Good Karma

by Donya Lynne

  Speaking of feet, she wasn’t wearing any shoes. What was she trying to do? Drive him crazy?

  As the vase filled with water, she looked over her shoulder. “Dad shouldn’t be here for a while. If you had been him, I would’ve been surprised. This is way early. He’s coming over to watch the game later.”

  Mark was a little disappointed. He had hoped to spend time with her tonight. But then, he had stopped by without calling first.

  “I won’t stay long then,” he said. “I just wanted to check in and see how your lessons are coming along.”

  “They’re going well.” She flashed her eyebrows to hint at just how well. “The new books I bought have been educational.”

  “Maybe you’ll let me take a peek before I leave.” He stepped a little closer.

  “Maybe. If you’re good.” She turned back to the sink.

  A hundred fantasies flashed through his mind about just where he wanted those feet and how he would worship that fine, firm rear view. He nearly panted as he gazed down at her bare toes poking out from under the ragged hem of her jeans.

  She giggled, and he snapped his attention to her face. She shook her head, her cheeks rosy.

  “Caught you,” she said.

  He cleared his throat and grinned crookedly. “Guilty, but it’s not my fault. You’ve been warned.”

  She laughed and set the half-filled vase on the counter. “Yes, I have, and had I known you were coming over, I would have put on my fuzzy slippers.”

  “Fuzzy slippers?”

  “Uh-huh. Little bunnies.”

  Joining her, he helped her arrange the flowers, casting her a shameless grin. “No bunnies. I like your feet just as they are.”

  She gave him a wary glance. “Will my feet be safe for the evening? Maybe I should put on shoes.” She picked up the vase and moved it to the dining room table. She bent over slightly and pushed it toward the center.

  The opportunity was too good to resist, and he moved behind her. As he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her ass against his groin, she shot upright and gasped. The sound bolted a spear of warmth—not lust—down his spine. Lust he could have understood, but warmth? The kind of warmth that comes with something more intimate than lust. That was unexpected.

  He quickly shook off his dismay and bent his head so his mouth rested beside her ear. “I’m also an ass man, and I do like yours in these jeans.” He chuckled low, with quiet confidence. “So, you can put on shoes if you like, but I think it’s your backside that needs to be worried this evening.” With that, he stepped away and gave her a gentle swat on the right cheek.

  She squealed and spun around, her hand going to where he’d slapped her rump, her face alight with surprise. Even though she tried to look appalled, her eyes danced with excitement.

  “You spanked me!”

  “You have a very spankable ass.”

  “Mark!”

  He laughed. “Hey, I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Couldn’t help yourself, my ass.”

  He laughed harder. “Exactly. Your ass. That’s my point.”

  She turned bright red and groaned before falling into a fit of giggles. “Oh God.” She dropped her face into her hand.

  He pulled her toward him and rested his hands on her hips. “You set yourself up for that one, babe.”

  “And, as usual, you took full advantage.”

  “But you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.” He pulled her a little closer.

  She buried her face against his chest, as if trying to hide herself.

  “Make that ultra-cute. Maybe I should try to embarrass you more often if this is your reaction. I kind of like this.” He snuggled her more firmly against him.

  She pulled her face back and blinked up at him. “Don’t you dare. You’re supposed to be helping me come out of my shell, not pushing me further inside it.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I guess I am. Damn.” He snapped his fingers as if he had momentarily forgotten what it was he was doing there. “But isn’t this much more fun?”

  After so long apart, being with Karma again felt right in about a hundred different ways.

  * * *

  Something about Mark was different, but Karma couldn’t put her finger on it. He was more touchy-feely, more approachable. And he looked at her differently, which had nothing to do with her feet.

  “So, I’ve been thinking about…” His fingers edged down to the waist of her jeans so that his fingertips slipped underneath and rested on the upper curve of her butt.

  “Yes?”

  He took a deep breath and pulled her a little closer. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”

  “You have?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what have you been thinking about?” Karma tried to sound unaffected even though she was anything but.

  “How I’m not sure I can go much longer without making love to you.”

  Her eyes drifted closed and she leaned into him. She had been thinking a lot about that, too.

  They remained like that, standing together, for several long moments. Nothing was said, but the weight of his words tightened something inside her. Something needy and wanting.

  He tugged his fingers from inside the waist of her jeans. “Do you have time to show me your new books before your dad gets here?” Mark’s deep, sexy voice cut into her like a hot knife through butter. She practically melted. But this was Mark. He could make I have this strange rash sound sexy.

  “Sure.” She slowly inched herself out of the warmth of his arms, took his hand, and led him to her bedroom.

  Her new books were stacked on the dresser. She had even returned to Barnes & Noble a couple of days ago to buy more, as well as a couple of books on affirmations and the power of positive thinking. She was in a total transformation of mind and body, and the more she read, the more she wanted to learn and change.

  Mark rifled through her growing pile of books. He paused over one, made an appreciative noise, then picked up another and nodded his approval.

  “I’ve read this one,” he said of one of the how-to-have-hot-sex books. “And this one.” He showed her the 365 sexual positions book. “And these.” He pointed to the books on the Kama Sutra and Tantric sex. “I’m glad you’re reading them.”

  Of course he would have read some of these books. And probably a whole lot more.

  He stopped and smiled when he came to the two books on how to give a man mind-blowing oral sex. His gaze slid to hers.

  “Now, I’m sure this is interesting reading.”

  She blushed. “It is.”

  “Learning anything new?”

  “Yes.” She refused to look away. Old Karma would have. New Karma was stronger than that.

  “And you plan on using your new knowledge sometime soon, I assume?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Mmm.” He turned his attention back to her stack of books and picked up the Letters to Penthouse and one of the books on sexual fantasies. “These can be fun.”

  She had already read most of those two books. “Yes. I enjoyed them.”

  He set the books down and pulled her back into his arms. “You did, did you?” His eyes twinkled as his mouth curved into a crooked grin.

  “Yes.”

  “And just how much did you enjoy them, I wonder?” He drew his lips down her neck. “Did they give you any ideas?”

  “A few.” She gripped his shoulders.

  His tongue slid back up to her ear. “Were there any favorites?”

  Good God, Mark was a force of nature tonight. He was like a rising flood that encroached so slowly you didn’t realize the danger until it was too late. And it was definitely too late for her to seek cover. All she could do was fight to stay afloat. “A couple, yes.” She dug her nails into the backs of his shoulders.

  “Tell me.” His lips dropped fiery kisses down her jaw to her chin, and then hovered over her mouth as his gaze burned into hers.

  She nibbled the inside of her
bottom lip, staring up at him. “There was one story of a woman at a party. She wandered through the house to get away from the noise and the crowd.”

  Mark remained silent as she recounted one of the more erotic fantasies she had read.

  “It was a large house, and the woman found her way to a darkened room filled with exercise equipment. A moment later, a handsome stranger joined her. He had followed her.”

  “She had caught his eye?” Mark spoke against her lips. “Is that it?”

  Karma nodded. “Yes. He thought she was attractive.”

  Mark kissed his way to her ear and whispered, “And what did he do to her in that room with all the exercise equipment?”

  The air between them steamed, and Mark gently nudged her toward her bed.

  Karma’s breath came in quiet, tight bursts. “She was nervous at first, but he was sexy. Even though she didn’t know him, he excited her. She wanted to get to know him better. She wanted more.”

  “And he gave it to her?”

  “Yes.” As the backs of her legs made contact with the side of the bed, Mark guided her down. She scooted back, and he parted her legs and nestled between them.

  “What did he do to her?” He dropped his mouth to the hollow of her throat and softly nibbled her tender skin.

  Karma moaned and involuntarily arched her neck, pushing her throat against his lips. “He made love to her on one of the weight benches.”

  “Mmm.” Mark pushed himself up and looked into her eyes. “Did he make love to her?” He paused then said, “Or did he fuck her?”

  Oh wow. She suddenly understood why people liked intimate dirty talk. That one, four-letter profanity sent a jolt of electricity straight between her legs.

  “He fucked her,” she whispered. Her voice trembled.

  Mark shuddered and closed his eyes as he lowered himself against her.

  So, Mark liked dirty talk, too. Good to know.

  For at least a minute, Mark seemed to be at war. He didn’t speak, barely moved. The tension in his body and the way he inhaled and exhaled, as well as the quiet, pained moans that broke inside his throat as his lips tapped lightly against her skin as if he were marking time, made it clear he was in the depths of a fierce battle.

  “Are you okay?” she said, running both hands down his back.

  Her touch—or maybe her voice—seemed to soothe him, and he relaxed a little as he buried his arms under her and tucked his face against the side of her neck and nodded.

  “I just need a minute.” His gruff voice massaged her senses.

  Karma gently combed her fingers into his thick hair and lightly kissed his temple. “You feel good.” Very good. Too good to let go of. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Mark lifted his head from her shoulder. His glazed eyes met hers, and in a split second, something primal passed between them. Something dark and full of desire that refused to be denied.

  Air rushed into the cocoon that surrounded them, and Mark surged like a vicious wall of fire as his mouth crashed down on hers.

  His hands dove into her hair. She wrapped her legs around him. More, now! Whatever this was between them needed to come out now!

  He rolled to his back and took her with him, holding her close.

  “I missed you,” he said.

  “I missed you, too.” She tugged on the hem of his shirt and had just pushed her hands underneath when a noise from the living room startled her.

  The front door.

  “Honey?” her dad called.

  “Shit!” she whispered, meeting Mark’s stunned gaze as they froze. She hopped off and immediately began straightening her clothes.

  Mark rolled off the bed and pulled down his shirt before hastily running his fingers through his hair.

  “Karma?” her dad called again. She heard the door close and the jangle of her dad’s keys.

  “Hi, Dad!” she yelled. “Gimme a second. I’ll be right there.” She looked at Mark, feeling like a horny teenager caught getting it on in the backseat of her parents’ car.

  “I’m sorry,” Mark whispered. Guilt haunted his eyes.

  She waved off his apology. “Are you okay with him seeing you?”

  “Are you?”

  She didn’t have much choice. “I’ll figure it out.”

  He checked himself over and smiled. “This is your fault, you know.”

  “How is this my fault,” she whispered.

  Mark quietly swatted her butt. “Because you’re too damn sexy for your own good, that’s why.”

  “You say the sweetest things,” she said sarcastically, fidgeting with her hair some more. “Do I look okay?

  “That depends? How do you want to look?” He smirked and pulled her against him.

  “Quit that.” Karma pushed away and smacked his arm.

  With a playful wince, he pulled back. “You look fine. How do I look?”

  Karma really didn’t want to answer that, because he looked good enough to lick. “As good as you’re gonna. Come on.” She led him out of the bedroom and into the dining room.

  Her dad was in the kitchen unloading takeout from Olive Garden.

  “Hey, Dad,” she said. “You’re a little early.”

  “Well, I thought we could eat and—” He stopped midsentence when he turned and saw Mark standing beside her.

  One hell of an awkward silence followed.

  Mark finally cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Hi, Mr. Mason. I’m Mark.”

  “Mark?” Dad warily shook his hand, but his gaze slid questioningly to Karma, then to the flowers on the table, then back to Karma.

  “Mark’s a friend of mine,” she said.

  “A friend,” Dad said dubiously.

  “Yes,” Mark said in the stretch of silence that followed. “I came by to say hi, but was just on my way out.”

  “Uh-huh.” Dad turned back toward the Olive Garden bags.

  “I’ll walk you to the door.” Karma pushed against Mark’s arm.

  “It was nice to meet you,” Mark said to her dad’s back.

  “Hmph.” Dad didn’t turn around.

  She followed Mark to the door and into the outer hall. “This should be fun,” she said quietly.

  Mark took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m so sorry. I should have left when you said he was coming over.”

  She held up her hand. “No. It’s okay. I’ll handle it.”

  He looked concerned. “Well, you can call me later if you need to.”

  “I might just do that.” Karma nodded toward her apartment. “He doesn’t look happy.”

  “You sure you don’t need me to stay?”

  “No. It’ll be fine.”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.” He kissed her cheek. “Good night.”

  “Night.” She waved as he started down the stairs, and then went back inside to see her dad in the dining room, staring at her like she was a stripper.

  Uh-oh. It looked like she had some explaining to do.

  Dad frowned and disappeared into the kitchen again.

  “Dad.” Karma joined him and grabbed plates from the cupboard. “It’s not what you think.”

  “Who is he?” Her dad wouldn’t look at her.

  “He’s a friend, Dad.”

  “Sure he is, and I’m your mom.” He scowled at her out of the corners of his eyes. “Now, who is he?”

  She blew out a frustrated breath. “Dad, he’s—”

  “Mark,” Dad said. “His name is Mark.” He frowned. “That consultant you’re working with at Solar is named Mark.”

  She could see her dad’s wheels turning and putting everything together. “Yes, that’s right.” Shit.

  He pointed an accusing finger toward the door. “Karma, are you dating the consultant?”

  She couldn’t really call it dating but didn’t know how else to explain. Dating would imply they were in a relationship that could actually go somewhere. “I’m not actually dating him, Dad.”

  “Well, are you sleepin
g with him, then?” Her dad raised his voice and slammed the foil pack of garlic bread on the counter.

  “No!” His reaction chilled her bones. She hadn’t seen her dad this angry in a long time.

  “Well then, what were the two of you doing in your bedroom when I got here? I knocked on the door, and when you didn’t answer, I used my key.” He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “At least now I know why you didn’t hear me knock.” He grumbled unintelligibly under his breath and turned for the fridge.

  “Dad, it’s not like that. It’s—” She didn’t want to lie, especially to her dad. “I like him, Dad. And he likes me.”

  He spun around. “And you’re willing to throw away your career on that?” He huffed and stood akimbo. “This won’t end well, Karma! You work with him! What are you thinking?”

  Karma’s mouth fell open. Her dad hadn’t take such an aggressive tone with her since she’d switched majors at Purdue.

  “What am I thinking?” She slapped her hands on her hips. “Well, for starters, maybe for once I’m thinking that I’d like to go out with a nice looking man who’s interested in me.”

  “For God’s sake, Karma, there are plenty of nice looking men out there. You don’t need to risk your job on…” He waved toward the door. “THAT.”

  She pointed an angry finger in the same direction. “THAT happens to be the best man I’ve ever gone out with, Dad!”

  “You can do better.” He spun toward their food, giving her his back.

  “Where? Where, Dad? I’ve tried to ‘do better’ and it’s gotten me nowhere. Every guy I’ve gone out with—and there haven’t been that many, I might add—has turned out to be a major loser. Would you like to hear how awful they were?” She had used an online dating service last summer, which had been horrific. She began ticking off the list of dating nightmares scrolling through her mind from those two awful months. “Okay, let’s see, there was the guy who ‘channeled the moon’s energy’ to try and look down my blouse, a guy who defined taking me to a car dealership as a date, a guy who invoiced me for my half of dinner when I didn’t put out. Shall I continue, Dad? Because that’s just some of what I’ve had to put up with from men.” She didn’t want to mention Richard or Brian. “There are a lot of serious assholes out there, and I think I’ve met them all, but Mark isn’t one of them. He isn’t like that. He’s a gentleman. He’s nice. He treats me well. And he’s made me feel as if I’m actually desirable for the first time in my life. Yes, Dad. Desirable.” She slapped her palm in the center of her chest. “ME! Mark thinks I’m perfect. And for once, I’m starting to believe it. All my life I’ve felt lost and inferior and imperfect, like I didn’t know who I was. But now, because of Mark, I don’t feel that way, anymore. He’s given me my confidence. He’s helped me find my voice. So, fine. He and I work together. So what? I’m seeing Solar’s consultant. But you know what? I’m glad. I refuse to regret it, no matter what happens.” She didn’t realize she had tears in her eyes until she came up for air.