Gone Country (Rough Riders #14)(36)

She waited for a sense of relief to settle in.


Nada.


I need to take all my clothes off. Nothing constricting my skin.


When her fingers curled around the bottom band of the cami and she started to pull it up her torso, a hoarse male voice barked, “Jesus, Ree. Stop.”


She froze and glanced at Gavin, still plastered to the door.


Oh. My. God. In her panicked state of mind she’d started to strip in front of him; she’d forgotten he was even there. What must he think of her? Some crazy woman muttering and ripping off her clothes, sucking down his high-end booze after hijacking his bedroom to have a mental breakdown.


That’s when she started to hyperventilate for real.


Spots danced in front of her eyes and she swayed.


“Shit.” Then Gavin was right in her face, holding her upright. “Are you okay?”


She couldn’t speak.


“Rielle! Talk to me.”


“Too. Hot,” came out whisper thin.


He shook her a little. “Goddammit, what is going on?”


“Need. Air.”


He hauled her against his side and flung open the French door, dragging her onto the balcony.


She vaguely heard the door bang and hoped he hadn’t locked it, trapping them out here.


Gavin stood behind her, his strong hands firm around her upper arms, his mouth against her ear. “Breathe.”


Feeling lightheaded, she started to fall forward.


He made a grunting noise and placed her hands on the metal railing. “Hold on.”


The metal felt cool on her hands and some of the tension left her body, allowing her to sag against him.


“Huh-uh. Stay on your feet. Come on, honey. Smell that fresh mountain air? Suck it into your lungs.”


She opened her mouth and choked on the deep gulp of air.


“Through your nose. Nice and slow. That’s it.”


Rielle closed her eyes.


“Dammit, don’t hold it in. Let it out so you can take more in.”


Inhale like sipping water through a straw; exhale like you’re blowing in a lover’s ear.


Rielle didn’t know where that advice came from, but she focused on it. Practiced it. Used it. Imagined turning her head and breathing in the scent of Gavin’s skin. Then angling her mouth up to send a stream of air across his ear.


“Just like that. Good. Keep going. Breathe in slow.”


Finally, after heaven knew how long, she was breathing almost normally.


Gavin still had hold of her. But instead of having a firm grip on her biceps, his palms skated up and down her arms, a barely there touch that sent goose bumps cascading over her flesh.


She shivered.


“You’re cold. Let’s go in.”


“No.” She pressed back against him. “My breathing is better but I’m still hot. I want to stay out here.”


“Okay.”


He was a talker, so she expected he’d grill her on why he’d found a near-hysterical woman in his room.



But he didn’t. He just wordlessly stroked her. Soothed her.


No man had ever done that for her. Largely because she didn’t allow it. She was self-sufficient with a capital S.


Rielle remained against his body, her back to his chest. Gavin was solid. Not ridiculously muscle bound, but toned. His expelled breath flowed across her bare shoulder and he kept up those teasing caresses.


She tipped her head to look at him, but his eyes were squeezed shut. “Gavin?”


“Hmm?”


“I like your hands on me.”


His eyes flew open. “What?”


“I like the way you touch me.”


His fingers circled her wrists. “So it calmed you down?”


“Yes.” Her heart beat hard for an entirely different reason. “But it’s also revving me back up.”


He seemed to consider her response. “So what does that mean? Do you want me to keep on touching you?”


“Yes.”


“Like this?” His warm lips connected with the ball of her shoulder and he dragged a painstakingly slow kiss up the side of her neck, stopping at the start of her jawline. Then his breath tickled her ear. “Want me to stop?”


“No.” Rielle turned her head and nuzzled his cheek. “Please, keep going.”


His deep groan reverberated through her entire body. Then his hands landed on her hips and he slid his palms up her belly and over her rib cage while his lips and tongue tasted the skin at the base of her neck.


She felt him bump his hips forward, showing her how hard he was. For her. She wiggled her backside and he sucked in a swift breath.


Gavin pulled the stretchy cami down, exposing her breasts. Then his hands were on her, his thumbs stroking her nipples, his mouth leaving biting kisses down the slope of her shoulder.


Rielle ground her ass into his erection, her breaths short once again, her skin on fire from where his hot mouth worked her, and that heat arrowed straight between her legs.