Off Limits (13 page)

“No.” She stepped back, her hand on the edge of the door. “You have to go.”

“Haven.” He cupped her cheek, his touch so familiar, bringing all her desires to the surface. “Let me in.”

Voices carried up the stairwell. Jill. Haven reached out to yank Eric into the room. He stumbled past her and she closed the door, not wanting to have to explain why Eric was visiting her. She faced him and folded her arms over her robe, conscious that she wore nothing beneath it. Could he tell? She pulled the neckline higher and tried not to shiver. Eric was in her room, the bed only a few feet away. “What do you want?”

“You.”

The one word kicked up her pulse and she pressed her back to the door. “We agreed it was over eight months ago.”

He stepped closer. “You’re here, I’m here. We know what each other likes. We know everything about each other’s bodies.”

The pictures he drew in her mind were too enticing, and she wished she could close her eyes to erase it. That would reveal too much. “How long since you’ve had sex?” She lifted her chin, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

He angled his head and smiled. “You tell me. Eight months?”

She couldn’t stop the quick intake of breath. Eric Viera, sex on legs, hadn’t had sex since he’d been with her? What the hell was she supposed to make of that information? And why did it make her so happy?

“You?” he asked softly, taking another step.

“Same,” she admitted.

A smug smile curved his lips. “Then?”

His fingers twined in the ends of her hair. Did he remember how much she loved that, the play of his fingers and her hair against her skin? She parted her lips and he took it for an invitation, covering her mouth with his.

This was something she couldn’t reenact. She could touch herself and imagine his mouth between her legs. She could fire up her vibrator and imagine him fucking her. But nothing could duplicate his kiss, the skilled play of his lips and tongue that seemed to remember all her favorite moves. His fingers trailed from her hair, down her throat to her shoulder and back, drawing her against him. Did he realize she wore nothing underneath the robe? He would, soon, because her legs parted of their own volition, letting his hips nudge closer to hers. Already she grew slick and swollen, and she barely stopped herself from tilting her hips to rub against him. How could her body betray her so fully?

She pressed her palm to his chest, intending to push him away, but her fingers had other ideas, clutching at his shirt, feeling his heart pounding, as affected as she was. He eased back and she opened her mouth to tell him to go, but his lips found that tender spot below her ear, his short goatee adding another layer of sensation to the caress, and her pussy squeezed with anticipation of having him inside her.

Only that couldn’t happen. She had to stop him.

Instead, her hand curved around the back of his head and she tilted her chin to allow him freer access to her throat. More than anything, she wanted to rub along the hard ridge of the erection he’d been sporting since they danced, wanted to make herself come apart in his arms, but she kept her feet flat on the ground, her hips still, willing herself to have some control of the situation, though she was fast spiraling away from that resolution.

“Missed you,” he murmured against her skin, stroking his thumb over her shoulder through the thick terry robe. “Missed your taste, missed your voice, missed your laugh. Missed your body.”

Send him away. Send him away now. You don’t want to pine over him for another eight months.
If only her hormones would heed her head. No, they were already seduced. She huffed a breath. She’d get him out of her system tonight. She wouldn’t have time for him tomorrow in the flurry of wedding preparations. Even if they made love again tomorrow night, they’d part ways Sunday. Not enough time to get attached to him again.

“Just tonight.”

He eased back, his expression wary. “I didn’t just come here to make love to you. I want to talk about—”

She loosened the belt of her robe and let it fall to the floor. With a growl, he gathered her against him, one hand splayed across her hip, the other coursing up her naked thigh.

“God, touch me, Eric.”

He curved his fingers around her breast, the calluses of his palms rough on the tender skin, the sensation making her wetter. Now she tilted her hips forward, seeking satisfaction by rubbing along his cock, still in his slacks.

He set her away from him, hands firm on her hips. “The bed,” he managed as he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and dragged it over his head, then unhooked his slacks in record time and dropped them to the floor.

His magnificent body was better now than it had been eight months ago, lean, muscular, and God, his penis was long and hard. Suddenly she remembered every stroke, from every time he’d made love to her. Memories were powerful things. She lowered herself to the soft, pillowy bedding without taking her gaze from him.

“Condom?” she asked as he approached, cock bobbing with the movement. Funny how they both seemed to have lost the ability to speak in complete sentences.

“I knew I was going to see you, didn’t I?”

“Mm. We have language,” she murmured, leaning back on her elbows and drawing up her knees. “Get it.” She nodded toward his pants on the floor.

“Not yet.” He braced his hands between her feet on the bed and parted her legs. “It’s been a long time since I tasted you. Christ, Haven, you’re wet.”

“Um.” His breath along the inside of her thighs didn’t help. She wanted his mouth on her more than she wanted to breathe. But, “I want to come with you inside me.”

“You will,” he said with that maddening grin and lowered his head.

It’s the quiet ones that take you by surprise.

Rocky Mountain Haven

© 2012 Vivian Arend

Six Pack Ranch, Book 2

Beth Danube’s emotionally abusive husband is dead and buried. So is her heart. It’s no big deal, she has all she wants: her three little boys and a fresh start in a small Alberta town. What she
doesn’t
want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever.

After ten years of unsatisfactory, missionary-position sex, she never expected her libido to reawaken. One look at sex-in-boots Daniel Coleman in a Calgary bar, though, blows the dust off her sexuality.

Sensing an edge of desperation, even fear, beneath Beth’s come-on, Daniel finds himself giving in to the powerful urge to let his normally subdued desires run wild. The lady wants non-judgmental, non-vanilla sex? She’s got it—in and out of the bedroom.

At first, friends with blazing-hot benefits is more than enough. Then she realizes Daniel is burning away the protective fortress around her heart…and the guilty secret she dare not reveal.

Warning: One woman determined to retake control of her life, a man with the single-minded purpose of offering her—and her body—everything she needs. Inappropriate behavior in barns, change rooms, and oh-my-gawd phone sex with a cowboy.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Rocky Mountain Haven:

By Friday, after a week’s worth of crappy sleep where she tossed and turned all night, she’d come to a conclusion. She could wear out the battery-operated boyfriend she’d finally had the courage to purchase, or she could find another way to deal with the lust driving her. She didn’t need a man in her life full time, but she sure could use one part time.

He’d offered. He was attracted to her. Maybe he’d even be willing to show her something other than sex in the missionary position.

As long as she was the one who got to call the shots, this could work out well for them both.

The house was quiet, the boys all off at a birthday party. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, tucking her T-shirt in a little more, buttoning and unbuttoning her sweater. It was one thing to decide she was ready for some casual sex, another to inform Daniel of his role in that decision. Beth plopped down on her bed and sighed, her reflection taunting her. Yeah, the sleepless nights really added to her appeal as a sex symbol, dark shadows under her eyes. It took a rush of sheer willpower to force herself out the door and across the small bridge before she could change her mind, again. She’d never know if she didn’t take the chance.

The barns and outbuildings on the other side of the trees were brightly lit, and she hesitated. She wasn’t sure if she’d even find him at home on a Friday night, but there was no way she was going to phone. If nothing else, she’d walk to the main ranch house, say hello to Marion and Mike then retreat to the Peter’s house to wait until it was time to pick up the kids.

She found him in the barn. Her throat and mouth flashed dry as she watched him rake something straw-like from a stall. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and his biceps rocked with every pull of his arms. Tight muscles showed under the jeans, under his shirt—damn, he was just so good looking from boots all the way up to his slightly mussed hair. A throb hit between her legs and she bit her lip. There was nothing wrong with her physical response.

She took a deep breath. “Hey.”

The delight in his eyes stirred more fluttering in her belly. “Beth. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She glanced around. None of the rest of the Colemans seemed to be near. “You got a minute? My boys are at a birthday party and I…” Holy cow, this was harder than she thought it would be. She forced her head up and met his gaze. “We need to talk.”

Daniel grinned, a panty-twisting expression that made her knees weak. He propped his rake against the wooden wall and tilted his head toward the door. “Come, we can talk while we walk.”

“No.” Her fingers were tangled together, and she dragged them apart, not sure where to put her hands. She felt about twelve years old with a first crush. “We’re private here—that would be better.”

He gestured to a bale. “Have a seat.”

She’d practiced this so it didn’t sound too desperate or sluttish. She hoped. “I was thinking about what you said the other day—”

“About us seeing each other?”

He sat beside her, their thighs touching as he faced the opposite direction. The scent of his skin rolled over her, the earthy fragrance of a man who’d done physical labour—raw and powerful. She barely stopped herself from leaning into him and offering her lips.

Instead, she nodded.

Daniel chuckled. “You’re getting all tongue-tied again, Miss Beth.”

“I’m interested in you, but I’m not looking for a long-term relationship.” The words burst out exactly how she’d rehearsed them. She twisted to face him, determined to finish. “I think we should just have some fun together.”

There. She’d said it. Maintaining eye contact was impossible, and she stared down at her fingers twisted together in her lap. He covered her hands with his, pulling one free.

“Now why did I think you were going to go and say something like that?”

He did?
“I mean, you’re very attractive, but I don’t think I should get involved with anyone. It’s too soon and I don’t want—”

“The boys, right?”

Exactly
. She relaxed a little. “I don’t think it’s fair for them to see me with another man.” Oh Lord, he was kissing her knuckles, his tongue teasing the seam between her fingers. The pulse between her legs quickened, and she had to force herself to stay motionless.

“Hmm. Makes sense, I guess.” He opened her palm and kissed it. “So, you’re interested in me sexually, but we can’t see each other in public. Is that what you’re saying?”

A shiver raced up her arm as he licked her wrist then gently sucked her skin.

“Yes. No. I mean…” How was she supposed to think with him touching her? When he leaned closer and nibbled on her earlobe? “Daniel, please.”

“I aim to.” He smoothed a hand over her shoulder, tangling his fingers in her hair. He pulled her head back so they could see into each other’s eyes. “You want to spend time with me.”

“Yes.”

“But the boys can’t know?”

She swallowed, watching his lips move closer. “Right.”

“Hmm.” He kissed her, lips faintly brushing back and forth as he directed the speed, the pressure. She slipped out her tongue to touch his bottom lip, and he captured her, sucking her tongue into his mouth. The kiss deepened, and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing as close as she could while seated side by side. The desire and need that had haunted her since the start of summer built to a high boil, and she gasped for air when he broke contact.

He traced a path over her body with his gaze. “How are we supposed to see each other without the little tykes catching on? And if they did find out, wouldn’t that cause more trouble?”

No. No more thinking about it. She didn’t want to analyse this anymore. She’d already had five restless nights trying to figure out how to satisfy her craving for him. “They won’t know. We’ll keep it quiet.”

He reached for her chin. “So what you’re saying, and pardon my crudeness, is you want a fuck buddy.”

She cringed. The phrase had skipped through her brain earlier, but it sounded far worse when said out loud.

Daniel stroked his thumb over her cheek. “You’re not looking for a friend with benefits because I ain’t allowed to be your friend.”

“It’s not that, it’s just—”

“Don’t know if I can do that.” She squeaked as he picked her up and placed her on his lap. “If all you’re looking for is some sex, I’m not interested. There’s a part of me that says,
hell yeah
, and I could be fucking you up against the wall in two minutes flat.”

Oh God, the images racing through her mind.

“But if you remember our conversation in the back hall of the bar, I don’t think you’re that type of woman. I’m not that kind of man. Honesty is one of the things that makes us who we are, and I’m going to be honest with you, darling.”

Beth held her breath as he cupped her face then stroked his other hand down her body intimately. He opened her legs and settled his fingers over her crotch. Could he feel how hot she was through her jeans?

“I find you very attractive, and I don’t just mean your body. I don’t know what troubles you’ve had in your past, but I hope we’ll get to talk them through at some point. So here’s what I suggest—you tell me if you agree. You and I do both. We fool around like you want, as long as you let us try to learn to be friends, like I want.”