Pleasure Prolonged

by Cathryn Fox

  Needing a moment to put himself back together before he met with the director, Kale made a quick trip to the washroom, splashed some cold water onto his face, smoothed his tousled hair back, and adjusted his jeans.

  Feeling somewhat normal again, he moved down the hall to the director’s office. He was pleased that Reginald had summoned a meeting with him before he left for his Christmas holidays. Kale had planned on calling a meeting of his own to discuss the possibility of a transfer. Unfortunately, due to his current probationary status at Castech, he was certain there’d be far too many complications.

  As he rounded the corner, he found Reginald’s door ajar. Kale knocked and poked his head in. “You wanted to see me.”

  “Yes, Kale. Please come in.” Reginald gestured with a wave. As Kale made his way across the room, Reginald swiveled on his chair and fished around inside his filing cabinet. “Here it is,” he mumbled to himself. As he turned back around, his seat groaned like a wounded animal under his impressive weight.

  Kale lowered himself into the plush chair facing the director’s desk and observed his surroundings. Folding his ankles, he leaned back and made himself comfortable as he waited for Reginald to begin the meeting.

  The director planted his elbows on his desk and without preamble got right to the point. “If this experiment goes as planned, Erin will be moving into a new position and we’ll be looking to fill her old one. We could use a guy like you on our team, Kale.”

  Kale opened his mouth to voice his concerns regarding his probationary status, but before he could speak, Reginald cut him off and answered his unasked question.

  He opened the file before him and spread his hands. “Even though you’re currently on probation at Castech, I don’t perceive that as a problem. I’ll fight to get you on my team, Kale. You’re smart, you’re a hard worker, Jay regards you highly, and your past accomplishments speak for themselves.”

  Kale took a moment to mull over the information. “So you’re telling me if I accept the transfer, I’ll be working under Erin.” The sexy visual of him working under Erin made him hard.

  Reginald nodded his head. “I realize that you’ve been the lead with your own team for many years and this position is beneath what you’re used to, but it will only be temporary. If the production of Pleasure Prolonged goes as expected, and our funding comes through, next summer we’ll begin trials on Pleasure Exchange, a female libido enhancer. By that time you’ll be off probation and you and Erin will be given the lead.”

  Kale scrubbed his hand over his chin, pausing to consider the offer for a moment.

  “I don’t need an answer today, Kale. But please think about it, and we’ll discuss the terms when I get back from Vegas.”

  Kale nodded his consent, even though he knew he had nothing to think over. He couldn’t imagine finding a better place to work than under Erin.

  Still shaken up and slightly chilled over the director’s unexpected appearance during a very intimate moment between her and Kale, Erin grabbed her long white lab coat from her locker and shrugged it on. As she prepared to leave the lab to meet Sam in the research room, the shrill of the phone drew her attention.

  Dropping onto the stool, she reached for it. “Hello.”

  “Erin, darling, I’m so glad I caught you.”

  Erin could feel her blood pressure rising, anticipating the conversation ahead. She gritted her teeth and tightened her coat around her waist. “Hello, Mother.”

  Forgoing pleasantries, her mother rushed on. “You didn’t forget about your lunchtime hair appointment, did you?”

  Erin’s free hand automatically curled around her ponytail. “Of course not,” she said, gripping the phone hard enough to turn her knuckles bone white. “Unfortunately, I can’t make it. I’m swamped today and I’ll have to work through my lunch hour.”

  Tense silence met her words and stretched on endlessly.

  Erin waited for a long moment and then finally broke the uncomfortable quiet by asking, “Are you still there?” Lord knew she really didn’t have time for this.

  Her mother ignored her question and asked one of her own. “Shall I change the appointment until after work then?”

  Erin pinched the bridge of her nose. “No, I have to work late tonight too.”

  Even though she was deep in conversation with her mother, she knew the exact moment when Kale had entered the lab. She was so in tune with him, she felt his presence and his heat long before she set eyes on him. She angled her head and watched him saunter across the floor to his desk. Just the mere sight of him sent her heart racing and pulse thudding. God, it was shocking what this man did to her.

  When he arched a brow in a silent question, Erin held up her index finger, indicating she’d need a minute.

  “How late?” her mother asked, clearly annoyed.

  She turned her focus back on her mother. “Late enough that it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to make your Christmas gathering.”

  Silence reigned once again.

  Deep down, Erin knew her mother had her best interests at heart. Anna’s generation simply couldn’t understand that the independent woman of today didn’t need a man to make her happy. Still, Erin just wished her mother would respect her and stop trying to meddle in her affairs.

  “But Erin, what about Richard? What will I tell him? He’s expecting you to be here.”

  Noticing the curious look in Kale’s eyes as he overheard the one-sided conversation, Erin knew this was not the time or place to be discussing her love life, or lack thereof, with her ever persistent mother. “I’ll try to make it, okay?” she said, appeasing her for the time being.

  “I’ll see you at eight then, dear.” Erin cringed at the self-satisfied musical note in her mother’s voice. “You’ll thank me, Erin. Just wait and see,” Anna added.

  Erin hung up the phone, glanced at Kale, and threw her arms up in the air. She blew out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes heavenward. “Mothers.”

  Kale pushed away from his mountain of papers, and with two easy steps, moved into her personal space and furrowed his brow with real concern. He brushed a wayward hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. Erin gulped air. God, when he looked at her with tenderness and touched her with such gentle hands, it made her forget he was a playboy, and she was playing the role of a bad girl.

  She wanted to avert her gaze, but the look in his smoldering blue eyes held her captive and did strange things to her insides.

  When he dipped his head her body went all tingly. His delectable scent curled around her as her flesh tightened in response to his nearness. “Is everything okay?” His voice was low, rough, and softly seductive.

  When her eyes met his she felt a stirring deep in her soul. The attraction between them was the most powerful thing she’d ever felt. She dragged in a shuddery breath as the overwhelming need to touch him, to make a connection, consumed her.

  “What is this gathering you can’t make?” he probed.

  She hadn’t meant to get into her personal life, she really hadn’t, but the warm timbre of his speech and the tenderness in his lilt melted her resolve and had her spewing like a leaky faucet.

  “My mother is having a Christmas get-together tonight and she’s setting me up on a date, which I don’t want any part of. The woman is hell-bent on marrying me off. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell her I’m not interested in a relationship, dating, or marriage; she continues to go behind my back and scheme.”

  Kale’s warm, intimate smile liquefied her knees and tugged on her emotions. The logical part of her warned not to get too close, but when he looked at her as if there was more than casual between them, it awakened feelings she’d suppressed for years. Needing to put some distance between them, Erin took a measured step back and moved toward the lab door.

  As Kale followed her into the hall, his fingers closed over hers, warm and strong. He squeezed, offering his comfort. As she absorbed his heat, Erin felt a churning in her gut and worked
to ignore it.

  He shook his head slowly as he moved in close. Walking by her side, he accompanied her to the research room. “I understand your dilemma completely, Erin. My mother has been looking for grandkids for years. I had dinner at her place last night, and she asked when I was going to find a woman to cook for me.” He gave a quick shake of his head and chuckled.

  Erin crinkled her nose and thought about her own exceptional culinary abilities. It occurred to her if his mother’s only criterion for a daughter-in-law was cooking skills, Erin would be the perfect woman. She loved being in the kitchen. Cooking relaxed her. She’d even taken an evening course a few years back.

  Not that a playboy like Kale would be interested in bringing home a closet domestic like her, mind you. Nor was she interested in going home with him.

  That would be much too personal.

  So why the hell had she even thought about it?

  Erin tilted her head. “Are you and your parents close?”

  He nodded. “It’s just my mom and two sisters. My dad died when I was a teen.”

  She squeezed his hand in a silent message. “I’m sorry, Kale.”

  He smiled his appreciation. “We’re all close. I took over dad’s parental role and kept my sisters on a pretty tight leash. Lisa is just finishing up her last year at college, and Jenna will be starting next fall.” He got quiet for a moment. “I miss them a lot,” he added, almost to himself.

  “Then why did you go out west? You could have worked here, at the research center.”

  “The pay was better at Castech. I needed the money to pay for their tuition.”

  Erin felt an odd tug on her heartstrings. Who knew Kale was so loyal, nurturing, and responsible where his family was concerned? “They must miss you terribly.”

  He nodded. “I think they do.” He paused and grinned. “Every time I come home, Mom brings up grandkids. She’s getting desperate.”

  Erin eased her hand out of his, reached into her lab coat, and pulled out her keycard. She slid it into the electronic lock. Kale pushed the door open and gestured for her to enter the research room.

  Erin breezed past him and tossed her words over her shoulder. “At least your mother isn’t trying to set you up with a thirty-year-old Donkey Kong champion who talks into your breasts and not your eyes.”

  “Um…well…I would hope not, Erin,” he replied, securing the heavy door behind him. “Unlike yours, my breasts are pretty uninspiring.” Humor edged his voice and played down her spine.

  Realizing how ridiculous she sounded, she chuckled and turned back to face him, making light of the situation. “Unless of course you’re into that kind of thing,” she teased.

  His glance flicked over her curves. “I think you know I’m not.”

  Oh yeah, she knew all too well.

  “So why is she trying to set you up and marry you off?” he asked, his genuine concern evident in his expression.

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Apparently it’s a crime to be twenty-eight and single.” Erin blew out a heavy breath and gave a tight shake of her head. “I have my job and that’s all I need. I just wish she could accept that.”

  Moving across the wide expanse of tile, Erin sauntered over to the bed and pulled back the sheets. The sudden image of Dwayne the Dog screwing his slut secretary passed through her mind. Flustered, she mumbled under her breath, “No one seems to support my career.”

  His voice softened. “I’m sure she just has your best interests at heart.”

  Erin nodded in agreement. “I know you’re right. Deep down she does, but regardless, it still irritates me.”

  “What time is this gathering?” Kale asked.

  His question took her by surprise. Why would he care about that? “What?”

  “What time is the gathering?” he repeated as he crossed to the other side of the mattress to help her remove the bedding.

  She looked at him, really looked at him as he sauntered by her. God, he was so beautiful. His sexy, athletic gait turned her insides to mush. A rush of sexual hunger moved through her, swamping her with desire.

  Realizing he was waiting for an answer while she took great pleasure in the sight of his gorgeous backside, Erin reached for the blankets and blurted out much too hastily, “Eight.” She scooped up the linen, and with a quick twist, walked over to the hamper to dispose of the soiled bedding.

  “I’ll take you.”

  His whispery soft voice was excruciatingly gentle as it carried across the room and fell over her.

  She spun around. “What?” she blurted a second time. She resisted the urge to slap her forehead. Cripes, she really needed to work on her verbal skills.

  He shrugged easily. “Maybe if she sees you with me, she’ll stop trying to set you up.” The hoarseness in his voice felt like a rough caress, and it did torturous things to her body.

  “If she sees me with a smart, successful, sexy guy like you, Kale”—her gaze panned his body as she spoke the truth—“she’ll have a coronary.”

  Kale smiled at the endorsement. “Should we risk it?”

  Erin tapped her chin, as though mulling over the idea. “Well…” she said.

  Kale raised an inquisitive brow and advanced purposefully as he circled the bed. He touched his finger to her chin and with the lightest caress, brushed it along her cheekbone.

  “Well?” he asked. His deep voice flowed down her spine like warm honey and made her quake from the inside out. He lowered himself onto the unkempt bed, slipped his arm around her waist, and tugged her down beside him. “Do you want to get her off your back or not?”

  At that moment, all she could think about was getting Kale onto his!

  Sitting there, ensconced in the circle of his arms, she became conscious of the cushiony mattress below her, tempting her, filling her mind with wild and wicked ideas.

  She linked her fingers together, resisting the urge to tear off his clothes and sample his fine body the same way he’d sampled hers in the elevator. Of course, this was not the time or place for such luxuries. That would come later. Tonight. At his place. She sucked in a tight breath and tamped down her carnal thoughts for the time being.

  “I appreciate the offer, Kale, and as much as I’d like to see the look on her face if I paraded someone like you through her house, I’ll pass. Besides, we already have plans for tonight.”

  At the mere mention of tonight, and the promise of erotic things to come, Kale’s baby blues darkened with desire.

  When she looked deep into his eyes, something warm, intimate, and potent passed between them, leaving her feeling breathless. She dragged in a huge breath, yet couldn’t seem to fill her lungs.

  He touched her cheek. “Erin…” he whispered, letting her know with just one word how much he wanted her. His sensual mouth parted as his glance locked with hers. He was going to kiss her, his intent clearly evident in his passion-imbued eyes.

  Moistening her lips, Erin knew this was not the place for such intimacies. Her words of protest were lost on a moan when he leaned into her and captured her mouth with his. All coherent thought vanished, leaving her completely spellbound in the moment as his warm lips moved languidly over hers.

  Blood raced through her veins as he took full possession of her mouth, drawing her in deeper for a mind-numbing kiss. He smothered her heated mewls of pleasure with a low growl of longing.

  She began trembling from head to toe as he dragged her into his arms and eased her back onto the mattress. Using his weight, he pinned her under him. He angled his body over hers as their tongues touched and tangled.

  Warmth pooled between her thighs as her sex muscles began thrumming. His hair tumbled forward and brushed against her cheeks in silken waves. Her whole body went up in flames as his hard muscles pressed against her soft curves.

  He licked, kissed, and sucked like he couldn’t get enough of her. She understood that feeling all too well. Her hands raked through his hair, gripping and pulling, unable to get her fill, unable to assu
age the hunger tearing at her insides.

  God, she’d never felt so needy, so out of control before. It occurred to her she was completely at his mercy.

  His voice sounded strangled, his breath coming in jagged bursts. “I want you so much, Erin, I ache.” With fierce possessiveness his tongue delved deeper to explore her every crevice, her every secret.

  When she glanced into his turbulent eyes, she was astonished by the raw emotions that tugged at her. Her stomach tightened, her heart fluttered. Some inner voice warned her that there was more than physical desire driving her actions and need for him. Self-preservation urged her to run. To run as far away from him as possible. But she knew she could no more move away from this man than she could move a mountain.

  He rolled to his side, his large body pressing against hers. The raw, hungry look in his eyes sent a plethora of sensations rushing through her.

  His corded muscles shifted as his hands skimmed her curves and dipped below her skirt. With the utmost expertise, he gently inched her knees apart.

  “Oh God,” she whispered, barely recognizing her voice.

  He feathered his fingertips over her quivering flesh. “I want you, Erin. I want to be inside you. I want you writhing beneath me while I feel your hot juices drip over my cock when you come for me. But mostly I want to taste you.”

  Erin shivered almost violently as his darkly seductive timbre seeped under her skin.

  Slowly, gently, his hands slid over her legs to her inner thighs. His fingers traveled higher and higher until he found her warm sex. He pulled open her dewy lips and idly stroked her aching clitoris. Erin gripped the mattress as her skin came alive. She began panting heavily.

  His nostrils flared. “Tell me you want me.” He breathed the words into her mouth.

  The aroused edginess in his tone made her tremble. She worked to recover her voice, and shared in his urgency. Her hands raced over him. “I want you, Kale.” Oh how she wanted him. She craved him with an intensity that was as arousing as it was scary.

  His lips abandoned hers and moved to her neck. His mouth felt like fire on her naked flesh. Sounds of pure carnal delight erupted low in her throat. Blood pulsing hot, she melted underneath his touch as his warm, scented breath and heady male essence curled around her.