“Just a sec,” Tristyn said.
Josh turned away to scoop up his keys and cell phone from the counter. He was occupied for no more than a second, and when he turned back, she was exiting the bedroom, as promised.
He expected her to be punctual. He didn’t expect his tongue to nearly fall out of his mouth when he saw her.
It was his own fault. He realized that now. He’d issued the challenge and she’d responded—with devastating effectiveness.
Though he’d been joking about her granny jammies—mostly—at the moment, he couldn’t even remember what they looked like. Because the dress she was wearing right now wrapped around her curves like a second skin. The skirt fell just a few inches above her knees, and the neckline dipped low between her breasts, revealing a shadowy hint of cleavage. Her long, shapely legs were bare, her feet tucked into sexy sandals with four-inch heels. Her usually smooth and sleek hair was teased and tousled as if she’d just crawled out of bed—an image that made him want to march her back through the door and topple onto the king-size mattress with her.
On any given day, she was beautiful. Sexy. Tempting. Tonight, she was stunning. Scorching. Irresistible.
He vaguely registered the movement of her lips—painted the same scarlet color as her dress—but he couldn’t hear what she said over the roar of blood through his veins. “What?”
Those lips curved into a smile that was a lot sexy—and just a little bit smug. “I said I was ready to go.”
He was ready to go, too, directly to her bedroom—
“Dinner,” she prompted.
“Dinner. Right.”
He looked around for his keys, then remembered he had them in his hand.
He put his other hand—without the keys—on the small of her back to guide her toward his truck. She sucked in a breath, a response that assured him she wasn’t as unaffected by his touch as she pretended to be.
He opened the passenger-side door for her and she eyed the distance between the ground and the seat doubtfully. “Clearly I wasn’t thinking about our mode of transportation when I bought this dress.”
“What were you thinking about?” he asked, as he lifted her onto the seat.
“Making you drool,” she admitted.
His gaze raked over her again. “Mission accomplished.”
Chapter Thirteen
The hostess seated them at a table for two and handed them menus in embossed leather folders. The ivory linen tablecloth was pristine, the silverware gleamed, the crystal sparkled. The overhead lighting was subdued, supplemented by the flame of a votive candle that flickered behind a hurricane shade.
Tristyn had just started to peruse the menu when a waitress came by to deliver warm bread and offer drinks. After they’d ordered, they shared a few minutes of easy, casual conversation before Josh looked at her across the table and said, “You’re going to make me admit it, aren’t you?”
She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward, well aware that the posture pushed her breasts up to the neckline of her dress. “What is it that you don’t want to admit?”
To his credit, he kept his eyes locked on hers. Mostly.
“That the way you look in that dress is enough to make me forget about your granny jammies.”
“That almost sounds like a compliment,” she mused.
“You’ve probably been told that you’re beautiful more times than you can count.”
“Maybe,” she acknowledged. “But I’ve never heard you say those words.”
“Do you need me to say them?”
“Only if you believe them.”
His gaze held steady on hers. “You, Tristyn Garrett, are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
“Hmm...that sounded like the well-rehearsed line of a man who’s hoping to end the evening in a woman’s bed.”
“I’m not going to deny that I’m hoping, but that doesn’t make the words any less true,” he told her. “And if they sounded rehearsed, it’s only because I’ve thought them a thousand times in my mind.”
And when he looked at her the way he was looking at her now, she almost believed him. Then she reminded herself that this was Josh—and Josh had probably charmed more females out of their panties than she wanted to count. Thankfully, the arrival of the servers with their plates saved her from having to respond, because she was afraid that anything she said would reveal the effect his words had on her.
She’d opted for a thick, juicy rib eye, and it was prepared just the way she liked it, served with a fully loaded baked potato and broccoli florets. Josh had the prime rib with mashed potatoes and baby carrots. While they ate their food and sipped a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, they chatted about various current events and shared news from home.
Thinking about her sisters and her cousins, she was reminded of her promise to herself that she would never settle for anything less than the forever-after kind of love each of them had found with their respective partners. So why had she agreed to this date with Josh tonight when she knew that he wasn’t the man to give her what she wanted?
Okay, he could give her some of what she wanted—because she also really wanted to get naked with him and discover if he lived up to his reputation. But getting involved with him, even temporarily, could screw up a lot of things. Not just because they had to work together when they went back to Charisma, but because he was practically a member of her family.
“What are you thinking about?” Tristyn asked, when she realized that Josh had also been silent for several minutes. Then she shook her head. “That’s a silly question to ask the night before a race—of course you’re thinking about Ren’s chances tomorrow.”
“Actually, I wasn’t thinking about the race,” he admitted. “In fact, I haven’t thought about the race or the team or anything related to GSR since you walked out of your bedroom in that killer dress.”
“Then I guess it was worth every penny that I paid for it,” she mused.
“Except it’s not only the dress.”
“You’re one of those guys who likes a woman in high heels, aren’t you?”
“Well, yes,” he agreed, lifting the wine bottle to top up her glass. “But that wasn’t what I meant, either.”
“What did you mean?”
“It’s the woman inside the dress—and the shoes—who continues to intrigue me,” he told her. “I’ve known you for almost twenty years. I spend more holidays with your family than my own. And for the past three years, I’ve seen you almost every day at work.”
She picked up her glass, sipped.
“After all that time, you’d think I’d know everything about you,” he continued. “That we’d run out of things to talk about. But you continue to fascinate me, and I’m never bored in your company.”
“So why do you look as if you’re worried about something?” she asked.
“Because you worry me,” he confided. “I look at you and I know you could be the perfect woman for me.
“But I’m not looking for the perfect woman,” he hastened to add. “What you said to the girls about me was true—I’m not looking to settle down. I don’t want to give up my lifestyle for a ring on my finger, rug rats at home and a woman in my bed—not even a woman as beautiful and tempting as you.”
“Well, you can stop worrying,” she told him. “Because I’m not looking to be your perfect woman. I do want what each of my sisters has found with her husband—someday. But I’m not looking to settle down right now, either.” Okay, that was a little white lie, but she decided it was a forgivable one under the circumstances. “And I promise you, even if I was, I know better than to look in your direction.”
“So what are you looking for now?” he asked her.
She thought about his question for a minute before answering, “To satisfy my curio
sity.”
He reached across the table and stroked the back of her hand. “I can satisfy more than your curiosity.”
The way her body responded to his casual touch, she had no doubt that he could. But admitting as much would be a boost that his ego didn’t need.
“Give me a chance to prove it,” he urged.
“I’m thinking about it,” she admitted.
His eyes lit with wicked promise, but before he could say anything, the waitress came by with dessert menus.
“I’m not sure I could eat another bite,” Tristyn said, even as she skimmed the offerings. “Oh, but they have a tiramisu cake.”
“You do have a sweet tooth, don’t you?”
“I do,” she agreed. “But the cake probably wouldn’t be as good as Rafe’s tiramisu.”
Josh’s jaw tightened perceptibly at the mention of the other man’s name. “Are you still seeing him?”
“I’ve been on the road with you for the past three weeks. When would I have seen him?”
He nodded in acknowledgment of her point. “Okay, maybe what I should have asked is—are you planning to see him again when you get back to Charisma?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “We kind of left things open-ended.”
“We’re going to close that opening,” he told her. “You and me—tonight.”
A quick thrill of anticipation raced through her veins, but Tristyn refused to let him see it. Instead, she lifted her wineglass, sipped.
“Have you decided on dessert?” the waitress returned to their table to ask.
“Yes,” Tristyn said. “I’ll have the tiramisu cake.”
“To go,” Josh said firmly.
“Yes, sir.” The server nodded and slipped away again.
Tristyn lifted a brow. “What if I want to eat my dessert here?”
The heat in his gaze practically melted her bones. “Finish your wine, Tristyn.”
Though it wasn’t in her nature to blindly follow orders, she picked up her glass and finished her wine.
* * *
Josh ignored the speed limit as he drove to the campground. Tristyn didn’t object, because the truth was, she was just as eager as he was to get back to the RV. By the time he pulled up beside the fifth wheel, her heart was pounding so loudly she was certain he must be able to hear it.
Tonight, she thought, with almost giddy relief.
Finally, tonight, she was going to experience the bliss of making love with Josh. And the way her body responded to his kiss, his touch, she didn’t doubt for a minute that it would be bliss.
He came around to open her door and helped her out of the truck. When he set her down, he took her hand, his thumb brushing the inside of her wrist, where her pulse was racing. He unlocked the RV and gestured for her to enter.
“You’re having second thoughts,” he guessed, when she hesitated inside the door.
“Not about tonight,” she told him.
“About what?”
“Tomorrow,” she admitted. “I don’t want things to be awkward and weird in the morning.”
“So don’t act awkward and weird in the morning,” he advised.
A smile tugged at her lips as she shook her head. “Is it really that simple for you?”
“I’m a guy,” he reminded her. “It’s not in my nature to overthink things.”
“You don’t have any concerns about how this will affect our working relationship?”
“My only worry right now is that you might change your mind. But it’s your choice, Tristyn. If you tell me you don’t want me, don’t want this, I’ll walk away.”
Of course, she couldn’t do it. Maybe she did have some reservations, but she knew that if she backed out now, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. Still, she couldn’t resist teasing him, just a little.
She tipped her head back and kept her gaze steady on his as she said, “I don’t want...”
His eyes narrowed when she paused.
“...to waste any more time talking.”
His only response was to draw her into his arms and cover her lips with his own.
Her physical reaction was immediate and intense. If this was the chemistry he’d referred to, she’d never experienced it—not to the same extent—with anyone else. She willingly parted her lips as he deepened the kiss, and the erotic stroke of his tongue stirred a new hunger inside her.
She lifted her arms to link them behind his neck as she pressed herself closer to him. His hands skimmed down her back, to the hem of her dress, then dipped beneath it to slide up her thighs to her buttocks. He groaned, a sound of pure male appreciation. “You’re wearing a thong.”
“I don’t like panty lines.”
“I don’t care why—I’m just grateful,” he told her, his hands kneading her bare flesh. Then he pushed her skirt up and dropped to his knees in front of her.
Her stomach quivered; her thighs trembled. “Josh.”
He glanced up, his eyes hot and intent. “Do you have any objections?”
She could only shake her head.
“Good,” he said, and pressed his mouth to the triangle of lace at the apex of her thighs.
She reached behind to grab hold of the edge of the counter for balance as he explored her intimately with his tongue and his teeth. The barrier of lace was hardly that, but he paused long enough to yank it away and gain unfettered access. He drove her quickly toward the verge of climax...then ruthlessly pushed her over the edge.
The orgasm ripped through her body, so fierce and strong her knees actually buckled, and she would have crumpled to the floor if Josh hadn’t been holding her up. With a satisfied grin, he rose to his feet and scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He set her on her feet beside the bed and ripped back the covers.
“The first time is going to be fast,” he warned.
“Not fast enough,” she said, tugging at his tie, then immediately going to work on the buttons of his shirt.
“And I thought I was impatient,” he teased, kicking off his shoes and socks.
“I feel as if I’ve been waiting for you forever,” she admitted, pushing his shirt over his shoulders and running her hands over the smooth, hard muscles of his chest.
“Not much longer,” he promised, unfastening the buckle of his belt, then quickly discarding his pants and knit boxers.
She reached for him then, wrapping her fingers around the velvety length of him. He sucked in a breath.
“It’s going to be too fast if you keep that up,” he warned.
She opened the drawer of the night table and pulled out a little square packet, because there had never been any doubt in her mind about how this night would end and she’d wanted to be prepared. She carefully tore the wrapper and removed the condom, then deftly unrolled the latex over his rigid shaft.
“Now,” she told him.
At any other time, Josh might have been amused by her bossy tone. Right now, he was too aroused to do anything but obey. He dumped her unceremoniously onto the bed and spread her legs, then finally positioned himself between them.
He was rock hard and aching for her, desperate to take what she was offering. He drove into her, groaning in satisfaction as he was enveloped by her wet heat. She cried out his name as another series of tremors rippled through her body—and his. The clenching of her inner muscles around him was almost more than he could stand. He fisted his hands in the bedsheet and counted his ragged breaths while he waited out her climax.
When the tremors began to abate, he slowly withdrew, then pushed in again, steady strokes that increased in speed and had her breath coming in shallow gasps.
“I don’t... I can’t... Oh...my...oh...yes... Josh.”
When the next waves of pleasure began to roll
through her, he let himself ride along with her until they were dragged under together.
* * *
It was a long time later before Josh managed to catch his breath again, before he rolled away from Tristyn and went to discard the condom. When he came back from the bathroom, she still hadn’t moved. Her hair was spread out on her pillow, her skirt was bunched around her waist and one strap of her dress had fallen down to her elbow, exposing the luscious curve of one creamy breast. She looked like she’d just been ravished, and the smile that curved her lips assured him that she’d thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“I didn’t even take your dress off you.”
“You can take it off me now,” she suggested.
He reached for her hand and helped her up off the bed.
“I really do like the way you look in this dress,” he told her, nudging the other strap from her shoulder. “But I think I’m going to like you naked even more.”
He found the zipper hidden at the side, then peeled the garment slowly down her body. Undressing Tristyn was like unwrapping a coveted birthday present, and he sincerely regretted skipping this step earlier. Especially when he discovered that she was wearing a lace demi-cup bra that matched the thong he’d dispensed with much earlier. There was something about the contrast of the sexy black lingerie against the creamy silk of her skin that had an immediate and predictable effect on him.
His body’s reaction did not go unnoticed. “Apparently the rumors about your stamina were not exaggerated,” Tristyn said.
Over the years, he’d done nothing to dispel the rumors he knew she would hear, because he’d trusted that his reputation would be an effective barrier between them. And it had worked—maybe too well. Because now that he finally had her where he’d wanted her for so long, he didn’t want any obstacles in the way. But he wasn’t quite ready to bare his heart and soul and admit that, for the past twelve years, she was the only one he’d wanted, so he only said, “Let’s see if you can keep up.”
He hooked his fingers in the straps of her bra and tugged them down, then dipped his head to kiss the curve of her breasts. First one, then the other. Her nipples strained against the fabric, a silent request that he couldn’t ignore. He took one of the turgid peaks in his mouth and suckled gently. A low sound of pleasure hummed deep in her throat as her fingers slid into his hair.
The Last Single Garrett Page 14