He smiled at the memory of her piss-ass angry as she stormed out of the bar. “You warned yourself about a guy like me?”
“Pretty much. A girl’s got to protect herself, but then I realized you’re anything but a fast talker. You slowed down for me in more ways than just during your run.”
“You’re worth it. But, Becca, should I worry about a woman like you? Is there something you’re not telling me? Because guys can get hurt, too.” He was falling hard for her, and the thought of her hiding something that could threaten their relationship had been on his mind since they’d gone to retrieve her bag from her car.
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “You tell me.” He felt a twinge of guilt over not telling her that he owned the resort, and he pushed it away. He’d tell her soon.
“I’m not sure I understand.” She reached for his hand. “I told you what my past was like. I didn’t hide anything.”
“Just assure me you’re not really married, or running from something dangerous.” He tightened his grip on her hand so she couldn’t escape the question. He had to know, and it didn’t matter how much he liked her. Better to know now than to find out after his heart had taken the plunge into never-never land.
“What would ever give you that crazy idea? I’ve never been married, and I’m not running from anything.” She pulled the elastic band from her hair and shook her hair free, looking sexy as hell as she slipped the elastic band around her wrist and closed the distance between them. Her hands were warm on his bare skin, and the way she looked at him, like she really liked him, softened his worry. “Did I miss something?”
“No, I’m sorry. I just…” He leaned down and kissed her rather than explaining, and when she pressed her body to his, he was instantly aroused.
“Mm,” she mumbled against his lips. “This is what a run does to you?”
“This is what you do to me.”
AFTER THEY WORKED out, Pierce left Rebecca to shower alone—partially to give her privacy and partially to keep from rushing her into going any further, even though the whole time she was in the bathroom he could think of nothing else than lathering her up and how her soapy body would feel against him. To take his mind off of Rebecca, he pulled out his phone and checked his voicemail. He had two calls from his brother Wes.
“Dude, do you ever turn on your phone? Call me.” He deleted the message and listened to the next one. “Holy Christ, Pierce. What are you doing out there in Reno? How do you get anything done? Pick up your damn phone.”
Pierce dialed Wes’s number, and it went straight to voicemail.
“Hey, buddy. Sorry I missed your calls. Forgot to turn my phone on. Catch up when you can.” Pierce ended the call and eyed the bedroom, then turned away as he began to imagine Rebecca’s naked body again.
After they showered and had breakfast, they took in an early-afternoon movie, and in the evening they ate dinner on the patio again. Pierce could get used to this. In fact, as they cuddled together and watched the sun set, he was getting used to it. Rebecca was tucked beneath his arm, like the space was made just for her. One of her hands rested on his abs, and every so often she’d touch his skin beneath his T-shirt. He was aroused, but more than that, he realized that he was happy. Truly happy and content, just sitting right there with her. As the day progressed, Rebecca’s edginess had ceased. The transformation was like watching a person with emphysema breathe through new lungs. He felt himself changing, too. They’d talked all day about their lives, his siblings, and a myriad of other topics, but she hadn’t asked about what exactly he did for a living. As much as he loved that she didn’t seem to care, he wanted to tell her before she started work on Monday. There was no way that he was going to be able to hide the fact that he was dating her, and he knew it was only a matter of time before someone mentioned him by name. He worried that if she found out from someone else, it might change things between them, and even though the relationship was new, he wasn’t about to risk it.
“What do you usually do on Saturday nights?” Rebecca asked.
“Work, mostly. I haven’t spent a Saturday like this in a very long time.” He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “How about you?”
“Work, usually. It’s weird not to have a job to go to today, but I’m really looking forward to starting work on Monday. I know that probably sounds silly, since you work in the executive offices, but to me, the job holds the opportunity for a future.” She looked up at him and slid her hand under his shirt again.
Work in the executive offices. Hearing the words made him feel like a liar, and he didn’t like that feeling at all, especially where it concerned Rebecca. “It’s not silly at all. Becca, I want to tell you something.”
“Wait.” She pressed her face to his chest and settled her hand over his heart. “You’re a little nervous, which is different from how your heart felt when you were turned on. Should I worry?”
“You can tell that from touching my chest?” He couldn’t see her face, but he sensed her smile.
“No. It’s a cheek-hand combo thing. I learned it when my mom was sick. It’s just intuition or something, I think. I could always tell when my mom was scared. She’d never tell me. Even right before she died, I asked her if she was afraid to die, and she looked me in the eye. I remember her eyes were so puffy from the medications and treatments that they were almost closed, and she was so tired, it was hard for her. She said, No, mi dulce niña. Nothing scares me anymore. I know you’ll be okay.”
He rested his forehead on hers. “She was worried about you more than herself.” He gathered her in his arms and held her tight. “I wish I could bring her back for you.” He had an overwhelming feeling of not only wanting to protect her, but wanting to bring her happiness.
“You can’t think like that. That’s why people don’t move on, and I can’t afford to get stuck in the if onlys.” Her voice was so serious that he pulled back and looked into her eyes again to try to decipher why she was so upset. “I’m not coldhearted. I miss my mom like crazy.” She pressed her palms to his chest again. “I can’t live in the past, Pierce. I’m moving forward with my mom in my heart, but not longing for something that can never happen. She’s not coming back, but her memory will drive me forward.” Her brows were knitted together. As if she’d had to shift from the place her mind was in to something else a million times over recent days—which she probably did. She breathed deeply, and the worry lines on her forehead disappeared. “What did you want to tell me?”
He had so many emotions rushing through him that he didn’t want to try to pick them apart. He just wanted to be closer to her—to climb into her skin and keep anything bad or upsetting away from her. When their lips met, he lost all hope of doing anything else. His insides were clawing for more, demanding more of her, and she was kissing him back like she couldn’t breathe without him, stimulating every erotic nerve he had, bringing his body to life with an insatiable appetite for her. He gathered her in his arms and carried her inside, down the hall, and to his bedroom. He’d pictured her in his bed a million times since he’d met her, and now that she was in his arms, kissing him, moaning hungrily and relinquishing herself to him, she was bringing words like love and forever to mind.
He stood in the dimly lit room holding her in his arms, kissing her like they only had this moment. And she was hot. So damn hot his mind nearly got lost in her and forgot to tell his legs to move. He lowered her feet to the floor, and she whimpered against his lips.
“I like being in your arms. I’ve never been in someone’s arms before.”
He lifted her again. “Jesus, Becca. I’m falling for you, and I barely know you.”
She pressed her hands to his cheeks and kissed him eagerly, lovingly. Adoringly. Like he’d never been kissed before. Her hands slid to the back of his neck, and she ran her fingers through his hair, driving him crazier, sending fresh shocks of lust through his body like wildfire. She arched her neck, and his mouth met her heated skin. He dragged his teeth over the arc of her shoulder, and she guided his mouth lower and released her hands long enough to draw her shirt over her head and drop it to the floor.
“Becca, I’ve got to put you down. I need to touch you, to feel you beneath me, to feel your legs around me. I need to disappear inside of you.” I need to love you.
She grabbed his cheeks again and took him in a deep, greedy kiss, heightening his need.
“Is that a yes? Because I don’t want to get kneed in the groin.”
She laughed. “Yes. Yes, Pierce. Hurry.”
“Oh, baby, I might be anxious to get inside you, but I’m not going to rush making love to you.” He lowered her to her feet, and she wiggled out of her jeans and panties, stealing the thrill of him doing it. He took her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re used to, but one day you’re going to let me be the man I am and rip those damn clothes off of you, hold your frigging doors open, and open your goddamn trunk.”