Instant Temptation

CHAPTER 27

Harley gave up trying to explain to herself why she needed to drive out to TJ’s the night before he left. There were no words for what she needed. There were only the feelings that he’d accused her of trying to avoid.

Fat chance of truly being successful at that. She’d been feeling something for him in one form or another for too many years to count.

But apparently, for once, he didn’t have words either. He stood in the doorway between his kitchen and the living room, arms up and braced on the oak doorjamb, looking dead sexy.

And dead set on letting her make the first move.

It was her move. She knew that.

He wore a pair of ragged old basketball shorts that fell to his knees and nothing else. His hair was in need of a trim, and it tumbled over his forehead, curling onto his neck. His expression, usually calm and easy, usually amused or getting there, was something else entirely, something she’d not seen from him before.

Hollow. Bleak.

She stepped close, her heart dropping. “What’s wrong?”

He let out a low, mirthless laugh and didn’t answer. Nor did he move.

“TJ?”

“Why are you here, Harley?”

Not expecting that grim, unwelcoming response, she hesitated, nearly turning tail and running. But he cared for her, she reminded herself. Deeply. He’d shown it a hundred times. In that way, maybe in all ways, he was far braver than she.

That stopped now. She became brave now. Stepping toe-to-toe with him, she put her hands on his chest. As his gaze met hers, she let her hands slide down his ribs, to the abs that she never got tired of touching. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

Her fingers got to the tie on his shorts and she saw awareness flare in his eyes.

And surprise.

She couldn’t blame him. For the most part, he’d always been the first to touch. Okay, not just for the most part. Always. He’d always been the first to touch.

That had been her own stupid fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of not being enough. Of being hurt…

No more fear.

“Harley, why are you here?” he asked again.

“I got the job in Colorado.”

“Congratulations,” he said with no surprise.

“You knew I would,” she breathed softly, no longer startled that he’d always had more faith in her than she had.

“I knew you would,” he agreed.

“That’s not why I’m here.”

He didn’t move, not even his hands, which were still above his head, braced on the wood as if he didn’t quite trust himself to touch her. He merely stood there, arms taut, body taut, waiting with that endless patience of his.

Except…it wasn’t endless. She had a feeling he’d reached his limits when it came to her. She bit her lower lip. “You said some stuff to me at my mom’s party.”

“Yeah.”

“I know it didn’t seem like it, but I heard you. I’m here for that good-bye you talked about.”

“I thought you didn’t do good-byes.”

“I never have.” Bracing her hands on his belly, she went up on tiptoes and brushed her lips across his, and when his body tensed and tightened, she did it again.

And then again.

“Until you,” she whispered, nibbling at the corner of his mouth. “You, TJ Wilder, I can’t seem to walk away from without one. I tried, but I can’t do it.” The other corner of his mouth…“Unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“No.” There was a faint trace of humor in his voice, but she suspected it was aimed at himself. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t made a move.

“I need you, TJ.”

At that, he made a low, inarticulate sound in his throat, and dropped his hands to her waist. “What?” he asked.

She stared at him. “Are you really going to make me say it again?”

“Yes.”

She blew out a breath. “Fine. I need you. Okay? I. Need. You.”

“Look at that, and you didn’t even choke on it.”

She sagged. “Give me a break. This whole thing is frustrating. I don’t need people. People need me. But you, TJ”-she pressed a hand to her aching heart-“I need. And I really hope you got it that time because it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier to say.”

He cupped her jaw, his eyes raking over her face, searching her eyes. Whatever he saw in them softened his. “I need you, too, Harley. So much.” He still wasn’t pressed up against her, but she felt something in her relax anyway as his hands gently squeezed her hips.

More. She needed even more. She let her fingers skim over his chest, feeling the muscles beneath quiver as she worked her way down. Past his belly button to the waistband of his shorts, so low on his hips as to be quite, deliciously indecent. It took her breath. He took her breath, and her fingers kept going even lower, gliding over the erection straining against the thin material. “You’re going to burst at the seams,” she murmured.

He made a choked sound, half laugh, half groan, and dipped his head, nuzzling her hair as if he couldn’t help himself.

“You commando again?”

“Yeah,” he said thickly, and just like that, she went damp.

“Kiss me,” she whispered, and then took matters in her own hands, yanking his head to hers.

With another of those rough, sexy sounds, he buried a hand in her hair, using the other at the small of her back to finally pull her in. His palm slid down to cup her butt, rocking her hard against him. She wore a flimsy little halter sundress, a gauzy number that was so comfortable. The hem was easy enough for him to bunch up in impatient fingers and then he slipped into her panties as well, holding her bare bottom in both hands.

“Christ, Harley,” he gasped hoarsely against her collarbone when his fingers slipped farther down, between her thighs, finding her hot and wet. She shivered, and he lifted her, pinning her to the wall. His lips pressed to her throat and one of his hands twined in her hair, tugging her face up to his. Leaning in, until his lips almost brushed hers, he whispered, “I was going to come to you tonight.”

“You were?”

“In about ten more seconds. Even knowing you wouldn’t want-”

She cupped his face. “I want.” There was so little space between them, her lips brushed his with each word. “I want you,” she whispered. “I need you.”

He slid a thigh between hers, lifting her up with it so that they were mouth to mouth. “Do you need this?”

“So much.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before he kissed her, rough and demanding. She responded in kind, trembling, already on the very edge. He wasn’t exactly steady himself, but he didn’t break the kiss as he trailed his hand up her thigh.

She untied his shorts, tugging them to his thighs. Yep, he was butt-ass naked beneath, and she nearly had an orgasm on the spot. Then he ripped away her panties and suddenly she was commando, too.

Still kissing her, he shoved up her dress and pushed into her, their twin gasps of pleasure filling the room.

As wound up as she was, she came in two thrusts. He was right behind her. Unable to remain upright through his orgasm, he slid down, still holding tightly to her, still embedded deeply within her as his knees hit the floor.

Chests heaving, half dressed, half not, they stayed like that for long moments, her forehead to his shoulder, his face buried in her hair.

“Bed,” he finally murmured, and somehow got them both down the hall.

He set her down in the middle of his room. Pulling back, Harley slid her hands up to the nape of her neck, untied her halter, and let it fall.

The dress slipped to her hips and caught on TJ’s hands. With a flick of his wrists, the material floated to her feet. “Now you,” she said breathlessly, then without waiting for him, shoved his shorts off.

Kicking free of them, he ran a finger over a breast, lightly grazing the hardened tip. “God, you’re beautiful,” he said, turning, nudging her onto the bed. She scooted backwards up the mattress and he followed, pinning her there with his weight. His lips went to her throat, nipping lightly until her nails dug into his shoulders. Shifting downward, he kissed her collarbone, then a breast, while she ground helplessly into him in a desperate attempt to relieve the already building pressure.

“Not fast, not this time,” he murmured, kissing her belly, a hip, her thighs. He pushed them open until his shoulders could fit between, settling her legs where he wanted them.

“TJ, I need…”

“Anything,” he promised.

You, she wanted to say. I need you to love me.

He traced a finger over her center, and she jerked and arched up for more, but he refused to be rushed. Instead, his other hand slid over her belly, holding her down for his ministrations. Bending his head, he kissed an inner thigh. His day-old stubble lightly scraped over her sensitive, quivering flesh, making her cry out. “You like that,” he murmured, and did it again so that she moaned. “Yeah, I like that, too.” He kissed her other thigh. And then in between. “And this,” he said silkily against her. I love this.”

“Oh, God.” She couldn’t put a thought together. Hell, she couldn’t breathe. It was instant and hot and she was already shuddering, her body practically convulsing. “Please.” He was still right there at her core, lightly kissing her damp folds. She felt his breath brush over her, and even that was almost enough to do her in. “Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.”

His eyes flashed, something deep and meaningful, but she couldn’t quite grasp it, couldn’t do anything but cry out as he bent his head and sucked her into his mouth at the same time that he slid two fingers into her, rocketing her straight to the shattering climax she’d been begging for. By the time she managed to come back to herself, he was kneeling between her spread legs, eyes hot and fierce. He held her undoubtedly dreamy, enraptured gaze as he entwined their hands together beside her head and drove into her with one fierce thrust, plunging deep. Her hips arched up to meet him, their gazes still connected, their bodies connected, hell, their souls connected as she wrapped her legs around him. He held onto her just as tight, as if she was his lifeline.

He was certainly hers.

No matter what happened, no matter how far apart they ended up, she’d always have that. Needing even more, she pulled him down over her so she could feel his heart pounding, beating in tune to hers.

Eyes dark, he pulled nearly all the way out before thrusting back in to the hilt, making her gasp his name as the need and hunger took over, touching every part of her with every part of him. Their breathing combined, ragged and rough, shutting everything else out.

Nothing else mattered, nothing but the slow pull of their bodies, the unending kiss.

She didn’t want to let him go.

Ever.

Emotion clogging her throat, she closed her eyes rather than give herself away.

“Harley.”

This is just a good-bye, just a simple, easy, casual good-bye.

“Harley, look at me.”

She forced her heavy eyelids open and somehow managed to meet his gaze, knowing by the look in his that yep, she’d given herself away.

Seemed she needed some practice on multitasking orgasms and heartbreak.

Gently, so gently it brought tears to her eyes, he swept her hair back from her face. “I love you,” he said, the words causing her to spiral and shudder as she burst.

And took him with her.

When TJ woke up, he knew even as he reached out that Harley was gone. He almost believed he’d imagined her, except for the bite mark on his shoulder.

And what felt like nail indentations in his ass.

But the amusement drained quickly, because last night, hot and amazing and heart wrenching as it’d been, had been his good-bye.

Two days later TJ was in Anchorage, preparing to take a charter with Colin into their drop zone when his cell phone rang.

“TJ,” a voice breathed softly in his ear, sounding relieved to get him.

“Harley?”

“Yeah.”

For a moment they did nothing but breathe. He wasn’t sure what to say that hadn’t already been said, but he was happy as hell to hear from her. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

Silence.

Memories.

Longing.

He recovered first, or at least put up the pretense of it. “Where are you?”

“Desolation. And no, not by myself.” She paused. “Nolan and Skye are with me.”

Nolan. TJ pinched the bridge of his nose and took a breath.

“He’s here with Skye. And to protect me, of course.”

“He’s with Skye?”

“They’re beginning a…mutual affection.”

Suddenly he could breathe. Breathing was good. “Any problems?”

“Actually earlier we heard a gunshot.”

Christ. “How close?”

“Couple miles. We called it in. By some miracle, the rangers located two guys exiting out of the east entrance, without a permit of course, and loaded with unregistered shotguns and ammo.”

It could have been worse, he told himself. “Arrested?”

“Yep. I don’t think I’ll be losing any more of my coyotes.”

“Your coyotes?” He felt himself smile in spite of the lingering fear for her. “You’re leaving, remember?”

“Yeah. TJ…any regrets?”

“None,” he said firmly, then paused. “You?”

When she was quiet, he shook his head at himself. Obviously she had regrets, she’d sneaked out in the middle of the night.

“None,” she finally said, then hesitated. “Well, maybe one.” She paused again and just about killed him.

Had his phone died? “Harley? You still there?”

“Yes.” She inhaled deeply. “It’s you, TJ. You’re my regret. I regret not telling you sooner, like years sooner, how I felt about you.”

He heard the click, telling him she was long gone before he found his words and could point out that she still hadn’t told him.

Twenty-four hours later, TJ and Colin were at 15,500 feet in a tent smack in the middle of a windstorm that was threatening to rip them right off the side of a mountain.

It wouldn’t happen. TJ was pretty sure.

Well, at least 80 percent sure.

Colin lay flat on his back staring up at the ceiling of the tent. “I’m a fucking screwup. I should be in front of the pastor tomorrow, saying ‘I do’ with Lydia at my side. Sex for the rest of my life, guaranteed. Man, what the fuck was I thinking?”

TJ didn’t know. Guaranteed sex sounded pretty darn good. But then again, suddenly so did waking up every day wrapped in the same woman.

Christ. It’d gotten to him, all of it; laughing at karma, watching his brothers fall in love.

Being with Harley.

Falling for Harley.

“You ever screw up?” Colin asked. “I mean really screw up?”

TJ thought about how he’d let Harley think all he wanted was a casual, temporary thing, how he’d said he loved her but without the other words she’d needed to go with that love. “Yeah.”

“How did you fix it?

“Still working on that.”

Colin thought about that, then shook his head. “This is all wrong. I changed my mind. I want to get married tomorrow.” Colin closed his eyes, then opened them again, and they were damp. “How fast can you get me home?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Look, I let her think I love my adventures more than I love her. I have to tell her that’s not true. That I’d rather be with her than on a damn mountain. It’s cold here, man. I should be in my warm bed with my warm almost wife.”

“You could call her.”

“No, we’re going in person and tell her I’m an ass. I want to see if she’ll marry this ass. On Squaw Peak like we planned. Take me home, man.”

TJ let out a breath and pulled out his phone to make the calls necessary to get them out of there. Because home sounded like a damn fine place to be.