Heart's Desire (13 page)

What a waste of a day!
She still had to get to the store and back, and she'd just gone nearly twenty minutes out of her way for nothing.

Jessie opened the heavy oak door to her room, and her stomach dropped to her toes, followed by her jaw. Standing in front of her, in nothing but a towel, was the very subject of her frustration, with droplets of water clinging to his chest and hair, looking only slightly guilty. The breath seemed to stop in her lungs, even as her heart pounded against her ribcage. Her entire body ignited with desire as her eyes slid down his body and she watched him tuck in the edge of the towel. Her eyes jumped back up to his face as a lopsided grin slipped over Nathan's lips, and for the first time, she noticed a dimple in his left cheek. How had she never noticed it before? She wanted to be pissed, but that stupid indentation took anything left of her senses and scattered them, leaving her unable even to speak.

“No knock?” His eyes glinted playfully and it reminded her of why she was angry at him in the first place. His sly comment loosed her tongue.

Who in the hell did he think he was?
“It's
my
room. I'm not used to finding strange men standing nearly naked in it.”

She spotted her phone on the nightstand beside the bed and hurried past him to grab it, thankful for a reason to look away from his perfectly chiseled body.

How did a guy get muscles like that sitting behind a desk? Her mouth was suddenly dry, and she was finding it difficult to put together a coherent thought, knowing that a simple flick of her wrist would have him standing in front of her in all of his slick, nude glory. She clenched her hand into a tight fist to control the urge to do exactly that.

“That's good to know.”

His voice was right behind her. Surprised, she straightened and spun only to smack into the solid wall of his damp chest. She jumped away from him, tripping herself and falling against the nightstand, toppling the lamp. Leaning to catch it, she lost her balance and fell into the bed on her hip.

Nathan chuckled at her clumsy attempt to right herself and offered her a hand to pull her up. She took it and tried to stand as he stepped backward, but the heels of her boots tangled in the soft down bedding and she fell again, dragging him down on top of her. His thighs straddled her knees, pinning her to the bed, bracing himself with his arms above her shoulders.

She could feel every inch of him pressed against her. The denim of her jeans and the soft terrycloth towel did nothing to hide the taut muscles of his body. She felt every part of her respond with shock waves of desire. She pressed her hands against his chest and instantly froze, regretting her decision as her fingers tingled where they touched him, sending pleasurable warmth coursing through her arms.

“Where are you going, Jess? Why do you keep running away from me?”

Why
was
she still running? Why was she even bothering to fight this? Why shouldn't she have one blissful moment? Deb's voice practically shouted in her head to seize the opportunity even as memories flooded her mind. Memories of how good they had been together, how beautiful it had been the short time it had lasted. Any argument she might have made disappeared as he brushed a stray curl from her forehead.

“I'm not going to hurt you,” he whispered.

“Yes, you will,” she disagreed. Her voice choked with emotion she didn't want him to see. “You're going to destroy me.”

The acknowledgment did nothing to lessen the need burning within, spreading through her like an unwelcome flood, filling her with sweet agony. Without waiting for a response from him, she curled her fingers around his nape, shutting out the warnings her mind offered, and surrendered to the sensations coursing through her, electrifying her and making her feel suddenly free. She pulled him down to meet her mouth.

The kiss wasn't slow or gentle. It was hungry, primal, and fierce. She was tired of convincing herself she didn't want him, that she didn't still love him. From the moment he'd stepped foot on the ranch, she'd felt the attraction still burning within. She couldn't deny it any longer.

Unlike their sweet, tender kisses on The Ridge the night before, his tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting, branding, mating with hers, as he buried his hands in her hair. She couldn't hold back, even if she wanted to. She didn't have that kind of control when it came to Nathan. But he didn't have to know that. She might not be able to stop herself from loving him, but she didn't need to let him know the power he held over her.

Jessie wrapped one leg around his hips and rolled him onto the bed so she straddled him, her hair hanging down over them like a dark curtain. Gasping for a breath, she dragged her mouth from his, her lips swollen and tingling.

“I can't deal with any more complications,” she warned. “This has to be a straightforward arrangement. If you can't handle that, you should leave now.”

He cupped his hand around her jaw, and his eyes heated to emerald fire. “Jess, I'm not going anywhere.”

Jessie felt her heart do a flip in her chest as a piece broke off and soared skyward. She quickly yanked it back into place, scolding herself for the momentary elation. She'd heard that promise from him before. She had too many responsibilities to the ranch to fall for his happily ever after, forever and ever fairy tale. She couldn't let herself fall into the trap of believing in him again. Even knowing that didn't stop the longing that flooded her veins as his hands slid up the sides of her spine.

Jessie planted a hand in the middle of his chest. “Don't get all serious on me, Wall Street. We're just two adults having consensual fun for as long as we both want to.”

He blinked, his brows shooting upward on his forehead, as if her words surprised him, and for a moment, she thought she saw disappointment in his eyes. It passed before she could question it, and that damn sexy dimple appeared in his cheek again, stealing her breath and making it hard to concentrate.

“Just what every man wants to hear.”

She wasn't sure if his words were serious or in jest, but when his hands moved to the edge of her shirt, teasing the skin beneath with his fingertips, fire spread across her skin. The only way she was going to maintain any sort of sanity with this man was to be the seducer instead of the seducee. She grasped the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it the foot of her bed.

“Make your decision.” She smiled down at him and reached behind her back for the clasp of her bra, her back arching toward him.

Nathan's eyes darkened, and she felt every muscle in his body tighten under her thighs, coiling with tension. His hands found her waist, his long fingers sliding up her ribs causing shivers of delight to trip down her spine.

She wanted to cry out at that simple touch. Her entire body felt as if flames were engulfing her slowly, sweetly.

“No expectations, is that what you're saying? You're sure that's enough for you?”

Without waiting for an answer, Nathan's hands replaced hers and he unsnapped her bra, brushing aside the material to cup her breasts in his hands. His thumbs stroked the already taut peaks to aching points of agonizing pleasure. There was no way she could answer him truthfully while he was touching her, so she bit her lip, stifling the moan threatening to betray her. Jessie reached for the edge of his towel.

Nathan laughed, grasping her hand with his, and settled it against his firm abs. “There's no way I'm going to hurry this, Jess. I want to look at every inch of you.”

His fingers reached for her belt buckle, unclasping it and unbuttoning her pants. His fingertips moved to her lower back, and he slowly slid them along the inside of the waistband of her pants, circling them over her hipbones and back to her zipper. Goosebumps broke out over the skin of her back and stomach, and she felt a shiver of longing travel up her spine. Nathan unzipped her jeans with painstaking slowness, and she bowed instinctively, which only pressed her fully against his groin. She wasn't sure when they'd switched roles and he'd become the seducer, but at some point, she'd lost all leverage over him. Needing his hands on her, she'd let him take control.

He stood quickly, surprising her, and lifted her to her feet, kneeling before her. His big hands slid over her rear, pushing her jeans down her thighs to the floor. With her hands on his shoulders for balance and his face at her navel, he removed her boots, and she stepped out of her pants. She could feel his hot breath fanning against the skin of her abdomen, warming her flesh, and need spiraled through her hot and fierce, making her wet with desire. He slid his hand down the back of her thigh, his fingers tickling the back of her knees, and her head fell forward with a sigh of delight. He knew exactly where to touch her to make her body turn to putty. Curling his fingers around her heel, he removed her socks while he pressed his lips to the skin at her waist.

Her body ignited, every inch of her feverish, flames of desire licking at her, melting her resolve to keep her heart distant from him, locked tightly away. Nathan's arms curled around her hips, his hands moving up the back of her thighs to cup her butt. Gripping the edge of her underwear, his lips found the curve of her belly and his eyes looked up at her, meeting her gaze between her breasts.

“Jess, you're beautiful.” His lips moved against her skin, but his eyes locked on hers, as if speaking to her soul. “Every curve, every inch.”

She didn't want to believe him. She was too curvy, her rear too big. She'd heard enough snide comments growing up. Unlike her sister and cousin, she'd inherited her mother's short legs and generous endowments. But when Nathan said it, when his eyes shone hot and needy as he looked at her, she didn't doubt his words. She felt beautiful, feminine, and desirable.

Nathan hooked his fingers into the edge of her underwear and slid the scrap of thin material down her legs, letting it pool at her feet. Bringing his hands back up to her hips, his thumbs trailed over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, making her gasp with white-hot yearning. His hand traced the wet seam of her womanhood, and he slid one finger inside. Nathan rubbed his thumb against the nub as she arched against him. Jessie's knees buckled, and her fingers dug into his shoulders. Holding her to him with one hand under her rear, his lips against her belly, he locked eyes with her again and watched her pleasure.

Part of her wanted to move away, to deny herself the thrill of his touch, and to prove that she was the one in control of this situation, not him. She could never let him know how deeply her emotions were involved.

Just when her mind seemed to gain control of her body again, Nathan dipped his head. His mouth sent every thought splintering into shards of meaningless gibberish. His tongue left her forgetting her name, pushing her past caring who was in control. She cried out, bucking against him, quivering as an orgasm, more savage than she'd ever experienced, left her clinging to him, trying to stand, panting for breath.

Nathan stood slowly, his body pressing against hers, the sensation making her gasp, shivering against him in renewed pleasure. And then he was gone, leaving her on weak legs as disappointment coursed through her. She watched as he walked away from her, into the bathroom. She heard the shower turn on just before he leaned back into the room.

“Are you joining me, or did you want me to carry you?”

“What?” Her voice was still breathless.

Nathan strode back into the bedroom, and she couldn't help but let her eyes take in his physical perfection. His entire body looked carved from granite, and she felt her desire reawaken. He reached out and grasped her hand, pulling her toward him. “Where are we going?” she whispered.

“I got a shower, but you didn't.” He slid his arms around her back and ducked his head, sucking her bottom lip between his.

She gasped at the pleasure spiraling through her, making her dizzy. Nathan walked her backward toward the shower before tugging the towel from his hips and tossing it over the door. He stepped inside, pulling her with him as steam enveloped them. His hands slid over her slick body as his lips worshiped her neck and shoulders. It was all she could to do to cling to him as she gave in to the sweet agony of his touch. Grasping her thighs, Nathan lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, winding her arms around his shoulders.

Nathan turned so her back was braced against the tile wall as the hot water pelted his back. The movement pressed him fully against the center of her pleasure, and she cried out, her breasts against his chest, as the water sluiced between them. The renewed fervor coursing through her surprised her, and Nathan growled deep in his throat, dropping his head against her shoulder.

“Don't move, Jess.” His voice was strained. “Please, don't move.”

After what she'd just experienced at his hands and mouth, her self-control was nonexistent. The water washed over his shoulder and down her breasts, making them intoxicatingly slick. His fingers dug into the firm muscle of her butt, and she could feel his restraint caving as his body throbbed against her. Nathan pressed his mouth against her collarbone, licking at the water that created a trail down the valley of her cleavage, before taking one breast into his mouth. His tongue flicked at the nipple, licking the water from her skin. Need, raw and fierce, exploded in her anew. Jessie gripped his shoulders, tightening her thighs around his hips. She wanted to feel all of him. Right now. She couldn't wait another moment.

“You can be slow later. I want you now.” She inched herself down over the length of him, covering his mouth with her own. Her body enveloped his, encasing him completely as he gripped her thighs.

How could anything feel this incredible?

Her entire being surrounded him. Arms, legs, mouth, and heart, clutching him greedily as he drove into her. Her tongue swept against his as he held her against the wall, controlling each thrust with his hands cupping her rear. For the first time, she was content to simply feel, to let him guide her through the maelstrom of her desire, as he carried her to a new height of pleasure.