Somehow she regretted it already.
Nine
Raven sat in her office at Augustan Publishers and pounded away at the computer keyboard. Never before in her life had she felt so frustrated, and she had only herself to blame.
It was a day short of being a week since Linc had agreed to her stipulation that they be just friends, and ever since then she’d been a basket case. Not that he ever got out of line, mind you. He was playing the role of friend to the hilt. Just like she had asked him to do, he was treating her like a friend and not a former lover. But she found that although he may not be treating her like a former lover, she felt like one just the same.
And that was the crux of her problem.
As much as she tried, she just couldn’t see him in a whole new light. She kept seeing him in the old one, where his sensuous beam had once rendered her blind. Each and every time she saw him brought forth emotions from within her that she couldn’t explain no matter how many times her mind evoked objective reasoning.
With a frustrated sigh she stopped typing to think about all that had happened during the past week. After dinner Saturday night he had taken her to a movie. It was a romantic comedy that she totally enjoyed. Then he had taken her home, and after walking her to the door and giving her a chaste kiss to her lips he had left. She had lain awake in bed that night hungering for his touch, reliving their last heated kiss, and wondering if she had ruined her chances of ever getting another one.
Linc had evidently reached the conclusion that although she wanted a platonic relationship, he would not be out of sight nor out of mind. He had shown up unexpectedly on Sunday after she had come from early-morning church service, inviting her to brunch at Leo’s. After leaving the club they had gone for a walk in the park; then he had returned her home, saying he would call the next day.
On Monday he had called her at work inviting her to dinner at his place. After showing her around his neatly furnished apartment he had fed her a delicious meal that he had cooked himself. After dinner they had sat around talking about how their day had gone and about current events.
On Tuesday they had met for lunch at a sandwich shop not far from her office, and then on Wednesday he had taken her to Open Mike Night at Leo’s.
Thursday he had come to her house straight from work bringing Chinese food. After they had eaten, he had sat at her breakfast bar silently reviewing a case he was working on, while she sat at her kitchen table editing her article on Leo’s. Although she hated admitting it, she had liked the idea of him being there and hadn’t felt threatened by his presence. She couldn’t remember the last time since college that any one man had dominated so much of her time. Usually when it came to dates, she rarely went for seconds. Going out once with a person was enough. But she had seen Linc each and every night without any thought of feeling crowded or having her style cramped. She didn’t want to dwell on the fact that two people who were trying to have nothing more than a platonic relationship wouldn’t be spending as much time together as they were.
The week she had just finished spending with him was totally different from the week they had spent together in Daytona. Then they had been lovers who hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other. Now it appeared that she was the only one suffering from the strong physical attraction she still felt for him, although she was pretending not to be.
And she didn’t like playing the role of a pretender.
She didn’t like pretending that she didn’t notice the way he filled out a pair of jeans like nobody’s business, or that when dressed in a suit he looked like the prime candidate for a magazine cover. She didn’t like pretending that his smile didn’t make her thighs clench, her heart rate increase, or her breath catch. Nor did she like pretending that that morning they had gone running together the scent of his hot sweat and the pure masculinity that clung to him didn’t completely arouse her. And she sure as heck didn’t like pretending that she preferred sitting across from him on a sofa chatting about world news to sitting in his lap while kissing him senseless. Or better yet, him kissing her senseless.
Raven released a frustrated sigh. Her week had gone from bad to worse, and the prospects of it improving weren’t looking too hot. “Something gotta give,” she muttered to herself as she closed down her computer to bring her workweek to an end. It was Friday and she and Linc had another date tonight. And she was going to make sure that when the evening was over he was just as miserable as she.
Linc paced the confines of Raven’s apartment waiting for her to finish dressing. He had arrived a little earlier than planned, and she had come to the door with a towel wrapped around her all-too-seductive body. His tongue would have fallen out of his mouth had it not been attached.
“You’re early,” she’d said breathlessly after rushing to open the door for him. “I just got out of the shower. You’re going to have to wait a few minutes.”
Somehow he’d found his voice to say, “Uh, no problem.”
When she turned around to go back into the bathroom he couldn’t help noticing that the towel barely covered anything.
Linc stopped pacing and lowered himself onto the sofa, wondering how much more torture he could take. Surely Raven could see that their being just friends wasn’t working. The physical attraction they had for each other was too strong.
“I’m ready.”
Linc glanced up. His breath immediately got lodged in his throat. A ripple of pure male appreciation ran up his spine. Dressed in a short, curvy black dress, Raven looked fabulous. She had both the body and the legs for the outfit she had chosen to wear. He forced himself to stand, hoping he didn’t embarrass himself when he did. “You look great, Raven.”
She smiled at him. “Thank you. You look good yourself.” That definitely wasn’t a lie, she thought. He looked handsome in a white dinner jacket and black pants. They were attending a dinner party that his law firm was giving, and she had wanted to look nice.
A moment of silence stretched out between them before Raven cleared her throat. “Ready?” she asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Taking her arm, Linc led her out of the apartment.
“It was a nice party,” Raven said to Linc as he walked her to her apartment door.
Linc thought his eyes would pop out of their sockets at seeing the way Raven’s dress clung to her body in all the right places with every step she took. He had forgotten just how small her waist was and how curvy her rear end was until tonight. He coughed to clear his throat. “Yeah, it was, wasn’t it? And I think you were the most gorgeous woman there.”
“Thanks.”
“When will your sisters get in tomorrow?”
Raven opened her purse to pull out her door key. “I’m expecting them in the morning.”
When she leaned down to look into her purse for the key, he caught a glimpse of a hefty amount of cleavage. The one thing he had not forgotten was how sexy her bare breasts were. He coughed to clear his throat for a second time. “Well, I hope everything with the birthday party goes as planned.”
“Me, too.” She took a deep breath. “Good night, Linc.”
“Good night.”
He waited for her to open the door and go in, but Raven hesitated. “Your throat sounds dry. Would you like to come in for something to drink?”
He stared at her for a long, thoughtful minute before saying, “Sure.” He followed her inside and to the kitchen, sitting down at the breakfast bar.
“What would you like? I have water, tea, and soda.”
“A glass of water will do.”
Raven nodded as she opened the cabinet to take down a glass. She then began filling it with water from the pitcher in her refrigerator. After handing him the ice-cold glass of water, she leaned against the counter to watch him take a few sips.
“How’s the article you’re doing on Leo’s coming along?”
“It’s almost finished.” As though drawn by a sudden thought, she asked, “Would you like to read what I’
ve put together so far?”
“Sure.”
“OK. I’ll be right back.” Like a kid who was eager to show her parent a paper that had been graded with a perfect score, Raven raced out of the kitchen. She didn’t want to think about why it was so important to show Linc what she had written. It just was. Maybe it was because a part of her wanted to prove to him that she was not like the other reporters he had come to detest. That had to be the reason, she inwardly told herself, because she had never shared her work with anyone, especially while it was in the prepublication stages.
Raven returned in no time and handed him the papers. He accepted them and sat back down at her breakfast bar and began reading. She tried not to make out his expression while he was reading, but she couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of what she had written. It seemed it took forever before he had finished.
His eyes met hers. “This is an outstanding piece, Raven. You have a gift with words. You’re a woman with a very special talent.”
“Thank you.” His opinion meant a lot. She didn’t want to question the why of it just yet.
Nor did she want to question why she felt the need to kiss him, especially when he was staring at her with those deep, dark eyes of his. His gaze was seductive and magnetic, drawing her in closer. She suddenly leaned toward him, and bracing her hands on his thigh, she touched her lips to his and accepted that a platonic relationship between them had been doomed from the start. The passion that was always there surrounding them had the ability to consume completely, thoroughly, and burn hot.
Her senses immediately began spinning before she realized that he was not going to help her out with the kiss. Fine, he can just sit there and be a stone, but I plan on getting my fill, she thought as she closed her eyes and deepened the kiss. She’d been dying to taste him again. She let her tongue explore the recesses of his mouth as she ravaged it with a hunger that belied her outward calm.
And still he held back his tongue from her.
So she continued to assault his mouth, feeling the shivers racing through him with every stroke of her tongue, giving herself freely to the wantonness she felt and the fiery intimacy she was sharing with him as she feasted on his mouth.
She felt his arms tighten around her. She heard his breathing get heavy, then heavier. And then she felt him easing to his feet, without breaking her hold on his mouth. He pulled her closer to him, and her body felt every hard inch of him. She increased her assault as a sense of urgency drove her on.
She broke off the kiss for mere seconds, just to pull air in, then covered his mouth with hers once more. This time he joined in her attack.
Her senses reeled as if short-circuited when his tongue captured hers, taking over with demanding mastery and savage intensity. Nobody could kiss like Lincoln Corbain, she decided, giving her mouth up to his fiery possession. He took it, sending pleasure radiating through every part of her body.
As he further roused her passion she knew that his own had to be growing just as strong. Her emotions whirled and skidded as to how far she wanted him to go. And then she knew the answer. She wanted him to go all the way. She wanted him to make love to her.
So she relayed that message to him in her kiss.
He got it.
Pulling back, he sucked in a long gulp of air and looked down at her.
She nodded, meeting his unwavering gaze.
His mouth came down on hers at the exact moment he swept her off her feet and into his arms. Carrying her into the bedroom, he gently placed her on the bed. For the hundredth time that night, he thought she looked sexier than any woman had a right to be with the dress she had on. And he knew he hadn’t been the only man at the party who had thought so.
Kneeling on the bed, he reached out for her and brought her close to him. Leaning down, he captured her parted lips. Tonight they would create new memories. That thought overwhelmed him. He had never felt such uncontrollable desire before. The other times they had come together, he had claimed her body. Tonight he wanted her heart and soul.
He pulled away long enough to undress her. When that was done he stood back and looked down at her as a growl of need erupted from deep within his throat. He quickly began removing his own clothing. Fumbling with his wallet, he took out a foil packet and ripped it open. Moments later, he went back to her. Driven by want and need, he ran his hands over her body, reacquainting himself with her soft flesh.
Raven whimpered under his touch. It had been four years since she had been touched this way. It seemed all the heat and passion of her body had lain dormant until Linc had reentered her life. She felt him sliding his hand up and down her stomach, then back up again to her breasts to give them special attention.
Need suddenly tore into her like the rush of a mighty wind when she felt the warmth of his tongue replace his hands on her breasts. Moans escaped her lips as he lavished attention from one tip to the other. Her breath came out in short puffs and her fingers gripped his shoulders as he continued his assault.
“Linc…”
He heard the passionate plea in her voice. He wanted to delay everything and drag it out until the end but knew that would not be possible. Their desire, passion, and need for each other were too strong and too hot. But still he refused to be rushed. Slowly and completely, he continued his assault over every inch of her body, remembering the areas he could touch that would drive her nearly out of her mind.
Finally, when his need became just as great as hers, he placed his body over hers. “Raven.” He groaned out her name like a dying man who was about to take his last breath.
Wanting what was about to come, Raven parted her lips and eagerly accepted the invasion of his tongue at the same time the hardness of him entered her. When he found her body tight, too tight, he tore his mouth away from hers and looked down into her eyes. The look in his gaze was questioning, confused.
She was torn between her desire to have him get on with it and finish what he had started and his need for her to explain why her body felt just as tight as it had the first time they’d made love. When she saw he was dead set on not moving…not even another delicious inch, she met his gaze and, drawing in a slow breath, said, “I haven’t done this since that time in Daytona with you, Linc.”
His gaze was intense as he stared deep into her eyes. He remained still as the meaning of her words sank in. Suddenly a deep sense of pride and elation swept over him. “Raven.” Cupping her face in his hands, he whispered her name with deep emotion in his voice as he crushed her to his throbbing body, going deeper inside her. The magnitude of that connection made them both groan out loud as their mouths joined once again.
With tender care, he began moving inside her, savoring each stroke and letting his tongue move inside her mouth in the same slow rhythm. When the tempo of his rhythm increased, so did his lovemaking to her mouth. Their mouths mated just as wildly as their bodies.
He grasped her hips tightly, as if to keep her in one place as he pushed deeper within her. He groaned tightly when he felt the first sign of tremors race through her body. His mouth swallowed each and every moan she made as red-hot passion splintered them both. It was exquisite. It was torture.
It was everything he remembered and had dreamed of having again.
Finally tearing his mouth from hers, Linc gave out a loud growl of male pleasure when he felt himself emptying within her in an explosion that rocked their bodies endlessly. He pulled her closer to him, ignoring the pain of her fingernails as they dug deep into his shoulders.
Recovering after the last tremor left him, he slowly forced himself off Raven so his weight wouldn’t hurt her. Sliding to her side, he pulled her against him, closing his arms around her.
“Linc?”
He rose slightly until he could look at her. Her face was flushed, her eyes were glazed, and her lips were swollen from the intensity of his kisses.
“Yes?”
She smiled and whispered, “You’re incredible.”
“No, sweetheart, y
ou are.” He pulled her back into his arms and began kissing her again as passion blazed to life between them once again.
He took her through another round of passionate lovemaking. It was as if he couldn’t get enough of her and she, in turn, couldn’t get enough of him. The four years that had separated them had dissolved and everything they had meant to each other that week in Daytona had returned tenfold. When there was no way they could survive another bout of lovemaking, he was content to rain kisses all over her face and neck, knowing that he neither could nor would let her out of his life again.
“I love you,” he whispered, saying aloud what he had felt in his heart since seeing her again.
Raven’s body stiffened, certain she had heard him wrong. Her mind began to spin. Love? He couldn’t love her. She didn’t want him to love her. She didn’t have time for love in her life.
She pulled away from him and took deep intakes of breaths to get her heart rate and breathing back in sync. She looked up at him and the eyes returning her gaze were as soft as a caress.
“What is it, Raven? What’s wrong?”
“You just said you loved me.”
“Yes, I do love you.”
Raven shook her head, not wanting to believe it, although he sounded as if he meant every word. “But you just saw me again two weeks ago.”
“I fell in love with you in Daytona. I tried telling myself that there was no way I could have fallen in love with you in such a short amount of time, but I knew after returning to Louisiana that I had. That’s the reason I went to Tallahassee looking for you.”
She stared at him, surprised by what he had said. “You went to Tallahassee looking for me?”
“Yes, the day after I graduated from law school. But the school officials said you had graduated a few days earlier and had already left. They wouldn’t give me information about your whereabouts.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “I went home to Tennessee and began working with my family. But I thought about you often. The only thing I had left was the memories of our time together. After a while I gave up hope of ever seeing you again. When I ran into you at Leo’s last week I knew I was being given a second chance.”
Some Like It Hot Page 7