She checked out his feet again and reached for her wine. “I don’t know what that means, but I’ll bet it’s sexual.”
He laughed. “Would it be worth mentioning if it weren’t?” He picked up his glass and took a sip. They stared at each other over their glasses. The look was long and heated.
Then, eager to get more of her clothes off, he focused on the game. He found one twenty-point word using her Y, and it fell on a double-word square. He lined up the word jewelry. Grinning, he wiggled his brows at her. “Now, it’s going to get interesting. Two articles, baby.”
She sent him another mock frown. “Are you looking at the tiles when you get them?”
“No, I’m lucky,” he said. “I met you, didn’t I?” And the truth of those words hit his heart. He continued to watch her, waiting for her to take something off.
She took a sip of her wine, stood up, and reached for her blouse.
He leaned back. The first button came loose, and then the second. He got a peek at her bra, a white lacy piece of satin that hugged the sweet mounds of flesh. His jeans got tighter, and he knew the bulge was visible, but he no longer cared.
She slipped the shirt off her shoulders.
“Happy?” She looked adorable with her shy smile, wearing just a pair of jeans and a bra.
“Oh, yeah. But not happy enough to forget that you owe me two pieces of clothing.” Damn, he wanted to go to her and pull her against him and help her decide what she lost next. Though in all honesty, he didn’t know which item he wanted her to lose next—the jeans or the bra. His mind brought up an image of her breasts with their rose-colored nipples with a pillow playing peek-a-boo over them. Okay… he’d vote for the bra to go for now.
He waited to see her choice. She reached for her jeans, and he watched as she slipped them down carefully so as not to take the silky pink panties with them.
Pink, like most of her panties in her drawer.
His breath caught when he saw the little triangle of fabric covering what he knew was a patch of red hair, and he decided this choice wasn’t bad, either.
He got a vision of him removing those panties with his teeth. Things got painfully crowded in his jeans, and more than anything, he wanted to lose his pants. He wanted to hold her against him, to rock her in his arms, laugh with her, feel her smile against his chest.
Their eyes met. “I need another glass of wine.” A touch of insecurity laced her voice, but the smile was confident. So he told himself not to worry.
He watched her walk away, her round backside shifting beneath the pink panties as she moved. His gaze moved up to the hourglass curve of her waist. He remembered how perfectly the palms of his hands fit there. A second image filled his mind. Her on top of him, him buried up to her navel inside her as he held her waist and set the rhythm of their lovemaking.
That image had him standing up and readjusting things in his jeans to prevent zipper burns. The temptation to follow her into the kitchen, remove the wine from her hands, and lead her into the bedroom was strong.
But she’d started this game, and he decided to let her finish it. He could be patient for a little while longer. He had a feeling it was going to be worth the wait.
Ellen had gotten Britney in bed, showered, and had just crawled into bed herself when she listened to Noel’s messages. Each one got more irate. Why hadn’t she been home? Maybe because he hadn’t told her he was coming!
Her phone rang, and ready to give him hell right back, she took the call.
“If you’d told me you were coming, I’d have been here.”
“Excuse me?” The male voice coming from the phone wasn’t Noel’s.
It took about a second to recognize it. “Rick?”
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I… I thought you were someone else. I should have checked the number, sorry.” Then it hit her. “How did you get my cell number?”
He hesitated. “I’m a cop, Ellen. I pretty much can get whatever info I want.”
“Right,” she said.
“Look, I know it’s late. I just wanted to call and say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen today.”
She bit down on her lip. “I think I kissed you.”
“Yeah, but it upset you, and while you were the one to do it, I initiated it.”
“You did do that.” He gained a point for honesty.
“And that’s why I’m apologizing. You looked upset when you left. I’d hate to think our kiss upset you so much that you won’t help me get ready for Ricky’s arrival.”
She curled a handful of blanket in her hand. “You really don’t have anyone else?”
“I swear.”
She hesitated. “Fine.”
“Thank you.” Relief sounded in his voice. “And if you need anything from me. Maybe not changing tires, since you can do that, but anything else, I’m your man.”
All sorts of images filled her mind. She cleared her throat. “I thought we weren’t going there.”
“I wasn’t.” He sounded just as sincere as before. “I swear it. I was thinking more about parking tickets. And now I’m going to hang up before you assume I’m saying something else that I’m not saying.”
She laughed. And it felt good laughing, too.
“Good night, Ellen,” he said.
“Good night, Rick.”
“Thanks again,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” There was a pause. “Are you going to hang up?”
“I was waiting for you to.”
She laughed again. “How did you really get my number?”
“I told you, I’m a cop.” His tone went high again.
“Dallas gave it to you.”
“No, I swear.”
She heard the honesty again. “What about Tony?”
“No. I’m a cop.”
“A cop who can’t lie worth a damn.”
He went quiet. “Please don’t tell LeAnn. Tony told me under duress. I begged him for Ricky’s sake. And he swore he’d shoot me in the kneecaps if LeAnn found out.”
“I won’t tell.” Her curiosity hit again. “Why doesn’t LeAnn like you?”
“Because I’m a no-good son of a bitch.”
She considered her next words carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was give this guy hope, because the odds of anything happening between them was hopeless, but she wanted to know. “I’m not sure she’s right about that. So why does she think it?”
She heard him exhale. “According to Tony, I date the wrong type of women.”
“That’s all?”
“And maybe I’m a little bitter that I’ve had some bad relationships. But as Tony points out, it’s probably my own fault because I’m attracted to the wrong type of women.”
“And what kind is that?” She ran her fingers up and down the blanket.
“The kind that need saving. I like riding up on my white horse and saving them from the ugliness of the world. It’s why I’m a cop.”
“Interesting. So why are you attracted to me?”
His pause said so much.
“Don’t worry,” she told him. “I asked.”
He exhaled again. “I don’t know. Do you need saving?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
ZOE LEANED AGAINST the kitchen counter and tried to get her racing heart under control. Insecurities threatened to rob her of the joy filling her chest. She wanted this. When was the last time she’d had so much fun? Felt so alive.
She wanted to have hot sex with Tyler Lopez. He wanted the same thing. That much was evident in how he kept pulling at the legs of his jeans. A smile brushed her lips, remembering how he’d watched her remove her shirt.
So what was the problem?
The problem was that the whole “removing of the clothes” thing suddenly made her remember Chris and his stripper. Remembering Chris made her remember how much it hurt losing someone.
But this was different. She didn’t love Tyler.
Are you sure?
The question bounced around her knotted stomach. The truth hit her full force. She was a breath away from falling in love with someone who only wanted two weeks.
How did that happen? How could it have happened so fast?
She remembered reading once that people in intense situations were more likely to connect emotionally. For sure, things had been pretty intense. And they were about to get more intense. And intimate. And wonderful.
Which she wanted. Squaring her shoulders, she told herself she’d just have to go into this with her eyes wide open. She had to accept that there was a damn good chance she wouldn’t walk away from this unscathed. But maybe, just maybe, if she just kept telling herself it was temporary, she could minimize the damage.
Grabbing the bottle of liquid courage, she moved back into the living room. “You need a refill?” He stood beside his chair.
“Sure.” She saw his eyes move down her body. She liked how he looked at her. Boldly, but in a way that made her feel beautiful. He didn’t leer like many men did.
She set her glass down on the coffee table beside the game board and reached for his glass.
He took a step closer, bringing that wonderful bare chest and sexy abs with him, and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. She looked up; their eyes met again.
She smiled and handed him his wine. “You ready to lose your pants?”
“Only after you lose that bra and panties,” he said. “I’m looking forward to you serving me breakfast.”
She moved around and sat on the sofa and studied the board. Her next word only brought her ten points, and not having enough points in reserve, it meant he kept his jeans.
He played next, only earning seven points, but with his points in reserve, he earned another article of clothing. In spite of wanting this, and even enjoying it, she felt her face heat up when she reached back to remove her bra.
His eyes widened, and she could swear his brown eyes darkened. Desire, heat, need. She saw them all. She felt the same thing. And it gave her the confidence she needed to smile as her bra strap slipped off her shoulder.
He smiled and she saw him inhale, his nostrils flared. “You are so damn beautiful.”
She bit her lip. Her nipples tightened from his gaze. She looked down at the board, feeling the butterflies in her stomach and the moisture collect between her legs.
She looked at the game board and found it hard to think of letters, much less words. Finally, her mind cleared, and she was able to see her options. It only gave her twenty-two points, but at least then they’d be neck and neck, each down to one article of clothing.
After placing her tiles on the board, she looked up. He was still looking at her. At her breasts. She grabbed a pillow and tossed it at him. “Hey, we’re playing a game.”
“What game?” he asked in a teasing voice that came out deep and masculine.
She pointed to the board. “Give me your jeans, big boy.”
He looked at the board, grinned, and then stood up. “Looks like I’ll be the one serving you breakfast.”
She watched his hand go to his zipper, and only then did she realize what he’d said.
“You don’t wear—”
“Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t.”
He’d unzipped his jeans and pushed the Levis over his hips. His sex, hard, thick, and long, bounced up and almost touched his navel.
“Oh, my!” A giggle escaped her before she could stop it. “I guess I won.” She cut her gaze to his face, because looking below was… hard.
He grinned. Not an ounce of embarrassment in his eyes, just pride. Just like a man. Though she didn’t begrudge him. He had a reason to be proud. Her eyes shot to his erection.
He started moving toward her. She stood up because it would have been too awkward to remain sitting with his arousal right in her face.
He reached out and gently pulled her against him. She felt his sex, hot and long against her bare stomach. It sent a jolt of excitement through her, and an achy sensation formed between her thighs.
He lowered his mouth and kissed her, gently, letting her know he wasn’t in a hurry. His hands moved over her naked back, leaving a trail of tingles in their wake. He might not be in a hurry, but she didn’t want to wait all night. The thought embarrassed her, but she didn’t care.
She wanted Tyler Lopez to make love to her.
So she took his hand and walked to the bedroom.
He turned the light on. She turned it off.
A grin filled his eyes. “I’ve already seen everything.”
“I still like the lights out.”
“Let’s compromise.” He turned the dimmer switch on.
She nodded, then reached down to pull off her panties. He caught her hand.
“No, leave them on,” he said in a deep voice. He backed her up until her legs hit the edge of the bed, and he lowered her down… and stretched out beside her.
Tyler brushed her hair from her eyes. She was so damn readable, and right now, he wanted to read her. He wanted to get this right.
Propping up on his elbow, he studied her face. He saw a little embarrassment, a lot of passion, and only a touch of insecurity. Dipping his head down, he kissed her. Slow, easy.
His goal was to get her so damn ready that when he entered her, she’d be as motivated as he was to find that little slice of heaven. She slipped her right hand behind his neck.
His dick pressed against her pelvic bone. The brush of her skin against his shaft caused a sweet friction that had him shifting his hips oh so lightly.
She must have sensed it because her left hand shifted down his chest, down to his abs, and found the length of him. Her palm wrapped around him, tight, and then tighter.
He moaned and pushed himself inside her hand twice. The last thing he wanted was to come inside her palm.
He caught her hand and lifted it above her head. “Slow and easy.”
She smiled.
He leaned down and kissed her lips, then he moved to her chin, her neck. When he closed his lips around her nipple, she moaned, a sweet little sound.
He smiled against her nipple. “You like this?”
“Yeah.” She moved her hip up slightly, telling him she was ready. But he needed more than ready.
He slid his hand down to her navel, then over the top of her pink panties, letting his touch go deeper into the cleft of her mound. The wetness that met his fingers had him getting harder. She raised her hips to meet his touch.
“Somebody is wet.” He met her gaze.
She blushed, which made him grin. He waited to see how low the blush would go. “Damn, this is fun.” He slipped his fingers inside the elastic band, and more sweet moisture met his fingers. He sank his index finger into her center.
She moaned again. And he wondered if she’d get louder when he got serious. He remembered his fantasy of removing the panties with his teeth, and he started inching downward, kissing her soft skin as he went.
He buried his face into the pink silk and inhaled her scent. Her hips shifted up again, and the moisture on the panties pressed against his lips and he tasted her. And it left him so hungry. He caught the edge of her panties and pulled them slightly to the side and ran his tongue from her center up. He heard a sharp breath when he touched her clitoris.
“Slow down. We got a long way to go.” Teasing her was more fun than he’d imagined.
“Why slow down,” she muttered. She reached down to pull off her panties, and he caught her hand. “No, I told you, leave these.”
She tilted her head. Her eyes were bright with desire. “You can move a little faster.”
He laughed. “I could. But I think I like playing with you.”
She frowned. “You do know paybacks are hell, right?”
“Is that a threat or a promise?”
“Both.” She shifted her hips up again.
“Well, if you weren’t talking so much, I might be doing this.” He lowered his mouth and caught the top of her panties with his
teeth and started pulling them down. She lifted her hips to assist him. And that was just fine. It freed up his fingers to find that wetness again.
He kissed the side of her thighs as he moved past. Suddenly, she moaned and shot up. She nearly caught him in the eye with her knee when she reached down and pulled her panties off.
“Now, can we get busy?”
He laughed again. “Forceful little vixen, aren’t you?”
She came at him, pushed him down on his back, and then climbed on top of him. He felt her moist center land low on his belly. “So you like being on top? I got that from the other day.”
She eyed him with a devilish grin. “Payback.”
She started slipping down. A part of him didn’t want to stop her; another part knew if she pressed her wet lips against his dick, it was all over.
He caught her under her arms and flipped her back over. “Sorry. But I’d kind of like to do it this way.”
His tip lay right at her center. Everything in him said to lift his hips and slip inside the waiting wetness. But a voice screamed in his head to stop and grab a condom from the bedside table.
But first, he really wanted to finish what he’d started earlier. He pushed up on his elbow and met her wide blue eyes. “Give me two minutes down there, and then we’ll get busy.”
She blinked, but didn’t answer.
“Deal?”
She nodded. He inched down her body, loving how her skin felt against his. He nudged her legs apart a little bit more. Then he pressed his lips against her mound and slowly moved his hand up. His fist felt tight, bruised, but he ignored it. He had a mission.
She flinched when he slipped his finger inside her. “Okay?” he asked.
She muttered something that he thought was yes, and while he moved his finger inside her, he used his tongue to bring her the big O. Her hips moved up and down, and before he was ready, he heard her squeal. She tightened her thighs around his head. Pressing his tongue against the sweet swollen flesh, he felt the quiver of her orgasm. He didn’t think he’d ever felt anything so wonderful.
He wiped her moisture from his lips. “It didn’t take two minutes.” He slid up to steal a kiss and then grabbed a condom.
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