Wanted: One Groom

by Pat Ballard

  Dumbfounded that Matt had found her picture attractive—he even used the word beautiful—and that he had married her knowing what size she was, Hanna could only gaze into his eyes. Suddenly she stood on tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, with her lips still touching his. His hands closed around her head and pulled her closer as his lips claimed hers. Leaning in to him, Hanna opened her mouth to his exploring tongue and would have allowed the kiss to go on forever, not caring if he thought she was wanton, but a carload of teenagers passed by, honking and hooting.

  Reluctantly, Matt ended the kiss, but kept his arm around her shoulder as they started down the rocky incline.

  They found a secluded spot where they could watch the sailboats, and sat down on a bed of flat rocks. The gentle lapping of the waves against the bank could have lulled Hanna to sleep, under different circumstances. But not with Matt sitting this close to her, with his thigh pressed against hers, and the hair on his arm brushing her skin each time he moved, sending tiny shivers up her spine. And now finding out he had been excited to marry her, not just knowing how she looked, but because of how she looked, made her even more conscious of his body close to hers. Her fantasy was becoming intertwined with reality, leaving her head swimming with unresolved emotions.

  “Matt, have you ever been married before?”

  “No. I’ve had several relationships, and one of them could have been serious, but she decided she couldn’t waste her life on an entertainer. But I’ve never married anyone. Why do you ask?”

  In turning to look at him, a light breeze caught a wisp of her hair and blew it across his face. She reached up to remove it, but his voice stopped her. “Leave it. It feels good tickling my skin.”

  Mesmerized by his brown gaze, Hanna forgot what she was about to say.

  “Why do you ask?” he repeated his question.

  “Oh!” Hanna exclaimed, remembering her question. “I just wondered if—well, you know, I just wondered if maybe—” She had to look away from him, to get control of her thoughts. She couldn’t think rationally when he looked into her eyes like he was doing.

  “What Hanna? What do you want to know? All you have to do is ask. My life is an open book to you.”

  “Well—it’s just that I haven’t seen you in the past two weeks, and the thought struck me this morning that you may be married to someone else, and trying to live at both places.”

  She expected anything but the guffaw that erupted from him.

  “Hanna, if you think I’m lying to you, get your lawyer to run a check on me. But I promise you I’m not married. You’ll soon know where I’m going when I leave every morning, but not yet. It’s a surprise.”

  “I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry.” Hanna felt like a fool for even bringing up the subject.

  “Why should you be sorry? You have every right to ask me a question like that. I am your husband, you know. Even if it is in name only.” He gently ran the back of his fingers across her cheek. “When I agreed to marry you, before I saw the picture, I was afraid I would be expected to perform my husbandly duties in every sense of the word, and that terrified me, especially if my prospective bride looked like Frankenstein. But now, I’m sorry I didn’t require a prenuptial agreement that I would be allowed to be a husband in every possible way.”

  Hanna knew he was kidding, but the thought made her light-headed and giddy. The sun must be getting to her, because she felt herself believing everything he said to her today, and she knew she was being foolish. But she loved the way he made her feel. So beautiful and desirable. So totally a woman. She felt a boldness she had only dreamed of. A boldness that gave her strength to play along with him.

  “Well, things change, you know. If you’re a good boy—” Before she could finish her sentence, Matt had laid her back on the rock and was again claiming her lips with his. One arm pillowed her head against the hard rock, but his other hand was already under her T-shirt and she could feel his flat palm resting on her bare skin.

  Her free hand lightly skimmed its way up Matt’s arm, feeling, touching, experiencing his strength until her fingers entwined in his thick hair, pulling him closer. She could feel his hand moving up to capture a breast. When she felt his fingers slide inside her low-cut bra to capture her nipple, she felt as if her body would turn to molten lava and blend with the rocks she lay on.

  Finally, Matt raised his head and gazed at her with clouded eyes. “Woman, don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep. What will I get if I’m a good boy? Will I get to see these?” And he leaned down and kissed each peak through her T-shirt. “Will I get to taste them? Will I get to experience this?” And he reached down and cupped her most private spot through her jeans. “And eventually, will I get it all, if I’m really good?”

  “Matt,” Hanna choked out.

  “No, Hanna, you started this, now tell me what I’ll get if I’m a good boy,” he persisted. He had plucked a strand of grass and was gently circling her mouth with it, driving her crazy with desire. She knew she had to get control, or she would let him take her right here on the hard rocks.

  “No, I didn’t start this,” she argued, “you did.”

  “Yes, but you gave me hope with the ‘good boy’ stuff.”

  She tried to sit up, but he threw a leg over her and pinned her down.

  “Feel what you do to me, Hanna,” he said, pressing his arousal into her side. “Aren’t you ashamed for making me suffer like this?” His slow hip movement only accentuated what he was saying.

  Shaken and breathless, Hanna knew if she didn’t make a move now, she would be forever lost. She pushed Matt away from her hard enough that she had a brief moment to sit up and escape his grasp. Standing up, she amazed herself at the speed with which she bolted up the rocky incline. She could hear him scrambling after her.

  “Hanna! Come back here, right now! I’m not finished with you,” he bellowed.

  Hanna had reached the grass at the top of the rocks when she felt Matt grasp her ankle. Laughing hard, she pulled away from him and heard him yelp in pain. Thinking it was just a trick, she stopped and turned cautiously to look back. Matt lay on his back on the grass, clutching his right wrist to his chest.

  “Matt Corbett! Is this a trick, or are you really hurt?” Hanna asked, afraid to move any closer to him.

  “I think I sprained my wrist. I fell on it and twisted it.” If he was faking the pain she heard in his voice, he was doing a good job of it.

  Moving closer, Hanna could see from his face that he was hurting. She knelt beside him and took his injured hand in hers. He groaned softly as her fingers searched for broken bones.

  “I don’t think it’s broken. I can’t feel anything that seems out of place,” she tried to reassure him.

  They had parked in a parking area close to one of the public restrooms, and Hanna had an idea.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said, hurrying toward the building where the restrooms were. She hoped against hope that there was a water cooler on the premises. She located one, then ran into the restroom and was elated to find some paper hand towels. She soaked a huge clump of the towels in the cold water and ran back to Matt, who was sitting up now.

  “Here, wrap your wrist in these, and maybe the cold will keep your arm from swelling so badly until we can get home.”

  “Well, that’s the next problem. I can’t drive the bike with this arm. It may not be broken, but I don’t have any grip in it.”

  Hanna could tell the pain was letting up, so she decided to take advantage of the opportunity to get revenge on Matt for his earlier ribbing.

  “Well, maybe now might be a good time for you to apologize for making fun of me earlier,” she chided.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “This morning when you called me a poor little scared rich girl. You know, you may have been way off base with that one.” She was enjoying this immensely, even though she knew he was still in pain.

&
nbsp; “Hanna, what in the hell are you talking about?” True confusion replaced the pain on his face.

  “Apologize, and I’ll tell you,” she persisted.

  “Okay, I’m sorry that you’re a poor scared little rich girl.” The twinkle was coming back into his eyes.

  “No, that’s not what I had in mind, and you know it.” Hanna stood her ground with her hands on her hips.

  “Okay. I’m sorry if I offended you. Come here and I’ll kiss you to prove that I’m serious.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll take your word for it. Come on, let’s go home.” She reached out her hand to help him get up.

  After Matt was on his feet, he asked, ”And how are we going to go home? I told you I can’t drive, and it’s at least ten miles to the house.”

  Hanna went to the motorcycle and got his helmet. “Lean down and let me dress you.” She knew she had said the wrong thing as soon as the words had left her mouth, and Matt’s grin proved her correct.

  “I’d rather you undressed me,” he said, leaning close to her, trying to steal a kiss.

  “Is that all you think about?” Hanna asked, playfully slapping at him and dodging his kiss.

  “When you’re around, I’m afraid it is.” The honesty in his voice forced her eyes back to his.

  “Give me the key to the motorcycle,” she requested, holding her hand out.

  “It’s in my pocket. You’ll have to get it yourself if you want it.”

  “What do you mean?” Hanna asked, knowing very well what he meant.

  The key was in his right hand pocket, and he was in too much pain to try to get it. Could she actually reach into his pocket and get the key? Especially with his jeans as tight as they were? Her insides quaked, just thinking about the intimacy of such an act. She heard the chuckle deep in his chest, and knew he was enjoying her discomfort.

  “Isn’t there some way you can get the key out for me?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

  The chuckle now became a full-fledged guffaw that showed just how much Matt was enjoying the situation.

  “Oh, you’re just so immature! You sound like a sixth grader who can’t wait to get a girl to feel in his pocket!” she scolded, stepping close to him and making a bold movement to reach into his pocket. But her hand stuck just inside the pocket and wouldn’t go any further.

  “You have to hold the pocket open with one hand and work your way down with the other,” he gently explained in a rough voice, all the laughter gone now.

  Hanna was determined not to let Matt know how much she was being affected by being this close to him. Her hands trembled as she tried to work her way into the tight jeans. Just as her hand touched the key, she felt Matt’s left hand entwine the back of her hair and tilt her head up to him. Her small puffs of breath mingled with his as he lowered his lips to hers.

  Suddenly, she felt the key being pushed further into her hand, and gasped, realizing her hand was filled with Matt’s excitement. The gasp allowed him further access into her mouth, which he was now fully exploring.

  She must end this before she made a fool of herself! Pushing with her free hand, she made a frantic effort to bring the key out of his pocket. When she succeeded, she pushed Matt away from her. She heard him moan when their lips lost contact.

  “Hanna—come on, baby. What’s wrong with a little kissing? What can it hurt?”

  Feeling too shaken to answer him, Hanna went to the motorcycle and straddled the big bike in the driver’s seat. Soon the engine started its low growl, and Hanna looked back at an astounded Matt. “You coming with me?” she found enough voice to ask. After fumbling several times, she finally snapped her helmet in place.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Matt grinned. Somehow he managed to get his helmet on without her help, then took his seat behind her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and buried his nose in the side of her neck.

  “Hmmm, I like this,” he laughed, as she put the bike in gear and headed for the interstate.

  Chapter 5

  Instead of heading toward Rockwell Place, Hanna took I-40 West, headed for Nashville.

  “Where are you going?” Matt yelled into her ear.

  “To the emergency room to have your arm X-rayed,” Hanna yelled back into the wind.

  “No! I’m fine. See, I can wriggle my fingers now.” To prove his point, he held his hand up in front of her and wriggled his fingers in her face.

  Hanna pulled over to the side of the interstate and swung off the bike.

  “Let me see,” she demanded, taking his hand in hers to inspect it more closely. She could tell his wrist was already swelling, and would be sore for a few days, but there didn’t appear to be any broken bones.

  “Well, okay, if you really think it’s not broken,” she finally agreed.

  Matt had sat silently watching her inspect his hand and arm. He loved the emotions that played so freely on her face without her being aware of them. He knew he was going to fall helplessly in love with Hanna, and he was determined to make her love him. He just had to find the right way to go about it.

  “You can take me home and put me to bed, if you think that would help, Nurse Hanna,” he teased. His voice was tender. “But you might need to get in the bed with me. I think that would really make my arm feel a lot better.”

  “You’re terrible!” Hanna scolded, and got back on the motorcycle.

  As she accelerated back into the traffic, Matt wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and held on, pulling her hard against him. Hanna reveled in the warmth of his body nestled so close to hers. What was happening to her? Where were these lustful feelings coming from? It would be so easy to let Matt teach her how to really fulfill all those feelings!

  Gently smiling, and lost in her fantasy, she suddenly became aware that Matt’s hands had changed positions. He was reaching under her knit shirt, and had splayed his hands across her naked midriff.

  “Ahhh, now this is the way to ride a motorcycle,” he said, close to her ear.

  “Matt!” She scolded, trying to squirm his hands away.

  “Oh, you want me to go higher?” he asked, reaching up and cupping a breast.

  “No! People can see you!” she yelled back at him.

  “I don’t care. You’re my wife. I can touch you if I want to. And besides, they can’t tell what I’m doing.”

  He took her other breast in his other hand. “It just looks like you have enormous breasts,” he laughed, and gently kneaded.

  Matt’s hands gently kneading her breasts and the vibration of the motorcycle were causing sensations to rush over Hanna that she had never experienced before. She would surely wreck the motorcycle if this didn’t stop. Pulling over in the shadows of the first overpass she came to, she stopped the bike and sat sucking in huge gasps of air.

  “Matt! You have to stop that!” she demanded, again getting off the bike.

  “Why?” he asked, trying to look innocent. “Don’t you like it?”

  “No—yes—I mean—” Confusion jumbled her words.

  “Well? Do you or not?” Matt persisted, now with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

  “That’s not the point! The point is, you’re making a public spectacle of us, right out here in the middle of the interstate.” She stamped her foot to emphasize her statement.

  “You still haven’t answered my question,” Matt persisted.

  “And I’m not going to,” Hanna declared, knowing she was being backed into a corner she couldn’t get out of.

  “Yes you are. We’re not going anywhere until you tell me you liked what I was doing.” He reached over and killed the engine and took the keys from the ignition.

  By now the sun was starting to set, and the shadows were growing darker under the overpass. Matt turned the lights on so approaching traffic could tell they were there.

  He still straddled the bike, and motioned to Hanna, who had stepped far out of his reach. “Come here,” he beckoned.

  But she shook h
er head and thrust out her chin. He was about to get a taste of her Rockwell stubborn streak.

  “Come over here, Baby, and sit down by me.” He started crooning one of her favorite songs. “Come over here, and I’ll show you how sweet love can be.”

  Hanna heard a groan tear its way from her throat. She couldn’t believe that she, Hanna Rockwell, was standing here trying to resist the advances of Matt Corbett while he sang one of the songs she used to swoon to. She knew she would lose this battle.

  She slowly made her way to him and straddled the bike, facing him. It put the two of them in an extremely suggestive position.

  Matt stopped singing and slowly removed his helmet, then hers, never taking his eyes from hers.

  “You are the sexiest, most beautiful woman I have ever known,” he whispered, as he lowered his lips to claim hers.

  The kiss was deep and exploring, and Hanna knew she was headed for quicksand. She was going to fall in love with a man who would soon be out of her life. And for that reason, she gave herself totally and tenderly to the kiss.

  When Matt finally ended the kiss, he was the one heaving for air. He rested his forehead against hers until his breathing became more normal.

  “Maybe we should go,” Hanna suggested, without moving, not really wanting to break the spell they seemed to be under.

  “You still haven’t answered the question that started all of this,” Matt said, the teasing note coming back into his voice.

  Hanna took both his hands and placed them on her breasts, her hands covering his, pressing them close to her, and gazed into eyes that were suddenly on fire.

  “Yes, Matt, I like this—No, I love it, and that scares the hell out of me. I’ve never had feelings like this before, and it scares me. I don’t know how to handle it.”

  The sweet honesty of her confession made Matt’s throat ache, and he made a silent promise to himself and to God that he would never hurt this woman before him. He would do what ever it took to make her happy. But now wasn’t the time to tell her. She wasn’t ready for his full confession of love.

  So, very carefully, he placed her helmet on her head, and put his on. Then he pulled her close and laid her head on his shoulder, pulled her legs up over his, and, reaching around her, cranked the motorcycle and headed for Rockwell Place. He drove slowly, savoring the intimate position they shared, never wanting to reach Rockwell Place because then they would have to go their separate ways. He longed to share Hanna’s bed. But that would come. Soon, he hoped.