Jennifer Probst - Catch Me

“Rick, I, oh!”

He grasped her hips and entered her. She moaned and pushed back into his hands as he rubbed her ass. Slow, delicious strokes filled her, driving her higher and higher. Her breasts hung down free, and he played with them as he thrust in and out of her. The erotic abandon pumped through her body, tightening her muscles as she neared orgasm. She circled her hips, searching for it, but he only laughed and kept his strokes shallow enough to tease but not get her off.

His hands pinched her nipples. Slid down her belly, and found the tight nub of her clit. He rubbed, using her juices to coat it, and tapped hard with his fingers. Sharp pleasure grabbed, attacked, and threw her over. She cried out his name and ecstasy shot in waves over her. He came again, and collapsed on top of her in the bed, their limbs entangled. Her heart squeezed with a mingle of raw emotions. Tears pricked her eyes as she held him close and wished dawn had never come.

His lips traveled over her soft skin. The heady scent of sex and musk and strawberries hung heavily in the air. He stroked her lush breasts, her silky hair, the curve of her buttocks. The red digits on the clock flashed with alarming rapidness.

He wasn’t ready to let her go.

He closed his eyes and reached for courage. His one-night stand had become much more. He wanted the chance to date her. Cook her dinner. Make love to her in the daytime. Wash her in the shower.

Would she give him the opportunity?

Since Rebecca, he’d never had a soul connection to another woman like he’d found in a single evening with Tara. He also knew in his gut she was different. He knew by experience, his ex-fiancée had always been selfish in her core. Tara held the soul of a giver, and a man would be safe offering his trust.

So, he ripped down the last barriers of his heart and uttered the words. “Stay with me.”

She stiffened and sat up. Her curls tumbled wildly around her face. Blue eyes held a mixture of emotions at his words. Fear. Hope. Joy. Resolve. “What do you mean?” she asked. “The contract specifically states by dawn we need to walk away.”

“Let’s change the contract.” He reached to take her hand. “Remember when we spoke about not getting caught? It’s too late for me. I know it’s crazy, that we’ve only been together one night. But you caught me. I want to see where this can lead. I want to see you again.”

She flinched. He fought uneasiness at her reaction and waited. It was time to push out of his comfort zone. This woman would walk away if he didn’t try and fight for her. And by God, he would give it his all before he surrendered.

Her voice broke. “I can’t.”

His gaze dared her to speak the truth. “Why? You’re attracted to me. We formed a connection last night. There’s no reason not to take this further.”

Suddenly, he knew. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at him, all the naked emotion and vulnerability and fear on display. “I’m not ready. What you gave me tonight...the things you made me feel...I don’t think another man will ever come close. But I made myself a promise. I’m not ready to commit to someone else yet. You gave me back my body, my mind, my freedom. You changed my life.”

She closed her eyes and one tear leaked down her cheek. When she opened them, a hard resolve glimmered and shattered his heart. “But I’m too afraid. Afraid I’m not ready for a relationship. Afraid I’m not strong enough not to stand on my own. I need time. I need to find my own way.”

He looked at the woman before him and realized he’d fallen in love with her.

She was stronger than anyone he’d ever met. Sexy as hell, sweet as sugar, and not ready to give him everything. Emptiness poured into the spaces of his soul and threatened to stay. But damn, he needed to let her go, needed to give her the time to realize what he did. She had already found her own path. She just needed to trust herself again.

If he didn’t leave, he’d overpower her. Make her have so many orgasms she’d beg him to stay. Force her to accept they were meant to be together, and then she’d always wonder. So, he shoved his need and want to the depths of darkness and locked it tight, bent his head and kissed her. Her sweetness swam in his head and he breathed in her scent one last time. Then rose from the bed and dressed.

“Thank you, Tara Denton.” He paused at the door. “Thank you for giving me the best night of my life.”

He opened the door and left.

Tara rolled her neck in circles and tried to ease the tension from her muscles. She groaned and closed the journal in front of her, pushing her calculator aside. Between school and working more hours at the Castillo Resort, she had a serious case of tired eyes. It may be time to invest in some reading glasses . Getting up from the chair, she stretched her arms overhead.

Now, she’d be able to afford them. Satisfaction thrummed through her veins. Her work had caught the eye of Jackson Castillo, and he’d offered her a full time job, including benefits. She switched to finishing her bachelor’s degree online, which saved her commuting time, and gave her the opportunity to graduate faster. Everything she worked for finally clicked into place. She was finally happy. And almost complete.

Almost.

His face flickered in her vision, never far from her mind. Three months . She dreamed of him every night, and woke up with a fierce need wracking her body. How many times had she picked up the phone to call him? How many times had she walked through the casino, hoping to catch a quick glimpse of him, knowing if she did, she’d never be able to walk away again?

She refused to do that to him. He was probably with a woman now. She pictured him kissing her, caressing her, giving her orgasms that shimmered with ecstasy. She imagined his wicked laugh, the grin on his face as he touched her, the tender way he stroked her wounds.

She swallowed back the pain and straightened her back. It had been her decision. She had needed the time to realize she was strong enough. Funny, she’d finally been convinced that giving herself to another man wouldn’t change who she was. She’d grown up, grown strong, and stood on her own two feet. But now it was too late.

Too late to let him catch her.

She pushed away the sadness and opened the door.

“Hello, Tara.”

She blinked. Then gasped as the figment of her imagination walked into her office and stood before her. Immediately, her body softened and trembled, the intense waves of sexual energy whipping around her. God, he was gorgeous. She soaked up his figure with greed. His long blonde locks tumbled over his brow, framing glittering green-gold eyes. He wore his usual uniform of black shirt and pants, his muscles evident under the thin fabric. She remembered how he’d lifted her that night like she weighed nothing, sprawling her over his thighs as he rocked inside of her and....

Hot color flooded her cheeks. His lush lower lip curved upward, as if he knew her naughty thoughts. She squeezed her fingers into tight fists and fought for composure. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to congratulate you on your promotion. I ran into Jackson and he told me how well you were doing. Working full time now?”

The casual, polite conversation cut deep. She breathed around the pain, and ached to touch him. She dug her nails into her palms to keep still. “Thank you. Yes, I’m very excited about it.”

“Still in school?”

He paced the small office with deliberate steps, glancing around. Stacks of papers in folders were piled on the desk, all neatly labeled and categorized. Her space was tiny, with only a desk, a few pictures on the wall, filing cabinets and a water cooler. But it was comfortable and clean and she loved every inch of it.