James, Sherry - [Studs For Hire 02]

by Woman In Charge (lit)

  "Nice,” he rasped, cupping a black satin and lace-covered breast in his hand. Even through the fabric his thumb worked magical, intoxicating circles over her nipple.

  Casey groaned and let her head fall back. This wasn't the way she'd envisioned her grand seduction scene. She was the one who was supposed to be in control, stripping off her coat,driving him crazy.

  But so what. Alex taking control was better than she'd ever imagined. Maybe she'd overrated her personal control.

  He pressed his lips against the hollow of her throat and nibbled and sampled his way down to her collar bone.

  Yeah, way overrated.

  "Come here intent upon seducing me, Burrows?” he asked between kisses, the warmth of his breath pulsing against her already feverish skin.

  "Maybe.” The minute she said it, Casey mentally kicked herself. Alex pulled away and she groaned at the loss of his lips against her skin, his hands on her body. His brow furrowed. His eyes deepened to the shade of dark chocolate—decadent, yet dangerous.

  "Maybe? Should I be insulted? Or embarrassed?” He backed up, widening the distance between them, but his questioning eyes never left her.

  Casey swallowed hard, feeling half-naked and vulnerable. Hell, she was half-naked.

  "Did I say maybe? It was a slip of the tongue.” A whimper lodged in her throat. One little, teeny, tiny word and she'd blown the most amazing prelude to sex she'd ever known.

  "A slip of the tongue,” he drawled. Was he suggesting, or condemning? He placed his hands on his hips, his body language screaming, don't mess with me. “So, which is it? And your answer better be the right one because if I find out you're on your way to seduce someone else, I'm not going to be happy."

  She sucked in a deep breath. Okay, he was backing up the body language with the right verbal language. Alex Roy had a tinge of jealousy brewing in his blood.

  Lifting her chin, she turned to hide the smile threatening to cover her face. “What makes you think I was planning to seduce anyone else?"

  "So, you make a habit of running around the city dressed in just lingerie and a trench coat?"

  "Of course not. But it is kind of an exhilarating exper—"

  "Then you are here to seduce me.” In two strides he reached her, pulling her hard up against him. His mouth captured hers in a searing kiss that demanded and gave at the same time. Casey tunneled her fingers into his hair, and returned his kisses with equal fervor.

  His tongue sought and found hers and they joined in a wild, out-of-control dance of pent-up passion.

  The palms of his hands were calloused from his work, but they felt like the finest velvet as they skated down the length of her back. He reached her derriere and wasted no time in slipping his hands beneath what little material was there. Cupping her buttocks, he squeezed, kicking Casey's libido into turbo mode. He rocked her hard against him.

  "I,” she managed between kisses, “can't take it anymore.” She grabbed the buttons on his shirt and sent them popping, revealing the broad chest that she'd dreamed about since that Saturday night in Memphis. A peppering of hair covered his torso, funneling down below the waistline of his jeans, inviting her to follow the path.

  Alex shrugged out of the shirt and sent it flying across the room. Casey explored his broad chest and firm belly with her hands, not stopping until she reached the front of his jeans. The denim did nothing to hide the solidness of his desire. He groaned from her bold touch, urging her to do far more.

  She kicked off her shoes and answered his request by freeing the button of his jeans. By the time she'd managed to handle the zipper, she was panting shamelessly, ready to cross the bridge of no return. Reaching into his jeans, she took him into her hand. Her thumb glided over his tip.

  "Casey,” he gasped. “Oh, sweetheart."

  In one swift move, he lifted her off her feet and pressed her up against the wall with his rock-solid body. He braced one hand on the wall behind her, with the other he shoved aside the small strip of satin standing between them and ecstasy. His fingers wasted no time in finding their intended target.

  Casey's breath died in her throat at his touch. Her eyes fluttered closed. Alex explored and teased, driving her insane with a harried rush of unrelenting need. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders, desperate for more, desperate for it all.

  "Alex,” she pleaded. She pulsed against his hand, seeking, demanding release. Then it came, spasms of desire, joy, and relief hitting her all at once. She cried out and Alex covered her mouth with his, capturing her explosive desire deep in his throat.

  When she regained a small semblance of control, he pulled his hand away and left a trail of her feminine release along her inner thigh.

  "Alex?"

  "Dying for more?"

  "Yes. Oh, yes.” Her head fell back.

  He braced his hands on either side of her head and pressed his shaft against her core. Casey inhaled sharply at the shear size of him.

  "I want you,” he growled. “And I want you now. Fast and hard."

  Their lips met once more, dipping and plunging, fast and furious. They devoured each other up against the unforgiving wall. He forced her panties down over her slim hips, and they slipped down to the floor in a soft whoosh. She kicked the satin garment aside, freeing her legs. Reaching behind her back, she unclasped her bra, wanting to give Alex every bare inch of her.

  "Casey,” his rasped against her lips. “Back pocket.” She pulled his leather billfold from his jeans. “Inside. Protection.” She opened it, found the gold package, then let his billfold fall to the floor.

  Ripping open the foil, she removed the condom. He took it from her and sheathed himself. Within seconds he was lifting her back against the wall, burying himself deep inside her. Casey wrapped her legs around him and together, their bodies slick with sweat, they rode the wave of unexplainable pleasure.

  Casey shuddered, on the verge of a second climax.

  "Hold on, sweetheart. I'm comin'."

  "Alex—I—” He thrust deeper, harder. Spasms rocked her out of the universe. Together they raced neck-and-neck to the finish line, and ended in a dead heat.

  Alex's body jerked from an aftershock, then his tense muscles relaxed and they slid to their knees, spent and satisfied.

  Satisfied. Oh, yeah. For the first time in her life, Casey was totally, completely satisfied in the sex department. And the night was still young.

  * * * *

  Alex snapped the band of his watch closed around his wrist as he walked back into the bedroom. Casey lay in a tangle of sheets, her hair tumbling about her face on the rumpled pillow.

  One long, smooth leg peeked out from beneath the covers, tempting him to climb back into the queen-sized bed with her for another round of lovemaking.

  They'd played, teased, and climaxed so many times he'd lost count before collapsing in exhaustion during the wee hours of the morning. And now she slept peacefully on her side, exhausted from their wild night. Reluctantly, Alex had left their bed, forcing himself to shower alone. With his celebrity client waiting to meet with him in Denver later today, he didn't have time to get distracted with a much fantasized about rendezvous in the shower.

  But he was distracted. Big time. Hell. He raked his fingers through his damp hair. Casey Burrows was distraction personified.

  Be tough, Roy. Be strong. If he had anything to say about it, there would be more nights, more mornings after—allowing for many future showers.

  A soft sigh escaped Casey's lips as she stirred. The sheet slipped lower, giving a peek at the plump roundness of a gorgeous breast. Alex's jeans tightened and he knew he had to get out of here before he said to hell with his celebrity client, stripped off his clothes, and jumped in beside her.

  Leaving just yet, though, was out of the question. Gently, he sat on the edge of the bed and she stirred again from the shift of weight on the mattress. Exhausted by the intense pleasure they'd shared, Casey needed her rest, but he needed one more kiss before saying goodbye.

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nbsp; A low moan escaped her throat as she stretched. The sheet slipped further, exposing one deliciously pert breast. Her nipple hardened from the room's cool air that kissed her skin. Alex groaned, an intense desire to take the sweet orb into his mouth, to taste the tangy saltiness of her skin on his tongue, was about more than he could stand.

  All night long she'd responded like wildfire to his every touch, so sensitive, so responsive. And she in turn had made sure he was pleasured to the hilt. Never in his life had he experienced such a night of intense passion. A man could get used to Casey's fire in his bed every night.

  Alex could get used to Casey in his life.

  It had been way more than a year since Valerie had trounced on his heart, and his dreams. Was he finally getting over her betrayal? His head wanted to argue, demand it was too soon to think about any kind of a relationship with a woman again, but his heart was either weaker, or more open minded than his head. His heart wanted to feel, to live again. His heart wanted to move on. With Casey.

  Deep down Alex knew he should listen to his head. He wasn't ready for anything more than a casual association. It was too soon to let his heart fall. His heart and his head both needed more time.

  And as much as he hated to admit it, he needed absolute proof Casey wasn't another Valerie.

  "Casey, sweetheart.” He lifted a lock of blond hair that had fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Casey. Wake up."

  "Hmm?” she said dreamily. “Are you ready for more?” She looked up at him, her lips swollen from a night full of passionate kisses. Her eyes heavy with sleep, still smoldered with the fire he'd seen a few short hours ago.

  Oh, was he ever. More than ready.

  "Good morning,” he said, forcing himself to tamp down his surging desire.

  "What time is it?"

  "Six."

  "Six? Why are you up so early? We just went to bed, well, I mean, sleep.” She gave him a saucy smile.

  "Yeah. We did."

  She placed a hand on his chest and the heat of her touch seared through the fabric of his shirt. He didn't want to leave now, not when she was there before him, ready, willing and simply so irresistible. But his future waited back in Denver. It wasn't every day a celebrity came calling, asking Alex to design his multimillion dollar house. For Alex to throw away this opportunity would be ludicrous.

  She fiddled with the row of buttons and silently he begged her to work her magic once more, but then her hand froze. “You're dressed already. Is something wrong?” she asked.

  "No. Nothing's wrong. Sorry to wake you. I just didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

  "Goodbye? Why say goodbye when we'll see each other all day. And besides, we don't need to be to Heather's for at least a couple more hours."

  "I won't be at Heather's today. I have to take off for Denver."

  "Denver? What? Why?” Her green eyes widened in surprise.

  "I have some other business to take care of."

  "Now? Alex, you can't leave. We're knee-deep in this job. Can't whatever it is wait?"

  "Unfortunately, no.” She pulled her hand away and tugged the sheet up over her breasts. “Look, I'll only be gone for a few days. And you'll do fine. You've got everything under control."

  "What about the addition? They've started framing—"

  "Don't worry. I've discussed everything with Riley and Sons. They know what to do. They're handling all the major parts of the construction anyway. If they have any questions, they know where to reach me."

  "They'll know where to reach you? What about me? Will I know where to reach you? And by the way, thanks for giving me so much advance warning.” He saw her shoulders stiffen. She pulled the sheet tighter against her breasts, tucking the folds under her arms.

  "I'm sorry. This all happened kind of sudden. My new client had a change in his schedule and wanted to get things rolling on his house plans immediately."

  "New client? You have a new client?” She bolted upright, giving the sheet a chance to slip a fraction. His gaze dropped and she grabbed a chunk of fabric before it could fall far enough to reveal what she apparently no longer wanted him to see.

  "I was going to call you about it last night, but you showed up here instead and we got ... sidetracked.” She lifted her chin. Damn. She was getting all defensive. “This is business, Casey. Working with more than one client at a time is what you hope for. It helps keep you in the black."

  "You know that. And I know that. But Heather isn't going to like another client encroaching in on you. As far as she's concerned, you belong to her while this job is in progress."

  She climbed out of bed on the opposite side of where he sat, wrapping the sheet around her as she went. Either she was feeling a little shy in the light of day, or no longer wanted him anywhere close to what he'd touched, pleasured and loved for hours. The possibility that her desires could turn stone-cold so soon was like a double whammy, hurting more than he cared to admit, and made him feel the part of the biggest kind of fool once more.

  So much for learning his lesson with Valerie.

  "Heather doesn't own me.” He stood, frustration tensing his muscles.

  "In her mind she does. Can't you tell your other client he'll have to wait? That you're too busy right now."

  "It's not that simple.” He faced her, the bed seeming more like a wall between them now, not the special haven where they'd shared so much only hours ago. Her eyes darkened and she took another step back.

  Yeah, once a fool, always a fool.

  "He's sort of ... high-profile. His job takes him away for months at a time. He's got a break right now,” he said, for some odd reason feeling compelled to explain.

  "High-profile or not, it's not going to be that simple on this end, either. Heather will have a fit when she finds out you've left. What am I supposed to tell her?"

  "Just explain that I have business to take care of. She doesn't need to know anything more than that."

  "Un-huh. Like Heather is going to be satisfied with that lame answer. And I'm the one who has to suffer her wrath when she finds out you've left.” A myriad of emotions crossed her face. Alex didn't blame her for being disappointed, even a little bit angry. Heather could be a handful when she wanted to be—which was ninety-nine percent of the time.

  Casey glanced around the room as though searching for something, then her gaze landed on the chair where he'd placed her coat, shoes, and lingerie. Snatching up her things, she headed for the bathroom.

  "Case ... wait.” She stopped, and glared at him with impatience.

  God, with her hair tumbling about her face, the rumpled sheet draped around her curvaceous body, and her temper blazing in her green eyes, she was as beautiful and sexy as ever.

  Dammit. He wouldn't go there. This wasn't about sex. Personal involvement. This was business. Strictly business.

  "Casey. Come on, understand. Designing this house for Hunter Dierks will help reestablish my reputation as an architect of timber frame homes. I need this—"

  "Hunter Dierks?” she asked with surprise. “You don't mean Hunter Dierks the actor?"

  "Yeah. I do."

  "Next to the President or the Queen of England, that's about as high-profile as you can get. No wonder you're so anxious to get out of here.” She frowned, looking angrier than ever. Son of a bitch.

  "Dammit, Case. You of all people should understand why this is such a fantastic opportunity. It'll shoot my business off into directions I can't even begin to imagine."

  She shook her head. “What I understand is you're bailing on me for a bigger, better fish. Hell.” She stomped into the bathroom. “In your pond, I'm just a lousy guppy."

  "That's not true and you know it,” he said, his own temper flaring. He followed, unwilling to let them part on short-sided stubbornness. She grabbed the door in an attempt to slam it shut, but his hand and the wood met with a loud slap, stopping it half-way. “Casey, this has nothing to do with you. It's simply the name of the game—"

 
"Oh? I think it does. From the start you didn't want this job. It wasn't good enough. You didn't want anyone to know you were involved with Studs for Hire and their client with the Elvis fetish because you were afraid it would hurt your precious reputation. Well, let me tell you something, buddy.” She shook a finger in his face. “You insult my company. You insult me."

  "Casey, you're blowing this all out of proportion. I'll only be gone a few days.” He lifted his hand from the door and she seized the opportunity, slamming it shut tight. The lock clicked.