seemed to find every ache, every scrape. Her hot mouth and eager lips were there to apologize each time. She worked her way down his chest, dipped her tongue in his navel. Moaned and cooed and made him crazy.
It was the biggest adrenaline rush of Nate’s life. More exciting than any bull ride, more thrilling than any ambulance call.
She eased the hurts of his body. Soothed the pain in his soul. Wakened his heart with unexpected hopes.
“Angel.” He wanted to thank her. He needed her to understand even half of what she was doing to him. For him.
Nate gripped her by the shoulders and dragged her mouth back up to his. He rolled over, let her slide to the couch beside him. “This man…” He claimed her mouth. “Is definitely…” He unzipped her jacket, desperate to get inside to touch as much skin as she had. “Hot…” The buttons of her blouse went next. “For…” He twirled his tongue around hers, tasted the sweet hot temptation she offered. “You.”
He slipped his hand inside her blouse and palmed her breast through its lacy cover. Her body jerked. “Nate,” she whispered in that soft, sexy voice. He twirled the eager nipple between his fingers and thumb and she squirmed. “Nate.” A heated gasp. He pushed aside the jacket, the shirt, the lace, and captured the straining peak in his mouth. “Nate!”
His name. Her voice. Adrenaline rush.
Her frantic fingers dug into his hair and held him against her as he laved the pert pink bud. Slipping his hand down to the swell of her belly, he gently cupped the proof of her utter femininity, all the while boldly savoring how masculine, how whole, how potent this woman made him feel.
He slipped his thigh between her legs. She clenched his hard muscles. Rubbed. Sought her own release.
“Nate? This is so good. I never…Please…”
He raised his mouth to reassure her with a kiss. “Easy, angel.”
If she was this ready, this needy, he’d see this ride through to its conclusion. For Jolene, at least. He slipped his hand inside the elastic panel of her jeans. She whimpered as he nudged her through the damp crotch of her panties. She buried her face in his neck. Sighed. When he slipped one finger inside her, his own body jerked at her instant response. She was so tight. So hot. So ready. So—
A loud explosion ripped through the air outside, rattling every window in the house and plunging the room into darkness.
Nate wrapped her in his arms and pulled her tight against his chest.
Jolene screamed. “What was that?”
She snatched her hands away and tugged at her clothes, shoving Nate’s sore shoulder as she scrambled up onto her knees. He cursed.
“Sorry.”
She was apologizing? “Sounds like a transformer blew,” he said.
“The electricity’s out. I have candles and supplies in the bathroom.”
Nate swung his legs to the floor. His knee and groin both protested the sudden movement. “Hell.”
Lightning flashed, giving him a glimpse of Jolene zipping her jacket over her unbuttoned blouse and wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. Double hell.
He’d gone too far with her.
The bright light flashed long enough to leave him blind in the darkness that immediately followed. But he didn’t need to see to know what a colossal mistake he’d made.
Seducing Jolene?
Playing around on the couch like a couple of teenagers discovering what sex was all about?
Sating his own selfish needs when it sounded like the whole state of Texas was blowing down around their ears?
I need a volunteer.
Keep my daughter safe.
Dead baby on the side of the road.
“Nate!”
Nate cursed. Every muscle in his body tensed as the pain of every failure, every lost chance buffeted him inside and out.
“Nate!” She latched on to his arm and shook him from his waking nightmare.
“I screwed up, Jolene.”
“Screwed up what? You’re Mr. Responsibility. You don’t screw up. I must have done something wrong.”
Lightning flashed. He saw blue eyes, wide as saucers. That need to rescue every lost soul was stamped on her face. She would rescue him. Crazy. He’d been too damn distracted to pay attention to how much danger they were in.
Some rescuer, some protector, some hell of a man he was.
The winds roared past, like an angry bull charging straight for them. No communication. No electricity.
Urgent fingers clung to him in the dark and begged for answers. “Nate, talk to me. What’s wrong? Did I—?”
“You’re fine! You’re beautiful. Sexy—”
The front window blew out of its frame.
Nate grabbed Jolene and dove to the floor, covering her