“You're drunk,” she said.
His eyes glittered, with a wild, faraway look. “Medication,” he said, pointing to the bandage. “This hurts. I brought you a sandwich, if you're hungry.”
“You have got to be kidding.”
“Suit yourself.” He took another swig.
She pulled the blanket tighter. “Are you going to give me some clothes?” She made her voice sharp and businesslike.
He set the bottle on the dresser next to the padlock and advanced upon her slowly. “I don't see the point,” he said. He seized the corner of the blanket and jerked it down, frowning when he saw the nightgown. “That thing is still wet, Raine. You'll make yourself sick. Take it off. The room's warm now. Too warm.”
“I don't want to be naked with you.”
It was the wrong thing to say. She knew it as soon as it left her mouth and saw the hot flash in his eyes.
“Tough,” he said. He jerked the thin straps down, his hands lingering on her skin as he shoved the nightgown over her hips. It felt to the floor around her muddy, scratched feet She forced herself not to flinch back, or cover herself. She straightened up and composed her face. Let him look. She could still be dignified, even if she was naked.
He studied her body with greedy, minute attention to detail. A dull flush was burned deep into his high cheekbones, and his hands scalded her as they clasped her waist and slid up over her ribs. His fingers explored her carefully, as if he were memorizing her.
Despite his unstable mood and the whiskey on his breath, she was absolutely unafraid of him. She placed the back of her hand against his cheek. “You're feverish,” she said quietly.
“Tell me about it. Every time I look at you.”
“You should take an aspirin, or some—”
“What a joke,” he cut her off, as if she hadn't spoken. “The first time I lose my mind for a woman, and it has to play out like this.”
She pressed her hands against his burning forehead, trying to cool him down. “You know that I would never do anything to hurt you,” she murmured.
“Shhh. We're not going to discuss it.”
“But Seth, we have to—”
He put his finger over her lips. “No, we don't Off limits. Don't want to go there.”
She'd crashed into this stone wall before, but it didn't intimidate her anymore. Not now that she had seen what was on the other side; his gentleness, his enormous capacity for tenderness. She slid her hands under his shirt and around his waist, careful not to touch the bandage.
He jerked back and stiffened. His hands fell away from her. “What the hell are you doing?” he snarled.
“Getting warm. You won't give me any clothes, and I'm cold.”
He held himself rigid. “Not a good idea. I'm not in control of myself tonight. At all. Don't push me, Raine.”
She pressed her cheek against his burning chest, rubbed it gently against his flat brown nipple. “I know you,” she said, in a soft, stubborn voice. “You can't scare me, Seth Mackey.”
“Oh yeah?” His arms closed around her, his heat scorching her. “Well, you scare me, babe. You scare me to death.”
She pulled him closer and twined herself around him. His response was instantaneous, and she almost wept with relief when she felt the familiar flare of heat from him. She needed all of his devouring hunger, all of his volcanic heat to drive away the bleak horror of what she had seen tonight. She caressed the hot length of his erection and unbuckled his jeans, wrapping her ringers around his hard, fever-hot penis.
It all moved very fast from that point. He toppled her onto the futon, pinning her against the tangle of blankets, his boots still on, his jeans shoved down. She stared at the ceiling, wide open, and cried out when he shoved himself inside her. It was too soon; she wasn’t soft or wet enough, but she didn't care, she needed this to melt the glacial cold. To make her feel alive again.
It only hurt for the first few rough, awkward thrusts. His breath was harsh and ragged against her neck. His muscles clenched, fighting for control. He drew himself out slowly, surged in again. Already she was softening; he glided more easily with every deep stroke. She twined her legs around his damp, muddy jeans.
His face was a taut grimace of pain. “You're killing me, Raine.”
“No.” She pulled his face back down to hers. 'I'm loving you.”
He wrenched away from her kiss. “I want to believe you,” he rasped.
She caressed his face, her body pulsing seductively beneath his. The pain in his voice tore at her. “Trust me,” she whispered.
He froze, wedged deep inside her. Time stopped Everything stopped. The two of them were clenched together as tightly as a fist. She held her breath, staring into his eyes.
His mouth hardened. He shook his head and pulled out of her body. “Roll over.”
“No!” She tried to pull him back. “At least look me in the face while we make love. You owe me that much.”
“It's not love, and I don't owe you a damn thing.”
He flipped her onto her stomach. She turned her face to the side and shut her eyes against the intense feeling of vulnerability, the heat of his hands caressing her bottom, his thighs wedged between hers. He shoved her open, his weight settling down on her, and penetrated her, pushing himself slowly, deeply into her body.
“Damn you,” he muttered under his breath.
He pushed away the hair that covered her face and pressed his face against her neck. He stayed that way, vibrating with tension. She pried her arm out from beneath her chest with some difficulty, and grasped one of his big, trembling fists that gripped the blanket by her head. She pulled it to her face and kissed it.
A shudder jerked through him. He lifted his weight off, curving himself over her. Warming and sheltering her. He slid his hand beneath her hips, his long, sensitive fingers seeking until he found her tender cleft. He caressed her slick, swollen clitoris with delicate skill.
“You see?” she whispered, pushing back to take in more of him. “It is love, Seth. It's always like this with us. It always will be. We can't hurt each other. It's against our nature.”
“Shhh. Hold still.” His fingers tightened around her hand. “Fm right on the edge. I don't want to come yet. Don't move.”
Raine waited for him for as long as she could, but the wild woman inside her wanted to drive him over the edge and force him to face the truth about the two of them. She arched her back and slid up and down his hard, pulsing shaft, clenching and releasing. She pleasured herself with his body, hungry and bold. Demanding everything he had to give.
Helplessly, he followed her, giving her the rhythm she wanted. He couldn't deny her what she needed for one second, or even try to resist the force that moved them. He was hers, all hers. Fierce joy blazed through her as she pulled him after her, his wrenching explosion of pleasure echoing her own. His body jerked and pulsed into hers, and his cry sounded like a shout of protest.
After several breathless, panting minutes, Seth sat up and started yanking at the laces of his boots. He pulled them off, peeled off his jeans and flung them away too. He lay back down behind her, pulling her close so that her whole back was pressed against his hot chest. His penis, still hard, prodded her buttocks. She gasped as he thrust himself slowly back inside her. His arm clamped across her waist.
“Go to sleep “ he said. “I want to stay right here. Inside you.”
She clutched the thick muscles of his forearm and almost laughed at the ridiculous idea. As if she could sleep in that condition, so utterly penetrated by his body. Then she felt the liquid heat trickling down her thigh, and tingled with shock. “Seth. We didn't use anything.”