It occurred to her that he was speaking from extensive experience, where she was drawing solely on her imagination but in the end, the result was the same. They were both wired for action by the time the last out was called. The big game had been won by the Braves. The winner of their private game was not so easy to determine.
With a tight grip on Kelly's hand, Jack wove his way through the departing crowd as though demons were chasing them. Between speed-walking and laughing, she was breathless by the time they reached her car but instead of letting her get in the driver's seat to drive quickly away, he dragged her around to the passenger's side. Before she realized what he was up to, he opened the door, sat down and pulled her onto his lap.
"Was the door open or closed in your scene?" he asked, frowning at the length of her legs still outside the car.
Chuckling, she said, "Closed and it took place in a driveway without a horde of spectators."
"Your windows are tinted so dark, no one could see inside. But if you don't get your legs in here so I can close the door and turn this light off, I swear, I'll start just the way we are."
Considering the state he was in, she didn't put it past him, so with a little effort, she swiveled on his lap and put her feet in the driver's seat. The instant he closed the door, he assaulted her mouth with his own. There was nothing romantic or gentle about the way his tongue overpowered hers or the way his hand groped at her breast. He wanted her hard and fast again, with no further preliminaries or games.
And, God help them both, she wanted him the same way.
But the logistics of the scenario were just difficult enough to slow them down to a point where Kelly's modesty awakened. "I can't do this," she said, breaking the kiss.
"Sure you can," he said, applying a rhythmic pressure between her legs with his hand. "Straddle me, one knee on each side. If I push the seat back—"
"Stop," she said, grasping his wrist to prevent him from further clouding her mind. "Please. All I can think about is people walking by with kids and seeing the car rocking and knowing what we're doing in here. Besides, my heroine was a petite little thing, not at all like me. I think someone my size is more suited to having sex in the back of a camper, or at least an SUV."
Chuckling, he held her face between his hands and kissed her soundly. "If anything, sweetheart, you should envision yourself in the back of a limousine. Not because of your size—which could not be more perfect—but because that's what you deserve." He took a ragged breath.
"Weren't you the man who told me the best sex was when you had to wait for it?" His groan was another form of flattery. "Hey, at least you don't have to drive home."
"That's right," he said with a grin and eased his hand up to her breast. "My hands will be free and you won't be able to do anything about it."
She playfully slapped his hand away. "You mess with me while I'm driving and I guarantee you I'll stop the car and make you get out and walk. By the time you find your way home on your own, you'll have forgotten what we were going to do when we got there."
"Party-pooper." He pretended to be annoyed but helped her to maneuver into the driver's seat.
Whether due to her threat or his common sense, he behaved himself all the way to the townhouse. When she turned into her neighborhood, he reminded her to drive slowly around the block to see if they were still being spied upon.
"I don't understand it," Jack said when they finally pulled into the driveway. "But I guess he got what he was after in one day." He leaned closer and his expression changed. "Which means we're alone, in a driveway, in a sports car. Just like your scene." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Want to try again?"
"Not unless you can wriggle your nose and turn this car into a limo. Personally, I'm ready to find out if you were right about waiting so long and there's a room upstairs that would make a much better setting for that than this car."
"Sold," he said and gave her one more firm kiss. "Last one up the stairs has to serve breakfast in bed tomorrow."
He made a dash for the front door as she got out of the car more leisurely and dangled the keys from her hand.
"Smartass," he muttered and headed back toward her with a threatening look.
She giggled and escaped him by circling the car but he still caught up to her at the front door. Her laughter ended when he caged her with his body and pressed his mouth to hers. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, his hips moved against hers, letting her know that the long car ride hadn't eased his discomfort one bit.
With a little effort, they managed to get the door unlocked and stumbled inside.
* * *
Dillard lowered his binoculars and stepped out from behind the tree. He wanted some of whatever McCoy was taking. Talk about going at it like rabbits! They were making him so horny, he was ready to take care of himself. And he would, if he had to spend another night in his car, but now that the happy couple was tucking each other in bed for the night, he was going home for a few hours.
Hopefully his wife would remember who he was and be willing to play a little hide the pickle. Maybe if he was good enough, she'd even agree to switch cars with him tomorrow so he wouldn't have to worry about them spotting him again.
As he walked the three blocks to the shopping center parking lot where he'd left his car, he congratulated himself on his good luck. When he'd returned that afternoon and saw the car gone, he was afraid they'd given him the slip again. After losing them yesterday, he didn't want to tell his client he'd done it again.
They probably only did some more sightseeing anyway and what he accomplished was a lot more worthwhile. By tomorrow afternoon, he would probably have some solid information to pass on and justify the retainer he'd been paid.
If luck stayed with him and the computers didn't crash, by tomorrow afternoon, he would know everything there was to know about Duke McCoy.
Chapter 15
Once again, making it up the stairs was completely out of the question.
The instant the front door was closed, clothes came off in a frenzy of groping and groaning and savage kisses. At some point in the melee, Jack extracted a foil square from his jeans pocket and pinned Kelly against the front door with her legs wrapped around his waist.
And no more than one minute after that, their frantic joining ended with them breathlessly sliding to the floor together.
"You had a condom in your pocket all along?" she asked once she could form words again.
He shrugged. "I was sure we would need it before we got back here." With a boyish grin, he added, "I was completely prepared to lose to you."
She giggled and gave him a soft kiss. "And I was completely prepared to do whatever I had to in order to win." She brushed her nose over his, Eskimo-style. "But I'm glad it was a tie."
His reply was aborted by an audible rumble from his stomach and they both laughed. "I think I worked up an appetite. You hungry?"
"Starved, but I think I want a shower even more than food."
"A shower does sound good..." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she giggled again. "Seriously?"
He shrugged innocently. "What can I say, you've turned me into an addict. Okay, fine. Separate showers. This time."
A very short while later, they met back in the kitchen, him in plaid boxers and her in a dark green cotton nightshirt. As they made and ate sandwiches, they intentionally kept their bits of conversation on the light side. Anything worrisome or thought-provoking could wait until morning. When they were finished, Kelly assumed they would be heading to bed but he surprised her once more.
"Do you have any records?" he asked.
"Of what?"
"The kind of music we were listening to today."
"Oh, I thought you meant records, like files. Um, yeah, I think I do have a set of oldies."
"Would you put one on? Pick something slow."
She picked out the CD with a collection of love ballads. When she pressed the play button, he turned off most of the lights.
"May I have this dance?" h
e asked, formally holding out his hand.
She glided into his arms as if she'd done it a hundred times before. "How did you know?"
He kissed her temple as his body molded to hers. "It was written all over your face when we were in the car before. Besides, you asked me if I danced. I took the hint."
"And here I thought I was such a master at hiding my feelings."
His hand slid up and down her back. "I'm glad you can't hide them from me. Like I said before, it makes it a lot easier to please you when I can see exactly what you're thinking."
It took only a few steps for Kelly to turn herself over to Jack's lead. For a while, they simply moved with the sensual music. By the time the second dreamy song came to an end, it was quite obvious to her that he had mastered this seduction skill as well. With their bodies pressed so close together and the possessive way his hands roamed over her, Kelly's thoughts soon turned to a more intimate kind of dancing.
He had accused her of turning him into an addict but she was quite certain he was the one to blame for her sudden, constant state of desire.
Without her needing to say a word, he stopped swaying and led her up the stairs to her room. Strains of another love song drifted up, helping to maintain the slow pace, as Jack removed the two bits of clothing they had on.
She stood still as he arranged her hair behind her so that he had a completely unobscured view. It was much harder to remain calm while he lightly ran his hands from her neck, over her breasts and down her hips.
"You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I have ever known. And I'm not just talking about the package but what's inside."
She returned his compliment by caressing his chest then skimming her fingertips down over his belly. "And I didn't know how much I could enjoy being with a man... in and out of bed. Thank you for showing me."
With a grin, he guided her onto the bed with him and planted soft kisses on her forehead, cheeks and nose. When his mouth finally pressed to hers, the kiss was so sweet and sensual, Kelly couldn't help but sigh.
Jack chuckled. "I really don't understand why you find it necessary to thank me for doing something that makes me feel so good. But it does keep me from feeling totally selfish."
Despite how voracious their sexual appetite had been, the music had quieted their passion. Kelly took her lead from Jack, returning his soft kisses with tenderness, matching his slow strokes of her skin with light, lingering touches.
But, as the minutes passed and their individual fires were rekindled, the more familiar desperation took over and, as had happened every other time, they were unable to hold back the inevitable, explosive conclusion.
As Kelly drifted off to sleep, she wondered if either of them would ever get to a point where sex was just another mundane part of life.
* * *
Kelly was first to wake up the next morning, which gave her the chance to take her time getting ready for their lunch with Reid O'Neill. In order to look less like a distorted copy of Ginger, she styled her hair into a braided knot at the base of her neck, used only a minimum of makeup and wore a chic, yet professional looking, skirt and top. She tried to run through the possible scenarios that could occur during the upcoming meeting but her thoughts kept tripping back to Jack.
Telling herself she couldn't afford to get emotionally attached to him was useless. He was everything she could ever want in a mate... except a promise of forever. It was impossible to forget that he could disappear from her life just as abruptly and irrationally as he had entered it.
Of course, if they actually did share some sort of past life history and they paid their karmic dues this time, maybe they'd get a chance to have it all next time around. Unfortunately, she didn't really believe life worked that way. The only thing she knew for sure was that Jack was with her now. Being with him, no matter what they were doing, made her happy now. And if now was all they had, she didn't want to waste a moment of it.
Before she finished primping, Jack awoke, showered, shaved, dressed and made breakfast. When she appeared in the kitchen, looking professional but far from the bestselling author on her book cover, he wondered where she'd hidden the sex goddess. Being a wise man, however, he just smiled. "Coffee's ready."
Her low-heeled sandals clicked along the tile floor as she walked over and kissed his cheek. "Mmmm. Smells wonderful. Thank you."
He gave her lips a peck. "I had a different kind of kiss in mind but I don't want to spoil all the work you put into that disguise."
She laughed and poured herself a cup of coffee. "I'm not worried about getting mussed but your kisses have a way of making me forget my name and it's even more important today to stay focused."
Bringing two plates of scrambled eggs to the table, he said, "You got it boss. All business."
"I'm serious. We can't be playing any games today. Which reminds me, considering Mary Beth's reaction to us, you will wear both your hat and glasses at all times while we're in public in Charming. And make sure you have a pad and pen. It's imperative you remember you're supposed to be my assistant."
"Got any great ideas to explain why I would keep on a hat and sunglasses indoors?"
She pursed her lips as she gave the problem some thought. "A brain tumor. If you had recently had surgery, they would have shaved a portion of your head, which would explain the hat and the glasses could be because you're sensitive to light."
He rolled his eyes. "I'm beginning to worry about the condition of your brain. Are you sure there's nothing I can say to talk you out of doing this? It was one thing to interview the inebriated Mary Beth but going to O'Neill's home... that's the lion's den and we have no idea who the nastiest lion really was... or still is."
"I'm well aware of that and if I could go around town asking questions without Reid O'Neill finding out, I would do that instead. But that's not an option in a town as small as Charming. I need his stamp of approval first. Once he's agreed to the biography, I'll have carte blanche to interview whoever else I choose. I just have to play to his ego and avoid any mention of his murdered wife."
He sighed loudly and shook his head.
"You don't have to go with me."
"Like hell I don't," he said, frowning. "Not only do you need someone to watch your back, I wouldn't want to miss seeing that son-of-a-bitch's face when he gets a good look at you. Even with the different hairdo and makeup, he might still see a resemblance. Maybe we'll luck out and he'll think Ginger's come back from the dead to haunt him. He might even blurt out a full confession and save us a lot of trouble."
She made a face at him. "You are such a smartass. No wonder they executed you."
By mid-morning, their bags were repacked and they were headed for Charming. However, highway construction on the outskirts of Atlanta delayed them so long, they had to go straight to the O'Neill estate without stopping at the cabin.
The first thing they noted when they arrived was that there were more cars than one would expect to find in the driveway of an elderly, single man. Hannah greeted them at the front door with the same barely polite stiffness Kelly had noted previously. From the grand foyer, the housekeeper led them to the library.
Their curiosity about the number of cars outside was satisfied as soon as they saw four men instead of only one. Jack immediately recognized the stocky man with a full head of white hair who rose to greet them. Though he had to be at least in his eighties, Reid O'Neill had an air of exuberance that made him seem younger. Another, much older-looking man with sparse gray hair and drooping eyelids, was slumped in a sturdy chair.
Another very tall, heavy-set man got to his feet but remained on the other side of the room. He was mature but looked younger than O'Neill. Something about this man, or his build made Jack take a longer look.
The fourth man kept his back to the door, perusing the bookshelves. He was also somewhat tall, with the erect posture of a younger man though his thin gray hair suggested otherwise.
Hannah announced the guests from the doorway. "Mizz
Kelly Kirkwood and her assistant, Duke McCoy. Lunch will be on the table in ten minutes." She then stepped out of the way so Kelly and Jack could enter.
As Jack had hoped, Kelly's appearance had a distinct effect on their host.
The stocky man quickly collected his thoughts, stepped forward with a forced smile and extended his hand. "How do you do, Mizz Kirkwood? Reid O'Neill. I can't tell you how flattered I am to have you in my home."
Kelly shook his hand and explained about Jack's "recent surgery", while Jack scrutinized the aged face and body of Ginger's husband. His words and demeanor exuded typical southern hospitality but Jack's intuition told him the man was very tense about this appointment.
"As it turned out," O'Neill said, with his smile solidly in place, "I had to have a business meeting this morning, so I hope you don't mind that I'm killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. Allow me to introduce my associates who will be lunching with us." He motioned toward the seated man. "This is my longtime friend and colleague, Beauregard Ramey."
As Kelly stepped close enough to shake his hand, Jack noted the icy glare the old guy gave her. Rather than a limp handshake, he grasped her hand and pressed a hard kiss on the back of it.
In a gravelly, southern-fried voice he said, "Mah friends call me Beau. I hope y'all will too."
"It's a pleasure to meet you... Beau." She smiled politely as she smoothly withdrew her hand but Jack could tell she was upset by the man's touch or the way he was looking at her.
As she stepped back, Ramey turned his hooded gaze toward Jack and it was clear he disliked not being able to see his eyes. Though Ramey had aged badly, Jack was certain he had seen the man in the courtroom beside O'Neill throughout his trial. The next man being introduced may have been there as well, which could be why he seemed familiar.
"And this is my company's treasurer, Andrew Hartman," O'Neill said, then spoke to the man who seemed more interested in books than the guests. "Junior?"
Jack felt Kelly tense upon hearing the nickname and discreetly gave her a warning nudge. As Junior joined their circle to be introduced, he kept his face turned to the side, so that his scarred flesh was partially concealed. Jack gave Kelly points for being able to give him the same warm smile that she had offered the others. If Junior noticed a similarity between Kelly and Ginger, he gave no indication of it. Then again, if he had committed the crimes they suspected, Junior Ramey was a master of deception.
Out of Time (Lovers in Time Series, Book 1): Time Travel Romance Page 21