a taste there, a slight sweep of tongue. Her tears tasted salty in his mouth. Slowly, he built the kiss, a little more pressure, then asked her to open for him with his tongue. She parted her lips and welcomed him inside. Drawing her closer, he melted into the kiss. Her fragrance of flowers and rain engulfed him and he breathed in the scent as if his life depended on it. A sexy I-like-this kind of moan issued from her throat and he took the kiss deeper still. Her breasts pressed against his chest and her lithe body writhed against his. By degrees, he lightened the kiss until only a thin layer of air separated they’re mouths. He looked into her eyes which were filled with a combination of surprise and desire. “I want to stretch you out on the ground and make love to you, but you would end up getting mud in your hair and in other places you’ve probably never had mud before.”
She laughed and something settled inside him.
Thank Christ her tears were gone. “I have an idea. Don’t move.”
Rafe retrieved something from his truck and brought it back where Jennifer was still standing. “I bought this new waterproof turnout blanket for Possum.” He laid the blanket down with the outer shell against the wet ground, turned to Jennifer, held out his hand and waited.
She didn’t move, just stood there looking at him with confusion and desire in her eyes. For a second he was relieved and damned disappointed she might turn him down when she lifted her hand and put it into his. He closed his fingers gently around hers, pulled her into his arms and took her mouth. In a moment he had her stretched out on the blanket. He wanted to go slow but she was so sexy, her skin so soft, her moans urging him on, that he couldn’t. Damn it, he wanted her and he had to have her. Now.
With every bit of clothing he removed, he tasted her bare skin with his lips and tongue. With every breath, he whispered words he’d never said to another woman. With every sigh from her lips, he drew her closer and closer until his body, his mind, his soul couldn’t stand to be apart from her any longer. He freed himself, slipped on a condom and pushed hard inside her. A gasp escaped her lips and her eyes closed as her neck bowed. His heart and breath nearly stopped at the pleasure scouring through him, into him like a sudden summer squall. Placing his hands around her butt, he lifted her closer, pumping into her, feeling her wet, hot body squeeze him like a fist. She dug her fingers into his back urging him on, begging him not to stop as they flung themselves faster, harder toward the edge. Her eyes flew open and her gaze clamped onto his.
“Now, Rafe, now,” she said in a raspy moan.
Watching the expression on her face, he shot them both past the point of no return and let the orgasm take him.
Afterward, he held her in his arms, his chest still heaving and inhaled the scent of woman, rain washed air and earth. He tilted her chin up so he could look in her eyes. Tears glistened. “Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, I never meant to.” Then he planted, soft kisses over her face from her eyes to her chin.
She chuckled softly. “No, far from it. I didn’t mean to cry, I’m just overwhelmed.” She gazed into his eyes. “Oh, Rafe, I never knew it could be like this.” She snuggled in closer. “I wish I could stay in your arms forever.”
A realization snapped inside him like the taut pull of a rope lassoing a cow. Holy Christ, she saw them in a fulfilled relationship. It had been incredible having her in his arms, making love to her, but he was forced to yank the reins on her dreamy eyed delusion. He knew he was going to hurt her by breaking their connection, but this one-time time hurt was better than a lifetime of hurt he was certain he would inflict on her. And there was no damn way he would let that happen.
As gently as he could, he pulled her out of his arms and began to dress. “Me too, but this place needs to be cleaned up.”
“What’s the point?” Jennifer said. “There’s no more money. I can never get this place ready in time.”
“No,