Cowboy Country (92 page)

She joined him, turning her back and lying stiff as an icicle.

“Relax, I’m not going to jump you.” He circled her waist with his arm. “We’ve slept together before and you were safe.”

“I’m not scared.” Her voice squeaked.

He chuckled. “Really? Could’ve fooled me.”

Her long legs stretched out like two frozen planks and she had to have one hand braced against the floor to keep from falling. At least two inches separated them.

His skin wasn’t exactly toasty, but her near-naked state had him standing at attention. “You warming any?”

“Not yet.”

“Come here.” He tugged her closer until her behind curved into his groin and their legs touched. “That’s better.”

“Yes,” she whispered.

They lay in silence, and he assumed she was asleep until she spoke. “Your family’s going to be worried sick about you.”

“They’ll be fine. They know I’m a big boy.” He didn’t want to trouble Ava, but he didn’t like worrying his mother. Both Travis and Paco would be going crazy with fear, too. “We’ll hike out of here at first light.”

“Good.”

Under his palm, Ava’s ribs lifted and dropped, slower now. She had begun to relax and the frozen skin of her legs began to warm. When he touched one of her feet with his, they still reminded him of two chunks of ice. Shadows danced on the walls and he watched them, wide awake.

His thoughts turned to the day behind them.

Who would have ever guessed Abruzzo had a sister willing to do his dirty work? Along with her, had he brought other reinforcements? Killers lurking in every alley? Waiting to gun down Ava, and probably him, too?

If this were the old west, he’d arm his brothers, and like the Earps, they’d go after the bad guys. But it wasn’t the old west; there was no vigilante justice. Hell, there was no justice at all. Even if he’d been mistaken about the way the sheriff’s department handled Beth’s murder, today the lady sheriff had showed them how much she cared about the Callahans. Zip. Nada. Not one whit.

She hadn’t seemed to believe a word they said, and then to not arrest Lisa Abruzzo was just plain crap. Just like her predecessor, Sheriff Faraday had turned her back on someone Levi cared about. But unlike the last time, he wouldn’t look away for an instant and let a woman die on his watch.

He tightened his arm around Ava and she sighed, relaxed against him.

Even her icy feet had begun to warm.

He was warm, more than warm.

He burned where her silky skin touched his. Her legs mashed against his, her back to his chest, her butt pressed against his jutting erection all had him hot. He shifted and the pressure intensified. With gritted teeth, he tried counting sheep. One. Two. Three. Four.

Not working.

His mind kept going to the woman in his arms and how much he’d like to bury himself in her soft folds.

But Ava’s rule said no sex.

A rule he’d love to break. But not until she said so.

Back to counting sheep…five…six…seven.

His hand slid up her ribcage to just under the swell of her breast. He ached to slide under her thin t-shirt, to fill his palm with her breast. His lips and tongue craved her. From the top of her vanilla-cinnamon-scented head to the tips of her delicate toes.

Eight…nine…ten.

Damn sheep. He’d never liked them.

His groin tightened.

Why had she made the no-sex rule again? What had been her reasoning? Something about men jumping her and then disappearing? Surely she knew he wasn’t a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy. Hadn’t he proved that by now?

Eleven.

Had he left off with eleven? Or was it twelve?

His fingers itched. Her nipple was peaked, he could tell without touching it. With only the slightest movement and he could find out how good it would feel. But he promised not to do anything she didn’t want.

Twelve…thirteen…fourteen.

He closed his eyes and tried to think of anything but the urge pulsing between his legs. He wasn’t a horny teenager, he could control himself.

The sheep thing wasn’t working. Maybe baseball stats. Nah. Images of bats, balls and home runs weren’t a good idea.

A soft sigh slid out of Ava, and he clenched his jaw. No matter what it took, he wouldn’t hurt her or scare her for the world. He wanted her bad, but until she felt the same way.

His cock was going to have to wait.

If it didn’t kill him first.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ava woke slowly.

To her surprise, she was warm. Even her toes felt normal when she wiggled them. She shifted slightly and realized Levi’s heavy arm lay across her ribcage. And his big hand cupped her breast. Cold had nothing to do with her hard nipple pressing into his palm. Or her hyper-awareness of him that her clenching her thighs together.

The hard ridge of his erection against her buttocks told her exactly how much he wanted her. Or at least his body was reacting to a nearly naked female pressed up against it. No, it was more than that. This thing between them had been there from the beginning. He wasn’t like any other man she’d ever met. He was kind. Patient. Strong and loyal.

Protective.

He’d put his life on the line more than once to save hers.

She’d never known love like his.

She’d fallen in love with a cowboy.

But he never said he loved her back. And he wouldn’t. His fiancée’s death had left him too scared to fall ever again. Ava’s heart twisted into a hard knot. She covered a sob with her hand.

“What’s wrong?” Levi’s voice rumbled close to her ear. “You’re safe.”

She wasn’t safe. She was in deep water that had nothing to do with Dario Abruzzo. “I’m fine.”

“Come here.” He tugged her over so she faced him. Less than an inch separated them as she looked into his hazel eyes. Long, dark lashes framed them, but it was the look he gave her that made her melt. She touched her dry lips with the tip of her tongue.

“Levi. I—”

He shifted so that she was under him, but he held his weight off her. “You have a rule, Ava. Remember?”

She managed a nod. “Yes.”

“Rules are rules.”

“You’re right.” Her voice came out strangled.

He moved his mouth a fraction of an inch closer. “We shouldn’t break rules.”

“Probably not,” she whispered, “but—”

“But, what?” His lips brushed hers so lightly she wasn’t sure she hadn’t imagined it.

“Maybe we could make an exception.” She circled his neck with her hands and pulled his mouth to hers. “Just this once.”

He had to outweigh her by a good fifty or sixty pounds, but he didn’t seem heavy as his body settled over hers. His lips claimed hers, hot and insistent. Slowing, he took his time and explored very inch of her mouth with his tongue, promising something more. Much more.

His erection pressed against her stomach, and her body tightened.

She slid her hands up and down his powerful back, loving the way his muscles bunched and played under his skin. Her nipples pressed against the thin fabric of her tee, begging for his touch. With their mouths locked together, she reached for the hem of her t-shirt and tugged it up. Only when there was no choice but to break apart did they stop kissing long enough to tear the shirt over Ava’s head and throw it to the floor. Goosebumps rose on her skin and her nipples hardened in the cold air.

The fire had burned down to coals, but she couldn’t have cared less as Levi smoothed a strand of hair from the corner of her mouth. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She met his gaze. “I’m not very experienced—”

His kiss silenced her.

She forgot what she had been trying to say when he reached between them and gently squeezed her right breast before taking her nipple between his fingers and pinching it. She slid her hands into his short hair, loving the soft texture against her fingertips.

Removing his mouth from hers, he dropped kisses across her cheek, down her neck and across her collarbone. His mouth lingered on her throat, tasting, teasing.

Her breasts swelled under his hands as he played with her nipples, tugging and releasing. Deep inside, her belly constricted.

Her body heated.

All chill vanished.

He latched onto a nipple with his sinful mouth, and Ava couldn’t hold back her cry. Pulling it deep into his hot mouth, he scraped it with his teeth until she writhed under him. Her nails raked his skull. When he released it to change breasts, she moaned a protest.

She lightly nipped his shoulder and he responded by sliding his hands down the curve of her waist to her hips, then lower, to grasp her bottom.

Shivers raced across her skin.

He slid her thong from her and tossed it to the floor.

With trembling fingers, she reached for the waistband of his boxers. His palms left her behind and covered her hands as she slid the fabric from his hips. When it reached his knees, he used his foot to finish the job and kick them aside. With one hand he braced himself and with a gentle but firm grip he took her wrist and guided her.

“Touch me, Ava.”

Hesitantly, she obeyed.

Silky, yet hammer-hard.

She ran her thumb over the slick head and it jerked in her hand. She repeated the action until he moaned.

“Baby, you’re killing me.” He sounded as if might be dying and Ava froze, fearful she had been too forward.

“Don’t stop.” He put his large hand over hers. “Don’t ever stop.”

His mouth went back to her breast, sucking a nipple deep. Ava arched her back, giving him full access.

He changed breasts and the cold air drifting across her abandoned damp nipple was almost painful.

Placing her hand on his penis, she ran it up and down until his slim hips began to buck. She released him. He made a smothered sound when she explored his balls, cupping them. She squeezed gently and he took her hand from him. “Do that much more and I won’t make the buzzer.”

For an apology she kissed the hollow of his throat. His pulse beat a rapid rhythm that matched hers. His warm, woodsy leather-man scent filled her senses. She couldn’t get enough of him. He couldn’t be close enough.

She spread her legs for him.

Instead of entering her as she expected, he drifted a hand across her stomach and laid it below her bellybutton. With infuriating slowness, he teased, dropping one micro-inch at a time until he reached her bare mound. And stopped.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” he said against her ear. “Nice.”

She bit her lip, unsure whether to explain why all showgirls waxed everything. It was part of the job because their costumes were skimpy, leaving little to the imagination—especially during high kicks.

He slid his middle finger inside and she forgot everything else.

“You’re so wet,” he murmured. With agonizing slowness, he circled her clit with his thumb. “Hot.”

She dug her nails into his shoulders. “Levi, please.”

Another pass over her sensitive nub. “Please what?”

Her hips rose to meet his ministrations. “Please, I need—”

“Tell me.” His finger pressed deeper. His thumb rubbing over her core had her legs trembling. Wet heat flooded her. Her stomach clenched and her breasts ached.

“I have to have—”

His free hand wrapped in her hair, dragging her mouth to his. Just before his lips settled over hers, he said, “What do you want?”

“I want,” she gasped, “to break my rule.”

He chuckled against her mouth. “I’ve been waiting to hear you say that.”

Removing his hand from between her legs, he reached for his jeans. Taking a small packet from his wallet, he opened it and sheathed himself. “Ready to take a ride with me?”

Her toes curled. “Yes.”

Settling himself over her, he placed his palms on either side of her head and dipped his head. His tongue darted in and out of her mouth, teasing her to a new high. The hairs on his chest brushed the tips of her nipples until the sensation was almost too much to bear. But it was his erection prodding her slick opening that had her thighs shaking.

Would he be able to tell?

Should she say something?

Then it was too late as his body entered hers.

A soft cry slid out of her as he buried deep.

She’d been ready, more than ready. Levi was the one she’d been waiting for. She’d been close to climaxing without him even entering her. But this didn’t feel good at all. In fact, it hurt. A lot. He was too big and too intense.

A tear slipped down her cheek as he began plunging in and out. She lay stiff and unmoving. Unsure what to do.

Why hadn’t someone told her it was like this? The girls at work all made it seem like some kind of wondrous adventure. Like nothing else on earth.

Above her, he froze. “Ava?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m going to take a wild guess here and say you haven’t done this before.” Without ceremony, he pulled out and rolled to his back, taking her over on top of him. “The reason for your no-sex rule. Right?”

Heat raced up her neck and face. “Partly.”

“Damn, lady. You could have told me. I would have taken things a little slower.”

“Show me,” she countered softly. “Please?”

He bent his head and tasted her lips. This kiss was gentle, with none of the former hungry rush. He took his time, teasing until she gradually began to relax. To enjoy his kisses. She stretched out on top of him and their legs entangled. Her nipples poked into his hairy chest, the sensation one of the most erotic she’d ever experienced. His erection, wedged between them, pressed against her bare stomach.

A flame began low in her belly and licked outward, down her legs and up her chest. His kisses deepened, grew more urgent.

Her body dampened.

“Get on top this time. That way you can control how deep you want me to go.” Levi guided her so she straddled him. Placing his hands on her hips, he positioned her over his erection. Slowly, she slid onto him until she felt like she could take no more. His hands on her hips kept her from taking him all the way to the hilt.