Beneath the Stetson(27)

Many people would describe her as tough.

But Gil...Gil was the real deal. His sleek, long-limbed body rippled with muscle. His olive skin gleamed with health and vigor. He was a man capable of defending those he loved. At the peak of his physical strength and power.

Bailey’s heart twisted. Hard. What would it be like to be loved by Gil Addison? Clearly, he had loved his dead wife once upon a time. And of course he loved his parents and his son. But to be a woman loved by a man like Gil...that would be an incredible thing. In the present context, though, that thought was a fantasy, one she might as well put out of her mind.

Tonight was about human need. Sex. That was all. She and Gil were drawn to each other, because they both spent too many nights alone. So during this brief moment in time, they were going to cling to each other and enjoy the pleasures of carnal excess.

Perhaps Gil was more intuitive than she realized, for he abandoned his sexy pose and stalked her, backing her up until her hips hit the bed. “You aren’t saying much,” he taunted. “Cat got your tongue?”

She curled an arm around the bedpost, clinging in hopes that her shaky legs wouldn’t give out. “Just admiring the view.” It wouldn’t do to let him know how much seeing his beautiful body in the privacy of his bedroom rattled her.

He shrugged out of the shirt and let it fall. Taking her free hand, he placed it flat over his heart. “Feel what you do to me.”

The rapid thud of his heartbeat was unmistakable. Without thinking, she rubbed gently, as though she could absorb his life force through her fingertips. Touching him was both intimate and arousing.

Gil groaned and closed his eyes. Was it possible that he was as turned on as she was? Experimentally, she scraped her thumbnail across one flat, brown nipple. Gil put his hand over hers, trapping it against his hot skin. “Don’t poke the tiger, Bailey. I have plans for tonight, and they don’t involve coming too soon like a callow teenager.”

His blunt speaking made her cheeks flame. “I want to please you. I need to know what you like.”

“You do please me, in every way. I love your strength and your integrity. And I love the way you treat my son.”

“He’s lucky to have a dad like you.”

Gil caressed her cheek, his gaze hooded. “I spend much of my time being Cade’s father. I know that role inside and out. Tonight...” He paused and she saw the muscles in his throat contract. “Tonight I’m just a man. A man who wants you.”

She slipped her arms around his neck, appreciating the distinction, even if it wasn’t wholly true. Gil could have any woman he wanted, but in a town like Royal, such a relationship would be tricky. Sleeping with Bailey was less complicated. She understood that.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she whispered the bare, honest truth. “I want you to make love to me Gil. More than I’ve ever wanted another man. Don’t make us wait any longer.”

* * *

Gil felt the sting of strong emotion in his throat and his eyes. Bailey Collins was the most fascinating, unconsciously sensual woman he had ever met. Now that she was here―in his bedroom, about to make a number of his more torrid fantasies come to life―all he could think about was how soon he was going to lose her.

He slammed the door on those images. Who and what he needed was right in front of him...literally. Bailey was warm and real and so very, very beautiful. Running his hands though her hair, he imagined what it was going to look like spread across his pillow. “In other circumstances, I might insist that anticipation is half of the pleasure. But tonight, I’m in no mood to delay anything at all.” He unfolded her arms from around his neck. “My turn, lovely Bailey.”

As her cheeks turned the color of a ripe tomato, he undressed her bit by bit, supporting her arm as she stepped out of her clothes. His surmise had been right on target. She wore naughty undies beneath, this time pale pink trimmed in mocha lace. The tiny bikini panties and matching bra were ultrafeminine, reminding him that despite the toughness she exhibited in her job, Bailey was all woman.

She seemed reluctant to dispense with the final layer that shielded her full nudity. So he matter-of-factly shucked his jeans and boxers and socks in a couple of quick moves. Bailey’s eyes widened. The expression on her face was gratifying.

He was fully erect, and aching to possess her. But first he was going to have to coax her into relaxing. “I don’t know what you’re thinking,” he complained. “Is that deer-in-the-headlights look you’re giving me because you’ve changed your mind or because I’m going too fast?”

She licked her lips, arms crossed beneath her breasts. “Neither,” she said quietly. “I’m enjoying the moment.”