Playing With Fire (7 page)

Matt didn't answer right away. “I haven't needed any for quite a while."

His statement, delivered with such solemnity, took her aback. Had she misjudged him all this time, mistaking flirting for sexual prowess? Perhaps so. Funny, she'd learned more about him tonight than she had in the two years they'd been acquainted.

"I have some."

That admission brought him to a grinding halt, and he sat back down on the bed. “You do?"

"I was going to seduce Joey. Remember?” she asked softly.

"Yeah, I remember.” Matt spit out the words as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Lindsay's anxiety increased. This wasn't going well. Before she could figure out how to repair the damage she'd caused with her stupid blunder, he twisted sideways, grabbed her arms and forced her down onto the mattress.

"Good thing he wasn't here,” Matt said in a low growl and then kissed her. Urgently. Thoroughly. Possessively.

Yes, good thing,
thought Lindsay, circling her arms around his middle. They toppled sideways, landing with her on top. With their mouths still joined, he yanked at the v-panty, stripping it from Lindsay in mere seconds and leaving her bare from the waist down. Free of her clothes, she struggled to her knees and straddled him. A low rumble of appreciation vibrated in his chest. When she tried to end the kiss, he anchored her in place with an arm solid as a steel girder. His penis, full and thick, lay between them. She rotated her hips, grinding her feminine folds against him. With an agonizing groan, he released her.

"Where's the condom?” he croaked.

"In my raincoat. On the floor."

"Get it. Quick."

"I brought two.” She hopped off him.

"I hope that's enough."

"If not, there are other alternatives we can try."

He gulped audibly. “You'd better hurry. I can't last much longer."

As she leaned over the side of the bed and fumbled for the raincoat, he unhooked the fasteners on the back of her bustier. The flimsy garment fell forward, and she let it drop to the floor. Her inhibitions, too, fell away. When she returned to lay beside Matt, a condom clutched in her fist, she was eager as he was to pick up where they'd left off.

"I'll take that.” He grabbed for the condom.

"No way.” She jerked away from him and tore open the package with a flourish. “Why should you have all the fun?"

Placing the condom on Matt was more difficult than she'd anticipated. And much more erotic. Lindsay didn't think it possible for person to be so aroused that soon after satisfaction, but she was. He, too, enjoyed the process, if the way his stomach muscles involuntarily flexed was any indication.

"I'm done waiting. How about you?” He was on top of her practically the second she finished.

Without giving her a chance to catch her breath, he plunged his hard length inside her. A fleeting sting of discomfort quickly became a pulsating ache of pleasure. As with their first kiss, she craved more and lifted her bottom in an effort to maximize their contact. The ache intensified. Lindsay felt herself being carried—no, make that hurled—toward another orgasm.

"Slow down, baby. Not yet."

Matt shoved his hands underneath her and took hold of her hips, his fingers gripping her flesh with vicelike strength. He forced her to remain still as his teeth bit into the skin on her neck, her shoulders, the tops of her breasts.

Lindsay could no sooner slow down than she could stop the rain pouring from the sky. “I can't,” she cried and wrapped her legs securely around his waist. This changed the angle of penetration, and she climaxed almost immediately, clinging to him as if he were the only thing keeping her earthbound.

Matt's control snapped. One last powerful thrust and he followed her over the edge.

The spasms gripping her lower abdomen gradually receded. Her throat constricted and her eyes burned with an unanticipated rush of emotions. Wonder. Joy. Contentment. Fulfillment. And a connection with Matt so strong, it scared her.

Did he sense it, too? Should she ask him? How did one begin a conversation after such an extraordinary experience? Lindsay didn't know where to start, so she said the first thing that popped into her head.

"That was ... unbelievable."

He pushed off her and fell heavily onto the bed. “No argument here.” He sounded exhausted, but happy. Very happy.

Lindsay moved to cuddle beside him, and he gathered her in his arms as naturally as if they'd been together for years—which, in a way, they had. Matt, Lindsay realized, had claimed her affections the day they'd met. She just hadn't admitted it until tonight.

"You thirsty?” He cradled the back of her head, massaging her scalp with slow, sensual strokes.

Lindsay thought if he didn't stop, she'd fall asleep right then and there. “A little,” she murmured lazily.

"I'll go raid the refrigerator.” He disengaged himself, stretching as he sat up. “Stay put, you hear?” He punctuated his order with a pat to her thigh. “I mean it, Lindsay,” he said, no longer teasing. “I don't want you more than an arm's length away from me from now on."

Was it possible for a heart to smile? If so, Lindsay's did. The second Matt left the room, she disobeyed him and snuck into the bathroom. There, she freshened up and made use of the facilities. She hurried so he'd find her in bed when he returned. Still, she waited another minute before he strode through the door, carrying two bottles of water.

They sat side by side, their backs to the headboard, and made quick work of the water. The cold liquid tasted good going down.

"Are you warm,” Matt asked, rubbing the bottle across his upper chest, “or is it just me?"

"It's warm,” Lindsay agreed. She envied the bottle, remembering her earlier promise to herself to investigate his chest hair in more detail.

"Maybe this will cool you off."

Lindsay squealed when Matt dribbled water between her breasts. Laughing, she tried to scramble away from him, but he held her fast. “Stop it!” The water trickled down her belly in icy rivulets. “Look what you've done. Now I'm all wet."

"Not for long.” Matt bent over and licked her dry, following the liquid trail to where it ended at the junction of her legs. “Nice,” he said, brushing the fringes of her springy curls with his lips.

Lindsay yanked him upright and sought his mouth for a kiss. “Save that for the next time."

"You mean this isn't the next time?” He dipped his head to meet her kiss, grazing her cheek with the bristly stubble of his day old beard.

He tasted good. And like the water, Lindsay went back for seconds. When they drew apart, she leaned against him and sighed. “I need a rest, first. You took a lot out of me."

His response was a huge yawn.

They burrowed under the sheet, arms and legs entwined, her chin tucked into the crook of his shoulder. Lindsay closed her eyes and felt sleep's seductive pull. She'd been operating on pure nerves for most of the day, and it was finally catching up with her. Matt, too, probably unless he hadn't gone to Tucson.

"What happened with your visit to your parents?” she asked drowsily. “Did you decide not to go?"

"No, I went. And came back early,” he muttered in her ear.

"You drove down and back in one day?"

"Technically, half a day."

The poor guy. And she thought she was tired. “You must be ready to drop."

He slid his hand down her belly. “I could be revived, with the right stimulus."

The exhaustion in his voice said differently.

She laced her fingers with his, stilling them. “Good night, Matt."

"Good night.” He dropped off almost immediately, his limbs relaxing their hold on her.

Wrapped in the cozy cocoon of his arms, Lindsay let her mind drift. Dimly, she realized they'd have much to talk about in the morning. The issues of work and Joey would have to be dealt with. But at the moment, she was too drained emotionally and too sated physically to do more than listen to the quieting patter of raindrops on the roof. The storm appeared to have lost its momentum, as had the one raging inside them. For now.

Ironic,
she thought, slowly losing the battle for consciousness. She'd come here tonight with the single-minded purpose of ending up in Joey's bed. She'd done that, all right. But the man she'd made love with wasn't Joey. Eventually, she'd have to confront him and find the right words to explain.

But not yet.

Later. When she didn't have Matt's breath blowing gently in her ear and the memory of their recent lovemaking to muddle her thinking.

Sometime later, Lindsay learned the definition of ‘a morning hard-on'. She awoke with Matt's thick arousal pushing into the small of her back and his hand cupping her breast, the fingers working the nipple into a tight bead. As much for her own enjoyment as his, she rotated her hips. Her reward was the sound of air rushing from his lungs.

"That's what you get for waking me up so early.” Through slitted eyes, she glanced around the bedroom. The grey light of dawn had yet to reach the window. And according to the digital clock on the dresser, they'd slept a measly six hours.

"If you think you're punishing me, you're wrong.” He sounded far too chipper.

She moaned groggily in reply.

"Not much of a morning person, are you?"

"I'm capable of rising quickly when the situation calls for it, as you well know.” At the fire station, they were up, dressed, and out the door no more than ninety seconds after the alarm sounded.

"Prove it.” He reached an arm over her to the nightstand.

Lindsay heard the distinct sound of a condom package being torn open, and her pulse immediately raced. A mental picture materialized in her mind, that of her placing the condom on Matt the night before. Her body responded, exhibiting much the same symptoms as then. Hot in some places, tingly in others, and damp one spot in particular. Her excitement had reached a fevered pitch by the time he parted her legs.

Without any preliminaries, he entered her from behind, swiftly and completely.

She reached out and braced a hand on the headboard. “Oh, Matt."

"Hang on, baby. This is going to be fast and furious."

He wasn't lying. Within a moment, both of them peaked.

"That's some method you've perfected for waking a girl up,” she said when her vision finally cleared and her heart stopped trying to knock a hole in the side of her chest.

"I don't know. I think it needs more work. How ‘bout we practice again tomorrow? Or better still, right now?” He bit her ear playfully.

"We're out of ... supplies."

"No problem.” He hopped off the bed. “Like you said earlier, there are other alternatives we can try."

"I'm not done sleeping,” she protested when he unceremoniously lifted her in his arms.

"Shower now. Sleep later."

"You're crazy. You know that?” She looped her arms around his neck and kicked her feet, hiding her smile in the hollow under his jaw.

"Crazy about you,” he said, and swung her in a wide circle. They burst into laughter when he stumbled and almost dropped her.

The laughter died on their lips when the light abruptly came on. Joey stood in the doorway, eyes wide and mouth gaping in a look of surprise and confusion.

Matt turned sideways, doing his best to shield Lindsay.

"Sorry.” Joey had the grace to step out of the room and shut the door after him.

He didn't, however, turn off the light, allowing Matt to view up close the horror on Lindsay's face.

"Put me down!” she demanded. When he didn't immediately comply, she fought him, squirming against his chest.

"Lindsay. Don't.” He couldn't think of a single thing to say. This was all his fault. He'd pressured her to stay when she'd been ready to leave. Worse, he didn't regret it one bit. Reassurances were probably useless at this point, but he offered one nonetheless. “It'll be all right. Don't worry."

"How can you say that?” she cried, obviously close to tears.

Her movements became frenzied, and he released her, setting her on her feet. She was in no frame of mind to listen to him, not that he blamed her. Because of his conversation with Joey last night, Matt knew the situation appeared worse than it actually was. But Lindsay didn't know that, and he had no business telling her. True, he should have waited until Joey officially broke up with her before taking her to his bed.

Make that Joey's bed.

Matt groaned inwardly. What a mess he'd made of things. Lindsay had principles, and he'd coerced her into compromising them. She must feel awful. “I'm sorry."

"You weren't alone in this,” she snapped, tearing around the room and collecting her clothes from where they'd fallen. “I participated too, if you recall."

He did. Vividly. “I'll talk to Joey. It's not as if you've been unfaithful to him. Well, not exactly."

That remark triggered the tears she'd succeeded thus far in holding back. She swiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I should never have slept with you. It was wrong."

Instantly, he was beside her. “Don't say that. Everything about us is right. You know it and I know it. Okay, so maybe we went about it the wrong way. But it's not the end of the world. Joey will understand."

"How can he when I don't understand it myself? This isn't like me.” She pressed a closed fist to her lips, her shoulders shaking. “I don't go jumping into bed with one man while dating another."

"Dating. Not sleeping. There's a big difference."

"Not from where I'm standing, there isn't. Joey and I had a commitment. Disputing the depth of that commitment is simply semantics."

Rather than start an argument, Matt reigned in his impatience and frustration. He and Lindsay would talk once Joey straightened things out. A quick survey of the bedroom revealed the location of his boxers—they were caught on one of the college basketball trophies atop Joey's bookcase. As Matt dressed, he watched Lindsay do the same. Before the sight of her in the bustier had a chance to really screw with his hormones, she threw on her raincoat and furiously knotted the belt.

He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Damned if she wasn't something. He'd better be careful. A woman like her could easily own his heart ... if she didn't already.