by Lori Foster
He held himself still, his breath racing from his throat. His fingers brushed the soft fabric of her garter belt, and he was suddenly glad she’d left it on. She looked wicked as sin as she arched her back.
Her muscles eased the slightest bit around him, and finally, his hips were flush against her ass. He tightened his grip and began to move.
“Yes,” she urged as he thrust slow and deep inside her. Every stroke rubbed a thousand of his nerves at once. A million. And every tiny whimper from her throat made him want to fuck her harder.
She pushed against his hands, tilting her hips. That tiny little movement pulled him deeper. Eric couldn’t stop from taking her faster, rougher. Now instead of easing, her muscles tightened, squeezing his cock in bands of pleasure.
He thrust too hard. Beth cried out and rose higher, but before he could gentle his movements, she reached a hand down her own stomach. He felt her fingers brush the base of his shaft as she rubbed her clit. She moaned at her own touch, and Eric had to close his eyes. He couldn’t watch and listen and feel all at once, or he was going to come right then. He imagined how it must feel to her, to touch the soft heat of her sex as his shaft slid deep inside her.
He ground his teeth together and held his pace. Her muscles got so tight he felt as if he was growing thicker inside her.
“Jesus,” he rasped.
“Oh, God,” she groaned. “That’s so…”
When her thighs began to shake, he lost any semblance of smoothness. Now he just fucked her hard, and finally, he felt her begin to spasm around him.
“No,” she keened, but she was gone. She groaned and bucked against him, and he barely managed to hold on through her climax. She was still shaking when he let his thin thread of control snap. He came so hard it was closer to torture than pleasure, and he shouted in desperate release.
He was left weak and numb, with no way to support his own weight. Eric leaned forward to grasp the headboard beside each of Beth’s hands. His chest touched her back and he pressed his mouth to her shoulder. “Christ, you’re amazing,” he breathed into her sweat-slick skin. “Amazing.”
They rested like that for a long moment, both of them panting. He wondered if she was as stunned as he. Probably not. She was sensuality personified.
His body insisted he collapse to the mattress and pass out, but he made himself slide from her body with slow deliberation before he eased down next to her. He wanted to impress her with his strength and virility and all-around manliness. He wanted her to know he was totally capable of doing this again. And again. As soon as humanly possible.
THE SOUND OF THEIR PANTING filled the room. Cool air from the open window touched Beth’s feet.
Time returned to her. She stared wide-eyed at the bedside lamp.
Good Lord above, had that really happened? Was that what her friends felt every time? No wonder they never stopped thinking and talking and tittering about it. Not that she hadn’t climaxed a hundred times over, but to feel that kind of overwhelming physical connection… Yeah, that was brand-new.
She became aware, in slow degrees, of where her body touched his. One calf. The backs of both thighs. Her ass. Nearly her whole back. It felt good, being pressed to this man she hardly knew. It didn’t seem possible that she could feel so comfortable with a stranger, but she did. Apparently the best orgasm of a girl’s life could work wonders on intimacy issues.
She pressed a careful hand to her belly, amazed at the way her muscles still twitched.
“Sorry,” he murmured near her ear, as his arm stretched past her. “I need to…” He reached for the box of tissues on the table.
Beth hid her smile. He was so polite. No wonder so many women liked him. He was even cuter now than he had been before he’d rocked her world.
The man was a god.
She was just starting to close her eyes when the familiar sound of her phone filled the room. Beth disentangled herself and sat up with a guilty lurch to dive for her purse. If it was Annabelle, she had to answer it, didn’t she? Annabelle had obviously had something important to say when she’d called earlier. And God only knew when she’d get through again.
When Beth finally found her phone, the display showed exactly the name she didn’t want to see. Damn it. “I’m sorry. I have to take this. I’ll just…”
“Of course.”
She hurried toward the bathroom, opening her phone as she closed the door.
“Annabelle,” she said as softly as she could without whispering.
“Beth! Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice! Namaste.”
“Yes. Hi. Namaste.”
“I finally got a clear line.”
Beth caught a glimpse of herself and her garter belt in the mirror and stammered. “Uh-huh. Yes.”
“Is everything okay? You sound strange.”
“Everything’s fine.” She shot a look at the bathroom door. “It’s late here.”
“Hmm. I don’t know, Beth. You sound decidedly odd. Regardless, I have the most amazing news! You’re going to be so excited.”
Through the thin door, Beth heard Jamie’s phone ringing, too. If he started talking, would Annabelle hear?
“Um, Annabelle… Can I call you back in a few minutes? I’m not…I’m leaving a dinner and I can’t talk. Just don’t move, okay?”
“Beth—”
She snapped the phone shut just as Jamie answered his phone. His indistinct words rumbled through the closed door, and just the sound of his voice made her melt. She still wanted him. Even now. Even while she was completely spent and satisfied.
But now she was stuck in the bathroom and didn’t know what to do. She frowned at the girl standing in the mirror. A girl in a hotel bathroom in stockings and a garter belt, her sex still wet and aching. It felt way too vulnerable to simply waltz back in there and lie down in the bed. What if he wanted her to leave?
She should leave. He probably didn’t want to cuddle and spoon.
The door clicked softly when she opened it, and his voice became crisp and clear. For some reason, she felt shocked that he was standing there still naked with the phone pressed to his ear. He glanced up and she fought the urge to cover herself with her hands. Ridiculous. They’d just had insanely good sex. And he was totally exposed. Her eyes tried to wander down his body, as if she were a man faced with a plunging neckline. Eyes up, she chanted to herself. Eyes up. His gaze didn’t leave her face, which only made her feel more like a caveman.
Sorry, she mouthed, tiptoeing toward her clothes. He shook his head, but she ignored him and reached for her bra. The breeze from the open window curled around her and she shivered. She felt better about herself when he finally lost his hold on his gaze and it dipped to her breasts.
“Absolutely,” he said into the phone, but when she pointed toward the door, he shook his head again.
She dropped down to snatch up her dress then looked up without realizing how close she was to him. She stumbled back from the nudity so close at hand and yanked her dress on before twisting and turning to get the zipper up.
“Villanueva has a new restaurant on 8th,” he was saying as Beth slipped on her heels and grabbed her purse.
“Sorry,” she whispered, giving him a little wave.
Wait, he mouthed, but she pointed at her phone and gave a helpless shrug as if the call to Annabelle couldn’t possibly wait another few minutes. In reality, she needed to get out of here. She couldn’t get too attached to him. Not because she’d be embarrassed to date him. Not truly. Jamie had a sizzling reputation even among her friends. He was one preppy guy she might be able to pull off.
No, it wasn’t that. The truth was that, all doubts about her own sexuality aside, Beth knew she’d be even worse at love than she was at lust. She’d been working toward a more satisfying sex life for years. But love…oh, she couldn’t even look in that direction without wincing. And any more sex like that and she’d be in serious danger of getting attached.
She’d already turned away when she regis
tered that he was reaching toward her. She stuttered to a stop, but when she turned back, he’d dropped his hand.
“Morton’s in Denver,” he said into the phone, his face tight with frustration as she backed away. “Yes, I know where it is. Absolutely, Mr. Kendall.”
Mr. Kendall!
She was out the door before she realized she’d been holding her breath long enough to get light-headed. She was on the elevator when she realized she’d forgotten her panties. And she was already on the phone with Annabelle when she was hit with the most shocking realization of all.
She’d just walked away from a great thing. And that was her single, solitary regret about what she’d just done, forgotten panties and all. Hell, she’d even convinced Kendall to give Donovan Brothers a chance.
A smile tugged at her mouth as she heard the phone line open up, feeding sound in from the other side of the world. But her boss’s rush of excited words tamped down both Beth’s urge to smile, not to mention her feeling of accomplishment.
Her nervous triumph evaporated.
Beth had thought she’d been forced to fake her way through her career for years, but Annabelle’s new idea for the store made clear that Beth’s charade had only just begun. This was going to take her to a whole new level of faking it. What an awful end to a fabulous night.
CHAPTER NINE
“EIGHT SHARP,” KENDALL was saying while Eric stared at the room door as if it had just punched him in the gut. “And be sure you bring your brother.”
“What? I’m not sure that’s a good—”
“My daughter, Monica, will attend the meeting, as well. She’s handling day-to-day operations for High West. What was your sister’s name again?”
“My sister?” His mind wasn’t keeping up. He shook his head and forced himself to concentrate on this conversation. “Tessa.”
“Tessa,” Kendall repeated. “That’s right. She’s welcome, too, if she can make it. I liked her. She’s not one of those ball-busting women.”
“Yeah, she’s great,” Eric muttered. Jesus Christ, he was standing here, still buck naked, and Beth was gone. “So, tomorrow at eight,” he managed to say.
Kendall grunted what sounded like an affirmative before hanging up, and Eric found himself standing with a dead phone pressed to his ear, his mind still quaking with shock.
She was gone. Just as quickly as she’d arrived. They’d spent one hour together. He glanced at the clock. Jesus, not even an hour. So how did he feel so changed?
Spent, empty, exhausted. But not hollow.
She’d used him, just as he’d used her, and somehow he was buoyed by that. He’d spent his whole life giving everything to his family. Love and duty. His past, present and future. And he’d given it gladly. But tonight he’d given himself. There was no history with Beth, no obligation. They’d offered only what they’d each wanted to give.
Still, he’d expected that Beth would spend the night so they could slake their thirst. The sex had been spectacular. So damn hot he was still seeing stars at the edges of his vision. And it hadn’t been nearly enough.
A car pulled out of the parking lot and he watched its lights fade far below, wondering if it was her.
She’d left so quickly, and… He hadn’t asked her to stay.
“Shit,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. Had he committed a one-night-stand faux pas? He’d rented the room. He’d invited her up. Maybe conventional wisdom called for her to scramble into her clothes and hit the door unless he stopped her.
Damn it, he’d never done this before.
He turned to face the bed. It was rumpled, but they hadn’t even pulled the covers back. It looked almost as if Beth had never happened.
But she damn sure had. His chest still felt strained and tight, as if his lungs weren’t quite working yet.
Just yesterday, the first moment he’d glimpsed her, Beth Cantrell had struck him as a fantasy. His opinion hadn’t changed after tonight. She was a fantasy. Her curvy softness. Her wet, eager body. Her honest desire.
Staring at the bed, he briefly considered staying. He could stretch out on the mattress and reminisce. Hold on to the fantasy a little while longer.
But right now, the room didn’t look like remembered sex. It looked sad and lonely.
With a sigh of deep regret, he picked up his clothes from the floor and dressed. He had work to do tonight and more important things to think about than sex.
But, Jesus, she’d been tight with need, and soaking wet. Eric would’ve given her anything. Anything she’d wanted. As it’d turned out, she’d wanted exactly what he had. A hot, needful connection. A moment of truth.
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the memories sink in. Then he reached for his shoes—and paused at a flash of pale gold.
Narrowing his eyes, he reached across his shoe for the delicate material just hidden beside it. “Oh,” he said as he closed his fingers over Beth Cantrell’s underwear. They were featherlight in his hand, but they added considerable weight to his shoulders.
What the hell was he supposed to do with her panties? His first thought was to return them, but that immediately struck him as creepy. Hey, little lady, look what I found. Nudge, nudge.
Weird. But what if she asked about them? It seemed unlikely, but Eric wasn’t interested in stammering over a lie. And it seemed a crime to blithely toss out the delicate fabric that had just lain against her skin.
Instead of throwing the underwear in the trash, Eric stuffed them into his pants pocket, suspicious of his own motivation. It wasn’t like him to sleep with a stranger. It wasn’t like him to have sex based on a lie. And it wasn’t like him to walk around with a pair of panties in his pocket. Eric had a sudden fear that this night would turn him into a pervert who got off on fondling used underwear in his darkened living room.
He drew his hand out of his pocket with a curse and snatched up his shoes and socks. One minute later and he was done, buttoned up and tied, cell phone and keys in hand. As he walked out and let the door slam behind him, Beth seemed more a dream than ever.
But reality awaited him in the lobby. She was still there, standing just to the side of the lobby doors, frowning as she spoke into her cell phone.
Eric froze. His hand went immediately to the pocket of his slacks. His fingers touched silk. Should he approach her? Not to thrust the panties at her, but at least to walk her to her car. Shit, he should’ve thought of that to begin with.
Eric stepped forward. He was within five feet of her when she turned toward him. She shook her head, but he took one more step—
“Eric!”
He whirled toward his sister’s voice, heart pounding in panic, and something flew from his hand. His eyes darted after the blur of motion.
“God,” Tessa said. “Are you okay?”
His phone landed with a thunk and slid across the carpet. His phone. Not Beth’s panties.
“Oh, thank God,” he breathed, but his panic wasn’t quite gone. He started to turn toward Beth to see if she’d heard his name. But his sister’s hand touched his arm.
“Hey. Are you all right? I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Shaking his head, Eric lurched a few steps forward and grabbed his errant phone. “You did startle me. I thought you’d gone home.”
“I started to, but I decided to stay for a drink.”
That stopped Eric from worrying about himself. “What? Tessa, do you know how dangerous it is to hang around in a bar?”
Tessa gave an obvious look around the brightly lit lobby. “What can I say? I like dark alleys and taking crazy risks.”
“Just…” He slid a glance toward the front doors and found an empty spot where Beth had been. His heart sank even as relief loosened the tightness in his throat. Without looking at his sister, he asked how much she’d had to drink.
“Two drinks over the past two hours, Eric. I’m fine.”
“I’ll drive you home anyway. That way I’ll know.”
Tessa gave a
long-suffering sigh. “Look, Dad, I’m fine. I swear. One of those drinks was that awful white wine spritzer you got me.”
He cringed as he always did when she called him Dad, but Tessa just laughed and kissed his cheek. “Come on. I’m fine. But you can tuck me into my car.”
He walked her out to her car, as he would’ve done on any evening, but this time he kept his eyes peeled for another woman. But Beth Cantrell had disappeared into the night.
It was over. He told himself he should be glad. He’d landed the meeting with Kendall and lived out a fantasy with Beth, all in one night. But somehow he still felt hungry.
CHAPTER TEN
DÉJÀ VU. HERE THEY WERE again at the expo, pretending not to stare at each other.
Eric pressed the phone harder to his ear and glared down at the souvenir glasses lined up in rows on the table. “Come on,” he growled at his sister. “You can make it. You’ve got two hours to find someone to work the bar.”
“There’s nobody else, okay? And I’ve got a headache anyway. I wouldn’t be any use to you.”
“Maybe you drank too much last night.”
“I had two drinks!”
Eric gripped the back of his neck, hard. “Have Jamie work the damn bar, all right? I want you there.”
She muttered a curse under her breath. “Kendall specifically asked for Jamie. Don’t be an idiot.”
And what the hell was that about? Kendall had never even met Jamie. Maybe he wanted to meet all the owners of Donovan Brothers before he made a decision.
“Eric, come on. We all want this. Not just me or you. Jamie wants to be involved, too.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. “Right.” It wasn’t that he thought Jamie and Tessa shouldn’t be involved. It was just that…Eric took care of things. That was his role. He took care of them. He owed them that. “I know you two are as responsible for the business as I am, it’s just…I’m not sure Jamie is right for this job.”