Snowbound (8 page)

Beth had no time to savor her victory as he
lifted her onto his lap, his mouth slanting over hers possessively.
He kissed her deeply, with fervor that matched her own. Their
tongues tangled and collided, almost as if they were at war.
Perhaps it was a bit like a battle, since she wanted to breach his
walls and claim a piece of him for herself.

His kisses slowed slightly, becoming long and
drugging, as his hands pushed up her camisole to caress her stomach
and back. Beth let her own hands roam freely, pleased to find he’d
come to her in nothing but boxer shorts. Turning her head slightly,
she asked, “Do you sleep in these?”

“Nah. I just grabbed the first thing in the
drawer when I heard you scream.”

“I think I’d like you better without them.”
Beth slipped her hands inside the waistband to stroke his hips,
inching down the underwear as she did so. He groaned and thrust
against her, letting her feel the full length of his arousal
against her heated flesh. Motivated, she gave up her efforts to tug
them down and sought out her prize. Reed groaned when she wrapped
her hand around his cock, squeezing gently. “Hmm, much better,” she
managed to say, though her mind was a bit fragmented, between the
pleasure of touching him and the tingles shooting through her body
from his hands cradling her breasts.

Reed thrust against her hand as he pulled the
camisole off, carefully maneuvering around her wound. His mouth
kissed a wide circle around the bandage. “You almost stopped my
heart this afternoon. ‘Bout keeled over when I saw you
bleedin’.”

“It didn’t show. You handled it easily.”

He shook his head, his hair tickling her
chest. “Not on the inside. It left me off-kilter. Guess that’s why
you was able to seduce me so easy.”

Beth laughed. “I’ve been planning to since a
few minutes after I got off the plane.”

He snorted. “Still don’t believe that.”

Annoyed, she put her hands around his cheeks,
forcing his head up from her cleavage. “I’m not lying. I try never
to lie.” For emphasis, she kissed him again, sliding her tongue
along the bottom of his lip before pushing inside. Beth clung to
him, not breaking the kiss, as he shifted their positions so she
was lying under him. He let her control the kiss for a minute,
before taking over, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth and
leaving her breathless.

She closed her eyes, losing herself in his
touch as his mouth drifted lower. He paused for a leisurely,
thorough inspection of her breasts, pushing them together so his
tongue could alternate between her nipples. Beth had never much
enjoyed nipple stimulation, but perhaps it had more to do with the
technique of the two boys who’d gone before, because this man had
her writhing and thrusting against him. Calling out his name, she
wrapped her thighs around his waist, rubbing her pussy against his
stomach. “I need you, Reed.”

“Shush, girl, I’m comin’.” He chuckled
against her stomach. “Or you are, soon enough.”

Beth drew in her breath, holding it with
anticipation and a touch of fear as he neared the apex of her
thighs. None of her boyfriends had ever gotten so close before, and
they’d certainly never done that. “Oh, god.” Had he swiped the side
of his tongue down her? Or maybe the flat part? “Oh, Reed, that’s…”
She trailed off, unable to speak again as breathless moans escaped
her. His mouth moved with deliberate purpose, and he was clearly
skilled. When he added his fingers to the mix, she lost control and
came with a sob, calling out his name as her body shivered and
jerked underneath him. It made the orgasm he’d given her earlier in
the day seem almost mild by comparison, and she was embarrassed to
find she was riding his face like a thing possessed as he kept
licking, eliciting another orgasm before he lifted his head.

When she could breathe, she reached out a
shaky hand to touch his shoulder. “I’ve never done it before, but
do you want me to…?”

He shook his head. “Not tonight. I just wanna
be inside your pussy.” He wriggled a finger still in her passage.
“You’re so fuckin’ tight.”

She licked her lips. “Have you ever been with
a virgin before?”

Reed was close enough now that she could see
his expression—one of consternation, with perhaps a touch of guilt.
“Never.”

“You prefer the experienced type?”
Insecurities flooded her, and she loosened her thighs.

“The only type I got is the type that wants a
good, hard fuck, Beth.”

She barely held in the shudder that tried to
escape. “Well, I want that.”

“That ain’t what you want.” He pushed hair
out of his eyes impatiently. “You want sweet ‘n tender, and you
deserve it. Your first time should be special.”

Sensing he was on the verge of changing his
mind, she resorted to dirty tactics. Sliding lower, she cupped his
erection in her hand. “This feels special to me.”

He groaned as she moved her grip down his
shaft and up again. “A good guy’d do the right thing here.”

“You feel good to me.” She hoped he knew she
meant that on more than just a physical level. Reed was surly and
rough, but she was sure there was a good, caring man underneath
that exterior. He wore it like a shell, in much the same way she
wore her cheerful mask that hid any hurts her father’s negligence
caused.

“I ain’t good, ‘cause I ain’t walkin’ away.”
He pulled away long enough to remove his underwear, allowing her
time to do the same. When Reed returned to her, he seemed to have a
new sense of purpose as he started touching and kissing her again.
His cock nestled against her slick folds, and she lifted her hips,
wanting him inside her.

“Please, Reed.” She whimpered when his head
pushed inside her, but barely stifled a curse when he pulled away.
“What?” Beth flinched when he cursed. “Did I do something
wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nah, it ain’t you. I
can’t do this.”

She did curse then, beyond frustrated. “I
don’t know how many ways there are to tell you I want you to fuck
me, Reed. I don’t give a damn that you’re fifteen years older, or a
grumpy dick most of the time. I want you.”

To her surprise, he chuckled. “Good to know
where I stand, girl.” His expression revealed his own frustration.
“It ain’t that. I ain’t got protection.”

“Oh. Ohhh.” Beth struggled with dates,
mentally calculating. “It’s not a problem.”

He sagged a bit. “Thank god, girl, ‘cause the
only way my balls would get any bluer is if I dunked ‘em in a snow
bank.”

She laughed as he returned to her, nudging
her legs apart. “You’re a silver-tongued devil, Reed.”

“I can be.” He aligned his cock with her
delicate tissue. “Maybe you need a reminder?”

She shook her head. “Not right now. I just
need you.” Tightening her legs around him, she lifted upward as he
settled inside her tight passage. Beth winced a bit at the
stretching feeling, but it didn’t hurt.

He held himself on his hands, clearly trying
to avoid crushing her. “You okay?”

She nodded. “I thought there would be pain,
but it’s just a little uncomfortable.” When he pulled back to sink
in again, she experienced another twinge, but that soon faded. His
fingers dancing across her clit, coupled with the perfect way his
cock pushed against a sensitive spot inside her, soon catapulted
her straight into ecstasy, and she didn’t have the ability to worry
about her technique or be more than a little concerned that she was
being too enthusiastic as she bucked against him, straining for
every inch he gave her.

She gripped his shoulders with so much
pressure she thought her nails were leaving marks. Rather than
loosen her hold, she applied a bit more, liking, on a primal level,
the idea of marking him. He was her man, and she wanted to leave
proof.

Even primal thoughts fled as her orgasm
crested, crashing over her and making her convulse and cry out.
Reed’s muscles tightened, and he went rigid against her as his seed
spilled inside her. He buried his mouth against her throat, biting
her gently as he came, leaving territorial marks of his own.

Reed woke later to the blissful sensation of
wet heat sliding up and down his cock. He groaned when she licked
the head of his shaft before sucking again. He closed his eyes as
she took care of him. Considering she’d never done it before, his
girl had talent.

His eyes popped open at the thought. “No,” he
said harshly, and she froze. He’d been talking to himself, denying
that she was “his” girl. Beth wasn’t his and never would be. Once
the weather cleared, and Wyndam was done with his documentary,
she’d be gone forever. A groan of reluctance left him when she
withdrew her mouth, and he frowned at the uncertainty in her
voice.

“I’m sorry if I did something wrong.” She
sounded shaky, and a touch shy, when she added, “I just wanted to
give you some of what you gave me.”

“You didn’t do nothing wrong, Beth.” He
reached for her, drawing her close for a deep kiss before speaking
again. “You were doin’ a good job. Too good. I didn’t wanna come in
your mouth.”

“Oh.” She slid across him, straddling him
with her opening poised over the head of his shaft. “Do you want to
come somewhere else then?”

With a growl, he cupped her ass in his hands,
pushing her down on him forcefully, but with care to ensure he
didn’t hurt her tender passageway. “That’s the spot.” He thrust
against her as she rode him, his hands guiding her movements as he
surged deeply inside her, making her moan and cry out.

Her pussy tightened around him just before
she came, and he gritted his teeth to hold on to his own release so
she could let go first. She cried his name in a breathless way that
sent a pang through his chest. As he spilled his seed inside her,
he couldn’t deny the knowledge that he wanted to claim her, to make
her his woman.

It was only after the euphoria faded that he
remembered all the reasons that couldn’t happen. Pulling her
against him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he hoped she
was thinking of all those reasons too. The last thing he needed was
to have to discourage her from having feelings for him. It was
difficult enough forcing himself to keep a distance without having
to worry about her emotions too.

Chapter Six

He’d left more than a few marks on her in the
past few days, Beth thought with a pleased smile, eyeing the
hickeys, scratches, and light bruises garnered from vigorous sex.
He couldn’t seem to help himself, as though driven to leave his
mark on her. It felt possessive and territorial, and she loved it,
even though it wasn’t politically correct to think that way.

Still standing in front of the mirror, she
zipped her pants and reached for a sweater. It was the first time
in three days, since the night she’d become his lover, that she’d
had any reason to dress or get out of bed for more than a few
minutes. The weather had raged on for most of the time, making it
impossible for her father and his crew to arrive. They’d taken
advantage of the interlude to get better acquainted.

At least physically, she thought with a small
sigh, as she slipped on her sweater. She knew every inch of Reed’s
body by now, and had a fair idea how to drive him wild, but she was
no closer to knowing the man. He didn’t rebuff her questions so
harshly now, but he didn’t answer either. She’d talked and chatted,
telling him every inane detail of her life in hopes he would open
up, but she’d gotten nothing. “Blue,” she muttered. He’d told her
his favorite color yesterday. What a breakthrough.

He was waiting for her in the kitchen, having
promised her a walk. Actually, having insisted she get out of his
bed, leave the roaring fire, and come with him so she could get
some exercise. He’d ignored her protests that she’d gotten a lot of
exercise the past few days, before admitting that he’d never get
out and see to the chores if he knew she was lying in bed waiting
for him.

So here she was, ready to tackle the great
outdoors, post-whiteout. The chime of her phone distracted her from
her own face in the mirror, and she reached for it, pleasantly
surprised to find service restored. The text was from her mom,
decrying how an early period had ruined her spa trip.

Beth giggled as she sent her sympathies,
wondering if it had interfered with her mother’s planned
treatments, or something more sensual with one of guests. Or an
employee. Her mother wasn’t hung up on social status and remained
unbothered by little details, such as fidelity to a dead
marriage.

Feeling a twinge of sadness that her mother
had settled for such a sad union, she put down the phone, her gaze
falling on the calendar as she did. Something niggled in the back
of her brain, and she scooped up the phone again. Opening the app,
she looked at her calendar, certain she had forgotten something.
Seeing no urgent appointments for the remainder of February, she
swiped to go to March. What was bothering her hit her when she saw
the tiny flower.

Going back to the previous screen, Beth found
the flower in February, releasing a ragged exhalation when the date
didn’t match what she’d calculated. How could she have made such a
mistake? From the time she was twelve and got her first cycle,
she’d had a period every twenty-nine days. Her last cycle had been
as consistent as usual, but she’d somehow added a week to the date
she’d started in her mental calculations the other night.

Feeling a bit weak, Beth collapsed on the bed
in the guestroom, where all her things remained, though she had
spent most of the last three days with Reed in his room. Three of
her most fertile days. “Holy hell.” How had she messed up so badly?
Had her brain been too fogged with passion to remember the right
date, or had she deliberately let herself “forget” so she wouldn’t
have to tell Reed it wasn’t safe to proceed?

She squirmed, remembering how she had told
him she never lied. Would he believe it had been an honest mistake,
or would he assume she’d lied deliberately? Her stomach twisted as
she imagined the ugly things he might say if he thought she’d been
trying to trap him into something.