“Only a week?” She blurted out the words, the realization clearly taking her by surprise. Then her voice took on a faraway sound, as if she were thinking out loud rather than talking to him. “It seems like it’s been so much longer.”
“Oh?” He tried without success to eliminate the teasing quality from his voice. “You mean the time’s been dragging by so slowly it seemed like it surely must have been much longer than a week?”
A chuckle, half amused and half embarrassed, escaped her throat. “That’s not at all what I meant.” She twisted around to face him. With a slightly trembling finger, she traced the edge of his lower lip. Her tone softened until almost inaudible, but there was no mistaking the emotion that seeped through. “It’s only been a week, but in that time you’ve managed to make a shambles out of my carefully ordered life.” She placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I feel like I’ve known you forever.”
Vicki closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
“A lifetime, indeed.” His whispered words tickled her ear. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Neither of them spoke for a long time. The flames died down and then went out, plunging the room into near darkness. Only the light from the kitchen provided modest illumination.
Blake stirred first, finally rising from the sofa and offering Vicki his hand. Neither of them spoke as he led her upstairs to his bedroom. The soft warmth of emotion continued to surround them. Their clothing fell away, and they nestled into the softness of his bed. He captured her mouth with a tender kiss, their deeply felt emotional connection replacing the frenzied need of hot sex.
He stroked her skin, its smooth, creamy texture sending a ripple of anticipation through him. But the anticipation presented itself as a loving closeness rather than a frantic need. He teased her nipple with his tongue before gently sucking first one breast, and then the other. The sensation of her fingers skimming lightly across his back and shoulders fed into his arousal. A sensual aura surrounded them as they made love, tenderly, gently, and with great care.
They remained wrapped in each other’s arms, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking until they finally drifted into a blissful sleep.
Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, but with the forecast predicting more rain by noon. Blake had a quick errand to run, telling Vicki he would be right back. True to his word, he returned in twenty minutes with a surprise.
“It’s a shame to waste this beautiful morning.” Genuine enthusiasm filled his voice. “Especially with rain on its way again.”
“I’ve never ridden one of these.” Vicki stared at the bicycle-built-for-two. When Blake left to run his errand, she had no idea he intended to rent this contraption for the morning. “Is it much different than riding a regular bike?”
“A little, but not much. I’ll sit in front, and you can sit behind. The main thing for you to keep in mind is not to try and steer. Your handlebars are only something to hold on to, they don’t move.” He flashed her a teasing grin. “But that doesn’t mean you can just sit back and let me do all the work. You do have to pedal, too.”
“Well…” A quick jab of uncertainty had her biting her lip. She’d managed to conquer kite flying, so she shouldn’t be concerned about this. After all, she knew how to ride a bicycle. Could a bicycle-built-for-two really be that different?
“Come on. We’ll walk the bike over to the bike path, then ride to the pier and back.”
“Sure.” She allowed a warm smile to spread across her face. “That sounds like fun.” Fun. Before meeting Blake, she hadn’t used that word in a very long time. But somehow he’d made it an acceptable concept. She wasn’t doing anything wrong taking time out to simply have fun. It didn’t mean she’d be neglecting her work or the needs of her clients. It would get done on time, but meanwhile a little fun certainly wouldn’t do any harm. “Besides, the exercise will be good for us.”
“Oh? Haven’t you been getting enough exercise lately? Perhaps I could help you remedy that.” He winked at her as he tried to maintain a serious expression that quickly turned into a lewd grin. “I know an effective version of calisthenics we could try rather than going biking, something good for the cardio vascular system.”
“Perhaps we could do both?” She returned his grin. “Ride the bicycle while the sun is shining and leave your excellent suggestion to this afternoon when the rain keeps us indoors?”
“A superb idea.” He leaned his face into hers and placed a tender kiss on her lips.
They walked the dual bike to the riding path. It took Vicki a couple of tries to get the hang of riding it, then they were on their way down the beach to the pier. The ocean breeze ruffled her hair. The clean air filled her lungs. It had been a long time since she’d felt as alive as she had the last few days. A long time since she’d indulged in frivolous activities for no reason other than the pure enjoyment of having a good time. And Blake was the one responsible. He had cajoled, pushed, and practically dragged her screaming into the arena of fun. Kite flying. A bicycle-built-for-two. Activities she never would have believed she’d be doing. And she was so very thankful he had persisted in his efforts.
Rather than starting back when they had covered the short distance to the pier, they pedaled on for another mile before turning around. On the way home, they stopped at the pier for a snack and a cold drink before continuing their ride. They found a table on the café’s patio, where they enjoyed the sun while keeping an eye on the approaching storm clouds.
Blake covered Vicki’s hand with his. Maintaining physical contact with her, no matter how fleeting or minimal, filled him with a settled feeling of contentment unlike anything he had ever known. They enjoyed their leisurely rest stop, talking quietly and basking in the momentary warmth of the sun. Before long, the sun disappeared behind the storm clouds and a cool breeze picked up. They rode back to the house and arrived just in time to keep from getting wet. Blake made a quick trip to return the bicycle to the rental shop.
While waiting for Blake to come back, Vicki wandered onto the covered deck to watch the rain. As long as there wasn’t any thunder and lightning involved, she liked the gentle patter of the raindrops. Her thoughts turned to Tim’s party scheduled for later that night. She hadn’t told Blake, but she had mixed feelings about it. She’d taken an instant dislike to Tim when they had met with him to discuss her bogus rental agreement and getting her money back. True to his word, he had written Mr. Edwards and provided her with a copy of his letter. Unfortunately, the rental agent had not responded.
A sigh of resignation told her she’d known all along there wouldn’t be a reply. Between Gary Sanderson’s comment about taking the house away from the rental agency and now getting no response to the letter from an attorney, she admitted she needed to file a police report. She would do that first thing Monday.
Something about Tim had set her nerves on edge, and not in a good way. She tried to adopt a more philosophical attitude. After all, it was just a party. A lot of people would be there. No reason for Tim to make any more unwanted advances toward her. But the idea of going inside his house again still left her uneasy.
Then the image of the blonde rubbing against Blake after the volleyball game popped into her mind. Would she be at the party, too? What about other women Blake had slept with? Vicki shook her head to clear it of the intrusive thoughts. Blake’s past was none of her business, just like any of her previous sex partners were none of his, at least, not as a negative thought that could justify jealousy.
Jealousy. The word hit her like a ton of bricks. She had no right to be jealous, especially based on nothing more than stray thoughts. But the realization told her something far more disturbing. It screamed out her emotional involvement with Blake Callahan, a man unsuited to what she wanted out of life.
But exactly what did she want? Confusion swirled through her mind. So much had happened during the last week, things she’d never imagined could be real. Was
Blake a better fit for her life than she had at first wanted to believe?
Vicki jumped in surprise when Blake snaked his arms around her waist and pressed his lips against the side of her neck. “I’ll give you two choices. We can either take a walk in the rain or go upstairs and see if we can find some worthwhile way to pass the time on this rainy afternoon.”
“Only two choices?” she teased.
“Actually, there’s only one viable choice I can think of. How about you?”
She turned in his arms until she faced him while trying to suppress a sly grin. She slipped her arms around his neck. “It’s a tough decision, so I’ll leave it up to you.” She feigned a look of innocence as she tilted her head to one side and batted her eyelashes. “What do you think we should do?”
He slid his hands down her back, cupped her bottom, and pulled her hips against his as he nibbled her earlobe. “Follow me, and I’ll show you.”
She thrust her pelvis forward and rubbed seductively against his growing erection. “Aren’t you going to give me even a little bit of a hint?”
Taking her hand in his, Blake led the way upstairs to his bedroom. Without even a pretense at hesitation, they dropped their clothes to the floor and fell into his bed. She wrapped her leg around his thigh, opening herself to his tantalizing touch. He slowly inserted his finger between her pussy lips and stimulated her already engorged clit with his thumb. Her soft moans and look of delight fed his obvious arousal. He had never known anyone more responsive than Vicki. Their body chemistry meshed perfectly. They had been totally in sync with each other’s needs and wants from that first night.
He increased his manipulation of her clit and added a second finger inside her slick pussy. In no time at all, she succumbed to the first of what he hoped would be many orgasms. He had never received so much pleasure from satisfying a woman as he did with her. He thrilled to the way she totally abandoned herself to sensation, to the exquisite look of satisfaction that covered her face when in the throes of an orgasm. So genuine. So real. So exciting.
So perfect.
With a quick move, he slid down her body and teased her clit with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth. In only a second, her soft moans of delight turned to cries of orgasmic bliss and her convulsions claimed her. The intense sensation raced directly to Blake’s cock.
In a highly efficient and smooth maneuver, he positioned her on her stomach with her legs drawn up and spread to each side. After rolling on a condom, he rested his chest against her back and wrapped his arms around her hips. His cock head probed between her pussy lips from behind, then he thrust into her wet tunnel until his shaft was buried all the way to his balls. A groan of pure ecstasy clawed its way out of his throat, enhanced by the way she shoved back and wiggled her ass against his abdomen.
He played his fingers across her clit, alternately rubbing and plucking it to make sure she remained in a state of heightened stimulation. Her moans of pleasure grew louder. Her muscles clenched and contracted around his shaft, rhythmically milking him of his control as the contractions claimed her in another orgasm. He pumped into her with short, hard strokes until spasms of release shuddered through his body. His lungs fought for oxygen. His entire body rippled with the intensity of his release.
****
Blake and Vicki entered Tim’s house through the sliding doors on the deck. The party was already in full swing. Tim immediately came over to them, shaking Blake’s hand and kissing Vicki on the cheek. Was it her imagination, or had his lips lingered longer than necessary? Should she have said something to Blake about feeling uncomfortable around Tim? She tried to dismiss her concerns as inappropriate, just her imagination.
“I’m glad to see both of you.” Tim bubbled with enthusiasm. “I was beginning to be concerned. I really thought with you living right next door, you’d be the first to arrive. But I guess you had other things to do?”
His lascivious grin and the way he eyed Vicki left her with no doubt about what he meant. A cold shiver told her she didn’t want to be in his house. But in all fairness, could she expect Blake to leave the party just because she didn’t want to be there? Would it have been appropriate to suggest he attend by himself? Tim had made a point of specifically inviting her rather than merely including her as part of Blake’s invitation. And after all, Tim had written the letter to Mr. Edwards on her behalf. Would it have been rude to refuse his invitation?
She dismissed her concerns as being irrelevant. Besides, it was too late. They were at the party and needed to stay a polite amount of time. She certainly didn’t want to cause Blake any embarrassment in front of his friend.
Tim grabbed her hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor. A fast song spilled out through the sound system, so dancing didn’t really involve much touching. But no sooner had that thought pushed through her mind than a slow song began. Tim pulled her into his arms and moved to the music, holding her much tighter than she wanted. She looked around, trying to spot Blake, to signal him for help in gracefully extricating her from the awkward situation. But to her dismay, he had his back to her and seemed to be engaged in serious conversation with a man she didn’t know
Then Tim rubbed his growing arousal against her stomach. “Let me take you on a tour of my house. We can start upstairs.”
She tried to gracefully pull away, finally extracting herself from his arms. “I’m parched. I think I’ll get myself something to drink.”
“Allow me, my pretty one.”
“Oh, please, don’t go to the trouble.” Something about the way he’d said that, the knowing look in his eyes, sent waves of caution crashing through her, and she felt the inexplicable need to make sure nothing would be slipped into her drink. She forced a smile. “You have a lot of guests to take care of. I can get it.”
She excused herself and headed to the bar. A shiver crept across the back of her neck telling her his stare had followed her across the room.
She poured herself a glass of wine and studied the people at the party. They were all strangers to her, but Blake seemed to know everyone. Especially the women. She sipped her wine and watched him as he seemed to be pulled into one group then another. Everything about him radiated confidence and a magnetic sex appeal that had women flocking to him like ants to a picnic. He was unquestionably the most desirable man in the room. The most desirable man she had ever met.
She poured herself another drink. She didn’t want to be a wet blanket or put a damper on his good time, so she stayed at the bar sipping her wine. Every now and then a couple would head upstairs, the most recent, a man with his hand firmly planted on the woman’s ass and his erection blatantly obvious. She recalled Blake’s mention of Tim’s playroom. Is that where they were headed? How many couples were up there? Were they engaged in group sex? An orgy?
Was that the part of the house Tim had intended to show her on his tour?
Vicki wanted to get out of Tim’s house and away from him as quickly as she could. She poured herself a third drink, fully aware of having too many drinks in too short a period of time. But the bar was the only place she felt safe. She didn’t want to leave the openness of the area and have Tim corner her. A moment of panic slid over her, almost like a warning.
She looked for Blake and finally spotted him backed into a corner by the blonde from the volleyball game who was rubbing her big boobs against him. Genuine panic covered his face as he shot her a frantic look. Full blown jealousy grabbed her.
What the hell does that fucking bitch think she’s doing with my man?
Total shock smacked her dead center. My man? Exactly what did that uncensored thought tell her?
“My pretty one.” Tim sidled up to her and took her hand. “Allow me to give you that tour now.”
“Uh, no, thank you.” As soon as she opened her mouth and tried to talk, she knew she’d consumed her wine too quickly. “I need to find Blake. We, uh—”
“I believe he’s busy at the moment.” Tim glanced at Blake and the blonde
. “It’s rude of him to leave you alone like this. Allow me to keep you company.”
He placed his hand at the small of her back and tried to steer her toward the stairs.
She pulled away, her manner more determined than polite this time. “No, thank you. I prefer to stay here.”
“Oh, come on.” Tim became more insistent. “There’s no time like the present to take the grand tour.”
“The lady said no.” Blake clamped his hand on Tim’s shoulder. His firm voice left no confusion about his intention.
A startled Tim took a step back.
“Sorry, Blake. You seemed busy.” He glanced toward the blonde. “You deserted this delicious looking morsel so I thought I’d keep her company for you.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Blake’s stern expression said it all. He stood protectively in front of Vicki as Tim made a hasty retreat. Turning toward her, Blake’s voice and manner softened. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I might have had one too many glasses of wine. I ought to go home. You can, uh…” Vicki couldn’t help herself as she turned to look at the blonde, then back at Blake. “You can stay with your friends if you want.”
Even in her slightly impaired condition, she didn’t want to exhibit any signs of jealousy. She had no right to dictate what he could and couldn’t do regardless of her desires or her feelings for him. Jealousy was totally unacceptable. To admit jealousy was to admit her true feelings. It also used too much negative energy.
“Let’s take a walk on the beach.” He took her half-finished glass of wine from her hand and set it on the bar. “The fresh air will do you good.”
“You don’t need to take care of me. It’s all right if you want to stay. I can make it home okay. After all, it’s just next door.”
“I don’t want to stay here.” Blake took her hand. “I’ve already had more than my fill of this party. I’d much rather take a walk with you, then go home.”
Summer Sizzle Page 11
