They played for hours, until Justice indicated in no uncertain terms that it was time for dinner and a trip outside. With a groan, Kit dropped her controller and stood, stretching on her tiptoes with her fingers reaching for the ceiling. Turning her head toward Wes, she noticed he was watching her with a heated stare. When he caught her looking at him, he dropped his gaze and fumbled his controller.
“I can only say that I warned you,” she said, trying to keep her tone light and not reveal the answering flame his hot eyes had lit inside her. It was hard to remember that they hadn’t known each other for that long when she felt as comfortable with him as if they’d been friends for years. Her strongest feelings, however, weren’t that friendly, especially since they’d gradually eased closer to each other as they’d played until they’d been sitting side by side, close enough to brush arms.
“You did warn me. And you were right. You’re very, very good at Call of Duty.” A tiny smile twitched up the corner of his mouth. “Almost as good as I am.”
“Whaaat?” Her protest had as much laughter as indignation in it. “I was very clearly the victor. Do I need to beat you again to prove I’m better at this than you?” Plopping down on the couch, she grabbed the controller she’d just abandoned. “Sorry, Justice, but your dinner will need to wait. That kind of whopper can’t go unchallenged.”
Holding up his hands as if warding her off, Wes let out a deep laugh. “No more! No more! I admit your superiority!”
Although she managed to hold her smug expression, Kit felt a bit dazed by the beautiful sight of a belly-laughing Wes. Even when he was serious, he was intimidatingly attractive, with his model-meets-lumberjack appearance, but happiness made him positively radiant. “Well, then.” She stood again, trying to look away as he continued to chuckle. “My work here is done. Justice, want to go outside with the reigning champion?”
Wes’s laughter finally faded, and she was able to breathe normally again. “Don’t go far. It’s easy to get lost in a storm like this.”
“We won’t.” She headed for the stairs, watching over her shoulder as Wes told the screen to retract and the robo-cat to pick up the controllers. At her chuckle, he gave her a questioning look.
“I love all your gadgets,” she admitted. “It’s like living in an old Jetsons episode.”
He looked pleased and a bit bashful at that. “I’m just lazy.”
“Sure.” She didn’t believe that for a second. “So lazy you design and build all sorts of things and you watch for fires and you take professional wildlife photos and you rescue stray cops from your gun-happy neighbors.” She started down the stairs with Justice right behind her. “Lazy, my ass.”
His low chuckle followed her down, and she was very careful not to look back at him. Just the sound made her shiver, and she knew the sight of him laughing would stop her in her tracks. Poor Justice needed to get outside.
After pulling on her coat and boots, she stepped out of the tower door. The wind shoved at her and threw sharp pellets of snow against any uncovered skin. Huddling against the door once it closed, she gasped at the shock of cold and buried her chin in her collar. Squinting eyes that wanted to water from the cold and force of the gusts, she peered around the area. Her shiver wasn’t just cold-related.
Compared to the warm, friendly brightness of the tower room, the woods outside seemed almost menacing. The puddle of artificial light didn’t touch the trees, and they rose, black on black against the starless sky. The forest seemed to press in on her from all sides, reminding her that anything could be hiding in that darkness…hiding and watching her. She tried to dismiss the unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she couldn’t escape the creeping sensation of having hostile eyes focused on her.
Even typically oblivious Justice didn’t look any more thrilled than she was as he went just far enough to do what he needed to do. His caution made her even more aware of the surrounding woods and the possible dangers lurking in it. She watched him carefully, alert to any sign that he might catch a scent and head into the dark, treacherous wilderness surrounding them. To her relief, he took care of business quickly, not even glancing at the encircling trees before trotting over to her. If she hadn’t been tense, anticipating some nebulous threat, and if her eyelids hadn’t been threatening to freeze shut, she would’ve laughed at the way her dog’s ears blew to one side, flying horizontally in the wicked wind.
Remembering that the facial-recognition part of the automatic lock didn’t work well in a snowstorm, Kit pounded on the door a few times as she turned her face toward the camera. One of those two methods worked, because it swung open immediately, letting them back inside. It wasn’t until she and Justice were both inside and the door had shut and locked behind them that she relaxed. Even though she doubted that there was really something dangerous waiting in the gloom outside, it was still reassuring to be safe behind a locked door and thick stone walls.
After shedding her outerwear, she hurried up the stairs, drawn by her desire to be close to Wes again, as well as a wonderful smell.
“Is that beef stew?” she asked, marveling that he’d cooked something that smelled so delicious in the short time she and Justice had been outside.
“Yes. I’m just warming it up.” Standing at the two-burner stove, he glanced over his shoulder at her. The sight of such a big, burly man cooking for her made the heat in her belly—which had quieted to a simmer during her cold trip outside—flare to life again, hotter than before.
She abruptly looked away, moving to the coffee table to grab her travel mug of water. “It smells great.”
As he dished the stew into three bowls, she smiled that he’d thought of Justice. Normally, she kept dog food in her SUV for emergencies, but the move had messed with her usual routines. There was even a large mixing bowl filled with water on the floor that Justice was currently lapping at. Kit held back a snort. Leave it to her to be more impressed when a man did nice things for her dog than she was when he did nice things for her.
Wes put one bowl on the counter—to cool so Justice wouldn’t burn himself, she assumed, which made her heart turn into an even bigger mushy mess than it already was—and brought the other two over to the couch where she waited.
“Thanks,” she said, trying not to smile too widely as she accepted the bowl. It smelled even better close up. Sitting on the couch in her spot from earlier, she took a bite and gave a happy groan that sounded a lot like the noise Justice made when she scratched his ear just right. “This is wonderful.”
He beamed. “Thank you. It’s surprisingly rewarding to feed someone else.”
They grew quiet as they ate, finishing their food quickly. Kit hadn’t realized how hungry she’d been. It had been a long day. Except for the Pop Tart Wes had given her earlier, she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
“Did you want more?” he asked, taking both of their empty bowls.
“No, thank you.” She rubbed her now warm and fed belly. “It was great, but I’m full.”
With a nod, he placed the bowls and spoons in the sink before setting Justice’s bowl on the floor. The dog sat in front of the bowl, staring at Wes with hopeful eyes and a string of drool hanging from his jowls.
“What’s he waiting for?” Wes asked.
“I make him wait to eat until I give him the release word,” she explained, joining him in the kitchen. “That way, he doesn’t just gulp down whatever rotting hot dog smells good to him before I can tell him no. Justice, okay.”
The dog dove into the bowl, eating even more quickly than Kit had. She grinned down at him. “You make me feel so delicate and dainty in comparison, Justice.” Without taking his face out of the bowl, he wagged his tail at the sound of his name. Still smiling, she met Wes’s gaze again. “Since you cooked, I’ll do the dishes.”
“No need.” He got that half-bashful, half-excited look that she was beginning to recognize.
“You have some high-tech, super-efficient gadget for washing dishes, don’t you?” she asked, not at all surprised when he nodded and opened one of the lower cupboards to reveal what appeared to be a normal—albeit small—dishwasher. After placing their dirty dishes into the appliance, including Justice’s well-licked bowl, he pushed a few buttons on the front.
She waited for it to start, but it was silent. When she glanced at Wes, he gave her a small smile. “It’s working,” he said, as if guessing her unasked question. “It’s just quiet.”
“Huh.” Skeptically, she examined the appliance again, looking for a light or some indication that his invention was more than a silver box filled with dirty dishes. “How long does it take?”
“Three minutes.”
Now she really doubted him. “That’s it?”
“Yes.” Instead of looking annoyed by her inability to believe in a silent, three-minute dishwasher, he appeared to be holding back his amusement. A low beep brought her attention back to the appliance, and she watched as Wes opened it.
Wordlessly, he pulled out a bowl and handed it to her. It felt warm and looked completely clean. “That’s amazing.” She held it up to eye the bowl more closely. “My last dishwasher took an hour. Is this one of the gadgets you have a patent on?”
“No.” He shrugged the compliment off, as if it were no big deal that he was a miracle-producing genius. “It’s still a work in progress. This small version works fine, but the standard-size units have a few bugs.”
Justice, obviously bored with the discussion, wandered back over to his place by the woodstove and stretched out on his side. That reminded Kit that they were going to be spending the night at Wes’s. The idea of sleeping in the same small space as him made her jittery and, at the same time, filled with anticipation.
“So…” She hesitated, glancing out the windows, even though all she could see were blackness and a few white flakes hitting the glass. “You don’t usually sleep up here, do you? I mean, the cabin is your actual residence, right?”
“Yes, but it’s not exactly… It’s not set up for…” Wes made a frustrated sound, and Kit could relate. He seemed as flustered as she was by the topic. For some reason, that calmed her nerves, and she almost laughed. They were two adults. They could talk about sleeping arrangements without getting tongue-tied—or at least they should be able to.
“Let’s make this easier,” she said. She was hugely relieved that no one she worked with was here. The teasing would’ve been infinite and unbearable. “Justice has picked his bed. Where would you like me to sleep? I’m fine with whatever—bed, couch, floor, chair. As long as we’re not sleeping outside, I’m grateful.”
Even though she’d tried to lay it out in a straightforward way, Wes still looked a little stiff and uncomfortable. “My cabin is very small, and there’s only one bed. There’s no couch over there, and it’s cold. I don’t want to leave you alone up here by yourself, so I thought I’d take the couch, and you could—if you like—take the bed.” He nodded toward the wall next to the kitchen, and Kit peered at the spot with interest. It didn’t look like anything but a section of wall but, knowing Wes, he’d most likely press a button and make a castle-like master bedroom appear, complete with housekeeper.
When he eyed her uncertainly, as if checking on her reaction, she gave a firm nod. “Sounds like a good plan, but you get the bed, and I’ll take the couch.” When he started to argue, she waved off his objections. “It’s silly to put you on the sofa. Your feet would hang off the end.”
He grudgingly agreed, and Kit relaxed. Not knowing where she was going to sleep, especially in relation to Wes, had made her tense. Now, with everything figured out, she didn’t have to worry about any surprises. She was also glad that they wouldn’t be staying in the tiny, dark, probably chilly cabin next door. The tower room was warm, and she was comfortable here.
“Want to watch a movie?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“Sure.” She briefly considered asking him for a T-shirt to wear to bed, but that seemed too girlfriendy a thing to do. Instead, she started to strip off layers.
“Uhh…”
When she saw Wes’s startled expression, she flushed. “Don’t worry,” she assured him. “I’m stopping before I get to skin.”
True to her word, she left her long underwear on before returning to her spot on the couch. Wes had to clear his throat before the screen would obey his command to lower. Pulling a fuzzy fleece blanket off the back of the couch, Kit opened it and laid it over her legs.
Once she was settled, Wes handed her a tablet. “These are the movies I have.”
As she scrolled through the list, Kit blinked. “You have quite the extensive movie collection,” she said.
“Winter can get long.”
“True.” She fell silent as she skimmed the titles, growing more and more impressed with his choices. Looking at the kinds of movies he enjoyed made her feel as though she knew him a little better, and she liked what she was learning. “Oh, here we go. I haven’t seen this one yet.” She tapped on her selection and handed the tablet back to Wes.
He gave her a sideways smile. “I’m not surprised you like superhero movies.”
“Yeah.” She snuggled into her corner of the couch, tucking her blanket around her. “I’m not subtle.”
After starting the movie, he dimmed the lights, and the music drowned out the sound of Justice’s soft snores and the howling wind outside. Glancing over at Wes, Kit smiled and focused on the screen again. Being full and warm and entertained and this close to an interesting guy was much better than fighting her way through a snowstorm. The day had started rough, but it was turning out to be pretty doggone perfect.
* * *
Wes woke with a start, his body jerking in place as he tried to figure out where he was. Just as he realized he was on his couch in the tower, overhead lights dimmed and the screen down but off, something else caught his attention. There was a warm weight draped over his chest and along his side.
Kit. Even before he remembered the events of the evening, he recognized her smell—cinnamon and well-maintained leather, with a hint of something minty from her shampoo. He blinked at the dim ceiling, not wanting to shift even a little, worried that the moment she woke, she’d realize that she could be wrapped around another man who wasn’t frozen in awed indecision by the press of her clothed body.
She sighed, making a sleepy grumbling sound that brought an instant smile to his face. He couldn’t stay still anymore. If this was accidental cuddling, and she’d wake up to pull away and never come close to him again, he didn’t want to waste this opportunity. Moving slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her more firmly against his chest.
It was bliss, but uncertainty nagged at him, making him wonder if he was doing something wrong. If she’d been awake, would she have pushed him away? Was he taking advantage of her sleeping state to steal a hug she’d never have offered him if she’d had a choice?
“Kit?” he whispered, needing her to make the decision, for her to move away or not. It felt too good to hold her for it to be tarnished by worry. “Kit, wake up.”
She squirmed against him, fighting the return to consciousness, wiggling and squirming and turning her head back and forth under his chin. He could feel the second that clarity returned, because she jerked her head up, nearly clipping him in the jaw as she did so.
“Wes?” Her sleep-roughened voice had a sexy burr to it that he immediately wanted to hear again. “Sorry. Was I climbing you as I slept? I have a bad habit of aggressively sleep-cuddling.”
“Yes, but I didn’t mind.” Wes struggled to find the best way to ask and decided that he’d just be honest. It seemed the easiest, although also the scariest. “Sorry to wake you up, but I wanted to make sure that you knew it was me.”
She studied his face intently, and he wondered if she realized that they were still pressed together from the chest down. A slow smile stretched across her face. “I knew it was you.”
“It wasn’t just auto-cuddling with the nearest warm body, then?”
Blinking at him, she slowly lost her smile, although the look in her eyes was hard to read. Affectionate? Warm? Warmly affectionate? “You’re so much more than a warm body.”
He didn’t know how to respond. It felt so fragile, this heated peace between them, so intense, yet gentle, and he worried about destroying that feeling by saying the wrong thing. In his experience, the chance of him blurting out something ridiculous was about ninety percent. It would be best, he decided, not to risk it. Instead, he just looked at her, enjoying their closeness and the press of their bodies.
Her expression changed, and the air between them suddenly became fully charged. It was hard to breathe, and then he forgot about oxygen entirely as Kit leaned closer, her lips opening ever so slightly. Everything slowed down, and a dim corner of his brain thought he should be taking notes, since they’d obviously figured out the trick to manipulating time.
It seemed like forever and no time at all before Kit’s mouth was inches above his, looking full and soft and lush, even in the half light of the overhead fixtures. She paused, but he couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to know what her mouth felt like on his.
Lunging up, he kissed her.
They both froze at the contact. Even though he’d been expecting it for what had felt like an eternity, the kiss still startled him into stillness. Her lips really were as soft and yielding as they looked, and they seemed to have an electrical short, judging by the charge jolting through him. This was a first for him—not the kissing, but his fiery, intense reaction to such a delicate touch.
He needed more. Reaching up, he cupped her cheeks and urged her down farther. When she went willingly, deepening the kiss enthusiastically, a thrill cut through him. As they kissed, exploring each other’s mouths, Wes’s arousal grew until he felt like he was burning from the inside out. Each touch, each nip, each kiss made him more frantic with need.
He slid his fingers into her hair, feeling the silky slide of the strands as they fell around them in a heavy curtain. Running his hands over her head and down her neck and then to her shoulders and upper back, he marveled at the contrast between her soft skin and the strength of the muscles underneath. She was small but so powerful, and he was both amazed and honored that he was here with her, kissing her, feeling her in a way he’d never thought he’d have a chance to do.
When she nipped his lower lip, he forgot everything in the world except this moment. Every part of his brain—even the one that kept him up at night by constantly spewing ideas and solutions and doubts—focused on the feel of the woman above him, of her lips and tongue, of her hands in his hair and her hip pressing into his side.
It wasn’t enough. The more they kissed and touched and explored, the more he needed her. With a groan, he rolled them over, barely remembering in time that they were on the narrow couch. He managed to turn so that they ended up still on the couch, but with her beneath him this time. Wes held himself on his elbows and knees, not wanting to crush her into the cushions.
The movement distracted him enough that he managed to break the kiss, although the sight of her swollen lips and the way her chest moved up and down as she panted for breath lured him back. He leaned closer, about to kiss her again, but somehow he managed to resist the urge to press his lips against hers.
“I can put the bed down,” he said, his voice so thick and deep with desire that he hardly recognized it. There was a light thump behind them, and he turned to see that the bed had unfolded, dropping out of the wall obediently. He turned back to see that Kit was smiling. Somehow, seeing those lips curve made them even more tempting than they’d been before. With a huge effort, he managed to keep from kissing her again. “Guess I said that a little too loudly.”
Her laugh was just a puff of air, but her eyes were smiling at him. “The bed is a good idea.”
He swallowed, his body dropping to press down on hers instinctually. “Both of us?”
Her laughter faded as heat replaced it, and she pushed her hips up to meet his, making him groan. “Yes.”
His eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the thick need she’d put into that single word. “I’m not rushing you?” He had to be sure. The further they went, the harder it would be to stop, and he wanted to make sure she didn’t have any reservations. It could be hard for him to read people, to know what they were really thinking, so he wanted to ask, to put it out there in words that couldn’t be misread or misinterpreted. It was so intense for him, and he wanted her so badly, but he needed her to be just as sure. He couldn’t ruin this. It was too important, too critical for his happiness to have this with Kit. Even though what they had was new, he already knew that to be true. Life without her would be empty.
Reaching up, she cupped his face, her gaze meeting his directly. Her touch lit a fire under his skin, but it was also comforting, both burning heat and soothing warmth at the same time. “You aren’t rushing me at all. I want this. I want it so badly that I might spontaneously combust if we stop now.”
He met her gaze and held it, caught up in a whirl of anticipation and excitement and affection and exhilaration. This was actually happening. He’d been wishing for it since she’d first appeared at his truck window, all understanding charm and understated power, and that wish was actually coming true.
“I know it’s been fast,” she continued when he was too caught up in his swirling emotions to say anything. “But I feel like I already know you.” He nodded, his stubble rasping against her palms. “And I want to know more. Show me.”
He would show her, and he knew that she’d keep everything he offered her safe. He could trust her.
She watched him, as if waiting for a response, but he didn’t have any words to express how he felt. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers again, pouring all of his emotions, everything that he felt the two of them could be, into the kiss. Wrapping her arms and legs around him, she reciprocated just as eagerly, clinging tightly as he stood, holding her against him.
He moved over to the bed, tumbling both of them onto the mattress. Kit gave a laughing shriek as they fell, never letting her grip on him loosen. Wes caught his weight on his hands before he could crush her, hovering over her as he kissed and nipped a line down her throat. She arched her neck, making small sounds that showed exactly how much she was enjoying the feel of his mouth on her skin. The evidence of her pleasure heightened his, tightening his muscles with hungry need.
When he reached her collarbone, licking and nibbling at the exposed skin above the neck of her top, she gently pushed him back until she could sit up and yank her shirt over her head. Without hesitating, she unhooked her bra and slid the straps down her arms, revealing her breasts.
He stared, entranced, feeling like a teenager who was seeing a woman naked for the first time. It wasn’t until she visibly shivered that he ripped his gaze away. She was smiling a little, but she seemed uncertain.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, reaching out to touch her, still amazed that he could, that this wasn’t a dream, that he wasn’t going to wake up alone and aching in his cabin loft. Her skin was so, so soft. “I can’t believe I get to touch you like this.”
Tugging at the bottom of his T-shirt, she smiled, her hesitancy gone. He must’ve said the right thing. “Take this off. It’s only fair that I get to touch you, too.”
Before she even finished asking, he grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled it off, tossing it away. As soon as his upper half was bare, her hands were exploring his chest. Overwhelmed by the sensation of her fingers on his skin, he had to close his eyes for a moment, but that just intensified the pleasure. He was startled by how amazingly good it felt.
His skin grew hot and tight, shivering under each brush of her hand, each light scratch and pinch. With a groan of intense pleasure, he reached for her, pressing her back onto the bed so he could kiss her deeply as their bare chests touched.
It was almost too intense. His desire flamed higher, and he wanted more. Catching her long underwear and her panties, he pulled them down her legs and off. Her toes, small and dainty, distracted him. He kissed the arches of her feet as he smiled.
“What?” she asked, returning the smile even though she didn’t know the cause of his.
“Your feet are so cute.” He brushed his lips over her ankles and then slowly worked his way up her calves. “They’re always hidden in your steel-toed police boots, though, so no one else knows how adorable you are.” It was as if they had a secret, as silly as it was. He liked that feeling.
She snorted a laugh that turned into a gasp as he nuzzled her thigh, working higher and higher until he found her center. He kissed her there, touching and sucking and licking as he watched for every tensed muscle, listened for every gasp or pleased sigh, learning what made her climb higher and higher until she came, gripping his hair tightly.
Her climax nearly set him off, and he hurried to strip off the rest of his clothes as she lay back on the rumpled covers, so beautiful with her face relaxed and eyes half-lidded in the aftermath of orgasm. He moved toward her before he remembered condoms, and he swore.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, propping herself up on her elbows, her hair mussed in the sexiest, most alluring way. It distracted him for a moment, until she shifted again, starting to look alarmed. Turning away reluctantly, he started hunting in drawers and cupboards. “What are you doing?” She sounded a little amused this time.
“I know I put them somewhere…” He pulled out the top drawer of his workstation and then the next. In the third, he hit pay dirt. “Found them!” Grabbing the box, he rushed back to the bed, and Kit started giggling. He straddled her on his knees, looking down at her laughing face, loving that something he’d done—although he wasn’t sure what—had made her this happy. “What’s so funny?”
Taking a deep, shivering breath, she managed to stop laughing, although her huge smile was still in place. “You’re just normally so serious. It was fun to see you act so…goofy.”
“That was an important mission I just went on,” he said, perfectly fine with being called goofy if it made her laugh. He showed her the box of condoms. “I need to program the robot to bring these on voice command.”
She was laughing again. “Robo-Cat is going to fetch your condoms? In the middle of…everything?”
It made sense to him, since it would save him from scrambling around when he was naked and desperate to be inside Kit, but her laughter made it impossible not to grin with her. As she continued to giggle, he leaned over and kissed the side of her neck, making his way down to her breasts. By the time he reached her nipple, her laughter had changed to sounds of pleasure.
She tasted so good. As he drew a line with his mouth down to her stomach, her muscles flexed and twitched under his lips. She felt so alive, so warm and strong, and he wanted to connect with her, to be part of that—part of her. Reluctantly, he pulled away, smiling a little smugly at her sound of protest as his mouth left her skin. Quickly rolling on a condom, he kissed her mouth and eased inside her.
A groan escaped each of them as he sank into her heat. He went still for a moment, trying to catch his breath and control his swirling emotions. When he couldn’t do either, he let himself slip into the moment, allowing everything to disappear except the feel of her as he moved. He couldn’t stop exploring her, his lips and hands moving over her, sliding over sweat-slick skin and finding all the spots that made her shiver and gasp against his mouth.
It was amazing to him how much she wanted him. He found her mouth as his pleasure grew, and he tried to pour all his affection and gratitude and need for her into a kiss. With a groan, she broke the kiss, closing her eyes and arching her neck as she came a second time. Her body tightened around him, driving him over the edge, and he felt pleasure rush over him, unexpectedly intense and completely wonderful.
It took a long time to come down from that height. When he finally did, it was to discover another completely different—yet almost as addictive—feeling. He sank into the mindless, floating warmth, loving the press of her lax body against his, but his thoughts started to intrude too soon. With a reluctant huff, he pulled away. Kit resisted for a moment, her arms tightening to pull him back against her, and it was nearly impossible to not be lured back into the nest they’d made.
“Give me twenty seconds,” he said, giving her a quick kiss. After tossing the condom and cleaning up in the bathroom, he hurried back to her, hoping she’d be just where he’d left her, warm and lax and happy.
“Eighteen…nineteen…” Her teasing counting broke off with a squeal as he jumped back on the bed and kissed her again.
“Twenty,” he finished, the word muffled by the press of her lips. She laughed, and he felt it, both against his mouth and in his chest. In his heart.
Pulling back a little, he stared at her. When she started looking puzzled, he tried to put his thoughts into order so he could explain. Normally, with her, this was easy, but everything had been stirred up inside him.
“You… This…” He waved a hand, indicating her, the bed, his whole world now that she was in it. Pausing, he sorted his thoughts and feelings, settling on something simple that didn’t even come close to the marvelous chaos in his brain right now. “I’m happy. Are you happy? With this? With me?”
She didn’t even hesitate. “I’ve never been so happy.”
When he kissed her, he could feel that she was smiling. He was, too.