Lover Boy pulled the pretty blonde into his arms again. This time when they kissed, she brushed her naked body against him. Slowly. Sensuously. Rubbed her firm skin against his bare chest and the thick bulge in his trousers. It was a sensual dance that made Amy’s pulse quicken. Her breath caught in her throat. Their love was so evident in every touch, every movement. In the sweep of her hands and the brush of her breasts and the touch of thigh against thigh.
As she watched, Amy’s body crawled with erotic sensations, her body throbbing with desire. She’d forgotten how hot it was to watch. Her fingers stroked her skin, so soft beneath her fingertips. Her caresses brought even more incredible sensations sweeping through her. When she closed her eyes, whose hands did she feel touching her so intimately? The young man busy with his own woman? Or the husband who’d left her alone tonight?
Stop being stupid! They were her own damn hands.
She pinched her nipples roughly, trying to take her mind off Will and broken promises. Back onto the erotic need finally building again. She didn’t need him. She could take care of herself.
She slid one hand down to cup the hot wet spot between her legs. Her panties were soaked and the pressure from her palm teased her clit. Prickles shot through her, both from the nipple tightening beneath her punishing fingers and from her swollen clit aching to be touched. Her pussy throbbed and her heart raced and—
The door opened and a sliver of light broke through the darkness. She quickly sat up straight and yanked her hands from her breast and panties. When she turned her head, she saw Will, still dressed in his dark business suit, standing in the doorway. His brown hair shone in the light from the hallway. His face was half in the shadows.
She didn’t want to feel the burst of joy that came from his arrival, didn’t want to hear the voice inside her that cried, “He’s here!”
“Amy.” His voice was breathless. He stepped into the room. “Wow. You’re so beautiful.”
She turned away. “Shut the door,” she said, her voice flat even though her emotions were anything but.
She clasped her hands in her lap and tried to focus her attention back on the window. Back on the couple in the next room who were enjoying each other. Loving each other. Still, her heart beat even more wildly now that Will had arrived. Now that there was a couple in this room. What would happen now?
She didn’t have a clue.
Chapter Two
She heard him close the door and cross the room, heard him shrug off his suit jacket and set it down. Then he knelt down behind her and she shifted away so they didn’t touch. She didn’t look at him, refused to acknowledge him, even though she was trembling inside. When he rested his hands, hot and heavy, on her bare shoulders, she shrugged him off.
He leaned forward and softly kissed her ear, like she used to love him to do. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
He began to caress her shoulders again and this time she didn’t resist his touch. But she couldn’t relax. Her body shivered with the overwhelming need she wished she could deny. He brushed his cheek against hers and spoke softly. “I’m not going to give you any excuses. I know they don’t matter right now.” He kissed her neck. “But I am sorry.”
He was right. She didn’t want to hear any excuses. She tried to ignore him, tried to focus instead on the couple in front of them, but it wasn’t easy. There were real hands on her, a real mouth on her now. Will began to nibble on her neck, his breath warm, his lips soft.
“Mmm, you smell so good, sweetheart.”
It wasn’t going to work, those soft kisses, those sweet words. She crossed her arms, but doing so lifted her bare breasts, so it didn’t really give the indignant impression she’d wanted to convey. She still hadn’t looked at him.
“Wow. This room is amazing. I almost forgot how we used to go out and watch people all the time.” He skimmed his fingers down her arms and she tried not to react. “We were quite the voyeurs, weren’t we?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Amy…” His voice had a bit of an edge to it now. “I said I was sorry. Believe me. It was beyond my control.”
She sighed. She did believe him. As far as she knew he’d never lied to her. He’d simply disappointed her. Again. She wasn’t ready to forgive him yet.
“I’m here now,” he said seductively. “Doesn’t that count for something?”
His familiar scent wound around her senses, softening her. She felt her body relaxing, weakening, as he continued to run his warm hands over her heated skin. Through the window, the young man’s hands were on his girl’s skin too. A strangled moan escaped her lips even though she tried to hold it in.
“Look at how she moves under his hands,” Will whispered, his hands still stroking Amy’s arms. “It’s like she’s dancing in his arms. Look at the way he touches her, like he never wants to stop.”
“Why did you stop?” she asked, wincing at the cry in her voice. She couldn’t hold in the questions longing to burst free.
“Stop what?”
“Touching me like…like this.” She swallowed. “Touching me like you want me.”
“You think I don’t want you?” His hands slipped off her shoulders and she shivered from the chill left behind. “You’re the one who doesn’t want me.” His voice had turned cold and hard.
“What?” She turned to look at him finally, feeling a vulnerability that had nothing to do with her bare breasts. “You’re the one who’s never home.”
He sat back on his heels, his face in the shadows again. “Yeah, I know I’ve put in a lot of hours lately, but you do the same thing. You never stop what you’re doing and spend time with me.”
“So I’m supposed to just drop everything the minute you walk in the door?” She lifted her chin in defiance. “Like you dropped everything to get here on time tonight?”
“I got here as soon as I could,” he said slowly, each word an angry growl. “But you seem to wait until the last possible moment to come to bed at night. What am I supposed to think about that?”
She opened her mouth to dispute his words, but then…couldn’t.
“No matter what time I get home,” he went on, “you never slow down, never come to bed until I’m already there. Waiting.” His expression darkened even more.
There was a challenge in his expression that she wasn’t ready to answer yet. Besides, she knew he didn’t want to hear any excuses either.
Amy turned around then, back to the couple in the window. What was the blonde doing now? She appeared to be pole dancing around the bed post. She was so graceful, so flexible. Her guy stood there mesmerized, watching her stretch and sway. Tease and tempt him.
When had she ever done anything like that for Will? How long had it been since she’d put her whole focus on her husband?
Years.
Will was right. If he’d lost his desire for her, she had to take her share of the blame. She couldn’t remember when she’d last taken the time to do something to simply please him. She could use the time it took to do the housework after working all day as an excuse. Complain about the hours he spent at work instead of at home. Whine about how tired she was. But they were all excuses. Plenty of people made it work.
When did they lose that yearning for each other? When did they lose the desire to please each other?
But she hadn’t lost her desire for her husband. Amy knew that with a certainty that burned inside her. She still wanted to touch him, to love him. And have him touch and love her back. Why hadn’t she told him that? Was it too late for them now?
Her eyes were still focused on the window. Amy’s breath caught as she watched the young man approach the bed, standing so close the blonde could almost ride him along with the bed post. The expression of love and arousal on his face as he watched his girl dance for him made tears spring to her eyes. When Amy released the breath she was holding, it came out on a ragged sigh.
“You wish it was you, right?” Will asked from behind her, his voice a
dull monotone.
“What?” Had they always had such a hard time communicating?
“Come on, Amy,” Will snapped. “The expression on that guy’s face. You wish he was looking at you like that.”
Amy jumped to her feet and whirled around to stare at her husband. “No!” She swallowed back a sob. “I wish you’d look at me like that.”
She searched frantically for her shirt and bra, but there wasn’t enough light coming through the window to see where she’d thrown them. “I can’t believe you’d think I was fantasizing about him! You’re such an idiot!” Shit, she couldn’t find her clothes. She’d have to face Will in the cold, fluorescent light. “I’m getting out of here!” She stomped off toward the door in her bare feet and flipped the switch.
“Amy, wait!” In an instant, Will was at her side, spinning her around to face him. He grabbed her shoulders. The passion in his eyes made her stomach tickle. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Yes, I am.” She struggled out of his grasp, but she couldn’t step away. Will’s heated gaze pinned her where she stood every bit as much as his hands had. “I’m going home.”
His expression darkened even further. “Don’t run away from me.” His eyes shot angry sparks at her. “You’ve been avoiding me for months.”
“I could say the same thing about you,” she shot back.
He opened his mouth as if he was going to say more, then closed it again and just stared at her.
Her heart pounded in her chest and dread sank in her stomach when he didn’t deny it. Part of her wanted to storm away, enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that she was the one to leave first. But it would be an empty victory. She didn’t want things to end like this. Avoidance had always been the way she dealt with her fear. Maybe it was finally time for the truth. Maybe it was time to finally get things out in the open. If things ended between them, and she feared that’s what was going to happen, then at least it would be because of the truth.
“Do you want a divorce?” The words popped out of her mouth before she realized it. Her stomach was twisted up in knots and she hoped she sounded a lot stronger than she felt. “Because if that’s what you want, I think I deserve to know.”
“What?” He staggered backward. She was pretty sure the shocked expression on his face was genuine. “No. Why would you think that?”
She stared at him pointedly, not saying a word. Did he really have no idea? She was relieved at his quick denial, but still…
He stared back at her and his expression became more guarded. “Is that what you want, Amy? Do you want to end our marriage?”
She nodded slowly, deliberately. “Yes, Will. I do.”
He started to reach out to her, then let his hands fall to his sides. “You can’t mean that.”
He looked shaken. Good. They both needed to be shook up. They couldn’t keep on doing what they’d been doing.
“I want to end the marriage we’ve been living in,” she went on. Her hands shook as she admitted, “I can’t live like this anymore.” She took a deep breath and then the words rushed out. “We don’t talk. We hardly touch. We let the kids do all the talking between us and…and…I’m afraid, Will,” she admitted at last. “I haven’t really been trying to avoid you. The truth is I’ve been afraid.”
“What?” He frowned and scrubbed his hand over his face. “Afraid of what? Afraid of me?”
“No. Not of you. Not like that.” She shrugged as if this didn’t mean everything to her. How did she explain? “It’s easier to wait until we’re both too tired than to risk you rolling away from me.” She swallowed and went on, tears nearly clogging her throat. “I guess I didn’t want to know for sure that you don’t want me any longer.”
He didn’t say a thing, just searched her face as if he was looking for more answers. As if he couldn’t believe what she’d told him. As if he no longer knew her. And still he didn’t speak. It was obvious her confession had made no difference to him at all.
She whirled around. She had to find her clothes. Had to get the hell out of there before she burst into tears. She’d had her fill of rejection for one day. “Look, I just want to go home. I’ll…um…I’ll call a lawyer in the morning.”
“Amy, wait.”
Wait? For what? She couldn’t stand to be in this room with him, knowing he didn’t want her. She kept her back to him. She didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to see the rejection in his expression. “This was waste of time. I’m sorry I dragged you away from work.”
“Don’t you dare apologize.”
Surprised at the irritation in his tone, she paused as she leaned over to pick up her discarded bra. His anger was the last thing she needed. She shoved her arms through the straps, her fingers fumbling with the catch. She had to get out of there before she broke down in front of him. Why did she think a reminder of their happy past would help them now? “This was a lousy idea.”
“No, Amy. It wasn’t.” Will’s strong and steady voice made her freeze in her tracks.
Her breath caught in her throat and she slowly turned around to face him again. His expression had softened and she didn’t see a trace of the rejection she’d feared. “It wasn’t?” If her voice sounded shaky, it was nothing compared to her knees.
“This was the best idea you’ve ever had.” A small smile slipped out and gave her a tiny bit of hope. “The best since you decided to marry me.”
She chuckled briefly, a little sadly, remembering the pretend argument they used to have. “Oh no, you decided to marry me.”
“Don’t leave.” He sighed, dove his fingers through his hair. “Please don’t leave. What happened to us, sweetheart? How did we ever let it get to this point?” He took a step toward her and she instinctively took a step back. She didn’t know what to think, what to believe. “I’m sorry I ever made you think I didn’t want you.”
She pressed her fingers against her trembling lips and waited for him to go on.
“I don’t want a divorce. I’ve never even thought about it.” He paced for a moment in front of her, his frustration clear in his jerky steps. “I love you, Amy. I need you.” He stopped in front of her and looked at her with his dark gaze. “I. Need. You.”
Her heart stumbled in her chest. She couldn’t move, couldn’t see through the tears in her eyes. “I need you too.”
He held out his arms to her and she stepped into his embrace. Oh how she’d missed this. No matter what else happened tonight, she was in his arms again. She sank into him, wrapped her arms around him.
“Can we start this over?” he asked softly.
“I’m still mad at you,” she murmured into his shoulder. God, he smelled so good. “You were late.”
“I know.” He began to run his hands over the bare skin on her back and she melted against him. “Do you want to hear what happened?”
“Later.” She looked up at him and saw again the man she married, full of energy and passion. Maybe it was time to put the past behind them. Maybe it was time to stop holding on to the anger that had already begun to slip through her fingers. She had a much better use for her fingers.
She combed them through his silky hair. “Kiss me, Will. Kiss me like it’s the first time.”
Will didn’t crush his lips to hers, didn’t capture her mouth and plunder it with his tongue as she thought he might. Instead, he stepped back a fraction of an inch and swept his gaze over her face, her shoulders, her breasts. The movement of his eyes was so slow, so lazy she could almost feel the brush of his gaze along her skin. She shivered, but didn’t move. Couldn’t move.
He slowly smiled as he gently cupped her face in his hands. “Amy,” he murmured and then lowered his lips to hers.
At first, the touch was so light, a mere brush of his lips, and she barely felt it at all. Then he swept his tongue full across her lips, wetting them, readying them for the slide of his lips that followed. She sighed and sank into the kiss, savoring the slip and slide she’d been longing for.
He
tasted faintly of the dark roast coffee he practically lived on. Amy parted her lips and drank him in. She drew his tongue into her mouth, sucking on it, feasting on the taste of him. He groaned and traced his fingertips leisurely down her body until he cupped her ass with his big hands. He pulled her closer, dragging her up against the rock-hard erection hiding behind his zipper. Her sex clenched instinctively. She wanted him deep inside her, filling that empty spot nothing else could touch. She rocked her hips, rubbing her mound against him.
Will hugged her body tightly to him, crushing her breasts against the soft shirt covering his hard chest. She tried to get even closer, straddling one of his legs. He caught her under her knee and pulled her leg up so that she was pressed up intimately along his thigh.
Their tongues tangled in an erotic dance of passion. She drove her fingers through his short, wavy hair, tightening her grip as the kiss deepened further. She ground her mound against his hard thigh, trying to stimulate her aching clit with the rough friction. Oh, she needed him inside her. Needed him now.
How could she have ever thought she was too tired to have sex with Will?
He moaned then gently dropped her leg and slowly moved away from her. She whimpered as she lost the warmth of his body, already missing the touch of his hands and lips. His thigh.
“Not too fast, sweetheart,” he said, his voice ragged. “Or this evening you planned will be over before it even gets started.”
He turned to look back toward the window to the next room, and Amy followed his gaze, her breath catching as she saw the young man stripping out of his clothes. Will looked back to her. “You do remember, don’t you?”
It felt so good to smile. “Of course I do. That’s why I picked this room.” She yanked his shirt tails out of the waistband of his trousers. “We need to get you out of these clothes. It’s only fair.” The flash of arousal in his eyes left her breathless.
He stood still and silent and let her take care of him. She slid her hands up his chest, enjoying the firm warmth of his body. “I’m glad you left your tie in the car. One less piece of clothing to take off.” She slowly unbuttoned the pale gray dress shirt. Her heart sped up as the soft fabric parted to reveal his bare chest with its light sprinkling of hair. It was almost as if this was the first time she’d seen him naked.
Risk It: Paolo's Playhouse, Book 2 Page 2