She was shocked by the image he'd planted in her mind and even more shocked at how his suggestive words catapulted her arousal even higher than when she was posing. She had to hold still, not make any sound that would give their secret away. And for a few seconds she managed to do that... until he picked up the pace of his massage. Despite her best efforts, she abruptly shivered from head to toe with another heart-pounding release.
"Easy, honey," he whispered as he continued to apply steady pressure to the erogenous zone until her body stopped quaking. "You should probably take a breath now," he said with a smile in his voice.
"Holy crap," she whispered after she exhaled.
His chest shook with laughter. "Not exactly the words I was hoping for but they'll do."
"I never realized, I mean, how did you know that would, I mean, how can you tell when—"
"Shush," he sounded and kissed her softly. "Analyzing it takes the magic away. And yes, you may use it in your next book."
She didn't bother to ask how he knew what she was thinking. "Thank you, but you know, you may have to do it a few more times for me to be able to describe it in words."
She felt his responsive chuckle and twisted around to see his smile. Only when she moved did she become aware of the strong effect his action had on him, just like when she was posing for his pleasure. Her fingers curled around his erection and learned the shape and strength of it but a moment later he moved her hand to his chest.
"Not yet. It's still your turn."
She tilted her head at him. "In that case, I should be allowed to have whatever pleases me, right?" He warily agreed. "Well, what would please me most at this moment is to touch you, so don't interfere."
"I'm beginning to notice a real bossy streak in you," he said, pretending he didn't like it. As her fingernails scraped down his chest and below the water, he stopped complaining.
After his last orgasm, Jack thought it would be days, or at least hours, before he would be ready again. But with Kelly there didn't seem to be a down time for him. This was hardly the first time a woman had used her hand to give him pleasure but Kelly somehow made it more exciting. Minutes later, he lost another battle to delay the outcome.
"Thank you," he whispered as his body sank lower into the water.
She rested her head on his shoulder. "I do believe in rewarding employees for exceptional performance."
"Do you think we'd drown if we just went to sleep right here?"
"We could drain the tub," she mumbled sleepily. "Cover ourselves with towels."
"Sounds good to me."
"Of course, the mattress on my bed is softer."
"And a lot less cramped. Not that I don't like you right where you are. But by morning, I'm not sure I'd be able to get up."
She lifted her head, gave him a little kiss and chuckled. "Well, we certainly don't want to do anything that would prevent you from getting up."
Once the spell was broken, they wasted little time moving from the tub to the bed and a few minutes after that, they were both sound asleep.
* * *
When Kelly opened her eyes again, she saw Jack propped up on his elbow watching her. She smiled and he kissed her. "Good morning, beautiful. I was giving you five more minutes then I was going to resort to drastic measures."
"Ooh, if that's anything like what you did to me last night, maybe I'll go back to sleep." She stretched her entire body and decided that every part of her felt absolutely lovely... and the Jacuzzi could only be given partial credit for it. When she noticed his mischievous grin, she frowned at him. "What?"
He laughed and kissed her nose. "Nothing. I'm just... in a really good mood." He pressed his lips to the curve of her neck then nipped her earlobe.
Goose bumps raised down her arm. "Any particular reason?"
He sat up against the headboard and she moved with him. "Well, let's see. I woke up here, still in 2016. And you were still next to me, naked. And despite very little sleep, I feel... energized." He turned his head for a kiss but she stopped as soon as their lips touched.
"Give me five minutes in the bathroom and I'll be happy to give you a proper morning-after greeting. Don't move."
He grinned. "I wouldn't think of it."
Rising, she caught sight of the clock. "Good heavens! It's almost eleven. You should have gotten me up as soon as you woke. We have an appointment with Mary Beth in a few hours and we still have to trim your hair."
"Are you hungry?" he asked as she headed into the bathroom.
"Starved. Would you mind checking what sort of breakfast food Bruce left behind?"
"Always willing to satisfy the boss," he answered with a salute and donned a pair of shorts.
Kelly was considerably more comfortable a few minutes later. As she was rinsing her face, she couldn't help but notice that the eyes in the mirror were sparkling back at her. Why, she looked like a twenty-year-old girl again.
Thinking that she might get hair all over her when she gave Jack his trim, she decided not to get dressed yet. She was about to throw on a nightshirt when she remembered the pretty black peignoir set hanging in the back of her closet—the one she bought on impulse but never wore. Slipping on the long silky robe made her feel even sexier than she already did and, after tying the belt, she loosened the top just enough to give Jack a glimpse of cleavage.
She gathered up her hair-cutting scissors, a comb and towel and headed downstairs. To her surprise, two glasses of orange juice were on the table, coffee was brewing and Jack was making scrambled eggs with bits of ham and cheese. "Can I keep you?" she asked, giving him a hug from behind.
He grinned at her over his shoulder. "I've had a few thoughts along that line." He set down the spatula and turned to her. His eyes widened when he noticed what she was wearing and that her hair was brushed out. "Wow." He pulled her close for a long kiss. "Aah. You brushed your teeth. And I so liked your morning breath."
She gave him a little shove. "Smartass. I was going to help but for that you can serve me." As she sat down, she made sure that the skirt of the robe fell open to reveal her crossed legs.
His gaze caught her bare toes, ran up her legs and lingered on her breasts. After a moment, he shook his head and brought one plate of eggs and two cups of hot coffee to the table. "Will there be anything else, madam?"
She scanned him from top to bottom before answering. "Not at the moment. You may be seated."
"I would but you're in my seat." He grasped her elbow and drew her to her feet. Before she understood what he was doing, he sat down in the chair and pulled her onto his lap. "Much better." He scooped up a forkful of eggs and brought it up to her mouth. "Open wide."
She obeyed then fed him a mouthful. She had never been a fan of love scenes that evolved around food but he quickly helped revise her thinking. Each time it was her turn to feed him, his hands roamed, over and under the loosened robe, without actually taking it off her.
"I'm full," she said when he tried to feed her the last bite.
"So am I," he said and tilted his hips upward to clarify exactly what part of him was full.
She watched him put the last of the eggs in his mouth then slowly pull out the empty fork. It was obviously up to her to be the strong one. "It's already twelve."
"And?"
"And we're supposed to see Mary Beth at three."
"So?"
"So, it's a bit of a drive. I better cut your hair now."
"Do you actually know how to do that?"
She smiled. "Baseball was my dad's favorite pastime but he was a barber for a living. I spent so much time in his shop when I was growing up, I couldn't help but pick up a few skills."
"Okay but you probably should get off my lap first."
"Oh." It was only then that she realized he was no longer holding her there and she quickly got moving. After draping the big towel over his shoulders, she wet his hair and started on the front.
She had only taken the first snip when he untied her belt so that the robe fel
l open in front of his face. He leaned forward and kissed her navel and she was very, very tempted to give in but as his mouth moved lower, she found the strength to resist. "Do I need to remind you that I have scissors in my hand?"
He looked up at her with complete innocence. "You could put them down."
"Then we'd be late."
"We could cancel." His hands slipped behind her and urged her to come closer.
"Jack!" She backed up and closed her robe again. "You know we can't do that. It's very important that we talk to Mary Beth."
He sat back with a pout. "Okay. I'll be good." She bent forward to take another snip and the top of her robe gaped open in front of his eyes. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you did that on purpose."
"The only thing I'm doing on purpose is trying to give you a nice haircut." She watched him close his eyes rather than be faced with temptation and she felt a surge of feminine power. How very thrilling it was. And how very understanding of him to allow her to experience it without automatically trying to steal it away.
Because he was letting her get away with it, she continued to tease him with seemingly innocent glimpses of bare skin and sensual touches, while her conversation remained on the task at hand. "I left it a little longer on top to help hide the burn. It's starting to heal but you'll still need to wear a hat when you're outside."
She combed through his considerably shortened hair one final time and decided he definitely looked different, at least more up to date. Satisfied that she'd done a very professional job, she took the towel off his shoulders and dropped it onto the floor with his sacrificed curls.
"Don't get up yet. Let me dust you." Taking a clean kitchen towel, she lightly brushed it over his neck and shoulders, his back and chest, his stomach, his thighs—
"That's it!" he exclaimed and yanked the towel out of her hand. "You asked for this!" With just enough roughness to momentarily startle her into submission, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her face-down across his lap.
She squealed in surprise as she fell forward. When she tried to wriggle out from his grasp, she found herself firmly trapped. "Jack! This isn't funny." He gave her bottom a light smack that didn't hurt at all but she kicked in protest anyway.
"Be still or the next one gets harder," he warned. She stopped squirming immediately. "You obviously have to be taught a lesson," he said in a tone that suggested he was going to get great enjoyment out of being the teacher of that lesson. Keeping one arm braced across her shoulders, he ran his other hand down her back and legs to the hem of the robe. Gathering the material along the way, he slowly brought his hand back up until the lower half of her body was bared to him.
"Such a pretty bum," he said, tickling her lightly with his fingers. "It really would be a shame to mark it with big red handprints."
"Jack—" Another light swat hushed her again.
"The thing is," he continued, as he went back to tickling her, "you must be punished for such blatant misbehavior. Refusing to let me play with you then purposely seducing me is a serious offense."
"I could give you another bath... later tonight," she offered hopefully.
His fingers never stopped moving over her as he considered that, only the feather-light contact roamed lower, down the backs of her thighs and up between. "No, I don't think that would make us even for what you've done. You see, you've put me in a state of considerable discomfort with no intention of easing it. Only something equally diabolical will suffice."
"We're really going to be late if—"
He slapped her a little harder. "What I have in mind will only take a minute then we'll get ready to go. But you have to remain very still and quiet. Here, this will help." He lifted his arm from her shoulders and offered it as support for her head. "Better?" She mumbled and he accepted that as her response.
The hand on her back side now eased down to where her thighs pressed together. "Open," he said and she parted her legs a little. "More," he ordered and she gave him the space he needed to insert his hand into the valley.
Her body trembled as he swiftly found her nerve center and fully awakened it. Within seconds, she felt her body temperature rising as liquid heat rushed to aid him in his work. "Very good," he proclaimed as he withdrew his hand. "There. That didn't even take a full minute. Okay, you can get up now."
She thought she misunderstood. "What?"
He turned her and helped her sit upright on his lap again.
It took a moment to balance out from the head rush but when she did, she still didn't understand.
"Now we're even," he said, grinning at her. "We're both thinking about sex, our bodies are primed but there's no time to do a good job of it."
Thinking she could solve such a minor dilemma, she smoothly turned and straddled his hips. As her hand verified that he was ready for her, she brushed her lips over his and murmured, "There's nothing wrong with a quickie in the kitchen."
His thumb easily found her button and pressed it. "No, there's nothing wrong with a quickie, except that if I gave you that, it wouldn't be much of a punishment, would it?" He stopped touching her and took her hand away from him. "Now that you know how good a climax can be, it's going to be nearly impossible for you to wait until we get home later to have one."
"Hah! That's ridiculous. As soon as I get off your lap, the feeling will start to fade and my whole mind will be on our interview with Mary Beth."
"That might be true, if I didn't intend to keep after you all day, just to make sure you can't get sex off your mind."
She felt her insides contract involuntarily. She made a face at him. "I have a tremendous amount of self-discipline when I'm working. I simply won't allow you to distract me."
He gave her a quick, hard kiss on the mouth. "You'll allow it. Because you'll be thinking about this—the best sex you'll ever have in your life is when you're kept on the very edge... for hours... without being able to come."
Since she couldn't contradict him from experience, she got up and pretended not to notice how damp she was. She'd definitely need a shower before going out in public. "I'd better clean up this room."
He caught her hand before she walked away. "One more thing." He stood up and put his whole body into kissing her senseless again.
When he released her, she smiled up at him. "You really are very, very good."
"So are you, sweetheart." He slid her hand down over his full erection.
Her feminine power swelled once more and she gave him a squeeze. "Does that mean two can play this waiting game of yours?"
He laughed and shook his head. "I'm beginning to wonder which one of us is really going to be punished today. You go on up and get ready. I'll clean up down here."
"Sure you don't want to share the shower with me?"
His response was a glare and a growl.
* * *
Dillard waited until McCoy finished playing Susie Homemaker before leaving his hiding place on the fenced-in patio. The closed vertical blinds over the sliding glass door made it difficult to get any clear pictures but he was fairly sure his client would be satisfied with what he did manage to shoot through one narrow separation.
There was no question now about the couple being intimate. Nor did he have any question why his client wanted the lady so badly. He had almost had an accident in his pants just from watching.
However, he still wasn't sure they were actually lovers, in the traditional sense. Not only didn't they act all lovey-dovey in public yesterday, the guy cooked for her then cleaned up the mess, as though he were her employee. Of course, he supposed some guys might do that sort of thing to be able to fool around with a woman like that but his gut told him this was something else.
He returned to his original thought that McCoy was Kirkwood's hired bodyguard. Maybe, besides providing security against crazy fans, they decided he could guard her body personally as well. At least it was something he could check out.
He had no trouble lifting fingerprints off the car's passenger door
and, if he was lucky, his pal at the county lab would find time to identify them in the next day or two. Meanwhile, from what he just witnessed, Kirkwood and her playmate wouldn't be going anywhere for a long while. He figured he had time to drop by the lab, print out the digital photos he'd taken and make a dozen or so calls.
Chapter 13
Despite Jack's attempts to distract Kelly every few minutes, they managed to be on their way shortly after two o'clock. Before heading to Marietta, however, Jack suggested they drive around the block again to see if the Toyota was parked nearby.
"He must have given up," Kelly said. "Or maybe we simply bored him to death with all the sightseeing yesterday."
"I don't get it but he doesn't seem to be interested in our travels today. Let's keep our eyes open though, just in case he really was smart enough to change cars."
Shortly after leaving her neighborhood, Kelly pulled into a gas station.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked as she got out of the car.
"It'll only take a minute," she assured him but his curiosity demanded she explain about self-service and paying by inserting a credit card into a slot at the pump.
"What if you needed your windows washed or your oil checked?"
She shrugged. "I don't know of any gas station that still does that but it's faster to do it yourself anyway."
The face he made let her know this was one of the modern developments he didn't approve of. Mary Beth had given adequate directions to her home but she used her car's GPS for Jack's sake. It was only the heavy traffic that made it seem like a long trip. At no time, however, did they notice anyone following them.
"Well, this is it," Kelly said as they pulled into the brick-paved circular driveway of the Johnson's large home. "Remember, let me do the talking."
"Sure thing. But I have to tell you something important first."
He looked so serious, she was afraid to hear what he had to say.
He leaned over, his mouth close to her ear and said, "I had fun last night." His hand snaked beneath the skirt of her sundress and had a finger inside the edge of her panties before she could object. "And this morning." As he slowly withdrew his hand, he added, "Can you guess what game we'll be playing tonight?" Seconds later, he was out of the car, waiting for her to join him.
Out of Time (Lovers in Time Series, Book 1): Time Travel Romance Page 18