Naked Pursuit

Her lids drifted shut as a wave of sensation slid along her nerve endings. “You feel so good.”

“Just wait,” he whispered against the swell of her breast. “I’m going to make you feel a lot better.”

He lowered his head and sighed.

But that nagging doubt wouldn’t completely wane. Some cautions were just too ingrained. Had lived inside her soul for too long. Owen sighed again, but this time not from pleasure. “You’re still worried,” he said.

“How could you tell?”

He made a face that said don’t be ridiculous.

“I just can’t imagine how weird it would be to wake up and not remember a thing. I don’t want to start all over again with you. I want to wake up and be exactly where I am right now,” she told him, wiggling her hips against his. He groaned.

“I have an idea. Hotels always have notepads and paper. We’ll write notes to ourselves, just in case.”

“Good idea.”

She scrambled off the bed in search of paper and pens, pausing only long enough to twist back into her bra and slide her shirt over her arms. Living in the moment was one thing. Doing it topless while a sexy man gazed upon you was quite another. Too unnerving. More like too distracting. She needed to keep her emotions battened down tight just a little bit longer.

A few minutes later she sat at the dinette, trying to decide what to write.

Dear Stella,

Okay, really? That was just pathetic.

In case you don’t remember last night, let me just tell you that you are one lucky woman. Lucky because you get to discover all over again what a great kisser Owen is. In fact, he is everything you’d want in a man. Besides sexy as hell, he’s adventurous, caring and clearly knows how to give you org—

Okay, so she didn’t know that yet, but c’mon. The man gave her the quakes and shivers just by licking her nipples.

Actually, maybe this whole note-to-herself thing was kind of dumb. Sure there were strange side effects with any medication, but twenty-four-hour memory loss would be...odd. Clearly the woman had been just trying to scare them, which, frankly, was very unethical.

But could Stella really blame her? The poor lady probably would have said anything to keep them from leaving. Stella owed PharmaTest, and specifically the unknown lady, a big apology. Thankfully she didn’t have to feel too guilty; drug testers used large pools of volunteers specifically because many people dropped out of studies for any number of reasons.

Across from her, Owen clicked his pen and placed it on the table. “Already done?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Didn’t need to say much.”

Was that a good thing?

“What did you write?” he asked, picking up the pen again and twirling it between his fingers.

She playfully held the note card to her chest. Was he nervous? Worried that she’d say something negative about him? That was kind of endearing and sweet. Of course, endearing and sweet didn’t guarantee him a peek at her letter. She stuffed it in her purse.

“What I wrote is a secret. Besides, I’d only gotten a few sentences in when I realized these notes might be a waste of time anyway. In fact, just to make this interesting...”

Stella reached for a new note card and wrote in large block letters:

DON’T TRUST TONY AND HAYDEN.

His brow furrowed for a moment. Then he laughed. Man, that was one sexy laugh. The kind that made shivers tingle down her spine. “Nice one. May I?”

She handed him the pen, his rough fingers sliding along hers. Had he done that on purpose just to touch her? He’d used a perfectly good pen moments ago when he’d written his own note card.

He scribbled something on a new note card.

She turned the note so she could read it. “Oh, you have terrible handwriting. And I’m the one who’s going to be a doctor.” Then she read:

Don’t trust anyone.

“We should make more and hide them around the room,” she suggested. They spent the next few minutes writing even more notes to themselves until all the paper was used. She laughed until her shoulders shook and she had to lean against the doorframe of the bedroom.

“We are either going to find this really funny or so dumb when we wake up in the morning,” he told her.

She felt the warmth of his breath and turned. When had he gotten so close? Stella gripped the hem of his polo shirt and tugged it up his chest. Owen helped her pop it over his head.

Shirtless beside her, Owen seemed so much more intimidating. His body was a finely tuned masterpiece of honed muscle. She traced the tattoo of a flame, ax and helmet on his bicep. His muscles tightened under the gentle exploration of her fingers.

“So you really are a firefighter.”

“You doubted me?”

“I can see guys making up having that job and using it to their advantage. Some women find firemen kind of hot.”

“The only woman I want to find it hot is you.”

“How often do you carry people fireman-style?” she asked, her fingers now following the tight pec muscles of his chest. He had to be strong to battle his way through walls and burning debris to save people who were frightened and suffering from smoke inhalation.

“It’s part of the training. Care for a demonstration?” he asked, his tone teasing.

“Absolutely.”

“There’s a price,” he warned, and he began to nuzzle the back of her neck.

“And your terms are?” Whatever it was, she doubted it would be too tough a debt to pay.

“What does your note card say about me?” he asked as he licked the column of her neck.

“Mmmmm.” Her knees trembled and she leaned against the tower of his body.

“Stella,” he prompted.

Wow. Was he actually apprehensive about what she’d told her future self about him? She planned to keep her ideas of his orgasm-inducing abilities to herself. “It’s no big deal what I wrote. We’re not really going to forget tonight, and writing them was just a waste of time. What did you write about me?” she challenged. No way would he show it to her.

But Owen dug the note card from his back pocket and handed it to her.

Whatever you do, don’t let Stella go without giving it a shot.

Her mouth dried. There were a lot of sexy things about Owen—the rich timbre of his voice, the muscled strength of his arms, his tight ass—but that note, his words...that was the most erotic thing she’d discovered about him so far.

She swallowed and turned to face him. “Well, that note’s not a waste of time.”

“And?”

She shook her head. “Still not going to see my card.”

He expression turned regretful. “And I so wanted to demonstrate my ability to hoist you over my shoulder.”

He stuck by his word and didn’t give in easily. She liked that about him. She liked everything about him.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?”

Owen’s eyes widened and he swallowed. “Uh...”

Stella choked back a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to profess something undying here. I’m not even sure I believe in instalove, but I do understand instalust, and man, oh, man, do I have that.”

Before she could fumble out another word, she was in his arms. Enveloped in lean male muscle and woodsy cologne and an ocean of want and need. Stella met his lips, her mouth opening for a kiss so hot and amazing her entire body yielded to desire.

He hooked his arm behind her knees and then swooped her into his arms. “I thought you weren’t going to carry me?” she teased, then sucked his earlobe into her mouth.

“This isn’t exactly a regulation procedure,” he told her.

He placed her on the soft comforter of the luxurious king-size bed and stretched out beside her. Then his mouth was on hers. Their previous kisses had been explorations, the teasing and tentative first kisses of new attraction. But now, Owen kissed her with hunger and passion and deep, deep need.

She rolled to her back and he settled between the V of her legs. She felt the hardness of his cock through her leggings and his jeans. In moments, he’d released the top buttons that hadn’t flown off her shirt when she’d ordered him to rip it apart. He shoved her bra out of his way and she moaned when his hands touched skin.

“I can’t wait to taste you. Taste all of you,” he groaned into the side of her neck.

Stella tried to sear that sexy, guttural sound into her memory so it could never escape. But that tiny, troubling doubt poked at her again. “It would be awful to not remember this.”

“We have the notes,” he reminded her, and his lips lowered to her nipple, drawing it into the warmth of his mouth and making her ache.

But she could potentially wake up next to a naked man with no idea who he was or how she got there. Disconcerting didn’t even describe that idea.

Stella squeezed her eyes shut. Ugh, all she wanted to do was enjoy this moment. To hold something so amazing and sensual in the vault of her mind so she could dust off the memory and relive it when she was deep into a shift and needed something to remind her that she was a living, breathing woman.

He circled her nipple with his tongue. This. Why couldn’t she just simply enjoy this? But uncertainty still prodded her. “No, I know me. I’d yell first and ask questions later. I’d grab my clothes and race from this hotel and try never to think about it again. Or what if you wake up first and decide to get the hell out? Waking up alone with no memory might actually be worse.”

“I wouldn’t run,” he assured her, then drew the tip of her nipple into his mouth again.

“Mmmmm.” What was she protesting about? Oh, yeah. “Sure, you say that now.”

He lifted his head and pinned her with his gaze. “If it makes you feel any better, I do have handcuffs in my duffel bag. We’d have to talk to each other. At least until I got them off.”

“Why would that make me feel better?”

“You’re worried I’ll be gone in the morning. I can’t leave if I’m handcuffed to you.”

A rush of satisfaction made her smile. “So you want to see me in the morning? Not that I’m judging you for hooking up or anything.” Could she stop herself from rambling? “I mean, clearly I’ve hooked up with you. It’s just that I’d like to think that it’s more.” Nope, she couldn’t stop the rambling. “Believe me, I understand. I’ve taken enough biology classes to understand the imperative to—”

The stubble on his cheek tickled her breasts as he skimmed up her body until they were nose to nose. His hazel eyes were dark once more. And serious. “Stella, I want to wake up in the morning with you. Order room service and have breakfast, then take you back to bed and stay here with you until we have to eat again.”

“You have a way of convincing a girl. So why do you have handcuffs in your bag? Is that part of your normal, um, repertoire? Not that I’m against them or anything, but I just need to rearrange my thinking a little bit. You know...in case.”

“It goes with being a firefighter. And did you just say ‘in case’?”

“I’m still a little confused. Are cuffs part of the job? I don’t really remember that on the tour of the fire station I took in the third grade.”

He rolled off her body and began to trace light patterns on her skin with his index finger. “Sometimes couples need help getting out of their restraints, so they call 911. Firefighters usually take those emergencies.”

“And this happens a lot?”

He shrugged. “Well, a lot more since that book came out. After your first restraint release, the other guys sort of gift you with a pair.”

“Like a ceremony?”

“More like, uh, friendly hazing.”

She held out her right hand. “Okay, cuff me.”

His finger stilled. “That’s the sexiest damn thing you’ve said. And you’ve said some damn sexy things.”

“Ha-ha. You’re getting cuffed, too, buddy.”

He scooted off the bed and then lifted her until he’d flung her over his shoulder. He carried her back into the sitting room.

“I thought you weren’t going to demonstrate the fireman hold until I showed you my note.”

“You complaining?”

As she had a pretty good view of his ass... “Nope.”

He placed her gently on her feet next to the small table where he’d dumped his duffel bag. She lowered her bra into place and refastened the top buttons.

“Why do you insist on ruining all my best work?” he asked. The metallic rip of the zipper sounded as he opened the bag, and she watched as he dug around neatly folded clothes and socks.

“Your best work?”

“I’ve had you nearly undressed twice now.” He tugged out a box of condoms.

“Good thinking,” she said as he handed them to her. Then she shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel I should be clothed if I’m getting handcuffed.”

“In our case, it’s the exact opposite.” He fumbled around until she heard the muffled sound of metal and he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. After zipping the bag closed, he placed the cuff around his wrist and clicked it in place.

“You went first.”

“A show of good faith,” he told her. “A gentleman always cuffs himself first. Milady?”

She lifted a brow. “That’s the official etiquette in this situation?”

He nodded. “If you’re uncomfortable...”

Stella took a breath and held her wrist out to him. Then pulled it back. “Wait. You’re sure you have the key in there? As much as I like this firefighter tradition, I’d just as soon not be the cause of someone else earning his cuffs.”

“Oh, the key’s in there. Besides, I’ve learned a few tricks on how to get out of restraints.”

“You know how to keep a woman intrigued.” She held out arm again and he fastened the cuff around her wrist. Then she looped an arm around his neck as best she could while handcuffed to the man.

His cock hardened against her thigh.

“Show me more,” she urged.

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