Chapter Three
Cameron struggled to maintain eye contact. She understood what he wanted without his even saying it. He would give anything to not feel so alone in this beautiful, damn hotel. Vanity held him still, though. When she saw how grotesque he was, standing next to her beauty, she would no doubt run away screaming.
He couldn’t risk this tenuous connection for a night of sex.
No matter how his dick tried to tell him otherwise.
“You’re thinking too hard, Cameron.”
When she settled her lips on his, he didn’t struggle as much as he should have. Once he tasted her, there was no way he could leave. Clenching her hair in his fist, he angled his head and delved into her. God, she had the sweetest taste. Cinnamon, apple, and a hint of something more exotic.
The boner he had been struggling to control for the past hour hardened between them, and Ginger chuckled against him. His own lips curved, and he teased at her mouth with his tongue. She opened eagerly, slipping one hand beneath his arm to hold herself against him.
He used every technique he could remember to build her passion. She shifted against him, rubbing her silk-covered breasts against his suit jacket. Unable to help himself, he pulled away to search her face. “You have to be sure about this. If you want me to leave, you need to tell me now.”
She shook her head at him. “There’s no doubt in my mind. I don’t want you to go anywhere. Well,” her eyes twinkled, “maybe to the bedroom.”
He lifted them both to their feet, effortlessly. Power surged through his body, and it needed an outlet. Her.
Ginger gasped as he tugged her into another kiss, and he took satisfaction in that sound. He was just a plain old country boy, unworthy to even be touching her.
Unable to help himself, he let his hands slide down her sides. She had such a phenomenal shape, in spite of what she said. Her muscles were strong, and she still kept herself in fighting condition. But her hips were flared, feminine. There were tiny little snaps as his rough skin caught on the silk threads, breaking them, but she didn’t seem concerned. She shifted her rib cage, positioning her breast in the path of his returning stroke. Cameron stopped just shy of covering it. He teased the underside with his thumb and deliberately made her wait. Sprinkling kisses across her forehead, he worked his way across her arched brows, touched on her eyelids and down the length of her nose, before pressing his mouth to hers again. She moaned and rubbed her body into his groin.
He couldn’t wait any longer. He had to feel her. He eased his hand up and covered her breast, kneading. Gasping, she pressed harder into his touch. “More,” she whispered. “Untie me.”
Cameron wasted no time, and started searching for a way to get her out of the dress. The halter tied behind her neck, and he fumbled to get the pieces separated. She lifted her hair so he could reach the knot. For a timeless second, he didn’t think his big fingers would be able to manage the task, but the fabric finally released.
Ginger stepped back so the dress could fall to the floor. The silk pooled at her feet, before she kicked it away.
Cameron thought he was going to have a heart attack when he saw her for the first time. Oxygen became precious as he forgot to breathe. Stunning. Quite simply, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She tossed her mussed hair in one of those habitual, feminine moves designed to make men stare. She wore no bra, which he already knew, but he’d had no idea how perfect her breasts would be. The natural, teardrop shape testified that she had had nothing done to enhance them, and the tips were flushed a hectic, dark tan with arousal. Saggy, my ass. Dragging his eyes away, he followed a pale line of freckles down her belly then to her lace panties, which did nothing to hide the darker auburn curls at the juncture of her thighs. She flexed one knee against his thigh. Without the dress, her legs appeared even longer.
He made sure to put his appreciation in his expression as he met her eyes, but the insecurity was there, just beneath the surface. “You’re breathtaking. You know that.”
“I just want to be pretty for you.” She shrugged lightly.
Cameron tried not to let her words affect him, but they did. He didn’t want to care for Ginger. She was here for a one-night stand, and he provided a convenient fill in for her fallen-through date. If the other guy had shown up, there was a good chance he would be the one with her now.
He clenched his jaw in anger. The idea of some other man with his hands on her disturbed him immensely.
Slender fingers reached up to loosen his patterned black tie, and he stared down at her as she did it. Whipping the silk from around his collar, she tossed it over her shoulder with a saucy grin. It landed somewhere beyond the couch. Gliding both hands up his chest to his shoulders, she pushed his suit jacket down his arms and away. Cameron’s breathing sped up as she released the first button of his black shirt. He wrapped his fist around hers and stared at her hard. “I’m not pretty,” he warned.
Ginger waited patiently for him to release her, seduction curling her lips. “Good. I don’t want pretty. I want real. Besides, I’m sure I’ve seen worse. ”
But her expressive face showed her dismay as she slowly revealed his chest and abdomen. The damage was extensive, even years later. The scarring used to be an angry, brilliant red. Most of the color had faded with time. For the most part, the discomfort had also receded. It still looked painful, though, in spots, and she hovered over those areas as if she wanted to touch but was afraid to. “It doesn’t hurt anymore,” he told her. “Really. Go ahead.”
Her cautious eyes flicked to his then down as her hand glided firmly over his flesh. Her fingers stroked his skin, outlining the damage. Cameron shivered at the first feeling of a hand other than his own on his body. On the scarred part, he couldn’t even tell she touched him unless she pressed. The nerve endings had been burned off. On the less scarred areas, her gentle fingers excited him.
As she ran both palms up his body, Cameron realized how starved for contact he had been in the four years since he’d walked out the door of the hospital. She was the first woman to be with him since his injury. Emotion tightened his throat and made his hands shake. Reaching out, he tugged her into his arms for a hug so she wouldn’t see his gratitude mixed with humbling fear.
Ginger didn’t resist. She seemed to understand. She relaxed into him with a sigh.
He held her for several long minutes, before pulling away. He had tamped the emotions down and planned on concentrating on her now. With a murmured hold on, he bent and lifted her into his arms.
She gasped in his ear, clutching him. “Put me down.” She laughed. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
He snorted and crossed the room easily. She probably didn’t weigh all of a buck thirty. “Quit wiggling.” His gaze dropped to her jiggling breasts, and he leered theatrically. “Or not.”
Ginger laughed and let her head rest on his chest. She stopped moving then and just held on. When he dropped her feet to the floor beside the bed, he regretted he didn’t get to carry her further. The woman fit against him just right.
Her face burned pink. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “I can’t believe you picked me up like that.”
Cameron chuckled. “You’re standing naked in front of me, but you’re more concerned because I lifted you?”
He covered her lips with his own as she sputtered. All sound stopped for a good while after that, as they teased one another. Cameron learned that she liked to have the inside of her upper lip licked, and for him to tilt her head with his hand to guide her where he wanted her. She seemed to need somebody to take control from her.
It became difficult for him to keep them upright with his knees quivering the way they were. He nudged her backward, and when her legs hit the bed, she collapsed gracefully onto the mattress. Every movement she made was beautiful. The soft light from the bedside lamp gilded her pale skin. For a moment, he debated turning the light off just to keep his own disfigurement in the dark, but he wanted to see her more than he wanted to hide himself.
The muscles in her lean arms flexed as she positioned herself in the center of the bed. There she stretched them above her head, pulling her breasts high.
Even as his excitement made breathing difficult, Cameron paused at the sight. Her elegant beauty held him enthralled. She crooked a finger at him, and it was all he could do to untangle himself from his pants and kick them to the side. He hesitated at removing his underwear, but the desire burning in her gaze spurred him on. Then, for the first time in four years, he stood completely naked in front of a woman.
He watched for any hint of disgust as her eyes dropped to his thigh and leg, but her eyes came back up to rest on his erection. It bobbed with every beat of his heart, and Cameron could feel his desperation building. The damage stretched into his groin, but stopped there. That had been one of the few things to cheer him in the hospital, and he had counted himself exceedingly lucky. If his dick had been taken in the explosion as well, he wouldn’t be standing here now.
She held her hand out to him, and he all but jumped into the bed. Their mouths met again, as he aligned his pelvis with hers. They both gasped as skin met skin. She glanced down at his broad chest, and the appreciation in her expression made him glad he’d dragged his sorry ass to the gym all those mornings.
“I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to hold out. It’s been a long time.”
Ginger grinned up at him. “It’s been several years for me, too, actually.”
He glanced at her in surprise. Shifting to the side, he ran his hand over her baby-soft skin, across her right breast, and down her tummy to tease at the lace of her panties. “Why did you even bother with these? It’s not like they’re hiding anything.”
“No,” she sighed, “but they’re pretty. And I didn’t know where the night would end. A girl has to be prepared, you know.”
Prepared. Fuck! He closed his eyes and called himself ten kinds of fool. Hell, he hadn’t needed condoms for years. As chief of security, he had a reputation to maintain, and running downstairs for that kind of item could be embarrassing.
Cameron rolled away, resting his arm over his eyes. He gulped in air as he struggled to calm his body. “I have no condoms,” he told her, furious with himself.
A soft touch traced down his body, skirting the edge of his scarring then wrapped around his cock. She used her thumb to make circles on the underside of his slit, using his own moisture for lubrication. He could not keep the groan inside. So much better than his own hand.
“Well,” she whispered in that throaty, fuck-me voice, “it’s a good thing you’re with a girl who’s prepared.”
His head shot up and he stared at her hard. “You have condoms?”
“Yep. Bedside table.”
Relief poured through him. He rolled up onto his elbow and pressed his lips to hers, more excited than he could remember being in years. Working her mouth, he tried to let her know with his body.
She giggled as his chin nuzzled her neck. “Is it too rough?” he asked.
“No,” she whispered. “It’s perfect.”
Cameron kissed his way to her waist and dragged the taunting panties down her long legs. She tipped her hips, inviting him to explore her more, but he didn’t want to give in to her that easily. Wandering down her thigh, he took a few extra seconds to cool off as he nibbled. He moved to the other leg and started the return trip, pressing kisses every few inches. Her skin smelled of sun and peaches, and he had to stop to just breathe against her a couple of times.
She squirmed as he got closer to the damp curls at the juncture of her thighs. He used one finger to part her lips and slip inside, making her moan. Gliding in her moisture, he was humbled at the proof that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He explored her outer folds, twirling in her hair and squeezing with his finger. Ginger moaned and shifted beneath him, crying out when he bumped her clit. He needed to hear that sound again, so he set up a gentle rhythm. Sweeping low, he teased at her vagina then swept up to circle around her pleasure point. Within seconds, her panting voice begged him to slow down.
“You don’t want me to do that. You want me to push you further.”
He angled his hand and buried his middle finger deep within her, then ground the heel of his hand against her clit. He wrapped his lips around the tip of her breast, sucking strongly.
Ginger shattered and screamed out her release, bucking beneath his hand. He gentled his touch but continued to press her, wringing every spasm out of her he could. He reached to the opposite side of the bed and dragged open the bedside table drawer. The cardboard box wouldn’t open for his fumbling fingers. Frustrated, he ripped the damn thing in half, scattering foil packages through the drawer. He tore one open and sheathed himself, before he settled on top of her. The touch of her slick heat against his dick almost set him off, but he waited until her eyes snapped to his. “Are you ready?”
She nodded, and he glided into her.
The magazine Ginger had nothing on the actual woman, and he fought not to come. He stilled as much as he could, but couldn’t control the quivering. He panted into the pillow and fought to think of other things. She didn’t help when she lifted her knees to his sides, urging him to move. He let himself go slowly, until he could maintain some control. Her nails scored his ass, and he kissed her, hard. She moaned into his mouth and torqued her groin up into his.
Determined not to come before she did again, he pulled out and began teasing the sensitive entrance to her body with just the head of his cock. Occasionally he would slide up beside her clit, making her jerk. Ginger groaned against his throat, and her body twitched to the side convulsively. He slowed his body even more, fighting not to give in to her contagious enthusiasm. Between one stroke and the next, she screamed out her second release.
Cameron plunged inside her and allowed himself to feel. And come. He didn’t even have to move. The rippling contractions from her climax pushed him over the edge.
He lost track of the seconds as they fed on each other’s desperation. At one point he yelled out. His brain went to mush, and his bones felt like they liquefied. He planted his elbows and fought not to crush her as his body played out the movements it needed to. The pleasure rolled over him in wave after wave.
Ginger let her legs come down off his sides, and he reluctantly gathered his energy to get up. But she clutched him to her. “Not just yet. Please.”
He really didn’t have the motivation anyway. She was too comfortable to lie upon. All of his angles fit into her curves, as if they were two halves of one whole. She was a little small, maybe, but still wonderful. He kissed the delicate curve of her ear.
She sighed and cranked her head enough to press her lips on his cheek. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that my date didn’t show up.”
Cameron chuckled and rolled himself to the side. “Me, too. Might have been a little crowded in here.” He stretched, bones popping, and pushed himself to his feet. He walked to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he returned, Ginger was stretched on top of the bright white comforter, lips curved in satisfaction. Her bright lipstick had disappeared. Moisture glistened on her pale thighs, and Cameron’s mouth watered at the thought of teasing her with his tongue.
Yeah. Good thing the date hadn’t shown up.