The Bare Facts

by Karen Anders

  Those peaks pressed up against his hard muscular chest when she curved against him, sending delicious shivers of sexual desire straight to the very core of her femininity. Like a fast-moving reel of film, emotions flashed through her too rapidly for her to hold on to. There was no fear, no need to flee, no gripping, rendering anxiety. No man had ever kissed her like this, with long, insolent possession, and no man had ever made her want more by just the touch of his mouth. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t react.

  When she groaned and shuddered, he pulled her tighter, roughly dragging her up against him. His mouth became more demanding, more frenzied. His passion hummed in her blood like a thousand agitated bees. She could feel his need for her, the hard ridge of his desire.

  Dylan stared down at her. His heart was beating to a hard, sultry rhythm. Take more. Want more. Need more. The rhythm of his straining heart kept repeating over and over. He’d had only a taste and it wasn’t enough. He wanted her, sliding her body over him, touching him with her soft, greedy hands, hot heaven burning him into ashes blowing away on the wind of her own consuming desire.

  He’d wanted women in the past, but not with this immediate all-consuming desire. It shouldn’t be astonishing to him. She was everything a man could want in a woman, beautiful, smart and seductive.

  And he was going too fast. Way too fast. He leaned his forehead against hers, knowing that he had to slow down. They weren’t even through half of what he wanted to get through. But she was tugging on his pants, her hands frantic. He knew if she got them off, touched him, he’d go off like a rocket.

  He grabbed her hands and eased them up to his chest. “What do you think so far?”

  She stared at him, not comprehending. Then reason flooded back.

  “The leather is so sexy,” she breathed, running her hands over the leather across his chest. “I love it.”

  “What is it about leather that is so cool?” He guided her toward the bed. He grabbed her around the waist and he lifted her onto the mattress.

  “That bad-boy kind of thing.”

  He smiled. He molded his hands up her waist and over her breasts. “I wouldn’t call it a bad-boy kind of thing when you look so hot in that outfit.”

  “Ever play dress-up before?”

  “No. Never realized how erotic it could be.”

  She leaned forward and kissed his lips, taking his bottom one into her mouth. “Mmm. You taste so good.” She sucked it gently then let him go. “Why do you think it is erotic?”

  She looked him in the eyes, daring him to say it. He swallowed and leaned forward, kissing the softness of her cheek, moving his lips to her ear and biting the lobe. “Because we trust each other.”

  She exhaled softly, “Exactly.”

  “I’d never hurt you, Haley.”

  She arched her back when he took her delicate lobe in his mouth. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the sensation or his words. She grasped his shoulders, her fingers curling around the straps. His hands went to the zipper in the back and he lowered it slowly. Haley moaned as her breasts were released. He leaned down and took one puckered nipple into his mouth. Her reaction was instantaneous. He reached over and popped the lid off the cooler as he feasted on her. He removed the bustier and dropped it to the floor. He peeled the stockings off her and discarded them as well. Lastly, he removed the thong. He reached to remove the buckles to the harness encircling his chest, but she stayed his hand.

  “Leave it on.”

  He removed his leather pants and got onto the bed with her. “Dylan. I don’t think I can wait.”

  “Oh yes you can.”

  He reached over and pulled out what was in the cooler.

  Haley made a low sound in her throat. It was an icy cherry-red treat. She closed her eyes, unable to contain her desire. Dylan peeled off the wrapping and popped the ice into her mouth. He drew it in and out in a slow seductive measure. Then he took it into his mouth. After a few moments, he bent down and took one of her nipples in his mouth. Haley cried out at the sudden feel of his icy tongue against her heated flesh. As he sucked hard on her nipple, he rubbed the icy pop against her other one. The sensation was electrifying. Haley could barely catch her breath. When his then hot mouth touched her, the sensation was different but just as electrifying.

  He drew the cold cherry ice up her stomach and followed the trail with his tongue. When he reached her breasts, he rolled it around her nipples. As his mouth followed, Haley arched in complete abandon.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said softly as he kissed her mouth. He bit off some of the melting treat and discarded the rest. He grabbed her hips and placed his mouth against her most sensitive place. Haley cried out at the sensation, his tongue cold and clever, he pushed the ice inside her. He sipped of her and the juice. It was more than she could bear as the sensation spiraled inside her until it burst upon her with unforgiving force.

  Dylan was ready with a condom. She could feel him tremble as he put it on and then slid into her with slow measured thrusts, his arms shaking. She grabbed the leather around his chest and pulled. His body jerked and he slid to the hilt inside her. He groaned as if it was too much for him, his eyes closing. The darkness of his lashes were long and thick against his amazing face. It was as if he was suspended in time, held there for an exquisite, aching moment. She watched the pleasure spread across his face and it increased hers. Somewhere inside, her heart split and she knew that she would never be the same, that this experience had changed her. She wondered desperately if it had changed him.

  Then he began to move and she couldn’t hold on to her thoughts. He surged into her with frantic thrusts, and as the exquisite sensation grew, she experienced wave after wave of pleasure until she felt as if she’d exploded into a million tiny pieces of colored light that floated gently to the bed.

  Dylan lay on top of her until his breathing quieted and then he raised his head. When she opened her eyes, he smiled at her.

  “In a few minutes, I’ll be ready for round two.”

  Haley could barely speak. “Minutes? Round two?” she squeaked.

  And his smile grew. “Sure. There are so many more things I can do with ice.”

  “Oh my,” were the only words she could manage.

  SHE WAS WALKING on black sand, the finest black sand she’d ever felt beneath her feet. She could hear the pounding as she walked, like hooves striking earth, but when she turned all the way around, she could see no one on the deserted beach.

  Perhaps it was her heart beating in her ears. The palm trees rustled in the soft, teasing wind as the water lapped against her bare feet.

  Then she heard it again, the pounding of hooves against earth. When she turned, a big, black horse with a flowing mane and tail galloped across the dark sand, black against black. A man was on the stallion’s back and rode the horse as if he were part of the racing animal. In the sky overhead, thunderclouds gathered and multiplied as the horse and rider drew near.

  The man vaulted from the horse the moment it stopped, sand flinging with the flailing of the animal’s mighty hooves.

  The man approached like a force of nature, bringing with him wind and rain. And the storm seemed to be centered in him, his eyes blazing green fire, fueled by electricity, fueled by something feral and primitive.

  He moved toward her with purpose, and the minute he touched her, the heavens opened and rain poured down. It wet her skin, the fine linen shift she wore, and her hair. It seemed to be raining on her heart.

  He whispered and thunder rumbled across the heavens, startling her, making her heart beat to the booming rhythm until she was sure, if he stopped speaking, her heart would stop.

  When his mouth touched hers, it was as if she’d been struck by lightning. His touch snapped and sizzled against her, then she was in the surf, his hard body covering hers. The rain beat down against her naked skin, his naked back and buttocks. The water was so clear, as if one looked through a crystal.

  He lifted his hand and r
ested it against her jaw, a light and cradling embrace, giving the impression he was touching something precious. The tide came in a slow and steady force, unstoppable. He smiled and she felt such a flood of warmth and pleasure that she almost wanted to weep.

  The heavens crackled and exploded into such brightness that she couldn’t see. But when it cleared, when the light was gone, there was only her, the black, black sand beach, the dark sky above her and her memory of a man who had created in her a longing that would never, ever go away for as long as she lived.

  With a cry like that of a wounded animal, she called out his name.

  She jerked awake from the dream drenched and trembling. Dylan was holding her tightly against him, smoothing his hand over her hair, rocking her softly as she clutched him in the dark room.

  HOURS LATER, Haley opened her eyes to find Dylan standing at the window. He still wore the leather around his chest. He seemed so serene, so at peace standing there, and she realized immediately that this was a haven for him. No wonder he brought his women here. He turned to look at her then and smiled, offering her his hand. She slipped from the bed and realized that it was dawn. Very gently she unbuckled the leather harness and removed it from his chest. He sat down in a chair and pulled her onto his lap, snuggling her close. The sky was lightening over the mountains and as it rose, it brought vibrant pinks and stunning violet.

  “That was some nightmare you had. What was it about?”

  “I don’t remember,” she lied, snuggling down into his warmth. The symbolism in her dream wasn’t lost on her. She was a journalist after all, a writer who used words as easily as others breathed air.

  “How many women have you brought here?”

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t keep count.”

  Her heart constricted painfully, but she didn’t let any of that pain seep into her voice. “It’s a great romantic hideaway and close to the city. Easy to get to, as well.”

  She looked up into his face, studying his solemn expression, jealousy curling painfully in her stomach. “Why so many women?”

  He shrugged and caressed her shoulder.

  “I guess you haven’t found the right one yet, huh?”

  “Guess not.”

  Her heart lurched achingly. She closed her eyes and pressed her face into his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Someday you will.” She kissed him on the cheek and got off his lap. “I’m going to go take a shower. I need to get back to the city and write my column.”

  When she closed the bathroom door she busied herself with starting the shower, letting the numbness settle into her, into her bones until it was deep inside her.

  Her head was telling her to move forward.

  Her heart was telling her it couldn’t be true.

  Her dream was telling her it was just a matter of time.

  10

  “HI, DYLAN. This is Margo Grant. I need a favor from you.” It had been three weeks since Dylan had taken Haley to White Haven. Once back in New York, it seemed as if all his fears about Haley being exposed to his father crowded in around him.

  He’d lied to her about bringing women to White Haven. Haley was the only woman he’d ever brought there, but she would see that as significant and he couldn’t let her hope that there could be any future for them. So she thought he was the kind of man that slept around. It was probably one of the biggest reasons she thought to ask him to help her out with the fantasies.

  “Hi, Margo. What can I do for you?” She sounded tense and anxious.

  “Haley wants me to help her paint her living room tonight. She’s in one of those nice but dingy-walled apartments, and you know how she loves color. Any way, I’m babbling. If you don’t have plans, could you help her instead?”

  “Sure. I needed to talk to her anyway. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, but when my mother summons, I do my duty.”

  “I hear you.”

  “Bring a pizza. She loves pizza.”

  He wanted to get the last fantasy out of the way so that he could break it off with her altogether. Then maybe he could start sleeping regularly again. Something had happened to them the last weekend they’d spent together, something had changed. Somehow the lovemaking had taken precedence over the fantasy, both for him and for Haley, and that was why he’d lied about bringing women to White Haven—to destroy any feelings Haley might have for him.

  He’d wanted her body. He hadn’t been able to hide that. Even the memory of his desire stirred a coiling, intense need inside him. And she’d wanted him, too. What he had to suppress was his need to want more from her.

  Dylan went to the door of his office, but before he could grab the doorknob, it twisted and Donald Westin poked his head into the room.

  “Could I have a word with you, Malone?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Donald came all the way into his office and closed the door. “I want to say that this Green Dog business was handled exceptionally well. I had faith in you when you were a kid, and now that you’ve surpassed even my expectations, I’m happy to throw this party in your honor.”

  “That’s generous, Donald, but it was a team effort.”

  “Just like you to say that, Malone.”

  “It’s true, sir.”

  “When I make the announcement about the international account, I’ll be sure to mention that.”

  “I would appreciate it.”

  “Speaking of teamwork, a partner in life is just as important as partners in business. When the senior partners choose a junior partner, we take a look at everything he or she does.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “We’re going to be choosing a junior partner within the next six months. You, my boy, have made my shortlist. If you want a word of advice from me, choose someone suitable to your station in life. You’ll need a woman who knows and understands the ropes.”

  Donald left and Dylan turned to look at the gorgeous Manhattan skyline.

  He knew that Westin was snidely referring to Haley and that she wasn’t good enough to be considered even remotely as a mate for him. Donald was wrong. It wasn’t Haley who wasn’t good enough. He’d never let any more of Westin’s snide remarks cause her pain. She didn’t fit into his life because she was too damn good to fit. She was real and he certainly didn’t want her to change for him. But she’d been instrumental in him landing that international account. In fact, it was her idea that had turned the tide. How could he not invite her to the celebration?

  He could give a damn about jeopardizing his position at the firm. Haley had made it quite clear she wanted nothing at all to do with him on a personal basis.

  In fact, she’d tried to steer every encounter they had into either business or pleasure. Nothing long lasting and nothing personal.

  Inviting her to the party was a mistake. Yet, she deserved to be there. He wouldn’t allow her to be the butt of Westin’s snobbery or open her to any ridicule. With a little nudge from him, maybe she would decide she didn’t want to go.

  HALEY OPENED the paint can. The distinct smell assaulted her nostrils. She looked at her watch and wondered where Margo could be.

  She’d planned to paint her apartment to get rid of the dull gray walls. She’d already pulled all the furniture away from the walls, covered the pieces, as well as the carpets, with tarps and taped the woodwork.

  There was a knock on the door and Haley smiled. Margo never let her down. When she opened the door she was stunned to see Dylan there holding a pizza.

  “Dylan. What are you doing here?”

  “Margo couldn’t make it. She asked me to fill in and bring pizza. She hoped that would get her off the hook.”

  “Margo called you?” Haley felt her stomach drop to her toes. “She has your number?” Haley felt the first darts of unease stab at her heart.

  He dropped his eyes and looked away from her. Her throat constricted.

  “Well, yeah. She called me right before I left the office and said she was suppose
d to help you paint tonight, but something came up.”

  This wasn’t like Margo at all. She always called Haley when she couldn’t fulfill an obligation. She hoped Margo wasn’t avoiding her. A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

  It was hard, but Haley didn’t let her emotions show. “Come on in.” She would act nonchalant if it killed her. Obviously her romantic notions from the previous weekend were way off base. She’d had the impression that Dylan wanted her and only her. What were the chances that he and Margo had hooked up? Very good, a little voice said. Margo was acting so strange lately. Haley didn’t know what to think.

  Haley’d made it quite clear that she wanted nothing but the fantasies and he hadn’t said anything about a relationship anyway. So there was nothing to fret over. She walked to the kitchen and pulled out two plates and forks. Setting them on the counter, she reached up for the cups.

  Dylan put down the pizza box.

  “Seems like you’ve been talking to Margo a lot lately.”

  Dylan shrugged and opened the lid. He didn’t meet her eyes and Haley’s hopes sank deeper than the Titanic. The last wild weekend had been nothing more than that. A wild weekend. The rafting trip and Dylan’s tenderness and interest in her were fleeting. She felt the distance grow between them. Why wouldn’t he be attracted to Margo? She was perfect wife material, classy, well dressed and savvy. She was impeccable in business and social situations, always knowing the right thing to say and never putting a foot wrong. He could do worse…like her.

  “Would you like something to drink?”

  “Whatever you have is fine.”

  She pulled out two sodas and set them in front of the plates. Coming around the counter, she sat next to him. She picked up a slice and pulled off all the cheese, then took a bite.

  “What’s the point?”

  “I don’t like cheese.”

  “Then why did Margo suggest pizza? She’s your best friend. I would think she’d know what you eat.”

  Haley’s heart squeezed in her chest. It was true. Margo was her best friend, but Dylan was so irresistible. Maybe Margo had decided to unload that friendship. “Oh, I love pizza. It’s the cheese I don’t like,” she replied, keeping it light.