Talking About Sex...

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  He gazed at her. “Yeah, I’m sure I will. I’m a glutton for punishment.”

  “After you hear it, you might not want to see me.”

  “I shouldn’t want to see you, but that doesn’t mean anything.” He leaned closer. “In case you hadn’t noticed, you get me really hot.”

  That gave her some comfort. She glanced down at his crotch. “We’re not kids anymore. You don’t have to drive back like that. You look as if you could use a little—”

  “I could but I won’t. Ready to head for town?”

  “Jess, don’t be noble.” Besides, she’d feel much better if she could make him moan and groan a little before they left this mountain. “This isn’t a contest.”

  He studied her for a moment. “Isn’t it?” Then he put the truck in gear and started back toward civilization.

  IT WAS DEFINITELY A CONTEST. Jess thought about that some more as he was forced to give his men yet another lecture about not allowing the deflating pink balloons to insult their manhood. He and Katie were engaged in a contest over this construction project and they were also competing to see who was in charge of their sex life.

  Before today he’d thought he’d have to concede the latter battle to her, but up on “A” Mountain the tide had turned. He knew it and so did she.

  He was gratified that she still wanted him as much as she had thirteen years ago. Now that he knew that, he needed to think beyond this little sexual game they were playing and decide what he was after besides sex. He didn’t have to think very hard.

  They were adults now, adults capable of making a commitment. Jess found himself moving in that direction. He’d like to believe Katie was moving in that direction, too. They might be enacting a strange kind of mating ritual, but he knew how he’d like this to turn out in the end.

  The trick was to build on what had happened this afternoon. So after work he stopped by the Tucson Mall and bought a white lace teddy. She might not wear it for him, but then again, she might.

  On the way home he picked up fast food and ate it while he drove. Unfortunately doing that reminded him of lunch with Katie, and he started getting hard. His old memories of her had been filled with sweetness and nostalgia, but the new ones they were creating threatened to ruin him for polite company.

  The situation worsened when he got home and walked onto the back patio to see if his rosebush needed a supplemental watering. He’d realized yesterday that he’d bought the rosebush because of Katie, and now he had to admit he’d bought a lot that had a view of “A” Mountain. His friends thought he’d planned it that way so he could have parties on the Fourth of July with a ringside seat for the fireworks.

  But he was very much afraid he’d wanted that view because “A” Mountain kept those memories of Katie close at hand. She’d been influencing him for years and he hadn’t even acknowledged it. Now he knew where he wanted this relationship to go, but there were no guarantees. If it blew up on him, he’d be stuck with his view of “A” Mountain. He might have to sell the house.

  That wouldn’t please his mother, who was convinced he’d bought it as a first step to getting married and providing her with grandchildren. She didn’t believe that he was only in it for the investment. Now that he recognized why he’d picked that particular place, he had to agree with her.

  Funny how things worked out. Now that it had finally dawned on him that he wanted Katie back in his life, they were locked in this stupid struggle over one of his construction projects. If he’d contacted her earlier…But he hadn’t. He’d allowed the years to come between them and now he was paying the price.

  Maybe tonight they would finally get past their disagreements and make that vital connection he longed for. To that end, he spent a ridiculous amount of time setting the scene in his bedroom. This time he used fat pillar candles, not wanting her to launch into her candle routine again.

  But he wouldn’t light them yet. Everything else was ready, though. The sheets were turned back, the pillows were fluffed, the white teddy lay across the end of the bed and condoms were tucked in the bedside table drawer. He’d loaded the CD player with Sting and Billy Joel, two of her favorites when they’d been dating.

  By the time he was ready to hit the shower, it was nearly nine, so he decided to tune in Katie’s show on the radio he had mounted inside the oversize shower stall. The news ended just as he was sudsing up. The minute he heard Katie’s voice, he knew he’d made a mistake. Listening to Katie while he was naked was a very bad idea.

  “Hello, Tucson! It’s Crazy Katie on this balmy Monday night in October and we’re Talking About Sex! This is the show that asks that all-important question—what sexual symbols do you have in your life? For example, ever thought about the significance of candles and candleholders? Doesn’t take much imagination to see what they represent, now does it?”

  Jess groaned. His penis was making like a candle at this very moment, thanks to the combination of warm water and Katie’s voice making that suggestive comment. He was positive her reference to candles was directed straight at him.

  “In a few minutes I’ll be doing a telephone interview with a special guest who sees that same significance in the tools and hardware of the construction trade. As you all know, our little station is threatened with oblivion because of the construction about to take place next door. I wonder what those burly guys would say if they knew they were handling the equivalent of fertility symbols all day?”

  “Katie, damn it! I’m already having trouble with my crew!” He reached for the channel knob on the radio but then decided not to turn it. Better to hear what she had to say so he could plan how to deal with the fallout tomorrow.

  “But before we get into that, let me give you your Kama Sutra tip of the night.”

  Ignoring his erection, Jess began scrubbing himself vigorously. He needed to take this shower and get it over with. He didn’t need to be hearing the Kama Sutra tip of the night while he was scrubbing, but he couldn’t make himself switch channels or mute the sound.

  “Tonight’s tip includes the use of Kegels, those wonderful little exercises women can do while sitting at a desk, driving a car, even walking down the street! No one will even know you’re doing them. And as you strengthen those love muscles, your man will thank you.”

  Jess closed his eyes as the water beat down on his throbbing penis. She’d picked that subject on purpose to torture him. He had no idea if she gripped with her love muscles or not. And he wanted to know. Now.

  “He’ll especially thank you when you try the Mare’s Position. Sit astride your guy with your back to him and squeeze those muscles! Trust Crazy Katie, it’s good for you and good for him! We’ll take a break and be right back with Dr. Gerald Brewster, who’ll be discussing his Ph.D. dissertation, The Nuts and Bolts of Sexual Symbolism. Don’t touch that dial!”

  Or anything else. Jess refused to give in to the temptation to masturbate in the shower. She’d love knowing she’d made him do that. Instead he turned off all the hot water and winced as the cold spray hit him. Between that and the commercial break, he got himself under control.

  He left the radio on as he stepped out of the shower and toweled off. God, he hoped she’d show up tonight ready to have real sex. He hadn’t been this frustrated in his life.

  Gerald Brewster sounded like Yoda. But then, anybody who browsed hardware stores looking for sexual meaning would have to be pretty weird. After walking into the bedroom to get dressed, Jess turned on the radio in there. He’d never stopped to question why all the radios in his house were tuned to KRZE.

  If anybody had asked him a week ago, he would have said that he liked the all-talk format, that he learned things from the programs. But in reality he only cared about the program that came on at nine on weeknights. He probably could count on one hand the number of times he’d missed Katie’s show.

  “Obvious, it is,” Brewster said in his Yoda voice. “Into cavities, bolts slide. Into soft wood, nails penetrate. Into hollow nuts, screws twist.�
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  “And Dr. Brewster, would you say that those who manipulate this hardware are subconsciously recreating the sexual act?”

  Jess snorted. What a load of bull.

  “Of course.”

  “Construction crews are dominated by men, correct?”

  “Appropriate, it is.”

  “Because men feel the need to bolster their manliness by manipulating these objects?” Katie sounded gleeful.

  “Of course.”

  “You are an idiot!” Jess shouted. He didn’t feel very adult yelling at the radio, but it released some of his tension, enough that he started to laugh. He hated to think what work would be like tomorrow. Maybe nobody from his crew was listening.

  Yeah, right. After Friday night he’d bet they were all listening. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn they’d gathered at one of their favorite bars specifically to hear what Crazy Katie had to say this time.

  They wouldn’t be happy to know that he was hoping to welcome her into his bed tonight. They’d call him a traitor to the cause, a traitor to all men everywhere. He was consorting with the enemy by asking Katie to come over here.

  And he could hardly wait for her to show up—because her program had given him an idea of how to proceed.

  ALTHOUGH KATIE HAD TRIED to convince herself the decision wasn’t made, she knew she’d go over to Jess’s house after the broadcast. This afternoon she’d programmed his number into her cell phone. Then she’d changed into a gauzy skirt, tank top and lightweight jacket so he wouldn’t see her in the same outfit she’d worn to lunch. It was on the wrinkled side anyway, after having sex in his truck.

  Yep, she was planning to see Jess again. The barriers between them were coming down, and she felt good about that, although she wasn’t quite ready to think of a future with him. The possibility of a life with Jess had taken root in her subconscious, though. She could feel it there, waiting its turn, biding its time until she was ready to consider that kind of commitment. Her heart beat faster as she got into her car and pulled her phone out of her purse.

  He answered quickly. That was a good sign.

  “Hi.” She sounded too eager. Time to tone it down, shoot for casual and breezy. “I’m finished at the studio so I thought maybe I’d stop by for a few minutes, if you’re not busy.”

  “Come ahead. I’m just here bolting a few things together, twisting some screws into some snug little nuts.”

  So he’d listened. She liked that, too. “Jess, you have to admit that there’s something to that theory.”

  “Katie, I can’t deny it. The writing’s on the wall—or on the cave wall, more like it. I’m sure your Yoda guy is right.”

  “Yes, he did sound like Yoda, but his concept—”

  “It’s fascinating. Makes perfect sense. Early man looked at how neatly he could fasten himself to a woman and—bingo!—next thing you know you have sturdy pegs thrust into knotholes.”

  “Uh, yeah. Exactly.” She hadn’t figured on him agreeing with her. “I’m glad you see the similarities.”

  “I couldn’t before but I’m into it now.”

  “You’re teasing me.”

  “Hell, no! I think it’s a revelation. All this time I thought I just liked building things, when I was actually rehearsing for sex. Who knew? It’s a terrific concept. So how soon can you get here?”

  Warning bells jangled in her head. He was having way too much fun with this sexual-hardware idea. That could endanger her plan to dominate the proceedings. She probably should make an excuse and go home.

  She didn’t do that. “All I need is directions to your house.” So her curiosity was getting the better of her. Having a curious nature was both a curse and a blessing.

  But she wasn’t going to bed with him. She’d already decided that, even before her pep talk this afternoon from Cheryl. She’d just ask for some quick oral sex and then leave. He had promised to deliver it anytime she asked.

  As she listened to the instructions for finding his house, she figured out he was in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains. “I can be there in about twenty minutes,” she said.

  “That should give me plenty of time to penetrate some soft wood with a few ten-penny nails and a rhythmic swing of my big hammer.”

  “Now I know you’re making fun of me.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  And he wasn’t, she realized. He was trying to seduce her and he was succeeding. The more he talked about sliding bolts into cavities and penetrating soft wood, the hotter she became. He was using her own weapon against her.

  Okay, so it would be a challenge. She liked challenges. Besides, there was no way she wasn’t going over there. Some temptations were too delicious to resist.

  12

  EVEN BEFORE SHE SAW THE inside Katie knew Jess’s place would be gorgeous. Perched on a small rise that overlooked the city, the single-story house was certain to have a dazzling view from the back patio. She left her car parked in the circular drive and walked through a paved courtyard to reach the massive front door.

  To her right a three-tiered Mexican fountain gurgled. To her left a sculpted mesquite tree’s feathered leaves rustled in the breeze. No doubt about it, Jess had done very well for himself. Even the doorbell was classy—a deep-throated chime that sounded extremely masculine.

  Jess answered the door dressed in a snug white T-shirt and jeans. Safety goggles hung around his neck. “Hi! You made good time.” He held the door open.

  “Traffic was moving well.” And she might have broken a couple of speed limits on the way over. So what? She still wasn’t going to bed with him, even if he had manly sawdust on his T-shirt and smelled of freshly cut wood.

  In high school he’d worked at Home Depot after class and on weekends. Consequently she’d hung out at Home Depot a lot. She’d forgotten that the scent of sawdust and lumber had once been an aphrodisiac.

  He closed the door after she walked in. “I hope you don’t mind, but your show inspired me to get back to a project I kept meaning to finish. I just have a little more to do. Come on back to my shop.”

  “I can do that.” Lured by her Home Depot memories, she looped her purse over her shoulder and followed him through a tiled entry. To the right was a sunken living room filled with cushy leather furniture and sleek wood accent pieces.

  He turned left and took her into a state-of-the-art kitchen with granite counters and stainless-steel appliances. “Want something to drink? I have both hard and soft.”

  He was toying with her by throwing out that line, but she didn’t take the bait. “Thanks, but I’m good.” She wasn’t a soda drinker and she didn’t dare have alcohol. Her resistance was already eroding at an alarming rate.

  Judging from what she’d seen so far, his master bedroom would also be impressive. She visualized a king-size bed, lights on a dimmer switch, sheets with a three hundred thread count. One step into a bedroom like that and she’d be mattress diving in no time.

  “I bought this house primarily because of the wood shop.” He opened a door off the kitchen.

  One whiff of that shop and Katie was aroused. In the Home Depot days she’d almost gotten Jess fired when she’d dragged him behind a stack of plywood and French-kissed him. But he’d looked so sexy using one of the power saws that she’d been overcome with lust.

  The shop was almost as big as her living room. A table saw took up one corner, and the workbench stretched along an entire wall. Tools hung on a giant Peg-Board above it.

  Sawdust and curled ribbons of wood littered the floor, and a belt sander sat on top of a slab of wood propped on metal sawhorses. The wood was about eighteen inches wide and four feet long.

  “It’s a bench for the entryway,” Jess said. “I want it to look rustic, so I may just rub it with oil and call it good.”

  Katie pretended great interest in the piece of wood, because otherwise she was liable to demonstrate great interest in the woodworker. She ran her hand over the silky surface. “Mesquite?”

  “Yea
h. A huge tree. A guy in the neighborhood was determined to cut it down. I tried to stop him, but when I couldn’t convince him to leave it, I bought the wood. I have more in the back.”

  “Pretty grain.” And she had a thing for men who worked with their hands. Years ago she’d loved watching Jess in the lumber department, a pencil behind his ear and a tape measure hanging from his belt. He’d handled the store’s table saw like a pro.

  This shop vibrated with Jess’s personality. It was his space, and he’d invited her into it. She’d never been so aware of another human being than she was of Jess right now—his steady breathing, his voice, the scent of his skin. She avoided looking at him for fear her eyes would betray her.

  Instead she examined the wood more closely. “This isn’t a bench yet, though. I thought you said you were almost finished.”

  “I am. The top is planed and sanded.” He pulled the safety goggles over his head and tossed them on the workbench. “All I have to do is attach the legs. Want to help?”

  “I don’t know anything about carpentry.”

  “You don’t have to. I just need another pair of hands.” Once he’d crossed to the thick slab, he picked it up and turned it over.

  She shouldn’t have watched him do that. It made his muscles bulge, and nobody could display muscles better than Jess.

  “I’ve tapered the legs.” He picked one up from the workbench.

  “So I see.” Talk about phallic symbols, that bench leg would definitely qualify.

  “So now I have to push them into the holes I’ve bored out in each corner. I could use someone to hold the top. You know, steady it.”

  She sincerely doubted that. “Okay.” After laying her purse on the workbench, she started back toward the sawhorses.

  “You might want to ditch the jacket, too.”

  She glanced at him, convinced he was up to his ears in ulterior motives. “Oh, really?”

  “Or not.” He shrugged. “Your choice.”

  Helping with a construction project would be easier without the jacket. She took it off and laid it on top of her purse. Just because she was going along with his little scheme didn’t mean she had to follow it to its logical conclusion. She was still in control. Mostly.