Loving Deep: Steele Ridge Series Page 16

  * * *

  To keep Randi from seeing his hands shake, Britt held on tight while she began her torture. Sweet torture.

  He’d used up the balance of his control when he’d discovered how wet and hot she was for him. Him. How many times had he envisioned this very moment over the past several months? So damned many he had the steps memorized—until Randi decided she wanted a taste of him as much as he wanted her.

  The soft pads of her hands explored his torso with excruciating thoroughness. She pushed aside his shirt with her nose to reach his nipple. Her breath fanned over his skin a second before her tongue laved the hard nub.

  His grip on her waist tightened as his cock pulsed with driving need. “Randi,” he said between broken breaths. She gave no indication she heard him. “Sweetheart, I promise you can play next time.” He cradled her face again, forcing her to look up at him.

  The sight of her heavy-lidded eyes and damp lips was too much. He kissed her again, wishing he could give her the time she needed, but knowing he was nearing the end of his control.

  He shrugged out of his shirt and unfastened his jeans. Sitting on the bed, he removed his boots and socks, tossing them to the side. While he was occupied, she’d removed her sexy shoes. He hated to see them go, but was glad he didn’t have to worry about getting spiked in the ass during their first time.

  She came to stand before him, all creamy skin and black satin. With a featherlight touch, her fingers smoothed over his shoulders and trailed down his arms to his hands. One encouraging tug had him standing, his jeans gaping open to reveal his erection. He never wore underwear with jeans. Way too confining.

  Drawing her bottom lip into her mouth, she reached for him, wrapping her small hand around his girth. Britt held his breath, needing her touch, fearing he would shame himself with one pump of her hand.

  But she didn’t squeeze or pump. She explored. Soothed the beast raging inside him. He pushed his jeans down and eased away long enough to open the drawer on the bedside table. Grabbing a condom, he ripped its packet open and slid it on. When he turned back, she’d removed the rest of her clothes and climbed onto the bed.

  Britt swallowed. She was so unbelievably beautiful and, at least for tonight, she was all his.

  * * *

  Randi’s mouth went dry at the predatory gleam in Britt’s gaze. He stalked on hands and knees across the bed until he covered her. His kiss was long and lush, not fevered and frenzied. He restrained her hands above her head and nudged her legs apart with his knee.

  “This won’t be an all-star moment for me,” he warned. “I’ve wanted you too long. But I promise to make it good for you.”

  “I hope to do the same.”

  “You already have, sweetheart.”

  Without preamble, he covered her left breast with his mouth, teasing her nipple and plump flesh. Then she felt the first probe at her entrance. Randi lifted her legs. The tip slid over her wet folds before pressing deep, then deeper, so deep her breath stopped. She pushed against him until she could feel him touching the very heart of her core.

  “Let me go,” she demanded.

  “Not yet,” he ground out.

  He kissed her again while he withdrew by slow degrees. Pleasure built below and above as his tongue and cock set a body-shattering rhythm. Soon, she realized her hands were free and she pressed them into the area where his spine and bottom met, encouraging him into greater, faster, deeper thrusts.

  When she felt the first stirrings of orgasm, she hooked her legs around his waist and rode out the earthshaking storm. He sensed the end was near too, because he stopped kissing her and glanced down at where they were joined before adjusting his position and awakening her sweet spot.

  Brilliant light exploded behind her eyelids and she cried out.

  “Thank you, God,” he said between clenched teeth before giving in to his own release.

  The air around them crackled with the scent of sex and silence. Britt lifted his head and studied her features, searching for what, she didn’t know.

  So she smiled, settling on reassurance. When he gave her a lazy grin in return, her heart clenched against an unfamiliar ping of emotion. He kissed her and rolled off, stomping toward the bathroom, not bothering to turn on the light. Seconds later, he returned, all warm flesh and full-of-himself stretches.

  “What would you like to do now?” he asked, nuzzling the underside of her jaw.

  She glanced at the bedside clock and stopped short of groaning. Tonight might be the quickest date she’d ever been on. Two hours from pickup to after-sex awkwardness. Just the thought of rolling out of bed and putting on her skintight dress made her plop back on the pillow.

  “Something wrong?”

  She palmed her forehead, staring at the ceiling. “You mean other than me having to squeeze back into that dress and drive home?” She chuckled. “No, nothing’s wrong.”

  “Do you want to go home tonight?”

  She peered up into his face and noticed his guarded expression. “Don’t you want me to?”

  He slid one leg between hers and leaned close. “No.” He kissed her temple. “In fact, I think you should stay the night, then go camping with me tomorrow.”

  “Camping?” She reared back to see him better. “Or glamping?”

  “What the hell is glamping?”

  “What will our accommodations be like?”

  “Our accommodations will be a two-person tent complete with individual sleeping bags or, if you prefer, one large sleeping bag, and a pop-up stove.” He raised a brow. “Is that glamorous enough for you?”

  Randi covered her eyes with one hand. “I haven’t been camping since I was ten years old.”

  He peeled two of her fingers away. “Then it’s time for you to sleep beneath the stars again.”

  “I am sleeping beneath the stars.” She pointed to the ceiling. “They’re right up there.”

  He nipped at her bare shoulder. “Don’t be such a city slicker. You’ll enjoy camping in the woods.” Sliding the sheet down, he bared her breasts. The cool air and his attention made them harden. He took one ruched nipple between his finger and thumb and rolled the tip. “You have my word.”

  21

  Britt adjusted his backpack and picked his way down the narrow rocky trail. After a two-hour hike, they were now descending and making their way back to their campsite.

  The view had been spectacular. Not a cloud in the sky to obscure the surrounding landscape. If it had been July, a humid haze would have reduced their visibility. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d hiked this mountain. It felt good to explore other areas.

  For the past six months, he’d been focused on the Steele Conservation Area. Beautiful property, but even ten thousand acres can seem confining after a while.

  “I like this direction much better,” Randi said from behind him. “My thighs thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. Pretty soon your shins will be screaming.”

  “Lovely,” she grumbled. “Next time, wait until I start complaining about the pain before revealing the reason. Now I’m going to spend the next several minutes anticipating splintering shins, thank you very much.”

  Despite her words, she had yet to complain about their commune with nature. She’d been a good sport about it, though he knew she hadn’t gone on a hike of this magnitude in a long while. Hell, he’d gotten winded toward the summit and he explored this kind of terrain on a weekly basis.

  “If I hadn’t said anything, you’d be griping at me later for not forewarning you.”

  “You have a point. I guess you’ll have to pick your poison.”

  Britt shook his head, smiling. Ever since their lovemaking last night, they’d settled into an easy banter, something he’d only ever enjoyed with his siblings and Deke.

  They came across a large boulder jutting across the trail. Britt climbed atop it and held out his hand for Randi. She clasped his fingers, and he hauled her up.

  From their vantage point, t
hey could see the winding, rugged nature of the path ahead of them.

  “Remind me again of why we took the more advanced route?”

  “Because the family-friendly route would have bored you to tears. This way is far more exciting.”

  “So I see.” She wedged her thumbs beneath the arm straps of her rucksack. “I’m going to sleep like a rock tonight.”

  He jumped down. “No, you’re not.”

  She opened her mouth for a retort, but she must have caught the heat in his eyes. Her attention lingered on his mouth a moment before scrambling off the boulder.

  Dog that he was, Britt had been unable to stop thinking about the feel of Randi wrapped around him, warm, inviting, and so damned responsive. They’d made love twice more, once as the sun crested the horizon. He would never forget the small ray of morning sunlight that edged between the curtains to land on Randi’s profile. Beautiful and surreal.

  If he were more of a religious man, he might have believed God had delivered an important message. Instead, he’d soaked up every second and, right before she awoke, he’d realized, hands down, this was the happiest he’d been in ages.

  A throat cleared behind him. “When can we go see the wolves again?”

  “Tomorrow, if you’re a good girl tonight.” Where the hell were these sexual innuendos coming from? He couldn’t recall ever teasing a woman like this before.

  “Didn’t you say something about wanting more out of this relationship than sex?”

  He didn’t have to turn around to see her brow arched in query. “Which should not be confused with no sex at all.”

  “I can tell I’m going to need a playbook to navigate the tricky maneuverings of Britt Steele’s mind.”

  “All you need to know is that I’m a simple man of simple needs.” Pausing, he angled around to look her in the eye. “And my body needs you.”

  Shock widened her eyes. Britt couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t meant to make such a declaration, but his damned tongue was speedier than his brain. This thing between them was new to her. She had no way of knowing that he went to Triple B to see her, not to hang with his family and friends and listen to good music.

  Feeling too exposed, he continued down the mountain. Too bad life didn’t include a delete button for stupid comments. He’d be banging the hell out of that key right now.

  “May I ask you a personal question?” she asked.

  If the terrain hadn’t been so uneven, he would have closed his eyes and prayed for lightning to strike him dead or a crevasse to open up before him or a mountain lion to leap on him from the bluff above. Well, maybe not the mountain lion scenario. Having his throat ripped out wasn’t on his top ten list of ways to die.

  He knew of a way to scare her off the scent. “If I can do the same.”

  Her agreement was slow in coming. But it came. Dammit.

  “All right.”

  Loose stones littered the trail for several yards. “Be careful here,” he said. “Remember to position your feet at a ninety-degree angle to get the best traction.”

  “I’m well aware of how to traverse steep terrain. Don’t try to distract me.”

  “You wound me.” He put a hand over his heart. “My thoughts were only on ensuring your safety.”

  “Gag me.”

  The trees opened up, and she paused to take in the view. Layers of velvet green painted the foreground, and a fine mist of blue hovered in the background. Beneath it all, the mountain swam across the landscape like the Loch Ness monster’s sleek body cresting expansive Scottish waters.

  “Why have you never married?” she asked. “And don’t give me copout answers like ‘I’m too busy’ or ‘I haven’t found the one.’”

  “Tough interrogator.” Britt scoured his mind for a legitimate reason she would accept. It was true that he hadn’t come across a woman who encouraged him to think beyond the next date. Over the years, he’d enjoyed keeping company with, having sex with, or taking walks with, different women. But none had ever occupied his thoughts at strange, unexpected times, nor had he ever been interested in them beyond a superficial level. “I doubt you’ll like my answer.”

  “That’s not important. I’m interested in hearing why.”

  “No spark.”

  She frowned. “As in, the women you’ve dated weren’t upbeat?”

  He shook his head. “I won’t be able to articulate this.”

  “Just say what you’re feeling.”

  “The others…they didn’t spark anything inside me.” He tried to find inspiration in the blue mist flowing over the mountaintops in the distance. But everything that came to mind sounded so overdone. “I don’t expect fireworks, but I’d like to experience some excitement or anticipation when I’m around my future wife. Especially in the honeymoon phase of a relationship. If I’m two weeks into seeing someone, I sure as hell want to feel something besides mild interest.” Behind him, the silence lengthened. He released a self-conscious breath. “Told you I wouldn’t be able to explain it well.”

  A slender hand curled around the back of his neck. “You articulated it perfectly.” She tightened her hold. “I hope you find your spark.”

  Maybe I already have. The words trickled through his mind like a slow-burning line fire along the forest’s floor. Could Randi really be the one? The one who would make him smile with nothing more than a sideways glance, make him stir to life with a single caress, make him think of the future with a whispered wish?

  The trickle of awareness became a raging storm of certainty.

  He snaked an arm around her waist, bringing her body flush with his, and kissed her. “Come on,” he whispered. “Let’s get back to the site before the sun sets. Making camp in the dark isn’t much fun.”

  She nodded, and they spent the rest of the hike lost in their thoughts. Other than setting up the tent to air out and rolling out their sleeping bags, they’d done nothing else to make their campsite habitable before heading up the mountain.

  Britt pulled two bundles of firewood from the back of his pickup and tossed them down next to the fire pit. Then he hunted the edge of the nearby woodland for kindling.

  Meanwhile, Randi dragged the large red-and-white cooler from the truck and set it on the picnic table bench. As with many park picnic tables, initials from long-ago lovers were scratched into the thick layers of brown paint covering the surface.

  Soon they had a roaring fire and brats sizzling on a cast iron griddle. With the sun dropping below the horizon, their comfortable June day turned into a chilly early-summer evening. Randi exited the tent, shrugging into a dark blue fleece jacket and carrying a long-sleeve flannel for him.

  “Thanks.” He accepted the flannel, marveling at the naturalness of this small domestic scene. Neither of them had to be told what to do, they just did what needed doing.

  “I’ll get the plates ready.”

  Britt knelt down to check the brats. Using a fork, he rolled the links onto their uncooked side and debated his next move. He didn’t want to ruin their easy camaraderie, but he also had a compulsive need to know every detail about her.

  “Would you rather sit by the fire or at the picnic table?”

  “Either works for me. You decide. The brats will be another minute.”

  She brought over two folding chairs and set them up around the fire pit. “The fire feels nice.”

  “Got a plate or bun for me?”

  A bun materialized over his shoulder.

  “How do you like your brat?” she asked. “Plain or with all the fixin’s?”

  “All the fixin’s.”

  He forked one of the brats into the bun and handed it to her. She traded him for an empty bun.

  Removing the griddle from the grate, he set it aside to cool. If he’d been alone or with his brothers, he would have had a small pan of baked beans heating up as well. Somehow beans and second date didn’t seem like a good idea. He’d settled for bringing BBQ chips and a tub of potato salad.

  By the time he m
ade it to the picnic table to load up his plate, she’d already buried his brat beneath a mound of kraut, sliced tomatoes, onions, and mustard. His mouth watered.

  “Look okay?” she asked.

  “Couldn’t have made it better myself, thanks.”

  He added a couple spoonfuls of potato salad and a handful of chips to their plates. Grabbing their utensils and drinks, they headed back to the fire.

  Hungry from a long day of activity, they dug into their food, making satisfied groans along the way.

  “Back at your cabin,” Randi said between bites, “I saw a half-completed application for the Anti-Poaching Foundation. I looked it up. Sounds like a great opportunity. What date are you shooting for?”

  The brat burned in his stomach. “I’ve had seconds thoughts on the trip.”

  “You don’t want to go now?”

  “Timing’s not right.”

  “Is someone in your family sick?”

  “No, why?”

  “Then the rest can wait.”

  “It’s not that easy, Randi. Between my business, overseeing the training center’s renovations, and now Jonah wants to build a wildlife research center in the conservation area, there’s no time for assisting conservation efforts in another country.”

  “A research center? That’s wonderful!”

  Her genuine happiness for him made the whole thing finally feel real. He’d been dying to tell her since yesterday, but couldn’t think of a casual way to bring up the topic.

  “It is. Jonah’s a good kid, and he’s determined to make his entire family happy. But there’s so damn much to do.”

  “Take it from me, the time will never be right.” She swatted a fly off the rim of her bottle. “Set aside the time and go. You never know when life’s going to throw you into a gut-twisting tailspin. I’m the perfect example of everything toddling along great, then bam. I almost lost everything in the time it took Pansy to unload in my yard. Don’t wait, Britt.”

  No one, besides Evie, had ever taken an interest in ensuring his happiness. His family loved him and wanted the best for him. But no one had ever ventured inside his life enough to insist he make time for himself.