by Talty, Jen
“I testified against him.”
He covered his mouth. “I shouldn’t be laughing.”
“Laughing is perfectly appropriate in this situation.” She covered her eyes with her hand, shielding the sun, giving him a slight smile. "How long since your breakup?”
“It’s only been a few months.”
“Oh boy,” she muttered. “You’re still not over her.”
“I’m completely over her, but I’m not interested in getting involved with anyone and certainly not putting myself out there to be in a relationship.” He swallowed, realizing how shallow he sounded.
“And yet, you had to have dinner with me tonight.” Her tone was neither accusatory nor adversarial. But it was flat.
“I like you. I like your company. I’d be an idiot and a liar if I said I didn’t think you were the prettiest woman in any room, but, and I hope you understand, I’m not looking for anything other than friendship. I don’t expect this to go anywhere. Not even a kiss, though I wouldn’t say no to one.”
Her lips parted as her pink tongue darted between them, moistening the plump flesh.
His breath hitched. Why did he have to even bring up the fact that he wanted to kiss her, when he knew damn well he wouldn’t dare. It would be too dangerous because if he did, he’d want more.
She leaned in, pushing the top of his hat back, her hot breath tickling his ear.
“You live in Idaho, and I live here, and I don’t have time for dating since I’m finally on track for getting my degree, but I am sitting next to you right now.”
He held his breath, waiting for her lips to touch his skin, but instead, she stole his hat, plopping it on her head with a grin from ear to ear.
“No one ever wears my hat,” he said with a low growl. He wanted to lift her onto his lap and kiss every freckle on her adorable face.
“Show’s about to start.”
He reached for the brim, but she batted his hand away. “I bet it looks better on me.”
“I bet a lot of things look better on you.”
* * *
Flirting had never been a natural thing for Kitty. No one would describe her as being shy, but most knew her to be reserved and guarded.
Standoffish.
Except when it came to JW.
“Where are we going?” he asked, his fingers laced between hers as they strolled down a side street not far from her home.
“I’m taking you to my favorite feel-good food joint.”
He snagged his hat from her head.
“Hey. What did you do that for?” She tried to jump up to retrieve the hat, but he held it too high.
“I can’t see your pretty face under the brim.” He adjusted the Stetson, keeping it low over his forehead. “Much better.”
His smile heated her insides like a marshmallow dancing dangerously over an open flame, seconds from catching fire. The last time her heart fluttered at the mere thought of a man’s lips on her skin had been when she’d first met her ex. Since then, even the cutest of men who approached her did nothing but remind her of how her marriage had ended.
As they rounded the corner, the smell of a crispy sausage doused in sautéed onions and peppers assaulted her senses, giving her libido a much-needed break. “Here we are.” They stopped behind another couple waiting to order their food.
“A hot dog stand is your favorite place to eat?”
She tilted her head and looked up, catching his dark gaze. Her damn sexual desires made the gurgle in her stomach from hunger disappear and was replaced by a tingle in all the places that made her a woman.
“We’re not going to eat here,” she whispered. She’d initially planned on taking him to her rooftop, where she always enjoyed sitting and staring at the stars. He’d see she lived with her parents and wouldn’t dare ask to be invited in. They’d part ways, never to see each other again.
Only that plan no longer appealed to her.
“What hotel are you staying at?” her voice trembled, and her heart pounded into her throat.
He arched a brow in a sexy curve as the right side of his mouth curled upward in a playful twitch. “The Belvin. Why do you ask?”
She opened her mouth, but only a gasp escaped. She cleared her throat. “That place is over two hundred a night.”
“Executive Suite is more like four hundred, but I got a deal on it.”
“I’ve never even been inside for a drink. Not even when I was married to Preston. I hear it’s pretty pretentious.”
“We can bring our dinner to the hotel if you like,” he said, his thumb and index finger gliding across her chin, tilting her head.
“We’re stirring up trouble,” she whispered.
He nodded, the top of his hat shading what little sun was left in the sky. “You’re a deadly combination of beauty and brains.” His fingers skated across her cheek before fisting her hair, gently tugging. “I’m only here for a few more days.”
“I’ve only got a week before classes start up, and once that happens, I won’t have any time between my work and school.”
His long, thick lashes fluttered over his smoky eyes. His hot breath tickled her lips. Desire spilled out of her pores, begging to be sucked in by the sexy cowboy.
“I’d like to spend the rest of my time here with you,” he said.
She bit down on her lower lip. “What are we talking ourselves into here?”
“Nothing you don’t want it to be,” he whispered, his mouth less than an inch from hers.
A man cleared his throat, and she jumped, digging her fingers into JW’s shoulders, still holding his gaze.
“Hey, Kitty. Can I get you the usual?” the street vendor asked, forcing her to refocus her attention.
“Two, please,” she said, feeling her cheeks flush. She hoped they weren’t as red as her hair. Pulling out her wallet, she held out a twenty. “He’ll have two as well, but he’s paying for his own.”
JW laughed but thankfully didn’t argue. The wealthy men she knew constantly pushed their money on others, and then used it as leverage to manipulate later. Nothing about JW seemed like the typical rich man. Of course, she knew very little about him, and before she committed herself to a short-lived affair, she planned on finding out a whole lot more.
JW ordered them an Uber since they were close to three miles from the fancy hotel. When she’d been married to Preston, they stayed at places like The Belvin whenever they traveled. She’d learned to accept the fact that Preston would always spend top dollar, even when a basic hotel room would have been just as comfortable. She honestly didn’t miss his money, nor his lifestyle, but she’d be lying if a little pampering didn’t go a long way.
They rode to the hotel in an uncomfortable silence. She couldn’t decide if he was having second thoughts, or if she was giving off the impression she had reservations.
Which she did.
But not enough to stop her from taking his hand as he helped her from the vehicle and following him into the elevator. His hand rested firmly on her lower back as he pushed the button, taking them to the top floor.
“I’m happy to just have dinner with you,” he said in a low, husky voice.
“We should have stopped to get beer.” She blinked. Why the hell did she say that?
“I have beer, wine, and Johnnie Walker.”
“I think I want a taste of the whiskey.”
He growled, pinning her to his chest, his arms circling her waist. The bag of food fell from her fingertips. His lips came down on hers, hard. The elevator doors dinged open. Thankfully, no one waited in the hallway as JW bent over, picked up the bag of food, and lifted her over his shoulders.
“Whoa, there cowboy. What are you doing?” She chomped down on her lip to keep from giggling like a schoolgirl. Her hands clutched his hips as she watched his butt muscles flex with each long stride.
“Taking you to my room, but I need you to reach in my back pocket and get my key card and open the door.”
“You could just p
ut me down,” she said, though she didn’t want him to, so she slipped her hand into his loose-fitting jeans.
“Other side.” He stood in front of a door, and she felt up his firm ass, pulling out a card, and waving it in front of the door. “Did you enjoy that?” he mused as he pulled her off his shoulder and into his arms, tossing his hat and the food to a table in a massive foyer for a hotel room.
She answered by nibbling on his earlobe, sucking it into her mouth, twirling the soft skin with her tongue.
“Good Lord, you are a dangerous woman.”
“Not to be a buzzkill, but two things.” She buried her face in the crook of his neck as he maneuvered through an extravagant living room with a dark cloth sofa and two comfortable-looking green chairs. This room had to be more beautiful than any other she’d ever seen. JW kicked open the bedroom door.
“If one of them is a condom, I have one or two.”
“That was one concern.”
“And the other?” He laid her on the king-size bed, covered with a white plush comforter that glided like silk against her bare legs. His body sprawled out next to hers, his fingers toying with her hair just over her breast as she heaved in a breath, daring him to touch and take his fill.
She cupped his face, gazing into his smoky eyes, basking in his lust. “I’m not normally like this, considering I’ve been with only two men in the last three years, but I need to know that in a week, you’re going to walk out of my life.”
He traced his index finger over her lips. “You’re fun. Sexy. Intelligent, and I enjoy your company, but my life is in Idaho, and I’m not ready to be in a relationship with anyone, so walking away won’t be a problem.” He let out a long sigh. “We can go back out into the other room, eat our dinner, and just talk.”
“You could turn this off just like that?” she asked, snapping her fingers.
“I might need a cold shower, but yes, if that’s what you wanted.”
She shook her head. “I want you like I haven’t wanted a man in a long time. But it’s just sex.”
“So, now you’re turning it off just like that.” He cocked his head back. The corner of his mouth tipped upward into a sexy smile.
“I suppose so,” she said with a laugh. “This is so not me.”
“Well, I’m not normally the one-night stand kind of guy.”
“So, we’ll make it a few days.”
“I think I’m going to like my stay in Baltimore,” he said, kissing her chest, his hand gently lifting the rim of her tank top.
She closed her eyes and let her other senses take over. His callused hands grazed her skin as he slid her shirt over her head. The cold air-conditioning coated her burning skin. His musky pine scent filled the room as if they were in a meadow. His lips lavished her stomach with soft kisses. Goosebumps tickled her body as his hands clutched her breasts, his fingers slinking under her bra, skimming across her tight nipple.
Reaching over his shoulders, she tugged at his shirt, yanking it harder than she’d planned, but she needed to feel his skin. Needed to touch and kiss his body. She told herself the desperation was only because she hadn’t had sex with anything other than a toy in almost a year. While there was something to be said for self-pleasuring, feeling the hardness of a man on top of you—or underneath you—couldn’t be substituted.
Her hands roamed his taut stomach muscles, fumbling with the button on his jeans while he unhooked her bra, tossing it on the floor. He paused his movement, staring at her breasts. She swallowed, fighting the urge to cover herself.
A slow shiver crept along her skin starting at her toes and ending at every erogenous zone she knew about and a few she hadn’t yet discovered.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
Her chest heaved up and down, watching him lick his full lips before drawing a nipple into his mouth, destroying any doubt she might have had over his desire.
She arched her back, fingers tugging desperately at his zipper. His hand covered hers as he eased himself off the edge of the bed. “We’re in no rush.”
“Speak for yourself. I haven’t had sex with a man in over a year.” Gasping for air, she wasted no time removing his pants and underwear, kissing his rock-hard stomach. His chiseled muscles were that of a perfect sculpture. His skin was soft and supple. His moans encouraged her to take him into her hands, stroking gently.
His body was meant to be worshiped, and she wasn’t about to let any of it go untouched. She’d always been reserved when it came to the male body. Her sexual experiences were limited to a handful of men, and she never quite knew what to do, even with guidance. But with JW, it all changed. It was as if a lightbulb had been turned on inside her libido, giving her the confidence to let instinct take over, leaving her insecurity on the floor with her undergarments.
She kissed the tip of his shaft before gliding her lips down his hard length. Boldly, she opened her eyes, catching his lust-filled gaze.
He smiled, and her stomach rolled—electricity shot from her toes to her fingertips. She gripped harder. Stroked faster. She wanted to please him in ways no one else ever had. She wanted to make sure this moment would be forever etched into his memory.
His hands fisted her hair as he groaned behind a clenched jaw. Raw power raced through her veins. Heat exploded between her legs. Every inch of her body ached and throbbed.
He yanked her hair, tilting her neck. “Lay back,” he said with a throaty groan. He pushed her back with a soft touch, kneeling in front of her, undoing her shorts, ripping them off her in one yank.
Before she could catch her breath, his head was between her legs, kissing her intimately. With every swirl of his tongue, her body shuddered.
“Oh my,” she whispered, resting her feet on his shoulders, running her fingers through his thick, dark hair. Her hips rolled in an involuntary motion against his mouth. Everything in the room blurred out into a grainy image, except JW.
She held her breath, trying to hold back her orgasm, savoring every slight quiver, building up to… “Oh, God.” She moaned, staring at him as he brought her to the edge. His gentle touch was both sweet and demanding.
She jerked in a violent wave like heavy winds sending the ocean crashing into the shore. He continued to shower her with soft kisses, palming her as he made his way up her stomach, stopping at her breasts, nipping at her nipples.
He slipped two fingers inside, fanning his thumb over her swollen nub. “Do that again for me?” he asked, staring into her eyes.
“God, I hope so,” she whispered. Clamping down around his fingers, she concentrated on his movement, grinding against him. His full lips curled into a sexy smile as she rocked her hips, gripping his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh.
“I have to have you.” He managed to cover himself in protection before lifting her off the bed and carrying her to the oversized chair in front of the window.
“Like this?” She straddled him, his hardness slipping slowly into her as his one hand caressed her breast and his other clenched her hips, rolling her back and forth.
“Just like this,” he murmured, staring into her eyes.
The lights from outside illuminated the window, casting a glow over their bodies, daring her to catch their silhouettes.
Leaning up, he popped her nipple into his mouth, looking intently at the window, their eyes meeting in the neon lights.
“Yes,” she whispered, gliding her hand down his firm chest, over his stomach, feeling it quiver under her touch.
She rocked against him, gently rubbing herself.
His moans grew gruffer as he raised his hips, thrusting while they both admired their lovemaking.
Tossing her head back, she tightened herself around him, feeling her juices coat him as her orgasm spilled out. His name rolled off her tongue over and over again.
He palmed her ass, driving himself into her, holding her with both hands, controlling her movement until she felt him swell, and he steadied himself deep inside, holding her still for
a long moment.
“You’re amazing,” he said between labored breaths.
He pulled her tight, burying his head in her neck, rocking her gently back and forth.
“I think I just died and went to Baltimore heaven,” he whispered.
* * *
JW stood in front of the microwave, tapping his fingers against the counter as if that would make the food heat up any faster.
Not only was he starving, but he wanted to climb back in bed with the sexy redheaded raven. He’d had great sex before. Mind-blowing even. But what had just happened, and the way they watched each other in the window, was something out of his realm of understanding. There were no words to describe how he’d felt in the moment or how it would forever be the best he’d ever had.
And he selfishly wanted more.
Before the timer dinged, he pulled the loaded sausages out and tossed them on a couple of plates, setting them on a tray next to a couple of beers and headed toward the bedroom. Kitty…Kitty…fuck, he hadn’t a clue what her last name was. What a goddamned moron he turned out to be. He could hear his grandmother cussing him out from beyond.
He pushed open the door using his ass and smiled. Kitty had put on his green button-down shirt. She’d pulled her wavy hair to the side, twisting it in one hand, holding her phone in the other.
“I’ll check in with you in the morning, Dad, I promise.” She sat cross-legged in the center of the bed. “Love you too, Dad.”
“You called your father?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I moved home after my divorce and just didn’t want them to worry about me staying out all night.”
“That’s nice, but a little presumptuous that I’d invite you to spend the night when I don’t even know your last name.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“I was kidding on the presumptuous part; I’d be disappointed if you didn’t spend the night.” He set the tray of food on the bed in front of her, twisting off the cap of both beers before handing her one.
“It’s not that.” She took the beer, taking a healthy swig. “I can’t believe I never told you my last name.”