Take a Chance on Me (5 page)

“Yeah, all the guys I served with,” he said.

“If I open the door you’re going to be shocked
and you’ll want to leave anyway.”

“Maybe, but I think it’s up to me to decide and
not you.”

There was silence for a few minutes and he
feared the worst, but then the lock clicked. Mitchell slid the wall back and
stepped into her side of the suite. Amy sat on the bed, tears streaming down
her face, her blouse sitting next to her and her arm…well, now he knew why she
didn’t want him to see it.

He rushed to her side and sat close to her.

“This is why you’re upset, isn’t it?
Your arm?”

”Like I said, you may leave if you want. I won’t
be hurt. Every guy does, so I’m used to it now.”

He knew how she felt and that was the very
reason he was staying put.

He ran his hand over the puckered skin, hoping
that was okay with her.
He
 
took
it one step further and kissed it. He knew how she felt,
what she was going through. Right now he wanted to hold her.

“You shouldn’t have worried about me seeing
this.”

“I couldn’t help it, because every guy I’ve been
with gets repulsed and I never see them again. One guy even left me stranded in
a hotel room just like this. I didn’t want you to leave because you seem like a
nice, sweet guy who I’d like to get to know.”

“Oh, Rachel.”

He put his arm around her and pushed her head
down onto his shoulder, stroking her head.

“How did it happen?”

“When I was five my step father was drunk and
lost his temper when he couldn’t get the BBQ ignited, so he threw gasoline on
the grill but didn’t know I was standing behind it.”

Mitchell wanted to cry too, but bit his lip. He
could imagine how scary that must have been for a little kid.
And the pain.
He knew what he’d been through himself, and it
made him want to scream sometimes.

“I’ve had three skin grafts but it’s still not
pretty,” she said.

“But you are.”

She turned to look at him and he lifted up her
chin so he could see her face. Tears splashed from her eyelashes as she
blinked. He leaned in and kissed her. To hell with his promise not to get
involved and not take that dangerous step toward sex. He knew it might be an
inappropriate time, but that’s all he could think about. She ran her hand over
his head before letting it rest on the nape of his neck. Wow, his first real
kiss in so long and it felt like being in heaven. He pulled away. But then he
had to do it again just to prove to
himself
it was
real and that he wasn’t dreaming. He leaned in and kissed her again. This time
it was better than the first one. She opened her mouth to him. Mitchell slipped
his tongue over her lower lip before they pulled away again.

“I think I know why Perfect Pairing matched us
up,” said Mitchell. He ran his hand down her cheek, wiping away a tea in the
process. “In fact, they’re the smartest company I know.”

“Why?”

“Let me show you.”

Okay, here goes. Suddenly he didn’t care about
her seeing his leg. Mitchell stood and tugged at the button on his pants and
then began pulling down its fly.

“Don’t be shocked at what I’m about to reveal,”
he said. “And no, I don’t mean it’s got something to do with the size of my
cock.”

Rachel burst out laughing. She even fell
backwards on the mattress and held her side as she continued to chuckle. Hey,
he’d made her smile and laugh. And wow, could a woman get any prettier? Rachel
did when she did that.

Okay, he was lowering his pants and she’d
probably see his very obvious erection through his boxer shorts but he didn’t
care, because showing her he also had scars to hide was more important than
seeming eager to get her between the sheets.

He let his pants fall to his ankles, turned and
lifted up the edge of his boxers to show her his thigh.

“Oh, Mitchell.
I’m so sorry, and there’s me making a big fuss over my arm. And you
got this serving your country…I’m assuming.”

Mitchell nodded. “The reason they thought it was
time for me to retire from active duty. I’m going to have my first skin graft
next week.”

Rachel reached over and ran her fingers along
the red jagged edge. He drew in his breath, not because it hurt but because her
touch soothed him physically, and mentally, too.

“How did it happen?”

“I went into an area where there was a car bomb.
Well, we didn’t know there was a car bomb. Everything went still, then
kaboom
and next
thing I knew, I was being thrown in the air. Guess I was the lucky one though,
because the two guys with me were killed outright.”

“Mitchell, it must have been horrible…and you
being so far from home.” She closed her eyes and then opened them and looked up
at him. He reached for her hand. She put it inside his palm and he pulled her
up. Again he had the urge to pick her up and carry her to the bed, or even just
make
love to her right on the floor.

Mitchell put his hands on either side of her
face and leaned in toward her. They rubbed noses together before they kissed
again. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip. Her tongue then dueled with his
before he slipped it inside her mouth, and suddenly he was lightheaded, amazed
at how quickly this was all happening and how swiftly the two of them had
obviously fallen for one another. Well, he’d fallen for her big time. Maybe she
just wanted sex, although she hadn’t come across as the type. She pulled away
from him and looked him in the eye, almost as if she could read his mind.

“While I’d like to get you naked and into the
whirlpool just for the sake of it…It would also be great therapy for your leg,”
said Rachel. She ran her hands down his chest as she spoke. They were both on
the same page about this.

“Is that your professional opinion?”

She nodded and smiled, and he was a goner.

“Okay, but only on one condition, and that’s if
you join me. Maybe offer me some physical therapy while we’re in there.”

“That I can do, with
pleasure.”

She smiled once again and dimples appeared in
her cheeks. He went weak at the knees. Not even his ex-fiancée had this sort of
effect on him the first time he’d met her.

“How about we undress one another? Not that
we’ve wearing much clothing now,” said Mitchell.

Without responding, she began unbuttoning his
shirt. Her fingertips brushed his skin as she made her way downward. Even that
felt good and yes, strangely comforting. When she got to the last button she
pushed both sides apart. Rachel looked up at him before running her hands over
his chest and belly. He closed his eyes and thought,
how can something as simple as that be so erotic?
Maybe he should
take her to the bed right now, he thought, because his cock was getting harder
by the minute. It pulsated with the thought of being inside her. Ryan had been
right. It had been too long for him. And how could he resist this beautiful
woman?

“You are so tempting. Anyone ever told you
that?” he asked her.

She shook her head and he pulled her in close,
his cock straining against her belly. Was she as turned on as
him.
Was she wet, hot, looking forward to them having sex?
She pulled away from him.

Rachel pulled the shirt
off
 
his
shoulders and let it fall on the
floor. He took the opportunity to lift up the t-shirt from her body. She raised
her arms and he pulled upward, easing it over her head and shoulders. He tossed
it on the floor by his shirt.

Mitchell passed his fingers across the very tops
of her breasts as they spilled over the lace edge of her bra. They were
beautiful, and her skin, so soft.
 
Where
had she been all his life? He slid his hands around the sides of her body,
eased them behind her back and unclasped her bra. He took it off her shoulders
and let it too slip to the floor. Next, he unzipped her skirt and let it fall
away from her hips.

He grew harder because despite her petite frame,
her breasts were very full and their rosy taut nipples were so very, very
tempting. He couldn’t wait a minute longer and he hoped she didn’t mind him
indulging in some foreplay. He reached out and touched the right nipple with
his finger, gently wiping it back and forth. It puckered, immediately becoming
a tight little nub, which now reminded him of the rosebuds in the garden of his
childhood home. He leaned over and kissed it. Then he kissed her neck and let
his mouth linger there so he could take in her scent. She smelled so wonderful.
He hadn’t smelled anything so pleasant in years: floral undertone, with just a
hit of spice thrown in. Mitchell rested his nose on her skin and inhaled. Could
you get drunk on a woman’s aroma? He pulled away and held her face between his
hands.

It must have stirred something in Rachel,
because she leaned into him, kissed his chest and then eased her hand down his
belly, under the waistband of his boxers and
oh yeah
, she found his dick. She slid it further, brushing his
balls, flicking her pinkie over the head of his cock before allowing her whole
hand to cover his shaft. He took a deep breath, hoping he could control himself
and not lose it right this minute and ruin everything.

. Forget the whirlpool––all they needed was a
bed and Mitchell would satisfy her every need.

He
swooped
her up and
she giggled. He hoped his leg wouldn’t give out as he made his way back to the
other side of the suite. Now he wanted nothing more than to make love to her.
Nothing else would be good enough. Rachel held onto his neck and as her fingers
tickled the nape of it, he smiled. This was going to be wonderful––the night of
his life. His brother had been right.

Luckily she was light and he made it there
without any problem. He placed her gently onto the bed where she laid back in
just her panties. And pretty ones they were: pink and white lace, her pubic
hair forming a dark background beneath them.

Condoms.

Thank god Ryan had put them into his bag, and
right on top for easy access.

He reached for it, unzipped it, and as he pulled
the package out, the box of Scrabble fell onto the floor, the letters
scattering over the carpet. She leaned over the edge of the bed and glanced
down.

“Is that for later?” asked Rachel.

“Much, much later.”

Maybe not even tonight.
To hell with Scrabble and Poker now I’ve met you.

She was about to pull down her panties when he
stopped her by placing his hand on hers.

“Can I have the pleasure of doing that?” he
asked.

“Sure.”

He let his boxers fall to the floor and got onto
the bed with her. Mitchell put his hands on either side of the lace and pulled
gently on her underwear. Rachel lifted her butt as he glided his fingers over
her hips and thighs and down her legs until finally she was freed of the last
piece of clothing. Although things were getting dire and he needed to be inside
her soon, he wanted this to be as romantic as possible so he lifted her foot
and kissed the top of it and then her ankle… her calf.

Foolish mistake.

Now that her leg was in the air…he swallowed
because her pussy and folds were in clear view and they were just as lovely and
tempting as the rest of her. A bit of her cream edged out of her slit as he
made his way to her ass cheek. He couldn’t resist reaching out and touching it
and letting his finger slip inside so he could enjoy her wetness. She murmured
and wiggled her butt.

She was tight, tiny and he, well, he wasn’t
conceited but he knew he was bigger than average and hoped he didn’t hurt her
in any way. That was the last thing he’d ever want to do.

Rachel spread her legs some more. She was
becoming more tempting by the second.
 
He
pushed his finger deeper hearing her murmur again. Even those were adorable.
There was nothing more he’d like to do than bring her to climax, but he wanted
her first one of the evening to be brought on by him
buried
 
inside
her.

He pulled it out, thinking about what was about
to happen. Mitchell was all fingers and thumbs as he tore open the condom
package. He dropped it once and felt like a fool, but he was out of practice
and he just wanted everything to be perfect. He was suddenly aware she was
watching him as he sheathed himself. He hoped he didn’t look a complete idiot
by not getting it properly secured on his first attempt. That would be a
romance killer for sure.

Bingo,
success.

Mitchell eased inside her as gently as he could,
which wasn’t easy because once he felt her slickness and her tight core he
wanted nothing more than to thrust and take them both on a journey neither
would ever forget.

She flinched.