by Sophia Gray
But I got tired of the jabbering and the fussing. I stood suddenly, letting the blanket fall from my lap. She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes dropping to below my waist. I was only about half hard, but that was nothing to scoff at. She definitely seemed appreciative. It took her until I was standing right in front of her before she jerked her gaze back up to my face. By then it was too late. I grabbed her by the upper arms and jerked her against my hard body. I was still covered in bruises and I hadn’t shaved in a while, but she didn’t seem to mind.
I thought she’d try to slap me or something in protest, but instead I saw her eyes flutter closed and felt her hands slide around my waist and hips, even squeezing my backside.
Her lips tasted like beef stew and cherries, and felt like velvet. I pressed my mouth against hers, hoping to bruise them, to make them swollen and rosy. I slid my tongue along the seam of her lips and she parted them easily, almost gasping into my mouth as my tongue ventured into hers.
There was no questioning how into the kiss she was. I could feel myself growing harder between my legs and knew I’d be poking between hers soon. I hoped that meant she’d renege on her earlier iteration that she wasn’t the type to sleep around with the likes of me.
My hands slipped from her arms and went around her waist. Hers moved to my shoulders and biceps, gripping at my muscles like they made her hotter. They probably did. I pulled her closer to me still, her breasts pressing tightly to my bare chest. My hands slipped a little lower to her waist and found her full, perky rear. She caught her breath, but didn’t stop me.
I was fully hard by now and in desperate need of some release. I’d awoken hard, tangled up in her, and now being hard again made me ache. I needed to take care of myself one way or another and, damn, I hoped it was by sliding into her.
My hands squeezed her perky ass again, but this time jerked her against me so she had to feel my hard, thick erection against her crotch.
Her eyes snapped open and she broke the kiss. I was breathing heavily and lust was clouding my vision. All I could see was her. For a second, she just gasped for breath, her hands still clutching at me. I rubbed against her a little more to remind her that I was hard and ready, but that seemed to snap her out of it.
Her eyes widened and the hands that had been gripping my shoulders were suddenly pushing against my bare chest. “Stop, wait,” she said.
I sighed internally. Whether my cock liked it or not, stop meant no, and no meant let her go. Even though I was pretty sure I could push the issue. Even though I was pretty sure that a couple more kisses, a lift into my arms, and her back against the wall would bring her around to my way of thinking. But while there were a lot of things that I was willing to do, more than a few illegal, I wasn’t willing to cross that kind of a line with a woman.
If she didn’t want me, or wasn’t sure she wanted me, then I’d stop. Who wanted to fuck a chick who didn’t want to be fucked? Took all the fun out of it.
So I released her. My hands dropped from her hips to fall at my side. But I didn’t step back. If she wanted to do that, damnit, she could do it her damn self.
She pushed herself away from me, taking several steps back, but seemed to think that was a mistake as her eyes dropped to my cock again. She made a surprised sound, like she wasn’t expecting it to be there, or maybe just wasn’t expecting it to be as long or as hard or as thick as it was. Swiveling her body around, she stood with her back to me. I could hear her rapid breaths.
For a moment, it was silent other than our rapid breathing and the blood pumping through my body.
Finally, she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. That—”
“Was nice,” I filled in for her.
She started to turn back around, probably to scold me, but then remembered last minute that I was standing there with an erect cock, completely naked. She made a frustrated noise. “Would you put some pants on, please?”
I folded my arms across my chest and managed to smirk. On the one hand, I was so damn frustrated that I was about ready to bring my own release there in the living room. On the other hand, it was clear that she still wanted me, but wasn’t comfortable with how little we knew each other.
Smart girl.
I felt a twinge of guilt for trying to get into her pants. She seemed like a genuinely nice person. Hell, she saved me from the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm, then did her best to nurse me back to health. That made her as close to a damn saint as I’d ever see. Which meant she wasn’t the woman for me. Nothing long term. Which meant I shouldn’t be fucking with her, literally or figuratively. She deserved much better than the likes of me would give her.
Those thoughts were starting to cool my hot blood. I felt my cock begin to soften. I knew I’d have to take care of it sometime tonight, but for now it looked like I’d be good for a little while. With a sigh, I reached for my sweats. I slipped them on and said, “No need to be so shy, Elle. Not like Daddy’s going to think any less of you for having a little fun.”
She still didn’t turn around, which I didn’t blame her for. She probably didn’t think I’d put my pants on, and that was a good call in most situations. But I wasn’t going to press her for something she wasn’t up to giving.
Which made a thought strike with me. “Shit, you’re not a virgin, are you?”
That question was enough to get her to swivel around to face me. Her eyes dropped down to my sweats and I thought she looked a little disappointed, though maybe that was only wishful thinking on my part. “Don’t be stupid,” she told me, putting her hands on her full hips. “Of course I’m not a virgin. I’m not a prude. I just don’t…you know. Sleep with strangers.”
I raised an eyebrow at her and crossed my arms over my chest. “So, if you knew me better, I could get your pants of?”
Her cheeks reddened, but she held her ground. “Theoretically. If I liked who you turned out to be.”
Which actually means no, she just doesn’t know it, I thought. To her, I said, “Fair enough.”
After that, she made me promise to behave. I did. We settled down for one more night there. I was hoping the blizzard would pass and by morning it would be clear skies, even if the snow were still in place on the ground.
With all our fussing and all of the newfound sexual tension—because it was there, regardless of whether she said maybe and I said no—we still ended up sharing the makeshift bed in front of the fire. But even I acknowledged that this was less about sex or physicality and much more about staying warm. Sharing body heat was a hell of a lot more effective than trying to produce it all yourself.
She wiggled under the covers beside me. She insisted I leave my pants on, which I did, and I insisted she take hers off. I’d been mostly joking, but she surprised me by doing just that. “I hate sleeping in jeans,” was her excuse, but I secretly hoped it was just because she wanted to put a little less distance between us. She kept the sweater on, however, but I was pretty sure she took off her bra. Not that I saw anything, but there was just something about a woman without any padding on the ladies.
Elle put her back to me under the covers, probably trying to keep an appropriate distance between us, which I pointed out defeated the purpose of sleeping in the same bed at all.
“Are you saying I should just sleep on the couch?” she said, and I was surprised to hear the teasing in her voice. Mixed signals much?
“No,” I answered, sliding up closer to her. I put my front to her back. She stiffened momentarily, but quickly relaxed. I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m saying you’d better get cuddly if you want to stay warm.
She didn’t say anything for a minute and I worried I’d pushed where I shouldn’t have. But then she let out a small laugh and said, “Fine. You win. But tomorrow night, I call big spoon.”
I laughed a little myself, but when it died down, I told her what I’d been thinking about. Besides her. “Fair enough. But I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it. We’re not staying another night.”
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br /> She twisted in my arms slightly, just enough so she could turn her head and look up at me. “We’re not?” She sounded disappointed, but, again, I wasn’t sure if it was my own imagination.
I shook my head. “No.”
“But the car—”
“Forget the car. I’ll call to have someone tow it once I get a ride back into town.”
Her eyebrows shot up and she didn’t look very happy. “A ride into town?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Tomorrow, I’m going to hike back to the main road and catch a ride. There the roads should be clear enough that they’re open and there’s some traffic. Enough to pick me up.”
She made a face. “I don’t like the idea of you hitchhiking. That’s dangerous.”
A wan smile slid across my face. “Oh really?”
“Really,” she confirmed.
“I see. Dangerous because picking up a stranger in your car could be like picking up a serial killer?”
She sent me a quick glare, then turned her head, seeing where I was going with this. “That’s different. You were unconscious.”
I laughed. “Oh, so as long as they’re unconscious, it’s okay to pick up hitchhikers?”
She made a frustrated noise that felt good against my chest, sending little vibrations through the both of us. I wondered if she felt it like I did. “It sounds ridiculous when you say it like that.”
“That’s because it is,” I told her. “Picking up me was probably the dumbest thing a pretty, smart little girl like you could have done.” I leaned a little closer to her, pulling her in to me at the same time. “And I thank God you did it.”
I felt her shiver. She was silent for a long moment and I almost thought she had somehow managed to fall asleep. Then she spoke again. “I’m not little.” I smiled, thinking she felt little in my arms, but there was no denying she was all woman. One hundred percent. After a bit, she added, “And I’m not letting you hitchhike alone.”
I froze. This isn’t good, I thought to myself. It was important that I get the hell out of here, but it was probably safer for her to hole up here for the next several days until the storm blew over and she could get her car out. Why? No way would anyone connect her to me.
Forcing myself to relax, I said, “Grown overly attached to me?”
She cleared her throat. “No. I just think you’re my responsibility until you’re well enough.”
I felt something like gratitude and affection for her as a result of that, but still didn’t think that was a good idea by any stretch. “Well enough for what?” I asked cheekily. If I kept her cautious as far as my intentions towards her, maybe she would be extra cautious with me as a result. I hoped it was the case, because I wasn’t sure what I would do with her if she did insist on following me. Leave her in the woods to freeze to death? Take her with me and expose her to my dangerous lifestyle?
I didn’t think so.
She tensed for a moment and I could feel her heart pounding away a mile a minute through her back connecting to my chest. I thought she was going to get indignant, but all she said was, “I’m going. That’s final.”
Chapter 8
Elle
I slept better than I had in a long while. There was something about being wrapped up in a man’s strong arms that was inherently soothing. Not that I would tell my tall, dark, and handsome bedfellow. In fact, I was working hard to be completely blasé when it came to him. No easy task.
I’d spent all night dreaming of Ciaran naked. Of how those wide hands gripped and squeezed my ass the day before. Of how he’d rubbed his considerable length against me until my center was all but throbbing with need. There was no denying that I wanted him. And I was sure he’d picked up on it. But that didn’t mean I’d admit it aloud. Whatever my physical body craved, I was stronger than that.
Okay, I had that one weak moment with the kiss, but could anyone blame me? He was hot, naked, and one hell of a kisser.
My eyes drifted to where he was pulling on his shirt. His muscles rippled sexily with the motion, making my insides squirm. He’d slept only in his sweats and I’d had to demand that of him. It was the only way I was getting into bed and snuggling up next to him for the night. Which was probably not true. If he’d pushed just a little harder…well, I’d probably have caved. Like, instantly. I had just barely resisted his charms and found myself disappointed and pleased when he didn’t push me. Oh, sure, he teased and suggested, but I didn’t feel as though he was going to push until I felt like I had no choice.
Coercion was not cool. He didn’t know it, but it bumped up his points a few notches. And he was already scoring pretty high.
“You’re sure I can’t talk you out of this?” he called over his shoulder as he pulled the hem of his sweater down over his shirt, unrolling it until it covered about half of his ass, which was very nice to look at it.
“I’m sure,” I told him firmly, though really I wasn’t thrilled with this plan.
He’d told me last night that he was going to hike out of here. Through the snow. Beyond the trees. Down a winding, unkempt road. All to catch a ride with a perfect stranger in the hopes that said stranger would give him a lift into town. And that was assuming he could even find anyone who was driving out at this point. I’d been taking a back way when I ran into Ciaran. What were the odds someone else was doing the same? That we’d catch them at just the right time?
I sighed. No, I definitely didn’t like this plan. But what choice did I have?
If he was going, I was, too. I was being honest when I said I felt responsible for him. It was my fault he was here, whether under the best of intentions or not. Which meant if he got stuck here and missed whatever it was that was so damn important, I would feel awful. Sure, I was almost positive I’d saved his life, but didn’t something somewhere say that saving someone’s life actually meant they were your charge?
I didn’t know if that was true, but it felt true right then. Besides, he’d already passed out twice trying to dig out my car. He’d been feverish on and off over the last couple of days. If I let him go by himself, there was no telling what would happen to him.
And my car’s not going anywhere anytime soon anyway, I reminded myself so I knew this wasn’t just because of Ciaran. This was for me, too. I couldn’t stay here forever, and since my cell wasn’t working, I’d eventually have to do the same thing Ciaran was planning anyway. Otherwise, I’d have to spend half the winter here!
No. I was definitely going.
I insisted we pack some of the stale, kind of gross crackers, a bottle of water, and a can of soup we wouldn’t be able to heat up.
“You know if we get lost out there, this isn’t going to help,” Ciaran said, holding the can and lifting his eyebrows pointedly.
I snatched it back from him. “You never know. It might.”
“It’s not that far to the main highway.”
I ignored him and stuffed the can into a small sack I had found earlier in the cabin. It looked like it was used as a laundry bag or something, but it would do for now. “Just remember you said that when we’re being chased by wolves and are sitting in the wilderness at midnight, cold and freezing.”
He laughed and my body shuddered in response. He’s not sexy; he’s not sexy. But of course he was. Dangerously sexy. I could tell from the way he looked and the way he moved that there was a streak of dangerous in him that I shouldn’t have been attracted to—but I was. It tugged at me from the inside out and drew me closer even when I knew I should be pulling away.
Damn sexy man, I thought ruefully. “Let’s get going already,” I said, because the cabin suddenly felt much too small. And I thought the snow might cool down my sudden, burning need.
He smiled at me knowingly, then winked. “Feeling a little anxious to get started all of a sudden?”
“Do you want to go or not?”
He nodded and we headed out. I left a note for whoever owned the place, explaining what had happened. I gave them my cell number, too, so I co
uld offer to pay for the soups and the wood and whatever else. It was probably going to cost a fortune and I’d have to set up a payment plan, but I was hopeful they would be lenient with me since I was being upfront about it.
We headed out into the cold. It was one of those mornings where the sky was clear and blue, looking deceptively warm, but the air was frigid. The snow was almost hip deep still and I was grateful we hadn’t gotten much more since the last time I’d gone out. It meant there was still somewhat of a path towards my car from before, but beyond that it was time to forge a new pathway.
I pulled my layers closer to my body, holding myself around the middle in an effort to keep in my core heat. Ciaran seemed to be handling it better than myself, not even shivering despite not having a coat over his sweater and only a t-shirt beneath. I kept an eye on him to make sure he wasn’t going to pass out again.