by Cindy Stark
He gave her a reassuring smile and shook his head. "Just a precaution. We're out in the wilderness. It pays to be prepared."
"I thought I was the cautious one, and you were the wild and crazy person."
"There's a difference between wild and stupid, Angel."
She supposed there was. She took the binoculars and held them to her eyes. "It's all out of focus."
"Tilt the edges down and in. That should make things clearer."
She did as he directed, and the trees suddenly came into view. The wolves were still kind of small, but she could definitely see them. "They look like dogs."
He chuckled at that. "What did you expect?"
She followed the movements of one, excited to see it approach another so that she now had two in her sights. "I don't know. I guess I thought they'd appear more vicious."
"Trust me. They're not sweet like puppy dogs. They're cunning predators who'd take you down if they were hungry enough and thought they could get away with it."
"Thanks for that. I'm feeling super safe at the moment. Maybe we'd better get that gun out of the bag after all."
He shifted, and she peeked from behind her binoculars to find him staring intently at her. "Don't worry. They'll have to go through me before they'd ever get a shot at you, and that is not going to happen, okay?"
The fierceness of his reply left her in shivers. "Okay," she answered, her word teetering on breathless. A rush of warmth flooded her. She had no doubt the guy who'd intimidated her with his dark eyes and devilish looks could protect her. The thought left her feeling very feminine and more than a little attracted to him.
She slipped back behind her binoculars, afraid if she didn't, she'd start fluttering her eyelashes like a silly fool. She located the pair of wolves again, and then circled the area, searching for the third wolf. It was headed back into the trees. She quickly located the other two, sad to see them heading in the same direction. "They're leaving."
"Looks like it. That's okay. I'm glad we spotted them. Sun will be down before long, and we won't be able to see them anyway." He removed the reins from the hook inside the sleigh.
"Are we headed back then?" She wasn't ready to go home, and he had not made one single move on her the whole night except to wrap an arm around her.
She wanted a kiss under the stars.
"I don't want you to get too cold."
"I'm not cold. Well, my nose is a little, but the rest of me is quite fine."
He quirked a sexy brow. "Yes, you are."
Warmth heated her cheeks. "Maybe we could watch the sunset. We're okay out here after dark, aren't we?" After all, she had her big, strong man to protect her.
"Yeah. I know this land like the back of my hand." He turned the horses around, facing them toward the orange globe hovering near the horizon. Slashes of white clouds cruised across the dark periwinkle sky, promising they'd soon claim the heavens.
She snuggled closer to him under the quilt.
He wrapped his arm around her again, tugging her close, making her heart thump faster. "I thought you weren't cold."
"Maybe just a little, but this is nice. Definitely warmer." She turned into him, slipping an arm behind his back, and rested her head on his shoulder.
A few minutes later the sun disappeared from the horizon, leaving them with nothing but a half moon to light their way. Stars in the sky popped out one by one, creating a show in the night sky.
"It's so peaceful out here. And just beautiful, isn't it?"
"It certainly is." He shifted in his seat, and the tension between them heightened. Something electric and strong replaced the friendly camaraderie they'd shared only moments before. "You should make a wish on one of those stars."
"Okay." She stared at him, not giving the heavens a second glance. Her wish was that he'd touch his lips to hers so that she might taste him.
He faced her, and she trembled. He slipped off his glove and ran a finger down her cheek. "Such soft skin."
"Thank you." She searched his expression, knowing where he was headed, frightened and exhilarated at the same time.
"Think we should head back?" He trailed a thumb across her bottom lip.
"No," she whispered, and then sighed as he dropped his head toward hers.
The moment his lips brushed across hers, her heart contracted as though holding on for dear life. Sweet Mary. She met his searching tongue, and the low-fire that had burned inside her during their evening erupted. The whiskers on his chin tickled her. He tasted of cinnamon, coffee and desire. And all those things she ached for since she'd become a woman.
A kiss from him would never be enough.
He seemed to sense her feelings and plundered deeper into the soft recesses of her mouth. Even as she accepted him, she yearned for more. He shifted her in his arms and leaned her across his lap, catching her head with the crook of his arm. Her position left her vulnerable to his sweet assault.
He stopped, allowing her to catch her breath. Her chest heaved as she studied his face in the quiet light. It might have been dim, but she was sure the passion that burned inside her was mirrored in his expression.
The start of a smile crossed her lips and slipped onto his as well. He cupped her chin and possessed her mouth again. Sparks more potent than anything she'd felt with a man flared inside her. Could she be that insanely attracted to him, or was the excitement compounded because he should be off-limits?
She didn't know, and right now, ah God, she didn't care.
When he finally stopped, she was a puddle in his lap. Her bones had melted, and any rational thoughts had been erased. She could stay like that forever if he'd keep kissing her.
He traced a finger across her tender lips. "I think we'd better head back. If we try to take this any further out here, we'll end up with frostbite. Besides, I never go all the way on a first date."
His statement coaxed a laugh from deep inside her. "Me, either."
"Common knowledge, Angel." He helped her straighten in her seat.
"Again with the assumptions."
"So what? You're saying you've had sex on a first date? Maybe I should rethink my plans for the evening."
"No." She tugged the quilt up under her chin to ward off the air that had turned frigid after he'd released her.
"No, what?"
"I've never had sex on a first date." Though she wanted to now.
He lifted the reins and urged the horses to head home. "See, common knowledge." He sent her a grin that set her insides to boiling again. "If you're not afraid to be alone with me at my house, I'd love to fix you dinner."
"Depends. Are you a good cook? I need to know what I'm risking my morals for." She couldn't resist the tease.
"Damn good. In the kitchen. And otherwise."
"I'll bet you are," she said, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt. "Okay, then. Take me home." She'd just tossed her first sexual innuendo, but he'd started it, and flirting with him had become her new addiction.
He shook the reins, sending the horses running at a faster clip. "Don't worry. In case you don't remember, we discussed the safety of your virginity last night and determined you have nothing to fear from me."
That's where he was mistaken. She might not be at risk to lose her virginity, but her heart was an entirely different matter.
CHAPTER NINE
By the time they returned to Luke's barn, Katy was pretty sure her nose had turned into an icicle. A young man dressed in a warm winter coat and work pants came out of the barn just as Scott brought the horses to a halt. Scott helped her out of the sleigh, gathered his bag and slipped the kid a bill. Katy wasn't sure, but she thought it looked more like a fifty than a twenty. Scott led her to the passenger side of his truck and waited until she was inside before he closed the door. By the time he occupied his seat and started his SUV, shivers had claimed her body.
"Now, you're cold. I knew we stayed out there too long."
"I'm fine." She might be cold on the outside, but beneath
her skin raged the fire he'd ignited.
He pulled his hand from his glove and reached over to touch her cheek. "You're freezing." He backed his truck around and headed down the snow-packed road to the highway. When his SUV was firmly on the cleared pavement, he accelerated and cranked up the blower on his heater. "It's not super warm yet, but it's better than outside."
She pulled off her gloves and leaned forward, holding her hands in front of the vents. "Feels good."
"Can't believe I let you get that cold."
"It's my fault. I wanted to stay out there."
"Doesn't matter. I should have known better."
She hated that he took responsibility for decisions that were partly hers. "Scott. I'm fine."
He eyed her, but didn't respond as he turned off the main road and down a long drive. Bright lights lit the two-story, dark gray rock home sitting at the end of the drive. She'd admired it many times on her way to work. "This is where you live?"
He nodded, a small smile of satisfaction turning his sensual lips. "It took me a while, but I'm happy with how it turned out."
"Happy? Are you kidding? It's breathtaking. You think numbers are sexy? I think a man who could build something this amazing is beyond sexy."
He grinned, his brows rising in a suggestive arch. "I like the sound of that."
The warm depths of his eyes coaxed the flirt from within her. "Maybe we could work a deal. I'll play with your numbers, and you can help me with a few things around my home."
"I'm all for working deals." His teasing, sexy smile twisted her insides. "Anything you need, just ask."
A few moments later, she stood in the entry of his comfortable home, grateful to have warm air to thaw her body. "This is just gorgeous. Seriously."
Beautiful wooden floors welcomed her inside. Several darkened rooms led off the entry way, and a stunning wooden staircase curved upward. The furnishings were a little sparse, but the place had so much potential. She inhaled, loving the new home scent. "I'm impressed. Did you do all the work?"
He unzipped her coat, pushing it from her shoulders. "Most of it. I hired an electrician and a plumber, but the rest is all me."
She focused on him as he pulled her jacket from her arms. "Are you trying to undress me or what?"
He stopped, a serious look on his face. "I'm trying to get you warm." He hung her coat in a closet near the front door and returned to her.
She smiled. "Ever the gentleman."
He snorted. "Now that's one I haven't heard much during my life."
"I'm finding that harder and harder to believe. I think you have everyone fooled with your bad boy reputation."
Interest flashed in his eyes. "You think so, huh?" He eyed her with a look that left her sizzling. "Maybe I really do want to get you out of your clothes."
A warmth rushed through her. Maybe she wanted that, too, although she'd never say it out loud. In her life, she'd never considered sleeping with a man the first time she was alone with him, but everything about Scott made her want to be as close to him as possible. She longed to pull him to her for another kiss. Longed to run her fingers over his biceps and down his chest. Longed to know what it would be like to make love with a man who made her feel so much more than anyone else ever had.
As he slid the scarf from her neck, she looked into his eyes. Immense attraction coiled around her, making it hard to breathe. The man she'd fantasized about all those years ago stood in front of her looking every bit as dangerous as he had then. She dropped her gaze to his lips, wanting him to claim another kiss. She focused on him, silently pleading for him to make a move.
Instead, he folded her scarf and handed it to her.
"Wait." The worry that she was about to miss an opportunity spurred her to action.
She stepped closer to him, hooking her scarf around his neck and pulling him to her. "You're not the only one who can flirt like that."
Surprised appreciation flared in his eyes. His reaction gave her the courage to continue.
She reached between them and unzipped his coat, desperately needing to lessen the barriers between them. "I think you need to take off your jacket, too."
It was only outer layers, but the way it mimicked a more sensual undressing was not lost on her. He stood immobile as she pulled his coat from him, watching her with a heated gaze, but not making a move. She knew he'd gone out of his way to treat her like a lady, but she didn't want that. She wanted to be treated like a woman. She wanted his touch, his kiss. More.
She placed her hands on the sides of his face and stood on her tiptoes, leaning in to him. She locked eyes with him until her lips touched his, and then she let her eyelids flutter down as intense heat roared through her body.
The first seconds of the kiss were under her control, but he quickly took over, his mouth growing more demanding. He snaked his strong arms around her, crushing her against him.
She slipped her hands beneath his flannel shirt, tugging his t-shirt from his jeans. Her fingertips burned with need when she came into contact with bare skin, and her sigh slipped between their lips. The intimate sound must have driven him to a higher level, too. He pushed her until she was caught between him and the wall, both immovable forces. He left her lips, pulling her hair to the side, placing scorching kisses along her neck, her throat. She tilted her head, gripping his waist as everything inside her turned hot and aching.
"Oh, God," she whispered, as she fisted handfuls of his hair, bringing him back to her for another fierce kiss.
"Do you want me to stop?" He was as breathless as she was.
"Uh-uh." She searched until she found the buttons on his flannel shirt. Each one easily popped open, increasing her anticipation. She'd been thinking about this moment for days, and now that she'd come this far, there was no way she could turn back. For all of the risky opportunities she'd passed on in her life, if she let this moment go, she'd regret it forever.
With his shirt unbuttoned, she tried to remove it, but it clung to his cotton t-shirt.
Scott stopped kissing her long enough to pull both over his head in a single, fluid move.
Sweet Mary. She had Scott Beckstead half naked. Each muscle and curve beckoned to her, and it thrilled her to know she was allowed to touch. It was obvious working construction kept him in top shape. Her eyes traced the glorious curves of his chest, and her fingers soon followed.
She sighed and leaned in, pressing her lips to a spot just beneath his collarbone, his flesh warm and smelling of spicy musk. She inhaled deeply before trailing several kisses upward to the indent where his neck met his chest. She flicked out a tongue, tasting him.
"Angel. You're killing me."
She lifted her face, finding his warm brown eyes had darkened to almost black with desire. Eagerness chased away her nerves. "I know we both never do this on a first date…" She ran her fingers down his bare chest.
"I really hadn't planned on seducing you tonight."
She met his gaze again. "Maybe I'm seducing you. I think it's about time I start living dangerously."
He lifted her chin, one corner of his mouth curving upward. "You're not this kind of girl. I want to respect that."
"Maybe I want to be. With you. Tonight. Is that such a bad thing?"
"Only if you won't hate me in the morning."
"Never." She pulled her sweater over her head and delighted in the way his eyes lit up. He ran a thumb over the curve of one breast before searching for her nipple beneath the veil of thin white silk. A sharp tingle exploded at his touch, leaving a deep ache within her. He leaned over, sucking her nipple through the thin fabric, and she wondered if a person had ever died from pleasure.
"Damn," he whispered. "I feel like I'm breaking the law."
"Don't put me on that pedestal. I don't like it there."
"Lucky for you, there's no way I can deny you. I'm not that strong."
Just to make sure, she reached behind her to unhook her bra.
He stilled her arms. "Let me, okay?"
> She swallowed. "Okay," she said on a breath.
He stepped forward, eliminating any open space between them. His chest pressed against her bra, his stomach warm against hers. He looked down at her with a self-confident masculine gaze, a man sure of what he was about, and she thought she might orgasm from his look alone. His rough fingertips grazed the bare skin of her back. Instead of going straight for her bra, he pulled her tighter against him. "I love the feel of you next to me."
Her heart fluttered, but she couldn't respond. Words wouldn't form. Right now, she could only communicate in sensation and try to remember to breathe.
He tilted his head, leaning in toward her ear. Waves of tingles flushed through her as he sucked on her lobe and placed soft kisses in the hollow beneath. She held her breath as his hand moved up her back. A second later her bra went slack, her heavy breasts falling forward toward him.
Intense emotion blazed in his eyes as he trapped her gaze. With one hand, he slid the bra from her body and tossed it aside. He lifted his brows in a telling gesture before he devoured her bare skin with his eyes.
"Oh, Katy," he whispered as he wrapped his hands around her waist, traveling upward until he reached her breasts. He slid his hands forward, cupping her from beneath, dragging his thumbs across her highly sensitized buds.
He bent her across his arm, arching her back as he leaned in and captured her aching nipple. Instinct, need for release, caused her to thrust her breasts forward. She gasped and gripped his forearm, afraid she might lose her hold on reality and fall.
Delicious sensations raced between her breast to her core, leaving her hot and needing more. He continued to suck and tease her taut bud with his tongue, while he manipulated the other nipple into a burning peak. She tried to breathe through his sensual assaults.
He turned her, taking her hands and placing them on the wall above her head as though spreading her for a police search. His roughened fingers left a wake of powerful shivers as he dragged them down the sensitive undersides of her arms, back to her breasts.
She tried to lower her arms, but he pushed them back in place. "No. Don't move."
A ragged breath escaped her lips as she did as he commanded. Her heart raced faster. She closed her eyes, experiencing each touch, each sensation as he resumed his path down the undersides of her arms. He reached around, taking the full weight of her breasts, massaging them. Proof of his desire for her pressed hard against her bottom, leaving her unstable.