Fraternize Me Read online

  “I want you.” She climbed on his legs, straddling his hips, bracing her hands on his chest. “I have no idea the right way to do this, but it doesn’t matter. If I don’t have you, right now, I might die.”

  He ran his hands down her arms. “I can’t have you dying on me, darlin’.”

  Ready and willing, he flipped her onto her back and had her under him in a split second. He smiled down into her eyes. There wasn’t a single doubt that this was a bad idea. It was an impulsive move, but a need he couldn’t ignore.

  He knew well that any more time spent with Ava tonight meant he’d accepted whatever came later. He didn’t care. He wanted her with a passion he’d never experienced before.

  Strong, determined, caring, and responsible, Ava drew him to her in a way he was unable to control. No matter what came tomorrow, he’d make sure her first experience was worth every minute.

  Ava made a low, hungry sound in her throat. He reached down and slid his finger along her heat. She trembled, and he had to tell himself to slow down. She was a quiet surprise, and he wanted to find out what else had her begging for him.

  Without dropping his attention, he took her breast in his mouth. He moaned as she rose off the bed, going wild underneath him. He held her in place, sucking, stroking.

  She clawed his shoulders. “Hank.”

  He smiled around her nipple. “Hm?”

  She slapped at his shoulder, her hips thrusting in the air. “Please…”

  “I've got you," he murmured.

  His blood pounded, and if she kept wiggling, he was going to burst. He would’ve loved to explore every inch of her body, to memorize her laying there, her hair sprawled out on the bed, her eyes half closed, her cheeks flushed, and her breasts shaking with every move, but he wasn’t one to upset a lady when she wanted something.

  He rolled on the condom and guided himself to her heat, testing, teasing her to accept him. She wrapped her legs around him, locking her ankles, and his arms shook. It took all his control not to plunge inside of her warmth.

  She framed her hands on the sides of his face. “Do it.”

  He slid inside of her. The almost too snug entrance grew even tighter and he held himself still. He grew dizzy from the best sensation he'd ever experienced.

  A few seconds later, he slid all the way inside her warmth. She closed her eyes, panting. Not wanting to hurt her, he barely moved. His arms quivered, and he held himself in check.

  Spread out underneath him, looking more beautiful than an angel, Ava opened her eyes and smiled. His already rapid pulse surged, and he withdrew an inch, groaning as her eyes grew wide.

  “Do it again,” she whispered.

  Sweat broke out along his spine. He slowly pushed his hips toward her. It took all his control not to move faster. In all of his life, he’d never once pictured himself giving a woman a first time for anything.

  She inhaled deeply. “That’s good.”

  He moved again. “God, you’re tight.”

  She undulated her hips, moving away from him, meeting him in the middle, picking up the rhythm. Every ounce of willpower to take things slow flew out of his body. He lowered himself to his elbows, held her head, and captured her mouth, without stopping.

  Ava held on to him, rolling with his thrusts and withdrawals. Her moves took on an urgency and he picked up the pace when her fingernails dug into his shoulders. Not missing the mark, he took her over the edge, until she shuddered and squeezed the life out of him and he let himself go.

  Together, they stayed wrapped in each other’s arms. He laid his forehead on hers, trying to make the room stop spinning.

  “Hank?” She pushed up on his shoulders. “Thank you. For everything.”

  He chuckled and rolled to his side, taking her with him. “You’ve got that all wrong, darlin’. It should be me thanking you. I never…expected this to happen.”

  “You didn’t want to have sex with me?” She raised her brows.

  “Oh, I wanted you.” He brushed her hair off her forehead. “I thought you’d had some experience. What you’ve done, with me, is something you can’t go back and change.”

  She shook her head. “I wanted my first time to be with you.”

  He looked her in the eyes. “I’m not all rainbows and whatever you gals want. I’m a rancher.”

  “I know.” She scooted away and stood. “This…what happened between us, was something we shared with each other, but I know it’s only for tonight.”

  Ava walked toward the door. He sat up on the bed. She was too easy going about what happened. For Christ’s sake, he’d taken her virginity.

  “Ava?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Are you okay with what happened?” he asked.

  “Sure. Yeah.” She smiled. “You weren’t the only one in the bed, cowboy.”

  “Okay.” He blew out his breath. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to hop in the shower. I’ll be back.” She blew him a kiss.

  He sank down on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor. Where were the demands, the needed promises? Hell, all women threw them up in the air after having sex.

  She hadn’t even asked if they could see each other tomorrow, or exchange addresses. He grabbed his jeans off the floor and pulled them on. Hell, what about him?

  He didn’t want to watch her walk away from him. Not yet, anyway. There was something special about her, and he wanted to get to know more about her. He walked out to the living room. Hell, she couldn’t give him a sample of what could happen between them and be fine with just that, could she?

  “Damn,” he muttered, pacing the length of the room.

  This whole situation was Drake’s fault. If his brother grew up and started taking care of his own responsibilities, instead of thrusting them on him all the time, he wouldn’t be in this predicament. With his luck, Drake had written new rules in the stupid employee handbook with a note beside the “no dating a guest” rule that added his name personally.

  The bathroom door opened. He whipped around, and his body fully responded to the sight in front of him. She never failed to surprise him.

  “I forgot my clothes.” She held the towel around her. “I left you hot water if you want to take a shower.”

  He shrugged. A shower was the last thing on his mind. Despite getting a good taste of her mere minutes ago, he was ready for more.

  She stepped closer. “Hank? Is something wrong?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What is it?”

  He grimaced. How was he going to confess to sabotaging her job when he knew how much it meant to her? She’d never forgive him. Maybe afterward, when he made sure Drake gave her the job, he'd come to terms with how fast things were happening, and maybe then she’d understand.

  “It’s nothing," he murmured.

  “Good.” She wiggled her brows and shimmied. “We’ve got all night. There are a lot of things I haven’t done. A lot of firsts I could try.”

  “Yeah?” He chuckled. “I know a cowboy who might be able to teach you a few things.”

  “I’m ready.” She dropped the towel.

  Somewhere between the living room and the bedroom, his pants came off again. All his problems disappeared as he followed her swaying bottom back to the bedroom.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Loud knocking woke Ava. She groaned and tried to roll out of bed, but there was a heavy weight holding her legs down. She opened her eyes, realized where she was, and pushed Hank.

  “Get up, get up, get up!” She slapped his shoulder and pointed at the door. “Someone’s pounding on my door.”

  Hank pulled her down beside him. “So, it’s early. Let them wait.”

  “Hank,” she hissed. “Something could’ve happened. I need to get up, dress, get down to the lobby and check in to work.”

  “Fine.” He stole a kiss. “I’ll go see who it is.”

  “Wait.” She jumped out of bed. “Let me run to the bathroom first, and if it's anyone besi
des George, don’t answer the door. They'll call me if I don't answer. Nobody can find out about us. I’ll lose my job.”

  He sat on the edge of the bed, pulled on a pair of jeans and stood. “I’m not going to tell anyone what happened in your room behind closed doors. Besides, it’s nobody’s business, but ours.”

  “I know you won’t, but I worry. People like to talk and it would only take one person to question our relationship and I’d be sunk.” She hurried out of the room with her clothes she planned to wear in her arms.

  After she dressed, she called Shady Oaks while putting on makeup. Thankfully, Gram was still sleeping after her big day running away from the nursing home, and hadn’t given them any problems during the night.

  She brushed her hair back, twisted, and pinned it all to the back of her neck. There. She finger-combed the loose strands, zapped the sides with a bit of hairspray, and went to the door. She leaned in, and pressed her ear to the wood. Not hearing anything, she peeked out and relaxed. The living room was empty. If it was George, he'd already left.

  “Hank?” She walked over to his room. “I’m going downstairs to start work. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Hang on a minute. I’m in the shower.”

  “I can’t.” She checked her watch. “I’ve only got five minutes. I’ll…I’ll make sure I find you before you leave later.”

  Not waiting, she hurried out of the suite, down the elevator, and to the lobby. She rounded the counter and came to a jolting stop.

  “Mr. Holland? You’re back.” She plastered on a smile. “We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.”

  “Morning, Ava. I hope you slept well.” Drake stayed bent over the computer, not looking at her.

  “Uh, yes. Thank you.” She glanced at Sally and raised her brows.

  Sally shrugged and mouthed, I don’t know.

  Did he hear how she had to leave yesterday to tend to her Gram? She cleared her throat. What if he found out she slept with Hank last night?

  Only one thing would bring Mr. Holland back early. She bit the inside of her cheek. This was a bad sign.

  “Is there a problem, Mr. Holland?” She stepped up to the computer.

  “Uh…” Drake glanced at her. “I’m not sure. Where are the room tallies for this week? They’re not coming up on the screen when I click on the reports.”

  “I’ve already downloaded them and sent them to your computer downstairs," she said.

  “Oh. Good.” He straightened and nodded. “I’ll go take a look.”

  “Just to let you know, I’ve tried to minimize the reports, so if you have any problems, please let me know and I can find a better way of organizing them.” Ava scooted back out of the way. “It’s nice to have you back, Mr. Holland.”

  “Thank you. I’ve come back to do work. In fact, why don’t you come see me during your lunch break? We’ll go over your evaluation early.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll come down and see you.” Ava clasped her hands in front of her.

  Mr. Holland walked off. All her bravado fled, and Ava leaned against the counter. It was over. She’d tried her best and it wasn’t good enough.

  “Don’t worry.” Sally stepped up beside her and gave her a one armed squeeze. “You’ve done a great job. I’m sure your evaluation will come out fine.”

  “Oh, Sally.” Ava shook her head. “I really thought I stood a chance, but I failed. Failed in so many ways, I lost count. You have no idea what I’ve gone through this week.”

  Not to mention sleeping with Hank, which topped the list of stupid things to do when she knew there were strict rules against fraternizing with the guests. She knew better. What happened between them was totally avoidable. She’d fallen for the kindness of a cowboy, and she had no one to blame but herself. She glanced at Sally. Her friend smiled at her encouragingly.

  No one had any idea where Hank had spent the night, except George. She pursed her lips.

  “I’ll be right back.” She left the front desk and walked across the lobby to the concierge’s office.

  She knocked, and stuck her head in the room. “George?”

  “Morning, Ava.” George stood up from the chair. “Is there something I can do for you?”

  She nodded and shut the door. “I wanted to ask you if you told anyone where Mr. Johnson stayed last night?”

  He shook his head. “No. Maintenance knew what happened to his room, of course, but we didn’t discuss where he would stay while the window was replaced.”

  “Good.” She glanced away.

  “Ava?”

  “Hmm?” She looked at George.

  “Is there a problem?”

  “No, no, nothing I can’t handle.” She forced a smile. “Thank you, George. You’ve been wonderful to work with this last month, and I appreciate all the help you’ve given me.”

  George frowned. “You sound like you’re leaving.”

  “I’m meeting with Mr. Holland at eleven thirty. I wanted you to know, in case I don’t get a chance to see you afterward.”

  “Think positive.” He reached out and took her hands. “You have a big heart and energy enough for three workers. Mr. Holland is a fair man. He’ll see how hard you worked. Don’t give up.”

  “I hope you’re right, George,” she whispered.

  Not one to let anyone down, she went back to work as if it was any other day. She stood in the background, behind the counter, overseeing checkout. It’d been a long week, but the ranchers and cowboys seemed in good spirits.

  She set up groups of men and then in order, sent them off in the three hotel vans to the airport. The twenty-minute round-trip gave her time to talk with the guests who waited for the next pickup. All the horror stories of what the ranchers had done in previous years, gave her confidence that this year, things had gone rather smoothly. No one broke any furniture, and Sally’s feet stayed firmly planted on the floor. There were no brawls or drunken mishaps. The daylong classes went as scheduled, and even the final event ended well, thanks to Hank’s quick thinking. She glanced around. Where was he?

  She looked for him everywhere among the hats and swagger circling the lobby, but he seemed to have disappeared out of her life as quickly as he had entered. She moistened her lips. She'd promised him she’d tell him goodbye.

  Last night and this morning, had given her a taste of what it was like to have a relationship and she wanted to continue seeing Hank. She walked over to the stairs and stood at the bottom. It was hard not to feel sadness. He’d made her feel alive, and the fear of losing contact with him weighed even heavier on her mind than meeting with Mr. Holland to find out her fate.

  When Hank was around, she forgot her burdens in life and gave herself permission to have fun. Even if it was risking her life in the pool for a plastic rat, or being scared to death while stuck in the elevator, he made her feel special, wonderful, and hopeful.

  What she had with Hank went further than a good time. She sighed. He never questioned, but supported her. All the times she’d screwed up and he’d witnessed her mistakes, he helped her without asking for anything in return. He was honest and for some reason, his gentleness spoke to her. She feared she was falling in love.

  “Hey, darlin’,” Hank whispered in her ear.

  She whirled around. “You’re still here!”

  “Couldn't leave without seeing you.” He leaned down. “Do you know how much I want to kiss you right now?”

  She pouted. “You can’t.”

  “I know.” He inhaled deeply. “Damn, you smell good.”

  “Hank…” She glanced around, found no one paying attention, and gazed back up at him. “I-I wanted to thank you for last night. It was…” She shook her head. “You were wonderful.”

  He straightened. “Follow me.”

  “Where?”

  He motioned with his head and walked up the stairs. She checked to make sure Mr. Holland wasn’t around and hurried after him. Around the corner, out of sight from the guests below, Hank pulled her to him. She w
ent into his arms willingly.

  “Hank, we shouldn’t…”

  He moved against her, stopping her from saying anything more. “We should.” He stared down at her.

  “Yes. We should.”

  She wanted to be with him again, to see the way his gaze took on that seductive haze and his body trembled. She’d kept her feelings for him hidden all week and now that she’d shown him how much she was attracted to him, she never wanted to stop.

  His face, mere inches from hers, softened. She breathed in his fresh airy scent and knew without a doubt what she wanted. All she could think about was the way he felt against her body, his shoulders, his chest, and she ached to taste him again.

  “Ava.” He lowered his lips to hers.

  God, she had to stop this. She had to think. She had to…

  He kissed her gently, lips to lips. All logic left her. She slid her hand up and wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck.

  His hands cupped her bottom. She arched toward him, wanting nothing more than to get lost in his arms and forget about everything.

  The slow, sensuous kiss ignited the spark that’d been missing in her life. She moaned and opened her mouth, giving him full access. She tasted, tested, experimented, until she lost her senses in his kiss.

  She’d never known it could be this hot, tantalizing, and earth movingly good with a man. No, not any man. It was this way, because it was with Hank. My cowboy.

  Suddenly, he tore his lips from hers and pushed away from her. He wiped his mouth off, leaving her cold and alone.

  “We’ve got an audience coming,” he mumbled behind his hand.

  Ava stood staring at him in shocked muteness. How could she have kissed him so passionately and forgotten she had a job to do?

  Because he’d made her feel wanted, needed, and desirable. Without him, she felt awful and alone.

  “I-I’m sorry,” she said, and stepped back. “I need to go.”

  “Ava?”

  She shook her head. “Good bye, Hank.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The door slammed behind Hank. He stared down at a face he knew well, and wondered if he really knew the man his brother had grown into.