He got into the kiss quickly, expertly, opening his mouth to hers. Making a sound of relief, she plastered herself against him. Since he was wet, and so was she, they stuck together, but she just kept on kissing him. She couldn’t stop. His mouth reminded her of his voice, quiet yet demanding, though he didn’t say a word.
The fear and uncertainty she’d felt only a few moments before vanished entirely, replaced by a heat and a hunger only he could assuage, so she gave herself up to it. “I want to make love,” she whispered against his mouth. “Now? I know you really wanted to eat first, but-”
A rough laugh escaped him. “It’s your fantasy date.”
“Well…” She grinned, feeling wicked with him as she’d never felt with anyone else. “Honestly? My fantasy would be you in a tool belt with nothing else on.”
She definitely shocked him with that. He just stood there.
“But we can start with the basics,” she added.
“The basics.” He sounded strained. “Can I set down the glasses first?” Letting out a nervous laugh, she took his glass and set it on the floor. Before she straightened, he reached for her, pulling her against him, burying his face in her neck, feasting his mouth on her skin while his hands skimmed over her body.
The heat and hunger spread, and Tanner knew just where to touch her to make it worse. When he slipped off her blouse and unhooked her bra, tossing both over his shoulder to the floor, she nearly cried in relief. Then, when he cupped her bare breasts in his hands, plumped them up and brought his mouth to her aching nipples, she did cry out.
His shirt hit the floor. Then his pants. He was reaching for her slacks when she remembered. Before she could open her mouth, he’d skimmed the material down her hips and went utterly still.
“Cami.” He seemed seriously oxygen challenged.
“Tanner.”
His gaze was glued to the area her mother had told her never to let anyone look at. “Where’s your underwear?” he asked hoarsely.
“Um…my underwear isn’t going to play a part tonight.” To prove it, she pressed her bare chest to his and lifted one equally bare leg to his hip so that she could rub herself shamelessly against him.
With a rough groan, he staggered back and encountered wall. “Wait-”
But she couldn’t. She didn’t want to ever wait again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted both legs, hooking them around his waist.
He swore softly, or maybe it was a prayer, but the next thing Cami knew, he’d gripped her but tocks and entered her. Good thing he held her so tightly because at the long, hard, hot feel of him stretching her to the limit, she would have sunk to the floor.
His face was a tight mask of barely restrained control, and he held himself utterly still. She didn’t want still, she wanted wild, fast, she wanted…out of control.
Now.
Using him as her lever, she surged up and sank down on him.
He let out a rough, dark sound, and his head thunked against the wall.
“You okay?” she managed to ask, doing it again as her mouth busied itself on his fabulous throat.
His fingers bit into her hips. “You’re killing me.”
She continued her assault.
And this time he met her thrust. And the next, and the next.
It was heaven. The fire that had pooled low in her belly when she’d first seen the room had spread within her. She’d never felt anything like the shooting shards of sensation that made her arch against him and had her letting out needy little whimpering sounds. “Don’t stop,” she commanded. “Don’t stop.”
“No.” There were reasons to put a halt to this madness, but with her body draped over his, her eyes dazed and glowing, Tanner couldn’t remember a single one. All he could think was that being buried inside Cami was the only place to be. He’d fallen for her, hard. He hadn’t planned on it, but now that he knew, he could deal with it. He could let it happen, even if it meant changing the rules on her.
“Tanner…” Her body welcomed him, pulled him in deep as she began to shudder around him.
Watching her come for him was the most erotic experience of his life, and he couldn’t have held back his own release if he’d tried.
Still gasping for breath, Cami lifted her head and smiled a wobbly smile. “And to think you wanted to stop.”
“No.” He could still hardly breathe, but he managed to kiss her. “I just wanted to move away from the wall.”
“Really? I enjoyed the wall.”
“That’s because you’re not up against the wet paint.”
10
UNLIKE HIS USUAL SELF, Tanner woke in small degrees, coming to consciousness slowly.
His hearing came first. Or lack of, since there was only silence.
Then came sensation. Warm and toasty. Good.
He liked warm and toasty.
Sight came last, and as he blinked the lacy curtains and white down surrounding him into focus, he remembered.
Cami.
After their incredible wet-wall experience, they’d made their way to the dock out back, where they’d sat and talked beneath the twinkling stars. One thing had led to another, and they’d ended up without clothes again, making love to the sound of water slapping against the wood.
Then they’d hit the shower and had removed all the paint from Tanner’s bare butt. All soaped up and slippery, they’d made good use of the shower. When they’d finally staggered to her bed, they’d turned to each other yet again.
He felt like some sort of superhero. And given the state of his body at the moment, which happened to be ready to rock and roll yet again, he grinned and rolled over, reaching for Cami, thinking of a million wicked ways he could wake her up.
“Mew.”
He’d rolled over on a warm, sleepy female, all right. A warm, sleepy female cat.
No Cami.
Sitting up, he ignored the hopeful purr from Annabel and searched the room. There were still candles everywhere, so he hadn’t imagined that. And yep, there on the wall, right there, was a spot suspiciously devoid of paint thanks to his backside.
And on the floor were Cami’s clothes from the night before. Blouse, pants.
No panties.
A certain part of his anatomy twitched at that. He wanted Cami in bed, warm and willing and maybe even screaming his name, as she had just a few hours ago.
But even more than that, he wanted to tell her what he’d discovered. That despite his own personal belief that he wasn’t made for a long-term relationship, despite never wanting one in his past, things had somehow changed.
“Sorry, Annabel,” he said, shoving covers and cat aside to get out of the bed. Hmm. No sight of his clothes. In fact, the only thing he could find was his tool belt, which he’d jokingly brought in the night before, teasing Cami about her fantasy.
Fantasy.
Grinning, he slipped the belt on. Didn’t cover much. Wearing nothing else except for a silly, hopeful grin, he strode out the door and down the hall, following the sounds coming from the kitchen.
Cami was at the kitchen sink, her back to him.
Fully dressed in a rose-colored business suit he’d never seen before, sipping from a steaming mug and staring pensively out the window. Staring at his truck, which was still parked in front of the small yard.
She looked as if she wasn’t quite certain whether seeing it sitting there was a good or a bad thing.
Slipping up behind her, he put his hands on her hips, but when she would have turned, he held her still. He needed a moment to get his heart out of his throat. “Morning,” he said softly. “I have to tell you something, and I have to say it quick.”
“Look-”
“No, wait. Please,” he added with a gentle squeeze. “I just want to get it out. I wanted to tell you last night, but that got quickly out of hand.”
She stiffened.
“I wasn’t looking for you, Cami, that’s for damn sure, but you’ve come into my life like a breath of fresh air, when I didn’t know I needed one.”