“Liar,” he said, still smiling at her. “You’re not even very good at it, you know.”
“Whatever,” she sighed, standing up. “Look, I … I really need to go. I’ve had a very nice time with you, but …”
“You’re serious? You really want to leave right now?” he asked, looking up at her in disbelief.
“Yes. I have to go home,” she answered. And she was aware that she probably sounded crazy, but she just felt that if she didn’t get out of there soon, she would be in grave danger of not being able to resist him any longer. “Will you call me a cab?”
Otis stared up at her for a moment and then gave a slightly confused smile. “No. I’ll take you home,” he said quietly as he stood up beside her.
“No! You don’t have to do that,” she protested.
“Yes, I do.”
“There’s no reason for you to have to drive all the way back to L.A. and then back home tonight.”
“There is no way that I’m going to put you in a cab and send you off into the night alone,” he said, staring into her eyes as he took a step closer to her. “I will take you home.”
Brooke felt her body tingle as he stood so close to her. His hand was at the small of her back as she looked up at him.
“Or you could just stay,” he whispered before his lips touched hers. His arms circled around her and pulled her close. And when he felt her body relax in his arms, he knew that her resolve was evaporating. He held her tightly with one arm as he threaded his fingers in her damp hair, holding her head in place as he kissed her deeply. He felt her hands at his chest, her fingers scratching lightly through his chest hair, and he moaned appreciatively.
He wanted this. He suddenly wanted this desperately. For himself, not for some stupid bet, and he couldn’t stop himself from pulling up her coverup and letting his hands roam over her skin.
To his delight, she didn’t protest, and he pulled the coverup over her head and let it drop to the ground as he pulled her back into his arms and his lips found hers again.
The heat between them was undeniable, and Brooke found herself kissing him back with abandon. She moaned softly when she felt his teeth tugging lightly at her earlobe and his mouth moved slowly down over her neck. She was vaguely aware of his fingers working at the middle of her back and at the back of her neck, but it didn’t fully register until she felt her bikini top being gently pulled away. Unable to speak, she shook her head slightly in a half-hearted protest, but when she felt his hand gently squeezing her breast and his tongue latching on to her nipple she shuddered in spite of herself.
“No,” she whispered, bringing her hands to his shoulders. “No, please!”
Otis heard her first whispered plea, but it took him a moment to tear himself away from her flesh. He looked her in the eyes as he held her in his arms, his breath coming in shallow pants.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have to go,” she said softly. “I … I’m … I don’t want to do this.”
Otis frowned slightly at the traces of fear and uncertainty he saw in her eyes as she pleaded with him. Was she afraid of him? “Okay,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to …”
“No, it … you didn’t do anything wrong,” she interrupted. And she found it difficult to look him in the eye. “I just can’t do this.”
“Okay,” he said again, feeling extremely confused at the whole situation. She wanted him too, he knew that. He could easily feel it in the way that she kissed him back. The way that she melted against him and touched him. Even now, as she declared that she didn’t want this, she had made no attempt to leave his embrace. In fact, she moved slightly closer to him, resting her forehead on his chest, and he tightened his arms around her. What the hell was going on with this chick?
“Give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll take you home,” he said softly, lightly kissing the top of her head. “But, Brooke … I want to see you again. Can I take you to dinner tomorrow?”
“Why are you doing this, Otis?” she asked, finally pulling herself from his arms.
“Doing what?”
“Dating me! Why are you pursuing me?” she asked, looking at him as though she were trying to figure him out. “I am so not your type! I know that I am not the kind of girl you usually choose to go out with.”
“And what are you basing that judgment on?” he asked, frowning at her. “Kinky Kiki from the sex video! Brooke … I’m pursuing you because you happen to be a very beautiful woman,” he said, letting his eyes roam freely over her semi-naked body and loving the fact that she made no move to cover up. “And for some reason that I have not been able to figure out since you crashed into me, I enjoy trying to make sense of the puzzle that is you.”
“I’m a puzzle?”
“Yes! You are a puzzle,” he answered, smiling at her. “And I am fascinated by you when I should be infuriated! Now, I don’t know what any of that means, but I do know that I want the chance to explore it.” He frowned slightly as he realized those words were true. He was fascinated by her, and he had been from the moment they’d met. He took a step back as he studied her. “Look, Brooke … I thought we were having fun. But if you don’t want to see me anymore, I’m not going to try and force myself on you. Bribe for the first date notwithstanding.”
“Oh. Finally admitting you bribed me?” she asked, arching an eyebrow and placing her hands on her hips.
Otis smiled at the amusement he heard in her voice, and he felt relief when she returned his smile. “Will you please let me take you out tomorrow?” he asked. “I promise, you won’t be sorry.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What have you got up your sleeve?”
“Mmm mmm. You get no hints,” he smiled. “I’m going to enjoy this surprise.”
“Why would you want to surprise me?” she asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she folded her arms in front of her chest.
He cocked his head at her and frowned. “Haven’t you ever had a man surprise you before?” he asked.
Brooke snorted softly. “Good surprises? No.”
Otis’ frown deepened as his eyes studied her expression, and he remembered her sister’s words about Brooke being hurt in the past. “Haven’t you ever had a man want to please you, Brooke? Wanting nothing in return except your smile.”
She stared up at him as he stepped closer to her, his hand reaching out to caress her face.
“Will you let me please you, Feisty?” he whispered, leaning in to lightly kiss her lips. “Hmm?”
He kissed her again, folding her into his arms as his tongue stroked hers. His hands roamed over her naked back, gently caressing her soft skin as she moaned softly.
Without warning, he lifted her into his arms and turned, stepping over to the nearest wicker lounger, and lowered her down onto it. He covered her body with his own, kissing her deeply once more as he touched her, running his hand up the length of her leg. And Brooke felt torn by the warring emotions within her. Her head was screaming “no.” But her double-crossing body betrayed her once more. She wanted him to take her. To please her. It had been so long since she had felt a man’s touch, since she had felt that sweet, aching release that she craved. It was a tricky thing, taking your clothes off and dancing seductively for money while your own libido lay dormant. But it had awakened, ready and eager, with Otis’ first toe-curling kiss in the pool.
His mouth moved fluidly over her creamy skin, exploring every single inch of her delectable body as he traveled from her breasts down over her flat stomach. She was incredible, and he couldn’t wait to taste her. He let his tongue play over the sensitive flesh of her bellybutton, and he moaned as he felt her fingers foraging in his hair. Moving steadily down, he took hold of the laces at her hips that held her bikini bottoms in place and slowly tugged, untying them. And when they fell away he licked his lips and smiled, both at the very thin strip of manicured hair that adorned her mound, and at the moisture he saw pooled between her legs.
With the first flick of his tongu
e Brooke felt herself quickly spiraling out of control. All of her composure completely evaporated, and she moaned loudly as her legs spread wider of their own accord. Her hips began to rotate to the scorching rhythm of his tongue, and she couldn’t stop herself from getting vocal. He was just so good at what he was doing, and she had been without for so long. Her body reacted to him in an almost primal way, and the sounds coming from her throat sounded foreign and animal-like to her ears.
He feasted on her sex like a starving man, his tongue darting in and out of her as his strong hands caressed her thighs while he held them apart. And when he latched onto the tiny nub at the apex of her thighs he felt her hips begin to buck wildly. Slowly, he inserted one finger, and then two, as he continued to suckle, his tongue flicking over the sensitive bundle of nerves with expert precision as his fingers drove the point home. And he smiled to himself at the very loud vocal result.
“Oh, God, Otis, so good! Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop!”
It was a long, drawn out moan of pleasure, and it was the sexiest thing Otis had ever heard. Her body trembled uncontrollably as he did exactly what she asked. He didn’t stop. He gladly kept up the exquisite torture for as long as she could stand it, bringing her to orgasm again and again. And when her tremors finally subsided and she lay whimpering above him from her third orgasm, he looked up at her and smiled as he removed his fingers and placed them both in his mouth, sucking them clean of her sweet, sticky juices.
“That was unbelievable,” she panted, and Otis smiled.
“There’s plenty more where that came from,” he said, lightly kissing her landing strip, and then her stomach as he slowly crawled over her.
“No!” Her voice was insistent. As were her hands pressing against his chest. “That’s as far as this going to go, Otis! I can’t believe I let it get this far as it is.”
“You’re serious?” he asked, staring into her eyes and feeling his manhood twitch impatiently.
“As a heart attack!” She moved then, sitting up and struggling to find her discarded bikini bottoms, and Otis held them out to her, hooked on his finger. He had that smug smirk on his face and Brooke just wanted to punch him. “Besides,” she said as she snatched her bottoms and began to retie them. “It’s been my experience that men who excel at oral sex learn to do so because they’re seriously lacking in the endowment department, and they’re afraid they can’t please a woman any other way.”
Otis felt like he’d been physically slapped. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he stared at her in total disbelief as she shimmied into her bottoms.
“Really?” he asked. Then he looked at her with an almost wicked smile. “Was that another challenge you just issued, Ms. McKenna? ‘Cause if you’re daring me to show you mine now that you’ve shown me yours, you should know that I’m not modest. I’d be more than happy to strip for you. And I promise … you will not be disappointed with my endowment. Now, I don’t know what men you’ve been dating, or screwing … but some of us genuinely enjoy tasting the delicacy. And some of us just enjoy the challenge of making a woman scream with nothing but our mouths. It’s a skill not every man masters, you know.”
His voice was soft as silk and just as sexy, and Brooke could feel her insides quiver. “And which category do you fall under?” she asked softly.
He smiled at her. “Both,” he whispered, looking into her eyes. “And you taste mouthwateringly delicious.”
She could feel her entire body heat up at his words, and she suddenly felt very self-conscious. She stood up and grabbed her bikini top from the ground and began to put it back on.
“Are you going to take me home?” she asked nervously as she tied the thin scrap of material in place.
He sighed as he looked up at her. “Yes. If you still want me to.”
“Yes, I want you to,” she replied. “I want to go home.”
“Okay,” he said, standing. He stepped slowly toward her and reached out, caressing her face once more as he looked down into her eyes. “I wish you would stay,” he said softly.
“I am not spending the night with you, Otis,” she quietly insisted.
He playfully rolled his eyes at her. “You know, I’ve got six bedrooms here. And they each have their own bathroom,” he smiled. “And I promise that I will not lay another finger on you if you don’t want me to. But it’s late … you don’t have anywhere to be in the morning … and you’ve already agreed to let me take you out tomorrow. Just stay. We can watch a movie.”
“Watch a movie?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
He nodded, but said nothing.
“In the family room with the comfy-looking couch?” she asked timidly.
He smiled at her. “Yeah, if that’s where you want to watch. Although I do have a very nice theater with a movie-sized screen and big, comfy recliners in there.”
“You do?” she asked, sounding shocked.
“I do,” he smiled.
Brooke found herself wondering how big this place really was. She smiled bashfully at him. “I want to watch in the family room.”
“Okay,” he shrugged.
“Can I choose the movie?”
“Are you going to make me watch a chick flick?” he asked with an attitude. And she tried not to giggle.
“Maybe.”
They stared at each other for a several seconds, both of them trying not to show how delighted they were at this turn of events. Brooke didn’t really want to leave any more than he didn’t want her to.
“Yes, you can pick the movie,” he sighed.
They made their way inside the house then, and while Brooke spent some time looking through the movies-on-demand menu, Otis ran upstairs to get out of his wet swim trunks and into a pair of black silk pajama pants.
“Here,” he said, holding something out to her when he returned back downstairs.
“What’s this?”
“Something to get comfortable in,” he shrugged. “Get you out of that wet suit.”
She examined the garments in her hand, holding them up to inspect them. One was a large, men’s, plain white cotton t-shirt, and the other was a black, silk pajama top. Obviously the matching top to the bottoms he was wearing.
“I didn’t know which you would prefer,” he shrugged.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. I’ll make some popcorn while you change.”
“Oh, I narrowed it down to a couple of movies. Your choices are Steel Magnolias or The Notebook,” she said, smiling as she rattled off two of the greatest chick flicks of all time. “I’ll let you decide.” Then she turned and made her way to the bathroom to change.
Otis rolled his eyes as he wandered into the kitchen to start the popcorn. But as he waited for the microwave to stop, he couldn’t help the smile on his face, and he knew that he would suffer through whatever unbearably dull movie she wanted him to. Anything to be able to spend a little more time with her.
He couldn’t get the memory of their time by the pool out of his head, and he could still taste her on his lips and on his tongue, still hear the way she had begged him not to stop. And when she emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but his t-shirt as her hair fell in soft ringlets all around her shoulders, his body suddenly remembered that it hadn’t gotten its turn. Fuck. He was so hard right now.
He carried the bowl of popcorn over, along with two bottles of water. And when they settled on the couch and she started up the movie, he had to concentrate on not fixating on her legs.
“Signs?” he questioned.
“Yeah. I love this movie,” she smiled.
“What happened to Steel Magnolias or The Notebook?”
“I was just kidding about that,” she smiled.
“Oh, see … now I’m disappointed. I was all set to get my cry on,” he joked with a straight face. “I was even gonna let you comfort me.”
She couldn’t help giggling at his silly comment. “Well, I can hold you when the aliens come if that’ll make it better.”<
br />
“Yes. Thank you,” he smiled at her. “‘Cause I might be scared when the aliens land.”
Her giggles grew, and Otis smiled at her as they turned their attention to the screen. But by the time the abandoned alien showed up in the Hess family home near the end of the movie, Brooke was fast asleep. Her head rested on Otis’ shoulder, and he was too busy studying her to care about the end of the film.
Carefully, he moved, shutting off the television and setting the nearly empty bowl of popcorn on the table. Then he stood and gently lifted her into his arms. He walked through the family room and up the back stairs off the kitchen. He took her to the bedroom directly across the hall from his large master suite and laid her carefully down on the bed. She stirred slightly as he pulled the covers down beneath her and gently tucked her legs inside, and covered her up.
“I don’t think you have any idea just how special you are, sweet thing,” he whispered. “But I intend to show you.” He leaned down and lightly kissed her forehead. Then he turned off the light and closed the door behind him, walking across the hall to his own room. He had plans to make.
Chapter Six
Brooke stretched languidly, delighting in the luxurious feel of the silky sheets and the feather-soft pillow. This was heaven. It had to be. It certainly wasn’t her bed at home.
And with that thought, her eyes popped open with a start. She looked around almost frantically. The impossibly soft, cloud-like bed was covered in sand-colored sheets and a matching sand and sea foam green bedspread. And the abundant sunlight coming through the large window reminded her instantly of where she was. Otis’ Malibu mansion on the beach. And she smiled in spite of herself at the mere thought of him.
Damn it! She did not want to like him. But it was no use. She knew that she already did. He wasn’t anything at all like she’d first thought. Granted, he was arrogant. And cocky, and conceited. And at times, he could be a self-important pig, so maybe he was a little like she had first thought. But there was so much more to him than that. He was smart, and funny. He could even be sweet. And Lord knew he was sexy as hell.
The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set) Page 89