by Claire Marti
He flashed his white teeth, “Well, maybe so. I prefer this kind of insanity.”
“Me too.” She stroked an errant strand of hair off of his tanned forehead and smiled shyly. Since when was she shy?
“Let me show you, Sam.” He leaned in again and clasped her head in his hands, holding her immobile.
His kiss grew tender now, teasing. Suddenly, his hard palms stroked up her naked back. She shivered and pressed closer to him. He had pulled her shirt from the waistband of her jeans and somehow he’d unhooked her bra at the same time. Air brushed against her bare skin when her shirt and bra sailed toward the middle of the room. He drew her against him and the moment her sensitive breasts touched his hot silky skin, she melted.
His hands slid up to her shoulders again, and held her arms’ length away from him. He gazed down at her naked torso. Instinctively her arms began to rise to cover herself. She’d always been self-conscious over her tiny boobs, but didn’t want him to stop. Didn’t men, especially the Hollywood ones, love those big, plastic store-bought boobs?
“No.” He caught her arms and held her still. “Let me look at you.”
She struggled not to squirm under his hot gaze. At least her stomach was flat thanks to her jackrabbit metabolism and her demanding job. She bit her lip. Couldn’t they turn off the lights and get to it?
His gaze lifted and now his eyes were molten blue flames. He released one arm and caressed her breast. Keeping his gaze locked with hers, he leaned down and grazed her taut nipple lightly with his teeth.
She held her breath and the jolt of sensation rocked her. Finally, he lowered his head and stroked her other breast with his tongue. He brushed his lips from one erect nipple to the other in an unrelenting assault. Sparks danced along her skin. Flames were engulfing her at his studied attention and she grasped his shoulders so she didn’t collapse.
He slid up from her breasts and captured her lips once again. This time, his kiss was wild. Her mind blanked. Her whole body burned.
“Can you feel what you do to me, Sam? You are perfect.” He scooped her up and she wrapped her denim-clad legs around his waist and he carted her into the bedroom where he tossed her on the bed and then dove in after her.
“Oof, and you’re heavier than you look.” She giggled again as his weight settled on top of her. What was with the giggles around him?
Immediately, he propped himself up on his forearms, shielding her from taking all his weight. “Did I hurt you?” His brows knit together.
“No, no. I’m just teasing you.” His weight felt delicious on top of her.
“No more teasing.” He captured her lips again and shifted them so they were on their sides facing each other. One hand stroked down her waist and curved possessively around her hip.
For a moment suspended in time, they simply stared at each other. She reached up one fingertip and stroked it along his high cheekbone, down the hollow of his cheek, and brushed across his sculpted, perfect lips.
How had she landed here, half-naked? With the wicked archangel Holt who she had wanted to kill when he interrupted her in the breeding barn?
He captured her hand, turned his head, and kissed her palm. A starburst of sensation tingled from his mouth straight to her center. She slid one finger between his lips. He inhaled harshly and then bit down, lightly scraping her knuckle with his teeth.
“Holt.” Her vision blurred. He tugged her closer and captured her lips. His hands turned demanding. Her belly clenched when he stroked her back and forth over the waistband of her jeans.
“So tight, so smooth. Baby, your body is insane.” He managed to unbutton her jeans, yank down the zipper and slide her pants off while still kissing her. A finger looped around her cotton thong and ripped it off with the jeans. “Let me look at you.”
Somehow, she was on her back again and he was above her, his gaze reverent. Like she was the most incredible woman he’d ever seen.
He growled and trailed kisses along her collarbone and across her breasts, down her ribcage and lingered at the hollow of her navel. His hands were stroking, caressing, alternately firm and feather light. She was burning up and she writhed beneath him. She needed…
His hand cupped her and she arched off the bed. He stroked once. Again. She moaned, her hips moving of their own volition. He circled her most sensitive spot with his thumb and stroked her with his fingers.
“You’re ready for me.” He breathed against her hipbone.
“Yes. Please. I need you now, Holt.” Uncontrollable shivers racked her from head to toe.
“Patience is a virtue.” His lips curved against her skin and he remained where he was, his breath hot along her hipbone.
“Holt.” She grabbed his hair, but he wasn’t playing along.
He shifted and pinned her hips with his hands. He gazed up at her, his gaze hot and his smile wicked. “I have to see if you taste as delicious as you look.” He bent his head and licked her center with one long, hot stroke.
She bowed off the bed and cried out. He kissed, licked, and drove her wild. Almost instantly it seemed, the tremors escalated and her climax slammed through her like a lightning bolt. He stayed where he was, enjoying every second of her orgasm. Once she lay still, limp, and satiated, he rolled to the side and removed his jeans.
He smiled and reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a condom from his wallet.
“Help me put it on.” He whispered.
Her fingers fumbled as she unwrapped the package. She reached over and stroked him and he jolted. He was hard as steel with satiny skin. Together they smoothed the thin layer over him and he rolled onto his back, taking her with him.
She straddled him, his arousal throbbing against her. He lifted her hips and with excruciating slowness, lowered her inch by inch until he was buried inside her. She blew out the breath she had been holding and worked to adjust to the fullness. She leaned forward and placed her palms on his pecs as her hair tumbled forward, creating a curtain around them.
“Ride me. Please.” His voice was raw and gravelly.
His hands gripped her hips and she began to move. It was natural. Wild. Free. She reached her arms up and grasped her hair as she rode him. The headboard creaked, and their heavy breathing punctuated every stroke. He released her hips and captured her hands, threading his long fingers through hers.
“Yeah, just like that.” He released one hand and reached to the point where they were joined together. Stroked and caressed. Another climax built and blazed through her and she fell forward, desperate to feel his lips against hers. The moment her mouth met his, she exploded and rocked against him.
“Sam.” He groaned her name and grasped her hips once again, holding her in place. He stroked two, three, four more times and whispered her name again as he climaxed. He pulled her down and wrapped his arms around her, keeping her pinned on top of him.
She collapsed on him and couldn’t move. He kissed her hair and then she was asleep.
Holt’s eyelids weighed a hundred pounds. He forced them open and swore. The late afternoon sun slanted across his face, the bright light momentarily blinding him. Disoriented, he rubbed his hand across his face and tried again. When he turned his head, a pair of inscrutable, velvety chocolate eyes watched him. Her small hands were tucked underneath her head and her long slender legs curled up into her chest.
“Hi.” Oh yeah, that’s why he was waking up in the middle of the afternoon.
“Hi yourself. Did you know you smile in your sleep?” Sam’s rosy lips curved up.
“I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since you came down here and kissed me.” Unable to resist, he stroked his hand along her silky auburn hair.
“Kissed you? You kissed me first.” Her eyes widened.
“Don’t argue. You came down here because you wanted me to kiss you. Is that better?” His chest tightened when her delicate little nose wrinkled. Teasing her was so easy.
“I did not come down here for you to kiss me. I came down here to�
��–” Abruptly, she clamped her lips shut and the now familiar lovely pink flush crept up her cheeks. She couldn’t hide from him. Her fair skin gave her away.
“To what? Kiss me, right?” He laughed and reached out and tickled her slender waist.
She scrambled back toward the other side of the bed. “Don’t!”
He grabbed her before she could escape, sat on her, and tickled her until tears streamed down her cheeks. “Admit it and I’ll stop.”
“Stop.” She twisted from side to side and snorted between bursts of laughter. “Please I can’t take anymore.”
“Admit it and I will. Just say ‘I came to kiss you.’” He wouldn’t relent. Couldn’t stop laughing with her. He needed to hear her admit she wanted him.
“Fine. I came down here to yell at you for being so cold this morning.” She bit her lip. “But I really did want to kiss you.”
He froze. “Really?”
She shoved him off of her, scooted out of reach, and yanked the sheet up to her collarbone. Damn king-sized bed. “Yes really. Happy now?”
“Huh.” Every muscle in his body stiffened.
“Well, why were you so cold this morning? You acted like the kiss never happened last night and I’d decided to…” She bit her plump lower lip.
“Decided to?” He struggled to focus on her words, but her proximity was making it damn hard. All he wanted was to kiss her again.
“You go first. Why did you act like that?” Her dark gaze grew serious.
“Damn it.” He sat up and raked his fingers through his hair. “Look I’m attracted to you, but this is complicated. The movie. Your family. The ranch. All of it. I thought it would be smarter if we kept it on the friend level.” Shit. Damn. Shit.
“Well, we definitely weren’t friends before.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and began braiding her hair. “I should go.”
“Sam, wait. Let’s discuss this like two adults.” Damn it, he’d messed up again. Her slender shoulders were stiff and her tone was neutral. Too neutral. Why couldn’t he seem to remember under her tough shell she had a soft center?
“It’s a little late for adulting now, right?” She kept her beautiful back to him and scanned the room for her clothes.
“Your shirt is in the kitchen, remember? Come on, we need to figure out how to handle this.” What the hell had he done?
She stood and whirled to face him, sparks of temper shooting from her eyes. “We’ll just act like nothing happened. Easy.” She located her jeans and stuffed one leg into them.
“Will you stop and listen to me for a minute?” He ground his back teeth together and leapt out of bed.
She hopped on one leg and managed to stick her other leg into her jeans. She yanked the zipper closed and bolted out of the bedroom.
He shook his head and followed her. Why was she so damn stubborn? Couldn’t she give him a chance to explain?
“Sam.”
She stuffed her T-shirt into her jeans, keeping her back toward him.
“Will you listen to me?” Why was he the one asking these questions?
“Fine. Talk.” She turned to face him, hands on her narrow hips, her expression mutinous as a child forced to eat her vegetables.
Her jaw was set and her eyes burned into him. He stepped toward her and grasped her shoulders again so she wouldn’t run away.
“I don’t have a damn playbook for this. You’ll agree it’s complicated, right?” Wasn’t that an understatement?
She nodded.
“Will your dad want to kill me?” Holt wasn’t used to having dads of the women he dated around. Hell, this movie had turned into a truly tangled web with all the intersections here between his job, Harry, Sam’s dad and Sam.
Her jaw softened. “No. At least I don’t think so. You’re right. It is complicated.” She looked off over his shoulder and then caught his gaze. “I’m not sure what to do either.”
“See, we can agree, right?” He leaned in and kissed her soft lips.
“I don’t know. This is new ground for me. It probably would be smarter to keep it on the down low.” Her eyebrows drew together, but her voice softened.
“So you think you can sneak out of the house later tonight without getting caught?” The words came out before he could stop them.
Her mouth dropped open. “Tonight? Do you mean after dinner?”
He nodded and grinned at her surprised expression. Hell, he wanted her again right now.
“So, we’re going to keep doing…this.” She gestured with her hands between the two of them.
“This?” He laughed now. Her cheeks were flaming pink.
“You know. This.” She laughed too, the smile lighting up her beautiful face. “Hot monkey sex in the afternoons.”
“At night is better. Once we start filming, I’ll be on set all day.” He pulled her tight little hips in close against him.
She leaned in and slid her arms around his neck. “You’re right. Tonight? Again?”
“Or now?” He was rock hard and ready to go.
“No, I need to get back to the house. I’ll come back after dinner.” She rubbed herself against him.
He captured her mouth and dove into the kiss. “Leave your hair down for me.”
“Mm-mm.” She licked her lips and backed away toward the front door. “Bye.” She gave an awkward half-wave.
When the door clicked shut behind her, Holt rubbed the back of his neck. He was playing with fire. He couldn’t afford to piss off Chris McNeill and lose this job. They would just have to be very careful. Hell, he made a living performing dangerous maneuvers and being careful was in his DNA.
Besides, he’d jumped off cliffs before and come out unscathed, right?
20
Sam, aren’t you coming down for breakfast?” Her dad’s voice boomed from directly behind her.
She jumped and turned to face him. “You startled me. Since when do you sneak up on people?” She swallowed, her throat suddenly parched.
“I didn’t sneak up on you, silly girl.” He tugged on her braid. “Are you hiding something?” His eyes scanned the pile of papers on her desk.
“Hiding something? Of course not. Just double checking all the vaccination records are in order before hitting the kitchen.” Heat crept into her cheeks, damn it. No way could her father suspect she’d crept back into the house a mere thirty minutes ago.
Could he?
His tanned brow creased. “You sure everything is okay? Is it the movie?”
“Fine, I’m fine. Let’s get breakfast.” She pivoted and strode to the door, unwilling to allow her dad to look too closely.
No doubt her cheeks were still pink from Holt’s five o’clock shadow and her lips still swollen from his passionate kisses. And her eyes were probably bloodshot too because she hadn’t gotten much sleep. Okay, no sleep.
Not that she was complaining. She smiled dreamily when a hot memory from their shared 3 a.m. shower popped up. She’d never view the guest house bathroom quite the same way again.
“Sam?”
She shook herself back to the present.
Her dad.
Breakfast.
“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I just need coffee.” She dared a glance at him and he was peering at her like she’d sprouted a unicorn horn.
Thank god they reached the kitchen. Tears of joy sprang to her eyes when the cinnamon scent of Angela’s French toast reached her nostrils. She hurried to her step-mom’s side and gave her a quick hug.
Her dad leaned in and kissed his wife’s cheek. “French toast. Perfect.”
Sam filled her plate with three thick slices of the mouthwatering sourdough French toast. Once she’d slathered soft butter over each one and dumped half a bottle of syrup on top, she got to work. She was ravenous.
“Are you headed down to the set this morning? When are you filming?” Angela asked.
“Uh-uh.” She grunted and chewed her toast. She wasn’t ready to see Holt in the lig
ht of day quite yet. At least with other people around.
“I’ll be going down later this morning to check on everything,” her dad said.
She was contemplating whether to snag one or two more slices when her father’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and frowned at the screen.
“What’s the matter?” Sam straightened in her seat.
He laid one hand on her forearm. “Nothing is the matter. Except Harry is damn high-handed. He made dinner reservations for tonight with the two lead actors, Holt, and us at the Inn. Thinks it’s a great idea to start out the movie.”
“The Inn? Tonight?” The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe was not just the historic, beautiful hotel smack in the center of town; it was also the hotspot where the locals gathered for cocktails or a meal.
But dinner with Holt? Tonight? Her heart thundered against her ribcage.
“Yeah, at 7 p.m.” Her dad’s eyebrows drew together.
“Maybe it will be good for you to meet the leads and for all of us to have a nice evening together. It will also give you the chance to share with them what the ranch means to us and emphasize it’s not just another movie set.” Angela, always the voice of reason, smiled across the table.
“You’ve got a point. I can lay out some ground rules for them.” Sam nodded, warming to the idea. “Make sure they’re discreet about the location. Maintain everyone’s privacy. Tell them the movie is off if they screw up.”
“Sam, no need to be hostile. The contract is iron-clad. These aren’t two newbies and I’m sure they don’t want to be mobbed by paparazzi either,” her dad cautioned.
A little reminder to keep their traps shut couldn’t hurt anyone, right? “Who said anything about hostility? I just want to make sure they get it. And they need to be super respectful of the property. Are they staying at the Inn?”
“Yes, they’re at the Inn. You know the staff there is discreet. Harry reserved one of the back tables in Morada. Will someone tell Amanda?” Chris said. “Where is she, by the way?”
“Already down at the rehab center,” Angela said.
“I’ll swing by and let her know.” Sam stacked her dishes in the sink and escaped from the kitchen. The minute she reached the hallway she exhaled a shaky breath. Operation Clandestine Affair was still a secret.