Mountain Challenge (Mont Blanc Rescue #9)

Chapter 7

7

Isla

R y stood protectively behind her as she opened the front door. A blast of warm air hit her, and she was suddenly glad she’d left her heating on low all day.

“You don’t have an alarm?” He didn’t look impressed.

“I don’t have anything worth stealing.”

“May I look around?”

He waited until she nodded before closing the door, his large frame making her small living area feel even smaller than it was. He walked by her dining table, and she had a brief flashback to her dream from the previous night, when he’d lifted her onto that very same table, pulled her legs apart and?—

Isla shook her head. There was nothing sexy about the way he was looking around her apartment. He was all business, much as he’d been ever since they’d discovered the slashed tires.

“You’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to. Let me just check that everything’s okay, and I’ll get out of your way.” He disappeared inside her bedroom. She heard him open the bathroom door, then another door that must have been her closet.

Suddenly, she felt overly warm. She took Ry’s jacket off and placed it on the back of one of her three dining chairs.

He was back a few moments later. “Everything looks okay. Get some rest, Isla. I’ll ask around when I get into the office tomorrow and call you if there’s any news.”

Isla’s feet moved of their own accord, propelling her towards the door until her slight body blocked his way. Ry arched an eyebrow. “Isla?”

“Don’t leave.”

Those deep green eyes seemed to read right into her soul. “I can sleep on the couch if you like. You don’t have to be scared.”

“Or you can stay with me. In my bedroom,” she retorted.

His eyes narrowed in surprise. Not her sexiest comeback, perhaps, but she certainly had his attention.

“You’re exhausted,” he said. To her, or to himself, she wasn’t sure.

“I am.” Isla placed her hand on his shirt, pushing him back until his butt touched the door. And though she knew she wouldn’t have been able to move him if he hadn’t let her, she loved the way his eyes flared with surprise. It was a hot, heady feeling, and Isla drank it in, spreading her fingers against his chest, feeling his warmth through the shirt. “I also happen to know what I want.”

Ry’s eyes went down to her mouth, and his head came down. He was going to kiss her, and she wanted it. She wanted to feel her lips against his, more than she wanted her next breath. Time stopped for an instant, and he was so close, so close?—

“No.”

“No?”

“Not happening. Not like this. You’re tired and stressed, and that’s not how?—“

“I still want you. And I can see you want me too,” she said, lowering her eyes to the very obvious bulge in the front of his pants. A bulge that made her think maybe her dream from the night before hadn’t been too far off. Oblivion. Release. An amazing orgasm . The things they could gift each other, if only he would get on with the program.

Something new flashed in his eyes, something that looked a lot like regret. “Sure I want you. You know I do. The answer is still no, Isla. Not like this. I’ll stay the night, though. I’ll stay out here and make sure?—“

“No.” She finally found her voice. Her hands went to her hips. “I’m not saying you’re not right. Maybe I am tired and stressed. But don’t be an ass. This isn’t the nineteenth century, and I’m not a virgin who needs to be protected from herself. I said no to dinner earlier, and now I’m saying yes to sex. So … what do you say, big guy? Are you interested?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “I’m interested. I just think you should sleep on it. I don’t want you regretting?—“

“Let’s sleep together, instead.” She reached up onto her tiptoes, glad now that she hadn’t taken off her boots yet, pulled his head down and brought their lips together.

Ry

Her lips tasted of strawberries. Fucking strawberries. And he knew for a fact she hadn’t been eating any strawberries. Not in the last hours, while they’d been freezing their asses outside waiting for the police to finish with her car. Which meant he might be losing his mind. But fuck, he loved strawberries.

His lips sought more of her, and she sought him right back.

A part of him warned him this might be a mistake. Because as sure as she seemed—and right now she was sucking on his tongue in a way that made him feel she was very sure indeed—he didn’t want her to regret this. To regret them. She’d just been through an unexpected stress, and Ry was familiar with stress. He knew people reacted to stress in very different ways. Maybe this is her way .

“Stop it,” she said, her voice a soft whisper.

“Stop what?” he replied, sucking gently on her bottom lip. Definitely strawberries .

“Thinking. You’re doing it very loudly, and it’s distracting.”

Ry laughed right into her mouth. He’d never laughed while kissing someone before, and it was a fucking intimate thing to do.

His hands went around her waist. She was tiny. So slim his hands spanned almost her whole waist. Not the kind of woman he usually went for, but it was hard to remember any other woman. He allowed himself to tighten his hold, and she gave a little moan of appreciation. His cock throbbed in time with her moan. He wanted more of that. He wanted more of her. He wanted everything. But there was something important he had to say to her first.

“We can stop anytime, Isla. You know that, right?”

Her beautiful eyes narrowed. “I know that. But I don’t want to stop.” She pulled at his hands, bringing them under her sweater, up to her breasts.

Fuck, those breasts. He’d dreamed of seeing them ever since she’d first leaned down over him to stare at his tattoo. He let his hands see them now, gently feeling their firm weight, the way the nipples pebbled against his touch and?—

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck . A strangled sound left his throat. “You’re pierced,” he said. “Your nipples are pierced.”

She gave a light laugh. A beautiful sound. “Want to see?”

I want. He took a small step back, watching her shimmy out of her top until she stood in front of him wearing a simple white cotton bra.

Ry couldn’t help himself. With a growl, he reached over and pulled the cotton down under each of her breasts. And fuck, yes . Her pink nipples were pierced by little horizontal barbells.

“This is …” Okay, he’d officially lost his voice.

“You like?” She looked like she was enjoying his surprise immensely.

“I like,” he confirmed, finding at least those words.

“You know what the best thing about it is?” she asked, her voice like silk.

Ry’s thumb grazed her right nipple, watching as the little nub got harder. Like a little diamond. “Tell me.”

“My nipples are so much more sensitive now.”

Fuck. Fuck. Ry’s cock strained against his pants. They weren’t going to get anywhere close to having sex. He was going to come in his pants long before.

“Take off your shirt,” she said. “I want to see you too.”

Ry didn’t need to be asked twice. His fleece and his polo shirt joined her bra. “How sensitive?” he growled, still stuck on her previous words. He didn’t mean to growl, it just came out that way. He reached behind her and unclipped her bra, pulling it off and letting it fall to the ground. Then his hands palmed her breasts, feeling the weight of each one. The perfect handful. Large for such a petite woman. But then, she was full of surprises.

“Suck on them,” she said softly, offering him one of her nipples. He could have lowered his head to take what she offered, but Ry had a better idea. He placed his hands on her waist again and lifted her. One hand went under her perfect, round ass, while the other one went to her back, supporting her. Now her nipples were at mouth level.

Perfect .

He pulled his mouth against her right nipple, rolling the metal around on his tongue. Isla whimpered, her back arching to get her even closer. Yes.

“I fucking love your tits,” he said, raising his head and going for the other one. She tasted soft and sweet, the perfect complement to the hardness of the metal. Her nipples, held between those tiny metal bars, were hard like raisins. Making his cock harder than it’d ever been before. Isla’s hips pressed against him, looking for more friction.

“What do you want, baby? Tell me what you want.”

“I want … I want to come.”

“Want to come like this?” He could make that happen. He’d do anything to keep her writhing against him like this.

“No.”

He stopped immediately and raised his head to see her eyes.

Her hands tightened on his hair, pulling to bring him closer, but he wasn’t going anywhere. The word was an absolute showstopper for him.

“No. Don’t stop. I meant … Bed. Take me to bed.”

He’d reduced her to short sentences, which was good, because he didn’t think he could parse many words. Not when all his blood was flowing to his cock. But still, he had to be sure.

“Are you sure, Isla?”

“Yes. Bed. I’m sure.”

He’d seen her big white bed a few minutes earlier when he’d gone through her apartment to make sure it was safe. He pulled her higher on his hips now and carried her towards the bedroom, loving the way her legs tightened on his hips as he moved. She had strong legs for such a little thing. All muscle.