Notorious

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  She opened the door with a smile. Forced, yes, but a smile, damn it. The smile wavered.

  He stood there looking better than any man had a right to look, especially after the weekend they’d had. “Hello, Keely,” he said quietly.

  She glanced away. She’d never pull this off if she spent any time staring into those warm brown eyes. “Well, we certainly did it up this weekend, didn’t we?” She stepped aside to let him in. “I also need to thank you for sharing that suite with me. As you can see, I don’t have much in the way of fountains and hot tubs in here.”

  Noah walked into the room and glanced around. “It’ll do.”

  She closed the door and leaned against it while she contemplated his choice of words. She watched as he took off his Stetson and laid it brim-side up on the table where her computer sat, still switched on. “Do for what?” she asked warily.

  Without answering, he glanced at the computer, pulled out the chair she’d been sitting in and settled into it. He gazed at the screen for several seconds. “Some screensaver you have here,” he said. “Puts my shooting stars all to shame.”

  “Why don’t I turn that thing off?”

  He leaned back in the chair and glanced at her. “Why turn it off? I’m not embarrassed, and you certainly shouldn’t be, considering how daring you are.”

  She shrugged, not willing to admit that the stupid little screensaver reminded her of what she’d never experience with Noah. “Well, I’m not embarrassed, but for the record, I don’t use that screensaver on my office computer. It’s strictly for private use on my laptop.”

  He gazed at her. “You’re really destroying my image of you, Keely. First I find out you’re not a call girl, not even a topless dancer, and now you tell me you don’t have X-rated screensavers on your office computer. Next you’ll be telling me that you’ve never had a multiple orgasm, despite writing a whole article about it.”

  She drew in a quick breath and her pulse hammered. Man, she’d never expected that comment, and what was worse, he was dead-on. After writing the article, she’d meant to experiment a little, but then she just…hadn’t. There were many sexual adventures she’d written about, fantasized about and ultimately retreated from. It was one of her well-kept secrets.

  Her weekend with Noah had seemed like the perfect time to be brave. Here was a man who thought she would dare anything, and she’d felt the thrill of living up to her reputation for once. It had been liberating and wonderful, and…safe. Maybe that was why she’d cut loose. She could be as wild as she wanted to be with Noah because she’d trusted him to keep her safe.

  Pushing back the chair, he stood. “Did I touch a nerve, Keely?”

  She laughed, hoping she sounded amused and not nervous. “Are you kidding? You know what kind of woman I am, Noah. I have no rules, no limits. A free spirit, that’s me.”

  “I thought so, too.” He came closer, a gleam of purpose in his eyes. “But I’m beginning to wonder if I know you at all.”

  She backed up. He looked more intimidating now and a muscle twitched in his jaw. This was what she’d expected from him in the first place. She dredged up her carefully conceived arguments. “I’m sorry I tricked you, Noah, but it’s your own fault.”

  “Is that right?” He advanced another step.

  “I told you I was going into the Pussycat for an interview. You’re the one who jumped to the conclusion that it was a job interview.” She had nowhere to go. Her butt was pressed against the top drawer of a low-slung dresser and she gripped the edge for balance. Lifting her chin, she tried to stare him down. She wasn’t afraid that he’d physically attack her, but by deliberately invading her space he was making her very uncomfortable and…yes…aroused.

  She didn’t want him to know that.

  “When you realized what I was thinking, you could have corrected me,” he said easily. But there was nothing easy about the look in his eyes.

  “And I might have, if you hadn’t offered to help me mend my wicked ways! Do you have any concept of how arrogant that offer was?”

  He gazed at her, his eyes dark and intense. “You know, I think I do.”

  She blinked. Just when she was getting up to speed, he threw marbles under her feet. “You do?”

  “Yeah. And maybe I deserved everything you dished out.”

  “Really?” She scrambled to regroup. “Right! You sure did!” She tried to breathe normally, but he was so very close, almost touching her. Her nostrils flared as she caught the scent of him. That alone was enough to get her juices flowing. “There you were, acting so high and mighty, like you were above it all, some sort of Eliot Ness of the sex world. I had to knock you off your perch and show you that you were corruptible like everybody else.”

  “You did a good job.” He paused and the light of challenge sparkled in his eyes. “For an amateur.”

  “Amateur?” she yelped. Then she realized he was trying to undermine her credibility, which would give him more power. She couldn’t let him get away with that. “Amateur, my G-string. You’re talking to Miss November, buster. And what about all the articles on sex I’ve written in the past six years? When it comes to erotic fantasies, I know what I’m talking about!”

  “Oh, I believe you.” He’d closed the small gap between them and now he braced a hand on either side of her and leaned down until his face was inches from hers. His tone remained conversational. “I just wonder how much practical experience you’ve had—other than this weekend, that is.”

  Her heart thundered. She wanted him to think she was five times more experienced than he was so she could keep control of the situation. But she didn’t feel in control. She wanted him to make wild, crazy love to her, and that wasn’t good, because she figured he had a different plan.

  Too late she realized she stood braced against the dresser with her legs slightly apart. She was too open, too vulnerable. And, oh, God, too wet. Yet if she moved to close her legs, that would tip him off that she was falling prey to his sexual game.

  “Have you ever had a multiple orgasm, Keely?” he asked softly.

  She could barely breathe. “None of your beeswax.”

  His lips twitched in amusement. “What did you say?”

  “I said none of your business.”

  “No, you didn’t.” He grinned. “You said ‘none of your beeswax,’ just like you used to say when you were nine years old and I caught you trying to sneak sugar cubes to the horses.”

  “I’m not nine years old anymore.”

  His grin faded and heat blazed in his eyes. “I’m well aware of that.” He stepped neatly between her legs and settled his erection against her crotch. “Painfully aware of that.”

  She swallowed a gasp. He felt way too good there. “I know where you’re going with this,” she said.

  He pressed forward slightly and his gaze held hers. “Do you?”

  She tried to keep the tremble from her voice, tried not to get lost in those dark eyes. “You want to get me worked up, and then you’re going to walk out of here without doing anything, to punish me for fooling you.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. There’s only one flaw in it. Walking out of here without doing anything would punish me, too. On the way over I decided that I’ve suffered enough this weekend trying to hold back and be noble. I intend to leave here a very satisfied man.”

  She was light-headed with desire, but she fought the urge to give in. She might be in love with him, but he obviously didn’t feel that way about her. In the end, he still planned to leave. “I won’t let you use me for sex and then discard me.”

  His tone was low and intimate, and his eyes burned with an unholy fire. “Why not? Isn’t that what you had in mind for me?” He nudged her with the ridge of his fly.

  Sensation zinged from that tender spot between her legs to the tips of her toes and fingers. “No, I—”

  “I think the big-city girl wanted some fun with the small-town boy.” He nudged her again. “I think you wanted to play at being a really
hot babe, a sex-driven bad girl, with a guy from back home who didn’t know any different. Yeah, I think you wanted to use me for sex and then discard me. I think that’s exactly what you wanted. I think you might even have been hoping for some of those multiple orgasms you’ve never had. Only, the plan got interrupted because somebody recognized you.”

  “You don’t know anything about it! For your information, I—” She stopped speaking abruptly when she realized the trap she was in. The only way she could convince him that she wasn’t a sexual predator was to admit she’d been in love with him for most of her life, and her weakness for him had motivated her more than anything else. She’d wanted one weekend to remember. But she wasn’t about to give him that information and be hurt even worse than she had been at sixteen.

  “Cat got your tongue?” he murmured, rubbing his fly back and forth, coaxing a response from her.

  “Okay, you’re right!” She was beginning to quiver all over, so she talked fast to hide it. “When you were determined to save me, I decided to turn the tables and have some fun with you for the weekend. Only the weekend. Then it would be over between us.” Because that’s what you would want. “If that qualifies as using you for sex, then I’m guilty. So shoot me.”

  “I had something else in mind. Did you get enough this weekend?”

  She knew what he meant, but she just tightened her jaw and stared at him, refusing to answer.

  “Let me put it another way. You’re a liberated, fantasy-minded gal who likes good sex with no strings attached, right?”

  She gripped the edge of the dresser so hard her fingers ached. “Yes.”

  “Then, darlin’, you’re going to love what happens next.”

  16

  NOAH HAD FOUND OUT the truth and it wasn’t pretty. If he’d been entertaining the faint hope that Keely had some deeper emotion going on, that she had more than sex on her mind and would like to continue their relationship somehow, that hope had been crushed. She obviously saw this weekend as a one-time experience.

  Okay, if that’s the way things were, he’d make it a hell of an experience. He’d stuffed more condoms in his pocket than he imagined ever needing, but as he stood there breathing in the scent of raspberries, he wondered if he’d brought enough. Time to get that first urgent need taken care of. Then he’d be able to experiment a little. Or a lot.

  Maybe in the back of his mind he hoped he could love her so hard and long that he would break through that protective shell of hers and make her care about him. He might be kidding himself about that, but even if he didn’t succeed, he’d have a terrific time trying.

  He looked into her green eyes and found desire mixed with uneasiness. Good. He wanted her to be uneasy. He was planning to turn her inside out once he took the edge off his own needs.

  “We’ll start with the basics and work up from there.” He hooked his thumbs inside the waistband of her pants and before she could react, he’d dragged them, along with her underwear, down past her knees.

  She drew in a sharp breath, but whether she was shocked or delighted, he wasn’t sure.

  “Kick them off,” he said as he unbuckled his belt.

  Her eyes sparked green fire. “You seem so determined to run this show. Let’s see if you can make me.”

  “Love to.” Using the strength and sure-handedness that had won him ribbons on the rodeo circuit, he lifted her to the glossy surface of the dresser. As he’d calculated, it was the perfect height. Holding her there with the fingers of one hand splayed over her firm bottom, he slid two fingers of his other hand deep inside her. His penis throbbed as he probed her slick heat.

  She moaned and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Are you going to kick them off?” he asked softly as he stroked her.

  “Oooh, yes,” she whispered, keeping her eyes closed.

  “Glad to hear it.” He eased his fingers free and unfastened his jeans.

  Opening her eyes, she held his gaze as she braced her hands behind her on the dresser and kicked the pants and underwear to the floor. “Done.”

  “I’m nearly there.” He was shaking, but he managed to rip the condom package open, shove down his briefs and roll the latex over his rigid penis.

  He even made small talk. “In case you’re wondering, this is the ribbed kind.” His heart pounded like a jackhammer as he cupped her bottom in both hands and pulled her to the edge of the dresser. “I hope you like it.” Then he entered her in one smooth stroke. He nearly passed out from the relief of finally being inside her.

  Her gasp this time was all about pleasure. He could see it reflected in her eyes and the delicate wild-raspberry flush of her skin. Without mascara darkening her eyelashes, and her hair in that ponytail, she looked young, almost too young to have a man planted firmly between her thighs.

  “Ribs…are good,” she said.

  “I’ll…I’ll make a…note of it.” His breath hissed out between clenched teeth as he fought to keep from coming instantly. She wasn’t too young, he reminded himself. She might not be as sophisticated as she’d led him to believe, but she was old enough to know exactly what she was doing.

  And she felt so damn good. He should have known that he and Keely would be a perfect fit. He should have known that once he’d connected to her in this basic way he’d feel a surge of possessiveness so strong that he doubted he’d be able to leave his heart out of the equation.

  Too late to reconsider. It was done. He was deep inside her, and very soon he would seek the release he had to have or go crazy. But first he wanted to burn this moment into his memory. Standing very still so he wouldn’t climax while he looked at her, he let his gaze drift to her mouth.

  He’d thought nothing could be sexier than the sheen of freshly applied lipstick on her sensuous mouth, but he’d been wrong. Her bare lips, naturally rosy and parted with desire, tempted him beyond belief. He remembered what that mouth could do, had done in the hallway of the hotel. Just thinking about that would take him past the point of no return. And he didn’t want to go there yet.

  Instead, he was going to look. His gaze traveled over the golden skin of her throat as he listened to the sexy, liquid sound as she swallowed in air. More memories rose, memories of losing control and listening to that same sweet sound as she’d taken all he had to give.

  His climax hovered ever nearer as he savored the view of her breasts, plump as honeydews beneath her tank top. It pleased him to leave them covered this time and watch the snug white cotton pucker over her erect nipples. Then his glance dipped lower, past the hem of her tank top to red-gold curls surrounding the spot where his penis was buried to the hilt.

  He tested his control by easing slowly out and sinking deep again, all the while absorbing the sight of that perfect connection. And he nearly came apart from the visual high that gave him.

  Balanced on the knife’s edge of release, he looked into her eyes. “This one’s for me.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Go for it.”

  Tightening his grip, he felt the muscles of her buttocks contract beneath his fingers. With a groan of anticipation, he began to thrust. Oh, yes. Deeper and faster.

  Her breasts jiggled from the impact. His excitement ratcheted up a notch, watching them shake faster and faster the quicker he pumped. Oh, damn, this was good.

  Panting, she wrapped her legs around his hips and threw her head back.

  He listened to her soft but urgent moans and knew she was close, but he couldn’t wait, couldn’t make sure she’d take off with him. Not this time. She’d have lots of turns later.

  But now…now…the world tipped and he plunged forward with a moan wrenched from deep in his chest. Spasms ripped through him as he poured himself into her tight warmth. Fireworks exploded in his head and his knees began to buckle.

  “Noah! Please!”

  Her desperation broke through the song of joy bubbling through his body. He’d meant to be selfish this time, but he couldn’t leave her writhing in frustration. Trembling with the aftersh
ocks of his own climax, he sank to his knees, rested her thighs on his shoulders and pressed his open mouth right where he knew she needed him to be.

  In no time she arched away from the dresser with a wild cry. And as he listened to her breathless words of gratitude, he decided to settle in.

  But she seemed to have other ideas as she struggled weakly, as if to get away. “You…were right.” She gasped for breath. “I’ve never…I don’t think I can….”

  He ignored her and kept going.

  “Noah…you don’t have to prove any—” She gasped and her thighs began to quiver.

  A fierce sense of pride surged through him. Ah, she tasted so good, and he was going to give her something no man ever had.

  She moaned. “Oh…my. I’ve never…I think maybe…oh…oh…my!” Words became unintelligible whimpers as she arched like a bow once again.

  He thought he had the combination now, was pretty sure he’d found the right rhythm and the right pressure, but he needed one more run to lock it in. Loving every second, he took her up a third time as she laughed and shrieked and called him a genius.

  At last he stood, lifted her quaking body from the dresser and carried her to the unmade bed. Considerate of her not to have had the maid come in yet. Keely was limp as a wet mop when he settled her on the bed. While he shucked his clothes and tossed his remaining condoms on the bedside table, he enjoyed basking in her satisfied expression. As for him, he was already erect, already wanted her again. But he could wait.

  KEELY WONDERED how many women had made the mistake of thinking that sex this good must mean that Noah was in love with them. She felt loved, even though she kept reminding herself that all he wanted was one action-packed weekend with her, and then it was adiós, muchachas.

  Still, he sure made her feel cherished when he looked at her like that, his brown eyes warm and appreciative.

  She was pretty darned appreciative, herself. She glanced at his stiff penis. “I’d be happy to return the favor.”