She had no idea how damn difficult that had been. Another thing he loved about Samantha was her innocent lack of awareness. She had no idea how much she turned him on.
He focused the spray on her legs, rinsing off the soap he'd spent so much time applying. 'Back to the nice-guy thing again?' He didn't want to spook her. Keeping things light seemed the safest bet.
Angling his wrist, he directed the spray upward. Water sluiced down from the middle of her thigh, cleansing her skin. 'You might want to hang on to me about now,' he said.
She gripped his shoulders at the same moment he let the spray hit her intimately. Samantha whimpered, her body arching against the pulsing water jets. Her wanton response made him more determined to complete her pleasure.
He lowered them to the tub floor, settling her between the vee of his legs. Bracing her against his side, he nudged her legs apart and slipped his finger inside her, beginning a rhythmic sliding motion she picked up easily. Her body tightened and relaxed around his finger, which he eased in and out, pushing deeper with each successive thrust. Her jerking motions worked with him, while he used the other hand to let the shower massage pound against her swollen mound of flesh.
He wished he could see her face, but instead had to settle for the soft sighs and reflexive movement of her body rocking insistently against his. The constant friction of her back against his erection was almost more than he could stand. Damn, but he needed to be inside her, stretching her and filling her… Without warning, she cried out her release, and the incredible sound triggered a climax of his own, one he hadn't expected and could not have imagined, not without actually being inside her.
With another cry, she collapsed against him. Mac dropped the handle and let the shower massage fling back until it hit the corner of the tub, its spray narrowly missing them both. He lay back, leaning his head against the wall. Water pounded around them, similar to the way his body still throbbed with aftershocks.
Samantha hadn't uttered a word. She hadn't looked him in the eye, either. He didn't blame her. How the hell had he taken such advantage without thought to her feelings? Because he'd stretched his patience and need beyond reason, Mac thought. Which was no excuse. 'You're too quiet.'
'Am I?' she murmured. 'I was just thinking about a certain cliche. It's true, you know.'
He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her damp hair. Feeling her soft body against his gave him more pleasure than any man should have. 'What is?' he asked.
Her giggle vibrated against his chest. 'Nice guys do finish last.'
He tightened his grip on her and laughed, relieved at her response. Damn but he loved her. But he knew that wasn't something she wanted to hear.
Wrapped in a thick towel, still chilled from the remnants of a shower that had turned cold, Sam joined Mac in bed.
She forced herself to look at him, at this special man she'd allowed liberties she'd never imagined existed. 'I just want you to know…' Embarrassed, she stopped. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, but she had to continue. For all the time they'd spent together, they'd never actually discussed anything intimate.
'I want you to know I don't go around sleeping with…' She stopped again. Technically they hadn't slept together… yet. 'Seducing…' Had she been the seducer or had he? She shook her head. 'Showering with…' That was literally true, but the things he'd done transcended the definition of a shower. 'I don't sleep around.'
His hand cupped her chin, his dark eyes boring into hers. 'Sweetheart, I never thought you did. In fact, if I had to guess, I'd say this was your first… shower.' He grinned, and she couldn't help but smile back. Mac had such a disarming manner, his very presence relaxed her.
'I enjoyed it,' she admitted.
Rolling over, he pinned her body to the bed with his. 'I could tell.'
'There's something else.'
He propped himself on his hands, taking his weight off her chest. 'Why am I not surprised?'
'I'm… safe. I just thought you'd want to know.'
He raised an eyebrow. 'So I don't need protection?'
'Yes. No. I mean, you do… need it. I'm safe in the medical sense.' Her marital blood test had proved that fact. 'But not in the pregnancy sense.' Stupid, she knew. Though she'd come down here planning on sleeping with a sexy, sensual man, she'd also planned on making him use protection. So she'd be sure. She'd also planned on buying some herself,
Then she'd fallen into a routine with Mac, one that came easily and without thought. She'd forgotten to worry about protection. She'd forgotten to worry about anything at all.
He grinned, obviously not the least bit put off or insulted by the topic of conversation. 'You don't have to worry about me, either, except…'
'What?'
'I don't have any here.'
'That's not a problem. Well it is, but…'
'We'll have to hit town.'
She'd been wrong about something else, too. Their first time together hadn't made her want him any less. She sat up in bed, making a belated and unsuccessful grab at her towel. He laughed, and she was chagrined to discover that even his laugh aroused her. He coaxed her back against the pillows and ran a hand over her bare breast. 'Slow down, sweetheart. We have time.'
It was Sunday afternoon. Suddenly she felt like she was counting down instead of looking ahead to the rest of their week.
She had less than four days to get this man out of her system so she could get on with her life. Alone.
'Hey, honey, another round over here.'
Sam eyed the men at the table in the corner. They'd been drinking steadily for the last couple of hours. She wondered how long they could keep it up. With each successive drink, their mouths became looser, their hands freer. As if they thought talking dirty and violating her personal space would turn her on. What it turned was her stomach. The last few nights had shown her these type of men weren't the norm around The Hungry Bear.
Forcing a smile, she glanced their way. 'Coming right up.' She dodged a wild hand and headed for the bar where Mac stood mixing drinks.
An emergency favor for Zee had dragged him out of bed almost immediately after the shower episode. She still blushed a deep red just thinking about it. He'd returned in time to open the bar. Sam had used the time to savor Arizona and attempt to convince herself she could walk away from Mac with her heart intact. She still didn't believe it.
She looked at him. He was wearing his standard faded jeans and a white T-shirt. An ordinary outfit, if Mac were an ordinary man. But he wasn't, as her rapidly beating heart could attest to. 'Another five on tap for the corner table,' she told him.
'They keep that up and I'll have to cut them off.' He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The warm, thoughtful gesture caused a lump in her throat. 'How're you holding up?' he asked.
'Never better. I've really grown to like this job. You meet all kinds of interesting people. And it's good exercise.'
'I don't recall you needing exercise…' He leaned over the bar. She met him halfway, and his warm breath caressed her cheek. 'And don't forget I've seen pretty much everything.'
Her body heated up instantly. His seductive grin told her he'd accomplished his goal. He knew just how to arouse her.
'I stopped at the drugstore while I was out this afternoon,' he whispered in her ear. The simple words set her aflame.
