No, he didn’t.
He dropped the belt on the tile floor. The silk slid apart. With a smile, she shrugged, slipping the gown off her shoulders. It whispered down her arms. She held onto the material for a moment, a tease. Then she let it float to the floor.
“You have lovely breasts,” he said.
Sophie reached for her wine. “Perky.” She took a delicate sip. “But not too pretentious.”
“Are we talking about the wine or your breasts?”
“The wine,” she said. “Of course.”
She was being a bit of a tease, and she was loving it. The local law was definitely an appreciative audience.
He cupped her breasts and gently arced the pads of his thumbs across her nipples until they pebbled.
She didn’t kiss him, she nipped at his chin. Then she pivoted and ducked out of his reach as she headed for the living room.
Ryan followed her. “Where’s the remote?”
She raised her brows, but grabbed the control from the top of the telly and offered it to him.
“Which sleeve are you going to use?”
“The Blast off Ridges.” She turned up the volume on Sir Arthur’s piece and then slid the silicone sleeve over the red hot bullet.
“Put one of your feet on the coffee table.”
Hmmm. She wasn’t accustomed to a man taking charge so completely, but she certainly wasn’t objecting.
Sophie did as he instructed, feeling somewhat exposed and very, very sexy with her high heeled shoe propped on the table top.
What he did next surprised her, little miss unshockable sex shoppe owner. He grabbed a pillow from the settee and tossed it on the floor. Then he sat on the cushion, directly in front of her. His face was even with her exposed pussy.
“I need to grab the lube,” she said.
“You won’t be needing it.” He leaned in and moistened her clit with his mouth.
She curled her hands into little fists at her sides.
His tongue worked magic between her legs until her own body’s responses took over, and heated desire spilled through her, making her wet.
He was right. She would not be needing the lube.
“Touch your breasts.”
She did. They felt full and heavy, and he went back to licking her. Her knees trembled as she tried to support her own weight. “If you keep this up, constable, I won’t need the vibrator. And you won’t have much of a show.”
“Not to worry. I’m not going to let you climax.”
“Let me?” He already had her panting. And arguing was taking way too much effort. “You’re not going to let me?”
“Are you a control freak?”
That’s what he’d asked, wasn’t it? That’s what the mumbling against her crotch sounded like to her. “I’m not a control freak.”
“Then let go.”
“I don’t hold back in sex.”
“Sophie…?”
“What?”
He removed his mouth from her. “Shut. Up.”
“All right, Ryan. Anything, anything at all to get your mouth back on me.”
She felt an orgasm getting close. She instinctively rolled her hips forward, seeking to grind her pelvis against his mouth.
He sucked her clit into his mouth.
There…
Yes. Right there!
Her hips lifted and she all but humped his hand.
She was nearly there… Nearly. She…
He stopped.
“Damn it.”
“Swearing isn’t very ladylike.”
“You want ladylike? Go find someone else.”
His laugh was full and rich and intoxicating.
“I told you I wasn’t going to let you come.”
Now who was the tease? Damn him, anyway. “You’re an ass.”
“You’ll be singing my name from the rooftops in half an hour.” He looked at his watch, a stainless steel, practical contraption that fit his personality. “Maybe even less.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Get the bullet. I’ll control the intensity. You hold the ridges wherever it feels the best.”
She lined up the tip of the toy and gently stroked it along her slit. She moved it back and forth in long, sweeping motions.
“You’re still wet enough?” Rather than waiting for an answer, he checked for himself. He found her more than moist. She nearly moaned when she watched him lick her pussy juices from his fingertip. “I’m glad you don’t shave.”
“Actually, I do, sometimes. Other times, I let my pubic hair grow out.”
He nodded. “I want you to use the toy with one hand.”
“Okay.”
“And with the other, spread the lips of your cunt wide.”
The word, raw and untamed, hung between them. Nothing polite. Nothing sensual.
She knew he’d used it deliberately to set the tone.
“Shall we?”
Sophie parted her labia, exposing her clit. His placed his splayed hand on the small of her back and drew her a little closer to his face.
“Stand on your toes.”
“I already have shoes on,” she protested.
“So you do.”
Several long seconds passed with the swells and crescendo of the overture heightening the tension. When he didn’t say anything, Sophie rose onto her toes. “Uhmm,” she said, “I’d like to see you naked, as well.”
“In a bit. I’m enjoying the show.” He moved in ever closer—indecently close. His face was all but in her crotch.
“Jesus!”
He turned on the vibrator unexpectedly. A jolt of unadulterated pleasure jolted her from her thoughts.
“What the… Ryan?”
“You’d stalled long enough.” He didn’t turn off the device. “Keep your cunt exposed.”
This was strange. Despite what she’d said earlier, she did like being in charge. A man who wrested that from her was tantalising, indeed.
“Rub it along the insides of your pussy lips.”
She did as he instructed, stroking herself with the Blast off Ridges. Playing with this attachment provided a very different experience than last night’s escapade. There weren’t any intermittent pulses, but rather a constant, steady, intensity.
“Lovely,” he said.
The sound of his voice, low and deep, was intoxicating. His approval was heady.
“How do the ridges feel?”
“They’re a bit…” She couldn’t believe she was actually thinking this. “…much.”
“Really?”
Maybe not. Perhaps if she were masturbating, the silicone ridges would be just fine. But the added eroticism of having him here, controlling the pace as well as the scene nearly proved to be her undoing.
She rocked forward as he turned up the speed.
Deep in her pussy, she felt a climax begin to build.
Ryan inserted a finger in her vagina.
Sensations threatened to overwhelm.
“Ride it,” he told her. “Ride it out.”
She began to rock. Her entire body buzzed from the tantalising pressure on her naked flesh.
He brought another finger up inside her. Ryan was stretching her, pulling her. And then he kissed her above the pubic bone as he turned the power on high. Losing all sense of thought, along with her balance, she grabbed on to him, finding a fistful of his cotton T-shirt.
She arched her back involuntarily, tipping back her head, her hair streaming down her back as she simultaneously reached for more and tried to escape the sizzling sensations.
He began to move his fingers inside her.
He fucked her hard.
Sir Arthur’s “Overture di Ballo” swelled, the music fast and furious, demanding, leading up to that magnificent finale.
Sophie screamed as she came in an explosion of physical reactions.
Slowly, as the music ended, he started to decrease the vibrations. But she still couldn’t take it. She dropped the toy on the carpet a
nd wrapped both hands around his neck. “Ryan.”
“A bit of alright, was it?”
“Ah. Yes.”
“Good.”
It took several long moments before she was able to manoeuvre well enough to put both feet on the living room floor. She sank down onto her knees, still holding on to him.
Her legs were wobbly and her whole body felt radiantly alive. Was it the toy, or was it him?
“Watching you and your reactions…”
“I need to take care of you,” she said.
“No need. I came when you did.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh.”
“Woman, what you do to a man is probably illegal in most countries.”
“Makes me a lawbreaker.”
“Unrepentant, as well,” he added. “Any ideas what we should do about that?”
“Oh, I’ve one or two ideas, lawman,” she said, reaching for the bullet.
He took it from her. “There’s a setting we haven’t tried yet.”
Thrill, desire, and anticipation all collided deep inside her. She wondered if she’d survive him.
Chapter Four
Both sisters were waiting for her when Sophie finally arrived at the shoppe the next morning, about half an hour later than usual. What could she say? It had been a very long night. She might be tired, but the adrenaline buzz had yet to wear off. Ryan Kelley was one sexy bite of deliciousness.
She shut the door behind her. “Good morning!”
Gracie peeked her head around the corner. “We’re back here, Soph.”
The smile she’d been forming, as fake as it was, crumbled when she joined them in the back room. Katie and Gracie were both sitting around the small oak table. Something very serious was going on.
No one had brewed up.
Nothing got in the way of their morning tea. More than a habit, sharing a pot of Earl Grey together was a ritual. It soothed when there was bad news, and it helped them celebrate the good times. So its absence was profound.
Were they that annoyed that she hadn’t told them about Ryan?
She took a breath and tried the smile again as she mentally prepared the details they’d want to hear. She’d be revealing without being salacious. That should be easy enough. She’d just have to leave out the bit where he actually inserted the vibrator in her cunt while licking her clit. Oh, yeah, and the part where he…
“Sophie!” Katie said.
“Sorry. My mind drifted. I know you want to hear all about last night with the constable—”
“Sophie, we have news.”
Her oldest sister’s comment stopped her dead in her tracks. “Oh?” It was then that she noticed the sheaf of papers in the middle of the table. “Bad?”
Katie’s hair was pulled up in a knot. A chignon, she called it. Fancy name for something that took less than three seconds to accomplish, Sophie had decided. But Katie figured it gave her a sophisticated look. And if that pleased her, so be it.
“We’re finally getting our chance,” Gracie said.
“For?” She pulled back a chair and completed the circle.
“We’ve been offered a radio show.”
Her jaw dropped. This time, Ryan wasn’t around to helpfully close it for her. “Oh. My. God!” She reached for the contract. “Our demo must have rolled down their socks. Told you it would. We’re good.” She stretched out her arms and made little circles. “We’re good. We’re good.”
“Ask when we start,” Katie said. “Not that I want to ruin your happy dance.”
Always practical, that one. Making herself behave, Sophie scanned the pages for pertinent details. It couldn’t possibly be right. “They want us to start, when?”
“This Saturday,” Katie said. “We’ll be given a trial run for three months.”
“What?” she demanded.
“They had a host quit unexpectedly. So there’s an opening.”
“We can’t be ready for a radio show in four days!”
“Of course we can,” Gracie said.
At times, Sophie wondered if her youngest sister’s flame of eternal optimism ever diminished. Either that or she was just plain and simply fruity.
“Just takes some organising,” she added quietly. After dropping that bomb, she studied her nails. Suddenly, her silver polish seemed very intriguing.
Sophie and Gracie both looked at Katie. Katie sighed. “If anyone else wants to organise this…”
Her sentence hung in the air unfinished.
“I’ll brew up,” Sophie said, standing.
“I’ll just fetch the cups and the milk, then,” Gracie supplied.
Katie muttered something about “rats” and “abandoning a sinking ship.” Sophie turned the water on.
When the two younger sisters returned to the table, Katie was already powering up her notebook computer to open a new spreadsheet. Within hours, she’d have e-mails in each of their inboxes, with specific instructions and deadlines.
And Ryan thought Sophie was a control freak.
“We’ll need to do some brainstorming,” Katie said. “About how we want to introduce ourselves, what our first topic will be.”
“Callers!” Sophie said. “We need people to call in.”
“We can send out a special announcement to our e-mail list.” Katie turned a yellow pencil sideways and stuck it in her mouth, much like a horse might do with a bit.
Why she was holding a pencil, Sophie had no idea. The woman used only PDAs and computers these days. Absently, she wondered if Katie even knew that pencils were for something other than chewing on.
“Gracie, you design the flyer. Right. Next, we need a topic.”
Gracie smiled. “I know. Sophie can tell us all about how she gives demonstrations of vibrators. Isn’t that above and beyond the call of duty?” She poured herself a cup of tea and added a dollop of milk while Sophie blinked.
So much for thinking she was off the hook.
“Masturbation,” Katie said. “An excellent first topic. Sophie, we’ll follow your lead. You can tell all of Britain about your escapade with the Rocket and with Ryan.”
Both sisters looked at Sophie, eyebrows raised, waiting for all the juicy details.
* * * *
Her heart did an odd, little skip when Sophie saw Ryan walking up his path towards his home.
What a hot piece of merchandise.
His white shirt was a bit rumpled from a long day at work. He’d loosened the knot in his tie, and he carried his cap tucked between his bicep and chest. Yum and a dollop of cream. “Surprise,” she said quietly, pushing her shoulders away from his front door and emerging from the lengthening evening shadows.
“Sophie?”
“Good evening, constable.”
This was more than just a bit of fun. Watching Ryan’s reaction—his frown of puzzlement fading to a lazy half smile—was rewarding.
“I had planned to come round to your flat a bit later this evening,” he said, pausing at the bottom of the two steps that led up to his front porch.
“I was too impatient to wait another moment.” She’d arrived about three quarters of an hour ago, making sure she would be here when Ryan finished his shift. She had been pacing and fidgeting, playing with her handbag the entire time, wondering what his reaction would be. “I’m celebrating, and I think it’s time for a bit of quid pro quo.”
“Quid pro quo, is it?”
“You’ve caught me off guard a couple of times. I thought it was high time to return the favour.”
“I didn’t even know that you had any idea where I lived.”
“Another surprise,” she said.
“What’s in your handbag?”
“Surprise number three.”
“Can’t wait.” He raised a brow in that sexy way of his. “And what are you celebrating?”
“The Albin sisters have their very own radio show this weekend.” She all but bounced on the balls on her feet.
“Indeed?”
“My sisters
think the first topic should be masturbation.”
“And you’d be leading the discussion, I take it. Seems perfect.”
She grinned. “They think I’ve taken the art to a whole new level in the last few days.”
“You have,” he agreed. “Good thing you started that scientific experiment when you did. Saturday, you say?”
She nodded.
“Happy to help in anyway I can. Public service and all that. Let’s see what else we can give you to talk about.”
“Are you going to invite me in so we can get started?” she asked as she moved, or rather, sashayed towards him. She quite liked the fact he’d stayed at the bottom of the two steps. It gave her a welcomed height advantage. “Or shall I seduce you here in plain view of all the neighbours?”
She took his policeman’s hat from him and put it on her own head. He laughed when the brim fell forward and covered her eyes.
He repositioned the cap and then kissed her deeply. He tasted of sin and seduction, with a hint of something fresh and minty.
Her mouth opened in a shocked “O” when he ended the kiss.
“For what I’ve in mind for you, my impatient seductress,” he said, “you’d best hightail it inside.”
“Hey!” She pushed the hat’s brim back with her index finger. “I came over to seduce you, not the other way around.” Naughtily, Sophie linked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, wiggling against him suggestively, not giving tuppence who might be watching.
“Well, isn’t that too bad for you, Ms. Albin?”
He gazed at her. His eyes were the colour of a lightning storm, and her insides turned to liquid. He brought his hand down on her derriere, a little harder than she would have ever expected. She gasped. The difference in the way he was looking at her and the way he swatted her was so marked that her head spun.
He didn’t move his hand, instead, Ryan left it there on her rear. His fingers were splayed, and his touch felt possessive.
She felt his erection against her stomach.
Need swirled and pulsed.
“Now, Sophie,” he said quietly, the words a whisper in her ear, “would you like to come inside, or would you like Mrs. Gaston across the street to see me pull up your skirt?”
She blinked.
“Wave,” he said. “Mrs. Gaston has the curtains pulled back on the right side. She’s watching you.”
213 High Street Page 3