large soda, he looked the picture of health.
Feeling a bit guilt-ridden, she wandered into the dining room to have a better look, wondering if he’d taken his T-shirt off for her benefit. She particularly loved watching the muscles on his back ripple whenever he landed a good punch. She stood quietly, taking in the whole workout, admiring every inch of him.
Before she’d run away, she’d worried about ever having normal desire for a man again. Faking love with Ross had scarred her more than she’d ever dreamed. But it hadn’t stopped there. Ross had dominated her entire existence to the point of making her fear for her life. How could she ever desire a man who’d treated her like that?
Yet Joe, without even trying, brought out her most basic feelings. He turned her on. So confusing. Maybe she could blame that on the concussion or the pregnancy. Yet what a relief to know she was still a red-blooded woman with a normal sex drive.
With his back to her, he grunted and huffed as he punched the bag, and she could swear the muscles on his shoulders and arms grew more cut by the moment. Needing to either bite her knuckle to keep from groaning or do something to cool herself off, she chose to head to the kitchen for a bottle of water. When she opened the refrigerator, she grabbed one for Joe, too.
This time making her presence known, she went out onto the patio, setting his water near him. “You’re making me feel very guilty about having that burger and not intending to do my preggers exercises tonight, you know.”
Joe laughed, and because of it messed up his timing and the punch nearly missed the bag altogether. He went for the bottle. “Thanks.” Carey enjoyed watching his Adam’s apple move up and down his throat while he gulped the water. A few drops dribbled down his chest. Yeah, she noticed that, too.
Her eyes drifted to the jagged scar running across his ribs, still red and tender-looking. He’d been stabbed rescuing her. The thought seemed surreal and sent a barrage of intense feelings ranging from gratitude to lust to guilt rushing through her. On impulse she walked toward him, reached out and gingerly ran her fingers across the scar. His skin was damp, smooth and...
She slowly lifted her gaze from the fit washboard abs to his chest and the pumped pecs lightly dusted in dark hair, then onward to his strong chin and inviting mouth and last to his intensely brown, almost black with desire, eyes.
The moment, when they were up close and locked into each other’s stare like that, shuddered through her.
Feeling absurdly out of character in general, and especially because she was four months pregnant, she ignored her insecurities, focusing only on the consuming pull between them, making a trail with her fingertips across the expanse of his muscled torso, along the broad rim of his shoulder, then upward to his jaw.
She swallowed lightly in edgy anticipation.
He didn’t move, just kept willing her into the depth of his eyes, and she knew without a doubt he was as into this moment as she was. So she edged closer, lifted her chin and, though feeling breathy from nerves, she went for it, covering his mouth with a full-on kiss.
IF JOE LET Carey’s kiss continue, he’d have to take her all the way and probably scare her half to death with his need. The mere touch of her lips had unleashed pure desire, like a lightning bolt straight down his spine.
But he knew Carey well enough now, and the woman was trying to show her gratitude for his saving her and taking her in. He didn’t want gratitude, or, if she knew his whole story, pity, or anything else. All he wanted was to get lost in her body, to make love.
He broke off the kiss to get things straight. “I don’t expect anything from you. You don’t have to—”
She didn’t listen or give him a chance to call her out, she just kissed him again, and, damn it, those lips he’d so often admired on the sly felt better kissing him than he could ever have imagined. He quit fighting his need and pulled her near, devouring her mouth, half hoping she’d get scared and back off so that what was otherwise inevitable wouldn’t happen. But the hard and desperate kiss only seemed to fan her need as much as his as she pressed her body flush with his.
He could handle this, wouldn’t lose control. They’d just make out for a while then call it quits. But then there was the feel of her lips, smooth, plump, that inviting-as-all-hell tongue, and the touch of her fingertips at the back of his neck and on his shoulders. The sound of her deep breathing, the scent of coconut in her hair, and especially those little turned-on sounds escaping her throat made it so hard to not completely let go. And, damn, that wasn’t the only thing that was hard. Yeah, he was pumped, horny, and making out with a woman who seemed to want him as badly as he needed her.
This was about sex. Against a wall. He needed to look into her eyes, to see if she really was as into this as he was, because he wouldn’t take her if she wasn’t. Electricity seemed to run through his veins, maybe partly because he was worked up from boxing, but most definitely from holding and kissing her. Surely she felt that electricity too. If she was just looking for some comforting necking, she’d come on way too strong, so it was best to check things out. Figure out where she was at before he let loose. He placed his thumbs in front of her ears, his fingers digging into that thick and gorgeous auburn hair, and though hating to separate their mouths he moved her head back.
Carey seemed dazed and was breathless, so it took a moment for her to connect with his stare. Her eyelids fluttered open and maybe Joe’s interpretation was skewed from wanting her so much, but her eyes were on fire. For him.
Her nostrils flared and she breathed quickly. “Please don’t stop,” she whispered. “This has nothing to do with gratitude, believe me.” She kissed him again, and the dam of unspoken longing, secret desire, and flat-out need totally broke.
She wanted him. He wanted her. Tonight he’d have her.
He walked her backwards, reached under the back of her thighs and lifted her as he did so. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and soon her back was against a well-secluded wall in the corner of the patio. She’d already pulled her top over her head by the time they’d gotten there, and once at the wall, just as quickly, she released her full breasts from the constraints of the bra.
He looked down. The view of their chests mashed together exhilarated him, the hot, soft feel of her breasts even better. But she was hungry for his mouth and wanted all his attention there. So he obliged. He wedged her tight against the wall, sitting her on the edge of a book case, leaning into her, weaving his fingers with hers and lifting her arms flush to the plaster so he could be closer still. She moaned, enjoying the full body contact every bit as much as he did. He inhaled her sweet-scented neck and nuzzled it deep with kisses. She liked it, moaning again and bucking her hips just above his full erection, causing more lightning bolts along his spine.
Soon Carey wiggled off his hips, standing just long enough to tug down his boxing shorts and her yoga pants. She took the time to run her hand along his glutes and give them an appreciative squeeze as she stepped up close and hugged him again.
His erection landed between their bodies and the surge of sensation from her skin to his nearly sent him over the top. God, he wanted her. And she obviously wanted him. Right then.
He may be sterile and she pregnant, but he still knew the purpose of protected sex, and it wasn’t all about birth control. Any guy his age had a stash of condoms, even though lately he hadn’t been in the least bit interested in getting involved enough with a woman to use them...until Carey.
Living with Carey these past few weeks had made him very much aware of where those condoms were, too. “One second.” He stopped pressing her to the wall, and regretfully removed himself from between her gorgeous thighs. “Don’t move.” He stepped back and his eyes took her in, in all her lush splendor. God, he wanted her.
Joe zipped around the wall to his bedroom and returned in record time, afraid she might have already changed her mind.
She