by Cindi Myers
“Your eyes will adjust in a minute.” He scooted closer and put his other arm across her chest, just under her breasts. “Is this better?”
“Uh-huh.” At least now she wasn’t thinking about being afraid of the dark. She was aware of the heat of his skin against the underside of her breasts, and the hard length of his thigh next to hers. “Adam?” she whispered.
“What?” he asked, also whispering.
“If the transformer blew, that means the electricity will be out for a while, won’t it?”
“Probably so. They probably have trouble all over town.”
She rolled onto her side facing him, searching his face as her eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, her heart pounding with anticipation. “So…if the electricity is out…that means the security cameras don’t work.”
Adam lay still, letting the idea sink in, savoring the possibilities of this unexpected turn of events. “No one’s watching us.”
“No one.”
“So no one will see if I do this.” He shaped his hand to the curve of her cheek and drew her lips to his.
He’d been preoccupied with wanting her all day, but when their mouths met his need for her blotted out all other thought. She opened her mouth and her tongue twined with his, tasting and teasing. He traced the curve of her lips, then slid along the little gap between her upper front teeth, satisfying his curiosity as to how that would feel.
She giggled, but when he would have withdrawn, she sucked hard, holding him captive.
He had no objection to prolonging the kiss, but he wanted more. Lips still locked to hers, he caressed her side, then slipped his hand beneath her T-shirt.
She sighed when he stroked the underside of her breast, and gasped when he dragged his palm across her distended nipple. “You like that?” He spoke with his lips still against hers.
“Uh-huh. Don’t stop.”
“I won’t stop. I promise.”
Her eagerness fueled his own desire, and he moved his hand to her other breast, fingers tracing the curve of the underside, thumb flicking across stiffened nipple. Listening to her gasp and moan was making him pretty stiff, too. He raised up on one elbow, and tugged the shirt to her shoulders. She took the hint and stripped the garment off over her head and sent it sailing. Her pants followed, and she lay naked beside him.
“I wish the light was better,” he said, resting his palm against her stomach, feeling her skin quiver at his touch.
“You’ll just have to pretend you’re a blind man,” she said. “And learn about me through touch.”
“And taste.” He took one nipple in his mouth, and swirled his tongue around and over the sensitive nub. She arched against him, her pubic bone pressed against his erection, leaving no doubt what she wanted.
He could have taken her right then, and neither one of them would have felt cheated, but he saw no reason to rush. He turned his attention to the other breast, sucking and licking, aware of her growing agitation. She writhed beneath him and made mewling sounds. “Don’t stop,” she whispered again. “Don’t stop.”
He slid his hand down, over the curve of her hip, along her muscular thigh, then dipped down between her legs, to the wet heat of her sex.
He slipped two fingers inside her, and felt her tighten around him. His erection pulsed, insistent, but he forced himself to resist the urge to bury himself inside her, now.
“That feels so good,” she said, the words breathed out like a sigh.
“You haven’t felt anything yet.” He withdrew his fingers and brought them to her mouth. She sucked hard, and he felt the pull all the way to his groin.
Then she pushed his hand away and grabbed the elastic waistband of his pants. “These have got to come off,” she said. Seconds later, the pants sailed out of the bed to land somewhere in the darkness.
Erica pressed her body against his, relishing the feel of his warm skin against hers, the tickle of his chest hair against her breasts, the jut of his hipbones against hers, the insistent pressure of his cock against her thigh. In the darkness every touch was intensified, every sound magnified. When she rested her head on his chest, his heartbeat was a steady pounding, a counterpart to her own erratic pulse.
She raised up on her elbows and bent her head to suckle his nipple, his breathing growing more harsh and uneven as she reached down to stroke his erection.
Remembering her earlier promise, she kissed her way down his body, pausing at his navel to trace the slight depression, rewarded by the catch of his breath.
She moved down farther. He flinched as her fingers wrapped around him, then let out his breath in a soundless rush. She slowly dragged her hand up the length of him, marveling. “Have you been hard like this all day?” she asked.
“No.” He reached down and grasped her arms and pulled her up until her face was even with his once more. “For the past three days. You’ve had me in agony.”
“Then I promise, it will have been worth the wait.”
They kissed again, a slow, drowning kiss that belied the urgency of their need. “I don’t want to wait much longer,” he said. “We don’t know when the power will come back on.”
“I don’t want to wait, either.” Thank goodness for Tanisha’s condoms. She rolled over and dug in her bag for the box.
“What are you doing?” He snuggled against her, one hand caressing her breast, the other stroking her bottom.
“G-getting this.” She held up the foil packet, breathless from the way he was rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
He took the condom. “I don’t know whether to be surprised or pleased that you’ve been planning this.”
“Why should you be surprised?” She rolled onto her back and listened to him tear open the condom packet.
“You look so young and innocent.”
“I’m not innocent, and I’ve wanted to make love to you from practically the first time we met.”
The idea intrigued him. She didn’t strike him as the type of woman who went after anything in pants. What about him had drawn her? “Why me? You didn’t even know me.”
“You were…different. Sort of…aloof.”
“And you liked that?” That didn’t sound right.
“Only that you were a little mysterious.” She traced a finger down his chest. “That was sexy. And you have a sexy body. And…I don’t know. There was just something about you that made me want to know you better. But I was beginning to think it would never happen. You treated me like a little sister.”
“I don’t have a sister.” He sheathed himself, then nudged her legs apart so he could kneel between them. “And if I did, I promise I wouldn’t treat her anything like I’ve treated you.”
She started to answer back, but he reached down and parted her folds, zeroing in on the sensitive nub of her clit, and words failed her. He plucked and tugged at her, insistently, then more gently. She rolled her head back and was dimly aware of an animal moan escaping her lips.
Adam plunged into her at the moment of her climax. She contracted around him, drawing him deeper, and arched to meet him, riding the waves of release that rolled through her.
As her own urgency subsided, she brought her legs up and wrapped them around him. She held him tightly, making him work for each thrust, drawing him deeply within her, until every inch of him was sheathed in her wet satin heat. She reached one hand down to cup his balls, raking the tips of her nails across the sensitive flesh.
He thrust harder, deeper, grunting with the effort, then let out a strangled cry as he came.
He rose up on his knees and cradled her bottom in his hands, so that she was more or less sitting in his lap. She sensed more than saw his smile, and realized she wore a similar expression. “That was fantastic,” she said, and kissed his cheek. “Even better than I’d imagined.”
“Someday I’ll have to ask what you imagined, but not now.” He eased out and away from her, and she scooted back against the pillows.
He got up and headed
for the bathroom. She listened to his receding footsteps and thought about that word someday. Did that mean he saw a future for them? She sensed he was still skittish, because they worked together and maybe because of his past experience with Bonnie. But no one at the station had to know they were a couple now. It might even be fun, sneaking around behind everyone’s backs.
Adam needed a little fun in his life. The man was way too serious, at least when he wasn’t on the air. Maybe he was lonely. In any case, she was here now, and she was sure she had the cure for whatever ailed him.
8
THEY WOKE MONDAY morning to find the power restored and the Furniture Gallery already coming to life. There was no time for private conversation, as the morning’s schedule was filled with their regular show, plus the final tally of funds raised.
Including the ten thousand dollars pledged by Max, the KROK bed-in had netted thirty-one thousand dollars for the Salvation Army.
“Best promo we ever did,” Max declared when the broadcast shifted back to the station and everyone began packing to leave the Furniture Gallery. “Great for the shelter, great for my image and great for business. We sold ninety-seven mattress sets during the past three days.” He beamed at Erica. “We should make it an annual event.”
“You make something an annual event, you lessen the impact,” Carl said. “You have to keep coming up with new things to capture the public’s interest.”
“You put a pretty girl in a bed—what man’s not going to be interested in that? And for the women, you put a guy in there, too. Instant sex appeal.”
“We’ll talk about it next year.” Carl put his hand on Erica’s shoulder and steered her toward the door. “We’ve got to get back to the station.”
In the parking lot, they stopped by the KROK van Carl was driving. “You two have the rest of the day off, so go home and get cleaned up or rest, or whatever you have to do,” the manager said. “You did a good job.”
“Thanks, Carl.” She gave him a weary smile.
“I want a steak,” Adam said. “No more pizza and burgers.”
“Whatever. I want to see you both in my office first thing tomorrow morning.” He climbed into the van and drove away.
Erica looked at Adam. “Why does he want to see us in his office? Do you think he knows what happened between us?”
“How could he? We could hardly see each other. There’s no way anyone else saw us.”
True, the showroom had been very dark. But that hadn’t interfered with their sense of touch. Her nipples hardened at the memory.
“He probably just wants to give us some kind of formal thanks,” Adam added.
“Or he’s got some other promotion in mind.” She made a face. “This turned out not to be so bad, but what if he wants us to do something really stupid?”
“We’ll tell him to give the gig to Bonnie.” He patted her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He stifled a yawn. “I think after my shower and my steak, I’ll take a nap. For some reason, I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Must have been the storm.” She stretched her arms over her head. “All that thunder and lightning kept me awake, too.”
“Thunder and lightning?” His eyes met hers, his expression suggestive.
“Yep. It was pretty spectacular.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” He patted her shoulder, then let his hand drop. “We’ll talk later.”
She nodded. “Good idea.” Though part of her wanted to go home with Adam right now, the rest of her realized a shower and a nap would make for a better time with him later. She started toward her car, then looked over her shoulder at him. “Hey, Adam.”
“Yeah?”
“We won’t be doing that much talking next time we get together. You’d better rest up. You’re going to need your energy.”
The interest that flashed into his eyes was worth the mad dash she had to make to her car. He stopped chasing her halfway across the parking lot and waved her on.
When she looked back, she saw Mason and another production worker surround him, laughing. She smiled and steered the car toward the exit from the parking lot. Carrying on a love affair with Adam amidst a bunch of nosy co-workers was going to be interesting. But then, she’d never been one to run from a challenge. Especially when the prize was so worthwhile.
TUESDAY MORNING, Adam arrived at work early. He told himself it was because he was eager to get back into the rhythm of a normal workday, but he knew the chance to see Erica before most of the other employees showed up had factored into his early arrival.
But she didn’t appear until five after eight. By then, Adam was already in Carl’s office while Audra took the morning show helm. He’d take his normal afternoon slot and Audra would do mornings until Nick was well.
“How’s Nick?” Adam asked, helping himself to a soda from the mini refrigerator by Carl’s desk. “When’s he going to be able to come back to work?”
“Next week, maybe. They’re supposed to kick him out of the hospital tomorrow.”
“He’s probably driving them all crazy.” He sank onto the sofa. “What did you want to see me about?”
“Let’s wait until Erica gets here.” Carl shuffled papers, then looked at Adam again. “Now that you’ve had a little time to think, what’s your assessment of her?”
Adam blinked, surprised at the question. She’s the sexiest, smartest, most amazing woman I’ve met in years. But that probably wasn’t the answer Carl was looking for. “Like I said before, she’s a natural on the air. Quick thinker. Calm. She has a great rapport with the listeners.”
Carl nodded. “I wanted to make sure your opinion hadn’t changed. So she acted like a pro?”
“Sure. She didn’t falter once.”
“Good.”
“Hi, Carl. Adam.” At that moment, the woman herself breezed in. “Sorry I’m late. I overslept.” She settled next to Adam on the sofa and crossed her legs. She’d taken the pink out of her hair and today wore it in a curly style. She looked great, as usual. “Can you imagine? All that time in bed, you’d think I’d have caught up on my sleep.”
Adam bit the inside of his cheek to keep from giving away the truth about how little sleep either of them had gotten in that bed.
“Adam and I were just talking about the great job you both did with the promo,” Carl said. “We got terrific listener response. Well, except for that one complaint, but that didn’t harm us any.”
“I thought it went really well.” She smiled at Adam. “It helped having Adam there to help me.”
“The two of you make a great team. I want to keep that momentum going, keep you two on the air together.”
“Please don’t tell me you’ve got another crazy promotional stunt in mind,” Adam said.
“Those crazy promotional stunts keep us in business. But no, I have something bigger in mind. I want you two to do the afternoon drive-time slot together from now on.”
Adam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Talk about a bad idea. If he and Erica were partners on air, no way could they team up after hours. The potential for trouble was too huge. “Carl, I don’t think—”
“That’s a fantastic idea!” Erica clapped her hands together, the smile on her face bright enough to light the building. “Thank you. Thank you.”
About that time, Adam’s objection apparently registered. She turned to him, her smile gone. “You don’t want to work with me?”
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re great,” he hastened to add. “It’s just that I’ve always done my own thing.” And I’d rather have you as my girlfriend than my working partner.
“So the Hawk won’t be flying solo anymore,” Carl said. He sat back in his chair, hands folded on his stomach. “We’ll call it the Hawk and Honey show.”
“Honey?” Erica laughed. “I don’t know if I can say that with a straight face.”
“It’s all in how you sell it. You’re a pro, I’m sure you can do it.”
“It’s
sexist,” Adam said.
“Not sexist, sexy.” Carl’s eyebrows drew together in a V. “Is there some reason you and Erica shouldn’t work together? Something you aren’t telling me?”
He glanced at her. She was sitting on the edge of her seat, an eager look in her eyes. For someone like her, a prime radio slot on the biggest rock station in the market was a dream come true. No way could he ruin that dream for the sake of his own libido.
“You’re right, Carl. It’ll be great. The listeners are probably getting tired of me by myself anyway.”
“Thank you, thank you. I promise it’ll be great.” She beamed at both of them. “When do we start?”
“How about this afternoon? Play up the idea that you two had so much fun together at the bed-in you couldn’t bear to break up the party.”
“We don’t want to give people the wrong idea,” Adam said.
Carl laughed. “The entertainment business is all about giving people the wrong idea. Remember, sex appeal and excitement sell. So flirt, banter, whatever works.”
“That should be simple enough.” She gave him a knowing look.
He shifted his gaze away from her. For Erica, it probably did seem simple. She couldn’t see the problems he did, didn’t know how hard it was at times to live life in the public eye. He didn’t relish being the one to wake her up to reality.
WHEN ERICA LEFT Carl’s office, she could hardly contain her excitement. She ran downstairs and straight to Tanisha’s desk. “Whoa, what’s gotten into you?” Tanisha looked up from a stack of reports she was collating. “You look ready to float up to the ceiling.”
“I feel like I could.” She sank into the chair next to the desk. “The most amazing thing just happened.”
Tanisha set aside the reports. “You got picked for the next season of Survivor? A long-lost uncle left you a million dollars? Wait—I know. Carl just doubled your salary. Now that would be amazing.”
She laughed. “None of that, but something almost as good. Carl liked the way Adam and I interacted during the promo so much that he’s putting me on the afternoon drive-time show with him!”