Erected (Erector Set, Book One) (5 page)

Josh did his best to engage her in conversation while they ate but he could see her energy almost visibly draining away and talking was the last thing she wanted to do. Ness Bowen wasn’t nearly as tough as she wanted people to believe. She’d had a lot going on in a short time period and she was doing her best to be tough about it. He’d bet she was killer dynamite at her job, but something had happened to carry that “don’t-get-in-my-way” attitude over into her private life. He’d give a lot to know what it was.

They finished in silence and over her protests he cleared the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Ness sat at the table, watching him. It was a testament to her condition that she didn’t object.

“I saw some white in the fridge.” He opened the door and took it out. “It wouldn’t hurt you to have a glass before going to bed.”

The smile she gave him was halfhearted at best. “You really are determined to take care of me, aren’t you?”

He cocked his head. “You don’t take much to that, do you?”

She let out a slow breath. “I like being in control of my life. Things work out for me much better that way.”

“I’m not trying to take over your life, darlin’. Just making sure you’re okay tonight. Can you accept that?”

Ness sighed. “Not easily. But for right this minute I guess it’s okay.” She rubbed her hands over her face. “Tomorrow I have to call my insurance company, who I’m sure won’t be happy to hear from me. And I have more than a full platter at work right now.”

Josh snapped his fingers. “Right. R. L. Prater Electronics. That was the ISP address on your email. Big company. What do you do there?”

She drank the last of her tea and carried her mug to the dishwasher before answering him. “I work in accounting.”

He had the vaguely uneasy feeling she was fudging the truth and he had no idea why.

“Must be a well-paying job to afford a placed like this and a nice car.”

Her entire body tensed. “I do okay. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Hey.” He spoke softly to her and gently rubbed her arms. “It’s okay. I was just making conversation.”

“I’m really tired, Josh. I think it’s time for you to go.”

“Why don’t you let me pour a glass of wine for you and carry it to your bedroom? I’d really feel a lot better knowing you’re set for the night.” He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I need more white knight points, okay?”

She wilted as if the last of her energy had drained from her.

“Fine. But then you leave, right?”

“Let’s just get you settled.”

He carried the wine in his left hand and supported her with his right arm, her body sagging against him as he walked her down the little hallway. Her bedroom was large and airy, with a wide window that overlooked a park. A pleasant place to be, he thought. Pulling back the covers he helped her into bed then handed her the wine and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Drink some,” he urged. “It will settle you down.”

Strangely, she did as he asked, sipping from the goblet until the liquid was all gone. She slid down until her head touched the pillows and Josh pulled the covers up to her chin. Her eyes were already closing.

“Pleasant dreams,” he said in a soft voice. He leaned down and brushed a kiss over her forehead, turned off the bedside lamp and walked out of the room.

Chapter Three

The car was coming at her faster than a jet and she couldn’t make her car move. Her foot pressed the accelerator all the way to the floor but her car was stuck on the pavement while more than a ton of metal hurtled at her. She tried to open her door to get out but she couldn’t move the leg with the cast. In a minute…

“Stop! Stop, stop, stop!”

“Vanessa.” Someone’s hand was on her shoulder, shaking her.

“I can’t get out,” she cried.

“Ness, wake up. Come on. You’re dreaming.”

She forced her eyes open, blinked against the sudden light in the room and almost screamed again when they landed on the man sitting beside her on the bed. What was Josh McCann doing in her apartment? She pushed at him, not sure if she was more disoriented by the dream or his presence.

“You awake?” He was holding her hands. “Good. You screamed the house down and nearly gave me a heart attack.”

She took in a huge gulp of air and let it out slowly, hoping to calm her racing heart and pull herself together. “What are you doing here?”

“I didn’t want to leave you alone.” He dredged up a smile that Ness figured melted most women’s panties. It would melt hers if she wasn’t careful.

“I told you.” She loosened her hands from his grip and pushed her hair back away from her face. “I’m fine. I appreciate everything you did, including the wine before bedtime, but I can take care of myself.”

“Uh huh. It sure didn’t sound like that a minute ago.”

A flush of embarrassment heated her cheeks. “I apologize. This isn’t like me at all. I’m really much more…together.”

Why didn’t it seem odd to her that she was sitting in her bed having a conversation with a man she’d know for barely two days? She shifted her position in bed, inching slightly away from Josh, and a groan escaped as her muscles protested even the smallest movement.

“You’re hurting.”

Was that real concern in his voice or just an act?

“I’ll be okay. Really.”

“Let me get you some ibuprofen.” He stood up. “Is it in your bathroom?”

“Yes, but—” She certainly didn’t want him rummaging around in her personal items, but he was already striding toward it. She tried to think if she’d left anything lying around that would embarrass her but before she could get her brain in gear he was back with a glass filled with water and two tablets in his hand.

“Take these. They’ll help.”

“If I do will you finally go home?” But her hands trembled so badly, the aftereffects of both the dream and the accident, that she dropped the pills and nearly spilled the water.

Josh picked up the caplets and handed them to her again. “I don’t think you’re ready yet to be alone.” He sat again on the edge of the bed, waited until she finished drinking and took the glass from her hand. “You’ve been in two bad accidents in a very short amount of time, you haven’t even recovered from the first one, and you’re still shaken up.”

Ness looked down at her hands. This was so very unlike her. She never showed weakness and it embarrassed her to do so now. “You should go, Josh, I’ll go back to sleep and be okay when I wake up.”

“Let’s make sure, okay?” He eased her back down onto her pillows, pulled the covers up to her chin and walked around to the other side of the bed.

What is he doing?

Why was he being so wonderful, especially since they hardly knew each other? Of course guys like him were sometimes very solicitous in the beginning. It was only when the thrill of the chase and capture waned, when they realized the two of them had different views of “relationships”, that they boogied so fast they left skid marks in her hallway. Been there, done that, not interested in doing it again.

Except her brain and her body were engaged in a massive battle, due she was sure to her weakened defenses from the accident. Joshua McMann was hotter than hot, smoldering sex on the hoof, and her hormones were giving her fits. He was delightfully rumpled, his tie gone and his shirt partially unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up and the tails hanging loose. As stressed out as she was, it would take every thread of self-control she had to resist him.

Her most recent betrayal was still too fresh for her to even think of taking a chance again. Whatever happened to men who actually wanted to get married and settle down with one woman? She didn’t think she was such a bad catch, although her biological clock was certainly ticking faster. And you could only cozy up to a corner office so many hours a day.

Her entire body tensed when he lay down next to her, on top of the covers. “Just making sure you fall asleep again,” he told her.

“Um, Josh…”

What was the matter with her? She should be shoving him off the bed and demanding that he go home. Instead, when he leaned on one elbow and grinned down at her she found herself lost in those hot blue eyes, her mind totally nonfunctional.

“Close your eyes, Ness.”

His deep voice with its Texas drawl was more soothing than the pills she’d taken. When his fingers stroked her cheek, tiny shivers skated over her skin. It had to be the aftereffects of the accident. That’s the only reason she figured she was acting so unlike herself, with this man she hardly knew caressing her with an intimate touch and looking at her like he wanted to eat her for his next meal.

“I—I’m okay,” she repeated yet again, this time in a whisper.

“I know.” His voice was low and set her pulse throbbing. “Relax, Ness. I’ll chase away the nightmares.”

His stroked her cheek and her forehead, pushing away errant strands of hair. Gradually the tension began to ease from her body and she found herself drifting on a feathery cloud. Had she taken leave of her senses to be lying here in her bed with a man who was a virtual stranger, albeit a smoldering hot one? But somehow in the circumstances it all seemed so natural.

She was so lost in his eyes it was impossible to close hers. They stared at each other, gazes locked, for what seemed an interminable amount of time as he continued the feathery caresses on her face. Then he leaned a little lower and kissed her, his lips warm and firm against hers, his touch light at first then the pressure increasing. Ness forgot to breathe as Josh traced the seam of her lips with his tongue before easing it into her mouth.

What am I doing? Where’s my brain?

Chased away by the heat rolling through her body, obviously.

His tongue stroked across hers and licked the insides of her mouth like a soft flame. Ness just lay there, powerless to move, lost in the sensuality of the moment. Forgotten were her aches and pains and the heavy, dragging cast on one leg. Her breasts tingled and the throbbing pulse in her cunt ratcheted up in intensity.

When he lifted his head his breathing was as unsteady as hers and the look in his eyes scorched through her all the way to her toes.

What in hell am I doing? This woman has just been in an auto accident and all I can think about is sex.

Earlier his intentions had been of the very best. Just make sure Vanessa Bowen wasn’t hurt. Get her home. Feed her dinner and make sure she got into bed. Settled for the night. No residual fallout. He was definitely a gentleman to his dates but he’d learned long ago not to put himself out there too far, or before he knew it he was in a trap he had to fight to escape.

But wasn’t it a damned good thing he’d followed his instincts and done what he had for Ness? Lying next to her in the bed, all he had in mind was to soothe her nerves and relax her back to sleep. Then he’d head back to the couch, which fortunately was long and wide. But when he leaned over her she looked so tempting, mussed from sleep and completely vulnerable, lines of stress etched on her face. And her scent was so delicious, something faintly floral, that he couldn’t resist just that one kiss. He only meant the kiss to be a soft one, a light brushing of lips. Something to ease her, get her to relax. But the minute his mouth touched hers, fire shot through him with enough force to consume him.

Holy shit!

His cock immediately tried to push its way out of his slacks, a definite no-no with a woman who had just had a second auto accident and suffered through a nightmare. And still had a cast on from the last accident. What the hell was he thinking?

That I am so hot for her I’m thinking with my little head. So dial it back. This is all about her.

“Easy,” he murmured against her mouth. “Just let me make you feel good, Ness. Make you relax so you can sleep.”

He expected her to shove him away or at least cuss him out but when she didn’t moved he let his hand drift down the slender column of her neck. With one finger her traced the line of her collarbone and took a moment to press a brief kiss to the hollow of her throat where her pulse was berating wildly. Okay. She wasn’t going to tell him to get the hell out. At least not at this moment.

For her, McCann. Remember that.

He held his breath as he moved his hand down over the swell of her breasts, cupping first one then the other. He pinched a nipple between thumb and forefinger, felt it stiffen in his grasp beneath the soft material of the t-shirt, and pinched a little harder. Ness moaned and arched her breasts to his touch.

Still keeping his touch gentle, Josh took one stiff peak in his mouth, t-shirt material and all, and sucked it, grazing it with his teeth. She moaned again so he sucked harder, lightly squeezing the other nipple at the same time. He didn’t rush her, spent a long time on her breasts. With a casual movement he pushed the covers down and slipped his hand beneath her shirt and up until he could cup the bare flesh of the warm mounds in his palm. Then he inched the fabric up a little at a time, kissing her while he did so, a kiss both hungry and gentle at the same time. When one of her hands lifted and her fingers tousled in his hair he was even more encouraged.