“I’ll have you know I can drop, lock and pop with the best of them…ask my niece. At her bat mitzvah I was the man. All the kids were standing and staring at me urging me on!” he proclaimed, proudly. A thoughtful look crossed his handsome features. “Hmm…then again, maybe they were laughing at me, instead of with me. Never thought of that.”
Camille dissolved into giggles. When he put on a faux look of indignation, she raised her hands. “Well, you said it, not me!”
Her laugh died away when he continued to hold her gaze, the smile on his face fading. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No. It’s just that you’re really beautiful. And when you smile, well….” He allowed the sentence to trail off, his gaze going to her mouth again before returning to meet her eyes.
Just like that it was as though there were only the two of them alone, the music and voices around them in the bar receding. Finally Camille broke the gaze and cleared her throat.
“Well, maybe you were showing them something new—something they’d never seen before.” When he lifted a thick, sable brow, she laughed lightly, glad the intensity of the moment had eased. “Hey, I was just trying to be nice.”
“You seem to doubt my prowess,” he replied, humor in his deep voice. “Wanna give it a try?” he nodded toward the crowded dance floor.
Camille glanced over at the dance floor. Although the crowd seemed to be thinning, she wasn’t up for jockeying on the small floor.
“I’ll take your word for it,” she finally answered, turning back to face him.
Again, the intensity in his eyes made her even more aware of him. God, the man looked good enough to eat.
And it seemed as though he felt the same way about her. It had been awhile for her, but he was looking at her as though she was a bowl of ice cream and he wanted to lick her until he scraped the bowl clean.
Her nipples constricted, pressing against her bra. Her mouth grew dry, and she felt a small bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face.
The longer he stared at her, that sexy little dimple flashing on the side of his mouth, the hotter she got.
Thankfully the waitress chose that moment to bring them their drinks. Camille brought the glass of wine to her lips and took a large swallow.
Although she hadn’t gone out with anyone lately, having spent late hours and weekends hunched over quarterly reports—all of which had thrown a serious wet blanket on her love life—she’d had her fair share of attention from the opposite sex.
It had just been awhile, that’s all.
And that was the reason for her over-the-top reactions to him. And nothing else.
At least that’s how she mentally tried to convince herself.
But the intensity of his gaze was having one hell of an effect on her.
Camille gave a weak smile and again brought the glass to her mouth, taking a second fortifying drink.
“So, what are you celebrating?” she asked, once she placed the drink in front of her, diverting the conversation, and her mind, away from the two of them dancing on the floor together, bodies locked together.
Although he didn’t say anything at first, she noted the way his eyes seemed to crinkle in the corner, as though he’d read her thoughts.
She recrossed her legs, clenching them tight together, and ignored her treacherous body’s reaction to the sexy twinkle.
“I just got a major contract,” Gideon said, after placing his own glass down.
He was having a hard enough time keeping his libido in check around her, and if she glided her tongue over her lips once more, he wasn’t going to be accountable for his actions.
His focus shifted to the smooth, pretty curve of her neck where her hair brushed against her shoulders. Several pieces of hair lay near the decolletage of her breasts, at the V-neck of her silk blouse.
“What do you do?” she asked.
He resisted the urge to reach out and push the strands away, wondering if they would feel as soft as they looked. Gideon moved his gaze away from the temptation, meeting her eyes.
“My company does training for upper management, mainly in human relations.”
When she lifted her glass to her mouth, again his attention went to the full, sensual curve of her pouty lips as she sipped the drink.
“That’s kind of a broad field, human relations. What type of training does your company do?”
“Yes, you’re right, it’s a broad term. And every day the field is becoming more wide open. In general, we train new management and other personnel issues related to their staff.”
“Was it one of the companies in the Helmand Tower that you signed the contract with?” she asked. Gideon hesitated.
There were several companies in the building, and although the contract had been signed, it still had to be countersigned before it was official. He doubted there was any harm in sharing the information. “Yes. We provide on-site training as well as bring executives to our classroom facilities.”
His answer seemed to be a good enough response, if her nodding head was any indication.
“So, you travel a bit then, I guess?”
“Yes, actually I just returned from Asia,” he said, and filled her in on how he and two colleagues had trained a major Japan-based U.S. company on race relations and diversity in their workplace.
“I’d love to travel more. The one drawback is that the only traveling I do is limited to the U.S. and mostly local.”
“Travel has its downside, but for the most part I enjoy it.”
When the waitress returned to take their empty glasses, Gideon ordered them another round. Camille held up her hand, smiling.
“I think that’s my limit. I didn’t even realize how much I’d drunk!” she laughed, and it was then that Gideon realized how quickly the time had gone by. Conversation with her just seemed to flow easily, and he hadn’t noticed.
“How about just one more?” he cajoled her, not ready for their night to end. When she looked hesitant, he added, “We’re celebrating, remember?”
“Okay, why not? It’s been a while since I celebrated,” she laughingly agreed.
“I’ve talked enough. Tell me more about you,” he said, and she sighed.
“Hmm, let’s see. Not sure there’s much to tell. I work for a major retailer. I’ve been there since I graduated from college. Actually, I started when I was in college, in the mail room.” She stopped and gave a shrug of her shoulders. “It’s not very exciting to someone outside of retail, I suppose,” she finished.
“I’m fascinated.”
When she gave him a look, he laughed lightly, “Seriously, Cami, I’m finding that the least little thing you tell me about yourself is…interesting,” he said, surprised at his candor.
But it was the truth.
Maybe it had been too long since he’d been in the company of a beautiful, intelligent woman. Lately, his dates had left him feeling wanting, as though something was missing. He dismissed the thought as soon as it entered his mind. He had no time, nor was he interested in anything more than a casual affair.
“Is it me, or has it gotten quieter in here?”
Her question brought him out of his mental fog, and he looked around. Since they’d been talking, he hadn’t noticed, but the crowd had died down significantly.
“I was enjoying your company so much, I hadn’t even noticed.” In the dim light, her golden brown complexion seemed to glow.
When a classic R & B song drifted from the sound system in the bar, her fingers tapped lightly against the table.
“Would you like to dance with me now? No excuses…there’s no one on the dance floor.”
The request had another meaning besides the obvious. One that sent a wave of goose bumps to her flesh.
She didn’t know if it was her promotion, the effects of the wine…or the man holding his arms out to her that made her feel so bold, but whatever it was, she gave in to it, relaxing into his embrace as he swayed with her in time to the music.
&n
bsp; Their bodies melded together in perfect synchronicity, like magnets drawn to each other. Camille bit back a groan when he wrapped his arms tight around her waist and pulled her close. The smell of his aftershave mixed with his natural masculine scent wafted across her nose, tantalizing her senses.
He was tall—at least several inches over six feet—and as he held her, even with three-inch heels, Camille had to reach to place her arms around his neck, something she rarely had to do, given her own above-average height.
When her breasts brushed against his wide chest and her thighs met his thick hard ones, her nipples constricted. Again Camille felt an intense throbbing between her legs and subtly clenched her legs together before pushing away from him slightly.
Yet each time she pulled away, he pulled her back to him until their bodies were again in close alignment, and Camille could feel every long…hard inch of him against her. A deep breath of air escaped her partially opened mouth.
When she felt a tug on the back of her hair, nudging her to look up, she dragged her eyes to meet his.
The look of desire and lust in his eyes mirrored her own need provoking a startled gasp from her. The intensity of his gaze wrapped around her sex, making it pulse and contract, matching the rhythm of her pounding heart. The air around them seemed to grow thick, moist. When she tried to look away he hooked a finger under her chin, turning her back to face him.
“No,” he murmured. “Look at me.”
His gaze drifted to her lips and seconds later his head descended, his lips capturing hers.
With a helpless-sounding moan, she tugged his head down closer and gave in to his kiss, his guttural response meeting hers. His hand circled her waist and traveled down her body until he cupped her, molding one round, firm globe with his large hand, pressing her tight against him, his erection pressed against the front of her skirt.
Her breath was coming out in shuddering gasps when he finally released her.
The image of the two of them filled her mind. As though she were viewing a movie, she saw his big, hard body covering hers…could feel his hands on her body, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips as he stroked inside her.
The images were so real, so unexpected, she gasped. Embarrassed at the pool of wetness saturating her panties, she turned away from him, but before she could move away he lifted her face to his.
Camille saw her own desire sharply reflected in his eyes.
His eyes swept over her face, down her throat and stopped at her heaving chest. When his eyes met hers again, his nostrils flared, lust and desire burning bright in his amber gaze.
He turned, keeping her body close to his, and walked toward the exit, saying, “Let’s go.”
Chapter 2
“It’s nice. Your room, I mean.” Camille entered farther inside Gideon’s hotel room and looked everywhere but at Gideon. Her glance fell to the king-size bed in the center of the room and quickly moved away.
“Really spacious…” Camille’s rambling was cut short when she felt his broad chest brush against her back and his arms wrap around her waist.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about.” The words were whispered hotly against the nape of her neck, and Camille shivered.
He eased her blazer off her shoulders and ran his hands down her bare arms that were exposed in the sleeveless silk blouse. Hypersensitive, she acutely felt the brush of fabric on her skin as he slid the blazer off, exposing her arms to the air-conditioned room.
A rash of goose bumps peppered her skin, both from the cool air and nervous anticipation churning inside her. When he placed soft kisses along her shoulder, her body bowed, and a cry tumbled from her lips.
Gideon turned her around to face him. Her eyes trailed up his body, past his broad chest, the strong line of his neck, and stopped for a fraction of a second at the hollow of his throat. His pulse beat strongly, under his V-necked shirt.
He ran a finger down the line of her cheek, past her chin and down the line of her throat and stopped at the valley between her breasts. Gently he cupped one of her breasts in his big hand, his thumb caressing her nipple through her blouse.
Her eyes feathered shut again when his head bent down toward her, capturing her lips. He dragged her full bottom lip into his mouth, suckled it languidly before slowly releasing it.
“I won’t do anything to you that you don’t want,” he promised against her mouth and ran his slick tongue over lips.
The promise, although meant to ease, instead heightened her need.
“God, you taste so damn sweet,” he murmured, running the rough pad of his thumb over her lips. “But we don’t have to take this any further. We can stop now…just say the word.”
“No…I want this,” she whispered, looking up at him.
“Are you sure, Cami?” he asked, and she nodded her head, unable to speak because of the constriction in her throat.
With his eyes locked on hers, he began to slowly free the buttons on her blouse. Once the last button was undone, he tugged the blouse from her body. His eyes fell to her breasts, watching them rise and fall under the lacy demibra, before coming back to meet her gaze.
In what felt like slow motion, he dragged her closer, pressing her into his hot, hard body. The look in his eyes and the feel of his cock pressing intimately against her stoked the flames of her arousal even more.
Camille wasn’t worried that he’d do something she didn’t want. Her fear instead was she was game for anything he had in store for her.
She ran her tongue over the rim of her bottom lip and kept her eyes on his, her heartbeat slamming against her chest in heady anticipation for what he would do next.
Lifting her arms, she placed them around his neck, bringing his head down to hers, this time initiating the kiss.
With a rough-sounding moan, he lifted her high, his strong arms wrapping securely around her. Without breaking contact with her lips, he briskly strode across the room until he reached the large, four-poster bed in the center. He followed her body down to the bed, his mouth still locked with hers.
Lifting her skirt, he shoved his hands inside and nudged her thighs apart, centering himself between her legs.
Camille whimpered when he placed his hands under her bottom and pulled her tight against him, grinding her softly against the hard ridge under his zipper.
He finally lifted his head, breathing heavily, his hazel eyes wild with carnal lust and need.
“Stay right there,” he demanded huskily, and Camille bobbed her head up and down, her heart beating erratically against her chest.
With rough impatience he removed his shirt before his hands quickly went to the top of his slacks and he shoved them, along with his briefs, down the length of his legs, in one quick movement that freed his erection.
Long…impossibly thick—her eyes widened in fascination as it grew longer, lying heavy against the tight, muscled ridge of his abdomen.
Although it had been longer than she wanted to remember, Camille didn’t know the last time—if ever—she’d seen a cock as beautiful as Gideon’s.
Perfectly sculpted, it lay against his stomach, the same smooth color as the rest of his body; no lines of demarcation marred its flawless masculine beauty.
Without thinking she rose, reached a hand out and grasped him lightly in her palm. She ran shaky fingers over his length, from the base that jutted out thickly from the swirl of curls surrounding his groin, to the mushroom-capped head. She ran her fingers lightly over the tip, brushing away the dew of pre-cum that beaded in the tiny opening.
When he groaned, her eyes flew to his.
A smile of female appreciation curved her lips upward at the look in his eyes.
“If you keep touching me like that…this won’t last long,” he promised, his voice low and rough.
“I’m sorry, I just…” Her sentence trailed off, words escaping her. With a tight laugh, he pressed her down and blanketed her body, covering her mouth with his in one move.
“We have p
lenty of time for that,” he said, sliding between her legs. “Later,” he promised.
“Later,” Camille whispered in agreement before their mouths touched.
He silently urged her to lift her lower body, before removing her skirt. Hooking his thumbs under the lacy band at the top of her panties he tore them, along with her skirt, away, allowing her clothes to float to the floor beside them.
Her skin grew moist, sensitive, on fire, lust and need surrounding her in scalding waves. The feel of his naked, hot skin, his thick cock positioned against her mound, was nearly unbearable. It felt so good against her heated flesh.
The smell of her arousal, sweet and pungent, wafted to Gideon’s nose, fueling his desire and stroking the flames of his desire higher.
He broke contact with her mouth and nosed the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply into his lungs, before licking the soft skin just beneath the lobe of her ear.
“And if you keep grinding on me like that…no doubt about it, this won’t last long,” he murmured against her neck.
She hooked one long, supple leg around his waist, pressing his cock into the direct path of the place he wanted to be in so damn badly. His cock throbbed, aching to fill her.
“So what are you waiting for?” She issued the invitation in a low voice.
That was all Gideon needed to hear. The time for slow, careful lovemaking was over. He had to get inside of her.
He deftly unclasped the snap on her bra, freeing her breasts, allowing them to tumble out. There was a slight tremor in his fingers when he cupped one, running the pad of his thumb over her chocolate-colored nipple. In lustful fascination he watched it spike hard against his finger.
He licked a rough caress over the extended nub and opened his mouth wide and took as much of her breast inside his mouth as he could, hollowing out his tongue and tugging on her long, hard nipple. Her head tossed back and forth on the pillow in feminine distress, her body arching up from the bed, her arms tightening around his neck, silently urging him.
Once Upon a Holiday Page 18
