Staking His Claim(13)

He held the cloth in one hand and took hold of the covers with the other and began slowly pulling them away from her body.

She resisted. "No."

"Yes."

"I can do it," she said, holding out a hand for the cloth.

"I want to do it," he demanded.

"No."

"Are you about to ask me to take you home?" His voice was sharp.

"Yes."

"Then give me this. Please."

It was the please that did it.

She let go of the covers.

He held her eyes with his and slowly pulled the sheet and comforter down her body until they were pushed to the foot of the bed. Slowly, he lowered his eyes to her naked body.

He gently pushed her knees apart, and the raw emotion on his face as he saw the effects of his handiwork left no room for her embarrassment. She saw unmistakable tension in his face as he put the cloth to the feminine mound between her legs and began to softly cleanse away the blood, the sweat, and the smells of sex.

Elaina was utterly unable to speak as he performed this service for her. Everything he was feeling was there, right before her eyes. Possessiveness, satisfaction, tenderness, ownership.

Her face paled and a fine trembling began at the base of her spine and travelled out to encompass her limbs. Just because she was emotionally ready for sex, didn't mean she was ready for this.

She cleared her throat in agitation and his attention lifted. His eyes were hot on hers and glowed with a savage, inner fire. His voice was deep and purposeful when he spoke. "Thank you."

She searched his expression as a soft kiss of blushing heat covered her cheeks. She knew he was thanking her for the gift of her virginity. She softly nodded in acknowledgement.

"You still think you need to go home?" He waited for a second before continuing, "I want you to stay."

Elaina studied him, trying to get a handle on his true meaning. Her expression clouded with unease and a sudden need for caution infiltrated her being.

She didn't think he meant to stay just the night. He wanted her to stay longer. Or he would as soon as tomorrow came. She might be new at this, but she wasn't naïve. He had every intention of doing exactly what he had spelled out before. Sleeping with her again and again and again.

And then what? Whatever he wanted, that's what. Although he was being gentle at the moment, Elaina knew him well enough to know it wasn't his standard operating procedure. He wasn't above railroading her into getting what he wanted, and she needed to find it within herself to exert her demands.

If she didn't--well, she couldn't contemplate that. "I think I better go back," she said.

"Why?"

"I just should. I don't want a bunch of questions tomorrow. I want to wake up in my bed."

"I want you to wake up here, beside me," he voiced his opinion, determination in his tone.

She studied him briefly before trying to get him to understand. "This is all new for me, you know?"

"Yeah, I do know, more than anyone else on the planet. So, why are you wanting to run, to not share this with me?" he growled.

She bristled but tried to hold on to her emotions. She spoke with quiet firmness. "There's a hell of a lot of emotional crap going on inside me right now. You think it was only by circumstance that I was still a virgin at twenty-two?"

His arms crossed over his chest, his muscles laced into corded bands of steel. His eyebrows came together in a hardened frown. "I don't know, why don't you tell me?"

"Well you're acting like I shouldn't need some time to myself. I need to regroup, take a bath--"

"You can take a goddamn bath here, Elaina." He swung his arm in the direction of the bathroom before continuing, "So tell me how it was."

"Tell you how what was?"

"You started it. You asked the damn question. Why were you still a virgin? Was it because you never had the opportunity?"

"Really? You think that?" Surprise and a small amount of indignation colored her voice.

"Fuck no. I think every goddamn straight guy in his right mind that came across you wanted to crawl on top--"

She sucked in her breath in a gasp and his words came to a halt.

Her shoulders stiffened and her tone chilled a degree. "I don't even want to talk about this. I don't know why I worded it that way. I'm just saying that even though I haven't dated a lot, what we did tonight meant something to me. I don't sleep around--yeah, I've had opportunities in the past--" He growled at her words and she went on, "but it was never the right time, or the right person--"

"So I was the right guy and this was the right time--"

"Maybe not the right time--you pushed me into this--"

He slashed his arm through the air and gritted out, "And there it is! I knew you'd hold that shit against me. I told you."

"I'm not holding anything against you. I'm just ready to go home now. You're the one who's acting like we're fighting. I just want to go home." She grabbed the top sheet, jerked it away from the mattress and held it over herself as she slid off the bed and began picking up her clothes.

"Elaina," his voice subtly threatened.

"I'm going home Raul, even if I have to walk." She turned her back to him and began slipping her underwear back on.

"This isn't about you wanting to go home. This is about you getting your fucking way," he blasted.

"Yes!" she screamed, turning around and mumbling, "finally, geez."

He watched her dress and glared at her menacingly. "I could force you to stay," he said in a heated threat under his breath.

She snapped her head up and a chill came over her features. "That would be a mistake." Her eyes froze his in an impenetrable glare. "I promise you."

*

Elaina had been too tired to do anything but fall into bed when Raul dropped her off the night before. But now, after several hours of uninterrupted sleep, she lounged back in the bathtub, and remembered the night before, as the warm water soothed her aching muscles.

He had pulled the truck up in front of her house and cut the engine. He turned to her, sifted his fingers through her hair and ran his eyes up and down her length.

When he spoke, his words were intent, questioning, trying to gauge her feelings. His fingers were gentle on her. "What do you want, baby?"

His eyes tangled with hers and she sucked in a breath at the naked emotion and blatant need in his voice. "That," she answered him softly.

His fingers tightened. "Explain."

She reached up and put her hand over his where it entangled her hair. "I want you to care about what I need--what I want," she said.

"I do care," he answered.

"I think you probably do, but it's kind of hidden underneath what you think I need--what you want for me. What you want."

"You're saying I'm selfish?

"News flash, Raul. You are selfish."

His cheekbones colored slightly. "Elaina--"

"I'm not saying you're a selfish person--you're not. I know you're an incredibly good person. But when it comes to me--," she stopped, looked down and cleared her throat, "for whatever reason--you want what you want and nothing and no one--including me--seems to be able to stop you."

"Are you trying to blow me off?" his voice was sharp.

"No!" she exclaimed.

"Then what?"

"I need some distance--"

"You are blowing me off."

"No--I'm not. Not even close. If I hadn't made you bring me home tonight--I get the feeling that--this is going to sound stupid--I get the feeling you'd never let me leave." Her voice came to a stop and she watched him silently watching her, interrogating her without saying a word.

He never tried to dispute her claim.

"This is serious shit, Raul. It's not a game. I wouldn't begin to know how to play games. You think I belong to you. That fast--I sleep with you one time and that's it for you. Hell--you thought it before tonight. You're going to trample all over me if I let you."

He jerked from her last sentence. "Trample you? What the hell, Elaina?"

"Honestly? This isn't just sex. You want a relationship. And I'm okay with that as long as it's two ways. Equality."

His lips thinned and his frown deepened, but he didn't try to deny what she was saying. "So, again, I'm asking you--what do you want?" he hissed out.

"I want to take some time to get to know you. I'll stay here. I'm not saying we won't--have sex. I'm just saying I need to go to bed at night here. Wake up here. It's too soon to start staying with you, and I don't want to fight about it every time we see each other."

"You're putting me on a goddamn trial?"

"Do you want to give me what I need to feel comfortable with you?"

"Yes," he blistered between grinding teeth.

"It's not you that's on trial," she tried to soothe. "It's us."

He jerked her to him and her hands fell helplessly to his chest. "We'll play it your way for a while. I'll give you space. But it is a relationship, Elaina. You can argue fucking semantics with me all night long. But this little body you got going on," he gripped her with one hand while he ran his other up and down the curve of her waist, "it is mine. That's not up for debate. You understand me?"

His hand fell between them and landed on a breast and squeezed. His eyes glittered down at her, challenging her.

Her heartbeat escalated and her voice froze as his thumb swiped back and forth across her nipple. His grip tightened and he gave her a slight shake as he demanded her acquiescence.