by Erika Wilde
“David Winslow, who’s good friends with the manager here.” Ian had brought many clients here for business dinners due to David’s connection, but never a woman he’d dated. Kerri was the first.
She blinked lazily as she took a sip of the bubbly champagne in her fluted glass. “Winslow…” she repeated the name, her head cocked to the side. “Isn’t that the name of the investment firm where you work?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Winslow Financial Investment.”
“And David is the owner?” she asked.
Their waiter stopped by their table again, this time clearing away their appetizer plates and replacing them with a bowl of beef consommé, then topped off their champagne. Ian waited until their server moved on to another table before answering Kerri’s question.
“David Winslow is the retired owner of the firm, though he’s remained a silent partner in the company. He made me partner and CEO and handed over the business to my care when he retired years ago, and I’ve been at the helm ever since.”
Kerri broke open a piece of warm bread and slathered it with butter. “No one in his family was interested in the investment business?”
Picking up his spoon, he stirred it through the savory broth, inhaling the sweet, nutty scent. “David had two daughters, and neither one followed in their father’s footsteps, not that he expected either of them to.”
“Had two daughters?” she questioned, catching his word choice.
“His oldest daughter, Gayle, is married and a stay-at-home mom. The Winslow’s youngest daughter, Audrey, died eight years ago.” He paused for a heartbeat, then decided to share a part of his past with her. “I was engaged to her.”
“Oh.” Surprise reflected in Kerri’s tone. “I’m sorry.”
“Me, too,” he said quietly.
Compassion filled Kerri’s soft brown eyes as she met and held his gaze. “You still miss her?”
That wasn’t the reason why he’d apologized. Memories of Audrey still entered his mind at times, but it had been a while since those recollections were accompanied with that aching, empty loss that had consumed him the first few years after she’d died.
He tried to explain in a way that she’d understand. “I meant that I was sorry, too, for her death, and the circumstances surrounding it.”
She sipped another spoonful of her consommé, then asked, “Do you mind my asking what happened?”
“No, I don’t mind.” He’d never discussed the accident with anyone other than someone in the Winslow family, but he felt compelled to share those details with Kerri now. “We were coming home after having dinner together, and I was driving through an intersection. The light was green, but another car ran the red light coming the opposite way and rammed into the passenger side of the car at about forty miles per hour. The impact killed Audrey instantly. One minute she was laughing at something I was saying, and in the next she was gone.”
“Oh, Ian,” she whispered consolingly. “That’s awful.”
The whole experience now seemed like a distant dream, but the emotions attached to that night were still present, constricting his chest for all the “if only” scenarios he’d played through his mind over the years. If only they’d never gone out that night. If only they’d left the restaurant five minutes later. If only they’d taken another route home. There were a hundred regrets, but none changed the fact that Audrey had died and he’d walked away from the accident with only a few scratches and bruises.
Finished with his soup, he leaned back and went on. “It was especially hard for me because I felt responsible for Audrey. Not necessarily for her death, but to take care of her and keep her safe. David and Eve trusted me, and I felt as though I let them down, though they’ve never blamed me for her death.”
Kerri looked appalled that he could think such a thing. “Of course they wouldn’t. You couldn’t have anticipated what happened that night. No one could have.”
“I know that, but guilt has a way of eating at a person.” He smiled a bit sadly. “I’ve always felt that I owed the Winslows so much because of everything they’ve done for me, and yet I’m the one responsible, even indirectly, for their daughter’s death.”
The waiter interrupted their conversation as he smoothly and efficiently served them their main course—sautéed veal chop and mushrooms for Kerri, and wild sea bass for him. Once the server was assured that they had everything they needed, he left them alone again.
Kerri sliced into her tender veal chop, thinking about the private, personal story Ian had shared with her. He talked of the Winslows as an integral part of his life, but they obviously weren’t his direct family. She recalled the discussion they’d had that night at the station about his father leaving his mother when he’d been a toddler, his mother’s addiction to drugs, and Ian pretty much raising himself—before and after his mother’s overdose. Somewhere along the way, the Winslows had become important enough to Ian for him to believe he owed them somehow.
She was curious enough to ask the reason why, to know more about the man he’d become after living a life of poverty. “Why do you feel you owe the Winslows?”
“Because they accepted me so completely, and they became the family I never had,” he said without giving the question any lengthy thought.
While his answer was simply stated, Kerri detected a wealth of emotion attached to the comment. His debt to the Winslows was based on gratitude and resulted from being given the unconditional acceptance he’d obviously never received from his own mother. A deep-rooted part of her understood that craving for acceptance, which was something she’d struggled to find for herself, a sense of belonging she still felt as though she was searching for. She had her independence and freedom, but she’d yet to find total contentment. She’d always believed that ultimate fulfillment would come with success, so she was taken off guard by the pang of envy she felt toward Ian and his tight, familial relationship with the Winslows.
He took a bite of his sea bass, and continued to explain. “I was twenty when I met Audrey at the University of Chicago. We started dating, and when I met her parents for the first time I swear I’d never been so nervous in all my life.” He smiled across the table at Kerri, his handsome face alight with fond memories of that momentous occasion. “But for all my fears that I wasn’t good enough to date their daughter, they were warm and welcoming and gracious, despite the huge difference in our backgrounds. And when David Winslow discovered that I was majoring in economics and had a knack for playing the stock market and making wise investments, well, that pretty much cinched our relationship.”
Kerri laughed, the effects of the champagne and easy conversation making her feel relaxed and mellow. “I could imagine. He saw a future son-in-law to take over his investment firm.”
“Yeah, I suppose he did.” There was no conceit in his voice, just more appreciation. “When I graduated from college, I asked Audrey to marry me, she said yes, and her father’s way of approving of the marriage was to offer me a job at his firm. And for the first time in my life I seemed to have it all. A great job that I loved, stability and family ties. I had grand visions of settling down with Audrey, raising a family of my own, and giving my kids everything I grew up without. I still want that someday.”
She finished her meal as his last comment swirled through her mind, making her consider her own future goals, which didn’t include settling down and starting a family of her own. Not anytime soon, anyway. After her unpleasant ordeal with Paul, the whole idea of entangling herself in a committed relationship, marriage especially, still struck a certain amount of trepidation in her. While she’d made the vow to depend on no man for her own personal happiness as her mother and sister had spent their lives doing, Kerri feared that she’d be expected to give up everything she’d worked so hard to attain to be a wife, and a mother.
Once they were done with their main courses, Ian refilled their glasses with champagne, emptying the bottle as their waiter cleared their plates. “After Audrey
died, I poured myself into my work, taking on big corporations and Chicago’s elite as clients and spending twelve or more hours a day at the office. Work became my life, and before I knew it, I had more money than I knew what to do with.” He shook his head in genuine amazement of the fact. “And then a few years ago David retired, and he offered me the position of CEO and partner.”
She dabbled her fork in the apple beignet their server had delivered during their conversation. “You’ve obviously earned David’s respect.” She took a bite of the deep-fried dessert, and the warm, sugary pastry nearly melted in Kerri’s mouth.
“I’d like to think that I have.” He dragged a piece of beignet through the raspberry sauce on his plate. “But the past few years I’ve been so single-minded and my days and nights have revolved around work, and financial portfolios, and my clients’ needs. I didn’t really know what was missing from my life until that night I turned on the radio and heard you on Heat Waves.”
His voice, a low, lazy rumble of sound, caused her nerve endings to tingle with sensual awareness. She welcomed the shift between them, from serious to sexy and playful. “And what did you discover was missing?”
“Fun. The constant urge to be with a woman because I truly enjoyed her company.” His gaze dropped to her lips, then slowly traveled over her bare shoulders, to the skimpy bodice of her dress, making her wish it was his hands on her instead. Finally, he lifted his eyes back to hers. “Real, hot sexual chemistry,” he murmured intimately. “The kind that keeps me up late at night and fills me with anticipation during the day.”
The kind that you and I generate together. She read the unspoken words in his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. Desire pooled in her belly, and lower. “I know exactly what you mean.”
He leaned his forearms on the table, his eyes darkening to a bold, earthy shade of green—direct and all male. “So, what are we going to do about all this anticipation, sweetheart?”
A subtle challenge. A sexy dare. She wanted him to have fun. She wanted him to forget his painful past. She wanted to seduce him and be seduced—in wicked, erotic ways. She thought of all those condoms in her purse, and couldn’t dismiss the aching, burning need to fuck him that had consumed her for far too long. She inhaled deeply, prepared to make her intentions known.
“We agreed to take our affair to the extreme and have a good time with each other for as long as it lasts,” she said with a sultry smile. “I think tonight’s the perfect time to make good on that promise.”
* * *
“Do you think we have sufficient material to report back Monday night about our first sexy city night date?” Ian asked Kerri once they were sequestered in the back of the limousine again. “You can tell your listeners how I wined and dined you, and just how romantic a place Everest is for dinner.”
“You definitely get a ten for your choice of restaurant, but our date isn’t over yet.” She glanced at her watch, then slanted him a very seductive look that jump-started his libido. “It’s only nine-thirty, and you know what a night owl I am, considering my hours at the station. We’ve got the rest of the night ahead of us and the possibilities are endless.”
After her comment at the restaurant about making good on the promise of their affair, her insinuation was unmistakable. But still, Ian assumed nothing. He’d wait for her to make that first move toward a more intimate relationship and follow her lead.
He stretched his arm across the back of the leather seat and feathered the tips of his fingers along her bare shoulder. “What would you like to do now? We could head over to the Navy Pier and take a night cruise on the Odyssey.”
“I’d like to keep you all to myself, I think.” She moistened her bottom lip with her tongue and slid across the foot of space separating them, until her breasts brushed the side of his chest. “Could you tell the chauffeur to just drive, and maybe make it a bit more private back here?”
“Sure.” He’d do anything for her, he realized. He’d grant her simplest request or greatest desire. And right now, it was apparent that she had the latter on her mind. Giving in to Kerri’s request, he asked the driver to head down the scenic highway of Lake Shore Drive until he told him otherwise. Then Ian pressed the button that secured the partition between the driver and guests, cocooning them in the cool, spacious compartment, illuminated by the soft, buttery glow of the dim overhead light.
He settled back against the seat and smiled at Kerri. “Your every wish is my command.”
“That’s good to hear.” Gracefully, she moved over him, bracketing her hands against the back of the seat on either side of his head.
Surprised by the brazen move, he automatically spread his legs to accommodate her, and she positioned herself in front of him, resting both of her knees between his widened thighs. She’d yet to touch any part of his body, but he felt singed from head to toe.
He found himself eye level with her pert, full breasts, and her tight, hard nipples straining against the thin fabric of her dress. She dipped her head closer, and her thick, silky hair tumbled forward, spilling over her shoulders, beckoning to his fingers. He caught a light, floral, feminine fragrance, and the combined effects caused an immediate tightening in his groin. He swallowed hard and kept his hands splayed flat on his taut thighs.
“You know, per your wish, I’m not quite as accessible as I could be,” she said, her voice low and throaty, her lips so close to his he could almost taste their hot cinnamon flavor. She tipped her head, the shadowed lighting playing across the guileless expression on her face. “Do you think you could, um, remove my panties, please?”
Her polite tone, combined with her courteous request for a very provocative, highly arousing deed rendered him momentarily speechless. It was the last thing he’d expected her to ask, and he gave her extra credit for the shock value of her outrageous invitation.
He rested his hands on the curve of her waist, belatedly realizing his mistake in touching her and making that connection that ripped through him like a bolt of electricity. He met her gaze, seeing the temptation glittering in her deep brown eyes.
A playful grin eased up the corners of his mouth. “If this is a shameless ploy for me to give you another orgasm, I meant what I said about you being completely naked. Unless you’re willing to let me strip you naked here and now, which it would be my pleasure to do.”
“No, the dress stays on.” Her breathing deepened, and her lashes fell half-mast. “This is all for you. I just want to make myself as accessible as possible…for later.”
Her excuse was meant to be pure torment, he knew. “And drive me crazy in the process,” he growled.
Her soft, teasing laughter filled the intimate space around them. “You’re on to me, Mr. Carlisle,” she murmured silkily. “It would be nice to turn the tables on you for a change. Is it working?”
For all her outward display of confidence, he caught a faint tremor of uncertainty in her voice. He catered to those doubts, wanting to make sure she knew just how much she held him enthralled. “Yeah, it’s working.” He was completely and totally under her spell—a slave to her every whim.
“Then do it,” she dared.
Unable to resist her, and wanting to give as much pleasure as he gained, he placed his hands on the sides of her stocking-clad legs and slowly, gradually, skimmed his palms upward along her thighs. He captured her gaze with his, holding her hostage with that heated stare as his hands slipped beneath the hem of her dress. Coasting higher still, he discovered the lacy band of the thigh-high stockings she wore, which gave way to a two-inch patch of soft, warm skin before he found the elastic band of her high-cut panties.
By the time he hooked his thumbs beneath the strip of silk hugging her slender hips and began the thrilling process of dragging the wispy scrap of material down her thighs, he was just as caught up in Kerri’s seduction as she seemed to be. Her breath caught erotically, and she bit her bottom lip against a wistful moan when he feathered his fingers along her flesh in a leisurely exploration�
�everywhere but where he knew she ached for his caress the most. Lashes fluttering closed, she tipped her head back and arched her body toward him, yet stopped shy of making that ultimate contact, teasing him and exciting him with her wanton behavior.
Waves of need gripped him, and his pulse beat wildly in his throat. Her panties caught around her knees, which were still perched on the edge of the seat. “Lift up, sweetheart,” he said, and she obeyed, straightening her legs so he could push them down to her ankles and help her step out of them.
He stuffed the souvenir into his pants pocket, and she sighed hotly, damply, against his cheek. “Oh, wow, that was close.”
Strangled laughter escaped him as he caught her meaning—that she’d nearly climaxed fully clothed yet again. Hell, he was damn close himself, again. “You really are a soft touch, Ms. McCree.” Beneath that I’m-in-control facade she wore like armor, she was a woman who was learning all the wondrous pleasures her body had to offer. And he was reaping the benefits.
“Only with you,” she admitted, and settled herself astride his lap, sliding forward so that her knees pressed against his hips. Knowing he’d go off like a rocket if she pressed any closer, he grabbed her waist and stopped her before she could execute that downward movement that would join them way too explicitly.
She smiled knowingly, and he couldn’t resist looking down at their position. Her skirt was bunched high on her thighs, revealing the lacy tops of her stockings and about an inch of bare, smooth flesh. The thought of her wearing nothing beneath her dress spurred illicit images of unzipping his slacks, unleashing his fierce erection and sinking deep inside her welcoming warmth and letting her ride him to completion. It would be so incredibly easy to do just that, but he wanted her naked in a bed, his bed, the first time he joined their bodies. Not a quickie romp that would probably end with the first blazing stroke, considering how turned-on he was.
He shuddered, banished those forbidden thoughts to the far recesses of his mind for now, and held on to his restraint with everything inside him. Despite his vow not to touch her intimately, she had him curious where and how far she intended to take this sexy interlude of hers. She didn’t take long to enlighten him.