Temptation Ridge (17 page)

“It’s okay,” she whispered.

But it wasn’t okay; he spent a little more time stimulating her while he kissed her, making sure she was slick and aroused. He wasn’t sliding in even though she was ready. He didn’t want to force it. There shouldn’t be any discomfort with this. It should all be good.

She put her palm against his cheek. “It’s okay, Luke. Just do it.”

“Something’s not right,” he said, shaking his head.

“It’s the first time,” she whispered.

Instinctively, he drew back. It almost deflated him, he was so stunned. “That’s not possible,” he said in a breath. “You’re twenty-
five!
” But she only nodded her head, letting her eyes gently close. When she did that, she squeezed out a couple of tears that ran into the hair at her temples and it tore at his heart. How does a woman this beautiful, this sexy, remain a virgin? was all he could think.

He found himself gently kissing those tears. “Aw, Shelby. This isn’t good.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered again. “It’s time. I want it to be you.”

“But I already made you cry and I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“Luke, I swear, I’m ready,” she said. She reached a small hand down between their bodies and took hold of him, causing him to inhale sharply. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this to happen. Please don’t make me wait any longer.”

On the upside, news that she was intact held the advantage of helping him slow down. Way down. In fact, it nearly rendered him incapable of proceeding. But he was mad for her and decided to explore the explanations later and for now, take good care of her. “Okay, baby,” he said,
placing soft kisses on her lips. “I’m going to make this all right. I’ll try to make it nice for you. Trust me and let me do the work, okay?”

“Okay,” she answered.

He wasn’t exactly an expert on the female body, but he knew one or two things. He wasn’t going to get inside her without pain unless she was real soft and loose, and there was only one way to ensure that. He kissed his way down her body until he got to the center and once there, he worked that erogenous spot with his tongue. He groaned in pleasure; she was sweet, intoxicating. Her hands gripped his shoulders as she squirmed beneath him, making small noises that convinced him he was on the right track. He slid his hands up her ribs to her breasts and gently kneaded them, softly running his thumbs over her nipples. Her sighs became pants, which became little cries, and he buried himself in her until he felt the quivering turn to clenching spasms. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and clamped her knees against him, locking him there while she reached a powerful orgasm that seemed to hold on to her forever. He didn’t move until it finally set her free and she collapsed beneath him.

Then he rose slowly, a bit reluctantly, kissing his way up her body until he reached her lips. “Better,” he whispered.

“I want the rest,” she begged breathlessly.

“We’re getting there, sweetheart. We need to take a little time with this.”

He gave her a few moments of gentle kisses before letting his fingers wander south. What he hadn’t expected was for his whole objective to change, from dying to get inside her to free himself of the insatiable craving, to wanting to make this memorable for her, do right by her, especially if this was, insanely, her first time. He found
what he knew he would between her legs—her tissues were plump, soft, damp and loose.

When he sensed she had mostly recovered, he let his fingers work that precious little knot, getting her stirred up all over again. When she started to make eager noises and move against his hand, losing herself in the sensations, he gently positioned himself to slowly enter her. He rose above her and watched her face, prepared to stop the second she winced or gasped or showed signs of discomfort. No way he could hurt her. There was still some resistance, but not nearly what he had felt before. A woman’s body was miraculous; nothing like a thundering climax to open her up. He moved carefully, just a little bit at a time, until he made his way inside, filling her. He was still, letting her get used to the sensation of having him inside her, and soon he saw her slow, satisfied smile shape her lips.

“You should have told me,” he said between soft kisses.

“You would have run for your life.”

“I might have been better prepared.”

“It turns out you were prepared enough. And I want to know about this. I want you to show me.”

He began to move, deep, slow, even strokes, watching her face, taking pleasure in her sweet smile. He reached down and pulled her legs up, bending them at the knees, then his hands went to her hips. “Move your hips a little, honey. Help me find the right spot. We have to find it together….”

He kissed that gasping mouth, again and again. She moved around a little, then suddenly she threw her head back and muttered, “Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God.”

He smiled down into her eyes. “There you go,” he whispered. “That’s what I’m talking about. The love spot,” he
said against her lips. He matched his movements to hers, apace with her. He chuckled, a deep lusty sound. “That’s my girl. You know what you want, don’t you, baby?” he asked her in a hoarse whisper.

“Yes,” she said. “Oh, yes.”

“Doesn’t hurt?”

“No,” she whispered. “Oh God…”

Soon the little murmurs once again became more passionate and his strokes faster and deeper. The tempo increased and her hips lunged toward him until finally she lifted her pelvis against him, instinctively digging her heels into the bed for traction to push against him and the storm took her on another frenzied ride. She froze, gasped and closed around him with a heat so intense and power so strong, his brain froze. Again, it held her in its grip for a long, wondrous moment, a pleasure so blinding and spasms so fierce that they pulled his climax out of him. He thought he might lose his mind, it was so good. He’d never felt anything quite like it.

“Oh! Luke!” she cried in a passionate whisper. The sound of his name on her lips made his experience even more incredible.

And then she drifted slowly back to reality in his arms, and he found this to be the most tender part. He held her, ran his hand over her soft, perfect body in long, slow caresses while she caught her breath and calmed.

Something happened to him. The tension was gone, the physical relief was welcome, but he wasn’t completely satisfied. He didn’t want to leave her body. He found himself thinking,
I’m in a place no one has ever been, and it’s the sweetest place imaginable.
The thing he usually did to prove he knew how to treat a woman right, holding her for a long, precious moment after the lovemaking, he was
doing now because he simply couldn’t let her go. When he thought about her leaving his bed, it made him feel empty inside. Holding her, kissing her, touching her, felt right. Perfect and normal.

At long last she let out a deep, satisfied sigh.

Reluctantly, he let himself slip out of her body. He braced his head on a raised hand and looked down at her, idly toying with the hair at her temple. “Was that everything you thought it would be?” he asked.

“Oh, man,” she said, her voice quivering with a small laugh. “Now I know what the girls have been talking about. It’s even better than I imagined.”

“Okay, even if I can believe you haven’t had sex before, it’s going to be damn hard to convince me you’ve never had any kind of orgasm. I started having mine at twelve, all by myself.”

“Yeah, I’ve been there. But there’s a definite difference between that and
this.
Whew.”

His lips found her neck, shoulder, ear. “You’re going to have to help me understand this.”

“It’s not interesting, Luke. You already know, if you think about it. My mom. She got sick when I was eighteen. I never left her for long.” She shrugged. “I got out a little with friends, but I never got involved with any guys. I even had some dates, some very dull dates. The last couple of years were all about helping my mom to the end.” She touched the short hair over his ear. “I’m a late bloomer, huh?”

He looked down at her, shaking his head. “I don’t know how it’s possible. Is everyone in Bodega Bay blind? You just about sent me into a coma the first night I saw you. They should’ve been beating down the door…”

She stroked his face. “This is a whole new world for me, Luke. To have this kind of freedom. To think about myself.
To flirt with a man.” She smiled. “A dangerous man.” Then her smile faded. “Something like this couldn’t have happened while I worried whether my mom was okay at home.”

“This is new territory for me, Shelby. I never would have planned this.”

She grinned. “Is that so? I suspected that, which is why I decided not to mention it. Until it was too late for you to turn back.”

“I don’t get into things like this. There are a hundred reasons why I shouldn’t be in bed, naked, with you right now.” He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “A hundred and one, now that I know you’re a virgin.”

“Was,” she corrected. “No one had ever been inside me, and you’re… Shew.” She shook her head.

“I’m what?” he asked, running a hand along the hair over her ear.

She laughed softly. “I admit I don’t know much about men, but I suspect you’re a little more blessed than the average guy. Plus, you’re amazing. I’ve always heard the first time is uncomfortable.” She smiled. “That was great.”

“I think if I’d known, I would have moved away. Left town for good.”

“I’m really glad you didn’t. It was perfect.”

“It was pretty perfect. But damn, girl. I’ve never done that before.”

“What?”

“I’m thirty-eight. You’re the first virgin I’ve ever been with. Why did you cry?”

She dropped her lids. “It’s a little embarrassing, being this old and…”

“Aw, baby,” he said, kissing her closed eyes. “It was sweet. Sweeter than anything I’ve ever experienced.”

He rolled onto his back, looking at the ceiling. Crazy
thoughts began filling his head, chief among them was that he couldn’t imagine there ever being another man in her life, in her body. He’d never had such possessive, proprietary feelings. He wasn’t sure if this was because it was Shelby, or because she’d never been touched inside until he claimed her. “I’ll be honest with you,” he said. “It shakes me up.”

“I noticed,” she said with a laugh.

“I’m serious, Shelby. I’m wanting you again. I don’t want you to leave this bed.”

She rolled over onto her stomach and raised herself up on her elbows. “I’m going to have to go home eventually. Before there’s a search party.”

“I will shoot anyone who touches that door,” he said. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” He slipped off the bed and headed for the bathroom to get rid of the condom.

As he walked back into the room, she got her first sight of a naked man in full form. She smiled. He was so beautiful. It was so awesome to have a gorgeous, lusty man walk toward her. He stretched out beside her, pulling her against him again, placing a gentle palm over her soft mound. “How does it feel? Down here?”

“Lush,” she said, snuggling closer.

“There’s a little blood.”

“Yeah. No surprise. Nothing to worry about,” she said.

“Are you sore?”

She shook her head. She felt him against her thigh. Growing. “Am I going to be able to walk out of here?” she asked, humor in her voice.

He covered her lips with his. “Not soon,” he whispered. “But don’t worry. I’m going to be good to you.”

Luke took her home in the truck. The motorcycle would have been too hard on her tender parts. When he
pulled up in front of the general’s house, she leaned toward him. He cradled her jaw in his big hand and pulled her lips to his. They were all going to know. Her face was branded with his love. Her cheeks were aglow, chafed from his beard. Her lips were bruised bright pink from hours of kissing and the look in her eyes reflected a whole afternoon of the finest love he’d ever made. “You should hide all the guns and sharp objects,” he whispered against her mouth.

“You worry too much,” she said. “I’m an adult.”

“When am I going to see you again?” he asked her.

“Soon.”

“I just want to keep you flat on your back for a month.”

She laughed at him. “Luke, don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re not romantic.” She gave him a peck on the lips and got out of the truck to go inside.

No one seemed to be around, which suited her. She really didn’t feel like walking into dinner in progress with Vanni, Paul and Uncle Walt. In fact, there was no activity in the kitchen and she wondered if everyone had gone to Jack’s. She went to her room, pulled off her jacket and boots and flopped on the bed. She stared at the ceiling dreamily. After about ten minutes, she heard a door open down the hall. Vanessa, looking sleepy, peeked into Shelby’s room. “I thought I heard someone come home.”

“I didn’t think anyone was here,” Shelby said.

“Oh,” Vanni said through a yawn. “Matt’s having an extra-long nap and I kind of shared it with him.” She rubbed her eyes, then looked at Shelby. “Oooohh,” she said. “It happened.”

“And happened and happened and happened,” Shelby said and laughed as she kicked her legs on the bed.

Vanni came into the room and sat on the side of her bed. “Welcome aboard,” she said with a soft smile. “How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve had sex all afternoon with a brand-spanking-new vagina. I might have to take a long soak in the tub.”

“Was it okay?”

“Indescribable. Like I’ve never really been alive before today. Vanni, he was so good to me…”

“You aren’t falling in love with him, are you?” Vanni asked. “Because I get a sense about Luke, that he might go a little hard on the heart.”

“Yeah, he gave me that talk. He doesn’t like to commit or get tied down.” She laughed again. “The least of my worries,” she said.

“Oh, baby, see—I was afraid of that. I don’t know if you’re up to that.”

“You wanted me to be a virgin forever? If he makes me cry, I’ll get over it, but I have to tell you, he doesn’t treat me like a man who’s going to break my heart. Besides, if he does, haven’t you and I already been through way worse and recovered?” she asked.