1-900-Lover

by Rhonda Nelson

  Thankfully, Will read the tone correctly and played along. He chuckled. “So’s your guy. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that he lives up to your expectations.”

  It was Rowan’s turn to laugh. Now he had performance anxiety? “Oh, I’m not worried about that,” she replied confidently. “I’m certain he’ll surpass my expectations. I hope your girl does the same.”

  A beat slid into three. “She already has,” he murmured softly. “But I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “Good.” The compliment warmed her, made her heart inexplicably swell with delight. She struggled to find her way out of the foggy realm of release. “Call me again, anytime.”

  “You can count on it.”

  “Goodnight, Will.”

  “G’night, Rowan.”

  10

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE you’ve lived here all your life and you’ve never had a burger from Grady’s,” Rowan told him, still apparently scandalized on his behalf. He held the door open for her, followed her inside and then snugged a finger at the small of her back while he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior. The scent of sizzling grease, pool chalk and smoke hung in the air, and the occasional crack of a cue ball finding its mark punctuated the low buzz of conversation.

  Rowan led him deeper into the room until she found an empty table toward the back. “Brace yourself,” she warned with a teasing smile as she slid into a cracked vinyl chair. “You’re about to have the culinary experience of your life.”

  Will grinned, took the chair opposite her. Apparently this was a week for firsts then. First phone sex. First pool hall burger. Made a guy wonder what could possibly come next.

  He’d probably come next, Will thought with a smothered snort. Had almost come again this morning when he’d picked her up. Last night had been… Well, there were simply no words for how last night had been, Will decided, because it had been completely out of the realm of his experience. One minute the wordplay had been teasing, the next he’d had his dick in his hand listening to Rowan’s genuine cries of sexual bliss.

  What had once seemed, quite honestly, like a pointless waste of time, or a pathetic option for the undersexed, suddenly held considerable appeal. In fact, though he was hardly an amateur in the bedroom, he could honestly admit that he’d never in his life experienced anything so…erotic.

  Hearing those thrillingly graphic words come out of that lush, ripe mouth had literally hot-wired his groin. The air in his lungs had thinned, his mouth had watered, then parched, and he’d had one of the biggest hard-ons he’d ever had in his life. His lips quirked in wry amusement. It was enough to give a guy the big head—literally.

  Naturally, he couldn’t wait to do it again.

  And with that in mind, he’d done a little preemptive groundwork this morning when he’d picked her up. Last night, things could have easily turned…awkward, but Rowan had taken care of that by making sure the conversation moved into lighter territory immediately afterward.

  In order to avoid the same scenario this morning, the moment she’d opened the door, Will had stepped forward, framed her face and kissed her until he could breathe again—hell, he’d felt like a damned fish out of water since last night—kissed her until he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the instantaneous heat had burned up any misgivings or second thoughts she might have entertained.

  He meant to continue as he intended to go on, and backtracking simply wasn’t an option.

  He wanted her. Had to have her. It was more than mere attraction, more than exaggerated sexual chemistry. It was as though she’d unwittingly tapped into a secret power supply. He felt energized, brighter, bigger and better when he was with her. Will let go a shaky breath.

  Powerful stuff, that.

  And this morning at Doris’s had been no exception. Will loved his job, honestly loved what he did. He counted himself among the rare few who actually made a comfortable living doing something that constituted work, but in truth, didn’t feel like it. Yes, he ran into the occasional problem—like Doris, he thought uncharitably—but by and large, the majority of his clients were amiable and easy to please, and when he finished a project, he was rarely dissatisfied.

  But working side-by-side with Rowan today had been a singularly pleasing treat. He couldn’t say that he’d learned any particular character traits—he’d already deduced that she was a hard worker. Her garden alone had told him that. Just like it had told him that she was organized in her own bizarre way, observant and diligent. Still, watching her get in there today and literally get her hands dirty, watching the expedient way her mind worked had jazzed him in a way that defied explanation.

  While he had several teams of employees, this was the first time in his professional life that he’d felt like a part of one. It was her, he knew. Something about her just did it for him. She’d unwittingly injected something into his life that he hadn’t realized he’d been missing—excitement.

  Will leaned back in his chair and took a moment to simply look at her. Her long brown hair had been twisted into a thick braid which curved like a provocative question mark around one generous breast. Those gorgeous green eyes—which seemed startlingly bright against her healthy tan—were framed with thick curling lashes a shade lighter than her hair. Half a dozen freckles dusted her dainty nose and he’d noted a dimple in her left cheek this morning which had previously escaped his notice. He didn’t know how he’d missed it since he spent so much time staring at that lush mouth, but it had nonetheless come as quite a shock when the adorable indentation had flashed at him this morning. Will sighed, momentarily lost in the sheer perfection of her face.

  There were a million little things that made her beautiful. The sweet curve of her cheek, the smooth arc of her brow, even the delicate skin at her temple. He knew she’d undoubtedly look at herself and find flaws—women typically did, being women—but if she could see herself the way he did… Well, there’d simply be no question.

  A slow smile moved across her lips as she suddenly caught him staring. Will blinked, felt his mouth slide into a sheepish grin. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I just—” He shrugged, expelled a helpless breath. Lay it all out on the line, he thought. It seemed to be working so far. He lowered his voice. “You’re beautiful.”

  Something warm shifted in her twinkling gaze. “Thank you,” she murmured. He felt her gaze trace the planes of his face, felt it linger over his lips. “You’re not too hard to look at yourself.”

  A waitress arrived, sparing him an immediate reply. Once she’d moved away, Will found his voice once more. “So how do you think things are going?” he asked. “Are you pleased with the way things are moving along?”

  Rowan nodded. “Yeah, I am. You’ve got a great crew.”

  Will kicked his chair back, tilting the front legs off the floor. “It makes all the difference in the world, believe me.”

  “I would imagine so.” She leaned back as their drinks arrived. “Doris seems okay with everything so far. What’s your take on her?”

  “She’s happy.” He shrugged lightly, grinned. “And like I told you before, she’s connected. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you didn’t end up being my competition.”

  Rowan crossed her arms and rested them on the table. She shot him a wry look. “I seriously doubt that.”

  “I don’t,” Will told her, and he meant it. She was seriously talented. “You’ve got an excellent eye and you know what you’re doing. That and a little determination is all it takes.”

  “Yeah, well, I might consider it once I finish paying for my first education,” she replied drolly.

  “Ah,” Will sighed knowingly. “Student loans, the bane of every self-made young professional.”

  She quirked a brow. “Is that the voice of experience?”

  Will bit the inside of his cheek. “Er…no.”

  She leaned back in her seat and chuckled knowingly. “So which sports scholarship did you land? Wait. No. Let me guess.” Her appraising gaze did another th
orough inspection and he had the pleasure of watching admiration light a sparkler of desire in those leaf-green orbs. “You’ve got the lean, athletic look of a baseball player, but given your temper and wit, my money’s on football, quarterback. Am I right?”

  Will chuckled, impressed. “Yes, you’re right.”

  She laughed and smacked her hand against the tabletop. “I knew it.”

  “You’re good, I’ll give you that. I think maybe you’re in the wrong profession. Perhaps you should have been a detective.”

  “Nah.” She shook her head. “I don’t have the patience.”

  Will chased a bead of condensation down the side of his drink with his thumb. “What about teaching? Do you like it?”

  She barely hesitated, but he felt it all the same. “Er…yeah, I do. I do,” she repeated, and he got the distinct impression that she was trying to convince herself as much as him. Her gaze slid to his, and she winced. “Honestly, I’d much rather be outside doing what we did today, but hind-sight’s twenty-twenty.” She pulled a shrug. “The fact is I’ve got a degree that I haven’t finished paying for yet, and I’m too practical to give it up simply because it isn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be.”

  Well, Will certainly understood that. Still… “Not one of those proponents of the life’s-too-short argument?” Will asked lightly.

  A self-deprecating smile tugged at the corner of her distracting mouth. “In theory, yes. In practice, no.”

  Once again the idea of putting her to work for him on a permanent basis crossed his mind. Will instinctively knew she’d be a good choice, a fantastic addition. But if he made the offer now, he was afraid she’d suspect his motives. Better to wait until she’d finished Doris’s project, then he could cite her excellent performance. Another thought struck, and though he knew it was none of his business, he simply had to ask. “What about your 900-line?” Will asked lightly. “You probably won’t have a lot of time for it anymore, right?”

  Rowan shot him a slightly frozen look, then sighed happily as their waitress returned once more, this time with a tray laden with food. She completely ignored his question, which wasn’t the least bit encouraging. Will resisted the urge to swear. Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone? he wondered. Last night he’d called her after she’d just gotten home, and today he was quizzing her about her business, which incidentally had nothing to do with him. Still, he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want her having phone sex with anyone but him. Selfish? Unrealistic? Yes, but he didn’t care. The idea of her talking to another guy the way that she’d talked to him—even pretending—set his teeth on edge and made a red haze swim in front of his eyes.

  “Get ready,” she warned with a playful smile. “I’m about to change your life.”

  Will barely swallowed an ironic chuckle. He had a sneaking suspicion she already had. He conjured a laugh all the same, easily caught up in her enthusiasm. “If you say so,” he offered skeptically.

  Actually, it smelled really good. Quite frankly, he hadn’t been the least bit hungry when he’d suggested that they break for lunch—he’d just wanted a reason to be alone with her. Self-serving? Yes. But he didn’t care. And evidently she was hungry, so no harm no foul, right?

  “Well,” Rowan prodded impatiently. “Go ahead.”

  Will blinked. “Oh, sorry.” He glanced at her untouched plate. “What? Are you waiting on me?”

  “Yes,” she said, heaving a protracted sigh.

  “Okay.” Will feigned appropriate chagrin, and quickly took up his burger. One bite validated her reverence. His eyes widened in delight as his taste buds experienced what he could only liken to an orgasm. His astonished gaze flew to hers and he made a low growl of appreciation. “It’s great,” he moaned thickly.

  She nodded approvingly and a smug grin drifted over her lips. “I told you so,” she said pointedly, a direct dig at his own lamentable tendency to toot his own horn.

  Will smiled, wiped the corner of his mouth. “Touché.”

  For a moment they ate in companionable silence, content to simply enjoy their food.

  Then Will made the mistake of looking up.

  Rowan’s tongue darted out and licked the smear of ketchup from the corner of her mouth.

  For all intents and purposes, she might as well have licked his rod.

  Without warning that suffocating feeling blind-sided him again, and in an instant, he was hard. Not semiaroused, or mildly turned-on—granite-hard.

  The din around them faded into insignificance, and he wanted her so desperately that he honestly thought his reason might completely snap and he’d make the monumental error of devouring her right now—in public—the way he’d told her he wanted to last night.

  She caught him staring once more. The tentative smile she wore faded and he had the pleasure of watching those leaf-green eyes darken into a somnolent mossy shade. Her lids drooped, presumably under the weight of desire, and whether the move was intentional or not, Will couldn’t say, but that facile tongue—the very one that had locked his loins in a fiery pit of hell—peeked out once more, glided slowly over that ripe bottom lip. His dick actually strained toward her, as though she were one of Satan’s angels, and it her devoted familiar.

  She let go a soft shuddering breath, swallowed, then quietly excused herself to the bathroom. Once she was out of earshot, Will squeezed his eyes tightly shut and uttered a sizzling, succinct oath. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with curiously shaky fingers and made a valiant effort to get himself under control while she was gone. Sheesh. He had to get a grip. He simply had to—

  His cell chirped and, with an annoyed grunt, he unsnapped it from his waist. He glanced at the Caller ID display, but didn’t recognize the number. “Hello.”

  “You can’t look at me like that, Will, especially in public. It…does things to me.”

  Rowan? Confused, Will blinked, darted a look over his shoulder. His heart rate kicked into overdrive. “I’m…sorry?” Will replied, uncertain as to what she expected him to say.

  “You should be,” she murmured, her voice a low throaty purr that instantly hissed through his blood. Impossibly, he hardened even more. “When you look at me like that—like you want to eat me up, devour me—my joy juice starts flowing and I get an itch that I can’t scratch. It’s…provoking.”

  Will grinned, darted a look around the crowded diner, then lowered his voice. “Yeah, well, watching you lick your lips is particularly provoking, too. In fact, you almost wound up with your burger in your lap. I came within a gnat’s ass of upending the table.”

  A stuttered sigh sounded over the line, and when she spoke, her voice was distinctly thready. “Are you telling me that you’ve got a hard-on? Right now? Right this very minute?” More Rowan, less sex kitten. Utterly impossible to resist. Though he’d never in his life done anything remotely close to what he was about to do—have sex in a public place, a friggin’ pool hall, no less—Will quietly stood, then started to make his way toward the bathroom.

  “Baby, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” He chuckled lazily, past caring about control or anything else for that matter. He just wanted her. Had to have her. Right now. “I’m cocked, locked and ready to rock.”

  A beat slid to three and he listened to the thin, unsteady rasp of her breathing. “I think you should come back here.”

  Will rapped lightly on the door and a startled gasp sounded in his ear. He smiled. “I think you should open the door.”

  A THRILLING TORNADO of anticipation whirled through Rowan’s abdomen and her gaze flew to the door. She barely resisted the urge to squeal with delight. It was crazy, what they were about to do. Scandalous, even, and instead of reprimanding herself for being out of control—for being reck less—she simply rode the rush of adrenaline rocketing through her bloodstream, gloried in the efficient way it heightened the need winding through her at warp-speed.

  This was inevitable, she knew. Had been from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him. Last night had si
mply been a precursor, a wicked prelude to the grand event. This morning, she’d opened her door and before her mouth had even shaped the word “hello” he’d kissed her so thoroughly that she’d forgotten that she was tired, that she worried about being weird around him after the previous night, forgotten everything outside the feel of his lips against hers and the need blistering her veins.

  She’d spent the entire day fantasizing about him—about a repeat performance of phone sex, then real sex, and every other sensually depraved scenario she could possibly dream up—had felt his presence, his sheer masculinity, pinging her like sonar all morning long. She’d been a complete wreck, a sexually deprived, single-minded wreck and nothing short of feeling him lodged deeply be tween her legs was going to cure what ailed her.

  When she’d looked up a moment ago and caught him staring at her mouth again, saw those honey-brown eyes go heavy-lidded with smoky arousal, she’d absolutely lost it. So she’d calmly excused herself, then hid behind her phone to tell him what he’d done to her, never really intending to let things move to this point. Quite honestly, she simply wanted to torment him the way he’d tormented her But then he’d told her about his hard-on—that part of him she craved so very desperately—and uttered that loaded cocked, locked and ready to rock phrase, and…she’d snapped. She’d wanted to teach him a lesson, and as it turned out, she was about to get one.

  She wanted him now. Not later this afternoon, or even later tonight.

  Now.

  Rowan opened the door, and Will quickly strode in, seemingly without the smallest regard for the fact that he’d just entered the ladies’ restroom. That they were about to do it in a pool hall/burger joint. How sexy was that? she thought, secretly elated. He shut the door, locked it with a purposeful click. Those honey eyes tangled with hers, effectively snatching the breath from her lungs, and the next second Rowan launched herself at him.