Читать книгу Doctor For Keeps - KRISTI GOLD - Страница 9

He was easy to dance with. Easy to talk to. And darn sure easy to look at. They had a lot in common: watching baseball live, football on TV and stand-up comedy any time they had the opportunity. Although Miranda tried to learn more about Rick, he always managed to turn the conversation back to her life. He acted as though what she said mattered, something she could honestly appreciate. A long time had passed since she’d had someone to talk to. Someone who really listened.

She even liked his taste in music, Miranda realized as he selected another CD, this time a light jazz number filtered lazily through the speakers.

When he approached her again, she took a subtle glance at her watch. Lord, had she really been there for more than an hour? At the moment, she didn’t care about the time.

“That’s nice, too,” she said as he drew her back into his arms. “Another colleague of yours?”

“Colleague?” He looked startled, then smiled. “Oh, music’s only a hobby.”

He certainly fit her image of the consummate musician. “Then what do you do for a day job?”

His gaze slid away. “I work with kids.”

The man was almost too good to be true. “That’s wonderful. What exactly do you do?”

He finally looked at her through a veil of dark lashes most women would kill for. “Let’s not talk about work. Tonight we’re just Rick and Randi trying to forget about the daily grind and the fact that tomorrow’s Monday.” He touched her cheek. “Trying to forget about everything but right now.”

Up to that point, he’d kept a comfortable distance between them. Then, as if on cue, the tempo slowed and he drew her closer.

“Even though it’s not your standard dance floor, this isn’t so bad, is it?” he asked with a half smile.

No, in fact, it was good. Very good. “I’m surprised I haven’t taken out a couple of your toes.”

He searched her eyes as if trying to find more secrets. “Don’t sell yourself short, Randi. You’re a natural. That’s important in many things.”

Her breath caught at his comment. If he referred to lovemaking, unfortunately she had no experience along those lines.

As the song continued, then another, they gradually moved a little closer with each track until Miranda was flush against Rick, engulfed in his strong arms and his male essence. He bent his head and pressed a cheek against her ear. He radiated heat at the point where her breasts met the solid wall of his chest. Her blouse dampened there and she could also feel the dampness beneath her fingertips where they rested against his back. But the most notable heat came from deep within her body, pooling in places she had long since learned to ignore.

He slipped one arm underneath her hair at her nape and lifted it slightly away from her neck, then drew back and studied her face. The moment seemed to suspend, as the conversation had a while ago. She thought he might actually kiss her. She hoped he would.

Instead, he stopped moving. “It’s hot in here. I think the air conditioner’s on the fritz.”

Miranda’s whole being clutched with loss when he dropped his arms from around her and moved away. The mood was suddenly shattered. “Yes, it is a little warm.”

But he was gone just long enough to open the front windows, turn on the ceiling fan and turn off the overhead light, leaving only a small illumination coming from the kitchen.

“Is that better?” he asked, taking her back into his arms.

Miranda wasn’t sure how to answer. Yes, it took care of some of the external temperature problems, but the inferno still raged within her. “It’s more comfortable.”

“Good.” He brought her back against him.

Again they fell into an easy rhythm as they swayed in time to another easy song. She found herself holding on to Rick tighter, as if he might slip away as all good fantasies tended to do. His hands traveled lower and came to rest just below the spot where her hair met her waist. His touch was real, not imagined. Not a dream, although dreamlike.

Miranda’s pulse pounded in her ears when he brushed a kiss on her cheek. Her heart beat wildly out of control when he pressed the small of her back, bringing their hips closer together. She felt his bold arousal against her belly, and the air left her lungs.

Well, she was aroused, too. More than she ever imagined being. Her mouth went dry and she automatically licked her bottom lip. That seemed to capture his fascination. His gaze dropped to her mouth then came back to her eyes.

He softly said, “Miranda,” as if testing the sound, followed by a kiss on her forehead, her jaw, then a feather-light caress on her lips. He met her gaze again, his eyes full of questions, as if seeking permission to continue. She gave it, not through words, but by leaning forward until their mouths met with a hungry passion.

This is crazy, her mind shouted from somewhere far away, but she didn’t heed the warning. She was too lost in the heady feelings Rick roused with the stroking of his tongue in soft fluid movements between her parted lips, the taste of beer and need. She did hear a moan and realized it had come from her. The kiss ended almost as abruptly as it had begun.

Rick released a ragged breath and touched his forehead to hers. “Randi, you need to go.”

Had she done something wrong? Did he find her kisses lacking? “You want me to go?”

“No. That’s why you need to go.”

Miranda’s stomach dipped and churned as if she’d hopped on a runaway roller coaster. She felt giddy, light-headed, totally out of control. A man hadn’t wanted her in a long time. Not since college, and that one awful experience had convinced her to live a lonely, celibate life. For self-protection, she had never let herself be wanted.

At the very least, giving in to this breathtaking desire for Rick was risky. She didn’t even know his last name. And if she continued on the present course, her life might never be the same. But she didn’t care. Until now, she hadn’t been living.

Miranda decided not to question why she had chosen this enigmatic stranger with devilishly dark eyes, a soft spot for kids and strong yet gentle hands, to fulfill her fantasies. Perhaps because he was a stranger and knew nothing of her past. Maybe it was the bond she seemed to have with him, as if she’d always known him. In a way she did know him. He was the answer to her prayers, her dreams, her fantasies. At least for this one magical night.

Regardless, she had chosen him, and she wasn’t about to change her mind.

Miranda drew in a deep breath and released it with a sigh. “What if I don’t want to go?”

Rick was taken aback by Randi’s bold declaration and determined expression. Despite her obvious conviction, there was an innocence about her, something he found refreshing in the jaded sexual world he’d come to know.

He couldn’t fathom what he’d done right to be worthy of this angel on the doorstep, especially now that he was entertaining some wicked thoughts. But she deserved more than a one-night stand, and he couldn’t get involved with anyone right now. He didn’t have the time. Until he’d met her, he didn’t have the inclination. Even if he wanted a relationship, Randi probably wouldn’t approve of his occupation. Not to mention that his tenuous future didn’t include anything permanent. But her quick wit, no-holds-barred honesty and guileless green eyes made him consider things he shouldn’t.

He’d learned a lot in his thirty-two years, especially self-control. If he didn’t turn Miss Brooks around and march her outside, life’s lessons would be out the door instead of her.

Rick bracketed Randi’s face in his palms and searched her green eyes for the least bit of indecision. He didn’t find any. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying I want to stay. I want to be with you.”

He had to make her understand exactly how far this could go if she didn’t stop him. “I want you, Randi. All of you.”

“I know. I feel the same about you.” As if to prove it, she brought her arms from around his waist and fanned her palms in the opening of his shirt. Her touch seemed tentative, then more insistent as she feathered her fingertips across his chest. He was really sweating now.

“Your skin’s so hot,” she whispered.

That wasn’t the only thing. He swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

“Why don’t you take your shirt off?” She said the words without looking at him. Did she mean it? He aimed to find out.

He tugged the tails from his waistband and began slipping the buttons while she watched. Her eyes widened when he shucked the shirt off his shoulders and tossed it on the sofa. But she didn’t protest, or rush out the door. Instead, she circled her arms around his bare waist, sparking his imagination. What would it feel like to have her naked beneath him? His resolve weakened at the vivid mental image that thought created.

He hadn’t meant for this to happen. He’d only wanted the company of a beautiful woman who could hold her own in conversation and make him laugh. She had done both.

Of course, he had invited her inside in the first place. Obviously she’d read more into his intentions. But he’d kissed her first. He couldn’t help himself. Not when she looked at him like he was special, someone who could fulfill her fantasies.

When was the last time a woman looked at him that way? A woman who didn’t know who he was. Or what he was. Someone who expected nothing from him in terms of what he could do for their social standing.

Maybe she had just gotten caught up in the moment, the electricity that arced between them. If so, the time had come to slam on the brakes, before he couldn’t.

Then Miranda placed a kiss on his chest, right above his pounding heart, and his coveted control flew out the open window.

He slipped his hand underneath her silky hair and brought it to rest at the waistband of her skirt. When he began to tug her shirt up, needing to feel the bare flesh on her back, she flinched and pulled away.

“Are you really okay with this?” he asked.

Her smile was wan, self-conscious. “Yes, it’s just my back… I’m ticklish. It’s kind of weird, I know, but I don’t like being touched there.”

He grazed her cheek with a fingertip. “Where do you want me to touch you?”

She met his gaze, and he noted shyness in her expression, giving him pause. “You want me to tell you?”

“Unless you tell me, I won’t know.”

Randi didn’t answer with words. Instead, she took his hand and laid it on her left breast. Rick felt the butterfly beat of her heart and her nipple pebbling beneath his palm. He stared for a moment like a kid copping his first feel.

He’d had countless sexual offers from women, some he’d considered, some not. But he’d never met a woman like Miranda Brooks. The innocence shining in her eyes was in direct contrast to her saucy attitude and made-for-sin body. That innocence worried him the most.

What a time to get a conscience—when a beautiful brunette seemed bent on seducing him. But he didn’t want to hurt her, and he realized he could, even if he didn’t intend to. He had so little to offer, and she had something special that he couldn’t quite name. Something that had touched him on a deeper level than the physical. Something he didn’t care to acknowledge.

She pushed against his hand. Despite his caution, he stroked his thumb across her nipple through the thin cotton of her shirt, slowly back and forth. Her eyes turned soft and hooded, her expression languid.

He smiled to keep from moaning. “Is this how you like to be touched?”

“Yes.” She sounded breathless. God knew he was. If she was this responsive to such a simple touch, what would she be like when he really got down to business?

He took a mental step back. His gut instinct told him he might be making one giant mistake if he went any further. Then she reached up and unbuttoned the top button of her blouse, severing his last shred of resistance.

Removing her hand from the placket, he undid the remaining buttons at a snail’s pace, not only to draw out the tension, but also to allow her to stop him. When she didn’t, he pushed aside the blouse to reveal a silky champagne-colored camisole, no bra underneath. He cupped her breast again. The material felt cool to his palm, but he wanted to experience her warmth underneath the fabric.

She stood very still and for a moment he thought she might reconsider. Taking her back in his arms, Rick kissed her, then slipped one hand under the silk. Warm, supple flesh filled his palm. The muscles in his gut tensed as he struggled for control.

He broke the kiss and removed his hand from beneath the camisole in order to catch his breath and gather his scattered thoughts. Right now he should stop, the hardest thing he had done in a long time.

She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, “Make love to me.”

Oh, hell, she was making this damned difficult. How could he be a gentleman with someone so desirable in his arms, begging for his attention? He considered they were simply two consenting adults with normal biological urges. That’s what he kept telling himself, but he realized it was more. She was more than he had bargained for.

“Are you sure?” he asked, meeting her deep green eyes, bright with desire.

“Very sure.”

She sounded sure, but he had to know. And he had well-practiced ways of finding out. Then, if she chose to run, he’d show her the door and head for the shower.

Rick reached down and undid the button on the side of the sarong skirt. The flap fell to one side, revealing another button. He had to look down to undo it. Randi looked down as well, and together they watched the drama unfold while he released the last remaining obstacle. The skirt slipped easily down her narrow hips and fell in a heap on the floor at her feet. His eyes never left hers as he knelt and removed her sandals, one at a time, then stood.

Rick’s attention now focused on the scrap of white lace barely covering the dark shading at the juncture of Randi’s thighs. He slipped a finger just below the elastic. Her breath caught, and he looked up to find her eyes tightly closed.

“Randi, open your eyes.”

She did as he commanded, and she still had that same look, half-innocent, half-needy.

“Are you sure you want this?” Normally he would just let nature take its course. For some reason, he needed to hear her say it again.

“Positive.” Although her voice was unsteady, she looked as ready as he felt. She also looked tousled and incredibly sexy, her lips swollen from his kiss, her cheeks the color of his mother’s prized tea roses. A few wisps of her gold-brown hair ruffled in the breeze filtering in through the window.

She was an extraordinary, desirable woman, and he wanted her more than he should. His life was a mess, but he didn’t want to think about that now. Randi would help him forget, at least for a while.

In one swift move, Rick brought her tightly against him. He thrust upward and nestled in the cradle of her thighs. He kissed her with all the desire he felt.

Randi’s body went limp in his arms. Afraid she might actually join her skirt on the floor, he said, “Come to bed with me.” Of course, once they got to that point, he might have one hell of a time maintaining his resolve to take it slow.

She sent him a shaky smile. “That’s a good idea.”

Taking her by the hand, he led her into Mark and Angie’s room, now washed in the subtle glow of moonlight. He could only guess what the unsuspecting couple would think if they knew what he intended to do in their bed. Of course, Mark would give him a high five for his sexual prowess. Angie would give him a lecture on his rogue ways.

He could almost hear his best friend’s wife scolding him about his lack of commitment, reminding him how very few relationships he’d had. She would stress the fact it was way past time for him to think about settling down. But he couldn’t settle down, not now. Not until he’d done all that he could to fulfill the promise he’d made so long ago. Until he atoned for his myriad sins.

He felt a twinge of regret that his life couldn’t include a serious relationship. Especially with this woman.

This angel.

The sight of Randi clad only in white lace panties and champagne silk camisole, her long hair flowing over her breasts, chased away the arguments racing around his head.

He fumbled with his fly for what seemed an interminable amount of time. God, he hadn’t been this unsure since he was sixteen and in the throes of raging hormones. Nor had he experienced such a physical rush. A desperate, impatient need that threatened his practiced control. He had learned to use his hands with calm efficiency, but right now he couldn’t even tackle the damned zipper.

Randi continued to study him with wild-eyed wonder, seeming unfazed by the delay. He wished he could say the same for himself.

Once he finally undid his fly, he snaked out of his slacks and tossed them across the room along with his misgivings. He sat beside Miranda on the bed and plied her with whisper kisses before lying back with her in his arms. He shifted until they were lying face-to-face, body to body.

Raising up on a bent elbow, he watched her expression melt into pure desire as he nudged her hair aside and drew lazy circles around her breasts through the silk. He slowly lifted the camisole.

“You’re perfect,” he said as he feathered his thumb across the beaded tip of one flawless breast.

She rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling. “No, I’m not.”

Rick noted the pain in her tone and wondered what jerk had crushed her sense of self-worth. Probably some idiot who preferred more than a mouthful to boost his over-inflated ego. He was determined to convince her otherwise.

He moved above her and said, “Yes, you are,” then placed a kiss between her breasts before drawing one peak between his lips.

She arched her back, thrusting her chest forward, and released a pleasured moan. Rick ached with the all-consuming need to be inside her, but he was determined to take it slow.

He raised his head and found her lips again, relishing the feel of the dampness on her breast where his mouth had been. Brushing his knuckles back and forth against her lower belly, he again found the band at her hips. In one smooth move, he slipped his hand underneath the lace, tamping down the urge to rip the scrap of material away.

Rick broke the kiss and watched her face to gauge her reaction. She kept her eyes closed and her lips parted, drawing in a quick gasp when he delved into her feminine folds and found her center with the pad of his thumb.

“You feel good,” he whispered as he stroked her flesh, centering on the soft bud that blossomed beneath his fingertip. “You’re perfect here, too.”

Randi made a small sound in her throat that carried him to the brink of losing control. He kissed her temple, her cheek, her lips, as he quickened his touch.

“Rick…” His name rode out on a gasp, and her bottom lip trembled. She grasped the folds of the comforter and writhed beneath his ardent touch.

He brought his lips to her ear and whispered words of encouragement. “It’s okay, Randi. Just let go for me. Let go.”

She tilted her head back and released a soft cry. Her whole body shook against his side.

Rick stilled, surprised by the fact that she had gone over the edge after only a few touches. Either this angel was a lot hotter than he imagined, or as innocent as he had first assumed.

His conscience wouldn’t let him believe the latter.

Randi grabbed his shoulders and tried to pull him to her. “Easy, querida,” he said, trying to gentle her with soft kisses.

“I need you.” The desperation in her voice drove him wild. He was tempted to answer her plea right then, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Not until he saw to his responsibility.

“I need you, too,” he said. “But there’s something I have to do first.”

It occurred to him that he hadn’t even thought to bring protection. His work hadn’t afforded him much of a social—much less sexual—life of late. Luckily, he remembered seeing a box of condoms in the medicine cabinet. Good old Mark had come through for him again, and he didn’t even know it. Nor would he.

Rick stood, stripped out of his briefs, and headed toward the bathroom. “I’ve got to get a condom. I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

Miranda couldn’t have left, even if she’d wanted to. Her whole body had melted into a pool of molten heat. As a nurse, she certainly wasn’t ignorant in the ways of male and female lovemaking. But as a woman, she could never have imagined Rick’s abilities. And better still, he was concerned with safe sex, something she could more than appreciate. Something she should have considered. But he had stripped her of all common sense when he’d stripped away her clothes. She had only considered the way he made her feel, like a truly sexual being for the first time in her life.

She tossed the comforter aside and worked her way underneath the cool sheets. Now that she was thinking more clearly, she had a decision to make.

Not that she wasn’t willing to continue. She yearned for the whole experience, everything he could give her that she had only dreamed of until this moment. She couldn’t even think about stopping now. Yet she didn’t know if she should tell Rick about her inexperience or let him discover it for himself.

If she did tell him that he would be her first lover, would he choose not to follow through? If she didn’t, would he be angry?

The time to make the decision was upon her as Rick reentered the room. But her voice headed for the hills when she saw him standing before her, all dark, sexy, sinewy male.

Moonlight filtering in from the window spilled over his body, casting shadows that enhanced masculine planes and lean muscle. A gold chain sporting a small pendant hung to his sternum, a slight dusting of dark hair as its backdrop. She visually followed the progression of that hair as it traveled down his washboard belly in a silky ribbon.

Lord, he was magnificent. She’d seen her share of male anatomy during classes and clinicals, but she’d never seen anything quite like him, especially that very virile part of him that kept drawing her attention.

His sensuous smile sent a succession of pleasant chills all over her body. He threw back the covers and slipped into bed beside her, gazing at her as if she were priceless. She knew in that moment he deserved the truth.

He tried to kiss her again but she turned her head to one side. His lips landed on her cheek. With gentle fingertips, he turned her face back toward him. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No. Definitely not. There’s just something I need to say. I want you to know that I don’t usually do this. In fact, I—”

“It’s okay. I know.” He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips. “You don’t have to say anything, Miranda. Just feel.”

The way he said her name brought her senses to life as his sultry song had earlier that evening, potent as any aphrodisiac, robbing her of the need to confess.

He came to his knees before her and tore open a foil package. She watched in fascination as he rolled the condom on, then slipped her panties down and tossed them aside.

This is it, Miranda. No turning back now.

When he reached for her camisole, she grabbed his wrist. “Don’t!” She hated the panic in her voice, but she couldn’t let him see the very thing she hid from the world. She couldn’t take it if he turned away, repulsed by the sight and feel of her damaged flesh.

He sat back on his haunches. “Why not?”

“I think it’s kind of sexy, leaving some of your clothes on.” It was the best she could do under the circumstances.

He gently brushed her hair back. “Listen, Randi, you can leave it on if you feel more comfortable. But if you’re doing this because some jerk told you that you’re inadequate, I want you to know right now that he’s dead wrong. You are beautiful, and you’re not one of those women whose beauty ends at the superficial.”

She imagined he’d had plenty of experience with women, but she wouldn’t let that spoil the moment. Not when he spoke to her with a sincerity that deprived her of air. Not when he studied her with a heated gaze that captured her thoughts and flung them away.

No matter how deliberate she’d been in her planning, nothing else mattered at the moment but him. Not past or present. Only now. Making love with him could never be a mistake, even if it was only this once.

She reached her arms out to him. “Rick, please. I want you so much.” Please, before you change your mind.

“I want you, too.” His voice was a husky whisper. “I do want you.”

He parted her legs and bent her knees with gentle fingertips, then moved between her thighs. She felt the first pressure as he began to enter her.

He bent and kissed her again, his tongue simulating the act of love she so desperately needed. He nuzzled her neck and whispered, “You’re so small.”

That wasn’t the half of it. And soon, very soon, he would know the truth.

When he pushed harder, she felt a slight burning and winced.

Rick froze like a statue. “Randi, are you…have you…?”

“No, I haven’t.” She turned her eyes away from his scrutiny.

He dropped his forehead against her shoulder. “Damn.”

Bracing her palms on the sides of his head, she forced him to look at her so he would see how much she needed this. How much she needed him. “It’s okay.”

Even in the dim light, she glimpsed uncertainty in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t. Not unless you stop.”

She tilted her hips in encouragement, welcoming him into her body, opening a whole new facet of her soul. With an animal groan and one hard thrust, he filled her completely. More completely than she’d ever thought possible. He stilled against her for a long moment, giving her body time to adjust and for the discomfort to subside. He whispered his praise with erotic, sensual words, some phrases spoken in a language Miranda didn’t understand. Spanish, she decided. Lyrical, erotic, enticing. Seductive and mysterious, like the man. She caught fire all over again.

Miranda shifted restlessly beneath him, wanting more, needing more, even though she feared it might be too much for her to bear—more pleasure than she could survive. He began to move inside her, as fluid as his music, using his fingertips to play her like a fine instrument above the place where they were joined. She became lost in the movement of Rick’s powerful body, delighting in the heady sensations of this lovers’ dance.

He continued to love her with care, until suddenly his thrusts grew harder and faster as he took her with him on a surreal journey. Her heart stuttered and her respiration quickened. Flashes of light flickered behind her closed lids. She registered so many sensations she couldn’t catalog them all. Random thoughts tumbled around in her brain, then disappeared altogether as she spiraled toward the same bliss she’d experienced earlier. And when she hurled headlong into welcome oblivion, a cry escaped her lips. He was with her this time, proclaiming his own release with a ragged moan.

Rick collapsed against her, his heart pounding at her breast. She cradled his head and sifted her fingers through his dark hair, delighting in the feel of his body molded to hers. A single joyful tear slipped from the corner of her eye. She thumbed it away.

So this was what it was all about, she thought. This was what she had been missing. Then again, she wondered if Fate had intervened, dictating she wait for this one night, this one moment, this one man. The feelings were so much more overwhelming than she’d expected. She had been transformed in the arms of one incredible man regardless of the fact he was a virtual stranger.

Still, she couldn’t afford to feel anything beyond physical pleasure, so she pushed aside the romantic notions and tried to see the experience for what it was. A spontaneous act. A one-night stand. Nothing more. It couldn’t be anything more. Not if she wanted to guard her heart.

Rick rolled to one side, taking her with him. When he slipped from her body, she almost cried out, No! She didn’t want to let him go just yet. She wanted to imprint the memory in her mind in case she never again experienced such bliss.

“I’m sorry,” he said regretfully. “I should have known.”

Old insecurities surfaced from a place deep within Miranda. “Was I that bad?”

That brought him up on one elbow to loom over her. “No, no. You were great. Better than great.” He touched the tip of her nose. “And I love those little sounds you make.”

After what they’d just done, Miranda thought she would never be embarrassed again. Wrong. She was thankful for the limited light, hoping he couldn’t see the hot blush raiding her cheeks over her sudden lack of inhibitions.

He rested his head back on the pillow and sighed. “If you’d told me you hadn’t been with anyone, I would’ve been more careful.”

Despite her efforts to protect her fragile emotions, the concern in his voice drew her close to his side. She nestled against him. “You couldn’t have been more careful.”

He turned his face toward her. “I didn’t intend for this to happen. But I’m glad it did.”

Miranda stroked his roughened jaw and the smooth skin above that had drawn her like a magnet all night. “I did. Not originally. But for some reason it seemed right.”

He came back to his side to face her with a worried expression. “Randi, there are a few things you need to know.”

She placed a fingertip to his lips. “I don’t expect roses and chocolates or promises, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Then what do you expect?”

“You gave me a wonderful experience, that’s all I wanted.”

“An experience I hope you’ll want to repeat. With me.”

She hadn’t planned on this. One night of pure fantasy and fantastic lovemaking would have to suffice. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—let herself want more.

Miranda focused on the glowing bedside clock to avoid his scrutiny. Almost 1:00 a.m., all the excuse she needed to end the disturbing conversation before she had to answer more questions. “It’s late. I’ve got to go.”

She came to her knees and leaned forward, fumbling around in search of her panties. A moment passed before she noticed the feather-light touch on her backside.

“Randi, what happened here?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

She scurried to the bottom of the bed and finally found her underwear thrown over the footboard. After grabbing them up, she scooted around to face the door and draped her legs over the side of the bed. She tried to steady her voice. “It’s an old injury. Skinned my hide in an accident. It happened a long time ago.”

“What kind of accident?”

She worked her panties up her hips. “A car accident. I don’t like to talk about it.”

“Okay, you don’t have to.”

Before she could stand, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, her back to his front, then rimmed the shell of her ear with his tongue. “Stay with me tonight.”

She lost her train of thought along with the oxygen from her lungs. “I have to be at work by eight.”

“I have an alarm.”

So did she, and it was going off in her head. Now that she knew how it felt to be a woman, it would be oh so easy to buy into the yearning. She couldn’t let that happen. She would inevitably get hurt.

Pushing out of his arms, she worked her way back to the edge of the bed, ignoring the urge to take him up on his offer. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

She stood and faced him, fighting the impulse to tell him everything. She wasn’t about to ruin the night with a bunch of sorry confessions. “I really need to go.”

He made no move to cover himself, just stretched out on his back with his hands stacked underneath his head and his glorious body laid out like a feast before her. “Are you sure?”

Miranda wanted to say no, she wasn’t at all sure. In fact, she wanted to ditch her shirt, get rid of the barriers, and crawl back in bed beside him. But she had already unveiled too much. Although the pitted flesh on her buttock didn’t seem to bother him, it was nothing compared to the damaged skin on her back. She wasn’t willing to stick around to find out if he could accept her flaws.

Miranda willed her eyes to stay focused on his face. “If you recall, I originally planned to have one drink, remember? It’s way past that now. I have to get some sleep. I’m afraid if I stay, that might not happen.” Her traitorous eyes immediately went to the proof of her words nestled below Rick’s belly.

His lips curled into a devilish smile. “Beautiful and observant.” He sighed and sat up. “I want to see you again.”

A thousand protests played out in her mind. A thousand reasons why that wasn’t possible. “You’ll probably change your mind tomorrow.” Even if not tomorrow, he would if he learned of her scars, those inside and out. She couldn’t trust that he would accept her, and through past experience she’d learned not to take that chance.

Rick grasped her hand and rubbed circles on her palm with a fingertip. “I won’t change my mind.” He spoke with conviction, his voice a low command.

She tried to tug her hand away. He wouldn’t let her. “I really do have to go,” she pleaded.

He raised his dark eyes to her, then gave her another memorable smile and words that would haunt her the rest of the night, if not the rest of her life. “I’ll let you go tonight, but I want to make one thing clear. This isn’t over, Randi.”