Secrets Vol 2

by DeSalvo-Hamre-Knight-Paul

  He and Sarah joined the saunterers, but she stopped after a few steps to admire a flower bed.

  "Aren't they gorgeous?" She leaned over to smell one, giving him a great view of her rear end, her dress pulled tight and molding every curve. Damn, he could tell she wasn't wearing anything underneath it.

  He reached over to pick a flower for her, but she slapped his hand away.

  "Don't you dare!"

  "I just wanted to give you one."

  "If everyone here picked one, there wouldn't be any left. Leave them for other people to enjoy."

  "Yes, ma'am."

  As they stood there, smiling at each other, he noticed two men a short distance away. Sarah saw them too, and abruptly dropped his hand.

  They were staring at her, practically drooling. God, she must hate that, must feel like a piece of meat. He put a protective arm around her shoulders. The men smiled at each other, then smirked at Adrian. He bent his head and planted a loud kiss on Sarah's mouth. She laughed out loud, God knew why, but she seemed to find his protectiveness amusing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two creeps walk away.

  "Honestly, Adrian, they were only looking."

  How could she be so blase about it? And why was he angry? If

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  she didn't mind complete strangers checking her out, that was a good sign. A very good sign. "You're absolutely right. There's nothing wrong with just looking."

  She grinned at him. "I'm surprised you're not used to it."

  Confusion made him stop and digest that. They weren't talking about the same thing at all. "What?"

  She laughed. "Come on, are you trying to tell me it's never happened before? You're a gorgeous guy, and this is San Francisco."

  "They weren't looking at me."

  "Of course they were. I'm surprised that you're so easily threatened."

  His masculinity wasn't easily threatened. His sanity, definitely. When he'd thought those men were checking Sarah out, he'd felt angry and possessive and primitive. He'd felt something suspiciously close to jealousy.

  ******************.

  Sarah bent over for the dozenth time, inhaling the scent of yet another ornamental flower. Coming here had been a lousy idea. He was damned tired of making sure no one was checking out her ass.

  Sarah was having a great time, seemingly oblivious to her lack of underwear. So much for keeping her off-kilter.

  Maybe he wasn't trying hard enough. He'd kept his touches light and casual, mainly just holding her hand. Selfish of him, really. He should be teasing her, tormenting her, doing his level best to get her hot.

  He just didn't want to torment himself at the same time. Self-preservation. What a coward.

  When she straightened up, he put an arm around her waist. She looked surprised, but not uncomfortable. And not excited, either.

  He leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. "You taste delicious."

  She jumped, and moved away a few inches. He put his hands on

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  her hips, gently suggesting she stay close to him.

  "Someone will see!" She sounded terrified, as if her parents would torture her again for indulging in a little necking.

  "See what? Me kissing you?"

  "Yes."

  "There's nothing wrong with this, Sarah."

  "I know. But I can't help feeling ashamed. Especially in public."

  "Do you see that couple on the bench across the lake?"

  She nodded. As he watched, the couple kissed, gently and unhurriedly, their passion obvious even from this distance.

  "What do you think when you watch them kiss?"

  "That they're very lucky," she answered.

  "So it's okay for them to touch each other? To desire each other?"

  She sighed, sounding exasperated. "I know, I know, it's okay for me to feel that way, too. It's natural and normal and wonderful, and I shouldn't be ashamed of it."

  "And it's easier said than done."

  She turned and looked up at him, surprise written on her face. "How did you know?" Before he could answer, she spoke. "Dumb question. You've probably known a hundred women like me."

  That stunned him. Speechless, he could only shake his head.

  "Dozens, then."

  "I've never known anyone quite like you, Sarah."

  Her face fell, and she looked ready to cry. Damn, he'd only meant to compliment her. "What's wrong?"

  "Someone else said that to me once."

  "Someone else?" he repeated, like an idiot. Another man. Why did that surprise him? She was sweet and pretty and charming. Of course there was a man in her life. He swallowed, forcing himself to be calm. "Does he know about me?"

  "No"

  No wonder she didn't want him to touch her in public. "Are you worried that he'll find out?"

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  "No. We're not seeing each other anymore."

  He didn't want to know, but he had to ask. "How long has it been?"

  "A few months."

  "Did you love him?"

  "I thought so."

  Poor Sarah. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She nestled her head against him, a gesture of trust that made his chest swell with warmth.

  "We broke up over...well, I'm sure you can guess."

  The bastard. What kind of man dumped a woman who obviously needed support and encouragement? No doubt he'd wanted her to climax just for his own vanity. "Don't dwell on it," he commanded.

  "I can't help it. He's the reason I went to see Dr. Lansing in the first place."

  Great. She wanted to get better, then go chase after the creep. He'd remind himself of that whenever he started feeling too attached to her. And he definitely didn't want to hear any more about this ex-boyfriend. "Let's walk."

  They wandered a little farther along the shore, until they reached the wooded side of the lake. It was colder under the trees, but no one else was nearby. A little privacy at last. Adrian stopped.

  Sarah pointed at a group of people lounging around a picnic table about a hundred feet away, just at the water's edge. "Look. A boat race."

  It looked more like a bunch of children sailing cardboard boxes, but he didn't argue with her. The kids were jumping up and down, yelling, and Sarah watched them with a smile on her face, looking carefree and happy.

  A lovely woman.

  No. A client, a patient. Unavailable. A woman with a life that didn't include him. A woman with an ex-boyfriend she wanted back.

  Yes, that was more like it. His only place in Sarah's life was as a therapist. He'd help her discover passion, then let her move on, and

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  he'd pat himself on the back for another job well done. That would be the end of it. That had to be the end of it. And the sooner he got her off his hands, the better.

  Adrian smiled. If she hadn't been standing so close, he might have slapped himself. That's what Dr. Lansing had told him to do whenever he found himself getting too involved with a patient. He'd never needed the advice before.

  He looked at the kids again. The parents were rounding them up and heading for the parking lot, a few holding bags over their heads.

  "It must be raining," Sarah said.

  He glanced up at the thick canopy of leaves above them. "We'll stay fairly dry here. Let's wait it out."

  She nodded, but crossed her arms over her stomach. A gust of wind rustled the leaves overhead, and she shivered.

  "Cold?"

  "A little."

  He moved to stand behind her and folded his arms over hers. The top of her head fit perfectly under his chin. He dropped a quick kiss on her golden hair. "Guess what I'm thinking."

  "I can imagine."

  "I'm thinking that no one can see us." He bent his head again, giving her neck a little nip.

  "Adrian!"

  She sounded breathless, excited, the way he'd been longing to hear her say his name. "I could kiss you, and no one would notice.
"

  "I would."

  He laughed. "I hope so." He ran his hands up her arms, then back down, slipping them around her waist and pulling her back against him. She'd feel his erection, but so what?

  She jiggled her backside against him. "Is that a gun in your pocket?"

  "No, I'm just happy to see you." Quickly, before she could object, he passed a hand over her breast.

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  "Adrian, stop!"

  "Why?"

  "Because. We're in public."

  He glanced around. Most everyone had left when the rain started, and now there were just a few stragglers in sight, at least fifty feet away and heading for the parking lot. "There isn't much of the public left." He ran his hands over her abdomen, over her thighs.

  She trembled. "Please, Adrian."

  "I thought you'd never ask." He should respect her wishes, give her some space, but his hands, his selfish hands, closed over her breasts. She gasped.

  "Tell me what you're feeling, Sarah."

  "I feel excited."

  "So do I." Stroking her breasts, feeling the hard pebbles of her nipples, remembering how they had felt in his mouth—she drove him to the breaking point, just standing here letting him touch her. No practiced caress had ever made him hotter. And she'd get just as hot this time.

  "You've been driving me crazy all day," he said hoarsely.

  "I have?"

  "Yes. I kept thinking about you, naked under this skirt. About how easily I could reach underneath it and pet you."

  She arched her back, pressing her breasts against his hands. Just as suddenly, she pulled away. "Let's go."

  "Why?" He knew damned well, but he wanted to hear her say it, needed to hear her say it.

  "Because we're in public. And it's raining."

  "And?"

  Her brow furrowed. "I don't know what you want me to say."

  "Why else do you want to leave?"

  "Because I want to be alone with you."

  Ah, that was closer to an admission of desire. "And when we're alone?"

  Hurt settled on her face, and she bit her lip. "Don't you want

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  to...to go to bed with me?"

  As if she couldn't tell. "I'm more interested in what you want, Sarah."

  "Oh." Mercifully, the hurt cleared from her face. "I want that, too."

  He gave her a leisurely, gentle kiss. A reward, though it punished him to keep the kiss soft. He wanted to force her lips open, lay her down in the cool, damp grass and find out just how hot she could burn. Patience. She wouldn't burn if he rushed her. This time he'd keep things slow, keep her hot. "Tell me how your body feels."

  "Excited," she said.

  "What else?" He ran his lips over her neck, then bit gently.

  She cried out, a short sound that she quickly stifled.

  "That's it," he encouraged. "Tell me how good you feel."

  "I feel...oh..."

  His fingers plucked gently at her nipples, hard little points budding against the fabric of her dress. "Imagine we're alone, on your bed. What would you want me to do?"

  "I'd want your mouth on me." Her voice had dropped to a whisper, but he heard it.

  "I'd want that, too." He bit his lip, hard, to distract himself. This time he'd make her want him until she was desperate to come. "Did I tell you how beautiful your breasts are? How good they felt against my tongue?"

  He stopped to catch his breath. His own fantasies were driving Mm crazy. He needed to focus on hers. "Did you like that?" He felt her nod, and bent low to whisper in her ear. "What else did you like?"

  She didn't answer. But she squirmed against him, rubbing that delectable ass of hers against his erection. He choked back an agonized moan.

  "Tell me, Sarah." She was silent. He'd fill in the blanks for her. "You liked me suckling your breasts. What else did you like?"

  "I liked your kisses," she admitted.

  "My kisses excited you?"

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  She nodded.

  He brushed her hair aside and planted a wet kiss on the back of her neck, then gave her a gentle nip for good measure. "These kisses?"

  She nodded again.

  "What else did you like?"

  She twisted away, turned to face him. "Why are you making me say these things?" she demanded.

  "Because it turns me on. Doesn't it turn you on, thinking about the things we did together? About the things we could do together?"

  "A little bit."

  No doubt she got a little excited, then panicked and stopped herself. All he had to do was get her past the panic stage. "That's not quite fair," he said. "It turns me on a lot."

  She opened her mouth to respond, but a gust of wind made her cry out instead as a cold mist of rain soaked them both. She pressed against him full length, but too late. Her back was soaking wet, her clothes dripping. A cold shower—just what she needed to douse the fire he'd been carefully stoking.

  He started to shrug off his jacket, but she shook her head. "Don't bother. I'm already soaked to the skin."

  He grasped her hand. "Come on, let's make a run for the car."

  He ran out from under the trees, leading Sarah by the hand. A fine sheet of rain hit his face, light but chilled by the wind. They'd both be drenched by the time they got to the parking lot. He picked up the pace, felt Sarah tugging on his hand, and slowed again, matching her stride.

  They'd walked quite a distance around the lake, and the rain seemed to come down faster every minute. When they finally reached the wooded path that led to the parking lot, the wind turned to a gentle breeze, and the rain dripped in slow, erratic drops from the trees. He slowed down to catch his breath. Sarah panted behind him, looking wet and miserable. Damn, he kept forgetting how tiny she was. He'd rushed her, forced her to keep up with his own longer legs.

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  He stopped and held her against him. She shook with cold, drew deep breaths. He had to get her to the car, but he couldn't drag her there. He held her until she caught her breath, then looked down into her wet face. "Ready?"

  She nodded.

  "Let's go." He led her the rest of the way down the path, walking fast but not running. When they reached the edge of the parking lot, the cover of trees ended, and the wind blew a gust of rain into his face.

  Sarah tugged him forward, and he followed her as she ran. His car was the last one left in the lot. He fumbled in his pocket for the keys, had them ready before they reached the car.

  He unlocked her door first and got her inside, then hurried around the car and let himself in. The rain beat a noisy rhythm against the roof. Sarah was shivering, running her hands over her bare arms. Her soaking wet sweater lay in a heap at her feet.

  He had to get her warm. He turned the key in the ignition and put the heater on full blast, then shrugged off his jacket. Too wet to do Sarah any good. He threw it on the backseat.

  His shirt was dry, and he had a I-shirt on underneath. He quickly stripped off the long-sleeved shirt and handed it to Sarah. "Here. Put this on."

  She started to put it on over her wet dress. He reached out a hand to stop her, and felt the goosebumps on her cold skin. "It won't do you much good if it gets wet."

  She looked up at him, and he could read the awareness in her eyes. If she took her dress off, she'd be naked. At Jeast until she got his shirt on.

  He looked away, took his hand off her arm and put it on the steering wheel. There wasn't much he could do to give her privacy, but he didn't have to drool over her while she sat there freezing.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her slip her dress over her head. She had a bra on today. A pink one, the same color as the panties in his jacket pocket. Lord have mercy. She sat there freez-

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  ing, as disinterested in sex as she could possibly be, but the cold shower had done nothing to ease his own arousal. Unfortunately.

  He turned his head further away,
looking blankly at the rain dripping down the outside of the window next to him. He could still hear her, though, and imagined her slipping those slender arms into the sleeves of his shirt, buttoning it up to cover that pink satin bra.

  "Adrian?"

  He wouldn't look at her, wouldn't embarrass her. "What?" he asked, without moving an inch.

  The touch of her cool, damp hand on his forearm made him start.

  "Won't you be cold without your shirt?"

  "No," he said, more harshly than he should have.

  Her hand left his arm. Had he hurt her feelings? He turned to her then, saw her biting her lower lip.

  "I'm sorry, Sarah"

  "It's all right."

  "No, it isn't. I shouldn't take my frustration out on you." Actually, he shouldn't even be feeling frustrated. He had better control over himself than that. Usually.

  "I'm frustrated, too," she said softly.

  Had he heard her right? The rain was making an awful racket on the roof of the car, but he'd swear she'd admitted to being frustrated. Her cheeks looked a little red, as if the admission had caused a blush. But no, they were probably just red from the cold.

  He reached out and caught her hand, which felt only a little cool now. Why couldn't he think of anything to say? All he could do was stare at her face, and try not to stare at those luscious bare legs.

  Her cheeks grew even redder. "I must look like a drowned rat," she said.

  Was she serious? Her hair was curling into thick waves as it dried in the blast of air from the heater, and she looked delectably waifish in the long folds of his shirt. And that blush on her cheeks.. .what tantalizing

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  thought had caused it? "You look beautiful."

  She smiled ruefully. "I'm sure my makeup has all washed off."

  "You don't need any."

  She sighed, and her fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt where it lay against her thigh. But she didn't say anything.

  He rested his arm along the back of the seat, brushed her damp hair with his fingers. "What's wrong, Sarah?"

  "For a moment there, in the park, I almost felt..."

  What had she felt? Excited? Frustrated? Happy?