by Sandra Owens
“I missed that, you know.”
“What’s that?” He stroked his thumb along the bottom of her foot, eliciting a moan from her that sent his blood streaming straight south. She had pretty feet. The skin was soft, and her cherry-red toenails drew his attention. He’d never in his life sucked on a woman’s toes, had never wanted to. Inexplicably, he wanted to lick hers.
“You calling me tiger.”
He gently set her feet aside. “I can’t . . .” How did you tell a woman you wanted her but you couldn’t let yourself have her?
“Call me tiger?” She pulled her legs up under her. “Fine then, don’t.”
He was screwing this up. “That’s not what I meant.” He swiped his hand over his face. “I’ll never marry.” There, he’d said it.
“Me either, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s why I don’t do relationships. Women fall in love. They want to get married. They want children.”
“Okay.” She scrunched her brows together. “Out of curiosity, why?”
“Won’t I ever marry?” She nodded. “Because . . .” Man, this was hard to admit. He stood, going to the fish tank. Maybe that was why she kept a fish. So she’d have something to look at when she said things she’d never dreamed of talking about. “Because I’m afraid I’ll lose my temper someday and hurt my family. If I had one.”
“Nate?”
“Yeah?”
“Turn around and look at me.”
He obeyed, pushing his fingers into the pockets of his jeans.
“Have you ever lost your temper enough to hurt your brothers? Have you ever hit them in anger?”
“No.”
“Have you ever hit anyone?”
Instead of answering, he said, “Did you know that around thirty-five percent of abused children grow up to be abusers? It’s what we know, Taylor. All we know about how to behave in a relationship.”
“I don’t believe you’d hit anyone in anger.”
He snorted. “Shows what you know. I almost killed my father.”
“If that’s true, then you had a good reason.” She patted the sofa’s seat. “Come here.”
“I’m fine where I am.” If he got close to her, he wouldn’t get the rest of it out. “The only reason I didn’t was because of my brothers. But make no mistake, I wanted to.”
“What did he do?”
“I should have killed him when he broke Court’s arm, making sure he would never play baseball again. He was good, Taylor. Could have made it to the majors.”
“I would kill him for that myself, but Court seems pretty happy to me.”
“Sure, now he is. Back then, he was crushed. Our father stole his dream.”
She drew her knees up, hugging them. “But that wasn’t when you lost it, right? What did he do to drive you over the edge?”
Why couldn’t she just accept what he was trying to tell her without asking him to bare his soul? The bad guys didn’t stand a chance against her. She’d just sit there, looking at them with those big, understanding blue eyes, and she’d stay that way until she’d wrung every last secret out of them.
“I walked in to find him shredding Alex’s back with the buckle of his belt. The fucking reason?” He pulled his hands out of his pockets, fisting them. “Alex didn’t get him a beer fast enough.”
“You should have killed him.” She got up, came to him, took his hand, and pulled him back to the sofa with her.
He let her.
“I would’ve helped you hide his body. Your father was a bastard, no mistaking that. But you’re not him, Nate.”
“You don’t know that. I don’t even know that.”
She smiled sadly. “Then you’re deluding yourself.”
“Perhaps, but I won’t risk it.”
“So, what? You’re afraid you’ll hurt me?”
“You’re a beautiful woman. You’ll want to fall in love and have babies.”
She stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Okay, not the reaction he was expecting.
“Do I look like I need more babies? I think six is more than enough.”
“Someday, you’ll want your own.”
“We’ve known each other for two years, been best friends for almost a year now, yet we’ve never talked about this. I wonder why.” She leaned forward and put her hand on his knee. “Here’s the thing. I will never bring a child into this world. There are too many kids out there who need someone to love them. Any babies I had would be one less lost child I could rescue. As for a husband, I have no use for one. I have enough on my plate between my job and my girls.”
He blinked, his mind trying to comprehend what she’d just said. Didn’t all women want candy and flowers, a man to stare into her eyes with worship in his, cute babies to cuddle and giggle with?
“Is that the truth, not something you’re saying because you think that’s what I want to hear?”
“I just want a man to play with, Nate, and I want that man to be you.” Her hand traveled a few inches up his thigh. “Of course, if you’re not interested, I guess I’ll have to find someone who is.”
“Like hell you will.” He scooped her up. “Bedroom,” he said.
She rested her head on his shoulder. “We should have had this talk months ago.”
“Yeah, look at all that time we wasted.” At the door to her room, he paused. “No falling in love, right?”
“Not a chance on my part, but your brothers fell fast and hard. Maybe that runs in the Gentry blood, so you might be the one we have to worry about. I am really hot, you know.”
“Understatement there, tiger.”
Taylor nuzzled Nate’s neck, loving the taste of him. He’d broken her heart with his secret fear that he could hurt a woman or child. He was so full of it. The man had a bigger heart than either of his brothers’, and theirs were pretty big. It was sad that he didn’t know that. She hadn’t lied to him. Long ago, she’d decided to save children instead of having them, she wasn’t looking for a husband—not today, anyway—and she wasn’t going to fall in love with him because she already was.
“I’m going to buy you a bigger bed,” he said after removing his boots and then stretching out next to her.
She lifted onto her elbow, glancing at the end of her bed to see his feet hanging off the end. “Well, I wasn’t thinking ahead when I bought it. That I’d have an overgrown man in it someday.”
“Overgrown, am I?” He flipped her onto her back.
“Yeah, but trust me. I’m not complaining.” She’d baited the lion when she’d threatened to find another man to play with if he wasn’t interested. The way his eyes had gone midnight black and possessive had sent a thrill through her. There was no other man she wanted, but she’d keep that fact her secret.
“I want your hair down.” She hooked a finger in the leather band, dragging it down his ponytail. Once freed, she combed her fingers through his hair so that it fell around his face and shoulders. There he was, her warrior man.
Except he was clothed. “Shirt off.”
Amusement glimmered in his eyes. “You have a bossy mouth.”
“That’s not my mouth’s only talent.”
“Dammit, Taylor,” he growled, yanking his T-shirt over his head. “Keep talking like that and—”
She leaned up and latched her teeth onto his nipple. His groin jerked against her, then settled in the v of her legs. “You were saying?” she said after letting go.
“Don’t know.” He took possession of her mouth, delving deep, possessing her.
Because, like her, Nate worked out hard almost every day, he had a fine body. Very fine, Taylor thought as she skimmed her hands over his chest, down to rock-solid abs. His skin rippled under her fingers, his reaction boosting her confidence. He liked her touching him, which suited her just fine, since it was one of her new favorite things to do.
It was hard not to pause whenever she touched one of the scars inflicted by his father, bu
t she knew Nate. He didn’t want her sympathy or pity. She didn’t feel either emotion for the man, but she did for the boy who’d been horribly abused.
“Pants off,” she said when her hands reached the waistband of his jeans. She wanted him gloriously naked.
He sat up, straddling her. “Tiger, tiger,” he said, his lips curving into the wickedest grin she’d ever seen. “That bossy mouth of yours is going to get you in serious trouble.”
“I’ve always liked trouble.”
“That’s a damn good thing.” He grabbed the hem of her jersey. “Cause you’re in deep trouble, Ms. Collins.”
“You do remember that I can take you down, right?” Special Agent Nate Gentry was as serious as they came, but she was learning that Bed Nate had a playful side, and she loved it.
“I do. But you know what?”
She shook her head.
“By the time I’m finished with you, your knees are going to be as weak as a newborn kitten’s. You’re not going to be able to walk, much less best me.”
Every nerve ending, every bone in her body, and every pulse point screamed an enthusiastic Yes, please! She tugged on his jeans. “Off.”
“Not yet. This goes first.” He pulled her up so he could remove her baseball jersey. “Beautiful,” he said, sliding his hands along her sides.
She hadn’t bothered putting on a bra when she’d changed, nor had she expected them to end up in bed. When he lowered his face and placed whisper-soft kisses across her breasts, she sighed as her eyes slid closed. He swirled his tongue around a nipple and then blew on it.
“Feels so good.” She felt his mouth curve into a smile against her skin.
“Yeah?” He sat up, staring down at her. “We’ll get back to that, but first, you still have on too many clothes.” As he inched her jeans down, his gaze followed the slow reveal of her panties and then her legs.
When he lifted his eyes to hers, she sucked in a breath at the hunger she saw in them. No man had ever looked at her the way he did, as if she were his deepest fantasy come true. He was definitely hers.
Once her pants were gone, he straddled her again, holding most of his weight on his legs. The arrow of black hair disappearing into his jeans caught her eye. She traced her finger down it until she reached his waistband. With her thumb and index finger, she slipped the button out of its hole. He’d gone as still as stone. A sleek panther just before he pounces on his prey was the image that came to mind.
She wasn’t sure how eyes already black could turn darker, but his had, fathomless pools she could happily drown in. And the way he watched her—drinking her in with an intensity that set her body on fire—had her almost begging him to move. To do something. Anything. If he kept looking at her the way he was, she would soon burn to a crisp.
“Keep going,” he commanded, his voice harsh.
She kept her gaze on his as she slowly pulled down the zipper. A muscle ticked in his jaw, the only indication that he wasn’t unaffected by what was happening between them. He had on a pair of black briefs, and she put her hand on him, cupping his erection. It pulsed against her palm at the same time he hissed. She squeezed her fingers around him, dragging them up his length. His throat flexed as he swallowed hard.
“Off,” she said, letting go of him and tugging on his jeans.
He hopped off the bed. After pulling two condoms out of his pocket and dropping them on the nightstand, he pushed his pants and briefs down. Her eyes feasted on his body. He wasn’t overly muscled, more on the lean side, actually. As far as she was concerned, he was perfect. Broad shoulders, narrow hips, long legs, and oh God, his hair. She thought that was her favorite thing about him, or maybe it was his face. The high cheekbones, straight nose, full lips, black eyes, and the scruff on his cheeks were enough to send her libido into a screaming frenzy.
“If you don’t stop looking at me like that, I won’t last five minutes.”
She licked her lips, hiding a smile when he made a noise deep in his throat. Something grew inside her, a sense that she had power over this man. She’d never felt that with her only two boyfriends, and she liked it.
“Then we’ll just go for a round two.” She turned onto her side, resting her head on her hand, and looked up at him. “Unless you’re not man enough for me.”
His lips curved into that wicked smile she was learning to love. “Are you challenging me, tiger?”
“Hmm, maybe.” That was the thing about them. They were highly competitive when they got physical. When they worked out, neither gave way, both determined to best the other. The sexual tension between them always hit its zenith during those hours on the mat. She loved that, and wanted the same thing in the bedroom. A test of wills with him was a huge turn-on.
He stretched out next to her and put his hands on the sides of her head, pulling her mouth to his. After kissing her senseless, he lifted his face. “Challenge accepted. In fact, before the night is over, you’ll be begging for mercy.”
“You know I never beg.” Before he could respond, she slid down his body. “I think you’re the one who’ll be begging.”
“Taylor,” he rasped when he realized where she was headed. He buried his hands in her hair. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to, so hush.”
He didn’t give her more than a few minutes before he said, “Enough.”
No sooner than the word was out of his mouth, she found herself flipped onto her back, his body covering hers. “Well, hello,” she said. He stared down at her as if she were a puzzle he couldn’t figure out. “That was like tasting the sea. Warm and salty.” She swiped her tongue over her lips, greedy for more of him. She palmed his jaw. “What are you thinking right now?”
Irritation glimmered in his eyes. “Fuck if I know how I resisted you as long as I did.”
“And that makes you mad?”
“Yeah, it does.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Nate covered Taylor’s mouth with his before she could ask any more questions. He was venturing into foreign territory with this woman, and it scared the living hell out of him. He never saw the same woman twice, or never had before Taylor. What was he supposed to do with this need to be with her? She took his breath away, and he didn’t know what to do with that either.
She arched her body when he kissed his way down to her belly and then lower. Bewitched by everything about her, he stopped thinking. He loved the sounds she made, her sighs and moans and gasps. Yet, as he’d learned the first time they’d made love, she climaxed quietly, nothing more than an exhale of breath, and a shudder that traveled through her body like the wave of an ocean.
“You’re so sexy when you come,” he said, crawling up her body. He grabbed a condom, ripping it open. She gave him a dreamy smile, her blue eyes soft and not quite focused. “But let’s see if I can make you scream.” His name. That was the part he liked best.
Losing himself in the rhythm of the oldest dance in the world, he held her hips with his hands as they rocked together. His muscles strained as he fought to keep the wildness inside him leashed. If he let go, taking her the way he wanted—hard, fast, and deep—she’d think she was in bed with an animal.
“I’m not fragile, Nate.” She slid the pad of her foot down his leg. “You’re not going to break me.”
He knew that better than anyone, considering they did their best to kill each other every time they met on the mat. “Tell me what you want,” he said, staring down at her.
“You.” She arched against him. “The man who takes no prisoners.”
“I don’t think you have a clue what you’re asking for, Taylor.” She didn’t get it. He was doing his best to treat her like a lady, the way she deserved to be treated.
“The other night when we made love? I knew you were holding back, but that was okay. It was our first time together, and we were learning each other. Now I want the real Nate.”
“Are you sure?” When she lifted her head, sucked his earlobe into her mouth, and then b
it down, sending pleasure searing through him, raw lust hit hard. He could smell the musky scent of her arousal, and with a low moan, he sought her mouth, needing to feed the hunger growing inside him. Fisting a hand in her hair, he thrust his tongue deep, ravishing her mouth.
Letting go of her hair, he flipped them over. “Ride me, tiger.” He put his hands on her hips, helping her move. Even though she’d said she wanted the real him, he wasn’t sure she understood what she was asking for. He wasn’t into kink, but he liked his sex hard and fast and raw. Better to let her set the pace.
“Nate,” she said, her voice breathy. Her eyes slid closed, her skin flushed a pretty pink, and she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. Nate knew he’d never seen anything more beautiful than Taylor in the throes of passion.
“Nate,” she breathed again.
“You can let go. I’ve got you.” He dug his fingers into her skin, forgetting that he had intended to be gentle with her. She moaned, the sound of it eliciting a growl low in his throat. He lifted his hips, thrusting deep inside her, his climax close.
Rolling them back over, unable to hold back, he let out a little of the leash he’d been holding on his urges. His hair, which she’d freed earlier, hung around his shoulders, and she buried a hand in it, pulling hard. And then a shudder traveled through her as she shattered in his arms.
He looked into her blue eyes, dark with desire, got lost in them as the intensity building low inside him grew until he could no longer contain it. Taylor, he thought as he buried himself to the hilt, his muscles shaking from the force of his orgasm. He’d never felt anything like this with any other woman.
Taylor, he thought again as he buried his face against her neck. To say her name aloud would reveal too much. If he did, she would hear the wonder of what just happened in his voice. He had no idea what to do with the storm of emotions roiling through him, especially the possessive feeling he was suddenly hit with where she was concerned.