyote's instincts said to lay full claim to Lara and to do so now, before another male could claim her. But his human logic knew he couldn't just claim her without her knowing his secrets—and him knowing hers. Ines was right, there had to be trust.

  He rested his cheek on the top of her head for just a moment, inhaling her delicious scent. How the hell had this one curvaceous and slightly odd woman managed to enthrall both him and Coyote in just a day and a half? What was it about her? She didn't resemble the women he was typically attracted to. She certainly came from a vastly different background than he did. At least she didn't seem faint of heart. Maybe she would be able to accept the fact he wasn't fully human.

  She squirmed slightly against him, trailing a fleeting path of kisses along the side of his neck and muttering something he couldn't make out. Almost as if she tried to crawl closer.

  I sure hope she's a dog person.

  Coyote yipped shrilly at the very idea of being compared to a dog, loudly enough Matt winced.

  He'd stopped fooling himself that all he wanted was a one night stand with Lara. She made him feel alive and eager for new experiences. He wanted more. Coyote wanted more.

  Right now he needed to get her to her room without making a spectacle of her. The last thing he needed was to be the cause of her embarrassment. She didn't seem to be too fond of embarrassment.

  Pushing her a little ways away from him, he gently shook her again until her eyes opened, hazy and unfocused.

  "What room are you in?"

  She muttered something he couldn't understand and he repeated his question. The second time he got an answer from her, she was clearer. “Cottage in back."

  He could see a well-lit gravel path that led past the right-hand side of the main building and toward the back of the grounds. Matt wrapped an arm around her lush body and pulled her to his side, her arms still locked around his waist. The walk down the short path to the back cottage was slow by necessity. Walking entwined was very awkward and the heavy camera bag hanging from his shoulder banged annoyingly into everything, including his own hip.

  When they reached the door of the small outbuilding, Lara woke enough to fish in the pockets of her cargo pants for the door key. One pocket yielded a small collapsible hairbrush and several hair ties. Another seemed to have only a few receipts wadded up at the bottom. He hoped she'd not misplaced the key. With a cry of triumph, she pulled a key attached to a kokopelli keychain out of the third pocket she searched.

  She was so funny. Such pleasure at just locating a key that she had to have put in the pocket herself anyway.

  Lara wobbled a little, grasping him again to steady herself.

  Gently taking the key from her, he opened the cottage door and guided her inside. The interior of the cottage was small, maybe three or four rooms at the most. A coffee table was covered with pictures and notepads. The top pages of a few seemed to have a mix of scrawled notes and crude sketches. He dropped the heavy camera bag off his shoulder onto one of the nearby mission-style chairs.

  He spotted the edge of a bed visible through the doorway directly opposite them. That had to be the bedroom.

  After maneuvering Lara into the room, he shoved a closed laptop to one side of the bed and pulled the covers back. No small feat since Lara still seemed totally unwilling to release him while he did so. He sat her down on the side of the bed, forcing her to release him though he instantly missed her arms around him.

  She flopped backward onto the bed with a groan. Her eyes closed almost instantly and a content smile curved her rose-colored lips.

  He couldn't leave her there to try to sleep draped off the side of the bed. Even though he knew undressing her would just about kill him.

  "I may never walk again.” He muttered to himself, shaking his head.

  He knelt in front of Lara and untied her hiking boots. The tight double-knots took some work to undo before he could loosen the laces and tug the boots off. Despite the mess in the room, his own time in the military had instilled some habits in him that he'd never broken and he almost laughed at himself when he realized he'd placed the two boots neatly side-by-side, perfectly lined up with the laces folded up and tucked inside.

  When he tugged off her boot socks, he was treated to a surprise—the woman who dressed in bulky unfeminine clothing had bright fuchsia pink toenail polish on. He carefully examined her narrow feet and dainty toes for any signs of foot problems or blisters, trying to ignore the fact that even her feet were sexy.

  Her feet seemed in good shape, though he had to resist nipping one.

  She wasn't going to sleep very comfortably in all her clothes. He wanted her to get as much rest as possible so he should change her into her pajamas or whatever she wore as night clothes. She had to have brought them with her.

  A short search later and he'd discovered no trace of nightclothes. Apparently Lara slept in the nude. The mental image of her covered only by a sheet was amazing, not that he could allow himself to contemplate that image for long.

  She also seemed to have a liking for sexy, lacy, and skimpy lingerie. The underwear and bras he'd found while looking for pajamas looked like they belonged to a completely different person from the one that owned the ugly cargo pants, thermal knit shirts and flannel barn coats. He couldn't think of two styles that could be more different. She had some secrets just under her clothes.

  But if she normally slept naked, she definitely wouldn't sleep well in all her clothes. He had to undress her so she could sleep properly and be rested for tomorrow. The excuse sounded thin, even to him. Coyote yipped in mockery, as close to a laugh as he got.

  Standing beside the bed, he pulled her thermal knit shirt up and over her head, then extracted her arms from the long sleeves. Just awake enough to realize she was being undressed, Lara tried to help but only succeeded in hitting him in the head with one flailing arm.

  After his eyes uncrossed from the blow, he saw that she was indeed wearing a bright, celery green, lace bra with black trim. The bra lovingly clasped her lush breasts, enhancing her considerable cleavage. Her dusky nipples were visible through the elegant lace, almost more decoration than mere functional garment.

  A few nudges and he succeeded in getting her to turn onto her side so he could undo the back clasp of the bra and tug it off. Thank the ancestors that he had a moment to try to calm himself before having to resist her luscious breasts in all their bare glory.

  He resolutely reached over her hip and unfastened her loose cargo pants. A few tugs and the pants were pulled off her hips to reveal the second half of his self-induced torment—a thin, lacy green thong that matched the bra. The deep breath he took to steel himself to resist the temptation she embodied backfired when he inhaled the scent of musky, damp pussy.

  He was in trouble now, major trouble.

  Considerable willpower was needed to move her fully up onto the bed and tuck her under the covers of the bed. He couldn't bring himself to actually remove her panties. He didn't think he could do that and still resist taking her right then and there.

  He neatly folded her clothes and left them beside the hiking boots, then cleared the various documents and computer off the bed. She'd locked the laptop to the heavy wooden bed frame, so the best he could do was to place it carefully on the floor, leaned up on the wall so it wouldn't be accidentally stepped on.

  Lara probably wouldn't remember that he was going to pick her up tomorrow. If she did, it would be darned near a miracle. He should leave a note so she'd know for sure. Remembering seeing notepads and pens on the coffee table, he returned to the living room to write a note.

  How to make sure she saw it ... Ah. The perfect solution was the most obvious—he propped it up on top of the camera b
ag with Lara's name on the front. He placed the cottage keys there as well.

  He checked her again to make sure she was okay. The phone on the bedside table had a phone number taped to it for incoming calls and he took a moment to program the number into his cell phone before turning his attention back to Lara.

  Tucking the covers a little higher on her shoulders, he bent over to give her a gentle kiss. She whimpered as his lips met hers and her dainty tongue traced over his lips until he found the strength to pull away.

  He really, really needed that run now.

  Chapter Eight

  At first, the insistent ringing of the phone seemed like the lingering remnants of a bad dream. Lara turned over without fully waking and tried to hide her head under the pillow, determined to go back to sleep. Before the ringing interrupted it, she'd been enjoying one of the hottest, sexiest dreams she'd ever had.

  Matt had been slowly undressing her, kissing and licking each part of her body as he bared it. All his attention and lust was focused on her and he seemed ready to eat her alive. She was a completely willing meal.

  Finally the insistent ringing stopped and she drifted back toward her dream. What would Matt's muscular, golden body look like naked? What would he taste like?

  The ringing sound began again and she suddenly realized it was the phone on the table beside the bed. She sat up abruptly, covers falling to her waist and scrambled to answer the phone.

  "Hello?"

  Her voice was hoarse and groggy sounding. She coughed and tried again. “Ummm, hello?"

  The warm chuckle on the other end of the phone line made her pussy throb. “Good morning."

  "Matt, how did you get this number?” She was sure she hadn't given it to anyone other than her agent. Cody had her cell phone number but not the one for the guest cottage. Hopefully, if she'd told him that while nearly comatose, she'd not told him anything embarrassing.