She couldn’t quite suppress the fleeting moment of melancholy as she realized how much she truly loved this man and how often she feared she would lose him. His well-loved face clouded, then concern moved instantly into his dark-brown eyes.
“You all right?” he asked.
She shook herself out of the brooding moment and pulled him down and into a long, soul-searing kiss. It lasted long enough for both of them to be gasping slightly when they broke contact. She smiled, looking up at him as he searched her face for just a moment. He straddled her supple body, settling down over her hips. His hands ran the length of her arms, drawing them up over her head in a slow, lazy stretch. He was clearly enjoying both the sensation of his own elastic muscles and the sight of her stretched out beneath him.
“Remember how I told you this bed had four posts?” The mischievous glint was back in his eyes and she stirred out of her drowsiness long enough to begin to get suspicious.
Too late.
She felt, rather than heard, the click of metal on one wrist before she could even begin to react. The second wrist was cuffed to the other bedpost in nearly the same, fluid motion. That’s it, she thought, Rick isn’t going on any more overseas assignments. This is just too fucking weird. It was Japan, she knew it. Rick had been there less than a month ago and she had heard all kinds of stories…
Her heart almost flew out of her chest when a loud, muffled bang sounded from somewhere outside their room.
“What was that?”
Rick was still as stone, listening intently. There was nothing but silence in the hotel now, nothing to indicate a crazed murderer might be close by. Her thoughts were interrupted as he sat up across her hips and smiled. In his best Saturday matinee growl, Rick intoned, “Friday the 13th Part 2.”
“Rick, you don’t even look the part. Besides, it’s just not scary with you doing it.”
“Oh don’t worry, honey.” His grin became satisfyingly manic. “I’ll see that it’s scary. The power tools are under the bed.”
“Yeah, right!” Cinthya snorted, not the least impressed with the empty threat. She relaxed and tried to appear bored and disinterested, a bit difficult in her vulnerable position.
Rick settled back on his heels and remained silent, his gaze locked intently with hers. She waited, certain he’d make some kind of move before long. Minutes passed in total silence and his expression didn’t change in the slightest, his eyes never left hers. She began to stir beneath him, growing restless as she maintained the unflinching stare. Rick’s eyes seemed to change in the flickering light, losing the loving warmth she was so familiar with, to be replaced by a mildly disturbing blankness.
“Rick?” She tried to keep her tone steady but knew there was a thread of uneasiness in the word. He didn’t move or respond, and she shivered when she realized she hadn’t even seen him blink for what felt like five minutes. There was so much she didn’t know about him and, at the moment, what she didn’t know seemed to overshadow what she did know. A serpent of ice began to uncoil at the base of her skull and slither slowly along the course of her veins.
His eyes opened a little wider, giving him a slightly demented look, and he turned his head a little but continued to hold her stare. The shift in position revealed more white to his eyes and she felt a tiny flutter in her stomach. The prolonged silence and the growing intensity of Rick’s look were beginning to get to her despite her knowing he was only teasing her.
“C’mon, enough already. You haven’t got power tools under the bed and you’re not scaring me—” She stopped speaking abruptly when Rick lunged off the bed and she heard the sound of something creaking above her. Her gaze flew upward and a high-pitched scream escaped her when the cob-webbing rippled, a heavy black bat slipped through a tear in the fine material and landed on her chest with a dull thump. Shit! She shuddered at the feel of the thing, cool and leathery against her skin. She thought the damn things were plastic.
“Rick!”
Another reactive yelp of surprise came from her when he leaned over her, his face inches from hers, his expression wild with craziness. He scooped up the bat and promptly bit into it. Then his face split into a huge, very familiar grin as he dropped back onto the bed. He held out the bat and offered her a bite.
“Licorice,” he laughed when she made a repulsed face at him. “I thought you liked it?”
Her heartbeat was still erratic and loud in her ears as she glowered at him in impotent fury. She was equally enraged at her own response to the teasing, mostly because she should have seen it coming. Rick’s laughter earned him another pointed glare, and she did her best to keep the expression firmly in place when he tossed aside the candy bat and crawled back over her hips to stare down at her.
“That was pretty fuckin’ stupid!” Cinthya finally snapped when he placed a hand on either side of her and leaned forward.
“Yeah, it was,” he agreed with a smug smirk. “But you did react so beautifully.”
“Get off me!” she demanded, yanking at one of the restraints that held her. She looked back at Rick, her face reflecting all the anger she was suddenly feeling. “And get these damn things off me while you’re at it.”
He considered the request for a few seconds, then shook his head. “No. I think I like you like this—pissed off and mouthy. Makes your eyes light up.” He ran his hands across her midriff until he was cupping her soft breasts gently.
“Fuck you, Leighton,” she retorted, her anger going up another notch at the prolonged teasing.
“We’re getting to that, I promise,” he murmured, bending over to place a light kiss in the center of her chest. His tongue trailed across to one nipple and flicked at the hard tip for several seconds before he nipped at it with his teeth. His hands glided down her sides to brush over the curving ridge of hipbones. He could feel the faint tremor of reaction in her body, the response natural despite her irritation. He reached for the glass of champagne he’d left on the night table.
“Are you having a good time, Cindi?” he asked, his smile lazy and amused. He sipped at the chilled champagne and waited for her to stop glaring at him. He could see the softening in her stunning sapphire eyes already.
“Yeah, this is great,” she said, giving in with a resigned sigh. She knew better than to think she could stay mad once Rick really started to make love to her. His reputation for being a ladies’ man was well-earned, and he had shown Cindi the brightest part of heaven more than once in their time together. She adored him.
“This would be a whole lot more fun if I could do more than lie here.” Her complaint was cut off quickly when Rick slid back on her thighs and bent to trickle warmed champagne from his mouth into the hollow of her hip. She twitched in response when he ran his tongue through the tiny pool of liquid. She watched in fascination when he took a long swallow of the cold wine and set the glass aside, then gasped loudly when he bent and sucked one ripe nipple into his mouth. The lingering chill of the champagne was startling against the heat of her flesh. The trapped bud reacted instantly, hardening in Rick’s mouth as another surge of pleasure bolted through her.
Cinthya closed her eyes and let herself experience the sensation of Rick’s mouth growing steadily warmer. She sighed softly when he slid up to settle over her. Her legs tangled with his as she pulled him closer the only way she was able to.
“Let me go, Rick, please?” She murmured the words into his mouth when he was about to cover her lips and he drew back for a moment to look closely at her. She could feel the hardness of his erection against her thigh and she wanted desperately to touch him.
Rick leaned on his elbows and let his gaze drink in the image before him. The candles were flickering—soft, shivering touches of illumination, the muted light catching the glow of gold in her fair hair. Pale skin looked like buffed ivory against the background of ruby-red silk and shimmering black velvet. Ocean-blue eyes softened at the intensity of his expression and he brushed a lock of blonde hair aside to kiss first her forehead then
her lips in a gentle caress.
“I love you, Cindi,” he breathed, voice soft and throaty with the depth of emotion he felt for the woman in his arms.
“Make love to me.” She strained to touch his lips as she made the request, smiling when his tongue ran across her mouth in a teasing caress. She moved to put her arms around him, clearly forgetting the restraints that held her hands. The pull of the handcuffs on her wrists made her wince and she gasped as one of the metal bracelets scraped her skin.
“You okay?” Rick whispered into her mouth.
“That hurt,” she admitted, shifting her position slightly, letting him see her discomfort. “Let me go, please?”
Rick moved instantly, snapping open the metal cuffs. He hadn’t bothered to lock the things, fully intending to release her anyway. He hated the idea that she’d been caused even a tiny amount of pain by the antic. When he had both arms free, he was surprised by the sudden twist in her body. She had him pinned effectively seconds later, and Rick couldn’t miss the triumphant grin on her stunning features.
“Gotcha!”
“You little shit!” he laughed.
She caressed Rick’s chest, she shivering, and Rick smiled with the realization of how much she truly loved the feel of his body. He had no illusions about himself, but despite the many women before this one, it was Cyndi’s appreciation that he cherished. She knew the taste and feel of every inch of him, the exact location of the few scars that marred otherwise smooth skin, and it never ceased to amaze him that her touch could send tremors through him that left him breathless and shaking in her arms.
“I love you,” she whispered, then bent her head to his mouth before he could answer, entwining her tongue with his as their kiss deepened. Her hands moved lower to find the straining hardness of his cock. He groaned into her mouth when her fingers curled around the rigid shaft and began to stroke slowly. She broke their kiss and immediately closed her lips over the sensitive hollow of his throat, her tongue playing in the curve. Her hand moved on him with greater demand.
Rick’s hips rose to answer the easy rhythm of her strokes and he moaned low in his throat when her mouth trekked after her hands and closed over him. Delicate fingers slipped between his thighs and cupped his balls in a gentle massage as he thrust into the warm mouth that covered him. He felt the betraying swell of his release beginning and took a deep breath, then carefully eased her away from him. He was gasping and it took him a couple of minutes to get his breath back. She leaned over him, grin smug and much too cheerful. Rick laughed at the expression and pulled her back to him, shivering when she met his kiss with an excited hunger that left him searching for breath once more.
She shifted to the side and took Rick with her as she rolled onto her back and tangled her legs around his. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and arched into her body with urgent demand. His mouth released her and he pulled back to kneel between her spread legs.
“Pull your knees up, Cindi,” he said, his naturally rough voice now like gravel. He moved in closer and braced his thighs against the back of hers, then lifted her hips and slid into the tight, familiar warmth, quickly finding a slow, tantalizing rhythm.
She saw the ripple of total rapture that crossed Rick’s face when he moved deeper into her and watched in wonder at the shudders that shook him. He leaned in closer and her spine curved in response to give him freer movement and easier access. Another thrust sent him fully into her and she moaned softly as her head fell back and their rhythms blended into a smooth flow of shared motion.
Her body tensed minutes later as her orgasm spasmed through her, her hands still gripping Rick’s solid shoulders. The shuddering climax tightened every muscle in her body and he moaned loudly as his own release poured over him in answer to hers. The tremors continued to pulse through him as he spilled into her and she collapsed back against the pillows.
She watched the slow relaxation of his features. It was hardly the first time she’d seen his face as they made love, but it still thrilled her to the core of her being to witness his expressive face softened with so much pleasure that she felt a flutter of renewed excitement in her stomach. Rick pulled his arms from under her legs but left her limbs draped on either side of him.
Her own breath was easing slowly and she let her eyes close as she fought for control of her heartbeat. A small, almost choked cry escaped her a few minutes later when Rick slipped free. She opened her eyes and watched him crawl up beside her and, with a heavy sigh, stretch his body the length of hers. She curled into his arms.
“Does the shower work?” she asked a short while later. She felt sticky with sweat and the results of their lovemaking.
“No, but you’re gonna love the bathtub,” he murmured in her ear, kissing her cheek before claiming the slightly parted lips in a loving caress. “C’mon,” he directed, getting out of the bed.
Rick hadn’t been kidding. The bathtub was ancient, one of the huge, deep things with clawed feet at the base. He went to it and gave the knob a twist. It was already partially filled with lukewarm water, and it didn’t take long for steam and bubbles to rise as hot water poured in a steady stream, with only mild objections from the long-unused pipes.
“You’re not serious?” she asked, expression wary. “This place has been dead for decades and you want me to use the water here?”
Rick eyed her and laughed. “The contractors were here days ago, Cyndi,” he informed her, tone dry and amused. “The water is perfectly safe to drink or bathe in.” He turned, saw the tub was full, and he held out his hand, watching with appreciation as she stepped into the foamy warmth. He joined her and they settled at either end to stare at each other with matching expressions of bliss.
“We forgot the champagne!” she said.
Cinthya started to object when he rose and stepped out of the tub, but he cut her off with a firm kiss. She laughed as she watched him walk back into the room, bubbles clinging to his back and sliding down over his butt. He was back in seconds, fresh glasses of sparkling champagne in hand. He passed one to her and climbed back into the tub.
“Happy Halloween, honey,” Rick said. “This really is so much nicer than ‘scary shit’, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yeah, but I could do without the bondage bit,” she tossed back with a grin.
“Maybe you could,” he teased, “but I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!”
“You’re sick, Rick.”
“But you love me.”
“But I love you.”
Rick finished the glass of champagne in a long swallow and smiled at her. “I’m tired, honey. I think I’m going back to bed. You coming, or do you want to stay here for a while?”
Cinthya nestled deeper into the warm water and shook her head. “I’m gonna soak for about an hour. This feels wonderful. Almost as good as you,” she added with a quirky smile.
He nodded, got up and reached for one of the plush black bath towels he had placed in the room. He was conscious of her heated gaze watching his every movement as he dried off and tossed the towel onto the vanity. The fire in her eyes when he glanced down at her almost made him haul her out of the tub, but he figured it could wait until later. He bent to kiss her, completely unsurprised by the hunger he felt in the caress as her tongue invaded his mouth to probe deeply. “I’ll be in bed when you’re ready, Cindi,” he whispered.
“Rick?”
He was almost out of the room and paused to look back.
“Where’d you get the idea for this?”
“Why?” He leaned on the doorframe, smiling.
Cinthya peered at him, then shrugged. “I just had the feeling there was something familiar about the whole setup.”
“Did you?” His laughter was genuine and he shook his head as he tried to stop chuckling in response to her annoyed glare.
“Well?”
“Your old man would shoot me if he heard this conversation,” Rick said, relenting. “He did something a little bit like this to your mother, a lot o
f years ago. Since I can’t imagine he’d ever tell you about it, my best guess is you heard them talking at some point.”
“Maybe that’s why she divorced him.”
The effect of her glower was lost on him—he merely grinned, then continued out of the room.
Chapter Four
Rick hadn’t been in bed long when he felt the breathy whisper of a caress along his spine. He smiled into his pillow and waited to see how adventurous Cindi was willing to get. He was fully expecting her to make an attempt at retaliation for the handcuffs and the incident in the chair. The silk sheets rustled at his waist and he shivered as another cool breath touched the curving hollow there. The soft whisper of touch continued, swirling tantalizing, teasing touches across his back before moving lower.
He turned his head to look at her and was startled into complete awareness when he discovered she wasn’t in the room with him. He heard the soft sounds of water from the bathroom and realized Cindi was still in the tub. He looked around the room, shivering slightly. It was exactly as it had been all night. He shrugged it off as a trick of the wind. These old buildings were filled with weird drafts and odd noises—his precise reason for picking the place when he first planned this little rendezvous. It had atmosphere.
The second time a touch stirred him from his light sleep, he felt the solid weight of his lover beside him and turned into her arms. His mouth found the lips that were seeking his and he sighed into the caress as she arched into him, molding their bodies together. When the kiss ended long minutes later, he rolled onto his back and she snuggled into his neck, one arm draped lazily across his waist.
Rick was almost asleep again when he felt her stir, then rise. Then he heard the creak of the door swinging inward on rusted hinges. He opened his eyes just in time to see the grin spreading over Cindi’s face.
“Hey, that’s cool,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “I thought you said you didn’t like dry ice.”
Reckless Assignation Page 3
