“Darlin’, don’t get me wrong,” he said suddenly, catching her hand in his. “I love what you’re doing. But if you keep that up, we’re both going to be mighty disappointed.”
“Then, why don’t you do something to keep that from happening,” she said, slightly shocked by her own boldness.
“Good idea.” He gave her an encouraging smile. “I promise it won’t hurt this time, Mariah,” he said as he reached for a foil packet on the top of the bedside table.
When he had the protection in place, he rose above her and, taking her hand in his, helped her guide him to her. Her heart skipped a beat as he slowly moved forward and began to enter her. The exquisite fullness and the feeling of becoming one with the man who meant so much to her were overwhelming. She’d never felt more complete in her entire life than when they made love and she knew beyond a shadow of doubt that what she felt for Jaron was no longer the starry-eyed crush she’d had on him as a teenage girl. What she felt for him now went deeper and was far more real.
When his lower body rested against hers, he remained perfectly still. “Are you all right? There isn’t any discomfort, is there?”
“I’m fine,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Please make love to me, Jaron.”
His gaze held hers as he began a slow rocking motion, and Mariah quickly lost herself to the wonderful feeling he was creating inside her. As the sensations began to build, she felt as if they were one body, one heart and one soul. She fought to prolong the connection between them as long as she could, but all too soon she felt her feminine muscles tighten as she approached the culmination they both sought.
Suddenly feeling as if a thousand stars had burst inside her, she was released from the delicious tension, and waves of intense pleasure flowed through every fiber of her being. As she floated back to reality, she felt Jaron’s body surge inside her as he found his own satisfaction. When he collapsed on top of her, she kissed his shoulder and, wrapping her arms around him, held him to her as she reveled in the feeling that she was completely surrounded by him.
“I’m too heavy for you,” he said, starting to lever himself off her.
Reluctant to let him go, she tightened her arms around him. “That was even more beautiful than the first time,” she murmured against his shoulder.
“It’s only going to get better each time we make love,” he said, kissing her with such tenderness it brought tears to her eyes.
As he moved to her side, her fingers slid over his back and she felt several smooth ridges that she hadn’t noticed the first time they made love. Her heart stalled when she remembered the scars on top of his shoulders that she’d asked about that night. He’d given her an excuse about all rodeo riders having their share of scars. But what she felt on his back didn’t feel like anything that could have come from riding the rough stock.
“Jaron, could I ask you something?”
Gathering her to him, he kissed the top of her head. “What do you want to know, darlin’?”
With her head pillowed on his shoulder, she looked up at him in the semidarkness. “Are those scars on your back?”
His body stiffened and the smile on his face immediately disappeared. “Yes,” he answered tightly.
She could tell by the shadows in his blue eyes that she’d asked him about something he’d just as soon forget. Placing her hand on his cheek, she caressed his jaw. “What happened, Jaron?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said stubbornly.
“But—”
“You don’t need to know,” he said, cutting her off. There was an edge to his voice that warned her to drop the matter.
She stared at him for a moment, knowing the blemishes were tied into his reasons for thinking he wasn’t right for her. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
He closed his eyes a moment. When he opened them, he shook his head. “They don’t matter. Let’s forget about them and get some rest.”
“Maybe I should go back to my room,” she said, hating that she’d brought up a painful subject for him. The evening had been perfect until that point and she felt as if she’d ruined the intimacy between them.
His arms tightened around her. “I think you should stay right here.”
Glancing up at him, she saw that the shadows in his eyes were gone, and she knew as far as he was concerned the matter was closed. “All right.” She snuggled into his embrace. “But you have to promise to get me up early in the morning.”