by Joan Hohl
“No.” It was barely a croak.
“Are you out of questions?”
“No, I’m…thinking.”
“Does it hurt?” His tone was solicitous.
She gave him a look.
He grinned, unrepentant. “We could discuss favorite holidays. Mine’s Thanksgiving. The turkey and trimmings, you know. Anything else?”
“Well…” She hesitated a moment, then took the plunge. “I was wondering about Candy.”
He frowned. “The dark chocolate you’ve been doling out like it was gold?” He licked his lips, stirring a wish inside Bri that it were her lips being laved. “I love it, the darker the better.”
“No.” Bri shook her head in an attempt to shake off the sudden need of his mouth and quickly asked, “Would you like some now?”
“No, thank you.” He chuckled. “Was that one of your questions?”
“No, and I think you know it,” she said, suspicion growing. “I mean Candy of the Hamptons.”
“What about her?” She could almost hear his frown in his voice.
“She seemed…oh, I don’t know, kind of possessive of you. Are you…?”
“I believe I answered that at the time, Brianna.” Impatience rode his tone. “There is not now, nor has there ever been, anything personal between us.”
“I’m sorry.” Bri was quick to back off. “I know it’s none of my business.”
He sighed. “There is no business so far as Candy is concerned. I’m not interested in her the way you mean.”
“Personally, sexually?” Bri asked boldly.
“No, sweetheart, I’m not. Wouldn’t do me any good if I were. She’s engaged to the man who was waiting for her in the restaurant. Besides, she’s not my type. Too forward, too easy.”
Bri frowned. “What does that mean?”
“What you think it means. She’s been with too many men. Not that it’s any of my business. But I’m a lot more particular than some other men.”
Satisfaction swept through Bri like balm. “I think I knew that.”
She knew he shook his head as if in puzzlement, not only because she felt the motion but also because the strands of his long hair brushed against her cheek and tickled her neck.
“If you knew, why ask?”
Bri scoured her mind for a reasonable or at least plausible answer. “Uh…I’m nosy?”
“And a lousy liar,” he retorted. “You wanted to know because you didn’t like her on sight and thought asking me how I felt about her would give you some idea about my character—or lack of same.”
Smart-ass. Bri kept the instant thought inside her head, where it belonged. But, of course, he was right, so she supposed she might as well admit it.
“Yes,” she confessed, not at all contrite.
“Sneaky, Brianna,” he chided her, amusement lacing his tone. “Clever but sneaky.”
“Obviously not too clever,” she said wryly. “You were on to me at once.”
“Okay, then I’m clever.” He pulled her even closer to him.
“Yes, you are,” she said, trying and failing to swallow a yawn.
“Sleepy?” he murmured.
“Yes,” she answered, thinking it was pointless to deny what had to be apparent to him.
“Twenty Questions over for tonight?”
“I suppose.” She sighed. “Except…what’s your favorite color?”
“Well, it used to be blue, like in jeans,” he answered. “But now it’s auburn-red, like the gorgeous color of your hair.”
Said hair quivered at the back of Bri’s neck. “Thank you.” Her voice quivered, too. She was losing ground here, and fast. Bri knew if she didn’t call a halt now, she could happily whistle goodbye to her need for sleep for some time.
“What’s yours?”
Huh? Bri frowned in the dimness. Oh, her favorite color! What the heck was it? Biding for time to remember what should be obvious to her, she stifled a fake yawn against his neck.
“Don’t lose sleep over it.” His voice was both soft and tender. “You may answer and resume your third degree of me on the trail tomorrow.”
Bri heaved a deep sigh of relief.
He chuckled.
Bri sighed heavier, wishing he wouldn’t do that. “Oh, did you have to mention that? I was trying to forget I would have to get back on the horse tomorrow.”
“You’ll do just fine and you know it.”
“Yes.” She yawned again and stopped fighting her heavy eyelids. “Good night, Tanner.”
“Warm and comfortable?”
“Deliciously.” Her voice was slurring.
He chuckled. “Then go to sleep.”
“Okay.” The next instant, Bri was out. She never heard him say good-night to her.
As he had two nights before at Hawk’s place, Tanner lay awake for a long time after Brianna fell asleep, breathing in the smell of herbal shampoo in her hair, the elusive natural woman scent. It was a heady aroma, pure female, delicious. He’d love to taste her.
He drew another, deeper breath, trying to calm his senses. All it accomplished was to arouse them and him even more.
He lost himself in the fantasy of the smooth softness of Brianna’s skin as he moved his hands over her body. How he had wanted to caress her, kiss her, every inch of her, hold her close to his hard body.
He wanted her so badly, ached to be deep inside of her, become a part of her. Everything inside him clenched with need, and he pressed his lips together to contain the groan swelling his throat.
Damn. He needed to get away from her, if only for a few minutes. He needed to get out of the tent, into the air. Maybe the chill of night would cool his overheated body, his hungry thoughts.
Stealthily he slid from the makeshift bed. Hushing Boyo, he unzipped the door and slipped into the night.
The air was chilly but not cool enough. Tanner thought what he really needed was a cold shower. The stream. Without another thought, he grabbed a towel from one of the packs and was moving through the forest, along the path, following the sound of water. He hadn’t gone very far when Boyo loped up to pace protectively alongside him.
“You should have stayed with Brianna, boy,” he murmured. “I can take care of myself.”
As if understanding Tanner’s every word, the dog slowed to a near stop, cocking his large head to look up at him, waiting, watching.
“I’ll be okay.” Tanner’s voice took on a hint of command. “Go back, boy, make sure she’s safe in the tent.”
A second of hesitation, then the dog turned to trot back the way he had come.
Shaking his head in wonder of the animal’s obvious intelligence, Tanner continued on to the creek. The water wasn’t merely cool or even cold; it felt like melted ice, which was very close to what it actually was.
Pulling off his underwear, Tanner briskly waded into the stream. He caught his breath at the shock of the freezing water and, holding it inside him, he lay out flat to submerge his entire body.
He lasted all of a couple seconds before scrambling up and onto the bank. Scooping up the towel, he swiftly and roughly dried his shivering and thankfully no longer aroused body. Pulling on his underwear, he made his way back to the protection of the tent, the warmth of the bed…and the woman asleep in it.
Shivering almost violently, he slid between the layers of the sleeping bag, close to her warmth but not touching her until his underwear warmed and his body stopped shivering.
Sighing with relief and moving slowly so as not to wake her, he reached to the side to turn off the lamp but hesitated for just a few moments to gaze into her face. Smiling, he switched off the lamp.
Beautiful, beautiful, he thought, settling close to her again, her face nestled in the curve of his neck. Awake, laughing, somber, Brianna was beautiful. Asleep, she was even more so. She was exquisite.
She sighed and her warm breath fluttered over his skin. Tanner felt a twist in his chest. What was it about this particular woman that could make him ache, not only wi
th desire but with admiration, caring and an urgent need to protect?
He had known many women, some intimately, some as pals, friends. He had cared for them, each and every one of them. He had even begun to believe he was in love with one of them. Yet none had ever affected him with the depth of feelings and emotion as Brianna.
“What is it about you?” Tanner whispered. Once again that twist curled in his chest. The descriptive word hovered in his mind, waiting to be recognized.
Love.
Tanner froze, rejecting the very concept. Love? He hardly knew her. And he had never believed in the fairy tales of love at first sight and happily ever after. He wasn’t sure he believed in love at all.
No, he wasn’t in love with Brianna. He couldn’t be. Not so quickly. Could he?
She made a murmuring sound—not a sigh but not an actual word, either—and snuggled closer to him. Was she cold? The thought had him drawing her tightly to his once again warm body.
Then she sighed. Her eyelids fluttered, and she softly kissed the side of his neck. Tanner stilled. Was she awake or nuzzling him in her sleep?
“Tanner…”
Her voice was soft but not sleepy.
“I’m here,” he answered.
“Will you kiss me?”
Everything went still inside him. Would he? He was dying with wanting to kiss her, make love with her. “If that’s what you want,” he whispered against her ear.
“Yes…” She murmured the word on a sigh and lifted her head, offering her mouth to him.
He gratefully accepted, claiming her lips with his own. Her mouth was sheer heaven and made him burn like the fires of hell. Tanner deepened the kiss, wanting, needing, desperate for more of the sweet, erotic taste of her mouth.
Brianna returned his kiss with a hunger that scorched him. The heat spread through his body, making him hard. With the last of his common sense, Tanner told himself to end it at once, before it was too late. But he had tuned out reason, not paying a bit of attention. Instead his mouth delved deeper into hers, savoring the nectar that was exclusively Brianna’s.
Getting desperate, Tanner shifted his hips to bring his body against hers, letting her feel his arousal, his desire to be one with her.
Instead of withdrawing, as he was certain she would, she tightened her arms around him and, clinging to his mouth, ground her hips against his, inflaming him more, burning his common sense to ashes.
“Brianna.” His voice was raw, roughened by passion whirling out of control.
“Yes.” That was all she said. That was all she needed to say. The needy arch of her hips into his said the rest.
“Are you sure?” He had to know now, before he went up in flames.
Brianna remained silent but answered by moving away from him. Tanner went cold, then immediately hot again as she sat up and pulled her top over her head, tossing it aside to land atop her weapons.
Tanner was tempted to laugh for an instant, thinking the most dangerous weapons were right there, in the form of her satiny skin, her beautiful breasts, her puckering nipples.
He sucked in a breath, aching to suck on her, taste the offering she made to him. He leaned forward to her, disappointment streaking through him when she moved away from him.
What the hell? The thought was a wisp, gone when he saw her wriggling out of her pants. His body throbbing with lust for her, he jackknifed upright and shucked out of his underwear.
At the same moment he slipped back into the sleeping bag, she opened her thighs in invitation. Tanner was not about to refuse. As he slid between her legs, thrilling to the silkiness of her skin, he captured one nipple and sucked it into his hungry mouth.
He thought he could feast on her forever, but he was wrong. It soon became obvious Brianna would not simply lie there like a sacrifice. She ran her hands all over his body, his chest, his back, his hips, his belly, his…
“Brianna.” His voice was ragged with strain. He exerted every ounce of control to hold back, just kissing her, caressing her, giving her the utmost enjoyment.
She was having none of his restraint. Releasing him, she drew him up and over her, seeking his mouth. “Don’t wait, Tanner,” she whispered against his lips. “I need you inside me now.”
Happy to comply, he moved into position and thrust his tongue into her mouth at the same instant he slid his body into hers.
She gasped. For a moment he froze, afraid he had somehow hurt her, but she grasped his hips, digging her nails into his flesh and arching her hips as she pulled him deeper into her body.
Tanner went wild. Still hanging on to a shred of control, he began to move, slowly, then faster, deeper. She moaned, arching high into each successive thrust, driving him on yet holding back until, crying out, she soared over the edge of utter pleasure. Tension became nearly unbearable inside him. He gave one final thrust and he was there, soaring with her in the most incredible completion of his life.
Bri lay beside him, her heart racing, her breathing harsh, her body sated and depleted. Never, never had she experienced anything so mind-shattering, so earthshaking, so absolutely wonderful. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. It had been so very beautiful.
“Are you all right?” Tanner’s voice was close to her ear, soft with concern. He lay beside her, his own breathing labored.
“Oh, Tanner,” she answered between gasped breaths. “That was so…so…”
“Yes, it was,” he murmured, kissing her earlobe. “It was even more than that.”
She sighed with satisfaction. “Thank you.”
“Me?” He sounded astounded. “I should be thanking you. Brianna, you are magnificent.”
Turning her head, she brushed her lips over his, whispering, “Yeah, I am, ain’t I?”
Tanner laughed. Then he was kissing her, her temple, her cheek, her chin and, finally, her lips. Her lips clinging to his, she drowned in his mouth.
Minutes later, curled against him, her head pillowed on his perspiration-slick chest, safe and secure in the cradle of Tanner’s arms, Brianna fell asleep. All thoughts of tomorrow had been swept from her mind by the release of her tension from their lovemaking.
Tanner lay awake, his mind playing with the idea of him and Brianna being, staying together. No, he thought. Damn. There was no way he could be with her. When their hunt was over, she would go home to Pennsylvania, her quiet library, her upper-class friends. He, on the other hand, would be here. Or there. Or wherever he needed to go, hunting down criminals for money.
They had had great sex one time. No, he corrected, they had made love one time. But one time did not make a relationship.
Brianna was above him.
Tanner shook his head. That was wrong. Her father may have more money than his folks, but that didn’t put her above him…not in any way other than where he placed her. In his mind he placed her if not on a pedestal then as the most important person in his life. And he knew, without doubt, if necessary he would lay down his life to protect her.
Why the hell did he bring her along instead of dragging her back to Hawk’s place? Certainly not for the money. He had already decided not to take anything from her. In truth, he really didn’t need the money—he liked it, but he didn’t need it. He had earned plenty enough in his chosen occupation and he had invested the bulk of it wisely. While Tanner wasn’t wealthy, he had a very comfortable nest egg.
But money didn’t have anything to do with his situation concerning Brianna.
Although she was experienced in the hunt, it was this hunt and this hunt only she cared about, and with good reason. She had told him she no longer liked trekking, even with a camera. She had an altogether different lifestyle in the world of books and normal activities.
Tanner felt certain Brianna considered his lifestyle abnormal. So where did that leave them when the hunt was over? He knew the answer. It left her on the East Coast and him in Colorado or parts unknown.
Brianna moved closer to him, one long leg sliding over his thigh. Tanner’s
body hardened in response. Grimacing in discomfort, he drew a deep breath, exerting control. It wasn’t easy, but he shifted back an inch, away from temptation. The need raging inside him subsided a little and he released a long sigh of relief.
He ordered his body, his emotions, to forget the ifs and might-have-beens and focus on the long day ahead.
His inner voice had one piece of advice. Go the hell to sleep.
Nine
The first pale light of predawn tinged the horizon when Tanner woke her.
“Brianna,” he said softly. “It’s time to roll out. You have enough time to dress and wash up before the coffee’s ready.”
“Mmm,” she answered. Kind of.
Tanner chuckled. “Is that an ‘okay’ or a ‘get lost’?”
The warm sound of his soft laughter tingled Bri into full wakefulness. She yawned before saying, “Okay, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
She was true to her word…almost. It was a little more than a few minutes, more like eight or ten, and two of those minutes were used up simply getting her tired body out of the sleeping bag. Once she was upright, Bri pulled on jeans and a shirt over her long underwear and clean socks before pulling on her boots. By the time she finished, the soreness in her body from having sex after so long a time had eased to a mild ache.
After using her toiletries and pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she repacked her bag and carted it outside. She dropped it next to Tanner’s, then made a dash for the bushes.
His soft chuckle followed after her. Trying her best to ignore a tingle in response to him, she concentrated on the urgent business at hand.
Finished, she cleaned her hands on a toss-away sanitary wipe, then followed the aroma of coffee back to camp.
She found Tanner squatting over the fire, preparing two cups of instant coffee. He held one up to her and she took it.
As he worked to put out the fire, his muscular thighs stretched the denim of his jeans, reminding her of how impressive they’d felt against her last night. When he looked up and she saw his face behind the curtain of his dark hair, she remembered how his eyes had looked down at her with passion. She promptly dropped her cup.