Chapter Seven

Herstomach felt like she swallowed a rock. Nota good thing to say right after sex. “I’m kidding!”

“Don’tdo that! You scared the hell out of me.” He slowly eased from inside her beforehe went to dispose of the condom in the bathroom. “Do you need to wash up?”

“Yeah.I’m kind of sticky.” She sat up and brushed the hair back from her forehead.Watching him walk away was almost better than watching him walk toward her. Theman had a body like a Greek god. He even had a real six-pack!

“Wantme to bring you a washcloth or do you want to use the restroom?”

“Ibetter use the bathroom.”

“It’sall yours,” he said with a sweep of his hand.

Evenflaccid, his cock seemed huge. Damn!

“Doyou want to stay here tonight or do you want to go back to the lodge?”

“Eitheris fine with me. I don’t want to crowd you. I know how guys get.”

Hestopped her at the bathroom door with a hand on her bare shoulder. She felt alittle self-conscious standing in front of him completely naked, even thoughthey’d just had mind-blowing sex. “Mesa, I know this is supposed to be casualand all, but I would love for you to stay here and sleep in my arms.”

Shetossed back her hair and replied, “Then I will. I would love to sleep snuggledup to you.”

“Good.Would you like something to drink? I have soda, milk, water, beer…just name it.”

“Adiet soda would be good if you have one. If not, regular is fine.”

“Onesoda, coming right up.” He raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her. “Iimagine you didn’t bring anything to sleep in so you can use one of my shirtsif you like.”

“Thanks.”

Hegrabbed a T-shirt from the drawer and handed it to her. “No underwear.”

“Huh?Why not?”

“Imight want to ravish you again before mornin’.”

“Oh.Well then. I’m game.” She reached up and kissed him on the lips. “I’ve gottaget it while the gettin’ is good, ya know.”

Hefrowned slightly before he spun on his heels and disappeared down the hallway. Hisnice, rounded tush caught her attention. He didn’teven bother to put anything on before he went into the other room for somethingto drink. Now there is a man who iscomfortable in his own skin. She went inside and shut the door to getcleaned up. She definitely wasn’t comfortable with her body even if he said heliked it. The mirror showed high color on her cheeks, full lips, red from thepressure of his, whisker burn on her chest and neck from his five o’clockshadow, and a sparkle in her eyes she hadn’t seen there in a long time. Joelwas good for her. Too bad it wasn’t a permanent thing.

Shefound a washcloth on the counter to clean away the stickiness between herthighs.

“Idon’t keep a lot of food around here since we take meals at the lodge house,”he shouted from the kitchen.

“It’sfine. I’m not really hungry anyway,” she said, coming out the door of thebathroom.

“Ihave some snack stuff, if you’d like. Chips, pretzels, popcorn.”

“Nah,I’m good.” Now, she pulled the comforter down to the end of the bed and crawledbeneath the sheet. She frowned. She hadn’t thought about what side of the bedhe slept on. Would it make a difference? The only man she’d ever slept with ona regular basis was her ex.

“Here,”he said, stopping by her side to hand her the soda can.

“I’mokay here, right?”

“You’reperfect.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Don’t be surprised if you end up inthe middle. I usually do.”

“Areyou a snuggler?”

“Iguess. I don’t have women here very often.”

“Really?I’m surprised.”

“Why?”he asked, going around to the other side and sliding under the sheet.

“Iwould think you would have a lot of women. That’s all.” She sipped from the canbefore she set it on the nightstand.

“Notreally.”

“Well,I’m a snuggler, so for tonight, you get to snuggle.”

Hesmiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she settled down along hisleft side. Her head rested nicely against his chest. His heart pounded in her ear.The hair on his chest tickled her chin, making her giggle.

“What’sso funny?”

“Yourhair is tickling me.”

“Youare ticklish?” He slid his hand up her side and curled his fingers into herribs.

Giggling,she squirmed against him. “Shit. No! Don’t tickle me, please? I’m terriblyticklish. Remember at the bar?”

“I’llquit if you give me a kiss.”

“Allright! No…tickling.” She quickly pecked him on the mouth.

“Notgood enough.” He tickled her again as she squealed.

“Okay!”She grabbed his face on both sides and lip locked his mouth. She pushed hertongue between his lips, tangling with his own. The moan escaping him didnothing to cool the kiss she took deeper still, pressing her breasts againsthis chest. He never got redressed after the bout of lovemaking earlier, leavingher the ability to graze his body with her fingertips. The muscles beneath herhands drove her desire higher. She wanted to feel him over her, in her,surrounding her until they both came apart at the seams.

Mesapushed him down on his back and crawled over him, wanting to take in every inchof his body on her way down. Sex wasn’t something she enjoyed much with her ex.Moderation and tolerance had become her mantra with him, but she knew withJoel, there would be no tolerating. She needed to be involved in having sexwith him. She ran her tongue along his jaw to his ear, nibbling it between herteeth for a moment.

“You’reso fucking hot, Mesa,” he whispered between panting breaths. Goose bumps roseon his skin following the trail of her fingers.

“You’repretty hot yourself, cowboy. I wanna lick you all over.” She ran her tongueacross his chest, stopping to nip at the tips of his nipples. Were hissensitive, too? She whipped the T-shirt over her head and tossed it to the sideof the bed.

“God,you’re drivin’ me nuts.”

“Good.I don’t want to be horny all by myself.”

Hiscock lay hard between them against her stomach, pulsating with life, justwaiting to bring her to ecstasy again.

“Oh,hell no.” He surged up and flipped her onto her back.

Hetasted her breasts, licked at her stomach and then positioned himself betweenher thighs, spreading her to accommodate the breadth of his shoulders. He dovein, taking no prisoners on his way to bringing her to orgasm within a matter ofmoments. Her ears burned as the blood rushed to her head before it quicklycentered in her pelvis. Her clit throbbed with every beat of her heart, butwasn’t letting up. He licked and sucked until she screamed his name on a hoarsecry of delight.

Hekissed his way back up her body until he reached her mouth. “I love to make youcome.”

“Iwas supposed to be seducing you. Not the other way around.”

“Iwanna fuck you.”

“Good.I want you to.”

Hehopped down from the bed after a quick kiss to her lips. A frown wrinkled theskin between her eyes as she watched him retrieve his belt. Holy shit!

“Everbeen tied up?”

“Can’tsay that I have. What are you gonna do with the belt?”

“Nobeating you with it, although welts on your ass would turn me inside out.” Helooped the belt around her wrists and secured them loosely to the headboard.“Roll over onto your stomach and get up on your knees. I’m gonna fuck you hardfrom behind.” He grinned rolling the condom he retrieved from the nightstanddrawer over his rigid cock. “Ever had a man in your ass?”

Sheswallowed the lump clogging her throat and shook her head, unable to speakthrough the fear making her heart pound in her chest. Her ex tried it once andthe pain had almost killed her. Terror made her shudder uncontrollably.

“What’swrong, darlin’? I won’t do anything you don’t want, but you look terrified.”

“Ican’t,” she whispered.

“Can’t?”

“Iwon’t, I mean. You won’t do that will you?”