Standing Outside The Fire

Erin was drowning in his lovemaking, her pulse drumming out all other sounds, her closed eyelids shutting out awareness of anything except his hands and mouth on her. She tangled her fingers in his hair and wanted him with a need she had never known in her life.

His slightest caress and kiss drove her wild. While her head thrashed back and forth, she moaned softly, stroking him, wanting to give herself to him completely. He was incredibly special and what had happened between them was unique, something she never thought would happen.

Was she starry-eyed? In a dreamworld of fantasies? she asked herself. She didn’t care as she ran her hands over his strong shoulders. She glanced at him to see him leaning over her, his taut muscles taking her breath, and she closed her eyes again.

She clung to him as if he were the only solid thing in a world spinning crazily away. And even though they had just met for the first time tonight, he was no stranger. She knew myriad details about his past life. Knew what foods he liked and didn’t like, where he lived. She had seen pictures of him, but she hadn’t connected the pictures with the man because they had been photos taken at a distance, blurred, worn with time. They were pictures of a shaggy-haired man with a cap on. The cap was gone and the long shaggy hair was gone and he didn’t look as thin as he had in the pictures.

Boone wanted her with a hunger that was amazing, and she wanted him with a need that was staggering.

He touched her intimately, stroking her, driving her to oblivion, and then his tongue was on her, heightening all the need he had already built in her.

“Boone, please…” She whispered his name, her words fading away. She gasped, sitting up and wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him down while she kissed him. Then she took his shaft and slowly kissed him, feeling him tremble until he came up off the bed to wrap his arms around her so tightly it took her breath. He cradled her against his shoulder, kissing her and making her tremble.

“Love me. Love me now. This will be a night to remember.”

He leaned over her, laying her down on the bed again while he knelt between her legs.

“Are you protected, Erin?”

She shook her head and he stepped off the bed. When he did, she sat up and caught his arm. “Boone—”

“Just a minute,” he said, crossing the room to retrieve a packet from his flight bag. He returned and leaned over her to take her in his arms and kiss her.

When he moved between her legs, she stared at him, memorizing each detail about him while her heart pounded with eagerness. When she looked into his eyes, her breath caught.

Blatant desire burned in blue flames. She held out her arms and he came down into her embrace and then so slowly entered her.

“Boone! I want you!” she cried out, wrapping her long legs around him tightly.

“Ah, Erin, darlin’.” He moved slowly and withdrew and she gasped, arching against him and pulling him to her as he entered her again slowly and then he halted. “Erin!”

“Love me,” she whispered, pulling at his shoulders. He raised up slightly, startling her. She opened her eyes to look up at him and see a frown creasing his forehead.

“You’re a virgin!” When he started to scoot away, she held him, her arms tightening.

“Make love to me, now, Boone. I want you,” she cried fiercely, tugging him to her. She leaned up to kiss him, catching his lower lip gently in her teeth and then stroking his lips with her tongue before her tongue went into his mouth.

“Erin, you don’t know—”

“Yes, I do know!” she exclaimed. “I want you!” She pulled him down, kissing him as she held him tightly with her arms around his neck.

He entered her again and she felt the tightness, some pain, and she knew he was about to pull away again, but she clung to him. He entered her fully, filling her slowly, and in seconds urgency drove her to a wild rhythm with him.

“Boone!” she cried in a frenzy.

“Erin, darlin’.” He kissed her while they moved together, and then they crashed over a brink and stars exploded behind her closed eyelids as ecstasy enveloped her.

They gradually slowed, their pounding hearts returning to normal, their ragged breathing leveling out.

He kissed her and stroked her and finally rolled onto his side, keeping her with him. She opened her eyes to find him watching her.

“Boone, I think I’m in heaven.”

He tightened his arms around her and smiled at her before he pulled her close and kissed her gently. “You’re beautiful and wonderful and I can’t believe my fortune,” he whispered. He framed her face with his hand. “You were a virgin. I know I must have hurt you.”

“Not really,” she told him, caressing his cheek, feeling the short stubble.

Erin was still euphoric from their lovemaking.

He stroked her back while he showered her with light kisses, kissing her temple, her cheek, her throat. He brushed her tangled hair away from her face. “I want to hold you forever,” he whispered.

“I still can’t believe it’s you. I’ve heard about you for over four years now and I knew you were coming to the ranch sometime soon, but I didn’t know exactly when.”

“I called and left messages.”

“I haven’t been there to get them.”

She stroked his shoulder and his marvelous chest, leaning away slightly to look at him while she ran her fingers over his jaw, then down again across his chest.

“So you flew into town tonight?” she asked.

“This afternoon. I was with my friends the Remingtons and Whitewolfs.”

“I’ve heard about them. And I’ve met Mike Remington. They were in the military with you and were included in John’s will.”

“That’s right.”

“If you were with them in the afternoon—you already had dinner when you ate again with me.”

He grinned. “I wanted to eat with you.”

She rubbed his flat stomach. “Can’t tell you’ve had two dinners.”

“I’ve worked it off,” he said, and she smiled. “The Remingtons wanted me to stay with them tonight, but I came back to the hotel.”

“I’m glad. This never would have happened if you had stayed at their house. Or if it hadn’t rained, because I would have flown into town and gotten my car and driven home, but that’s why I’m in the hotel. Earlier tonight they had a gully washer and a bridge to the ranch is out.”

“I would have come to Texas sooner if I had known about you.”

She smiled at him as she stroked her hand over his hip and down his thigh. Something flickered in the depths of his eyes and he rolled away to stand, picking her up in his arms.

He carried her to the shower where he set her on her feet and turned on the water, watching her all the time. They soaped each other off, slowly, their gazes locked, and desire flared again in Erin and she knew he wanted her. He was hard, his shaft thick, ready for loving. She wound her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him.

He turned off the water and grabbed towels and they toweled each other dry and in minutes were kissing again. He carried her back to bed to pull her into his arms.

“I don’t want to hurt you anymore tonight. We’ll wait, darlin’. We can kiss and cuddle for now.”

“I didn’t know it could be like that,” she said as she snuggled into his embrace. He ran his fingers up and down her back.

“It can get better than this for you. Long, slow, loving, and it’ll be the best ever.”

As he held her with his fingers lightly tangled in her hair, he asked, “How did you get to be manager of the ranch? You’re young for that job.”

“Not so young. I’ve grown up around ranch work all my life.” She lay wrapped against him, her legs entangled with his, the sheet under her arms, and she gazed into his blue eyes. Bubbly, excited, she wanted to talk to him, to touch him, to kiss him. It was an effort to pay attention to his conversation, and she fought the temptation to pull him close and kiss him again. His fingers moved over her shoulder and down her arm, tingles dancing in their wake.

“I inherited my job,” she replied breathlessly. His light strokes that were casual were stirring desire. “My father was the manager, but he had poor health. My mother died when I was young.”

“I lost my dad when I was young—I was eleven,” Boone said. “How old were you when your mom died?”

“Fourteen and my sister, Mary, was sixteen.”

“It’s rough, but you survive because you have to.”

“Through the years my dad taught me how to do the things he did, so when I had to take over, it was gradual and I knew what I was doing.”

“And you like your work?”

“I love it. That ranch is my whole life. My family has worked for the Frates through generations—since the first Frates settled on the land.” She touched Boone’s chin lightly, gazing up at him. “Are you coming down here to try to make a lot of changes?”

“Right now, I want to see the place and how it works. You can help me with that.”

Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed up at him.

He kissed her lightly on the temple. “You’re not at all what I imagined. I’m still amazed.”

“John thought the world of you and the other guys who rescued him,” she said.

“I’m still in shock over my inheritance. All three of us were stunned to learn we inherited fortunes from John Frates.”

“You saved his life when he was held hostage,” she said while Boone toyed with locks of her hair. She felt the faint tugs against her scalp.

“That was our job in Special Forces. We were just doing what we were supposed to do,” he said. “That’s the way all of us feel about it.”

“There were four of you, weren’t there?”

“Yes,” Boone said, his eyes getting a faraway look. “Colin Garrick. He was killed in another operation later. An exceptional man.”

“I’m sure all of you were exceptional men. Exceptional, delicious, sexy, confident,” she whispered, showering light kisses on his throat and shoulder and down on his chest.

His arms tightened around her, and he turned her face up to his, and she saw the desire that had rekindled in his eyes. He pulled her closer in his arms and kissed her, pushing her down on the bed and leaning over her.

She wound her arm around his neck and her other hand ran down his smooth, muscled back, down to his firm buttocks. She was still astounded she was in bed with him, being loved by him.

“Darlin’, I think you’ve demolished me,” he drawled in a sleepy voice.

She laughed softly. “I hope I have burned you to cinders.”

Smiling at her, he rolled onto his back, pulling her against him with one arm around her waist while he toyed with her hair with his other hand.

“Erin, darlin’, you’re wonderful,” he whispered.

She kissed his shoulder, and his arm tightened while his hand combed through her hair and then danced over her back to her buttocks, then down along her thigh.

“I guess you’re not too demolished,” she whispered when his arousal pressed against her.

“Yes, I am, but you’re fanning fires back to life,” he said in a husky voice, “but we’ll wait.”

He fell asleep in her arms and Erin’s lids soon closed and she was asleep.

Some time later, she woke and stirred, momentarily disoriented as she started to stretch and felt a warm body against her. The arm around her waist tightened, pulling her close. Her eyes flew wide as memory crashed over her.

Three

She shifted away to look down at the man beside her. Boone Devlin. Her face flushed, and she felt hot all over to remember the night and how she had willingly fallen into his arms and into his bed.

Why had she been so easy? As quickly as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer. The man was sexy, seductive, irresistible.

She had never before been tempted like last night. Through high school, college and the years afterward—she was twenty-six years old and a virgin until Boone. What had been so magical and seductive about him? She knew the answers to that question. Each facet of the man bewitched her.

And she had had wine, something she was unaccustomed to, and at the time, something she didn’t think she was feeling. But looking back now, she knew the glasses of wine had had an effect on her.

If she hadn’t had a drop of wine, would she still have let him seduce her? She wriggled away enough to turn on her side, prop her head up and look down at him.

She had lost her virginity to Boone after being so careful for so many years. Why did he seem so special, his lovemaking so right? Was she sorry? She knew she wasn’t.

His thick lashes were feathered against his cheeks. He was definitely the most handsome man she had ever known. And from the first moment there had been a chemistry between them. She had not imagined the attraction. It had been mutual and no wine had been involved early in the evening.

His wavy brown hair was tangled, locks falling over his forehead, and she wanted to run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to kiss him, to wake him and make love again. At the same time, she was appalled that she had gone to bed with him the first night she had met him.

Then she remembered his remarks about marriage: never been married, not married, never will be. He had told her up front his feelings on commitment. She felt a little sick, yet at the same time, half of her wanted to lean down and kiss him awake and love him again.

When had she turned into this wanton sex-starved woman? But it wasn’t sex-starved per se. It involved totally the man beside her. Was there such a thing as love at first sight? She didn’t believe it and never had. That was the stuff of fairy tales, not real life and ordinary people.

Clamping her lips closed, she started to slip out of bed. His arm snaked out and wrapped around her, pulling her close against him, and he leaned over to kiss her.

She pushed against him. “Boone, wait—”

“Shh, darlin’,” he whispered in return. “C’mere. I need you,” he said softly, nuzzling her neck, and then he kissed her while she started to protest.

“Boone, let go,” she said, and scrambled out of bed, looking frantically for something to cover her nakedness. She yanked up a pillow and discovered he was on his side, his head propped on his hand, enjoying watching her. With lithe ease, he slid out of bed and reached for her.

She backed away. “You stay away from me, you devilish charmer.”

She could see the amusement dancing in his eyes, and she was struggling to control her own inclination to walk back into his arms. “Where are my clothes?” she snapped, telling herself that she should show some restraint. Her head was throbbing, and he was ignoring her, moving closer as she backed up.

He was naked, aroused, incredible. Male, virile, he was all hard muscles and she was having a difficult time with her protests.

“Come here, Erin,” he coaxed in a seductively low voice. “Come here, darlin’ and let’s kiss again.”

“You seduced me last night!”

“Might have, but as I recall, we both had a pretty great time.”

Trying to back up and at the same time keep him at arm’s length, she glanced over her shoulder to look for her discarded clothing.

“I’m a devilish charmer? You’ll turn my head, darlin’. I didn’t dream I had that effect on you.”

“You know darn good and well you had that effect on me and you’re laughing at me right now. I’m trying to do what I should and you’re not making it easier.” She glanced frantically over her shoulder and saw her clothes in a heap right beside the door. She looked back at him and he was even closer, reaching out to put his hand on her waist. She put one hand against his chest and held the pillow tightly against her with the other.

“I didn’t have my wits about me last night!” she exclaimed, wondering how long she could keep them now. Her pulse was racing, and he was impossibly enticing.

“And I took advantage of you? Is that what you’re accusing me of?”

“No! I know you didn’t take advantage of me,” she said, trying to back up and bumping a table, edging around it. “But I wasn’t thinking as clearly as I should have been.”

“And this means you’re filled with regrets today. Do you regret last night, darlin’?”

His blue eyes nailed her and even while she could see amusement dancing in his eyes, she knew he was halfway earnest with his question. “You know I can’t regret it, but I’m not doing it again!”

“Doing what again? Making hot, sexy love? Eating with me? Sleeping in my arms? Showering with me? What?”

“You think this whole thing is funny—”

“No, no!” he protested, suddenly looking solemn. “I’m as earnest about you and me as that sunshine outside. I know exactly what I want this morning, and there’s nothing comical about it.”

“You’re pursuing me,” she leveled at him.

“Damn straight there, sweetie. I am pursuing you and intend to continue to pursue you whatever you decide to do.”

Her pulse jumped with his answer even though she didn’t want it to.

She waved her hand at him. “Now, you stay right there and let me get my clothes and you just turn around. You don’t need to watch and embarrass me.”

“I would never dream of embarrassing you, not ever. But now to watch, darlin’, I’ll be drooling if I do that.”

“You’re going to stay there and nothing more!” she snapped, and reached down to scoop up her dress.

He moved closer, putting his fists against the door on either side of her and hemming her in. He stood only inches from her, and her heart was thudding loudly enough for him to hear. His hair was tangled over his forehead, he was totally naked and aroused, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him more than anything on earth, but common sense said not to do it.

She was clinging to her resistance the way she was clinging to the pillow in her arms, but she was doing better with the pillow. He was too close, his eyes too blue, his body too sexy.

“The most beautiful, feistiest redhead in the whole world is in my room and has spent the night in my arms,” he drawled in a lazy, husky voice that took her breath. Every nerve in her body tingled and she ached for him, heat making her feel she was standing in the middle of an inferno.

“You just step away and don’t start that seduction stuff,” she ordered in a breathless voice that sounded as firm as soup.

“Seduction stuff? Surely I have more finesse than that,” he replied in a low voice and brushed a kiss on her neck.

“You’re not doing what I asked.”

“That’s because I don’t think your whole heart is in that request to ask me to step away.”

“I know you’re laughing at me and I’ve been easy—”

“Darlin’, there is nothing about you that is easy, I promise you that one.” He was dusting kisses all along her throat and on her ear, his warm breath tickling her ear while one hand caressed her nape.

“Everything about me has been easy,” she whispered, knowing she was losing the battle.

“Believe me, it hasn’t. I want you to stay with me. C’mon, darlin’, stay with me now.” His hand slipped beneath the pillow to caress her breast, his thumb drawing circles on her nipple while he kissed her protests away.

Dimly she knew he pulled the pillow out of her arms and then he was holding her naked body pressed against his. He was warm, hard, ready.

She slipped one arm around his neck and capitulated totally, wanting him with all her being.

His kiss was devastating. She shouldn’t fall right into his arms and his bed, but, oh, what kisses!

She kissed him, clinging to him, pressed against his warm, nude body and held tightly in his arms. How long they kissed, she didn’t know, but finally she pushed slightly against his chest. “Boone, this is crazy. Last night I had wine and didn’t—”

“Shh,” he whispered, kissing her briefly and stopping her conversation. “The wine doesn’t matter. It didn’t have a thing to do with what’s between us. I’ll show you, darlin’.” He tightened his arm and kissed her while his other hand caressed her breast. She moaned, the sound caught in her throat, muffled by their kisses.

He leaned away. “I want you, Erin. And I want you to stay with me this morning if you will,” he said earnestly, and all amusement vanished from his expression, replaced by so much desire in his eyes that it took her breath.

Her heart thudded because she knew if she said no now and walked out, he would step back and let her go. She had to make a choice here. All her life she had known what she wanted and didn’t want. She knew now what she really wanted.

She didn’t want to walk away from this man who had turned her world topsy-turvy, the first man in her life to set her heart pounding. The best-looking man she had ever known, as well as the most exciting. He was silent, waiting, letting her make her choice.

She stood on tiptoe, tightened her arm around his neck and drew his head down to kiss him.

With their lips almost touching, she paused to whisper, “Someday I may regret this moment, but right now it seems perfect.”

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