Stark Naked (2 page)

She could practically see the electricity crackle in the air between them. And even in his drunken state, she knew Matt Stark felt it too. Saw it in the darkening of those almost black eyes lit by a hot spark of interest.

Holy shit! Does he remember me the way I remember him?

“Matt, this is Reenie Davenport, We—”

“Roomed together in college,” he finished for her, giving her a wink. “I definitely remember.”

Reenie shivered. His voice was a caress, like a tongue licking at her skin.

“Yes, and we’ve got time for all the pleasantries in the morning.” Amy’s voice held an edge of annoyance. “You look like you’re about to fall down and I can smell the booze from here.”

“Hey.” He tried for indignation but in his condition couldn’t quite pull it off. “We just had a few to celebrate the deal and then… You know.” He pushed off the wall, stumbled, groped for the wall again.

Reenie watched him, transfixed. She knew she should probably excuse herself and let Amy handle the problem but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man. California had more than its share of good-looking men, but pound for pound this man had more of a sexual presence than any she’d ever met. There was just something so…earthy about him.

No, no, no. Hang out a sign on him that says Trouble. You’re off men, remember?

“Jesus, Matt.” Amy’s disgust was evident. “Come on. I’ll get you to your room, and hope Reenie won’t hold it against me that my brother’s a drunken mess.”

She set her drink aside, pushed herself out of the big leather chair and hurried to her brother’s side. Dragging his arm over her shoulder she leaned into him, maneuvering him away from the wall and into a short hallway.

“Hey,” he slurred, “how ’bout having Reenie put me to bed.” He turned his head. “Whaddaya say, Reenie?”

Reenie just stared, unable to tear her eyes away from him.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Amy had a firm grip on Matt now, dragging him down the hallway. “I’m sure Reenie would say if she’d known what a bum you are she might not have come out here to visit me.”

Reenie could hear the man muttering all the way to what she guessed was his bedroom. A door closed. After a long time it opened again—click, snick—then closed. Amy’s heels tapped on the hardwood as she hurried back to the family room.

“I don’t even know how to begin apologizing to you for this…this…fiasco,” she said, reaching for her drink and downing almost half of it. “Matt’s not usually like that. Or at least if he is I don’t see it.” She sighed. “I guess he’s entitled to blow off some steam now and then. I’m just embarrassed you had to see it.”

“Hey, no harm.” Reenie smiled. “Shit happens to all of us. Remember that night our junior year when we…”

And they were off on a trip down memory lane, laughing and giggling. Suddenly Amy’s eyes widened and her face turned white then red as she stared at something past Reenie’s shoulder. Reenie turned to look and nearly passed out. Leaning in the entryway to the short hall was Matt Stark. And he was completely, starkly naked.

She felt her jaw drop. It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d seen a man naked, but she’d never been greeted this way by a man she’d never been intimate with. To make it worse, he was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on. Better than any memories. And just when she’d sworn off men altogether.

Her hands clenched and unclenched and her breath felt trapped in her throat. Reenie knew she should turn away, move away, something, but she was mesmerized by that very sexy body. The initial slam of physical attraction kicked up at least ten notches. Now she could see the definition of every muscle, his flat stomach, the thick pelt of hair on his chest arrowing down to a cluster of hair from which rose what had to be absolutely the most magnificent cock she’d ever seen. Even semi-erect it was long and thick, the head broad and flared and the color of a ripe plum. Below it hung the heavy sac of his testicles, brushing his thighs.

Icy heat flashed over her, the pulse in her cunt drummed harder and her panties were suddenly damp at the thought of that erection sliding into her waiting wet warmth.

Ohmigod!

Okay, what was she supposed to do? Pretend this was an everyday occurrence for her? Faint like a bodice-ripper heroine? Be shocked? Disgusted?

“Matt!”

Amy’s shout startled Reenie out of her trance, and wrenched her gaze away from the man. Seeing the embarrassment on Amy’s face, she politely covered her own with her hand. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from peeking between her fingers. Yup, he was still naked. The first thing she thought was
what an ass
. The second was
what a hottie
. Every one of her nerve endings sat up and begged. Great. Just what she needed. Not. And then the image of Asshole Aaron flashed across her mind, her stomach cramped and she thought,
Not again. Please, God, not again.

“Hey, Reenie?” That warm as molasses drawl crawled over her, even in her stupefied state. “Reenie, Reenie, Reenie. I came out to see if you’d come keep me company.”

The voice drew nearer and Reenie squeezed her eyes tightly shut, forcing herself not to peek between her fingers. She should probably get up off the damn couch and get out of the room, give brother and sister some privacy, but her body didn’t want to move. What was wrong with her?

“Damn it, Matthew Stark.” Amy’s sharp voice cut through the air. “Get back to your room. Right now.”

“But—”

“I said right now and I mean it.”

“Okay, but…”

Reenie heard a thud, felt the vibration of something heavy hitting the floor.

“Oh, shit.” Amy’s voice sounded again. Angry and frustrated. “Damn it, Matt. I’m going to kick your ass from here to El Paso. Oof. Ouch.” There was a long pause. “Reenie, I’m so, so sorry but I’m afraid I need your help here.”

“Me?” she squeaked.

“I have a little problem here,” she huffed. “Matt, get up. Now.”

There was no answer from Matt. The only sound Reenie heard was a snore.

A snore?

Slowly she peeked out between her fingers and didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or run like hell. A very drunk, very naked Matt Stark was sprawled on the floor snoring loudly. And Amy, probably half his weight, had her hands under his arms trying to tug his inert body with little success.

“Please, Reenie.” Amy sounded ready to cry. “I need to get him to his room and he weighs a ton. I can’t move him by myself.”

“Um, Amy…” Automatically her eyes dropped to his very exposed groin and she tried very hard not to drool. “You’re kidding me, right? I mean…” She waved at his cock and balls, which were very obviously front and center. Not that she wouldn’t mind looking a little longer, but decency dictated she be more outraged than aroused.

Shit, shit, shit.

“Oh, um, yeah.” Amy followed her eyes. “Shit. Wait a minute.” She dropped Matt’s arm, raced to the kitchen and came back with a dish towel. She quickly draped it over his cock and balls. “Okay. Semi-decent. Now will you help me?”

“Okay, okay.” Reenie uncurled from the couch. “Just make sure the towel doesn’t move.”

This is the strangest overnight I’ve had in a long time. Oh, well.

“So, is this his usual way of doing things?” she asked as they dragged Matt out of the family room. “At least I can see why he’s such a big hit with the ladies.”

Big being the operative word.

“Please. I’m already mortified beyond words. I want you to know that.”

“It’s okay, really. Really.”

Pulling and tugging, they managed to get Matt to a huge room at the end of the hall, his naked ass bumping along on the hardwood floor. Every few feet the towel would shift and Amy would quickly jerk it back in place. Reenie alternated between trying to avert her eyes and stealing peeks at the gorgeous male body. If all cowboys looked like this, maybe…

Don’t go there. He’s obviously turned into a boozer and a pussy hound. Not my type at all. And I just got out of one bad relationship. I sure don’t need another. Not that he’d even be interested…

Reenie mentally shook herself. No way should she be having these kinds of thoughts.

The carpet slowed their progress but at last they finally managed to get him next to his bed.

“He’ll probably have rug burns on his butt,” Amy said, “but no more than he deserves.” She pulled back the comforter and sheet, but when they tried to lift him he was dead weight. And the towel kept slipping.

“We can’t do this,” Reenie puffed. “He’s just too much for us.”

“You’re right.” Grabbing two pillows off the bed, Amy then shoved them under Matt’s head then covered him with the comforter. “That’ll have to do. He deserves to sleep on the floor, anyway, the way he smells.”

“Nothing as fragrant as a sweaty drunk,” Reenie told her. She waved her hand in front of her face in an attempt to dispel the alcohol fumes. “Is this a special welcome you offer certain guests or does he do this for everyone?”

“Reenie, I can’t apologize enough for this. I promise you Matt’s not usually like this. Oh, he likes to party and all and he works hard enough to earn it. But I’ve never seen him like this before. You don’t know how mortified I am.” She shook her head. “All I can think is they got to celebrating and didn’t bother to eat dinner.”

“That’ll do it.”

Amy pulled the door closed as they backed out of the room. “I guess I’m lucky he made it home in one piece.”

“It’s okay,” Reenie assured her, but it really wasn’t. Nothing seemed to be turning out right for her these days. She knew she’d never be able to last the weekend here, never be able to sit across the breakfast table from Matt like a polite guest after tonight. But if she left this minute Amy would be very upset.

“Let me make us another batch of margaritas and get some crackers and cheese to go with it.”

“Listen, Amy, that sounds good but I think if I had another of those lethal concoctions I’d be in about the same condition as Matt. I’m really tired anyway. Would you mind terribly if I went to bed?”

She hated the look of disappointment tinged with humiliation on her friend’s face, but Amy dug up a smile.

“No, I understand. No problem. We’ll have a big cowboy breakfast in the morning and then I’ll get the four-wheeler and take you around the ranch.”

“That sounds good.” She gave Amy a hug. “Thanks for asking me out here, regardless of everything else. Being new in town can be a pain in the ass.”

“Hey, what are friends for? Anyway, it isn’t everyone I let haul my brother around naked.”

Reenie forced a laugh. “I’ll say this. You sure know how to show a friend a good time. See you in the morning.”

But when she was safely in her room, Reenie repacked everything she’d taken out of the little overnight bag and lay down on the bed to wait. The door was cracked open barely an inch, just enough for her to monitor the sounds in the house. She saw the lights go out in the family room, heard the tapping of heels as Amy moved around the kitchen then headed to her room and closed the door.

Reenie lay rigidly on top of the quilt, frequently checking the LED readout on her watch. She wondered again if she’d made a huge mistake tossing everything aside in California, moving here, taking this job. Of course, she’d only been here for a month. Not enough time to settle in. But she wouldn’t be hurrying back to Stark Ranch for any more visits any time soon, and that would just be another problem to deal with.

Not for a million dollars would she ever let Amy know how she’d reacted to Matt Stark. How conflicted she was at the sight of his naked body. How every pulse point in her body was throbbing with insistent demand. But she couldn’t get those come-fuck-me eyes, that voice filled with sexual heat, that body whose image still danced in her brain, out of her mind. No way could she spend the rest of the weekend doing her best to avoid him, dealing with Amy’s embarrassment and her own intense awareness.

Finally at four o’clock, when she was sure everyone was dead to the world, she took her little bag and tiptoed to the front of the house, sticking the note for Amy on the table where she’d be sure to see it. The front door was heavy but she managed to open and close it with only the softest clicks. Thank the Lord her car was parked on the opposite side of the house from the bedrooms because an engine turning over wasn’t the quietest sound in the world. Then she tromped on the accelerator and made tracks for the city and the safety of her townhouse. Amy would be hurt but she’d find a way to make it up to her. She didn’t turn on her headlights until she reached the two lane ranch-to-market road.

Chapter Two

“What do you mean, she’s gone?”

Matt popped two more aspirin in his mouth and washed them down with coffee, nearly burning his mouth in the process. A hammer was still pounding steel inside his head and his stomach felt as if he’d had a bad case of the flu. His muscles felt as if tiny elves had pounded nails into them for hours. He was sure he’d have to get better to even die.

“Just what I said. She left. After your big appearance stark naked with your pecker hanging out can you blame her?”

Matt winced. He had only the very vaguest recollection of the scene Amy had described to him twice already, in very graphic terms. He watched her as she moved around the kitchen efficiently, refilling and turning on the huge urn the hands used to fill their thermoses, popping bread in the toaster, cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Well, what did she say? I mean, did she say something about me? Is that why she left?”

Amy stopped moving and turned to him. The anger in her eyes seared him nearly as much as the coffee.

“She didn’t say anything because when I got up this morning she was already out of here. She left me this note. Here.” She yanked a piece of paper from the pocket of her jeans and shoved it at him.

Matt had to squint to focus his eyes. The writing was long and smooth, slightly slanted.

“Amy,

Thanks so much for the invitation. I really enjoyed spending time with you. Sorry to leave like this but I just remembered something I have to take care of. I just think when we see each other again it should be in the city. I’ll call you.