His stomach dived, while his pulse sped up. Straightening his shirt and running his fingers through his hair, he considered hiding in the wardrobe until Sienna got tired of knocking. ‘Be right with you.’ How was it she brought the child out in him?
‘I’m making good on that wine we promised each other while waiting for the chopper,’ she called.
‘I thought I was bringing you a bottle when you were off your meds.’ He stepped into the hall and nearly gasped at the beautiful apparition filling the front doorway. Slender, curvy in the right places, her long auburn hair brushed out over her shoulders, she looked cool and inviting. Should’ve gone into the wardrobe. This was going to be the longest bottle of wine he’d ever had the pleasure to drink.
‘A girl can only wait so long.’ Her head shot up, her eyes widened. ‘Sorry, that sounded glib. Not me, for sure. But I wanted to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me since the accident. I really appreciate it.’
She appreciated it? That set him back. He was only doing what he did for anyone needing help, but doing it for—with—Sienna had been different, had drawn him in in ways he was struggling to understand. He certainly hadn’t kissed someone he was only helping before. ‘I like being there for you.’ Damn, this sounded so trite. ‘Get inside, woman, and let’s open that bottle.’
She perked up at his rough tone. ‘Inside? You are kidding me.’
‘Make that out on the back deck.’ Heat of a different sort was taking over and being outside seemed a wise move. He couldn’t act on these rampant urges if the other neighbours were looking over the fence. Putting his beer aside, he dug into the cupboard for wine glasses. ‘Half the deck’s in shade.’ Not that that would lighten the air.
‘For the record, I’m off all medication now.’
‘That’s good news. Make yourself at home while I grab some cheese and crackers.’
The sweetest laughter exploded behind him. Jerking around, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Sienna laughing so hard her body shook. ‘Hello? What’s so funny?’ She looked so lovable he nearly reached for her. Nearly. The old voice that had played the warning tune all his life—don’t get close, don’t expect her to love you for who you are—sprang into life just in time. It took a couple of minutes to get a reply and by then mascara had done a number on her face.
‘Your Christmas tree.’ She wiped her hand across her cheeks.
‘I like it. Especially the scent of pine.’ They’d never been allowed something so uncontained at home, had had to have the perfect lines that only false trees came with. ‘It’s random.’
‘Not one branch is in sync with another. The ends all droop, pine needles are already covering the floor. There’s a bend in the trunk making it look drunk.’
‘Probably is, considering I was having a beer at the time I put it up.’
‘None of the decorations match, and there are big gaps where more are needed. It’s a mess and I love it.’ She leaned closer and pointed. ‘There’s a Santa with only one leg.’
‘The reindeer will get him to the chimneys.’
‘Come with me.’
His hand was gripped in a vice made of slim, warm fingers and he was being dragged out and down the drive, up the matching one and inside Sienna’s apartment. ‘See?’ She pointed through to her lounge.
His stomach knotted. A fake Christmas tree all perfectly aligned, no branches going in all directions, and the decorations—well—they were gold and red, perfectly matched, placed equidistantly apart. There were no Santas with a leg missing, or bent stars the family who normally lived next door must have made with their kids. It was fake. ‘I guess there are Christmas trees and then there’s mine.’ She so was not the woman he needed in his life, if he ever went off the rails entirely and fell in love. Sienna had some attributes he’d never be able to live with.
Yet Sienna was grinning as if this was the funniest thing to happen to her. ‘We are so different, you and I.’
‘We certainly are,’ he agreed around the lump forming in his throat. He didn’t want that, but nor could he deny the truth of it. ‘At least we like the same wine.’
‘You’re showing me up again for the control freak I’ve become.’
Why was she looking so happy about that? She wasn’t letting go because of him, was she? Where would that leave him when he needed at least one of them being sane and sensible in twenty days’ time? Because he could feel it in his veins, his gut, his everywhere, that he was losing grip on reality. ‘I never set out to do that.’
‘Just being you did it. But you know what? It’s cool. Today I broke out, bought a tree for the first time. And a new bike. And knocked on your door with a bottle of wine.’
‘That’s quite a day.’
‘Yep, and there’s one thing left to do.’ She stalked over to the tree.
‘No, Sienna, no. That’s who you are.’ She’d regret this tomorrow and he might get the blame.
Removing three red baubles, she randomly placed them elsewhere. ‘Got any Santas left over in your place?’
‘There’s one I think a dog might’ve chewed.’
‘It’s mine for the next three weeks.’ Then she hesitated, her eyes going to those three baubles, and for the first time he’d ever seen she nibbled her bottom lip. ‘I can do this. I am a mixed-up puppy, for sure, but I can do it.’
Harry had to. He just had to. He could not stand that uncertainty suddenly reflected in her eyes and her voice. Three long strides and he was in front of her, wrapping his arms around her. ‘Maybe, but mixed up’s better than standing back and not getting involved.’ His chin rested on the top of her head, his nose enjoying the apple scent of her shampoo. Then he heard his words. He didn’t do involvement, so why had he put it out there that Sienna should?
‘You reckon?’ she asked against his chest.
Forget involved or anything else that might lead to trouble. Right now, holding Sienna was magic. ‘Yeah.’ He really, really did. Which led to the next thing he could no longer avoid. ‘Mind if I kiss you?’
‘You have to ask?’
‘Not really.’ Her body had somehow moulded to his, her breasts were rising and falling faster than they’d been moments ago. No, he didn’t need to ask if she wanted it, but he needed to make sure she’d thought past the desire spiking in her eyes right now. ‘Sienna?’
‘We didn’t even get to open the wine.’ Her smile was impish.
‘You were planning on seducing me?’ For once he couldn’t find a reason to argue with that.
A blush crept into her cheeks. ‘Sort of. I think. Who cares?’ Then she gave him his first full-blown smile and he was lost. He’d give her anything she asked for right at that moment.
‘I don’t.’ His mouth came down over hers, and there was nothing else to be said. It was true—actions spoke louder than words. She tasted wonderful, her lips soft and demanding, her body pressing ever harder against his growing need.
And then there wasn’t room for thinking, only feeling, falling into heat and need, wanting more. The kiss deepened, became long and hot and laden with all the things he’d dreamed of kisses being and hadn’t found.
In the bedroom—how had they got there? Walked? Crawled?—Harry continued kissing her while his fingers worked at the buttons of her blouse. Her fingers plucked unsuccessfully at the stud of his jeans. Giving up with an exasperated growl, she ran the palm of her hand down over his arousal.
He wasn’t going to last the distance if she kept that up. Ladies first. ‘Let me,’ Harry groaned through gritted teeth. In an instant his jeans were on the other side of the room, his shirt landing on top. Then he was tugging her blouse over her head, and pausing, his eyes scanning her beautiful breasts held in white lace. Breasts that he had to hold, to lick, to... ‘Are you sure?’ Those bruises may be fading but they were still real. He would not hurt her, would somehow manage
to hold on to his almost out-of-control need for her if there was the slightest chance of inflicting even the smallest amount of pain.
Even as she grabbed her blouse from his hand to place it neatly on the chair, she was pulling his head close with her other hand so he had to touch that tormenting cleavage with his mouth. ‘Don’t you dare stop now. I want this.’
‘So do I.’ He began to kiss a trail of feather-light touches starting just below her ear, down her neck, and finally reaching that magnificent swell of her breasts. He breathed and tasted and touched. Sienna. Ah, Sienna. From the first time she’d approached him he’d had to have her, and now all his reservations flew out the window on a wave of pure desire and delight and wonder. This went way further than he’d been before. He couldn’t get enough contact, wanted his whole body to know the experience of Sienna; her skin, her fingertips, her breath. Her heat and warmth and dampness.
Then her fingers were caressing his skin, moving down to his abdomen, and further down to encircle his manhood, and he was lost against her, his need throbbing as he touched and caressed and finally had her begging for release. He held her at the peak, knew her throbbing need, wanted her to scream her release.
‘Harrison.’ His name shot across her swollen lips in a long, sexy gasp right before shudders tore through her body, setting his already heated body on fire.
And then they were on the bed, Harry above her, his eyes locked on hers as he touched her again before joining her intimately. When Sienna attempted to pull him down onto her body he wasn’t having it, held himself above, aware of those bruises and her ribs. And then he forgot everything else as he lost himself in Sienna.
Unbelievable. His lungs were dragging in short gasps of air, while his blood rampaged around his veins. As for his heart, it didn’t seem to know how to cope, just squeezed intermittently. He’d never breathe normally again, never be able to stand upright. Every muscle felt incapable of tightening, his toes unable to wriggle. It couldn’t get better than this.
Somehow Harry lifted away to lie on his back and reach for Sienna, to hold her carefully before lowering her over his body as gently as possible, careful not to knock her ribs.
Tears appeared in the corners of her slumberous eyes. ‘I’m not fragile.’
Hell, he knew that. She’d just given him the most amazing sex he could remember.