“I am.I want you, Maggie.”His words were so raw and gruff she gripped the edge of the table.It was the heat in his eyes that eased any doubt or insecurities.He did wanther.The delectable weight of that had her trembling.“Are you done eating?”
She nodded.Her heart was thumping so loud he had to hear it.Him and everyone else in the restaurant, too.
“I’ll pay the bill.”
Leaving the restaurant was a blur.
“You want to head home?”he asked.
“No, thank you.”The idea of waiting was torture.She wanted this man—and soon.
His groan had her toes curling in her boots.He grabbed her hand and led her to the small drugstore close by.Maggie was too shaken to question why they were there.She was still vibrating from that groan, by the sound of his deep voice, and the way he kept glancing at her—like he was barely controlling himself.The way he looked at her was intense and overwhelming, and she’d never felt sexier.
As soon as they stepped outside of the drugstore, he smiled down at her.“You’re sure about this?”
“Definitely.One hundred percent.Absolutely.”She shrugged and smiled back at him.
He chuckled.“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Yes, it’s a yes.”Her nerves caught up with her and she giggled.
Braden laughed, too.“I hear there’s a great hotel here.Should we see if we can get a room for the night?”
She nodded.
The drive to the Heights Hotel was short—and a blur.All she could think about was the man beside her.She didn’t give much thought to the interior of the Heights Hotel, either.All that mattered was Braden getting a key, leading her upstairs and opening the door to their hotel room.Then she was an awkward, jumpy mess.“So…” She scanned the room before facing him.“I’m really nervous.”
“I am, too.”He tossed the paper bag on the dresser and headed straight for her.His hands cradled her cheeks and tilted her face up for his kiss.“Maybe this will help.”
The minute his lips met hers, Maggie melted.Her hands fisted in the soft fabric of the back of his shirt so she could focus solely on the kiss.And, boy, did he know how to kiss.His mouth was soft yet firm, teasing her lips apart so that the tip of his tongue could sweep inside.She opened more fully for him, eager to explore everything he gave her.When his kisses traced the curve of her jaw, she tugged his shirt free from his jeans.When his mouth was hot and wet against her neck, she slid her hands along the hard muscles of his back.
He had big hands with calloused fingers.Hands that knew how to fix things, that were strong and able.When his fingertips caressed up her spine, tugging her sweater up and over her head, she arched into him.Her fingers were trembling as she unbuttoned his shirt, but she got the job done.
Since she’d seen him in his skin-tight T-shirt, she thought she knew how he’d look with his shirt off.She was wrong.He was a thing of beauty.His muscles were taut and sinewy, honed from hours of working the land.She splayed one hand against his chest before dragging it, slowly, down his stomach.
Beneath her touch, his stomach quivered.
She stared up at him, overwhelmed.It wasn’t just the feel of him beneath her hands that tore away any and all hesitance—it was the struggle in his eyes.He was still reining himself in, still holding back from her.That was the last thing she wanted.
“Braden.”She unbuckled his belt and tugged it free from his belt loops.It was up to her to encourage him.And to do that, she had to be bold.“It’s been a long time since I’ve feltwanted by a man.I don’t want you to hold anything back.I need to know you want me, please—”
He scooped her up and into his arms.His desire wound around her and set her on fire.She gasped when he laid her back on the bed.He pulled off her boots and slid his hands up, over her calves and beneath the hem of her denim skirt.Higher and higher until he reached her lacy panties.His fingers hooked at the hips and slid them down and off her feet.When he bent forward to kiss along the waist of her skirt, his hands slid the denim skirt up around her hips.
She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through his thick hair.His breath was hot on her stomach.The scratch of the stubble on his jaw was a stark contrast to the sweep of his tongue between her breasts.He nudged aside one lacy cup with his nose and pulled her nipple into his mouth.
Maggie moaned, her hands tightening in his hair as he pulled and sucked and drove her out of her mind.When he stopped, she reached between them and opened the front clasp of her bra.
“Damn it all, Maggie.”He ground out the words as he stared down at her bare breasts.
She laughed, but her breath hitched at the sight of his big hand cupping her breast.The roughened pad of his thumb teased her until she was no longer able to laugh—she could barely breathe.
Suddenly, he was gone.There was no touching or kissing and her eyes flew open.
He’d grabbed the brown paper bag off the dresser and ripped it open.She propped herself onto her elbows and saw the box of condoms.
She loved that he’d thought of that.She also loved that he didn’t already have some readily accessible.Maybe shewas reading too much into it, but for some reason that made this all the more special.
Braden tugged off his boots and socks, shimmied out of his jeans and boxers and kicked them aside.Braden, naked, was imposing and utterly delicious.
