by Erika Wilde
CHAPTER SIX
Kerri sat down on a wooden bench in the shade, smiling as Tori pushed her daughter, Janet, on one of the swings that was a part of the park’s play structure. The young girl squealed in delight as she soared into the air, then caught her breath and demanded, “Higher, Mommy, higher!”
Tori complied, and Kerri watched the two of them enjoy the late-morning outing. Kerri had promised she’d stop by the shelter that Saturday to visit, and she’d been pleased to find Tori still there, instead of having returned to her abusive husband as Kerri had feared she’d do. As Tori had done in the past. Maybe, hopefully, this time would be different for the other woman.
Instead of spending a few hours sitting around the shared residence, Kerri had encouraged Tori to bring Janet to the park to play in the warm summer sun. Afterward, Kerri planned to treat them to lunch and an ice cream dessert.
After ten minutes of being pushed on the swing Janet decided she wanted to explore the wooden jungle gym, complete with bridges, slides and even a fortress. Tori lowered her to the ground, and Janet ran happily through the sandbox to the elaborate structure, climbed a rope ladder and found a friend to play with when she reached the platform. Tori made her way back to the bench and sat beside Kerri, both of them keeping an eye on the little girl and her whereabouts at all times.
“So, are you going to tell me how your date with Ian really ended last night?” Tori asked, anticipation lacing her soft voice.
Kerri smiled and glanced briefly at the young woman who’d become a friend over the past few months. She just wished different circumstances had brought them together. Though Tori was wearing sunglasses, the bruise on her cheek was still visible, now a pale yellow shade instead of the bright purple and blue it had been last week. The split on her bottom lip had healed, and overall Tori seemed in good spirits and rested, despite the ordeal she’d endured.
“The date ended just as we said on the air,” she told Tori, returning her gaze to Janet as she trudged across a wooden bridge with her new little friend tagging behind. “With a kiss.”
And two of the best orgasms of her life. Her heart beat faster at the mere thought of what had transpired in the stairwell—a physical surrender beyond anything she ever could have imagined. She wanted to tell herself their tryst was all about satiating lust and Ian proving a point, but neither did Ian ask her to reciprocate the pleasure, nor did he gloat when he had every reason to. Not only was the man as sexy as sin, he was incredibly sensitive and caring, and that was a dangerous combination to her emotional well-being.
After completely turning her mind and body to mush with those climaxes, Ian had walked her to her car, kissed her softly on the lips and whispered “Have sweet dreams” in her ear before she’d driven away. Her dreams had been anything but wholesome and peaceful. They’d been hot, wanton and wicked, with Ian playing a starring role in her midnight fantasies and her waking up aching for the kind of seductive release he’d given her.
She greedily wanted more of those delicious, addicting orgasms. She wanted Ian, and an affair was beginning to sound better and better to her independent way of thinking. They could enjoy their attraction off the air, and participate in mutual pleasure without the threat of emotional demands messing with her mind. She’d already told him she wasn’t looking for anything complicated or serious, and he’d seemed to accept her terms.
It sounded like an easy solution, as long as she didn’t find herself losing control of the situation, and her emotions. She already liked and respected Ian, and that deeply buried and vulnerable part of her feared he’d be an easy man to fall for if she allowed herself to get caught up in this sexy liaison of theirs. Which she wouldn’t do. Maintaining ultimate control and calling the shots with Ian was the key. She hadn’t spent the past three years building her confidence and a life of her own only to let a man steal it all away or waylay her personal goals.
“Are you going out with Ian again?” Tori asked curiously.
Kerri grinned slyly. “Hmm, that seems to be the million-dollar question with my listeners, doesn’t it?” she teased. “You’re going to have to wait and see what happens, just like everyone else.”
Including herself. She’d held Ian off on accepting a second date, and he’d been an exemplary gentleman about her uncertainty—even when he could have coerced an unequivocal yes out of her last night when she’d been on the brink of her first or second orgasm. He’d held such power in his hands, and never once tried to take advantage of it, or her.
“Well, I hope there is a second date,” Tori said, her gaze trained on her daughter, whose bursts of girlish laughter brought a smile to her mother’s lips. “Listening to the both of you on the air…well, it’s like the two of you belong together. It gives me hope that maybe finding a guy like Ian for myself might be possible.”
Kerri heard the quiver of longing in Tori’s voice, and something else—hope?—that caught her attention. Not sure what the other woman was getting at, she reached out and gently laid her hand on her arm. “Tori, what do you mean by that?”
Tori wrung her hands together in her lap. “I’m leaving my husband, Rick,” she stated.
Kerri sucked in a startled breath, knowing how difficult that decision had to have been for Tori—walking away from the only security she’d ever known, even if that false sense of stability had come at a very steep physical price for her.
“Are you sure?” she whispered, almost too afraid to hope that Tori was truly serious about ending things with her volatile husband.
Chin held high, Tori nodded emphatically. “Yes, I’m sure.”
The determination and grit Tori displayed made Kerri want to jump up and cheer for the young woman’s courage. Kerri was so relieved to see the change in Tori.
“I swear I’m not going back this time,” Tori said fiercely, her gaze on her daughter. “I can’t. Not after the way he beat me up and threatened to go after Janet, too.” Her voice broke, and it took her a moment to regain her composure. “I took out a restraining order against Rick. I don’t want him anywhere near me or Janet.”
Tori’s defensive actions were a huge step in the right direction, and Kerri could only pray that Tori remained strong and didn’t let herself be swayed by any pleas for forgiveness and empty promises from her temperamental husband. Paul had attempted the same tactic when Kerri had broken off their relationship, and it had been difficult not to allow her emotions to be swayed. To remain strong and confident enough to start a new life on her own. But in the long run, it had been the best decision she’d ever made for herself.
“I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t scared,” Tori admitted, seeking out Kerri’s gaze. “I’m petrified of being alone. I have Janet’s welfare to think of, and I have no idea how to support us.”
All legitimate concerns, Kerri knew, and all she could do was offer support and reassurance. “You let the counselors at the shelter worry about that, okay?” She gently rubbed her back in soothing circles. “Take things one day at a time, and just know that you made the right decision for you and Janet.”
Without the negative influence of her husband overshadowing her every step, Tori was free to make the right choices for her and her daughter. Now that she’d found the strength to end an unhealthy, stifling marriage, the rest would hopefully work itself out for Tori, just as it had for Kerri.
* * *
“Now that I finally have you alone and to myself, what’s this I hear about you becoming a nightly talk-show guest on WTLK?”
Ian reclined in the cushioned chair out on the Winslows’ patio after enjoying the family’s weekly ritual of Sunday brunch, followed by an early evening round of golf with the men. He glanced across the outdoor table to Gayle Pierce, David and Eve’s only living child. Gayle was not only a trusted friend, but she was as close to a sister as he’d ever get. When Audrey had been killed in the car accident only months before she and Ian were to marry, together Gayle and Ian had mourned her death, then bonded over the mutu
al loss. Gayle knew the guilt he lived with, even though no one in the Winslow family blamed him for the unforeseen tragedy that had claimed Audrey’s life. It was his own heart and soul that had accepted responsibility and lived with the pain and grief of that devastating night.
Gayle was as beautiful, sweet and refined as her sister had been, and she knew him better than he understood himself sometimes. And like any good friend, she exerted a more direct, straightforward attitude with him that he’d always appreciated. It kept the lines of communication open between them, and gave them the freedom to be honest with each other without fear of being judged or hurting each other’s feelings. It was a special relationship he cherished since he had no siblings of his own.
Gayle cast a quick sweeping glance toward the house where her mother and father had disappeared moments before but would return shortly. Out in the large, landscaped yard, Gayle’s husband, Adam, tossed a football to their son, Greg, and their four-year-old daughter, Shelly, sat on the patio steps playing with the doll Ian had given to her for her birthday a few weeks ago. Ian loved the sense of family surrounding him, especially after having grown up without that security and closeness the Winslows so easily shared.
Gayle drummed her fingernails impatiently on top of the glass surface of the table. “If you don’t fess up, and quick, you’re going to be explaining your sexy little secret to the entire family.”
He chuckled and clasped his hands over his stomach. “I don’t care who knows,” he said honestly. He’d never meant to keep his association with Kerri a secret. Then again, he never could have anticipated how one spontaneous call to debate a provocative issue on the air with Kerri would escalate into something so hot and intense off the air a month later. “But how did you hear about it?” He was curious to know.
“I was having lunch with a girlfriend yesterday, and Marissa was going on about you and the late-night DJ on WTLK, and how the two of you were literally heating up the airwaves. I was sure she was mistaken because I would have known if you were spending your evenings flirting with a radio talk-show host, because you would have told me.” She sent him an affectionately disgruntled look that he’d kept her in the dark about his after-hours activities. “And then Marissa mentioned that you and the woman on the show were going out on a date and discussing the details on the air afterward, so of course Adam and I listened last night to see if it was really you.”
He grinned. “Surprise.”
“Surprise, my butt!” She lowered her voice when Shelly glanced their way at her mother’s outburst. She leaned forward, a sly smile curving her lips. “Ian, you’re leading a double life! You’re an investment broker by day, and women’s sexiest fantasy come to life by night.”
“Women’s sexiest fantasy?” He winced at Gayle’s outrageous description of him as some kind of sex symbol to the female gender. “Being a call-in guest on Heat Waves wasn’t something I was trying to hide from you or anyone else.”
She eyed him dubiously. “Well you certainly didn’t share it with the family, either,” she grumbled.
“It started out as one call, Gayle,” he explained. “One debate that was supposed to be a fun distraction. And it sort of escalated from there. I honestly didn’t expect things to go as far as they have.”
“How could you not?” She shook her head incredulously, causing her soft auburn hair to shimmer around her shoulders. “I only listened to the show once, but it was enough for both me and Adam to realize that the chemistry between the two of you is something to be pursued.” Resting her elbow on the table, she propped her chin in her hand, her expression eager. “Kerri kept her listeners in suspense at the end of the show, but you can spill the beans with me, Ian. Are you going out with her again?”
He worked his jaw, stalling for a minute before he answered. If it was up to him, yes, they’d go out again and again. As many times as she’d allow, as many days as there were in a week. He just wasn’t certain of Kerri and what she wanted. She’d made it more than clear that she wasn’t looking for a serious relationship, that her career was her first-and-foremost priority. Yet, he wasn’t positive that an affair would be enough for him when there was so much about Kerri that intrigued him. There were so many fascinating dimensions to her personality he wanted to explore.
He’d been tempted to call her this weekend after their date, but made the decision to hold off, not wanting to overwhelm or pressure her. In a very short amount of time he’d come to learn that she was a woman who needed her space, and he respected that, even as he longed to fill that space with his presence.
He needed to tread cautiously with Kerri, and maybe that meant letting her set the pace and direction in this budding relationship…and follow wherever she might be willing to take him, and see where it all led.
“I don’t know about another date,” he said quietly. “It depends on Kerri.”
“What’s there to ‘depend’ on?” She pursed her lips. “Do you like her?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, I do.”
She grinned. “Then go for it.”
Easy for her to say, he thought, and sighed. “It’s not as simple as going for it, Gayle.”
She stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. “Is this about…Audrey? Because I know you’ve used her death as the biggest excuse not to let another woman get close—”
“No, this isn’t about Audrey.” Not this time. It was about him and Kerri and him wanting things from her, with her, that he’d spent the past eight years avoiding with any woman. She had him tangled up in a huge knot of need that seemed to pull tighter and become more urgent the more time he spent with her. She made him laugh, she filled hollow places in him that had been empty for too long, and she gave him something to look forward to each night.
He was beginning to crave much, much more than a few hours with her, shared with thousands of other listeners.
“When you’re ready, I know we’d all love to meet her, Ian.” Gayle’s voice pulled him back to the present. “Mom and Dad only wish the best for you, and don’t expect you to be faithful to Audrey’s memory forever. Life goes on, and so should yours.”
Her approval, her kind and understanding words, meant more to him than he realized. “Thanks, Gayle.”
The glass slider leading from the house opened, and Eve stepped outside dressed in a silky shorts outfit, followed by her husband, David. The older man clapped Ian affectionately on the back. “You ready for a round of golf, son?”
Son. He’d always felt like David’s son. The honor would have been his by marriage to his daughter, Audrey, but he’d instead gained the older man’s trust and respect in other ways. In return, the Winslows had offered him family ties, the kind of traditional values he’d grown up without, and a secure place in their lives.
He’d lived with the guilt of Audrey’s death for eight long years, and he was ready to take Gayle’s words to heart: Life goes on, and so should yours. It was time to let go of the past and start building a future. One that involved more than long days at work and nights spent alone.
One that possibly included Kerri.
* * *
Kerri jogged up the five flights of stairs to the radio station, welcoming the slow burn in her thighs and hoping to work off the extra-large order of french fries she’d eaten for lunch—just before Carly had called to request her presence for a 7:00 p.m. meeting that evening. The excitement in Carly’s voice had been unmistakable, and while her friend had refused to tell Kerri the reason for the impromptu meeting, Kerri figured it had something to do with the possible sale of the station.
Anticipation swirled in her belly as she headed down the fifth-floor hallway. Judging by Carly’s enthusiasm, it had to be good news. If someone was interested in the station, then he or she had to be considering keeping the format and programming as it was. And that meant job security for her and everyone else at WTLK, rather than dreaded unemployment.
She opened the door to Dan’s office, expecting to find the room f
illed with the station’s staff, and stopped abruptly when her gaze found Carly and Dan…and Ian sitting in one of the chairs in front of her boss’s desk.
“Ian,” she blurted in surprise.
“Hello, Kerri,” he replied, low and deep.
He must have come from work. Instead of the casual jeans he’d opted for on Friday night, today he wore navy slacks and a white dress shirt with an abstract silk tie, and the sleeves were rolled back to reveal his strong, muscular forearms. A matching jacket was draped over the side of his chair. His hair was mussed, as if he’d repeatedly run his hands through the thick strands throughout the day. She had the strong urge to do the same, to test the warmth and texture between her fingers.
Awareness unfurled within her as his eyes turned a smoky shade of green and the corner of his mouth lifted in one of those seductive, private smiles that turned her inside out with wanting. Just that easily she was lost in the moment, lost in him and the erotic, provocative memories of his coaxing kisses and fingers stroking her in feminine places until she’d come apart for him in the most rapturous way. Her heart pounded in her chest and her entire body flooded with a trickling warmth that had nothing to do with the day’s heat and humidity, and was a direct result of being near Ian.
She inhaled slow and deep. She hadn’t seen or talked to him since he’d left her in the parking lot early Saturday morning after their stairwell embrace. She’d kept herself busy over the weekend and hadn’t allowed herself to get too caught up in thoughts of Ian, but her response to seeing him again wouldn’t let her lie. She’d missed him. Missed being with him and talking to him and feeling that light, carefree mix of infatuation and desire he evoked.
Oh, boy.
“Close the door, Kerri,” Carly said cheerfully, effectively yanking her from her thoughts and fantasies of Ian. “You’re letting all the cool air we’ve got out of the office.”
