by C. C. Coburn
“I’m polishing off the box of chocolates that Dr. Strangelove gave me.”
She could hear the smile in Gabe’s voice as he said, “So the evening wasn’t a complete loss?”
“I guess not. I got to have my hair completely messed by riding in a fast car, a foot massage and he did confirm the GP’s diagnosis of Molly’s problem. Although, unfortunately, given the way our evening ended, I think I’m going to have to go crawling back and offer to spank him if I want to see an ENT guy anytime this century.”
“Leave it with me. I might have a few contacts. We can’t have Molly suffering.”
We? Gabe was being way too possessive for her liking with that remark. But if it was a choice between spanking Peter Grenville and letting Gabe get away with being a bit possessive, then she’d take Gabe anytime. “Okay, thanks.”
“And what’s this about a foot massage?”
Beth groaned. “Don’t remind me. I just spent fifteen minutes in a hot shower scrubbing my foot to get the feel of his hands on me washed out of my system.”
“He manhandled you?”
“Well, foot–handled is probably a more appropriate word. It was actually kind of relaxing until he told me he really got off on having his Nanny spank him as a child.”
“Gross, as the kids would say,” Gabe said. “We’ll definitely change the subject, although I’d like to take a rain check on massaging your foot myself some time.”
A rush of pleasure flooded through Beth. The thought of having Gabe stroke her foot raised a completely different set of feelings from those she experienced with Peter Grenville.
“Have you got any chocolates left?” Gabe asked.
“A couple. But I think they’ll be long gone by the time you drive down here from your ranch.”
“Don’t tempt me, darlin’,” he said and Beth could hear the huskiness in his voice. “Bite into one. Tell me how it feels on your tongue, what it tastes like,” he murmured.
“Excuse me?”
“Just go along with me, darlin’,” Gabe told her. “I’m trying to have phone sex with you.”
Beth was stunned. And a little excited. She’d never had phone sex with anyone before. She couldn’t imagine in her wildest dreams that Gabe was into anything so… well… sexy.
“Um… okay,” Beth popped the last chocolate into her mouth and bit into it. “Wrlot doo I doo now?” she inquired around the mouthful.
“Tell me how it feels.”
“It feels kind orv sorft, squishy…” She moved it round her tongue so that she could speak more clearly. How on earth could talking about what a chocolate felt like be sexy? This phone sex caper was for the birds!
“Hmmn, sorft and squishy, doesn’t exactly do it for me,” he told her. “What does it taste like?”
“Caramel.”
“And what else?”
“Chocolate.”
“I have to say, darlin’, you’re not trying very hard.”
Beth could hear the frustration in his voice. She moved her tongue around to try and get the confection off the roof of her mouth where it seemed to have become permanently glued. “I’m not thor,” she moved the chocolate round some more with her tongue so she could speak more clearly. “Vot do you want me to thay?” She gave up and stuck her finger in her mouth to prize the chocolate off her palate, then swallowed the gooey mess and sucked the remains off her finger.
“What’s that sound?” he asked.
“Me. Sucking the chocolate off my finger.”
“Suck it again,” he murmured.
Beth obliged.
“Oh, yeah. That’s more like it,” Beth heard him groan.
Understanding the huskiness in his voice, she decided that maybe phone sex with Gabe was better than no sex at all, plus, it couldn’t hurt to plant some erotic images in his mind so that next time they met, he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her!
And given Dr. Strangelove’s spanking suggestion, maybe a bit of kinkiness would turn Gabe on so much that he couldn’t be turned off. He might even jump in his Jeep and speed down the Interstate and make her a very happy woman tonight. Yes! If that’s what it took to get Gabe into her bed, she’d play along with his fantasy. “Oh, yeah,” she murmured. “This is sooo good,” she said and made more sucking noises.
Gabe felt like he’d been kicked in the nether regions. This was more like it! He groaned as he stretched out on his sofa to release the pressure of his jeans against his swelling crotch, unable to believe how quickly Beth had managed to arouse him. “Again,” he demanded. And moaned with pleasure as she obeyed his command. He could get used to this, having Beth do what she was asked, instead of questioning everything.
“Gabe?”
“I’m right here, darlin’.”
“I’ve got a confession to make.”
Gabe sat up. This should be good. Beth was always full of interesting surprises, he wondered what it could be this time. Maybe she’d gone out and bought that vibrator and was going to suggest she use it. “What is it?” he asked, full of foolish, adolescent–like anticipation.
“I was never really a thumb–sucker. And I don’t really like sucking my finger much either.”
Gabe felt as though a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him. Beth just wasn’t the romantic type. It was useless trying to force her into something she didn’t feel comfortable with.
“Except when there’s something nice to suck off my finger,” she said.
Gabe’s libido kicked into high gear. Beth had side–swiped him again.
“Honey, put another chocolate in your mouth and stick your finger in there and then lick the chocolate off it,” he suggested with some urgency.
“But that was the last one,” she said plaintively.
“You’ve eaten all Dr. Strangelove’s chocolates? In one sitting?” he asked, incredulous.
“Hey! Don’t go doing a JJ on me, okay? I am my own woman and if I want to gobble a whole box of chocolates all by myself, then I will.”
“Darlin’ I’m not censuring you. I’m just a little… surprised at your appetite. Didn’t you get much to eat at dinner?”
“Actually, no. It was one of those fancy places with big white plates and teeny, tiny servings. I’m still feeling quite peckish.”
Gabe could hear her refrigerator door opening on the other end of the line. He resisted the urge to tell her to find some whipped cream and do all sorts of interesting and carnal things with it. Knowing Beth, she’d probably polish off the last of the vegetarian lasagna from last night. That didn’t exactly conjure up erotic images.
“Hmmmn… yummmm…” He heard her say along with something that sounded like lips smacking together. “Oh, this is soooo good.”
“Vegetarian lasagna is sending you into orbit?”
“No, silly! I’m eating Black Forest cake ice–cream straight out of the tub with my fingers.”
Gabe could hear her licking and slurping and swallowing and he wanted to be right there in her kitchen with her, watching her as she moaned with pleasure. Better still, the image of having her lick, slurp and swallow ice–cream off his body was even better. He leaned back on the sofa to ease the congestion in his crotch and listened to Beth.
It must’ve been a big tub of ice–cream, because she just went on and on while images filled Gabe’s head as he imagined them making love amongst the ice–cream spreading in a huge puddle all over her kitchen floor.
He cleared his throat. “Ah, Beth, that’s an awfully big tub of ice–cream,” he said. “You don’t want to make yourself sick, do you?”
“Oh, I finished the ice–cream ages ago,” she said around a mouthful of something he couldn’t identify. “I’m finishing off some lamb chops I defrosted earlier today. Before my rich lover–boy weirdo doctor asked me out.”
Gabe couldn’t believe his ears. “Raw lamb chops?”
There was the sound of meat being torn from a bone. Gabe’s head filled with images of Beth tearing flesh from his bone
s. She’d gotten so carried away with their lovemaking that she was devouring him! He shook his head to clear it. Maybe trying phone sex wasn’t such a good idea? Especially with Beth.
“No silly! They were left over from a barbecue I cooked last week. I froze them, so that I’d have an easy meal prepared in minutes for the kids for an emergency. They didn’t eat them all tonight so I thought I would. They sure taste a lot better than that food I had tonight at that snooty restaurant.
“It was snooty was it?” Beth wouldn’t have liked that. Plus the fact that they were mean with their portions. He filed that information away for future use. And she liked chocolates. He’d like to watch her eating chocolates. He’d have to get her a box for next time he visited. And maybe take along some prime Colorado lamb chops too.
“Yep, waiters looked down their noses at me until they saw my rich lover–boy doctor and then they were fawning all over us. Quite sickening really. I think he goes there a lot.”
“Probably impresses the sort of women who like to be spanked.”
“Hmn,” Beth agreed round a mouthful.
“Darlin’?”
“Yup.”
“When you’ve finished devouring the contents of your refrigerator or when your appetite is sated, whichever comes sooner, could we get back to having phone sex?”
“Sure. But I thought we hadn’t stopped.”
“The lamb chops image kinda put a dampener on things my end. How about you?”
“I always feel like sex after eating lamb. Don’t ask me why, but I do. Must be hormones they add to the meat or something.”
She was outrageous. There was no doubt about it. And a little crazy, but in a nice way. “What are you wearing?” he asked, to change the subject.
“My ratty old nightgown. Sorry. Not really romantic is it?”
Gabe decided he liked her ratty old nightgown. He looked forward to the day when it was completely threadbare and he could see right through it. He had a sneaking suspicion Beth was trying to lead him on, trying to coax him further along the path to a sexual union without strings attached. He was about to drag himself away from that path, when she completely blind–sided him.
“I’ll take it off, if you like,” she purred.
“Now?” Hell’s teeth! The woman knew how to get him aroused. And if she kept this up, he wasn’t sure if he could stick to his demands of a relationship before sex. He was only a man, after all. Not a marble statue. She’d felt every hard inch of him the other night and it had taken every bit of his willpower not to succumb to the temptation of her clever hands, stroking him like that.
He was rewarded with the tinkling sound of Beth’s laughter.
“If you want.”
“Um, where in the house are you?”
“Still sitting at the kitchen table. Why?”
“Aren’t you afraid one of the kids might come in?”
“They’ve seen me naked before.”
“They haven’t seen you doing to yourself what I want you to do to yourself when you’re stark naked.” He was rewarded by the sound of Beth swallowing. He was getting to her. Good!
“How about you come here and give me a personal demonstration?”
“Don’t you think I know exactly where you’ve been tryin’ to lead me with all this sucking and slurping?”
“Obviously I wasn’t doing a good enough job if you’re not climbing into your Jeep as we speak.”
“It was the lamb chops, darlin’. Up till then, I was pocketing my car keys,” he teased her.
“Damn!” he heard her mutter. “Just a tic. I’m going to pop up to my room and lock the door,” she whispered.
Gabe could feel his erection growing at the thought of Beth in her room. He’d already seen her naked on her bed, but he hadn’t had time to really appreciate her body. He closed his eyes and conjured up the image of Beth lying naked on her bed.
“Okay, I’m here,” she said with a hint of breathlessness. “And now I’m naked.”
Gabe forced himself to resist the urge to race outside, jump in his Jeep and tear down to Denver right there and then.
“Gabe? What do you want me to do now?”
Gabe closed his eyes and thought. He had to get out of this somehow or he really would be taking that trip to Denver, and at this point in their relationship, that would be a huge mistake. “Lay down on your bed.”
“Done.”
“Have you turned off the light?”
“Yes,” she purred.
“Good, now get comfortable.”
Beth swallowed. She’d never done anything remotely like this before in her life. It seemed like she was eating some sort of forbidden fruit. Partaking in an act that was a little bit naughty, but terribly exciting. “I’m comfortable.”
“Can you feel the softness of your mattress pillowing your back, holding you, like a lover?”
“Oh, yes,” she cooed and wriggled around to push herself deeper into it.
“Wonderful. Now, darlin’, I want you to think about how good that feels as you reach down between your legs…”
Beth moaned. This was sooo good. Gabe knew all the right moves. She couldn’t wait till he told her what to do with her hands.
“Now grab your comforter and pull it up over you.”
Beth obeyed, relishing for the first time in her life the feel of the cool, soft cotton as it slid up her heated body. This promised to be a wonderful night of phone sex. She moaned softly, so he’d know she was in the mood.
“Have you done that, darlin?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah,” she purred liked a B–grade soft porn actress. “I can feel you all over me.”
She heard Gabe’s soft moan in response.
Then he said, “Sweet dreams, my imperfect princess…” and the phone went dead.
“Huh?” Beth tapped the phone hand piece. “Are you there?” she asked. “Gabe? Gabe! ” When there was no answer, Beth realized that the telephone wasn’t malfunctioning and that Gabe had indeed hung up on her. What a rat. What a low–down dirty rat! And just what did he mean by that ‘imperfect princess’ remark?
She lay staring at the ceiling in the dark. He was a tease. There was no other word for it. She wondered what the slang term was for a man who teased but didn’t come through with the goods. There was a particularly unpleasant one for a woman, so surely there was one equally rude for a man. A teaser of a man like Gabe Hunter. She rolled over onto her side. In the morning, she’d research it on the Net. Along with vibrators.
When Beth awoke next morning, she was surprised to realize she’d slept blissfully through the whole night. No children being sick, no dog jumping onto her bed and breathing on her in the middle of the night, no early morning calls from a pest of an ex–husband.
Just blissful sleep, filled with pleasurable images of Gabe. Gabe peeling off his shirt. Gabe leaning over her, pinning her to the bed. Gabe kissing her so passionately that she touched her lips in an unconscious gesture as she remembered how good it felt. Gabe holding her as though she was the most precious thing in the world. Strange… There were no dreams of them actually making love…
Maybe Gabe wasn’t such a rat with his phone sex talk last night? If she could get a few more nights’ sleep like that, she’d be a happy woman. Certainly a less stressed–out woman. Maybe a less sex–starved woman?
She discounted that idea almost as soon as it entered her head. While Gabe Hunter was on the scene and not doing as he was told and making love to her, she was going to remain firmly sex–starved!
Beth pushed back the covers. She had kids to get off to school and daycare, an appointment with her lawyer and serious research time to put in at the computer.
“I’m afraid that there’s really nothing much you can do to stop JJ having access to his children, Beth,” her lawyer, Douglas Fadden, told her. “He hasn’t done anything to convince the courts he’s an incapable parent. Plus that barracuda of a lawyer he’s got is so sharp, she’d manage to turn it around and make
it look as though last weekend’s interrupted access visit was all your fault.“
Reluctantly, Beth had to agree. Douglas was right about JJ’s lawyer, Selma Hardwicke, who’d once been their lawyer. Beth was seriously regretting that she hadn’t hired Selma herself and let JJ have anyone else in Denver. But she’d been so put off by Selma’s nonchalant attitude to JJ’s infidelity that she’d dropped her and engaged good old Douglas instead. They’d gone to high school together. Douglas was a nice guy. Too nice maybe, especially where divorce and child custody were concerned.
“The only way JJ couldn’t have access to the kids is if he was dead,” she heard Douglas saying.
Maybe Douglas wasn’t so bad after all? “You mean, if he got run over by a truck or something?” Beth asked.
“Well, yes. So long as he was dead. If he was just maimed, he’d still have the right to have the kids visit. Of course, if he was just maimed, then there wouldn’t be much left in his estate when he did eventually pass on, because in spite of insurance pay outs, it still costs an awful lot of money to maintain a maimed body. In other words, the kids would end up with nothing.”
Beth shook her head. She couldn’t believe Douglas was saying all this. Maybe he wasn’t? Maybe she was just imagining it? Because the thought of JJ getting run over was sounding really attractive.
“So I have to make sure it’s a really big truck that hits him?”
“Excuse me?”
Beth collected herself. “Sorry! Just joking.” Sort of.
Douglas smiled. He had quite a pleasant smile, now that she came to think of it. Not fangs like Selma. Beth wondered if she married Douglas, would he waive her fee?
Probably not. Especially since he had three ex–wives to maintain. Douglas was a serial marrier. Plus, she didn’t want to get married ever again, even if it meant she could get a huge discount in her legal fees.
“If that’s all for today, Beth,” he said closing her file and taking off his glasses, “I wondered if I might ask you out for dinner. Tonight, if you’re free.”
As far as Beth knew, Douglas Fadden had never done a spontaneous thing in his life. Apart from getting married to the wrong women after only knowing each of them less than a fortnight. But as she had no intention of marrying Douglas, it was probably alright to have dinner with him. Besides, she might be able to pump him for more info on how to get JJ out of her life. For free. With dinner thrown in.