Her body shuddered as pure liquid pleasure poured through her. She clung to him, caught up in an unexpected moment of release.
This couldn"t be happening. She"d never come that way. But there it was. And as he continued to touch her, she continued to come.
But it wasn"t enough. The minireleases only made her want more. She pulled back and reached for his shirt. "Take this off," she demanded.
He grinned. "You"re my kind of woman."
While he took care of his clothes, she removed the rest of her own. She had a brief thought that her stomach seemed huge, then she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.
Cal was beside her in a heartbeat. She wondered if this could get awkward, but then he reached for her. Even as he kissed her, he slipped his hand between her thighs. The second his fingers moved into her swollen heat, she forgot everything except the potential for pleasure. Her legs fell open, her hips began to pulse and she couldn"t catch her breath.
"You"re already close," he said against her mouth.
Close didn"t describe it, she thought as she dug her heels into the mattress. Tension filled her. Need grew until it swallowed her whole.
He found that single spot of pleasure and began to rub. His fingers moved over slick, swollen flesh, bringing her closer, higher, tighter with each quick circle.
He shifted so that he could continue to touch her there with his thumb, then he slipped two fingers inside. It was good, she thought desperately. Then he lowered his head and took her nipple in his mouth. The gentle sucking pushed her over the edge.
Her o.r.g.a.s.m claimed her with the subtlety of an explosion. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed into her, taking her breath away and making it impossible to do anything but absorb the wonder he created in her.
On and on, her body released months of abstinence until she thought she might never stop.
Still feeling the rippling contractions, she forced her eyes open and stared into his face.
"Now," she whispered.
Cal wasn"t about to refuse an invitation like that. He kept his fingers inside of her as he shifted between her legs, then he quickly replaced them with his erection.
The second he pushed into her hot, wet, swollen body, he felt her o.r.g.a.s.m contract around him. Talk about a sensual ma.s.sage. Just being inside of Penny had always been enough to send him over the edge, but thrusting into her while she was still coming was indescribable.
The rest of the blood in his body rushed into his arousal, making the already sensitive hardness even more aware of the feel of her body clutching his.
He swore as she came again. "You"re going to have to stop that or I won"t be able to hold back," he ground out.
He opened his eyes to find her smiling up at him.
"You"re complaining because I"m coming too much?" she gasped. "Poor guy."
He laughed, then groaned as she came again and his control slipped.
Inventory, he told himself. He would think about inventory. Even as he put his hands on her raised knees and buried himself inside of her, he thought of the stockroom. How much...
Oh, G.o.d. Too late. His body took over. Faster and faster, he pushed deeper and deeper. He opened his eyes and found her watching him. Another contraction, then another and then he was coming.
They stared at each other, pleasure filling them. Even as he emptied himself into her, he felt her body squeezing his again and he was lost.
CAL WATCHED LIGHT creep across the bedroom wall. The s.p.a.ce was unfamiliar, as was the bed, but he knew exactly where he was and what he"d done. Beside him, Penny slept, her body warm and feminine as she curled up against him.
He was tired-they"d stayed awake long into the night making love-but content.
He waited for the need to bolt that usually followed spending the night, but his only pressing emotion was one of confusion.
Technically he and Penny were both single, consenting adults. They liked each other, obviously found each other attractive. So they"d taken things to the next level. It happened all the time.
In reality, though, things weren"t that simple. He and Penny weren"t dating. They worked together, and he"d always done his best to keep his personal life very separate from his work environment. And even if they"d once loved each other enough to commit to forever, he didn"t believe in do-overs, so why was he here?
Penny stirred, then opened her eyes. "Morning," she said. "What time is it?"
"Nearly six."
She groaned. "It"s my day to check in the order. I"m going to be late." She sat up, then smiled. "I"ll be tired all day and it"s your fault."
"Sorry."
Her smile widened. "No, no. Don"t apologize. It was so worth it."
She stood and stretched, her naked body his to admire. The proof of her pregnancy jutted out toward him, making her seem more lush. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s were definitely bigger. He"d already touched every inch of them and wouldn"t mind doing it again. Then he glanced at the clock and groaned. He was running late, too.
Five minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom in a robe. Her face was washed, her hair tied back in a braid. "I"ll have to sneak back at some point so I can shower," she said, pausing to give him a kiss. "Take your time. Just lock the door behind you, okay?"
"I will."
She stepped into the closet, reappearing minutes later fully dressed. "See you at the restaurant," she called as she hurried down the hall.
He watched her go, then sat up. As easy as that, he thought.
He stood in his ex-wife"s bedroom, after making love with her most of the night and wondered what on earth he"d been thinking.
PENNY ARRIVED thirty seconds before the delivery truck. She checked everything in, then stored what needed immediate refrigeration. The sky was bright, the birds were singing and the new cat had left two dead rats by the back door. It was a very good day.
She walked through the quiet kitchen and felt at one with the world. It was as if every cell in her body had just taken a big breath and relaxed. s.e.x was a very fine thing and something she should do more of. Especially if it could be as good as it had been last night.
She supposed that made Cal the perfect lover. Not only did he know what pleased her, he knew without being told. They"d already worked out the kinks in their physical relationship and they didn"t have an emotional one.
Oh, sure, she liked him. He was a decent guy. But not for her. They"d already tried that once. Him not wanting kids was too big a hurdle to overcome.
But he sure could make her toes curl.
She went to work on her menu for specials that evening. Sometime around eight-thirty, Edouard showed up. The unnamed cat appeared shortly after, looking fat and sleek and wanting plenty of scratches and petting.
"I don"t want to know what you"ve been doing," Penny told him. "But I haven"t seen a single rodent since your arrival."
The cat purred louder.
Naomi strolled in around ten. "Morning all," she said. "How is everyone do-" She stared at Penny. "Oh. My. G.o.d."