They said hello to Bear, of course. Even though Matt had been home most of the day, he was greeted as if it had been days since the dog last saw him. Then it was Hailey’s turn to get the same treatment before he took off into the backyard.
Matt stepped up behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“I stamped the wrong return date in about a dozen books because my mind was on our date and I forgot to change it.”
“I liked kissing you.” His breath was hot against the back of her neck and Hailey knew he was doing it deliberately. “I want to kiss you again.”
He did, pressing his lips to the sweet spot his breath had warmed. She shuddered, her hands sliding over his forearms. With her back to him, there was nothing she could do but surrender to the sensation of his light kisses over her skin.
When he ran his tongue from the base of her neck up almost to her hairline, she moaned and leaned backward so her body was pressed against his. She could feel his erection through their jeans and she rocked back against it.
“Pretty frisky for a first date,” she murmured.
“Mmm. Technically, this might be our second date. And if you count our walk in the woods and the OHRV safety class, this could be our fourth date.” He pulled back a little. “I feel like I’ve wanted you for a long time, but we can slow down.”
She gripped his arms, preventing him from backing up too far. Being rescued in the wilderness probably didn’t count as a date, but he was right about one thing. This thing between them had been building since they met. “I think fourth dates are a good time for frisky.”
The chime sounded, and Bear wandered into the living room. While it didn’t kill the mood, he was definitely a distraction.
“Come upstairs with me,” he murmured against her neck.
She nodded, and he took her hand to lead her toward the stairs. Nerves danced in her stomach, but there was no way she was backing out now. She wanted this man—had wanted him for a while if she was honest with herself—and she was going to have him.
“Stay,” Matt told Bear, who jumped up on the couch and lay down.
He guided her into his room and kicked the door closed behind him. His mouth came down on hers hard, all the hunger that had been building between them evident in his kiss. She raked her fingernails over his back before grabbing the hem of his T-shirt and lifting it.
He broke off the kiss long enough for her to pull the shirt over his head, and then his lips were on hers. His tongue slid over hers and he backed her up against the door. The kiss grew more demanding as her hands ran over his abs and up his back.
“I have wanted you so badly,” he said against her mouth.
Her top went next and he pulled down the cups of her bra to expose her breasts to his gaze and to his touch. Bending his head, he ran his tongue over her nipples before sucking hard enough so she gasped. The door was hard against her back and she had nowhere to go as he lavished attention on her neck and breasts.
When her knees went weak, he went back to kissing her mouth and turned her toward the bed. She undid the button and zipper of her jeans, then did the same for his. Her sneakers, she kicked off, and then he was pushing her backward onto his bed.
His hand slid between her legs, the heel pressing against her through denim, and she arched her hips. He increased the pressure while leaning forward to kiss his way from her stomach to her mouth, stopping to swirl his tongue around her nipples.
She wanted more so she shoved the waist of her jeans down, urging him to take them off.
Matt stood and did just that, peeling her jeans and underwear off and tossing them aside, followed by her socks. She felt slightly self-conscious as he stared at her, his gaze roving over her body, but there was so much heat in his eyes, it passed quickly.
He dropped his jeans and boxer briefs, stepping out of them, and then he reached down to pull off his socks. When he joined her on the bed, his naked body sliding over hers, she sighed and wrapped her arms around him.
There were more kisses and she lost herself in the way his mouth claimed hers—possessive and demanding without being punishing or aggressive. She’d never experienced kisses like them before and she couldn’t get enough.
He explored all of her, his hands and mouth roving over her as if looking for more places as sensitive as the back of her neck. The hollow at the base of her throat. The palm of her hand. Behind her knees. When he found a spot that made her squirm, he was merciless. Licking and gentle bites drove her almost out of her mind, until she reached down and pulled him back up.
He grinned at her, his hand sliding over her stomach and dipping between her legs. “What’s the matter?”
She barely had enough breath to answer him. “You’re killing me.”
“I can’t help it. You’re delicious and I want to make it last.”
“You can have seconds. I just...”
He stroked her clit with his thumb as he slid a finger inside of her. “You just what?”
A growl of frustration escaped her as she lifted her hips against his hand. “Matt, please.”
There was a crinkle of a condom wrapper and then he leaned onto his forearms, one hand on each side of her head. Looking into her eyes, he reached between their bodies and guided his shaft into her.
She was ready for him, and she sighed as he filled her with slow, steady strokes. When he was completely buried in her, he paused. He trembled under her touch, and she trailed her fingertips down his back.
He kissed her, his teeth closing over her bottom lip, and then started moving again.
“You feel so good,” he murmured against her mouth.
She put her hands on his ass, pulling him into her. “Faster.”
He lifted himself off her and hooked his arms behind her knees. His pace quickened and she reached up to brace her hands against the wall, resisting so each thrust drove harder into her.
The orgasm took her breath away and she arched her back. Matt pounded into her as she came, and then his body jerked. He groaned as his orgasm wracked his body, and then released her legs as it subsided to tremors. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him close as she tried to catch her breath.
After a few minutes, he rolled off her and leaned over the edge of the bed to the trash can. Then he collapsed on his back next to her and laced his fingers through hers. He lay there for a long time, until she started to wonder if he’d fallen asleep. She didn’t have the energy to lift her head to check, though, so she squeezed his hand.
He squeezed back. “I think we do have something in common.”
“I think you’re right.”
Matt rolled so he was facing her. “Go out for a ride with me.”
“Now?”
“No. Not now. Maybe tomorrow after work. I’m talking about four-wheeling, by the way. I think you’d like it.”
She wasn’t so sure. “I rode once with a boyfriend in high school. He hit a bump and I fell off the back. If I’d been sober, it probably would have hurt.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’ve outgrown being stupid. And it would be fun. Andy Miller has a two-up machine I bet I could borrow.”
“Two-up?”
“It’s designed for two people. It has a passenger seat with its own handholds and footrests. I bet if I tell Rose Davis I want to take you out in the woods but I’m not supposed to have you on my government-issued quad, she’d give me the keys to Andy’s so fast he wouldn’t even know what happened.”
She slapped his chest. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Dare what? To borrow his quad?”
“Get Rose involved. It’s bad enough the entire town thinks we’re sleeping together because we had breakfast at the diner.”
“Which is a fairly ironic thing to say when we’re naked in bed.”
She grinned. “Their speculation was premature.”
“Mmm.” He nuzzled her neck and slid his hand up her stomach to cup her breast. “I’m glad that was the only thing that was premature.”
“Didn’t you promise me supper?”
“Ten more minutes.”
MATT SET TWO dishes of chicken and gravy over white rice on the table and then sat down across from Hailey. She had the look of a very well-satisfied woman and he’d be lying if he said that didn’t boost his ego a little.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“I didn’t mean to. You just look especially pretty right now.”
She blushed, shaking her head. “Thank you. But I’m starving and this smells delicious, so what comes next might not be as pretty to watch.”
Since he’d worked up an appetite himself, he didn’t mind at all. They ate in silence for a few minutes, or almost silence, since Bear was eating, too. The dog’s manners as he worked his way through his bowl left a little something to be desired.
“So you up to a ride tomorrow?” he asked.
She paused, fork halfway to her mouth. “You were serious about that?”
“Of course.”
“Oh.” She took the bite of chicken and chewed slowly, probably trying to buy herself time to think. “Seeing the twin moose was very cool, but you seem to be forgetting I’m not really an outside kind of girl.”
“It’s fun. And four-wheelers are becoming a big thing for Whitford. Don’t you think you should at least see the trails?”