by Tami Hoag
Alec held up a hand to cut her off. “I think I caught the special on PBS,” he said, amused at her obvious nervousness. He winked at Kelsie’s daughter. “Hi, Elizabeth.”
The girl’s blush rivaled her mother’s. She glanced down and murmured a hello.
“Now, we’ll be kind of late, honey,” Kelsie said to her daughter, jamming her foot into her other shoe. “But I’ll call and check on you—”
“Mom!” Elizabeth groaned.
“Jeffrey, put the bird away and behave yourself.”
“There’s a buck in it for you,” Alec whispered to the boy as Kelsie slipped her coat on.
Jeffrey’s eyes lit up. “All right!”
Once they were in Alec’s car and on the road, Kelsie began fidgeting in her seat. “Where are we going?”
Alec smiled enigmatically. “It’s a surprise.”
“I hope I’m dressed right. Do I look all right?”
“Gorgeous is the word I’d use,” he said, sending her a slow, bone-melting smile as they waited for a traffic light to change. “Beautiful.”
The word caressed her like a silken hand. Kelsie shivered in spite of her heavy wool coat. Remembrance of last night glowed in his eyes and started a steady burn in the pit of her stomach. To distract herself she said, “It’s not too much?”
“No.”
“Too little?”
“Honey, I promise you, you are dressed perfectly for where we’re going.”
“Good.”
She looked him over as he piloted the car north. GQ would have loved him; he wore clothes with such ease. They draped over his body the same way Kelsie wanted to—gracefully, lovingly. He wore a trendy casual suit of black tweed flecked prominently with the same riveting blue of his eyes. His shirt was the same color—the color of seduction, Kelsie thought to herself. People thought red was sexy. They obviously had never encountered Alec McKnight’s eyes. There couldn’t be anything more sexy than the way his eyes had looked as he’d gazed down at her the moment before they’d been so rudely interrupted last night.
There won’t be any interruptions tonight, she thought. A wave of heat engulfed her. Her nipples tightened on her suddenly heavy breasts. She crossed her legs to try to ease the dull ache that had begun between her thighs. She turned up the radio and forced herself to memorize the words to every song she heard in an attempt to get her mind off sex.
Alec did nothing to help the situation. He remained unusually silent, tuned in to Kelsie’s sexual tension, content to let it build until the air in the car hummed with it.
Finally he turned the BMW off the street. A paved wooded drive led them to a fancy triplex cedar-sided town house.
“Where are we?” Kelsie asked cautiously.
“My place,” he said, helping her out of the car.
Her pulse jumped erratically. “Forget something?”
“Not a thing.”
“I thought we were going to dinner.”
“We are,” he said, leading her up the walk. He opened the door, bowing to her as he motioned her inside. “Welcome to Chez Alexander, where the dance floor is never crowded and the service is very personal.”
Kelsie stepped into the foyer, then followed Alec up the steps to the upper level of his home. Soft lights reflected off the highly polished oak floor in the kitchen and formal dining area. Beyond, a thick off-white carpet stretched across the living room to a wall of glass. The deck on the other side overlooked part of Lake Minnetonka. The furniture looked comfortable and expensive, but what really impressed Kelsie was that the place was immaculate. There wasn’t so much as a throw pillow out of place.
Alec hung her coat in the closet, then went to turn on the music. Notes from a soft, bluesy sax drifted on the air from the stereo speakers as he lit a fire in the brick fireplace. Kelsie was looking over the table set for two when he came and pulled a chair out for her.
“Did you do all this?” she asked. A navy blue homespun tablecloth stretched under two settings of gleaming white china but no flatware. He lighted a trio of tall white tapers in silver candlesticks. A small silver bowl was overflowing with white carnations.
“Mmm-hmm,” he murmured, his teeth nipping at her pearl earrings as he bent over her from behind. “For you. For us.”
A shallow, shuddering breath failed to fill Kelsie’s lungs. She forced herself to glance to the open kitchen with its oak cupboards and tiled counters. “Are you a good cook?”
“I have my specialties”—his voice brushed over her as his fingertips trailed down her throat—“in the kitchen… and out.”
“Oh.” The word was little more than an exhalation of breath, a puff of air that didn’t disturb the flames at the tops of the candles.
Flames. Oh, dear. Kelsie groaned inwardly. You’re way out of your league here, kid, she told herself. Everything Alec said and did seemed purposefully seductive. He was trying to arouse her to a flash point of desire and was succeeding famously. Her skin was alive to every sensation, her breasts felt as if they were straining the bodice of her dress, and he hadn’t even served the appetizer yet. She was going to be frantic by the end of the meal. She crossed her legs and tried to think of unsexy things like iguanas and spotted hyenas.
Alec poured champagne into crystal fluted glasses, then seated himself across the small table from Kelsie so he could make full use of his most lethal weapons—hypnotic eyes bluer than all the lakes in Minnesota put together, and a smile that could charm the starch out of the stiffest matron. Giving her a dose of both, he removed the cover from the silver try he’d brought to the table, revealing a dozen huge strawberries dipped in chocolate.
Kelsie groaned aloud. “You are a dirty player, Alec.”
Alec grinned roguishly. “I warned you I would take full advantage of any weakness. Bon appétit, sweetheart.”
Eating with the fingers—something that was not at all uncommon at her house—seemed suddenly very naughty here… naughty and fun. They watched each other nibble at the delicacies, trading smiles and giggles.
Alec took the tray back to the kitchen. Stripping off his suit jacket, he began rolling up the sleeves of his blue shirt. “Now for my world-famous house specialty.” He dug an anonymous-looking brown paper carton out of his freezer. “Alexander L. McKnight’s Knock ’Em Dead Hot Fudge Sundae.”
“For the main course?” Kelsie giggled, draining her champagne glass for the second time.
“Why not?”
“What’s for dessert?”
“Chocolate soufflé.”
“Oh, Alec,” she said, “you’re so wicked.”
He chuckled devilishly. “You bet.”
Kelsie sat at the table while he prepared the sundaes, allowing him to wait on her. That in itself was a wonderful treat. Kelsie usually spent her meals bobbing up and down out of her chair like a human yo-yo, waiting on her children. When at last he placed the bowl before her and handed her a sterling spoon, she sampled the dish as if she were a queen taste-testing the royal caviar.
It was sheer heaven. Vanilla and chocolate ice cream drenched in rich, thick fudge that had been heated to a temperature that wouldn’t immediately melt the frozen treat, topped with real whipped cream and crowned with a bright red cherry.
“What do you think? As if I need to ask,” Alec said, grinning smugly at the look of rapture on Kelsie’s face.
“Words can’t begin to describe it. The ice cream alone would be wonderful. What kind is it?”
He shook his head. “I’m not giving my secrets away. I will tell you it’s made fresh up north by Norwegian bachelor farmers and sold locally in only one teeny tiny little gourmet shop that you have to have a password to get into.”
When their “dinner” was over, Alec led her to the living room, poured one snifter of brandy for the two of them, and opened a box of imported chocolates. Kelsie kicked her shoes off and accepted Alec’s silent invitation to curl up next to him on the sofa. The champagne she’d consumed had taken the edge off her nervousness,
but it was the chocolate that was making her feel tipsy. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d given free rein to her undying craving for chocolate.
She snuggled against Alec’s side, his arm around her shoulders, her legs tucked up on the sofa, the full skirt of her velvet dress spreading out around her. He fed her bites of the bittersweet candy, then let her sip from the brandy glass at the same spot he’d used. All the while, music swirled around them. It seemed perfectly natural when Alec tipped her chin up and kissed her, his lips warm and pliant against hers.
The kiss lingered, turned into another kiss, then another—all of them slow and hot. He tasted of brandy and chocolate and desire, and Kelsie couldn’t decide which was the most intoxicating. She wasn’t sure she cared, she thought as she shifted positions and went on kissing him, her hands framing his face, her fingers running into his hair. Alec’s hands went to the snug waist of Kelsie’s dress, holding her steady and enjoying the feel of velvet beneath his fingers.
“Let’s dance,” he whispered against her swelling lips.
He pulled her up from the sofa into his arms, pressing her body to his and marveling at the way she fit. He wrapped his arms around her and let his head drop down so his breath teased the tendrils of baby-blond hair near her ear.
“Isn’t this better than a crowded dance floor?” he asked, tightening his arms around her.
“Mmm-hmmm,” she answered, her eyes drifting shut as she pressed her cheek into the hollow of his shoulder.
“Nobody bumping into us, no one stepping on our toes, no interruptions—”
Kelsie’s head shot up. “I have to call home!”
Better now than later, Alec told himself as he gritted his teeth and nodded. He led her to the phone that sat beside the couch on an antique cherry table. He stood directly behind her as she dialed, refusing to stop touching her. His hands stroked down her sides in a featherlike caress as his lips nibbled at the nape of her neck.
“Elizabeth? Hi, honey, is everything going okay?” Kelsie asked, trying unsuccessfully to ignore Alec’s sensual ministrations.
“Fine, Mom. We’re just watching TV.” “Did you make your cookies?” she asked breathlessly as Alec’s hand swept down over the curve of her hip.
“Yeah. Are you having fun? Where are you?”
Kelsie bit back a groan as Alec cupped her breast, his thumb teasing her nipple. “Ohhh, yes, we’re having… fun.”
“Are you okay? You sound strange.”
“I’m… just… a little out of breath,” she answered. Alec went on massaging her breast while his other hand stroked down over her belly and lower, pressing her back into his arousal. His tongue traced the shell of her ear. “We’ve… been… dancing.”
By the time she hung up the phone, Kelsie was ready to collapse. Select parts of her body had grown so heavy with desire, it seemed her legs could no longer support her. Alec turned her in his arms, molding her to him for another long, drugging kiss, bending her back over his arm and trailing his hot lips down the graceful column of her throat.
“I think it’s time to move this party to more cozy quarters,” he murmured. He led her down the hall to his bedroom, holding her firmly to his side as if he knew her knees weren’t steady enough to carry her.
Even though she was nervous, Kelsie took in the details of Alec’s room. It was spacious and as neat as the rest of the house. The walls were a soft shade of blue, the floor polished oak warmed by a deep blue Oriental carpet where the four-poster stood. The same fireplace that warmed the living room crackled in this room, too, faced on this side of the wall with the same weathered brick and a thick oak mantel. Also as in the living room, one wall was made completely of glass and opened onto the cedar deck that overlooked the lake.
A small brass lamp burned softly beside the bed, creating an inviting oasis of warm light. Taking Kelsie’s hand, Alec led her toward it, noticing immediately the slight hesitation in her step. He turned toward her with a questioning look, which was met by one full of uncertainty.
“What’s the matter, honey?” he asked gently. “Don’t tell me you’re going shy on me after last night.”
Kelsie bit her lip, her gaze darting around the room. “Last night was so… spontaneous. Now I’ve had a whole day to get nervous and…” Finally she met his gaze. “It’s been a long time for me, Alec.”
He gave her a sweet smile, running the back of his hand down her cheek. “You don’t forget about making love, sweetheart. It’s like riding a bike, only it feels a hell of a lot better.”
The comment earned him a nervous giggle as Kelsie stepped into his arms. “And if I fall off, I climb right back on, right?”
“That’s horseback riding.” He laughed.
“Oh. Right.”
“Of course,” he said, letting his imagination run away with him, “it could apply here. We’ll see.” He kissed her hair and rubbed her back to relax her as they stood beside his bed. “Don’t worry, honey. We’ll talk each other through it. A little coaching doesn’t hurt, and I don’t want you to be afraid to tell me what you like or don’t like. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us in here, no barriers.”
Kelsie couldn’t stop a little shiver from passing through her. She and Jack had never talked during sex. Making love with Alec was going to be very different. Very special, she amended, relying heavily on the power of positive thinking. As she had learned to do in every other aspect of her life, she got a firm handle on her fears and forced them out of her mind. She could be the kind of lover Alec needed if she let her love for him guide her.
She looked up at him with a tiny smile, hoping her voice wouldn’t sound too unsteady. “I’d like to undress you.”
“I’d like that too.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, then led her hands to the knot in his tie. At first she fumbled a bit with the strip of black and blue silk, but Alec murmured words of encouragement, making her giggle and stealing her jitters away. When the tie hung loose, she boldly moved to the buttons of his shirt. She expected him to stop her somewhere along the way, but he made no move to do so, and after a few moments he stood magnificently naked before her.
Feeling more daring, Kelsie stood back and let her gaze devour him. He was beautifully made, lean and elegant and in better shape than she would have expected a desk jockey to be. The muscles of his chest weren’t bulky but were clearly delineated. His stomach was taut. His manhood stood out prominently from a nest of ebony curls. He was beautiful, and he would be hers, hers to love and please. The thought sent tremors of excitement through Kelsie.
At the sudden darkening of her eyes, Alec growled low in his throat and reached for her. “My turn,” he said, feeling every bit as possessive as he sounded.
The black velvet dress and petticoat were quickly dispatched to a chair. When he got a look at what she was wearing underneath, Alec’s eyes turned midnight-blue with desire. He felt as if he’d had the wind knocked out of him. The words he whispered beneath his breath would have been considered swear words if they hadn’t been uttered so reverently.
“You wore this for me, didn’t you, sweetheart?” he asked. He was touched because he knew how nervous she was, and yet she’d worked up the courage to wear erotic lingerie for him.
Kelsie nodded, her eyes wide with uncertainty. “Do you like it?”
His answer was a deep, tortured, masculine groan.
Alec drew her to him, then turned her so she could see their reflection in the large mirror above his dresser. “You can’t know how many times I’ve pictured you just like this,” he said, freeing her hair from its ribbon of lace. “With your hair down, wearing nothing but black lace. So pretty. So feminine. All mine.”
He nipped at her shoulder, keeping his gaze on Kelsie’s in the mirror. His hands came up to cup her breasts through the camisole, kneading them, testing their weight, teasing her nipples with his fingertips. With his teeth he dragged down one strap from her shoulder and his fingers peeled the garment away from one breast, expo
sing it to the soft amber light.
Kelsie felt faint. She’d never been a party to anything so arousing, so erotic. She could feel Alec’s hands on her fevered skin, see them caressing her, see her own body reacting to him. Her eyelids drooped heavily over passion-darkened eyes, her skin was flushed, her lips swollen and red from his kisses, her breasts swelling in his hands. His thumb caressed the sensitive, distended peak, wringing a little gasp from her. She bit her lip and arched back against him.
“You like that, honey?” he said against her throat, satisfied with the nod she gave him.
Sliding his hands down over the gentle swell of her tummy, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of the scrap of lace she wore as panties and eased them down, revealing a delta of dark curls he longed to comb his fingers through. Kelsie moaned, her head lolling back against his shoulder as her knees gave out entirely.
Alec laid her gently on the bed, removing her stockings, garter belt, and panties with fingers that shook with anticipation. Unable to wait much longer, he stretched himself out above her, settling his body down along the soft length of hers. His mouth sought out her one exposed breast to kiss and suck, then dragged across her chest to the other to give it the same treatment through the gauzy barrier of sheer black lace.
Kelsie was sure she was losing her mind. Her control was gone. She writhed and arched beneath him like a wild thing. As Alec’s hands and mouth drove her sanity to the edge, cries of pleasure rose in her throat that she tried unsuccessfully to stifle. She had never felt this way, so close to being totally uninhibited. It frightened her a little, and she tensed.
Alec knew what she was feeling. He was feeling it, too, and he was experienced enough to know it was a rare and wonderful thing. They were so in tune to each other and so hungry for each other that all barriers were slipping away. If Kelsie would relax, he was certain what was about to take place would transcend anything either of them had ever known.
“Don’t fight it, sweetheart,” he said in her ear as he slipped his hand between her thighs to find her hot and ready for him. “Just let go, sweet. Just let it happen.”