Surrender to Temptation (18 page)

He quickly stood up and just stared at her lying there exposed. She didn’t flinch or try to hide any part of her body from his gaze. But when he jerked his belt off and pulled down his pants and underwear, her eyes widened.

He was… wow.

“Happy you approve,” he said in a gruff voice, grinning.

The sight of him completely naked was humbling. His perfectly sculpted body was hard and well-toned, his sun-kissed skin tanned all over as though he sunbathed in the nude.

When Chase’s entire length pressed against Nikki, she wrapped her arms around him, loving the feel of his hard form, the unleashed power in his muscles, and the smoothness of his chest. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel like she did in his arms. He knew just where to touch, kiss, or nibble to elicit maximum response from her. With each moan, he encouraged her, verbally and by action.

“That’s it, love. Don’t hold back.”

And when his hot mouth closed on her nipples, Nikki’s body jerked in reaction. Sensations radiated to every region of her body, making her twist in need and ecstasy. She tried to kiss him, but the impossible man still wouldn’t let her.

“I need to taste you first, baby. If you touch me, I’ll be lost,” he murmured as his lips continued on their southern journey.

Nikki tried to sit up and reach for him, but all she got was his shoulder. His lips were moving lower. She fell backwards with a moan and gripped the bedspread. He had reached her thighs. Her hips lifted upward, seeking his warmth. His mouth reached closer to where her legs joined, she jerked up and protested.

“Please,” she begged.

He countered just as his finger teased her folds open and cool air rushed over her heated flesh. The pleasure was too much. His mouth closed over her.
 

Nikki was lost as sensation after sensation assaulted her senses. The pleasure increased as he used his teeth to ignite more nerve endings, his tongue to fan them, and his lips to take her to a different sensual level.

Moans filled his room, but she wasn’t aware she was the one making them. Her hands gripped the bedspread then moved to his head to hold him closer. He lifted her higher until nothing else mattered but his mouth and tongue. When she peaked and shattered into tiny pieces, he was there to hold her and cushion her fall, to reassure her it was okay to let go and fly.

While her body trembled, he pulled a protective sheath from a drawer, ripped it open, and rolled it on. She watched him from under heavy-lidded eyes, as he centered himself at her wet, pulsing entrance and boldly entered her in one strong stroke.

His face was taut, a strange expression crossing it as she took him fully.

“You are perfect,” he whispered.

He was the perfect one. This was more than a joining of bodies. She knew it. Felt it. She heard him gasp as he pulled out clear of her and then sunk in as though repeating their first joining. His breathing became jerky. Over and over again, he pulled out and thrust.

He was driving her crazy. Her inner muscles contracted, holding him tighter. He picked up his tempo, kissing her hard and deep. Their moans filled the room as they strained against each other. His thrusts became deeper and harder.

It had never been like this. The thought slipped into her passion-dazed mind as he boldly stoked her fires and reduced her to a ball of sensations. He did things to her no man had ever done before. Awakened senses that were dormant. She arched her back and matched his rhythm, meeting him and enhancing each stroke. Her hands roamed his sweat-drenched back and kneaded the sculpted muscles, lips locked with his, loving his heat.

She wrapped her long legs around his flank, urging him on with her sounds. He was taking them higher now, past sanity to the gray area where pleasure and pain crossed lines. But he was there with her, a willing partner in this journey into the realm of pleasure and sensual waves.

He groaned and cried out her name just as the third orgasm claimed her. She clutched him closer as they weathered the storm together.

Nikki couldn’t speak. Her body was limp. Was this the way it was meant to be—this soul-shattering experience that made her feel reborn and yet in perfect harmony with another? She floated peacefully back to the present and heard his heartbeat, so strong and in perfect rhythm with hers. She felt at home in his arms—loved and appreciated.

She didn’t even know that tears were running down her face until he kissed them and pulled her closer to his form. He rolled onto his back, his arms around her as though not ready to let her go. She draped herself on top of his body and fell asleep.

***

Chase cradled her in his arms and listened to her even breathing. He slipped from under her, careful not to wake her up, took care of the condom, and came back to bed. Piling pillows behind his head, he settled back in his bed and savored holding her while she slept. He’d had his share of women, but what he’d just shared with Nikki had been a first. A mind-numbing, soul-wrenching union.

How could he tell her what he had felt? How could he begin to explain the feelings that had gripped him when she’d given herself totally to him and held nothing back? He had never wanted to give a woman mindless pleasure as he had done with her. And that had been his intention when he’d opened her like a flower and tasted her. Their unique bonding. The intense release.

Chase didn’t know how long he was lost in thought. He shifted and tried to ease out from under her, but her thighs tightened. He kissed her forehead. “Are you awake?”

“Very much so,” she whispered. “Am I too heavy for you?” she teased and wiggled her hips.

Chase groaned. “Don’t start that unless you’re willing to finish it.”

She sat up and looked at the evidence of his desire. “Hmm, I love a man who knows what he wants. And I intend to finish this, cowboy.”

She slid her palm up his chest until she was lying on him and her legs were straddling his hips. “It’s my turn now, so just lie back and enjoy.”

She didn’t give him a chance to respond because she was already kissing him. When he tried to reach for her, she shook her head.

“I touch; you don’t!” She pushed his arms above his head. Then she moved lower and reached his sensitive nipples and played with them, using her teeth as effectively as he’d used his, tormenting him. He growled at the ache starting to build.

Chase knew he wouldn’t last long, not when she was causing havoc on his senses. Her fingers, tongue, mouth, and teeth were everywhere. He groaned and jerked upward when she moved even lower and started caressing his abs. Then her hands slid under his firm buttocks and squeezed them. He barely controlled the groan that slipped from his lips.

“Do you know how I admired these the first day I walked into your house? I wondered if they felt as powerful as they looked,” she whispered.

“You called me a baboon,” he said in a voice he hardly recognized.

She chuckled. “A very sexy baboon.”

Her hot breath seemed to sear his skin straight to his muscles. They contracted. He was rock hard and aching. He prayed she wouldn’t touch him. He would fall apart and embarrass both of them. Her breasts grazed his erection, and he groaned.

No, he couldn’t take it.

He reached down, pulled her up, and rolled them so she was under him. “I’m going to love you, again. You, sassy lady, are bent on driving me insane.”

“But it’s so unfair. Why can’t I take charge?”

She pouted so prettily that he couldn’t help kissing her lips. “You do that with every look, every touch, and... oh!” Her hand closed around him. Stroked him. He closed his eyes.

“It is my turn, cowboy. I’ll be accommodating and take your preferences into consideration, but I’m still in charge,” she whispered in his ear and bit his lobe. Chase groaned. Nikki smiled with satisfaction. “Where are they?”

“Huh?” he mumbled like an idiot. Her hands were driving him crazy.

“Protection, cowboy. Where are they?”

He picked up the pack from where it had fallen on the floor. Nikki ripped one open and proceeded to prepare him. He loved the look in her eyes, bold but a little uncertain. The soft glow of her skin under the moonlight pouring through the window mesmerized him. She bit her lower lip in concentration, and her hands trembled slightly. Then her eyes connected with his and she paused.

He reached forward and wrapped his hands around hers. Without breaking eye contact, he guided her hand then leaned back on the pillows to see what she would do next.

But just because she was inept at preparing him didn’t mean she didn’t know anything about loving. With a glimmer in her eyes and a saucy smile on her lips, she crawled on all fours until he was positioned right where she wanted him. Then she proceeded to kiss his chest and neck. Then while staring deep into his eyes, she boldly claimed him.

Chase’s breath caught.

“Ride with me,” she whispered as she guided his hands to her hips and initiated their next sensual dance.

By the time she lay on his chest, panting and exhausted, Chase was so satiated he grinned like a fool. He kissed her temple. “You were spectacular.”

“So were you.” She rubbed her leg up and down his leg and caressed his chest.

He ran his hand over her belly. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Then I’ll feed you.” It was past midnight, so they sneaked downstairs to find food. Mrs. B had left covered pots and pans of food on the stovetop. His stomach clenched at the thought of turning on the stove.

“Let’s pile them on two plates and warm them in the microwave oven,” he said.

Nikki gave him a peculiar glance, but she didn’t argue. While she arranged the plates on the tray, he opened a bottle of wine and got two glasses. He carried their dinner upstairs, where they ate on the bedroom floor, eating from the same plates and bottle of wine.

“I’ll be right back,” Nikki said and left the room.

When she came back, she was wearing sexy lingerie designed to entice, but it wasn’t necessary when it came to them.

“Sorry, I sleep in the nude,” Chase said, removing his pants. He stretched out beside her, pulled her into his arms, and nuzzled her neck. “Take it off, Nikki. I want to feel your skin against mine.”

Without complaining about his arrogance, she sat up and removed the lingerie, her gorgeous body a feast for the eyes. She threw it to the foot of the bed.

“The thong too,” he added, lazily circling her nipple.

She chuckled, removed it, and slid into his arms. “You do know you are very demanding.”

“I want to be able to find you without unnecessary barriers.”

She half lay on his chest, her knee hitched up to cradle his placid manhood. “I don’t think a few flimsy clothes would stop you.”

He chuckled. “No, they wouldn’t.” He stoked her shoulder.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, her hand sliding up to stroke his hair. The movement was sensual, yet soothing. “I’m happy we did this. You are an amazing lover.” She spoke so softly, but he heard her.

“It takes two, babe.”

He woke her up in the morning with a kiss and made love to her again.

CHAPTER 13

Chase parked his truck in front of the sprawling house. South Creek Ranch held fond childhood memories for him, even though they didn’t visit often. As usual, the ranch was bustling with activities. There were cowhands everywhere, cleaning, branding, or rounding up newborn calves. Uncle Hawk was a beef man—he raised beef cattle and a few horses. They had five permanent cowboys working year round now that Dean had his own place. Sean, Dean’s older brother, was a successful businessman and lived with his wife, Ava, in Seattle.

Then there was Aunt Siobhán. She counted for two men. She was timeless and tireless. She could also talk a person’s ears off. At five-feet-four, she was a bundle of energy, always on the move, giving orders, asking questions, and not waiting for answers.

He smiled when she started toward him. “Sweetheart, what are you doing here so early in the morning?”

“I missed your call last night.” Chase bent low to give her a hug and a kiss on each cheek. Aunt Siobhán only reached his chest. “How is Uncle Hawk? Mrs. B said a horse hurt him.”

“Oh, dear, riding all this way because of Sally’s rambling.” She patted his arm. “Sally must stop passing information to you children without getting her facts straight. He did hurt himself, but it’s nothing a visit to the doctor won’t fix. Stubborn old man.” She squinted at the corral where three cowhands were waving and shouting at calves. They were trying to make them go into a cattle chute. “Bill!” she called out to the foreman, Bill Knight. “There are calves grazing among the cows and the bulls yonder.”

‘Yes, ma’am,” the cowboy said and touched the brim of his hat.

 
“C’mon, child. Have you had breakfast yet?”

“No, ma’am.” As soon as Mrs. B had told him about the phone call and his uncle getting hurt, he’d taken off. Calling the ranch and Dean and not getting a response hadn’t helped.

“Then I hope you have an appetite, because I have breakfast ready. Now where is that impossible husband of mine?”

Chase followed her into the house. His diminutive aunt was a no nonsense woman who ruled SC Ranch with an iron hand. The employees were in awe of her, but Hawk, her husband, adored her. Their story was interesting, and his uncle never missed an opportunity to retell it.

Aunt Siobhán had gotten tired of being under the thumb of Chase’s oldest aunt, Aunt Viv, and decided to spend a couple of weeks with her college roommate at a ranch in Montana. One week had turned into an entire summer. No amount of threats and visits from Aunt Viv or Chase’s dad and his many uncles had worked. Twenty-one-year-old Aunt Siobhán had fallen in love with the thirty-year-old Hawk Mondale—half Crow who didn’t fit with his mother’s people on the reservation or his Scandinavian father’s cronies in Butte. Being outsiders had drawn them together, but their love and total devotion to one another made them a formidable team and one of the wealthiest cattle owners in Southwest Montana.

“What really happened to Uncle Hawk?” Chase asked.

She dismissed his question. “The horse threw him, but he won’t talk about it. Maybe you’ll get the story out of him. Now, how are you, dear? Why do you need an assistant if your eyes are better? There is really no point in wasting good money, you know.”

“I don’t pay Nikki anything, Aunt Siobhán.”

“Hmm, is that so? Is she as pretty as Dean says?”

Chase grinned. “I guess so.”

His aunt stopped and glared at him. “Guess so? What kind of answer is that? She is either pretty or she’s not. Is she nice? Does she like living on the farm?”

Chase leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her creased forehead. “She’s helping me create a website, Aunt Siobhán, not planning to stay forever.”

“Young people, bah! You don’t know how or when to take advantage of opportunities.”

“Woman, leave the boy alone,” Uncle Hawk’s voice boomed from the kitchen.

“Oh, there you are,” she said, hurrying into the room. “When did you slip in here? I heard your voice outside, but when I followed it, you’d disappeared.”

Uncle Hawk sat at the kitchen table with a brace around his neck. Instead of his usual cowboy shirt and jeans, he wore a house robe. Chase could tell by the way he fidgeted that being inactive bothered him. Uncle Hawk was an outdoorsman. Tall with a salt-and-pepper beard and hair, he adored his wife and didn’t care who knew it. Sometimes they carried on like newlyweds, which annoyed his staid Aunt Viv to no end.

Aunt Siobhán stopped by the chair and stroked his shoulder reassuringly. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down onto his lap. “You worry too much, sweetheart.”

“Oh, you impossible man.” Aunt Siobhán swatted her husband’s arm, but her eyes sparkled with pleasure. “You are hurt and shouldn’t be carrying on like this.” She tried to scramble off his lap, but his arms tightened around her. She sighed and stopped struggling.

“That’s better. You are where you belong.” He kissed her, taking his time, then he looked up at Chase. “When are you going to find a treasure like my Siobhán, young man? Sean found his Ava. Baron and Eddie each found someone. What are you waiting for?”

Nikki’s face flashed in Chase’s head. “I’m still waiting for my woman to claim me. What happened to you, Uncle Hawk?”

“Yes, tell him,” Aunt Siobhán said, but she didn’t wait for him to explain. “Willow threw him yesterday, almost breaking his back. If I hadn’t gone out to round up stray calves, he would’ve been out there the whole night.” Aunt Siobhán sniffled. “We thought he was at Dean’s.”

“Now, now, love,” Uncle Hawk murmured. “Don’t go making a little fall into a big accident. I’m fine, except for a little soreness.”

“I had to use my special salve to ease your pain, my dear.” Aunt Siobhán stood and walked to the stove. She scooped steak omelets and potatoes onto two plates, but she kept casting worried glances at Uncle Hawk. “And he refused to see a real doctor.”

“Young Dobbs already said I’ll be fine,” Hawk said.

“Who’s Dobbs?” Chase asked.

“Old Graham’s new apprentice,” she explained as she placed two plates in front of them.

Chase laughed. “A vet, Uncle Hawk?”

“The boy knows a thing or two about aches,” Hawk grumbled just before he dug into his steak omelet.

“See? He’s as stubborn as a mule,” Aunt Siobhán muttered, walking back to the stove.

Chase knew she had a reason to worry. Hawk wasn’t young. At sixty-five, he was likely to break a few bones if he fell from a horse. Chase leaned closer to his uncle and whispered, “You know she won’t stop worrying until you see a proper doctor.”

“I know. I already made an appointment,” Hawk whispered, then lifted his head and smiled at his wife. “Okay, sweetheart. You win. We’ll go to Butte tomorrow to see one of your fancy doctors. We can stay at one of the fancy hotels—spend an evening in town, just you and me.”

“Oh, Hawk! What a wonderful idea!” Then she frowned. “What about food for the boys? All the branding and the rounding up of strays need to be checked.”

“Bill’s wife can manage to keep them fed, and the boys can manage without you for a couple of days,” Hawk said.

“A couple? Oh, I better go talk to her now.” Grinning, she hurried out of the kitchen.

“She worries a lot, doesn’t she?”

“That’s love, my boy,” Hawk said. “You can never truly know if a woman loves you until she worries about you. And my Siobhán may be as tough as nails when it comes to work around the farm, but when it concerns me, she’s a softie.” He stopped then frowned. “I don’t know if this farm would have prospered without her. Do you know she still rides out with the men to round up strays? Nothing ever escapes her eyes. She puts the fear of God into the men, yet they adore her and would do anything for her.” Hawk fixed Chase with his intelligent eyes. “Now, what’s this about your woman claiming you? Have you found her?”

Chase smiled, Nikki’s face flashing through his head again.

“What is that smile supposed to mean?” Hawk asked.

“It means I might have found her,” Chase said.

***

Nikki switched off the cell phone, threw it on her bed, and paced. She had just finished conversing with her parents. Dee’s doctors might pull her out of the coma by the end of next week. What happened to a couple of weeks after her surgery?

She’d been on the ranch for a week and was leaving next Friday. Unfortunately, her flight wasn’t until late afternoon, while Dee’s doctors planned to wake her up sometime in the morning. Damn it! That meant she’d have to fly home on Thursday.

Restless and frustrated, she left the room. The door to Chase’s bedroom was open, but she knew he wasn’t there. Mrs. B had told her he’d gone to visit his Aunt Siobhán. His uncle was sick.

A smile touched her lips. Chase Fitzgerald was her lover. That hunk of male perfection was hers. And what a lover. Insatiable. Unstoppable. Hot. She planned to make the most of the remaining days.

He had been gone most of the morning, and she missed him. She was used to having breakfast with him or seeing him on and off throughout the day. As she went to get her gloves, shears, and a basket for flowers, Nikki wondered whether she’d ever be the same after leaving Montana. Chase made it so easy to like and love him.

Whoa. Where did that come from? She couldn’t love Chase. She had only known him for about a week. On the other hand, she knew exactly what she liked about him. He had character. She admired his dedication to his work, his workers, and his horses. Then there was his courage and tenacity when faced with a life-threatening incident like his blindness, and his loyalty to his family.

She smiled as images raced through her mind—Chase doing chores around the farm, teasing her, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. Sometimes while working, something he had said or done would suddenly flash through her head and make her laugh like a fool.

The sound of a truck reached her, and she looked up. Anticipation made her giddy when she recognized him behind the wheel. Her heart pounded as he drove into the courtyard. His lithe body uncoiled from the truck, and he strutted toward her. That walk. That body.

“Hey, cowboy,” she called out.

***

Chase slowed down, drinking her in, his body reacting to the sight of her. She carried the basket of flowers on the crook of her elbow, had gloves covering her hands, and held a pair of shears in one hand. The yellow shirt made her skin glow, and the denim skirt hugged her hips before flaring around her calves where her cowboy boots began. He had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life.

“Hey, babe.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. Silk. Warmth. She was sunshine, and he wanted her. “You look stunning.”

“Keep talking,” she said playfully, hazel eyes flashing.

He grinned, tilted the brim of her floppy hat, and kissed her deeply. The basket of roses and the shears fell to the ground as her hands reached up around his neck and pulled him close. He cupped her hips, pulled her closer, and ground against her. She trembled and whispered his name.

When they pulled apart, both of them were breathing hard. He grinned at her dewy eyes. He loved the way she responded to him. “Woman, the things you do to me.”

“Cowboy, the things I want to do to you.”

He chuckled, though his erection throbbed mercilessly. He planted a quick kiss on her lips and bent down to pick up the basket, the roses, the shears, and her hat. He twirled the hat. “Nice and beautiful, but completely useless at blocking the sun.”

Nikki poked his ribs. “Quit making fun of me. The salesgirl said it was the latest trend in cowgirl fashion.”

“She took advantage of you, my city slicker.” He removed his Stetson and plopped it on her head. Gently, he brushed tendrils of hair from her forehead and pushed them behind her ear, his hand lingering on her warm skin. He frowned.

“You’re a little warm. Always wear a decent hat, Nikki. Heat stroke is not something to joke about.” He caressed her cheek. “I like my Stetson on you though. Make sure you take good care of it. It is my best and favorite hat.”

She nodded her head. “How come I need it and you don’t?”

“I’m a man. Ouch!”

She’d elbowed him. “That is what you get for being arrogant. Now, give me back my basket and hat.” She put his hat back on his head, reached up, and kissed him. “I think you need it more to protect your eyes. You are not wearing your sunglasses again.”

You can never truly know if a woman loves you until she worries about you.
How he wished Nikki was that woman. At the back of his mind was the knowledge that she would be gone in just over a week. He didn’t want her to leave. He wanted her to claim him like no woman had ever claimed him. Wanted to be everything to her. He was falling in love and was powerless to stop himself.

“My eyes don’t bother me anymore. Not like before.”

“Oh, good.”

He stole another languid kiss, his body growing hard as he imagined getting lost in her arms. He trailed the kiss along her jaw to her ear. “Let’s go inside and play hooky.”

“But my flowers,” she protested.

“Can wait. I can’t.” His cell phone vibrated. Cursing at the interruption, Chase plucked it from its holder. Ken. He brought the phone to his ear. “Just a second, Ken.” He glanced at Nikki. “I have to take this.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and started for the front door. Just before he entered the house, he glanced back. This woman, whom he’d only known for a short time was quickly becoming the focus of his existence. That would have bothered him a week ago. “Don’t stay outside for too long.”