by Desiree Holt
But she was into it as much as he was. Her fingers slipped from his wrists up his arms and threaded into his hair, holding his head as their kiss took on the voltage of a lightning strike. When he came up for air, he knew there was no turning back now. He stroked the smooth skin of her cheek and trailed the tips of his fingers along the shell of her ear.
“Kaitlyn,” he began. Then stopped. What could he say? I want to take you to bed? Have wild sex with you? Such class.
But those delicious lips curved in a tiny smile and she dipped her head in an almost infinitesimal nod.
“The dishes can wait,” she whispered. Taking his hand, she led him down the short hallway to the master bedroom.
Standing beside the bed he cradled her cheeks in his palms again and gave her a searching look.
“I don’t want you to—I’m not usually—” He stopped because to say he usually didn’t do things like this would be a flat-out lie. That’s how he’d ended up with Psycho Marla.
Kaitlyn touched the tip of a finger to his lips. “Ssh. No more talking.” The smile she gave him was one part shy girl and one part sex siren.
He took his cue from her. He was done talking. With fingers that unexpectedly trembled, he skimmed her arms and her shoulders, sprinkling kisses along her exposed collarbone and tracing the hollow at her throat with the tip of his tongue. Jesus, she smelled so good, like flowers and vanilla. He wanted to take a deep breath and just hold her essence inside himself.
As he trailed his tongue along the graceful column of her neck, he reached behind her to ease down the zipper for the sundress. He was right. No bra. Holy shit! Heat scorched through his balls. Still paying homage to her neck and her throat, he eased down the skinny straps of the dress so the top loosened and fell forward, exposing breasts that made his mouth suddenly dry. Nice round plump mounds, with rosy nipples already pebbled and hard. He took one in his mouth, sucking lightly while he continued to stroke her with his hands and his tongue.
She tasted as good as she looked and smelled, her skin still warmed by the sun from the back porch, her breathing speeding up as he touched her everywhere he could. Pushing the top of the dress down to her waist, he cupped her breasts, shifting his mouth to the other equally hard nipple. She kept her fingers anchored in his hair as sexy little moans slipped from her throat. God, he could spend hours worshiping her breasts and their hardened tips if he hadn’t been so eager to explore the rest of her body.
At last he slipped the zipper down the rest of the way and pushed the dress over her hips and down to pool at her feet. Beneath it, she wore a pale-yellow lace and satin thong that nearly made his heart stop beating when he caught sight of it. Kneeling in front of her, he lifted first one foot and then the other, getting rid of her sandals and helping her to step out of the dress.
With something akin to reverence, he ran the flat of his palms up and down the sleek, lush lines of her calves and thighs before gripping the curve of her hips. Her skin was smooth as satin and warm to the touch. He knelt in front of her and traced the delicate lace at the top of her thong before lapping the barely there triangle of fabric with the flat of his tongue. Holding her in place, he took a moment to inhale the sweetly spicy scent of her musk before stroking the silk with his tongue again.
Kaitlyn shivered in his arms, stabilizing herself with a grip on his shoulders.
By now. the thong was soaked from the ministrations of his tongue as well as the flood of her juices. Tugging at the fabric with his teeth, he drew it down over her mound, pausing to rub his lips over the soft curls covering it before dragging the thong down her legs. He wanted to rip the damn thing from her body but he took care instead, lifting first one leg then the other so she could step out of them. He smoothed his hands back up from her slender ankles to her lush hips, feeling the tremors running through her as he did so.
Truth be told, he was pretty damn shaky himself. He couldn’t remember ever being with a woman who reached down deep inside him and affected him in a way that transcended the physical. He gave three seconds of thought to wondering how that was possible with a woman he barely knew before he decided he didn’t want to waste the evening in philosophical introspection.
Running his thumbs along the soft flesh of her pouty labia, he pushed them lightly apart and ran his tongue the length of her slit. God, she tasted like ambrosia, a heavenly elixir that sent a surge of desire straight to his balls and his dick. Kaitlyn dug her fingers into his shoulders as she tried to stabilize herself.
He wanted to take his time tasting her and licking her. But he also wanted her to be in the best place to enjoy it. Lifting her he placed a quick kiss on her lips before lowering her to the bed and nudging her legs apart. Then he fell to his knees and placed an open-mouth kiss on her sweet pussy before dragging his tongue up and down the length of her slit again. God, she tasted so incredible. He lapped at her juices, licking the soft pink flesh then swirling the tip of his tongue around her tender clit.
“Ohhh.” The sound came out on a long exhalation as she arched herself up to him, fingers clutching at the bedclothes to anchor herself.
He licked even harder, determined to pleasure her as much as he could. She was so fucking responsive, so receptive. And so unbelievably sensuous without even realizing it. An unconscious sensuality that was all the more appealing because of it.
He rimmed her opening with the tip of a finger before sliding it inside, her inner walls deliciously slick. Sucking on her clit, tugging it into his mouth, he added a second finger to the first, thrusting them in and out in a steady rhythm.
Kaitlyn began to thrust her hips at him, those soft exhalations of sound slipping from her mouth, sounds that made him just as aroused as touching her did. When he felt the muscles in her inner walls clenching around his fingers he drove them harder and faster, pulling her clit with his lips and curling his fingers to drag the tips against her sweet spot.
“More,” she begged. “More, more, more.”
He added yet another finger, hoping he could keep himself under control as the eroticism of the scene made his cock so hard he was afraid it would break off if he bumped into something. Or worse yet, that he’d come in his pants like some horny teenager, which was exactly how he felt at the moment.
The tremors in her body grew stronger; the walls of her sex gripped him more tightly. He bit down gently on her clit and she exploded, thrusting herself at him, crying out with the intensity of her releases as Ryan rode her through it with his tongue and his fingers and his lips. He soothed her with little kisses on her thighs, her tummy, her hips until the last of the aftershocks had faded. Then he rose and stripped off his clothes, barely remembering to grab his wallet and pull out the condoms he always carried from force of habit. He couldn’t wait to be skin to skin with her. To be inside her. To feel that sweet wet pussy close around his shaft.
Kaitlyn watched him from beneath her thick lashes, her face still rosy from her orgasm. God! He couldn’t remember one time in his life when a woman had made him feel that way. Quickly he lifted her, stripped the covers back and lowered them both onto the bed. The feel of her nakedness next to him send bolts of urgent need spearing through him.
He took a moment to look his fill of her naked body, loving the dips and curves and swells. Her skin was like rich velvet and he was sure he could spend hours worshiping it with his hands and his mouth. It was taking all his self-control at the moment not to leap on her like a savage and plunge himself inside her.
The pulse at the hollow of her throat was beating heavily again. He touched the tip of one finger to it before bending his head to circle it with the tip of his tongue. Kaitlyn ran her fingers through his hair, holding his head close to her body. He drew a line between her breasts with his tongue, licking the fine sheen of perspiration. God! Everything about her had that same erotic, sweet, and spicy taste.
He rose to his knees, eased her legs apart with her knees bent, and settled himself between them. She reached out to touch his cock b
ut he closed his fingers over her wrist and shook his head.
“Next time. I want to be inside you when I come.”
Next time? Would there really be a next time?
Forcing himself to focus, he reached for one of the condoms and rolled it on, all the time watching Kaitlyn, seeing the heat swirling in her eyes. He trailed the tips of his fingers along the inside of her smooth thighs, seduced again by the delectable quality and feel of her skin. Skimming his hands over her gorgeous mound, he licked his lips as he remembered the taste. He wanted that again, sure he’d never get his fill of her taste.
But the swollen heaviness of his shaft was sending him urgent messages. Grasping it with the fingers of one hand, he nudged her opening and eased himself in a tiny amount.
Sweet baby Jesus!
Just that slight penetration nearly took off the top of his head. He closed his eyes and ground his teeth together, grasping for control. He pulled back and thrust in a little more deeply, easing himself into her. Opening his eyes, he drank in the sight of her flushed face, her kiss-swollen lips, and the delicate flush on her cheeks. He was sure merely looking at her would make him come.
Lifting her legs, he draped them over his thighs as he drove into her again and again, loving the feel of her slick inner walls. In and out, back and forth, he set up a rhythm that took him farther and farther inside her each time. Her body clasped him like a tight, wet vise, squeezing him so with each thrust and retreat his swollen cock dragged against her inner walls, teasing all those little nerves inside there.
The familiar tightening of muscles and a wash of icy feeling at his lower back let him know he was about at the end of his control. Driving into her over and over, he found her clit with the fingers of one hand and rubbed and tugged and pinched. The moment he read all the signals that she was ready, too, he thrust harder and took them both over the edge.
The explosion was cataclysmic, shaking them both as if a giant fist had grabbed them. Nothing existed for him beyond the shuddering of his body and the incredible woman he was joined with. Spasm after spasm rocked them until the last of them faded. He collapsed forward, catching himself on his forearms so he wouldn’t crush her with he weight. He was stunned by the intensity of their joining and from the expression on her face and the look in her eyes she felt the same way.
He brushed a soft kiss over her swollen lips then strung little kisses along her jawline and over her cheeks. He didn’t say anything because he wasn’t sure he knew the words to describe the unbelievable experience they had shared. Finally, he eased himself from her body and padded to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He returned to the bedroom, unsure of what to do next. Would she expect him to leave? Stay? What? He was nowhere near ready for this night to end.
She solved his problem by sliding over toward the middle of the bed and patting the mattress beside her. Breathing a sigh of relief, he slid in next to her, turned her so she was spooned against him and pulled up the covers over them both.
He had no idea what had just happened here and Walt would probably chew his ass out good and proper. But the connection between the two of them was something special and he wanted to explore it further.
Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes and let himself drift off, wondering if the magic would still be there in the light of day.
Chapter Five
Kaitlyn pulled her hair into a ponytail and examined her face in the mirror. She had the feeling she should look different. When she and Ryan took a trip to the grocery store she’d been sure everyone looking at her knew what she’d been doing for the past four nights. Didn’t stupendous sex somehow change your features?
And stupendous didn’t even come close to describing what was happening between them. At a time when she needed something to lift her from her depression, the fates had sent this gorgeous, sexy, funny man to do exactly that. When yet another turndown showed up in her in-box, she could console herself with Ryan and forget the world was currently shafting her.
They never discussed what would happen when their little idyll in Ft. Myers Beach came to an end. To tell the truth, she had no idea what she wanted to happen. They didn’t even know each other’s last names, for heaven’s sake. Or where they lived, where their everyday lives were. She had the feeling Ryan was hiding from a situation as life changing as hers and the topic was off limits for both of them.
Just as well, she thought. The last thing she needed right now was a man to complicate her life. This way she could pretend she was on vacation instead of hiding from the disaster of her life. It had an end date and she could control the outcome. She hoped. Because she certainly wasn’t having any success with the rest of her life.
She’d sent out a few more resumes to publications in both Tampa and Miami. At first there had been some interest but then the too polite answer came back. “Sorry, it appears we’ve already filled that slot.” Or words to that effect. She knew exactly what was happening. They’d called Today and the call had been routed directly to Ed, who was following Renzulli’s orders to give her a bad reference.
Damn it all, anyway.
The one thing she felt good about was the fact she’d refused to compromise her principles any further. The first assignments she’d had when Renzulli took over hadn’t made her happy but they at least weren’t out and out lies. This last one would have smeared the name of a good man, for no other reason except to sell some magazines. She would never have been able to live with herself.
She checked her watch and realized she was meeting Ryan outside in ten minutes. She’d better get moving. Today they were going to have lunch at this cool place on the water called simply Pete’s on the Water. Mostly they’d been hanging out at her place, running in the morning, swimming in the afternoon, and having off the charts sex at night. But late yesterday they had decided to see what Ft. Myers Beach was all about.
Crowded was one word she’d use to describe it. Estero Boulevard was a colorful conglomerate of one-story pastel shops, high rises, motels and hotels of every size and design. The sidewalks on both sides of the road were jammed with people shopping, strolling, or just hanging out. At the end of Estero, before the road curved to go over the bridge to the mainland, they found the public beach. After parking the car, they bought cones from a nearby ice cream shop and wandered down to the water to eat the sweet confections.
Sitting on the sand, looking out at the Gulf of Mexico, at the people sunning and swimming and playing Frisbee on the beach, she had wished she could capture that moment in time. Freeze it and pull it out whenever the turmoil in her life got to be too much.
The one thing she couldn’t do was think beyond her stay here, and what would happen with Ryan. They both had lives to go back to and she couldn’t afford any distractions while she sorted out her messy life. So she’d sat there with the sexiest hunk of male she’d ever met and let the peacefulness of the scene wash over her. Then they’d walked back to the car, holding hands as if they were actually a couple. That’s when they saw the flyer for Pete’s and decided to give it a try.
Kaitlyn took one last look at herself in the mirror, slicked some gloss over her lips, walked through a mist of cologne, and grabbed her purse. When she opened the front door, Ryan was standing on her porch with his hand raised to knock. His gaze swept over her, taking in the pink T-shirt with dolphins on it, the white shorts and the sandals and familiar hunger flared in his eyes at once.
“I have to say it,” he told her. “You look good enough to eat.”
Heat crept up her cheeks as scenes from the previous nights flashed through her brain. Then she took a long look at Ryan in his jeans and a black T-shirt stretched over his toned upper body and thought she could say the same thing herself.
“Maybe later,” she teased.
“Maybe we should skip lunch and go right for dinner,” he suggested. “With you on the menu.”
“Uh uh.” She set the lock code on the door. “You don’t get out of lunch that easy. Come o
n. Let’s go.”
Pete’s turned out to be exactly as advertised, a rustic restaurant open on all sides perched directly on the water. To one side was a small marina where moored boats bobbed on the surface of the bay. Ryan nudged her toward a table in a far corner, half hidden by the bar.
He must really like his privacy, she thought. And what was with the Fort Myers Beach ball cap he was wearing, tugged low on his forehead? Of course, she was used to things like that with some of the people she’d interviewed. Settling back in her chair, she took in the scene beyond the pier. Beyond them stretched more marinas and out on the water sailboats and motor launches skimmed the waves. Impulsively she took out her phone and snapped a couple of shots.
She was startled when Ryan’s fingers closed tightly over one wrist and she stared at him.
“You didn’t take a picture of me, did you?” There was no humor in either his words or his expression. His voice was cold, his face set in harsh lines.
What the hell?
“No, I didn’t.” She yanked her hand back. “What’s the matter with you?”
He released his hold on her and picked up his beer. “Sorry. I…just don’t like people taking my picture.”
“Oh? Are you hiding from the law? Or another woman?” Then an unpleasant thought struck her. “Or perhaps a wife you forgot to tell me about?”
Anger flashed in his eyes for a brief moment. “No wife. Kaitlyn, if I had a wife, I wouldn’t be here with you, in either the real or the biblical sense. That’s not who I am.”
She busied herself putting her phone away. “I didn’t think so. I’m not that bad a judge of character.”
“I didn’t mean to snap at you,” he told her. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. Fine, even. Let’s forget it.” She picked up the wine spritzer she’d ordered and sipped at it, taking the moment to compose herself. Ryan was definitely hiding from something and she couldn’t help wondering what it was. She was pretty sure it wasn’t the law. She liked to think she was a good judge of character and he didn’t have that shady feel to him. If it was personal, she could relate to that and wasn’t even sure she wanted to know about it. After all, before too much more time passed they’d both be out of here and she’d probably never see him again.