Before she could decide, he’d cupped her face in his hands and was kissing her again. Deep, soul-stirring kisses that made her ache with longing and need. Without realizing what she was doing, she found herself unbuttoning the front of her dress. Suddenly the fabric gapped open to her waist.
Before she could figure out how to stop or what to do next, he’d straightened and pulled her arms free, leaving the dress to pool at her hips. He ran his fingers from wrists to shoulders, then down over her breasts and behind her. With an expert flick of his fingers, her bra came undone and fell away.
In less than a heartbeat, he’d replaced the silky lace with his bare hands. Skin on skin, she thought, her eyes sinking closed. He touched her gently, exploring her curves.
She focused on every stroke, each brush of finger and palm. He moved closer and closer to her nipples but didn’t touch them. The contact heightened her arousal, making her knees weak and her body hungry. Then, when she was about to grab his hands in hers and place them where she wanted, he bent down and took her left nipple in his mouth.
The hot, wet, openmouth kiss made her breath catch. He sucked deeply, making her arch against him. A ribbon of erotic connection tugged deep in her belly. Between her thighs she felt herself swelling, wanting.
He shifted to the other breast. She touched his head, then his shoulders, feeling his strength. Wanting poured through her, making her feel delicious and alive.
He straightened. “We should move the party,” he whispered, unbuttoning his shirt, then shrugging out of it.
She nodded, even as her gaze was caught by the sight of his broad chest. She wanted to touch and taste, to explore, but he was already moving away. As she followed, she undid the rest of the buttons on her dress and stepped out of both it and her shoes as she walked.
By the time they met up again in the bedroom, he was naked. She’d never gotten the concept of male beauty before seeing him, but she did now. His chest was a series of defined muscles, his waist narrow, his legs strong. He was hard and ready, his expression intense and focused. Just looking at him made her tremble. As she moved toward him, he grabbed her around the waist and they both tumbled onto the bed.
“You have condoms, right?” he asked, right before he kissed her.
She nodded.
“Good. We don’t want my sperm swimming around with Crystal’s embryos. It would get crowded down there.”
He grinned as he spoke, his eyes alive with humor and desire. It was an irresistible combination. Then he was kissing her again. She let herself get lost in the feel of his mouth on hers.
Their tongues tangled in an erotic dance. Then he moved to her neck, as he had before. The man had skills, she thought dreamily, feeling every part of her heat and melt. When he took her earlobe into his mouth and sucked, she had to bite her lower lip to keep from crying out. When she felt the weight of him as he stretched out next to her, it was all she could do to keep her legs from falling open in a shameless invitation. She wanted him…all of him…on top, inside, pleasuring them both into madness.
He moved to her breasts, and it was just as good as it had been before. With each tug of his mouth on her nipples, she felt an answering shiver between her legs. She could feel herself swelling for him.
His mouth moved lower. He paused long enough to pull off her panties in one smooth, easy move. She waited for the feel of his kiss on her belly, but there was nothing. Her heart beat once, twice, a third time. Then she felt the warmth of his lips on the inside of her ankle.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
She felt as well as heard him chuckle. “And here I thought you were pretty and smart.”
He kissed his way up to her knee, then moved between her legs and nibbled higher. Up and up until he pressed an openmouthed kiss on the very inside of her thigh.
She opened her legs even wider, knowing it was either that or plead. Then his mouth was on the most sensitive part of her. She exhaled as warm, soul-stirring pleasure flooded her.
He moved slowly, as if discovering all of her. The touch was perfect—quick enough to excite, gentle enough that everything he did was magic. He paused to tell her how good it felt to do this to her, which was nearly as arousing as the finger he slipped inside her.
As he stroked her, he settled his mouth on that one tight and swollen spot. He brushed it with his tongue, which made her squirm. He moved in tandem, his tongue keeping time with his finger. Back and forth, in and out. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had done this to her. The last time she’d felt that liquid heat flowing through her body, the promise of release only seconds away.
She tried to hold back, wanting to savor the moment for as long as possible. Although the end would be great, there was something to be said for anticipation. But it was like swimming upstream. Exhausting and ultimately impossible. Every flick of his tongue pushed her closer. When he closed his lips around her very center and sucked, she lost herself to the explosion.
Muscles clenched and released. Every cell in her body quivered as the pleasure crashed into her, through her. She surrendered to the sensations, arching back her head and gasping as she came again and again.
When she could think again, she managed to open her eyes and saw Raoul smiling at her, his expression self-satisfied.
“You’re not all that,” she told him breathlessly.
“Sure I am.”
He leaned in and licked her nipple. She shuddered and had to resist the need to draw him closer so they could do it all again. Instead she pulled open the nightstand drawer and removed the box of condoms.
Raoul frowned. “Is this it?”
“What do you mean? Are they the wrong kind?”
One corner of his mouth turned up. “There are only three.”
Her mind went blank. “Only?”
“This is supposed to be your last fling. Shouldn’t it be memorable?”
“I figured once was enough.”
He pulled out a condom and tossed the package on the nightstand. “Then I’m going to have to show you otherwise.”
* * *
PIA LAY ON THE BED, doing her best to catch her breath. Her mind was still fuzzy, her body unable to obey even the slightest command. Apparently the body had involuntary systems for a reason. Something had to keep her heart beating. Otherwise, a session with a guy like Raoul could be deadly.
Had she been able, she would have turned her head to look at him. But that would have required more energy than she could muster. Blinking was about all she could manage. As he’d predicted, they’d used all three condoms. She’d come in ways she hadn’t known were possible, in positions that were at the very least questionable. In the last five hours, she’d had more orgasms than she’d probably had in her entire life. If doing him was wrong, she didn’t want to be right.
He rolled toward her. His handsome face came into view, along with a bit of bare shoulder. His skin had a golden cast and looked as good as it tasted. Talk about temptation. She was exhausted and still shuddering through her recovery, but the thought of being with him again was enough to cause her nerve endings to cheer.
“You okay?” he asked.
She managed a smile. “Fishing for compliments?”
“Maybe.”
“The earth didn’t just move—it did a two-and-a-half somersault with a twist.”
“Good.” He brushed the hair off her face, then lightly kissed her. “Can I stay?”
She swore softly. Of course he would ask to stay. Because he was perfect. Funny, smart, good-looking, great in bed and sensitive. Oh, and rich. The man had money. So why wasn’t he involved with someone? Why wasn’t he married? She knew there was a divorce in his past, but why hadn’t some enterprising woman snapped him up?
Not that she cared, she reminded herself. She had embryos to worry about.
“Earth to Pia,” he said, still gazing down at her.
“You can stay,” she whispered.
Under normal circumstances she would hav
e forced him out in the name of self-preservation. Having him around could be dangerous to her heart. But that wasn’t going to be an issue. In a few days, she would return to her doctor’s office and possibly be implanted with Crystal’s embryos. Then she would be pregnant. Falling in love wasn’t going to happen to her—at least not in the romantic sense. No guy would be interested in a woman with three kids who weren’t even hers, and she couldn’t imagine having even an extra ounce of energy left over for anything close to dating.
So it was perfectly safe to roll on her side and have him slide in next to her. She snuggled against his warm body, feeling his strong arms circle her waist and pull her close. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to believe it was all real. At least for tonight. No matter what, she could count on reality to return in the morning.
* * *
FOOL’S GOLD HIGH SCHOOL sat above town on the road that led up to the ski resort. The campus was only about five years old, with a state-of-the-art science building, a large stadium and an auditorium that held five hundred.
Raoul stood onstage, facing the students filling every seat. He’d pushed aside the podium, preferring to walk back and forth.
“I didn’t start out rich and famous,” he told the kids. “When I was your age, I was in foster care, fighting the system responsible for feeding and clothing me. I knew no one cared about me. Not as a person. I was a case number to the social worker and steady income for my foster family.”
He paused and met the gaze of several of the younger guys in the audience.
“Some families really do care about the kids they take in, and I applaud them. I’ve heard the stories, but I didn’t see it much in action. The social workers I knew were overworked. They tried their best, but they weren’t given the tools or the resources. So I got involved in some things that I should have avoided.”
He walked to the edge of the stage and stared out at the students. “Gangs can look pretty good from afar. They give you a place to belong. You get status from being with the right crowd. You’re around people who accept you. If they’re crazy enough, you never know what’s going to happen next and that can be fun, too.”
He shrugged. “It can also leave you worse off than you ever thought. Pregnant. In jail. Or dead.” He let the words hang there for a long time.
“When you’re sixteen, the future seems a long way away, but I’m here to tell you the value of thinking long term. Of knowing what you want and going after it, regardless of how many people tell you it’s not possible. I spent the first few months of my senior year homeless, living in an abandoned building. I had friends who helped out, but what made the biggest difference was I found someone who could believe in me. And he taught me to believe in myself. That’s what you have to do. Believe you can make it.”
He crossed to the other side of the stage and looked out at those kids. “The dictionary tells us a mentor is a trusted coach or a guide. Be what you want to see in someone else. Find a younger kid and get involved. It’s like throwing a rock in a lake. The ripples stretch out forever.”
He talked a little more about the importance of doing the right thing, then said he would answer questions.
There were the usual ones about playing for the Cowboys and what it had been like to take his college team through two undefeated seasons.
“I didn’t do it,” he told them honestly. “I was one member of an excellent team. Everyone did his part and that’s why we won. Football isn’t golf. It’s not just you and the ball. It’s everyone around you. Any team is only as strong as its weakest player.”
A small girl in the third row raised her hand.
He pointed to her. “Yes?”
“Have you ever been a Big Brother? My uncle has a boy he’s been helping for a couple of years now.”
“Good for him,” Raoul said. “As for being a Big Brother, it’s hard for a guy like me to help someone one-on-one. The media finds out and it gets messy. So I give back this way—talking to schools, sharing ideas, working with teachers.”
He rattled on for a couple more minutes and was relieved that the students seemed to buy it and the teachers in the room were nodding.
He wanted them to stand up and yell at him. On what planet would a former football player be so damned famous that he couldn’t take a kid bowling? Guys way better known than him had private lives.
The truth was less pretty. He didn’t want to get personally involved. He didn’t want to care. The price was too high. Better to keep things superficial. That way no one got burned, including him.
A philosophy Pia wouldn’t agree with, he thought as he finished the speech. She was the kind who would leap in first and ask questions later. That’s what she was doing with the embryos. Talk about a woman with conviction and courage.
And a way about her, he thought as he finished up and smiled as they applauded. Three nights ago, he’d stayed with her. Ever since his bed had been a little colder, a little more empty.
But he knew the value of going it alone and the danger of making something more than it was. He knew how a heart could be ripped apart and left for dead. No way he was going through that again.
* * *
PIA WAITED NERVOUSLY on the padded table.
“It’s okay,” the tech told her. “Ultrasounds don’t hurt.”
Pia eyed the wand. “There has to be a downside.”
“Sorry, no. We even heat the goopy gel we use on your tummy. This is one of the easiest medical tests.”
“It beats a barium enema.”
The other woman, Jenny her name tag said, laughed. “Have you ever had a barium enema?”
“I’ve heard rumors. They can’t be fun.”
“No, they can’t, but this is easy.”
Jenny pulled up Pia’s paper gown and squirted warm gel onto her lower stomach. Then she lowered the wand and rubbed it along Pia’s skin.
There was no pain at all. Just a sensation of something warm and flat moving across her. Okay, she thought. Note to self—ultrasounds aren’t bad.
A few minutes later Jenny covered her then excused herself. Pia lay there in the dimly lit room, doing her best to breathe. Soon she would find out if she was ready for implantation. If she was, then it was crunch time. Was she really going to go through with this? Have Crystal’s babies? Once they were thawed, there was no backing out.
Before she could scramble from the table and run screaming through the building, Dr. Galloway appeared.
“I heard you’re ready,” the doctor said with a smile. “Let’s see.”
She squeezed on fresh gel and studied the monitor.
“Very nice,” she murmured. “Yes, Pia. I would say we could implant tomorrow, if you want.” The doctor touched her arm. “We can also wait a month, if you need more time.”
Ready, as in ready? As in now?
Pia opened her mouth, then closed it. Her chest got tight, as if something heavy pressed down. She felt nauseous and light-headed. Ready.
“The e-eggs can be ready by tomorrow?” she asked, her voice faint.
“Yes. We’d schedule you back for right after lunch.” Her doctor put down the wand and wiped Pia’s belly. “You don’t have to decide today. You’ll be just as ready next month.”
True, but a month was a long time to wait. Pia was afraid she would freak out even more, or at the very least, try to talk herself out of moving forward.
She sucked in a breath and braced herself. “What time tomorrow?”
* * *
APPARENTLY DR. GALLOWAY’S definition of painless and Pia’s weren’t exactly the same. Having a catheter inserted was a borderline creepy experience, but Pia did her best to relax and keep breathing.
“All done,” her doctor told her seconds later. She stood and drew the gown down over Pia’s legs, then put a blanket on her. “Lie here for about twenty minutes to let things settle. Then you’re free to go.”
“And I don’t have to act any different?” Pia asked. “Avoid strenuous activities
, that sort of thing?”
“I’d stay quiet for the next few hours. You have the vitamins I gave you?”
Dr. Galloway had given her samples the previous day, along with a prescription she’d already filled. She’d taken the first prenatal vitamin that morning, downing the pill with a disgustingly healthy breakfast.
“Yes.”
“Then that’s all you need for now.”
The doctor dimmed the lights and left the room. Pia tried to get comfortable on the padded table. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her lower stomach.
“Hi,” she whispered. “I’m Pia. I knew your mom. She was amazing and wonderful and you would have really loved her.”
Thinking about her friend made her eyes burn. She blinked away tears and drew another deep breath.
“She, ah, died a few months ago. Over the summer. It was sad and we all miss her. Your dad is gone, too, which might make you think you’re getting off to a rough start. But you’re not. You see, both your parents wanted to have children. Your mom especially. She wanted to have all three of you. But she couldn’t, what with being dead and all.”
She groaned. Talk about screwing up the conversation. “Sorry,” she murmured. “I should have planned this better. What I’m saying is she really wanted this. She wanted you to be born. I know I’m not her, but I’m going to do my best, I swear. I’m going to read books and talk to women who are good moms. I’ll be there for you.”
She thought about her own mother abandoning her to move to Florida. “I’ll never leave you,” she vowed. “No matter what, I’ll be there for you. I won’t run off and forget about you.” She pressed lightly on her stomach. “Can you feel that? It’s me. I’m right here.”
Fear lurked in the background. The possibility of cosmic punishment for wishing away her pregnancy in college. But the truth was, she couldn’t change the past. She could only pray that the souls of the innocents were protected. That if anyone was to be punished, it would only be her.
Susan Mallery Fool's Gold Series Volume One: Chasing PerfectAlmost PerfectSister of the BrideFinding Perfect Page 72
