Taking on Twins, page 15
She stood, and for an agonizing second, he thought she’d changed her mind. He should have known she was made of stronger stuff.
Tugging on his hand, she pulled him to his feet, through the door and straight into the fantasy he’d been having about her since his first day at Bear Creek Ranch.
Chapter Twelve
“I want to take a shower first,” Corrine murmured, her fingers trailing the line of his square jaw. He’d trapped her in a heated kiss the instant the door closed behind them, and had yet to let her escape.
“Can I join you?” He dipped his head to nuzzle her neck and the delicate skin behind her ear.
“No.” Shivering slightly, she stepped back. Her hand remained on his cheek, cupping it, the pads of her fingers caressing the fine hairs at his temple. “I want you waiting for me when I get out. In bed. Naked.” She sighed softly. “Because that’s what I’ll be.”
Corrine wasn’t being coy or seductive as much as shy. A day of yard work, biking and boating had left its mark on her, and she wasn’t about to slide between the sheets with Greg without freshening up first. Reclining beside him in a darkened bedroom, entwining her limbs seductively with his, held far greater appeal for their first time together than a cramped shower. Though later on…
Well, he had mentioned more than once.
Leaving him standing near the front door, she turned and headed toward the bathroom. At the entrance to the hall, she stopped, struck by a thought.
“Do you have any protection?”
“Yes.”
Good. The nearest convenience store was twenty minutes away.
Giving him a last glance over her shoulder, she slipped into the bathroom. Once inside, she leaned her back on the closed door and waited for the fluttering in her stomach to quiet.
Somewhere between sitting in the porch chair and walking inside, her exhaustion had fled. Adrenaline surging through one’s body tended to have that effect. So did sexual need. Hot water cascading over her skin increased her awareness of that need, and by the time she was done showering, she craved Greg with an urgency she’s never felt before.
When she exited the bathroom dressed in nothing more than a towel, she’d forgotten all about being shy, all about her earlier exhaustion, the difficulties of long-distance relationships, Greg’s imminent departure in three weeks. She’d even forgotten about work.
There was only him, lying naked in the middle of the bed, a sheet pulled up to his waist, a strong, tanned arm propped beneath him and that damned lazy grin of his stretching from ear to ear.
She was going to have to do something about wiping it off his face once and for all.
It was easier than she thought. When she let go of the towel, it dropped to the floor and pooled around her feet. Greg’s surprised expression was priceless, and Corrine almost laughed. Her sister Carolina would be so proud of her.
She approached the bed. He lifted the sheet and welcomed her in. She had only the briefest glimpses of his lean, muscular physique before he enveloped her in his arms and brought his mouth down on hers hard.
No worries.
Her new personal mantra drifted back to her through a haze of sensual delights and allowed her to let Greg take the lead. There would be plenty of opportunity to familiarize herself with every inch of him later. The rest of the afternoon and all through the long, warm summer night.
He abandoned their kiss to move lower, his lips burning a trail along her collarbone and to the valley between her breasts. Corrine arched her back and moaned. She was quickly learning the many benefits of going slow and easy. And who better to teach her than Greg Pfitser, the master of taking his time?
Her determination faltered when he first tortured and then soothed her aching nipples with lips, teeth and tongue. She barely managed to hang on when his equally skilled fingers parted her legs and delved inside her. All hope was lost when he moved lower still and replaced his fingers with his mouth. Lifting her hips, she threaded her hands into his hair and urged him to hurry.
As if Greg would ever do that.
“You are so going to pay for this,” she said, her body taut, her nerves on fire, her every emotion focused on him and how exquisite he made her feel.
“Baby, this is only the beginning.”
He was right.
And so was she.
After he brought her to a staggering climax, she turned the tables on him and played just as unfairly. Greg, it seemed, could dish it out a lot better than he could take it.
Draping herself across his middle, she took his erection in her hands and wrapped her fingers around it, then proceeded to make him wait. And wait. And wait.
“You’re evil,” he said, and grunted with frustration.
She blew a warm breath onto his lower belly. “Paybacks are hell.”
Eventually, she put an end to his torment and took him into her mouth. He lasted a full ninety-three seconds before he hauled her onto his chest and anchored her to him with an arm resembling an iron vise.
“Enough of that.”
“Are you sure?” She wiggled seductively, just to add to his misery. “What happened to the laid-back guy I know?”
“He left the room the second you walked in wearing only a towel.” Without releasing her, he reached over and picked up the condom he’d left on the nightstand.
“You’re going to need two hands for that,” she cooed, and tried to slip away.
He tightened his hold. “Want to bet?” Using his teeth, he ripped open the package.
She watched in fascination as he removed the condom and sheathed himself one-handed. Good heavens. Was there no end to his talent? She couldn’t wait to discover the answer and drew her legs under her in order to straddle his hips.
Greg braced his hands on her waist, positioned her above him and gently eased her down. Corrine gasped as he filled her, withdrew, and then thrust deeper and deeper. There was no going slow for either of them.
And no turning back.
The last rays of sunlight filtered in through the parted curtains. Watching the ecstasy of their joining play across Greg’s face, she felt closer to him than she had to anyone. How could that be, when they’d known each other only a few weeks? Rather than question the impossible, she leaned over him, held his face between her hands and kissed him with a fervor that left her shaken and vulnerable.
His response was immediately and infinitely satisfying to both of them. Rising up off the mattress, he shuddered and clung to her so that she experienced the intensity of his release as much as he did. When it was over, he slumped back onto the bed, eyes closed and his breathing labored. She traced the contours of his face with delicate strokes until he calmed, marveling at how truly gorgeous he was.
Eventually, he opened his eyes and gazed at her with a tenderness she’d not seen in him before, but suspected had been there all along.
“You’re incredible.” There was that damn lazy grin again.
This time, she felt no need to eradicate it, and instead enjoyed being the one responsible for putting it there.
“You, too.” Skimming her hands down his sweat-dampened chest, she said, “I can honestly say sex has never been that good for me.”
He captured one of her hands and brought it to his mouth. Kissing the palm, he said, “I wasn’t talking about the sex.”
“No?”
“You, Corrine Sweetwater, are incredible. The sex was just okay.”
She laughed and punched him playfully in the arm. “That is such a lie.”
“You’re right.’ He rolled her off him and flopped onto his side so they were facing each other. “And if you give me a few minutes to recover, we can have another go at it.”
“Maybe later.”
“What?” His eyes widened.
She pushed away from him, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “I’m hungry.”
“Now?”
“I’ve had an active day.”
“And you’re going to have an active night, too. So I guess some nourishment is in order.”
“Do you have anything here to eat?” She didn’t want to dress and go to the dining hall, where everyone would take one look at them and know what they’d been doing.
“A few things. For the kids, mostly. Toaster waffles, corn dogs, string cheese. Stuff like that.”
“I cook for a living.” She stood and then bent to retrieve her towel. “I can make a virtual banquet from almost anything.”
He jumped out of bed. “I knew there was a reason I’m crazy about you.”
“Are you?” She hadn’t been expecting any declarations. This one touched her.
He stopped abruptly and pulled her to him. His gaze, intent and unwavering, caught hers and held. “Did you have any doubt?”
She laid a hand over his heart and felt it beating, strong and sure and, she liked to think, just for her. “Not at all,” she whispered, and rested her head where her hand had been.
CORRINE SET A SECOND serving in front of Greg. For someone who’d claimed not to be hungry, he was certainly eating a lot.
“I have to admit, I’ve never had grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before.” He picked his up and examined it before taking a big bite. “They’re pretty good.”
Smiling to herself, she set the frying pan in the sink to cool. There was something intimate and rather indecent about eating a meal semidressed and with a man she’d just made love to. “My friend in the army showed me how to fix these.”
“Hector?”
“You remembered.” Corrine sat at the table beside Greg.
“Was he your boyfriend?”
She nodded, debating how much to say.
“You don’t have to explain.” Greg washed down his last bite with a large swallow of milk. “You’re a beautiful woman. I’m sure you’ve had a ton of men after you.”
“Not exactly,” she scoffed, wishing she’d fixed herself another half sandwich so she’d have something to fiddle with besides her empty paper plate. “Hector worked under me. My prep cook.”
“How long did you date?”
“A few months.”
“Did you love him?”
“I cared about him. Given time, our feelings probably would have developed into love.”
“Was he discharged?”
“He was killed.”
Greg put his glass of milk down. “In combat?”
She swallowed. It was easier talking about Hector with Greg than anyone else, but still hard. “We didn’t see a lot of action where we were stationed. Most of it took place in the next town over.”
“An accident then?”
She paused, readied herself and took the plunge. “He was knifed to death. In cold blood. By one of the locals.”
“I’m sorry, honey.” Greg reached over and gathered her hand in his.
She gulped. “It was my fault.”
“You were stationed in a militant third world country at war with its neighbors and, sometimes, with itself. How can anything like that be your fault?”
“Because I turned my back when I shouldn’t have and failed to do my duty as an officer and a soldier.”
“You saw him being murdered?”
“No! I couldn’t live with myself if I had.”
“Did you know beforehand that this local was going to kill him?”
“Of course not.”
“Then his death couldn’t possibly be your fault.”
“You don’t understand.” The pain in her chest, the one she’d lived with for months after Hector was killed, pressed against her lungs until she felt as if she couldn’t breath.
“Are you all right?” Greg asked gently.
“Yeah.” The concern in his voice steadied her.
“You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”
“I do. I want to.” She needed to. And not with just anyone. Only Greg. He’d faced his share of personal demons when his father died, and carried a burden of guilt even to this day. Knowing he would understand gave her the courage she needed to face her own demons and, she hoped, conquer them. Forcing herself to breathe slowly, she continued.
“There was a family. A mother and six children. No dad. So poor you can’t begin to imagine the horrendous conditions in which they lived. A homeless person over here sleeping on city streets has more than these kids did. And eats better. The mom was scarred and a partial invalid. Over half her body was burned when a car bomb exploded. The toddler she was carrying lost her foot.”
“Oh, geeze.”
“Sadly, their situation wasn’t uncommon. The mother would send the two oldest kids to the base. They’d hang around outside the kitchen, begging for food.”
“And you gave it to them.”
“No, I didn’t. Please don’t think badly of me,” she said, when she saw the look in his eyes. “Sneaking food to the locals was strictly prohibited and with good reason. We didn’t know who was our friend and who was our enemy. Children included.”
Encouraged by Greg’s patient silence, she went on.
“I’m not sure how long Hector was sneaking food to those kids before I found out about it. I let him talk me into turning a blind eye. He was a goofball, nothing more than a big kid himself. He came from a family of twelve and didn’t have much in the way of money or privileges growing up, though his family was rich compared to most in the town where we were stationed. He took a shine to these two kids, probably because they were about the same age as his youngest brothers.”
“He sounds like a nice guy.”
“He was a great guy. Heart of gold.” Corrine blinked back the tears filling her eyes. “What I didn’t know, what nobody in the kitchen knew, was that Hector had started taking the whole family food. He’d stuff his shirt and pockets with leftover rations, stow them in a box in the pantry and, don’t ask me how, sneak the food off base and deliver it to that horrible little hovel they called home.”
“He had to have help.”
“No one ever came forward.”
“Would you?”
“I did. I told my commanding officer everything I knew, and took full responsibility.”
“What happened to you?”
Greg’s hand had remained wrapped around hers the entire time. She took great comfort from that.
“I got my wrist slapped.”
“That’s all you deserved. You said yourself you had no idea he was taking food to the family.”
“They killed him!” She choked back a sob.
“One of the children?”
“Their father.”
“I thought you said he was gone.”
“He came back. When Hector showed up with a box of food, the man stabbed him. He claimed he thought his family was under attack by the Americans, and that he acted in self-defense.”
“Did the authorities believe him?”
She made a sound of disgust. “The authorities didn’t care.”
“What about the army?”
“There wasn’t much they could do. Hector was in violation of strict regulations. He entered a local residence without the army’s knowledge or consent.”
“It doesn’t seem fair.”
“Hell, no, it’s not fair!” Corrine’s insides felt as raw as her voice sounded. “You know what’s ironic? That man killed the one person responsible for keeping his family alive all those months he was gone.”
“It was an accident. A terrible accident.”
“Please. That was no accident. Hector was stabbed in the back at close range.”
“Do you think if you’d known what he was doing you could have stopped him?”
“If I’d been a good soldier, reported him for sneaking food to the kids like I should have, not let my feelings for him cloud my judgment, he’d still be alive.”
“You can’t be sure of that,” Greg said. “From what you’ve told me, he was a pretty determined and resourceful guy.”
“I miss him.”
“Of course you do.”
Corrine started to cry. “He shouldn’t have died over something so stupid as a box of rations.”
The pain, sorrow and grief she’d bottled up for months and months broke free. Once the first tear slid down her cheek, there was no stopping them. Not until a hundred of them fell. Greg pressed a fresh napkin into her hand and she used it to wipe her eyes. Within seconds, it became a wet, crumpled mess.
“Shh, it’s okay.” He scooted his chair back and pulled her into his lap, cradling her as he had Annie that day by the pool, when her brother had pushed her in.
Eventually, Corrine spent the last of her emotions. Because being held by Greg felt so nice, she stayed in his lap, clinging to him. He didn’t seem to mind and just kept stroking her back with those marvelous hands of his.
“Is Hector why you left the army?” he asked, when her trembling had ceased.
“One of the reasons. The main one,” she amended. “I can’t explain it, but something changed in me the day he died. Up until then I’d always been able to keep my perspective. Shield myself from the travesties of war. And trust me, I saw things that would give most people nightmares for the rest of their lives.” She sniffed softly. “Now I can’t, and I wish to God I could. If only to feel like myself again.”
“What you went through and how you reacted are pretty normal and to be expected. You lost someone important to you.”
“And a career I loved.” She tucked her head into the crook of his neck. “You must think I’m really messed up.”
He brushed her hair from her face and kissed her forehead. “I think you’re someone who’s suffered a terrible blow and is still dealing with it.”
“Not very well sometimes.”
“If you ask me, I’d say you’re doing an amazing job.”
She snuggled closer. “This helps.”
“Does it?” he murmured into her hair. “Then you can avail yourself of my help anytime you want.”
She slipped her hand into the waistband of his boxer briefs. “How about now?”
He stopped her before she went too far. “As much as I’d enjoy ravishing you on this tiny kitchen table, I won’t take advantage of you in a weak moment.”
