Chapter Four
The sound of Liam’s laugh sent a shiver racing down Carol’s spine. He was so good looking. His smile was worth a million bucks, and the sound of his laughter touched something deep inside her heart where she really didn’t need to be touched tonight. Seeing him around school after tonight was going to be difficult enough. She surely didn’t need to fall any more in love with him than she had since their first meeting a year ago.
“All right, Carol of the fake last name and no known occupation,” he said with a wicked grin, letting her know he saw right through her. “Last chance to get away. Do you want to come in and spend the night with me, or do you want me to drive you home and pretend I never met you?”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat. This was her last chance, he had said, to change her mind. But she wouldn’t. This was Liam Taggert. The man who so often invaded her thoughts late at night when she was alone. After tonight, she’d have honest to goodness memories of him to keep her warm.
“I’ll...spend the night,” she said, the words rushing out before she could grab the door handle and run away. Not that the idiotic torture devices she called shoes would even let her run.
Liam nodded. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m sure.” Her heart started hammering again. What had she gotten herself into?
* * * * *
Liam dropped his black duffle bag inside the door and threw his keys on the small entrance table. “Home sweet home,” he announced as he slipped the jacket off her shoulders and tossed it over the back of the loveseat.
She looked around.
His apartment was small. The living room held a television that was much too large for the space. A loveseat, couch, and coffee table were crammed too close together. There was a tidy kitchen off to one side and a hallway straight ahead, presumably leading to his bedroom and bath. The place was clean, and it smelled like him. Her tummy fluttered and her hands shook as she swiped her suddenly sweaty palms against her thighs.
“Coffee?” he asked as he went into the kitchen.
She shook her head and set her purse on the small table next to his keys.
“Beer? Orange juice?” He opened the fridge to examine its sparse contents.
She halted at the kitchen counter. “No, thank you.”
He shut the fridge and walked toward her. “What would you like, then?”
Under the bright fluorescent lighting he was even better looking. His dark hair had a smattering of gray at the temples, his teeth were so very white, and dark whisker stubble shadowed his cheeks and chin making him, if it were possible, even sexier. Rakish. God, how would she survive this?
“You,” she said through a tight throat. That’s what she was here for, wasn’t it? Why waste time on small talk? She was Carol Barnes, Seductress.
Liam raised that one eyebrow. “Really.”
She nodded and stepped closer to him, resting her palms on the thickly muscled plains of his chest. “Isn’t that why we’re here?”
Tagg settled his hands on her hips and met her gaze. Damn, she was gorgeous. He wondered what her real eye color was. “Feeling a little frisky?” He grinned at her pretty pink blush. She might be feeling frisky, but she was still shy, although she was getting a bit better at covering it.
“A little,” she whispered.
“Hmm. We better deal with that, huh?” He closed the distance between them and lowered his face toward hers. “What do you like, Carol?”
Her eyelids, which had been slowly lowering, popped wide. She stared at him, bewilderment endearingly obvious on her face. “Like?”
He stifled a chuckle. Getting her under the lights of the kitchen, he could see she wasn’t too young, but damn if she didn’t act like a virgin. “Yeah, honey, what do you like?” He brushed his lips over hers. “Hot and hard?” He licked her bottom lip and felt her warm sigh as she slowly softened against his quickly hardening body. “Or slow and soft?” He mated his mouth with hers and when her lips opened, he swept his tongue inside, tasting her exotic, fresh, thoroughly enticing flavor once again.
“Yes,” she sighed against his lips when he withdrew his tongue.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Yes…to everything.” She brought her hands up to his shoulders and flexed her fingers against his muscles.
His hands settled over her bottom, flexing against her firm round ass. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”
Her eyes closed and her head fell back just a bit as her belly pressed his throbbing cock, sending searing need shooting through him. “Damn, honey,” he said against the ultra soft, fragrant skin of her throat.
“Please, just make love to me, Liam. Now.”
He brought up one hand and speared it through her silky mass of hair to cup the back of her head. “Patience, babe. We’ve got all night.” No way in hell was he going to rush sex with his mysterious woman.
He brought his lips back down on hers with a force that shocked even him. He was hard, ready, and so damn needy to be inside her that it took all his willpower to keep from turning her around, shoving that tight black dress to her waist, and taking her right there over the counter.
He hadn’t felt this horny since before he married Janice over fifteen years ago. He should have grown out of such adolescent lust.
Carol’s hands found his hair. Her fingernails scraped his scalp as she clutched at him, dragging a ragged groan from his throat. He pulled his mouth away from hers and trailed hot, damp kisses along her jaw, down her throat. He licked her smooth skin, loving her spicy flavor, her berries and cream scent. He nipped at the slight swell of her breasts just above the top of her dress.
She moaned, and he felt her legs giving way. He forced himself to remain gentle even though the animal inside him was roaring to spring free. He nipped at the top curve of her breasts, thinking she was wearing way too many clothes.
“Liam,” she groaned as he lifted her ever so slightly so her hot sex pressed his rock-hard erection. Even through layers of material he could feel her damp heat.
Fuck! If he wasn’t careful he’d come before he got inside her. “Call me Tagg,” he growled as he bent his knees and lifted her into his arms.
“Tagg!” she squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him for dear life.
“Yeah, just like that.” As he headed down the short hallway to his bedroom, he heard her shoes fall to the floor. He brought his mouth back down on hers, thrusting his tongue between her teeth and sucking her tongue into his mouth. Her fingers gripped his neck as if she feared for her safety. Her entire body shook. Or was that his?
He lowered her to the center of the big bed and came down on top of her, grinding his cock against her soft, giving body. “Oh, damn, baby,” he groaned.
“Tagg. Tagg, wait.” She shoved at his shoulder.
A bit dazed at his own lack of control, he leaned up on his elbows and met her widened eyes. Shit!
“I’m sorry, Carol,” he whispered as he moved off of her. “I lost my head.”
“No, no, it’s all right.” She gave a breathy little laugh. “My zipper is digging into me.”
He chuckled, relieved. “Sit up. We’ll fix that problem.”
She hesitated.
“It’s all right, sweetie. I’ll...control myself.”
She held his gaze for a moment, then blinked once and the shyness and doubt disappeared from her face. With a nod, she gave him a sexy little smile. She seemed so innocent he didn’t doubt that she’d been telling the truth about never picking a man up in a bar before. God, she was sexy. Someone looking like her could walk down the street and have half the town follow her home. Why had she picked a little tavern like Darby’s that night? Why had she picked him?
Why was he worrying about such stupid-ass questions when he had her on his bed about to get naked?
He scooted up behind her and moved the mass of silken hair aside. He kissed her shoulder, skimmed his fingers over her satin
-soft skin. “You are beautiful, Carol, and it’s been...a while for me. If I get too rough, just tell me. Okay? One word from you, and I swear I’ll stop.”
She tingled where his fingers and lips touched. Her skin felt like a living, breathing being quivering over her body. She shivered when his lips skimmed the nape of her neck and goose bumps popped out over her arms and thighs. “Okay,” she whispered, feeling safe. Safer than she ever had with anyone—including her good-for-nothing ex—in her whole life.
His fingers slid the zipper slowly, too slowly, down her spine. The tight, stretchy material of her dress parted and his warm breath and lips tickled her back. “Ahh, Tagg,” she said on a shaky breath. Her head fell forward.
“Your skin is so soft,” he said, gently pushing the top of the dress to her waist. “Like warm, dewy rose petals.” He reached around and cupped both of her breasts in his warm, callused hands. “So...” He sucked the skin along her neck, pulling a little moan from her. “Perfect.”
She arched her body against his touch as her hands came up to cover his, pressing his palms against her aching nipples.
“Damn, you’re so sexy.” He released her and moved in front of her, urging her back onto the pillows, taking her lips with his, gentler this time.
Unable to control herself, she moved against him. She’d never been so overwhelmed before, so ready for sex. Her insides felt like they was being drawn on a rack, sure she would break apart at any second.
“Tagg,” she groaned when his hands cupped her breasts and his thumbs flicked over her tightly pebbled nipples. How many times had she imagined this? How many nights had she awakened, sweating and aching, with fading images of him in her mind? And now...now he was finally flesh and blood. Hers, if only for the night.
“Carol, honey, slow down,” Tagg whispered against her ear.
“Tagg, please. Please, I need you,” she begged, tugging at his shirt. She wanted him naked and insider her. Now. She wanted—needed—her dreams to become reality.
Her breath hitched when she met his eyes and saw the heated fire of banked passion. His clenched jaw ticked, his face drawn into something so masculine and utterly primal she nearly ran for the door. He was one purely aroused male, and she’d never been so intrigued in her life.
“Tagg…” She reached up and ran her fingers along his bristled jaw line. “Make this a night I’ll never forget.”
He sat up and tugged his shirt over his head, and then reached for his belt.
“Oh, my,” she whispered, reaching out to touch his beautiful flesh.
Chapter Five
Her eyes widened and she licked her lips as she ran her fingers through the crisp, curly black hair covering Tagg’s muscled chest. His pecs were hard, and his stomach rippled with muscles. Beneath that, the bulge in his slacks was so—she swallowed—huge.
He threw his legs over the edge of the bed and leaned over. Carol heard the sound of Velcro ripping. Still breathing hard, her limbs tingling and heavy from his touch, she leaned over to watch him pull an ankle holster from his leg and set it under the nightstand. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks before he stood and dropped his pants.
“Oh my.” A whole new set of sensations raced through her, drawing tight and taking up throbbing residence between her thighs. He was magnificent. He stood still for a long moment as she let her gaze travel from his broad chest, trailing down to his navel where his curly hair narrowed, then widened like a silky black backdrop for his long, thick, fully erect penis.
She wanted to touch him. To taste. But she didn’t know where to begin. How to start. Her experience with men began and ended with her ex-husband. For the few years they’d been together, sex had been in the dark, under the covers, usually with both of them still half dressed.
Oh, God. Her fantasies were nothing compared to reality. Tagg was so beautiful, and tonight he was all hers. With all the lights on. Naked.
She raised her gaze and met his sexy, tilted smile. He lowered himself to the edge of the bed and stretched out his long body beside her.
“Why do you look like you’ve never seen a man before?”
She couldn’t keep her gaze from wandering over his glorious body. He propped his head on his hand, looking as comfortable as could be in his nakedness, and traced her jaw with one long finger.
“Maybe because I’ve never seen one who looked like you,” she whispered. There was no way to describe him other than to say he was God’s gift to all living, breathing women.
He arched that sexy eyebrow. “Oh? And what do your men usually look like?” He ran that one lazy finger over her bare shoulder, across her collarbone, and down between her breasts. His attention focused on the path of his finger, which paused as her nipple tightened, puckering at his teasing, not-quite-enough touch. Knowing he was watching her respond to him made heat pulse low in her belly, made her body grow damp and hot.
He slowly leaned toward her, ducked his head, and captured her right nipple between his lips. Without warning, her body arched off the bed and she grabbed his head, crying out at the shocking pleasure that shot through her.
He moved to her left nipple and tortured it with his tongue before drawing it deep into his mouth and sucking hard. “Tagg.”
He came up on his knees, holding her gaze as he dragged her dress the rest of the way down her body. All she wore was a tiny black lace thong that left her incredibly exposed. Her heart stilled as he gazed down at her, wondering if she lived up to his expectations.
“Wow,” he said on a soft breath.
Her cheeks heated at his approval. This was her Detective Liam Taggert, the man of her dreams, and he liked what he saw. “Tagg,” she said in a husky voice she didn’t recognize as her own.
His gaze rose to hers. “Carol, baby.” He couldn’t say anything more. He’d never seen such a perfect long, curvy body, such a beautiful woman. And for some idiotic reason, he felt like he should just pull her close and cuddle her all night. There was something about her, something special he couldn’t name. Her wide-eyed expressions, the intoxicating way she said his name on breathy little sighs. She was so sweet, so different than any woman he could remember meeting. An intriguing combination of shy curiosity and hot, needy woman.
He never thought he’d consider a relationship, not after what his wife of fifteen years had done to him, but he knew he didn’t want this to be a one-night stand.
Slowly, Carol raised her arms toward him, and he lowered himself to lie next to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rolled toward him until they were chest-to-chest, thigh-to-thigh, the solid column of his penis pressed into the soft flesh of her silky belly. His breath sucked in with surprise at the incredible sensation of her cool skin against his searing heat.
She nuzzled his neck with her nose and lips, and then raised her face to his. He skimmed his mouth over hers. “You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.” She shivered, and he frowned. “Cold?”
Her nose bumped his when she shook her head, which made him smile. Long silken hair shifted over his arm, heating his blood to a fever pitch as he envisioned all that beautiful hair spread over his stomach as she took his cock in her mouth.
“What do you want, baby?” he whispered as he teased her ear with his tongue.
She shivered again. “I want...” She panted. “I want you inside of me.”
He groaned and tried to regulate his breathing, desperately trying to keep from coming on her belly. He was so close to losing control and he hadn’t even really touched her yet. He ran the tip of his tongue over her top lip. Her bottom lip. “Open your mouth baby, and let me inside.”
On a ragged sigh, her lips parted and he slid inside her mouth. His tongue played against hers, tasting her and letting her taste him as he smoothed his hand down her tight belly and slid beneath the scrap of lace to cup her mound.
She cried out against his lips and her hips rocked upward. He almost lost all control right then and there. Hockey teams, he thought... East
ern Division. The Bruins, the Sabres, the Devils, the Maple Leafs...
It’s not working. Her tiny moan-tipped breaths were just too damn sexy.
He dipped one finger between the hot, damp folds of her pussy, and she grabbed his shoulders, her sharp little nails sinking into his flesh like talons. She was so wet, so slick, he wanted to taste her but knew he’d never be able to last. She was so hot he’d have her coming in seconds.
“Open your eyes, sexy. Look at me while you come.”
She buried her face in his neck.
“Look at me, or I’ll stop touching you.” Yeah, right. He skimmed his fingers over her and she jerked, moaned, and dug in those nails. “Look at me, Carol.”
Her head dropped back on the pillow and her eyelids flickered open. He grinned at her as he sank his fingers inside her hot, slick channel. Christ, she’s tight!
“Ohhh!” She clamped her bottom lip between her teeth, and her eyelids started to drift shut again.
“Look at me,” he growled as he skimmed his thumb over her hard, hot clit.
Her eyes locked on his, her sweet lip clamped firmly between her teeth, her cheeks flushed bright pink.
He withdrew his finger, and then slipped in a second, deep and hard. Her hips rocked against his hand and she threw back her head and cried out.
“Come for me, baby. Come hard.” He pressed into her again and again, rubbing his thumb in tight circles over her clit. Her inner muscles tightened around his fingers, milking them. Her body stiffened as she struggled to meet his moves with her own jerky motions. Then he leaned down and drew one pebbled, dusky nipple between his teeth, and her body bowed. She screamed his name as she came long and hard, her velvet heat clamping around his fingers like a vise, her juices slicking his hand.
He pressed his cock against her hip, hungry for his own relief—but ready to cut off his hand if he lost it before he slid deep inside her. He kept the motion of his hand steady and firm until her body went slack and her arms dropped from his shoulders to land on the firm mattress. The sounds of her heavy breathing fired his blood to a fever pitch and he pulled away to reach for a condom.
Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle - Serve & Protect 02 - One Night of Paradise Page 3