"Yeah, nice."
And then they lay in companionable silence, both feeling as though they"d crossed some inexplicable line.
He was the first to shake away the outre feeling. He didn"t really believe in nirvana other than as a possible lapse of judgment for carnal reasons. "I was thinking," he said.
"Let me guess." Her voice held a smile.
"You get three chances."
"Do I get a prize if I guess right?"
"Sure do."
She laughed. "You"re ready for s.e.x. I"m ready for s.e.x. We"re both ready for s.e.x."
He pulled her up on his chest, brushed the curls away from her face with his palms and found himself momentarily nonplused by a curious sense of longing. Nons.e.xual.
She looked at him searchingly. "What?"
He gave his head a shake, as though it was possible to dislodge the odd feeling with so small a gesture. "Nothing."
"I"ll bet you"re tired." She gently touched his cheek. "You haven"t slept at all."
"Nah, I"m good." He smiled. "So tell me what you like best- s.e.x-wise." Keep it casual. Keep it about f.u.c.king. Don"t go off track.
"Really?"
"Sure."
"You probably wouldn"t like to do it."
Now he was intrigued. "Sure I would. Give me a hint."
"Make me do something."
"Like what?"
"Like I have to do something you tell me."
"Like S&M?"
"G.o.d, no. Like you won"t f.u.c.k me unless I kiss you or-"
He grinned. "Kiss me where?"
She sat up, straddling his hips. "Forget it. I shouldn"t have even said anything. But you asked and"-she shrugged-"I don"t know... you make me feel really s.e.xy, that"s all."
"More than usual?"
"Yeah, as if your ego needs bolstering. A whole lot s.e.xier if you must know, okay? Now you can add another notch to your belt and forget my name in a couple days. Not that I expect you to remember my name." She blushed. "Jeez, why don"t I shut up while I"m ahead?"
He was looking up at her, thinking she was about the cutest thing he"d seen in a long time. Starlets and groupies and little rich girls looking for something to break the boredom didn"t hold a candle to this candid, sometimes outspoken, always honest lady from some small town in Garrison Keillor land. "Talk all you want. And just for the record, you"re pretty unforgettable. Now, if you want me to make you do something, how about we try something like a man and a maid."
"Really, you don"t mind? That story makes me so hot."
"You know that, do you?" he said gruffly.
"What? You"re getting huffy about me having s.e.x? This from a man who can"t remember how many women he"s f.u.c.ked?"
"So sue me. I"m not in the mood to picture you having s.e.x with some guy, okay? It screws up my concentration."
"Then I"ll have to pretend you"re a virgin, too, or maybe I won"t be able to come again."
"You"re lookin" for trouble, babe."
She grinned. "Promises, promises."
"I"ll promise you this," he growled, lifting her up as though she were weightless, rolling her under him and plunging inside her without waiting for a condom or her okay or directions from her for any game. "I"m gonna f.u.c.k your brains out. And you"d better be on the pill cause I"m not stopping."
"Maybe I am, and maybe I"m not." She held his gaze. "What are you gonna do about it?"
"Screw you until I can"t screw anymore."
"I" m not sure I like that."
"Too bad." He didn"t break his rhythm.
"What if I told you to stop."
She was beginning to pant, so he figured he was home free on that one. "I wouldn"t," he said.
"I could make you."
He laughed.
"Hey!"
"How about you make me stop doing this," he murmured, easing first one leg, then her other over his shoulders, holding her hips in a harsh grip and pounding into her.
Oh, jeez, oh, G.o.d, he wasn"t playing, he really was doing whatever he wanted to do, and she was getting so turned on she was going to come like-RIGHT NOW!!
He half smiled and slowed down enough for her to feel the entire shimmering wave and once her o.r.g.a.s.m had died away, he picked up the pace and started all over again.
"No, no, not yet," she whispered at first, for a brief, fleeting few seconds, but he knew better, and before long, she was panting and gasping and clutching at him as though he was her lifeline in a hurricane. And that time they came together.
He didn"t even wait to wipe up; his c.o.c.k had a mind of its own. It surged upward again, higher, larger, as though her hot, slick c.u.n.t had bewitched it. He really took his time that go-around, all his nerves on high alert, every sensation seemingly magnified, a kind of revelatory intensity of sensation bombarding his brain.
"Can you feel that?" he hissed, sliding in until he hit bottom.
"Oh, G.o.d, oh, G.o.d ... "
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shut, her words no more than a whisper, so he figured she was feeling it just fine.
Like him.
In fact, his head was going to blow off this time.
Or as near to it as the human body would allow.
It must be the scent of Paris in the air.
Or the lights of the Eiffel Tower out there.
Because this was a kind of raw l.u.s.t he"d never felt before.
"Don"t st op," she breathed. "Please... "
He couldn"t. She didn"t have to worry.
He couldn"t stop if he wanted to.
That first tear sliding from under her closed lids finally made him stop-brought him back to reality. Filled him with guilt. Gathering her in his arms, he sat up, held her close, and apologized over and over again. Until her eyes fluttered open and she whispered, "I wanted you just as badly. You"re just stronger, that"s all. You can last longer."
"I should call a doctor." He was stricken with remorse. He"d gone crazy. There was no other word for it.
She smiled faintly. "Give me a minute to rest."
"No way," he muttered. "We"re done." Christ, he might have really hurt her.
"Maybe we can talk about it." Her smile was pure sunshine. "I have this insatiable craving, you see. I figure you"re too good looking, and that"s why I"m out of control."
"Whatever," he said, not willing to agree. Although his own feelings were as inexplicable. He thought maybe having Jordi back was the reason, or being dead tired. Maybe they were both just in some peculiar, quirky, tie-me-up, tie-me-down place, and in the cold light of day, they"d be back to normal. "We"ll talk about it later," he added, needing time to deal with the s.h.i.t going on in his head.
"When later?"
Her voice was a seductive whisper, her green-eyed gaze provocative as h.e.l.l. "Not for a while," he said. The last thing he needed were headlines about some lady ending up in the hospital because of him.
"Five minutes?" she pleaded.
He blew out a breath, inhaled deeply, and tried to think rationally. "We"ll talk about it in half an hour."
"Okay," she said.
A smile slowly formed on her d.a.m.ned kissable mouth, and he was suddenly shaken to the core. He wasn"t going to be able to say no. Whether in five minutes or half an hour or tomorrow, he f.u.c.king wanted her.
Twenty-one.
"I gotta go. Sometimes Jordi wakes up early."
The soft sound was warm against her car, the voice deliciously familiar, the words a first for her in terms of male excuses. They tended to be more like, I have to go to work, or school, or once, walk my dog. Not that she"d had tons of morning-after excuses, but she"d had her moments. She"d even heard the one about having to catch an early flight, although that had been understandable. She"d met the guy on a layover in Miami. But having to get up for a child? Johnny had the perfect alibi for a quick retreat.
"Ummmm," she mumbled, not up to any conversation that would be patently false. Anyway, she was still half-asleep after a very, very lovely night of flame-hot s.e.x. And seriously, still all aglow from Johnny"s exceedingly pleasurable attentions. There was no way was she going to say anything to put him on the spot.
"I"ll meet you back here at noon for lunch."
Dropping a light kiss on her cheek, he walked away.
Yeesss! So it wasn"t just a wham, bam night of steamy s.e.x. Lifting her lashes marginally, she watched him leave with the kind of adoring gaze predicated by a night of unbelievably fabulous o.r.g.a.s.ms. He"d dressed so quie tl y she"d not even heard him. But then he"d probably had plenty of practice at quick getaways. Not that she was going to complain when she"d benefitted so exquisitely from his expertise. The man was good at what he did- there was no doubt about it. And she wasn"t talking about his music.
And now she"d see him at lunch!
She fell back to sleep with a smile on her face.
Hours later, she came awake with a start. Quickly glancing at the bedside clock, her eyes flared wide. OHMYG.o.d!!! IT WAS ELEVEN-THIRTY!!
Which meant she had only a half hour to shower, dress, and make herself presentable for lunch. The time wouldn"t normally be an issue, were she in other than her current milieu-i.e., in the presence of a man who consorted with the great beauties of the world. A bit more makeup and attention to detail than usual was definitely called for. Or if the world had been a more perfect place, her own hairdresser and design consultant on call. Or even better-enough time to go out and buy something decent to wear.
d.a.m.n. If only she"d brought a better wardrobe.
If only she actually possessed a better wardrobe.
Unfortunately, her closet was a disaster zone of leftover-from -colle ge grunge, the requisite black suit, and mostly Gap- because the store was conveniently close to her house.
Aaaagh...
When the knock on the door sounded precisely at noon, Nicky shouted, "Just a minute," sprayed another spritz of perfume around her neck and shoulders and shook her damp curls into place. Wrinkling her nose at her Gap-clad reflection in the mirror, she grabbed her jacket (Okay, that was nice because she had a very talented friend who designed in leather) and purse (ditto there). But she was pretty near to marching into Chanel first chance she had and recklessly spending a month"s salary on a decent outfit.
When she opened the door, Johnny surveyed her with a quick head-to-toe look. "You look nice and clean," he said in a low, s.e.xy, highly insinuating drawl that went a long way toward saving her a bundle at Chanel. "How were the museums?" he added with a much-too-knowing grin.
She grinned back. "Very educational."
"Liar."
"So, I was tired. You, apparently, never sleep."
He winked. "I had better things to do last night."
"Did you actually go to the toy stores this morning?"
"Yep."
Of course he wouldn"t disappoint his daughter. What was she thinking? "Did you buy them out?"