by Tara Mills
Chapter 9
After a late breakfast, they stopped at the kennel and collected Max. The dog was so wound up Dylan needed Ariela’s help to wrestle him into the car. They decided to take the golden retriever to the lake nearby so he could burn off his excess energy.
Dylan took a Frisbee out of his trunk and man and dog played fetch for twenty minutes while Ariela twisted back and forth on a nearby swing, content just to watch them. She laughed at their tug of war, loving how they both growled and frisked around.
How many ways was this man going to win her over? Did she ever stand a chance with him? Probably not. So who was he really—the serious journalist, the daring flirt, the pet owner with a heart of gold, or the incredibly giving lover? Or were those qualifiers merely facets of the whole irresistible gem? How could she protect herself when she was already dazzled?
She guessed their game of fetch was over when she saw Dylan rub his shoulder after his last throw. When Max trotted back, Frisbee in his mouth, his master caught him by the collar and clipped on the leash.
“You ready?” he called to her.
Nodding, Ariela untangled herself from the twisted chain and bounded up to join them on their walk.
Her heart melted when Dylan held out his hand to her. She reached for it and they wandered the paths again, circling the lake. Their stroll was companionable, silent. She didn’t feel compelled, and it seemed neither did Dylan, to ruin the peace with unnecessary chatter.
When Max tugged them to the water, Dylan eased up to allow him to drink. Of course, as soon as Dylan bent to kiss Ariela, Max took advantage of their inattention to wade in deeper. They managed to haul him back before he completely immersed himself, but the dog was wet enough now to make the drive home unpleasant. He was far from dry when they got back to the parked car. Leaping onto the backseat, Max left dark doggie prints all over the upholstery. The smell of wet dog was so pungent, Ariela was glad when Dylan suggested they roll the windows down for the drive.
Twenty minutes later, Dylan pulled into the parking space in front of his house and killed the engine. Turning to her with wide eyes, he said, “Sorry, I just assumed you were coming back here with me. I guess I should have checked first. Are you okay with this or would you prefer something else?”
Smiling, Ariela reached out and gave his cheek a playful little pat. “This is fine. I believe I booked you for the entire weekend.”
He laughed. “Is that right? Well, I’d better not disappoint or it’ll be my head.”
“Satisfaction guaranteed?”
His eyes were twinkling now. “That’s a motto to live by. How am I doing so far?”
“Be sure to leave a customer comment card on the nightstand. You might just see a raise in your future.”
Dylan leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “I kinda like you.”
Ariela kissed the tip of his nose. “You’re growing on me too.”
A piercing bark nearly burst their eardrums.
“Max!” Dylan yelled back. “You want to give me a heart attack?” He turned to Ariela. “I think that’s our cue.”
Climbing out of the car, Dylan lifted the handle on the rear door and was thrown backward three steps when Max blasted through it.
He looked stunned when he shut the door and met Ariela’s eyes over the roof of the car. “Here I thought he’d mellow out after the park.”
“I’ll get him.” Ariela ran to the gate and waved Max through. He seemed more than happy to run around the yard, sniffing and raising his leg on all his favorite spots. “I think he’s just glad to be home. I’ll bet he settles down now.” She closed the gate behind Dylan.
Once inside, Max headed straight for his bowls in the kitchen. He took a long, noisy drink before making himself comfortable on the sofa.
Dylan looked at Ariela and shrugged. “So, what should we do? Feel like playing a little backgammon?”
She perked up. “Backgammon? Wow, it’s been years. Sure, I could whip your butt.”
He cracked a skeptical smile. “We’ll see.” Dylan went to his bedroom and came back with a handsome, wooden, inlaid board that he opened on the table.
His left eyebrow twitched in an intriguing way. “I think we need cocktails.”
Ariela looked up from placing her pieces. “Maybe. What do you have?”
“I’m not sure. Let’s scrounge.”
She followed him to the cabinets where they did a thorough search. She even checked the refrigerator and freezer. You never know. Dylan cheered when he pulled a few assorted bottles out of his forgotten liquor stash.
They settled on lemonade and rum then returned to the table with their glasses.
“Are you ready to lose?” Dylan asked with a cocky grin.
She stared boldly back at him. “Are you?”
He nodded at the dice. “Roll.”
Dylan easily won the first few games. He was an aggressive player, always willing to attack where Ariela was more conservative and held back. A few times, she got burned because she couldn’t roll herself back into the game until he’d already taken the majority of his pieces off the board. After that Ariela switched to a running game, racing for the safety of home. It worked, reversing her fortunes. Dylan was forced to revise his strategy, and though he never won again, their games were closer.
“So, you haven’t talked much about this past week.” Ariela tossed her dice.
“Because it wasn’t very interesting.” He made his move, narrowly missing one of her vulnerable pieces. “You’re lucky,” he said, pointing to it.
“Just remember the word retribution, my friend.”
Dylan laughed. “You’re talking to a writer here. Are you sure you want to take me on in vocabulary too?”
Ariela smiled as she considered it. She was pleased Dylan seemed to enjoy the more spirited games best too, especially when neither could tell how they’d end. It was the intensity of those particular matches that brought out their playful sides, and they taunted and teased each other constantly. Time and time again, to Ariela’s complete surprise, considering how competitive Dylan had begun, he would encourage her to take out one of his pieces, rather than make the kinder move. It always worked in her favor, yet he congratulated her just the same.
After yet another defeat, Dylan tucked his dice away and took hers out of her hand.
Startled, she looked up at him. “Are we finished?”
“Depends on what you mean by finished.”
The guy could write a book on innuendo.
Snorting, Ariela smiled. “Backgammon.”
“Ah. Then, yes, we’re finished.” Dylan grabbed Ariela’s hand and drew her up and around the table. He slid his chair back and pulled her down on his lap, caressing her cheek.
She felt the brush of his thumb across her ear and pressed into his hand even as she sank into his kiss, humming low in her throat. Driving her fingers into his hair, she gripped his head and let herself go.
Her brain was fogged, in a good way, when she slowly drew back. “Mm, you have the softest hair.”
“Do I?” he asked absently, his attention on her torso.
His hand slid under her shirt and cupped her breast. The heat of his palm surrounded her. There was a slight pinch on her furling nipple. Responding to it, she turned into him. When their lips connected again, she drew him in, sucking on his tongue.
His eyes were all pupil when he eased back. “What do you think?” It was the tone of the question, deep and seductive, that thrilled her, not necessarily the words. The teasing kiss to the corner of her mouth had already wiped her head blank of everything else.
“Was that a proposition? You've got me so stirred up I didn't catch it. How much blood do you think is left in my head just now?”
Dylan chuckled. “Enough.”
She stretched up and kissed him on the forehead. “We still have things to talk about.”
He tweaked her neglected nipple through her bra. “Such as?”
Ariela stood so
she could straddle him, leaving her feet to hang down the outsides of his calves. Open this way, the bulge of his erection was hard against her. She rolled her hips a few times, rubbing herself on him with a groan. What was she doing?
Biting her lip she finally asked, “Is this just sex? If it is, I’d like to know.”
Dylan smiled. “My pants aren’t even unzipped.”
“Don’t make me hurt you.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a squeeze. “If all I wanted was sex, I wouldn’t have called you again, or e-mailed you, or kidnapped you from your office when I got home. I’m willing to spend some serious investigative time on you—see how it plays out. Then I’ll know how to write this story and predict an ending. Can you live with that for the time being?”
“I was just wondering.”
“So you’re saying I’m an acceptable candidate now?” he asked with a disarming grin.
“Now that you’re not ducking bullets and mortar fire? Yeah, I’m willing to revise your status.”
“I appreciate it.” His eyes rolled closed as she ground against his swollen fly again. “So we’re in the exploratory stage then, right?” he asked, a gruff catch in his voice.
Ariela nodded. “That’s right, oh, very right.” She enjoyed what his hands were doing on her breasts and the way his lips moved along her neck and shoulder.
“Good, because there’s a lot more of you I want to explore.”
Dylan lifted her right off his lap and set her on her feet. Talk about a turn-on. Ariela gave him a saucy smile and whipped up her shirt, flashing him. Then she took off running, Dylan right behind her. He caught her just outside the bedroom. Scooping her up, Dylan carried her to the bed and dropped her into the center of it.
***
They stripped at record speed, their clothes flying in all directions then Dylan crawled over the top of her and settled down, teasing her with his lips while his impatient erection poked her in the thigh.
Ariela pulled him hard against her and asked, “Will I ever get enough?”
“I hope not.”
Dylan nuzzled and licked along Ariela’s neck and throat, then backed off so he could get to her nipples, smiling when they puckered for him.
“Time to test the waters.” His hand wandered down her ribcage, slowed over her belly, flared out to trace her pelvic bone, then curled between her legs. She was definitely ready for him. Ariela’s hips left the mattress, straining for more when he slid a finger inside of her and used his thumb to tease her further.
“It’s not enough. I need you!” she growled with aggravation.
Was there anything more flattering to the male ego than a statement like that? Smiling, he withdrew his hand, and she sank back with a ragged breath.
“What if I do this?” He rose up and grabbed her ankles, pressing her legs back and spreading them wide.
“Yes!” she cried, urging him on.
It moved him, more than he expected, and for a moment, all he could do was gaze at her. She was offering herself to him—every luscious inch, his to enjoy. But he wanted something deeper. He hadn’t realized just how badly he wanted more from a woman until Ariela. He’d been alone, and yes, lonely, for so long. He had close friendships, contacts, but actual physical and emotional intimacy? No. He’d been adrift in a rudderless boat, blown wherever the winds of war and conflict carried him. Forming new attachments only to lose them, sometimes violently, time and time again. Oh, how he craved stability and security. He wanted the ceaseless tension to leave his body. What wouldn’t he give to know how it felt to be completely relaxed and unguarded? When he was with Ariela, he sensed he was closer than he’d ever come to finding what he so desperately craved.
Watching him with a frown of concern, she asked, “Dylan?”
He let go of her ankle so he could caress her face, her neck, her breast. When she touched him back, he turned into her hand. It was sad, yet funny, how you could miss the gift of touch without ever knowing it.
Dylan slowly dropped to kiss her, their eyes locked. She rose to meet him and their simple kiss became far more poignant than either probably expected.
“Everything okay?” Fussing with his hair, her question was little more than a nervous whisper.
Dylan leaned in and kissed just below her ear. “Better than okay.”
Ariela smiled with relief and wrapped her legs around him, drawing him in. He let her take him, conscious of her bare heels pressing into his buttocks, the first intimate brush of their genitals, and finally, that exquisite moment when she closed around him and he was lost in her body’s warm embrace.
Then Dylan took over, his movements slow, sinuous. Suddenly hypersensitive to sensation, he was fully aware of how her body enveloped him. He watched her eyes fall closed, and tried to visualize how it felt for her. Reading her fleeting expressions, he gathered every inward stroke was a tantalizing promise, every retreat a heavy disappointment. She fought to hold him deep, clenching her muscles around him, yet he drew away, creating exquisite ripples in his wake. It was the sweetest torture.
He looked with wonder at the lovely face mere inches from his. When she opened her eyes, he saw they were glazed with passion. He didn’t think he could grow tired of looking at Ariela, gazing on her, especially now that he’d seen her face lit during climax. That radiance alone, flaring for him, brought on by him, spurred him on. He wanted to see it again. His drives grew fevered, relentless. Ariela absorbed them eagerly, straining to take and wring everything she could out of them.
Then she began to tremble in his arms, her muscles taut with tension. Ariela grabbed his hips and pulled him into her body. Dylan groaned as he went along, ramming into her so hard he drove her across the bed on her back. Her shaky smile reassured him she couldn’t be happier with what he was doing. Then her face, her breasts, her chest, all flared like sunset, and she threw back her head and let out a piercing wail that transformed into a wild, ecstatic laugh.
Emotions commingled with pleasure and ripped through Dylan so forcefully he was swept away in a violent rush seconds later.
Only when he’d regained control of his body did he drop to his side next to her, his chest heaving. “Wow.”
“No kidding,” Ariela agreed, equally breathless. “Thank god I’m on birth control.”
He slid his arm around her waist and shuddered. “Let’s not even go there.”
But he couldn’t help it now. Dylan found himself imagining all the combinations they could come up with for their offspring—his eyes and her hair, her nose and his chin, her smile and his hands. The height would be somewhere in the middle for girls, for boys, he’d be looking them in the eye one day. Maybe looking up at them. It was a sobering thought.
Ariela gave him a congratulatory smile. “Well, you knocked that one right out of the box.”
He chuckled. “I think you mean park.”
Her eyes were sparkling when she reached over and toyed with his ear. “Not this time. I meant box.”
“Ah.” Dylan smiled and, banding his arms around her, rolled to his back, taking Ariela with him. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
No answer was required. Ariela smiled and pushed herself up to straddle his hips. He stroked his hands lightly along her sides, across her lower ribs, and finally to her breasts. Lifting them both from underneath, he brought a nipple to his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the tight tip before drawing on it. Ariela groaned as he inflated under her. She rose up and slid down over him, taking him into her body once more.
There was no urgency this time, they’d spent that energy already, but it didn’t mean they were finished with each other. Dylan rubbed her legs, her hips, and her torso as she moved on him. His contented smile was all for her, because of her, and he felt a strange peace settle in his chest.
Peace, what a novel concept. He could get used to this.
Reaching up to hook the hands gripping his shoulders, he meshed his fingers with hers and brought them to his lips, one
at a time, and kissed her knuckles.
***
Ariela stared back at him, captivated by his beautiful blue gaze, his smile, and the unexpected tenderness that was as much a part of him as his playful side. She wasn’t just wiping her sexual dry spell off the books with Dylan. She was sweeping every unsatisfying relationship preceding him right out the door. The thought made her laugh, as if released from a weight she didn’t know she was carrying. He smiled back.
Their next kiss was unhurried. They took their time tasting, exploring, and savoring the sensations they created together. But her movements had noticeably slowed.
He mentioned it. “You’re getting tired.”
“I am.”
Dylan dug his heels into the mattress and thrust up, taking over as her energy waned. She was already trembling when his thumb nuzzled between her legs. Ariela shattered like glass in an earthquake and continued to shake as tremors rolled through her. Then he seized with a groan and she collapsed on top of him, utterly drained as his body gradually relaxed.
Not only could she hear his heart pounding under her ear, she could feel it. As he slowly returned to normal, she felt herself drifting off. His heartbeat was better than a lullaby. He made it even better when he clasped his hands behind her, his elbows loose at her sides. She shifted slightly so they’d both be more comfortable then settled back down with a contented sigh. He gave her a squeeze, letting her know he was in complete agreement.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, it may have been minutes or a half-hour or more, but when Dylan stiffened under her, Ariela’s eyes popped open in alarm. She was so startled to see Max sitting right against the edge of the bed, watching them, she dove for the sheets. Dylan turned on his side, screening her while she wondered how long the dog had been sitting there. Had he watched them do the mattress mambo?
“I think it’s our destiny to be caught,” he said with a rueful chuckle and pulled the sheet over them both. “Get out, Max. Go on.”
Max wagged his tail against the floor and looked at his master, immovable.
Dylan sighed. “I’ll bet you need to go outside.”