Her clever hands drifted down to press against his chest. She grabbed his shirt in her fists and yanked him even closer.
Closer was good. Closer was excellent. He was achingly hard now, his straining fly pressed to the cove of her sex. Even with all the layers of their clothing between them, he could feel the welcoming heat of her, revel in the way she rocked her hips into him. She was so open to him, hungry for everything, her mouth and her clutching hands demanding all he could give her, eager to give in return.
He could not wait.
Time to get her upstairs, lock the door, become intimately familiar with every inch of her underneath her clothes...
But then, with a desperate moan, she flattened her hands at his chest again. Instead of pulling him closer, she pushed.
Oh, hell no.
She wouldn’t.
She couldn’t...
But apparently, she could and she would.
Carefully lifting away from her, he sucked in a slow breath and ordered his raging hard-on to chill.
She gazed up at him, flushed and so pretty, her hair a tangled halo around her angel’s face. He gritted his teeth and waited for her to say they had to stop.
Almost shyly, she caught her tongue between her teeth. He would have sacrificed last quarter’s profits at Stryker Marine to be the one biting that tongue of hers.
“I think,” she said with a tender little smile, “we probably ought to take this upstairs.”
Damn. She wasn’t calling a halt, after all. He blinked in elated disbelief. “Yeah?”
Her smile trembled wider. “Yes, please.”
“Excellent idea.” With care, he eased one knee to the rug between her legs and the other on the outside of her left thigh. “Let me help you.” He offered his hand and she took it. Rising, he pulled her up with him. “This way.” Still holding her hand, he turned for the stairs.
She hung back. “We never ate our popcorn...”
He snatched up the bowl. “We’ll take it with us, in case you want some later.”
She laughed. “Where’s the remote? We should turn off the TV.” Over the mantel, the screen saver had activated. An ad for a streaming service bounced around in the blackness.
“I think I threw it behind the sofa.” He tugged on her hand again, but she stayed where she was. Impatient, he faced her again. “Say it.”
She only looked at him. God, she was so beautiful. Kind of...pure and somehow untouched. An angel in old jeans and a baggy sweater, with messy hair.
“Fine,” he grumbled. “Hold the damn popcorn.”
She took the bowl from his hand.
He circled the sofa, grabbed the remote and pointed it at the TV. The screen went completely dark. “Happy now?”
“Thank you.” She stepped to the end of the sofa and then rounded it toward him.
He tossed the remote on the sofa cushions and reached for her, getting her by her free hand and guiding it around behind him so he could slide one arm under her knees and the other at her back.
She let out a silly squeal as he lifted her high against his chest. Popcorn went flying.
“Don’t you even expect me to stop and pick those up,” he grumbled.
She held the popcorn bowl in her lap now and reached out her free hand to touch his face. “Okay,” she whispered, her eyes locked with his.
He kissed her, standing there behind the sofa, loving the feel of her, right here, in his arms.
When he let her mouth go, she taunted, “The fire’s still on.”
There was a remote for it, too. But there was also a switch next to the mantel. He carried her over there and she turned it off.
That left the lamps at either end of the sofa—and the tree and the outside lights. He shook his head before she could go there. “The lamps can stay on. The tree and the outdoor lights are on timers. They’ll turn off at midnight.”
“The baby monitor?” she asked. It sat on a side table by the wing chair a few feet from the sofa.
“Leave it. There’s another one up in my room.”
She kissed him again. “All right. Let’s go upstairs.”
In the master bedroom, he set her down on the thick gray rug by the bed, took the popcorn from her and carried it to a table in the sitting area. He locked the door to the hallway.
When he returned to her, she lifted her arms and twined them around his neck. He needed to kiss her, so he did, taking her mouth gently, teasing her lips to open as she started unbuttoning his shirt.
“Clothes. Who needs them?” He kissed the words across her left cheek and then bit the tip of her chin—gently, of course.
She made a soft sound of agreement. And then she stepped back. He was about to beg her to touch him again when she grabbed the hem of her big sweater and whipped it off over her head. Ripping the zipper of her jeans wide, she shoved them down.
Captivated, he watched as she kicked off the short boots she wore and tore off her socks. When she stood before him, delectable in a yellow satin bra and little white panties, she demanded, “Why are you still fully dressed?”
He looked her up and down. Slowly. “It’s too much fun just looking at you. I want to kiss every inch of you.”
She tipped her head sideways with a thoughtful frown. “Hmm. I do like the way you say that.”
But when he reached for her, she jumped back, shaking her head. “Come on, Linc. Everything off.”
No problem. He went to work on the buttons of his shirt, picking up where she left off. When that took too long, he grabbed hold of it in either hand and pulled. She laughed as those last buttons went flying. He yanked on one sleeve and then the other and tossed the shirt away.
Her smile bloomed wide. “Now you’re talkin’.” She watched, nodding in approval, as he stripped off everything else. “Oh, my,” she said on a sweet, breathy sigh when he stood in front of her naked. “Lincoln Stryker, you look even better minus your clothes.” She stepped in close and put those nimble hands of hers on his chest, whispering, “I really like all these muscles.” Her fingers strayed, wandering down over his belly, back up and outward to caress his shoulders. Shivers trickled down his spine with every touch. “My, my, my,” she added softly when she tipped her head down and saw how glad he was to be here with her. But then she glanced up with a look of alarm. “Tell me you have condoms. I get the shot, but...”
“Don’t explain. I do know the rules.” It was their first time together, and even if he felt like he’d been waiting his whole life for her show up, they had only just met a week ago yesterday. They had a mutual obligation to be safe in every sense. Yanking open the bedside drawer, he grabbed a few Magnums and dropped them within easy reach. “Come here.” He pulled her nice and tight against him. Claiming her mouth again, he unhooked her pretty bra.
She yanked it out from between their bodies, and he felt her naked breasts, soft and full, pressing into his chest, her nipples like pebbles, so hard and tight.
Was this really happening—him and Harper? At last...
So what if he’d known her for only a week and a day? It seemed he’d waited forever to be with her like this. He’d been hoping for this moment, longing for it, even going so far as to overnight the condoms from Amazon just in case.
Now that he had her in his arms, all he really wanted was never to have to let her go. She tasted so good and she felt exactly right, as though every smooth, soft inch of her had been fashioned just for him.
Scooping her high again, he set her on the bed. She pulled him down on top of her, hooking one silky, bare leg over his hip, sucking his tongue into her mouth.
He rolled them so they lay facing each other. That way he could touch her more easily. Palming the inward curve of her waist, he slid his hand upward to cup one fine, plump breast.
She moaned and then whimpered into his mouth as he flicked the tigh
t nipple with his thumb. Nothing compared to her, to the sounds of desire she made, to the giving feel of her flesh under his hand.
He needed to touch all of her, to kiss every secret hollow and gorgeous curve. With some reluctance, he took his mouth from hers, but only to kiss his way down the side of her throat, nipping and licking as he went. The scent of her swam around him, sweet and tart and perfect, as he nuzzled the tight skin over the delicate ridge of her collarbone.
It wasn’t far from there, just a scattering of quick kisses downward, and he was sucking a nipple into his mouth.
She called out his name then, her fingers fisting in his hair as she lifted her body to him, offering him more.
He took it, sucking hard, swirling his eager tongue around the pebbled tip, letting his hand stray downward over the silky curve of her belly and under the waistband of those innocent white panties.
Another cry escaped her as his fingers found her. She was wet and so willing, raising her hips to him, offering him everything he couldn’t wait to claim.
“Oh, Linc...” she whispered.
“Off,” he commanded, hooking his thumbs in at the side of the panties, shoving them down.
She wiggled, chuckling a little, as he worked at pushing the panties below her knees and she kicked them off the rest of the way. He watched them drop off the tip of her toe, over the side of the bed.
“So pretty...” He admired the golden, neatly trimmed hair at the top of her mound, petting her and then dipping his fingers into the womanly heart of her again.
He needed to be closer. He needed to taste her.
So he kissed his way down her body, lifted one smooth thigh over his shoulder and settled between her spread legs. Now he had full access to all her secrets.
She clutched his head between her hands and surged up, opening her legs even wider, letting him kiss her long and slow and thoroughly.
When she came, she cried out again. He stayed with her, stroking her with his fingers, feeling the flutter of her climax against his tongue.
The moment the tiny pulses stopped, she was grabbing his shoulders, pulling him up to her, until they were eye to eye again. She seemed dazed, almost delirious.
He completely understood. He felt wild, free—different. Looking into the silver-blue heat of her eyes, he thought, This. Right here. This woman. This moment.
This was how it should be, just the two of them. Every night, for all the nights.
But he was still connected enough to reality not to say that to her right now.
Right now, he kissed her.
For a long time, and deeply.
She reached down between their bodies and wrapped her cool, slim hand around him. He groaned into her mouth as she stroked him, driving him close to the brink way too quickly.
In the end, he had to pull his mouth from hers and groan, “Harper. Inside you...”
Those lush, swollen lips bloomed into a wide, happy smile. “Yes, please.”
So he flung out an arm to the nightstand and groped around until he found one of the condoms he’d dropped there. He had it out of the wrapper and rolled down over his aching length in seconds flat.
“Come here,” she ordered. “Now...”
He couldn’t obey fast enough.
She pulled him to her, wrapping an arm around his neck, opening her legs for him. He settled carefully on top of her and she reached down between them to take him in hand and guide him home.
Heaven, easing into her, feeling her body give to him as she opened slowly around him. She was so hot and tight. He gritted his teeth and thought of logistics, back-haul rates and suboptimization—exerting superhuman effort to put his mind on anything and everything but how good she felt and how close he was to going off like a bottle rocket when he’d yet to fully fill her.
“Linc,” she whispered, pulling him closer, her sweet breath warm across his cheek.
And then her lips were there, meeting his. He kissed her, tasting her deeply. Fisting his hands in the glorious mess of her lemon-scented hair, he deepened the contact by aching degrees.
And by some miracle, he lasted. She was all around him now, silky arms and strong, long legs holding him to her, pulling him closer.
And closer still.
Until she owned him.
Only then, at last, did he allow himself to move.
Withdrawing slowly at first and then sinking carefully back into her, he drank her pleasured cries. She lifted eagerly to meet his every thrust.
A revelation, to be with her like this. To be happy and perfectly content in the center of this private storm that raged between them. He’d never known anything so tender, so sweet and somehow, at the same time, so wild and free.
What was it about her?
She could speak to him without using any words. Her pretty face and soft, curvy body excited him, but even more, he took a deep pleasure in her giving spirit, her wicked sense of humor and the way she called him on his crap.
He had it all when she was wrapped around him, holding him tight. With her, he knew that anything was possible as long as he held her close to his heart.
It was the best kind of torture, the kind a man never wants to end, even as he chases his completion, needing the sweet release at the finish, but craving her satisfaction even more.
She gave it to him, rocking up into him, scratching his back with her short nails, groaning, “Yes,” and “Right there,” and “Oh, yes, Linc!” as she came again.
By then, he couldn’t hold on for one second longer.
Growling low in his throat, he buried his face against the fragrant, sweat-damp crook of her neck. Heat shot up his spine, arrowed back down and finally exploded in the hot pulse of release.
Chapter Seven
They never did eat the popcorn.
Not that Harper really minded.
Instead, Linc led her into the bathroom and filled up the gorgeous slipper tub. He climbed in first, settling against the high back of the tub as she used a brush she found in the cabinet drawer under one of the sinks to work the worst tangles out of her hair and twist it up into a knot on top of her head.
“Come here,” he said and held out a hand. She took it and got in. The water felt wonderful, hot and soothing, as he guided her to sit in front of him, between his powerful thighs, with his broad chest to rest against.
“Feels so good.” She closed her eyes and just drifted for a little while, managing somehow not to think too hard about the wisdom of what had just happened between them. Instead, she indulged in the sheer pleasure of this beautiful man cradling her, with his big arms around her, his fingers idly stroking up and down her arm.
Her body felt all warm and limp and well used. Being with Linc this way was something of a revelation to her. She’d always enjoyed sex, but tonight was the first time she’d been swept away by it. She was used to seeing the compelling connection between her happily coupled-up siblings. Not so much for herself, though.
But she saw it now, felt it right down to the core of her. Finally, with Linc, she got what all the shouting was about. It was amazing, like an electrical current sizzling between them. She intended to fully enjoy herself, take a walk on the sexy side, until the first of the year.
Linc’s stroking fingers grew bolder. They slipped under the water.
The excitement between them bloomed to life all over again. Those big, long fingers brought her to another searing orgasm.
When she finished begging him never to stop, she rolled over and kissed his impressive erection, which bobbed above the water. And she didn’t stop with just kissing.
He raised his hard hips up to meet her, rocking his body up and down as she took him into her eager mouth and let him slide out again, the water shifting and sloshing around them. It was glorious. He groaned her name as he came.
A little later, he helpe
d her out of the deep tub and dried her off with a huge, fluffy white towel, taking his time about it, pausing now and then so they could indulge in slow, sweet kisses.
Eventually, they returned to the bedroom.
They started kissing again and things got intense. She was going to be sore tomorrow, but she only smiled to herself at the thought of that.
Harper Bravo, insatiable temptress. It had a nice ring to it, she thought.
It was after eleven when she reminded herself that she really ought to put on her clothes and go home. But she felt so contented and lazy. And here, under the covers with Linc in his big bed, it was cozy and warm. With a happy sigh, she snuggled in nice and close...
* * *
Maya’s voice jolted her awake. “Unc Wink, up!”
There was a tap on the bedroom door, and Jayden called, “Uncle Linc, can I please come in?”
Morning light filtered through the shut blinds. From the other pillow, Linc watched her, his thick brown hair a tangled thatch. “Morning, beautiful.”
Jayden tapped on the door again. “Maya wants up!”
“Unc Wink, I so hungwy!” insisted the little girl from the monitor on Linc’s nightstand, next to the discarded condom wrappers.
Harper groaned. “Busted.”
Linc eased a warm hand around her nape, pulled her close for a quick kiss and then rolled away and stood. Grabbing his pants, he shoved his bare feet in them. Swiftly, he zipped up. Padding over to a bureau, he got a long-sleeved T-shirt. Pulling it on over his head, he returned to the bed.
“I’ll wrangle the kids.” He kept his voice to a whisper, so Jayden wouldn’t hear them. “Give me fifteen minutes and then come on down to the kitchen. We’ll let ’em think you just came over from your place.”
She sat up and forked her messy hair back off her forehead. “I can’t stick around,” she whispered back. “Not if we’re still going to Portland tomorrow?”
“Please, yes. I’ve got two days of damn meetings and I really need you there.”
“Then I have to meet Hailey and Doug for breakfast in an hour. Doug requires a rundown of his tech director responsibilities while I’m away.”
A Temporary Christmas Arrangement Page 11