She tore her lips away and buried her face in his neck. He could feel her heart racing against his chest. Maybe it was his own.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Doing what?” he managed to get out when his brain resumed proper functioning.
“First the museum, now here.” She lifted her head. “Always in public. Never private. Why?”
Because she was different. She was caviar and champagne, and he didn’t trust himself to be alone with her, not until the time was right.
He took her hand, noticing how small it looked in his own. She kept her nails painted. A professional-looking pink color. He released her hand and shrugged. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Her expression told him she didn’t believe him at all. “Tell me the truth, Connor.”
This time, he looked at her, really looked at her. “Michelle, what do you want?”
“I want the truth.”
“No. I mean, what do you want this to be between us? A fling? Something more?”
When she stared up at him like that, all starry-eyed and full of hope, he got scared. Part of him wanted to sit her down and say, “I’m not the man for you.” But he held his tongue, waiting, trying not to anticipate her answer.
“I received a letter from Theodore today. I did what I set out to do. He is moving on.”
The words scared the hell out of him. There were no more excuses. Now everything was real. “What do you want, Michelle?” He repeated his question, needing her answer more than anything now.
“For the past couple of months, I was thinking just a fling. You always seemed so…unconstrained.” Her brown gaze locked with his. “I wanted that.”
“Is that what you want now?”
If she said yes, he would leave. There were women he could take a few hours of mutual pleasure from before he’d get dressed and leave in the middle of the night. But not Michelle.
“No. I want to see where this goes. Being with you so far has changed me, Connor, and that’s what I want.”
Change? She wanted to change something?
“What the hell do you want to change? You’re perfect.”
Michelle laughed. “No, I’m not. I don’t have a life outside work and I can never relax. I stay up late at night and I don’t watch the latest movies or X-rated cable shows. No, I research the latest findings about OSHA violators.”
He took her hand, perfect nails and all. “I thought you loved being a labor liaison. Going to be on the cover of The Economist, change the world. Remember that?”
“I don’t know. Right now I don’t want to think about work. I don’t want to think about anything. What about you? I told you what I was thinking. Now it’s your turn.”
“We don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, we do,” she responded, using her authoritative voice.
Resigned to his fate, he sighed. “What do you want to know?”
“What do you want? An affair? More?”
He couldn’t believe how completely calm she was while his palms were starting to sweat. Still, she had been honest. God only knew why, but she wanted a relationship with him. There were expectations with a quick roll in bed, but he knew he could handle that. But the expectations from a relationship scared him. Responsibility, ambition, emotions. This time, he wouldn’t fail.
“More,” he answered quietly.
“Where to from here?”
To his bed, straight to his bed. Her smile was flirty, her eyes giving him all sorts of ideas. No, he had a plan for her. Romance, seduction. He wanted their first time to be unforgettable. “We take things slow. I want everything to be perfect for you.”
“What could be more perfect than today? Look at the flowers, the sun. Feel the cool breeze. I don’t want slow.”
He cleared his throat, pushing aside all sorts of visuals in his head. “Michelle—”
She interrupted before he could finish. “You don’t understand. When I said unconstrained, I meant unconstrained. Spur of the moment, spontaneous, live life to its fullest and all that.”
Connor stared, trying to make up his mind. It was tempting. She was tempting. Finally, he decided. “Unconstrained, huh?” He liked that image. He liked that image a lot. A whole lot. He tugged at her hand. “Walk with me.”
“Okay.”
They walked through the park. He led her to a spot that was quiet and out of the way. A few couples lounged around the edges, but he made his way deeper, where the tall grass shrubs shut out the rest of the world. This would be perfect. Roses bloomed everywhere and a wooden fence appeared and disappeared between the trees.
He leaned back against the fence. “What do you see?”
“Trees. Shrubs. Flowers,” she replied.
This time, he pulled her against him, his hands spanning her waist, keeping her close. “Now, close your eyes. Tell me what you smell.”
She inhaled deeply. “The grass. The flowers. Your skin.”
He pressed a kiss against her neck, trailed his lips over her ear, let his tongue explore her softness. It was with great satisfaction that he heard her long sigh.
“What do you hear?”
“The wind. Insects. Your breathing. People talking.”
“They are far away, Michelle. No one is here.” He turned her in his arms and began to work the button on her blouse.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought you wanted unconstrained? I’m trying to help.”
Her eyes flew open, full of shock. “Connor!”
He used his fingertips to close her eyes, watching the dark lashes flutter closed. A deep flush began to appear at the base of her neck.
“No one is here. No one can see us.”
* * * *
Connor pushed the soft material aside, his hands undoing the clasp between her breasts.
“You have such beautiful breasts. Absolutely perfect.”
She felt his rough fingers touch her hard nipples, his thumbs brushing against them softly. A muted sound reverberated in her ear causing her to tense.
“It’s the wind, Michelle.”
She kept her eyes tightly shut, her thighs clenching together. Already, she felt herself throbbing and swollen.
His mouth closed over one of her nipples and pulled. “You taste sweet,” he whispered. His strong hands kept her in place, hands that she longed to feel all over. A sharp breeze blew across her bare flesh and she shivered. Hot and then cold.
“Please, Connor.” She kneaded the hard strength of his arms with her fingers, but it didn’t help.
“Please, what? What do you feel?”
“I ache all over.”
His knees parted her thighs, and she felt the hard length of him pressing against her. In the distance, she heard voices. She wanted to cry out, tell him to stop, but then his mouth closed over her other breast, his tongue circling her nipple, sending warm tides of pressure between her legs.
“What are you thinking about, Michelle?” he asked, his voice seductive, taunting. He licked a drop of sweat that collect between her breasts. “Are you scared they’ll see you? You shouldn’t be afraid.”
Her legs were starting to tremble; her blood pumped faster. The voices grew louder.
“We need to stop,” she murmured, even as she pulled him closer. His hands tangled in her skirt, cupping her bottom.
“What do you want?”
“I want you, Connor. Here. Now. Please.” There was the sound of footsteps getting louder, then just as quickly, they grew softer, more distant.
“Here, in the park?” His chuckle was wicked. “But that’s so…uninhibited.”
She wanted to yell at him. Anything to relieve the urgent ache between her thighs. Tight with frustration, she curled her hips up to his erection and ground against him—hard. It was with a high level of satisfaction that she heard his indrawn gasp.
“Now.”
Her cell phone went off. In the quiet, amidst only the strained sound of her breathing, was the blasted ri
nging that she was ready to condemn to the bowels of telecommunications hell. He lifted his head and stared at her. His dark gaze filled with desire. With a trembling hand, she searched in her purse for the stupid device. She took a long look at the number flashing there. Sigsmond.
She tossed the cell phone up and down like a softball, eyes on the shrubs, thinking how good it would feel to hurl the thing right over midfield. But the damned numbers kept flashing and, finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore.
By the time she’d made up her mind, Connor’s eyes had cooled, though the teasing gleam was still there.
He pressed one last kiss against her breasts and then fastened the clasp. When he buttoned her blouse, the light touches were sweet torture against her over sensitized nipples.
“Connor—”
He waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you soon.”
He straightened her blouse and her skirt, forcing her heartbeat to a manageable rhythm. No big deal. Right? When she finally got herself together, she searched the path for him, but it was too late. Connor had already disappeared.
Chapter Ten
They were supposed to go out on Wednesday. At the last minute, Connor cancelled. He had a special project for school that he needed to finish. They tried to meet up on Thursday, but he got called in to work. Michelle didn’t want to believe he had an ulterior motive for not seeing her. When Friday rolled around, she stared at the office phone all day, half expecting Connor to cancel the dinner with his parents as well.
Over lunch, she browsed the case files Timmer had provided her and called Vivien, just to confirm. Michelle had arranged for Vivien to meet Theodore at the Sakumas’ house and then they’d all leave from there.
Just when full-blown panic set in, late Friday afternoon, he called from the restaurant. He would pick her up at her apartment and they would go to his parents’ home. Apparently, Connor stood by his commitments.
The car ride was quiet, filled with her watching other commuters as they attempted to make it to their own destinations. She didn’t say much, didn’t see the point. Clearly, Connor didn’t either. But he kept glancing at her. He was wearing a tie tonight.
A tie.
Even in a suit he looked untamed. She noticed several of the ladies in other vehicles staring at him, but he didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he was used to it.
A short time later, he pulled into the driveway of his parents’. Connor came around to her side of the vehicle and opened her door. She took the hand he offered. Tonight, he was the gentleman. She held tight, lingering as long as she could get away with. She loved his hands, loved their strength and hardness.
The air seemed to clear once she stepped out of the vehicle. The Sakumas lived a few miles from where she and her parents had lived after her father received the promotion. They made their way up to a well-maintained home.
“Here we are,” he said, looking a little pale.
Her palms started to sweat, but she didn’t have any reason to be nervous. So she was meeting Connor’s parents. Big deal. Would they remember her? She’d only met Mr. and Mrs. Sakuma a handful of times. That had typically been when they were picking up and dropping off Theodore for some type of school event.
Before he rang the bell, Connor straightened his tie, and took a deep breath. Fascinated, she watched him. He was really nervous about this.
Why?
When the door was opened by a tiny woman with a loud voice, Michelle understood.
“Connor Sakuma, as I live and breathe,” Nancy Sakuma exclaimed as she swept him into a mother’s hug. She stepped back and gave Michelle the once-over. “So…” she murmured, and then took Michelle by the arm, leading her inside the house.
The Sakumas’ home was very cozy, with antiques here and there that probably belonged to generations of prior family members. The wall over near the fireplace was covered with family pictures. Sensing a chance to do some serious swooping, Michelle took a look. There was Theodore with his dad at high school graduation, Theodore throwing his cap in the air, Theodore in a doctor’s coat, Theodore holding up a large fish, presumably the same one that was stuffed—did they actually stuff fish?—and mounted over the bar. And there were more. But not one of Connor.
Mrs. Sakuma stepped forward. “Michelle, you must call me Nancy. Theodore’s told us so much about you. And you’re a labor liaison with OSHA. Imagine!” She tapped Michelle on the arm. “Oh, listen to me. Juro tells me to stop with all the constant chatter, but after forty years of marriage, I don’t listen to him. I just politely tune him out.”
Michelle shot Connor a “help me” look, but Connor was carefully studying a painting on the wall, strategically ignoring his mom.
“It’s about time we finally met, seeing as how Theodore feels about you.”
“She’s my date, Mom. Not Theodore’s. We’ve been seeing each other a while, now.” Connor came over and threaded his fingers with Michelle’s.
She looked at him, wondering what he was doing. Was this a pretence of a pretence? He smiled at her, but it was strained. Obviously, going home wasn’t easy for Connor. She rubbed her thumb over his, a comforting gesture more than a come-on. He squeezed her hand in response.
Not really knowing what else to do, Michelle smiled brightly. “Yes, we have.”
“Oh.” Mrs. Sakuma looked away. “Oh.” And her smile faded some. “Would you like to see my paintings? I have a gallery in the next room.”
Michelle noticed one painting, then another on every wall. “You paint?”
“Yes, I do. Although I prefer to sculpt. My pieces appear to be more realistic. Are you a fan of sculpture?”
Michelle smiled as the last piece of the puzzle slipped into place. “Well, Connor’s been showing me—”
The doorbell rang and Connor coughed loudly. “You should get that, Mom.”
While Nancy went to the door, Michelle tempted fate and reached up and kissed Connor on the lips. Just once. Softly, warmly. He looked at her, surprised.
“That’s a mercy kiss, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Connor Sakuma,” she whispered, and then kissed him again. “It was a mercy kiss.”
He looked ready to say something, but then Theodore, his mother, and Vivien walked into the room. Whatever he had been ready to say, he held back.
Vivien turned heads with her flawless look. She wore ivory as a rule, with Manolo Blahnik pumps. Michelle didn’t do ivory very often—if at all—it tended to make her look untidy. However, on Vivien it was elegant and fashionable.
Theodore took charge, impeccable in a dark suit that seemed tailored just for his body. “Mother, I can see you’ve met Michelle. Connor, may I introduce you to Ms. Vivien Young.”
Vivien looked from Theodore to Connor, back and forth, like a dieter might look at an all-you-can-eat buffet. “You have an amazing pair of offspring, Mrs. Sakuma.”
Nancy looked at her sons and blushed. “Thank you, Vivien.”
Theodore rubbed his hands together, pleased as always. Michelle noticed he seemed quite taken with Vivien, which was one small step on the way to a Theodore-free life. Mentally, she cheered.
“Well, should we all depart?” Theodore asked. “I hired a car service for the evening. It’d be a tight fit in the Lexus.”
Vivien nearly swooned.
Nancy practically glowed. “I just love riding in the limo. Our Theodore, he does so much.”
Connor looked at Michelle. “You ready?”
She grasped his arm for support. “Yes.”
* * * *
When they arrived at the restaurant, Connor saw his father waiting for them in the lobby.
“Son.” He clasped Theodore’s hand in a manly ritual of affection.
Connor spared him and simply waved. “Dad.”
His dad smiled back. They all understood each other. Juro turned to Michelle and held her at arm’s length. Nancy’s brows rose is warning, but he ignored her. “And this is Michelle. My, how you have grown.” He smiled a
t Theodore, full of masculine pride.
Michelle, new to the Sakuma family’s eccentric ways, stepped back and took Connor’s hand. “If it hadn’t been for Theodore, I’d never have met Connor.”
And then she kissed him.
On the lips.
That made three times tonight. Connor was counting. At that moment, he didn’t want his father there, or his mother, or Theodore, or Ms. Vivien Young. Right now, he wanted to be alone with Michelle. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and forget about everybody else. Giving into temptation, he kissed her back. Longer. With feeling.
Someone cleared their throat, and the maitre d’ murmured a low, “Good evening, Dr. Sakuma.”
Connor looked around and saw that, once again, he’d embarrassed the family. He stared at Michelle and shrugged.
Too bad.
They proceeded into the restaurant and were seated at a large, round table toward the center of the room. Theodore pulled Vivien into a conversation, and Michelle, well, Michelle was just watching him with a very sultry expression. And for the first time tonight, Connor found himself looking forward to dinner. He didn’t know if it was the tight plum dress she was wearing, or something else, but she was smoldering, and in the best possible way.
He just wanted to drown in those eyes. The wait staff came and went, brining wine and appetizers. Theodore had picked the menu for them this evening and everyone seemed to be too busy talking, discussing the food.
“He’s into the swing of things this evening,” Michelle said, tilting her head in Theodore’s direction.
“Uh-huh.”
“It looks like he wants her.”
“Uh-huh.” He studied his brother, noted the way Theodore’s eyes never left Vivien. Theodore was never that focused on another person, except at work.
Michelle heaved a sigh, the plum material lifting nicely. “Theodore’s not the only one. I know what I want right now.”
“And that would be?”
“I think you should take me home and I’ll show you.”
Connor closed his eyes, picturing Michelle wrapped in ivory satin sheets, her hair flowing over her shoulders. He pictured her in his arms, watching her face as he moved inside her. Would anyone noticed if they left right now? He checked his watch. A few more hours.
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