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, after she'd made her decision.
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. Stupid, Sammy Jo. His finger drew lazy circles around her nipple. Without making contact, the pull went straight into her stomach, making her nipple contract and harden, begging for his touch.
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.
He straightened, continuing to work as if nothing unusual had passed between them. Only the unmistakable desire in his eyes and the clench of his jaw told her otherwise. He filled five glasses and began placing them on her tray. "I guess sitting behind a desk doesn't offer much in the way of exercise?" he asked, bringing her back to where they were.
"Not much. The walk to and from the train station does that."
He pushed her full order toward her. "A long walk must feel good after sitting behind a desk all day."
"Yes."
"You mentioned something about financial work, but you never said what"
"I'd better go, the natives are getting restless." She deliberately cut him off. He'd never asked much about her life and she didn't want him to start now. If he crossed over the line, he'd go from temporary lover to what? Someone she shared confidences with? Cared about?
She already did, which was why she had to keep some distance between them. At least her attempt at changing the subject appeared to work. He glanced toward her waiting customers and scowled.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. It causes wrinkles, even in men." She ran a finger over the furrows between his eyebrows, until he caught her wrist in his hand.
"And I wouldn't do that unless you were looking to take a risk."
Little did he know she'd already taken one by being with him. "Such as?"
"You're avoiding personal questions between us, Samantha."
Not only handsome, but perceptive, too. Was there no end to his virtues? "Maybe, but anything more will only complicate things between us, don't you think?"
He studied her for what felt like an endless moment before he answered. "Things are already complicated," he muttered. "But you're right the natives are getting restless." He grabbed a rag, turned away and began wiping down the bar where the foam from the beer had overflowed.
She longed to say something, anything to end the sudden chill. But what? I'm a financial planner engaged to another man? I'm selling myself to the highest bidder? As much as I care about you, the course of my life is already set? Somehow, she didn't think he'd appreciate hearing any of those answers any more than she liked thinking them.
She lifted the tray and walked away. Mac watched her hasty retreat, admired the movement of her hips and wished like hell they hadn't been interrupted earlier.
"If you ask me, I'd say you struck out," Zee said with a chuckle.
"No, just crossed over the line." An imaginary one Samantha had drawn ever since their conversation about her father. Anytime he'd asked, she'd been unwilling to reveal any more about herself. With their week running out, perhaps she thought it best to keep her distance. Perhaps it was time to enlighten her that the end of the week didn't have to mean the end. He shook his head.
"If you want the lady to confide in you," Zee said, "seems to me you ought to do the same."
Mac agreed, but Samantha wasn't ready. What had begun as an innocent deception now loomed large between them. She was emotionally skittish, and he had no desire to give her additional reason to run. Whatever was keeping her from him, he didn't want his secret to make things worse.
His gaze fell on her as she worked. Ironically, as she dammed up emotionally, she opened up sexually. Who'd have thought she would greet him in the shower? Having sampled only a part of what he wanted from Samantha, Mac wasn't dumb enough to think he could keep his hands to himself any longer. Once he closed for the night, nothing would stop him from having Samantha in his bed. Hot and eager, warm and wet, pulsing around him
"Easy, boy." Zee's voice shattered Mac's daydream.
The older man had followed his line of vision and caught him drooling over Samantha. He hadn't been privy to Mac's thoughts, but the way the codger's mind worked, he'd probably come too close to the erotic truth for Mac's peace of mind.
"She's pretty good at this," Zee said.
Making her way around the table of men, Samantha placed a beer in front of each customer, ducking, chiding and putting them off with a laugh or a shake of her head. Mac had to give her credit. She'd learned quickly how to handle a table of eager men Except for the guy she served last His hand lingered on her waist despite her vehement disapproval, and when she tried to take a step backward, she was stopped by a firm palm on her behind and a whisper in her ear. On the rare occasion when Mac had seen it happen to Theresa, he'd always handled the situation with a detached calm that resulted in a quick resolution. No one got their feelings hurt or their bones broken. Something changed inside him when the woman being pawed was Samantha.
A raw possessiveness flooded his veins, but he forced himself to give her a second to handle things before he went charging in. He gave her a second too long, he realized as the guy rose to face her and placed a hand on her breast. Mac rounded the bar and headed for Samantha quicker than Zee could spit.
Apparently she'd learned more than Mac thought. She was also faster, because by the time he reached the table, the guy was wearing his beer on his jeans.
"Put a leash and a muzzle on your customers, Mac." She glared at the offender who was busy wiping down his wet jeans.
"Zee" Mac nodded in the drunken guy's direction.
The older man understood. He grabbed the patron, who began ranting about harassment, and led him and his friends to the door. He'd make sure they knew they'd worn out their welcome and check that someone sober drove home. Bear's father might act outrageously at times, but when called for, he could be a formidable opponent and a good friend.