Page 48 of Wind Valley

And he got it then. He didn’t need to be so cautious. She was tired of being on guard, tired of steering her life like a lifeboat trying to avoid reefs. The ghost of her recent experience didn’t need to ruin their fun. She trusted him. As she should. He had nothing but the best of sexy intentions.

“Stay still for a second,” he told her gruffly.

She stood quietly while he stripped layers off her top—sweater, t-shirt, bra. Pale skin with golden freckles made him wonder what she’d look like without the black hair dye. Making expeditious work of it—since she was now shivering in the cold room—he tugged her leggings off as well. When he reached her underwear, she shook her head, so he left those on.

As she hopped from foot to foot, shivering, he yanked down the two comforters and extra quilt that he often slept under. She crawled under them and he covered her up, laughing as she nearly disappeared under the pile of bedding.

“Are you making me warm things up in here for you?” she protested.

“Yes, that’s my evil master plan. ” He pulled off his own clothes and tossed them on the chair next to his dresser. “I’ve been looking for someone like you. Someone with body heat, you know.”

Clutching the covers around her, she stuck out her tongue at him. Cute, but also it made him think about what that tongue could do to him, specifically to his cock. Which hardened even more. It was almost difficult to get his pants off, that was how hard he was.

She stuck out her hand above the covers and crooked her finger at him. “I see something that would warm me up quite quickly.”

“Do you?” He struck a pose, fists on his hips, strutting his stuff, making her laugh.

“Get in here.” She lifted the covers to welcome him into the bed, and the next thing he knew, smooth skin surrounded him, a leg over his hip, breasts against his chest, a foot against his shin. Paradise.

At first they just clung together. He let the feel of her flesh permeate through him. So silky and warm on the surface, covering angles and planes underneath. Substructure, he thought absently. All that bony architecture protected something even deeper—her beating heart, the wellspring of her life, the core of Maura.

Random weird thoughts while holding the warm body of a woman in bed—such a typical Lachlan McGowan moment. But she didn’t seem to mind. As part of her effort to warm up, she pressed her mound against the hot skin of his erection.

“Body heat,” she moaned. “Bring it on.”

She wrapped her hand around him and he gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to come before they’d even done anything, but the touch of her soft palm was excruciatingly delicious. “Hang on,” he managed in a strangled voice. “Gotta do something first.”

He scooted down her body, toward the warmth that radiated between her legs. The warm darkness under the covers made him wild, as if they could do anything in here and it wouldn’t count. He tugged down her panties and licked her hip, tracing the swoop from hipbone down to her soft nest of curls. He felt her hand come to his head, curling into his hair. That was good. She could let him know what was working for her and what wasn’t. Right now, from the trembling of her fingers, he figured he was on a good track.

He pulled her underwear down even further, then all the way off, with some wriggling assistance from Maura. He couldn’t see more than a shadow down here, but it was enough to locate the sweet dark triangle between her thighs. And that was all he needed to find the pouting swollen packet of nerves where he could bring her to bliss.

Her scent went right to his head. Pheromones. Powerful stuff, he knew. No one’s natural smell was appealing to everyone, it depended on…well, chemistry. Luckily, chemistry was on his and Maura’s side, and he thought he’d never breathed in anything so wonderful in his life.

He lost track of time as he explored her with his tongue and lips. Time didn’t matter. All that mattered was her reaction and her pleasure. That required all his attention, and he gave it, looking for signals from her trembles and the twitch of her hands in his hair. When she came, he felt a moment of sadness that he didn’t get to see her face as she did so.

Next time, he promised himself as she shook under the insistent stroke of his tongue.

“Enough,” she gasped as the tremors shaking her body died down. She tugged at his shoulder to get him to change position. “I can only take so much.”

He stretched out beside her, his erection bobbing against her. He wanted to plunge inside her more than life itself, but he wouldn’t—not yet.

“I have condoms in the bathroom,” he told her.

“But it’s cold out there. Be careful. Don’t let any body parts freeze off.”

He laughed and crawled out of the bed, landing awkwardly on the chilly floor. Dashing through the house with a still-bobbing erection, he couldn’t help laughing at the absurd picture he must present—or would, if there was anyone around to witness.

Except…there was. A woman was peering through the window next to the front door, shading her eyes to see inside.

26

Apparently someone was at the door. Maura heard voices drifting from the living room, and she huddled deeper under the covers, giggling to herself. It felt like the time she’d snuck her high school boyfriend into her bedroom, then made him hide in the closet when her little sister banged on the door.

Well, not entirely. She felt much better than she had back then…luxuriously satisfied, as if she’d just gorged on honey to her heart’s content. She stretched her body long, arms overhead, her fingertips brushing against the headboard. It was surprisingly sturdy, carved from mahogany. She imagined it carried into the wilderness on the old train, or maybe a horse and wagon, to please the wife of a mining supervisor. When was the last time she’d allowed an orgasm to sweep her away from her worries? Not since the time before SS.

Who could be out there? And had they seen Lachlan naked? Would that condom ever show up?

She was still wondering over those questions when Lachlan reappeared. He wore a towel wrapped around his hips and a sober expression.

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