Guarding Miranda (25 page)

His eyes were steadfast as they bored into hers. 

There would be no lies between them.

He needed to know.

“Do you really regret it?” He asked finally, a hint of anguish to his tone.

“Regret what?”

“Don’t feign ignorance, Miranda.  Us. Last night. 
Do you regret it?
”

She tried to turn away from him. 

Hands firm on her shoulders, demanding an answer, he did not let her go.

“Maybe it’s better if we do forget about it.”

“I’m trying to, love.  But I can’t seem to forget how soft and supple you were to me, how very yielding...”

His right hand relaxed its grip on her shoulder to reach instead for her chin.

He tipped her face up to his and she knew then, that he was going to kiss her.

She forced her head away. “Stop-”

“I can’t, love.”

Brian closed in the last inch between them quickly and with fluid feline efficiency. 

His lips touched hers and then with a groan he begged for access to her mouth. 

She melted into him with an anguished cry of self-betrayal, bringing her hands to his temples, covering his ears, steering him to give her greater access to his lips, to the probing tongue within.

She could deny him nothing and yet, stubborn was the part of her that was afraid to admit defeat.

When they parted, she whispered, “
We can’t,
Brian...”

“Why the Hell not?”

He was upset and with good reason. 

One minute, she was warm and flushed against him – the next instant, cold and unyielding. 

She was driving him crazy!

Weakly, she argued, “You’re
supposed
to be my bodyguard...”

“And that’s what I’m doing, love – I’m guarding your body.” He kissed her again, raked his fingers passionately across her back, the back of her thighs, her rear.

“Are you, now?” She sighed, feeling the heat building within her.

“The closer I am,” he breathed into her ear, “The better.”

Miranda was made weakened by her own want. 

He was not making her argument any easier. 

Quickly, her flimsy defenses were catching fire and burning down.

“But...”

“No buts, Miranda.” His voice was hoarse with desire. “No excuses, no regrets, no self-deluding lies! Only your body and mine.”

In one smooth, swift motion, he swept her up into his arms and carried her out of the boat house, heading for the cabin. 

As his mouth plundered hers, she found herself giving into him completely, knowing that she had found what she wanted and found it in him.   

Her arguments were all in vain as she felt the last of her resistance melting away.

“We should stop,” she whispered huskily, as he set her down before the French door.

It was her last paltry excuse.

“Should we?  Should we deny the attraction that exists between us?  Deny what’s in your heart?  Deny what’s in mine? Well I can’t!” He raged, kissing her with anger, punishing her for bringing out the lover in him.  The bruising force of his kiss relented into tenderness, pleading. “You can lie to yourself all you want but I can’t. You can’t ask me to do that. It’s too cruel.”

“There’s nothing left in
my
heart but pain and loss,” she confessed, tears coming to her eyes at the lie that poured so freely from the hole in her heart. 

Yet there was only one name left etched in the walls of her heart. 

His name. 

Brian’s name. 

The silent confession, made only to herself, hurt most of all.

“I could change that, Miranda.” The promise in his voice gave her a moment of pause.  There was such intense sincerity there, in the stormy depths of his grey eyes, coupled with longing and tenderness.

Did he realize what he was saying?

He seemed so sincere that she wanted to believe it.

Could she believe it?

“Could you?  Could you really?” She whispered. “Or are you just going to become another thing I regret?” 

“I don’t come with regrets, love.” He kissed her neck with hungry kisses, wishing she would believe him, knowing that she would. 

What was it going to take to win her heart? 

He was trying with every weapon, every act of love making he had at his disposal.

Didn’t she know by now?

How he felt about her?

Wasn’t it obvious?

He would spell it out for her, if he had to!

“I don’t want you to regret this, either.”

“Regret you? Never have, never will.” He kissed her neck until she was moaning against him, weakened by his assault upon her senses. “You won’t regret me either, love.”

Already, she was regretting something. 

Regretting the day that she fell in love with Brian...

I fell in love him on day one
, she realized, through her tears, as he carried her into the cabin. 
I love him and I know why it hurts so much.  It hurts because he’ll never be able to love me back... Not like this. Never like this…

She had met men like him before. 

Rough and gruff and tough as nails. 

Fond of women, seldom loyal to them.

Macho men.  Big men.  Strong men...

That was Brian, all right.

Even as he was raining kisses over her tears, all she could think about was how he likely wanted her body and nothing else. 

And suddenly, she didn’t care. 

So long as she could have one part of his soul, even if it was only his sexual desire for her, then it would be enough.

For now.

“Brian,” she sighed shakily, tracing his lips with the tip of her finger. “Why don’t we go upstairs?”

He grinned at her, mischief in his eyes. “I thought you’d never ask...”

Brian followed her up the stairs, amazed as usual by her mercurial shift of emotions. 

She could go from being frigid, to sensual, to tearful, back to sensual in the time it took his heart to cycle.

He hated her tears as much as he was disarmed by them. 

He had never felt as helpless around a woman as he did around Miranda Fowler. 

Oh, what he would give to rid her of her tears forever but for those that were tears of joy!

He placed his hands on her hips as he followed her, hoping to give her some of his strength, his courage.  When she turned to look down at him, he was glad to see that all traces of her tears had disappeared and on her lips, a very devastating, very sexy smile. 

She took his hand and led him into the room, passion lighting the depths of her sensual green eyes.

Did she know how beautiful, how sexy she was? 

He didn’t think so. 

It was part of her beauty, the lack of makeup, the lack of ego... 

She was beautiful and she was
his
. 

If only for tonight, she would be his again. 

If he had his way, he would capture her heart and keep it for all time.  But unfortunately, she still seemed to be suffering from the loss of Richard. 

Where else could the tears have come from this time?

Richard. 

If last night hadn’t been enough to help her forget him, then by God, Brian would keep trying until she did!

“Will you make love to me, Brian?” She was asking him suddenly, her kiss swollen lips drawing his gaze.

“I’ll love you in every way I know how.” He promised and hoped that she meant what she was asking of him. 

Would she be so cruel, as to jest about matters of the heart? 

From the look on her face, he could tell she was not joking...

“In every way I can,” he assured her.

His fingers went to the tiny snap closures of her sleeveless green top.

Carefully, he parted them, one by one, slowly revealing the lacy red bra underneath. 

It was the same bra he had seen while snooping through her drawer... 

Brian gave himself a moment to drink in the vision of her, the appearance of all that flawless, creamy ivory skin around the racy red bra. 

The vision of her was so much better than what he had imagined.

Slowly, he slipped her open shirt back over her arms. She turned her head to the side and a few wisps of onyx black hair slipped over her creamy right shoulder. 

He kissed her bare left shoulder while her head was turned, kissed the scar there and then kissed her slow, sexy smile.

Her scent was intoxicating him.

Floral and feminine, it was doing wild things to his senses.  Brian breathed deep this scent as his mouth grazed her neck, only the faintest brushing of his lips giving sensation to her skin...

Miranda gave a small sigh and brought her hands to his hair, urging him on.

Not that he needed urging – the initial rush of blood to his groin was now aching, almost painful in its arousal. 

He needed her, he ached for her and by God, he was going to have his fill of her!

“What’s your pleasure?” She asked cattily, reaching behind herself to release the catch of her bra. 

The brassiere loosened from her chest and then fell away, exposing her full breasts to his hungry eyes.

“You,” he answered finally, truthfully. “You’re my pleasure, Miranda.”

The two pretty pink nipples crested her apples sized breasts, enticing him.

He lowered his head to take one in his mouth.  It wasn’t long before his gentle but urgent ministrations brought a low moan of pleasure from deep in her throat.  His fingertips passed, feather light, over her naked back, arousing her, exciting gooseflesh into existence.

He threaded his fingers through her hair, to grip her tightly and bring her close for a long, sensual kiss.  He loved the way her small tongue darted in and out of his mouth, teasing him, as much as he loved exploring her with his own. 

Even kissing her was exhilarating.

Miranda...

Even the name sounded like it belonged to a temptress. 

Miranda.

It was a name that brought him fanciful ideas about covens and seductresses and witches who cast love spells over men, belonging right up there with the Drusillas and Esmeraldas of his fantasies.

An enchantress, that’s what she was, what with her luscious mouth and the secrets and mysteries of her impossibly sexy body.

Sexy... how Miranda personified the word!

Redefined the word...

Finally their kiss ended and Brian was left staring into the eyes of the most enthralling, most luminous forest green. 

Eyes the color of Bunyan pine... 

Looking at her, he could not help but kiss her again, as her hands went to his shirt, pulling it free of the waistband of his shorts.  Her hands roamed under his shirt, exploring every crevice made by muscle and skin, then ventured lower than his abdomen, in a brazen attempt to learn the extent of his arousal.

“Find something you like?” He asked huskily, enjoying the feeling of her hand upon him.

“Maybe...” She dared to cup him for a long moment, before tracing her fingers back up his stomach, to his chest.  She tugged at his shirt. “Take this off.”

He obliged her as she asked, removing his shirt to reveal his bronzed chest of sculpted muscle.