by Susan Stoker
He was an ass for already letting a week go by.
Shoving the pitchfork against the wagon, Rook evened out his pulse while he brushed off his clothes. No more resisting. No more playing it safe. Following rules. Putting duty first.
For the first time in his life, Rook was going to live a little.
Take a lot.
And give even more.
The sun had already disappeared by the time he entered the house and set the alarm for the night. Burly had long gone to bed, and judging by the light spilling from under the office door, his brother was working on training schedules.
After double-checking to make sure all the doors and windows were locked, Rook went straight upstairs and knocked on Tarah’s door.
He would not be sleeping in the hall tonight.
Chapter Eight
‡
Tarah had just gotten off the phone with her boss for her nightly check-in when the knock came. Her pulse immediately jumped into Rook ravenous mode. Accelerated and loud.
She knew it was him before she even opened the door to find him leaning against the frame, a sexy-as-sin grin on his face.
He looked different. Sure. Determined. As if he’d made up his mind about something.
Her heart rocked against her ribs. Heaven help her, that something was her.
“Hi,” she said, voice a little throaty.
His smile was breathtaking, and the hunger in his eyes threatened to steal her strength. “Can I come in?”
“Oh, yes, sure.” She stepped aside, then shut the door, her mind snagging on the fact that the viral man was in her room. And the urge to offer him her bed tickled her lips. “Is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “No, for the first time, I think things are right. I’m supposed to be on this side of the door, Tarah.”
Was he actually saying what she thought he was saying? She sucked in a breath and nodded.
“I know you’re under my protection and I’m not supposed to get involved with you. And I know you’ll be leaving soon.” He stepped close then, running his hands up her arms. “I realized something today.”
She set her hands on his hips and met his gaze. “Oh? What?”
“I don’t want to fight this…whatever it is between us. So, I’m asking you, what do you want?” He cupped her face and stared deep into her eyes.
She wondered how he expected her to answer with her heart beating rapidly in her throat. Her hands shook as she ran them up to palm his chest. “You,” she managed, and apparently, that’s all he needed because he lowered his mouth to hers and teased and nipped until she moaned and opened up for him.
He was such a great kisser. A master. And she was lost in the sensations when a splice of reality broke through. This would be so perfect if he knew who she was and why she was really there.
Was it fair to give into this crazy yearning without telling him?
She drew back, walked to her dresser, and stared at her shaking hands. It was decision time. She removed her bracelet, feeling too guilty letting him touch her while she wore a connection to the agency.
Rook pressed his chest to her back and kissed her neck. Breath hitched in her throat. Damn, he was good. He knew her trigger spots better than she did.
The more he nuzzled and ran his wicked hands up and down her sides, the more her trepidation and guilt about getting physical without him knowing her true identity flew out the window.
“Relax. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he whispered against her skin.
She shivered at the feel of his hot mouth on her skin.
“I want to. I just…” She sucked in a breath. Damn, he was zapping her brain cells. She almost let it slip she hated lying to him. “I-It’s been awhile. I don’t want to disappoint you.”
Not a lie.
Two strong hands gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him.
“You could never disappoint me, Tarah.”
She hoped not. God, she hoped not.
And she wasn’t just talking about the sex. Maybe when he found out she was an agent, he wouldn’t hate her. Much.
Rook dipped down to stare straight into her eyes. “I mean it.” Then he captured her mouth and reminded her of the crazy ass connection between them.
By the time he lifted his head, she shook with enough desire and need to cancel out any misgivings. She was doing this. She was going to get naked, and enjoy his incredible body, even if her good parts were woefully out of practice.
“I believe you.” She eased her grip on his shirt as she dragged in air.
A devilish grin curved his lips. “Good. Hold that thought. I need to grab a shower.”
“Use mine,” she said, not wanting him to leave her room for fear one of them might come to their senses.
“All right. I’ll be quick.” After a peck on her forehead, he turned and disappeared into her bathroom.
Tarah locked her bedroom door, and walked to the window out of habit to check for signs of anything suspicious. Satisfied everything appeared stable, she turned to eye the bathroom door.
Rook was in her shower.
Naked.
Her body thrummed with a swirl of emotions the cowboy incited. Passion. Need. A hunger too damn fierce to ignore anymore. The thought of him standing under the water all hot and hard and naked, rubbing soap all over his ripped body, propelled her across the room. She kicked off her sandals along the way, then set her cheek and palm to the bathroom door. The sound of the shower running increased the beat of her heart.
She swallowed, then shook her head. What the hell was she doing out here fantasizing about the man when she could join him?
For a brief moment, she hesitated, wondering if a school teacher would be so bold. With a naked Rook in her shower? Hell yeah!
She opened the door and steam rolled over her in a burst of heat. A similar heat raced through her body at the sight of Rook’s faint outline in the fogged glass door. Her throat dried. She stepped closer to peer through an opening in the door.
He was magnificent, one hand braced on the wall in front of him, water pounding between his shoulder blades, down his muscled back, and over the gorgeous, perfect curve of his ass. The occasional battle scar only increased his appeal.
Tarah’s body was on fire. She stripped off her shirt and jeans and the movement caught his attention. He grabbed the soap and rubbed it all over his body, his gaze ablaze. She should look away. She even started to turn, but then he wrapped his hand around himself, and the action rooted her to the spot. He was truly incredible. With his smoldering gaze locked on hers, he held on to his hard length but didn’t stroke.
“Thought you might need a hand,” she forced out. “But, looks like you’ve got a tight grip on things.”
Holy crap. Had she just said that?
He smiled a very dangerous, tempting, bad-boy smile.
Damn man made her nuts. Tarah’s whole body vibrated with need. Rook continued to wash up, rubbing his soapy hands through his hair before he stepped under the spray to rinse off. Her heart just about raced right out of her chest.
Water and suds continued to sluice down Rook’s body. Her mouth watered. What was she waiting for? She undid her ponytail and shook out her hair.
Rook opened the door more, and given the fire in his eyes, he approved. “Keep going,” he urged, voice husky.
She held his gaze while she removed her bra and panties.
His eyes flamed and he inhaled as if air suddenly disappeared. She knew the feeling because he gave her a come-here finger crook and she momentarily forgot how to breathe. Apparently, there was still enough function left in her brain to cause her to step into the shower. Hot water rushed over her sensitive body.
Rook groaned at the sight. “You’re so damn beautiful, Tarah.” He hooked an arm around her and slowly pulled her in.
She knew he was giving her a chance to stop. Not happening. No way. To show she had no reservations, she slid her hands up his glorious ches
t to rest around his neck.
“You’re shaking,” he murmured. “Cold?”
Feeling shy for some stupid reason, she shook her head.
He narrowed his gaze. “Nervous.”
“A little.” She swallowed. “I don’t want to disappoint you.” And because she wanted to be as honest as she could with him, she decided to open up a little bit more. “I haven’t done this in a while.”
“Define a while.”
She dropped her gaze to his throat. “Three years.”
He dipped down to catch her gaze. “Bad experience?”
“No, not really.”
He was so sweet her heart actually ached, and she tried not to think of him and Nikki having this same conversation. That was in the past. She was with Rook now, and he wanted her. Except, the her he wanted wasn’t exactly the her she was.
Because that statement was too confusing to contemplate, she forced it out of her mind.
His hot mouth was on her then, kissing his way to her ear. “Wanna tell me about it?”
She gripped his biceps and closed her crossed eyes. “He was just a soldier I hooked up with overseas.”
At times, those stolen moments were a means to get through some of the horrors of deployment, and other times, it was because the guy was safe. Her heart had never been threatened.
Unlike now. Her heart was very involved with the special man sinking his teeth into her neck. She gasped and tightened her grasp on his arms.
“Coping mechanism.” His lips brushed down her jaw and hovered near her mouth.
She opened her eyes to find his warm with understanding, and hot with need. “Yes. He was my only lover. So…” She let her voice trail off, too embarrassed to repeat her earlier “I don’t want to disappoint you” phrase.
He gave her a heart-melting smile. “This is going to be different, Tarah. I promise. We’re going to be good together.”
Given the way her body reacted to his, and how great it felt being crushed against him, she nodded.
“Good,” he repeated against her lips, and brought his free hand up to tip her face while he kissed her, soft and seeking, then heated and demanding.
As expected, he took her out of her head and a blissful wave of desire washed through her. She shoved her fingers up into his hair and brushed the back of his neck with her thumbs, reveling in his groan.
Rook was right. It was good. But Tarah never doubted it. Still, she was surprised at how quickly she got lost in the sensations of being in his arms, her chest brushing his, with heat and need thrumming through her, and a hunger so damn strong it made her knees weak.
No man had ever made her knees weak before.
He swept his tongue along hers, and she moaned into his mouth. At the sound, he drew back, sexy damn smile curving his lips. She returned his grin while she tugged his mouth back. The man knew how to kiss. Good thing he had his arm around her when he ended it or Tarah would’ve joined the water pooling at his feet.
His lips grazed her jaw, her throat, nipped at her neck, then he pulled back to meet her gaze, his own hot on fire and intense. “You good?”
She opened her mouth, but her pulse seemed to have pounded away her voice.
“Tarah,” he said, very gently but resolute, “It’s okay. I’ve got you. I promise I’m going to make you feel so good you’ll forget your past experience, and whatever is putting that troubled look in your eyes.”
Now her pulse was working triple time. He was putting that troubled look in her eyes. She couldn’t help but worry if she was experienced enough for such an alpha man. Did she even have a prayer of comparing to Nikki? The woman was beautiful and worldly. And Tarah definitely couldn’t help but feel guilty over deceiving him.
But, she realized, she was going to have to let all that go if she wanted him to continue. And, oh yeah, she wanted him to continue.
He stared into her eyes. “Tarah?”
“Yes, please…to all of it.” To show she was serious, she ran her hands down his hot, wet, delectable body and curled her fingers around his large erection. “I want all of you, Rook.”
“You’ve got me.”
He crushed her close, kissing her over and over until she was a trembling pile of need. Her mind finally shut down and her body took over. She touched and stroked wherever she could, and when he grabbed the soap and smiled at her with a dark, heavy-lidded gaze, she nearly lost it right there.
His hands were warm and big and sure as he soaped her arms, stomach, and chest. It soon became obvious the man was a master at more than kissing. His slow, deliberate strokes turned light and teasing, brushing the sides of her breasts, then the heavy underside. She held her breath, waiting, anticipating for more. It was worth the wait because when he finally cupped her whole breast and brushed her nipple with his thumb, she cried out. Couldn’t help it. The sharp zing of need spiraled straight between her legs.
“Like that?” He continued to tease her until she called out his name. “I’ll take that as an affirmative.”
She watched as he dropped to his knees, and anticipation ran rampant. Rook guided the soap down her legs then back up, traveling over her ass, which he cupped and lingered, all the while holding her gaze. His was deliciously dark with a fierce heat, and some of her earlier apprehension evaporated. He liked touching her. That realization made her feel sexy and strong. Then he soaped her upper thighs.
And her good parts in between.
She gasped, grasping his shoulders.
“Spread your feet.”
“I would if I could feel them.”
He sent her a sexy, smug grin and used his hands to nudge her feet apart. For a split second, Tarah felt self-conscious at being wide open, but then his hands were on her.
And then his mouth.
Chapter Nine
‡
Tarah was so out of her league, yet right where she wanted to be with Rook on target, slowly touching, kissing, stroking. He’d reduced her to a panting, needy, fingers-clutching-his-head-like-a-fanatic idiot. And she didn’t care. It was great. He was great. And too good.
“Rook.” She panted again. “I…”
“It’s okay. Let go for me.” He added a finger. “Now.”
She obeyed. Flew apart. Burst. But he was right there, holding her, stroking her, gently bringing her down. The moment her control returned, she opened her eyes and found him watching. His smile was bad-boy delicious, and she wanted to treat him to the same.
Pulling him to his feet, she pressed his back against the wall and arched a brow. “My turn.”
She ran her hands over his magnificent body, following her caresses with her tongue, stopping once in a while to nip a ridge here and a muscle there. She dropped to her knees and watched her hand glide over his abs, fascinated by the way his muscles jerked under her touch. She’d done this before. But never in a shower. Just the captain’s bunk.
Tarah found she liked this position better. Gave her more control.
Holding Rook’s hips, she leaned in and licked his thick erection all the way to the tip. Then treated the underside to the same lick-sporation before she took him fully in her mouth.
A low, rough sound rumbled in his chest. She glanced up and her pulse increased. Head back, eyes closed, mouth parted. The man took her breath. His reached out and shoved his hands in her hair, more to hold onto her than to guide. Empowered, she set out to take him apart and devour him as he had done to her. He groaned and tightened his grip. So, she slid a hand around to grab his perfect ass while she worked him in and out, swirling her tongue around his tip.
“Damn…that’s good,” he muttered, his body tense and on fire.
She continued to watch the vein throb in his neck and wondered what would happen if she increased her strokes. So she did.
A few seconds later, he swore and hauled her up.
“Not fair,” she pouted. “I came for you.”
He set his forehead to hers and blew out a breath. “I want to be inside you when I
come.”
“Technically, you were.”
He choked out a laugh. “True. But I want you to come, too.”
“Oh.”
He drew back and grinned, ever so wicked and delicious. “Exactly.” Then he stepped outside the shower and returned in less than a minute with a condom. “Put your arms around me and I’ll carry you to the bed.”
“Oh.”
He grinned. “I think we already established that.”
She snickered. “That’s not what I meant.”
“What then?” His gaze narrowed.
“Nothing. I-I just thought we were going to have shower sex. I’ve never had it before.”
His resolute gaze returned. “Then you’ll have it now.” He shut the shower door, and she watched, mesmerized, as he rolled the condom on. Her whole body hummed with need.
“Now, where were we?” He stalked closer.
“Um…you were about to initiate me into shower sex.”
He pinned her against the tiles with his hot, hard body, his mouth a breath away. “Step one. Get naked.” He kissed her, long and deep.
“Done,” she replied when they broke for air.
“Step two.” He brushed his lips down her throat. “Make you come.”
His words nearly did.
“Done,” she squeaked out.
“Then you should be nice and wet and ready for me.” He held her gaze while he ran a hand down her body and slid a finger inside.
She gasped and he smiled, removing his finger.
“Nice and wet.”
“And ready,” she added, grasping his erection and tugging.
Muttering a curse, he hoisted her up and she automatically wrapped her legs around him. “I had to make sure you’re ready. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Even totally worked up, the man was thoughtful and sweet. And, once again, guilt spilled to the surface. She didn’t want to hurt him either. She had to tell him. “Rook. I need to t—”
“It’s okay. Just hold on to me,” he said. “I’ll take care of that need.”