She laughed again and it made him smile. The sound was so genuine and full of joy that he couldn’t help himself. Which only underscored how important it was for him to stick to his own regulations where she was concerned.
“I have to admit I like that,” she said.
“You do?”
“Yes. You aren’t what I expected, Alec, and I like it better when I know I’m not the only one struggling to figure things out.”
That wasn’t all he was struggling with. “My brothers would give me tons of shit if they ever heard about this.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s how brothers are,” he said.
“And... You’re the goody-goody in the Velasquez family, aren’t you?”
“I guess. I mean, I’m not a nerdy rule follower. I just like to stay within safe limits,” he said, then groaned again as he realized exactly how that sounded. “Okay, so I am a goody-goody. But I’ve been burned when I just let go of all my limits and I realized that I have to know which lines I can’t cross.”
“Fair enough,” she said. “So, back to the game. Are you going to call?”
Call? No. He wanted more than her protein bar and chocolate. He wanted kisses, but real kisses. He wanted the stakes to be higher and he knew the risk. He could move too fast and push her away. But as Mo would say, you have to take a chance if you ever want the big prize.
And he wanted her...badly.
“I’m going to raise,” he said at last.
“You are?”
“Yes,” he said, pushing the requisite ante into the center of the table. “I call and raise you one kiss.”
“A kiss? I have two in there,” she said.
“No, I mean a real one. A bodies-pressed-together, mouths-fused, passion-filled kiss.”
“Oh,” she said, a slight flush spreading up her neck to her cheeks. “Very well, I call.”
* * *
He stretched his legs, and the fabric of his trousers brushed against her. She shifted so that her calves rested against his as he slowly laid his cards on the table. She glanced at the pair of tens with an ace high that he’d revealed and then back at her own hand.
She had two pairs so that beat him. She had always been a believer that she shouldn’t wager anything she didn’t want to lose, and frankly, she had been craving Alec since the moment they’d been alone in the barn at the polo match. Nothing had changed since then.
Of course, she’d retreated, but that was because he was different. The type of guy she normally attracted would have pushed for a kiss or more until she either gave in or shoved him out of her life. But Alec was subtle and funny. He was carefully feeling his way along trying to get to know her better and maybe let her see the real man.
She fanned her cards out on the table and then crossed her arms under her breasts as she leaned back in the large leather chair. “Read ’em and weep.”
He chewed his lower lip between his teeth and gave her a steely-eyed look. “I see I’m going to have to reevaluate you. I was sure you were bluffing.”
“I wasn’t,” she said.
“Obviously. But you played it so cool I couldn’t tell. Interesting. I think that means you must spend a lot of time hiding who you really are,” he said.
“Dude, I said you could have a kiss, not psychoanalyze me.”
He leaned across the table, reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Sorry. It’s just that I haven’t wanted a woman the way I want you in a long time. I’m trying to give myself a bit of time to gain some control.”
Again she was struck by how he seemed to have no barriers when it came to her. She wanted to believe in him but as he’d noted a minute ago, experience had taught her that what she really needed to do was to keep her true self hidden. It was just better for her. There had been only one person she’d ever felt comfortable letting her guard down around and that had been Tara.
And she was still trying to recover from the pain of losing her the way that she had. She really didn’t want to go down that dark and emotional path so she leaned forward, elbows on the table, putting her hands on his wrists. “So about the kiss I’ve won in this hand.”
“What about it?” he asked.
“I’m trying to decide if I should take my prize and walk or keep it in the ante and see if I can win again.”
He took her left hand in his, his thumb stroking her palm and sending shivers of sensation up her arm, making her breasts feel heavy.
“Up to you,” he said. “You call the shots.”
As if. She realized that was cynical but she’d been in too many situations like this to believe that one person called all the shots. Sex was intimate and involved so much more than power in her experience.
“I see you don’t believe me,” he said. “I’m not playing around with you, Scarlet. I know I lied to you the first night we met but you’re pregnant with my baby. I want you more than I want my next breath and that makes me feel dangerous...out of control. I don’t want to be that way. Not when so much is at stake.”
Again he disarmed her with the truth. His earnestness made her want to believe him yet every experience in her life had shown her that when she most wanted to trust in another person, they let her down. And he was right: the stakes here were high. They both wanted to make sure they didn’t add another screwed-up being to the planet. Both of them wanted better for the baby she was carrying.
And maybe that was enough.
Of course it is. Tara’s voice sounded in her head. Stop dithering and kiss the man. It’s what you want.
It was what she wanted so she pushed away from the table and went around to his side. She put her hands on the arm of his chair and spun it so he faced her. Then she sat down on his lap, sitting sideways so that her legs hung over the armrest and she could see his face. One of his arms came around her waist and the other one just hovered in the air over her body, not touching her.
She lifted her hand to his face, touched the light stubble on his jaw and looked into his dark brown eyes, searching for something in his gaze but not really knowing what it was. She sighed inside and realized there were no guarantees. This could be nothing more than a nice way to spend the flight or it could be the most dangerous decision she ever made.
But she wasn’t someone who cowered. And Tara’s voice in her head had reminded her of that.
She rubbed her thumb over his full lower lip and his mouth parted, his breath coming out in a sudden gasp. She felt him harden under her hips. She leaned in closer, taking her time because now that she’d made up her mind, there was no rush. Regardless of the outcome, she wanted and intended to make this last.
Their eyes met and she felt something shift and settle deep inside her. At least they had this one thing that made sense between them. The rest of their lives were crazy right now, but this, she thought as she leaned in and brushed her lips over his, made perfect sense.
Nine
His hands were shaking; it was all he could do to keep himself under control. But she was on his lap, her mouth so close to his that he felt each exhalation of her breath against his lips, and it served to fan the flames that were edging ever more untamable.
He put his hand on her shoulder, forcing himself to keep his touch light and not caress her skin. But the neckline of her sweater was wide, and he had brushed her naked skin as his fingers came to rest there. He wanted to stroke and caress her more, but he had promised her she was in control. That he’d settle for whatever she wanted to give him.
But he knew deep in his soul that he wanted it all. He wanted every damned thing she had to give. Her lips brushed his and sensation went through him, making his blood run heavier in his veins and hardening his cock. He shifted underneath her to try to make himself more comfortable within the tight confines of his pants.
She smiled against his mouth as she
kept the kiss light. Just a mere pressing of her lips against his. Then she moved her head slightly and their lips rubbed together more intimately. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and a sensual shiver went down his spine. He moved his hand from her collarbone to the back of her neck, cupping it as he turned his head slightly and deepened the kiss.
She tasted better than he remembered... And given that it hadn’t been that long since he’d last kissed her, he was surprised. Surely, she hadn’t become more addictive in those few hours since their kiss. But it seemed she had. His hand tangled in her braid as he cupped the back of her head and leaned up to take her mouth more deeply. He heard the tiny moan from deep in her throat and he answered in kind.
He rubbed his hand down her back, taking his time so that he felt each curve of her spine. Then he shifted his head back to look up at her as he put both hands on her waist and lifted her until she could straddle his lap.
She clutched his shoulders and settled her thighs on either side of his hips. He inhaled deeply, smelled the slight hint of roses and something spicier, a more sensual scent that he remembered from the night of the gala.
He slipped his hands under the hem of her sweater and held her against him as he looked up at her. She smiled, just the tiniest lift of one side of her mouth, before she leaned down, resting her forehead against his. Then he felt the brush of her tongue against his lips.
He groaned, and got even harder. He wasn’t going to be able to live up to his word and take just a kiss if she kept this up. Already he wanted more. He wanted her leggings off and her naked body pressed against him.
He wanted this sweater gone and them both naked with him buried deep inside her. But he knew that he had to temper that desire. Had to make this last. He’d given his word and if he didn’t live up to it, she’d always remember.
He slipped one hand up her back and used the other on her waist to draw her even closer to him, until their groins were pressed together. She rocked her hips against him and he tore his mouth from hers, tipping his head back as exquisite sensation shot through him.
She shifted farther forward, grasping at his sides, and he held one of her arms lightly in his hand as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues tangled as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm, pulling the edge of her sweater down so that her collarbone was exposed. He touched her there, caressing her; her skin was softer than he remembered.
He pulled his mouth from hers, dropping nibbling kisses down the column of her throat and then sucking lightly on the pulse that beat under her skin. She shivered in his arms as he moved his mouth along the line of her collarbone to her shoulder. She put one hand on the back of his head, her fingers burrowing into his hair and holding him against her. He breathed deeply, the scent of her more potent now that he held her in his arms.
He closed his eyes, reaching deep inside for his control, but it was slipping so quickly through his grasp. The hand he had on the small of her back slipped down to cup her butt, rubbing over the spandex fabric of her leggings and drawing her ever closer to him. She shifted, still holding his head against her as she arched her back and rubbed her center over him. They both groaned out loud and he turned his head, using his nose to push the collar of her sweater down farther, kissing his way down her chest following the line of her bra. The straps were lacy, contrasting with the smoothness of her skin. He moved lower, still following the seams of her lingerie, tasting the sweetness that was Scarlet. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to take it slow for much longer, yet at the same time he wanted this to last. Wanted to keep her in his arms for as long as he could.
He buried his face between her breasts. His hand was on her butt urging her closer to him and her hands were in his hair, one fingernail tracing the shape of his ear. When the plane hit turbulence and they were jolted, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him until the aircraft leveled out.
* * *
Her heart raced from lust, and the dipping of the plane. She should get off his lap, but she’d decided she wasn’t doing that. This wasn’t an unhealthy addiction. This was something natural between the two of them and she wasn’t going to deny herself. Also, she felt like she needed to treat him as she would any other guy. How else could she judge this situation that was so far out of her experience?
“Are you okay?” he asked.
His voice was raspy, scraping over her already aroused senses and confirming her desire to have him. Now.
“Yes. That was jarring, though,” she said.
He reached around her and pressed a button in the arm of his chair.
“Yes, sir?”
“Will we be encountering any more turbulence?” Alec asked.
“No, sir, we haven’t heard reports of it. That was an anomaly and we should be fine,” the pilot answered.
“Great. Thank you.”
“No problem. Do you need anything?”
“We’re fine and do not wish to be disturbed,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
He put his hands on her waist over her sweater and looked up at her with a very serious look on his face.
“Do you want to stop?” he asked.
She felt his erection still pressing against her. His skin was flushed, his pupils dilated, and his voice still betrayed his lust.
“No. Do you?”
“I don’t, but I’d never want you to feel pressured,” he said.
“I don’t,” she returned. “Do you?”
He shook his head, slipping his hands under her sweater, cupping her butt and rubbing it. “What do you think?”
He pulled her forward, thrusting his hips up so that her center rubbed over the ridge of his cock. She let her head fall back at the exquisiteness of the feeling that washed over her.
“I think we should stop talking,” she said, putting one hand on the back of his head as she brought her mouth down hard on his.
He groaned as his hands moved up to the waistband of her leggings. He pushed beneath it to touch the naked skin of her back, his fingers feathering downward until he was cupping her butt, this time without any fabric separating them. He ran his finger along the bottom of her butt cheek and lifted her higher against him.
He pulled his mouth from hers, kissing her in the center of her chest, slightly to the right of her heart. He used his other hand to tug at the hem of her sweater and pulled it up over her head. She moved her arms to help him remove it.
He kept stroking her backside as his gaze moved over her chest. He drew his finger down her body from her neck to the V created by her bra and then up the other side of her body. She felt the goose pimples rise and her nipples tighten as he continued to trace her skin. She wanted more of his touch and yet enjoyed the feel of just his fingertips on her skin.
“You have the smoothest skin I’ve ever touched,” he admitted, licking his way down her body. “It’s one of the things I couldn’t forget about you after our night together. I thought I’d imagined how soft you were...”
His words were whispered against her skin as he moved his mouth down her neck. She shifted around, her braid coming forward to brush over her shoulder, the end of it brushing against his nose.
She’d always been the girl to take a risk but this time, with Alec, it felt different. The first time they’d been together hadn’t been all that risky or bold. Not really. It had just been a bit of fun with a guy she thought she’d never see again.
This time it was different. She was consciously choosing to be with a man she was connected to through this baby, a situation that she still couldn’t really wrap her head around.
He reached up to tug off the elastic that held her braid in place and dropped it on the table next to them. He pulled the plait apart and then ran both hands through the long strands of her hair, drawing it forward until the ends draped over her shoulders. Her hair was long enough that it reached the top of
her breasts. He reached behind her, undoing her bra, and then she shrugged it off, setting it on the table next to them.
He continued to run his hands through her hair. “You smell like spring, fresh and flowery. After our night together, I couldn’t get your scent out of my mind. I made my housekeeper crazy trying to figure out the smell by ordering different bouquets of flowers.”
“Did you figure it out?” she asked as he leaned forward and brought a strand of her hair to his nose.
“No.”
“It’s a mix of strawberries, magnolias and freesia. Sounds like it shouldn’t work but for some reason it does,” she said with a laugh, realizing that she was nervous. She was talking to him during sex and that made it more intimate than their one-night stand. They hadn’t talked, just kissed and touched and made love.
But this was different. It was deliberate. And that both excited her and scared her.
* * *
He felt a pulse of desire between his legs and realized he couldn’t take his time. He was too hot for Scarlet but then had been since the beginning.
He tongued her nipple, then scraped his teeth gently over it. She arched again, grinding her hips against his. He tugged at the waistband of her leggings and she shifted position, drawing them down her legs and standing up to take them off. She stood next to his chair totally naked and he couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t do anything except lift her into his arms and carry her to the bedroom at the back of the jet.
He opened the door with one hand and then kicked it closed behind him as he entered the room. He set her on her feet next to the bed, and she reached for the buttons on his shirt, slowly undoing them and distracting him from the urgency of getting his pants off.
The red haze that had fallen over him lifted as he slowly wrested control back. He could do this. Still be cool and not fall on her like a man enflamed with lust and passion...maybe.
He kicked off his loafers and shoved his jeans and underwear down his legs as she pushed his shirt off his shoulders. As soon as he was naked, he felt better. This was how they should both be.
One Night, Two Secrets Page 9
