She stopped tugging at him. “Should I call an ambulance? Is the pain awful?”
Rand wanted to howl with frustration. The pain he felt wasn’t remotely connected to his leg, and he didn’t need a doctor to fix it. He needed Haley, lying naked on top of him.
Desire shot through him as if some internal rocket had been launched. Heat raced from his toes to settle in his groin. He was burning up, and she was playing nursemaid in a slip, oblivious to the bulge in the front of his shorts.
“I’ll be all right,” he mumbled hoarsely, trying to keep his back to her. He struggled to his knees and then stood, balancing on his good leg, while Haley uttered soft encouraging words. Her hands were gentle as she helped him back to bed.
When he was once again stretched out, covered lightly with the sheet, she gingerly sat next to him and touched the side of his face with her fingertips. “Is the pain going away?” she asked, scanning his face, her eyes anxious.
Not trusting himself to speak, Rand closed his eyes and nodded, hoping she wouldn’t look at his midsection. He felt like the worst kind of lecher. Her sweet concern was totally asexual, and all he could think of was the pressure of her breasts against his arm as she helped him back to bed. Unconsciously, he groaned again.
“You’re still in pain.” She wrung her hands. “What can I do to help?”
He opened his eyes and stared into her clear hazel eyes, now full of worry. “Close the door and lie down with me for a minute. I’ll feel better with you next to me.”
Haley hesitated. So he managed to groan a third time. With a look of apprehension, she closed the door then gingerly stretched out beside him on top of the blanket.
Rand knew he was playing with fire. He had already decided an intimate relationship with her was too dangerous. She was such a romantic, she’d expect things—a commitment of some kind, and he was not able or willing to offer her more than what this moment would provide—sex, pure and simple.
He was lying to himself. From the beginning, nothing about Haley had been either pure or simple. The safest thing for both of them was for him to send her back to bed in the other room.
He opened his mouth to ask her to leave when his body protested, slamming him with an overwhelming need to touch her, to kiss her before she left.
Trouble! Trouble!
His conscience screamed, and he vowed he wouldn’t let things get out of hand.
He tugged gently on her hair to bring her head to his shoulder. For a few minutes she lay stiffly, her head tilted at an awkward angle, then with a soft sigh, she turned toward him and cuddled close.
“Get under the sheet,” he coaxed.
She opened her eyes to stare into his face. “That’s not a good idea. We’re safer this way.”
He sighed, since she recognized how precarious their situation was it was time to send her to back to her own room. “You’re right,” he whispered softly, then despite his good intentions, he added, “but with you on top of the sheet, it’s pulled tight across my foot, and it’s uncomfortable.” He felt only a twinge of guilt for the lie.
She rolled off the bed. “You should have said something right away. I’ll sleep in the other room.” As she headed toward the door, he called to her.
“Haley, please.”
She turned, her face tense. “I can’t do this, Rand. Every time we get close, you turn on me. It hurts my feelings.”
He passed a hand over his face. “I know. It hurts my feelings too.” He sighed, deciding to be honest. “You scare me, lady.”
A startled burst of laughter escaped her. “Right. I’m really terrifying. I forgot how intimidating I can be.”
“If you only knew.”
She drew closer. “So why don’t you tell me?”
He threw off the sheet and beckoned her back to the bed. She sat on the edge, leaving her feet on the floor. She looked very beautiful, and very tempting. The silk nightgown hugged her body, revealing more than it concealed. Her hair was a mass of riotous black curls framing her face and her eyes glowed large and luminous in the dim light. Rand could barely restrain himself from dragging her down on top of him. The need to feel her body against his had become a giant consuming ache.
“I want you,” he whispered. “You’re all I think about since we met. This kind of need has never been a real problem for me, but you are driving me crazy. Just let me kiss you. I promise it won’t go farther than that.” He meant it. He would stay in control. All he needed was one taste. He held out his hand. “Come on, lie down beside me.”
Haley still held back, her eyes scanning his face as if looking for something. Then slowly, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to draw her down next to him, into his arms. He turned on his side, and his lips pressed gently against hers.
For a few seconds, he lay passively, giving her time to relax. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, but the feel of her body once again triggered a firestorm of need that rolled over his feeble attempts to ignore it. His hand caressed her cheek, and he marveled at the softness of her skin. She opened her eyes to stare unflinchingly at him as his hand slid to her neck where her hair clung like silk to his fingers.
He struggled not to give in to the clamoring of his body, but relinquished the battle when he kissed her, and she trembled and opened her mouth as the tip of his tongue gently stroked her bottom lip. With a raspy breath, he tightened his hand on the back of her head, fusing their lips in a kiss so hot the soles of his feet burned. His tongue plunged into her mouth and mated with hers in a warm, wet, delicious dance.
He knew as soon as her tongue touched his, and she unconsciously arched against him, that, despite his promise, he couldn’t stop. Like a fast moving train, the primal need for release encompassed every part of his body, destroying any functioning brain cells he had left.
Restlessly, Rand’s hands moved down her back, cupping her buttocks and holding her tightly against him. She parted her thighs as her fingers slid up the sides of his face and into his hair, gently massaging his scalp. Her breasts moved back and forth across his chest, and her nipples, hard and enticing, pebbled through the silk covering.
He tore his mouth from hers and lifted her into position so he could access her breasts. His lips and tongue closed over first one breast and then the other, making wet circles in the silk. The low whimpering from Haley’s throat nearly pushed him over the edge, and he struggled for control.
He tugged the thin straps of her nightgown from her shoulders until the garment settled at her waist. For a few seconds, Rand stared, once again entranced by the perfection of her small, high breasts.
“Beautiful,” he breathed as he leaned up to kiss them reverently.
“You said you liked women with bigger breasts,” she whispered unsteadily.
“Temporary insanity. You are exquisite.” He fastened his mouth over her breast, loving the silky smooth texture of her skin. She smelled like peaches and tasted delicious.
Haley clutched his head and arched against him, uttering soft, incoherent cries that nearly drove him insane. He shifted her until she was lying fully on top of him.
Instinctively she angled her body to accommodate the hard bulge in his shorts, and then rocked slowly back and forth. He clenched his teeth as a film of perspiration broke out all over his body. The tension was impossible. He was about to lose his mind with the need to be inside her.
“I can’t take much more of this, Haley,” he gasped, as he eased her back to his side and stared into her eyes. “I know I promised, and we can stop right here if you want. Just tell me now before it’s too late.” It was the most difficult offer he’d ever made.
She touched his cheek. “I don’t want to stop,” she whispered, her eyes hazy with longing. She feathered a string of gentle kisses across his chin.
She smiled at his heartfelt sigh of relief. “I think you just saved my life,” he whispered. Rand joined his mouth with hers in a slow, drugging kiss, which completed their freefall over the edge.
With his lips still clinging to hers, he struggled to remove his shorts. After a fruitless few moments, he moved his mouth to her ear and whispered, “You’ll have to help me, sweetheart, this damn cast is...”
She knelt over him and tugged on the shorts, accidentally grazing her hand across his groin, drawing a moan.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s difficult to get them off when you’re so...”
“Hard’s a good word,” he gasped, barely aware of what he was saying. “Don’t touch me there,” he begged, “or it will be over before we begin. Just help me get these shorts off.”
Her face flushing to a delicate rose, Haley gently tugged his shorts and briefs down his legs, until he sprang free.
“My goodness,” she said before sitting back on her heels with a look of uncertainty.
Rand saw her hesitation as she stared at his erection, the flush of desire slowly ebbing from her face. A wave of dread washed over him. If she backed down now, he would die. Of course it was still her choice.
Although he inwardly howled, he forced his voice to sound calm, quiet. “What’s the matter, Haley? Have you changed your mind?”
Haley glanced at Rand’s face then back to his groin and shrugged helplessly. A minute ago she had been more than ready, but fully aroused, he was so large that alarm spiraled through her at the thought of them coming together. Desire fled, replaced by apprehension and embarrassment.
“Talk to me. What’s the matter?” he asked again.
She gave a strangled laugh and tried to turn her face into his shoulder. “I’m not very experienced at this,” she admitted.
Rand cupped her chin and forced her to look at him as he cleared his throat. “Ah…just how inexperienced are you?”
Her stomach churned as she recognized the reason for his concern. “I’m not a virgin,” she hastily assured him, the heat of embarrassment jumbling her thoughts. “But I’ve only had sex one time, and it wasn’t all that good. In fact, it hurt, and I think you’re a lot bigger than he was. It was my senior prom, in the front seat of a pickup, which probably isn’t the same as a bed, but still...” Her voice finally trailed off.
Damn. The words had tumbled out of her mouth in a torrent of babbling, so disjointed she sounded like an idiot. She stole a glance at Rand, braced for his disdain.
He was struggling not to smile. Not a real valiant effort, she noted. She glared at him. “It’s not funny.”
The smile continued to bloom across his face, and she stifled the urge to slap him.
“Come on, Haley,” Rand chuckled. “You don’t think a guy’s going to be mad when the woman he wants to make love with says he’s the biggest stud she’s ever seen.”
“I didn’t say that,” she said fighting back a giggle.
Men!
Rand was so obviously pleased that she’d been impressed by his, ah…attributes. She glanced down once more, vividly reminded of the larger than life male statues she’d seen on her senior trip to Europe. Unconsciously, she shook her head. The whole thing would be impossible.
Rand’s groan of frustration had her quickly shifting her eyes to his face. He was sweating despite the air conditioning.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t apologize, and stop looking at me.”
Embarrassed, she quickly turned her back to him, and he swore.
“I meant to stop looking at me there. Hell, you have me so confused, I don’t even know what I’m saying. Just lie next to me, and be quiet for a minute.”
She meekly complied, holding her body as still and stiff as a tree trunk. With a sigh, he snaked an arm around her neck and moved her head to his shoulder. “Relax,” he murmured. “I’m a big boy. I can control myself. Nothing’s going to happen unless you want it to.”
She could feel the rapid beating of his heart against her cheek. Their uneven breathing seemed to echo in the quiet room. After a few minutes, her body did relax and curve toward his. She could easily fall asleep, she thought drowsily.
“How come you waited this long to try it again?” he asked quietly. “Your senior prom must have been seven or eight years ago.”
She shook her head. “I never met anyone...I mean, I didn’t want to. My…ah...my first experience wasn’t all that memorable.”
“You can’t tell me there haven’t been opportunities. You must have men falling all over themselves to get to you.”
She couldn’t help remembering his first reaction to her. Leaning up on one elbow to stare down into his face, she gave him a mocking look. “This from the man who told me, and I quote, ‘You look like a teenager. You’re not my type, I like my women to look womanly.’”
Red tinged his cheeks, then his arm tightened on her shoulder, and he pulled her back against his chest. “So I was stupid. I didn’t realize that you’d be so…”
“Be so what?” She held her breath.
He grinned, then tugged lightly on her hair. “So curly.”
Disappointed, she struggled not to show it. She had wanted him to compliment her. What she really wanted was for him to tell her he’d fallen hopelessly in love with her despite their differences.
She mentally scoffed at her own naiveté. Rand wanted her physically, but Haley was certain any deeper emotional involvement was all on her part. Reason warned her that if they went any further, she’d be in real danger of getting her heart broken. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure the warning came too late.
As if sensing her feelings, he whispered, “I have never wanted to make love to anyone as much as I want to make love with you at this moment. But if you’re afraid...?”
“I’m not afraid,” she interrupted, feeling hopelessly gauche. He was used to sophisticated, experienced women and she sounded like a character from
Little Women
. “I’m just...” She shrugged and admitted, “Actually I don’t know what I am. At first I wanted to make love, then I didn’t think we’d fit, and now the moment’s over.”
Rand chuckled. “If we do make love, I promise you, everything will fit in the right places.”
A burst of laughter escaped from Haley’s throat. “We sound as if we’re rearranging the furniture.” Then sobering she said, “I not sure about anything right now.”