Falling for the Groomsman (8 page)

Actually, she found it endearing, damn it. “No, I don’t,” she said. “I think it’s…cute.”

He looked at her, surprise clear in his eyes, and shook his head. “I didn’t realize you had a thing for nerds. I wore glasses, too. Oh, and I had braces for three years. Does that gain me points with you? I seem to be sorely lacking in that area lately.”

She
tsk
ed. “Nope. It’s not like you’re that boy anymore.”

“I grew up.” He lifted a shoulder. “People do that.”

She studied him for way too long before she bent over and studied the forest floor. She could feel his eyes on her ass. If she were lucky, soon it would be his hands. “Oh, look. Here’s a green leaf.”

“In a forest,” he said wryly. “Imagine that.”

She chuckled and straightened. “Hey, she couldn’t make it too hard. I think she knew half of us would be hungover.”

He skimmed his gaze over her length, setting her on fire without even trying. God, she wanted…no,
needed
him. “You’re not.”

“No.” She looked at him, her cheeks heating up way too much. “I’m not.”

“Red…” They locked gazes. Images of exactly what
they’d
been doing last night came to mind with vivid clarity. The images hadn’t left her alone at all, actually. “You might be looking at this differently than me, but after last night I’m—”

She held her hand up, needing to shut him up before he said something to ruin her plan. She didn’t want him being sweet or anything even remotely likable. This was all about the list, having fun, and moving on. Plain and simple. No feelings or attachments or mushy-gushy stuff.

Just like in
Seducing the Hot Enemy
. Only she wouldn’t fall in love with him, like the heroine had the hero. There was no happily ever after written in the pages for them.

“Don’t. Last night was mean of me, and Mexico was mean of you. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I know it was low of me to get you all…all…” She gestured toward his groin. “
…ready
, and leave like that. Sorry.”

He studied her. “I believe you. But that doesn’t mean I’m done with you, just because I let you run away last night. We’re even now.”

“Oh really?” She walked forward, not looking at him. He fell into step beside her. “I’m not sure you want to go down that road, Doc. Maybe we should go back to ignoring each other. We’re good at it.”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to.”

“Well,
I
might. I’m still deciding.” No, she wasn’t. She knew what she wanted: him. But she couldn’t admit that yet. He needed the thrill of the chase, just like in all the books. As soon as he caught her, he’d be bored. So she shoved the leaf at him. “Put this in your bag.”

When he took the leaf from her, her fingers brushed against his palm and her stomach locked down tight. He captured her hand for a second, not letting go even when she tugged. “This isn’t over,” he repeated.

The instant attraction and need that hit her were about as subtle as a bitch slap to the face. He released his hold on her hand, if not her mind, and put the leaf away. He was too intense. His hold on her too strong. She moved even deeper into the trees. He followed her but glanced over his shoulder.

For a while they walked in companionable silence. She didn’t know how far they walked, but the next time she stopped to dig around in the dirt, the sky looked a heck of a lot less bright. As far as she could tell, no one else was near them. Had they walked far enough away from the resort to cross off another item on her list?

Have sex in public
.

“Uh, Red?” He stopped walking, shooting her a weird look. “Maybe we should head back toward the resort. No one else is this far up. If we keep going like this, we’ll be camping tonight. I’m fine with that, but something tells me
you
aren’t, if you’re scared of bears and spiders.”

“You’re right about that. I don’t camp. But you’re worrying for nothing. We’re almost done.” She bent over and picked up a feather, her knees feeling all weak and shaky. “See? I already found another one.” She looked up at him from her bent over position. “And a pinecone, too.”

His brows slammed down. “All these rare, one-of-a-kind things in the forest, of all places? It’s unheard of.”

She stood up, juggling both items, and laughed. She dropped the objects into their bag, and he crossed them off the list. The irony of him scratching stuff off a list, too, wasn’t lost on her. Hers was more exciting, though.

He looked up at her, his stare steady and sure. “Do you have any idea how far we’ve traveled?”

“A few miles.”

“We need to head back,” he said, his tone hard.

She shrugged, deciding they’d gone far enough away. It was about time. While she’d been planning her attack with such careful precision, she should have been watching where she was going. She tripped over a jagged rock, landing on the dirt on all fours.

“Well, crap,” she muttered. This wasn’t exactly how she’d planned on being on her knees, thank you very much. “That rock came out of nowhere. It should really watch where it’s going.”

“Yeah. It was obviously speeding,” Tyler said, his tone way too sarcastic for her liking. He bent down and hauled her up to her feet as if she were weightless. “
Christine
.”

All that yummy strength in those arms…

He frowned at her, his gaze skimming over her bloodied knees with the precision of a doctor. Of course, he
was
one, so that made sense. This was
so
not the seduction she’d had in mind when they’d started out this way. She brushed her hands over her butt. “Yeah?”

“We need to head back before it gets dark and we—”

She put her hands on her hips and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. She was not leaving this forest until she’d gotten
laid
, damn it. “You don’t have the right to boss me around.”

“I’m not bossing you around,” he said, his voice irritated. “I’m employing common sense. Something you refuse to listen to. As a matter of fact, you’re always the one wandering off, aren’t you? Just like in Mexico.”

She flushed. “I had my reasons.”

“You were crying,” he said softly.

Her mind went back to that night. The way he’d held on to her while she sobbed, his hands so sure and comforting. The way he’d tasted…so sweet and tender and yet sexy all in one hot package. “Yeah. So I had to leave.”

He caught her chin, lifting her face up to his. “You didn’t have to walk away from me.”

“Yes, I did.” She pressed her lips together. “I don’t like showing my weaknesses to people. I hate crying with a passion. It’s ugly, drooly, and snotty. That’s one of the last times I cried, thank God.”

“Over your parents, you mean.”

“No.” She met his eyes defiantly. “I mean ever.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Dead serious.” She tapped her fingers on her thigh. “It’s been a long, long time since I succumbed to that particular weakness.”

As a matter of fact, the last time she’d cried had been after he left her in Mexico. But he didn’t need to know that, now did he?

He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, no one’s crying now, and we need to turn around and go back before that changes.”

“I’m not going because you demanded I do so.”

He fisted his hands and glowered. She had a feeling he was giving her his best “I’m a fellow and you’re an intern” glare…but it wouldn’t work on her. “Christine, I swear to God—”

She cocked her head to the side. Time to go for the kill. “You look tired. I’m guessing you didn’t sleep well last night? Was something bothering you? Something…hard…perhaps? Tell me. Were you able to lay on your stomach
at all
?”

His backpack hit the ground and he stalked across the clearing, closing in on her. There it was. The anger she’d wanted. When he was angry…he kissed her. She needed him to kiss her more than she needed air right now. She lifted her chin at the fabulous show of anger in those green eyes that haunted her, her breathing heavy and triumphant.

When he pinned her body between his and the tree, it took all of her control not to praise the Lord at the top of her lungs. Hallelujah, amen.

She was finally getting what she wanted.

He gripped her hard. “No, I did
not
fucking sleep well last night. Is that what you want to hear? I had to jerk off while picturing you going down on me. It
still
didn’t help. I
still
need you.”

Her lips parted and she made a tiny sound she didn’t even recognize. “I can make it better.”

“And how will you do that, exactly?” He lifted her leg and insinuated himself between her thighs, pressing his cock against her heat. She moaned and dragged her nails down his back. “Because I can’t fucking keep track of what the hell you want from me.”

“I want you to stop talking” —she grabbed his hair and yanked hard—“and kiss me.”

He closed in on her mouth, but didn’t touch her. Instead he stopped just short of her lips. “Say it. Say you want me.”

Damn it. He was trying to take control, and she didn’t have enough strength to keep it out of his hands. Screw it. He could take the lead if it made him feel better—as long as he took her, too. She nodded frantically. “I don’t want you. I
need
you.
Please
.”

He buried his hands in her hair and tugged her head back. “This time? I’m not fucking stopping. And no running away.”

“No running away.” She yanked harder. “I won’t stop you this time. I’m yours, Tyler.”

Possession flashed over his eyes. Pure, hot, and archaic. Her nipples tightened, begging for his touch. “Damn right you are,” he growled.

And he kissed her. Thank
God
.

Chapter Nine

Christine collapsed back against the tree, inviting the pain of the bark digging into her shoulders. For once, she wasn’t thinking about her list.

It was just them. Him.
Now
.

She broke the kiss and yanked his shirt over his head. He lifted his arms to help her and let it hit the ground at his feet. He pulled her shirt over her head, then propelled her against the tree. The bark hurt her back even more without the protection of the cotton, but she didn’t give a damn.

When his lips closed over hers again, she ran her hands over his hard pecs. Over the years, she’d kind of hoped he’d let himself go soft and maybe had the decency to grow a beer belly or something. But he hadn’t. If anything, he was even harder than he’d been back in Mexico.

And now she wanted him even more than she’d wanted him then.

This whole thing had “mistake” written all over it in bright neon marker. But with his mouth on hers and his hands on her…oh my God. He closed his hands over her breasts and squeezed her nipples through her bra. She whimpered into his mouth and reached down, unclasping her bra with a simple flick of her wrist.

He pulled back and looked down at her, his eyes on his fingers. His fingers…oh my God, his fingers moved over her nipples, rolling them between his thumb and forefinger with expert precision. She arched her back and urged his head back down. He took the hint and lifted her higher up on the tree, his hips supporting her weight. He scraped his teeth over her nipple, and she cried out.

He repeated the movement, harder this time. She shuddered and tossed her head back. When she dug her heel into his butt, he rolled his hips against her and dropped his hold on her nipple. He met her eyes, his own hot and smoky and oh-so-irresistible. “I’m going to make you scream so fucking loud, Red.”

“I’m not a screamer anymore,” she panted, thighs tightening around him.

He gave her a cocky grin and bit down on her neck, where it met with her shoulder. At the same time, he rolled her nipples and rocked his hips into hers, his erection brushing against her clit. She moaned and arched her neck, drawing in a breath of air. The world spun around her so rapidly she had no idea which way was up anymore.

He released one of her nipples and melded his mouth to hers. When he let his hand drift lower, over her stomach and to the waistband of her shorts, she shifted her weight so he could move even lower. She needed him to touch her. To bring her to the edge again, and hold her tight as she crashed over it.

He traced his hand up her thigh, but didn’t give her what she wanted. No,
needed
. She broke the kiss off and pushed at his shoulders. “Put me down. My shorts have to go.”

“No.” He shook his head and nibbled on her lower lip. “Not yet.”

“But—”

He nibbled on the side of her neck and cupped her mound. “But what?”

“Oh my God.”

He ran his thumb over her aching clit, his touch not even close to hard enough. “You like that?” He repeated the movement, this time a little harder. “Don’t you?”

“
Yes
.”

“You want it harder, though.” He massaged her clit through her jean shorts, in big sweeping circles. He was going to freaking kill her with his not-quite-there touches. “You want me to fuck you hard, right against this tree.”

“Yes!” she shrieked, not even realizing how loud she sounded until he chuckled. She smacked his arm. “Just do it already.”

“I thought you didn’t scream.”

“You’re right. I don’t, not for anyone else. Only for you.” She smacked his shoulder harder. “Now
do
it.”

His smile slipped away, and he let her legs hit the ground. With trembling hands, he undid her shorts and yanked them down her hips. Her underwear came next, and she was left standing naked in the freaking woods, wearing nothing but hiking sneakers. Even worse? She didn’t even
care
.

All she cared about was getting him inside of her, and making him as desperate for her as she was for him. He reached down, grabbed his backpack, and removed a condom. Did the Boy Scouts teach him that, too? Doubtful.

She dropped to her knees, ignoring the sharp rocks and twigs digging into her skin. They didn’t matter right now. Nothing did but
this
. She undid his belt and tugged his shorts down. He wore a pair of navy-blue boxers underneath, and his cock strained against the soft cotton. She held her hand up, and he took the hint. When he placed the condom in her palm, she removed his boxers and leaned in close, her eyes on his straining erection.

She looked up at him and closed a hand around the base of his penis. He groaned and tensed, his muscles strained and hard. “Fuck, Red.”

“Time to make that dream a reality,” she murmured.

Without looking away from him, she flicked her tongue over the head of his shaft. He moaned and buried his hands in her hair. She half expected him to put up some sort of feeble protest like men always did. The “
oh, you don’t have to
,” followed by the gentle push of the head so she moved closer. But not him.

He urged her closer and grunted out, “More
now
.”

She swirled her tongue around the head of his erection and closed her lips around him. Sucking gently, she took more of him in her mouth, moving deeper and deeper until her lips met her hand at the base of his shaft. He groaned and leaned back against the tree, his hands pulling on her hair so hard it hurt. But it hurt so
good
.

He moved his hips, urging her to take him in and out of her mouth, and his muscles tightened. When his hard abs flinched, she tasted the salty tang of his pleasure, and she braced herself for him to come.

But he grunted and yanked her off before she could so much as blink. “I’m not coming in that pretty little mouth of yours. Not tonight.”

He lifted her to her feet and picked the condom up off the ground. She didn’t even remember dropping it. He ripped it open and rolled it on without hesitation. She watched him, his hands on his shaft, and her mouth dried out. The sight of him touching himself where she’d just been almost made her whimper, but she swallowed it back.

When he dropped to his knees at her feet, she hissed in a deep breath. Within seconds he was on her, his tongue circling her clit and his fingers spreading her wide. She barely had time to react to the change in position before his fingers were inside her, his tongue moving faster. When he scraped his teeth against her and sucked, she screamed.

She actually screamed.

And then she exploded in pleasure, and the whole world faded away except for
him
. When she came back down from the clouds, he flicked his tongue over her one last time, applying just the right amount of pressure to make her come again. She clung to his biceps and collapsed against the tree. Luckily for her, he held on to her.

He stood up and positioned himself between her legs. When he brushed his cock against her clit, she somehow, someway, came
again
. An unintelligible cry escaped her lips, and he swallowed it with his mouth. With one hard, sure thrust, he was inside her, buried completely to the hilt.

Thank freaking God.

His own cry melded with hers, and she closed her legs around his waist. He lifted her even higher and slammed into her again. The bark of the tree scraped her back, blending the pain with the pleasure, and she cried out into his mouth. His fingers found her hair, entwined in her locks, and pulled.

She dug her teeth into his lip, deepening the kiss even more.
This
is what she’d been missing for all these years. What she’d failed to find with other men—no matter how hard she tried. He moaned and moved so he wasn’t supporting her weight anymore. The new position made it so he rubbed against her clit with each thrust. She almost begged him to stop, it felt that good, but he kissed her before a word could escape.

He wouldn’t have stopped, anyway. He was obviously determined to kill her with pleasure, and damn if she didn’t
want
him to.

His mouth worked over hers, and the tension built higher and higher as he trailed his fingers over her skin. Everywhere. When he closed his hands over her breasts again, she arched her back, ignoring the sting of the bark on her shoulder blades. He hissed when she tightened her hold on him and bit down on his shoulder, thrusting harder. Faster.

The increased momentum sent her spiraling over the edge, and she miraculously came again. This time, he joined her. He cried out her name and stiffened, his entire body going rock-hard. Then he sort of collapsed against her, burying his face in her neck. For a while they remained that way, their harsh breathing filling the silence of the forest surrounding them.

He was the first one to move. He stepped out of her embrace and lowered her to the ground. He nibbled at her neck. “I thought you didn’t scream anymore, Red.”

She shivered. “I don’t.”

He smirked and stepped back. This is what they’d needed. Sex, sex, and more sex. Maybe, if she had any luck left, when this week was over she’d be free of this crazy-strong attraction. This was the way to get over him.

If she said it enough times, she might even believe it.

He examined her face, maybe looking for signs of her nonexistent regret or something, then bent down to gather her clothes. He handed the pile to her and went about collecting his own clothing. Maybe he didn’t need to do that yet. Maybe they could have another go. Work him out of her system a little quicker.

She turned her back on him, knowing it was the only way she’d ever move. If she watched him walk around fabulously naked, they might never get out of these woods. His muscles begged to be touched, and boy did she want to do exactly that.

Have sex in public?
Check.

Get over Tyler?
Um…pending.

He cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we need to head home or set up camp. You decide.”

Camp in the woods? Ha. She grinned. “Home it is, then.”

She heard the sound of his zipper and he shuffled behind her. “No more arguing with me?” he asked, his voice light with laughter.

Laughter—not guilt. Thank freaking God. Some small part of her had been expecting him to freak out or something. To run away, just like he had in Mexico. Or even worse? To apologize again. It was nice to find out that her fear had been for nothing. He hadn’t run or apologized. He didn’t look as if he regretted touching her.

And she didn’t regret it, either.

She grinned. “Nah. I’m all argued out.”

When he hissed, she whirled and looked at him. He’d gone completely white, and yet somehow looked green at the same time. “
Fuck
.”

“What?” she asked suspiciously. “What’s wrong?”

He swallowed hard, his eyes slamming into hers. “I’m so fucking sorry. Come over here and sit down.”

Déjà vu.
He’d gone and apologized again. Un-freaking-believable.

“No. No, no, no.” She shook her head, her stomach hollowing out with dread. What the heck did he have to apologize for now? She wasn’t a virgin, and she’d obviously been a willing participant. Pressing a hand to her stomach, she glowered at him. “You are
not
doing to me this again.”