Romance: Seducing The Quarterback (53 page)

The rain poured. When the passion cleared Everleigh’s head,
she realized that her friends would be worried sick about her. There might even
be search parties looking for her. With the weather and her location, Everleigh
could get no signal. She panicked that she had caused a lot of trouble.

“So what do I do?” she asked. “Just stay here? Kind of
awkward, don't you think?”

“We're way past awkward, don't you think? he asked, raising
an eyebrow. "But of course, whatever you want. I'll take you back to your
friends. Assuming they are there. Or perhaps one of the taverns at the base of
the hill?"

"Base of the hill? Where are we? The top?" She
narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, we are in a crevice type elevation of the
mountain. Cracked a gazillion years ago due to an earthquake and then filled in
nicely for trees. Might be tricky finding your friends in this weather though,
I doubt they stayed. Tavern?"

"Tavern,” she agreed. “At least I'll get phone service
there. I feel like such an idiot. Thoughtless."

"Enough," he said. “You met with unusual
circumstances to say the least."

Then it occurred to her. She had hallucinated that the guy morphed
into a wolf and that her savior was a bear. What had actually happened? Because
as she recalled, the guy had died.

“Speaking of which? What happened to the guy?” she asked.
“Shouldn’t we have contacted the police?”

“I don’t think we’ll be hearing from him anytime soon. I
think he learned his lesson,” said Ben.

Everleigh had the feeling he was dismissing her.

“I am serious,” she said. “What happened to him?”

Ben looked like he was ever so slightly annoyed by the
questions. “He ran off. I just happened to be there. Suddenly he wasn’t the
dominant type. End of story.”

She spied. She remembered that she threw a trap at him. She
remembered that the assailant and the bear –Ben– brawled. She looked at his
hands for nicks. And when he stood up, which he would have to do eventually,
she would check to see for any bangs or bruises on his backside.

“So let’s go?” he asked.

“Yeah let’s go,” Everleigh replied, still not settled about
what happened to the man who had tried to attack her.

Ben handed her clothes, washed and folded. She had a change
of clothes in her back pack, so she had a T shirt to replace the tattered one.

He gripped her shoulders firmly and spoke to her directly.
"This is not good weather but it's not the worst. Hiking is out of the
question, but even driving is tricky. If it's not safe, I insist we turn back.
I have a radio. We can alert the sheriff that you're safe and sound. And if you
feel the need to, we can even report the attack to the sheriff. And,
Everleigh,” he said.

“Yes,” she answered softly.

He lifted the hem of his shirt. “Wanna check me out before
we go?” he asked. 

They were but a breath apart from each other. There was a
slight scold in his eyes, but mostly they were smoky with flirtation. Everleigh
assumed had figured out what she was up to.

“No thank you,” she said primly.

He took her face in his very large hands and kissed her like
he meant it. Like he wanted her despite her doubt in him. He aroused her so
that they were at a standstill in the door. It was questionable whether they
would make it out of the house any time soon. But Everleigh had to go. She had
to let people know she was okay.

The rain had miraculously let up enough for them drive down
to the base of the hill where the road and trail fused and let out between the two
stone lions. There was hardly a flicker of light in town. The storm had knocked
out most of the electricity. Between the storm clouds and time of day, the town
was dark. Everleigh must have slept most of the day away. It was already
nightfall. The Black Watch Tavern was opened for business. The barmaid lived
there as well as worked, and the tavern was hooked up to a generator.

As soon as Everleigh and Ben parked, they saw the glint of
reflectors on a barricade further down Main Street. The road out of town was
closed. Washed out.

"Ya want to turn around? Or chance having a
drink?" he asked.

"At this point, I need a drink," she said,
suddenly emotional.

"Hey,” he said. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable
staying with me. I'll be happy to put you up in the Los Gatos Lodge."

"Nope, ‘fraid not,” said the barmaid. “Full. You should
drink up and go, not that I'm one to chase away customers. If the rain comes
back, and it’s expected to, you’ll be stuck here.”

Ben looked at Everleigh apologetically. "What can I do
for you?"

"I guess take me back to your place please," she
said disappointedly. “After just one drink. Is that okay?”

"Ah well," he said sympathetically.  “We shall
have to make the best of it," he winked.

That winking of his sent warmth all through her. He was so
charming. So charismatic. She burned for him.

They tossed back their drinks –a couple of shots of tequila–
and walked back out of the bar. There was something extraordinary about walking
out one step behind his wonderfully large and almost oversized physique. He was
so masculine. So powerful. So sensual. Everleigh was glad to be going home with
him. She knew after the weather let up, that would be that. She would not get a
chance like this again in her lifetime.

Ben’s SUV was whipped by debris as it tumbled down from the
tops of the trees. He drove slowly, carefully into the forest, back up the way
they came. His lights hit something crossed. A tree had fallen across their
path. There was no way around it. Everleigh was anxious. Between the road being
out on the way out of town and their road being blocked now, she felt
claustrophobic.

“Hey,” he said, taking her chin in her fingertips. “Don’t
worry. We can go another way. Okay?”

“I shouldn't have asked you to come out. I appreciate all
that you’ve done,” she said.

He looked her directly in the eyes. “Of course,” he said and
kissed her with a quick, soft kiss. “And it’s no problem.”

He took her mouth. He swept it with his tongue, tasting
every bit of its surface. The very contact with him made Everleigh want to give
herself over to him. She couldn't wait until he figured out how to get around
the fallen tree. She wanted him to take her now.

“Ben,” she said, her voice unusually high. “Please.”

It was all she had to say. He knew what she meant. He looked
around and looked back to her. He smiled.

“Here?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” she said urgently.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her.

There was something about the way he held her. There was no
greater comfort. He was total luxury. He reached for a lever below the bench
and the whole seat moved back. Suddenly the roominess of the SUV got a whole
lot roomier. 

A warm wickedness rushed through her body. Everleigh felt
positively wanton. She arched her body towards him, sticking herself in his
face. She cupped her breasts, pushing them up, tempting him.

He licked them both. Tickling the tips of their hard nipples
with the point of his tongue. He was ravenous. He cupped the back of her neck
and pulled her to his mouth, feasting on her. Her knees worked around his hips.
She could feel his amazing erection. It pressed against her delicate sensitive
lips in between her legs. She clenched up involuntarily in reflex. The
sensation paralyzed her with pleasure. It was the telltale of the orgasm she
trusted she would have.

“Do you want me inside of you?” Ben asked, his voice low and
husky.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Put me inside of you,” he said.

He took her hand and placed it on him. Everleigh gripped his
gigantic hardness firmly and levered him inside. The surge of ecstasy their
connection caused made her shiver. She drew in a sharp breath at the wonder of
him. He filled her perfectly. His length hit her in all the right spots.

Everleigh pushed her pelvis forward in a short, purposeful
motion. Ben released a soft rumble of a growl. He pushed into her as deeply as
he could go and swiveled his hips. They were bound together as he grinded
inside her. She panted, her breath released in ragged draws as she tolerated
her arousal. It made her whimper.

Ben clamped onto her nipple, imprisoning it with his lips as
he flicked it with his tongue. He batted and batted until Everleigh cried out.
He changed it up and lifted her up as he moved back. He sat upright in the
bench. Her full weight was on him. Her legs folded underneath her thighs
splayed on either side of him easily.

She gripped the back of the seat and bounced up and down in
soft, calm motion. Her breasts and buttocks jiggled and bobbed. He pressed his
palms on each cheek of her curved, flexed buttocks and helped her motion along.

A flash of lightning shot though the filter of trees. It
caused Everleigh to start just enough, to clench up just enough to push her
over that delicious edge. Ben knew, and she knew it. With that, he guided her up
and down on his erection to push through her sweet climax. 

Everleigh moaned low and long as her channel clenched
powerfully onto him. Deep guttural grunts came from his as well, signaling he
was not far behind her. Suddenly his gentle pumping took on a frenzy. Blood
rushed through her ears as the wind seemed to pick up. Everleigh wavered in and
out of consciousness as reality became a whir of the sounds of the night
forest, their sex, and coming.

At last all was still. Her heart beat at a faster rhythm as
she rested her forehead on his shoulder. Beads of sweat dampened both their
hair. A great thump jolted the SUV, alerting them both. Another tree fell to
the forest floor.

“Hey,” he tapped her. “I better go have a look. You stay
put.”

The moment Ben stepped out of the car, a rush of rain pelted
the car. Everleigh was frightened for him to be out in the wilderness in these
elements. She could hear him fussing around at the grill of the car that butted
up to the fallen tree. It was so, so dark, she could hardly see him. Occasional
lightning speckled the scene and she caught flashes. But for minutes, he
toiled.

A crack of thunder shook their world. Everleigh sat up
straighter with concern. Lightning wavered and she saw patches of fur and
animal. A bear! Ben! He had to get back into the car!

She fumbled for the keys to start the car to scare the beast
away.

“Get back in!” she called to him in the car. “Get back in
the car! Are you crazy!? Ben, there’s a bear!”

Had he left her? Had he fallen? Where was he?

She scrambled to get behind the wheel. She adjusted the
gears to make sure it was in park so she could start the engine. Whatever she
did, the car began to roll slowly backwards. She pressed on the brake firmly.
It did not work. She did it again putting her weight into it. The car continued
to move backwards. She felt around with her hands for the emergency brake and
could not find one. She thought maybe it was the one she’d pressed with her
foot so she stomped around the floor of the truck searching for one. 

By now, the truck was not just creeping backwards but
beginning to pick up momentum. Everleigh was panicked. The SUV stopped with a
thud. It collided with something solid and large. She glanced in the rear-view
and saw the bear again. He was now on his hind legs and he was pushing the car
back up. Her entire body was electrified with terror. She couldn’t speak. She
couldn’t think. She was so frustrated. So trapped.

She leaned her head back and succumbed. The car was pushed
back up and beyond the spot where she and Ben had just been. Where he had given
her so much incredible pleasure. She started to feel sorry for herself. Started
to ask herself, why her? Until she realized the trees that had fallen in their
way were now moved to the side because if the car was being pushed past where
they had originally been, that mean the path was clear. The car stopped.

She heard the handle of the driver side door like someone
was trying to get in. Finally, Ben opened the door. She threw her arms around
him. He was soaking wet but the look was good on him. His drenched hair was
slicked back and away from his face instead of tousled and disheveled.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

“Yes, dear,” he teased. “I was out clearing the way so we
could go home. Almost couldn’t get in the car, the handle was slick.”

He was casual and matter of fact. Her jaw dropped as she
regarded him.

“You didn’t see the bear out there? Hello?” She was worked
up and almost aggressive.

“Relax,” he smiled. “If there’s a bear out there, apparently
he’s minding his own business. We’re fine. Thing we got to worry about are more
trees. We need to move.”

Ben accelerated and drove through the winding pitch, the
black road now lit with only their headlights at a nerve-wracking clip. The
weather had picked up and he was right; in this weather, trees were the enemy.

Everleigh’s mind worked as her anxiety rose with his taking
the curves a little too fast. At one point he slid. He laughed and put a firm,
powerful arm across her.

“Hang on,” he said.

Finally, they pulled up in the drive of his forest cottage.
She slid across the bench and got out on his side. Everleigh stomped into his
house. Something prickled her skin at the top of her thigh.

“I need the bathroom,” she said shortly.

“Okay,” he said. She knew where it was but he showed her.

She closed the door and lowered her plants. She examined the
source of the prickly discomfort on the back of her leg. Several coarse, pointy
hairs were spearing her flesh. Animal hair or more correctly, fur. Fur.

She held the bits of fur in her finger tips, shaking like
she was holding a murder weapon in her hand. It was crazy, but she started to
seriously think that Ben and the bear were one and the same. She freaked. Ben
knocked on the door.

“Everleigh,” he said in a firm voice.

She did not answer. She remained silent, struggling to clear
her mind. To be realistic.

He knocked again and said her name once more. This time, it
was more like an order. “Everleigh.”

“No,” she said shortly.

“Open the door, please,” he said.

“I don’t want to,” she said, emotion trembling through her
voice.

“You must,” he said.

“I am busy,” she said with offense.

“Everleigh, I am going to count to three and I expect the
door to be opened,” he said.

He was calm and pleasant but most definitely firm. Everleigh
locked the door. She heard him sigh. And heard him remove a key from the frame
of the door and unlock the door. She shrank against the shower curtain. She had
to find her footing or fall back into the tub.

Everleigh wrenched her eyes shut as he opened the door. Too
late she realized, she had the hairs in her hand. She shoved her hand behind
her back and looked him in the eye with a guilty look. He tilted his head.

“Let’s have it,” he said.

“What?” she asked. It was a lame evasion.

He covered her body with his and reached around her to pry
her fingers apart. She made him work for it but savored the feeling of her face
pressing into his amazingly comfortable body. He stood up, his hands still on
hers, and sank to be face-to-face with her.

“Open your hands for me,” he ordered.

“Why?” she defied. “You know what you’re looking for. I
don’t have to.”