“Wine?”

Marti dropped her purse in a chair and followed Eli across his living room to his kitchen. She took a seat on a stool at the bar separating the kitchen from the open, spacious living room. “Sure.”

“Red or white?” He held up two bottles.

“Whichever you’d prefer.”

She was in Eli’s home and, damn it, she was nervous. Her mind whirled with a million of thoughts, too fast and too many to make any sense. Her heart pounded against her chest. Her breaths were rapid, making her lightheaded.

But her lightheadedness could also be related to where she was. She’d followed him in her car from Leo’s, not daring to leave her car parked there in the lot. Whispering Springs was like gossip central when it came to relationships, especially about what would probably be a one-night stand.

At least, she hoped that’s what they were here for.

Ruby red liquid sloshed around in a crystal wineglass as he handed it to her. “A late harvest Cabernet Sauvignon from California.”

The wine was sweeter than she’d expected. “Delicious.”

“Come on,” he said, holding out a hand. “That hard stool can’t be comfortable. And I do want you comfortable.”

He led her to the open living room and took a seat on the enormous wrap sofa.

“I can’t believe you found something like this to rent,” she said, still standing, still looking around.

“I didn’t. I bought it.”

She whirled to him. “You bought it? But you’re only going to be here six months.”

“Sit down, Marti. You’re making me nervous. You look like you’re ready to make a dash for the door.”

He’d taken a seat against the sofa arm. She sat on the next section, adjacent but not pressed right up to him. And he was nervous? She didn’t buy that for a second.

“Nice wine,” she said, taking a sip.

An inane comment because, of course, he would serve a fine wine, but her mind had stopped sending messages to her mouth.

“It is,” he agreed. He put his arm on the back of the sofa. “We can talk about the wine or…”

“Or?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Or we could do this.” He took her wine glass and set it on the coffee table along with his. Then, he cupped the back of her head and leaned in for a kiss. Her mouth met his. Both were open, their tongues meeting in a tangle of caresses. A moan rattled deep inside him, and Marti’s heart skidded sideways.

She turned on the couch until she was facing him and tried to get closer, but her folded legs on the cushion served as a barrier. Leaning forward on her knees, she snaked her arms around his neck, running spread fingers up into his dark curls.

He moved both hands to her waist and hauled her toward him, sliding down the sofa at the same time. He pulled his legs up onto the cushions while she stretched hers out until they were lying flush, chest to chest and groin to groin.

Breaking the kiss, he adjusted his mouth to take the kiss even deeper, something she’d not believed possible. His tongue thrust into her mouth, licked hers, and withdrew, and then began the cycle again. Very much mimicking love making. Electrical volts shot through her from the top of her head to the bottom on her feet. Her toes curled.

He glided his hands up her sides with soft strokes on top of her shirt. Her breasts swelled and ached with a need to be touched. He complied, running a hand over her breasts. She groaned with relief and leaned away enough to give him access. Taking a breast into his hand, he fondled and massaged. Heat shot through her. She pressed her hips against his hard erection, groaning at the lust escalating inside. Her pelvis grew heavy with arousal.

He growled, jerking his mouth from hers. “You’re killing me,” he said, his voice as jagged as gravel.

She ground against him again, while she ran the tip of her tongue along the side of his neck, loving the taste of his salty flesh.

“Yeah,” she whispered into his ear. “How about this then?”

She scooted her entire body toward the back of the sofa, and then slipped her hand between them until she could reach his pants. She unfastened them and pushed her hand inside until her fingers wrapped around the solid mass of his cock. She squeezed and ran her hand up and down his length.

“Good God,” he moaned. “Don’t stop.” He grabbed her head and yanked her in for a wet, open-mouthed kiss that utilized his lips, tongue, and teeth. He gnawed gently on her lower lip while driving his tongue deep inside her mouth. All the time, he never stopped his hands, stroking, touching, rubbing, and massaging any portion of her body he could reach. He pinched her nipples through her shirt, then latched his mouth on her breast through the material.

She arched over him, trying to give him full access to anything he wanted, to any part of her body. She felt his fingers at her waist as he grasped the hem of her shirt. She pulled her hand from his pants and helped him pulled her shirt over her head. He stared at her breasts, and she was thankful she’d worn the only lace bra she owned.

“Beautiful,” he said. He ran a finger along the lacy trim of each cup, producing a shot of lust through her veins. His tongue traced the same path and then dove between the swells of her breasts.

Breath swooshed from her lungs as her stomach clenched.

“Taste as good as they look,” he growled.

He unsnapped the bra’s front closure and her breasts fell into his hands. “Sweet baby Jesus,” he said, then latched his mouth onto one tip while rolling the other nipple between his fingers.

Arousal flooded her panties. She spread her legs until she straddled one of his thighs. She crushed her sex against his thigh muscle, trying to find some relief from the pressure building inside. She rode his leg, grinding and releasing over and over.

“That’s it, baby,” he growled into her ear. “Ride me. Ride me hard.”

He jammed his thigh between her legs, and she rode. Hard. She no longer had a simple arousal. She was consumed with getting to the peak. It was there, just out of her reach. Her head dropped back, her hair flowing down. She cried out in frustration. It was there, but she couldn’t grasp it.

The waist of her pants loosened. Eli shoved his hand inside her panties, finding her swollen nub.

“Let go,” he said. “I’ve got you. Let go. Let me watch you come in my hand.”

His fingers stroked her clit. His thumb pushed it. He found her mouth and thrust his tongue inside as his fingers continued their relentless stroking and thrusting.

And then she exploded, thrusting her sex against his hand and fingers. Pulling her mouth away, a loud, low groan rose from her depths. She slammed her eyes shut against the flood of feelings swamping her.

“Don’t close your eyes,” he said. “Look at me.” When she didn’t, or couldn’t response fast enough, he demanded. “Look at me.”

She tugged her heavy eyelids up and met his dark, chocolate eyes.

“Good God,” she said, embarrassed by how easily he’d brought her to orgasm. She hid her face in his shoulder.

He pulled his hands from her pants and cupped her rear. “You know how to make a guy feel wanted.”

“I’m so sorry. I never do that.”

“Don’t be sorry. Anything but sorry.” He put two fingers under her chin and lifted her face until they were eye to eye. “That’s the sexiest thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”

She lowered her eyes, sure her face was flaming. “Still…kind of rude, you know? Come over, grab a glass of wine, then hump my way to an orgasm.”

He threw back his head with laughter and hugged her. “Need a cigarette?”

She shook her head. “I think I need more of this.” She took his mouth in a kiss that she hoped conveyed what she really wanted. After a minute, he slid from under her, took her hand, and led her to his bedroom.

Message received.

* * *

Eli loved the feel of Marti’s hand in his. It was strong and soft simultaneously, just like the woman herself…a woman he desired with the heat of a thousand suns. Strong. Confident. A woman who knew what she wanted.

God, he hoped she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Of course, this wasn’t his first time he’d had sex since his wife died. He’d had sex in the three months he’d lived in Texas, but he’d followed Hank’s advice and avoided women living in Whispering Springs. He knew, and he made sure every woman he went to bed with knew, he would only be here a short time.

And he’d never brought a woman to his house. That was an absolute rule. No women.

Until tonight.

When she’d walked into the bar, he’d wanted to immediately tag her as his. He didn’t want other men thinking she was available, and even he realized that was an insane thought. There was just something about her that called to him. Something that tugged deep inside him. The crazy thing was she was nothing like every other woman he’d ever dated.

Typically, he was drawn to quiet, petite women. Usually blondes too. Oh, and blue eyes.

And yet, it was a tall, strong, muscular cowgirl with brown hair and green eyes who’d stormed into his life with her rattlesnakes and baby animals that made him feel alive once more. He’d believed he’d let himself feel, had learned to sense his emotions again after Gina’s death.

He’d been wrong. Dead wrong.

“Oh, Eli. This is gorgeous,” she said, looking around his bedroom. She ran her hand down one of the tall, cherry wood posts of his bed. “I’ve always had a thing for massive beds.

“Oh yeah? I’ve always had thoughts about what could be done with those bed posts.”

“Actually,” she said, looking at him through her lashes. “I have a thing for anything massive.”

He swallowed his chuckle, but found it hard to fight the corners of his mouth that wanted to curl up. “Nothing like a little pressure on a guy.”

She smiled. “Oh, you have nothing to worry about.” She released his hand and climbed into the middle of his bed. “Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.”

She’d unfastened his slacks in the living room, and they’d barely made the ride on his hips from there to the bedroom. A kick of his shoes, a light push, and the material fell down his legs and onto the floor, leaving him dressed in boxers, socks and his oxford shirt. Reaching over his shoulder, he pulled the cotton shirt over his head without unbuttoning it. Who cared if he popped buttons off? He had more shirts.

Marti crawled across the mattress to the edge and sat on her heels. “Stop. Come here.”

He walked to where she waited and stood. As she studied him and ran her fingers along his pectoral muscles and down the dark hair of his abdomen, he was glad he still worked out. He was a long way from how he’d looked in college, when looking good took priority. His body might have aged, but he knew more about how to please a woman now than he had then.

“You are beautiful,” she said, leaning forward to trace the tip of her tongue around his nipple.

He caught her head between the palms of his hands and held her against him, feeling her warm breaths thread through his chest hair. His heart raced and danced. It might have done a cartwheel or two.

Keeping her head on his chest, Marti walked her fingers down his sides until she got to the waistband of his boxers. She wiggled her fingers under the elastic, and he reflexively sucked in his gut. Stretching the elastic, she eased the boxers down over his stone-hard dick. His erection jutted upward and bounced softly off his abdomen.

“Oh, baby, baby,” she crooned. She flicked out her tongue and ran the tip over the head of his cock, along the slit, and then sucked the head between her lips.

He hissed out a cuss word. His knees quaked, and he wondered how long he’d be able to stand there under the torture.

“This isn’t working,” she said. “Come sit here.” She patted the bed beside her.

He stripped off his boxers, pausing long enough at the floor to tug off his socks. Then he sat as directed. She slid off the bed and stood in front of him. Taking a knee in each hand, she pushed his thighs apart and knelt between them.

His heart jumped into his throat. He could barely take in enough breath. Still, he couldn’t look away from the gorgeous woman on her knees in front of him.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said. “I don’t expect—”

That was as far as he got before he saw his dick disappearing between her luscious lips and into her hot, wet mouth. Damn. He almost lost it immediately. He swallowed, or at least tried to swallow, but his mouth was dry.

She wrapped her hands around the base of his cock and squeezed, softly rotating her hands as she slid them up and down in conjunction with her mouth. When he hit her throat, she hummed, the vibrations tapping the end of his dick. Then she sucked as she pulled back, almost releasing him from her lips before taking him deep again.

He fisted the sheets and spread his knees wider. His balls pulled up, ready to spill. “Stop,” he said through gritted teeth. “Stop.” He grabbed her head and pulled her away. “Another stroke like that and it’s all over for me.”

“But I was just getting started,” she protested, but the twinkle in her eye gave her away.

“Sorry, you hellion. I’m going to need a minute.”

Her hands were still holding him, and she squeezed firmly and held. His orgasm receded, and he was able to take a breath.

“Should I continue?” she asked coyly.

He chuckled. “Not if you want to fuck, and baby, I do want to fuck you.”

“Oh, yeah? Sounds like we are definitely on the same page.” She released him and stood.

“Those need to go,” he said, indicating the scrap of lace pretending to be underwear.

She wiggled fingers under the thin straps at her hips. “These?”

“If you ever want to see them again, then yeah. Otherwise, I’m going to break those tiny strings to get to you.”

She laughed. “Seeing as I bought them just for you, it might be nice to save them.”

His mind whirled. She’d bought them for him? “For me? You expected this?”

“Oh, hell, no,” she said, slowly lowering the material. “But a girl’s gotta have hope.” She kicked the panties over by the door and climbed into bed.

He flipped her onto her back. “A guy has fantasies about women like you.” He took her mouth in a rough, bruising kiss that held nothing back.

She answered with her mouth. Tongues tangled, breaths shared. It was impossible to tell where one set of lips ended and the other began.

She wrapped her long legs around his waist, bringing her wet core into direct contact with his dick. Her moisture coated his flesh.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can go slow this first time. I’m afraid it’s going to be hard and fast.”

“Who told you I didn’t like hard and fast?” she murmured. “Well, hard over fast for sure, but hell yes. Move on. I’m dying here.”

He pulled a condom from a bedside drawer then sat back on his knees. He ripped the foil package with his teeth.

“Want me to do it?”

He paused to look at the vision in his bed. Flushed face. Swollen lips. Hair spread out behind her.

“Not this time.” He hurriedly slid on the protection.

Staying on his knees, he grasped her hips and lifted her off the mattress. Her long limbs twined around his waist and he drove into her. She gasped, knotting the sheet in her hands.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked. Hell, he didn’t want to hurt her, but her gasp had surprised him.

“No,” she said with pants. “No. It’s just been a while.”

He withdrew. “How long?” He knew it was totally none of his business. Their pasts had nothing to do with their present, still he couldn’t stop the question.

“A year.”

“But, your engagement?”

“Talk later.” Her heel hammered against his butt. “Work now.”

He chuckled and leaned over to kiss her. “Tell me if you don’t like something. Or better yet, tell me if you do like something.”

With that, he thrust back into her. He looked down to where he disappeared into her body. Her back arched, and she moaned. Her breathy moan infiltrated his very essence, driving every drop of blood not needed to sustain life to his cock. He grew impossibly, and painfully, hard.

“Faster,” she rasped. “Harder.”

Exactly what his mind was telling him, too. He watched his cock as it appeared and disappeared, his condom glistening from her fluids. The view was sensual as hell, and he almost lost it right then. He pumped into her, their sweaty flesh slapping together in an erotic song. A red flush appeared on her chest and moved toward her throat.

“Don’t stop,” she ordered, her head rolling side to side. “Harder. Don’t stop.”

He slammed into her, the bed rocking from the force. She cried out as an orgasm swept through her. Her channel squeezed and milked his cock as his own climax grew. His balls drew up, and he came, the forceful orgasm racking his body and leaving him shaken.

He fell against her, his breathing ragged. “Give me a minute,” he gasped. “I’ll move.”

She tightened her legs still wrapped around him. “You feel good.” Fingers threaded into his hair and massaged the back of his head. “Don’t move just yet. I love your weight on me.”

No matter what she said, he knew he was heavy, making it difficult for her to breathe. He kissed her ear, then left a trail of kisses down her neck and across her face until he found her mouth. Their lips sought and found each other in a gentle kiss.

“Next time will be better,” he assured her.

“Not possible.” She scored her fingernails down his back. “Simply not possible.