SASSY IN STILETTOS ARe version

by Nana Malone

  Caleb’s heart stuttered. Is that what she thought? That there was nothing dark and dangerous about him? “You do know that I pretty much amount to a professional body guard, right?”

  She slid a hot gaze over his torso. “Oh, I know. I guess what I mean is, you don’t come off as uber-macho alpha. You’ve got this laid back vibe. It puts people at ease, which is probably good when you need to blend in.”

  She was more right than she knew. “I see you spend a lot of time watching me?” He led them around to the next stairwell.

  She chuffed. “Don’t be a mo—”

  He stalled her on the seventh floor and she tugged her arm back.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Seventh floor. You forget that the Westhorpe San Diego was renovated back in the seventies. Then again in the early nineties and finally two years ago to add on more floors and make it the skyscraper you see now.”

  Her eyes widened. “And before that, it was a garden-style hotel.”

  “Exactly.” He nodded.

  “Who knows, maybe you’re not so bad as a partner after all.”

  “Your vote of confidence is inspiring.”

  He led them though the blush-carpeted hallway to the lower level terrace door.

  “Where are we going?”

  Sighing, he shook his head. “Are you going to fight me every step of the way?”

  She shrugged. “Probably. Now, where are we going?”

  “So you’re Marylyn Monroe. You have a penthouse. Why is it scandalous to have sex with your hubby in your room? Far more scandalous in flagrante.”

  Her eyed grew wide. “Exactly.”

  As they pushed onto the lower terrace, they were met by a bellhop in a 1950s uniform. “Good evening. For the lady and gentleman.” He produced an envelope and handed it to Caleb. “For the lady.” He produced a feather boa and wrapped it around Micha’s shoulders.

  Micha giggled. “Adele does know how to treat a girl. Come on, hotshot, open up the next clue.”

  “Oh, look who’s all engaged in the game now.”

  “Shut up and tear.”

  This card was silver with more rock and roll style lettering. Like something the band KISS might use. “Where was Prince Michael of Westcott Isles recently spotted in a compromising position?”

  Micha squeaked. “This one I know for sure. C’mon.” She nearly popped his arm out of the socket in her haste.

  “Easy, killer, we’ll get there. You need to take it easy on me.” Even without her heels she was tall. At least five-nine, maybe ten. She looked slight, but she was deceptively strong. “Want to tell me where we’re going?”

  She rounded the hall to the elevators. “We’re going to the hot tub.”

  “If you wanted me alone, all you had to do was ask.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Again, with the being a moron. That’s where the prince was caught naked, being spanked by some local waitress. The magazine covered the story from the angle of royals gone wild. I mean first there was that, then there was the whole Prince Harry thing. Royals haven’t been this much fun since Princess Stephanie of Monaco. Or so I’m told.”

  “You lost me at bare ass naked, being spanked by some local waitress,” he muttered.

  They followed the signs to the pool. She tugged him past the elevator and grinned.

  “What? Do I detect a smile?”

  “No of course not,” she said, laughing.

  He frowned and halted her. “To get to the pool, the fastest way is the elevator. As strong as either one of us is, it’ll take all night to climb to the roof.”

  The eye roll was back, and she chewed her bottom lip. “You’re not afraid of a little exercise, are you?”

  “Hardly, sweetheart, but I thought the point of this adventure was for us to win.”

  She gave him a tight smile. “Yeah.” She slid another glance toward the stairs, then headed back for the elevator.

  As they stepped into the elevator together, he leaned in and whispered, “Try not to take advantage of me, okay?”

  Chapter 6

  Micha swallowed hard before licking her lips. I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. All she had to do was keep her eye on the changing numbers, and she’d be fine. She would not think about the sardine can she’d voluntarily enclosed herself in. A sardine can with no exits. No exits and Caleb Atkins.

  She wiped the palm of her free hand against the boa, though it did nothing for moisture absorption.

  The silence and tension thickened around them. Her breathing grew more shallow. She tried to drag in deep breaths by counting, but no matter what she did, the oxygen wouldn’t flow into her lungs or to her brain. The edges of her vision started to gray.

  She slid a glance to Caleb’s face, and he was studying her closely. His lips flattened. “God damn, Micha, why didn’t you tell me?”

  She cracked her neck. “Tell you what?” She tried every coping mechanism she could think of, including trying to count to one hundred on her fingertips, but her heart merely thudded faster.

  “That you’re claustrophobic. Winning is not worth giving you a panic attack.”

  “I’m fine.” Her voice sounded shrill and high to her ears.

  “Bullshit.” He intertwined their connected hands. “Look at me.”

  She turned, but she could barely look him in the eye before her gaze flitted away again. She couldn’t do this in front of him. Then he would know. Shame washed over her. “Caleb, don’t—”

  “Seriously, you are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met in my life. Look at me.”

  Reluctantly, she dragged her gaze back to his. His moss-green eyes were warm and compassionate.

  “Micha. I’m with you. Nothing bad is going to happen to you while I’m here.”

  “Uh-huh.” Easy enough for him to say. He didn’t seem to notice the walls moving imperceptibly closer.

  He squeezed her hand again. “Listen to my voice. We’ll be fine. Only a little longer, and we’ll—”

  The elevator jerked, and Caleb wrapped his body against Micha’s, bracing the both of them. The flickering lights cast a series of eerie shadows on the walls. Finally, the car lurched once, twice, then stopped moving.

  Micha’s heart seized. She slammed her eyes shut. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. When she realized that they’d stopped, she opened them with the slow caution of a child who expected to see the boogey man in her bedroom.

  Truth be told, she would rather have faced the boogey man. She was going to lose her shit entirely right here—in front of the last person on earth she wanted to see her crumble. With her luck, there’d be crying.

  Tremors overtook her body, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. “Shit.”

  “Hey.” Caleb tugged her hand again. “It’s okay. The power has probably gone off for a second. Adele has been doing construction on this tower. We’ll be fine. You’re not alone.”

  Caleb turned her to face him and tucked her close. And he talked to her. Her brain had sheltered itself in its safe place, so she couldn’t distinguish the words, but his voice washed over her. Shaking, she clung to him, focused on the timbre of his voice and the movement of his lips.

  Caleb was her safe place. For once she didn’t have to do it alone. Tension started to roll off her shoulders. The fear ebbed as she listened. While he stroked her back, the walls receded. She was no longer that scared girl in the dark. She had found a lighthouse.

  He kissed her temple and continued to whisper in her ear. Eventually, her breathing slowed. She was no longer in a darkened box, but she was with Caleb in a stopped moment in time when anything could happen. Micha focused on his lips. The curve of them. How he always looked like he was on the brink of a smile. The white, even teeth behind them. His spicy scent washed over her, and she felt like she was home, where she belonged.

  She pulled back, but he didn’t release her. The energy around them changed from one of fear and soothing to one that crackled with electricity. He frowned. “Micha, I—”

&
nbsp; She acted before her brain could think her out of doing the one thing she’d been dying to do for two years. Tipping her head up, ever so slightly, she kissed him softly.

  His chest rumbled with a low growl. For a second, he held her tighter, bringing her closer against his lean hard frame, then he set her back. “I don’t think—”

  She shook her head. “Don’t think.” She kissed him again.

  Again, he drew back.

  Caleb reached between them and untied the scarf around their wrists. His gaze was direct and burned her soul. All traces of hesitation gone.

  Micha inhaled his scent, savored the spices of his cologne. God, he smelled good. Male and sexy.

  He was going to kiss her.

  Even as she braced herself, Micha knew she was in trouble. She’d been able to keep him at arm’s length for so long. But he was like a slow, eroding acid. Eventually wearing her down. If he kissed her, would she be able to stop? Would she be able to let him go? Or would it feel so good, she would cling on forever.

  He dipped his head, and his lips and hovered over hers for a moment. “I want you to enjoy yourself.”

  His easy assurance that she was going to let him kiss her made her knees weak. She wanted to melt into him. She wanted to wrap her body around his and never let go. She wanted to be taken care of.

  That last thought made her frown, but before she could focus on it, Caleb pressed his lips to hers.

  Micha couldn’t help the quick intake of breath or the deep sigh that followed. As soon as she relaxed into him, he wrapped his hand around her in an embrace so tight it could keep the world at bay. He shifted the angle of his head and deepened the kiss. She couldn’t help but respond to his insistent tongue as it probed and slid over hers. Teasing, tasting, testing to see if he could intensify the heat. The moment his hands went to her hips and pulled them against his, Micha was lost.

  The heat that pooled in the center of her chest spread throughout her body, scorching the fine hairs on her skin from the inside out. His hands stayed at her waist, but his thumbs drew slow circles on her hip bones that promised erotic pleasures to come. So close to home, still so far away. Micha moaned, and the sound bounced off the walls.

  He kissed like an expert, demanding that she respond to him. This man could give kissing lessons. And she’d be the first one in line. Every. Single. Time. Her nipples harden to points with every movement of his chest against hers.

  Drawing back, Caleb sucked on her bottom lip. Taking turns between gentle pecks, nibbling in an attempt to devour her whole. A pulsing need had her pulling him closer to her. While one hand shot into his thick hair and urged him closer, the other hand slid into his jacket. This time it was his turn to moan.

  The raw, feminine power threatened to go to her head. Her hips and his danced to an involuntary beat of music heard throughout the centuries. He wanted her. He craved her as much as she did him.

  Lust raced through her veins, chased by longing. Caleb dragged his mouth from hers and kissed along her jaw line then nipped at the column of her throat. Micha worked her hands into his tuxedo jacket and slid it off his shoulders. Distantly, she heard the material softly thump to the floor.

  Caleb’s fingers traced over the strap of her one-shoulder dress. With a deft movement, he depressed the hook holding the strap in place. At her wide eyed expression, he smiled. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to make that thing come down all night.”

  A smile tugged at her lips as she shook her head. “I should have known you’d figure it out in a second.”

  He shrugged. “I know things.” With his hands back on her hips, his thumbs stroked circles on her belly. Slowly, he shifted his hands up her body until they rested directly under her breasts. His thumbs skimmed the fabric of her dress, and she shivered. “Good?”

  Micha bit her lip and nodded. Jesus fuck, why was he going so slow? “Yes.” Her voice sounded breathy and insubstantial.

  “What about this? Does this feel good?” His hands shifted up again, and his thumbs skimmed over her nipples.

  Sharp need weakened her knees. She let her head fall back. “Caleb.”

  His fingers tugged on the useless strap and freed her breasts from the confines of the material. “Holy—you are so fucking beautiful.”

  Cool air puckered her nipples, and she shivered. Caleb rolled one of the tight buds between his thumb and forefinger, and she rocked her hips into him.

  “You’re so responsive.” He licked his lips. “I wonder what happens if I do this.” Slowly, he dropped his head to her nipple. He blew a soft breath over the puckered tip before closing his lips around it and drawing her deep.

  Micha gasped and clutched at him. She held him in place at her breast and tried to hang on as lust singed the edges of her consciousness, frying the synapse required for brain function.

  Caleb picked her up and urged her legs around him with his free hand. He braced her against the far wall as he continued to lick and suck on her nipples, taking long, deep pulls that hollowed out his cheeks. His hands skimmed up the backs of her thighs. She gasped when his fingertips came in contact with her panty line. Automatically, her hips rolled into his touch, and he groaned.

  He shifted their position so he half-sat her on the brass bar, half-braced her against the wall. Working a hand between them, he stroked her with his knuckles through the flimsy material of her thong. Trembling, Micha held onto his broad shoulders as he slipped two fingers underneath the fabric and tested the entrance to her slick channel. He slid one finger in as he nuzzled her throat.

  “Jesus, sweetheart, you are so wet. So ready.” He released her for a moment, tugging her thong down her legs. The sound of tearing fabric broke the silence.

  Micha gasped. “I think you owe me a new pair, but right now, I don’t care.”

  Caleb chuckled before picking her back up. “I’ll try to remember that.”

  “Caleb?”

  He didn’t answer, instead retracted his finger to the tip, then slowly entered again. His movements were slow and unhurried, building the tension in her so tight she thought she might actually spontaneously combust. With his thumb, he circled her clit twice, before sliding another finger inside her. He took her to the edge of orgasm, then slowed the pace. He kissed her leisurely as he continued to drive her just short of insane.

  Micha dragged her mouth from his. “Caleb, Please. Stop torturing me.”

  His grin was slow, like a Cheshire cat licking up cream. “I want you so ready for me. This is how it will be when we make love, Micha. I’m not going to let you come until you’re ready to beg.”

  She tugged the hair at the nape of his neck, and he responded by circling her clit again.

  “Caleb. I can’t take any more. I need you.” Reaching between them, she reached for his belt.

  He shook his head. “Baby, when I do make love to you, it’ll be somewhere where I have nothing but time. Right now, I want to give you this.”

  Wait. When he made love to her? As in he wasn’t planning to do that now? “Caleb,” she said, her tone harsher.

  He continued his slow, lazy circles of her clitoris, and she couldn’t think straight. He wanted her, but he wasn’t going to make love to her. Instead he was going to torture her?

  “Relax. All you have to do is trust me.” He drew his head back to meet her gaze. “Do you trust me?”

  The intimacy between them deepened every time she looked into his moss green eyes. “Yes. I-I trust you.” And she did. But he couldn’t— “Please make love to me.”

  His fingers stroked that hidden place inside as he continued to worship the tight bundle of nerves with his thumb. Tingling started in her spine, but still she held on.

  “Micha, the longer you hold on, the longer the torture lasts. All you have to do is let go. I’m here, I’ll catch you.”

  When she finally forced her body to relax and let him look into her soul, the tingles spread from her spine, radiating through her body. Orgasm rolled through her from roo
ts to tips, and she shuddered, then sagged into his body. But her release was a mere shadow of what she knew would come. She wanted more. She wanted all of him.

  Desperate to hold on to the feeling of trust and belonging, she dug her hands into his shirt. “Caleb. I want you. I need you.”

  He kissed her lips softly. He didn’t stop his ministrations. “I want you more than you can ever know. It’s killing me to want you this much. But no. Not today. Not in an elevator. Certainly not in a hurry. I prefer to wait.”

  Her brain sputtered to life and immediately she was aware of where they were and what they’d just been doing. He thought he was taking advantage of the situation. He’d managed to distract her from her fear. But, he didn’t want her. Or at least he didn’t want her enough.

  Chapter 7

  Micha blinked at him in surprise. Caleb still stroked her, and his grip on her was tight. He felt so good. So perfect, part of her wanted to stay like that forever. When he met her gaze, there was no lopsided grin, no sexy, charged remark. Only pure brutal honesty in his expression. The intimacy terrified her. He kissed her again, before slowly retreating his fingers.

  When her feet hit the floor, her body swayed. It had been too long since her last orgasm.

  The dawning and shame struck her at the same time. Had she really crawled all over him like that, begging him to make love to her? Shit. How stupid could she get? And desperate. She’d let fear take over enough that she’d propositioned the one man she knew she couldn’t sleep with. She’d risked the only family she had because she was scared? And like a gentleman, he’d turned her down.

  The sting of rejection speared her heart again, but she was relieved. He’d done what she couldn’t and stopped that little train before it went too far. He’d been the strong one. He’d seen everything. The panic and fear, her complete meltdown.

  Caleb reached for her and tucked a wayward curl out of the way. “Are you okay, Micha?”

  For the first time in her life, she didn’t have a sassy retort or snappy comeback. Was she okay? Uhm, that was a negative, she’d just had an orgasm so good, she immediately wanted another. She could fall for someone like him, and that would land her in the shitter for sure. So no, she wasn’t okay. And she wouldn’t be.