Grant turned when she entered, spreading his arm over the jetted tub. “I don’t have any candles or fancy bath oil.”
Abby sat on the platform surrounding the tub and trailed her fingers through the foaming water. “No, this is perfect.”
Gone was his playful banter, replaced with a scowl that made him seem more warrior than lover. He tugged her to her feet and began roughly working the buttons of her blouse. When he’d finished, he pulled it from her shoulders and slipped his hands over her stomach to begin stripping off her jeans. Still on his knees, he hooked his fingers under her panties and eased them down her hips. Then he pressed a kiss at the apex of her thighs. “I want to spend hours worshiping you with my mouth,” he moaned onto her sex.
Abby widened her stance and pulled him harder against her, more than willing to let him have his wish. Far too soon, he pulled back and stood. He cupped her breasts, tweaking her nipples through the fabric of her bra before reaching around to unclasp it. “The water’s ready. Get in.” Grant held out his hand while she stepped into the hot water.
“God, that feels good,” she groaned.
“Scoot up,” he commanded.
Obeying, Abby opened her eyes in time to see a pair of muscular legs and a hard cock pass in front of her. He eased in behind her, urging her to use him as a pillow once he’d settled in the water. She tilted her neck in invitation, loving the way he nuzzled the soft spot behind her ear.
Grant breathed in deeply. “You smell like heaven.”
Abby sank into his embrace, letting the hot water play over her breasts. “You’re right. This is better than just a back rub. I’m going to stay in here till I get pruney.”
His chest moved against her back as he chuckled. “How long does that usually take?” His hands slid around her body and began stroking her breast.
“Hmm,” she groaned. “Hours.”
“I’ve got forever,” he murmured in her ear. Then he hooked his legs around hers, spreading her open. The churning water felt lovely against her tender folds and a deep moan escaped her lips. “I think you’ll like this even better.” His fingers left her breasts to slide between her legs. God, he was right. With her legs held down by his, she could only accept his exquisite torture. Her orgasm built deep within her, as his finger traced circles around her clitoris. “Come for me baby,” he commanded. She did. Gripping his legs for support, she came apart in a glorious release that left her breathless.
Grant buried his face in her hair. “I love making you come.”
“Me too,” she purred, as she twisted in his embrace so she faced him. The head of his cock bobbed at the surface of the water, teasing her. She reached for the condom she’d spied on the far edge of the tub, tearing greedily at the foil. “Raise your hips,” she ordered. Grant wasn’t the only one with a bossy streak, and her recent orgasm had only fueled her need for him.
He did as she asked, letting her sheath him. Drawing his legs together and gripping her hips, he guided her down on top of him. Abby felt wonderfully full and stretched as she seated herself fully in the cradle of his hips. “I want all of you.”
Grant kicked back his head, his eyes clenched and his mouth forming an O as he exhaled. Placing her palms against his shoulders, she set a rhythm of thrusts and retreats that sent the water crashing against their bodies. She drew her core along his length, clinching him with her internal muscles. His face contorted in a mixture of pleasure and agony, making her blood sing at the heady power she had over him. She flexed her hips again and watched him come apart beneath her. As he met her thrusts again and again, another orgasm rolled through her. She collapsed against his chest, his still-hard length inside her.
“Mission accomplished,” she breathed. “I’m officially relaxed.”
They lay in each other’s arms, letting the cooling water lap against their bodies. Grant tilted her chin. “I think we better get out. If we get any more relaxed we’ll be in danger of drowning.”
Sliding from beneath her, Grant stepped out first before pulling Abby to her feet. With one hand he reached for a towel while lifting her from the tub. Then he folded the wide expanse of fluffy cotton around her and scooped her into in his arms. “I want you in my bed,” he announced, carrying her into the other room.
He flipped back the comforter and eased them both onto the bed. “Are you warm enough?” he asked after settling the blanket back over them.
She could only nod her response. The fact he’d loved her to the point she was wordless as well as boneless must have pleased him. Grant let out a very masculine purr and settled his body next to hers. He was everything she could ever desire in a lover: honest, passionate, and giving.
As they lay spooning each other, unexpected tears formed in Abby’s eyes. Oh God! As the salty droplets slipped down her cheeks, she realized she was falling in love with Grant. Surreptitiously she swiped them away.
Now was not the time to ponder the depth of her feelings for him or worry about what they’d do when she left for London. His considerable erection had begun pressing against her hip. They had this moment and that was all anyone was guaranteed. She reached behind to caress his length.
He thrust against her palm. “Is it okay that I want you again?”
“More than okay,” she chuckled. Her body was already wet and ready for him.
He rolled her over on her front and parted her legs with his. She heard the telltale rip of foil and then he entered her from behind. Grasping her hips, his thrusts were sharp and needy and in a few moments her desire matched his.
He reached around to grasp her breast, eliciting a deep moan from her. God, his calloused fingers did something wonderful to her. The spiraling tension wound through her core and when he flexed his hips against hers, they came together in an explosion Abby thought would rip her in two.
Grant collapsed against her, pressing her onto the bed. “I never knew I could need someone so much,” he groaned. After easing out of her and disposing of the condom, he drew her into his body
They lay together, him trailing a lazy hand over her hip. “Penny for your thoughts.”
Several seconds passed before he answered. “I’m wondering if I should risk starting another argument.”
Her imagination shot to the land minds they tripped that afternoon. “Better have it out.”
A faint smile played at his lips. “This is not a birthday present since you don’t have those.” He reached to the nightstand and pulled out a rectangular, black velvet box.
Her fingers trembled as she pried open the lid. A line of magnificent blue stones set in delicate white gold twinkled up at her. Taking her hand, he fixed the bracelet to her wrist. “You can call it an apology for my behavior earlier.”
She turned her wrist so the stones caught the light. “Oh, Grant, it’s spectacular.”
“You like it?”
“No, I love it. You didn’t have to do that.”
A grin softened his chiseled features. He clutched her hands, turning them over to press kisses into her palm. “I know, but I wanted to.” When he looked up his eyes sparked. “I hope when you wear it you’ll remember that you mean a great deal to me.”
“Always.” The stones reminded her of his eyes, light blue but with a fire emanating from deep within.
He tucked her into his body and relaxed. But for hours afterward, Abby marked the passage of time by watching the light outside Grant’s bedroom window faded from gold to pink to gray. He’d drifted to sleep and while he’d driven her body beyond the point of ecstasy, she had too many things on her mind to sleep. All the drama they’d been through, made their lovemaking feel like a sweet victory. But, her newly discovered feelings for him terrified her. How did people make love to one another and not give their hearts away? She concluded her friends who claimed to be able to do it were either lying or had never made love the way she and Grant did.
She rested her cheek against the hard plane of his chest and listened to his shallow, even breaths. All she wa
nted from the rest of this day was a few more minutes with him. Instead, she kissed the underside of his jaw. “Wake up,” she breathed. “I need you to drive me home.”
He wrapped his heavy arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “I have a better idea. How about I drive you to work in the morning?”
Oh God, that was so tempting. She forced herself to sit up. “I can’t. I need fresh clothes.”
She scooted off the bed as he made a move for her. Abby slipped onto the bathroom to retrieve her clothes, with Grant hot on her heels. He leaned against the sink and watched as she collected her scattered clothes, arms folded across his broad chest and a leer on his lips. When she’d finished dressing he reached for his, sliding jeans over his bare ass in a slow, sensual way that made her second guess her decision to leave.
He tugged a set of keys from his pocket and took her hand. “Compromise.” His blue eyes sparked like the blue stones she wore on her wrist. “Take my car.”
She rolled her eyes. “Was that your plan all along? Fake me out with one outrageous car so later on I’d accept an only slightly less outrageous one.”
He pulled her in close and tilted her head back. “I wish I was that clever.”
Palming the keys, she growled, “It’s just until mine gets fixed.”
He shrugged, “Of course,” then reached around to squeeze her bottom. “But, I think after those cute buns of yours are all warm and toasty in the morning you’re going to rethink your stance.”
“We’ll see.”
“I’ll call you during my layovers this week.”
Abby clenched her eyes. Five days without seeing him shouldn’t seem like such a long time. Hiding her feelings behind sassy words she winked. “Sure, and when you get back we’ll need to spend more time in your tub.”
Grant cocked an eyebrow, a wolf-grin forming on his lips. “Hell, yeah,” he said before devouring her mouth.
She breathed in his intoxicating scent one more time before easing from his arms. “I better go because if you do that much longer, I’ll have to explain to my principal why I’m wearing jeans on a Monday.”
Chapter 14
The air traffic controller’s voice came in over Grant’s headset in a squawk. “Five-Nine-Four Romeo-Charlie, you’re clear to land on runway two-six.”
“Roger that, tower. Cleared to land Runway two-six, five-nine-four Romeo-Charlie,” he confirmed then pushed the jet’s throttle forward on its final approach into Peachtree-DeKalb Airport.
After delivering several cases of shrimp to a five-star restaurant in Wisconsin, he’d picked up another haul from Madison over to Butte, Montana. At the rate his company was growing it would clear ten million this year. The financial success came with a price. It had been a hard five days filled with long flights, bad food, and little rest. To say nothing of how badly he’d missed Abby. Phone calls and texts, as sexy as they’d been, were a poor substitute for the real thing.
He landed the twin-engine turbo prop right on the numbers, then taxied to the Davis Air Transport hangar. Twenty minutes later, as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, he was heading north on I-85. At that hour there wasn’t another soul on the road, so he leaned over the handlebars and opened the throttle of his bike. Most of the stuff he owned was just that, stuff. Not points of pride or possessions to impression. But God, he loved this machine. It was like riding a jet engine bareback. Finally, he slowed the machine below the hundred-mile-an-hour mark, eased off the highway, and into the parking lot of Northland Motorsports.
He powered his machine up to the front door just as a raw-boned fifty-something man exited through the front doors of the store. Frank Wilson, a customer of Davis Air Transport and owner of the store, stepped to a massive example of American craftsmanship and patted the brushed chrome fuel tank. “So what do you think?”
Grant looked over the touring bike. Any part that hadn’t been chromed-out had been painted a high-gloss black. It also had black leather saddlebags, a backrest, and a place for the passenger to put her feet. It wasn’t what he’d pick if it were just himself. He liked the sleek lines and crazy-ass speed of his baby. “I think it will get the job done.” Hell, if this worked out the way he hoped he might consider buying her. “Did the jacket and helmet I ordered come in?”
Frank thumbed over his should to the bike. “Yep, I just stowed them in the saddle bags right there. Sally also threw in some snacks for the road.”
Grant’s face broke into a broad grin. Sally and Frank were good people. When Grant had called them up with the idea to trade machines for the weekend, they’d at first been a little unsure. Sally didn’t like the idea of Frank getting on what she’d called “a Darwin Award machine.” Then Grant told her why he wanted the bike. “Tell Sally thanks for me.” He tossed the man the keys to his machine. “Don’t get into too much trouble on my ride. She’s pretty but unforgiving.”
Frank returned his grin. “Sounds like a woman I once knew.”
“I’ll bring this back on Monday,” he called, pulling on his helmet. Then he took off down the road to push a certain someone a bit further out of her comfort zone.
He pulled into Abby’s driveway and killed the engine. Briefly, he’d considered giving her a heads up, but that would’ve given her time to create a couple dozen excuses. Stealth was what he needed for this mission. He stepped up to her back door and gave it a firm pounding. This early on a Saturday morning she was probably still asleep. He gave her a minute then hit the door again.
Abby jerked the thing open like she was gunning for whoever was on the other side. She wore a pair of blue plaid sleep-pants and a white tank-top that clung perfectly to her breasts. In the glow of the overhead light she’d flipped on he could clearly see the darkened shadow of her nipples through the fabric. It took her a second, but then she smiled shyly, ducking her chin, and stepped back to let him in.
“When did you get back?” Her voice came out gravelly with sleep and sexy as hell.
His cock sprang to life, making him consider taking her back to bed. He closed in on her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her bed-tousled hair. “About an hour ago.”
This was what he’d been after when he’d pushed the limits of the jet, something far better than a good meal and a warm bed. His version of heaven had the prettiest pair of whiskey eyes and curls a man could get lost in. He kissed her on the temple, then reluctantly let her go, telling himself to stick to the plan.
She ran her fingers through her hair trying to tame the golden-blond curls. “Did you want some coffee?”
“Sure, that’d be great.”
She turned to the counter and began going through the motions of filling the carafe and spooning the coffee. Even her rearview was beautiful. He slipped behind her and after kissing his way up her neck, he teased her earlobe with tiny nibbles. “I missed you.”
She tilted her head giving him better access and leaned back into his chest. “Me, too.”
Grant saw himself pushing his hands up through the bottom of her tank top to palm the tempting swells of her breast. He kissed the sweet spot behind her ear then forced himself to back off. Swatting her playfully on the behind, he barked, “Go get dressed. I’ve got a surprise.”
She folded her arms across her chest, looking stubborn and sexy since her arms had pushed her breast distractingly upwards. “Like what?” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not going to need a harness and a parachute for this surprise.”
“Would I do that?” he asked, attempting to sound innocent. Then he pointed in the direction of her bedroom. “Jeans and a long-sleeve T-shirt will be fine.”
When she returned fifteen minutes later, he looked her over. She’d taken his wardrobe suggestion and also pulled her hair back into a low pony tail. “Do you have anything sturdier than those?” he asked, pointing to the lightweight sneakers.
She cocked her head at him, suspicion lacing her voice. “I have a pair of hiking boots.”
“Perfect.”
She returned, wearing the boots. Holding her arms out, she turned for him to see. “Will I do now?”
The light brown T-shirt brought out the caramel color in her hair and her low-slung jeans hung at just the right spot on her hips. He couldn’t resist and crossed the kitchen in a pair of strides to take her in his arms. Looking down at her he announced, “You’ll more than do.” Then after a quick kiss he tugged her arm. “Come, we have a full day ahead of us.”
Grant moved through the door first, strategically placing his body between her and the bike. Once she’d locked the door and stowed the keys in her purse, he stepped aside. Her eyes shot to the bike, growing wide as understanding set in. Then they darted to him. Her lips pressed together for a moment before she hitched the strap of her purse onto her shoulder and turned on her heels.
He caught her as she reached for the doorknob. “Come on honey, give it a try,” he pleaded. “It will be fun. Promise.”
She spun around and glared. “Can you also promise I won’t end up a splattered mess on the road?”
He snaked one hand around her waist and with the other he tilted her chin. Her normally warm, chocolate eyes were nearly black with fear. “No, I can’t. I can’t promise that you won’t T-boned by a semi on the way to work Monday, catch your death of cold, or get skin cancer either.” He kissed the end of her nose. “But I’ve made this as safe as possible.”
He held her until the tension melted from her body. Then he took her by the hand and drew her slowly to the bike, much as one would introduce a child to a Great Dane. Letting go of her, he unlatched one of the saddle bags, taking out a fitted leather jacket and holding it up for her to see.
“I bought this especially for you.” He opened the front of the coat and fingered the black mesh lining. “See this. There are metal plates underneath.” He patted the chrome helmet strapped to the back of the bike. “Plus the helmet.” Brushing his thumb across her cheek he asked, “Do you really think I’d ask you to do this if I thought it was truly dangerous?”
She gave him a hard stare before finally letting out her breath. “No.”
A Risk Worth Taking Page 10