Hot Licks by Jennifer Dellerman Page B

said, “I told you to switch to cable.”
    Gwen choked out a sound, part laugh and part sob, and even as Rome reached out a hand toward her, excused herself and fled to the safety of her quarters.
     

Chapter Ten
    “How often are you out here?” With his eyes glued to the female form walking in front of him, and in particular that very fine ass he’d had his hands on not twelve house ago and itched to cup again, Rome’s question came out a little hoarse.
    “Almost every day. It depends on the weather and guest requests.” Though her shoulders were stiff, her back a tense, straight line under the tan backpack, the rough undertones in her voice mirrored his own. Given that she’d treated him all morning with a cautious professionalism that had been infuriatingly polite, her breathy response was a balm to the hunger pumping through him. Not for one second did he believe the unsteadiness was a result from physical exertion. They were merely walking the reserve, checking that the short sign posts which designated the name and area of the reserve every quarter mile or so were intact. The rangers used the signs as reference points to report a sighting or problem so they knew exactly where to return when they had the proper equipment.
    The delicate scent of her arousal was making him crazed and he hoped she was recalling last night, the way she rocked her hips into his, how it had felt when he’d taken her breast in his mouth, pulling gently on her budded nipple, stroking her with his tongue. The memory had him practically foaming at the mouth and he rubbed the back of one hand over his lips, the other pressed along the hard thickness of his erection. If that damn satellite dish hadn’t broken free, he might already have the pleasure of knowing how it felt to be buried deep inside her body.
    Feeling like one giant throbbing exposed nerve, he nearly swallowed his tongue when she bent over to reposition one of the signs. It was his favorite position.
    Before he knew it, he was reaching for those curved hips when she let out a startled exclamation. “Ow.”
    Yanked from driving lust to concern nearly gave him whiplash. “What happened?”
    Gwen frowned at her palm. “I cut my hand on the corner of the sign.”
    “Let me see.” He reached for her hand, inspecting the long, shallow gash and the blood that welled. Smaller than his, her hands were strong and, given the nature of her work, surprisingly soft. Which put to mind how sensually soft she was in other, more secretive places.
    He let go before she felt the betraying tremor of need that shook his hands.
    “It’s not bad. I just need a band aid.” Oblivious to his struggle for control, Gwen shrugged off her backpack and extracted a small first aid kit. “Hold this, will you?”
    In silence, Rome watched as she quickly and efficiently cleaned the wound with a wet wipe and then slapped a band aid across the wound. “Hurt yourself often?”
    “Let’s just say grace isn’t my middle name.”
    “And what is your middle name?” There was so much he wanted to know about this woman, and not just in the most carnal of ways. Though there was no denying that was at the top of his list. In bold print. And at the earliest opportunity.
    A small smile played at the corners of her mouth.
    “Honey.”
    While he wouldn’t call himself jaded, little surprised him anymore, but this single word boggled his mind. “Honey?”
    “Yeah.” She glanced up with a smirk. “At least it’s better than my sister’s. Her middle name is Sugar.”
    His jaw dropped and she retrieved the kit from his hands. “Seriously?”
    Storing everything away, she slipped her arms back through the straps of her backpack. “What can I say. My parents are weird.”
    “We always think our parents are weird.” But at least he and his siblings hadn’t been given sweeteners as their middle name. He almost asked if she had any brothers and what theirs were, then thought it was probably better he