“Not done yet.” He licked the rim of her ear.
Not done? “Um, what else is there to do?”
“Savor the moment. After burning that hot, we’re entitled to bask in the afterglow,” he teased, lips close to her ear. His heartbeat drummed strong and steady against her back while his hands roamed over her in easy, unhurried caresses. Not the kind of touch meant to drive her up again. No, this was something else. Something full of intimacy and comfort. He touched her like he cared.
A new urge gripped her—unfamiliar and not especially welcome, given their circumstances—to turn into him and cuddle. Dock in the safe harbor of his arms. Absorb his body heat, his strength.
The sun crept higher in the sky, reminding her they were here at this hour because of his schedule. Some unbreakable commitment she didn’t have standing to ask about no matter how badly she wanted the details.
Assurances. She craved assurances that she was…what? The only woman in his life right now? His, exclusively, for this week?
That’s exactly what you want.
Not good. Sex and safe harbors were two different things, and she wasn’t the kind of girl who confused the two. But sitting there soaking up his casual affection only encouraged her overactive emotions. She scooted forward, preparing to stand up, get her clothes in order, and put some distance between them.
His arms banded around her. “Hold on.”
She didn’t have much choice, but she managed to keep her back straight instead of returning to the shelter of his body. “It’s getting late. I don’t want to interfere with your commitment.” Jesus. Could she be any more obvious?
“Don’t worry.” As he spoke, he reached under her arms and took hold of her bunched-up shirt. “I know my schedule.” In that same unhurried way, he tugged her shirt and bra down until they covered her, and then smoothed his hands from her chest to her waist. “I also know my responsibilities as a guest of the National Park Service. Enjoy the visit, but leave everything exactly as you found it.”
With that explanation, he swept something soft over the small of her back. It took a moment for her to realize he was using the edge of the blanket to wipe away the evidence of how much he’d enjoyed his visit. Apparently the “leave everything exactly as you found it” rule applied to her as well, but she suddenly feared that despite his best intentions, he wasn’t going to succeed. She wouldn’t be the same. Being on the receiving end of all this patience, and humor, and inborn self-confidence was going to leave his imprint on her in some fundamental way she couldn’t prevent. It had nothing to do with breathtaking sexual skills, and everything to do with him.
“There.” He clapped her thigh. “Done.”
The words served more as a warning than an instruction to stand, because he proceeded to lift her to her feet. Brisk air stung skin suddenly deprived of the heat from his body. She reached for her pants.
His quick hands intercepted hers. “Let me.”
Goose bumps rose on her skin even as her cheeks heated. Okay, yes, she was standing there with her pants around her knees, but the self-consciousness seemed a little misplaced considering a second ago she’d come on his lap. Misplaced or not, the tension existed, stretching her nerves taut as she willed herself to stand there as he asked.
He pulled her panties up first, sliding them along her legs and easing
them over her hips. She drew in an unsteady breath as he ran his thumb along the flare of nude silk now framing her butt. Lips brushed one unprotected cheek, and then he turned her around and placed another kiss directly on the triangle of silk covering her sex. Her jaw went slack. Her knees wobbled, and just like that, he had her wanting again. Frightening.
He rested his forehead against her abdomen and inhaled deeply.
“Rider…” She sank her fingers into his hair and tipped his head back. Frightening, indeed.
Brilliant brown eyes looked up at her, full of amusement, awareness, and something more she couldn’t pin down. “Thanks for watching the sunrise with me, Czarina.”
Sincerity. Oh God. She could deal with cocksure Rider. She could hold her own—sort of—with teasing Rider, but sincere Rider damaged her defenses and left her scrambling. “My pleasure. Literally. As I think you know.”
Straight white teeth flashed for an instant before he leaned in and kissed her again. “Mine, too.” Then he dragged her sweats up and snapped them into place. “As I think you know.”
While she watched, he used a corner of the blanket to clean himself off. The sight had her swallowing hard. “I’d be happy to do that for you, you know. Return the favor?”
His smile flashed again as he tucked himself into his shorts and tied the drawstring. “Then I really would be late.”
The mere mention of his time constraint chased her playful mood away. “Right. Can’t have that. We should go.” Aware that didn’t come out anywhere near as breezy as she’d aimed, she scanned the rocks for the best way to climb up to level ground.
“If you’re curious about my plans, ask. You know my price.”
A price she couldn’t afford to pay. It wasn’t just that she didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to want to know. She didn’t want details or messy emotions. She wanted a stress-relieving vacation hookup. “I’m not the least bit curious. I hope you have a fabulous time doing whatever.” To prove it, she planted her right foot on a little outcrop of rock and shifted her weight to take a big, decisive step up and out of their love nest. No, scratch that. Sex nest.
The big, decisive step felt good—powerful even—until her foothold crumbled and an even more powerful force known as gravity took control.
…