“Having second thoughts?” He immediately took his hands off her body. “Adrenaline finally crashed? It’s all good.”
“No! I need to go and get a condom out of my medical kit.” She grinned at him. “At least you know this wasn’t premeditated.”
As she crawled over him and off the bed, he decided it wouldn’t be a good time to tell her that he’d been imagining having sex with her for weeks. From their first meeting when she’d ignored his grumpiness and radiated sanity and light, he’d been captivated by her. Of course, realizing that had made him behave even more badly every time they’d met up over the past few weeks, when she’d brought him new sheets or deep-cleaned the cabin.
“Got it.” She waved a foil-wrapped packet at him. “I even checked the date, because if it was the one I usually carry in my purse it would definitely be suspect.”
He couldn’t believe she wasn’t in a long-term relationship, because if he was the kind of guy who stuck around, he would be all over the opportunity.
“You don’t date?” The question popped out before he thought it through.
“I do occasionally, but sex is another thing altogether.”
He just looked at her and she sighed as she got back into bed.
“I know. This is a complete anomaly for me. If I stop and overanalyze myself, I’ll probably end up sleeping in my truck.”
Conner moved swiftly to put an end to that kind of negative talk, drew her back into his arms, and kissed her soundly. She responded with an enthusiasm that quickly had him sliding his hand under her cotton panties to caress her rounded ass.
“Mmm . . .” she breathed into his mouth. “That’s so nice.”
“Can I persuade you out of those panties?” Conner asked. “Because—”
She was already wiggling out of them before he’d finished his sentence and was now completely naked in his arms.
With some effort, he raised his gaze to her face. “You still good?”
In answer she pointed down at his boxers. “Take them off.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Conner totally forgot about his wounded leg as he rushed to comply. Not that he cared about any damage he might do. It was all relative and he was good at assessing risk. He cupped her between the legs, found she was already wet for him, and almost lost it like some teenage boy.
“You okay being on top?” he murmured as he touched her intimately.
“Like we could do this any other way right now.” She rolled her eyes and straddled his hips again.
“Can you do one more thing for me?” Conner asked.
“Be careful of your leg?” She nodded. “I’ll do my best. Are you sure you’re okay doing this?”
Now it was his turn to roll his eyes as he opened the condom packet and covered himself.
“What I meant was, can you let your hair out of the braid?”
Beth considered him. “If you like getting hair in your mouth and stuck all over you, then sure.”
He held his breath as she raised both arms and let down her hair. It was long enough to curl around her breasts.
“Beautiful.”
She met his gaze, hers a little shy for the first time. “Thank you.”
“Come here.” He drew her over him. “I want you right now.”
* * *
When Beth woke up, she was pressed up against Conner’s right side, her hand on his chest and her knee riding his hip. She allowed herself a moment to just enjoy the sheer pleasure of being so close to another person. To her surprise she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. They’d both gone into their night together with the same desire and honesty, and she still felt the same. She doubted Conner would have changed his mind either. He was one of the most straightforward guys she’d ever met. Maybe that was why she’d been able to let her guard down with him. He wasn’t a charmer or a liar. What you saw was what you got, and she craved that kind of honesty so badly.
His skin was a lot cooler than it had been the day before and he wasn’t sweating. She angled her gaze down his body to his wounded leg and could detect no signs of further swelling or excessive seepage from the wounds. Would she be able to persuade him to come down to Morgantown and see Dr. Tio? He was as stubborn as all the other men in the valley, so it seemed unlikely, but she didn’t want to leave him