Rescued by the Ranger (15 page)

Rachel’s steps slowed as she contemplated the unthinkable: getting dressed and repacking her bag, sneaking away again. Maybe he was right, and she had no idea what kind of man he was, but she
did
know that Garrett wouldn’t forsake his role as protector without a fight. Still, it just seemed wrong to leave without any explanation. That he probably wouldn’t listen or care didn’t seem like much of an excuse.

Three feet from the bathroom door she stopped, set her bag down, and turned. Once again, she tucked the end of the towel more securely. Her heart pounded with the adrenaline rush that seized her as nervous energy made her second-guess her decision to come clean. She opened her mouth to say his name just as Cowboy sprang to his feet and gave a low woof, facing off toward the hotel door.

The words died on her tongue as Garrett swung around, his body tensed, and the muscle flexed in his jaw. His gaze feathered over her and landed on the door, his expression dark and dangerous. Quickly, he glided toward her. The same weapon he’d used outside the Watering Hole suddenly appeared in his hand.

Garrett put a finger to his lips. “Stay behind me,” he whispered.

So grim and forbidding, he almost convinced her that her faceless enemy had finally come for her. Frozen in place, she forgot everything she’d ever learned about self-defense. Bleakly, Rachel nodded her compliance to his command.

With Cowboy waiting on high alert by his side, Garrett glanced toward the door just as someone rapped out a staccato rhythm on the other side. He grasped her elbow and pushed her closer to the wall behind him. Her attention focused on the door, she stumbled slightly, but easily caught herself. However, her clumsy movements had loosened the towel again, and she reached to catch it as Garrett noticed her plight and swung back to help. In spite of both of them grabbing for it, the damp length of fabric slid all the way to the floor.

Mortified, Rachel held her breath. Garrett snagged the errant cover-up and pushed it toward her, his eyes shiny and dark as they met hers for a split second before the knock came again. She straightened the towel as best she could and held it lengthways in front of her as Garrett moved to the door.

After a quick look through the peephole, he left the chain in place and pulled the knob toward him only far enough to scrutinize whoever was waiting in the hallway. Quiet conversation ensued. After a minute or so, Garrett reached for something the mystery person handed him and closed the door.

He tucked his gun in the back of his waistband and turned slowly. Clearly, he was trying to hide the amusement that danced in his eyes, without much success. He held up two postcard-sized notices. “Twenty-five percent off dinner at the restaurant downstairs. Part of the newlywed package.”

“Newlywed package?”

He shrugged. “I figured if Jeremy was looking for you, he wouldn’t expect to find you in one of the newlywed suites.” His gaze kept dropping to her throat and the swell of her breasts where she clutched the towel.

“Good plan.” Rachel rolled her eyes as she fumbled with the fabric, positioning it to cover more of her chest. Wrapping some of the excess around her bare hips, she tried to hold the ends together behind her, but the towel wasn’t quite wide enough. Finally, she gave up and started backing toward the bathroom.

Garrett strode forward and reached for her, his large hands catching her around the waist. Fear seized her briefly, followed quickly by searing anger. Still trying to move away from his touch, her retreat stopped abruptly when her backside came in contact with the wall. She tilted her chin and looked him in the eyes. “
What
are you doing?”

Rachel was having a hard time believing that the man she’d come to respect in just a couple of days would hurt her. Yet his proximity and her state of undress made this a whole different ball game, didn’t it? Damn. She shouldn’t have come out of the bathroom in a towel, but that wasn’t an excuse for him to put his hands on her and back her into a corner. The last laugh would be hers, however. She wasn’t helpless, thanks to Jonathan. She knew how to break a nose, crack a rib, or bust his balls if need be.

Garrett’s brows shot up and an amused grin accentuated the laugh lines around his eyes. “I’m trying to help you if you’ll hold still for a minute.” He removed his hands from her waist, took a step back, and twirled his finger in the air. “Give me the towel and turn around.”

Rachel huffed a laugh. “Not on your life
.
”

“Will you trust me, please? I promise not to look.” A smile appeared. “Well, not any more than I have to, anyway.” He held out his hand, waiting to receive the towel, as he met her gaze. “Like ripping off a Band-Aid, Rachel. Quick and painless. You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

No, she wasn’t afraid of him, but there were some pretty powerful emotions rolling around inside her right now. Not the least of them was desire and a strong sense that she could trust Garrett. Not only here in this room with a flimsy towel between them, but out on the street where Jeremy searched for her. Should she believe the protectiveness that shone from his eyes? Or was her awakening desire messing with her head?

Making up her mind, she shoved the towel toward him and spun to face the wall.

Immediately he was directly behind her, holding the towel open against her back. “Raise your arms.” His voice was slightly huskier than it had been.

She complied without hesitation, and he reached around her with the towel until the ends overlapped in front of her. Catching the corners, she pulled them together, tucked them under, and held them tightly.

When she glanced over her shoulder, Garrett was still watching her. “Thank you.”

“Any time.” He started to turn away, but stopped before he’d taken a step. “You know you’re beautiful, don’t you? You don’t have one damn reason to be embarrassed.” The rich warmth in his voice drew her eyes back to his.

She breathed again, feeling light-headed, as though she’d been holding her breath for a while.

Garrett’s brow creased. “One more thing. I’m sorry for getting all torqued in the car earlier. You don’t know me—not well anyway—and you had every right to ask what my intentions were. I apologize for being a butthead.” An impish grin dispelled the remainder of his seriousness. “If you forgive me, I won’t tell anyone I saw you naked.”

Laughter threatened to break free, but she managed to keep a straight face. Rachel turned, studying him for a moment, examining his ruggedly chiseled face and the scruffy stubble that made him look so super sexy. She never knew who he was going to be next. The devilishly handsome army Ranger, able and willing to protect her, or the insecure little boy who teased, laughed, and sometimes missed his mother. Both versions of the man drew her, and something inside her came alive whenever he was near. If she’d ever really questioned his integrity, that issue had since been put to bed.

She tapped her index finger pensively against her lips. “I guess I could . . . if you’ll forgive
me
, too.”

He raised an eyebrow quizzically. “For . . .?”

“It’s twofold, really. I have trust issues that cause me to act irrationally where new people are concerned. I’m working on them, but—”

“Nothing to forgive there. Under the best of circumstances, it’s not a good idea to trust everybody you meet. Right now, I don’t want you to trust anyone until you get that sixth sense that they’re okay. Not even me.” Garrett lifted his hand and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “What’s the second thing?”

She allowed her attention to linger on his mouth as he smiled reassuringly. Heat rushed through her and settled in her core. Suddenly, she became ultra aware that she was naked beneath her questionable covering, but she found it only slightly odd that she didn’t seem to care.

Rachel stepped into him and stood on her tiptoes. “
This
,” she said and melded her lips to his.

She’d meant to kiss him for only a second, but his instant and fervent response sent the idea of a time limit right out of her head. His mouth owned hers, his body pressing her firmly against the wall and holding her there while his arms formed a barrier on each side of her shoulders.

His tongue traced the seam of her mouth, and as soon as hers opened, he invaded, conquering in a way she welcomed and reveled in. Her own hunger was matched by his, and under his smoldering onslaught, her legs turned to Jell-O beneath her. She fisted her hands in the shirt at his waist and gave her desire free rein.

Garrett trailed kisses across her cheek to her ear and down the column of her throat to where the plush towel only half covered her breasts. Once he’d worked his way back to her lips, he kissed her hard and hungrily.

Her lungs demanding air, she tried to push away, but he wrapped his arms around her and drew her in tightly. “Uh-uh. Don’t go. Please? Not when we’ve finally figured out how to get along.” Soft laughter rumbled through his chest, and those molten gray eyes waited for her answer.

Her smile evidently reassured him, and he bent slightly to grip the back of her knee and raise her leg to hook around his hip, positioning her over the long, thick ridge in his jeans. Pressing her hard to the wall, he rubbed against her center. Rachel shuddered on contact, and a gasp caught in her throat. Her one leg would have been useless in keeping her upright if she hadn’t been grasping his strong arms for all she was worth.

Her legs spread wide to encompass his girth, he held her in place with his powerful thighs as he rocked his hips against her. The pathetic scrap of terry cloth might as well have been nonexistent as it crept farther and farther up her hips. His lips seared her skin wherever they touched, and she ached for them to touch her everywhere. Pressure built within her, and she instinctively knew that he held the key to her release.

He raised his head, his eyes dark with lust, his lips moist and curved in a smile. “Are we good, sweetheart? I hope so, because I’m not sure I could stop at this point.”

His whispered words held no threat because his eyes told the real story. Respect, truth, integrity, but most of all protectiveness. If she said
enough
, he’d honor her refusal no matter how difficult.

Her body was on fire. She didn’t want him to stop. That this situation was painfully similar to a one-night stand wasn’t lost on her. Something she’d promised herself she’d never do—yet here she was, close to climax against the wall of a hotel room with a man she’d known for three days. She choked back a hysterical giggle.
At least it’s a fancy hotel.

She wanted him to make love to her, to share himself so completely that the loneliness inside her would vaporize, if only for a little while. Being held in a man’s arms until they fell asleep, sated and happy, was a distant memory, and the need to feel that connection to another human being burned in her heart. How long had it been? How long would it be before another man she could trust walked into her life? Many years had passed since she’d let herself get close to anyone.

Rachel smiled into his eyes and pushed against him again. After a brief hesitation, he released her and stepped back. She raised one hand to her chest and toyed with the end of the towel where it was tucked against her chest. He watched her carefully, an air of strained anticipation surrounding him. What was he expecting? Was he afraid she’d turn away from him? Surely she was easier to read than that. With one fingertip, she pulled the towel loose and let it drop to the floor.

Chapter Thirteen

G
ARRETT TRACKED THE
movement of the towel until it hit the floor at Rachel’s feet. Then he dragged his gaze slowly up her luscious frame, meeting her eyes on their way back from the same exploration.
Holy hell!
In a heated rush, the last remnants of his self-control crumbled into dust. He swept her into his arms, cradled her against his chest, and strode to the bed.

Jerking the covers back, he tossed her, none too gently, onto the sheets. She shrieked and then laughed. Garrett gave a quiet command to Cowboy, who’d followed along, probably wondering what the commotion was. The dog grudgingly found a place to lie near the door.

Garrett reached behind his back and dragged his T-shirt over his head, mostly because he was hotter than hell, giving it a toss toward the paper bags that held his new purchases. He fumbled his wallet from his back pocket and placed it on the nightstand so his condoms would be close at hand. Dropping to the edge of the bed, he made short work of his boots and socks. Then he turned, put one knee on the mattress, and stopped abruptly as a stray thought made it through the lust swirling in his brain and slapped him upside the head.

This didn’t exactly fall under the category of protecting her from Jeremy.

Rachel sat in the middle of the navy-colored blanket, and the perfection of her creamy skin, bared from head to foot, went straight to his groin. Her inspection over every inch of his body clearly held desire equal to his own, but something else lurked in her hooded eyes as well, giving credence to his guilt.

Garrett crawled up the bed until he flopped on the pillows and pulled her down beside him. Her hand went to his shoulder where she gently outlined the tribal dragon tattoo that perched there, tail and wings trailing down his chest and back. She grimaced almost as though the thought of a tat caused her pain. Later, maybe he’d tell her what it meant to him—how he’d transferred his pain and anguish at loosing ten good men into a fire-breathing beast that would be with him always.

He kissed her gently and wound his fingers in her hair. “Answer one question before we go any further. Are you sure about this?” He tipped her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

A tiny shrug lifted one shoulder and uncertainty changed her expression a split second before she averted her eyes.

“Okay. That answers my question. Want to talk about it?” He was relieved that she didn’t pull away, stretching her arm across his chest and cuddling close instead. She breathed a sigh that tugged at his heart while he waited patiently for her to answer.

After a few seconds, she lifted her head and met his gaze. “Impulsive actions oftentimes end in regret. Most men don’t want their one-night stand staring them in the face the next day, but you won’t have a choice unless you decide to leave after all.”

“Let’s deal with the last part of that first. I’m here for the duration. Changing my mind is not an option. Got it?” He rolled on his side and reached for her arm, bringing it over his shoulder so she was hugging him around his neck.

“Now for the impulsive behavior you mentioned.” He gave her a wink and got a wisp of a smile in return. “Is that what you want this to be? A one-night stand? Because I don’t
do
one-night stands, sweetheart. Never have. Well, unless you count the first time when I was fifteen years old and my father’s personal assistant took it upon herself to show me the ropes. Even that wouldn’t have been a one-time deal if Anna hadn’t bragged about it to the kitchen staff and gotten her ass fired the next day.” Garrett grinned, remembering his father’s anger and frustration when the story had finally made its way to him.

“Stop, Garrett.” Rachel skimmed a cool hand down his roughly whiskered face. Her smooth cheeks took on a pinkish hue, and her expression registered no small amount of guilt. “Have you forgotten there’s a lunatic out there ready to kill the next man I spend too much time with? This is a really bad idea.” She tried to roll away from him, but Garrett anticipated her move and threw his leg over hers, pulling her snug against him.

He rested his forehead on hers. “I remember, but that has nothing to do with this.
This
. . . is between you and me. And I’d be mad as hell if you let something happen here today that you’ll be sorry for later tonight . . . or tomorrow morning . . . or next week. I don’t want to be your biggest regret, and I don’t want you to be sorry you met me.”

Tears flooded her eyes, and for the first time since he’d walked in her bar, she didn’t try to blink them away. A big droplet cascaded over her eyelashes and rolled down her cheek. “What happened to Chance has been my first thought every morning and the last thing I see every night. I’ve been afraid for so long, I don’t know how to separate
us
from
him
. How am I supposed to do that?”

Garrett kissed the moisture from her face, then covered her mouth with his. He smiled against her lips when her arms tightened around his neck. “Sweetheart, all of us have bad memories. I let mine define me for a long time, so I’m not the one to tell you how to escape yours. But you’re going to let
me
worry about Jeremy from now on. Luke, Jonathan, and I will nail his worthless hide to the barn door. If it takes more manpower than that, I’ve got two brothers and a sister you haven’t met yet, a dozen Ranger buddies who’d drop everything if I promised them a good skirmish, and we can always go over Sheriff Connors’s head to the Idaho State Police if we have to. Hell, I’ll even ask my old man for help if it becomes necessary. All you have to do is trust me. Think you can do that?”

Her eyes sparkled with residual tears, but she nodded and kissed him back when his lips found hers again.

Garrett rolled another quarter turn until she was on her back and his weight pressed her into the mattress. He brought one knee up, spreading her legs slightly, and positioned himself in the cradle of her hips. He rocked against her, gently at first, until his engorged manhood pulsed with the need to be free of his jeans and someplace much tighter. Forcing himself to go slow, he lazily circled the peak of one breast with his thumb while with the other hand, he brushed the hair away that had fallen in front of her eyes.

A groan escaped while he fought for control and rained soft kisses on her mouth and throat. When he again searched her eyes, her luminescent smile caused his swollen shaft to harden even more. He shifted to the left side of her, unbuttoned his jeans, and lowered the fly. His arousal tented the front of his briefs as it escaped the confines of the zipper.

Rachel braced herself on her elbow and watched as he slipped to his back and shed his jeans and Calvin Kleins. She scrambled to her knees and reached for him, closing her small hand around him and squeezing, rubbing her fingers along the length of him and circling the head with her thumb while he looked on.

Shit!
For a second he thought his brain might have imploded for lack of blood. When he could move again, he shoved her down on the bed and dropped alongside her. He palmed one of her breasts and lowered his mouth to the other. Instantly, her breath came faster and grew ragged. Working his thumb over her taut nipple caused her to jerk in rhythm with his fingers. His mouth closed over her other breast, sucking and nipping as he rolled his tongue to the same beat. She moaned and pulled him closer.

Garrett threw his knee over her thigh and spread her legs. One hand began a slow and exploratory journey down the front of her, and he shifted so he could capture her mouth with his. Rachel responded with every bit as much hunger as he felt. A shudder rolled through her when his hand settled on the drenched heat between her legs. So damn wet and ready for him. His shaft ached for release.

“Shit, sweetheart. I’ve never been this hard in my life. What are you doing to me?”

Her cute little shrug was the only answer he got, which meant it wasn’t something special she did—it was that
she
did it. Garrett smiled with that knowledge, not sure why it made him feel content deep down where he hadn’t known contentment in . . . forever.

He worked his fingers through her slippery folds, alternately rubbing and pinching her sweet spot until she was on the verge of coming. Then he pushed two fingers deep inside her, pumping hard and fast. When he pulled out and pinched her center again, she came with a cry of passion that he captured and silenced with a kiss.

Her eyes shone when she finally opened them, evidence of the tears that had gone before. Worry gripped his chest. “Tell me you’re not sorry.”

Her smile slowly blossomed as she looped her arms around his neck. “No. Not sorry. Not even close.”

The need to make her his hit him, so powerful that it left him trembling. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice. He gave her a smug grin. “Good, because we’re not done yet.” He pushed himself up on his arms, extracted a condom from his wallet, and quickly rolled it on. Then he lowered himself on top of her and pressed himself to her opening.

It was too late in the game to go slow. He rocked back and shoved in to the hilt. Hot satin sheathed him and moved when he did. It was the best damn feeling he’d ever had.

Garrett found her lips and drank freely of their honeyed flavor. Rachel lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips, giving more of herself, allowing him deeper. After taking a few seconds to absorb the sensations bombarding him, he started to move. All the way out except for the head. When Rachel started squirming and trying to affect his reentry herself, he pushed in again. Each time harder, faster, deeper, and closer to the drop-off.

Twining his fingers with hers, he rested his hands on the pillow beside her head and silently held her gaze. He kissed her, biting her lip, then massaging it with his tongue, then invading her mouth, tasting, owning, branding. As his passion built, drawing closer to the moment of climax, so did his hunger for this woman. Once would never be enough. Not by a long shot. Did she feel it, too?

Fireworks exploded in his peripheral vision as every muscle in his body went rigid. He rocked into her one last time as deep as he could go. A long, feral growl sounded from somewhere, and it must have been him. Wave after wave of spasms convulsed him, and inside Rachel, he jerked and twitched. Kissing her gently, he savored every moment he could touch her, possess her like this. Finally, he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her. Not willing to move yet, he stayed, sheathed in her warmth. Rachel slid her hands behind his head and brought his mouth to hers, kissing him soundly and then burying her face in his neck. “That was amazing.” Her voice came low and muffled.

Garrett pulled back and regarded her sparkling eyes. She smiled, but worry still cast its shadow across her face.

“
Fucking
amazing!” To be exact, sex had never left him feeling so right before. It stole some of his contentment to see her still sad, even after the best damn sex ever. His half sister, Shay, would have reminded him that women needed more—they needed an emotional attachment—but anger at what Rachel had suffered and his need to fix it for her steamrolled him anyway. Jeremy had taken enough from Rachel. It was time he disappeared from her life. Garrett would be happy to help the bastard on his journey. He just needed to know who her stalker was, and he’d make sure the son of a bitch never hurt her again.

He reluctantly rolled off her. Then he hooked his arm around her waist and tugged her to spoon against his front. It felt so damn good with her beside him. Too good to be true. He’d have to be careful that he didn’t do something to spoil this. Funny—he’d never cared about the
aftermath
of sex before, always heading out of Dodge before the cuddling got too intense. Was he getting in too deep . . . too fast? He dropped a kiss on her exposed neck, and she laughed softly in response. Maybe. But he wasn’t ready to let her go yet.

Garrett stroked her hair and breathed in her clean, fresh scent. Was there anything he didn’t like about this woman? Maybe her hot temper and penchant for holding a grudge—but she was also quick to forgive. To be fair, she’d had good cause to hate his guts when he arrived. Rachel leaned away from him. “Are you
smelling
me?”

He tightened his hold, pulling her back where he wanted her, and nuzzled the sensitive spot at the base of her neck. “Damn right. I love the way you smell. Is that jasmine?”

“I’m impressed. You know your perfumes. Do they teach you that in Ranger school?” The teasing in her voice came through loud and clear.

Garrett groaned close to her ear and then licked her lobe as he slid his hands lower on her abdomen and pressed her against his burgeoning hard-on. He smiled as a small hitch in her breath marked her realization that he was ready to go again. “In a way, the Rangers are responsible. A couple of years ago, my unit trained in Alaska for three weeks. At the end of it we got some R&R, and a bunch of us went into Fairbanks. The guys decided they wanted to buy their girls or wives presents—perfume. I never smelled so damn many perfumes in my entire life, but my favorite was jasmine.”

Rachel drew in a soft breath. “Is that what you bought for your girl?”

Garrett laughed softly. “Are you asking if I
had
a girlfriend?” He propped himself up on one elbow and trailed his fingers along the side of her face and down her throat to splay on her breast.

She turned slightly toward him. “Of course not—did you?”

Garrett hooted, holding her arms down while he tickled her until she was out of breath from laughing. He stilled, hands clasped around her waist. “Give up?”

She snorted a laugh but it sounded more dangerous than humorous. “That’ll be the day.”

He rolled her onto her back and kissed her gently. Then he traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “You never give up, do you?”

The determination in her eyes instantly turned her expression serious. “No, I don’t.”

Garrett brushed her hair from her eyes. “Good. I like that about you, but you’re not alone anymore. Let me in, sweetheart. Let me help.”

Without a word, she raised her hand and lightly caressed his stubbled cheeks. Slowly, her eyes darkened to a smoldering hue of green.