“My bad.” He stood by, feeling like a complete idiot, watching as she tried to erase his damage. She looked a head shorter than he was, with long dark hair that had highlights running through it. A tiny red dress covered her curves, ending at mid-thigh.
She raised her head and handed him the handkerchief. “You owe me a new dress, sir.” Her sharp gaze lashed him.
“Uh…sure.”
Her frown disappeared, replaced by a mischievous grin. “I’m just messing with you. The dress is fine.”
“Great.” Her smile warmed him. Or maybe it was the alcohol; he had no clue. But for the first time since he got to the club, he felt no urgency to leave.
“Next time, watch where you’re going.” The woman turned and slipped into the crowd. On a sudden impulse, he followed her. He wasn’t sure why, but there was a need to get to know her. He’d never had that feeling before.
He caught her at the bar as she waved to the bartender for a drink. “It’s on me,” he said, slipping onto the stool next to her.
“Are you stalking me?” Her tone carried a teasing lilt. His pulse tripped.
“And if I am?”
“Mhmm…” She gave him a once-over with a slight smile on her full lips. “You’re cute, so I don’t mind.”
He extended his hand. “Luke Abrahams.”
She slipped her hand in his, giving it a small squeeze. “Isabel Delgado.”
“It’s nice to meet you. And again, I’m sorry for the mess.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Luke. It’s all good.” She took a huge drink from the tumbler and signaled to the bartender again. “But the next round’s on you too. And the next one…”
***
Twenty minutes and three shots later, Luke stood and offered his hand. “Come on, let’s dance.”
She allowed him to pull her up and together they walked to the dance floor, where he drew her into his arms and they swayed to the R&B track that filled the room.
The music intoxicated him. He pulled her closer, loving how well her body fit with his. Her body had a softness to it, but firm in all the right areas. His hands grazed her ass before coming to rest at the center of her back.
Isabel looped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulder. “This is nice,” she whispered against his ear, sending shivers down his spine. His cock stirred, hardening.
He dared to kick things up a notch, running his hands down her back again and cupping her ass. It was high and firm, filling his hands and then some. He gave it a gentle squeeze, relieved when she did not pull his hands away.
“You’re a naughty boy,” was all she said as she rolled against him, her body fusing with his. His hard-on soon became unbearable. His hand traveled upwards and into her hair, combing through before he gently gripped a handful. He tilted her head up to his and took her mouth for a kiss.
Isabel opened to him at once, her lips gently massaging his own. He tasted the sharp taste of the alcohol and a sweetness that seemed to be naturally hers. He delved further, licking her mouth, moaning as her tongue jousted with his. The noise disappeared. The room slipped away. Nothing else mattered but the taste of Isabel.
With a long whimper, she pulled away from him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He too was out of breath, with a painful erection. Reaching for her again, he decided to take a plunge. “Spend the night with me.”
There was something about Isabel that thawed the cold that surrounded him. He wanted more of her; more of the heat she brought.
Isabel smiled. “I’m sorry, Luke, I can’t.”
Luke’s heart dropped. “Why not? I thought we were having a moment.”
“That’s what it was; a moment. Now it’s gone.” She turned her back to him and returned to the bar.
He was close behind. “I don’t believe you.”
Isabel sighed and reached for her purse. “I had a good time tonight, Luke. Truly.”
“That’s it?”
“It was nice meeting you.” She left him standing there, feeling like a ton of lead had settled on his chest. This made no sense; the heavy disappointment that brought a flash of sadness. Sure, they had a connection, but he’d only known her for an hour. It should have been easy to tuck his thoughts of her to the back of his mind…
But it wasn’t.
He paid the bill and returned to Sam’s table, now more than ever ready to leave. There was nothing for him here. “Hey, man, I’m heading out,” he told Sam.
“Already?” Sam removed his arm from around Kelsie and checked his watch. “Dude, it’s just past midnight.”
“Which means I’ve done my time. I’m out.”
“You used to be fun,” Sam said.
“I know,” Luke replied. “See ya.”
He stepped from the club, glad for the coolness of the night that tempered the heat that settled since he held Isabel on the dance floor. His thoughts turned to home and the cold shower he needed to erase the lingering ache.
As he walked down the sidewalk, he saw a woman ahead, standing with folded arms. The sound of her tapping heel against the pavement cut into the night. He stopped at a distance with his heart racing again.
Isabel.
CHAPTER THREE
“Is everything ok?”
At the sound of his voice, Isabel turned and dropped her hands. “I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You look a little upset.”
A moment passed as she stared at him before replying. “My roommate is MIA, and I left my keys to the apartment. I’ve been calling her like crazy. No luck.”
“Maybe she’s asleep. You could head home and ring the doorbell. She’ll probably hear it.”
“No, Dana’s not there. She went to a party on the other side of town and I doubt she’ll get home before morning.” She checked her phone, swiping the screen with a curse.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Hmm…you could come home with me.”
Isabel scoffed. “I meant what I said inside, Luke. There was a moment, now it’s gone.”
“I’m offering you a place to sleep, that’s all. No pressure,” he replied. “Or you could wait out here ‘til your friend picks up.”
Her bottom lip folded as she seemed to consider his offer, then she gave a slight nod. “I’ll take it. But no hanky-panky.”
Luke grinned. “Not unless you want me to.”
***
“Let me get some fresh sheets,” Luke said as Isabel spun around, checking out the guest bedroom. There wasn’t much to see; just the king-sized bed, a small dresser and a flat screen TV mounted on the wall facing the bed. A pair of night tables stood on either side of the bed, and a soft carpet covered the floor. A small closet where he stored spare sheets and towels. The décor of the entire house spoke to his simplicity.
“Thanks again,” Isabel said, after he spread the sheets on the bed and added another pair of pillows. She sat at the edge and removed her heels. “I’m gonna kill Dana.”
Luke wanted to hug Dana. Because of her, he had Isabel in his house. She was playing hard to get, but he did not mistake her body’s response to him. She wanted him. But he wouldn’t apply pressure. He had a feeling that before the end of the night she would come to him.
“No worries,” he replied. “There’s an adjoining bathroom if you want to take a shower, and there’s food in the fridge in case you get hungry. If you need anything else, I’m in the room at the top of the hall.”
“This is more than enough,” she said.
“Ok.” He slowly backed from the room, wishing she would ask him to stay. But she turned her back to the door and removed her earrings. He took the message and headed to his room and a much-needed shower.
But it did not help. The blazing need for Isabel still remained, and she was the only source for relief. But there was nothing he could do about it. The ball was in her court.
He got into bed, and to take his mind off her, turned the TV on. It didn’t help that she was just a few doors away. It ce
rtainly didn’t help that he could envision her in the shower, with the water droplets cascading down her curves, disappearing between her warm thighs where her treasure lay—
Cut it out, Luke.
With a stifling groan, he sunk under the covers and willed himself to sleep. But tried as he could, the thoughts of Isabel remained. How could one woman affect him this much so soon? It had been less than twelve hours since they met. He knew nothing about her. It made absolutely no sense!
Music. Yes. That’ll help. He switched to his favorite playlist and relaxed, allowing the smooth, reggae rhythm to take over. And it did, snuffing his carnal thoughts, lulling him to sleep. He’d just closed his eyes when a knock on the door sounded.
“Luke?” The door opened before he could open his eyes. “You asleep?”
He pulled himself up to sit, watching as she entered, dressed in one of his t-shirts that she must have taken from the dresser. It drowned her body, but left her long legs bare. She walked towards him, and Luke envisioned her legs wrapped around him as he plunged inside her…
“Hey.”
He blinked, coming back to reality as she came to a stop at the foot of his bed. “You ok?”
Isabel shrugged, pulling the ends of the t-shirt. “I can’t sleep.”
He patted the space beside him with a smile. “Wanna watch TV?”
“Sure.” She scrambled into bed and pulled the duvet over her legs, settling against the pillows. Luke turned the TV on again and flipped to a popular rom com.
Isabel’s face screwed. “Hell no.” She grabbed the remote. “I need some grit. Guns blazing, blood-gushing grit. I hate chick flicks.”
“Are you for real?” He could not hide the wide grin that covered half his face. When they hung out, he would have given anything for Aubrey to watch an action movie. She’d never even tried, not once, and he’d always been subjected to her cheesy romance movies that seemed unrealistic and boring. But he’d put up with it for the sake of peace. Isabel’s interest in one of his favorite pastimes was a refreshing one.
“I’m not a contemporary girl, Luke. Sure, I love high heels and makeup as much as the next woman, but I don’t stick with the status quo. I drink beer from the bottle, I climb trees like a monkey and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. And yes, there’s nothing like an action-packed movie where the bad guy gets what’s coming to him.”
“You’re my kinda girl,” Luke said, and his response earned him a smile. “Here, give me that.” He took the remote and browsed through, while her eyes scanned the room.
“Is that your son?” She pointed to a picture of his nephew Riley that rested on his dresser. The picture had been taken at a family reunion years ago, the last time he’d visited his parents and siblings in LA.
He snickered with a head shake. “Huh-uh, that’s my sister’s kid.” He selected a military action movie that he’d planned on watching tomorrow.
“What’s that look for?”
“What look?”
“That, oh-hell-no kinda look. Don’t you want kids?”
“Nope. I hardly have time on my hands. Plus, I don’t think it would be fair to raise a child in an environment where I’d basically be an absentee father.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a surgeon.”
“Oh… I get it. I bet you’re one of those bachelor-for-life types, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say, I’m not in a rush to get to the altar. What about you?”
She stretched against the pillows with a sigh and he saw a flash of sadness in her eyes. “There was a time when I wanted a child more than anything, but nothing happened. So, I let that dream go. Someday, though, I’ll resurrect the dream again. I would love to have a family of my own.”
“Well, here’s to dreaming. Good luck to ya.” He took her hand and squeezed it, earning him a smile.
The movie began and they settled in silence. For about ten minutes, that is, when the smell of her freshly washed hair and the shower gel she’d used washed over him. When her leg brushed against his more times than he could count. He could see the flow of her breathing from her chest, and without checking her pulse, he knew her heart rate had begun to accelerate.
Without thinking further, he reached to the back her neck and pulled her face toward him. She did not resist. From her heavy sigh, it seemed she had been waiting for him to make a move.
Her kiss was even sweeter than before, but more urgent, hungry. She devoured him, and he matched her strokes with the same hunger pooling in his core. His hands grew busy, running through her hair, down her back, tugging on the hem of her shirt. She raised herself up, freeing the shirt, and he pulled it over her head.
For a long moment he stared at her nakedness, with his erection growing more painful by the second. He needed relief. The weeks of abstinence had accumulated a barrel of lust that seemed to overflow at that very moment. He wanted to empty it, to lose himself in Isabel.
Her body was carved to perfection, with tiny freckles dotting her olive skin. Her firm breasts fit perfectly in his hand and he kneaded them, gauging her reaction. A small moan followed. He pinched her nipples and twisted them between his thumb and forefinger. She threw her head back with a deep sigh. “Mhmm. So good...”
He dipped and took a nipple in his mouth, sucking like it was an icicle on a hot summer’s day. Isabel cried out and inched her hips upwards. “Yes...” His hand trailed downwards to the center of her heat, and his fingers parted her lips to dip into the tight, moist area that he’d fantasized about all night. The urge to replace his fingers with his cock grew unbearable the more he stroked.
Isabel hissed as her juices flowed, lubricating his movement. She rocked against his fingers with a tortured look. “I can’t take much more, Luke. Just fuck me.”
He needed no further prompting. Reaching for a condom in his drawer—which he hoped to god hadn’t yet expired—he checked the packet to confirm. Yes! He tore it with his teeth and placed it on his cock in two fluid movements. Isabel watched him, with her breaths coming in fast and uneven and her legs parted. He crawled between them and her mouth parted as he entered her, slowly, and in sweet agony. Her flesh tightened around him, welcoming him. He closed his eyes. This was just like coming home after years away.
He braced himself with his arms on either side of her and worked his hips to the bone, sawing in and out. Beneath him, Isabel’s ecstatic sounds egged him on, fueling his lust. Her moist eyes latched on to him, and pleasure brimmed within their depths.
She brought her legs up and locked them around him. “Yes, Luke…just like that,” as he rolled his hips, slicing through her, again and again, shuddering with each lash. His mind had no other thought but to give pleasure and take the awesome reward that was her soft, contracting heat.
“Ohhhh…yes Luke. Yesss….” Her head rose to his for a short kiss before she fell back against the pillows with a cry. “Oh!” She gripped the sheets as her body jerked. “I’m coming…oh god!”
Luke slipped his arms at her lower back and dug deeper. Sweat poured from his body like a river. He was gone, lost, overwhelmed from being inside her. It felt so snug, and so right, as if that was where he belonged. It wasn’t anything like he’d ever felt before.
Isabel began moving under him, raising her hips to meet his thrusts. Her sex tightened around him, tugging him in each time he eased out. It was more than enough to send him over the edge. His release came in a wild rush, stealing his breath. He gasped, succumbing to the passion, never wanting the feeling to end.
Gradually, the sensation lessened and he collapsed beside her, heaving to catch his breath. She curled into him. “That was amazing.”
“Oh, yeah,” he panted. “Out of this world.” Hands down, it was the best sex he’d ever had. His other experiences were…good, but nothing short of breath-taking came to mind when he thought to describe this encounter. And yes, he wanted more. Not just tonight, but for as long as he could have it.
/> Huh?
This was crazy. Never in a million years did he imagine being in a place like this, thinking of a relationship—especially with someone he hardly knew. But it felt so right. He looked at Isabel snuggled against him and smiled. Yes, it was.
Their compatibility became evident the moment he took her in his arms on the dance floor. And now, after realizing they had more in common than their shared attraction, he wanted to get to know her.
She threw her leg across him and placed her hand on his chest, stroking his pecs. “This is comfy,” she murmured.
Luke sighed, contented. Within minutes he slipped into sleep with a satisfied smile.
***
The ringing cell phone woke Luke. With his eyes still closed, he groped for it and pressed the answer button. “Don’t you sleep?”
Sam chuckled on the other end. “It’s almost mid-day, dude. Get your ass out of bed.”
Luke eased the phone from his ear to check the time on the screen. Sure enough, it was minutes to twelve. Shit! Isabel was his guest, and he’d slept in. He rushed out of bed. “Damn it.”
“What’s wrong?” Sam asked.
“Nothing. I’ll call you later.” No way was he ready to tell Sam about Isabel. He wanted to wait until they’d established something—whatever it was—before letting his nosy friend in.
He left his room and walked down the hall to the guest bedroom. The emptiness greeted him, along with the absence of her clothes.
Damnit.
He did not need to look further. She was gone. Gone, leaving no cell phone number, no address—nothing.
He sank to the bed, and an emptiness replaced the exhilaration that filled him moments before. It was like being trapped in an enclosed space with the air running out. He could not breathe; could not think.
He had a feeling that, without Isabel, nothing would be the same again.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Someone’s doing the walk of shame,” Dana said, grinning when she opened the door to Isabel’s knocking.
“Oh, shut up.” Isabel pushed past her into the apartment and kicked off her heels. She threw her bag on the living room couch. “You left me hanging last night.”
The Secret Baby: A One Night Stand Romance (Medical Heart Throb Series Book 1) Page 2