Turn Up the Heat

by Lori Foster

  For two heartbeats, she held perfectly still. In rapid order she dried her hands, turned in his narrow hold and held on to his shoulders. “Then don’t. Resist, I mean. I’m ready.” Her fingers contracted on his shoulders, and she whispered, “Now.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  SHE COULD SEE him wavering, so Merrily pressed her advantage. “If you leave me again, Brick, I won’t be able to sleep. I’m already tired from a sleepless night last night. It’d be much better if you—”

  Tonya and Jesse strode back in, saw them in a clinch and froze.

  Blast their rotten timing. They hadn’t been gone very long at all.

  Merrily sidled out of Brick’s embrace. “So what’s the verdict? New fence or not?”

  “It might be possible,” Tonya said, but she looked uncomfortable at having interrupted. “Maybe Jesse and I should go...talk about it a little more?”

  “No.” Brick remained facing the sink, too quiet, almost pained. “It’s fine.”

  Merrily frowned at him. It was far from fine, at least from her point of view.

  “Why don’t you guys go play with the animals in the living room? Merrily and I will pick up the kitchen.”

  She was starting to feel like a spectacle. “There’s not that much to do.” Four plates, four glasses and some napkins to throw away. It hardly required two of them.

  Looking at her over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed and direct, Brick disagreed. “Oh, there’s plenty for us to do, Merrily. I promise you.”

  On a whistle, Jesse said, “The living room it is.” He called in the dogs and they all filed into the other room. The second they were gone, Brick gave up his pretense of doing dishes.

  He turned and stared at her, and there was so much heat in his gaze that she squirmed.

  “Come here.”

  The way he said that left her flustered. It almost sounded like he planned to start something right now.

  “Merrily,” he said in that deep, compelling voice.

  She rushed up to him but forestalled whatever he might say or do. “I want you,” she whispered. “Tonight. Right now, in fact.” She sucked in a needed breath. “But it has to be exclusive for as long as it lasts.”

  That threw him. “Come again?”

  “You keep... I don’t know. Sort of flirting with Tonya.”

  His face went blank. “No way. Not even.”

  “You offered to help her with the fence for her hot tub!”

  He searched her face—and grinned. “You thought that was so I could spend time with her?”

  Suddenly uncertain, she bit her lip. “I don’t know.”

  The grin turned endearing. “Do you know what I did last night, Merrily?”

  Imagination in overdrive, she asked in a scandalized whisper, “What?”

  He laughed. “I thought about you. All night. I considered all the different ways I want to kiss you, where I want to touch, how you’re going to feel and taste and how awesome it’s going to be.”

  That sounded so good, her toes curled. “So you think it’ll be awesome?”

  He said with great sincerity, “Given your expectations, I promise to give it my best shot.”

  Expectations? Oh, wow. She did make it sound like she had great expectations, and of course she did, but she didn’t mean to stress him about it. “I’m sorry if I’m making you feel pressured to perform.”

  He laughed again, and hugged her right off her feet. When he lowered her to the floor again, he said, “I have a healthy ego, honey. I don’t feel pressured—I feel challenged.” He drew her up and kissed her softly and deeply. Against her mouth, he said, “I offered to help with the fence to give Jesse a leg up.”

  “A leg up?”

  “Yeah.” He turned back to the sink and started on the dishes again. “Your landlord is hot.”

  She deflated, until he said, “But I think you’re hotter.”

  She went still, then stepped up beside him at the sink, trying to see his face. “No, you do not.” Oh, God, she sounded desperate for praise, but really, she only wanted the truth.

  “Do, too.” He hesitated, then with a quick shake of his head he caught her hand, dragged it around in front of him and pressed it...

  Right over a straining erection.

  “That’s for you, Merrily.”

  Talk about truth! She curled her fingers around him as much as the stiff denim allowed. Wow. “Um...thank you?”

  His jaw tensed around a rough laugh. “God, woman, you breathe and I feel it like a stroke.”

  Speaking of stroking... She brought her fingers up, measuring his length.

  Brick braced his hands on the sink counter and dropped his head forward. “Tonya doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

  Merrily knew that was nonsense, but it pleased her to hear him say it all the same.

  It pleased her more to explore him. She lowered her hand, cupping him where he was softer, and he caught her wrist.

  For a suspended moment, he held her hand pressed against him, his eyes closed, heat pouring off him.

  Finally he eased her hand away. “Let’s save that for later, okay? Much more and I really will blow this.”

  Fascinating. “Blow it how?”

  He gave up on the dishes and dried his hands. Teasing again, he said, “I don’t want you gossiping with the other waitresses, claiming I’m a lousy lay.”

  “I would never do that.” This all felt so special to her, she had no intention of making it fodder for gossip.

  “Yeah, you won’t. Because I’m not going to be lousy.” He tipped up her chin to kiss her. “Back to Tonya.”

  Talk about a buzzkill.

  “I figured Jesse would appreciate an intro. That’s all.” And then, “How could you even think I’d look at her with you in the room?”

  Well, he had looked—enough to say Tonya was hot. But he claimed she was hotter. Merrily shook her head. “Because I’m just...me.”

  “Before we’re through, you’re going to know just how insanely sexy you are. I guarantee it.”

  Before we’re through. Because whatever they shared wouldn’t last long. He’d been very clear about that. And, oh, God, an awful thought occurred to her.

  “What is it now?” Brick asked.

  It unsettled her how easily he read her moods. While smoothing a hand over his chest, covered by the soft cotton of his dark T-shirt, she said, “When we’re through, given that you think Tonya’s hot...”

  “Any guy with a pulse would think the same about her—and about you, too.”

  She didn’t care what any other guy thought about her—well, except... Merrily looked up at him. “Jesse, too?”

  His teeth worked together. “Jesse’s not blind, but he’s also not stupid.”

  “Meaning?”

  “We’re good friends, have been for years.” Brick cupped her face, rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “That makes you off-limits.”

  Well. That seemed rather territorial. To make sure she understood the dynamics of his and Jesse’s friendship, she clarified, “So even after you and I are through—”

  “Yes.” He scowled at her. “For all eternity, in fact.”

  He looked very put-out, even though she’d only repeated his own words back to him. But what did she know of male friendships and boundaries?

  Nada.

  “I understand. So then, do you think you might... That is, would you...” She couldn’t say the words and instead made a lame gesture toward him with her hand. “With Tonya, I mean?”

  “If you’re asking me if I’ll come back here at some later date and start sniffing after her, the answer is no.”

  She wasn’t so worried about him sniffing as she was touching, kissing or the like. But, yes, sniffing would be bad, too�
��especially if she had to witness it. “I don’t mean to nitpick. It’s just that, with me living right next door, it could be...” Awful. Humiliating. Heart-wrenching. “Awkward.”

  Brick scrubbed both hands over his face and muffled a laugh. “Merrily, listen up, okay? I’d have to be a total dick to do something like that, and while I’m not an angel, I’m not that lost, either. So don’t worry about it, okay?”

  Not worrying would be tough, given Tonya’s draw. She sighed. “I like Tonya a lot, you know. She’s been a really good friend and a wonderful landlord. But she’s...stunning, and I see how men get around her and turn all goofy.”

  “You know, that’s usually how women are with Jesse.” Brick touched her cheek. “But you haven’t been falling apart at the sight of him.”

  “Of course not.” She knew Jesse was attractive, but with Brick around, who cared? She thought about it and shook her head. “Actually, Jesse hasn’t been goofy, either.” Interested, definitely. Attentive, sure. But unlike most men, he came off as confident instead of love-struck. “I’ve seen contractors, delivery men, servicemen all act pretty outrageous with her. Even guys driving by stare at her. I know she’s aware of the attention, but she usually ignores it.”

  “She’s not ignoring Jesse.”

  No, she wasn’t. Interesting. “Hmm.”

  Brick tipped up her chin. “Can you really be that unaware of the attention you get?”

  She didn’t get that kind of attention, but she was done talking about Jesse and Tonya. “I don’t want to wait, Brick.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” he said with gentle amusement. “You’ve been pretty clear.” He ran his fingers through her hair, rubbing it gently, then lifting it to his nose. With his forehead almost touching hers, he whispered, “You sure you don’t want to hold off until tomorrow, love? Maybe slow things down a little so we can both get a grip?”

  Love? The affected way he said that made her want to swoon, but she was smart enough to realize a lot of it had to do with Brick being her first real romantic involvement since her bad breakup and her mother’s death.

  “No, I don’t,” she said again.

  He drew two slow breaths. “I’d probably be in better shape without all this teasing—”

  “Brick,” she said with an edge of pleading. “Please don’t make me wait.”

  His gaze met hers. His eyes narrowed—and he nodded. “God, I hope I survive this.”

  Merrily had no idea what he meant by that, and he didn’t give her a chance to ask.

  Keeping her tucked close to his side, Brick strode with her to the doorway that led into the living room.

  Surrounded by both dogs and two of the cats, Tonya sat in a chair. Jesse sat on the edge of the couch, and they were laughing about something.

  Brick cleared his throat, and as one, they looked up.

  Jesse lifted a brow. “What’s up?”

  “I’m going to stick around awhile.”

  Jesse didn’t even come close to teasing. “Gotcha.” He pushed to his feet. “Then I’ll walk Tonya home.”

  “I live right next door,” Tonya said. “I think I can make it on my own.”

  “But what fun would that be?” He gave Brick a determined look. “I’ll be back tomorrow to help with the doggy door and to take some measurements for the fence and to—”

  “Yeah, fine, whatever.” Brick waved that off. “I wasn’t cutting you out.”

  Confused by that exchange, Merrily looked at Tonya, but her friend didn’t appear to find anything amiss.

  It took only moments for Tonya to gather her purse and say goodbye to the pets. Given that Brick held Merrily close to his side, Tonya merely waved to her. To Brick, she offered, “I can fire up my grill tomorrow, if you think you’ll be here that long.”

  Jesse answered for him, saying, “I’ll bring the steaks.”

  Moments later, they were alone, and Merrily felt such a smoldering rush of excitement she could barely contain herself.

  Brick turned her to face him. “Your fence out back isn’t secure enough to leave the dogs out alone.”

  “I know.” She planned to work on that while they put in the doggy door.

  “Do they sleep with you?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “I figured.” He held her upper arms, his thumbs caressing. “You have a spare room?”

  She nodded while staring at his incredible mouth, thinking about his kiss, his taste.

  She saw his smile and met his gaze.

  “You wanna show me where it is?”

  “The spare room?”

  The smile widened. “We don’t want the dogs joining us, honey.”

  “Oh.” She glanced around and saw that only Eloise ignored them. Stan and Tom, Dundee and Dolly all waited with eager vigilance. “I have treats.”

  The animals went nuts over that. Rushing back to the kitchen, Merrily dug out doggy biscuits, rawhide bones, catnip balls, kitty kibble...everything she could think of that might keep her menagerie happy for a while.

  The animals were so content with the treats, they didn’t even notice when she closed a gate to keep them in the kitchen. “That’s what I do when I have to clean the floors.”

  Voice thick, Brick said, “Works for me.” He took her hand and tugged her down the hall.

  With each step, Merrily’s heart beat harder and her breath grew more shallow.

  His thumb rubbed over her knuckles. “You’re going to have to trust me on this.”

  Her body felt tight and achy in key places. “On what?”

  In her bedroom, Brick flipped on an overhead light, closed her door and looked around at her neatly made bed. “The second time will be better.” He caught the top of her comforter and tossed it to the foot of the bed. His hot gaze landed on her. “Because I don’t know how long I’ll last with the first.”

  * * *

  BRICK TOLD HIMSELF to slow down, to ease her into things—but the second he faced her, she was on him. Arms tight around his neck. Her mouth seeking his. Her belly against his erection.

  Damn.

  A virgin shouldn’t be so hot, so sexy.

  Turning her, Brick pinned her to the wall and took over, kissing her so thoroughly that she subsided and gave in. By small degrees, she fell into that slow, deep kiss, her hands now clinging to his shoulders, her breathing harsh. He kept his hips angled in to keep her still; if she squirmed against him one more time, he’d lose it.

  He held her jaw in one hand, and with the other stroked down her waist to her hip. She gave a ripe moan of encouragement.

  He walked his fingers, inching up the skirt of her dress until the material bunched in his hand. She tried to ease her mouth free, but he turned his head and recaptured the kiss again. He wanted her drugged with pleasure, giving without reserve, but not so anxious.

  Cupping the back of her neck to keep her steady, he stroked his tongue into her mouth at the same time he slid his hand into the back of her panties.

  Soft, sleek, warm skin...

  She jolted, but he crowded in closer, gentling her while exploring those incredible curves. Against her mouth, he whispered, “Okay?”

  She moaned again.

  He kissed her jaw, her throat, down to her shoulder where he nudged aside the insubstantial strap of her sundress. “I love your ass, Merrily.” And he did. If he wasn’t already strung so tight, he could spend hours on that plump, resilient flesh. “Stand still, okay?”

  Putting a few inches between them, he clasped her wrists and brought her hands down to her sides. Her eyes were heavy, and her thick lashes left shadows over her cheeks as she watched him. Lips parted, she drew in shaky breaths and nodded.

  In an excruciating tease, Brick caught the straps of her sundress with his pinkies. Slowly he eased both down to
her elbows, down, down until the material dragged over her nipples, and exposed her full breasts.

  It took him a second to form the words. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”

  With just his fingertips he touched her left nipple, and saw her shimmer in excitement. “I’m rushing things, sorry, but I can’t...” He shook his head and bent to draw that tightly budded nipple into his hot mouth.

  As he sucked softly, her back arched and she sank her fingers into his hair, holding him close, closer still. On tiptoe, she offered herself up to him, but that wasn’t enough. He gripped her bottom and lifted her more, holding her suspended like that while he drew on her.

  “Brick...”

  Throbbing, rigid with need, he switched to her other breast. Merrily squirmed, her heat against his abdomen, and with every pulse-beat of time her breathing became more ragged.

  “Oh, God, Brick...”

  No way. He released her nipple to look up at her and saw everything she felt in her expressive face. Close to release, eyes closed and head back, she panted through parted lips.

  A rush of heat slammed over him. He reached behind her, found a zipper on the dress and, lacking all finesse, wrestled it down. For half a minute he struggled with tangled arms and straps and then, finally, pushed it down and over her lush hips. It fell to the floor, a soft cotton puddle of color that emphasized the creaminess of her bare skin.

  “Damn.” He soaked in the sight of her wearing no more than a miniscule scrap of white lace. “Nice panties.” He pressed a hand to his erection, but there’d be no containing his lust, not now with her standing there almost naked and so incredibly perfect.

  Flattening her hands on the wall behind her, Merrily drew one leg close, bent at the knee in an unconsciously seductive pose. She turned her head to the side and her hair fell forward to half cover her face. Her nipples were wet and tight from his mouth, her belly sucked in, her skin flushed.

  Standing there like that, shy even while on the edge of release, she was the most stunning woman he’d ever seen.