She’d see his many scars; but he suddenlyfelt self-conscious. Hesitating, he stood at the side of the bed.Looking around, he scratched the back of his head nervously, notsure how to show her.
Payson watched him, finally speaking up,“Ronan, you have a nude, eager woman waiting. Get naked,” sheordered impatiently.
With a quick laugh at her adorableimpatience, he tried to find a way to warn her before he shockedher. He put his hands on his hips, trying to find the right words.“I, uh… I have a lot of scars. I just wanted to warn youfirst.”
Rolling up on all fours, Payson crawledtoward him across the bed and stood in front of him. “I know aboutthe accident, the PTSD; and I sense there’s something more going onwith you that you are hesitant to talk about, but please, justtrust me. Ok?”
He did trust her, completely. There weren’tmany he could say that about. She’d seen him at his worst, andstill seemed to think the world of him. He nodded in agreement.
Payson stilled his nervous hands, slowlypulling his shirt over his head. She saw the puckered, healingwound on his shoulder and delicately kissed the gunshot wound. Herhands grazed his torso, migrating down to a healed knife wound onhis left side. She followed the trail with her tongue, placing asoft kiss on an older wound before she lowered herself to her kneesin front of him.
On a mission, she kept going. She unhookedhis belt, slowly, tormenting him. Continuing the torture, sheunhooked the button and slowly slid down his zipper. Rubbing herfingers with a feather-light touch across his tight abs, shestopped at the other recent gunshot wound low on his right abdomen,another, on his hip, she discovered as she lowered his jeans andkissed both softly.
Gently teasing at the waistline of his boxerbriefs, she finally lowered his pants the rest of the way, hiserection springing free. Glancing up for a reaction, she saw hiseyes roll back in his head as she grasped his hard cock in herhand. Gripping her fist around the base, she traced her tonguealong the long, thick shaft, with a teasing flick of her tongue atthe tip before taking the length of him deeply in her mouth.
She continued, sucking, squeezing, until hepulled back with a gasp, “Payson you’re killing me. Please…” With aquick motion, he scooped her up and tossed her on the bedeffortlessly. Landing on the soft mattress, Payson didn’t have towait long before he was on her, sheathed, and in her with a swiftthrust that took both of their breath away.
18
After a deliciously sleepless night, Payson awoke toa cloudy sky, gigantic flakes of snow rushing past the window inviolent gusts. Her body still entwined with Ronan’s, she didn’twant to move, the moment so perfect. But all good things must cometo an end.
Hopefully to resume in just a moment, but herbladder was full to near bursting. She tried to slide out, butRonan’s arm held possessively around her middle and pulled her backagainst him.
“Ronan… Ronan, I have to pee.” Shehissed.
With a grunt, eyes still closed, he releasedher. She ran to the bathroom to relieve herself, and returned toclimb back in bed, but stopped when she saw the clock. Nineo’clock, dang, she never slept in this late. Remembering breakfastwas between nine and ten, Payson started the shower and headed backto the bed to wake Ronan.
“Wake up, we don’t want to missbreakfast.”
Sitting up, the life quickly returned to hiseyes. “I’m starving.” He grabbed her and tossed her over hisshoulder like a caveman and headed into the shower, setting herneatly on the floor so she wouldn’t slip. There were so manyshowerheads, they were able to shower together rather efficiently,both enjoying the view as they watched each other hungrily.
Turning the water off after a very pleasantshower, Payson tried not to stare, but couldn’t help lookingclosely at his scars. “Ronan, what kind of train wreck was this?These look more like… bullet holes or something.” She traced overthe shoulder wound, curious.
Dodging the question, Ronan grabbed his toweland was suddenly in a hurry. “Shit, I forgot this isn’t my room.All my stuff is across the hall. Meet you at breakfast?” He grabbeda quick kiss and dashed out of the bathroom, leaving her standingthere, confused and frustrated. Holding the towel securely aroundhis waist, he grabbed his room key from the nightstand and ran awaybefore she could ask more questions.
…
Dashing into the hall, Ronan had known he wasbusted before he even opened the door. Not psychic or anything,just old habits. He didn’t have to be caught, but facing hissiblings was easier at the moment than trying to explain his scarsto Payson. He didn’t mind the ribbing from his siblings anyway; hewas too fucking happy to care.
Maddy and Chase were just coming out of theirroom. Maddy adopted a serious lecturing face, “Little brother, whatare you up to, coming out of my best friend’s room in nothing but atowel?”
With a grin, he teased back, “You’re onlyseven minutes older.” Gripping his towel tightly, he unlocked hisroom.
Aiden came out of his room, joining thecrowd, “Ah, come on man. Do you have to rub it in? Get some damnclothes on.”
Ronan saluted and threw open his door,quickly dashing in to get dressed. Minutes later, he headed down tothe dining room. His parents had just sat down at the long table;the owners normally only served guests of the B&B, but giventhe circumstances, they’d happily agreed to feed the whole familyafter Laura had booked all four of the rooms they had to offer inthe off season.
He saved a seat for Payson next to him. Sheappeared in the doorway moments later, sexy as hell in tightskinny-jeans and her knee-high boots again, with a pale pinkt-shirt that clung to those fantastic breasts. His poor brainquickly flashed back to last night, her gasps of pleasure, her hotmouth over his cock…
He had to get a grip. Biting his cheek, hetried to mask the smug grin and dreamy eyes that were a deadgiveaway that he was falling fast and falling hard.
Glancing around, he noticed Aiden watching,the others were greeting Payson and making sure she had her coffeepoured, alerting the hostess the last two were ready to eat.
Aiden shook his head, fortunately quietly, hewhispered, “Another one bites the dust. I saw that same look onChase last summer. Couldn’t wipe off the smitten expression; hell,he still wears it most of the time.” Glancing at his friend, hecontinued, “Like right now.”
Ronan glanced up to see Chase staring out thewindow at the snow, looking just as sap-happy as he did.
He’d met Penny, their hostess, yesterday whenshe’d checked them in. She couldn’t be much older than he was, butshe still seemed young to be the proprietor of such an impressiveestablishment. Ronan had discerned that she and her husband,Dariel, had emigrated from a small town in Normandy a few yearsback to take over the small B&B that Dariel’s grandparentsbuilt as an inn decades ago.
