Standing Outside The Fire. Sara Orwig

wavy brown hair was tangled, locks falling over his forehead, and she wanted to run her fingers through his hair. She wanted to kiss him, to wake him and make love again. At the same time, she was appalled that she had gone to bed with him the first night she had met him.

      Then she remembered his remarks about marriage: never been married, not married, never will be. He had told her up front his feelings on commitment. She felt a little sick, yet at the same time, half of her wanted to lean down and kiss him awake and love him again.

      When had she turned into this wanton sex-starved woman? But it wasn’t sex-starved per se. It involved totally the man beside her. Was there such a thing as love at first sight? She didn’t believe it and never had. That was the stuff of fairy tales, not real life and ordinary people.

      Clamping her lips closed, she started to slip out of bed. His arm snaked out and wrapped around her, pulling her close against him, and he leaned over to kiss her.

      She pushed against him. “Boone, wait—”

      “Shh, darlin’,” he whispered in return. “C’mere. I need you,” he said softly, nuzzling her neck, and then he kissed her while she started to protest.

      “Boone, let go,” she said, and scrambled out of bed, looking frantically for something to cover her nakedness. She yanked up a pillow and discovered he was on his side, his head propped on his hand, enjoying watching her. With lithe ease, he slid out of bed and reached for her.

      She backed away. “You stay away from me, you devilish charmer.”

      She could see the amusement dancing in his eyes, and she was struggling to control her own inclination to walk back into his arms. “Where are my clothes?” she snapped, telling herself that she should show some restraint. Her head was throbbing, and he was ignoring her, moving closer as she backed up.

      He was naked, aroused, incredible. Male, virile, he was all hard muscles and she was having a difficult time with her protests.

      “Come here, Erin,” he coaxed in a seductively low voice. “Come here, darlin’ and let’s kiss again.”

      “You seduced me last night!”

      “Might have, but as I recall, we both had a pretty great time.”

      Trying to back up and at the same time keep him at arm’s length, she glanced over her shoulder to look for her discarded clothing.

      “I’m a devilish charmer? You’ll turn my head, darlin’. I didn’t dream I had that effect on you.”

      “You know darn good and well you had that effect on me and you’re laughing at me right now. I’m trying to do what I should and you’re not making it easier.” She glanced frantically over her shoulder and saw her clothes in a heap right beside the door. She looked back at him and he was even closer, reaching out to put his hand on her waist. She put one hand against his chest and held the pillow tightly against her with the other.

      “I didn’t have my wits about me last night!” she exclaimed, wondering how long she could keep them now. Her pulse was racing, and he was impossibly enticing.

      “And I took advantage of you? Is that what you’re accusing me of?”

      “No! I know you didn’t take advantage of me,” she said, trying to back up and bumping a table, edging around it. “But I wasn’t thinking as clearly as I should have been.”

      “And this means you’re filled with regrets today. Do you regret last night, darlin’?”

      His blue eyes nailed her and even while she could see amusement dancing in his eyes, she knew he was halfway earnest with his question. “You know I can’t regret it, but I’m not doing it again!”

      “Doing what again? Making hot, sexy love? Eating with me? Sleeping in my arms? Showering with me? What?”

      “You think this whole thing is funny—”

      “No, no!” he protested, suddenly looking solemn. “I’m as earnest about you and me as that sunshine outside. I know exactly what I want this morning, and there’s nothing comical about it.”

      “You’re pursuing me,” she leveled at him.

      “Damn straight there, sweetie. I am pursuing you and intend to continue to pursue you whatever you decide to do.”

      Her pulse jumped with his answer even though she didn’t want it to.

      She waved her hand at him. “Now, you stay right there and let me get my clothes and you just turn around. You don’t need to watch and embarrass me.”

      “I would never dream of embarrassing you, not ever. But now to watch, darlin’, I’ll be drooling if I do that.”

      “You’re going to stay there and nothing more!” she snapped, and reached down to scoop up her dress.

      He moved closer, putting his fists against the door on either side of her and hemming her in. He stood only inches from her, and her heart was thudding loudly enough for him to hear. His hair was tangled over his forehead, he was totally naked and aroused, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him more than anything on earth, but common sense said not to do it.

      She was clinging to her resistance the way she was clinging to the pillow in her arms, but she was doing better with the pillow. He was too close, his eyes too blue, his body too sexy.

      “The most beautiful, feistiest redhead in the whole world is in my room and has spent the night in my arms,” he drawled in a lazy, husky voice that took her breath. Every nerve in her body tingled and she ached for him, heat making her feel she was standing in the middle of an inferno.

      “You just step away and don’t start that seduction stuff,” she ordered in a breathless voice that sounded as firm as soup.

      “Seduction stuff? Surely I have more finesse than that,” he replied in a low voice and brushed a kiss on her neck.

      “You’re not doing what I asked.”

      “That’s because I don’t think your whole heart is in that request to ask me to step away.”

      “I know you’re laughing at me and I’ve been easy—”

      “Darlin’, there is nothing about you that is easy, I promise you that one.” He was dusting kisses all along her throat and on her ear, his warm breath tickling her ear while one hand caressed her nape.

      “Everything about me has been easy,” she whispered, knowing she was losing the battle.

      “Believe me, it hasn’t. I want you to stay with me. C’mon, darlin’, stay with me now.” His hand slipped beneath the pillow to caress her breast, his thumb drawing circles on her nipple while he kissed her protests away.

      Dimly she knew he pulled the pillow out of her arms and then he was holding her naked body pressed against his. He was warm, hard, ready.

      She slipped one arm around his neck and capitulated totally, wanting him with all her being.

      His kiss was devastating. She shouldn’t fall right into his arms and his bed, but, oh, what kisses!

      She kissed him, clinging to him, pressed against his warm, nude body and held tightly in his arms. How long they kissed, she didn’t know, but finally she pushed slightly against his chest. “Boone, this is crazy. Last night I had wine and didn’t—”

      “Shh,” he whispered, kissing her briefly and stopping her conversation. “The wine doesn’t matter. It didn’t have a thing to do with what’s between us. I’ll show you, darlin’.” He tightened his arm and kissed her while his other hand caressed her breast. She moaned, the sound caught in her throat, muffled by their kisses.

      He leaned away. “I want you, Erin. And I want you to stay with me this morning if you will,” he said earnestly, and all amusement vanished from his expression, replaced by so much desire in his eyes that it took her breath.

      Her