"How're you doing in there?" he called out.
"I already have fifteen names."
"That's less than me. I have twenty-two in the A section alone." Rolling back the desk chair, he got up and went to lean in the doorway of Gloria's office.
She glanced up from her stack of files. "I was so sure I'd recognize something that would give me a clue. But most of these people are seriously strange."
"Think about it. Gloria's their therapist of choice. That should tell you something."
She nodded. "It does, indeed. Going through these riles, I began to wonder why I don't have a dozen stalkers. This office is a hotbed of sexual deviance." She tapped a folder with her pen. "Like this guy. His favorite thing used to be climbing up on his roof, naked, and dancing to the YMCA song. That's how he became aroused."
"Hey, that's a music nut. Could it mean anything?"
"Nah. I read it before I realized Gloria and I had already eliminated him because he hasn't been in since last year."
"So he quit singing naked on the roof?" Will felt like a Peeping Tom, but he couldn't help being curious. He'd never known there were so many strange people out there.
"He quit after he slipped on a loose shingle and cracked his tailbone. Now he and his wife have sex while incorporating the hand movements of the YMCA song."
"Sounds complicated." Will took a closer look at the pen Amanda was using. Sure enough, it was the penis pen. "Couldn't find anything else to write with, huh?"
Amanda looked at it. "Not in her office. She loves these pens. She had me order a case of them."
"And I thought it was one of a kind,"
"No way." She opened a desk drawer full of at least thirty of the flesh-colored pens. "She wanted to have them imprinted with her name and number to give out to clients, but I convinced her that might not be such a good idea."
"Sounds like truth in advertising to me." Will glanced around at the framed prints on the wall. He shouldn't look at them, shouldn't even be standing in the doorway.
Two vibrators, a green one and a blue one, lay on the coffee table in front of the love seat, along with a few sexually explicit magazines. The covers of the magazines showed women in various stages of undress. He thought of Amanda and wished there had been more light last night, especially if that would be his one and only, as she'd said.
"Believe it or not, Gloria helps people."
He turned back to Amanda, a little surprised that she'd be defending her boss.
She gestured to the stack of files. "I mean, where else would a guy who dances naked on his roof go for help? One thing about Gloria, she's very accepting of odd behavior."
"I guess that explains why she went after me." Will gave in to the urge to step into the office and explore without having Gloria there ready to pounce. The place fascinated him, especially when he wasn't in danger of being seduced by a wild sex therapist.
"You're not odd."
He picked up a vibrator and set it down again. Then he walked over to the desk and leaned both hands on it. She was still holding the penis pen and seeing her with it drove him crazy.
So he tried not to look at it. "I'll bet you thought I was odd when you first saw me."
"No I didn't." But her expression gave her away.
He thought it was time for them to be truthful with each other. "What about the hat?"
"Different."
"Nerdy."
She blinked, but she held his gaze. "Okay, maybe somewhat. But since then I've come to know you."
"Have you?" He might know her in ways neither of them had planned, but he questioned how well she knew him.
"Well, maybe not...completely." The telltale flicker in her blue eyes indicated she might be thinking about what had happened last night. "But I don't consider you a nerd."
The pen, the vibrators, the magazines, the framed Joy of Sex prints—he was drowning in sex and the words tumbled out uncensored. "Because you've let me strip you naked and make you come?"
Her eyes darkened and her grip tightened on the pen. "I don't understand what that has to do with anything."
"You don't want to admit that a nerd did that to you, and that you liked it."
She began to tremble. "That was a mistake, letting that happen."
He held her gaze. "Maybe. But it did happen." "Yes." Her breathing quickened.
"And I didn't think I was a nerd, either. But I've changed my mind. Who else but a nerd would surround himself with this"—he gestured around Gloria's office—"and nobly take the high road?"
"I guess ... that makes me a nerd, too."
"I'm beginning to feel like an idiot, Amanda." He blew out a breath. "And I want you so much I can't see straight."
Heat simmered in her eyes. "Same here."
The pictures on the wall taunted him, branding him a wimp if he didn't close the deal. "What else is in those desk drawers?"
Without breaking eye contact, she opened the center drawer, reached inside and pulled out a handful of foil packages. "Is this what you're looking for?" She scattered them over the top of the desk.
Amanda wondered if some subliminal impulse had made her suggest coming to Gloria's office. Searching the files had seemed so logical, but subconscious urges might have brought her here, to the place where so many others had abandoned all their sexual inhibitions.
Standing, she moved around the desk and stopped a short distance away from Will. She'd sacrificed so much to get what she wanted, and forces beyond her control seemed bent on sabotaging all she'd worked for. She wanted this man with a desperation that drove everything else from her mind, and denying herself, denying both of them, suddenly seemed pointless.
She began to unbutton her blouse. "Maybe it's time to stop being so noble."
He took off his glasses and laid them on the desk. His chest heaved as he met her gaze. "Nobility is highly overrated." He fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.
"Who wants to be a martyr?" She took off her blouse and reached behind her back to unhook her bra.
"Not me." He unbuttoned his cuffs and started to pull off his shirt. He stopped in mid-motion as she let her bra fall to the hardwood floor. Reaching for his glasses, he put them on and gulped.
She would cherish the look of admiration in his eyes for a very long time.
"I didn't realize ... you were so ..."
"Stacked? I dress to play that down."
He nodded. "And last night was ... kind of ... dark."
"I know." She cupped her girls and offered them a silent apology. They hadn't been let out to play in forever, so maybe Cal had been right. "My ex said a rack like this was wasted on a chick like me."
He shook his head as if to clear it. "Wasted?"
"Because I'm so career oriented. I suppose he had a point, because I haven't—"
"No." Taking off his glasses again, he stepped forward and cradled her face in both hands. He kissed her gently. "They were wasted on him," he murmured.
Very shortly, he made a believer of her. Lifting her to the desk, he paid so much attention to her unappreciated breasts that he easily compensated for all the months they'd stayed cooped up and unloved.
No doubt about it, Will knew his foreplay. She squirmed on the wooden surface of the desk as her body woke up and began demanding satisfaction. She was about to suggest moving to the next stage, had her mouth open to ask for more clothing removal, when Will seemed to read her mind.
Lifting her down from the desk, he reached for the fastener at the waist of her jeans. "I want—"
"Me, too." Urgency drove her to take over the pants detail. "I'll do mine and you do yours. Faster that way."
"Okay." He wrenched off his shirt with such eagerness that a shoulder seam ripped. He didn't seem to notice as he pulled his T-shirt over his head.
How she loved that kind of eagerness. She nudged off her shoes and unfastened her jeans at the same time.
Then she was distracted by the sizable bulge revealed when Will shoved down his jeans. She rem
embered Gloria's thumbs theory, and her tummy danced a little jig of joy. Running her tongue over her lips, she waited for the final confirmation of Gloria's theory.
By the time Will had dispensed with his briefs, the theory was proven beyond a doubt, at least in Will's case. Amanda couldn't remember ever seeing a more magnificent example of male equipment, and she was a girl who'd had to watch porn stars in action, so she knew her penises.
"Hey, you're falling behind."
She forced her gaze upward. "Sorry. But you're ... impressive."
"Funny thing, but Helen used to say a dick like mine was wasted on a guy like me." "Too career oriented?" "Something like that."
She wiggled out of her jeans and slipped off her panties. Then she stepped closer to Will and took his face in both hands. "It was wasted on her." She kissed him hard. Then she nibbled and nipped her way down his neck, his chest, his taut belly. Dropping to her knees, she proceeded to demonstrate her appreciation of his considerable endowments.
She had a great time making him groan and gulp for air. And although she hated to admit it, she might have picked up a few tips from Gloria's videos. Nothing wrong with riding out the techniques worked. Apparently they worked too well, because soon Will took her by the shoulders and dragged her back up to his mouth for a searing kiss.
Picking up a condom, he started maneuvering her toward the love seat. But that would be a cliché, and nothing about this encounter was routine. Besides, no telling how many of Gloria's clients had made use of that love seat.
She broke away from his kiss. "Coffee table."
"Coffee table?"
"Coffee table."
"Okay." With one sweep of his hand, he sent the magazines and vibrators crashing to the floor.
Amanda positioned herself on the smooth wood surface and watched Will open the packet and take out the condom. It was purple.
He paused halfway through, as if debating whether he could live with wearing purple. Then he shrugged and rolled it the rest of the way. "Guess we don't have to look at it."
"I don't mind. Purple is for royalty."
"Yeah, well, I'm not a colored-condom kind of guy."
She spread her thighs and put both feet on the floor as her body hummed in moist anticipation. "Then how about we get it out of sight right now?"
"Sounds good to me." He knelt at the end of the coffee table, his eyes hot as they traveled over her body. "You're beautiful, Amanda."
"I'm frustrated, Will."
"Maybe I can help." Cradling her thighs in both arms, he leaned forward and probed her gently.
Her pulse raced. "That feels ... promising."
"Maybe you're partial to purple." He eased in halfway.
The fit was deliciously tight, all the right places getting contact. "I'm partial to you, whatever you're wearing."
"Good." He moved in a little more.
Oh. This was ... fantastic. Maybe size really did matter.
A wave of reaction surged through her. Surely she wasn't that close. Not yet.
"Almost there," he murmured. "Ready?"
"I'm beyond ready."
He pushed in all the way.
Just like that, she came. With a surprised cry, she arched her back and gripped the sides of the table as the world began to spin.
And that was only the beginning. He began to stroke, and she came again. He shifted his angle slightly and changed his rhythm, and she came a third time. Gasping and speechless, she looked up at him in amazement.
His gaze was hot, but his smile ...his smile held all the tenderness of a lover. If she'd ever thought they could have sex without getting involved, she'd miscalculated.
She drew in a shaky breath. "Oh, Will. I didn't know it would be so ..."
"I did." He grasped her thighs more tightly and began to thrust with more purpose. His breathing grew rough, his expression more fierce.
Incredibly, she felt another orgasm building. As the piston like motion of his hips took her to the top of the roller coaster once more, she moaned with pleasure. As the spasms shook her, he shoved deep as if to absorb every ripple of sensation.
Then at last, with a bellow of satisfaction, he closed his eyes and shuddered against her. She drifted in the aftermath, more sated than she'd ever been in her life. But she wasn't naive enough to think this sense of utter completion would last.
Before long she'd want him again. And again. When a man was this good, a girl could never get enough. Her goals might be shifting.
TWENTY-THREE
Harvey didn't like the looks of this. As usual, Louise had made him bring her to his favorite Starbucks on account of it being Saturday. If she'd changed her mind and insisted on doughnuts, he might have missed seeing this. Instead he'd been sitting there drinking his mocha cappuccino with extra cinnamon sprinkles while trying to tune out Louise, and he'd happened to glance out the window.
And what had hit him in the face? Amanda going into the office, on a Saturday, with the stockbroker. Forty-five minutes later, they were still in there. Harvey didn't like it, not one bit. He'd been in Dr. Tredway's office enough times to know how it could affect a person.
That's why he and Amanda would be so perfect together. She'd spent so many hours in Dr. Tredway's office that she probably had sex on her mind all the time. But he was the guy she needed to give her relief. For some Wall Street type to swoop in and take advantage of Amanda's sex thoughts was just wrong.
Last night at Geekland they hadn't seemed so cozy, so he'd decided nothing was happening. He'd left before anyone could recognize him, especially Dr. Tredway. But if Amanda was hanging out with the stockbroker today, that wasn't good. "Harvey? Harvey!"
So now he was forced to look at Louise, which he didn't want to do. He needed to keep an eye on the building across the street to see how Amanda acted when she came back out. "What, Louise?"
"I want to leave." Her face was all scrunched up, and she'd made a mess with her bran muffin. Crumbs everywhere.
"Not yet, sugar tits." He'd been drinking his coffee real slow. It was completely cold, but he wanted to make it last so he had an excuse to stay. "I'm not finished."
"I don't care. I'm finished."
That was just like Louise. This morning he'd had a woody, and she'd been the only woman around, so he'd decided to give her a poke. But she'd come real quick, and then she'd pushed him off, before he was done. He hated when she did that. It served her right to sit here while he took his time with his coffee.
But if she got too irritated, she might start yelling, and he didn't want the people at Starbucks to get mad. They might refuse him service next time. He'd seen that sign by the cash register—we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
He positioned himself so it would look like he was paying attention to Louise, but he could still see across the street out of the corner of his eye. "I'm gonna rent an Amanda Detmer movie today," he said. "She's so hot."
"She's anemic."
"I might jerk off to it."
Louise's eyes narrowed. "You do and I'll break your fingers."
"Why can't I? You have that Heath guy you think about all the time."
"I need to. It's homework."
"Is not." Harvey was proud of himself. Louise had forgotten all about leaving. But he wished he knew what was going on in Dr. Tredway's office that took so long.
"Is too. I'm supposed to develop my fantasy life. Dr. Tredway said."
"Then I should develop mine, too. I'm renting that movie."
"You don't have to develop anything. Dr. Tredway said men's lives are one big fantasy, already. They all think they're great lovers with huge dicks."
"Except with me, marshmallow lips, that's no fantasy. It's the God's truth."
When Louise laughed, her boobs jiggled. Right now they were jiggling like mad as Louise knocked herself out.
"I don't get what's so funny." Harvey didn't feel much like laughing, especially when he thought about what might be happening across the street.
"You wouldn't. That reminds me, we have to stop by the store. I need a cucumber."
"Are you going to cook?" He hoped not. She was terrible at it.
"It's not to eat. It's homework."
"I don't remember anything about cucumbers."
"That's because you never listen, Harvey."
True. He spent the sessions with Dr. Tredway thinking about Amanda sitting at her desk while she fought the urge to grab him the minute he came through the door. Except now she was over there with the stockbroker. Harvey hoped she wasn't grabbing parts of the stockbroker.
"If I don't like the looks of the cucumbers, I'll see if they have any zucchinis."
"While you're doing that, I'll get my video." Harvey caught a movement at the revolving door leading into the building,
"You are not getting a video. And you can't call out Amanda's name anymore when we're having sex."
"Amanda's my fantasy girlfriend." It was them, all right. Damn it! They were all lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy. They'd been doing it in there, maybe on the love seat. How could she open her legs for a guy like that when she loved Harvey? Bitch.
"She's not your fantasy girlfriend. Not anymore."
"Yes she is." Harvey wasn't putting up with this. Amanda belonged to him. Had she lost track of that? Maybe she was a little confused. He'd send her a warning and see if that straightened her out.
Whap! Louise slapped him upside the head so hard he saw stars.
"Hey!" He held his head. "Stop that."
She glared at him. "I'll stop it when you stop yapping about Amanda. Got that?"
Cool beans, Louise was jealous. If she got really jealous, she might not be so sure of herself, even if she did have all the money. She would give Harvey more respect. Maybe that's what Amanda was trying to do, too, make him so jealous that he realized what she was worth.
"So no more Amanda for you, Harvey."
"Okay, no more Amanda Detmer." Which was fine with him. He'd never had a thing about her, anyway. He wanted Amanda Rykowsky. And he would have her, too. He wasn't about to let the nerd beat him out.
I'm going to help you with that paper." Will sat across from Amanda at the Loaf and Leaves where they'd decided to have lunch. "I can imagine how that would turn out." She smiled at him, but her eyes glowed with the same kind of hunger he felt, one that had nothing to do with the soup and sandwiches they'd ordered and eaten.
My Nerdy Valentine Page 23