Here to Stay (14 page)

Calvin’s response was muffled by the two
official cruisers that ground to a stop in the driveway. Four
policemen scrambled from the tan and brown vehicles.

Paige felt suddenly lightheaded. She looked
from Nathan to Calvin and then to the two men on the ground. She
closed her eyes and released a breath. They could have all been
killed. She opened her eyes and rested her gaze on Nathan. She
could have lost him today. Lost him forever. And he would never
have known that he had a son.

~*~

“Aren’t you through yet?” Nathan
complained.

“With that part I am,” Paige told him after
securing the bandage on the knife wound A.J. had inflicted. It
wasn’t deep, but there had been so much blood. She shuddered.

Forcing her attention on his injury, she took
a moment to admire her handiwork, trying not to notice the smooth
contours of his bare chest or the rippling ridges of his abdomen.
Nathan had the kind of body that was hard to ignore.

“What now?”

She reached behind him to soak another
washcloth with cool water. “Has anyone ever told you that patience
is a virtue?”

“Patience is not my strong point.” He leaned
against the sink and released a long breath.

“Tell me something I don’t know.” She dabbed
at his bloody lips with the wet cloth. She moved closer between his
spread legs. She worked hard to keep her expression neutral since
simply touching him generated such a heat that she felt certain she
would break out into a sweat at any moment.

“Do you know this?” Nathan’s long fingers
encircled her wrist and stilled her hand.

Paige allowed her gaze to meet his. She
couldn’t read the myriad emotions she saw there.

“I’ve laid awake thousands of times and tried
to figure out how I could have changed things between us.” He
shrugged. “Made things turn out differently or maybe even avoided
falling in love with you altogether.” His gaze dropped to the hand
he held and then back to her eyes. “I’m glad I didn’t know how it
would end. Even if I could go back, I’d do the same things all over
again.”

For a long time neither she nor Nathan spoke
except with their eyes. She saw the tremendous need in his, felt
the desire radiating from his body. His eyes closed as she gently
traced the outline of his jaw. Such a strong man, yet capable of
such sweet words. She tiptoed and placed a soft kiss on his bruised
lips. His dark eyes fluttered open as she skimmed her hand down his
taut chest making him shiver. She smiled at the power she could
wield over this big, powerful man. She gave his hungry mouth
another kiss.

Nathan’s hands snaked around her waist and he
pulled her tight against him. His mouth took hers in a kiss so hard
she tasted the blood from his injured lip.

“Paige,” he whispered against her mouth. “I
want you so much.” He cradled her in his arms. “Even if you leave
and never come back. Even if I spend the rest of my life alone. I
don’t care.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “I just want to
hold you and love you right now, today.”

She took his face in her hands and leveled
her gaze on his. “I want you, too, Nathan.”

He lifted her into his arms and carried her
into the bedroom. He settled her on her feet next to the bed. For
long moments he simply stared, as if memorizing every aspect of
her. She shuddered when he finally touched her. His palm caressed
her cheek, the pad of his thumb traced her lips.

She pulled the shirt over her head and
dropped it to the floor. She watched the desire in his eyes
intensify as her cutoffs fell to her ankles and she kicked them
aside.

Nathan remained motionless. Seemingly content
to look at her. But that wasn’t enough for her. She wanted him to
touch her—touch her now. She took his hand and pressed it to her
breast. He blinked and then slipped the satin fabric over her
nipple. He stroked the peak with his thumb, soft at first, then
harder. Heat swirled through her breast and then sank lower. With
painstaking slowness he leaned down and tasted her. Paige gasped at
the contact of his hot mouth on her breast…the whisper of black
silk against her abdomen. She threaded her fingers through his long
hair. He nibbled and then suckled, drawing desire up from the
deepest part of her. She had wanted this for so long. Wanted Nathan
for as long as she could remember. She pulled his mouth from her
breast and pressed her lips to his in a desperate kiss. She wanted
to lose herself in his heat.

His hands went behind her back and unfastened
her bra. He slipped the satin garment off and crushed her to him.
The feel of his wall of muscle against her soft breasts sent fire
searing through her middle. She could hold him like this forever
and be happy just hearing his heart beat, feeling his breath on her
bare skin.

He slipped his hands inside the cool silk of
her panties and eased them over her hips and down her thighs and
over the swell of her bottom. His work-toughened palms caused a
sensuous friction on her tender flesh.

She smoothed her hands over his powerful
back, reveling in the feel of his strong body. No matter how she
tried to pretend otherwise, she had never wanted anyone else like
she wanted Nathan Blackrope. Her heart and soul belonged only to
him. She could have today with him even if tomorrow never came. And
she wanted today—this moment in his arms.

Nathan’s tongue continued to tease and stroke
hers, his lips ravishing and at the same time soothing. Paige
tucked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans and circled his
waist, stopping on the snap. She popped the snap and then slid the
zipper down. Nathan groaned into her mouth as she reached inside
and touched him. Holding him so intimately sent a surge of pure
feminine possessiveness through her that paralleled the feeling she
had experienced when she had held her baby son in her arms for the
first time. Nathan was part of her—he always had been and he always
would be.

Paige pulled herself free of his kiss and
knelt before him. She carefully eased his jeans down, freeing him.
Nathan never wore underwear—just muscle and denim. The thought sent
another sphere of heat spiraling between her thighs. Paige tugged
his pants the rest of the way off and flung them away.

Her gaze moved up his muscular thighs. Her
heart skipped a beat when her eyes paused on his heavy arousal,
silky skin pulled tight across his hardened need. Nathan’s hands
fisted at his sides while she took her time exploring his body.
Paige glided her hands over his narrow hips and taut stomach in a
whisper of skin against skin. Her gaze swept over his smooth, broad
chest to the arms that could cradle tenderly or hold
passionately.

She smiled up at his handsome face. A face so
amazing that it took her breath away. His hair lay against his
shoulders and chest, a curtain of silk that beckoned to her touch.
Nathan Blackrope. Even his name made her insides twist with
desire.

His eyes remained closed. He was waiting.
Waiting patiently for her to have her fill of looking at him. She
pressed her lips to his stomach, next to his naval. A ragged breath
slipped past his lips into the quietness of the room. “Are you sure
this will be okay?” she asked, outlining the bandage with her
fingertips.

“Yes,” he said hoarsely.

Paige stood and slipped her arms around his
neck, aligning her body along the length of his. She closed her
eyes and glorified in the wonderful feel of his strong body.

Nathan moved his hands over her already
heated flesh, touching, caressing. He nuzzled the hollow of her
neck and inhaled deeply. His hands tangled in her hair as he took
her mouth. She opened for him as his tongue plunged into her
waiting mouth. He caressed…explored. His hardened length nudged her
belly. She arched into him. He groaned and kissed her more
deeply.

“I’ve wanted you for so long,” he whispered
against her cheek. “You can’t know how much this means to me.”

She tightened her hold on his neck. “I know
how much it means to me.” She pressed a kiss to the pounding pulse
at the base of his neck. Her chest felt so heavy. She wanted to
tell him things she didn’t even understand herself. She wanted to
shout hysterically with joy and at the same time she felt the
overwhelming need to cry. But all conscious thought ceased when
Nathan lowered her onto the bed.

His skin felt so hot against hers. She
inhaled his unique scent. Drew that special essence into her,
filling herself, aware of only him leaning over her, looking into
her eyes.

Her heart pounded, defeating any lingering
doubts. She arched against him. “I’m on fire,” she whispered
against his neck. “I can’t wait any longer.”

He pinned her hands above her head. His
intense gaze settled on hers. “Burn for me, Paige,” he murmured as
he nibbled her lower lip and then moved to her neck. His tongue and
teeth working in perfect harmony, like magic. Torturing and then
soothing her flesh as he made his way downward.

He licked one pebbled nipple, and took it
between his teeth and tugged. Teased it with the tip of his tongue
before opening his mouth to take as much of her breast as possible,
then sucking.

She moaned and tried to pull her hands free
to touch him, but he held her firmly, heightening her need.

Nathan moved to the other breast and worked
the same magic. Heat pooled between her thighs as his hungry mouth
moved over her belly and circled her navel. He pulled her arms down
to her sides, but still kept them gently pinned to the bed.

“Nathan,” she gasped when he moved lower
still. She desperately wanted to touch him. “Please,” she moaned.
His hands slipped free of hers and she immediately buried her
fingers in his hair.

He pushed her thighs up against her belly and
wider apart. One hand on the back of each thigh, Nathan squeezed
methodically as he lowered his head to please her in a way she had
never known before. His breath on the sensitive, exposed area sent
a shock rumbling through her. He flicked his tongue between the
folds of her most feminine flesh. He explored slowly, patiently
until he found the budding heart of her desire. He paid special
attention there.

Her blood pounded in her ears. She arched
wantonly against his mouth. “Nathan, please,” she begged. She
couldn’t take much more of this.

He slipped his tongue inside her in response.
She writhed uncontrollably at his stunningly erotic invasion. He
circled her and thrust, again and again. Wave after wave of
sensations swept over her, focusing on the center he continued to
torture. When the tightening began he thrust his tongue harder,
deeper and then he drew it across her pulsing nub. Paige cried out
as release rocked her.

Before the waves subsided, Nathan buried
himself fully, completely inside her. His lips found hers and he
kissed her with such need that she thought she might cry. The
sensation of being filled by him overwhelmed all other sensory
perceptions. She was one with him at last and she wanted to hold
him inside her and cherish him forever.

Nathan didn’t thrust for a long while,
satisfying his immediate need with grinding himself against her,
pausing and then grinding again.

Her heart constricted when she realized what
he was doing. He was giving her time to adjust to his size,
restraining his own needs for her comfort. She did cry then. Hard
as she tried not to, the tears slipped out.

He kissed her cheeks, her eyes. He drew back
and stared down at her in the semi-dark room. “Why are you crying?
Am I hurting you?” He shifted to withdraw.

“No,” she said quickly, tightening her hold
on his waist and wrapping her legs around his. “You’re not hurting
me.”

He brushed his lips to hers. “Then why are
you crying?” he asked again, holding his lower body still save for
the throbbing inside her.

“Because you’re so gentle and it’s been so
long,” she murmured.

“Paige.” He looked deeply into her eyes.
“What’re you saying?”

“There’s never been anyone but you.” She
tried to slow her racing heart and the thrill that zipped through
her body when she saw the impact of those words in his eyes.

He brought his lips back to hers and kissed
her slowly, reverently. With great care, he began to thrust inside
her. With each long, slow stroke he whispered sweet words to her.
She didn’t know what the words meant, she only knew that he spoke
to her in the language he used when he wanted to express an emotion
so strong that he couldn’t find the words to do so in English.

The waves crashed down on her again. The
tremors started so deep…so far away. Nathan moved faster, harder,
urged on by her responsive sounds. Closer and more powerful the
tremors came until she could hardly bear the pressure. She clutched
him to her and begged him to hurry.

He uttered a tormented phrase. His body felt
rigid and unconquerable. He fisted his hands in the sheets and
increased the force of his movements. He cried out her name and
then her own climax took her.

A lifetime of memories flashed through her
mind as she acknowledged what her heart had known all along. She
loved Nathan with all her heart and soul and nothing would ever
change that. Not time, not misunderstandings, not her father,
nothing.

Nathan’s own release came hard. He collapsed,
grinding his hips into hers one last time.

They held each other until their breathing
had returned to normal. Nathan eased onto the mattress next to her
and rested his head against her belly. Blue-black silk fanned over
her skin. He caressed her sweat-dampened body. Talking wasn’t
necessary. She could feel what he felt. Nathan still loved her,
too. She knew from the words he had spoken to her during their
lovemaking, though she had no idea what he had said. She knew by
the way he had looked at her when he realized there had been no one
else but him. And she also knew by the tender way he held her now.
He loved her. Her heart rejoiced.