Shockingly Sensual

by Lori Wilde

  “Fine, great, go get your own radio show and stop living vicariously through me.” Callie blew out her breath and braced herself. This showdown with Molly Anne was long overdue. The more her friend pushed her, the more Callie felt lost in her own skin.

  “I can’t believe you said that to me.” Molly Anne’s lip quivered and she looked as if Callie had just struck her across the face. “After everything we’ve been through together.”

  Aw hell.

  Callie immediately felt contrite. She hadn’t intended on hurting her friend’s feelings. They had been through a lot together. Unhappy childhoods, the death of Molly Anne’s father, Callie’s pregnancy scare her senior year in high school. They had shared laughter and tears, adventures and problems. At times their personalities had clashed. Meticulous Molly Anne and Chaotic Callie, the female odd couple.

  They’d been poor together, living on generic brand diet cola and baked potatoes both in college and those lean years afterward. And now, thanks to Molly Anne’s business acumen, they were finally starting to get rich together.

  “I’m sorry,” Callie apologized. “That comment was uncalled for.”

  “It’s okay.” Molly Anne turned her head away.

  “No it’s not. It was a mean thing to say. Please forgive me. I’m just overwhelmed by all this attention. I mean, I knew I was making inroads in New York. But I had no idea I was causing a sensation across the country. And it is all thanks to you.”

  “Apology accepted.” Molly Anne smiled past the mist of tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

  Callie held open her arms and they embraced, squeezing each other tight. She didn’t want to destroy an eighteen-year friendship over something as insignificant as Molly Anne reserving the honeymoon suite without asking her first.

  “All is forgiven?”

  “All is forgiven,” Molly Anne echoed. Her eyes brightened. She waved the key cards. “Now you two go check out that swanky honeymoon suite.”

  6

  LUKE PLUCKED THE KEY CARD from Callie’s hand, insisting on checking out the premises before letting her come inside the suite. He didn’t want any nasty surprises like a mad slasher hiding in the closet.

  “Stay in the hallway,” he commanded, knowing full well she had a tendency to disobey him.

  “What if someone attacks me while you’re giving the place the once-over?”

  “Scream real loud.” Would she ever just do what he asked without questioning his every request?

  “Ha. Ha.”

  Ignoring her sarcasm, he searched the suite with a practiced eye, on the lookout for anything suspicious. He swept through the sitting area, not paying much attention to the decor and went on into the bedroom. He frowned when he discovered a balcony. He pulled back the draperies, flung open the French doors and stepped outside into the warm afternoon air.

  The view was spectacular. The Pacific Ocean stretched out, a vivid blue jewel. Directly below was a garden ripe with colorful vegetation and intersected by a network of cobblestone walkways. A trellis of exotic-looking vines trailed up the side of the building. A breeze ruffled his hair and teased his nose with the sweet tropical scent of flowers and fruit trees.

  While they might appear romantic, the balcony and French doors and vine-covered trellis were a security nightmare. Anyone so inclined could shimmy up the vines and swing over onto the balcony. It wouldn’t take much to get through those French doors and into the bedroom.

  Not a good situation.

  If he slept on the couch in the sitting room as he had planned, an intruder could climb in through Callie’s window, do her harm and Luke might never hear it. He realized that whether he liked the idea or not, he was going to have to sleep in the bedroom with her.

  But he would sleep on the floor, of course.

  “Whoa, check this place out.” Callie’s voice drifted out to him. “Looks like a cotton-candy bordello.”

  “I told you to stay in the hallway.” He stormed back inside to confront her. He was definitely going to have to stay in her room if she kept defying him. It was far more likely that Callie would sneak out the window than an intruder would sneak in.

  “I got bored.” She shrugged. “You were taking too long.”

  Luke stopped short as he finally noticed the furnishings. Holy crap.

  Huge round bed covered by a red bedspread and lots of pink, heart-shaped throw pillows. Thick white carpet and mirrors. Lots and lots of mirrors. Plastered all across the ceiling.

  It looked exactly like a cotton-candy bordello. He should not look up. He knew it, but damn him, he did it anyway. Without any hindrance at all he could see right down the cleavage of Callie’s low-cut blouse.

  Proud, jutting, smooth and creamy—a pair of beautiful breasts. He could even make out a hint of her black lace bra.

  He tilted his head, mesmerized by her lithe image. She was busy opening up the armoire to find the television set and a minibar and she hadn’t noticed that he’d gone stone-cold stupid over seeing her in those mirrors. Who in their right mind could watch TV with the damn mirrors glued to the ceiling?

  He tried not to stare at her, but he couldn’t stop himself from admiring her long slender legs that looked so outrageous in those smokin’ high-heeled sandals that matched her blood-red miniskirt. And when she bent over to peer into the minibar he was afraid he was going to pop his wad right then and there.

  “Oooh, they have Godiva chocolates. My favorite. So sinfully delicious they ought to be against the law.” Her tight skirt stretched provocatively across her fanny.

  Luke gulped. A shaft of heat caught fire in his throat and blazed all the way down to his groin. Close your eyes. Stop ogling her.

  But he could not.

  Callie straightened and turned toward him, a chocolate truffle in one hand. “I’ve heard good chocolate is an aphrodisiac. Should we put it to the test and see if the rumor is true?”

  “The hotel probably charges twenty-five dollars a chocolate.”

  “Maybe that’s the aphrodisiac part. Spending a decadent fortune on them.”

  “Put the chocolates away.”

  Callie angled a glance toward the ceiling and met his gaze in the overhead reflection. “Oh, food isn’t what does it for you, huh? You’re more into watching?”

  “No, no,” Luke denied, vigorously shaking his head. That last thing he wanted was to get her going on one of her sexy riffs. “I’m not into mirrors, either.”

  “That’s too bad. It can be quite fun making love in front of one.”

  “You’ve done it before.”

  “Hasn’t everyone?”

  Um, no.

  She must have seen the truth on his face, because she licked her lips and winked saucily. She knew exactly what she was doing. “I’m getting the feeling you’re just a tad uptight when it comes to sex.”

  “I’m not uptight about sex,” he said.

  “No? Then let’s see how soft the bed is,” she suggested and proceeded to jump onto the circular monstrosity, coming down in the middle with both knees. Her skirt kicked up a bit in the back as she did so, giving him a fantastic glimpse of her panties.

  She was wearing a G-string thong.

  A black one.

  Luke sucked in his breath. The sound was clearly audible in the room. He felt as if he’d been punched solidly in the diaphragm.

  Callie glanced at him over her shoulder, her look pure coy, pinup queen. The minx. She bounced on the mattress a couple of times. “Cushy. Wanna give it a try?”

  “Stop that,” he insisted.

  “Stop what?”

  “Trying to seduce me.”

  “But why? You can’t deny it. We’ve got chemistry together. The sexual current is so strong you could snap it like a rubber band, and if you’re not uptight about sex as you claim…” She let the thought trail off.

  “I’m not denying I want you so badly I can taste it. Which is why you must stop provoking me.”

  She popped an index finger into her
mouth, slowly moving it in and out as she sucked on it.

  “So go ahead,” she said, and extended her slick, wet finger toward him. “Taste it.”

  He shook his head. In his mind, that finger was already in his mouth.

  “Why not?” she repeated.

  “I’m your bodyguard,” Luke said, his objections sounding feeble even to his own ears.

  “And?”

  “A sexual relationship with you would compromise my objectivity.”

  “Shh.” Again, she lifted that naughty finger to her lips. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

  “Callie…”

  “What?”

  “I’m not going to make love to you.”

  “Okay.”

  “You’re giving up that easily?” He didn’t believe it for a minute and he eyed her suspiciously, trying to figure out what was going on in that head of hers.

  “Sure. If you’re not interested, you’re not interested. I understand.” She shrugged. How could she be so blasé about having her sexual advances rejected?

  “I am interested,” he said through clenched teeth. “So interested I can’t think rationally. And that’s the problem.”

  “Come here,” she whispered.

  “I’m fine right where I am.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look rigid and strong but his knees were so weak he feared they’d buckle if he had to walk too far.

  She crooked her wet index finger, smiled and repeated in her cajoling, singsongy Southern accent, “Come ’ere, honey.”

  “What is it?”

  She didn’t answer, just kept smiling and crooking her finger. Shoot. Reluctantly, he ambled over.

  “Sit.” She patted a spot beside her on the bed.

  Luke slowly blew out a breath and perched next to her, his body tensed, legs ready to spring to a standing position at the first signs of groping.

  “Relax.” She reached over to loosen his tie and he stiffened beneath her touch. “Take off that suit and tie and let me give you a shoulder rub.”

  “I don’t need a shoulder rub.” He angled his body away from hers.

  “You’re so tense your neck muscles are straining against your collar.”

  “I like being tense.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  Without warning, she leaned over and quickly flicked the tip of her hot wet tongue around the outer rim of his ear. Luke shuddered, imagining what else she might do. “Please,” he said, upset to hear that he was begging. “Stop trying to seduce me.”

  “We’re going to be sharing a room for three weeks, Luke, it’s bound to happen eventually. You feel it, I feel it. Why not start now and we can have three weeks of fun, fun, fun.”

  “Because I’m not a ‘fun’ kind of guy.”

  “Well, I kinda already figured that out, but you are a man and I’m a woman and we’re both young and healthy and there’s nothing wrong with scratching an itch as long as you protect yourself.”

  “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it, I just said I can’t.” He jumped to his feet and shoved a hand through his hair. He looked everywhere but at her. If he met her gaze, he knew he would be a goner because all he could think about was kissing her again the way he had kissed her at the airport. “It’s nothing personal. I think you’re an exciting woman and damned sexy….”

  “But?”

  He sighed, ran a palm down the side of his face. “I don’t believe in casual sex.”

  “Is premarital sex against your religion or something?”

  “It’s not that.”

  “What is it then?”

  He shrugged, embarrassed. He knew his views on sex and love ran counterclockwise to most people. “I want sex to be special. You know, emotionally as well as physically.”

  “You don’t mean sex, you’re talking about making love.”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re an odd duck, you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  “With you it’s true love or nothing?”

  “That’s about the size of it.”

  Her eyes danced. “Oh I hope it’s much bigger than that.”

  “Stop being suggestive.”

  “Aw, you’re no fun.” She scooted around to prop herself up against the pillows and cross her legs to sit tailor style on the red satin bedspread. “I’ve got a question, but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

  “Fire away.”

  “Are you a virgin, Luke?”

  “I’m closing in on thirty.” He snorted. “What do you think?”

  “I’m thinking you are.”

  “I’ve had sex.”

  “How many times?”

  “A few,” he mumbled.

  “With how many partners?”

  “More than one,” he said defensively.

  “That means two?”

  “Yes. I’ve had sex with only two women. I suppose you think I’m a freak of nature.” Why was he telling her this? She and that rich drawl had a way of making a man spill his guts, even when he didn’t want to.

  “Let me guess. You fell madly in love with the first woman. You thought she loved you as much as you loved her. Then she cheated on you and you got your heart broke and then with the second gal you had trouble letting down your guard.”

  He jerked his head, not really nodding, but sort of. How could he tell her the truth about Rachel Delong? He’d gotten his heart broken all right, but it wasn’t for the reason Callie guessed.

  “We were kids. Barely seventeen. Rachel’s betrayal hurt at the time. But I got over it.”

  “Did you?”

  “Yes.”

  “So what happened with the second woman?”

  He worked his jaw, not wanting to discuss it.

  “Well?” Callie prodded.

  “Elysse said she needed someone more adventuresome in bed.”

  “So why not become more adventuresome?”

  “I tried but the problems between us were deeper than that and she didn’t want to work on them.”

  “Why haven’t you moved on since then?”

  “I haven’t found anyone who interested me,” Luke said. Until you. “Plus I was out of the country for six years and I didn’t want to start a relationship that had no future.”

  “But you’re back home now. It’s time to dust yourself off, move on.”

  “It’s easier for some people than others,” he said gloomily.

  “Are you still in love with the first woman?”

  “Hell no,” he said sharply. He’d never been in love with Rachel. That had been the problem. They’d just been two kids fooling around without any clue about the consequences of what they were messing with.

  “Then there’s only one surefire cure.”

  “I don’t need a cure. I’m fine.”

  “You haven’t had sex in six years? With a partner I mean. I’m sure you’ve found other ways to release the sexual tension.” She smiled and wriggled her eyebrows.

  He had to clench his jaw to keep from blushing. Dammit. Why did he have to embarrass so easily? He wished he could stop sneaking peeks at her. Wished she wasn’t so magnetic with her crooked smile and her fuchsia hair and all that jingly jewelry.

  “You’re just scared to begin again.”

  “Yeah,” he reluctantly admitted. “Maybe that’s part of it.”

  She clicked her tongue and gave a soft sigh. “Ah, honey, that’s so sad.”

  The way she said honey made him feel sad. And prudish and hung up and foolish.

  “You’ve missed out on a lot,” she noted.

  “I’m sure I have.”

  “We could have such a good time together. You and I. If you’d relax your expectations about love and sex.”

  “No doubt.”

  She lowered her voice. “Come on, Luke, tell me the truth. What are you really afraid of?”

  “Afraid? I’m not afraid.”

  But even as he denied it, he felt it. Deep inside his
chest, pushing hard against his heart. His longing for something precious and perfect that he feared might not even exist.

  What was he so damned afraid of?

  He shook his head. He did not want to examine the question. He wasn’t afraid of anything. He was frustrated, that was all. And mad at himself because he wanted something he shouldn’t have. Like a diabetic sneaking birthday cake.

  And that’s all a tryst with Callie would ever be. Birthday cake.

  It might be delicious and sweet and those first few bites, pure heaven. But later, the guilt would set in and the sugar rush would be gone, and what would he be left with?

  “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I can’t make love to you, Callie. For your own good as much as mine.”

  CALLIE WANTED LUKE and she wasn’t giving up so easily.

  He was the opportunity she’d been waiting for all her life. An inexperienced but potent lover. A man she could mold in bed. How fun it would be to school him in the erogenous arts. He was smart and sexy and if she could get him over his inhibitions she knew he would be dynamite.

  But it would be a tricky proposition. He did possess a stunning measure of self-control. Fortunately, she thrived on challenges and she adored acting on impulse.

  “I think I’ll take a shower,” she said. “Wash off the road grime.”

  “Might be time to color your hair, too,” he suggested.

  “You’re still insisting on that?”

  “It’s for your own safety.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” She swung her legs off the bed, got to her feet, casually stripped her blouse over her head and tossed it on the bed beside Luke. Her pulse raced with anticipation. What would he do when he saw her standing in nothing but her bra and panties?

  “What are you doing?!” He sounded horrified and panicky and turned on all at the same time.

  Big score for Callie.

  She dipped her head so he couldn’t see her triumphant smile.

  “Getting undressed.” She shimmied her skirt past her hips and then let it drop to her feet.

  “Um…um…er,” Luke mumbled, clearly desperate for any excuse to escape. “I better give you some privacy.”

  “Stay. I don’t mind.” She reached around for the hook at the back of her bra.