Page 31 of Do Opposites Attract?

Brianna flushed. ‘Just between you and me, I’m smitten,’ she admitted softly. ‘Which is quite possibly the most stupid thing I’ve ever done.’

‘Or perhaps, the best.’ Jane gently squeezed her arm. ‘Give it time and see where it leads.’

* * *

Back at her tent, Brianna packed up the few items she wanted to take home with her. Everything else she was leaving for the poor villagers, partly in a bid to help where she could, partly because she never wanted to see them again. Then she climbed into the hard, narrow bed for the last time. As she lay back against the lumpy pillow, she thought guiltily of how much she was looking forward to her goose feather one back home.

Then she thought of what she’d be leaving behind, or rather who.

She’d missed Mitch tonight, more than she’d wanted to, far more than was healthy, and she couldn’t understand why. Heck, she’d met and turned down men who were more handsome than him, far richer than him. Men with charm and sophistication. Men who knew how to flirt with her and how to make her laugh. So why was she fast becoming obsessed with this man? Was it simply the emotion of the setting? Far from home, she was living in circumstances that would play havoc with any woman’s heart.

‘Brianna, are you still awake?’

Her heart lurched at the sound of the rough, deep voice on the other side of the canvas. Quickly she scooted up in the bed. ‘Yes, come in.’

Mitch had spent the day with casualties of a further mudslide that had resulted from last night’s torrential, but thankfully localised, rain. Rain he hadn’t even been aware of while he’d had Brianna wrapped around him. As he lifted up the flap and ducked into her tent, the sight of her sitting up in bed in a skimpy vest top was enough to gladden even his exhausted soul.

‘Sorry I couldn’t get back any earlier.’

She gave him a warm smile. ‘No problem. How was it?’

The sympathy in her eyes made him suddenly long to put his arms around her and bury his face in her glorious hair. But he wasn’t a man who needed comfort, so he remained where he was. ‘Pretty grim.’ His eyes fell on her case. ‘Have you packed?’

‘If you can call throwing a few items into a bag packing, then yes, I have. Early start tomorrow. Dan said he’d take me to the airport.’

He nodded. ‘Right then, I’ll say goodnight and leave you to get some sleep.’

Brianna gave him a lopsided smile and then slid out of bed. ‘Don’t I get a goodbye kiss?’ she asked, her eyes glinting dangerously.

Mitch watched, entranced, as she walked the few paces towards him. The vest top did little to hide the fullness of her breasts. The skimpy shorts revealed slender, shapely legs. How much could he stand before he gave in to the urge to push her onto the bed and take her one last time?

‘You know as well as I do that if we kiss, it won’t just end there,’ he replied, his voice sounding like sandpaper, his arms already settling on her hips, pulling her against him.

‘I was hoping not,’ she admitted huskily.

Maybe it was the grimness of the day, which contrasted starkly with the pleasures she was offering. Maybe it was just Brianna. Either way, he could no longer remember why taking this beautiful woman to bed was a bad idea.

With a groan he lifted off her vest top, enjoying the sight of her breasts as they bounced free. They were incredible; round, pert, a perfect handful. He bent his head to suckle.

‘You have too many clothes on,’ she gasped, her hands rushing to grab his shirt and pull it over his head.

God, the feel of flesh on flesh. The horrors of the day fast slipped away as she rained kisses over his chest and unfastened the buttons of his trousers, beginning to work them down his legs.

Quickly they divested the rest of their clothes. Then she took his hand and led him to the bed, laying down and pulling him on top of her. As his hard edges came into contact with her softness, he groaned with pure pleasure.

‘These beds are too damn small,’ he muttered a short while later. In a flash he was on his feet and lifting her up. As she anchored her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, he used his free hand to grab the blanket from the end of the bed and throw it onto the floor. Then he lay her down on top of it and spread his rangy body alongside hers. ‘Now we’ve got room to move, to explore.’

She turned to give him a sexy smile, her eyes sparkling with desire and promise, and he decided to show her exactly what he meant by exploring. With his lips, his tongue, his hands, he ravished every inch of her. When he was satisfied he’d left no part untouched, he entered her in one fierce, life-affirming lunge. Whatever he gave, she gave back and together they proceeded to make full use of the floor space available. First he pushed her onto her back, then her side, finally she climbed on top of him, never missing a beat. When at last her muffledscream brought about his own shattering climax, he knew he wouldn’t remember today for all the death he’d seen. He’d remember it for this moment.

* * *

They lay together, each catching their breath. Feeling deliciously relaxed, Brianna trailed her fingers across Mitch’s bare chest, which was rising and falling in time with his slowly recovering breaths. Had a man’s body ever excited her as much as this man’s did? She didn’t think so. It was scarred, not perfect. Rough, not smooth. Strong, not beautiful. But she couldn’t keep her hands off it.

‘I thought you had an early start?’ he asked as he snared her fingers.

‘Plenty of time for sleep when I get home.’

They lost themselves in each other once more.

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