Chapter Nine

I wouldn’t mind being that person.

Wait. What?

Morgan’s body fit up against mine just right. She was tall, so her soft curves and hard muscles pressed against pretty much all of me. And she was brilliant. And independent. And so fucking brave. And really, too damn good for me.

I nuzzled her hair. Committed her scent to memory, all rich and woodsy, with a hint of fire smoke.

Being wrapped around her wasn’t enough. I wanted to curl right up inside her. Not just with my dick. “You know, if you decide you want to kiss me, I’m good with that.” I pulled out my best smile and threw a little humor into my tone. “Just to kill your curiosity.”

Morgan shifted in my arms, turned toward me but didn’t pull away. She studied my face until, eventually, her eyes locked on my lips. Yes!

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

My heart sank a little, but I ignored it. “No worries. Just wanted you to know where I stand.” I kicked my grin up another notch. “In case you change your mind.”

“So thoughtful of you.” Her smile did nothing to cover the sarcasm in her voice.

“I do my best.” I winked.

She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched. As long as Morgan was smiling, even only on the inside, I was good.

****

“Hey, I have an idea.”

“Uh-oh.” My stomach hitched and fluttered. My shoulders tensed. I had a lot of ideas too, all of them unwanted. God only knew what Daniel was about to suggest. I scooched out of his arms until I lay flat on my back again, the mattress beneath me colder than I remembered after the heat of his body. “If it has anything to do with kissing you, I don’t want to hear it.”

Liar. Liar. Pants on fire.

“Lay on your stomach.”

“What?”

“Roll over.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s really hard to give you a back rub when you’re lying on your back.”

I cringed and set my jaw. “I told you, you’re not getting laid.”

“Seriously? Don’t you think I know that?” He sat up and put his hands on his hips. “You don’t trust me.”

Guilt flooded the back of my throat with bile. “I trust you. I trust you. Sorry.” I flipped over.

“You’re lucky I forgive you.” His sleeping bag rustled, and his knees gripped my waist as he straddled my back. “This time.”

All my focus went to the points where his thighs rested against me until one strong palm pressed into the always tense zone between my shoulder blades, digging deep into the muscle. I moaned. Daniel shifted his weight over my hips and pressed again, lower. I managed to keep my moan in my mouth this time, but… Wow.

I’d had plenty of professional massages over the years, and this, his touch—not the same. Not the same at all.

He worked methodically down my spine, kneading each knot until it released. But there was more to it than just his massage skills. A web of electricity built with every touch until it wrapped around me. Went right through me. Settled between my legs and vibrated.

I wanted to shift my hips, to push my ass up against him, but I resisted. If I were still on my back, his hard-on would be right there. Assuming he was as turned on as I was.

“Mind if I push your shirt up? This would be much better if I had bare skin to work with.”

Yesssss. NO. Fuck.

I wasn’t at all sure I could handle much better. Or his hands on my bare skin. Which was ridiculous. It was just a massage. An incredibly good one, but still. This was totally chaste. Totally safe. We were both adults.

I nodded, and his fingers slid under the hem of my shirt, grazing my skin when he skimmed it up my back, leaving prickling trails of fire in their wake. I held still. Not moaning. Not rising up to meet his touch. Definitely not begging for more.

He gripped my shoulders, thumbs making luxurious circles while his fingertips dug in below my collarbone. I squeezed my eyes shut and twisted my hands in the sleeping bag, willing myself not to melt.

“Relax, Morgan. Breathe.”

I exhaled, and sucked in a breath like it might be my last one. His fingers slid along my neck and shoulders, seeking out my tightest spots, working at them with just the right pressure. I ignored the way his touch connected directly to my nipples, my clit, that spot deep inside me.

“Where’d you learn to give such a good massage?” I mumbled into my sleeping pad.

“I used to give my mom massages all the time. She worked so hard. Two jobs. Standing on her feet all day.” I felt him shrug. “I knew I could never replace my dad, but I’d do anything to make her feel better, make her happy—even for just a few minutes.”

I melted into a giant pile of goo, until the guilt from not trusting him, and from misjudging him, washed over me in a nauseating wave. Just because he was hotter than any man had a right to be didn’t mean he was a self-absorbed horn-dog. I needed to get that through my skull.

I even had to admire his standards. The man had some hard-core relationship rules, but in a weird way, it all made sense and was kind of sweet and romantic. If one-night stands could ever be considered sweet and romantic.

****

I loved the way her body relaxed under my hands.

Mine, on the other hand, did the opposite. Or at least one part of it did. Good thing she couldn’t feel my hard-on with me straddling her. Because each time she sighed or moaned or shifted, I almost blew my wad.

How crazy is that?

If we ever did have sex, it would be epic with a capital E. I might not even survive. My heart sure wouldn’t. Good thing that option was off the table.

I smoothed my hands down her back, her skin silky as softened butter under my palms. Even though I didn’t want to stop, on my next pass I pulled her shirt into place before I did something stupid. Potentially fun, but stupid.

“Relaxed?”

“Mmmm hmmmm.”

“Sleepy?”

“Mmmmmmm.”

“Let me turn off the music and stoke the wood stove, and we’ll call it a night.”

When I crawled back onto our sleeping pads, Morgan was curled on her side, her pillow tucked under her head. Her breathing deep and even.

I stared at her profile while I could. She had a face I could get used to waking up to every morning. Too bad I’d only get tomorrow morning. Damned if I wasn’t going to make the most of it, though. Morgan deserved to be treated every kind of right.

I unzipped our bags, spread them over both of us, and slid in behind her. She snuggled into me like we’d been sleeping together for years. Matching my breath to hers, I toggled between being thankful for this awesome time together, and kicking myself for following my stupid-ass rules.

My sisters always said those rules would bite me in the butt one day. Not that I’d ever admit they were right.