“Of course there’ll be a next time.” His eyes glowed. “What kind of a guy do you think I am?”
My kind. But she didn’t dare say that. “There’s a box of condoms in the top drawer of my dresser, behind my panties.”
His eyes widened.
“Are you shocked?”
“Not shocked.” He combed back her hair with his fingers. “But you aren’t anything like I thought,” he said softly.
She decided that was a good thing. If she continued to surprise him, instead of being boring old nerdy Jamie, he might stick around for a while. She was going to mine that questionnaire for all it was worth.
He gazed at her for a moment longer. “Where did you say they were?”
“You weren’t listening.”
“Once I heard box of condoms my heart started pounding so loud I couldn’t hear.”
“Top dresser drawer,” she murmured. “Behind my panties.” And now she wished they were all black lace.
He leaned down and plunged her into heaven with another of his specialty kisses. “Don’t go away,” he whispered.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Not that she could have moved from the bed, boneless as she felt.
When he came back with the box, he was already starting to open it. He fumbled the job and dumped condoms on the floor. “To hell with it. That makes them easier to grab.”
She nearly went up in flames. He didn’t expect to stop with one.
He kept his attention firmly on her as he undressed, watching her as he kicked off his shoes and reached down to tug off his socks. The only time he broke the connection was for the split second when he pulled his sweater and T-shirt over his head.
She’d only seen him shirtless once, when she’d gone to his parents’ house to meet Faith and he’d been playing basketball with his friends. She’d been so mesmerized by the sight of a seminaked, sweaty Dev that she’d walked into a lamppost on the way to the front door. He had the same effect on her now, but fortunately she didn’t have to walk anywhere.
No, all she had to do was lie here and anticipate phase two, a journey into Dev territory she’d only imagined. And she had imagined, barely willing to admit to herself that she’d fantasized about him so intimately. Maybe that was why she was ready to take this step. He’d walked naked into her dreams a thousand times.
But the dream images had been indistinct. When Dev shoved down his jeans and briefs, he was so real she gulped. His penis, long and thick, jutted from a wild swirl of dark hair. He didn’t seem to mind a bit that she was staring at him. In fact, when she lifted her gaze, he was staring back, his eyes filled with lust.
Slowly he came to her, his lips parted, his breathing ragged. “Leather,” he murmured, easing down beside her and tracing the borders of her bra with one finger. “I still can’t believe it.”
She tingled every place he touched. The glove-soft leather against her skin aroused her even more. She’d thought of it as a male fantasy item, but wearing it was giving her the most incredible feeling, as if she’d been gently bound and offered up to him as a gift. Her feminist soul should be outraged at the concept. Instead she’d never felt more daring.
He cupped her breast. The slightest nudge from his hand and her nipple would slip out. “Do you wear this…a lot?”
She struggled to remember the English language. It shouldn’t be so tough. She was a native speaker. “Some.”
“I thought you liked cotton.”
“I’m…experimenting.”
“Lucky me.” With that he gave that necessary little nudge that set her nipple free. “Mmm.” Then he lowered his head and licked her like a lollipop.
She began to whimper and squirm. What he was doing was turning her on to an incredible degree. And there was something about that tiny leather triangle as it shifted around between her legs that drove her even closer to the edge of insanity.
Then his hand was there, stroking the small piece of leather. She was soon drenched, and the leather became slippery against her curls. Before long it was no trick for him to ease it aside. The swift glide of his fingers into her heat made her gasp.
Dear Lord, she was going to come immediately. She’d never had that reaction to a man. “Dev…”
He looked into her eyes and his breath caught. “I can’t wait.”
“Dev—”
“Hang on.” He rolled away from her and grabbed a condom from the floor.
“Dev.” She was bubbling and steaming, ready to boil over in a frothy, wild release.
He rolled to his back and grunted in frustration as he struggled with the wrapper. But his fingers were wet, for obvious reasons, and he had trouble tearing the package.
Too far gone to worry about protocol, she grabbed the package and ripped it open. “There.”
“Thanks.” Putting on the condom with a snap of latex, he pulled the leather thong out of the way, found his bearings and thrust deep. “Sweet heaven.”
She dug her fingers into his tight buns and moaned. “Go.”
His gaze swept over her, from her head to the spot where they were securely locked together. Then he looked into her eyes. “Yeah,” he said softly.
He proceeded to take her on the shortest, wildest ride of her life. He pumped fast and with deadly accuracy, taking her the rest of the way in seconds while her cries escalated and her head thrashed from side to side. At the end, when she went crashing through the barrier, she was incoherent with pleasure.
As the ripples undulated through her, she was reduced to a litany of Yes, yes, yes, yes. Oh, yes.
DEV MAINTAINED HIS RHYTHM until her last tremor died away. He was a man in the grip of a fantasy, in bed with a woman he’d thought was an innocent nymph, a woman who’d turned out to be more seductive than even she knew.
Braced on his forearms, he let his hot gaze roam over her as he slowed the pace, fascinated by the effect of each thrust. He watched her change in expression and the shimmy of her breasts only partly cupped by red leather. He watched the slide of his penis until it disappeared within that riot of drenched red curls. He watched as his dark strands mingled with flame.
If only this fantasy could go on forever, but he was fast approaching his limits. He thought he could make her come again, though, and that was a prize worth going for. Shifting his weight to his left arm, he paused in midstroke and reached down to swirl his thumb over her trigger point. Sure enough, she began to quiver.
Looking into her eyes, he rubbed gently as he continued to thrust. “Can…you?”
“Mmm.” Her green eyes darkened to jade.
“Yes?” He hoped she’d be able to come soon. His climax was bearing down on him like a 747 approaching the runway at O’Hare. Soon he’d have no choice but to land that sucker.
Her breath quickened and she nodded.
Ah, she felt so good. And he was too close, probably closer than she was. He might not last. Unless… It took a fair share of willpower, but he eased his penis free and slid down until his head was between her thighs. Her gasp of surprise pleased him. He liked being a step ahead.
No point in wasting time being hesitant, in case she might feel shy and try to stop him. He was on a mission and he took control, treating her to a thorough tongue bath. He loved his work. And from her response, she did, too. Before long she was making those wild climax noises and shuddering in his arms.
He let her play it out, and then he reclaimed his position. Locking his gaze with hers, he thrust deep inside her. Ah, yes. This would be something. This would be unreal. Yes. Yes. Spasms shook him from his scalp to the bottoms of his feet, taking away thought and speech. For long moments he hung above her, semiconscious, barely able to support himself on his braced arms as his body jerked with aftershocks.
Finally he was able to focus again, and he gazed down at her in wonder. Who would have thought that she’d be the one to give him the most incredible climax of his whole sexual life?
She cupped his face in both hands. “Are you…okay?”
/> Still not up to speaking, he nodded.
“Would you…like some coffee, now?”
He smiled inside, but his muscles were still quivering too much for him to risk a real smile. After all that, she still wanted to be a good hostess. He could fall for this woman if he wasn’t careful.
He licked his dry lips, tried to speak and had to clear his throat. Still, his voice sounded as if he’d been on the floor of the stock exchange all day. “Anything you have to offer, girl, I’ll take.”
JAMIE KISSED Dev goodbye at her door sometime after three in the morning. They’d already made plans for the next night. She went back to bed, trying to keep her promise to Dev that she’d get some sleep. But the bed was where they’d made love…three times. She lay in the dark, eyes wide, and remembered.
Every once in a while her brain shifted from all those hot memories and wandered into what-if territory. What if this was only a fling for Dev? What if it was more than a fling? What if Dev was on the rebound? What if he wasn’t? But mostly her what-ifs centered around one question: what if she hadn’t been trying out patchouli oil and leather lingerie?
Throwing back the covers, she climbed out of bed. After he’d left she’d put on her flannel granny gown. If she’d been wearing that under her white bathrobe, she never would have let him kiss her. You didn’t kiss a guy like Dev wearing a flannel granny gown.
In the living room she turned on her computer instead of a light. All she needed was on the screen, anyway. She opened the Hot Commodity file, which now included Dev’s questionnaire, and started to read. Grabbing the pen next to the computer, she started making notes. An hour later she went back to bed and dreamed of black lace and dangling ruby pendants.
THE NEXT MORNING as she boarded the bus for downtown, she seriously considered going in the back entrance and sneaking up to her office instead of meeting everyone for coffee. Everyone would include Dev. He’d already told her he’d be there. She wanted to see him so bad her teeth ached, but on the other hand, she would hardly be wearing leather to the office. When he came face-to-face with her ordinary self, he might reconsider.
Yet if she chickened out, she’d get the third degree from Faith. During the bus ride she came up with her only alternative. She wasn’t sure she could pull it off, but she’d braved her way through the leather incident with outstanding results. She ought to be able to take the game a step further.
Faith, Dixie and Dev were already at the table when she walked in through the main entrance. When Faith waved, she waved back, but her heart was beating so fast she wondered if she’d pass out before she made it over to the table. Dev gave her one long, slow glance. Then he smiled.
One smile and she was a basket case. Maybe she couldn’t complete the routine she had in mind, after all. But it seemed like a surefire way to keep him interested. She’d read his questionnaire answers. She knew what she had to do.
“How’s everyone this morning?” she asked as she took off her scarf and coat to hang them over the back of the chair. Today Faith sat on one side of Dev and Dixie on the other, so Jamie ended up across from him. She’d chosen a black pantsuit with a snug fit, the best she could do under the circumstances. “Everyone sleep well?”
“Not really,” Dev said.
“Poor baby.” Faith patted his arm. “Worried about quarterly earnings already, I’ll bet.”
“I slept like a top,” Dixie said. “Flannel sheets are God’s gift to the single woman on a cold winter’s night.”
“I think something’s wrong with the thermostat in my apartment.” Jamie couldn’t risk looking at Dev. “I was hot all night.” She glanced up at Mr. Willis instead, who had appeared with her coffee. “Thank you so much.”
“My pleasure.” Mr. Willis’s gaze circled the table. “Does anyone care for anything more?”
“A foot warmer for these long winter nights,” Dixie said with a wink.
Mr. Willis blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
Dixie laughed. “Just kidding, Alfred.” After he left she leaned forward. “I can’t resist teasing him a little. I wonder if anything would loosen him up.”
“I don’t know, but that starched routine of his is great for business,” Faith said. “People love to hear him talk.” Then she turned to Jamie. “Get the super to fix that thermostat for you. Next thing you know, your utility bill will be through the roof.”
Jamie flicked a glance in Dev’s direction. “I will, but the heat was kind of nice. I put all my summer clothes in storage in the basement, though, and I don’t want to drag them out. So just in case I can’t get it fixed, I’m going to buy a couple of negligees from Sheer Delights this morning.”
Dixie smiled, obviously pleased. “I never thought I’d see the day. Sugar, please don’t tell me you want some ankle-length number that buttons up to your neck. Make Dixie happy and take home a sexy outfit for a change.”
Dixie was playing right into her hands. Jamie sighed, as if giving in to the inevitable. “Oh, okay. If you insist. I’ll try on that black lace set you’ve been raving about.”
“Oo, la, la!” Dixie rolled her eyes. “With your red hair, you’ll look fabulous in that one.” She pushed back her chair. “Bring your coffee and come on up. I can’t wait to see what you look like in it.”
“Why not?” Jamie’s pulse raced and she chanced one more look in Dev’s direction. “See you all later.”
Dev’s blue eyes smoldered. “You bet.”
As she left the table and followed Dixie to the stairs, she felt an uncharacteristic impulse to sway her hips as she walked. So she did, just a little. With luck, Dev was watching. With even more luck, he’d just swallowed his tongue.
DEV FOUND HIMSELF in a trap of his own making. As the days of anticipation and the nights of incredible pleasure went by, he knew Jamie was using the information on his questionnaire to spice up their encounters. More than once he’d started to tell her that he’d faked every last answer to confuse potential matchmakers. But he didn’t have the heart, because she was…blossoming.
The night she’d made love to him wearing only the ruby pendant she’d temporarily borrowed from The Diamond Mine, she’d admitted having no idea how sensuous a piece of fine jewelry could feel when you were naked. He’d had a little trouble working around the cumbersome necklace, and it had nearly put his eye out during one particular maneuver. But Jamie had been so turned on by the concept that, in the end, he’d been turned on by it, too.
By now he’d forgotten half the things he’d said on the questionnaire, but Jamie had it permanently recorded on a computer disk and she seemed determined to work in every sexual preference she thought he had. He found himself longing for the simple woman in the jeans and sweatshirt, but Jamie apparently had left that woman in the dust.
Maybe it didn’t matter. Once they got past whatever trappings she’d added for the evening’s entertainment, they were down to two naked bodies and the most unbelievable sex he’d ever known. It was so good, in fact, that the M-word was running through his mind on a regular basis. He’d begun picturing how Jamie would look in white.
But her newfound spirit of adventure made him nervous. A woman in the midst of exploring her wild side might not be in the mood for commitment. Jamie had given no indication that this was more than a casual affair.
Well, that wasn’t completely true. Through the recent Valentine uproar at The Red Doors, Jamie had seemed to use him as an anchor. He liked having her do that. She’d also admitted to Faith that they’d been dating, and Dev thought that was a major step.
Still, he didn’t feel confident enough to think in terms of happily ever after. Not yet. Maybe not for a long time. But Valentine’s Day was on Friday and this was Tuesday. He needed to make plans, and they couldn’t be a carbon copy of what they’d been doing so far—spending the night in her apartment and in her bed.
Any woman would expect something more elaborate from a guy she’d been seeing so often and so intimately. If she were the old Jamie, he could
tell her to pack her comfy clothes and they’d head up to a secluded cabin in Wisconsin for the weekend. But this emerging Jamie would want a night on the town so she could wear a slinky dress and impossibly high heels. Maybe she’d put on the same red pair she’d worn with the red lace teddy the other night.
He didn’t want to go out on the town, but he had to admit the thought of Jamie wearing red heels and lacy underwear got him very hot. He’d finally realized that she could do almost anything and make it sexy. Jamie was the secret ingredient.
He was falling for her, and he had to figure out what to do about that. He had to figure it out before Valentine’s Day, too. Valentine’s Day was a water-shed occasion for any couple. People said and did things on Valentine’s Day that could get them in a lot of trouble. If one person was thinking long-term relationship—as he was—and the other was thinking short-term sexual adventure—as Jamie might be—then Valentine’s Day could be hideous.
But, for starters, he’d ask her to go to the Pump Room for dinner. No doubt the restaurant was already booked solid, but fortunately the Sherman name would get him a table. Normally he didn’t like to pull rank, but this was an unusual situation. With an inward sigh he thought about the starched tux shirt he’d have to wear and the shiny dress shoes he’d never liked. But if Jamie wanted to dress up, then he’d dress up, too.
He climbed out of the cab wondering what she had in store for him tonight. They probably wouldn’t just watch a movie and eat popcorn in bed, then enjoy some good old-fashioned sex. They wouldn’t because he hadn’t said anything on the damned questionnaire about liking to do that. She had no idea what the real Dev was all about, but he couldn’t rain on her parade, not when she’d so recently begun having one.
She greeted him at her apartment door wearing a leopard-print sarong. The air reverberated with jungle drums, and when he kissed her, he nearly choked on the musky scent she’d poured on herself.
But she thought this was the perfume he loved, the magic potion that would drive him wild, and she was wearing it just for him. How could he not kiss her until they were both senseless? How could he not shove her against the wall with reckless abandon?
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