Your'e Still the One (14 page)

She studied his chest, glad that Noah had a big ice dispenser because they were going to need a second bag. “The keys Noah gave Jesse and Cole. I finally got it.” She couldn’t hold herself back from brushing her fingertips over the already-darkening skin.

“This part I like,” he said, his warm moist breath bathing her ear and the side of her neck. “What about the key thing?”

“Is this a test?” She gave him an eye roll and kept petting him, careful not to press hard.

“I’m not sure
I
got it.” His smile told her that was crap, but then he grunted and jerked.

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop.”

“No, don’t. It was just that one spot.”

“You sure?”

“I’ll let you know when I’m uncomfortable.” He skimmed her waist and hip with his free hand.

She let her palm rest over his heart for just a moment, then smiled as she leaned back. “Is there anyplace else that hurts?” She brushed aside the hair falling across his forehead, and checked for more scrapes or bruises.

“None. Quit stalling.”

“Noah gave them the key so they could bring women here. Happy?” She made a face. “Living at the Sundance is like being in the middle of a state fair.” She crouched to drop the NEOSPORIN in the first aid kit and closed it. “Huh. Jesse didn’t say anything about Trace having his own key.” She laughed. “I wouldn’t have given him one either.” She rose, bringing the box with her. “I shouldn’t say that. I like teasing him but it’s not his fault women are stupid around him. And he doesn’t take advantage of—”

Matt took the kit from her and tried to balance it on the edge of the small sink since there was no counter to speak of. The plastic box tilted and partially landed inside the sink. He ignored it and took her hands in his.

“Where’s your ice pack?” she asked, her heart starting to pound when she looked into his darkened eyes. He was hurt. Surely that was pain, not lust. Not so soon after the fight.

“You think that’s why Jesse gave you his key? Because he knew we needed privacy?”

“Jesse knew you were hurt and, therefore, harmless.”

Matt almost smiled at that. “I doubt it,” he said, letting go of her hands.

But before she could draw back, he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her more snugly between his spread legs. “This is crazy,” she murmured. “You’ll do more damage to—” She cut herself off when he pressed his uninjured cheek to her breasts.

“We’ll have to be careful,” he said, sliding a hand over the swell of her backside.

“How can you even think about sex right now?”

“Honey, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I saw you the first night.” He turned his head and, through her worn college sweatshirt, sought her nipple. “You have to take this off.”

“Matt, you can’t do this.” She picked up the ice pack he’d left on the shelf behind him.

He pushed his hand under the sweatshirt and smiled up at her. “I plan on making you do all the work.”

Rachel’s laugh came out an inelegant snort. She pretended to cough. “Will you please keep this compress on for a while?”

“Sure, for as long as it takes you to turn down the guest- room bed.”

She took in the scrapes on his cheek and chin, the swelling and bruising around his eye. “I don’t believe this.”

“We’ll keep the lights off,” he said grimly.

“That’s not what I meant. God, Matt.” She leaned down to gently brush a kiss to his mouth. Except for the small cut at the corner, his lips weren’t too bad. “Tonight you rest. Tomorrow we’ll renegotiate.”

Sighing, he withdrew his hand from under her sweatshirt and took the ice pack. “You know where the guest room is?”

“We passed it in the hall.” She took his arm to help him up, but he said, “Thanks, I’m good.”

She moved back and let him stand on his own. He didn’t seem to struggle, though he didn’t hurry either. Dammit, she hoped she wasn’t making a mistake by not calling Dr. Heaton. Yet Matt was a grown man, and he should know if he needed medical care.

“You all right?” she asked, unable to help herself.

“To be honest, better than I initially thought. Lead the way.”

“No, you first.”

He smiled. “So you can catch me if I fall?”

“Exactly right.”

“I’m not going to fall, Rachel,” he said, but let her follow.

As soon as they entered the room she got busy pulling down the quilt and sheets. She fluffed the pillows, then hovered as he lowered himself to the edge of the bed.

“I’ll get you some water then clean up the bathroom—” She gasped when he caught her wrist.

“That can wait.” He pulled her down to the bed beside him.

She didn’t resist for fear of injuring him. “Matt, we just agreed that tomorrow—”

“I didn’t agree to a damn thing,” he said and kissed her.

14

“T
HIS
IS
SO
FOOLISH
,”
Rachel murmured against his mouth, ashamed of herself because she should be firmer, and not let him pull up her sweatshirt and unclasp her bra. “Matt.”

He took advantage of her open mouth and slipped his tongue inside, then pushed aside her loosened bra cups and palmed her breasts.

She let him kiss her, telling herself that to do otherwise could inflict harm, but she knew better. She didn’t want him to stop.

When Matt finally tore his mouth away from hers, she felt relieved and bereft at the same time. “Help a cowboy out and take off your clothes,” he said, his lips lifting in a slow sexy smile designed to get his way. The coaxing hand he slid up her thigh was either backup or a distraction.

She shifted, angling her legs away from him, because one more inch and she’d be unable to think clearly. Not that she was doing a bang-up job of it now. “I suppose you want help with your jeans and boots, too.”

His smile broadened. “I’d be mighty grateful.”

“Oh, brother, don’t lay it on too thick.” She got to her feet, hoping he didn’t notice the shuddering breath that trembled through her body.

“No,” he said, when she went for his boots. “You strip first.”

“Strip?” She laughed. “What, you want a little dance action, too?”

He shook his head, his eyes locked on her, humor absent from his face. “I want to see you naked again. This afternoon was—I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

“Me, too,” she admitted, need for him swelling in her chest. “I’ll never forget today. Never.”

His brows drew together in a troubled frown. “No regrets?”

“God, no.”

He relaxed. “I wish we were in Kalispell right now. I’d keep you in bed for a week.”

“That would be okay with me.”

“Come on, take your clothes off. I’m not going first. Don’t want you leaving me in my boxers and running out on me.”

“I’m not running out on you, Matt,” she said, and when he flinched, she realized she’d hit a nerve. She hadn’t meant anything, but apologizing seemed pointless.

She unlaced and toed off her running shoes, unzipped and unsnapped her jeans, then shimmied out of them. Her pink bikini panties stayed right where they were while she pulled the sweatshirt over her head and tossed it. The unfastened bra hung uselessly, and moving back her shoulders, she let it fall down her back to the floor.

Matt watched her with an intensity that made her mouth dry. The tip of his tongue slipped out and touched his lower lip. Scrapes, bruises, nothing could detract from the sexy expression of want on his face.

With shaky hands, she crouched before him and managed to pull off his boots and socks. He threaded a hand through her hair, refusing to let go when she pushed to her feet. But when she reached around him to stack the pillows against the headboard, he switched to her breast, plucking at her nipple and then brushing featherlight strokes with his thumb.

She arched into his touch, and giving up any illusion of self-control, she leaned in, her lips parted for him. His tongue slid inside and moved deep into her mouth. She was already damp between her thighs, her breath shallow. Another second and she’d refuse him nothing.

Dragging her mouth away, she straightened and inched back out of his reach. He looked at her as if she’d slapped him. “Can you swing your legs onto the bed, or do you need help?”

“Rachel—”

“Look, I’m just trying to get you comfortable first.”

His gaze fell to her lips, then to her breasts. He slowly brought one leg up, scooted his butt toward the headboard and lifted the other leg onto the bed, already unfastening his jeans. He drew down the zipper and hooked his thumbs in the waistband. “You’ll have to help me pull these off.”

She had to kneel on the bed to do the job smoothly. He lifted his upper back off the mattress, propping himself up with his elbows and watched her. Hard to believe that was the most comfortable position for his bruised ribs. Resisting the impulse to point that out, she used her energy to rid him of the jeans. Leaving him half-hard in his boxers.

Forcing her gaze away, she slid off the bed to stash his jeans. There was no furniture. She dropped them on the floor next to hers. “How are you doing?”

“Better and better.”

She recognized that wicked tone and looked at him. He was checking out her ass. “You have prescription pain pills in your first aid kit.”

“They have to be about two years old.”

“Probably still better than aspirin.”

“I know what I need.” His gaze slid down her body. “Come here.”

“I’m serious, Matt,” she said, one hand on her hip, able to stand her ground as long as he wasn’t touching her.

“Hell, are you gonna make me climb out of bed?”

Rachel sighed. So much for staying firm. “I won’t allow you to keep blackmailing me like this,” she said, even as she crawled onto the mattress. “And it wouldn’t kill you to take a pill. I promise it won’t diminish your macho image.”

He didn’t smile or make a face, or do anything but continue to watch her. “I don’t want anything in my system. Not now.”

She stretched out beside him, lying on her side facing him. Was he worried about his performance? “Oh, Matt...”

He shifted, angling toward her, but not without wincing. Then he briefly brushed his lips across hers. “The panties have to go. But I can probably handle them.”

“Maybe it’s your head we should worry about, not your ribs. You’re completely insane.”

“Honey, that’s not the part of my body I’m concerned with right now.” He leaned over until his mouth rested on the curve between her neck and shoulder. The warmth of his breath made her shiver, but not half as much as the feel of his teeth scraping her skin gently, followed quickly by the wet hot slick of his tongue.

In spite of herself she arched toward him and bent her head to expose more of her neck to whatever wonderful thing he wanted to do. Her eyes drifted to half-mast and her sigh told him far too much about how she wanted him.

When the front of her thighs bumped his hard muscled ones, she lifted her lids, startled that she’d moved closer. She looked down, watched in a stupor, as he nibbled and licked his way down to her collarbone, his breath quickening as he meandered to her nipple.

She let her gaze run across his shoulders and arms, his poor banged-up middle, finally to his boxers. He was ridiculously hard, and she didn’t get that at all because he still had to be in some pain.

“Are you okay?” she asked, gingerly touching his shoulder.

He paused, then flicked his tongue over the sensitive flesh. “You can’t keep asking me that.”

She pressed her lips together. “Promise to tell me if—”

He lifted his head. Their eyes met, briefly, then he glanced around the room. “Let’s cut the overhead and use the hall light.”

She hesitated, gently touching his face where she should’ve insisted he keep the ice. The swelling wasn’t bad yet, but it would be.

He captured her hand and kissed her palm, then started to roll out of bed.

“No, I’ll do it.” She scrambled off her side, and turned off the switch.

“Close the door halfway.”

“Your face isn’t ruining the mood—it’s knowing that you’re hurting that’s—”

He smiled a little.

“Okay, I’ll shut up.” Sighing, she slanted the door to redirect the light away from the bed. “Now lie back.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He eased his shoulders against the pillows, tracking her with his gaze, even in the dimness.

She went back to her side and slowly slid between the sheets.

“No covers,” he said, motioning her closer.

“I’m cold.”

“I’ll take care of that.”

She gave in because she could see he was ready to chase her across the mattress if she didn’t move in beside him. “You know, a few more days until you felt better wouldn’t kill us.”

“I thought you were going to shut up.” He turned, throwing an arm over her, and cutting off her protest with his mouth.

She kissed him back, her body quivering when he slid his hand down her belly and reached inside her panties. He deepened the kiss, a low frustrated moan coming from his throat when he could only jerk her panties partway down one hip. She broke away to finish the job, coming up on her knees to take care of his boxers, as well.

Even in the dim glow of the hall light the sight of his arousal made her breath catch. She touched him, lightly trailing her fingertips along the smooth silky skin of his hard penis and then circling the tip.

Matt shuddered. “Come closer,” he whispered, trying to reach for her.

“Tell me you have another condom.”

“In my wallet. Back pocket of my jeans.”

She really had to start thinking ahead. Again she scrambled off the bed, hastily found his jeans and took the brown leather billfold to him.

“Go ahead,” he said, ignoring the extended wallet and cupping her breast instead.

She located two in a small hidden pocket and left the packets on the bed while she returned to exploring his aroused body. God, how much she wanted him. Inside her, filling her completely, his heat surging into her, the rough pads of his thumbs doing amazing things to her breasts. But not just that, she wanted him to look at her like he had before. She wanted to see his eyes fill with wonder as if she was the most precious gift he’d ever been given.

With a quiet grunt, Matt caught her right shoulder and forced her to lie back, then followed her down. He kissed the tip of her nose, her chin, and then lingered on the tingly skin below her ear. When he drew back, there it was, that wondrous look in his eyes that made her melt and left no doubt that for this moment he was completely hers.

He skimmed a hand from the base of her throat, over her breast and down her belly. When he discovered how wet she was, he breathed a deep sigh of satisfaction that shimmered through her entire body. His movements were slow, deliberate, erasing any fear that pain was in charge of this dance.

Rachel relaxed for the first time since she’d seen Nikki in front of the Watering Hole. Despite everything, he was gorgeous. Part of her wanted to turn on every light in the house so she could see the details, but this was perfect, too. Knowing no one was going to disturb them, seeing how much he wanted her.

She ran her hands down his back, his muscles twitching beneath her palm. The soft hiss of breath as she reached the upper curve of his behind was nice, but how he plunged two fingers inside her was even better.

Capturing her mouth again, he moaned as he thrust, mirroring the rhythm with his tongue, letting her know what he wanted to do next. She did her share of moaning, too, so afraid she was close to coming. She wanted to, very much, but not yet. Not until she...

When she squeezed his fingers, his gasp broke their kiss. The reaction made her even more eager to explore. Her hands skimmed his sides as she moved them up, then briefly let him go to grasp his shoulders.

Stilling his hand, he let out a surprised huff when she gently pushed him away. “What are you doing?”

“Everything,” she said. “As soon as you’re on your back.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Everything?”

“You’ll never know if you don’t do as you’re asked.”

“So bossy,” he said, then frowned as he slipped his fingers out of her and lowered himself on the bed, but the stubborn mule pulled her down with him.

She was pressed against his side with his arm around her, and he was kissing her again. They got a little too enthusiastic before they both settled down to a wet, hot and slow tango.

Touching him was a study in self-control. With her thrumming heartbeat and the urgings of her more-than-ready body, she wanted to feel his strength and test those amazing muscles. Instead, she ran her fingertips gently down his body, all the way to his thick and eager erection.

“Oh, God.” He groaned as if she were killing him instead of moving her hand around his shaft. He turned just enough on his side to capture her mouth with his own and run his hand down to her hip.

His hiss made her still her hand, certain he was moving too much, too fast.

“Dammit, Rachel,” he said, his voice so deep and rough it gave her the shivers. “I don’t give a damn about my ribs. I’ve ridden bulls in worse shape than this.”

She looked up into his eyes, seeing the strain in his neck, in his shoulders. “What do you want?”

“You,” he said, “in every way possible.” Then he stole her breath in another overwhelming kiss, using his tongue and teeth and warm moist breath to drive her wild. When he finally pulled back, both of them desperate for air, he murmured, “Help me with the condom.”

With a bit of searching, Rachel found the packets. She tucked one between the mattress and the box spring in case she needed it in a hurry. The other, she opened, and watched his face tense as she slipped it over him.

When she gripped him around the base, then moved her hand up until she could sweep her thumb over the head, his curses made her smile.

“If you care about me at all, you’ll stop that right now,” he said, his muscles tensing from his thighs to his neck.

She released him instantly. “Did I hurt you?”

He let go a long trembling breath. “No. I don’t want to come yet.”

She smiled as she moved back into position beside him, kissing whatever part of him she could on her way there.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he said, lifting her chin so he could kiss her mouth.

Nothing extravagant this time. Just a sweet, gentle brush of lips and warm breath.

Blushing, she assumed he didn’t want an answer. He’d told her earlier she was beautiful. Of course it was only pillow talk...but coming from Matt, she knew it was sincere.

“You are a stunner,” he murmured, his eyes darkening. “If I could, I’d spend days and days showing you.” He caressed her breast again, then straightened his hand and brushed her aching nipple with his palm.

“That feels good.”

“That’s only one way,” he said, breaking to kiss her cheek, the tip of her nose. “I know more, but for you I want to invent things, brand-new ways to bring you to the brink. Over and over again.”