by Jill Sanders
Sighing, she crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. “I know.” Turning to him, she looked up into those blue eyes and felt her knees weaken. “But, we don’t need anyone’s permission.”
He nodded in agreement. “But it helps.” His fingers brushed against her cheek and she was pretty sure her knees would buckle at any moment. “I couldn’t do anything to hurt your family.” He moved closer until she could feel his breath against her face.
“Tom ...” She didn’t get much further, because he pulled her across the small space between them, farther into his arms. His mouth covered hers and she felt her entire body melt against his. Her fingers rushed to his hair, holding him, pulling him down to her.
When her body started to vibrate, he jerked his head up and she watched his blue eyes heat. “Don’t be fooled, I don’t need anyone’s permission. Except for yours.” His voice softened.
“You’ve had it.” She leaned back slightly, holding in the rest of what she wanted to tell him. She knew it was too soon to spill her heart out to the man she’d loved her entire life.
Just then the buzzer sounded, causing her to jump slightly. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Why does it always seem there’s a reason to pull away from you?” He smiled down at her.
“I better get that. You’re probably starving.” She smiled when his stomach growled. She was just thankful that she’d moved to the doorway before hers followed suit.
They sat in front of her fireplace and ate Chinese as the rain slowly fell outside. She felt her nerves growing with each bite of the meal. The wine helped settle them down slightly.
But when he pushed the box of noodles away, she could see that it was no longer his stomach that was hungry and felt her own body responding with desire.
He stood, then reached down and took her hand, pulling her up until they were so close she felt his heart jump.
“I’m heading up to the cabin Friday,” he said, moving slowly against her body.
She blinked a few times, then smiled when she realized he was dancing with her. “Oh?” She held in the chuckle that always came along with him calling the six thousand square foot mansion in the foothills a “cabin.” She’d been there roughly a dozen times; each time she couldn’t get over how beautiful the place was. Tom’s family had built it. Three generations working together. Until he was the last one to enjoy its beauty.
“Come with me,” he said, moving them closer to the fireplace. The rain stopped shortly after they had started eating, leaving the night quiet around them.
“I”—she thought about her week and frowned slightly— “have a dinner Friday.”
He tugged her until she stopped in front of the fireplace, her body pressed up against his. “Cancel it.”
She closed her eyes and wished more than anything that she could. “It’s a casting dinner. So everyone can meet and get to know one another.”
“So, come up Saturday.” He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. Keeping his fingers on her chin lightly. She nodded without further thought, then reached up on her toes, and placed her lips over his.
“Stay,” she whispered. “Here, with me tonight.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wanting to hold him like this for the rest of her life.
“I can’t,” he groaned. “I have”—he sighed— “I need time to think.” He pulled back slightly. “Amber, I know we jumped into things a few years ago, but ... things are different. I’m different. So are you.”
She felt her breath hitch when she understood. Not trusting her voice, she nodded instead. Then she smiled. “That doesn’t mean you have to leave right away.” She pulled him back down to her lips, and enjoyed when he came to her willingly.
She sighed when he walked her backwards until her knees hit the sofa, and then moaned when he pulled her down onto the soft cushions. He buried his hands in her hair, holding her closer as her nails dragged across his shoulders. He was so strong, so lean, and so damn sexy—she doubted she would have the control to stop.
Enjoying herself, she tugged until his shirt buttons opened. Then she groaned at the feel of his skin under her fingertips. Her entire body vibrated when his fingers brushed against her skin, just under her blouse. Then he dipped his head and ran his mouth over the top of her chest, causing another moan to escape her lips and her back to arch up.
Her fingers dug into his hair, holding him, guiding him as his mouth trailed over her skin. His hips ground against hers, so she wrapped her legs around him, wishing more than anything that he would change his mind.
“You’re killing me.” He growled next to her ear. “I thought I could control ...”
She nibbled on his ear and had him moaning next to her skin. Then he jerked up, breathless, and sat up, his eyes roaming over her. She knew her shirt was opened to her waist, exposing her bare skin. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, mesmerizing him. Her smile grew.
“Change your mind.” It came out as a whisper. His eyes moved to hers and she could see his answer. Sitting up, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him softly. “Then go, I’ll see you Saturday.”
He closed his eyes and nodded.
He was a fool, Tom thought as he drove up the hills early Friday morning. If he had half a mind, he would have stayed with Amber the other night. Because one thing was clear, he had been too preoccupied to think of little else. It was hard to run a business when your mind was consumed with getting a woman into bed again. He’d been so busy daydreaming that he’d fallen behind in work. So much so, he’d had to take a stack of papers with him to work on that weekend.
So far, there hadn’t been another word about him in the paper or magazines. He supposed it was true, that attention spans were short in Hollywood. But there was a new scandal in the tabloids—when a young singer confessed that she was pregnant.
He wondered how often lives were torn apart because of stories like the one about him and Amber. Sure, some of it was true, but one thing was clear, they were not a one-night stand like Ryder Sterlington had suggested.
He’d done a little research into the man. The slightly overweight middle-aged man was known in the business as the “go-to-guy” gossip columnist. His almost conspiracy-theorist columns usually made headlines in some of the top magazines.
Everything she’d done, from going to the gym to a simple dinner with her agent, had been photographed and speculated about.
If he ever got his hands on the man ...
He cleared his mind as he pulled up to park his car at his cabin. He smiled and sat for a few moments just looking at its beauty. The massive three-story building sat nestled along the foothills. There was roughly six acres to the property. He’d always imagined having a large barn and a few horses to enjoy. But work had kept him away most of the time.
Pulling out his overnight bag, he dashed through the cold air and climbed the spiral staircase to the front doors. Unlocking the place, he smiled when he noticed the heat had been turned on for his arrival.
The nearest neighbors had been his grandfather’s friend. The Andersons had looked after the place since his passing almost ten years ago. When Tom’s father died shortly after, it left him the last Albert to inherit the place. He was a little too prideful to let the place go, so he’d held onto the place and drove up there when time would permit.
As he walked into the massive entryway, he dreamed of the day he could live here full-time. His plans were to be moved up here within the next ten years. Unlike his grandfather and father before him, he had no intension of working himself to death. Opening the two new stores was his first major step in his business plans.
Branching out meant a little more stress and less personal in the past year, but so far, the two new locations were on their way to paying off, big time. He tossed his bag down, on his way back to the kitchen and smiled when he saw Janice’s note on the counter.
“Hi, Boy-o,” it began as all the notes did. She’d always called him that. Ev
en when he’d become a man.
* * *
Hi, Boy-o,
Don and I got things ready for you and your lady friend. By the way, can we just say it’s about damn time you and Amber came out of hiding? Anyway, the fridge is stocked and there’s a little something extra I baked in the bottom drawer. Make sure to save it for when Amber arrives tomorrow. We’ll be back Sunday morning; we’re visiting the grandkids in Vail this weekend. We’re sure sorry we missed you this trip. But we figured you’d enjoy the privacy.
Love you,
J&D
* * *
He walked over to the fridge and smiled down at the homemade apple pie. When his stomach growled, he remembered her note and reached for the sandwich meat and bread instead.
Then he made his way to the second-floor office and started working on the stack of papers he’d dragged up there with him.
Shortly after dark, he felt his cell chime and glanced down.
“Dinner was a huge success. I’m pumped. I’m coming up now. See you in about an hour.”
“You sure you’re okay to drive? The roads are a little slick from the rain.”
“Yup, wired. They served dessert and I had two helpings.”
“Okay, see you soon. Be safe.”
He jumped up from his desk, and then held onto the wood as his legs revolted on him. He hadn’t realized he’d been sitting for four hours straight. Ever since he’d gone downstairs and heated up a bowl of soup and another cold sandwich for dinner. Stretching, he headed up the stairs to the top floor where the massive master bedroom consumed the entire floor. Jumping into the shower, he washed off the day’s slime and dressed in a pair of worn jeans and sweatshirt. He made sure to slap on some cologne and brush his teeth before heading downstairs to set the mood.
He had moved the wine to the chiller, started a fire to warm the room, and had just lit some candles when he heard her car pull up outside.
He opened the door just as she dashed through the light snow.
“It’s snowing!” She smiled up at him as she walked past him.
“I can see that.” He blinked a few times and shook his head at the mess he knew the driveway would be in the morning.
“Oh, don’t worry. It’ll clear up by tomorrow. I listened to the weather report on the way up here.” She turned and he helped her remove her coat.
His mouth watered as he saw what she was wearing underneath. It was a long, flowing, pale blue evening gown. Its back was only a few scraps of almost translucent material of the same color. Exposing her shoulders and under her arms, showing off her ribs and, to his enjoyment, the sides of her perfect breasts.
She turned slowly, her eyes moving to his. His eyes traveled over the front, where the dress dipped dangerously low, to where he could almost see her bellybutton. Her long blonde hair hung in tight ringlets over her chest, most of it piled high on her head. Then he noticed that the dress was the same color as her eyes. He swallowed. Hard.
She kept smiling up at him. “I did mention it was a dinner party.”
He nodded, not quite sure he understood any word she’d said. She reached up slowly, taking her coat from his hands, then set it on the chair in the entryway. The motion woke him from his daze.
Taking her bag from her hands, he set it at the foot of the massive staircase. “Here”—his voice cracked slightly, so he walked over and held out a glass of wine— “come warm yourself.”
She took the glass from him and followed him to the base of the three-story stone fireplace. With each step, her dress flowed around her.
She ran her free hand up and down her arm. Abandoning his own glass of wine, he wrapped his arms around her and felt the chill slowly fade away from her skin. Every inch that was exposed to his touch.
“Better?” he asked, looking down at her. She was so beautiful. Too beautiful.
“Hmm ...” She smiled up at him and sipped her wine.
“How did things go?” he asked, wanting to know more about the dinner party. Especially one where she would wear such a gown.
“I’ve worked with a few of the actors before.” She smiled and sipped her wine as he dropped his arms from around her. He decided a beer was what he wanted. He flipped open the fridge in the small bar area and pulled out one.
Then he glanced down at his clothes and felt like a pauper standing next to a princess. Swallowing half the beer, he listened as she talked about the dinner party.
“You’ve worked with this Marcus Burgess before?” he asked, moving closer to her, his eyes still eating her up. She was standing in front of the fire, and the sheer material was even more see-through. Making all of the blood drain to his crotch.
“Hmm”—she smiled— “he’s the one that hired me the first week I was in California, for Unique Designs.” Her smile grew bigger after she sipped her wine. Then she set the glass down and sat on the sofa. Looking up at him, she patted the spot next to her.
When he moved over to her, she pivoted until her feet were in his lap. “Do me the honor. They’re sexy as hell, but they are killers on my feet.” She pulled the long silky blue material up, until her perfect legs were exposed.
His mouth watered even more.
There, on her small feet, were the sexiest pair of shoes he’d ever seen. If he didn’t know better, he’d suspect they were made of silk and lace. Tiny straps wrapped around her ankles several times. Her feet were covered with see-through lace, her pink-covered toes peeking out the bottom.
When she laughed, he looked up at her.
“Well?” she said, wiggling her feet. “Help a sister out.”
He sighed. “Is it possible to fall in love with shoes?” he asked as he ran his fingertips over the soft material, then enjoyed feeling her even softer skin.
She made a soft moaning sound, causing his eyes to move up to her face. “Do you like that?” he asked.
She nodded in return and leaned back against the soft cushion. The move sending the dip in her dress rolling farther down her chest until he could see a hint of her perfect nipple poking through.
This time it was his turn to moan.
“Tom,” she sighed.
He turned back to the task at hand, as his jeans grew tighter. His eyes moved over her heels until he found a small clasp, and released the strands, sending the shoe loose. He slowly removed the shoe from first one foot, and then the other. When he set them on the coffee table, he took her feet in his hands and rubbed them slowly. Glancing up, he watched her eyes slide closed with pleasure.
Did she know what she was doing to him? His eyes moved back to her chest as he rubbed her feet slowly. He let his hands travel up her silky soft legs, pushing the pale blue material up, until he nudged her knees slightly apart.
Her eyes opened and met his. “I’ve dreamed of this moment for years,” she said, her hands covering his.
“Then there’s no need to rush,” he said, sliding his hands higher. “This spot”—he ran a finger over the inside of her thighs— “this is one of my favorite places on you.” His eyes moved to the spot. There was a pool of silk wrapped around her hips. He’d exposed a sexy pair of see-through lace underwear covering her. His eyes were glued to the apex of her legs.
Suddenly, he knew that going slow wasn’t going to be an option for much longer.
Chapter 6
Amber held very still as Tom ran his hands lightly over her body. Her gown was hiked up around her waist. Even the shoulder straps had fallen loose, sending the material dangerously close to exposing even more of her for his eyes.
When he ran a finger over the outside of her lace panties, she moaned and arched into his touch. Her thighs burned, begging to open wider, but she held still, holding her breath. Waiting. Wanting.
His featherlight touch once again ran over the material, until finally, he rubbed her skin, just underneath it. This time, she jolted under his touch. She was on fire. She could feel herself growing wetter as he touched her.
Then his fingers were gone and she
jerked her eyes open. He was smiling down at her. Then his eyes left hers and traveled down to where the strap had fallen from her shoulder. Glancing down, she realized that her left nipple was fully exposed to his view.
“This is a very dangerous dress.” His voice sounded rough.
“I removed the tape on the trip up here.”
“Tape?” His eyebrows furrowed.
She chuckled. “Women secrets.” She shook her head. “For your eyes only.” She smiled and took his hand, then placed it softly over her breast. “For your touch only.”
His eyes heated as their skin touched. When his fingers brushed over her erect nipple, she heard a low growl build in his chest.
“I could take you right here,” he said, his hands moving, slowly pulling the straps of her dress down farther.
“Please,” she said, reaching for him.
He shook his head. “Not like this. I rushed the first time.” He frowned. “I shouldn’t have.” His eyes met hers.
“It was perfect.” She smiled. “You’re perfect.”
Instead of answering, he gathered her up in his arms and started walking towards the long staircase.
“I’ve always dreamed of being carried up these,” she said as he started up them.
He smiled down at her. “It’s Rhett’s worse nightmare. Three long flights of stairs.” He rolled his eyes and looked up. “It’s a good thing you’re so light.” He shifted, making his point as she chuckled.
“Oh, I don’t know”—she ran her hand over his arms and enjoyed the play of muscles— “I think you could handle more.”
“You are in so much trouble.” His smile fell away as they reached the master suite. She’d always imagined making love to him in the massive loft. There was another fire going in the fireplace and when he laid her down on the bed gently, she tugged at his sweater until he leaned back and removed it quickly.
In the firelight, she realized just how god-like he was. He was cut from some of the best man genes she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. He could have easily been a cover model or underwear model. A light dusting of blond hair covered his chest, which she had thoroughly enjoyed the last time.