Tyler might be Mr. Do or Die McCade, but he was only human, after al . And at the moment, he was an extremely furious human male.
He stopped right in front of her, so close she could feel the heat and anger radiating off him.
She licked her suddenly dry lips and forced herself not to step back. "What's wrong? What happened?" To her consternation, her voice trembled slightly.
Tyler didn't speak for a moment; he couldn't speak. He'd never felt such a scalding rage before in his entire life. If that weren't enough, he'd never experienced such a potent desire for a woman, either. The combination was threatening the thin thread of control holding him together.
His world was crashing down around him and she wanted to know what was wrong? If not for her, he'd be flying the Piper high in the sky right now.
If not for her, he wouldn't be so goddamned horny.
Tyler closed the distance and gripped Caitlyn's shoulders. Her tank top didn't cover much of her above the chest, so skin touched skin, scorching them both. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at him out of wide green eyes.
"You want to know what's wrong?" he said through gritted teeth. " This is what's wrong."
Too many emotions raged through Tyler to al ow him to consider the consequences of his next move. He didn't want to think; he only wanted to feel.
He desperately wanted to lose himself in sensual sensations and the pleasures of the flesh. He wanted to go to that place where passion and desire reigned; where harsh reality receded to the background.
Bending his head, Tyler took Caitlyn's mouth in a savage kiss. He slid his tongue across her bottom lip, once, then twice. "Open your mouth."
She quickly complied and he slipped in to taste her honeyed sweetness. She moaned as she leaned into him, tangling her tongue with his.
His world righted itself and his equilibrium was partial y restored. For the moment, the disaster on the runway faded into a fog of passionate yearning and desire. His world may have turned on its axis, but one thing remained a constant. His body was on fire, burning out of control, and the beautiful woman in his embrace, kissing him like there was no tomorrow, promised to take him to paradise and back.
At least, he hoped she did.
He kissed the corners of her mouth, her nose, her cheeks. He nuzzled her neck and kissed the sensitive spot behind her earlobe. "I want you, Caitlyn. I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you. Tel me to stop, and we won't go any further."
She pul ed back and searched his face again, cupping his jaw with a gentle hand. "I don't want to stop. I want you, too."
Tyler let out a whoosh of exhaled breath. " Thank God."
Capturing her lips again, he kissed her hard and long. Then he took her arm and dragged her the short distance to the front door of his apartment at the side of the hangar.
He opened the door, pul ed her inside and into his arms again. Tyler took her mouth in another searing kiss. He'd never tasted such a delicious woman. He backed her against the table in the foyer, grinding his lower body against hers. She looped her arms around his neck and wiggled closer, sucking his tongue, deepening the kiss.
Behind the button-fly of his jeans, his arousal flexed painful y. If he wasn't careful, he'd be finished before they were good and started.
Tyler pul ed back and leaned his forehead against Caitlyn's. His breath shuddered in his lungs. Too fast. Too hard. He needed to slow down.
Caitlyn's emerald green eyes were fogged with desire. "Don't stop now," she whispered. She rose on tiptoe and tried to capture his lips in another scorching kiss.
He grabbed both of her hands and brought them to his mouth. "I'm not stopping, but we need to pace ourselves. It's been too long for me, and I want you too much."
He kissed the palm of one hand and licked the sensitive hol ow of the other. With his tongue, he traced the blue veins across her wrist, then tenderly kissed the soft skin. Her breath hissed on the intake and he felt her tremble.
Tyler couldn't believe how responsive Caitlyn was to his touch. He pushed away al the troubling thoughts threatening to crowd his brain and concentrated on the pleasure and passion of the here and now. There'd be plenty of time to deal with his problems later. His body had final y healed and he was dying a thousand deaths wanting to make love to the sexy woman who'd been haunting his dreams, both day and night, for the last couple of months.
He kissed her delicate wrist again. She tasted perfect and smel ed even better. He raised his head and locked his eyes on hers. One more searing kiss, then he took her hand, entwining their fingers and led her to the bedroom.
Caitlyn didn't know how Tyler's anger had transformed to sexual hunger, but she wasn't going to complain. Whatever had happened in the cockpit of the aborted solo flight seemed to be forgotten or put on hold. Tyler was refocusing his anger into passion, yet she felt perfectly safe with him. When he'd stalked across the tarmac toward her, fury burning in his cobalt-blue eyes, there'd been a second there when she'd thought he was angry with her.
Deep down, he probably was. Yet he also desired her and if he needed comforting and mindless sex to help him forget what had happened, then she was wil ing to offer her body to the cause.
No longer could she deny how much she liked the man. She admired and respected him and she trusted him implicitly.
This wasn't about love. It was just going to be clean, unadulterated sex between two consenting adults. They were taking their relationship to the next level.
She could handle it. She hoped . . .
Tyler pul ed down the covers of his bed and sat on the edge so he could remove his boots. Caitlyn fol owed suit and toed off her sneakers.
Now that they were actual y alone in his bedroom and on his bed, her stomach started fluttering in nervous anticipation. She took a deep breath for courage.
Tyler turned to her and brushed her lips with a lingering kiss. He stood and pul ed her to her feet. "I want to undress you," he said, his voice rough with passion.
He reached for the hem of her tank top and lifted it up and over her head, slinging it across the room. Caitlyn's nipples hardened to taut peaks, pressing against the thin fabric of her sports bra.
Tyler cupped her breasts in his hands, weighing them in his palms, his thumbs rubbing around her nipples, massaging, teasing, taunting. Before she could beg him to touch her already, he removed her bra and bent to take one sensitized bud into his hot wet mouth. He suckled deeply, and she felt the pul al the way down to her womb.
Caitlyn's knees almost buckled, and she buried her fingers into Tyler's hair, holding his head close and herself upright. His short brown hair felt crisp and silky; his skin warm beneath her fingertips. She arched toward him, seeking more of his touch and felt one big hand splay across her back, anchoring her body in place. He kissed his way down the slope of one breast, licked the val ey between, then nuzzled the upward curve of her other breast. He swiped his hot tongue across the neglected nipple and blew softly.
A moan tore from the back of her throat and just when she thought she'd die, he latched on to the wet nipple and pul ed it into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue before final y giving Caitlyn what she wanted. She moaned from the pleasure pulsating through her body. Liquid heat pooled between her legs, aching to be fil ed.
Tyler pushed her onto the bed and she blinked at him, trying to focus. He cupped her mound with one strong hand and she felt the heat through the thin layer of shorts and panties. He traced the seam over the intimate folds, touching a fingertip to the most sensitive spot.
Of their on volition, her legs spread apart and her breathing increased. She looked down the length of her torso and stared at his thick finger resting against the intimate flesh, wishing with al her might that she were naked.
She licked her lips then moved her eyes to Tyler's. Fire burned in the sapphire blue eyes and he gently tapped his finger against that restrictive seam. "You like?"
Caitlyn swal owed and nodded as she felt herself gather for blesse
d release. She nearly wept with frustration when he suddenly changed course and removed his finger to unsnap the waistband of her shorts. He grabbed hold of the top of the shorts and pul ed them down her long bare legs.
Her silky low-cut panties immediately fol owed.
He stretched out beside her and smiled that lethal smile of his. He rested on one elbow, leaning his head on his hand as if settling in to play some kind of sensual game. He leisurely skimmed his fingers from her lips, slowly down her neck, between the val ey of her breasts and dipped into her bel y button, then lower stil where he hovered over the soft triangle of curls.
She felt like squirming on top of the mattress as she wil ed him to touch her sweet spot. She caught his hot gaze locked on hers. Without breaking eye contact, he brought his finger to her mouth, pressed on her lips and she opened. "Make it wet," he said, his deep voice irresistibly seductive.
Caitlyn took his finger into her mouth and laved it with her tongue. The slight salty flavor permeated her taste buds. His eyes glittered with suppressed desire when she gently bit then sucked.
He withdrew his finger and returned to hover it over her quivering, sensitized mound. "Watch me, Caitlyn."
Tyler lightly pressed the tip of his wet finger to that tiny intimate flesh, barely making contact, not moving, just holding it there.
Caitlyn watched his finger barely touching her, wondering how such a light caress could produce such a wicked yearning that reached deep down to her core. When she thought she couldn't stand it any longer, she glanced at his face and again he smiled.
He lifted his finger away. "You're not watching."
"Tyler. Please. Please . . . touch me."
"Watch my finger, babe. Then I'l give you what you want."
Caitlyn bit her lip and looked down the length of her now perspiring body. Delicious, tortuous shivers coursed over her. When he touched her again, her body jerked, and he quickly withdrew the magic touch.
" Tyler . . ."
The bed creaked as he knelt between her legs. Before she could make sense of what he was doing, he slid his finger inside her and bent to give her the most intimate kiss of al . He swept his tongue lightly across the sensitive bud and moved his finger in counterpoint. Again he hovered over the sweet spot, flicking his wet tongue, moving his finger, stopping, waiting.
Caitlyn gripped the sheets with her fists and spread her legs wantonly wider, lifting her hips, seeking that scorching pleasure just beyond her reach.
She was so close, her body hummed with anticipation.
"Watch me, babe. I want to see your face when you come."
She lifted her head and watched as Tyler pressed the flat of his tongue against her nub, the pressure somewhere between gentle and soft, not moving. Again.
Caitlyn hung in a tortuous limbo of desire, the only reality the feel of that hot wet tongue exerting a wondrous promise against her soft quivering flesh.
She bucked her hips, feeling her orgasm balancing on a steep precipice. Just one little shove and she would explode. "Tyler. I need . . ." She couldn't get the words out, her desire made her pant for breath.
"I know, babe. I know what you need."
The thick finger resting inside her womanhood began a rhythmic movement, in and out, in and out. A slow slide in; a slower slide out.
Caitlyn moaned loudly as her climax overtook her, consumed her, propel ing her outward into a miasma of sensuous delight. Tyler moved his tongue against her, kissing her, licking, stoking the fire to greater intensity until a rainbow of bright lights burst behind her closed eyelids and her body shattered into thousands of glittering shards.
She lay limp on the bed, her body stil trembling with the aftermath of her orgasm. Even after experiencing such delirious pleasure, a hol owness between her legs ached to be fil ed.
She opened her eyes to see Tyler shedding his clothes and covering himself with a condom. He stood in al his male glory, his erection jutting outward, his blue eyes gleaming beneath heavy desire-laden lids.
Caitlyn lifted her arms to him and smiled. "Make love to me, Tyler. I need you inside of me. Hurry."
Tyler gazed at the woman lying on his bed, looking wickedly sexy. He wasn't going to last two seconds after he plunged into her slick wet heat. He was glad he'd taken the time to make it good for her, because now it was his turn and it was damn sure going to be good for him. And her too.
Again. If he could keep his brain from completely shutting down.
He knelt on the bed and positioned himself between her legs. He took hold of her ankles and pushed her knees toward her chest. He bent to kiss one rose-beaded nipple, then the other. "Grab you knees, sweetheart. And spread your legs, like this. Excel ent." He kissed the sensitive skin on the inside of one of her thighs and smiled when she began to tremble and undulate.
He lowered himself over her, bracing himself with his arms on either side. He nudged the tip of his erection against the hal owed sanctum. Sweat beaded on his forehead and the top of his neck. "I'm not going to last. It's going to be quick."
"Don't worry. Just do it. You can show me finesse the next time." She wrapped her legs around him and drew him closer.
Tyler gave up the ghost and plunged into the welcoming wet channel, burying himself to the hilt. He waited half a second before withdrawing, then plunging again. And again. And again.
The world receded into darkness, leaving only himself and the woman beneath him moving to the rhythm of an ancient primordial dance.
When Caitlyn reached up to cup his jaws and looked deeply into his eyes, Tyler's orgasm hit him with a force so powerful, he col apsed on top of her. As his body convulsed with the last tremors of his climax, he thought he might never move again.
He smiled into the pil ow. Who was he kidding? As soon as he recovered, he wanted a repeat performance.
****
Caitlyn sat in the office of Lone Star Wings, entering the accounts receivable into the computer. Soon after she'd begun working for Tyler, she had gradual y organized his accounting system, filed reports and receipts, and basical y cleaned out the entire office from top to bottom.
She'd learned what not to do in an office while working with her dad. After he'd died, she'd been left with the chaotic aftermath resulting from his lack of business acumen. She'd learned too little, too late. There'd been nothing she could do to save his flight school from going bankrupt.
But she'd been determined to help Tyler save his flailing business. He'd hired her to fly the crop-dusting planes in order to keep his company from going under. Caitlyn had volunteered to set up a better accounting system and after an initial reluctance, she'd gained his trust and he'd final y agreed.
Why couldn't he trust her to help him fly again? It had been a week since that disastrous aborted solo flight. A week since they'd made passionate love. They'd stayed in bed the whole day, making love, exploring each other's bodies, talking about everything under the sun, except flying. Neither mentioned Tyler's failed attempt that morning. It was like the elephant in the room everyone pretended not to see.
Only when they'd taken time out for a snack to replenish their strength for more lovemaking, did they hear the bul dozers cleaning up the debris.
Tyler had stood at the window and watched the men demolish and bury the tangled heap of metal that had once been one of his favorite aircraft.
Caitlyn sighed. At least the physical reminder of the crash was gone for good. Now, if only Tyler could get over this hurdle and fly again, everything would be great. His body was healed, but his soul stil suffered from aftershock.
To make matters worse, Caitlyn hadn't been able to get much done on the restoration of her dad's plane this past week, and she was running out of time. It was late August, and the Stone Creek Air Show was in eight weeks. She'd sent in her entry form and received back the flight sequences in which she'd be competing. Only thing was, she had no plane.
And once again, she and Tyler were dancing the dance of avoidance. Before they'd gone to bed t
ogether, the dance had only consisted of a few basic steps; now after Saturday, they were choreographing entire routines to keep out of each other's way. As a result, they were barely speaking to one another.
And they were behind schedule on everything. She'd flown several crop dusting-- aerial application-- jobs during the week, and Tyler had assisted on the ground. He'd kept conversation to a minimum and eye contact as brief as possible.
Caitlyn didn't know if he regretted the lovemaking or what, but she was getting pretty damned tired of feeling like a pariah. What they'd shared had been amazing. And it wasn't like she wanted a lifelong commitment or anything. Heck, she didn't even want a real relationship.
Don't lie, Caitlyn.
Her engagement to Scott should have made her resistant to Tyler's good looks and ready charm, yet it didn't. That combination along with his determination to rise above the plane crash and his serious injuries had engendered a respectful sympathy and admiration for his strong spirit.
But his spirit had crashed and burned the other day. And she felt guilty, like it was her fault. Had she planted that seed of doubt in Tyler's head?
Would he have been able to make that solo flight if she'd kept her fears to herself?
And what about the seed he'd planted in her head?
"I want you so bad, I hurt . . . I've tried to ignore this chemistry between us, but it's not working."
He'd put on a good act, that's for sure. Ever since the awesome kiss they'd shared in her camper that night he'd brought the chocolate cake, Caitlyn had believed he'd succeeded in ignoring the strong attraction bouncing between them. Evidently not, considering the day they'd spent together in bed.
When he'd confessed his desire in the confines of the cockpit right before he'd ordered her to leave, Caitlyn's stomach had plummeted and her thighs had tingled. When he'd turned to her for comfort after the aborted solo flight, she'd been only too happy to comply.
Only afterwards had her own regrets risen to the fore.
Lone Star Heartbreaker Page 9