In The Cards

by Cynthia Selwyn

  “I don’t know. Unless he licked the heroine’s? I’m too embarrassed to think about it. Forget looking at the other cards. Anyhow, my editor—Carla—said I should use them for ideas. And…research.” Alex blushed, then fell to the side, burying her face in her pillows.

  Good thing. Right now, his dick was so hard he couldn’t hide it anymore. He leaned back and stretched out his legs- if he could, he’d unzip his jeans and release the beast before it busted his zipper. He couldn’t get the image of Alex tied down and begging him to pleasure her out of his head.

  Probably because all the blood had left his brain to feed his enormous boner. He grabbed a pillow and plopped it over his lap when Alex sat up to peer at him.

  “I should just tell Carla I can’t do it. Except…the amount of money they offered for an advance was obscene. I mean…Zach, remember that house we saw when we went skiing last winter?”

  Did he? Of course he did. It was her dream house. A Victorian-style farmhouse with a view of the White Mountains, a wide front porch, and an apple orchard that they couldn’t see because it was buried in snowdrifts.

  “How could I forget? You wouldn’t stop talking about it.”

  “If I added the advance to my savings and the money I inherited from my parents, I’d have enough for a down payment. It’s still on the market and…well…I mean, I can write smut. I think. For the house.”

  Smut for the house. He grinned. “Can I come visit?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m sure your boyfriend would prefer I didn’t.” The Asshole.

  She sighed, a catch in her voice. “I think…Tim and I are through.”

  “What?” Yes. He resisted pumping his fist in the air and put on an appropriate expression of sympathy. “That’s too bad, Al. What happened?”

  “We haven’t been getting along lately.”

  “You never said anything.”

  “Well…I know you don’t like him.”

  True enough. “What’s going on?”

  “I found him in our bed with his assistant yesterday. He thought I’d already left for the hotel.” Her voice caught.

  “The asshole!”

  She tucked her hands between her thighs, her hair hiding her face again. He’d never seen her look so dejected. If Tim suddenly materialized in front of him, Zach knew he’d beat the jerk to a pulp without hesitation. “What the hell’s the matter with him?”

  She gave a teary little sniff and a tiny smile. “Oh, come on, Zach. Look at me. Can you blame him? She’s five-foot-eight and blonde. I’m five-foot-nothing and fat.”

  He stood up, blood pounding in his ears. “I am looking at you.” You’re crying, and it’s breaking my heart. “And yeah, I do blame him. And you’re not fat.” You’re curvy and soft and adorable, and I’d kill to be able to love you.

  She blinked. “You’re sweet.”

  No. I’m aching for you. But that doesn’t mean I’m sweet. Crap. I might be an asshole, too. Zach knelt in front of her, his hands on her knees. “Fuck him, Al. You’re too good for him.” And I’m not good enough for you.

  “But…I love him.” She sniffled.

  Why? He treated her like a servant. She cleaned, she cooked, she put up with his crap. True, he paid the mortgage and gave Alex the opportunity to stay home and write instead of needing to go out and work a nine-to-five job every day, but…she was better than that. “Maybe he’s just a habit. You’ve gotten used to him. But that doesn’t mean he’s the one for you.” He’d been trying to convince her of that for four years, ever since she’d met the man. “You and he aren’t even suited for each other. He’s all about flash and cash. You’re about books and writing and research.”

  She swiped at her face with the heel of her hand. “Great. You mean I’m boring.”

  “Not to me, you’re not. You’ve never been boring. You’re intelligent. You’re funny. You’re—you’re you.” He tugged her hand from her face, cupped her chin in his palm, and stroked her cheek with the ball of his thumb. “Tim doesn’t appreciate you for who you are. He doesn’t deserve you. Especially if he hops into bed with somebody the second he thinks you’re not around.” Ass. Hole.

  She studied him gravely, then tipped forward to brush his cheek with a kiss, giving him goose bumps. “You’re a good friend, Zach.”

  Crap. Always the friend. “I know it.” He dropped his hands to his thighs and sat back on his heels. “So…now what? You going to write smut? For the house?”

  “They want a proposal by the end of the weekend, and I can’t even write the word…um…well, you know…without dying of embarrassment.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “No. What word?”

  She blinked. “You know…” Her voice dropped down into a whisper. “P-e-n-i-s.”

  Zach couldn’t hold in his burst of laughter. “So don’t write ‘p-e-n-i-s.’ Use another word. Be creative. How about…velvet luuv rod?” He winked.

  Alex laughed, and her face turned a pretty shade of pink. She swatted his shoulder. “It’s not just that. I—I’m not very imaginative about these things. I mean…I…well.” She looked down at her lap, the smile slipping from her face. “I suck in bed.”

  Zach reached up, rested his hands on her knees. She wore a skirt; her skin felt hot against his palms. His stomach tightened. If only she knew the thoughts racing around his head, the ideas he had, the things he ached to do with her and for her. She’d have all the research material she’d ever need, for this book and several more. And she’d never, ever think she sucked in bed. Unless she sucked on purpose. Sucked him.

  His stomach somersaulted as his cock stiffened. Zach swallowed to clear his throat and took a deep breath. “So do some research, Al,” he said, his voice hoarse. “You’re always telling me how important it is to research what you write.”

  “How? What should I do? Rent porn from the hotel? Right now, it hurts to even think about sex, never mind having to write about it. I can’t stop thinking about Tim and his assistant. When I walked in, they were doing it…from behind! I was so embarrassed. I just said ‘excuse me’ and ran out of the room. How stupid was that?” A single silvery tear escaped, trickling over her cheek and dripping onto her thigh, leaving a dark spot on her skirt.

  “Oh, Al.” Zach squeezed her knees. “You weren’t stupid. Tim is. You’re the best thing that ever happened to him, and he’s thrown you away.”

  And now, she was liberated. Free to be—his. Here they were, in a hotel room, alone for the weekend, with a box full of sexy scenarios…

  I shouldn’t do this, he thought. It’s slimy. I’d be taking advantage of her.

  No I wouldn’t. I’d be helping her get over the prick who’s made her doubt how sexy she really is for four years.

  Yes?

  No?

  Zach took a deep breath, hoping he wasn’t about to ruin the only valuable relationship he’d ever had with a woman. He’d be honest; that was what he’d do. And he’d let her make the decision.

  That was what friends did.

  “You know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Al.”

  She gave him a teary smile. “Me too, Zach. I mean, you.”

  He held her gaze with his eyes, willing her to see the desire he felt for her in them. “We can research that book. You and me. We’ve got the time, we’ve got the place…we’ve got the…equipment.” He gave her what he hoped was a corny grin. “Together, Alex, we can get that proposal done and get you that house.”

  She stared up at him, her eyes round. “But, Zach… Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Her face reddened.

  “If you’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking, then…yes.” He crossed his fingers; his heart pounded.

  She paused. Blinked. And then, slowly, she nodded.

  Chapter Three

  Alex’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t know what to say. Maybe she was imagining the whole thing. Maybe she’d fallen and hit her head and the whole thing was a hallucination. She�
��d wake up and be lying on a gurney in a hospital. The room began to fade. See? Proof that she was hallucinating.

  But then, through the fog, Zach appeared, looming large. She felt his hands grasp her shoulders, felt him shake her. “Alex! Breathe!”

  Oh. Breathing. Yeah, that would help. She gulped in a huge gasp of air, and her vision cleared. She really was in a hotel suite with Zach. He stood in front of her with his hands on her shoulders and a huge hard-on straining the front of his jeans.

  At least…she thought it was. Unless she was hallucinating that, too? She took another gulp of air and looked, just to be sure.

  Nope. Not imagining it. Her lifelong friend, Zach O’Connor, wanted her, short, fat, boring her. She pulled her gaze from the bulging ridge in the front of his jeans to look at his face.

  He was like an angel, damn him, with a long, dark halo of hat-crushed curls and eyes the color of the summer sky after an afternoon storm. She read concern in them, as well as lust, and that was encouraging. “Are you okay?” His voice was husky soft, tickling her ears and making her blood race.

  “I think…I think I am.” She licked her lips and realized he’d just tightened his grip on her shoulders. Amazing. She, too, had some sort of power of attraction. “I just—well. I never expected that you would want to do—you know, that—with me.”

  “I do.” He let her go and turned to the box. The Box. Her pulse quickened. “So…what do you want to do? We could just…read the cards and do what they say. Or we could role-play. Or both.” He bent and lifted his hat from his bed. “I’m the cowboy, you’re the…”

  “Don’t you dare say ‘whore.’”

  “I wasn’t going to. Unless you wanted me to.” Zach slid his hat onto his head, tilting it just so for maximum effect. “What would you call a—prostitute—in a historotica?”

  “A soiled dove. A sister of sin. A painted lady, a woman of the night, a prairie nymph, a fille de joie… I’ll have to do more research to find out more names.” Alex was glad to be back on solid footing, historically speaking. She wasn’t going to worry about Tim and their broken relationship. She was going to think about her book and her house.

  She was going to have kinky sex with Zach.

  Holy crap. She reached behind herself to make sure the bed was within collapsing distance. Just in case she fainted or something.

  “Right.” Zach lifted an eyebrow at her. “You might need more than ten slang words for hooker to choose from.”

  “You never know.” Alex nodded. “Research is very important, Zach.”

  He grinned. “I couldn’t agree more. Let’s get to it, my prairie nymph. I’m pulling a card.” He lifted the deck from the box and began shuffling, his fingers riffling along the card’s edges.

  Alex shifted from foot to foot. Research. It’s just research. It’s going to be okay, like a game. A research game. About sex.

  Oh my God. I’m going to have sex with Zach.

  He fanned the cards out on the bed and leaned over them. The sleeves of his shirt tightened over his arms, spreading across his shoulders. His wide shoulders…his narrow waist…his tight jeans, molded to his perfect man-ass.

  Alex swallowed. This was it. Sometime soon—today—she wouldn’t have to imagine Zach naked. She was going to see him naked.

  Naked-naked. Not cut-offs naked, pajama-bottom naked, or bathing suit naked, but the real thing.

  The real thing.

  She fell back onto the bed, leaning on her hands. Breathe, she reminded herself.

  Zach trailed his fingertips over the fanned cards, closed his eyes, and slid one out from the rest. He handed it back to her. “Read it.”

  She looked down at the photo of a nude couple entwined in each other’s arms. “It’s the two of hearts.”

  “If the card fits…” He peered over the edge of the card at her. His eyes were a heart-stopping blue. “What’s the back say?”

  She lifted her eyes to his. Her face was red. She could feel it blazing. Pretty soon she’d set off the sprinkler system and they’d need to evacuate the hotel. “I think I’m afraid to find out.”

  “Not very nymphy of you.” He lifted the card from her hand, flipped it over, and read aloud. “Undress each other. Without using your hands.”

  You’re kidding. “What are we supposed to use? Our feet?” Alex plucked the card out of his hand and dropped it on the bed. “That’s ridiculous. Pick another card.”

  “I dunno. I kind of like that card.” He turned, chose another, flipped it over, and read it quickly. “But I like this one, too.”

  “Let me see.” She reached for it. She felt impatient now. If all the cards were going to be so stupid, she could do this on her own and save herself the…

  Was she out of her mind? Tim had hopped into bed with Trudy/Tiffy/Tutu/whatever-her stupid-name-was the second he’d thought she’d left, and she was sitting here, in a room, with the hottest man on the face of the earth ready to undress her with his feet—and she was hesitating?

  I’m such an ass.

  Yeah, but it’s Zach.

  Exactly. It’s Zach.

  Oh…shut up, will you? Who cares? You’ve modeled every freaking hero you’ve ever created after him. You know it. Tim knows it. Zach probably knows it. So take your big-girl panties off and fuck his brains out.

  “Gimme the card.” She sprang to her feet and held out her hand.

  “No.” He held it up out of her reach. “You’ll just say it’s stupid and tell me to pull another one.”

  “I won’t!” She shook her head, still reaching.

  Zach grinned and tucked it into his shirt pocket. “I’m saving that one.”

  Great. They’d never do anything at this rate. “What for?”

  “For when you’re ready.” He reached for another. “Ah. This one. This is a good one.” He dropped the card on the bed and held out his arms. “Come here, my soiled dove. I’m going to teach you…to fly.”

  Chapter Four

  She exhaled another breath she didn’t know she was holding. Zach placed his large hands on her shoulders and pulled her up against him. He peered down at her.

  “You are so…tiny,” he murmured.

  “Yeah. Thanks. We’ve already established that.” She wished she were long-legged like Tawny/Tudy/Trashi.

  Zach shook his head as if he was speculating. “The top of your head barely clears my armpit.”

  “Nice of you to notice.” She wondered what the card said and leaned back in his hands to peer up at him. “Am I supposed to do something with your armpit? Do I need to be taller for this? If that’s the case, I’m pulling the next card.”

  He grinned at her, a half quirk that quickened her pulse, then sank down onto the bed so that they were eye-to-eye. “You’re fine, Al. Don’t panic. I’m going to kiss you. Okay?”

  Okay? Okay? She nodded.

  He let his knees fall open and pulled her between them, his hands sliding down to her waist. “Put your arms around my neck.”

  Gladly. It’s about freaking time. She slid her hands over his face first, his handsome, perfect face, to the back of his neck, and she splayed her fingers in his thick, dark hair. It felt wiry yet soft at the same time. Nice. He lifted his face to hers, tilting his head so the brim of his hat didn’t thwunk her on the forehead. Nice touch, she thought. And then, his lips met hers.

  She gave a quick gasp as fire flooded her veins; every cell in her body responded by singing with a longing so fierce it hurt. She wanted him down to her core. The sensitive flesh between her legs swelled, growing liquid with a need so strong, she moaned.

  Zach’s hands slid up to tangle in her hair; he teased her lips apart with his tongue. Normally, she hated kissing like that. Wetness on her lips made her shudder, and the men she’d been with, for whatever reason, had a tendency to open their mouths so wide she felt as if she were about to be swallowed whole. But this kiss was nothing like that. It was heat, it was tongue and teeth and lips and a promise to give her the best sex of her
life if she just relaxed and let him have his way with her.

  He slid his hand down her back and under the hem of her shirt, lifting it up so that his callused palm brushed her skin. A wave of goose bumps flashed over her body. He broke the kiss. She opened her eyes to see him watching her face, his nostrils flared, his eyes wide. He looked like a stallion ready for a mare in heat.

  I’m in heat, she thought.

  He slipped her shirt over her head so the room’s cold air traced her skin, and then, as if he’d done it a million times before, he unhooked the front of her bra. Her breasts bobbed as he skimmed the silky garment off her arms, never taking his eyes from her. “Pink and perfect,” he breathed, a hot puff of air on her already taut nipples. She shivered and slid her fingers through his hair again as he leaned forward to lick the curve of one breast, then the other. But he didn’t touch the hardened peaks. They tightened even more, aching. She clenched her fingers.

  Heat spread through her body. She could feel the cold, drenched cotton of her panties against her throbbing skin, and she swallowed. She was ready to orgasm, and all they’d done was kiss. “Zach…” she moaned.

  “Shhh…” he murmured against her lips. “Let’s go slow. I’ve been riding the range a long time, and I want to get my two bits worth.” He peered up at her under the brim of his hat. “I’m feeling historical. What was the going rate for a fille de joie, anyway?”

  “I don’t…I don’t know.” She gasped, her knees weakening. “I haven’t…researched it…yet.” She could barely talk. How could he be thinking research at a time like this?

  Because that was what it was. Research. And revenge sex. Raunchy revenge sex. She hoped.

  Zach traced the tip of his tongue along the contour of one of her breasts, still avoiding her sensitive pink peaks.

  She was going to die. She grabbed the back of his head and tried to force his mouth to her nipple, but he gently slid his hands over hers, twining their fingers together. He lifted their arms and held them over her head. His other hand disengaged, slid back down over her body to deftly undo the button of her skirt and tug it off. It slid down her legs to pool around her ankles. He pulled away to look down. “Nice boots, Alex. We’ll leave them on,” he murmured. Then he lifted his eyes and met her gaze. “If I let you go, you have to promise me you won’t touch yourself.”