Blazing Bedtime Anthology Read online

  He tilted his head to the side, eyeing her from across the small table. “Keep watch?”

  She clarified. “Well, I’ll listen. How’s that? I’ll sit here and if I hear anything at all outside, I’ll wake you up.”

  His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. Rubbing a weary hand against his stubbled jaw, he admitted, “I don’t trust you.”

  She could have taken offense, since she’d sworn she wouldn’t go anywhere. But in Hunter’s line of business, she suspected he couldn’t put much faith in people’s promises.

  “You can hide my other shoe,” she said with a soft smile. Then, having an even better idea, she rose to stand beside him.

  He watched in silence. Only the parting of his lips and a quick, audible inhalation betrayed his reaction as she unbuttoned, then unzipped her skirt. She caught it as it fell with a soft swish, and then dropped it onto his lap.

  Hunter’s eyes widened, all evidence of fatigue disappearing like mist in the sunlight. “What do you think you’re doing? Because if this is supposed to get me into bed, it’s working. But I’m not exactly gonna get any sleep.”

  Oh, she loved that idea. But he needed that sleep. “I’m not trying to seduce you, just putting your fears to rest. I might have risked bare feet,” she said with a saucy smile, “but I won’t risk a bare bottom.”

  Her fingertips went for the skimpy elastic at the top of her panties. As she expected, however, he immediately reached out, grabbing her hands. “Don’t even think about it.”

  The words sounded ripped out of him, deep and hungry. For a moment, she considered saying to hell with it. He’d already admitted it wouldn’t take much to get him into her bed. And oh, did her body quiver and her thighs quake at the thought of it.

  She could push him over the edge. She’d like to see the man refuse her if she dropped her panties then sat on the table in front of him and spread her legs in pure, raw invitation.

  It wasn’t exactly ladylike, but it would be expedient and effective. And incredibly wicked.

  Two things stopped her: the fatigue causing his shoulders to slump a bit. And the thought of splinters in her butt.

  “Go to bed.” Noting his slight hesitation, she sighed heavily and grumbled, “Alone.”

  “You sure?”

  Sadist. “I’m sure.”

  He let go of her wrists and rose to his feet. Because she stood so close, the motion became a slow, torturous slide about two inches from her body. Heat rose as his warmth traveled the lazy distance from her belly to her cheek.

  Finally they were nose to nose, breath to breath. And as if he could no more stop himself than stop the setting of the sun, he groaned deeply and cupped her face in both his big, rough hands. “I might have to keep you,” he muttered, then he lowered his mouth to hers.

  This kiss was slower, more sultry. He tasted her thoroughly, his tongue lazily thrusting against hers. He held her tightly, their bodies pressed together, from neck to knee. And Scarlett just sagged there against him, too weak and hungry to do anything more than enjoy it.

  I might have to keep you.

  Considering she was at his mercy, she probably ought to be a little worried about that ragged declaration. Right now, though, she could only manage deep, bone-rattling pleasure.

  He finally pulled away with a dark frown. “Wake me if you hear anything at all.”

  Scarlett hoped her voice didn’t shake. “I will.”

  He said nothing else, merely collapsing onto his back on top of the bed. Still completely dressed, he appeared ready to leap up and into whatever action might come his way. And within moments, judging by his deep, even breaths, the beautiful-but-deadly man was sound asleep.

  Scarlett watched him for a long time, alert for any sounds outside, but also trying to make none within that might disturb him. And though her legs eventually stopped shaking from that kiss, her mind continued to churn with possibility.

  The possibility of what might happen when he woke up.

  * * *

  THOUGH Hunter didn’t sleep more than a few hours, it felt like mid-afternoon by the time he awoke. The light oozing in from around the heavy quilt over the window was bright and intense. Outside, the sky had probably become its typical brilliant blue with puffy white clouds, the kind only ever seen in storybooks. Or here.

  Give him smog and humidity any day. Things here were a little too perfect on the outside, while darkness lay just beneath the surface. He’d rather know what he was getting into at first sight.

  For a moment, he remained still, unmoving on the bed, trying to clear his head from its post-sleep fuzziness. It took only a second to remember everything.

  He jerked upright, wondering if Scarlett had been true to her word and had stayed put. God, what if she’d gone out, what if Lucas had been watching and had taken her to get to Hunter?

  What if she’d stumbled into someone even worse?

  He realized at once that he needn’t have worried. She hadn’t gone, she was still right here in the cabin with him. The sight of her, however, almost made him lie back down, and retreat into the relative safety of his dreams. Because there was nothing safe about staying awake and confronting his deepest, darkest sexual fantasies.

  Scarlett had obviously found the large washtub that had been tucked beside the woodstove. He’d forgotten it was there, since it was usually stacked full of firewood.

  She had emptied it. And had then put it to use.

  Right now, she knelt in the thing, her long blond hair pulled up onto her head in a loose bun, a few curls falling to brush her shoulders. Her bare shoulders.

  Her bare shoulders above the equally-as-bare rest of her.

  The woman, a stranger to him a day ago, had stripped naked to bathe, trusting him to remain a gentleman or stay asleep.

  Hell. Nobody had ever called him a gentleman. And Rip Van Winkle himself couldn’t have slept through a sensual exhibition like this one.

  As he watched in dry-mouthed silence, she ran a thick, soapy sponge over one long, slender arm. She was half-turned away from him, intent on her task. The position afforded him a delectable view of the back of her body, from her creamy shoulders, down the vulnerable curve of her spine, the indentation at small of her back, the swell of her hips. The edge of the tub and the soapy water within it prevented him from glimpsing what he suspected was a magnificent ass.

  But it didn’t hide her other magnificent assets when she turned a little to rinse the sponge. Her full breasts shimmered and gleamed, slick with soap and topped with taut, puckered nipples. Hunter’s heart pounded hard in his chest with the need to have, to take, to taste. His blood surged downward, settling in his cock, which swelled hard against his jeans. The waves of sexual need threatened to drown him. And when she began to stroke her breasts with her own soapy palm, he couldn’t contain a low groan of pure, primal hunger.

  She heard. But she wasn’t startled and she didn’t immediately grab for a cloth to cover herself. Instead, she merely glanced over, lashes half-lowered over sultry eyes. A slow smile widened her lush lips. “Awake at last, I see?”

  Hunter realized the truth. “This was intentional.”

  She laughed softly, and rose to stand in the tub, the water dripping off her in rivulets. Lifting a pitcher, she dribbled clean, fresh water over herself to wash away the soap.

  “You set me up.”

  “Well, of course I did.”

  Pivoting his legs off the bed, he sat on its edge. Half of him wanted to stalk out, not give in to her obvious seduction attempt. The other ninety-nine percent demanded that he take her and be done with it. “Why?”

  Bending gracefully at the waist, she reached for a rough towel, which lay across the back of a chair. She patted herself dry, not rubbing the coarse fabric against that incredibly soft-looking skin. “Today is Valentine’s Day. Don’t you want a present?”

  “I don’t like chocolate,” he snapped.

  “Shameful.” She tsked and shook her head, as if she’d never heard
anything more sacrilegious. Then she smiled, her blue eyes gleaming. “But don’t worry, your mouth is safe. I didn’t bathe in chocolate.”

  Meaning she wanted him to dine on her? His mouth went moist with hunger at the very thought of it. He’d nibble there, suck there. Move his mouth over every last inch of her. Make her come right against his lips and satiate his hunger with her body’s hot and steamy response.

  She stepped out of the washtub, slowly crossing the room, her breasts swaying with each step. Her long legs were still damp and slick, and she left moist footprints in her wake. He stared at the pale thighs, not allowing himself to dwell on the juncture between them, or on the small tuft of curls she made absolutely no effort to hide.

  He gave it one more shot, growling, “Why?”

  “Can’t it just be because we want each other? So why not take what we want? Why not…stray? We’re here, we’re two adults, we’re single.” Her eyes widening, she added, “We are both unattached, right?”

  He nodded once.

  Her audible sigh of relief almost brought a smile to his mouth. “Okay, back to the point. We’re incredibly attracted to each other. So why shouldn’t we do something about it?”

  She made it sound so simple.

  Maybe it is. And maybe it should be.

  She stepped again, until she was within a few inches of the bed, all that soft, creamy skin inviting him to touch her in a thousand places. His eyes zoned in on a few of the closest ones and another low groan emerged from his throat.

  “You can’t know whether you want to keep me until after you’ve had me,” she said, her voice thick with hunger.

  Remembering what he’d said to her before—the dumb admission he shouldn’t have voiced—he gave up all resistance.

  She’d get her way. They’d both get what they needed.

  But if she thought her seduction had given her the upper hand between them sexually, she needed to think again. She’d thrown the match on the tinder. Now he intended to make her burn like she’d never burned before.

  He slowly rose from the bed. The slide upward was more intimate than it had been earlier, for this time, only an inch of air separated her beautiful naked body from his mouth. His lips scraped a path up her belly, her midriff and her chest. The woman’s skin was supple and smooth and smelled of the wildflowers that grew around this cottage, and were used in making that local soap.

  A heady smell. Intoxicating and a little dangerous. Like many other things in this place.

  Brushing his cheeks against the inside of her soft breasts, he heard her hiss and felt her jerk against him. Her dark nipples tightened in visible need, and he knew she wanted his intimate attention there.

  He didn’t give it to her. Instead, he kissed and licked his way farther up, pressing his mouth to the hollow of her throat, then over the pulse point in her neck.

  “Hunter…”

  “You’ve talked enough.”

  She sucked in an indignant breath. “Are you telling me to shut up?” Her sigh of pleasure took any bite from her words.

  He nibbled the lobe of her ear. “Yeah.”

  She didn’t obey, opening her mouth to say something, but he cut her off, plunging his tongue between her lips. She shuddered, sagging hard against him. Turning her head, she wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging him closer, beckoning him deeper. Her warm mouth both offered and delivered intense pleasure, and the feel of her naked body pressed against his sent him almost over the edge.

  Her hands were tugging his shirt free of his pants as his explored that fragile back and the generous curve of her hips. Needing more, he cupped the round cheeks of her ass, lifting her a little, making himself at home between her thighs. She welcomed him, rising on her toes, thrusting helplessly against his rock-hard erection. Whimpering, she jerked again, and again taking the kind of contact she most needed.

  He watched her closely, letting her use him, certain he’d never seen a more erotic sight. Seeing the flush rise in her face, and her lips part on a soft, helpless sigh of pleasure, he smiled in self-satisfaction.

  She’d come. Just like that.

  Any other long-deprived man might have joined her at the glorious sight of this beautiful blonde gaining her release. But the realization of just how responsive the woman was only threw down another gauntlet, made him want to do wild, intense things to her for hours. To make her reach that shattering peak and explode into a thousand pieces again. And again. And again.

  “Would you…”

  He kissed the words away again, not ending the deep mating of their mouths until he had to back away to finish yanking his shirt off. Her cool hands immediately began to stroke his chest, to toy with his nipples, and she leaned forward to lightly bite the skin above his collarbone.

  When she reached for his belt, he pushed her hands away and unfastened it himself, then unsnapped his jeans. It had been a long time since he’d had sex. A very long time. And even though he told himself he would hold back and make love to her until she begged him to join her in another climax, he knew he was no damned sex robot. Holding himself together long enough to do a decent job of it wouldn’t be easy if she wrapped those soft, greedy hands of hers around his rigid cock.

  Or if she used her…

  “Hell, cher,” he muttered, the words exploding from his vocal cords as she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of him. Stunned, he could only watch as she tugged his jeans down, the tips of her fingers traipsing over the erection straining against his shorts.

  When she replaced those fingers with her warm mouth, he had to grab the wooden bedpost. The earth seemed to sway beneath his feet. As far as he knew, there was no giant out there making it happen. Just sweet, sultry Scarlett Templeton whose hot breaths sifted through the cotton to increase his insanity.

  “Let me,” she begged, as if they were long-time lovers used to such intimacies. As if right now, nothing was off-limits, nothing too much to ask or too much to take.

  He’d never known a woman to be so bold, so ravenous about taking what she wanted. And he had no strength to resist her.

  When she eased the cotton down and out of the way, then pressed her lips against the head of his shaft, he could only reach down and twine his hands in her soft, blond hair. His breaths tripped over themselves to leave his body as she spread her warm tongue around the tip of his cock, then opened her mouth wider to suck an inch or two of him inside.

  Blissful.

  “Mmm,” she groaned. Wrapping her hand around him, she squeezed and caressed him, driving him to insanity when that soft hand slid further to cup him.

  Another caress, a deep suck, and he felt on the verge of coming right into her mouth. Which might be incredibly satisfying, but wasn’t going to fulfill his need to drive her out of her everloving mind.

  With gentle force, he tugged her away, his hands still wrapped in her hair. She glanced up at him, a pout on those shiny lips, but he shook his head and grabbed her shoulders to help her up. No sooner had she reached her feet before he pushed her back onto the bed.

  “Hunter,” she whispered hoarsely, “I totally forgot—we didn’t talk about protection.”

  Damn.

  “I get contraceptive shots every three months,” she said, and quickly added, “and, uh, I have no other health problems.”

  “Ditto.”

  So relieved he wanted to kiss the ground, he settled for kneeling beside the bed…and kissing her. This time, he didn’t deny himself the pleasure of her lush breasts. Cupping them in his hands, he lifted one nipple to his mouth while toying with the other, rolling it between his fingers, squeezing and plucking her into near frenzy. She gasped as he thoroughly laved her, her head rolling back and forth on the pillow.

  “You are like a fantasy come to life,” he admitted gruffly as he pulled away to watch her.

  She didn’t reply, but merely reached for his hand, pushing it down her front in one long, smooth stroke—until their joined fingers reached that soft nest of hair and slid into
it.

  “Oh, yes,” she groaned, thrusting upward, showing him what she liked, where she wanted it.

  As if he’d needed the instruction.

  Gently pushing her hand out of the way, Hunter slid his index finger against her taut clit, playing it like a pretty little bell until she was positively ringing. She thrust up for more, panting and almost cooing as he took her higher.

  Needing to feel even more—and wanting to drive her even wilder before allowing her another climax—he moved his hand, slipping his fingers into the drenched lips of her sex. She was steamy-hot, silky-smooth and beautifully tight. He didn’t know who groaned louder at the realization that she was literally dripping with want.

  “Take me, Hunter.”

  He could have dragged things out, built her to another climax, but he suddenly needed to be inside her so badly, he just couldn’t wait. Ripping off the rest of his clothes, he climbed onto her, settling between her silky thighs. They wrapped tightly around him, clenching his hips, and she thrust upward in silent demand.

  He hesitated in pure anticipation. Knowing bliss was only an inch away, he savored the delay, bending to kiss her deeply. Their tongues mated as he began a slow slide into her warm body.

  “Oh, yes,” she mumbled against his lips. She lifted up, welcoming him, enveloping him in all her wet heat.

  He meant to take it slowly, but when she clenched her legs tighter and arched harder, he had to thrust deep, making a place for himself inside her.

  Scarlett cried out. He instantly paused. “You okay?”

  “Don’t stop.” She thrust her hands into his hair, twining it around her fingers. “Don’t you dare stop.”

  He grinned down at her, loving the sparkle in her eyes and the flush of pleasure on her face. “Wouldn’t dream of it, cher.”

  The endearment brought another smile, then whispers and smiles gave way to deep, hungry kisses that mimicked the deep, hungry movements of their bodies. Scarlett matched him thrust for thrust, taking everything he had to give her, until, finally, when he knew he wouldn’t be able to hang on more than a few seconds, he reached down between their bodies, stroking her clit. “Let’s go together this time,” he said, feeling her clench even tighter as he caressed her inside and out.