So Hard To Forget Part 7

He knew everything there was to know about Sandra, believed he knew her better than anyone, including her mother. That knowledge made him see for the first time just how little he knew about Nicole. Though not for lack of trying. He'd come to learn something important in the past couple of hours. She was as private a person as he was. But his secretiveness was from too long in his line of business and knowing others" dirty little secrets. Her reasons, he suspected, were from being deeply hurt.

The best way to disarm someone, he believed, was usually the direct route. "Penny mentioned that you'd had a pretty bad marriage. She didn't mince her words---called him a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. How did you meet him? At college?"

Nicole took a sip of wine. "No. He and a couple of his friends were here for a week. Like you're doing." It still angered and embarra.s.sed her to realize what a fool she'd been, and' she spoke more to herself than to Max. "I was blinded by a pretty face and a glib tongue. I guess since we owned a ranch, a mountain and a business, Roger thought he was getting a bride with money in the family. We were both dead wrong."

Glancing around, he could see how an outsider, especially a sportsman, would immediately have visions of wealth. But an abundance of real estate didn't nee-essafly mean a large cash reserve. Usually, in was the opposite. It didn't take a genius to see she blamed herself for the breakup, and the pain saw had nothing to do with being swept off her feet followed by the realization that she'd been married for reasons other than herself. He sensed something deeper. "Is that what ended it when you found out he thought you were rich?"

Nicole set her clean plate down, took the last sip of wine. When Max made to fill it again, she shook her head. She surprised herself by saying, "Actually I found out all too quickly that I didn't fit in with my husband's life. That whole back-stabbing social culture made me uncomfortable."

He could still see the hurt in her eyes. it surprised him that he had to swallow around a lump in his throat. "It was their loss, wasn't it. I mean, how often do you think they get to meet someone with your looks and brains?"

She laughed. "You mean an oddity? Not nearly enough from the amus.e.m.e.nt I brought them." "They hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Thanks." She dabbed at her mouth with the napkin, then wiped her hands, amazed at how relaxed she was with him. Suddenly she wanted to let go of all her anger about the past and laugh. "It's sort of funny, you know. Me in my denim and boots, talking about ranching, river rafting, fly-fis.h.i.+ng and the mountain, while the other women discussed the rigors of doing anything and everything necessary so their husbands would receive tenure. Or they chatted incessantly about where to shop for the best clothes, whose homes were the biggest and whose children were the brightest and cutest. You could say I was way out of my league."

Max.packed away the leftover food, then stretched out on the blanket and closed his eyes. "I've been there and it's no fun."

"You?" He looked so comfortable. She joined him, but made sure there was enough distance between them so he wouldn't get any ideas.

"You didn't think I was always so witty, intelligent, handsome or had such a winning personality, did you?" Her laughter had a light tinkle to it that made him smile inside and out. "Losing that small-town imprint was like changing my genetic makeup." He rolled onto his side so he could look at her. Nicole raised her arm and glanced at her watch. "Do you have another appointment, or am I boring you to death?" he asked.

"Neither," she said. "I was wondering how Reed and Ash are coping with the terrible foursome."

Max grinned. "I can't believe you let those two kids take the four guys hiking."

"I'm not that crazy. All they're doing is taking the men on a one-hour hike down a well-traveled path to the launching area for the white-water rafting trip." She glanced at him, then tried to hide a huge yawn. "They'll be met by Joe and Bobby Carlson, our rafting guides."

"What about Larry? When do you have to get back to the lodge to take him out?"

"He and JD have struck up a friends.h.i.+p. JD's going to take him to his special fis.h.i.+ng hole." She paused. "Is there some reason you wanted to know all this?" "I was just wondering how long we had."

She yawned again. "Bull. You want to know how much fis.h.i.+ng you can get in between now and then." Her lazy manner was contagious. He sealed on his back and closed his eyes. "Guilty."

She grinned. "You won't get much fis.h.i.+ng done looking from inside your eyelids."

"You'd be surprised what I can do with my eyes shut."

'"No," she murmured, "I wouldn't, and I'm not going to ask, either."

"d.a.m.n. You're sure? I could explain in great detail."

"You probably have a vivid imagination," she said. The tone of their conversation had changed. Though the words were innocent enough, there was an underlying crackle of tension that slowly sizzled between them. But it seemed they were just too comfortable and content to've in to their desires.

Nicole felt the warmth from the heat of the sun on her body, took a deep breath and for the first time in a long time totally relaxed in the company of a man. Her eyelids began to grow heavy. "You better pack the remainder of the food and put it back in the Jeep." She smiled, listening to him grumble about being just as comfortable as she was.

SHE DIDN'T KNOW what had awakened her. Maybe it was the movement of the sun through the trees and the deepening shadows, or the way the afternoon had cooled down. Or it could have been that inner alarm that warns a person when something is different. Maybe it was the confusion of sensing she was tangled in a man's arms and wrapped around his body. For a second she couldn't think who it could he. The heaviness of sleep lifted from her mind and she remembered.

Two things were becoming clear: Max had his eyes open and was staring at her, and there was no mistaking the evidence of his desire pressing against her thigh. She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"You find the state I'm in amusing?" he whispered. He'd awakened from a disturbing dream where he'd been making love to Sandra who had suddenly become Nicole. And if that wasn't disturbing enough, suddenly there were both women with him and his prowess failed him.

Nicole robbed her face against the crook of his arm like a lazy cat. "Not amusing exactly. More like intriguing. Do you usually wake up with your kickstand at the ready?"

"Kickstand?" He grinned. "That's not very flattering, but no, not since I was a teenager." At first when she'd opened her eyes and gazed at him, all he could see was Sandra looking at him. She was as alive to him now as she ever would be. He lowered his mouth and kissed her softly and a little hesitantly. He didn't want to scare her off. Under the gentle but persistent invasion of his tongue, her mouth opened. Initially she only teased and tantalized him, then everything changed. She was the seducer, her mouth suddenly as hungry as his, and he found himself plunged into an abyss of desire. It hit him in the gut with a force that stunned him, like a jolt out of the blue. His kiss deepened and roughened. One hand tangled itself in her hair while the other found the soft mound of her breast.

Nicole didn't know who was trying to consume whom. It was as if a dam too long contained had been opened. All she cared about was his mouth and the way his hand gently kneaded her breast. She at his s.h.i.+rt, yanking it free of his jeans, and ran fingers up him back, then down and under band. His skin was smooth and hot. She caressed the taut muscles of his b.u.t.t, then dug her fingers into the hard flesh and pulled him against her.

Max gave a gasp of surprise. His senses reeled and he kissed with wild abandon, forgetting any attempt at being gentle or thoughtful. All he could feel was the magic of her fingers and the way she rubbed up against him.

She had no idea how or when her s.h.i.+rt had come loose and unb.u.t.toned, or how her bra had become unhooked. What she did know was the way his talented fingers made her b.r.e.a.s.t.s feel as if they were on fire. There were no coy overtures to pull away, slow down or stop. Her mouth and body made it clear she wanted him. She let her hands slowly glide under his waistband and around to the front of his jeans. Her nimble fingers quickly yanked the snap apart and were working on pulling the zipper down when she stopped, every muscle suddenly frozen. She forced her lips from his mouth, tried to focus on his face as she struggled to catch her breath and calm her hammering heart.

Max knew what was going on and said, "You wouldn't have any suggestions about how to solve this little problem we seem to have gotten ourselves into, would you?"

"Only if you carry something in your wallet or tackle box."

"I'm afraid not. How about you?"

Nicole shook her head, her confused and disappointed expression mirroring his. An instant later they were both laughing.

Max rolled onto his back, covered his eyes with one ann and continued to laugh. "Serves me right. Mom always told me to be prepared--or was that the Boy Scouts? Anyway, I never once gave it a thought. Who would even think about condoms when you're going on a fis.h.i.+ng trip with a bunch of men?"

He glanced at Nicole to make sure she wasn't upset, and lost his train of thought for a moment. Like him, she was on her back, her clothes in total disarray. Her jeans were undone at the waist and her s.h.i.+rt was parted and hanging from her shoulders. "The waning afternoon cast a luminous light across her small round b.r.e.a.s.t.s and down her flat stomach and narrow waist. She had the same bone structure as Sandra, but where he'd imagined Sandra was soft and delicate, Nicole was fit and firm.

And where his dreams had been of a sweet seduction, he'd been seduced. Visions of tenderness, even tears of shyness, had turned into raw pa.s.sion. When Ie thought of Nicole, he was filled with l.u.s.t. The kind that had the power to rip away all reason. And humor? He never expected to laugh at himself or with her over their aborted attempt.

Her body was still humming with desire. She ached from it. "I don't know about you--" she jumped up and began stripping off the rest of her clothes "--but I'm in need of a cold shower." She glanced at him and s.h.i.+vered at the way he was watching her disrobe. "Want to join me?"

He didn't need a second invitation and was running after her as she headed down a narrow path through the trees. The gra.s.s was soft and cool his feet, and the warm breeze against his skin to calm his appet.i.te for her. She was lovely to naked, running through the He realized he was captivated by her lack of embarra.s.sment about her desires or her nudity.

Just as she reached the edge of the river, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. d.a.m.n, she thought, if the man wasn't gorgeous. It was obvious he made a point of keeping in shape. She hit the water before him and was coming up for air when she felt his arm encircle her waist. She gave him credit for speed, enthusiasm and a sense of humor. Not many men in their situation would have stopped so easily and gracefully. She twisted in his arms, pressed her body against his and laughed. "You know we have a big problem?"

"I'm all too aware of it and if you don't stop rubbing against me, Montana, I just might forget."

As he moved into deeper water and Nicole was unable to touch bottom, she managed to keep her arms wrapped around his neck yet keep the rest of her body out of contact with his. The deeper the water the colder it became. She gave a shoulder-shaking s.h.i.+ver and he found he was suddenly fascinated by the way the chill tightened her nipples, which showed just above the surface of the water. When he lifted his gaze to hers, she was smiling, knowing all to well what the sight of her naked b.r.e.a.s.t.s was doing to him.

Her eyes danced with mischief. "I don't think you truly understand how serious the problem is. I have nothing at the lodge." She laughed again. "Since you didn't bring anything with you, what would you suggest?" She couldn't resist his mouth and kissed him softly. "I want you, New York. I want to make love to you and know what it feels like to have you inside me." She swiped back her wet hair and grinned. "We're in an awful fix."

Any verbal response he might have given stuck in his throat. His only answer, despite the cold water, was showy and physical, and she didn't miss the display. "d.a.m.n, Montana. You absolutely take my breath away. You make me weak in the knees." So saying, he held on to her, then plunged them both beneath the surface. When they came up, she was smiling, knowing full well that dunking his head had had little effect on his physical condition. "We could always take matters into our own hands--so to speak." Steadying his footing on the rocky fiver bottom, he pulled her against his chest. "I take you in hand," he whispered against her lip, "and you do the same." He slid a hand between them, down her stomach, then between her legs.

Nicole gasped and tightened her arm around his neck. Determined he wasn't going to be left out in the cold, she followed his lead. He was hard and smooth in her hand, and the more he moved his hips against her, the more difficult it was to concentrate on her efforts. Then her mouth found his.

If she'd been on fire earlier, his clever fingers quickly had her ready to explode. Suddenly she shuddered against him and at the same time lost her breath in his kiss. Before her grip slackened, she felt his entire body stiffen, then he gave a deep moan against her lips.

The strength of his release knocked him off balance and sent him stumbling backward. Frantically he tried to regain his footing, taking her with him as he staggered over the rocks. He lost the struggle to stand and they hit the water with a great splash and came up sputtering.

In more ways than one, he'd been knocked off his feet. But his first thought was N. When he saw her dazed satisfied expression, he laughed. "That was a surprise."

"Wonderful." She shook the water from her hair and cobwebs out of her brain. "You know, of course, that you only whetted my appet.i.te for the real thing."

"G.o.d, I know." She took hold of his hand and led him out of the water where they collapsed on the gra.s.s of the fiver bank He knew d.a.m.n well he couldn't stay another night under the same roof with her and not make love to her. "I think there just might be a solution. Surely one of the men brought something. Ha! Hal. He'd never leave home without condoms. I bet I could lift a couple without him being the wiser."

"You'd ransack another guest's room? You'd steal for me?"

It took a second to realize she was teasing. "Nicole, I think at this moment, I'd kill for you."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

HE FELT LIKE A TEENAGER with rampaging hormones.

He was having delicious visions of Nicole while trying to hold an intelligent conversation, act interested and make appropriate comments, and so had no idea what he was saying. l.u.s.t, pure and simple, was what he was feeling. It amused, disturbed and frightened him to realize that all his energy, his thoughts, were focused on making love to one woman. The idea almost made him laugh. He'd become s.e.xually obsessed.

Men were notorious for picking up on the slightest tremor of s.e.xual tension in the air. He would never subject her to the looks and comments that could spring up if the men caught the smallest hint of interest between them. If they did catch on and a crude remark was made, he'd just have to tear their tongues out. He couldn't subject Nicole to that sort of embarra.s.sment. But he was having a difficult time keeping his eyes off her. Every time he glanced her way, he felt electrified. Flushed and ready. There was a lot to say about expectation making the reward sweeter.

As for Nicole, it didn't take a mind reader to know what Max was thinking. She was having trouble keeping her thoughts in check herself. Worse still, she was 'the hostess and had to relive with the men every ,"d had down the river. She was glad they'd had so much fun, glad they had nothing but praise for Reed and Ash.

ID's wonderful meal had been overshadowed by the excited and lively conversation. That enthusiasm continued when everyone moved out to the porch for after-dinner drinks and coffee. Even the glorious display of the setting sun was ignored, and Nicole found herself stuck between Hal, Preston and George. She listened with half an ear, torn between boredom and amus.e.m.e.nt, as they rehashed every dip, rough rapid and bend in the river. Her gaze kept sliding to Max. His face was in shadow and she couldn't see his expression, but she knew he was as eager to resume what they'd started in the afternoon as she was.

She leaned her shoulder against the porch's rough-hewn log column, nodded and tried to look enthralled with what Preston was saying. Just as she and Max had returned to the lodge, the men had been coming up the trail from their outing. From then on she hadn't had a chance to talk to Max. But she hadn't missed the fact that he'd been late joining everyone at the dinner table. She wondered if he'd been room-raiding, Hal's suite in particular. And if he had, had his thieving foray been rewarded?

All Max could do was wait and pray the evening would soon be over. He glanced at his watch and stifled a sigh of exasperation. Would these guys never wind down and go to bed? He'd always been a past master at hiding his feelings. Mr. Stoneface, Doug had dubbed him. Now he had to keep to the shadows in hopes no one looked at him too closely and saw the signs of a man in s.e.xual pain. Sometimes he envied the animal kingdom. It would be a wonderful release to yell, scream, stomp around or even head-b.u.t.t a tree. h.e.l.l, he felt down fight primal.

He had to hand it to her. She'd hooked him as effectively as a trout. What impressed him most was that she made no excuses for her desire and pa.s.sion. There were no apologies or shocked words about what had happened between them. She hadn't used that old line that she'd never done this before--taken a guest to her special place and made love. As he sat slowly sipping his drink, he realized something important. Nicole was totally honest and straightforward. She didn't lie. She didn't try to mollycoddle anyone's feelings, either.

What suddenly hit him and stopped the gla.s.s halfway to his mouth was that Nicole was everything Sandra was not. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. A delicate, sensitive and trusting person like Sandra couldn't hold up to what he had planned. He only wished... Max stopped, telling himself not to go there, that it was too d.a.m.n dangerous to compare the two women.

Nicole tapped him twice on the shoulder to get his attention. "Where were you?"

Max glanced around and felt a profound sense of relief. The porch was empty. "In your bed with you," he whispered just in case someone was within hearing. "Where is everyone?"

"They're all tuckered out and finally decided to turn in. JD, Penny and the boys have left, too." She tried to sound surprised, but the mocking smile that tilted the corners of her mouth belied that. "We're the only two left."

Max glanced at his watch and pretended to yawn.

"Tn give everyone time to settle down, make sure they're all asleep and come to you."

She nodded and bit back a smile. "By the way, how did your pillaging and plundering go? Any luck?"

His grin was so wide it hurt his face. He felt like the proverbial Ches.h.i.+re cat. "G.o.d bless Hal. He came through. But we have a minor hitch."

Nicole leaned over, close enough that a breast brushed his shoulder. Her breath, when she spoke, ca-res seal his ear. "I don't want to hear problems. You have the goods?"

"Yes." He felt like a spy in some bad B-movie.

She smiled, then deliberately blew softly in his ear. "Then be in the appointed place in, say, an hour."

"That place being your bedroom, I hope?" Now he found himself talking out of the corner of his mouth like an actor in that same bad B-movie.

His teasing was contagious. "You got it kid. See you there."

Max twisted around in the chair and watched her stroll off, her hips swinging like a fancy street tart. "Whew!" he exclaimed quietly, but loud enough for her to hear. "Hot mama." Sitting back, he let out a long unsteady breath, then murmured to himself, "Body, don't fail me now."

IT WAS THE LONGEST hour of her life.

She bathed, powdered, perfumed and primpexL She combed her hair one way, then another and finally ended up ruffling it with her fingers. She applied three different shades of lipstick, then wiped each one off. She was as nervous as a schoolgirl on her first date. What would she say? What could she talk about."?

Nicole laughed. Who the h.e.l.l wanted to waste time talking? For the hundredth time she glanced at the clock over the fireplace in her sitting room. When a light tap came on the door, she jumped as if she'd been shot. He was fifteen minutes early. As sh opened the door she was laughing.

Max's knees went weak at the sight of the oversize T-s.h.i.+rt. The worn-thin white material did little to hide the treasures underneath. If she'd been wearing silk or satin, she couldn't have looked more alluring. "What's so funny?" he asked, his voice raspy with desire.

Nicole triple-locked the door. "I was laughing at myself." He slipped his arms around her waist and drew her to him. "I found it amusing that you were fifteen minutes cady, until I realized I'd been waiting for you for the last thirty."

He nuzzled her neck. G.o.d, she smelled sweet. "That's rea.s.suring."

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he held her away from him and slipped one hand into his s.h.i.+rt pocket. "I've got good news and bad news." He pulled a mangled foil package out and waved it before her eyes. "One. I only found one."

She gave another laugh. "Then ... then we better make it unforgettable."

"h.e.l.l, we better make it last all d.a.m.n night. I'm not going around tomorrow feeling the way I did this evening."

She couldn't stand the distance between them any longer and sank against him, s.h.i.+vering as her b.r.e.a.s.t.s touched his chest, then turned her face up and met his mouth with her own. Thoughts of being naked together, of rubbing their bodies together, were enough to send her hands diving to his waist.

Dexterity had always been one of her strong points.

With a flick of her fingers his jeans pooled around his feet just as he was stepping out of his shoes. For a moment the kiss deepened, making it as intimate as s.e.x itself, and she lost her train of thought. Then the b.u.t.tons of his s.h.i.+rt easily gave way and dropped to the floor. Her hands seemed to have an agenda all their own. They ran lightly over his body, caressing, touching, as if memorizing every curve, every angle.

As much as he wanted to feel her naked flesh, to tear the T-s.h.i.+rt off her so he could caress and kiss her everywhere, he couldn't stop kissing her mouth. He was as dry as the Sahara and she was like his first sip of water. It was nectar sweet and opened up a craving he'd never known before. His knees were actually shaking, weak in fact, as she touched him.

He let his hands slide down her back and over her b.u.t.tocks. Then he grabbed a handful of her in each hand and lifted her into him, pressing her hard against his erection. He moaned as she moved her hips slowly back and forth.

He kept hold of her, lifting her until she was able to wrap her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Only when she was secure in his arms did he stop kissing her, get his bearings and head for her bedroom. As he lowered her to the bed and followed her down, they were all arms and tangled legs. He'd managed to yank the T-s.h.i.+rt over her head and pitch it across the room.

He hovered above her, studying her kiss-swollen lips, the blush of her cheeks and the way the pupils of her eyes dilated. He knew he was out of control and straggled to restrain himself, slow down. But all he could think about was being inside her. He lowered his head and caught a nipple be. lween his lips. I-Ier body arched and at the same time her hands grasped him, guided him toward her heat. "My expectations of a long night was wishful thinking, a pipe dream. I want you so d.a.m.n bad I can't hold on much longer."

Nicole gave him a dreamy smile and waved the foil wrapped package at him. "I think we put too much stock in our willpower. Would you hurry up and put the thing on? I'd do it but I'm afraid I'd be all thumbs.

What if I punched a hole in it?"

"G.o.d, don't even think that!"

Nicole watched the way he looked at her, realizing she couldn't judge his emotions by his expression. All she could see was the hard edge of desire. It had changed his eyes, intensifying the color until she felt pinned to the bed. When he lowered his body onto hers, she trembled, every nerve jumping to life as he slid deep inside her. A soft groan escaped her lips, a sound she was barely aware she'd made as an a.s.sortment of emotions rippled through her.

Her warm wetness, the way she tightened around him, almost made Max lose control. Then he lowered his mouth to hers, nudged her lips apart and slipped his tongue inside. The rhythm of the kiss, the in-and out motion, mirrored the movement of his hips and had Nicole clutching at his shoulders, digging her tin gem ails into his flesh. Max gave a low rumbling sound. He felt the strength of her body, her strong legs wrapped around his waist, the tangle of her embrace.