Her room was empty of everything but memories when they finally left it. In some ways he hated to go. That was the room where he’d officially become Darcie’s lover, and he hoped a change in venue wouldn’t alter the mood. She seemed a little reluctant, too. Well, she would, having a tendency toward being sappy.
He also hadn’t forgotten that she, like him, needed her space. Insisting she move to his room might be pushing her, but they had so little time before their regular lives would resume. He wanted to build some kind of foundation before that happened, and having her close seemed like the place to start.
Moving her into his room caused a slight discomfort for him, too. She’d said they were alike in that way. But he’d face a little discomfort to have her stay with him through the rest of the weekend and establish a pattern of behavior regarding their amazing sexual connection.
He had another reason for bringing her laptop up to his room. She’d been comparing their charts the night before, and he wanted to know what she’d found out. He’d started out this relationship as a total skeptic, but gradually he was starting to think astrology might have something going for it.
When they arrived at his door, he fished the key out of his pocket and let her in. Her reaction told him he’d made the right decision. It wasn’t the penthouse, but it was the next best thing.
“Nolan, this is beautiful. You have a view of the city!” She pulled her rolling suitcase over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. In the distance the lights of L.A. sparkled, blessedly free of smog this weekend. She turned to him, her eyes bright. “You know what we should do? Turn out all the lights and put the mattress over here by the window.”
“Works for me.” Her creative spirit inspired him in ways he hadn’t known that he needed. “Let’s do it.”
“First I want to see the Jacuzzi.” She left her suitcase sitting in the middle of the floor and disappeared into the bathroom.
He followed her in time to catch her sigh of delight.
Hands on hips, as she considered the large black tub. “Now I don’t know which to do first, lie in the dark fooling around while we watch the city lights or get crazy in that tub.”
“Your choice. But didn’t you want to burn that sage thingy?”
She blinked. “I forgot. Hang on. I need to read the energy. Give me a minute.” Closing her eyes, she inhaled slowly and exhaled the same way.
Watching her do her thing, he couldn’t help spinning fantasies about how to turn this into more than a one-night deal. Maybe he could extend his stay here and talk her into doing the same.
They could spend their time naked except for when they ordered room service. Then he would put on one of the fluffy hotel robes hanging in the closet in order to sign the bill. He had the money to treat them both to that kind of sexy getaway.
The image shimmered tantalizingly in his mind until he remembered that he couldn’t miss work. Every day in the lab was important now that he understood why his team had to be the first one to reach Mars. He couldn’t justify several days of hanging out in this ritzy hotel room with the extremely voluptuous Darcie, at least not now, when Sterling’s team was pulling ahead.
But she was here, now, which was more than he ever would have thought possible two days ago. The more fun they had together in the next few hours, the more likely that she’d want to keep seeing him. She’d initiated this reunion and she seemed to like what she’d discovered about him. All he had to do was keep from messing it up.
Opening her eyes again, she smiled at him. “That crystal I gave you must have done the job. I don’t sense any negative energy here.”
“Good.” He wasn’t wild about burning sage in this suite anyway. “So now what?”
“I think Jacuzzi first, then lying in the dark. But let’s set up the mattress before we get in the tub, so it’ll be ready for us.”
“Good idea.” Anything involving nakedness in a tub with jets followed by romping on a mattress in the dark was more than a good idea. It was pure brilliance. To think when he’d first checked into this room he’d thought the amenities were wasted on him. They would have been, too, if Darcie hadn’t shown up yesterday.
They moved the furniture away from the window and wrestled the mattress off the bed and over to the spot they’d designated for their sex party with a view. Then they tossed on some pillows and the comforter.
“Don’t worry,” Darcie said. “We’ll put it all back before we let the maid in.”
“I know we will.” He gazed at her, taking a moment to be happy for what fate, the stars, or pure coincidence had given him tonight. “The great thing is that we’re rearranging this pricey hotel suite. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought of doing something like that. Thanks for showing me how to shake things up.”
“You’re welcome.” She came over and carefully took off his glasses. “But now that we’ve moved the furniture, you won’t need these for awhile.”
“Are you planning to lead me around? I’m pretty nearsighted.”
“As a matter of fact, I am going to take over from here. I’ll put these on the coffee table where you can easily find them again. Now come with me, Dr. Bradbury. I’m going to escort you into the bathroom and get you out of that tux while we fill the tub. You look gorgeous in the outfit, but enough’s enough.”
“If you say so.” He’d figured out that this was the part of the evening when he was supposed to let her have her way with him. He wasn’t the best at giving up control, but he sensed it might be of great benefit if he could manage it.
She seemed to have a plan, so he stood in the middle of the large bathroom and tried not to interfere with that plan. First she started the water running, which made a fair amount of noise as it thundered into the black tub. He’d thought the Jacuzzi would be a selling point for moving to his suite. It had always sounded like a sexy idea, but he’d never actually been in one like this. He was a shower kind of guy.
Sure, he’d done some hot-tubbing with friends in college, but that had been a party atmosphere, an outside-on-the-patio, beer-drinking activity. He’d never been alone with a woman in a tub that included jets. From the way Darcie had moved around the bathroom, he had a feeling she had been. He didn’t want to think about whether a man had been present.
She gathered towels and piled them next to the tub so they’d be within easy reach. Next he thought she’d come over and start undressing him. Nope. She stripped off her own clothes. Yowza.
She laid them in a pile on the floor. “It’s more efficient if I ditch my stuff before I take off yours. Then when you’re ready for the tub, I’ll be ready, too.”
“Right. I’m all for efficiency.” And his cock was already ramrod straight, however that would factor into the situation.
She walked over to him. “You know what? I’ve never undressed a Ph.D. before.”
“I don’t think it’s any more complicated than undressing an M.B.A.”
She smiled. “Now that you mention it, I’ve never done that, either.”
He wasn’t about to ask if she’d undressed someone with a bachelor’s degree. She probably had, and he didn’t want to hear about it.
First she took off his jacket, which was a relief because the hot water running into the tub was making the bathroom steam. He was getting hot in more ways than one. Then she grabbed the ends of his black tie, which was still around his neck, and pulled him toward her.
“One kiss,” she murmured.
He reached for her. “In that case, I get to –”
“Nope.” She dropped the ends of the tie and stepped out of reach. “You don’t get to do nuthin’, mister. I know your ways. Once you start fondling, you’re liable to take over the entire production.”
He couldn’t deny it. Touching her set off a chain of events he couldn’t seem to control. He might plan to simply wrap his arms around her and let it go at that. But he knew himself better, now. Once he felt her smooth skin under his palms, he’d get the urge to stroke her.
Stroking inevitably would be followed by kissing whatever parts he could reach, which would be followed by finding some way, sneaky or straightforward, to make her come. He loved doing that, and according to her, he was destined to make her come often. He wanted to test that theory. A lot.
Now wasn’t the time for it, apparently, so he kept his hands at his sides as she approached him again and tugged on his tie so he’d lower his head. Then she kissed him. With tongue. He clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching for her.
The heat of her body tantalized him and her breasts quivered mere inches from his shirtfront. His fingers itched and his cock throbbed. Her kiss was heaven but having to control the urge to touch her was hell.
Or maybe not. She was starting to touch him, now. She slowly unfastened his shirt and paused every so often to slip her hands inside and massage his chest and pinch his nipples. His cock still throbbed, but he unclenched his fists as he began to relax into the feeling of being stroked without being required to do anything in return. It was nice. More than nice. Outstanding.
He let his arms hang limp at his sides while she undid his cuffs and pulled the shirt from his trousers. When she finally tossed it aside and began kissing the spots she’d recently stroked, he began to shiver in anticipation. She guided him to sit on the edge of the tub. After she turned off the water, she removed his dress shoes and socks. Even that felt erotic, and he’d never thought of his feet as erogenous zones.
But when her hands went to the waistband of his trousers, he knew she was very near an extremely erogenous zone. He’d had this experience before, but something told him Darcie would add her own special touch to the proceedings. She had him lift up so she could work his pants and his briefs down, which took some doing because of the tent pole of a cock he had going on.
As she worked, she kept laughing softly and daringly placing kisses on the very tip. Then she’d lick the drop of moisture that gathered there in response to her kiss. He thought he might erupt every time she did that, but somehow he held on. He definitely wanted to hold on, because he had a fairly accurate idea of what would happen next.
Sure enough, once she’d flung away his pants and briefs, she moved between his knees and knelt there contemplating the terrain, as if trying to decide where to start. He had some suggestions, but he didn’t think making them was appropriate. This was her show. He’d let her run it.
As it turned out, that was a wise decision. Leaning over his thigh, she scooped up a handful of warm water and dribbled it slowly over his rigid cock. He gasped at the sensation. She did it again, and when he was slick from the warm water, she held his gaze as she closed her fingers around his shaft and slid her hand slowly up and down, up and down.
His heart thundered in reaction and his balls tightened. He couldn’t mistake the intensity in her blue eyes, and staring into them while she pumped his cock made his response spike until he thought he might not be able to control it. He groaned. “Darcie, I –”
“Easy.” She grasped the base of his shaft and squeezed gently.
He blew out a slow breath as the urge to come lessened. But not for long. Although she kept her firm grip right there, she leaned over and took him into her mouth at the same moment she began a slow massage of his balls.
This time he had a different treat. Her shiny hair fell forward, curtaining off his view of what she was doing, but the silken texture of that hair caressed him with every move she made. As if they’d had some sort of mind meld, she drew back, gathered a handful of her hair and used it as she might wield a feather duster. She whisked it over the tip of cock and used it to tickle his balls. To his embarrassment, he began to quiver.
Then she started where she’d begun, dribbling him with warm water and pumping her fist up and down until his pulse hammered and his climax shouldered its way forward, pushing, straining . . . .
He pushed back against the urge. This was only supposed to be a prelude. He didn’t want to come now, not yet. Later, when he was wedged between her thighs again, then he would, but not . . . . ahhhh.
Her head dipped again, and she took him in deep. He was in trouble. He felt the tip touch the back of her throat and he trembled. As she drew back, she used her tongue to press, to swirl, to drive him to the brink.
He began to shake for real and his voice was a rusty croak. “Darcie . . . I can’t . . . don’t . . .”
But she did. She sucked hard and he came with a vengeance, pulsing into her mouth and gasping out her name. She milked him with steady pressure as she swallowed once, twice, three times. Dear God, that felt good. He couldn’t regret something that felt that damned good.
Eventually he was steady enough to ease around and slide into the tub. “You’ve turned me into Gumby,” he murmured as he leaned back and rested his head on the edge of the tub. “I’m boneless.”
“Maybe this will help.” She turned on the jets.
Water swirled around him, which was mildly invigorating, but he still felt like a cartoon character that had been flattened by a steamroller.
“Better?” She climbed into the tub and eased down beside him. Her hair was bound up turban-style in a white towel, a practical idea, but it also made her look exotic, like a Middle Eastern princess.
“It’s very nice, but I think you’re going to have to bring a crane up here to haul me out.”
“We’ll see.” Maneuvering through the swirling water, she got to her knees facing him. “You do look wiped.”
“I am.” He gave her a lazy smile. “But it’s the best kind of wiped I’ve ever known. That was an amazing session. If a man only had one of those in a lifetime, he’d count himself a lucky bastard.”
“I appreciate the compliment. I aim to please.” She moved a little closer, a knee on either side of his legs. “Can you see my face?”
“Yeah, I can see it. I’m not that blind. I can also see your breasts bobbing in the water. Am I allowed to touch them, now?”
“Sure. Be my guest.”
“I can’t resist, although you’re probably safe from me for awhile.” He cupped a breast in each hand and brushed his thumbs over her nipples until they grew tight. So pretty. His cock gave a slight twitch, which surprised him, but he was nowhere near ready to rock and roll.
“I just wondered if you could see my face because if I shift a little to the left, I have a jet that’s hitting me in a very sensitive spot. I thought you might like to watch what happens if I let the jet keep doing that.”
He gulped, and his cock gave a much stronger twitch. He nodded. “I would.”
She favored him with a very wicked smile. “I’d much rather do this than hire a crane to get you out of here.”
“Mm.” He couldn’t come up with a snappy response. His brain was still assimilating the information she’d given him previously. She was going to pleasure herself with the jets. And he was going to watch. He was quite interested in that, and judging from the tightening in his groin, so was his cock.
She gently removed his hands from her breasts. “I’ll take care of this part, now. You can just sit there and . . . enjoy.” She shifted her position and gazed at a point over his shoulder while she seemed to concentrate on what was happening below the waterline.
When she gasped softly, he thought she might have made contact with the jet. Cupping her breasts, she pinched her nipples as her eyes drifted closed. And slowly, unbelievably, his bad boy began to respond.
Her breathing quickened and she moaned. He was mesmerized. No woman had ever done this for him, and wow, was it doing something to him. No crane would be necessary to get him up and out of this tub. He only hoped he could remember where he’d put the condoms.
She began to pant and squeeze her breasts. He’d never seen anything so spectacular and brave as Darcie giving in to her passion. She was magnificent, and he wanted her with a desperation that left him gasping, too. With a wild cry, she came, lost her balance, and started to go down.
He caught her before her head went under. He c
ould thank hours of video games for giving him the reflexes of a jet pilot. Slowly he drew her toward him through the water as she trembled in the aftermath of her climax. Then he cuddled her wet body against his.
“Beautiful,” he murmured against her damp cheek. “Thank you.”
Her eyelids fluttered open and she tilted her head to look up at him. Her voice was husky with satisfaction. “Did it work?”
“Oh, yeah.” He took her hand and guided it down to his erect cock. “No crane required.”
Chapter Fifteen
This time Darcie was the wobbly one, and she surrendered gratefully to being helped from the tub by a much revived Nolan. Parts of him, she noticed with amusement, were considerably revived. He dried her off, more or less, and rubbed the towel perfunctorily over himself.
Then, in a move that startled and thrilled her to her toes, he picked her up. A little grunt of effort accompanied the heroic move, but he seemed in no danger of dropping her as he carried her out of the bathroom.
“Hit the light switch,” he said as he positioned her near it.
She did, throwing the bedroom and sitting area into darkness. It wasn’t completely dark, though. Ambient light from outside the window and a shaft of light from the bathroom kept the bedroom section from being a dangerous obstacle course.
Still, he was nearsighted and she didn’t want him to stumble, which would be bad news for both of them. “There’s a chair next to the –”
“I know.” He maneuvered deftly around it and over to the mattress. “I took a mental picture of the layout once we’d rearranged things so I wouldn’t trip in the dark.”
“You can do that?” She shouldn’t be surprised that someone as intelligent and precise would have a photographic memory.
“Sure. Can’t you?”
“No, but I think it’s really cool that you can.”
“I’m glad that you’re impressed with my mental tricks, because I’m not cool enough to be able to gracefully deposit you on the mattress. Carrying you this far is as manly as it gets.”
Nerds Are From Mars Page 14