Off the Record

  Linc has his entire body pressed into mine and he has taken absolute possession of my mouth. All of the thoughts and anger fly out of my head, and my hands grab onto his shirt to desperately keep him in place.

  I've never been kissed like this before. It is hard, possessive and as our teeth knock together, I realize somewhat brutal. Just before he ends the kiss, Linc grabs hold of my bottom lip with his teeth, biting a groan out of me. Then he softly sucks on it before pulling away.

  My chest is heaving with the effort to breathe, and although Linc has pulled his lips from mine, his erection is still pressed into my belly. I itch to move my hand down and take hold of it.

  "Ever," Linc begins, looking straight into my eyes. "Renner was not a date. She's my cousin. One of my best friends. We grew up together and she's like a sister to me. In fact, she's the one that threw the shoe that split my chin open."

  "She clocked you with her shoe?" Images of her launching a stiletto at him fill my mind, and I have to wonder what Linc did to make a grown woman do that.

  He chuckles. "Yes. I believe she was seven years old when she threw one of her Mary Jane's at me in a fit of temper. Lesson learned...never piss off a red head."

  I can't even respond. Humiliation runs through every vein in my body and I groan. I try to pull out of his arms so I can run to my bedroom and hide from the shame of my rant, but he holds me tight. So I do the next best thing and I bury my face in his chest. I'm sure the heat from my cheeks is burning a hole through his t-shirt. I'm not so far gone in my mortification though that I fail to notice the hard muscles of his chest under my hot cheek.

  I can feel him give me a kiss on top of my head, then he steps back. He's holding on to my upper arms, otherwise I would have bolted.

  "That was quite a display of jealousy you gave me there, Miss Montgomery."

  My head snaps up and I glare at him. "I was not jealous!"

  He merely raises an eyebrow at me and I clamp my mouth shut. Oh, God I was so jealous! I give him a sheepish grin and he chuckles at me.

  Then he leans in and captures my lips again. Except this time...it's soft. Sweet. Full of promise of something more to come.

  To my dismay, it's also way too short.

  When he pulls back, he's looking at me solemnly. "Ever...don't let there be any doubt that I want you. Only you. You're all I fucking think about."

  Oh my. My toes practically curl in my running shoes with the want and frustration in his voice. All of the doubts that I had have fled. He truly does want me. And God help me, but I want him too.

  Badly.

  I take a shaky breath in and let it out. "But...we're going to wait?"

  "Yes," he says as he gives me one more soft kiss. "We're going to wait. I have something special planned."

  I let out a sigh as he grins at me. I'll have to be satisfied with holding on to the anticipation of the day that Linc decides the time is right. "So be it. Let's go run off this sexual frustration then."

  When we come back from our run, I head toward the bathroom to take a shower. Linc surprises me by grabbing my hand.

  "I forgot to tell you, we're going on a trip today. You'll need to pack for at least a week."

  "Where are we going? And why are you springing this on me just now?"

  "I go out to Jackson, Wyoming every summer for my vacation. I've had this planned but I wanted to surprise you."

  I remember now. He told me during our interview and a little thrill rushes through me. I've always wanted to go out West, and the thought of me and Linc holed up in a mountain cabin has my insides squirming. The mere fact that he wanted to surprise me causes butterflies to let loose in my stomach. It is an incredibly romantic gesture. This has to be the "something special" he has planned. It has to be.

  But then I remember something.

  "Uh, Linc. I can't stay for a whole week."

  "Why not? You're on assignment, you know." He sounds a bit put out that I'm not willing or wanting to say the whole week with him.

  "I know. And I would love to stay the whole week. But it's my mom's birthday. And I always go home to spend it with her. I mean...after the cancer...I don't want to miss one of her birthdays."

  He immediately holds his hands up to stop me. "Of course. Don't even worry about it. You should definitely be with your mom on her birthday. I'll just get you a ticket out of Jackson Hole and you can fly from there straight to North Carolina to be with your mom."

  I heave a sigh of relief that. "Thank you. That means a lot."

  Linc surprises me further when he steps into me, wrapping his arms around my waist. My hands go up to rest on his chest and I can feel his heart beating. I resist the urge to lay my ear against it so I can hear his life force.

  "I was thinking we could celebrate our impending vacation with a kiss?"

  My lips turn up in agreement at the suggestion. "You do, do you?"

  He stares at my lips, waiting on my permission but I'm not going to make him wait. I lean up on my tip toes, seeking his mouth with mine. He bends to meet me and an explosion of passion rocks me when they connect.

  Linc lets out a primal sound and crushes me to him, while my arms wrap around his neck to hang on. Without breaking the kiss, his hands move from my back to just below my ass, and the next thing I know, he's lifting me up. My legs wrap around him, a move that feels so natural that I don't second guess the wanton nature of it.

  He settles me against his erection and I think I just might die it feels so good pressed against me. I silently beg him to walk me into his bedroom but he does nothing more than hold me against him while his mouth molests mine.

  He is an amazing kisser. His lips are soft but demanding. His tongue always takes control, and mine can do nothing but helplessly follow along where he leads it. Even the use of his teeth is so erotic, I almost bet I could have an orgasm just from the way he kisses me.

  And then all too soon, the kiss is over. Linc pulls away and buries his face in my neck. His breath is harsh, same as mine.

  "God...Ever...I'm dying here."

  "Me too," I assure him.

  Reluctantly, he finally lets me down and I slide sinfully against his body, trying to relish the feel of his hardness rubbing me from my crotch up to my belly button.

  Linc gives me a last, quick kiss on my lips, and then tells me to shower and pack. I just nod, completely in a daze, and completely delirious in my need for Linc Caldwell.

  I take a deep breath and sigh quietly. Wyoming puts me at such peace. In fact, if I didn't play hockey, I would retire here and live the rest of my days out basking in the beauty of the Teton Mountains.

  I glance over at Ever as we drive U.S. 191 into the town of Jackson from the airport. The Tetons are to our right and I can see her mouth hangs slightly open as she ogles their majestic beauty.

  "The highest peak there is called Grand Teton," I tell her as I point.

  "It's amazing," she says reverently. "It's so weird to see snow at the top and it's summer."

  "I think that peak is over 13,000 feet high. It pretty much stays snowy year round."

  "We don't have anything like this on the East coast."

  "Nope. Everything is larger out West, huh?"

  She's silent, still enraptured with the huge scale of the mountains as we drive across the flat valley.

  "Look to the left," I tell her. "That's Sheep Mountain but it's also called the Sleeping Indian."

  She looks and gasps. "Wow! It looks just like an Indian with a headdress, laying on his back."

  I smile. She sounds just like a little kid that has made the most awesome discovery ever.

  "Why did you start coming out here to vacation?" she asks.

  Fond memories swirl around me. Images of Nix and I playing in the cool waters of the Gros Ventre river, hiking the mountain trails with our parents and getting so excited I almost peed my pants the first time I saw a buffalo.

  "My parents didn't have a lot of money growing up, but they saved for a few years one time
to take me and Nix out here for a family vacation. It was the year before my mom died. We drove out in the old mini-van and camped at Yellowstone. We'll drive up there this week so you can see it--it's only about an hour from where we are staying. But anyway, it was the best vacation ever. And I never got to come back until after I made it to the NHL. But since then, I've come every year. It's my favorite place in the world."

  I see her head nod up and down in agreement. "I've only seen five minutes of it and I think it's my favorite place in the world, too."

  Something about the tone of her words makes my chest itch. With no control over my actions, I reached across the seat and grab her hand. I pull it to my mouth and place a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist. Taking my eyes off the road for just a second, I see those luminous eyes go wide and then soft at my action.

  Knowing that just my simple touch...nothing more than a sweet gesture affects her so much...

  I feel fucking awesome.

  Keeping her hand tucked into mine, I lay it down on my lap and hold it the rest of the drive into Jackson.

  We get our errands out of the way, stopping first to pick up keys from the realtor. We then hit the grocery store and finally stop to pick up a cord of firewood at a local general store. The nights still get chilly, even if it is mid-June.

  We pull up to the ranch house I rented. I've stayed here the past three summers and it is a dream find. I'd buy it if the owner wanted to sell. The house is small by Wyoming standards, just a mere three thousand square feet but it sits on sixteen acres of lush meadowland and horse pastures bordering the Tetons. There's not another soul in sight.

  The sun is setting behind the mountain range, which pushes an orange glow over the top and blackens the face of the slopes.

  We pull out the groceries and carry them in first. As we walk into the kitchen, I hear Ever say, "Wow!"

  I turn to her. "This place is pretty spectacular, right?"

  "I don't know that spectacular really does it justice," she says in awe.

  I lay my bags on the counter top and look around. The house is rustic with knotty pine floors and thick wooden beams hatching the ceiling. The kitchen is state of the art with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.

  I take Ever's bags, lay them down and then grab her hand. Leading her into the living room, I let my eyes wander over the overstuffed leather furniture and massive stone hearth. A searing image of me making love to Ever in front of a roaring fire flashes before me and I reflexively squeeze her hand.

  The east wall of the vaulted living room is nothing but floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Tetons. We stand before it, just staring at the sunset before us.

  "In all my life, I don't know that I'll ever see anything as beautiful as this."

  I glance down at Ever, whose head barely comes to my shoulder, and she has the most peaceful and serene look on her face.

  "I agree. Nothing as beautiful as this." But I say that without taking my eyes off of Ever while she stares out the windows.

  She turns her head to me and I don't know what is reflected on my face, but it causes her lips to part slightly and her eyes to shine. Does she see in my gaze how beautiful I think she is?

  Whether it's the magic of the setting sun, or because it's just been way too long, my hands go to Ever's face to hold her before me. I don't waste any time before I bring my mouth down on hers. She wastes no time either and steps right into my body, pressing herself against me. The contact is electric and I am overwhelmed with desire for her.

  The kiss is immediately hot. There are no soft, feathery touches or tentative movements. Our mouths are wide open and greedy for each other. One hand stays on Ever's face but the other slides down to her ass and I grip it hard to pull her tighter against me. The move causes her to sigh a tiny moan into my mouth and I eat it up, silently begging for more.

  There is a tiny doubt...it floats in the back of my mind. That Ever may hold this against me. That she may write about this. As this rolls through my mind, I realize I'm on the precipice of a major decision. Do I move forward with Ever...not just a single fuck right now, because this will be so much more than even I had imagined. Or should I back away now and resolve myself to leave her alone?

  Before I can come to a rational decision, Ever pulls back from our kiss. "I think we should talk first, Linc."

  My brain says that's a good idea but my aching body is rebelling. I almost pull her back to me but rationality prevails and I realize a talk is probably the best thing for us before we go further.

  Ever leads me over to the couch and we sit down. I'm trying to think of the best way to open this conversation but she beats me to the punch. "Linc...I want you to know that whatever happens between us, I promise you I will not write about it. Everything of an intimate nature between us is off the record. In fact, I promise you my article will not say a word about your love life."

  I look at her skeptically. I want to believe those words, but I had been duped by her before. My emotions are raging because I want her...very badly. And I like her, a lot. But if this ends badly between us, I can come out on the losing end if she writes about it.

  Ever grabs my hands, sensing my doubt. "I swear it, Linc. On my mother's life."

  My eyebrows go skyward. For Ever to say that, I know she means it. "Why? What's changed?"

  She gives me the sweetest, shyest look ever. "Let's just say that I've come to realize that you're a good man and I just can't imagine writing anything that would hurt you."

  Vindication!

  And I can't help myself when I say, "I told you so."

  Ever throws her head back and laughs with pure delight laced in. "Yes, you did. And now I fully admit it."

  I study her face again. It's a face I've looked at probably a hundred different times a day. It is still no less beautiful or fascinating to me. Her eyes are luminescent, framed by ivory skin and black hair. Her cheeks carry a high blush, that sits just on the upper edges of her cheekbones. She is ethereally stunning and sometimes I'm at a loss for words when she turns those blue irises my way. But this time, I know what I want to say.

  "I appreciate you saying that...about not writing an article. But I have to be honest with you, that has no bearing on whether or not I make love to you. I've already decided I want you too much and I'm willing to risk your written retribution."

  Her lips purse together in a tiny "o" as she understands what I'm saying. Then she gives me a wicked grin. "So...you're saying there are no more barriers between us right now? That the timing is finally, right?"

  I answer her grin with my own. "That's right."

  Ever's pink tongue slips out of those perfect lips and runs along her bottom one. Her eyes go a shade darker and she stands from the couch. I start to get up too...why I don't know, but her sudden movement startles me. She holds her hand up to halt my action, and comes to stand between my legs.

  I just look up at her, wondering what she is doing. She doesn't keep me in the dark for long because she bends forward and kisses me. Her tongue slides in, caresses mine briefly then she pulls back. She stares at me...just for a few seconds but I'm captivated. Then her hands reach down and she pops the top button of my jeans.

  The move is unexpected and I stay absolutely still. Her gaze finally slides downward and I let my eyes follow too. I watch her dainty hands gently grip my zipper and lower it. I am so achingly hard right now and I hope I don't embarrass myself at her first touch. Because there is no doubt she wants to touch me.

  "I've been wanting to do this since Oklahoma," she whispers. Then she looks back in my eyes as her soft hand reaches in and takes a hold of me.

  My body has no control. At the first, warm contact of her hand, my hips surge up and a groan slides out of my mouth. I close my eyes for just a moment, and relish the feel of her thumb circling around the top of my erection.

  "Watch me, Linc," she commands. My eyes fly open at her words and my breath hitches as she kneels in between my legs. "Watch me tas
te you."

  Holy. Fuck.

  Those words alone are so damn sexy, I'm afraid I might lose it before her lips ever touch me. I'm mesmerized as she lowers her head, her dark hair falling over her shoulders. She peeks up at me one time with those aquamarine jewels before she takes me into her mouth. It's an image I'll never forget as long as I live.

  Ever has mad skills. Sheathing her teeth, she takes me in deep, her tongue and lips leaving no part of me untouched. Her hand grips me tight at the base as her mouth glides up and down. My hands reach to her head and I'm amazed at my restraint as I just rest them lightly at the sides of her face. Every instinct in me wants to hold her head in place and slam into her. As if sensing my urgency, Ever moves over me faster. She grips me a little more tightly and sucks on me just a bit harder.

  I think for a brief moment that I should pull her off of me, and I think my hands even tighten on her head. But then she growls low in her throat and the vibration shoots straight through my dick.

  Like a massive ocean wave rolling in, I am powerless to stop the explosion that tears through my body. Ever even gives a hum of approval as I shoot hot into her mouth, and I'm almost embarrassed that a hoarse shout escapes my lips. I shudder hard, ecstasy ripping through my body. It takes several moments for my breathing to get under control.

  Damn if that wasn't the most amazing head I've ever been given. And now Ever is looking up at me again with a smile on her face, and fuck if she doesn't lick her lips like she's just had the best gourmet dinner in the world. She lays her arms primly across my lap and rests her chin on them, just staring at me.

  "As soon as my legs regain their feeling, I'm going to cart you off to the bedroom and fuck you about ten different ways," I tell her.

  She stands up, trailing a finger across the tip of my semi-hard dick. "I'm going to go in the bedroom right now and get naked. You come after me when you're ready."

  I watch as she walks down the hallway to the master bedroom. She pulls her shirt over her head as she walks away from me, and drops it on the floor.

  I jump up from the couch and practically run after her.