“Holy crap,” she murmured against his neck.
Spike smiled, relieved he wasn’t the only one feeling this. He licked his lips, tasting her there, and said, “Yeah.”
He felt her head lifting, and he looked at her. Spike couldn’t stop his gaze from going to her chest. He could see her nipples through her bra and T-shirt, and a giddy mix of relief and pride went through him. She was obviously just as turned on as he was, and it made something inside him relax a fraction. He’d known she liked him, but seeing the proof that she was just as affected by their chemistry made him less desperate somehow.
He vowed to enjoy the anticipation and excitement of their new relationship.
Reluctantly letting go of her ass, Spike brought his hand up to her face and brushed his fingers against the rosy pink of her cheek. Her lips were a little swollen, and he loved the feel of her fingernails against his scalp and arm, where she’d grabbed him to hold on while they were kissing.
“I’m not going to kiss you in front of Woody. He’s not opposed to our relationship, but you are his little sister.”
“So we’re in a relationship?” she asked shyly.
“Yes,” Spike answered definitively.
“And…”
“What? You can ask me anything. Tell me anything.”
“I know. It’s just that this is so soon. But I haven’t felt this way about a guy before. You already know I had a crush on you before, but now…are we…can you…I want to be exclusive,” she finished quickly.
Spike framed her face and fixed his gaze on hers. “As you can see, there isn’t exactly a slew of women out here to date,” he said.
“But there’s lots of guests,” she interrupted before he could go on. “And I’ve seen how some of them look at you and the other guys. I’m guessing plenty would be happy to have a vacation fling.”
“My friends and I have never, and will never, mix business with pleasure,” he said sternly. “That’s the best way to fuck up a good thing. I’m not going to sleep with any of the guests—and hell yes, we’re exclusive. I don’t want anyone else but you, Reese. You’re all I can think about.”
She smiled shyly at him as she grabbed hold of his wrists. “I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this,” she admitted. “I mean, I know I’m a good person and I deserve to be loved the way I’ve always wanted, and to have a man of my own. But this has been…sudden. And you have no idea how many times I’ve dreamed of being right here. Of hearing you say the things you’re saying to me right now. But I’m also a realist. I know what I look like, and it wasn’t as if we’ve even seen each other since you got out of the Army.”
“You look like heaven. Like home. Like someone who enjoys life to the fullest. Who laughs a lot, and who’s passionate about the smallest thing. And while I can’t say I had a crush, I’ve thought about you a lot. Always asked Woody about you when we were on the teams. You intrigued me from the moment we met, but since I figured there wasn’t a chance you’d want an old, tattooed recluse like me…” He shrugged.
She smiled. “You aren’t old. And you aren’t a recluse. Did you really ask Woody about me?”
“Yup.”
Her smile widened. “So we’re doing this.”
“If by this, you mean dating, kissing, continuing to getting to know each other, eating together, watching movies, and hopefully one day very soon, making love…yes,” Spike said.
She swallowed hard. “Okay.”
“Okay?” he verified.
She nodded.
He tilted her face up to his and lowered his head once more. He kissed her again. This time the kiss was less passionate and more…loving. Their tongues swirled together lazily as they learned the taste and feel of each other. It was Spike who broke it off. He was on the edge, and if he was going to show her his favorite place at The Refuge, he needed to stop touching and kissing her and get going.
“You ready?” he asked.
“Can I make a coffee to go?” she asked.
Spike had a feeling she didn’t know her thumb was brushing back and forth on the inside of his wrist. She was so sensual. When they did finally make love, she was going to blow his mind, of that he had no doubt.
“I already made one for you.”
“You did?” she asked in surprise.
That was another thing. She was always so shocked when he did something nice for her. As if no one had ever taken care of her before. Well, that part of her life was a thing of the past. He’d bend over backward to make sure he spoiled her.
“Yup. I’ve also got water for later…you know, to wash that sugar from your so-called coffee out of your system.”
She laughed and playfully swatted his arm. “Whatever.”
He liked this. Yes, he liked the kissing and making out, but he liked the good-natured banter between them as well.
“Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand and towing her toward the kitchen. It was only a few steps and there was no need to hold her hand, but he liked touching her. Liked having her near him. He handed her the travel cup of coffee and watched as she took a sip.
“It’s perfect,” she said with a smile.
Another pang of longing went through Spike. He shoved away the unexpected feeling of vulnerability by saying, “Of course it is.”
This woman was his kryptonite. Now he understood why some people did stupid things in the name of love.
He jerked in surprise at the sudden thought, and covered it by dropping Reese’s hand and reaching for his backpack. He folded her jacket and stuffed it inside as he considered the idea.
Love? Did he love Reese? He wasn’t sure. It hadn’t been long at all since they’d reconnected. Did he respect her? Yes. Admire her? Definitely yes. Was he in awe of her? Absolutely.
But love?
Maybe.
In the past, that might have freaked him out, especially so soon. But now, as he held open the front door for her, smiling when she thanked him and walked outside, he was simply…content.
There was a time in Spike’s life when he thought he’d never be able to truly relax. The things he’d done and seen ran through his head like a never-ending movie, day after day, year after year. The horrors of his past were always there, lurking in the background, ready to spring forward and mess up a perfectly good day. He’d resigned himself to always being tense. To being on alert.
But being around Reese dulled those thoughts. Hearing her laugh put him at ease. Her pleasure in the smallest things was a joy to witness. And kissing her? Getting lost in all that was Reese?
It was everything.
If he could love anyone, it would be this woman. But for now, he was going to enjoy spending time with her. Showing her why he loved this part of New Mexico. Yes, they’d agreed to date exclusively, but eventually the real world would intrude and she’d go back to Kansas City. They’d both have hard decisions to make when that happened, but until that time, Spike was going to do everything in his power to live in the here and now. And to enjoy the hell out of having Reese around.
“Well, you coming? Or are we going to stand outside your cabin all day staring at the trees around us?” she sassed.