Whirlwind

Whirlwind

“Grab my hand!”

Moderndaydrifter clung to the rail for dear life and thought she had never seen anyone so welcome in all her life even if it was Gary Hobson. One minute she had been on the roof admiring the Chicago skyline and the next, she had tripped over an air vent and found herself hanging from the side of the thirty story hotel.

How Hobson knew she was here, she had no idea, and at the moment, she didn’t care. She was in town for a conference on tornados hosted by Tom Skilling, the wonderful WGN weatherman, but every time she turned around, she seemed to bump into the Gary. She was still ticked about that great tornado footage she would have had last week when she had arrived a few days early and chased a storm on the outskirts of the city. If only Hobson hadn’t spoiled it by tackling her. He had said it was because a tree limb would have killed her, but she wasn’t so sure. How had he known?

She had seen him several times since then. The day after the tornado, she’d been drowning her sorrows at a little Irish pub called McGinty’s and in traipsed a guy all decked out in yellow rain gear. He’d looked like the Gorton’s fisherman and she had snickered at him before realizing it was the same guy who had tackled her the day before. He’d sent her a glare that could have turned icicles to steam in seconds before exiting the room through the pub kitchen. When he’d returned thirty minutes later, in normal clothes, she had tried talking to him, but it seemed they did nothing but bicker. Despite that, she couldn't stop thinking of him and their bickering had been just short of flirting.

“Come on! You hafta let go and grab my hand!” One of his hands gripped her just below her right shoulder, and he was half over the rail himself trying to get a hold of her.

She closed her eyes, said a quick prayer and released the rail, feeling his hand clasp hers instantly. It was a bit of a struggle because Gary didn’t have leverage. She heard him grunt and then she was in his arms and they both stood shaking on the ledge. Her cheek was against his chest and she could feel his heart beating like a jack hammer. She knew her own was doing the same thing.

They moved back to a safer spot on the roof and a flash of red caught her eye.

“You’re bleeding!” Moderndaydrifter grabbed Gary’s arm and pulled back the sleeve, revealing a nasty scrape on the inside of his wrist. He must have hurt it on the ledge.

“Come on, I think I saw a little first aid kit in my room.”

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“Thanks.” Gary held his arm out while Moderndaydrifter dabbed at the scrape with a few cotton balls that had been dipped in hydrogen peroxide.

She smiled and said, “I know I drive you crazy, but I can at least help a guy who saved my life.”

“You don’t drive me crazy all the time, Moderndaydrifter.”

His tone of voice sent a shiver through her and she looked up from taping the last bit of bandage around his wrist. Hobson’s face was mere inches away and the look in his eyes made the butterflies in her stomach start racing around as though they were caught in a hurricane. Maybe it was her recent brush with death, or maybe it was the fact that he had saved her. Or maybe it was just that she had been attracted to the guy from day one, but whatever the reason, Moderndaydrifter did something she had wanted to do since she had snickered at him in his rain gear.

She kissed him.

It began as a whisper of a kiss, the lightest brush of lips and breath. It wasn’t enough and she moved closer, relishing the contrast of his soft mouth and sandpaper skin rough with five o’clock shadow. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, half whimper, half sigh. His groan in response sealed the deal.

Moderndaydrifter felt his hand slide through her hair and cradle the back of her head while the other circled her waist and pulled her closer. She needed no further urging and leaned into him, her own hands clutched the front of his shirt, feeling his heat through the material. He tasted wonderful and she wanted more. Needed more. Moderndaydrifter wrapped one hand around the back of his neck. She wasn’t sure if she pulled herself on top of him or if he did the pulling, but before she knew it, he was on his back on the bed and she was on top of him. Their legs twined and she felt him against her thigh.

It gave her a thrill to know that he desired her as much as she wanted him. His mouth trailed a hot path down her neck, his breath warm and moist and sending chills through her when he reached just behind her ear. Moderndaydrifter bent her head, allowing him more access and he pushed the collar of her shirt back, exposing more to his seeking tongue. His hint of stubble rasped against her skin. God, it felt good.