Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

The headlights of his truck stayed right behind her all the way to town. Having him there was nice, beyond nice. Despite her precautions, driving an unfamiliar, almost completely deserted road at this time of night wasn’t on her list of things she felt comfortable doing. She wondered if men ever thought of things like that and made a mental note to ask him.

During part of the way she didn’t have cell service but when she did the navigation app confirmed she was still on the correct route, not that there had been many opportunities to stray from it. The lights of the small town glowed in the distance and soon she was there, in a place with streetlights on the corners, some worn Christmas decorations at the intersections, decorated trees occasionally shining in windows. She followed the nav app instructions to a small but decent-looking two-story motel. After pulling under the portico in front of the office entrance she got out and waved goodbye to Hatch, but wasn’t the least surprised when he pulled into a parking slot and turned off his engine.

Briskly she walked inside, checked in, got her room, electronic key card, instructions on the location of vending and ice machines, and was out in five minutes. Hatch was in the passenger seat of her SUV, checking his phone. Nova briefly checked her stride, then circled around to the drivers side and got in.

“Let me see your phone,” he said, his tone brooking no argument, and pulled it from the slip pocket on her bag before she could get it out herself. She rolled her eyes and pulled around to the back side of the motel where her ground floor room was located. He was swiping and tapping on her phone and she knew exactly what he was doing.

“You do know I can erase your number, eliminate you from my contacts list — everything, don’t you?” she asked in amusement.

“Don’t,” he replied, sliding the phone back into the slip pocket and holding out his hand. “Let me check your room before you get out.”

He was in full protective mode. She passed over the key card, appreciative of his male instincts and thanking God for the opportunity that had been given to her. She had embarked on this adventure not expecting fireworks but then Hatch had walked through the barroom door and her blood hadn’t stopped sizzling since that moment.

She watched him open the door, turn on the lights, make a fast but thorough check of the room before returning to get her suitcase from the back of the SUV and carry it in for her.

“The bathroom window was unlocked,” he said as he deposited the suitcase on the bed. “Now it isn’t.”

“Thank you.”

He tossed the key card on the bed, said, “Unfinished business,” and wrapped one strong arm around her waist, pulling her hard against him.

Coming home. It felt like coming home, combined with a flare of heat that engulfed her. Instinctively she went up on her tiptoes, twining her arms around his neck and meeting him halfway as he lowered his head and their mouths met, shaped together, clung. He kissed her with tongue and lips and a fierce, hungry power. She countered with her own power and need, her tongue stroking his, her fingers sliding through his hair as the hot scent of his skin enticed her to let him do whatever he wanted, for as long as he wanted.

Her nipples had tightened; could he feel them through the layers of fabric between them? She could feel his erection, growing and pushing hard at the juncture of her thighs. He’d lifted her off her feet — when had that happened? She didn’t know and didn’t care. Her instinct was to wrap her legs around him and pull him in tight before they fell onto the bed.

Yes, he was definitely kissing her stupid, and she was enjoying every second of it.

Still.

“Not tonight,” she murmured. “There’s a lot to think about, before jumping into bed.”

“Jump first, think later,” he muttered against her neck as he strung a line of light bites down to where her pulse hammered in the soft hollow of her throat.

“You said —” She broke off, gasped; his hand was suddenly between her legs, squeezing in a way she found unutterably arousing. “No pushing,” she managed. “My decision.”

The string of curse words he uttered would have done a sailor proud but the effect was muted by the way he interspersed each word with a kiss on any portion of her skin he could reach. He lifted her enough to bend her back over his arm and clamp his mouth over her left nipple, heat and moisture searing through her tunic and thin bra. A thin, humming sound broke from her throat and for a long moment she teetered on the edge of consent, but she forced herself to take a deep breath, then another as she tried to find the steel that was supposed to be in her spine.

“No.”

The single word was all she could manage, and she hoped it would be enough because she wasn’t certain she could say it twice. She wanted him, wanted him with every fiber of her aroused body. The rather mundane day had produced magic, the magic of emotional and physical connection that she didn’t want to ever end.

He released her nipple, moved his mouth to her throat. Without the heat of his mouth the chill penetrated her wet tunic, and at that moment she realized the door was still open. She yelped, gave a brief struggle that ended with him setting her on her feet with a thud, and she blurted, “The door’s open.”

He looked a bit dazed as he lifted his head and stared at the door, as if he couldn’t imagine how it came to be open. A pickup truck drove slowly by, maybe a late check-in looking for the correct room just as she had done. “Why’d you leave it open?”

“I came in first. You left it open.”

“I should be shot.”

She gave a little laugh and let her forehead drop onto his chest. “You need to go to wherever you park your boots at night, and get some sleep.”

“I have work tomorrow, but I don’t want you to leave. I want to see you again tomorrow night.”

“All right.” She could give him that; heck, she’d planned to stay, though he didn’t need to know that. She’d intended to take a short, scenic drive, see some of the country, let her spirit and body rejuvenate. She’d think about him, of course, but not with the intention of making any hard decision about anything. Things were happening between them and she was content to let events unfold at their own pace.

“When do you have to go back?”

“I blocked out two weeks of time. I’ve never done that this close to the holidays.” She turned her head against his chest to peek up at him. “There’ll be a lot of work and turmoil waiting for me.”

“Let other people handle it,” he said roughly. “I’d like the entire two weeks with you.”

“Can you take off for two weeks?”

“No, damn it.”

“Then there’s no point in talking about it. I may cut my vacation short, anyway, depending on what’s going on at home.”

“Don’t leave without telling me.”

She sighed. “I won’t.” Reluctantly she stepped back from him, her body mourning the loss of warmth and touch but stepping back anyway, because they both needed to process what they were feeling and what could or couldn’t happen. She indicated the door and he walked out without kissing her again, though the scorching look he gave her was enough to make her feel too hot all over. She closed the door and he stood outside until she had the bolt turned and the chain in place, then she heard his footsteps as he walked back to where he’d left his truck outside the motel office.

She always carried a small door wedge and she slipped it under the bottom edge of the door as added security, then she stripped and stood under the decently hot shower for a long time, washing away travel grime, fatigue, letting herself finally relax. She felt as if she’d been walking a tight rope and fighting a forest fire at the same time, from the moment Hatch had walked through the door at the bar. Exhilaration was exhausting. What happened tomorrow . . . well, she’d see.

That’s what this trip had been for: Seeing what might happen, what could be, what was possible. Taking a risk.

She fell into bed and slept like a rock, waking only when she heard the housekeepers rolling their big trolleys over the concrete walks. She quickly jumped up and hung the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the outside of her door, then took another quick shower to wake herself up and wash her hair.

After blow-drying her hair she pulled on casual clothes and sneakers, her coat, and took her laptop and notebook with her when she left the room for the day. She had some exploring and life enjoyment to do, things to check out. She ventured close to Las Vegas but decided not to stress herself out with the traffic, instead exploring the communities to the north and west of the city. She had a late lunch, stopped at a store to pick up some snacks and more bottled water, thought about getting some beer for Hatch but decided not to because he needed to be courting her , rather than the other way around. She’d get beer for him some other day, but not today.

He probably thought tonight was a sure thing and he was right. She could barely wait.

She returned to her motel room to fresh towels in the bathroom and a neatly made bed, and pods of coffee for the in-room coffeemaker which she had no intention of using because only the good Lord knew when that thing had last been cleaned. She had bottled water and that was sufficient.

She called her mom, texted her employees, called Granita. There was an uproar in the background that made conversation difficult but she didn’t ask questions, because with Granita you never knew what the answer might be. All of her duty contacts made, she ate a snack, brushed her teeth, and as the sun set she took another shower. She’d done her flirting the day before, made some decisions, and she wasn’t playing games now. A quick check of her phone showed that he’d turned on her notifications and “Find My Friends” showed his location, on the road moving toward her. If he’d checked her location — and she knew he had — he knew she was at the motel waiting for him.

Her heartbeat settled into a strong, heavy rhythm. He was coming to her, for her, and he was the man she’d always waited for.

She didn’t let herself check his location again, but when headlights shone brightly against the window, even with the curtains drawn she knew he was there. If there was such a thing as skin magnetism, she felt it, and there was no point in acting coy.

She jumped off the bed, unlocked the door, and his forceful entry took her off her feet as he swept her inside, his arms around her as he kicked the door closed. He did stop to turn the deadbolt, but his gaze was almost feral with need and that was the only delay he could tolerate. He took her down to the bed, letting his heavy weight down on her as he held her head between both of his hard hands and kissed her roughly, deeply.

Both of her hands were free and she pulled at his clothing, tugging his heavy thermal knit shirt up so she could slide her palms over the thick muscles in his back, then more frantically pulling at his belt, his zipper. He released her head to join in her quest to get their clothing out of the way, now. Her pajama top came off over her head and was tossed aside, his hot, rough palms covering both her breasts for a moment before he rolled to the side and shucked her out of her pajama bottoms.

He jerked his shirt off, pushed his pants down, and rolled back on top of her. Now it was her turn to grab his head. “Don’t wait,” she said urgently. “Now.” She had spent the day waiting for him, thinking about him, needing him. She was ready.

He didn’t wait. He pulled her legs apart and settled between them as she coiled them around his waist. His erection was rock hard, semen glistening on the tip as he pushed into her. She felt his need, then felt his iron will as he slowed to prevent himself from jamming inside too hard and fast. His care melted her. As soon as he was in to the hilt, the thickness of him dragging on her clitoris and his pubic bone pressing down on her, she began climaxing. The waves rolled through her, lifting her against him, clenching her around him. She knew she was making sounds deep in her throat, knew her legs had wrapped higher around him. She was still climaxing when he began moving in the fast, deep motions of his own climax and triggered her own to linger inside her.

She was limp, breathless, clinging to him as if she could never get enough of him and that was how she felt. This was her man and she would never let him go. He was so heavy on top of her, a wonderful, soul-satisfying weight, his chest heaving as he fought to regain his breath. She slept, or maybe she was just in a deep daze, and was pulled from it when he began thrusting.

“More?” she gasped.

“More.”

This time took longer. He paid attention to her breasts, spent a lot of time kissing her and murmuring things that didn’t make a lot of sense but made her happy anyway. She got to stroke him, explore the strength of his muscled body, reach down to cup his testicles and rub around them. When he finally settled down to business she was all but screaming and she bit his shoulder to stifle her own sounds.

Afterward . . . this time he lay beside her, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her while his free hand lazily stroked the curve of her hip. “God, I love you,” he muttered against her hair.

“I love you too.” She smiled and kissed the underside of his jaw.

“You surprised the shit out of me, showing up like that.”

“I meant to,” she said smugly. “My fingers were crossed that you’d go along with me.”

“You were having so much fun I had to.” He kissed her forehead. “Who’s keeping the kids?”

“Your mom. They’re having a blast, going by what I heard on the phone when I talked to her today.” Ella was four and William had just turned a rowdy two.

“I miss them. I can’t wait to see them at Christmas.” He smoothed his hand over her stomach. “Are you still on the pill, or did we possibly just make another one?”

“I’m still on the pill. I wouldn’t make that decision without you. Why? Do you want another baby?”

“I think probably. How about you? What do you think?”

The idea of another pregnancy was a bit surprising. She hadn’t thought about having another baby, but now that he’d mentioned it the idea was oddly appealing, despite the months of physical misery. He made getting a baby started a hell of a lot of fun, and once they were born the love was overwhelming. Taking care of two little kids and running a business was crazy time but she loved it, so why not add a third to the mix?

“If you’re sure, I won’t take another pill. Maybe we can get a new one here before William is three.”

Hatch smiled a very masculine smile and licked her nipple. “I’ll do my best,” he promised.