Oh well. A girl was entitled to her fantasies.
When she opened the front door, Tazer greeted them with enthusiasm, raced back inside, grabbed one of his balls, and brought it out so they could throw it a dozen or so times. They let him run around and pee before locking him back in the house.
Lee was visibly excited as he retrieved the fireworks and carried them down to the beach. Holding her sweater tight against the cool wind, Shelby stood back and let Lee’s inner child run free as he used a barbeque lighter to set off fountains, comets, roman candles, and a barrage. Her own inner child let loose as she clapped, oohed, and aahed. When he’d exhausted his supply of fireworks, he gathered up the remnants in a metal bucket, took her hand, and headed back for the house.
“The guy at the store said to use three comets for every roman candle. I think it turned out all right that way.”
“Definitely,” Shelby said as she unlocked the front door. “It was great. The whole thing was great.” Anything else she was going to say was forgotten when she spotted Tazer. The big shepherd cross was pacing the foyer. His ears were back, and he was whining.
“Damn,” Lee muttered and crossed over to the dog. He massaged Tazer’s neck. “I didn’t think. The noise from the fireworks must have scared him. Sorry, big guy.”
Shelby stepped up to Tazer’s other side and ran her hands over his back and sides. “You’re okay, aren’t you,” she said with forced brightness. Tazer seemed to calm down a little when she didn’t reinforce his anxiety. “Just some noise. It’s okay now.”
Maybe the dog didn’t need five minutes of petting and fussing to relax, but he sure didn’t object to it.
“Yeah you’re a big suck. Aren’t you,” Lee admonished the dog with a grin. “Got us wrapped around your paw, don’t you?”
He leaned forward, reaching down to pet Tazer’s chest. Shelby inched forward to cup the shepherd’s ear. Her head wound up beside Lee’s, and they smiled at each other. Then they were kissing.
Lee’s mouth felt wonderful. His lips were firm but not hard. The way they nipped hers made her inhale then lean in for more. He tasted like wine and spice and smelled like an erotic dream brought to life with a hint of upscale cologne.
The dream part brought her up short. “Is this a good idea?” she breathed against his lips.
“I sure hope so because I’ve wanted to kiss you for months. Maybe since the first time we met.”
“Me, too,” she admitted baldly, touched his jaw, and brought his lips back to hers.
She felt his arms come around her with that tempered strength she’d fantasized about. Her ears registered the measured clip of Tazer’s nails on the floor and his grunt as he settled down on the foyer rug.
“I have to ask though…” Lee tensed when she spoke. When he leaned away from her, she saw wariness in his eyes. “Is this a one-off? That’s okay,” she added quickly. “I just want to know so it won’t be, um, awkward in the morning. Provided there will be a morning. After.”
Oh damn she was babbling. What would he think of her now?
Lee held her face in his hands and smoothed his thumbs over her cheekbones. “I’m hoping there will be a morning after. And a day…” He kissed her eyelid, her nose. “Weeks, months…wherever this takes us. I sound like a prude when I say this, but I don’t do casual sex. Not anymore. Not for a long time. It just…doesn’t sit well with me. We get along great, and I’d like to see if we can take things further. If you don’t want that, tell me. No harm, no foul.”
Wow. Was this guy for real?
“I’d like that, only…” Shelby felt a twinge of pain behind her eyes. She shook her head, willing the pain to go away. It didn’t. “This is probably going to be the stupidest thing I’ll ever say, but I think I’m getting a headache.”
Lee laughed. It was a sharp bark of sound, and then his brow furrowed. “I’m not a hypochondriac—really—but you know, my head hurts, too. Like a son of a bitch.”
Gunpowder headache.
It was a good thing Lee was squeezing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and had his eyes shut. He didn’t see her look around frantically.
“Raleigh,” she mouthed and shot him the dirtiest look she could. The ghost in question was leaning against her office doorjamb. He was wearing pale, summery slacks and a collarless shirt, open at the neck. “A little privacy here.” Shelby blinked. She’d never been a callous person, yet here she was blowing off her lover so she could explore a relationship with another. While he was watching. Okay so said lover was dead but, still.
“Oh good heavens, my dear.” Raleigh pushed off from the doorframe and strolled over to her with a sinful look in his eyes. “I’ve seen far more explicit encounters between people shaking hands.” He moved behind her and began massaging her temples. “Remind my great-great grandson here that gunpowder causes headaches. Good lord really. How does he ever expect go give himself heirs at this rate?”
“Go away.” Coping with both of them at the same time was, at the moment and with the state of her head, beyond her abilities.
“Huh?” Lee said and opened his eyes.
“Um, not you,” Shelby said. She forced a smile. “The headache. Just a thought…did those fireworks come with instructions about washing your hands afterward?”
“Damn. Damn, damn, damn.” Grabbing her wrist, Lee dragged her to the nearest powder room. He rolled up his sleeves, pumped liquid soap into her hand and his, and turned on the water. “Some seduction scene, huh?”
Wearing a wary look, he watched her in the mirror as he washed the explosive residue off his fingers. Shelby couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. “I’m assuming there are no lasting effects. We’ll be okay as soon as we wash this stuff off, right?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Shelby. I read the literature.” He grabbed a towel, wet it, and began sponging her cheeks where he’d touched her. “I’m never this careless.”
“Well, I think my ego likes the fact your brain takes a vacation when it’s around me.”
He grinned and patted her face dry. “It does, huh?”
“It does. But the bad news is I think we have to put making out on hold.”
“Why?” His disappointment was audible.
“So I can give the dog a bath.”
Dropping his head back, Lee groaned like he was pissed off at himself. “We,” he said emphatically. “We’ll give the dog a bath. Shouldn’t take long, right?”
“Nope. Let’s set a record.” She liked the way his face lit up at her words.
Tazer scrambled to his feet when Shelby hurried back out into the hallway. She called his name. With visible excitement, he raced up the stairs after her. Lee followed.
Once they reached the guest bathroom she used to bathe the dog, Tazer jumped into the tub and looked at her expectantly.
“He may not be used to getting a bath at night, but he seems up for it,” she said as she fished the bottle of dog shampoo and a pitcher out from beneath the sink.
“What’s not to like?” Lee said. He yanked off his sweater, leaving on the shirt underneath. After tossing aside his sweater, he gathered up towels and set them beside the tub. “Hot water and a good-looking woman rubbing you all over.” His eyebrows bobbed up and down suggestively until Shelby laughed.
After squeezing some of the shampoo into the pitcher, she filled it to the top with warm water. Lee turned on the faucet, adjusted the temperature, and grabbed the handheld shower. Tazer didn’t move and watched them expectantly.
“We used to have dogs when I was a kid,” Lee said as he directed the spray over Tazer’s back and shoulders. “I forgot how much I liked them.” His free hand moved in the wake of the water, massaging it into Tazer’s fur. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Shelby suspected he wasn’t aware how content he looked.
They knelt beside the tub, shoulder to shoulder. Lee kissed her softly then turned off the water so they could work the soap solution into the dog’s coat.
&nb
sp; “The first one we had was a lab that counter surfed. Damn thing used to balloon up like a pig during the winter. Course, my mother always had a herd of cocker spaniels trailing after her. She bred them. Still does. Last year, one of hers placed at Westminster.”
“The dog show?” Shelby passed the pitcher to Lee, and he soaped Tazer’s tail and back legs.
Lee nodded, and Shelby grinned when Tazer angled his body to maximize the effect of Lee massaging his hips. As they soaped then rinsed, Lee talked about the dogs he’d had, boating with them, going on camping trips with them and his father. It was probably the conversation and the company, but Shelby couldn’t remember a dog bath that had flown by as quick. Or if one had ever been this fun.
Together, she and Lee stepped back when Tazer braced himself to shake. Lee grabbed a towel and held it in front of both of them, shielding them from most of the shower. He handed a second towel to Shelby, and Tazer grunted in hedonistic delight as he was rubbed dry. When they were finished, Tazer hopped out of the tub, shook once more, and walked off, leaving her and Lee to give the walls and floors a quick mop with the towels before hanging them up to dry.
“Tazer?” Shelby called out when she stepped into the hallway. “He usually doesn’t jump on the furniture,” she said to Lee as she headed downstairs, “but he’s tried to climb up on a sofa when he’s wet.”
“Typical,” Lee added without rancor and followed her.
They found Tazer in the family room. He was standing suspiciously close to the sofa Shelby used when she watched television. He was also dipping his head like he was feeling guilty about something.
“Nice try,” she said. “Tazer. Bed,” she added with quiet finality. The dog gave her a winsome look then relented and padded off to his oversized cushion.
“Now that that’s taken care of…” Lee held out his arms and looked at himself. His shirt and jeans were splattered with water. “There’s probably firework residue on these clothes. The instructions said to wash them by themselves in cold water.”
“Hmm. Well it looks like they’re pretty much washed already. Although I can’t vouch for the cold.” Taking a step forward, Shelby let the tips of her breasts nuzzle his chest. “Oh dear,” she said with mock astonishment. “Now we’ve got residue transfer. Looks like we’re both going to have to get naked.”
“Definitely.” Lee began unbuttoning his shirt. “It’s the prudent thing to do.”
“Prudent,” she repeated without thinking as the cut edge of Lee’s pectoral came into view. Leaning forward, she rubbed the tip of her nose against his skin, pursed her lips in a gentle kiss, and inhaled his scent. Despite her fumbling, she managed to peel off her sweater and undo the top buttons on her dress.
Her hands were nudged aside as he lowered his face to her breasts.
With a sigh, she watched him nuzzle her chest, felt his lips nibble their way into her cleavage, and trembled when the slight serrations of his teeth scored her skin.
“Come on,” he urged, grinned at her like a schoolkid, took her hand, and led her over to the pool table.
She eyed it warily. “You sure it’s sturdy enough? The thing looks like an antique.”
“It is.” Lee pulled off the table cover and dropped it on the floor, yanked off his shirt, then raised the hem of her dress until he could cup her butt. He squeezed gently, kissed her neck, and when he lifted his head, his chocolate eyes were darker than usual. “Old-growth oak, carved over a century ago.” His voice was passion rough, and the sound made her womb clench in anticipation. “It’ll still be standing long after we’re dead.”
“That’s reassuring. I think.” Shelby stopped talking when Lee’s palms rubbed the lower halves of her butt cheeks. Her lacy, boy-cut panties left a lot of skin exposed, and he cupped her, squeezed slow and steady, then pulled her into his body.
“Oh gawd,” Shelby groaned. Her hands were on his shoulders…those broad, hard shoulders, and she felt the muscle striations move beneath his skin. Oh his skin. Tinted with the remnants of his summer tan, Lee’s skin was smooth and softer than she could have imagined. She breathed in his scent. Spice and a hint of good cologne filled her head until she couldn’t resist tasting him.
Being with Lee was…perfect. He was everything she wanted, even though she’d never dared allow herself to want this much. Raleigh—and her conscience rattled at the thought of him—could never be the kind of man she needed. A century out of step with her, he refused to learn the meaning of compromise. He was dead but he was also utterly alone. That thought rattled her conscience even harder.
Lee murmured his pleasure when her tongue traced the smooth rise of his pectoral, the swell of his biceps. This lover was alive and in the present. Their present.
The breath whooshed out of her when the rough placard of his jeans rubbed her belly. Even with the denim, it was impossible to miss that thick, long ridge of hardened flesh as it nuzzled her. Wow. The man really did want her.
That realization was confirmed when he slid her dress over her head, peeled off her bra and panties, picked her up beneath her arms, and laid her on the smooth felt-covered table.
The felt might be high quality, but the slate slab beneath was hard as, well, rock. Shelby squirmed, tried to find a comfortable position, and failed. Flashing Lee what she hoped was a sultry expression, she settled for tolerably comfortable and made a mental note to insist on a bed next time. Or the sofa at least.
She forgot all about her discomfort when Lee placed his fingers on her stomach, glided them down until he was touching her mound, then stroked it. His gaze moved over her body, up and down. Lust fired in his eyes, but Shelby was taken by the need she saw there, too. It softened his expression and made her feel warm and wanted. Needing him to know she shared those feelings, she touched the bulge in his jeans and ran her fingernails across it until he groaned and jerked his hips forward.
Her ears filled with the sound of her rushing blood. Sure, she’d fantasized, but she’d never really believed Lee wanted her. His warmth and scent—everything about him as a man drew her. Seduced her. It wasn’t just that though. Lee had character. He was a stand-up guy with a good sense of humor to boot. His friends were quality people, too, and that said a lot about him.
And what this gorgeous, terrific guy really wanted was her.
Balancing on one elbow on the hard table while trying to be sexy and look cool wasn’t easy, but Shelby managed to pull it off. Mostly. She liked the way the skin around his eyes tightened when she touched the button at the top of his jeans, the grunt that made his abdominals flex when she jerked so the blasted fastening would open. The zipper slid down smooth enough, and her mouth fell slack as his fingertips drew slow circles on her mound, stroking her gently.
His gaze fixed on her hand as she combed the thin line of hair arrowing down from his navel, reached into his briefs, and eased his cock free.
Niiice.
Holding him carefully in her palm, she grazed the pad of her thumb over the notch at the base of his large, deliciously flared cockhead. Humdinger cattails on fire…that bad boy was made to be ridden, and she was just the cowgirl for the job. With her free hand, she motioned him forward by cocking a finger at him and flashing her naughtiest grin.
Lee didn’t hesitate. He shimmed out of his jeans, shorts, and socks with a speed that, any other time, might make her giggle. Now? It made her hotter than hell, and a bead of sweat slid between her breasts.
“You make me nervous as hell.”
Shelby blinked. Holding his length tenderly, she looked into Lee’s eyes. The anxiousness there was eloquent.
“It’s—” He swallowed hard. “It’s hard for a guy like me to get to know a good woman. One I’d really like to know.” Lee shook his head and eased her fingers away from himself. “I sound like a shallow ass, but my looks and money open certain doors…most of which I’d prefer stay shut. It’s easy for me to attract shallow and materialistic. Hell, I married it.” He shook his head ruefully then focused on her a
nd, like before, made her feel like she was the center of his world. “I like you, Shelby. I really, really like you. Sometimes, even when I’m with other people, I feel alone. When you’re around, I never do.
“I need to know if you think you can feel that way about me. I’ve been burned too many times by women who can’t see past the superficial. You’re going to think I’m scary insane, but I’m already vested in you. There, I said it, finally.” He exhaled audibly. “I’ve always wanted to get to know you better. Ask you out. But I’m your employer…kind of. I was always worried I’d come off looking like I’d isolated you so I could hit on you.” Leaning back a little, he raked his fingers through his hair. Then he watched her warily.
“Vested. Yes,” she murmured and stroked his brow thoughtfully. Shelby felt one corner of her mouth quirk up. “That’s what it is, isn’t it. You coming up here every weekend. Me, looking forward to it and doing things to make you happy, for no other reason than to make you happy.” His hesitant smile caused hers to amplify. “Although I can do shallow and materialistic.”
When he laughed, it eased the tension in her chest.
Shelby continued. “I found it hard to get past your looks, and that’s a poor reflection on me. My shaky ego kept telling me you’d never be interested. That way, if we stayed friends, I wouldn’t be embarrassed. Or hurt.”
“Me, too,” Lee admitted quietly. He touched her cheek and kissed her softly. “Somebody with your brains, independence, and strength…what would you need with a guy like me?”
Her hand drifted down his body, stroked his soft skin, and tested the hardness of his muscles. When her fingers again wrapped themselves tenderly around his shaft, Lee hissed and smiled crookedly. “I need a lot of things from a man, Lee. There’s also a lot of things I don’t need. But this”—she stroked him purposefully yet slowly—“is something I definitely want from you.”
Campbell, Gwen - Ghostly Seduction (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 9
