Time Out (14 page)

“Don’t tell me
you believe that there’s one person for everyone?” She rolled her
head back, leaning into his touch.

“Don’t
you?”

“No.”

If everyone was
destined to find their life mate, her mother wouldn’t have died
alone. She was right not to trust her boyfriend to stick around
when he found out about her illness. As soon as she told him, he’d
offered to give her the time and space she needed to heal. They
both knew that would never happen.

“That’s just
sad, Meg.”

It may be sad,
but getting sucked into a delusion of happily ever after, only to
find out it didn’t exist, would be sadder. Cynicism may not make
sense to the optimists of the world, like Nick, but optimists would
end up with broken hearts while hers remained safely guarded.

“I don’t think
so.”

He continued to
apply just the right pressure to manipulate her tense muscles into
a state of pliancy most massage therapists would envy. “Why don’t
we continue this on my bed, where you can stretch out and
relax?”

The offer was
almost too tempting to refuse. She’d kicked off her five-inch heels
and let them fall to the floor. “I shouldn’t. In fact, I should
probably get going.” They still hadn’t discussed the offer he’d
made Manny on her behalf, but she knew if she stayed much longer,
they wouldn’t talk at all.

“Come on,
sweetheart. Just let me take care of you.”

Something in
his soft plea made her heart swell. Perhaps it was the fact that he
was the first man who had ever offered to take care of her. He
looked close enough to understand she wasn’t quite as strong as she
pretended.

“I…”

“Don’t
overthink it,” he whispered, setting his hands on her waist and
coaxing her to her feet. “You draw the lines, and I promise not to
cross them.”

Megan knew he
was telling her that they wouldn’t have sex again unless she wanted
it, but didn’t he know she couldn’t resist him?

She followed
him up the stairs to his bedroom. The light from the adjoining
bathroom provided just enough illumination for her to tell his room
was similar to the others she’d seen. Wood floors, high ceilings
with wood beams, wall-to-wall windows with doors to a balcony. A
fireplace was wedged into a corner of the small sitting area, and
she imagined herself curled up with a good book and a cozy throw on
a cool night. But of course, that would never happen because she
didn’t intend to be a permanent fixture in Nick’s life.

He led her to a
king-sized four-poster bed. “Why don’t you slip out of that dress?
I can grab a T-shirt for you, if you like?”

“It’s okay.”
Feigning modesty with a man who’d already been her lover seemed
juvenile. She slid the dress off and let it fall to the floor. She
unfastened her garter and rolled the silk stockings down without
glancing in his direction to gauge his reaction. She still wore her
black lace demi bra and matching thong when she finally found the
courage to look up. The heat in his gaze seared her, almost forcing
her to look away. That would reveal weakness, so she forced herself
to acknowledge his obvious desire while pretending his undivided
attention didn’t turn her inside out.

“Climb up on
the bed.” His voice was raspy, barely above a whisper.

Megan noticed
several stairs leading up to the elevated bed. Since he was so
tall, he didn’t need them. He must have installed them to
accommodate women. Her stomach twisted painfully as she thought
about all of the women he’d pleasured in his bed before her. At
least at the hotel, they’d been on neutral territory. She knew
feelings of jealousy and possessiveness didn’t belong within the
confines of a casual affair, but she couldn’t seem to contain
them.

“Hey, are you
okay?” Nick asked.

Since she
couldn’t divulge her concerns, she tried to quash them. She climbed
the few stairs and positioned herself in the middle of the massive
bed. She was grateful she had an excuse to lie on her stomach, with
her head buried in a pillow so he couldn’t see her face.

Nick straddled
her, careful to support his own weight, and he picked up where he’d
left off downstairs. Within seconds, he rolled off and claimed the
spot beside her.

She closed her
eyes.

“What’s wrong?
You’re as tense now as you were before I started workin’ on you.
Tell me what’s got you wound so tight.”

How could she
tell him the thought of him making love to other women made her
feel physically sick? “I’m fine. Maybe this wasn’t such a good
idea. I should just go.”

His hand
settled on the small of her back, and he started caressing her.
“Whatever it is, just talk to me.”

He wouldn’t let
it go, so she said, “It’s stupid. I have no right to…”

“What, Meg? You
have no right to… what?”

“Wonder how
many other women you’ve made love to in this bed.” She squeezed her
eyes shut when humiliation washed over her. She couldn’t remember
the last time she’d been so… mortified.

He moved his
face into the crook of her neck as he stroked her hair. “Baby, you
have every right to feel that way. If the situation was reversed
and we were makin’ love in your bed, the same thought would’ve
crossed my mind.”

She opened one
eye. “Really?”

He smiled
before kissing her cheek. “Really.”

“I’ve never…
uh… felt that way before. Even with Brock, I never thought to ask
him… you know…”

His smile
turned into one of those mega-watt grins that left her breathless.
“I love that I’m the first then.”

She rolled onto
her side and faced him. “I don’t like the way I’m feeling,
Nick.”

“Tell me how
you’re feelin’.” He glided his hand down her side to rest on her
hip.

“Jealous,
possessive, terrified.”

“I’m right
there with you, baby.”

“Really?”

“Honey, the
thought of you bein’ with another man like this tears me to
shreds.”

Megan reached
out to pull him into her arms because she had no other way to
express her gratitude. For the first time, she didn’t feel
alone.

Nick watched Megan’s
emotions play out on her gorgeous face, and he felt himself slip a
little deeper in the quicksand. Instead of trying to claw his way
out, he was content to just sink. Getting lost in her, in his
feelings for her, suddenly seemed like the smartest risk he’d ever
taken.

Having her in
his bed seemed like the most natural thing in the world. He
wouldn’t lie to her by pretending she was the first woman he’d
shared his bed with, but she was the first who looked as though she
belonged there. He imagined waking up next to her, pulling her into
his arms after they’d made love…

“Now it’s your
turn to tell me what you’re thinking,” Megan said, brushing her
fingertip over his lower lip.

“This feels
right,” he said and pulled her closer. Even through his thin cotton
T-shirt, he felt the heat radiating from her body. “Havin’ you here
feels right, like this is where you belong.”

She sighed as
she burrowed deeper into his arms. “How’s a girl supposed to resist
you when you say things like that?”

“I’m hopin’
you’ll stop tryin’. We could be so good together, Meg. You just
need to stop fightin’ it and let it happen.” He kissed her
forehead.

“I’ll only be
here a little while longer.”

“I’ll take what
I can get.” Not fighting for what he wanted with everything he had
went against his instincts, but if he pushed for too much, too
soon, he risked losing her.

“You deserve so
much more than I can give you,” she said, tilting her head back to
look at him. “There must be dozens, hell, maybe hundreds of women
who would love to be in my position right now. Why me?”

He couldn’t
tell her his heart made the decision for him. That would only
reveal the depth of his feelings, and she wasn’t ready to hear
that. “Like I said before, havin’ you here feels good.”

She teased him
with a brief kiss before saying, “I can’t deny being here feels
good.”

“So stay.”

“What would
your parents say if they found out I spent the night with you?”

He laughed.
“Honey, my parents haven’t asked about my sex life since they were
sure I had the common sense to use protection.”

She slapped his
chest. “That’s not what I mean. I’m staying with them. If I don’t
come home, they’re going to wonder why. Like I said last night, I
think it’s best if we keep this under wraps.”

“I’m not
interested in bein’ your mystery man, Meg. I want everyone to know
you’re
mine.
”

The flash of
fear in her eyes told him he’d stepped over the line, but he
wouldn’t retreat. He would respect some boundaries, for now, but
staking his claim on her was too important.

Megan was a
gorgeous, successful, talented woman who routinely rubbed elbows
with the rich and famous. If she wasn’t clear about the fact she
was taken, guys would think she was fair game. Nick didn’t care if
he seemed like a Neanderthal. That was a small price to pay for the
privilege of calling her
his
woman.

She tried to
pull out of his arms. “I don’t do well with committed
relationships. I told you things didn’t work out with Brock
because-”

He kissed her
hard and fast to silence her. “He wasn’t the right man for you. I
am.”

“You can’t
possibly know that.”

Deciding to
force her to face facts, Nick grazed her shoulder with his lips.
“Tell me what you’re feelin’ right now.” When she didn’t respond,
he said, “Tell me how bein’ in my arms makes you feel, Meg.”

“Safe.” She
trembled when he flicked his tongue across the swell of her breast.
“Protected.” Threading her hands through his hair, she exhaled in a
whoosh. “Helpless.”

He knew the
latter would irritate her, but he was pleased he wasn’t the only
one who felt defenseless against their powerful attraction. He
traced his tongue just beneath the lace shielding her breasts. “You
are safe with me. Always.”

Nick felt
shivers move through her body in waves, each more intense than the
last as he tore away her silky thong and bared her sensitive flesh.
He couldn’t get enough of her. She occupied his thoughts when he
was supposed to be working, and now that she was finally sharing
her body with him, he knew he would hunger for more until he could
quench the urge again.

She arched into
his touch, silently begging for the satisfaction she craved.
“Please…”

He watched the
look of rapture cross her face as he sought and found the vault
hiding her deepest, darkest desires. Whether she realized it or
not, with every little moan, sigh, and stroke, she was letting him
in. He was getting to know her, what she needed from her man, and
he gave it to her.

“I love to
watch you like this,” he whispered, licking and kissing her with
the attention and reverence she deserved. “I love it when you give
yourself to me… completely.”

“Yes…” She
fisted her hands in the duvet as she arched her back and pressed
into his touch. She was shameless in her quest for satisfaction,
and he loved that she felt safe enough to be so uninhibited.

“I want you
like this every night, Meg.” He teased her with his tongue. She
would probably agree to almost anything as long as he promised he
would never stop. “Tell me you want me too.”

“Yes… I do…”
She squeezed her eyes shut and tipped her head back. “Oh God, Nick…
Yes…”

He stroked her
relentlessly as she scaled the peak and plunged off the summit into
his arms. As her heartbeat returned to normal, he explored her
mouth so thoroughly and got so aroused, he feared she could finish
him off with the slightest touch.

“Condoms,” she
whispered, kissing his neck.

“Yeah…” Nick
knew he wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Protection hadn’t even
entered his mind. He’d never had sex without protection, and he’d
vowed he wouldn’t without benefit of marriage. “Jesus…”

He was still
trying to catch his breath when she rolled him onto his back and
straddled him.

“Why don’t you
let me take care of this?” she said.

Nick was almost
afraid to let her touch him, but the sight of her, heavy lidded
with lust, stripping and sheathing him left him speechless. As he
watched her descend onto him, he knew he’d lost another little
piece of his heart.

“I love the way
you feel,” she whispered, gliding her hands over his bare chest. “I
love the way you make me feel.”

In that moment,
the rest of the world didn’t exist. Fears were relegated to a deep
corner, apprehension gave way to satisfaction, and their bond grew
almost too deep to be severed.

He held her
waist as he looked into her eyes. She was so intent on his
satisfaction she couldn’t see in his eyes what she wasn’t ready to
hear. He sank into a chasm where Megan, her touch, her body
surrounding his, and the sweet words she whispered were the only
things that existed.

“Don’t ask me
to let you go. I don’t think I can,” Nick said. He knew he
couldn’t. Every battle he’d ever fought seemed insignificant
compared to that one. The stakes had never been higher, and he’d
never wanted anything or anyone more. “Just give us a chance… see
where it leads.”

She looked at
him beneath the veil of her lashes as she surged and rolled her
hips. Her hands were planted firmly on his chest, anchoring her, as
she took and gave pleasure. She licked her lips. “I know where it’s
gonna lead. All roads lead here, Nick. To your bed.”

Sex was a
start, but he wouldn’t be satisfied until he had all of her. “Let
me make you feel this way every night, baby.” He seized her hips,
coaxing her, hard and fast, toward another mind-blowing release.
When he knew she was on the threshold, he stilled. “Say it. Tell me
you want me as much as I want you.”