by Rita Henuber
He sure as hell couldn’t come out and ask her. But he couldn’t let her walk out of here tonight without knowing. He reached out and touched her arm. “You wanna dance?”
She gave him a lackluster smile, shook her head and turned back to the band.
Disappointment and surprise shot through him. Disappointment he couldn’t hold her again and surprise it overrode his need to get information from her.
The song ended and Olivia turned, her bottom lip pinched between her teeth. Sure she’d changed her mind about the dance, he stood.
“It’s time for me to go, Rico,” she said softly. “Thanks for the dances.”
What? He sat back down. Another wave of disappointment washed over him. He couldn’t let her leave. He needed to know what she knew. More than that, he needed her.
She stood.
“You can’t drive. I’ll have the bartender call a cab for you.”
“Okay. Sure. I’ll wait outside.”
“I’ll wait with you.”
“Not necessary.”
“I’m leaving anyway.” Fuck. That didn’t come out right. He was suffering from terminal foot in mouth disease tonight.
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
He downed the last of his drink, settled up with the barkeep and asked him to call a cab. When Rico caught up with her the look she gave him caused his stomach to clench. He had to say something to keep her from leaving. But what? This was new territory. Working inside the biggest drug syndicate in the country, women were easy to come by. The clothes, cars, boats and spectacular condo overlooking Biscayne Bay drew them in. He snorted. Not tonight. He had none of that and was dressed like a backwoods Bubba.
Silently they waited for the cab. Only the sounds of nearby traffic and the shell surface of the parking lot crunching underfoot broke the silence.
He caught her scent on the night breeze. Lavender and something spicy. Whatever it was drove him crazy, made him want to press his lips to her long, silky neck. The tension in his gut grew stronger. The heat inside him officially turned into a wildfire. He stole a sideways glance at her, sure she was going to leave, walk away. Shit. He couldn’t let her leave. She ignited something long dormant in him. Desire. When the old guy gave her grief he hadn’t hesitated to step in like a rookie and risk blowing everything to be near her. If he let her leave he’d risk not seeing her again and fucking up the investigation. Time for a decision: do what he came for or make a move. He sucked in a loud breath. Screw it…Tomorrow he could think about the job. Tonight he was thinking about himself.
Olivia chanced a sideways glance at Rico. A man she couldn’t be sure of. A man she wanted to jump between the sheets with. Lie naked against and trace her fingertips across his bare chest and lower. Feel his lips and hands on her breasts. How it would feel to… She flinched. It didn’t matter anyway. Men fell all over themselves when she let them know she was interested. Not him.
Going all tight ass at his joke hadn’t helped. She should have been more aggressive, told him outright she wanted to spend the night with him. Being an aggressive helo pilot was great. But with a man she never knew where to draw the line. Olivia blew out a loud breath.
“Oh, hell,” she cursed under her breath. This was a horrible mistake, a huge error in judgment. Time to quit being selfish thinking about her own needs and get back on task. If that cab wasn’t here in two minutes she was going to bolt.
Then Rico slipped an arm around her and all thoughts of leaving fled.
She turned to him. Cupping her chin in his hand, he raised her face to his.
Olivia crooked her index finger and placed it ever so slightly inside the waistband of his jeans, pulling their bodies together.
“Kiss me,” she whispered. Before I lose my courage. His eyes searched hers for a long moment before he bent his head and did as she asked. Expecting a hard, wild, insatiable kiss she was surprised by his tenderness. Olivia returned the kiss, her arms reaching around, her hands pressing into his back.
“My condo is across the road.” His warm breath brushed her cheek with each word. “Come with me.”
It wasn’t a question or an order. His liquid-smooth voice hypnotized her. She nodded. They kissed again deeply, slowly until she was breathless. The man knew what he was doing. Would he be that good in bed? Her knees shook at the thought and she pressed against him.
“I walked to the bar. Give me your car keys. I’ll drive. Wouldn’t want—” Rico bent his head lower and kissed her neck, “—to leave it here overnight.”
“No. You’ve been drinking too.”
“Only soda.”
“What?” She pulled back to get a look at his face. He gave her a wicked smile and went back to sliding his lips and tongue over her neck.
“First—” Olivia sucked in a breath, “—you’ll have to stop doing that.”
“What?” he asked and nibbled her neck.
“That.” The word came out in a strangled sound.
Rico straightened. “Keys?” His fingertips danced up and down her arm giving her the shivers.
Olivia swallowed hard as she fumbled in her purse for the keys.
“Here.”
“Which car?”
Olivia licked her lips. His taste sent her heart rate into overdrive. “Behind you, to your right. The Jeep.”
He looked from her to the Jeep and back again “You’re kidding. I pegged you for a sports car, something you could fly low in.”
Oh. If he only knew. “I’m full of surprises. You’ll see,” she whispered.
“Can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.” She prepared herself for another go-on-forever kiss. It didn’t come. Between gentle darting kisses, Rico nibbled her lips while his hands explored her body. Olivia moaned. She couldn’t help it.
The sound seemed to trigger something in Rico. Now the kissing was hard, wild and insatiable. Strong arms circled her, big hands covered her buttocks and yanked her against him. Without stopping the kisses or separating their bodies, Rico maneuvered them to the passenger side of her Jeep. He broke away, stepped back and with a smooth motion turned her around.
“What?”
“Shhh.” His fingers circled her wrists like handcuffs, forcing her hands against the Jeep. He settled all his weight against her, leaving no question as to how aroused he was.
“Keep your hands there,” he hissed in her ear, kissing his way down the back of her neck to her shoulder. “Don’t move.”
Move? Pressed between him and the Jeep she could hardly do more than squirm. He shifted off her slightly, raised the hem of her dress to her waist and placed his hands over her rear. Splaying his fingers, he ran his thumbs around the crease of her cheeks, all the while giving her neck and shoulders quick kisses.
“What…are you doing?” If he thought he was going to have sex with her against the Jeep, in a damn parking lot, he’d better think again.
“Take it easy.” He groaned. “I’m getting to know you.”
His rough hands caressed her butt, snagging on the lace of her panties. How would they feel on her breasts? On her thighs? Inside her? Olivia shuddered. She couldn’t take much more. His fingers slipped under the cloth as he sucked and nibbled the curve of her neck, her shoulders and back, inflaming her desire to such a pitch her pulse roared and her body hummed.
“I like what you’re doing.” She sighed, realizing all control was gone. At that moment she would have let him do anything he wanted. Maybe sex in a parking lot wouldn’t be so bad. She arched her back, pushing her buttocks into him, grinding into his erection. He moved his hips in response. Reaching around, she slid her hand up his muscled thigh toward the bulge in his jeans. “I want to touch you.”
His hand handcuffed her wrist. “No touching. I’ll come.”
His voice was hoarse and each one of his quick hot breaths seared her neck.
“Ditto.”
“What?”
The muscles in his chest and arms tensed against her.
&nbs
p; “If you don’t stop—” she gasped in a breath, “—doing what you’re doing, I’m gonna come.”
“Truce?” He shifted enough to allow her to turn and wrap her arms around him.
“Truce? Are you…” She wanted to ask if he had changed his mind but couldn’t finish the thought. His scent, heat and weight against her stole her mind…and maybe her soul.
Crap. She would let him take her right here if he wanted. She wrapped a leg around his. Rico pushed it down and stepped back.
“We need to stop while I still can.” He grimaced and opened the Jeep door. “Get in.”
As soon as he pushed the door closed, Olivia pitched the station newsletter and Coast Guard Magazine with her picture on the cover onto the back seat. He slid behind the wheel, started the engine and paused. He rested a warm hand on the nape of her neck, massaging lightly, his hot breath on her cheek.
“You had a lot to drink tonight. I want you to be sure about this.”
“I’m sure.” She nodded, surprised by his concern.
Did he want to get out of this? She glanced at his crotch. Nope, it didn’t look like he wanted out.
He wasn’t kidding, the condo was directly across from the bar. As Rico punched in the security code at the gate she read the sign next to the entry. Luxury Condominiums $950,000.00 and Up. He pulled her battered Jeep into a spot marked Penthouse Only.
Could he be serious about the million in a bank account and the inches? She licked her lips and swallowed hard.
He came to help her from the car. She slid off the seat into his arms, kissing and groping. She wanted to leave no doubt she was into this. Rico didn’t hesitate, returning the kiss and doing some groping of his own.
“I don’t want—” he gulped a breath, “—to have sex with you in a parking lot. Can we cool it?”
“Okay,” she said in a small voice.
He wrapped an arm around her and guided her to the elevator. Riding up, Olivia’s nerves returned.
“I don’t do this. I mean, go with someone I don’t know. I work a lot and…” She stopped and tried not to cringe as she realized how pathetic she must sound.
Rico took her hand, laced his fingers between hers and squeezed. “If it makes it any easier, I don’t do normally do stuff like this either.”
She looked at his reflection in the polished doors. He didn’t turn, but his eyes cut to her and the corner of his mouth turned up slightly. The chime announcing the floor broke the awkward silence and the elevator opened. Hand in hand they walked to his door.
Inside, Olivia was drawn immediately to a wall of floor to ceiling windows facing the ocean. The clear night offered a spectacular view. She opened the sliding glass doors and stepped onto the balcony, a diversion to buy time and get control of a pulse thudding so hard she feared Rico would hear it. No matter what her head told her she wouldn’t listen. Not tonight. She missed the comfort being in a man’s arms brought and she missed sex. Behind her the sound of fabric brushing over Rico’s skin as he stripped off his shirt caused a quick intake of breath. Tonight she wanted, no, needed to be with this man.
“It’s beautiful,” she sighed. “I never get tired of seeing the ocean at night, the way the phosphorus glows on the waves or the static lightning snakes across the sky.”
He wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on her stomach. She snuggled against his chest.
“Do you want anything?” His lips rested lightly on her ear. “I have wine, whiskey, tequila…”
Did she detect a smile in his voice?
“Condoms are all I need.” The feel of his body chased away any misgivings.
“Got plenty.”
“Good.” She turned. “You’ll need all of them.”
His searing look scorched her every nerve ending. A guttural sound escaped him. In one motion he swept her into his arms and carried her easily into the bedroom. His muscled arms around her gave the comfort she sought and soon he’d provide the sexual fulfillment she needed.
Rico lowered her to the bed and she parted her legs, allowing him better access. He took it, rolling his hips into her, giving her the full effect of his erection. She circled her arms around his neck, kissed him fiercely and drew him completely onto her.
He pushed her dress past her hips and stroked her inner thigh achingly slow. Each stroke higher than the last until she wanted to say just go for it. But the waves of pleasure he created engulfed her. She could only lie back and enjoy. His fingers touched her panties then slipped under the silk to her soft flesh, and her hips arched. He removed his hand. “Put it back,” she demanded.
“Like that do ya?” he said, rising up to see her face.
“Mmm.” She nodded. “More.”
He did as he was told.
Olivia slid her hands down his back until she reached his jeans. She jammed her fingers under the cloth, as far as she could, and squeezed his very tight butt.
Rico’s fingers parted her folds. Her body instinctively rose to his touch. “I—I like that better.” The words floated out on a sigh of pleasure. One, then two of his long fingers slipped inside, moving rhythmically. Oh! He was good at this. Really, really good.
Her hands left his ass to grapple with the snap on his jeans. “I want to…touch you. Hold you.” She was having trouble breathing.
He moved slightly, giving her room to access what she wanted. Her trembling fingers managed to undo the snap but failed with the zipper. Olivia found his erection and squeezed. “I like this too.” His noisy intake of breath and shudder gave her pleasure. She grasped him tighter and stroked.
“I want you.” His smooth voice was replaced with a hoarse tone.
“Yes, now,” she pleaded, her voice raw from panting.
Rico stood, and the separation of their bodies drew an involuntary gasp from Olivia. She heard his shoes drop and she levered up enough to watch him strip off his jeans. Her gaze roamed over him, enjoying the view.
Rico peeled her panties away. She fell back raising her hips, expecting him to enter her. When he didn’t, she lifted her head to see him covering himself with a condom.
“Hurry,” she begged.
“Yes, ma’am.” He yanked her to the edge of the bed, pressed between her legs and slid inside. They both hissed in a loud breath. Olivia always savored that first long stroke, especially with a new lover, but this was insanely good.
He moved slowly, thrusting deep. She coiled her legs around his hips, moving her body in a faster rhythm.
“Faster,” she breathed, “and harder.”
“I’ll finish.”
“So will I.”
“Ahhh.” His voice quivered and he did as she asked.
“Oh.” Her breath caught. “Oh.” She grabbed fistfuls of his shirt as her stomach wound tighter and tighter. Her body bucked and convulsed under him, releasing fire and ice into every molecule of her body and pushing her world off its axis.
She closed tight around him, pulsing. Rico’s fingers dug into her hips. His movements quickened and he found his rhythm. She wrapped her legs around his hips as his body arched, tensed and shuddered with his own release.
Someone growled. Him, her, she didn’t know. Her blood pounded so hard and loud in her head she couldn’t be sure.
“Hang on.” He slid an arm under her and moved them to the center of the bed. Breathless, he collapsed onto her. The weight of his body and the fact he was still semi-hard heightened the fog of pleasure blanketing her. The act lasted less than a minute and yet her senses reeled, every inch of her skin tingled and she felt completely satisfied.
He buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, gulping in air. “I’ll…get off you…in a minute.” She didn’t respond because she couldn’t. Her own breaths came in short panting bursts. A long moment later he levered himself up, and his chest heaved as did hers. She felt the need to say something. “Wow” was all she could manage.
“Wow? We didn’t even—” he huffed in a breath, “—last sixty seconds.”
<
br /> “But they were the best sixty seconds of my life,” she murmured.
Rico’s body shook with laughter, causing him to slip out of her.
“No,” she moaned, tightening her grip. She didn’t want him to move away.
He rolled to his side, pulling her against his chest, and she snuggled in comfortably.
“I’ll be good to go again in a few,” he whispered.
“Mmm. You better be.” Olivia rolled onto his chest, sliding her hands under his T-shirt. She pushed it up slowly, working her lips up his chest, kissing, licking and sucking. Reaching a nipple, she raked her teeth over it.
“Ohhhh.” Rico shuddered. Repeating the motion on the other nipple she received the same reaction.
She turned her attention to his shirt now bunched under his chin. Olivia tried to get it off but he lay there, his hands clasped behind his head, grinning, not cooperating. Straddling him, she tugged on the material. “Help me get this damn thing off you,” she ordered.
Rico sat, with her still astride him, and peeled off the shirt. His arms free, he coiled them around her, crushing her against him, kissing hard. His penis pressed into her belly, throbbing, jerking.
This was plain, raw sex. And she wanted it more than she ever had before.
His hands went under her dress, sliding over her damp skin. “Put your arms up.” She did and he stripped it away. A moment later she shrugged out of her bra. They stopped, appraising each other.
Olivia ran her fingers through his hair, over his shoulders to his muscled chest and firm stomach. The feel of his skin under her fingertips sent new ripples of pleasure through her. Her hand curled around his erection, squeezing and releasing. His groans encouraged her to continue.
Rico covered her breasts with his hands and gently squeezed. He stopped, looked down and went still. “Anything wrong?” she managed to ask.
“Nooo. Everything is great.”
“Then why did you stop?”
“It’s not often you get to see top of the line original equipment in unaltered condition,” he answered. “I’m just taking a moment to enjoy.”